Cramp

[kopend]

hi i play five a side football and when i go to bed i kep getting cramp

what causes cramp and what can i do after football to stop getting it ?

i heard salty water is god for it ???

[RATTER15]

Bananas often help with cramps or some will say to drink Tonic Water.

You can get quinine from your GP, that would be your best bet but nothing is guaranteed to stop cramps. Are you taking any Statins?

I dont think anybody knows what actually causes cramps to be honest.

[Sqad]

Nobody knows what causes cramp.

Could be due to dehydration which is the commonest cause or electrolyte imbalance which is a much rarer cause. Salt loss is an extremely uncommon cause of post exercise cramps and salty water could well be dangerous.

If this is a persistent feature then see you GP to exclude diabetes and under active thyroid.

[Ken4155]

As RATTER15 says, no-one really knows what causes cramp in the legs but some 'experts' link it to dehydration. So, obviously, non-alcoholic liquids should be taken before, during and after exercise and warming up before the match AND sown after the match should also help to alleviate the problem as they involve muscle stretching exercises.

[pixie373]

Oddly, the retired dance teachers i know, swear by crisps to avoid cramp. They also put it down to lack of salt (from perspiration, i presume).

[Buenchico]

Quinine (from tonic water) helps some people:
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/legcrampsunknowncause/Pages/Treatment.aspx

However, having had plenty of problems with cramp after exercise in the past myself, my own solution would be to increase the frequency of exercise. I found that if was only refereeing one football match per week (with minimal training in between) I'd nearly always end up with cramp. If I refereed three or four matches per week, and ran a couple of half-marathon distances for training as well, I never got cramp. (Fortunately you won't have to start running half-marathons though. Just see the daily exercises in my link).

[Jomlett]

Leg-stretching exercises solves bedtime cramp for me.

[roopower]

My son used to get cramp when he had been to gymnastics, his teachers told him to eat bananas and ready salted crisps, as already mentioned. I think they did help a bit.

[DaisyNonna]

Indian tonic water works as an alternative to quinine tablets suggested by doctor.

[Old_Geezer]

When I was young I used to get it every time I went swimming (which wasn't something I much enjoyed anyway even sans cramp). Now-a-days I get the occasional one when in bed, I can get to the stage where I can feel it is threatening to go, and hardly dare use my calf in case it triggers. Gripping and holding seems to help ease it.