[email hidden] (James Ramaley) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...
Quoted message said:Every summer I get painful muscle cramps. The affected muscle could be on any part of my body:
back, neck, leg etc. Each incident takes 7-10 days to heal.
Is there a way to avoid these muscle cramps? I was told, that this is a result of sleeping in an
air-conditioned room. True or false?
I also read that drinking a lot of electrolyte drinks could help. True or false? If true, which
drinks do you suggest? Does lemonade contain electrolytes?
thanks
There are 4 major minerals\electrolyte ions involved in muscular contraction - Sodium, Calcium,
Potasium, and Magnesium. It is the movement of these mineral ions in and out of cells that contracts
muscle cells i.e. a cramp. Everyone's metabolism is different thus taking a 'standard' electrolyte
mix (e.g. Gatorade) does not work for everyone. You will not stop the cramps by just having enough
of each of these minerals, they must be in the proper proportion - which can vary due to your
absorption\use. You will get cramps if one or more of these electrolytes is out of proportion.
To stop the cramps you need to find out which electrolyte\s are out of wack. First, try to maintain
a steady water intake during the testing period - adequate, but not excessive. Next, try a
supplement of each individual electrolyte for a week or two to see if the situation improves.
Calcium and Magnesium deficencies are the most common causes of cramps so start there. Sodium
deficency is unlikey, but possible. REMEMBER - quantity of electrolyte is not the goal - rather,
proportion. Add deficient electrolytes to balance.
Make sure the form of mineral supplement is readily absorbable. (For example, if you have low HCL
levels and you supplement with Calcium Carbonate [coral calcium] you may not be able to take enough
pills to add significantly to your cellular calcium level.)
Best wishes!