In life, we will have leg cramps during exercise or inadvertently. Many people think it is caused by calcium deficiency, but this is only one of the reasons. Do you know what causes leg cramps? How to prevent leg cramps? Let's have a look
Is cramping related to the cold weather
Cold weather will cramp.
Cold is the most common cause of cramps, which can directly stimulate the strong contraction of leg muscles and sudden spasm of blood vessels. The elderly are often accompanied by poor blood circulation of lower limbs. They are more prone to spasm under the stimulation of cold, humidity and other factors. Therefore, as a preventive measure, keeping warm is very important for the elderly. When you go out, you should pay attention to adding clothes. Do not take outdoor sports in windy and cool weather. The elderly who like sports should choose to do it in the warm sun after 12 noon.
In addition, muscle fatigue and sweating are also important reasons for leg cramps at night. Excessive exercise, especially long-term anaerobic exercise, leads to continuous contraction of muscles in a short time, excessive accumulation of acid metabolites in the body and failure to clean up in time, which can stimulate calf cramps. Massive sweating leads to a large loss of fluid and electrolyte in the body, such as low calcium, low potassium and low magnesium, which can cause internal environment disorder and spasm. Therefore, aerobic exercise should be selected, such as fast walking, jogging and swimming. The exercise intensity should be slightly sweating without fatigue, and the exercise time should be 30 ~ 60 minutes.
7 causes of frequent cramps
① Cold stimulation
The cold stimulation of the external environment, such as low room temperature at night in winter, too thin quilt covered during sleep or exposed legs and feet, and low swimming water temperature in summer, are easy to cause leg cramps.
② Excessive fatigue
Fatigue, sleep, lack of rest or excessive rest lead to the accumulation of local acid metabolites, which can cause muscle spasm. When walking or exercising for a long time during long-distance travel, mountain climbing and climbing, excessive fatigue of lower limbs or lack of rest and sleep can accumulate lactic acid, and calf muscles are most prone to fatigue. When fatigue reaches a certain level, spasms will occur.
③ Osteoporosis
The decrease of estrogen and osteoporosis in elderly women will lead to low blood calcium level, increased muscle stress and frequent spasm.
④ Sleep posture
Poor sleep posture, such as lying on your back for a long time, pressing the quilt on your feet, or lying prone for a long time, making your feet against the bed, forcing some muscles of the lower leg to be absolutely relaxed for a long time, causing passive muscle contracture.
⑤ Body calcium deficiency
During muscle contraction. Calcium ions play an important role. When the concentration of calcium in the blood is too low, the muscles are easy to get excited and spasm. Teenagers grow rapidly and are prone to calcium deficiency, so leg cramps often occur.
⑥ Muscle contraction
During strenuous exercise, the whole body is in a state of tension, and the leg muscles contract too fast. The relaxation time is too short, the local metabolite lactic acid increases, and the muscle contraction and relaxation are difficult to coordinate, resulting in calf muscle spasm.
⑦ Excessive sweating
Long exercise time. Large amount of exercise, sweating, not timely supplement of salt, massive loss of fluid and electrolyte in the body, accumulation of metabolic waste, poor blood circulation in local muscles, and prone to spasm.
How to do often cramp
Frequent cramps in hands and feet may be a lack of calcium and vitamin D. They determine the stiffness of bones and the contraction of muscles. Eat more dairy products, liver and seafood.
The best immediate response to leg cramps is to gently stretch the tight muscles.
The first method is to grasp the toes first, and then slowly pull the soles of the feet towards yourself, so as to stretch the gastrocnemius muscle.
The second method is to lean your body against the wall and touch your heels on the ground. It also helps if you just stand and then concentrate your weight on the leg with cramps, but you should be careful to fall: it's better if someone nearby can help. Warmth (using an electric blanket or warm water but not boiling water) or massaging your legs and feet can also help relax your muscles, but it's best to try stretching your muscles first.
How to prevent cramps
1. Exercise regularly to prevent excessive muscle fatigue. Make full preparations before exercise, and stretch the muscles of legs, waist, back, neck and two arms. Do not increase the amount of exercise too quickly. You should abide by the principle of increasing by 10% every week.
Is cramping related to cold weather? Why do people have cramps?
2. Drink water often. Don't wait until you are thirsty. When sweating a lot, you should supplement nutritional fortified sports drinks.
3. Pay attention to a balanced diet, especially supplement various essential nutrients from the diet. For example, drinking milk and soybean milk can supplement calcium; Eating vegetables and fruits can supplement various trace elements.
4. Pregnant women should often change their body posture and move once every hour or so. Before going to bed, they can wash their feet and legs with warm water. They can also supplement nutrients including calcium according to their special needs.
5. People with cramps at night should pay special attention to keeping warm. You might as well try stretching your muscles before going to bed, especially the muscle parts that are easy to cramp.