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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What To Do For Getting Cramps After Sever Exercise?

After severe exercise(I flyfishing in national parks which involves hikes of up to 3 miles in and out plus wading in demanding river systems), I inevitably get severe lower leg cramps. I ve tried Gatorade, yoghurt, even potato chips for potassium and sodium, but I get the cramps a few hours after the activity. This has been going on for several years.
Mon, 10 Nov 2014
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Dietitian & Nutritionist,  's  Response
Muscle cramps after a period of intense activity which your body is not used to regularly result due to accumulation of lactic acid in exercised muscles. You need to rest well till the cramps subside. Have potassium rich foods like bananas, potatoes and fruit juices, drink plenty of water to stay well-hydrated. Do some deep breathing exercises in fresh air for increasing oxygen levels in your body needed to relieve muscle cramps. Cramps normally happen when your body's demand for oxygen increases during increased muscular activity but enough oxygen is not available to convert glucose efficiently into energy for muscles required for intense exercises. Stay physically active on other days too when you do not exercise to improve cardiac efficiency and blood circulation. This will help in reducing the severity of cramps after intense exercise. Hope this will help.
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What To Do For Getting Cramps After Sever Exercise?

Muscle cramps after a period of intense activity which your body is not used to regularly result due to accumulation of lactic acid in exercised muscles. You need to rest well till the cramps subside. Have potassium rich foods like bananas, potatoes and fruit juices, drink plenty of water to stay well-hydrated. Do some deep breathing exercises in fresh air for increasing oxygen levels in your body needed to relieve muscle cramps. Cramps normally happen when your body s demand for oxygen increases during increased muscular activity but enough oxygen is not available to convert glucose efficiently into energy for muscles required for intense exercises. Stay physically active on other days too when you do not exercise to improve cardiac efficiency and blood circulation. This will help in reducing the severity of cramps after intense exercise. Hope this will help.