SPORT,

    FORM,

    and DIETETICS.
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PREVENTION OF
CRAMPS AND TENDINITIS

CRAMPS.


There are several reasons why you suffer from a cramp.

The cramp may occur during or just after an effort.
In this case, you should ask yourself whether the training beforehand was appropriate.

Heat and prolonged effort are likely to cause cramps.

It is interesting to note that most of the cramps observed affect the lower limbs; those involved in the effort in all sporting activities.

Since the cramp is the result of a malfunction in muscular contraction, we might be tempted to think that it results from a lack of one of the elements involved and allowing this contraction.
It would seem that the cramp occurs when the reserves of muscular glycogen are almost or entirely depleted. This is a sign of insufficient food carbohydrates.

Cramps also appear at rest, however, which would imply that there may be other causes.
In this case, cramps, which often occur at night, are due to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. This deficiency prevents normal muscular contraction (calcium is involved in muscular contraction, vitamins B1, PP and C are involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, which in turn also play an essential role in muscular contraction).

There are several efficient dietic measures which can help combat cramps:
  • Eat enough carbohydrates (sugar) before the effort (refer to the article "Scandinavian dissociated diet regime and its derivatives") but also during the event if it is long; do not forget recuperation nutrition, to be adapted depending on the effort supplied.
  • Avoid drinking too much coffee or tea before the effort; caffeine may increase the risk of cramps.
  • Adopt a balanced and varied diet to avoid any deficiencies in vitamins and/or minerals.
  • Eat fresh fruit and vegetables regularly, raw whenever posisble, whole cereals and derivatives, a dairy product at each meal.

TENDINITIS. Apart from the use of inappropriate equipment, unsuitable training and/or incorrect movements causing tendinitis, it is often due to insufficient hydration.
A small percentage of tendinitis cases may be induced by viral hepatitis or other hepatitic problem (affecting the liver).
A high uric acid level may also bring on tendinitis.

In view of these various causes, it is important to adopt a healthy diet:
  • Sufficient hydration before, during and after the effort, but also on a daily basis when not doing any particular physical effort (refer to "hydration").
  • Following a hepatitic problem, it is recommended to eat less meat (lactic proteins are better), fats or spices and not to drink any alcohol.
    In this case, medical supervision is essential.
  • In case of high uric acid level, it is important to reduce the consumption of proteins (eat lactic proteins if you can), and drink at least 2 litres of bicarbonated water.
    In this case, medical supervision is essential.