Why do we feel the terrible cramps? That nagging little ache that comes up especially when we're in the middle of a marathon workout. The answer comes from our brain, the cramp is a spasmodic contraction (muscle spasm that happens involuntarily) of the muscles. It is a sudden, short-lived, painful contraction of a muscle or muscle group, and usually occurs in the calf and foot.
Our brain has a motor plate located between nerve and muscle, and because our muscles are contracting all the time, they fire electrical charges inside the brain. This electrical charge alters the balance between two minerals: potassium and sodium.
Potassium is found inside the muscle fiber and sodium outside it, this is the main point of the context: the order of minerals inside the muscle. Poor diet causes an imbalance in the levels of sodium and potassium, there is an inversion of the position of the minerals present, sodium enters the fiber and potassium leaves the fiber: the muscle then contracts unintentionally. This contraction is called a cramp.
Another factor that can lead to this discomfort is muscle fatigue. The body is forced to take energy where it can, then take it from glycogen (muscle sugar). When glycogen breaks down, a large amount of lactic acid is released, this acid penetrates the motor endplate. and makes it difficult to trigger the electric charge, the environment becomes more charged and acidic, that is, more prone to cramps.
Is there a way to avoid this intense pain? It is recommended to eat foods rich in potassium and calcium. Have you ever noticed how some tennis players eat bananas? They know what they do: this fruit is a source of minerals, more precisely potassium. It is essential to maintain a balanced diet, not only to prevent cramps, but for a series of diseases linked to the lack of minerals in the body, for example, osteoporosis.
By Líria Alves
Graduated in Chemistry
Brazil School Team
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Delayed muscle pain
Health and wellness - Health problems - Brazil School
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/saude/voce-ja-sentiu-caibras.htm
