Cramps and Stitches

You have trained hard, you are mentally focussed, your muscle glycogen levels are topped up, and you have the desire to perform better than ever. You are now at your peak. But there are still two things that can stop you dead in your tracks: the cramp and the stitch. They will over-ride all of your mental and physical training and your performance will suffer. 

Cramp is due to an involuntary muscle contraction.  While for a long time they have been associated with dehydration, heavy salt losses, or extremes of temperature, most recent evidence suggests altered neuromuscular function secondary to extreme fatigue in the exercised muscle as the most likely cause.  Well trained athletes are at least risk of experiencing muscle cramps. 

The pain of the stitch is likely to come from the abdominal cavity. To reduce the risk of developing a stitch during exercise, the athlete should avoid eating just prior to starting and adopt appropriate hydration strategies before and during sport.  Water or sports drinks are the best choices.

For more information click here  Cramps and stitches (350KB)