Another theory on the cause of running cramps says that carbohydrate depletion and a resultant loss of energy and build-up of waste products in the muscle leads to cramps.

A fully topped up person should have enough glycogen stored in the muscles for about 2 hours of activity. After that you begin to fatigue, the glycogen gets used up and you start feeling a little light and dont think as clearly - a condition athletes call bonking.

Over an extended period of physical activity you will inevitably get a build up of waste products in the blood. And the more you get fatigued and the less oxygen there is available, the easier it is for these waste products to accumulate.

And its these toxins that are an important issue when it comes to cramping.

In order to get these waste products out of the blood, the muscle needs to contract and this process uses energy or ATP. Most people kind of understand this, but what they dont understand is that ATP is also needed for relaxation and if the muscle doesnt relax fully before it contracts then it becomes more inefficient and you get a build up of waste products.

To compound the situation, in the process of producing ATP from carbohydrate, the body also produces lactic acid waste and it requires energy for this lactic acid to be recycled into a form that can be used as part of the energy cycle.

As we run out of ATP, the muscle gets less and less efficient, this leads to an accumulation of waste requiring even more energy and it will simply get to the point where it wont contract anymore.

Its for this reason that we recommend squeezing the muscle to re-establish blood flow before you stretch it.

In order to avoid this muscle cramp situation some athletes take extra creatine because they think it will give them more energy. Creatine works to help with the release of energy from ATP but unless youre very efficient at making ATP in the first place, then the extra creatine wont help as much as they think it will.

To maximise the release of ATP energy, certain mineral nutrients are needed and the best place to get these is from a diet high in fresh fruit and vegetables (particularly vegetables) and from specific supplements.

Some high energy sports drinks taken during an event can also help delay the onset of severe fatigue leading to cramps - but you have to know what types to look for . . . and that's a whole new article.

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