Wellness Articles

Cramping can be so frustrating, and as you said, uncomfortable. Regretfully, no one fully understands what causes muscle cramps.

Factors that contribute to cramping include dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, overexertion, and/or inadequate fitness/conditioning.

Is it possible that the sort of exercise you’re doing is a cause? Think about your exercise routine and examine your patterns.

Are you doing specific exercises that stretch the muscles in your buttocks? If so, how often and for how long do you participate in these exercises?

Could you change your programs to see if it is the kind or amount of exercise that could be causing your muscle distress? You may also try adding stretching routines before and after you exercise.

It is intriguing that your nighttime calf cramps disappeared when you introduced a sports drink as a post workout strategy.

That could lend a possible explanation - perhaps you are dehydrated and/or have an electrolyte imbalance, in particular of sodium, potassium, and calcium.

A low sodium eating plan, coupled with high perspiration losses or with persistent vomiting/diarrhea, can deplete your body of sodium.

Potassium deficiency is not likely to be the result of sweat loss; nevertheless, the result of both a sodium and potassium deficiency may be muscle cramping.

Some sports nutritionists will also cite a lack of calcium as a contributor to cramping.

Another approach could be to experiment with your consuming plan - perhaps increase your salt (pretzels, olives, nuts, salami), potassium (bananas, oatmeal, potatoes), and calcium (milk, yogurt, fortified orange juice) intake to see if you notice any changes.

Also try to stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water, specifically in the hours leading up to a workout.

An easy way to check hydration is to notice the color of your urine. Clear, light urine reveals a more hydrated body than dark, orange urine. .

If these suggestions don’t work, your condition gets worse, or it’s severe enough to interfere with your daily life, it’s probably time to consult your healthcare provider.

The lower back is an area that’s often ignored but frequently causes problems, namely as the years go by. Strengthening exercises, as well as stretching, help prevent injury and pain.

It’s important to focus on the lower back muscles as well as those in areas that support the lower back. These include the stomach, hip flexors, and hamstrings (back of the thigh).

Let’s first concentrate on your lower back muscles. Begin by performing a front lying chest lift, a body weight exercise that involves no equipment at all

• Lying face down, place your hands (palms down on the floor) next to and even with your chest.

• Keeping your hips and thighs on the floor, lift your chest off the floor. Assisted slightly by your arms as you lift, your lower back muscles must be contracting.

• Make sure the back of your head is in an even line with your spine - don’t tilt your head up or down.

• Pause briefly when your arms are straight and then return to beginning position.

• Build up to three sets of eight to twelve repetitions, taking short breaks between each set.

If you have access to a gym the low back machine permits you to elevate resistance as you become stronger.

Attempt resistance exercises two or three times each week on non-consecutive days

• Sit on the seat with your legs secured and upper back in contact with the roller pad.

• Push the roller pad down towards the floor, contracting your lower back muscles. Your range of motion ought to be comfortable.

• Pause briefly and return to beginning position gradually. Make sure to keep your arms relaxed and your head in a neutral position.

• Be certain to use a weight that allows you to complete two or three sets of eight to twelve repetitions.

You might stretch every day once you have warmed up your muscles. Stretch smoothly, as opposed to bouncing, which may cause  injury.

For maximum effectiveness, each stretch needs to be held for at least fifteen to thirty seconds.

Great lower back stretching exercises include

Double knee to chest stretch

• Lying on your back with knees bent, pull both knees off the floor toward your chest, holding legs behind the knees on the bottom part of your hamstrings. This stretch could be done with both legs together or one at a time.

Figure-4 stretch

• Lying on your back, with your head on the floor or mat and right knee bent, pull your right knee towards your chest.

• Then draw your knee across your body towards your left shoulder. Try to keep both shoulders on the floor or mat.

• Repeat with your left leg.

Cat/Cow stretch

• On your hands and knees, sag your back while lifting up your head.

• Alternate with arching your back and keeping your head down.

• Lean back onto your heels and hold, keeping your head down and arms extended.

Abdominal muscle-strengthening stretch

Correct form is the most important aspect of this exercise, which will support your lower back

• Lie face up with your knees bent and your hands placed loosely behind your head.

• Gradually curl your upper back off the floor while pressing your lower back against the floor. You ought to feel your abdominal muscles contracting.

• Pause briefly before returning to starting position. Attempt your best not to put pressure on, or pull, your head with your hands.

• Make certain to keep your breathing coordinated - exhale on the way up, inhale on the way down.

• Do not rush - do this exercise little by little.

Hip flexor stretch (a.k.a. Runner’s stretch)

Stretching your hip flexors can help alleviate stress to the lower spine

• Assume a lunge position, making sure your front knee is directly over your foot and ankle (your knee will be in the form of a right angle).

• With your weight supported by both hands touching the floor, press your hips towards the floor.

• Repeat on both legs.

Hamstring stretch (Straight leg raise)

This exercise will also help reduce stress to the lower spine

• Lying on your back, bend your knees and keep both feet flat on the floor.

• Raise and straighten your right leg without lifting your hips from the floor.

• Support your leg and increase your range of motion by placing your hands below your knee, around the back of your leg, and gently drawing your leg towards your chest while keeping it straight.

• Repeat with your left leg.

Hope these exercises and stretches keep you in tip-top shape and pain-free.

You can also pick structured exercises for strengthening your back. Yoga, for example, is an great form of back strengthening physical activity.

The majority of  of the suggested stretches listed above are a part of poses and movements performed during a yoga session. Swimming is another excellent exercise for your back because the buoyancy of the water offers some support.

Additionally, notice your posture. What position do you spend most of your time in when you’re sitting, standing, and walking?

For  instance, does your job require you to sit at a desk throughout the day? When so, be aware of your posture.

Be certain the ergonomics of your work set up are optimal for your body.

When you have freedom to play with your workspace, consider using a balance ball as a desk chair even for part of the day.

Sitting on a ball demands your posture to be proper and quite a few of your torso muscles to stay active.

The majority of  of us become sore when we start exercising. Common causes for the discomfort that results immediately or a day or two after exercise could include

• tiny tears in the muscle tissue and/or connective tissue surrounding the muscle

• fluid retention surrounding the muscle tissue

• muscle spasms

• overstretching

You definitely do not want to cause more harm than good. Without an in-person evaluation, the accurate reason behind your soreness cannot be determined.

As your soreness cannot be safely investigated via the internet, specific recommendations cannot be made as to whether stretching would be appropriate under your current conditions.  

It is safe to say some soreness could be due to the new way you’re using some muscles, though when any action causes sever pain you ought to stop the activity and seek guidance from your healthcare provider.  

Permitting a day of rest between stretching and yoga activities can help your muscles recover and support your overall goals.  If you have only minor muscle soreness, consider using static stretching.

Static stretching is a type of stretch that is recommended to alleviate muscle soreness. It involves holding a stretch for 2 minutes, resting for a minute, and then holding another 2-minute stretch.

To do this, position your body so that the joint involved is stabilized, placing the muscle at its greatest possible length.

For  instance, your knee needs to be straight, not bent, when you are stretching your hamstring muscles (located at the back of the upper leg).

Whether you carry out the stretch in a standing position, sitting upright, or lying on your back depends on your flexibility and how the stretch feels to you.

When you are going to stretch, always warm up ahead of time - such as by walking for at least 5 minutes. (You can do this in place, when you don’t feel like walking around the block.)

Static stretching causes little to no muscle contraction, and certainly no pain. Prevent bouncing motions - they cause the muscle to contract, inflicting pain.

Since subtle changes in your body positioning could make a world of difference in the benefit you derive from a stretch, seeking expert assistance on stretching is a good idea.

You can work with a knowledgeable Qualified Fitness Trainer or Physical Therapist.

To find a licensed fitness trainer in the area, visit the American Council on Exercise web site. Speak with your main health care provider about getting a referral to a physical therapist.

Muscle powders have been around for years and the ads are no longer in just muscle mags. the ads can now be seen during sports shows, specifically televised body building competitions.

They’re so convincing that it is hard to believe they do not help build muscle any faster — but they don’t.

Although additional calories are needed whenever you markedly increase your exercise routine, the increase doesn’t need to come from only protein, which is what a lot of the labels on the muscle powders imply.

The actual need for protein only goes up about 10 to 15 grams per day (and that is for a serious five to six day split routine!).

The calories should actually come from complex carbohydrates, such as beans, potatoes, and whole grains. Remember, the calories that you don’t use will be converted and stored as fat.

Despite what all the late night infomercials tell us, fat and muscle are two distinctly different tissues and one cannot be turned into the other.

Muscle will always be muscle and fat will always be fat. As to the second thought you mentioned, one pound of either is exactly that - one pound.

It is in fact a myth that fat cells can change into muscle. You can burn fat and build muscle, but a fat cell will never turn into a muscle cell.

Body fat is a storage place where our body puts extra energy when we consume more calories per day than we burn.

When someone continues to consume more calories than she / he needs, the size of their existing fat cells increases.

When we “burn fat” we’re actually shrinking the size of our fat cells by using the energy that has been stored there.

There are also have a fixed number of muscle cells so when we are building muscle the individual muscle cells are increasing in size (bulking up).

Over time, you are able to gain muscle mass through a variety of activities including strength training and other forms of strength training.

When your primary goal is to bulk up, you are likely increase your muscle mass which could increase your overall weight. Don’t forget that your weight also depends on what you eat and if you are doing other kinds of exercise.

For example, when you are doing lots of cardio, then you could ultimately lose fat and decrease your weight.

Instead of stepping on a scale, you may want to consider measuring your body composition.

Methods to assess body composition (lean body mass vs. fat body mass) can help give you a more accurate idea of what comprises your body.

You can always talk with a Registered Dietitican or a trainer to help determine the weight and exercise plan that’s best for you.

Glycogen is a carbohydrate stored in the muscles and liver and is vital for sustaining physical activity over long periods of time.

When levels of glycogen are low, you can feel sluggish, weak and tired. During exercise, muscle glycogen is used as a source of energy for the specific muscle in which it is stored.

The rate at which muscle glycogen is depleted is dependent upon the kind of exercise (higher intensity workouts depleting glycogen stores faster than lower intensity sessions) and the frequency of workouts. Consuming complex carbohydrates before and after your workouts will increase the amount of glycogen stored, enhancing future workouts.

It might also be beneficial to add some protein to your post-workout snack, as emerging evidence suggests that protein and carbohydrates combined may actually help with glycogen replacement.

A snack after a workout will provide some of the carbohydrate necessary for glycogen replenishment. Different people may have different preferences on what is satisfying.

What type of food or beverage will your body tolerate after a workout?

Do you want a solid snack, a protein smoothie, or a couple pieces of fruit? Would you prefer a sports drink with electrolytes?

No matter what your option, it is always good idea to replace the energy you’ve expended with a healthful snack while also maintaining a balanced diet throughout the day.

It could be helpful for you to spend some time with a nutritionist to determine your specific needs. A personal trainer can help you understand your entire workout from warm-up to recovery.

Recuperation of muscle fibers after an intense workout goes beyond replenishing glycogen stores. In addition to proper nutrition, a resting period in between workouts helps decrease the risk of injuries.

Muscle soreness can happen to any of us at any time. It ordinarily always happens to individuals who are just starting an fitness program, but can also happen to trained exercise enthusiasts who overload excessively, or who change from one activity to another, or work the same set of muscles in a new and different way.

You could want to make certain you are providing ample time for your muscles to recover from lifting - typically forty-eight hours. This means that your strength workouts must be every second or third day.

If you have to lift every day, don’t work the same muscle groups, or work opposing groups and secondary muscles. For  instance, work chest and triceps one day, back and biceps the next.

Although at one time lactic acid was believed to be involved in muscle soreness, exercise physiologists no longer believe this is so. Lactic acid is long gone from the muscles before soreness occurs.

Soreness may be caused by several factors, including small tears in the muscle fibers or connective tissue, muscle spasms, and perhaps over stretching.

It is also known that eccentric muscle contractions and, to some extent, isometric contractions cause more soreness than concentric ones.

As a reminder, in a concentric contraction, the muscle shortens as it overcomes the resistance, as in an upward curl with a weight.

Lowering the weight, as the muscle acts to oppose gravity, lengthens the muscle and this is an eccentric contraction. an isometric movement is one in which the object is too heavy to move, even though muscle force is being applied.

To prevent soreness, do not overload, but slowly increase the amount of weight or number of repetitions you do.

Provide yourself time between sets… one to three minutes, and include warm-up and cool-down stretching exercises also to your lifting.

Eating a healthy snack after exercise can also be a no sweat way to help your muscles to recover and prevent soreness.

Try to do this from 15 minutes to an hour after your workout has ended, and pick carbohydrate and protein-rich foods such as peanut butter on toast, slices of turkey breast or cheese on a bagel, or some milk and a banana.

Because your muscles can only store about an hour’s worth of carbohydrates (in the form of glycogen), it’s important to replenish that as soon as possible.

The protein will help to maintain and rebuild your muscle cells, and based on how much you’re eating, can also be used in increasing the size of your muscles.

Knees are extremelycomplex joints. They’re made up of many ligaments, tendons, and cartilage that cushion and connect bones and muscles of the upper and lower legs.

Our knees may become sore or injured from overuse, exercise, or simply then of daily wear and tear.

Strengthening and stretching supporting structures and musculature will help but might not prevent all issues with the knees.

Some general tips for promoting knee health and reducing the chance of injury include

• Maintain overall flexibility and strength - strong muscles support your bones and joints.

• Make sure to check your shoes - the wrong shoes, athletic or otherwise, can exacerbate existing conditions or cause new problems. Excessive wear on one side may indicate an issue with gait and is a good indicator to seek help.

• Make certain to take it easy - your body knows when it needs to rest and your knees are no different. Tune in to what your body is telling you.

• Maintain a healthful weight - chronic knee pain is often causeed by extra weight.

• Buckle up! Protecting your knees from injury in a car accident is yet another reason to use your seatbelt.

You can increase the likelihood of having healthy knees by strengthening the muscles in your legs. Because some individuals may have knee problems, or be prone to them, it’s a great idea to speak with a licensed trainer before beginning a new routine.

If a fitness trainer is not an choice, relying on health club staff for basic instructions on equipment can also be useful.

It’s specifically important to work with a physical therapist or other health care provider if you’re rehabilitating after an injury.

Stretching the muscles that support the knees is an important component of any exercise program. Stretches should include the hamstrings (back of the upper thigh) and quadriceps (front of the upper thigh).

The calf muscles and shins also need to be stretched and strengthened as they contribute to the structure of the leg.

Quadriceps stretch (lying on one side)

1. Lie on your side with your thighs side by side.

2. As you bring the ankle of your top leg back towards the buttocks, reach back with the free hand and grab hold of your ankle (keeping the leg parallel to the ground).

3. Press your hip forward and slightly extend it, then hold the stretch for at least 30 seconds and repeat for each leg

Standing quadriceps stretch

1. Be certain to use a chair or wall for support.

2. With your right hand, grab the lower part of your shin, right above your foot and bring your right leg behind your body.  

3. Push your hip forward slightly and keep your knees together. the emphasis is on pushing your hip forward a little, not pulling your leg backward (otherwise, you might injure your knee).

4. Hold for 30 seconds.

5. Repeat on the left side.

Hamstring stretch

1. Lie on your back, with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

2. Raise one leg without lifting your hips from the floor.

3. Gently push your heal up to the ceiling - beginners may grasp their leg behind the upper thigh or use a stretching band. Movement ought to be slow and steady.

When you’re experiencing any knee pain, rest is generally a good idea, as is seeking medical attention for any concerns. Since knees are so complex, a lot of things can go wrong.

Ordinarily, when your knees hurt, avoid activities that put a heavy load on the joints. A number of examples may be squats, lunges, stair climbing, and running up and down hills.

Crosstraining with activities such as swimming and cycling reduce load yet still work the muscles of the lower body.

All lifters could probably use a few refreshers as it is easy to get into a routine without thinking about those basics. Are you giving yourself sufficient time to rest between sets?

Are you lifting a challenging, but manageable amount of weight? These might be important factors in assisting keep your lifting sessions balanced.

You mention that you take care not to eat an hour before training. That might be working against you and it’s possible that you might be experiencing hypoglycemia.

Working muscles need fuel and exercising leads to increased levels of insulin that transport blood glucose to the muscles, possibly creating a hypoglycemic condition that may make you feel nauseous.

It may actually be useful to have a small snack 20 to 30 minutes before you lift.

Consider an apple with some peanut butter, a granola or protein bar, or another balanced snack to help sustain you through your workout.

Beyond a snack, be certain that your normal diet is high in complex carbohydrates and minimal in any refined simple sugars.

Complex carbohydrates, as they are stored in the body and then used as fuel, enter the blood stream at a more constant rate and will help alleviate the quick insulin response followed by the low that often comes with eating simple sugars.

It could make sense to experiment with the time between your sets, number of repetitions, and the amount of weight you’re lifting.

Don’t forget, the science of exercise has moved away from the “no pain, no gain” philosophy. Less repetition with lower weights can still have considerable benefits.

A well trained personal trainer, exercise physiologist, or sports medicine specialist may be able to provide some insight and helpful tips.

When you don’t experience relief from changes to your workout and diet, it might make sense to visit with a provider.

Some small changes in the before workout snacks and some minor adjustments to your regimen may let you get on with getting pumped.

Protein is not necessarily the most important food source for muscle building. Actually, when bodybuilding, your main consideration should be taking in adequate energy, or enough calories.

Research studies show that consuming an additional 2270 to 3630 calories each week (approximately 500 extra calories a day), along with appropriate strength training, will lead to one pound of muscle gain.

Muscles rely on glycogen (the energy they use for fuel) to perform work. When bodybuilders replace carbohydrate with protein in their diet, they have lower muscle stores of glycogen.

For that reason, a high protein/low carbohydrate diet cannot provide enough glycogen for our muscles, so they could feel weak, tired, and fatigue quickly.

In addition, our bodies need to convert any excess protein we eat to burn it as energy or to store it as fat.

Protein conversion assists us get rid of the nitrogen contained in amino acids (the building blocks of protein), which we eliminate through urination; nonetheless, it can also contribute to dehydration, muscle cramping, and excess stress on liver and kidneys.

As a result, it is important for a bodybuilder to take in enough carbohydrates. Carbs are used to fuel the muscles you’ll use to help build lean body mass.

Lots of extra protein by itself won’t add muscular bulk - carbohydrates actually spare protein so that it may be used to repair muscle tissue, which is how we build muscular strength and size.

How much protein do bodybuilders need? First figure out how many calories you need. When you’re not taking in enough calories, you can’t build muscle tissue efficiently.

That’s because your body will be burning most of your calories, not using them to repair muscle tissue. For example, take a 180 pound guy - when he’s moderately active, he probably needs about 2700 calories a day (plus or minus a few) to maintain his weight.

Besides his moderate daily activity level, he might burn about 500 calories during an hour of heavy weightlifting.

When he wants to add one pound of muscle weight each week, he needs approximately 500 additional calories per day plus about 500 more to make up for the energy deficit from intense weightlifting. This makes his grand sum to be around 3700 calories a day.

So how can we translate this number to his protein needs? the RDA for protein has been established at 0.8 grams/kg of body weight for adults. This is not enough to build muscle mass for intense athletes.

Although it is difficult to pinpoint a specific number because you’ve to take into account depending on  variables, research has determined an acceptable range - even at the very high end, the top protein intake needs to be 1.5 to 2.0 g/kg of body weight. For our 180 lb. (divided by 2.2 = 82 kg) lifter, this would be 122 to 164 grams of protein per day.

Since protein has 4 calories per gram, then this amount of protein would comprise 13 to 18 percent of his daily caloric intake of 3700 calories; the usual recommendation is about 12 to 15 percent. As you can see, a enormous excess of protein isn’t needed.

It’s easy to get enough protein from food - and quite easy for numerous people to overdo it. When too much high-fat protein is taken in, and not used, gains may be seen in fat tissue rather than in muscle tissue.