Who has not ever experienced muscle cramps in any leg muscle? Well, it seems that science has found one of the probable causes and its argument is very curious?
Science has been trying to find answers to the causes of muscle cramps for dozens of years. Those involuntary contractions of the muscles, which are sometimes very painful and that last for a long time, and that all athletes have suffered on more than one occasion ....
Do you remember Rafa Nadal's problems?
Surely you remember the press conference of the tennis player Rafa Nadal in which the involuntary contraction of his hamstring made it impossible for him to follow the interview. I remember in a Larra-Larrau cycling tour when I was a little more than 25 years old and in full physical faculties, that at km 120 my adductors contracted, then my hamstrings and then my quadriceps, having hydrated, eaten and trained properly; it was impossible for me to even get off the bike, without a muscle contracting, what an unpleasant situation!
Treatment for muscle cramps
Many arguments have been used in the field of sports physiology for their treatment, from training better and more to delay muscular and nervous fatigue, eating correctly and even resorting to supplements containing sodium, potassium, magnesium and chlorine among others to ensure electrolyte balance, and especially hydrating more to try to reduce the risk of experiencing those unpleasant muscle cramps. But those of us who do sports know that even so, controlling all these factors, sometimes cramps do occur and persist, so .... perhaps it is another cause that produces them?
The American company Flex Pharma has recently presented a new and surprising "anti-cramp" product coinciding with a congress of the American College of Sports Medicine. The product is called Hot Shot and is a liquid with a pickle juice flavor made from a mixture of plants, hot bell pepper, ginger, cinnamon, etc., which they claim is backed by research. It is claimed, backed by scientific research, to reduce susceptibility to cramps quickly (about 15 minutes after ingestion) and its effects last up to eight hours afterwards.
According to the American company that markets it, the idea that muscle cramps are caused by dehydration and loss of electrolytes has been defended for years, but there is very little scientific evidence behind it.
My experience in this regard leads me to agree with Rod MacKinnon, a kayaker and Nobel Prize-winning scientist, who studies molecular neurobiology and biophysics at Rockefeller University who asserts that:
The primary origin of cramps is the nerve, not the muscle."
Rod MacKinnon and Harvard neurobiologist Bruce Bean, have invented a spicy drink that neutralizes the activation of motor neurons by the nervous system causing muscle cramps.
There were many theories about the cause of cramps, but sometimes the cause reveals an alteration of the balance between excitation and relaxation, this is undoubtedly due to nervous factors that involuntarily control the contraction of the affected muscles.
The curious thing is the effect that a spicy substance can produce on the nervous inhibition at muscular level, surprising!
The effect of this drink is explained in a simple way as follows:
"Through the strong sensory input of a pungent taste, sensory receptors are stimulated in the mouth and esophagus, overloading the nerve receptors and producing a kind of numbing effect at the CNS level that has repercussions on the
inhibition of muscular motor output."
The rationale behind this new strong-tasting (sour and pungent) acetic acid-based, pickle juice-flavored product is that it apparently triggers a reaction of TRP receptors that are activated by strong, pungent flavors. Something that also happens with garlic, mustard, the spiciness of jalapenos containing capsaicin, etc. In some way not yet explained exactly, this nervous reaction of activation of these receptors, helps to restore the neuromuscular problem that causes the cramp at muscular level.
TRPA1
The key is called TRPA1 and has a determining role not only in cramps, but also in the sensory perceptions of pain, as for example studies show that it also occurs with capsaicin (spicy component of chili peppers). The biggest surprise of the research published on this subject is that there are several substances that activate TRPA1 and that, in addition to reducing cramps or the perception of pain, also act on inflammatory substances produced by the body itself, as is the case of bradykinin, a peptide that is produced in the event of injury or tissue inflammation and that is involved in the onset of acute pain.
The researchers argue that the TRPA1 receptor is an important component in the mechanism through which nociceptors (pain receptors) are depolarized and facilitate the inflammatory pain response. The function of these channels is simple, when activated by certain substances, the receptors open and allow a current to pass which acts on the neuron (depolarization), the nerve cell produces an electrical signal which is transmitted to the brain causing the reduction of muscle cramp, pain or inflammation.
I have already requested a sample of Hot Shot to test in Runnea and evaluate if it is really effective in the treatment and prevention of cramps, soon it will be marketed in Europe, I will keep you informed ....
Note:
Several theories have been proposed to explain the causes of cramps, most studies agree that it is the nervous fatigue of the exercising muscle that is the protagonist of the involuntary contraction. This is the reason why cramps occur more frequently in the muscle groups directly involved in exercise, calf, hamstring or finger flexors when swimming spatially on the backstroke. Research shows that deficiencies of potassium, magnesium or loss of sodium through sweating or excess salt in the diet, do not cause them in most cases.
Likewise, dehydration, the main cause argued in this regard, studies in extreme endurance tests have shown no differences between those who suffer from them and those who do not. But even if this is not the cause in my opinion, it is very important that athletes hydrate well especially when competing in hot, humid and windless conditions. Frequently replenishing water, mineral salts especially sodium and carbohydrates, to ensure the optimal level of dehydration both in training and in competitions.
References:
Effect of HOTSHOT was shown in a double-blind, vehicle-controlled, crossover study of 20 subjects who maximally contracted one calf muscle until cramping occurred. This research was conducted by Penn State University and presented at the Experimental Biology 2016 Conference.
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