We test for you the new product"HotShot" to combat muscle cramps in runners.
A few months ago in Runnea we told you about a new product created by the American company Flex Pharma, for the treatment of muscle cramps and given its special applicability among running enthusiasts, here we explain our impressions and its effects, based on a curious neurophysiological basis.
HotShot is a revolutionary drink for athletes designed to combat muscle cramps, which is based, as we have already explained, on the nervous reaction of the sensory receptors called TRP that are activated in the mouth, esophagus and stomach to strong and spicy flavors.
The invention surge in a very curious way and was the result of suffering strong muscle cramps during a sea kayaking trip by Rod MacKinnon, a Nobel Prize winning neuroscientist together with his friend Bruce Bean, a Harvard neurobiologist, both endurance sports enthusiasts.
This uncontrollable and anomalous muscle response puzzled them, because both were sufficiently trained, had taken the preventive measures known to date such as consuming bananas, magnesium tablets and drinking isotonic beverages. Both scientists quickly understood that they were all based on conjecture and not science, there had to be something more to the cause of involuntary muscle contraction during physical performance.
You may be interested in: How to make your own homemade isotonic drink.
For years they researched* around the idea that the main origin of cramps is in the nerve and not the muscle. They worked on the nerve reflex that occurs after stimulation of the sensory receptors in the mouth by certain pungent substances. It took years of research to formulate the precise combination of ingredients.
The basis of this drink can be explained in a simple way: by ingesting the drink with a strong spicy taste, sensory receptors in the mouth, esophagus and stomach are activated, causing a signal that travels to the medulla and creates a response from the CNS that reaches the overexcited muscles, inhibiting involuntary contraction, which allows muscle relaxation.
The product is liquid and provides 40 calories from 10 gr of sugar, no fat, no protein and 40 mg of sodium. It is composed of a secret formula of organic ingredients that combines vegetable extracts, spices, lemon juice concentrate, pectin, sea salt, cane sugar, Stevia, gum arabic and distilled water. Once ingested, its strong spicy flavor lingers for several minutes in the mouth, but leaves a sweet "cinnamon-like" taste that softens and facilitates its ingestion and allows its tolerance.
I have tried HotShot while practicing different sports, swimming, cycling, running and kayaking. In all the sessions I tried to provoke the onset of cramps, that is, I accumulated considerable fatigue and when I noticed that the tired muscle era unable to relax properly and cramps began to appear, I ingested the vial to check its results.
What I have been able to confirm is that within 5.10 minutes of ingesting it, you feel a significant reduction in the intensity of the cramp, especially in the large muscle groups and also a shorter duration of the cramps. It does not completely eliminate the sensation of contraction, but it considerably reduces its effects, and the following day the muscular discomfort is also less.
In the case of runners, cramps tend to appear especially in long-distance training, long runs and especially in those that are made after several days of training, fatigue sessions and runs made late in the day.
With runners in mind and the fact that cramps can occur far from home..., the American brand has designed a silicone knob, soft and easy to carry and use, in which you can easily carry the product in the pocket of your tights, on your belt or in a small fanny pack. This 60 ml knob can carry the 50 ml of the vial without any problem and always carry it with you, either in the race or while training. This means that an amateur who vaya run a half marathon or a marathon can ingest Hotshot mid-race or before fatigue involuntarily contracts his hamstrings, calves or quadriceps, allowing him to continue with the effort and achieve the goal of crossing the finish line without cramps.
In my opinion, it is a product that is based on the role that the CNS plays in muscle performance and opens up an encouraging campo of research into various neuromuscular disorders, such as ALS or multiple sclerosis.
This product is ideal for long distance running enthusiasts and triathletes, especially those who are more prone to muscle cramps. Take it in its own vial or in the flexible knob and ingest it in the middle of the half marathon or marathon or the "long run", it serves to prevent the appearance of these and if you take it once they appear, it serves to considerably attenuate their intensity and duration, allowing you to continue running and finish the competition.
* 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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