Why on earth do leg cramps hurt so much, and why do they happen in the middle of the night sometimes?
In: 42
Sodium deficiency is the most common cause, especially if you do endurance athletics. They hurt bc it is the full force of your muscle contracting without anything holding it back. Basically the nerve’s wiring is cut off because sodium is the “wire.”
We are not actually entirely sure all of the time. There are certainly things that make it more likely though, for example, dehydration, pregnancy and muscle strain. When it happens at night in your legs it is usually related to unusual nerve activity. If you are getting it regularly, consider if you are dehydrated or overdoing exercises that use that muscle.
If it happens at night, it helps to push your heel down, lifting your toes. This will usually stop it in its tracks if you do it fast enough. Eventually your body will recognise this and do it almost on autopilot.
Hope this helps x
easy way to remedy calf cramps is to fully extend your leg, that is, straighten it as much as possible and stretch your foot upwards as much as you can, but yeah, cramps is due to not enough hydration or sodium
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