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CRAMP IN HOCKEY PLAYERS

 

Cramp is not uncommon in hockey and can produce significant suffering for a player.

It is an involuntary sudden contractions of a muscle or group of muscles that most commonly occurs in the calf, hamstring and quadricep muscles but can occur in any muscle in the body.

 Team stretcher    
       

CRAMP IN HOCKEY PLAYERS


The cause of cramp is commonly associated with constant strenuous exercise and/or high  environmental temperatures where the body becomes dehydrated through sweating and loses a large amount of body fluid, electrolytes and minerals.

Common Theories of Cramp:

  • Dehydration
  • Overheating
  • Depletion of glycogen stores (sugar stored in muscle tissues)
  • Lactic acid build up in muscles (the waste product of exercise )

 Another possible cause related to dehydration is electrolyte imbalance. Electrolytes are positively and negatively charged ions that are needed for nerve impulse transmission and muscular function. The electrolytes sodium and potassium, together with calcium and magnesium, help regulate muscle relaxation and contraction. If there's an imbalance of these nutrients, muscles may contract involuntarily.

During hockey matches with the prolonged activity particularly at high intensity the nervous activity of the muscle spindles becomes significantly increased and because the muscle particularly the calf muscle is often in a shortened position during activities such as pushing off, running, stopping and changing directions, the golgi tendons activity becomes decreased.

Because of this constant muscle activity it has the potential to go into a permanent contracted state -"cramp". 

Some people seem to be more susceptible to cramps than others, and this may be due to inherently low electrolyte and mineral levels. Cold weather also seems to precipitate cramps in some athletes.

If you have persistent cramps, you should consult with your doctor.

 What to do if you get cramp- Stretching the muscle causes a reflex relaxation of the muscle (the stretch reflex) and therefore reduces the "cramp" pain.

Other associated contributing factors that may cause cramp are as follows:

  • Anything that impedes the circulation, e.g. tight fitting socks (often when players wear two pairs of socks, tight fitting shin-guards, shoes laced too tight.
  • Inadequate nutrition.
  • Lack of general and specific fitness.
  • Accumulation of lactic acid in the muscle.
  • Inadequate fluid intake

     

All the above will cause early fatigue of muscle and therefore may induce cramp symptoms.

For early recognition and treatment and prevention measures see the article 'how to prevent cramp'.

 

 "Some people seem to be more susceptible to cramps than others, but if you have persistent cramps, you should consult your doctor ."

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