Does The Ingestion Of Fluid Cause Muscle Cramping?
One problem that plagues many athletes, especially those who are participating in longer endurance running events is that of muscle cramping, particularly in the abdominal region. Some people refer to these as ‘side stitches’ other simply call them cramps – whatever you want to call them though, one thing is certain and that is that they can severely debilitate your performance. In most cases, they will actually cause you to cease movement and you may have to walk or just stand until the cramp goes away.
But, what causes these cramps in the first place? One common thought is that ingestion of fluids will increase your likelihood of developing stomach cramps, and because of this, many people find themselves staying away from drinking too much before they go out for a run. Is this necessary?
Researchers out of the Avondale Centre for Exercise Science in Australia had a look at this exact issue in a study they conducted that investigated the effect of ingested fluid composition on abdominal pain.
They had forty subjects who had previously complained about cramps during exercise complete four different treadmill exercise trials. These trials consisted of a no-fluid trial, a flavoured water trial (no carbohydrate content, 48 mosmol/L, pH 3.3), a sports drink trial (6% carbohydrate, 295 mosmol/L, pH 3.3), and finally, fruit juice (10.4% total carbohydrate, 489 mosmol/L, pH 3.2).
After each beverage was taken and the corresponding exercise completed, the measures of gastrointestinal disturbances, with particular attention being paid to bloating were assessed.
The results indicated that the fruit juice had a much higher chance to cause muscular cramps in the abdominal region as well as bloating in comparison to the other three test trials, with no difference being seen between the no-fluid, flavoured water, or sports drink beverages.
These results then indicate that if you’re looking to avoid stomach cramping problems during exercise, it would be a smart idea to avoid fruit juices or other beverages that have a higher carbohydrate content and osmolality before you partake in physical exercise.
Reference:
Aragon-Vargas LF, et al. (2004). Effect of ingested fluid composition on exercise-related transient abdominal pain. Int Journal Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. April; 14(2):197-208.
Post by: Shannon-Clark