Is there a cramp in your style?

If you've ever participated in or watched a long race, you've seen the unfortunate runners wincing in misery, massaging a leg, limping off the course in despair; muscle cramps can turn an opportunity for a personal best into a personal worst experience. The pain can be excruciating and once in the throes of a muscle spasm, impossible to shake off.

There are several theories to account for muscle cramps including dehydration, low calcium levels, and low electrolytes, but the leading theory is that excessive sodium loss through sweat without adequate replacement causes exertional cramps. Many health-conscious runners restrict salt intake on a daily basis, believing this will help prevent blood pressure problems. However, runners who lose a significant amount of sodium through sweat during a long run or race may place themselves at a higher risk for developing a sodium imbalance that could contribute to cramps. This is most likely during ultra-events and ultra-efforts when it may be hard to keep up with salt loss and relatively easy to deplete your blood sodium levels.

Try pickle-juice? Myth or truth, drinking pickle juice has been asserted to prevent and cure muscle cramps, and it may work. But why not choose a more palatable way to get your sodium? If you suffer from muscle cramps, make sure you stay adequately hydrated, sprinkle a little extra salt on your food, choose a sports drink with plenty of sodium, eat some pretzels, a few salted nuts, or pickle juice if you're so inclined. Salt tablets are available without a prescription if you'd like to skip the snack and just go for the sodium. If you have problems with high blood pressure, consult your doctor: there are differences in salt-sensitivity among hypertensives.

(Adapted from The Athlete's Kitchen, 2001, Nancy Clark, M.S., R.D.)