A cramp in the foot is a painful muscle contraction that happens involuntarily. If you knit your leg during the race, there can be no question of victory. Action is urgently needed. After - find out the cause of the spasms and try to get rid of them.
Shrouded foot, leg while running - reasons
There can be many causes of leg cramps while running. Specialists identify three main reasons why a limb can be reduced. Other reasons are less common but also important.
Convulsions can be associated with the onset of inflammation, fatigue, or improperly selected shoes. A commonplace reason may be the lack of warm-up or overestimation of their capabilities, improper training.
Muscle fatigue
Reduces the foot while running in most cases due to improper physical activity that occurs without interruption or is too long. As a result, muscle fatigue appears.
Physiologically, this can be explained as follows: due to long-term and frequent contraction of muscle tissue, a painful spasm occurs. This explains the fact why distancers have less foot cramping than sprinters.
Salt imbalance
In case of a lack of calcium, cramps in the legs and feet may occur. Professional athletes and people leading a constant active lifestyle are required to take calcium and magnesium in the form of supplements to food or drink. For example, dietary supplements or mineral water.
Do not allow dehydration, which leads to an imbalance of salts. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the amount of fluid consumed and do not forget to replenish the lost volume. Also, do not abuse it with plenty of drinking so that there is no hyponatremia.
Inflammation of the fascia
Inflammation of the fascia is a condition that causes a pinched nerve, which is perceived as if the leg was pinched. Appears with increased pressure in muscle fibers.
Symptoms:
- the same pain syndrome in both lower extremities. Usually disappears soon after exercise;
- tingling sensation or numbness;
- the occurrence of a feeling of stiffness in the legs, feet.
Fascia inflammation affects professional athletes and people unprepared for hard training, who have experienced a systematic increased load.
Uncomfortable shoes
Tight sneakers can interfere with circulation, causing the foot to become cramped. This also applies to tight socks.
To avoid cramping your foot while running due to uncomfortable sneakers, you should carefully choose sports shoes. Also, do not tighten the laces too much and wear socks or gaiters, after removing which will leave indentations on the skin.
Other reasons
There are several more reasons for which the foot reduces:
- exercise at low temperatures. Cold also disrupts blood flow, which can lead to involuntary contractions and pain;
- "Acidification" - the formation of lactic acid in muscle tissue;
- diseases not related to sports. For example, VSD or varicose veins.
What to do if your foot or leg collapsed while running?
There are several ways to cope with a situation where the lower limbs have been drawn together.
The most effective methods for dealing with seizures are:
- First of all, you should immediately stop training or running, take off your shoes and try to straighten your foot as much as possible, pulling it towards you. This movement will bring the limb out of the muscle spasm.
- Rubbing, massage of a sore spot. The blood flow created will help relax the muscle tissue. You can use a heating pad or warming ointment.
- Tingling of the skin with seizure of muscles, tingling with safe sharp objects. In severe cases, use a needle.
- Frequent pressing of the sore foot on the floor or the ground with the entire surface, brisk walking helps.
- You can raise your leg, bending at the knee, and rest the entire surface of your foot against the wall, gradually pressing on it.
- Often, the spasm stops not only rubbing, but also stretching. One of the exercises is described above. Another exercise is to sit on the floor, grab the foot with your fingers and pull it towards you, straightening the limb as much as possible.
- Jumping is helpful. You can use step aerobics exercises or use ordinary steps. Even on a flat surface, jumping with a landing on both feet will be beneficial.
- If you keep your foot and foot together while running regularly, you should seek medical help.
- You cannot self-medicate. If the disease is to blame for the fact that it reduces the lower limbs, the condition can develop into acute, and then into chronic.
Preventive measures
The main recommendations for preventing the causes that lead to cramps in the foot:
- Novice athletes and physically untrained people are shown a gradual increase in loads and training time.
- Performing various types of stretching, such as dynamic and static.
- Sports massage.
- Drinking frequently. During a marathon or long run, every hour and a half you need to consume from a glass to two. It is good to squeeze a little lemon into the drink or add a pinch of salt. These substances will replenish lost minerals in the body during intense movement.
- Preparation is required before running in the form of a warm-up.
- You can't stop abruptly, especially after a fast run. You should run a little slower to a full stop so that your leg does not come together.
- Stretching on break days from workouts or races.
- Special sports shoes are required for training. It should be comfortable and by no means cramped.
- A specially formulated diet that includes a sufficient amount of vitamins, minerals, micro and macro elements.
Reduces the foot while running less often. After all, athletes are trained people. They are informed about the regimen, warm-ups and the way of conducting training. But for those who do not run professionally, they can bring their legs together at the first race. This comes from unpreparedness, overwork, or illness.
In any case, following all the recommendations, taking preventive measures and consulting a doctor will help you continue to run. A balanced diet and a gradual increase in stress will reduce the likelihood of painful cramps to nothing.
