Help with Running Cramps

Running cramps, particularly running calf cramps, afflict everyone from the person going out for a morning jog, to elite athletes. And it's not just runners that get cramps they can be a factor in any sport - tennis, swimming, golf, cycling and triathlon. This site is dedicated to sharing ideas and information between sports people, athletes, health practitioners, anyone who enjoys training - for the best ways to prevent, avoid and treat muscle cramp.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Football players with cramp

We caught up with Rick Steltenpool - a professional trainer, conditioner & rehab specialist with Australian football teams.

Rick's had 23 years of experience working with professional clubs such as Paramatta, Penrith, St George Illawarra and the Roosters.

He says that cramps are most common in the forward pack (where the guys are a lot bigger).

Rick says he almost always sees cramps occur in games rather than in training or in the gym - always in the calves and very common on a 'heavy' field (ie when it's muddy). He also sees cramps whenever games run into overtime.

Rick sites several reasons for this
1) the calves are a smaller muscle group that are working very hard and frequently 2) football players typically spend more time training for strength and size rather than for flexibility
3) bigger players tend to lose more fluid and don't do as good a job at rehydrating themselves.

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