Muscle cramps are never fun to deal with. Those of you who've suffered from muscle cramps will know that they cause discomfort and pain and generally occur after exercise or during exercise (during exercise the cramp can be so severe that is causes you to stop the activity). The exact cause of muscle cramps is not known, but...

There are many schools of thought as to what causes muscle cramps. Some people believe it caused by a lack of hydration, when the body and muscles get dehydrated they begin to cramp.

Along with that thought is the belief that it has to do with the depletion of minerals such as potassium and sodium within the muscles, although this has never been scientifically proven.

Other state that insufficient warm-ups and stretching along with a build up of lactic acid causes cramps (this is very controversial and I must add that theory of lactic acid is very outdated).

Finally, there is the opinion that an unconditioned muscle will cramp more than an unconditioned muscle. The latter is very true – if you are well-conditioned you are less likely to experience cramps.

Due to the fact that the exact cause is unknown it's very difficult to advise people on how to prevent cramps. I believe that if you continue to condition your muscles making them more efficient you will help prevent muscle cramps.

As for when you cramp up during exercise – firstly, stop the activity that you're doing. Take in some fluids and stretch the muscles that are cramping. Hopefully this will help.

For those interested in the “science” behind muscle cramps, check out this cool blog called The Sport Scientists by South African Ross Tucker