Significant and serious dehydration does not affect skeletal muscle cramp threshold frequency
Braulick KW, Miller KC, Albrecht JM, Tucker JM, Deal JE
British journal of sports medicine · 30 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Controlled clinical trial (classified by our AI screen)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
- University or hospital
- North Dakota State University
Based on 1 listed funder(s).
Publication
- Published
- 2012-12-06 · Br J Sports Med · vol. 47 · issue 11 · pp. 710–714
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Cited
- 45 citations · more than 83% of similar papers · 1.6× the field average
- References
- 41 works
- Access
- Paywalled
- Research areas
- Thermoregulation and physiological responses · Body Composition Measurement Techniques · Sports Performance and Training
- Keywords
- Medicine, Intensity (physics), Muscle cramp, Dehydration, Electromyography, Cycle ergometer, Internal medicine, Physical therapy, Cardiology, Physical medicine and rehabilitation, Chemistry, Blood pressure, Heart rate
- MeSH
- muscle, skeletal, sweat, humans, muscle cramp, dehydration, electromyography, exercise, analysis of variance, muscle fatigue, adolescent, adult, male, young adult, biomarkers
5 authors
From US
- Kyle William BraulickNorth Dakota State University
- Kevin Charles Miller · correspondingNorth Dakota State University
- Jay M. AlbrechtMinnesota State University Moorhead
- Jared M. TuckerBoston Children's Hospital; Helen DeVos Children's Hospital
- James E. DealNorth Dakota State University
Abstract
Objective
Many clinicians believe that exercise-associated muscle cramps (EAMC) occur because of dehydration. Experimental research supporting this theory is lacking. Mild hypohydration (3% body mass loss) does not alter threshold frequency (TF), a measure of cramp susceptibility, when fatigue and exercise intensity are controlled. No experimental research has examined TF following significant (3-5% body mass loss) or serious hypohydration (>5% body mass loss). Determine if significant or serious hypohydration, with moderate electrolyte losses, decreases TF.
Design
A prepost experimental design was used. Dominant limb flexor hallucis brevis cramp TF, cramp electromyography (EMG) amplitude and cramp intensity were measured in 10 euhydrated, unacclimated men (age=24±4 years, height=184.2±4.8 cm, mass=84.8±11.4 kg). Subjects alternated exercising with their non-dominant limb or upper body on a cycle ergometer every 15 min at a moderate intensity until 5% body mass loss or volitional exhaustion (3.8±0.8 h; 39.1±1.5°C; humidity 18.4±3%). Cramp variables were reassessed posthypohydration.
Results
Subjects were well hydrated at the study's onset (urine specific gravity=1.005±0.002). They lost 4.7±0.5% of their body mass (3.9±0.5 litres of fluid), 4.0±1.5 g of Na(+) and 0.6±0.1 g K(+) via exercise-induced sweating. Significant (n=5) or serious hypohydration (n=5) did not alter cramp TF (euhydrated=15±5 Hz, hypohydrated=13±6 Hz; F1,9=3.0, p=0.12), cramp intensity (euhydrated= 94.2±41%, hypohydrated=115.9±73%; F1,9=1.9, p=0.2) or cramp EMG amplitude (euhydrated=0.18±0.06 µV, hypohydrated= 0.18±0.09 µV; F1,9=0.1, p=0.79).
Conclusions
Significant and serious hypohydration with moderate electrolyte losses does not alter cramp susceptibility when fatigue and exercise intensity are controlled. Neuromuscular control may be more important in the onset of muscle cramps than dehydration or electrolyte losses.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher.
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