Cramp cure?
A common explanation for muscle cramps is that they’re
the result of electrolyte losses in your sweat. But the
evidence for this explanation has always been weak, and
many runners suffer from persistent cramps no matter
how much sports drink or how many salt tablets they
choke down. Many scientists now view cramps as a result
of disturbances in the neuromuscular signals that travel
between the brain and the muscle, a theory proposed by
South African researcher Martin Schwellnus in the 1990s.
Earlier this year, a company called Flex Pharma
launched a new cramp remedy based on this theory of
“altered neuromuscular control.” Their HotShots product
is an eye-watering drink that activates your “wasabi
receptors” – a group of receptors in your mouth and
throat that respond to strong triggers like capsaicin and
pickle juice. The jolt to your nerves is apparently enough
to clear up the neuromuscular issues causing the cramp.
At the American College of Sports Medicine confer-
ence earlier this year, the company presented lab data
suggesting that HotShots lower your risk of cramping
within about 15 minutes of drinking, and maintain
their effect for six to eight hours. Whether those results
will translate into real-world improvement for runners
remains to be seen. The results are far from definitive,
but for those struggling with recurring muscle cramps,
it’s a new approach to consider.Contributing editor Alex Hutchinson is widely considered one of
the most respected sports science journalists in the world.Why do men crash?
It’s a robust and repeatable finding:
men consistently slow down more than
women in the second half of marathons.
There are several theories to explain this
pattern, ranging from sociological to
physiological. One of the most familiar is
that women burn fat more efficiently than
men, giving them a more stable source
of fuel late in a marathon, once limited
carbohydrate stores have been exhausted.
A team of researchers at the University
of Minnesota tested this theory by
measuring fat-burning in a group of 91
novice marathoners prior to their race.
As expected, the women did burn more
fat, and they also paced themselves
more evenly in the race. But further
analysis found no link between individual
rates of fat-burning and pacing patterns,
suggesting that fuel supply wasn’t the key
factor. For now, the leading explanation
for late-race fades remains the simplest:
whether you’re male or female, if you
blow up the final miles, your initial pace
was probably too optimistic.
body work
the science of running