College of Science and Engineering, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA.
Department of Health and Human Performance, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, USA.
J Sport Rehabil. 2023 Sep 27;33(1):49-52. doi: 10.1123/jsr.2022-0374. Print 2024 Jan 1.
Exercise-associated muscle cramps (EAMC) are sudden, painful, and involuntary contractions of skeletal muscles during or after physical activity. The best treatment for EAMC is gentle static stretching until abatement. Stretching is theorized to relieve EAMC by normalizing alpha motor neuron control, specifically by increasing Golgi tendon organ activity, and physically separating contractile proteins. However, it is unclear if stretching or flexibility training prevents EAMC via the same mechanisms. Despite this, many clinicians believe prophylactic stretching prevents EAMC occurrence.
Do athletes who experience EAMC during athletic activities perform less prophylactic stretching or flexibility training than athletes who do not develop EAMC during competitions?
In 3 cohort studies and 1 case-control study, greater preevent muscle flexibility, stretching, or flexibility training (ie, duration, frequency) was not predictive of who developed EAMC during competition. In one study, athletes who developed EAMC actually stretched more often and 9 times longer (9.8 [23.8] min/wk) than noncrampers (1.1 [2.5] min/wk).
There is minimal evidence that the frequency or duration of prophylactic stretching or flexibility training predicts which athletes developed EAMC during competition. To more effectively prevent EAMC, clinicians should identify athletes' unique intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors and target those risk factors with interventions.
Minimal evidence from 3 prospective cohort studies and 1 case-control study (mostly level 3 studies) that suggests prophylactic stretching or flexibility training can predict which athletes develop EAMC during athletic competitions.
运动相关性肌肉痉挛（EAMC）是在体力活动期间或之后，骨骼肌突然、疼痛和不由自主地收缩。EAMC 的最佳治疗方法是温和的静态伸展，直到痉挛缓解。伸展被认为通过正常化α运动神经元控制来缓解 EAMC，特别是通过增加高尔基肌腱器官的活动，并使收缩蛋白物理分离。然而，目前尚不清楚伸展或柔韧性训练是否通过相同的机制预防 EAMC。尽管如此，许多临床医生认为预防性伸展可以预防 EAMC 的发生。
在体育活动中经历 EAMC 的运动员是否比在比赛中没有发生 EAMC 的运动员进行更少的预防性伸展或柔韧性训练？
在 3 项队列研究和 1 项病例对照研究中，比赛前肌肉柔韧性、伸展或柔韧性训练（即持续时间、频率）更大并不能预测谁会在比赛中发生 EAMC。在一项研究中，实际上发生 EAMC 的运动员比非痉挛者更频繁地伸展，且伸展时间长 9 倍（9.8[23.8]分钟/周）。
几乎没有证据表明预防性伸展或柔韧性训练的频率或持续时间可以预测哪些运动员在比赛中会发生 EAMC。为了更有效地预防 EAMC，临床医生应确定运动员独特的内在和外在风险因素，并针对这些风险因素进行干预。
来自 3 项前瞻性队列研究和 1 项病例对照研究（主要是 3 级研究）的低证据表明，预防性伸展或柔韧性训练可以预测哪些运动员在运动比赛中会发生 EAMC。
