Last August I wrote a Blog on how to prevent muscle cramps. https://www.performancehealthcenter.com/got-muscle-cramps/
This August I would like to follow up on that blog with one about the latest research on fighting muscle cramps. I recently competed in the Patriot Half IronMan in East Freetown Massachusetts and I was given a sample of HOT SHOT, a new formula to help prevent muscle cramps.
We have all experienced (at least one time in our lives) a painful and sometimes even a “stop you in your tracks” muscle cramp. Well, just last week while running in the heat I got one of those serious cramps in my left hamstring. When I got home I decided to try my sample of “HOT SHOT”. To my surprise my hamstring cramp was gone in less than a minute! I would normally spend at least 5-10 minutes foam rolling and stretching to relieve a cramp like that, but this relief was almost instantaneous. Now I know why they call it “Hot Shot”, as it is HOT all right. This 1.7 ounce mini drink is made up of a proprietary blend of organic spice extracts- it tasted like eating a large mouthful of those little cinnamon heart candies you see on Valentine’s Day, sweet but cinnamony HOT!
I was so intrigued I started looking into how this new formula was developed and how it works. Very interesting…. this new anti-cramp product was developed by local Harvard neurobiologist Bruce Bean and Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist Rod MacKinnon. Bean and MacKinnon were ocean kayaking off Cape Cod on a windy day in 2006 when they both suffered muscle cramps in their arms – a potentially dangerous situation that led them to look into the research on cramping.
Their research eventually concluded that cramps result from a disturbance in the nerves that control the muscles. They found the source of the problem was a neural switch that gets stuck in the “on” position leading to “altered neuromuscular control”, causing a prolonged and painful contraction. They noted substances, like mustard oil and capsaicin from hot peppers, stimulate and activate a set of receptors in the mouth, throat, and stomach called “transient receptor potential channels,” which jolt the nervous system out of its cramp state.
For more information on this new research and new product you can check out this link: http://www.teamhotshot.com/
In the mean time, I would recommend that you continue to follow all the advice from my previous blog, such as maintaining proper hydration and electrolyte balance. Remember to gradually increase the duration and intensity of your exercise. Stretch and foam roll daily. Maintain your regular Chiropractic treatments, because as this research concluded it is the Nerve that matters, and Chiropractic is all about maintaining proper functioning of your entire nervous system!
If you have any questions about this blog or any questions in general about your health, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]