Taking a vitamin B complex, a supplement containing B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B7 (biotin), B9 (folic acid) and B12 (cobalamin), can help with all of these functions.
Research
has also found that it can help with muscle cramps. Some studies have found that magnesium can alleviate these types of cramps. One of these studies was published in Medical Science Monitor.At some points in the study, participants received 300 mg of magnesium for their nighttime cramps; other times they were monitored, keeping a diary to record the duration and severity of the cramps along the way. After six weeks, it was determined that, after receiving real magnesium, 78 percent of the study subjects reported an improvement in cramps. This compares with only 54 percent who reported some level of improvement after taking a placebo.
Research
has also linked oral magnesium to relieving leg cramps that occur during pregnancy.Healthline adds that magnesium also has other benefits for pregnant women, such as a possible reduction in fetal growth, fetal growth restriction and premature birth. Medical News Today explains that zinc benefits the body in several ways. This includes supporting healthy immune system function, improving learning and memory, maximizing wound healing processes, decreasing age-related health conditions and improving fertility.
Research
has also found that this nutrient may help alleviate specific types of muscle cramps.For example, a 2000 study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition involved 12 cirrhotic patients who experienced muscle cramps at least three times a week, usually in the calves, feet and hands. After receiving 220 mg twice daily of zinc sulfate for 12 weeks, 10 of the 12 patients reported an improvement in their muscle cramps. Seven of them indicated that their cramps completely disappeared. Zinc has also been found to be beneficial if cramps are related to menstruation.
An article published in Medical Hypotheses states that taking up to three doses of 30 mg of zinc a day for one to four days before menstruation can help prevent menstrual cramps. However, it is not clear if this response is due to the impact of this nutrient on prostaglandins or if it is due to the fact that it acts as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory for the uterus. Exercise-associated muscle cramps (EAMC) have historically been attributed to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Electrolytes such as magnesium, sodium, calcium and potassium are non-organic materials that conduct small episodes of electricity, and these electrical charges are necessary to trigger muscle movement and contraction and are important for overall muscle performance.
If you're prone to exercise-related muscle cramps, HOTSHOT For Muscle Cramps can help. HOTSHOT was specifically formulated to target the neurological cause behind cramps. When you take this sports injection before training or competition, the sensory nerves in your mouth and esophagus are activated, which then send a calming signal to the spinal cord. This signal then inhibits the hyperactive activation of motor neurons, which continuously collide with a fatigued muscle and cause uncontrollable muscle cramps and pain the next day.
That's why increasing your vitamin B intake with a vitamin B complex (a supplement that includes all the different B vitamins) can help reduce unusual muscle cramps, but this is only useful if you're deficient in vitamin B1 or B12 and isn't suitable for exercise-induced cramps. To determine if a B1 or B12 deficiency is causing muscle cramps that otherwise couldn't be explained, see your doctor and have a laboratory test done. Potassium is another electrolyte that can be affected by your hydration levels. Low potassium levels, a condition also known as hypokalemia, can cause muscle cramps.
Once again, you should consult your doctor before taking potassium supplements for muscle cramps, as it has only been shown to be a problem related to a medical deficiency and you may not see any improvement in cramps as you increase your intake of this mineral. In addition, certain vitamins and minerals affect muscle function, in particular potassium and magnesium. A major body of research has found that increasing magnesium intake can help reduce the frequency of leg cramps at night, especially in pregnant women. Health experts recommend consuming at least 300 milligrams of magnesium per day.
A supplement can help you reach your daily allowance, but it can also make you eat foods rich in magnesium, such as nuts, lentils and quinoa. Quite popular in the 60s and 70s, quinine (tonic water) has gone unnoticed as a preventive supplement for muscle cramps. This is largely due to the toxic side effects of quinine derivatives. Cases of quinine toxicity were identified worldwide, leading to the discontinuation of this compound in many countries, although anecdotal reports suggest that it was effective in treating some muscle cramps in selected individuals.
Vitamins for muscle cramps in general have not been shown to be effective medicines. However, in patients with kidney disease receiving dialysis, a clinical study found that vitamin E, together with L-carnitine supplementation, improved symptoms of muscle cramps. The widespread use of these two agents in athletes has not been studied since most healthy athletes are not usually deficient in either of them. In the elderly, vitamin D supplements for leg muscle cramps didn't effectively prevent them overnight.
This further indicates that not all leg cramps are related to dehydration or electrolyte loss. Restless legs and nighttime leg cramps in older people are likely to indicate an underlying problem other than that seen in endurance athletes which is why vitamins for leg cramps aren't effective in these cases.Probably one of the most promising but still “understudied” minerals that can be used effectively to prevent muscle cramps is magnesium. It is the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body and is stored in bones and soft tissue. Magnesium constantly flows between the cells and extracellular fluid.
It plays an important role in nerve transmission and muscular contraction. Studies have shown that increasing magnesium intake can reduce nighttime leg cramp frequency. Magnesium supplements are available over-the-counter but should be taken under medical supervision. In addition to magnesium supplements there are other vitamins which may help reduce muscle spasms.
Vitamin D helps regulate calcium levels which helps maintain normal nerve function. Vitamin E helps reduce inflammation which may be associated with some types of muscular spasms. Vitamin C helps maintain healthy muscles by aiding collagen production. Finally Vitamin B complex helps maintain healthy nerve function which may help reduce muscular spasms.
In conclusion there are several vitamins which may help reduce muscular spasms. Magnesium supplements have been shown to reduce nighttime leg spasms while Vitamin D helps regulate calcium levels which helps maintain normal nerve function. Vitamin E helps reduce inflammation while Vitamin C helps maintain healthy muscles by aiding collagen production. However it is important to note that these vitamins should only be taken under medical supervision as they may interact with other medications or cause side effects.
