Stofan, J. R., Zachwieja, J. J., Horswill, C. A., Lacambra, M., & Murray, R. (2003). Sweat and sodium losses in NCAA Division I football players with a history of whole-body muscle cramping. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 35(5), Supplement abstract 262.

Football players with a history of full-body muscle cramping (N = 5) were matched with players (N = 5) who never cramped. Full-gear practices lasted 2.5 hours.

Players who cramped lost more total sodium, were more dehydrated, and had higher sweat rates than non-crampers. There was no effect on sweat-sodium losses when salt water was consumed by crampers. Non-crampers consumed mainly water which did not alter their sweat-sodium losses.

Implication. Large sodium and fluid losses through sweating precipitate whole-body muscle cramping. There is little that can be done about the sweating while the ingestion of salt during practice does not affect the amount lost.

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