Are Muscle Cramps Cramping Your Work Out? Watermelon Juice May be Your Answer

Prevention of muscle cramps can be achieved by warm up and stretching of your muscles before and after any work out activity. Proper hydration and replacement of electrolytes is also important. Appropriate shoe gear for the activity you are participating in is also key to preventing cramping. A gradual increase in your exercise program will also play a factor in whether or not you develop muscle cramping. I cover the above in more detail in my video:
http://www.howcast.com/videos/510229-How-to-Prevent-Toe-Cramps-when-You-Run-Goot-Care

If you have followed all of these suggestions and are still getting muscle cramps watermelon juice may provide the relief you seek. The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry recently published an article entitled Watermelon Juice: Potential Functional Drink for Sore Muscle Relief in Athletes. Watermelon contains large amounts of L-Citrulline, an amino acid shown to facilitate muscle function. The study showed that pure unpasteurized watermelon juice was more easily absorbed by the body than L-Citrulline alone. The study found that 500ml of watermelon juice consumed prior to exercise reduced recovery heart rate and muscle soreness after 24 hours.

Citation

Watermelon Juice: Potential Functional Drink for Sore Muscle Relief in Athletes
Martha P. Tarazona-Díaz, Fernando Alacid, María Carrasco, Ignacio Martínez, and Encarna Aguayo Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2013 61 (31), 7522-7528

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