7 Ways To Prevent Cramp During Your Tough Mudder

Everyone’s been there, whether it’s in the middle of a long training session or even when you’re lying in bed at night, cramp can strike at any moment. Tough Mudder is designed to push your body to its limits, cue the flashing lights and sirens for cramp. Muscle exhaustion is cramping paradise.

Cramp is caused by your muscles contracting suddenly. You’ll be using those colossal calf muscles you’ve been building in training throughout the event, making them a flashpoint for cramp. It’s not just your legs though, your whole body theoretically can get it! Here are 7 ways to minimise the onset of cramp during a Tough Mudder.

1. Hydration, hydration hydration!

Suffer from cramp a lot in training? Then it’s a given you’ll be suffering whilst doing your Tough Mudder. A quick fix might be as simple as a gulp of the clear stuff, that’s because while you’re pushing your body to its limits, it loses electrolytes through your sweat - this causes muscle spasms. A swig of water or even better - an isotonic sports drink can go a long way in restoring the balance and keeping those muscles pumping all day long.

2. Get a grip

Slipping and sliding is all part of the fun of a Tough Mudder, but how can you limit those slips and falls to where they’re meant to happen? The answer, grab yourself some grippy shoes. The constant tensing and relaxing of your body parts, especially your calves, when trying to compensate for slippery surfaces can wreak havoc on the durability of your muscles. Having a pair of shoes with a great tread can go some way to curing this problem. Just make sure you wear them in, otherwise it’ll be blister central for your toes.  

3. Take your time

There are those who will be hoping to qualify for the World’s Toughest Mudder, those psychos will want to make every second count. But for the rest of us mere mortals, dragging our body across the finish line will bring glory untold. To try and prevent you cramping on your run, take the course at a steady pace, it won’t just help your cramping issues, it might just be the difference between you burning out or carrying on strong.

4. Make sure you’re prepped right!

Your day has come! Today’s the day you become a Tough Mudder, then you hit obstacle two and suffer catastrophic cramp. The tears flow and you curse the skies. Don’t want this to be you? Make sure you train right. We recommend you can run at least 6 miles (10k) comfortably before you turn up to face the Tough Mudder course. One of the major causes of cramp is muscle fatigue, and Tough Mudder is exhausting so endurance training before your event can help keep those cramps to a minimum.

5. Warm up

Pre event you’ll most likely have sweaty palms and enough adrenaline coursing through your veins to make you feel invincible. Sorry folks, but you're not. Make sure you warm up well in advance of your run. Some light jogging, and stretching before you hit the start line should get you set, and if there are flash mob warm ups at your Tough Mudder get your head in the game and join in.

6. Make like an elastic and stretch

Cramping in a certain area too often? Make sure you get stretching. Muscles are like elastic bands, they stretch further when they’re warm. Make sure you stretch your calves well because they’ll be doing a lot of the hard work, getting you from one Mudder nightmare to another and even up and over some of them, so take good care of them. It’s not just before the run either, stretching regularly over time can increase your muscle’s elasticity, meaning less cramps and more miles-pain free ish.

7. Rest up

So, you know muscles are more likely to cramp when they’re tired, vis a vi you should rest them well before your big day. If you haven’t trained enough the day before a race, sorry to break it to you, but that day of training before the Tough Mudder isn’t going to make any difference. You’ll feel a lot more benefit if you rest those legs, after all, the day after they will be put through hell.

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