What can my teen do about cramps after gym workout?

Dr Phil Kieran: "We know that cramps can run in families and are more common after repetitive exercises, particularly in muscle groups that have been pushed to the point of exhaustion." Picture: iStock.

My 16-year-old daughter enjoys going to the gym, but often experiences painful cramps in her legs afterwards, sometimes waking her in the night. 

We’ve tried massage, but it doesn’t seem to make much of a difference. I’m worried that she is putting her growing body under too much strain by lifting heavy weights. I’d appreciate your advice.

For something as common as cramps, it is reasonable to assume that we have a good medical understanding of the causes and treatment, but, unfortunately, this is not the case.

We know that cramps can run in families and are more common after repetitive exercises, particularly in muscle groups that have been pushed to the point of exhaustion. 

We also know that they are, for the most part, harmless and dissipate by themselves or with brief stretching within seconds to minutes.

In your daughter’s case, it seems that you have established a fairly clear link between exercise and these cramps.

Massage and stretching can help relieve a cramp while it is happening, but there is no conclusive evidence that this can prevent the involuntary contractions from occurring.

Building a good exercise habit in your teens is a crucial step in maintaining a healthy lifestyle into adulthood, so I would be keen to find a solution for your daughter. 

I understand your concern that she may be pushing herself too hard, but we need to find a way to fix the problem without losing the benefits of exercise.

The first thing that is usually advised is to ensure she is getting enough food and fluid to support her exercise. Hydration is most readily assessed by drinking whenever she is thirsty and by her checking the concentration of her urine. I

f the urine is a pale straw yellow colour, then she is likely drinking enough fluids. Dietary intake is a little trickier to measure, but she should be able to exercise without excessive fatigue. Also, she shouldn’t be losing weight excessively.

If her periods stop, it could be a sign that she is not getting enough energy in her diet. This can be a condition known as REDS (relative energy eficit syndrome), which can lead to health issues and negatively impact athletic performance.

If she has ensured she is looking after these areas, the next step would be to examine her exercise regimen. Often, we tend to push ourselves too hard, thinking that if we can force our body through increasingly challenging workouts, we will get faster benefits. 

This is rarely the case. She should seek advice from an exercise instructor (most gyms can provide this) and not aim to increase her exercise load too quickly.

Additionally, she needs to remember that rest days (when you do substantially less exercise) are just as important as gym days in getting fitter and stronger. If she is skipping these rests, she is more likely to injure herself.

Check if she is experiencing cramps every time she goes to the gym. If this the case, she is almost certainly pushing herself too hard and needs to consider reducing the duration or intensity of her exercises.

If you have a question for Dr Phil Kieran, please send it to [e-mail]