Suffering From Muscle Cramps During Lifting? Arnold Schwarzenegger Suggests Trying Electrolytes

Arnold Schwarzenegger has a lifetime of experience in bodybuilding and fitness. Today, he is using his vast knowledge coupled with scientific research to help the average person live a fitter and healthier life. The Austrian Oak answered one such question from one member of his over 600,000-strong village.

“I Get Muscle Cramps When I Exercise. Do Electrolyte Drinks Help?” asked a member of former Mr. Universe’s The Pump app. Muscle cramps happen to those who overuse certain muscles and ignore proper hydration. However, those who workout a lot and undertake endurance-based training may also experience severe cramps.

So, Arnold Schwarzenegger highlighted a study on electrolytes. “A study published earlier this year found that electrolyte drinks can help prevent muscle cramping after your runs,” the 76-year-old bodybuilding legend wrote in Arnold’s Pump Club. So Schwarzenegger recommended replenishing vitamins and minerals lost during training.

The study involved three groups using three different post-workout drinks. “Water, a sugar-free electrolytes mix, and a drink of electrolytes and carbs,” wrote the former Mr. Olympia. Each group trained for three hours, and researchers found that “both electrolyte drinks reduced the severity and likelihood of post-training cramping.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger also mentioned that the sugar-free option produced the best results. While the study looked at post-workout electrolyte intake, consuming electrolytes during a workout should also give similar results. As a bonus, the study also showed that the sugar-free group burned more fat than the other two.

However, Arnold Schwarzenegger also informed his readers that drinking electrolytes didn’t have any performance-enhancing impacts. Electrolytes didn’t improve overall running performance, heart rate, or energy levels and only helped with rehydration. However, there is something else that may improve your training sessions besides electrolytes. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger on pre-workout

While electrolytes may help reduce cramping and rehydrate after a workout session, pre-workouts promise to improve your lifts in the gym. The supplement has become so popular that many people can’t even train to a satisfactory level without pre-workout. However, Arnold Schwarzenegger had a few things to say.

Arnold Schwarzenegger explained that pre-workout supplements from reputed brands did help boost strength in the gym. However, the Austrian Oak told buyers to do their research. “In nearly every case (98%), the USDA found that the ingredients in question were nowhere on the label,” revealed Arnie. The 76-year-old also wrote that pre-workouts containing caffeine, citrulline, creatine, and beta-alanine, were effective at boosting strength and endurance during training.

While supplements and remedies like drinking electrolytes and pre-workout may make a difference in your training, one has to consider overall diet and exercise habits. Electrolysis won’t help if you train while being dehydrated.