Who gets muscle cramps?
Just about everyone will experience a muscle cramp sometime in life. It can happen while you play tennis or golf, bowl, swim or do any exercise. It can also happen while you sit, walk or even just sleep. Sometimes the slightest movement that shortens a muscle can trigger a cramp. Some people are pre-disposed to muscle cramps and get them regularly with any physical exertion. Those at greatest risk for cramps include infants and young children, people over the age of 50, and those who are ill, overweight, overexert during work or exercise, or take drugs or certain medications. There are over 13 million people in the UK who regularly suffer from leg cramps at night, preventing them from sleeping. (Postgraduate Medicine February 2002).
