Many people suffer from leg cramps more during the summer months than during the winter months. They complain that their leg cramps are more frequent and less predictable when it is warmer outside than when it is cold. And while there is no single cause for leg cramps, there are some definite reasons for why you might suffer from more leg cramps in the summer.

Dehydration: This is one of the most common causes of all sorts of ailments during the summer months. When the temperature rises our bodies lose water and other minerals through sweat, which can quickly cause us to become dehydrated. That dehydration can lead to muscle cramping and leg cramps, but they don’t only have to occur at night. During the summer months athletes find that they will often have more leg cramps simply because they are burning so much energy and losing so much water through sweat that they can’t keep enough liquid in their bodies. If you feel a leg cramp or other muscle cramp coming on you can quickly drink some water or a specially designed sports drink (though those are often high in sugar). One tried and true way to hold off most muscle and leg cramps is to drink quinine water. The water will help with dehydration and the quinine will help calm down a cramping or twitchy calf muscle.

Electrolyte or Chemical Imbalance: When you are sweating in the heat of summer your body isn’t just losing water. It’s also losing vitamins, minerals and lots of vital elements. Again, sports drinks will help but you may want to also try eating some foods that are high in potassium or even taking a potassium supplement to prevent leg cramps in the summertime.

Over-Exertion:Obviously, most people enjoy spending more time outside in the summer than in the winter. Sometimes it’s easy to lost track of time when you’re outside enjoying sports or walking or whatever it you’re doing during the summer months. It’s hard to always know the signs of when you’ve “done too much” and given your body a reason to start clenching those leg muscles.

Even if you’re cool and in a swimming pool you can get serious leg cramps which can impede your ability to swim or stay safe. Monitoring your activity, paying attention to how you feel and keeping yourself hydrated are three ways to keep those summertime leg cramps at bay.