3. Are cramps caused by a lack of salt?
The cause of cramps is something of a mystery. Because they are so difficult to predict, trying to cause one in a lab is not easy, so most studies look at real-life observations.
Studies on American footballers show that cramps are more likely to happen in hot weather, which fits with the theory that they are caused by low salt levels, lost through sweat. The problem with this is that athletes in cold climates get cramp too.
Another study on South African ultra-marathon runners found little difference in sodium levels between athletes that cramped up and those that didn’t. The advice if you are suffering from cramp is to stretch it out. There’s no need to increase levels of sodium.