Early Detection of Exercise - Associated Muscle cramp

One of the deep and painful involuntary contractions of skeletal muscle is muscle cramp which takes place during various other conditions. The origin for the cramps that occur during or soon after exercise and the appropriate remedies continue to prove uncertain. Soon after an implant process and forceful workout, past voluntary dehydration cramps occur at many sections. The process of identifying the type of cramp is time consuming and treatment process to cramps is also quite tedious. If not treated at the right time, Muscle cramps may cause vigorous side effects and worsening in day to day physiological activities. The main motive of this vest is to locate and identify the cramp and alert so that further injury can be detected. It would also be helpful in preventing the person from further muscular cramps and other complications. EMG signals which are obtained from adhesive electrodes are amplified by using IC741 (op-amp) with instrumentation amplifier configuration.LM35 temperature sensor is used to monitor the temperature at specified locations. Wherever the cramp occurring possibilities are high. Flex sensor is used to identify the abnormal contraction and relaxation muscles in upper limbs. The three input bio potential signals are fed to the micro controller (Arduino UNO). The main objective of this system is to provide a comfortable vest which would monitor the cramps occurring in athletes whenever it occurs. Therefore with the help of this wearable device muscle cramps occurring at upper limbs can be detected and further injuries, complications such as fractures can be reduced.

Voluntary Dehydration and Cognitive Performance in Trained College Athletes

Cognitive and mood decrements resulting from mild dehydration and glucose consumption were studied. Men and women (total N = 54; M age = 19.8 yr., SD = 1.2) were recruited from college athletic teams. Euhydration or dehydration was achieved by athletes completing team practices with or without water replacement. Dehydration was associated with higher thirst and negative mood ratings as well as better Digit Span performance. Participants showed better Vigilance Attention with euhydration. Hydration status and athlete's sex interacted with performance on Choice Reaction Time and Vigilance Attention. In a second study, half of the athletes received glucose prior to cognitive testing. Results for negative mood and thirst ratings were similar, but for cognitive performance the results were mixed. Effects of glucose on cognition were independent of dehydration.

Voluntary Dehydration in Runners Despite Favorable Conditions for Fluid Intake

This study investigated the relationship between runners’ perceptions of fluid needs and drinking behavior under conditions of compensable heat stress (ambient temperature = 20.5 ± 0.7 °C, 68.9 °F; relative humidity = 76.6%). Eighteen experienced runners (15 men, 40.5 ± 2.5 y, and 3 women, 42 ± 2.3 y) were given ad libitum access to a sports drink (6% carbohydrate-electrolyte solution) at Miles 2, 4, 6, and 8. After the run (75.5 ± 8.0 min), subjects completed questionnaires that required them to estimate their individual fluid intake and sweat loss. Dehydration averaged 1.9% ± 0.8% of initial body weight (a mean sweat loss of 21.6 ± 5.1 mL·kg−1·h−1). Subjects replaced only 30.5% ± 18.1% of sweat loss and underestimated their sweat loss by 42.5% ± 36.6% (P ≤ 0.001). Subjects’ self-estimations of fluid intake (5.2 ± 3.2 mL·kg−1·h−1) were not significantly different from actual fluid intake (6.1 ± 3.4 mL·kg−1·h−1) and were significantly correlated (r = 0.63, P = 0.005). The data indicate that even under favorable conditions, experienced runners voluntarily dehydrate (P ≤ 0.001), possibly because they are unable to accurately estimate sweat loss and consequently cannot subjectively judge how much fluid to ingest to prevent dehydration. This conclusion suggests that runners should not depend on self-assessment to maintain adequate hydration, underscores the need for runners to enhance their ability to self-assess sweat losses, and suggests that a predetermined regimen of fluid ingestion might be necessary if they wish to maintain more optimal hydration.