Drinking water after exercise could actually CAUSE cramps – not prevent them

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It's long been said that you should drink water after exercising to stop yourself getting cramp. 

But scientists have debunked the age-old theory, saying doing so could actually make you more likely to suffer from the painful spasms.

Instead, consuming more electrolytes could be the key to stopping the twinges because reduced levels of salt and minerals trigger the problem.

Australian researchers gave exhausted men different types of drinks and zapped them with electricity to test how well they withstood leg cramps. 

Researchers at Edith Cowan University in Perth made 10 men run on a treadmill in a hot room until they sweated out two per cent of their body weight.

When they finished, half the men were given normal water to rehydrate, while the other half were given sports drinks with electrolytes in.

Electrolytes are minerals in the blood, which include salt, potassium, bicarbonate and chloride – they are depleted when people sweat during exercise.

A week later the same experiment was repeated and the men had the drink they weren't given the first time. 

'There have been many theories proposed as to what causes muscle cramps in the past,' said Professor Ken Nosaka, study author.

'But this is the first time that we have conclusively shown that electrolyte depletion is the primary cause of muscle cramps.'

Professor Nosaka and his team found men who drank pure water became more likely to experience muscle cramp.

Whereas those who were given the electrolyte drinks had a

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