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Glenn Maxwell was on 147 not out when he dropped his bat, collapsed on the pitch of Mumbai\u2019s Wankhede Stadium, clutched at his shin and fell flat on his back.<\/p>\n
The strange contortions in Maxwell\u2019s body were familiar to anyone who has suffered from debilitating muscle cramps, and will become part of the legend of his astonishing double century in Tuesday night\u2019s World Cup match against Afghanistan.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n
The cramp started in one of Maxwell\u2019s toes, then moved to his shin, then took hold of his calf muscle.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I was cramping both sides of my lower leg. And as I went, \u2018oh no, I\u2019m cramping\u2019, I cramped in my left hamstring at the same time,\u201d the 35-year-old recounted. \u201cAnd then I had a back spasm when I hit the ground. So I was just like, full body in pain.\u201d<\/p>\n
What was happening inside Maxwell\u2019s body to cause such agony is not fully understood, according to Eric Drinkwater, a senior lecturer in sports science at Deakin University.<\/p>\n
But the first theory is related to dehydration. Muscles require a balance of water and electrolytes. If someone drinks too much water, it dilutes the electrolytes.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you dilute all the electrolytes, for some reason the muscle gets stuck in this contraction. It can contract, but it can\u2019t relax again,\u201d Drinkwater said.<\/p>\n
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Glenn Maxwell is treated by Australian physiotherapist Ben Jones and 12th man Sean Abbott after collapsing with cramp.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n \u201cSometimes athletes can get caught up on the dehydration thing, so what happens is they drink so much plain water they end up depleting the salt.\u201d<\/p>\n Experts also know that cramps tend to occur more frequently in hot temperatures.<\/p>\n Because sweat evaporates more slowly in humid temperatures, the body produces more sweat to cool itself down. This can result in a greater loss of fluids and electrolytes.<\/p>\n The temperature in Mumbai sat in the low thirties on Tuesday evening, while the humidity remained between 40 and 50 per cent throughout the night. Commentators said it was the hottest day of the tournament.<\/p>\n AFLW player Libby Birch, who is also a physiotherapist, explained that the contraction caused by the loss of electrolytes can be excruciating, \u201clike being shot in the leg\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThe essence of a cramp is your body telling you that you need to stop. It\u2019s crying out, saying \u2019stop, stop, stop. I\u2019m finished,\u201d Birch said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhich is why Glenn Maxwell\u2019s performance was so amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happens is the muscle can\u2019t function as accurately and precisely, so it reacts with spasmodic cramps. It can last between seconds and minutes,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n But, as Drinkwater added, if dehydration was the sole cause of cramping, prevention would be simple: \u201cI can\u2019t imagine that Cricket Australia can\u2019t get their hands on a bottle of Gatorade.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere has to be another explanation. That\u2019s why there\u2019s a second theory. That second theory goes that there\u2019s a reflex that goes from your spinal cord to your muscle. It contracts the muscle to support your body,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Any time you take a step, hit a ball or run, that reflex is \u201cturned on\u201d. So if, like Maxwell, you\u2019re doing those actions over and over again, the reflex is turning on and off. That repetition can cause fatigue, which can result in the reflex getting stuck in the \u201con\u201d position.<\/p>\n Maxwell received treatment from the Cricket Australia physio, Ben Jones, who lifted his left leg while 12th man Sean Abbott pushed his right foot in an effort to stretch his muscles and ease the cramp. He calmed his breathing and resumed his innings, finishing undefeated on 201 from 128 deliveries, sealing Australia\u2019s victory and a spot in the semi-finals with 19 balls remaining.<\/p>\n Jones’ double century in the sweltering Indian heat has gone down in history as one of the most courageous of all time.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Cricket.com.au<\/cite><\/p>\n He is not the first athlete to be struck down by cramps. The late Dean Jones was racked by cramps on his way to a famous double century in the 1986 tied Test in Chennai, but that was just one of his problems as his body effectively shut down. David Warner retired hurt on 200 after he seized up while celebrating the milestone during last year\u2019s Boxing Day Test.<\/p>\n In June, men\u2019s tennis No.1 Carlos Alcaraz said the cramps that afflicted him during his Roland Garros semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic were a result of intense tension and nerves.<\/p>\n Despite the frequency of muscle cramps among athletes, there is no universal cure. While many sportspeople swear by pickle juice, there\u2019s no guarantee it will work for everyone.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Drinkwater said some people are more susceptible to cramps than others, and studying the cause is difficult because of how inconsistently they occur among athletes. Even the conditions in which they happen aren\u2019t uniform \u2013 skiers, for example, often suffer with cramps even though it\u2019s cold.<\/p>\n Maxwell soldiered on, even though he had limited use of his legs.<\/p>\n Abandoning footwork, he stood deep in the crease and relied on his supreme hand-eye coordination to clear the boundary.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHe can\u2019t move and still manages to hit a six over the third man with the reverse [sweep] \u2013 he\u2019s a freak,\u201d captain Pat Cummins marvelled.<\/p>\n Birch believes the cramps may even have helped Maxwell.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen everything\u2019s against you in sport, sometimes it can be a relief. It\u2019s almost like \u2018nothing can get any worse than this.\u2019 It releases you.\u201d<\/p>\n Maxwell explained that he stripped the game back to its basics. \u201cOnce we stayed at the same end for a couple overs (without running), I felt like I was starting to get a little bit of movement back,\u201d he said. \u201cBut that actually probably made the whole job a little bit more simple. I wasn\u2019t overthinking the situation. I just knew if I got a ball that I could hit I\u2019d try and hit it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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