I was struck while watching some of the nationally televised high school football games this past weekend. Several athletes had severe muscle cramping issues – to the point they had to leave the game for trainer assistance.

For an athlete starting on one of the nation’s best high school football teams, playing on a nationally televised game and leaving because of cramps, they must be severe. Coaches couldn’t get most players out of the game with a winch and cable.

Playing time is so limited, and players work too hard to be cutting it short because of cramps. To those who have never had severe cramps: These guys aren’t wimps. A typical muscle cramps can drop anyone like a bad habit, no matter how tough or highly trained.

That being the case, it’s best to avoid them altogether, and stay in the game.

Here’s three ways to take cramps out of the equation.

Proper hydration

This is the biggest and one many athletes get wrong. Too many young athletes think staying hydrated means liberal water bottle use during a game.

Sorry, that’s not going to do it.

Proper hydration is an everyday habit. For a player who is dehydrated immediately before the game, drinking half a liter of water will only prolong the inevitable.

Athletes should drink half of their body weight in ounces per day. For example, a 160-pound football player should drink approximately 80 ounces of water every day to remain properly hydrated.

Leading into a game or other strenuous activity, National Athletic Trainers’ Association guidelines on Fluid Replacement for Athletes recommends following a formal hydration protocol, stating: “The athlete should consume approximately 500 to 600 mL (17 to 20 fl oz) of water or a sports drink two to three hours before exercise and 200 to 300 mL (7 to 10 fl oz) of water or a sports drink 10 to 20 minutes before exercise.”

How can an athlete tell if he’s dehydrated? There are several ways. The best is body weight. Measure before and after practice. Whatever was lost is water weight and should be replaced. The easiest is urine color. Look for urine the color of lemonade. Any darker, drink more.

SEE ALSO: Preparation and proper treatment minimize the occurrence and effect of cramps

Vitamins and minerals

Depleting a body’s stores of minerals, especially calcium, magnesium and potassium, can lead to muscle cramps.

Ensuring a diet is rich in those minerals is easy insurance against having to leave a game for cramps. Foods high in potassium include:

• Bananas
• Apricots
• Brussels sprouts
• Clams
• Baked potatoes
• Orange juice
• Potato chips
• Yogurt
• Stewed tomatoes
• Broccoli

Magnesium is found in:

• Spinach
• Brown rice
• Avocados
• Yogurt
• Bananas
• Soy beans
• Almonds
• Bran cereal

Supplements, such as multi-vitamin and mineral supplements, can be a viable addition to getting enough minerals in a diet. Some sports drinks also contain potassium and magnesium. Be careful, though, as many also contain significant amounts of sugar and artificial sweeteners.

Thorough pre-exertion warm up and stretching

Here’s another great reason not to cheat on a pregame warm-up and stretching routine: It helps prevent muscle cramps.

A proper stretching routine isn’t just about getting loose. A lesser known benefit is that pre-exertion stretching is one of the most effective ways to avoid that feeling of impending doom you get when a cramps coming on.

During a pregame routine, be sure to warm up the muscles first, then stretch. Pay particular attention to hamstrings, calves and quads, although cramps can happen elsewhere, too. Leg muscles tend to see the most use when playing football, so they’re at greater risk for cramping.

Football players are some of the world’s toughest athletes, but a severe cramp can still knock them off their feet and out of the game. To help make sure it doesn’t happen to you, stay hydrated, keep your diet on point and be sure to warm up and stretch thoroughly before playing or practicing.

Muscle cramps happen to athletes at all levels, so stay ahead of them. Once they start, it may be too late.

Steve Faber is a freelance writer and content strategist who’s been marketing online since a stint with a high profile e-commerce start up during the first Internet boom. His firm, Most Pixels Marketing, works with organizations to create content and formulate effective content strategies to get noticed, engage customers and drive sales. His son will be playing his fifth football season this fall. Catch him at http://www.mostpixels.com.