Discuss the relationship between exercise-associated muscle cramps and the central nervous system

Exercise Physiology Your Name Subject and Section Professor’s Name Date 1 Discuss the relationship between exercise-associated muscle cramps and the central nervous system (CNS). Exercise-associated muscle cramps are directly related to CNS activity alterations regarding motor neurons, explicitly arising from increased neuronal excitability during exercise stress. This hyperexcitability originates from the pathology of the muscle spindle and the Golgi tendon organ (GTO). The muscle spindle detects the length and conveys information to the spinal cord to activate motor neurons. In contrast, the GTO gives information concerning force production and performs inhibitory actions to avoid motor neuron depolarization (pp. 192-193). Conversely, the CNS origin of exercise-associated muscle cramps is based on the motor neuron excitability and the sensory component from muscle sense organs. At prolonged and high-intensity exercise, there is a loss of muscle mass and potential for injury that affects the functioning of the muscle spindle and GTO. The muscle spindle senses explicitly have the stretch in muscles and send reactive information to the spinal cord to fire motor neurons. When overstimulated, it results in overactivity of the muscle fibers and tissue being worked on. On the other hand, the GTO controls muscle force and sends signals to avoid interaction beyond the specified level. During intense exercise or any circumstances in which people are highly active, the GTO fails to perform at its full capacity, and these inhibitory signals are decreased, thus making motor neurons hyperexcited. This imbalance in favor of the excitatory and the inhibitory signals leads to continuous depolarization of the motor neurons, leading to muscle cramps (Power...