Muscle twitching that occurs in the biceps can disrupt a workout. Even though it is common for muscle twitching to occur right after an exercise routine or even several hours after, excessive spasm or muscle twitching can be hard to deal with and might even hamper the progress of the individual with his/her strength training. Even though the twitching might feel the same, there are actually varieties that requires assessment before it can be treated.
- The first step is to determine if there is actually muscle twitching or muscle spasm. The two are often confused with each other, but have different causes and symptoms.
- Muscle spasms are violent contractions that affect an entire muscle group which includes the entire biceps area.
- Muscle twitching is localized and less pronounced with subtle visual activation. If the biceps are affected, this includes involuntary activation of one of the biceps heads.
What are the typical causes of muscle twitching?
The spasms are often triggered by engaging in heavy, repeated exercise that focuses on compressing a particular muscle group. When it comes to the biceps, isolating exercises such as standing or seated curls utilizing heavy weights and several repetitions can induce spasms during a workout, usually right away or up to several hours later.
The muscle twitching can also be triggered by engaging in strenuous exercise, but not in all cases. Other possible causes include alcohol consumption, excess intake of caffeine, magnesium deficiency or anxiousness.
Working out
The spasms are often isolated events that subside soon after a workout, but the start can be diminished or even eliminated by stretches that lengthen the biceps.
One way this can be done is to follow every set of biceps curl with a set of triceps extensions. The contraction and extension of the biceps muscles must be done in equal measure with weight resistance for every movement to reduce or entirely eliminate the biceps spasms. It is also vital to stay hydrated during the workout and end every arm workout with a set of cooling down stretches that can loosen up the muscles that were worked out.
Fibrillation twitching
Even though the muscle spasms and average muscle twitching in the biceps is not an issue to worry about, one form of chronic muscle twitching might indicate a serious issue.
If an individual has chronic issues with a particular muscle region in the biceps that continues to twitch without relief and regardless of exercise and there is visible contraction of the muscles, it might be the effects of nerve damage and the start of a degenerative condition such as amyotrophic lateral scoliosis (ALS). If muscle twitching is suspected as fibrillative, the doctor might require tests to diagnose the issue.