The Taken movie series is best recognised for Liam Neeson’s portrayal of the brash Byran Mills. Behind the scenes, however, 70-year-old actor Liam Neeson was rendered helpless by “agonising” leg spasms that he later learned were brought on by drinking too much coffee.
Liam Neeson’s reputation as an action thriller actor has grown with the release of the Taken movies. This has continued far into his more recent career, as demonstrated by Memory, his most recent book, which was published in April 2022 and centres on a skilled assassin who becomes the target of a criminal organisation.
Neeson has been helping GB News broadcaster Eamonn Holmes with his chronic pain away from the action after experiencing his own bout of it. “Rest is rust, and activity is lotion,” Neeson allegedly said to Holmes as they were sharing a seat on an aircraft.
Neeson previously discussed his own experience with leg cramps on Radio 5 Live. The famous person admitted at the time, “I was having cramps and shooting pains in my leg in the middle of the night.”
“I cried because the pain was so terrible.”
I had treatment from the massage therapist who works with all of the Broadway dancers thanks to an arrangement made by a friend.
A massage therapist was able to help Neeson, who was in great pain and needed help to stop cramping.
The actor explained his condition by saying, “He got rid of lactic acid crystals in my leg and subsequently.”
As lactic acid builds up in the muscle, it crystallizes into crystalline forms. These crystals grow in size the longer the muscle is squeezed.
The decreased blood flow brought on by increasing muscular density reduces the muscle’s capacity to wash away waste products.
When muscles are worked out for an extended amount of time, lactic acid, a significant muscular waste product, accumulates.
According to Huddersfield Sports Massage Therapy, drinking won’t help remove lactic acid after it has built up. The majority of this acid is held in by muscles that are always stiff.
These crystals subsequently rub against pain-sensitive muscle fibers in the injured muscle, resulting in excruciating pain and, over time, incapacitating effects on the body since necessary nutrients are not provided.
The Mayo Clinic states that lactic acid buildup in muscles is frequently brought on by overuse and dehydration, but for Neeson, a sizable portion of the buildup was brought on by his caffeine use.
“How much coffee do you consume?” I answered yes when [the therapist] requested,” Neeson continued.
“I would maybe drop it,” he said, advising me to switch to decaf.
Furthermore, cramping was reduced by 90%.
Neeson claimed that he is now “addicted” to decaf tea, a healthier substitute for coffee, after quitting caffeine and realising the effects it had on his excruciating cramps.
According to Graham and Spriet’s research, endurance activities like long-distance running result in a rise in blood glucose levels. Understanding why lactic acid builds up is crucial because when the body lacks the oxygen needed to turn glucose into energy, it instead produces lactic acid.
This is connected to caffeine because the majority of studies have found that consuming caffeine increases blood lactate concentration.
People should therefore be careful with how much caffeine they consume daily. The Mayo Clinic states that the safe daily consumption for the majority of adults is up to 400mg. This roughly equates to two “energy shot” drinks, ten cans of cola, or four cups of brewed coffee in terms of caffeine content.
Symptoms and major health issues associated with excessive caffeine usage include:
Anxiety and uncertainty
Insomnia
Headaches
erratic heartbeat vertigo
Dehydration
Anxiety.
Stretching is one of the most crucial things you can do to prevent lactic acid crystals from forming during and after exercise. Drinking water before and after exercise is another option. Additionally, the Mayo Clinic advises limiting your intake of protein and caffeine and, if necessary, substituting more fruit and vegetables.
