For his part as the strong character Byran Mills in the Taken trilogy, Liam Neeson is well-known. Behind the scenes, however, 70-year-old actor Liam Neeson was rendered helpless by “agonizing” cramps in his leg, which he subsequently discovered were brought on by excessive coffee use.
Since the Taken movies were so popular, Liam Neeson has gained more recognition as an actor in action thrillers. His most recent work, Memory, which was released in April 2022 and centers on an expert assassin who becomes the target of a criminal organization, illustrates how this has lasted long into his more recent career.
Neeson has been helping GB News broadcaster Eamonn Holmes with his chronic pain away from the action after experiencing a bout of his own. Neeson allegedly said to Holmes, when the two were sitting next to each other on a plane, “Rest is rust and activity is lotion.”
Neeson opened up on Radio 5 Live a few years prior about his own experience with leg cramps. The celebrity 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 agonizing.
“A buddy of mine arranged for me to see the massage therapist who works on all the Broadway dancers, and he treated me.”
Neeson was in severe pain and needed assistance to stop his cramping, which a massage therapist was able to do.
The actor clarified his situation by saying, “He got rid of lactic acid crystals in my leg and subsequently.
Lactic acid crystallizes into crystalline structures as it builds up in the muscle. These crystals grow in size the longer the muscle is contracted.
Due to the restricted blood flow caused by the increased muscular density, the muscle’s ability to flush away waste products is less than when the muscle is relaxed.
Because lactic acid is a key muscle waste product, it accumulates when muscles are contracted for an extended amount of time.
According to Huddersfield Sports Massage Therapy, consuming drinks won’t help remove lactic acid after it has built up. The majority of this acid is held in by muscles that are constantly contracted.
These crystals subsequently rub against pain-sensitive muscle fibers in the region of the injured muscle, causing excruciating pain and, as necessary nutrients cannot be provided, over time, incapacitating effects on the body.
According to the Mayo Clinic, lactic acids often build up in muscles as a result of overuse and dehydration, but for Neeson, a sizable portion of the buildup was brought on by his caffeine intake.
“Do you consume a lot of caffeine? [The therapist] asked, and I said that I do,” Neeson stated.
“He advised me to switch to decaf after he remarked, “I would maybe drop it if you can.
“And a 90% reduction in cramps occurred.”
Neeson admitted that he is now “addicted” to decaf tea, a healthy alternative to coffee, after giving up caffeine and realizing the benefits it had on his excruciating cramps.
According to Graham and Spriet’s research, endurance sports like long-distance running cause an increase in blood glucose concentration. This is essential to understand why lactic acid builds up because when the body lacks the oxygen it needs to turn glucose into energy, it instead produces lactic acid.
This is related to caffeine because most studies have found that after consuming caffeine, blood lactate concentration rises.
People should be careful of how much caffeine they take each day as a result. The Mayo Clinic states that the safe daily dose for most adults is up to 400mg. This roughly equates to the amount of caffeine in two “energy shot” beverages, 10 cans of cola, or four cups of brewed coffee.
Regularly consuming excessive amounts of caffeine can cause a number of symptoms and grave health issues, such as:
Uncertainty and restlessness
Insomnia
Headaches
Dizziness
rapid heartbeat
Dehydration
Anxiety.
Stretching before and after exercise is one of the key methods people can avoid developing lactic acid crystals. Another is to drink water before and after exercise. The Mayo Clinic also suggests limiting your diet of protein and caffeine and, if necessary, substituting more fruit and vegetables.
