[header] How to treat heat cramps [title] Identify when you have a heat cramp. [step] Heat cramps are painful muscle spasms that result from dehydration, typically due to exercising or working in hot environments. Heat cramps are not simply caused by heat or being in a hot environment, as the name might suggest. 
Intense sweating from the exertion results in a loss of both fluid and the electrolytes (salt) needed for proper muscle function. Though you can experience heat cramps in any muscle group, they are most common in the calves, arms, abdominal muscles, and back muscles.