Over-breathing can cause kidneys to release excess bicarbonate, leaching minerals and electrolytes and potentially causing cramping.

“when we over breathe or hyperventilate the if we're doing it in excess the kidneys release more bicarbonate into the system and what does that do and this is the interesting thing about the entire electrolyte industry in sweat is i have worked with hundreds if not thousands of athletes in the last 20 years and i've had numerous accounts of athletes who we have adjusted electrolytes up down water intake etc etc and they still couldn't figure out cramping issues yet when we started to control breathing all the sudden the cramping went away”