Don’t like putting tabs in the Camelbak so tend to use just water, with variety of bars, flapjacks, maybe a banana. Still find I get a bit of leg cramp after 3 or 4 hrs – any tips ? (maybe I just need to get fitter or MTFU 😆 )

High 5 zero (or similar) or more bananas on rides that long.

Cramp is often due to loss of minerals – especially sodium and potassium – potassium helps you ‘man up’ so drink some electrolytes. Or eat more bananas as they are good for potassium – biodegradable wrapper, easy to eat, loads of carbs, stop cramps and help out the old chap – what’s not to like?

ride shorter distances 😉

ianc – I used to get this a lot and I tried all the usual Nuun tabs etc which help a bit. But basically my body is telling me <thats too big a change from what I’m used to>.

So Ive learned – get used to 3 hours. Then do 3.5 hours. Then 4 hours. etc. Soon 8 hours is comfortable. But a lay off sets me back.

Someone will be along to argue shortly.

I agree with both posters above – ride for 3 hours or less and you should be fine if you are reasonably fit and don’t spend the whole 3 hours riding up a steep hill. And it’s all do much more fun and less complicated if you don’t have to worry about cramps/nutrition

most of my rides are sub 3 hrs and I have no problems at all. Doing a 5 hr one Friday and am likley to get cramps late on – reckon I’ll take a big bunch of bananas 🙂

Since using Elete Water in my Camelbak I’ve not suffered with the cramps. It doesn’t taint, no real taste:

http://www.eletewater.co.uk/

As well as that, I often have a water bottle that I mix up a Nuun tablet or one of the sports drinks and have that in between / top it up from my Camelbak if it is a really long ride. It keeps the bladder untainted but I can still have more than water.

Old wives tail or not,but tonic water before a ride and then rennies or any other indigestion tablets chewed at intervals through the ride works for me

indian tonic water 🙂 quinnine stops cramps

Balls – I’m allergic to quinine.
No cramp = good
Swollen eyes can’t see where pedalling = bad

I tend to find that the zero tablets have helped me when it comes to cramp. Not tried anything else.

do zero tablets taint your Camelbak ? I use them in bottles on the road but have avoided them in my Camelbak as I don’t like it picking up tastes

jedi – I wonder how fizzy it would get ? maybe I should stick some gin in it too ! 😆

googling finds these links

http://www.boots.com/en/Dioralyte-Sachets-Blackcurrant-6-Sachets_6229/
has got me out of trouble a few times when I’ve overdone it on long road rides.

http://www.boots.com/en/Dioralyte-Sachets-Blackcurrant-6-Sachets_6229/
has got me out of trouble a few times when I’ve overdone it on long road rides.

I don’t suffer much on a mountainbike but when I raced [motorbike] enduro I did. After some experiments I solved it:

– Carb load
– Drink lots of fluids the day before (I’d drink 8 pints)
– Drink lots of fluids before the event (another 4)

The only downside was timing the pre-race piss and trying not to fill your boots before the end of the race.

http://www.ultracycling.com/training/cramping.html

iainc – I have not had a problem with the zeros in my hydration pack yet. They are not like eg berocca for artificial colour (and flouro wee).

The tonic water thing makes sense as I am instinctively drawn to it when chronically hungover – I guess it would go flat pdq when you are riding.

I sometimes get cramp post ride. I’ll try the indian tonic water thing.

*makes not to pick up tonic water and maybe gin on way home*

The whole issue of elecolytes and cramp is debatable to say the least.

If you sweat a lot and have a low salt diet you might get a bit low in electrolytes. ~Sodium (table salt)is the main one you need. Potassium (lo salt /bananas) and Magnesium ( indigestion tablets) are the others.

If you want to drink plain water then perhpas some salty snacks. Or you can get various energy gels and things with electrolytes – cliff shot blox IIRC have electrolytes and are palatable

Dilute apple juice witha pinch of table salt is palatable and contains a good mix of carbs and electrolytes

Edit – teh only time I have had bad cramp during exercise was riding longish distance pushing myself with a hangover. I blame that on both electrolyte depletion and dehydration

only things I’ve found that work is Torq gel or mixing fresh orange juice with some water, glucose powder and some salt.

Suck on your helmet sponge. 🙂

Suck on your helmet sponge.

I usually leave that in the shower, beside the soap 😀

Ribose no question. Speak to Matt or Anyony at Torq Fitness. You will be amazed.

amt27 – Member
http://www.ultracycling.com/training/cramping.html

think a more useful article than most well worth reading – in theory know how to avoid cramp but still get – probably because not good at building up to longer stuff – do stuff most days but often a lot shorter than when get a break from childcare/funtime and run and get nightcramps