Cramp - when, why and how to cure?

Bike Forum

[closed]

Cramp - when, why and how to cure?

24 posts & 16 voices | Started 3 years ago by Bream | Latest reply from Bream

Tags:

cramp

Bream - Member

What's peoples views on cramp, under what circumstances does it occur and what is the fix?

Not had it at all this year until this week, I have had 3 weeks off hard training and racing due to a bad chest but with that clear I got back into it seriously again the Monday but after the last sprint I got several twinges in my calfs. I then got more twinges at the end of Tuesdays XC training ride and then last night got it really bad in the back of my leg, feels like the hamstring but also lesser in my quads and calfs.

Last night I was 45k into the 70k loop and during a hard sprint it felt like someone had stabbed me in the back of the leg. So bad I had to stop and try to stretch it out. Got back on the bike and the pain went away in the main, but then when I tried to push hard again it came back, happened 3 times. In the end I just had to ride at the back of the pack, but about 5k from home I could push a little harded again, although it felt like if I had gone all out it would have come back again.

So what's the fix, of course I guess some rest but is there anything else I could do? I've got a long hilly ride planned for Friday (100k+) and racing on Sunday, can't be done with it again

Posted 3 years ago #
grahamh - Member

Drink Tonic water, before you ride.

Posted 3 years ago #
Smee - Blocked

Nuun tabs. Tonic water is minging.

One theory is that you are low on electrolytes when you get cramp.

Posted 3 years ago #
wildrnes - Member

stay away from psp22 and use torq

oh second on the tonic water

Posted 3 years ago #
Bream - Member

I have always been notoriously bad for stretching, I think this is my main problem as I am very good with hydration. Just tried to stretch now and couldn't even stretch my quads because the back of my legs just cramped up

Going to try and stretch now 5 times a day to see if it helps, plus I'll pick up some tonic water before Fridays ride and see what it does.

Cheers

Posted 3 years ago #
kevonakona - Member

Alka-Seltzer (or however you spell it). Lots of electrolytes with the added bonus of pain relief, dunno it just makes me feel better sometimes.

Posted 3 years ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

Not completely understood medically. The only time I have had bad cramps was when riding hard when badly hung over.

Electrolyte imbalance is a probable cause so getting some electrolytes into your body would be good. Either electrolyte products such as Nuun or cliff blocks or similar or add some salt into your diet. Dehydration could be a part of it as well

Soduim is the most important electrolyte followed by potassium and magnesium

My prefgerence is to use diluted apple juice with salt added. contains all the electrolytes you need and is cheap and palatable and natural.

If you go for commercial products check the ingredients carefully. some "isotonic" stuff only uses sugers not salts. It is also possible to get too much sodium into your system which raises BP and gives you headaches

Tonic water / quinine will only mask symptoms not cure.

http://www.medicinenet.com/muscle_cramps/page2.htm

Posted 3 years ago #
ahwiles - Member

Hi Beam!

i've got no medical training, and i'm an idiot. my advice is probably useless, at worst it's dangerous. But i'm prone to cramp (quads + hamstrings mainly). and seem to have fixed myself.

(Based on my own experience of what seems to work or not for me)

Salt. you'll need potassium and sodium + others i forget about, are you using elctrolyte drinks?

if i start cramping, i'm more or less screwed until i can get some salts, drinking water only seems to make it worse - i guess i'm further diluting my already low salt levels.

i'm a tight ar53, so i make my own electrolyte drink from a 50/50 mix of table salt (sodium), and lo-salt (potassium), and mixing 1 teaspoon into a litre of water. at this level it doesn't taste too weird.

i don't bother with any of this on short rides (20k or less) but have found it effective for those longer rides, and/or hot sunny days.

it seems to work for me.

no doubt, a member of the salt-police will be right along to remind us how dangerous too much salt can be, any minute now...

Posted 3 years ago #
Keva - Member

proper stretching and correct hydration should should sort it out.

Posted 3 years ago #
mrsflash - Member

Zym tablets work pretty well.

Posted 3 years ago #
Bream - Member

Thanks for everyones posts, I think it was down to me not stretching properly. Stretched 5 times last Thursday and before the ride on Friday, then rode 130k which included 6 big climbs and never cramped once.

Very happy, lesson learnt, stretching properly is a must from now on, sometimes the simple things are the most important

Posted 2 years ago #
emac65 - Member

I've recently came to the same conclusion after suffering with cramp on & off in my hamstrings for the last 12mths.Don't even have to be exercising,sometimes I'm just sitting on the chair watching the box.....

Posted 2 years ago #
rapiddescent - Member

I get them in the middle of the night in bed. usually if I've been out on the bike during the day. I think I sort of 'over-stretch' in my sleep and it is agony, usually can't walk properly afterwards!

Posted 2 years ago #
MrCrushrider - Member

elete is the best ive used - and ive used just about every 'anti-cramp' thing on the market as i used to suffer badly

Posted 2 years ago #
snowslave - Member

What stretching exercises did you do?

Posted 2 years ago #
woody2000 - Member

I thought stretching before exercise was a bad idea? I'm sure I've read that the best "method" is making sure you warm up properly - 10 minutes gentle cycling to get everything going, similarly at the end, just make sure you take some time to "warm down". Stretching should be done at some other time to avoid the risk of muscle tears. Or have I made that all up?

Posted 2 years ago #
Toombsy - Member

I was advised once to eat bananas - works for tennis players...........and monkeys

Posted 2 years ago #
Bream - Member

Pretty much everything: calfs, quads, hamstrings, groin, back, neck & arms/shoulders. But held longer or did double sets on the calfs, quads and hamstrings as they were the problem areas before.

This kind of stuff: Stretch guide on the net

Bananas also help I believe due to their sodium content.

I thought stretching before riding was a good idea until I just googled it, seems there are contrasting reports and ideas. I think a light stretch before helps me combined with a warm up. But I'm not expert by any stretch of the imagination

Posted 2 years ago #
Dibbs - Member

I used to get cramp during longer races (over 2 hours), I'd also get cramp in bed in the evening after the race. I never really found a cure for it (although tonic water seemed to help). I went for a road ride across Exmoor a couple of weeks ago and really started to suffer after the 30 mile mark, three times I ended up stood beside the bike unable to move until the pain subsided. When I got home I went down to the local pharmacy and they suggested some tablets called Crampex, I did the same ride last week but took one of the tablets beforehand and didn't have a problem at all.

Posted 2 years ago #
Bream - Member

Dibbs, that is exactly the same problems as I had, but hopefully I have got rid of it now, if it comes back again I may well try a tablet like Crampex. Any idea what the contents are?

Posted 2 years ago #
Bream - Member

GIMF: Crampex contains calcium gluconate to help correct any calcium deficiency, cholecalciferol to aid calcium absorption and nicotinic acid to improve poor peripheral circulation.

Posted 2 years ago #
Bream - Member

Hmm, I wonder if I have had poor peripheral circulation??? I have been coming home with very cold feet recently despite it not being very cold outside???

Posted 2 years ago #
woody2000 - Member

Shoes too tight?

Posted 2 years ago #
Bream - Member

They are pretty snug on my road bike, but I would say more a good fit Sidi than overly tight and restrictive. I went a size up on my Sidi Dragon 2 SRS so they are definately not too tight.

Posted 2 years ago #