Viewing 34 posts - 1 through 34 (of 34 total)
  • Salt intake when riding
  • ianpinder
    Free Member

    Yesterday I was riding in Wales. I had my camel back filled with water but I only had my DH bike and was pushing up most of the hills, half way up the final climb I started getting cramp in my thighs. Now I assume this was due to a lack of isotonic refreshment and my knarly hardcore downhill sickness to the power of rad (see classifieds for my excess sick)

    To cure this my middle aged slightly overweight over biked IT manager friend suggested that I should increase my salt intake, by licking sweat.

    Would this cure my cramp, because I was in so much pain I would off consider this.

    cinnamon_girl
    Full Member

    Water just gives your kidneys extra work to do. Try an isotonic drink or make your own that includes some salt.

    nuke
    Full Member

    To cure this my middle aged slightly overweight over biked IT manager friend suggested that I should increase my salt intake, by licking sweat.

    His sweat?

    I'd suggest Nuun tablets in the Camelbak…slightly more hygienic

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    Jamie
    Free Member

    Maybe try some of these?

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    Salt or lack of it is not the only cause of cramp.

    romster
    Free Member

    @Jamie – that's quality. hahaha

    ahwiles
    Free Member

    a bit of salt in my camelback works for me.

    once you've got cramp, drinking water CAN make it worse: as you're further diluting your low salt concentrations.

    cramping is a bit like bonking, once you're there, you're buggered (ime), learn from the experience and take steps to avoid it next time.

    coffeeking
    Free Member

    Don't think I've ever got cramp while cycling, but lack of salt is one of the components of the possible causes of cramps AFAIK.

    cinnamon_girl
    Full Member

    Perhaps take mixed fruit and nuts? Sainsbury's do a multi pack.

    neilsonwheels
    Free Member

    Pork pies are the way forward. Loads of salt in one of them there pies.

    snowslave
    Full Member

    I was gettinb cramp on long rides last year. Eating salted peanuts on rides sorted it for me.

    ianpinder
    Free Member

    Jamie – How do four small children help? Is it advisable to bottle their sweat?

    cinnamon_girl
    Full Member

    neil – pastry-positive? Yep, sounds good. 😆

    Kevevs
    Free Member

    I got leg cramps, speshly when lowering the seat for downs, and then continuing to ride with the seat down, My hamstrings (rer upper leg?) would cramp. I just eat more pub snacks now- pork scratchings, salty nuts, crisps -seems to sort it

    Macavity
    Free Member

    http://health.iafrica.com/fitness/running/cramp.htm
    "The most widely held belief is that cramp is due to dehydration and the loss of minerals such as sodium, potassium and magnesium. However, if this were so, then presumably all muscles would be affected and not just the large leg muscles, as is generally the case. "
    "Another misconception is that lactic acid (melksuur) build-up causes cramp. This is patently incorrect. High levels of lactic acid in the muscle contribute to fatigue and the inability to sustain a particular exercise intensity by interfering with muscle contraction. On the contrary cramp is a sustained muscle contraction. "

    whytetrash
    Full Member

    Nuuns tabs seem good just started using them 2 rides no cramps and no ill effects so try them out!

    kcr
    Free Member

    As per previous post, there is a lot of debate about what causes cramp, but little hard science to confirm that it is caused by salt deficiency. In fact, there seems to be some debate about whether salt deficiency is actually a problem at all.
    e.g. have a read of this study abstract:
    http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/40/3/255.abstract
    Basically, athletes studied in an Ironman competition maintained their sodium levels OK with no supplementation.

    Other suggested causes of cramp include fatigue and dehydration. So getting fitter and making sure you are properly fuelled up during exercise might reduce the problem. Substituting a carbo drink instead of plain water might help here.

    Anectodally, cramps seems a very indvidual problem. I've never experienced cramp in a race (and have never used mineral replacment drinks) but know people who cramp regularly. On a few occasions I have noticed the odd spasm in leg muscles towards the end of long sustained race efforts, which might fit with the fatigue theory.

    coffeeking
    Free Member

    However, if this were so, then presumably all muscles would be affected and not just the large leg muscles, as is generally the case. "

    Except they're the main muscles doing the work, so probably more susceptible to imbalances in any minerals while working?

    As I say though, never get cramps from exercise, I get them from odd positioning of my limbs when resting, fully hydrated, rested and salted.

    kcr
    Free Member

    As I say though, never get cramps from exercise, I get them from odd positioning of my limbs when resting, fully hydrated, rested and salted.

    Can identify with that – only time I've experienced cramp is hours after a race, e.g. triggered by tensing leg muscles to lean forward or stand up while sitting at a table.

    missingfrontallobe
    Free Member

    Western diets have too much salt anyway, extra salt won't prevent cramp, in fact ikt migth well just cause future health problems, salt linked with high blood pressure etc.

    More fluids generally might have been needed, or even some stretching – are you used to walking up hills a lot?

    coffeeking
    Free Member

    yup, maybe if sat on my knees with toes pointing backwards and try to curl my toes. Or if, in the same situation, I try to tense the rear of my thighs, they'll lock up as if they were twisted springs.

    Western diets have too much salt anyway, extra salt won't prevent cramp,

    Not sure that really fits with many people. I cook all my meals from fresh raw ingredients and no added salt, as do many on here and who are athletic. Can't see those being particularly salty. I find normal bacon so salty I have to drink all day long after it, so I'm fairly salt sensitive.

    hungrymonkey
    Free Member

    i try and carry a pack of crisps on longer rides 🙂

    Macavity
    Free Member

    Some of the cramp symptoms that some people are describing are maybe to do with the centuries old not to be questioned conventional wisdom of ball of foot over pedal axle style of pedaling.
    Maybe not quite the same as spending hours at a time trying to do heel raises but pedaling with your toes/ ball of foot style is going to be a challenge for some of the smaller muscles in the legs.
    It does require some of the smaller stabilizing muscles in the lowerleg to do a lot of work that they are not suited for.

    If you move you foot slightly further forward over the pedal (if using clipin pedals then move cleat back on shoe) and possibly lower the saddle slightly then you can at least fell the difference in effort and the way that the larger muscles can be used more. Possibly this is of more benefit in avoiding cramp than messing about with salt intake.

    http://www.springerlink.com/content/xr7864750337865x/

    ballsofcottonwool
    Free Member

    one of my mates swears by vinegar for cramps. He always carrys one of those little sachets you get from service stations in his camelbak.

    yoshimi
    Full Member

    I only ever use water and never get cramps, the idea of adding to normal salt intake just seems wrong 😐

    ahwiles
    Free Member

    yoshimi – Member

    I only ever use water and never get cramps

    Lucky you. i can guarantee that i'll get vicious crippling cramp after about 2 hours riding, crisps/peanuts/salty water/pork pies help a lot (or seem to).

    i might try the vinegar thing…

    Dickyboy
    Full Member

    I sweat like Gary Glitter in a computer repair shop, usually only drink water on rides & runs & only ever get cramp much later that evening/night. So no solution fits all by the looks of it.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    I only ever get cramp when I hit the first big enduro of the spring. It's being un-used to a very long hard effort. I can do the same thing later in the year (trying just as hard but obviously going faster by that point) and not get cramp… due to having more race miles in the legs.

    I'm sure salt is something that may give you cramp as well as a load of other things.

    jon1973
    Free Member

    Nuuns tabs seem good just started using them 2 rides no cramps and no ill effects so try them out!

    Where do you get those from then? I've never seen them.

    whyter
    Full Member

    High5 do some tablets that are cheaper than nuun and seem to work just as well

    nuke
    Full Member

    Where do you get those from then? I've never seen them.

    Lots of places sell them including sports shops but for starters try here…

    http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Nuun_Active_Hydration_Tablets_%28Tube%29/5360040045/

    M6TTF
    Free Member

    I suffer with cramp too and been using elete water supplement. Works out way cheaper than others on the Market and is tasteless which I prefer. So far so good for me

    neilsonwheels
    Free Member

    cinnamon_girl – Member
    neil – pastry-positive? Yep, sounds good.

    😳

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