OK, willing to try it to help with cramps, but doesn't it make you bloated? Is it OK to let it go flat?

It's the quinine in it that helps with cramp, not the CO2, so letting it go flat should be OK.

Funny – i went to the Doctor today about my bad/severe cramps on rides and post ride.

Explained all the events and what i have done to try and alleviate it.

She suggested some tonic water so i mixed 1/2 a pint of it with 1/2 a pint of normal water before my trip to innerleithen today (amazing it was btw – great weather!) and no cramping…

anyway, 1 swallow does not a summer make so i will be trying again a few times to see if i can get any consistent results.

Drink IrnBru
Also helps with malaria incase the midges should start spreading that.

this may be of (slight) interest

I haven't read the studies but would say that the common medicinal quinine products contain an amount of quinine per tablet that's "considered" to be equivalent to several litres of tonic water (though I'm not sure how standardised the stuff is, or even if all brands contain quinine at all)

need to subscribe to that site scaredypants.

I find it works better with the addition of gin and a slice of lemon (although the lemon does tend to get stick in the tube of my camelbak.

oooh, that IS weird – I went straight there after a search & it opened up (was a bit surprised). Now it's blocked.

I'll see if I can work out how & get back on

summary is that there's some supporting evidence for night cramps (prob in older people on diuretics I'm guessing) but quinine has some toxic potential and the FDA in US advised against it generally

serious cramp sufferer here
kept getting serious post ride cramp to the extent that I went to the docs who then did some reserch for me and gave me quinine tablets (300mgs) so to get rid of some myths –
there is not enough quinine in tonic water to make one iota of difference maybe once upon a atime there was but its now illegal to put any amount in it
the main thing with cramp is a shortage of calcium followed by magnessium and pottasium so scoffing bananas isn't that likely to help hugely the thing is to get them in balance (yes i do have sheets of papers that explain this)
hydation salts in your drink help there are various brands of electrolite drinks available but by far the cheepest is boots own brand based on diorolite (the big nasty with diorea is dehydration which is also the main reason for cramp)
also drinking lots – preferably non acholic will help prevet it better than anything
if the cramps get unbearable go the docs and get them to give you quinine on prescription but you will still get cramp if you forget to take it!! g

Hmm, maybe in my head or i was lucky today. The doc did say to to easy as well so i did, maybe it was that…

I have tried Nuun – the odd thing is it makes it worse!

I am going to try all the physical things like stretching and warming up etc also – see if that helps.

Oh OK, only really get a slight twinge mostly, so tonic's not going to help then?

there is not enough quinine in tonic water to make one iota of difference maybe once upon a atime there was but its now illegal to put any amount in it

That surprised me so logged into Tesco quickly and the ingredients for Swcheppes and own brand tonic water list quinine.

I drink orange and tonic water the day before I do a big ride. I've also found stretching seems to help, have a bit of a stretch if you stop for a snack/break as well. I tend to cramp when I'm pushing myself harder than normal, sometimes on a night ride if I'm tired and its a fast one but mostly when doing a Merida etc.

I wouldn't worry about a slight twinge, I manage to keep riding if its not too bad. Try massaging your legs, I think rubbing the cramped area, working away from the heart is supposed to help. I don't find stretching helps when I've got it bad as I then get the cramp in another part of my leg.

I'm another user of quinine tablets.

I went to the docs, explained my cramps on rides over 25km and showed him a letter someone wrote into MBR saying about prescribed quinine tablets to prevent cramps.

They have transformed my riding and worked a treat in preventing cramp.

A colleague has also used them following my experience. He is a regular ironman triathlete and time trialist and again the tablets have cured his cramps.

there is not enough quinine in tonic water to make one iota of difference maybe once upon a atime there was but its now illegal to put any amount in it

Must be the homeopathic/placebo effect then because it works for me. Some tonic water has quinine in the ingredients some doesn't – I use the one that does and let it go half flat – drink about half a litre before a long ride and start with a bottle full on the bike. It definitely works for me.

if you get bloated (and/or sluggish), eat a yoghurt. Or maybe that only works for birds, it only ever seems to be birds on the adverts.