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Afternoon!
I'm getting muscle spasms in my calves when I ride in MTB races. I've had it before but nowhere near as bad as this weekend.
I did the Merrell Duathlon (12k trail run, 20k MTB ride, 6k trail run) on Saturday. It was very hilly and very sandy. About 1/4 way round the first MTB lap, I came up behind another rider who was going a bit slowly through the sand. I backed off a bit and both calves went into spasm which was really very painful. I had to haul up, jump off and stretch, using the bike as a support. I got the same thing for about the next three km until I worked out that I could stop it happening by riding with the arches over the pedals. If I went back to balls of feet on pedals, it came back again.
I was riding in my running shoes on flatties, which was probably lucky as I couldn't have varied my foot position with SPDs. The spasms happened twice more, whenever I had to hop off (there was an unrideable uphill and a tree blocking the track) then hop on again and it was always in the leg I pushed off with as I remounted.
I can still feel the place in my upper calves where it spasmed, so it must have caused muscle tears there. My physio's found them there after previous races.
Has anyone else had this and how did you get around it?
Cheers,
Ian
Drink electrolyte drinks on the bike, Zym or Nuun work for me.
njee20 - Member
Drink electrolyte drinks on the bike, Zym or Nuun work for me.
I agree.
You're cramping up. I had a similar thing on the Tour of Wessex last year. Chances are you were dehydrated and lacking important salts and minerals. I have used a few drops of Elete in my energy drink/water ever since and have never suffered again. Nick's suggestions are good too.
As an added bonus a few drops of Elete in water makes a good hangover cure 😉
Yes, Elete's meant to be good.
I used to get cramp in races all the time, Zym sorted it out totally, I sometimes found I could stretch them out by pedalling really 'heels down' for a bit, but it was usually only a matter of time before it set in properly once you could feel twinges!
Coming off a run onto the bike makes it worse too, and then the other way round! Train for it too, when you finish a ride, pull your running shoes on and go for a run, then jump back on the bike for a quick blast, get the muscles used to it.
That is if you're wanting to do a number of duathlons.
get into the habit of drinking water, even when you're not on the bike, really make sure you're always hydrated, makes a big difference to me, and I used to cramp all the time
I used to get bad cramps after about 50 miles of riding in my left calf only. Thinking it was due to injury or scar tissue from a previous injury I went to see a sports masseur who could find no trace of scarring or damage.
He reckons (and I don't know if it's true) that asymmetrical cramp, i.e. in one calf rather than both at once, is down to an electrolyte deficit whilst symmetrical cramp is down to an energy deficiency.
As a result I use the Elete Water, as per the instructions, along with regular stretching between rides and that has sorted it right out.
Thanks for the responses. I thought I was fairly well fuelled up as I'd guzzled a couple of litres of High 5 by that point. I'm fascinated by the symmetrical cramp because it started in both legs simultaneously when I slowed off a bit for the other rider. I was sorely battered by the end of the 12k run (it was steep and sandy) and felt more like I did in the last lap of an MTB race than the first when I hopped on the bike.
Previous occasions when I've had the same thing have been at the top of a steepish climb and I've hammered up it in a highish gear using torque rather than cadence to get me to the top. It's always right at the top of the calf, just below the back of the knee.
I thought I was fairly well fuelled up as I'd guzzled a couple of litres of High 5 by that point
Yep, High 5 never did a thing for me either! Someone said that apparently if the body receives electrolytes and carbs through the same source it will process the carbs first, hence your electrolyte absorption is compromised when using something like High 5, even in it's "HEAC" guise.
If you use something like Zym, and get your carbs through gels it should help. Certainly did for me.
Can't stand the stuff myself, but I've been told swigging tonic water is good as a preventative measure beforehand as it contains plenty of Quinine.
The only time I've suffered from cramp on the bike is when I accidentally put my foot in the wrong position and tried to power up a hill on the arch of my foot...just lucky I guess, but your comment about being able to continue using your arches reminded me of it.