[Closed] Cramp advice

Too much salt?
Try Mangesium supplements?

Swearing

I would say Crampex tablets, but they seem to be in short supply at the moment.

I've been using High 5 tablets or SIS tablets but can't tell if they make much difference.

Take a rest ?

Too much salt?

I was told by a sports trainer that in my case cramp was caused by losing too much salt through sweating. His recommendation was putting salt in my drink.

Tonic water is also good against cramp. Only problem being that you have to drink it with gin because of its hideous taste! 😉

You're just not very fit.

Ride more. much much more.

Loss of salt or dehydration is no longer considered to be the cause of cramping. A simple google search to a decent training site will explain this.
Although the cause of cramping is not absolutely clear, most sports scientists will suggest overuse, high training loads or riding harder than you are ready for as the most likely cause and the increased levels of synaptic activity.

I have been riding a bit more recently so maybe it's just my body still recovering from the previous ride?

Today I kept cramping 8 miles in. But after 15 miles I was pushing myself hard with no cramp at all. Wierd.

Coffee ?
I used to get loads of cramps during riding, After trying loads of things none of which helped I started drinking decaff, Not had a problem since!

losing too much salt through sweating

Salt as in table variety, salts or electrolytes? Theres a subtle difference that maybe wasn't clearly explained?

Lower your gearing (i.e. select lower gears rather than change kit) and increase cadence? less peak stress on the muscles and delays fatigue.

Some good advice that I'll try. Thanks!
I use to drink a lot of coffee but switched to tea a few months ago. The salt thing is a difficult one to gauge because I never know if I'm under or over doing it. I add a pinch to most meals and generally eat healthy food.
I'll try a higher cadence but it already feels higher than others. Interestingly I don't get much cramp on the single speed mtb...

try some vinegar in the cafe sachets. may work, may not.

Drink more water.

Tea contains caffine too so maybe experiment with it for a bit.
For some reason it seems to affect some people yet others can use caffine gels,tabs to help them in longer events!

Cramps at the end of the ride can be "cured" (delayed) by training, getting them without significant muscle exertion would suggest a magnesium/potassium deficiency (which should be visible in some blood exams).

hoke - Member
You're just not very fit.

Ride more. much much more.

Pretty much what he says.

I think certain people can be more susceptible to cramp than other but basically it happens when you aren't fit.

A good riding buddy of mine suffers badly from cramp but he only ever cramps up when he's unfit through not riding enough.

When he's fit we can knock out a 100-miler without a hint of cramp. When he's not been riding he cramps like a good 'un.

not being fit is one cause of cramps - the OP said

" but recently I've been getting it as soon as i get out the saddle"

- this is pretty much my experience irrespective of distance/fitness fluid/fuel time pressure, the trigger seems to be moving out of the saddle - I've done shorter hill circuits/repeats deliberately adding out of saddle sections and not experienced cramps but still suffered on long rides when feeling fine but have then decided to move out of the saddle (short rise/passing a rider/traffic) - for me cramps are more lower leg and I'm a complete mess for 10minutes or so but have gone on to ride another 50k+ to get home albeit with twinges all the way

The problem with cramps is, as you see from comments above, there is no one cause or solution. Everyone seems to be different. I've had similar issue to you in past, and funnily enough coming back again in last 12 months, where I've had trouble isolating the cause.

Some remedies you might want to try:
Tonic water before a ride (night before OK)
Pickle juice before a ride (seriously!)
Hydrate hydrate hydrate - night before and during ride
Salt tablets (High 5/SIS/etc OK)
Slight raise or lower your stem - try raising it 5mm or so first

My own belief is cramping is primarily caused by lack of hydration. Once you can eliminate that as a cause, my own experience has been slight adjustments to position on bike usually resolve.

Good luck. I'll be watching this thread for any other tips for myself!

If you're confident that you're reasonably fit and distnace isnt normally an issue, try hitting the gym. And I don't mean cardio, I mean weights. Squats, deads, and presses. Big compound movements.

I used to get cramp when I went through bouts of not going the gym and doing weights. It really helps me.

On the flipside, make sure you give youself enough rest between the gym and big rides.

On long rides/days I carry a small pack of coconut water helped/helps with the cramps I get

But I like some of the others here think it's not enough hydration

riding harder than you are ready for

This for me, suffer with it at the start of the year but disappears after I've got a couple of races under my belt.

Interesting thread this.

I do get cramp, its not because I am especially unfit, because I am quite fit.

I cannot diagnose for anyone else but things that seem to effect me are:
- hydration (the more I drink the better it is), Isotonic tabs are also ace.
- pressure tights - not entirely sure why but sleeping in them before a big ride and wearing them for recovery seems to make a difference.
- the further I ride and the harder I ride the more likely I am to get cramp within any given ride

Aside for that no bright ideas.

The you're not fit enough thing is rubbish in my view. When fit many moons ago I got cramp a lot at races. The fitter you are the faster you ride for the same effort.

I used tonic water and took magnesium which made things better.

As said above some are more prone than others.

I used to struggle with this.. tried all the "product" tricks (High 5, Magnesium, Tonic Water...) but the only thing that actually helped was a proper stretching routine (with firm foam roller) and a couple sports massages on the problem areas.

It's been a difficult year for me with other things like stress at work and being ill with flu twice. I have a turbo trainer that I use when I can't get out much so might do some longer sessions on that. I find I can do short bursts at very high intensities all day and feel fine. It's the longer rides at a low to moderate constant pace I get cramps.

Ok just bumping this up again to try and ask with regards to myself.

Im having major issues with cramp. This weelkend I had to call time on a ride at only 13 miles in. I ended up walking back 4 miles as I couldn't actually get back on the bike to ride it (twisted my knee it was that bad) thing is as ive been getting fitter (ish) its been getting a lot worse. its always on the inside of both my knees (toward the back like wheres theres a ligament or something) but if I try to spin through it then im either a)unable to get off the bike or b) the whole thigh goes into cramp which has previously left me stranded in the middle of a road before unable to move for 10 mins or more. In essence its pretty bad.

Ive tried sis, nunn, high five zero and high five source all to no effect. Ive tried upping my strength by going to crossfit and that's made it worse if anything. My body feels happy to carry on but its always this bit of my legs that's an issue.

in struggling what to try next but its getting a bit daft really. So help please...