Got cramp for the first time today when on the road bike. Went out for 2 hours, luckily it was only 2 miles from home and i was able to stretch it out whilst still moving along.
Now, i used some of [url= http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+Shop/Training/Energy+Bars+and+Drinks/Energy+Bars++Drinks/High+Five+Zero+Electrolite+Tablets_H5-ZERO-TABLETS.htm ]these[/url] in my water bottle for the first time today also, think that could be the cause of the cramp?
Any any suggestions to avoid it in the future? I did push it this evening harder than i have for a while, including a few intervals uphill (I puked into my mouth at the top of one hill - eugh), so could it just have been due to the ride?
Any suggestions appreciated.
When I get cramp it rarely has anything to do with what I have been eating or drinking. I think I remember reading that this was a red herring and had little basis for the typical cyclist.
Probably just knackered, normally happens to me during races when I've gone too hard too early.
To be honest electrolyte tabs only seem to work if you've maintained a good level of hydration throughout the day...
If you've only been chugging the odd coffee since getting into work, a bit of extra salt in your bottle ain't going to do much...
There is a reasonably well thought out idea that cramp is nothing to do with electrolytes.
Firstly, when you sweat, you sweat out far more water than salts.
Secondly, your body works off the concentration of salts, rather than the volume of fluid lost.
Thirdly, why does cramp only occur in the muscles you are using most, when the change in electrolytes is a whole body thing?
Fourthly, drinking electrolyte rich fluid makes the concentration of salts go up, when it is already going up because of the first point above...
This theory of cramp suggests that rather than an unproven electrolyte problem, the real reason for cramp is neuro-muscular fatigue; it's nerves firing off out of sync after they've been asked to do a bit too much, which fits with my and other folks experiences.
Simply; it's a lack of training rather than a lack of electrolytes.
More here; http://www.sportsscientists.com/search/label/muscle%20cramps
Most current science is suggesting cramp has little or nothing to do with hydration or electrolytes, it's related to muscle fatigue and seems to occur when effort has been above that which has been trained for. Which seems to be what you're describing. Most of the lay press and hearsay opinion is still clinging to the electrolyte theory, as are the sports drink and electrolyte tablet companies (for obvious reasons in their case).
So what to do, well some training at race pace and race power outputs is a good start.
Alex Hutchinson has a good blog (Sweatscience.com) and recent book (Cardio or Weights - excellent book, rubbish title though) both of which take a referenced and evidence based look at some of this. Or you could go looking for the original research if really interested in such stuff.
If I get cramp its usually in the arch of my foot and nowhere else! weird
Ha, Crikey beat me to it. I agree, except the work of Noakes strongly suggests that whatever you're drinking, if you drink above thirst, your bodies electrolyte concentration goes down. Fluid balance and over-drinking in particular (the dangers of) is a bit of a hot topic in sports medicine at present.