Cramped in both calves fri eve, didn't seem that bad, but yesterday eve felt really painful and stiff and this morning. Busy lying on the sofa watching the xc. Best way to recover quickly? Gentle spin later? Otherwise just gentle stretching? Normally cycle 15km each way to work, is it better to drive for a day or two or just push through the pain/stiffness.
Firstly, get yourself some nuun tablets. They'll help prevent/stave off cramp the next time.
Secondly, if it were me, I'd just stay hydrated and crack on as normal. You'll soon spin the stiffness out. If you've a turbo trainer, get on that for 20 mins.
Cheers, sadly it wasn't riding caused cramp but booze induced! I do normally use high5 zero if riding. Just went out for half hour on the road. Weather looks so bad I'll probably skip riding tomorrow anyway!
What do nuun tablets do? I got savage cramp yesterday at the end of a race .
What do nuun tablets do
They contain electrolytes deficit of which can be a cause of cramp.
Recently had really bad cramp in both quads, caused by trigger points in the muscles, knots and tears basically. Undergoing a course of massage and acupuncture (years of abuse, so lots needed)
As also mentioned, replacement salts also good idea
I was drinking high five during the race . Perhaps not enough
Electrolyte deficit does not cause cramps.
http://home.trainingpeaks.com/blog/article/the-real-cause-of-muscle-cramps
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
We have this every time someone mentions cramp on this forum. Sooner or later some armchair scientist links an article which categorically states that replacing electrolytes during exercise doesn't help stave off cramp.
Funny how there are so many ongoing real world experiences, mine included, which indicate the exact effing opposite.
Having said that I'm also the first to accept that what works for some won't necessarily work for everyone, unlike the person linking above it would seem.
...Funny how there are so many ongoing real world experiences, mine included, which indicate the exact effing opposite.
Just proves your mind is as weak as your body, need to get with it bro'
For me the real telling aspect is that if electrolyte deficit were responsible for muscle cramps, why it just specific muscles in the legs cramp? Why not the whole body?
Nobody actually suffers from an electrolyte deficit even when they sweat quite heavily. The reason why sweat is salty is because you already have miles too much of it and it is the body's way of getting rid of it (along with in your urine). If the body ever reached an equilibrium position it would just shut off excreting the excess and preserve what it actually needed.
People who use Nuun/Zero tabs are just falling for more marketing BS.
I've had good results using Crampex tablets.
Cheaper than Nuun (probably because you're not paying for all the marketing BS).
The telling thing for me is the science behind it. The body works on concentrations of chemicals, not absolute values. Sweat has lower concentrations of electrolytes than blood, so sweating actually RAISES the concentration of electrolytes in the blood. There have also been studies showing no correlation between electrolytes and cramping.
If you read the article before slagging it off, it shows that pretty much all Nuun style tablets are placebo at best.
schmiken - MemberThe telling thing for me is the science behind it. The body works on concentrations of chemicals, not absolute values. Sweat has lower concentrations of electrolytes than blood, so sweating actually RAISES the concentration of electrolytes in the blood. There have also been studies showing no correlation between electrolytes and cramping.
If you read the article before slagging it off, it shows that pretty much all Nuun style tablets are placebo at best.
What he said too that I couldn't be bothered to post. The trouble with these cramping threads is they keep coming up with monotonous regularity because people are convinced that taking the placebo is actually doing them some good. It's like many things in life, we take precautions against things that are totally unnecessary because we can't bear the alternative.
Read the science as schmiken says and try a series of controlled experiments yourself. i.e. similar effort and length rides (at similar stages of fitness) with and without electrolytes. There is no difference, other than to your bank balance.
well, until someone can offer something more effective, i'll carry on with the (cheap) electrolytes.
Nobody actually suffers from an electrolyte deficit even when they sweat quite heavily
[url= https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyponatremia#Pathophysiology ]What's this then?[/url]
Spin, exercise associated hyponatremia is invariably caused by excess intake of fluid, and is often deadly precisely because it is mistakenly diagnosed as 'dehydration' and treated with yet more fluid. The concentration of electrolytes in sports drinks is far too low, so even drinking those you are still diluting yourself, but deluding yourself that you are not. All the studies show that when you loose fluid through sweat and piss, salinity of your blood stays the same or *increases*, it never drops.
Recent research has really called into question the ideas of last 20 years about (de)hydration, and in the endurance sports there has been a noticeable shift in hydration practices -- the current science is more or less back to the old fashioned 'only drink when thirsty', and 'MTFU, sweating a bit will do you no real harm', but with the addition of 'drinking too much might kill you'.
iRunFar has a good write up, it's worth a read http://www.irunfar.com/2012/07/waterlogged-a-dogma-shattering-book.html.
As for cramps, I suffer from it a lot, always have done, pain aside, it is extremely irritating. My own experience makes me think there is some credence to the view that it happens when you exert yourself beyond what you have trained for. When it happens, best thing I find is to stretch the muscle, if you can, and then keep moving, slowly. Repeat ad nauseum.
calfs still sore today. never had such prolonged pain after cramps, must be getting old! definatel easing though so will go for a ride tonight
it is well accepted that those suffering from hyponatremia do not suffer from muscle cramps – the very patient population that would, in theory suffer the most cramping, should a sodium deficit truly cause cramping.
Interesting passage from tf's link above