Originally Posted by
turkey9186
Try taking a couple of Tums before you ride and then every hour or 20-25 miles after that. They have sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. I have seen people go from full blown not able to stand leg cramps to riding with no problems after taking a couple and drinking some water. I have tried Rolaids, but it did not have the same effect.
Jerry
Could it be that easy? Admittedly, I did not read the label in a store, but a web search of Tums ingredients do no list potassium or magnesium as an ingredient, active or in-active. And the amount of sodium is so low that it lists it as less than 1% of the adult daily requirement. The main ingredient of Tums is calcium carbonate derived from limestone. Still, it might be worth a try to mitigate the cramping I get during a particularly long and intense ride. About a month ago, in the middle of a century when I was in a situation where I had to really hammer with all I had; not only did my calves cramp, but my quads and hamstrings too. Stopped me dead in my tracks ... for a few minutes at least.