Training & Nutrition - Cramping on the Climbs

I'm a 180lb., 34 year old male, road cyclist, and have been cycling since July-2002. Since that time I've ridden approx 5000 miles. I find that when I hit the mountains and really work hard (and sweat like crazy), keeping my HR a little below Lactate Threshold HR, that I have a hard time fending off cramps. They usually set in around the 40-50 mile mark. I'm drinking coffee (and eating a bagle and banana) in the morning about 2 hours before the ride, then will take in approx. 12-14OZ of Gatorade about 10-15 minutes before the start of the ride. During the ride I drink 20oz every hour, sometimes more and also will consume two Power Bars during the 3-4 hour ride. Temps are usually around 85 degrees with high humidity (and will get hotter very soon). Am I still not drinking enough OR are my cycling muscles still not acclimated to the workload I place upon them in the hills? What can I do to avoid the cramps in the future?
THANKS!

I say increase your water. For the amount of exercise you do, you need more than that, especially as you are riding in hot weather.

I think the rule of thumb is to drink 6- 8 oz of water DURING your workout every 15 min... so after an hour, you should have consumed about 32 oz of water.

I think the coffee does more harm than good also. Coffee has caffeine (I assume it's not decaf you're drinking), and caffeine will dehydrate you, so you will be losing more water than you're taking in. You need to keep your muscles a little more hydrated than that when you're doing such a ride like that.

Drink the gatorade during your ride, in addition to eating the powerbars. Powerbars have maldodextrose (I think that's how you spell it), which is a more complex sugar, so it will take a little longer for your body to break it down if you need that energy during the ride. Gatorade has a simpler sugar (sucrose and a sucrose-fructose sugar), and when your body needs that quick energy now, the gatorade can provide it now. Maybe you can skip the coffee, have the bagal 2 hours before the ride, have one energy bar an hour before the ride, drink the additional water I recommended, save the gatorade for during the ride, and eat the second powerbar at the halfway point of your ride, and see what happens.

Does that make sense?

Give it a try. Let us know how that goes if you do use this recommendation.

Koffee

Thanks for the feedback, Koffee! I will immediately subscribe to your advice, effective my next training session.

Ive heard bananas can help too. You might be low on pottasium.

A banana just before you take off for the ride wouldn't hurt either, dude.

Koff

I like to add a little salt to my drinks (usually powerade).

As I have no problems with cramp on the hills, and there are lots of them around my vicinity, so maybe that works for me.... Certainly worth a try.

Don't forget to stretch. I had similar problems - particularly in the calf area. Started a regimen of stretching prior to riding and during my ride I'll also stand in the pedals and stretch my calves now and then.

Are you sure its cramps? not fatigued muscles? I have had similar experiences when I extended beyond my training base.

I weiight training you can do too many reps and your muscles refuse to make the movement again...this feels a lot like a cramp.

Hi 1oldRoadie,

Yes, definitely cramps. The inside of my thigh, near my knee seizes on each pedal stroke. I always cramp there, but nowhere else. Also, I stretch on the bike.
Thanks!

I also get cramps sometimes 40-60 miles into long rides. I tried many different things but found that calcium was what made them go away fastest. If I feel cramps coming on now I take a calcium citrate tablet (Citracal) and they cramp flutters will be gone in about 5 minutes. Upping the amount of calcium in my diet hasn't prevented them, but at least I now know how to minimize them.
Hope this helps.

For me that always indicates low potassium. Eat at least 2 bananas a day to avoid. Other sources of potassium are broccoli and potatoes.