Salt pills for long rides

[pgjackson]

On rides under 30 miles I usually just carry 1 bottle of water and have no problem. On longer rides I carry two bottles of gatoraid and refill at a store if I run out. I've been having a problem with cramping in my thighs after about 40 miles of hard riding. A friend suggested taking salt tablets about every 10 miles on a long ride. Anyone do this or have suggestions?

[ultraman6970]

The cramping in my experience can be minerals or just plain problem with the bike fitting. Have you tried lowering the saddle a few 2 to 4 mm?

[GiantDefyGuy]

I don't use salt pills, but I do bring a propel packet or 2 when it's exceptionally hot and I'm doing a longer ride.

I don't have any evidence that it actually helps me in any way, but it does make a bottle of water taste hella-good. And it's much easier on my stomach than gatorade, that's for sure!

[Commodus]

I don't do it, but I've certainly heard of people doing so to avoid cramps - apparently successfully. Give it a shot, report back.

[TrojanHorse]

I think it depends on heat more than the length of the ride. As it starts to heat up I'm more interested in salt tabs than I was before. I typically just have gatorade or something similar in my bottles and if it's hotter, I'll use more of it, but that wasn't enough one strenuous day in March. Update when you figure it out!

[save10]

used to cramp frequently on hot races. have not cramped since switching to

large bottle x 2
coconut water
dissolvable electrolyte tab
cytomax x 2 scoops
all in same bottle....its like drinking seawater
sometimes carry 3 bottles

[merlinextraligh]

There's a lot of data that cramping is not caused by a lack of electrolytes.

That said, for me personally, I'll take endurolyte caplets on rides over 5 hours, particularly when it's hot. They seem to make a difference for me in not cramping.

It may be the placebo effect, or selective data filtering however.

http://www.hammernutrition.com/produ...lytes.elt.html

[Adrianinkc]

Efs

[wphamilton]

Even if salt tablets were advisable, wouldn't one every 10 miles be really excessive?

Personally, I'd stay away from the whole idea unless a medical professional specifically recommended it.

[pgjackson]

Heat doesn't seem to be a factor. Did 50 miles on Sunday. It was about 60-65 degrees with a fairly stiff wind making it feel even cooler. About mile 40 the thigh cramps started. Standing to get up hills made it worse. Very frustrating because once the cramps start I'm pretty much done. Have to really keep the pace low at that point in order to get home.

[foresthill]

For me, it turned out to be a simple lack of plain old salt.

I used to have serious cramping issues on long rides. I was really confused, as I was using HEED on every ride. THen it was pointed out to me that HEED has almost no sodium at all. I switched to GU's Electrolye Brew (massive amounts of sodium in the Blueberry Pomegranate flavor) and the problem went away immediately.

As a bonus, it tastes way better than any other simple/complex carb combo drink I've ever had.

My friend's son plays high school football in AZ. He was having serious cramping problems during workouts, and tried some of this on my recommendation. Worked really well for him.

[jon c.]

I use Potassium tablets on the golf course where I have SEVERE cramping problems that are definitely heat related. Fortunately, I have much milder symptoms when riding. The Potassium isn't a miracle cure, but it definitely helps.

[gregf83]

Sounds like a fitness issue. You are writing checks your body can't cash.

[TrojanHorse]

So merlin what is the cramping caused by? I'm not disputing your claim - I haven't really finished fine tuning what I think works for me.

wphamilton - if you can't take unsolicited medical advice on an anonymous internet forum, what is the world coming to?

pg - my two experiences with cramping this year were
1 - cool day like you experienced, body wasn't used to riding and it was so cool I probably didn't drink nearly enough liquids (probably not even one water bottle over 2 hours). My calves started cramping about 2 miles from the end of the ride
2 - out in the desert, probably mid 70s & windy and dry as a bone, and plenty hilly. I drank tons of gatorade, even had two salt tabs and still finished up with some classic signs of dehydration (dried salt on face, etc). My quads cramped up right as I got back to my car. Phew!

[cpjolicoeur]

Get some Endurolyte capsules or Endurolyte Fizz tabs from Hammer Nutrition

[idoru2005]

Heat doesn't seem to be a factor. Did 50 miles on Sunday. It was about 60-65 degrees with a fairly stiff wind making it feel even cooler. About mile 40 the thigh cramps started. Standing to get up hills made it worse. Very frustrating because once the cramps start I'm pretty much done. Have to really keep the pace low at that point in order to get home.

I had this problem when I first started on longer and harder rides. I still have cramping issues when I'm pushing myself to the next "level" or going harder than I've gone before. On the outset, I went and had my bloodwork done and found my electrolyte levels to be within normal ranges (while not exercising of course). I began taking a daily multivitamin (which I wasn't doing when I first started riding). I changed my diet (with help of my wife) to a more plant-based whole-foods diet (btw, I'm NOT a vegetarian). I also start take potassium and calcium supplements several days ahead of a big ride/century etc.

All those nutritional changes have now become habit. So I've basically eliminated any "electrolyte" concerns as the cause of my cramping. The only other thing to do is HTFU. Basically keep working out hard on the bike and push out your cramping threshold. When you set out on a long ride, drink and eat early and often. Also if you are taking Endurolytes or other electrolytes, start taking them early. Don't wait to become depleted before you start taking them. And finally, take a roll of TUMS or Rolaids with you always. This is part of my emergency cramping kit. If I even feel the tickle of cramps, I'll pop a TUMS and whatever chemical imbalance that might have tipped the wrong direction is almost immediately corrected.

Other suggestions: Stretch and use a foam roller religiously. If you can, do some gym workouts focusing on the the legs. Not just the big muscles of the legs that work the most during cycling, but pay attention to the smaller muscles that don't get used much during cycling. Could be those smaller, weaker muscles are tiring out sooner while you are on the bike and possibly those muscles are triggering the cramps. Finally, someone else mentioned examining your fit. When I moved my cleats further back (towards the arches), my cramping episodes decreased significantly.

Bottom line: You need to take a holistic view of your cramping issues.

[RT]

I had this problem when I first started on longer and harder rides. I still have cramping issues when I'm pushing myself to the next "level" or going harder than I've gone before. On the outset, I went and had my bloodwork done and found my electrolyte levels to be within normal ranges (while not exercising of course). I began taking a daily multivitamin (which I wasn't doing when I first started riding). I changed my diet (with help of my wife) to a more plant-based whole-foods diet (btw, I'm NOT a vegetarian). I also start take potassium and calcium supplements several days ahead of a big ride/century etc.

All those nutritional changes have now become habit. So I've basically eliminated any "electrolyte" concerns as the cause of my cramping. The only other thing to do is HTFU. Basically keep working out hard on the bike and push out your cramping threshold. When you set out on a long ride, drink and eat early and often. Also if you are taking Endurolytes or other electrolytes, start taking them early. Don't wait to become depleted before you start taking them. And finally, take a roll of TUMS or Rolaids with you always. This is part of my emergency cramping kit. If I even feel the tickle of cramps, I'll pop a TUMS and whatever chemical imbalance that might have tipped the wrong direction is almost immediately corrected.

Other suggestions: Stretch and use a foam roller religiously. If you can, do some gym workouts focusing on the the legs. Not just the big muscles of the legs that work the most during cycling, but pay attention to the smaller muscles that don't get used much during cycling. Could be those smaller, weaker muscles are tiring out sooner while you are on the bike and possibly those muscles are triggering the cramps. Finally, someone else mentioned examining your fit. When I moved my cleats further back (towards the arches), my cramping episodes decreased significantly.

Bottom line: You need to take a holistic view of your cramping issues.

Could not agree more, especially with the conclusion.

[Bob Dopolina]

There's a lot of data that cramping is not caused by a lack of electrolytes.

CORRECT!

And ditch the HFCS water...I mean Gatorwhatever.

[g0tr00t]

I use this for a 40mile ride. (2 polar bottles)
1 Gallon Recipe
4 quarts water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp Morton Lite Salt
2 pkg unsweetened Kool-Aid

[Perp]

When it's hot, I like to take salt pills. I sweat a lot of salt (face is all gritty from salt and helmet straps are basically white). If I don't have a high salt drink, I need salt pills to survive 4+hr rides.

This year, I'll be trying "Secret Drink Mix" that has a high salt content and see if I can do w/out additional salt pills

[banerjek]

Even if salt tablets were advisable, wouldn't one every 10 miles be really excessive?

I've never taken salt tabs, though I do try to ingest electrolytes for long rides in heat. Every 10 miles sounds very excessive unless you're climbing up an epic grade in 100 degree heat and going through 2 bottles of water in that same distance.

Sounds like a fitness issue. You are writing checks your body can't cash.

This is what I suspect. Ease up on the effort a bit or rotate your muscles sets more.

But adequate hydration and nutrition do seem to have an effect on cramping with me.

[merlinextraligh]

So merlin what is the cramping caused by? I'm not disputing your claim - I haven't really finished fine tuning what I think works for me.

Under training; i.e. not being sufficiently trained to handle to duration and intensity of the effort.

[datlas]

Under training; i.e. not being sufficiently trained to handle to duration and intensity of the effort.

Yes...a very common cause of cramps.

But isn't it easier to "blame" your potassium/sodium/calcium levels?!?

[pgjackson]

Yes...a very common cause of cramps.

But isn't it easier to "blame" your potassium/sodium/calcium levels?!?

20 years in the Marines...I'm no stranger to extreme physical exertion. When I get to that point, everything else normally feels just fine. I'm not gasping for breath or bonking. It's just the quads that cramp. Never the calves or hammys. I'll be feeling OK, then stand up to take a hill and "Ka-pow!", the thighs are frozen. The rest of the ride is seated and lightly spinning.

[wphamilton]

I've never taken salt tabs, though I do try to ingest electrolytes for long rides in heat. Every 10 miles sounds very excessive unless you're climbing up an epic grade in 100 degree heat and going through 2 bottles of water in that same distance.


This is what I suspect. Ease up on the effort a bit or rotate your muscles sets more.

But adequate hydration and nutrition do seem to have an effect on cramping with me.

I took some waay back in HS football when coaches would pass them out, about the same time they were limiting water in practice. Until I decided that neither policy made sense, and that taken together was the opposite of sense. Take that to its logical conclusion and osmosis would make your cells explode when you finally got around to quenching your thirst. Well, maybe not that extreme a result, but I still think salt tablets are superfluous if like me, you tend cook with salt.