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Muscle Cramps
I did a 30 mile bike race this last Saturday. There were some hills but not too bad. However by the last part of the race my legs were cramping. The cramps were just above the knee in the front of the leg. It started in one leg but ended up being in both before I finished. Could this be caused due to poor seat possition? A friend of mine said that alot of time that is the case and depending on what muscles are cramping determines what adjustment you need to make. If that is the cause what adjustment should I make. If that is not the cause are there any other factors that could have caused it?
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Could be lack of water (dehydration issues) or loss of electrolytes. Were you drinking plenty of water? Did you have enough nutrition to do the ride?
Koffee |
During the ride I had probably a 20 oz. Gatorade and 12 to 15 oz of water. I also consumed 2 donuts during the ride. It was the Tour de Donut I was riding in. What is the best way to tell if it is a saddle or nutrition/hydration issue?
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I've heard that was a great ride. If I still lived in Chicago, I would have been there. How were your times?
I don't think 35 oz of water would have done you enough justice for a 30 mile ride. I would advise people that for every hour they're riding, consume a minimum of 32 oz of water, and I would also advise them to drink an additional 32 oz before the ride started. Perhaps it was a water issue? I just don't think you had enough water on you. Definitely enough Gatorade for that ride, but not enough water. Was it hilly and demanding? Koffee |
How much do you train at similar intensity and/or duration? It could just be a conditioning issue (which can be exacerbated by dehydration).
Moving your saddle can change which muscles are used. |
Originally Posted by koffee brown
I've heard that was a great ride. If I still lived in Chicago, I would have been there. How were your times?
I don't think 35 oz of water would have done you enough justice for a 30 mile ride. I would advise people that for every hour they're riding, consume a minimum of 32 oz of water, and I would also advise them to drink an additional 32 oz before the ride started. Perhaps it was a water issue? I just don't think you had enough water on you. Definitely enough Gatorade for that ride, but not enough water. Was it hilly and demanding? Koffee |
It sounds like a lot, but it's not. Seriously. Especially since it was a higher intensity than normal. You could have cramped up anytime... from the time you started the hills until hours after you finished the ride.
1 liter per hour is pretty good. You'll never be dehydrated, and it'll take one more factor out of the leg cramp equation. Koffee |
try a banana they work about 10 times better for me then electrolye drinks. plus they give you energy to boot.
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Let's see. More hills than normal and race conditions. Sounds like simple overexertion to me.
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I second the opinion of those who believe its dehydration. Did you happen to notice if your sweating diminished at all at the end of the ride? It doesn't sound like just simple overexertion: I was suffering a lot of cramps, esp. after riding for a while--not necessarily intensely or even tiringly--and realized that though I was staying hydrated, I wasn't getting enough potassium (cramps are often attributed to potassium deficit.) I've been eating a lot of bananas and drinking more Gatorade, and my cramps have pretty much disappeared. I ate three during the course of a 20-mile ride yesterday, and towards the end, I got some cramps again. I didn't feel exhausted or overexerted at all, and the cramps came on out of the blue in my calves. That occurred right about the time that I had gone a long while without a banana or Gatorade. And drink more water. An awful lot is still not going to be too much. It's muuuuch harder to drink too much than it is to drink not enough. Up the H20. |
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