Originally Posted by
NYMXer
sch, that's what I drink before a morning ride.... 2 cups of black coffee and out I go. I also take a multi vitamin, a B complex and a potassium pill too. My average club ride is two hours long and fast, about 40-42 miles and near 2,000' of climbing involved.
Part of your problem may be the coffee and the Mountain Dew or, more specifically, the caffeine in them. Caffeine is a mild diuretic. That's not a problem for most people but most people aren't spending hours on a bicycle while losing lots of water. The coffee probably didn't help and the soda put you over the top.
Another factor to consider is the fat content of the croissant. Trying to digest fats can pull moisture away from the rest of your body as well. Sugars will absorb without much digestion but fats take time and energy to break down.
Originally Posted by
NYMXer
On longer rides (like yesterday), I bring a gel or two and an extra potassium pill. I knew yesterdays ride would be long, but at a relaxed pace with numerous rest stops to accommodate all in the group (only 4 of us).
I had no hint of cramping until about a 1/2 hour after the bakery stop and that soda drink. Someone told me that if you pinch your upper lip (not too hard), the crapping will stop, assuming it is nerve related and not lack of nutrition.
I'm glad that it's all over but I still an determined to figure it all out, since I never cramp but haven't been riding that long either.
I think that the potassium pills may be part of the problem as well. Look at the Training Peaks link. Cramps are caused by imbalances in various body mechanisms. Increasing your electrolyte level while in a state of (mild) dehydration may tip the system in the wrong direction. Even if the electrolytes are time released, it a fairly big hit all at once.
Something else that the link brings up is pickle juice and hot sauce. Both seem to help alleviate cramps by stimulating certain nerve centers in the mouth and throat. The capsaicin does the work in the hot sauce but I suspect that the acetic acid in pickle juice is what is acting on the nerve centers because pickle juice doesn't necessarily have capsaicin in it.
I wonder if the acidity is what is at work in a "Coke" as well. Not a "cola" but Coca Cola. "Coke" (the brand) has phosphoric acid added to it. Other colas may not. Lots of colas have citric acid...which Mountain Dew has...but that may not be a strong enough acid to tickle those nerve centers.
It's certainly food for thought. This kind of discussion is also why I keep coming back to Bike Forums. It makes me learn stuff
