Originally Posted by
MoAlpha
Cramps are a great mystery. While many people experience them as being related to warm weather and sweating, the existing studies of cramping in athletes have uniformly failed to show any relation to fluid or electrolyte deficits. Some aspect of fatigue seems to be a better explanation.
I can feel the cramps developing before they kick in - rolling hills with lots of back and forth between low-gear grinding and high-gear spinning, when it's hot... if I stop and rest and drink and pop an Ecap, I can hold them off longer.
This study says there's a lot going on, not a single cause, and not perfect... but electrolytes can help delay the onset of Exercise Associated Muscle Cramps (EAMC)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1150229/
Conclusions: Consumption of a carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage before and during exercise in a hot environment may delay the onset of EAMCs, thereby allowing participants to exercise longer. However, it appears that dehydration and electrolyte loss are not the sole causes of EAMCs, because 69% of the subjects experienced EAMCs when they were hydrated and supplemented with electrolytes.