rbrides

I occasionally get cramps in the adductor muscles of my legs. Usually it is during longer (60 + miles) rides or ones with lots of climbing. Not just overall soreness, painful cramps.


Is there any specific component of bike-fit that relates to use of the adductors muscles that I might investigate to prevent this?

Carbonfiberboy 

Same here if I'm not sufficiently conditioned for such rides. Step up your training. A useful addition which also works those exact muscles is heavy barbell squats. I've never heard of that being a fit issue, and IME it's definitely an undertraining issue.

"Step up your training" - well, there's an indoor workout, FastPedal, consisting of pedaling steadily at a cadence of 115-120 against very light resistance, 15'-45', no breaks. And there are of course hill intervals, from 3' to 20'. Another good one is 2 X 30' X 5', holding power in zone 3 for 30' at 100 cadence, rest 5', repeat. Gotta stimulate 'em.

rbrides

Thanks for your info.

Iride01 

I would tend to think a that would be conditioning or hydration and electrolytes, not fit. If you are taking meds then check the side effects. I had one prescription given to me that gave me severe leg cramps in every muscle of both legs. However not while riding thankfully.

rbrides

Thanks. Meds are not something I thought about.

eduskator

Most likely a hydration issue.

I always ride with one of my water bottle mixed with Gatorade at a 1:1 ratio (the one with sugar for extra energy ).

rbrides

Thank you

base2 

Stretching does wonders
Like the difference between free-weights and an exercise machine. Free weights incorporate all the "helper muscles." My opinion is you are feeling the effects of working all the helper muscles. It's just part of conditioning & practice of doing any physical activity.

Ligaments do not get longer in length. Stretching however, convinces the muscle "it's ok" to get longer. As you build more muscle the tendency is to get larger in diameter & plump, getting shorter in the process. Cool if you are a body builder, but not if your scope is more than just good looks.

There is some intracellular adaption happening too on a metabolic level. This takes time. Keep consistant.

I'm not convinced your cramps are 100% electrolyte related. But like the other posters have said, calcium, magnesium, potassium couldn't hurt if supplemented just enough to correct a deficiency. Keeping a food log or visiting a nutritionist to figure out just how much & what you may/may not need if your diet is not particularly rich in the usual leafy greens...I drink Low Sodium V8 & eat an above average amount of spinach.

Cyclists tend to have tight hips. I am no exception. It took me over a year at over an hour a day/5 days a week with the above stretches & a foam roller to grind the knots out my psoas tendon. MRI's & weekly visits to a certified physical therapists were worth it though.

Good Luck.
Base2

Carbonfiberboy 

^ Yes.
According to studies done of cramping athletes, neither hydration nor electrolytes have much if anything to do with cramping. Cramping is almost entirely about conditioning. Then the question becomes more focused: how to condition the involved muscles.

The electrolyte/hydration thing is just confused broscience. Once one is in shape, that stuff doesn't matter. One can dehydrate all the way down to nonfunctional and not cramp, and our bodies are a miracle of electrolyte level balancing.

What becomes an issue is getting hydration and nutrition across the stomach wall during hard efforts, that that takes some knowledge of proper hydration and electrolyte nutrition. In this case, that's a long way off. Get in shape first.

rbrides

Thanks for the input.