cyclinfool

I use Nuun tables in a large water bottle as my drink on a moderate length ride (on longer rides the second bottle is weak gatoraide). The electrolites in the Nuun have eliminated cramps during a ride. After a ride I roll out my legs with "the stick" - a rolling pin type messager, and I drink a lot of fluids.

zonatandem

Spin a bit more . . .

lubers

I took my computer off my bike so my body doesn't know how far I peddled for the day. No more cramps!!!

Deanster04

I would drink gatorade (or some equivalent) on longer rides especially if you sweat a lot. Just drinking water doesn't replace the minerals. I rode the ADA 100 mile ride from Longmont to Estes Park on an extremely hot day and drank 15 bottles of gatorade and 6 bottles of water. My riding clothes were salt stained. I experienced borderline cramping at about mile 88 and just slowed down...no cramps at night unless sitting with legs in a position to cut the blood flow. I agree cramps are a drag and the suggestions are all pretty good...I just feel that gatorade is needed to keep the salts at a high level. Turning 66 on the 5th.

eshvanu

+1

pgk

When my wife was pregnant with our first child she used to get bad leg cramps in the middle of the night, never having a leg cramp I couldn't understand what all the fuss what about. After taking up biking and experiencing calf cramping a few times I truley felt her pain. Cramps were so bad I had to stop riding until they subsided. I make it a point to drink alot of water during the day before a ride and also use Sportlegs, since then I think I have only had a slight cramp once in a years worth of riding. Seems kind of strange that with all of our technology today that medical science still to this day had no idea what actually causes cramps.

Ranger63

Like You, my average mileage is around 30.

This season I got into several rides well above that.
Metrics, 50 milers, 45 milers where I rode in and home from the ride.

I discovered I needed to take in a lot more liquid (far more frequently) and ,like others have mentioned,
up to potassium intake.
Often I'd stop at a mom and pop store along the route and grab several small bottles of chilled water
and put one or two in the jersey pockets and the 3rd mix in with whatever I had in the water bottle.
Rather than wait till my body started telling me, I'd drink often. Not huge amounts but often.
Made the day far less of a pain.

(all that said: I've concluded that 50 miles is the most reasonable distance for me in a day. Beyond that and I'm off the bike two days or more)

byte_speed

I know that lack of water can cause cramps, but that has not been my experience.

I used to drink large amounts of water and felt like crap on long rides along with the cramps. The more water I drank, the worse I felt. Immediately after the ride and then waking me at night the cramps were terrible. The cramps at night were often so bad I couldn't even move for the pain.

I cut back a bit on the water and increased my salt intake significantly and the cramps are much better now (never on the bike).

I used to avoid all salt, so intentionally seeking salt was quite a change. I get the salt mainly in two forms, lite table salt (where some of the sodium is replaced with potassium) and calcium pills. I started the calcium pills first, these really helped. Adding the lite salt helped even more. I tried bananas which I love, they didn't make a difference that I could notice.

I mix the lite salt into some orange Kool-Aid with sugar, a dirt cheap energy-electrolyte drink and I love the taste.

kjc9640

Hey cyclinfool, where do you get your Nuun tablets from, I looked at the website and I could order from them but I would prefer to buy local if possible.


Thanks and

Tom Bombadil

May have to investigate some of these recommendations as I experienced another foot cramp last night. And it happened at a very inopportune moment, if you know what I mean.

McQz

[quote=Tom Bombadil;9580247]May have to investigate some of these recommendations as I experienced another foot cramp last night. And it happened at a very inopportune moment, if you know what I mean.[/QUOTE

I've had that happen just as I'm drifting off to sleep too.

rubic

The wrong muscle fired?

rubic

[QUOTE=NOS88;9552834]First, I believe it is important to recognize that leg cramps can be caused by different things. For example, many cramps are caused by fluid or electrolyte imbalances. Others can be caused by extreme environmental conditions or metabolic problems (e.g. so hot that it is impossible to maintain adequate fluid levels). Yet others can be caused by repetitive motion that triggers a fatigue response (this is an interesting one, because in effect there is neural input telling the muscle to contract, but the neural input telling it to relax is no longer functioning at a similar level. Think about the person who gets hand cramps after typing for long periods of time. He or she is not sweating. Hence there is likely to be no fluid or electrolyte imbalance. Rather, fatigue is causing the cramping). Hence, no single cure will work for everyone.

If you get cramps in muscles that are doing very little work while cycling, a fluid/electrolyte imbalance is likely in play. If, however, you only get cramps in muscles doing most of the work, then you are probably looking at fatigue as at least a partial cause.

Sometimes poor fit can be the cause of cramps, because over time, the muscles are forced to work in an unnatural way and fatigue more quickly.

With all of that said, a reasonable approach might be to keep well hydrated and electrolytes in balance, gradually increase your level of fitness, and make sure you have a proper fit.[/QUOTE]

I have used any number of fluid/electrolyte modalities. The times that I have cramped has been when I have pushed harder and longer than usual. So I agree that with everything being equal, increasing your level of fitness is the key to reducing these types of cramps.

cmburch

Many good ideas posted. I tend to drink a lot of water, eat bananas and drink dilute Gatorade type drinks. I also swim a lot.

I did not notice if anyone mentioned prescription drugs. I get the muscle relaxant flexeril CYCLOBENZAPRINE for my knee or back.

Note: Some people may abuse muscle relaxants or they may be addictive.