Supplements to Prevent or stop cramps
 

What are names of the supplements and also types of foods that can prevent or stop cramps?

More less for someone wanting to do a long distance endurance event?

i remember at one event i did , this product from Hammer Nutrition was offered
what would that be and what other type of things would help with cramp prevention

I was recommended magnesium by a masseuse. I take one tablet a day with my multivitamin and it has worked well. You can find the tablets at any drug store.

The Hammer product is Endurolytes. I and many other LD riders use them. They're an electrolyte cap. Not specific for cramp prevention, rather something to take steadily all during the ride to maintain electrolyte levels. Almost all cramping during athletic events is due to undertraining. So the best cramp prevention is to train hard and long, especially the upper end, at LT and above, even though that's not where you'll be riding during an LD event. Stoker and I did 1:12 in Zone 4 and 8 minutes is Zone 5 on our 47 mile ride on Sunday. A short but intense ride.

The offered Hammer product on your event ride was probably HEED, which is a sport drink containing electrolytes. Though promoted as a cramp preventative, it probably doesn't do that, but it does maintain electrolyte and hydration levels on a ride.

To ease a cramp once one has started, the only reliable thing IME is Tums Regular Strength. They work very fast. After a ride, I always take a 500/250 cal/mag cap. That prevents post-ride cramps.

I agree with Carbonboy, and think there are two sources of cramps: muscle fatigue and dehydration.

Preventing dehydration with an electrolyte drink like Endurolyte is key for intense workouts and when you're really sweating. Caloso is right that magnesium is a key component of any electrolyte supplement, but also salt, to help retain some fluid in cells before sweating it back out. I've been very happy with Cytomax's 'pre/during' drink mix, which I get at Performance Bike.

Just as important probably, is training appropriately. You need to condition muscles for max output, and if you train a bit above your regular use level, you should avoid cramping (provided you're also hydrated).

Taking Tums to alleviate cramps in process is a new, and interesting, tip, so thanks, CFB!

Quainine found in tonic water helps. I've used it at home, never on the bike. I've always heard Tums works wonders but I've yet to remember to drag some along. If not too bad a banana with water and stretching always works for me.

Packet of yellow mustard

Magnesium is absorbed better with calcium. So if you have a meal with calcium,
that would be good.

Chelated magnesium or magnesium citrate are a little better than the others.

You can even do a long soak in a hot tub with epsom salts.

Plenty of water and potassium. You can get it from yogurt, dates, bananas, Morton Lite salt, many fried fruits, etc. potassium is everywhere.

^ Like he said. Eat a banana every day at 10:00am and things will improve.

Get a vitamin b6 and vitamin D level test. Too much b6 and too little VitD can screw with your muscles.

Most people don't get enough vitamin D in the wintertime. Also work in some calcium to complement the vitamin D.

Most people also do not get enough vitamins from their diet and a multivitamin won't be effective enough. If you have a crap diet, try to get some fruit in and then your multivitamin with it. The theory is that if you eat something good and wholesome, that your body will better absorb the vitamin with it.

Another recommendation for a glass of tonic a few hours after the ride -- with or without the gin or vodka. Just be sure that the label says contains quinine -- not an artificial quinine flavor. Schweppes and Canada Dry are good.

sodium, potassium & magnesium. don't forget massage and hot soaks with plenty of magnesium rich epsom salt.

I've been eating Kiwi lately, seems to work better than banana's.

Also Pomengranate juice is good for overall muscle soreness.

Too much potassium will give you the trots...

The fact is, it is not known how to prevent or stop cramping with any degree of certainty. All you can do is read about all the "cures", try them, and see which one works best for you. What works for one person has no effect on another. You just have to experiment.

For me, what works are Hammer's Endurolytes tablets. They're not sugar based like a lot of other tablets, and they've done a reasonable job in keeping cramping to a minimum while on the ride. After the ride, though, that's a different matter.

I used to cramp a lot at night. What helped me was sleeping with a "body pillow" between my legs. That's one of those 4 foot long pillows. Without the pillow, the bones of my legs seemed to hinder circulation and the nerves would never calm down. With the pillow, every part of my legs have something to "sink into" which has alleviated most of my cramps at night.