Severe Calf Cramps/ Locking Up
 

I've been slowly getting into riding for a little over a year now, and recently my friends and I have signed up for a couple of sprint tris to get some bragging rights among our group. I'm a terrible swimmer (I've never really been in good shape), but I can always make up more than enough time on the bike to cover that. My issues come in with cramps.

On my first tri, the cramps set in on the run. Both calves (calfs?) completely seized up almost immediately upon leaving T2. I had to walk nearly a quarter mile before I could take off running. This past weekend was my second tri. This time my right calf seized up so badly that it looked like it had a big dimple in it while I was still on my bike. I had to pull over and stretch it out for a good two minutes before it would release, and then every time I really started trying to dig deep it would give me a little reminder that I shouldn't be doing that. Once I made it out of T2 and onto the run, they both got me, and I had to walk again.

I thought cramping had to do with hydration, so I hydrated the entire week before. No alcohol, plenty of water, etc. I read several things telling me to take some tums beforehand and to have a good drink in my water bottle with plenty of electrolytes, etc. (I had one bottle with Cytomax and one with water - finished both in the Tennessee heat)

Do I just have a terrible riding position? What's going on here? It's killing me!

Are you eating on the bike? You probably need more calories. Once you get on the bike are you taking in a gel or something? It might also be that your one bottle of cytomax isn't enough. I did a century on a single speed and I was burning fuel like a mad man. At one point I'd start cramping up in the legs, eat some clif bloks, and 5min later they were gone.

How big/small are you? Your caloric requirements could be different between you and your friends. What are you eating for breakfast?

I guess I should have also cleared up that these were both Sprints as well.

For breakfast before each race I ate a smoothie that had about a cup of oatmeal, two bananas, frozen strawberries and a cup of milk. It seems like if I eat anything heavier, I get an upset stomach, and if I eat something lighter, I get a growling stomach. On my first tri, I ate nothing throughout the race, and I only had water in my bottles. On tri number two, I ate a gel before the swim and also about halfway through on the bike. I didn't think that it would help very much considering the amount of time it would take my body to absorb the calories vs the duration of the event. I'm guessing it does? The funny thing was that I actually did have some clif bloks in my jersey, but I had never had them before and didn't want to risk anything - sucking one down the windpipe, upset stomach, etc. I'll have to give them a try before my next event. I'm sitting at around 185 lbs, and I'm 5'11"...overweight, not muscle.

So you're thinking it's more of a caloric intake thing instead of a hydration issue? Could it also be just plain lack of a good fitness level? I figured that would more make me prone to getting tired out over cramping up.

Carry mustard packets or carry a little pickle juice...

Hydration & stretching make sure your good with both........

Do this while laying down or sititng down...point your toes down as much as you can and hold. Feel if you get a twinge of pain on your calves and feel like it is going to cramp.

If that happens you need to stretch your calves longer before any event. Stretch them without shoes. If you do regular calf stretches, elevate the front part of your foot, and use something to prop your toes up at the same time.

You can also sit on a chair and lift your a thigh up to your chest and use your hands to pull up by the ball of your foot while also pulling up your toes in towards the shins. Hold for about 10 seconds and repeat on the other leg/calf. If this happens during an event, and both calves act up, sit on ground and curl your legs up toward your chest and pull on the ball and toes of your feet to stretch the calves.

Walking it off will take longer because you are still pushing off the ground with the ball of your feet and that action causes your calves to seize again.

You need to focus on electrolyte replacement not just hydration.

There is a study currently being done about the relationship between electrolytes and cramping. It would be interesting to see how it turns out.

http://sweatscience.com/cramping-in-...-electrolytes/

Bananas! eat them regularily.

Also I like to eat dates on the bike.

it might have something to do with your pedal stroke too, sounds like you might be relying too much on using your hamstrings to pull up on the pedals, need to have a continuous effort - split between pushing down with your quads and pulling up with your hamstrings.

If it happens on the bike shift down a gear and pick up the cadence and spin the cramps out.

sodium, magnesium, calcium and potassium

You can get calcium and magnesium with Caltrate Plus and multi-vitamin with iron Stresstabe for women.

Add salt to your food for sodium and bananas for your potassium.

Take a look at Hammer Nutrition's website, particularly the education section. I'm a new addict of their products, and I think their logic seems to ring reasonably true throughout. I've drastically changed my strategy having read their site, with excellent results. But, it boils down to this:

16-28 ounces of water per hour
240-280 calories per hour (may need to adjust based on size)
-5-15% of these calories should be protein-based for events longer than 2 hours.
Balanced electrolyte replenishment (do NOT add salt to your food, you'll negatively impact your need for other electrolytes)

I can't even imagine choking down some mustard and pickle juice. Try Gatorade for a quick influx of balanced electrolytes, it won't hurt you in the short term, just don't make a big habit out of it. Bananas are always good. Low dose of aspirin thins the blood a little, again just don't take too much of it. Muscle cramps due to poor blood circulation have been totally eliminated from my lifestyle, and I'm much happier for it. Drink lots of water, like everybody said. I like bottled water but some prefer anything wet.