Cramps

wawaski

No matter what I try, the evil cramps get me at about mile 40, and not just mild ones either! I try and hydrate well, use some Hammer products, etc. Quads/calves mostly. Any suggestions? My next idea is looking at more magnesium. :roll:

Bikerbaboon

have a look at http://www.nuun.com they are just salts tablets with 0 carbs. Great if your cramps are comeing from being a salty sweater.

Hugh A

I have found Nuun to be pretty good too. It may also be that you are going too hard at it - maybe steady or flatter riding to that distance with some harder efforts over shorter distances until you can go longer. Gradually the time to cramping should be extended until it rarely bothers you.

Other things to think about - are you sweating a lot? If so maybe fewer clothes when riding if you are overheating.

le_grimpeur

Do you stretch before and after?

If your cramps continue after cycling, then you should do more stretches.

More info here
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/legp ... strain.htm

fast as fupp

tonic water can help- its he quinine in it

innit?

Felix-da-house-mouse

too much fluid can make your body short in sodium and other vital salts causing major cramps, i was getting them all ove my body with spasms and went to see the doc and he told me to drink less as i had low sodium levels.

Finbar Saunders

I used to have the same problem and received all the same advice you have been receiving here. Nothing really worked. Until one day, while cramping on a long ride, someone suggested I try calcium. He gave me a couple antacids (Tums) and suggested I chewed on them. My cramps went within a minute! I then experimented with different sources of calcium on rides and in my diet and found that keeping a few calcium citrate tablets with me on long rides really helped.

I think the causes of cramping are very individual. For most people it is one of the usual suspects....pottasium, sodium, magnesium. For me it just happened to be calcium. I think you just need to experiment.

I use Nuun currently as it contains calcium carbonate, but apparently calcium citrate is more readily absorbed.

andyealing

I keep having the same problem too. I commute about 12 miles per day but when I do longer rides at weekends the thighs go after about 40 miles. I've tried limiting the water intake but that hasn't worked so I'm moving on to doing more stretches.

I just get a feeling that my legs are geared up for short brusts of energy because of the commuting and I need to do more longer routes.

I'm also going to give the Nuun option a try.