Sartorius muscle

slunker
slunker Posts: 346
edited May 2009 in Training, fitness and health
I have started taking cramp in these muscles this year and don't know why. Last year was fine when racing and I has just started this year. It starts in both legs after around 40 miles and I cant stretch it out on the bike. I am always hydrated properly and take isotonic drinks and also stretch properly.

Last year I was doing longer rides and races with no problems.

any suggestions.

cheers.

Comments

  • star_rover
    star_rover Posts: 318
    What makes you think it's the sartorius? That's quite an unusual muscle to be so specific about.
  • slunker
    slunker Posts: 346
    Well looking at a muscle diagram it seems to be this muscle. It happens as my leg comes up to the 12 o'clock position. If it were a quad muscle it would happen on the down stroke.
  • djaeggi
    djaeggi Posts: 107
    That would be a highly unusual muscle to have issues with on the bike - the sartorius is primarily involved with outward rotation of the leg relative to the hip. Imagine trapping a football in the air with the inside of the foot - that upward and outward rotation is the sartorius.

    Second, it's not the case that a muscle cramps when it's producing force, it can happen anytime given the right conditions.

    Third, although the rec fem is part of the quads, it's also a very strong hip flexor and active at the top of the crank rotation and through the power phase. The vasti kick in towards the bottom. If you're getting a strong cramp in the top of the leg, it's likely to be the rec fem. The attachment point is very close to the sartorius.

    Finally, even though one muscle is cramping, the root cause might be an injury elsewhere...

    Time for the physio, I'd say!
  • slunker
    slunker Posts: 346
    Cramp is half way down the leg on the inner thigh, feeling where the pain is it feels like this muscle. Thats why I posted it as such.
  • C-S-B
    C-S-B Posts: 117
    theres plenty of muscles in your leg so I wouldnt necessarily be sartorius..

    I had a pain in a similar area- inner thighs- from doing intervals a few weeks ago, and it would come and go on the bike and was not necesarily related to when putting power in

    It also hurt a lot off the bike when I tried to lift my leg up infront of me (as if to put my foot on a high box with knee bent)

    I started doing stretches for the adductors (inner thigh muscles) and it disappeared within 2/3 days. I do the stretches after each ride now and the pain hasnt come back

    I was doing stretches something like these; ( http://www.getfit.com.au/html/excercise ... -lg-12.gif , http://www.getfit.com.au/html/excercise ... -lg-16.gif )
  • Nelson Longflap
    Nelson Longflap Posts: 129
    edited May 2009
    dupl.
  • Nelson Longflap
    Nelson Longflap Posts: 129
    Concur with C-S-B. Reckon it's your adductors. I get something similar after I've had a long lay-off.
  • funckchicken
    funckchicken Posts: 93
    it could be your hip flexors perhaps? mine always get real tight and i have to stretch them out after each ride.

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