Cramps have also been attributed to extreme
environmental conditions or metabolic abnormalities, but again there are
examples where this doesn't hold. Cramps typically occur in situations that
cause muscle fatigue, such as toward the end of long, strenuous or intense
rides.
A current theory suggests muscle cramps result from fatigue that triggers
abnormal neural activity. There's an increase in neural input telling the
muscle to contract, and a decrease in signals telling the muscle to relax. The
result is a vigorous contraction of part or all of the muscle.
The presence of dehydration is thought to
accentuate muscle fatigue, adding insult to injury.
Cramps are most common in
muscles that span two joints. The hamstrings are a great example. Other
two-joint muscles include part of the quadriceps (thigh muscle) and the gastrocnemius (calf muscle).
Here’s a checklist for every cramp-afflicted person to think about.
-
People most prone to cramps are older, have
a family history of cramping and have poor stretching habits.
-
Do you get cramps in muscles that are not
working very hard during cycling (such as the biceps)? If you do, this
suggests a systemic factor is the main culprit (e.g., an electrolyte
imbalance or dehydration). However, if cramps only occur in the muscles
doing all the work, then fatigue is probably to blame.
-
Do cramps occur only in hot conditions, or do
you get them if you ride hard on mild days? Review your training diary and look
for patterns a la Sherlock Holmes. Check weather conditions, type/length of
ride, eating/drinking patterns the day before, during and after the ride, location(s) of the cramps, etc. For example, if your cramps always occur
in the same muscle when you ride a certain bike in a certain position (i.e.
aero), then you can pinpoint it to local muscle fatigue and train accordingly.
What Cures Cramps? Take Your Pick!
By RBR Newsletter
Subscribers
Because different riders cramp for different
reasons, somewhere in the following collection of cramp remedies you might find
the one that'll work for you.
[Back to Best of 'Your Turn' index]
Tums
ALAN E.: Tums help prevent cramps.
On long, hard rides, I take a roll and chew down a few at the first signs of
cramping. Tums helped me get through my first double century.
KERRY I.: I have used electrolyte drinks, but they didn't
seem to make much difference. However, I have popped a Tums and felt
much better -- no threat of cramps and a generally better "body feeling" with
more pedaling comfort. Tums are low sodium, and I'm generous with the salt
shaker in my diet, so sodium is not the factor. Calcium seems to be their
mystery ingredient.
PAUL B.: Apart from the obvious
solutions of water, a quality sports drink and plain old
potassium supplement pills (pop one before and a couple during a
potentially camp-producing ride), try chewing a few Tums with calcium
every now and then. The fruit flavored ones taste pretty good, and you can buy
them at almost any roadside convenience store or gas station.
[Back to cramp index]
Endurolytes
RON M.: I live in the great San Joaquin Valley of
central California where it is not unusual to be out there grinding away in
100F+ degrees. I've been cycling for about 15 years and for 13 of them I
suffered with more cramps than I would like to remember. Two years ago I
started using Endurolytes
by E-Caps. I’m a 56-year-old cyclist who now enjoys cramp-free riding.
J.S.: I can almost assure you the a product called
Endurolytes will prevent cramping. And your legs will be a
lot less sore after hard rides, too. I've "fixed" countless people who had
chronic cramping with this product. Also, keep note of your weight before and after
rides. As time goes by, you will get a read on how well you are managing
hydration. If you lose more than 2% of your weight, you are not drinking
enough.
ELI M.: Endurolytes is the best electrolyte replacement
supplement I have ever tried. Take a few before riding, then 1-3 every hour
during. Great for hot days or any long ride.
RICHARD M.: On the toughest 65 miles I've ever ridden (95F
degrees, high dew point, many steep climbs) I took one Endurolyte per hour and
had no cramps. Perhaps the stuff worked, or perhaps it was just a coincidence.
DREW C.: Try Endurolytes from Hammer Nutrition. Much of
their stuff is a tad placebo-ish for my tastes, but I have found these to work
well in the heat.
[Back to cramp index]
Better Riding Through Chemistry
TOM B.: I take Hammer Nutrition’s
E-Caps first and
often, way before I need them -- 2 or 3 every hour after the first three
hours. Plus Tums. On a double century, I will start with Tums by midmorning
and then have 2 or 3 at lunch. More in the afternoon, maybe 8 or 10 total for
the day. It’s the same or more for the E-Caps.
I keep these products in a box on my top tube,
in sight and in mind. When in doubt and heat is a factor, I eat a couple extra
of each.
I also like guarana for my afternoon caffeine,
but that has nothing to do with cramps. Plus, a couple Advil helps, but no
more than 2 or 3 all day.
I drink a lot of Gatorade, carried in my water
bottle. I also mix it with Hammer's
Sustained Energy in my CamelBak for my
primary hydration resource.
I drink 12-18 oz. of tomato juice or V8 at any
stop that has them. This stuff is magic for me on the afternoons of long
rides.
I finish up a rest stop with an extra glass of
water or Gatorade right before jumping on the bike. I have found that
shorter is better at rest stops for cramp elimination.
[Back to cramp index]
SPIZ
RANDY I.: No one who has used
SPIZ for any event of any kind lasting more than three
hours has ever cramped (that I know of). In 2002, Dr. Bob Breedlove set
the over-50 U.S. transcontinental record obtaining 95% of his calories from
SPIZ and had no cramping, even in the 110F-degree California desert. SPIZ has
600 mg of sodium per serving, enough that if you down a bottle every 60
minutes or so, sodium is replaced faster than you can lose it.
[Back to cramp index]
Salt
FRANK D.: I mix up a custom blend of
"lite" salt -- half
sodium chloride and half potassium chloride, Extran and
Accelerade. I use a
huge backpack-style hydration system, around 4 liters, and fill it for a long
summer ride. The salt varies from a tablespoon in the winter to two or
slightly more in the summer. The terrain here in SoCal is reasonably steepish
where we ride, so my 52-year-old legs get hammered pretty good.
I believe since I don't add salt to my food,
nor do I eat many packaged salty things, I'm probably sodium shy. The addition
of the potassium chloride seems to be beneficial also. Before I added it to
the brew, I had everything from tingly cramps to outrageous cramps and seemed
to retain fluids.
This is all anecdotal, of course, but I've
honed my mix over the last couple years. Since the addition of
Accelerade some time
ago, I am happy to say I haven't had one cramp. Maybe it’s the protein (who
knows?). Your mileage may vary.
AMY R., M.D.: One key is in eating a well-salted breakfast,
such as one little salt packet on each -- the eggs, the hot cereal, the
potatoes. I haven't gotten a headache or cramp since I started this
pre-loading.
Another key on a hot, sweaty day is to drink
V-8 juice, a veritable liquid salt pill, containing lots of sodium and potassium. If
it's too strong, water it down some. One four-ounce can at noon is a great
booster for me, and light enough to carry behind my saddle. When I start
thinking that licking my salty, sweaty, sunscreened arm is
a tasty-sounding idea, I know I'm behind. Get out the V-8!
A caveat: I was on a nine-day ride in hot
southern Utah. We all got into downing lots of V-8. Fine, until the ride
was over. The day after, my salt load began to show in swollen legs, which I'd
never had, and it took days for them to come down. That was educational. Next
time, I’ll back off the last day or so, which shouldn’t hurt performance. Hypertensives beware!
Also, have you noticed how much sodium there is
in Fig Newtons? Mercy! They’re better than pretzels as a salty snack. I like
beef jerky, too, sometimes. Read the small print on snacks. It's illuminating.
Besides true-riding experience, my only other
credential is that I'm an M.D. (anesthesiologist). For what it's worth!
LEE R.: I've got a couple of methods that I employ for
6-hour endurance races. First, eat a small can of Pringles (pizza flavored is
my favorite) an hour or two before the start. Second, add a pinch of kosher
salt per bottle to enhance your sports drink. I wouldn't recommend using
regular iodized table salt as it adds an unpleasant "tinny" taste.
MIKE B.: Do as the tennis pros do. They keep
salt in a baggy, and between sets they consume a tablespoon or so with
their drink. I’m careful to take in as much salt as I can. I’m a triathlete,
and salt deprivation is probably the leading cause of spectacular blowups!
KENT W.: In the Death Ride here in California, at most
of the rest stops they have boiled salted red potatoes. Real food for the long
ride, with lots of salt to help prevent cramps. Also, Mexican food
the night before a hot, sweaty ride gives you lots of salt.
BEN C.: If you’re like me, your helmet straps get
crusty with salt. Your face gets gritty with salt. And it’s not uncommon to
have bands of salt marks on shorts and jerseys.
Forcing yourself to consume water even when you
don't want to drink more is only part of the solution/problem. Replenishing
the electrolytes that you sweat out is also key.
Now here's the trick: replenishing the electrolytes in the same concentrations
you are losing them!
It’s not good enough to consume lots of water
and lots of salt and potassium. If you consume too much salt, you can make
yourself sick. If you don't consume enough salt, you ultimately will "hit the
wall."
If you consume only half as much salt, for
instance, as you have lost but consume an equal amount of water as you have
perspired, then you have diluted your salt replenishment. Over time, this will
do you in.
I don’t have a foolproof way for being certain that you are consuming enough
salt and other electrolytes to offset this loss. But by being aware of the
need to maintain a balance, it may help you come a lot closer.
HANK G., M.D.: I've done many centuries and always seem to
cramp. When I heard Arnie Baker speak, he recommended taking more
salt to
prevent cramping. So before a 200-mile ride, I ate potato chips and a couple
of Snickers, in addition to lots of peanut butter on a bagel. It
was the first time I didn't cramp on a long ride, and it was the longest
one-day ride I've ever done. I'm convinced that the salt in those foods made a
difference.
[Back to cramp index]
Magnesium
GILLIAN M.: Magnesium is the "anti-spasmodic mineral." I
work with many people in my practice who suffer from cramps. If they get good
levels of potassium, magnesium and calcium, the painful problem may subside. I
prefer liquid forms of these minerals because they work so much faster and are
absorbed better.
A supplement with a 1:1 ratio of
calcium/magnesium brings some relief after a week or so of using it. For some
people extra vitamin E is helpful, and so is Aangamic DMG (used
to be known as B15), which cuts down lactic acid buildup.
[Back to cramp index]
Potassium
PAT C.: Since taking 550 mg of
potassium a day, I can't seem to get myself to cramp during swims, bike
rides, runs and two hours of karate a day.
[Back to cramp index]
Kool ‘n Fit
PETE K.: Try
Kool ‘n Fit, a liquid pain reliever. This
stuff is magic! I've had a cramp the size of a golf ball just above my knee,
sprayed on Kool ‘n Fit, and watched it release. It doesn't solve the cramping
indefinitely, but it will get you back on the bike and rolling again.
It comes in a large bottle, so I put it in a
little travel pump hairspray bottle for rides. It also takes away the
my-legs-are-made-of-wood feeling that you get late in a ride, even when you
aren't cramping. Magic, I'm telling you!
[Back to cramp index]
E-Lyte
DAVID F.: I've been a long-time sufferer of cramps, some
of which have been immobilizing. Recently I have been using a product called
E-Lyte, and my cramping has stopped.
A number of my teammates had been bugging the rest of us to use E-Lyte, which
became a sponsor of our team. I ignored them, but after sweating buckets and
suffering one horrible bout of cramps on the indoor trainer, I decided to try
it. Since then, remarkably and to my surprise, I have not had cramps. The
stuff works.
[Back to cramp index]
Hydra Fuel
GENE P.: I have successfully prevented cramps by
drinking dilute Hydra Fuel from
TwinLab. My computer has
an interval function, which I set to beep every 10 minutes to remind me to take a drink. Every other beep, I
also eat a bite of an energy bar or some gel. I recently
completed a double century feeling great with this formula.
[Back to cramp index]
HCH Cramp Stop
CLIFF K.: Here in New Zealand, there is a product called
HCH Cramp Stop. It's sold via a website and works for everyone that I know
who has tried it.
It comes in a small plastic spray bottle that's
hardly noticed in your jersey pocket. When cramps start, a couple of sprays
under the tongue is all it takes for everything to be back to normal between 30
seconds and two minutes The time seems to vary from person to person.
[Back to cramp index]
RendiMAX
GREG C.: RendiMAX is available in drug stories, like
Medicine Shoppe, that specialize in homeopathic medicines. I keep a few pills
in a sandwich bag on long rides and dissolve them in my mouth at the first
sign of cramping. That and Cytomax, plenty of liquids and a salty
pretzel or two pretty much keeps me cramp-free.
[Back to cramp index]
Thermotabs
TOM G.: I had cramping until I started taking
Thermotabs, available in drug stores. Now I do not cramp due to heat
and decreased minerals/electrolytes.
[Back to cramp index]
Tonic Water
GRAHAM F.: I had suffered from cramps for years. When I
was racing in England, my coach told me to
drink a liter of tonic water the night before every hard day. Tonic water
contains quinine, which doctors added to water for British soldiers
when they were cramping during fighting in the heat of the northwest frontier
in India. Now I race in the U.S. and always drink tonic water before a hard
day.
[Back to cramp index]
Pickle Juice
MARGIE B.: I know this sounds crazy, but my husband is an
avid tennis player and one of his partners swears by pickle juice for
cramps. He keeps a flask during long matches.
TERRY M.: I live in Louisiana where the heat is almost
relentless. It’s not uncommon for us to have a heat index of 110-115F
degrees, and of course the humidity is never under 70%.
One thing that prevents cramping is pickle
juice. Yep, plain ole pickle juice. I learned this trick years ago when I
played football in college. Some of the NFL teams use it also, especially when
playing in the South. I don't recall all the why's and how's of it working,
but it has worked for me many years. Just a couple of ounces, and it isn't bad
tasting, either.
[Back to cramp index]
Train More!
JAMES W.: I had brutal cramps on TOMRV, a two-day ride up
the Mississippi River Valley and back. I cramped so hard at the end of 110
miles on the first day that I could not walk, stand, sit, bend over, or
anything. I had competing cramps on opposite sides of my legs!
I did everything I could think of to ward them
off, but to no avail. I tried eating bananas, kiwi, oranges. I drank 140
ounces of Cytomax and 60 ounces of water. I ate pretzels and
trail mix for the
salt. Nothing worked.
My conclusion was that the cramps were not heat
or exercise induced so much as undertraining induced. Not much I could
do about that except train more for the next time. Lesson learned.
[Back to cramp index]
[Back to Best of 'Your Turn' index]
