Crampin up!

[2fitty]

Hey guys anybody got any good tips to help stop cramp, getting it real bad down the inside of both legs at different times on the long trail rides, usually half way round second 40k loop of the day, been stretching like a yoga instructor but it still happens. is there anything you can eat or drink??

[noobi]

Hey guys anybody got any good tips to help stop cramp, getting it real bad down the inside of both legs at different times on the long trail rides, usually half way round second 40k loop of the day, been stretching like a yoga instructor but it still happens. is there anything you can eat or drink??

Magnesium Phosphate, get it from the supplement aisle at supermarkets. Tastes like chalk, chew a couple after the first lap before you would normally get cramp.

[2fitty]

Magnesium Phosphate, get it from the supplement aisle at supermarkets. Tastes like chalk, chew a couple after the first lap before you would normally get cramp.

sweet cheers dude, i'll try hunt some down.

[Crabby]

I run a mix of loaded or powerade and water in a 2L camelback, im a fat bastard, unfit as, I still don't get cramps when I sip this during the ride. If I run out.... its cramp on. Electrolytes for the win!

Drinking a lot of pis the night before doesn't help at all I find either!

I still get arm pump and what I call "Sloth hands" where the thumb stops helping you grip, but thats only because im fat and unfit!

[BoristheBiter]

What they said.
Sports and other vigorous activities can cause excessive fluid loss from perspiration. This kind of dehydration increases the likelihood of true cramps. These cramps are more likely to occur in warm weather and can be an early sign of heat stroke. Chronic volume depletion of body fluids from diuretics (medicine that promote urination) and poor fluid intake may act similarly to predispose to cramps, especially in older people. Sodium depletion has also been associated with cramps. Loss of sodium, the most abundant chemical constituent of body fluids outside the cell, is usually a function of dehydration.*

I use about 3l per days ride plus two bottles of Mizone, I sweat heaps for a skinny. some don't need a lot some do, you will have to work out what you need.
Also the days before have a bearing to, yesterdays food is today's energy.
And remember, if you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated.



* medinet.com

[steve_t]

Electrolytes - sodium, magnesium, potassium.
A few years ago I went on 180km bicycle ride in training for the round lake taupo ride. On the way back, I started to cramp up in one calf and made the stupid mistake of drinking pure water cos I'd run out of electrolytes. The next thing I knew, I had full blown cramps in both calves and both quads. It was so bad I had to lie on the side of the road while my training buddies went off and got some powerade from the dairy up the road. Not cool

[Crabby]

I might add that the 2L mix I ran of 750ml powerade and 1.25L of water, I drank a full 2L camelbak on each of the 3 35K loops I did at the Mr Motorcycles Glen Murray trail ride. Ended up running out just before I left and got cramp in the car driving home

[thecharmed01]

Electrolytes - sodium, magnesium, potassium.

This.
Powerade, Gatorade, E2... all those electrolyte drinks are good - drink LOTS.
Try pre-loading fluids if you can't drink while you ride. Knock back a bottle before each lap.

If you can't avoid it by drinking enough, then you can fight it. There are a couple of tablet remedies like Cramp-Stop or Cramp-Eze that you can swallow, or there is a cramp spray you put under your tongue when the cramp hits or if possible, just before it.
Also look at supplements. Prep your body better for the punishment you are dishing out if your body is telling you by cramping, that it's not handling it.
A Mens multi would be helpful as well as there is one that is Magnesium, Zinc and something else (can't remember off the top of my head) that should help a bit.

I feel bad for you, the other half gets it bad, often on the drive home. I've never had that problem myself, only been there when he's suffering so it's hard to watch it!

[Pornstar]

I feel bad for you, the other half gets it bad, often on the drive home. I've never had that problem myself, only been there when he's suffering so it's hard to watch it!

Ha! Pussy!

[BoristheBiter]

This.
Powerade, Gatorade, E2... all those electrolyte drinks are good - drink LOTS.
Try pre-loading fluids if you can't drink while you ride. Knock back a bottle before each lap.

If you can't avoid it by drinking enough, then you can fight it. There are a couple of tablet remedies like Cramp-Stop or Cramp-Eze that you can swallow, or there is a cramp spray you put under your tongue when the cramp hits or if possible, just before it.
Also look at supplements. Prep your body better for the punishment you are dishing out if your body is telling you by cramping, that it's not handling it.
A Mens multi would be helpful as well as there is one that is Magnesium, Zinc and something else (can't remember off the top of my head) that should help a bit.

I feel bad for you, the other half gets it bad, often on the drive home. I've never had that problem myself, only been there when he's suffering so it's hard to watch it!

Maybe it's like that man flu.

[Jay GTI]

Not much to add on the gatorade, powerade etc stuff, as it's all been said well by others above.

I try and down a bottle of powerade immiediately before the first ride to pre-load my system with the right salts, then a mix of powerade and water through the day. Other tips, don't drink any coffee before you ride and have a banana with breakfast for the potasium. If it's a really stinky hot day, or I know it's going to be a hard ride, I use diarrhea rehydration salts when I'm finished, which are basically like a supercharged electrolyte power you mix with water (also very good for those really nasty hangovers).

Another post-ride drink I got from a bike mag recently (an article by some mx sport nutritionist), for post-ride carb boosting, which helps your muscles recover, he recommended a low-fat flavoured milk. I tried this on the way home from the Riverhead ride on Sunday, I don't know if it actually helped, but I had far fewer aches and pains than usual yesterday.

[thecharmed01]

Not much to add on the gatorade, powerade etc stuff, as it's all been said well by others above.

I try and down a bottle of powerade immiediately before the first ride to pre-load my system with the right salts, then a mix of powerade and water through the day. Other tips, don't drink any coffee before you ride and have a banana with breakfast for the potasium. If it's a really stinky hot day, or I know it's going to be a hard ride, I use diarrhea rehydration salts when I'm finished, which are basically like a supercharged electrolyte power you mix with water (also very good for those really nasty hangovers).

Another post-ride drink I got from a bike mag recently (an article by some mx sport nutritionist), for post-ride carb boosting, which helps your muscles recover, he recommended a low-fat flavoured milk. I tried this on the way home from the Riverhead ride on Sunday, I don't know if it actually helped, but I had far fewer aches and pains than usual yesterday.

You know, you can throw the rehydration sachets into water while you ride?

Another thing to think about is Carb loading before you ride. What do you eat before a ride?

[BoristheBiter]

You know, you can throw the rehydration sachets into water while you ride?

Another thing to think about is Carb loading before you ride. What do you eat before a ride?

Also the carbo shots are really good. It means you can just have water in your backpack as sugar drinks are a bugger to clean out.

[Jay GTI]

You know, you can throw the rehydration sachets into water while you ride?

Another thing to think about is Carb loading before you ride. What do you eat before a ride?

Yeah I can use the salts during the ride, but generally the powerade style stuff is more than enough, so I only keep some with me for post-ride rapid rehydrate if it's been really snotty or stinky hot.

Food-wise, a "Full English" is perfect for me, i.e. bacon, eggs, beans, toast etc. Stole this off a marathon runner mate, it is actually a very common breakfast for hobbyist long-distance runners apparently (competitive guys tend to get fancy with various nutrient packs and products). I used this when I was mountain biking and doing day-long rides with mates. If I had a "healthy" breakfast, I'd burn out by lunchtime, but if I had a fry up, I'd be good to go for the whole day, with only a bit of a carb top-up about 1/2 way through.

[Crisis management]

I have a slightly different approach to this...

Get fit, get on a bicycle and ride 100kms a week.

Drink water only, I have not had a good experience with the likes of Powerade but that may just be me, if you want to get some electrolytes into yourself I use bananas and a pinch of salt in 2l of water in the camelback.

This works for me (but may not work for you) I'm 56 and an average rider, not a pro, the best single thing is the bicycling, gets your core muscles strong and builds endurance.

Try a number of things and see how your body reacts to it.