CRAMPS: The clearest view I've read yet...

[SwissVan]

I’m raising this thread from the grave.

I’m on 2200km for the year and yesterday at the 100miler my legs started cramping at 60km. I’ve done a few rides above 60km’s this year, most notably the Bouckhaert Soenen 122km in February. That day my ave speed was 27km/h with my mtb.

Fast forward to yesterday, I’ve never experienced this before and I’m trying to find the reason for the cramps. All my fluid/solids intake was the same as every other ride, actually a bit more yesterday as I new it was a long way. I’m definitely not unfit as well, I can run a sub 50 minute 10km.

I had a light flu this past week, took some Benylin 4 in 1 and Viral Choice until Friday morning.

Has someone else on here also experienced cramping after flu? No luck with google so far.

Only other reason could be a new larger frame bike, but it doesn’t make sense or could it be?

Light flu...... what’s light flu

Lucky you only had a cramp

[V12man]

I’m raising this thread from the grave.

 

 

I’m on 2200km for the year and yesterday at the 100miler my legs started cramping at 60km. I’ve done a few rides above 60km’s this year, most notably the Bouckhaert Soenen 122km in February. That day my ave speed was 27km/h with my mtb.

 

Fast forward to yesterday, I’ve never experienced this before and I’m trying to find the reason for the cramps. All my fluid/solids intake was the same as every other ride, actually a bit more yesterday as I new it was a long way. I’m definitely not unfit as well, I can run a sub 50 minute 10km.

 

I had a light flu this past week, took some Benylin 4 in 1 and Viral Choice until Friday morning.

 

Has someone else on here also experienced cramping after flu? No luck with google so far.

 

Only other reason could be a new larger frame bike, but it doesn’t make sense or could it be?

under trained for the distance and intensity/speed most likely.

 

500km a month is not really enough for 160km races

[Titleist]

Light flu...... what’s light flu

Lucky you only had a cramp

Snotty nose, no phlegm, no coughing and no abnormal heart rate.

[Titleist]

under trained for the distance and intensity/speed most likely.

500km a month is not really enough for 160km races

Fair enough, but 60km or 3 hours into the race is too soon compared to previous riding at a higher pace above 4 hours.

[Karman de Lange]

under trained for the distance and intensity/speed most likely.

500km a month is not really enough for 160km races

Sorry, but beg to differ, ive got total of 1600km this year and that includes 3x >160km events. , Only had cramps on one cause not enough food(double argus).

 

It could simply be your body was weakend from the cold and told you to stop. The first part of 100 miler was fairly intense .. Was your heart rate above normal for the intensity you rode at?

[SwissVan]

under trained for the distance and intensity/speed most likely.

 

500km a month is not really enough for 160km races

 

 

Sorry, but beg to differ, ive got total of 1600km this year and that includes 3x >160km events. , Only had cramps on one cause not enough food(double argus).

 

It could simply be your body was weakend from the cold and told you to stop. The first part of 100 miler was fairly intense .. Was your heart rate above normal for the intensity you rode at?

 

There you go, you had cramps as well

How do you know it was lack of food (highly unlikely imo)

 

In most cases of cramps, its exactly like V12 said.... effort exceeded training

 

Of course there are exceptions

[Karman de Lange]

There you go, you had cramps as well

How do you know it was lack of food (highly unlikely imo)

 

 

well, i normally dont cramp and this time i did not eat anything in the last 140km of 220km ride, only had water/coke.(bad planning). So could have been over excersion, but rather guess lack of food and drink..

 

To start cramping in first 3 hours if you normally dont, i would guess remnants of cold.. But could just been bad day out.....

[V12man]

Fair enough, but 60km or 3 hours into the race is too soon compared to previous riding at a higher pace above 4 hours.

Perhaps.. perhaps not... cramp is a strange beast - many factors can influence it on the day - chalk it up to a bad day and move on would be my suggestion.

 

We can really only speculate - can't prove a thing unfortunately.

[ChrisF]

Very interesting thread !

 

Had a couple of instances of cramps in 2017 .... at the time I thought it was hydration and/or calcium .... took a couple calcium suppliments (still have half the box), and made sure I drink enough.

 

Not realising I was actually very gradually increasing my distances and intensity.

[Karman de Lange]

By coincedence, watch latest GCN video last night about nutrition.

 

One thing of course was cramps , and to this day, there still no proof what the real cause of cramps is, but  people are leaning to the idea that its fatigue . The interesting part is, dehydration and or lack of food  might bring on earlier fatigue causing cramps earlier.

 

So it might even be that a cold caused earlier fatigue  (body already in stress) and earlier cramps.

 

one of the mysterious of the body

 

other interesting point brought up.. green banana is bad, slows down intake of carbs/fluids as to much fibre (stand corrected) left .. you must only eat ripe(brown) bananas where fibres been converted to carbs. ( or something like that, can't remember exactly)

[Chingy182]

Yesterday at the FNB 12km race I was doing great for the first 5km and suddenly around the 6km mark both my calves went into extreme cramp.

Cramp like I have never experienced in my life before. At the 8km mark I actually had serious doubts I was going to finish the race.

 

I'm not much of a runner, but I thought with my fitness levels I would be fine on an easy 12km run.

I felt a bit defeated at the end, but have to chalk it down to zero running in the build up to the event.

[ChrisF]

Very interesting thread !

 

Had a couple of instances of cramps in 2017 .... at the time I thought it was hydration and/or calcium .... took a couple calcium suppliments (still have half the box), and made sure I drink enough.

 

Not realising I was actually very gradually increasing my distances and intensity.

 

One year later and my distances have more than doubled, and my average speed is significantly up ....

 

The week before a race I am sure to take two magensium supplements, and I do take enough water during the race.

 

 

Imagine my surprise on Saturday when my left calf gave warnings of cramping after only 15km ! 

 

Granted, this must have been the hardest 15km I have ever done !!  At the time of the cramp I was heading straight into a head wind, and a 2,5km gradual climb .... I did the first km into the wind myself, then slip streamed others, going into the red to keep up with their pace ...

 

As soon as we turned out of the wind, and got a reprieve from the wind my legs were okay.  2km later we hit a monster climb, with the whole field walking.  Halfway up the walk both legs started cramping !!     Thankfully it did not go into spasm, and as soon as I got back into the saddle my legs were fine.  Did some hard paddling after that and no more cramping.

 

 

But my left calf certainly is "tender" today. 

 

 

 

Any guesses as to what caused this ?

 

Maybe just significantly harder effort than my usual riding ??

 

Why would it cramp while walking ?  Do I need to include some walking in my exercise routine ?

[SwissVan]

One year later and my distances have more than doubled, and my average speed is significantly up ....

 

The week before a race I am sure to take two magensium supplements, and I do take enough water during the race.

 

 

Imagine my surprise on Saturday when my left calf gave warnings of cramping after only 15km ! 

 

Granted, this must have been the hardest 15km I have ever done !!  At the time of the cramp I was heading straight into a head wind, and a 2,5km gradual climb .... I did the first km into the wind myself, then slip streamed others, going into the red to keep up with their pace ...

 

As soon as we turned out of the wind, and got a reprieve from the wind my legs were okay.  2km later we hit a monster climb, with the whole field walking.  Halfway up the walk both legs started cramping !!     Thankfully it did not go into spasm, and as soon as I got back into the saddle my legs were fine.  Did some hard paddling after that and no more cramping.

 

 

But my left calf certainly is "tender" today. 

 

 

 

Any guesses as to what caused this ?

 

Maybe just significantly harder effort than my usual riding ??

 

Why would it cramp while walking ?  Do I need to include some walking in my exercise routine ?

 

 

No doubts its this:

 

 

significantly harder effort than my usual riding