This thing called cramping...

[Jensie]

I can do a LSD for 150km with no cramps(avg30-34km/h). Come race day and at 80km it starts. I don't train at 40km/h thats why. Only thing that works is rennies for me from km70.

[SwissVan]

 

 

 

Which muscle(s) cramp, is it always the same one(s)?

 

 

[F111]

Have already. Those awesome guys at Cycle Fit sorted me out. Its that large "M" sticker on my frame that bugs me. Like I said, I'm over 1.8m.

I am 1,8 and have a medium bike, fits me properly.

['Dale]

Yeah, after reading of your scenario, train harder until you see stars, man.

Intervals, hills, tempo, rest lots in between.

Find guys that are stronger than you and feel the heat.

 

All the best!

 

[MELVYNR7]

...is making me depressed. I know this topic has been brought up many a time, and is boring to discuss, but damnit, I've been sulking since Sunday's Argus, and Google Search doesn't want to help me either.

 

I ride religiously every weekend, 75-85km at a time. I always do my rituals beforehand - good stretches, ample breakfast, magnesium tablets blah blah.

I also consume ±500ml of fluid pr hour of cycling, which I do, as well as chomping a banana or two whilst riding. I also train twice a week on the spinning bike for an hour without any niggles.

 

BUT, the minute I hit the 80-90km mark on the road, the cramp sets in. I have the energy to burn and I don't feel tired, yet it always creeps in. It's done this for the past year, week-in week-out, and I don't know what to do. I've thought up a few issues which could be contributors:

 

Perhaps incorrect bike setup - I'm 1.81m tall, and I'm riding a medium frame bike.

Not enough fitness - but I ride and spin every week!

Poor leg muscle conditioning

Incorrect seating

Too much fluid intake - is there such a thing?

Underlying issues...- could it the onset of a hidden illness or something?

 

I've told myself not to enter anymore races that are longer than 90km until I can somehow overcome this problem. It's become so frustrating. All of my riding mates complain of sore legs but never cramp, yet, I'm the opposite.

 

Are there any pros/specialists/fellow hubbers who can steer me in the right direction, because at this moment, I'm thinking of ditching the bike for a chess board?

 

 

I cramped so much even though I felt like I was going extremely well in the first of my attempts. Yet from top Smitswinkel to bottom Suikerbossie it had gone so bad that the medics strongly recommended abondoning the race. That was devastating and I could not accept. my legs had medium potatoes sized lumps all over with severe pain, excrutiating, actually. Nothing on offer helped me. the ice rubs and massages caused what now looks like graze wounds. I took a slow walk up Suikerbossie and almost freewheeled the rest, barring the little up at Camps Bay. as a new cyclist I would really like to know more about this matter.

[Capricorn]

I can do a LSD for 150km with no cramps(avg30-34km/h). Come race day and at 80km it starts. I don't train at 40km/h thats why. Only thing that works is rennies for me from km70.

 

i think that's a classic case of more power conditioning required. Going LSD for long is you in your comfort zone. In a race, its' a completely non-steady application of pedalling power: hills, little breakaways, slow downs and start ups. Some HIIT intervals will sort that out for you.

[walkerr]

...is making me depressed. I know this topic has been brought up many a time, and is boring to discuss, but damnit, I've been sulking since Sunday's Argus, and Google Search doesn't want to help me either.

 

I ride religiously every weekend, 75-85km at a time. I always do my rituals beforehand - good stretches, ample breakfast, magnesium tablets blah blah.

I also consume ±500ml of fluid pr hour of cycling, which I do, as well as chomping a banana or two whilst riding. I also train twice a week on the spinning bike for an hour without any niggles.

 

BUT, the minute I hit the 80-90km mark on the road, the cramp sets in. I have the energy to burn and I don't feel tired, yet it always creeps in. It's done this for the past year, week-in week-out, and I don't know what to do. I've thought up a few issues which could be contributors:

 

Perhaps incorrect bike setup - I'm 1.81m tall, and I'm riding a medium frame bike.

Not enough fitness - but I ride and spin every week!

Poor leg muscle conditioning

Incorrect seating

Too much fluid intake - is there such a thing?

Underlying issues...- could it the onset of a hidden illness or something?

 

I've told myself not to enter anymore races that are longer than 90km until I can somehow overcome this problem. It's become so frustrating. All of my riding mates complain of sore legs but never cramp, yet, I'm the opposite.

 

Are there any pros/specialists/fellow hubbers who can steer me in the right direction, because at this moment, I'm thinking of ditching the bike for a chess board?

 

Cramping sucks - can totally empathize, have been plagued by them since I started cycling.

 

A number of things have helped, none have totally cured them. Mostly what others have said here:

• pushing my distances up on low intensity/base training rides, and pushing my intensity up on IDT training. Increasing how much I do of both also.
  
• paying care on hotter days with fluids and electrolytes - I sweat like a mine worker. Without concentrating, I can easily forget to take regular sips from the start of a ride. About an hour in, if I've got behind nothing will catch me up - drinking more just bloats me
  
• proper bike setup, which I get checked every so often too.
  
• fitting a cassette (11-28) with a crawler gear for rides with lots of climbing. I've found I can carry on spinning a light gear even with cramp, sometimes to the point of riding through them.
  
• staying positive and trying to focus on something else - I know this sounds a joke, but I managed to stave them off this year beyond Suikerbossie which is often a trigger point for me. The legs almost froze in cramp under the blue bridge with the finish line 500m away - I know from past rides that is my mind suddenly relaxing at being almost done, and the muscles responding by seizing up. There's definitely a mental element - staying positive and not dwelling on them helps.
  

Other guys I know swear by Tums or Rennies, even mixed with Coke is supposed to help.

 

If I had to pick 1 of the above that I'd say has made the most difference it's more effective training. A 90 or 100km event can't be compared to a 90 or 100km training ride - the intensity factor is way higher, and that to me is what causes the real differemce and the cramps. Next up would be bike fit.

 

Stick with it and try a few things - you may not get rid of them, but you will get faster and further before they hit you.

Edited March 11, 2014 by walkerr

[Bub Marley]

Do a 110km ride and let your legs cramp the hell out of you. Then the following week do the same distance again and you should notice that the cramps will start to kick in later. I think your problem is you aren't really increasing your distance. You kinda doing the same distance all the time so every time your legs get to a certain distance it can't handle it.

 

Also, don't be afraid of cramping. The only way to overcome it is by training harder and harder. You won't even need any magnesium tablets.

[arendoog]

I am also prone to cramping at the 2h45 to 3h mark but only in one day events and also when the intensity is high "riding harder than you trained for "Also when i have done a lot of spinning instead of riding .Worst was when i know my salt intake was low ,like doing a lot of spinning with lot of sweating and not taking extra electrolytes .On several bad cramping episodes ,taking 3 tee spoons of table salt mixed with game relieved them within 15minutes .I have never cramped in a stage race ,but then my preparation was much better .In short ,UP INTENSITY OF TRAINING .REPLENISH LOST sodium AKA SALT

Edited March 12, 2014 by Blitzer

[Capricorn]

blitzer, salt is NaCl, or sodium chloride.

[SwissVan]

 

Poor salt, getting the blame again.

People like to find a quick pill popping cure for everything......sometimes they just need to train cleverer.

 

Modern day diet salt is in abundance, chances are u don't need to take more

 

[gasworx]

I've been cycling for about 4 years now & till now (touch wood) havn't had any cramps

but I do try & eat something salty just before a long ride & maybe munch on some salted

cashews mid way..

@ Batty Boy......I've read through your posts & come to 1 conclusion

If I had to work with Mr Chris "Krutch" Wall every day I'd also get cramps all the time

albeit in my backside...not my legs

[Capricorn]

Poor salt, getting the blame again.

People like to find a quick pill popping cure for everything......sometimes they just need to train cleverer.

 

Modern day diet salt is in abundance, chances are u don't need to take more

 

 

i guess y0u didnt read the part where the very clearly stated he is avoiding salt in his diet. His diet and your diet are two very different things when it comes to salt.

[SwissVan]

 

i guess y0u didnt read the part where the very clearly stated he is avoiding salt in his diet. His diet and your diet are two very different things when it comes to salt.

 

 

I did read it indeed and even commented on it. I also never add salt to my food and I sweat a lot more than the average person.

That's why I asked (twice) which muscle(s) is/are cramping.

In my limited experience of cramping.... people who have an electrolyte deficiency tend to have wide spread cramping I.e. not an isolated muscle, where as if its due to over exertion it will most likely be isolated.

 

 

Which muscle(s) cramp, is it always the same one(s)?

 

As Dale said, cramps are mostly the bodies way of protecting itself i.e. to stop / slow you down when you doing more than what your body can do.

 

Does not sound like you have a magnesium deficiency, which is slightly different to a sodium (salt) deficiency. But if you are drinking typical sports drinks during activity then salt deficiency is also unlikely. I sweat a lot (more than average), never add salt to my food and have only cramped once or twice in over 20 years of cycling / sport - every time it was when I was racing and pushing my limits for an extended period.

 

Look at strengthen the affected muscles and stretching them regularly. If you feel a cramp coming on while riding try stretch the muscle straight away.

[camelman]

Bikefit. Wife always had cramps in her calves. After a proper bikefit, no more. Her cleats got moved back a bit putting less stress on the calves and spreading the load more evenly over the other muscles. Dr Jeroen Swart also had an article about cleat position somewhere and strain on certain muscles. Could not find a reference to specific cramps in any post, so if this is not your issue I apologise.

[BDF]

2 years ago I would get severe cramps in my claves but only the night after I had a hard training session or race. I did considerable research on the topic and found that a combination of many of the recommendations made in this thread worked for me.

Training:

LSD is good and sets a solid base but all your weekend riding cannot be LSD.

HIIT improves the conditioning of all your muscle groups employed while riding (including heart) and radically improves your VO2Max.

Add spinning/Indoor trainer sessions to your training. these can be your primary HIIT if you want. Keep the sessions between 45min to 1hour and make them very tough. @ per week like this will be enough.

Diet:

Quit eating foods with non-natural sugars. Fruit contains fructose in an unrefined format. Refined sugars (and even too much fruit sugars) are VERY bad. So stop putting sugar in your tea/coffee, on your cereals/breakfast, eating bread and "treats" that contain sugar.

Sodium intake vs electrolytes: These is way too much sodium in modern prepared foods, take-aways, tinned foods etc. Try and reduce this while increasing other electrolytes especially when sweating a lot and doing tough workouts. Try and find a low sodium replacement. (I swear by Hammer Nutrition's Endurolytes because it is exactly that). Electrolytes are way more than just sodium. We use all manner of other minerals when under exertion and need to replace these. Water alone is not good enough, in fact too much water alone with no electrolytes can cause damage (which I will not go into here)

Correct Protein/Carbohydtrate mix when training and in between: Carbs produce fuel for your muscles (glycogen) and like any engine, your muscles need fuel. When they run out of fuel, they start to deteriorate because they end up using themselves as fuel. There will always be a measure of this in endurance sports. That is why it is important to eat enough protein as well. Protein builds and repairs muscles. On longer rides, make sure that you have some protein intake to help with muscle recovery. It is important to eat within 2 hours of exercise, preferably within 15 mins of completing exercise as the body is most efficient at absorbing the important carb/protein combination then. I use a good recover drink for that immediately after a long ride, then I eat something once I get home.

Rest:

You MUST get good rest in between training. You need to listen to your own body on this one. Some days I must admit, it gets difficult to discern between fatigue and "don't want to get up today and train"...

 

Without sounding like a Hammer nutrition advert, I make use of several of their products because they are:

1. Designed for endurance athletes

2. Contain no artificial ingredients

3. Contain no preservatives

4. Organic where practical

 

I know this was long but I hope it helps.