Cramping - please help

[mdk555]

Did the K2C but on the 57km mark the legs started cramping beeg time and last 25 km was pure hell. At about 50km mark I was on track for +- 5 hour ride but ended up way past that. The minute I worked the legs the pain would set in so you can imagine that every hill was a nightmare.

 

I did the training, did not try anything new and stuck to what always worked me on tye skinny wheeled bike so would love to know your views on cramping. One thing I can add is when I removed the leg warmers in last 10km things did get better.  

[Bike Mob]

Dehydration is normally the cause...

[TNT1]

 

[quote=Tarmac-GSTR]Dehydration lack of training/fitness is normally the cause...

[carlo_sg]

I swear by L-Glutamine!

R85 for 125g

 

Put 1/2 tsp in each of your water bottles.

[HammerHed]

Last season I cramped during every big road race I did, and I had never cramped before.  I tried everything to stop it, diet wise. Rennies Tablets, Sports salts, Calmag, even tried eeating more iron in the form of raisins etc.

 

I did some research and eventually I put it down to muscle fatigue. I did not do enough base training during the early part of that season and had done mainly mountain biking training including lots of long MTB marathons and lots of short 40k races which I did as a total all out sprints.

 

The end result of  my training was that I was super strong for the road races but lacked the aerobic endurance to handle hard road racing at the 3 hour Argus pace, I cramped in the Argus at Scarborough and had to drop out of the front of the F bunch. Very disappointed.

 

All the reading I have done about cramping points to muscle fatigue because I ate and drank plenty on all these rides. I also checked to see if I was anemic, which I was not. I started a course of CalMag for around 8 weeks before Argus and all this did not help me at all. Even took 12 Rennies during one race and still  cramped.

 

So my advise is do the proper training and I mean lots of base miles and then progress to harder muscular endurance workots and then move to more anearobic stuff. But if you dont have the aerobic base miles in from pre and early season training this can lead to cramping.

 

[JPW#]

cramps.....slowmag or equiv

[1hill@aTime]

unimag works like a charm

[hagar]

i heard coke and eno's or disprin cant remember but someone told me that they were on the Dc and gave it to someone and it worked like a charm too !!! think it was skye who told me but i cant remember the combonation 

[Weekend_Warrior]

I tried slowmag and cramp blockers and they dont make any difference.

If you dont train at race pace you will always crap in races.  I think some poeple are more prone to cramping though so other peoples advice might not work for you.

[HammerHed]

Cure cramping by training harder and longer at the pace you race at.

[XTC OKE]

plenish K helped me for awhile

[Piernas Flacas]

If you dont train at race pace you will always crap in races. 

[American Flyers]

I used to get cramps and cramp block tablets only helped a bit!

 

I take magnesium every night and it makes a bit difference in long run.

I also do some intervals to get used to speed in the races.

I also do some long ride, so that muscles can get used to it.

 

Now I hardly get cramps for the past 2 years. 

[Dickie]

Where is the most common area for cramps for cyslists? Being fairly new to the sport...and having cramped once pretty badly I am interested to hear.

I started in the quads, then the hamstrings started, then a funny muscle down the inside of my leg. The fun times ae when you get off the bike because the cramp has hit your quads and you can't ride on...and then your hammies cramp when you try stretch your quads...and then your quads cramp when you...well you get the idea. The end result is usually standing in the middle of the track looking like you just sharted!

[martelpypie]

 

 

We use a product called NRF Enermag; Only about R40 for a month supply from your pharmacy  and you take 3 every night; It contain more than enough magnesium and calcium.

Get a small plastic pill container from you local pharmacy;

 

Get Plenish K (potassium) tablets;

 

When you have a race - add 3 Enermag and 3 Plenish k to the container and keep in your back pocket. Take as soon as cramps start or at least halfway through the race.

You can also take 3 of each, the night before the race to up the levels in the body.

It works for me and I also sell it to lots of cyclists

 

 

 

martelpypie2008-09-23 11:35:13

[Skye]

You name it hubby has tried it, was so desperate on a tour once he was given a glass of enos and it worked wonders.

 

Easy and cheap......

 

Cap of enos before you ride and a cap in each bottle.