LEG CRAMPS ..Please HELP !!!!

Bikerbhoy

Can anyone please help me on this one its realing pissing me off at the moment as I am putting in longer training spins for upcoming Wicklow 200 , my problem is LEG CRAMPS.
I just cant seem to shake them at all....I generally do all my climbing in the saddle but more often than not after 3 or 4 hours if I get out of saddle to climb BANG I lock up I can also usually feel my leg muscle tighten as the ride progresses so I know whats next......... PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE any remedies will be greatfully accepted and tried.

Caroline_ie

Salt!!!
Not nice, but it works. Salt in your water.
Will you hydrated!!!

abcdggs

i gather the quinine in tonic water helps with muscle cramps, also the potassium in bananas. not sure how accurate it is though, you might take it with a pinch of salt

Bikerbhoy

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Salt!!!
Not nice, but it works. Salt in your water.
Will you hydrated!!!

Yeah I heard that never tried it though how much should I put in a 700ml bottle ...please dont say half fill it..

ScottStorm

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Salt!!!
Not nice, but it works. Salt in your water.
Will you hydrated!!!

I Agree, not sure if I'd put it in my water but ignore the doctors advice and increase your intake of salt.

CheGuedara

You could always try THIS stuff - i find it pretty good for keeping muscles from seizing up.

Bikerbhoy

CheGuedara wrote: »

You could always try THIS stuff - i find it pretty good for keeping muscles from seizing up.

Thanks for that..... can I get this locally or is it internet purchase only ?

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Pick up Dioralyte sachets from a chemist. They're very cheap.

niceonetom

Bikerbhoy wrote: »

...I generally do all my climbing in the saddle but more often than not after 3 or 4 hours if I get out of saddle to climb BANG I lock up.

Firstly, yes SALT. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. How much salt to use really depends on the individual, the weather, and how hard you're working but I generally put about 1/3rd of a tea spoon in 500ml. It's just barely palpable. I've been told that sea salt is better than table salt because it contains a wider range of salts (NaCl, KCl, iodine, magnesium, and other stuff) but I don't know if this is actually true. Anyone? Which salt?

victorcarrera

I used to get leg cramps during long strenuous spins in hot weather but now add extra salt to my diet during the summer months.
I am more likely to get cramp if I don't eat a banana during my spin.
There may be other deficiencies there. Calcium, potassium, magnesium see link for more details.
http://www.medicinenet.com/muscle_cramps/page2.htm

sy

+1 on dioralyte. Can get different flavours and cheapest form of hydration salts.

Thomas_S_Hunterson

sy wrote: »

+1 on dioralyte. Can get different flavours and cheapest form of hydration salts.

Incidentally it does the job on a hangover as well.:p

sy

Sean_K wrote: »

Incidentally it does the job on a hangover as well.:p

Cramps Hangover or Diarrhoea take your pick:)

irishmotorist

+1 on the NUUN.

I take one plain water bottle and one NUUN'd bottle and refill both of them as originally filled along the way. Good bye cramps! I get them in Cycle Superstore in Tallaght and I've heard that the Great Outdoors or the like do them too - but I haven't seen that myself.

exozzie

I used to suffer from bad leg cramps on longer rides, hot or cold weather, and even when fully hydrated with good salt levels. Quads and calves, it was murder. I now take Magnesium tablets every day which has fixed the problem.A good bike setup might also help - good luck.

rottenhat

niceonetom wrote: »

Anyone? Which salt?

Maldon, of course.

The tax man

Another +1 for Nuun.
BTW Cycle superstore didn't have any stock of them last week,even though the web site said they did.
I got mine here.
Used them for the first time on the MB 160K and didn't suffer any cramping whatsoever.

blorg

Hydration and salt replacement is essential.

Apart from that in my own experience (and I know of others it has worked for) you are far less likely to get cramps if you spin up hills in a high cadence rather than grinding up with a low cadence. Try not to let your cadence drop AT ALL while climbing, indeed I generally spin faster going up a hill than on the flat.

doozerie

Bikerbhoy wrote: »

I generally do all my climbing in the saddle but more often than not after 3 or 4 hours if I get out of saddle to climb BANG I lock up I can also usually feel my leg muscle tighten as the ride progresses so I know whats next......... PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE any remedies will be greatfully accepted and tried.

From what you describe, your leg muscles are already exhausted before you first get out of the saddle, so maybe your muscles are not yet fit enough and supple enough to cope with 4 hour rides, or maybe your diet is wrong, or you are dehydrated, or you have let lactic acid build up in your legs, or you are riding a bad choice of gears, or your bike position/setup is wrong, etc., or any or all of those things.

Diet is certainly one factor to look at (try drinking more liquid for a start, even before you start adding the likes of extra salt to your drinks), as is bike position as already mentioned, but yet another approach to dealing with it is to get out of the saddle more, and earlier before your muscles are already very tired. Amongst other benefits, getting out of the saddle allows you to more easily work built-up lactic acid out of your legs which will help avoid cramps - you can tackle lactic acid build-up while in the saddle too, but particularly if your bike setup isn't ideal (e.g. saddle too low) it can be a lot more difficult to do effectively while seated.

Bikerbhoy

Again just want to thank everyone for their very constructive comments as I said before all remedies will be tried and I will report back with results in a week or two.

thanks a million everyone


Cheers