Calf cramps

[Marko62]

Hi everyone, I have a question for you regarding cramp, not on-the-bike cramp but night time cramps. Last night I had a nasty one in my right calf, 30 seconds of agony, calf rock hard then it went away but this morning and like every other time this has happened my calf is really sore and painful to walk on, I'm hobbling around now but does anyone have any advice about how to treat it? is it ok to cycle on or should I avoid cycling for a day or two, it usually takes a couple of days before the soreness is completely gone.

 

[fossyant]

Are you hydrated properly. I won't mention salt as our diets generally have more than enough in it anyway, and wouldn't suggest taking more - even on long rides.

I'd go for a gentle ride - spin and don't push it -might free it a bit.

Are you new ish to cycling, as this can be an issue when upping mileage etc for anyone ?

 

[Marko62]

Hmm I do drink water a fair bit during the day so I don't think that's the problem but perhaps I should have mentioned that I have underlying medical problems in the form of renal failure resulting in a kidney transplant 3 years ago. I do lead a normal life and don't suffer from illness although I do have to be careful around germ ridden people for the obvious reasons. I am very active physically through cycling and I eat and drink healthfully so I guess I'm more concerned as to whether it's normal for 'normal' people to get the occasional night time cramp that takes a few days for its after effect soreness to go away and if they have found any tips to alleviate the soreness.

 

[Steve Austin]

I will mention salt. Well known to ease cramping, as is tonic water.

Drinking electrolyte drinks can help too. I drink SIS stuff which works for me and eases any cramping i used to get.

EDIT: just read your 2nd post. get thee to a doctor, it could more than just cramp. Kidneys do lots of things and it might be that your kidneys are not working effectively to process the salts in your diet. eh voilà cramp

 

[Steve Austin]

and if it makes you feel better. i had cramp this morning and it feels like the muscle in my calf has been clamped in a vice.

Nor eaten or drank very healthily this week is the reason

 

[rob7222]

I suffer from the same problems.
I'll be lying in bed and decide to stretch my legs and extend my toes and BAM! agony.. I should probably tell a doctor.

 

[wafflycat]

Tonic water is brilliant for stopping night cramps - it's the quinine. MrW, currently with leg in plaster, was getting awful night cramps. The quack told him to take quinine in the form of tomic water. It really does work.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I suffer from the same problems.
I'll be lying in bed and decide to stretch my legs and extend my toes and BAM! agony.. I should probably tell a doctor.

You can go and talk to the Doc, I did and she told me what I'd already found on the internet... nobody really knows the reasons for cramps. There's a lot of stuff written, but little conclusive. Cramps whilst riding do get better with physical fitness, but as for nightime cramps, I don't know, I get them, badly sometimes esp after hard excercise, but not always. Ensure hydrated and good diet.

 

[k turner]

I have to agree about the cause and cure still eluding the medical profession. I have fibromyalgia which makes your muscles fatigue and cramp very easily, as well as ME/CFS which does the same, so add to that Oesteoarthritis for the bones and joints and you have constant pain or one type or the other.

I have been tested to pin cushion stage, have eagerly swallowed everything offered, including, Quinine pills and antimalaria pills for 3 months.

Nothing helps, I still have night cramps all over my body. I have tried less salt, more salt, less sugar, more sugar, every internet option.

I usually stay up at night doing as much as I can in the way of housework, walking around the garden and try not to sleep, that way by the morning I am exhausted and go into such a deep sleep for about 4 hours that I feel nothing.

Please let me know if there is a cure. "currently cycling 2 miles per day, at 4mph". Cycling 2 months now, and it hasnt made it any better or worse surprisingly.

One tip to add, bring your toes up towards your knees when you stretch, NEVER point down, that is how I avoid calf ones.

 

[Marko62]

Yikes K. Turner my sympathy goes out to you, having chronic health problems is a constant battle so good luck on keeping up your the cycling activities and thanks for the toe stretching tip - come to think of it, last night I do remember pointing my toes downwards quite severely in my semi-stupor immediately before my cramp attack...

Lol Steve Austin, it's funny when wifey is hopping around when she gets the cramp but when it's our turns it's not so nice

 

[Ludwig]

Cold sponge or magic spray does the trick. You need a physio to burst into your room to stretch your leg like they do in extra time at the cup final.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Cold sponge or magic spray does the trick. You need a physio to burst into your room to stretch your leg like they do in extra time at the cup final.

I find a rub-down with a sporting-wife does the trick

 

[peanut]

Hmm I do drink water a fair bit during the day so I don't think that's the problem but perhaps I should have mentioned that I have underlying medical problems in the form of renal failure resulting in a kidney transplant 3 years ago. I do lead a normal life and don't suffer from illness although I do have to be careful around germ ridden people for the obvious reasons. I am very active physically through cycling and I eat and drink healthfully so I guess I'm more concerned as to whether it's normal for 'normal' people to get the occasional night time cramp that takes a few days for its after effect soreness to go away and if they have found any tips to alleviate the soreness.

The only way to avoid severe pain and soreness is to immediately get out of bed and stand with your full weight on the cramping leg.
Its going to hurt initially but within 10 to 15 seconds the cramp will go away and you'll just be left with some soreness .
The quicker you get your weight onto that leg the better. If you feel the cramp coming on leap out of bed quick.

(The severe pain is caused by the calf muscles being locked in an extreme tension spasm You need to reduce that tension by forcing the muscles back to a normal tension.)

Once the pain has subsided gently over-stretch the calf muscles by bending your foot up ie by leaning into a wall with your leg straight to counteract the muscle tension created by the cramp

I suspect that you are either losing some salts through deydration or you may have a mild UTi urinary tract infection .If you are waking at night for a pee then you probably have.
Get some rehydration salts from Asda or Boots they will replenish the sodium and pottasium salts you have lost. They are nothing like table salt and will do you no harm whatsoever. They will stop the cramps.

 

[Welsh Pirate]

I sometimes suffer from cramps in my calf at night. I worked out that it was starting as soon as the weather was warming up and I was sweating more on my commute.

The solution: lemonade.

One pint after my ride home (approx 10 miles) cures it.

Apparantly lemonade contains a reasonable balance of salts & sugars (found out when my sister had salmonella poisoning and refused to drink dioralite - Doc told her to drink flat lemonade as it did the same thing)

Works a treat, and is lovely after a ride!

 

[Globalti]

The pain is because you have actually torn some muscle fibres, so you need to rest the muscle before doing strenuous exercise.

The cure for night cramps is to put your head under the bedclothes and breathe hard, you inhale your own exhaled CO2 and the cramp will magically vanish in a few seconds. Believe me.