Leg Cramp
- Thread starter Philk
- Start date
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Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
Hi
Do a search on 'Cramp' here and you'll find the answers...
Basically there's no true understanding of cramp, hydration, salts are all implicated. But mostly it's down to conditioning/cardio-vascular fitness.
newbiebiker
New Member
Stretching before and after biking and good hydration before, during and after could also prevent muscle cramps..
bikepacker
Guru
- Location
- South Worcestershire
Cramp can often be a result of a Magnisium deficency. Try taking a daily suppliment. It works for me.
The salinity ( here he goes again ) of human sweat is between 2.5 and 3.5 g NaCl per liter.
I take the mid ground and work 3.0 g/l into my calcs.
So, going round a 'normal' 100 km Audax at average 14 mph on a pleasantly warm day like last Sunday, I lost about a liter of water through sweating, based on 1cm3 per 4 kcals.
Of this, only the proportion of lost water which can be accredited to 'Sweat' has the lost salts, which is the water loss when I'm working over 50% of my Max HR ( in my case, that's about 50 Watts ) and that happens most of the time on any ride.
My estimations are this is about 80% of the distance, so 0.8 litre was 'Sweat' and the other 0.2 went out on my breath.
For a 100km Brevet Pop, I swallow down 2.4ish g of salt with a long glass of diet Coke shortly after the ride.
I take one of those little individual sachets ( 1g ) on my eggs and sausages at breakfast after my 1 hour ride to work. This also does for the ride home.
A 1g measure after every gym session.
I don't suffer cramps.
I take the mid ground and work 3.0 g/l into my calcs.
So, going round a 'normal' 100 km Audax at average 14 mph on a pleasantly warm day like last Sunday, I lost about a liter of water through sweating, based on 1cm3 per 4 kcals.
Of this, only the proportion of lost water which can be accredited to 'Sweat' has the lost salts, which is the water loss when I'm working over 50% of my Max HR ( in my case, that's about 50 Watts ) and that happens most of the time on any ride.
My estimations are this is about 80% of the distance, so 0.8 litre was 'Sweat' and the other 0.2 went out on my breath.
For a 100km Brevet Pop, I swallow down 2.4ish g of salt with a long glass of diet Coke shortly after the ride.
I take one of those little individual sachets ( 1g ) on my eggs and sausages at breakfast after my 1 hour ride to work. This also does for the ride home.
A 1g measure after every gym session.
I don't suffer cramps.
Ticktockmy
Guru
- Location
- Crawley, West Sussex
Cramp is very much a personal thing, depending on the individual. I have rarely suffered whilst riding, it always seems to strike me later whilst relaxing and the end of the day. I can only offer the suggestion that you make a mental note as to how and when cramps strike, and see if there is a pattern, which you can use to best plan a solution. There is plenty of info about it on the web and in various books on cycling.
Yes, salt solution. 1g for every 25 miles ridden, taken orally with favourite drink.
Nozzer
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Gloucester
I get calf cramp nearly every time i ride, i have salt in my diet, guess ill try a little more. Being that im on the larger side, i sweat a lot--its in fat peoples culture!!!
So i will keep stretching and taking extra salt, cramp only seems to hit me after a climb or pushing a bit harder than normal.
Must admit, it does my head in as im always waiting for it to happen.
So i will keep stretching and taking extra salt, cramp only seems to hit me after a climb or pushing a bit harder than normal.
Must admit, it does my head in as im always waiting for it to happen.
One piece of gym equipment I used in the States, but have never seen in the UK is the 'Stairmill'. Its a downward moving escalator of four steps you just keep climbing up until you drop off the bottom in a heap.
The closest in this country is the gym bike whacked up to full tilt where you have to stand on the pedals to keep the thing moving.
Either that or the treadmill at max gradient ( 15% ) and a 8kmh walking speed. 20 mins of this and you know where your calves are. You could get rid of 300 kcals in 20 mins, which is 75cm3 sweat, which is more than a pinch of salt
The closest in this country is the gym bike whacked up to full tilt where you have to stand on the pedals to keep the thing moving.
Either that or the treadmill at max gradient ( 15% ) and a 8kmh walking speed. 20 mins of this and you know where your calves are. You could get rid of 300 kcals in 20 mins, which is 75cm3 sweat, which is more than a pinch of salt
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
One piece of gym equipment I used in the States, but have never seen in the UK is the 'Stairmill'. Its a downward moving escalator of four steps you just keep climbing up until you drop off the bottom in a heap.
The closest in this country is the gym bike whacked up to full tilt where you have to stand on the pedals to keep the thing moving.
Either that or the treadmill at max gradient ( 15% ) and a 8kmh walking speed. 20 mins of this and you know where your calves are. You could get rid of 300 kcals in 20 mins, which is 75cm3 sweat, which is more than a pinch of salt
I used to use on of them regularly maybe 15 years ago !! when i was in some sort of reasonable condition
,they were a biatch along with a proper cross county ski machine.I some times get calve cramp towards the end of a weeks commute , more when its hot as i work in a very hot un-air conditioned area and on top of breaks i can get through 2 litres of water just to stay hydrated .