over doing it.

[yorkshiregoth]

Since the recent spell of hot weather I have been increasing my daily distance. I am going for a ride during my break, taking longer routes home, and also going out for an evening ride or going to the gym and/or using the Wii Fit.

Not surprisingly I am getting muscle cramps in my legs (and sunburn). Should I take it easy for a few days or grin & bear it and hope my body gets used to the new (temporary) regime??

 

[Joe24]

If i am right, its due to a lak of salts and minerals i think.
This hot weather causes you to sweat more and so you loose salts and minerals in the body, which causes muscle cramps.
I'm sure i read it in C+ magazine.
And, if i remember right, eating nuts helps to get rid of it.
I think that is right. Might be wrong though.

 

[Dayvo]

Plenty of hydration, AND stretch!
Stretching is often overlooked or ignored (I'm guilty of it myself) but a few minutes will make a big difference to your suppleness/stiffness!

http://www.cobr.co.uk/e-cobr_inform...s/cycle_training/stretching/for_cycling.shtml

These are probably best done in the privacy of your own home!

 

[walker]

If i am right, its due to a lak of salts and minerals i think.
This hot weather causes you to sweat more and so you loose salts and minerals in the body, which causes muscle cramps.
I'm sure i read it in C+ magazine.
And, if i remember right, eating nuts helps to get rid of it.
I think that is right. Might be wrong though.

yes add a little more salt to the diet. don't go silly, just another table spoon will suffice

 

[on the road]

Be careful though because salt leads to high blood pressure. You'll probably be better off going for an energy drink like SIS Go.

 

[walker]

Be careful though because salt leads to high blood pressure. You'll probably be better off going for an energy drink like SIS Go.

which would lead to excessive calories, that will turn to fat, which goes back to your blood pressure point.
a little extra salt in the diet is fine while exercising, if you was sedentary it would cause problems and even then it would have to be excessive salt, adding no more than a tablespoon more into the diet during exercise will be fine, during summer/hotter conditions an extra half spoon is enough to keep cramp at bay.

 

[domtyler]

If you cycle regularly at a good pace, enough to sweat heavily then you can have as much salt as you want in your diet (within reason) as your body becomes far more efficient at excreting what it doesn't need.

I know that if I have a particularly salty meal one day, then the next my black cycling cap will have literally turned white and crusty with the salt crystals on it after one days commuting.

 

[Smeggers]

, then the next my black cycling cap will have literally turned white and crusty with the salt crystals on it after one days .

yeh yeh, we beleive you Dom.

 

[Twenty Inch]

Since the recent spell of hot weather I have been increasing my daily distance. I am going for a ride during my break, taking longer routes home, and also going out for an evening ride or going to the gym and/or using the Wii Fit.

Not surprisingly I am getting muscle cramps in my legs (and sunburn). Should I take it easy for a few days or grin & bear it and hope my body gets used to the new (temporary) regime??

Salt will help - or better yet, olives

But you've increased your effort too - try easing up for a week, and then doing three hard weeks, one recovery week.

 

[yorkshiregoth]

I do sometimes suffer from low blood pressure (100/60) anyway, so increasing my water & salt intake is I am sure a good idea.

 

[Horace Goes Skiing]

Lordy. There is some interesting advice in this thread. Dayvo is right, some others are downright wrong.

Muscle cramps after a substantial increase in activity? Most likely due to the extra strain on your muscles rather than a salt imbalance. I won't go into the details of why, but it's a classic case of too much, too quickly. Of course it helps to stay hydrated using an isotonic drink, but gulping teaspoons of salt isn't the answer unless you are severely dehydrated.

Take a nice balance of water and sugary/salty (isotonic) drinks when you are out and make sure you stretch when you get home. Also, make sure you take a day off now and then to recover.

Don't fanny about with salt when you have blood pressure issues - low or high. Keeping things balanced is much preferable to swinging between extremes.

 

[fossyant]

I'd also reinforce - don't add salt..... you get too much already - hydrate, and also take a rest/light day - too much too soon... ease off let the body get used to it ¬

 

[domtyler]

yeh yeh, we beleive you Dom.

Had a Chinese takeaway last night with my BiL who came round to watch the football, fairly salty I guess. Well take a look at this after this mornings commute Smeggers and you will see what I was referring to, note all the white crystaline deposits.

 

[Smeggers]

Had a Chinese takeaway last night with my BiL who came round to watch the football, fairly salty I guess. Well take a look at this after this mornings commute Smeggers and you will see what I was referring to, note all the white crystaline deposits.

I was being rude

 

[domtyler]

I was being rude

Smeggers? Rude? I just don't believe it!

Would you like a lick of my cap?