Foot Cramps

Mark Robinson said:

I'm a road rider for the six warm months, 75 to 100 miles
per week and take two or three spin classes a week in the
winter. For about the last 9 months or so I've been having
cramps in the bottom of my feet one ot twice a week. Three
middle toes get pulled down and it's painful! What's going
on? What can I do to prevent the cramps? I'm 54 years old.

Sounds like you need some more arch support. I'm
assuming you don't use any sort of orthotics or anything
in your shoes?

In article <[email hidden]>,

Mark Robinson said:

I'm a road rider for the six warm months, 75 to 100 miles
per week and take two or three spin classes a week in the
winter. For about the last 9 months or so I've been having
cramps in the bottom of my feet one ot twice a week. Three
middle toes get pulled down and it's painful! What's going
on? What can I do to prevent the cramps? I'm 54 years old.

This can happen to me when my shoes are too lose, too much
room in the toe box. Insoles can help if that's the problem.

HardwareLust said:

Mark Robinson said:

I'm a road rider for the six warm months, 75 to 100 miles
per week and take two or three spin classes a week in the
winter. For about the last 9 months or so I've been having
cramps in the bottom of my feet one ot twice a week. Three
middle toes get pulled down and it's painful! What's going
on? What can I do to prevent the cramps? I'm 54 years old.

Sounds like you need some more arch support. I'm
assuming you don't use any sort of orthotics or anything
in your shoes?

I agree, that's definitely a shoe problem. Toes don't really
do anything when pedalling.

"Zog The Undeniable" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:40c18429.0@entanet...

Quoted message said:

HardwareLust said:

Mark Robinson said:

I'm a road rider for the six warm months, 75 to 100
miles per week and take two or three spin classes a week
in the winter. For about the last 9 months or so I've
been having cramps in the bottom of my feet one ot twice
a week. Three middle toes get pulled down and it's
painful! What's going on? What can I do to prevent the
cramps? I'm 54 years old.

Sounds like you need some more arch support. I'm
assuming you don't use any sort of orthotics or anything
in your shoes?

I agree, that's definitely a shoe problem. Toes don't
really do anything when pedalling.

It may be a shoe problem. The people I've known to suffer
from this normally had SPDs and the smaller cleat was
causing pressure into the lower instep.

Thicker socks can help to spread the pressure. It's also
worth checking that the top straps aren't too tight and
restricting circulation.
--
Mark South: World Citizen, Net Denizen

Zog The Undeniable said:

HardwareLust said:

Mark Robinson said:

I'm a road rider for the six warm months, 75 to 100
miles per week and take two or three spin classes a week
in the winter. For about the last 9 months or so I've
been having cramps in the bottom of my feet one ot twice
a week. Three middle toes get pulled down and it's
painful! What's going on? What can I do to prevent the
cramps? I'm 54 years old.

Sounds like you need some more arch support. I'm
assuming you don't use any sort of orthotics or anything
in your shoes?

I agree, that's definitely a shoe problem. Toes don't
really do anything when pedalling.

I don't believe the OP was claiming that his pain was the
result of using the toes. What I understood was that he was
having pain in the bottom of his foot and at the same time
the muscles in the bottom of his foot were contracting,
causing the three middle toes to get "pulled down" as the
OP put it.

It is definitely premature to declare this a shoe problem.
Lots of different things could be causing this.

The other replies seem to focus on the shoes. I would
suggest that it is the initial symptoms of hydration or
electolyte problems.

You drinking enough? How about sodium/potassium/magnesium
replacement? Especially if you're out in the warm months,
and inside sweating with no breeze in the winter... Perhaps
a nutritionist can help you figure out the right things to
take. (I'd recommend some, but they work for me, and
everyone is different....)

Dave

"Mark Robinson" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:UW5wc.4902$Gx4.3973@bgtnsc04-
news.ops.worldnet.att.net...

Quoted message said:

I'm a road rider for the six warm months, 75 to 100 miles
per week and

take

Quoted message said:

two or three spin classes a week in the winter. For about
the last 9

months

Quoted message said:

or so I've been having cramps in the bottom of my feet one
ot twice a

week.

Quoted message said:

Three middle toes get pulled down and it's painful! What's
going on?

What

Quoted message said:

can I do to prevent the cramps? I'm 54 years old.

On Fri, 04 Jun 2004 21:35:48 GMT in rec.bicycles.tech, "Mark

Robinson said:

I'm a road rider for the six warm months, 75 to 100 miles
per week and take two or three spin classes a week in the
winter. For about the last 9 months or so I've been having
cramps in the bottom of my feet one ot twice a week. Three
middle toes get pulled down and it's painful! What's going
on? What can I do to prevent the cramps? I'm 54 years old.

when i get foot cramps, they usually start in my calves ---
the achilles tendon gets too tight. try doing the classic
heel stretches, leaning against the wall and stretching
your heels.

it also helps to make sure that your electrolyte levels
aren't depleted. if you are sweating much, you should be
drinking a sports drink to replace the salts that you
sweat out.

On Sat, 05 Jun 2004 09:47:07 -0800, [email hidden]

(Dennis P. Harris) said:

On Fri, 04 Jun 2004 21:35:48 GMT in rec.bicycles.tech,

Mark Robinson said:

I'm a road rider for the six warm months, 75 to 100 miles
per week and take two or three spin classes a week in the
winter. For about the last 9 months or so I've been
having cramps in the bottom of my feet one ot twice a
week. Three middle toes get pulled down and it's painful!
What's going on? What can I do to prevent the cramps? I'm
54 years old.

when i get foot cramps, they usually start in my calves ---
the achilles tendon gets too tight. try doing the classic
heel stretches, leaning against the wall and stretching
your heels.

it also helps to make sure that your electrolyte levels
aren't depleted. if you are sweating much, you should be
drinking a sports drink to replace the salts that you
sweat out.

Excellent replies so far.

Also consider strengthening the muscles in the foot.

Mark Robinson said:

I'm a road rider for the six warm months, 75 to 100 miles
per week and take two or three spin classes a week in the
winter. For about the last 9 months or so I've been having
cramps in the bottom of my feet one ot twice a week. Three
middle toes get pulled down and it's painful! What's going
on? What can I do to prevent the cramps? I'm 54 years old.

I've had a similar problem where it feels like I have
muscles in the sole of my foot and they cramp up ( like the
muscles in my calves do sometimes on a hot day in the
saddle). But this has only happened to me *after* a ride
while I'm resting and just flexing my foot.

[email hidden] (Anonymous) wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Mark Robinson said:

I'm a road rider for the six warm months, 75 to 100 miles
per week and take two or three spin classes a week in the
winter. For about the last 9 months or so I've been having
cramps in the bottom of my feet one ot twice a week. Three
middle toes get pulled down and it's painful! What's going
on? What can I do to prevent the cramps? I'm 54 years old.

I've had a similar problem where it feels like I have
muscles in the sole of my foot and they cramp up ( like
the muscles in my calves do sometimes on a hot day in the
saddle). But this has only happened to me *after* a ride
while I'm resting and just flexing my foot.

I used to get these same cramps. This is plantar fascitis.
You probably have high arches and need arch support. The
cramps occur when you get too much stress on a tight tendon,
from working out or moving after sleeping (when the tendon
is contracted for a while.) If your arches are really high
you will need custom orthotics, otherwise you can try over
the counter arch supports from a drugstore. I recommend you
see a podiatrist; I learned a lot from a visit.

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