Correlation between RLS and cycling

Brian Wax said:

Sorry if this has been addressed...

Has there been any studies/evidence of a connection between restless leg
syndrome (RLS) and heavy cycling? Since my riding has been reduced I
experience tingling and twitching in my legs at night. It is bad enough
that my wife complains about my thrashing around when asleep. If I
experience it while trying to go to sleep, I have to flex, stretch and
walk until the sensations go away. I think I am a genuine "Nightwalker" :~(

Brian-I've experienced RLS on and off for about a decade & in my case at
least there definitely seems to be a positive correlation between the
severity of the symptoms & exercise intensity (more exercise = worse
RLS), not only biking, but also walking, weight lifting, you name it.
With upper body weight lifting, I have had the same sensations across my
chest at night. Extremely annoying. One theory is that RLS results
from an inability of the same portion of the brain implicated in
Parkinson's disease to utilize iron in the production of dopamine, and
some get relief from iron supplementation
http://live.psu.edu/index.php?sec=vs&story=3207. Others have reported
relief from magnesium, calcium & potassium supplements as well (in the
case of potassium, over the counter salt substitutes provide the
cheapest source). Both iron & potassium can be toxic in sufficient
doses, calcium & magnesium are safe, though the latter may give you
diarhea. Any effect of these minerals has been unclear in my case. I
actually find if I am able to fall asleep quickly, I am OK (at least,
I'm ASLEEP), to that end I take 12.5 mg (1/2 a tab) of the OTC sleep aid
doxylamine succinate (generic "unisom", much cheaper than the brand
name) each night. Works well most of the time, and unlike prescription
drugs it builds up no tolerance. Following a hiatus of about 15 years,
I began cycling again after walking for some weeks for exercise. At the
moment I am fairly free of the more irritating RLS symptoms, using only
the sleep aid. I am at a cycling level I am comfortable with for the
purposes of keeping fit at my age (47), about 60 miles/4 hours per week
total, riding every other day. You may want to consider a sleep study
(I keep meaning to do this... ), some sites with info on this topic are
http://www.aasmnet.org/ & http://www.sleepfoundation.org/ &
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/ncsdr/ & http://www.sleepapnea.org/.
More info on RLS can be found at http://www.rlshelp.org/ and
http://www.rls.org/.

Good luck,

Dan

Brian Wax said:

Sorry if this has been addressed...

Has there been any studies/evidence of a connection between restless
leg syndrome (RLS) and heavy cycling? Since my riding has been reduced
I experience tingling and twitching in my legs at night. It is bad
enough that my wife complains about my thrashing around when
asleep. If I experience it while trying to go to sleep, I have to
flex, stretch and walk until the sensations go away. I think I am a
genuine "Nightwalker" :~(

As you probobly know, RLS is one of those quite common, yet poorly
understood conditions. It seems that lots of factors can affect it,
and many people do report that moderate exercise helps. I'm not
personaly aware of any studies specificaly addressing cycling and RLS,
but I haven't looked very hard either. Studies have shown an
association with lack of exercise.

How come you had to stop cycling? Was cycling something you enjoyed?

--
"She certainly seems to respond to visual stimuli..."
Bill Frist, M.D., Cat Fancier.

Thanks for the info Dan! It is truly annoying and seems worse if I am not
exhausted or sore from riding. I feel tingling and charging in my legs like
I am about to run 100 yard dash. That or while I am just about to doze off,
my legs will start twitching. If my legs (or leg) is bent, it will suddenly
snap straight. It is like an electrical shock but without the pain from high
voltage. My wife says I do this while I am totally asleep and it drives her
nuts.

I better start riding hard again to save my marriage. Now how much better of
an excuse can one make to stay on the bike 2 plus hours a day. :~)

I am in Palo Alto and will look into the sleep disorder clinic at Stanford.

B

"Dan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Brian Wax said:

Sorry if this has been addressed...

Has there been any studies/evidence of a connection between restless leg
syndrome (RLS) and heavy cycling? Since my riding has been reduced I
experience tingling and twitching in my legs at night. It is bad enough
that my wife complains about my thrashing around when asleep. If I
experience it while trying to go to sleep, I have to flex, stretch and
walk until the sensations go away. I think I am a genuine "Nightwalker"
:~(

Brian-I've experienced RLS on and off for about a decade & in my case at
least there definitely seems to be a positive correlation between the
severity of the symptoms & exercise intensity (more exercise = worse RLS),
not only biking, but also walking, weight lifting, you name it. With upper
body weight lifting, I have had the same sensations across my chest at
night. Extremely annoying. One theory is that RLS results from an
inability of the same portion of the brain implicated in Parkinson's
disease to utilize iron in the production of dopamine, and some get relief
from iron supplementation http://live.psu.edu/index.php?sec=vs&story=3207.
Others have reported relief from magnesium, calcium & potassium
supplements as well (in the case of potassium, over the counter salt
substitutes provide the cheapest source). Both iron & potassium can be
toxic in sufficient doses, calcium & magnesium are safe, though the latter
may give you diarhea. Any effect of these minerals has been unclear in my
case. I actually find if I am able to fall asleep quickly, I am OK (at
least, I'm ASLEEP), to that end I take 12.5 mg (1/2 a tab) of the OTC
sleep aid doxylamine succinate (generic "unisom", much cheaper than the
brand name) each night. Works well most of the time, and unlike
prescription drugs it builds up no tolerance. Following a hiatus of about
15 years, I began cycling again after walking for some weeks for exercise.
At the moment I am fairly free of the more irritating RLS symptoms, using
only the sleep aid. I am at a cycling level I am comfortable with for the
purposes of keeping fit at my age (47), about 60 miles/4 hours per week
total, riding every other day. You may want to consider a sleep study (I
keep meaning to do this... ), some sites with info on this topic are
http://www.aasmnet.org/ & http://www.sleepfoundation.org/ &
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/ncsdr/ & http://www.sleepapnea.org/. More
info on RLS can be found at http://www.rlshelp.org/ and
http://www.rls.org/.

Good luck,

Dan

In article <[email hidden]>,

Brian Wax said:

Thanks for the info Dan! It is truly annoying and seems worse if I am not
exhausted or sore from riding.

I get RLS if I cut back too quickly on riding.
I get it to a lesser extent if I increase riding too quickly, or
stop riding altogether.

The solution for me is to keep riding and to taper down to my winter riding
level slowly.

Eric

I have not stopped entirely but I am having a difficult time staying with
the regimen. Other demands for my time and getting hit by a car on El Camino
disrupted my dedication. After the accident, I have had a hard time being
consistent.

I LOVE cycling!! I hope to get back to it. I rode the other day and found
myself at 80 + rpm after warming up. I love hitting my spin sweet spot (85
rpm) and staying there against the wind the hills and other riders. I would
ride 125 plus miles a week through the hills for no other purpose other than
the sheer pleasure of riding.

I may be searching for excuses but I am wondering if sleep deprivation is
impacting my energy level. I say this because I believe "if there is the
will there is a way".

Lately when time permits, I will usually jump on a motorcycle and head to
Davenport for breakfast or lunch.

B

"Jim Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Brian Wax said:

Sorry if this has been addressed...

Has there been any studies/evidence of a connection between restless
leg syndrome (RLS) and heavy cycling? Since my riding has been reduced
I experience tingling and twitching in my legs at night. It is bad
enough that my wife complains about my thrashing around when
asleep. If I experience it while trying to go to sleep, I have to
flex, stretch and walk until the sensations go away. I think I am a
genuine "Nightwalker" :~(

As you probobly know, RLS is one of those quite common, yet poorly
understood conditions. It seems that lots of factors can affect it,
and many people do report that moderate exercise helps. I'm not
personaly aware of any studies specificaly addressing cycling and RLS,
but I haven't looked very hard either. Studies have shown an
association with lack of exercise.

How come you had to stop cycling? Was cycling something you enjoyed?

--
"She certainly seems to respond to visual stimuli..."
Bill Frist, M.D., Cat Fancier.

Brian Wax said:

Thanks for the info Dan! It is truly annoying and seems worse if I am
not exhausted or sore from riding. I feel tingling and charging in my
legs like I am about to run 100 yard dash. That or while I am just about
to doze off, my legs will start twitching. If my legs (or leg) is bent,
it will suddenly snap straight. It is like an electrical shock but
without the pain from high voltage. My wife says I do this while I am
totally asleep and it drives her nuts.

I better start riding hard again to save my marriage. Now how much
better of an excuse can one make to stay on the bike 2 plus hours a day.
:~)

I am in Palo Alto and will look into the sleep disorder clinic at Stanford.

B

No problem Brian. BTW you should be aware that a wide range of OTC &
common prescription drugs can cause/worsen RLS and related disorders
called "periodic limb movement disorder/periodic limb movement during
sleep" (PLMD/PLMS), including SSRI's (prozac, etc.) tricyclic
antidepressants (elavil, etc.) H2 blockers used for acid indigestion
(like Zantac/ranitidine) and a whole slew of antihistimine containing
cough/cold/allergy preperations. Here's a pretty good list, though it's
a bit messy to read because it's a translation from Dutch (I think):
http://www.restlesslegs.nu/explorer/Drug_inducedRLS.htm

Dan

Sat, 18 Jun 2005 20:19:22 GMT,
<[email hidden]>, "Brian Wax"

Quoted message said:

If my legs (or leg) is bent, it will suddenly
snap straight. It is like an electrical shock but without the pain from high
voltage. My wife says I do this while I am totally asleep and it drives her
nuts.

I better start riding hard again to save my marriage.

Or you could invest in some of the more interesting restraint devices
and take turns using them on each other.
--
zk

Naw. We have grown beyond that. We go to church when ever the privates get
wiggly. After all, if Dr. Frist has it right how would you know? Besides
all the restraints are back ordered due to the demand in Gitmo.

"Zoot Katz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Sat, 18 Jun 2005 20:19:22 GMT,
<[email hidden]>, "Brian Wax"

Quoted message said:

If my legs (or leg) is bent, it will suddenly
snap straight. It is like an electrical shock but without the pain from
high
voltage. My wife says I do this while I am totally asleep and it drives
her
nuts.

I better start riding hard again to save my marriage.

Or you could invest in some of the more interesting restraint devices
and take turns using them on each other.
--
zk

"Brian Wax" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Sorry if this has been addressed...

Everything has been addressed in a 'Nothing new under the sun' manner.

Quoted message said:

Has there been any studies/evidence of a connection between restless leg
syndrome (RLS) and heavy cycling? Since my riding has been reduced I
experience tingling and twitching in my legs at night. It is bad enough
that my wife complains about my thrashing around when asleep. If I
experience it while trying to go to sleep, I have to flex, stretch and
walk until the sensations go away. I think I am a genuine "Nightwalker"
:~(

Anecdote time. I've seen other people with it. I find it annoying myself -
sitting next to someone who is constant tapping their foot.

Those that I know who constantly have to move their legs were definitely
not cyclist. While I before I started cycling and now have never done that.
I have motionless leg syndrome [MLS] 🙂

Though I have found that after developing the cycling muscles I often like
to stretch my legs - stretching the muscles in the opposite way from cycling
when I've been sitting for a time, like at a computer.

--
'Rockin' and rollin' in overdrive
My heart's beating like a jackhammer,
It's the midnight ride for the gear jammer'
-george thorogood

: Anecdote time. I've seen other people with it. I find it annoying
myself -
: sitting next to someone who is constant tapping their foot.

This doesn't necessarily have anything to do with RLS. My son has done that
all of his life and he doesn't have RLS.

: Those that I know who constantly have to move their legs were definitely
: not cyclist. While I before I started cycling and now have never done
that.
: I have motionless leg syndrome [MLS] 🙂

I know a guy who does have RLS and he only jerks his legs when he is asleep.
That's what he says, any way.

Pat in TX

Brian Wax said:

Sorry if this has been addressed...

Has there been any studies/evidence of a connection between restless leg
syndrome (RLS) and heavy cycling? Since my riding has been reduced I
experience tingling and twitching in my legs at night. It is bad enough that
my wife complains about my thrashing around when asleep. If I experience it
while trying to go to sleep, I have to flex, stretch and walk until the
sensations go away. I think I am a genuine "Nightwalker" :~(

Hi Brian,

I mentioned this once to a coworker, who was a swimmer, and she said
"Oh that's lack of calcium".

Mine went away by itself so I dunno but at least it's easy to try.

Doug

I am on it. I will also try other supplements. I have been looking for the
pod under my bed and in my closet. No body snatchers that I am aware of.
Seriously, thanks for your input. RLS is truly annoying.

Dr. Frist may suggest that I am possessed, therefore I am going to seek the
advice of a knowledgeable doctor. :~)

Brian
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Brian Wax said:

Sorry if this has been addressed...

Has there been any studies/evidence of a connection between restless leg
syndrome (RLS) and heavy cycling? Since my riding has been reduced I
experience tingling and twitching in my legs at night. It is bad enough
that
my wife complains about my thrashing around when asleep. If I experience
it
while trying to go to sleep, I have to flex, stretch and walk until the
sensations go away. I think I am a genuine "Nightwalker" :~(

Hi Brian,

I mentioned this once to a coworker, who was a swimmer, and she said
"Oh that's lack of calcium".

Mine went away by itself so I dunno but at least it's easy to try.

Doug

As a fellow sufferer of RLS, I sympathize with your plight. Try
contacting the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic. You can find info at
www.stanford.edu, search for "sleep disorders".