cramps

When you have muscle cramps, your body is probably yearning for potassium, magnesium and calcium - the trio of minerals that helps to regulate activity in your nerves and muscles. These simple and accurate steps will help restore the trio minerals in your body, regaining your muscle's strength and abilities.

Don't ever use creatine.

Froze said:

That's why I use to take Stim-O-Stam because I too got cramps when I moved to the desert area of California and found myself getting cramps while riding when it was hot. Stim-O-Stam worked great. Now that I no longer live in the desert I haven't had the need for the pills.

So... what's in Stim-O-STam?
their web site does not really tell you (phosphates?)

cyberlegend1994 said:

Powerade Zero FTW. No sugar - sweetened with Splenda instead, sugar tends to inhibit re-hydration.

I agree with this. Works for me.

rparedes said:

So... what's in Stim-O-STam?
their web site does not really tell you (phosphates?)

I got the ingredients right off a bottle I have.

Supplement facts, serving size 3 tablets, amount per 3 tabs: Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) 90.0mg; phosphorus (phosphate complex) 300mg; potassium (as phosphates) 82.5. A complex of dibasic and mono basic sodium phosphates, other ingredients: hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, magnesium, sterate, microcrystalline cellulose, mineral oil, polyethylene glycol, stearic acid, sodium lauryl sulfate and tatanium dioxide.

You take 3 tabs 30-45 minutes before a ride and immediately after. But that is Stim-O Stam's directions, I got different directions from the LBS (this is the same LBS in Bakersfield CA called Action Sports that fielded a 4 man RAAM team that won), they told me to start out with 1 tab to 30 min before, take one if needed half way into the ride and one after the ride...if the cramps didn't stop after a 3 days to increase the dosage to 2/2/2; then if that didn't work to go 3/2/3/. The third dosage worked (3/2/3); then after about 2 weeks after doing that it way my LBS told me to go to 2/2/2 for 2 weeks and if the cramping didn't come back to go to 2/1/2 and keep dialing it down every two weeks. I got to 2/1/1, tried 1/1/1 but the cramps came mildly back.

For some reason This occurred only while I lived in the desert of CA, after moving from there I've had no problems.

That same LBS also told me to continue doing the Gatorade 50% diluted which is what they drank during the RAAM, except they added Cytomax after a ride which they admitted wouldn't be necessary for a person such as myself not who is not going to the edge of my endurance like a RAAM racer would.

Splenda by the way has a certain risk to it due to no long term studies yet. Sugar substitutes and the potential danger of Splenda
Duke Study Not Sweet on Splenda

I think there's too much controversy about Splenda that makes it worth even a small risk to use.

Sugar, like salt, can be good or bad depending if you get too little or too much. it was discovered in the early 1960’s that sugar helped with the transport of fluids across the cellular membranes in the bowel. In 1977, the British Medical Journal Lancet called this possibly the most important medical discovery of the 20th century. Sugar also provides needed calories, and as a carbohydrate, can help prevent ketoacidosis from occurring. But, as with salt, too much sugar can be detrimental, it can promote diarrhea, and make the loss of fluids worse.

This is one concern regarding the use of sports drinks, such as gatoraid, for rehydration therapy. Many of these commercially available mixtures simply have too much sugar. And this is why you should dilute Gatorade 50%.

You can make your own, I choose not to since 50% diluted Gatorade works just as well. The simplest formula is 3 Tablespoons of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt, dissolved in 1 liter of water. And before you go hacking off at me, this basic formula has been used effectively for more than 30 years by WHO, UNICEF, and other relief agencies and has saved millions of lives.

Cramps can be a result of not taking in enough potassium. Bananas are packed ful of it. I used to always eat a banana about an hour before a run if I had gotten a cramp the day before.

Tips from Mountain biking World Champion, Alison Dunlap.

She relates a little to cramping.

[ame=[MEDIA=youtube]9uc7ic6hJmM[/MEDIA]]YouTube - ‪Tips from a World Champion Alison Dunlap‬‎[/ame]

GV2013 said:

Cramps can be a result of not taking in enough potassium. Bananas are packed ful of it. I used to always eat a banana about an hour before a run if I had gotten a cramp the day before.

Bananas are good, problem was my body wasn't extracting enough potassium from the banana to effect my cramps; and I would eat 3 bananas 45 minutes before a ride and 2 bananas about 4 hours before. Once I started taking Stim-O-Stam I had no more issues. But these cramping issues with me only started happening when I moved to the desert of California and stopped when I left, thus I no longer have to take the pills.

Wow, that is a lot of bananas....

GV2013 said:

Wow, that is a lot of bananas....

Your not kidding, and sometimes all those bananas made my stomach sick. I only did that for 2 weeks trying to stop the cramps. One LBS said I wasn't drinking enough water which was what I thought too except my pee was a pale yellow which told me that I was getting enough fluid. I even went to a doctor and he said I was properly hydrated and found no abnormalities in the blood work, but being a non sports doctor working for an HMO, he was pretty much clueless. Fortunately the another LBS in town had the answer.

I forgot to mention, I was also eating yogurt and dairy products and increased eating such things as potatoes, tomatoes, broccoli, oranges, and drinking orange juice to no avail.

I ride in groups that can be 30+ cyclists at times and with that many cyclists someone is going to cramp. I can say for certainty that almost all of my cramps were primarily from fatigue and when one is suffering from a cramp stemming from fatigue, electrolytes and hydration will do little or nothing to help. From those in my group that cramp I often hear the same typical questions and answers.

"Are you drinking enough?"
"Yes"

"Are you taking electrolytes?"
"Yes"

"Are you eating enough"
"Yes"

When the person answers a confident yes to those questions then you have to trust that taking more electrolytes and more water may not be the solution. It is at that point one may want to break away from that old mindset and have a better understanding on the subject.

I am not eluding to a "one size fits all" kind of thought like the camp that only subscribes to "hydration and electrolytes" is the solution to all types of cramping.

In the case of myself and others in a very fast paced group ride one can find out that there are various levels of fitness and performance abilities. Some in our group are really strong cyclists and will absolutely tear the group apart with their pace on the front. Mile after mile the weaker of us in the group are riding above our fitness levels to the point where fatigue will play a potential major role in cramping, whether it be in the extreme heat or even in the cold of winter.

I still stick to the old school train of thought and use Endurolytes before the ride and mid ride. I use Hammer gels, Hammer Heed and Perpeptuem continually during the ride to replenish lost electrolytes and watch my time and miles on the cpu to feed and use these supplements during the ride at consistent intervals, but even with this I have still cramped and so do others in my group that try to hang mile after mile at a pace above our abilities. (that is not an endorsement for Hammer products. I just happen to get a huge discount on that brand)

Hydration, carbohydrate replacement, and electolyte replacement are a given and I notice that most of my group does as well. The only way to keep up in these fast paced groups and not bonk is to be constantly drinking and replacing lost nutrients.

So what is the point?
Not every cramp is caused by just electrolyte loss and dehyration. A number of people suffer from cramping based on sheer fatigue. What I have noticed now as I begin to be more disciplined with my training and stay within my prescribed training zones that fit my performance level using a power meter, I am not cramping. Here in the deep south I have been riding consistently in 100+ degree weather and I am still not cramping. So if you feel confident that you have properly hydrated and replaced nutrients you might want to reflect on the event and evaluate if you were fatigued before the event or going a bit above your fitness limts for too long of a period.

Another note is that I have come to training rides already fatigued from days of solo training and was pre-fatigued before the ride. I could sense in those first few miles that I either need to drop out of the fast paced pack or if I tried to keep up I was more than likely going to risk major cramping somewhere miles down the road.

Heat related cramps can again be prevented by lowering intensity levels. In this 100+ degree weather our group rides have shortened in distance and lowered in intensity for the safety of all riders.

Now that I understand what it is that causes my cramps I know to that I need to continue to improve my fitness level to hang with these fast group rides. As my fitness level rises cramping has becone less of an issue and again if the pace gets above my ability I can prevent cramping by tapering down the intensity level for the remaining miles as long as I taper before the first cramp is initiated.

References

Joe Friel
Ultra Fitness
Muscle Cramps | Sports Medicine Information
The Science of Sport: Muscle Cramps: Part III

Felt Rider, Your information absolutely correct. The only problem is when someone this time of the year, when it's very hot and folk are riding bikes or running, and are complaining of cramps more then they do in Spring, Fall and Winter...8 times out of 10 it's hydration, or both fatigue and hydration, but hydration is involved.

Froze said:

Felt Rider, Your information absolutely correct. The only problem is when someone this time of the year, when it's very hot and folk are riding bikes or running, and are complaining of cramps more then they do in Spring, Fall and Winter...8 times out of 10 it's hydration, or both fatigue and hydration, but hydration is involved.

I can easily agree with that.
This is one of those where the equation has a number of variables and one of the variables can trigger other variables or one variable alone can impact performance that day.

glycogen levels / replacement
hydration
electrolytes
intensity level / fatigue
environmental heat / core temperature

.....to name the big culprits and it is important for people to understand all of them so they can analyze their failed performance that day or by knowing all the causes can attempt to prevent and be safe while training.

Sometimes when it's really hot you just can't put out the same power and go as fast - the body becomes more involved with keeping cool. Trying to keep at the same pace as usual can become an exercise of over exertion... which can lead to cramps.

Try riding at early o' clock is possible.

Hydration works for some. Electrolytes. Sports Drinks. So on and so forth.

If you already know how to take care of your body, then this probably isn't the problem though. Pushing your muscles too hard seems the best possible way to cause cramping, and this can happen regardless of your bodies mineral, electrolyte or hydration levels. Humid and hot weather can be a huge additive to leg cramps - perhaps having something to do with the pores in your skin and condensation of air, or something like that? I am no scientist, but I use an organic product known as Stops Leg Cramps. Raw apple cider vinegar and a few other natural ingredients make up the liquid.

Initially I had took it with me on tough uphill rides thinking that I would stop and drink some as soon as the cramping started. This worked, but the taste is real strong and it made it difficult to get back to riding for a few minutes (but the cramp was gone and no pain remained!) More recently I have been drinking some before I head out or during my warm-up routine and it actually seems to prevent the cramps. I know my body very well, and I try not to push myself too far beyond my limits, so I am sure this does play into the fact that It's been quite a while since my last cycling leg cramp, but this stuff has really helped out a whole lot. Even for the leg cramps at night that sneak up on you after a long and tiring ride - I've found these are the kins that most often come from intense weather, particularly hot days to cold nights.

They give your money back if it doesn't work for you, so it's really worth a shot. Check out the link above

I can't even imagine drinking apple cider vinegar when out on a ride. Trying to drink it chilled at home is bad enough... LOL

I've done rides where it's been bone chilling cold in the morning, hot in the afternoon and literally almost freezing cold on the final descents from 8,000+ft at night with lights on the bike and I've had no pesky cramps come sneaking up on me after the ride 😉 Maybe it was the post ride beer.

What to drink or do for cramps is really gonna depend on what caused the cramps, ain't it? It's not as if cramps have only one cause.

Unfortunately, since Lux Interior died, there is one less type of cramps, and the world is poorer for it. RIP, Lux. Poison Ivy, PM me if you want my number.

[IMG]cyclingforums.com345Open ↗[/IMG]

Lol, very true. I have forced some down right before stretching or during warm-up. Doesn't taste very good but you can always wash it down or even mix it with some water or sports drink - I don't see why not.

Since I started using it b4 rides I haven't had a single problem - one thing I have found is that my muscles (if I let them) will go to a point where they completely give out on me. I guess the cramp is a bit of a warning before that, so you gotta learn your own limits when the cramps aren't coming.

I've read through some of these responses, much longer than need be. The answer is salt, plain and simple. Take a salt tablet about ever 30 minutes, or two every hour with plenty of water. Should make a big difference.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by CenturyRider88 [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

I've read through some of these responses, much longer than need be. The answer is salt, plain and simple. Take a salt tablet about ever 30 minutes, or two every hour with plenty of water. Should make a big difference.

Uhm, no. It's not that simple. Better luck next time.