Muscle Cramps

[DomDom]

Rode the Wentwood 50 K today, great fun and was pleased with my time in, however, had to manage cramp.

I drank before the ride - 750ml of water with Torq, ate porridge, banana and had a little stretch...
I drank more than 3 litres of water with Torq during ride and ate bananas, flapjack Go bars, carb/electrolyte gels every hour (Torq ones)

...and still I had cramp. The pain did not stop me altogether but it needed managing and it slowed me down on the climbs

It was a tough ride with stacks of climbing...

Please, does anyone know what I could try next time on an Endurance Ride.

I don't stretch like I used to so am going to get back into doing that...
Anything else? Apart from carrying half of Boots the Chemist in my camelbak!!

Tell me it's not my age, tell me I can get it sorted - is it really just simply more training hard!!

[DaMilkyBarKid]

Was discussed on this thread recently if that's any help:

http://www.mbr.co.uk/forums/showthre...dration-how-to

[xendistar]

Hi Dom as Milky says I started a thread on this so you might want to check out that thread but in short you need to drink an electrolyte drink to replace the lost minerals as you sweat, drinking water and energy drinks is not enough. Check out the thread.

[KurvZ]

I did a 100km on the road Saturday it was a loop so on the go all the time avg speed just under 18mph was my first club run , I didn't get any cramp just sore legs , I ate 4 weetabix for Breakie eat 3 bananas whilst riding drunk 650ml of sugar free squash and drunk appx 200ml of High 5 Zero , gonna look into the above post mentioned ..

[DomDom]

Isn't Torq powder as in 3 scoops / 750ml and electrolyte powder? Perhaps cramp = not fit
I have also read that to make an isotonic drink (is that the same as an electrolyte drink!!??), that you just need high juice, dilute with water and add a pinch of salt!! Now that would be cheaper. I think I lack magnesium as well.

Cheers

[fredmundo]

isotonic just means that it had the same osmotic potential as (in this context) your blood/stomach lining. This just means that you can absorb the nutrients into your system faster.

Typically salts are used to set/provide the osmotic pressure this but they may not be the ones that you need to stop cramp. Check the ingredients as to whether it does contain electrolytes and perhaps which ones it contains.

[steve_sordy]

Gosh, there's some knowledge on this forum!

[DomDom]

and electrolytes? Are they potassium and magnesium for example? I have some new powder to try and it looks great and it's natural too

[fredmundo]

My old old biochemistry knowledge (15yrs since even thinking about it seriously) recall tells me you want sodium and potassium for proper nervous function.
I also recall potassium being the ion used got the cation pump.
Magnesium I'd also required but I can't remember what for.

[Aldo]

Iirc, Magnesium is used in metabolism to help the muscles relax, without it they cramp up.