Tensing legs at night

[kennf]

Weird question- as I start riding more I find myself constantly tensing up my legs at night, almost like I'm doing isometrics. Legs are always tired in the morning, and I feel like I'm never recovering from rides, regardless of how easy I take it the first few days after a hard workout. Is this the same as restless leg syndrome? Internet info on this is all over the place, but I was wondering if any fellow cyclists experienced this.

 

[garage sale GT]

Doa search on leg cramps. Well-covered issue.

 

[tonyzackery]

Sounds like a hydration, or lack thereof, issue. Your search WRT mitigating leg cramps as mentioned will uncover much information that will assist in maintaining proper hydration levels - especially after riding. I get the same sensations on occasion and I've determined dehydration is the cause. Good searching...

 

[Kxhod]

Google RLS Restless leg syndrome.
My legs twitch at night and sometimes it feels like ants or worms crawling in my legs.
Double doses of calcium helps.

 

[gavin rogers]

Hi.Had similar problem for years only to find it was my medication that I was taking for Cholestorol. If you are taking for same, check out Google " Statins" and get ready for the shock of your life. I have tried to follow a strict diet to be able to stop medication, but unfortunatelly my condition is such that I am tied to meds for life. Way around it is two Disprin pain tabs before I race and just resign myself to pain afterwards. Have been told pains from Statins "are not detremental" Only time will tell.Good luck

 

[Limbatus]

i am having this problem too. I've been riding about 5 -7K ft of vertical per day, typically in 2 rides lunch break and evening. I'm often tired riding by the end of the day, but still mobile. last night i woke up with terrible spasms in my hamstrings, and i tried to move to a chair to stretch my legs out, and i collapsed on the floor. I feel fine this morning, theres a bit of residual discomfort. this is happening to me every other week or so; is it dangerous? i seriously thought my hamstrings we're going to snap last night when i tried to stand up.

 

[swampy1970]

Obviously there's something somewhere that's not "happy" I'm guessing, since I've had similar that you could be dealing with overly tight glutes, lateral hip rotators and tight hamstrings

Easy glute fix:


You can also carry on doing that on your hamstrings to losen things up. Start with one leg in a similar motion to the glute/foam roller and if it's not too painful just rest both hamstrings on there and roll slowly on it. The key is to try and relax the muscles you're rolling. It's difficult to do at first and seems counter intuative.

Hamstring stretch:



Scott chillin in the hallway - it's not like he co-owns the best massage and bodywork place in the SF Bay Area and the entrance is just down the hallway...

Lateral hip rotator stretch on a table - the very table I was on last Saturday.



Sometimes if other muscles are overly tight you can get into a situation where the antagonist (or the opposite muscle) won't activate properly and often ends up feeling worse than the one that had the initial issue.

TFL and quads. This one shows doing it with a posture ball but if things are really really tight and sore a foam roller is best.



Roll onto your front to do your quads too. Remember to support your weight when on the roller. If the quads are tight they'll also be extremely sore when you do this. You can't relax them if you put too much weight on them.

Easy does it. Start gentle and only go harder/deeper if you can still relax. It's not a race and it only really works if you take your time and work at it.

If you suspect dietry woes - just go to the doc and get a full blood panel done and just tell them that you've been having issues with cramps, soreness and generally feeling crud.