anyone cured their cramps?

"the blur" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]

Quoted message said:

so my buddy reliably gets fairly severe cramps about 2 1/2 -3 hrs
into a ride. he drinks a lot of gatorade, eats snacks (sports bars)
during the ride, but still has to get off his bike and lie in the
dirt at the side of the road, while we try to staighten his rather
strong legs out. has anyone had a similar problem? did anything help?
thanks. sorry if this isn't about cycling equipment.

Dehydration is not the only source of cramps. Lack of quinine and/or
potassium can also cause them. Non-prescription quinine you can get from
tonic water, potassium from bananas.

--

A: Top-posters.
Q: What is the most annoying thing on Usenet?

Originally posted by Drs

Dehydration is not the only source of cramps. Lack of quinine and/or
potassium can also cause them. Non- prescription quinine you can get
from tonic water, potassium from bananas.

--
gatorade has potassium in it. i was thinking of recomending tonic water,
however i was concerned with strenuous exercise and arythmias, since i
guess it is similar ( an isomer) to quinidine, a cardiac rhythm drug.
anyone used quinine?

--

I have a friend that lives on quinine when we do long rides. I believe you
can only get it with a prescription. Years ago it was taken off the
shelves because women were using it to cause abortion.

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

Quoted message said:

Originally posted by Drs

Dehydration is not the only source of cramps. Lack of quinine and/or
potassium can also cause them. Non- prescription quinine you can get
from tonic water, potassium from bananas.

--
gatorade has potassium in it. i was thinking of recomending tonic water,
however i was concerned with strenuous exercise and arythmias, since i
guess it is similar ( an isomer) to quinidine, a cardiac rhythm drug.
anyone used quinine?

--

In article <[email hidden]>,

the blur said:

so my buddy reliably gets fairly severe cramps about 2 1/2 -3 hrs into a
ride. he drinks a lot of gatorade, eats snacks (sports bars) during the
ride, but still has to get off his bike and lie in the dirt at the side
of the road, while we try to staighten his rather strong legs out. has
anyone had a similar problem? did anything help? thanks. sorry if this
isn't about cycling equipment.

To rule out dehydration, try weighing before and after the
ride. In some climates you can drink a lot and still end up
with a deficit.

This web page has some useful cramping information for cyclists:

http://www.roadbikerider.com/cramps.htm

I have had some success use calcium-magnesium pills which are
available at the supermarket. Some people report success eating
Tums as well which are also conveniently available.

You can get a more comprehensive (and expensive) mineral supplement
such as this:

http://www.e-caps.com/products/detail.cfm?div=Products&cat=Hammer&det=Endurolytes&sku=EL

Quoted message said:

....Non-prescription quinine you can get from tonic water...

A quick Google search turned up these... draw your own conclusions.

A few small studies suggest that quinine is effective in decreasing the
frequency of nocturnal leg cramps but not their severity or duration.
Quinine consumed in commercial beverages has been reported to cause
potentially fatal immunologically mediated hypersensitivity reactions. The
concentration of quinine in commercial beverages varies greatly. Although
commercial beverages containing quinine generally are labeled "Contains
quinine," they typically lack both nutritional information about the amount
of quinine and warnings of the health risks. It appears that 325 milligrams
of quinine taken by mouth at bedtime typically relieves nocturnal leg
cramps, but lower starting doses are appropriate for senior citizens and
individuals with impaired renal function. In general, quinine in any form
should be avoided by pregnant women and people with hepatic failure. Quinine
consumed for the treatment of leg cramps should be prescribed and monitored
by physicians, and people who consume quinine in commercial beverages must
be warned of the health risks.

From another site:

The risks associated with quinine relate to the side effects. These include
ringing in the ears, decreased hearing, vertigo, blurred vision, nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, flushing or itching of the skin,
headache, and fever.
In particular, quinine should not be used by people with ringing in the ears
(tinnitus) or nerve disease of the nerve to the eyes (optic nerve). Patients
with irregular heart rhythms, such as atrial fibrillation, should talk to
their doctor about whether they can take quinine.

Cheers, Shawn

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In article <[email hidden]>,

the blur said:

so my buddy reliably gets fairly severe cramps about 2 1/2 -3 hrs into a
ride. he drinks a lot of gatorade, eats snacks (sports bars) during the
ride, but still has to get off his bike and lie in the dirt at the side
of the road, while we try to staighten his rather strong legs out. has
anyone had a similar problem? did anything help? thanks. sorry if this
isn't about cycling equipment.

_ Gatorade is pretty awful stuff. I've had much better luck with
Cytomax. I've dealt with this problem in several sports
(windsurfing, skiing, running, cycling) and generally if I keep
the fluids up I don't have problems. However, nobody really knows
what causes exercise induced cramps, so there is no "one size
fits all" solution. Sports bars in this case could actually
worsen the problem as your stomach uses blood when digesting. For
3 hr rides, eating is probably not a good idea. If this is 3 hrs
into a longer ride, I would try eating banannas rather than
"sports bar", some of which are just awful. They are just
slightly more nutrious candy bars. Clearly, what he's doing
now is not working.

_ He might also try sport gels like GU, but be careful. Most of
them have some level of caffiene.

_ Booker C. Bense

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Quoted message said:

I have a friend that lives on quinine when we do long rides. I believe

you

Quoted message said:

can only get it with a prescription. Years ago it was taken off the
shelves because women were using it to cause abortion.

Quinine sulfate is distributed by prescription. Maybe the OP was talking
about quinine water solutions.

Pat in TX

I used to have a severe problem with hyponatremia. I'd not only cramp
(and for hours after the ride) but have almost colorless urine for hours
as well - while continuing to experience dehydration symptoms.

What worked for me is a HammerGel product - Endurolytes. They have
sodium, potassium, magnesium, chromium, and a few other ions.

Last AUG, I rode across (very humid!) southern IL where a heat index
approached 110 F. Popping the Endurolytes like M&M's, I experienced no
dehydration or electrolyte balance problems.

the blur <[email hidden]> wrote in news:azwmc.212$im1.51
@fe14.usenetserver.com:

Quoted message said:

so my buddy reliably gets fairly severe cramps about 2 1/2 -3 hrs into

a

Quoted message said:

ride. he drinks a lot of gatorade, eats snacks (sports bars) during

the

Quoted message said:

ride, but still has to get off his bike and lie in the dirt at the

side

Quoted message said:

of the road, while we try to staighten his rather strong legs out. has
anyone had a similar problem? did anything help? thanks. sorry if this
isn't about cycling equipment.

the blur said:

so my buddy reliably gets fairly severe cramps about 2 1/2 -3 hrs into a
ride. he drinks a lot of gatorade, eats snacks (sports bars) during the
ride, but still has to get off his bike and lie in the dirt at the side
of the road, while we try to staighten his rather strong legs out. has
anyone had a similar problem? did anything help? thanks. sorry if this
isn't about cycling equipment.

A friend cured his hamstring cramps by weight training to make them
stronger. He reasoned they were weak enough than even the low stress
he put on them while cycling was nevertheless taxing them to the
limit.

the blur said:

so my buddy reliably gets fairly severe cramps about 2 1/2 -3 hrs into a
ride. he drinks a lot of gatorade, eats snacks (sports bars) during the
ride, but still has to get off his bike and lie in the dirt at the side
of the road, while we try to staighten his rather strong legs out. has
anyone had a similar problem? did anything help? thanks. sorry if this
isn't about cycling equipment.

Ride more. I used to be mainly a weekend warrior. When our club had
those more taxing rides I would inevitably cramp-up. Now that I ride
five days a week I rarely cramp-up. Still get them though. Just not as
often or severe.

Kenny Lee

"Shawn Amir" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

....Non-prescription quinine you can get from tonic water...

A quick Google search turned up these... draw your own conclusions.

A few small studies suggest that quinine is effective in decreasing
the frequency of nocturnal leg cramps but not their severity or
duration.

I take prescribed quinine bisulphate tablets precisely because I suffer from
cramps in my calves and feet, mostly but not always at night. They're the
next best thing to magic. However, since I now train regularly (gym/road
cycling), eat properly and have given up the smokes they have all but
disappeared.

[...]

Quoted message said:

The risks associated with quinine relate to the side effects. These
include ringing in the ears, decreased hearing, vertigo, blurred
vision, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, flushing or
itching of the skin, headache, and fever.

I've never suffered any of those side effects from quinine. Then again, I
ignore the "take one daily after food" nonsense on the label and just have
one when I need to, at most once per week these days and that's more
prophylactic than anything else.

--

A: Top-posters.
Q: What is the most annoying thing on Usenet?

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

Quoted message said:

so my buddy reliably gets fairly severe cramps about 2 1/2 -3 hrs into a
ride. he drinks a lot of gatorade, eats snacks (sports bars) during the
ride, but still has to get off his bike and lie in the dirt at the side
of the road, while we try to staighten his rather strong legs out. has
anyone had a similar problem? did anything help? thanks. sorry if this
isn't about cycling equipment.

for relief: firmly press between the lip & nose, the skin to the
teeth. it's an acupunture kinda pressure point. (tho some say press
the lower lip for lower body issues.)
i don't think Gatorade have anywhere near enuff Na or P: consider
how much salt collects on your togs. i'd spike whatever i'm drinking,
typically powdered Ice-Tea, w/ Morton Lite-Salt. (i don't cook w/ it;
i think the heat breaks it down & give the food a metallic taste.)

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

Quoted message said:

so my buddy reliably gets fairly severe cramps about 2 1/2 -3 hrs into a
ride. he drinks a lot of gatorade, eats snacks (sports bars)

---------------

I've tried all kinds of things.... have a tendancy to cramp up after
2-3 hours myself, or in the bike/run transitions of triathlons. I ride
almost every day commuting, and then long rides a couple times a week.
- 12-16 oz of tonic water the night before seems to help,
but it may be the Gin. 😉
- before a ride, take a swig of pickle juice. Pro football teams are
doing it,
and it seems to help.
- drink mostly water, not sports drinks... it seems to rehydrate
faster
- I had no improvement with mag-calcium suppliments

d

dan baker said:

- drink mostly water, not sports drinks... it seems to rehydrate
faster

No, it doesn't. Plain water is absorbed more slowly than a sports
drink. On long, hot rides, drinking plain water is a recipe for
hyponatremia. At the Hawaii Ironman, about half of the competitors
finish being both dehydrated and hyponatremic.

http://www.geo-outdoors.info/hyponatremia.htm
--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

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

Quoted message said:

so my buddy reliably gets fairly severe cramps about 2 1/2 -3 hrs into a
ride. he drinks a lot of gatorade, eats snacks (sports bars) during the
ride, but still has to get off his bike and lie in the dirt at the side
of the road, while we try to staighten his rather strong legs out. has
anyone had a similar problem? did anything help? thanks. sorry if this
isn't about cycling equipment.

My rides are generally much longer than 3 hours but here are my
comments. First, your friend may just need to ride more often, as in
more days of the week and more consistantly. I believe this will help
even if his added rides are no more than 30-40 minutes.

Second, if Potassium and Sodium deficiencies are his problem then
Gatorade and sports bars don't have near enough of either to replace
what is lost to sweat. The reason is simple. If they did then they
would taste bad and they wouldn't sell as much.

I never had much problem with cramps until I started doing events of
greater than 200 miles. In my case, the problem was sodium. I now
carry a few of those small packets of salt that you get at fast food
joints and put one on my tongue every 50-60 miles. I no longer have
leg cramping problems. Some drinks like V8 juice have a very high
concentration of sodium and can be used instead.

There are many causes of leg cramps. This is just info from my own
experience.
Tom

the blur said:

Originally posted by Drs

Dehydration is not the only source of cramps. Lack of quinine and/or
potassium can also cause them. Non- prescription quinine you can get
from tonic water, potassium from bananas.

--
gatorade has potassium in it. i was thinking of recomending tonic water,
however i was concerned with strenuous exercise and arythmias, since i
guess it is similar ( an isomer) to quinidine, a cardiac rhythm drug.
anyone used quinine?

Gatorade doesn't have much of nothin' in it. Use it as a base if you
like, or get some lemonade mix. Add a pinch of salt -- lite salt
(potassium) every now and then. Drink. Ride. Drink.

Pat