Calf Cramps



EasyDoesIt

New Member
Apr 11, 2005
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Hi all

Was out on the bike today only for an hour and a half but on the way back home i was crossing a busy road so had to do a little sprint on the way across the road. But halfway across i got a serious cramp in my calf muscle on my right leg. Had to take it very easy the rest of the way home and keep taking my foot out of my pedal and moving my leg around. This has happened a few times before but never this bad, and anytime it has happened i was easily able to ride it out by just slowing down for a bit, stretching and then i'd be back up to speed but today was the worse ever !

Anyone any idea why this happened or what i can do to prevent it happening again ? Should just say that a 1 and half hour spin is short for me i'd usually do 2 to 3 + hrs.

Thanks in advance
 
EasyDoesIt said:
Hi all

Was out on the bike today only for an hour and a half but on the way back home i was crossing a busy road so had to do a little sprint on the way across the road. But halfway across i got a serious cramp in my calf muscle on my right leg. Had to take it very easy the rest of the way home and keep taking my foot out of my pedal and moving my leg around. This has happened a few times before but never this bad, and anytime it has happened i was easily able to ride it out by just slowing down for a bit, stretching and then i'd be back up to speed but today was the worse ever !

Anyone any idea why this happened or what i can do to prevent it happening again ? Should just say that a 1 and half hour spin is short for me i'd usually do 2 to 3 + hrs.

Thanks in advance
Its hard to tell. Lack of water maybe. You may just need to recover, take a warm bath.
 
Fastguppy said:
Its hard to tell. Lack of water maybe. You may just need to recover, take a warm bath.
Not to say this is your problem, but cramping is said to be often the result of low potassium; you might try adding some bananas to your diet?
 





OldGoat said:
Not to say this is your problem, but cramping is said to be often the result of low potassium; you might try adding some bananas to your diet?




I thinks that true, but I happen to eat sand and **** glass . jk
 
EasyDoesIt said:
Anyone any idea why this happened or what i can do to prevent it happening again ? Should just say that a 1 and half hour spin is short for me i'd usually do 2 to 3 + hrs.
No ideas as to the exact cause in your case. But the common causes are,

1) Inadequately adapted cycling muscle for the situation... Ride more.
2) Dehydration... Drink more during your 1.5hr ride.
3) Mineral depletion... Select sports drinks that contains K and Mg in particular.
4) Other medical issues (rare).
 
I vote low calcium although cramps in my calf ussually hit me earlier in the ride when I am low in calcium. I tried calcium citrate and the problem went away.
 
For me the solution to chronic cramping was quinine tablets.

Solved my problem within 6 hours of taking the first tablet. Climbing stairs would give the feeling of cramping in my calves, it was that bad.
 
Thanks very much for all the replies. Now i actually think about it i was very thirsty before i went out and during the spin i was very thirsty too, like was only half way through the spin and started on my second bottle of water which i don't usually need on such a short spin. Will try drinking more water and if that doesn't work i'll start eating more bananas, once again thanks for all the replies !
 
EasyDoesIt said:
Thanks very much for all the replies. Now i actually think about it i was very thirsty before i went out and during the spin i was very thirsty too, like was only half way through the spin and started on my second bottle of water which i don't usually need on such a short spin. Will try drinking more water and if that doesn't work i'll start eating more bananas, once again thanks for all the replies !
Just a little update, tried drinking more water, especially before i go out on the bike and i've no more cramps, thanks everyone for your help !
 
sogood said:
No ideas as to the exact cause in your case. But the common causes are,

1) Inadequately adapted cycling muscle for the situation... Ride more.
2) Dehydration... Drink more during your 1.5hr ride.
3) Mineral depletion... Select sports drinks that contains K and Mg in particular.
4) Other medical issues (rare).

Is it possible to drink too much? I think that may be my problem. Am I diluting the mineral ratio or concentration.
 
Mish said:
Is it possible to drink too much? I think that may be my problem. Am I diluting the mineral ratio or concentration.
Drinking too much is possible to cause other problems AFAIK eg. The recent death of a Sacremento girl who killed herself in a radio station's Drink for Wii competition. But by common wisdom, rehydration by plain water is fine for exercises within 1-2 hours as the body has sufficient capacity to naturally regulate. Anything longer should have progressively more considerations for both the rate of fluid intake and salt/energy replacement.
 
Cramps could be the result of vitamin deficiency specifically Vitamins B and E. Vitamin B helps strengthen our nerves and it keeps the nerves healthy with the help of Vitamin E for quick absorption. I'm drinking Polynerve E, it's very helpful, I haven't suffered a cramp ever since.
 
Well, I explained a possible cause of cramps in another post over there. When you exercise, and specially if it's for a long time, then your muscles will generate lactic acid. Because it's an acid you can neutralize it with a base, and the best one and cheaper one I've found is plain club soda. Drink a glass of it after exercising, eat a banana, add a lot of water, warming and stretching exercises, and you should notice a change. Otherwise, you should go see a doctor, maybe you have hyper elasticity and can get hurt easily if you don't take proper advice.
 
To be honest, it's only now that I know what calf muscle is. That's where the swollen muscle on my leg is located. I also experienced cramps on my right leg, the calf muscle in particular. But the cramps attack never occurred when I was riding. Usually, the cramps would bother me when I was sleeping. I would wake up with the pain that my leg felt so stiff. And after those episodes, that's when we noticed the swollen calf on my right leg. Until now, the swelling appears occasionally when I engage in strenuous physical activity. And you can guess that I still couldn't ride in the normal way.
 
I used to have calf cramps all the time, even when I'm already in bed, but then all of a sudden they're just gone. Maybe it's because I got used to my routine, or I've been eating and sleeping much better, but something changed for the better and I'm so glad to be free of all the cramps.
 
Hey, that's great to hear that you're no longer experiencing calf cramps! It sounds like you've made some positive changes in your routine, such as improving your diet and sleep. Building stamina and strength in cycling can definitely help prevent muscle cramps. Remember to include regular stretching and warm-up exercises before your rides, stay hydrated, and make sure your bike is properly fitted. Keep up the good work! :)