Cramps in races

I cramp a bit in races. Mostly towards the end and especialy on hilly courses. I have used all kinds of electrolite drimks and magnisium stuff too. Does anyone have any suggestions

 

i could be off the mark here but the only time i've cramped during races have been through poor preperation both the training that i've been doing ie not enough, as well as the pre race breakfast and during race nutrition.. these mistakes were made in my 1st races and to date i havent suffered cramp in over 2 years. my advice is to make sure your spending enough time on the bike and to make sure youve got some food in your belly before racing or riding for any extended period. good luck

 

Thanks bomber I will eat up!!!!!

 

have a look at this ais

 

"Adequate carbohydrate during prolonged rides is important to maintain a strong immune system and prevent riders breaking down mid-season"

Eh? What kind of carbs do they have in Australia?

 

Adequate supply (e.g., 7+ g carbo per kg body mass) of carbs are associated with lower incidence of (e.g.) URTIs (upper respiratory tract infections). They also help you recover quicker from training, especially when performing (e.g.) two sessions a day

Ric

 

What's the difference between that and overtraining?

 

Ant,

I'm not sure what you mean? Do you mean the difference between URTIs and overtraining?

Ric

 

I mean, the symptoms of overtraining and of persistent calorie
deficit seem to be similar... maybe they're the same syndrome?

Is it actually possible to eat enough for a full-time training regime? I'm always hungry, I eat enough pasta to sink a ship, and I only do an hour and a half a day. I'm not in danger of overtraining, with my knees. I don't get sick unless some fuckwit comes to work sick and breathes on me.

What are cramps actually caused by? I've only had them once on the bike, and it wasn't a big problem.

 

Cramps or "tetanic contractions" are normally the result of dehydration, along with the loss of electrolytes like calcium and sodium. Electrolytes are lost in sweat.

Kristian started the post by saying he cramped towards the end of races, especially on hilly courses. You will work the hardest and sweat the most on climbs. Of course, at the end of a race is also when you have lost the most water and electrolytes.

It is critically important to drink a carb/electrolyte solution BEFORE you get thirsty. You should be taking regular drinks off your bottles at least every 15 minutes or so, especially in hot weather. You need to drink all the time to stave off dehydration/cramping. It takes time for the stomach to empty. If you wait too long to get the fluid in, it will be too late.

A quick indicator of dehydration is urine color. When you are properly hydrated, your urine should be pale/clear. Some vitamins can make urine bright yellow, but dehydrated urine is much darker.

Some riders don't like to drink very much. You have to force yourself to drink even if you don't feel like it. If you are cramping, drink more!!!

 

or u can drink solty water

 

Are you sure you have had cramps???
If you have had them bad you would understand it is a HUGE problem.

 

Ant,
Maybe i'm missunderstanding what you mean, but persistent calorie deficit would be weight loss. on the other hand overtraining is a pretty bad condition, where the cause isn't well understood and results in you not be able to train or compete.

During the (e.g.) TdF riders need around 10 - 12 g carb per kg body mass per day to maintain weight, i.e., 700 - 840 g carb per day for a 70 kg rider. On some of the more savage days they require more. Yes, it's possible to eat that much.

The actual cause of cramps isn't understood, although there are several theories on it. It's most likely related to riding to intensely relative to your fitness level, and/or loss of electrolytes with dehydration.

Ric

 

Cramps are indeed a huge problem, but I feel it's like some sort of initiation rite in racing: you have to have gone through cramps one time in a race. Overcoming your cramps in a race environment builds character - I personally probably wouldn't be able to stand the pain but in a race... on training I would just stop riding

Niek