Leg cramps during long rides

[commjoe]

There's a lot of stuff on the web about leg cramps during athletic performance. Nobody seems to really know why they occur or how to reliably prevent them. Anybody think they're on to a solution?

 

[closesupport]

There's a lot of stuff on the web about leg cramps during athletic performance. Nobody seems to really know why they occur or how to reliably prevent them. Anybody think they're on to a solution?

yes! A severe depletion of Sodium Na+and Chloride Cl- over a prolonged period of time leads to progressive water loss from extracellular compartments, and therefore from plasma volumes, this may be severe enough to led to circlatory failure (cramps).

for a better understanding look up Osmosis:

Electrolytes with Water during prolonged periods of exercise:

 

[TheToad]

yes! A severe depletion of Sodium Na+and Chloride Cl- over a prolonged period of time leads to progressive water loss from extracellular compartments, and therefore from plasma volumes, this may be severe enough to led to circlatory failure (cramps).

for a better understanding look up Osmosis:

Electrolytes with Water during prolonged periods of exercise:

I seem to have a natural disposition to leg cramps and tend to cramp up more than most riders. Ive been taking a potasium and magnesium supplement advised by a naturopath. I take them on a daily basis and directly after a ride - training, race or anything where I sweat alot. This seam to have resolved a few problems that I get with Cramps, muscle flitches and another weird thing where my eyes flicker back and forth uncontrollably, a very uncomfortable thing.. It has certainly reduced the occurance of cramps for me, and resolved the annyoing nerve and muscle flitches I used to get.. taking a Carbo/isotonic/electrlyte drink helps but doesn't cut all that well for me.

Oh and a good stretch after a warm up and after a ride helps as well, apparently stretching "resets" a muscles natural ability to prevent cramps.