In article <Sc5ya.31155$rt6.12207@sccrnsc02>, "Peter Cole" <
[email protected]> writes:
> Latest research seems to indicate that exercise induced muscle cramping is not due to electrolyte
> deficiencies, so the traditional banana isn't going to help.
That's been my own experience. I generally get enough electrolytes, but still occasionally
experience leg cramps.
> Once cramps have started, it's virtually impossible to stop them from continuing to occur,
When the pain and discomfort of a cramp subsides, there often seems to be a lingering, latent
tightness, waiting for it's next opportunity to strike. The cramp ain't finished yet.
> if you keep exercising the same muscles. Stretching helps (during cramping episodes),
What works best for me is to sit down somewhere and relax the affected leg. With my crude attempt at
biofeedback, I try to focus relaxation on the affected area, to give the cramp permission to go
ahead, and hurry up and get the process over with, as completely as possible. I find fighting
against cramps just prolongs the agony. Pathological processes seem to have a way of not relenting
until their purpose has been fulfilled.
> but the best strategy is to prevent cramping in the first place. Cramping is basically a
> consequence of muscular fatigue. Conditioning is the only real solution, but you can delay the
> onset during long rides by avoiding loading the muscles hard for even brief intervals. This means
> you should go easy on the hills, spinning at a higher cadence, this keeps the peak force (muscular
> & pedal) down, which delays the onset of muscle fatigue.
Sounds reasonable to me. When I get a cramp, it usually occurs when making a very rapid transition
between extremes of muscular tension and relaxation. So if I've been exerting hard, if I can
gradually ease up on my effort, I'm less likely to get cramps.
cheers, Tom
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