muscle cramps

fred said:

I am 52 years old and I am training for my first Century ride. The
problem I am having is that when I ride about 40 miles I start getting
cramps in the anterior quadraceps thigh muscles and the muscles on my
inner thigh located between the groin and knee. These cramps are
severe enough to prevent me from continuing. What could be causing
this and what can I do to prevent this from happening?

Hard to give a definitive answer without knowing a fair bit more, all
from bike fit to your general health/shape, eating/hydration habits
(both general and on-the-bike), what your usual riding distances are.
Some or all of these factors may have some bearing.

Quoted message said:

From my own body's experiences, I had all the above parameters pegged

nicely this year, being able to ride up to 300 km in just over 10 hours
(group riding). But then it all started to fall apart after 100 km one
day with bad cramps. I'd managed to bring on a magnesium deficiency
(one of the telltale signs is cramp). Off to the local health food
store. I now eat one 400mg magnesium capsule per day when I'm training
heavily. It's risk-free to try and if that's the problem you might find
a positive change after 2-3 days. But as I said there may be other
factors contributing so go see a nutritionist if this doesn't help and
you're otherwise eating proper foods prior to, during, and after your
rides.

A good book on nutrition for athletes might be a sensible intermediate
step. All that stuff that mom said about eating your vegetables, turns
out she was right, as I found out 😉 /Robert

"fred" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am 52 years old and I am training for my first Century ride. The
problem I am having is that when I ride about 40 miles I start getting
cramps in the anterior quadraceps thigh muscles and the muscles on my
inner thigh located between the groin and knee. These cramps are
severe enough to prevent me from continuing. What could be causing
this and what can I do to prevent this from happening?

If extension of the leg is inadequate, then raise the saddle...

fred said:

These cramps are
severe enough to prevent me from continuing. What could be causing
this and what can I do to prevent this from happening?

Dehydration is the most common cause for muscle cramps.

Gr, Derk

fred said:

What could be causing
this

Lack of conditioning
Dehydration
Lack of calcium
Lack of sodium
Lack of potassium
Lack of other electrolytes
Poor bike fit
General lack of flexibility
Imbalances in muscle strength or flexibility
Poor pedaling technique

JT

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JFT said it all. I have a bunch of capsules from Hammer Nutrition
called "Endurolytes". They have a pretty good assortment of sodium,
potassium, calcium, magnesium, etc. They've done wonders for me!

Take 2-3/hour and drink lots. If you're still cramping at 40 miles,
then do more stretching exercises AND consider your position.

When you push your mileage well beyond what you've done this season,
then conditioning can be blamed. However, you did mention that it's
always at the 40 mile mark...

John Forrest Tomlinson said:

fred said:

What could be causing
this

Lack of conditioning
Dehydration
Lack of calcium
Lack of sodium
Lack of potassium
Lack of other electrolytes
Poor bike fit
General lack of flexibility
Imbalances in muscle strength or flexibility
Poor pedaling technique

JT

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fred said:

I am 52 years old and I am training for my first Century ride. The
problem I am having is that when I ride about 40 miles I start getting
cramps in the anterior quadraceps thigh muscles and the muscles on my
inner thigh located between the groin and knee. These cramps are
severe enough to prevent me from continuing. What could be causing
this and what can I do to prevent this from happening?

I did quite a bit of research on this because cramping was always my
limiting factor on very long hilly rides. Not only would I get cramps on
long rides, but also frequently after such rides, often waking me in the
middle of the night. I get cramps in thighs, shins and hands most
commonly. The rides that gave me problems were typically in the 125-250
mile lengths.

Exercise induced cramping (EIC) is a muscular fatigue symptom.
Dehydration may increase cramping tendencies, but fatigue is the root.
The real solution is conditioning. To get the maximum distance out of a
given level of conditioning it's important to limit the peak muscular
effort -- pace yourself, particularly when climbing. I try to follow a
"no burn" rule when riding long distances, never push hard enough to
feel a "burn" in the muscles.

When cramps strike, the only thing I have found to be effective is to
massage the cramping muscles (very difficult for hand cramps). No matter
how tired I am after a very long ride, I spend a lot of time massaging
cramp-prone muscles before I attempt to sleep. I've learned that the
hard and painful way.

fred says...

Quoted message said:

I am 52 years old and I am training for my first Century ride. The
problem I am having is that when I ride about 40 miles I start getting
cramps in the anterior quadraceps thigh muscles and the muscles on my
inner thigh located between the groin and knee. These cramps are
severe enough to prevent me from continuing. What could be causing
this and what can I do to prevent this from happening?

My guess is you are going beyond the limits of your current level of
fitness. Don't start your rides too fast. Your body needs to warm up
and up to a point you will actually get stronger as the ride progresses.
If you are starting to experience joint or muscle pain or cramps while
riding, pull over and take five. It may not be the macho thing to do,
but if you need it you need it, and it helps a lot. Sports drinks are
designed to help replace salts lost in exercise. Use one diluted to
taste instead of water. You are drinking enough, aren't you? Don't
forget to eat a little something too. Forty miles isn't terribly long,
but it is long if you aren't in some sort of shape. Starting from a
lazy winter season, it takes me over a month of progressively longer
rides every other day to get to where I can do century length rides
without feeling like I'm hurting myself. Eat well, and that should
include some high calorie foods to replace most of what you burn while
riding. 40 miles will burn about 1600 calories, so you can't eat like a
bird, although most people don't have that problem. Not replacing all
the calories would be nice if you are looking to lose a few pounds, but
you will stress your body if you over do it. Take a multi-vitamin
supplement. Subtle changes in saddle height and position can make huge
differences. Your saddle may be too low.

had similar problem. can run mile in six minutes without breathing hard
at age 59.
the cure was and is streeetchinghing.
google "stretching" and get to it.
water-sports drinks do help when riding but stretching before and after
during cool down eliminated cramping for me
the bike tightens up the leg's posterior setup. no strectching here can
caws some problems.

Quoted message said:

can run mile in six minutes without breathing
hard at age 59.

Is that a GD lie or a gd lie? (Sorry. I meant "stretch" 🙂 )

have you noticed the "show options" next to the name used for your
posts?

Quoted message said:

have you noticed the "show options" next to the name used for your
posts?

No, I have myself filtered.

(Smart-ass.)

Bill "wouldn't miss your stuff on purpose, G(g)ene" S.

(PeteCresswell) said:

Per [email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

can run mile in six minutes without breathing hard
at age 59.

Geeze, I couldn't do that when I was 29 - and running 2 miles every day and 8-10

well, maybe you ran too much. thus is not our problem. soronson runs
too but not on his feet?
basic intelligence is partly evaluated through the ability to take one
idea, mix it with another, and arrive at a logical or better yet valid
conclusion.
the idea was-for me, physical fitness did not decrease cramps,
stretrching decreased cramps and the cramps stretching decreased were
suffered like never walk again at the computer terminal after
commuting.
that's from cycle specific spin pedal push down excercise. so go for
unspecificing the leg muscles with stretching excercises.
as for the 6-7 minute mile, i did 6 when 18 and i'm faster now. and can
run a fast 9 miles, 1/3 marathon right? see i claim expertise having
arrrrrrghsheeetmuthafu suffered
but mr. da that wasn't the point the point is on your head.

Per [email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

can run mile in six minutes without breathing hard
at age 59.

Geeze, I couldn't do that when I was 29 - and running 2 miles every day and 8-10
miles once or twice a week. Six minute miles were my norm for a comfortable
pace with a little sprint at the end....but I was definitely breathing deeply
and often all the time.
--
PeteCresswell

Is there a good web page that describes and illustrates good stretching
exercises for a cyclist?

--
Tom Reingold
Noo Joizy
This email address works, but only for a short time.

"fred" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am 52 years old and I am training for my first Century ride. The
problem I am having is that when I ride about 40 miles I start getting
cramps in the anterior quadraceps thigh muscles and the muscles on my
inner thigh located between the groin and knee. These cramps are
severe enough to prevent me from continuing. What could be causing
this and what can I do to prevent this from happening?

http://www.cptips.com/
--
DTW .../\.../\.../\...

I've spent most of my money on mountain biking and windsurfing.
The rest, I've just wasted.

Quoted message said:

(PeteCresswell) said:

Per [email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

can run mile in six minutes without breathing hard
at age 59.

Geeze, I couldn't do that when I was 29 - and running 2 miles every
day and 8-10

well, maybe you ran too much. thus is not our problem. soronson runs
too but not on his feet?
basic intelligence is partly evaluated through the ability to take one
idea, mix it with another, and arrive at a logical or better yet valid
conclusion.
the idea was-for me, physical fitness did not decrease cramps,
stretrching decreased cramps and the cramps stretching decreased were
suffered like never walk again at the computer terminal after
commuting.
that's from cycle specific spin pedal push down excercise. so go for
unspecificing the leg muscles with stretching excercises.
as for the 6-7 minute mile, i did 6 when 18 and i'm faster now. and
can run a fast 9 miles, 1/3 marathon right? see i claim expertise
having arrrrrrghsheeetmuthafu suffered
but mr. da that wasn't the point the point is on your head.

Anyone ever see g.daniels and Bill Baka in a room together? Just
wondering...

On Mon, 08 Aug 2005 18:20:55 -0400, Tom Reingold <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Is there a good web page that describes and illustrates good stretching
exercises for a cyclist?

Useful printable jpg in the "stretching" section.

http://www.biketrials.com/how-to/index.shtml

Fun reading about some really crazy riding too.

Ron

have you consdiered getting a heart monitor?

when the heart gets slower each moroning after hard training interval
excercise

nature is trying to tell you something about ? ? ?

as for whatshisname-i can't conceive of climbing the alps, you can't
think about running a solid mile. big deal. there's a lotta things you
probabbly can't think about and i can. check it out. hey, here's
spitting on you kid!

Quoted message said:

have you consdiered getting a heart monitor?

when the heart gets slower each moroning after hard training interval
excercise

nature is trying to tell you something about ? ? ?

That sort of problem -- overtraining -- doesn't usually manifest
itself in cramps.

JT

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