# Calf cramping



## SlurpeeKing (Jul 23, 2010)

I've been riding for a little over a year, and just recently took a couple month hiatus (HUGE mistake). My stamina is in the toilet and the last 2 rides I have developed bad calf pains in my left leg. I'm sure after being off the bike for a couple of months my muscles are going in shock from jumping back in. I rode around 18 miles yesterday (which is nothing) and around mile 14 I had to stop at my friends house to take a break because of the cramp. Today I woke up and have terrible pain in my calf. 

Is there anything I can do? or do I need to ride through it. I'm going to ride tonight and maybe stretch longer. 

I'm on vacation next week and would like to log some longer rides, but I'm getting paranoid because of the cramps.


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## dcorn (Sep 1, 2011)

I've played soccer and rode bikes my entire life, and I recently started getting calf cramps during both activities. I think it might be due to lack of hydration and eating, but I can't say for sure. 

I agree though, calf cramps are crazy painful when trying to pedal and its really hard to make them go away other than just waiting a day or two. I've found that standing up for a bit helps stop them, but they usually come back. I try to eat and drink a decent amount during a ride and just hope that I don't cramp up. Sorry I don't have any solid advice.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

You hurt it now, and it's going to hurt some until the injured muscle tissue heals, but the usual remedies for muscle strains apply: heat, massage, gentle stretching. When you ride, warm and massage the muscles before starting, and keep them warm on the bike if the weather is cool. If you start to cramp, ease up the effort, stretch on the bike if you can, and if that doesn't relax it, stop and massage and stretch until it settles down.

You got what people used to call a "charley horse" - a muscle spasm intense enough to tear muscle fibers. It will take a little time to heal, and longer if you keep re-injuring it.


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## SlurpeeKing (Jul 23, 2010)

JCavilia said:


> You hurt it now, and it's going to hurt some until the injured muscle tissue heals, but the usual remedies for muscle strains apply: heat, massage, gentle stretching. When you ride, warm and massage the muscles before starting, and keep them warm on the bike if the weather is cool. If you start to cramp, ease up the effort, stretch on the bike if you can, and if that doesn't relax it, stop and massage and stretch until it settles down.
> 
> You got what people used to call a "charley horse" - a muscle spasm intense enough to tear muscle fibers. It will take a little time to heal, and longer if you keep re-injuring it.


thanks, I'm going to try that this afternoon. Heat, massage, and ride easy to keep it loose. I live in S. FL so cold is not a problem. Thanks for the advice.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

Good advice above. In conjunction, don't minimize the importance of fluid/ food intake, specifically to replenish electrolytes (potassium/ calcium/ magnesium/ sodium). 

There are many fruits and vegetables that contain them, such as potatoes, bananas, oranges, raisins, asparagus, avocados, tomato soup and green leafy vegetables along with the old standby sports drink, Gatorade.

More info on the topic:
CYCLING PERFORMANCE TIPS


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## rayej68 (Sep 18, 2011)

SlurpeeKing said:


> I live in S. FL so cold is not a problem. Thanks for the advice.


If your in So. Fla. the problem could be hydration. With the heat and humidity you can cramp up quick if your not taking in a lot of water while sweating, no matter how much you've been training recently.


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## NC2WA (Mar 28, 2008)

I get calf cramps if I get any cramps at all, usually more common in the heat, as many have already mentioned - stay hydrated.

My $0.02 is the cleat position (assuming you are using clipless pedals) cleats further towards the heel might alleviate the stress on the calves. Then you get quad cramps - much worse!


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

If after eating the foods and drinking Gatoraid that PJ352 discussed you're still having cramping then try Stim-O-Stam; see: Stim-O-Stam for Muscular Energy & Endurance This stuff is cheaper then bike boutique stuff and works as good if not better. If you go this route either PM me or come back to this post and post up again because there are specific directions I need to explain that the bottle doesn't do.

I forgot to mention, along the lines of what WC2WA mentioned about the cleats, if your seat is too high and your reaching for the pedals on the downstroke you could be over extending the calves stressing them out on longer rides. If your sitting on the bike and one of the pedals is at the 6:00 position, in other words all the way down, and your leg is straight then your seat is too high, lower it about 1/2 inch and retry. Here's a video that will expain better: How to Adjust Your Seat Height and Angle - Bicycle Tutor Video


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## dukesbb37 (Oct 4, 2011)

I am in the same boat, I was a division 1 athlete for 4 years, graduated, took the summer off playing golf and sitting on the couch... and now started riding. Terrible calf cramps... Cut an ace wrap in half and wrap your leg really tight. Also stretch before you go out... but you already know this stuff


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

Read this, it's more accurate: CYCLING PERFORMANCE TIPS

And this: Stretching Does Not Prevent Muscle SorenesS

And here's a copy of a report done by RBR, can't remember the Doctor's name:

Cramping can be caused by lots of things. I assume you've riding the same bike for a while and hydrated the same and you haven't changed anything on your bike like seat height? What color is your pee? Please send me a sample...just kidding, you can keep your pee. If your urine is yellow to dark yellow you’re not drinking enough fluid, if it's a pale yellow your fine. But considering that its summer and it's been hot for awhile you’re probably ran yourself low on electrolytes and now your body is rebelling. 

Gatorade, believe it or not works better then bike shops want you to believe because they want to sell you expensive drinks that cost over a $1 a bottle vs. 10 cents a bottle for powder Gatorade. So first try to hydrate yourself by drinking a full glass of 100% strength Gatorade or orange juice or V8 juice (doesn't matter if it's plain or spicy) even Pedialyte tonight if you can. Tomorrow your not going to ride, your going to drink at least 6 full glasses the above stuff to get the electrolytes back in and throwing down 3 glasses of plain water over the course of entire day...yeah your going to pee a lot. Eat a couple of Bananas, dairy products and yogurt and increased eating such things as potatoes, tomatoes, broccoli, and oranges. DO NOT DRINK ANY CAFFEINE, caffeine will cause your body to lose electrolytes.

Then on Saturday drink a full glass of Gatorade about 3 hours before the ride and again about 45 minutes before the ride (don't forget to pee just before you take off. Then take two water bottles filled with Gatorade DILUTED 50%. Immediately after a ride drink a full glass of 100% strength Gatorade. 

If that doesn't work, then you can either get some Cytomax at a LBS and drink one before and immediately after a ride, or take something that worked for me and was cheaper then Cytomax called Stim-O-Stam which is just a phosphate fuel. You can look at both on the internet.

You can make your Gatorade by taking 3 Tablespoons of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt, dissolved in 1 liter of water. And before you go hacking off at me, this basic formula has been used effectively for more than 30 years by WHO, UNICEF, and other relief agencies and has saved millions of lives.



Leg Muscle Cramps 

What's the matter? Few things are more frustrating than muscle cramps during a hard ride or race. 

Typically, cramps develop even though you otherwise feel good and have enough zip to finish strong. But then a hill or an attack comes. As you press harder you notice the tell-tale tingling in your hamstrings, quads or calves. One or 2 hard efforts later, your muscles seize. All you can do is slow to a crawl and try to stretch out the cramps. In severe cases, you tumble off the bike in pain. 

Cramps are a common affliction, if the questions Coach Fred receives are an indication. One time he mentioned in the newsletter that he'd cramped badly on a hot, hilly 84-mile (135-km) ride. In the week that followed, he got nearly 50 e-mails with similar horror stories and not just a few remedies to try. They're posted on the RBR website.

Sports scientists haven't figured out exactly what causes cramps, but they are usually the result of some combination of 3 factors: dehydration; low levels of sodium; insufficient mileage or intensity of training. 



Here's Help

Because cramps are multi-factorial, you'll have to be a bit of a sleuth to find the reason for the ones you experience. Try eliminating one of these possible causes at a time until you find those that trigger attacks.

---Train right. In some cases, cramps are caused by inadequate training for longer rides at high intensity. If you do only short rides during the week and then try to go 4 hours on Saturday in difficult terrain, your muscles aren't used to the stress and they let you know. Tip: Add a longer midweek ride to your routine.

Similarly, unaccustomed effort plays a role when you generally ride flat courses but a weekend ride features several hard climbs. You may cramp even though you're plenty fit for the same distance on flat roads. Tip: Hit the hills on at least one weekday ride.

---Realize your muscle type. One theory is that people with a sprinter's muscle fiber makeup (predominantly fast-twitch fibers) are more susceptible to cramps than endurance riders with a high percentage of slow-twitch fibers. 

If that's your situation there's no quick solution. It takes a lot of training to convert a subtype of fast-twitch fibers to endurance fibers that are less prone to cramping from extended work. This is, of course, another argument for more training miles.

---Hydrate. Drink plentifully before the ride. Your urine should be almost clear. If you're not getting up twice in the night to urinate, it's an indication you may not be drinking enough. This is especially important at high altitudes. When riding, take at least 2 big swigs from your bottle every 15 minutes. 

---Salt your food. Unless, that is, your physician warns against additional sodium consumption.

---Salt your drinks. Sports drinks such as Gatorade provide electrolytes but are quite low on sodium. Consider adding a pinch of salt when you fill each bottle (not enough to adversely affect taste). Otherwise there may not be sufficient sodium if you're cramp-prone.

Okay, but what if you get an occasional cramp even though you're doing everything known to science, witchcraft and other riders' suggestions to prevent them. When you feel the telltale twinge during a ride, consider these solutions:

Drink lots. Slosh down half a bottle of sports drink with added sodium. You may need to get off the bike to do this.

Pinch your upper lip. No one knows why this works for some cramp sufferers, but it does. It's worth a try for about 20 seconds.

Eat several Tums. The calcium in antacids has been known to short-circuit cramps before they take over a muscle.

Stay seated. When you're on the verge of cramping, standing often puts you over the edge. If you remain seated and spin easily, you may avoid a full-on seizure.

Stop riding. If you're about to cramp badly, stop riding. Getting a severe case of cramps (i.e., where your quads and hamstrings seize simultaneously) can make you lose control of the bike.

Pickle Juice?

In his e-zine, cycling physician Gabe Mirkin, M.D. was recently asked if there is anything new for cramp prevention. 

The doc replied, "Researchers at North Dakota State University in Fargo report that pickle juice can relieve muscle cramps caused by dehydration during exercise (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, May 2010).

"The subjects were deprived of fluids so that they were 3% dehydrated. A leg nerve was stimulated by electricity to cause cramps. Then they were given 2.5 ounces of either pickle juice or distilled water.

"Muscle cramps lasted 85 seconds with pickle juice and 134 seconds after water, with no difference in blood salt concentrations.

"The authors concluded that pickle juice tastes so bad that it causes a reflex from nerves in the mouth that inhibits the alpha nerves of the cramping muscle." 

Muscle Cramps in Athletes and Exercisers

This month a study from the University of Cape Town, South Africa showed that the athlete who is most likely to suffer muscle cramps is the one who runs the fastest and the one who has had previous muscle cramps. Of 210 triathletes competing in an Ironman triathlon, 43 developed severe muscle cramps, while 166 did not. There were no significant differences between groups in any pre-race or post-race blood mineral levels or body weight changes (a measure of dehydration). This supports many other studies that show that the most likely cause of muscle cramps in conditioned athletes is muscle damage. The most likely causes of muscle cramps in out-of-shape exercisers are lack of salt or water. 

CRAMPS IN ATHLETES OCCUR MOST COMMONLY DURING INTENSE EXERCISE. 
Cramps occur far less often during less-intense training, because the most common cause of muscle cramps in exercisers is muscle damage from all-out pressure on the muscles.

MUSCLE DAMAGE: Most muscle cramps in serious exercisers and athletes are caused by an exaggerated "stretch reflex" triggered by muscle damage. When you stretch a muscle, it pulls on its tendon. Stretch reflex nerves in that tendon send a message back to the spinal cord (not the brain), and then the "stretch reflex" in the spinal cord sends a message along nerves from the 
spine to cause the muscle to contract. During extreme pressure on the muscles, muscles are damaged causing sustained contractions. A study from South Africa showed that the most likely causes of cramps are muscle fatigue or tearing of the muscle itself. Electromyograph (EMG) studies measure increased electrical activity from damaged muscles. EMG's show markedly 
elevated electrical activity of the nerves controlling cramped muscles. Furthermore, a review of the scientific literature shows the most common cause of muscle cramps appears to be muscle damage. 

WARNING SIGNS: Before athletic cramps come on full force, you will usually feel the muscle pulling and tightening. If you slow down, the pulling lessens, but if you continue to push the pace, the muscle goes into a sustained cramp and you have to stop exercising to work the cramp out. 
Further evidence that muscle damage is the cause of the cramp is that the muscle often hurts for hours or days afterwards.

WHEN A CRAMP STRIKES: Muscle cramps during endurance events can be prevented by slowing down when you feel excessive soreness in one muscle group or straining in a muscle. You do this by switching pressure from the cramped leg to the uncramped one. A bicycle racer moves most of his pressure to the pedal of the uncramped leg. A runner shortens the stride of the cramped leg. Continuing to put pressure on the cramped muscle can rupture the muscle.
PREVENTION: You may be able to prevent cramps by exercising more frequently but less intensely and for shorter periods of time, but most racers do not want to do this.

OTHER CAUSES IN NON-ATHLETES: Known medical causes of muscle cramps are extremely rare. If you suffer from recurrent muscle cramps, you may need special tests for pinched nerves, Parkinson's disease, low thyroid, diabetes, narrowed arteries from arteriosclerosis, low blood mineral levels, metabolic diseases that cause muscle damage, or side effects of drugs used for high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes, diuretics, oral contraceptives 
or alcohol.

DEHYDRATION OR LACK OF MINERALS LESS COMMON. Some cramps are caused by low mineral or fluid levels (5). However, for the vast majority of trained athletes who suffer exercise- associated muscle cramps, blood levels of sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium are normal. Research in athletes after they ran in 52-mile races showed that the runners who suffered cramps had the same level of dehydration and blood minerals as those who did not get 
muscle cramps.

ATHLETES SHOULD TAKE EXTRA SALT ANYWAY. Athletes need more salt than people who do not exercise. They lose a lot of salt through sweat. The most common mineral cause of muscle cramps in untrained people who exercise is lack of salt, according to a report from the University of Oklahoma. The authors found that intravenous saline can reverse cramping in exercisers, and that more salt in the diet or in sports drinks can help to prevent heat-
associated cramping. If you are concerned about excess salt raising your blood pressure, get 
a wrist cuff monitor and check your blood pressure every night before you go to bed. If your blood pressure rises above 120, you may need to restrict salt. (Excess salt can raise systolic blood pressure. Excess body fat, not salt, raises diastolic pressure.

TREATMENTS THAT USUALLY DO NOT WORK: Nobody has shown consistent benefit for trained athletes from any of the most common treatments: multivitamin pills; mineral pills with calcium, zinc, magnesium, salt and/or potassium; massage or chiropractic manipulation; drinking large amounts of water; dietary manipulations; or bio-mechanical stretching and strengthening.

MEDICATIONS: Quinine has been reported to help relieve muscle cramps in non athletes, but it can burst red blood cells. Some studies show that gabapentin (an anticonvulsant), diltiazem ( a blood pressure medication), or B-complex vitamins may help to relieve muscle cramps in some people.

SUGAR: There is some evidence that taking sugared drinks or foods during prolonged exercise helps to maintain endurance and muscle integrity which helps to prevent cramps. Take a source of sugar frequently during vigorous workouts or races, and back off if you feel a group of muscles 
pulling or tightening during exercise.

LACK OF VITAMIN D: A leading cause of muscle damage, soreness and slow-healing injuries in athletes is lack of vitamin D. If you suffer frequent cramping and your muscles feel sore or you keep on being injured when you exercise, get a blood test called D3. If it is below 75 nmol/L, your 
problems may be caused by lack of vitamin D and be cured by getting some sunshine or taking at least 2000 IU each day of the very inexpensive vitamin D3.

OCCASIONAL CRAMPS ARE NOT HARMFUL: Most racers and serious exercisers accept that occasional cramps will occur, and rarely cause serious injuries.


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## SlurpeeKing (Jul 23, 2010)

WOW, thanks for all the advice. Went on the a short ride last night, stretched for around 10 minutes before and rode at a nice pace for 30 minutes. I felt good, then around 10pm I went to get up and my left cramp was very sore and stiff. I've made no changes to my saddle position or cleat position, the onlu change was the 2 month break. It could be a hydration issue, but I drink a TON of water everyday. Maybe I need to spike it with salt or supplements.


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## dukesbb37 (Oct 4, 2011)

"stretching does not prevent muscle soreness?" might have to read that one...


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## SlurpeeKing (Jul 23, 2010)

still need to stretch though.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

SlurpeeKing said:


> WOW, thanks for all the advice. Went on the a short ride last night, stretched for around 10 minutes before and rode at a nice pace for 30 minutes. I felt good, then *around 10pm I went to get up and my left cramp was very sore and stiff. I've made no changes to my saddle position or cleat position, the onlu change was the 2 month break.* It could be a hydration issue, but I drink a TON of water everyday. Maybe I need to spike it with* salt or supplements*.


Given what you've offered previously, I don't see this as a fit issue. I think adding supplements is a good plan, but as JCavilia posted previously, you've injured the muscle fibers and that takes time to heal. 

Stretch, keep your muscles warm and the rides moderately paced. Then, as you are able, _gradually_ up the intensity.


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