Exercise Associated Muscle Cramps (EAMC)

So I already see some of you vultures ganging up on me but I think this is a useful thread. I've been experiencing EAMC during a few of my more recent rides. OTB guys telling me it's poor nutrition or supplements, etc. I typically only drink water and sometimes Clif bar if it's 15+ miles.

http://cyclingtips.com/2011/06/nutrition-and-muscle-cramps-–-what-does-the-science-say/

So according to this article, the cramping is not nutrition related. For me specifically, the cramping is usually in the stomach (mid-body or sides?) area. Not the legs.

What is/was your experience with EAMC and what did you do to resolve it? Also, sounds like if you push harder than normal or bike farther than normal it could induce it. But last nite's nite ride was <10 miles. Which is average for me.

 

Some if it is nutrition, some of it is just not being in shape.

I used to cramp really bad at about 20-25 miles. ....but I had pretty bad nutrition on rides at that point.

Once I figured out my nutritional needs the cramping went away.

Add in the continue extra miles and I rarely if ever cramp up. That includes rides upwards of 11-12 hrs.

After you figure out your nutritional needs for a bike ride, start increasing your mileage. If you only normally do 10 miles, your body will want to quit at 10 miles. Push on and do 15 miles, eventually your muscles will adapt to the bigger efforts, so they don't cramp on 10 mile rides.

 

Thanks for the helpful response, I appreciate it. I'm considering buying gatorade and loading it into the bottle on the bike b/c the last two longer (15 and 20 mile) rides, I rode directly to the gas station for gatorade. That's with plenty of water and cooler temps.

 

The article says what every respected scientific based article says, maybe worded differently: no one fully understands what causes exercise associated muscle cramps, but there's evidence that suggests certain factors increase the risk of cramping which include dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, overexertion, and inadequate fitness/conditioning. There's plenty of other myths like not stretching and eating a large meal right before increases the risk. That article simply adds some more, adds author interpretation (jumps to illogical conclusion), and you're seemingly using confirmation bias to fool yourself.

Also, which Gatorade formula are you choosing? They've been putting out all sorts of diff ones and the original could be much better, despite tweaks to the formula recently. Poorly balanced formulas, and cheap ingredients, are linked to gut issues during exercising. More expensive high quality ingredients like calcium citrate (perhaps over cheaper carbonate or lactate versions which don't get absorbed as readily), included in premium formulas like Skratch Labs, actually aim to balance out acidity in the gut that can lead to such stomach issues.

 

Hmmm. I know that Gatorade and Mtn Dew had flame retardant in it (at least in the past, I don't think anymore for Gatorade I checked the other day) which is illegal in Japan and Europe.

I'm very basic. I go by my favorite flavor which is Mango Gatorade. That Scratch Labs I think I've heard of and my biker neighbor suggested GU Energy Gels or similar I think.

"The move comes one year after PepsiCo announced it would remove the controversial chemical, also patented as a flame retardant, fromGatorade. The move follows an online Change.org petition from Mississippi teenager Sarah Kavanagh urging soda companies to remove the Brominated vegetable oil (BVO).May 5, 2014"

http://www.newsweek.com/coke-remove-flame-retardant-chemical-all-its-drinks-249616

You can't trust anybody

Oh, and if it tastes like crap like Vitamin Water, I won't drink it.

 

Tailwind Nutrition has been well received by members of this forum if you want a more affordable option (relative to Skratch). If you got plenty of room at home, you can mix it yourself from the basic ingredients and add your own flavors. I toss in anything handy in my mix... found out that if I left my formula, which was flavored by unsweetened cranberry juice, unrefrigerated for a day, it turns into carbonated cranberry cider...

Stuff is best used for higher intensity workouts. I wouldn't suggest using it for any sort of fat-burning endurance easy-paced stuff, as it switches your system from fat burning to carb burning.

 

Tailwind has been the easiest on my stomach... And it completely replaces food on long rides, so it's more convenient to use and carry. I generally use it for anything longer than 2 hours. There is an entire thread on it in the nutrition section.

 

So I'd like to try Tailwind, I've actually heard of this on other magazine/book/forum. But the store is in Hermosa Beach? They don't have this at REI or Sport Chalet? I see Amazon has it but I'd like to have it for my weekend rides. Does it taste sugary or what?

yeah, 25 grams sugar is pretty sugary. Why does everything have to have so much sugar in this country? Even bread has sugar.

 

I've done up to 3.5 hrs recently. Ok so I guess I'll try it, doesn't hurt.

 

If you try it, keep in mind that it has a very specific purpose: fuel for long intense outings. It's not really meant for short distance easy spins. I don't use it for my weekday 20 milers, unless it's 100 degrees out. It's meant to completely replace food, electrolyte tabs, etc. The sugar content is high, because that's what we burn out there...

As far as the taste, everyone has their preference. Tailwind is very mild to me... If it didn't say "orange" on the side of the bag, I probably wouldn't know. The "naked" is also nice. I didn't care for the berry flavor, which was the only one that tasted too sweet to me. It reminded me of all the other sugary drinks I've tried.

 

Got something against mail order? It's a very small business.

Got something against sugar? Sugar is essential in human diet. You just need to know how much you need, or at least know how much is excessive. It's high fructose corn syrup that is the bad kind that is linked to obesity.

A combination of sugar (sucrose, or regular table sugar) and glucose/dextrose has been shown to be a very readily absorbed form of energy. Calories from other sources, fat, protein, alcohol, etc. are not as readily used in comparison, and possibly hamper your performance by taking up blood flow for digestion.

Can go on and on about nutrition. What's next, you going to say fats are bad too? It's trans-fats, from partially hydrogenated oils that is linked to high blood pressure and heart attack. Fats are also essential to health.

HFCS and partially hydrogenated oils are ubiquitous in cheap snacks, since they are very cheap ingredients that provide the taste and texture that makes the snacks sell well at a very low cost to the mfg.

Heck, the sun is linked to cancer and there are ticks, rattlesnakes, bears, big cats, etc. out there... this is all normal stuff people have accepted and you're belly-aching over even smaller stuff.

 

You're correct according to the "why tailwind" section of their website (apparently designed for minimum 50 miler). So perhaps out of scope for someone like me. I hate researching this stuff....

 

Nope.....buy it direct from TW.

 

If you stay under your lactate threshold (balance point at which blood lactate doesn't increase nor decrease), you can theoretically go on for the whole day as long as you have the fuel (ex. Tailwind). The threshold is usually at an intensity higher than fat burning, maybe up to 155 bpm for a veteran athlete, in terms of heart rate, but maybe as low as 135 bpm for a novice.

If you go at an intensity higher than your lactate threshold, the high blood lactate will slow you down eventually. Then you would be going much slower at endurance pace, than if you didn't spike your blood lactate. It's like foolishly going all out at the start of an endurance event and coming in DFL due to it.

There's many ways to push your limits, and raising lactate threshold is an effective way to become faster and fitter. To do so, means strategically training in certain zones that jump the threshold point temporarily (ex. intervals). Mtn bikers sort of naturally do intervals, if riding in a hilly area where it's up and down.

 

If I eat clif bars all day I get free tailwind all night!

 

Ok, I just bought Skratch Labs orange mix from REI (and somehow became an REI member - very strange feeling when I walked out the store). It's funny, the bag is ~10" tall and the mix fills up to 2-3", so they pulled off a psychological sales tactic in artificially increasing the bag size (seemingly unnecessarily) to make it seem like "it's a good deal" simply because it's "big". There was a Vitalyte mix there for $16 for ~2 lbs but I've never heard of that one so didn't buy it.

Wait, what about this one?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000G6ZEBS/?tag=imtbtrails-20

"Many elite runners experiment with a variety of drinks to figure out what works. Matt Gabrielson, a former professional marathoner, says that he tolerated most fluids well but struggled to find something that actually tasted good 20 miles into a marathon. He settled on Cytomax, a sugar and complex-carb blend, while training partner Jason Lehmkuhle, a 2:12 marathoner, prefers a half-Gatorade, half-water mixture."

http://www.runnersworld.com/hydration-dehydration/next-generation-sports-drinks

"So in athletes who do not drink anything at all during a long run, blood sodium concentrations actually go up, not down."

WTF? I've never seen/heard any endurance athlete go even 10 miles without some drink...

Btw, how/when do you drink the mixes? Before, during, after?

 

For me, pretty much this. And I learned I need to replenish a lot of lost salt.