UKC

Hi All

I occasionally get cramp, usually in my thighs, after long days out, despite trying to stay on top of hydration. What do people do to try and avoid this? I've seen mention of salt capsules, but don't know where to start looking. Any suggestions?

Cheers

Will

In reply to Will_Thomas_Harris:

Pop along to your local boots And grab some rehydration salts such as these

http://m.boots.com/h5/cat_hub?unCountry=uk&path=/en/O-R-S-Oral-Salts-Bl...

Should sort you out. You can make your own equivalent powder from salt, lo salt and glucose but the tablets are much more convenient.

In reply to Will_Thomas_Harris:

I was always told the potassium in bananas helped stave off cramp..

In reply to Will_Thomas_Harris:

I tend to take oxo cubes: salt is certainly part of the problem, but warming up/easing in and making sure you're taking on plenty of simple energy helps as well - aerobic respiration is better than anaerobic.

There's also weekend exercise syndrome - basically, if you're only exerting yourself occasionally and not giving your legs a good workout regularly, it can lead to similar issues. People who are in sedentary jobs all week, then make the most of their weekends.

In reply to Will_Thomas_Harris:

I eat a banana a day and it seems to help

In reply to nathan79:

Thanks for the suggestion, I will give these a go.

I find that I am generally OK, it's when I get into alpine days over 12 hours or so that it tends to get me. When I think of any of the 20hr+ days that I've done I have always had bad cramps afterwards- inevitably I need to be fitter too...

Cheers

In reply to Will_Thomas_Harris:
Works for me

http://highfive.co.uk/product/hydrate/zero

especially useful for diabetics

In reply to Will_Thomas_Harris:

That was always my problem too. Complete lock up of my thigh after a long day's climbing, screamingly painful. Salt tablets are all very well, but when you have nothing to drink! Never found the answer.

In reply to Will_Thomas_Harris:

I started suffering leg cramps in my mid forties after a particularly long day in the Rockies. It's excruciating and can leave you with sore muscles for days after so you have my sympathies! My father developed similar problems at around the same age so I guess there's a hereditary element. Electrolyte tablets, of the kind easily available from cycling and other outdoor stores, are helpful. They are salt tablets with a fancy name. Try to get a brand with as many different salts/minerals as possible as a number of different mineral deficiencies in muscle cells may be implicated in cramp. In warm weather I try to drink a minimum of half litre of 'elecrolyte' solution before setting off on a long day and a litre on return. Less on cooler/shorter days. You should also ensure that you drink regularly and sufficiently during your activity. Its often inconvenient or hard to make yourself do this but is probably the best antidote. Likewise a balanced diet containing sufficient minerals. Regular stretching and massage of the areas prone to cramp seems to help. I was prescribed quinine tablets by my GP some time ago and they were very effective. Unfortunately, they had a side effect of tinnitis and I had to stop using them. It might be worthwhile though considering them for occasional use. Tonic water contains quinine but you would need to drink a lot to get the necessary dose. Bananas are great as someone has noted but you would need to eat a lot of them to counteract cramp. Good Luck!

In reply to imkevinmc:

Yes, good stuff, esp berry flavour. Orange n cherry not so much. 1/2 price here:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/high5-zero-electrolyte-drink-20-tabs/

In reply to pete johnson:


One of the "Two Fat Ladies" of TV cooking fame was very ill. Initially they thought it might be the industrial quantities of gin she drank. However, it turned out to be the quinine in the tonic water that was making her ill.

In reply to Will_Thomas_Harris:

Definitely seems to be salt related for me, so keep drinking lots of water but maybe snack on salted peanuts or eats something with lots of marmite on it.

I often make my own rehydration drinks follow a recipe I read on some seemingly reputable site at some point - these I use on long hot cycle rides in the summer which is where I sweat ridiculous amounts (salt lines on your head under your helmet for example show how much salt you loose in sweat). Anyway, about 100 mls of bog standard orange juice, 900 mls of water, and a pinch of salt. Perfectly drinkable, actually quite palatable I find, and seems to help prevent cramp. A hell of a lot cheap than buying special sports drinks as well.

In reply to TobyA


Ones made up in a can, yes. But those electrolyte tablets work out at 15p a hit (i.e a 750ml bottle), so pretty darn cheap... Plus you get more salts than just sodium.

In reply to nathan79:

Right, but as I understand it (on the basis of Google rather than any direct expertise) the evidence just isn't there to support a link between salt / mineral deficiency and cramp. At least not in the context of cramp that is the result of exercise. It's apparently a myth (or early guess) that started from the observation that ships stokers were both (a) hot and sweaty and (b) tended to get cramp. Correlation does not equal causation, and all that. Studies looking at salt and mineral levels in people who do and do not experience cramp in marathons, for example, do not show reliable differences. Manipulating salt level and then inducing cramp (I'm not sure I'd want to be a subject in this one) shows no effect. And so forth.

I get cramp with depressing predictability, and really badly, on long, hilly runs. I'd love electrolytes to be the solution. The evidence just doesn't seem to be there, though.

The classic response to this is "well I don't know about the research but it works for me". I think this should be resisted (for, I think, obvious reasons).

I'm convinced that there's a genetic component, though. Although this is clearly fitness related, sort of by definition, I seem to get cramp when other people just seem to get slower.

In reply to imkevinmc:

I also use Highfive.

The only drawback is that the tablets are quite strong tasting. They taint water bottles/ bags so that if you subsequently use plain water, you can still taste the electrolyte.

They work really well though in my experience, no more cramp for me, when I remember to use them. (I use them during the day, rather than as some sort of recovery drink)

In reply to Mark Torrance:

I've always based it on my own learnings during my uni days (muscle contraction partly involving the balance and levels of sodium inside the cell and potassium outside). I do think there is a fitness element to it though, I guess relating to improvements in muscular performance and improved CV efficiency.

In reply to Mark Torrance:

Of course there is a link between electrolyte imbalance and cramps. If you are exercising a lot, and therefore sweating you can lose potassium and sodium in quite large amounts. Losing sodium and potassium can lead to muscle cramping as your muscles require both of those ions to work properly. Not to mention it can cause havoc with nerve conduction and the neuromuscular junctions.

In reply to Will_Thomas_Harris:

Hi Will,
A climbing mate gets really bad cramp. He has to take magnesium - maybe check online?
M

In reply to Will_Thomas_Harris: I hear Kendal mint cake is a winner.

In a completely sarcastic way I'm going to suggest that cramp after a 20+ hour day is par for the course.

I imagine your only worry is if you are doing two of these in a row, in which case I imagine you'll be so boxed cramp will feel like a relief.

Suck it up and stop worrying mate