Have any of you fellow asthmatics have severe leg cramps when you have used albuterol in a long course race? I’m trying to get to the bottom of my cramping issues before this season starts. I don’t think it was over biking as I rode below 70% of FTP for a full IM. I don’t believe it was nutrition or hydration either. I know that albuterol can rapidly decrease potassium and it is used off label by physicians to treat hyperkalemia (dangerously high levels of potassium.) It seems plausible that the potassium depletion that happens in long course racing along with the potassium depletion from albuterol could be a recipe for severe cramping. I’ve talked to one other triathlete that had the same exact thing happen to them in a 140.6 and their experience sounds identical to mine. I haven’t been able to dig up much info on albuterol and cramping in ultra endurance sports on the internet.
I did find this: http://www.cyclingforums.com/t/381825/salbutamol-beta-agonsists-muscle-cramps
I’ve been using Albuterol since I was a kid, racing (using that term loosely) tris for 5 yrs, and just recently stepped up to long course last season. I had minor cramping at the end of my 70.3, but nothing to write home about. It never even crossed my mind that it might be due to the Albuterol use.
No 140.6 for me yet, I’ll be making my 140.6 debut at IMWI in September (eeek), so I can’t speak to that. My n=1…but really more like n=.25
Never happened to me, but I’m a Oly-distance guy, so I can’t speak for long course. I’m curious to what people think about this though. If the K depletion is a cellular thing then nothing you can really do about that but if it’s more of a global phenomenon then couldn’t you theoretically just supplement K with gels/drinks/salts/etc.?
I just looked it up on medscape and in a drug book I have by my side at the moment and so far what I can find seems to go with what the guy initially said in the thread.
I do not see any mention of any muscle related issue/cramps. However there is mention that it may lower potassium so if you’re in doubt and you don’t mind trying. Eat a banana before your next ride. Might be the most simple and delicious fix ever if it is indeed the problem.
In doubt you should try giving a call to your pharmacist too, he may be able to answer you better than anyone here and he’s paid to know that stuff.
Yes, it causes cramping. It depletes potassium. This is not addressed by pharmacists for some reason but there are places on the internet that know this shit.
What you need to do is get a potassium supplement. For every mg of albuterol you should take maybe 500mg of potassium.
Or change your diet: eat bananas and potatoes for carbssources.
I’ve been on Albuterol since the drug came out. I’ve been an endurance athlete for the last 12 years with three IM’s. The only time I cramped during a race was at IM Lake Tahoe swim. I don’t think it was the Albuterol. On advice from my doc I take one hit off my inhaler (Albuterol) pre tri but for IMLT I did not do this because my HR was all over the place race week. Might just be me…
I’ve got exercise-induced asthma, so I don’t need albuterol any time other than long races or intense workouts in cold weather. I’ve used it for races as short as 5k and as long as an IM. Never had a cramping problem in races where I used it, but I have cramped in long races when I didn’t (couple of warm-weather marathons). I doubt the albuterol was a factor in any case.
