Cramp is ruining me, I’ve not done a race this year without it slowing me down. This weekend I did the UK HIM 70.3 and after a very hilly bike I started to get intermittent hamstring cramp on the run (starting at mile 1) normally going up or downhill. I have a good diet plus take supplements (vit e, magnesium, calcium…) and fairly flexible.
My run training is mainly on the flat, could this be the culprit? But during sprint races the cramp comes on during the bike (not in the hamstring though)!
Now there’s the 60 mill question. I found taking salt tablets prior to and during events has all but removed my old cramp issues (even in the heat). In addition, train over terrain that you would race over. This will make sure all muscles are trained and won’t fatigue early. Modern research i’ve seen recently is that it’s caused by tired muscle misfiring…
Thanks UKGM, I’ll try the salt tablets and see how that works. I’ve tended to get the hamstring cramp after hard bikes so agree with the ‘tired muscles’.
I will give you the remedy for cramping: Take calcium the morning of the race, about 600mg. Try it in a hot training day…and let me know. An easy way is to take two TUMS pills.
I’ll echo the calcium suggestion. Electrolytes are more than just 'ol NaCl but potassium, Magnesium, Calcium and others, any of which when out of balance can lead to cramping.
I pull apart endurolytes and put them in my bike bottles and keep a bunch in a 35mm film canister for when I have to use the on-course fluids. I also salt my prefuel with table salt and calcium powder.
Another upshot of calcium supplementation is it cleans your intestines out. You can set a watch to my bm’s.
I did a 115 mile ride with 9,000 ft of climbing last weekend. I regularly popped a salt tablet but when I felt a cramp coming on, I’d down two or three more. Inevitably the cramp would go away. I too use an empty film canister. They work great.
Had the same issue before I started using Endurolytes…3 an hour befoer the race then 3-6 an hour depending on if you’re a sweaty bastard like me or not…they sell it in powder which is probably easier mixed in with drinks but I prefer fumbling around on the bike and trying to choke myself to death with the pill format.