Just wondering what techniques can be used or any adaptations to training that can be made to help with severe leg cramps. Had a duathlon today 6/36/3 and suffered from severe cramps in the second half of the ride. My legs actually seized up completely and i almost fell off my bike. The cramps normally occur in my calves during the end of the bike in the tri/duathlon and at the start of the run (until my running legs kick in). I know that potassium and magnesium are great supplements for cramping, but i always still seem to get cramps even after taking these. I am going to start doing some more weights to try and build a bit more strength and muscle and keep taking the supplements pre race. Any suggestions would be great, these cramps are REALLY slowing me down a lot. I have been racing tris/duathlons for about three months now and it has occured in every single one.
Down 1.3 bananas a day. Or take potassium pills? Were you severely dehydrated?
Is there a chance that what feels like cramps aren’t actually cramps at all?
boiboiboi
nah i was not severely dehydrated at all. I made sure i drank water on the ride. I had gatorade aswell which is normally quite high in postassium, not to mention 2 bannanas before the race.
without knowing more about you/the situation, and having had similar sounding issues, in no particular order
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slow down on the bike, you may be outbiking your fitness levels
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seat too high (toes pointed down too low)
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train more
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I know your pain. Same exact situation as you, cramping EVERY RACE so bad I can’t move. I’ve read everything on salt, potassium, electrolytes, magnesium, etc. Everyone tells me it’s nutrition related. I eat 4 bananas a day, didn’t do a thing. I think nutrition is part of it, but not MOST of it. My theory is that certain peoples’ muscle types are more prone to cramping for one, like myself. My advice is this. 1) get the nutrition right, take mag and calcium, potassium, etc. But most important is simply training your muscles to handle the stress often, which means BRICK workouts often, or simply more training. Bike hard in the a.m., run hard in the p.m. Incorporate working your run muscles while they’re fatigued off the bike. It might take 6 months of this like it has for me. Obviously work this into a training program, and don’t do it every day. For me this has been the only solution. I now train 15-20 hours a week, do a weekly brick workout, and was simply that I needed to get my muscles used to running after hard bike workouts, for months. That’s my opinion as a cramper who cramped every single race too, first the calves, then hammys and quads. I’m yet to race this year, but did my first brick workout this week cramp free after 4 months of 2-a-days, biking then running later that day often.