As you can get from the title, I have been suffering from severe cramps in my quads when doing high effort sustained climbs over 30-40 minutes. I’ve looked at all the nutrition aspects, salt tabs, drinking more, etc., but nothing seems to work. I’m not sure if I’m just over exerting as my HR is not over taxed. Power isn’t crazy, but after about 30 minutes, standing or fully extending my legs is very painful. I seem to be able to recover and get past it, but if I hit more climbs, they come back quicker.
I’m struggling to figure out the right way to address it. I could pull back on efforts, but that would really hamper me on group rides. I could work even more hills and see if it gets better, but don’t want to injure myself. And I do get a little bit worried that maybe I have already hurt myself and this could become chronic.
So I turn to the braintrust of ST. What do you all think/recommend? How to get past this. (I’ve been having this issue for several years.
I don’t know without seeing you, but when I do long 40-90 min climbs, I alternate pulling up with my left hamstring for 5 strokes, then both then right and focus on throwing my foot over the top of the pedal stroke. Basically my “active part” of the stroke that I focus on is from around 4 pm through the bottom up to around 10 O’Clock and then trying to throw the foot over the top with the hip flexors. The downstroke just takes care of itself (quads), I’ll even do that for a several strokes on the flats in a hard TT when my quads and glutes feel like they will blow, and given them a short break.
Also check that you hip angle is more open…if this is a climbing bike higher hood position, and a slightly downward seat angle helps because a minus 8 degree seat angle on an 8 percent uphill is literally level relative to gravity.
I think about more like “running on the pedals” versus pounding down like doing squats or like a speedskater (that one looks sideways but it’s really a downstroke)
This screams of bike fit related issues so I’d love to see a picture of your fit. Definitely could be a fitness overreach as well. You mention it is a group ride, how late in to the ride are these hills? Do you use the same bike everytime or do you rotate?
This is a road bike. Trek Edmonds SL7 size 50. I’m 5’ 5” and it fits very well. I’ve been riding for 40+ years. This is new in the last 3 years or so. It doesn’t matter when in the ride. Yesterday it occurred on a Zwift ride (3 sisters) and followed the radio mountain KOM and Radio tower. Was able to rest on the downhill and then no problem on the Volcano climb (though I took it easier). So only 47k. 2 weeks earlier climbed Colorado National Monument with in the Tour of the Moon. Took it easy with friends, and had no problem. Definitely happens when I am pushing myself.
Just wondering from a workout perspective how to I get past this. Is it better to push through and hope the body adapts? Dial it back and hope to adapt slowly? Are there things I should do like more short hard efforts with recovery in between? More Temp/Sweet spot workouts where I’m below threshold for long periods of time? My base is good. I can go do 100k without thinking. I’ve done 60+ mile road races this year. Done shorter TT races, and a few crits. Done many 3-4 hour rides this summer, so fitness is good. Cardio is good. Just trying to figure out this cramping.
I should note that I was always a masher, but over the last 5 years, I’ve tried to do more higher cadence riding. Talking 90+ rpm vs 80 rpm. Climbing to push power, I do still climb at lower RPM. I just can’t hold the power at 90rpm…
I mean, that’s supposed to happen if you over-exert yourself as you said on ‘high effort sustained climbs”.
Your training is the obvious question/culprit here. If you’re riding like 1-3 hours per week, well, there you have it. If you’re riding 15-20 hrs per week with intervals and all, AND staying in your power-limit range (LT threshold, or 1hr max effort) range on those climbs, then we can start talking.
If you’re riding at VO2max power on that climb, well, no amount of training is going to stop it, you’d be riding over your limit. Which does happen on group rides quite regularly on the climbs.
You might consider getting checked for External Iliac Artery Endofibrosis. I was diagnosed with it in 2009…took four years to diagnose as I wasn’t sure if leg pain/cramping was a nutrition issue (increased salt), nerve issue (used Hot Shot), or just over exerting myself while getting older. My sports medicine doctor suggested PT, stretching etc. Nothing helped. Symptoms were the worst when climbing (most exertion…pain/cramping in quads); which was being caused by limited blood flow to the legs; progressively got worse over the years.
I’m a female, at the time I was 50 years old; when diagnosed with EIAE…bilateral so both legs. On exertion I had 30% blood flow to my legs. At that point I had been competing in triathlon since 1997, and had done 20 full Ironman races. I too was able to push through, but as I mentioned noticed it most when climbing….pain in the quads etc.
The only way it was diagnosed..My husband happened to read an article about a professional triathlete who had it, told me he thought that’s what I had. I went to a vascular surgeon who confirmed, so I had surgery. It’s a pretty common issue with pro cyclists. Hoping the best for you in figuring out your pain/cramping in the quads.