What is it (at a cellular level) that leads to muscles being in a state of confusion…and cramping??
besides the odvious of sodium, water and electrolytes…
Well, from what I know, ATP is actually what is needed (not electrolytes) to release the myosin heads from the actin molecules. So not enough fuel (glucose turns into ATP though aerobic/anaerobic respiration) means no relaxation of muscle contractions. (when you die you end up with rigor mortis because the muscles do not have the needed ATP to release the myosin heads from the myosin-binding sites on the actin molecules.
Electrolytes have to do with muscular contractions.
I don’t mean to steal the post but
Would creatine be benificial to vegetarians? ATP is usually replenish in part my meat eaten. So would it make sense as a vegetarian to supplement? Note, I’m not talking about loading and a serious maintenance phase, but just supplementing smaller amounts.
Isnt ATP (adinine tri phosphate) only made with in the body??? that is the the actual fuel that the cells make…right???..given sufficient resources?
your body makes the creatine that it needs. I don’t believe that any supplementing will actually do anything.
Good thing I just took physiology. ATP is made from breaking down glucose molecules by aerobic respiration and mostly, the electron transport chain (which is the reason we need oxygen. without oxygen, we couldn’t produce ATP aerobically.)
So what your saying is that cramps are caused by lack of glucose…or fuel??
no, ATP. Which would probably mean your body went anaerobic at some point. Anaerobic respiration only yields 2 ATP molecules per 1 Glucose molecule whearas Aerobic yields something like 36-38 ATP per 1 glucose molecule.
I noticed when I go all out my muscles cramp way faster then when I pace myself.
I need to add that ATP is also used when propogating action potentials (nerve impules)
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So anaerobic threshold is my problem?? I was fine on the bike…definatley went into anaerobic but felt fine…none the less gettin off the bike and running i could handle but only to the point where my quads were on the verge of CRAMPING…and couldnt run fast.
More training…
More bike training at race pace, brick workouts and hydration on the bike.
Great info on ATP.
However, ultimately you must listen to your body on the bike or you pay on the run.
Cramps are complicated and also are sometimes from unknown origin. If we knew the exact physiology of cramps then a cure might be possible. I can’t offer too much science, but I can tell you it has nothing to do with ATP as other posts suggested. Why is it not only heat, fluids and electrolyte related? Take the example of what happened today. I was totally hydrated and fueled, swam for 20 minutes, then decided to do some kicking repeats and cramped up in the toes/arch. Also take the case of a professional musician cramping or women who get cramps during pregnancy. Some may attribute fluid flow/restriction to the muscle as the culprit such as when holding a tight grip for as long as possible and then letting go/cramping in the forearm. The best bet is to trace the entire sequence of events for the past few days and try to narrow things down. In my case, I ran a hilly 10k yesterday and have a tight calve/arch on the same foot. Most likely I have some swelling or fluid restriction as part of my recovery from a tough run. At the end of a long race, you may have many of the risk factors present and it is probably difficult to determine the exact cause. Don’t forget hormones too.
Having the muscle in a shortened position predisposes one to cramps. Do you take regular stretching intervals on the bike? This might help.
It has not been proven that electrolyte imbalances are the cause of cramps, nor has it yet been proven that ingestion of electrolytes can prevent cramps.
One theory with some positive research is that cramps may be caused by reduced sensory input to the golgi tendon organs and and increased stimulation to the slow twitch and cetain types of fast twitch fibers. Muscles that contract when in a shortened position are subject to increased cramping. Think calf muscle when swimming. Calf muscle is in a shortened position while still contracting.
As for physiology, I don’t think anyone can say for sure what causes cramping. For me it’s usually a mix of slight dehydration, nervousness and lack of sleep. Strangely at Eagleman, I paid close attention to the amount of sodium/potassium I was intaking before and during the race and I had no cramping issues despite the heat yesterday. I’ll tell you what, the medical tent looked jump packed after the race yesterday, I hope everyone left OK.
Dave in VA
One theory with some positive research is that cramps may be caused by reduced sensory input to the golgi tendon organs and and increased stimulation to the slow twitch and cetain types of fast twitch fibers. Muscles that contract when in a shortened position are subject to increased cramping. Think calf muscle when swimming. Calf muscle is in a shortened position while still contracting.
Would it follow from this that a hamstring cramp on the bike may be caused by a seat that is too low?