I have experienced cramping, especially in my quads (left greater than right, always) in several of the races I have competed in for the last 2 years or so. I haven’t had to pull out of any of the races but ended up walking a short distance to work out the cramps or slowing down the pace significantly until the cramps worked out and then picked up the pace again always teetering on the edge of another cramp.
Some of the races were done in hot weather environments, so I will acknowledge that dehydration and improper nutrition may have been factors. But recently I experienced some mild cramping in a duathlon last month that lasted a total of 1 hour 23 minutes (that can’t be because of nutrition, can it?).
I just started taking thermolytes (sodium capsules) during long training sessions and during the Xterra in Temecula yesterday. My quads and left hamstring cramped during that race, actually hamstring still feels on the edge of cramping right now. The rest of my nutrition yesterday was oatmeal, a piece of sourdough toast with peanut butter and then a clif bar about an hour before the race (start time was 10:45), during the race I had chocolate Gu and Crisp Apple Clif Shot Electrolyte Replacement mixed with CarboPro and 2 thermolytes at the start of the run course (about 2 hours into the race). Total race time was 2:52. Temps yesterday were about 90 degrees and no shade to speak of on the course.
My training is admittedly inconsistent. I have done some “strength” run in the form of hill repeats, but haven’t done a track workout in almost 2 years. Nothing really intense on the bike, but have done some longish rides of 70 miles (that’s long for me) and 2 hours on the mt bike. Have also done some 15 mile runs on very hilly terrain, I have never cramped in training, even when I started out dehydrated.
So am I cramping because of nutritional mistakes or is it more a function of competing at an intensity that my body isn’t trained for? Or a combination of the two? If it’s nutrition, how much more should I be taking in?
I have the same question after cramping pretty badly yesterday at the San Dimas Intl’ distance tri. They passed and allowed me to run strong to the finish but then cripled me again at the line.
Hot and a hilly bike which caused some extra work.
Sometimes cramping can occur if just one of your electrolytes is off. Most people assume that potassium is always the culprit when it comes to cramping, but through trial and error I’ve found that magnesium is just as big a problem for me. I started faithfully taking a multimineral supplement daily that has a lot of magnesium, and also switched to Themolyte salt tabs because they also have a bit of magnesium as well.
While many people point to low electrolytes as cause of cramping, no one has every figured it out conclusinvely. There is really no way to scientifically test the cause and effect and the people whose experiences say to them it is salt, aren’t doing anything scientific. So, while salt tabs might help, you should definitely think of stretching, pace, postion, etc…
I have been fighting cramping in my left hamstring for over one year now. Tried lots of things. I finally went to a chiropractor. Spinal adjustments coupled with ultrasound on the hamstring have definitely helped.
If you are cramping in multiple places, this is probably not a plan. Give it some thought though.
I haven’t really monitored my Ca intake, but I did grow up in the midwest, so I like my dairy products and I’m pretty good with the green veggies.
Magnesium, I haven’t thought about. I used to use an electrolyte drink called Endura from down under that touted it’s Meta Mag (magnesium content). But I managed to cramp pretty good on my first HIM with that in the water bottle.
Stretching is something I don’t do enough of, even though I am a physical therapist. Shame on me! If I were a patient of mine I would probably have discharged me by now for non-compliance.
I still go back to the intensity thing. Like I said in my original post, I have never cramped in training. I have done some training on some hot days and with fairly poor nutritional/hydration status prior to starting, yet never cramped. Maybe I need to start adding more intense training especially on the bike. The cramps seem to start on the bike or immediately after T2.
I have had significant problems with cramping. Went to nutritionist who recommended magnesium. That was the problem - I take Hammer endurolytes now. I take the pills (as much as 1 per mile during run in hot conditions) but they also sell in powder form. I take these in addition to sports drinks (usually Hammer HEED, which has a lot of electrolytes too).
The tough part is finding out which one is affecting you.
I tried magonate, calcium supplements, stretching, drinking like mad, and it didn’t help.
In my case I think it was a matter of racing MUCH harder than I train. I used to wonder why I could maintain certain heart rates during my races but not on the trainer. Well, the reason is that I wasn’t suffering enough on the trainer rides. Now I kill myself and I have to say I haven’t cramped in a year.
Since you’re taking thermalytes can assume taking em during the ride? So how many MG Calcium do you take in per day. Roughly shoud be getting in around 1000 mg per day of calcium. Not enough Calcium can also be a culprit in cramping since calcium plays a very important role in muscle contraction along wiht electrolytes.
Hey Temecula cramping buddy! Did you see me on the run at all, I was lying on the ground about 400m after the crazy downhill on the run? I was there writhing and literally screaming a bit as my right quad and hamstring alternately, then in unison, cramped and spasmed… around 4-5 minutes I believe. Then it went away until the final 50 yds when my hamstrings cramped again and as I shuddered to a stop number 6 in my age group passed me! I finished in 2:45 so figured maybe you saw me.
I don’t know what the solution is. Last year at Xterra Maui I was even worse, much much worse.
I take electrolytes in like crazy but maybe I need more. I use Hammer HEED plus Endurolytes. During Temecula I took in 50oz of HEED/Endurolytes (4-scoops HEED+4 endurolyte caps) plus almost a full bottle of water. 3 gels and 4 more endurolytes on the run.
I was fine during the bike but that first steep uphill killed my hamstrings and then the subsequent downhill killed my quads…
I’ve been experimenting with taking tonic water every night (damn terrible tasting) to get quanine which is a muscle relaxent. I think I’m ordering it from Canada in tablet form soon as that tonic water tastes terrible. Also adding in a potassium, zinc, and calcium tab with the tonic water. My cramps are actually a bit better now. I have no problem in 1-hour races and seldom in 2-hour olympic road races, but climbing on teh mtn bike beats the hell out of me. I guess it might have helped if I trained on my mtn bike more than once a month as well…
Anyways, good luck. I can’t really offer any help, just what I’m doing to try and cope.
How much water were you drinking? How many calories during the race? I find on the first few hot weekends it takes some getting used to whether you hydrate/eat well or not.
Not sure how effective popping two thermolytes is when you only have 10K to go - maybe space it out a bit more.
Aside from the couple of big gulps of refreshing Vail Lake water?? I grabbed a water bottle at each of the 2 aid stations on the bike and downed most of those, but not all. I drank about 30 oz of my CARBOPRO/Clif Shot Electrolyte replacement and probably 2 1/2 packets worth of Gu from my flask.
I didn’t take in any thermolytes on the bike because it was never convenient. I know, not the best excuse. I had the thermolytes in a plastic baggie in my pocket and didn’t want to risk crashing while I was digging them out. Any suggestions for better ways of carrying them where they will be more accessible?
Didn’t see you there, but I was pretty delusional at that point. My legs felt fine ON the bike, but as soon as I dismounted I felt my quads seize up and that first climb up on the run was ridiculous. My hamstring was fine until I tried to high-step a rock in the river bed and that was all she wrote for about 2 minutes. After running in all that deep sand, I don’t need to go to the beach for a while.
The cramps you had are the same type of cramps I had in Maui in '03, not fun.
Seems like enough water for how long the race was - 2:52 is still pretty fast!
As far as the tabs go I would disolve them in your drink (Carbo Pro) so you ingest it over time. I believe there are entire threads somewhere on ST on the salt tab subject.
small little plastic bags like when you buy a dress shirt and there is an extra button…place 3 or 4 tablets in bag and just rip open with your teeth and take like a GU.
