# Leg cramps



## davesupra (Sep 2, 2013)

I have found that when I drink plain water my legs (and sometime my hands) will cramp up frequently after a hard ride. But, when I drink powerade or gatorade instead of water, I don't get any of the cramping issues. Is there a supplement or something that I can take so that I don't have to drink 2 quarts of gatorade every time I ride?  Thanks,


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## 8iking VIIking (Dec 20, 2012)

Are you looking for something sugar free? If so, I like hammer endurolyte tablets or nuun tablets.

If you want something with some carbs, skratch is the bees knees. That's what I use on 90% of my long rides and I love it


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

Skratch Labs or Tailwind for nutrition and electrolytes.

Gu Brew, Nuun, or Hammer Endurolyte Fizz tablets (or similar) for electrolytes and no nutrition but flavors water lightly.

Hammer Endurolyte tabs or something like that if you just want to pop a pill.

You can also make your own. Lots of recipes floating around.

Keep in mind, many times (probably most of the time) cramps are from over use and not from hydration/electrolyte issues. In those cases, it doesn't matter what you take in. Cool down, stretching, massage are things that could help with that. I get the same thing on rides usually 40+ miles long and I use a combination of the above products during the ride and I still get cramps after the ride. Sometimes immediately after, sometimes it can be a few hours later.


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## 8iking VIIking (Dec 20, 2012)

Nubster said:


> Skratch Labs or Tailwind for nutrition and electrolytes.
> 
> Gu Brew, Nuun, or Hammer Endurolyte Fizz tablets (or similar) for electrolytes and no nutrition but flavors water lightly.
> 
> ...


Good point on most cramping coming from overuse nubster, but he said he doesn't get cramps when drinking Gatorade so it sounds like it's related to hydration/electrolytes


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

8iking VIIking said:


> but he said he doesn't get cramps when drinking Gatorade so it sounds like it's related to hydration/electrolytes


True.


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## zephxiii (Aug 12, 2011)

Straight water.. I used to drink just that till my first race when I ended up on the ground all cramped out lol. 

I prefer tailwind. 

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## 8iking VIIking (Dec 20, 2012)

zephxiii said:


> Straight water.. I used to drink just that till my first race when I ended up on the ground all cramped out lol.
> 
> I prefer tailwind.
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk


Do you use tailwind for shorter rides/races or just long ones? I wanna try it but man is it expensive. I think I'll buy some and just use it for 3+ hour rides


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## zephxiii (Aug 12, 2011)

I like tailwind for shorter rides and absolutely prefer it for races and hard efforts.

Since I have not been doing any races
I have been resorting to Gatorade, Powerade, and Vitamin Water since they are readily available locally. 

Vitamin water had been the best of those three, but ideally I'd rather have Tailwind. 

It's much more minimalistic, u control the strength, and it's just nice. 

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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

8iking VIIking said:


> Do you use tailwind for shorter rides/races or just long ones? I wanna try it but man is it expensive. I think I'll buy some and just use it for 3+ hour rides


Tailwind for long rides where you need the nutrition. Electrolyte tablets for short rides when you may need electrolytes but don't need calories. I like the fizzy tablets you drop in waters. It adds some flavor and about 10 calories and seem to work well for me at least. If I am expecting a really hot day on the bike and 40+ miles, I'll use both Tailwind and a tablet for extra electrolytes since I sweet heavily. No on the bike cramps since I started using these products. I still cramp after the ride but that's most likely from exertion rather than dehydration.


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## davesupra (Sep 2, 2013)

Thanks for all the great info, I'm a noob on this stuff. I'll try some of the Skratch and some of the Tailwind mix and see which one agrees with me more.


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## machine4321 (Jun 3, 2011)

IVe had great luck with simple, magnessium and potassium vitamins. Good minerals with out all the sugar.


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## davesupra (Sep 2, 2013)

I got a bag of Tailwind, and so far, so good.  I'll prob try Skratch after this bag is gone and see which one I prefer. Thx again for the advice.


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## beasthetics87 (Aug 9, 2014)

davesupra said:


> I have found that when I drink plain water my legs (and sometime my hands) will cramp up frequently after a hard ride. But, when I drink powerade or gatorade instead of water, I don't get any of the cramping issues. Is there a supplement or something that I can take so that I don't have to drink 2 quarts of gatorade every time I ride?  Thanks,


Add 2 pinches of sea salt to your bottled water. Works just like Gatorade.


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## sjfsr-shep (Aug 21, 2013)

I have been using Tailwind but thinking about trying heed. Any experience with it.


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## GGR Girl Wendy (Mar 19, 2014)

I get severe charlie horses that knock me off my bike. Not anymore. Now besides enduro light pills every hour, I chew a pack of Kramp Krushers every hour and haven't had a cramp since. http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Dynamix-Kramp-Krusher-12-pack/dp/B00HLU207I


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## FireLikeIYA (Mar 15, 2009)

beasthetics87 said:


> Add 2 pinches of sea salt to your bottled water. Works just like Gatorade.


I need to try this.


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## zephxiii (Aug 12, 2011)

Nubster said:


> Tailwind for long rides where you need the nutrition. Electrolyte tablets for short rides when you may need electrolytes but don't need calories. I like the fizzy tablets you drop in waters. It adds some flavor and about 10 calories and seem to work well for me at least. If I am expecting a really hot day on the bike and 40+ miles, I'll use both Tailwind and a tablet for extra electrolytes since I sweet heavily. No on the bike cramps since I started using these products. I still cramp after the ride but that's most likely from exertion rather than dehydration.


Have u mixed Nuun with Tailwind? I thought about doing that for combatting cramps while drinking less.. When I might need that.

I just did Barry-Roubaix 36mile 2000ft gravel grinder and Tailwind was perfect... But it was also in the 20s so I wasn't really sweating and legs were better prepared.

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## machine4321 (Jun 3, 2011)

I have been using a new brand (Im not sure if its hit the US yet) called honey max. Ive delt with cramping over the years and this stuff works well for me. One scoop for light days and 1.5-2 for race days.

Good ingredients as its mostly dehydrated honey. So far its been the best for keeping the gas away. I get the burps really bad on e load or Hammer. I like that I can give it to my kid, as well, as its mostly natural. We had so much snow up here that I even remember having some after a hard snowshoe to give me enough energy to shovel the driveway! and it worked.

HoneyMaxx | Home

I dont work for them or sponsored, just really really like it. Also like to support Canadian companies when I can.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Good article on treating and preventing leg cramps









Leg Cramps: Causes & Cures | The Science Of Eating


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## bikeeverywhereny (Oct 14, 2014)

Interesting thread, thought I can contribute with my experiences. I often get leg cramps after long rides and I began using chia seeds to help. What I would do is pour some on a tea or table spoon and drink a few sips of water behind it. I noticed a decrease over time. Also beets.


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## Biohazard74 (Jul 16, 2009)

I eat a banana the day before smothered in peanut butter. And a couple hours before the ride just toast. No protien before a long ride. I just cant digest it fast enough. And like someone recommended, some sea salt in your water pack. No need to get too technical unless you are racing.


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## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

I would on occasion get cramps in my hamstrings post-ride that would literally take me to the ground in pain. I think I have solved that issue with 2 Hammer Endurolytes, a banana and a half litre of water en route to the trailhead, and water and 2 Endurolytes every hour or so while riding. I also take 2 Endurolytes post-ride if it was a long ride in the heat (i.e., if I sweated more than normal). It's still early in the game but so far, those Endurolytes have really seemed to work for me. No cramps since first starting to take them. And super inexpensive (if you shop around).


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## dgw2jr (Aug 17, 2011)

mtnbkrmike said:


> I would on occasion get cramps in my hamstrings post-ride that would literally take me to the ground in pain. I think I have solved that issue with 2 Hammer Endurolytes, a banana and a half litre of water en route to the trailhead, and water and 2 Endurolytes every hour or so while riding. I also take 2 Endurolytes post-ride if it was a long ride in the heat (i.e., if I sweated more than normal). It's still early in the game but so far, those Endurolytes have really seemed to work for me. No cramps since first starting to take them. And super inexpensive (if you shop around).


The CIA should figure out a way to induce hamstring cramps during interrogations. I would confess to anything to make that pain go away!

I also fixed my hammy cramp issues with a mix of electrolytes. Magnesium and potassium supplements, specifically.


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## davesupra (Sep 2, 2013)

I've been using tailwind with great success during short to medium length rides, but I'm still having some cramping issues on long rides. I did a 3 hr race two weeks ago, and my hamstrings were starting to twinge toward the end but nothing that I couldn't ride through. Last weekend I raced the maah daah hey and about 4 hours in my hamstrings locked up.  I was able to work them out and continue, but the remaining 6+ hours were a balancing act, trying to put down some power to make it up climbs, but not enough power that I'd cramp again. I had full lock hamstring cramps about a half dozen times during the remainder of the day, and I'd have to spend several minutes before I could get to the point where I could continue again. I bought some Nuun and I'm going to give that a try in addition to the tailwind, but if anyone has other suggestions, I'm all ears.


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## zephxiii (Aug 12, 2011)

davesupra said:


> I've been using tailwind with great success during short to medium length rides, but I'm still having some cramping issues on long rides. I did a 3 hr race two weeks ago, and my hamstrings were starting to twinge toward the end but nothing that I couldn't ride through. Last weekend I raced the maah daah hey and about 4 hours in my hamstrings locked up.  I was able to work them out and continue, but the remaining 6+ hours were a balancing act, trying to put down some power to make it up climbs, but not enough power that I'd cramp again. I had full lock hamstring cramps about a half dozen times during the remainder of the day, and I'd have to spend several minutes before I could get to the point where I could continue again. I bought some Nuun and I'm going to give that a try in addition to the tailwind, but if anyone has other suggestions, I'm all ears.


How are u using the Tailwind? From a big bag or single serving packets?

If from big bag are u using 2 scoops per bottle of water?

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## davesupra (Sep 2, 2013)

zephxiii said:


> How are u using the Tailwind? From a big bag or single serving packets?
> 
> If from big bag are u using 2 scoops per bottle of water?


6 scoops in my 70 oz hydration pack, so about the equivalent of 2 scoops per bottle.


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## zephxiii (Aug 12, 2011)

davesupra said:


> 6 scoops in my 70 oz hydration pack, so about the equivalent of 2 scoops per bottle.


Just wanted to make sure u were doing the 200cal mix. Their original serving size was 100 cal which just wasn't ever going to cut it for races.

During the times I have felt the cramps sneaking up on me, I just drank some more and it took care of them quite quickly ...both with Tailwind and straight Nuun. It seems that u may have to drink a little more than u feel that you need hydration wise to keep the cramps away.

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