help with cramps

Cramping is usually because of overworked muscles or an electrolyte imbalance. If you have trained thoroughly for each race then it is probably an electrolyte imbalance. Have you tried salt tablets? Some people swear by pickle juice.

i did not cramp during training, but always cramp race day. my long ride was 80 miles and cramped on 95. my long run/walk was 25 with mainly 20. although i admit i dont train well for runs because my i t bands flair up badly. must just be effort. i will train harder for next years tris and see what happens, but if i cant find a solution to this i will be done with endurance stuff. it was embarrassing to not even be breathing hard at any point in the marathon and getting passed all the time cause my legs were cramping.
i appreciate the thoughts.

My guess it is probably a pacing issue (pushing the bike and/or run too hard for your fitness level, given the course and race day conditions), assuming you are actually properly hydrated. Everyone's needs for the latter are different, and I'm assuming you've experimented with tweaking that--if not, it may be that you need more fluids, or more or less concentrated fluids than what you have been using. Some people have trouble getting enough sodium in long events without salt tabs, sticks, or the like. I struggled with fading late in races (not necessarily cramping) until I figured out that I'm a heavy (though not salty) sweater, and need considerably more fluids than my size might indicate. The recommendations you see are just averages, and can vary by huge amounts depending on body size, gender, pacing, intensity, weather, event duration, etc. etc.

I would start very conservatively with both bike and run and pick it up toward the end only if you are not cramping. Particularly true if you have not hit the race distances in training and this is a full IM or marathon. I haven't done full IM, but I know even when I'm having a good HIM run, the pace feels quite slow as I go out, even though I'm often starting 10-20 seconds a mile too fast. I imagine that if my run fitness were strong, IM pace might feel ridiculously slow at the outset, even if I was running under my goal pace for the whole race.

Edited by Hot Runner 2017-11-22 10:56 PM

again thx for the advice. i will add/try salt tabs, its the only thing i havnt tried yet. will see what happens.

If those don't work, I would then take a serious look at pacing. Particularly if you haven't met or exceeded the race distance in training, you really can't use tables and the like to predict your pace for longer runs/rides. Those assume adequate training for and experience at the distance. They're also not very accurate for many people, as different people have different natural abilities for speed/power vs. endurance. (I'm thinking of those tables where you try to predict your run pace for one distance based on another or on a threshold test, or typical advice for % of your FTP that you "should" be able to hold for various cycling distances.) Those are at best ballpark figures. I know for example that I can hold what I "should" be able to for HIM bike; I can't for sprint distance. There is less of a difference between those for me than for most people. Probably partly due to training, body build, muscle type, experience at the sprint distance. I'm sure plenty of others would find the opposite is true.)

Since you only cramp during races, my guess is that you're putting a lot more effort in compared to when you're training and so you're muscles are stressed. If you up the intensity and duration of training, it should help. Water running will be easier on your IT band but it won't get your muscles stressed enough to help with the cramping.

do you always cramp in the same place ? quads, adductors....

I like to think of muscle cramps as a committee decision. The cells that go "haywire" are stimulated by about a 1000 of different inputs.



The cell body decides when to spark based on multiple stimuli. The final signal goes down the axon.

If you do dialysis on someone down to their "dry weight" they will suffer terrible muscle cramps due to the sudden change in electrolytes and sudden fluid shifts.

If you operate on someone's knee or back they seem to get pretty bad cramps in the back, hamstrings and calf muscles. That's probably due to the pain stimuli.

If someone has a spinal cord injury they end up with some pretty bad muscle cramps.

If you overwork someone in therapy they seem to get muscle cramps from the muscle fatigue.

Some of the new medications such as Tazanidine seem to work pretty well, but you'd never dream of taking that before an athletic event.

Proper distance training to get the muscle built up to last the endurance obviously will help. An appropriate rest period before the main event. My experience has been a good night's sleep 2 nights before the event is probably more important than the night of the event.
Keeping pain stimuli to a minimum will help such as having a good position on the bike, clothes that fit well and are comfortable, and shoes that fit your feet well and help to distribute the forces on the bottom of your feet. Train as you're going to compete. Matching the terrain of your training with the event. Those hills you could do really well at mile 20 aren't so easy at mile 80. Don't overstretch before the race. Don't help your neighbor move furniture the day before the event. Don't go out heavy drinking for at least 48 hours before the event. Don't significantly change what you eat for 72 hours before the event. Stay well hydrated. Relax when you ride and try to enjoy it, it will help cut down on the muscle tone. Don't change your seat height before a race. Start the ride slow and easy. Wait a few minutes into the ride before you put all your power in. Most times when you're going to have a cramp there is a little subtle irritation to the muscle or motor group. If you feel that, try to subtly change your position, relax the muscle groups, and slow down. If you let it go into a full blown cramp you're probably out of the race. Often if you do slow down and relax you may be able to speed it up a little.

Just some thoughts.

Chamomile tea is known for its antispasmodic properties, tending to calm and relax cramps. I find the taste too bland by itself. Combine it with ginger root or add a few drops of vanilla extract and sweeten with honey. For menstrual cramps you may find help from ginger root, fennel, peppermint and raspberry leaf teas.