The MTB thread

[Paul the 6th]

just strange how I was fine at mastiles the week before and on other rideouts recently, but I was rolling round on the floor like a mongo the pain was so bad

[Drew Carey]

Originally Posted by Paul the 6th

just strange how I was fine at mastiles the week before and on other rideouts recently, but I was rolling round on the floor like a mongo the pain was so bad

Its cause you wanted all the attention!

[fizzwheel]

IME Cramp is caused by

1. Cold
2. De-hydrated
3. Muscles / body running out of fuel

Eat something decent before you go out then drink little and often as you go around to stay hydrated, energy gels are useful on longer rides as are electrolyte drinks to help keep you hydrated, but as said above, they can be unpalatable due to some of them being full of sugar.

Its no good waiting till you get cramp to then do something about it, its much better to prepare properly and then keep on top of your hydration levels to avoid it in the first place.

You might also find warming up / warming down / stretching may also help avoid / prevent it.

Your riding style might also be contributing towards it, are you pushing a big gear or are you spinning the pedals in a lower gear.

( remember I come from a road background so some of the above about gears might not apply )

[Paul the 6th]

high spinning/lower gear caused my legs to twinge whilst moving (I knew cramp was coming) but as soon as I stopped/stood up it was like someone ran electric through my muscles.

I drink lots of water anyway, and have been eating quite well over the last few weeks (although quite a bit less than usual). I'll mess with the format a bit and see what happens..

Originally Posted by Drew Carey

Its cause you wanted all the attention!

This I feel is most likely

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[Luckypants]

Originally Posted by Paul the 6th

I drink lots of water anyway, and have been eating quite well over the last few weeks (although quite a bit less than usual). I'll mess with the format a bit and see what happens..

Try an electrolyte in your drink, to replace the salts lost through perspiration. I sweat like a I'm in the Sahara on the bike and cramp after a couple of hours on ordinary water / drinks. I use SIS Go Electrolyte energy drink for rides or Hi-Five Zero for spin / short rides and have no issues with cramp as a result.

Originally Posted by Paul the 6th

just strange how I was fine at mastiles the week before and on other rideouts recently, but I was rolling round on the floor like a mongo the pain was so bad

Lol was really funny though

Originally Posted by Drew Carey

Its cause you wanted all the attention!

Drew's right, your just an attention wh0re!

On the subject of cramping kind of, i suffer a lot from lactise (sp) acid in my thighs when mtb'ing, i know some of it is lack of riding, but i cant dedicate enough time to do it regular, ive got too many things going on.

Are there any legal foods or supplements that would help me?

[G]

Originally Posted by Paul the 6th

high spinning/lower gear caused my legs to twinge whilst moving (I knew cramp was coming) but as soon as I stopped/stood up it was like someone ran electric through my muscles.

I drink lots of water anyway, and have been eating quite well over the last few weeks (although quite a bit less than usual). I'll mess with the format a bit and see what happens..

Buy a cheap cadence sensor, then have a read up on speeds. I try to average 80rpm on a long ride. It's amazing the dfference it makes. Can easily notice the ability to go further longer without hurting your knees or straining your thighs.

As mile said... High five zero will sort your cramps. Although I hate CRC you get a free bottle with two packs of it.

[G]

Originally Posted by specialone

On the subject of cramping kind of, i suffer a lot from lactise (sp) acid in my thighs when mtb'ing, i know some of it is lack of riding, but i cant dedicate enough time to do it regular, ive got too many things going on.

Are there any legal foods or supplements that would help me?

Best thing you can do is simply ride more to increase you VO2 max and reduce your heart rate.