Cramp

[strat-trials]

What causes cramp when I go riding??

Sometimes I get none at all, or like tonight I get it in my arms and feet and calves.

What governs if I get it or not??

Cheers

[Token]

A muscle cramp is a painful spasm of your muscle. It's caused by a prolonged tightening of that muscle, leading to it being shortened. The spasm can last from a few seconds to 15 minutes.

You do not have any control of this spasm and the muscle often feels hard and painful. Muscle cramps, especially in the legs, are very common. The small muscles of the feet are also sometimes affected. The muscle may remain tender for up to 24 hours after a leg cramp.

Cramp often occurs as a result of using your muscles a lot. It is common in athletes, especially long distance runners, and tennis and football players.

Cramp often happens after you have sweated a lot. Sweat is high in sodium and loss of sodium upsets the way your muscle works.

It can also occur with repetitive movements, such as writing (writer's cramp). It can also happen when you lie in an awkward position (night cramp). Night cramps may wake you from sleep.

You can relieve the pain of muscle cramp by stretching and gently massaging the muscle. Grasp your muscle with one hand and pull back on your toes with the other to point the toes upwards. This helps to relieve the spasm.

Regular calf stretching exercises will often prevent leg cramps. See your GP if you frequently get painful night cramps as quinine tablets may help.

Drink plenty of fluid before, during and after exercising or playing sport, and make sure you warm up properly before you begin.

Copy & Paste =)

[Bearded Midget]

in other words lactic acid build up in the muscle from not stretching when you finish an exercise

also a lack of oxygen getting to the muscle

and all of scopses stuff

i never thought learning this in gcse pe would be handy

Edited September 5, 2007 by braintreetrials

[NileBrown™]

Also I find that I get cramp when I'm hungry and so to avoid it all I do is bring enough food or enough money so I can stay 'filled up' for the whole day. Thats what stops my cramp anyway

[scousertrials]

Lactic acid or pyruvate which it is later broken down to if insufficient Oxygen is not available will cause pain and not necesarilary cause cramp as that (lactate) is involven in a process called glycolysis which is then a precursor to the Krebs cycle (energy release from glucose). Cramp is an inabilty of the cell membrane to repolorise, that means move the K and NA and Cl to its appropriate laocaton. Muscle work by a process called the actin and myosin sliding filament theoery and need an action potential to initiate this (a nerve impulse). If at the neuro muscular junction, an imbalance occurs you can have cramp.

To get to the point you need to eat a balanced diet and drink plent of water not fizzy drinks or other crap. tonic water can help if you get cramp whilst resting but that brings its own side effects abd needs to be wighed up.

[Adam-Griffin]

laying donw reaching for youre toes , running round with youre hands in the air and waving at every thing you see are ment to be good ways to get rid of it i watch braniac haha

Adam

[Domo131]

Apparently you can reduce the risk of getting cramps by eating more salt (unless you obviously eat to much already). Im not sure how it helps but i used to get cramp in my legs at night until the doctor told me to eat a bag of salty crisps before bed...POOF the cramps went. It might be worth trying to eat some saltly foods like peanuts and whatever before a ride. The peanuts give you energy to

Dom

[bikerider]

Salt aids the absorption of water into the bloodstream

Don't have to go as far as eating a bag of salty crisps, just putting a bit on you meals will help - or even in water

[tom jersey]

when you go out riding drink loads before, during and after, might not stop he cramp but will most probably reduce i!

[BenLeacock™]

when you go out riding drink loads before, during and after, might not stop he cramp but will most probably reduce i!

got it in one, cramp is also caused by not enough liquids, when playing other sports ( cricket) if i dont drink enought whilst playing i will get really bad cramp in legs ( mainly calfs)

[JaMmY]

Stretch and drink fluids and eat!

[Ben Jones]

Salt aids the absorption of water into the bloodstream

Don't have to go as far as eating a bag of salty crisps, just putting a bit on you meals will help - or even in water

pretty sure thats what lucozade is. and many other sports drinks. along with other stuff to help water absorbsion