How to avoid arm and leg cramping toward the end of the day? Is there anyway?

[BOHICA]

It Works

Got this tip while watching a college football game a few yrs ago. It was Syracuse against BYU. Syracuse players were cramping a lot due to dehydration partially caused by the increased elevation in Provo. Commentators said that the BYU players rarely cramp and that they all drank a shot of pickle juice before the first and second halves. Next time out on my Mnt bike, drank some before the ride and no cramping. Been doing it ever since. My wife thinks i'm crazy for pulling the dill pickle jar out of the fridge and slamming a few ounces. Give it a try. Drink as much water as you can as well while riding.
Mark

 

[700 turbo]

I just eat a banana everyday when i ride it keeps the Potasium supliment in your body! trust me it helps!

 

[zach477]

pedialyte, We used it football for years and later in the military when doing 16+ mile ruck sack marches w/ 60 lbs packs. It's a little pricey but awesome stuff.

Was just gonna say the same thing. It has alot more electrolytes than Gatorade but doesn’t have the sugar and acid like Gatorade. Gatorade actually is more acidic that coke. It’s a bit more spendy but you can get the Wal-Mart brand that is pretty much identical to the name brand pedalyte. Also plenty of water, bananas and a good stretch every morning will help. Before a bad mx crash which resulted in a leg made of more titanium than bone I was racing mx almost every weekend and doing triathlons the weekends I didn’t race. Run in the morning b4 work, workout right after work and hit the track after supper till dark about 4 days a week. I found that unless I was eating at least 4 bananas a day and drinking 2 gal of water I would have to supplement with pedalyte and pot supplements. I used to be a big coffee drinker in the mornings but once I started running before work I was more alert and awake than a pot of coffee ever did to me. Also noticed any cramping went away after cutting the coffee out and drinking more water than a camel. The stretching is huge too, and more beneficial than just trying to fight cramps. Even though I can’t run like I used to, I still do about 20 minutes of stretches before work when I wake up in the morning. I used to get cramps in my legs at night but it’s been years since I have had one.

 

[Transporter]

Common sports drinks such as Gatorade supply those carbs as well as fluids and electrolytes lost through sweat. But more recent research suggests that adding protein to the mix may further hasten recovery. Hence the new wave of drinks, such as Endurox, which include protein as well as higher doses of carbs.

In the study, nine male cyclists rode until their muscles were completely fatigued, then rested four hours, and biked again until exhaustion. During the rest period, the cyclists drank low-fat chocolate milk, Gatorade, or Endurox R4. During a second round of exercise, the cyclists who drank the chocolate milk were able to bike about 50 percent longer than those who drank Endurox, and about as long as those who drank the Gatorade.

 

[Montana]

I Found this article:

OK, so we'll say it: We don't find Gatorade the slightest bit replenishing. We think it mostly tastes like urine distilled through a coffee machine, but that's less to the point; when we work out, the last thing we want is a sugary thick beverage. We're working out to lose calories; why would we want to pile more on while we trying to rid ourselves of them? (Note: That was a rather effete sentence for a sports blogger to write. Sorry.) We might as well drink Yoo-Hoo. Folks: There's no magic formula Gatorade has discovered that just delivers you more energy. The only magic formula they've discovered is how to market the **** out of your product. People: Just drink water. It's good for you.


kind of humorous..

What I have found out 600xcforme is that if it doesn't have natural sweeteners(fruit juice,honey,stevia,maple syrup) then its crap. I haven't drank a pop, redbull, gatorade, etc. in 1 1/2 years. It is amazing how much better you feel when you quit drinking all that garbage. All that crap is just a marketing scam.
It takes a few days to kick it but you will lose a bunch of fat and feel awesome when you kick all that stuff. my 2cents

couldn't agree more, all that sugary crap is just that. Crap.
Water, water, and more water. Get some "Emergen-C" packets, you can get them at any health food store and some grocery stores now.They come in a koolaid like packet and you can get a box of 36 for like 15.00. It has a bunch of vitamins and minerals, calcium, magnesium, potassium, potassium phosphates. Awesome stuff, I usually just mix one with a 20oz bottle of water and bring an extra packet with me.

 

[Scott]

Have a salt tablet...that helps retain water also.

Sports drinks are ONLY for elite trained super athletes.

REALLY. They are not for the everyday treadmill guy.

 

[KFD070]

A lot of good stuff on here guys but also a lot of opinions. I'm not saying that I know anymore than anyone else on here but I am a Registered Nurse and have a pretty good grasp of the physiology of the human body.
The fact is everyone's body functions differently and how each person's body metabolizes and uses products is different.
I totally agree with the avoidance of the energy drinks. They are crap! I play net in ice hockey and I sweat...a ton. Prior to games I try to avoid caffeine and I try to hydrate with fruit juice and eat a Banana. During the game, lots of water. FOR ME...that works. May not for everyone.
Pedialyte I've also heard is awesome but I personally have never tried it. I don't have a problem with cramping. As mentioned earlier, stretching prior to physical activities is important but just as important is stretching the used muscles AFTER the activity.
I read up a bit on the Quinine and most sites warn of overdosing on this stuff. I'm going to look into this more as some of you swear by it but if my son is going to try it for his cramping problems I want to make an educated choice on when and how much he should take.
That's what all of you on here have to do. Too much of something can be very detrimental to your performance and health in general. BE VERY CAREFUL WITH TAKING IN TOO MUCH POTASSIUM!!! Try some of the things suggested on here but do it wisely. Educate yourself and find out what works FOR YOU.
Thanks for all the good stuff guys.

 

[JDKZRT]

Have a salt tablet...that helps retain water also.

Sports drinks are ONLY for elite trained super athletes.

REALLY. They are not for the everyday treadmill guy.

You're right on both counts IMO.
I (and most of the team) used a salt pill before the game to aleviate cramping when playing rugby (in my younger years). It is also a electrolye. There's not many sports where you have to exert max energy for as long a period as rugby, so this is a good test in my opinion.

All of us sledders are elite trained athletes though

Also.... I've read and heard about choc. milk (as Transporter says earlier) being better than any sports drinks. I was recently at a trainer's clinic (for hockey) and this idea was being pushed very hard. It's probably going to be tough to get this idea to take hold because of the marketing $$$ spent by Gator/Power Aide. They actually recommended staying away from Gatoraide (because of the sugar calories). Power Aide is apparently not quite as bad.

 

[600xc4me]

Awesome stuff to know. I didn't think I would get this many replays. This is really good. it might be a while till I work out enough to get cramps, but I will drink a ton of water, eat a few bananas, and see how that goes. It's been snowing like the dickens here for the past few days, so my next ride out should be fairly tiring. I will let you know how it goes next time I'm out all day.

One thing I forgot to mention is I take any energy drinks along, or over drink them on a trip. I don't much like those things. Never had a sip of beer in my life, and don't plan too. So those two are not a problem.

 

[H2SNOW]

lots of water or Gatorade ..leave the redbull at home ...

 

[Ex-Member]

All of us sledders are elite trained athletes though

Absolutely.

 

[Transporter]

I see he is on the monster energy drink diet also wasnt that guy in the Austin Powers movie.

 

[XP Summit]

I just drink a ton of beer the night before and stab myself with a couple IV's first thing in the morning... works like a charm. J/k

 

[H2SNOW]

Absolutely.

I like the solid waste on the trash can .........pun intended

 

[buck50]

Absolutely.

holy cankles batman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mrs Snowrider]

ditto on the bananas...work wonders for cramping...I dunno about crapping though..

I have had this same issue. I take potassium supplements day before and day of riding. Not enough in gatorade to supplement. I don't like bananas so I need to add this additional supplement.

 

[Coxy]

Yogurt! haha. When i was high scaling, and then sledding on weekends the winter before, i found when i didnt have a normal daily yogurt i would get forarm/leg cramps from time to time, but keeping on the normal yogurt intake, they were few and far between. Yeah yeah, i know, weird, but seemed to give me something my body lacked.

 

[IDspud]

Potatoes are richer in potassium than bananas.

 

[2XM3]

Absolutely.

Damn, that suspention is bottomed out just sitting there !!!

 

[BCDan]

Another vote for Pickle Juice. The wif is a physical therapist, and did the "athletic trainer" role for my 17 y/o son's football team. They had one kid, very athletic, very fit, always had cramps. Gatorade and such didn't do a thing (horrible stuff), but pickle juice helped big time. White vinegar also seemed to work, but the pickle juice was more effective.