July 1st marked Day 1 of my research into leg cramping and various ways to reduce the effects of this performance dampening issue as I found myself face-first (literally) in the gravel, reeling from a 5-minute episode of quad cramps.
Since then, I’ve done some reading and come up with these assumptions regarding a few issues that can be associated with muscle cramping in endurance athletes:
1. Training the muscles past their accustomed limit of exertion.
2. Hydration is important to reduce the chance of dehydration, especially during high heat and humidity.
3. Electrolyte replacement is important to replace particular minerals that seem to be the more important electrolytes to replace. Those electrolytes are magnesium and calcium and can be found in supplement form, or even in a roll of Rolaids.
4. Muscle glycogen reserves is important for providing the fuel source for ATP production and proper cell functioning. Specifically, the intake of glycogen sources in a high calorie diet should result in adequate water retention in muscle cells, which should also assist in reducing the occurrence of cramping.
The bottom line is that every individual is unique in how their body responds to certain diets as well as exercise conditions. When exercising, listen to your body as much as possible in order to truly find the perfect balance for you to get what you want (performance-wise) out of each workout.
I now know that I need to eat more carbohydrates (quinoa, couscous, sprouted grain bread) on a daily basis in order to support my body’s needs during 2-4 hour bike rides. Otherwise, I’ll just end up on the side of the road, writhing in pain.
Doing stretching exercises regularly, especially before going to bed is a great help in reducing the risk of muscle cramps. Water intake should also be at least 8 glasses a day. That will really make a difference. This is a very informative post!
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