[quote="rallyvette":2ns1a9kk]Anyone have a silver bullet for leg cramps?
I am in the best cycling condition of my life (winning sport class races) and riding 2-3 times a week but no matter what I do if I am riding hard I start getting cramps around 2 hours in to a race pace ride. I drink tons, I have tried sport legs, eating bannas, stretching and nothing seems to help.
Well, first of all, defining a cramp is simple enough: It’s nothing more than the short, involuntary contraction of a muscle. One of your muscles literally decides to flex, and to briefly stay that way, without your permission. Certain drugs, such as diuretics (water pills) for the heart and for high blood pressure, have also been cited as a cause of leg cramps
Low levels of certain minerals known as electrolytes—magnesium, potassium, calcium and sodium—have long been linked to leg cramps. You also may be in short supply of vitamin E. It has been said by sports therapist & nutritionist that using a vitamin & mineral therapy will help tremendously with warding off these painful cramps.
These dietary tips can help you keep magnesium and vitamin E, the nutrients that help ward off leg cramps, where you need them in your body:
Cut the cocktails. Even a single drink containing alcohol may decrease the supply of magnesium in your body.
Trim the fat. Dietary fat makes magnesium harder to absorb, increasing the chances that it will be wasted.
Cap your sweet tooth. Eating sugary foods forces your body to use magnesium just to metabolize the sweet stuff.
Can the cola. Soft drinks contain phosphates, which experts say also deplete your body of magnesium and calcium.
Doctors recommend these nutrients to help end leg cramps.
Nutrient Daily Amount
Calcium: 800-1,200 milligrams
Magnesium: 800-1,200 milligrams, taken as 2 or 3 divided doses
Vitamin E: 400 international units
I hope that this helps, as this worked for me when i was getting a lot of leg cramps even though I am in good physical shape. Good luck brother![/quote:2ns1a9kk]
Damn Goose. Why didn’t you go into sports medicine when you gave up being a paramedic??? 😃