Cramps?

[uart]

Like most people, I occasionally get a cramp in the calf muscle. Annoying but not too terrible.

Recently however I've started to get some extremely painful cramps in the upper leg muscles (inside thigh) after long rides. It usually happens after the ride, I get home and rest for a while, and then it hits when I move and try to get up.

Any suggestions for prevention. These things are literally about 10 times more painful than the more common calf cramps that I am more familiar with.

[ValleyForge]

Sartorious cramps. My riding partner would get them occasionally and say they were as bad as his kidney stone. I didn't believe him a bit.

'Til I had one.

[uart]

Sartorious cramps. My riding partner would get them occasionally and say they were as bad as his kidney stone. I didn't believe him a bit.

'Til I had one.

Ok, thanks for putting a name to that.

I was looking at a diagram of the leg muscles and thought it was probably either the Sartorious or the Gracilis or the Vastus medialis - but those were only guesses.

[uart]

BTW. As to the location of the pain. It is on the inside of the leg, just above the knee, and with the most pain about 10 cm above the middle of the knee.

[Philistine]

BTW. As to the location of the pain. It is on the inside of the leg, just above the knee, and with the most pain about 10 cm above the middle of the knee.

Every voluntary muscle does its job by contracting, i.e. becoming shorter and fatter. If you can stretch the offending muscle (temporarily make it longer and thinner) you should get instant relief. Also, try a magnesium supplement, but make sure it is organo-magnesium (magnesium chelate or similar. Magnesium oxide is commonly offered but it is next to useless because the body can't properly absorb it.

[OnTrackZeD]

Magnesium is what has helped me. The Dr. said to try Tonic Water but did nothing for me.

[ironhanglider]

Magnesium is what has helped me. The Dr. said to try Tonic Water but did nothing for me.

Did you forget to add the appropriate amount of gin?

I've suffered some cramps recently on the inside of my thigh. When I've had them previously I was in agony. Since then I broke my leg/hip and I'm still on crutches, now my muscles are so weak it is only annoying.

Cheers,

Cameron

[OnTrackZeD]

Magnesium is what has helped me. The Dr. said to try Tonic Water but did nothing for me.

Did you forget to add the appropriate amount of gin?

I've suffered some cramps recently on the inside of my thigh. When I've had them previously I was in agony. Since then I broke my leg/hip and I'm still on crutches, now my muscles are so weak it is only annoying.

Cheers,

Cameron

I did ask twice and he then said without gin, lol.

Get better soon, injuries are always trying times.

[Zippy7]

I've tried taking magnesium supplements (tablets or powder of one brand or another).
I'm not 100% sure it works - I've had cramps when taking them (but I can't know if it prevented cramps)

Strange as it seems, but I think I am much less likely to get a cramp post ride when I am eating bananas in the days prior and/or on the day of the ride.

I was riding for 2 weeks (rode 11days out of 13), no cramps whatsoever, but I was eating at least one banana every day or every second day. Rest of the diet was pretty ordinary (nothing particularly special).

I got a cramp about 1-2 weeks after returning home (my wife hates bananas and doesn't buy them).

Of course, thats just my 2 cents worth. YMMV...

[Thoglette]

Had a similar problem when swimming a lot many years ago (calves or thighs locking up during a tumble turn ) and magnesium was the issue. At the time I found one "energy drink" with magnesium (Lucozade I think) and that was the easiest solution: at the time I was doing enough exercise that the sugar/salt in it was welcome rather than a problem.

[edit class="ironic"]
Of course, one should be drinking Gerolsteiner to get one's magnesium
[/edit]