A bit of a crisis after first metric century!

[Blue Hills]

Have had cramp sometimes and once in both legs at the same time mid cycle. May be my imagination but I do get the feeling that zero tabs help a lot. Did 100 miles the other day and no problem - cramp-free state could have been down to the single zero tab or the four pints of beer. Sometimes the night after a ride I do get cramp in bed. Again may be coincidence but a quick nibble of half a zero tab (not dissolved) seems to usually bring rapid relief, though I find it hard to believe that the contents of the tab can make it into my system that fast. I do like them -berry one particularly. Usually easily available for half price stocking up of course - no need at all to pay full price.

 

[Alan O]

Whenever I read threads like this, I repeat the recipe I use for very cheap exercise hydration. And against the ongoing marketing barrage of super-duper-expensive hydration tablets, I make no apology...

It's essentially the standard ORT approach but with perhaps a bit more salt, and it's just one litre of water, 6 teaspoons of sugar, half to one teaspoon of salt, zero "sports science" markup. Add some lemon juice or squash to taste.

It's easy, it's dirt cheap, and it works.

 

[Blue Hills]

Wot's ORT alan?

Doesn't the sugar cause issues with your water bottles?

I don't find zero tabs expensive to be honest and i'm a meanie. Buy them cheap, often only use half a tab.

 

[the stupid one]

Oral Rehydration Therapy.

One of the BMJ's 15 modern medical milestones in a 2007 shortlist:

10 Oral rehydration

Children in poor countries are faced with episodes of diarrhoea about three times a year. Simple, cheap and easily prepared oral rehydration therapy, which combines salt and sugar with clean water, saves millions of lives.

 

[Alan O]

Wot's ORT alan?

Doesn't the sugar cause issues with your water bottles?

I don't find zero tabs expensive to be honest and i'm a meanie. Buy them cheap, often only use half a tab.

ORT is Oral Rehydration Therapy, which is aimed at patients at risk of dehydration, usually from diarrhea - see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_rehydration_therapy

Why would there be a problem with my water bottles? I wash mine out at the end of each ride - don't you?

And however cheap tabs might seem, they're far more expensive than the ORT recipe. If you want to go for tabs, go for it, but unless you're an exceptional athlete I really don't think there's any real advantage over just being careful about salt intake and drinking enough water. H. sapiens evolved pretty well for a very long time before sciencey marketing decided it had discovered the only way to survival.

 

[Blue Hills]

Why would there be a problem with my water bottles? I wash mine out at the end of each ride - don't you?

.

No - empty them, maybe rinse. They only get washed every 1 or 2 years. I always use a clear bottle for the tabs so that I can keep an eye on any suspicious growths at the bottom. Personally not too keen on sugar in my bottles - my ride sugar boost comes from Lidl wine gums.

No I'm not an exceptional athlete - I used to use the powders which also had a carb/energy component on tough rides and they did seem to work but these days I prefer Lidl wine guns, Lidl chocolate peanuts and raisins, my home-made energy snack and self-made espressos.

 

[Alan O]

No - empty them, maybe rinse. They only get washed every 1 or 2 years.

You could be at the forefront of culturing new bacteria for new antiobiotics!

 

[vickster]

Eww to not washing bottles. Mine go through the dishwasher at least once a week and usually only contain water

 

[Tin Pot]

Jesus Christ I’ve seen some over reactions in my time but this thread is starting to take the biscuit*.

So you had some unexpected painful cramping after riding much longer than you ever have?

Welcome to the world of overexercise.

- Stop freaking out.
- Put down the third world drought treatments.
- Empty out the two bottles you won’t drink next time either.

1. Build up to your next big ride over several weeks.
2. End plan.

 

[Blue Hills]

You could be at the forefront of culturing new bacteria for new antiobiotics!

Actually it's probably substantially less frequently than that. Was maybe fearful of admitting it. I do have some of that stuff for cleaning baby's bottles but the vast majority of it is still in the bottle. Will probably see me out. I'm a great believer in building up resistance by not being over fussy about such things. In case you think I'm a total slob I stress that I always shower before cycling.

 

[Alan O]

Will probably see me out.

One way or another :-)

 

[Blue Hills]

there are news stories on lowered resistance through excessive concern about cleaning - tried to find but couldn't. May your personal germs go with you.

 

[cyberknight]

Sartorius muscle, longest in the human body
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sartorius_muscle

It's the one that hits me every time I'm working my way back on the bike after a layoff.

Pattern for me is exactly as you describe it:

About 40 minutes later I went to stand up to say goodnight to our daughter and was floored by the worst cramp of my life, so bad that I shouted for help

The motion of moving from sitting to standing triggers it into spasm. Pain like no other cramp pain.

I used to find it impossible to deal with/stretch out - I eventually found that sitting on the floor, legs out in front and leaning the torso (shoulders toward and over knees) resolves the spasm and pain very effectively

Thats the one on me cramps up when i used to get above 75 miles, started doing stretches for it more regularly and added side step squats to my strength routine and seems to be getting better.

 

[vickster]

there are news stories on lowered resistance through excessive concern about cleaning - tried to find but couldn't. May your personal germs go with you.

More linked to children and allergies. You're probably ok if you've got to late adulthood without a lifetime of illness. I'm not fastidious and a firm believer in the 5 second rule but I wouldn't drink from a bottle that hasn't been washed properly in a year (esp after a recent dose of acute gastroenteritis in Asia likely due to bugs in water)

 

[Blue Hills]

what's the five second rule?

If you haven't thrown up/collapsed after 5 seconds you're probably fine?

In truth my blue decathlon bottles are well over 10 years old and have maybe been properly cleaned 3 times.

Maybe time for another?

Have recently invested in some nice stainless steel ones to facilitate cleaning - primarily for touring.

Clear bottles are the thing I think - sod the flash branding.