cramp

[albundy89]

Anyone know a cure.
I normally do 70-80 every weekend,30 miles twice a week and most days when the feeling takes me, but still suffer from major cramps,
Tried everything,loads of fluids,salts etc but nothing seems to work.
I played football in formative years ,lifted olympic weights to a reasonable standard and always suffered.
I can cycle 70 miles averaging 20mph and just feel tired then again cover 30 and cant move for the cramp
Any ideas.

[ALawson]

You sound similar to someone at work, another work colleague (competed doing Ironmans including Hawaii) recommended quinine, either tonic water or you can get tablets from Holland and Barrett / Boots.

[MadDad]

Tonic water! I used to suffer excruciating cramps after a hard ride (not necessarily a long one), a tree-hugging homeopath remedy type recommended quinine - tonic water is rich in quinine so I drink a bottle every day and have not suffered cramps since! Give it a go, a bottle of tonic water at Tesco is £0.50, it takes about a week to build up in your system but in time it does the trick...

[TheFungle]

Have you tried knocking the pace off a little?

70 miles @ 20mph is pretty good going...

I read an article that suggested that cramps aren't necessarily as a loss of fluids etc; rather that they are as a result of the muscle being asked to do to much for too great a length of time.

[Gruffy]

Is your fuelling and hydration in good order? Including electrolytes? Do you stretch at all?