thcri

I started riding just over a year ago. I have approximately 2300 miles on this year. Not a lot but pretty good for Minnesota and having to work everyday. I have done about ten trips over the 50 mile mark including a few 80 mile trips. Last Friday I took a day off of work to do a casual ride on an area bike trail. It wasn't long and it was time to turn around as I noticed I had 40 miles on and it would be 40 back to my starting point. When I got back I started taking legs of the trail knowing that I could get my first Century in and I did. Saturday the day after I commuted in to work, ten miles in and ten miles home. Today starting this afternoon I am getting a bad cramp in the back of my right leg above the knee. And it hurts. I am drinking lots of water and taking Ibuprophen and it still is hurting. Feeling both of the back of my legs there is definitely a bulge that the left leg does not have. I am stretching and putting ice on it but it seems like the intensity is building yet.

Any suggestions to help this go away. I really wanted to ride yet today but that I am sure is out of the question. Thanks for any advice.

ericm979

"bulge"? that doesn't sound good. I'd go to the doctor.

I've never had cramps days after a hard ride, and I have done a lot of hard rides. It's not normal.

stonefree

Ibuprofen is a blood thickener, switch to coated aspirin. Do the research, if you want. Clarification would be lower doses it's a thinner, higher doses it's a thickener. Jury's probably out because of the big pharma propaganda.

Cramping is a combination of mineral imbalance and reduced blood flow through the muscles involved.

Gatorade will solve it immediately, sometimes, combined with massaging the muscle. Main thing is to get off the Ibuprofen. That's what I did, and I feel a lot better.

It took me a long time to learn this because I suffered from chronic cramping for a very long time. Jumping up in pain out of a deep sleep, etc.,etc.

Now I don't, so I'm passing it on in the hopes that I can at least help one person. So far no takers.

Anything else to make the blood flow helps, like daily cardio...hence the cycling. 300 minutes per week is what I've read that is recommended for older folks. 150 for younger. You choose.

beezaur

A doctor will just do a bunch of tests and write a prescription, maybe if they're on top of it send you to a massage therapist.

Just go to the massage therapist and save all that. A bulge sounds like a knot that someone knowledgeable needs to work out with some hands-on. That's what massage therapists do.

. . .

I cramp pretty easily, so have to keep on top of my minerals. I drink milk for calcium, season my food for sodium, and eat bananas or potatoes for potassium. Potatoes actually are a better potassium source than bananas.

Other things that help are rest, stretching, and staying hydrated.

pdlamb

Good advice.

Sounds like that century was much longer than anything OP's done recently. I'd start with a salt pill, and keep drinking water. Stretch those quads, but gently - you don't want to cramp your hamstrings or pull anything!

Leg massage, either self-massage, masseur, or therapist, sound like a very good idea. Shortly after I got back into riding I got a spare rolling pin to roll out those knotted muscles. Remember, pressure on the stroke coming back toward your heart! (I haven't needed the rolling pin for a few years, but it helped enormously back then.)

thcri

Feeling much better today. Drinking lots of water and Gatorade. The bulge disappeared last night. It may be just stiffness too?? I am going to ride tonight with a group. Slow riders group that is and if I feel any pain or discomfort I will drop out. The ride will only be 21 miles. Thanks for all of your advice.

thcri

I rode tonight 27 miles at my normal average and dis fine. My calve on my other leg cramped a bit but just drinking water and it stopped almost immediately. Old age I guess.

Richard Cranium

Much of cramping is the result of the condition of muscle tissues. Advice regarding cramping is always guesswork.

Often - only time and rest are what's needed most. Resolution of the problem isn't always about diet deficiencies.