Carbonfiberboy 

The effect of Tums, pickle juice, lime juice, and mustard, which all work to relieve cramps almost instantly, has nothing to do with calcium or any electrolyte. It's just the taste, which stimulates the brain, which tells the golgi organ to reset.

Some links to study on the subject:
Reflex inhibition of electrically induced muscle cramps in hypohydrated humans. - PubMed - NCBI
https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/0...e-cramps/?_r=0
Three percent hypohydration does not affect threshold frequency of electrically induced cramps. - PubMed - NCBI
Muscle Cramps: Part III | The Science of Sport

Cramps are complicated and still not completely understood, hence all those links to try to untangle all the misinformation one has heard or read.

The OP just needs to do intervals to fix his cramping, which is undoubtedly due to overexertion, meaning exertion beyond his normal training practice. Do a set of four 8 minutes intervals, done hard enough to induce panting, deep rapid deep breathing being impossible. Or do a set of 3-4 15 minute intervals at the limit of rapid deep breathing. Rest 4-8 minutes between intervals. These can be done on the flat or as hill repeats, but hills are much easier to do mentally. Do these intervals once a week and bye-bye cramping.

The persistent pain after cramping is due to muscle damage. Don't do anything hard or which might cause cramps until that soreness goes away or at least almost away. Trying to ride hard with muscle damage causes cramps for sure because you're overusing the muscle fibers that didn't cramp.

chong67

I got front tight cramp this past week. When it happens, I get down to my knees and it seems to help.

I knew it can happen if I keep pushing to the limit too often.

NJgreyhead

As stated above by Carbonfiberboy
"Cramps are complicated and still not completely understood, hence all those links to try to untangle all the misinformation one has heard or read."
True this.

I've posted here on BF about my excessive sweating and cramping and what I learned when I was a young man, laboring out in the summer sun. Then I could buy over-the-counter salt tablets at the drugstore, and they worked for me.
Now I use SaltStick capsules (over 50% sodium, with other electrolytes), and they seem to help me. Just drinking a lot of water on the ride doesn't get it done. Apparently all the sweating causes me to lose a lot of sodium, which needs to be replaced. (Fortunately, I have no blood pressure issues making salt especially dangerous to me.)

Also, I've recently read (where?) that conscientious hydrating is not just for the day of the ride. It should be done over the three days leading up to the ride. And that seems to help me, too (as does avoiding ice cream - a heavy price to pay).


As an aside, I've also read (where?) that it is the amount of sleep gotten over the three nites prior to a ride that matters. If I toss and turn the nite before a big ride, I don't stress about it as long as I had been sleeping well prior to that nite.

HTH.

531Aussie

Did you get this sorted out? Exactly where are the "cramps"? If they're somewhat isolated around the inner/lower quad (medialis), there's a chance it's not cramp, but a kinking of the external iliac artery, which reduces blood flow to the inner leg, causing what feels like a cramp. Stuart O'Grady had it pretty bad