Originally Posted by
pepperbelly
What makes me mad is that I used to be an athlete.
Yes, and I used to be strong. Now, a 40 pound box of cat litter is a challenge.
I've found that any time off the bike takes a toll on my ability to ride distance. I can ride year round but if I slack off on climbing the next climbing ride can lead to cramps.
If I ride and climb a lot I almost never cramp. If I try to do too much too soon that's when cramps happen. I have had cramps when I'm in shape on long rides with a ton of climbing but normally the more I ride the less I cramp.
Same thing with the lower back. First long climb equals back pain. If I climb a lot every week then no back pain or cramps.
If you feel like you need electrolytes there are many products you can use. I've had good luck with Heed, Perpetuem, Cytomax, and capsules from Hammer products. Also people seem to like Nuun tablets.
These days I rely on regular food most times. I do like bananas, PB&J, or even dried apricots. Apricots have potassium. A friend used to bring those little pretzel squares stuffed with peanut butter.