preventing cramps?

[TsPoet]

Differnent people need different things - calcium has saved my life. Calcium with Magnesium is fine. I take a tablet before every ride and at night before bed. Without this, I get major calf cramps.
Try Calcium.

[mimitabby]

try those new V8 fusion drinks. no corn syrup, and high in potassium and sodium.. not real sweet either.

[bcipam]

In really hot weather (like we are now having in So Cal) I take before a ride: 2 TUMS (that's right like for a bad stomach but its a great source of calcium), I also like to finish off a Gatorade - either Endurance or Rain and I make sure I have no caffeine before the ride. Also important to take in some food before the ride to help absorb water and keep it in your body instead of sweating it out.

I use only water in my Camelback to which I add 5 - 10 drops of Elete (electrolyte replacement - oderless, colorless and no sugar) and carry a small water bottle for "spritzing" to cool me off. I also carry Enervit which is a salt replacement tablet. If sweating heavily I'll take one or two.

But I think bottom line, when weather is hot, and I'm sweating it's best to just back down on the intensity of my ride to allow my body to adjust. Once
the cramping starts its hard to get rid of them. Pull into a fast food restaurant and order some fries, put your feet up and cool off.

[Bike Goddess]

As Bicam says- liquid Elete works well. I carry it with me to put in my water bottles if I run out of Endurolytes or Jelly Belly sport beans.

I rode in hot weather yesterday- 64 miles worth of heat. I drink Cytomax- Cranberry/Grapefruit- as well as plain water and electrolytes. No cramps either during or after. This is a fairly strenuous ride with about 3500 feet of climbing most which is in hot sun with no shade.

Hydrdating will help keep your blood thin. This will make a huge difference in your ability to ride in hot conditions. Also, the earlier in the day that you can get out for a ride, the better.

[KSH]

I live in Texas... and I have been riding in weather 100 and below on ride of 20 to 60 miles.

Here is what I do:

1) Ice Cold water in my Camelbak.

2) 1, 24oz Polar bottle with water (frozen overnight).

3) 1, 20oz Polar bottle with Gatoraid (diluted, and frozen overnight).

4) Peanut butter crackers to snack on.

5) A clif bar to snack on.

6) Shot blocks in a bag on my bike, I eat one of those every 15-30 minutes.

And when I did my 60 mile ride and it was really hot and my calf started to act twitchy... I went and ate some straight salt. Gross, yes. But I never cramped up.

[Geonz]

Straight salt - delicious!! (Suck off them pretzels, slurp...)
Bananas, too.
Gatorade but I can't drink it straight either.
And I back off, big time. The first thing to go when it's hot is my motivation - somewhere down in my legs. Mental motivation I will argue with, but when the mind is ready to go and the legs won't on the third request, I stop asking and go the speed the legs request. (Which has got me thinking I may have made a mistake riding the heavy bike - normally it's an appropriate workout-inducer for a level 2 ride, but it's ... whew! it's 83, I'll be *warm* and not happy, but I won't fuse with the pavement...

[rheidis73]

Thank you for all the info. I am going to try some of your ideas. (Actually, I am going to print the page, so that I can have it as a referance)