What should I do if I have a cramp while cycling?

Many cyclists have experienced cramps during cycling.

Muscle spasms, also known as muscle spasms, refer to the sudden and involuntary contraction of muscles, which can cause muscle stiffness and unbearable pain.

For cyclists, cramps usually occur in the legs, hands, back, and neck.

In a fierce competition, once you experience cramps, it is difficult for you to recover in a short period of time, and your physical fitness will also be greatly reduced.

The true mechanism of cramps is currently uncertain, but we know that under certain conditions, cramps are indeed more likely to occur.

01: The cycle of fatigue and overload muscle contraction and relaxation is the foundation of our exercise.

When our bodies are extremely fatigued and our muscles operate beyond their limits, cramps often occur suddenly, becoming the last straw to crush the camel.

Taking cycling as an example, if you haven’t trained for a long time and suddenly participate in a high-intensity race one day, you are eager to win and are likely to cramp because the intensity of the exercise has exceeded the limit of your muscles.

Part of the reason is that during high-intensity exercise, players like Xiao Bian are quickly pushed into the lactate zone.

As a strong organic acid, lactate dissociates and produces hydrogen ions, causing a decrease in muscle pH.

The accumulation of hydrogen ions can interfere with the binding of calcium ions to troponin, thereby interfering with muscle contraction and relaxation, leading to muscle cramps.

02: Water and electrolytes can also cause cramps in the human body when dehydrated.

Water is a means of transportation for the body, and the excitability of the human nerves is closely related to the balance of water and electrolytes in the body.

Electrolytes play a crucial role in muscle signal transduction.

During high-intensity cycling, riders experience a significant loss of water and electrolytes in their bodies, which affects the transmission of muscle nerve signals and leads to sustained muscle spasms during or after exercise.

In addition, dehydration can also worsen your fatigue level, especially when your nerves are so tense during a race that you forget to replenish water.

When you sprint in the latter half of the race or at the last minute, your exhausted muscles will teach you a lesson.

03: Injury and cycling settings: If you frequently experience cramps, you need to consider whether there is a potential injury to your body.

For example, ankle strain can limit the range of joint movements, making your lower leg more prone to cramps.

Back injury can also cause leg cramps.

If you experience similar situations, it is recommended to go to a regular hospital for examination and not take chances.

Improper bicycle setting and riding posture are also causes of cramps, such as low (or too high) seat cushion height, inability to stretch (or excessively extend) muscles and joints during stepping, and limited blood circulation in the legs, which can easily cause cramps.

Improper lock angle position can also lead to cramps.

01: How to prevent cramps? Now that you know the factors that may cause cramps, let’s learn how to prevent cramps and what to do if cramps occur.

No one wants to cramp 500 meters before the finish line.

If unfortunately caught, even if you grit your teeth and persist, your stepping strength and rhythm will still be affected, so prevention is the key.

Prepare well, remember to warm up before departure, do a pull-down stretching exercise to stretch your muscles, and some functional leg covers and socks are also advertised as effective in preventing cramps.

Banana Recipe 02: Replenish electrolytes and replenish water and electrolytes in a timely manner.

There are many good sports drinks, tablets, and powders on the market that are worth trying out.

Reasonably matched isotonic sports drinks contain carbohydrates and electrolytes, which are easy to absorb and can help maintain fluid balance.

If you feel thirsty during exercise and are already dehydrated, it is recommended to replenish water in small amounts multiple times, Of course, this is also related to the pace of the race.

Experienced drivers will seize the appropriate time to replenish their water, while novice drivers are highly nervous during the race and dare not reach out for a water bottle during the entire race.

Moderate intake of energy can maintain good muscle function and aid in post exercise recovery.

Sports experts suggest that during exercise, one should consume 30-60 grams of carbohydrates per hour.

Taking into account factors such as sweating rate, weather conditions, exercise intensity, and clothing, the human body will lose 500-1000ml of body fluid per hour.

Perhaps we cannot achieve scientific training like professional athletes, but we should also pay attention to understanding our physical condition.

These details are often the key to winning a competition.

Without training, providing you with an electric small motor is also useless.

Long term training is necessary to make your body function as suitable as possible for your exercise needs, which will help prevent muscle spasms caused by muscle overload.

01: Dealing with cramps.

If you have already done everything you can, but are still accidentally hit, the following tips may help you.

When you feel your muscles start to show signs of discomfort, soreness, and stiffness, it can be a precursor to muscle spasms.

If left unchecked, the intense pain that follows can cause you to collapse.

The correct approach at this point is to lower the gear ratio, reduce muscle load, and change the riding posture, such as trying to switch from sitting to standing (not causing you to rock the bike vigorously), moving back and forth on the cushion, and finding a position that makes the muscles feel relaxed.

If you are confident in your car control skills, you can perform dynamic stretching movements on the car, which can also help relax your muscles, provided you pay attention to safety! 02: Get off the car and take two steps.

If you feel like you need to stop, remember not to sit on the ground without getting up.

This lazy approach can actually tighten your muscles even more.

Try stretching in place, walking back and forth for a while, and slowly drinking some electrolyte drinks to gradually relieve the cramp symptoms..
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