Cycling in Melbourne Australia

Aaaaaaarrggg - Cramps!

No I'm not actually discussing a Date with Elvis, more of the agony inducing oh-shit-something-is-ripping-my-calf-off pain.

Now as most people would know, cramps can occur after exercise or during sleepy time when the muscles are trying to relax/repair.

What about getting cramps after a reasonably short bike ride when you're attempting to get back into form after a bad dose of 'flu? From perusing some cramp-themed reading material, it seems to be predominately based around exercise and training.

My questions at more concerned with a). can a dose of 'flu deplete sodium or potassium levels or b). basically screw up what moderate fitness levels you had before getting ill?

Or c). should I just HTFU, get on the wind trainer or gently turn the legs over?

Tags: cramps, ouch

4 Comments

Comment by vx255 on August 24, 2008 at 8:41pm: Thats an interesting one, I'm more inclined (and certainly no expert, or intellignet amateur ) to believe it's just your "base" fitness that drops off, being sick and becoming sedentary for a while would actually increase your serum sodium levels slightly not decrease it, as your body only properly/effectively metabolises sodium in the blood during movement and exercise.

Comment by Chris Steffanoni on August 25, 2008 at 10:41am: Ah yes. The beloved cramp. There is something special about being woken up in the wi hours of the morning with the feeling that your calf muscle is about to tear straight off your leg. I remember the first time i ever got a cramp I was thinking, "holy crap, what is happening...this pain cant get any worse!" and then the pain just did get a whole lot worse. The next day i couldnt even walk properly. Good times. Anyway you might want to try taking a good dose of Magnesium with Calcium. (Tablets are good). Many people find this helps to eliminate cramps. Or you could just HTFU

Comment by Anne Jovi on August 25, 2008 at 12:30pm: Magnesium Chris - heaps of it! I dose up on it (used to get quite a few cramps) and dont have any problems - Get the good one in powder, concentrated form from the health food shop.