5 Ways to Prevent Muscle Cramps in a Cycling Race

Reader Question: I cramped up badly racing Park City Point 2 Point. What can I do next time to prevent it from happening?

When cyclists cramp in a race, it's often the large muscles in the legs that go first. Muscle cramps are a painful experience that can slow you down.

So what causes muscle cramps? The scientific community doesn't have a definitive answer, either. There are theories on what causes cramping, but no certainties. The best we can do as athletes is to review each cramping theory and compare them to our own personal experiences.

The current theories on muscle cramping include muscular fatigue, low electrolyte levels (sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, magnesium), hyper-hydration, dehydration and personal susceptibility.

More: 5 Ways to End Muscle Cramps

Fatigue Theory

Muscular fatigue is thought to be the most likely cause of muscle cramps. When you push harder or longer than your muscles are used to, the strain can cause cramping. For mountain bike racers during the 78-mile Park City Point 2 Point, harder and longer is the most likely culprit.

Prevention: There are two ways to prevent cramping from fatigue: pacing and training. Pace yourself during the race to reflect the level at which you've trained. Riding harder in a race than you've ridden in training is a recipe for muscle cramps. A good tip is to hold back in the first half of your race to keep your muscles from becoming fatigued early. In training, push harder and longer to close the gap to the pace you want to maintain during the race. This is tough to accomplish in a 78-mile mountain bike race that takes on average over nine hours to complete—like the Park City Point 2 Point.

More: 2 Ways to Conquer Cramps on the Bike

There's anecdotal evidence though that muscle cramps can be prevented by strength training. Perennial pro racer and multiple winner of the Leadville 100, Dave Wien's wrote this in his Road to Leadville Blog.

"I lift to, hopefully, prevent cramping. So far, this has helped me at Leadville. I have lifted going into this race the last three years and I haven't cramped. In years when I didn't lift, I'd cramp coming down Columbine, but I'd just kept spinning my legs, though, and they'd go away. It certainly isn't doing my legs any good, though. I experienced the same thing in the Firecracker 50 this year—and in others—when I haven't been lifting. I'll try to get into the gym for this workout eight or nine times before Leadville, my last one being on the Monday or Tuesday before the race."

More: Understanding Exercise-Induced Muscle Cramps

Low Electrolyte Theory

Muscle cramps are brought on by loss of sodium, chloride, calcium, potassium or magnesium in sweat during exercise. This is the oldest cramping theory, and recent evidence suggests it's also the most unlikely cause of muscle cramping. However, as athletes it's an easy one to fix during a race.

Prevention: Before the race, add extra salt to your meals to top-up sodium levels. During the race, supplement with a solution like Elete or use Endurolyte capsules to replace electrolytes lost in sweat.

Hyper-hydration Theory

Hyper-hydration is linked to the low electrolyte theory. Drinking too much will dilute the sodium concentration in the blood.

Prevention: Drink just the right amount of fluid and not too much. A good rule of thumb is to drink only when you are thirsty.

More: Dealing With Side Stitches and Muscle Cramps on the Trail

Dehyrdation Theory

Dehydration may or may not cause muscle cramps. Avoiding dehydration is a no-brainer for racers, as dehydration negatively affects race performance in multiple ways.

Prevention: Maintain hydration status by drinking when you are thirsty. Use the color of your urine as an indictator as to whether or not you are properly hydrated.

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Personal Susceptibility

Some people are simply more susceptible to muscle cramps than others. There's evidence too that susceptibility increases with age.

Prevention: Regular stretching may help reduce the incidence of cramping. If you have frequent muscle cramps, you should stretch regularly. If you have a pill or tonic that prevents muscle cramps, keep taking it. The placebo effect might be working nicely for you. Some athletes swear by pickle juice.

If your legs do cramp in a race, your best option is to drop the pedal force and spin easy. If your muscle cramps become too intense to keep the pedals moving, stop and stretch the affected muscle.

More: How to Prevent the 6 Most Common Cycling Injuries