How can I prevent cramp?

I've been getting cramp in my calf when I've been spinning recently.

I'm drinking about 3-5 pints of fluid a day as well, and I've been making the effort to drink more on a day I go spinning as I know I end up a sweaty mess!

The instructor has said that drinking too much can also be a bad thing, although they don't think I've got to that stage yet.

Any advice would be helpful!

Cheers
Andy

Cramping can mean a lack of iron in your bloodstream. Try eating foods rich in iron, or an iron supplement.

More likely lack of sodium or potassium, eat a banana.

I thought cramping was lack of salt. Sprinkle some salt on your steak and eggs mate!
Chuck

LOL...covering all the bases here...! :D

It can be lack of calcium too!

Thought it was a build up of lactic acid in the muscle:confused:

It can be salt related (lack of) too can't it? To answer my own question, yes :D

Maybe try some Lucozade Sport or something instead of water Andy as that's got various electrolytes in it.

Or an alternative view that reckons only elite level athletes really need sport drinks.

I know what you mean about sweating - I look like I've had a shower in my clothes when I've finished a class. Another 45 minute burn tonight. BTW, if you get into spinning, it's worth buying cycling shoes if the bikes have SPD pedals. So much more comfortable and better to get the power "down" with.

whats "spinning" when its at home?

I have a couple of bananas an hour before heading to the gym!

So iron, calcium and salt then!!! :eek:

...a colleague of mine does this. I believe it means using an exercise bike.

Regarding cramps - I used to get really bad cramps in my legs when I was younger and swam a lot. Adding more salt to my diet solved the problem.

Spinning is done on a bit of equipment that looks like a bike. It has a 20kg flywheel and pads to create resistance.

So it's like cycling, but having someone shout instructions at you while listening to crap music! :eek:

It works me much harder than the gym! After 45 minutes I can wring out my t-shirt!! :eek: :eek:

Go to the pub instead of the gym

There are numerous possible causes. Simple ones such as not stretching/warming up properly, over exertion, existing damage to muscle fibre (an old injury for example).
Also lack of some nutrients such as potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium. If you drink a lot of coke, this can reduce the amount of calcium and magnesium in your body, as can various other sweet things.
It may well be that you have caused some minor muscle damage (possibly due to not warming up properly) which is aggravated whenever you go spinning. Make sure you do warm up properly, dont overexert, and then cool down properly afterwards.
Alternatively, quit spinning!

Steve

Spinning... instructor led class of maybe 5 to 30 people on exercise bikes with music (usually dance/house as a good beat helps you get the pace). Instructor gets the participents to simulate sprints, hill climbs, jumps (in/out the saddle repeatedly)etc. Very intense CV work out for 30 to 60 minutes. Can be completely knackering but leave you (well, me at least) with a feel good buzz at the end.

I drink a bit of diet coke (2-5 cans) a day. Could this be having a knock effect?

I want to get this cramp thing sorted out as I want to start running!

Maybe I should start looking at suppliments as well! :o

Warm up and cool down is very comphensive as it's instructor led. I maybe over doing it, I just did to try and not push myself so hard!

How long have you been doing it Andy?

Time allowing, I do three 45min sessions a week (Mon, Wed & Fri) and the worst I've ever had is a stitch.

Monday morning 7.30-8.15am
Tuesday night 6.00-6.45pm

I've been doing it for about 4-5 weeks now

I've only been to lunchtime one once! But I think it's wrong to spend a Friday lunchtime in the gym!! :eek:

That's as well as 1.5 hours 2-3 times a week with CV and weights.

[Edited by Andy Tang - 10/29/2003 4:59:37 PM]

Drinking excess fluid can be bad for you, but you'd need to drink gallons a day, every day for any long term effects.

Cramps are more often than not caused by dehydration. You say you're drinking water during the day and more on the days with classes. What you need to do is drink at night (day before the morning classes) and if you get up in the middle of the night for a pee, use that time to drink some more. The drink some more when you wake. If you just drink throughout the day before, you'll have 8hrs in your kip and pass most of it when you get up.

You also need to keep hydrated during the classes, so make sure you drink plenty of fluids during the 45min sessions. 45 mins isn't that long to become dehydrated, although if you are out of shape you're body won't be used to keeping it's core temperature stable and you'll tend to overheat and sweat more.

I've taken cramps on long hill runs or mountain biking, but it's usually after 2hrs and when I changed my running stride or even step off the bike.

Warmups are OK, but most classes don't have the time for a 10min warmup and 10min cooldown, unless you're only spinning hard for 25 mins :confused:

I've down some classes in the past, but you were lucky to spend 2-3mins warming up and they never did any stretching :rolleyes:

Stefan

About 5 minutes stretching, etc, and a warm up track, so 10 minutes into warming up.

End on a slow track to cool down, along with 5 minutes of stretching.

So it is about 25-30 minutes of hard excerising.

Spinning...........use to do that after a |Tequila session.

Apparently if you pinch your top lip it relieves cramp...

At least a friend managed to have 6 of us sitting around on Sunday morning trying this out :D. Don't know if it works cos none of us actually had cramp at the time ;) It was the morning after the night before..... :rolleyes: