Cramp whilst racing/sailing
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Technique
Forum Discription: 'How to' section for dinghy questions and answers
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11476
Printed Date: 27 Jun 25 at 8:41am
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Topic: Cramp whilst racing/sailing
Posted By: iGRF
Subject: Cramp whilst racing/sailing
Date Posted: 16 May 14 at 4:04pm
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I had a monster attack last night on the first reach, I can't say it's just a recent problem because I remember getting a serious bout during the 1st round of the Windsurfer National series in Hythe in May of 1978.
Another of the chaps I race against on the lake also got turned around and handed me his position thanks to a nasty spasm a couple of weeks back. So, anyone else suffer? Anyone got any pet cures, advice? ------------- https://www.corekite.co.uk/snow-accessories-11-c.asp" rel="nofollow - Snow Equipment Deals https://www.corekite.co.uk" rel="nofollow - New Core Kite website |
Replies:
Posted By: jeffers
Date Posted: 16 May 14 at 4:06pm
The fountain of youth  In all seriousness though I find it is usually because a specific area gets cold and goes in to spasm. ------------- Paul ---------------------- D-Zero GBR 74 |
Posted By: gordon1277
Date Posted: 16 May 14 at 4:16pm
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Normally I get cramp after a good beat then promptly loose places with trying to unknot my calf muscles. Not good for boat speed standing up wobblying about trying to straighten my leg.
My patent cure as a Phantom sailor is eat more pies drink more beer. maybe I should change to gin and tonic hasnt that got something good in it for cramp? ------------- Gordon Lossc |
Posted By: iGRF
Date Posted: 16 May 14 at 4:25pm
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I got it in my chest, was convinced it was a heart attack at being undertaken by my man in his Laser.
Then I realised my impact vest had shrunk over the winter along with my wetsuit. Naturally the answer came to me at the bottom of the first glass of recovery fluid. ------------- https://www.corekite.co.uk/snow-accessories-11-c.asp" rel="nofollow - Snow Equipment Deals https://www.corekite.co.uk" rel="nofollow - New Core Kite website |
Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 16 May 14 at 5:13pm
I thought it was good for malaria? ------------- Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686 |
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 16 May 14 at 5:14pm
| One of the reasons I more or less gave up sailing trapeze boats was because I kept getting cramp in the calf of the rear leg. |
Posted By: winging it
Date Posted: 16 May 14 at 5:35pm
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Cramp is very often caused by lack of electrolytes. If I dont keep up my fluid levels in warm weather I get awful muscle cramps because some medication I have to take saps my electrolyte level. So the recovery fluid joke is pretty close to home. Less coffee and tea during the day, more squash or water or expensive sugary crap. How can a finely tuned afflete such as yourself not know this Greeme? I am neglecting to ask Jim if he ever gets cramp in his front legs because that joke has been done before. ------------- the same, but different... |
Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 16 May 14 at 6:06pm
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In 2009 I got such bad cramp in my right calf after sailing that it still hurts like **** when I get it massaged now. Couldn't walk the next day. Years ago, I used to get cramp in the back of my thighs, which would poleaxe me. I'd just fall over. Used to happen in pubs after a long hitch, followed by a pint or 2, or after a cold sail. Mind, it started as a kid - pre hitching or beer, but sailing was involved. Somehow, I don't get it any more. ------------- Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686 |
Posted By: craiggo
Date Posted: 16 May 14 at 8:34pm
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Ive been lucky to only have a few cramps in my whole life. They were limited only to my calfs and I felt it building and found that getting up and moving cured it within seconds. My main drink of choice (when not consuming alcohol) is orange squash and as Nessa said its a much better choice than tea or coffee or even water. Amazingly you can dehydrate by drinking too much water.
Chest pains are often the result of snagging a nerve with your ribs. Normally a few deep breathes clears the problems, again I've suffered from it but usually not on the water. When on the water the adrenaline kicks in and I feel no pain :) |
Posted By: drifter
Date Posted: 16 May 14 at 9:09pm
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Good to see it's not just me who suffers. I get it in my hands such that I can't let go the tiller or mainsheet-worst in the Grad with stern sheeting. I've tacked at the gybe mark a couple of times as I couldn't guarantee to be able to let go the tiller. Better hydration needed I think. ------------- Stewart |
Posted By: MerlinMags
Date Posted: 16 May 14 at 9:29pm
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If you do find a cure for cramp, keep quiet about eating/drinking it!
You need an excuse for the next time you get overtaken.... |
Posted By: sargesail
Date Posted: 16 May 14 at 10:43pm
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Training hard (going to be running on the Three Peaks yacht Race) at the moment and have just started using some carb gels and electrolyte tablets. Seems to make a difference, certainly got through 20miles easier this afternoon. AndI'm getting less cramps afterwards. and that's not the really expensive stuff at all. Lot's of sailors experience calf cramp: I'm told that this is not just beacuse of teh silly hiking or trapexing positions but because of the role the calfs have in helping adrenaline distribution.
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Posted By: PeterG
Date Posted: 17 May 14 at 7:23pm
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Yes, I get cramp in my legs. Mostly the thighs, not the calves. During racing it tends to happen in the 3rd race - so after I've been stewing in a wet suit for a while, and more on the Contender than the Laser, so probably connected with trapezing. Water and foul "sports" drinks at lunch might help a bit, but also I think keeping my legs warm. So when beach launching - and getting my legs wet at the start of the day I tend to wear polypro leggings pretty much regardless of the weather - that seems to help. I also get night time cramps, sometimes, in my thighs after sailing - mostly after the first windy sail in a Laser of the year - though I had them after a fairly gentle sail in a Devon Yawl the other day - so maybe I'm just getting older! Taking Crampex tablets before bed seems to help with that (and I hadn't though to take them after my sail the other day). ------------- Peter Ex Cont 707 Ex Laser 189635 DY 59 |
Posted By: dohertpk
Date Posted: 17 May 14 at 7:35pm
| I cramp up really bad if I've been in the gym the evening before a sail. If you're doing anything like deadlifts in your resistance routine, you'll find your calves get very tense very quickly. It's nothing a solid 10 minutes of stretching after each workout wouldn't cure...but one does get lazy. |
Posted By: Daniel Holman
Date Posted: 17 May 14 at 7:47pm
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Cramps can generally be attributed to hydration issues, cold and fatigue. More fluid, more salts (both sodium and potassium - the former from table salt, the latter from bananas) A posh rehydration beverage will have that all sorted, so then its just keeping warm. Suspect stretching won't do any harm either. |
Posted By: winging it
Date Posted: 17 May 14 at 8:49pm
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Which is why you will see tennis players on TV eating so many bananas. Stretching the cramped musxle can be dangerous. The muscle has contracted really tightly, and stretching can tear the muscle fibre. Better to massage the cramp away if you can. ------------- the same, but different... |
Posted By: NickM
Date Posted: 18 May 14 at 11:48pm
| I used to get cramp in the back leg when clamped into windsurfing straps and a doctor friend suggested taking an aspirin to thin the blood before going on the water. Seemed to help a bit. Rehydration salt in a water bottle is good too. |
Posted By: iGRF
Date Posted: 19 May 14 at 10:03am
Bananas? That's a new one on me as a suggestion for cramp, I've always been a great believer in digestion issues when travelling and the need for a daily banana, I shall equip the EPS with a bunch from now on.. 
As to being a finely tuned athlete and or my competitive days which have been long since gone, we never had any of this sort of advice, other than carb loading and I used to use a lucozade derivative called 'dynamo' back in the water ski racing days. The phrase 'Sports nutritionist' or psychologist never really occurred back in the seventies. ------------- https://www.corekite.co.uk/snow-accessories-11-c.asp" rel="nofollow - Snow Equipment Deals https://www.corekite.co.uk" rel="nofollow - New Core Kite website |
Posted By: Dougal
Date Posted: 19 May 14 at 11:25am
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Isn't there quinine in tonic water that makes it good for malaria. Apparently it is possible to drink tonic water without gin but personally I have never tried it. I can tell you re-hydrating with white wine doesn't work very well.
------------- What could possibly go wrong? |
Posted By: iGRF
Date Posted: 19 May 14 at 12:17pm
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So what are we looking at here then Dougal, Banana& Tonic? I'll try anything once.. ------------- https://www.corekite.co.uk/snow-accessories-11-c.asp" rel="nofollow - Snow Equipment Deals https://www.corekite.co.uk" rel="nofollow - New Core Kite website |
Posted By: catmandoo
Date Posted: 19 May 14 at 1:55pm
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worst i had was loch ness monster race , after trapezing full length of loch ness in full on 5 to 6 , came back in for fly back down , both legs went into spasm calfs and thighs , agony for next 25 miles down hill in very fruity conditions , only relief was when capsizing near end though cramp , fatigue caused by it and impaired mobility were causes of capsizes , all within 2 miles of finish !!!!! i would be very intrested in a cure . ------------- |
Posted By: Dougal
Date Posted: 19 May 14 at 2:18pm
It's got to be worth a go. Stick the banana and some ice in a blender and add the tonic water. For a bit of class you could even add a sparkler and a little pink umbrella. ------------- What could possibly go wrong? |
Posted By: catmandoo
Date Posted: 20 May 14 at 12:37pm
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Or gin !!!!! ------------- |
Posted By: NickA
Date Posted: 23 May 14 at 5:28pm
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Used to get chronic post-hiking cramp in legs, though never whilst sailing. My preventative cure is a) drink lots of water, b) eat lots of salted peanuts soon after sailing. Seems to work ------------- Javelin 558 Contender 2574 |