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NickM
Far too distracted from work Joined: 27 May 09 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 328 |
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Topic: Cramp Posted: 16 Sep 12 at 10:49pm |
Frustrating afternoon: cramped up in the afternoon race after moderately dynamic morning races in a F4 - not for the first time either. Lots of stuff on the web suggests this is to old age and muscle fatigue due to lack of conditioning (guilty as charged;) dehydration (probably that coffe at lunch did not help;) and lack of potassium/magnesium/calcium/sodium (but they say too much salt is bad for you....)
Has anybody suffered from cramp and found a favourite energy bar/gel/drink that can help sort out cramping quickly?
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Telltale
Posting king Joined: 03 May 12 Location: Cardiff Online Status: Offline Posts: 169 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 17 Sep 12 at 12:12am |
Try this as a recipe for isotonic drink, used to get cramp in my hands, probably age related, so I take a bottle of this, together with a banana (high in potassium). Seems to work. 50-70g sugar One litre of warm water Pinch of salt 200ml of sugar free squash Mix, cool and drink |
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G.R.F.
Really should get out more Joined: 10 Aug 08 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 4028 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 17 Sep 12 at 9:25am |
I suffer from cramp, not necessarily something I view as age related since its been going on for thirty five years now on and off, never have got to the bottom of why, although I do tend not to drink much which could explain it, time was they recommended salt tablets. I used to use something called dynamo which was a concentrated lucozade style drink in the seventies when engaged in really high stress sports like water ski racing, but have never thought to use it for windsurfing or sailing as I'd never really viewed them as that high impact maybe I should have..
But then I tend to suffer more these days waking up in the middle of the night with calf or foot cramp especially after a day when exercise has been quite vigorous but it is so random, months can go by with nothing then you get a period where it happens a lot, I don't think anyone has really come up with a definitive reason for it.. Not that I've spotted anyway.
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iansmithofotley
Far too distracted from work Joined: 16 Mar 04 Location: Otley, West Yorkshire Online Status: Offline Posts: 209 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 17 Sep 12 at 10:27am |
Hi Nick M,
Until I was in my thirties, I played rugby and always had cramp problems which were solved by taking a salt tablet before each game. Nowadays, in my late sixties, I sometimes get cramp, in my legs, whilst sailing and from a health point of view, I was told that at my age (and weight) it is probably a bad idea to take salt tablets for fear of potential heart problems. I did some research, and took some advice, and I found that Quinine Sulphate tablets (200mg) really help to solve my cramp problem. I found that I could not buy them from the chemist but had to get my doctor to prescribe them. I take one every morning and, if I have had a hard day's sailing, I take another tablet before going to bed. Part of my cramp problem was because of my doctor's 'preventive medicine' policy when he advised me to take Statins. I did what I was told and took Simvastatin, which he prescribed, with horrendous consequences such as severe cramp, muscle and joint problems, tiredness, etc. I even got cramp in my back, whilst in bed. After six weeks of hell (around four years ago), I took myself off it. The problem was that although many of the side effects disappeared, the cramp problems continued, hence the Quinine. I hope that this helps. Ian (Yorkshire Dales S.C.)
Edited by iansmithofotley - 17 Sep 12 at 10:48am |
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ellistine
Really should get out more Joined: 06 Mar 08 Online Status: Offline Posts: 762 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 17 Sep 12 at 10:50am |
During a long sail on a hot day I often get cramp in my hands. Quite alarming when you can't actually let go of the mainsheet when a gust hits.
The Quinine thing sounds interesting. Gin & Tonic before hitting the water anyone?
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djdhi
Groupie Joined: 06 Oct 07 Online Status: Offline Posts: 44 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 17 Sep 12 at 2:24pm |
Hi all,
Cramp and hydration concern me as well. Did two races yesterday after light training all week, fairly breezy, but no cramp. I weighed myself before and after race and lost 3lbs 12-5 to 12-2. The day after I had bran for breakfast and then had a black-out and was hospitalised. Nothing major was found wrong with me. The most plausible reason seems to have been that after the dehydration of the race the bran soaked up the remaining liquid in my gut and my fluids became dangerously low. l am a senior like a lot more guys I race with. Obviously if I want to continue to race I must learn a lot more about rehydration,---just drinking water does not seem to be the answer. djdhi
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Ruscoe
Really should get out more Joined: 12 Jan 10 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1514 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 17 Sep 12 at 3:50pm |
Well i have had similar problems in the past, i put it down to a couple of things. Mainly fitness, poor diet and smoking. The later being the biggest culprit. Since stopping with the cancer sticks and reducing my caffine in take it has all but gone.
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r2d2
Far too distracted from work Joined: 29 Sep 11 Online Status: Offline Posts: 350 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 17 Sep 12 at 4:02pm |
rather than mixing up your own concoctions, you could try some of the isotonic hydration products available in the running and cycling worlds. They really have developed a lot since the days of athletes mixing up 'sugar water with a bit of salt'
Edited by r2d2 - 17 Sep 12 at 4:02pm |
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sargesail
Really should get out more Joined: 14 Jan 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1459 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 17 Sep 12 at 8:13pm |
Until I tore a calf muscle I had not realised quite how much the calfs had to do with regulating adrenalin in the body (according to my physio). The constant mental and physical requirements "stress" of sailing can be a factor in lower leg cramp while sailing.
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winging it
Really should get out more Joined: 22 Mar 07 Online Status: Offline Posts: 3958 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 17 Sep 12 at 8:29pm |
Bananas are great - loads of potassium. That's why tennis players gooble down so many.
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the same, but different...
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