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Cramp

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=9830
Printed Date: 28 Mar 24 at 12:40pm
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Topic: Cramp
Posted By: NickM
Subject: Cramp
Date 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?



Replies:
Posted By: Telltale
Date 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



Posted By: G.R.F.
Date 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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Posted By: iansmithofotley
Date 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.)


Posted By: ellistine
Date 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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Posted By: djdhi
Date 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


Posted By: Ruscoe
Date 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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Posted By: r2d2
Date 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'


Posted By: sargesail
Date 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.


Posted By: winging it
Date 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...



Posted By: tickler
Date Posted: 17 Sep 12 at 9:10pm
I take simvastin....well I am supposed to but I forget. With them or without them I have no side effects that I have noticed. I do get cramp in my feet when crewing and screwed up in a corner but not when helming. I probably dont drink enough however, but I have taken to drinking a lot of tomato juce recently and it makes me feel better generally.


Posted By: NickM
Date Posted: 18 Sep 12 at 10:28am
Thanks for all the suggestions everybody.  Will give some of them a try.


Posted By: Steve411
Date Posted: 18 Sep 12 at 4:23pm
I was always led to believe that if your sweat is salty then you are taking in too much salt to your body as any excess salt is leeched away in the sweat. Also, that cramp is not induced by insufficient salt but rather by a reduction in the amount of salt your body is used to. Therefore, you are more likely to get cramp if you have excess salt in your diet and then sweat a lot of it out.
 
Someone with medical/dietary knowledge will no doubt put me right, but that's what I thought, (from someone who doesn't get cramp and who doesn't have salty sweat).


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Steve B
RS300 411

https://www.facebook.com/groups/55859303803" rel="nofollow - RS300 page


Posted By: PeterG
Date Posted: 18 Sep 12 at 5:24pm
I suffer from cramp. Both in my calves during afternoon races, and in my thighs at night after windy races at the start of the season. Plus less serious, but irritating, cramps in my hands and feet at times. 

The afternoon cramps in my calves I put down to a) dehydration and b) legs getting cold after sitting around in a wet wetsuit over lunch (beach launching means you always have wet legs whatever the weather). Drinking plenty at midday and wearing a polypro leggings under my long john (even when it's warm) definitely help.

The overnight cramps at the start of the season, or after a windy sail, I generally control these days by doing leg stretches after I've sailed and before I go to bed, and taking Crampex before I go to bed. 

Hand and foot cramps I just tend to live with, moving a bit normally gets rid of them, though when I'm hunched up in the bottom of a Contender in light winds it can be tricky!

Interesting, re Simvastatin, I've been on it for about 4 years. No real problems, though I do think my problems with foot cramps have got worse since then.



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Peter
Ex Cont 707
Ex Laser 189635
DY 59



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