Most cyclists have probably experienced first-hand what plagued Lance Armstrong at the end of the queen stage of this year's Tour de France: Cramps. At the end of a long, hard ride, muscles sometimes get out of control and contract without you wanting them to. The spectrum ranges from slight muscle fluttering to painful muscle blockages. In the worst case scenario, the race is over.
Cramps are a widespread phenomenon. Studies of 2,600 endurance athletes have shown that two thirds of triathletes and marathon runners suffer from cramps - most frequently in the calves. In cyclists, however, the main working muscles also cramp: the front and back thigh muscles. Cramps in the feet, hands or arms are more exotic when cycling, but they also occur.
What causes muscle cramps? Sports scientists and doctors discuss various theories. The best known is that of electrolyte deficiency - it was first postulated around a hundred years ago. It is based on the assumption that athletes mainly get cramps when, for example, they lose too much fluid in high temperatures and therefore too many minerals that their muscles urgently need.
However, the electrolyte theory is increasingly being superseded by the fatigue theory, which was first published by South African professor Dr Martin Schwellnus in 1997. This theory centres on the malfunction of fatigued nerve cells that control the muscles. A more recent study published in the USA last year therefore identifies two causes: Heat cramps and fatigue cramps.
You can find the entire article with preventive measures as a PDF download below.
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