People often experience cramps when cycling. What exactly is cramping? Cramps are actually muscle spasms, which refer to the involuntary and strong contraction of muscles in a certain part of the body and the inability to relax quickly. The cramps most commonly occur on the back of the calf, the back of the thigh, and the front of the thigh. In addition, cramps may occur in small muscles including feet, fingers, arms, abdomen, and even between ribs.

When cramping, the entire muscle becomes hard, and sometimes you can even see muscle twitching under the skin. The muscle cramps may disappear after a few seconds, or they may last for more than 15 minutes. If the original exercise is not handled in time or is interrupted, it may happen repeatedly in a short time.



The real cause of cramps during exercise has not been determined so far, but it is generally believed that it is caused by many factors affecting each other. We have summarized some of the causes and treatments of leg cramps during cycling, and hope that the majority of riders should pay attention to protect themselves during the ride.

Common causes of leg cramps

Insufficient stretching and warm-up exercises before cycling;

When rocking the bike, the action range is too large, and too much, the muscles are overstretched, which causes the accumulation of local acid metabolites and the blood supply is not smooth.

Sudden changes in ambient temperatures, such as temperature, or jumping directly into cold water, excessively cause the leg to twitch

Long-distance cycling for a long time loses too much salt without being replenished in time, and the body's electrolyte balance is broken

Inappropriate cycling postures, such as the saddle angle is not adjusted properly, too low or too high, will burden the knees or the muscles of the upper and lower legs, especially if you maintain a posture or a gear ratio (gear) for a long time. Make the muscles tired, so you should adjust the cycling posture in time to relieve the fatigue of some muscles.

Fatigue, sleep, lack of rest, or excessive rest lead to the accumulation of local acid metabolites, which can cause muscle cramps. For example, walking or exercising for too long, causing excessive fatigue of the lower limbs or insufficient rest and sleep can cause lactic acid to accumulate; too much rest for too much sleep, blood circulation slows down, and carbon dioxide accumulation.



Emergency treatment of cramps during cycling

Immediately use non-twitching hands and feet to control the bike to stop on the side of the road, and shout for help from the rider

Leave the bike, support the body with one foot in a half-squat state, stretch the cramped foot, and the rider will help him break his foot and press his leg.

After the twitches are relieved, do some muscle stretching massages appropriately.

If there are riders who bring hot water, they can use a bicycle towel to apply heat, which can also relieve the pain caused by convulsions.