I get cramps in my calves on a pretty regular basis and , rarely, in my thighs. Last week I awoke from a sound sleep with a horrible cramp in my right thigh. I did a pretty hard bike ride in the late afternoon and was possibly dehydrated. It was in a location that I couldn’t seem to stretch. Here it is a week later and it still hurts. Now, I am beginning to see bruising in the area of the cramp. Can cramps actually tear muscle fiber and cause bleeding? If so, why would the blood work its way to the surface of the skin? I seem to recall bruising after an exceptionally bad calf cramp a few years ago. I am on a blood thinner so that is probably contributing the bruising.
Involuntary muscle contractions can be strong enough to break bones and rupture tendons/ligaments (see “tetanus symptoms”).
It’ll take a doctor or nurse to definitively answer that, but I’ll SWAG that the blood was already directly under the skin (or close to it) right after the injury happened, and you just couldn’t see it until the bruising coloration set in. Alternatively, it may be that the blood was deep in the muscle, and it took a week of muscular activity to squeeze/displace it toward the surface.
Yes, it can take a while for blood to reach the skin surface or otherwise be processed by the body. You might have noticed that bruises change color, or show up in places other than the injury, due to the direction of blood flow. I had an injury on my forehead once, and I ended up with spectacular bruises under my eye.
You didn’t ask for advice on how to avoid them, but since the question has been answered, I’m going to give some anyway.
You weren’t just dehydrated, but also low on electrolytes. You need to drink some sports drinks while riding and, if it was a warm day, some more after the ride. And if you still get a cramp, drink some then, too. Which means you didn’t drink enough, so drink more the next time.
As for which sport drink is best, any that contain at least half as much potassium as sodium. Potassium is probably the most critical electrolyte, because most people’s diets are deficient in it. But even if you get a lot in your diet, you still need the sports drink. You can lose an awful lot of electrolytes when you workout on a warm day. If you’re interested, I can suggest a brand.
It wasn’t a particularly hot day and my regular ride is a little over an hour. I was pushing it a bit but nothing extreme. I don’t even get thirsty in that time and drink at least 16 oz. of an electrolyte drink as soon as I’m done, usually more like 20 oz. I guess I should up the amount. The stuff I’m drinking, Ultima Replenisher, has 250 mg of potassium (as potassium aspartate and potassium phosphate) and 55 mg of sodium. From what I’ve read, lack magnesium can be the culprit. If you’ve got a brand to recommend, please do so. I like this stuff because it comes in a powder and is fairly cheap.
Do you use a foam roller MikeF? Way more effective than stretching in dealing with muscular aches and cramps IME - very popular with runners because it can work the IT band, but they’re great in general. Hard ones can be somewhat painful to use [like a vigorous massage], but you can control your weight distribution to work it how you feel.
I get those calf contractions at night sometimes - they can be savage [called Charley horses in the US?] Recently read the advice (on here I think) that you can head them off by pointing your foot up so it stretches the calf, just before it gets going. Sounds simple but I’ve being doing this and it really seems to work.
You can also try long compression socks on the calves if you’re often cramping - people seem to wear them both during and after exercise, not sure what is thought more effective. I was out hiking yesterday and saw plenty of fell-runners / fast hikers wearing these on the hill.
Hmm, your drink has more potassium than mine. My rides are always at least 2 hours, and usually 2.5 to 3 hours and include steep hills, which is where I really sweat and lose the electrolytes. I drink Cytomax (also a powder), which has 120 mg sodium and 60 mg potassium in 10-12 oz drink. so double those to make the comparison to yours. I do get lots of potassium in my diet, so perhaps that (combined with the drink) is why I don’t get cramps.
As for magnesium, Cytomax has 14 mg, but I don’t know if that’s a lot or not. I guess I’d better read up on that. A quick google says that peanuts are high in magnesium and I eat lots of peanut butter. So it looks like I’m getting lots of Mg without realizing it. So eat more peanut butter.
Google will not confirm my recollection, but in the early 50s the Phillies had a pitcher named Steve Ridzik, whose early career was delayed by a muscle cramp during a game, in which it was reported that there actually a bone fracture. But as a professional athlete, he would have unusual powerful muscles.
Hmmm, I’ve not tried the foam rollers but don’t see how they would work for my calves. Don’t they rely on body weight, like rolling on your back, to work? That pointing your toes thing makes sense if you are awake but I’m usually sound asleep when they hit. I remember this machine when I was in high school that had a series of wood rollers (each of which was cut to make it look twisted) arranged like a barrel on its side. The ends were attached to the “top” and “bottom” of the barrel. The whole thing spun and you could rest your back or legs or whatever on the barrel and get great massage. I’d love to find one of those today.
Missed edit window. Google immediately found just what I was talking about. I’ll have to see if I can buy one.
Sounds like your hydration and electrolyte consumption is in order. The next three things that can cause cramps from riding are;
- Bike fit. If your seat is too high or too low, that can cause issues. Also you may not have your shoes adjusted properly if using cleats.
- Riding at the wrong RPM. Hopefully you aren’t mashing the pedals and maintain at least 70 rpm minimum.
- Sometimes it’s just a matter of pushing yourself harder than your body is ready for. Not necessarily a bad thing. Consider doing some easy spinning the last half mile or so.