The cycle of our muscles contracting and relaxing is fundamental to us moving. Cramping happens when the relaxation phase doesn’t happen. This is much more likely to happen when we are really tired, often in a scenario when we are overreaching the level of what our current conditioning allows us to do.

Think about how many footballers you see trying to stretch their calves out as they go into an extra time period for instance. They cramp then because they’ve probably been trying harder than usual because of the importance of the match. The extra time period takes them over their normal playing period of 90 minutes, a level which they are not used.

A similar scenario can happen out on your bike. If you enter a sportive with much more climbing, or much steeper climbs than what you are used to for example, you are more likely to cramp as your muscles just aren’t conditioned to that intensity.

Part of this reason is because you will be pushed into your lactic zone much sooner than normal. Lactic acid can denature the enzymes that control muscle contraction and relaxation.

Dehydration

If you allow yourself to become dehydrated then you are also much more likely to cramp. Water is the body’s means of transportation, so being adequately hydrated is key to maintaining mineral balance and the keeping clear the proper signalling pathways for muscle contraction and relaxation.

The effects of dehydration can be worsened by your fatigue level. Towards the end of a long ride when you are trying hard and really pushing yourself, you are more likely to be dehydrated if you’ve not concentrated on maintaining your hydration level throughout the earlier parts of your ride.

Dehydration also has a direct impact on the electrolyte balance in your body. Read on for more.