Stomach cramps ?

[Steve B]

Has anyone else suffered with stomach cramps whilst cycling?
It happened to me again yesterday about 20 mins into the 4up time trial and lasted the whole of the rest of the race (over an hour).This is the 4th time now in 2years, it's really painful and there doesn't seem to be anyway to alleviate it, carrying on cycling is very tough, but when your in a team TT you just have to. When I do stop the cramps get worse and double me over in pain.
After the ride yesterday Ian Munnery gave me an energy bar and after about 5-10 mins the cramps started to go away, but this does not work while I am on the bike, infact if anything they get worse. Even drinking makes the cramps tighten.
I don't think its lack of food because each time it has happened I've recently eaten something, (before a ride) which makes me wonder if my stomach is not very good at digesting food while cycling. But why does it not happen every week on the club run after a cake at the cafe?
Has anyone any thoughts or ideas, or previous experiences?

Cheers,

Steve

[Matthew Ives]

Hi Steve,

Normally I have a strong stomache , but I've noticed that if I mix and drink certain sports drinks in too high a solution, I get what you describe....well, maybe not as bad, but certainly noticable.

Maybe have a look at what you're eating and drinking just before or during the ride?

Cheers
Matthew

[Dr Frigo]

Not a stich? I got one towards the end of the 4-up. It was unusually sideways.

[siwickm]

I don't think you are meant to really eat anything a good couple of hours or so before a TT as this can mess you up. I am no expert on this but if you say have a high carbo type meal or something a few hours before this should tide you over. Then just rely on liquid. I tend to drink a lucozade about half an hour before an event and then drink watered down lucozade while riding.

Cheers

Marek....

[huw williams]

Steve - I've forwarded this on to Hannah who might be able to help or at least forward you on to someone who can.

It's probably allied to the fact that you're going so hard, which is why it doesn't happen after a cake on the club run. After leaving the cafe the pace is usually steady for 45 minutes before the Merstham drag.

On the other occasions it happened were you also racing/TTing/hammering it?

If so it could just be a case of not eating for at least an hour before a hard ride, so there is less un-digested, solid food in your gut.

[Steve B]

[Steve B]

Thanks guy's
The pains are definately in the gut, not muscular, it's not a stitch, and I don't feel sick or need the use of a toilet.
I have changed my energy drink from lucozade sport back to PSP22, so there is a chance it could be related but it seems to me more to do with food intake. Good point Huw about going hard while having undigested food in the gut, and about riding steady after the cafe stop on the club run.
Saturday I had a piece of cake an hour before the start, another time it happened I stopped to eat some mars bar while out with Huw on my first excursion into the Kent hills, only to die 40 mins later, and another time on an extended club run we stopped at a shop to re-fuel and I then took a detour to Turners Hill to see my Mum, only for her to open her front to find me on my hands and knees in agony.

A combination of the 3 things could be the answer (energy drink, food, going hard), or even 2 of the 3, who knows?

I've just remembered that on that mega London to Brighton ride some weeks back, I ate a huge baguette in Brighton, 15 mins before tanking it back all the way home, with no problems. Now that throws a spanner into the mix!

Thanks for your feedback guys

Steve

[Elliot M]

Just an idea but have you also considered irritable bowel syndrome - just when you mentioned being on hands and knees with pain...?

[sid_day]

I personally avoid the "energy" only drinks.
I'm not sure how accurate this is but the SIS rep I last met recommended GO for most things other than actually during an event where PSP22 makes sense. GO has more salts to help with re-hydration.

Try a weaker solution too.

I had problems during a 24 hour event last year, my team suggested some stretches.
The stretches invloved lying on your back and bringing your knees up to your chest.
Then I had a good fart and was happy again!

[sid_day]

useful article on this topic:

[url]http://www.bikemagic.com/news/article.asp?UAN=4996&v=1[/url]

It's not definitive but covers the major points:

e.g.
"High concentrations of carbohydrate accumulating in the guts can impair fluid absorption and can lead to stomach cramps."

[higg]

A few year's ago I switched from HighFive to PSP22. I used it for a 6-hour MTB anduro and never touched it since. By the end of the race I had such bad cramp everywhere (hands, legs, back). It was so bad I couldn't use the brake without my hand cramping and jamming on full. I was actually afriad to stop at the finish line because the cramp in my legs got worse when I tried to get off the bike. Now I didn't prepare particularly well for that event so it wasn't all down to the PSP22 but I've never had a similar problem using either GO or High Five.

I'm not sure why SIS even sell it anymore, GO contains almost exactly the same carb content but also has the electroltyes. Am I missing something ? I think I read somewhere else that the salts can also help with the digestion.

[Steve B]

Thanks, article very interesting. I've also had slight cramp problems in calves and thighs since going back to PSP22 (including tonight at Hillingdon, not able to take part in sprint) but dismissed them as just the effects of riding hard. I'm going to stop using PSP22, as from now, and see what happens from here. Thanks again!

[Tim H (liquigas)]

Steve - i used PSP22 for a while - nightmare!!

in fact i have stopped using energy drinks and bars altogether! even in 140K road races i just take 2 bottles of orange squash and some basic food (normally 2 bananas and a snickers or two) does the trick for me.. but everyone is different..

i once ate a Go bar on a 120K road race and i thought i was having a heart attack for the last 10 miles... i could hardly breath!

trial and error i say

[siwickm]

Tim, maybe that was because it was the last 10 miles of the race as opposed to the Go bar and Steve Gowar was driving the pace. I have also stopped using PSP, tastes awful, hard to get hold of and also I was getting cramps.

Cheers

Marek...