Biking Trip

[Alabuckeye]

Well, I completed my 2022 biking challenge on Saturday, a century ride (100 miles, duh) through Hell, Michigan (which actually exists lol). It was billed as OneHelluvaRide. My trip through Hell was easy, as this was about 1/5 of the way through the ride. In fact, I was looking pretty strong, averaging about 18 MPH, up through about 55 miles. And then I hit the proverbial wall. I ended up averaging a bit under my goal of 17 MPH. I also experienced the most painful cramps of my entire life, I still have pain in my calves and quads 48 hours later. At the 2nd rest stop they offered us this nasty pickle juice, which I declined because, well, it's nasty.

Then my biking partner, who drank the crap, and didn't ceamp up, sent me this today. 

https://www.healthline.com/health/pickle...for-cramps

Anyone ever heard of drinking pickle juice to prevent leg cramps?

Just admit it, you averaged 9mph and several times were moving so slowly that you fell over, ala Joe Biden. 

I have heard of the pickle juice thing. Still wouldnâ€t do it

[Erhino]

Well, I completed my 2022 biking challenge on Saturday, a century ride (100 miles, duh) through Hell, Michigan (which actually exists lol). It was billed as OneHelluvaRide. My trip through Hell was easy, as this was about 1/5 of the way through the ride. In fact, I was looking pretty strong, averaging about 18 MPH, up through about 55 miles. And then I hit the proverbial wall. I ended up averaging a bit under my goal of 17 MPH. I also experienced the most painful cramps of my entire life, I still have pain in my calves and quads 48 hours later. At the 2nd rest stop they offered us this nasty pickle juice, which I declined because, well, it's nasty.

Then my biking partner, who drank the crap, and didn't ceamp up, sent me this today. 

https://www.healthline.com/health/pickle...for-cramps

Anyone ever heard of drinking pickle juice to prevent leg cramps?

Yeah, bananas are good…ahead of time. Another which prolly has same active ingredients…yellow mustard, straight down the gullet.

[Beastdog]

Well, I completed my 2022 biking challenge on Saturday, a century ride (100 miles, duh) through Hell, Michigan (which actually exists lol). It was billed as OneHelluvaRide. My trip through Hell was easy, as this was about 1/5 of the way through the ride. In fact, I was looking pretty strong, averaging about 18 MPH, up through about 55 miles. And then I hit the proverbial wall. I ended up averaging a bit under my goal of 17 MPH. I also experienced the most painful cramps of my entire life, I still have pain in my calves and quads 48 hours later. At the 2nd rest stop they offered us this nasty pickle juice, which I declined because, well, it's nasty.

Then my biking partner, who drank the crap, and didn't ceamp up, sent me this today. 

https://www.healthline.com/health/pickle...for-cramps

Anyone ever heard of drinking pickle juice to prevent leg cramps?

Just admit it, you averaged 9mph and several times were moving so slowly that you fell over, ala Joe Biden. 

I have heard of the pickle juice thing. Still wouldnâ€t do it

Funny you mention that, Bammer. The cramps were so intensely painful at the end that I actually almost couldn't successfully dismount from my bike. I barely avoided pulling a Biden. But I was lying on the ground for a few minutes after I got off it, watching the muscles in my legs "pulse" a few times. And that damage doesn't disappear overnight.

No, I finished the 99.8 mile ride in 6:02, which doesn't count the 61 mins of rest during the 4 rest stops.

[Beastdog]

Well, I completed my 2022 biking challenge on Saturday, a century ride (100 miles, duh) through Hell, Michigan (which actually exists lol). It was billed as OneHelluvaRide. My trip through Hell was easy, as this was about 1/5 of the way through the ride. In fact, I was looking pretty strong, averaging about 18 MPH, up through about 55 miles. And then I hit the proverbial wall. I ended up averaging a bit under my goal of 17 MPH. I also experienced the most painful cramps of my entire life, I still have pain in my calves and quads 48 hours later. At the 2nd rest stop they offered us this nasty pickle juice, which I declined because, well, it's nasty.

Then my biking partner, who drank the crap, and didn't ceamp up, sent me this today. 

https://www.healthline.com/health/pickle...for-cramps

Anyone ever heard of drinking pickle juice to prevent leg cramps?

Yeah, bananas are good…ahead of time. Another which prolly has same active ingredients…yellow mustard, straight down the gullet.

I was hoping the banana I consumed at the final rest stop would help. But it was probably too late. Next time, yes to the bananas, no to the pickle juice and mustard.

[davebucknut]

Well, I completed my 2022 biking challenge on Saturday, a century ride (100 miles, duh) through Hell, Michigan (which actually exists lol). It was billed as OneHelluvaRide. My trip through Hell was easy, as this was about 1/5 of the way through the ride. In fact, I was looking pretty strong, averaging about 18 MPH, up through about 55 miles. And then I hit the proverbial wall. I ended up averaging a bit under my goal of 17 MPH. I also experienced the most painful cramps of my entire life, I still have pain in my calves and quads 48 hours later. At the 2nd rest stop they offered us this nasty pickle juice, which I declined because, well, it's nasty.

Then my biking partner, who drank the crap, and didn't ceamp up, sent me this today. 

https://www.healthline.com/health/pickle...for-cramps

Anyone ever heard of drinking pickle juice to prevent leg cramps?

Very cool Beastdog, you're a beast!

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[zigbee]

The pickle juice is brine, salt water essentially.  Just drink gatorade and you should be good to go.  I suffer leg cramp due to dehydration from sweating while I work out and then the steam room.

[Erhino]

The pickle juice is brine, salt water essentially.  Just drink gatorade and you should be good to go.  I suffer leg cramp due to dehydration from sweating while I work out and then the steam room.

IDK, even people drinking the high end sports drinks like Body Armor cramp.  Pickle juice and mustard have a reputation of helping active cramps. Cramps alway end eventually so if they truly work or they are about over when one resorts to the nasty of those options is the question. 

I havenâ€t had cramps during activities (Although do nothing along the lines of an all day ride. I do get them overnight though after long days. I might ply hoops or tennis, mow, putter and otherwise be on my feet all day. Hate it, though I just need them to stop, not needing to do any more of the activity. I know I am usually dehydrated. 

This is general from Google:

The science behind why it works

While it hasn't been proven yet, researchers posit that pickle juice may help cramps by triggering muscular reflexes when the liquid contacts the back of the throat. This reflex shuts down the misfiring of neurons in muscle all over the body, and “turns off” the cramping feeling.

A study: http://www.dcscience.net/Miller_Pickle_j...x_2010.pdf
 
The suggestion is that it isnâ€t body chemistry that makes it work (Salt, vinegar, electrolytes, etc, but a reflex from the throat. 

I appreciate this discussion as it caused me to look into what I thought was just lore, but now I will use it.

[Erhino]

Well that looks bad

[Beastdog]

I told my biking partner that even if I'd have known the pickle juice would have prevented my cramps, I'd still probably have taken the cramps. Pickle juice is that nasty IMO. I might have puked had I drank it.

And yeah, I downed a whole bunch of Gatorade on my ride and it definitely did nothing to prevent the cramps.

[maize]

Pickle juice and mustard? Are we looking for nasty stuff to consume?

[Beastdog]

Largely aided by my 100 mile ride, I hit 1K miles biked in July, which was a first for me. 1001 to be exact lol. Previously I had surpassed 800 miles just once, and never over 900. Gonna take a few days off from biking to recover a bit, and to get reacquainted with the swimming pool, which I mostly ignored in July.

[TcSoup]

Your best Hydrating Option is always Water.

And it should be drank before you weekend warriors set off on some long Bike ride .

Gatorade, Power Ade any of those drinks are for replenishing Sodium, Potassium or Calcium lost while sweating during exercise. And should be drank after your ride .

Actually because of the amount of Sodium in any of those drinks and the added Sugars you shouldn't use them as a hydrating drink before exercise.

Drink as much water before, during and even after .......

[Beastdog]

Today, I repeated the same "century" ride as last year, with much better results. It was the first time I've averaged north of 17 MPH (17.2) for a 100 mile+ ride. More importantly, no debilitatingly painful leg cramps this time! I even drank some of that nasty pickle juice (with a gatorade chaser) as an extra precaution.

[ChinaBuck]

Today, I repeated the same "century" ride as last year, with much better results. It was the first time I've averaged north of 17 MPH (17.2) for a 100 mile+ ride. More importantly, no debilitatingly painful leg cramps this time! I even drank some of that nasty pickle juice (with a gatorade chaser) as an extra precaution.

Congrats on the ride! And no cramps! 

Pickle juice is mostly white vinegar, a little salt and cucumber “excretions” as a base. It depends upon the pickle type as to what spices were included. The base flavor is some tough swill to swallow but the spices will have an effect on its palatability. So you might want to try different pickle juice types to find one you can tolerate best.

[Beastdog]

On my Florida vacation last week (Navarre Beach) I reached a milestone by surpassing 24,901 miles on my bike since the start of Covid. What is the significance of 24,901 miles? Well, it is the circumference of planet Earth. So I have now biked around the world.