How to Prevent Leg Cramps From Ruining Your Ride
Cramps are common, painful, and surprisingly mysterious. Follow these tips for stopping them before they stop you.
![how to stop leg cramps how to stop leg cramps](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/mg-5907-1628521678.jpg?crop=0.668xw:1.00xh;0.167xw,0&resize=640:*)
Some interesting news in the world of exercise-associated muscle cramps: Turns out, eating bananas and drinking water or Gatorade to prevent or stop leg cramps, may not be the reliable solutions athletes once thought they were. “Muscle cramps are more complicated than people think,” Kevin Miller, Ph.D., professor of health and human performance at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas tells Bicycling. “A lot of researchers have focused on dehydration or fatigue, but just like there are a 1000 recipes for pasta sauces there are 1000 recipes for how athletes cramp.”
After publishing a 2021 review of the muscle cramp literature in The Journal of Athletic Training, Miller outlined the top causes. “My big three factors are dehydration, fatigue, and not getting a good night’s sleep,” he says. “The tricky part is where the science is right now. We don’t know how those things interplay.”
While researchers still work out the details on how to prevent leg cramps, they have enough information to explain why eating bananas likely won’t stop or cure cramps, but pickle juice might. So, here’s the most current research about cycling and muscle cramps, including how to prevent and stop leg cramps.
Donna Raskin has had a long career as a health and fitness writer and editor of books and magazine articles. She bikes in nearby county park, lifts weights, takes Zumba, and loves to walk/run with her dog, Dolly.
Watch Next
![Video player poster image preview for HDM All Sections Playlist - Bicycling](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vidthumb/images/2020-bicycling-weekendworkouts-ep06-corestability-jc-v01-thumbnail-1586440434.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=1200:*)
![Rear view of senior man riding bicycle on country road in forest rear view of senior man riding bicycle on country road in forest](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/rear-view-of-senior-man-riding-bicycle-on-country-royalty-free-image-1723038791.jpg?crop=0.612xw:0.918xh;0.224xw,0&resize=360:*)
8 Potential Causes of Back Pain
![posture fatigue on the ride posture fatigue on the ride](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/trek-madone-8-0136-669a9b82592b2.jpg?crop=0.668xw:1.00xh;0.0425xw,0&resize=360:*)
How to Combat Posture Fatigue
![Group of active seniors enjoying their golden years group of active seniors enjoying their golden years](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/group-of-active-seniors-enjoying-their-golden-years-royalty-free-image-1721149709.jpg?crop=0.668xw:1.00xh;0.122xw,0&resize=360:*)
The Benefits of Walking More for Back Pain
![Mountain biker sitting on mountain top mountain biker sitting on mountain top](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/mountain-biker-sitting-on-mountain-top-royalty-free-image-1719241900.jpg?crop=0.668xw:1.00xh;0.0663xw,0&resize=360:*)
How to Get Rid of Knots in Your Back