Coach Note: Coach Patrick enjoys answering questions from runners of all ability levels. If you’d like to submit a question for him to answer on the MN blog or by video, please email it to askthecoach [at] marathonnation [dot] us.
The Question…
Hi Patrick. I just ran my first full marathon at age 42. I’ve been running consistently for about 8+ years. I’ve trained religiously and done many half marathons and many 18-22 mile long runs in the past while training without ever cramping in my calves or quads, or anywhere for that matter.
However, in both the Philadelphia half marathon in September and the full marathon in November, I cramped up tremendously. The only difference I can attribute this to is the power gels I took during the races, which have caffeine in them. I’ve been caffeine free about 98% of the time the past year or so, so my guess is the caffeine in the gels caused the cramping.
I hydrated plenty before the races for days, and truly drink only water and one cup of decaf coffee a day.
Any other possible reasons for the severe cramping or are the gel packs the culprit?
I only planned to run one full marathon in my life, but can’t let it rest after the cramps caused me to miss my goal time and I was headed to beat my time easily without pushing myself too much.
Any thoughts?
Thanks.
Shayne
The Answer…
Thanks for the email! I see two potential causes…one would be the caffeine that you have only tried on race day. I suggest that you practice that in the weeks leading up to your next race so you can adapt/adjust accordingly. Every long run is a chance to practice your nutrition plan; it’s easy to get sucked up in just logging miles…don’t miss out on this important step! I personally have been using Powerbar Gels and Clif Shot Bloks as my fuel of choice.
The other is how you ran, which is more likely the bigger culprit. I wonder how you paced the races vs your average run. Most folks race much faster than the average training day, and some even run faster without “knowing” it until they go back and look at the data afterwards….if you can honestly say that the shoes were the same and that your pacing was similar to several training runs (or a race simulation run) then it really only leaves the caffeine!
Let me know in the comments below…and if anyone else has some input, I’d welcome it.
Coach Patrick
Great question and good feedback from Coach Patrick. My take it on it is it good be a combination of the gels but also simply the stress of the race itself. We all know the marathon is not an 800m track race but a long, drawn out effort which requires a great deal of energy.
In 2007 at the california international marathon I was running with the leaders to the 21 mile mark and my calves cramped up badly on me. My teammate, Dan Browne, had the same thing happen to him at the 2008 US Olympic Trials, only it forced him to briefly stop in the race. It is likely caused from a combination of trying something you had not done previously, as coach patrick mentioned, in taking caffeine but probably even more from the glycogen depletion your body dealt with and simply muscle functioning breakdown from that.
I have dealt with this countless times in my racing so feel your pain Shain.
Nate
Hi Shayne and Coach Patrick,
I’m sooo glad somebody has asked this question as I have the same problem for the last few years – I have run a marathon each year for the past 4 years and I have cramped up every time. This occurs somewhere between 18-28K.
I have tried everything; upping my mileage, Endurolytes, compression tights, foam rollers, daily stretching, massages, slowing my pace down, different shoes, increasing/decreasing hydration – nothing seems to work.
Like Shayne, I’m also 42 and I don’t usually have any problems during training runs but in a tune-up race (30K) 5 weeks before and during the marathon, I cramped up severely so much so that any running was precluded. I eventually ended walking more than half the distance as any time I tried to run I would cramp up after less than 100 yards. I really thought my training went well this year (4-5 month build up with several long runs up to 20 miles with a 2 week taper) yet the dreaded cramps set in even earlier. Taking additional Endurolytes seemed to make the cramps even more severe so I’m a little doubtful about electrolyte depletion being the problem. I don’t have high expectations for my time (4:30-5 hrs would be fine)so I don’t think it’s a pacing issue; I just want to be able to RUN a marathon.
I’m at a complete loss here and would really appreciate it if anyone has any ideas I can try. I was so depressed after my last marathon 4 weeks ago that I actually thought of giving up on doing another. Races up to half-marathon distance don’t seem to be a problem. Help, anyone?
Dan
Ran my 1st full earlier this month. Both inner quads cramped from mile 14 to end. Painful. Hammies cramped, but came/went. The quad cramps never went away. I never cramped in training, hydration/gel plan was spot-on. After talking to some runners, the culprit was the wet conditions, it rained the entire time. I must have been changing my form w/o even realizing it.
Electrolyte depletion is unlikely the source of muscle cramps. I know this for a fact. All your muscles, not just running muscles, would cramp up if that theory has truth in it. Some people suffer leg cramps in bed while in sleep. You can hardly argue with electrolyte depletion theory.
I believe cramping is the result of muscle injuries at microscopic level. Marathon racing does cause injuries. If you run much harder than your current capability allows for prolonged period, you may injure yourself and your leg may cramp. How to avoid it? strengthen your running muscles! A good reference book is “The Runner’s Body” by Ross Tucker and Jonathan Dugas.
I just ran my first full after running many halves, and I had the same problem at mile 20. This info has been very helpful to understanding why this happened. Thanks for asking this question:)
I’ve run 6 marathons and one Ironman 70.3 and cramped in all of them, anywhere between mile 17 and mile 26 in marathons. So I’ve done a lot of reading trying to determine the root cause(s) of cramping. The best reading I’ve found on the subject is from a couple of South Africans (Ross Tucker and Jonathan Dugas) on an excellent website called The Science of Sport (http://www.sportsscientists.com/). They did a five-part series on cramping back in 2007 that is excellent reading. Links to each part of the series are provided at the end of this comment.
Tucker and Dugas are real exercise physiologists, so they look at things in a scientific way, adapting their thinking to fit the observed data. They conclude that race-induced cramping is not a result of electrolyte depletion or dehydration. People who cramp have the SAME electrolyte concentrations and levels of dehydration as those who do not cramp. In their (informed) opinion, cramping may be related to fatigue, specifically a malfunction in the reflex control of muscles when the muscle becomes fatigued. This explains why it is generally only the working muscles that cramp in a race effort.
For cramping prevention, it’s recommended that you do not “outrun your training” in a race. Do not attempt to go faster than your training allows in a long race effort – understand your limit through your long training runs, shorter races, and simulated race efforts. I can say that I believe outrunning my training is the cause of my cramping, having tried a number of different nutrition/hydration strategies and electrolyte pills during my racing. They also recommend regular stretching, particularly for known crampers. Also, if you have something that has worked for you, like an electrolyte pill (despite no proven connection between electrolyte loss and race-induced cramping), use it!
Links to all five parts of the series are below. If you just want to see what this means for the cramper and how to adapt, skip to Part V, although I recommend you read all five parts. My best advice to the regular crampers is to slow down early in your event and not outrun your training to delay or avoid the onset of fatigue/cramping.
http://www.sportsscientists.com/2007/11/muscle-cramps-part-1-theories-and.html
http://www.sportsscientists.com/2007/11/muscle-cramps-part-ii.html
http://www.sportsscientists.com/2007/11/muscle-cramp-part-iii.html
http://www.sportsscientists.com/2007/11/muscle-cramp-part-iv.html
http://www.sportsscientists.com/2007/12/muscle-cramps-part-v.html
Though I personally have not had problems with calf cramping, my friends who have swear by Zensah calf sleeves.
I’ve found that there are two primary reasons for my cramping: 1) electrolyte levels are off – I make sure to drink gatorade if I am sweating (water alone won’t cut it for me), suck on ShokBloks with extra sodium/potassium, and if necessary I take an Enduralyte (or similar sodium/potassium supplement).
2) calf, ham, and quad muscles are getting tight from repetitive pace – To resolve this during long runs (like a marathon), I try to make sure that modify my gate from time to time. I’m a mid-foot runner, so I’ll change my gate so that I’ll do heel-toe for a few dozen yards or something else just to stretch my legs out a bit.
Both of the above have made a BIG difference for me. I’ve had to DNF a 30km race due to cramps, and I never want to let that happen again! Besides that, it was really, really painful.
I’ve also learned that the cause of cramping remains a medical mystery. I have yet to get anyone in the medical profession to give me a good clinical answer.
I hope this helps..
-bill
After doing more than 20 half marathons, I ran my first full one less than a year ago. I experienced severe cramping in my calves and hamstrings from miles 19 through 26. Looking back, I ran the first 15 miles a minute pm faster than my training runs because I got caught up in the race and wanting a good time. Instead, I had to run, walk and stretch throughout those last miles and blew up my time. In half marathons, I can run a little faster than training runs with no problems. In the full, I believe that was the cause of my cramping. Next time, I would start out at my training pace and stick with it for the first 15 miles and hopefully have something left at the end! That’s my beginner’s advice!
Shayne, I sympathize! I ran my first marathon this Fall and while I did not suffer cramping I could feel my legs/calves getting ready to seize in the last 3-4 miles and slowed way down to keep the stress level just below what I perceived as the “cramp threshold.” I also saw lots of runners — younger and fitter than I! — stopped by the side of the route nearing the end trying to stretch out their calves; clearly they were having the same problem. I just assumed the problem was distance since I had trained to 20 miles a couple of times and this did not show up until Mile 22 or so. However, I also wonder if I hydrated enough since I was surprised by how brown my urine was after the run — despite drinking at every water/Gatorade stop but one. Not sure yet if I’ll run another marathon, but this will be something to work on if I do. –George
Jeff, killer report on the calf cramping…thanks for chiming in and good luck with your resolution!
Hi Shayne and Coach Patrick,
Unfortunately, I have lots of experience with unexplained calf cramping on race day. Like Shayne, I never cramp during training.
A couple of things Shayne, when did the cramps occur? Mine have started as early as between 19km -23km (12-14 miles) in to the race. Was race day warm or cool?
As Coach Patrick indicated Power Bar Gels are an excellent choice, they have 200mg of sodium (salt). Salt depletion can cause cramping.
How is your running form? Was the course hilly? As runners tire their form degrades. Runners World suggests adding some specific plyometric training drills to your training.
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/1,7124,s6-241-285–13889-0,00.html?cm_mmc=Twitter-_-RunnersWorld-_-Content-MindBody-_-PreventOrStopMuscleCramps
Trigger points in calf muscles (both gastroc and soleus) can also lead to problems on race day. Sports massage, foam rolling and even acupuncture can treat TPs that predispose you to cramping.
And finally, supplementing daily with CalMag (Calcium Magnesium) has shown to help resolve cramping issues.
This article provides some insight.
http://www.acupuncturemesa.com/blog/?p=207
Good luck with your future events, I’m still working with my medical team on resolving my issues.
Jeff