UKH

I most of time experiencing muscle  cramps when climbing.. Especially, when it's cold and climbing down.  Usually, I drink more water and eat healthy food. But, I still couldn't avoid this condition. What can I do for this?

In reply to EricaR:

You didn't say which muscles, but for me cramp is usually caused when I haven't done something for a while. Eg just started yoga again after lock down and getting leg cramps. If I get on a climb that's a bit testing after a lay off I'll sometimes get hand cramps. For me I think its a sign of unfitness.

In reply to EricaR:

Salt 

In reply to EricaR:

I occasionally get it on multi pitch routes when pulling in the ropes before belaying a second, sometimes when belaying too. Always assumed it’s a bit of dehydration mixed with doing something quite repetitive. I’ve had it in my legs during long days running in the mountains too.

Ive found adding some electrolyte tablets into my water helps a lot in both cases. Just drinking more plain water actually makes it worst, presumably because I’m losing electrolytes through sweat and plain water doesn’t replenish them.

In reply to EricaR:

You said you eat healthy food, which could be read as low salt. This in combination with vigorous exercise you end up losing a lot of sodium via sweat. Ensure you're getting some salt intake in your diet and/or try a sports drink with electrolytes. 

In reply to EricaR:

Keep warm ?

In reply to bouldery bits:

A cyclisit physio suggested eating a tomato before hand is good practise.

In reply to EricaR:

Some folk sweat out a lot more salt than others.  So as others have said you may need to replace your Salt/electrolytes not just the water. It's and individual thing though, so try it and see what works for you.  If I'm out in the sun jogging/walking/climbing and sweating all day then I tend to alternate one bottle of sugary water with one bottle of water that has a electrolyte tablet added.

Conditioning also makes a vast difference in my experience.  Having surfed every swell of our uk winters for 35 years before coming back to walking and climbing.  I find I am coping better with the heat of dry land each year, despite getting older a probably less fit.

The other thing that may help is local massage, when the muscle is feeling fatigued, especially if your cooling down.  I'm no physio but I think it must help relax the muscle tissues, works for me any way, but we are all different.

In reply to EricaR:

As someone said previously, you don't specify which muscles. I get cramp in my fingers quite often when climbing, and used to think it was due to dehydration, low salt etc. However, I now believe it's due to tightness in the forearm muscle, and so massage of the tightness after climbing seems to be preventing it happening. If your muscles are tight, massage and stretching might stop the cramps.

In reply to EricaR:

Most cramp is the result of muscle fatigue rather anything to do with hydration.

In reply to EricaR: cramp in the foot is a b&&ger when climbing.

In reply to nikoid:  I'm sorry for the incomplete explanation. Most of times thigh muscles cramp and occasionally my toes cramps and bent one side making severe pain

In reply to EricaR:

Used to get cramps in my forearms especially at the end of a day.  Ive been lowered off a route with my hand totally contracted a couple of times!

I started trying isotonic drinks, but can't stand the taste of the sachet stuff. Orange lucozade seems to help. Whether I take a coffee flask as well, I'm constantly sipping it right from the start of a session.

I also try at the wall to have a last circuit boulder on any juggy route, so when my arms are tired, try and shake out and do a couple more moves. And then do a few more. I've not had those cramps for a while now.

Edit: just read it's more about legs/feet, guess juggy routes won't help!! Still go with the fluids as others say.