Today’s question is about the possibility of using a mini trampoline (aka rebounder) for recovery purposes…

Hi,

Do rebounders or mini trampolines have any benefit over other exercise?

www.cbsnews.com says:

“…Rebounding also cleanses cells because the lymphatic system is activated by this type of activity; the cells are constantly being flushed of metabolic waste and saturated with oxygen, nutrients, enzymes etc. The rate of diffusion of water through cell membranes is increased because rebounding activates one way valves in the veins of the lymphatic system. When pressure is below the valves, the valves open (during acceleration, or as you are rising upward on the bounce). When pressure is above the valves, they stay closed (deceleration)…”

It would follow that this is the best recovery exercise around, but it seem a little too simplistic. Do you know of anyone who uses one for recovery?

Sincerely,
“On the Rebound”

Hi there,

Excellent question. I don’t use a rebounder myself, but I have tried one in the past because some of my older relatives bought them to stay fit and healthy in the comfort of their homes. I’m pretty sure they saw them featured on Dr. Oz, and when that happens, they’re sold!

After reading that CBS news article, it does seem like rebounding would be the best recovery exercise around! But I was cringing during the whole article. It sounds like a lot of hyperbole in my opinion.

I can certainly see how this exercise would increase circulation, but I don’t feel that it would do a better job than other exercise and recovery methods. Compression garments could be just as effective (whether your standard compression sleeves or those fancy inflatable units) and much less hassle (i.e. you don’t need to be jumping up and down for them to work.)

You’d have to do some direct comparisons, perhaps pitting 2-4 hours of wearing compression leggings against 5 minutes of rebounding.

And strengthening your skeleton? Sure, rebounding is great… compared to sitting on the couch or floating in outer space.

Improving balance and coordination? Well, here’s the thing – if you are already coordinated enough to bounce on a trampoline, I don’t see how rebounding will further improve these skills. You’d have to do some dance moves or something on it!

(Side note: Anyone that does need to improve their balance will need a spotter when they use a rebounder.)

I don’t mean to sound harsh towards rebounding, it’s just the way the news media presents it as a miracle solution that irks me!

If I can set up a somewhat controlled n=1 study on myself this winter, testing daily rebounding sessions for recovery, I will do it. Until then, if you are capable of other types of exercise (running, cycling, and/or swimming) and recovery methods (ice baths, massage, etc.,) I wouldn’t be rushing out to buy a mini trampoline!

Of course, if anyone else has tried a rebounder, please share your story in the comments section below!

In response to my big article about the real reason behind cramps, I got this question…

What about those who just enjoy riding, are not in training and still get severe cramps? Mine seem to respond to Cytomax and Endurolytes.

Thanks,
Cramping in Cleveland

Hi Cleveland,

If you can take care of your cramps with sports drinks (Cytomax) and electrolyte supplements (Endurolytes,) great! I think the supplements are useful to an extent, because you don’t want to run low on electrolytes. Even when just riding for fun, you’ll still lose electrolytes through sweat, so it makes sense to replenish them.

The key word there is replenish. You want to have enough, but there is no point in overloading once you hit that point. I imagine the body can do a pretty good job of handling the excess electrolytes, but if you’re overdoing electrolyte supplements, there’s no point in wasting money.

So it sounds like you have a good strategy in place. That article was more for the riders that are already getting enough electrolytes to keep their bodies functioning well, perhaps even overloading on supplements, but still cramping.

I specifically titled it “The #1 Reason Behind Cramps… That Everyone Ignores!” because I believe lack of training is a huge cause of cramps, and it is generally ignored. Everyone already talks about insufficient electrolytes playing a role in cramps, so that reason is certainly not ignored!

There are other reasons you can toss around, too. Excess muscle tension, “knots” in the muscle, etc. That can happen to anyone. And recreational riders are less likely to be disciplined about doing lots of foam rolling, yoga, getting massages, etc., so they could really be susceptible to cramps caused by that.

And there could be other valid theories out there. I don’t know. So for now, I suggest doing whatever you can do to prevent your cramps. In your case, electrolyte supplements take care of it. For everyone else – if you find something that works, stick with it!

Today’s question is about bad cramps that leave you sore for days and how to deal with them…

Hi Levi
I need to congratulate you on an awesome site, I really like reading through most of the articles. I started mountain biking a while back and I am really enjoying it. I recently got a cramp and now it is still bothering me, so I would just like to know if you could maybe give me advice on how to maybe prevent cramps, how to treat it, and when is it safe to start training again.

Thanks
Cramped Calvin

Hi Calvin,

Thanks for the comments, I love reader feedback!

As for cramping, that must be the biggest/worst problem to deal with. Even if I knew your specific details, it would still be hard to pinpoint the cause of the cramp. (It’s just the nature of cramps.)

There are two general ideas about the main causes of cramps:

Here’s what might be causing your cramps…

1. Dehydration and insufficient electrolyte consumption.

While there isn’t exactly scientific backing for this idea, a lot of people believe it. Fortunately, this is the easiest cause to eliminate.

You simply stay hydrated and make sure you’re consuming an electrolyte beverage or even Endurolytes if the situation calls for it (e.g. long days out in hot weather.) Some people even choose to take Tums.

For more advice, check out this article: Proper Hydration for Endurance Sports

2. Insufficient training.

This one is the most variable. Typically I only suffer from cramps when racing, and it makes sense because no matter how hard I am training, I’m probably racing a little bit harder due to the extra motivation that comes with racing.

But basically, if you are pushing your limits (whether by extending duration or increasing intensity of your rides,) the extra stimulus could cause your muscles to freak out and cramp.

If the cramp is in your leg, there’s a good chance it’s training related!

What do you do about? Make sure your training is hard enough to prepare you for the races where you cramp. Likewise, make sure you gradually increase your training stimulus or you will cramp during training.

For more advice, check out this article: The Real Reason Behind Muscle Cramps – That Everyone Ignores!

Now, to recover from painful cramps:

To deal with a bothersome cramp, what I’d do is use a combination of rest and massage (real massage, self massage, a foam roller, whatever you can manage.) The rest is so any damage can heal, and the massage is to loosen up the muscle and stimulate blood flow to the muscle tissue.

Performing self-massage on a consistent basis will help relieve chronic muscle tension, which could also be a great help in preventing future cramps.

I’d go back to training either whenever you feel like you can or whenever a doctor says you can. Just take it easy the first time out!

Almost every single time someone asks about cramping, the answer I see is “stay hydrated and get more electrolytes.” Even if someone mentions they are already taking electrolyte supplements like Endurolytes, the answer is, “you probably need more electrolytes.”

Granted, scientists haven’t given us a crystal clear answer of why cramping occurs. And Hammer Nutrition is great at marketing Endurolytes as the cure for cramping. But isn’t there any other explanation?

In my experience, yes, yes there is.

The Real Reason Behind Cramps

So what is the cause of cramps for people already properly hydrated and getting enough electrolytes for proper muscle function?

Brace yourself… the problem is… insufficient training!

As with most problems faced during racing, the root cause is insufficient training.

Let me explain…

Going back to my days as a general athlete before starting bicycle racing, I knew about the link between dehydration, electrolyte balance, and cramping. Everyone talked about it. So going into my serious training and racing, I made it a priority to stay on top of that with sports drinks and the like.

But, I would still cramp during races! For me it was always calf and foot cramps. I probably had a few quad and hamstring cramps, too, but they weren’t common enough for me to remember today.

And I still have athletes writing in, complaining of cramping, despite a hefty regimen of Nuun or Endurolytes. Something just doesn’t add up!

I thought about it for a while, analyzing my worst cramping experiences, and it all came together!

See, there were two main times when I would cramp up:

1. The first race of the season, or my first race after a long layoff.
2. A really important race where I was pushing myself relentlessly, going much, much harder than usual.

Once I realized this, it was clear as day. I would get cramps from pushing myself in a race harder than I was used to in training.

It could be a higher intensity than usual and/or a greater distance than usual. Or I was pushing myself at my normal race pace even though I hadn’t done enough training at that intensity beforehand.

Either way, the cramping resulted from simply making too big of a jump between training and racing conditions. My muscles weren’t ready for it, and they told me!

My theory is that cramping is a muscle’s reaction to being stressed too much. It’s for stubborn racers like us that keep pushing past the pain and burning sensation. The muscles need to send a stronger message to get us to listen, so they cramp up, so we have no choice but to stop!

Scientific Backing For My Cramping Theory

After waiting years and years for science to prove that dehydration causes cramps (and getting nowhere,) we have a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine that tells us something. And that something is, dehydration and electrolyte balance are not linked to muscle cramps!

I first heard of the study thanks to Alex Hutchinson, Ph.D. on his Sweat Science website.

Here’s the abstract (if you don’t want to read the details, just skip down for my thoughts):

Background Despite the high prevalence of exercise-associated muscle cramping (EAMC) in endurance athletes, the risk factors for this condition are not fully understood.

Aim To identify risk factors associated with EAMC in endurance triathletes.

Methods 210 triathletes competing in an Ironman triathlon were recruited. Prior to the race, subjects completed a detailed validated questionnaire and blood samples were taken for serum electrolytes. Immediately before the race, pre-race body weight was obtained. Body weight and blood samples for serum electrolyte concentrations were obtained immediately after the race. Clinical data on EAMC experienced during or immediately after the race were also collected.

Results 43 triathletes reported EAMC (cramping group) and were compared with the 166 who did not report EAMC (non-cramping group). There were no significant differences between groups in any pre-race-post-race serum electrolyte concentrations and body weight changes. The development of EAMC was associated with faster predicted race times and faster actual race times, despite similarly matched preparation and performance histories in subjects from both groups. A regression analysis identified faster overall race time (and cycling time) and a history of cramping (in the last 10 races) as the only two independent risk factors for EAMC.

Conclusion The results from this study add to the evidence that dehydration and altered serum electrolyte balance are not causes for EAMC. Rather, endurance runners competing at a fast pace, which suggests that they exercise at a high intensity, are at risk for EAMC.

To sum it up in simple terms, this study shows no difference in hydration or electrolyte levels between triathletes that cramped and those that didn’t. Instead, the athletes who were attempting personal best times, were more likely to get cramps. In other words, pushing yourself to the limit (which changes relative to your current fitness level) invites cramping.

Unfortunately this study still doesn’t explain cramping, but it offers a better perspective as to when and why we get cramps, which is the important thing to understand.

Tips to Prevent Cramps

Based on my theory, here are a couple tips to prevent cramps:

1. Specificity in your training.

Your training needs to be race-specific. The more your training resembles your race conditions (intensity, duration, and weather conditions,) the less of a shock it will be to your body when you actually race.

2. Racing within your limits.

It’s not enough to have race-specific fitness, you also have to know how to use it. Basically, you have to know how to pace yourself.

Sure, you might need to push yourself a little harder than that if you want to win, but be aware of the repercussions.

The Final Word on Cramping

Despite the claims that cramps are caused by dehydration and insufficient electrolytes, I have yet to see a study that proves this.

While I wouldn’t throw away your electrolyte supplements, I urge you to spend more time training properly for your events rather than worrying about what supplements to take in order to prevent cramping.

Better training is the answer!

You probably saw my review of The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson back in 2010. If not, let me summarize the idea – you live an old-fashioned, “Primal” lifestyle where you eat natural foods (mostly fat and protein, absolutely no grains,) take walks, run sprints, get plenty of sleep, and play.

It’s a good book, but definitely not something in line with the typical lifestyle of an endurance athlete! However, it promised some good results, so I wanted to test it out. Specifically, the fat loss diet section.

See, I wanted to finally lose that last bit of body fat and get six pack abs. Being an endurance athlete, I’m always at a low body fat percentage, but I don’t have a lot of muscle mass to show off. And it’s hard to diet during high-volume training. So sporting a well-defined six pack always seemed to elude me.

After reading The Primal Blueprint, I thought I might be able to make it work with a few changes. So I decided to see what the book’s advice would do for me.

The Primal Fat Loss Diet

Here’s the basis of the Primal Blueprint diet for fat loss:

You want to eat between 50 and 100g carbs per day for fat loss, according to Mark. The “maintenance” plan allows between 100-150g of carbs per day, but for fat loss, you have to be more strict.

If that sounds tough, you’re correct! But after years of endurance training and racing and a diet very high in carbs, I could use a change.

My Starting Point

Luckily, this diet change wouldn’t be too drastic for me. I had already eliminated most processed foods and even most grains. I wasn’t trying to eliminate grains, but if you eliminate processed foods (bread, cereal, granola bars, etc.,) you eliminate a lot of grains from your diet!

The problem though… just having a bowl of oatmeal, a whole wheat pita, and a serving of plain yogurt each day is 80g carbs! That’s a day’s worth of carbs in one meal!

And that’s not counting my daily fruit and veggie intake! (Those are carbs, too, remember?)

I had done well on my own, cutting from the typical 350g carbs per day down to maybe 150g per day, but still, that was not enough to shed the layer of fat covering my abs.

And due to certain injuries, I was on a pretty decent Primal workout style. For the most part, my workouts consisted of intense weight lifting and short bike rides and runs, for sprints and short intervals. I went on the occasional walk as well. (Nothing like the extreme hours I used to put in for my training schedule!)

My Attempt at Primal Diet and Exercise

As good as I was doing, I had to step it up if I really wanted to see results.

So on November 1, 2010, I started going Primal for real and charting everything out to make sure my carbohydrate intake was within the limits. (You can’t guesstimate this stuff!)

Here’s a sample day of eating (from when I first started) that followed Primal guidelines:

Breakfast:
Raw almonds
Lunch:
Chicken breast with avocado
Snack:
Plain yogurt with red raspberries and ground flax seed
Dinner:
Vegetable stir-fry, cooked in coconut oil, drizzled with olive oil
Snack:
Cheddar cheese
Whey protein powder mixed in water
Walnuts
Snack:
Cheddar cheese
Snack:
Hamburger patty covered in natural peanut butter

That example day came out to be 1,964 calories, 125g fat, 116g protein, and 74g carbs.

Now, here’s another sample day of eating once I adjusted some of the foods in my diet:

Breakfast:
Whey protein powder and liquid egg whites mixed in almond milk
Snack:
Sliced turkey breast on lettuce and spinach
Lunch:
5 egg omelet (eggs, spinach, mushrooms, peppers, onions, roast beef)
Snack:
Handful of raw almonds
Dinner:
Vegetable stir fry with lentils
Snack:
Carrot sticks dipped in natural peanut butter

That’s not a specific day, just an example of a better way of doing a low carb diet. It’s all about picking the right foods that fit the Primal description, give you energy, and make you happy.

As far as training…

I lifted weights on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday following a basic 5×5 strength training plan. Wednesday was a rest day, and Saturday and Sunday were for fun hiking and biking.

The training style was no problem at all. Sure, it would have been fun to throw in more sports, but it was the off-season after all.

Lessons Learned

There were two main lessons I learned…

Lesson #1: Make sure you get enough calories.

The main issue for me wasn’t really lack of energy from low carbs. I think it was more lack of energy from way too low calorie intake! I was lucky to get up to 2000 cal per day, when I’m used to 3000+ on an average day!

The low carb intake was part of it, but I felt extra run down because I just couldn’t physically consume enough calories. Luckily, I was able to fix this by expanding the foods in my diet. (You can see the changes between my two sample days posted above.)

Lesson #2: It’s very, very hard to stay under 100g carbs per day.

It’s super hard to keep carbs under 100g per day unless you eat a diet of lean meat, cheese, eggs, and whey protein powder.

Vegetables, plain yogurt, and almonds have just as many carb grams as protein. It adds up real fast.

Add in an apple, and you’re over 100g carbs! Just one piece of fruit is too much!

The 100-150g maintenance level of carbs for normal Primal living is more realistic. If you eliminate grains, you can do it. But to go under 100g per day, you have to eliminate fruit and even keep vegetable intake in check! Sounds too much like the Atkins diet to me!

Final Results

The first two days, I felt pretty good. My body certainly felt fresh and strong on the good diet and limited endurance exercise.

On day three, I still felt good, but hungry! (I don’t think I was getting enough calories, so I started to binge that night.)

Day four, I woke up tired and hungry. After breakfast, I felt a little better, but I was craving something other than meat!!

So on day four, I finally gave up! I was beat! I gave in to my temptations and had an apple and a banana that night… and felt tons better! Then I woke up feeling amazing Friday!

So yeah, after 3.5 days of this Primal fat loss diet, just the thought of meat made me want to vomit!

I only followed the diet exactly for 3.5 days. But for the next couple weeks, I was pretty close. (I can’t believe I originally planned to follow this diet for a six week test!)

In the end, I lost a net total of 7lb from November-December 2010 on somewhat of a Primal diet. And I got stronger.

So this diet and lifestyle has its merits, but it’s not for everyone.

Future Plans

As with many of the dieting strategies that are interesting but different/difficult (intermittent fasting for instance,) I plan to keep using the Primal Blueprint fat loss plan, but only in limited quantities. Perhaps I will fit this in 1-3 days per week and eat normally the rest of the week. During the off-season, I can see myself using this diet to keep my weight in check.

Basically, I will take some principles from The Primal Blueprint, The Paleo Diet, Eat Stop Eat, and The Slow Carb Diet and incorporate them into my normal diet (which is close to Precision Nutrition, the best all-around diet I know of.)

I’m just not convinced that a low-carb diet devoid of all grains is the best diet for an endurance athlete! And if I crave a piece of fruit, I’m going to eat one!