Looking at the amount of elemental calcium in Tums, it is about 200 mg for
standard strength, so you would need about one tablet per hour according to the
article.

Another thing to consider is that if you are taking electrolytes (my endurox
bottle does not list calcium), it is theoretically possible that you can
displace the levels of available calcium in your system because of the
replacement of potassium and other cations, and lack of calcium replacement.
I'm not a biochemist though, so my statement is unfounded except for what I
remember from chemistry classes.



----- Original Message ----
From: Massimiliano Poletto <sfrandon@...>
To: Bruce Berg <bberg@...>
Cc: sfrandon@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, July 1, 2009 3:34:25 PM
Subject: Re: [sfrandon] FW: [GPC] Is cycling bad for your health?

I have found that eating calcium carbonate tablets (Tums, etc.)
occasionally on long rides, especially when it's hot, makes me feel
better. It both settles the stomach and prevents cramps. I did not
know, however, that the rate of calcium loss due to perspiration could
be as high as claimed by the article (hundreds mg/hour).

max

On Wed, Jul 1, 2009 at 1:57 PM, Bruce Berg<bberg@...> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> An interesting New York Times article on bone density, or the loss of it, in
> competitive cyclists. But it isn’t clear how much it applies to us long
> distance recreational riders. It probably does say that drinking milk or
> other calcium rich beverages while on our brevets is probably a very good
> idea and suggests that we might be better off if we get some other form of
> exercise on a regular basis, be it weight lifting, running, hiking, etc, but
> probably not swimming.
>
> Bruce
>
>
>
> http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/is-bicycling-bad-for-your-bones/?hp
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>


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