After cycling tiredness - and I mean completely tuned out

dg74
dg74 Posts: 656
edited May 2009 in Road beginners
normally about an hour after my ride I am a complete wreck. No energy, headaches and normally have to retire to my bed till the following morning (this could be a 6/7pm hit the sack and then sleep till 6/7 am for work).

I know this can't be normal. Has anyone any suggestions to counteract this as it could have repercussions when I begin morning rides to work / social life.

Thanks all.

p.s. I tend not to eat a great deal after riding preferring to leave it till the mrs arrives home and, if possible, eat together. Incase anyone asks my refuelling procedure.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    You need to refuel within 30 minutes of stopping - anything - a banana, protein shake, something with some carbs in...

    If this doesn't help - see your doctor.
  • GemmaAtkinson1
    GemmaAtkinson1 Posts: 161
    you need to comsume carbs and lots of protein in the 20 min window immediately after finishing. When i get home i drink about a litre of skimmed milk, make scrambled eggs, have a protein bar and a recovery drink. i also stretch a bit and i feel great. no aches no pains. Dont get me wrong im still tired by the end of the day but now destroyed .

    try it, proetin carbs and stretches.
  • GemmaAtkinson1
    GemmaAtkinson1 Posts: 161
    also headaches may indicated you dehydrated. force yourself to drink water during and after the ride!
  • dg74
    dg74 Posts: 656
    Ok, a little bit more. Gemma - I tend to drink 500ml plus an extra bottle of Gatorade when I ride, so I tend to take a fair bit of drink with me which may not be enough so I'll change it around a little. I also take Quaker Oat Bars (2/3) with me and a large banana (stop sniggering at the back!).

    After ride I tend to knock back the Milk Protein drinks (2) you can buy (forget the name right now) another banana and, hell, that's it. Maybe I'm not eating enough.

    Silly bugger!
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    I get the doseys after long rides (200km+) and used to get them at the end of hard days touring. Usually I can sort myself out with a short (30min - 1hour) nap....
    More problems but still living....
  • Tino4444
    Tino4444 Posts: 281
    dg74 wrote:
    Ok, a little bit more. Gemma - I tend to drink 500ml plus an extra bottle of Gatorade when I ride, so I tend to take a fair bit of drink with me which may not be enough so I'll change it around a little. I also take Quaker Oat Bars (2/3) with me and a large banana (stop sniggering at the back!).

    After ride I tend to knock back the Milk Protein drinks (2) you can buy (forget the name right now) another banana and, hell, that's it. Maybe I'm not eating enough.

    Silly bugger!

    How long is your commute and are you doing this everyday? If the distance is long then maybe your doing too much and not allowing your body sufficient time to recover?

    Tino.
    Speciallized Allez 09...great bike shame about the wheels!!
  • GemmaAtkinson1
    GemmaAtkinson1 Posts: 161
    ahhh well that makes it totally different :-)

    try having 2 days off the bike for recovery, per week.

    also, do you know what heart rate you tend to cycle in? i used to hammer everywhere and wonder why i was consistantly tired. Try working in a lower zone and you will find you can go further and feel better after (i know its hard, especially on a commute, i always want to race everyone! hehe)
  • dg74
    dg74 Posts: 656
    Tino4444 wrote:
    dg74 wrote:
    Ok, a little bit more. Gemma - I tend to drink 500ml plus an extra bottle of Gatorade when I ride, so I tend to take a fair bit of drink with me which may not be enough so I'll change it around a little. I also take Quaker Oat Bars (2/3) with me and a large banana (stop sniggering at the back!).

    After ride I tend to knock back the Milk Protein drinks (2) you can buy (forget the name right now) another banana and, hell, that's it. Maybe I'm not eating enough.

    Silly bugger!

    How long is your commute and are you doing this everyday? If the distance is long then maybe your doing too much and not allowing your body sufficient time to recover?

    Tino.

    My rides tend to go on my mood. If I am in a good mood after 20 mins in the saddle I'll maybe ride for 2/3 hours now, bad mood, 1 hour max. I am now finding that I can peddle at a decent cadence over a fair period of time without feeling knackered but, for a big lad, I have a very good recovery time, so can scale it back then go again.

    I think I may need to drop it off a little (cadence wise), loosen up then just build gradually again. Disappointing, especially when I feel it's coming together quite nicely.

    Thanks all for your help and advice.
  • bobtbuilder
    bobtbuilder Posts: 1,537
    Your headaches are almost certainly dehydration related. I always get "cycling headaches" when I haven't drunk enough during a ride. Depending on your size and the weather, you will need a MINIMUM of 500ML per hour. For me, anything less than 1L per hour will leave me with a post-ride headache.

    Also, does Gatorade have electrolytes in? If not, you might want to switch to an energy drink which does.
  • Stone Glider
    Stone Glider Posts: 1,227
    dg, could you be experiencing the affects of over-training? There is plenty of advice hereabouts on that sort of thing. Check out if the symptoms described match yours then get better advice than I can provide. :)
    The older I get the faster I was
  • Bhima
    Bhima Posts: 2,145
    Try eating & drinking loads (too much) up to 3/2.5hrs before, during and after the ride. If you get the same problem, the fact that you've overeaten will at least rule out a lack of nutrition as the problem.

    If so, maybe take a week off and see how you feel then...?

    Could just be that you're not recovering/sleeping enough. Happened to me recently and 5 days off solved everything.

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