Leg muscle fatigue - Please Help!!

Turnbull2000

I'm beginning to lose the will to ride now, as I can't seem to eliminate a fatigue in both legs. After a rewarding first year of road cycling in 2008, I seem to be suffering from a second season syndrome of some sort

My climbing ability and pace into a strong wing are suffering badly. Instead of spinning up long or short hills at a good pace, with heavy but controlled breathing, I'm finding my leg muscles tires very rapidly and I have to either slow down or get out the saddle. I struggle to get to a point where my lungs are working hard, as my legs won't allow me!!!

My general fitness is excellent, so I'm assuming something somewhere on my Trek is not positioned as I once had it. I really should have marked the components when I was riding well :x

I've today tried to isolate where the tiredness is, and it appears to be the medialis muscles rather than the lateralis. Anbody else suffered similar problems?

Paul

MooMoo

Paul,

Can't help you with a answer - because I have exactly the same problem myself.

Did the 126 mile Highclere ride today and didn't really get out of breadth - because my legs were tired.

Now I'd expect them to get tired towards the end - but they were aching after just 50 miles.

This isn't really normal for me.

I will monitor this post for a solution.

Mike

Bhima

If I push a massive gear, my legs burn way before i'm out of breath.

If I spin a smaller gear really really really fast, i'll get out of breath before my muscles give in.

Try going down a gear or two in order to balance it out and see how you feel.

Although, if you feel really fatigued, it could just be the case that you're not eating/drinking enough...?

kaiserpc

yep, same problem here for me today.

Did around 65 miles, and my legs started burning after around 30 - made the last 35 miles a bit of a nightmare.

Did a 100 miles 2 weeks ago (which was hillier) and didn't get the same pain.

Pain was in in my quads - it went away very quickly after stopping.

nolf

It could be a million things.

But as this is only your second season it may be due to work overload, or lack of quality. Are you doing too many moderately hard sessions per week with little recovery time?

Aim to do harder hard rides and easier easy rides, often a good start. That and stretching may help a fair bit.

Otherwise take a look at your nutrition.

teagar

Sounds a bit like over-training.

See if a break of no exercise helps.

vorsprung

Firstly I would get burning legs as you describe if I was going too fast.

Secondly I would get more muscular stress if I didn't taper properly. For me a ride the weekend before, recovery ride monday, nothing tues, fast hilly commute weds, nothing thurs/fri and then the event saturday works.

Also I agree it could be overtraining. Have ten days off training. Then try a fast 100 mile ride.

Turnbull2000

Through lack of motivation, I've hardly been on the bike for weeks now. But it's just hit me on what the problem could be - my Assos bib shorts. When I tore my old pair, I replaced them with a size down (M instead of L) that seemed an OK fit when I tried them on. However, the elastic bands that run around the end of each leg do seem be putting a bit of pressure on my thigh muscles.

Does anybody think this adds up?

markjohnson-coaching

As a number of others have indicated you may be fatigued from over training?

And/or bike set up & position could also be another factor?

Regarding your assos bibshorts, I too have size medium & large & have no problems with either so I would be surprised if they were the problem.

There are a number of important factors you need accessing:

A. Your total physiological load (total stress load on your body, your autonomic nervous sees no difference between a late nights sleep, a hard ride, poor diet, stress at work or anything else! ALL STRESS SUMMATES)

B. Your training needs to be specific to you as an individual & not exceed your bodies current capability to sustain any stress placed upon it

C. Exercise type, muscular strength, weaknesses tightness & posture needs to be evaluated & any imbalances re-balanced.

D. Probably most important, diet! FOOD = A LIFE GIVING FORCE, All of your growth & repair hormones are made directly from animal fat & protein, it's also important that your not eating foods that are having a negative effect on your health, when internal organs are stressed they dissipate that stress into skeletal muscles as muscle is much more energy consumptive than our internal organs so muscular pain can be diet related.

Check out my website for more details:

http://www.markjohnson-coaching.350.com/home_page.htm

Regards

Mark Johnson
C.H.E.K HLC & PT

Turnbull2000

Solved it. Seems my Assos shorts were slightly too tight around the thighs. Thought I could drop down from L to M after my old pair got damaged. Bad idea! Bought another pair of large and I'm flying again. Just a pity that so many months of riding were spoilt.

bristolpete

Turnbull2000 wrote:

Solved it. Seems my Assos shorts were slightly too tight around the thighs. Thought I could drop down from L to M after my old pair got damaged. Bad idea! Bought another paid of large and I'm flying again. Just a pity that so many months of riding were spoilt.

Well done. Crazy to think that something so simple as a bib to small could have this effect but I guess the grip on the thighs slowed the blood flow down ?