Energy issue
denis06
Posts: 10
I have just bought a MTB in an effort to lose some weight and improver my fitness. After exercising I am tired for days afterwards. I don't want this to deter my efforts to lose weight.
Can anyone give me advice on how the maintain my energy level day after day after exercising?
I am desperate not to lose my enthusiasm.
Can anyone give me advice on how the maintain my energy level day after day after exercising?
I am desperate not to lose my enthusiasm.
0
Posts
There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda
London Calling on Facebook
Parktools
Scandal
Felt Roadie
Try 1-1.5hr rides every other day at low intensity which for you will mean being out of breath but able to just about chat while riding as this will build your aerobic strength nice and slowly but efficiently and after a few weeks you will see the improvement and speed up naturally, try and time your rides aswell on the same routes and again you will see your times coming down for the same effort.
Stay away from all the supplements and recovery drinks/food as your trying to lose weight so need to manage your calorie intake, your going to feel tired the day after no matter what you eat or drink as your unfit but the deficit in calories needs to be maintained to burn fat and stick to a balanced healthy diet and you will see the benefit in no time.
im also like you trying to loose some weight, i do take a sports drink with me "Iso Energy"
http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/ ... 67&cid=201
i do find it helps on 1+ hour rides
apart from that i have a nice big cold drink of chocolate milk when i get in and then stretch my leg muscles for a few mins
its not easy trying to lose weight and as yet ive not found a quick way (i wish) but just try to eat a little bit more healthy each week.
You need to learn to use your muscles at the right level so that they don't get excessively fatigued, learning to pedal at the right rate is one key aspect, your pedals should be spinning at circa 80-90rpm, not the 50rpm most people will use naturally, this means they develop more power for the same torque (effort).
Having good protein will help fill the small muscle tears that develop as you excercise and prevent the aching that they lead to.
http://www.trails.com/list_6548_deal-mu ... rcise.html
retired 9.6kg Carrera Kraken
The Carrera Hardtail combined thread - come on all you Carrera's!
The Sons Scott Genius RC20 build
30s full power then recover do this 5-6 and you'll soon loose some fat and build up stamina.
MTB Scotland youtube channel
If you want to get fit and lose weight quickly, run for results and ride for fun.
There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda
London Calling on Facebook
Parktools
Diet is very important if you want the energy to exercise but want to loose weight. Low GI foods like wholemeal pasta are great. If you aren't doing much during the day then eggs for breakfast are good.
If you want to shift some weight quickly, a short (20-30 minute) run before breakfast is very good but quite tough.
Stick with it. Its hard to stary but you get the double effect of being lighter and fitter.
At the end of last year 10 miles was my limit but with three stone gone I can happily go for 40+ mile xc rides and keep up with the group.
Build up slowly, low intensity as Stu and others have said.
As you get fitter you'll not only feel less knackered after riding, but also enjoy it a lot more and you'll feel much more energetic generally, so do keep it up!
Also a good idea to take a day off quite often so your muscles and energy levels can recover, especially after a longer or harder bike ride than normal.
As others have said, although normal advice might be to intake plenty of calories to reduce fatigue, for you that might mean you defeat the whole point of the exercise, so you'll just have to suffer a bit at the start!
Good luck,
Lucy
There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda
London Calling on Facebook
Parktools
As already said - shorter and easier but nice and regular. When you're recovering well, and quickly, start to gradually increase EITHER intensity OR distance. Cycling fitness is a long term project, don't expect too much too soon. Small steps, good luck.
There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda
London Calling on Facebook
Parktools
My wife is a Fel Runner so as above take it slow and easy, my biggest issue at the moment is aching Nads cos of the seat.
Keep going and your body will adapt, and don't eat censored if you can help it.
Anyway id better go I want a kebab :P
90 is a mental speed for someone just starting out to try and sustain.
Take it easy to start with, the first few weeks are hard until your fitness level increases, then you'll find you can push yourself a bit harder ... you'll still find yourself feeling knackered out and probably feeling rubbish but you will notice the recovery time decreases quickly. soon you'll be knackered and feeling beat after a ride and be fine the next day after a good nights sleep.
Also your diet is very important. Diet is like cycling is like life. You'll get out of it what you put in to it. Have porridge for breakfast, its a great slow release energy source, hold the sugar/honey/maple syrup. Avoid trail, chocolate, nutrigrain, health bars, etc as they are all full of sugar = bad for loosing weight. If you need a snack, chashew nuts are great, so are home roasted sunflower seeds, cottage cheese is good too (if you have a fridge at work). Have a proper lunch, salad box with brown pasta/rice and tune/chicken is good. Have a proper meal in the evening (no junk/microwave meals, oven ready meals, takeaway, etc), tesco have a cracking range of "shake n bake" meals, you buy your veg and meats, cut it up, whack it in the bag then in the oven and ta-daa! No more deserts!!
Avoid white food, white pasta/rice, whitebread, white crackers, these are all fast carbs, try and eat brown rice/pasta instead, wholegrain bread, lentils are your friend, they are slow release energy and they go well in curry and chillie and spagbol.
Have yourself a cheat day once every two weeks where you can have a beer, or wine and some nice stuff like icecream etc, but only for one day, think of it as a reward ... its an incentive to be good the rest of the time.
Get plenty of sleep! LOTS, when you start exercising your body is going through a massive change and will continue to for as long as you ride or do any kind of proepr exercise, it will need plenty of rest to start with (rest as in sleep not late nights on the sofa
Dont give up, little and often, keep going back for more, in a couple of months you'll have the stamina to really enjoy being out riding, thats when you'll really start to loose the lbs, then you''l have the missus to worry about, "I never see you anymore since you got the bloody bik...."
Dont take any of that as a negative against you, I've got no idea what your diet or lifestyle is, just a few helpful things that have helped me when I started excercising and loosing weight.
retired 9.6kg Carrera Kraken
The Carrera Hardtail combined thread - come on all you Carrera's!
The Sons Scott Genius RC20 build
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/couch-to-5k-plan.aspx
http://www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/couch-5K-running-plan.aspx?WT.mc_id=101003
i agree, cycling is NOT a good way to increase fitness from a low base, on the contrary you need a certain level of fitness in order to cycle fast/hard enough to start building your fitness.
walking /jogging and if you insist running is far better at it
i agree with this as well, some folk here are a touch obsessive
Im in my 20s and am a useless runner, always have been. However I am reasonable at cycling. Can hold about 20mph on the road bike on a flat and also like to do mountain biking too. I can typically cycle for about 2.5 hours without eating on route. Running is a completely different game, for me at least.