Muscle soreness. Tips, hints, supplements?

[goldy_commuter]

Hi,

I've been commuting 40km daily to work for 5 weeks and can't get rid of that muscle soreness you usually get after a weights workout though its not really bad. Just slight muscle aches in calf, quads, and more recently gluts(which may be due to new flat bar road bike seat and/or more aggressive position compared the mtb).

I have not ridden for a while but I have never experienced this lingering muscle soreness.

I have just started taking a protein powder supplement two days ago.

Anything else?

[Anakist]

I am starting to get it again. I think it is just general soreness from the new level of muscle use. Hopefully once they get up to strength we will be pain free.

James

[jules21]

stretch. i find that if i don't, eventually my muscles tighten up and start causing me soreness/niggles.

[lethoso]

I think it is just general soreness from the new level of muscle use.

took me a month or two to get used to commuting to work by bike.

More sleep, and more food helps

[trailgumby]

+1 to stretching, for the same reasons. When I get tight, parts of my body get involved in the pedalling movement that should never be involved (eg sacro-illiac joint) and lower back pain and general discomfort ensues that gradually gets worse and ends up limiting my bike riding. I find that stretching (done properly) as advised by my physio (also a cyclist) is essential maintenance.

Regardong the soreness, an increase in protein in the diet helps build muscle and aids recovery. For me what that looks like is a bit more meat in the diet, and a recovery drink in the first 30 minutes after getting off the bike, which comprises 600ml of skim milk with 2 tablespoons of Milo.

Being over 40, I also have 1 week of reduced training volume every third week. If under 40, you can push that out to one every fourth week. I find this "recovery week" has really helped me maintain the upward path with fitness without getting crook from overtraining, or feeling burned out.

Sleep is also very important. That's when the body repairs itself, and if you deprive yourself here you're setting yourself up for failure to recover, weight gain, and illness.

And on that note I'm going to clean my teeth and go to bed!

[Abby]

The intensity of your commute could be an issue here too.....

I also have a 40km+ daily commute. If I push myself everyday, I am a wreck by halfway through the week. Key thing is to make sure 2 or 3 commuting days are 'easy' days - when I just spin the pedals easy, 95% in the small chainring up front.... So its like an 'active recovery' type ride...

Hope that helps!!

Cheers,
Abby

[Plastic bike]

Stretch!!!!!!!!!!!! then push through the pain

[Mustang]

The intensity of your commute could be an issue here too.....

I also have a 40km+ daily commute. If I push myself everyday, I am a wreck by halfway through the week. Key thing is to make sure 2 or 3 commuting days are 'easy' days - when I just spin the pedals easy, 95% in the small chainring up front.... So its like an 'active recovery' type ride...

Hope that helps!!

Cheers,
Abby

My new book also suggests you are pushing too large a gear, I have just graduated to a double chainring from a triple chainring & ended up sore, I guess from dropping cadence & pushing too high a gear. I'am now using the smaller cog a lot more & as others have advised... core exercises & stretch.

[mikesbytes]

Hi goldy_commuter

Try taking protein within 25 minutes of finishing the exercise and take some HiGi carbs with the protein

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Hi,

I've been commuting 40km daily to work for 5 weeks and can't get rid of that muscle soreness you usually get after a weights workout though its not really bad. Just slight muscle aches in calf, quads, and more recently gluts(which may be due to new flat bar road bike seat and/or more aggressive position compared the mtb).

I have not ridden for a while but I have never experienced this lingering muscle soreness.

I have just started taking a protein powder supplement two days ago.

Anything else?

Don't really need supplements - normal food contains more than enough nutrients. Just eat a good balanced diet.

If you are really sore - you need some rest.

If you continue to be sore, then either you have attempted to ramp up how much you do too quickly and/or the position/set up on bike is not ideal.

The biggest mistake most new riders make is trying to do too much too quickly. Ramp up your work on the bike steadily and you'll adapt to it.

[Alex Simmons/RST]

My new book also suggests you are pushing too large a gear, I have just graduated to a double chainring from a triple chainring & ended up sore, I guess from dropping cadence & pushing too high a gear. I'am now using the smaller cog a lot more & as others have advised... core exercises & stretch.

I'd burn that book then
It's not the gear you are riding - it's how hard you are going.

Stretching as a recovery aid should only be very light and for relaxation - not for the purpose of improving flexibility.

[goldy_commuter]

The sleep one sounds great but not possible. 6 year old to get ready for school, 17 month who always wakes whenever I go into the kitchen and a 3 month old who is mine after 430am to let the wife get some sleep hampers that one.

I am starting to stretch at traffic lights and doing quads, hams and calf once I get to work.

In regards to pushing to high a gear I have actually been trying the whole high cadence thing with the new compact crankset. I still prefer changing up higher and slogging up hills on the bar ends compared to spinning in the seat.

I work 4 days a week so my recovery is three days.

I'm not a competitive person but a lazy commute to work is not my idea of fun. I have a stopwatch to beat

[wombatK]

The sleep one sounds great but not possible. 6 year old to get ready for school, 17 month who always wakes whenever I go into the kitchen and a 3 month old who is mine after 430am to let the wife get some sleep hampers that one.

I am starting to stretch at traffic lights and doing quads, hams and calf once I get to work.

In regards to pushing to high a gear I have actually been trying the whole high cadence thing with the new compact crankset. I still prefer changing up higher and slogging up hills on the bar ends compared to spinning in the seat.

I work 4 days a week so my recovery is three days.

I'm not a competitive person but a lazy commute to work is not my idea of fun. I have a stopwatch to beat

This reads so much like someone burning the candles at both ends. Alex is spot-on about the recovery. Maybe you need to break up the 4 days with a recovery pace ride.

Backing off to a recovery pace ride in the middle of your 4 commutes is not lazy commuting - it's intelligent training.

If it helps assuage your guilt, it might be worth trying a fairly short and light recovery ride on your second or third non-working day.

[trailgumby]

This reads so much like someone burning the candles at both ends. Alex is spot-on about the recovery. Maybe you need to break up the 4 days with a recovery pace ride.

Backing off to a recovery pace ride in the middle of your 4 commutes is not lazy commuting - it's intelligent training.

+1. I commute a maximum 3 days a week.

My usual weekly routine for the last month and next month:
Monday's off. Recovery. No bike. Moderate weight/high rep weights work in the morning, including core, and shoulder rehab workout.
Tuesday, Day 1, is a training ride and I go as hard as I can, especially up hills and over the crest - inbound *and* outbound.
Wednesday is an easy ride, spinning it up hills on a gentler route each direction and select a gear to put heart rate no more than 140 on the climbs. On my "easy" weeks as noted above, I'll take this one off as well and swim or do weights instead.
Thursday is on the gentler route but another attacking effort. Take it easy on the second half homeward.
Fridays off. Recovery. No bike. 20 minute swim in morning.
Saturdays 2-3 hours easy endurance, or "play" session on the mtb for skills.
Sundays 2-3 hours training ride on the trails with high intensity on the climbs.

This week I missed Tuesday because of poor sleep, and dangeroous windy morning conditions, both due those blasted gales we had in Sydney, so hammered yesterday both ways, and inbound this morning. By this evening my legs were toast, and a recovery effort on the way home was the best I could manage.

[BarryTas]

you must recover or your health/strength will get worse not better

also....enjoy the pain/DOMS it's the sound/feeling of the little muscle ninjas doing their job and making you fitter, faster, stronger

[james99]

try some vitamin C
it could potentially help to reduce the pain, i would say 500mg- 1g a day
best to be taken in smaller amounts throughout the day

[EektheCat]

Hi,

I've been commuting 40km daily to work for 5 weeks and can't get rid of that muscle soreness you usually get after a weights workout though its not really bad. Just slight muscle aches in calf, quads, and more recently gluts(which may be due to new flat bar road bike seat and/or more aggressive position compared the mtb).

I have not ridden for a while but I have never experienced this lingering muscle soreness.

I have just started taking a protein powder supplement two days ago.

Anything else?

Hi de ho

I had a similar problem but I was only doing 26Km a day to and from work. I spoke to my gym buddies and they said it was called DOM's or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. They get it after every workout in the gym.

What they recommended was some specific sports supplements. I would recommend going into a sports supplement store and talking to someone knowledgable.

Theres also a good article here on the latest thoughts on DOMS.

http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/arc ... tment.html

Hope this helps

Eek!

[Steve D]

I've found a good sports massage helps although may increase the pain initially!

[goldy_commuter]

I took the friday ride pretty easy.

My wife laid a leg on me on the couch last night and i yelped.

I have a theory that because im spinning at a high cadence for the first time with the compact crank on the new bike my muscle are getting used to a completely different style of riding as i used to go much slower and harder on the mtb and the spread of gears is different so now i have to work hard going up the steep hills with more speed than mtb.

Hopefully i get used to it soon.

Massage sounds goood.

[eeksll]

foam roller

Although if your not used to it (getting a massage while your muscle are already sore), it may be best to go pay someone to give you a massage ... and bite down on a stick ...

[r2160]

One of the things that I have been using is a product called "Ripped". It is specifically designed to assist muscle recover. I have found it works really well.

You make a shake and drink it within 20 minutes of riding. Simple as that.

cheers
Glenn

[Sweeper59]

I'm 50 and either riding, swimming, spinning or boxing every day. Every time I train, I push myself hard. I've got muscle soreness EVERY day.

But I believe fitness is about hurting your body, and then it rebuilds itself stronger. I don't mean being ridiculus, but there's no point training if your not raising your heart rate, or putting your muscles under some strain. However, I think stretching is important, and you've got to know your limitations.

I actually like the soreness - it means I've been training hard.

[lethoso]

foam roller

Although if your not used to it (getting a massage while your muscle are already sore), it may be best to go pay someone to give you a massage ... and bite down on a stick ...

+1 I find foam rolling pretty effective, I've had calves so sore/tight I could barely walk and rolling gave me some awesome releif. It hurts, but it feels so good