Fixed brakeless and quadriceps pain

[floody]

So...Been riding my track bike a bit, its currently brakeless. Never had any real issue with this in the past, however I have moved to the top of a hilly suburb and have a solid 1.2km/150m drop before I reach flat terrain now. Yes, I should run a brake, thats not the point, as stated, I've ridden similar with no issues in the recent past.

On Saturday I rode into town from home (that descent then 6-7km into town on the flat averaging ~35kmh). On the bike I felt fine, when I got off my legs turned to jelly and felt quite numb. 2 days later my quads are smashed. I have visible swelling and some bruising beginning to show in places, particularly my inner thigh (from 4" or so above the knee) and upper front of my thigh. Inner thigh area, outer thigh and up to glutes are very painful to the point where I'm having trouble getting up, walking etc. I can walk upstairs, I almost cannot walk downstairs.
Now I am not particularly fit at the moment and I have not been riding a lot, but this sort of extreme reaction has never happened to me before. I'm not 100% sorted with my bike setup, I usually run some setback in my post and currently have an inline, but I suspect this to be a contributor only.

Strangely my knees which are literally worn out (little to no meniscus, history of reconstructions and impact damage) are fine, no pain at all, some fluid initially but were fine the next morning. Its the muscle strain which worries me, such an extreme response in a short period of time (and I felt no burn at all on the bike, was quite comfortable) worries me.

Once this recovers, what exercise can I be doing to try and prevent this? Stretches? Exercises? What is the cause likely to be?

[Reman]

Lookup eccentric muscle contraction and DOMS

[floody]

Hey thats a great help! Thanks for the heads up.

[coffeeandwine]

With visible swelling and bruising it sounds like it could be more than lots of eccentric work and DOMS as I don't think you get either due to just lots of eccentric work. I'd be worried that you might have torn a muscle if you have bruising. Had a mate (playing footy) who actually tore one of his quads muscles (in the thigh) but didn't get it looked at and ended up with a lump which was the muscle that had come adrift. Does it look like the swelling is concentrated in a lump or more widespread?

I would be getting it looked at pretty quickly at the local physio/GP. If something has come adrift, i think there is a small window (days) in which it can get re-attached (sorry, not trying to scare you but my mate left it too long).

good luck and hope it isn't that serious.

[floody]

Swelling was pretty visible on Sunday, has almost dissipated now and the 'knots' I could feel in the muscle seem to have largely smoothed out too. Its come good in leaps and bounds over the course of the last 24 hours; I think if it happens again I will definitely hit the GP because it seems a massive reaction to not a lot of action!

[chucknitro]

Perhaps a brake is your answer

[scotto]

Lookup eccentric muscle contraction and DOMS

yep. using your quads as a brake is much tougher than using them as a motor.
keep the hipster fixieness on the flats and you'll be fine, and alive longer, or learn to skid it and be uber-hip, like the maniacs in this clip at the 50sec and 1:11 mark. Off topic, but at 5min, i love lances room, though many will think it should be redecorated