delayed severe fatigue after club ride

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al78

Guru
Location
Horsham
A couple of weekends ago, I decided to give the local cycling club another try, thinking it would be a good idea to build up some cycling stamina and do some longer rides above the 10-20 mile utility journeys. I turned up and decided to go with one of the slower groups, advertised average speed 12-14 mph, as I didn't want to overdo it given I haven't cycled 40 miles in one go for many years. It was a lovely warm sunny day, keeping up with the group was no problem (I typically average 13-16 mph on rural utility journeys), however the group did the 40 mile ride at an average speed just below 16 mph. I felt fine after the ride but it was after I got home and had lunch that the problem started. I quickly felt a wave of fatigue wash over me and felt like I had little energy to do anything, so I went to bed for the afternoon, emerging late afternoon as I wanted to go to the garden center. The plan to do a bit of allotment gardening had gone out of the window, as I was too tired. What causes a delayed onset of severe fatigue after a couple of hours of moderate exercise which wasn't taxing at the time, and is there anything I can do to reduce the chance of it happening? I am reluctant to go out on regular club rides if it ends up wiping out half the weekend. I had plenty of water to drink, on the ride and when I got home, so it is unlikely I was dehydrated. This didn't happen a couple of months ago when I went on 7 hour walks in the Scottish highlands.
 

Dave 123

Legendary Member
Did you drink enough on the ride?
Did you have a little bit of a bug?

After the ride try drinking a pint of full fat milk.
 

the snail

Guru
Location
Chippenham
Well you doubled your normal distance, at a higher speed than normal, so no surprise that you were tired. Keep at it and you will get fitter. Mind you I always feel like resting after that sort of ride, and going a little faster than you're comfortable with is usually pretty tiring.
 

Fab Foodie

hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
Location
Kirton, Devon.
Well you doubled your normal distance, at a higher speed than normal, so no surprise that you were tired. Keep at it and you will get fitter. Mind you I always feel like resting after that sort of ride, and going a little faster than you're comfortable with is usually pretty tiring.
This^^ You just need to get fitter for that kind of effort!
I'm a pretty good long distance 13mph kind of guy (up to 220 miles), but the occasional 30 mile 16mph average blast with the local club kills me. If do it for a few weeks I find it soon becomes maneageable. You body just needs to adjust to the harder effort.
Agree a pint of milk when you get in is a very good thing.
Hydration, hydration, hydration........,,,
Is heavily over-rated....
 

Fab Foodie

hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
Location
Kirton, Devon.
Another thing, at higher efforts your body burns a different fuel mix than it is used to at lower efforts. Glycogen depletion will occur far quicker at higher speeds and your body (through training) takes time to adapt. The extra feeling if fatigue will in part be your bodies need to replenish its glycogen stores.
 
Your muscles store sugar as glycogen. That's depleted by exercise, and topped up from blood glucose. At the end of an intense (relative) session, your blood sugar and muscle glycogen levels will be low, leading to fatigue and if your blood sugar drops enough, nausea and fainting. All will be improved by training, but in the mean time, make sure you have a good breakfast and top up your carbs as soon as possible after the ride.

Tl;Dr - chocolate milk.
 

k_green

Senior Member
Second/third/fourth-ing hydration.
I always feel better after a ride when i drink at least a pint of water soon after getting in.
 
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