I’ve heard a lot about cycling and the endorphin effect on depression (or something to that effect)

So after 2 years off the bike, and reading the Jenn article in the magazine (which helped put things in to perspective a bit) I ordered the parts I need to get back out there. They’ll be here this afternoon, the little one is in nursery so I have the day to myself.

I’m interested to hear from other people who have found that cycling has helped stave off the big black dog?

good on you. plenty of anecdotal information that cycling, and or the close sociability whilst doing some activity, is very helpful. Certainly no matter how low I can feel, and rage against going out, its rare that I come back as bad as I went out. Not always though!

Absolutely helps…. but beware the bounce effect when you’re not able to get out on a ride for external reasons.
You then stress about the stuff that was getting you down in the first place and also stress about not being able to ride.
It’s like having an itch you can’t scratch.

Tom Hill wrote a great article on this in issue 78.

Yeh, too gay to function if I don’t ride my bike.

It’s no surprise to me that the lowest I have ever felt also coincided with periods that I did little cycling.

I think if you’re competitive, then it could also have a negative effect aswell though. It depends on your reasons for cycling. I no longer bother with Strava or KOMs or sportives or races since that’d almost certainly give me something to stress about….. I think I’ve ridden my bike everyday for the last month at least, my fitness has probably gone downhill if anything, but it doesn’t matter; getting the fresh air/sunshine/big efforts in is what counts for me…. productivity/motivation for other aspects of live is increased as a side effect.

I don’t know whether it matters what type of cycling either. I only bother with the road now, but I used to ride alot of BMX and feeling low was never on my radar.

It definitely has a positive effect on my mood.

Is it cycling specific? Or is it the positive impact on mind body and spirit that sport brings?

The only thing that keeps me sane.

Whilst I’m out on my bike I cannot fathom anything out, my head is literally FULL of cotton wool, I find myself counting into many thousands as the cranks rotate………. When I have to compute things mid ride it’s like awakening from a Coma? I don’t know where it is that I go but it’s a great place to loose myself.

Then when I return I can do all the things that I know need doing, I think about things that need doing before my next ride, work, family, food, life and anything else that crops up. I’ve ridden most of my life, as a child we lived on a hill with a very busy road at the bottom and at the age of 7 we moved, the first thing I remember was feeling the freedom that having a bike gave me,

I was asked a question by a woman at work the other day the answer shocked her as much as it shocked me,

She asked if I had to make a decision between never driving a car for the rest of my life or never riding a bike which would I choose?

If I don’t ride, the negative thoughts crowd in on me. Been off work twice in the last year with anxiety and depression, and both have been triggered by periods when I wasn’t riding and had got overwhelmed by stupid annoying shit. I’m still off now, only been in work 1 week so far this year.

It certainly helps lift your mood, and my Cervelo riding GP has “prescribed” regular riding as part of my treatment.

What I would say is that it helps relieve the symptons of the depression. Ultimately, you need to address the cause of the problem, which in my case involves Citalopram to calm me down and some talking therapy.

its that or:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/all-about-sex/201101/attention-ladies-semen-is-antidepressant

You want to be careful though… I’m pretty dependent on riding to keep things going, but riding’s something you can lose easily- a wee injury is one thing, loss of motivation can get you pretty fast with depression too. (I was never demotivated about riding, it was the act of starting to ride… Even knowing how much I’d enjoy it and how much I needed it, the act of getting changed, finding shoes etc might as well have been climbing the matterhorn, some days) So there’s some brutal vicious circles in there. It’s good to have a plan b. Trust one who knows…

What I would say is that it helps relieve the symptons of the depression. Ultimately, you need to address the cause of the problem, which in my case involves Citalopram to calm me down and some talking therapy.

I’ve been taking Citalopram for the last couple of years, tried therapy but I don’t seem to be receptive to it, I go in with all the answers that I know to the issues I have that the therapist just agrees with me but nothing in my head changes.

I guess all I’m looking for is something to take me away from the symptoms for a bit.

there’s plenty of evidence in the medical literature that regular outdoors exercise is as good as antidepressants for mild to moderate depression (both might be appropriate). it doesn’t have to be full on training, and overdoing it might make things worse.

While I don’t have depression, I’m always in a good mood, the world is a nicer place and I buzz for the rest of the day at least after a long ride, no matter how bad the weather or how I felt on the ride.

It gets to the point where the wife and daughter tell me to just get out and go for a ride – I must be a miserable sod if I don’t ride for a week.

, it was the act of starting to ride… Even knowing how much I’d enjoy it and how much I needed it, the act of getting changed, finding shoes etc might as well have been climbing the matterhorn, some days

how very true Northwind. I haven’t yet managed to nail that one. Plan B often involved gardening, for me.. or at least working way through never ending task list (TBH one that I generate myself, often…)

.. edit – often ‘just’ a walk will be pretty good though, as you don’t have the anxiety of kit, route, which bike, preparation getting cleaned afterwards to worry about..

As a manic depressive the impact cycling has had on my life is basically life saving in more ways than one!!

I need a routine to follow and also a daily dose of mindfullness. The problem with mindfullness is that my head does not stop and sitting down and closing your eyes trying to concentrate on something is like sitting on razor wire and being told to stay still.

However jumping on a bike I have to concentrate on staying upright and whats going on around me which leads to a state of serenity I cant experience normally as I forget all the other stuff going on in my weird and wonderful mind.

The issue comes where I get carried away and a few years ago was tracked down to the middle of France where I was on the way to enter the Giro fuelled by mars bars and fags. Silver linings and all though!!

Cycling helps my mood and health in general. Doesn’t even have to be much, 30 minutes round local roads after work mid-week will do.

It’s not a cure though, it’s just part of coping and I have to avoid the triggers. Luckily the triggers for me are controllable.

Between riding fettling is as much part of it for me as well, find working on bikes incredibly calming.

On the flip side of this, I sometimes really struggle mentally while in my bike..
Often go through the phase of ‘love riding, ride with others, realise I’m actually in a pretty crap shape, hate riding, don’t ride, realise I need to ride to get better, so ride…’
Also, I suffer mentally from a past job, and while I love being out there, I often find myself going back over past experiences and not relishing the thoughts that I’m having.
Most of the time, it’s ace, just sometimes I get caught out.

Cycling has helped me in some pretty dark times, to be fair these days it’s mostly on the road and I think that maybe works better for me, on the mountain bike I was always the in slower half of my group (worked in the bike trade for a long time so a lot of fitter and more talented riders about and I’m a chicken/plodder).

I did find for many years though that I constantly made excuses for not going out, possibly the tipping point was having 2 small kids and realising that I had to grab my chances or just put up with it if I didn’t. The comment about even finding the motivation to find bike shoes and a helmet rings very true, I know I wasted countless Saturdays just procrastinating and saying I would go out “later”

Exercise in general keeps me on the straight and narrow, running has been the biggest surprise over the last few years as I was never sporty at school and would be left behind by the fat kids. Took up 5k and 10k type stuff as a toe in the water for triathlon and have noticed a massive improvement in my mood, better focus and general better health and well being.

Bike has been back out for last few weeks commuting a couple of days a week and hopefully get back out with the club this weekend.

I think the key is riding with the right people. If I only rode with racing snakes who smash me on every climb, I’d hate it. I’m about middle in our group, both up and down, so sometimes I win, sometimes lose, but always have fun trying.

I am not a depressive person per se, but cycling definitely helps my mood in what has been a very dark year so far. Racing stops me thinking about ANYTHING else at all, and I like and need that escape – until I see a six inch pothole – then I lose it 😥 .

Good for you OP.

I went through a big depressive episode a few years back (8 weeks in hospital, lexapro, xanax, etc). Exercise certainly helped me cope with depression. After getting into cycling I reluctantly joined a club and it was the best thing I ever did. Talking crap about bikes takes my mind off everything! It also keeps me away from the pub as I value getting out on the bike early a lot more than a hangover.

Best of luck with it. Remember – If you are going through hell, keep going.

Some specific thoughts. Not backed up by any medical evidence but some ideas which will hopefully help:
1. MTB I think is very meditative – singletrack requires full focus which forces all other thoughts out of your mind and keeps you living in the moment
2. Road riding with a club is more social and the chat-whilst-you-ride thing really helps you forget ‘stuff’ as well as giving you a weekly regular ride appointment with others that you’re more likely to keep if you don’t really feel like riding that day
3. Riding road with a fixed wheel requires a lot of focus – helping remove all other thoughts from your mind – as well as having a certain meditative effect from the regular rolling along in full connection with the bike

Either way, good luck

Being active helps, but I find Cycling is even better. I can choose to ride with others or ride on my own, think about stuff or distract myself, flat out for an hour or a long chilled out day ride. In general If you cant keep the stress at bay with a ride then it’s time to talk to someone if you haven’t already.

Go for it chubstr, there’s nothing like getting back on a bike after a break 🙂

perchypanther – Member
Absolutely helps…. but beware the bounce effect when you’re not able to get out on a ride for external reasons.

^ This

More so if your riding gets addictive. I struggle if I can’t get out for a bit. Partly why I took up night riding to ensure I get regular rides in the winter.

Can say for certain it helps massively for anxiety related issues. The exercise, social or solo ride aspects (both are good), but also in keeping the mind off the sometimes bonkers things it can go through for no rational reason.

Definitely helps for me up to a point. After a certain degree of severity, I then find it very difficult to go out and socialise or be away from home.

It really helps me, though if I can’t ride for some reason, I’m like a bear with a sore head

for depression you could try cutting out wheat from the diet

Are you being serious silverneedle?

Yep helps me clear my mind or conversely ponder stuff over in my head. But if I do t get out for 5 days or so I get grumpy.

Found this paper about wheat/glutemn and health recently

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3945755/

Article above not specificly about depression (they do exist though) gut health is important for mood as well. Neurotransmitters in there, gut been called the second brain etc.

Makes a difference

monkeycmonkeydo – Member

Are you being serious silverneedle?

Gluten free- the dietary fad that cures everything

(Seriously though, if you’re not wheat intolerant or coeliac, it’ll make ****-all difference. Except you probably won’t be able to eat some of your favourite food, eating out becomes a pain, you have to stop drinking normal beer, and everything gf is expensive)

Coeliac btw. It’s shit, why anyone would do it without a compelling medicine reason I don’t know.

Yeah it’s definetly a cathartic process, even when you don’t have a great ride, it happens! Riding bikes certainly won’t fix problems in your life but can help relieve symptoms!

As mentioned once addicted (it’s a pretty healthy addiction) you can get stressed about not riding, losing fitness/confidenece and poor performance, but only if you let it.

You definitely need determination and have to sort of switch off and grunt your way through some of the less glamorous aspects pre/post ride faffing, sub zero clean ups, illness/injury, driving wind and rain ascents, that type of thing, keeping in mind all the good experiences.

Some of the best rides I’ve been on, have been when I really didn’t want to go and just gritted my teeth and got on with it. I do duck the odd ride but not many (a full season of winter riding beats the mard out of ya and makes summer riding a doddle), as it kind of becomes second nature to ignor negatives as the positives far outweigh them.

IME mixing it up keeps it interesting pump tracks, flat long distances, sea front/beauty spot rides, XC loops, road, DH sessioning, BMX. When your out of fitness just do easy local/resovoir/blue and green trail centre loops or a lap or two of a pump track. Don’t hammer the same things over and over when starting out (skills are harder to learn when tired and blowing out of your arse!), try and build a base fitness on easier stuff first, don’t expect instant results! then start hammering the skills if you want to progress to harder trails. My ten pence anyway.

It costs nothing to try it just buy a big bag of rice instead of the normal bread and eat that instead. if it makes a difference to an illness you have it makes more sense than swallowing a lot of pills of questionable effectiveness and extra side effects. Eating out becomes duificult but on the plus side you are forced to consider your diet choices and end up eating healthier. The gf stuff in the supermarket is just terrible worth avoiding that if you can. Djocovic went gf then started winning more at tennis. Cycling and excercise in general is well proven to be effective for improving mood.

Xyeti+1

I’m a fairly rational person, but do tend to get fairly introspective and closed off from time to time. I’ve had things (relatively small things, but things none the less) that have really knocked me on my ass over the years. I found that the worst of these coincided with times of little riding.

I’m the same now, I get crabby if I’m not on the bike regularly. Maybe it is a dependency? That said, I don’t really drink or go out to clubs, which I imagine a lot of people do to unwind.

When I’m riding, that’s all I’m doing. I think about nothing, as far as I’m concerned the world has stopped turning. All those stupid issues which have built up, steadily becoming unbearable are a million miles away. The only thing that matters is my exit speed from the next corner, or taking the tough line through the next root section. My mind is occupied by the present, rather than the potential pitfalls of the world around me. I’m acting entirely on impulse and muscle memory, thinking with my body.

That’s how it feels for me anyway. I knackered my shoulder on Sunday, so ask me in 2 weeks and you might get a somewhat darker answer.

I started riding a year after my father died, i had reached a low point, i was off work and it had started to affect my family, i needed something to get me out of the hole i found myself in. In the 7 years since then i have lost weight, got fit and achieved things i never thought i could all due to me taking up cycling. Even now if ive had a bad day or have things on my mind a ride will do wonders for me.

There’s something in the soil;

LINK