For some reason almost every time I ride my bike I feel like crap afterwards. Even if I keep within zone 2 on the HR monitor, and only ride for 45 min, it feels like I’m getting ill for the next day or two. Kind of like I’m getting a cold, with some fatigue, but just generally feel like sh*t.

I’ve made sure I’m consuming enough calories, carbs, water etc, but I still feel the same no matter what I do.

Does anyone have any idea I could give a try? Electrolytes maybe?

Edit: I forgot to mention that I have no problem lifting weights for an hour at a pretty high intensity, or a 15-25 min HIIT workout.

IS this a recent turn of events or always ?

Do you feel like it after running/squash/other stuff ?

Maybe a trip to your GP is in order?

I know the feeling. Exercise is stressful on the body and i think it also increases the number of toxins in the body. After exercise i drink a berocca because its high in vit C which should help flush out those toxins. I also think exercise weakens the immune system temporarily so its important to eat the right foods after a workout and get loads of rest. If I go for a ride and then go out on the booze i feel pretty rubbish the next day! Apparently milk is as good as a protein shake and contains way more goodness that you think.

Full fat milk ftw!

It may be that the lining of nasel passage is weak and get irriated easy when breathing hard outdoors. This can nause the nasel passage to swell and feel blocked, increase mucus and generally make you feel like your about to get a cold. 48 hours later it goes and doesn’t really evolve, but makes you feel crap.

You can strengthen your nasal passage with a hay fever nasal spray called Beconase. Its a spray that contains steriods to strengthen the lining. Two spray first thin in the morning and last thing at night for two weeks and then once day for another week and it should have gone, if not sooner.

Had the same problem a couple of years ago and the doctor suggested this approach and it worked.

Oh and its a substance that is on the allowed list that i found somewhere on the BCF Website.

Agree with Banks. I swear by a mug of Hot Chocolate when I get in, even from Summer rides. Does the trick straight away.

Bang a mug of semi-skimmed or full-fat milk in the microwave for 2-3 mins, 3-4 heaped teaspoons of cadburys hot chocolate and you’ll recover in no time. Forget about the recovery stuff on the shelves and lucazade sport and all that….

Chocolate Yazoo. The gets recovery drink out there, tastes darn nice too. 🙂

If I go for a ride and then go out on the booze i feel pretty rubbish the next day!

I tend to get that without the ride part… 😀

Sleeping enough?

funnily enough, we were chatting about this exact problem in the pub last night where one of the guys went to the doctor with the same symptoms.

The doctor (a mtb’er) said “Do you use Swampthings?” yes came the reply. Turns out he had been using draggy tyres all summer (because of the rubbish weather) and made him feel like crap after a ride. unfortunately, the NHS can’t prescribe better tyres.

+ 1 for chocolate milk , I get this feeling as well but usually after a couple of days hard riding,I know when my body is tired as it affects my sleeping,and I feel generally sh*t cant seem to sleep right until Ive recovered, Ive put it down to my body taking longer to recover after exercise (mid 40’s) 😕

Thanks for the replies.

I can do 25 minutes of barbell complexes and I feel fine, thats pretty high intensity. I also do 3 hours of weight lifting a week with no adverse effects. I keep my protein intake around 1g per lbs of bodyweight, I eat enough carbs, and fats. I am also always well hydrated.

I can’t get my head around it.

How often are you riding compared to weight lifting? Just not used to riding? FWIW, in winter when i’m in the gym as part of my training, riding is much harder work for the 1-2 days after a weights session, whereas in summer when my training is riding/racing 6-7 days a week, it feels totally different. You could still be feeling the effects from the gym/not recovered from it when you go riding?

+1 on the nasal passages from Hopk1ns. My friend had sinus issues for ages which put a damper on her biking activities.

I know this is totally unhealthy and not a drink but if I feel like crap after a ride I eat a good part of (full pack) of Maryland Cookies and feel better not sure if its the fat/sugar rush or what, but does the trick with a couple of hot brews 😀

is there a chance your zones on the HRM could be wrong? If you did the old 220 minus your age it might not be correct. Just a thought…

Is your camelback clean?
Seriously, I used to feel pretty much hungover after every ride. It was only when I borrowed my wife’s camelback and felt fine that I put 2 and 2 together.
Sterilised mine and now all is good.

Camel back is a good shout, I’ll try cleaning it out, I remember that making me feel rough before!!

I’m definitely getting enough rest so its not that.

Heart rate zone should be right, I’m using a Polar HRM with ownzone which works it out for you, plus I’ve been sticking to the lower end (120 bpm) so I doubt its that.

Thanks for the suggestions.

my first thought was that you might have a low-level chest infection – a few years back I rode (or tried to ride) a couple of events with one and felt like death afterwards – went to the GP and his reaction was ‘well of course you feel rough’ (but I didn’t realise I had a chest infection). Cycling is different on the lungs than weights.

Second get a bottle of Milton sterilising solution for the camelbak – its great stuff. A litre bottle should be less that a couple of quid and will last for ages.