Lactic acid build up - Kin ouch!!!
Discussion
Out for a quick spin in the Chilterns tonight which was great, other than 'heavy legs', and a bit of calve cramp due to the temperature plummeting once the sun went down, all was going well.
Got home, had a milkshake and sat down to have some dinner and I had the most crippling build up of lactic acid in my quads that I have ever experienced! I was kneeling in the front room with my head buried in cushions to stifle the screams so as not to alarm the kids. Wifey ran me a hot bath, I jumped in and within 2 mins the problem was solved. I used to suffer from this from time to time when I first started back on a road bike about 18 months ago, but have adjusted my riding style and have been fine ever since, I have never suffered while in the saddle.
The agonising pain started about 20 mins after I had got off the bike, which was odd as I would have expected it to have happened as soon as I jumped off the bike. Just to complete the picture the ride itself was 55 miles, just under 2,800 ft of climbing, but the majority of this was done a good 1/2 hour before I got home, so lactic acid produced as a result of the climbs should have been processed well before I got home. I was well hydrated so am slightly confused as to what caused it, however - it was so painful that if it happened every time I rode I would seriously consider giving up cycling!
Anyone have any ideas what is going on? Anything I can do to make sure it does not happen again?
Got home, had a milkshake and sat down to have some dinner and I had the most crippling build up of lactic acid in my quads that I have ever experienced! I was kneeling in the front room with my head buried in cushions to stifle the screams so as not to alarm the kids. Wifey ran me a hot bath, I jumped in and within 2 mins the problem was solved. I used to suffer from this from time to time when I first started back on a road bike about 18 months ago, but have adjusted my riding style and have been fine ever since, I have never suffered while in the saddle.
The agonising pain started about 20 mins after I had got off the bike, which was odd as I would have expected it to have happened as soon as I jumped off the bike. Just to complete the picture the ride itself was 55 miles, just under 2,800 ft of climbing, but the majority of this was done a good 1/2 hour before I got home, so lactic acid produced as a result of the climbs should have been processed well before I got home. I was well hydrated so am slightly confused as to what caused it, however - it was so painful that if it happened every time I rode I would seriously consider giving up cycling!
Anyone have any ideas what is going on? Anything I can do to make sure it does not happen again?
I don't think it's that normal myself.
Perhaps you do need to have a ether post ride routine? I haven't had the issues you speak of before, it doesn't sound very pleasant
It would be plausible of you'd really gone to town, but you ride a lot so 50/60 miles shouldn't have that effect...
Oh and dizeee it's you're*!!!
Perhaps you do need to have a ether post ride routine? I haven't had the issues you speak of before, it doesn't sound very pleasant
It would be plausible of you'd really gone to town, but you ride a lot so 50/60 miles shouldn't have that effect...
Oh and dizeee it's you're*!!!
There's something very wrong here, there's no way you should feel more pain once you've finished a ride. Yes, it was a fast ride and you obviously pushed yourself, but there's no way this should happen.
How confident are you that your position is okay? Also it might be worth speaking to a physio about it.
How confident are you that your position is okay? Also it might be worth speaking to a physio about it.
Thanks for the responses and ideas, I agree that it is definitely not right but cannot fathom for the life of me why it happened. I have to admit that my post ride routine is not as comprehensive at it could be, it tends to be a quick stretch (if I remember), and a milkshake - so I could probably do more, but this has not happened in the past for a very long time.
The bike setup has not changed for months, so there is nothing in my positioning that was different from previous rides. I really am totally confused as to why this happened, I have a friend who is a PT to endurance athletes so have dropped him a mail, if I get a sensible response I will post it up.
I was hoping a bunch of you would post up having experienced the same thing, slightly more worried if it is only me that has experienced this!!!!
The bike setup has not changed for months, so there is nothing in my positioning that was different from previous rides. I really am totally confused as to why this happened, I have a friend who is a PT to endurance athletes so have dropped him a mail, if I get a sensible response I will post it up.
I was hoping a bunch of you would post up having experienced the same thing, slightly more worried if it is only me that has experienced this!!!!
I live in a village built on the top of a small hill so always have a bit of a climb going home, nothing worth writing home about but enough to require a bit of effort.
I went out for a short, hard-ish ride this evening and no problems at all (apart from a case of jelly legs). I was planning another 60-ish miler tomorrow but apparently we are having a 'family day' so the next suffer-session will have to wait!
I went out for a short, hard-ish ride this evening and no problems at all (apart from a case of jelly legs). I was planning another 60-ish miler tomorrow but apparently we are having a 'family day' so the next suffer-session will have to wait!
MadDad said:
Thanks for the responses and ideas, I agree that it is definitely not right but cannot fathom for the life of me why it happened. I have to admit that my post ride routine is not as comprehensive at it could be, it tends to be a quick stretch (if I remember), and a milkshake - so I could probably do more, but this has not happened in the past for a very long time.
The bike setup has not changed for months, so there is nothing in my positioning that was different from previous rides. I really am totally confused as to why this happened, I have a friend who is a PT to endurance athletes so have dropped him a mail, if I get a sensible response I will post it up.
I was hoping a bunch of you would post up having experienced the same thing, slightly more worried if it is only me that has experienced this!!!!
I wish I could ride for 55 miles to get this painful lactic acid build up so please don't be worried! Really am rather un fit :/The bike setup has not changed for months, so there is nothing in my positioning that was different from previous rides. I really am totally confused as to why this happened, I have a friend who is a PT to endurance athletes so have dropped him a mail, if I get a sensible response I will post it up.
I was hoping a bunch of you would post up having experienced the same thing, slightly more worried if it is only me that has experienced this!!!!
Looking at your route and I did similar on the Marlow Red Kite recently and I suffered awful cramp on the bike. Far more than I've had before. Maybe it's that Marlow to Christmas Common grind?
It was fairly cold and my ride partner was recovering from a chest infection so it was also slower than I'd normally go so I'd just put it down to that.
It was fairly cold and my ride partner was recovering from a chest infection so it was also slower than I'd normally go so I'd just put it down to that.
Pain from Lactic?? really.
Only time i've ever had proper leg pain was gunning uphill with Quads locked up with cramp, that hurt loads!
Lactic should only give a burn then the legs fade, not sure about this pain!
BTW, keep doing rides like that and you'll be left with the power of a small child
Only time i've ever had proper leg pain was gunning uphill with Quads locked up with cramp, that hurt loads!
Lactic should only give a burn then the legs fade, not sure about this pain!
BTW, keep doing rides like that and you'll be left with the power of a small child
Edited by superkartracer on Sunday 9th September 10:14
S6PNJ said:
TKF said:
Looking at your route ......
How have you found his route? Do you have a (strava?) link please? I'll soon be back to riding around Marlow and will be looking for some rides.If you are keen to ride Marlow and the Chilterns there are a lot of Strava segments you could stitch together to make a challenging ride.
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