Why Do You Feel So Tired After a Bike Ride?(And How to Prevent It)

Every cyclist feels tired at some point when riding a long distance. Both beginners and those who are already professionals. But it is more common for people who have just started and don’t known some advanced tricks. I went through all these things and I will share with you everything that I learn over the years of cycling.

These are 5 things that make you feel tired:

Pushing too hard– is the most common mistake that people are making, including me when I was starting. It happens mostly when you want to impress someone or you wanna get to some location as fast as possible without a good reason. Listen to your body, when you feel like you can’t handle it anymore just stop and take some rest.
Wrong body position-the reason why many people are stiff is probably because of the wrong body position. So you wanna make sure that you adjust your saddle height and angle to what is the most comfortable for you and what you like the most.
Not taking enough rest– this is the biggest mistake you can make if you don’t take enough rest the next time you ride a bike it will get worse and worse because your muscles don’t have enough time to recover.
Not stretching after ride– your muscle will tighten during the ride especially your hamsting so it is essential to stretch regularly and relax those muscles.
Not drinking enough water– keeping yourself dihydrated can lead to a loss of strength and stamina which is bad especially for cyclists, make sure you have enough water whit you and drink it regularly.

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How To Prevent Feeling Tired After Cycling?

Eat Carbohydrates

This is the easiest thing you can do that will have a massive impact on your performance. Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy. They help you fuel your muscles which is especially important for physical activity such as cycling. So if you eat enough carbohydrates before the ride you will not feel tired all the time.

Make sure if you are going on longer rides (1+ hours) to take whit you a snack with lots of carbs and without much salt because it will make you drink a lot of water, which can be a problem if you don’t carry a lot with you. These are the best foods that have helped me through my long rides.

Bananas
Energy bars
Energy gel (This gel literally makes me fly on the road)
Rice cakes
Nuts

Cold Shower

This Is personally my favorite way to rest and relief my mussels after the ride. A cold shower has regenerative properties and can help you reduce muscle soreness after intense workouts. It can also be used before the ride as a way of awakening the body and preparing it for the day.

Rest & Sleep

Proper rest and sleep are mostly neglected due to many busy schedules. But we need to give our body a chance to recover and it’s also good for overall health both fiscally and mentally. So try to go to bed a little bit earlier than usual or take a short afternoon nap, I know many cyclists who use it regularly and it helps them.

Use Electrolyte

If it is really hot outside or you are sweating a lot, make sure you have an electrolyte in your drink. Because you wanna replace essential minerals you lose through sweating. Drink it regularly throughout the ride (usually every 30-60min) along with lots of water.

This is the exact one I’ve been using for more than 2 years (link to the electrolyte powder).

If you feel a significant dip in your energy levels in the middle of the ride and experience slight dizziness, that’s a sign that you’re dehydrated.

But when it’s not that hot outside I like to add carbohydrates mix in the bottle. That way you can get the maximum amount of carbs that your body is able to absorb.

Set Realistic Goals

Setting realistic goals is very important because you don’t want to sprint your first few miles and then lose all your energy at the beginning of the ride. Instead, you need to save some energy for the end and you wanna maintain the same pace throughout the whole ride.

But this rule doesn’t apply if you are racing in that case, you want to cycle as fast as you can until your legs die.

I hope this article was helpful!