How do you guys recommend getting out of a state of deep fatigue syndrome without stopping outright.
Can you eat your way out of over training. (64.5kg 6ft, ~8% BF) by just smashing food in and gaining all the weight.
My ftp is apparently 253 (AI) but on group rides I struggle to not have a very high RPE despite lower speeds.
Especially if I’m absolutely exhausted now.
I don’t really have set goals that I actually want to achieve and feel like I’m just riding for risings sake. Which is taking its toll. I think I’m using the bike as a crutch to manage life stress and negative body image.
@Boysey95 right idea but wrong execution. Don’t just take down food until you can’t eat anymore. Try a more measured approach. Start by doing two things…try making sure you are getting at least 60g protein every day AND taking down 300 additional calories for a week. See how you feel.
If you’re sill feeling wrecked all the time, add another 300 calories.
Could be overtraining, for sure, but just based on that sounds more like not enough fuel. Overtraining usually leads to poor sleep and deteriorating mental state in addition to skyrocketing RPE.
If you have not let your muscles rebuild after workouts then all the food in the world will not rebuild them. They need rest. My suggestion is to take a few days off then start with some easy spins. Zone 2. See what your legs tell you.
On the food side look at what you are eating. As said above be sure you are taking in enough protein. Also look at macro’s. Low levels of iron and vitamin b can also cause fatigue.
If it persists then see a doctor for some blood tests. The scientific approach usually works.
Try to flip your mindset a bit, don’t think that you will loose fitness if you rest. Think that you will loose fitness if you don’t rest, which is the case when you’re in a hole.
Taking a week off and easing into training isn’t so bad as not being able to train for months.
While I don’t think that you can eat your way out of overtraining, it is much more difficult to get into that state if you’re eating enough carbohydrates in the first place.
Here’s what I’ve seen recommended, and while these numbers might seem suspiciously high, that might be what it takes to allow your body to not only complete all of the hard workouts you’re doing with quality, but also recover fully between workouts and build back stronger.
I think I’m using the bike as a crutch to manage life stress and negative body image… I don’t really have set goals that I actually want to achieve… I’m absolutely exhausted now… without stopping outright.
I would suggest that the best way to both heal from what you’ve done to yourself, and start learning how to deal with life stress and negative body image in a positive way…. Is to take a break from riding for a while.
This! Rest is recovery, recovery means allowing your body to rebuild which makes it faster. The training doesn’t make you faster on its own. This is the biggest difference between a pro and the most talented amateur - they have the time and focus to effectively rest.
@Boysey95 I have used the bike to deal with life stress (body image didn’t play apart for me). So, I only know some of what you are going through. 141 lbs and 8% BF is very light for your height.
Random Google search says pro cyclist weigh between 144-165 pounds.
I wonder if you are just hungry.
Eat far more protein like 120+ grams of protein a day and more carbs, AND take carbs in on the bike.
Slowly gain weight, do some off the bike weight training (can just be bodyweight), and figure out how to eat on the bike (I drink my carbs).
I bet you start to see massive improvements in how you feel and ride.
Don’t be afraid to take time off the bike if you need it. It comes back quick. Especially if you are fueling the work.
Yeah well I cannot sleep without waking 3+times, and am suffering from anxiety and depression
Perhaps its a mix of both under recovery, under fuelling and just too much volume.
It is not necessarily too much volume but can be frequency or timing of intensity: I can ride 6h at bottom of Z2 and sleep very well but 2h of Sweetspot in the evening does not leave enough time to cool down before bedtime → sleep becomes disturbed → do it frequently/long enough, you’ll start losing motivation.
Honestly, if you’re 6’, 64kg and 8% body fat and you have body image issues, I would seek a therapist first to deal with the body image and eating disorder, then I would reduce the cycling and go to the gym and get strong. And unless you are naturally very very lean (I expect you aren’t) then get the body fat up to 12-15% and you’ll feel much better for it.
I’m surprised that no-one else has focused on these points so far. But then cycling is clearly full of people with poor mental health, so maybe it’s normal??
Do you mind sharing the source of the CHO table you snipped? I’m not suggesting it’s wrong (it passes the “sniff test” of nothing obviously flawed), but am curious what it came from.
Agree with AlexO. I’ve seen lots of people transform mentally after putting on muscle from lifting - I don’t mean in a vanity or ego way, I mean in a positive outlook way. Being strong and feeling strong makes everything easier, not just pedaling but also bounding up stairs, moving furniture, jumping around to a favorite song, etc.
Cut back on riding for a month (endurance rides twice a week?) and hit upper and lower body at the gym with weights. Then start adding in more riding and figure out a schedule that works for you during the fall and winter.
I speak from personal experience when I say I know what that’s like. If you can get metal health help do it (I know it’s challenging in the US). That helped me deal with it immensely in the moment.
And getting a different job where all those stressors were removed helped the most.
