Question: What is the best way to treat soreness after cycling?
Asked by Jesko more than 1 year ago
7 answers
When I go out on a cycling ride, sometimes my calf muscles feel really sore a few days later. What sort of stretching, or self massage is best to recover from or prevent this?
Treatments:
Therapeutic Massage, Sports Massage, Stretching, Mountain Biking, Legs, Bums and Tums
Can you help out?
Top Answer – As rated by the community
Dustie more than 1 year ago
Hi Jesko,
I've only just received this email from Wahanda, so apologies for the delay in replying.
In order to answer this fully, I would need to know more about the level at which you cycle and what your past fitness regime has been like, because soreness in someone who is new to a sport is different from chronic soreness caused by overuse.
As a genera rule however, if you have trained hard, you will likely get some degree of short term soreness. This can be eased by calf and hamstring stretches; plus a warm bath with a muscle mix herbal bath (if that's your thing). Hold each stretch for as long as is required to ease the tension and make sure it is gentle enough that you can relax into the stretch without causing further discomfort.
Self-massage with a good muscle mix oil will always help. Use long strokes that help to sooth the muscle and encourage relaxation, not deep pressure techniques that could exacerbate any underlying tissue damage.
I hope this helps, but if you have any further questions, please feel free to call the clinic on 01494 672146 between 9-6 Monday through Friday. We offer free telephone consultations to new patients, so you can explain your exact condition to me and and I can recommend a treatment plan if you wish.
Kind regards,
Dustie Capellina
MBA. BSc Hons Ost. Dip Sports Therapy
Answer Comments
Other answers (6)
Martha more than 1 year ago
Stretching your quads, hamstrings, inner and outer thighs and calf muscles is a must immediatley after and am and pm days after. Whenever you can really. Using the edge of stairs is great for calf stretch and you should hold the stretches for up to 30" each to stimulate the stretch reflex. Gentle exercise the day after to help remove lactic acid build up and warm the ligaments, tendons and muscles is good too. We offer a 30minute leg massage and concentrate on each customrs needs individually. We have treated marathon runners several times and they say it helps!
Answer Comments
Personal-Trainer-Sensei more than 1 year ago
A few things to remember and try;
You’re always going to be a little sore after a good work out.
Stretches- Sit, bend your knee about 90*, point your toes to the ceiling & point your heal down, then extent you leg until the knee is straight.
Relax the muscles. They need time to heal and grow after a work out. Train a different body part the next day. One day upper body, the next lower. Different kind of work outs, one day cardio, the next weights.
A hot bath is always good to unwind and relax muscles.
Use a good heated ointment like Tiger Balm. Tiger Balm is not as popular in the gym fitness world but we use it a lot in martial arts.
Sources: http://www.tigerbalm.com
Answer Comments
Jeff-Willet more than 1 year ago
Warm hydrotherapy is a good start to recovery, followed by a Sports Massage with light pressure, and then apply Tiger Balm or Di Dah Jiao (Chinese Liniment). And then just rest.
Answer Comments
EmeryMassageandBodywork more than 1 year ago
Stretch before you cycle, take a warm bath after, sit on the floor with feet out front, grab your toes and pull them toward you. Get in a position like your in a runners block and stretch out the achieles so the gastrocnemis are stretched. Stand tall, bend knee and pull on foot toward buttocks. Use RICE after cycling also, rest, ice, compression and elevate. Massage lightly from ankle to knee, massage feet with deep circle motion of thumb.
Answer Comments
tclark118 more than 1 year ago
Jesko. I have seen cases similar to yours during my career. It is perhaps strained circulation strained during exercise.
Example: Your picture would seem to be someone who is quite athletic, but structural challenges could be straining blood flow to lower extremeties.
Test the theory sometime, and vary the ways you do exercise... change it up. Don't cycle all the time.
Answer Comments
Amy-F more than 1 year ago
I personally find that warming up and cooling down (especially during these cold winter months) works wonders. In particular, I recommend stretching all leg muscles and even the hips and gluteal muscles post-event. Improving the flexibility of your body through activities such as yoga and pilates as well as regular sports massage should all definitely help.