Originally Posted by
buzzbee
It sounds like only a very few cyclists out there have this issue.
I've had the problem to some extent since 2008.
So, the setup that makes the quad pain happen is daily cycling exercise, followed by a day or more of rest, then walking down stairs.
If that rest period is longer, like 2 weeks, then there is no pain.
So, it seems there is something remaining in the quad muscles after exercise... lactic acid?
Why would it take so long to dissipate?
Why only in the quads?
I have still not found a way to prevent the pain from happening other than exercise every day.
good luck
Hello
This is a great thread for me: I thought I was the only one!
I am 54, recently returned to commuting by cycling. I had exactly this problem 25 years ago, with severe quadriceps pain/cramp coming on after a few days of not cycling.
This time though it is worse, so bad I am thinking of finding a different exercise. Last week I went on a family holiday to Turkey, and I was severely limited by the steep hill down from our villa into the town. Incredibly painful. I had to walk in a zigzag to get there!
Buzzbee, did you get any help from your stretching regime or magnesium? (Interesting to note many years ago I went skiing in France and developed my quad pain after a few days not cycling, so I went into a pharmacy to try and get some quinine. They didnt have any but they said that in France, everyone takes magnesium for cramp. They sold me some tablets that dissolved under the tongue and probably did help. I am trying to avoid quinine now because of possible side effects).
I think you may be right about lactic acid not being cleared, and causing the muscle fibres to be hyper-excitable. I am going to try massage to see if it helps: I will use a rolling pin or similar to try and push the lactic acid up away towards my heart. I had a similar problem with my calf muscles when I ran marathons. I used to go to physiotherapy, and you could see the muscle fibres twitching away spontaneously. Massage did help this.
I also am worried that this severe muscle pain is likely to be associated with muscle damage, leading to a rise in blood levels of creatine phosphokinase (CPK). This can cause kidney damage if high levels persist. So I think I need to find a solution or stop cycling...