Nicholas L

I got a stationary bike before winter and it's been great. I've been able to stay in shape, and for a while, I could feel myself getting stronger. However over the past month now, it seems like my strength and endurance have been getting worse. I had to lower the resistance, and I fatigue quicker. Right now, I'm blaming myself for just being lazy, but is it possible that I may be overtraining? I do 40 minutes medium to high intensity every night, six days in a row, Monday through Saturday. Sunday is my rest day. I know a lot of people train way more than that though...
I eat a moderately healthy and balanced diet, so I don't think it would have to do with nutrition.

TimothyH

Take an easy week.

You take an easy day once per week. Same idea but take an easy week once per month.

Exercise does not need to stop. Just reduce volume, intensity and duration. Exercise tears down the body. We get stronger during recovery. Give the body a chance to recover.


-Tim-

pesty

I'm going to go with what Tim said as well. You could be over training. Need to give your body a chance to recover a bit.

caloso

Overtraining? Maybe. Take a day off or two and see if you feel any better.

Also, you might try varying your workouts. From your description, it sounds like you're doing more or less the same medium-hard thing every night. If that's the case, you're probably not stressing your system enough to elicit much of a training response nor are you recovering enough. As a result, you plateau and just feel fatigued.

Seattle Forrest

It's really hard to say, over the internet. It's also hard to say from where you're standing, otherwise you wouldn't be asking.

I don't have much to answer your question, it sounds like @caloso is on the right track, but who knows?

There are a number of tricks people use to try and figure out what you're asking. People watch their resting heart rate, use a chest strap and an app to look at HRV, do orthostatic tests, etc. I don't know if any of this could be of value to you, but my suggestion is to look into it.

wolfchild

Do some lower intensity instead of just doing medium-high all the time. Limit your high intensity efforts to no more than 2 times per week...If you doing it 6 days per week, try doing 3 low intensity days, one medium intensity day and two high intensity days.

Carbonfiberboy 

Yeah, you've cooked yourself. After you recover, remember what that felt like and take some easy days as soon as you feel weak on the bike. And do what Caloso says.

OldTryGuy

Nicholas L

Thanks everyone for the replies! I'm going to try giving myself a break and take it easy for a day or two. I'm also going to change up my workouts and see if that helps.

Hondo Gravel

I ride 4-5 times a week on average. I day off will make you recover and ride better the next day. Just my opinion and at 50 years of age it makes sense. I can ride multiple days in a row like on the Katy with no problem. With proper refueling 100 miles is not all that difficult. You will be fine just recover.

joelcool

How much protein are you eating per day? That's a lot of training.


Personally I'm consuming about 220 g per day and weigh 180#. I am rarely sore, and think the high protein intake is a big contributor.

KraneXL

Two reasons:

1) diet
2) sleep/rest

Over training, much less likely.

Nicholas L

Gezz, 220g. I never really put much thought into how much protein I eat. Probably no more than 100g, likely much less. Maybe I should try focusing a little more on that.

So much for a "balanced diet."

ThermionicScott 

High protein doesn't necessarily mean hamburgers and steaks.

CliffordK

What about a bicycle?

I get bored pretty quickly with exercise equipment. So, perhaps lack of motivation could also play a role.

Hondo Gravel

Long term training will have days you feel weak. It will pass just keep on riding.

Altimis

Obviously.

You just falling in "more is better" loophole.


Start -> more more more -> getting better! -> getting stronger! -> more more more -> somehow, still feels stronger! -> moarrr! -> er... why the heck I do this? -> what the point? -> er.... tomorrow.... rides again... -> (that day) er maybe just this should be enough -> okay, its alright not to ride today, just this time -> er....... -> er....... -> er...........

Overtrain is rare, we mortal can't get that condition so easily but the way you do more and more, you will get fatigue overtime and eventually, stop, break and feel tired.

Its marathon game, you do it for the rest of your whole life or you just do it for specific timeframe (Race coming up etc.)

KraneXL

The latest research indicate that positive protein synthesis can occur even with a much lower protein intake. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 1 gm/lb body weight. I started experimenting and have gone as low as .6 gm/lb and still made progress.I suspect the body dealing with some infection. Sometimes the weakness is the only symptom of a mild cold.

TimothyH

There are two types of overtraining - chronic and acute.

Acute overtraining is when you feel weak, irritable, can't get your heart rate up during exercise or maybe it just skyrockets for no reason. The regular exercise routine becomes difficult and performance falls off. The solution is to reduce volume, duration and intensity for a week and recover, that's all.

Chronic overtraining is indeed rare - women stop menstruating, bone loss, liver damage, etc. This requires medical intervention and cessation of intense training.

We are talking about acute overtraining here and what the OP describes is classic - he says he has had reduced performance for a month. This isn't just a bad day. "Just keep on riding" is bad advice and can lead to illness or injury. The OP simply needs an easy week, that's all.


-Tim-


-Tim-