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Swollen thighs after riding

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Old 07-15-17, 03:04 PM
  #1  
HappyBiker18
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Swollen thighs after riding

Does anyone else get this? I've only been consistently riding for about one week now and I'm not eating in a surplus so I don't think I could have gained much muscle. I've actually been generally eating in a 500 cal per day deficit.

Will the water weight go down if I take a rest day? Any help is appreciated.
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Old 07-15-17, 03:33 PM
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Water retention is common after strenuous exercise, particularly when you're first starting out or increasing the intensity after getting into reasonably good shape.

The skin over my shins often feels spongy from water retention after high intensity interval training on the bike. It flushes out within a day. Depends on the heat, water intake, whether I used electrolyte supplements, etc.

Keep an eye on your blood pressure as well. If it looks normal, I wouldn't worry about some temporary water retention. If it persists after you're in reasonably good shape after a few weeks you might check with a doctor.
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Old 07-15-17, 03:45 PM
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Originally Posted by canklecat
Water retention is common after strenuous exercise, particularly when you're first starting out or increasing the intensity after getting into reasonably good shape.

The skin over my shins often feels spongy from water retention after high intensity interval training on the bike. It flushes out within a day. Depends on the heat, water intake, whether I used electrolyte supplements, etc.

Keep an eye on your blood pressure as well. If it looks normal, I wouldn't worry about some temporary water retention. If it persists after you're in reasonably good shape after a few weeks you might check with a doctor.
Hm, maybe I'm not drinking enough water. I drink a lot of coffee during the day and only drink water during/after my ride.
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Old 07-15-17, 04:30 PM
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Originally Posted by HappyBiker18
Hm, maybe I'm not drinking enough water. I drink a lot of coffee during the day and only drink water during/after my ride.
Tell you what happy biker coffee purges water from body it's a duiribitive or whatever ,,, I think if anything you should be lacking water after a good workout,, not retaining, but I am not MD,,,,,
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Old 07-15-17, 04:37 PM
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I'd probably go bring this concern to your doctors attention.
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Old 07-15-17, 05:16 PM
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It's a myth, caffeine does not dehydrate you. The swollen thighs are due to something else - my guess is an artifact of the unaccustomed exercise, and will line out if you keep it up for a few weeks.
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Old 07-15-17, 10:04 PM
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The weight gain is water. It is an inflammatory response to the damage done to muscles when starting a new exercise program.
Give it time and it will go away.


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Old 07-15-17, 10:10 PM
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Hard exertion can cause swelling the same way a bruise can. The muscle is injured, and swelling is a typical response. Like any other swelling, it'll go down soon enough, with rest and recovery.

Odds are that your "non-injury" range will improve over time, so this effect will disappear until/unless you really overtax yourself.
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Old 07-15-17, 10:45 PM
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I think you just have big thighs.
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Old 07-16-17, 06:36 AM
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I never heard of this condition. Hmm.
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Old 07-16-17, 06:44 AM
  #11  
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Are they actually swollen or do they just "feel" swollen?

When I do a lot of climbing or something like squats my thighs feel pumped. But the feeling goes away after a bit. It's just more blood in your muscles.
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Old 07-16-17, 09:31 AM
  #12  
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Originally Posted by FBinNY
Hard exertion can cause swelling the same way a bruise can. The muscle is injured, and swelling is a typical response. Like any other swelling, it'll go down soon enough, with rest and recovery.

Odds are that your "non-injury" range will improve over time, so this effect will disappear until/unless you really overtax yourself.
Thanks, this is helpful
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Old 07-16-17, 09:32 AM
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Originally Posted by brianmcg123
Are they actually swollen or do they just "feel" swollen?

When I do a lot of climbing or something like squats my thighs feel pumped. But the feeling goes away after a bit. It's just more blood in your muscles.
They just feel a little bigger somehow
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Old 07-17-17, 10:29 AM
  #14  
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Originally Posted by Fastfingaz
duiribitive
Diuretic.
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Old 07-17-17, 11:07 AM
  #15  
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Originally Posted by StarBiker
Diuretic.
Thank you ,,,,,
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Old 07-17-17, 11:53 AM
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Originally Posted by Fastfingaz
Thank you ,,,,,
I was trying to give my medical prognosis Im a welder by trade but I do that on the side,,,,
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Old 07-17-17, 03:44 PM
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Originally Posted by HappyBiker18
They just feel a little bigger somehow
If they're just "feeling bigger" and you don't have an issue getting your pants or shorts on, I'd say that it's just your muscles reacting to being worked out. I workout my upper body 4-5 times a week on my Bowflex, and I can see a difference right after my session, then by bedtime I look normal again.
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