High RPE on "Easy" Rides

Beginners & Basic Tips
21

I recently read this article and it quite interesting what it says about muscle glycogen levels, dysfunction, and fatigue

I can also confirm what you say about fatigue and muscle soreness from when I’ve under fuelled long distance brevets, even at mostly Z2 intensities, and the problems turn up several hours down the line.

22

thanks for your input first of all! :slight_smile:

  1. I usually pre fuel my (long) rides with a carb containing breakfast and on the bike I have a Maltodextrin/Fructose drink mix and usually as well some kind baked good like banana bread for the beginning and for longer rides I also bring some Haribo candies. I definitely eat more than anyone I ride with and I also develop quite the hunger on the bike and feel the need to fuel a lot. I exceed 100g of carbs per h for sure
  2. After every ride I do a recovery shake containing carbs and whey protein. But other than that I am not emphasising carbs that much, maybe this is an area to improve.
  3. I track my sleep and could definitely improve it, but usually get 7-8h on a decent quality
  4. Having a job and family I’m facing the usual stress levels there but nothing crazy.

Since starting this thread I started to supplement Elektrolytes on a daily basis and I do feel a bit better, but haven’t done a long ride since. I did an interval session on saturday which I smashed and an easy 2h ride on sunday. I have a free day tomorrow and wanted to go for a 4h ride and will really try to nail the carb intake and hope to feel better.

23

Thanks for the interesting study!
I’m aware of the effect of depleted glycogen storages and try to replenish them properly, but maybe I still go into the long ride with empty storages having done hard efforts before (usually I have an interval session scheduled on saturday and a long ride on sunday). I thought about keeping a food journal to properly track my caloric intake and maybe find some inbalances there

24

as most of the experts here suspect a fueling/hydration/elektrolyte deficiency issue is it just out of the question that I have a lousy fatigue resistance?

25

Good start. What I would ask is, are you eating enough during your ride despite what you are currently eating? Are you eating enough throughout the day? Is 7-8 hours a day enough sleep? Are you underestimating how much stress you are under?

Also, riding a bike for a long time is hard and sometimes it makes you tired.

26

Given your new info on when your long is in relationship to the interval:

  • even if you could load up your stores, you might still have not recovered, meaning you get less out of your type II’s, especially after a few hours and if your power output is non-constant.
    Focusing on flat terrain may help too.
27

I live in Berlin, Germany so it is pancake flat here :smiley:
Yesterday I went for a 5h easy ride and took an electrolyte supplement with breakfast before and one right after. I still felt fatigued but it was better throughout and also I feel like I recovered from it really well today!