Cycling is the exercise of choice for both athletes and beginners alike. This is largely due to cycling being able to provide significant aerobic exercise benefits while being low-impact on the joints at the same time. However, even though cycling provides less impact on the body, soreness can still occur, especially in the leg muscles.
Muscles Worked
Cycling primarily works the muscles of your legs, which is why much of the soreness you may feel after cycling is focused in these muscle groups. Pain may develop around the area of the calf muscles, such as the triceps surae, peroneus longus or tibialis anterior. It may also develop in the biceps femoris, quadriceps, sartorius or gluteus muscles.
Sore Muscle Causes
Sore muscles can develop from cycling for several reasons. One of the most common is the natural muscular hypertrophy, or muscle building process, which creates small areas of damage in the muscle. The body repairs and builds these areas back up stronger, resulting in greater strength and muscle mass. Sore leg muscles can also occur due to lack of training through delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS. This occurs with muscles that have not been conditioned by regular cycling or other leg-heavy exercise. Severe sore muscles can sometimes develop from over-exercising by pushing yourself too hard on the bike, which can result in sprains, pulls or even torn muscles.
Treatment
When sore muscles develop, there are a variety of treatment methods available depending on how severe the damage is. In general, the first thing you should do is try the RICE method: rest the leg; place ice and compression on the affected area to reduce inflammation; and elevate the leg to an area above your heart. Over-the-counter medications can also be used in moderation to help reduce pain. If pain is severe, or if pain persists for more than a week without getting better, see your doctor for a diagnosis, as well as more options for treating a severe muscle injury.
Prevention
Improving and strengthening the muscles of your legs is one way to help prevent future muscles soreness. For example, performing a 90-90 wall sit can help build your quadriceps, which will make them more resistant to other cycling muscle injuries. To perform this exercise, place your back against a wall and squat until you're in a 90-degree sitting position, depending as little as possible on the wall for support. Hold this until your quads start to burn and then release. You can also keep your muscles limber through activities like regular stretching or classes like yoga. Before hitting full speeds on your bike, consider warming up at a slower speed first, to make the muscles more pliable. This can also help prevent leg muscle soreness.
References
- American Council on Exercise: What You Need to Know About Group Indoor Cycling
- Sports Injury Handbook: Cycling
- IDEA Health and Fitness Association; Preventing Indoor Cycling Injuries, Client Handout; February 2001
- Westwood Health and Fitness: Preventing Indoor Cycling Injury
- Merck Online Medical Library; Approach to Sports Injuries; April 2009
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