Like all endurance exercises, cycling places a strain on the body, particularly the leg muscles. Watch any professional cyclist climb a mountain or work to increase his time trial speed and you'll see the face of a hurting athlete. A burning or aching sensation in the legs is a common result of hard efforts in the saddle or long days on the bike. While you can't avoid the sensation all together, there are a few things you can do to decrease your symptoms.
Cause
A 2006 study conducted by the University of Sydney reported that as muscles tire and lose calcium during exercise, an athlete begins to tire and has trouble continuing to exercise at the same intensity. During exercise, creatine phosphate breaks down. and the phosphates interfere with the release of calcium. The muscle continues to contract, depleting calcium stores, and the muscle's electrical impulses aren't as strong, making the muscle feel fatigued and weak.
Lactic Acid
Lactic acid is also in part responsible for muscle burning. Normally your body absorbs lactic acid as you exercise at low to moderate intensities. But when you go above your lactate threshold, which is typically 85 percent of your maximum heart rate, the body cannot process and clear all the lactic acid that is being produced. This results in a burning sensation in the legs and tired and sore muscles. It's difficult to exercise at this level for an extended period of time, and the legs are often still burning after the exercise is completed.
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness
The body reacts to small muscle fiber tears with inflammation. These small tears can cause delayed onset muscle soreness that is often felt 24 to 48 hours after exercise, but can peak at 48 to 72 hours. Aside from a burning sensation and soreness of the muscles, you'll also experience decreased strength and less of a range of motion. To avoid overtraining and to allow the muscle tears to heal, take an adequate amount of recovery time.
Recovery
Take time to recover after hard efforts that leave your muscles burning. Perform self massage or seek a masseuse. Take a day or two off each week, especially after a hard day of cycling, or take an active recovery day where you pedal slowly. Get plenty of sleep, eat a nutritious diet and keep your muscles loose through yoga and stretching. All of these strategies will help remove the burning from your legs and get you back on the bike sooner.
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