Indoor cycling training programs are performed on bikes designed to provide you with an individualized fitness program, usually in a group setting. There are a slew of reasons that your metatarsal bones might ache when you engage in indoor cycling. The metatarsals are the bones that make up your forefoot and where you typically place pressure when pushing the pedals on a stationary bike. Disease, bone abnormalities, breaks, stress fractures, arthritis, tendonitis and soft tissue damage can cause forefoot pain that resonates to your bones and throughout your foot.
Diagnosis
Before you can figure out how to adjust your indoor cycling posture and form, you need to get a diagnosis to determine the cause of your foot pain. According to the Radio Graphics website, it’s difficult to tell what’s causing the sore bones without some extensive testing. While conventional X-rays can detect bone lesions or breaks, magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, can help your doctor find tissue damage or other complications.
Causes
Persistent hyperextension that occurs when you wear high heels or place excessive stress on the front of your foot during the downward stroke of the cycle can lead to plantar plate disruption, a common source of sore metatarsal bones in women. Osteomyelitis is a foot infection that often occurs in diabetics who place repeated stress on the front of the foot. If you develop ulcers on the bottom of your foot where it meets the pedal, you may have developed this condition. Repetitive stress from cycling over a long period of time can lead to osteoarthritis or the soreness may be due to rheumatoid arthritis that you may have in other areas as well. While indoor cycling typically does not cause stress fractures, you may have one from another of your exercise routines that becomes exacerbated when you pedal. You may have a condition called Mortons Neuroma that’s caused by a pinched nerve between your third and fourth toes that’s exacerbated when you apply pressure on the pedal.
Treatment
A foot insert that raises the metatarsals off the pedal may alleviate the pressure and the pain caused by many of the conditions that create pain when indoor cycling. Anti-inflammatory medication can reduce the swelling and exercises to strengthen your arch such as heel raises can give you enough relief to continue with your favorite workout. Your doctor may prescribe a boot for up to six or eight weeks if you have a fracture and recommend rest while the soreness subsides. A surgical procedure to alleviate the pressure on a pinched nerve can completely relieve the soreness and get you back on the bike in a few weeks.
Prevention
After you’ve uncovered the cause of the metatarsal bone pain and seen a doctor for treatment, you can employ techniques and tools to prevent further pain if your doctor allows you to return to the exercise routine. Alleviate excessive pressure by using the highest gear on your exercise bike. You can reach higher aerobic states by pedaling faster on the bike and decrease the risk of getting sore feet. You can wear metatarsal pads that spread the pressure of the pedal throughout the ball of your foot. Avoid high heels to prevent additional damage and take time off then you feel the first signs of soreness.
