Hoping the coaches and others in the know can maybe advise.
This year I have increased my training, I’ve gone from around 150km a week last year to around 200km a week this year. So not a massive jump but certainly more workload. I’m also training with a group this year rather than on my own which means the intensity has increased.
Additionally though there are many changes at work contributing to off the bike stress.
On Sunday I skipped my normal training ride as we went away, monday is normally a rest day so i did nothing, but on Tuesday I was expecting to be in decent form, yet halfway through the group ride i was spat out the back and left struggling. The pace was not unusual for a tuesday ride and i can normally hang on. I put it down to a bad day (we’re all allowed those), but this morning on our normal slow wednesday ride, even though all stats pointed to slow recovery ride, RPE was higher than it should be.
I track HRV and Resting HR every morning, nothing is significantly out of the norm.
Should I just take a few days off the bike and REST ?
The other change I’ve made is that I’ve started eating before my rides. As I train early morning I’ve generally just ridden fasted, in past years it was never a problem as the intensity and duration was low enough to get away with it, could it be what I’m eating ? (ACE instant porridge)
How soon after eating are you riding?
Rebound hypoglycaemia is when you get a double hit of an insulin spike cause by activity and eating. That would give a light-headed sensation, and possibly contribute to lesser performance.
Work stress cannot be measured like a power-based workout, but would show in your HRV and RHR.
When last did you have a recovery week, to allow adaptation to the increased training?
A recovery week doesn’t mean rest, but lower volume and/or intensity compared to prior weeks.
The training load chart (purple) line doesn’t show how much intensity makes up the load.
Proper riding is around 30 minutes after eating. About 20 minutes after eating its a short 3km commute to the start point, there it will be a short wait until we start.
just reading up on Rebound hypoglycaemia and I think this may be the cause.
but I also realised whilst answering your questions that my rest week was to long ago, so will take it easier this week and also experiment with what and when I eat pre workout.
When you eat carbs in the morning, your body requires water to store the gylcogen at a 3-1 ratio. So eating 100 grams of carbs is going to require 300 grams of water to store. It is very possible that eating that food threw off your hydration/electrolyte balance and your body wasn’t ready for the change.
That’s just a total guess but if it were me, that’s the change I would attribute it to based on teh information you’re providing.
Considering that your goal is to boost glycogen for a morning ride, consider eating extra bonus carbs the night before and having water and electrolytes with it. See how that goes. And cut the morning porridge down or eliminate it. Eating a lot before a ride is not optimal. it’s a multi-hour affair to replenish glycogen.
If you really want to get nerdy you can start experimenting with powered fructose and maltodextrin in your water bottle. I started it after being keto for a while and it worked wonders.
looks like it IS the porridge. Had some for breakfast this morning, but did not ride, and I’m feeling like rubbish right now. A bit light headed, lethargic, weak.
I hear you on the hydration Steve, will try another experiment with added hydration and see how that goes.
I’m going to state the obvious and say simply having breakfast should not be having that effect. Option 1. Ace Porridge has a shelf life of 9 months. Option 2. If you’re not affected by other breakfast items in the morning, you’re ok. Option 3. See a doctor.
Recommendations were to start annual physicals at age 40 way back when, over 30 years ago. Now I hear earlier than that is better. I recall when I first went, the test result for triglycerides was so high that the test was considered useless. And, I was an active cyclist and racquet ball player in what I thought was decent health. My cousin’s husband was a macho sort, the “I don’t need to see a doctor” kind of guy. When he had his heart attack he discovered he had diabetes and his blood vessel walls were so damaged by the diabetes they could be called vessels in name only. When he had his inevitable stroke from the heart surgery he spent the rest of his life in a wheel chair.
I agree; feeling light-headed due to eating only is not rebound hypoglycaemia, as there was no exercise. There is something else.
While I’m no medical practitioner, there are a few symptom finders online to help diagnose the symptoms. This doesn’t replace a doctor, but can help narrow things down to fewer options/causes. It just requires a little inward honesty about the symptoms.
Taking your three symptoms mentioned, it’s a bit extreme on the results listed. A general check up might not pick these things up, as blood tests are required for most on this list. #askyourdoctor
My experience with porridge is mixed. While I like it very much, my performance is crap after eating it in the morning and now I avoid it at all — for some reason I become very hungry much faster than before (let say 5-10 years ago). I switched to rice dishes and rice porridge and it gives me significantly more energy for longer.
Bottom line: I think we have a similar condition or body reacts similarly
I switched to steel cut oats after reading that might be better for you, and these days my daily porridge is half oats and half quinoa. Makes a good base for lots of healthy toppings
I took nearly a full week off, zero training or physical excursion for 3 days, the 4th day I did some garden work.
I do an HRV measurement everymorning. Same routine everymorning, getup, go to the bathroom, while seated I do my measurement.
Resting heart rate dropped around 5 bpm over this time and HRV increased slightly, I can see the 4th days physical work in the 5th days rHR and HRV numbers.
On the 6th day (that was yesterday, Tuesday) I did my first ride and felt much better, although I ate ProNutro and not Ace.
So now that I’m rested I will experiment with eating Ace again and see what it does.
