Why You're Always Tired

There are a lot of reasons why someone might feel chronically tired, one of which can be related to over training. But how does cycling too much contribute to fatigue, and how can you overcome it? Si delves into the science of chronic fatigue in sport, to help you understand why you're feeling so tired.
Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:47 - Medical Reasons
2:01 - Training & Recovery
5:22 - How Much Training Should You Do?
7:04 - Nutrition & Sleep
9:20 - Stress
Useful Links:
Adventure Documentaries, Exclusive Shows & Live Racing on GCN+: gcn.eu/plus
Download the GCN App for free: gcn.eu/app
Visit the GCN Shop: gcn.eu/earlyxmas
Join the GCN Club: www.gcnclub.com/
What have been your experiences with chronic fatigue and over-training? Let us know in the comments below👇
Watch more on GCN...
📹 Ride Faster & Further Using Your Mind 👉 gcn.eu/cyclingbrain
📹 Watch our Editor’s Choice Playlist 👉 gcn.eu/editorschoice
📹 Or why not check out our Features Playlist 👉 ​​gcn.eu/gcnfeatures
🎵 Music - licensed by Epidemic Sound 🎵
Yawn Male 2 - SFX Producer
And Behold - Awlee
Dowel Swishes 7 - SFX Producer
Dowel Swishes 8 - SFX Producer
Dowel Swishes 10 - SFX Producer
Dry Erase Board - SFX Producer
Heart Beam - ELFL
Last Odyssey - ELFL
Pink Pulsar - ELFL
Stardriver - ELFL
Stellar Minds - DEX 1200
#gcn #cycling #roadbike #overtraining #cyclingtraining #cyclinglife
Photos: © Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & © Bettiniphoto / www.bettiniphoto.net/
The Global Cycling Network (GCN) is the largest online cycling channel in the world, bringing together a global community of road cyclists to celebrate everything that’s great about the world of cycling.
Our videos bring fans compelling daily content including expert tutorials, techniques, training, racing, cutting-edge bike tech, unparalleled behind the scenes event coverage, humour, entertainment, and more.
Presented by ex-pro riders, GCN offers a uniquely qualified insight into the world of cycling, and most importantly it’s fuelled by our passionate and enthusiastic fans - everyone who makes up the GCN community. We also bring the latest and greatest tech to your attention, showcase the best places in the world to ride and get exclusive access to events and races.
Welcome to the Global Cycling Network | Inside Cycling
Thanks to our sponsors:
Castelli Clothing: gcn.eu/Castelli
Giro Helmets: gcn.eu/Giro
Pinarello Bikes: gcn.eu/Pinarello
Zipp Wheels: gcn.eu/Zipp
Topeak Tools: gcn.eu/Topeak
Canyon Bikes: gcn.eu/-Canyon
Pirelli Tyres: gcn.eu/Pirelli
Orbea Bikes: gcn.eu/Orbea
Vision Wheels: gcn.eu/Vision
Wahoo Fitness: gcn.eu/Wahoo-Fitness
Park Tool: gcn.eu/-parktool
Elite Bottles: gcn.eu/EliteBottles
Whoop Fitness: gcn.eu/Whoop
Komoot: gcn.eu/komoot
Selle Italia: gcn.eu/SelleItalia
SIS: gcn.eu/ScienceInSport
Zwift: gcn.eu/Zwift
Shimano Wheels: gcn.eu/Shimano
Shadow Stand: gcn.eu/ShadowStand
DMT Shoes: gcn.eu/DMT
Muc-Off: gcn.eu/MucOff
Watch our sister channels:
GCN Tech - / gcntech
GCN Racing - / gcnracing
Global Triathlon Network - / gtn
GCN Italia - / gcnitalia
GCN en Español - / gcnenespanol
GCN auf Deutsch - / gcnaufdeutsch
GCN en Français - / gcnenfrancais
GCN Japan - / gcnjapan
GCN Training - / gcntraining
Global Mountain Bike Network - / gmbn
GMBN Tech - / gmbntech
Electric Mountain Bike Network - / embn

[@gcn]

What have been your experiences with chronic fatigue and over-training? Let us know in the comments below👇

[@mikeainsworth4504]

I have been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. When it first started kicking in I didn’t know what it was. As it affected my mood at first I thought it was a mental health issue. That’s ok, I thought, exercise is good for mental health so I started smashing it on the bike. Then instead of just being mentally exhausted I was also physically exhausted- getting dropped on Club rides etc. I also lost a stack of weight rapidly (from 71kg to 55kg) That was a big wake up call for me. I started tracking my HRV and periodised training plans. This bought some balance back to my training and enables me to carry on riding even though I don’t have the energy for general life. This confused my but the specialist wasn’t surprised. Managing my cycling energy is relatively easy with things like power meters and HRMs. ‘All’ I have to do now is bring that discipline to pacing other activities. The good news is that my general fitness should see a quicker recovery that the general population. But my specialist estimates 2-3 years rather than 2. Too long to save my job. Good point on sleep. I was ensuring that I averaged over 8 hours a night but my rehab team identified that my Garmin was recoding very low amounts of deep sleep - when the body repairs itself. The rehab is focused on the activation of the Autonomic Nervous System’s para-sympathetic response (the rest and digest response) through the use of breathing exercises, meditation, and relaxing yoga. It’s still early days but there are promising signs of recovery - that was until I finally succumbed to Covid this week 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@wd678]

Too much nookie has effected my training in the past but thankfully after being married 9 years, it is no longer an issue.

[@homerdummy5639]

@@wd678 The truth hurts.

[@fergusdenoon1255]

@@mikeainsworth4504 your symptoms sound exactly like mine were a few months ago with the addition of peeing a lot, turns out I had type 1 diabetes.

[@drivemenuts3011]

'Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker' is a phenomenal book with lots of detailed research and experiments on sleep. If you lose two hours of sleep, you have the same inflammation and probability of Cancer as a Chain Smoker. During the winter, I have mild inflammation in my lungs due to Asthma. This makes my FTP 30% less in winter, and I feel tired more often because the immune system is fighting the perpetual asthma inflammation. GCN has done special vids on the heart (Cardio) and muscles (Power). Perhaps they could do a special vid on the lungs (Oxygen Intake), and include asthma.

[@chicagoan]

The most common cause is kids... I haven't been rested in 5 years. You just learn to ride tired because you just learn to do everything tired.

[@gcn]

Hahaha very true Brian 😴 Do you still find tome for the bike?

[@FRamirez1A]

Lol, I'm in the same boat.

[@galenkehler]

When my daughter was younger, I had an adrenal tumor (Pheochromocytoma) that raised my adrenaline, I basically never got tired. Not a solution for everyone but it worked for me!

[@danielechesta4753]

Exactly 5y in this too

[@whatwelearned]

I don't have any children but my neighbours' children ruin my sleep anyway so I can confirm kids are always the cause

[@rangersmith4652]

Feeling tired may be far more commonly a mental challenge than a physical one. When I finish a ride and review Garmin Connect, and it tells me the ride was "Unproductive," I can be tempted to feel discouraged and "tired," but I know that ride was in fact productive in the sense that it burned fat, got my heart rate into Zone 2 for more than 30 minutes, etc. Bottom line: Over-focus on fitness/training data can make us feel discouraged, which we misinterpret as feeling tired.

[@gcn]

Great point! Lots of Cycling is about the mental barriers 👀

[@MrJohanGuzman]

In case it might help you, you can turn the Training Status feature off.

[@edwardjednacz1641]

I just ignore Garmin analysis

[@112chapters3]

100% mind is key, I’ve done extreme mental challenges, many of those hills where filmed I’ve ran, done the fan dance many times on no sleep/ incapacitated. Ran marathons on a whim, funny ending. Story for another day

[@fepatton]

I HATE that message! Unproductive indeed… 😂

[@chrisridesbicycles]

I really like the „serious topics“ videos with Si. What really helps me to recover is a „wind down hour“ before going to bed. I don‘t look into a screen any more and I do stuff like tidying up, washing my water bottles or so. Getting the head clear and a little sense of accomplishment really increases my sleep quality.

[@LordHar]

The thing that really gets me is seasonal change. During the spring and summer I'm unstoppable but as soon as the fall starts it seems like I'm running on a lower gear.

[@wyleecoyotee4252]

Same

[@tazzzaaah]

That is really S.A.D.

[@jamesofallthings3684]

i'm the exact opposite. I absolutely hate the heat and sun. People who like sunny days make no sense to me.

[@DB-sj8km]

Start taking vitamin D when the temps drop. Seriously. Makes a huge difference in energy levels and health through fall and winter.

[@chrismartin3949]

My cause of fatigue is staying up late watching addictive GCN videos on You Tube. Seriously this is an excellent video, Simon talks a lot sense. This video has given a bit of wake up call. All that he has said I know, but it has needed for someone to tell me remind me what I am doing wrong. Honestly recommend this video to you friends.

[@mattm9689]

This one hit close to home. I ride to deal with anxiety and depression and it’s got to the point if I’m not riding I fall into depressive episodes but now I’m starting to feel tired and hungry all the time because I can’t rest. I typically ride 350-400km a week but recently struggle to get the power out.

[@fredbattison4506]

yeah I feel that - almost becomes a tool and crutch, removes from everything else, but I can see why you're struggling to put power down at 400km a week!

[@ripkurbytube]

Now I am gonna say that you already know. To be able to continue you really need some kind of rest. Can you ride slower? Or another easier route? And eat something with more energy? Keep fighting :-) .

[@dan44zzt231]

That's incredible, I don't know how you do it. When I'm going through anxiety episodes I feel completely and utterly exhausted. So tired I'm barely able to concentrate enough to cycle so I just go for walks instead 😭

[@stujm8376]

That’s a lot of k’s… maybe you should try a different style of riding. I love mtb and road riding, I find mixing them up a bit helps.

[@davemoore843]

As someone else said, You need to make some of your rides ridiculously slow. You are then, Riding, Enjoying the scenery, out in fresh air, slowing your mental head down, recovering, fat adapting etc. Now, this is hard to do. I sometimes go out for a slow ride and end up pushing without even realising. Avoid the trap of thinking that riding really slowly is not doing you any good. It is.

[@Tex735]

I was one of those "go hard or it doesn't count" guys for a loooong time. Hit a plateau, bought a training plan from a real coach and now I have more energy that I can remember! Hard sessions are now much harder and the easy zone 2 sessions are longer and more often. Weird, but ride slow to go faster is a real thing. Who wudda thunk it. LOL!!! Love the videos and the real advice!!

[@gcn]

Thanks for the comment! Glad you've found your rhythm, keep it up 🙌

[@Salvatore7921]

If you don’t mind me asking. What was the training plan you bought? I’ve been cycling for a couple of years, only doing around 100k per week at the moment and could do with a structured training plan. Many thanks.

[@draugmithrin]

A guy in our club rides 7 days a week big mileage. He rides fast but seldom above zone 2.

[@katiel7166]

Regarding too much caloric restriction: if you're female and you're training/calorie restricting so hard that your menstrual cycle changes - *especially* stops - you're in the danger zone. It used to be thought that being so lean you don't get a period was a sign of peak condition but we know now that it's just setting you up for trouble.

[@dylanhunt5368]

I think we can feel it in the body when to train hard and when not to. When feeling strong and going harder is not bothering me, I know I'm good to go. When feeling weaker I should probably just take it easier and recover more.

[@gcn]

Recovery is the key! 🗝

[@axelbeckmann8605]

Recovery is King - very True. Bit frustating though, the older you get (62 now), the longer you need to recover.

[@Maxxeleven]

Superbly insightful Si, it’s one of those things that we don’t want to acknowledge but we know all too well it’s happening. I’ve just started doing regular low intensity zone 2 heart rate training and I’m not only improving but I’m not killing myself riding for and hour at threshold and then feeling like shit!

[@DenCoDave]

One of the better episodes GCN has done! You dove right in to a lot of deep and possibly unpleasant subjects and were brutally honest about what's going on. For valid support of your bike riding audience, this is a blessing. The outline and description was very concise and to the point. And what can be done to face these items and address them was wonderful. Congrats to you Si- great presentation. Wonderfully done. And a big ack to the producers for putting this together. This sort of production is what creates a depth of coverage of bicycling that not many, if any, other YTU channels will ever cover (and why I am here). Thanks DenCoDave

[@AndrewEbling]

Been watching GCN since the beginning. I learned a tonne from this and appreciated the reflective, thoughtful tone. Great work - keep ‘em coming!

[@josephelliott1252]

This is the best video I've seen this year, the stress part is so true 👍🏻 Brilliant brilliant work

[@geoffreyhoney122]

What a super helpful and well researched video Si (&gcn)! Thanks for outlining the pitfalls of the over training trap! This is emphasised in the book I have been reading "The Midlife Cyclist" by Phil Cavell. He points out that weekend warriors or amateurs wind up doing more "Training " than the pros! To their very dangerous detriment, just as Si has outlined with REDS. I am 64 and have to take days off or very slow commutes/shopping by bike in between my HIIT sessions. Can echo Si about stress. I was running compulsively for stress relief and selfmedicating with alcohol to cope with a super high stress job. Wrecked my sleep patterns and just dug my hole deeper. Glad I now ride bike moderately for stress relief and get good long sleep and don't miss alcohol. Spacing out intense sessions is essential. Time for RECOVERY is the corner stone! Absolutely spot on content! So relevant! (Zone 2 isn ot a waste of time, as the other videos have illustrated)

[@MarlonJosephdelaCruz]

This video is kind of a stress reliever on it's own. Thanks Si and GCN!

[@47Seagull]

I think this is one of the best videos you guys have made. Chapeau!

[@oOoACFREEMANoOo]

Finally another quality Si video and his favorite sweater... This video really checked off everything on my list of reasons for when I should cycle and for when I shouldn't. This will go on my play list inorder to listen to it regularly. All hail 🤴 Si.

[@lazybuilder]

I’m about day eight after first lot of Covid, it seems to suck every bit of energy from your body. It seems like gradually getting back life and not overdoing it is the best way forward.

[@florianbusch3082]

Video quality in terms of crispness and grading is on a whole new level - looking so nice! Probs to whoever does the camera and editing work :)

[@JeffersonIBD]

Thanks for this Si, all really great advice. I've been looking into this a lot since being diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease, fatigue is a big part of the condition for me so have been doing a lot of what Si talks about to help manage it. I mix in plenty of easy rides/runs into my training and take 2 proper rest days each week now. Plus keeping an eye on my stress levels and taking time out of my day to do some quick mindfulness exercises to help keep it in check. It all helps.

[@scottmandel20]

Great segment Si! Very informative and enjoyable. As an avid recreational cyclist who usually tries to ride 2+ hours a day 7 days a week (not training for any races or anything specific) I have noticed a few of the things you touched on. I find that I have a higher average speed after a night of carbo loading (usually pizza and "mineral water") than if I am trying to be careful and not eat as much. My legs usually tell me very quickly on the first climb whether I can go hard that day or not. I also found that "weight loss legs" are real - I'm 5'10" and when I was losing weight intentionally and down around 147 lbs at my lowest, I was struggling to keep at 17-18 mph for my usual rides, but now that I've eaten myself back up to around 170 lbs I can routinely knock out 20+ mph rides (even break 21 mph on a good day after taking a day off). It certainly opened my eyes to the concepts of fueling and energy deficits. It seems like my body is at equilibrium at that weight, so I am not killing myself to lose the extra 10-15 pounds. I ride hard just so I can get a good workout and not worry too much about HOW MUCH I eat - still have to worry about WHAT I eat though and try to be healthy in that regard. I do notice that extra weight on climbs though. :( The stress part takes care of itself. Usually getting on the bike is stress relief for me - physically tired but mentally energized.

[@HansVerburg]

Regularity in my sleep cycle + quit eating processed, ready-made foods and sauces has helped me immense in getting rid of this general fatigue feeling.

[@lauritshjulskov3301]

I love you GCN! I am during the recovery of the mental aspects of RED-S. This video is actually helping a lot! Thanks! :) All your videos are amazing! 🚴🏼

[@jeansebastienroy5456]

Excellent vid! Si nailed it perfectly: you need enough recovery to progress and as you age sleep becomes more and more sparse and of lesser quality, hence more good recovery time needed…

[@dutt9160]

Thank you so much for this eye-opening explanation!

[@Galaxy2191]

Thank you great video! Learning about the impacts of stress and how cycling may go from the helpful category to stress category depending on the approach and intensity.

[@ladislavpecsuk4225]

Best graph ever presented Si! Awsome work team!

[@jameswillett118]

Great vid Si! Felt like you where speaking directly to me 👌

[@IndigoBikeTouring]

Good video. Its a complicated subject and this is probably the best explanation ive seen

[@williampringle1790]

Thanks Simon, I always appreciate and trust your thoughtful, scientific input. 👍

[@SamuelBlackMetalRider]

Just finished a 30 hour/ 933km week of cycling. I’m tired but SO happy & satisfied 🤭

[@codypate9045]

Si! Awesome job writing backwards and great video. Having kids definitely doesn’t help with sleep but really makes you appreciate the nights you get get a good nights rest.

[@Pomi3001]

Thanks, great video! Started off a bit yawny, then developed into a load of useful advice 👍

[@davewattimena3491]

Valuable info, thanks.

[@peterleffler2062]

Great informative video which should be useful to a lot of people. Nice one Si.👍

[@seankillip6903]

Great video and very informative!!! Thank you for posting this!!!!!!

[@dougplunkett1]

Great video Si. We should have access to more about this subject. Top Dog.

[@CaraLS321]

Great video - it’s really helped me and make sense of a few things. I defiantly need to review my training regime

[@grahambell9831]

A superb informative video. Arguably one of the best of 2022. Athletes should take the time to watch and heed this sensible, pragmatic advice. My guiding principle after 30 years of amateur sport, training & competition is rest & recovery is as important as training. Proper rest, will yield long term improvement. It really is a marathon, never a sprint. Thanks GCN for highlighting 👏

[@mattyfrommacc1554]

Declaring war on STRESS! Thanks for this informative and useful to me right now video

[@philadams9254]

One of your best videos so far. Completely agree.

[@kayakrhodes]

Needed these reminders. Thanks team.

[@samanthawalker6677]

Thanks for mentioning RED-S. I had it for years but never knew and recovery from it takes ages 😖

[@jamie_kw]

These are the videos we love! Thanks GCN!

[@marklapointe48]

Awesome video! Some really great facts and things to keep in mind here

[@MrTegner]

Tanks for the info, nice to hear a bit about food and that it’s way more important to eat it than to count the calories. I hear it so often and my way has always been to eat what I want and when I want and of course if I’m on a bike ride a fuel up with cake or banana and if I’m lucky even a proper lunch. The most common reason why I sometimes feel tired is lack of sleep and I try to listen to my body and take an extra rest day if needed. It’s no shame in that to know your own body and the limits of it so you don’t get hurt. Love the show keep it up ❤ Tanks Nicklas

[@davidthomas9079]

As someone has gone out smashing it all the time, over the past 10 months i`ve seen the benefits of a structured training plan and getting quality sleep. Back in January i got a structured training plan to get myself ready for the Fred Whitton Challenge in May with most of my training been in zone. After 2 month of training i was feeling like i was going hard enough but i was told to bear with it as it was building a good foundation. I also tried to make sure that i got 7.5-8hrs sleep every night. Come May, i completed the Fred Whitton Challenge in 8hrs 34mins and i have just returned from Majorca after smashing shed loads of PB`s...took 1min 15sec of my previous best on Sa Calobra. (Bumped into Hank, Manon and the rest of the GCN presenter in Port da Pollenca) All this after returning from a brain operation to remove tumour two year`s ago. Great video Si.

[@lorrainebigelow928]

Amazing workout. Thank you so much 🫠

[@lmao7439]

I was having problems with my studies due to this tiredness , thanks gcn for this !!

[@gcn]

No worries! Hope we could help 🙌

[@rewrose2838]

Thank you for the explanation with the graphs man, I always knew resting is important but that makes things much more clear!

[@gcn]

No worries, Always good to visualise 🙌

[@enternamehere2408]

This was a great, informative video! I just finished riding my bike earlier, and was exhausted almost the entire time, and now I know that it could have (potentially) been from constantly cycling every day (which, at first, I thought was better than on-and-off cycling), using screens late at night (especially right before sleeping), and not going on many leisure rides (so every ride was super fast, and this super intense). I’m definitely going to take notes on this!

[@mikel10yd]

Thanks for the insightful video. This was pretty much me for most of the last 11 years of my road riding until backed off the miles. I was under performing on the TTs and hill climbs competitions (even though there's nothing of me) and I was struggling to sleep and was exhausted at work. After some forced time off the bike, I asked myself "Am I building fitness or fatigue?" and the answer was most certainly fatigue. To build my fitness back up I switched to the slower (12 to 15 mph avg) club rides and only rode hard when I was on my travelling to and from the club ride meeting points (mostly when I was late) and I saw an improvement in my fitness and overall wellbeing. I was also able to do faster and longer rides now and then, which surprised those I knew who were doing the big miles all the time, as they didn't think I'd trained enough to do them.

[@Cyclonut96]

great contents and scene cutting/cinematography!

[@brannmacfinnchad9056]

You know, I expected this to be a bit of a throwaway video, with just basic things. But I learned a lot more, and it was way better explained than I thought. Bravo. I'll be sharing this one to my mates. I will say that having a decent Garmin has helped sooo much. Even if it means I have to cut out the beer and crisps right before bed after work--switched to gong fu tea, and resting HR dropped by almost 10bpm within a few days.

[@trevejenkyn9888]

This was very interesting, well done it probably deserved a better title, as it was much better, thank you

[@gerbryf]

An excellent video, thank you!

[@whatwelearned]

Off-topic but really enjoying the variety and quality of to-camera locations in this one

[@patrikhalen460]

This one was really really good! More like this!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@cothtan4069]

Very informative video. I fall into category when you go hard or it doesn’t count. Only recently I realized that easy rides are as important as hard ones. I think the most important point is to listen to your body and be honest to yourself.

[@cubatea]

Excellent video. Thanks. I discovered that I feel tired when dehydrated so now have a habit of a large glass of water after work every day and it just boosts me for a couple of hours. Simple and no downside.

[@christianwalter1199]

Thanks Si. From personal experience I definitely felt the difference from being a slave to your Strava badges to shifting more time to recovery (longer stretches, massages) better food and quality family time. Now sleep is better and the overall energy level is higher. Although we are love cycling, taking a step back is sometimes really helpful.

[@gcn]

We've often found a little step back will also get you excited to ride... you can have too much of a good thing 👀

[@ethangodridge6833]

Thanks Si. I have previously experienced LEA previously and it was torrid. Thankfully all behind me now and for me good sleep and nutrition helps. I get 8-9 hour of sleep per night and I now fuel my training sufficiently.

[@gcn]

Glad you're recovered 🙌 Keep up the good work!

[@MrGarycoww]

Fantastic video Si!

[@NorwaySuperDuper]

This was a very good video! So important subject

[@jasonree]

Excellent video, all of the above especially work/family/training being a single thing. Hydration when not training I would also so is a big one and not drinking enough water with meals.

[@gcn]

Good shout Jason! 🙌

[@martintregenza8686]

Sometimes a video comes along and changes the way you think....for me, this is that video. Excellent explanation.

[@gcn]

Glad it was helpful! Has it changed the way you approach your riding 👀

[@go4food19]

Lmao Si, “if you’re into aero you’re probably not getting any” what a shot across the bow! 😂 Ollie will bring some burns in another video. My man cannot be disrespected like that lol

[@Sir-Prizse]

I was a active cyclist for 8 years until I got my Corona vaccination.... Since then, things haven't been going so well for me. I took a complete break for 9 months (thanks to the driving license I finally got, to stop commuting by bike) and now it takes me a week to recover from 2 hours of normal zone 2 cycling. So I can still cycle and I also have power (not so much endurance), but after that I'm done for days. For me 40 km is as exhausting now as 70 km was back then.

[@robwetherell]

Great content guys! 👍

[@spingirl4855]

Great reminders Si!

[@NatsWright]

Recovering from serious covid pneumonia, that had me on bedrest for 3 months, I can tell you it can take a long time to get exercise on track. Even 13 months on from illness, Exercising 2-3 times a week can leave me tired for a few days after. This week, i've cycled just 12 miles, over 2 days, and this tired me out for the following 2 days. However I am finally getting fitter. 3 months of cycling, then a month of walking finally has me climbing stairs without getting out of breath. However I can still get tired easily, even a 30 minute shopping trip is exercise for me!

[@doncameelo]

I need to hear this, thanks! 😴

[@tinatpasselepoivre]

I was always tired and unproductive, including on a bike. Took the test and was after years and years diagnosed with sleep apnea and recieved my air box. Words cannot describe how it feels to finally be without a permanent veil in your head and body and to be actually tired because of effort. I can now reliably do 1 or 2 (chill 20a-kph) 70km rides on the week end, with 2x25min commute every work day (that I also do rather chill with a few short duration exercices sprinkled in)

[@claudialuna9216]

Thank you gcn for discussing this! I do notice that when I’m exhausted, it usually means i need sleep and rest. Cycling has truly been a game changer for me as well as trying to eat healthier, thank you for all your advice! I appreciate it!

[@gcn]

No worries Claudia! Glad we could help, will you be making and life changes after this video? 👀

[@aymtb]

I find Strava with the fatigue and fitness graph overlays good feedback depending on how you are subjectively feeling. Additional days off and cat naps also help when warranted. Much better to find balance than go down the overtrain/sickness route which could take months to recover.

[@mariuscpeter]

At almost 42, with a day job that involves bit of travel, kids, wife, friends, I can say that what puts more fatigue on me is that constant fight for my time to be on the bike. I don't want to miss anything, job, family, social life and cycling therefore stress sometimes is at its finest in me. Some days I can manage everything very well, but I wish I could do more. Oh, life!

[@Flint_Westwood]

A great video! I'm tired most of the time due to having a young family and working full time. I find it hard to fit any cycling in at all when the kids are around so train late at night on Zwift a couple of times a week. By the time the bike is set up (I don't have a permanent spot to train indoors) and I'm ready to go, it's usually 10:30pm (or later). I'll do an hour or so, usually in zone 4 then call it a night. I've been getting by on 5 hours sleep a night for quite a few years.

[@nemeanf27]

Lockdown during 2020 gave me so much spare time to ride and run aswell as I felt on top form too just encouraged me to keep at it. Higher AVG speeds, taking KOM's, running further and faster every month, it was all going so well until in OCT 2020 my body could no longer cope with the demand I was putting it through and ended quickly with months of Exercise enduced Fatigue where I felt exhausted after just 10 min into a ride or run.

[@chris1275cc]

One thing I've always found helps me with mental tiredness is making sure I have some time between finishing a ride (including all things you have to do after a ride), and moving on to the next thing I need to do, 15 mins is enough, half an hour is better, just doing nothing or even something you just don't HAVE to do if you don't want to (I usually throw the ball for my dog on the backyard).

[@nadeem9485]

Very interesting - as someone with an office job, I get tired more during winter possibly due to lack of vitamin D. I found this video extremely helpful - thanks Si👍

[@Erhan_H]

Informative video. Good to keep an eye on the resting heart rate & heart rate response during training. By the way, Si repeats the same/similar script at 6:16 and then 6:27. First attempt is more convincing :) Second attempt is too relaxed.

[@jasongirvan6729]

It’s funny how this episode came up today. I commute to work daily averaging 200km/week plus weekend rides on top. I normally handle this easily but today I literally took the bike to the bus station and took the bike into work and planned on riding home, we’ll at the end of the day that changed to I took the bike on another bus ride now to home. I was wondering why I was so tired and I believe now after watching this episode that it’s my added stress of my landlord selling my home out from under me and forcing me to locate my life. Thanks guys this really helped to put some perspective into why I felt like crap.

[@sventice]

Very useful video. It's kind of amazing how many of us are able to take what should be a therapeutic activity like cycling and turn it into yet another cause of fatigue, stress, inflammation, and illness. Not me, of course; I used to do that with running, and I'm careful not to repeat the mistake with cycling. Now I wear myself down in the normal way: by working 70 hours a week and eating poorly.

[@ChromeStrand]

This is exactly what i needed, after long inactivity days and I decided to ride more, I force myself the same intensity as I was in good shape and I thought I was getting stronger, ..then all kind of sickness hold me back after. 3months of series of sick days wasn't fun, I'm not young anymore I guess.

[@gcn]

Take it easy, you'll get back there 🙌

[@Akdreamy]

Been there. Done that. Cortisol was really high due to high stress and I added training on top. Now I listen to my body a lot more. When I'm stressed I don't train or just go for a walk instead.

[@thecrittersitter1]

Thank you for a common sense explanation specifically tailored to cycling, and great sense of humor too. Personally I think all the ride apps foster way too much comparison with other riders. Remember why we started riding? It's fun!

[@mcradical6283]

Great video Si 👍

[@ajc_7]

Really good video, very informative, love these science videos, really enjoyed the zone 2 training vid previously! (I actually yawned after the first 12 seconds 😅!)

[@gcn]

Glad you enjoyed it! Have you been struggling with tiredness?

[@ajc_7]

@@gcn It's hard to balance education with cycling, so a lot of the time both aspects combine with each other to bring about tiredness, even when my hours of training per week is only 5 hours or less. However I find if I take at least 2 days off the bike, it can mean the training I do in the few days afterwards is far more efficient and enjoyable! Recovery and rest is definitely important and needs to be balanced with workouts!

[@thierrywerderits5622]

Great video, trying to balance training work and my mature age

[@coffeeman9843]

Great vid Si!

[@seattlegrrlie]

I ride my bike because it makes me happy. It reduces stress, helps me sleep, takes me new places in nature, and puts a grin on my face. Life gets in the way of training and the real limiting factor is time.

[@gcn]

Great that you enjoy riding so much 🙌 Training can be really hard to fit in 😵‍💫

[@drouleau]

Lately, I've been adopting a more polarized training approach. I'm currently rebuilding my base fitness, so that means pretty much exclusively zone 2, and at this point I'll do one interval session a week. For years I've generally done a 3 week cycle, then a 5 day rest block (1 day off, 3 easy/recovery rides, 1 day off), which seems to work for me. But I've been finding with the polarized approach and sticking to zone 2 (going more off my heart rate while monitoring my power, whereas with the intervals I go off of power and monitor my heart rate), my fitness is improving and not accumulating a ton of fatigue at this point.

[@kamerad4212]

I have become very impressed with the cutting-edge health and nutrition presentations on GCN. I study in this area quite a bit, and the information presented on GCN agrees with what I find from the "best" nutrition research. I appreciate the subdued knock on keto. I find no way possible for keto to be compatible with strong cycling. If there is someone who can train whilst staying on a keto diet, they truly must have DNA from extra terrestrials. Lucky folks!

[@QoraxAudio]

All the stress from obsessing over food can be a big source of all sorts of issues, including tiredness. Just eat enough but not too much, make sure you get a wide variety of nutrients... that's all.

[@davidowen6639]

You are such a good presenter Simon.

[@riverhunterquebec]

Great video Si

[@mayureshaiya1682]

Driving daily 150km for last two years.and training with the bike or do running 12to 15kms for 2hours(always hilly) after driving near to zone 3 to zone 5 with poor nutrition and repeat this almost everyday add to this poor sleep. Performance levels got ruined to unimaginable levels. Thank you for an eye opener GCN dear 🤝🙏

[@jtmuso]

A fantastic and very honest video. Approaching a subject like this head on is important and greatly appreciated. For me it’s balancing two kids, family life and time on the bike, in addition to nutrition and trying to pay attention to my body signals. Not an easy balance! I generally feel good but there have been times when it feels like I have jet lag, and that’s recently as much as when the kids were new born.

[@jtmuso]

Additionally, remembering to breath when the stress gets high I find greatly helps. It’s an overlooked skill as silly as that seems to write down