Sore Hamstrings

[Dickie]

Hi all, I am experiencing sore hamstrings during riding and then stiffness after.

I thought that you quads and calves were the major muscles that took strain during cycling!

Any reasons why they would get sore and anything to fix it.

 

Thanks.

[jax40]

seat adjustment maybe??

[pastapouch]

Try stretching them

[1hill@aTime]

dickie it may just be a fitness thing

 

but cervelo is right, stretching is really important

 

[PPWTF]

Movement prep and muscle activation pre ride / foam role and corrective  stretching post ride

 

'TRIPOWER' by Paul Frediani & William Smith

 

can't recommend the book highly enough

 

[Red Zone]

You could need a bit of rest / recovery. You may be training a bit hard. I would head off for a massage, that normally has a happy ending.

[Robodog]

Cycling is murder on hamstrings. Because you don't come close to full extension of the knee (running is better in that regard), you hammies will shorten. They need to be well stretched after every ride.

 

Best way is to lie on the floor on your back. Bring one leg straight up (knee locked)as far as you can. Use a belt/towel over your foot to hold your leg with both hands. Hold for 30 seconds and try to increase the stretch over that time. Hurts like ?u&% but should make a difference.

[THE BODY CENTRE]

Dickie - do you have a stiff lower back? Or even a tendency to backache during or after a ride? If yes, PM me - if no ... just ignore this question

[PPWTF]

 

 

 

 

Note - Knee is never "locked"

 

Leg is straight, knee is 'soft'. Quad and hip flexer lift the leg, allowing the Hamstring to 'relax' allowing for an increase in stretch, assisted by the rope, at the top of the unassisted / normal range of motion

 

some say hold for 3 seconds, release and repeat 10 times (prevents the protective mechanism from cutting in and stopping a 'true lengthening'),

 

Others say hold for 30seconds, that the protective reflex relaxes or decreases with training and allows for a deeper stretch.......

 

both parties agree that static stretching pre exercise reduces performance - effectively turning muscles off through 'submission holds'

 

 

 

 

 

 

PPWTF2008-10-09 08:06:17

[THE BODY CENTRE]

Ok -- it seem a lot of people have hamstring AND backache. Except Dickie

 

What I've often come across in cyclists (road and Mtb) -- is that a person complains of hamstring pain -- and then gets treated for hamstring pain ... BUT hamstring pain is only the telltale sign of something else wrong.

 

Most often the hip flexors (the muscles in your groin, attaching your pelvis to the front of your leg)  - are shortened AND they are encouraged to shorten even more, because  of the nature of the sport -- working the legs from a sitting position - hips flexed.

So - shortened hip flexors mean - you lose the ability to extend you hip fully --- you have a 'fixed' pelvis area. This results in the gluts weakening and therefore to be able to pedal strongly, you tend to compensate by using the hamstrings more AND more strain is put on the lower back. The hamstrings now have to contract over a longer distance.

 

To test whether you have shortened hip flexors:

lie on your stomach

put your one hand under your body in your groin area.

Now bend up the knee on that side to 90degrees -

now lift your knee of the ground.

IF you groin lifts from your hand -- chances are good you have shortened hip flexors AND weak gluts. You should be able to lift your knee fairly high, and your groin should be pushing DOWN into your hand.

 

So the remedy is to start by stretching your hip flexors!

[THE BODY CENTRE]

One example of a stretch: http://www.floota.com/PsoasStretch1.html

The main hipflexor is called psoas, or iliopsoas .. and google is your friend!

[niterider]

Some really good advice above.

 

Try moving your saddle forward a little, or raise your bars. That will reduce the angle at your hips and might provide some relief for your hammies.

 

[Contaminated Haggis]

More push, less pull

[Dickie]

Thanks everyone...there is plenty of advise here which I need to go through. I agree that I may need to stretch and get fitter. I am sure that the more time you spend in the saddle the more your body gets used to the position and movements. I have just moved my handle bars down a bit, which may account for the added pressure on my hammies.

Thanks again.