Why Do My Feet Hurt When I Bike?

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Earlier this week I was fortunate to carve out a 4 hour block of time for a lengthy cycling workout. Being new to the sport of triathlon, 50 miles was the longest bike ride of my life! It was a definitely lengthy, hot ride! The funny component was the only part of my body that hurt for the duration of and following the ride were my feet! Why is it that my feet hurt rather of my butt or legs? Turns out, I am not alone. Foot discomfort is much additional widespread in cyclists than most of us comprehend. Biking is substantially gentler on my body than running, but your feet do take a pounding!

Let's investigate foot pain in cyclists just a small. I experienced a burning discomfort in my forefoot following about 40 miles that did not go away until about two hours following I got off my bicycle. Why did this occur? In my case, I sized my cycling shoes too tiny for the training strategy. My shoes fit well when I began, but as soon as my feet began to get hot they swelled and literally got squished by the stiffness of the shoes. At 40 miles, the nerves in among my toes were pinched and all my toes went to sleep then began to burn like they were on fire! This is commonly referred to as metatarsalgia, traumatic neuritis or parasthesias.

Foot pain like I experienced is essentially not uncommon in cyclists. This can be caused by improper placement of clips, poorly sized shoes and specific foot deformities that call for far more support in the shoes. Luckily, most foot discomfort can be solved by bigger shoes, metatarsal padding, distinct socks or custom foot orthotics. Burning pain can be a sign of a Morton's neuroma, an early stress fracture or lumbar radiculopathy (a pinched nerve in your back), so if your burning does not go away with basic solutions, quickly seek the advise of your podiatrist or sports medicine physician.

Other foot related problems observed in cyclist are plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendonitis, which in the early stages are ordinarily solved by raising your saddle or turning it slightly askew. Sometimes, we wait too lengthy to address an injury given that we feel it will miraculously solve itself. Lengthy standing foot pain generally calls for a great deal more aggressive treatments with custom orthotics, physical therapy, injections or even surgery in severe instances.

Thankfully my foot pain entirely resolved with slightly bigger shoes, a thinner sock and a modest metatarsal pad. My upcoming long rides on the way to a half-Ironman triathlon in the fall should really be a great deal much more comfortable and discomfort free of charge!