# 5 miles to warm up



## kedab (6 Aug 2012)

evening CC'ers 
just been out for a quick 12 miles, ( i say quick, took about 45 minutes i think) and now i'm back on the bike after an 8 month hiatus (no injuries, just got lazy over the winter), i'm still wondering if it takes anyone else 5 miles or so before they feel properly warmed up? i seem to suffer in the first mile or two with a bit of lactic acid build up...even when i take it really easy. after 5 miles or so though, i feel ready to go. just the way i'm built or something i'm missing/getting wrong?


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## derrick (6 Aug 2012)

Yea thats about right for me, always take it easy for about 5 miles after that i start to feel good.


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## Sittingduck (6 Aug 2012)

A few minutes to warm up or even 5 miles sound about right. Not sure about lactic acid building up, if you're taking it easy though. Are you spinning an easy-ish gear during that period and what speed and terrain are you riding? Wouldn't have thought that should happen tbh.


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## Mr Haematocrit (6 Aug 2012)

When you undertake any excercise or do activity such as cycle you breathe quickly to transfer oxygen to your working muscles. This is called areobic and is the prefered manner in which to produce energy. When there is a requirement for energy at a rate faster than the areobic system can provide, the additional energy is obtained from glucoze through a series of steps this is called anerobic. Lactate is a by product of this process and is dependent upon a lack of oxygen as such unless your warm up consists of sprinting flat out you will not be suffering from lactic acid build up of any kind.


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## tyred (7 Aug 2012)

Definitely always need a few miles to get going properly. 

I will never push myself hard until I have done about 10 miles.


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## Nearly there (7 Aug 2012)

Takes a few miles for me to warm up too


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## Col5632 (7 Aug 2012)

A good 5 miles or so for me to warm up also, first 5 miles do feel pretty tuff


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## kedab (7 Aug 2012)

Sittingduck said:


> Are you spinning an easy-ish gear during that period and what speed and terrain are you riding? Wouldn't have thought that should happen tbh.


 it's the first couple of miles on the way out of town so i'm spinning a pretty easy gear. the roads are horrible until i'm out on to the outskirts and the bypass. maybe it's more to do with me not riding completely 'loose' as i'm using my legs as shock absorbers as much as turning the pedals?


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## kedab (7 Aug 2012)

V for Vengedetta said:


> . Lactate is a by product of this process and is dependent upon a lack of oxygen as such unless your warm up consists of sprinting flat out you will not be suffering from lactic acid build up of any kind.


that makes sense


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## Sittingduck (7 Aug 2012)

So are you not sitting in the saddle but 'un-weightng' yourself and taking a fair proportion of your weight through your legs? This may help to explain the sore legs.


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## kedab (7 Aug 2012)

as always, thanks for the confirmation/advice CC'ers. it's always reassuring


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## smokeysmoo (7 Aug 2012)

I always feel that I need to ride into my ride if that makes sense.

If I set out too quick I tend to not ride as far, whereas if I take my time and ride into the ride I feel better and generally ride further.


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## kedab (7 Aug 2012)

Sittingduck said:


> So are you not sitting in the saddle but 'un-weightng' yourself and taking a fair proportion of your weight through your legs? This may help to explain the sore legs.


 yeh, i stay in the saddle as much as possible but to keep myself from crashing through the ruts with my entire weight on the bike, i'll stand and let my legs take much of the shock/vibration, they've patched a few areas on the road but it's pretty crap for the entire 2 miles...making more sense now


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## Ian H (7 Aug 2012)

At least five miles for me, probably a combination of age and a diet of long-distance cycling. Once the muscles are warmed up I'm fine.
A meal immediately before your ride will also have an effect.


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## SatNavSaysStraightOn (13 Aug 2012)

5 miles or so when I was commuting. 
Up to an hour when I was touring.


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## Davidc (13 Aug 2012)

I used to try to cut the warm up short, but after heart problems a few years ago I now need about 15 minutes to get going. Granny gear for 2 or 3 minutes, spinning fast for the next 5, gently does it but progressively harder for the next 10 and then I'm OK.

I never used to bother with stopping gently either but now find that easing down for the last 5 to 10 minutes leaves me feeling better after a ride too.

Some of it in my case is just getting older. Muscles demand more TLC than they used to and take longer to mend if damaged than in the past. Warming up & down does help avoid strains.


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## fenlandpsychocyclist (13 Aug 2012)

Straight on and pedalling at 75-80rpm/14-16mph. 
My legs start aching after 3 or so miles depending on temperature and the bike i'm on, and sometimes i'll increase effort to push through the pain barrier quicker.
Usually i'm "warmed up" before 5 miles.

I have in the past overdone the effort before i should have and invoked knee-ache over the rest of a ride, but generally i'm ok thrashing a bit while the choke is still out.


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## Becs (13 Aug 2012)

V for Vengedetta said:


> When you undertake any excercise or do activity such as cycle you breathe quickly to transfer oxygen to your working muscles. This is called areobic and is the prefered manner in which to produce energy. When there is a requirement for energy at a rate faster than the areobic system can provide, the additional energy is obtained from glucoze through a series of steps this is called anerobic. Lactate is a by product of this process and is dependent upon a lack of oxygen as such unless your warm up consists of sprinting flat out you will not be suffering from lactic acid build up of any kind.


 
Not quite. Each time you start exercise there will be a small amount of lactic acid to deal with as there is a lag period before aerobic metabolism catches up to the increased demands of the exercise. This also goes for changes in intensity - aerobic metabolism is slower to adapt than anaerobic metabolism (or "glycolysis") and any transient deficits in energy supply will be made up by anaerobic breakdown of muscle glycogen to glucose. During your warm up the threshold at which these deficits occur will be lower so even relatively small increases in intensity will lead to lactate build up - depending to a certain extent on fitness levels. The body can quite happily burn glycogen aerobically for 20 to 30 minutes but for sustained activity it will preferentially burn fat which is more efficient, but even slower to get going and requiring even more oxygen. All these processes occur simultaneously to different levels, therefore it takes a while to settle into a comfortable balance . . . .. . . which is why it takes me a good 10 miles to warm up .


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## fenlandpsychocyclist (14 Aug 2012)

Becs said:


> Not quite. Each time you start exercise there will be a small amount of lactic acid to deal with as there is a lag period before aerobic metabolism catches up to the increased demands of the exercise.


 
It takes me longer to push through the "achey legs" phase when its 2 degrees c compared to 24 degrees c,
so i presume environment can affect the lag period?


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## Becs (14 Aug 2012)

fenlandpsychocyclist said:


> It takes me longer to push through the "achey legs" phase when its 2 degrees c compared to 24 degrees c,
> so i presume environment can affect the lag period?


Definitely. If it's cold the blood vessels closer to the skin will constrict which reduces oxygen delivery and puts a greater emphasis on anaerobic metabolism until the muscle warms up (that's why racehorses wear blankets on the gallops in winter). Also all your proteins, enzymes etc work best when they're warm.


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## MattHB (14 Aug 2012)

I turn off our drive onto a short 20% hill! so Im quite warm quick quickly!!


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## Mr Haematocrit (14 Aug 2012)

Becs said:


> Not quite. Each time you start exercise there will be a small amount of lactic acid to deal with as there is a lag period before aerobic metabolism catches up to the increased demands of the exercise. This also goes for changes in intensity - aerobic metabolism is slower to adapt than anaerobic metabolism (or "glycolysis") and any transient deficits in energy supply will be made up by anaerobic breakdown of muscle glycogen to glucose. During your warm up the threshold at which these deficits occur will be lower so even relatively small increases in intensity will lead to lactate build up - depending to a certain extent on fitness levels. The body can quite happily burn glycogen aerobically for 20 to 30 minutes but for sustained activity it will preferentially burn fat which is more efficient, but even slower to get going and requiring even more oxygen. All these processes occur simultaneously to different levels, therefore it takes a while to settle into a comfortable balance . . . .. . . which is why it takes me a good 10 miles to warm up .


 
In my defence. I did state "*When there is a requirement for energy at a rate faster than the areobic system can provide, the additional energy is obtained from glucoze*" and at no point stated that this happened at a pre-defined point in time, or did not happen at different intensity. I equally admit that I explained the effects in quite a simplistic manner, but the point I made remains true as in the situation presented by the OP there is nothing to support that during the first mile or two of a really easy warm up that you would 'suffer' from lactate acid build up, this would not happen unless the exercise undertaken was intense enough that the respiratory chain cannot keep up.
During a warm up intensity is usually at a point where the glucose is broken down and oxidized to pulvate, from which the lactate is produced at a rate which the tissues are able to remove it. If you are exceeding this enough that your tissues can not remove the excess lactate. I would suggest that you are exerting yourself, or even perhaps sprinting. As you correctly state what can be defined as exerting yourself or sprinting is debatable and dependent upon fitness levels

The OP stated "* i seem to suffer in the first mile or two with a bit of lactic acid build up...even when i take it really easy*"... just so I am fully aware of your perspective I would like to know. Do you believe or have any evidence which suggests or supports suffering from lactic acid in the first mile or two of a really easy ride?
I do not wish to dispute the existence of lactic acid as we know it exists, but the suffering from it without exerting yourself which is what I disputed, your tissues can simply process limited amounts without problem.


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## Becs (14 Aug 2012)

I was clarifying your point rather than having a go.

All muscle (and other tissues) produce low levels of lactate all the time, during any increase in intensity this amount will increase for a short period while homeostatic mechanisms increase muscle blood flow, oxygen delivery and temperature, therefore yes the OP could be feeling the effects of some lactic acid build up during the first few miles of a ride while muscle vasodilation etc occurs. "taking it easy" is a very subjective term and not evidence of anything. If you would like any more information, complete with correct spellings I could direct you to some good review papers/text books. .. . . . . .oh and it's *pyruvate*.


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## Sittingduck (14 Aug 2012)

I used to notice I felt 'better' after perhaps the first 5 miles or so, when I started 'non-commute cycling'. Longer rides at the weekend, typically very early on a Saturday morning! Now I don't bother taking it particularly easy for any given warm up period. I tend to just go out and ride. Sometimes I go straight up a fairly steep hill that's within the first quarter of a mile from my place of residence  It doesn't seem to have done me any harm, in terms of injury - although I'm probably tempting fate by typing this!


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## Mr Haematocrit (15 Aug 2012)

I think this is where we differ in our opinions, although "taking it easy" is a very subjective term and not evidence of anything it was the description given by the OP. This term however subjective is generally taken to mean, relaxed, lacking effort, not exerting yourself. It is this which makes me believe that the OP would not be suffering (which is an equally subjective term) the effects of lactate build up, The reason I believe this is that the tissues would have the ability to process the quantity's produced. For me the context of suffering is important as it clearly defines, that not only is someone aware of the effects but getting discomfort from it and it was this which prompted my statement.
I would equally be very pleased to be provided with any information which helps me improve in any aspect of my life, such as critical analysis of my grammar, spelling, as these are unfortunately poor due for various reasons. I am equally very interested in a technical understanding of my body as such if you have any good review papers/text books please do provide the links. I'm sure im not the only one who enjoys learning.


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## Thomk (15 Aug 2012)

It takes me a few miles to warm up also. It takes me 10 - 15 miles to reach "optimum" pedal power zoom blast though


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