How to distinguish between fatigue and tiredness

Fatigue and tiredness are two evils that occasionally affect every cyclist. Both concepts are similar, but in reality we can differentiate them as two distinct sensations with their own characteristics. Knowing how to identify the symptoms of each one is key to choosing the best strategy to combat them and to prevent their appearance.

Tiredness or fatigue, how to keep these two forms of suffering away while cycling

Cycling is usually practiced for leisure, for exercise, or just for fun. Fatigue and tiredness are two common problems that almost any type of cyclist has experienced at some point. So beyond what our main motivation is for pedaling, our cycling experience will improve if we are able to complete a day on the saddle without these unpleasant sensations visiting us.

Tiredness and fatigue are two concepts that are used interchangeably. In fact, the RAE defines tiredness as the result of being fatigued and fatigue directly as tiredness. However, in this article we allow ourselves the license to differentiate them.

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Firstly, we assume fatigue as the involuntary decrease in performance due to exercise beyond the body's capacity at that moment. On the other hand, tiredness is how the body reacts when the lifestyle leads it to that point, whether it's due to the overall level of physical fitness, lack of rest, poor nutrition, dehydration, or stress, among other causes.

Fatigue can lead to nausea, joint pain, or difficulty breathing, although these symptoms may actually hide a more serious problem, so it is always better to see a doctor.

Both sensations can easily be confused due to the similarity of symptoms, although the difference is that they are due to different causes.

Furthermore, there is also what is known as mental fatigue. Having an overactive mind can take a toll on our rides and worsen the cycling experience.

The sensations caused by these two cycling enemies are also different from fatigue or tiredness caused by different diseases. In those cases, fatigue is chronic and can weaken the person suffering from it even in the most everyday tasks.

In the case at hand, the lack of energy, whether due to tiredness or fatigue, worsens performance. While fatigue is usually of shorter duration and requires a few minutes to recover, tiredness can last throughout the day or even more than one.

It is important to discover what causes our tiredness in order to solve it. Sleeping less than recommended may be the culprit of that sensation. We can also find the cause in more intense or prolonged exercise than necessary.

The best weapons to combat tiredness are good habits; getting enough rest, eating well, staying hydrated, managing stress - especially if it persists over time - and achieving good physical fitness. It can also be helpful to increase recovery time after exercise, especially if the cause is overdoing the training.

As for fatigue, a proper nutrition before, during, and after training can help; something that can also be useful in fighting tiredness.

Cyclists sometimes have to deal with these two sensations. However, it is ideal to consult a doctor to study us and indicate the best way to practice cycling based on our particular case.