# Cycle to work



## Stuart Bailey (Jul 5, 2019)

Hi I'm a T2 diabetic who has recently started cycling to work. My journey is approx 15 miles each way and I am finding that I am getting headaches and suffering from muscle tiredness.
My morning commute is done whilst fasting and my evening 4hrs after eating.
Does anyone have any tips to help reduce the tiredness? 
Thanks in advance.


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## Matt Cycle (Jul 5, 2019)

Hello Stuart and welcome to the forum.  Do you take any medication for your diabetes?  Muscle tiredness and headaches could be a number of things.  It may simply be to do with hydration.  30 miles a day is a good distance.  Are you taking plenty of fluids?  High 5 zero tablets in a bottle of water will replace any electrolytes lost that can cause headaches and muscle tiredness.  I find protein shakes are also useful after rides to help with muscles but you may need to be careful with carb content of these.  Those I use are only around 10g carbs.


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## TrevA (Jul 18, 2019)

Headaches could be dehydration. You could take a water bottle on your rides and have regular drinks to keep you hydrated, also drink water before and after your ride. I would have a snack about an hour before cycling home - perhaps an apple, which shouldn’t spike your blood sugar too much. 

Muscle soreness could be just that you are new to that amount of riding. You will get less sore as you get fitter. 15 miles each way is quite a long commute, especially if you are doing it everyday, but your body will adapt and you will get quite fit on that sort of mileage.


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## Chris Hobson (Jul 24, 2019)

15 miles is certainly going in at the deep  end. After my diagnosis I started with really short bike rides and gradually worked up in stages to ten miles. I then started cycling to work, about 11 miles in my case. I was fine in the morning but used to run out of steam with about four miles to go on the way home. Once I got fit enough this stopped being a problem. I would always take on a moderate amount of carbs before riding and carry a water bottle with half a zero tab in it. Hope this helps.


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## MikeTurin (Aug 20, 2019)

Another thing to consider, if the bike is new or not used for long rides is the bike itself that should fit. Saddle inclination and height is important. There are guides in how set up it correctly.
And stay away from cushioned saddles, because they seems comfy but at the end arge onlt good for short distances.


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