Rage problem after Hard rides

[Donkey]

Did you perhaps go on a ride today?

Sorry, just kidding.

I find it a bit odd that you only get these feelings hours after your workout has ended. Like there is no immediate connection between the two. Is it tiredness setting in after a workout, and feeling agitated more easily because of that?

Not today. But it is a delayed onset like as if there is no immediate connection. But there is a definite connection.
I am able to control myself more easily on the bike or soon after, along with associated emotional states. But now that you mention it, it is most definately a sort of delayed onset.
As I mentioned earlier it's random though, it takes a catalyst to spur these feelings.

I understand that I'm not going to get a prognosis here but since you ask, I was curious how some others might be dealing with it.

[Rick]

If you are all angry and aggressive after "hard rides" then maybe you really just don't go hard enough.

I consider the crushing fatigue that accrues from cycle training to be one of the main benefits to help me cope with my otherwise meaningless and frustrating life.

I might still get angry and frustrated; but I really can't bother to get too uptight until after a sammich and a nap.

[desperado95219]

I think that you are in the minority, Donkey....by far. I've ridden for 35 years and never heard this even mentioned before.....unless it's getting cut-off in a sprint or someone doing something stupid that threatens a crash. I take that back. I've raced against a few guys I suspected were on roids who were always belligerent.

It could be that you have a chemical imbalance going there triggered by the hard rides???

[aaric]

Try tracking your calories. You could be significantly negative for the day after extreme efforts, which I know has affected my moods in the past.

[ghisallo2003]

I can totally relate to this. If my riding hours go above 15-20 hours/week then I definitely have increasing grumpiness and short-temperedness. It could plausibly relate to calories or cortisol or sleep, but it is definitely a true phenomenon, as my wife will testify.

I try to manage it carefully and with a sort of managed self-awareness, and then when my wife gets really cross, I tend to cut back slightly on the hours and focus a little more on the family.

If it is real for you, then it is real.

[7ducati]

There's a big difference between grumpiness and "rage," as the OP put it. If it is truly a feeling of "rage," you are probably better off looking into professional help to figure it out. It's not worth having those feelings after doing something you are supposed to love.

[Calnago]

@Donkey... I just saw some of your pics over on the "On the road today" thread. Now I just don't get it. I pictured you to be one of those guys who jumps on the bike, rides like a madman, and just rides himself into exhaustion. But there I see beautiful pics of your rides, which means you had to have taken the time to stop and take them. Really confused now, as I look at those ride pics and think... How could this guy finish his rides like that and be full of rage.
Anyway, I have to take back what I said earlier in this thread about checking out that thread, because clearly you have and even take time to post pics there.
So, I don't know what's going on, but at least it looks like you're stopping to smell the roses a bit, so that's ok in my book.

[Donkey]

Yes it's about stopping to smell the roses from time to time.
As in life, the most preetiest things are also accompanied by the ugliest.
I am exhausted soon after but as I did already mention, I get certain feelings of being on edge only hours or days after. As @ghisallo2003 put it, it is more grumpiness and short temperedness. It's not exactly mindless rage.

Good pointers such as energy deficit and to remain confined.

[KWalker]

you guys are feeding the troll.

[TheKaiser]

It doesn't sound like these rides are over the top in intensity, if you are stopping to smell the roses, but I will just throw out there that if you are doing super hard intervals then you may want to try backing off of the intensity for a while to see what happens. Hard exercise activates our "fight or flight" response, and will pump a ton of glucocorticoids into your bloodstream. Maybe you have some sort of delayed clearance of these hormones, so that you are still in "fight" mode long after your system should have shifted into "rest and digest" mode. Even if you don't have abnormally delayed clearance, many people chronically over express these hormones due to excessively stressful lives, and then pile intense athletic training on top of that, which is not a recipe for good health.

For that matter, back off the volume too, if you are doing super long rides, to prevent excess fatigue, and see what happens.

I know people above have mentioned eating enough, and I will just add that this is particularly true during intense rides of over 60-90min, as glycogen depletion will rapidly increase cortisol levels in order to increase gluconeogenisis and the release of fatty acids into the bloodstream. In other words, when you run low of fuel, your body pumps out stress hormones that allow it to mobilize reserves, which can be good when needed, but that leaves you potentially suffering the side effects of those hormones in other ways.

If you are already loading way up on fast digesting carb products, could you be suffering crankyness from reactive hypoglycemia? In that case, switching to a lower GI whole food may be helpful.

These are things that you really need to tease out through self experimentation, perhaps starting with the extremes and then working toward the middle to clearly identify what your tolerances are (eg. does a 15minute easy ride eliminate these effects? Does extending your longest rides an additional 30min to really max your fatigue out make it way worse?).

[Illuminate]

Could very well be low/depleted blood sugar which typically results in a release of adrenaline into the blood stream (your body can only store approx 1500kcal=6000kJ of glycogen - sometimes a little more depending of several different factors)

My suggestion to try:
1. Explain to Mrs X how you feel when you get off the bike and that you just need 5 mins when you get home
2. Smash a protein drink or smoothie as soon as you walk through the door. Make sure there is simple carbs in it too (most protein powders will omit this for various reasons). For example, for a Choc protein shake, I will add a fair bit of milo. This simple sugar will quickly circulate through the blood stream which further enhances the 'glycaemic window' effect in replenishing nutrients (think insulin response).
3. After your drink, Head immediately for the shower. Make it a hot one! Hot showers generally have a relaxing effect (some have speculated that this is the result of a vasodilation response resulting in a small drop in blood pressure - I dunno - haven't done any reading in that area).

By the time you make it out of the shower and are dressed, your blood sugars will hopefully be on the way up and you'll be feeling more sociable.

This technique works well for me. All the best! I

[Illuminate]

Hi Donkey,

Any updates?

[fcabot]

I think that the last three posts are really getting on toward potential causes. I get what I refer to as "hangry". This occurs when I let my blood sugar drop. This anecdotally aligns with my experiences with my diabetic father's short temper when he has low blood sugar. My temper shortens to the point that the smallest thing makes me angry, especially things that I (sort of subconsciously) identify as being between myself and food.

I also get the fight or flight response when I start to feel skeletal discomfort (I have rheumatoid arthritis) toward the end of a longer ride. I find that sometimes those stack up together over the last 20-30 minutes of a ride. I identify the ride as something that I need to fight or fly from. I then do both simultaneously. This exertion further crashes my blood sugar. I come off the bike absolutely furious under this condition.

Illuminate's method for dealing with this is very similar to what I've found works best for me. Sometimes, a nap is the only thing that will make it go away for me. I also give credence to the notion that you may need to give a bit of consideration to your on the bike nutrition.

[User Name]

I'm often very grumpy straight after long, hard rides, but not for very long; usually just until I eat enough and have a long shower.
In fact, I was cranky after my ride tonight, which is why I dug up this thread.

I wouldn't quite say "rage", but I can be very cranky.

It usually happens when there's a combination hunger, exhaustion from riding more than 3 hours, and crappy weather (either hot or really cold).

[TheKaiser]

I'm often very grumpy straight after long, hard rides, but not for very long; usually just until I eat enough and have a long shower.
In fact, I was cranky after my ride tonight, which is why I dug up this thread.

I wouldn't quite say "rage", but I can be very cranky.

It usually happens when there's a combination hunger, exhaustion from riding more than 3 hours, and crappy weather (either hot or really cold).

Sounds totally normal to me, man! People are usually at their least tolerant when they are tired, hungry, or scared, and you are talking at least 2 of the 3!

The only exception is when you are so tired that you reach that dazed, kind of transcendent state. But we can't all do that every ride or we would probably waste away!