Do Cyclists Burnout More than Runners?

We’ve worked with countless athletes who came to cycling from running.

At first, they loved it — the feeling of being fit, fast, and injury-free. But within months, many found themselves in a constant state of low-level fatigue. Some had already burned out by the time they reached us.

That got us thinking:Why does cycling seem to carry a higher risk of overtraining and burnout than running?

One key factor is the low-impact nature of the sport.

In running, soreness or injury often forces rest — shin splints, groin strains, plantar fasciitis, knee issues, you name it.

In cycling, though, you can keep riding through fatigue. Cyclists can be utterly exhausted and still ride six hours at endurance pace. And they often do.

This is especially true for newer riders who’ve “caught the bug.”

If this were a new runner, injury would almost certainly stop them before they overtrained. But in cycling, one of the very things that makes it so appealing — how easy it is on the joints, tendons, and ligaments — becomes a trap.

It allows deep, systemic fatigue to build without the usual warning signs.

That’s what makes cycling especially prone to central nervous system (CNS) fatigue — a subtle, insidious form of exhaustion not marked by sore muscles or sharp pain.

It creeps in slowly. Riders become so used to feeling flat that they forget what it’s like to feel sharp, snappy, and truly on top of the gear. Worse still, they often assume they’re under-training and do even more. 

That never ends well.

Then there’s the issue of duration — and its impact on the mind.

When you’re on the bike for five or six hours solo, the psychological load adds up. Being alone with your thoughts for that long, especially when your mood is low, can compound mental fatigue — a major component of burnout.

In that sense, the very nature of cycling training makes it uniquely challenging: it hides fatigue well.

 

Subtle Fatigue, Clearer Proxies

Because cycling allows high training loads with minimal musculoskeletal stress, it can be immensely powerful — and valuable — to look for off-bike proxies to deduce how tired you really are.

• Feeling easily overwhelmed

• Irritability or short temper (eg snappy with partner or children)

• Loss of "spark" or enjoyment in life

• Difficulty concentrating

• Sleep disruption

• Low mood on waking

These patterns often appear before any measurable drop in power, heart rate, or RPE. They are signs of mounting system-wide fatigue — not weakness, not lack of motivation.

Recognising them early and responding with rest, fueling, and recovery is what separates the athletes who progress from those who quietly burn out.

Onwards!

Team DUCHY