Can Cycling cause tibial stress fractures?

Triathlon Forum
1

Hi all;
I’ve had 5 stress fractures since 2003 and can’t seem to shake them. Everything was going well this year until I did my first bike outside, a mashing 50Ker. The next day at the end of my run I had a nasty pain deep center soleus. Since then I’ve had a small sore spot medial tibia. I’ve always looked at running as the cause of my fractures, but after trying everything (except bone density tests). So, can cycling be the culprit? If so, what can I do about it? PT’s seem to be cycling stupid.

I’m 142 lbs, 5’9-1/2", 34, run a 17-flat 5K, only run 50K/week, bike 120-150K/week if that helps.

2

No, I can’t imagine that cycling can cause a stress fracture unless someone had a major bone abnormality.

You felt it the next day during/after your run, not before. That’s a pretty open/shut case. If the cycling bothered it you’d at least have been limping around as you began that next run.

3

Cycling can cause sfx.

Are you SURE these are stress fractures? Diagnosed with either an xray, bone scan, or MRI?

4

5 stress fractures in 5 years as a 34 year old male, 5-9 1/2" and 142 lbs.

Ah, metabolic workup of some type was done I hope? I’ve never seen a tibial stress fx associated with cycling. Also, you mentioned PT (which I’ll assume to be physical therapy). Why were you seeing a PT for a stress fx?

5

Never heard of or seen a stress fracture from cycling. There isn’t really much of a typical etiology there. As rroof said, I would get a work-up.

6

I’ve never heard of it. Cycling by itself is a non weight bearing exercise so you’d think not, but I really don’t know 100%.

I assume you’re a male, but if you’re female do some research on “female athlete triad” . This involves disordered eating, menstrual dysfunction and osteoporosis and could be a real possibility even in young women.

7

I have seen a grand total of 1 tibial stress fracture from riding bikes - and that kid had autism and didn’t do anything but ride his dad’s Airdyne.

You need a better evaluation than we can give you on slowtwitch.

8

Doubt if this would apply to very many of us but an interesting article.

http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-cycling16-2009feb16,0,1785648.story

9

Yes, I’m male. By a “work-up” what exactly do you guys mean? Any time I go to my doc they send me off to physio and they try to put me in orthotics- which KILL everything else on my body. So I don’t wear them. My doc doesn’t think I need bone density scans or hormone tests or anything like that, that the solution is all about pronation and less miles. How can you run less than 50K/week though?

10

What is a metabolic workup?
I take various bone supplements from a Naturopath. But no hormone or other tests.

11

thyroid, parathyroid screen to start (should include CA levels ther). DEXA scan (although likely normal) to see if further workup for rare disease entities.

If a PT thinks that excessive pronation is an issue and you don’t/can’t wear orthotics, needs to be addressed somehow as well.

“Supplements from a naturopath” - ah, what are they and why are you taking them (aside from the stress fx issues)

12

I can wear orthotics if I run 4:30/km or slower. But that only happens on the treadmill, or starting a long run. Once I go 4:15 or faster I seem to midfoot strike.

I will get an appointment with my doc and throw a tantrum if he doesn’t do some scans or get some referrals. What are CA levels?

I take osteoguard, calcarea phosphorica, abies pectinata (all these for bones apparently) and then a home-brew deep immune supplement as I used to get sick a lot but no more, and an adrenal support supplement.

Hey, thanks for the advice BTW.

13

Not in my case.
In '00, at 51, I had a tibial stress fracture, and cycling was fine for it - actually recommended, in fact (which got me into tri from being just a straight runner).
In '03 I clobbered the same spot, so it became a hairline fracture, and again, close to three months of cycling was fine.