Athletes do not experience numb feet only in cold temperatures. It usually starts as a little tingling. Maybe it feels like pins and needles in your toes, but as you keep training, it doesn’t improve. It doesn’t matter if you’re just cycling or jogging, you’ve likely experienced numbness or even tingling in your toes. And sometimes (especially in long workouts), this can spread to the entire foot, causing severe discomfort.
Numbness is uncomfortable and sometimes painful, but most of all, it can take away the pleasure of staying active. However, it is important to remember that you are not alone: sleeping feet and tingling toes are some of the most common problems reported by athletes, specifically cyclists.
Common causes of numbness
Sleepy feet have two main causes: compression of the nerve or restriction of blood circulation .
There are several factors that can cause nerve compression, including the placement of the cleat of cycling shoes , the wrong arch support (too much or too little), or shoes that are too tight or especially narrow; in addition to the wrong width of the pedal position. Even cleat bolts that were too long for the thickness of the sole pressing on the bottom of your feet can cause numbness.
Your posture can also have a lot to do with foot pain or numbness. When you are on the bike, there is a lot of stress around the lower back and pelvis, and a reasonable number of cyclists develop a type of numbness in the foot that is reflected from the back when the nerves are stiff.
Whenever nerve compression is ignored, there is a possibility of lasting damage. One of those problems is Morton’s neuroma , and this is where one of the branches of the plantar nerve develops scar tissue around the branch while trying to protect the nerve from compression. As a result we get lasting or permanent pain and numbness. If your sneakers are too tight this may exacerbate the condition, but additions of metatarsal buttons to the insole may help. Dress shoes (pointy shoes and high heels) can also contribute to this condition off the bike, he adds.
Restriction of blood circulation , on the other hand, may be the result of some of the same problems, but is most commonly related to shoes or insoles that don’t fit well. Even the temperature, since the feet are often the first part of the body affected by cold temperatures on a bicycle.
How to deal with numb feet or tingling toes?
Although knowing the cause is important to understanding why your feet or toes are going numb, it is more helpful to know how to alleviate the problem midway through if you start to feel numb.
The first thing you should do is loosen your shoes, especially in heat. This will release compression and aid circulation. Sometimes getting off the bike and simply massaging your feet will also help. Of course, when you’re competing, these solutions aren’t ideal, so getting to the root cause is the best solution. Still, if it’s something that happens to you often, you should pay attention and try to alleviate the cause as soon as possible.
For a long-term solution, we give you three key tips to keep your feet and toes from getting numb.
Make sure the sneakers fit you well
The stiff soles of the sneakers are great for power transfer, but that also means that your toes don’t do much of the work. The toes need more space to move and that is why the swelling is explained; So it is evident that the shoes must also be comfortable and have no pressure points.
If you have pressure points by simply trying on your shoes, they rarely improve in training. Most cycling shoes are made from materials that aren’t meant to stretch too much, but this also means that they don’t “break” too much either, so they should be comfortable from day one, or probably the wrong shoe.
Give your bows some support
Choosing the proper insole and replacing the standard low-profile insole found in most shoes is important to holding the arch in a neutral position. Insoles not only prevent arch collapse, which can increase efficiency, but also help distribute pressure across the sole area, and this eliminates pressure points that cause nerve compression or loss of circulation.
It has the help of a professional
The minute details can be difficult to self-diagnose as a beginner and even as an experienced cyclist, so having a certified bike installer perform a physical evaluation of the mechanics and structure of the foot can help determine what’s causing foot problems. .
A seat position that is too high or low, or an undiagnosed leg length discrepancy, can put additional stress on your back and hips, pinch your nerves, and contribute to symptoms like numbness and tingling. A professional bike fit usually includes a detailed look at other numbing factors, such as the cleat position, posture width, and posture. It costs between € 200 and € 500, but it is worth it.
