Background: The “second wind” (SW) phenomenon—commonly referring to both an initial period of marked intolerance to dynamic exercise (e.g., brisk walking) that is not followed by perceived improvement and disappearance of previous tachycardia (i.e., the actual “SW”) until 6–10 min has elapsed—is an almost unique feature of McArdle disease that limits adherence to an active lifestyle.

Due to the glycolytic block, those with McArdle disease and select other muscle glycogenoses don’t produce enough lactic acid to feel the usual kind of pain that unaffected individuals do during exercise, so the phrase “no pain, no gain” should be ignored and instead muscle pain and tightness are signals to slow down or rest briefly.