Strength Training fr Cyclists

There is no doubt that cyclists can benefit from including gym based strength training to there program. When designing the appropriate strength training program for cyclists there are a few key factors to consider.

•  Strength requirements of the sport/discipline.
• Postural and Biomechanical Health of the individual.
• Overview of the competitive season and where they are currently positioned. 

When considering the strength requirements of the sport you need to look at the duration, intensities and movements performed of the given discipline the athlete is competing in. Shorter events demand more power and speed with longer events having a bigger focus on endurance. Bear in mind that all three will need to be addressed in varying degrees to optimize your performance.  
Functional strength training has been shown to give athletes the most ‘useable’ strength for their chosen sport. The following exercises are considered to be the best ‘Functional Exercises for Cyclists 

• Squats – Front & Back
• Lunges
• Deadlifts
• Power Cleans
• Step Ups
• Stiff Legged Deadlifts 

When performed correctly all these exercises require significant integration of major muscle groups across multiple joints – all with good core strength and control.  These are the key requirements to meet when looking to translate strength improvements into athletic performance. 

 

Qualifying an athlete for advanced lifts e.g. Power Cleans, Squats and Deadlifts is very important when finding the appropriate starting point of training intensity. Before beginning advanced lifts people need to have good joint mobility and control through all the major musculoskeletal junctions i.e. Ankles, Knees, Hips, Lumbar/Pelvic, 


Thoracic and the Shoulder Girdle. Any shortcomings in these areas will likely increase the chance of developing faulty movement patterns along with the likelihood of injuring yourself.  A good sport’s orientated Physiotherapist or Coach who understands functional anatomy, biomechanics and strength training should be able to assess your bodies current state of postural and functional movement capacity and suggest the appropriate starting points. 
The frequency and volume of strength training sessions will be determined by where you are in your competitive calendar year. The following table gives a basic overview of areas to focus on at various stages of the year. Remember if your volume on the bike is high, keep your gym sessions short and sharp, 20 – 30 minutes is all that is needed during a high volume training phase. 


The focus of your strength training program will depend on the individual athlete and the discipline they are competing in. The following table provides an overview of how to train the different types of strength. Whilst endurance athletes do not require large amounts of maximal strength, small doses in the off season/preseason will lay a good foundation for developing power in season e.g. Plyometric training should be preceded with a 4 week cycle of strength training to prepare the musculoskeletal system for the high forces generated in plyometric/power type training.

With these basic principles we have covered above and mixing with a Cycle Trainer and Training App, you should now be able to sit down with your trainer and plan the appropriate workouts to maximize your on bike performance.  

Endurance Sports Nutrition: Frequently Asked Questions

Consuming variety of carbohydrates during exercise and eating balanced training and recovery diet improve performance

By Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD

What should athletes participating in endurance and ultra-endurance exercise eat before, during and after sports? Here the answers to these and other questions about endurance sports nutrition:

Carbohydrates

Q.  What should an endurance sports athlete eat during a long run, bike ride or other exercise that lasts more than 60 to 90 minutes?
A.   It depends. Some athletes like the convenience of engineered sports foods. Others prefer the taste (and price) of standard supermarket foods, such as fig bars, dried pineapple, and gummy candy.  The bottom line: all are equally effective.
And because we're talking more about "survival" rather than  "good nutrition" during endurance exercise, you don't have to feel guilty if you use candy as fuel. Sugar (e.g. simple carbohydrates) is what your body wants!  Remember, too, that sports gels and sports drinks are also "just sugar."

Q.  Does it matter if you get your energy from an energy bar or a sports drink?

A.  The short answer is no. Both solid and liquid energy foods get burned at the same rate when exercising for more than half an hour. So, again, what an athlete eats depends on what his intestinal tract tolerates and what tastes best.

Consuming enough calories is more important than the form of the calories because research suggests that endurance athletes who consume more calories do better than athletes who consume fewer calories. (For example, Ironman Triathlon champ, Chrissie Wellington, consumed about 335 calories/hour when she won in Hawaii.) 
The challenge is to train the intestinal tract to digest that much fuel and convert it to energy for the body to use. In other words, the training program for an endurance athlete actually needs to include training of the intestinal tract as well as the heart, lungs and muscles.

Q.  How much should an athlete eat to maintain good energy during exercise lasting longer than 60 to 90 minutes?

A.  The rule of thumb for fueling during endurance exercise used to be to consume 1 gram of carbohydrate per minute of exercise (e.g. 60 grams of carb per hour or the equivalent of 240 calories).  The research, originally done with just glucose, suggested that consuming more than 60 grams of glucose per hour offered no extra benefits because the body has a limited number of glucose transporters and can carry only 60 grams out of the intestines into the blood and to the muscles.


Recent research, however, shows that consuming a variety of sugars (e.g., more than just glucose) makes more fuel available to the muscles per hour. That's because different types of sugars (carbs) use different transporters.

Most endurance athletes are already consuming more than just glucose:  Sports drinks, for example, contain glucose and fructose. while a banana is made up of many different types of sugars and uses many different transporters. An athlete's muscles will be able to access more fuel (up to 90 g carb/hour or 360 calories per hour) if he consumes more than just one kind of sugar.

The new research has resulted in new recommendations on the optimal number of grams of carbohydrates to consume during endurance exercise:

Fueling During Exercise

Exercise Duration	Grams of Carbohydrates Per Hour
Less than 45 minutes	No fueling during exercise required (other than pre-exercise snack)
1 to 2 hours	30 g. carbohydrates (120 calories) per hour
2 to 3 hours	60 g. to 80 g. carbohydrates (240 to 320 calories) per hour1
More than 2.5 hours	90 g. mixed carbohydrates (360 calories) per hour (sports drink, candy, dried fruit, pretzel)

Some serious athletes train first thing in the morning without eating before/during exercise. While doing this may teach the body to burn more fat (hence spare limited glycogen stores), it's grueling and the verdict is unclear if it enhances competitive performance. Stay tuned!

Q.  What happens if fueling during exercise creates intestinal distress?
A.  Consider a  "swish and spit" approach.  Research shows that athletes who just swished and then spat out a sports drink performed better than athletes swishing and spitting just plain water. How could that be? It's because receptors in the mouth are linked to the brain so that when an athlete's mouth gets a swish of sports drink, it sends a signal to the brain - which then sends a signal to the body -  that energy is on the way, so it's okay  to work harder.

Protein

Protein requirements are hard to define because the amount of protein your body needs depends on how many calories you consume. That is, if you are restricting calories, you require more protein than when you eat adequate calories because the protein gets burned for fuel. Dieting athletes should target at least 1 g protein/lb (2 g pro/kg).

Note: If an athlete is dieting to reduce body fat, it is hard to build muscle mass at the same time because building muscle takes energy, while dieting restricts energy.

The protein recommendations for non-dieters who consume adequate calories are:

• Healthy adults: 0.4 g Protein/pound 0.8 gm Protein/kg

• Strength athletes: 0.5 to 0.8 g Protein/pound 1.2 to 1.7 g Protein/kg

• Endurance athletes: 0.5 to 0.6 g Protein/pound 1.2 to 1.4 g Protein/kg.

Q.  Does an athlete need to take protein supplements (such as by consuming protein shakes)?
A.  No.  Because the typical athlete's diet contains more than enough protein, most athletes do not need protein supplements. A protein-rich food with each meal and snack will do the job.

Q.  During endurance exercise, should you choose a sports drink with protein?
A.   Not unless you prefer the taste; it does not offer performance advantages over a standard sports drink. The better time to consume protein is after exercise because consuming carbs plus protein (such as in a specially formulated recovery sports drink containing protein and carbohydrates, or chocolate milk, fruit yogurt, or spaghetti & meatballs) helps the body recover from exercise by enhancing muscle repair and by replenishing glycogen stores in muscles, which are a source of fuel during prolonged exercise.²

Balancing carbs plus protein

Consuming some carbs+protein before a workout, as a part of a pre-exercise meal (cereal+milk, fruit+yogurt) is another option to bolster the supply of protein available both during and after exercise for recovery.
Note: Athletes generally don't burn much protein for fuel during exercise unless their glycogen (carb) stores are depleted. The bottom line: Meals/snacks with carbs as the foundation, protein on the side offer the right balance for endurance performance.

Taree Trails in Tip Top shape for Finish Line Singletrack Mind opener

The opening round of the Finish Line Singletrack Mind Series has been widely heralded as a fantastic success. The planets aligned with perfect weather, a sublime course and a high quality field including the current Solo 24 Hour MTB World Champion Jason English.

Round 1 would also unveil plenty of new initiatives for the 2014 season with Finish Line now the headline sponsor of the series, 4 Hour solo racing categories added, and the launch of the Chocolate Foot Women’s development team.

Since the last Finish Line Singletrack Mind Series event at Taree in 2013, the word has spread about the brilliantly built and magnificently maintained trails of the Manning-Great Lakes Tip Riders Club. Competitors arrived back to the transition zone with massive smiles after each and every lap, many saying that this was the finest track they’d ever raced on.

  Jason English was made to work hard for the victory against 2012 series champion Ed McDonald. Photo: Dave Bateman

The buffed and flowing course would also make the perfect backdrop for an epic battle in the Solo Open Men category between Solo 24 Hour World Champion Jason English, 2012 series Champion Ed McDonald and 2013 series champion Andrew Lloyd. With an impressive leadout off the start from team mate Jack Lavis, McDonald was 2nd into the singletrack with Lloyd and English needing to bridge across to the Trek Racing duo. By the 2nd lap Lloyd and McDonald were riding together but nervously checking over their shoulders for the almost inevitable sight of English, who would then join them on lap 3. Up until lap 12, McDonald would try to shake English but without sucess, while Lloyd backed off the pace hoping the others would crack. When English’s customary late race surge came on there was little McDonald could do to match him. Jack Lavis went on to win the 4hr Solo Men category while Melissa Nuttall took the 4hr Solo Women’s title.

In the Women’s Solo category, dual round winner in 2013, Eliza Kwan continued her winning ways as she led from start to finish over 2013 series champion Liz Smith. While Sydney’s Wendy Stevenson could have been racing Super Masters category, she’s decided to challenge herself for the 2014 season, racing in Open and she rounded out the podium against a quality field.

                         Canberra’s Eliza Kwan sizes up another of Taree’s fast and flowing corners. Photo: Dave Bateman

The fastest lap times of the day were recorded by riders of the winning teams in the 3′s categories. John Odams and his POC/Bikeculture crew won the Male 3′s while Odams grabbed bragging rights with a lap of 24.51 and Australian Under 23 XCO Champion Holly Harris recorded a string of great laps including a 27.29 to drive her team to victory in the Mixed Threes.

Chocolate Foot’s new women’s development team didn’t disappoint on debut with every member achieving a top of the podium result with wins in the Female Threes, Female Pairs and the 4 Hour solo category. The women selected for the team have come from a wide variety of sporting backgrounds and for some it was their first ever MTB race making their results and lap times all the more remarkable.

Full results are available online: Results

Trek Racing’s Jack Lavis leads out team mate Ed McDonald though the frenetic opening moments of the race. 

Photo: Dave Bateman

The Finish Line Singletrack Mind Series moves to an entirely different style of course at Mogo on the NSW South Coast for the 15th of June. Some liken the course to that of a Gravity Enduro, with relatively mild climbs followed by two fast and epic descents per lap including the legendary Snake Track! This will be a must do event for any mountain biker!

Chocolate Foot would like to thank their incredibly generous sponsors, Finish Line, Serfas, Deuter, Bellwether, SRAM, Rock Shox, Avid, Truvativ, Hammer Nutrition, Rockpool Graphics, James Estate, Cycology, Ventou, Aussie Butt Cream, Cycle Studio, Kobie International, Mountain Biking Australia magazine, Ritchey and Grimm-Hewitt art.

Stability Exercises for Cyclists

The following stability exercises for cyclists have been specifically chosen to address the typical muscle imbalances developed by cyclists. The biking position causes certain structures to be elongated, while others are kept in a contracted position. When a muscle is stretched out for prolonged periods of time, (such as gluteus maximus in cycling) it will become long and inefficient in portions of its range. Other muscles, kept in a contracted position will become shortened and overactive. This sort of imbalance found between different muscles or even portions of one muscle, can lead to injury and inefficiency.
Naturally, the muscles used to move the bike forward will be dominant. Without a stable base to work from, these muscles cannot work effectively. The exercises found below will help improve the function of the stability muscles, as well as ensuring that they can work efficiently throughout their range.

1. Neutral Bridge with Single Leg Raise

GOALS OF EXERCISE: To optimize inner range control of gluteus maximus and improve stability function of oblique abdominal muscles.
1. Lie on a firm surface with hands on front of hips to monitor hip position.
2. Lift pelvis using both legs, then raise one leg as shown.
3. Hold this position for 10 seconds, before returning to the start position.
4. Be sure that the pelvis is held level. This is the key. One side may be more difficult to do than the other.
5. Repeat 10 times on each side with a break between every lift.

RELEVANCE TO CYCLISTS: Cyclists tend to have extremely dominant hamstring muscle activity and poor stability function in the gluts. While riding, the gluts do produce power from the middle and outer portions of their range, but fail to stabilize adequately in the inner range, largely due to the mechanical disadvantage placed upon them in the seated, lean forward position. This muscle imbalance can lead to hamstring pulls, hip problems and even IT band friction syndrome at the knee.

2. Clam Shell Exercise

Use a band to enhance the exercise












GOALS OF EXERCISE: To strengthen the posterior portion of gluteus medius and gluteus maximus.
1. Lie on side, with hips at 45 degrees and knees at 90 degrees.
2. Keeping pelvis perpendicular to the floor, and heels together, raise the upper knee as high as possible, by turning out at the hip.
3. Hold for 10 seconds, repeat 10 times each side.
4. If the pelvis is not held in the correct position, the wrong muscle will be used to move the leg.

RELEVANCE TO CYCLISTS: Due to bike position and cycling motion, the rider will use the anterior portion of gluteus medius enormously, while the posterior portion will not be recruited much at all. This posterior portion is hugely important to pelvic stability and the prevention of hip, knee and back problems. It will also be needed when climbing out of the saddle.

3. Oblique Abdominal Strengthening

GOALS OF EXERCISE: To improve the stability function of the oblique abdominal musculature.
1. Lie on your back on a firm surface. Monitor position of low back with hands.
2. Raise one leg to 90 degrees, then raise the other to join it.
3. Straighten one leg, then the other, in a cycling motion while maintaining good contact between the low back and the hands.
4. Do this for 10 seconds, rest then repeat 10 times.

RELEVANCE TO CYCLISTS: When torque is applied through pedals, strong rotational forces are produced. The obliques function to decelerate these forces through the trunk and pelvis, so that the energy produced can be used to move the bike forward, rather than turning the body from side to side. When a rider gets tired, form often deteriorates and extraneous motion occurs, reducing efficiency.

4. Prone Inner Range Leg Raise

 Alt exercise

GOALS OF EXERCISE: To optimize inner range control of Gluteus Maximus.
1. Lie on stomach on firm surface.
2. Bend the knee to 90 degrees.
3. Squeeze gluts on the same side, then raise the leg just 2 inches off the bed.
4. Do not allow the back to hyperextend (arch). Do not roll onto the straight leg to achieve the lift.
5. Hold for 10 seconds, repeat 10 times each side.

RELEVANCE TO CYCLIST: This exercise provides the cyclist the opportunity to work even further into the gluteus maximus inner stability range. Do not underestimate the importance of having strength in a muscle through all portions of its range. Riders who cross train into running in the off-season will need to maintain good hip stability in the upright position if they want to avoid injury.

5. Anterior Hip Stretch

GOALS OF EXERCISE: To lengthen tight tissues at the front of the hip joint.
1. Lie on the edge of a firm table or counter.
2. Pull one leg up to chest and allow the other to hang down, opening up the hip.
3. A weight may be strapped to the ankle to pull down on the leg being stretched if a more aggressive stretch is desired.
4. Hold the position for between 30 seconds and two minutes.
5. Repeat on the other side.

RELEVANCE TO CYCLISTS: Due to posture on the bike, a cyclist will inherently suffer from tight structures in the anterior hip. The following recommended stretch may not be the most convenient to do, but is the best way to make a difference.

6. Tight IT Bands?

 

 

GOALS OF EXERCISE: To release myofascial trigger points.
1. Lie over the foam roller as shown, with the top leg crossed in front or behind for support.
2. Roll back and forth to massage tight tissue, or hold pressure on especially tight trigger points to release them.

RELEVANCE TO CYCLISTS Both the bike position and pedaling motion can lead to tightness in the illiotibial band, which is found on the outside of the thigh, starting at the hip and attaching into the side of the knee. A tight IT band can lead to hip or knee problems, as well as a painful condition called IT band friction syndrome. Use of a foam roller can control some of this tightness often found in cyclists.