Fitness questions and answers for April 19, 2004

Form & Fitness Q & A

Got a question about fitness, training, recovery from injury or a related subject? Drop us a line at fitness@cyclingnews.com. Please include as much information about yourself as possible, including your age, sex, and type of racing or riding.

Carrie Cheadle, MA (www.carriecheadle.com) is a Sports Psychology consultant who has dedicated her career to helping athletes of all ages and abilities perform to their potential. Carrie specialises in working with cyclists, in disciplines ranging from track racing to mountain biking. She holds a bachelors degree in Psychology from Sonoma State University as well as a masters degree in Sport Psychology from John F. Kennedy University.

Kelby Bethards, MD received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University (1994) before obtaining an M.D. from the University of Iowa College of Medicine in 2000. Has been a racing cyclist 'on and off' for 20 years, and when time allows, he races Cat 3 and 35+. He is a team physician for two local Ft Collins, CO, teams, and currently works Family Practice in multiple settings: rural, urgent care, inpatient and the like.

Fiona Lockhart (www.trainright.com) is a USA Cycling Expert Coach, and holds certifications from USA Weightlifting (Sports Performance Coach), the National Strength and Conditioning Association (Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach), and the National Academy for Sports Nutrition (Primary Sports Nutritionist). She is the Sports Science Editor for Carmichael Training Systems, and has been working in the strength and conditioning and endurance sports fields for over 10 years; she's also a competitive mountain biker.

David Fleckenstein, MPT (www.physiopt.com) is a physical therapist practicing in Boise, ID. His clients have included World and U.S. champions, Olympic athletes and numerous professional athletes. He received his B.S. in Biology/Genetics from Penn State and his Master's degree in Physical Therapy from Emory University. He specializes in manual medicine treatment and specific retraining of spine and joint stabilization musculature. He is a former Cat I road racer and Expert mountain biker.

Since 1986 Steve Hogg (www.cyclefitcentre.com) has owned and operated Pedal Pushers, a cycle shop specialising in rider positioning and custom bicycles. In that time he has positioned riders from all cycling disciplines and of all levels of ability with every concievable cycling problem.They include World and National champions at one end of the performance spectrum to amputees and people with disabilities at the other end.

Pamela Hinton has a bachelor's degree in Molecular Biology and a doctoral degree in Nutritional Sciences, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She did postdoctoral training at Cornell University and is now an assistant professor of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Missouri-Columbia where she studies the effects of iron deficiency on adaptations to endurance training and the consequences of exercise-associated changes in menstrual function on bone health.

Steve Owens (www.coloradopremiertraining.com) is a USA Cycling certified coach, exercise physiologist and owner of Colorado Premier Training. Steve has worked with both the United States Olympic Committee and Guatemalan Olympic Committee as an Exercise Physiologist. He holds a B.S. in Exercise & Sports Science and currently works with multiple national champions, professionals and World Cup level cyclists.

Richard Stern (www.cyclecoach.com) is Head Coach of Richard Stern Training, a Level 3 Coach with the Association of British Cycling Coaches, a Sports Scientist, and a writer. He has been professionally coaching cyclists and triathletes since 1998 at all levels from professional to recreational. He is a leading expert in coaching with power output and all power meters. Richard has been a competitive cyclist for 20 years

Andy Bloomer (www.cyclecoach.com) is an Associate Coach and sport scientist with Richard Stern Training. He is a member of the Association of British Cycling Coaches (ABCC) and a member of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES). In his role as Exercise Physiologist at Staffordshire University Sports Performance Centre, he has conducted physiological testing and offered training and coaching advice to athletes from all sports for the past 4 years. Andy has been a competitive cyclist for many years.

I understand how frustrating knee problems can be especially if they interfere with our cycling. I experienced a similar injury while competing which required a period of healing and active recovery. I will share what worked for me, but first let's examine what appears to be the problem. It does sound like a case of mild quadriceps tendonitis if the inflammation is at the top of the patella and painful when the knee (and hip) is flexed. More specifically, it seems to be the tendon that attaches the rectus femoris at the knee. This muscle is both a hip and knee flexor, so you may notice a difference in the discomfort between flexing the knee with your hip flexed and extended.

I am 26 yrs old, 6ft 3in and 175 lbs (more or less). I enjoy fast rides with friends and I've just started racing Cat. 5 this year. My teammates and I participated in a strength training program this winter and I concentrated on getting a good base - as much as is possible living in Utah (lots of time on the trainer)! I already feel stronger than last year, but I'm concerned about my training regimen.

I used the Training Bible to plan out my season and I intended to stick with the workouts out of the book. The problem is that now the fast, weekly training rides have started and the weekly time-trial series will start soon. I want to participate, but I want to make sure I'm not leaving out something important in my training. By doing both rides each week and racing on the weekend, I've used up all of my hard riding days and I don't have time or energy to do specific intervals or force work (hills).

This is very simplistic advice, but I think it is a good place to start. If you are aware of a special weakness in your riding, devote some training time to correcting it. For instance, if you always get to the end of the ride, but lose the sprint, take some time to work on sprinting, (in a competitive group situation if possible). If you are out of breath while other riders are chatting, put in some more base miles before you go hard. On the other hand, if you could stand to improve in many areas or aren't sure if you have a particular weakness, enjoy the group rides.

I'm a 29-year old male (6' 2", 158 lbs) mountain biker that's been unsuccessful at trying to make the upgrade from Expert to Semi-Pro for a few years now. The biggest obstacle that repeatedly keeps me off of the podium is the start. As you know, in mountain bike racing, getting position during the start is crucial if you want to be with the lead group. The problem is, if I go hard at the start to be with the lead group I'm totally fatigued after about 20 minutes, but, if I take it easier during the start the gap from the lead group is so large that I can't close it by the end of the race.

I train with many of the racers that usually make up the lead group and know I can ride with them if I could just hang in there through the start - in fact, my lap times during the 2nd half of the race are faster than those of the leaders. My muscular endurance is good and my wattage at LT (360 W) is also good. I think my problem is lactate tolerance. What workouts (heart rate and power zones) do you recommend for improving mountain bike race starts and lactate tolerance?

It sounds like the bulk of your training and natural talents are endurance-based which is excellent. There are also a couple of specific workouts you can do to improve your starts in mountain bike races. Starts are typically extended sprints, which taper off into "supra-threshold," non-sustainable but sub-maximal efforts, then require quick recovery before you settle into your threshold (maximum sustainable) power or close to it.

I write regarding a piece that appeared in the April 5 "Form and Fitness Q & A". A reader (Vincent) wanted an explanation for the mucus in his lungs that causes him to have to repetitively clear his throat after a hard training ride or race. Unfortunately, he also mentioned that he was lactose intolerant, which seemed to prompt the respondent to come up with another dietary intolerance as an explanation for the excessive mucus production. The answer given was that Vincent might "have a slight gluten intolerance" (but only when his lungs are working) and that the mucus production in his lungs is a way to excrete "it" (presumably "it" is the gluten) from his intestine.

There are multiple problems with this explanation. First of all, gluten-sensitivity is a real disease that results in loss of the absorptive cells that line the wall of the intestine. As these cells decrease in number, the person will lose their ability to absorb nutrients and weight loss will result. Second, if individuals who have gluten sensitivity consume foods that contain gluten, they will experience diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting (not congested lungs and a cough). Third, and the likely explanation for the cough, is that the cells of the lung produce mucus in response to a variety of irritants. It is part of the body's defense against potential infectious agents or other harmful substances. And, unfortunately, no matter what time of year it is, there's always something to irritate the lungs--pollen, mold, dust, or cold air. Blowing snot is just part of being a cyclist.

While the explanation given for the mucus production was troubling, the proposed solution is even worse. It was suggested that Vincent refrain from consuming cereals and grains that contain gluten. This "remedy" has the potential to do more harm than good because wheat, oats, barley and rye are the primary sources of complex carbohydrate, B-vitamins and fiber in our diets. I can only wonder how many competitive cyclists will unnecessarily put themselves on a gluten-free diet, thinking that they will avoid the inevitable post-race hack. My bet is that after the race they will still suffer the normal consequences of a hard effort-sore legs, maybe a tight back or a stiff neck, and the cough. Oh yeah, one more thing. No more post race pizza and beer, either. They both contain gluten.

I write because I am becoming increasingly distressed over the pervasive misconceptions related to diet and nutritional supplements among competitive cyclists. In my interactions with these athletes on an individual basis, I have discovered that most of them hold to their beliefs in particular dietary practices or supplements with a fervor that borders on the fanatical, regardless of the any scientific evidence to support their ideas. So much so, that I have decided to let the placebo effect work its magic unless an individual is doing something that might cause harm. If someone asks for my opinion I will give it honestly, but it is their business if they want to spend their money on expensive "sugar pills" or powders or bars or drinks.

However, when a leading dispenser of news and fitness-related information to the world of competitive cycling propagates these myths and even spawns new ones, I cannot refrain from waving a red flag. A couple of weeks ago at the Redlands Bicycle Classic, I was exposed to the latest of the myths. I could not believe how many women wanted to know if consuming carbonated beverages was detrimental to performance because the carbon dioxide interfered with oxygen uptake. I am not blaming cyclingnews.com for spreading this particular misconception (it is totally ridiculous, by the way), but when a belief is so widely held, you have to suspect sources whose function is to distribute information to the world of cycling.

I am a Cat 2 road racer who is new to the sport of cycling. In my youth, I was an All American in track at the University of Wisconsin. On the weekends, I pretend to be a professional cyclist, but what pays my bills is my job at the University of Missouri as an Assistant Professor of Nutritional Sciences. I have a PhD in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Wisconsin and did postdoctoral training at Cornell University. I am currently researching the effects of iron deficiency on adaptations to endurance training and the consequences of disruptions in normal menstrual function on bone health in highly-active women. I write a nutrition column for Giana Roberge's Team Speed Queen Newsletter.