Fitness questions and answers for August 16, 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 have a question regarding altitude training and its benefits. I spent most of my life living at 5000ft. elevation (riding at 5000-10000ft), and moved to Phoenix (1200ft elevation) a few years ago. I've recently taken a few trips back to my hometown (pre-riding some courses for racing next summer), and noticed that my strength is greatly diminished on the 8000-10000ft elevation courses. Especially on climbs, I would find my legs immediately feeling "starved" of oxygen, becoming very heavy, and my HR would jump above LT. I could usually recover somewhat in the middle of the climb, but still did not feel great. Even after a full week of training at altitude, I did not feel much better. It was a little discouraging, considering the lap times I used to clock when I lived in the area years ago.

My questions are as follows. What are your suggestions for training, if your races will primarily be at high altitude? what is the frequency or severity of time needed at elevation to become acclimated or gain benefit from the training? How long does the benefit last once you return to lower elevation? does it last days, weeks, months? Are there other ways to train for high altitude races, besides being at high altitude?

I currently live, train, etc., at an elevation of between 500 and 1200 ft. If I want to do some races next summer in Colorado but will only be able to arrive a few days before the race, is there anything I could do to simulate altitude at home? Would one of those snorkel-looking breathing thingies help? What if I drove to the highest nearby mountain with an elevation of 2500 ft. and used the simulator on a trainer - would that be worth while? And I don't have the means to get one of those tent rigs.

At altitude we are more susceptible to dehydration, so be sure to stay well hydrated. The risk for dehydration is greater at altitude because of increased water losses and decreased fluid intake. Exposure to the lower relative oxygen concentration at altitude causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. Secondary to these adaptations, the kidney excretes more water, and there is a net loss of body water during the first few days at altitude. In addition, more water is from the lungs via evaporation because of the decreased humidity and increased respiration rate at altitude compared to sea level. Appetite and thirst are often reduced during acclimation to altitude, so fluid intake may be inadequate.

I'm a male masters road racer aged 40. I started racing again after a 10 year layoff (still rode just didn't race). I had a subpar year and realized that I lacked training structure. I am setting up a program for next year and I am confused. I just completed my state time trial 40k. My time was 1:02 and my average heart rate was 194. How do I use this information to set up training zones? Also, I have 10 hours per week to train.

After a successful road racing season I have been contemplating racing a few cross events this winter to add life to the dullness of training inside during our harsh New England winters. I will only be competing as a Cat 4 and was wondering, since I'm completely new to the sport, what equipment I need to have a chance. Will my Giant NRS with slick tires suffice? Thanks a bunch and I am ever grateful for your awesome tips,

I'm a 32-year old road and MTB racer, average 150 miles/wk road, plus at least one MTB ride/wk. Height, 5-5; Weight, 150. This year I've been plagued with pain under and around the bottom of my left knee cap. MRI showed all is okay. Cortisone, shot and oral, ineffective. I've used Look pedals for a decade, but on a desperate lark I changed over my Crank Bros pedals to my road bike. Voila! Knee pain now almost a non-factor, happily hammering away. So I tried putting Crank Bros cleats on my road shoes, micro-measured, etc, and the new cleats make my knee hurt, while the old cleats do not! What ever could be going on here?

I am a 40yr old cyclist who rides about 150-200 miles per week. Over the past year and a half, I noticed that while riding I developed a habit of moving toward the left of the seat slightly and when looking at me from behind it looks like I am shifted on the left cheek and facing the right at an angle. I am not sure how this developed since I have been riding a bike since the age of 7. It could be old age! I recently got the bike refitted and my cleat alignment was pretty good, seat height fine but when they did measurement my left hammie was tighter than the right leg and the quad musculature is more pronounced in the left leg. This might be due to the weight lifting and the machine I am using. Also, my pedal analysis showed that my left leg is stronger than the right. I feel the seating arrangement is correct but could it be a hip problem? Also, leg size are the same? Just need a second opinion or idea about the next step, thanks

what you describe is relatively common and though there are several reasons that can cause you to hang to the left, the one that is most likely, and that fits the pattern of function that you display is caused by overly tight hip flexors on the left side. Basically, what is likely to be happening is that the tight left hip flexors are pulling your pelvis down and probably forward on the left side. This would explain the 'weaker' right leg. It is only weaker because it is having to reach further to the pedal than the left side. Tight hip flexors also neurologically inhibit the glutes whose primary job on a bike is to extend the hip, ie, push the upper leg down.

A good stretching routine will solve the problem over time if done properly. A good physiotherapist [and for that matter a good chiropractor] should be able to perform a psoas release, which in conjunction with a well designed stretching program should make a big difference. Bear in mind that our performance on the bike is closely related to the degree of function that we possess structurally. Ideally, our main athletic interest should be maintaining and improving function; in our case cycling is what we choose to do with that function. A terrific self help book is Stretching and Flexibility by Kit Laughlin and published by Simon and Schuster.

I've heard so much about how important your power to weight ratio is, but how do I figure out what ratio is best? I'm female, 5'9", 126 pounds , but I don't know what my body fat percentage is. Am I at a good weight or should I slim down? What is my optimal power to weight ratio? I just started biking seriously this year, but I run a lot, so I think both my biking and running would benefit from knowing my power to weight ratio and then improving it.

I am a 49 year old road rider, and average about 450 annual hours of training, generally in the Colorado mountains. About 18 months ago I had ACL surgery, with a left hamstring tendon graft in the left knee. I am still building up the leg, and when I race or train hard (up hills in particular) I have a significant cramping and pain in my upper left hamstring (just below the glutes) - I never had this problem before surgery. A PT said that my flexibility is very good on both legs. Any suggestions on how to get rid of this pain?

Cramping in the upper hammie just below the glutes is almost always caused by seat height being slightly too high. It only makes its presence felt on hard and/or hilly rides because under high load conditions, all but a few drop their heels to a greater degree, relative to their natural technique, than under lesser load conditions. This causes greater extension of the leg and the high torque, lower rpm pedalling usually used to climb exacerbates the problem.

I've been using my beloved fixie for the past couple of months to past the time during my base training in the wet and windy climes of Perth. I am finding that riding the fixie regularly has corresponded with a more efficient pedal stroke and the feeling of being stronger on the road bike. My question is this, Are there any studies that have proven the benefit of fixed wheel training and also any benefits of using a fixie over training on a normal freewheel road bike?. Is it an aspect of my training that should be a mainstay throughout the season or is it something to ride when I am a bit stale on the road bike?. Any ideas on what gear ratios I should be using for different aspects of my training (for sprints, hills, etc)?

There are a lot of coaches and athletes who swear by fixed gear training on the road. However, even though I am a big proponent of track racing, I am not generally a fan of riding fixed gear bikes on the road for several reasons. First, there are no studies of which I am aware that show a durable benefit to ones pedal stroke (that's not to say there isn't, just not any conclusive scientific evidence). Interestingly, of the one study of which I am aware that compared pedal strokes, trackies were the biggest mashers when compared to roadies and MTB'ers, the latter being the smoothest because the application of even force is important to maintain traction on loose dirt climbs.

I am a 39 year old male and Cat 4 level rider. On rides longer than 75 miles and ones that include significant climbing my feet are becoming very sore on the bottom outside areas of both feet. They almost feel bruised and take a day or two to recover from that soreness. I have fairly flat feet and ride Sidi Genius 4 shoes with the non-carbon soles and speed play pedals. Would I be better served to have custom footbeds made for my shoes?

Assuming that there is no issues with the sizing or width of the shoe, the short answer is yes. What is likely to be happening is that your foot needs everting [raising the inside edge up ] to better spread the load. What is also possible but far less likely is that the foot needs inverting inside the shoe. A podiatrist with experience in cycling related problems will be able to determine which and prescribe a solution. One other thing to consider is lateral placement of the cleat. The Speedplay cleats mounted on the Look adaptor base plates that I assume you are using, can be moved across the shoe. Once you have seen the podiatrist, if the problem is diminished, but still present to some degree, moving the cleats towards the centre line of the shoe can limit the tendency to roll the foot to the outside if the problems is indeed lack of eversion.

I didn't mean to imply that stretching should take up 1/3 of your available training time, although for some people that proportion would be a great idea. People come to see me for two basic reasons. A substantial minority because someone has told them that they will perform better after being positioned but the majority because they have a problem. It may be anything from a persistent niggle to a chronic injury that is either caused or aggravated by cycling.

Hi I am a 100 mile a week sometimes racer, 34 yr old. A couple years ago I replaced my big ring from what seems to be the standard 53 to a 52. I was doing a crit with a little rise in the circuit and with the smaller front I was able to keep it in the big ring for the entire race. I still have the 52 on and never seem to need any more, even with a 12 on the back. I have been in race situations were the speed was up to 38mph on flats and still did not feel like I had spun the gears out. (no descents recently) My question is, is it more efficient, the same, or less efficient to pedal at the same rpm with a 52 as apposed to a 53. Is 53 the standard because it gives you the most efficient power at speed in the high gears. Does this make sense?

There is no appreciable difference in efficiency between the two choices. If you ever do a race with an extended downhill where you are just feeling spun-out, you might wish you had that extra tooth, but most of the time the 52 will be fine. What you've done is not particularly extreme. I used to place well in US Category 3 criteriums by riding a 44 in front for the whole race and shifting to a 53 for the last lap or two, and of course track racers will add or subtract a chainring tooth depending on the event, the competition and the chosen strategy for each race.

f this is your experience, it is hard to argue that this is not your experience. However what you say runs counter to my own experience to such a degree that I could not agree less. To take one example; grab a group of people with the same leg lengths and proportions of upper leg to lower leg. You will find that there is a variation in foot size and depending on the size of the group, it may well be a substantial difference. Additionally, there will be differences within each shoe size as to where the 1st metatarsal joint is relative to foot length. If we posit that they all place their cleats in the same relative relationship of foot over pedal, for instance, pick ball of foot over the pedal axle centre or any other relationship that you choose, we are left with the following situation.

What you describe is a common experience after Achilles tendon injuries. The key is to limit ankle movement to a range where you have really good control. The best way to do this is to set cleat position fore and aft as per the 'Cleat Position 1 & 2 ' posts on this page for July 26. Once this is done your problem should diminish to a large degree. If you are still feeling the cramps to some degree once you have changed cleat position, fit a 3mm spacer under your left cleat so that the left leg does not have to reach quite as far.

This is my first year of racing. For a couple of races I've borrowed a fellow club member's trainer for pre-race warm ups. But for about half my races I've just spun around the parking lot or staging area because I couldn't borrow the trainer. Is there a preferred type of trainer for pre-race warm ups? I've looked at the fluid, magnetic and wind trainers. Is it better to have externally adjusted vs. progressive resistance (or vice versa) for pre-race warm ups? I could be wrong, but I thought it looked like Lance was using a Mag+ trainer before the final ITT this year.

I would make any decision regarding the purchase of a trainer on factors such as road-like feel, noise, price, portability, etc. The advantage of a mag trainer is it is relatively quiet, which can be useful for training indoors if you live in an apartment, condo, or have others in the house. The disadvantage is they usually don't have as much of a road-like feel as a fluid trainer. Personally, I like to use rollers to warm up on before a race but they are less useful for hard indoor sessions than a regular trainer.

I just bought my first paid of road shoes and I'm not sure the fit is right. I bought them at TrekBikes.com and figured since I wear a 7 in every other kind of shoe (mountain shoe, high heel, tennis shoe, etc) that a 7 should do it for these as well. They feel SMALL. But I can't really tell until I ride in them - Right? But if I ride in them I can't send them back. Not sure what to do so I thought I'd ask. Please help.

I'm an 18 year old Cat. 3 road biker who began racing this year, but am looking to upgrade shortly so I want to hone my training. I was wondering what the most constructive way to spend my days riding are given that I have up to about 16 hours to train per week. I understand the concept of periodization on a macrocycle (a month for me) scale, but still have yet to master how to train each day of the week and how to link macrocycles (not microcycles) together in the build to create the mesocycles and how specificity of training plays into that.

I am a 36 year old male and ride approximately 400k total per week. about half of this mileage is commuting to work three days a week while the remainder is at a much more aggressive pace on weekend group rides and climbing intervals. On my commute days I get in 25 miles each way. Half is flat and half is rolling. I try not to get to sweaty riding in since facilities are limited, which means I'm riding at about a 65% H.R.. I have a few questions about commuting miles. First, although I might get in 50 miles in a day, what is the effect of splitting the mileage between the morning and the afternoon? Does this diminish the effectiveness of my training? Second, do you have any suggestions as to better utilize this time on the bike during the week? My average speed riding in is ± 19 mph, while riding home it might be 21-22 mph.

I recently read a lot, some of it at the cyclingnews.com and linked cycling sites such as 53x12, some in cycling magazines and online forums, on the benefits of high pedalling cadence. As I understand it, the two main benefits of high cadence may be the decreased amount of muscle (and joint) damage, and the ability to recruit more slow-twitch fibers, translating, in general, into better day-to-day recovery and, by implication, maybe even a longer cycling career.

I am 37, a recreational cyclist who typically rides 3 times a week for 1-1.5 hours, sometimes on pavements, sometimes on dirt roads, and once every two weeks for 4-6 hrs, mostly on dirt roads. I also do a lot of hiking and climbing as well as regular resistance exercise (4-5 times a week). I used to run ultramarathons, but I rarely run any more, since I find cycling both more enjoyable and easier on my joints.

In terms of cycling, I am not interested in competing either in road or MTB races, my main interest is touring. Once every couple of months I go on a road trip, bring my bike, and try to ride for several hours -- typically 3-4, but sometimes up to 8 hours every day for a week or so. This involves very low intensity efforts, my HR staying mostly at around 50% of my reserve HR (125-130)and only very rarely, if I hit a really nasty hill, getting to my lactate threshold (165-170).

My main challenge on these trips is to recover quickly from one day's ride to another. In addition to usual recovery and restorative techniques (nutrition, sleep, massage), I wonder whether increasing my pedalling cadence would be beneficial. I notice that on long rides my cadence tends to be lower than what I can maintain on 1 hr training rides, 60-70 (depending on terrain) as compared to 80-85. Given the low intensity of effort, is it likely that if I train to increase my cadence all the way to, say, 90-95, I will see any significant benefits in terms of recovery? Or are the benefits of higher cadence reserved mostly for the higher levels of intensity?