Fitness questions and answers for December 15, 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. Due to the volume of questions we receive, we regret that we are unable to answer them all.

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 recently switched to full on 8-5pm office hours. I live in Salt Lake City and day light here in the winter is non existent after 5pm. I am a 6-3 200lb male. I do a little racing and a lot of mtn biking both downhill and cross country. I just want to be doing the most effective fitness workouts possible. I have a Blackburn magnetic trainer. how does a brother stay fit riding this thing in his garage in the winter?

Omega-3 fatty acids are "good oil" when it comes to lowering cardiovascular disease risk, but may be snake oil with regard to athletic performance. The term "omega-3" (also referred to as n3) has to do with the chemical structure of the fatty acids. Because omega-3 fatty acids cannot be synthesized in the body, they are called "essential fatty acids." Dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids include fatty fish, walnuts, flaxseed, and canola oil. Eicosapentenoic acid (EPA) and docohexenoic acid (DHA) are the most common omega-3 fatty acids in the diet; purified EPA and DHA are also sold as dietary supplements. Regular consumption of omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by lowering serum cholesterol and triglycerides and by reducing inflammation in the lining of the blood vessels.

A simple question relating to frame size. When choosing a frame, is it better to buy the smaller of the two bikes you can fit and use longer controls (stem, post) or get the largest size that fits without being too big? Case in point: I'm 6'1" with a 33" inseam, a relatively long torso, 189lbs and a cat 3 road racer. I prescribe to the "long as possible" on the bike concept of fit. I'm currently on a compact 58cm Klein that has a 58.5cm TT, and using a 120/-6 stem. I feel great on the bike in all riding conditions, but I'm upgrading to a Trek 5.9 frame and want to maintain the same overall feel on the bike. The 60cm Trek (that Trek measures center to top of the seat collar) has the top tube length I want, but obviously is much taller than my current ride. Is it smarter to go with the shorter and smaller 58cm Trek frame and use a longer stem (130) since it's what I'm "used" to? or do I go with the bike that technically fits me?

First and foremost, thank you for your reply! I can't tell you how impressed I am with Cycling news and the speed of your response! Regarding your comments, I have to go with a new post since the Trek uses a different size (27.2 vs. 31.6). I was using the FSA K-Force Lite post on the Klein which has a fairly extensive setback, and on the Trek will be using a XXX Lite post, which is a zero offset post. I know this has the effect of shortening my riding compartment by eliminating the setback, but hopefully will help with the more relaxed Trek seat angle. The bottom line is I feel comfortable in my decision on the size frame I ordered (which should be arriving today!). Thanks again for your help Steve! Any other comments you have would be appreciated.

The simple solution is to stick with an FSA K -Force post in 27.2mm with the new bike. That way all you have to do is as described yesterday. The K - Force has potential for 22mm more rearward offset than a Campag or Shimano post and so effectively slackens the seat tube angle. With the zero offset post you plan to use, the positional change is going to be a LOT more than the half a degree difference in seat tube angles. I have assumed that you want to maintain the same body position based on what you said in your previous mail. If not, go for it; if so, stick with a 27.2 mm K - Force.

I recently had orthotics put into my shoes to deal with supernated joints (problems with ankle function) and to balance out a leg length differential. Prior to this I kept my saddle dead level, using a spirit level when changing fore/aft. Now, when level it feels like I am falling forwards and so I have had to raise the nose up. Presumably this is all down to some change in balance / leg function related to the orthotics. I raised my saddle slightly (2-3mm) as the orthotics raise both heels by at least that to cover the sideways adjustments.

I am 41 year old female cyclist who rides around 250km a week. Just had my recent dental check up and I told my dentist I drank Gatorade during cycling. He quickly advised me that it wasn't a good thing to do as the drink is full of sugar and would effect the health of my teeth. He advised me to drink mineral water or just plain water. What I want to know is what is a "good for you' sports drink that doesn't have too much of an adverse effect on ones teeth due to sugar levels? (I drink Gatorade for the rehydration and energy benefits.)

Given the significant amount of riding that you are doing, you should definitely be consuming some carbohydrate and electrolytes while you ride, as well as water. My dentist told me that the sort of bacteria that eat sucrose (the sugar in Gatorade) and attack your teeth work much faster than the sort that eat more complex carbohydrates and attack your teeth. If you are really worried about your teeth, you might consider eating whole grain bread or fruit with water instead of taking Gatorade. On the other hand, even the sucrose-eating bacteria don't work instantly. Ask you dentist if it would be okay to drink Gatorade and then brush as soon as you get home.