Fitness questions and answers for January 9, 2005

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've been riding a lot lately and I have been developing a small bump in the crease of my groin area. I have thought that this could possible be a saddle sore but I have always thought a saddle sore was just a blister in a really uncomfortable place - but this seems to be a harder mass than a blister. This happened last season as well but was not as uncomfortable. After about 45 minutes to an hour is when it is at its most uncomfortable. I have tried Vaseline and I think that it might have helped a bit but I am wondering if there are any other solutions out there? And what exactly is a saddle sore? There are lots of bike guys I could ask but I was wondering if there is a female that may be experiencing the same thing that could give me some advice. Less biking is one solution that I am not willing to do. Thanks for all your help.

1. Find a bike seat that fits you well. Look for one at a bike shop that will allow you to try out the seat and return it if it doesn't feel right.
2. Always wear clean bike shorts.
3. Invest in good bike shorts. They will be made with better materials, have more attention to seam placement, and will usually last a very long time. For the money you'll save with "budget" bike shorts now, you'll pay in many other ways.
4. Lubricate your chamois with a cream to help reduce chafing; Chamois Butter, Bag Balm, and Assos Cream are all common ones. Some people get by just fine with Vaseline. Apply the cream to your groin area as well as a thin layer to the chamois itself to soften it up.
5. Make sure your shorts fit well. If your shorts are too baggy, there may be extra material that could bunch up and can increase chafing.
6. Have at least a couple of different bike shorts with slightly different chamois or seam placements. That way, if you get a sore from one, you still may be able to ride in another pair which doesn't have a seam in the same spot.
7. Get out of your shorts right away after you're done with a ride. Wash your groin area right away as well. If you've got an open abrasion, apply a topical ointment to it to prevent infection.
8. If you get a sore that is particularly bad, it's probably worth taking a day or two off the bike to let the healing process begin; otherwise, you may just prolong the agony and ultimately suffer more for it.

From a purely female perspective, what I have found over the years, and heard from other female cyclists, is that just because something is "women's specific" doesn't mean it's specific for you. Just because a saddle is "made for a woman" doesn't mean it's going to fit you. I know plenty of female cyclists who are far more comfortable on a "men's" saddle - I also know a few men who are pretty comfortable on a "women's" saddle but are loathed to admit it. The same goes for women's shorts. Some shorts makers have come up with a woman's chamois that is absolutely huge - apparently to fit our different anatomy. Unfortunately, that can end up feeling like a diaper to many women. Going back to #4 above, if your chamois is bunching up, it can create more friction and actually make things worse. So take the time to try on a number of shorts to find what fits for you. Try on some men's shorts too; they may fit your body better.

Finally, in regard to your particular situation, it sounds like you may have developed a cyst, which can sometimes arise from untreated saddle sores. These usually won't go away on their own, so you should go see your doctor to see if antibiotics can help or if you need to have it surgically removed. The best way to avoid these cysts or abscesses from developing out of saddle sores is to follow the instructions noted above.

I have a question that I haven't seen addressed in this column, or in much detail in any sports-oriented writings. I am a competitive female cyclist (cat. 3) and I have been taking oral contraceptives for the past five years. I began taking them before I began cycling or became active at all. I plan to continue using hormonal contraceptives because of their high rate of effectiveness. However, I am beginning to wonder whether they may be detrimental to my performance on the bike.

I can't address this question as a scientific authority, but can share my coaching experience, which is that at least some types of hormonal contraceptives can have a large negative impact on racing. A female client of mine who was an excellent sprinter with the killer instinct of a tiger turned into an emotional pussy-cat shortly after starting on the pill. Suddenly she couldn't engage emotionally for the sprint.

Thanks for the quick response. Since I've been on the pill longer than I've been training and racing I haven't had any major emotional shift that's interfered with my ability to be competitive, win races, and upgrade. Of all the aspects of my cycling, the ability to emotionally engage during a race is the one that I am most confident in. I'm wondering more about the physical side of things; for example, I'm a little stocky to start with (the proverbial brick shithouse sprinter), and before I began taking the pill I was able to lose weight with a little bit of diligence and exercise.

But these days I notice that while I definitely seem to tone and tighten up as the season progresses, I don't actually lose weight no matter what dietary changes I make and how careful I am about monitoring my food intake and expenditures. I was also wondering whether hormonal birth control can affect overall heart rate levels, oxygen consumption, fatigue, ability to gain lean muscle mass & maintain an athletic body composition, etc. Thanks for the help!

As a result of not recovering from a crash back in September my specialist has told me I need to have an Arthroscopic Subacromial Decompression operation on my shoulder, to clean a bone spur which is prodding a tendon in my shoulder. Any idea (approximate) how long after the operation I can get back on bike. If its going to be two months or more will I lose all of my current fitness levels or will training right up to the op be 'money in the bank' so to speak ?