Fitness questions and answers for October 3, 2007

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.

Jon Heidemann (www.peaktopeaktraining.com) is a USAC Elite Certified cycling coach with a BA in Health Sciences from the University of Wyoming. The 2001 Masters National Road Champion has competed at the Elite level nationally and internationally for over 14 years. As co-owner of Peak to Peak Training Systems, Jon has helped athletes of all ages earn over 84 podium medals at National & World Championship events during the past 8 years.

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.

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.

Michael Smartt (www.wholeathlete.com) is an Associate Coach with Whole Athlete™. He holds a Masters degree in exercise physiology, is a USA Cycling Level I (Elite) Coach and is certified by the NSCA (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist). Michael has more than 10 years competitive experience, primarily on the road, but also in cross and mountain biking. He is currently focused on coaching road cyclists from Jr. to elite levels, but also advises triathletes and Paralympians. Michael is a strong advocate of training with power and has over 5 years experience with the use and analysis of power meters. Michael also spent the 2007 season as the Team Coach for the Value Act Capital Women's Cycling Team.

I am a 38 year old Ironman distance triathlete. I also do the odd road race and criterium. I have written before about cleat position and after following the advice am now fully comfortable on the bike. Thank you. For the last four seasons I have suffered from a very tight right hip flexor. Physio, osteopathy and ultimately cortisone offered temporary relief but did not solve it. Last week I had an impacted wisdom tooth removed. I have returned to training and my hip seems to be much freer. Has anyone else experienced this?

For the past year, I've been riding with a slightly lowered seat (1-2 cm) to deal with some mild medial knee pain, which went away. But could the change in seat height have contributed to increased tightness in my achilles and hamstrings? I've never been especially flexible, despite stretching regularly. For what it's worth, I use adistar shoes with minimal insoles. Also, I've also noticed some cramping in my calves during longer races. My MTP joint is essentially over the pedal spindle, which is as far back as the cleat will go on this shoe.

The best program for you will depend on far too many factors for anyone to answer your question as you have posed it. The best program depends on on your experience, your injury history, your racing category, your available time, your load of stresses other than cycling and even your muscle type. If you want someone to tell you the best program, you'll need to work directly with a coach who can question you on these topics and then work with you to craft a program. If that is too much commitment up front, there are several good books available that will help you make a training plan.

Is there any information out there anywhere regarding female athletes and menopause? Specifically, how it affects athletic performance, and what could help a female athlete going through this stage maintain energy levels, stamina and strength? How does one combat the weight gain when one is already riding 150-300miles per week, and/or how do you fuel for those long rides when you're trying not to let the weight gain take over?

Hi, I am a 24 year-old, 5'9" Cat. II racer currently riding a Scott CR1 54cm wiith a Ritchey WCS 120mm stem and 172.5 crank. I have my bars slammed down as low as they can go and my Ritchey WCS seat set back in a comfortable but rearward position so as to get my back as flat as possible while racing. It is aggressive, but I think I can create an even more aggressive position since I am extremely flexible. My question is, can a person interested in getting a serious racing position go to a smaller frame (say a 52cm) with even more stretched out components (130mm stem) like the Pro's I see on TV ride? Weight savings and a lower profile are a bonus but what would be the drawbacks if any?

You are right that a smaller frame can be stiffer and lighter, and yes, it is possible for a frame to be too small, but that doesn't mean you should not try a smaller frame. As the top tube gets shorter and the stem gets longer, a larger fraction of your weight will be on the front wheel. That affects how the bike handles. Setting the saddle farther back rather than simply getting a longer stem and keeping the relationship of the saddle to the bottom-bracket the same decreases weight on the front wheel and affects handling again. Go out and try a 52 cm bike that has been set up for you with an appropriate stem and see how it corners and sprints. If you like the ride, by all means buy the bike. Remember that frame geometry also affects handling though, so the fact that one brand's 52 rides great for you doesn't mean that all 52s will feel as good.