Cycling and Field Sports - Not Complementary?

fighterman

Howdy,

I have noticed a trend in the last couple of years whereby guys in teams that I have been involved with ( talking about Gaelic football) , during lulls in competitive activity and I guess as a mid-season focus, will go off and do a 50k cycle and train for that alongside their football training.

What I have then noticed happen on a couple of occasions is these same guys pulling their hamstrings during or shortly after the period when they were doing the two i.e the Gaelic football training and the cycling. Usually the hamstrings would be pulled in the classic going at full tilt shot in the back of leg type scenario.

Is it possible that by cycling they are shortening the hamstrings and so when they come back to the field they are more prone to a pull or tear?

I have also noticed once or twice over the years at the gym that if I vary my treadmill warm up ( which would normally be about 5 minutes or 1k distance at about 13 km/hr) to an exercise bike warm up of a 3k cycle say, then when I do my main exercise of 400m runs on the treadmill at 20 km/hr ( usually do 4) then where I would never ever get cramps post-treadmill warm up, I do get the wobbling of the calves that you know is the onset of a cramp where I do an exercise bike warm up

My gut feeling from experience is that the two exercises ( by that I mean cycling and any field sports with bouts of sprinting - soccer, Gaelic football, hurling, rugby (backline positions more so0 ) are not complementary at all and that anyone playing these team sports should avoid exercise bikes.

Does anyone know if or think there is any science behind my theory?

Yours inquisitively,
fighterman

fighterman

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/does-running-use-different-leg-muscles-than-cycling

Debate on the matter here. Seems to back up my theory

Why then do Premiership teams, I know Man United team do, begin their day with fifteen to twenty minutes on an exercise bike and then, when warmed up, head out for training ?

Surely the players are in a more injury-prone state ( more specifically the leg muscle area )following the exercise bike activity?

nice_guy80

tell that to Keith Raymond

http://keithraymondtrainingblog.blogspot.ie/

frostfright

I have heard that doing lots of cycling does shorten your hamstrings, dont have any science to back that up, but if you are cycling a lot having the right bike set up is very important from an injury prevention point, I would imagine doing lots of cycling would strenghten your quad muscles and leave your hamstrigs "neglected" so going into a sprint full tilt would be more lilkely to cause a hamstring pull? I think the former clare hurler Tony Griffin had bad hamstring trouble when he went back hurling after taking a year out to cycle across Canada.

fighterman

nice_guy80 wrote: »

tell that to Keith Raymond

http://keithraymondtrainingblog.blogspot.ie/

Interesting. He seems like a classic case of the kind of guy I was talking about in my opening post.

Has he had hamstring trouble? My opinion is that what he is doing is wrong and not complementary to the hurling.

Tony Griffin's cycle across Canada seemed to alter his body completely, both his shape from an external point of view and probably then his leg muscles internally. I think you are firing the leg muscles completely differently in the two activities.

I would posit that if I took ten guys, stuck them on an exercise bike for a 10k cycle, then told them on completion of the 10k cycle ( they should be well warmed up at this stage by Premier League team logic) to sprint 100m full tilt everything they've got, that at least one would pull a hamstring.

Would love to know if there's been studies on this.

nice_guy80

maybe ask on the cycling or triathlon forum?

Hanley

Your question is fundamentally flawed.

The issue is warm up specificity. You don't warm up for something by doing something else.

And the main issue as I see it would be tight hips leasing to hamstring issues.

And the argument can be made that adequate stretching and mobilization would prevent it.

metamorphosis

Hanley wrote: »

Your question is fundamentally flawed.

The issue is warm up specificity. You don't warm up for something by doing something else.

And the main issue as I see it would be tight hips leasing to hamstring issues.

And the argument can be made that adequate stretching and mobilization would prevent it.

Thank you ... Specificity of training applies to warm ups too ... Why people thnk a 5 min jog or cycle will do for anything training wise is beyond me

Take mountain biking ... For those that know, some mountain bike courses and races can be rough relying on the anaerobic system and fast twitch muscle fibers. But because Some people are afraid to making themselves tired for a short sharp race, they simply think that a 10 - 15 easy cycle is a sufficient warm up. In many cases, these people are the ones trailing behind, suffering because they haven't prepared their body for a rush of lactate and hydrogen. If they had incorporated some high intensity surges in their warm up, their body may be better prepared.

Like Hanley said, I'd think it's more to do with mobility and flexibility ths the root of causing injury here


Specificity is key, but not to say that training for both at the same time may lead to performance dropping on something else ... That's again, a maybe.

fighterman

I agree that very light warm ups are no use if the main event is going to be highly anaerobic and recruiting a lot of fast twitch fibres.

But even if I were to do a warm up on an exercise bike where I was going as fast as possible and thereby recruiting fast twitch fibres, I would still be nonetheless utilising different leg muscles ( and contracting the hamstring)

This comes back to my point about Man Utd warming up for their training day by spending fifteen minutes or so on an exercise bike.

I agree completely about warm up specificity. Surely yoga followed by dynamic stretching would be a better start to the day for Man Utd than an exercise which exercises the legs in a completely different way to the way football exercises the legs.

fighterman

Hanley wrote: »

The issue is warm up specificity. You don't warm up for something by doing something else.

I agree. So why do Man Utd ( and other Premier League teams ) do this? England rugby team used to ( possibly still do) have subs cycling exercise bikes in the five-ten minute period before they came on to the field.

Hanley

fighterman wrote: »

I agree that very light warm ups are no use if the main event is going to be highly anaerobic and recruiting a lot of fast twitch fibres.

But even if I were to do a warm up on an exercise bike where I was going as fast as possible and thereby recruiting fast twitch fibres, I would still be nonetheless utilising different leg muscles ( and contracting the hamstring)

This comes back to my point about Man Utd warming up for their training day by spending fifteen minutes or so on an exercise bike.

I agree completely about warm up specificity. Surely yoga followed by dynamic stretching would be a better start to the day for Man Utd than an exercise which exercises the legs in a completely different way to the way football exercises the legs.

You have this so ass backwards. Yoga doesn't "exercise the legs" in the same way as football either. So no, it would be no better by your logic.

Have you sat in on every man utd training sessions this season? If you haven't, you've no way of knowing what happens. My guess would be light cycle to wake the legs up after match/heavy training, low intensity movement drills, higher intensity dynamic drills, train properly. Which makes a lot of sense.

fighterman wrote: »

I agree. So why do Man Utd ( and other Premier League teams ) do this? England rugby team used to ( possibly still do) have subs cycling exercise bikes in the five-ten minute period before they came on to the field.

Maybe because their exercises scientists have specific reasons, as opposed to hypothesizing random ideas on the internet?

fighterman

Hanley wrote: »

You have this so ass backwards. Yoga doesn't "exercise the legs" in the same way as football either. So no, it would be no better by your logic.

I never implied it did. It is a thorough stretching of all muscles of the body, rather than an exercising of specific leg muscles.

Hanley wrote: »

Have you sat in on every man utd training sessions this season? If you haven't, you've no way of knowing what happens. My guess would be light cycle to wake the legs up after match/heavy training, low intensity movement drills, higher intensity dynamic drills, train properly. Which makes a lot of sense.

No, I haven't. I have read that a lot of Premier League teams begin the day on exercise bikes for fifteen minutes or so. You are completely surmising what the Utd session is and then praising the science behind your surmised training session.

Hanley wrote: »

Maybe because their exercises scientists have specific reasons, as opposed to hypothesizing random ideas on the internet?

I'm trying to find out what those specific reasons are, surely fora such as this should have an information-sharing aspect.

Hanley

fighterman wrote: »

I never implied it did. It is a thorough stretching of all muscles of the body, rather than an exercising of specific leg muscles.

If you're cycling correctly, you're engaging your hamstrings on the up stroke.

Stretching is nothing without stability, and could be argued flexibility/mobility without stability is actually dangerous (ie if you can't control end ranges of motion, are you more injury prone?)

And anyway, it's more than likely the glutes that are the problem. Which yoga will do sweet FA for anyway.

No, I haven't. I have read that a lot of Premier League teams begin the day on exercise bikes for fifteen minutes or so. You are completely surmising what the Utd session is and then praising the science behind your surmised training session.

You've "read it". There's a lot of misinformation out there about EVERYTHING. I've read Ronnie Coleman trained a certain way for the Olympia, the way he actually trained is very different.

I'm summarising because it's a lot more likely to be as I stated - remember, these are a team of professional sports men and exercise performance specialists. If some random gym owner from Ireland can be smart enough not to jump straight from an exercise bike to high intensity interval training, I'm sure these guys are a bit ahead of even that.

I'm trying to find out what those specific reasons are, surely fora such as this should have an information-sharing aspect.

I'm sure there is, but there's no premiership S&C coaches here. There's some Irish dudes who work with teams, so it'll be interesting to see what they come up with, but from talking to some guys in the know, I'm fairly on track with this one.

Thud

this is a simple explanation on why teams use them:
"They represent a low impact way for replacements to warm up on the sidelines ahead of entering the action, while also allowing replaced players to warm down."
http://www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk/news/7834.php

most NFL team use them as well:
https://www.google.com/search?q=nfl+exercise+bike&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=r6SjUNGCBe_64QSBuoHwDQ&biw=1193&bih=562&sei=saSjUOuSDrDO4QTh0YH4BA

i see where you are coming from but theres probably a difference between using them as a warm up aid and cycling 50k daily

Hanley

Thud wrote: »

this is a simple explanation on why teams use them:
"They represent a low impact way for replacements to warm up on the sidelines ahead of entering the action, while also allowing replaced players to warm down."
http://www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk/news/7834.php

most NFL team use them as well:
https://www.google.com/search?q=nfl+exercise+bike&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=r6SjUNGCBe_64QSBuoHwDQ&biw=1193&bih=562&sei=saSjUOuSDrDO4QTh0YH4BA

i see where you are coming from but theres probably a difference between using them as a warm up aid and cycling 50k daily

THANK YOU.

I really don't get how this isn't making sense to people.

cc87

The cycling is a tiny part of their warmup......its just a really convenient manner as the bikes are easily transported and operated

As for cycling on the sideline......that would barely be considered a warmup. There is the main warmup pre-match and the subs are keeping "warm" the whole time throughout the match by doing sport specific movements and drills.

Will Heffernan

fighterman wrote: »

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/does-running-use-different-leg-muscles-than-cycling

Debate on the matter here. Seems to back up my theory

That's like a lot of the 'debate' here...as in just a lot of peoples personal opinions which is grand. The issue with that is you get a lot of people postulating about a subject based on a data pool of one. The same as we have here....i.e. 'Crossfit is awesome as I do crossfit and I am awesome'....'I only eat paleo and I am like totally shredded...I can't understand why the whole world doesn't just eat scotch fillet steak like I do'....you know...that sort of thing.

In reality and in brief...there have been heaps of studies and if people are really interested I can post some but I know the majority of people aren't actually interested...so instead I will just tell you and give you something to think about....professional triathletes as a whole report less injuries per competitor than professional runners, professional cyclists and or professional swimmers even though professional triathletes spend almost as much time cycling as pro cyclists, almost as much time running as professional runners and almost as much time swimming as professional swimmers.

So in actuality cycling and running tend to lead to more 'balanced' development in that running is more hamstring dominant and cycling more quadricep dominant.

The rate of injuries in GAA is for other reasons and if someone wants to start a thread on that I'd be happy to tell you why...because some of the training done in GAA is retardo extremo as they say in latin and has absolutely bugger all to do with the fact that guys happen to be cycling in the off season.

Why then do Premiership teams, I know Man United team do, begin their day with fifteen to twenty minutes on an exercise bike and then, when warmed up, head out for training ?

Surely the players are in a more injury-prone state ( more specifically the leg muscle area )following the exercise bike activity?

It is just a systemic warm up done before more specific work takes place...simple as that.

nice_guy80

as somebody said - every sport has different warm ups and mobilisation methods

you don't see the majority of these, unless you are in the stadium very early and watch it live, or can go to the indoor warm up areas often located beside dressing rooms

Brian?

Will Heffernan wrote: »

It is just a systemic warm up done before more specific work takes place...simple as that.

By systemic do you just mean getting the heart rate up and basically blowing the cob webs off?

I'd be interested to know what you think a good warm up for cycling is. That's not a joke.

Will Heffernan

Brian? wrote: »

By systemic do you just mean getting the heart rate up and basically blowing the cob webs off?

I'd be interested to know what you think a good warm up for cycling is. That's not a joke.

As with anything here...as far as I am concerned the more specific the questions the more specific the answer.

What are we warming up for...BMX, downhill, cross country, road racing or the track and if it'd the track then what race?

The type, duration and intensity of your warm up depends on what factors you are trying to influence. Metabolic factors? Muscle oxygenation? Aerobic, anaerobic-glycolytic and phosphocreatine energy provision? Muscular factors like endurance, strength and power?

Or can I just say...it depends?

Brian?

Will Heffernan wrote: »

As with anything here...as far as I am concerned the more specific the questions the more specific the answer.

What are we warming up for...BMX, downhill, cross country, road racing or the track and if it'd the track then what race?

The type, duration and intensity of your warm up depends on what factors you are trying to influence. Metabolic factors? Muscle oxygenation? Aerobic, anaerobic-glycolytic and phosphocreatine energy provision? Muscular factors like endurance, strength and power?

Or can I just say...it depends?

Say an 80km spin that will be done mostly on flat road with 7-8km of climbing. The climbing would have my heart rate at 90% or so and the flat sections around 80%. The climbing would be in the middle.

My problem is I struggle for the first 20km of every spin. I would like to change that. By the time I hit the climbs I'm grand.

Specific enough?

Will Heffernan

Brian? wrote: »

Say an 80km spin that will be done mostly on flat road with 7-8km of climbing. The climbing would have my heart rate at 90% or so and the flat sections around 80%. The climbing would be in the middle.

My problem is I struggle for the first 20km of every spin. I would like to change that. By the time I hit the climbs I'm grand.

Specific enough?

Oh...in that case I have no idea.

Will Heffernan

Brian? wrote: »

Say an 80km spin that will be done mostly on flat road with 7-8km of climbing. The climbing would have my heart rate at 90% or so and the flat sections around 80%. The climbing would be in the middle.

My problem is I struggle for the first 20km of every spin. I would like to change that. By the time I hit the climbs I'm grand.

Specific enough?

Are we talking about an 80km race? Or are you just saying that it takes you 20km to get into it? Because I was going to suggest that maybe you do a 20km warm up to get up to speed both muscularly and metabolically.

It is pretty standard for pro cyclists to do more than 20km just in the first part of their warm up....before they really get stuck in. I've a friend who's a coach with a pro team in Belgium who said there normal warm up is an hour plus.

So if I am interrupting what I am reading here correctly you are just saying it takes you 20km's to get up to speed? What I suggest is that you do 20km's before doing the first 20km's of your ride

fighterman

Cheers for the responses guys

I had no science to back up my theory, I was going more on my own gut feeling and the reactions of my own body over the last twenty or so years playing sports and noticing other players experiences

I probably overestimated the effect of the cycling warm up and ye're probably right in that it's more than likely light enough, but I would still be curious to hear the likes of Will Heffernan and Hanley's view on what the guy Keith Raymond ( his website is in one of the earlier posts) is doing i.e seems to be doing a heavy cycling programme alongside playing inter-county hurling.

Can the two be complementary? Because one could argue that Tony Griffin ( a Clare hurler who cycled across Canada for charity) was never quite the same hurler post-cycle.

Thanks again

Will Heffernan

fighterman wrote: »

Cheers for the responses guys

No problemo.

I had no science to back up my theory, I was going more on my own gut feeling and the reactions of my own body over the last twenty or so years playing sports and noticing other players experiences

As I was saying to another poster...you don't have to justify or defend your opinions...if someone disagrees with you it is their job to persuade you or convince you of their alternate view.

I probably overestimated the effect of the cycling warm up and ye're probably right in that it's more than likely light enough, but I would still be curious to hear the likes of Will Heffernan and Hanley's view on what the guy Keith Raymond ( his website is in one of the earlier posts) is doing i.e seems to be doing a heavy cycling programme alongside playing inter-county hurling.

I am not sure what you are asking?

Are you saying that you think cycling may inhibit his hurling performance? Like I said in an earlier post...done properly cycling and running compliment each other very well. Like weight training and running or boxing and bjj...done properly there's absolutely no problem with it.

Can the two be complementary?

I should of read this post all the way through.

In short yes, they are complimentary I will say though don't take me saying that as a recommendation...I would also say that swimming and hurling are complimentary or rollerblading and hurling or weight training and hurling. Simply exposing your body to more work but less stress is good...does that make sense?

Because one could argue that Tony Griffin ( a Clare hurler who cycled across Canada for charity) was never quite the same hurler post-cycle.

OK...I will say that I wouldn't recommend riding across Canada and hurling....but I wouldn't recommend running across America and hurling or competing in the Worlds Strongest Man series and hurling either...but that is not to say that cycling, running and weight/implement training are not complimentary to hurling.

Thanks again

Did I miss the first thank you?

fighterman

Will Heffernan wrote: »

Are you saying that you think cycling may inhibit his hurling performance?

Yes, but that's not a 100% yes.

He will, I think ( not a cycling expert) be primarily recruiting slow twitch fibres in those long cycles. Fast twitch fibres would be recruited only in sprint cycling, like a 5k time trial around a town say. For a field sport like hurling you invoke fast twitch fibres for the explosive movements the game requires. In the same way that consistent even-paced running like marathons deadens the legs to an extent and reduces the explosive potential of the legs.

Will Heffernan

fighterman wrote: »

Yes, but that's not a 100% yes.

You need to plant your feet in the ground...I am swinging and try to land on target but you keep on moving.

He will, I think ( not a cycling expert) be primarily recruiting slow twitch fibres in those long cycles. Fast twitch fibres would be recruited only in sprint cycling, like a 5k time trial around a town say. For a field sport like hurling you invoke fast twitch fibres for the explosive movements the game requires. In the same way that consistent even-paced running like marathons deadens the legs to an extent and reduces the explosive potential of the legs.

Yeah...now I get what you are saying...much easier now.

Yes, you are completely wrong and your assumptions and statements are completely incorrect.

Is that it? Got any more for me?

Will Heffernan

fighterman wrote: »

I think ( not a cycling expert) be primarily recruiting slow twitch fibres in those long cycles.

I don't think people cycle like that? That it is not necessary to cycle like that. I ride a tonne now and have a beep test 4 times a year and spend much of my day running, sprinting etc. On a personal note cycling on the road and mountain biking have helped a heap.
I don't do huge rides....usually anything from 30-90 mins and everything in between...some nice and easy out on the road and some super intense mountain biking...when I am out spinning my wheels...the type of ride like the one you describe above...i.e. the long slow ride that you say recruits slow twitch fibres...I am not worried about the fact that it is recruiting slow twitch fibres...as I also walk to work a lot...I spend my working day walking...it's all slow twitch you know. On that note...you know Usain Bolt? He doesn't get carried around in a chair when he isn't training and racing...he walks to and from training and I bet he spends a big part of his day walking to Mc Donald's to buy chicken nuggets and walking around shopping malls buying bling. What I get out of my longer rides is improved cardio pulmonary function, increase enzyme concentrations, increased capillary density and on and on I could go. You can't look at training in isolation and pick out a single factor...you need to look at it as an entire endeavour...the harder rides and mountain biking is more interval like...hard climbs...quad burning descents out of the saddle...again I could list a huge number of physiological elements that this improves. In short...cycling has a huge number of muscular and metabolic benefits.

Fast twitch fibres would be recruited only in sprint cycling, like a 5k time trial around a town say.

As would hard fast climbs and would long hard climbs.

For a field sport like hurling you invoke fast twitch fibres for the explosive movements the game requires.

Yes, but do you know why there hasn't been a huge cross over of Olympic Weightlifters into hurling? Because repeated fast sprints and accelerations are important in hurling and do you want to take a guess what physiological capacities separate elite level hurlers from club players?

Say you measured a top county hurler and a club player over say 10m...I bet I could actually find club players as fast if not faster....but if I had them finish that first sprint and walk back to the start...had them get set again...gave them 2 seconds recovery and had them do it again....and the again....and then again....and then again....say after 10 of them...who do you think would be faster? What about after 20? 50? Would the club player even be still in the test...what about after 100? 100 sounds a lot...but that's only 1km? What capacity do you think is the most important now? What capacity do you think separates top county players from club players? It isn't fast twitch fibres?

In the same way that consistent even-paced running like marathons deadens the legs to an extent and reduces the explosive potential of the legs.

If you want to start a thread on the whether running 42km a day impacts hurling I would be happy to give you my opinion on that as well.

Running marathons everyday during the offseason and doing cycling are not same.

Anyway....I've tried to keep this brief but if you want to discuss it in more detail I am happy to.

Brian?

Will Heffernan wrote: »

Are we talking about an 80km race? Or are you just saying that it takes you 20km to get into it? Because I was going to suggest that maybe you do a 20km warm up to get up to speed both muscularly and metabolically.

It is pretty standard for pro cyclists to do more than 20km just in the first part of their warm up....before they really get stuck in. I've a friend who's a coach with a pro team in Belgium who said there normal warm up is an hour plus.

So if I am interrupting what I am reading here correctly you are just saying it takes you 20km's to get up to speed? What I suggest is that you do 20km's before doing the first 20km's of your ride

I know what you mean. I'm warming up for cycling by cycling now. I was just wondering if you had a novel suggestion that might get me motoring a little better. Cycling is the one thing that doesn't hurt my knee so I have been doing a lot of it and I'm sick of being grumpy for the first 40mins.

Maybe I'll do some sprints in the first few Kms today and see if that changes anything.

Brian?

Brian? wrote: »

I know what you mean. I'm warming up for cycling by cycling now. I was just wondering if you had a novel suggestion that might get me motoring a little better. Cycling is the one thing that doesn't hurt my knee so I have been doing a lot of it and I'm sick of being grumpy for the first 40mins.

Maybe I'll do some sprints in the first few Kms today and see if that changes anything.

Apparently the answer is caffeine and sprinting for traffic lights, in case anyone cares.

Will Heffernan

Good work Brian.

I am a big fan of stimulants.

I am also a fan of riding at a pretty high cadence...75rpm and above for at least the first 10 mins of my ride...I am usually in the 80-90rpm range early on. I find this helps a lot...I think a lot of people tend to push to heavier a gear to early on in their ride and it just takes too much out of their legs...it's like just jumping into weights and just cracking on with your works sets right from the get go....sure you can do it....sure you can get away with it BUT it's not the best way to do it and sooner or later it'll catch up with you.

Plastik

75 would not be considered a high cadence on the bike. 100 isn't even anything amazing, 110 though and you're in the high bracket.

Will Heffernan

Plastik wrote: »

75 would not be considered a high cadence on the bike. 100 isn't even anything amazing, 110 though and you're in the high bracket.

I take it back then...in that case I do 167rpm...because all I want to do is to be amazing

Where do you suggest we put the cut off for high cadence then?

I usually spin along at around 80-90rpm. I would of thought for someone that was not a 'cyclist' per se that 80-90rpm is a 'pretty high cadence'?

Will Heffernan

Also...as with everything...it is dependent on perspective...80-90rpm is a very high cadence for an 'older' individual such as myself.

Younger cyclists tend to ride at a higher cadence than older cyclist. This is true even amongst the pro's.

Brian?

Will Heffernan wrote: »

Good work Brian.

Why thank you.

I am a big fan of stimulants.

To me caffeine is a double edge sword. The right amount is great but too much and I'm off to the jacks. I'm sure you're delighted with that info. If you want caffeine for cycling i highly recommend these bullets of deliciousness.

http://www.powerbar.com/products/236/powerbar-energy-blasts-gel-filled-chews.aspx

I am also a fan of riding at a pretty high cadence...75rpm and above for at least the first 10 mins of my ride...I am usually in the 80-90rpm range early on. I find this helps a lot...I think a lot of people tend to push to heavier a gear to early on in their ride and it just takes too much out of their legs...it's like just jumping into weights and just cracking on with your works sets right from the get go....sure you can do it....sure you can get away with it BUT it's not the best way to do it and sooner or later it'll catch up with you.

Most cyclists wouldn't consider 75rpm high cadence, as pointed out. To me anything over 85 is high. They look down on that as well. Bastards. The thing I've learned about proper cyclists is they have a lot of entrenched training beliefs and woe betide you if you question them.

I don't think it was so much the higher cadence that did the trick for me, it was the max effort bursts. 2 or 3 of them and I was happy as larry.

cc87

Brian? wrote: »

I know what you mean. I'm warming up for cycling by cycling now. I was just wondering if you had a novel suggestion that might get me motoring a little better. Cycling is the one thing that doesn't hurt my knee so I have been doing a lot of it and I'm sick of being grumpy for the first 40mins.

Maybe I'll do some sprints in the first few Kms today and see if that changes anything.

Doesnt doing intervals like that have some effect along the lines of increasing blood glucose levels.....or am i way off?? As opposed to just easing into a cycle gradually

Isnt it a strategy that some long distance runners use at the beginning of races??

Brian?

cc87 wrote: »

Doesnt doing intervals like that have some effect along the lines of increasing blood glucose levels.....or am i way off?? As opposed to just easing into a cycle gradually

Isnt it a strategy that some long distance runners use at the beginning of races??

Is it? I must fire up the google machine and look into that. My knowledge of training for endurance sports in poor.