Structural Maintenance: Good Plan, Better Body, Best Athlete:

Continuing our  “Good Plan, Better Body, Best Athlete” series, this month’s article focuses on structural maintenance, specifically the benefits of massage and chiropractic care. As an athlete you can get a lot of benefits from regular massage including improved blood flow to muscles, improvement in nutrient absorption, clearing metabolic waste, reducing muscle and connective tissue tension, improving elasticity and stress relief. Chiropractic adjustments keep the body’s skeletal system properly aligned, greatly reducing the postural issues that are so common amongst cyclists. Endurance athletes in general are especially good candidates for massage and chiropractic adjustment, due to the long and repetitive training hours they put in week after week throughout the year. Because of the long hours required for endurance sports, recovery often falls by the wayside but, it is absolutely essential for improvement, performance and injury prevention throughout the year.   What all that actually means: -Improved Blood Flow / Nutrient Absorption / Clearing Waste Tight muscles restrict blood flow to those fibers, which reduces oxygen and nutrient supply to the muscles as well as the removal of waste products that are produced during exercise. In addition to simply feeling sore this also means your body’s efficiency during exercise is greatly reduced because your muscles are not receiving the fuel they need in order to perform. Deep Tissue or Sports Massage restores blood flow by pushing the blood back to the heart and stretching out that tightened tissue that is restricting blood flow restrict the returning blood flow. As tight muscle fibers relax the blood can now flow freely throughout, bringing in oxygen and nutrients and carrying the waste out. -Reduced Tension and Increased Elasticity Tension is due in part to waste build-up from lactic acid and also to tight muscles because of the fixed posture that is held during cycling. Muscles will shorten over time if they are not used in their full range of motion and the cycling posture is very restrictive (see last month’s article on stretching for more on this) Massage stretches out, not only the muscles themselves, but the connective tissue that surrounds them. Known as fascia, this connective tissue surrounds muscle fiber and bodies as well as muscle groups almost like seran wrap throughout the body. When the body isn’t properly stretched and hydrated, fascia begins to shrink and bind resulting in “tight spots”. -Cortisol  (the “stress hormone”) Your body needs to be stressed to make performance gains but it also needs rest in order to ultimately achieve those gains. Intense training without proper rest can result in elevated levels of Cortisol.  Cortisol causes your body to release stored carbohydrates and fats for immediate use enabling you to use all your body’s energy in one go. Cortisol can make you feel tired, rundown and moody, even after a day of rest.  It is one of the hormones responsible for the “fight or flight” response our bodies undergo when placed in high-stress situations. Whether it’s an important job interview, race, or being chased by a pack of rabid dogs, the response is the same. In small doses this is a good thing. If your body is unable to lower the cortisol and it continues to build however, the results can be disastrous from a training and performance perspective.  It has also been linked to reduced immune system function. Literally making you sick and tired through overtraining. Massage stimulates the parasympathetic response, the opposite of  “fight or flight” and has been shown to reduce cortisol levels. John Engelbrecht, D.C., is a chiropractor, cyclist, and triathlete in Tallahassee.  His practice, Engelbrecht Chiropractic & Rehabilitation can be found on the web at doctorjohndc.com and by phone (850)668-7062. As a chiropractor, he has treated a number of cyclists from serious competitors to recreational riders and has found they all have common issues related to their sport. Here’s what he says about back pain and the benefits of regular adjustments: “As a cyclist we’ve all experienced that nagging pain between the shoulder blades and the tightness that goes along with it.  Maybe you are training for a triathlon and are logging hours in the aerobars.  Maybe you are trying out new hand positions on your handlebars or did a long pull at the front of the pack.  Either way, there is nothing quite like that annoyance. Fortunately, chiropractic adjustments can help to relieve those symptoms in as little as 5 minutes.  The thoracic spine, or midback, provides the structural support for our upper body and shoulder regions.  When we stress that region through our various cycling activities, oftentimes the spine becomes misaligned and the supporting musculature tightens and spasms to protect the area.  A simple and painless chiropractic adjustment to the misaligned thoracic vertebra can eliminate that pain and offer immediate relief.  Regular maintenance adjustments during your peak training months can also help prevent that pain from occurring at all.  Adding regular chiropractic adjustments to your training regimen leads to happier, more comfortable training and a better race day performance.” Whether you’re training for a weekend crit or the Tour de France, receiving regular maintenance anywhere from once a month to once a week (pre and/or post event) can greatly enhance recovery and improve performance.  Just like your bike, your body needs regular “tune-ups” in order to continue functioning at it’s best.  Make sure your therapist is qualified to do the work you need, specializing in Sports Massage or Deep Tissue. Communicate your needs before the session begins and during don’t hesitate to ask your therapist and/or doctor to spend a little more time on a particular spot if you feel you need it. Your therapist and/or doctor will appreciate the feedback as it will help them give you the best treatment possible.

Stretching: Good Plan, Better Body, Best Athlete

In recent years a very heavy focus has been put on recovery and training.  With that the focus has become more and more prevalent in endurance sports as well.  Whether it is a post exercise drink, compression socks or the latest pill designed to aid recovery many will spend whatever it takes.  All money aside, an often neglected aspects of recovery is stretching.  We know that after a long ride, run or swim all you want to do is eat, get cleaned up and relax. While this is all good, adding a short stretching routine to your post-ride ritual can go a long way towards aiding recovery, preventing injury and maybe even gaining a little power on your next ride. The goal in stretching is to counteract the cycling posture and limited range of motion in the pedal stroke. If your muscles are not being used in their full range of motion they will shorten and become tight. That’s why often at the end of a long ride it can take a little effort to stand upright or bend your legs fully. By stretching them back out they retain their full range of motion.   The Benefits: Our bodies are designed to move in a full range of motion. On the bike, we are confined to a very limited range of motion: the upper body is bent forward and moves very little while the legs never fully extend or contract during the pedal stroke and so the muscles are shorter (“tighter”) than when you started. Just like the spokes on a wheel the musculature of the human body keeps us upright and functional through counter-tension. When the origin and insertion points of a muscle are brought closer, the muscle shortens in order to maintain this tension. When a muscle is chronically tight (i.e. not capable of fully extending and contracting) it throws the entire system off balance. That’s why when you have lower back troubles what first starts in your lower back can begin to creep down your leg and can creep all the way up to your neck if the issue is not addressed. If you are one of the lucky few and you’ve never experienced any soreness whatsoever or have no idea what I’m talking about, I can only say that prevention is a heck of a lot cheaper than treatment. But most people, from recreational riders to top pro tour riders, can all benefit from stretching. Not only for injury prevention but for power as well, a tight muscle requires more energy to move.  Loose and healthy muscles need less energy. Meaning it takes less effort to transfer force to the pedal. When to Stretch Within about 15min of finishing your ride so the muscles are still warm. Stretching muscles that haven’t been properly warmed up can lead to injury, so you want to make sure you haven’t cooled down too much before you stretch. Get cleaned up, get some hydration and get started. (I could write an entire article on hydration. But to be brief, it’s one of the easiest and most important ways you can take care of your muscles. Proper hydration throughout the day prevents injury and helps flush lactic acid from the muscles. It’s water, it’s totally free and it’s everywhere.)  Sample Routine The goal in stretching is to counteract the cycling posture and limited range of motion in the pedal stroke. If your muscles are not being used in their full range of motion they will shorten and become tight. That’s why often at the end of a long ride it can take a little effort to stand upright or bend your legs fully. By stretching them back out they retain their full range of motion. More important than stretching as deeply as you think you can is the length of time you hold the stretch. This isn’t about challenging yourself, that’s what the bike is for. Think of this as an opportunity to let your body know that you are still friends after you just abused it for hours on end. Find the point in the stretch when you start to feel it, but can comfortably hold it while breathing normally. Hold each stretch for 20sec to a minute (or longer if it feels particularly tight). You should be able to breathe fully and deeply. If you find yourself holding your breath or have difficulty breathing normally, back off until you can breathe comfortably. Side Stretch 

Standing up straight, bring your arms up over head and clasp your hands together with palms facing outward (towards the ceiling). Deep breath in and on the slow exhale, bend sideways keeping your arms stretched overhead.  Hold stretch and maintain normal breathing     Chest Opening

Standing upright, clasp hands behind back. Keeping your hands clasped with your arms straight, slowly raise your arms while extending your chest forward and up.       Downward Dog   

Laying on your stomach, push your upper body off the ground with your arms and hold. Feet can either be flat on the ground as in the picture or for a little deeper stretch you can push up onto the balls of your feet.   Supine Hamstring   

Lying on your back raise one leg while keeping the other flat on the ground. Keeping the leg straight raise it high as you can, grasping it with your hands.         Seated Hamstring 

Sitting on the floor with both legs straight out in front of you. Keeping your back straight, slowly lean forward reaching for your shins or ankles. Once you reach a point where you feel the stretch in the back of your legs you can lower your head to stretch your neck. Supine ITB Stretch

Lying on your side with your legs stacked on top of each other, take the top leg and bring it out in front until it’s at a 90 degree angle to the rest of your body (leg can be either straight or bent depending on flexibility). To deepen the stretch, turn neck and torso away from top leg.     Seated ITB Stretch   

Sitting on the floor with both legs straight in front of you, bend your right leg and cross over the left leg, placing the heel of your right foot next to the left knee (or closer to your hip depending on flexibility). Next, turning to the right, place your left elbow on the outside of your right knee and use it to push into the stretch, keeping your right hand on the ground for stability. Repeat on the opposite side. Runner’s Lunge 

Standing straight up, bend forward and place hands on ground on either side of feet, step one leg straight behind while front leg bends at a 90 degree angle (make sure the front knee does not extend beyond the toes). Keep the back leg straight behind resting on the ball of your foot or lower your back knee to the ground depending on flexibility. In just 10-15 minutes everyday (or at least after every workout) you can do yourself a world of good and keep riding strong all the way to the end of the season. If you have any questions be sure to contact us at scienceofspeed.org   PHOTOS BY ALICIA OSBORNE (aliciaosbornephoto.com)

Good Plan, Better Body, Best Athlete

Many times as athletes we spend our seasons in a continual effort to become faster runners, stronger cyclists, more aerodynamic or a bit little more lean.  With this continual effort there is a constant stress and strain placed on the body.  These stressors can be both mental and physical and either way we are continually digging holes and very infrequently do we take the opportunity to fill those holes back in. Just like a race car has a chassis designed to handle the stresses that the motor can place on it but also the courses that it will race on so too we must prepare our bodies for the training and racing that we intend to do.  Now is the time to improve the platform that the rest of this year will be based on and we feel that there are three places you can begin.  In the coming weeks we will focus on filling the holes including stretching, structural maintenance and strengthening.    

Three Steps to Breaking Performance Barriers

Whether you are a seasoned athlete, a weekend warrior or a first time endurance athlete there is continual room for improvement. Some improvements might be small and some are large but now is the optimal time to monopolize on one or many of these areas to improve. We break these areas down into three key aspects of your training. Planning your future, Intensity vs. Volume and Increasing the accuracy of your training. Building a strong foundation – Just like a house your training has a strong foundation.  Most athletes have a beginning, typically where you are right now, and a finish, which most would view as their big event(s).  Much like a house has a blue print your training has a plan.  Houses and buildings tend to start with the architect that designs the structure to be beautiful and what the final result will or shall be.  

Once the spires and ornate fixtures are designed and drafted then the engineers step in and figure out how this beautiful new building will be able to survive the stresses and loads that will be placed upon it.  Much like the architect, you design you design what you want your year to look like and then the structure is added to help you stand when event day arrives.  Don’t be the building that collapses due to poor design, instead plan now for what your event will be. H.I.T. for fit – We often read articles about winter is the time for volume and hear myths of training in the winter or cold weather will “burst capillaries,” however, we recommend you think about the reality of this.  Nordic skiers are the first example that comes to mind.  These athletes perform in the coldest conditions possible yet have the highest VO2 max values recorded and prove all the crazy rumors wrong!  So rethink your winter training, are you going to do your standard low intensity training in high volume amounts or is it more realistic for you to try High Intensity Training to push your limits and challenge yourself for this winter season? Analyze and realize – Clearly by now you know that the science of training is important 

to us, heck it is in our name!  Not only do we consider the “science” to be based on the body’s physiologic response to training but we also care greatly about the importance of training devices in your training.  We do not make them mandatory for our athletes but we do feel that they offer a great benefit to the accuracy of your training.  Whether you use perceived exertion, heart rate, pace or power the key is understanding what it’s strengths are and what the pitfalls of your desired training device are.  A greater understanding of these devices and how they relate to you results in one thing…greater accuracy in your training which means greater results! Whether you think you are lacking in one of these areas or all three remember that you must start somewhere.  Take time to analyze what you have done previously, see what those actions resulted in and then evaluate how you should handle the future.  If you don’t feel confident in this contact us at [email protected] and remember that often the best coaches have someone else coach them.  Over years of experience we know that often we are biased, over analyze ourselves and that most importantly someone who has a different point of view can be very beneficial to furthering athletic success!

TdF Stage 1: What the…

Today’s stage began with a very low key start to the day with Cousin, Lobato, Boom, Flecha and Lemoine off the front early the peloton was at ease to allow them to set the tone for the day. With 45km remaining in the stage, the five man break was all but done with only 90 seconds of a gap between the break and peloton.  Within the next 5km the fate was sealed as Saxo-Tinkoff headed to the front and began to push the pace.  Quickly to move their GC riders into safety BMC and team Sky moved to the front to take part in the pace setting. With just over 20km remaining the sprinters teams took over the helm and Omega Pharma, Orica-GreenEdge and Lotto Belisol went to work positioning their sprinters.

In the closing kilometers word came to the peloton that some moron stuck his giant Eurobus underneath the start finish line and that the finish would be shortened to the 3km mark.  Within seconds the carnage began when a toouch of wheels ended up with Hesjedal meeting the pavement.  He and another athlete gave chase as the Cannondale team kept the pace blistering for Sagan. To add more chaos to the mix, the bus was moved and the finish was relocated back to the original finish line.  A bonehead move at best, that resulted in even more catastrophe and carnage.  With so many on the pavement an unlikely win came from German sprinter, Marcel Kittel, who took his first Tour de France win ever and first leaders jersey.   

Involved in the carnage include the likes of Alberto Contador, Mark Cavendish and Peter Sagan. A rough start to 21 days of racing and we can hope for tomorrow to bring some sanity and peace to such a large race.  

Managing Weight with Training Tools

The general population puts the majority of focus on weight numbers but as endurance athletes our goal is to make our bodies effective and efficient machines.  We already push ourselves physically and mentally and many focus on the effectiveness of our weight and bodies’ composition.  Power to weight is a great example of this efficiency, making each pound productive in reaching a final goal.  As athletes, one of the hardest things can often be maintaining weight during a taper or transition period when volume and/or intensity is low.  During these times it becomes more important to utilize many of the tools that are at our disposal including: testing, heart rate monitors, power meters and especially a 3 day nutrition log.

Calculating Your Burn Rate

Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is a measurement of what our body would burn calorically if we were completely sedentary.  This number is what it takes our body to simply sustain life.  There are several things that can alter this including age, weight, body composition, supplementation, medications and stress.  Your numbers for RMR can be estimated with many online calculators, my personal favorite being at shapeup.org.  If you are looking to personalize it for yourself you can do a resting metabolic rate test, which we offer at Science of Speed.  This test gives you precise data that is specific to your own bodies needs and adds a much greater level of accuracy.

HR monitors and power meters can be a good way to gauge our total calories burnt.  Heart rate can have it’s inaccuracies, however, it can help you track your trends in training with your weight and allow you to become proficient at estimating your needed calories.  If you are looking to add an even greater level of accuracy power meters are an amazing tool for tracking caloric burn through kJ, which correlate roughly 1:1 into calories.  Tracking these numbers with RMR, and a calculated estimate of your daily activity can give you very reliable numbers for your overall needs.

Tracking it

By far the most successful thing that I have found for my own personal weight maintenance and many of my athletes’ success is completing a nutritional log.  It is certainly something that you can do daily but it can take a fair amount of time.  Doing a three day period, including one weekend day, monthly or bi-monthly gives a realistic gauge of consumption vs. burn.  I have found two great apps that have lead to great success for many of my athletes.  Trainingpeaks.com’s mobile app helps track training and nutritional data and makes it a one stop shop for all of my athletes to see their schedule, upload training files and input their dietary intake.  Not looking for something quite so detailed?  Another very useful app is MyFitnessPal.  It is free, very user friendly and has many great features.  With both of these you get the ability scan barcodes, create your own meals and most importantly get a breakdown of calories as well as your percentages of carbohydrates, fats and proteins that you consume.

Maintainence or Loss

Each day’s nutrition can vary drastically.  From the long training sessions that lead to high caloric burn and the rest days that result in very low caloric needs so too will your caloric intake needs vary.  Much like training, tracking our nutrition can be a very good thing to help take you to that next level but it can be taken to the extremes.  A safe approach to weight loss is moderate weight loss (1-2lbs/wk ¹) over an extended period of time and by properly monitoring your nutrition and workload with the above listed tools you can track this very precisely and effectively reach your own weight loss goals. So, take that next step and begin tracking your nutrition.  Don’t track the days that you know are your “good” days, instead get a realistic snapshot and take a critical look at it.  If it is overwhelming to track your own training progress, nutritional progress and everything else that is involved we are here to help you bring the science to your training and help you make it to whatever your next level may be.

¹ http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/aim_hwt.pdf

Holiday Season Hullabaloo

For so many individuals the Holidays are a time of amazing spreads of food that tend to lead to temptation above and beyond our daily routine, over indulgence and lower levels of activity due to busy schedules.  Due to the plethora of food that is available and the holiday hustle many people decrease their training and  gain weight during the holidays SoS is here to help!  Take advantage of our Off-Season Eliminator coaching packages and have a SoS coach help you stave off the dreaded holiday weight gain, make the most of your training with your limited schedule and become more fit while you are working your way through the holidays.  Pass the rolls to the next person and let us help you get rid of some rolls of your own! Our coaching programs start as low as $175/month and are just the step you need in the right direction to kick start your holiday season and get an early jump on 2013!

Off-Season Eliminator

Race season is drawing to a close for many and the cold winter months are quickly approaching.  This is the time of the year when training typically begins to slack, however, the off season is where you can make large improvements in your fitness.  Make a commitment to turn next year into your best season ever by having a Science of Speed coach help you use the “off season” to build your fitness, stave off weight gain and start your next season at a new peak!  Don’t give your competitors the upper hand by taking months off of training, contact athlete help today to have an experienced coach help you meet your goals.

  • Sign up today for a 12 month contract and receive one month FREE
  • Sign up today for a 6 month contract and receive one month half off

To learn more about our coaching packages and find the perfect fit for your training needs go here.Offer Ends November 15th, 2012

Your stress is killing you and your performance!

This morning as I was standing at the local gas station, filling up my car, I heard the gentleman standing on the other side of the pump mumble “These things are so slow!”  I chuckled and agreed with him since they were pumping at about half the rate of the majority of fuel pumps.  After no more than a minute he ripped the nozzle out of his car, jammed it back into the holder, jumped into his truck and slammed the door behind him speeding off out of the parking lot. As I stood there in amazement of the fact that we as a society have got to the point where we are in such a hurry that we are unable to relax while something that saves us so much time in our daily lives (your vehicle) gets the fuel it needs to do it’s job.  More importantly than that I looked back to my annual goals that I spoke about in New Years Resolution? Not for Me! and reassessed goal number 5 of “Stay Positive.”  While this gentleman chose to get frustrated he missed out on SO many things around him.  The weather was amazing this morning at below 60degrees, the sun felt really warm on my bare arms and standing there not have to think about anything or do anything for those few minutes was relaxing in itself. Now, I am by no means optimistic 100% of the time which is why that was one of my goals for 2012 but I have noticed not only a difference in the way I feel day in and day out by surrounding myself with more optimistic thoughts and people.  Most importantly for many of you though I have felt a difference in my athletic performance.  It is widely known from research that an individual’s outlook on their overall ability can drastically increase their performance and help athlete’s to cope more successfully with the stress that can come with an event.  So, next time you get in a situation that is less that what you would hope for don’t act like the frustrated guy pumping gas, instead step back, take a look at the situation  and realize the affect of it in the grand scheme of things.

Just the Jitters or Something More?

For many people a morning cup of coffee or a coke is what is required to get the motor turning for a productive day of work.  That jolt of caffeine into the blood stream is like rocket fuel that propels people into throughout the day and probably for some a 2pm cup might be just the ticket for that post lunch food coma that gets you through the final hump of the day. One thing that you might not realize is that 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine, or caffeine, that blessed stimulant in coffee, chocolate and so much more, can actually help your athletic performance!  Research shows that for more endurance based sports, longer than roughly 5 minutes, improvements in performance can be seen. These performance benefits have a wide range of possibilities.  Since caffeine is a stimulant, like a great deal of drugs out there, it’s affects are hormonal, cardiovascular, muscular and also affects the central nervous system. Each individual has varying sensitivity to caffeine and research clearly shows that.  The ranges of caffeine that was proven effective varies from as low as 68mg to as much as 204mg, which either way is significantly less than a strongly brewed cup of coffee.  Much like anything else related to training you need to test this prior to event day.  Each person responds to caffeine differently and higher quantities do not always produce greater results.  Like many other stimulants it is possible to produce a tolerance to caffeine and therefore greater amounts will be required to equal the same response.  Likewise you can also suffer from the negative side affects of suddenly decreasing your total intake. How to best utilize:

  • It is not the best idea to introduce caffeine into your training the day of a big race or event.
  • Start with the smallest amount possible
    • Excessive amounts can cause unwanted results such as feeling jittery, anxiety or headaches
  • If caffeine is a part of your normal daily intake you will need to increase the amount to receive the same results.
  • If you are unable to find desirable results stop usage

Burke L, Cort M, Cox G, Crawford R, Desbrow B, Farthing L, Minehan M, Shaw N, Warnes O. Supplements and sports foods. In: Burke L, Deakin V. Clinical Sports Nutrition. 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill, 2006;485–581.Desbrow B. Leveritt M. Well-trained endurance athletes’ knowledge, insight, and experience of caffeine use. Int J Sports Nutr Exerc Metab 2007;17:328–339.Sokmen B, Armstrong LE, Kraemer WJ, Casa DJ, Dias JC, Judelson DA, Maresh CM. Caffeine use in sports: considerations for the athlete. J Strength Conditioning Res 2008;22:978–986.