bellows@uiucdcsb.CS.UIUC.EDU (01/17/86)
Over the past few months, bicycle magazines have been
chock-full-o' information pertaining to off-season activity and
conditioning tips. I would suggest reading some of these arti-
cles as well some of the sportsmedicine literature if you are
interested in the effects of layoffs and re-conditioning (Dr.
Gabe Mirkin's THE SPORTSMEDICINE BOOK comes to mind).
In general, there are a few basic ideas to consider when it
comes to the "off season". There is the concept of reversibil-
ity, or losing condition, the mental effects of a layoff, and the
loss of (or maintenance of) cardio-vascular fitness. In addi-
tion, bicyclists must consider the loss of cycling-related muscu-
lar fitness and the effects of not practicing technique.
Reversibility is the process of an unused muscle losing it's
conditioning. In as little as three to four weeks of disuse, a
muscle will lose all of its conditioning even if you have been
training all year. It only takes a few days for the process to
start, which is why you usually can't do as much as you usually
do if you haven't worked out for two or three days (at least this
is my experience).
When you start training again after a long interval you may
not have any muscular conditioning left. However, the fact that
you have done it before (started to get into shape) means that
you have more experience in training. This experience allows you
to train more efficiently (since you know yourself better), and
may be why you can get back into shape in a fairly short period
of time.
A layoff, of course, is important in the healing of inju-
ries. But whether or not it is physically neccessary to rest, it
may be important for your mental health to have a layoff every
once in a while to avoid "burn-out". Training can be mentally
intense and time consuming. If you have been training hard all
year (be it for racing or touring) it might be useful to take a
few weeks off and put cycling out of your mind. You can use the
extra time to do the things you didn't have time for while train-
ing (e.g. reading, going to movies, cleaning your apartment).
You can concentrate on your work and getting your life in order.
Finally, you can lay plans for your next season of training
without having the pressure of having to go out that afternoon to
train. While I was on a layoff recently due to shoulder surgery,
I realized just how much I was missing by not being able to
train.
Aside from the muscular fitness that is lost in a layoff,
there is also the consideration of cardio-vascular fitness. The
heart, being just another muscle, loses fitness during a layoff.
If you want to get away from bicycling for a while but don't want
to become a couch potato, may I suggest swimming, running, or
Jane Fonda workouts to keep your heart in shape. A different
sport may be a welcome change of pace (and a lot warmer if you
can do it indoors in the winter) and will help you maintain the
C-V fitness you will need when you start cycling again.
This brings us back to the fact that the best way to main-
tain fitness for cycling is, you guessed it, cycling. Although
running and weight training can be very helpful in maintaining
the fitness of your cycling muscles, there is no substitute for
practicing the sport to exercise the muscles in the same way as
you use them in the sport. This is the concept of muscle
specifity. Those who want to maintain tip-top cycling condition
(and who have problems with weather) should look into wind
trainers and rollers (as documented elsewhere).
Of course, not training is as equally personal a subject as
training itself. You should assess your needs and goals before
you decide how you want to handle off season training, layoff,
and re-conditioning.
Have fun,
Doug Bellows
bellows@B.CS.UIUC.EDU
...ihnp4!uiucdcs!bellowsmupmalis@watarts.UUCP (M. A. Upmalis) (01/22/86)
Doug Bellows had a few comments (quite good) about muscle conditioning and layig off, but there was one point that he glosses that is quite important. He talks about laying off or resting after an injury, if this sounds like total abandonment of any conditioning, then this isn't what the sports doctor ordered. A light conditioning program that is within the limits of your injury will speed healing and return to condtioning time. E.g. runners with ligament damage or muscle strain show improvement in healing time and return to form with water running programs, etc. The key is commen sense and a good sports doctor (if there is more than 4 in this world.) -- Mike Upmalis (mupmalis@watarts)<University of Waterloo> ihnp4!watmath!watarts!mupmalis Chemistry is useful both in Modern Medicine and the treatment of Steel. Mr. Sanderson in "Big Meat Eater"