By Gabe Mirkin, MD Many studies show that having excess fat in your belly is associated with increased risk for dementia, but a new study shows that as a person ages, lack of muscle size and strength appears to be an even stronger predictor of dementia than having excess belly fat (Clinical Interventions in Aging, July 5, 2018;13). The authors followed 353 men and women, … [Read more...] about Weak Muscles Increase Risk for Dementia
1Training & Health
Learning from the Pros: Pacing to “Ration Your Matches”
By Coach John Hughes Rationing Your Matches Last week I described how the pros ration matches, a technique that can benefit all roadies from commuters to racers and everybody in between. It may not be noticeable on TV, but each racer carefully monitors the amount of effort he or she is putting out. At the start of a race, a smart pro imagines that he or she has a book of … [Read more...] about Learning from the Pros: Pacing to “Ration Your Matches”
How Inactivity Can Cause Heart Failure
By Gabe Mirkin, M.D. People who lie in bed without moving day after day suffer progressive weakening of their heart muscle. Eventually the heart becomes too weak to pump enough oxygen to the brain, they stop breathing and die from heart failure. A recent study on mice shows how this is likely to happen. Preventing mice from using their hind limbs for just 28 days … [Read more...] about How Inactivity Can Cause Heart Failure
A Bicycle is for Grieving
By Stan Purdum My father died in 2013 while I was on a six-day bicycle ride with Adventure Cycling on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I got the call from my brother Scott the evening of the third day, after a challenging ride that included several long climbs and ended with a glorious and breathtaking 14-mile downhill plunge. The news wasn’t really a surprise, because Dad had … [Read more...] about A Bicycle is for Grieving
A Reminder From the Tour de France: Overlapping Wheels Can Cause a Nasty Fall
By John Yoder I’ve enjoyed watching the cyclists in the Tour de France the past three weeks. Their skill on descents in the mountains at 60 mph, their power in climbing long mountain passes, their unreal (for me) speed in time trials and sprint finishes and their bicycle handling skills at 30 mph while surrounded by other riders in the peloton are phenomenal. Most of the … [Read more...] about A Reminder From the Tour de France: Overlapping Wheels Can Cause a Nasty Fall
Learning from the Pros: Don’t Break Bones
By Coach John Hughes Seems simple – don’t fall! In Anti-Aging 12 Ways You Can Slow the Aging Process Fred Matheny writes, “Avoid injury so that you can keep working out. That’s hard to do as you age but not impossible. Staying uninjured also means not taking chances on the bike. Keep something in reserve on technical descents, watch out for dangerous riders in packs, use … [Read more...] about Learning from the Pros: Don’t Break Bones
Travels With the Conversationalist
By Stan Purdum One’s choice of a cycling companion can change the whole complexion of a bicycle trip. This proved true when, several years ago, I rode a bike tour of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with my son Scott. By myself, I tend to be an introverted soul, and though I have no trouble speaking up for myself when necessary, I don’t have the same gift for conversing with … [Read more...] about Travels With the Conversationalist
My Favorite Cycling Interval Workout for Power and VO2 Max Gains
By Rick Schultz, MBA, DBA Now that the racing season is over in SoCal, it’s time to reflect on which workouts worked and which didn’t. The workout described below has been my overall favorite this year, as well as the workout that gave me the most gains for strength (power) and VO2 max. And believe it or not, the total workout including warmup and cool down is only 51 … [Read more...] about My Favorite Cycling Interval Workout for Power and VO2 Max Gains
Learning from the Pros: Heat and Hydration
By Coach John Hughes During the 175 km stage 12 of the Tour de France, which culminated with the climb of L’Alpe d’Huez, it was 28C (82F) in valleys and 21C (70F) on top of climbs. The stage featured two Hors Catégorie climbs, each over 2,000 meters (6,500 ft.), before the finish on L’Alpe d’Huez at 1,950 meters (6,060 ft.). About the earlier climbs the Cycling News live … [Read more...] about Learning from the Pros: Heat and Hydration
5 Fit Related Cycling Problems and Their Solutions
By Rick Schultz, MBA, DBA 1. Swelling Feet During a normal group ride, do you loosen the straps on your cycling shoes because your “feet are swelling?” It’s OK if you admit to this since this happens to most cyclists. I have read many articles on this topic and they all mention “feet swelling” but don’t get into the details as to the how’s and why’s. Talking with many … [Read more...] about 5 Fit Related Cycling Problems and Their Solutions
Learning from the Pros: Recovery at the Giro Rosa
By Coach John Hughes The Giro d'Italia Internazionale Femminile (known as the Giro Rosa) has been one the women’s most prestigious stage races for nearly three decades. This year 24 teams from around the world raced the Giro Rosa. It finished this past Sunday, July 10. The women started on July 6 and over 10 days raced 980 km across Northern Italy. It was one of the … [Read more...] about Learning from the Pros: Recovery at the Giro Rosa
Learning from the Pros: Cycling Nutrition
By Coach John Hughes What do the pros eat to fuel racing like this? Here are the results of the first four stages of the Tour de France: Stage 1: 201 km won by Fernando Gaviria Quick-Step Floors in 4:23:32, 45.86 km/h (28.50 mph) Stage 2: 182.5 km won by Peter Sagan BORA – Hansgrohe in 4:06:37, 44.51 km/h (27.66 mph) Stage 3: 35.5 km won by BMC Racing Team in 38:46, … [Read more...] about Learning from the Pros: Cycling Nutrition
Lack of Vitamin D May Harm Athletes
By Gabe Mirkin, M.D. A new study in mice shows that having low levels of vitamin D may harm athletes and exercisers by limiting how long they can exercise (Aging, June 2018). Six-month old mice were put on a low vitamin D diet for one year. A six-month-old mouse is equivalent to a 25 year old human and one mouse-year equals 25 human-years. After two weeks, the mice on the … [Read more...] about Lack of Vitamin D May Harm Athletes
Simple Home Exercise for Knee Pain
Jim’s Tech Talk By Jim Langley I’m opening this week with a funny story because I’m in a much better mood recently (tell you why in a minute). It’s a tale about something that happened while my wife Deb and I were biking across country in the winter of 1979. We left New Hampshire in October, just days after the season’s first snowstorm. So my custom Richard Sachs and her … [Read more...] about Simple Home Exercise for Knee Pain
Heat Tolerance and Aging
By Coach John Hughes I was 46 when I bought my home in Boulder, CO in 1995 and the heating and cooling systems were like a cabin. When it was cold I chopped wood and built fires in the wood stoves. When it was hot I opened both low and high windows to increase the airflow. About 10 years ago my wife and I decided that getting up when it was only 50F in the house and building … [Read more...] about Heat Tolerance and Aging