By Coach John Hughes Arnie Baker, M.D. wrote a good column on Cycling Nutrition: How to Eat After Rides. I’ve coached at camps with Dr. Baker and have several of his books. His key points are: Refueling after exercise is a proven recovery strategy. The sooner the better. Refueling during exercise is best. Prompt refueling…
By Gabe Mirkin, M.D. The American Heart Association has cautioned that, “Exercise, particularly when performed by unfit individuals, can acutely increase the risk of sudden cardiac death and acute myocardial infarction in susceptible people” (Circulation, Feb 26, 2020). The authors cite more than 300 scientific articles showing that exercising excessively long and intensely may be…
Conventional wisdom says that a smooth pedal stroke makes you faster. But we’ve seen studies arguing that it’s the other way around: Fitness contributes to a smooth pedal stroke. The fitter and faster you become, the easier it is to pedal smoothly at a given intensity.
You’ll see the pros do this on cobblestone sections in events such as Paris-Roubaix. Let’s say you’re cruising along in a 53×19-tooth gear. Spinning and grinning. But uh-oh, here comes a gnarly stretch of bumpy, patched pavement.
Have you ever been in a fast group on a long ride? You can get so focused on sticking with the paceline that you’re too busy, or too nervous, to eat and drink. That’s a real problem because soon you’re bonked, dehydrated and struggling to maintain the pace. It’s dangerous, too, because a tired rider…
