What Causes Cramps? An Overview By Carol E. Torgan, Ph.D., FACSMNational Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Cramps are miserable. I’m an exercise physiologist who specializes in skeletal muscle, so let me give everyone a little background about cramp causes and prevention. A cramp is an intense, involuntary contraction of a muscle that usually occurs during…
Question: I am 59 years old and I been cycling for 12 years. Each winter of the last 10 years I have been looking for a training plan to improve. My FTP hovers around 225 watts after winter training and reaches around 240 watts by the end of the outdoor cycling season in Southern Ontario….
By Gabe Mirkin, MD “Cooling down” means that after you exercise intensely, you slow down and exercise at low intensity for a while before you stop exercising for that session. The scientific literature is controversial on whether cooling down helps to reduce next-day muscle soreness to help muscles to recover faster. I believe that cooling…
Question: I’ve ridden Colorado’s Triple Bypass several times and churned up and down the Pyrenees and Alps. But last August in the Raid Pyrenees (28 passes in 10 days) I had to stop due to severe exhaustion – a combination of 112F-degree (44C) heat, dehydration, overtraining and apparently a mild bug picked up on the airplane….
By Coach Fred Matheny If it’s the summer cycling season, it’s probably hot where you live. Cyclists and other outdoor athletes are the first to notice rising temperatures. And the hotter it is, the faster you lose fluids when you ride. Fluids are crucial to your performance and sense of well-being. we’re really just big…
