• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Become a Premium Member
  • About

Road Bike Rider Cycling Site

Expert road cycling advice, since 2001

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Bikes & Gear
  • Training & Health
  • Reviews
  • Cycling Ebooks
    • Ebooks Training
    • Ebooks Skills
    • E-Articles Training
    • E-Articles Nutrition
  • Member Area
  • Newsletter

Will Massage Help Me Ride Better?

Q:  I’m a bike messenger in Seattle, preparing to race. I’m fast, but my lactate threshold seems too low and my resting heart rate (60s) seems too high. I’ve been considering deep-tissue massage to help “flush out” all the toxins that accumulate during my workday. Is this a good idea? — Sid W.

COACH FRED:  Physiologists say that lactate is removed from muscles by normal processes shortly after hard efforts cause it to accumulate. So, by the time the massage person begins working on you, there won’t be much excess lactate to flush out.

Massage is useful for relaxation and therapy for soft tissue injuries, but I’m afraid it won’t raise your lactate threshold. Only training near your LT heart rate (about 90 percent of your max) will do that.

Don’t worry about your resting pulse. Some racers have very low resting heart rates — below 40 — but others who are equally accomplished have rates as high or higher than yours. It’s individual.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search

Recent Articles

  • Elite Wheels Drive 40D Carbon Spoke Road Wheels Review
  • Newsletter Issue No. 1055
  • Anti-Aging: VO2 Max
  • Tackling an Epic Climb – Mt. Lemmon, Tucson, Arizona

Recent Newsletters

Newsletter Issue No. 1055

Newsletter Issue No. 1054

Newsletter Issue No. 1053

Newsletter Issue No. 1052

Newsletter Issue No. 1051

Footer

Affiliate Disclosure

Our cycling expert editors and writers choose every product we review. We may earn an affiliate commission if you buy from one of our product links, at no extra cost to you. This income supports our site.

Follow Us

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook

Privacy Policy

Still Haven’t Found What You’re Looking For?

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in