Before/After a Ride - Stretching, Warming Up, Massage

Warming Up

Performance

Why would a warm up improve performance? When we start our exercise, cell energy metabolism ramps up to provide the ATP needed to power muscle contractions. Heat, a byproduct of this metabolic cycle warms the local muscle cells before beginning to increase the temperature of other body tissues (ligaments, joints). After a time, our core temperature starts to rise. Sweating and the diversion of blood to the skin combine to dissipate this metabolic byproduct and keep us from overheating.

This initial warming of the muscle increases local blood flow and decreases stiffness. Spinning engages idle nerve/muscle units which are then prepared to respond when more power is needed. The increased blood flow through the muscles gets the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems ready to meet the increased oxygen needs of the exercising muscles.

Finally there is the psychological benefit of feeling more relaxed and in control, being more tuned-in to feedback on muscle fatigue and how much reserve you might have to push the envelope in a competitive event.

Generally speaking, a warm-up is more important before maximal muscle power or high-intensity events. It should be longer (in duration) the shorter and more intense the event and conversely shorter or less intense as the length of the event increases (to avoid overusing energy stores in the muscles). Timing of a warmup is also important. For a sprint event the warmup should immediately precede the sprint to optimize the muscle being at the optimal temperature (as we know a warm muscle can produce more power and don?t want to loose even a little edge). The blog summarizes specific warm up recommendations for different events - sprint, time trials of less than 60 minutes, and events of more than 60 minutes.

"Priming" is a specific warm up technique to optimize for power. It requires adding a bout of intense exercise (interval for example) in the warm up session. The "prime" must increase the blood lactate level, and if done correctly will lead to activation of additional muscle fibers at the start of the next bout of intense exercise (the competitive event). It can improve performance by 2-3% (A seven second improvement in a 4,000m pursuit.)

For the average recreational athlete riding endurance level events, it is debatable whether a warm-up is even necessary for events lasting several hours. But a warmup still has benefits, an opportunity to spin the legs and get into the riding mindset. It is as much about psychological preparation as it is about physiological benefit."

My translation? You can warm up on the bike. For me this is 7 or 8 miles or 15 minutes of a slower pace. But if you are preparing for a race or competitive event, I'd highly recommend reading the entire article.

Injury

The microtrauma is associated tissue swelling (edema) and an influx of inflammatory cells. Later, in the healing phase, scar tissue can form in the body of the muscle. During the initial inflammatory phase the muscle often responds with a reflex spasm often described as a tightness or knot.

Does warming up decrease the risk of injury? A search of the literature failed to provide a definitive answer. Many articles conclude there is a "possible benefit" but with no hard data. We know that stretching BEFORE a run, for example, increases the risk of injury much more than no stretching. But stretching after 10 or 15 minutes of a sport specific warmup (see below) in all likelihood at least does no harm.

MASSAGE

STRETCHING

In 2016 the New York Times published a nice summary of the current thoughts on stretching. There are 2 types of stretching. Static stretching is holding a steady stretch for 20 to 30 seconds. Although it had been taught for years that static stretching (after a warm up) decreased injuries and thus improved performance, it actually decreases the force of the subsequent muscle contraction for up to 30 minutes.

Dynamic stretching refers to a stretch of the muscle while it is moving and only requires holding the stretch for several seconds. It increases flexibility/range of motion as well as the power of contraction. Dynamic stretching is sport specific. Here are several bicycling specific examples: (1 and 2).

It is important to stretch only after the muscle to be stretched has been actively warmed up - either with 5 or 10 minutes of exercise (or in the post exercise period). This increases blood flow and actually physically warms the muscle tissue itself. The warmup increases tissue elasticity and reduces the frequency of injuries directly related to the stretching itself. It doesn't have to be a vigorous warm up - maybe 40 - 50% of your aerobic maximum.

We know that static stretching does not decrease injury rates (in fact, if done incorrectly static stretching increases the injury rate compared to no stretching), but there have been several studies demonstrating a decreased injury rates after a program of dynamic testing. (Here is one). For those of you interested in additional web material on stretching, Liam Keever has put together a comprehensive site with a detailed stretching program at Bodymind Resources.

Here are 2 different opinions, well presented.

PRO from Roadbikerider.com

• More flexibility
• Less muscle tightness = more comfort between and on the bike

• You should not stretch before a competition because stretching weakens muscles.
• You should not stretch after hard exercise because stretching muscles that are already damaged by intense exercise delays recovery and increases risk for injury.
• You cannot lengthen muscles or tendons by stretching.
• An extensive review of the scientific literature showed that the supposed benefits of stretching are highly controversial (Int J Sports Phys Ther, 2012 Feb; 7(1): 109-119).

And if you decide it doesn't fit in your training program there is no evidence you are short changing yourself on the performance side.

TO ROLL OR NOT TO ROLL, THAT IS THE QUESTION

It's not unusual to see someone sitting around in camp with a wooden or foam roller, working on their quads and hamstrings. Does it work? This recent review from Medscape.com pulls together the most recent scientific evidence. Below are selected quotes from that article.

The theory:

• "...fasciae tighten as a protective mechanism in response to trauma. Over time, collagen becomes more dense and fibrous, and elastinÑa highly elastic protein in connective tissue becomes less resilient. This can reduce muscle functioning and cause pain. Myofascial release...might reverse this process."

• "....some research suggests that injury, disease, inactivity, and inflammation may cause fibrous adhesions to form in muscle tissue, also limiting its normal functioning. Myofascial release could break these adhesions."

• "Studies...suggest that it can change a muscle's viscoelastic properties, increasing mitochondria biogenesis and blood flow. Other potential effects might include changes in tissue gene expression, limb circumference, circulating neutrophil counts, and improved mood."

• Improved Aerobic Performance? NO. No difference in the distance covered in 1 hour running and "...differences in blood lactate, heart rate, ventilatory efficiency, and rated perceived exertion also did not differ significantly..."

• Enhanced Anaerobic Power? NO. "There were no statistically significant differences in absolute power, relative peak power, minimum peak power, average power, or power drop in the four trials."

• Improved Range of Motion? NO. In a study of static stretching versus rolling: "..both groups had increased the distance they could reach in the sit-and-reach test, but the changes were not significantly different between the two groups."

• Less muscle pain? YES. From a "...literature review...randomized controlled trials: six using foam rollers and three using handheld rollers.... All three studies measuring muscle soreness or fatigue showed an improvement."

And for a few more ideas on rolling, a nice regimen.

MUSCLE CRAMPS