Cycling

Physiology of cycling

Cycling, while it seems to be a normal activity, is surrounded by many training myths, rumors and innuendos. Research has shown, however, that there are three primary predictors of success in cycling, VO2max, peak power output, efficiency.

VO2max

Professional road cyclists must have high VO2max; a typical value for this component of fitness is 70-80 mL/kg/min.

Peak Power Output

A plethora of studies have shown that peak power correlates very strongly with cycling performance. Further, a high power to weight ratio (>5 Watts/kg of bodyweight) has also been shown to predict road cycling performance.

Efficiency

Efficiency comes from the practice of proper pedaling technique. Assuming appropriate pedaling technique, professional cyclists log over 20,000 miles per year to reinforce these movement patterns.

According to one article, “From the analysis in this article it becomes clear that novice cyclists can benefit more from the suggested alterations in position, equipment, nutrition and training compared with elite cyclists. Training seems to be the most important factor, but sometimes large improvements can be made by relatively small changes in body position.”

What about mountain biking? Mountain bikers have very similar physiological performance to road cyclists; however, elite mountain bikers tend to have higher power outputs than their road cycling counterparts.

Common cycling injuries

A variety of injuries are common to cyclists, including feet, knee and hip injuries:

Feet

From burning, to heel and ankle pain, feet are commonly injured structures. Many foot injuries are due to improper bike or shoe fit.

Knee

Another common injury to cyclists is the front of the knee and/or kneecap (patella). The primary culprit her is again improper bike fit (e.g., seat too high, crank to long, tilted seat)

Hip

Hip injuries are most commonly due to flexibility issues.

Another common source of injury is poor conditioning. According to one of our friends (and professional cyclist), “a lack of fitness will lead to a host of problems due to an inability to develop force over a given period of time”

difficulty producing force and thereby bearing weight through the legs during the pedal stroke will increase pressure in the hands and seat

lack of endurance will lead to break down of the pedal stroke, leading to increasing load on other muscle groups or structures

Teams we’ve worked with:

• Omaha Velo Club

Testimonials

“Having my bike custom fit to my body helped me ride longer with less pain in my knees. Not only did I complete the Papillion Duathlon in a good time, I’m now considering races of longer distances. I had no idea just how much is involved in riding my bike!”—Elizabeth H.