Doesn't everybody wish that they had access to a personal coach for their questions about training and fitness? Road Bike Action recently caught up with Johnathan Edwards M.D. Dr. Edwards is a practicing sports doctor and anesthesiologist in Las Vegas, Nevada. He has been a sports doctor for American cyclists as well as in Europe. He also worked with athletes during the Paris Dakar rally. As a former professional motocross racer and current Cat 2 road racer, he understands the health and training needs of cyclists of all levels.

I am a Cat 3 level racer and should I stretch my hamstring and quadriceps muscles before my criteriums?

Contrary to past thinking, stretching those hamstrings and quads without warming up may be more detrimental to muscular strength that previously thought. The latest research shows that stretching a cold muscle can decrease muscular strength up to 30-percent.

Since you were a little tyke in grade school, the PE coach has taught you to stretch before you engage in physical activity. This dogma has been ingrained in our brains and we continue on as adults. Research has shown that those long held beliefs can cost you 30 percent of your strength. The old presumption that performing a stretch for 20 seconds, (i.e. - static stretching) is actually bad for you. In a recent published study conducted at the University of Nevada , Las Vegas , the athletes generated less force from their leg muscles after static stretching than they did after not stretching at all. Furthermore, other studies have shown that this type of stretching decreases muscle strength up to 30 percent.

So what does this have to do with cyclists? Stretching muscles is common before a criterium or a time trial. Before a long road race, this is probably not an issue unless you are trying to go for a break right away. Given this info, the best way to warm up is to just ride the bike. A warm up should loosen muscles and tendons increasing the range of motion of various joints. What is important is to increase blood flow to all parts of the muscles. And this also lends some evidence to applying liquids and gels that cause local heat and vasodilatation of the skin, this may help as well; wearing leg warmers may help. One medical journal study showed that the quadriceps muscle tissue of rabbits could be stretched farther before tearing if it had been warmed up.  Furthermore, a study published earlier this year showed that knee injuries were decreased by about 50% in female soccer players who followed a warm-up program that included dynamic warm up exercises.

While static stretching is still commonly practiced, it doesn’t improve the muscles ability to perform with more power. You may feel as if you’re able to stretch farther after holding a stretch for 30 seconds. But you have increased only your mental tolerance for the discomfort of the stretch; the muscle is actually weaker. Thus, spin away!

If you have your own question about health or training that you would like to ask a coach please send them to fitness@roadbikeaction.