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How a ProTour Rider Focuses on Recovery

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recovery food

Recovery = get faster

It’s no secret that proper recovery from exercise is what leads to improvement in performance in any endurance sport.  A lot of amateur athletes focus on rest and rehydration.  While that is certainly important, pro athletes know that nutrition is the final VITAL component to recovery.  More importantly, it starts almost IMMEDIATELY after a workout or race.

The pro strategy

We caught up with Doc’s Skincare user and Team Sky ProTour cyclist Ian Boswell during this year’s Vuelta a Espana to find out about his secret to recovering during a grand tour.  While you may not require the same amount of calories, the theme can be repeated in your training regimen.  The key components are:

  1. EARLY replenishment of depleted muscle glycogen with around 2 Calories of carbohydrate per pound of body weight as soon as you get off the bike (there’s solid scientific data that a 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio is beneficial during this period)
  2. Replenish lost Calories throughout the remaining part of the day with healthy meals that emphasize wholesome carbohydrates (the needed protein will naturally come with the wholesome carbohydrates)
  3. The best recovery food isn’t pre-packaged stuff…it’s wholesome and natural

Ian Boswell

Ian Boswell’s post-race recovery nutrition

Here’s what Ian told us about recovery nutrition within the first few hours following a stage:

“Recovery food! While here at the Vuelta all our team have their own preference. Mine is as such, and it’s well approved by the team nutritionist…

Boz Recovery (taken with 30 minutes of finishing):

  • cold portage left over from breakfast (a good sized portion)
  • fresh berries
  • one 35g sachet of recover powder (protein)
  • one serving of Greek yogurt

Within the hour I’ll snack on some fresh melon. Good for hydration.  All this thrown into a large bowl and mixed up. While the team chef prepares a different recovery meal each day, I prefer to stay with this. It’s easy to digest, tasty and something that always gives me the right balance of fuel needed to recover and rebuild. I like to keep it consistent. Helps with making sure I always get enough in to recover.”

 

Strength Training for Endurance Athletes

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strength training for endurance athletes

Strength training for endurance athletes has been recognized as an important component of any solid training regimen. When the best athletes of any variety train, they seem to spend a significant amount of their time on alternative activities. At the extreme, a Kansas City Chiefs trainer noticed that their offensive linemen would spend an hour with the weights, half an hour to 45 minutes on mobility drills, 20 to 30 minutes on recovery protocols, and about two hours of true football practice.

What strength training does for endurance athletes

A typical day for United States Olympic athletes starts with breakfast at 6:00 AM followed by training or practice at 8:00 AM. Most practice sessions are for two hours twice a day, five or six days a week. Strength conditioning sessions are usually between an hour and an hour and a half three or four times a week. Extra workouts of 15 to 45 minutes are for individual needs, and then there are sports medicine sessions for rehabilitation or recovery. Recovery doesn’t just proceed on its own; they must work at it.

strength training for endurance athletesMost people who are not Olympic athletes have to devote time to employment, child care, household chores, and whatever life demands from the typical amateur endurance athlete who swims, bikes, or runs. If they feel they can jump right into a marathon, triathlon, or other extreme fitness event, they become not unlike drivers who do no maintenance on their vehicles yet expect them to run perfectly forever with no problems.

When creating a training regimen for endurance in a triathlon training plan, it’s not difficult to get mired in an endless cycle of repetitive-motion activities while neglecting what keeps bodies in their best condition for endurance running, cycling, and swimming — strength.

Strength is the musculoskeletal ability to apply high levels of force against resistance to move, as examples, a bicycle 140.6 miles or the body of a marathoner 26.2 miles.

Kenyan marathoners don’t dominate triathlons because, though superior aerobically, they lack the leg muscle strength to move a bicycle 140.6 miles. For this same reason, professional triathletes tend to be more muscular than are their slighter long-distance counterparts. For good performance in endurance sports, it is important not to neglect the essential element of strength training for endurance athletes.

True, it is not necessary to build rippling muscles that can exert enormous amounts of force. Muscle tissue needs loads of energy for cooling and support, so there is a point of diminishing returns for an aerobic athlete building muscle mass, nor is muscle mass necessarily always synonymous with strength. The reason is the relationship between nerves, muscles, and motor units, which are nerves and the muscle fibers they activate. If nerve signals are too weak, none of the muscle fibers of a motor unit will respond and contract. If strong enough, all the muscle fibers contract according to an all-or-nothing phenomenon.

strength training for endurance athletes

Evidence behind strength training for endurance athletes

The purpose of strength training for endurance athletes  is to build the ability to recruit motor units. The strongest athletes in any sport recruit multiple motor units, fire up more fibers, and raise production of force.

An endurance athlete can have a relatively small number of motor units but with proper training can recruit them simultaneously. Not lots of muscle mass, just an ability to recruit the mass available, is what to have.

More ability to recruit multiple motor units is not the sole benefit of strength training. Injury rates are lower for runners, cyclists, and swimmers who use strength training to fortify tissues that support joints.

Finally, hormonal response to strength training for endurance athletes is significantly different from hormonal response to endurance exercises. For an endurance athlete, an increase in testosterone may remove body fat, improve moods, enhance sexual relations, and extend longevity. Studies show that endurance athletes tend to have testosterone levels lower than those of both inactive and strength-trained subjects.

The lesson for endurance athletes is that training entirely aerobic with no provision for strength may produce hormonal responses not just less than ideal but harmful to libido, reproductive capability, and physical appearance.

Distance runners tend to neglect strength, but no other type of ancillary training has more support in academic athletic literature, which concludes that strength training improves running performance measured by speed and distance.

Runners who commit to weekly strength training sessions soon notice differences in both running performance and overall health. The association of strength training with body building misapprehends its purpose to help runners reach their full potential.

A University of Illinois study of a 10-weekstrength training for endurance athletes program for runners and cyclists meeting three times weekly showed leg strength improvement of 30 percent. Running time improved by 13 percent, and the study subjects could ride their bicycles at full speed to exhaustion for an average of 85 minutes, up from 71 minutes at the beginning of the training program.

Review of published literature confirms the helpful effects of concurrent strength training for endurance athletes programs. The studies found a 2.9-percent improvement in three- to five-kilometer (3- to 5-K) performances, from an average 13:30 5-K time to 13:06.5.

Putting strength training for endurance athletes into regular practice to enhance endurance running performance doesn’t require much extra time with the weights. About 30 minutes of about a dozen exercises once or twice a week suffice to make a demonstrable difference.

About the author – Ryan Blair

Nearly 10 years as a personal trainer has given Ryan a vast amount of knowledge and expertise within the health, fitness, and nutrition space. His love of writing, combined with his passion for helping others guarantees the delivery of helpful and challenging information. He loves interacting with his readers and is dedicated to helping them live healthier, more fulfilling lives.

 

What Everyone Ought to Know About Winter Cycling

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winter cyclingMany cyclists look at winter time as a period of little to no outdoor riding.  While time away from the bike is vital to rejuvenating the mind and body, modern training philosophy emphasizes using year round riding to maintain prior season gains.  More importantly, as race calendars become more crowded, it is not uncommon to begin road racing in late winter even outside of the sunbelt.

Living through winter cycling

Like many of you who have spent many years riding, I’ve had the fortune/misfortune of riding in far flung places and in the most extreme winter weather imaginable outside of the Iditarod.  As a fool-hardy teenager, I’ve braved the elements during central Texas cold snaps (it really does get cold down there from time-to-time) with nothing but Saran Wrap on my toes and baby oil on my legs.  I’ve been caught in a surprise summertime blizzard on Col du Galibier. I’ve done 5-hour rides in sub-zero temperatures in Minnesota.  If it’s winter cycling, I’ve been there and done that.

Fortunately, winter riding can be done safely and comfortably.  Winter cycling equipment and clothing has improved greatly over the past couple of decades.  What follows is my personal tried-and-true set of guidelines by temperature range for surviving winter riding.  Stay in touch with your bike this winter means you’ll be ready for the upcoming season.

Try Doc’s Natural Cool Weather Embrocation

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Guidelines for winter cycling

70+ degrees Fahrenheit

Listen…you live in the sunbelt apparently.  Just go ride and quit making us winter folks jealous

50-70 degrees Fahrenheit

It’s  little cool.  Depending on cloud cover and wind, you’ll likely need arm warmers and maybe wind resistant vest or jacket. A cycling cap could be nice.  Base layer. Knee warmers if you have sensitive knees but this is prime embro weather…go for that sexy Euro look.

30-50 degrees Fahrenheit

It’s getting serious.  Time to cover most of the body.  Wind chill temp? Winter hat, maybe a face cover (we love neck gators or scarves which can be pulled over the face when needed), base layer, warm layer, wind layer.  Tights are an absolute must for most people; be careful if you insist on using Embrocation instead of tights. Shoe covers for sure…why not actual winter shoes?

15-30 degrees Fahrenheit

This is when the pretenders start bailing.  Now you have to worry about frozen bottles; remember those insulated bottles you use in the summer? Serious gloves (lobster are the best IMO) probably with liners.  I wouldn’t survive without my winter shoes.  Stash some hand warmers and toe warmers.  A thermos of warm drink. You have to cover the face most of the time.

Less than 15 degrees Fahrenheit

So you’re in the Iditarod…I’ve tried riding in these temps when living in MN and I lived and I was proud.  I knew some guys that rode year round in Minnesota.  Bottom line? It CAN be done but it’s not for the meek or timid.  The key here is to keep wind chill to a minimum (even insulated bottles freeze in the blink of an eye).  Think about taking the cyclocross bike on dirt roads.  Yeah yeah, there’s snow on the roads but if you’re brave enough to be out on the bike in less than 15’ then you’re willing to buy studded bike tires.

A few little tidbits to round out your winter cycling

There’s a time to stay warm…

And it’s not when you first step outside.  This is my most controversial opinion: when you are warm when you start a ride, there’s a chance you’ll be sweating too much under your clothing once you’re warmed up.  Sweaty clothing is a recipe for hypothermia if you stop and cool off.  The key is to wear just enough clothing that you don’t build up too much sweat.

A word on cloud cover

The difference between a cloudy day and full sunshine feels like a full 10’F.  In other words, if it is cloudy outside then dress like it is around 10’F cooler than what the thermometer reads.

A word on base layers

DO NOT USE COTTON!!! Spend a little money here.  Go for one of the fancy hi-tech fabrics that is designed to be a base layer.  Here’s a money saving tip: go to Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shop or one of the other hunting supply retailers and buy a store brand base layer.  It’s the same fancy material as the cool Euro bike supplier or backpacking supplier.  The only difference is that it might a deer head emblem or might be a silly color…just don’t take your clothes off in public and no one will ever know.

Get serious about your hands and feet

From brutal winter-time experience, I’ve learned the VERY hard way (we’re talking frostbite) that no winter ride will ever be enjoyable or worth it if your hands and feet aren’t happy.  It’s interesting that there is a wide variety of hand and feet cold tolerances amongst cyclists.  After a bit of experience, you’ll know exactly where you are in the hierarchy.  I have VERY cold sensitive feet and can almost guarantee that it’s possible to have happy feet in the most extreme temps.  My secret weapon is to use dedicated winter cycling shoes (I use Lake’s shoes), wool socks and electric foot beds.  The best tip, however, is to assure that your winter shoes have a bit more toe box room than typical cycling shoes.  Unfortunately, this may require new shoes even if you don’t go for dedicated winter shoes.

If you’ve done a fair amount of snow skiing, then you probably have hands figured out.  My best tip is to have 2-3 sets of outer gloves for different temperatures PLUS a nice liner.  As with shoes, a bit of circulating room especially in the fingertips makes for a warmer glove.  Just be careful with too large of a glove size because you still have to shift and brake.  If you’re REALLY having a tough go, you can pick up some of those nifty neoprene handlebar shields.

With a little planning and reasonable gear, winter cycling is not only possible but it can be enjoyable.  Stick with it and you’ll find yourself at the front of the pack when the weather turns warm.

Stay tuned for my next post where I’ll detail the exact equipment I use to stay warm.

How to use cycling embrocation

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winter cyclingCycling-specific embrocation is a very popular winter-time product especially amongst cyclocross racers.  While it acts as a barrier to cold and wet weather, it also serves as a bit of a fashion statement.  The slicked up “embro look” screams “Belgian Hard Man” and “Euro Cool”.  The origins and purpose of embrocation, however, have nothing to do with cold weather cycling.

If you’re a little lost about embrocation in general, never fear.  We will go over how to use embrocation and how put on embrocation.  Pay attention to those tips…it could save you from burning in some very delicate areas.

A little embrocation history

“Embrocation” is a generic term for any preparation that is applied to the skin in order to relieve pain.  “Embrocation” and “liniment” are often used interchangeably.  These preparations have their origins in horse training & racing.  You may recall seeing bottles of horse or veterinarian liniment in your grandparents medicine cabinet.  It was great for sore muscles but could REALLY burn (heck, the stuff was meant to penetrate the hide and hair of thoroughbreds).  The most well-known veterinarian liniment in the US is Asorbine.  They still make the stuff and started doing so way back in the late 1800’s.  Around the same time, similar preparations were created for humans.  The most well-known brand in the US is Bengay which was invented by French physician, Dr. Bengue, in the 1890’s. 

Years ago, European cyclists figured out that they could use combinations of oils and liniments to boost their tolerance of cold and wet days.  The idea caught on and has been used ever since.  For many years, a variety of different substances were re-purposed for use during winter cycling.  In fact, Coach Eddie B, the US Olympic coach in 1980 and 1984 who immigrated from Poland, recommended using products like Musclor 3 (a powerful French version of Bengay), Capsolin (a Swiss liniment with capsaicin) and Cramer formulas (a liniment invented in Kansas in 1918 and endorsed by Knute Rockne; now better known as Atomic Balm).  When I was cutting my teeth as a junior and U23 cyclist during the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, we weatherproofed our legs with olive oil, mineral oil or Vaseline.  Every now and then, we’d add some heat on the knees with Tiger Balm or Asorbine.  The point back then was to create a barrier.  Burning your hide off was only an occasional affair and usually an accident.

Embrocation wars

Modern embrocations usually provide at least some their heat with capsaicin.  Capsaicin is the naturally occurring substance that makes peppers hot. The intensity of hot peppers is measured in Scoville Heat units.  Producing cycling specific embrocation seems to almost be a sport in itself centered around companies vying for the hottest balm with essence of Habanero or Ghost Pepper.  Some embrocation producers brag about having Scoville Heat Units 30 times higher than the average super hot Habanero pepper.

In our opinion, they’ve got it all wrong.  A winter cycling embrocation is meant first to create a thick waterproof barrier against cold and the elements.  The heat in embrocation isn’t meant to fool your bare legs into believing freezing temps are tolerable.  The heat is meant to prep your legs for the effort.  In other words, it’s a warm up tool.  If it’s so cold that you cannot tolerate things with a little oil or grease barrier then it’s time to wear tights.

This isn’t just a quirky opinion.  We’re talking about serious things like hypothermia.  The human body responds to cold by diverting blood to the central core of the body in order to preserve heat.  Creating abnormal warmth on the skin of the extremities promotes extra blood flow near the surface of the skin which thereby cools the blood.  Cooling of the blood in extremities theoretically exposes riders to the risk of lower than expected body temperatures for a given air temperature. 

What’s the bottom line? A little heat is a good thing but don’t let it get you into danger.  We formulated Doc’s Natural Cool Weather Embrocation to create a nice greasy barrier first and foremost with nice dollop of heat via natural capsaicin and essential oils.  Don’t worry, you’ll get some heat from our stuff, it just won’t be an experiment Scoville Heat Units.

Try Doc’s Natural Cool Weather Embrocation

Newly reformulated for better protection

Click here to BUY NOW

How to put on embrocation

Do you like the idea of putting on embrocation but aren’t sure how to put on embrocation or how to use embrocation? Here’s how we recommend putting on and using embrocation:

  1. Either wear disposable gloves or plan on washing REALLY well after applying.  You DON’T want this stuff anywhere near your privates.
  2. Put your shorts on FIRST…learned this the hard way myself.  Sliding your shorts on after applying embrocation is a great way to pull hot stuff up into your nether region (see #1).
  3. Apply it before you head outside if possible (this is hard to do when you show after a long drive to a cyclocross race).
  4. Even better than #3…apply it indoors AND do a little warm-up indoors (light calisthenics for a couple of minutes).  Getting a little warm-up before you hit the cold can actually help prevent injury.
  5. Don’t be afraid to put on a good amount.  The more you put on, the better than barrier against cold temperatures and moisture.
  6. A little rubbing is good.  Not only will it give you nice pre-workout massage, it’ll help activate the warming sensation and aid in penetrating the skin. Once you rub the first application in, apply another layer to assure the barrier part of the embrocation is ready for action
  7. The ingredients in the embrocation tend to get hotter with moisture so wipe your legs down with baby wipes or towel before showering.

Cycling specific embrocation is a nice way to make those miserable cold and wet winter days much more tolerable.  It is important to know how to use embrocation and how to put on embrocation.  When used properly, embrocation can not only make bad weather more tolerable, it can make it safer.

Healthy Holiday Treats from Breezy

holiday treats

Breanna NadlerBreanne Nadler is a professional cyclist with DNA p/b K4 Racing. In addition to being an all around phenom on the road, she earned a BS in Biology AND a Masters degree in Nutrition and Sports Dietetics from the University of Utah. She is licensed as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and is the nutrition coach at Plan 7 Coaching.

 

 

She shared some her favorite athlete-friendly treats for the holiday season.  Enjoy all of these healthy holiday treats from Breezy.

Chocolate Nut Bark

Ingredients
2 cups semisweet, bittersweet or milk chocolate chips, melted (see Tip)
1 1/2 cups assorted nuts, such as hazelnuts, almonds and cashews, plus more for garnish
Preparation
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. (Take care to avoid wrinkles.) Combine melted chocolate and nuts in a medium bowl. Scrape the mixture onto the foil and spread it into an approximate 12-by-9-inch rectangle. Sprinkle with additional finely chopped nuts, if desired. Refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes.
Transfer the bark and foil to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces.
Tip: To melt chocolate, microwave on Medium for 1 minute. Stir, then continue microwaving on Medium, stirring every 20 seconds, until melted. Or place chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not boiling, water. Stir until melted.

Nutrition (makes 3 dozen pieces)
Per piece: 74 calories; 5 g fat ( 2 g sat , 3 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrates; 5 g added sugars; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 1 mg sodium; 66 mg potassium.

Try Doc’s Natural Chamois Cream

Breezy’s favorite chamois cream

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Frozen Chocolate-Covered Bananas

Ingredients
4 large ripe bananas, peeled and cut into thirds crosswise
3/4 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips, melted (see Tip)
1/4 cup shredded coconut
Preparation
Peel 4 large ripe bananas, cut in thirds and insert a popsicle stick into the cut end of each piece. Melt ¾ cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips. Cover each piece of banana with melted chocolate and sprinkle with coconut. (Reheat chocolate, as needed, to keep it melted.) Place the bananas on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper and freeze until frozen, about 2 hours.
Tip: To melt chocolate, microwave on Medium for 1 minute. Stir, then continue microwaving on Medium, stirring every 20 seconds, until melted. Or place chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not boiling, water. Stir until melted.

Nutrition (makes 12 servings)
Per serving: 100 calories; 4 g fat ( 3 g sat , 1 g mono ); 4 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrates; 6 g added sugars; 1 g protein; 2 g fiber; 7 mg sodium; 207 mg potassium.

Pumpkin Pie Yogurt (Breanne’s recipe)
Ingredients: makes 1 serving
· 4-6 oz. Greek Vanilla yogurt: plain, nonfat (any dairy alternative works as well!)

· 1 can pure pumpkin: unsweetened

· ½ tsp. Brown Sugar (could also use honey)

· 1 graham cracker, crumbled

· 2 tsp dark chocolate chips (optional)

· 1 tsp Pumpkin Seeds

· Cinnamon to taste (could also add nutmeg)

Directions:

Fill a small bowl with yogurt and sprinkle with 3/4 of the graham cracker

Mix pumpkin with sugar (or honey) and cinnamon: add to yogurt
Garnish with remaining 1/4 crushed graham cracker, chocolate chips and pumpkin seeds
* To make your own pumpkin pulp, cut a pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and roast, cut side down, in a 400 degree oven for 50-60 minutes, or until pumpkin flesh is soft when poked as a fork.

Eat Like a Pro Athlete at Thanksgiving

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Thanksgiving and the entire holiday season can be a nutritional nightmare for weight and performance conscious endurance athletes. While fear over gaining performance robbing pounds is certainly a concern, most athletes also understand that sugar and fat laden diets can further undermine performance. Nutrition is certainly a secret ingredient to boosting “in-season” performance. Off-season nutrition, as we’ll see below, should be viewed in a similar light but with a focus on maintaining the status quo and not undermining improvements made in the previous season.

Rather that reinvent the wheel, we asked some of our favorite Doc’s Skincare sponsored athletes for their tips and tricks on how to enjoy the holidays without getting behind (too much) on the upcoming season. We found their responses to be spot-on and very practical. Their insight will be sure to help you this holiday season and you too can eat like a pro athlete at Thanksgiving.  What you will find is MORE than just “what to eat on Thanksgiving Day” or “what to eat on Thanksgiving that is healthy”.  This stuff is pure gold and will help you avoid any nutrition snafu during any holiday, party or sport-eating event.

Top advice from someone who should know

Breanne Nadler is a professional cyclist with DNA p/b K4 Racing. In addition to being an all around phenom on the road, she earned a BS in Biology AND a Masters degree in Nutrition and Sports Dietetics from the University of Utah. She is licensed as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN). The bottom line is:

  • She’s fast on a bike
  • She’s smart as heck
  • She knows something about the stuff your putting in your mouth

Her on-the-bike accolades include being the top amateur finisher in the US Pro National road race in 2014, NRC podium finishes at the Cascade Classic and Mt Hood stage races, overall UCA points leader 2013, and Utah state time trial and hill climb champion 2013 and 2014.

When we asked Breanne for a little help with “how to eat like a pro at Thanksgiving”, it turns out that she’d already written an entire article on the subject. As she puts it, an athlete’s focus over Thanksgiving (and the whole holiday season in fact) shouldn’t be weight loss but focusing on how to “better manage their training and eating throughout the holiday season and, thus, be ready to ramp up their training in the spring (vs simply trying to undo all the damage they did over the winter months!)”.

Interestingly, Breanne tells that most people do not gain as much weight on average as they assume. Instead of the 7-10 pounds that most people guess, the average amount of weight that people gain amounts to only a single pound. The overall health and weight issue develops because that single pound is rarely lost so “that seemingly small amount of weight gained over a given holiday season can add up over the years”.

Make sure you check out her favorite athlete-friendly treats here.

Here are some of her “tried and true strategies” for maintaining sound nutrition over Thanksgiving and the rest of the holidays:

• Take preventative measures: If you tend to overeat at parties, try eating a low-calorie snack to help curb your appetite before leaving the house. Chances are if you arrive at the party ravenous, you will overeat.
• Don’t vow to eat nothing at a special event: In doing so, you will just be setting yourself up for failure and subsequent guilt. Instead, limit your selections to foods you don’t typically eat and keep your portion sizes under control.
• When it comes to seconds, use the 20- minute rule: It typically takes 20 minutes after you have eaten for your satiety center to kick in and register that you are full. Thus, before going back for a second helping, wait 20 minutes. If you still feel hungry, go for seconds but keep your portion sizes small and go easy on the high-fat, high-calorie foods.
• Share the wealth: If you host a party or dinner, have disposable containers available for guests to take home leftovers. This will help get tempting foods out of your house entirely!
• Bring the healthy dish: When contributing to the party, take something low in calories and high in nutrition, such as raw vegetables and hummus, fresh fruit, or a less guilty desert.
• Go easy on the alcohol: Most people are well aware of the added poundage that can be brought on by mashed potatoes and gravy or pecan pie. Don’t underestimate that alcohol itself is chock-full of calories (kcals). For example, a typical two ounces of alcohol (such as might be found in a typical mixed drink) contains approximately 141 kcals, and that’s not including the mixer, which can easily add another 100-300 kcals! An eight-ounce glass of eggnog with rum contains 400 kcals. Beer and wine may be smarter options, with 150 kcals for a typical serving (i.e., 12 and eight ounces, respectively). And research suggests that those additional alcohol calories are stored as fat instead of used for energy. In addition, alcohol tends to distort our nutritional judgment, causing us to consume more high-calorie, high-fat foods than we would if we were not under the influence.
Exercise! While it is a good idea to balance your energy intake with the appropriate amount of exercise on a regular basis, it is particularly important during the off season. Unfortunately, many cyclists use the excuse of a “hectic holiday schedule” to sideline their exercise program. Colder temperatures and shorter days can also make cycling (outside) uncomfortable and even unsafe. Rather than ditch the training programs altogether, cyclists should explore the multitude of winter sports in their area, preferably those that compliment or enhance their cycling such as Nordic and/or alpine skiing, ice-skating and snowshoeing. This would also be a good time to get back into the weight room and work on your strength and power (not to mention your bone health!). And, of course, there are numerous indoor cycling options ranging from group spin classes to stationary bikes and trainers that you can purchase for your own personal use at home.

Try Doc’s Natural Chamois Cream

The most popular chamois cream in US Domestic Pro Peleton

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Learning from a notorious “sport-eater”

Troy Wells races for the Team CLIF Bar Mountain Bike & Cyclocross squads. Per his team’s website: “Troy can also eat a ridiculous amount of food. On the way to CrossVegas one year, Troy downed a burrito that was the size of a large house cat. The folks who ran the restaurant all came out to meet him when they’d heard he cleaned his plate. It was pretty impressive. And a little gross.” So we figured that Troy would know a little something about eating well and keeping that endurance athlete physique in check.

Troy’s tidbits include:

  • Get your workout in early on thanksgiving. People love to eat at crazy times. Who eats dinner @ 2 p.m?
  • Don’t eat what you don’t enjoy. Just because its on the table doesn’t mean you have to eat it or sample it.
  • Don’t stress about eating to much food. It’s not like you are going to gain more than one pound off of one meal.
  • Just go to sleep let the tryptophan do its work.
  • Eat the leftover pies as your recovery meal after training for the next couple days.
  • I normally only have a leftover meal the day after. You can only eat the same turkey meal so many days in a row.
  • Lucky for me I’m normally in the middle of the season so I don’t need to find motivation to train around the holiday.
  • A great time of the year to do the thanksgiving 5k or go for a hike in the a.m

Sometimes the best advice is simple

Jacob Rathe is an American professional road racing cyclist who rides for Jelly Belly-Maxxis and lives in Portland, OR. His accolades include 2nd in the 2011National U-23 Road Race Championships, 3rd in the 2011 Paris-Roubaix Espoirs, 7th in the 2014 National Road Race Championships and 9th in the 2014 Philadelphia International Championships. We’ve had the great opportunity of spending a little time with him since Doc’s started sponsoring Jelly Belly in 2015.  Noticing his wit and pragmatism, we thought his advice would be perfect and to-the-point.

Not one to disappoint, his advice is simple: “Do as big of a ride as possible, then eat as much as possible, then fall asleep at 6. ”

Putting it together

Surviving the holiday season for a nutrition-conscious athlete doesn’t have to be daunting or centered on self-denial. Even professional athletes enjoy themselves when sweets and treats appear around every corner, meeting, party and meal. Keeping one’s body primed and ready for the upcoming season can be as simple as using a few simple strategies.

What are your strategies for surviving the holiday season? Post your comments below or let us know at info@docsskincare.com

Discover the Secret Behind Doc’s Natural Chamois Cream for Cyclists

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Have you ever wondered how we make Doc’s Natural Chamois Cream for cyclists?

Would you like to know the secret behind its winning formula?

Joshua BartonThe backstory about “Doc”

It all starts with me and my sensitive derriere in 2004. I grew up racing bikes as a USA Cycling (USCF back then) junior in Texas and enjoyed the sport all the way through college racing for various teams including the Fightin’ Texas Aggies. We were pretty good back then and even pulled of a nice finish in the Team Time Trial at Collegiate National Championships on less than ideal equipment that matched our redneck personas. Despite my delusions of grandeur, I wasn’t the next Greg LeMond so I headed off to medical school to pursue my other dream after college. I rarely rode a bike of any kind during 4 years of medical school and only started riding at the tail end of 7 years of surgical residency because my sleek 158 pound endurance athlete body had slowly swelled into a 200+lb embarrassment.

My return to cycling was not all that easy. The worst part was that my once bulletproof hind-end was sensitive beyond reason. Even though I grew up in the era of chamois pads made with REAL chamois leather, I had never used chamois cream prior to version 2.0 of my cycling experience. At a friend’s suggestion, I tried a popular brand of chamois cream for cyclists. It worked great…for about 5 minutes. Thinking there was SOME brand out there that actually worked, I tried every brand of chamois cream for cyclists in existence from this country and abroad. I experienced the same problem over and over: either they didn’t work at all (other than giving me a “loaded diaper” feeling) or they worked for about 5 minutes before my body either absorbed or sweated the stuff off.

Try Doc’s Natural Chamois Cream

Doc’s works great and is safe for modern chamois pads

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Born out of frustration

Frustrated with the lack of performance of chamois cream on the market, I began looking into what was in the ingredient list of most brands. I noticed two important things:

  1. Most chamois creams are simply relabeled cold cream (and WAY overpriced cold cream at that)
  2. EVERY chamois cream on the market back then was loaded with stuff I really didn’t want on my most sensitive areas (more on this later)

Being completely disillusioned with the chamois cream for cyclists available, still very much uncomfortable on the bike, and a little cheap, I decided I could make chamois cream myself in 2006. I went to various supply houses, pharmacies, and organic markets looking for stuff like shea butter, lanolin, tea tree oil, and zinc oxide. I talked to various compounding pharmacists and formulation chemists. I made a few interesting batches of chamois cream in my kitchen. Some were better then others and no two batches were the same. One thing was clear, however, I could make a chamois cream for cyclists that kicked the pants off of what was available for retail.

By around 2008, I began wondering if I could actually sell this stuff. It turns out that the FDA has pretty strong opinions on selling stuff that people put on or in their bodies (please don’t put chamois cream IN your body). Worse yet, manufacturing a skincare product in mass quantities requires a “formula”, significant capital, and a commitment to very large quantities. It took a couple of years but I navigated the FDA regulations and got an on-the-job education in cosmetic formulation. Cosmetic formulation requires the skills of a formulation chemist to assure that large mass-produced quantities of products are made properly. A simple recipe describing “a cup of this and a tablespoon of that” won’t work.

Chamois cream wish list

Aleo Vera
Top view of a wide open aloe vera plant.

Before we could manufacture the stuff we wanted to sell, no less than a half-dozen versions of our chamois cream were tested. Our formulation chemist took our initial wish list and made 3 initial prototypes. The biggest items on our wish list were:

  1. A HEAVY dose of Tee Tree Oil and Witch Hazel in order to naturally fight bacteria and yeast/fungus
  2. ABSOLUTELY no mineral oil (did you know that stuff is made from petroleum!?)
  3. Water could NOT be the first ingredient (in case you didn’t know, the ingredient listed first on an ingredient list is the most prevalent ingredient; most chamois creams list water first…what’s the point in that!?)
  4. It had to be as natural as possible while still being safe and stable on store shelves
  5. It has to last for hours (see #3)

Testing prototypes

We tested some really interesting chamois cream prototypes including a version we called “Doc’s Extra Chunky”. It was chock full of shea butter which tended to be clumpy. One test rider referred to the chunks as “ball bearings” for your chamois. It actually worked great but we determined that typical consumers would be put off by chunks in their chamois cream.

Mont VentouxArmed with what we thought was the final formula, 4 of us headed to the 2010 Tour de France for some cut throat chamois cream testing. Along with being super fan boys, we completed the Nuts of Ventoux, Col du Galibier (this should be a MUST DO on any cyclist’s list), and a local race up Alpe d’Huez (turns out that local French guys are fast but I somehow eeked out a top 10) along with about 6 other trips up the 21 switchbacks. After 10 days of solid riding and many tens of thousands of feet of climbing, there wasn’t a single sore bum or spot of skin break down in the bunch. We knew we had a winner.

Since we started selling Doc’s Natural Chamois Cream in late 2009, we reformulated the secret recipe once. This was in response to the feedback of our valued customers who informed us that our chamois cream for cyclists was a little heat intolerant. We believe we now have the PERFECT chamois cream.

How to put on chamois cream and other great tips

Dump Loop BoiseStop us if you’ve heard this before

You’re on the bike and before you know it you can feel the chafing starting to take place. It may not be the saddles fault or the clothes you’re wearing. You’re going hard and your sweating. Your skin is rubbing against your kit. It’s at that moment you think to yourself “I should have used Chamois Cream”. Now what? First let’s cover using chamois cream.

Chamois cream is an excellent product to prevent chafing, but not all creams are made equal

Your skin is a very sensitive organ and it needs to ‘breathe’ in order to regulate body temperature. Your skin will also absorb products you apply. Many companies use cheap ingredients such as mineral oil and other chemicals to make their products. Why? By using cheaper ingredients they can make more profit when they sell their products; it’s that simple. However, these ingredients are not good for your skin. Mineral oil clogs your pours, which isn’t something you want. Cheap ingredients and chemicals are absorbed by the body and can also irritate your skin which leads to chafing.

At Doc’s we are all about comfort, performance AND using the best natural ingredients available

You know that when you use our Natural Chamois Cream you are applying a product that is not only physician formulated but made by compound pharmacists in FDA approved labs. It might cost a little more in terms of production but we don’t pass those costs to our consumers. You are welcome. Originally chamois pads were made of actual leather which when used for an extended period of time ended up looking like a well worn baseball glove. The creams and ointments at the time were meant to be applied to the chamois pad to make it softer. Chamois pads these days are made of the latest materials and fabrics and they don’t need to be treated. The same can’t be said for your skin. Now chamois cream is made to be applied primarily to you skin. Again, you really do want to use products that used the best ingredients.

Try Doc’s Natural Chamois Cream

Doc’s works great and is safe for modern chamois pads

Click here to BUY NOW

How do you apply chamois cream? We actually get asked this question a lot. It’s simple:

  1. Open up your container of Doc’s Natural Chamois Cream
  2. Take the fingertips of your hand and scoop up some chamois cream. It’s ok to experiment with how much you feel you need to use. Definitely apply liberally since you don’t want to end up using too little.
  3. Apply to your groin area and any other area where rubbing takes place while you are on the bike.
  4. Head on our for a ride and enjoy the comfort of a product that not only performs well but is great for you skin.

Now, let’s say you made the mistake of not using Doc’s  Natural Chamois Cream or you happen to develop saddle sores or other types of skin abrasions. The key here is to treat the problem areas post ride, right after you take a shower and clean up. Get out of your bibs or riding shorts ASAP; you don’t want to sit in your sweaty bibs with irritated skin. After your cleaned up you can apply our natural saddle ointment. This product is specifically formulated to not only provide comfort for your irritated skin but to help heal any sores you have. It’s even great for road rash should you take a spill. Since your goal is to make sure your skin heals you don’t want to use products with weird chemicals or ingredients that will clog your pours; your skin NEEDS to breath.

Here is a pro tip from Jonathan Fretter of Team Jelly BellyBike Race

He likes to take his natural saddle ointment and combine the entire tub with his Natural Chamois Cream. This will give you better and more long lasting protection. We’ve dubbed it ‘The Fretter Method’. Hey, if it works for the pros then it will definitely work for you.

So, now that you know how to use our chamois cream and our saddle ointment, and the benefits of using products with quality ingredients over those that are bad for your skin, you can rest assured that all of your bike rides will be chafe free.

How Do Natural Sunscreens Work?

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Sunscreen

Skin is the largest organ in the human body, making it susceptible to harsh external conditions including excessive sunshine, dangerous chemicals and even pollution.  Excessive exposure to the sun’s rays causes health related complications including premature aging and cancer. Sunscreen products prevent the sun’s rays from penetrating skin thus preventing damage and promoting healthy skin.

What’s in Doc’s Natural Sunscreen?

Aloe veraDoc’s Natural Sunscreen is designed to help protect athletes from the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays. The active ingredients in Doc’s Natural sunscreen are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. These naturally occurring minerals have a long history of use and are effective in offering protection against harmful sun radiations. Unlike the artificial chemicals found in store bought sunscreens, the minerals in Doc’s Natural Sunscreen never penetrate skin.

How does Doc’s Natural Sunscreen work?

The minerals in Doc’s Natural Sunscreen work by reflecting the UVA and UVB rays away from the skin’s surface. You can think of these minerals as working by bouncing the harmful sun rays away from the skin thus reducing its absorption.  The artificial chemicals in store bought brands work by absorbing UV rays.

UV Block

Try Doc’s Natural Sunscreen

Doc’s works great and uses safe & natural minerals

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How Long Can I Stay in the Sun?

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Use the UV Index to Guide How Long You Stay Outdoors & What to Do to Protect Yourself

EPA’s UV Index

SunEver wonder: How long can I stay out in the sun?

The Ultraviolet Index forecasts the expected danger of overexposure to Ultraviolet radiations and can be used as a guide to determine not only how long you can stay outdoors safely but also how to protect oneself while out in the sun. The NWS (National Weather Service) determines the forecast for virtually all ZIP codes across America, before EPA publishes the information. The information is relayed in conjunction with recommendations on how to you can protect yourself from the sun, hence provides a useful tool when planning sun-safe outdoor activities.

Selective Ozone layer depletion, and seasonal weather variations, implies that different amounts of Ultraviolet radiation reach different parts of the earth at any particular time. After taking all these factors into consideration, the UV Index forecasts the level of sun UV radiation and shows the danger of overexposure of the same on a scale ranging from 0 to 11 or even more. Zero indicates low while anything above 10 indicates extremely high.

Here’s the EPA’s web app for checking the UV Index for your zip code: http://www2.epa.gov/sunwise/uv-index

Try Doc’s Natural Sunscreen

Doc’s works great and uses safe & natural minerals

Click here to BUY NOW

How to use UV index to guide sun protection

0-2: least UV exposure, more than 60 minutes to sunburn. Wear a wide brimmed hat will suffice. Use sunglasses if you deem fit

3-4: Low, sun burn can result in about 45-60 minutes of UV exposure. Besides wearing a hat, you should protect your skin by covering any exposed skin using SPF 15 and clothing UPF 15 every two hours.

5-6: moderate, sunburn can happen within 30 minutes. Wear nothing less than UPF 15. Ideally, you should use UPF 20-24 plus polarized glasses to effectively protect your eyes. Apply sunblock SPF 15-30 to any uncovered skin every two hours.

7-9: High, sunburn occurs within 15-20 minutes. Stay indoors between peak hours, that is, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. also wear UPF 40 and above, clothing, polarized glasses, hat and SPF 45 to protect exposed skin every two hours.

10+: Very High, sunburn occurs in less than fifteen minutes. It is advisable to always stay indoors. If you must go outside, stay in shaded areas, keep yourself hydrated, put on wide-brimmed hat, SPF 40-50 clothing, polarized glasses as well as SPF 45 on uncovered skin every two hours.

Sunscreen, Sun Exposure and Skin Cancer

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What you need to know to stay protected

With summer quickly approaching, we begin to look forward to the warmer temperatures and being able to enjoy being outside again. But with the warmer temperatures and increase in outdoor activities such as running and cycling, comes the risk of sun exposure and skin cancer. So what is the risk of skin damage due to sun exposure and what can be done to prevent it?

Even though we are always at risk for sunburn regardless of the season, spring and summer is the time of year when the risk of sunburn is greatest. As the days grow longer, the sun’s UV rays become stronger and have more tendency to burn any exposed skin, especially when the sun’s rays at their strongest peak between 10 AM and 4 PM. Sweating due to physical exertion or swimming can also contribute to UV-related skin damage as it increases the photo-sensitivity of our skin, which facilitates to an increased risk of skin cancer.

Check out these convenient infographics about sun exposure and athletic performance

Risk of Skin Cancer

Risk of sunburnOverall, skin cancer is most diagnosed form of cancer, with 1 in 5 Americans diagnosed in the course of a lifetime. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, there are more diagnosed cases of skin cancer than the diagnoses of breast, colon, and prostrate cancer combined. Typically, the type of cancer that comes from increased sun exposure is basal cell carcinoma. These are uncontrolled skin growths or lesions that are caused by increased or intense bouts of sun exposure. They rarely metastasize or spread, though can be disfiguring if one is not treated quickly. However, due to increased time outside, sweating, and exercise-induced immunosuppression, athletes are more prone to the more aggressive types of skin cancer, such as squamous and melanoma. Squamous cell carcinoma looks like red sores, warts, or open sores and may crust over or bleed. They are disfiguring and if not treated, can become deadly. Melanoma is the result of cancerous growths due to high amounts of UV radiation and tanning beds. Though they resemble moles, they are actually abnormal skin growths that have the ability to trigger mutations and create cancerous tumors. Melanoma kills over 9,700 people in U.S. each year, making this the most deadly form of skin cancer.

Should we then forget going outside so as not to increase our risk of skin cancer? Definitely not, but there are ways to prevent sun burns and greatly reduce our chances of skin cancer.

Take a look at this article to more precisely determine sunburn risk for your area

 How to Stay Protected

First, try to change your outdoor routines to mornings or evenings. Since the sun’s rays are at their strongest between 10 AM and 4 PM, it is recommended to exercise or do outside chores either in the early mornings or late evenings. If you’re outside, try to stay in the shade as much as possible, especially between 10 AM and 4 PM if you can’t go inside. Wearing protective clothing while outside is a great idea too. Light, long-sleeved shirts, short-sleeved shirts, hats, light workout pants, and UV-blocking sunglasses serve as great protective clothing for working or playing outdoors.

Try Doc’s Natural Sunscreen

Doc’s works great and uses safe & natural minerals

Click here to BUY NOW

Finally, and most importantly, use sunscreen on any exposed skin. Even if the outside chore is just 15 minutes, it doesn’t take long for the sun to burn skin. In fact, it only take 10 minutes of sun exposure before unprotected skin burns, so using sunscreen is very important to use when outside.

Finding the right type of sunscreen is important too. Sunscreen is measured in SPF or Sun Protection Factor. SPFSunscreen tells us how strong the it is at protecting from UVB rays, though it doesn’t say how well it protects against UVA rays, which can be as dangerous. However, dermatologists recommend that a SPF 30 or higher sunscreen should be used, especially for people who have an increased exposure in the sun. An SPF 15 sunscreen blocks out around 93% of the rays that hits the skin whereas SPF 30 blocks out 97% and SPF 50 blocks out 98%. For those who are light-sensitive or have a history of skin cancer, these numbers are significant and should be taken seriously. Since sunscreens vary in their protection of both UVB and UVA rays, using a broad spectrum sunscreen is highly recommended.

Learn how sunscreens work and why natural sunscreens are the way to go here

The general amount of sunscreen used is recommended to be 1 oz. An easy way to remember how much this is to imagine measuring out a shot glass or more full of sunscreen onto your skin and working it in. Under applying sunscreen is very easy to do, but doing so greatly lessens the duration of protection and increases the chance of skin damage. It is recommended to apply sunscreen 15 minutes before heading outside for it to take full effect. Reapply every 90 minutes that you are outside or more frequently if swimming or sweating profusely. Sunscreen is only water-resistant, not water-proof, so it needs to be reapplied accordingly as you sweat.

Recap

Since this is a lot of information, let’s recap. With summer around the corner, many of us are going to be heading outside to exercise or do outside chores. With that, comes an increased chance of skin damage and skin cancer due to exposure to the sun. Because of the increased amount of time athletes spend outside, they are more at risk of getting skin cancer, particularly the most aggressive types squamous and melanoma. In order to prevent skin damage and reduce the chance of skin cancer:

  • Stay inside between the hours of 10 AM and 4 PM when the sun is strongest; exercise or do chores in the early mornings or late evenings.
  • Wear protective clothing such as long-sleeve shirts and hats.
  • Stay in the shade when possible.
  • Apply an SPF 30 or higher sunscreen 15 minutes before going outside and reapplying every 90 minutes while outside.
  • Use 1 oz or more of sunscreen every time you apply (remember: a shot glass full of sunscreen equals approximately 1 oz).

Doing these few things will not only protect against the sun’s harmful rays, but make summer a time for memories and fun without the threat of skin cancer. So next time you go for a run or ride, don’t forget to grab your sunscreen and a hat and keep the risk of skin cancer as minimal as possible.

References:

Skin Cancer Association: http://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information

http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/sun-protection/sunscreen/sunscreens-explained

Your Prostate and Cycling

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I have a middle aged prostate…

While my prostate doesn’t seem to be bothering me, I know full well that some day it will.  Trouble like prostatitis, trouble starting and stopping my urine stream and, worse yet, getting up over-and-over in the middle of the night to pee.  On top of that, it seems that most men in my family figure out a way to get prostate cancer.  So I have taken an efforts to keep my prostate happy.

Truth be told, MOST men will have some sort of issue with their prostate.

Another truth: cycling isn’t exactly prostate friendly.

So I was excited when I ran across this news story: http://www.newsmax.com/fastfeatures/men-prostate-cycling-health-precautions/2015/03/19/id/631137/

The take home from that story:

  • Studies showing a link between high volume cycling and prostate cancer probably aren’t correct
  • In reality, cycling is so healthy it may DECREASE the risk of prostate cancer
  • The bad news is that cycling will in fact increase your risk of prostatitis (irritating inflammation of the prostate) BUT there are things you can do about that (see below)

What’s a prostate and how do I know if I have one?

Not even sure if you’ve got one?  Not sure what a prostate is or what it does?

The first question is easy.  If you’re a guy, you’ve got one.  No way around it.  The prostate is a small gland justCycling and Prostate below the bladder.  The urethra runs through it as it exits the bladder on its way to the penis.  The prostate is shockingly close to the skin of your perineum (see our article on wear to put on chamois cream to find details on what the perineum is, long story short it’s the area between your genitals and anus) and, as such, suffers through a ton of pressure on normal saddles.  The role of the prostate is to secrete fluid that helps expel and nourish sperm during sexual intercourse (i.e. it’s a reproductive organ).

Try Doc’s Natural Chamois Cream

Doc’s works great and is safe for modern chamois pads Click here to BUY NOW

How to avoid trouble with your prostate as a cyclist

  • Bike fit – we say this for just about any cycling related comfort issue: fit is KING.  Saddle height, saddle tilt, and reach to the bars are the most important facets of fit with regard to the prostate
  • Rise up – if you live in flatter regions, it is not uncommon to get into a rut and find that you’ve not gotten out of the saddle for many hours.  Make it a habit to stand up out of the saddle every 15 to 30 minutes.  It’s not just good for your prostate, it’ll make everything feel better and it will likely decrease the risk of saddle sores
  • Get one of those new fangled saddles – some of you die hards probably cringe at the idea of a “prostate saddle” but hear me out.  I started riding an old fashioned Selle San Marco Regal saddle when I was a teenager.  I’ve ridden a Regal for 28 years or so.  I am convinced that my back side is permanently molded in the shape of a Regal.  Fortunately, the geniuses as Selle San Marco made a virtual cut out in the prostate area on the latest version.  It’s just a softer area in the shell covered by the usual leather and foam.  So I ride on with a nouveau Regal on my road bike.  Amazon has some good deals on Regals here.  Out of a necessity to get my time trial bike UCI legal (I am 6’2” and getting a big TT frame to fit within the UCI rig is tough while staying super aero), I came across an ISM Adamo Time Trial saddle.  I got it because it is very short so it keeps the nose of the saddle behind the UCI limit.  It also allows me to be very forward in the aero position since you naturally sit on front of the saddle.  The surprising benefit was that the saddle has a large cut out all the way to the front of the saddle so my prostate stays super happy.  Interestingly, pros are starting to use these unconventional ISM saddles.  In fact, the entire Jelly Belly Pro Cycling Team rides them!  Here’s where I got my ISM Adamo TT saddle on Amazon.

If you’ve got a prostate, take care of it and ride on.

-Doc

 

What Core and Yoga Can Do for Athletes

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In our humble opinion, core exercises and yoga go together like peaches and cream.  Why do we think they go together? It’s simple. Core and yoga compliment the other.  Put another way, the better you become at one, the better you’ll be at the other.  More importantly, core and yoga are an absolute MUST-DO for all competitive or recreational endurance athletes.  The benefits are immense and boil down to improving comfort and performance in any sport.

Core Exercises

What’s the big deal about core?

Sphinx or Plank Core Exercise In the past, traditional strength training programs for athletes focused on conditioning the main instruments of specific sports with the notion that fitter legs run and ride better, stronger arms swim faster, etc.  Over the past few decades, experience from rehabilitating people with back injuries highlighted the importance of strengthening the central muscles of the trunk, aka “core muscles”.  More importantly, it was recognized that only specific and unique exercises reconditioned these muscles after injury.

Click here to get our free eBook on core exercises

Lessons learned from physical therapy were soon applied in sports medicine not only with rehabilitation of sports injury but also improving performance.  What has been generally recognized and accepted in working with athletes is that the core muscles act as a base of action for the arms and legs.  Hence, the stronger and more stable the core, the more optimal an athlete’s control over the production and transfer of power to the limbs.  Put another way, the core is the basis for all movement whether sports-related or not.  Numerous studies have shown the benefit of core exercises for athletes including increased performance, endurance and resistance to injury.  One study even showing that core exercises reduce blood lactate values following exercises. 

What EXACTLY is the “core”!?

In the most general sense, the core muscles are the skeletal muscles of the torso.  These muscles include the pelvic floor muscles, transversus abdominis, multifidus, internal and external obliques, rectus abdominis, erector spinae, latissimus dorsi, gluteus maximus, and trapezius.  Some experts even include the diaphragm.  The core muscles work together provide stability of the body in all 3 possible planes of movement.

How to do core exercise

There are numerous core exercises out there.  Strengthening the core does not need to take up a ton of time or add to the stress of an already full training regimen.  About 10-15 minutes per session 2-3 times a week is all you’ll need to see benefits.  In our experience, athletes will see boosted speed and endurance as a direct result of improved comfort. 

Click here to get our free eBook on core exercises

Yoga

History of yoga in a nutshell

In a broad sense, yoga includes a series of practices that include breath control, meditation and the performance Yoga Prayer Poseof unique body positions.  Yoga likely developed between the 6th and 5th centuries BCE in India and has ties not only to Hinduism but also Buddhism. In Eastern traditions, yoga still has strong ties to spirituality and can even encompass mystical ideas that many westerners would find very foreign.  Some of these mystical ideas include pathways to omniscience and techniques for entering into other bodies. Yoga first travelled to the west in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  It wasn’t until practitioner began focusing on the body position facet that yoga became popular as a form of exercise in the 1980’s. 

Why would an athlete want to do this?

Numerous studies have validated the benefits of yoga.  In general, these benefits include improved muscular fitness and stress reduction.  Additional benefits specifically pertaining to athletes include reduced oxygen consumption (i.e. it MAY make you go faster with less effort), reduced muscle soreness following exercise and improved mental focus.

How to do yoga

Performing yoga can be intimidating for the uninitiated.  You can jump into various classes at your local gym or yoga studio.  For most endurance athletes, however, a session of yoga does not need to be difficult.  It can often be done alone at home and in less than 15 minutes.  You’ll find yoga beneficial as a pre or post-workout ritual.  We recommend doing it at least several times a week following your most stressful workouts.

We searched the internet high and low to find a few good resources for you:

The guys at Endurance Yoga put together a quick little routine for endurance athletes on YouTube:

Edward Heseltine of Cycling Yoga has a whole series on yoga for cyclists:

Go ahead and give core exercises and yoga a shot for a month or two.  Two to three days a week for a half-hour or less is all you need (more is great).  It won’t take away from time from sport specific training.  We’re willing to bet that you’ll see significant gains (if nothing else you’ll have sexy abs!). If you don’t see benefits, then give us a shout.  On the other hand, if you do see nice changes, we’d REALLY like to hear about it.

2015 Tour of New Zealand

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DNA p/b K4 Women’s Cycling Team Rocks It in Aeoteroa

What’s “Aeoteroa”?  Breanne will tell you below!

Breanna NadlerBreanne Nalder of the DNA p/b K4 women’s racing team was kind enough to give us the race synopsis below.  Breanne is not only an elite cyclist but is also full of life & personality.  She’s really great to be around and Doc’s is proud to provide her and her entire team with products this year.  Come to find out, she’s one tough lady…

 

Riding bicycles isn’t just something I do for fun and fitness, it has set me on a unique path, an incredible life journey…

Since joining the DNA Cycling p/b K4 racing team in 2013, life has completely taken turns I never would have imagined. I’ve had opportunity to race in some exotic places with the fastest chicks in the world. So, when I found out that my first race of 2015 would be a UCI stage race in New Zealand, I was beyond excited!

Winter training consisted of lots of hours at the House of Watts, and I felt so ready to rock

The travel to Aeoteroa (Maori name for North island New Zealand) was looooong, but once we were in route from Wellington to Masterton, we knew it was going to be an epic adventure… and it was that and more! We had a week to acclimate; train, and recon courses, and then it would be time to race in the Trust House Women’s Tour of New Zealand. Five stages of all-encompassing terrain with some of the top ranked girls in pro cycling. What an amazing opportunity with some of my best friends in a new world.

The week of “mini-training camp” had its ups and downs

Two teammates bikes didn’t arrive down under, including some lost luggage. On top of that, each of us got sick at separate times, so our rides were a bit scattered, but we made the best of it. We had daily stops to the local markets for our dried fruits, beetroot, and “peckish” crackers that we took to our little home at Mawley Holiday Park. We made dance videos, did laundry, and other silly things as a “famry” always with a fannypack in the mix to keep our valuables safe, hahaha. A Sunday group ride with the local Avanti Plus Masterton bike shop and local riders was a highlight, as we made some great new friends that stuck with us as fans through the race and we are still in contact with even though we are home ☺

Try Doc’s Natural Chamois Cream

This is the stuff that Breanne rides with

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Racing started with Stage 1 TTT

We are new at the Team Time Trial, so it was nice that we had practiced the course numerous times beforehand. Going up against Team USA and Australian National Team, the top teams in the world at this event, and barring only a few small hiccups, we did respectably. It was time to get ready for the long stages ahead…

NZ is known for…

Breanne Nadler attacks

Strong winds and varying terrain which suits us DNA gals, so we were excited to work as a team for good position in the pack and aggressive riding. About 30K into the first stage, I was pulled into a small crash that pushed me into the ditch. So a soft landing into some prickly bushes… As I caught right back up with the peloton, I figured I got my crash out of the way early so it would be smooth sailing for the rest of the tour. I even had a laugh with other racers that pointed out the stickers on my bum!

Then before I knew what had happened I was down again. Coming out of a descent, there was a fast pile up that I couldn’t avoid. I unfortunately stuck my arm out to catch myself, and literally watched my elbow dislocate! I stood up, assessed the situation, moved my bike off of the pile of girls beneath me, and my elbow popped itself back in on its own. Ouch, ouch, OUCH!!! But, I was ok and the pain wasn’t enough to abandon [editor’s note: Xrays back home revealed a fractured radial head…aka “broken elbow” which proves “women are tougher than men” and/or “take that Tyler Hamilton” for those that remember]. I decided to jump back on and see if I could catch the peloton and survive the stage. Because I knew in that moment that if I want to race another day, I MUST finish within the time cut or else I will have to stop. And if anyone knows me at all, you know that I am a bit stubborn and don’t really understand what it means to give up 😉

Since there were girls from the main teams that were potential GC contenders involved in the crash, the peloton slowed way down, so I was able to catch back on. That’s when the pain set in and I realized how hurt I might be. But I finished the day, went to the race doctors, got the best care I could, and tried to focus on the day ahead. I decided to start stage 3, figuring if I did abandon, it would be because I physically cannot compete. It was a tough day, every acceleration in the pack or every time around the circuit I couldn’t perform (climb) like my usual self due to the pain. So I changed my mindset to survival mode and try to help my teammates where I could, even if it forced me to drop…

Stage 4 was the Queen Stage

Breanne Nadler DNA RacingThe day I was anticipating for the previous month, envisioning successes and putting all my training and preparation to the test. But the injury had taken away that dream. Furthermore, my awesome teammate Gaby had earned herself the white jersey for best young rider the day before. So it was DNA’s turn to maintain that for her, to do all we could to protect our little sister. Unfortunately we missed the key break! So it was defense mode. We had to move to the front and organize a chase. This was tough in the winds but we HAD to work. I put the pain aside and did everything I could to help close the gap. We made it to the last climb and pushed the last 10K to the summit. We had kept the gap close, but unfortunately not quite enough to keep the white jersey. But still, we had one more day to be aggressive and see what we could do together. In bike racing, you never know what might happen or what opportunities may arise.

The last stage was fast from the gun. Lots of girls wanting to make lasting statements or solidify leads for jerseys or establish break-aways, etc., so another long and challenging stage. This multi-day race had several long stages, so it’s a good thing our team had Doc’s Skincare chamois cream and saddle ointment- I may not have survived without it! My teammate Lauren had an epic day, with a huge solo break and numerous attacks on top of that. She and I were caught up in an early crash, in which I did my best to pace her back up to the main pack because she was on fire that day! I was pretty torched from that effort so tried to sit in and recover for a moment, and boom! Another pile up… this was not my lucky stage race. It was survive to finish at that point for me. But again I found myself back with the main peloton and decided to move to the front and help my teammates however I could. It ended up being the right thing because there were different attacks and breaks all the rest of the day. I made a few moves and Lauren made many more moves. It was pretty fun, even though it was really sore in the arm. But at that point, may as well give it all I could. We’d come to the other side of the world to race, so let’s race!!!

Overall, the Trust House Women’s Tour of New Zealand was an incredible experience

Another chapter in the book of experience that is my life and bike racing. I am so proud to be a part of this team and have visited the insanely cool land and people of New Zealand. I feel so fortunate to have the support of our great sponsors such as Doc’s Skincare. This race left me hungry for more… now time to heal, recover and ramp up for the next part of the journey – the 2015 season is just beginning! BRAAP!!!

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