Cycling and leg soreness recovery using the World Run recovery System-Michael Gillan Recovery Specialist

Cycling and cycling recovery

Cycling long distances and ultra marathon running are similar when they are done in stages onconsecutive days, they both have to deal with sore muscles and stiffness on an ongoing basis-recovery is important for both of them so they can improve their positions in the field.Cyclists in stage races have to watch what they take to help them with recovery, and they also haveto be aware that any work they have done on their muscles using manual recovery systems are notgoing to end up costing them race because it was done too aggressively by the therapist.At the end of the stage they have just completed, they will be sore and fatigued-using conventionalrecovery systems that work

the muscles may do more harm than good because it interferes withthe bodies own recovery processes which start as soon as the muscles stop being stressedAssisting the muscles to get rid of by-products and the wastes that have formed so that fresh bloodcan enter the tissues and enhance healing is all that the muscles need at this point.Because the muscles have been pedalling for hours, they have become programmed to repeat thesame action over and over, and they will find it difficult to stop when the stage has finished, thebrain has difficulty in sending messages to the muscles to stop them.When the stage finishes it is best to give the muscles first aid while they are in the ‘window of opportunity’ and while they are still warm and pliableUsing passive movement and then active movement can assist communication between the musclesby telling the brain to switch off the muscles so they can rest, meanwhile the increase in the freshblood into the tissues will help the muscles recover faster than they would have.Just working

the muscles using conventional means does not address the issues as quickly orefficiently as it might-it needs something extra to cover thisWorking with the muscles, can address one problem while at the same time work on the other one,the theory is that de-stressing the muscles by taking them in a different direction to that they havebecome used to can help them relax, which will allow the calf muscle pump to work at pumping thewastes up the legs back to the body.

Cycling and leg soreness recovery using the World Run recovery System-Michael Gillan Recovery Specialist

Copyright 2008 Michael GillanUltra Marathon Recovery Specialist 2Other than taking drugs to improve performance, the cyclist in competition can gain the edge overother cyclists by faster recovery between stages, and it is by improved recovery that is shown in thegraph of the 1996 Colac 6 day event that I have inserted below

FIGURES TAKEN FROM THE (1995 COLAC 6 DAY FOOTRACE)

NAMEDay 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5Day 6237.2113.6130106126108Kilometers539284325265315270Laps215.298.898139.6138.4122.4Kilometers538247245349346306LapsM Taylor174.4128.8143.6123.6120.889.2Kilometers436322359309302223Laps180.4133.2124117.611093.2Kilometers451333310294275233LapsP Gray150134105.294.8111.6106Kilometers375335263237279265Laps138.4108.4106.8116.4106107.2Kilometers346271267274265268LapsI Davis168119.290116.47298.8Kilometers420298225291180247LapsG Watts131.296.499.2104.492.8133.6Kilometers328241248261232334LapsC Young14291.29097.68892Kilometers355228225244220230LapsD Kettle138.286.890.895.294.484.8Kilometers332217227238236212LapsR Hill12880.899.27095.696.4Kilometers320202248175239241LapsK Fisher16491.650115.249.681.2Kilometers410229125288124203LapsG Pollard12074.873.668.469.661.2Kilometers300187184171174153Laps

The above group came in for massage and stretchingThe group below did not or had their own massage people

141.6112.8104.8101.69896.4Kilometers354282262254254245Laps145.6110.8114.8113.6108.4106Kilometers364277287284271265Laps152.8110.8126.4113.6114.895.2Kilometers382277316284287238Laps140.882843400Kilometers35220521085Pulled out (Blisters)127.298.474.8000Kilometers318246187Pulled out0LapsN Mercer16616.40000Kilometers41516.4Pulled out00LapsUnderlining in the top group shows where the results of Gentle Manual Muscle Relaxationwas starting to take effect. The inconsistencies in the results on a daily basis wascaused by reverting back to conventional massage to see what happenedNote the higher injury and drop out rate in the bottom group.A KrouglikovT Rusek

B BeauchampD ParrisT RaffertyG McConnellG AudleyS ScanlonJ Timms

The competitive cyclist would like results similar to those shown in the above group and the waythis was achieved was using the simple, easy, oil free, non-intrusive, fast system of recovery