In case you’ve ever visited the beginning space of a biking time trial, you may need been overwhelmed by the variety of stationary trainers. Regardless of the extent of race, you’ll see virtually everybody using their bike with out transferring an inch. Though warming up has been customary at crew time trials, these days you see extra cyclists warming up earlier than different occasions as properly, and most of them are actually working up a sweat. At first sight, it may not make any sense. Why is it essential to endure like that earlier than the precise race begins? On this article, we’ll focus on when and methods to execute a correct warm-up. However earlier than we are able to try this, we must always discuss a bit of bit about why you have to be doing a warm-up.
There are a few attention-grabbing issues occurring throughout a warm-up. First, the physique temperature rises, and the blood stream accelerates. With a barely greater physique temperature, oxygen might be higher hooked up and launched to the oxygen transport molecules in your blood known as hemoglobin. By warming up, extra oxygen can attain the muscle mass. Additionally, with a better physique temperature, the vary of movement of your joints will increase. A warmed-up physique is barely extra versatile and fewer stiff.
Why ought to I heat up?
One other issue that contributes to higher efficiency after a warm-up is that while you begin exercising at a better depth, the power provide switches from burning fats to largely burning carbs. This course of implies an increase of the lactate degree and is partly anaerobic, which suggests there’s a brief oxygen debt till a brand new regular state is reached. You do not need this oxygen debt to happen within the first minutes of your time trial or race, which is what can happen throughout a tough begin with out a warm-up. If you’ve accomplished a gradual warm-up, it’s a lot simpler to place the hammer down proper from the beginning.
Additionally, warming up encourages the neuromuscular activation of the muscle mass, main to higher efficiency. This course of is known as the post-activation potentiation (PAP). It implies that brief bouts of intense bodily exercise trigger a biomechanical change throughout the muscle cells, which boosts the pressure of the muscle mass. This impact lasts for under about 5 to 10 minutes.
Final, however not least, is the impact of getting “within the zone.” Warming up will help get you into the correct mindset to carry out at your finest. That’s why you typically see skilled cyclists carrying shades, caps and headphones, fully closed off from their environment whereas they heat up.
When is the most effective time to heat up?
If we take all this into consideration, we are able to already reply the “when” query. As a result of some results are solely short-lived, such because the neuromuscular impact of the PAP, a warm-up needs to be completed proper earlier than your begin. Ideally, simply 5 minutes earlier than the beginning; nonetheless, as a result of these 5 minutes are often probably the most disturbing moments earlier than a race begin, taking pictures as an alternative for 10 minutes prior to begin time is commonly extra lifelike.
Have in mind, regardless that warmed-up muscle mass carry out higher, additionally they fatigue. So doing a warm-up for too lengthy or making it too intense is perhaps counterproductive. Your physique additionally has restricted carbohydrate storage for about 1 to 1.5 hours at FTP depth. Emptying this storage in a warm-up for an occasion that takes longer than an hour may negatively have an effect on your efficiency.
What’s the correct approach to heat up?
What needs to be included in a correct warm-up? The precise system varies from individual to individual, however you will need to briefly hit all of the depth zones. To offer you a framework you could adapt to your individual wants, the exercise outlined beneath is an efficient start line.
- 5 minutes simple 60–70% FTP
- 8 minutes gradual incline of 5% each minute; so, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100, 105, 110%
- 2 minutes simple 60–65% FTP
- 3 7-second sprints with 53 seconds of relaxation at 70% FTP in between
- 2 minutes simple 60–70% FTP
And bear in mind, though you do need the muscle temperature to rise barely, you do not need to overcook your self whereas warming up on the coach. Attempt to use a fan, particularly on sizzling days, a cool vest and iced drinks, and even take into account shortening your warm-up. It’s necessary to maintain your physique cool.
By Jim van den Berg, founding father of Cyclinglab. Jim has a background in kinesiology and was a semi-pro bicycle owner.
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