I spend most of my day either riding my bike or mindlessly selling pizza while trying to think of ways to help me ride my bike faster. As such I come up with these ideas which I always think must be wrong... so here it goes. Some theories I'm looking for to be disproved or at least discussion on:
1) Weights: If one were to do the correct weights before a ride they would fatigue many of the motor units which you would prefer to recruit while riding. If you go out and ride after words, or even the next day when you are a little sore from the weights you start to recruit new motor units similar to the end of a 5 hr ride. Increasing the number of motor units you use can utulize can help to improve power output. Going for lots of long rides would likely be better but for the time crunched a 30 minute weight routine with some L4 intervals afterwords could provide many of the gains plus some help with stuff like bone density and general strength if you care about that.
2.)Running: seen some studies which suggest it works your Vo2max more effectively that cycling and similar to cycling relies on mostly slow twitch fibers when you go farther. However, on average you absorb and push with about 2-3x body weight running versus 1/5 body weight cycling. Similar to the above you could break down preferred motor units more quickly than cycling and then go out and ride and start recruiting new motor units. I've anecdtotally found that running helps to promote lean muscle growth so this might be better than weights as it is also more aerobically based.
My theory is that neither of the above is preffered to a 7 hr ride as you also create adaptations that don't help cycling but perhaps better for those who are time crunched and cannot ride for long enough to breakdown motor units?
3) Pedalling technique, more accurately neuromuscular adaptations. I have noticed that during extended efforts I tend to start pushing against myself more on the upstroke and it feels like I am straining my legs the whole way around. If I focus on pushing at the top of the stroke and letting my leg release and just be total deadweight on the up power goes up, this could be because I'm riding harder but it doesn't feel like it. Perhaps working on high cadence to avoid bouncing could help this or just focusing on pushing earlier and letting go... or perhaps as I've always told people pedal the bike lots and your will naturally end up with something that is fairly efficient.
4)Core: When I do the pedalling noted above I get side to side rock if I don't tense my core... core strenght might actually be important for power application contrary to what I actually believed or perhaps it only matters once you are producing a certain amount of power (feels like I am pushing myself up out of the seat a bit and rock from that.
1) Weights: If one were to do the correct weights before a ride they would fatigue many of the motor units which you would prefer to recruit while riding. If you go out and ride after words, or even the next day when you are a little sore from the weights you start to recruit new motor units similar to the end of a 5 hr ride. Increasing the number of motor units you use can utulize can help to improve power output. Going for lots of long rides would likely be better but for the time crunched a 30 minute weight routine with some L4 intervals afterwords could provide many of the gains plus some help with stuff like bone density and general strength if you care about that.
2.)Running: seen some studies which suggest it works your Vo2max more effectively that cycling and similar to cycling relies on mostly slow twitch fibers when you go farther. However, on average you absorb and push with about 2-3x body weight running versus 1/5 body weight cycling. Similar to the above you could break down preferred motor units more quickly than cycling and then go out and ride and start recruiting new motor units. I've anecdtotally found that running helps to promote lean muscle growth so this might be better than weights as it is also more aerobically based.
My theory is that neither of the above is preffered to a 7 hr ride as you also create adaptations that don't help cycling but perhaps better for those who are time crunched and cannot ride for long enough to breakdown motor units?
3) Pedalling technique, more accurately neuromuscular adaptations. I have noticed that during extended efforts I tend to start pushing against myself more on the upstroke and it feels like I am straining my legs the whole way around. If I focus on pushing at the top of the stroke and letting my leg release and just be total deadweight on the up power goes up, this could be because I'm riding harder but it doesn't feel like it. Perhaps working on high cadence to avoid bouncing could help this or just focusing on pushing earlier and letting go... or perhaps as I've always told people pedal the bike lots and your will naturally end up with something that is fairly efficient.
4)Core: When I do the pedalling noted above I get side to side rock if I don't tense my core... core strenght might actually be important for power application contrary to what I actually believed or perhaps it only matters once you are producing a certain amount of power (feels like I am pushing myself up out of the seat a bit and rock from that.