What you get from this information is entirely up to you, Just
use it as a basic guide. After all even if you don't find it
handy for your cycling, it'll be very handy for pub quizzes.
THE BIG IDEA :
Any maximum intensity training only works effectively and safely
if the body is warmed up beforehand, and given enough rest
afterwards.
However shinny and ultra - low weight & expensive your bike is,
you are the sole means of propelling it along. You may know
everything there is to know about compression damping and
progressive spring rates, but you'll still be going no where
fast if you're over-trained or racked with cold. |
|
MMM |
DRUGS
|
HABITS:
The dubious bits they put in the legitimate stuff from the chemist
are scary enough, but who knows what goes into the local street
dealer's melting pot?. Drugs cause disorientation and psychological
and physiological chaos, of varying proportions. Mixing these
symptoms with any kind of intense exercise just makes the risks
higher as the `products` crash around your system faster. Given the
length of time some drugs stay in your system, think very carefully
before mixing mountain biking or for that matter, any cycling with
pharmaceutical habits.
DRINKING:
Alcohol makes you feel like shit on Sunday mornings when you should
be riding. Re-hydrate with water or a weak sports drink as soon as
possible and hope you feel better when you hit the trail. Next time,
eat first to line your stomach, limit the amount you drink and have
the odd glass of water or a couple of soft drinks. Before you crash
into bed, drink at least a pint of water, that way you should feel
like riding the next morning. We are not telling you not to drink,
but drink it in moderation.
SMOKING:
Fags will fill your lungs with sticky tar, reducing performance,
increasing irritation and massively increasing the risk of lung
cancer. None of these are recommended.
Top of page |
DEHYDRATION
|
WATER:
Seventy-five per cent of the energy given out by your muscles is
heat, and the body's cooling system is water-based. A litre of sweat
gets rid of 600 calories of heat. Exercising intensively in the
heat, you can lose up to two litres of sweat an hour. Dehydration
affects the circulation, placing increased strain on the heart and
lungs, and other systems become impaired with only minute rises in
body temperature. Remember two per-cent body weight fluid loss = 10
- 20 per-cent performance loss. Five per-cent body weight fluid loss
= a performance drop of 30 per-cent, with nausea, vomiting and
diarrhoea. Below this level, and things get really serious. [lights
out!]
WHEN TO WORK:
Keep hydrated throughout the day. NEVER wait until you get
thirsty as that's to late. Watch out for hot work places or air
conditioning which may have an artificially dry atmosphere. As soon
as you are on your mountain bike drink as much as you comfortably
can without having to stop every twenty feet for a piddle!. About
100ml every quarter of an hour or more if its hot. Don't ration a
bottle so that it lasts a hole ride, take enough bottles to allow
for the expected time. Keep drinks to a frequent sips, and don't
stop after riding.
WHICH DRINK:
Pure water is a great re-hydrator, but over long periods you need to
mix it with other fuels and minerals to maintain operating levels.
Hypertonic and isotonic drinks are absorbed faster than just pure
water. Concentrations of carob's in isotonic drinks will be around
4-8g per-100ml, keeping a balance so that you can refuel without
affecting hydration. Hypertonic drinks contain more sugars and
should be used with another, thinner drink to avoid dehydration. Use
hypersonic and isotonic drinks in all high-intensity situations, add
a carbohydrate drink as the activity increases beyond an hour but
increase other intakes to compensate. Countless sport drinks and
gels are now on the market some unflavoured starch carbohydrate
powders, some carefully-balanced fuelling mixes, and others little
more than fizzy sugar/syrup drinks. >Always read the labels.
Top of page |
FOOD AND EATING
|
BITE AND SWALLOW:
As soon as food and drink are taken on board, the processing starts.
The teeth chop and grind it all up into little bits while the tongue
tells you what it tastes like and starts stirring in saliva enzymes
to break down cooked starches. The dissolving mush is massaged down
to the stomach in wave like actions for yet more serious stirring.
The stomach is basically a muscular bag that can stretch or shrink
depending on its load, with muscular valves at either end to stop
any overflow. Acids and enzymes, which break down proteins and dairy
products, are also added to the mix at this point. The average meal
will be emptied from the stomach after about 3-5 hours, but liquids
go through much faster.
PIPE WORK:
Once out of your stomach it begins the eight meter-long "Yes 8
Meters !" journey through your intestines, where actual
absorption of nutrients takes place. Minute fronds on the intestinal
walls absorb fats, sugars and proteins, and further down the piping
there are lymph glands to fight any infections that kick up. Each
type of food is broken down into its most basic form before
absorption. Carbohydrates are broken down into monosaccharides, fats
are split into fatty acids and glycerol, and proteins are broken
down into peptones, polypeptides and amino acids.
BILE:
As well as the basic plumbing, there are other organs vital to
processing. The liver is a huge gland that creates up to a litre a
day of the acidic `bile` that breaks down fats. It manufactures
enzymes, vitamins, cholesterol, protein and blood components. Not
content with this work load, it is also responsible for breaking
down bodily toxins and storing blood and processed glycogen sugars
ready for use. The pancreas is another essential gland which
controls the carbohydrate metabolism of the body through the
production of insulin.
CARBOHYDRATES AND SOURCES:
Carbohydrate complexity is all to do with molecule size. Your body
doesn't care, it processes them all in the same way. The key to
choosing the best carbohydrate for the job is in the extras you get
with the food. Complex carbohydrates tend to be those starchy,
good-for-you foods with roughage, vitamins, minerals, proteins etc,
that fill you up. Bread, pasta, rice, oats, unsweetened cereals,
pulses, beans, spuds and parsnips are all complex-rich. Common sense
tells you to stick to these as your staple carob's source, as
opposed to a massive pile of sugary cream buns and choc bars fat
lard Just eat sensibly and read the labels and don't go
overboard by trying to eat a bowl of pasta halfway around the
course. " Muppet "
HOW MUCH AND WHEN ?:
When you are out riding, aim to eat and drink one gram of
carbohydrate for each kg of body weight for each hour you are
exercising, with the same amount before and after a ride to preload
and reload respectively.
MIXING THE FAT:
A lot of high-protein foodstuffs, such as eggs, cheese and red
meats, also contain lots of fat. The way to avoid this becoming a
problem is by rationing how much you eat of each, and choosing a
leaner or low-fat alternative wherever possible. Swap your frying
for boiling, poaching or grilling to minimize fats added through
cooking. Beans, Soya, cereal and bread are all alternative low-fat
sources of protein. Mix your diet and use as many food groups as
possible, and your protein needs shouldn't ever be a problem.
'One serving of pasta with
mushy peas & honey & rice pudding please'
FRUIT & VEG:
It's quite simple, eat fresh fruit and veg every day.
Top of page |
MUSCLES
|
PULLING POWER:
Muscles are the motors that power the skeleton, muscles always
pull, through contraction of muscle fibre, they are not capable of
pushing. This means that for every muscle there has to be another
capable of pulling in the opposite direction to get you back to the
original position. For example, the biceps oppose the triceps. Where
maximum power is required, muscles are layered on top of each other,
with different attachment points but the same basic function.
Muscles are linked to the skeleton by tendons, and enclosed in
lubricated sheaths to keep operation smooth. Muscles contract when
they receive a nerve impulse from the brain -so how can
yours work?. They come in two varieties. Involuntary
muscles are the automatic ones that control the heart, breathing,
digestion, circulation etc. These keep you alive without you having
to worry about it. Voluntary muscles are the ones you get the remote
control for..
POWER:
Once the nerve impulse is received by the muscle, molecules
within it produce heat and movement which is energy.
'There are 640 named muscles,
accounting for an average 50% of your body weight, 100's have no
name, including the ones which are at the base of every hair strand'
CRASH AND BURNS:
Under normal use the circulation is able to supply enough
oxygen, and carry away enough of the waste products, for pain-free
operation. Fatigue occurs when fuel available in the muscles and
liver is spent or being processed too slowly. Under extreme
workloads the demand for oxygen outstrips supply, and the muscles
work `anaerodically`. A build up of excess waste occurs, and
this is what causes the [burning sensation] in the muscles
that bring you to a halt. Flushing the muscles through with oxygen
and fuel-rich blood is the order of the day, which is why we're
always banging on about warming down.
MUSCLES AND THE TWITCH:
Muscles are bundles of elastic fibres laced with blood vessels
that supply fuel and oxygen. Two basic types of fibres exist:
powerful but fuel-hungry `fast twitch` fibres and more efficient-but
less powerful -`slow twitch fibres`. Natural weight and composition
of muscle is determined genetically; certain people will always be
stocky and add muscle easily, others will always be light and
`wiry`. Specific training ,however, can increase muscle power and
nervous efficiency.
Top of page |
HEART AND BLOOD
|
 DID
YOU KNOW:
The average heart weighs
about 255g.
Pumps about 36,000 litres of blood.
Pumps through about 20,000 km's of
blood vessels.!
8000 white blood cells that fight infection & 250,000 platelets that
cause clotting.
Each cubic mm of blood plasma contains 5 million red blood cells
that carry oxygen.
PUMPING:
The heart is the pump for the whole system. It pushes blood through
the lungs, where it picks up oxygen, then pumps it out through the
organs of the body. The more it gets used the stronger it will grow,
pushing more blood with each beat. When resting, it doesn't need to
beat as often. Hey presto: a slower resting rate.
PLUMBING:
Plumbing for the heart comprises of two types of pipes Veins and
arteries. The arteries carry oxygenated blood fresh from the lungs,
while the veins carry the blood back for re-supply. Both are
,elasticised tubes which decrease in diameter at the extremities. As
they are operating under heart pressure, the arteries are smooth but
the veins operating under lower pressure are equipped with valves to
prevent back-flow of blood.
BLOOD:
The blood is basically the transport system [Bike] for the
body. Plasma carries sugar, amino acids, mineral salts, enzymes and
other nutrients. Red blood cells carry oxygen out and bring carbon
dioxide and other waste back. White blood cells fight infection by
ingesting bacteria [yummy !] If the infection is serious the
cells divide and multiply extremely rapidly. Blood platelets are
large cells responsible for maintaining blood thickness and clotting
in wounds.
LYMPH:
The lymph system is a secondary circulation that is based on the
plasma that flows from the capillaries. It flushes through the
body's tissues, nourishing them and carrying away waste products.
Tiny lymph vessels, like veins, join together at larger lymph nodes
and glands where the lymph fluid is filtered to prevent infection
passing into the blood stream. This is why your glands feel hot and
swollen when you are fighting an infection. The lymph fluid is then
passed back into the circulation system.
ABOUT YOUR HEART RATE:
Your heart is the most important muscle in your body. It pumps blood
to your lungs and other bits by contracting and relaxing
rhythmically. The number of times your heart contracts and relaxes
per minute is called your heart rate. A healthy person with average
fitness typically has a resting heart rate of 60-80 beats per
minute. During exercise, your heart rate rises as more blood has to
be pumped into the system. The harder you exercise, the further it
rises.
RESTING AND MAXIMUM HEART
RATES:
When you exercise with a heart rate monitor, its important to know
about heart rate limits, because your heart and your body gets its
best workout when your heart rate rises. Your resting heart rate is
your heart's rate when you're at rest, while your maximum heart rate
is your limit to how hard you can safely push yourself.
Top of page |
BONES
|
THE HARD BITS:
The bones in your body provide protection for the soft bits, 'the
skull .... that dense bit'
protects the brain and your eyes, the ribs protect the lungs and
heart, the spine protects the spinal nervous column and the pelvis
creates a basket for your giblets to sit in. The bones themselves
are fully capable of self-repair when we damage ourselves. Even a
simple hard knock will cause extra bone to grow in the bruised area
ready for the next time. However, care must be taken to ensure
proper realignment, hence all that fun with plaster and pulleys.
 |
THEM BONES:
< Picture is Thumbnailed |
|
|
|
Pelvic
4 |
Skull
22 |
Ribs
24 |
Spinal
33 |
Upper back
60 |
Lower back
60 |
FLEXING:
Different sections of the body are linked to different types of
joint, according to the range of movement required. Hips and
shoulders have ball-and-socket joints allowing big circular
movements, and rely on muscle and ligament strapping to keep them in
place. Knees and elbows are hinge joints, kept fore and aft by heavy
ligaments and ridges on the bearings. The kneecap forms a stop at
the knee to prevent it all going flamingo. The spine is a stack of
vertebral bones, each one moving slightly on cartilage bushings
allowing larger movement of the whole spine. Stability comes from
muscles in the back and stomach, which act like the lines on a tent.
JOINTS:
Cartilage provides smooth bearing surfaces and shock absorption for
the joints. Like all good sealed bearings the joints need to be kept
lubricated and maintained, so each one has a sensorial capsule with
a store of fluid secreted inside. Skeletal damage comes mainly from
impact or just old age but it can easily be damaged by careless use
or posture. |
|
