muscle atrophy

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

So how long does it take for muscles to atrophy given a decide lack of cycling through the
dark winter season?

How much 'maintenance' work would be enough to keep the bicycle propulsion system in tune?

Opinions?

JMO, but I think two or three 30 to 60 minute sessions on a trainer would keep you in decent shape
until you can back out on the roads. Obviously not race shape, but enough to give you a good base to
build from when the weather improves.

--
Dave Kerber Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

loki said:

So how long does it take for muscles to atrophy given a decide lack of cycling through the dark
winter season?

I don't know the scientific answer, but my legs have been pretty tired lately, after January's lack
of riding. They're getting better, though.

Here's an overview of the effects of detraining:

cptips.comdetrain.htmOpen ↗

--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA terrymorse.combikeOpen ↗

loki' from said:

So how long does it take for muscles to atrophy given a decide lack of cycling through the
dark winter season?

I think you start losing muscle and cardio gains within two to three weeks. From what I've gathered,
the cardio is easier to get back.

Quoted message said:

How much 'maintenance' work would be enough to keep the bicycle propulsion system in tune?

Exercise vigorously at least three times per week for at least 60 minutes per session. I'd do leg
and core work and some sort of indoor cardio.

--
[email hidden]
Infinitesimal gradations.
17

"loki" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

So how long does it take for muscles to atrophy given a decide

lack

Quoted message said:

of cycling through the dark winter season?

After a six to eight week layoff it takes me about 120 miles, 4 or 5 rides just to get my legs
somewhat back. Then considerable more time to get back to the condition "pre" dark winter season.

hth

On Sat, 07 Feb 2004 23:54:03 GMT, "loki" <[email hidden]> wrote
in message <[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

So how long does it take for muscles to atrophy given a decide lack of cycling through the
dark winter season?

About a week ;-)

Quoted message said:

How much 'maintenance' work would be enough to keep the bicycle propulsion system in tune?

Het, don't ask me - winter is just the part of the year when I need lights.

Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
chapmancentral.demon.co.ukchapmancentral.demon.co.ukOpen ↗

"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Het, don't ask me - winter is just the part of the year when I need lights.

very good. But we're relatively lucky aren't we?

Prepare yourself though, it might be a bit colder tommorow ... only 37F

"Kevan Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

On Sat, 07 Feb 2004 23:54:03 GMT, "loki" <[email hidden]> from

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

So how long does it take for muscles to atrophy given a decide

lack

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

of cycling through the dark winter season?

I think you start losing muscle and cardio gains within two to three

weeks. From

Quoted message said:

what I've gathered, the cardio is easier to get back.

Quoted message said:

How much 'maintenance' work would be enough to keep the bicycle

propulsion

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

system in tune?

Exercise vigorously at least three times per week for at least 60 minutes

per

Quoted message said:

session. I'd do leg and core work and some sort of indoor cardio.

I swim through the winter [summer as well actually] so that covers my cardio I guess. I do 1 hour
sets once or twice a day mebbe every other day on average. I was thinking more about my cycle
specific muscles. In swimming I consciously do not use my lower body much but concentrate my effort
on upper body to balance the cycling. I still cycle in winter. It is my method of transport. But
that is basically the ~20 - in winter at least - minute each way commute to/from work 3-4 times a
week. I might get out for the odd winter ride but nothing like summer time.

What brought this thought on was that for Jan. I didn't even do much swimming. I pulled a muslce in
muscle in my bicep. I havent a freakin' clue as to how I did it. It was just sore as hell. But Jan
was pretty much a writeoff for exercise in general.

--
'And then one day you find, Ten years have got behind you. No one told you when to run You missed
the starting gun' -pink floyd

On Sun, 8 Feb 2004 16:06:52 +0000 (UTC), "W K" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Het, don't ask me - winter is just the part of the year when I need lights.

very good. But we're relatively lucky aren't we?

Prepare yourself though, it might be a bit colder tommorow ... only 37F

Hell, we're just recently up to that sort of temperature. It's a heat wave for us here in the
northeast US. Some of the ice is melting, even.
--
Rick Onanian

"Rick Onanian" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

W K said:

Quoted message said:

Het, don't ask me - winter is just the part of the year when I need lights.

very good. But we're relatively lucky aren't we?

Prepare yourself though, it might be a bit colder tommorow ... only 37F

Hell, we're just recently up to that sort of temperature. It's a heat wave for us here in the
northeast US. Some of the ice is melting, even.

Yes. We are blessed with winters where a daytime temperature of 60F is possible. But plagued with
summers where daytime temperatures of 60F are probable.

W K said:

Yes. We are blessed with winters where a daytime temperature of 60F is possible. But plagued with
summers where daytime temperatures of 60F are probable.

"Plagued"???

Where is this alleged weather-paradise? While 70F would be optimal, I'd settle for 60F days
all year...
--
Rick Onanian

In article <[email hidden]>, "W K" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"Rick Onanian" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

W K said:

> Het, don't ask me - winter is just the part of the year when I need lights.

very good. But we're relatively lucky aren't we?

Prepare yourself though, it might be a bit colder tommorow ... only 37F

Hell, we're just recently up to that sort of temperature. It's a heat wave for us here in the
northeast US. Some of the ice is melting, even.

Yes. We are blessed with winters where a daytime temperature of 60F is possible. But plagued with
summers where daytime temperatures of 60F are probable.

Didn¹t Mark Twain say that:

³The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco²

60F all year??

Rick! You gotta move south.

HAND The older I get, the warmer I like it!

--
³Freedom Is a Light for Which Many Have Died in Darkness³

- Tomb of the unknown - American Revolution

"Rick Onanian" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

W K said:

Yes. We are blessed with winters where a daytime temperature of 60F is possible. But plagued with
summers where daytime temperatures of 60F are probable.

"Plagued"???

Where is this alleged weather-paradise? While 70F would be optimal, I'd settle for 60F days
all year...

Its the UK. I may be skewing the ranges slightly (by comparing highest in winter with lowest in
summer), but 70F is typical for a summer's day and 80F not common.

If you really want 60F all year round then you could just about get that on the west coast of
Scotland and Ireland. As these temperatures are achieved by being dipped in a mildly warm ocean,
bring some waterproofs.