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Why, When, and How to Use A Foam Roller OCTOBER 29, 2018  · BY LANCE WATSON While nothing can quite replicate a good sports massage, you can enjoy many of the same benefits at home (or between massages) with a foam roller.  In recent years, foam rolling has gone mainstream. Once a self-massage technique used only by professional athletes, coaches, and therapists; foam rolling is now an everyday practice for people at  all levels of fitness . There’s a reason for the popularity of this self-massage technique: it’s simple and it works! With the (usually foam-based) cylindrical muscle rollers now widely available in a variety of designs and firmness levels, there’s never been a better time to start. Here’s what you stand to gain if you haven’t tried foam rolling, and how to do it better if you’ve already started. What is foam rolling? Foam rolling is also called  myofascial release . But what is fascia? And why do you want to “release”...

https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/optimizing-strength-to-weight-ratio-while-staying-healthy/ SEPTEMBER 13, 2018    BY TAYLOR THOMAS Striking the appropriate balance between your power output and weight is critical for a sustainable and healthy approach to training and racing. Many athletes try to maintain as low a weight as possible while still being powerful on the bike—but it can be difficult to hit that sweet spot. If weight loss is taken too far, athletes can see a decrease in overall power, along with more serious health issues. While  watts per kilo  are often top of mind, health and resiliency should ultimately be the key goals for any athlete. Here’s how to strike that elusive balance. Why is Weight Important? Weight plays an important role for all athletes to some degree, but in cycling specifically, watts per kilogram (W/Kg) or strength-to-weight ratio, has been found to be one of the  single best predictors of performance.  Simpl...

https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/best-time-saving-stretches-cyclists/ SEPTEMBER 24, 2018    BY SHAYNE GAFFNEY We all know that cycling is great for a myriad of things, but the bike keeps your body in a fixed position, sometimes for hours on end. This can wreak havoc on the neck, middle back, hips, and lower extremity muscles, causing them to become shortened, painful, and  lose their ability to produce powe r. This, of course, is unacceptable and the exact opposite effect we want after spending time training outdoors, or in the pain cave! So, do yourself a favor and  spend a few minutes stretching your legs  out after you beat them up—your body will thank you, and it will give you some precious time to think about life (i.e. more cycling) for a while. The following stretching routine is designed for athletes who are time-crunched and need to really maximize any time dedicated to their fitness. The Rules The ideal time to stretch statically ...

EY TERMS The amount of water and electrolytes (primarily sodium, Na+) lost as a consequence of thermoregulatory sweating during exercise can vary considerably within and among athletes. The reported range in sweating rate and sweat Na+ concentration ([Na+]) is ~0.5 to 2.0 L/h and ~10- 90 mmol/L, respectively. Sources of intra/interindividual variability in sweating rate and sweat [Na+] during exercise include exercise intensity, environmental conditions, heat acclimation status, aerobic capacity, genetic predisposition, body size/composition, protective equipment, sex, diet and hydration status. Sweat testing can be conducted to estimate individual sweating rates and sweat Na+ losses to help guide personalized fluid and electrolyte replacement recommendations. However, unstandardized methodological practices and challenging field conditions can produce inconsistent/inaccurate sweat testing results. Based on study findings to date, as well as some practical considerations, curren...