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Mountain Biking - The Sport
The root of mountain biking can be traced back to the days before the second world war when a group of riders in Marin County, California first began riding stripped-down and beefed-up versions of Schwinn bicycles on mountain roads. According to mountain bike pioneer, Gary Fischer, those early Schwinn “Ballooner” Cruisers were so heavy that they were often pushed up hill, rather than ridden. Over the years material advancement and changes in bicycle gearing pushed the crudely-built mountain bikes of the past to today’s much lighter and better functioning machines on which riders are able to navigate through the roughest and most technical terrains. The ergonomic comfort offered by mountain bikes over that of road bikes increased their popularity among recreational riders, and inevitably influenced the growth of mountain bike racing. Not surprisingly, mountain bike racing has risen to professional status, and races are sanctioned nationally (NORBA) and internationally (IMBA). Today’s mountain bike competitions are aggressive and have spawned five disciplines: Cross Country Racing, Downhill Racing, Dual Slalom Racing, Observed Trails, and Uphill Racing. This article will mainly discuss Cross Country Racing and Downhill Racing, but will also briefly note special strength requirements of the other disciplines mentioned.
Mountain Biking - The Demand
First and foremost, the sport-specific skill of a mountain bike discipline must be met through continuous practice on the bike. After skill, other factors contribute to physical performance of mountain bikers.
A literature review shows that muscle fiber types and muscle contraction velocity vary between riders and their selected cadence based on race conditions and trail grading (Atkinson, 2003). However, a study in 2001 showed that, under maximal work for ten seconds and measured at different cadence (between 50 to 140 rpm), elite mountain cyclists demonstrate high anaerobic power output across all cadence (Baron, 2001). As compared to internationally-competitive road cyclists, internationally-competitive mountain cyclists have higher power output relative to body weight at maximal exercise, at maximal lactate threshold, and during a thirty-minute time trial (Lee, 2002).
Although mountain biking is traditionally regarded as an aerobic sport, one study showed that the metabolic cost in a cross country race is more than 50% anaerobic (Impellizzeri, 2002). Heart rate can average 90% of maximum. It is obvious that cross-country events are performed at very high intensity. The conditioning must be extreme!
Currently there isn’t much research examining the physical demands of Downhill Racing and Dual Slalom Racing. These races are generally more extreme than the other mountain bike races, with speeds that can exceed 60 mph (Downhill Racing), turns that are sudden and tricky (Dual Slalom), and crashes that are far more painful. These two disciplines require a very high amount of skill and courage, but they also require strength throughout the body to resist serious injuries in the event of a crash. And crashes are inevitable.
Uphill Racing, by simple observation, obviously requires a lot of physical intensity, both from the aerobic and anaerobic metabolisms, likely similar to Cross Country Racing. Observed Trails events require riders to negotiate obstacles and hazards without putting their feet down. This is demands high skills, but certain maneuvers also can demand high strength and power. The bottom line is that all mountain bike disciplines require a significant level of strength, power, and endurance, including high power-to-bodyweight ratio.
Mountain Biking - Injuries
The most common cause of injuries in mountain biking involves a forward fall over the handle bar (an “endo”), resulting in direct trauma to the head, torso, shoulders and arms (Kronisch, 2002). While minor abrasions and contusions are frequent and less serious, fractures do occur at the torso (ribs), shoulders (clavicles), and arms. The rate of serious injuries in mountain bike racers, however, remains less than 1% (Kronisch, 2002; Gaulrapp, 2001). Although more men participate in mountain bike races, women are 1.94 times more likely to sustain an injury and are 4.17 times more likely to sustain a fracture. This could be partially due to morphological structures between men and women, with men on the average possessing more muscles and absolute strength for structural support.
It is wise to build a strong body, both in function and in structure, to lower the risk of injury in such as dynamic and extreme sport like off-road cycling.
The Mountain Biking Workout
The need of strength and power in mountain biking is high, especially when cadence varies throughout the race. Repetitive power production must be met, and possessing a reserve of power capacity is one of the primary goals of the Hyperstrike Strength and Conditioning Program for mountain bikers. The ability to apply any level of power to the pedals makes the competitive performance easier, and a good level of upper-body and torso strength and power to maneuver the bike cannot be neglected, since steering and controlling the bike is largely part of the race. Strength and power exercises that condition the entire body are prescribed with the consideration that bodyweight must be kept in control; a high power-to-weight ratio is critical.
For strength of the entire body, exercises like squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, bench presses, and military presses are used. Remember that squats and deadlifts are also “core” exercises that effectively target the trunk, and they should not be neglected. For power production, exercises like the cleans, snatches, jump squats and plyometrics are used. These exercises are prescribed within the lower to moderate repetition range to maximize strength and power qualities. The notion that endurance athletes should perform weight training exercises with higher repetition is erroneous because the endurance quality is already trained on the bike. The goal of training with weights is to increase strength and power in the least amount of time with the lowest training volume possible. Also, lower-volume resistance training decreases hypertrophy stimulation (less muscle bulk) to keep the power-to-weight ratio optimal.
Power and strength is especially important for downhill racers, as their bodies repetitively receive high-impact loading from landing. To effectively absorb this kind of impact loading the body must quickly produce adequate forces to transmit kinetic energy through the legs, hips, trunk and arms without losing control. Obviously, staying on the bike is the only way to cross the finish line.
In Cross Country Races, the metabolic conditioning is best done with specific training on the bike or left to running as a form of cross training, as it is impractical to match the metabolic profile of racing while using weights in the gym. Therefore this article highlights mostly strength training while leaving the conditioning aspect of riding to the numerous sources available elsewhere.
The risk of injury in areas prone to injury is minimized through the use of strength exercises. They include deadlifts and squats for legs and trunk, and bench presses, pull-ups and military presses for shoulders and arms. Being stronger and more powerful also may improve the rider’s ability to stay on and maneuver the bike better, avoiding injury by avoiding crashes in the first place. This is important in all riders, but since women have a higher likelihood of injury, strength training is especially important for them.
Mountain bike racing is a serious sport that demands high levels of strength and power, so competitors must be serious about the strength training program in order to get to the top and stay on top.
The root of mountain biking can be traced back to the days before the second world war when a group of riders in Marin County, California first began riding stripped-down and beefed-up versions of Schwinn bicycles on mountain roads. According to mountain bike pioneer, Gary Fischer, those early Schwinn “Ballooner” Cruisers were so heavy that they were often pushed up hill, rather than ridden. Over the years material advancement and changes in bicycle gearing pushed the crudely-built mountain bikes of the past to today’s much lighter and better functioning machines on which riders are able to navigate through the roughest and most technical terrains. The ergonomic comfort offered by mountain bikes over that of road bikes increased their popularity among recreational riders, and inevitably influenced the growth of mountain bike racing. Not surprisingly, mountain bike racing has risen to professional status, and races are sanctioned nationally (NORBA) and internationally (IMBA). Today’s mountain bike competitions are aggressive and have spawned five disciplines: Cross Country Racing, Downhill Racing, Dual Slalom Racing, Observed Trails, and Uphill Racing. This article will mainly discuss Cross Country Racing and Downhill Racing, but will also briefly note special strength requirements of the other disciplines mentioned.
Mountain Biking - The Demand
First and foremost, the sport-specific skill of a mountain bike discipline must be met through continuous practice on the bike. After skill, other factors contribute to physical performance of mountain bikers.
A literature review shows that muscle fiber types and muscle contraction velocity vary between riders and their selected cadence based on race conditions and trail grading (Atkinson, 2003). However, a study in 2001 showed that, under maximal work for ten seconds and measured at different cadence (between 50 to 140 rpm), elite mountain cyclists demonstrate high anaerobic power output across all cadence (Baron, 2001). As compared to internationally-competitive road cyclists, internationally-competitive mountain cyclists have higher power output relative to body weight at maximal exercise, at maximal lactate threshold, and during a thirty-minute time trial (Lee, 2002).
Although mountain biking is traditionally regarded as an aerobic sport, one study showed that the metabolic cost in a cross country race is more than 50% anaerobic (Impellizzeri, 2002). Heart rate can average 90% of maximum. It is obvious that cross-country events are performed at very high intensity. The conditioning must be extreme!
Currently there isn’t much research examining the physical demands of Downhill Racing and Dual Slalom Racing. These races are generally more extreme than the other mountain bike races, with speeds that can exceed 60 mph (Downhill Racing), turns that are sudden and tricky (Dual Slalom), and crashes that are far more painful. These two disciplines require a very high amount of skill and courage, but they also require strength throughout the body to resist serious injuries in the event of a crash. And crashes are inevitable.
Uphill Racing, by simple observation, obviously requires a lot of physical intensity, both from the aerobic and anaerobic metabolisms, likely similar to Cross Country Racing. Observed Trails events require riders to negotiate obstacles and hazards without putting their feet down. This is demands high skills, but certain maneuvers also can demand high strength and power. The bottom line is that all mountain bike disciplines require a significant level of strength, power, and endurance, including high power-to-bodyweight ratio.
Mountain Biking - Injuries
The most common cause of injuries in mountain biking involves a forward fall over the handle bar (an “endo”), resulting in direct trauma to the head, torso, shoulders and arms (Kronisch, 2002). While minor abrasions and contusions are frequent and less serious, fractures do occur at the torso (ribs), shoulders (clavicles), and arms. The rate of serious injuries in mountain bike racers, however, remains less than 1% (Kronisch, 2002; Gaulrapp, 2001). Although more men participate in mountain bike races, women are 1.94 times more likely to sustain an injury and are 4.17 times more likely to sustain a fracture. This could be partially due to morphological structures between men and women, with men on the average possessing more muscles and absolute strength for structural support.
It is wise to build a strong body, both in function and in structure, to lower the risk of injury in such as dynamic and extreme sport like off-road cycling.
The Mountain Biking Workout
The need of strength and power in mountain biking is high, especially when cadence varies throughout the race. Repetitive power production must be met, and possessing a reserve of power capacity is one of the primary goals of the Hyperstrike Strength and Conditioning Program for mountain bikers. The ability to apply any level of power to the pedals makes the competitive performance easier, and a good level of upper-body and torso strength and power to maneuver the bike cannot be neglected, since steering and controlling the bike is largely part of the race. Strength and power exercises that condition the entire body are prescribed with the consideration that bodyweight must be kept in control; a high power-to-weight ratio is critical.
For strength of the entire body, exercises like squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, bench presses, and military presses are used. Remember that squats and deadlifts are also “core” exercises that effectively target the trunk, and they should not be neglected. For power production, exercises like the cleans, snatches, jump squats and plyometrics are used. These exercises are prescribed within the lower to moderate repetition range to maximize strength and power qualities. The notion that endurance athletes should perform weight training exercises with higher repetition is erroneous because the endurance quality is already trained on the bike. The goal of training with weights is to increase strength and power in the least amount of time with the lowest training volume possible. Also, lower-volume resistance training decreases hypertrophy stimulation (less muscle bulk) to keep the power-to-weight ratio optimal.
Power and strength is especially important for downhill racers, as their bodies repetitively receive high-impact loading from landing. To effectively absorb this kind of impact loading the body must quickly produce adequate forces to transmit kinetic energy through the legs, hips, trunk and arms without losing control. Obviously, staying on the bike is the only way to cross the finish line.
In Cross Country Races, the metabolic conditioning is best done with specific training on the bike or left to running as a form of cross training, as it is impractical to match the metabolic profile of racing while using weights in the gym. Therefore this article highlights mostly strength training while leaving the conditioning aspect of riding to the numerous sources available elsewhere.
The risk of injury in areas prone to injury is minimized through the use of strength exercises. They include deadlifts and squats for legs and trunk, and bench presses, pull-ups and military presses for shoulders and arms. Being stronger and more powerful also may improve the rider’s ability to stay on and maneuver the bike better, avoiding injury by avoiding crashes in the first place. This is important in all riders, but since women have a higher likelihood of injury, strength training is especially important for them.
Mountain bike racing is a serious sport that demands high levels of strength and power, so competitors must be serious about the strength training program in order to get to the top and stay on top.