Riding in really bad weather….

[Dirt]

Here’s one of my motivations to ride year-round.

[rcannon100]

So I did some research last night and could not find much that supports the argument that you should wear knee warmers. A blog post that says so is nice, but its always nice to try and get it from a credible source (there is a lot of lore in bicycle circles that isnt fact based). I search for: knees, exercise, and cold weather – as in, if this is true, than it would be true for joggers, tennis players, ultimate players, etc. I really could not find anything that supports this.

I played ultimate for 25 years. Pretty much the same thing: We would keep our core warm, we would wear gloves in the winter (nothing like a frozen frisbee hitting your fingers to do some serious damage – we did in fact wear bike gloves so that we had padding and had fingers that could feel the disc), and we would wear shorts.

I think the argument that you need to keep your tendons and muscles warm, and if you dont, you risk structural damage — is very very valid. I guess my experience is I warm up pretty quick and pretty quickly am shedding layers.

One key for me – but this is true of cold or hot – I dont do anything strenuous for the first 10 minutes of the ride. This is warm up time. Put it in granny gear and ride it up the hill slowly. No stress. No grind. Nothing hard until the body is warmed up….. and then well nothing hard because I am a lame old man.

In other words, whatever it take you to warm up – and dont push it till you do. And listen to your knees. If they want warmers, put something on them.

[dasgeh]

@Dirt 35396 wrote:

Here’s one of my motivations to ride year-round.

Dirt, why are they keeping you in a cage? should we know something?

[TwoWheelsDC]

@Dirt 35396 wrote:

Here’s one of my motivations to ride year-round.

And when the HOT lanes open, there will be 6 lanes of that instead of 4…good thing we spent $1 billion on them!

[Dirt]

@rcannon100 35420 wrote:

So I did some research last night and could not find much that supports the argument that you should wear knee warmers.

I’ve heard it from every cycling, soccer and running coach I’ve ever had. I hear it from my orthopedist every time I see her.

Like I said in most posts about health related issues, we all react to situations differently. It may not be a problem for you. I’ve heard it from enough credible sources in my life and it has definitely been my experience that it is a guideline that I follow religiously.

[Dirt]

@dasgeh 35426 wrote:

Dirt, why are they keeping you in a cage? should we know something?

My adventures with mental health professionals are fairly well documented on the pages of this forum. Not sure we’re in uncharted territory here.

[americancyclo]

@TwoWheelsDC 35428 wrote:

And when the HOT lanes open, there will be 6 lanes of that instead of 4…good thing we spent $1 billion on them!

A bit OT, but I am pissed that the whole area near gallows and 29 has been revamped with HOT lanes added, and yet there are still NO BIKE LANES! Argh.

[Dirt]

@americancyclo 35438 wrote:

A bit OT, but I am pissed that the whole area near gallows and 29 has been revamped with HOT lanes added, and yet there are still NO BIKE LANES! Argh.

I’ve been riding through that area quite a bit lately. HiVis clothing and lots of lights help. I haven’t had a problem yet, but it could have been soooooooo much better.

[Tim Kelley]

@rcannon100 35420 wrote:

So I did some research last night and could not find much that supports the argument that you should wear knee warmers. A blog post that says so is nice, but its always nice to try and get it from a credible source (there is a lot of lore in bicycle circles that isnt fact based). I search for: knees, exercise, and cold weather – as in, if this is true, than it would be true for joggers, tennis players, ultimate players, etc. I really could not find anything that supports this.

You seem like a research guy–did you try PubMed? I’m curious, but don’t have the time at the moment.

[rcannon100]

Re: Pubmed

Sweet!

This one is supportive of keeping the leg warm; but note the methodology – the leg is brought to full stop – no exercise – then iced – and then the impact on physical ability is assessed. Our question is DURING the exercise, does the knee need additional protection to be kept warm, and at what temperature is this true. So this says, “cold is bad” but doesnt answer er to say it stupidly, whether a cyclists knee is cold. Contrasting an inactive knee that is getting iced – to an active knee that is being kept warm by constant muscle activity – isnt a comparison.

J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2010 Dec;20(6):1075-81. Epub 2010 Aug 10.
Effect of knee joint cooling on the electromyographic activity of lower extremity muscles during a plyometric exercise.
Schmid S, Moffat M, Gutierrez GM.
Source

Bern University of Applied Sciences, Health Division, Research and Development Physiotherapy, Murtenstrasse 10, 3008 Bern, Switzerland. stefanschmid79@gmail.com
Abstract

During sporting events, injured athletes often return to competition after icing because of the reduction in pain. Although some controversy exists, several studies suggest that cryotherapy causes a decrease in muscle activity, which may lead to a higher risk of injury upon return to play. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a 20-min knee joint cryotherapy application on the electromyographic activity of leg muscles during a single-leg drop jump in twenty healthy subjects, randomly assigned to an experimental and a control group. After the pre-tests, a crushed-ice bag was applied to the knee joint of the experimental group subjects for 20 min, while the control group subjects rested for 20 min. All subjects were retested immediately after this period and retested again after another 20 min of rest. Average electromyographic activity and ground contact time were calculated for the pre- and post-test sessions. Decreases in electromyographic activity of the lower extremity musculature were found in pre-activation, eccentric (braking), and concentric (push-off) phases immediately after the icing, and after 20 min of rest. The results lend support to the suggestion that cryotherapy during sporting events may place the individuals in a vulnerable position.

Again, with the same conclusion – if you get cold – you will suffer performance degradation

Res Q Exerc Sport. 2010 Jun;81(2):127-32.
Changes in landing mechanics after cold-water immersion.
Wang H, Toner MM, Lemonda TJ, Zohar M.
Source

School of Physical Education, Sport, and Exercise Science at Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306, USA. hwang2@bsu.edu
Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of cold-water immersion on kinematics and kinetics during a drop-landing task. On four separate occasions, 9 men performed drop-landings from a 0.6-m platform to a force platform following 30-min immersion to the hip-joint in thermoneutral water (control; 34 degrees C) and in cold water (20 degrees C) to the ankle (low level), knee (medium level), and hip (high level) joints. Sagittal plane kinematics and kinetics were determined. One-way repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance was used for statistical analysis. Compared to the control, the low-level condition had similar joint mechanics, the medium level showed 26% less ankle mechanical work (p = .003), and the high level showed 9% less vertical ground reaction force (p = .025) and 23% less ankle mechanical work (p = .023) with 18% greater trunk flexion (p = .024). In summary, the low-level cold-water immersion had no effect on landing mechanics. The medium- and high-level cold-water immersion resulted in a reduction in impact absorption at the ankle joint during landing. The increased trunk flexion after high-level immersion helped dissipate landing impact.

Same

Int J Sports Med. 2010 Mar;31(3):198-201. Epub 2009 Dec 17.
Cryotherapy impairs knee joint position sense.
Oliveira R, Ribeiro F, Oliveira J.
Source

Jean Piaget Institute, Health School of Vila Nova de Gaia, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. fernando.silva.ribeiro@gmail.com
Abstract

The effects of cryotherapy on joint position sense are not clearly established; however it is paramount to understand its impact on peripheral feedback to ascertain the safety of using ice therapy before resuming exercise on sports or rehabilitation settings. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine the effects of cryotherapy, when applied over the quadriceps and over the knee joint, on knee position sense. This within-subjects repeated-measures study encompassed fifteen subjects. Knee position sense was measured by open kinetic chain technique and active positioning at baseline and after cryotherapy application. Knee angles were determined by computer analysis of the videotape images. Twenty-minute ice bag application was applied randomly, in two sessions 48 h apart, over the quadriceps and the knee joint. The main effect for cryotherapy application was significant (F (1.14)=7.7, p=0.015) indicating an increase in both absolute and relative angular errors after the application. There was no significant main effect for the location of cryotherapy application, indicating no differences between the application over the quadriceps and the knee joint. In conclusion, cryotherapy impairs knee joint position sense in normal knees. This deleterious effect is similar when cryotherapy is applied over the quadriceps or the knee joint.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart.New York.

I am going to look at some more – but so far these are all saying dont exercise AFTER you have iced your knees. Get warm and stay warm.

Again, our question is whether exercising in cold weather, assuming a sufficient warm up, assuming the flesh is warm – is that a problem.

[Tim Kelley]

@rcannon100 35466 wrote:

Re: Pubmed

Sweet!

You’re getting in deep! I find that this site goes best with a heavy red wine on a rainy weekend evening.

[rcannon100]

This one is interesting because it is directly cycling. But again the message is – dont freeze yourself, and then go cycling. It doesnt answer, if I am cycling in cold weather, am I freezing myself. All of these cold temp experiments involve freezing the body at rest.

J Sci Med Sport. 2010 Jan;13(1):112-6. Epub 2008 Oct 22.
Effect of cold water immersion on repeated 1-km cycling performance in the heat.
Peiffer JJ, Abbiss CR, Watson G, Nosaka K, Laursen PB.
Source

Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease Research and Care, School of Exercise, Biomedical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Australia. j.peiffer@ecu.edu.au
Abstract

This study examined the effect of a short cold water immersion (CWI) intervention on rectal and muscle temperature, isokinetic strength and 1-km cycling time trial performance in the heat. Ten male cyclists performed a 1-km time trial at 35.0+/-0.3 degrees C and 40.0+/-3.0% relative humidity, followed by 20 min recovery sitting in either cold water (14 degrees C) for 5 min or in 35 degrees C air (control); a second 1-km time trial immediately followed. Peak and mean cycling power output were recorded for both time trials. Rectal and muscle temperature, and maximal isokinetic concentric torque of the knee extensors were measured before and immediately after the first and second time trials. Rectal temperature was not different between cold water immersion and control conditions at any time points. After the second time trial, however, muscle temperature was significantly lower (-1.3+/-0.7 degrees C) in cold water immersion compared with the control trial. While peak and mean power decreased from the first to second time trial in both conditions (-86+/-54 W and -24+/-16 W, respectively), maximal isokinetic concentric torque was similar between conditions at all time points. The 5 min cold water immersion intervention lowered muscle temperature but did not affect isokinetic strength or 1-km cycling performance.

Copyright (c) 2008 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PMID:
18948061
[PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]

Okay, that’s a quick scan. Athlete’s love ice baths and I think therefore there is a lot of attention to whether ice baths cause damage. What I dont see is studies address whether the body itself during exercise is producing sufficient heat to keep itself warm.

My hypothesis: If you feel cold, put on a layer. If you dont feel cold, have fun. And start with a proper warm up.

[rcannon100]

Now this is the important product of this research…….

The effectiveness and cost effectiveness of dark chocolate consumption as prevention therapy in people at high risk of cardiovascular disease: best case scenario analysis using a Markov model
BMJ 2012; 344 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e3657 (Published 31 May 2012)
Cite this as: BMJ 2012;344:e3657

Conclusions The blood pressure and cholesterol lowering effects of dark chocolate consumption are beneficial in the prevention of cardiovascular events in a population with metabolic syndrome. Daily dark chocolate consumption could be an effective cardiovascular preventive strategy in this population.

YES!!!

[Riley Casey]

I am quite sure that if it were possible to afford the average commuter even a single experience of doubling a half mile long line of stop and go commuter traffic at high rush hour on a bike that the percentage of bike commuters would grow by a factor of ten, nay 20. Perhaps WABA is missing an important boat here. Maybe Bike to Work Day should be structured around leading organized rides of new commuters past the lines of cars that clog their usual commute routes say in groups of ten riders.

@Dirt 35396 wrote:

Here’s one of my motivations to ride year-round.
…snipped cringe inducing image of beltway traffic…

[Certifried]

@Tim Kelley 35467 wrote:

You’re getting in deep! I find that this site goes best with a heavy red wine on a rainy weekend evening.

What doesn’t go best with a heavy red wine?!

[Author]

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