Stretching

We hooked up with UK based Professional cycle coaching Forme Coaching to get the lowdown on stretching.

Would you agree that the majority of cyclists don’t stretch regularly enough? Should we?
Yes you should, it helps prevent injury and helps the body adapt better to training. It is also a nice time to relax and take time to chill after a hard training ride, improve muscle balance and improve performance.

If we wanted to get lower position on a time trial bike, what would you recommend stretching?
Time trailing really pushes your body to the limit with such extreme positions and injury is a real concern, especially for those who race the longer distances. The neck, back and glueteal muscles all endure a heavy work load. It is therefore essential that these muscle groups remain strong and recovered, helping to push your body to the limit. Effective muscle groups coupled with an efficient and effective pedal stroke will help you achieve faster speeds and remain injury free.

It is essential to stretch the following muscle groups:-
Neck – (Sternocleidomastoid)
Serious stress on the neck to keep solid position from the top down, holding the head in a flexed position to keep you more aerodynamic and streamlined.

Back – (Erector Spinae)
Helps you stabilise the spine and also prevent vertebral subluxation. This muscle is responsible for keeping you balanced on the bike and is essential that it remains strong  to produce a powerful pedal stroke. To strengthen this muscle you will need to train this particular area with stretching to recover post effort and training will be essential so to help increase power/efficiency.

Back (Gluteus Maximus)
This is the area where nearly all your ‘power’ comes from when time trailing. Keeping this muscle supple and avoiding tightness will in turn help transfer all the other working muscle’s actions into power through the pedals.

Should I stretch before or after training?
I would recommend post training, but this depends on a person’s history of injuries and is also age dependent. Some people may need to stretch as part of a heavy warm up plan when undertaking strenuous workouts. It’s difficult to make this a general answer applicable to everyone.

Thanks to Stephen Gallagher and Dan Fleeman  @forme coaching

NB: Contracted muscles can cause a gradual loss of muscle elasticity as well as an overall decline in flexibility of your joints, both of which can lessen your range of motion and pedal power. Stretching may increase the flexibility of the joint up to 10-20%.  Flexible muscle groups have increased strength, therefore increasing pedalling power.  Poor flexibility also makes you more prone to strains and pulls.  Incorporating a regular 10-15 minute stretching program will help you become more adaptable and will prevent injuries.
Stretch your major muscle groups to increase your core flexibility.  Stretch slow and gently, holding for 15-20 seconds.  Avoid bouncing or jerking when stretching that may cause micro tears in the muscle and actually reduce your overall flexibility.