Long-distance Cyclists Research Articles

Impact of Different Types of Bikes on Post-ride Pain and Insights into Strategies Adopted by Recreational Cyclists from Gurugram to Alleviate Pain: A Cross-sectional Survey

Introduction: Non-traumatic injuries are prevalent among longdistance cyclists. However, there is a lack of studies analysing the impact of different types of bikes on the pain experienced by cyclists or the physiotherapy measures commonly adopted by cyclists post-ride. Aim: To understand the impact of different types of bikes on the pain experienced by cyclists and to identify the physiotherapeutic measures commonly adopted by Indian cyclists. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 120 cyclists (94 males and 26 females) from three different cycling groups in Gurugram, Haryana, India. Data was collected from August 2022 to September 2022. A selfstructured questionnaire was used to collect information on sociodemographic profile, type of bike used, duration of cycling, average distance and speed covered, areas and types of pain experienced, and measures taken to address pain. The data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0. The level of significance was set at p≤0.05. Data was presented as frequencies and percentages, and comparisons were made using Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-square tests. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 39.36±11.88 years. The average speed and distance covered in one ride were 22.52±4.73 km/hour and 43.50±15.32 km, respectively. A statistically significant association between the type of bike used and pain status (p<0.05) was observed. 65% of riders reported experiencing pain in some part of their body in the last six months. Pain was more prevalent among hybrid bike users compared to mountain and road bike users. Male cyclists had a faster average speed compared to female cyclists by 5 km/hour. The average distance covered by male and female cyclists was similar, with just a 1 km difference. Cyclists commonly experienced pain in the wrists, legs, back, and neck. 19.1% of riders did nothing or only rested to address pain, while 21.66% opted for muscle stretching, 9.16% engaged in exercises, and 3.33% used cycling gloves for wrist and hand pain. Other measures included transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), dry needling, icing, refitting or changing the bike, and taking supplements. Conclusion: Among different types of bikes, hybrid bike users showed a higher incidence of pain. Cyclists in Gurugram tend to utilise limited physiotherapy measures to alleviate pain and enhance performance.

Correlation analysis between lower limb muscle architectures and cycling power via ultrasonography

The primary purpose was to examine the relationship between the muscle architectural characteristics of short and long-distance cyclist—including muscle thickness, fascicle angle, and fascicle length—of the anterior thigh and posterior leg and its impact in 20-s cycling power. The secondary purpose was to clarify the muscle variables that predict the cycling power by using ultrasonography to measure the muscle architectural characteristics. Twenty-four varsity cyclists participated in this study, of whom 12 were short-distance cyclists and 12 were long-distance cyclists. B-mode ultrasonography was used to measure muscle architecture parameters. A cycle ergometer was used to measure the cycling power. The rectus femoris, vastus medialis, and medial head of gastrocnemius were significantly thicker in short-distance cyclists than in long-distance cyclists at every site (p < 0.05). Our analysis revealed that the rectus femoris fascicle length at the 30% level of the thigh was a significant independent predictor of the 20-s cycling power in short-distance cyclists, while the rectus femoris fascicle angle at the 50% level was that of the 20-s cycling power in long-distance cyclists. These findings highlight the significance of rectus femoris muscle architecture to cycling power.

Anthropometric-Parameters and Total-Cholesterol to HDL-Cholesterol Ratio are Better in Long-Distance Cyclists (Indonesia North Coast and Tour de Borobudur 2017 Study)

Total-Cholesterol (TC) to HDL-Cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio in athletes is well-known to be better than sedentary people. However, information about comparison of TC/HDL-C in different groups of cyclists based on cycling touring characteristics and anthropometry parameters is lacking. This study aimed to compare TC/HDL-C ratio between groups based on the type of tour in cyclists population. Eighty-eight participants were recruited in this cross-sectional study. Mean differences of parameters between groups was analyzed by One-Way Anova and independent t-test, whereas multivariate analyses was conducted by binary logistic-regression. P value &lt;0.05 was considered statistically significant. TC/HDL-C ratio in all groups were less than 4.5. There is no differences of TC-levels (NC240K: 216.6±55.04, TdB140K: 208.1±27.13, TdB100K: 203.1±31.95; p=0.427). But there is significantly different level of HDL-C (NC240K: 68.9±19.09, TdB140K: 52.1±13.9, TdB100K: 53.6±12.45; p=0.0001) and TC/HDL-C ratio (NC240K: 3.3±1.12, TdB140K: 4.2±1.07, TdB100K: 4.0±1.06; p=0.007). Between TC/HDL ratio groups (≥4 or &lt;4), there were differences of weight, BMI, waist-circumference, hip-circumference and type of tour (p&lt;0.05). Finally, BMI and type of tour were the most influential factor. Long-distance cyclists have a synergistic effect of lipid profile and anthropometry measurements, and heavier cycling tour participant, that represent cycling training habits, tend to have lower TC/HDL ratio(&lt; 4).

Correlation between Cycling Power and Muscle Thickness in Cyclists.

The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between muscle thickness (MT) and cycling power in varsity cyclists using ultrasonography (US) and to identify any differences in MT between short- and long-distance cyclists. Twelve cyclists participated in this study. Real-time two-dimensional B-mode US was used to measure the MT in the anterior thigh, anterior lower leg, and trunk, especially in the abdominal and lumbar regions. A cycle ergometer was used to measure cycling power parameters such as maximum anaerobic power (over 5 s), mean anaerobic power (over 30 s), and aerobic power (over 3 min). This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Korea National Sports University. There was a significant relationship between the MT and cycling power for the rectus femoris (RF) and vastus lateralis (VL) in the thigh, the rectus abdominis (RA) in the abdominal region, and the erector spinae (ES) in the lower back. The MT values of the RF, VL, and ES were strongly associated with the maximum and mean anaerobic power. There were significant differences between short- and long-distance cyclists in the MT of the RF in the thigh, the RA, the external abdominal oblique, the internal abdominal oblique, and the transverse abdominis muscle in the abdomen. We suggest that training programs attempting to improve cycling performance focus on improving the VL and ES via resistance weight or cycle training and also the core muscles for short-distance cyclists. Clin. Anat. 31:899-906, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Time-course of neuromuscular parameters, muscle soreness and sympatho-vagal balance following a 130-km cycling race

This article is free to read on the publishers website This study aimed identifying the effects of a 130-km cycling race on indices of physiological recovery markers of during a 72-h period. Thirteen endurance trained male cyclists underwent a collection of indices for measuring neuromuscular parameters, muscle soreness and heart rate variability at five different moments of data collections: before, after and at 24, 48 and 72-h following a cycling race. Results indicate that the neuromuscular parameters scores decreased after the race (maximal voluntary isometric contraction: 13.61%, p .05) while other neuromuscular parameters values remained lower throughout the 72-h recover period (electromyography: 10.62%, p .05). The heart rate variability values increased after the race and remained higher for 72-h afterwards (p < .05). These findings show that a 130-km cycling race has a noteworthy effect on indices of neuromuscular parameters, muscle soreness and heart rate variability responses. Moreover, these results suggest that a 72-h recovery period does not appear to be enough for long-distance cyclist and reinforce the propositions within scientific literature concerning athletes involved in endurance cycling need for a sufficient recovery period.

Time-course of changes in indirect markers of muscle damage responses following a 130-km cycling race

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1980-0037.2016v18n3p322 The purpose of the present investigation was to identify the effects of a 130-km cycling race on indices of biochemical indirect markers of muscle damage and muscle soreness responses during a 72-hour recovery period. Fifteen endurance-trained male cyclists which were competing for more than 2 years and were involved in systematic training at least of 3 days/wk underwent a collection of indirect biochemical markers of muscle damage (CK, LDH, Myo) and delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS), at five different moments of data collection: before (PRE) and immediately after (POST) a 130-km cycling race, and 24, 48, 72 hours following the cycling race. CK and LDH plasma concentrations significantly increased POST-race (p &lt; 0.001) and remained high throughout the 72 hour recover period (CK: p &lt; 0.05; LDH: p &lt; 0.001). Myo increased significantly POST-race (p &lt; 0.001) and returned to the PRE-race values 24 hours thereafter (p &lt; 0.05). DOMS increased significantly POST-race (p &lt; 0.001) and returned to the PRE-race values at 48 hours after (p &gt; 0.05). A 130-km cycling race has a noteworty effect on indices of biochemical indirect markers of muscle damage and muscle soreness responses, indicating that 72 hour recovery period do not seems to be enough for long-distance cyclist, and reinforce the propositions of scientific literature about the need of a sufficient recovery period for cycling endurance athletes.

Ultrasound Evaluation of the Normal Ulnar Nerve in Guyon's Tunnel: Cross-sectional Area and Anthropometric Measurements

BackgroundUlnar nerve (UN) entrapment is an infrequent disorder, but is often seen in long-distance cyclists. Electrodiagnosis and imaging modalities, including ultrasound, are used for diagnosis. The goal of this study was to obtain sonographic normative data of the UN in Guyon's tunnel, to establish the diagnosis of Guyon's tunnel syndrome in future studies. Anthropometric measures were also obtained. MethodsA total of 46 healthy volunteers (30 men) were recruited (mean age, 24.7 ± 3.1 years), and a total of 83 wrists were examined. The examinations included anthropometric measurements (wrist width, wrist depth, wrist circumference, palm length, and hand width) and ultrasound measurement of the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the UN in Guyon's tunnel. B-mode sonography and power Doppler were employed. ResultsThe UN CSA in Guyon's tunnel for male volunteers was 6.0 ± 2.0 mm2, and 5.0 ± 1.0 mm2 for female volunteers. There was a significant difference between female and male volunteers in the measurements of wrist width, wrist depth, wrist circumference, palm length, hand width, and UN CSA (p < 0.001). The UN CSA was correlated with wrist width, wrist depth, wrist circumference, palm length and hand width (p < 0.01). Differences were noted within and between gender groups of UN CSA within Guyon's tunnel. ConclusionNerve CSA may differ by gender and this may be related to body size. Therefore, the contralateral side is more useful as a reference standard than the gender mean.

Remembering W. Alan Charlton: a great friend and supporter of Canadian botany

Alan Charlton was born in Prestwich (Manchester, England) on the 27th of December, 1938, and died in the South Lake District town of Ulverston, England, on the 8th of July, 2013. Although Alan was born, lived, and worked in and aroundManchester, England, for most of his life, he was to some extent a Canadian at heart. During his long and distinguished career as an outstanding botanical researcher, Alan seemed to have one foot firmly planted in Canada. He received a Master's degree at the University of Saskatchewan, published 28 articles in the Canadian Journal of Botany (now Botany), and collaboratedwith andmentored many members of the Canadian Botanical Association / Association Botanique du Canada (CBA/ABC). In fact, Alan was a member of the CBA/ABC for many years, attending and contributing to numerous meetings. Alan’s parents came from the North East of England, the area around Newcastle-upon-Tyne whose residents are colloquially referred to as Geordies. His father was a research chemist with Imperial Chemical Industries and his mother was trained in domestic science at a well-established regional college. Alan received a scholarship to attend Bury Grammar School and then spent a year at Salford Technical College. He was a keen longdistance cyclist and very involved in building and flying model aircraft and keeping tropical fish. In 1957, Alan entered The University of Manchester to study Botany. He graduated in 1960 with a First Class degree in Botany and then moved on to the University of Saskatchewan at Saskatoon to work on his M.Sc. with Taylor Steeves. At this stage, Alan’s tremendous interest in plant morphogenesis developed and various aspects of it formed the basis of his research for the rest of his career. In Saskatoon, his focus was on the roots of the weedy species Linaria vulgaris. Alan’s respect and affection for Taylor were very deep and he kept in close touch with him for the rest of his life. In 1962, Alan returned to Manchester. The work from his masters was published in 1966 in the Canadian Journal of Botany in a series of two articles, “The root system of Linaria vulgaris Mill.: I. Morphology and anatomy” and “The root system of Linaria vulgarisMill.: II. Differentiation of root types”. At The University of Manchester, he began his Ph.D. studies with Professor Claude Wardlaw, probably the foremost plant morphogeneticist at that time. In 1964, Alan was awarded a Ph.D. degree. His thesis was entitled, “Anatomical and experimental investigations of roots of the Linaria vulgaris Mill.” After obtaining his Ph.D., Alan was appointed as lecturer at The University of Manchester and continued his research. He also met a young graduate student, Anne Turner, who was completing her Ph.D. with Wardlaw. They married on the 22nd of September, 1965. After graduating, Anne also took up a position at The University of Manchester but she moved away from the study of plants and established an internationally renowned research group focusing on cancer education, which was closely associated with Cancer Research UK. Anne’s work with children and smoking became world famous and she was duly recognized with a professorship, becoming Professor of Cancer Health Education in the Medical School. As can be seen from Alan’s M.Sc. and Ph.D., his first interests were dicot roots but he soon moved on to water plants, specifically at that stage in the 1960s to Echinodorus tenellus. This was the first of a series of papers on the Alismataceae in which he described the development of the shoots of Echinodorus and the developmental stages leading to the reproductive phase. There would be a remarkable 12 papers in the Alismataceae series, all published in the Canadian Journal of Botany and ending in 2004with the paper, “Alismataceae. XII. Floral organogenesis in Damasonium alisma and Baldellia ranunculoides, and comparison with Butomus umbellatus”. Always interested in the mathematics of plants and their development, several of Alan’s research studies had a mathematical basis. Because he considered that studies on stomatal development inmonocot leaves were lagging behind those of dicots, Alan studied stomatal patterns in Chlorophytum comosum, Galanthus nivalis, Schizostylis coccinea, and Scilla lanicifolia in the mid 1980s, publishing the work in Annals of Botany. Mathematics also played an important role in the investigation of primary vascular patterns in root meristems in Pontederia iii

The Impact of Bicycle Suspension on Pedaling Forces

Front and/or rear suspensions of bicycles become popular for the purpose of riding comfort especially for mountain bicycle. Suspension system include damper for shock absorbing and spring for rebounding. Therefore suspension systems would increase bicycle riding effort since damper dissipates energy. ADAMS®/LifeMOD® are proposed in this research to establish a Bicycle-Human Integrated Multibody Dynamic Model to investigate the impact of bicycle suspensions on cyclists leg muscle forces under various pedaling conditions. Muscles compared include adductor magnus, rectus femoris, vastus lateralis and semitendinosus. Pedaling conditions include riding on flat road, over a road bump, and climbing slope. The results indicate that suspension system increases the pedaling forces of vastus lateralis and semitendinosus. However suspension system decreases the pedaling forces of adductor magnus and rectus femoris. The integrated model built in this research may be used as reference for designing bicycle suspension systems. In addition, the results of this study can be used as the basis of leg weight training for long-distance off-road cyclists to strengthen certain muscles.

Pericardial Constriction Attributable to Graft-Versus-Host Disease

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) occurs as a complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation when donor immune cells attack host cells identified as immunologically nonself. This is beneficial in completing the eradication of residual malignant cells (the graft versus tumor effect), but detrimental through attack on other host cells and subsequent manifestations of acute and chronic GVHD. Cardiac manifestations of GVHD are rare and include pericardial effusion, coronary artery disease, and conduction abnormalities.1 There are only 2 previously described cases of GVHD-induced pericardial constriction.2,3 Here, we report a case of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation complicated by constrictive pericarditis associated with chronic GVHD of the pericardium, which showed rapid response to systemic corticosteroids. A 44-year-old information technology consultant and keen long-distance cyclist was referred to the cardiac clinic for investigation of dyspnoea. He was diagnosed 4 years previously with Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and was refractory to induction chemotherapy, later achieving morphological remission with imatinib and Ida-FLAG (idarubicin, fludarabine, cytarabine, and granulocyte colony–stimulating factor). He went on to have hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with a regime involving full intensity myeloablation and total body irradiation, followed by infusion of matched unrelated donor hematopoietic stem cells. He made a good initial recovery, complicated only a pleural effusion managed …

Perniosis in a Long‐Distance Cyclist Crossing Mongolia

We report a case of severe perniosis in a long-distance cyclist. This case demonstrates the importance of identifying those at risk of cold-related injuries who are about to embark on extensive travel in cold environments.

Rapid Recovery from Spontaneous and Simultaneous Bilateral Quadriceps Tendon Rupture in an Active, Healthy Individual

Bilateral spontaneous quadriceps rupture is an uncommon injury that is usually seen in association with multiple medical conditions and is frequently misdiagnosed. It is rarely seen in healthy, active individuals. This article presents a case of bilateral simultaneous and spontaneous rupture of the quadriceps tendon in a healthy, athletic, active and highly motivated patient with rapid recovery from injury and return to full sport activity within a relatively short period of time. A 65-year-old healthy man felt both knees give way while walking down stairs at home and collapsed, unable to bear weight. He was fit and well, not on any medications and basic laboratory screening was within normal limits. He was an active sportsman, horse rider, swimmer, and long-distance cyclist, and had completed a half marathon 1 month before his injury. He was diagnosed with bilateral quadriceps tendon ruptures. An ultrasound of both knees confirmed the diagnosis of full-thickness rupture. Surgical repair of both quadriceps tendons was performed 3 days after the injury. Bilateral locking brace in 10 degrees of flexion was used to immobilize both knees and protect the repair for 6 weeks. The patient remained nonweight bearing for 2 weeks, then gradual weight bearing was commenced, with full weight bearing at 6 weeks. Intensive isometric quadriceps exercises were started on the second postoperative day. Immobilization of both knees was maintained for 6 weeks, after which full active range of motion (ROM) was initiated. At 16 weeks after the injury he had bilateral ROM from 0 degrees to 120 degrees flexion, with no extension lag. He was horse riding, playing golf, swimming, and walking distances up to 2 miles at that time.

The Sporting Life of V. I. Lenin

The conventional picture of V. I. Lenin found in all Soviet and most Western biographies is that of a man committed solely to factional politics and the attainment of revolutionary power. In 1953, N. V. Vol’skii, writing as Nikolay Valentinov, referred to this as “the geometric Lenin.” He noted that there was another dimension to the Bolshevik leader: a man with very human foibles and, often, bourgeois tastes. One of the over-looked aspects of this “non-geometric Lenin” was his interest in a wide variety of athletic endeavours. During his privileged upbringing, he learned to ski, swim and row. While in Siberian exile, he took up hunting and ice-skating. In his long years as a political émigré in Western Europe, he continued to pursue some of these sports as well as becoming a committed mountain climber and a long-distance cyclist. This article discusses these sporting interests. It suggests that he was unique among his revolutionary colleagues in the breadth of these activities and it questions the assertion that he pursued them simply because he felt they made him a better revolutionary. Lenin, like many sportsmen, liked to challenge himself physically and he derived a certain pleasure from being in close touch with nature.

Identification of risk factors for exertional heat-related illnesses in long-distance cyclists: experience from the California AIDS Ride

To identify risk factors for exertional heat-related illnesses and to determine if patients who are afflicted with the human immunodeficiency virus or have acquired immunodeficiency syndrome have an increased risk of exertional heat-related illness. Descriptive, retrospective, matched case-control study. Mobile community of 2,650 participants in the California AIDS Ride 3. Participants included 117 patients presenting for medical care with heat-related illnesses and 234 age-, gender-, and registration site-matched control subjects who did not develop a heat-related illness. Retrospective, matched case-control study utilizing univariate and multivariate conditional logistic regression to determine if human immunodeficiency virus seropositivity, the number of chronic medical illnesses, or the number of current medications known to affect heat dissipation increased the risk of exertional heat-related illnesses. The multivariate model revealed that patients with a greater number of chronic medical illnesses were at a significantly increased risk of a heat-related illness (odds ratio = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.2-2.1). The number of current medications (odds ratio = 1.1, 95% CI = 0.8-1.5) and human immunodeficiency virus seropositivity (odds ratio = 0.7, 95% CI = 0.2-3.1) were not significant predictors of risk for exertional heat-related illness. Those riders suffering from a greater number of chronic medical illnesses were at a greater risk for developing an exertional heat-related illness. Human immunodeficiency virus seropositivity alone was not associated with increased risk of exertional heat-related illness.

The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cyclist: Cyclic Form in Frazer and Proust

I have always been fascinated by longer literary forms, so in this essay I bring together the two multi-volume works on which I've written monographs - Sir James Frazer's The Golden Bough and Proust's A la recherche du temps perdu - and compare their structures. The model that I come up with - cyclic form - derives from music, and was practised by Beethoven amongst others. So far, I've only applied it to written works of the imagination, but it might be an interesting idea to see what relevance it has to multi-volume historical works: to Gibbon, for example, or to two of my all-time favourites: Runciman's History of the Crusades, or Motley's Rise of the Dutch Republic.

Electrodiagnostic Studies of Median and Ulnar Nerves in Cyclists.

In brief: Twenty long-distance cyclists (13 men, 7 women) completed a questionnaire and underwent a neurologic examination and electrodiagnostic studies of the median and ulnar nerves. The purpose was to determine the frequency, severity, and clinical significance of numbness or pain in the hand or wrist and to assess the correlation of electrodiagnostic findings with these complaints. Results of the studies were normal for all 20 cyclists, nine of whom reported symptoms. These cyclists attributed their discomfort to prolonged riding without changing hand position, especially on rough road surfaces. They also reported that their symptoms diminished after they modified their cycling technique and adjusted their bicycle to better fit their body dimensions.