Tuesday, October 31, 2006  Cross-training for fitness    Visit
my Fitness and Health Forum  Monday, October 30, 2006  Pedal
faster to ride better  All cyclists should learn to pedal at a
fast cadence, whether you are an experienced racer or a novice
recreational rider. Muscle fatigue and damage are caused by
excess pressure on the pedals, not by how fast you pedal.
Pedaling at a faster cadence with less pressure allows you to
pedal longer and harder. However, several researchers have
expressed concern that pedaling very fast could decrease blood
flow to muscles and thus decrease athletic performance. A study
from Kansas State University shows that pedaling fast does not
decrease a muscle's flow of blood or ability to extract oxygen
from the blood (European Journal of Applied Physiology, March
2006). Once again athletes and coaches find new training and
competing methods and years later, scientists tell them that
they are correct.  After you have been riding regularly for a
time, try to spin your pedals 80 tim