220Triathlon Edição 334

Should I use different tyres on

my bike in winter?

JACK DOWLING, TWITTER

If you have one bike for training and

racing, it’s wise to use wider

all-weather tyres for the off-season

and then buy some race tyres for the

summer. This will allow for safer

riding because your tyres are fresher

and both sets should theoretically

last longer. Accessorise with some

good mud guards in winter to

prolong the life of your components.

Is it wise to do track sessions

in winter?

TOMHARRISON, EMAIL

A track session per week is a great

routine to get into in order to keep

your sharpness up in the off-season,

especially if you’re targeting sprint or

Olympic distance. Most tri and

running clubs will offer weekly

sessions for all abilities year-round,

and the fee is usually small.

I struggle with cold and damp

feet when I’m running in the rain

– any solutions?

KIMROSE, EMAIL

If you run on soggy trails and splash

through puddles, wet feet are

inevitable, but you can minimise the

risk of blistering by applying a foot

glide, and wearing moisture-wicking

merino socks paired with shoes that

have a breathable upper to stop the

water from holding.

FATORCARBSTO

FUELTRAINING?

Is it a good idea to adapt

my diet to burn fat as

fuel? Is this more efficient than

using mostly carbohydrate to

fuel my training? I’ve read a lot

around this subject recently

but am still unsure what the

best approach is.

NOEL CHANDLER, EMAIL

There’s a real misconception

that the only way to burn fat

for fuel is to remove carbohydrate

from your diet. But we know that

our body actually uses a mix of

both fat and carbohydrate for

fuel, relying more on fat stored in

the muscle in low-to-moderate

intensity training.

We also know from numerous

studies over the past 20 years

that as exercise intensity increases,

that is, above 65% of you maximum

HR, the body needs carbohydrate

in order to be able to maintain

these faster paces. This doesn’t

mean we stop using fat for fuel, but

the body will rely on carbohydrate,

which can be broken down into

glucose and delivered to the

working muscles quickly and

efficiently.

In actual fact, it’s endurance

training and SOME diet

manipulation that actually

improves ability to oxidise fat

for fuel, NOT just removing

carbohydrate from your diet.

My general advice is to do low

to moderate training sessions in a

fasted state, for example first thing

in the morning, to make your body

more efficient at using fat as fuel.

You can also try avoiding carbs in

the four hours before training.

Prior to higher-intensity sessions,

including carbohydrate before

and after is key in order to ensure

you can hit the paces needed for

progression. The ‘fat adaptation’

from doing your fasted sessions

will still be of benefit as, even at

these faster paces, you will burn

a higher percentage of fat as fuel

alongside carbohydrate, meaning

you can spare your glycogen

stores for longer.

If you never train with

carbohydrate, the problems you’ll

encounter is that firstly, you won’t

be able to hit high-intensity paces

and secondly, your body will not

be able to absorb carbohydrate

as fuel during high-intensity

exercise as it will not be use to it,

which will be detrimental to

performance on race day.

QUICK Q

HOWTORELIEVE

QUADPAIN

I’ve recently strainedmy

quad, and while not really

painful it hurts when I fully

straightenmy leg out. How do

I stop it getting worse and

prevent it fromhappening

again in the future?

AILEENMATHERSON, EMAIL

As with all types of muscle

injuries, there are varying

degrees of severity. In the case of

the quadriceps, injury is graded

generally from a Grade 1 strain up

to a Grade 3 rupture. In this case

you state you recently strained your

quad muscle and that it’s not

painful unless you fully straighten

the leg out, which would indicate a

Grade 1 strain.

First and foremost, for the initial

48 hours apply RICE (rest, ice,

compression, elevation) and if

possible try to keep the injured leg

in a flexed position, relieving any

undue stress.

Once 48 hours are up try to see

a sports massage therapist, who

will carry out R.O.M. examination

and apply soft tissue massage to

help encourage muscle repair. The

therapist will also advise on rehab

exercises. Above all in these early

stages, avoid activity whereby lower

leg strength and power are

required, which will aggravate the

strain. After about 3-5 days

post-injury carry out the following

set of exercises:

Static inner quadricep

contraction: sitting on the floor with

legs straight out in front, tighten

your quad as if attempting to push

your knee into the floor, and hold

for 10 secs. Relax and repeat.

Straight leg raise: tighten

quadricep, dorsal flex foot, raise

leg, hold then return to the floor.

Bridge-lie on mat with knees

raised and feet flat on floor. Raise

body into bridge position, hold for

10 secs then return to lying flat

once again.

Simply do some squats.

Repeat each exercise for 10-15 reps,

three times a day. Ensure the

injured quad is warm prior to

stretching and use a heat pad. Stop

exercising if you feel any pain or

discomfort, and don’t increase

intensity/frequency by more than

10% per week.

Finally, to prevent further similar

injuries in the future there are a

number of steps you can take:

Devise a year-round strength and

conditioning routine suited to your

training and race plan. See a PT or

coach for some extra help.

Don’t train when you’re

overtired, and listen to your body.

Try to get some regular sports

massage for maintenance, and if

this isn’t possible buying a foam

roller and performing self-massage

is a good alternative.

There are several steps you can

take to avoid a repeat injury, such

as having regular sports massage

A combo of training and diet

manipulation improves the

body’s ability to oxidise fat

108

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