Share the post "Injury: Can You Pull a Muscle While Cycling?"
By Pierre-Maxime BRANCHE. Photos: Cannondale-Ale Di Lullo
Before discussing “muscle strains,” let’s first review the different stages of muscle injuries for clarity: the first stage is a cramp, the second is muscle soreness, followed by muscle spasm, then a strain, and finally a muscle tear, which involves a partial or complete rupture of certain muscle fibers.
A muscle strain requires either direct trauma, such as an impact, or indirect trauma, such as a sudden burst of speed—a very intense effort that is rarely encountered in cycling. Cyclists are more prone to muscle spasms or strains. During sudden starts or sprints, when a cyclist isn’t sufficiently warmed up and begins exerting force abruptly, or when they aren’t yet in good enough physical condition to handle intense exertion, strains or muscle spasms can occur. Muscle strains are more common in running or team sports. They force you to stop exercising, and a bruise typically appears within 24 to 48 hours.
Watch out for postural abnormalities
In contrast, tendinitis is more common. Poor adaptations of the human body to the machine are sources of tendinopathies, also known as “technopathies,” because a technical factor is involved. Before treating tendinitis in a cyclist, it is important to observe them pedaling on their bike to identify postural abnormalities—for example, individuals who have one leg shorter than the other and who, as a result, pedal unevenly. It is known that, sooner or later, these abnormalities lead to tendinopathies because the musculoskeletal system—particularly the musculotendinous apparatus—is not functioning optimally. Repeatedly using a “poor” pedaling technique causes microtrauma and, consequently, tendinitis, which sometimes requires a complete halt to the activity.
Several weeks of rest
If you suffer a muscle strain, don’t expect to recover for several weeks—or even up to three months, depending on the severity. A muscle strain requires complete rest and causes, in addition to bruising, a limp—which results in significant functional impairment in daily life, even outside of athletic activity. A muscle strain is much less troublesome: the affected muscle should be rested for about fifteen days. With medical care and appropriate physical therapy, a full recovery occurs after two to three weeks.
Stretching is an effective way to prevent injuries
because it increases the flexibility of muscle fibers
so they can adapt to the sudden demands of physical exertion.
Stretch your hamstrings
Some muscles are at greater risk than others. The quadriceps is the most heavily used muscle in cyclists, but it is nevertheless rarely affected, unlike the hamstrings, which are often very tight due to a lack of post-workout stretching. Although they are very often overlooked, stretching the hamstrings is an effective way to prevent muscle injuries. Regularly practiced by soccer players and other athletes—but unfortunately less so by cyclists—stretching helps loosen muscle fibers so they can adapt to the intensity of the demands placed on them. Less risk of injury for better performance—sounds tempting, doesn’t it?
=> SEE ALSO: All our Coaching articles
Share the post "Injury: Can You Pull a Muscle While Cycling?"
