Diary of a Medic-on-a-bike: May ’11

The past month has mostly been about rest and recovery… well from a cycling point of view, anyway.

After a fantastic 84-mile ride out to the “Black Barn” with the local guys on Easter Sunday, a shift on the Paediatric Assessment Unit the following day exposed me to the bugs and germs that were to blame for the outbreak of gastroenteritis that had hit the children’s ward. And yep – you’ve guessed it – I was pretty much knocked off my feet for the next three days and unable to [sensibly] do any training for a good two weeks.

This was a stark reminder that (in my Dad’s words) “you are not a machine” and training to race, whilst working full time in a demanding job is extremely tough! So while my team-mates were battling it out at the Bedford 2-day stage race, I found myself being thrashed at Scrabble, as my Grandma placed “MAXIM” on yet another triple word score…

Back at work, I was straight into a stretch of ten days on the trot and very conscious that I need to be fit to work safely (over and above being fit to race), so I have eased back into training very cautiously! After a couple of “riding through treacle” experiences – my confidence shattered – it would have been all too easy to have just given up.

But things are looking up… I’ve had a couple of good rides with the local guys, my fitness is starting to return and I’ve been able to remind myself of all the reasons why I just love riding (and racing) my bike. In addition, there’s a top-secret goody for a lurking lab-rat in the post (see the forum!) and I have a much-needed holiday just around the corner. (No. Racing in Malta was *not* a holiday!)

Whilst on the subject of recovery, every cyclist seems to have his or her own personal routine after a ride or a race and this is something that I’ve been refining and experimenting with over the last few months. I’m a big fan of Bikefood protein powder and I’ve been amazed at how much fresher my legs feel the next day if I have worn compression tights after a hard ride. And when the opportunity arises, you just can’t beat one of Steve’s champion massages…

I was particularly amused by a recent article in the British Medical Journal (1), which claims that, “Sports medicine comprises some science, much pseudoscience, and a fair amount of quackery—bad medicine by any measure.”

The article goes on to outline how little evidence there is for the benefit of compression clothing, isotonic sports drinks and massage (amongst other things). “For all their physical strength, sports people are the zenith of vulnerable neuroticism… everything is gospel from the mouths of evangelical sports scientists, supported by a global industry that is worth billions of pounds.”

Ok – fair point! But whether there is a scientific evidence base, or this is just a placebo effect, I am going to continue to wear my compression tights and use my isotonic sports drink… because they work for me… and even if the benefit of a good old massage is purely psychological, I’m still going to jump at the offer because there’s something to be said for a chance to stop, relax and debrief after a hard race – even if the legs don’t recover any faster!

1. Spence D. Bad Medicine: Sports Medicine. BMJ 2011; 342:d2025

Images courtesy of Dave Hayward and John Fegan