Measure Saddle Tilt with The Leveler App Angle Finder

Instead of measuring saddle angle the old school way using a plumb line, download the Leveler App to make your life a lot easier.  It's simple to use, free and seems to be just as accurate as a $40 dedicated angle finder tool.


HOW TO GET THE LEVELER APP (ANDROID):
If you go to the Android Market aka. Google Play Store, search "angle finder" and download the Leveler app created by chkuentz.  In order to use the free version of this app, it will require you to download Adobe Air.  If this is a deal breaker, you can download Leveler Pro for $0.99 and avoid downloading Adobe Air.  It's still a lot less expensive than driving to and buying an angle finder at your local hardware store!






HOW TO USE THE APP:
Ok, so it's not exactly a free app if accuracy is extremely important, which in this case it is.  Before using the app, you'll need to calibrate the phone on a level surface- the only way to be sure that you're calibrating it on a level surface is to use a bubble level.  If you don't have one, you'll need to buy one.. but most likely, you already have one sitting in your garage or tool box.  You'll notice that even on a counter top which appeared to be level, I needed to put two sheets of paper under the left side to level it out.  I could have probably used more.

After you've calibrated the phone, you can go ahead and use it to check the position of your saddle!  If you have a saddle with a varying slope like the Selle SMP Evolution, try to find the flattest part of the saddle to get the most accurate read out.  The key is to be able to produce repeatably accurate measurements.  Take note of where you placed the phone and measure the angle at least three times.  Most importantly, write down your measurements (with the date and some subjective notes about how the saddle position felt) so that when you decide to experiment with different angles, you remember where you left off.

Flexibility Training Explainer

I have to admit that I'm one of the many people who has a love/ hate relationship with flexibility exercise.  It's boring, uncomfortable and feels like it takes years to hold a stretch for one minute.  If I never learned about the benefits that stretching has to offer, I would have never gotten into the habit of forcing myself to dedicate at least 10 minutes a day to stretching.  Hopefully after learning about the benefits of stretching, you will also decide to start forcing yourself to stretch!

WHAT IS FLEXIBILITY & HOW IS IT MEASURED?
Flexibility refers to the maximum range of motion that a joint or combination of joints can move through.  Range of motion can be measured with a goniometer (see picture below).  Although it seems simple to use, this tool requires in depth knowledge of anatomy to pinpoint the axis of rotation within the joint.  Eyeballing the "approximate" center of the joint is just as useful as guessing without a goniometer.  While personal trainers are not required to measure range of motion with a goniometer, it's an important tool to have if you're the type who wants to know 100% that you're making progress.

One of my most useful tools... a 12" goniometer

HOW TO FIX INFLEXIBILITY: ACTIVE VS. PASSIVE STATIC STRETCHING
When a joint cannot reach normal range of motion, the joint is said to be inflexible.  Performing flexibility exercises helps to increase range of motion through "plastic" or permanent changes.  While there are different variations of stretching techniques, I will cover the easiest/ safest form of stretching, static stretching,  Static stretching can be done actively or passively.  Active static stretching involves holding a stretch by using the agonist muscles to stretch the antagonist muscle groups.  In this form of stretching, no external objects are used to hold the stretch.  Passive static stretching involves the use of an object (Towel, rope, bench, floor, wall, etc.) to help the limb move deeper into a stretch.  Since all forms of stretching has be identified to be effective at improving flexibility or range of motion, whatever you choose to do depends on personal preference (3).  Now comes the big question...

HOW LONG SHOULD I HOLD A STRETCH?
When comparing changes in range of motion between 0, 15, 30 and 60 second stretches, the 30 and 60 second group saw the best results (4,11).  When directly comparing 30 second and 60 second stretches, both durations produced nearly identical improvements.  The 0 and 15 second group showed insignificant to zero gains in flexibility.

While these studies showed that 30 to 60 second static holds produced the best improvements, don't think that as long as you hold a stretch longer than 30 seconds, you're guaranteed to get results.  What these studies won't mention is that the subjects were instructed how to stretch correctly.  This means holding the stretch with the correct form and tension.  Without good form or the right amount of tension, you probably won't see results even with 60 or 120 second holds.  I plan to post instructional videos demonstrating correct form in my YouTube account.  For now, here are some rules you can follow to make sure that you're stretching correctly:

1. Keep the limbs in correct alignment.  If you're stretching the calf muscle (gastrocnemius/ soleus) group, make sure that the foot is pointing forward and not rotated to the left or right side.
2. Relax and move into the stretch S L O W L Y.  Without going into the anatomy and function of golgi tendon organs and muscle spindles, the reason why it's important to move slowly and progressively into the stretch is to allow the muscle to relax.  If the muscle isn't relaxed, it will contract and prevent the joint from reaching a meaningful depth to improve range of motion (6,10).
3. Stretch to the point of a stretch, NOT PAIN.  A good stretch should feel uncomfortable...  If it feels like you're tourturing yourself, back off.

WHEN SHOULD I STRETCH?
After exercise is the best time to stretch for flexibility, but why?  Studies have shown that holding a static stretch for 30 seconds and 100 seconds to 30 minutes can reduce performance.  Specifically, power output was affected the most and trends showed that the fitter the individual was, performance would decrease to a greater extent (1,4,5,7,11).

This doesn't mean that all forms of stretching is bad before exercise.  Compared to a typical warmup, dynamic stretching has been shown to consistently improve muscle performance and power (3,10,11).  Dynamic stretching involves contracting the antagonist muscle group repeatedly through controlled swings or twist.  It's similar to ballistic stretching with the exception that the movements are much slower.

Based on my experience, I feel more springy and quicker after dynamically stretching versus light cycling or jogging.  Cyclists should especially perform a dynamic warmup since it's primarily a lower body exercise.  I've seen countless numbers of cyclists who never warmup the entire body- they just hop on the bike and go.  This leaves the upper body in the cold and not 100% ready to take on unexpected maneuvers.


WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO BE FLEXIBLE?  TWO REASONS

1. Good flexibility allows the body to maintain good posture naturally.  Posture is listed as number one because in virtually any situation, bad posture is a main contributor to injury and pain.  In sports and everyday life, one of the biggest complaints reported by athletes and non-athletes is lower back pain.  In many cases, lower back pain is caused by the tilt of the pelvis which affects the curvature of the lumbar spine.  When the pelvis is tilted too far forward or back, this causes the discs of the lumbar spine to compress and place damaging forces onto the intervertebral discs.  While lower back pain is a common problem, inflexibility can also contribute to other problems related to the foot, ankle, knee, hip, thoracic spine, shoulder complex and the cervical spine.  Full posture and range of motion assessments are the easiest ways to determine the root cause of pain related to inflexibility. 
2. Improves the storage of elastic energy at the tendon and muscle:   For anyone looking for an exercise to increase explosive power for improved running economy or cycling performance, flexibility is a major underdog that can definitely help.  It has been studied and accepted that as a result of flexibility training, the amount of elastic energy stored in the muscles and tendons improves significantly.  This means that less chemical energy (from carbohydrates, fats and protein) is needed to do the same amount of work- so you save energy which can be put towards more important things like sprinting to the finish line or breaking away from the group.

DOES STRETCHING PREVENT OR REDUCE MUSCLE SORENESS?
You might be wondering why "relieves muscle soreness" is not on the list.  It appears that although stretching was advocated heavily in the past (1980's) to reduce muscle soreness, more recent studies found that stretching does not reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (4,8,9).  So what is the best way to relieve muscle soreness?  This is still a question without a definite answer, but expect to see more research geared towards finding the best method of recovery- light aerobic exercise, compression clothing, cold therapy or massage. Based on the several self reports claiming that light exercise speeds recovery, I recommend it because it makes sense from a physiological standpoint.  By lightly circulating blood around the damaged muscles, the blood helps to remove waste products and transport cells/ nutrients necessary for repair.  Just make sure that you're actually recovering and not going hard!

REFERENCES:

1. Behm, D.G., D.C. Button, and J.C. Butt. Factors affecting force loss with prolonged stretching. Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology. 26:261-272.2001.
2. Biering-Sorenseu, F.: Physical measurements as risk indicators for low-back trouble over a one year period. Spine. 9(2):106–119 (1984).
3. Bloomfield, J., Timothy R. Ackland, and Bruce Elliott. Applied anatomy and biomechanics in sport. Melbourne, Australia: Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1994. Print. 
4. Brandy, William, and Jean Irion. "The Effect of Time on Static Stretch on the Flexibility of the Hamstring Muscles." Physical Therapy 74.9 (1994): 845-850. Print.
5. Cornwell, A., A.G. Nelson, G.D. Heise, and B. Sidaway. Acute effects of passive muscle stretching on vertical jump performance. J. Hum. Mov. Studies 40:307-324.2001.
6. DeVries H. (1986) Physiology of Exercise - For Physical Education and Athletics, pp. 462-472, 474-487, 482-488/ Wm C. Brown Publishers, Dubuque, IA, USA.
7. Fowles, J.R., D.G. Sale, and J.D. Macdougall. Reduced strength after passive stretch of the human plantarflexors. Journal of Applied Physiology. 89:1179-1188. 2000.
8. Herbert, R. D., & M. Gabriel: Effects of stretching before and after exercising on muscle soreness and risk of injury: a systematic review. British Medical Journal. 325:468–470 
9. (2002). Herbert, R. D., & M. de Noronha: Stretching to prevent or reduce muscle soreness after exercise. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007, Issue 4. Art. No. CD004577. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004577.pub2.
10. Plowman, Sharon A., and Denise L. Smith. Exercise physiology for health, fitness, and performance. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2011.
11. Yamaguchi, Taichi, and Kojiro Ishii. "Effects of static stretching for 30 seconds and dynamic stretching on leg extension power." The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 19.3 (2006): 677-683. Print. 
    

Exercises In Everyday Places: Shopper's Walk (Core)

We see these baskets in the front of the grocery store all the time, but the shopping carts always seem to win.  If the grocery list involves restocking milk, juice, eggs and fruit, grab a basket and work your way to a stronger core and better posture.

My current personal record for this exercise is two gallons of milk, two cartons of orange juice, one pack of 30 eggs, one bag of cereal, banana's and bagels.  With a little bit of Tetris skills, those baskets can hold a lot of groceries!

SHOPPER'S WALK HOW-TO:

Anyone familiar with the Farmer's Walk exercise will feel at home with the Shopper's Walk- aside from the fact that it's done in a grocery store with shopping baskets and not in a gym with weights.  If you don't know what a Farmer's Walk is, don't worry, this exercise won't make you look weird.  All you have to do is walk with good posture while carrying a basket on one side.  Simple enough right?  The difficult part involves trying to resist leaning with the shoulders, torso or crossing the feet in trying to counter the weight of the heavy basket.  Here's a more in depth how-to:

1. Keep the basket level. Grab the handle in the center or further from the center so that it won't tilt and jam into the side of the leg.  As the basket gets heavy, your deltoids will be tiring in an attempt to keep the basket away from the body.
2. Load the basket with groceries.  Milk and orange juice were the heaviest items in my basket.  Here are their weights in pounds and kilograms.
• Milk (1 gallon): 8.5 lbs or 3.9 kg
• Orange Juice (1.75 liters): 4.0 lbs or 1.8 kg
3. Walk with good posture: 
• Feet hip or shoulder width apart and pointing forward (parallel to each other).



Visually check your feet.  They might feel
like they're parallel when they're actually not.

• Pull shoulders back in line with the spine.  Subtle difference visually, but makes a world of difference to those with upper back pain.  People with tight or strong pecs relative to the rhomboids have a rounded shoulder posture.



Neutral (Good Posture) vs. Rounded Shoulder (bad posture)

• Maintain level shoulders- don't let the weight on one side throw off the shoulders

• Head above shoulders (forward or tilted down).



Neutral vs. Forward Head (bad posture)

4. Engage the core while walking.  The best way to engage the core is to brace as if someone's going to punch your abdomen from all sides.  Try not to only brace the six pack muscle.
5. Don't rely on locked the elbows.  As the weight of the basket increases, you'll be tempted to lock the elbows.  Keep them barely unlocked to relieve pressure.  Yes, your biceps will hate you for not locking them, but your elbow will thank you!
6. Alternate sides.

WHAT IT WORKS:
In addition to the muscles involved with walking, the major muscle of focus should be on the core.  To challenge the core, be sure to do step four!  Here's a quick list of muscles which will be worked by the Shopper's Walk:

• Transverse abdominis
• Quadratus lumborum & Obliques - helps lift pelvis, allowing the leg to swing.
• Trapezius & deltoids - Assists with keeping shoulder lifted and basket away from the body.

Kinesiological Approach To Bike Fit: Cleat Position

CLEAT POSITION:  There are four types of adjustments which can be made to a cleat.

1. Fore/ Aft:  

• FORE:  Positioning the cleat forward allows the ankle to move more freely, allowing for a smoother pedal stroke.  The trade-off is that this requires more ankle stability, calf strength and puts the rider at risk of developing quad dominance.
• AFT:  This position limits ankle motion.  This provides added stability to the ankle, allowing the calves to rest, but makes the rider prone to bouncy pedal strokes.  When switching from a forward cleat position to a rearward position, a lower saddle position is needed to compensate for decreased plantarflexion.
2. Lateral/ Medial:  The goal is to spread weight evenly across the foot side-to-side.
• LATERAL:  Shifts weight towards the outside of the foot (small toe side).
• MEDIAL:  Shifts more weight onto the medial side of the foot (big toe side).  Limits the maximum amount of external rotation available before the heel strikes the crank arm.
3. Rotation:
• EXTERNAL:  Since the drive side foot sits further away from center, this side typically needs more external rotation to increase glute activation.
• INTERNAL:  Aside from causing the knee to strike the top tube, greater internal rotation tends to increase adductor and quadricep activation.
4. Tilt/ Lift:  Lifts are used to correct leg length discrepancies.  Tilt shims are typically used for riders with ankle or foot instability.

BIKE FIT NEVER ENDS

Now that you know how cleat position can impact your performance, don't set it and forget it!  If you worked hard to gain ankle mobility and strength, don't forget to put your newly acquired abilities to use by adjusting your cleat position to harness your new powers!

TEST YOUR ANKLE MOBILITY
The amount of freedom you have in your cleat position is determined largely by your ankle mobility.  I listed each motion and the normal range of motion for each movement.

• Dorsiflexion (25 degrees):  Point the foot up.  Eversion naturally occurs with dorsiflexion.
• Plantarflexion (45 degrees): Point the foot down.  Inversion naturally occurs with plantarflexion.
• Pronation (Eversion 20 degrees):  Foot tilts so that the small toe lifts off the ground.
• Supination (Inversion 45 degrees): Foot tilts so that big toe lifts off the ground.

KNEE MOBILITY

• Flexion (120 degrees):  If you have tight quads, the ankles must be more flexible to compensate for this restriction.  If they're not, the pelvis will tilt side to side to compensate.
• Extension (0 degrees):  Reaching negative numbers simply means that your knees hyperextend.
• Internal Rotation:  Tight hamstrings, specifically the semimembranosus and semitendinosus will cause the foot the internally rotate.
• External Rotation:  Tight hamstrings, specifically the biceps femoris will cause the foot to externally rotate.  

Additionally, there are two types of undesireable knee movements that can occur in your pedal stroke.

• Valgus stress:  Forces that move the knee towards the midline.  Tight adductors.
• Varus stress:  Forces that move the knee away from the midline.  Tight hip external rotators.

vaLgus = L shape,
VARus = Knees move "var" away
Cheesy.. but it helped me remember what these terms mean!

WORK ON MOBILITY
Remember that POWER = Force * Distance.  Working on mobility and flexibility increases the distance variable, which basically means MORE power for minimal work.  There's no better reason to spend more training time on stretching!

ROTATION:
While many cleat manufacturers designed cleats to restrict rotation, research has found that giving the foot the freedom to rotate prevents overuse injuries such as IT band syndrome, patellofemoral syndrome, hamstring strains and calf strains.  Cleats should be set so that the foot has an equal amount of internal and external rotation from the forward position.

Here is a list of overuse injuries related to cleat rotation, saddle height/fore/aft and muscular imbalances:

• Patellofemoral Syndrome:  
• Excessive internal and external rotation.
• Saddles set too low and/or far forward.
• Muscular imbalances: Tight quadriceps & hip flexors and weak inner quadriceps & hamstrings.
• IT band syndrome:
• Excessive internal rotation.
• A seat height that allows more than 150 degrees of knee extension.
• Saddles set to far back may also cause IT band syndrome.
• Muscular imbalances:  Weak gluteus medius and hip abductors.
• Hamstring & Calf Strain:
• Excessive internal rotation
• Saddle set too high and back
• Muscular imbalances:  Tight quadriceps and weak hamstrings. 

TILT & LIFT:
Before even considering a shim, it is important to determine whether or not the rider actually has everted ("pronated") or inverted ("underpronated") feet.  The first place to look is the arch.  Although not as accurate as a mat loaded with pressure sensors, moistening the bottom of a foot and stepping on paper can paint a rough picture of the arch.  After determining the rider's arch, don't assume that the ankle will be pronated just because the rider has flat feet.  Check the ankle for eversion, inversion or neutral alignment (this would have already been done with the posture assessment).

Remember that the platform of the cycling shoe is rigid and any tilting will affect the entire foot.  This means that shims will affect the position of the ankle the most, but do nothing for the arch.  So even if the ankle is aligned properly, the rider may still experience foot pain because it was never addressed.  If an arch support is needed, the proper orthotic must be used.  Another option is to tape the foot for support.  Many times, correcting the arch will also correct the ankle, so double check to see if the shim is still needed. I recommend starting at the foot (orthotics/ tape) and then moving to the ankle (shims).

Another word of caution about using shims to tilt the cleat and "correct" a pronated or supinated ankle.  As mentioned in "Kinesiology 101: Ankle", eversion accompanies dorsiflexion and inversion accompanies plantarflexion.  If a shim is used to evert the ankle, the knee may move out of alignment when the ankle is dorsiflexed.  In a similar situation, if a shim is placed to invert the ankle, it may invert too much during plantarflexion.  Too much inversion or eversion will compromise the position of the knee and put it at risk for injury.

Before deciding on the steepness of the shim, assess the rider's ankling throughout the pedal stroke.  See how much dorsiflexion and plantar flexion the rider uses on and off the saddle.  After setting the shim, reassess the rider's cycling technique to make sure the knee is aligned.

With regards to leg length discrepancies, shims are very effective.  This can make a dramatic difference in the ride because the shorter leg will never need to "reach" from the hip whenever the leg approaches full extension.  If a shim is not available, lowering the saddle is another effective solution.  Although I haven't tried it, I think it would be possible to make a flat shim from extra garage supplies lying around in the garage.

REFERENCES:

1. Cosca, David, and Franco Navazio. "Common Problems in Endurance Athletes." Family Doctor. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. <familydoctor.org>.
2. Floyd, R. T.. Manual of structural kinesiology. 17th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2009.
3. Holmes J.C., Pruitt A.L., Whalen N.J. Lower Extremity overuse in bicycling. Clinical Sports Medicine 1994;13:
4. Schwellnus, MP, and EW Derman. "Common injuries in cycling: Prevention, diagnosis and management." Department of Human Biology 47.7 (2005): 14-19. Print.
5. Timothy, Noakes, Schwellnus Martin, and Zyl Elize van. "A Review of the Etiology, Biomechanics, Diagnosis, and Management of Patellofemoral Pain in Cyclists." International Sport Medicine Journal 2.1 (2001): 1-36. Print.

Exercise... Bad For The Immune System?!

Ever wonder why you felt cold-like symptoms the morning after a hard workout?  While exercise has always been known to provide a long list of health benefits, it may be surprising to hear that exercise can actually hurt the immune system.  Depending on the intensity, duration and the time spent on recovery, the immune response to exercise can be either good or bad.  Researchers who investigated the relationship between the immune system and exercise found that two changes typically occur.  Both cell production and their function changes after a bout of exercise (1,2,3,4,6).  Negative changes in the immune system tends to occur with continuous endurance exercises and interval training.  This news probably sounds ridiculous since that describes just about every type of aerobic workout, but don't worry, I'll explain how to prevent this problem from occurring.

IMMUNE SYSTEM 101:
If I were to say that neutrophil production increased as a result of exercise, this wouldn't mean much to anyone without knowing what a neutrophil is and what it can do.  To get around this, I compiled a list of immune cells which may be directly affected by exercise and describe each of their functions (5).

• Leukocytes:  A fancy word for white blood cells.  The two major types of leukocytes are lymphocytes and phagocytes.
• Neutrophil:  These cells are the kamikaze fighters of the body.  Naturally, there is a greater number of neutrophils than any other immune cell in the body.  This is a good thing because when a neutrophil engulfs an antigen to kill it, the neutrophil also dies.  Neutrophils can also kill bacteria through oxidative bursts which are highly oxidized chemicals toxic to bacteria.
• Monocytes:  If a T cell happens to miss an antigen, a monocyte will find it and bring it back to the T cell.  Monocytes cannot destroy antigens- they can only find and deliver the antigens to the cells that can kill them.  Monocytes which leave the bloodstream turn into macrophages, a form which has the ability to destroy antigens through oxidative bursts or phagocytic activity.
• Natural Killer:  Rather than targeting an antigen, NK cells engulf cells which look unnatural on the surface such as tumor cells.
• B & T Cell:  The B lymphocyte and T lymphocyte cell is designed to identify specific antigens and once identified, they will multiply and destroy infected cells, respectively.

THE GOOD & BAD- HIGH INTENSITY AEROBIC EXERCISE:
In high intensity continuous aerobic exercise lasting less than 45 minutes, neutrophil production and function is at its greatest.  This increase has been shown to remain higher than normal two to four hours after exercise (5).  During this time, the neutrophil also becomes more active, destroying antigens and removing waste that was caused by the exercise bout (4,6).

In contrast to improved neutrophil production and activity, monocytes do not see the same benefits.  Although the number of monocytes produced is higher after high intensity exercise, they become less functional as a macrophage, the form which is able to directly destroy antigens.  The specific function which appeared to become suppressed was its ability to use oxidative bursts to destroy waste products (3,4,6).  After a high intensity exercise bout, monocyte levels remain higher than normal for about two hours (5).

The same problem occurs with NK, T and B cells.  Although cell production increases after high intensity continuous aerobic exercise, the activity of all these cells drops below resting levels about two hours after the exercise bout.  NK cells lose function for two to four hours.  T and B cells lose function for one to two hours (5).  Losing function in these cells for such a great time leaves the body more susceptible to infection and sickness (1,4).

Longer duration high intensity exercise tends to exaggerate the effects found with shorter duration exercises lasting less than 45 minutes (5).  The only exception involves reduced function of the neutrophil (3,4,6).

HOW CAN THIS INFORMATION BE APPLIED TO AN EXERCISE PROGRAM?
Notice that the type of exercise associated with decreased immune function involved high intensity aerobic exercise which got worse as duration also increased.  In contrast to high intensity aerobic exercise, moderate intensity aerobic exercise was shown not to cause the cells of the immune system to lose function or slow cell production.  In fact, moderate intensity exercise either caused an improvement or no change to the resting levels of immune cell activity.

The key point to take away is to try to avoid doing too much high intensity exercise.  There has to be enough time dedicated towards moderate intensity workouts to allow the body to make the necessary repairs so that it can continue to meet the demands of training.  This idea might sound familiar because it's one of the key principles of exercise program design- recovery!

So next time the urge comes on to go all-out all the time, remember that it will come back to bite in the form of an injury related to residual waste which never had a chance to exit the body.  Try to remember that patiently moving through an exercise program will get the results better than rushing workouts through "quick fix" routines that focuses mainly on high intensity and less on moderate intensity.


References:

1. Nieman, D.C., L.M. Johanssen, J.W. Lee & K. Arabatzis: Infectious episodes in runners before and after the Los Ange-les Marathon. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. 30:316–328 (1990)
2. Nieman, D.C., K.S. Buckley, D.A. Henson, et al.: Immune function in marathon runners versus sedentary controls. Med-icine and Science in Sport and Exercise. 27:5986–5992 (1995b)
3. Nieman, D.C.: Immune response to heavy exertion. Journal of Applied Physiology.82(5):1385–1394(1997a).
4. Woods, J.A., J.M. Davis, J.A. Smith, D.C. Nieman: Exercise and cellular innate immune function. Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise.31(1):57–66(1999).
5. Plowman, Sharon A., and Denise L. Smith. Exercise physiology for health, fitness, and performance. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2011. Print.
6. Woods, J.A., J.M. Davis: Exercise, monocyte/macrophage function, and cancer. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exer-cise. 26(2):147–157(1994).

Planet Bike Protege 9.0 Bike Computer Review

I was very happy with the $40 I spent on the Planet Bike Protege 9.0 bike computer from REI.  This was the first bike computer I have ever used and since day one, this computer has been very reliable even in extreme conditions from below zero wintry conditions to 100+ degree summer temperatures.  Just like any other computer, as long as the computer is installed correctly, this computer can be a five star product.  Mine has consistently measured all of the basic information that it was designed to monitor such as speed, average speed, maximum speed, ride time, distance, time of day, total distance (odometer) and temperature.

WIRED VS. WIRELESS
A computer can have a lot of nice features on paper, but if it doesn't perform well in actual riding conditions, that's money wasted.  Since I was only willing to spend around $40, I chose to get a wired computer to avoid the likely problem of a poor quality wireless connection which I have heard was a big problem with budget wireless computers.  Rain, snow or mud (happened on accident), this computer has never failed to work, so I'm happy!

If you don't want to include the data from the warm up or
cool down, you'll find out that there's no pause button.  Just
unclip the computer off the electrode to cut off the
connection.  Now it has a pause function!

THE GOOD:
With over two years of use about 4-5 days per week, the Planet Bike Protoge 9.0 has excellent "battery economy."  The Protoge 9.0 does a good job at saving energy by using their trademarked "MacroMonitor" display similar to the display on a calculator.  In terms of visibility, the display was especially visible in overcast and sunny conditions- see the picture to the right.

The feature I liked the most was the convenient design they integrated to make navigating the menus so easy that you would never need to take a hand off the handlebar (unless you're on the drops).  With both hands on the hoods, all I had to do was take a thumb out and press the computer forward (towards the tires) to switch screens.

Another feature that I tend to take advantage of a lot was the average speed indicator.  Whenever my current speed would fall above or below the average speed, an arrow will point up or down, respectively.  This helps when the display is set to a screen that doesn't show average speed.

THE BAD:
The lack of a back light makes the display almost impossible to read.  I say "almost" because with a small helmet or visor light, the lack of a back light really isn't a problem at all.  Aside from the extra cost of buying a visor light, there really isn't that much more to improve that wouldn't up the cost of this computer.

I have to admit that it does sort of suck not having visual feedback for cadence.  To get around not having cadence, I've been using a metronome app from my phone to estimate cadence, although it would help a lot more to have real-time feedback.

THE THERMOSTAT TEST:

All cycling computers must pass this test!  It would be a real disappointed if a cycling computer managed to fail a simple feature like this.  Since the Planet Bike Protoge 9.0 had a temperature feature, I tested it out.  As shown in the picture to the left, Planet Bike passed!  Click on the image to enlarge it- I had really bad lighting when I took the picture.

Sensor attached to rear side
of the fork.

INSTALLATION TIPS FOR THE CARBON FORK PEOPLE:

Keep the magnet as close as possible
to the sensor for better readouts

With a carbon fork, installing the Planet Bike Protoge 9.0 is still possible to do.  Rather than using a less flexible zip tie to hold the sensor against the fork, use electrical tape and tightly wrap the sensor.  Electrical tape was designed to withstand heat, water and cold, so there's nothing to worry with regards to durability.  Be sure to place the sensor near the back of the fork- this is extremely important.  Placing the sensor in the back will prevent the magnet from smashing into the sensor if you happen to make a mistake with installation.  Notice how close the magnet must be to the sensor.  This is pretty much standard protocol with any cycling computer.

Body Fat... Why Measure It?

There are two good reasons to measure body composition.  It provides an objective way to track progress towards better health or fitness, and it directly affects performance.

Fat cells aka adipocytes (above) store lipids in two ways.  White fat cells store lipids in one giant mass, and brown fat cells store lipids in groups of many little sizes. Humans carry more WFC's than  BFC's (5).

ASSESS TO PREVENT OBESITY:
There are short term and long term changes that a fat cell can undergo.  Think of the fat cell as a balloon that duplicates itself after reaching its maximum size.  When fat intake rises, the first physiological change that occurs is an increase in size (up to 10x larger) caused by the storage of lipids (3).  This is a short term change which can be restored through dietary and exercise interventions.  If nothing is done to reduce the amount of lipids stored in each fat cell, eventually the fat cell will undergo cell division as well as the maturation of precursor cells to fat cells (2,3).  Basically, you'll end up with more fat cells than you started with.  Generally, someone with a normal percentage of body fat has about 30 to 50 billion fat cells whereas an obese individual can have 75-80 billion fat cells (3).

After the original fat cell undergoes hypertrophy (enlargement), it remains the same size even when emptied.

If the new fat cells have time to mature, they will also (permanently) remain the same size despite a significant loss of body fat (4).  In other words, the balloons will deflate, but they'll remain on standby;  eagerly waiting to store more fat.  This is a major reason why obese people who successfully loses weight cannot maintain the weight loss.  This is why body composition tracking is extremely important.

BODY COMPOSITION TESTING BENEFITS EVERYONE:
Just as important as it is to prevent excess body fat, it's also important to prevent body fat from getting too low.  Young women and athletes who benefit from a low body weight are particularly at risk for eating disorders (1).  Pay attention to the fine line between attention and obsession with regards to body weight or composition.

Changing body composition affects the metabolic systems.  If less fat is available to use as energy, more carbohydrates will be fed into the LA system.  The goal for endurance sports is to primarily use fat, and save carbs for the harder parts of a race.

Because the relative proportion of bone, muscle and fat are directly affected by changing body composition, performance may decrease due to a shift from homeostasis or equilibrium.  Remember that both anaerobic and aerobic metabolic systems are used simultaneously, but at different percentages.  Because the mitochondria are located in fat and muscle, reducing fat mass will leave the mitochondria with less accessible fat to use as energy.  With a healthy diet, the body will naturally take on the optimal body fat percentage.

WHO BENEFITS THE MOST FROM REGULAR BONE DENSITY TESTING?  The older population benefits the most, especially those who are at a higher risk of falling.  Early detection helps determine if the current regimen of exercise, nutrition, and supplementation is adequate.  Surprisingly, road cyclists, including professional cyclists, also have a high risk of developing sarcopenia or below normal bone density.

THE SEVEN WAYS TO MEASURE BODY FAT:

There are six popular ways to measure body fat.  I ranked the assessments based on most accurate (#1) to least accurate (#6).

• Body Fat Assessment #1: Hydrostatic weighing
• Body Fat Assessment #2: Skinfold Meaurements
• Body Fat Assessment #3: Bioelectrical Impedance
• Body Fat Assessment #4: Body Circumference
• Body Fat Assessment #5: Waist to Hip / Waist Circumference
• Body Fat Assessment #6: Body Mass Index "BMI

REFERENCES:

1. Kaminsky, Leonard A..ACSM's health-related physical fitness assessment manual. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Health, 2010. Print.
2. Malina, R. M., C. Bouchard, O. Bar-Or (2nd ed.): Growth,  Maturation and Physical Activity. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics (2004).
3. Plowman, Sharon A., and Denise L. Smith. Exercise physiology for health, fitness, and performance. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2011. Print.
4. Sjöström, L., & P. Björntorp: Body composition and adipose tissue cellularity in human obesity. Acta Medica Scandinavica. 195:201–211 (1974)
5. Malina, R. M., C. Bouchard & O. Bar-Or: Growth, Mat-uration and Physical Activity (2nd ed.) Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 163 (2004). Reprinted by permission.