PowerCranks:

Question: I have been an endurance athlete for many years and have my nutrition pretty well dialed in. If I get on PowerCranks and start training these new muscles, putting them in a build phase when all my other muscles are more in a maintenance mode, will my nutritional needs change substantially?

Bob Seebohar answers:
Well, the specific answer will certainly differ among each athlete depending on their current eating plan but in general, I would recommend that any new PCer follow these nutrition recommendations:

1. Focus on eating more antioxidant rich foods. Antioxidants will help quench free radical build-up that is common with introducing a new training regimen. Ideally, you would eat at least 7-8 servings of fruits and/or vegetables per day to maintain steady antioxidant levels in your body.

2. Focus on eating more omega-3 fats such as walnuts, salmon, and flax products. Omega-3 fats have an anti-inflammatory effect which allows more blood to reach the muscles and deliver nutrients and escort waste out of them. Training produces inflammation in the body which hampers recovery and the ability to get on the PowerCranks faster.

3. Stay hydrated. This is a no-brainer but I am surprised how many athletes do not drink enough fluids throughout the day. Add a few PC sessions per week where new muscles are being recruited and you have an increased need for fluid to support the muscular work. You should be urinating every few hours throughout the day and your urine should be pale yellow to clear in color.

Bob Seebohar, MS, RD, CSSD, CSCS
Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics
Professional Endurance Coach
www.fuel4mance.com

Question: I am a track athlete and interested in PowerCranks for their running benefits. How do you recommend that a sprinter might integrate these into their training program.

Aaron Thigpen answers:
Of course, I like to individualize workouts based upon the need of the athlete at the time but if I have to give a generic recommendation regarding the use of PowerCranks for a sprinter, which would also apply to people like football, baseball, and soccer players, is this:

I generally have them do intervals on the bike that recreate what they are expected to do in their event. So, the use will be different between a 100 m and 800 m athlete. I like for them to get in the same number of revolutions as they will have to do in their event. If a 100 m runner is doing 50 strides in the event I will have them do AT LEAST 50 revolutions on the bike, which may mean 15 second intervals, with appropriate rests and then repeat. 800m athletes will do longer intervals, a minimum of 30 seconds but more likely 1-2 minutes.

Another thing I do, to prevent the workouts from becoming stale for the athlete, is to integrate the PowerCranks intervals into a circuit that might include riding the bike, lifting weights, power workouts like pulling a sled, and running, etc. then back to the bike and repeat.

The length of these intervals and the number of repeats depends a lot on the sport the athlete does and the level they are at. If you are a beginner, start with less intensity and duration and advance, continuing to push yourself, as you see changes, not forgetting to take some rest and recovery days.

Of course, if the athlete is injured I don't have them do anything that will aggravate the injury. This usually means much more time on the bike and less time actually running.

I have attached a sample basic workout for a spring athlete:

Basic Sprint Workout

3 min Warmup
Stretch

Burst Activity
6 reps of:
30 sec burst followed by 20m sprint 2-3 min recovery.

6 reps of:
15 sec burst follwed by 5 horizontal speed jumps for distance rest 4-5 min recovery.

Warmdown
4-6 min alternating single leg and double leg cycling every 30 sec.

Aaron Thigpen
Gamespeed
www.gamespeed.net

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