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Has your health improved since you began cycling?

Just to return to this old thread.

An article in Cycling Plus has a review of the latest research on bone density and cycling. The article begins:

Cycling might be one of the best ways of improving your cardiovascular health, but a recent study has confirmed that if the only exercise you do is road cycling, you might well be putting yourself at risk of osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis, or porous bone, is a disease characterised by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue over time, leading to fragility and an increased risk of fractures of the hip, spine and wrist.

Cyclists are also at risk of osteopenia, or sub-normal bone density. A one percent decrease in density increases fracture risk by up to five percent.


http://www.bikeradar.com/road/fitne...-21929?source=newsletter&attr=road/2009/06/25
 
...if you are a commuter, what effects has that had on your lifestyle and/ or health?

A huge health benefit of cycling my 20km commute is that I very rarely catch a cold these days. I'm no longer exposed to the coughing, sneezing, germ-spreading commuters on the bus and train. And my immune system is likely stronger as a result of regular exercise, so I'm better equipped to fight off any bugs that attack.

Thanks for sharing the article.

--Mike--
 
Just recently started getting serious again with the goal of racing again, commute 70km a day and in the last month I have dropped my weight from 93kg to 87.0kg (as of last night). I have more energy, more dedication to eating the right foods and liquids and come home after work with no stress, so my wife and kids are also benefiting from it.
 
Just to return to this old thread.

An article in Cycling Plus has a review of the latest research on bone density and cycling. The article begins:

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/fitne...-21929?source=newsletter&attr=road/2009/06/25

Also I'm wondering what kind of cyclists they have used for the tests, as there is a huge difference between Track rider, TT riders and mountain bikers, Tour riders and so on.
I think this is a typical scare report where no real results have been found across the whole spectrum of the cycling world and athletes so they choose one specific group that has noticeable differences and publish those.
 
A Real Problem - skip rope, run a few km, play basketball

Take the time to to do a little Googling and read the results: you will find that
many studies have been done across a wide range of cyclists. The results have
been consistent and reproducible. By the way, mountain bikers fare better than
the average cyclist, presumably because of the bumps and jolts they typically
endure, but not that well. And bone density loss starts alarmingly young. Here's
a link to get you started.

http://mednews.wustl.edu/clip/page/normal/23063.html
 
Thank you for that!
 
Body & Soul

I found much of this thread extremely interesting. Yes, I have to agree that cycling's pros must be more beneficial than its cons as far as physical health goes (calcium deficiency, loss of salts & electrolytes, etc.). I started running again after a year's hiatus, and I have to say that after the first few painful sorties, I am feeling pretty good all round. Swimming - the third of the Holy Tri-nity - is also a non-weight-bearing or non-impact sport, I guess. In university, I used to just swim several nights a week, but I felt okay then, too. Younger, I suppose.

Like so many of you, I suffered from chronic lower back pain during my thirties. It began to recede when I began commuting regularly. I still get the occasional sciatic twinge, but it's usually gone in 24 hrs.

I'm sure it's probably a bit optimistic, but I make sure I drink a glass of milk or have yogurt every morning to boost calcium intake - just like Mummy told me to. I also eat plenty of fish and veggies - just like my wife tells me to. I assume that these things can't hurt, even if they do not contribute all the minerals and vitamins required. I'm sure malt whiskey and red wine contain a balance of minerals & vitamins, too, but the jury's still out on this one...

So, the bottom line: Whatever you do to improve your general fitness is good, so long as you do it in moderation and add variety. (Sounds a bit like advice from a therapist.)

I also like the point made by Phil on the first page of the thread that a pre-work ride in the hills has enormous psychological benefit, too.

I commute into school five days a week (not commuting now as I'm on holiday), and I do it more for the refreshment of the mind and soul than for the exercising of the body as the commute is only 5k (10K return). There are days so stressful that only the commute keeps me together. I happen to be lucky because I pass through Meiji-jingu-gaien and Aoyama-reien Cemetery on my way to Azabu-juban, so there is nature and beauty and relatively calm roads.

There are some researchers examining the psychological effects of exercise and sport, but I don't think you need to be a PhD to figure out how these things help you through an ever-increasingly stressful and hurried life.

That's why I love to get on my bike and cycle as fast as I possibly can through demonic traffic and maniacal pedestrians and torrential rains (not fast enough yesterday at Oi-futo; dropped like first-period calculus!)...:cool:

(Sorry, math-lovers!)
 
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