Racing Bikes

As athletes, we are always looking to push the limits of our bodies and expand the boundaries of our minds. Like many others during the pandemic, I picked up mountain biking to improve my fitness levels. As I progressed in the sport, I eventually signed up for and completed my first XC mountain bike race. A little bit about bike racing; the divisions are split up into CAT 1-5 with the fastest, most experienced National level riders in CAT1 and the novice and amateurs in CAT5. Having never raced before in my life, I decided to sign up for CAT2.

My First Cycling Injury

Skip forward from June to August, and I have increased both the intensity and duration of my training after the wake-up call that was my first race. I’m consistently completing half-centuries (50 miles) and climbing thousands of feet every week. I finally got into my first bike crash, I broke a rib and punctured a lung. That was the catalyst that sent me on this journey to understand bone health as an adult athlete. So apparently it is a documented phenomenon for cyclists to witness decreased bone mineral density after a year of intense training. “Previous research has shown that a year of intense training is associated with substantial decreases in bone mineral density among competitive road cyclists. Experts believe that this kind of exercise-induced bone loss could be related to the loss of calcium during exercise. As blood calcium levels drop, the parathyroid gland produces excess parathyroid hormone, which can mobilize calcium from the skeleton.” (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130618125028.htm). Athletes concerned with their training regimen and recovery health should seek a consultation with a bone health specialist.

Core Health Infusion for Athletic Performance

With the bicycle boom going strong and the pandemic still looming before us, our office at Core Health Infusion Center would like to urge you to come in and receive a bone health consultation. We know that you are spending hours exercising on the bicycle and enjoying the time outdoors away from the office. Don’t wait for a broken rib cage before coming in to find that your bone mineral density is dangerously low. Many of us have not had this amount of free time and the resulting increase in exercise is pushing our bodies to new limits. Self-care and self-love mantras in social media require actions in your life to reflect the reality of what you are choosing to manifest. If you love yourself, take the time to treat your body right and make sure your bone strength is growing along with your athletic skills.