Sunday, January 30, 2011

Congratulations to Vos, Compton and Nash! Worlds CX.

Compton and Nash did well all season. They where in the top three in the US cyclocross races this past season with Gould. Great results at the World CX Championships let you know what level of cx racing we have in the US. These gals are the real deal and some of the best racing you will see anywhere.

But there are others from the US who also race, most of them finished almost 5 min. off the winning times, 26th to 30th. Goes to show you what starting on the line means in CX.

There was one DNF, it was Sue Butler.

We got word from Sue's husband Tim Butler that Sue crashed hard on the 2nd lap, cut her hip, and even shattered her helmet. She was taken to a hospital for stitches and x-rays. Stitches in her hip, bruises all over her back, and a mild concussion.

From what we know, there was a ton of racers crashing. Sue charged, going around a few German gals and hit the deck harder! The faster you go the faster and harder the wreck when it happens, the one that gets you, you never know what happened. Sue was race ready, to give it her all perhaps more. She has respect!

Read her story: www.suebutlerrides.com

It's sad that Compton didn't get her "Gold", the feeling or humiliation, the distress must really hurt? She has nothing to be a shamed of, she had a super year.

Luna pro Nash gets third and she has been a fast CX racer most of 2010. So to have Compton and Nash is super.

Some will review the other US gals who came in somewhere back at 26th to 30th and make their judgements. Those are the people who have no clue what's it like to start well behind the point leaders.

The USA did an outstanding job. Hats off to all the gals who went Worlds.



Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Alberto Contador Suspended! Every cell in your body/motor needs something that burns & 02!


So what does this plate have to do with anything? Take the time to read and you be the judge!
There is a lot of smart teams out there and they don't have a problem finding ways to gain an edge!

You are not a rock, nor are you the above plate, a rock and the plate doesn't engage in metabolic activities. Your not a combustion engine, but your air flow is as important!

MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Tour de France champion Alberto Contador has been suspended from cycling for one year and stripped of his 2010 Tour de France victory, officials in Spain said Wednesday.

Only living cells can do metabolic activities, yet restrict their O2 and you will reduce the chance for them to move.

It's the cell's capacity to extract and transform energy from its surroundings is much like a NASCAR motor that allows you to move when you step on the gas. One of the rules in NASCAR, you can't use superchargers like F1 cars, etc...

Yes, internal combustion engines are examples of machines that convert chemical energy (gasoline) to heat. That heat is then converted to mechanical energy. Higher the heat, more power produced.

So a car has a mixture of gas, the human has foodstuffs, mainly (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) only carbohydrates can be degraded w/o direct O2.

There is a difference how a motor and living motors work. Biological engines cannot convert heat energy to other forms, such as mechanical energy, in biological systems, heat is released as useless component of reactions in which other forms of work are accomplished. So its best to have your engine fine tuned, you waste about 80% to heat. So the smallest adjustments makes a difference on a bike.

The study of exercise physiology is very much in its infancy compared with other sciences. It is however bustling with activity, regarding the limits of human potential, mostly how people think.

The bottom line, it's about the thermodynamics, stating that energy can be neither created nor destroyed. Human physical activities in life and athletics needs energy, as it acquires, converts, stores, and utilizes it, it is the key to understanding how your motor works.

Energy flows from solar energy (sun) to producers (mainly plants) to consumers (man), it is part of a web of organization in nature. Understand that matter is anything that occupies space and has mass. It includes the solids, liquids, and gases around you and within your body and its on the move i.e. heart is always on the move...

In the world of biological, first, energy is not created; rather it is acquired in one form an then converted to another. Next, this conversion process is very inefficient, so much of the energy is released in non usable form, heat.

Energetics seems abstract, especially when you learn that thermodynamics doesn't tell you much about the time it takes to complete a biological process. A biological process is a process of a living organism, their chemical reactions or other events that result in a transformation.

In other words, you are a bag of chemicals.

However, if you can understand that the ability to do exercise, depends on the conversion of one form of energy to another, then it starts to become apparent i.e. a better flow of O2 makes a difference.

By far, the three most abundant elements in living things (visual balloon) are oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon.

Let's be clear, VO2 is a function of O2 transport (a cardiovascular parameter), a measurable factor i.e. restrictor plate sizes ports being smaller move less O2, whereas endurance is more dependent on muscle mitochondrial capacity. The maximal ability of mitochondria in muscle to consume O2 is several times greater than the ability of the circulation to supply O2. So think of the cells having lungs and they need to breath (in & out) not be choked. Having severe difficulty in breathing because of a constricted or obstructed like your throat or lack of air.

VO2 is probably must limited by arterial O2 transport (fuel lines). It should be clear that max O2 consumption (VO2) is limited by capacity for arterial O2 transport, which is, in turn, limited by max cardiac output (less volume). It's not just about air flow. You can't over look other functions such as hormones and substrates, removal of wastes, acid-base balance and temperature regulation all depend on the circulation. But air is a big one.

Fatigue results from the depletion of key metabolites. Metabolomics is the systematic study of the unique chemical fingerprints that specific cellular processes leave behind. Fingerprints like muscle creatine, ATP, muscle glycogen, liver glycogen, blood glucose, and arterial as well as muscle O2. Without adequate levels of each of these, "high rates of work" with muscles cannot continue.

During contraction in athletic competitions as we know them, muscular fatigue usually appears to the be peripheral due to fatigue of the muscles i.e. legs. The accumulation of particular metabolites that are not moved hinder continuance of exercise. A type of choking, and poor work., yet producing heat. Overheating causes blood flow redistribution away from muscle and liver, more dehydration, fluid and electrolyte redistribution, CNS dysfunction all screw up your homeostasis. Human homeostasis refers to the body's ability to physiologically regulate its inner environment to ensure its stability in response to fluctuations. The car motor uses air, water, oil, and other fluids to regulate its heat.

The heart is not thought to fatigue and cause reduced exercise power output. It's a pump not unlike the pump that brings water to plants in a field. It's stroke volume is however important as it moves life giving water to the ditch.

So think of the single cell as a plant in the field. Each cell type has a characteristic shape and organization. All cells have a interconnected system of bundled fibers, slender threads and lattices (like a screen) and it moves. Many fibers are permanent, they are the filaments in skeletal muscle cells, which are the basis of contraction. They hold things together and only pull.

Did you know? You can't push a rope!

It's very hard to change your physical make up. But you can change your brain, learn things that are tangible or concrete i.e. like opening the air ways for mountain stages like I think some have learned by using drugs.

A motor has an intake and has to have an out-take. I bring this up because, if we open up the intake, push more air into the motor is makes more power. If you restrict its air flow, you lower its chance to really get going. On the other side you have to remove the waste to make room for the air & gas mixture. Does a supercharger make more hp, yes! Does removing the waste make more hp, yes, but not like the intake. In the body, the waste can even build up and shut you down.

This happens with a poor bike fit. If you can't get good air, you also lower your chance to remove the waste. You might as well say you have over choked your motor!

So how can we make a human get better air? Open the pipes! Beta-1 refers to heart, Beta-2 refers to lungs.
If we can open the air ways we get more performance. So the question becomes is everyone on the same level of natural measurements?

So your in a race. Is it fair to use drugs, knowing they can open you air ways?

Are you moving correctly? Is your bike setup allowing you your best movement? There is no question, there are ways to get you breathing better, it just seems many of the fit ideas don't address this.

So now the question becomes, is it fair to have a tent at your home that builds more RBC's. Should not everyone have one of these if they are in the same race? Should everyone be running the same gas! Why should one person run a gas that is hotter than the other person?

Perhaps, a complete atmospheric hypobaric bus or motor home should be used to keep your RBC's up?
We know that hypobaric chambers can be used by athletes to imporve their athletic performance.


No time for media! Everyone to the bus, now!
You have a mt. stage in the morning, so you might as well be at your best!

Air contains about 21% oxygen, the partial pressure of 02 is progressively lower w/ increasing elevation.

Any reduction in the pressure of 02 entering the lungs will cause a change in the pressure gradient and hence a reduction in the amount of 02 being carried to the lungs. Hypobaric chambers are necessary to acclimatize the body to such conditions which are experienced at high altitudes.

Hypobaric chambers are also used to enhance physical endurance and gain considerable health benefits. Increased physical endurance leads to an increase in the production of red blood cells. Research has shown that being at a high altitude even for four hours a day, can stimulate a hormone erythropoietin, which causes more red blood cells to be produced.

Due to the increase in (RBC) red blood cells, more 02 is carried in the blood to the muscles causing them to work at a higher level, thereby increasing your aerobic capacity. After using the hypobaric or altitude mask, tent or some kind of chamber, your performance is increased as the increase in RBC count carries more oxygen and nutrients to the muscles where it is converted into energy for improved athletic performance. Also these red blood cells transport waste material such as lactic acid away from the muscles i.e. like after a race.

An effect is the increased oxygen transport capacity of the blood. Under normal atmospheric pressure, oxygen transport is limited by the oxygen binding capacity of hemoglobin in red blood cells (4 O2 to 1 RBC) and very little oxygen is transported by blood plasma.

Because the hemoglobin of the red blood cells is almost saturated with oxygen under atmospheric pressure, this route of transport cannot be exploited any further.

Oxygen transport by plasma, however is significantly increased using as the Hyperbaric stimulus.

Living things must be capable of transporting nutrients, wastes and gases to and from cells.
To cut off this transport process will shut you down.

Even a single-celled organisms use their cell surface as a point of exchange with the outside environment.

Multicellular organisms have developed transport and circulatory systems to deliver oxygen and food to cells and remove carbon dioxide and metabolic wastes.

If you didn't know, sponges are the simplest animals, yet even they have a transport system! Seawater is the medium of transport and is propelled "in and out" of the sponge by ciliary action. Simple animals, such as the hydra and planaria, lack specialized organs such as hearts and blood vessels, instead using their skin as an exchange point for materials. So an increase in the caliber of any vessels moves more matter.

The size of the living animals vessels, limits the size an animal can attain. To become larger, they need specialized organs and organ systems, larger vessels if they don't have it, put a "supercharger on them can get more air" or change the mixture of gas.

What does this all mean? If you can make your legs more like your heart, getting more air & gas for ATP, they do a better job of working at the cell level. Just understand that about 50% of potential chemical energy released from foodstuffs is captured in the chemical intermediate ATP.

Now you can start to understand how important it is to have the correct use of your legs. Too high or too low doesn't seem like it matters, but it does. Just a few millimeters in the wrong direction can send you into oxygen debt.

I think everyone knows that you have to have a huge blower on a motor to make super hp. I think most are aware that in the responses to exercise that respiratory events are at times inadequate to provide the ATP necessary to sustain work.

That said, aerobic metabolism has been well understood, the role of glycolytic (anaerobic) metabolism has not.

So, in most cases, a human that is well trained can remove lactate several times greater than a untrained individual. At about 60% of Vo2max blood lactate levels begin increasing dramatically.

Lactic Acid

A lactic acid test is a blood test that measures the level of lactic acid made in the body. Most of it is made by muscle tissue and red blood cells. When the oxygen level in the body is normal, carbohydrate breaks down into water and carbon dioxide. When the oxygen level is low, carbohydrate breaks down for energy and makes lactic acid.

Lactic acid levels get higher when strenuous exercise or other conditions-such as heart failure, a severe infection (sepsis), or shock-lower the flow of blood and oxygen throughout the body. Lactic acid levels can also get higher when the liver is severely damaged or diseased, because the liver normally breaks down lactic acid.

Very high levels of lactic acid cause a serious, sometimes life-threatening condition called lactic acidosis. Lactic acidosis can also occur in a person who takes metformin (Glucophage) to control diabetes when heart or kidney failure or a severe infection is also present.



Saturday, January 22, 2011

Ben Sonntag


Jamis signs La Ruta WN'er


Ben Sonntag refuels during a tough stage 3

Ben Sonntag refuels during a tough stage 3

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German native Ben Sonntag is one of 4 new signings by the Jamis mtb for 2011.

Jamis seems to care more about mtb than Cannondale? Euro road teams get the backing over mtb racers.

In November, the 30-year-old Sonntag, from Durango, Colorado, became one of only three non-Costa Ricans to have won the La Ruta de los Conquistadores. As a former two-time Winter Triathlon World Champion, Sonntag has groomed himself into one of the best endurance stage racers in North America. He also uses WN sciences.

"Ever since moving to Durango to go to FLC college, I've been enthralled with mountain bike racing in the US," said Sonntag. "Continuing to develop my career and to have found a home with Team Jamis is certainly a highlight to this journey."

We just got word from Ben from Chile. You will do well to keep an eye on this guy.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Brent Bookwalter BMC "The Real Deal"


If there is anything we know to be true in cycling, is there is always someone who's out there who will throw out the negative, "nay say" something or someone that their way is better. Most of the time, it's your trash talking opponents who, denoting a person or systems underground (even in sight) by opening an academic debate. The higher their level of degree, the higher the level of their debate.

The ability to non-invasively asses voluntary muscle effort has wide application i.e. movement science i.e. cycling. Traditionally, sEMG has been used for such assessment, so we used Noraxon sEMG, but we learned early on, that sEMG had a few limitations from an estimate of muscle effort. Fatigue studies where difficult as sEMG activity tended to increase w/ the increase of more muscle fibers turning on. So this gave the gas exchange guys a chance to debate what we where doing.

We knew years ago, after countless hours using sEMG that its about increasing fiber recruitment, or better the complex summation of muscle fiber twitches for the (big picture) macroscopic muscle force generation.

It's like the strings of a low frequency base guitar, how hard your strum the strings reads the body physiologic motions. Now think of how long the neck of a base guitar is i.e. longer leg.

That opened a can of worms for debate, some where PhD's sitting within our view. I will never forget, that I paid my own way to a dealer to promote his new gym, I saw and smelled a rat, so I even refused to show him and his audience what we where really doing Noraxon sEMG, knowing full well they intend on doing their own thing. Funny how that works!


It was stamped on his forehead! It was only days later, after going home, that they where not one of our dealers. In fact the owners even broke apart and both do their own things?


What the nay sayer didn't know is that we where using the Noraxon sEMG simply to see the muscle turn on/off , to teach the user i.e. Brent Bookwalter types what muscle was doing, and when.

Why bring up our sEMG history? We have a very rich history, working with real science, and some of the best racers in the world and it shows.

We have learned much through the years and we will never stop learning. Stay tuned!!!

Well here is another great story. You get a warm feeling when you watch someone make it like Brent Bookwalter on the BMC. We know it's not dumb luck, he has earned it i.e. in part even using our fitting ideas.

Seems like just the other day, when I got a call from Rick Crawford, asking if we could be of help to young guy from Michigan, he lived in Banner Elk, N.C.. He was in school at Lees-McRae and earning stars-&-strips was a regular thing and across several disciplines (road, mtb, cx).

So we had our WN fitter at the time in Asheville, NC perform the service. The rest is history.

Can you say Brent is world class in tt? He did very well in 2010, let's see what happens in 2011.



Fit Name: Brent Bookwalter
Gender: M
Fit Type: road

Total Paid:
Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 157 lbs.

Account: a2 Coaching


FIT VALUES:
trochtofloor = 967mm
rtankle = 77mm
ankleknee = 410mm
baseknee = 85mm
kneetotroch = 477mm
neutral = 250mm

trochtowall = 95mm
crest = 230mm
acrelax = 673mm
acup = 728mm
acdown = 629mm
actoac = 398mm
actoelbow = 347mm
knuckle = 375mm
shoulder = 1110mm

top_tube = xxxmm
seat_tube = xxxmm
sangle = xxxdegrees
crank = xxxmm

ltsesamoid = xxxmm
rtsesamoid = xxxmm
ltcenter = xxxmm
rtcenter = xxmm
ltheel = xxxmm
rtheel = xxxmm

FIT Computations:
Cleat Placement (A) Longitudinal
*** Right Foot: xxxmm
*** Left Foot: xxxmm

Cleat Placement (B) Lateral
*** Right Foot: xxmm
*** Left Foot: xxmm

Saddle Height: xxxmm
Fore/Aft Saddle Position: xxxmm

Effective Body Extension: xxxmm

Thank you for using the Wobble-naught® system for fitting your bike. Some of you will have made drastic adjustments to your bike. It may take you several months to fully adjust to the new fit. Give your body time to adjust to the fit before you try to get peak performance otherwise you might hurt yourself.

FIT Notes:

Additional Data:
saddleHeight = mm
saddleHeightOverBars = mm
saddleHandleReach = mm
saddleAngle =
saddleForeAft = mm
saddleBrand =
saddleModel =
stemLength = mm
stemAngle =