Cycling Bad for Running?

I'm in the same boat as you..just started back after an 8 week layoff while biking about 200-250 miles/week..I'm not sure if you have clip in pedals, but if you do it makes it much easier to work different muscle groups..I was able to work my hamstrings (which have been really weak for me in the past) and i think that new strength is going to help me..but then again i'm also 125 lbs so I can afford to put on some muscle..haha

good luck with the recovery

Research into the Principle of Specificity as it applies to training have shown that there is minimal cross over from cycling to running. So besides the effect on your aerobic system cycling produces minimal positive effects for running. IE cycling does not help your running.

Although you did get to keep some of your aerobic conditioning while cycling.

But is it detrimental? I assumed that it would not be beneficial other than aerobic metabolism maintenance.

But are the cycling gains (ie quad strength) ultimately detrimental to the runner?

Once you start running full bore your imagined increase in size and strength will diminish. You didn't get bigger and stronger...you just got fat while cycling, a less metabolically demanding activity...:)

Alan

Cycling helps your running more than vice versa

You can never argue with specificity

xlev2 wrote:

Cycling helps your running more than vice versa

You can never argue with specificity

of course. but the question was can too much cycling HURT your running.

the answer is yes. you'll hear this from (at least some) top olympic distance triathletes who limit their time/work on the bike.

but you'll be fine after getting back into a regular running routine.

Runningart2004 wrote:

Once you start running full bore your imagined increase in size and strength will diminish. You didn't get bigger and stronger...you just got fat while cycling, a less metabolically demanding activity...:)

Alan

And once again (just like on the Hatton thread), our resident fitness expert (self-proclaimed), and trainer to nobodies, proves he does not know what he is talking about. "less metabolically demanding" ??? Bullshit. Running is harder due to ballistic eccentric muscle contractions, but those are not particularly metabolically demanding contractions. You run less because your legs get beat up more, but can cycle more because it is less stressful eccentrically, and on joints, NOT less stressful metabolically (and is MORE demanding on concentric quad contractions). And yes, one needs to focus a little more, or do some hills to get HR's up cycling, but it can easily be done.

So Alan, are you telling us that an hour @ HR 165 bpm cycling with no breaks is "less metabolically demanding" than an hour at 165 bpm running??? show me the research.

And if you think this guy's quad got bigger from "getting fat", then you are even more ignorant than I thought.

People will put on weight for 3 reasons cycling compared to running:

a) they take it easy cycling, which is easy to do if you are not focusing or looking at hr's, and thus work out less intensely than running

b) they consume lots of cals on the bike, because it is easy to do while riding, not so much while running

c) they DO add some muscle mass to quads. If you do slow rpm climbs out of the seat in low gears, it is like doing some real power/strength work on the quads. You can build muscle, especially if consuming lots of protein

To avoid that, stay in the seat, and always cycle at high rpm's. It may sound counter intuitive, but the faster the rpm's, the more slow twitch you are using, and less fast twitch which can hypertrophy more easily (build mass).

That sounds like a reasonable response. It also may help answer my question. I have done a fair amount of climbing and really needed that advice about staying in the seat and spinning high cadence. I sort of learned how to mash my way up big hills.

Trust me, I didnt get "fat" while not running. In fact I LOST weight. (1- because I was so pissed of that I turned it into a campaign and 2- because I could burn massive calories while cycling for 3 hours).

However, my quads are bigger. I am also very aware of specificity and its application to the running/cycling debate.

Running for an hour is harder than cycling for an hour no matter what heart rate you wish to exercise at. Quit riding the research horse like a porn star. I don't need 100 peer reviewed studies to tell me the sky is blue. Go cycle for an hour at a moderate pace. Then go run for an hour at a moderate pace. You'll burn more calories running than cycling. HR isn't a good comparison as your HR will be lower on the bike compared to the effort because for those who are not trained cyclists it is the local muscular fatigue in the quads that will slow them down way before their cardiovascular system.

I doubt our OP has suddenly gained pounds hand over foot in the short time he's been riding (6 weeks). That stimilus is going to take quite some time to add any hard muscle.

It has been 6 weeks, it's likely he's just added extra lean mass in the form of water and glycogen storage and some fat if he hasn't been really cranking out the miles.

Alan

many climbing specialists are as skinny if not skinnier than runners...

Yes but their legs are much more muscular - their upper bodies may look like white kenyans but from the waste down they have more muscle mass.

Not sure what TdF you've been watching but those climbing specialists look like holocaust victims. Strong legs yes. Big legs no. Increased strength without increased mass. Increased mass would slow them down going uphill, thus no longer good climbing specialist. The cyclists with huge legs are the sprinters who win the flat stages.

Alan

alan - so what makes them capable of cycling w/o gaining mass v our op + others?

Runningart2004 wrote:

You'll burn more calories running than cycling. HR isn't a good comparison as your HR will be lower on the bike compared to the effort because for those who are not trained cyclists it is the local muscular fatigue in the quads that will slow them down way before their cardiovascular system.

Alan

Running works more muscles then cycling. The stress is spread out more, so the body bruns calories faster. Makes sense.

I've been watching the same tour de france as you, Alan. Of course climbers look emaciated, and of course their legs aren't as massive as the sprinters.

My point still stands. They have more muscle mass than runners. here is a photo of Contador

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44026000/jpg/_44026197_contador416.jpg

His legs are lean and strong, and they aren't that big, but they still have more muscle than an an average elite runner.

This is based on my personal observations of watching/being around elite runners and elite cyclists. I'd love to see some hard data about the differences between the two.

I'm guessing there might be some advantage when it comes to running up steep hills.

You are right, Contador's legs are massive compared to runner's.

http://d.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/ng/sp/empics/4842107

Big o' legs

Here is the simplified answer.

1. Less running is bad for running. So due to your injury i presume you've been running less. So that's a negative right there.

2. If you can't run then cycling and no running is better than no cycling and no running, because at least it keeps some aerobic conditioning

3. Technically, if you gain weight, muscle or fat, that is not directly used for running (larger quads with no increase in hamstring strength) Then technically if all other things are kept the same, you would be slower.

My opinion: You did the right thing cycling, you have probably gotten slower, but less slow than if you didn't cycle, so take that in stride, and when your injury is good to go, start back running knowing that you are slower, but you did everything you could.

What will help with the problem of just working your legs and aerobic condition while injured, would be to try a variety of x-training, like for instance, water jogging, or swimming. Can you use the elliptical? thats also a step up from just biking. Also after you feel satisfied with your aerobic program, try out some lifting geared towards muscles not used in cycling.