If you feel you’re training in the right way and harder than ever, and still are unable to see any results, then, there might be some reasons behind this slow progress you haven’t thought about…
Since you probably consider cycling as you main physical activity and want to not only have fun doing it, but also achieve a certain athletic level or keep your body in a perfect shape, you should also aim to take this sport more seriously than you might have taken it until today.
You cannot expect any progress without investing the right components and time on this sport, right? Improving you cycling performance takes more effort and time than people usually think. Below, you ca find some of the most underestimated things that might actually be the ones that are not allowing you to improve your cycling performance…
First comes the food
If you really want to be in a perfect physical condition to handle cycling as an endurance sport, you need to take really care of your diet. In order for your body to function well both mentally and physically, you must know what does a clean, balanced diet means.
A well-balanced diet consists of including all of the most important and essential food groups such as carbs, proteins, fibers, unsaturated fats, minerals etc. The reasons these food groups exist is to help our system be in shape, and be able to repair, recover and refuel all our physical needs.
Having a poor, uncontrolled diet, that does not include a daily intake of all of the above-mentioned nutrients, means you are in a high risk for a variety of fatigues, and ailments. Your energy levels will be never enough and nothing in your body will be in its best shape. Also remember to hydrate. Being hydrated means you’re healthier, less in risk for cramp, headaches and over-heating during your cycling performance.
Your riding technique
We know in most cases it’s very hard to notice whether you’re riding in the right way or not. It takes an expert to properly discover this case. And after that, you can be able to correct it.
But, it is important to find a way and discover whether your riding technique is off or not. Having a poor bike set-up, can potentially interfere into your progress. Seeing how others ride, asking a professional or even filming yourself while on the bike to see where you can really improve your riding technique, are some things you can do to prevent this reason from decreasing your cycling level.
You’re not taking your injuries and recovery time seriously
One of the most important components when training especially when dealing with an endurance sport, is the recovery time. You need to always rest your body and allow the necessary time for it to repair all the damaged and tired muscles. Remember to always include a stretching routine before and especially after each riding session to keep your muscles in shape. You don’t have to ride every single day to be the best!
If you’re really aiming to increase your riding level, resting time is a must! When failing to recover your body properly, it can lead to serious injury. This due to the fat the body cannot handle the continual strain and stress you’re putting on. Cycling when feeling tired, ill or when feeling pain in your joints and muscles is never a good idea. Chances are you will make yourself worse than before and forget about the results you’re hoping for…
