So, what d'yall want, brothers and sisters?
Become a stronger rider, but get more colds? Or skate through the winter mucus-free, but same-old/same-old in the saddle? Seems that, like pretty much everything in life, you can't have both.
Because when it comes to goosing up bike performance, less is more when it comes to antioxidants.
A recent University of Indiana study found that the usual winter-time vitamin C supplement of 1000mg (16x the RDA) may actually PREVENT fitness gains——even though, ironically, it may assist in repairing muscle cell damage that results from hard riding.
Backing up the Bloomington whistleblowers is research published in the Journal of Medicine in Science and Exercise, to wit: OD-ing on C seems to "prevent useful and positive adaptation to habitual stressful exercise." The Laymen's Lowdown: pumping in too much C means fewer fitness gains for the time you put in on the saddle.
It gets worse.
A January 2008 study laid out in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition put humans and rats on "indoor cycling ergometers" (you probably know them as LifeCycles) and had them pedal their asses/paws off for (I think) 6 weeks. Something like that. Well, VO2 max DOUBLED in the human non-C overloaders (this would be the group containing the creatures more like us. Most of us.), 22% to 10.8%. And the rodent spinners? Yikes! It took the non-C-supplemented needle-nosers FOUR TIMES as long to pedal to exhaustion as it did the vit-C-pumped group.
Sadly, 2 of the studies simultaneously confirmed that supplemental C DID reduce oxidative damage to muscle cells, and resulted in fewer colds.
So. Daily megahits of C? Or not? Ah, the conundrum!
Sorry I couldn't bring you happier news, but more next week from your Fit Bit columnist, Norris Couchman. Look for me atop my heliotrope Land Shark at the rides.
About Carlo Delumpa
When Carlo is not on his bike, he is usually thinking about his bike - or biking, bike accessories, this web site and the cute chick that shares his tandem. Carlo is a native of the SF Bay Area, where the weather is warm and the climbs go on forever. He's slowly winning the NW rain game with other sports, like skiing and hockey. And the climbing in Portland can go on forever if you don't mind going downhill a few times in the opposite direction.
Carlo is a co-founder and director of this illustrious cycling club, and the lead designer of pretty much anything Velo you see out there (with the possible exception of the race team swag). It lets him get out his creative yah-yah's and now that he's got a new iMac, watch out - you may see Portland Velo logo tattoos in the not-so-distant future.
Ever-so-approachable, Carlo is always open to ideas, suggestions and even criticism if it means making this an even better community. You can reach him at carlo@portlandvelo.net. Please keep the criticism limited to 25 characters or less, please.