Gut issues have plagued many cyclists. When your digestive system is functioning poorly, it can disrupt training rides or make events unbearable–even ending your racing career!
Eat a balanced diet consisting of high-fiber foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables as well as legumes to maintain a balanced gut microflora by feeding both good bacteria and starving off any bad ones. Cardiovascular exercise will also aid in keeping your digestive tract in top condition.
Strengthens Muscles
Riding a bike strengthens the muscles in your legs, particularly quadriceps and hamstrings, which play an essential role in balance and coordination. Furthermore, cycling strengthens core muscles that are essential to good posture which in turn can prevent constipation.
Cycling can not only assist your digestive system in working more efficiently, but is also a highly effective stress reducer. When cycling, endorphins (feel-good chemicals released by your body during exercise) help relax you and provide an antidote for stress. Stress has long been identified as one of the primary factors contributing to digestive disorders like acid reflux, bloating and constipation.
Studies have demonstrated the value of exercise as a preventative measure against brain changes associated with age, which are one of the major contributors to sleep disorders. Furthermore, researchers in Finland discovered that six weeks of interval-heavy cycling workouts increased Akkermansia bacteria linked with healthy metabolism and health while simultaneously decreasing Proteobacteria bacteria that cause inflammation in your gut.
Burns Fat
Cycling requires lots of energy, so your body burns off its fat reserves to fuel the activity. When switching from fat to carbohydrate energy sources for fueling cycling can vary depending on individual. Sports physiologists suggest exercising in the right zone in order to increase maximum fat-burning capacity, known as your V02 Max.
Cycling regularly can also help to tone muscles throughout your lower body, such as glutes, quadriceps (thigh muscles), calves and hamstrings. Furthermore, cycling engages your core while simultaneously engaging arms to a lesser degree.
Cycling can be particularly helpful for lowering high blood pressure, often caused by inactivity and obesity. Furthermore, cycling has also been proven to decrease your risk of heart disease as well as cancers like lung and colorectal. One study even concluded that men who regularly cycled had lower cancer risks than their counterparts due to higher levels of physical fitness among cyclists as well as following healthy diets.
Improves Circulation
Cycling requires your lungs and heart to work hard, increasing circulation throughout your body and benefitting digestion by providing necessary oxygen to digest food; additionally, the biking can ease constipation symptoms.
Cycling’s pedaling motion also massages your abdomen, which may help relieve constipation. To maximize this internal abdominal massage, incorporate diaphragmatic breathing into your rides for maximum effect.
Cycling is an ideal low-impact cardio exercise to get blood flowing around your body, and is one of only a handful of activities you can perform while wearing compression stockings for varicose or spider veins. Regular cyclists have lower risks of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other health conditions compared to their sedentary peers; one recent study even demonstrated this by finding they appeared nine years younger!
Enhances Balance
Though proper eating and sleep habits can go a long way toward improving your digestive health, an exercise regimen that includes cardiovascular exercises such as cycling can also play an essential role. By regularly including cardiovascular exercises like this in your workout regime, cycling will help to promote good digestion by decreasing bloating and constipation symptoms.
Biking increases the speed at which food moves through your large intestine, helping eliminate waste and limit water absorption into your stool. Biking also stimulates muscle contraction for digestion of food and controlling bowel movements.
Cycling is an excellent cardiovascular workout that strengthens and tones all of the major leg muscles while engaging your core to keep you stable on a bike. Since cycling doesn’t put too much strain on joints, making it suitable for people living with arthritis or joint issues. Biking can even improve posture over time by compressing abdominal organs which leads to poor digestive function and constipation issues.https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q_pAoN0JFlI