Cycling is synonymous with sport, performance and surpassing oneself. If you want to push yourself further and further, you need to work on your endurance and muscle strength. Professional sportsmen and women, including cyclists, but also a growing number of amateurs, are turning to fitness equipment for their training.electrostimulation not only to prepare for events, but also to facilitate recovery after training and competition. These devices are also used for the prevention and relief of certain injuries.
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We'll tell you all about their benefits. And take a good look - there are lots of them!
How does electrostimulation work?
When we naturally contract a muscle, our brain sends an electrical impulse through our nervous system to the muscle. The electrostimulation device reproduces this process, sending an electric current via electrodes placed on the areas to be treated, to the motor nerve located in the muscle. It is this artificial current that causes the contraction.
These devices offer different levels of frequenciesof varying duration and intensity, to stimulate both slow and fast muscle fibers.
The slow muscle fibers (type I) are used in endurance sports, with long-lasting muscular contractions. In road or mountain biking, endurance is essential for long distances and for coping with large positive gradients.
Visit fast muscle fibers (type II) are used for rapid power and strength movements. In sprints, relaunches in cycling or technical passages in mountain biking, these fibers are put to great use.
Why use electrostimulation?
With programs that can target specific muscles for effective training of different parts of the body, and multiple advantages such as time-saving, the ability to carry out intense muscle work sessions, ease of use, and ease of transport, electrostimulation is, without doubt, the ideal complement to a physical activity such as cycling.
Here, we explain how electrostimulation can benefit you, as well as any contraindications to consider:
Electrostimulation in physical preparation
When it comes to improving physical preparation, electrostimulation equipment offers a range of programs to optimize performance. muscular strength, endurance, stamina, explosiveness, etc. and many more specific ones.
These different programs will enable you to work according to your objectives. For example: a long-distance cyclist will be looking to develop endurance and resistance in the quadriceps, calves and hamstrings; while a Road sprinter or Enduro/Descente mountain bikers will be looking to develop explosiveness and strength. For top-level athletes, all levels of programs are necessary to optimize overall performance in competition.
Endurance and stamina can be built up using programs with frequencies between 10 and 70 Hz, with a high number of cycles and a low rest duration. When the aim is to work on strength and explosiveness, program frequencies will be between 75 and 120 Hz, with a short number of cycles and a longer rest period.
Warm-up programs are also recommended to prepare muscles just before a competition. They enable a significant increase in blood flow and muscle tone. capillarization*. An improvement in VO2Max* is also scientifically proven during these preparation sessions.
On the bike, the upper part of the body (notably the abdominal muscles, shoulders and arms) is also put to the test. It plays a key role in the posture adopted by the cyclist, having an enormous influence on the feel and sensations during the ride. It's therefore important to sheathe this part of the body to strengthen these muscles, so as to enjoy the ride without pain and prevent possible injury.
Some brands, such as Compex, offer specific preparation plans for cycling. The brand offers dedicated sessions and programs, to be followed a few weeks before a competition, depending on the cyclist's training rhythm.
Optimizing recovery with electrostimulation
Cycling puts the body to the test, particularly during competitions or intensive training sessions. Planning and repeating training sessions carefully, with sufficient recovery time, will enable the athlete to gradually reach his or her optimum level of performance. To achieve this, it is essential to remember to relieve and relax the muscles after exercise, and to reduce muscle soreness.
Specific recovery programs encourage and accelerate this process, by helping to better drain toxins, improve blood circulation, reduce muscular tension and improve muscle tone. The primary aim of these programs is to improve blood flow and relax muscles with low-intensity electrical stimuli.
The massage programs, on the other hand, combat feelings of fatigue and generate a relaxing effect.
These sessions are often short and uncomplicated, making them easy to perform at home or out and about. These programs should be carried out between 1h and 3h after exercise, for convincing results. It is also important to maintain good hydration, a balanced diet and to combine classic stretching techniques.
Electrostimulation and injury relief
As with all sports, cycling can be a source of joint, ligament and muscle pain. Pain in the lumbar region (lumbago, of vertebral origin) is the most common, affecting a large proportion of cyclists.
Other injuries in the cervical can also occur as a result of being in a hyper-extended position on the bike. tendonitis (inflammation of a tendon that causes severe pain) in the Achilles heel or other tendons, which can become chronic if left untreated.
Visit soreness - the result of unusual stress on a muscle - are frequent at the start of preparation; and the sensation of heavy legs is also a recurrent symptom for cyclists.
Electrostimulation offers programs to relieve and prevent these injuries or sensations of discomfort after exercise. These are a good complement to accelerate work on the areas concerned. This type of stimulation causes no muscular fatigue, and can be applied repeatedly and prolonged several times a day. It's worth remembering that these tools are often used in physiotherapy during rehabilitation or after prolonged immobilization.
What's more, the vast majority of devices offer electrostimulation by TENS (transcutaneous electrical neurostimulation) to block the transmission of pain-related information to the brain through the release of pain-relieving substances such as endorphins.
A few contraindications to be aware of before you start
Despite its many benefits, electrostimulation is not suitable for everyone, and there are a number of contraindications to be aware of before starting to use an electrostimulation device.
These devices are not suitable for :
- with an implanted electronic device such as a Pacemaker
- suffering from heart disease, particularly in the thoracic area
- Suffering from epileptic seizures
- phlebitis, febrile states, thrombophlebitis
- Anxious
- Diagnosed with serious illnesses
- Suffering from infections
- Suffering from inguinal or abdominal hernia problems
- Suffering from serious arterial problems
- Pregnant women
Do not hesitate to consult your doctor in case of doubt, and take the time to read the user manual before use.
How do I choose my electro-stimulator?
Whether you're an amateur athlete or a relentless competitor, electrostimulation is here to provide real support at every stage of your cycling career, with a wide range of benefits to suit your goals and needs.
When choosing, bear these criteria in mind:
- Number of programs on offer
- Adaptability to your objectives: training, recovery, injury treatment...
- Electrodes wired or wireless (ease of use)
- Data/objective transfer and download
- Power
- Battery type and average life
There are also electro-stimulators dedicated to fitness, whose aim is purely aesthetic, with programs for firming and sculpting muscles or for getting back into shape.
