More veteran cyclists should consider weight training
Published on 11 April, 2013
More veteran cyclists should consider weight training to prolong or even improve their performance, to avoid injury and also to boost bone mineral density to avoid osteoporosis...
That is according to CQUniversity researcher Campbell Macgregor who recently won the prestigious 2013 International Clinical Scholar Award from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
Assoc Prof Peter Reaburn (left) congratulations Campbell Macgregor on his international award
The respected ACSM peak body selected Mr Macgregor's project on The Effect of Age on Training Practices in Veteran Cyclists: An Australian Study as its top submission this year.
As a reward, he wins airfares, accommodation, conference registration and dinner tickets for the ACSM conference in Indianapolis from May 28-June 2.
Mr Macgregor's study of Queensland cyclists aged over 35 found there was no tapering off of training kilometres, even with cyclists aged up to 70.
"Older cyclists are keeping up the miles," he said.
"We found that cyclists aged 45-55 tended to train for one day less each week but they compensated by boosting their kilometres on other days. This change in training patterns is likely due to a greater intensity in career and family responsibilities in that age bracket.
"On average, veteran cyclists are training between 250-300km each week across three to four days.
"Very few - around 15% - have been regularly using weight (resistance) training when the research suggests they should do so."
Mr Macgregor's Masters of Human Movement Science is being supervised by Associate Professor Peter Reaburn from CQUniversity and co-supervised by Dr Marko Korhonen, a world's leading masters athlete researcher from Finland. Campbell plans to move into his PhD later this year to pursue the effect of resistance training on performance and health of veteran cyclists. He is also on the casual teaching staff for CQUniversity and is based in Rockhampton.
