Post injury training

Turkish1

Hi,

Just to give some background. I am a GAA player at top club level in Dublin. I ruptured my ACL a couple months back. Had operation on 24th June so almost 3 months on and I am unable to run yet as also some other damage to knee. Won't be running for at least 6-8 weeks. I know that medical advice is not permitted and I am not looking for any.

I got myself a bike (Felt Z100) on bike to work scheme and cycle to work every day (approx 16k round trip). This distance is far to short to be of any cardio benefit to me considering the short distance and all the stops due to traffic lights on the way into town.

I have just started cycling at the weekends but am not sure what sort of cycling I should be doing to improve my cardio fitness. At the moment I just want to build back up my gereral fitness and to lose a small bit of weight (7-8kg) over the next couple of months up to christmas. After Christmas will be looking for slightly more specific training i.e. To improve recovery time between sprints, both cycling and running but that isn't really relevant now.

So just looking for peoples input as to what they would recommend in terms of training now (on sat/sun, probably both). Long slow cycles, uphill, flat, interval, short fast cycles etc??

Any and all input appreciated.

07Lapierre

"A ruptured ACL"! sounds painfull!! what is it...Cruciate ligament?

Turkish1

07Lapierre wrote: »

"A ruptured ACL"! sounds painfull!! what is it...Cruciate ligament?

Yeah Anterior Cruciate Ligament.

Lumen

You might have a problem ramping up your cycling if you have knee damage, particularly with the high intensity stuff.

Turkish1

Lumen wrote: »

You might have a problem ramping up your cycling if you have knee damage, particularly with the high intensity stuff.

I understand what you mean. I have been in contact with surgeon and Physio and have been cleared for cycling. But due to the low impact nature of cycling and no twisting/turning i should be fine.

By high intensity what exactly do you mean? I know what high intensity is but just what is classified as high intensity in cycling. i.e. hill work, short fast paced cycles?

Can currently cycle at a high reps per minute (100+ for sustained period of time on stationary bike in gym) with no issues so don't think there should be too many issues. Although I know that there is a BIG difference between the stationary bike and proper road cycling.

velo.2010

Sorry to hear that man. I can only recommend a turbo trainer. It was invaluable to me while I was recovering from injury. It may allow to test your knee and see exactly what sort of effort you can do in a safe environment. You'll work up a sweat anyway no matter the effort you do. As for cardio well the long slow stuff on the road at the weekend will maintain your base. Your a top level club athlete so you'll know what you need regarding interval training for GAA and maybe you can replicate those efforts on the bike in the new year as you said.

My non-medical advice is to get a turbo training! edit, and yes do consider a proper bike-fit.

RobFowl

You dont actually need your ACL for cycling (Cadel Evans has a ruptured one but didn't need to get it repaired (very sport specific thing)).
Best talk it over with your physio TBH. Too specialised for general advice here IMO.

RV

A Sports Rehabilitator or Athletic Trainer and Therapist might be helpful either. Surprising the physio didn't offer rehab help tho'

shaungil

Maybe try to hget on a club spin starting off , will be reasonably easy but it's a deginning. Then you can start picking some lads brains when you're out with the. Good for motivation too.

elduggo

buy a HRM and learn about your zones.

cardio training moreso relates to the effort you're putting into whatever discipline it is and a HRM will help you greatly.

start with flat spins mixing the intensity. As the leg starts to strengthen then you can venture into the hills.

I'm from a gaa background too and went through a whole lifetime playing it before I started paying attention to things like physiology, etc. The training you do playing hurling/football is often targetting a very general level of fitness and has little scientific basis (unless you're with a top senior club or county side). Its amazing the things I've learned since packing it in.

anyway, yea, get a HRM.

Turkish1

RV wrote: »

A Sports Rehabilitator or Athletic Trainer and Therapist might be helpful either. Surprising the physio didn't offer rehab help tho'

Don't get me wrong I have and am still seeing a Physio and have a gym programme for rebuilding the muscles that provide stability. I can't do any running until after the muscles can provide a certain level of stability which will be circa 6-8 weeks at my current progress.

The question isnt speific to my knee injury but i thought that giving as much info as possible would help. I thought the lads here might have prior experience with injuries and also more knowledge on cycling in general to give me an idea of what would be the best way of approaching the cycling aspect of the rehab.

Turkish1

elduggo wrote: »

buy a HRM and learn about your zones.

cardio training moreso relates to the effort you're putting into whatever discipline it is and a HRM will help you greatly.

start with flat spins mixing the intensity. As the leg starts to strengthen then you can venture into the hills.

I'm from a gaa background too and went through a whole lifetime playing it before I started paying attention to things like physiology, etc. The training you do playing hurling/football is often targetting a very general level of fitness and has little scientific basis (unless you're with a top senior club or county side). Its amazing the things I've learned since packing it in.

anyway, yea, get a HRM.

Thanks, yeah at a top senior club and our fitness would be more specific than that of years ago (run 50 laps type thing).

The HRM sounds like a good idea.

Someone also recommended a test which I believe they do in Trinity which analyses your personal specific zones (excuse the lack of knowledge and correct terminology). Any point in doing such a test? I would assume that it would be for elite cyclists and that the general guidelines would be more than sufficient.

elduggo

Turkish1 wrote: »

Thanks, yeah at a top senior club and our fitness would be more specific than that of years ago (run 50 laps type thing).

The HRM sounds like a good idea.

Someone also recommended a test which I believe they do in Trinity which analyses your personal specific zones (excuse the lack of knowledge and correct terminology). Any point in doing such a test? I would assume that it would be for elite cyclists and that the general guidelines would be more than sufficient.

thats more a fitness test, measuring things like your v02 max, etc. You're hooked up to a load of machines (including a breathing tube) and they gather all kinds of readings.

I've never done it but supposedly its quite cheap (its students on various courses that do it as part of their course as far as I know). I'm sure at least part of it would be finding out fat-burning/cardio zones.

You can figure that stuff out yourself over time though once you understand the theory behind each. You'll know what HR you'll feel comfortable at. You'll find out your max HR. Once you know both those you're pretty much all set.

Lumen

Your goals are presumably quite specific. You're a competitive athlete who is trying to regain a specific type of fitness and prevent further detraining whilst your injury recovers.

As others have indicated, you really need advice from someone with experience of coaching and rehabilitating athletes from both sports, or else you risk coming back as a decent cyclist and a completely crap GAA player. :pac:

Turkish1

Lumen wrote: »

Your goals are presumably quite specific. You're a competitive athlete who is trying to regain a specific type of fitness and prevent further detraining whilst your injury recovers.

As others have indicated, you really need advice from someone with experience of coaching and rehabilitating athletes from both sports, or else you risk coming back as a decent cyclist and a completely crap GAA player. :pac:

Thanks for your input. Agree with what you are saying but will also take some of the information received here in order to create my plan incorporating cycling.

Really feel it could be of a massive benefit to people coming back from a knee injury as it will hopefully build up my quad and hamstring strength -although not sure how beneficial to the hamstring cycling is. Am I right in saying it is more calf and quad?


Thanks again to everyone for their advice

RV

Turkish1 wrote: »

...still seeing a Physio and have a gym programme .... .

That's okay then. The physio will help you keep the difft. muscle groups balanced as you build through your programme. Too much of one excerise at this point might be counter productive.