Many cyclists and triathletes are forced to leave the roads to confine their workouts when winter arrives or due to other circumstances. This can be frustrating and unwanted; however, effective training is still possible.
In many cases, these cyclists strive to imitate outdoor riding indoors: fans, equipment, position, power, duration … In the end, most end up overlooking the benefits it can bring to future outdoor workouts cycling on an indoor bike.
Find out what are the advantages of practicing indoor cycling .
3 advantages of indoor cycling
1. Allows you to listen to your body
This is the perfect opportunity for you to listen to the needs of your body. You are confined to a confined space, with no gas stations or bakeries to stop you, no friends to chat, no means of distraction. This is the time to focus on your energy supply paying special attention to what your body is asking of you.
It is important to mention that training on an indoor bike is very different from traveling outside: they use up more energy because there is no inertia on the indoor bike, so the “fuel” needs increase. Another influencing factor is that these workouts are often done in small spaces with little air flow, causing your body temperature to rise more than normal and you need to hydrate more often.
2. You can better establish your nutritional needs
In indoor cycling you have the advantage of not having to worry about not carrying enough fuel. Establish your fuel and hydration needs in a place within easy reach of the bike. This way it is visible and you are much more likely to catch it.
Take this step further by setting your fuel in the order you plan to eat it. This will help meet efficient consumption and determine what you eat and what you don’t in the end.
3. You can find what works best for you
When training on an indoor bike, it’s much easier to experiment with your intake. It’s the ideal time for each rider to focus on determining what really works best for their body and performance, whether you want to try increasing your gut tolerance for hourly carbohydrates or trying whole foods instead of sports.
Trying new forms and amounts of drink mixes, carbohydrates, caffeine, sodium, supplements, and other forms of fuel can help you figure out how to take your outdoor training to the next level once you’re outside.
It’s the perfect time to put your body to the test as if something goes wrong, you just have to get off the bike and take a break.
conclusion
Although practicing on an indoor bicycle is not the same as practicing outdoors in terms of adrenaline, it is an opportunity that can undoubtedly help you to be a better cyclist. You just have to take the experience and make it more profitable by listening to your body and setting clear goals for you to determine what can make you a better cyclist .
We leave you the best offers of bicycles to practice indoor cycling
References
- Nedescu, L. The best way to fuel your indoor trainer workout. For Active [revised March 2020].
