In this issue:

September Specials

FREE Level 2 Maintenance Course + Strength Training Seminar

Cycling Science Training Camp

Upcoming Events

Fusion Customer Rewards Program

Oxygen Uptake Triathlon Training

3 Fusion Fanatics ride for Cancer Research

4 Fusion Fanatics in Epic Top 20

Training Nutrition Tips – 4 R’s of Recovery

September Specials

Give your bike a spring clean!
Book a Silver Bike Service in September
and get TWO new Maxxis tyres (MTB or Road)
for the price of ONE! $144

Need a New bike for triathlon season?
Orbea Ora Triathlon Bike
Carbon frame, Ultegra 105 mix running gear
RRP: $3799 Fusion Special $3399

(The winner of the August Cycling Science course giveaway is Andrew Ross!)

FREE Level 2 Bike Maintenance Course + Strength training seminar Thursday 18 September 6-7pm

Level 2 is the next step from the basic bike maintenance courses we ran earlier in the year. In level 2, we will revisit the basics

1. How to change a flat tyre and tips to do it fast
2. What to do to maintain your bike after riding in the wet
3. General maintenance to prolong the life of your bike parts
4. Bike servicing – how often, what your bike will need
   

As well as teach you:

1. How to take the chain off and clean it
2. How to check and tighten bolts, cables and headset
3. Removing and cleaning the cassette
4. Cleaning the bottom bracket

Following the maintenance course, Brad Sheppard from Peak Physique Personal Training will present a strength training seminar outlining cyclist specific training exercises to build your strength for better performance on the bike.

The bike maintenance course and strength training seminar is free and will be held at Fusion Cycles. Click here to register by email.

Cycling Science Training Camp

What: 4 days of skills training, group riding and one on one coaching with ex-international pro cyclist - Fred Morini.

When: November 7th to 11th (Beginners to Intermediate) November 21st to 24th (Intermediate to Advanced) 

Where: Noosa, Queensland

How Much: $850 (Accommodation not included) $800 for Fusion Cycles customers –
show your Fusion Rewards card when you book

Contact Adam Gill at Cycling Science
adam@cyclingscience.com.au or 0432 566 027

Sept 4-7 Australian Road Championships
Click here for more info.

Sat Sun 6-7 Sept MTBO Qld Championships, Yarraman
Click here for more info.

Sat Sun 6-7 Sept Netti MTB Enduro 100km, 50km, 10km
Click here for more info.

Sun 28 Sept Qld Road Teams Time Trials
Click here for more info.

30 Sept – 4 Oct Simpson Desert MTB Challenge, 5 days riding from Purnie Bore SA to Birdsville Hotel QLD.
Click here for more info.

October
Sun 5 Oct Geocentric 8hr MTB Enduro, Kurwongbah (near Narangba)
Click here for more info.

Sun 5 Oct Gold Coast Half Ironman and Sprint Distance Triathlon.
Click here for more info.

Sun 12 Oct Straddie Salute offroad Triathlon, Stradbroke Island 600m ocean swim, 18km MTB ride, 9km run.
Click here for more info.

Sun 12 Oct Wilson HTM Brisbane to Gold Coast 100km Road Cycle Challenge,
Southbank start.
Click here for more info.

Matt is organizing a group for this ride. Click here to join the group.

Sat 18 Oct Freedom MTB Marathon, 20km/40km/60km MTB Race, Byron Bay.
Click here fore more info.

Sun 19 Oct Gatorade Triathlon Series Race 1, 400m swim/15km ride/ 4km run, Raby Bay. Click here for more info.

Sun 26 Oct Tre-X Offroad Triathlon 350m swim/10km MTB/4km Trail Run, Kurwongbah (near Narangba).
Click here for more info.

Fri 31 Oct – Sun 2 Nov Noosa Triathlon Festival 1500m swim/40km cycle/10km run.
Click here for more info.

Fusion Customer Rewards Program

• Spend $100 and receive $5 instore credit
• Refer a friend to buy a bike and receive a saddlebag, light, lock or gloves
• First bike service free when you buy a new bike

These are just some of the rewards for Fusion Cycles customers. 
Click here to checkout the customer rewards page on the website for more details.

Oxygen Uptake Triathlon Training

Oxygen Uptake provides a tailored triathlon training program for corporate companies and is offering Fusion Cycles customers the first week of the program free when their company signs up for a 3 month program.  Contact Tina Gilbert at tina@oxygenuptake.com.au for more info.

3 Fusion Fanatics Ride for Cancer Research

Fusion Cycles customers Jacqui Doel, John Travis and Peter Allonby are part of the 50 strong team cycling from Brisbane to Home Hill (Townsville) to raise money for cancer research.  It’s called the Bottlemart Smiling for Smiddy Challenge and is a 1600km ride over 8 days!  The goal is to raise $400,000 for the Mater Hospital.  Checkout the Fusion home page from September 13 to track their progress.  Click here to support the ride. 

4 Fusion Fanatics in Epic Top 20

Matt Callow (aka Skinny) finished first in the open mens and third overall at Australia’s premier MTB Enduro - the Flight Centre Marathon Epic on Sunday August 24.  Fellow Fusion Cycles team members Adrian Booth cruised in at 9th, Matt Easton at 18th and John Travis at 19th.  Well done guys!

Training Nutrition Tips – 4 R’s to Recovery

Hot off the press:
Is this something cyclists have known for years about recovery nutrition that is only now being recognised by scientific research?  Could the humble coffee shop stop off be the secret weapon in restoring carbohydrates after exercise?  

Recent research from an Australian university has shown that caffeine consumed with carbohydrates can increase glycogen replenishment.  The research is a bit misleading as they have used a truck load of caffeine (nearly five cups of coffee) in the research, but it may help you justify asking for a second cup with your jam and toast at the coffee shop after your next ride!

4 R’s of Recovery Nutrition
The next month is a busy time for racing, both on and off the road.  To ensure you are able to race at your best, you need to recover and train well between races.  Massage, stretching, getting enough sleep, cold baths and using compression garments all help but nutrition plays a major role in ensuring you recover in as short a period of time as possible.  

Rehydrate
After prolonged exercise or exercise in the heat the body will inevitably be dehydrated.  This is not a bad thing but if left uncorrected it can impair recovery significantly.  The first thing most athletes do is guzzle down a large bottle of water and think that they have done enough to rehydrate.  What this does is dilutes the body’s fluids triggering the kidneys to get rid of some fluid.  Over the next few hours most of the fluid consumed is lost and the athlete is more dehydrated than before they had something to drink.  

There is now considerable research that shows that the addition of sodium with a fluid can improve the body’s ability to hold on to water after exercise.  There has even been research to suggest that Milk (that’s right, milk!) is better than water at rehydrating after exercise.  It has more sodium in it than most sports drinks and is mainly water.  It also has the added benefit of having Carbohydrate and Protein (both Whey and Casein.)  But if you don’t want to chug down milk after a hard race ensure you have plenty of fluid with your recovery snack and make sure it is something salty (maybe even the humble peanut butter sandwich).

Refuel
It is important to start the refuelling of the body as soon as possible after an event.  Aim for around 50-100g of carbohydrate (around 1-1.5g/kg body weight) in the post race recovery snack.  After this initial snack, continue replacing carbohydrate regularly over the next 24 hours to ensure that when you start your next training session you are fully fuelled and able to train at your max. 

Repair and Rebuild
As discussed in previous articles, protein is essential for the repair of muscle tissue post exercise.  Including protein in your post race recovery snack will ensure the body begins the repair and rebuilding process immediately.  Aim to include around 10-20g of protein in your recovery nutrition. 

As we have discussed before there is some evidence that suggests that if you consume protein as part of your race nutrition it may reduce the amount of muscle damage suffered during the race and speed up the recovery process.  Similar to carbohydrate, protein intake should not stop with one snack after the race. Continue to consume protein over the next 24hrs at each meal to ensure you drip feed the muscle with the essential amino acids it requires to repair race damage.

Revitalise
We know that a diet high in fruits and vegetables is essential to maintain sufficient intake of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, and good fats (omega 3). It is now becoming more evident that it is also essential for recovery after exercise.
This is especially the case for anti-oxidants and omega 3’s.  In recent years research has shown that supplementation of vitamins A, C and E may not be as beneficial as first thought and in fact may actually cause more damage than good.  

Focus has now changed to plant based anti-oxidants like Polyphenols and Catechins.  Due to the complex nature of the body’s anti-oxidant system, if too much of one anti-oxidant is taken it can reduce the effectiveness of the whole system.  This is where more research has focused on the use of whole foods like anti-oxidant rich berries to improve anti-oxidant intake and improve exercise recovery.  Omega 3’s have also gained popularity for their general health benefits but they have also been looked at to reduce inflammatory responses. 

Other plant substances (like turmeric and green tea) are also being looked at to reduce inflammatory response but to date have not been shown to be beneficial in humans.  Although most of this research is in its infancy it is easy to implement by consuming whole foods in the recovery phase.  In the 24 hours after a race ensure you include at least one serve of anti-oxidant rich berries (blueberries etc.) and try to consume some form of omega 3 containing food like tinned sardines or a high dose Omega 3 supplement.

Good luck with your racing over the next few months and enjoy the warmer weather.

Eat up the Road.

Greg Shaw, Australian Institute of Sport, Sports Dietitian

Have Fun
Fusion Cycles Team

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