# Are we harming ourselves?



## sutts (12 Nov 2013)

The Daily Mail (I don't read newspapers and if I did, it wouldn't be that one!) has a section today on exercise and in particular cyclists who are harming themselves by doing too much exercise.

I have never felt so good to be honest and I considering that I only amble along at 14-15 mph, I rarely put the heart under any undue stress, I wouldn't have thought. I'm sure none of us are going to stop, but is it doing us more harm than good?


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## uclown2002 (12 Nov 2013)




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## Rob3rt (12 Nov 2013)

No.


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## ayceejay (12 Nov 2013)

is it_ doing us more harm than good?_
reading the Daily Mail you mean? Yes


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## lee1980sim (12 Nov 2013)

Each and everyday, that's why we die


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## Cuchilo (12 Nov 2013)

I once rode with a GP and on the fourth time up a hill I joked that the hill was killing me . She replied its great for your heart .


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## Banjo (12 Nov 2013)

Judging by the number of Audaxers who are well in to there 70 s and I cant keep up with them I would say that cycling cant be too terrible for your health.


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## Biker Joe (12 Nov 2013)

The only harm it might do is to the wallet.


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## Rickshaw Phil (12 Nov 2013)

Hmmm, article in the Daily Wail suggesting cycling is bad for you? The motoring correspondents trying to justify their inactivity perhaps?


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## 400bhp (12 Nov 2013)

sutts said:


> The Daily Mail


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## fossyant (12 Nov 2013)

My mate recons you only have so many heart beats. Or that's how he justifies his size. Doesn't exercise.


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## ianrauk (12 Nov 2013)

fossyant said:


> *My mate recons you only have so many heart beats*. Or that's how he justifies his size. Doesn't exercise.




Better start saving some then


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## stevey (12 Nov 2013)

I took up cycling in august 2012 to lose a bit of weight was 15.5 stone, 16 months later and 3.5 stone lighter i am the lightest and fittest i have ever been EVER.

So if cycling too much is doing you harm i would hate to see what drinking 15-20 pints of ale/lager/cider topped off with a kebab at the w/end does to the most people,

Including those who complain about getting fat but do nothing about it except watch x factor and slob on the settee.....  Rant over.


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## Shut Up Legs (12 Nov 2013)

Sounds like this newspaper is trying to discourage cycling. We have newspapers like that down under too, unfortunately . I've averaged about 10,000 miles cycling annually for about 4 years now, and the only 'harm' it appears to have done me is to make me look and feel about 10-15 years younger than I really am.


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## Davidc (12 Nov 2013)

I was told by a cardiologist a few years back that the reason I'm still alive is because I was fit and took much more exercise than most people my age. The exercise was almost entirely cycling.

The Mail is as accurate as usual!


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## T.M.H.N.E.T (12 Nov 2013)

It is doing great harm, so I will happily purchase your bikes for a nominal fee of £50 each if you accept paypal


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## oldstrath (12 Nov 2013)

fossyant said:


> My mate recons you only have so many heart beats. Or that's how he justifies his size. Doesn't exercise.


And if he got fitter his heart rate would slow down, so his beats would last longer


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## Dusty Bin (12 Nov 2013)

T.M.H.N.E.T said:


> It is doing great harm, so I will happily purchase your bikes for a nominal fee of £50 each if you accept paypal



Don't go with TMHNET, he is ripping you off. I will pay you £60 each...


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## Pedrosanchezo (12 Nov 2013)

Funnily enough Robert Millar still believes that cycling will have shortened his life. He believes it to be a combination of excessive stress and fatigue, coupled with the ancient myth that a human heart has a predetermined number of heart beats before it stops forever. In his cycling career he has used up a decent portion of those beats. 

I like Robert Millar for his accomplishments on the bike but he seems to have some funny ideas.


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## Archie_tect (12 Nov 2013)

Dusty Bin said:


> Don't go with TMHNET, he is ripping you off. I will pay you £60 each...


Is this a good time to mention turnips?


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## VamP (13 Nov 2013)

Pedrosanchezo said:


> Funnily enough Robert Millar still believes that cycling will have shortened his life. He believes it to be a combination of excessive stress and fatigue, coupled with the ancient myth that a human heart has a predetermined number of heart beats before it stops forever. In his cycling career he has used up a decent portion of those beats.
> 
> I like Robert Millar for his accomplishments on the bike but he seems to have some funny ideas.




Do we think that the amount of time spent at elevated HR might just be offset by the amount of time spent at very low resting HR? Even if there was some mileage in this crazy theory?

Even if we assume that the pros ride for say 30 hours a week on average over the year. How long not riding? Way more.


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## uclown2002 (13 Nov 2013)

Wasn't there a link provided recently to a study in France that concluded that ex tour de france riders lived 6 years longer compared to normal citizens?

Must go look for it.

Edit:- here it is. http://velonews.competitor.com/2013...tudy-tour-de-france-riders-live-longer_301388


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## Born2die (13 Nov 2013)

I don't worry about it 2 years ago I was a 20 stone couch potato during the 1st year I watched my heart rate like a hawk kept it under 160 max now I'm at 14% body fat 14 stone I have seen 190 to 200 hr in some tabata and Armageddon classes on the bike I try to keep it at 180 max


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## jdtate101 (13 Nov 2013)

Funnily enough, Pro athletes CAN shorten their lives by long carriers doing hard exercise but...and there is a but, only if they don't taper correctly when they retire. If you suddenly go from a life full of hard exercise to nothing it can cause serious issues as the enlarged heart muscle runs to fat, a similar problem that bodybuilders face except internally rather than externally. Such a change can lead to heart attacks etc.. It's also been known that having too low a % body fat can also cause serious health issues, but I'm not sure that any of us lot would ever qualify for that problem...


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## Born2die (13 Nov 2013)

Wasn't it Steve Redgrave that had to slow down over a couple of years after retiring from top level sport as just stopping could kill him


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## fossyant (13 Nov 2013)

oldstrath said:


> And if he got fitter his heart rate would slow down, so his beats would last longer


 
I tried that explanation. He wasn't having any of it.


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## Mr Haematocrit (13 Nov 2013)

jdtate101 said:


> Funnily enough, Pro athletes CAN shorten their lives by long carriers doing hard exercise but...



And silly old me thought it was the hard drugs a lot of them seem to be doing


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## fossyant (13 Nov 2013)

Dusty Bin said:


> Don't go with TMHNET, he is ripping you off. I will pay you £60 each...


 
He only offered £50. I offered £60 and a turnip ! Danbo offered a bit more, turkish lira, and summat else ! I'll up my bid to £70.


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## T.M.H.N.E.T (13 Nov 2013)

fossyant said:


> He only offered £50. I offered £60 and a turnip ! Danbo offered a bit more, turkish lira, and summat else ! I'll up my bid to £70.


Ill raise you a bag of haribo

Had some haribo yesterday from a well known retailer, nearly ate the winter socks out of sheer delight.


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## fossyant (13 Nov 2013)

I'll raise a multipack of harribo !


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## T.M.H.N.E.T (13 Nov 2013)

Sod off you, working a bargain here...


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## 400bhp (13 Nov 2013)

It's not all about life expectancy.

It's more about life expectancy whilst in good health.

Even if we believe the BS theory, I would rather live 1 year less but be in better health for 10 year's more.


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## GrasB (13 Nov 2013)

Where are the unfit >80 y/o emeritus staff in the department?.. No where... the retired academics who weren't fit are now home bound or have passed away so no longer are emeritus staff. All of our emeritus staff who are over 80 are long term runners, cyclists or walkers & mountain climbers.

Can't help think there's a subtle link there.


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## uclown2002 (13 Nov 2013)

*old man sitting on his porch*


A woman walks up to an old man sitting in a chair on his porch.

“I couldn’t help but notice how happy you look,” she said.

“What’s your secret for a long, happy life?”

“I smoke three packs a day, drink a case of beer, eat fatty foods, and never, ever exercise,” he replied.

“Wow, that’s amazing,” she said, “How old are you?”

”Twenty-six.”


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## michaelcycle (13 Nov 2013)

sutts said:


> on exercise and in particular cyclists who are harming themselves by doing too much exercise.



It depends on how you are defining "too much" and who you are talking about.

Road cyclists who favour long distance training seem to suffer more from low bone mineral density in comparison to sprinters / track / mountain bikers / runners and therefore increased risk of osteopenia given the relative lack of mechanical load on bones while training.

A recreational endurance athlete (of which some cyclists are a sub set) who has a poorly set up training program with lack of recovery, inappropriate progression etc increases their chance of injury or overloading their immune system leading to illness. In addition someone who is logging high mileage and thinks their is an increased health benefit to ramping up the miles even further may increase risk of reduction in heart function and cardiac fibrosis due to excessive load. However, we are talking about ultra long distances here.

Most people don't really need to worry though. The Heil are being sensationalist.

Which is a surprise.


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## tyred (13 Nov 2013)

uclown2002 said:


> *old man sitting on his porch*
> 
> 
> A woman walks up to an old man sitting in a chair on his porch.
> ...



Just about describes my life when I was 26....


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## CopperCyclist (13 Nov 2013)

fossyant said:


> My mate recons you only have so many heart beats. Or that's how he justifies his size. Doesn't exercise.



I just did some sums. If some does 40 mins of exercise, 5 times a week, where they average 130 beats per minute, it's not unreasonable to assume (with consideration of diet and other lifestyle of course) that they may have a resting heart beat of 55 bpm. Their exercise plus the resting beats came out at around 540,000 beats for the week.

If your mate does no exercise and just sits at home, I've estimated his resting heart beat as 70. His total for the week comes out at just over 700,000. 

Best tell him to find a new excuse!


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## steveindenmark (13 Nov 2013)

Committing suicide by cycling.........that's something else to put on my "To Do" list. :0)

Steve


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## VamP (13 Nov 2013)

They were obviously talking about the damage to cyclists by the Wail's readership driving skills.


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## shouldbeinbed (13 Nov 2013)

2 pages with some moderately serious discussion on a bike related topic, thats more than the DM has managed in its entire lifetime. 

pedal on and consign the DM to where it is most suited, lining the cat's litter tray


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## 400bhp (13 Nov 2013)

I think reading the Daily Wail decreases life expectancy.

Increased blood pressure is one consequence of reading such tat.


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## Paul99 (13 Nov 2013)

I am quite shocked and frightened by this thread...

My commuter is quite heavy and I have to work hard pedalling it, this means that my heart rate goes up. If I was to buy a lovely, light carbon fibre bike will I live longer? I'm sure I will.

(This is my new theory and I cannot be convinced otherwise. I am off window shopping)


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## Alex H (13 Nov 2013)

But don't forget the Daily Wail was right about what gives people cancer 

original post here http://scrambledeggsblog.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/daily-mail-list-of-cancer-causes.html


AGE
AIR POLLUTION
AIR TRAVEL
ALCOHOL
ALLERGIES
ARTIFICIAL FLAVOURS
ARTIFICIAL LIGHT
ASBESTOS
ASPIRIN

BABIES
BABY BOTTLES
BABY FOOD
BACON
BARBEQUES
BEEF
BEER
BEING A BLACK PERSON
BEING A WOMAN
BEING A MAN
BEING SOUTHERN
BISCUITS
BLOWJOBS
BOTTLING UP EMOTIONS
BRAS
BREAD
BREAST FEEDING
BREAST IMPLANTS
BROKEN HEARTS
BUBBLE BATH
BURGERS
CAFFINE
CALCUIM
CANDLE-LIT DINNERS
CANNED FOOD
CARBOHYDRATES
CARS
CEREAL
CHEESE
CHICKEN
CHILDLESSNESS
CHILDREN
CHILDREN’S FOOD
CHILLIS
CHINESE MEDICINE
CHIPS
CHIPS AGAIN
CHLORINE
CHOCOLATE
CITY LIVING
CLIMATE CHANGE
COCA COLA
COD LIVER OIL
COFFEE
CONSTAPATION
CONTRACEPTIVE PILLS
COOKING
CORDLESS PHONES
CRAYONS
CURRY
DEODRANT
DIETING
DOGS
EGGS
ELECTRICITY
ENGLISH BREAKFAST
FACEBOOK
FALSE NAILS
FATHERHOOD
FIBRE
FISH
FLIP FLOPS
FLY SPRAY
FRUIT
GARDENS
GRAPEFRUIT
HAIR DYE
HAM
HEIGHT
HONEY
HOT DRINKS
HRT
INTERNET
IVF
KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS
LAMB
LARGE HEADS
LEFT-HANDEDNESS
LIPSTICK
LIVER TRANSPLANTS
MENOPAUSE
MENSTRUATION
METAL
MILK
MOBILE PHONES
MODERN LIVING
MONEY
MORPHINE
MOUTHWASH
NUCLEAR POWER
OBESITY
OESTROGEN
OLDER FATHERs
PASTRY
PEANUT BUTTER
PERFUME
PICKLES
PIZZA
PLASTIC BAGS
PORK
POTATOES
POVERTY
PREGNANCY
RADIOACTIVITY
RICE
SAUSAGES
RETIREMENT
SEX
SHAVING
SKIING
SOUP
SPACE TRAVEL
SPOTS ON YOUR NOSE
SUN CREAM
TALCUM POWDER
TEA
TEEN SEX
VITAMINS
WATER
WI-FI 
WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
WORKING
X-RAYS


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## fossyant (13 Nov 2013)

CopperCyclist said:


> I just did some sums. If some does 40 mins of exercise, 5 times a week, where they average 130 beats per minute, it's not unreasonable to assume (with consideration of diet and other lifestyle of course) that they may have a resting heart beat of 55 bpm. Their exercise plus the resting beats came out at around 540,000 beats for the week.
> 
> If your mate does no exercise and just sits at home, I've estimated his resting heart beat as 70. His total for the week comes out at just over 700,000.
> 
> Best tell him to find a new excuse!


 
Were you bored ?


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## Pedrosanchezo (13 Nov 2013)

VamP said:


> Do we think that the amount of time spent at elevated HR might just be offset by the amount of time spent at very low resting HR? Even if there was some mileage in this crazy theory?
> 
> Even if we assume that the pros ride for say 30 hours a week on average over the year. How long not riding? Way more.


Absolutely, just pointing out that Millar had said this. It is absurd to me that a muscle in our body could have a predetermined life expectancy. There are so many factors that would alter this that after a few years the prediction would become useless.


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## Davidc (13 Nov 2013)

Alex H said:


> But don't forget the Daily Wail was right about what gives people cancer
> 
> original post here http://scrambledeggsblog.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/daily-mail-list-of-cancer-causes.html
> 
> ...



Why did the DM leave out cycling?


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## Peteaud (13 Nov 2013)

I think riding my bike and exercise wont hurt me as much as 20 fags a day for 30 years did.


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## Mr Haematocrit (13 Nov 2013)

Cycling is only going to effect my life expectancy if swmbo finds out how much my bikes have cost.


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## Alex H (15 Nov 2013)

Davidc said:


> Why did the DM leave out cycling?



The list is from 2010, so I guess the 'owner' hasn't updated it. I'm sure it must be a lot longer now


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