Ever hit the brakes on your cycling journey because of knee pain? You’re not alone. Knee pain is a common complaint, especially among cyclists, but it shouldn’t stop you from enjoying the ride. This guide dives into the most frequent causes of cycling knee pain and how physical therapy can help, empowering you to identify...
By: Kristin Carpenter, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT Low back pain affects 60–80% of people at some point in their lives (Roth, 2022). For athletes and active adults in Boulder County, back pain can be especially frustrating because it interferes with training, outdoor activities, and performance. Whether you enjoy barbell training, cycling, running, skiing, or CrossFit,...
By Dr. Ian Nay, PT DPT OCS Overview Headaches are extremely common in our population, especially in athletes and people who spend a lot of time on the computer or phone. Examples of athletes who may have these symptoms are football lineman who are looking up constantly, cyclists, CrossFitters and weightlifters who perform overhead motions...
By: Erica Tran, PT, DPT, OCS Ever feel your chest collapsing forward in the bottom of a front squat? I put together a quick self-exam so you can test your ankles, hips, thoracic spine, wrists, elbows, and shoulders to find what’s holding you back. Even better, I’ve added simple treatment ideas for each area so...
One of our best measures of an individual’s fitness and overall physical health is the VO2 max. This measurement allows us to determine the body’s ability to bring in and utilize oxygen during activity. In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics we often use heart rate or ratings of perceived exertion to...
One of the reasons our species reached the top of the food chain involves our ability to thrive under a variety of environments and circumstances. Our ability to conserve energy and resources during times of scarcity has ensured our survival, but in times of abundance these physiological mechanisms likely hold us back from our fitness...
The size of mountain bike wheels has undergone significant changes in the history of the sport. Currently the traditional diameter of 26 inches is being challenged by the more recent 29 inch diameter (29ers). 29ers are 10% larger than 26 inch wheels and have been promoted as being easier to ride for taller riders and...
Triathlon athletes have varying distances to compete in from shorter sprint races to longer Ironman distance events. As the events progress from sprint to Olympic to Ironman distance the percentage of time spent in each discipline (swim, bike, run) adjusts with the distance. Research has shown when comparing the Olympic and Ironman distances athletes will...
1. How did you get involved with triathlon? I sort of tripped into triathlon sideways. I came from a swimming background. I swam in college for Stanford University and represented the USA on the National Team at the Pan Pacific Games in 1989, the Goodwill Games in 1990 and the Pan American Games in 1991....
Strength and muscle hypertrophy (growth) are two separate benefits of strength training. In some participants these occur together, but in other participants (age, sex, training status, nutrition) strength gains often occur without significant increases in muscle size. This is an important point for individuals who refrain from weight training due to fear of “bulking up”...
