February 11/14 17:40 pm - News Links of the Day

Posted by Editoress on 02/11/14
 

Every day we post links on our Twitter page (@cdncyclist) to interesting items from around the world.  For our readers who are not on Twitter, we have reproduced the headlines and links here.

Athletes who don't sleep, don't win
For elite athletes, problems with maintaining a routine are often magnified. To train and compete, many must travel the globe and, despite having to leapfrog time zones, be at their best when the moment of truth arrives.
Read more HERE


Whitehorse debates new $400,000 commuter trail
The city of Whitehorse is expanding into new suburbs as dozens of homes are built outside the city centre.

In the cold winters of Yukon it’s easy to understand why people would drive 15 minutes into town.

But the city is seeing increasing traffic jams.

Community associations say the solution is to get more people cycling and walking, even in the cold temperatures.

Read more HERE


Cycling infrastructure more economic than for other transport
Cycling investment has long term health benefits for Auckland, according to a recent study.

The research is a world first in systematically exploring the future effects of realistic policy options to increase cycling.

The study, just published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives demonstrates the clear long term benefits to Auckland’s health of making the right kind of investment for cycling.

The research, undertaken at the University of Auckland’s School of Population Health, is the culmination of a four year project funded by the Health Research Council and NZTA to understand commuting and health in Auckland.
Read more HERE


$600 pop-up protected bike lane
A few months ago, I ran across a modular colored bike lane, The Copenhagenize Flow, developed by the bicycle enthusiasts and experts at Copenhagenize Design Company. Basically, the colored bike lane is constructed using Lego-like blocks that snap together. It can be quickly and cheaply built in places where a city is considering a permanent colored bike lane, in order to test out the concept and get an idea of the results. Colored bike lanes are awesome, of course, so the idea is that the temporary lanes will help inspire a lot more municipalities to actually build some colored lanes.
Read more HERE


WADA expects breakthrough to catch HGH dopers
The World Anti-Doping Agency expects a breakthrough within weeks to catch athletes who use human growth hormone.

Testing for HGH, including samples from Sochi Olympic athletes, should resume after being stalled by an appeal case ruling last year, WADA director-general David Howman said at a pre-games briefing.
Read more HERE


A Simple New Method To Detect Dehydration
No one doubts that proper hydration is necessary for optimal functioning. But a debate has raged in recent years about how to determine when you need to drink, and there are at least 13 hydration-assessment methods. The result is more confusion than clarity.
Read more HERE


Preparing for your first "Big One" (the 60 mile, 100km bike ride)
When it comes to numbers, nothing seems as daunting as your first 60 mile ride (or in metric terms, 100km). Let's make it easy for our friends worldwide and call it 'The Big One' from now on. It seems reasonably straightforward to complete your first Big One, but this can be greatly different for various cyclists.
Read more HERE


Sportsmen are handsome due to natural selection in our evolutionary past, study claims
Scientists say the strongest men are more attractive because women look for physically fit partners to protect their offspring
Read more HERE


This Obscure Gas Improves Athletes' Performance And It's Legal ...For Now
XENON is one of the shyest members of the periodic table of the elements. Chemically, it is almost inert, and physically, it makes up only 0.000009% of the atmosphere, so it is not surprising that it was among the last of the naturally occurring elements to be identified, in 1898. Biologically, however, it is not shy at all. In some countries, notably Russia, it is used as an anaesthetic. It is also known to protect body tissues from the effects of low temperatures, lack of oxygen and even physical trauma. In particular, it increases levels of erythropoietin, also known as EPO, a hormone that encourages the formation of red blood cells.
Read more: HERE


The 10 Commandments of Finding A Great Local Bike Shop
HERE


Olympic anti-doping efforts get boost from drug industry intelligence
Some of the world's biggest drugmakers are playing a larger role in anti-doping efforts at this year's Winter Olympics: They're providing information on drugs that once would have been considered proprietary trade secrets.
Read more HERE


Quebec leverages provincial funding to dominate elite sport results
In 2012-13, the province’s regional sporting structure provided $2.6-million to amateur sports – leveraging the relatively low cost of living and plentiful supply of dieticians, physiotherapists and sports psychologists produced by the province’s 10 universities. Alberta, home to the largest number of national training centres in the country, contributed $159,000.
Read more HERE