Episode 208: How Carbohydrate Fueling Affects Durability in Long Workouts and Races, with Dr. Gabriele Gallo, PhD
Aug 7, 2024
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Dr. Gabriele Gallo, a sports science expert with a PhD in carbohydrate fueling, dives into how carbs boost endurance performance, especially in fatigued cyclists. He breaks down complex concepts like Critical Power and glycogen management, making science accessible to all athletes. Gallo shares essential strategies for maximizing performance through personalized carbohydrate intake and discusses the impact of nutrition timing. This insightful conversation empowers endurance athletes to fuel smartly for long events.
Carbohydrate intake during extended workouts preserves muscle glycogen, aiding performance and delaying fatigue, especially at critical power levels.
Understanding concepts like critical power and W prime helps cyclists enhance endurance and optimize training strategies for improved performance.
Deep dives
The Role of Carbohydrates in Performance
Carbohydrates play a crucial role in enhancing cycling performance, particularly during extended events. By preserving muscle glycogen through the intake of exogenous carbohydrates during exercise, cyclists can maintain better performance levels. Research indicates that consuming carbohydrates can help mitigate the decline in performance associated with fatigue, especially in maintaining critical power during long efforts. However, while carbohydrate intake aids sustained performance, its impact on anaerobic performance, measured through W prime, may not show similar benefits.
Understanding Critical Power and W Prime
Critical power and W prime are important concepts in understanding human metabolism and performance in cycling. Critical power reflects the point at which fatigue accelerates due to the accumulation of metabolic byproducts, while W prime indicates the anaerobic capacity beyond critical power. Higher values for critical power signify better endurance for prolonged efforts, while W prime correlates with performance in shorter, more intense bursts. Establishing solid benchmarks for these parameters is essential for cyclists looking to improve their training and performance outcomes.
Nutritional Strategies for Endurance and Recovery
Strategic carbohydrate intake during training and events is essential for optimizing performance and recovery. Recommendations suggest ingesting between 30 to 90 grams of carbohydrates per hour during exercise to effectively use them as an energy source, thereby preserving muscle glycogen. For elite athletes, higher carbohydrate consumption may be possible due to gut training, allowing them to absorb larger amounts while training at intense levels. Understanding the balance of carbohydrates in relation to exercise intensity can significantly affect energy utilization and overall athletic performance.
GUEST Gabriele Gallo earned his PhD in sports science and also recognized that scientific literature - including his own research - is complicated for non-scientists to read and comprehend. As a result, he created the Knowledge Is Watt Substack and Instagram account. He has dedicated himself to translating scientific papers into more easily digestible content to be read, understood and easily applied by all athletes and coaches.
HOST Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for nearly two decades and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.