That Triathlon Show

Sebastian Weber is a sports scientist, coach of world class cyclists and endurance athletes, and consultant of multiple world class cycling teams and other endurance sports organisations and federations. He is also the co-founder of the physiological performance software INSCYD. In this two-part interview we discuss recent updates to the INSCYD platform and go deep into physiology and training concepts relevant for optimising endurance performance.    IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT: -Block periodisation vs. mixing different types of training -Time-course of adaptations for VO2max and VLaMax -The challenges of increasing VLaMax  -Potential issues of high-intensity training when your VLaMax is low -Differences between VLaMax and VLaMax training between cycling, running, and swimming -Training zones -Training stress/load and recovery, and using carbohydrate combustion rates to figure out how much intensity is feasible to do -Differences between testing in the aero position compared to sitting up -How world tour cycling teams are using INSCYD     SHOWNOTES: https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts238/   THAT TRIATHLON SHOW HOMEPAGE: www.thattriathlonshow.com   SPONSORS: Precision Hydration - One-size doesn't fit all when it comes to hydration. Take Precision Hydration's FREE sweat test and learn how you should hydrate. Use the discount code THATTRIATHLONSHOW15 to get 15% off your order OR use the code THATTRIATHLONSHOW and get your first box for free.   ROKA - The finest triathlon wetsuits, apparel, equipment, and eyewear on the planet. Trusted by Javier Gómez, Gwen Jorgensen, Flora Duffy, Mario Mola, Lucy Charles and others. Visit roka.com/tts for 20% off your order.   LINKS AND RESOURCES: Physiology, Training, and INSCYD with Sebastian Weber (part 1) | EP#237 (available a week after the release of this episode) FTP, VO2max and VLaMax: what triathletes need to know with Sebastian Weber | EP#169 Cycling movement quality and using the Leomo Type-R to assess it with Sebastian Weber | EP#180 INSCYD's website INSCYD webinar: Why you should – or shouldn't base training intensities on anaerobic threshold / FTP INSCYD testing service on scientifictriathlon.com RATE AND REVIEW: If you enjoy the show, please help me out by subscribing, rating and reviewing: www.scientifictriathlon.com/rate/   CONTACT: Want to send feedback, questions or just chat? Email me at mikael@scientifictriathlon.com or connect on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

Q&A #90 - Cycling cadence physiology and training revisited; Running dynamics metrics The physiological effects of cycling at different cadences  Why is heart rate high during high cadence cycling?  Cycling training at low and high cadences Running dynamics (stride length, vertical oscillation and ratio, ground contact time and left/right balance, etc.) - are they useful?    LINKS AND RESOURCES: Scientific Triathlon website Coaching Training Plans Q&A #31 - Cycling cadence in training and racing - the scientific and anecdotal evidence Effects of Cycling Training at Imposed Low Cadences - A Systematic Review Relation between preferred and optimal cadences during two hours of cycling in triathletes A physiological counterpoint to mechanistic estimates of “internal power” during cycling at different pedal rates Neuromuscular, metabolic, and kinetic adaptations for skilled pedaling performance in cyclists   SPONSORS: Precision Hydration - One-size doesn't fit all when it comes to hydration. Take Precision Hydration's FREE sweat test and learn how you should hydrate. Use the discount code THATTRIATHLONSHOW15 to get 15% off your order OR use the code THATTRIATHLONSHOW and get your first box for free.   ROKA - The finest triathlon wetsuits, apparel, equipment, and eyewear on the planet. Trusted by Javier Gómez, Gwen Jorgensen, Flora Duffy, Mario Mola, Lucy Charles and others. Visit roka.com/tts for 20% off your order.   RATE AND REVIEW: If you enjoy the show, please help me out by subscribing, rating and reviewing.    CONTACT: Want to send feedback, questions or just chat? Email me at mikael@scientifictriathlon.com or connect on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

Sebastian Weber, a sports scientist and coach of elite endurance athletes, dives into the intricate world of physiology and training. He introduces INSCYD’s Power Performance Decoder, a revolutionary tool that accurately calculates VO2max and VLaMax from power data. The conversation covers best practices for metabolic testing, clarifying common misconceptions about metabolic metrics, and how these insights can enhance performance in different sports. Sebastian also shares what athletes can realistically expect in terms of VO2max benchmarks.

Q&A #89 - Typical training week structures; Frequency and load of hard workouts; Stacking hard workouts; Intensity control during swimming What would be some good starting points for a weekly training structure? How many hard workouts is reasonable to include, and how much of a training load should they comprise? Does the load of hard workouts differ between triathletes and single-sport athletes?  Can stacking harder workouts be a good strategy to get more relative rest between hard days? How can adult-onset swimmers in particular maintain intensity control and avoid overloading too much when it comes to swimming?   LINKS AND RESOURCES: Scientific Triathlon website Coaching Training Plans   SPONSORS: Precision Hydration - One-size doesn't fit all when it comes to hydration. Take Precision Hydration's FREE sweat test and learn how you should hydrate. Use the discount code THATTRIATHLONSHOW15 to get 15% off your order OR use the code THATTRIATHLONSHOW and get your first box for free.   ROKA - The finest triathlon wetsuits, apparel, equipment, and eyewear on the planet. Trusted by Javier Gómez, Gwen Jorgensen, Flora Duffy, Mario Mola, Lucy Charles and others. Visit roka.com/tts for 20% off your order.   RATE AND REVIEW: If you enjoy the show, please help me out by subscribing, rating and reviewing.    CONTACT: Want to send feedback, questions or just chat? Email me at mikael@scientifictriathlon.com or connect on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

Professor Louise Burke is Head of Sports Nutrition at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). Through her career she has worked both practically with applied nutrition science as well as deep in academia, so she has a great perspective on both ends of the spectrum. In recent years, much of her research has been focused on investigating the effects of low-carbohydrate, high-carbohydrate, and periodised carbohydrate dietary interventions on endurance performance. This research is the topic of today's discussion.    IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT: -The "Supernova" studies - comparing the effects of low-carbohydrate, high-carbohydrate and periodised carbohydrate intake on endurance performance -How quickly does it take to get fat-adapted?  -The impact of fat adaptation on fat oxidation and performance -Why a constant high-carbohydrate diet outperformed the more sophisticated periodised carbohydrate diet   SHOWNOTES: https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts236/   THAT TRIATHLON SHOW HOMEPAGE: www.thattriathlonshow.com   SPONSORS: Precision Hydration - One-size doesn't fit all when it comes to hydration. Take Precision Hydration's FREE sweat test and learn how you should hydrate. Use the discount code THATTRIATHLONSHOW15 to get 15% off your order OR use the code THATTRIATHLONSHOW and get your first box for free.   ROKA - The finest triathlon wetsuits, apparel, equipment, and eyewear on the planet. Trusted by Javier Gómez, Gwen Jorgensen, Flora Duffy, Mario Mola, Lucy Charles and others. Visit roka.com/tts for 20% off your order.   LINKS AND RESOURCES: Low Carbohydrate, High Fat diet impairs exercise economy and negates the performance benefit from intensified training in elite race walkers Organisation of Dietary Control for Nutrition-Training Intervention Involving Periodized Carbohydrate (CHO) Availability and Ketogenic Low CHO High Fat (LCHF) Diet Contemporary Nutrition Strategies to Optimize Performance in Distance Runners and Race Walkers A Short-Term Ketogenic Diet Impairs Markers of Bone Health in Response to Exercise Louise's profile on ResearchGate Endurance sports nutrition: state of the art in 2019 with prof. John Hawley | EP#181 Nutrition episode archives on That Triathlon Show RATE AND REVIEW: If you enjoy the show, please help me out by subscribing, rating and reviewing: www.scientifictriathlon.com/rate/   CONTACT: Want to send feedback, questions or just chat? Email me at mikael@scientifictriathlon.com or connect on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

Q&A #88 - Polarised training or 80/20 - how to distribute moderate and high intensity work across the three disciplines Should you follow a similar training intensity distribution in all three disciplines, or can you for example do more hard training on the bike and less on the run?  The importance of lower intensity training (it's not just "filler")  Alternatives to using fixed percentages for figuring out how much moderate and high intensity training you can do   LINKS AND RESOURCES: Scientific Triathlon website Coaching Training Plans Q&A #87 - Swim training zones and heart rate monitoring How Trainable Is VO2Max Really? A Case Study - article by Alan Couzens Base training: off-season do’s and dont’s with James Teagle and Lachlan Kerin | EP#201 Polarised training with Stephen Seiler, PhD | EP#177 Polarised training Q&A and Mikael’s thoughts and perspective | EP#178 Polarised training Q&A and Mikael’s perspectives part 2 | EP#185   SPONSORS: Precision Hydration - One-size doesn't fit all when it comes to hydration. Take Precision Hydration's FREE sweat test and learn how you should hydrate. Use the discount code THATTRIATHLONSHOW15 to get 15% off your order OR use the code THATTRIATHLONSHOW and get your first box for free.   ROKA - The finest triathlon wetsuits, apparel, equipment, and eyewear on the planet. Trusted by Javier Gómez, Gwen Jorgensen, Flora Duffy, Mario Mola, Lucy Charles and others. Visit roka.com/tts for 20% off your order.   RATE AND REVIEW: If you enjoy the show, please help me out by subscribing, rating and reviewing.    CONTACT: Want to send feedback, questions or just chat? Email me at mikael@scientifictriathlon.com or connect on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

Josh Poertner has spent most of his life in the cycling industry. First racing professionally in Europe, then working with Zipp as technical director before becoming the CEO of Silca. He also consults with professional cycling teams. Josh knows all the ins and outs of tire pressure optimisation, a topic we discuss in-depth in this interview. We also discuss a variety of other equipment upgrades that can make you faster on the bike, and importantly, the hierarchy of getting the most watts for your buck when it comes to such purchases.    IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT: -Optimising tire pressure (and the potential cost of getting it wrong) -Equipment choices and watts-for-buck: bike frame, wheels, and nutrition and hydration setup -Equipment choices and watts-for-buck: helmet, clothing, socks, shoes and shoe covers -Equipment choices and watts-for-buck: drivetrain friction, ceramic bearings, oversized pulleys, 1x drivetrain   SHOWNOTES: https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts235/   THAT TRIATHLON SHOW HOMEPAGE: www.thattriathlonshow.com   SPONSORS: Precision Hydration - One-size doesn't fit all when it comes to hydration. Take Precision Hydration's FREE sweat test and learn how you should hydrate. Use the discount code THATTRIATHLONSHOW15 to get 15% off your order OR use the code THATTRIATHLONSHOW and get your first box for free.   ROKA - The finest triathlon wetsuits, apparel, equipment, and eyewear on the planet. Trusted by Javier Gómez, Gwen Jorgensen, Flora Duffy, Mario Mola, Lucy Charles and others. Visit roka.com/tts for 20% off your order.   LINKS AND RESOURCES: SILCA website SILCA Tire Pressure Calculator Cycling episode archives on That Triathlon Show RATE AND REVIEW: If you enjoy the show, please help me out by subscribing, rating and reviewing: www.scientifictriathlon.com/rate/   CONTACT: Want to send feedback, questions or just chat? Email me at mikael@scientifictriathlon.com or connect on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

Q&A #87 - Swim training zones and heart rate monitoring Why it does and doesn't make sense to track your time in different swim training zones How to track your time in zone using pace, heart rate, and the session-goal approach Is heart rate a variable worth monitoring in swimming?   LINKS AND RESOURCES: That Triathlon Show website  Q&A Episode Archives  Coaching If you are an elite or subelite athlete, take part in this survey study on how COVID-19 is affecting athlete training, attitudes, and belief   SPONSORS: Precision Hydration - One-size doesn't fit all when it comes to hydration. Take Precision Hydration's FREE sweat test and learn how you should hydrate. Use the discount code THATTRIATHLONSHOW15 to get 15% off your order OR use the code THATTRIATHLONSHOW and get your first box for free.   ROKA - The finest triathlon wetsuits, apparel, equipment, and eyewear on the planet. Trusted by Javier Gómez, Gwen Jorgensen, Flora Duffy, Mario Mola, Lucy Charles and others. Visit roka.com/tts for 20% off your order.   RATE AND REVIEW: If you enjoy the show, please help me out by subscribing, rating and reviewing.    CONTACT: Want to send feedback, questions or just chat? Email me at mikael@scientifictriathlon.com or connect on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

Dr. Ajmol Ali is Associate Professor at Massey University and one of the author's of the most up-to-date meta-analysis on the use of caffeine as an ergogenic aid in endurance sports. In this episode Dr. Ali discusses this meta-analysis (including 44 studies and more than a thousand total participants), the findings, practical applications, and limitations and direction for future research on caffeine in endurance sports.    IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT: -The background on caffeine in endurance sports, including the time on WADA's prohibited substances list -The differences between the meta-analysis conducted by Dr. Ali and previous reviews and meta-analyses, including the specific inclusion criteria and reasons behind them -The findings: 2-3% improvement in endurance performance longer than 5 minutes when ingesting 3-6 mg/kg bodyweight prior to the event -Responders and non-responders: how factors such as caffeine metabolism and sensitivity (determined by specific genes) may impact the effect each individual gets from caffeine -Washout period: do you need to taper off your coffee consumption before an event to get the benefits of caffeine supplementation on race day?   SHOWNOTES: https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts234/   THAT TRIATHLON SHOW HOMEPAGE: www.thattriathlonshow.com   SPONSORS: Precision Hydration - One-size doesn't fit all when it comes to hydration. Take Precision Hydration's FREE sweat test and learn how you should hydrate. Use the discount code THATTRIATHLONSHOW15 to get 15% off your order OR use the code THATTRIATHLONSHOW and get your first box for free.   ROKA - The finest triathlon wetsuits, apparel, equipment, and eyewear on the planet. Trusted by Javier Gómez, Gwen Jorgensen, Flora Duffy, Mario Mola, Lucy Charles and others. Visit roka.com/tts for 20% off your order.   LINKS AND RESOURCES: The Effect of Acute Caffeine Ingestion on Endurance Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta–Analysis Caffeine Use In Sports: Considerations For The Athlete Dr. Ali's website Dr. Ali's profile on ResearchGate Evidence-based supplements for triathletes and endurance athletes | EP#193 RATE AND REVIEW: If you enjoy the show, please help me out by subscribing, rating and reviewing: www.scientifictriathlon.com/rate/   CONTACT: Want to send feedback, questions or just chat? Email me at mikael@scientifictriathlon.com or connect on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

Q&A #86 - Static stretching, dynamic stretching, foam rolling or manual therapy; How to pace VO2max-intervals (running) When does and does it not make sense to use static stretching, dynamic stretching, foam rolling and manual/physical therapy? How should you pace VO2max-intervals when running?   LINKS AND RESOURCES: That Triathlon Show website  Q&A Episode Archives  Coaching Training Plans McMillanRunning.com Running Rewired by Jay Dicharry   SPONSORS: Precision Hydration - One-size doesn't fit all when it comes to hydration. Take Precision Hydration's FREE sweat test and learn how you should hydrate. Use the discount code THATTRIATHLONSHOW15 to get 15% off your order OR use the code THATTRIATHLONSHOW and get your first box for free.   ROKA - The finest triathlon wetsuits, apparel, equipment, and eyewear on the planet. Trusted by Javier Gómez, Gwen Jorgensen, Flora Duffy, Mario Mola, Lucy Charles and others. Visit roka.com/tts for 20% off your order.   RATE AND REVIEW: If you enjoy the show, please help me out by subscribing, rating and reviewing.    CONTACT: Want to send feedback, questions or just chat? Email me at mikael@scientifictriathlon.com or connect on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.