Empirical Cycling Podcast

Delve into the intriguing world of AMPK as the cellular energy guardian in exercise. Discover how low glycogen stores activate AMPK and influence endurance. Learn about the differences between observational studies and controlled experiments in research. Unpack the complexities of glycogen's impact on performance and the importance of post-exercise nutrition. The discussion emphasizes skepticism towards trends in fitness while encouraging personal experimentation in training methods for endurance athletes.

Our coaches Will and Giancarlo join the podcast to talk through their experience with cramps, and what's been done to attenuate them. We briefly discuss predictors of exercise associated muscle cramps as well as current theories about why they do occur, while most of the episode is spent on practical considerations, and the long list of potential solutions.

Rory Porteus, an Empirical Cycling coach and philosopher of rest, joins Maeghan to tackle the often daunting concept of recovery. They dive into why rest can instill fear in athletes, emphasizing the psychological hurdles faced during this transition. The duo explores ways to manage societal pressures, particularly how social media impacts perceptions of rest. With practical tips, they reinforce the significance of nutrition and personal progress, encouraging listeners to embrace downtime as vital for enhancing their performance.

A panel of coaches tackles whether mid-season breaks truly derail fitness, revealing how strategic rest can boost performance. They discuss the challenge of overtraining in young athletes and the importance of balanced training. The coaches also emphasize balancing intensity with volume, addressing how life stress can impact training. Communicating effectively with coaches is vital for cyclists, while setting process goals can bring joy and fulfillment beyond race results. Finally, they stress nourishing workouts over strict diet rules.

​Today we use Rory's recent post event slump to discuss strategies for refocusing and finding motivation again. This is mostly through the lens of goal setting and how to incorporate season planning, fun and unstructured riding, new disciplines, time with friends and family, being flexible, as well as listener questions on realistic goal setting, coping with not meeting goals, training vs racing motivation, and more.

Our very own coach James Mckay sits down to talk about the road to achieving his cycling career goal, a victory at the Lincoln Grand Prix. As this was his last race being coached by Kolie, they take a retrospective look at all the challenges and hard work that went into the last four years of training that made this such an incredible moment: volume, race specific intensity, cramps, heat training, race weight, pressure for results, and the unanticipated way it all came together.

Discover the essential role of rest weeks in athletic training and how they can unlock better performance. Explore the balance between training stress and recovery, and learn how subjective metrics like heart rate variability and perceived exertion influence rest week planning. Dive into the importance of listening to your body, managing mental fatigue, and recognizing the impacts of nutrition and lifestyle choices on recovery. Plus, hear how personal experiences shape training decisions and motivation for cyclists!

We go deep into a couple papers that measure the relative contributions to early VO2max improvements, and the evidence about whether they're more are muscular or cardiac in nature, and what physiological differences there are with more well trained people. Moderate and high intensity training are contrasted, as well as the obvious shortcuts, plus a first-principles approach to alternative mechanisms. We also answer your listener questions on if you can screw up newbie gains, how much is just mental toughness, and more.

Gediminas Grinius, an Empirical Cycling coach, dives into the controversial concept of junk miles in this engaging conversation. They dissect the definition of junk miles and emphasize the importance of overall volume over strict intensity for optimizing training. The discussion covers the nuances of group rides, the dangers of rigid training plans, and the mental health benefits of flexible cycling routines. Grinius shares personal anecdotes about the balance between fun and structured training, urging listeners to prioritize enjoyment while pursuing their fitness goals.

Our coaches Fabiano and Giancarlo join to discuss the balance between parenting and training, both from a coaching perspective and as parents themselves. We talk about finding vs making time, getting sick, guilt, managing expectations, partner and family support, challenges changing as kids get older, and much more.