Empirical Cycling Podcast

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.

We discuss lists of the most common training mistakes that we see made by cyclists who have done about 2-5 years of structured training. Training focus, rehashing old plans, trying new things, monitoring fitness changes, incorporating fun rides, developing training skills, personalizing your plan, power vs weight, and more, including your listener questions.

Concluding the series on hypoxia inducible factor in skeletal muscle, we go in depth with a paper investigating regulation pathways that blunt HIF's effects in well trained athletes, plus speculate as to whether the Pasteur effect is something worth worrying about while considering other evidence and parallel adaptive pathways. We also ponder some practical takeaways for very well trained endurance athletes as well as for those earlier in their training career.

Dive into the fascinating world of Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and learn how it shapes training insights. Explore the balance of homeostasis and allostasis in recovery, and why communication between athletes and coaches is crucial. Discover the impact of Heart Rate Variability on performance and stress management. The discussion also highlights the science of VO2 max and its relationship with training volume. Plus, uncover tips for winter training and the importance of hydration and nutrition on athletic performance!

Jem Arnold, a PhD candidate and physiotherapist acclaimed for his blog, Spare Cycles, dives deep into the complexities of training intensity distributions and their effects on VO2max and time trial performance. He reveals insights from a meta-review he co-authored and discusses the statistical challenges in sports performance analysis. Jem also elaborates on the significance of iliac artery flow limitations, using near-infrared spectroscopy for assessment, and emphasizes the need for tailored training approaches to maximize athletic potential.

Explore the fascinating myths around burning carbs and fats during exercise. Discover why you can't just replace burned carbs and how fat burning doesn't guarantee weight loss. Dive into the Minnesota starvation experiment and a harrowing Antarctic expedition, revealing drastic weight loss phenomena. Unpack the crucial role of thyroid hormones in energy balance and learn about effective fueling for endurance athletes. Understand the complexities of nutrition strategies over simple calorie counting for optimal performance.