Empirical Cycling Podcast

Rory Porteus, an Empirical Cycling coach, dives into practical cues for effective cycling training. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the relationship between exercise stimulus and adaptation. Topics include assessing training effectiveness beyond just power and heart rate, integrating rigorous training with busy lives, and the need for diverse exercise forms. Rory also discusses the balance between intensity and recovery, as well as mastering sprint training to improve neuromuscular power. The conversation is packed with insights on optimizing performance!

Tune in for a lively discussion on effective goal setting and realistic expectations in cycling. The speakers emphasize the importance of balancing training with personal life and planning for recovery to avoid burnout. They tackle listener questions about climbing techniques, motivation dips, and fueling for early rides. Delve into the potential pitfalls of over-optimization in training and discover how to create a balanced approach that respects individual limits and promotes well-being, all while enhancing cycling performance.

Finally tackling one of our most requested topics, we discuss the options available for cyclists doing strength training at home with limited or no equipment, and suggestions for cost effective equipment. We go through exercise selection, loading strategies, biomechanical considerations, sets reps and rest schemes, hypertrophy vs strength, sprint power transfer, isometrics, and more. The pros and cons and realities of our suggestions are weighed, a couple thoughts in relation to general health, and many listener questions are answered.

The hosts dive into the misinterpretations surrounding the phrase 'the science says,' highlighting its oversimplification. They discuss the complexities of scientific findings in sports, emphasizing context, biases, and individual variations. The conversation navigates dietary supplements, stressing personalized coaching and flexible strategies. They also address the challenges of accessing scientific research and advocate for transparency in reporting results. Finally, they explore the importance of effective communication in bridging science and public understanding.

Billy Ryan of Aware Performance joins to discuss performance psychology. He gives practical guidelines and skills for training and racing, while uncovering their underlying methodology. We cover negative thoughts and feelings around performance, being rigidly flexible, mental focus, confidence vs competence, shaken confidence, and much more. Then we go deep on listener questions. This upload fixes the audio cutoff problem from the previous upload.

Dr. Traci Carson joints to discuss low energy availability and relative energy deficiency in sport, or LEA and RED-S. We consider their origin in the female athlete triad, some differences in female and male physiology and symptoms, the fuzziness of energy intake, symptom overlap with fat loss diets, the need for carbohydrates, the relationship to similar conditions like overtraining syndrome, social considerations and assessing cycling's broader awareness on these issues, and much more. Be sure to check the podcast notes to read the linked papers at https://www.empiricalcycling.com/podcast-episodes/perspectives-36-the-consequences-of-chronic-underfueling-with-traci-carson

Rory Porteus, an Empirical Cycling Coach known for his expertise in creating individualized training plans, joins the discussion on effective cycling strategies. They play out a thought experiment to design the simplest training plan possible, navigating the unique needs of cyclists from beginners to elites. Topics include the critical role of feedback, the balance of intensity and recovery, and the challenges of maintaining athlete motivation. The conversation also touches on psychological factors in training and the importance of community support in overcoming common hurdles.

In this conversation, cycling coach James McKay dives deep into Sweet Spot training, a game-changer for cyclists. He explains its definition and how it boosts performance without excessive fatigue. The discussion covers pros and cons, effective fueling strategies, and common misconceptions. McKay addresses listener questions, from enhancing FTP to sweetness for sprinters. He emphasizes the need for personalized training and balancing intensities, ensuring every cyclist can maximize their potential while avoiding burnout.

A study knocking out HIF1alpha in mice reveals a counterintuitive relationship between markers of phenotype like fat oxidation, mitochondria markers, capillary density, and fiber type, and not having improved baseline performance. This uncovers an interesting relationship between the HIF pathway and oxidative metabolism, and how seemingly opposing adaptations are complementary.

This episode, seven Empirical Cycling coaches discuss their professional and personal experience with off season breaks. Balancing downtime and rest with fun and unstructured riding, plus some rules of thumb to make the most out of these potentially daunting times of the season. Then we answer a huge list of listener questions on whether sprinters can be good TTers, favorite workouts, coaching principles and athlete relationships, volume vs intensity, periodizing sprint training, lifting RPE, and much more.