Positive Talk Increases Endurance

December 26, 2013 by Lee Agur

Positive Talk Increases Endurance

In a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 24 participants were told to do a cycling test to exhaustion. Half of the participants then underwent a two week positive talk intervention while the other half (control group) received no special treatment. The results?

The positive self talk group saw an 18% increase in endurance while the control group received no increase in endurance. The study also revealed that the positive self talk group perceived exertion (RPE) rose more slowly; (The exercise felt easier) compared to the control group where the results remained the same.

The two week positive talk intervention involved the self talk group selecting four positive/motivational statements to use over the two weeks while exercising and then were told to integrate them into their test. Simple.

Most people believe in the power of positive talk but do not realize how important it really can be. Endurance is a mind over body equation. Most of us give up mentally well before our physical bodies fatigue. We have all been there many of times, whether it has been cycling, exercising or life. I know I continually envision rockets and say “lets go” while cycling. At work I continually repeat “I love my job, I love my job.” So I am convinced.

I have been on the flip side where I have done the negative talk and said “I’m too hot, my knee hurts, I’m too tired etc. etc.” and generally quit shortly after my mind goes there. Don’t subscribe to that way of thinking.

Some suggested positive talk to increase endurance:

This is easy, I am a beast, I can do this, love this feeling, crushing it, let’s go, almost there, and I AM AWESOME. Feel free to suggest more in the comment section, but I like to keep it simple. I also like to say this out loud and make other people laugh once in a while as that also helps.

Mind over Body

When it comes to endurance mental health is 80% of the battle. Be positive, humorous and happy. It will make all the difference. Positive talk increases endurance.

Winter Doldroms

December 14, 2013 by Lee Agur

Training: Winter Doldroms?

This training article comes courtesy of Rob Swan, a NCCP Level 3 certified coach with Critical Performance Endurance Sports.

For many cyclists December marks the end to the cycling season. It also signals the start of the “Dreaded Winter Doldrums” – a time of seemingly perpetual darkness. We end up going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark; so the only time we see daylight is from a window or on the weekend. But how do we beat it and actually become stronger for next season? What can we do through December to maintain or improve upon last season’s fitness?

At this point I assume you have taken a rest and recovery period after your final race and training season. Amazingly, there are many options for us to choose from during the cold winter season.

Snow Shoeing: The sport of snow shoeing has really taken off in the last decade or so. Best of all, it’s a great cross training sport for any cyclist. Snow shoeing can be recreational, fitness building, or competitive. North America’s snow shoe racing scene is growing with independent races, race series and even national and North American Championship races each year. Some of the benefits of snow shoeing are:

increased aerobic capacity;
increased leg strength;
increased lung capacities with altitude training and High Intensity Training (HIT);
feeling your lungs explode in one of the toughest sports around; and,
the combined social benefits of the sport and being in nature.

Cross Country Skiing and Biathlon: It is no wonder that Nordic athletes have some of the highest VO2max readings on the planet. They are training and competing almost always at higher altitudes then most other sports for extended periods of time. Furthermore, the type of training they need to do requires a tremendous amount of energy and aerobic fitness and capacity. Cross country skiing consists of two styles: Classic (old) style, which has more cross-over benefit to running; and Skate skiing, which engages the larger cycling muscles. Whichever style you choose, the greatest benefit would be the ability to improve your aerobic capacity. Cross country skiing engages the entire body, so the oxygen demands are greater than most other sports. On a basic level this increase oxygen requirement contributes to an improved ability to absorb and transport oxygen to the muscles.

Biathlon is one of the oldest winter sports and is the most popular winter sport in Europe, on par with hockey in Canada. It also happens to be one of the most demanding sports. Biathlon features athletes skate skiing various distances followed by five rounds with a biathlon rifle. Needless to say combining cross country skiing and rifle marksmanship into one punishing sport makes biathlon an excellent winter sport for any athlete. There are many youth and masters programs all over the country.

Cyclocross: With its incredible variety of intensity, terrain, obstacles and weather conditions, cyclocross is not only the most spectator-friendly form of bike racing, it’s an awesome spectacle for any sports fan. Fans of the sport are treated to 30 – 60 minutes of constant, intense action-packed racing, with many opportunities to see their favorite racer from just one vantage point.

Cyclocross is a great way to stay in shape during the off-season, but road racers will benefit from better handling and confidence in adverse conditions and bumpy surfaces. Mountain bikers will enjoy more versatility and efficiency in handling extreme technical terrain and forced dismounts. Triathletes will also benefit from a way to maintain cycling and running fitness, and improve bike-handling skills.

Indoor Cycling: I am not going to get too in depth into indoor cycling as the subject has been covered often. What I will say is indoor cycling can benefit every level of cyclist. There just may be days when it’s not possible to get outside or you may just want to boost your fitness with focused and precise training. The greatest benefits to indoor training are time management, precise control of intensity levels and duration, and the social aspects of riding beside one of those “fast” athletes you never get to talk to on a group ride. Go find a Computrainer studio and race your friends up Mt. Ventoux of the Tour de France.

FAT Biking: Now if you truly want to stay outdoors through the winter months, test-ride a FAT Bike. Then, of course, you will be buying a FAT Bike because you will want to ride every day, winter or summer. These bikes can go anywhere, anytime and anyone can ride them. For winter, they are great as a commuter because they will roll over roads, dirt, snow and ice without a problem at all. You can take them on snow covered mountain bike trails and on snowmobile trails for the ultimate in winter fun. As well as sheer enjoyment, these bikes will help you maintain your fitness.

Rob Swan is Biathlon BC’s provincial head coach, as well as a NCCP Level 3 certified coach with CriticalPerformance Endurance Sports. Rob can be reached at: coachrob@criticalperformance.ca.

Alcohol and Cycling Performance

November 25, 2013 by Lee Agur

Alcohol and cycling. Do they really mix?

How bad is alcohol in relation to cycling performance? Well… some of this information might make you feel depressed. If you would like to plead ignorance in the future I would just stop reading now.

The Liver

I think we have all heard/said the statement “I am carbo loading” in relation to having that delicious cold beer. Unfortunately, this could not be further from the truth. What actually happens when you start drinking any type of alcohol is that your liver spends all of its energy trying to remove alcohol from your bloodstream; it no longer has the capacity to convert glucose into glycogen.

Glycogen is a major energy source that your body uses to pedal that bicycle. It is generally quite depleted after a ride and should be replenished by consuming carbohydrates.

Since your liver is busy trying to clear the alcohol from your bloodstream and is unable to convert the glucose to glycogen, your body has to do something else with it… I’ll give you one guess… … … Fat. Yup… that glucose will now be stored as fat. Soo… to be more realistic, we should actually be say “I am fat loading.”

Recovery

Alcohol has been known to affect sleeping. If you do not sleep well then you will not produce as much human growth hormone – a hormone that builds muscle. Coupled with that, alcohol is a diuretic resulting in the fact that you will likely need to get up from your already disturbed sleep.

As you know from my article about hydration as little as a 2% decrease in body water weight decreases your performance. So it is going to be difficult to perform the next day at your best.

On top of all of this, studies have shown that drinking alcohol lowers testosterone levels. Testosterone is key to developing muscle in men AND women.

All of these factors add up to a less than optimal recovery.

What Are You Going To Do About It?

1. Having a few cold beer after a ride because I feel I “deserve” it.

I certainly make a point to refuel properly by eating before indulging in my “reward”.

2. Drinking before an event.

It is not a good idea to drink the day, or even 2 days, before an event, as the 2% dehydration rule may effect your outcome.

3. Overall consumption.

Decreasing your overall consumption is relatively easy in small increments. Just focus on cutting out excess as discussed in my 5 healthy tips for cycling article.

This article may be a little depressing;however, I am not going to give up drinking. It took me a couple frosty beverages to complete this article. I am not getting paid to bike for a living and I am all about enjoyment of life. On the other hand, knowing this information certainly has changed a few bad habits.

Cycling Training With Power

November 20, 2013 by Guest Post

What power is and why you should use it.

This training article comes courtesy of Paul Cross, a Vancouver-based fitness consultant and a partner in the FitFX Studio.

I’ve noticed a lot more athletes using power this past season than ever before. Now that the indoor season has picked up I have also noticed more athletes asking me why they should train with power. From where I sit as a full-time coach it’s pretty clear that riding with a wattage meter is becoming more popular. So what’s all the fuss about? If you’re curious about training with power but not yet familiar, please read on. If you already use power I seek to give you some information that will help you use it more efficiently.

There is merit to having an honest conversation up front. What kind of rider are you and where are your priorities and goals with regards to your cycling? Some of you may not admit to being “competitive”. While you may not enjoy “racing”, I have never met a person who did not enjoy improving his or her performance. Plain and simple…we like progress, and power aids progress. The decision to get power, however, should ultimately come down to weighing your desire to improve your cycling with the cost to do so. If we do that rationally we purchase power meters BEFORE spending money on other stuff like $10K bikes, carbon fiber wheels, a third bike, a fourth bike, or a closet full of Rapha clothing.

What is Power?

It’s pretty simple really…power is a measure of work over time. It’s measured in watts. While it might seem as easy as visualizing the amount of pressure or torque you’re putting into the pedals, it’s in fact a little more than that. The same amount of pressure at 80 revolutions per minute (rpm) and 100 rpm will give you lower and higher wattages relatively. This is because you are doing less or more work per minute. If you’re cruising along on a pancake flat road at 90 rpm in an easy gear, and then you switch into a harder gear and while maintaining an identical cadence, you will also be applying more power. In this case the amount of pressure on the pedals has increased. One thing is certain, more power means more speed.

Why Power?

I first started training with power on a CompuTrainer (a computerized indoor trainer) back in the early 90s. I got immediate results. I was working smarter, riding steadier and the rate of my progress increased. Using a power meter can make you a better rider. Quick example: An athlete I’ve been coaching for a couple of years rode with me the first year with no power. Then I suggested he try it. He did and within only a few workouts he was singing the praises of power. Now even though he doesn’t ride with power all the time he says it transformed his training and racing, permanently making him a better cyclist. This kind of positive feedback is typical in my experience.

If you know how to use the numbers power can be the most beneficial training tool you have. Your riding buddies may be kind, but the power meter will not embellish. As I am fond of saying, “the numbers don’t lie”. If you started too hard the power file will show that. Of course, you need to download it and look at it. Do you have a lot left in the tank at the end of your event? The power file will show that too. If you’re not riding steady the power will clearly reflect that. Conversely if you ride like a super-hero the power will give you the proof that you have done so.

Cycling is an endurance sport. For any activity where endurance is concerned, efficiency is paramount. Efficiency means being more steady. If you are applying steady power, you are efficient. If your power is changing quickly from 100 watts to 400 watts to 200 watts – up down and all over the place – you’re not going to be very efficient. This is actually how a lot of people ride a bike, often without realizing it. Their ego gets the better of them and they need to pass that rider in front only to have to slow down later. Perceived effort is not a bad way of controlling yourself to ride steady. Heart Rate is a better way of controlling your pacing. But ultimately power is the best way.

Another athlete I coached this past season was new to training with power in the spring. He had thought of himself as a “weak climber”. What we discovered quite quickly by taking a look at his power files is that he was starting the climbs way too hard. At the beginning of the climbs his power was spiking up to about 130, 140 and even 150% of his lactate threshold. This is a sure way to set yourself up to climb poorly. Once he started to approach the climbs much more conservatively at a wattage closer to his threshold, he started climbing better. He was more able to keep up (even beat) some of the guys in his riding club. Some of these guys had previously been ahead of him on the climbs.

Let’s keep in mind that riding well is not all about the physical stuff (i.e. strength, skill, stamina and speed). Riding well is also about confidence. More confidence means better execution on the road. In a study of returning Olympians, the number one thing that athletes said they would have, could have or should have worked on more before the Games was mental skills. Bring your A-mental game and chances of both success and enjoyment increase. Confidence breeds excellence. Uncertainty breeds mediocrity and possibly failure. And power provides the information to build confidence on race day.

Athletes will sometimes cite heart rate as an excuse to not get power. In the absence of anything else, heart rate is awesome. It’s just not as good as using power and heart rate together. Where does heart rate play into the mix? Well, heart rate is telling you how you are responding to the work. If you are in better shape, then you will respond to the work by not being as tired, relatively. Let’s say you start riding in the off-season out of shape – for example, at 150 watts for five minutes your heart rate is 165 beats per minute. After months of training you may be able to ride at 195 watts for five minutes at the same 165 beats per minute. Ultimately, it’s rather hard to know this unless you’re using a power meter.

Different Power Meters

Accurate power tools for cyclists are more available now than ever before. Of course, you can also purchase power tools that are not as accurate. There are plenty of options out there. Which power tool should you get? That’s a question that demands it’s own dedicated article. Should you get hub-based, bottom bracket-based, pedal-based, or crank-based power? It all depends on several factors. The purpose of this article is not to debate the merits of different power tools available on the market. I do hope I have shed some more light on why people are choosing to use power meters and how you can benefit from getting on that bandwagon. I will say this, however, in regards to power meters: the “get what you pay for” axiom applies. Pay for a decent power meter or don’t bother. Like grandma used to say: “do something right or don’t do it at all”. Some of the decent power meters available include: SRM, Power-Tap, Garmin Vector Pedals, Quarq, and Stages.

So…are you ready to start playing with power?

Paul Cross is an exercise consultant, owner of Cross Athletic Consulting, and partner at Vancouver’s Fit FX Studio. Paul can be reached at: paul@fitfxstudion.com

This article was provided by Grandfondo Axel Merckx Okanagan. Sign up and come race in one of the most beautiful areas to cycle in the World!

Here is a great book on Training and Racing With a Power Meter written by Hunter Allen that will transform the way you train.

Granfondo Axel Merckx Okanagan

November 19, 2013 by Guest Post

Granfondo Axel Merckx Okanagan

Jeff Symonds (2013 Challenge Penticton Champion)

What would you do if you knew you would not fail? Or for the triathletes in the crowd, what would you do if you knew you didn’t have to run afterwards? The Granfondo Axel Merckx Okanagan (GFAMO) is a great way for triathletes to find the answer to this question. Granfondo events are a great opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and tear down any fears you might have. Whether your fears are related to how hard you can push, or whether or not you can cover the distance, the ‘Fondo will have an answer for you.

Pacing is undeniably critical to triathlon success. We train and develop the ability to sustain that pace for incredible amounts of time. But sometimes it’s tough to mentally and physically breakaway from that pace. The excitement of a 2000+ person Granfondo start-line will provide you with an almost euphoric surge of motivation to push new boundaries. Adding to that motivation is that in an event of this size, there isn’t just one rider to chase, but an entire group. There is an almost endless supply of competitors to push you and encourage you to find a new level of performance.

When I took part in the GFAMO in 2012, I found myself pushing extremely high wattages early on. If I had seen these wattages in a triathlon I would have slowed down and conserved myself for the run. But the beauty of the ‘Fondo is that there is no run. If you go too hard you don’t have to suffer through a 42.2 km death march, you can simply soft-pedal back to town. Because of this I threw caution to the wind and “got ugly out there”! I rode the like a maniac and attacked off the front. After riding hard all day I got to the finish-line expecting to be fully cooked. On the contrary, I felt pretty good. In the process, I found a new level of hurt. Three weeks later I took this knowledge and confidence into the Ironman 70.3 Calgary. I used the new limits that I had found in the ‘Fondo, to finish on the podium on the back of a strong bike and a solid run.

Participating in supported group riding like the ‘Fondo is a great way to practice many elements of long course racing, without having to worry about the long recovery that comes with running. Pre-event jitters, pace, nutrition, hydration, equipment and mental strategies are all crucial elements to triathlon success that can be practiced in the ‘Fondo.

Until next time…Ride Hard and Smile Often. And don‘t forget to Get Ugly Out There!

Jeff Symonds

Jeff Symonds is a Canadian professional triathlete from Penticton B.C. In 2011, Jeff broke through with a 3rd-place finish at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships. Last August, he captured the inaugural Challenge Penticton title, averaging more than 38 km/h on the 180 km bike segment. Jeff now lives and trains in Vancouver, B.C.

Article Courtesy of Granfondo Axel Merckx Okanagan

Side Note: Lee Agur (Founder of this site) will be participating in the 2014 Granfondo Axel Merckx Okanagan and will buy you a beer if you finish before him. So sign up for the 2014 Granfondo Axel Merckx Okanagan here and earn a free drink and some bragging rights. Get a hold of him through the contact page so he can keep an eye out for you.

Cycling Aerodynamics – How Much Can It Really Help?

November 12, 2013 by Lee Agur

There are two ways to get faster on a bike; increase power or increase aerodynamic efficiency.

For most of us it is very difficult to make 5% power gains, it takes lots of work and dedication; however, many of us are able make immediate 10-20% aerodynamic gains. Aerodynamics is one of the simplest and fastest ways to gain free speed.

Biggest Drags in Cycling Aerodynamics

Aerodynamic drag accounts for approximately 80-90% of the resistance felt while pedaling. Of that 80-90%, 70-75% of that drag comes from your body and the remainder from your bike. So it stands to reason that the biggest gain can be from changes in your body. I am not talking about weight loss, (although that would help) I am talking about body position.

Getting into the “aero” position as opposed to being on the hoods can save 3 – 6 minutes in a 40 km time trial. That is a ridiculous difference. Lets look at some other factors and costs.

Comparing Different Situations Related to Cycling Aerodynamics

Approximate savings over a 40km time trial:

Aero Helmet vs non aero helmet – 1 to 1.5 minutes – $150 +
Aero bars vs upright position – 3 to 6 minutes – $50 ++
Shoe covers vs non shoe covers – 30 to 60 seconds – $50 +
Rear disc wheel + front deep dish vs spoke wheels – 1 – 2 minutes – $1000+++
Skin suit vs Normal Jersey – 1 – 2 minutes – $250 +

As you can see some aero purchases can save you a significant amount of time, but the largest aerodynamic gains are from your body position. Don’t go out and buy the most expensive gear before you dial in your body position.

Try to keep things in perspective, a $200 helmet can save you almost as much time as $3000 wheel set.

Body Position

Above it basically says drop your body to make your torso as flat as possible. The flip side is knowing how far is too far. Flexibility plays a huge role in being able to get in the most aerodynamic position. As luck would have it, flexibility is my weakest area, so I am like a sail out there.

My hips, glutes and hamstrings are my limiters when it comes to a more aero position. I can’t even come close to touching my toes… my focus over the winter… foam roller and stretching.

There is a sweet spot in dropping low enough to be aero and being upright enough to be comfortable and produce power.

Roll Down a Hill

Test how slippery you have become with the small tweaks you have made.

Before you make any changes find a hill that resembles a ski jump and roll down it from a complete stand still and see how far up the other side of the hill you make it. Mark the spot where you have come to a stop and repeat this a few times.

After you make a change redo the test… did you go further up the hill? Great you are more aerodynamic. Easy free test.

Cornering Tips

November 5, 2013 by Lee Agur

Get FREE SPEED and learn how to corner. Cornering a bike properly can save you massive amounts of energy and time. I have been working on cornering every ride since my last race… where I got destroyed on the downhill. So… what was I doing wrong?

Look Where You Want to Go

Your body likes to follow your eyes, so look where you want to go, not where you don’t. A common mistake is continuing to look at what you are trying to avoid; this generally results in a collision with that same object. Let your peripheral vision do the work, it can see that object and you will not hit it.

Look far in to the corner, not right in front of you. Your hips turn the same direction you are looking and your hips determine where the bike is going to steer. I am guilty of looking directly in front of myself quite frequently, especially when the turns come hard and fast. Depending on your speed and the angle of the corner determines how far in to the corner you look. In sharp corners look as far ahead as possible. Play with it and you will notice significant improvements immediately.

Brake Before the Corner

I am aggressive when it comes to cornering, too aggressive. I loose valuable speed because I do not brake enough before the turn which results in me having to brake in the turn. Braking in the turn actually makes the bike want to stand up on itself and straighten out, two things you are trying not to do. You end up fighting the bike and shedding more speed than necessary to make the turn safely.

Generally, you only want to be doing one of the following things at any given time: braking, cornering, or pedaling. Combining these things can lead to disaster.

Find the Line

Approach the corner as wide as possible, cut through the apex and finish wide. This is the straightest line through the turn, allowing you to carry more speed and reducing the angle of the turn making it less scary. Many people cut to the apex to early which results in excessive braking near the end of the turn and exiting slowly.

Don’t Pedal in a Corner Pedal out of a Corner

Pedaling in a corner can cause you to strike your inside pedal on the ground and send you flying. If this happens try not to panic and over correct. Over correcting will certainly cause a crash.

Once you have completed the turn and the bike is in a more upright position it is safe to hammer on the pedals again. Hopefully you remembered to shift down to an easier gear before you entered the turn so it is not too difficult to pedal out of it.

How to Steer Your Bike

There are three different ways to steer the bike: Upright steering, leaning and countersteering.

Upright Steering

Upright steering is when you turn your handle bars and keep your body and the bike as upright as possible. This is best reserved for slow speeds and dangerous conditions i.e. wet and slippery conditions. If your tried this at a high speed you would fly off your bike. Been there, done that… don’t recommend it.

Leaning

This is the most common method of steering and involves leaning your bike and body over to make the turn. Lean over more to turn sharper and make sure that you have your outside pedal at the 6 o’clock position pushing your weight through that pedal to keep traction with your tires.

Countersteering

The next level of steering. In order to test it out, go down a straight road, pick up some speed then push your right hand down… what happens? Initially your front wheel turns right, but as the bike starts to lean over you turn left. The sharper the turn and less consistent the turn (more bends) the more important countersteering becomes.

Position While Countersteering

Initially, you press with your opposite hand, but as you being to turn you want your inside arm straight and applying a bit of pressure to continue to turn the direction you want to go.

Lean your body over, but then lean your bike over even harder. This is not like leaning technique where the angle of your bike and the angle of your body are the same in relation to the ground. In countersteering you lean the bike over more and your body is more upright in order to keep traction.

Try to keep your weight back and low and remember to push hard on your outside pedal that is located at the 6 o’clock position.

If you learn how to countersteer you will not regret it, it is safer and faster as it allows you to make adjustments through out the turn much quicker.

How to Breathe While Cycling – I Bet You Don’t Do it Properly

November 5, 2013 by Lee Agur

How to Breathe While Cycling – Test

Take a quick test on how to breathe while cycling. Look down and take a deep breath. Did your chest raise like superman and tummy stay relatively flat? Great. Like I said… You don’t know how to breathe properly!

Millions of breaths a year and you think we would have it down. Generally due to stress, the vast majority of us tend to breathe with our chest, as if we are the wolf in the three little pigs trying to blow the house down. This is not the most effective or efficient way to fill the lungs, nor is it the way we were designed to breathe.

How to Breathe While Cycling

Your diaphragm (a muscle below the lungs) should move downward and help expand your lungs to bring air into them. Focus on filling the bottom 1/3 of your lungs first by using your belly to breathe rather than your chest. The result should be your tummy blowing up like a balloon first, and then the rib cage expanding second. (not the other way around like superman or the big bad wolf). The exhale should be similar, you should be contracting your abdomen to expel the air in your lungs.

Why it is Important to Breathe Properly While Cycling

Breathing properly while cycling will help deliver more oxygen to muscle tissue.
If you are a chest breather you will tire more quickly than a deep belly breather because you are not allowing yourself to inhale enough oxygen or exhale sufficient carbon dioxide.
Delivers more oxygen to the brain
Helps maintain the acid/base balance in the body by increasing oxygen flow and decreasing carbon dioxide (carbon dioxide increases acidity levels and larger quantities are created during exercise)

Things that Can Prevent Proper Breathing While Cycling

The most common problem is your position on the bike. I remember wanting to get in a very aerodynamic position, and as a result, I sacrificed my breathing and comfort. In the end I sacrificed speed by not being able to breathe properly. The aggressive position lowered the oxygen getting to the muscles resulting in a lower power output. Closing your hip angle too much and not allowing space for your diaphragm to move down in order to breathe in will ultimately result in fatiguing quicker and slower cycling.

Great Examples of Breathing Properly

Interestingly enough, if you would like a great example of how to breathe properly then you should watch an infant breathe. Infants use their diaphragm to breathe deeply and fully… maybe that is why they all have potbellies.

Unfortunately, adults are prone to stress which causes the diaphragm to tighten resulting in shallow chest breathing.

Another example would be to watch some pros on TV. Some look like they are growing gut! (Some are growing a tiny ponch while others are implementing this breathing technique.)

If you would like to learn more about breathing properly you can purchase: Breathe Strong Perform Better

Aerobic vs Anaerobic Exercise

November 1, 2013 by Lee Agur

The oversimplified, Coles Notes version… muscles use glucose as energy in two ways, aerobically with oxygen and anaerobically without oxygen. Both aerobic and anaerobic produce energy stores called ATP which is used to make your muscles contract, heart pump and other physiological process to keep us alive.

Advantages of Aerobic vs Anaerobic

Aerobic ATP and Anaerobic ATP are produced in different ways, what you need to know is that aerobic ATP is produced slower, but can be produced for much longer and results in more ATP production.

An interesting comparison of aerobic vs anaerobic is that the aerobic metabolism can use 1 unit of glucose and turn it in to 34 ATP where as the anaerobic metabolism can take that same unit of glucose and only produce 2 ATP. This means that the aerobic metabolism is 17 times more efficient than the anaerobic metabolism. That is like comparing a smart car to a semi truck in a fuel efficiency contest! This is very important during endurance events because we can only digest/refuel so much and must be as efficient as possible.

Another advantage of aerobic vs anaerobic is that the aerobic system can use carbohydrates, fats or protein as fuel where as the anaerobic system can only use carbohydrates. (Hence why carbs are so important just before exercise, during exercise and shortly after as discussed in the paleo diet for cyclists post).

Disadvantages of Aerobic vs Anaerobic

The anaerobic metabolism produces ATP at a very fast rate compared to the aerobic metabolism which means that if you need energy for a sprint you are going to go anaerobic because you need that energy QUICKLY.

Misconception about Aerobic vs Anaerobic

Everyone seems to think that you change from aerobic to anaerobic at the flip of a switch, as if there is this imaginary point of exertion that you have to hover below so you do not go anaerobic. This simply is not true. Aerobic vs Anaerobic is better thought of as a light dimmer than a light toggle switch.

What I am suggesting is that both of these energy sources are being utilized at the same time and at almost any level of effort.

Anaerobic and aerobic have an inverse relationship, if you were to go (earmuffs children) “balls to the wall” or… all out, then for the first minute your energy would be primarily from Anaerobic ATP, right at the 1 minute marker is where they would be equal and anything after that would be primarily aerobic ATP. At the 5 minute marker you are already using as much as 80% aerobic ATP.

So why do you care?

Everyone talks about the anaerobic threshold and trying to stay under it, there is a big fear that if they go over it bad things happen (in endurance events – sprinters don’t care). Going “anaerobic” results in lactate forming in your blood stream, it is that painful burn in your legs that makes you want to slow down. Your anaerobic threshold is the point where you can clear the lactate from your blood stream just as fast as you can produce it.

More importantly, your anaerobic system can only use carbohydrates to produce ATP and your body can only store approximately 2000 carb calories. The downside here is that you are able to burn through most of that in 2 hours of hard exercise, and you are only able to digest about 400 calories an hour so… for endurance events it is essential to utilize as little of the precious carbohydrate as fuel as possible while still maintaining a high speed. By using your aerobic system you are able to burn fat as an energy source.

You have enough fat stores to go for a couple days without refueling, even if you are lean. This does not mean that you can hop on a bike and ride for a couple days, because no matter how slow you go you are still using some anaerobic energy and burning carbohydrate.

Also, I always thought that sprinting up a short steep climb was not that big of a deal during a endurance event… it turns out it is up to 17 times more inefficient! Save that precious energy. (I sometimes did this to “wake” everything up… dumb)

All the little things matter!

ATTACK Those Rollers

October 28, 2013 by Lee Agur

The key to rollers is maintaining your cadence and gearing!

Stay in the gear that you started the hill climb for as long as possible. Shift only when your cadence starts to slow below 75. A cadence between 70 to 90 is ideal. If you shift too early you will lose valuable momentum; however, if you shift too late then you might stall out.

Attack the bottom of the roller and gradually increase effort as you climb the hill until you must shift. Short rollers are like mini intervals. Just remember you are going to be able to rest on the other side. But wait… the climb is not over yet… make sure to power over the top and only stop pedaling once you have crested and the gravity has kicked in to high gear. Make sure to not lose any valuable momentum by stopping pedaling just as you crest.

An important thing to remember is when you are shifting try to “easy pedal” for a split second to allow the shift to happen. If you don’t, you run the risk of dropping your chain… or even worse breaking it! You attack rollers with a lot of intensity so there is going to be a lot of pressure on the chain if you just try and shift, it may also result in not shifting at all and again you will lose valuable momentum by slowly stalling out. If you have been cycling long enough this has inevitably happened to you… not fun! You look down as if there is something wrong with the bike… but it is usually just how you use it.

I try and stay seated as long as possible by keeping my cadence high in the beginning, but once the cadence starts to slow, I get out of the saddle and find a nice rhythm to finish off the climb powering over the top and cruising down the backside.