Loughborough University were recently featured in Cycling Weekly issue dated 8th November 2012 (worth getting hold of).  One area mentioned that we’re often asked about is something called “fatmax”.  Now, this isn’t the biggest size you can balloon to over the winter, instead it shows the exercise intensity (unique to you) at which the maximal amount of fat is used as energy.  If we teach our bodies to use more fat then this leaves us with more glycogen (carbohydrate in the blood stream) when we really need it (the end of a race/a big climb/racing your mates to the cafe etc. etc.).  Oh yeah and we won’t be so fat either!

The Cycling Weekly article states that you can improve your maximal fat oxidation score by up to 40% by training at your fatmax levels.  Well, we haven’t been to the lab so we don’t know our fatmax levels but you can get pretty close by making sure you carry out all of your ride aerobically, take a look at http://cycletips.co.uk/endurance-base-training.  Be warned it takes a lot of discipline to avoid hammering it on a ride we can tell you!

Anyway, now for the best bit, see team GB carrying out some of these tests at Loughborough right here:

Listen carefully here comes the science bit…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCLznR7pbu0&feature=share

So the winter is here and if your racing season starts again in or around March next year then you’re probably thinking about doing some base training but what is it and why should you do it?

Base training is basically training aerobically in order to improve your endurance.

How hard should you train to be training at this level.  Well, most of you already do it but you don’t know that you know!  A 4 hour ride has to be predominately aerobic otherwise you’d never make it round!  However we can get more out of our training by establishing exactly what heart rate we should be riding at to be in our aerobic zone.

A lot of so-called “Experts” use % or maximum heart rate (MHR) where MHR is calculated as 220 minus your age.  The problem is that we are all soooo different that our maximums vary significantly from person to person.  We could thrash ourselves to death and see how high we could get our heart rate but it’s a bit hit and miss and could be a tad dangerous.  Even if we knew our MHR you might be aerobic at 60% of your MHR and your mate might be aerobic at 70% of his because we are all soooo different (deja vu?!).

The best way is to train at or up to 20 beats less than your lactate threshold.  Go to http://cycletips.co.uk/fitness-testing-the-lactate-threshold-test to see how to test for this threshold.

Even that is complicated.  How about riding a level where you can just about chat?  Simples

So why all the fuss?  Why should we train in the presence of oxygen anyway?  Surely the harder we ride the fitter we’ll get?

Well, take a look at these reasons and then decide:

1.  Slow twitch muscle fibres become more efficient at using fat as their fuel meaning your body’ll conserve glycogen for when it really needs it.

2.  Your muscle fibres become more able to contract using less oxygen.

3.  You’ll burn more fat in your ride (hooorah!)

4.  You increase the number of capillaries that transport blood (and therefore oxygen) to your muscles.

5.  Blood vessels become larger and more flexible, improving blood flow.

6.  You increase the number of energy improving mitochondria cells in the muscles therefore you will be able to produce more power for the same work rate (you become more economical).

Yes or No, do you think that these benefits are worth having?  Good, now we can crack on….

NB this type of training is anabolic.  High intensity training on the other hand is known as catabolic.  We suggest you keep catabolic training to a minimum during your base training (about 3 months) as high intensity workouts destroy capillaries that you’ve built.  Two years ago one of our team tried 12 weeks where he NEVER let his heart rate go over 20 beats lactate threshold but actually found that a bit too restrictive.  When it was time to go hard again it was too much of a shock on the system (A HUGE shock in fact!).  Don’t be afraid to go hard but try to keep 80-90% of your training aerobic for at least 2 months, ideally 3.

You should do this regularly and you can do it regularly as keeping the body in an aerobic state is not as tiring as giving it a thrashing.

Patience is key by the way as you’re constantly holding back but believe us it’ll be worth it in the long run.

If this is all too serious/sensible/disciplined/boring then at the very least do what the pros having been doing for years and

“Get the miles in this winter”

PowerLung claim their product increases lung capacity by training your breathing muscles for greater flexibility and endurance.

They claim that using this for 10 mins twice a day you will strengthen the muscles that support your breathing and therefore you’ll be able to ride faster, without getting off the sofa!  It’s got to be worth a punt!

Unless you’re ill or injured, if ever you are unsure whether to go out and train then always remember:

“The hardest part of training is getting out the front door”

Go out for 2o mins and then if you still don’t want to be out then we’ll let you go home, but do 20 mins first.

Oh and by the way, are you really ill or injured?!