Happy New Year!  I hope 2018 was everything you wanted it to be, but I also hope it left you wanting more for this year!  Now is the time of year that you need to capitalize on your training time and continue to increase your fitness if you want to begin the new season stronger than ever!  Below are some reasons why a coach is beneficial and why you should considering hiring one to ensure your next season is as successful as possible.  Remember too, cycling coaches are not just for the professional athlete.  I have worked with athletes who are literally just swinging their legs over the top tube for the first time!

A coach sees the forest for the trees

Most athletes who hire me have 1 request: “I want to be faster!”.  This is of course what the end result and goal of coaching is, but this should not be the sole focus.  Training is not just riding your bike and killing yourself day after day.  You need to have balance and take rest days, utilize active recovery spins and not think of them as a waste of time, foam roll and stretch, and make sure you are not showing signs of overtraining before it gets too late.  All too often I have seen athletes get really into cycling and just completely bury themselves with their training so by the time June rolls around they are too fatigued to even perform at a decent level.  Having a ton of form is no good if you cannot capitalize on all of your hard work due to being overly fatigued.  So, seeing the tree of “getting faster” is important, but seeing the forest of cycling is bigger still.

A coach is not just someone who prescribes workouts

I think the biggest difference a coach can make to the athlete is being a positive mentor and leading by example.  Yes, the athlete needs to be prescribed workouts to improve, but they also need to be motivated to keep on track.  The coach should be someone the athlete looks up to; they should be practicing what they preach!

A coach increases your learning curve

The coach you choose should be someone who is invested in his/her education and has a passion for teaching.  Imagine starting a business and having access to Bill Gates or Mark Cuban to heed advice from and ask questions to.  Granted, not every coach has the credentials as these two, but when you hire a coach you are also hiring a wealth of information that is readily accessible.

A coach simplifies your life

Numerous athletes have told me they like the fact that their workout for the day is waiting in their e-mail box and they can look ahead to see what is coming up.  The athlete does not have to use resources thinking or questioning what they should be doing, planning for their season, or ensuring what they are doing is actually having a positive effect.  Instead, they can just focus on improving and save their energy for what matters!

A coach keeps you accountable

If you miss an appointment, you can bet the receptionist will give you a call to ask about your whereabouts.  The same is true when you hire a coach.  If you miss a workout it is their job to call you out on it (of course there are times when missing a workout is acceptable).  Even better is that the coach can modify the athlete’s training block to assure they continue to improve.

A coach gets you to where you want to be

Having trouble getting that category upgrade, improving your finishing time, or even snagging that Strava KOM?  A coach can dissect what it is that you are doing, what your event requires you to do, and what needs to be changed to get you to your goal in the most efficient and effective way possible.

So, in 2019 quit banging your head against the same wall and make this the year when you ride that first century, win the race you have always wanted, or just look better clad in Lycra!

GET IN TOUCH WITH US!

Aero is short for aerodynamic and can be defined as “the way air moves around things” (1).  Becoming more aero has been an ongoing quest for athletes, bike manufacturers, clothing companies, bicycle accessory producers, and even water-bottle businesses, but why?  Can becoming more aerodynamic really improve your overall speed and finishing time?  And what is the best bang for your buck when trying to reduce aerodynamic drag?

Aerodynamics is the way air moves around things.

Unbelievably, Brownlie et al. (2) showed that wind resistance accounted for 72%-90% of the force resisting the forward motion of a rider, and the faster the rider goes, the more resistance they have to overcome.  Imagine if you are swimming through water and compare that to swimming through Jell-o.  Swimming through water would be similar to riding a bike at slow speeds when there is not much wind resistance, whereas riding a bike quickly would be like swimming through gelatin with lots of resistance present.  Other factors that have been shown to affect forward motion of a rider are tires 15% (rolling resistance), braking losses 8%, and bearing/chain losses 5% (3).  Wind resistance can also be called aerodynamic drag and can be defined as “the force on an object that resists its motion” (4).

Aerodynamic drag is the force on an object that resists its motion.

Factors that contribute to aerodynamic drag

1. Body position is the largest contributor to aerodynamic drag and has been shown to be upwards of 75% of the total drag experienced by the rider (4).
2. The helmet can contribute 2-8% of the overall drag with more vents creating more drag and vice-versa (5).
3. Wearing clothing that is tighter fitting and utilizes zoned fabrics (smooth in areas and dimpled in others) can reduce drag by 10% (6).
4. Cycling shoes that have laces versus shoes that utilize straps and shoe covers can, unbelievably, differ by 8% in aerodynamic drag (7).
5. Jermy et al. (8) states that wheel drag accounts for 10% of the total aerodynamic drag when a cyclist is traveling 30-50kph.  Ideally, the tire width should be equal to the rim width to further minimize drag (9).  When there is no crosswind, disc wheels are best, but 3-4 spoked wheels (HED) are best in crosswinds.
6. Bike frames, when made as aerodynamic as possible, can reduce drag by as much as 14%, but usually average a 3% reduction compared to a traditional round-tube frame (10).

As you can see, there are some pretty substantial reductions to be had if you have the resources to capitalize upon them.

Time savings when becoming more aero

Okay, let’s get down to brass tacks here; will getting more aero and investing in aero equipment really make a big difference?  The answer to this question is a resounding YES!  Lindsey Underwood (11) wrote an amazing thesis regarding the aerodynamics of track cycling and calculated time savings as well as average reduction in drag for each equipment change:

The above chart describes time savings in seconds over the course of 4000m on a track, but these can be extrapolated to any length.  Imagine the time savings over the course of a 40k TT or even an Ironman!?  The best thing about this is these savings will not cause the rider to use more energy, and will help the rider conserve their energy to be used later during the finishing sprint, or run in a triathlon.  So, you can produce the same amount of wattage, but go a heck of a lot faster!

What is most influential for reducing aerodynamic drag, i.e. where should you spend your money?

The above pictures are an excellent comparison of not only how far the technology of cycling has come, but also the science of aerodynamics and how it relates to cycling.  Granted, the technology did not exist in the old days to create what the cyclist on the right is using, but just look at the two of them; even if you knew nothing about aerodynamics you would probably guess the rider on the right would be going a lot faster.  Although, the old-school rider definitely wins in style points and dapper looks.

So, where should you spend your money?  Refer to the chart below:

A bike fit is by far the pinnacle of reducing aerodynamic drag and something I highly recommend to my athletes.  Second is surprising to most, but is actually investing in a skinsuit.  I see many people spend a ton of money on their bike and wheels, but miss the fact that these two make up a small percentage of the wind resistance holding you back (although they make you look so pro).  Remember, to reduce drag most you need to reduce your surface area and frontal size.  A frame and wheel see such little air compared to the body which is why a skinsuit reduces so much drag compared to an aero frame and/or wheels.  Besides those two huge areas of savings, you are looking at smaller, but still valuable savings over the course of a long TT or Ironman.

The frame, helmet, pedals, shoes, and gloves all change the drag by less than 3% each, but put them all together and you can easily decrease your total drag by over 10%!  Helmets, shoes, and gloves are also relatively inexpensive compared to a new frame or skinsuit, just make sure whatever equipment you want to invest in is legal according to your local race organization or the UCI.  It’s no fun purchasing something you won’t be able to race with.

So, what is aero?  A measure of the way air moves around things that is crucial to understand in relation to cycling.  Aerodynamic drag is the number one factor that attributes to you slowing down on a bike.  In order to reduce your drag and go faster, I recommend investing in a bike fit and skinsuit first, then helmet, shoes, frame, and gloves for that extra little reduction of drag.

For more information on GC Coaching and how we can help you improve your fitness, please visit www.gaffneycyclingcoaching.com

Further Reading:

Lindsey Underwood’s thesis regarding Aerodynamics of Track Cycling

Get Faster on Flat Roads | Watts/CdA

References:

(1) Dunbar, B. (2011, June 11). What Is Aerodynamics? Retrieved December 29, 2015, from http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/nasa-knows/what-is-aerodynamics-k4.html

(2) Brownlie, L. 1992. Aerodynamic characteristics of sports apparel. School of Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada

(3) Burke, E. R. 1986. Science of cycling. Human Kinetics Publishers, Champaign, Illinois, USA

(4) W. Brownlie, I. Gartshore, A. Chapman, and E. W. Banister. The aerodynamics of cycling apparel. Cycling Science, 3(3-4):44–50, 1991

(5) F. Alam, R. Brooy, A. Subic, and S. Watkins. Aerodynamics of cricket ball-an effect of seams (p70). The Engineering of Sport 7, pages 345–352, 2008

(6) L. Oggiano, O. Troynikov, I. Konopov, A. Subic, and F. Alam. Aerodynamic behaviour of single sport jersey fabrics with different roughness and cover factors. Sports Engineering, 12(1):1–12, 2009

(7) G. Gibertini, D. Grassi, C. Macchi, and G. De Bortoli. Cycling shoe aerodynamics. Sports Engineering, 12 (3):155–161, 2010

(8) M. Jermy, J. Moore, and M. Bloomfield. Translational and rotational aerodynamic drag of composite construction bicycle wheels. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P: Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology, 222(2):91–102, 2008

(9) C. R. Kyle and D. R. Bassett Jr. The Cycling World Hour Record, chapter 7, pages 175–196. Human Kinetics, 2 edition, 2003

(10) C. R. Kyle and M. D. Weaver. Aerodynamics of human-powered vehicles. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part A: Journal of Power and Energy, 218(3):141–154, 2004

(11) Underwood, L., & Jermy, M. (2012). Mathematical model of track cycling: The individual pursuit. Procedia Engineering, 3217-3222

Are you ready to jump into the rabbit hole that is strengthening for endurance athletes with me? Never has a topic had more articles written about it and research conducted that leaves athletes and coaches alike scratching their head as to if it is in fact beneficial to use precious training time focusing on not continuing to strengthen the cardiorespiratory system, but instead building muscular strength and power off bike.  I will attempt to let both sides of the strengthening argument be heard, support these arguments with available research, and finally give my opinion on what has worked for myself and my athletes. Before we can begin anything though, let’s define what conventional strength training is to me.

Conventional strength training is using a mass (barbell, straight bar, kettle bell, body weight, sand bag, even a tree stump if you’re Rocky!) to induce a muscular group contraction and create an overloading of said muscle group.  This overloading causes microtearing of the muscle. This microtearing signals the body to heal the muscle so it is better able to handle the stress previously placed upon it, i.e., become stronger.

Why Strength Train?

Strength training is used to improve neuromuscular power, anaerobic energy system production, muscle size (hypertrophy), bone density,  ligament/tendon strength to help prevent injury, and for a feeling of general well-being.  Usually, strength training is performed in the off-season during the preparation phase and sometimes during the base and build phases of the training periodization cycle.

What Does The Research Say?

Minahan and Wood (1) took 8 previously untrained men and had them perform an 8 week conventional leg-strengthening program (squats, lunges, etc).  The men exercised 3 times per week.  After 8 weeks of strengthening they saw “a significant increase in time to exhaustion at 120% VO2 max as well as an increase of oxygen uptake”.

Sunde et al. (2) took 16 competitive cyclists and, similarly to Minahan and Wood, had them perform 8 weeks of maximal strengthening.  They took it a step further though by including a control group that did not perform any exercise except for their normal endurance training.  They found that the exercise group had an increase of squat 1 rep max of 14.2%, squat rate of force development increased by 16.7%, and time to exhaustion at pre-intervention maximal aerobic power increased by 17.2%.  The control group improved in work efficiency by 1.4% and no other significant changes were found.

Numerous other studies have found an increase in cycling economy, work efficiency at 70% of VO2 max, lactate power profiles, increased oxygen consumption, peak power outputs during a 30 second sprint, increased average power for shorter TTs ranging from 1k-5k, and an increase of time to exhaustion at 85% of VO2 max in both trained and untrained participants (3), (4).

This all sounds fantastic, right!?  No matter how trained or untrained you are, you can benefit from strengthening to basically improve all the determining factors that make-up a good cyclist.  However, there is another camp of athletes and coaches who think strengthening is a total waste of time…

Why Not Strength Train?

The body does not like quick changes in anything, and will respond usually negatively, if a new stress is placed upon it rapidly.  Mackinnon (5) suggests that “prolonged periods of intense training may lead to slight impairment in immune parameters such as neutrophil function, serum and mucosal immunoglobulin levels, plasma glutamine concentration, and possibly natural killer cell cytotoxic activity”.  That is a mouth full, but basically means that intense exercise (weightlifting in our case) can actually suppress the immune system and lead to illnesses whereas moderate to low intensity exercise can help boost immunity.  If the immune system is suppressed enough it will lead to illness which will force the athlete off the bike to recover and lose hard earned fitness as a result.

Another bullet in the chamber for the anti-strengthening group is that exercise causes too much overloading on the joints, ligaments, and tendons which can lead to injuries (think tendinitis) and overuse/over-training symptoms.  Plus, if the athlete does not know how to perform a squat, lunge, dead lift, etc. they will be placing stress and strain on structures that are not supposed to be used during the lift.  Injury is obviously something we as coaches and athletes do not want to deal with.  Also, if the athlete is sore for a few days after their strengthening workout and cannot ride their bike due to it, is the cardiorespiratory strength loss worth the increase of power and force?

Finally, no matter what exercises you do, they will never be able to mimic the turning of cranks.  Yes, you can build quadricep, hamstring, and glute strength individually, but does this mean you can generate increased power to the pedals when you need it?  The above studies have all demonstrated increased 1 rep max, cycling economy, and increased power <3-5 minutes on fresh legs, but most cyclists compete for hours and are not able to generate their true maximum power due to built-up muscular fatigue accumulated over the course of a race.  So, if you are training to improve your overall power for short bursts, but won’t be able to unleash a sprint until 3 hours into a race, is strengthening worth it?

What Do I Think?

I think conventional strength training is appropriate for the vast majority of the athletes I work with, but also inappropriate for others.  Again, conventional strength training involves the use of weights and is done off the bike, this does not mean that only certain types of athletes will benefit from strength training however.  Track cyclists, cyclocross racers, criterium specialists, and sprint specialists all have to be able to generate tremendous amounts of power repeatedly, but for a short period of time.  These types of competitive cyclists will benefit from conventional strength training to enhance their power and force as well as compliment their endurance exercise done on bike.  Athletes new to the sport of cycling who do not have years of training under their belts to strengthen the tendons and ligaments in their hips, knees, and ankles also benefit from strength training as it will enhance power and force, but with the added benefit of preventing injury as it will strengthen the aforementioned structures.

However, seasoned road racing cyclists, IronMan athletes, climbing specialists, and randonneurs (to name a few) do not need to produce vast amounts of power for short durations.  Instead, they need to be able to produce power over the long term as well as be able to conserve their energy until it is needed most.  This means, to me, that they will benefit more so from on bike strengthening to increase their muscular endurance and better mimic their events and races.  I will still prescribe strength training to these athlete types in the off-season, but more so for balancing the muscles not used in cycling and for core strength and stability.  I also will include 6-10 weeks of conventional strength training for these athletes if they are returning from injury, are mentally exhausted from a long season, or just need a break from the bike to keep their joints, ligaments, and tendons healthy as well as maintain/regain their muscular strength.

So, is conventional strength training beneficial for cyclists and endurance athletes?  Yes and no.  Cyclists who rely on massive power for short durations for their competition heavily benefit from conventional strength training.  Cyclists who rely on their endurance and FTP for the final climb of their competition, are too busy and have limited training availability, or performing extreme cycling/training volume for an IronMan / randonee, will benefit more from on bike strength training and continued endurance work.  However, the vast majority of the athletes I work with (and the athletes who are reading this) should spend time this off-season performing a dedicated strength training program.  Your spaghetti arms will thank you 😉

Check out the GC Coaching Strength / Preparation Phase Plan here!

References:

(1) Minahan, C., & Wood, C. (2007). Strength training improves supramaximal cycling but not anaerobic capacity. European Journal of Applied Physiology Eur J Appl Physiol, 659-666.

(2) Sunde, A., Støren, Ø, Bjerkaas, M., Larsen, M., Hoff, J., & Helgerud, J. (n.d.). Maximal Strength Training Improves Cycling Economy in Competitive Cyclists. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research,2157-2165.

(3)  CD Paton, WG Hopkins, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2005, 19, 826 – 830.

(4)  BR Ronnestad, EA Hansen, T Raastad, European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2010, 108, 965-975.

(5) Mackinnon, L. (n.d.). Chronic exercise training effects on immune function. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

I am writing from the North Eastern United States and I have to say, this year the cold weather has been slim to none over the past couple of months.  This is great as I have been able to get my longer rides in outdoors and keep group riding later than usual.  With that being said though, Winter starts December 22nd (2015) and the colder air and snow will inevitably be here before you know it.  The following are the ways that I dress myself when the mercury starts to dip to stay comfortable when exercising outdoors and are backed by years of mistakes, frozen toes, and soaked base layers.  However, what works for me may not work for you, please keep that in mind…

65+ degrees fahrenheit

• Head – Nothing unless it is really bright out and I want a casquette to keep the sun out of my eyes.
• Torso – Summer weight jersey >75+ F.  Regular weight jersey + wicking sleeveless base-layer otherwise.
• Hands – Nothing, unless I am racing then I will put a regular pair of bike gloves (fingerless) on to prevent road rash on my palms in the event of a crash.
• Legs – Summer weight bib-shorts >75+F.  Regular weight bib-shorts otherwise.
• Feet – Nothing

55-65 degrees fahrenheit

• Head – Casquette.
• Torso – Regular weight jersey + sleeveless wicking base-layer.  I keep arm warmers in my jersey pocket in case it gets cloudy/windy, or for descents.
• Hands – Nothing, unless I am racing then I will put a regular pair of bike gloves (fingerless) on to prevent road rash on my palms in the event of a crash.
• Legs – Regular weight bib-shorts.
• Feet – Nothing.

45-55 degrees fahrenheit

• Head – Wool casquette that covers the ears.
• Torso – Regular weight jersey + sleeveless wicking base-layer + wind-resistant/proof vest + arm warmers.
• Hands – Full length wind-resistant/proof lightweight gloves.
• Legs – Regular weight bib-shorts + mild/medium embrocation, or knee/leg warmers.
• Feet – Wool socks + toe covers.

35-45 degrees fahrenheit

• Head – Wool casquette + plastic covering over helmet/aero helmet with minimal venting.
• Torso – Thermal long-sleeve jersey + long-sleeve wicking base-layer + wind proof vest/jacket.
• Hands – Full length wind-proof heavyweight gloves.
• Legs – Regular weight bib-shorts + medium/hot embrocation, or leg warmers.
• Feet – Wool socks + overshoes.

25-35 degrees fahrenheit

• Head – Balaclava + plastic covering over helmet/aero helmet with minimal venting.
• Torso – Thermal long-sleeve wicking base-layer + Thermal long-sleeve jersey + wind-proof heavy jacket.
• Hands – Full length wind-proof heavy weight gloves + hand warmers, or lobster-claw mittens.
• Legs – Thermal bib-tights.
• Feet – Heavy wool socks + overshoes + toe warmers, or winter cycling shoes.

<25 degrees fahrenheit (you are braver than me!)

• Head – Wool casquette + balaclava + plastic covering over helmet/aero helmet with minimal venting.
• Torso – Long-sleeve wicking base layer + thermal long-sleeve wicking base-layer + Thermal long-sleeve jersey + wind-proof heavy jacket.
• Hands – Glove liners + lobster-claw mittens + hand warmers.
• Legs – Regular weight bib-shorts + thermal bib-tights.
• Feet – Wicking lightweight socks + heavy wool socks + overshoes + toe warmers, or winter cycling shoes.

Other considerations

I will dress 1 temperature range higher when I am performing high intensity intervals, riding steadily at SST or LT, riding in the woods, or racing.

I will dress 1 temperature range lower and add a waterproof shell layer when it is raining/snowing.  I will also dress 1 temperature range lower in a group ride as there tends to be long bouts when you are just chilling (pun intended 😉 ) in the paceline as others are working on the front.

Base training is a traditional phase of cycling periodization and is utilized by coaches and athletes alike to prepare their bodies for the greater physiological demands the build and peak phases bring, increase sport specific strength, and improve pedaling technique; essentially you are training for the sake of training, not for a specific race or goal.

What is the Traditional way to Base Train?

Traditional base training involves doing a lot of long duration riding at low to moderate intensity with the goals of increasing capillary density, mitochondrial density, muscular endurance, and mental strength (pain tolerance).  This sounds great in theory, but is it just an archaic way of thinking and training?  Yes and no…Yes for the athletes who do not have 20+ hours per week to train and need to get a better return on their training time, and no for those athletes who have oodles of time to dedicate to their training.  Also, riding your bike for a long time at a slow pace (usually zone 2) will make you better at, you guessed it, riding your bike for a long time at a slow pace.  I don’t know about you, but I have never raced my bike slowly!  This does not mean that zone 2 training should be thrown out the window though…

I utilize zone 2 training with my athletes when they are coming out of their race season and into their off-season to give them a mental break and remind them that they can just ride their bikes for enjoyment.  Then again during their transition phase to prepare their bodies for the higher volume and intensities to come.  Zone 2 is also where you spend a lot of time when you are cruising in the peloton during a race, so you need to be used to spending hours in this zone before race season starts.

So, if you don’t have hours and hours to train like a professional athlete, what should you do to increase your aerobic fitness?  That, my friends, is where Sweet Spot training comes in.

What is the Sweet Spot Zone?

The Sweet Spot zone is between 85-97% of your FTP, think high zone 3 and low zone 4…

This is called the Sweet Spot zone because it is smack dab in the middle of where you get the best bang for your buck in terms of return on training time invested.  You can spend a lot of quality time here without building up undue fatigue which allows for greater repeatability and increased training stress over the course of a training block.  Most importantly though, you can spend a lot less time in Sweet Spot compared to zone 2 training and get similar physiological improvements.  Thought of another way, espresso and coffee have a similar caffeine content, but you need a lot less espresso to achieve the same caffeine buzz.

Benefits of Sweet Spot Training

The above table helps to really hammer this point home.  As you can see, zone 2 training does help to improve a myriad of aerobic factors, but you need to spend ample amounts of time working in this zone to reap the benefits.  Now, look at the Sweet Spot zone, you can achieve the same increases in aerobic factors, but in half the time needed compared to zone 2.

This does not mean to go absolutely bananas and do every single workout at Sweet Spot zone.  Figure out, or ask a coach :-), what your races for the season will need to be done at in terms of length and intensity.  Then, match the amount of Sweet Spot training to this with a goal of being able to maintain Sweet Spot for the longest climb in the race, your longest TT, or criterium/cross race length.  For example, if you are a Cat 5 road racer, you don’t need to be spending 2 hours working at Sweet Spot when your longest race of the season will be 60 minutes.

“This all sounds awesome, Shayne!  You are telling me I can can workout for half the time and get the same benefits!?”

Not so fast my friends…

Drawbacks of Sweet Spot Training

Refer back up to the physiological adaptations table, notice that Sweet Spot training does jack squat for your anaerobic system, neuromuscular power, and fast twitch muscle fibers?  This is a huge issue because athletes who specialize in road races, criteriums, cyclocross events, and track races rely heavily upon their anaerobic systems and fast twitch muscle fibers to generate breakaway power, power up a short and steep incline, accelerate after a sharp turn, and get off the blocks as quickly as possible.  So, make sure you are using the later stages of your off-season effectively and not just increasing your aerobic capacity if you plan on competing in any of these events!

Another drawback of Sweet Spot training is the ride lengths usually aren’t long enough for certain athletes.  For example, an athlete who specializes in road racing will typically spend 3 hours+ riding their bike during a typical road race, but if they are only spending 90 minutes on their bike at a time, even if they are working at a respectable intensity, chances are they will not have the muscular endurance or pain tolerance to last for 3+ hours and be able to produce a decent enough kick at the end to win.  So, make sure you are still getting out for those longer rides at least a couple times a month in the winter to maintain your muscular endurance and mental fortitude!

So, is traditional base training dead?  For all intents and purposes, yes!  Spending a lot of time on your bike at a low intensity will only make you better at riding slow for a long time, and secondarily will bore you to death.  As the winter closes in and your training time invariably decreases, don’t waste your time spinning aimlessly at zone 2!  Instead, include some Sweet Spot work into your routine and continue to watch your FTP and fitness rise steadily throughout the winter.  Remember to not just spin at Sweet Spot though as you will indubitably lose your anaerobic and neuromuscular power.  Finally, zone 2 still has it’s purpose!  It is beneficial for those athletes who are burnt out from a long season of racing, coming back after injury, or preparing their bodies for the high volumes and intensity of the build phase.  Don’t write off zone 2 entirely just yet…

Other Resources:

Drills to improve your pedaling technique

Structured training plans

Free Sweet Spot workouts

Lactate threshold (LT) and functional threshold power (FTP) are NOT the same thing, people!  I feel better now that I got that off my chest :-).

What is Lactate Threshold?

Lactate threshold is determined by a blood lactate laboratory test (example in the image above) and is the point at which lactate begins to increase exponentially in the blood stream during said test.  Lactate threshold can also be seen as the inflection point on a line graph where the blood lactate concentrations are plotted for an athlete undergoing said test…

As you can see from the above image, there is a clear inflection point where lactate begins to increase exponentially (11.8 mph for this runner) and does not stop increasing until the athlete fatigues and the test stops.  So, when this athlete is running slower than 11.8 mph, they are said to be “below lactate threshold.”  Their cells are producing lactate still, but they are able to use it efficiently and it does not build up in the blood stream.  When the testers increased the treadmill speed to 13 mph, the athlete was pushed “above lactate threshold” and their bodies began to produce even more lactate to meet energy demand.  Their cells are unable to clear the lactate efficiently at this intensity which causes an increase of lactate found in the blood stream.  As the testers increase the treadmill speed further, more and more lactate accumulates.

Remember, when lactate is used for energy, hydrogen is produced as a byproduct.  Hydrogen lowers the pH of our blood and causes acidosis (burning) in our muscles.  When acidosis gets to a point, the athlete must reduce their output as the pain and fatigue is too great to push any further.  This is an important number for athletes to know because it precisely tells them what point they can push to and be able to sustain it for a long time without too much risk of fatiguing early (think of an Ironman triathlon).  However, blood lactate tests are expensive, invasive, and aren’t really necessary with the advent of the power meter.

What is functional threshold power?

Functional threshold power (FTP) is the maximum power output an athlete can maintain in a quasi-steady state without fatiguing for 1 hour.  FTP is, in my opinion, is a better way to analyze current fitness and improvements because it is more readily available to the athlete, isn’t invasive, and can be repeated multiple times for FREE!  More about FTP here.

How did FTP and LT become confused to mean the same thing?  Because your maximum effort for 1 hour is commonly the same as your lactate threshold.  Dr. Andy Coggan realized this so he came up with the FTP concept and simplified things for everyone (yippee!).  However, your FTP is not your LT and your LT is not your FTP, got it!?

So, to recap: what is the difference between lactate threshold and functional threshold power?  LT is the point at which lactate increases in the blood stream exponentially whereas FTP is the maximum effort an athlete can maintain for 1 hour without fatiguing.