FITNESS
-Sleepisthegoldenkeytorecovery,soput
intopracticea bedtimethatallowsmaximal
rest(ie:avoidingscreens,caffeineandalcohol
beforebed,usingblackoutcurtains,goingto
bedearlyenoughtogettheoptimalamountof
sleepforthefollowingdays’session).
2
STRENGTH
Testosterone declines gradually in
men at a rate of around 1% a year after
age 30 in the general population. Women, too,
have testosterone (at a marginal level compared
to male counterparts) which plays a significant
role in strength and recovery, which gradually
declines around menopause.
What does this mean? Testosterone
increases muscle protein synthesis, causing
muscular growth (or reduction in decline),
allows fatigue resistance and speeds and
improves the recovery process: all processes
that decline with age.
In addition to this, women, in particular
are at risk of loss of bone density as they age,
called osteopenia and osteoporosis. By adding
strength-based training and dynamic activities
into training, you can reduce the rate of bone-
mineral decline.
TRAINING HACKS
- For mountain bike riding, strength
endurance or muscular endurance (low
cadence/high gear) efforts are key, as no matter
the discipline mountain biking involves a range
of high force-low velocity pedaling. - Both HIIT (high intensity interval training)
and resistance training (ie: Heavy weight
training) both increase testosterone levels, and
can also aid in reducing injuries: add weight-
based and high intensity into your training to
mitigate natural testosterone decline. - Ensure you meet your energy requirements.
Long-term energy restriction has been found
to reduce testosterone levels, while Zinc and
Vitamin D are linked to healthy testosterone
levels.It’ssafetosayif you’reunderfuellingin
thenameofmaking‘raceweight’,it’spossible
yourenergyneedsaren’tbeingmettoperform
duringyoursessions,andyou’remissing
outonessentialmicronutrientsthatsupport
testosteroneandstrengthmaintenance.
3
AEROBICDECLINES
Unfortunately,asweageourbodies
losetheabilitytouseoxygenas
effectivelyaswhenwewerelivingina share
housewithfourotherpeopleandlivingon
two-minutenoodles.Forthelayperson,VO2
max,ormaximaloxygenuptakecandeclineby
asmuchas10%perdecadeaftertheageof30,
butwithtrainingthatnumbercanlessenedto
a 5%loss/decade^5. Thisis,inpartbecauseof
thereductioninmaximalheartrateandstroke
volumeoftheheartasweage.
TRAININGHACKS
Thankfully,cyclingisa largelyaerobicsport
andbygettingoutonthebikeyouarealready
aheadofthebellcurveofaerobicdecline.
Howeverbyincorporatingshort,hardefforts
likeVO2basedtrainingorHIITaswellas
enduranceridesyouarereallygivingyourself
thebestshotatmaintainingthatvitalaerobic
capacitythatissointegraltomountainbiking
success!
4
FITTINGITALLIN
Hereit is,theelephantintheroom
oftrainingmastersathletes:time(or
lackofit).Thoughtheymaybethroughthe
otherendofthattoughcareer-buildingstage,
andthroughthepitfallsandperilsofthebaby
stageofparenting,mostmastersathletesstill
havea wholehostofresponsibilitiestowork
around.I liketocallthis‘life’.
Fearnot!Therearemanywaystomake
5 https://theconversation.com/how-does-aging-affect-
athletic-performance-36051
a busy calendar compatible with training
aspirations!
TRAINING HACKS
- Embrace the commute. If you are within a
reasonable distance there’s no better way to
optimise your fitness by involving a commute to
and from work. Rather than just trundle along,
a short commute is a great time to introduce
some sprints, short and hard efforts or even
just a time-trial one way, with the return
journey (or vice versa) a recovery ride. - Get in the shed and embrace the trainer.
The training gains from a short HIIT or VO2-
based session can be enormous from a session
as short as 40 minutes! While it does take a
whole lot of motivation to train inside, it’s never
been a better time to embrace trainer life, with
the advent of trainer apps including Zwift and
TrainerRoad. - Emphasise quality over quantity. Many
masters riders will avoid the ‘hard’ work of high
intensity work, instead focusing on endurance.
But this ‘hard’ training is central to slowing
the physical decline of age, plus is an efficient
way to get good bang-for-buck for the time-
strapped athlete - Give and take. Your loved ones are much
more likely to be supportive of your mountain
biking passion if you can work it into every
day life, and this may mean forfeiting the two
4 hour sessions you had planned with your
mates on the weekend for a single long ride
and potentially a short stint in the shed, or
family ride on the trails. As much as scheduling
training time is important, remember that
emphasis on recovery and balance is key for the
masters athlete, and as a plus will buy some
brownie points when needed.
If you are a masters rider, there is no denying
that there are some physical declines that
occur with each lap around the sun. However,
by looking at the key physiological changes and
mitigating by implementing strength training,
increasing the emphasis on recovery protocols,
an emphasis on aerobic fitness and work-life
balance, there is no reason why you can’t
continue to ride and race at a cracking pace
throughout the decades.
ANNA BECK
Anna Beck is a Level 2 cycling coach
and 2018 XCM National Champion,
and coaches a range of athletes.
annabeckcoaching.com.au
http://www.ambmag.com.au - 111