Modern training values
quality over quantitywhen they want it, instead of guessing
what to do and hoping it works.”
The power meter was the big game-
changer. The old insurance policy
of doing miles for
strength, stamina and
basic fitness, then
using races as specific
training, has been
superseded. Power
meters give total
control over training
doses and monitoring
fitness, far more
precisely than racing.
Power is knowledge
Top riders nowadays race far less.
Racing worked but it was a scattergun
approach, never a reliable way to reach
peak form. The new approach uses
doses of training, measured accurately
by power output, to create the specific
physiological changes required to peak
for a race. Coaches now have more
knowledge and thus more power. Many
of the leading riders know far less about
their training than their predecessors
did; the coach is the knowledge centre.
The understanding of human
physiology continues
apace, and
today’s cutting-edge
training is beginning
to apply expertise
in gene expression:
individually tailoring
sessions and diet to
stimulate particular
gene responses. This
allows targeting of
a specific response such as power at
anaerobic threshold or fat metabolism at
a given intensity.
Training has also become more
holistic, with almost all top racers doing
off-the-bike strength and conditioning
work. This is designed to eradicate
weaknesses, increase muscular strength
and power, or improve the kinetic
chain — optimal firing of muscle fibres
required to produce power efficiently.The evolving role
of nutritionSome early beliefs about nutrition are
back in vogue. In the Fifties and Sixties,
pro cyclists focused on getting lots of
protein into their diets; Tour de France
riders would even eat steak for breakfast.
By the Seventies, they were also consum-
ing large amounts of carbohydrate.
Soon enough, carbohydrate loading
was all the rage. Four or five days out
from a big race, riders would restrict their
carb intake, then eat loads of carbs in the
final 48 hours before the race — believing
this would supercharge their muscles
with glycogen.
By the Eighties, the carbo-loading
trend ditched the depletion phase,
keeping just the binge a day or two before
a race. Riders were eating less protein by
then, and one or two top names flirted
with vegetarianism.
Power meters brought weight into
sharper focus, as riders could now see
their power-to-weight ratios in black
and white. The object of training now
is to increase power, while nutrition
focuses on reducing the weight side of
the equation. Protein has made a big
comeback, and carbs are now treated
with caution. Pro road racers have never
been skinnier, and carb restriction has
become an accepted part of training.
Gene response is now becoming
a feature of modern training, with
huge potential. Here’s one example of
its role in nutrition. PGC-1a is a gene
activator; the more PGC-1a there is in a
muscle, the more mitochondria there
are. PGC-1a production is controlled
by an enzyme called AMPK, which is
produced when muscles work very hard.
AMPK production increases during
high-intensity training, but consuming
carbohydrates during that training
reduces AMPK production. Thus, we
know that short, hard intervals in a fasted
state is a very effective way to train.Naturally, the most advanced methods
remain the preserve of highly qualified
coaches using expensive, specialised
equipment. As you wait for the new
tech and breakthroughs to trickle
through, rest assured, the old approach
still works: get the miles in, get fit, and
have fun.“Power gives
total control over
training doses
and monitoring
fitness levels”
Cycling Weekly | December 7, 2017 | 47