This week we talk to World Tour neo-pro Harry Sweeny about his journey to the top level of the sport. How he has developed as a rider through national programs and Continental racing, and how things are different at the top level. Show Sponsor: For a limited time, Hammerhead has an incredible deal - buy a Karoo 2 at hammerhead.io/trade and get up to $170 when you trade in your current cycling computer. That’s a rebate of up to $170 when you trade up to a Karoo 2 from Hammerhead, and...

We bring our very first guest onto the show, pro cyclist for EF Education Nippo, Jimmy Whelan. We discuss his transition from running to cycling and quick rise through the cycling ranks.  Show Sponsor: For a limited time, Semi-Pro Cycling podcast listeners can get a free Hammerhead Heart Rate Monitor with the purchase of a Karoo 2. Visit hammerhead.io right now and use promo code SEMIPRO at checkout to get yours today.That’s a free Hammerhead Heart Rate Monitor with the purchase of a Karoo 2...

In this episode we take a look at the current performance model of cycling at all levels and ask the question - can we do better? Show Sponsor: For a limited time, Semi-Pro Cycling podcast listeners can get a free Hammerhead Heart Rate Monitor with the purchase of a Karoo 2. Visit hammerhead.io right now and use promo code SEMIPRO at checkout to get yours today.That’s a free Hammerhead Heart Rate Monitor with the purchase of a Karoo 2 when you go to Hammerhead.io and use promo code SEMIPRO,...

I’ll be upfront here - it’s a bit of a clickbaity title so to be clear I coach one rider at pro-level - the level under the World Tour. This rider, Jay Vine, won the Zwift Academy and as his longtime coach, we continued to work together where he rode both pro and world tour races including a grand tour, La Vuelta ESpaña.  It’s been a hard but rewarding year and I’ve learned a lot about myself and the pro cycling world. So in this episode, we’re going to take a look at the lessons I’ve learned...

There’s plenty of information around how to conduct blood lactate tests, but information on why we test blood lactate is often entangled with conflicts of interest. In Part 2 of our blood lactate testing episode, we continue our discussion on whether blood lactate testing is necessary or valuable for training cyclists in 2021 and beyond. This episode includes alternatives to blood lactate testing, a critical thinking exercise around the claims of blood lactate testing, and our...

Lactate and its association with exercise has been known for more than 200 years after Jöns Jakob first observed it in the muscles of hunted stags. Consequently, knowledge of its relationship with exercise is deeply rooted in both popular culture and among endurance athletes. However, more recent research has demonstrated lactate’s presence during exercise has largely been misunderstood for much of this time. During this two part series, we do a deep dive into all things lactate to assess...

Listen in as we guide you through everything you need to complete a successful Everesting. The idea is fairly simple but climbing 8,848m on a bicycle in one ride is not easy. It can be done with the right knowledge, though. So 7 years after Cyrus did his Everesting - we sit down and go through everything you need to complete a successful Everesting. This episode’s panel: Jason Boynton, Ph.D. boyntoncoaching.com Damian Ruse semiprocycling.com Cyrus Monk cyclistscientist.com Instagram:...

We take a dive into the nasal passage and look at whether there are performance gains to be obtained through nose breathing. This leads to a discussion around how we evaluate interventions and make decisions on whether they’re worth implementing for ourselves and our athletes. 2:30 How do we normally breathe during exercise? 8:25 What are the claimed benefits of nose breathing over mouth breathing? 9:15 Are we getting too much oxygen? 21:15 What do the studies show? 29:25 What level of...

Last week we discussed the theory surrounding testing cyclists. This week we build on that discussion and look at ways the underlying theory can be applied to testing cyclists in a practical sense. We investigate how appropriate testing should be selected and administered and also provide information on how to evaluate the data that these tests provide. 1:20 Test selection. 5:40 Metabolic energy system specificity. 7:50 Biomechanical movement pattern specificity. 12:10 Characteristics of...

Testing cyclists is a key component of a science-based approach to improving cycling performance. And there is a surprising amount of important theory to consider and apply when it comes to the practice of testing this cohort of athletes.  Indeed, the breadth and importance of testing cyclists is so great that our discussion on the topic ended up spanning two full episodes! So buckle up there, cycling performance enthusiast! It’s time to get deep into athlete testing theory and practical...

Take a look inside the planning and execution of a 3-week altitude training camp in preparation for a Grand Tour and learn how you can run your own. When you coach an athlete that gets the call up to ride a Grand Tour, you can bet that I’ll do everything I can to make sure they are in the form of their life. So when there was space on the calendar for a training camp - we both went all-in on an altitude training camp. It was a great learning experience and I’m here to share the steps I took...

This week the co-hosts challenge each other with hypothetical athlete cases. Each cyclist differs in physiology, cycling background, and lifestyle, but they are all seeking to improve performance and reach specific competition goals. What follows for each case is an impromptu discussion on the techniques, and initial steps, we would implement, as coaches, to help these athletes achieve their cycling goals. 1:50 Tying up loose ends from the previous interval pacing episode. 6:30: Sarah - 34...

Your time and money are valuable. That’s why it is important to invest these commodities wisely and carefully consider the claims of products and practices meant to improve your cycling performance.  This week each of us deep-dive into a product or claim that has recently triggered our skeptical spider senses. Things that made us stop and say, “Is that true?” and “Does that even improve cycling performance?”. Herein we investigate: Normatec recovery boots, lactic acid buffering lotions, and a...

1:30 A training advice anecdote 6:40 Interval pacing athlete conversation 9:45 Oxygen-deficit and ‘lag’ in VO2 increase during an interval 15:20 What is the purpose of interval training? 21:55 Which specific intervals are we looking at? 24:00 How much time can you spend at >90%VO2max during a session 29:35 Where does the research currently sit? 43:30 How can we apply this research to design an interval session? 46:45 Which athletes will ‘declining intensity’ or ‘fast-start’ intervals work...

2:10 More momentum for Critical Power over FTP 7:30 What is the research supporting warm-ups for endurance events? 12:30 What happens within the body during a warm-up? 21:10 Psychological benefit to warm-ups 24:25 Effect of warm-ups on performance 28:50 Which subjects are used in this research? 31:25 Does a warm-up really matter at all? 35:00 Downsides to a warm-up 36:55 Warming up for a specific phase within an endurance race 39:10 What are the pros doing? 42:35 Listener question on warm-up...

You probably realize that ‘threshold’ is an important measure for endurance athletes. But there seem to be many different types of thresholds measures out there, and that might be confusing for some. In this episode, the panel explores the many types of thresholds (e.g. FTP, critical power, lactate threshold): how they are determined, whether they are the same or different, whether they are interchangeable, how they relate to each other, and what it all means for the real-world coach and...

2:55 Listener feedback 6:05 What is SEVEN? 11:05 Race day factors that could be rectified ‘easily’. 15:25 Ride analysis from the 2021 edition of SEVEN. 32:30 How to make the required improvements for a beginner athlete. 40:30 Does CTL correlate with FTP? What is the relationship and where does it end? 45:10 The importance of training age when seeking rapid improvement. 48:20 An example of CTL and FTP not being tied together if the training isn’t right. 51:30 Training for physiology vs....

Host topics covered in this episode: 1:20 A few years ago it was claimed that FTP was dead. We discuss whether the newer alternatives have any sound scientific rationale behind them and why FTP, despite its flaws, is still being used. 13:00 The amateur to professional cyclist roadmap 15:00 Prerequisites to performance, i.e. what you have to be born with. 24:00 Development through junior training and racing. Is it essential to become a professional? What should be the focus during this...

Host topics covered on this episode: 1:30 Listener feedback 4:20 What is a graded exercise test? 8:15 Where do you get your training information? We discuss the differences between layman’s articles (e.g. blogs) and peer-reviewed scientific articles as coach/athlete resources. 25:55 Continuous improvement is important as a coach. We discuss what is on our “coaching to-do lists”: Nose breathing; functional reserve capacity (FRC); critical power vs. FTP; mental skills toolbox; gaining more...

Host topics covered on this episode: 1:25 What happens when an athlete can’t complete a session? What is the role of the athlete and the role of the coach in this scenario? How can sessions be prescribed to prevent this happening? 28:40 How does carbohydrate combustion and availability influence placement of harder sessions in a training program? How much carbohydrate is burnt during a session and how much recovery is required to replenish the stores? 47:00 Which session is best for...

Host topics covered on this episode: 2:05 Is there a correlation between core strength and FTP? At what point does this correlation end and should we be prescribing core strength exercises to all athletes? "Core Strength Increases FTP?" thread. https://groups.google.com/g/wattage/c/UlfL_IzVWYg/m/Ty8Y1TrdzboJ 30:05 What is the purpose behind VO2 max tests? When should athletes use them and what can we learn from them? 47:40 Rest weeks. What are the differences between an ‘easy week’ and a...

Host topics covered on this episode: 1:45 Developing an athlete’s skills. Does skills training find its way into a training program? When is the right time to focus on training skills? 23:30 Do pre-race openers (or primers) give a performance benefit to the athlete. Is there any research supporting this? 43:40 Is there merit in implementing a ‘prepackaged’ training plan for endurance athletes? Audience topics: 1:04:30 Positive feedback from Manthan. 1:06:30 Luca wants to know if a prepackaged...

Introducing a new podcast called The Cycling Performance Club Podcast and, you might already be able to guess it’s about all things cycling training, performance, and science. The exciting part of this show is the format. It’s a panel show that is recorded live on a weekly call with a panel of scientists, pro-cyclists, and cutting-edge coaches. You can also join the call and ask questions or contribute to the conversation in any way. Listen to the episode to find out how. Topics covered on...