{"id":41384,"date":"2022-09-30T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-29T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=41384"},"modified":"2022-10-04T17:36:04","modified_gmt":"2022-10-04T15:36:04","slug":"dont-try-this-at-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/2022\/09\/30\/dont-try-this-at-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t try this at home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Team Jumbo Visma apparently used ketones during the Tour, and they\u2019re not banned, but no one knows if there\u2019ll be long-term side effects <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Don\u2019t try this at home<\/h2>\n\n

Discovering the secrets of the world’s best is a proven sale for recreational riders. But as you’ll find out, many strategies should perhaps be the preserve of the pros only <\/span><\/p>\n\n

Words<\/strong> James Witts | Illustration<\/strong> Joe Waldron<\/p>\n\n

01 <\/span>TRY TAKING KETONES?<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

\u25cf Ketones continue to flirt with road cycling thanks <\/strong><\/strong>to the likes of Jumbo-Visma reportedly using them at the Tour de France. Then again, any team who\u2019s signed up to the Movement for Credible Cycling (MPCC), which includes Lotto-Soudal, Team DSM and EF Education Easy-Post, is prohibited from using them due to their side-effects, including vomiting and stomach distress, and uncertainty over any longterm effects. But what are they? They\u2019re chemicals produced naturally by your body when it\u2019s run out of carbs for fuel and switches to breaking down fat. They\u2019re not banned by WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) so you, the recreational cyclist, can doff a cupful to your heart\u2019s content \u2013 though you might not want to as their taste is, shall we say, \u2018unique\u2019. But would you want to anyway? The answer\u2019s equivocal. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe rationale is the same as when I researched medium-chain triglycerides,\u201d explains Professor Asker Jeukendrup, who works with Jumbo-Visma. \u201cThe MCTs are partly converted to ketone bodies, especially beta hydroxybutyrate, and this is a good substrate for the muscle. We demonstrated that MCTs were rapidly used and could be a good alternative fuel. However, it\u2019s pointless even thinking about additional fuels if you don\u2019t have a perfect fuelling plan in the first place. All the rest is just icing on a cake.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Do you have a sound nutrition plan? Even if you do, you might not enjoy the results you\u2019re after, with studies suggesting ketones could be better for recovery than anything else and only if you\u2019re in an extreme fatigued state, like a Tour de France rider often is. In fact, we\u2019ve recently tried ketones and suggest their main benefit is blunting appetite, which is supported by a 2018 study out of Oxford University that showed increased blood-ketone levels suppressed appetite through lower plasma ghrelin (the hunger-signalling hormone) levels. You\u2019ll have to dig deep, though: three servings of high-quality G R <\/strong>KetonePerformance cost $85. Maybe stick with that healthy diet for now. <\/p>\n\n

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02 <\/span>CUT ALL COMFORT?<\/span><\/h5>\n\n

\u25cf When it comes to how you sit on a bike, there\u2019s <\/strong>no mysterious variation between you and Chris Froome. \u201cInstead, it\u2019s upfront where we look to differentiate. This usually means the reach and drop to the bars,\u201d explains bike-fitting expert John Dennis of Momentum Sports Injury Clinic in Newcastle. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cOften, I\u2019m looking at the professionals\u2019 riding torso angles \u2013 measured from the hip up to the shoulder \u2013 and this is as low as 36\u00b0 up to around 42\u00b0. This may require running a saddle-to-handlebar drop of around 11 to 14cm on their road bikes,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cHowever, for your average weekend rider, this may be closer to 45\u00b0 and probably a saddle-to-bar drop of around 7-10cm,\u201d Dennis adds. \u201cFor those whose goal is riding even more comfortable miles, back and torso angles in the higher 40s running around 4-6 cm of drop may well be more appropriate. Higher and shorter isn\u2019t always more comfortable, though, so it\u2019s important to establish what works best for the individual.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

Ideally that\u2019d mean a professional bike fit. Whether that fit would direct you to splash out on the current trend of a narrower cockpit remains to be seen. \u201cIt\u2019s popular for pros and competitive amateurs to run narrower bars than would have been used in the past. We\u2019d measure the widest part of the shoulders, which gives us a starting point for bar width. It could mean a 40cm bar on a smaller bike up to a 44cm bar on larger frames. But there are riders now riding 36cm bars to chase the streamlined advantages of a narrower frontal profile. We wouldn\u2019t recommend this to the vast majority of riders in terms of sacrificing comfort and sustainability for aerodynamics, though.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

\u201cOF TEN, I\u2019M LOOKING AT THE PROFESSIONALS\u2019 RIDING TORSO ANGLES \u2013 MEASURED FROM THE HIP UP TO THE SHOULDER \u2013 AND THIS IS AS LOW AS 36\u00b0 UP TO AROUND 42\u00b0\u201d <\/span><\/p>John Dennis <\/strong>Bike-fitting expert<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n

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03<\/span> FAST IN THE OFF-SEASON?<\/span><\/h5>\n\n

\u25cf Fasted and glycogen-depleted <\/strong> sessions are a staple of the WorldTour teams\u2019 off-season menu, the idea being that going into a ride nutritionally undercooked forces the body to burn fat for fuel. This has a two-pronged benefit. The first is that the body will spare precious glycogen stores for higher-intensity efforts. The second is that riders will become leaner, which will pay off in the mountains. It certainly stimulates the latter, with EF Education Easy-Post\u2019s manager Jonathan Vaughters attributing fasted training to why Team Sky riders would turn up to February\u2019s Emirates races in seemingly peak physical condition. For the elites, it pays off. For amateur cyclists, heed the caveats. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

\u201cSome studies, especially with men, say that it\u2019s okay to train fasted but I don\u2019t know why you\u2019d put that extra stress on your body,\u201d says sports nutritionist Emily Kier. \u201cHow fat adapted do you need to be? You have energy products, and it\u2019s not like you\u2019re doing the Marathon des Sables [run] where you carry your own food and will be hungry for six days.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

There\u2019s also evidence that training too long and too hard in a sugar-shorn state lowers immunity and cranks up the chances of upper-respiratory infections and the like, especially during winter with its cold, dry air. If you do want to give it a go, keep intensity low to moderate and start at an hour. Don\u2019t do more than once a week and refuel heartily afterwards. <\/p>\n\n

\u201c SOME STUDIES SAY THAT IT\u2019S OK AY TO TRAIN FASTED. I DON\u2019T KNOW WHY YOU\u2019D PUT THAT EXTRA STRESS ON YOUR BODY\u201d <\/span><\/p>Emily Kier <\/strong>Sports nutritionist<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n

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04<\/span> TRAIN YOUR GUT TO COPE WITH CARBS?<\/span><\/h5>\n\n

\u25cf One of the key components <\/strong>behind reaching your race goals is ensuring you consume sufficient sugar on the bike to hit your peak without <\/span>gastro repercussions. But how much? <\/span> Traditionally it was thought 60g <\/span> (approx two gels) glucose an hour was opti<\/span>mum. Then in 2004, it seemed that 90g an hour was <\/span>possible by ingesting a 2:1<\/span> ratio of glucose to fructose. They u<\/span>sed different transporter proteins to pass into your bloodstream ods so<\/span> boosted energy delivery. Now these carb barriers have been broken down again. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

\u201cWhen [Eluid] Kipchoge broke the <\/span>two-hour marathon barrier, he reportedly consumed more than 100g carbs an hour,\u201d reveals Abby Coleman, senior sports scientist at Precision Fuel & Hydration. He\u2019d have used Maurten, which has made waves with its hydrogel that it claims is gentler on the tummy. \u201cCyclist John Borstelmann eats a lot, too,\u201d Coleman adds. He does indeed. Borstelmann finished eighth in California\u2019s Belgian Waffle Ride in April and consumed 101g carbs an hour from energy bars, gels, drinks and chews. <\/p>\n\n

Will 100g carbs an hour work for you? Doubtful. You see, your gut is like your muscles, heart and lungs in that it can be trained. Fail to train your gut and you could easily feel \u2013 or be \u2013 sick if consuming more than 60g an hour. <\/p>\n\n

So try increasing carb content by, say, 10g an hour each week for a month, drink more and try training immediately after a meal to help increase carb absorption. <\/p>\n\n

\u201c FAILTO TRAIN YOUR GUT AND YOU COULD EASILY FEEL \u2013 OR BE \u2013 SICK IF CONSUMING MORE THAN 60G AN HOUR\u201d <\/span><\/p>Abbey Coleman <\/strong>Sports scientist<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n

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Simon Yates\u2019 eye wateringly pricey skinsuit will sadly only work at prostyle speeds <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
05<\/span> BUY A PRICEY SKINSUIT?<\/span><\/h5>\n\n

\u25cf When Team BikeExchange\u2019s Simon Yates won <\/strong>the Stage 2 time-trial at this year\u2019s Giro d\u2019Italia, many commented on how he\u2019d turned a historical weakness into one of his strengths. This, material scientists would argue, is heavily down to the \u00a33,000-plus skinsuit he wore that\u2019d been designed and created by Silverstone-based Vorteq Sports. So, that\u2019s it then \u2013 time to remortgage the house and slip into the most expensive apparel around and you\u2019ll smash your PB? Maybe not. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe suit you wear should be different depending on your velocity,\u201d says aero supremo Dan Bigham, who\u2019s now performance engineer at Ineos Grenadiers. \u201cWhen I worked with Huub, skinsuit fabric and seam placement was based on developing low-speed performance in the 35-45km\/h range. However, we changed both when working on suits that were aimed at athletes who would regularly ride at 55km\/h.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

This horses for aerodynamic courses came under the streamlined spotlight in a 2011 study headed up by Lisa Underwood entitled, \u2018Fabric testing for cycling skinsuits\u2019. Here\u2019s an extract that delves into the science, but is just about reader-friendly\u2026 <\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe choice of material and seam placement depends on the speed of the athlete. At cycling speeds less than 71km\/h, the smoothest material with a seam at 60\u00b0 had the lowest drag coefficient. These results indicate that the seam tripped the boundary layer from laminar to turbulent flow before the point of separation, and that at these speeds a smooth material with a trip is more beneficial at inducing turbulence than a rough material. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cHowever, at speeds greater than 71km\/h, the roughest material with a seam at 150\u00b0 had the lowest drag coefficient. This suggests that at higher speeds a rougher material is needed to trip the boundary layer from laminar to turbulent flow. The drag coefficient values from this study are similar to those determined by others, and these results can be used to design an aerodynamic skinsuit, which has been shown to result in success in high performance sports at elite levels.\u201d That seam angle started at 0\u00b0, which was front and central, and worked its way back in 30\u00b0 increments to 180\u00b0, which was rear central. <\/p>\n\n

So all good in theory but, unless you have the resources of Yates and his team (and can push those pedals at their speed), you should probably start with finding a form-fitting outfit (any flapping noise is drag) that doesn\u2019t cost the earth, and work on increasing your speed the old-fashioned way \u2013 through building up your power.<\/p>\n\n

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06 <\/span>RELOCATE TO THE MOUNTAINS?<\/span><\/h5>\n\n

\u25cf Altitude training has evolved <\/strong>from training camps to living at altitude. Primo\u017e Rogli\u010d, for instance, spends much of the year at Tignes in the French Alps and nearly 70 WorldTour riders, including UAE Team Emirates\u2019 George Bennett, live in Andorra. And you can see why, with studies revealing that regular training at altitude increases VO2 max by anything from 3-8%; increases myoglobin, the muscle protein; cuts lactic acid build-up; and generates higher levels of EPO (the hormone erythropoietin), which produces more red blood cells, so a greater oxygen-carrying capacity to working muscles. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s why places like Sierra Nevada and Tenerife are seeing a greater influx of amateur riders,\u201d says Stephen Barrett, performance scientist at AG2R Citroen Team. \u201cThese places allow professional riders to have a long, focused period of training but I wouldn\u2019t necessarily advise them for recreational riders. I think it\u2019s more important for them to have good weather for a good block of training, so I\u2019d recommend hitting the south of Spain rather than trekking up to the top of a mountain and expecting to be flying when you come back down.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

Beyond the climate, recreational riders can\u2019t afford the time to really maximise the benefits of altitude training. You\u2019re looking at a minimum of 10 days to stimulate the adaptations noted; in that time, you\u2019d have trained at a lower intensity because of the rarefied air. That means reduced strain on your muscular system so, in theory, you might fail to boost red blood cells and not train as hard. <\/p>\n\n

That\u2019s not a definite altitude no, no. But you\u2019d need the capacity to top up those altitude gains. There are various masks available that purport to mirror altitude but they\u2019re not scientifically validated. If you\u2019re in London, however, you do have The Altitude Centre. Here, it\u2019s as if you\u2019re at around 2,700m altitude and is where many competitive recreational riders train once or twice a week, especially if they have a mountainous event on the horizon. It costs \u00a3300 for a 15-session pass, which works out at \u00a320 per hit. <\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

Photography: GETTY<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Discovering the secrets of the world’s best is a proven sale for recreational riders<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":41834,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","purple_page_number":"48","purple_custom_meta_purple_page_number":"48","purple_seq_number":"1","purple_custom_meta_purple_seq_number":"1","purple_source_article":"article_48-1.xml","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_article":"article_48-1.xml","purple_source_issue":"November-2022","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_issue":"November-2022","purple_external_id":"November-2022-48-1","purple_custom_meta_purple_external_id":"November-2022-48-1","purple_issue_code":"|0000111762||","purple_custom_meta_purple_issue_code":"|0000111762||","purple_android_product":"com.im.cyclingplus.398","purple_custom_meta_purple_android_product":"com.im.cyclingplus.398","purple_ios_product":"com.im.cyclingplus.398","purple_custom_meta_purple_ios_product":"com.im.cyclingplus.398","purple_web_product":"","purple_custom_meta_purple_web_product":"","purple_publication_id":"d6ad2395-23ab-4326-a10d-940b8b948490","purple_migrated":"","kt_blocks_editor_width":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2022-09-29T16:14:11Z","apple_news_article-theme":"","apple_news_api_id":"9576f9ff-45df-447a-85f4-9b5b8552cef2","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2022-10-04T15:36:13Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABQ==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AlXb5_0XfRHqF9JtbhVLO8g","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":true,"apple_news_is_preview":true,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_article_theme":"","apple_news_sections":"[]"},"categories":[36],"tags":[124,14],"apple_news_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2022\/09\/RussellBurton_20181016_2DX1896_preview.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"10","apple_news_title":""},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2022\/09\/RussellBurton_20181016_2DX1896_preview.jpg",1600,1067,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2022\/09\/RussellBurton_20181016_2DX1896_preview-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2022\/09\/RussellBurton_20181016_2DX1896_preview-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2022\/09\/RussellBurton_20181016_2DX1896_preview-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2022\/09\/RussellBurton_20181016_2DX1896_preview-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2022\/09\/RussellBurton_20181016_2DX1896_preview-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2022\/09\/RussellBurton_20181016_2DX1896_preview.jpg",1600,1067,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Discovering the secrets of the world's best is a proven sale for recreational riders","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41384"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41384"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41384\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41842,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41384\/revisions\/41842"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41834"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41384"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41384"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41384"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}