Pro Tip Of The Week- Why Trying To Be Fast Year Round Leads To Minimal Fitness Gains And False Summits.

Most endurance athletes know they need a large aerobic base of fitness that is primarily built in the off-season in order to reach a high peak of fitness. These longer, low-intensity rides increase capillary density resulting in an increase in oxygenated blood delivery to the muscles and a greater mitochondrial density. These additional mitochondria heighten the body’s ability to breakdown carbohydrates and fats and metabolize them into usable energy resulting in an increase in maximum power output and steady state endurance.

Progressive aerobic training volume leads to a greater total training stress which promotes fat utilization efficiency therefore increasing power to weight ratio. This progressive low intensity volume provides the athlete with residual fitness on their toughest race days- ie: razor sharp form that can withstand even the strongest mental and physical demands. This foundational fitness gives the athlete the aerobic stability needed to increase power at lactate threshold, power at VO2 max, and the duration this power output can be maintained. Long story short, the larger the aerobic base, the faster the rider will be at the pointy end of an endurance event. One’s anaerobic capacity is only as strong as their aerobic capacity built before it. The broader the aerobic, the sharper the anaerobic, and thus the greater the ability to make competitive winning moves when it counts, 3-4 hours into an endurance event.

It is a myth that doing high intensity, LT and VO2 max intervals in the off season promotes long term fitness gains. These efforts can have a negative effect on the athlete come race season both mentally and physically. They can lead to burnout, injury, and an increase in the stress hormone-cortisol by stimulating the sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous system. Yes, these efforts will help maintain anaerobic fitness in the off-season, but maintenance should not be the athlete’s objective. While anaerobic efforts and racing in the off season can preserve some of last season’s form, the athlete will not reach their full aerobic and anaerobic potential, and they will see marginal gains and inevitable plateaus. Alternatively, low intensity-high volume training will build a greater starting point for speed work, and see an increase in threshold and VO2 max stability that is often associated with a decline after peaking. This aerobic stability creates a high level of residual form that supports steady power output, muscular endurance, and fat burning efficiency even on the athletes worst day.

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