The Cycling Brief

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 conclusions.

1:00 Reasons for blood lactate testing

8:30 How much does this measure relate to performance?

13:00 Error involved in blood lactate testing

18:40 Do we ever stop using certain tests?

20:45 What are the alternatives?

30:00 Critical thinking exercise

37:50 Is training in more accurate training zones more beneficial?

43:30 Conclusions

This episode’s panel:

Jason Boynton, Ph.D.

boyntoncoaching.com

Damian Ruse

semiprocycling.com

Cyrus Monk

cyclistscientist.com

Instagram: @cyclingperformanceclub

Facebook: @cyclingperformanceclub

Twitter: @cyclingclubpod

References:

Lactate in contemporary biology: a phoenix risen

https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/JP280955

The maximal metabolic steady state: redefining the ‘gold standard’
https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.14814/phy2.14098

The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING. 

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 whether or not we should still be blood lactate testing cyclists, and whether there are better alternatives. So, before you decide to participate in a blood lactate test or recommend one for an athlete, you should definitely give these episodes a listen to make sure you are considering all the pros and cons. Or, listen for the myth-busting and rabbit holes this conversation necessarily gets into.

3:30 The hosts’ experience with blood lactate testing

9:25 Who is blood lactate testing?

12:10 Blood lactate quiz

22:45 Why did we start looking at lactate during exercise?

28:40 Some biochemistry of lactate metabolism

35:35 Why do we blood lactate test cyclists?

43:00 Types of lactate thresholds?

46:55 Blood lactate testing methods

53:45 Practical considerations

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.

This episode’s panel:

Jason Boynton, Ph.D.

boyntoncoaching.com

Damian Ruse

semiprocycling.com

Cyrus Monk

cyclistscientist.com

Instagram: @cyclingperformanceclub

Facebook: @cyclingperformanceclub

Twitter: @cyclingclubpod

References:

Lactate in contemporary biology: a phoenix risen

https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/JP280955

The maximal metabolic steady state: redefining the ‘gold standard’
https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.14814/phy2.14098

The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING. 

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: @cyclingperformanceclub

Facebook: @cyclingperformanceclub

Twitter: @cyclingclubpod

The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING. 

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 evidence do you require to apply an intervention?

38:30 If it’s free and easy, should you try it anyway?

46:55 How much does air intake affect endurance performance?

55:10 But the nose is a filter and humidifier, does that help?

This episode’s panel:

Jason Boynton, Ph.D.

boyntoncoaching.com

Damian Ruse

semiprocycling.com

Cyrus Monk

cyclistscientist.com

Instagram: @cyclingperformanceclub

Facebook: @cyclingperformanceclub

Twitter: @cyclingclubpod

References:

Oxygen - Haemoglobin Dissociation Curve Explainer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYGPkRFvzOc&ab_channel=ArmandoHasudungan

Oronasal Distribution of Ventilation at Different Ages

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00039899709602874

The switching point from nasal to oronasal breathing

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0034568780901048

Effects of Nasal or Oral Breathing on Anaerobic Power Output and Metabolic Responses

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5466403/ 

Effect of Nasal Versus Oral Breathing on Vo2max and Physiological Economy in Recreational Runners Following an Extended Period Spent Using Nasally Restricted Breathing

https://www.journals.aiac.org.au/index.php/IJKSS/article/view/4400 

The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING. 

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 the athlete being tested.

16:45 Environmental factors.

21:45 Test Administration - Health and safety.

24:20 Selection and training of the tester.

34:35 Data collection.

38:05 Testing format (batteries, trials, sequence of tests).

50:05 Preparing an athlete for testing.

65:00 Psychological impact of a bad test result on the athlete.

75:00 Evaluation of Test Data

This episode’s panel:

Jason Boynton, Ph.D.

boyntoncoaching.com

Damian Ruse

semiprocycling.com

Cyrus Monk

cyclistscientist.com

Instagram: @cyclingperformanceclub

Facebook: @cyclingperformanceclub

Twitter: @cyclingclubpod

References:

NSCA’s Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning 4th Edition

https://us.humankinetics.com/products/essentials-of-strength-training-and-conditioning-4th-edition-with-hkpropel-access 

Physiological Testing for the Athlete: Hype or Help?

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1260/174795406777641203

An Introduction to Cyclist Testing

https://www.boyntoncoaching.com/2012/09/12/introduction-to-cyclist-testing/

Performance Testing Cyclists

https://www.boyntoncoaching.com/2012/09/26/cyclist-testing-an-introduction-to-performance-testing/

The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING. 

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 considerations! 

4:10 The hosts’ experience with testing.

8:05 Why do we test athletes?

13:20 Evaluation of test quality

14:10 Test validity.

29:40 Test reliability.

37:10 Testing Error (air??)

47:15 Best practises for real world coaches and athletes.

This episode’s panel:

Jason Boynton, Ph.D.

boyntoncoaching.com

Damian Ruse

semiprocycling.com

Cyrus Monk

cyclistscientist.com

Instagram: @cyclingperformanceclub

Facebook: @cyclingperformanceclub

Twitter: @cyclingclubpod

References:

NSCA’s Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning 4th Edition

https://us.humankinetics.com/products/essentials-of-strength-training-and-conditioning-4th-edition-with-hkpropel-access 

The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING. 

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 in planning and preparation but also the takeaways and what I’ll change next time.

Click here to get your copy of the Athlete Altitude Training Camp Manual with a free trial of the Cycling Science Digest (cancel anytime).

The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING. 

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 yo, triathlete for 12 years, month off due to stress fracture while training for an ironman. Goals: race first road race, 120km gran fondo.

30:30: Bob - 58 yo, 80 kg, 179 cm. Professor, married with two kids. 3 years cycling experience with one year of racing. Successful cross country runner in high school and college. Goals: Win his first cat 4 race, podium at Master’s national champs.

55:05 Ben - 21 yo, good all around power profile, cyclist for 6 years, top 20 in U19 national champs, part time work and university. Goals: Gain results at national level, step up to continental or professional ranks.

This episode’s panel:

Jason Boynton, Ph.D.

boyntoncoaching.com

Damian Ruse

semiprocycling.com

Cyrus Monk

cyclistscientist.com

Instagram: @cyclingperformanceclub

Facebook: @cyclingperformanceclub

Twitter: @cyclingclubpod

The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING. 

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 blog providing back pain advice for cyclists.

1:30 Sign up for the Strava study! See link below for information!

3:15 The value of skepticism.

7:35 Normatec boots. What are they? Do they improve recovery as they claim to? Should you invest your money in them?

20:45 Lactic acid buffering lotions. Do they actually improve endurance performance? Should you include them in your race day arsenal?

44:50 Advice for treating cyclist back pain given in a TrainingPeaks blog vs. a response from a trained medical professional.

71:30 The value of critical thinking for athletes and coaches.

This episode’s panel:

Jason Boynton, Ph.D.

boyntoncoaching.com

Damian Ruse

semiprocycling.com

Cyrus Monk

cyclistscientist.com

Instagram: @cyclingperformanceclub

Facebook: @cyclingperformanceclub

Twitter: @cyclingclubpod

Episode #11 References:

Strava study information:
https://twitter.com/akreutzer82/status/1412425084086763538/photo/1

Topical Sodium Bicarbonate: No Improvement in Blood Buffering Capacity or Exercise Performance
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32575069/

Effects of Beta-Alanine on Muscle Carnosine and Exercise Performance:A Review of the Current Literature
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257613/

Myth or Reality-Transdermal Magnesium?
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28788060/

How to Help Cyclists Reduce Low Back Pain
https://www.trainingpeaks.com/coach-blog/how-to-help-cyclists-reduce-low-back-pain/

Christopher Schwenker, P.T.’s blog- The Zommunique
https://thezommunique.com/

Optimizing recovery to support multi-evening cycling competition performance
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30589619/

The Effects of Intermittent Pneumatic Compression on the Reduction of Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage in Endurance Athletes: A Critically Appraised Topic
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30589619/

The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING. 

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 best for?

50:55 Non-physiological factors around interval pacing

54:35 Being aware of power as an external measure

62:25 Making use of the limited research available

66:00 Applications and conclusions

This episode’s panel:

Jason Boynton, Ph.D.

boyntoncoaching.com

Damian Ruse

semiprocycling.com

Cyrus Monk

cyclistscientist.com

Instagram: @cyclingperformanceclub

Facebook: @cyclingperformanceclub

Twitter: @cyclingclubpod

Episode #10 References:

The slow component of O2 uptake kinetics during heavy exercise

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7741865/

Decreasing Power Output Increases Aerobic Contribution During Low-Volume Severe-Intensity Intermittent Exercise

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26308828/

How Does Interval-Training Prescription Affect Physiological and Perceptual Responses?

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28051345/

Effects of Priming and Pacing Strategy on VO2 Kinetics and Cycling Performance

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26355418/

Pacing, the Missing Piece of the Puzzle to High Intensity Interval Training

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25415386/

The Manipulation of Pace within Endurance Sport

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2017.00102/full

Similar time near VO2max regardless of work rate manipulation in cycling interval training

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34261134/

Acute Cardiopulmonary, Metabolic, and Neuromuscular Responses to Severe-Intensity Intermittent Exercises

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28704307/

Influence of Work-Interval Intensity and Duration on Time Spent at a High Percentage of VO2max During Intermittent Supramaximal Exercise

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19910820/

The Cycling Brief — Daily cycling intelligence, produced by SEMIPRO CYCLING.