The Cycling Performance Club

In this episode Cyrus and Jason discuss their thoughts on doping in cycling, anti-doping measures, and how prevalent they think doping is in the pro peloton. They also discuss the arguments for and against the legalization of performance enhancing drugs in cycling- and why they are pretty happy with the current ban in the sport. 

Episode References:
Debate: Should we accept performance-enhancing drugs in competitive sports?

This is a listener supported podcast, and we would be stoked if you supported us by becoming a member of The Cycling Performance Club! With your backing we can continue our mission to deliver the best in cycling performance knowledge and practical advice to you and the greater cycling community. Support The Club by clicking here!

Co-hosts:
Jason Boynton, Ph.D.
boyntoncoaching.com

Cyrus Monk
cyclistscientist.com

Producer & co-host:
Damian Ruse
semiprocycling.com

Website: cyclingperformanceclub.com
Instagram: @cyclingperformanceclub
Facebook: @cyclingperformanceclub
Twitter: @cyclingclubpod
LinkedIn: The Cycling Performance Club Podcast

Contrary to our typical episodes where we tackle just one topic, in this episode Damian and Jason discuss tidbits of sage advice and recommendations they have provided cyclists over the years. In addition, not satisfied with just listening to ourselves talk, we’ve reached out to a few other experts to offer their own advice. Listen in to hear valuable advice from HIIT expert Prof. Paul Laursen, running and cycling coach Dr. Steve Palladino, mountain bike expert Dr. Matt Miller, and endurance coach and educator Dr. Will O’Connor.

Guest experts:
Prof. Paul Laursen
HIIT Science

Dr. Steve Palladino
Palladino Power Project

Dr. Matt Miller
BrakeAce

Dr. Will O’Connor
Performance Advantage Podcast

Episode References:
You CAN’T Have Your FTP, CP or Aerobic Power & SPRINT with it too – with Dr Dajo Sanders

This is a listener supported podcast, and we would be stoked if you supported us by becoming a member of The Cycling Performance Club! With your backing we can continue our mission to deliver the best in cycling performance knowledge and practical advice to you and the greater cycling community. Support The Club by clicking here!

Co-hosts:
Jason Boynton, Ph.D.
boyntoncoaching.com

Cyrus Monk
cyclistscientist.com

Producer & co-host:
Damian Ruse
semiprocycling.com

Website: cyclingperformanceclub.com
Instagram: @cyclingperformanceclub
Facebook: @cyclingperformanceclub
Twitter: @cyclingclubpod
LinkedIn: The Cycling Performance Club Podcast

Contrary to our typical episodes where we tackle just one topic, in this episode Damian and Jason discuss tidbits of sage advice and recommendations they have provided cyclists over the years. In addition, not satisfied with just listening to ourselves talk, we’ve reached out to a few other experts to offer their own advice. Listen in to hear valuable advice from former UCI Track World and Australian National Road Champion, Michael Freiburg, along with high-performance expert and former Head of Performance at Team Sky, Simon Jones. 

Be on the lookout for more episodes like this with more experts in the near future!

Guest experts:
Michael Frieburg 
Airhub On-Road Resistance

Simon Jones
www.mybestseason.net

Episode References:
Racing Tactics for Cyclists, by Thomas Prehn

This is a listener supported podcast, and we would be stoked if you supported us by becoming a member of The Cycling Performance Club! With your backing we can continue our mission to deliver the best in cycling performance knowledge and practical advice to you and the greater cycling community. Support The Club by clicking here!

Co-hosts:
Jason Boynton, Ph.D.
boyntoncoaching.com

Cyrus Monk
cyclistscientist.com

Producer & co-host:
Damian Ruse
semiprocycling.com

Website: cyclingperformanceclub.com
Instagram: @cyclingperformanceclub
Facebook: @cyclingperformanceclub
Twitter: @cyclingclubpod
LinkedIn: The Cycling Performance Club Podcast

In this episode, we’re taking a closer look at what might be one of cycling’s most sacred cows- altitude training. If you believe that altitude training is basically compulsory for elite cyclists, we invite you to have an open mind and embrace a skeptical mindset as we take a closer look at this common intervention. Our aim here is to highlight some of the lesser known detriments of altitude training and help cyclists consider if the outcome is truly worth the cost, effort, and risk- because for some riders, it might actually do more harm than good!

But if we’re going to challenge the status quo, we wanted to make sure we spoke to someone who had the expertise, background, credentials, and zero conflict of interest. This is how we ended up talking with Professor Jerome Dempsey. Jerry is a world-renowned respiratory physiologist with nearly 60 years of experience in applied physiology research, 400+ scientific articles to his name, and a penchant for closely examining the claims made about training endurance athletes in hypoxia.

Are the benefits of altitude training as good as the habits of the pros might have us believe? Does everyone benefit from altitude training? What are the drawbacks? Could we improve the intervention’s outcomes? If the benefits are truly not worth the cost, what would it take to change the culture and attitudes toward altitude training? Check out this episode to get insight into these questions and more!

Guest panelist:
Jerome Dempsey, Ph.D.
UW-Wisconsin Staff Page
Researchgate

Episode References:
Hypoxic Training Is Beneficial in Elite Athletes

Hypoxic Training Is Not Beneficial in Elite Athletes

Humans In Hypoxia: A Conspiracy Of Maladaptation?!

“Living high-training low”: effect of moderate-altitude acclimatization with low-altitude training on per-formance

Concurrent Heat and Intermittent Hypoxic Training: No Additional Performance Benefit Over Temperate Training

Evidence that heat acclimation training may alter sleep and incidental activity

Video w/Chris Gore: Discussion - Session 2, Altitude Training and Team Sports Conference Aspetar, Doha - Qatar, 24 & 25 March 2013

This is a listener supported podcast, and we would be stoked if you supported us by becoming a member of The Cycling Performance Club! With your backing we can continue our mission to deliver the best in cycling performance knowledge and practical advice to you and the greater cycling community. Support The Club by clicking here!

Co-hosts:
Jason Boynton, Ph.D.
boyntoncoaching.com

Cyrus Monk
cyclistscientist.com

Producer & co-host:
Damian Ruse
semiprocycling.com

Website: cyclingperformanceclub.com
Instagram: @cyclingperformanceclub
Facebook: @cyclingperformanceclub
Twitter: @cyclingclubpod
LinkedIn: The Cycling Performance Club Podcast

In this Roundtable episode Jason has a conversation with his athlete, Tony, about his preparation for this year’s U.S. Masters Road Nationals in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

However, this conversation is significantly different from a typical discussion about preparing a rider for their peak event. First, Albuquerque at the time Masters Nationals was scheduled is known to be exceptionally hot and is an environmental factor that had to be considered and prepared for. But second, and even more unique to this preparation story, Dr. Tony Wolf is a Post-Doctoral research scientist in thermoregulation at Penn State, AND a cycling coach!

Did two environmental physiologists/cycling coaches working together create a dream team result, or was it simply too many cooks in the kitchen? Listen and find out how these two scientists progressed Tony towards his peak race in the heat, and all of the important considerations they made along the way.

Guest panelist:
Tony Wolf, Ph.D.
Website: www.atpcoaching.net
Twitter: @tony__wolf
Instagram: atp_coaching
Researchgate
LinkedIn

Episode References:
Heat Acclimation Decay and Re-Induction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

From Lab to Real World: Heat Acclimation Considerations for Elite Athletes

Short-Term Heat Acclimation Training Improves Physical Performance: A Systematic Review, and Exploration of Physiological Adaptations and Application for Team Sports

Passive Heating: Reviewing Practical Heat Acclimation Strategies for Endurance Athletes

The effects of heat adaptation on physiology, perception and exercise performance in the heat: a meta-analysis

This is a listener supported podcast, and we would be stoked if you supported us by becoming a member of The Cycling Performance Club! With your backing we can continue our mission to deliver the best in cycling performance knowledge and practical advice to you and the greater cycling community. Support The Club by clicking here!

Co-hosts:
Jason Boynton, Ph.D.
boyntoncoaching.com

Cyrus Monk
cyclistscientist.com

Producer & co-host:
Damian Ruse
semiprocycling.com

Website: cyclingperformanceclub.com
Instagram: @cyclingperformanceclub
Facebook: @cyclingperformanceclub
Twitter: @cyclingclubpod
LinkedIn: The Cycling Performance Club Podcast

This is part 2 of 2 in our series discussing advancements in power profiling with Dr. Peter Leo- endurance training scientist at AusCycling, and first author of a recent scientific review outlining the topic for coaches and cyclists.

In this episode we get practical and highlight Dr. Leo’s recommendations for honing your power profiling technique. We also discuss where power profiling is going in the near future.

This series is a must listen for any coach and/or serious cyclist!

This episode is brought to you in partnership with InfoCrank power meters. TCPCP listeners get an exclusive 20% discount off the InfoCrank Road or the InfoCrank Track (and any accessories!). Simply use the discount code performance20 at checkout on the InfoCrank website (www.infocrank.cc). This deal ends on 30-Sep-2022, so don’t hesitate to get yourself the most accurate power meter on the market and show support for the podcast!

Guest panelist:
Peter Leo, Ph.D.
Researchgate
Twitter: @peter__leo

Episode References:
Power profiling and the power-duration relationship in cycling: a narrative review

This is a listener supported podcast, and we would be stoked if you supported us by becoming a member of The Cycling Performance Club! With your backing we can continue our mission to deliver the best in cycling performance knowledge and practical advice to you and the greater cycling community. Support The Club by clicking here!

Co-hosts:
Jason Boynton, Ph.D.
boyntoncoaching.com

Cyrus Monk
cyclistscientist.com

Producer & co-host:
Damian Ruse
semiprocycling.com

Website: cyclingperformanceclub.com
Instagram: @cyclingperformanceclub
Facebook: @cyclingperformanceclub
Twitter: @cyclingclubpod
LinkedIn: The Cycling Performance Club Podcast

Power profiling is a unique and massively important practice because it can answer so many fundamental questions related to an individual cyclist’s performance and training. For many, the term ‘power profile’ conjures images of Excel tables or bar graphs of mean maximal power data. However, these are just a couple of the many methods one could use to power profile a cyclist. Indeed, the practice of power profiling has evolved substantially since its inception well over a decade ago.

In this two part series we discuss power profiling with Dr. Peter Leo. Dr. Leo is a researcher, coach, and endurance training scientist at AusCycling. But more importantly, in the context of this series, he is the first author of a recent comprehensive scientific review on the topic of power profiling cyclists (written by coaches, for coaches). Peter guides us through the different methods used to power profile cyclists, recent advancements, and best practice. These episodes with Dr. Leo are certainly a must listen for any coach and/or serious cyclist!

This episode is brought to you in partnership with InfoCrank power meters. TCPCP listeners get an exclusive 20% discount off the InfoCrank Road or the InfoCrank Track (and any accessories!). Simply use the discount code performance20 at checkout on the InfoCrank website (www.infocrank.cc). This deal ends on 30-Sep-2022, so don’t hesitate to get yourself the most accurate power meter on the market and show support for the show!

Guest panelist:
Peter Leo. Ph.D.
Researchgate
Twitter: @peter__leo

Episode References:
Power profiling and the power-duration relationship in cycling: a narrative review

This is a listener supported podcast, and we would be stoked if you supported us by becoming a member of The Cycling Performance Club! With your backing we can continue our mission to deliver the best in cycling performance knowledge and practical advice to you and the greater cycling community. Support The Club by clicking here!

Co-hosts:
Jason Boynton, Ph.D.
boyntoncoaching.com

Cyrus Monk
cyclistscientist.com

Producer & co-host:
Damian Ruse
semiprocycling.com

Website: cyclingperformanceclub.com
Instagram: @cyclingperformanceclub
Facebook: @cyclingperformanceclub
Twitter: @cyclingclubpod
LinkedIn: The Cycling Performance Club Podcast

In this Roundtable episode Jason presents his thoughts around two stakeholders in the cycling performance world with potentially conflicting interests: athletes, coaches, & performance staff who want to improve cycling performance vs. companies selling and marketing performance products and services. In a perfect world these entities could work together harmoniously to benefit each other and the sport. But how do we navigate towards a mutually beneficial relationship for these two groups of stakeholders when they are incentivized differently? Step one might be to acknowledge and explore their conflicts of interest, desired outcomes, and what they offer each other…

Don’t forget, TCPCP listeners get an exclusive 20% discount off the InfoCrank Road or the InfoCrank Track (and any accessories!). Simply use the discount code performance20 at checkout on the InfoCrank website (www.infocrank.cc). This deal ends on 30-Sep-2022, so don’t hesitate to get yourself the most accurate power meter on the market and show support for the show!

Episode References:
Reliability and Validity of the CORE Sensor to Assess Core Body Temperature during Cycling Exercise

Video: How valid and reliable is the CORE temperature monitor?

WKO forum thread discussing “Optimized Intervals” concerns #1

WKO forum thread discussing “Optimized Intervals” concerns #2

Twitter thread with Dr. Mark Burnley discussing VLamax concerns

This is a listener supported podcast, and we would be stoked if you supported us by becoming a member of The Cycling Performance Club! With your backing we can continue our mission to deliver the best in cycling performance knowledge and practical advice to you and the greater cycling community. Support The Club by clicking here!

Co-hosts:
Jason Boynton, Ph.D.
boyntoncoaching.com

Cyrus Monk
cyclistscientist.com

Producer & co-host:
Damian Ruse
semiprocycling.com

Website: cyclingperformanceclub.com
Instagram: @cyclingperformanceclub
Facebook: @cyclingperformanceclub
Twitter: @cyclingclubpod
LinkedIn: The Cycling Performance Club Podcast

Compared to other interventions used in training cyclists (e.g. HIIT, heat acclimation, altitude training) eccentric cycling doesn’t have a lot of notoriety. In fact, this might be the first time you’ve ever heard of it. But just because eccentric cycling isn’t popular, doesn’t mean it can’t potentially benefit the performance of cyclists.

In this episode we talk with eccentric cycling expert Dr. Georgios Mavropalias and explore what eccentric cycling is, its known benefits, whether or not it can improve cycling performance, and how to potentially apply it to your training program. Is eccentric cycling the next big intervention for cyclists? Time will tell. But it’s probably not a bad idea to get insight on it now so you can be keeping an eye on it for the future.

Don’t forget, TCPCP listeners get an exclusive 20% discount off the InfoCrank Road or the InfoCrank Track (and any accessories!). Simply use the discount code performance20 at checkout on the InfoCrank website (www.infocrank.cc). This deal ends on 30-Sep-2022, so don’t hesitate to get yourself the most accurate power meter on the market and show support for the show!

Guest panelist:
Georgios Mavropalias, Ph.D.
Staff Page
Researchgate
LinkedIn
Twitter: @x_centrik

Episode References:
Comparison between high- and low-intensity eccentric cycling of equal mechanical work for muscle damage and the repeated bout effect

Increases in Integrin–ILK–RICTOR–Akt Proteins, Muscle Mass, and Strength after Eccentric Cycling Training

Eccentric cycling does not improve cycling performance in amateur cyclists

This is a listener supported podcast, and we would be stoked if you supported us by becoming a member of The Cycling Performance Club! With your backing we can continue our mission to deliver the best in cycling performance knowledge and practical advice to you and the greater cycling community. Support The Club by clicking here!

Co-hosts:
Jason Boynton, Ph.D.
boyntoncoaching.com

Cyrus Monk
cyclistscientist.com

Producer & co-host:
Damian Ruse
semiprocycling.com

Website: cyclingperformanceclub.com
Instagram: @cyclingperformanceclub
Facebook: @cyclingperformanceclub
Twitter: @cyclingclubpod
LinkedIn: The Cycling Performance Club Podcast

In this Roundtable episode Cyrus presents us his hypothesis for how the outcome of the latest Tour de France could mean a big change for the type of rider winning it in the future. Join us as we discuss the race winning move, carbohydrate metabolism & ingestion, and whether we’ll see more riders like Jonas Vingegaard wearing yellow in future Tour de Frances.

Don’t forget, TCPCP listeners get an exclusive 20% discount off the InfoCrank Road or the InfoCrank Track (and any accessories!). Simply use the discount code performance20 at checkout on the InfoCrank website (www.infocrank.cc). This deal ends on 30-Sep-2022, so don’t hesitate to get yourself the most accurate power meter on the market and show support for the show!

Episode References:
CHO periodisation in cycling Case Study: The application of daily carbohydrate periodisation throughout a cycling Grand Tour

Team DeRave Twitter thread

The Use of Carbohydrates During Exercise as an Ergogenic Aid

This is a listener supported podcast, and we would be stoked if you supported us by becoming a member of The Cycling Performance Club! With your backing we can continue our mission to deliver the best in cycling performance knowledge and practical advice to you and the greater cycling community. Support The Club by clicking here!

Co-hosts:
Jason Boynton, Ph.D.
boyntoncoaching.com

Cyrus Monk
cyclistscientist.com

Producer & co-host:
Damian Ruse
semiprocycling.com

Website: cyclingperformanceclub.com
Instagram: @cyclingperformanceclub
Facebook: @cyclingperformanceclub
Twitter: @cyclingclubpod
LinkedIn: The Cycling Performance Club Podcast