By Third Coast Training | January 21, 2012 at 08:22 PM EST | No Comments
Meal times are often shoved aside when work and school commitments pop up unexpectedly which leads to inadequate food or CHO (carb) intake and is one of the main causes of overtraining. Much like your scheduled workouts that are done at a particular and convenient time of the day set your meals and snacks periods at intervals that are conducive to your schedule. When planning build your meals and snacks according to your caloric needs for the day, as well as the ratio of carbs, protein, and fat. Without the proper amount of consumed fuel you may not be able to perform your scheduled workout, game, or race.
By Third Coast Training | January 21, 2012 at 08:18 PM EST | No Comments
An athlete may be exhibiting a degree of overtraining if they consistently fail to improve on planned testing sessions.The benefit of periodic performance or physiological tests* is that it provide a basis for measuring the effectiveness of the training program, and training improvement.
Physiological Tests: VO2 max, Lactate Assessment, and Wingate would be tests a cyclist may consider.
What's being measured? For cycling as an example, markers that may be compared would be Aerobic base, Lactate / Anaerobic Threshold, VO2 max, and Peak Power. A favorable response would be a increase in power (wattage) at the same given marker from the previous test.
By Third Coast Training | January 21, 2012 at 08:13 PM EST | No Comments
A recovery week is a period of reduced training intensity and volume of about 50%.
When and why? Planning these periods every 3 to 6 weeks allow the nervous system, muscular system, endocrine system, and connective tissue to fully recover and adapt following training.
The end result? Following a planned recovery week athletes are mentally refreshed and physically capable of doing more work.
A good recovery only takes your training to a higher level.
By Third Coast Training | January 21, 2012 at 08:11 PM EST | No Comments
Every 6 to 12 weeks can help in so many ways. As you’re putting your assessmentto use and working with your fitness tools—sticking with your exercise plan, monitoring the data from your heart rate monitor, eating what’s best for your body—you can feel the progress you’re making toward your fitness goal. But some things aren't as obvious.
A reassessment can reveal the changes in your fuel composition (how much more fat than carbs are you burning now?) and quantify your success. Most importantly, as you pursue your grand fitness plan, reassessing your body’s inner metabolic workings means you’ll be able to stay on top of your needs. Instead of waiting until you notice that your current plan just isn't working anymore, you’ll be able to tweak your fitness regimen as you go, adjusting the intensity and keeping the exercise challenge fresh and interesting, mentally and physically.
By Third Coast Training | January 21, 2012 at 08:09 PM EST | No Comments
Meal times are often shoved aside when work and school commitments pop up unexpectedly which leads to inadequate food or CHO (carb) intake and is one of the main causes of over-training. Much like your scheduled workouts that are done at a particular and convenient time of the day set your meals and snacks periods at intervals that are conducive to your schedule. When planning build your mealsand snacks according to your caloric needs for the day, as well as the ratio of carbs, protein, and fat. Without the proper amount of consumed fuel you may not be able to perform your scheduled workout, game, or race.
By Third Coast Training | January 21, 2012 at 08:08 PM EST | No Comments
Power to weight ratio
Improve your hill climbing ability by improving your power to weight ratio. Improving your body composition will do wonders. If you're a 150 lbs rider (68.18 kg) and your able to sustain 250 watts for your favorite local hill climb you're putting out about 3.67 watts/ kg. Now let's say if the same given rider drops the excess boy scout gear on their bike and drops a few unwanted lbs they could rack up some extra horsepower after netting a 10lbs drop in weight. So, the same rider now at 140lbs (63.6 kg) at the same sustained power (250 watts) on their local climb would be generating 3.93 watts/kg. So how do get trimmed up? Riding more will get you there but when you're unable to get the mileage in the sure fire way is to manage your caloric intake. Keep a log an make the necessary adjustments to reach your optimal body composition.
Cadence and position
Choose a gear that allows you to maintain your cadence. Avoid a gear that causes you to grind it out. Stay seated in the saddle and find the gear which allows you to spin up the hill. While spinning relax the upper body and arms. The energy spent white knuckling the bars and added tension in the upper body could be put to better use in turning the pedals. If you find yourself running out of gears and grinding it out swallow your pride and consider getting the triple chain ring. Find your rythym as you spin up the hill and make note of your heart rate or power output. With each climb focus on being relaxed and maintaining your rythym and manage your effort. If you find your heart rate sky rocketing back off on the intensity by selecting an easier gear while maintaining your spinning (cadence). Once you master hill climbing while seated give a try while standing and compare your numbers (heart rate. power) to the seated position. On your first attempt be sure to pick a low grade hill as your cadence will drop when you get out of the saddle which can cause instability (loss of control, balance) and may cause you to topple over.
With that being said if a rider passes you and you get on their wheel be sure to ride with your front wheel off to the side. If your directly behind them and they decide to get up out of the saddle you may be making some unwanted contact and go down.
Practice
When venturing out to do hill climbs ride with others of comparable ability. Otherwise when you get shelled off the back on the first climb with the gazelles it can leave you demoralized to the point of hanging up the bike and letting the negative self talk creep in. So, on your first climb as you approach the hill be sure to maintain your cadence and as your cadence starts to drop shift into an easier gear and keep your cadence. As the hill seems to be forever long think positive," I can do this!", and on your second visit to the same hill think, "I've done this!", and start dialing in your relaxed position. Now as you near the top of the hill and the elevation starts to level out you'll find yourself spinning faster and this is when you start to shift into a gear that again allows you to maintain your cadence. Avoid spinning out (pedaling super fast). Manage your cadence and avoid "finding" your favorite gear. With hills, tail winds, head winds, cross winds, drafting, acceleration and slowing of the group ride, etc., you'll be constantly shifting gears.
Stepping it up
Once you've mastered the maintaining of your cadence, staying relaxed, and managing your power output then take it to the next level with riding with climbers that are bit better than yourself. On the hill climbs try to stay in contact. When you become familiar with the pace of the group with subsequent rides attempt to lead the group but sustain your own pace. As the group passes you try to stay in contact. Don't go out to fast as you'll blow your engine but manage your power and sustain your effort.
By Third Coast Training | January 21, 2012 at 08:06 PM EST | No Comments
For a competitive cyclist it's a necessity but if you're a recreational rider you may be thinking," I don't need to sprint." Your sprinting skills can be useful in situations where a quick acceleration is needed. To name a couple: 1. To evade your favorite dog on the weekend route that everyone has nicknamed Cujo. 2. The light has turned green and it's off to the races as if someone has rung the dinner bell. Get your sprint on to remain in contact as the quick acceleration of the group will gradually slow to it's regular pace.
Making it happen
O.K. if you have visions of rocking the bike from side to side like a gorilla pounding it's chest back off on the hammer and stay in control of your bike. The heavy swing from side to side makes it difficult to sprint in a straight line. Think of Waltzing not the Charleston on the bike. The bike should shift from side to side slightly. So, you're riding along and you see your opportunity to apply a sprint so what do you do? Keep your head up and watch your path for debris and potholes. Grasp the bars firmly and if you're on a road bike go for the drops, keep the arms rigid. Shift into a bigger gear (slightly harder but not to hard) and as your pedal comes over the top of the stroke come out of the saddle and accelerate smoothly. Keep your weight back to keep traction on the rear wheel. As you stroke down with power pull up with the arm on the same side. Once you have accelerated and your cadence is around 110-130 sit down and recover. During recovery find the gears that allow you to maintain your natural cadence and manageable speed.
Finding a ride to practice
Solo
You may want to practice solo until you get your rhythm down. This can be done on a trainer, spin bike, or on your favorite loop by picking some landmarks to shoot for like a mailbox, telephone pole, road sign, etc. Do about 4-6 sprints allowing sufficient time to recover between each. Keep the sprints short (10-15 seconds) and slowly extend your sprint time as your fitness improves.
With a group
Some club rides have designated sprint zones (these are typically not announced) or you can recruit some friends to do fartlek type of a workout. Set the recovery pace that all riders will maintain while the rider on the rear of the single file sprints forward ahead of the group for a designated amount of time (15 - 30 seconds). After the sprint is completed, recover by slowing your pace and as the group catches up pick up your pace to match the designated pace. The riders in the group need to avoid picking up the pace to chase the rider down. Adjustments to the pace can be adjusted by the group ride leader.
Additional notes
If you find your recovery is taking a long time after a sprint consider spending some time building youraerobic base. This will develop your slowtwitch fibers which will aid in clearing the high levels of lactate. Upon finishing your last sprint of the ride be sure to recover well by bring your pace down to let the blood normalize in the legs and to clear the high levels of lactate. Though you're heart rate may drop like a rock after your sprint your lactate levels will still be climbing for a few minutes afterwards depending on the effort. Consider managing the recovery pace for 20 minutes before getting off the bike. Sprinting to the finish will engorge the legs with blood and the high levels of lactate will bring stiff, sore legs later and a prolonged recovery.
By Third Coast Training | January 21, 2012 at 08:04 PM EST | No Comments
When you embark on your running, cycling, or swimming training session the blood flow to the working muscles is increased. With each stride, revolution, or stroke the muscles contract which aid in venous return.Peripheral veins, particularly in the legs and arms, have one-way valves that direct flow away from the limb and toward the heart. If exercise is stopped suddenly this would cause the pumping action of the muscles to stop and blood to accumulate in the legs. During a cool down period if the intensity is gradually decreased it will allow the body to return blood flow to normal. Avoid getting light headed and the pooling of blood in the legs by getting your cool down in.
Recommendation: Get your zones checked to make sure your training at the right intensity to maximize your cool down.
By Third Coast Training | January 21, 2012 at 08:02 PM EST | No Comments
Prevention of muscles soreness
You may want to think twice about jumping right into your car after a sprint finish. During your training session fluid builds up in the working muscles which can put pressure on nerve endings. The end result is the sensation of stiffness and pain. To alleviate the pressure on the nerve endings and prevent muscle soreness perform a cool down to normalize the fluid distribution. If time permits consider getting a massage.
By Third Coast Training | January 18, 2012 at 11:23 AM EST | No Comments
An analysis of your fat burning metabolic characteristics is important for several reasons. We can find the precise heart rate or intensity (wattage, min/mile) at which you burn the most fat, and it is usually at a lower exercise intensity than most people expect. Fat and oxygen are used together in direct proportion during aerobic metabolism, so by measuring how much fat is being used, we can determine how aerobically efficient an athlete is at any exercise intensity.
For any kind of endurance activity, being aerobically efficient at lower intensities is an absolute must, especially before increasing training intensity to higher levels, this is commonly referred to as having a good Aerobic Base. Gram for gram, fat supplies a much larger quantity of energy than carbohydrates, and we all have a relatively unlimited supply of it stored away in our bodies (1lb = 3,500 calories, 10lbs = 35,000 calories), so for endurance athletes it is without a doubt the fuel of choice.
The problem with fat as a fuel source is that the metabolic process required to break down fat into components that can be used by muscle cells is relatively long and complex. It is much easier for our bodies to use this process during relatively light levels of activity, which are commonly called Fat Burning Zones. At the same time fat is being burned, carbohydrate is also being used for energy.
The two fuel sources are always being utilized at the same time, so the crux of the fuel issue is which one is being used as the predominant source of fuel.
Once we know how your body utilizes fat, we can determine training parameters (zones and custom training plan) to teach your body to use fat at higher and higher intensities. As aerobic intensity increases, your ability to use fat will decrease, and the utilization of carbohydrate will increase, until it becomes the predominant fuel source. This physiological landmark is sometimes called an Aerobic Baseline and is also very important in determining endurance performance.
By Third Coast Training | January 18, 2012 at 11:21 AM EST | No Comments
Performance tests like the Zone Check (VO2 max) or Lactate assessment can help anyone who wishes to get the information they need to train smarter to meet their fitness goals, whether for improving health or for sports performance enhancement.
Here are some examples of typical clients:
The beginner - The beginner who has decided it’s time to get fit, and knows that a proper exercise regime is crucial to one’s physical and emotional health; wants to be informed and make the most of exercise time.
Recreational athlete - Trains and competes mainly for the sheer fun of it, but still wants to improve and have some structure and purpose in their training.
Elite athlete - Eager to fine-tune each training bout, avoid injury and over-training, monitor changes in fitness status, gain a competitive edge through application of sport science principles
Over Trained athletes - Athletes who notice their performance is getting worse, notice a change in mood, get sick more easily than before, or have other signs that might suggest over-training. We can also help healthy athletes avoid over-training.
Not getting results - One who’s been exercising for a while, but isn’t seeing much improvement anymore; wants to learn how to change their exercise to continue improving.
With the testing your Coach can evaluate your fitness level, make exercise recommendations such as heart rate training zones, wattage training zones (cyclist), speed (runners) and with subsequent testing, measure your improvement.
The best exercise recommendations are based on your unique response to exercise, not on a generalized formula. These tests are valuable because they are a controlled, scientific measurement of your own body’s response to exercise at a range of intensities.
The information gained from a Zone Check (VO2 max) or Lactate assessment can help you improve your health, your sports performance or both. Furthermore, we can evaluate your current exercise regime in terms of the effects of its volume, duration and intensity. In short are your workouts getting the results you’re looking for?
With each consultation we’ll help you gain a greater understanding of exercise principles, so that you can apply this knowledge yourself to your workouts.
By Third Coast Training | January 18, 2012 at 11:20 AM EST | No Comments
This is the time of the year cyclist, runners, triathletes, and fitness enthusiasts are horrified at what the weight scale reveals. In an effort to tip the scale in the other direction most individuals rush out to pile on the mileage, add extra workouts, hammer harder, and hammer longer. Initially there's a few pounds lost and they find themselves hitting a plateau.
Here are a quick tip to dial in your training and to maximize your time and results.
Get a nutrition log:
Start logging your foods and beverages that you consume. Monitor your ratio of Carbs, Protein, and Fat. If you're an endurance athlete this is a must. We'll use a cyclist as an example. On a long weekend ride you may burn anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 calories. Add this on top of your "off the bike" daily needs and your looking at a whole lot of calories. This is where your guesswork gets you into trouble. If you under shoot your caloric needs you may not be restoring your glycogen (carb) stores properly which can lead to a significant glycogen debt which will impact your next day's workout.
Chronic carb depletion will have you breaking your body down and leave a lot to be desired for your interval sessions. You may soon find yourself getting shelled off the back of a group ride after 45- 60 minutes or worse sooner. Without adequate glycogen stores (stored in muscles and liver) you'll be left discouraged after your interval sessions. The next step in dialing in your nutritional needs is to get your caloric readings while exercising.
Zone Check
This is typically a VO2 max, Metabolic profile, or VO2 submax test, and in any case be sure to consult with your fitness professional to insure that your getting data that you need. If you're a runner get tested on a treadmill not a bike. Typically with such an assesment for a cyclist you'll receive a pluthera of information ranging from heart rate zones, wattage zone, and zone descriptions. With an assessment you may find that you burn 11.2 calories per minute at a heart rate of 135 bpm (beats per minute) or wattage of 160w. So, if you were to ride for 120 minutes at 135 bpm or 160w you would burn approx. 1344 calories. With this data it'll help you dial in your weight management and maximize your performance.
Common weight management and performance pitfalls:
On weekday's with low workout volume - over consumption of calories
On weekend's with heavy volume - under fueling
Off day's - over consumption of calories
Day's with heavy volume are treated as a "cheat" day on nutrition and fat intake is excessive
By Third Coast Training | January 18, 2012 at 11:14 AM EST | No Comments
There is no level of fitness that needs to be attained in order to do the assessment. Some people think they need to "get in shape" before performing the assessment, when in fact they are probably better off getting an assessment before getting in shape so that they have optimal training parameters to help them spend their training time as efficiently as possible. The primary purpose of the assessment is to provide you with information to make your training as efficient as possible, not to impress anyone with your VO2 max "score." The most important time to schedule is when first getting into shape, or conducting Base training, to ensure that the training parameters being used are accurate. It would be unfortunate to do three months of Base training only to then perform the assessment and discover that your have wasted that time training with the wrong exercise parameters.
By Third Coast Training | January 18, 2012 at 11:12 AM EST | No Comments
While there are some general patterns of how the metabolic demands of one sport relate to another, we don't suggest using test results from one sport for training in another. For example; If an athlete is equally economical and has an equal training history and experience in running and cycling, we know that on average a running AT (anaerobic threshold)will be around ten beats per minute higher than a cycling anaerobic threshold (AT). This is a rough generalization relating ATs, and does not at all address an aerobic profile. An athlete can have identical running and cycling ATs, but have Aerobic Profiles so drastically different between that they would need to train at very different intensities, or Zones, in one sport versus the other.
By Third Coast Training | January 18, 2012 at 11:10 AM EST | No Comments
Carbohydrate is used as fuel by muscle cells in the form of blood glucose, and has a very limited supply. We keep reserves of Glycogen in muscle and liver tissue that can be tapped for conversion to blood glucose, but it is also a limited supply, so if we are exercising or racing at an intensity that utilizes carbohydrate as the predominant fuel source, we will run out of fuel and "bonk," or "hit the wall."
Understanding how your body utilizes fat versus carbohydrate is important in making fueling decisions for training or racing, and may dictate the best maximum aerobic intensity that an athlete can sustain for a given endurance event.
An assessment such as a Zone Check provides a graph showing exactly how much fat and carbohydrate are being utilized at any given exercise intensity, and where your Crossover point (Aerobic Base) is. With periodic testing an athlete can monitor their progress and make adjustments to their training and racing strategy.
By Third Coast Training | January 18, 2012 at 11:07 AM EST | No Comments
Anaerobic Threshold (AT) refers to a high level of exercise intensity where your body can no longer rely on utilizing fat and oxygen in the aerobic metabolism to meet its energy demands. There are many names for this physiological landmark, including Lactate Threshold (LT). A full explanation would be lengthy but basically the exercise intensity at which AT occurs is the same point at which lactate production becomes greater than lactate recycling, causing a buildup of lactate in the blood. Your Aerobic profile and AT characteristics are by far the most important information to have for training and racing. These physiological characteristics are the best predictors of endurance performance, and should dictate training parameters.
By Third Coast Training | January 18, 2012 at 11:03 AM EST | No Comments
When you embark on your next training session ask yourself what system am I training?
To become a successful endurance athlete you’ll need adequate training stimulus and sufficient recovery time to develop many different physiological systems and training qualities like aerobic base, anaerobic threshold, VO2 max, speed and power. Attempting to improve some of these qualities at the same time can be frustrating and can impact your performance negatively. Avoid just training hard. To develop each system properly careful planning and sequencing of training should be practiced. Periodization is a method of breaking up the year to focus on specific goals. Identifying your weaknesses and developing a plan to target and improve these will prepare you for your next phase of training.
By Third Coast Training | January 18, 2012 at 11:01 AM EST | No Comments
You can lose 2% of your body weight before thirst is initiated and can cause an increase in perceived effort. How much can performance be effected? Claims have been made as much as 10-30%. With an increase in dehydration status during moderately prolonged exercise an endurance athlete can expect reduced blood flow to active muscles, elevated carbohydrate oxidation which leads to premature muscle glycogen depletion and muscle fatigue.
What is 2% for a 200lb male? 4lbs
What is 2% for a 130lb female? 2.6lbs
1 liter of water = 2.2 lbs Half liter of water = 1.1lbs
By Third Coast Training | January 18, 2012 at 10:59 AM EST | No Comments
Efficiency is a measure of the amount of external work that you can accomplish for a given level of oxygen consumption. Every movement you make requires energy. If you were to treat your energy as currency your goal would be to save a bundle by taking a closer look at the factors that determine efficiency. How you can change them as it can be the deciding factor in winning or losing. Keep in mind improvements in fitness are just improvements in energy production. A very efficient runner can easily outperform a more fit, inefficient runner because their energy is directed towards making the body move forward rather than being wasted.
Efficiency testing is very important if major changes are made to stride mechanics close to the racing season. Is the physiological cost of a new stride worth the potential increases in speed?
Running Technique is the most trainable that affects efficiency. Improvements in running mechanics will allow the fewest motor units and muscle fibers to do the required work. While fiber type make up is largely genetically predetermined there is room for improvement. Slow twitch fibers are more efficient than fast twitch fibers.
By Third Coast Training | January 18, 2012 at 10:56 AM EST | No Comments
Flaws in training program design are ultimately the cause of overtraining which is a result of an imbalance between training and recovery from excessive periods of training with inadequate recovery.
Often, more than one of these factors contribute to the development of overtraining:
Frequent travel and competition
Inadequate recovery between training sessions
Increases greater than 10% per week in training volume
In developing your training program follow the principals of periodization.
Plan your racing season in advance. Avoid last minute add-ins as this will inevitably change your workouts leading into the race and after.
We all have stress, life happens and communication is important with your coach when external stressors are elevated. Example,Increase in workload at your job, travel, change in job or relationship, new family member, etc. Modifications to your program may be warranted to insure adequate recovery has taken place.
Avoid cherry picking workouts. Often intensity sessions are selected over base training and recovery sessions in the event of a shortened week due to last minute family, school, or job obligations. If it's difficult to follow your training program make appropriate alterations or consult with your coach.
If you're exhibiting symptoms of overtraining your training program would need to be reworked with a decrease in training volume and intensity.
If you're not following a training program keep a log of your workouts completed. Note the volume and intensity so you'll have a history to review and possibly make adjustments to your training habits.
By Third Coast Training | January 18, 2012 at 10:50 AM EST | No Comments
A Zone Check will show you how many calories you burn at different intensities ( Training Zones), and how many of those calories come from the metabolism of fat and carbohydrate. This helps in determining a more accurate balance of daily caloric intake.
Achieving a small deficit in daily caloric intake through a combination of diet and exercise has been repeatedly proven to be the best way to achieve healthy and long-lasting weight loss with improved body composition.
For athletes with a very high training volume this information will help them tailor their dietto ensure that they are getting adequate daily nutrition to meet the demands put on their bodies. A "Resting Metabolic Rate" assessment can also be done to get a more accurate picture of how many calories your body burns during a normal day, not including exercise time.
Combining the Zone Check and RMR tests are ideal for anyone looking to make the most of their athletic performance as well as those looking to achieve a targeted weight.
Prior to getting your assessment you may want to check to see what data you'll receive. Not all Metabolic analyzers have a CO2 analyzer which will determine how much information your assessment will provide. If you're looking to have total caloric usage along with fat and carb data a metabolic analyzer with a CO2 analyzer would be desired.
VO2 max refers to the maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can utilize during intense or maximal exercise. In a lab this is generally done with a graded exercise test on a treadmill (for runners), cycling erg (for cyclist), or rowing erg (for rowers) where each stage the workload is increased while ventilation and oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) is measured. VO2max is reached when oxygen consumption remains at steady state despite an increase in workload. The Number VO2 max is expressed either as an absolute rate in liters of oxygen per minute (l/min) or as arelative rate in millilitres of oxygen per kilogram of bodyweight per minute (ml/kg/min).
The relative rate is the expression often used to compare the performance of endurance sports athletes.
>75 Olympic caliber endurance athlete
>60 National caliber endurance athlete
>45 Athletic fitness
>38 General health & fitness
If you have a VO2 max over 75 does it mean you can compete as a Olympic caliber endurance athlete? Unfortunately no, there are many other factors to consider. With that being said you may be a very efficient athlete and compete well at the regional or national level with a VO2max of 57 but competing on the world level (Olympic) your VO2 max may very well be your limiting factor. In the car world it's like showing up with a 6 cylinder engine while everyone else has an 8 cyclinder. They'll have more "horsepower" to play with.
By Third Coast Training | January 07, 2012 at 11:24 PM EST | No Comments
Discover your Pre, during, and post workout / race fueling strategies.
Objective: Maximize the body's carbohydrate stores (i.e., liver and muscle glycogen).
Why ? :
The depletion of these stores has a detrimental effect on performance.
The carbohydrate capacity of an active individual is relatively small compared with what's necessary to fuel a long ride or run. Studies on trained athletes have found when carbohydrate is the primary fuel source; stored glycogen (muscles and liver) can be exhausted by just 60 -90 minutes of hard exercise.
When glycogen in working muscles becomes depleted, fatigue becomes very noticeable as well as your new found race pace. This would be a pace where fat is your primary energy source, below your aerobic threshold. If your aerobic threshold is low so will be your pace. The key to extending your energy reserves, besides replenishing, is to have a well developed aerobic base.
When?:
Experiment and practice your fueling strategy during your daily workouts so on race day you'll have a practiced strategy in place. Don't introduce something new on race day.
A pre-event meal can't remedy inadequate training, the failure to carbo-load,
or an inadequate daily diet.
What should I eat before workouts / Race?
You can eat normally up to 3 hour before a workout. 1-3 hours before a workout, you should only eat easily digestible foods such as fruit, energy bars, and breads. To avoid rebound hypoglycemia, a sudden drop in blood sugar during the onset of exercise, you should not eat anything within an hour of your workout.[2]
What should I eat during workouts / Race?
Consuming carbohydrate (CHO) during exercise can enhance performance and improve endurance. Studies measuring the exogenous oxidation of carbohydrate have shown the body can burn a maximum of 1.0 g of ingested CHO each minute during exercise. Therefore, you should aim to consume 30-60 g of CHO every hour of exercise in the form of gels and/or energy drinks. Eating more than this will not improve your performance and increases the risk of indigestion.[3, 4]
What should I eat after workouts / Race?
Your fitness does not improve when you exercise. Your fitness improves when you recover from exercise. The quicker you can recover, the more you can improve. In order to recover from endurance exercise, you must restore your muscle glycogen. Research has shown the fastest way to restore your glycogen is to consume 0.8 g of CHO per kg of body weight with protein 0-30 minutes after exercise. Continuing to consume 0.8 kg of CHO per kg of body weight every hour, up to four hours, until your next full meal will keep glycogen synthesis at its highest rate.[5] This can be accomplished by consuming 1 serving of a commercial recovery drink or 2 cups of low-fat chocolate milk every hour until your next meal.[6]
Recommendations:
To dial in your total caloric needs have your RMR and caloric expenditure assessed while exercising. Be sure to ask for your carb depletion rates.
References
1. Insel, P.M., R.E. Turner, and D. Ross, Nutrition. 2nd ed. 2004, Sudbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett. xxx, 740, [170] p.
2. Wilmore, J.H. and D.L. Costill, Physiology of sport and exercise. 3rd ed. 2004, Champaign: Human Kinetics.
3. Jeukendrup, A.E. and R. Jentjens, Oxidation of carbohydrate feedings during prolonged exercise: current thoughts, guidelines and directions for future research. Sports Med, 2000. 29(6): p. 407-24.
4. Rehrer, N.J., Fluid and electrolyte balance in ultra-endurance sport. Sports Med, 2001. 31(10): p. 701-15.
5. Jentjens, R. and A. Jeukendrup, Determinants of post-exercise glycogen synthesis during short-term recovery.
Sports Med, 2003. 33(2): p. 117-44.
6. Karp, J.R., et al., Chocolate milk as a post-exercise recovery aid. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab, 2006. 16(1): p. 78-91.
By Third Coast Training | January 07, 2012 at 10:56 PM EST | No Comments
Common warning signs of over-training include:
Washed-out feeling, tired, drained, lack of energy
Mild leg soreness, general aches and pains
Pain in muscles and joints
Sudden drop in performance
Insomnia
Headaches
Decreased immunity (increased number of colds, and sore throats)
Decrease in training capacity / intensity
Moodiness and irritability
Depression
Loss of enthusiasm for the sport
Decreased appetite
Increased incidence of injuries.
A compulsive need to exercise
Over-training syndrome frequently occurs in athletes who are training for competition or a specific event and train beyond the body's ability to recover. Athletes often exercise longer and harder so they can improve. But without adequate rest and recovery, these training regimens can backfire, and actually decrease performance.
Conditioning requires a balance between overload and recovery. Too much overload and/or too little recovery may result in both physical and psychology symptoms of overtraining syndrome.
Fortunately, it is relatively easy to prevent over-training. Following the principals of periodization, periodic fitness testing and having a good understanding of physiology can help prevent most cases of overtraining.
Recommendation:
1.Have a training plan custom built for you based on your performance needs, availability to train, goals, etc.
2. Periodically get tested to evaluate your progress.
By Third Coast Training | January 07, 2012 at 10:47 PM EST | No Comments
Aerobic base training is to target the slow-twitch muscle fibers.
What is Slow-twitch muscle fibers?
Type I (ST): Slow oxidative; fatigue-resistant; low glycogen content; high mitochondrial and myoglobin content.
What does it do?
Used for long-lasting, low level force production, extremely long endurance activities and because of its ability to oxidize lactate the slow-twitch fibers are needed to recover between repeated bursts of high intensity intervals or activity.
Building a bigger base
Studies have shown that with endurance training an increase in H-LDH enzymes has been found in slow twitch fibers. This enzyme plays a role in oxidizing lactate. It's not unusual for an endurance athlete to have as much as 65 - 80% of aerobic base training annually. Depending on the distances of your races your ratio of aerobic base training can vary from 50 - 80%.
Now before you go and start piling up large amounts of volume the slow-twitch muscle fibers are not fatigue proof. They're fatigue resistant and you should observe a gradual increase in volume. As you spend time in your zone 1 you may find your heart rate drop quicker between intervals and a drop in resting heart rate.
A training zone system is based on three physiological points; aerobic threshold, anaerobic threshold, and VO2 max. Understanding your response to exercise with physiological testing can help you identify your needs for development.
