The three elements of cycling performance

As a coach, one of the points I want cyclists to understand is that cycling performance stems from three essential elements: an exerciseAnd feed And Recovery. You can only be a successful cyclist if you master all three.

1. an exercise. The most obvious component of cycling performance is training. You cannot improve your performance as a cyclist if you do not participate in some type of training programme. There are many books, articles, and magazines written on effective training for cyclists and most of them can be helpful, depending on your experience level and goals. However, the simplest way to think of training is through the FITT paradigm, which stands for Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type. repetition It is the number of times you cycle each week. One of the first decisions you will have to make is how often you want to ride. This will depend on several variables including the time you have available to drive and your goals as a cyclist.

intensity It is a measure of how hard you work during a particular cycling session. time It is the length of a cycling session such as 60 minutes or 20 miles. In general, there is an inverse relationship between intensity and time. The harder you work on a particular exercise (for example, the higher your heart rate), the shorter the session, and vice versa. The key to successful cycling training is continually balancing intensity and time in a way that facilitates improved performance. He writes It indicates the type of exercise you will do during your workout (eg cycling, hill training, interval training, strength training). To improve the impact of training (for example, the performance benefits you get from your training regimen), you need to make decisions about how best to apply each component of the FITT paradigm based on your goals as a cyclist.

2. feed. To maximize your performance as a cyclist, you need to engage in effective nutritional practices. Good nutrition provides at least 3 benefits. First, and most obviously, it will boost your cycling performance by providing you with the energy you need to complete cycling workouts and events like races and tours. Secondly, good nutrition will facilitate the recovery process. The difference between feeling good during exercise and feeling like your legs are about to fall off may be down to effective nutritional practices. Finally, good nutrition allows you to lead a fit and healthy life that goes beyond cycling.

3. Recovery. Recovery may be the most overlooked component of cycling performance. It may also be the most important. Simply put, you don’t get better as a cyclist because you train hard. You are getting better because you are resting so hard. Well, you have to do both, but the process of physiological adaptation that leads to improved performance occurs during rest, not during training. This is caused by the body’s desire to maintain an internal balance known as homeostasis. For example, after a hard workout, you may feel very tired and sore because your body is not used to the physical stress it was subjected to during that workout. While recovering and resting, the body undergoes physiological adaptations that make it stronger.

The next time you do this exercise, it will seem a lot easier because of these modifications. The key is to allow for adequate recovery from this initial grueling workout. This is the essence of progressive overload and performance training. You work hard, get enough rest so your body can recover and get stronger, and then the frequency, intensity and duration can be gradually increased. Your primary goal as a cyclist is to create a training program that pushes you to your limits and then allows you to rest and recover enough to improve your performance. Always remember that working hard without adequate recovery is a recipe for overtraining, which will have a very negative impact on your cycling performance.