How many calories do you burn cycling? It’s a question asked by general exercisers and novice cyclists, all the way up to professional bike racers. People ask for different reasons, though. General exercisers may be primarily interested in burning calories for weight loss or to meet daily energy expenditure goals. Some cyclists may ask for …
The invention of the power meter revolutionized cycling training more than 30 years ago. Then it took another 15 years for power meters to be widely available to amateur cyclists. These days, cyclists can train with power on virtually any outdoor or indoor bicycle. Whether you already have a power meter or are curious about …
Ergogenic aids, or performance-enhancing substances, include any substances that enhance performance or recovery. The term encompasses legal substances like caffeine and prohibited substances like anabolic steroids. Interestingly, the research that determined just how ‘sports enhancing’ they could be, was done in controlled laboratory settings rather than real-world scenarios. While controlled settings leave less room for …
Backyard Ultra Events exploded in popularity over the last few years thanks, in part, to their straightforward setup. The objective is to complete successive 4.167-mile loops, each in under one hour, for as long as you can. A little more than 4 miles in an hour sounds easy, and for the first few hours it …
Low intensity rides are a critical component of any cyclist’s training plan, even plans that also feature high-intensity interval workouts. These easier rides go by a number of different names, including ‘aerobic endurance’, ‘Zone 2’, ‘base miles’, and ‘LSD’ or Long Slow Distance. In CTS terminology, we refer to them as EnduranceMiles. Many athletes – …
One of the first goals any athlete mentions to me is to improve lactate threshold (LT), although they might use a proxy for it – Functional Threshold Power (FTP). Those terms are often used interchangeably because power at LT and FTP are typically very close. Both indicate maximal sustainable power. Specifically, that means the effort …
By Scott Mercier, CTS Contributing Editor, US Olympian, Retired pro cyclist I was watching Nordic skiing on the Olympics and they showed a section of the Great Wall of China. The section was at the top of a mountain and had an enormous arched gate. I immediately flashed back to the 1995 Tour of China. …
Trail running may not be the most dangerous outdoor sport, it is important to know the risks and how to take care of yourself. Many issues can be mitigated with proper planning and a few items that are easily carried in a running vest. So, let’s discuss first aid for trail runners and how to …
By Alison Tetrick, Pro cyclist, Entrepreneur, CTS Contributing Editor Your sights are honed. You have your target in mind. You’re laser focused. You start dialing in your objective. I just hope it isn’t on Bambi. (Whoever put their sights on that baby deer traumatized an entire generation.) As another cycling season gets rolling, there are …
How many tools are in your training and racing toolbox these days? Truth be told the market is saturated with new gadgets, technologies, philosophies, algorithms, and promises to make you better. As educated consumers, you need to evaluate new products coming to the market and decide personal worth to you. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is …