holiday party people

Cyclist Guide to Staying Strong and Fit Through Holiday Season

  By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach, co-author of “The Time-Crunched Cyclist” December presents many training and nutrition challenges for athletes, but with some planning you can hit January strong, fit, and ready to ramp up your performance. You don’t have to live like a monk for the six weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. We …

vegan athlete

Yes, Vegan Athletes Can Meet Elevated Protein Requirements. Here’s How.

  By Adam Ferdinandson, CTS Expert Coach Reviewed by Stephanie Howe, PhD “But how do you get enough protein?” This is something all plant-based folks have heard from coworkers, relatives, and others who feel the need to add their two-cents about dietary choices. As annoying as it may seem, the concern is valid. Consuming adequate protein …

weight loss

Coach Renee Eastman’s Top 5 Weight Loss Mistakes for Cyclists

As athletes start new training programs, many focus on losing weight as well as achieving their best fitness. Over 20-plus years of coaching, I’ve found some common things that trip people up. Below, I’ll share 5 common mistakes I see athletes make when pursuing weight loss goals. Before I dive into those topics, a disclaimer. …

sports drink

How to Choose a Sports Drink

  By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach, co-author of “The Time-Crunched Cyclist”, “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning”, and “Ride Inside“ What is a sports drink? A sports drink is essentially water with stuff dissolved in it. Some drinks have lots of different kinds of stuff dissolved in them, some of which just waste space. There is only so …

carbohydrate-cycling-performance

All About Carbohydrate for Cycling Training, Performance, and Recovery

People have strong feelings about carbohydrate, despite the fact it is neither good nor bad. The positive and negative effects of carbohydrate on health, performance, and recovery come from when, why, and how much people consume. For endurance athletes, carbs are an essential fuel for performance and recovery. To understand this critical component of sports …

heat and ergogenic aids

The Effect of Heat on Ergogenic Aids and Supplements

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 …

How to Eat and Drink for The Pikes Peak Apex and Multi-Day MTB Adventures

  By Chris Carmichael, CEO/Head Coach of CTS The Pikes Peak APEX presented by RockShox covers just over 125 miles over 4 stages, features more than 14,000 feet of climbing, and showcases four iconic Colorado Springs-area trail systems. Mountain bike stage races and multi-day adventures present unique nutrition and hydration challenges, so whether you are …