Caffeine and Cycling time trials

I'm a big fan of caffeine. A caf-fiend, some might say. It is rumored that ethiopian shepherds first noticed the effects of caffeine after observing energetic behavior in their goats who had just eaten coffee.

Athletes are looking for that same energy.

Two recent studies on caffeine are worth mentioning.  In the first, a caffeine related improvement in performance was seen, but not in everyone.  Although 7 out of 9 individuals had improved performance, the overall improvement in performance was 1.6-1.9%. 

The dose of caffeine used was 5mg/kg, taken 90 minutes before exercise.  Caffeine doses between 3 and 6 mg/kg have also shown improvement in performance.

The same authors also found that caffeine, caused an improvement in cycling performance in trained individuals, which might help explain why only 7 of 9 individuals did better.

Caffeine increases heart rate and decreases mood, two side effects that you might not want.

Caffeine works by increasing adrenaline which, in turn increases circulating fatty acids that can be used as fuel.  If you are using predominately slow twitch fibers, then you will have more of an effect from the caffeine than if you are using predominately fast twitch fibers.  Of course, everyone has a different muscle fiber profile, so if you don't know yours, then it will be hard to determine if caffeine ingestion will work for you.

Some other interesting caffeine facts:

• Eating green leafy vegetables will lessen breakdown and clearance of caffeine , giving an extra kick (Kale latte, anyone?)
• Taking Zantac (cimetidine) will also keep the caffeine from being broken down
• You don't need to withdraw from caffeine to have it make a difference
• Repeated small doses of caffeine (1-2g/kg) during prolonged exercise can also help

References:

Astorino TA, Cottrell T, Lozano AT, Aburto-Pratt K, Duhon J. Effect of caffeine on RPE and perceptions of pain, arousal, and pleasure/displeasure during a cycling time trial in endurance trained and active men. Physiol Behav. 2012 May 15;106(2):211-7. Epub 2012 Feb 12.

Astorino TA, Cottrell T, Lozano AT, Aburto-Pratt K, Duhon J. Increases in cycling performance in response to caffeine ingestion are repeatable. Nutr Res. 2012 Feb;32(2):78-84.

Graham TE. Caffeine and Exercise; Metabolism, Endurance and Performance. Sports Med. 2001. 31(11); 785-807

Matty Reed in the Performance Lab: Part 2

The Bike Fit

One of the most important things to remember about bike fit is that power output depends not only upon angles, but also upon the rider’s strengths and weakness and how to make a rider stronger.

After series of single leg squats, planks, and joint mobility measures, it was clear that the position of comfort and maximal power would depend upon further stabilizing Matt’s core muscles.  His aerodynamic position was already  tested in the wind tunnel, so I was more concerned with keeping his frontal area minimized while changing his core stability

Because riding position changes with different power outputs, it is important to use a point on the power curve that approximates race-pace wattage.  The point that we chose was where lactic acid starts accumulating.  By testing the bike fit at this point, we could see how the changes were affecting him.

After a few changes to his elbow pads, we did another trial at race wattage.  His exhaled carbon dioxide dropped, meaning that he was not accumulating lactic acid.  

Moving the elbow pads further forward let Matt use his aero bars as levers to pull back and activate some of his core muscles which gave him more power as he pedaled.  My big concern was that this position might lead to more acid accumulation, since he was using more muscles, but the changes resulted in less lactic acid accumulation, meaning he could pedal harder before the burn of the lactic acid would cause muscle fatigue.

Using stop motion video, I was able to measure and maintain his hip and knee angles that he was comfortably using. 

He had two weeks until his next race the Boulder, Colorado 5150, in which he got second place.

Matty Reed in the Performance Lab: Part 1

A project about making a great triathlete better.

I got an email about helping out Fuji sponsored rider Matt Reed with a bike fit.  It seems that even though he was having great results all season, including a frigid win in Boise 70.3, he felt as though he wasn’t getting the power output he wanted and it was harder on the bike than in previous years.

Matt came to the Performance Lab following a 5th place in the Philly Olympic Triathlon.  I felt a little bad knowing that he raced just the day before and was now going to be doing a maximal test.  VO2max testing would help us establish his muscle fiber profile and would also give us some good power benchmarks to use for bike fitting.  On the way to reaching VO2max we can figure out how the heart lungs and muscles work together.  By analyzing the data we are able to identify where he maxed out his slow twitch fibers, his anaerobic threshold and his VO2max.

Many of the elite/pro half iron distance triathletes that I have tested have a similar profile, that is they are largely aerobic machines, using their slow twitch fibers to move them.  Once we were done with our testing, I knew that Matt was different--he has a lot more anaerobic fibers than most, which is where he gets his power.  The anaerobic fibers (also called fast twitch or Type II) are 5-10 times more powerful than slow twitch fibers.  The drawback is that fast twitch fibers can fatigue faster.

Once we know where Matt is getting his power, I gave him specific wattage based intervals to use which will help him target his strengths.  On review of the testing I was able to give Matt his nutrition requirements for the different muscle fibers that he is using when he races.

At the end of the test, I asked how he felt.  His answer? “If I knew I was going to be doing a VO2 max test, I might not have had the Ahi Tuna for lunch.”

Decreased Body Fat, Improved Mood

Let's face it, dieting is pretty brutal.  Calorie restriction not only leaves us feeling empty, but also makes us grumpy.  Furthermore, trying to lose weight in season leaves little energy to burn for training.  


Athletes who try to lose weight in season, especially if they are trying to "make weight," frequently resort to some extreme measures that leave them dehydrated, more susceptible to heat and lacking appropriate energy.


One strategy was recently reported for a jockey.


His resting metabolic needs were met by being broken down into six meals.  He maintained this regimen while continuing his daily exercise routine.  After 9 weeks, he had a 17.5 pound weight loss (8kg).  


Knowing and meeting basic metabolic needs prevents metabolic slowing which can actually result in weight gain and more difficulty in losing fat.  Using 6 daily meals helps prevent hunger which will lead to over-eating--especially when compared to the two daily meals the jockey was eating before this trial. Resting metabolic rates express the amount of calories that are burned at rest as grams of fat, carbohydrate and protein.


More importantly, aside from the loss of body fat, the jockey had an improved mood, which might help him keep up his diet and exercise routine.


source: Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2012 Jun;22(3):225-31

Running adds years to your life and life to those years

Danish researches presenting the results of the Danish Central Register found that regular running as exercise live an average of 6 years longer than their non-running (non-exercising) counterparts. 

Jogging was associated with a 44% reduction in the risk of death over 35 years, which translates into an age-adjusted survival benefit of 6.2 years in men and 5.6 years in women.

Joggers reported an overall sense of well-being, which isn't just about extending life, but living better.

The benefit was found in 3 cumulative sessions a week, totaling one to 2.5 hours a week.

European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation
Source reference:
Schnohr P "Jogging -- healthy or hazard symposium: Assessing prognosis: a glimpse of the future" EuroPRevent2012.

Nutrition Notes

Here are the notes from a presentation that I recently gave on endurance nutrition.  While these are general guidelines and recommendations, specific numbers that apply to individuals can be calculated during exercise testing with calorimetry.  


Calorimetry lets us measure how many calories as fat, carbohydrate and protein one burns with any given exercise intensity.


Here are my nutrition guidelines for endurance events:

Nutrition Notes

Pre-Exercise

The closer to the start of exercise, the smaller amount of food needed

Choose rapidly digestible, low fiber foods (gels, liquids applesauce)

During Exercise

Energy intake for sustained high-level activity

Intake should match expenditure for maximum carbohydrate use or race pace

30-60g carbohydrate per hour

Recovery

Replace used up muscle glycogen

Prepare for the next training day/race

0.5g carbohydrate per pound of body weight & 0.16g protein per pound of body weight

Race Day Plan

24 Hours to Go

Carbohydrate-load: 2.5 minute threshold effort followed by 30 seconds at VO2max

10g/kg carbohydrate (5g/lb) over next 24 hours

Carbohydrate should be low glycemic and low fiber

3 hours to go

Last solid meal.  Meal should be mostly low glycemic carbohydrate

Protein should be 10% of total calories

2 hours to go

4-6% Carbohydrate solution (4-6 grams of carbohydrate per 100ml water)

30 minutes to go

High glycemic index snack (gel, applesauce)

Race Time

Fluid consumed to limit sweat loss to 1% of body weight

Carbohydrate if racing for more than 1 hour

Running Stride Frequency

One of the best changes to come out of the minimalist running movement has been an increase in stride frequency.  By increasing frequency, the "over-stride" is prevented as runners have to decrease the stride length as they increase their foot turnover speed.  Higher foot turnover can also decrease impact forces on the leg compared with a higher stride frequency (longer stride length) at any given speed.

The study found that increasing stride frequency by 17-18% decreased impact.  For example if your foot cadence is 160 strides/minute, increasing by 18% (160 x 1.18 = 188) would yield a stride frequency of 188 strides/minute.

In this study, a metronome was used to help the subjects keep in step with their selected foot cadence.

To count your foot cadence, keep track of the number of times your foot hits the ground in 1 minute.  Multiply by 1.18 to find your ideal cadence for decreasing impact forces.  

Not everyone needs to decrease impact forces, however.  Most running injuries are not directly impact related, but rather, are related to how well we deal with impact.