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BOOST YOUR PERFORMANCE IN THE SADDLE WITH THE LATEST SPORTS SCIENCE AND TECH FINDINGS
HOME TESTING
The ‘sleep low-train low’ (SLTL) approach to training – which has usurped ‘fasted’ as a popular training method among increasing numbers of cyclists and triathletes – has had a boost thanks to new research from Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU).
The two-day SL-TL exercise-nutrition strategy is used to change the amount of carbs that your body has available to fuel exercise, with the aim of encouraging the body to burn greater amounts of fat. The idea is that you train after an evening meal, then again the next morning before consuming any carbs. “To date, much of the evidence generated to support the use of training with low carb availability has been completed in small sample studies in laboratory conditions,” Sam Bennett, researcher in Applied Physiology and Nutrition at LJMU, told Cycling
Plus. “This has been done in highly controlled environments that don’t relate particularly well to realworld applications. We wanted to do a study using ‘real-world’ techniques used by coaches and athletes that would bridge the gap between the lab and field.”
Bennett and his team trialled SL-TL with 55 athletes across three weeks to assess the feasibility of the protocol in real-world, homebased conditions. In conjunction with training-plan provider TrainingPeaks.com they designed a study that would allow them to remotely prescribe and monitor the exercises.
The athletes completed a series of tests at the start of the study (20, 5 and 1-minute power tests) before being assigned either to a group following the SL-TL approach, or to a control group that completed all sessions with high carbohydrate availability. At the end of the three weeks, the results demonstrated that a short-term ‘sleep lowtrain low’ intervention improved Functional Threshold Power (FTP, the average number of watts a rider can sustain in an hour) in cyclists
“Asleep low-train low intervention improved FTP in cyclists compared to normal carb availability”
“One in 20 UK school children has never ridden a bike, according to a new Raleigh study”
compared with typically normal carb availability during exercise. “Importantly, training was completed unsupervised at home, thus demonstrating the feasibility of completing a SL-TL protocol under non-laboratory conditions,” said Bennett.
02
JOIN THE FLASH MOB
Flashing rear lights are an increasingly familiar sight on bikes over the winter months, and with good reason. US studies from Clemson University reveal that compared to steady rear lights, those that flash offer much greater visibility. Researchers examining how light choice affected detection found that riders with flashing lights could be spotted at three times the distance of those using just steady lights (on average a flashing light is noticed by motorists 82m sooner than a steady one). Those in the know suggest choosing a rear light with a lower flash setting (not an on/off flash) and ideally combining this with a steady rear light to maximise the ability of other road users to detect your distance and speed.
03
KIDS HIT THE SKIDS
One in 20 UK school children has never ridden a bike. A new Raleigh study also found that 70% of parents felt bringing back the Cycling Proficiency tests to every school would encourage their child to get on their bike. “Build confidence by practising skills together in a traffic-free environment,” suggests Raleigh’s Michelle Jakeway. “Parents should model the behaviour they want to see in their children when cycling too. As a family, start using your bikes together for short trips or fun days out.”
04
SMART MOVES
US scientists at Northern Arizona University have prototyped a new smart bike designed to detect road anomalies and share real-time results with other cyclists. “The instrumented bike is equipped with sensors and a video device,” associate professor Chun-Hsing Ho told Training Zone. “When cycling on biking facilities, any hazards (bumps, potholes, cracks, manholes and the like) will be detected and geore-ferenced using the computing algorithms we have developed. The locations of those hazards will be displayed on a smartphone via a mobile app we have developed and shared with cyclists, who can adjust their travelling path accordingly, as well as with public agencies so they can monitor the conditions of biking facilities and prioritise repair needs.”
05
LATE RIDE BENEFITS
While early morning – pre-breakfast - is widely acknowledged to be a better time for training if you’re looking to use fat for fuelling, don’t dismiss evening workouts if you’re trying to lose weight. Scientists from the Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research in Australia have discovered that training later in the day (6.30pm in their trials) had unique benefits for improving fat metabolism and bloodsugar control, particularly for overweight men and those on high-fat diets.