IN THIS EDITION…
- Can You Train Your Gut?
- Bodywork for Stronger Cycling
- Optimal Fueling for Your Taper
- Swim Less, More Often
- Raise LT with Zone 2 Training
HOW Z2 IMPROVES LT
What has the greatest impact on elevating lactate threshold? Improving the body’s ability to aerobically produce energy.
One of the best ways to improve aerobic capacity is by training at low-to-moderate intensity (Zone 2). Doing so increases the density of mitochondria, where aerobic energy production happens. It also stimulates capillary development. Both adaptations allow for faster lactate clearance. The result: a higher lactate threshold.
Learn why we obsess over lactate measurements, and how you can use the latest science to ultimately improve your power output and sustained speed.
SWIM LESS, MORE OFTEN
Do you ever feel that swimming is like a “foreign language”?
If so, then Darian Silk’s article will provide you with some tips to make you more fluent in the water.
The key is to increase the frequency of your swim sessions, even if those workouts are relatively short. Five 20-minute sessions are preferable to two 1-hour sessions.
Coach Philip Hatzis contends that 4x per week is required to see significant improvement.
Shorter regular sessions ensure that more of your time is spent swimming fresh, when your technique is crisp and more precise. You definitely do not want to plod through a long sloppy session, embedding bad habits into your muscle memory.
So swim less, more often and watch your performances improve.
TRAIN THE GUT
If you’re among the 50% of triathletes who have had stomach problems during a race, then you’ll want to read this information-dense review by sports nutritionist Asker Jeukendrup on how to train the gut.
We don’t need research to tell us that gastrointestinal problems begin with high fiber foods, highly concentrated sports drinks and over-consumption. Or that they’re amplified by hot weather and dehydration. Duh.
What you might not know is that the stomach can be trained to tolerate greater volumes and to empty more efficiently… even while under the stress of racing.
By mixing sugar types and increasing your carb volume during race-paced training sessions, you can raise your carbohydrate absorption rate by over 30% in less than 2 weeks.
ACCELERATE DAILY RECOVERY
When you’re training more than 3 days a week, your nutritional demands are greater than the average person. You require more micronutrients than what you can get from diet alone.
If you’re a triathlete over 40, this is especially true. You need the right combination of micronutrients to avoid burnout and speed up next-day recovery.
This where the Athlete Daily Formula comes in, brought to by the nutrition scientists at The Feed.
Each daily dose includes the unparalleled SwissRX multivitamin, Omega 3 and vitamin D3.
For a limited time you can snag this convenient supplement bundle for 50% off… exclusively at TheFeed.com
BIKE STRONG
Are your bike splits slower during the second half of the race?
If so, you might not need more training miles. Instead, it could be time to work on your strength.
Strength training doesn’t have to be at odds with endurance training. In this short video learn 5 cycling-specific exercises that will deliver more speed in the late miles of your next triathlon.
For even more ideas, check out these 7 moves that target the hips, back legs and core. These can be performed at home with no equipment. They’re designed for one purpose: to generate more sustainable power on the bike.
FUEL YOUR TAPER
One of the most common areas of confusion among triathletes is how best to manage your nutrition during the pre-race taper.
Stories abound of athletes nearly starving themselves as they desperately try to reach an ill-advised race weight, or packing on unnecessary pounds as they struggle with unfamiliar lower training volumes in the last few weeks before the event.
Sports dietician Stevie Smith clears up the confusion with her straightforward plan for effectively fueling your taper.
She offers excellent tips on what foods to prioritize, and how to implement a conservative yet powerful carb loading plan.
QUICK HIITS:
- Prioritize Economy
Coach Alan Couzens reminds us that the most underestimated adaptation for endurance athletes is economy (i.e., obtaining more speed for less energy output). Read more in our Tweet of the Week.
- Draft-Legal Skills
Have you noticed how many World Triathlon Olympic distance triathletes are succeeding in long course events? Tom Epton explains how draft-legal racing develops speed and skills for IRONMAN.
- Raising Cain
25 year old running superstar Mary Cain is quietly transitioning into the pro ranks of triathlon. Her childhood swimming background and elite experience as a world class competitor lay the groundwork for a promising journey. Stay tuned..