The first time Dave Scott won in Kona it was 1980 and he was 26, the last time in 1987 he would have been 33. In 1980 Dave’s time was 9:24:33 while in 1987 it was 8:34:13. So he was not just getting older but he was getting faster as well.

A recent statistical analysis (Elite triathletes in ‘Ironman Hawaii’ get older but faster) highlights these two trends:

Firstly the top ten performers in Kona are getting faster.

Secondly and perhapse more surprisingly the top ten performers in Kona are getting older.

This suggests the sport as well as the athletes has matured somewhat over the past decades. It raises several questions as to the reason.

Can we in fact keep building endurance to a greater age beyond the point where we start to loose out and out speed? If so what is the upper limit of age for peak performance?

Or is it that athletes that come through ITU ranks are developing their endurance later than there predecessors did at Iron distance? Remember triathlon only became an olympic sport at Sydney 2000 which is something that has a huge impact on the caliber and direction of athletes entering the sport.

What is clear is that it takes many years to build the endurance to race an Ironman to your potential so even athletes in their 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond can take heart in the fact they can still improve their performance.

The best way to achieve consistent high level results is to gradually increase your training load at a sustainable level. We can monitor this using TrainingPeaks performance manager which plots three useful numbers.

Acute training load (ALT)= Training stress score (TSS) per day
Chronic training load (CTL)= Your average daily TSS over the last period of time
Training stress balance (TSB)= A measure of how “fresh” you are

TSS allows you to quantify to impact of workouts for instance by definition 1 hour at your threshold wattage is 100 TSS points for instance.

Here is a performance manager chart for an athlete through Jan-July 2012. From Jan1 they steadily increased there CTL from 25 to 50 a clear indication of improved training and sustainable load.

At the end of March however they attended a training camp with involved hard 4-5 hour daily ride accumulating huge TSS score. While the Chronic Training Load increase by >50% to 70 in just one week the Training Stress Balance falls to -100.

This was the equivalent of doing a couple of tough days in a break in the Tour de France and the result was a flat early season struggling to recover form. You can see CTL steadily dropped following the camp and by the time CTL started to rise again it was BELOW the pre camp levels.

The take home message is that is you want to boost your training you probably need to do less than you think on your spring training camp. Increase your training load by 5-10% per week and your training and racing will be sustainable and reproducible.

Use performance manager to track this increase or if you are on an uncoached camp ask your coach to keep an eye on it for you and don’t be afraid to take a day off or fake a mechanical early on!

NO (nitric oxide) is an essential signaling molecule with many functions, including the regulation of blood flow, muscle contractility, glucose and calcium homeostasis, and mitochondrial respiration and biogenesis.

It is known that Vitamin D levels are associated with sun exposure as well as reduced rates of heart disease however Vitamin D supplementation has little or no effect on its own. Dr Weller thinks that it is the release of NO from skin in response to UV the principal reasons why people in sunnier environments suffer less heart disease. Therefor Vitamin D levels are simply a readout of sun exposure not the protective agent.

Multiple studies have shown that dietary Nitrate supplementation with beetroot can enhance performance in a range of sports (Pubmed JonesA Beetroot). Nitrate is one of the NO storage molecules in the skin and is thought to enhance performance by increasing NO levels.

This raises the interesting question that is raising NO levels with dietary supplementation can improve performance, can raising NO levels with UV light improve performance?

In practical terms this usually involves training twice per day, a popular strategy with elite athletes in all sports. Typically a steady state morning session followed by a more intense training bout in the evening.

It is clear however that using this strategy to train in a low glycogen state impaires performance and increases perceived exertion.

Caffeine is well established as an ergogenic aid know to enhance performance in endurance sports, largely through reducing the level of perceived exertion and fatigue.

A group at Griffith University In Australia have asked if Caffeine can overcome the performance deficits found during low glycogen training (Caffeine Ingestion and Cycling Power Output in a Low or Normal Muscle Glycogen State).

Either 24hrs (NORM glycogen) or 2hrs (LOW glycogen) before a test ride, cyclists first rode for 100min at 70% VO2MAX a session previously shown to deplete glycogen by 50%.

One before a test ride they consumed ether caffeine 3mgkg-1 or placebo. This is considered a low does in science however equates to 4-5 Pro plus caffeine tabs for a 70kg rider or at least 2 espresso coffees (highly variable in content).

At two hours each group then performed and self paced session on 8x5min and average power, perceived exertion, free fatty acids and heart rate were all measured.

What they found was that as expected glycogen depletion reduced performance and caffeine enhanced performance.

Caffeine was not enough to overcome the deficit in either performance or perceived exertion however caffeine did significantly enhance performance in the glycogen depleted state as well as the normal state.

They also noted that caffeine also increase blood levels of free fatty acids (FFAs) before the final exercise bout. FFAs are an indicator of fat metabolism and are key signalling molecules involved in the response to low glycogen training. It is more evidence that caffeine increases lipid metabolism however as it was not maintain during exercise the significance in unclear.

What is does help explain however is why so many elite triathletes who train twice a day most days of the week seem addicted to caffeine.

When we eat a meal containing fat there is an increase in the levels of triglycerides(fats) in the blood. This is of interest to scientists because the bigger this increase the bigger our chances of suffering from cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks. It also means your fat metabolism is lower and you will have a greater propensity to gain body fat.

Exercise has been shown to reduce this triglyceride spike and increase fat metabolism after a meal and this effect can be influenced by how you refuel after training. (1,2,3)

During exercise, the intensity, the duration and probably most importantly how highly trained you are will determine how much energy will come from carbohydrate (blood glucose and glycogen) and how much will come from fat (circulating free fatty acids and fat stores).

(vanLoon et al 2001)

Post exercise, how the intensity of training has effects the levels of fat metabolism is not clear. Different research groups use different protocols, some have tried replacing the lost energy and some have tried comparing different intensities.

In a recent study it has been reported that following a high intensity workout, subjects metabolised more fat and had a lower triglyceride peak following a high fat meal. Here subjects either did a 60min workout at 50% VO2max or a high intensity protocol alternating 2min at 25%vO2max and 2min @ 90%VO2max. Crucially, both groups used the same amount of energy.

(Trombold et al 2013)

This is a so far unique observation in this small field of research but seems very plausible. It raises the question, what is the mechanism responsible for the effect and what is the difference between high and moderate exercise in this respect.

Attempts have already made to answer this to some extent. One study using a traditional 4x30sec sprint +4min rest protocol found that that energy replacement with a commercially available nutrition bar only had an insignificant effect on post meal fat metabolism.

(Freese at el 2001)

Previously it was found that energy replacement with 110% of energy expended with almost exclusively CHO blocked the effects on triglyceride peak. They used a far more taxing protocol of 90min cycling followed by 10x1min sprints. They also noted that this corresponded to replenishment of muscle glycogen.

(Harrison et al 2009)

What does this mean for practical nutrition. The most obvious thing is that if you are trying to loose weight especially fat mass you should stay of the high carbohydrate recovery products although maintaining your energy balance with more balanced meal is probably ok.

If you are trying to increase your endurance, improve fat burning and reduce your reliance on carbohydrate you can also try reducing your carbohydrate intake post workout. You may try incorporating high intensity sessions in the day prior to longer endurance sessions, the lowered muscle glycogen and increased fat metabolism will enhance the effect of your workout.

However if you need to refuel for a high intensity workout or race no matter the intensity of workout you should refuel with a high carbohydrate meal to replace the muscle glycogen. Even if it is a long race you can switch your fat metabolism on with a high fat breakfast.

For that reason you probably wont be surprised that a paper in press from the University of Texas reports that runners training a median 6.5 hours per week for marathon and half marathon events are simultaneously highly sedentary sitting down for 10.75 hours during the week and 8 hours at weekends. Paradoxically, this puts US marathon runners in the most sedentary quartile fo the population.

This is worrying as several studies have described a consistent association between sitting time and elevated risk of death, either all cause or specifically cardiovascular (for a review see Dunstan et al 2011). Even when exercise is taken in to account this association is still strong.

Multivariate rate ratios for mortality in men (up and women (down) Patel et al 2010

So while more work needs to be done on the effects of sedentary behaviour in highly active people maybe it is time to sweep those hallos away and make your recovery more active.

At your desk:

-Take as many breaks as possible, walk round the office
-Stand up to read papers or make calls
-Eat your lunch as far away as possible not at your desk
-Drink more water, you will need to fetch it then take more comfort breaks

At home:

-Do stretching or functional training in front of the TV
-Do house work throughout the day rather than all at once
-Make fresh food not convenience foods
-Make time for more active recovery activities
-Go for another run

Happy recovery!

Having problems uploading from your training devices to Training Peaks? I have found particularly Garmin users can have issues with transferring files from Garmin training center or Garmin connect to training peaks.

If you have had trouble uploading your training files to Training peaks then you should try the free Device Agent app which should make life very easy.

Free device agent download

How to download from a device once you have installed Device Agent

1) Install the software that came with your device, as this is what contains the drivers (small packets of software that allow your computer to “talk” to your device). Do not run the manufacturers software when trying to download from your Device to WKO+, but it does need to be installed on the same computer as WKO+

2)Close all other training related software

3)Open Device Agent

4)Connect the download cable or wireless dongle to your computer

5)Select the correct Training Device Type and Training Device Port (the correct port will have text mentioning “USB”, “Serial”, or both, in parenthesis off to the right of the com number; or it will default to the correct one that can not be changed) at the top of the Device Agent

6)Connect your device and turn it on

7)Click “Download from Device” (or “Open Files”) in the upper right hand corner

8)Once the files have been extracted from the device, they will be listed by date in the Download Window.

9)Select the location you wish to send the downloaded files to by clicking on the icon within the Save To column. Once you have selected the desired Save To destination, click the Save button in the lower right hand corner

One of these modifications is the use of non-circular chain rings including the Rotor Q-rings and the O’symetric rings made famous by Bradley Wiggins and Team Sky.

If you use google you will find some bold claims about the power increases you can expect by using these systems as much as 10-15+ % unfortunately they do not seem to be supported by much hard evidence especially in longer endurance events such as triathlons.

Studies(1,2) in to the optimal design of chain rings have found maximally 2-3% increases in crank power. This is hard to perceive at submaximal intensities, less than 10 watts at 300. While this is what you may achieve with the best available rings such as O-symetric or custom made rings, I have noted that systems such as the Q-ring make no claims about increased power on their website. I should note that Rotor have developed a new Q-XL system which is more oval and may be more effective however I have sen little information on the specifications of these rings.

Rather than increases in power data in support of oval rings often looks at maximal performance in very short 1-5k time trials where biomechanics are maximally stressed and indirect metabolic indicators such as changes in heart rate or lactate which do not necessarily translate to improved performance.

So am I opposed to non-circular chain rings? No I think they are great but I also think their benefit is largely overstated by the companies producing them.

How do they work?

Non-circualr rings work by subtly modifying the gear ratio throughout the pedal stroke. This allows a HIGH gear ratio when you main muscle groups are engaged (gluteal-A and quads-B) but a LOW gear ratio through the ‘dead spot’ where smaller muscle groups can be overworked (hamstrings-E and hipflexors-F).

For instance:

O’symetric 54 TT ring: Upper=58 Lower=50
Rotor Q-ring 53tooth ring: Upper=56 Lower=51

This should allow a smoother quicker pedal stroke with more effective power transfer and less wasted energy.

The more subtle benefit which has not been quantified or studied except in a growing body of anecdotal evidence is the improvement in riding in the aero-position specifically.

Because it is when we try and ride aerodynamically that out hip flexors and hamstrings are put under the most pressure reductions in the stress on these muscle groups can (anecdotally) improve sustainable power output. It may also allow you to adopt a more aggressive position.

Having used O’symetric rings for over a year now I recommend them for this reason. I noticed essentially no improvements in maximal or sustainable power during the switch however I did notice immediate improvement in.

1) Sustainable threshold power in the aero-position so I could hold my threshold power longer on the TT bike without sitting up.

2) Reduced stress on hamstrings and hip-flexors during long TT rides. I had been struggling particularly with problems in my upper hamstring and tensor facia latae which began to ease off.

So while hard evidence is lacking in my view I think non-circular rings are worth a try and they are unlikely to result in any regative effects. Even a small positive effect could be worthwhile and you may find you are one of the few athletes who notice a remarkable improvement.

I have been reading “Bounce” by Matthew Syed as it was majorly hyped by some friends. This helps me understand their motivation and other influences.

My view is that is basically a more balanced look at the 10,000hrs theory popularised in Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliars book. He for instance acknowledge the influence of genetics in some areas of sport at least. If you are well read in the area there is nothing new but he has some good insights in to elite sport.

If you want to read more about the importance of talent and genes in sport you should read the science of running article on the subject.

He has some particularly poignant messages about coaching and practice, particularly the importance of purposeful practice and feedback.

“feedback is the rocket fuel that propels the acquisition of knowledge and without it no amount of practice will get you there”.

“coaches are able to design practice so feedback is inbeded in the drill leading to automatic feedback… this is the reason that man kind has progressed”

It is particularly obvious to me working with athletes on a day to day basis that many waste their time doing one of two things.

1) Training without purpose (no goal or strategy)

2) Training with purpose but in the wrong way (poor or flawed process)

Neither of these will get you close to where you want to be (the correct outcome maybe a medal or a time).

What makes feeback rocket fuel is the ability to quickly channel your energy in the most productive direction. That is why coaching works for everyone not just elite athletes. Take of this video clip of a swim analysis done by my friends at totalracingint.

It’s time! Here are the top 6 motivational quotes chosen by Clemente Alonso McKernan. Clemente knows all about motivation and how to keep going when things get tough. He won Challenge BCN holding off the fast running Per Bittner. “I have never suffered so much in a competition,” said Clemente. “Sometimes I thought I couldn’t win because Bittner ran too fast and I had a lot of pressure but I have got to keep the difference.”

You now have 48hr until Wed 8th Jan to get as many votes on the facebook poll as possible. The entry with the most votes gets first pick of the prizes and so on!

- How much do you want it?
Tom Fardon

- In hardship we endure x
Julie Thomson

- It’s only pain
Paul Fetes

- He who dares, wins.
Jörgen Nilsson

- Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change
Clare Clarke

- Forget all the excuses why you can’t and focus on how you will!
Mike Cully