59. OPTIMIZING HIT AEROBIC ADAPTATIONS BASED ON RIDER PROFILE

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One topic which has always been discussed among endurance sport coaches and sport scientists is the individualization of the training program based on the athlete’s characteristics. While this concept has always been emphasized, there are no many available data to give guidelines on how to individualize training prescription based on rider’s characteristics.

For example, a good question can be: how optimize aerobic adaptations (critical power, FTP) in the so-called punchy guys, that are riders with high power values on relative short efforts below 5min (so, not necessarily sprinters), but that does not have an equally good level for longer (>10min) more aerobic efforts.

In the previous KisW Research Notes we saw that:

• High Intensity Training (HIT, above second threshold/FTP/CP) is a powerful adaptive stimulus to improve physiology and performance in a short time frame (even only few weeks)

• As HIT generate fatigue, we can only perform a limited number of sessions (maximum 2/3 sessions x week, generally speaking)

• So, it becomes very important to choose the right HIT workout format to maximise the limited number of sessions that we can perform.

How to choose?

• When the goal is to optimize aerobic adaptations and performance, sustaining a higher fraction of maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O_2max) during HIT sessions seems to be the key to get the most from these workouts.

• The HIT formats that maximize the time accumulated at high fraction of VO2max seems to be (in order of effectiveness):

  1. Intermittent short intervals

  2. Under-over intervals

  3. 8 min constant pace intervals

  4. 5 min fast start intervals

You can learn more about the formats of this HIT workout here in the Gabriele’s comment section.

Note that the order of effectiveness of these formats is based on studies that evaluated the average responses of a group of cyclists, without taking into account the characteristics of each rider.

In this context, coming back to the initial question:

Does punchy guys should prioritize some particular HIT workouts to develop their threshold/FTP/aerobic qualities? On the other hand, riders which are relatively already very good on longer aerobic efforts (high FTP compared to anaerobic reserve) should foster other HIT formats to further develop their aerobic qualities?

An explorative additional analysis performed in the study published by Urianstad et al. (Lillehammer University, Norway) on European Journal of Sport Science in 2024 tried to answer this question. (1)

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WHAT DID THEY DO?

• 19 trained amateur cyclists (~65 VO2max) performed on 3 different days, 3 different high intensity training sessions in the lab:

  1. Intermittent short intervals

     5x8min alternating 30-s at 118% of PO40min and 15-s at 60% of PO40min

  2. Under-over intervals

     5x8min alternating 60-s at 110% and 90% of PO40min

  3. 8 min constant pace intervals

     5x8min constant at 100% of PO40min

In all the 3 formats, the recovery between the 5x8min efforts was 3min at 35% of PO40min. PO40min is the personal best mean power output for 40min.

In all the 3 sessions mean oxygen consumption was measured using a lab metabolic cart.

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WHAT DID THEY FIND?