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OCTOBER 8, 2018 · BY CHRISSIE WELLINGTON AND ANDY KIRKLAND Considering athlete weight in relation to performance is important when planning and executing training. But, where is the line between an increase in performance and encouraging an athlete to adopt unhealthy behaviors? Being a coach isn’t an easy job. We often work with highly-motivated people living complex lives. It’s our job to help them achieve their potential and actualize their dreams. While planning and prescribing training plans is a large part of what endurance coaches do, ultimately, we are influencing the behavior of athletes to help enhance performance. However, like many relationships, things can sometimes go wrong. A few poorly-chosen words, poor communication, or lack of understanding of the needs of the other person can lead to acrimony, or worse. “Ideal racing weight” is an important subject because the mass of an athlete affects performance. While it can be a sensitive topic for a coach to address, i...

https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/optimizing-strength-to-weight-ratio-while-staying-healthy/ SEPTEMBER 13, 2018    BY TAYLOR THOMAS Striking the appropriate balance between your power output and weight is critical for a sustainable and healthy approach to training and racing. Many athletes try to maintain as low a weight as possible while still being powerful on the bike—but it can be difficult to hit that sweet spot. If weight loss is taken too far, athletes can see a decrease in overall power, along with more serious health issues. While  watts per kilo  are often top of mind, health and resiliency should ultimately be the key goals for any athlete. Here’s how to strike that elusive balance. Why is Weight Important? Weight plays an important role for all athletes to some degree, but in cycling specifically, watts per kilogram (W/Kg) or strength-to-weight ratio, has been found to be one of the  single best predictors of performance.  Simpl...

https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/best-time-saving-stretches-cyclists/ SEPTEMBER 24, 2018    BY SHAYNE GAFFNEY We all know that cycling is great for a myriad of things, but the bike keeps your body in a fixed position, sometimes for hours on end. This can wreak havoc on the neck, middle back, hips, and lower extremity muscles, causing them to become shortened, painful, and  lose their ability to produce powe r. This, of course, is unacceptable and the exact opposite effect we want after spending time training outdoors, or in the pain cave! So, do yourself a favor and  spend a few minutes stretching your legs  out after you beat them up—your body will thank you, and it will give you some precious time to think about life (i.e. more cycling) for a while. The following stretching routine is designed for athletes who are time-crunched and need to really maximize any time dedicated to their fitness. The Rules The ideal time to stretch statically ...

EY TERMS The amount of water and electrolytes (primarily sodium, Na+) lost as a consequence of thermoregulatory sweating during exercise can vary considerably within and among athletes. The reported range in sweating rate and sweat Na+ concentration ([Na+]) is ~0.5 to 2.0 L/h and ~10- 90 mmol/L, respectively. Sources of intra/interindividual variability in sweating rate and sweat [Na+] during exercise include exercise intensity, environmental conditions, heat acclimation status, aerobic capacity, genetic predisposition, body size/composition, protective equipment, sex, diet and hydration status. Sweat testing can be conducted to estimate individual sweating rates and sweat Na+ losses to help guide personalized fluid and electrolyte replacement recommendations. However, unstandardized methodological practices and challenging field conditions can produce inconsistent/inaccurate sweat testing results. Based on study findings to date, as well as some practical considerations, curren...