Best Empirical Cycling Podcasts (2024)

1
Watts Doc #51: The Complicated Relationship Between Performance and Phenotype 57:30

1d ago57:30

57:30

A study knocking out HIF1alpha in mice reveals a counterintuitive relationship between markers of phenotype like fat oxidation, mitochondria markers, capillary density, and fiber type, and not having improved baseline performance. This uncovers an interesting relationship between the HIF pathway and oxidative metabolism, and how seemingly opposing …

1
Ten Minute Tips #43: Off Season Breaks and Massive Listener Q&A 2:05:44

2d ago2:05:44

2:05:44

This episode, seven Empirical Cycling coaches discuss their professional and personal experience with off season breaks. Balancing downtime and rest with fun and unstructured riding, plus some rules of thumb to make the most out of these potentially daunting times of the season. Then we answer a huge list of listener questions on whether sprinters …

1
Ten Minute Tips #42: The Training Implications Of Strength As A Skill 1:46:29

15d ago1:46:29

1:46:29

Kyle returns to the podcast with balloon stories, but skip to 28:00 for the main topic of strength being a skill, and the training implications that this has. We discuss defining strength, goal settings, minimum effective dose for strength improvements, strength maintenance, tradeoffs with aerobic goals, individualizing strength programming, cyclin…

1
Perspectives #35: Continuously Realizing Potential, with Cole Tamburri 1:26:54

1M ago1:26:54

1:26:54

This episode we discuss Cole's evolution as a cyclist and our relationship between coach and athlete. From making lifelong friends in collegiate cycling, gaining over 100w of FTP, winning a national championship, realizing and encouraging agency as a coached athlete, balancing life priorities and the value of low stress environments, relationships …

1
Watts Doc #50: Hypoxia And Muscular Adaptation 1:11:39

2M ago1:11:39

1:11:39

We consider hypoxia inducible factor's muscular response to high intensity exercise before going more in depth in its effects with the next episodes. We break down high intensity training, defining hypoxia vs anaerobic, then dive into a study that investigates its main effects in high intensity execise, as well as individual variation in training r…

1
Ten Minute Tips #41: How To Try New Training Methods 1:31:38

3M ago1:31:38

1:31:38

We discuss the dos and don'ts of trying new training methods. Whether or not you should try something new, setting a baseline, going all in on one thing, variables to adjust, finding a minimum dose, incorporating rest and fun, diets, vo2max and TTE blocks, and more, including your listener questions.…

1
Ten Minute Tips #40: Training Mistakes Every Beginner Makes (And Solutions) 1:34:42

3M ago1:34:42

1:34:42

This episode we discuss the ten most common mistakes we see beginners make in their training plans, and their solutions. Goals and outcomes, learning the process, metrics and performance, specialization and individualization, training fads, balancing structure with fun, and more.By Empirical Cycling

1
Ten Minute Tips #39: Individualizing Training For Crits, CX, And MTB 1:43:35

4M ago1:43:35

1:43:35

Retired professional road and cyclocross racer and newest Empirical Cycling coach Erica Zaveta joins to share wisdom from twenty years of competition and a decade of coaching. We discuss individualizing training for the high intensity disciplines of criteriums, cyclocross, and mountain biking, along with how and when to take mid season breaks, inco…

1
Ten Minute Tips #38: Balancing Training And Rest During Race Season 1:26:52

5M ago1:26:52

1:26:52

Kolie and Rory discuss their lists of the best things to do or avoid to maintain fitness in race season, and balance with appropriate rest. Also touched on are race prioritization, training and progression expectations, methods to estimate and manage fatigue, openers, volume vs intensity, and much more including your listener questions.…

1
Perspectives #34: Quantifying Training Volume, with Marinus Petersen 1:36:21

5M ago1:36:21

1:36:21

Coach and returning guest Marinus Petersen rejoins to discuss the pros and cons of different ways to quantify endurance and total training volume and adaptation. We consider TSS, total hours, and work measured in kilojoules, as well as coaching and programming aspects of endurance rides and balancing with interval sessions or races. We also answer …

1
Perspectives #33: The Psychology Of Excellence 1:37:17

6M ago1:37:17

1:37:17

Professor Patrick Smith joins to discuss performance psychology, its role in cycling performance and everyday life, and some of the underlying themes and tools he uses in practice. We also discuss race nerves, negative spirals, some of the stigma around psychology in sports and overcoming it, defining the metrics of success, and more.…

1
Perspectives #32: Coaching Mistakes, And What Makes A Good Coach 1:14:18

7M ago1:14:18

1:14:18

For this episode, Kolie and CTS coach Adam Pulford made lists of their most impactful coaching mistakes, how they recognized them, and their fixes. Lists include high intensity, training zones, communication, and more, plus things still ongoing. Also discussed is what makes a good coach, as well as your listener questions on the best coaching mista…

1
Ten Minute Tips #37: Pacing And Programming Endurance Rides 2:06:19

7M ago2:06:19

2:06:19

In this episode we recap the big lessons from the last Watts Doc episode and revisit pacing endurance rides in terms of RPE, power, and heart rate, and finding that first threshold. Then we spend a long while considering how to program endurance rides into low, medium, and high volume weeks which we roughly block into <10h, about 15h, and >20h and …

1
Watts Doc #49: Endurance Intensity and Volume 2:33:12

8M ago2:33:12

2:33:12

We dig deep into a meta analysis' findings on the difference in muscular adaptations between training intensity and volume, especially what we can differentiate between continuous moderate intensity, HIIT, and sprint interval training. We also discuss the paper's findings on one aspect of "mitochondrial function", bullet point some practical takeaw…

1
Ten Minute Tips #36: How To Leave Your Coach (or Yourself) Workout Feedback 1:24:56

8M ago1:24:56

1:24:56

Whether you have a coach or are self-coached, leaving workout feedback helps to ensure you're getting the most out of your training plan and coaching. In this episode we discuss what kind of feedback to leave on what topics (like RPE, nutrition, sickness, sleep, etc), appropriate level of detail, and how we as coaches find it useful plus what we do…

1
Ten Minute Tips #35: Higher FTP vs Longer TTE 1:56:51

9M ago1:56:51

1:56:51

This is an in depth discussion on the upsides and downsides of always training to raise FTP vs holding it longer. After defining terms, we discuss the training required, adaptation timelines, fatigue, long term development, plus coaching and event specific considerations. We also consider a few counterpoints for each kind of training, individual re…

1
Watts Doc #48: How PGC-1ɑ Does and Doesn't Live Up To The Hype 2:08:08

9M ago2:08:08

2:08:08

This episode goes deep into the integral role that PGC-1ɑ plays in turning exercise signals into aerobic adaptation and improved endurance performance. We then dig into the very surprising results of studies that selectively knock out the PGC-1ɑ gene. Finally, we discuss potential uses of this knowledge for training applications and interpreting th…

1
Ten Minute Tips #34: Intermediate and Advanced Strength Training Mistakes (and Solutions) 1:56:16

9M ago1:56:16

1:56:16

If you're a cyclist who's intermediate or advanced in strength training, listen in. In our last strength training mistakes episode, we considered more general topics like nutrition, recovery, and periodization. Today we get into issues (and their solutions) concerning how you know you're working the right muscles, using lifting equipment like belts…

1
Ten Minute Tips #33: Track Training Considerations 2:08:28

10M ago2:08:28

2:08:28

By popular demand, we bring you the track episode! We first consider race durations and when you would need aerobic training (it's shorter than you may think), gearing and cadence, technique practice, strategy, the role of sprinting and strength training for mass start racing. We finally tackle some things about training for track sprint and what w…

1
Ten Minute Tips #32: Where Training Zones Fall Short 1:49:38

10M ago1:49:38

1:49:38

To kick off 2024, Kolie and Rory discuss how and why training zones fall short, and how they can actually impair progress if taken to logical extremes. We build the conversation back up by thinking about their inception as descriptive rather than prescriptive, how WKO5's iLevels do, the reality of muscular adaptation, and how we actually think abou…

1
Perspectives #31: Race Specific Intensity and Tapering, with Alex Carmona 2:04:00

11M ago2:04:00

2:04:00

After you've built up your aerobic engine, what does it mean to get ready to race? Empirical Cycling coach Alex Carmona brings his wealth of coaching and racing experience when discussing transitioning from your build to harder efforts, honing non-fitness skills, the balance of racing and workout intensity in season, and race specific preparation e…

1
Watts Doc #47: The Redox Role In Adaptation, Recovery, and Nutrition 2:14:12

11M ago2:14:12

2:14:12

After some background information on what redox state means for exercise and your mitochondria, we look at some experiments linking various intensities of exercise to adaptations. Then we look at where these signals overlap with dieting and rest, and tie these into advice and realistic expectations for training, recovery, and nutrition. We also ans…

1
Ten Minute Tips #31: How To Take A Rest Day (And How To Avoid Screwing It Up) 2:00:44

12M ago2:00:44

2:00:44

This episode looks at all the ways people tend to mess up their rest and recovery days so they're not nearly as restorative as they could be, including such things as riding too hard, lifting weights, cross training, not eating enough. We then suggest guidelines for taking rest days or weeks, getting maximum recovery benefits, individualizing these…

1
Perspectives #30: Being Faster Than Your Watts, with Giancarlo Bianchi 2:08:10

1y ago2:08:10

2:08:10

In this episode, 20+ year bike racing veteran Giancarlo Bianchi discusses the tactics of bike racing, and the process of honing racecraft and why people thought his FTP was significantly higher than it is. We cover the chess-game aspects of bike racing like positioning, aerodynamics, wind, reading the competition and body language, course and compe…

1
Ten Minute Tips #30: Strength Training Mistakes Every Cyclist Makes 2:00:20

1y ago2:00:20

2:00:20

Kyle makes it back from the desert in time to discuss common mistakes cyclists tend to make when they incorporate strength training. We discuss things like tracking load and fatigue, impact on the bike, recovery, session frequency and where it should occur in the week, max testing.. We also answer your listener questions on explosive lifting, hyper…

1
Watts Doc #46: Why Low Glycogen Training Probably Doesn't Work 1:46:22

1y ago1:46:22

1:46:22

When it comes to glycogen, does "train low" actually work? Rory joints to co-host as we examine and dissect the existing literature, and explore the limits of knowledge on p38 MAPK signaling as it relates to aerobic performance. We go through Kolie's coaching experience with these protocols, compare to existing recommendations, discuss why you shou…

1
Perspectives #29: Managing Fitness And Rest During Race Season, with Taylor Warren 1:55:10

1y ago1:55:10

1:55:10

Pro cyclist and coach Taylor Warren joins for a wide ranging discussion, including how he still finds fitness improvements after a decade of training and racing, balancing rest and workouts mid season, the value of the basics, RPE, and if American racing has gotten easier or harder. We also answer your listener questions on Legion's tactics, the mo…

1
Perspectives #28: Training Takes and Season Retrospective, with Maeghan Easler 1:30:06

1y ago1:30:06

1:30:06

This is a wide ranging conversation with professional cyclist and Empirical Cycling coach Maeghan Easler. We discuss her successful race season domestically and with the national team, American vs European racing, and how improving fitness changed her training needs, along with more training and coaching topics like volume, recovery, intensity, nut…

1
Watts Doc #45: How High Intensity Aerobic Adaptations With AMPK Do (And Don't) Work 2:21:52

1y ago2:21:52

2:21:52

This episode takes a long look at the mechanisms behind aerobic adaptations from high intensity exercise, starting with an early study showing how AMPK activation leads directly to mitochondrial biogenesis, followed by a recent meta-analysis showing when high intensity exercise does and doesn't lead to adaptation. We provide guidelines in terms of …

1
Perspectives #27: Common Reasons For Fitness Plateaus and Their Fixes, with Rory Porteous 2:08:16

1y ago2:08:16

2:08:16

Empirical Cycling coaches Kolie and Rory sit down for an in-depth discussion of the 5 most common reasons that they see for a fitness plateaus. Touched on are reasonable expectations for fitness progression, fatigue management, options for overcoming plateaus, and situations where it's out of your control.…

1
Perspectives #26: The Cost of Change, with Kathryn Bertine 2:05:28

1+ y ago2:05:28

2:05:28

Former pro cyclist and successful lobbyist for the Tour de France Femmes, Kathryn Bertine joins the podcast to discuss her new memoir about these efforts, STAND, which details what it took, and what it cost. We discuss the writing and publishing process, activism and slacktivism, what people can do to effect change at every level, the financial str…

1
Ten Minute Tips #29: Training Myths, Part 3: Volume 1:41:20

1+ y ago1:41:20

1:41:20

This episode discusses (and debunks) five training myths regarding training volume, and your listener questions asked on Kolie's Instagram.Myths addressed:-You can overtrain on volume but not intensity-Women can’t do as much volume as men-You can replace high volume with high intensity-Easy spinning is junk miles-You don’t need to train many hours …

1
Watts Doc #44: Calcium Is An Underappreciated Aerobic Adaptive Signal 1:24:36

1+ y ago1:24:36

1:24:36

This episode looks at two classic studies illustrating the often overlooked connection between calcium and endurance performance by way of inducing mitochondrial biogenesis through more familiar pathways. We then discuss applicability of these learnings, plus potential pitfalls interpreting this information, and your listener questions.…

1
Ten Minute Tips #28: FTP and VO2max Thoughts and Listener Questions 1:27:28

1+ y ago1:27:28

1:27:28

This episode contains expanded musings on VO2max and FTP training and progression, based on the years of feedback since the VO2max series debuted. We talk about whether or not you need to work in blocks, ways to determine the effects, interval durations, whether to start hard or not, recovery timelines, and more. We also answer your listener questi…

1
Perspectives #25: The Coaching and Training Behind A Paris-Roubaix Victory, with Adam Pulford 1:32:27

1+ y ago1:32:27

1:32:27

Adam Pulford, coach of Alison Jackson, joins to discuss the methods and ideas behind training and coaching a professional cyclist, using his article analyzing Jackson's Paris-Roubiax winning power file as a jumping off point. We get into CTL and volume, when to build vs maintain fitness, athlete mental health and motivation, and the coach's role in…

1
500k: Roasting Kolie's Early Training Plans 2:03:12

1+ y ago2:03:12

2:03:12

To celebrate a half million podcast listens, we roast some of the earliest training plans Kolie wrote almost a decade ago. We get into lessons learned and how the coaching has changed, changing training fads, working with natural talents, and listener questions on "the science", impactful events, and advice for new coaches.…

1
Feedzone News Announces Research Program in Fitness, Health, and Wellness 1:00:49

1+ y ago1:00:49

1:00:49

Cycling meme Hall of Famer Feedzone News joins the podcast to announce a new research division. We discuss the first three research papers and all the shortcuts you can use to go faster. Thanks to all of our new podcast sponsors!By Empirical Cycling

1
Perspectives #24: Continuous Glucose Monitors, Kristen Faulkner, and Athlete Health 1:09:56

1+ y ago1:09:56

1:09:56

This is a conversation between Kolie and epidemiologist Dr. Traci Carson, RDN and cycling coach Dr. Namrita Brooke, and MD and cycling coach Dr. Fabiano Araujo, in light of the Kristen Faulkner disqualification at Strade Bianche for wearing a continuous glucose monitor. We look at topics of whether CGMs actually confer a performance advantage, wher…

1
Ten Minute Tips #27: Programming Over-Under Workouts 1:01:30

1+ y ago1:01:30

1:01:30

This episode goes into Kolie's philosophy on programming and structuring over/under workouts. Duration of overs and unders, intensity guidelines, additional manipulation like cadence, how to progress them, and suggestions for disciplines like CX, MTB, crits, and track. We also discuss some alternative workouts to achieve some of the same touted ben…

1
Watts Doc #43: Over-Unders Are Not Special 1:34:52

1+ y ago1:34:52

1:34:52

The host of benefits associated with over-under workouts includes improved lactate oxidation and clearance capacity, great expression of MCT enzymes, as well as improved tolerance of associated metabolic byproducts over threshold. We look at the established mechanisms behind these phenomena and find that over-unders, as well as lactate presence and…

1
Perspectives #23: Weight Loss Diets for Endurance Performance, with Namrita Brooke 1:58:21

1+ y ago1:58:21

1:58:21

This is an in-depth discussion on weight loss diets for endurance athletes, with Dr. Namrita Brooke. The conversation includes guidelines on finding your starting point and how to adjust energy intake, avoiding crash diets, performance expectations and markers when dieting, the effect of off-bike activity, and reasonable loss rates. We also discuss…

1
Ten Minute Tips #26: The Case Against Erg Mode 1:30:45

2y ago1:30:45

1:30:45

This episode is a coaching perspective on the upsides and downsides of when you just want to "set it and forget it." We cover pacing adjustments, mental state, fatigue and threshold feedback, and putting the "max" in VO2max intervals. Plus a couple scenarios where erg mode is an excellent tool.By Empirical Cycling

1
Perspectives #22: The Cognitive Dissonance Of Silver Bullet Training, with Patrick Smith 2:03:54

2y ago2:03:54

2:03:54

Dr. Patrick Smith and Kolie sit down to discuss the athletic and coaching implications of Karl Friston's free energy principle of the brain, the right approach to bridge the gap between expectations and observable reality in training, and the right amount of sensitivity to this feedback. This dovetails with the appeal of quick fixes, miracle interv…

1
Watts Doc #42:The Relationship Between Size And Power 2:04:30

2y ago2:04:30

2:04:30

This episode investigates the scientific relationship between size and power (allometry), both vo2max and maximal strength and power, and what it can teach us about sound training methods. How do w/kg and w/CdA scale? Why can't gaining muscle add aerobic power? Why can FTP seem to drop when dieting? Why do we rebound from crash diets? Why do most T…

1
Watts Doc #41: Does Overtraining Actually Make Mitochondria Dysfunction? 2:13:02

2y ago2:13:02

2:13:02

Does overtraining cause mitochondria to dysfunction? We look at data in the Flockhart study on excessive training and compare them to the headlines, a similar overtraining study using proteomics, and a published response to Flockhart. We break down mitochondrial function, what various measurement methods actually tell us, why your mitochondria are …

1
Perspectives #21: Behind The New American 40km ITT Record, with Cory Lockwood 1:39:08

2y ago1:39:08

1:39:08

Kolie sits down with Cory Lockwood to discuss breaking the U.S. 40km ITT record, going under 45 minutes. Cory also talks about what's different working with Kolie from previous training he's done, along with observations about rest, FTP and VO2max training, training during race season, and reflections on what it means to be both an athlete and coac…

1
Ten Minute Tips #25: What's So Special About "Zone 2"? 1:27:20

2y ago1:27:20

1:27:20

This episode answers the question: is there something unique about endurance riding that is unavailable at other intensities? After discussing "zone 2" definitions, we look at adaptations and dose relative to other training intensities, fatigue, and volume. We look at the relative necessity of endurance riding in both very low and high volume train…

1
Perspectives #20: The Reality of Data In Training and Coaching, with Tim Cusick 2:20:52

2y ago2:20:52

2:20:52

Master coach and WKO5 product leader Tim Cusick joins the podcast to get his brain thoroughly picked. Training topics include the biggest differences between average cyclists and the top pros, the usual periodization schemes vs Olympic cycles, the evolutionary process of a training plan, expertise vs mastery, and of course, resting.Data topics incl…

1
400k: AMA 2:28:38

2y ago2:28:38

2:28:38

To celebrate 400,000 podcast listens, we answer your questions submitted in the Empirical Cycling Instagram stories. We discuss high and low volume training and progressive overload, 3 things every cyclist should do, low CHO training, FRC for mountain bikers, supplements for athletes, our best non-empirical cycling advice, and much more. The full q…

1
Watts Doc #40: Endurance Adaptation Is Not Substrate Oxidation 2:02:36

2y ago2:02:36

2:02:36

This episode breaks down the origins of endurance performance and how cells control substrate oxidation. We review a paper looking at the difference in adaptive aerobic signals when participants used significantly different amounts of fat and carbs at the same intensity. We then look at the role of mitochondria in cellular energetics, the pivotal r…

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