Cycling Science

Ramadan and Elite Sport: How Muslim Athletes Train Through the World's Most Demanding Fast

60-90% of Muslim professional athletes fast during Ramadan while competing. Here's what the evidence says about managing sleep, hydration, and training load.

5 min read · 2026-10-27

Cyclists Who Train at the Wrong Intensity Are Burning the Wrong Fuel. The Number That Exposes the Problem Is a Simple Ratio Between the CO₂ You Exhale and the O₂ You Inhale — and Most Athletes Have Never Measured It.

The respiratory exchange ratio (RER) reveals what fuel your body is burning at any exercise intensity. Learn how RQ and fat max testing work, what RER 0.70–1.00 means for training zones, and how to estimate your crossover point in the field.

5 min read · 2026-10-27

Power-to-Weight Ratio (W/kg): Why It Beats Raw Watts on Climbs

On gradients above 4%, power-to-weight ratio (W/kg) determines climbing performance — not absolute wattage. Optimising W/kg requires body composition changes that preserve power while reducing fat mass. Aggressive weight loss below a critical threshold risks power loss, RED-S, and performance decline.

5 min read · 2026-10-13

Negative Split Pacing: The Physics of Time Trial Strategy

Even split vs negative split pacing for cycling time trials: the physics, the critical power model, and why going out hard almost always costs you time in the end.

5 min read · 2026-10-06

Karvonen Formula: Why Heart Rate Reserve Beats %Max for Zone 2

Most training apps use %HRmax for zones. The Karvonen HRR method tracks VO₂ reserve more accurately. Here's the difference — and why it matters for your aerobic base.

5 min read · 2026-09-15

L-Citrulline Malate for Cycling: The Nitric Oxide Evidence

Why L-citrulline outperforms L-arginine for nitric oxide production in cyclists — the eNOS pathway, urea cycle bypass, and 8g dosing protocol backed by Pérez-Guisado 2010.

5 min read · 2026-09-15

Hypoxic Tents and Normobaric Altitude: What the Evidence Says

Home altitude tents simulate hypoxia at sea level via reduced oxygen fraction. Here's what the HIF-1α, EPO science, and real-world protocols show — and where they fall short.

5 min read · 2026-09-08

Inspiratory Muscle Training: The Respiratory Limiter Intervals Miss

Dempsey 2006 identified the metaboreflex: inspiratory muscle fatigue diverts blood from working legs. McConnell Romer 2004 shows IMT gives 15% performance gain. Here's the protocol.

5 min read · 2026-09-08

Cycling Gear Ratios: The Physics of Riding in the Right Gear

Gear selection is one of the most undercoached skills in cycling. Most amateurs spin too low or grind too high — and neither produces optimal power output.

4 min read · 2026-08-25

Protein for Endurance Athletes: AMPK, mTOR and the Speed Cost

Protein isn't just for muscle building. Endurance athletes need 1.2–1.6g/kg for mitochondrial protein synthesis, oxidative enzyme turnover, and AMPK-mTOR signalling. Here's the overlooked evidence.

5 min read · 2026-08-18

Dark Chocolate Flavanols and Cycling Performance: The Evidence

Cocoa flavanols and (-)-epicatechin boost endothelial nitric oxide production, improving oxygen delivery during cycling. Here's what the research actually shows.

5 min read · 2026-08-11

Cycling Aerodynamics: How CdA Converts Power Into Speed

Aerodynamic drag dominates cycling power demand above 25 km/h. Understanding CdA and the power-speed cube law shows where your watts are actually going — and where the biggest savings are.

5 min read · 2026-08-04

Cycling Calories and Fuelling: The Calculation Most Riders Get Wrong

Generic cycling calorie calculators are wildly inaccurate. Power output, rider weight, gradient, and drafting all interact in ways that simple MET-based formulas completely ignore.

5 min read · 2026-08-04

Long Ride Fuelling: The Gel Protocol That Prevents the Bonk

A 75kg cyclist burning 750 kcal/hr on a 4-hour ride needs 180g exogenous carbohydrate to avoid glycogen depletion — that is 7–8 gels at 25g each. Most cyclists carry two or three. The deficit produces the bonk.

5 min read · 2026-08-04

Compact vs Standard Chainring: Which Gearing Suits Sportive Riders

Standard 53/39 gearing is designed for racing professionals. Most sportive and gran fondo riders should ride compact 50/34 or sub-compact 48/32 — here is the gear ratio mathematics.

5 min read · 2026-07-28

Compound Interest in Athletic Development: Why 1% Gains Beat Overhauls

The mathematics of compound growth applies to training adaptation the same way it applies to financial returns. A 1% daily improvement compounds to 37× improvement over a year. The athletes who understand this build differently — and retain their gains longer.

5 min read · 2026-07-28

Every Road Bike Ships With the Wrong Crank Length for Most Riders

170–175mm cranks are industry default, but femur length determines optimal crank arm length. Here's the biomechanics evidence for personalised cycling fit.

5 min read · 2026-07-28

Coggan Power Profiling: What Your Power Curve Says About Your Phenotype

Coggan power profiling maps neuromuscular, anaerobic, aerobic and threshold power to identify your cycling phenotype — sprinter, TT specialist, climber or pursuiter — and direct training priorities.

5 min read · 2026-07-21

Carb Cycling: Training-Day vs Rest-Day Nutrition for Athletes

Carbohydrate cycling — varying carbohydrate intake based on daily training demand — optimises muscle glycogen on high-output days while improving fat oxidation on low-output days. The mechanism is GLUT4 translocation and post-exercise insulin sensitivity.

5 min read · 2026-07-14

Bone Density in Masters Athletes: Which Sports Protect and Which Do Not

Bone mineral density in masters athletes depends on exercise modality, not just training volume. Endurance athletes — particularly cyclists and swimmers — can have BMD comparable to sedentary individuals despite high training loads. Here is the mechanism and the fix.

5 min read · 2026-07-07

Why Your Cycling Calorie Calculator Lies at Altitude — And What to Do About It

At 2,000+ metres, standard cycling calorie formulas underestimate your energy burn by 6–12%. Here's the hypoxic physiology behind the gap.

5 min read · 2026-06-23

1x vs 2x Drivetrain: Gear Range, Cross-Chaining and Efficiency

The switch from 2x to 1x drivetrains has swept gravel and MTB. But does a 1x system deliver equivalent gear range, and what does cross-chaining actually cost in efficiency? Here's the maths.

5 min read · 2026-06-16

FTP Cycling: What Is a Good Score? (W/kg Chart by Ability Level)

9 min read · 2026-04-07