This episode starts by looking at the chemical mechanisms of glycolysis, the stepwise dismantling of glucose for energy, and finishes with some big picture learnings about this deceptively simple pathway.
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Show Notes

This episode is Kolie's practical view on integrating physiology into a pragmatic training philosophy. Focused on coaches and self-coached athletes who are applying scientific learning to their coaching.

Show Notes
https://www.empiricalcycling.com/empirical-cycling-library.html
​https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts271/

In the first episode of the Perspectives series, Empirical Cycling coaches Kolie and Alex discuss self coaching, the challenges of training and motivation during COVID, the value of knowing thyself, among many other topics.

This episode takes a wide angle view of the chain of events between starting exercise and successfully burning fat, and where the main bottlenecks are in that process. Nuances discussed are the differences between adipose tissue and intramuscular fats, energy demand rates, diet, and potential training strategies to improve fat utilization at most exercise intensities.​

Show Notes
https://www.proteinatlas.org/
https://www.brenda-enzymes.org/

Effect of physical training on the capacity to secrete epinephrine
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3281927/

Regulation of endogenous fat and carbohydrate metabolism in relation to exercise intensity and duration
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8214047/

Fat metabolism during low-intensity exercise in endurance-trained and untrained men
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7810637/

Beta-blockade and lipolysis during endurance exercise
​https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8223828/

The different relationship of VO2max to muscle mitochondria in humans and quadrupedal animals
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2218095/

This episode begins a series on metabolism with the process of oxidizing fatty acids for energy, and why the process is anaerobic. We also discuss fats vs lipids, different types of fatty acids, and take a deep dive into the periodic table to explain why oxygen loves electrons so much.

​Show Notes

To wrap up 2020, we went through all the questions asked for Kolie's weekend story AMAs and picked our favorites to expand on. The list of questions are in the show notes on the website, in order of appearance.

Show Notes
1. What was the most pivotal moment where your (you, Kolie) philosophy around coaching changed? What precipitated the change and why did it make such an impact? How did it create different results for your athletes?
2. Most overlooked “low hanging fruit” training? Most hyped marginal gain training?
3. How important is regular blood testing, and what should you get tested for?
4. Best single metric to track the short term regular progression of increased stroke volume?
5. Where does fat oxidation during cycling originate? Closest fat cell?
6. Is it true that becoming more fat adapted retards your body’s ability to use carbs?
7. Discuss balance between lactate production and combustion (aerobic/anaerobic)
8. How long does a sweetspot interval need to be relative to FTP TTE for maximum effectiveness?
9. Effect of increased muscle mass on FTP/VO2 for simplicity all other things equal
10. What’s the minimum time in z2 to promote adaptation?
11. Is there any significant difference in doing z2 at the top vs bottom of your “zone”?
12. What percentage of FTP do you consider z2 and how important to stay in range when training it?
13. How to keep my strength gains achieved this off season while shifting priorities to cycling?
14. Aerobic = long but also short + hard for 4-7min above anaerobic threshold = max aerobic. How?
15. Is there any truth to the endo/meso/ecto morph stuff?
16. What’s the most underrated training tip or strategy most people miss?
17. I know you’re all about #watts but do you have thoughts on HRV for measuring fitness?
18. Is there a benchmark number a cyclist should be shoot for for squats?
19. Any tips for recovery weeks apart from sleep? I always seem to come back flat.

In this first extended Ten Minute Tips, Kyle uses the extra time well to review his strategies to effectively read, digest, and understand any scientific paper. If you read papers along with us for the Watts Doc episodes, this may be a good playbook to pull from.
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Cover art on this is an example of "data massage" as mentioned in the episode.

This episode looks at some cellular mechanisms of how HIT training leads to adaptation, or maybe doesn't. Ryanodine receptors, free radicals, calcium, the size principle, fluorescent mouse muscles, and more!

Show Notes
Ryanodine receptor fragmentation and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ leak after one session of high-intensity interval exercise
https://www.pnas.org/content/112/50/15492

High-Intensity Interval Training Shock Microcycle for Enhancing Sport Performance: A Brief Review​
https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/2020/04000/High_Intensity_Interval_Training_Shock_Microcycle.39.aspx

This episode compares several types of steady state endurance training to the ability to perform repeated efforts above threshold and sprints. It outlines some of the science behind the different adaptations, training strategies to improve your ability, and suggested methods to track this specific type of fitness.

Show Notes
https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/youre-training-too-hard-for-criteriums-heres-why/​

​To celebrate 100k podcast listens, we asked for questions on r/velo and we got some great ones! This is a wide ranging and fun episode that covers how Kolie and Kyle feel about steady z3 rides, whether anaerobic capacity or FTP is the limiter, a few controversial training opinions, lifting, sprinting, the indoor equivalent to outdoor, and many other things.