00:00You join me on a mild but rather wet August evening for a bike ride in my shed.
00:07Now that might sound like a rather odd concept, but this is what the top riders are doing up and down the country.
00:15But why? Well, in this video we're going to find out. Things are about to get nerdy.
00:21For absolutely years, cyclists have been feasting themselves and putting themselves in uncomfortable situations in order to get an edge over their rivals.
00:38Whether that be slogging up a really long climb or sitting at the top of a mountain where there's no air.
00:45Well, now there's a new way and it involves wearing one of these. Rather fetching if I do say so myself.
00:55It might not win any prizes for fashion, but apparently this is going to help me get faster.
01:01The good news is that for not a lot of money you can take advantage of what is potentially one of the most powerful performance enhancing tools at your disposal.
01:12For about three quid you can pick up a set of cobles.
01:17For, yes, a turbo might set you back a bit, but there's lots of deals on secondhand marketplaces, especially at this time of year.
01:24And then I'm using my whoosh, which is completely free.
01:28And if I get really good, then it might even make me money.
01:32So, how does this work?
01:34Well, as the sweat pours, my motivation inevitably wanes, and my heart rate climbs disproportionately to the power that I'm putting out,
01:45this discomfort can unlock a range of physiological adaptions that will not only prepare me for hot weather racing,
01:53but improve my performance across all conditions.
01:56Train hot, race cool.
01:58That seems to be the phrase of the pro peloton in 2025.
02:02This is significant as cyclists are not particularly efficient.
02:07At best, a top level world tour pro will be having a maximum efficiency of around 25%,
02:14whereas most other riders, riders like me, I don't know if I'm even pushing 20% efficiency.
02:21Let's say I produce 300 watts of power.
02:24This generates 1080 kilojoules of energy to power the pedals,
02:28as one watt equals 3.6 kilojoules per hour.
02:32With a 25% efficiency, that means 4,320 kilojoules is being burned,
02:38of which 3,240 kilojoules is being turned into heat.
02:43It takes a hell of a lot of energy to remove from the body.
02:48And when the body temperature level heats up too much,
02:51well, the body starts to prevent itself from generating more.
02:55In other words, you can't sustain power and you have to slow down.
03:01Just like normally happens to me on my whoosh.
03:05If you can improve your capacity to lose heat,
03:08you can push more watts for longer before thermal load becomes too much.
03:13So, what is the science behind heat training?
03:18How can you use it to your advantage?
03:21What do you need to be cautious of?
03:23And how can you use hydration, fueling and recovery strategies
03:27to be adapted to support this unique form of stress?
03:32Right, let's get this show on the road.
03:35So, when the body is exposed to repeated heat stress,
03:40it undergoes several key adaptions.
03:44Within a span of around 7 to 14 days,
03:48assuming that you're at least doing it a bit consistently,
03:51cyclists can experience significant improvements
03:53in their ability to tolerate thermal strain.
03:57Much better than I am doing this next interval.
04:01So, basically, this is known as heat acclimatization.
04:06You've probably heard of that.
04:07And one of the primary adaptions of this
04:10is an increase in plasma volume.
04:14Now, this enhances your cardiovascular stability
04:17and improves the oxygen delivery to the working muscles.
04:21And what that means is it enables you
04:24to sustain efforts at low heart rates.
04:28Look at that guy going next to me.
04:31That's an absolute sprint.
04:33The body also becomes more efficient at cooling itself,
04:37which will be quite useful right about now.
04:40So, it begins sweating earlier and more profusely,
04:45which helps dissipate heat more effectively
04:48via the convection process of evaporating sweat.
04:52Over time, these changes result in a lower core temperature
04:56at any given workload.
04:59A reduction in received effort as well.
05:01Again, that would be lovely right about now.
05:04And enhanced efficiency.
05:06So, how do you do it?
05:09Well, one of the most effective ways
05:11to create a heat adaption stimulus
05:12is through indoor training,
05:14just like I'm going to do here on my whoosh.
05:17The indoor environment naturally limits airflow
05:19and creates a pocket of warm, humid air around the rider.
05:23This amplifies thermal strain,
05:26particularly if the fan is used sparingly
05:29or an extra layer of clothing is being warm.
05:32Even moderate intensity sessions
05:34can raise core temperature significantly in this context.
05:39It's no surprise then that indoor training
05:41is one of the most effective ways to train.
05:44Whilst riding on these rather fetching virtual reality roads,
05:47I can adjust my effort based not only on my power
05:50or heart rate, but also my thermal stress.
05:54Apparently, a core temperature between 38.5
05:57and 39.5 degrees centigrade during these sessions
06:00will provide the optimal balance between stimulus and safety.
06:05Now, it should be noted that exceeding that temperature
06:07can cause excessive thermal strain
06:10and that will probably mean that I never recover.
06:13If you do decide that you want to copy the pros
06:16and add heat training to your schedule,
06:19then it is wise to err on the side of caution.
06:23Heat training adds another level of stress
06:25to an already demanding training load.
06:28It is essential to monitor for signs
06:30of non-functional overreaching or early burnouts.
06:35These can include, but are by no means limited
06:38to an elevated resting heart rate, poor sleep,
06:41low mood, declining power outputs,
06:44or an inability to recover between sessions.
06:48Given that just about all training
06:50is about balancing the overall stress load,
06:53for people who are working full-time jobs,
06:55have children or are in education,
06:58it's probably best to avoid adding heat training
07:00to your routine.
07:01That is unless you're undertaking very specific events
07:04where heat acclimatization will make the biggest difference,
07:08such as an event in high temperatures.
07:10Adding an additional stressor might be better served
07:13by incorporating appropriate high-intensity training
07:16or maximizing volume.
07:19Basically, as with everything,
07:21train for the demands of your specific event or goal
07:24and work backwards from that end target.
07:27As with all training interventions,
07:29heat adaption should be individualized.
07:31Start with a short, low-intensity session
07:34and gradually build exposure
07:36as your tolerance improves.
07:38Use metrics such as perceived exertion
07:41it can often be underrated,
07:43heart rate and temperature feedback
07:44to gauge internal load
07:46and be prepared to back it off
07:48if the fatigue begins to accumulate.
07:51In summary, training in hot conditions,
07:53whether indoors, outdoors,
07:55or passively through hot water immersion,
07:58offers a potent stimulus for performance gains.
08:01The physiological adaptions include
08:05improved cardiovascular function,
08:07enhanced thermoregulation,
08:09and more efficient energy use.
08:11When combined with appropriate hydration,
08:14salt intake,
08:15and carbohydrate fueling,
08:17heat training can form a valuable part
08:19of any rider's preparation for competition.
08:22With specialist tools like
08:24the core body temperature sensor and heat suits,
08:27applying this training method
08:29to the same degree as the pros
08:30is even more practical and achievable.
08:34Used wisely and with respect for the body's limits,
08:37heat adaption can help riders build resilience,
08:40increase blood volume,
08:41improve endurance,
08:42and achieve peak performance
08:44in all weather conditions.
08:46It's even been described
08:47by some world tour trainers
08:49as a sort of altitude lights training,
08:52but let's be honest,
08:54it's got significantly less
08:55financial investment required.
08:57Thank you to MyWish for sponsoring this video
08:59and making it possible.
09:01If you want to find out any more
09:02about their free indoor training platform,
09:04then we'll pop a link in the description below,
09:07and let us know your thoughts on heat training
09:09in the comments section.
09:11As always,
09:11if you enjoyed this video,
09:12then please give it a like,
09:14subscribe to the channel
09:15for lots more like this,
09:16and we'll see you next time.
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