If it were possible to patent a training method then I would register the process and system I have described here. You can't do this so with Stuart's approval we are happy to share it with the world at large and Stuart is the proof of the benefits that can accrue. The benefits in Stuart's case also come from the effort he is prepared to put into his interval sessions. His motivation to train hard is very high and he will push himself to extreme efforts: far harder than your average club time-triallist. In the six week period leading up to the 2001 National 25-mile Time Trial Championship he undertook some 15 structured sessions of pyramid intervals in various combinations [numbers of intervals in each phase etc.] depending on the day of the week and where he was in his training cycle. He is now a strong and very durable athlete and he is able to absorb a high volume of this intense work. If you choose to use this approach don't expect to become a competition record breaker, but with careful planning and control and very good recovery days you might see some dramatic results for already very fit riders who are very committed and motivated. But be careful: the risk of serious short-term overtraining is high with this method. As a final thought I can say the experience of working with Stuart Dangerfield has taught me what many of us have suspected back down through the years: if you want first class athletic results you have to train extraordinarily hard. The trick is to do it smartly. Some Research Support There is good research evidence available which supports the use of a number of the principles embodied in the type of intervals advocated in this article. Several research articles show the benefits of endurance intervals of around 5 minutes duration. Westgarth-Taylor [1997] and others showed that from just six weeks of twice weekly interval sessions comprising from six to eight intervals of 5 minutes duration at 80% of maximal power with one minute recovery a group of already endurance trained cyclists were able to improve maximal aerobic power by almost 5%. In a similar study with the same protocol Adele Weston [19971 showed that a three-times weekly interval programme with 5 minutes intervals over a six week period at 80% of maximal power improved muscle buffering capacity by around 14% on average. This enabled 40 km time trial times to be significantly improved. Nigel Steptoe and others [1998] investigated the effects of different interval training protocols on cycling time trial performance. The protocol which produced the greatest power gain and improvement in 40 km time trial times was three weeks of six session of intervals training with each session comprising 8 by 4 minutes endurance intervals at 85% of maximal power. These three studies alone give strong support for an intensive interval programme comprising 4 to 5 minutes duration [or 2.5 miles] at an intensity of at least 80% of maximal power to significantly improve 40 km TT times. Note in all three examples the effort in endurance interval work was way above level 3. In Stuart's case the endurance interavals are ridden at or close to 100% of max ramp test power output. A study by Bertil Sjodin [19921 showed the neuromuscular benefit of intense interval sessions with very long recovery periods relative to the work period. The argument is that if the aim is to improve speed and power, i.e. neuromuscular efficiency, then the recovery period should be long enough to ensure full recovery before the next work interval. This ensures each work period can be of the highest quality. A further benefit with long recovery periods is to achieve very high lactate levels in the next work interval which the body is then able to clear efficiently and utilise in other tissues. A study by Tim Noakes demonstrated that a group of black South African runners had superior fatigue resistance in long distance events because of the superiority of their type Ila muscle fibres [fast twitch fatigue resistance]. This was due to their strong preference for undertaking a substantial volume of their training at greater than 80% of V02max. The argument is that this results in type Ila fibres that have developed a more enhanced aerobic capacity and produce less lactate. In other words they gradually become stronger versions of slow twitch fibres.
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