Muscle Fatigue? not me!

I'm going out with the guys I now work with (started a new job on monday) for a few drinks tonight to celebrate. I think working with brantas will be an excellent experience for me and I am sure that I will learn loads. It's currently a small consultancy but hey sometimes its better to work with like minded dedicated people than it is to constantly batter your head against a brick wall in a large corporation.

Cycling is the same - sure I could go and train with a local cycling club but they dont - in my opinion - have the same drives as me and the guys doing this sponsored cycle do. They love cycling. I think it's ok. They like cycling long endless routes punctuated with the odd stop for a quick glucose drink. I like to cycle shorter more varied routes that introduce a bit of excitement to the journey.

Today unfortunately I wont get out on my bike but in preparation for the cycle on Sunday to Aberfoyle I will be starting to load on carbs. Two breakfasts of muesli with extra nuts to give myself a bit of a boost with protein to help build the structures to store ATP (adenosine triphosphate) as an energy source. I'll be increasing the carbs (both simple and complex) through the day to ensure that I have plenty of energy on Sunday.

But why do I need energy stores? Well during Aerobic exercise your body burns oxygen and the fuels stored in your body to provide the energy for your muscles to move. If you restrict any of the parts your body needs then you will tire out more quickly, or worse still start to make your muscles work Anaerobically and risk masses of lactic acid build up.

Some controversy here - recently studies have shown that Lactic acid is just another fuel that your body creates for its muscles to work. Now - in an every day persons case like you and I - your body wont have the right proteins or receptors to convert that lactic acid to energy and so your muscles will run out of steam when the glycoids in your system run out. By training at a higher intensity (as we did last night with those buses chasing us) your body will be forced to create the proteins and receptors in a higher concentration making your muscles able to convert more of that lactic acid into energy.

Now get out there and pedal like you've never pedaled before!