How many times do we hear: "That athlete is doing long distance." "It's essential to have a good base." "On retreat to build the base." But what does this really mean? What's happening to the body? And why is it so important?
We talk about it with James Notari, one of the coaches of theAstana Qazaqstan (Instagram photo at the top). Giacomo is in Argentina and is following his boys for the first race of the season. Even they, down there, after having covered miles and miles of long distances, are putting in their first overdrives. But without that upstream work, it would be a problem to do them. Even if you were thin and had a lot of strength in your legs.
James, base or long bottom: what is it? What happens in the body?
It is the famous “Zone 2 or Z2” by Andy Coogan. It is that intensity to be maintained for medium or long periods with which the plasma volume is increased, to increase the mitochondrial enzymes (which are sort of like the muscle's energy "factories," ed.)... and glycogen stores also increase. In Z2, and partly also in Z3, the body is taught to use fat more for energy. And a body accustomed to using more fat ends up with more sugars at the end. And these, carbohydrates, are the best “fuel” for high intensities. The human body contains about 700 grams of sugar between the liver and muscles, and the less you use, the more you have available. Fat, although riders are lean, is "unlimited."
Why is this long fund so important?
Because cycling is an endurance sport and you need to work on long distance runs to improve your aerobic capacity. So let's get back to the topic of fats and mitochondria. In the training intensity zone ranking, Z1 is only for recovery. It's such a low intensity for a professional athlete that it provides no benefit whatsoever. The Z2 is the most “used” one: you can keep it for a long time, but it still doesn’t require a huge commitment, but it does bring benefits… as we have seen. And it forms the basis for the actions needed to win. Then there are the other areas with gradually increasing intensity.
What are these actions?
Intermittent work, strength, out-of-threshold performance, sprints. This is where the classic example comes in: preparation is like building a house. You have to start from a solid foundation, that is, from a base, to build the subsequent floors. (resistance, threshold, out of threshold, bursts…).
Is this also important for track cyclists, even sprinters, who make very short efforts?
Yes, for them too, although it's a little different. They don't do 5-6 hours with big differences in altitude, but in recent years they tend to spend more time on the bike, even 3-4 hours. And this is also due to the fact that the format of the competitions has changed. Nowadays, with limited time available, we do more tests closer together, so to recover better and always perform at our best, we need a great aerobic base. It is no coincidence that the Italian national team is here at Return to San Juan with the track riders.
Let's take an example related to Z2: an athlete with a threshold output of 400 watts should train at how many watts? And what is the corresponding heart rate?
The Z2 corresponds to 55-75% of the threshold (220-300 watts), so it has a wide range. The heart rate corresponding to Z2 is 70-80% of the threshold (example: for someone with a threshold of 180 beats per minute we are talking about 126-144 beats, ed.).
A wide range indeed…
Let's say the highest part is for the climb, where it's a little easier to get watts. While you stay in the middle part or just below on the flat. Then there's also the case, you see. Tim Wellens, of those who remain in Z2 even on the descent.
If you had to do endurance work, would it actually be better?
It's a bit difficult, so you push yourself a little harder uphill. Afterward, you know you'll recover. These are subtleties, though. Ultimately, the two efforts balance out. The important thing is that at the end of the workout, the average power and normalized average power are in Z2.
Who is one of your athletes who is particularly good at meeting these parameters?
I'd say Joe Dombrowski. He, an American, is more influenced by American trends. Cooganan is one of those American physiologists who have studied power meters in depth and validated certain theories. And Joe follows them. He manages to stay comfortable in Z2 even when climbing significant elevation changes.
And isn't it that easy?
A pro is also able to do this because we're talking about relatively low intensities. However, there's another very important thing the Z2 tells us.
What?
It is an excellent indicator of the rider's aerobic capacity, an index of his state of endurance. If your heart rate stays in Z2 for the first two hours and stays the same for the next two hours, it means you're already doing well. At the start of the season, during the first training camps, several riders experience an increase in heart rate to maintain Z2 in the second half of training. This means their base isn't yet complete.
