Original episode & show notes | Raw transcript
Criterium racing, with its constant high-power accelerations, sharp corners, and explosive final sprints, appears to be the quintessential anaerobic event. A common and seemingly logical training philosophy, rooted in the principle of specificity, dictates that to excel in criteriums, one must relentlessly train the anaerobic and sprint systems. However, this podcast argues that such an approach is not only suboptimal but often counterproductive. The central thesis is that the true foundation of elite criterium performance is not an overdeveloped anaerobic system, but a powerful and highly efficient aerobic engine. Overtraining the former can actively sabotage the latter, leaving you with no power when it matters most.
The podcast begins by identifying a cognitive bias known as the illusory truth effect: the tendency to believe information to be correct after repeated exposure. In cycling, the mantra “you must train specifically for your event” is repeated so often that it’s taken as gospel without nuance.
The Logical Fallacy: Since a criterium is characterized by hundreds of short, sharp efforts well above threshold, the specific training would seem to be repeated anaerobic and sprint intervals. Athletes and coaches reason that if the race demands it, the training must mimic it.
The Trap: While specificity is a valid principle, a superficial application leads to this trap. It causes athletes to focus exclusively on the most visible aspects of the race (the sprints out of corners) while ignoring the underlying physiological system that supports the entire duration of the event and, most critically, the recovery between those sprints. This leads to a training program overloaded with high-intensity work, often at the expense of foundational aerobic development.
The podcast’s core warning is that too much anaerobic training has severe negative consequences that directly undermine performance in endurance events, including criteriums.
High-intensity anaerobic training (e.g., repeated 30-second to 2-minute all-out efforts) sends a powerful signal to your muscle cells. This signal upregulates the enzymatic machinery responsible for glycolysis, the process of rapidly breaking down carbohydrates (glycogen) for energy without oxygen.
An athlete has a finite supply of glycogen stored in their muscles and liver. By becoming metabolically inefficient and overly reliant on this fuel source, they deplete their tank far more quickly during a race.
The “Effective FTP Drop”: As glycogen stores run critically low, the body’s ability to produce power plummets. The podcast illustrates this with a powerful example from an athlete’s power file:
Athlete Profile: Over-trained anaerobically.
Race: A 42-minute criterium.
Result: A linear regression of their power output showed a loss of 0.9 watts per minute, culminating in a 38-watt decline in sustainable power over the course of the race.
Interpretation: This athlete started strong but faded dramatically. Their final sprint was only 900 watts, far below their fresh 1200-1300 watt capacity. They had burned through their fuel and had nothing left for the finish.
The solution proposed is to shift the primary focus of training to developing the aerobic system, which is best measured by Functional Threshold Power (FTP). A higher FTP contributes to criterium success in two fundamental ways.
A robust aerobic system is highly efficient at metabolizing fat for energy, especially at sub-threshold intensities.
How it Works: By building a bigger aerobic engine, you “spare” your glycogen. During the parts of the race that are not all-out sprints (which is the vast majority of the time), your body is sipping fuel from its near-limitless fat reserves instead of draining its small glycogen tank. This leaves you with a full tank of high-octane fuel for the decisive attacks and the final sprint.
Lower Relative Effort: If your FTP is 350 watts, a 300-watt surge is a manageable tempo effort. If your FTP is only 280 watts, that same 300-watt surge is a painful supra-threshold effort that dips heavily into anaerobic reserves. A higher FTP makes the entire race feel easier, costing you less energy.
This is the most critical physiological insight from the podcast. The ability to recover from a sprint and go again is not determined by your anaerobic system, but by your aerobic system.
The Initial Sprint (ATP-PCr): The first few seconds of an all-out sprint are fueled by stored Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) and its rapid regeneration by the Phosphocreatine (PCr) system.
The Recovery Problem: Once PCr donates its phosphate group to regenerate ATP, it becomes simple creatine. To be able to sprint again, this creatine must be “re-phosphorylated” back into PCr.
The Aerobic Solution: This re-phosphorylation process happens primarily inside the mitochondria—the powerhouses of the cell—and is an aerobic process. The enzyme creatine kinase, located within the mitochondria, uses ATP generated aerobically to turn creatine back into phosphocreatine.
This means that the speed and efficiency of your recovery between sprints is directly limited by the capacity of your aerobic system. More mitochondria, a key adaptation from aerobic training, means you can regenerate your sprint fuel faster. This explains why an athlete with a huge FTP can handle hundreds of surges, while an athlete with a poor aerobic base “digs a hole” they cannot recover from.
The Evidence: The podcast contrasts the previous example with an elite, aerobically-trained female racer.
Athlete Profile: Highly aerobically trained.
Result: During her criterium, her power output showed a gain of 0.8 watts per minute. As the race got harder, she got stronger, ultimately setting power records in the final minutes. She was able to meet the demands because her superior aerobic system allowed for rapid recovery and fuel preservation.
Prioritize the Base: The vast majority of your training, especially in the off-season, should be dedicated to building your aerobic engine and raising your FTP.
Use Intensity Sparingly: Anaerobic and sprint training are the “icing on the cake.” They should be applied in small, potent doses, closer to key events. A session once a week is often more than enough, and for many, even less is required.
In-Season, Racing is the Intensity: During the competitive season, the races themselves provide the high-intensity stimulus. The days between races should be focused on recovery and aerobic maintenance (endurance and tempo rides), not on piling on more hard workouts. The podcast’s cyclocross racer example is key: he went from 40th place to top-10 finishes by drastically reducing his mid-week high-intensity training and focusing on rest.
Rest is Productive: The “American work ethic” or “cult of suffering” can lead to overtraining. Adaptation and improvement happen during rest, not during the workout itself. Listening to your body and taking an easy day when needed will almost always be more beneficial than forcing a hard workout on a tired system.
The podcast’s message can be distilled into a few core principles for intelligent and effective criterium training:
FTP is King: Your FTP determines the level at which you can compete. A strong aerobic engine is the foundation for everything else.
Recovery is Aerobic: Your ability to repeat hard efforts is dictated by the strength of your aerobic system’s ability to replenish sprint fuel (phosphocreatine).
Train the Base, Sharpen the Tip: Dedicate the bulk of your training to building your aerobic base. Use anaerobic work as a sharpening tool, not the foundation.
Less is More In-Season: Let races provide the intensity. Focus on recovery and maintenance between events to arrive fresh and ready to perform.
Embrace Rest: Overtraining is a far greater risk for most amateurs than undertraining. Rest is when you get faster.
As the podcast quotes, “Your sprint determines your race strategy, but your FTP determines the level at which you race.” A 1500-watt sprint is useless if you are too depleted to use it at the end of a 45-minute race.