The Virtual Challenge Tour (https://tourdownunder.com.au/santos-festival-of-cycling-event-program/virtual-challenge-tour-powered-by-fulgaz) powered by Ful Gaz. Yes, welcome to the 2020s where a cyclist can earn a World Tour Pro contract without ever have raced outdoors. Esports have taken the world by storm and cycling is onboard big time with online platforms like Ful Gaz (https://fulgaz.com/) and Zwift (https://www.zwift.com/) we can now virtually race the Tour de France or the TDU in the…

SIS - Building a positive feedback loop | Red Walters

Racing the peloton wasn’t a focus for Red Walters in his primary years. In fact, a bike was merely a mode of transportation to get from point A to B. When he did begin to concentrate on cycling, however, there were only a few BAME riders he could look up to. As he’s successfully grown in the sport, Red recognizes how the stories of these BAME cyclists have positively impacted his career. He believes sharing his own can also have an impact on young cyclists. Red grew up and went to school in…

SIS - A fuelling plan for plant-based athletes

Individual approaches to nutrition present in a number of different forms, with moves towards plant-based and vegan diets evident. While there are various reasons behind these choices, supporting the training, competition and injury phases of an athlete’s macrocycle remains a fundamental component of performance nutrition and protein is a central nutrient to that. Nutrient Considerations Diets that eliminate certain foods or whole food groups may result in various nutrient deficiencies.…

4 ways to maximise recovery after your next cycling event

Author: Jarrad Clatsworthy You’ve put in the hard yards and have pushed yourself to finish your latest cycling event, if you were riding for recreation, personal challenge or competing at the front of the pack you will need to recover all the same. We’ve compiled a list of 4 ways to maximise your recovery so you’re ready and firing to get back on the bike for your next cycling event! In this article we will cover: Keeping active and moving to avoid cramping Refuelling your body Massaging your…

SIS - Diving into endurance swimming, the start of a long journey...

MY BACKGROUND I started triathlon with a pool-based swimming background from when I was younger, open water was encouraged but I was always petrified so stuck to what I knew in the pool. Then in my early twenties I started triathlon and realised quickly open water was now going to be a necessity to progress in the sport. First my aim was just to do 750m so I could do a sprint triathlon though I just didn’t find it that tiring so I took the plunge and entered a 3800m swim event up in the lake…

The World of Virtual Cycling

Former pro cyclist, Pat Jonker shares with BikeChain his view on indoor training and how you can make the most out of training indoors during this year’s Santos Festival of Cycling (https://tourdownunder.com.au/ride). Once upon a time it was frowned upon to be seen training on an indoor trainer. Especially if you were a serious cyclist. The only time indoor trainers (or rollers as we call them) were used was to warm up or warm down from a track race. Serious riding was always an outdoors…

SIS - Nutrition for Strength

The goals of sport nutrition can be considered to be those supporting performance and recovery, driving optimal body composition and promoting training adaptations. In this way, nutritional periodisation is the deliberate manipulation of nutrients and ergogenic aids to achieve the goals over a macro-, meso- or micro-cycle. During the strength block, the main goal is to promote maximal and reactive strength (1, 2) through specific training and remodelling of muscle fibres. HOW DO WE BUILD NEW…

SIS - The science behind Rego Rapid Recovery Plus

High-intensity and prolonged exercise induces considerable stress on the body including depletion of energy stores (i.e muscle glycogen depletion), muscle damage, dehydration, damage to your gut and even impaired immune function. For those individuals who are required to perform multiple training sessions or competitive events within or on consecutive days, nutrition in the immediate recovery period can play a fundamental role in promoting recovery of performance and training adaptions. This is…

SIS - Marathon Running FAQs

HOW DO I AVOID “HITTING THE WALL”? Hitting the wall is when your body has depleted all glycogen stores and is “running on empty”. To help prevent this, start taking on energy early during the race. Athletes often make the mistake of waiting until they’re tired before they start taking on energy. However, the body always uses more energy than it can possibly absorb. Take your first GO Isotonic Energy Gel after 20 minutes and continue feeding 60-90 g of carbohydrate per hour(1). WHAT SHOULD I EAT…

SIS - The science behind BCAAs

What are BCAAs? Proteins are made from 20 amino acids, some of which the body can make itself (non-essential) and some of which must be consumed in the diet (essential). The branched chain amino acids (or BCAAs) are the three essential amino acids of leucine, isoleucine and valine. Together, they make up 35% of the essential amino acids contained in muscles(1). They are ‘essential’ because they must be consumed in the diet, as the body cannot make them out of other amino acids. BCAAs are…

SIS - Cycling as my Identity | Shuhena Islam

I’ve always wanted to be a lawyer, I was 17 years old, when I stepped foot into Clifford Chance, this towering skyscraper and the firm where I later trained at qualified at. I’ve always seen being a lawyer as my identity. Suddenly cycling came around and I was just like ‘hold on a second, I’m more than a lawyer’. Now I’ve got something else that gives me a sense of purpose, identity and community. I’ve found such good friends through cycling, being a cyclist has become the new defining feature…

SIS - Diversity in running & cycling as a run crew founder & captain, amateur athlete & triathlon

Over the last six years I’ve led LDN Brunch Club, an independent, inclusive running community promoting balance between running/fitness, diet and busy London life. We’ve held weekly run sessions, supplementary strength and conditioning sessions, yoga practice, yearly events for key calendar moments like International Women’s Day and Global Running Day, held a Monopoly themed run (nominated for Best Fun Run at The Running Awards) and even formed our own relay race – LDN Ekiden. We’ve taken part…