The next “new kid on the block”. Anybody with experience in heat training using trainerday?
The background : I have a 4 days event in 4 weeks from now. Due to a back problem, I had a bit of a setback in my training schedule. I came across the fuzz related to heat training. And in the most recent video of Remco Evenepoel on his comeback, he was also doing heat training. Well, I guess nobody can say his comeback didn’t work.
I did a bit of background search and it seems you can gain about 5% on your FTP in 3 weeks… Sound like a tempting option to me.
Anybody with experience ? I did my first session last night. It rather messy For once there’s no investment needed to try something new in cycling. And the weather was bad outside anyhow…
I only have my own data to go off of, but I did start heat training this summer after being convinced by the “Some Work All Play” running podcast that I listen to which talks a lot about training principles and theory.
They have cited several recent studies showing how quickly you increase blood volume and red blood cells (which come with obvious fitness gains), but also how fast you lose those changes after stopping heat training. Due to this, they recommend heat training year round using a protocol of twice a week during build and peak (in-season) and once a week in the off-season to maintain. They also provide some guidance on how to tell if you are getting your core hot enough using RPE if you don’t have a way to measure your temp. Basically if you are at an aerobic or easy Z2 power, and your HR is unusually high (assuming you are staying well fueled/hydrated), it means your core temp has raised high enough that you are in the “heat-training” zone. Then try to stay in this state for 45-60 minutes. They did say it doesn’t seem to matter when you do this. So before or after doing your main training for the day. If I remember correctly, the Remco video you are talking about he did it before going out for his normal training ride. In contrast, if you watch Precision Hydration’s video on how Lotto Dstny heat train, they had their riders doing it after their normal ride for the day.
Anyways, I started using the above method and doing heat training twice a week. I didn’t add any time, but during my indoor 2 hr endurance rides, I would just shut off my fans and throw on a coat with the hood up for the last 45-60 minutes. Within a few minutes my HR would start drifting up to the mid-150s where it would normally be in the high 130s or low 140s. My breathing seemed very labored for the power being put out. I ended up having to buy some headbands because sweat would be pouring down my face. Also learned to completely cover my trainer bike in towels.
As far as performance gains, FWIW I have been putting out my best ever numbers in the past few weeks. However I can’t attribute this all to heat training. With all my key race events happening in August, I also came off a very high intensity training block in July to peak for these events.
I can assure you though that heat training is having some adaptations on my body, although I notice it the most with my heat tolerance in everyday life. For example, this summer while vacationing at the beach or attending an outdoor festival in very hot weather, I was quite comfortable while everyone around me was complaining non-stop. I even noticed at home how I could keep the thermostat higher and feel just as comfortable. This makes sense after reading up a bit on it, with one study I found that showed that doing one hour of light exercise a day for two weeks lowered participants perceived temp by 10-12 degrees. Pretty incredible.
No experience but I have also read about the benefits and there are studies to support that heat training can cause some rapid short term improvements so pre-race it might be worth it. They have 'heat camps…" Sorry about the back issues. Good luck with the race.
What a great answer Tayno_25. I have been doing heat training for two years. My main reason for doing this is that my performance used to drop in hot weather. With heat training I can sustain my power output even in hot weather.
I don’t wear extra clothing and keep my fan on, but I use a heater next to my fan, which now blows hot wind.
I have a thermometer in the room, too, so I can see how hot it is. I start with 20 degrees Celcius and build it up.
A word of caution, though: Hot temperatures bring extra stress to the body. Make sure that your drinking strategy is good and adapted to this training. Keep a close watch on how your body is reacting, and don’t overdo it. The risk of a heat stroke is real and dangerous.
Use your own heart rate, not others’, as a comparison. Heart rates are very personal.
A cold shower afterward is not a good idea. Research shows that rapid cooling reduces the growth effect of training. Cooling is an effective strategy to speed recovery, but not if you train to get faster.
For once there’s no investment needed to try something new in cycling. And the weather was bad outside anyhow…