| There are 4 main systems that your road bike training | | | | Lactic Acid buffering is trained from 80-90% of your |
| should encompass. | | | | max heart rate. About 1/5th of your total road bike |
| -Aerobic conditioning | | | | training should be done in this zone. The best way to |
| -Slow twitch muscle endurance | | | | train your lactic acid system is to do 2 twenty minute |
| -Lactic Acid buffering | | | | intervals in this zone, however this kind of training is |
| -Fast twitch muscle power | | | | extremely hard(and boring if done on a turbo). Your |
| Aerobic conditioning happens between 70-80% of | | | | body will adapt by producing less Lactic Acid, become |
| your max heart rate. Your body adapts to training in | | | | more efficient at getting rid of it, and actually learn to |
| this zone by Increasing the lung volume, and making | | | | use it as a source of energy. |
| your muscles more efficient at using oxygen. This is | | | | Fast twitch muscle power is trained between 90-100% |
| achieved by a process called capillarisation, which | | | | of your max heart rate. The minority of your road bike |
| means that the number of capillaries going to a muscle | | | | training should be in this heart rate zone. The best way |
| increases, which means the muscle can use more | | | | to train your fast twitch muscle fibres is interval training. |
| oxygen, and work at a higher rate without going | | | | The intervals should be extremely short (less than one |
| anaerobic. | | | | minute) but with plenty of recovery in between(3-5 |
| Slow twitch muscle endurance is trained between | | | | minutes, or as long as you need). Your body will adapt |
| 65-80% of your max heart rate. This is where the bulk | | | | to this training by becoming more efficient at recruiting |
| of your road bike training should be. In this zone your | | | | the fast twitch fibres, as well as develop more fast |
| body becomes more efficient at recruiting(using) slow | | | | twitch fibres. These are the fibres which give your legs |
| twitch fibres. Your body will also start developing more | | | | the muscular look (check out sprinters like Chris Hoy, |
| slow twitch fibres, which means your legs will slowly | | | | they have tree trunk legs). |
| becoming more muscular. More slow twitch fibres | | | | There is more information on road bike training on my |
| means your leg muscles can spread the load put on | | | | lens and hub page below. |
| them, and work for longer periods. | | | | |