Fast Talk

Sports psychologist Dr. Kate Bennett joins us to discuss the “Way of Champions” psychological framework that leads to happier, healthier, better-performing athletes and people.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Science isn’t perfect; humans can bring bias and poor design. Today, Dr. Stephen Cheung helps us understand the potential pitfalls of scientific inquiry, and the things we can trust.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We discuss whether a couple of heat training sessions a week has any reward (or risk), why lower back pain seems to be on the rise in cyclists, and Grant details his crash at a local race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You probably own a power meter, but do you know how it measures power or how these devices have evolved over 20 years? We were joined by Stages Cycling’s head of product development Pat Warner to pull back the curtain on the technology of power measurement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We discuss new research on what it takes to win the biggest races in cycling—and how that can help your own racing—and we analyze a study that looks at the potential causes of overtraining syndrome.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We sit down with one of the smartest bike racers of his day, and the oldest grand tour winner, to hear stories of what it takes to win bike races and outfox the competition.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Registered Dietician Andrea Schwartz talks with us about how she works with athletes in-season to hit their weight goals while not getting themselves off-track.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s potluck episode, we discuss what to do when your racing data isn’t what you’d expect based on the numbers you see in training; we define muscle memory and discuss how it pertains to endurance sports; and we detail the many ways that bikes have become more aerodynamic.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Functional training expert Dr. Stacey Brickson joins us to explain why no other sport movement is like the pedal stroke and, more importantly, why that requires doing additional strength work.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NICA serves all juniors, from future Olympians to kids borrowing their neighbor's bike. We talk with two leaders at NICA about how they balance serving riders of all levels.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We distilled decades of experience into the most impactful nutrition concepts for athletes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We discuss how to find solutions when you’re dealing with injuries without an obvious cause, then we review new research that demonstrates that changes in progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone do not negatively impact performance in males or females.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A healthy gut and appropriate inflammation are critical to our training, but finding the right balance is challenging. Cardiologist Dr. Fred Chaleff discusses the ways we can all find equilibrium. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zwift revolutionized indoor training, but they didn’t stop there. We talk with Nick Kalkounis and Ryan Cooper about both the history and future of Zwift’s innovations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Based on their recent research article, the Seilers discuss the proliferation of training zone systems and compare them to the highly touted Norwegian five-zone model.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some of the top sports physiologists in the world, led by Dr. Louise Burke just wrote the UCI’s position on supplements. Lead author Jamie Whitfield joins us to discuss their recommendations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Purists say never do efforts on long base rides, but recent research is challenging whether a few efforts really do any harm. More importantly, can doing some neuromuscular work help?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s potluck episode, we discuss when and how to best use average power from our rides, whether there’s a ceiling to our VO2max capacity, and how we can replicate success from season to season.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mattering is the experience of adding value and feeling valued, both to the self and interpersonally. It's the feeling of being seen, heard, valued, and needed. It's a psychological need and a human instinct, but is rarely discussed in performance contexts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Technology has penetrated deep into the wilds of the world, be it with GPS, satellite communications, drones, or other forms of gadgetry. Adventure photographer and endurance athlete Chris Burkard breaks down how tech is impacting our wild sides.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The truth about base training for time-crunched cyclists—what to cut, what to keep, and what actually moves the needle.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the Top Experts in the world on protein joins us to talk about why athletes need protein and whether we’re getting too much or too little.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Across cycling disciplines, American riders male and female had exceptional success. USA Cycling’s Chief of Sports Performance details the highlights, addresses . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Athletes can now perform sweat analysis, check skin temperature, and monitor insulin in the field. But should they? We review the latest in nutrition technologies. We also talk about the potential adverse impacts of carbohydrates and caffeine on our health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode highlights the Further Initiative — a groundbreaking research project on female ultra-endurance athletes conducted in partnership with Lululemon and the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For our 400th episode we invited three of the most prominent names in exercise physiology to discuss where we are and where we’re going in endurance sports science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s potluck episode, we discuss whether there is a true ceiling to our potential, whether there’s a value in “wintering” or taking time off, and what cross training our hosts recommend.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As athletes, we understand the need for training plans, but have you ever considered applying the same principles to your nutrition? This episode discusses how it’s done.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two new studies challenge common assumptions: intensity may matter more than volume for healthy aging, and triathlete injury patterns aren’t what most coaches would predict. We unpack what this means for training prescription, and why neuromuscular and strength work belong in every plan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Experts in medicine, biomechanics, and physical therapy join Dr. Griffin McMath and Trevor Connor to decode the causes of neck pain in cyclists and the strategies that keep athletes strong, steady, and pain-free over the long haul. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Ray Browning joins us to answer a question that even some exercise physiologists get wrong: what is the difference between efficiency and economy?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talk with Dr. Jennifer Harris about the critical role that parents play in junior athlete development, and why that role is too often ignored or left undefined.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We unpack what pain really means in endurance sport and how ultra-athletes use interoception, mindset, and adaptive coping (vs. maladaptive spirals) to finish stronger—less suffering, more control. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s potluck episode, we discuss whether there are issues with coming down from altitude, how to do a fatigue week with limited time, and whether or not to use auto-pause. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Physiologist Jared Berg talks with us about how he uses both in-lab and on-the-road testing to determine what type of work an athlete should focus on.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No American skier has rewritten the record books like Jessie Diggins. She’s figured out how to take down the Norwegians at their strongest sport—and she shares how she did it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zone 2 training has become all the rage, but a 2025 review is taking a step back and questioning whether it really produces the gains we thought it does. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TrainingPeaks CEO, Lee Gerakos, joins us to discuss the current trends in training software and where he thinks they are going.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cyclocross veteran Adam Myerson shares the essential race-day strategies—covering equipment, course inspection, warm-up, nutrition, and tactics—that can make or break your season.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talk with Dr. Kristen Dieffenbach about the psychological indicators of overtraining, which can often be the more dynamic signs for athletes and coaches to look for.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s potluck episode, we discuss the value of training fatigued, how to support a pregnant athlete, and what we can learn from parents who are professional athletes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re joined by the Michigan-born gravel racer and the longtime cycling journalist to explore the good, the bad, and the ugly of gravel racing and riding in 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we take a critical look at the longevity movement and explore the most valuable—yet elusive—biomarkers for athletes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leipheimer talks with our team about how a new racing model used at the Levi Fondo may be the future of domestic racing.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re joined by neuroscientist Dr. Scott Frey as we explore the effects of mental fatigue and brain endurance training on performance.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coaches have known about the importance of durability for years, but researchers are only just starting to catch up. We discuss why it is the fourth pillar of performance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talk with Dr. Michael Kennedy about his work trying to bridge the knowledge-practice gap between researchers and practitioners Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s potluck episode, we discuss lessons learned from big events, the difference between over-under's and true HIIT intervals, and whether all base training is made equal.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brent Bookwalter talks with us about the importance of balancing physical and mental resources to get our workouts just right.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two nutritional trends have serious health and performance consequences. We discuss the why, what, and how of protein and sodium intake. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices