One of the most common questions I get from athletes is: “Should I trust my HbA1c test from the doctor, or the data I’m getting from my CGM?” The answer depends on what you want to know. Both tools are useful, but they tell very different stories.
What HbA1c Tells You HbA1c is a blood test that reflects your average glucose levels over the past 2–3 months. It’s widely used in healthcare to assess long-term glucose control and diabetes risk. For athletes, it can be a general indicator of metabolic health.
But here’s the catch: it doesn’t tell you anything about daily fluctuations, meal responses, or in-ride glucose dips. A “normal” HbA1c doesn’t guarantee you’re fueling optimally for endurance performance.
As athletes, our daily average glucose will be higher because we need it higher to workout and compete optimally. This alone will skew your HbA1c high.
Many athletes also have longer living red blood cells, and this will also skew the HbA1c high.
For a in depth read into this issue, I encourage you to check out this excellent article.
What CGM Tells You Continuous Glucose Monitoring, on the other hand, gives real-time data. It tells you:
How your glucose responds to meals.
How stable your energy is during rides.
Whether your recovery fueling is effective.
For athletes, this context is gold. It helps prevent bonking, guides fueling, and fine-tunes recovery.
Why Cyclists Benefit More From CGM Think of HbA1c as the “big picture” and CGM as the “daily detail.” If your goal is general health, HbA1c matters. If your goal is performance, CGM matters more.
Coaching Story A rider I worked with had a perfectly normal HbA1c. But his CGM showed rollercoaster spikes and crashes during long rides. Once he stabilized his fueling, smaller, more frequent carbs, his endurance improved dramatically. His doctor said he was “healthy,” but his CGM revealed the performance issue. When we analyzed his nightly average glucose levels, they were very stable and low, which was more important than looking at his HbA1c for overall health. As endurance athletes, we are going to have more fluctuations than non-exercising people, and it is important to keep things more stable, but also understand that your CGM can give you insights that a HbA1c blood test can’t.
The Balanced View For most cyclists, using both perspectives is ideal. HbA1c assures you of overall health, while CGM guides daily training. Together, they paint the full picture.
Conclusion HbA1c and CGM aren’t competitors, they’re complementary. But if performance is your priority, CGM gives you the actionable insights you need.
Want to explore how CGM can change your fueling? Visit www.trainingandcompetingwithacgm.com for resources and strategies.
Every cyclist that has logged “junk miles”, rides without purpose. They feel productive at the time. More miles must mean more fitness, right? Not always. Junk miles leave you tired but not better. For riders over 40, they’re especially risky, as recovery is limited. Purposeful training, not just more miles, is what drives progress.
What Are Junk Miles? Junk miles are rides in the “gray zone”, too hard to recover from, but not hard enough to create adaptation. They’re unstructured, aimless, and often done out of habit or guilt.
Why They’re Dangerous Cyclists over 40 can’t afford wasted recovery. Junk miles eat into rest without delivering fitness. Over time, they cause plateaus, fatigue, or even burnout.
What Purposeful Training Looks Like Every ride should have intent:
Zone 2 &3 build aerobic base.
Intervals develop power.
Recovery rides promote adaptation.
Even casual rides can be purposeful if they fit into the bigger plan.
Athlete Example I coached a rider logging 200+ miles per week with little progress. When we cut his volume and added structured sessions, his FTP jumped 10% in three months, while riding fewer hours.
The Mental Trap Many equate volume with progress. But in reality, smarter training beats more training. Purpose trumps mileage every time.
Conclusion Junk miles aren’t harmless. They drain energy without payoff. Train with purpose, and every pedal stroke moves you closer to your goals.
Want clarity on purposeful training? Download my free Smart Training Checklist for Cyclists Over 40.
Many cyclists start their day by checking fasting glucose. If the number looks high or low, they worry about what it means for training. But here’s the truth: a single morning glucose reading doesn’t define your fitness, fueling strategy, or performance. What matters far more is the pattern of glucose throughout the day, especially during rides.
Why Glucose Matters for Cyclists Glucose is your body’s fuel for endurance. Stable glucose means steady energy. Spikes and crashes mean fatigue, poor recovery, and performance drops. Morning glucose is just one data point in a 24-hour cycle.
For example, you could wake up with a “normal” fasting glucose, but if your levels crash during a ride, you’ll still bonk. On the flip side, a slightly elevated morning glucose might not hurt performance at all if you manage fueling well.
The Limits of Fasting Glucose Tests Traditional fasting glucose is used in medicine to screen for diabetes risk. For athletes, it doesn’t capture what happens under stress, hard intervals, long rides, or fueling mistakes. Athletes need dynamic data, not static snapshots.
The Power of Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) This is where CGMs are a game-changer. A CGM shows you in real time how your body responds to meals, rides, and recovery:
Does your oatmeal breakfast keep you steady, or spike you?
Do your gels cause a crash after an hour?
Is your post-ride recovery meal refueling you or leaving you flat?
I coached a 52-year-old rider who thought his glucose was fine because his morning numbers were always “normal.” But his CGM revealed massive mid-ride dips. Once we adjusted his fueling, eating 60-70 grams of carbs every 45 minutes—his performance skyrocketed.
Practical Guidelines
Don’t overvalue morning readings. Look at patterns.
Fuel consistently on rides longer than 90 minutes.
Monitor how different foods affect you. Athletes are highly individual.
Conclusion Morning glucose is a small piece of the puzzle. What really matters is stability throughout the day and during training. Performance is fueled not by one number, but by patterns and habits.
Cyclists love their bikes, but many avoid the gym. I get it. The road is more fun than the squat rack. But here’s the reality: after age 55, strength training isn’t optional. It’s essential. Without it, muscle mass declines rapidly, power output suffers, and injuries become more likely. With it, cyclists can extend performance and ride stronger well into their 60s and 70s.
The Physiology of Aging Muscles Sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass, accelerates after 55. Fast-twitch fibers, crucial for sprints, climbs, and bike handling, decline first. Without intervention, strength loss and the speed at which their muscles contact, can outpace endurance fitness. That’s why older riders often feel like their “snap” is gone.
Strength Training Improves Cycling Performance Numerous studies confirm that resistance training improves time-to-exhaustion, sprint power, and climbing ability in older athletes. Stronger muscles produce more force with each pedal stroke, making every watt more efficient.
Injury Prevention and Longevity Strength training also protects joints and bones. Bone density decreases with age, raising the risk of fractures. Lifting weights or doing bodyweight exercises helps keep bones strong and prevents overuse injuries that plague older cyclists.
What to Do in the Gym You don’t need bodybuilding routines. Focus on movements that mimic cycling and support stability:
Squats and lunges for leg drive.
Deadlifts for hip and posterior chain strength.
Core exercises (planks, side planks, bird-dogs) for stability.
Two sessions per week, 45–60 minutes each, is plenty.
The Secret Weapon: A 58-year-old client resisted gym work for years. After finally adding two strength sessions per week, his sprint power rose 12% in six months, and his chronic back pain vanished. He now calls the gym his “secret weapon.”
Conclusion Strength training isn’t extra, it’s essential. For cyclists over 55, it’s the key to preserving power, protecting health, and riding with confidence for decades.
Want to see how strength training fits into your cycling plan? My coaches and I at Peaks Coaching Group specialize in integrating gym work into endurance training. Book a consultation with us and we will help you build a strength training program!
I hear it all the time from cyclists in their 50s and 60s: “I just can’t train like I used to.” At first, it sounds like a complaint, but it’s actually wisdom. The truth is, your body changes with age. The same hard-charging formula that worked in your 20s and 30s doesn’t bring the same results later in life. Recovery slows. Hormones shift. Muscle mass declines faster. That can sound discouraging, but here’s the good news: with the right adjustments, many of my athletes over 50 are setting personal bests.
Cycling after 50 isn’t about lowering your goals. It’s about changing the approach. When you respect recovery, strength, fueling, and life balance, you unlock performance you didn’t think was possible.
The Physiology of Aging and Performance Science is clear: VO₂ max naturally declines about 1% per year after age 40 if you don’t train. Muscle repair slows, connective tissue stiffens, and sleep quality often dips. Ignoring this reality leads to frustration, injury, or stagnation. The good news is training can slow and even partially reverse these changes. But the “more is better” approach of youth doesn’t work anymore.
Recovery Isn’t a Luxury, It’s Training When I coach riders in their 50s, one of the first shifts I make is redefining recovery. Hard work only matters if you can absorb it. After 50, that absorption takes longer. That’s why rest days, active recovery rides, and prioritizing 7–9 hours of sleep become non-negotiable.
One client of mine, a 55-year-old Gran Fondo rider, used to train hard six days a week. He was constantly fatigued and plateaued. When we cut back to four structured rides and two true rest days, his performance improved dramatically. He set a new FTP record not by training harder, but by recovering smarter.
Strength Training Is Non-Negotiable This is the biggest game-changer for riders over 50. Sarcopenia, age-related muscle loss, accelerates with age. Without resistance training, cyclists lose power, endurance, and even stability. Strength training 2–3 times per week rebuilds muscle fibers, strengthens connective tissue, and improves bone density.
You don’t need to become a powerlifter. Squats, lunges, deadlifts, push-ups, planks, done consistently, make a measurable difference. A rider in his late 50s I worked with added two simple strength sessions per week. Within six months, his climbing improved noticeably, and his risk of injury dropped.
Fueling and Hormonal Support Metabolism changes with age. Many cyclists in their 50s notice they can’t get away with poor nutrition like they used to. Post-ride fueling becomes critical, aim for a 3:1 carb-to-protein ratio within 30 minutes of finishing. This replenishes glycogen and aids muscle repair.
Healthy low-fat sources of protein, (including plant protein) intake throughout the day also matters more, 20–30 grams per meal, spread evenly. Add in micronutrient-dense foods, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, to support hormonal balance and recovery. For older athletes, fueling isn’t just about energy—it’s about protecting long-term health.
The Advantage of Wisdom The flip side of age is experience. Older riders are often more disciplined than their younger selves. They know the value of patience, recovery, and consistency. They don’t waste energy chasing every Strava segment, they focus on the rides that matter. That mental edge is powerful.
One of my athletes, 62 years old, told me: “I finally learned that less is more.” He now trains fewer hours than in his 40s, but rides stronger because every session has a purpose.
Conclusion Training after 50 doesn’t mean lowering expectations. It means adjusting the formula. More recovery. More strength work. Smarter fueling. Purposeful sessions. When you respect the changes in your body, you can ride stronger, longer, and more joyfully than ever.
I’ve always defined myself by endurance. As a dedicated cyclist, training and racing were non-negotiable parts of my life. I had trained my heart to be a machine, pushing it to its limits for decades.
So, when my performance started to drop 11 years ago—when I was 52—I was confused. I was getting progressively slower, and eventually, I couldn’t keep up with my friends on a simple group ride. I chalked it up to age.
The truth was far more shocking.
After a series of tests, the diagnosis hit me like a sprint finish: Severe Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). Despite my fitness, my family history of heart disease had caught up to me. My main coronary arteries were severely clogged: ● A 99% blockage in the Left Anterior Descending (LAD) artery (the “widow-maker”). ● A 70% blockage in the Right Coronary Artery (RCA). ● An 80% blockage in the Left Circumflex Artery (LCA).
My heart, the engine I relied on, was suffocating. I immediately received four stents in my LAD artery. But the other two major blockages remained, and I was told I needed to return in three months for more surgery on the RCA and LCA.
The Invisible Hero: My Heart’s Natural Bypass Faced with the prospect of lifelong interventions, my cardiologist gave me a critical piece of information. “Collateral circulation probably saved your life.” That’s what my cardiologist told me. I learned that the human heart has an innate backup plan. When a main coronary artery slowly clogs, the heart can grow or enlarge existing, tiny blood vessels (collateral vessels) to create alternate routes for blood. It’s a natural bypass. Think of it like this: My main highways (coronary arteries) were completely blocked. But thanks to this natural process, my heart paved brand new side streets and back roads, eventually widening them to handle heavy traffic and deliver life-giving blood to the muscle beyond the clogs. I realized my body was already trying to save me. My job was to give it the tools and signals to complete the work.
The Power Switch: Switching to Whole Food, Plant-Based My diet prior to the diagnosis wasn’t overtly “bad,” but it was a pretty typical American diet, which contained enough animal products, dairy, and processed fats to fuel the progression of my disease. To achieve true healing, I needed a complete overhaul. I immediately committed myself to a Whole Food, Plant-Based (WFPB) diet, following the principles of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and Forks Over Knives.
This wasn’t just a diet change; it was medicine. While exercise is the signal for new paths to grow, the WFPB diet became the foundation that made healing possible. It did two crucial things:
Stopped the Damage: It eliminated the source of cholesterol and inflammatory fats that were actively clogging my arteries.
Healed the Vessels: It provided the nutrients needed to repair the delicate inner lining of the arteries, allowing the vessels to be responsive to the body’s healing signals.
Me, nine months before (2014) my 4 stents at 178lbs. (with Bob Roll!)
The Menu: Before and After the Reversal
The change wasn’t about deprivation; it was about replacing disease-promoting foods with healing ones. The difference was stark:
The proof: Three months later.
Three months later, I returned for the scheduled stenting of the RCA and LCA.
After they performed the angiogram, the surgical team told me something astonishing: I did not need the stents. My heart had already begun to heal itself. The severe blockages were no longer an immediate threat, thanks to my body’s rapid repair and the likely development of new blood flow paths—all spurred by just 90 days of dedicated nutrition.
This immediate, dramatic success was the motivation I needed to commit to this plan for life.
Exercise: Reinforcing the New Roads
With my arteries no longer being actively damaged by food, my lifelong endurance exercise could finally work as a therapeutic tool. I kept cycling and training, knowing that every pedal stroke was an active investment: the physical stress of riding generates the necessary force to push blood and expand the new blood paths, reinforcing my natural bypass. My heart—now nourished and repaired by a WFPB diet—could properly respond to the demands of cycling by creating and maintaining its invisible repair network.
Me, After at 148 lbs! I am climbing a lot faster now! (With my better half, Karen!)
The Results: 11 Years Later, My Heart is Rebuilt Fast forward 11 years. I am 63, still training, still riding my bicycle, and feeling better than I did in my 40s. I have climbed some of the highest mountains in the Alps, and just eight months post-op, I completed a self-supported bikepack from Buffalo to NYC in five days.
Two weeks ago, I went in for a nuclear stress test—my personal check-up on whether this demanding lifestyle truly worked. The results were astounding: ● I lasted 15 minutes on the treadmill, hitting 15 METS (a measure of energy expenditure), with a max heart rate of 165 BPM. ● The tests showed no evidence of significant heart blockage. ● My overall heart function is completely normal, and my left ventricle is functioning exceptionally well. The conclusion is clear: The combination of dedicated endurance training and a radical dietary shift not only prevented further blockages but stimulated my body to reverse the severe blockages. My heart has not just recovered; it has rebuilt itself.
Key Takeaways for Heart Health ● Heart Disease is Not Always a Dead End: Your body possesses an incredible, innate healing ability called collateral circulation—the creation of natural bypasses around blockages. ● Exercise is the Builder: Consistent endurance exercise (like cycling, running, or brisk walking) generates the necessary blood flow and pressure (shear stress) to signal your heart to actively grow and enlarge these collateral vessels. ● Diet is the Foundation: A whole-food, plant-based diet is crucial. It halts the progression of the disease and repairs the inner lining of your arteries (the endothelium), allowing your vessels to be responsive to the growth signals from exercise. ● Proof is Possible: Never underestimate the speed of your body’s response. Dramatic healing can begin in as little as three months when you commit fully to the right lifestyle changes.
● This is not an Easy Transformation: But it is possible. Dedication to the process and a lifelong commitment to food also has other benefits. You will feel great, sleep and recover better. It also sets you up to recover better and faster from all illness that will inevitably come up in your life.
About the Author Frank Grillo is a dedicated endurance athlete and cyclist who refused to let a severe diagnosis of Coronary Artery Disease define his future. After undergoing stenting for a 99% blockage, he adopted a whole-food, plant-based diet and maintained a rigorous training schedule. His post-surgical achievements include climbing some of the highest mountains in the Alps, bikepacking through Spain in 2023, and just eight months after his initial procedure, he completed a self-supported bikepack from Buffalo to NYC, 430 miles, in five days. Eleven years later, he continues to train and ride at a high level at 63, demonstrating the profound, life-saving power of lifestyle intervention in heart health. He hopes his story inspires others to explore the heart’s incredible capacity for self-repair.
It’s that time of the year! Thanksgiving is coming up and many of you will indulge in a wonderful family meal! How would you like to both indulge in that meal AND ensure your glucose spike stays relatively normal? Keep reading to find out.
If you’ve ever looked at your Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) or blood glucose reading after a meal and thought, “Whoa, that spike looks high,” you’re not alone. Many cyclists worry that a sharp rise in glucose means poor performance or long-term health issues. And while not every spike is catastrophic, consistently unstable glucose does affect energy, recovery, and endurance.
The good news? You don’t need extreme diets or drastic changes to make a difference. Small, practical adjustments can quickly bring glucose into a steady range. In fact, I’ve seen athletes completely transform their mid-ride energy by tweaking just a few habits.
Hack 1: Move After Meals One of the simplest, and most effective, ways to lower glucose is light movement after eating. A 10–15 minute walk, some easy spinning on the trainer, or even chores around the house can dramatically blunt glucose spikes. Instead of just sitting around on the couch after Thanksgiving, get out and play some football, go for a walk, pedal around a little. Sitting on the couch is just going to raise your glucose even more.
The science is simple: movement activates muscles, which act as glucose sponges. They pull sugar out of the bloodstream and use it for energy. For cyclists, this not only stabilizes glucose but also aids recovery when done after post-ride meals. Walking especially is good, as it uses the soleus muscle in the lower leg, which uses glucose directly. Google: “Soleus Push-ups”.
Hack 2: Stack your foods when you eat The order in which you eat your food is important. This is EASY to do at Thanksgiving!!!
Eat your Salad first and put that at the bottom of the “stack” in your stomach. Then eat ALL your veggies next. Then eat ALL your protein and finally eat your carbs. If you eat in this order instead of eating a little of this and a little of that at the same time, you’ll reduce your glucose spikes dramatically.
For athletes, this is especially important before rides. A pre-ride meal with balanced macros sets you up for stable energy instead of rollercoaster dips.
Hack 3: Take 2 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar before your meal! Dilute 2 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar in a coffee cup of water. Drink this 10 minutes before the “call” to Thanksgiving dinner. ACV will help mute the glucose spike by making your cells more insulin sensitive and taking up more glucose. It will also help to slow down the absorption of glucose as well.
CGM data shows this clearly. Try the same meal with ACV and without and your glucose levels will be dramatically lower with the ACV.
Hack 4: Build Muscle With Strength Training Start NOW! Going to the gym the week of Thanksgiving WILL help. Muscle tissue improves glucose control. More muscle mass means greater glucose uptake capacity. Even two strength sessions per week, focused on squats, lunges, deadlifts, and core, improves both cycling performance and glucose stability.
A 54-year-old athlete I coach added two weekly strength sessions. Within three months, not only did his glucose stability improve, but his sprint power increased by 15%.
Conclusion You don’t need fancy supplements or rigid diets to stabilize glucose. Move after meals, pair carbs wisely, Use ACV, and build muscle. These small hacks compound into big performance and health wins.
For decades, the gold standard in endurance testing was the lab-based VO₂ Max test: hooked up to a mask, pedaling until exhaustion, all while technicians measured oxygen uptake. Valuable? Absolutely. Accessible? Not really. The good news is that in today’s world, you no longer need to step into a lab to know your VO₂ Max or track improvements. Power meters, heart rate monitors, and modern training software now give athletes real-world insights that are often more practical than a single lab test.
What VO₂ Max Actually Measures VO₂ Max is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise. Think of it as your aerobic ceiling, the upper limit of your endurance engine. The higher your VO₂ Max, the greater your potential to sustain high power outputs.
But here’s the catch: VO₂ Max is just one piece of the puzzle. Athletes with similar VO₂ Max values can perform very differently in races because performance also depends on lactate threshold, efficiency, fueling, and mental toughness.
The Limitations of Lab Testing Traditional VO₂ Max tests are expensive, uncomfortable, and often not repeatable in a way that fits real-world training. They give you a snapshot number, but not always actionable context. Many athletes walk away with the thought: “Now what?”
I worked with a rider in his 40s who paid for a VO₂ Max test, got his number, but didn’t know how to translate it into training. He still rode the same way afterward, no progress, just an expensive lab bill.
How Technology Changed the Game Today, tools like TrainingPeaks, WKO, and even devices like Garmin or Apple Watch estimate VO₂ Max from performance data. Power meters and heart rate monitors track responses to workload, providing trend data that’s incredibly useful. These estimates aren’t perfect, but the consistency and accessibility make them more valuable than a single lab number.
For example, TrainingPeaks uses modeled FTP and workout responses to estimate aerobic capacity. Over time, you can see trends, whether your aerobic ceiling is rising or falling, without ever stepping foot in a lab.
The Coaching Perspective As a coach, I rarely need a formal lab result. I can see VO₂ Max adaptations in performance data: shorter recovery between intervals, higher sustainable powers, and improved time-to-exhaustion. What matters most isn’t the number itself, it’s how we use the data to adjust training.
For a rider plateaued at the same FTP, adding VO₂ Max-specific intervals (3–5 minutes at 110–120% of FTP) can drive real improvements. You don’t need a lab to know whether it’s working, you’ll feel it on the road and see it in your power files.
A Practical Athlete Story One of my athletes thought his “low VO₂ Max” from a lab test meant he could never improve. Instead of focusing on the number, we designed intervals targeting aerobic power. Six months later, his group rides felt easier, his FTP jumped, and he was climbing better than ever. His lab number hadn’t changed much, but his performance had.
Conclusion You don’t need a lab VO₂ Max test anymore. With modern training tools, you can track trends, train smarter, and focus on real-world performance. Numbers are only as useful as the context we give them.
When power meters first hit cycling, we suddenly had more data than ever before. Watts, cadence, heart rate, all valuable, but overwhelming. We needed a way to make sense of it. That’s where Training Stress Score (TSS) came in.
TSS revolutionized coaching. It gave us a single number that quantified training load, balancing intensity and duration. Today, it’s one of the most powerful tools we have to prevent burnout, manage progress, and peak at the right time.
Dr. Andrew R. Coggan and I did not set out to create a metric that has changed millions of cyclists and triathlete’s lives. I just wanted a “score”. Something that represented the training stress done each day by a cyclist. I called up Andy Coggan in 2002 and said, “Hey, we are getting these power files and have a complete second by second record of their training stress, we should be able to have a score for each ride. Do you think you can come up with something like that?” Two weeks later, Andy called me up and said, “Eureka, I’ve got it! It’s called Training Stress Score and it will take into account your FTP, the duration of your ride and the intensity of the ride as it relates to FTP. We’ll call it Training Stress Score. It’s loosely based on the TRIMPS score.” And that was that! TSS was born.
What TSS Actually Measures TSS combines how hard you ride (intensity) with how long you ride (duration). A 100 TSS ride equals one hour at your threshold power. Ride longer or harder, and TSS climbs.
This allows us to compare a 2-hour Zone 2 ride with a 45-minute interval session. Both may leave you equally tired—but TSS quantifies the stress. Just because you scored 100 TSS in the 2hour Zone 2 ride, it doesn’t mean you improved your FTP! It’s just that you have accumulated the equivalent amount of training stress.
Why It Matters for Cyclists Over 40 As we age, recovery takes longer. TSS ensures you don’t dig yourself into a hole. By tracking cumulative load, you know whether you’re progressing or flirting with overtraining.
One of my 50-year-old athletes used to ride by feel. Some weeks he overloaded, others he undertrained. When we started tracking TSS, we balanced his weekly load. His fitness improved steadily, without the yo-yo effect of burnout and forced rest.
TSS and Training Plans Here’s a sample balanced week for a masters cyclist:
Tuesday: VO₂ Max Intervals (~90 TSS)
Thursday: Tempo Ride (~120 TSS)
Saturday: Long Endurance (~250 TSS) Total: ~460 TSS
For many riders over 40, this is sustainable and I would even up this a little to 500-600 TSS per week. Push that to 700-800 TSS week after week, and recovery cracks show.
Chronic vs. Acute Training Load Software like TrainingPeaks uses TSS to calculate Chronic Training Load (CTL = long-term fitness) and Acute Training Load (ATL = short-term fatigue). The balance between them, called Training Stress Balance (TSB), predicts performance. A positive TSB often means you’re fresh and ready to peak.
Coaching in Practice I had an athlete who plateaued despite training 12 hours per week. His weekly TSS was consistently too high, he was never fresh enough to adapt. By trimming hours but balancing TSS, he hit new FTP highs within months.
Conclusion TSS changed cycling by turning raw data into actionable insight. It’s not about chasing big numbers, it’s about managing the right training load for your goals and your recovery capacity.
Want to learn how to manage training load like a pro? Try my free VO₂ Max Training Plan, it’s designed to balance stress and recovery.
You’re out on the road, the rhythm of your pedals syncing with your heartbeat, the open horizon pulling you forward. But as a cyclist over 40, you’ve felt the shift. That post-ride soreness lingers a little longer. The high-octane sessions that once left you buzzing now leave you drained. And yet, your passion for cycling burns as fiercely as ever. The question isn’t whether you can still ride strong – it’s how.
I’m Hunter Allen, founder of Peaks Coaching Group, and I’ve spent decades coaching cyclists to their best performances, especially those over 40 who refuse to let age slow them down. The secret isn’t grinding out more miles or pushing through pain – it’s training smarter, with precision, recovery, and purpose. Burnout doesn’t have to be your story. In this guide, I’ll share how to navigate the unique challenges of cycling over 40, optimize your training, and keep climbing stronger, faster, and injury-free. Ready to make every ride count? Let’s dive in with a fresh perspective.
The Roadblocks of Age – And How to Outsmart Them
Cycling over 40 is like riding a familiar route with new terrain. Your body’s changing – muscles recover slower, VO₂ Max (your aerobic engine) dips 5-10% per decade, joints stiffen, and hormones like testosterone wane, making muscle-building and recovery tougher. These aren’t stop signs; they’re just new conditions to master.
I’ve coached cyclists who hit their 40s thinking their best rides were behind them, only to discover they could outperform their younger selves with the right approach. The mistake? Training like you’re 25, hammering every ride without enough rest. That path leads to burnout, injuries, and frustration. Instead, let’s flip the script – train smarter, not harder, and turn age into an advantage.
At Peaks Coaching Group, we use a 4-step framework – Assess, Plan, Train, Recover – to keep you riding at your peak. Here’s how to tackle the challenges of cycling over 40 and come out stronger.
Ride With Purpose, Not Just Passion
Your time is precious – work, family, life – so every ride needs to count. Chasing endless miles without a plan is like riding into a headwind with no strategy: exhausting and inefficient. Instead, set clear, specific goals. Want to crush a Gran Fondo? Outclimb your group? Or just savor every ride without feeling wrecked? Define your target, then break it into bite-sized milestones.
For example, if endurance is your goal, focus on one long, steady ride weekly. If power’s the aim, prioritize short, intense intervals. Years ago, I coached a 48-year-old cyclist aiming for a century ride. We built a plan with one weekly long ride and targeted intervals, and he finished stronger than ever – no burnout, just pride.
Try This Today: Write down one cycling goal for the next 30 days – like shaving 5 minutes off a favorite route. List two actions to get there, like a long ride or interval session.
Make Recovery Your Superpower
Here’s a truth I’ve learned from coaching thousands of cyclists: recovery isn’t downtime – it’s where your strength is built. Over 40, your muscles need more time to repair, and skipping rest invites burnout or injury. I’ve seen riders push through fatigue, only to stall their progress. Smarter recovery keeps you riding strong.
Schedule at least one full rest day weekly – no guilt. On lighter days, try a 60-minute recovery spin at a conversational pace (Zone 1, 40-56% FTP). Sleep is non-negotiable – aim for 7-9 hours to support muscle repair. Wearables like a Whoop Strap, Oura Ring or Garmin watch can track recovery metrics like REM Sleep, deep sleep and heart rate variability, showing when you’re ready to push or need to ease off or make some change to your sleep hygiene.
Try This Today: Add a recovery spin or rest day to your week. Check your sleep hours – aim for at least 7 tonight and look to get at least 1.5 hours each of REM and Deep Sleep.
Build Strength, Stay Supple
Age can stiffen joints and sap muscle mass, increasing injury risk. But you don’t need to be a gym rat to counter this. A little strength and mobility work goes a long way. Twice weekly, try bodyweight exercises like squats or lunges for leg strength and planks for core stability – key for holding your position on long rides.
Before rides, do dynamic stretches (leg swings, hip openers) to warm up. Post-ride, static stretches (hamstrings, quads, glutes) keep you flexible. Yoga or Pilates once a week can boost balance and posture, reducing strain. One cyclist I coached added 10 minutes of yoga weekly and cut their lower back pain, riding stronger for it. Try the “king of poses for cyclists”- the “Pigeon Pose” and stretch out that piriformis muscle on each side daily.
Try This Today: Do 5 minutes of dynamic stretches before your next ride – try leg swings or lunges. Note how your body feels afterward.
Harness Tech for Precision
Technology isn’t just a toy – it’s your edge. A power meter lets you train in precise zones, like Zone 4 (threshold, 91-105% of FTP) for improving your overall fitness or Zone 5 (106-120% of FTP) for power to improve your Vo2 Max. Measuring your heart rate shows you the “intensity of your intention” and can ensure that you are trying hard enough. Apps like TrainerRoad, MyWhoosh, TrainingPeaks Virtual or Zwift offer structured indoor workouts in each intensity zone..
Recovery tech, like an Oura Ring, Whoop or Garmin watch tracks sleep and stress, ensuring you’re rested enough to train hard. I’ve seen cyclists use power data to avoid overtraining, boosting their FTP by 10% in months without burning out.
Try This Today: Track your heart rate or power on your next ride. Stay in Zone 2 (69-83% of threshold heart rate) for a steady effort and see how it feels.
Fuel for Longevity
Nutrition isn’t just fuel – it’s your foundation. Over 40, your body needs balanced carbs, proteins, and healthy fats (not saturated!) to sustain rides and recovery. Before a ride, eat complex carbs like pasta, brown rice, quinoa, or sweet potatoes 2-3 hours out. During rides over 90 minutes, take in 50-90g of carbs hourly (gels, bars, bananas) and sip a carb/electrolyte drink mix. Post-ride, a carb/protein mix – like a shake with whey and fruit – within 30 minutes aids muscle repair. Your goal is a 2:1 to 4:1 Carb:Protein ratio post workout shake, as this is scientifically proven to enhance glucose uptake and replenish glycogen storage faster.
Healthy fats (avocado, nuts) and omega-3s (fish, flaxseed) reduce inflammation, keeping joints happy. Hydration is critical – dehydration saps performance and recovery.
Try This Today: Plan a ride with a carb-rich pre-ride meal and a post-ride carb/protein snack. Note your energy compared to usual.
Why I’m Your Guide to Peak Performance
I’m Hunter Allen, and I’ve dedicated my career to helping cyclists like you defy age and ride stronger. As the founder of Peaks Coaching Group and a pioneer in power-based training, I’ve coached athletes to podiums and personal bests worldwide. My approach blends data, science, and personalization to create plans that fit your goals, fitness, and life – whether you’re chasing a race win or just want to love every pedal stroke.
Ride Strong, Stay Vibrant
Your 40s, 50s, 60s, or beyond can be your best cycling years. Train smarter with purpose, recovery, strength, tech, and nutrition, and you’ll avoid burnout while hitting new peaks.
Ready to ride stronger than ever? Book a free performance consultation with me, Hunter Allen, at Peaks Coaching Group. I’ll craft a personalized, 30-day plan to optimize your training, tailored to your unique needs as a cyclist over 40, so you can crush every ride without breaking down.
Don’t let age dictate your performance. Try one micro-action today – like adding a recovery spin or pre-ride stretches – and feel the difference on your next ride. When you’re ready to unlock your full potential, I’m here at Peaks Coaching Group to guide you to rides that feel powerful, joyful, and stronger than ever.To your strongest climbs, Hunter Allen
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