A question that often comes up on the internet is whether us mere mortals could benefit from approaching our sporting business in the same way that the professionals do.
For example, some of us choose to dabble by having training camps, treating ourselves to the latest and greatest gadgetry, or maybe moonlighting at the highest level of competition that our cardiovascular system will strain to take us to.
We take a look at a few products and training methodologies that are popular with pro athletes and consider whether there's value in you using them...
Supershoes
Supershoes are arguably the most influential form of technology to hit distance running and triathlon over the past 30 years. From around 2016, several medallists of the Olympic Games Marathon were reportedly wearing a prototype shoe that utilised a curved carbon fibre plate within a high-energy return sole.
Within three years the marathon running distance was completed in under 2 hours as part of the Ineos 1:59 Challenge project and most of the long distance running records had been totally destroyed. The research findings are very clear that these shoes are massively performance enhancing delivering a circa 4% reduction in energetic costs.
There are some limitations to the shoes that isn’t so widely known though. They are expensive, the sole materials only maintain their performance for around 400-500km of running (before they’re no better than traditional running shoes) and that their design and prescription of energy return may not be tailored to your bodyweight.
In others words, the evidence says they will definitely make you faster but don’t expect it to be to the same level as a professional marathon runner and don’t expect them to last long. Last time I bought shoes like these, I was seen sobbing as my trembling hand swiped my credit card.
Weird Cycling Helmets
There was much (frankly totally justified) laughter at PF&H HQ recently when I’d acquired one of the new bizarrely shaped helmets used by world tour cyclists for time trials.
Despite the fact I clearly looked totally ridiculous, I was willing to sacrifice style for substance for any saved seconds I could find. Helmet choice in cycling is a critical factor in reducing your aerodynamic drag.
However, these helmets are often designed by using a small group of elite individuals so are not a good representation of amateur riders. As a result, if your head behaviour in a race doesn’t replicate that of Remco Evenepoel, you looking like Judge Dredd could be an aerodynamic disaster - let alone a crime against fashion. Should you use the most aerodynamic helmet you can find ? Definitely... but your best option may not be the same model that the pros are using.
Wind Tunnels
Wind tunnels are one of those silent assassins. You’ll look at a cyclist or triathlete, see their bike and their body but you won’t know how many thousands they spent on aerodynamic testing. The optimal riding position is unique to each rider and on a watt per dollar basis, going to the tunnel can be considerably more beneficial to your racing than buying a new bike or set of wheels. This is because around 80% of the total drag slowing you down is, well, you.
I know of riders from the British time trialling scene that are so aero, they can now do a 10-mile time trial in under 20 minutes on only 280 watts. Frankly if I put that modest level of power down at my size, I’d tip over sideways and have to be helped off the floor. There are limitations to wind tunnel use though. In some cases riders will come out with a poor solution that isn’t representative of how they could or should ride in the real world.
It’s for that reason that being tested on a velodrome or learning how to conduct field testing yourself may instead be better solutions. Either way though, if you’re a cyclist or triathlete looking to get faster, yes, you should be considering this.
Altitude Training
Altitude training is an intervention deployed by many elite endurance athletes as a means to improve performance.
You probably already know that it involves acclimatising to thinner air higher up and then it provides adaptations that positively influence the body’s oxygen transport and utilisation once you’re back at sea level. It’s one of those interventions that could have been considered impractical or expensive a few years ago, but it’s been made more accessible by better accommodation at such locations but also the ability to now simulate it at home with portable altitude tents.
The problem with such methods for amateurs though is that it does require a decent level of expertise to implement it effectively (plus having an altitude tent in your bedroom at home is about as romantic as a funeral). This may mean it’s not practically suitable for everyone.
Heat Training
Something you may be less aware of may be the performance enhancing effects of heat training. It was well known many years ago that training in hot and humid environments were a way of acclimatising to key events held in such conditions.
The problem with heat is that our bodies then have to work harder to help keep them cool which then affects our blood flow and oxygen transit. Those that have done iconic events like the IRONMAN® World Championships in Hawaii or the Marathon des Sables in Africa may well be familiar with such conditions.
What you may be less aware of though is that there are also exciting early indications of a performance enhancing effect when conducting heat training. It’s still an emerging research theme but it has been shown to increase the bloods hemoglobin mass (which is also what illegal performance enhancing drugs did to improve performance artificially back in the ‘90’s), so this could be a decent potential improvement to our performances.
Whilst the best methodology for heat training is still debatable, it still needs to be undertaken safely so I would strongly suggest you seek the help of a professional... which, going by the fact that I resembled a raisin the last time I tried this with a portable heater in my conservatory, clearly isn’t me.
Sponsorship
Professional athletes hopefully (but not always) have access to the very best equipment, tools and kit. I remember being given a free jersey by my local bike shop in the very early days of my racing and thinking my next stop was the Tour de France (and maybe the matching pair of shorts?). It’s a huge boost to your ego when you’re an amateur being given something for nothing based on your abilities.
For many professionals though, sponsorship, endorsements and social media influencing is what they have to do to help earn a living. Sometimes, this is actually a restriction to performance because not all brands make good products and sometimes if it’s a choice between having to use a below-par wetsuit and being able to afford your weekly shopping, a professional may wear the suit and take the loss.
Consider that when Nike’s supershoes first came out, it wasn’t unheard of that some athletes broke contracts with other brands purely so they could access the faster shoes. That’s not a great situation for the sponsor or the athlete.
Either way, it looks cool when you’ve worked hard enough to be supported and branded up with kit, but don’t let the temptation of a few bits of free hardware get in the way of using the best kit you can access to deliver your best possible race.
The right approach...
In the end, being a 'Professional' is a state of mind, not an occupation. But what does being a pro really even mean? There’s a difference between training with a pro’s lifestyle vs training with a pro’s attitude.
I think I’ve shown here that there are limitations to trying the former but irrespective of your perceived ability, I always encourage the latter. Do the best you can with the best tools you can access.
In the end though, I personally believe that the right answer to whether an amateur should adopt a professional athlete’s repertoire is ultimately about finding the right lifestyle and approach for you. That will ensure both the enjoyment and longevity in your chosen sport and hopefully deliver the right results.
