Fatigue is common, and it can tank performance or even set you up for injury, not to mention sap the enjoyment out of longer rides or resistance training. Although there are some quick fixes, like energy gels and drinks that provide a temporary boost of energy (you need carbs to fight off fatigue after all!), there’s a science-backed approach to making your energy last longer—and that’s building fatigue resistance.

Here are some techniques for building up your body’s resistance to fatigue that are recommended by experts.

Get in the Right Zone

Any cyclist would love to hear that with proper training, it’s possible to become completely fatigue resistant—if that were true, you could ride nonstop every day—so it’s important to keep in mind that there is an upper limit for each individual, says  Sonia DelBusso, doctor of physical therapy and corrective exercise specialist. But even modest improvements can make a difference in performance, and that begins with more time in the correct training zone.

“To improve your endurance and delay the onset of fatigue, incorporating zone 2 or low-intensity, as well as interval training, is recommended.”

“In order to improve your endurance and delay the onset of fatigue, incorporating zone 2 or low-intensity [training], as well as interval training, is recommended,” she suggests. Cycling in zone 2 means you’re going at a relatively slow pace—one in which you can comfortably carry on a conversation—and training here allows you to ride longer at a decreased workload.

DelBusso says zone 2 training should feel easy—with a rate of perceived exertion, or RPE, of about 5 out of 10 or at about 60 to 70 percent of your max heart rate. For context, there are five heart rate zones for training, with zone 1 as the slowest and easiest pace, and zone 5 representing all-out effort that’s sustainable for only a very short amount of time, like 30 seconds. Zone 2 is just a step up from that low, recovery activity level.

For those who use power to set training zones, zone 2 hits at about 56 to 75 percent of your functional threshold power (FTP).

Training with more emphasis on zone 2 allows for the gradual increase in total time spent cycling, DelBusso adds. For those who are training for longer rides, increasing the capacity of total riding time is a crucial factor.

While training in zone 2 will build fatigue-resistant slow-twitch muscle fibres, it also allows for other benefits that stave off bonking in the later kms of a ride. For example, aerobic workouts have been shown to increase the number of mitochondria, the powerhouse of our cells that help generate energy for our muscles to use during exercise. The better your mitochondria function, the more energy you’ll have for better rides.

While you need this zone 2 training, exercising in different zones is key for better fatigue resistance because you’ll build slow-twitch fibres in a lower zone and fast-twitch in a higher zone. “In order to recruit both types of muscle fibres, you have to train with a combination of high and low to become effective,” she says. “So these low-intensity workouts are key.” (More on that high zone in a minute!)

The ratio of your low- and high-intensity workouts will depend on factors like your training goals and how close you are to a race, she adds. But in general, the bulk of your fatigue-resistant training should be zone 2—for example, training three or four days a week in that zone and two days a week in a higher zone.

Add Intervals

Interval training can help increase power and contractility of both slow- and fast-twitch muscle fibres, says DelBusso.

According to the National Institutes of Health, efficient muscle contraction is important for several functions in the body, including better joint stability, temperature regulation, and posture. In cycling, contractility improvements can translate into the ability to exert greater force over a shorter period of time. This can make you faster, while also helping you fight fatigue when you pick up the pace.

“The combination of longer and slower [rides], and faster, sprint workouts can help to train the muscles’ adaptability and combat the onset of fatigue,” DelBusso explains.

Research points to the best ways to make the most of your interval sessions. For example, a study published in the journal Kinesiology looked at different work-to-rest ratios for high-intensity interval training done with Taekwondo sessions and how that specifically played into fatigue resistance. The ratios assessed: 30 seconds work and 60 seconds rest; 30 seconds work and 120 seconds rest; and 30 seconds work and 240 seconds rest. After 10 sessions over four weeks, the most improvement in fatigue resistance came in the middle group with 120 seconds of rest. This HIIT sweet spot highlights the balance of high-intensity movement with rest periods—in other words, you need time to recover before going hard again.

In terms of why HIIT training works, a scientific review in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health reports that it’s because this type of training produces numerous physiological adaptations that improve exercise capacity—and many of them lead to fatigue resistance. This includes a boost in aerobic endurance, maximal oxygen uptake (a.k.a. VO2 max), anaerobic capacity, and metabolic health, the researchers suggest.

Also, training at your lactate threshold during interval workouts can help you prolong the time it takes for lactate to accumulate, one of the markers of fatigue, which will help you last longer on the road.

Mix in Lower-Body Strength Training

Because muscle fatigue can happen most in the lower body during a ride—especially a long ride—strength work in these muscles is particularly important for reducing exercise-induced fatigue, Hunter says. In fact, research in the journal ERJ Open Research looking at more than 36,000 participants found that leg strength is a major contributor to exercise capacity, to the point where muscle weakness in the lower body should be assessed in patients who complain of fatigue and exercise intolerance.

Also, resistance training builds fast-twitch muscles fibres, as well as endurance capacity, muscular strength, and ability to produce force, according to research in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. This all allows you to utilise your legs at a higher capacity on a ride.

“Strength training helps you isolate some of the muscles that provide stability.”

What’s more: “Strength training helps you isolate some of the muscles that provide stability, and those are the ones that get the most fatigued during a race, so building them up is helpful,” Hunter says. That includes prime movers like the quadriceps and hamstrings, but also core muscles and hip extensors, like the glutes.

Dynamic strength exercises that can make a difference for fatigue resistance also include squats and calf raises, as well as bird dog and bridges. “These are useful not just for building more muscle, but they also give you greater body awareness,” says Hunter. This can increase cycling efficiency, which is another variable for reducing exercise-induced fatigue.

Basically, your body is similar to a machine, like a car or a home furnace: The more efficiently it runs, the less strain you’ll see on the overall system, extending how long it can operate well.

Focus on Recovery

As always, never skip your rest days. Hunter notes that recovery, when it comes to fatigue resistance, isn’t as researched as other aspects of exercise performance, but she believes it should be. “The better recovered you are, the faster you’ll be able to come back from exercise-induced fatigue,” she says.

Not only does that include having dedicated rest days, but also building recovery periods into your rides and workouts, especially when doing interval training. For example, most HIIT sessions include rest between exercises and sets and even if you’re feeling energetic, Hunter advises taking those seriously because shortening the recovery periods could set you up for overtraining and injury risk.

A research review in the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance reports that overtraining syndrome—characterised by an imbalance between training and recovery—is recognised by effects like decreased performance, more fatigue, and mood disturbances.

Fatigue from overtraining can take several forms, according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Not only can you tire faster during a ride or workout due to overtraining, but you may also have a changed perception in your rate of exertion, as well as a lack of feeling refreshed after you do rest. Overtraining can also cause fatigue and low energy to linger throughout the day, leading to a decline in motivation and enthusiasm for exercise.

The bottom line: You can’t keep pushing it in your workouts in hopes of improving your fatigue resistance. Without proper rest and recovery, you’ll do the opposite.

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