Maximum Performance for Cyclists [Paperback]

M.D. Michael J. Ross (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 10, 2005

In cycling, the changes the body undergoes while training is called the training effect. This book, written by a race physician and licensed United States Cycling Federation coach, shows cyclists how to achieve better results and speedier recovery times by causing physiological changes that maximize this effect. Through the use of scientifically proven methods, traditional workout routines are taken to a new level, helping readers reach more stringent training goals. Readers learn how to develop and follow a training plan tailored to their own unique physical needs, leading to greater endurance and enhanced all-around performance.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: VeloPress (March 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 193138262X
• ISBN-13: 978-1931382625
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,157,644 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book for Serious Training, June 24, 2005

By 

Neil Hornbeck (Malvern, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Maximum Performance for Cyclists (Paperback)

This is the best book on this subject that I have ever seen. The chapter on bike fit alone is worth the price of the book. Dr. Ross has done meticulous research, footnoted every fact, and yet writes a very accessible, readable book. The only drawback is that there is so much information that one reading is not enough. You would also have to be a truly dedicated cyclist to follow all of his advice, but this book is an excellent compendium of state of the art training tecniques.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Evidence-based approach to cycle training, February 3, 2007

By 

Bilbo (New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maximum Performance for Cyclists (Paperback)

This book is written by a US sports and emergency medicine physician who provides excellent physiological explanations as to what happens to the body in cycle training, and uses evidence to explain how to force these changes by targeted training in the shortest time.

For muscles, fitness for cycling comprises of increased mitochondria in each muscle cell (the cells 'batteries') and increasing the blood supply to the muscles by growing new blood vessels (angiogenesis) to optimise oxygen delivery and waste removal. A compelling argument as to why muscle fibres type IIa are optimal for cycling is given, and then ways in which to train so as to increase mitochondria, angiogenesis and performance of type IIa muscle fibres are provided, all referenced.

The author makes the point that traditional cycle training aims at volume of many hours riding to develop base endurance, then adding intensity and recovery. This is proven with many outstanding athletes having world championships and gold medals from it. This long slow miles approach is based on the then revolutionary training techniques of late Arthur Lydiard who produced a group of world champion middle-distance runners in the 50s and 60s. So why change a good thing? Citing referenced research, Ross contends, however, that long slow base miles can actually hinder performance by working only type I muscle fibres.

In essence what the book says is that to optimise performance intensity and recovery are the keys. This means hard work, intervals with maximal effort accompanied by recovery periods. Improved cycling performance is body adapting to vigorous exercise, and he defines how to optimise the adaptation. He contends that improving mitochondrial numbers in muscle is attained by starving the body of carbohydrate during a ride, and suggests riding for an hour on an empty stomach and taking a protein/carbohydrate meal with you to eat at one hour. Likewise starving the body of oxygen (anaerobic training) optimises new vessel growth (angiogenesis). An excellent chapter on determining lactate threshold and personalised heart zone targets is perhaps one of the best available in the current crop of training books. Other chapters include an excellent summary of flexibility and stretching techniques and the expected chapters on bike fit, workouts, nutrition and training plans

The book is referenced and sensible in approach. A must read for those serious about cycle training who want a sound scientific approach to maximising your time on the bike.

I am a family doctor who cycles. I don't know Dr Ross or have any financial interest in his work. No competing interests.

18 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars How does this stuff get published?, April 20, 2007

By 

K. Mills (Jackson, WY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Maximum Performance for Cyclists (Paperback)

Okay, first of all, 90% of this book is just a rehash of Morris's better-written Performance Cycling. See my review of that for more specific criticisms than you're going to get below.

What seems to be happening here is that about every 2 years, some amateur coach looks at a few lab studies and cries "Eureka! High intensity training is more effective than low intensity training!" Then they write a book, which quickly goes out of print.

Ross basically wants to you to do a modified Conconi test to figure your Critical Power which he (and no one else) defines as the power you can sustain for somewhere between 50 seconds and two minutes, depending on who you are. Then he bases his whole philosophy on that rather arbitrary number. Essentially, you will have to do intervals at some percentage of that power output for 4 days in a row, then take 3 days off.

He seems to think that long endurance training reduces type1 fiber size and that this reduces your endurance. So in his world, training endurance makes your endurance worse. I think the actual theory is that the reduction in fiber size allows for more efficient oxygen diffusion, but why get bogged down in all that complexity? He also still seems to think that lactic acid causes muscle fatigue--an embarrassingly outdated notion. Of course, there is also no discussion of things like Intensity Factors and Training Stress Scores that have become so important with the advent of power meters.

The idea here is that coaches like Michele Ferrari and every pro endurance athlete on the planet are just wasting their time and that they'd be much better off reducing their total training volume to about 3-4 hours/week. Of course, neither he nor Morris seem to have ever actually coached a top athlete (for obvious reasons) so there is no real-world basis for this belief.

You should do a search on "Understanding Intervals Stephens" (I'd give you the U R L, but Amazon blanks them out) and read the article that comes up. While admittedly outdated and perhaps even a bit naive, it's probably a fundamentally correct explanation of why Ross/Morris are wrong.

If you really want to reach your potential, it's not going to be this easy. You're going to have to study Friel's book, buy a power meter with Cycling Peaks software, and put in a whole lot of time. I wish it weren't true, but if you're going to succeed in an endurance sport, you're gonna have to, well, work endurance...