The physiology of Tadej Pogacar has impressed no finish of admiration, dialogue and frequent hypothesis, however in a latest interview the Tour de France winner revealed placing particulars of his coaching and vitamin.
Speaking to Peter Attia on The Drive podcast, the Slovenian mirrored on his profession and varied Grand Tour wins, however focussed most of his consideration on particulars of his coaching and vitamin routine.
“I’ve been coaching with coronary heart fee screens since I’m I do not know, 12 years outdated,” Pogacar advised host Peter Attia. “So I might say, I understand how my coronary heart fee responds when I’m drained or when I’m good. So, yeah, I may go by coronary heart fee solely, however it’s at all times good to check coronary heart fee to energy, however energy meters are usually not so dependable lately.
“You at all times should be cautious with the temperatures of the surface, the calibration, every little thing,” he additional clarified. “And yeah, typically might be off. You should be cautious about this.”
For data-obsessed cyclists, Pogačar’s revelation that his Zone 2 energy vary sits round “320 to 340” will spark curiosity. He additional retold of joyful four-hour coaching rides spent squarely in Zone 2.
“In Monaco, it is actually onerous to get massive time in Zone 2 as a result of it is a number of climbing,” he mentioned. “You cannot preserve energy. I attempt to hit actually excessive zone two on climbs – they’re like, 20 to 40 minutes lengthy, and then you definately recuperate and downhill.
“But after I go house to Slovenia or elsewhere, or in Spain after we’re coaching Calpe, or summer time, the place it is extra flat, I actually like to remain 5 hours in Zone 2… I might like to do simply zone 2 and going nonstop.”
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Despite his craving for lengthy hours in Zone 2, Pogacar confirmed that he benefited probably the most from coaching in Monaco. “In my expertise, yeah, the perfect is to coach on your house roads, the place you too can take a look at the velocity, the VAM, how briskly you are transferring.”
Asked concerning the specifics of his VAM, Pogacar mentioned, “Training seven, seven and a half per cent, in the event you go all out, I feel it is like 1700 to 1800 of VAM for like quarter-hour.”
Nutrition
Pogačar’s focus has turned extra towards vitamin and weight lately.
“For certain, whenever you’re a child, you may eat what you need and you do not acquire fats,” he mentioned.
However, his method in his present racing is considered one of moderation moderately than onerous restrictions. “If you prohibit an excessive amount of and you do not contact chocolate for a month or for six months, then one time you’ll break and you’ll go loopy, and I feel that is not relationship with meals,” he mentioned.
“So you should have steadiness additionally with the unhealthy meals, additionally. Then in terms of the low season, I haven’t got the cravings. I’m like, Okay, now I’m going trip. I’ve good meals, good meals, high quality meals, and never a loopy quantity.”
His weight peaks at 69kg, sometimes stretching to 70kg after indulgences, the Giro-Tour double winner confirmed. However, throughout the Tour de France he sits persistently round 65kgs.
With that in thoughts, his carbohydrate consumption on the bike is rigorously deliberate out. “In drink, we’ve both 30 grams or 60 grams [of carbohydrate] in per bottle, not a powerful dilution,” he mentioned.
“But when it is a onerous stage, it is higher having 60 grams within the bottle after which you may eat much less,” he continued. “Because for onerous phases, you should get round 120 grams per hour. For simpler phases, from 60 to 90g is sufficient. So mainly, we goal for that per hour.
Getting to some extent of consuming 120g per hour was a journey for Pogacar. “Like 5 years in the past, 120 grams per hour – that is not possible,” he mentioned, crediting his meals sponsor Enervit with producing higher merchandise for his racing consumption.
“Five years in the past, I might at all times go shit my pants after the stage races or lengthy races. And now, even consuming 120 grams, no abdomen issues.”
Heart fee and HRV
Unsurprisingly, Pogačar’s coronary heart fee web site at a low 37 beats per minute throughout sleep, he claims.
“But some days, I may get up with 48-49 in the event you’re sick or actually fatigued, possibly even over 50.”
As for his max coronary heart fee, he revealed that as a junior he may hit 213, and extra just lately usually ideas over 200.
He additionally started wanting into HRV in 2021, “I didn’t discover it actually attention-grabbing or useful,” he claimed. “But this yr I began utilizing extra to trace HRV, coronary heart fee within the night time. And yeah, I need to say that I fairly prefer it now.”
Revealing a spread of 150 on good days, and mid-30s on unhealthy days, his HRV falls in keeping with the broader distinctive physiological numbers he revealed.
Naturally, VO2max is the determine that has traditionally been tied to pure physiology and efficiency, right here Pogacar coyly acknowledged, “It’s been some time since I examined the final time.”
“Probably it is excessive.”
The full podcast, which accommodates wider discussions round his meteoric rise to the highest of biking is accessible on varied podcast platforms and on Peter Attia‘s web site.