Originally Posted by
Ste_S
We're both agreed that 3-5 hour long rides are at best pointless, and at worst detrimental for sprinters ?
I still don't get the point of it for enduro riders, especially at amateur level. If your longest race is going to be an hour max, what benefit will a 3-5 hour steady endurance ride give you, apart from weight control ?
Yeah I agree mostly useless for sprinters though rumor has it Chris Hoy does some endurance work, i.e. 2-3 hour stuff?
The 3-5 hour stuff helps improve capillary density and recruit slow twitch muscles needed for anything over 2 minute efforts. Also works the aerobic system to work more efficiently. Obviously the primary thing you need is a 'jump' and the ability to hold on through the initial burn in a sprint, but this stuff still helps out. Hell, look at Cavendish. He dominates a sprinter's road race and then kills it on the track...
Two charts basically saying the same thing, but...
ATP-Cr is used for the 15 second all out bursts, glycolytic is used for 2 minute hard efforts, and after that your body shifts to to the aerobic, oxidative system for an energy source. See why it's important to condition that aerobic system? Long rides do just that. I think longer intervals help with that too, like 20 minute TT's repeated a couple times with rest in between.