State of Peloton 2023

[proffate]

Ok, here's a dumb question, which I hope some knowledgeable person can answer.

I just read about a guy who got diabetes under control by cutting out carbs (if you're interested the article's HERE). Apparently the guys in the peloton are filling themselves up with carbs at an incredible rate. Will they all get diabetes or is the fact it's being burnt up as quick as it's being eaten not cause any problems?

Ctrl+F "exercise" no hits on that article. I guess for many it's hard to fathom that movement is a necessary condition for physical health. At least the article does make a link between type 2 diabetes and obesity. You don't see many obese pro cyclists.

Yes of course exercise balances carb intake and is a great way to control A1C.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Ok, here's a dumb question, which I hope some knowledgeable person can answer.

I just read about a guy who got diabetes under control by cutting out carbs (if you're interested the article's HERE). Apparently the guys in the peloton are filling themselves up with carbs at an incredible rate. Will they all get diabetes or is the fact it's being burnt up as quick as it's being eaten not cause any problems?

They’re burning the calories so should be fine. Now if they continue to eat like this or a lot of carbs after retiring and not burning as much they could become at risk.

 

[42x16ss]

Ok, here's a dumb question, which I hope some knowledgeable person can answer.

I just read about a guy who got diabetes under control by cutting out carbs (if you're interested the article's HERE). Apparently the guys in the peloton are filling themselves up with carbs at an incredible rate. Will they all get diabetes or is the fact it's being burnt up as quick as it's being eaten not cause any problems?

No risk. Type 2 diabetes is a concern when your carbohydrate intake is grossly excessive and comes from simple sugars - glucose/sucrose. A diet largely based on appropriate amounts of complex carbohydrate (muesli, pasta, wholegrain bread, rice etc) will NOT make you fat, or give you diabetes. Otherwise diabetes would be rampant in Japan and South East Asia in particular.

Carbohydrate has been unfairly demonised by people who don't realise its things like the cheese and processed meat on their pizza, the cream sauces on their pasta, or the oil from frying their fries/chicken/burgers that is what's actually making them fat.

 

[Rob5091]

Thanks for the answers!
My main cause of concern was not that the guys in the peloton will be needing XXXL clothing but the effects on the digestive system.
Maybe I should ask the guys making the gels if there are any studies on the effects of filling yourself full of carbs at the current rate.

 

[Rob5091]

Well thanks to the Internet, I've had a dig around for how 120 g carbs per hour can be done (60 g maltodextrin or glucose and nearly the same amount of fructose) thanks to the two different methods of absorption.
Apparently at the moment there is a "carbohydrate horizon" of how much carbs can be forced fed into a body (about 1.5g per minute, I believe) so unless a third way of getting carbs into your body is found, this is "peak absorption".
As the human body takes up only about 75% of the carbs, I am still digging around for the effects of the other 25% on the digestive system.
Interesting that the latest fully packed gels have also a "pick me up" Red Bull like combination of substances to stop guys dozing off from eating all those carbs (yep, back to caffine in the finishing bottles again!)
Any further comments or expertise is gladly accepted!

 

[veganrob]

Thanks for the answers!
My main cause of concern was not that the guys in the peloton will be needing XXXL clothing but the effects on the digestive system.
Maybe I should ask the guys making the gels if there are any studies on the effects of filling yourself full of carbs at the current rate.

Good question. I got a chance to talk to Allen Lim at a seminar maybe 14 yrs ago. He said that the pro cyclists had to be able to stomach the foods that we never would tolerate. They have to stuff themselves with often unappetizing food just to get the required amount on calories in to maintain weight and energy. And that is not even counting all the gels and drinks and eating a somewhat normal food while riding. Remember the burritos? haha. Meals and nutrition has come a Long way since then but the fact remains of the enormous amount of food a rather small pro cyclist must consume.

 

[Rob5091]

The Science in Sport people who are teamed up with Ineos produced a very interesting study of stuffing cyclists with carbs. For those who can read "science talk" and those interested see
https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00091.2022

Edit - if you want the UAE team/ Enervit method (which I wonder about as Pogacar seems to be eating often in the last 10 km or so) - see
https://www.enervit.com/it/la-nutrizione-del-team-uae-emirates-in-una-grande-corsa-a-tappe

 

[Extinction]

Whe

Thanks for the answers!
My main cause of concern was not that the guys in the peloton will be needing XXXL clothing but the effects on the digestive system.
Maybe I should ask the guys making the gels if there are any studies on the effects of filling yourself full of carbs at the current rate.

When they retire, they will get fat, unless they don't eat much, drink red wine, and throw caution to the wind, like the rest of the French do.

 

[Rob5091]

With one eye on the ongoing 120 g carbs (or more correctly 60g fructose and 60g maltodextrin or glucose) per hour story, I came across Supersapiens boss Phil Southerland story and his continuous glucose monitor (CGM) - this was interesting
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/...evolutionary-wont-stop-until-cycling-is-safer

To date, there have been no clinical trials looking at the effectiveness of CGM devices, and specifically Supersapiens, on athletes without diabetes, although Imperial College London recently began one which will reach its conclusion in two years. Given that the use of the tech in this way has only emerged recently, it is also too early to tell whether such monitors really do make that much of a positive difference to a non-diabetic sportsperson.

In 2020, he had meetings with Ineos Grenadiers and Jumbo-Visma about using Supersapiens, the two powerhouses of the men’s peloton. “Tim Kerrison [Ineos’s former head coach] didn’t like the product, but Jumbo did. Wout van Aert, Primož Roglic, Sepp Kuss and Robert Gesink were the first four athletes to use my product. Look at the direction those two teams have gone in since then – history tells you who made the right call.”

UCI have banned though various body monitors (including Southerland's) during races - see
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/products/should-metabolic-sensors-be-banned-from-races

 

[houtdffan]

Mechanical doping no longer something to fear in pro peloton, says Tadej Pogacar: "I think we can rest assured now"

Performances in recent years have gotten stronger an

cyclinguptodate.com

This reeks of "I've never tested positive"

 

[ManicJack]

With one eye on the ongoing 120 g carbs (or more correctly 60g fructose and 60g maltodextrin or glucose) per hour story, I came across Supersapiens boss Phil Southerland story and his continuous glucose monitor (CGM) - this was interesting
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/...evolutionary-wont-stop-until-cycling-is-safer


UCI have banned though various body monitors (including Southerland's) during races - see
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/products/should-metabolic-sensors-be-banned-from-races

"To date, there have been no clinical trials looking at the effectiveness of CGM devices, and specifically Supersapiens, on athletes without diabetes"

That's interesting. Thanks for posting.

 

[Ricco']

Not doping accusations but I think it fits more with the spirit of this section than of PRR.

No shame about ketones on the peloton anymore. Alpecin just announced a partnership with a ketones company for 2024, can't wait to see them fly.

And what was unknown to me, it seems like their team doctor was Tinkoff's team doc during Sagan peak years.

 

[Salvarani]

Not doping accusations but I think it fits more with the spirit of this section than of PRR.

No shame about ketones on the peloton anymore. Alpecin just announced a partnership with a ketones company for 2024, can't wait to see them fly.

And what was unknown to me, it seems like their team doctor was Tinkoff's team doc during Sagan peak years.

Lol, everything is just there in plain sight.

But a lot of people dont care or know about this.

No journos are investigating things.

Omerta is very much present.

Money is too big and too much is at stake. Entertainment factor rules.

 

[Netserk]

I'm somewhat puzzled that the Bahrain police raids haven't had bigger impact on the doping narrative of The New Acceleration™. Not even López's case has had much of an impact.

The extraordinary has become mundane. And I don't think the mood will change until a star rider is caught in the act so to speak, using proper hardcore methods and not just a masking agent.

 

[Rob5091]

Re: Alpecin's partnership for ketones - an interesting comment from a team that openly uses ketones, Visma
https://velo.outsideonline.com/road...rtners-ketone-supplier-for-performance-gains/

“I think a lot of people think ketones are a wonder drug, and they make you go faster by 20 percent. And I think that’s total ***,” Visma-Lease a Bike director Grischa Niermann told Velo of his team’s use of pro cycling’s problematic performance enhancer.

“I’m 100 percent convinced that it’s not the wonder supplement that makes you go faster by a big, big margin.”

Which makes me wonder, first, why do Visma uses them then? Recovery, I suppose, and second, what makes Visma then"go faster by a big, big margin"?

For those interested, the deltaG info/marketing is at
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...tones_Educational_Magazine_2.pdf?v=1697126094

 

[Rob5091]

I'm somewhat puzzled that the Bahrain police raids haven't had bigger impact on the doping narrative of The New Acceleration™. Not even López's case has had much of an impact.

The extraordinary has become mundane. And I don't think the mood will change until a star rider is caught in the act so to speak, using proper hardcore methods and not just a masking agent.

"The extraordinary has become mundane. " Yep, and I still can not understand the silence about riders talking to the press about thyroid medication abuse in the peloton. Nothing to see here, move along now! Hessman I suppose will get busted for a diuretic and that'll be that.

Well Bahrain have learned from Colbrelli's heart problems and now they're all learning CPR!
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...rt-defibrillation-course-during-training-camp

 

[myrideissteelerthanyours]

Lol, everything is just there in plain sight.

But a lot of people dont care or know about this.

No journos are investigating things.

Omerta is very much present.

Money is too big and too much is at stake. Entertainment factor rules.

Pro Cycling is less entertaining than ever now that we have these "super winners"

 

[Salvarani]

Pro Cycling is less entertaining than ever now that we have these "super winners"

Because those havent always been around?

 

[myrideissteelerthanyours]

Because those havent always been around?

it was a good 40 year run of nobody in white polka dot green and yellow simultneously

 

[Salvarani]

it was a good 40 year run of nobody in white polka dot green and yellow simultneously

So what?

There was still a bunch of "super-winers" in the last 40 years.

Someone has always dominated the Tour.

You are speaking nonsense.

 

[Cookster15]

Re: Alpecin's partnership for ketones - an interesting comment from a team that openly uses ketones, Visma
https://velo.outsideonline.com/road...rtners-ketone-supplier-for-performance-gains/


Which makes me wonder, first, why do Visma uses them then? Recovery, I suppose, and second, what makes Visma then"go faster by a big, big margin"?

For those interested, the deltaG info/marketing is at
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...tones_Educational_Magazine_2.pdf?v=1697126094

Read the explanations of Vingegaard's best ever time trial on stage 16 of this year's TdF. It was Sky's marginal gains on steroids.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

This year's TdF stage 16 time trial was one of the most laughable moments in the last quarter-century of pro cycling. Right up there with that "special" Armstrong performance on Alpe d'Huez in 2001.

 

[Aimar16]

Re: Alpecin's partnership for ketones - an interesting comment from a team that openly uses ketones, Visma
https://velo.outsideonline.com/road...rtners-ketone-supplier-for-performance-gains/


Which makes me wonder, first, why do Visma uses them then? Recovery, I suppose, and second, what makes Visma then"go faster by a big, big margin"?

For those interested, the deltaG info/marketing is at
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...tones_Educational_Magazine_2.pdf?v=1697126094

Do they use it or is it just sponsorship?

I checked their website, 70-95 euros for three 25 ml bottles??! All their products have 100 or less reviews in 5 years. Reviews also sound like they were written by handicapped people who are doing a below-average performances. It seems like a scam to me, there are a lot of idiots in the world that can easily be scammed out of money. Particularly in this niche. If it was some kind of magic potion, then surely more people would use it and then 30 euros for 25 ml would be cheap. So in my opinion it is most likely BS.

 

[Rob5091]

Banned drug not being used in the peloton! (must be a slow news day)
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...ol-in-cycling-has-fallen-from-6-percent-to-02

"It must be remembered that the use of the substance in question has been banned in cycling competitions since March 2019 not because it improves performance, but for medical reasons, since Tramadol causes drowsiness and dependence."

In addition the UCI announces that "from 2019 to today we have conducted approximately 2200 tests at the end of the various races and in total three cases of use, which led to disqualification from the relevant competition and to a financial penalty." This involves Alex Baudin (Giro d’Italia 2023), Nairo Quintana (Tour de France 2022) and Mykhaylo Kononenko (World Cup 2022).

As was leaked during Quintana's DQ at the Tour, WADA using a different testing method found a whole bunch of positives in the peloton, so something's amiss here.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Baudin reinstated

https://twitter.com/x/status/1740765844798583026

View: https://twitter.com/AG2RCITROENTEAM/status/1740765844798583026


To be a fly on the wall at Arkea, who have probably condemned themselves to relegation by getting rid of the best climber of his generation for the same offence.