How long can you improve for?

supermurph09

As a latecomer to cycling I constantly kick myself for not taking it up sooner (probably wasnt possible tbh) and wonder how long I can expect improvement before the inevitable decline. I'm 38 years old, none smoker, hardly ever drink, 6ft tall and 76KG. I'll be following a structued training plan set by one of our club coaches soon, that will follow on from the riding I do now, the emphasis being on Hill Climbs towards the latter part of the year.

I reckon if I stay fit and healthy and train correctly I'd say I could maintain improvements until late 40's?? Wondered what experience others had or what I can expect!

DeVlaeminck

I doubt you'd get 10 years of continuous improvement unless your training improves over that time - age will already be starting to eat into your natural ability, not by much but I reckon by your 40s enough to be noticeable.

cougie

I think thats a bit pessimistic DV.

Sure - if you were at a top level already then age will dim you - but new to the sport - you can improve for years.

You just have to train better. I'm mid 40s and pb'ing in running races that I've been doing for 12 years now. Must try out a few TT's and see how I'm getting on there this season.

DeVlaeminck

I wouldn't disagree that he can improve for years - I just don't think he can improve for 10 years if his training is optimal right from the off. You are right though - most if not all of us don't train optimally either because we don't commit enough to it or we don't know what optimal training (or close to it ) is. So for most people there are real gains to be made even after quite a long period of riding and well into their 40s or even older. I'm similar age to you though Cougie - mid 40s - and I notice that my top end up a power climb or my ability to sprint out of corners etc is just dulled a little bit - I don't think I'm necessarily any slower on the whole but those days when you don't seem to feel the pedals don't come around quite so often.

What club are you in Murph - if you are talking about club coaches and it's Derbyshire I'm going to guess Matlock ?

BenderRodriguez

For most people, a 15% improvement in one's VO2 max is about as good as you are ever going to get, and with serious training you are likely to be close to your personal VO2 Max 'ceiling' within about a year of starting. Your lactate shuttle system can be improved for another couple of years, and your efficiency for a lot longer, although the gains to be had here will be marginal. However, some people are respond much better to training than others... and some hardly respond at all. Even so, your actual physical ability will probably be close to its maximum after 3 or 4 years, assuming you are training seriously.

That said, there is a lot to be learned if you are to make the most of your potential, so if you also focus on things like improving one's position, buying more aerodynamic kit and so forth, you can get faster in time trials even after you have maximised your physical ability and in turn age begins to slow you down again. Just look at all the vets who are going faster than ever despite putting out a lot less power than when they were young.

BenderRodriguez

DeVlaeminck wrote:

I doubt you'd get 10 years of continuous improvement unless your training improves over that time

cougie wrote:

I think thats a bit pessimistic DV... new to the sport - you can improve for years. You just have to train better.

Here's another way of saying effectively the same thing...

Improvement over many years is possible if in that time you don't apply yourself, don't train hard or very intelligently and so improve despite, rather than because of, what you are doing. Any improvements achieved this way are likely to be rather slight though, especially as time goes on.

On the other hand, train hard and intelligently and within a couple of years you are likely to be close to being as good as you ever will be, in physical terms at least.

As to the comparison with the 'Pro's, the only real difference is that they would start out with more natural talent, and after 3 or 4 years they would be pushing against a personal ceiling that was much higher than most people could ever attain, regardless of how long or for how hard they trained.

supermurph09

DV I live in south wingfield but ride with Bolsover & District Cycle Club (B&DCC). Where are you?

Interesting points above, I believe in the next few weeks I shall begin to train optimally and as mentioned will be following a programme including FTP tests on a WATT bike to see how I'm going. My current VO2 Max is 63.4, MHR is 195 and power to weight ratio is 4.7/kg. I need to work on moving my thresholds and increasing my power. If I can get 7-8 years of improvements I'd be happy with that, I'm sure if I managed that then the decline that follows should see me riding pretty well for a good few years after that.

BenderRodriguez

Supermurph09 wrote:

My current VO2 Max is 63.4, MHR is 195 and power to weight ratio is 4.7/kg.

Those are pretty good figures already and they suggest that you were hardly a 'couch potato' previously. Assuming that you respond in an 'average' manner you might still find another 10%, only question is how long it takes. It might be 12 months, or 5 years. Of course, you might already be close to your maximum!

supermurph09

BenderRodriguez wrote:

Supermurph09 wrote:

My current VO2 Max is 63.4, MHR is 195 and power to weight ratio is 4.7/kg.

Those are pretty good figures already and they suggest that you were hardly a 'couch potato' previously. Assuming that you respond in an 'average' manner you might still find another 10%, only question is how long it takes. It might be 12 months, or 5 years. Of course, you might already be close to your maximum!

I'd say maybe I am a good responder to training, I did some running about 5 years back and went from nothing (and indeed a period of ill health) to doing half marathons in 1h:30m within 6 months. I only did running for a total of 11 months as I was getting quite a few niggles. I'm pretty sure I can find that 10% you mention as long as I'm consistent with my training. Time will tell I guess.

Shakey Bear

I am 48 this year - shoot me now!!

Alex_Simmons/RST

There are many facets to improvement: physiological, physical, strategic, tactical, skill, psychological. My race performances consistently improved* over a 10 year period through to my mid-late forties.


* well except for an interruption in my early forties when I had a bit of leg chopped off But once I got back going again, I still improved performance.

muzzmackay

Hope springs eternal. I have started cycling a lot more as I was told I had arthritis last year ! Cycling helps with the knee pain although I also needed a cortisone injection just to help with the preliminary muscle building.
Since then I have been going out and beating my strava segment times again and again. I had lots of rides recorded on Sport Tracks as far back as 2008 which I uploaded just to give me some sort of baseline.

At 47 I thought that maintaining mobility would be my goal but using the motivational tools like Sport Tracks, Strava, Trainer road and a power meter i am definitely improving. I know it will probably be short lived but I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.

eddiefiola

not to be a tosser but why are you worrying about 10 years, think about next year and keep working, if someone said you can only improve for 5 years would you give up? not sure what difference this makes.