Fast Talk
The Fast Talk podcast offers the best guides to cycling performance and endurance sports training from world-class experts. Cohosted by cycling coaches and sport scientists Trevor Connor and Rob Pickels, Fast Talk episodes feature fascinating conversations with world-class experts discussing the endurance sports topics they know best: the best ways to train, effective workouts, questions on polarized and interval training, sports nutrition, physiology and recovery, and sport psychology. Fast Talk guests and regular contributors include Dr. Stephen Seiler, Joe Friel, Dr. Asker Jeukendrup, Sebastian Weber, Jim Miller, Dr. Andy Pruitt, Dr. Timothy Noakes, and elite professional athletes like Kristin Armstrong, Sepp Kuss, Brent Bookwalter, Kate Courtney, and many more. Fast Talk is part of Fast Talk Laboratories, a new endurance sports knowledgebase for endurance racers and adventurers.
Episodes
427: Potluck Discussion – Midseason Dull Drums, Our Best Big Dumb Ride Stories, and Our Favorite Training Books
This week, our hosts get personal with stories of the biggest and dumbest rides they’ve done, the training book that had the biggest impact on their athletic development, and how they deal with the midseason dull drums.
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426: The High-Fat vs. High-Carb Debate Rages On
For decades, Dr. Timothy Noakes and Dr. Louise Burke have debated the best diet for performance, from opposite ends of the spectrum. In a series of new articles, the two nutrition pioneers continue the discussion.
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425: How to Build Champions (It’s Not the Way You Think!)
Sports psychologist Dr. Kate Bennett joins us to discuss the “Way of Champions” psychological framework that leads to happier, healthier, better-performing athletes and people.
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424: “Backed by Science” Doesn’t Mean What You Think, with Dr. Stephen Cheung
Science isn’t perfect; humans can bring bias and poor design. Today, Dr. Stephen Cheung helps us understand the potential pitfalls of scientific inquiry, and the things we can trust.
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423: Potluck Discussion – Heat Training, Back Pain, and Grant’s Big Crash
We discuss whether a couple of heat training sessions a week has any reward (or risk), why lower back pain seems to be on the rise in cyclists, and Grant details his crash at a local race.
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422: The Science of Power Meters, with Stages Cycling’s Pat Warner
You probably own a power meter, but do you know how it measures power or how these devices have evolved over 20 years? We were joined by Stages Cycling’s head of product development Pat Warner to pull back the curtain on the technology of power measurement.
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421: Fast Chats — What Differentiates Cycling’s Greats, and New Research on the Causes of Overtraining Syndrome
We discuss new research on what it takes to win the biggest races in cycling—and how that can help your own racing—and we analyze a study that looks at the potential causes of overtraining syndrome.
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420: Cycling Race Craft and Tactics with Chris Horner
We sit down with one of the smartest bike racers of his day, and the oldest grand tour winner, to hear stories of what it takes to win bike races and outfox the competition.
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419: How to Lose Weight in Season Without Hurting Performance
Registered Dietician Andrea Schwartz talks with us about how she works with athletes in-season to hit their weight goals while not getting themselves off-track.
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418: Potluck Discussion – When Racing Data Doesn’t Match Training, Muscle Memory, and Just How Much Aerodynamics Have Changed Cycling
In this week’s potluck episode, we discuss what to do when your racing data isn’t what you’d expect based on the numbers you see in training; we define muscle memory and discuss how it pertains to endurance sports; and we detail the many ways that bikes have become more aerodynamic.
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417: What Makes the Pedal Stroke So Unique, and Why Strength Training Is So Important
Functional training expert Dr. Stacey Brickson joins us to explain why no other sport movement is like the pedal stroke and, more importantly, why that requires doing additional strength work.
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416: Setting the Example for Youth Development with NICA
NICA serves all juniors, from future Olympians to kids borrowing their neighbor's bike. We talk with two leaders at NICA about how they balance serving riders of all levels.
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415: The 5 Most Important Things to Know About Nutrition
We distilled decades of experience into the most impactful nutrition concepts for athletes.
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414: Fast Chats — Navigating Complex Injuries, and Evidence that Hormonal Changes Don’t Degrade Performance
We discuss how to find solutions when you’re dealing with injuries without an obvious cause, then we review new research that demonstrates that changes in progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone do not negatively impact performance in males or females.
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413: The Critical Roles of Inflammation, the Immune System, and the Gut in Performance, with Dr. Fred Chaleff
A healthy gut and appropriate inflammation are critical to our training, but finding the right balance is challenging. Cardiologist Dr. Fred Chaleff discusses the ways we can all find equilibrium.
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412: Zwift’s Next Chapter in Training and Racing
Zwift revolutionized indoor training, but they didn’t stop there. We talk with Nick Kalkounis and Ryan Cooper about both the history and future of Zwift’s innovations.
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411: Dissecting Training Zones with Siren Seiler and Dr. Stephen Seiler
Based on their recent research article, the Seilers discuss the proliferation of training zone systems and compare them to the highly touted Norwegian five-zone model.
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410: Exploring the New UCI Consensus Statement on Supplements
Some of the top sports physiologists in the world, led by Dr. Louise Burke just wrote the UCI’s position on supplements. Lead author Jamie Whitfield joins us to discuss their recommendations.
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409: Fast Chats – New Research Challenging Whether We Should Do Efforts on Our Long Base Rides
Purists say never do efforts on long base rides, but recent research is challenging whether a few efforts really do any harm. More importantly, can doing some neuromuscular work help?
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408: Potluck Discussion - The Value of Average Power, Sustaining What Works Season to Season, and Our VO2max Ceiling
In this week’s potluck episode, we discuss when and how to best use average power from our rides, whether there’s a ceiling to our VO2max capacity, and how we can replicate success from season to season.
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407: Reclaiming Success Through Mattering, Connection, and Purpose in Competitive Sports, with Sonya Looney
Mattering is the experience of adding value and feeling valued, both to the self and interpersonally. It's the feeling of being seen, heard, valued, and needed. It's a psychological need and a human instinct, but is rarely discussed in performance contexts.
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406: Tech vs. Wild – How Augmented Reality, GPS, and Other Technologies Are Reshaping the Way We Adventure, with Chris Burkard
Technology has penetrated deep into the wilds of the world, be it with GPS, satellite communications, drones, or other forms of gadgetry. Adventure photographer and endurance athlete Chris Burkard breaks down how tech is impacting our wild sides.
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405: Top Coaches Share Strategies on Base Training with Limited Time
The truth about base training for time-crunched cyclists—what to cut, what to keep, and what actually moves the needle.
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404: How Much Protein Do Endurance Athletes Need?
One of the Top Experts in the world on protein joins us to talk about why athletes need protein and whether we’re getting too much or too little.
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403: Celebrating American Cycling Success in 2025, with Jim Miller
Across cycling disciplines, American riders male and female had exceptional success. USA Cycling’s Chief of Sports Performance details the highlights, addresses .
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402: Fast Chats - Which Nutrition Gadgets are Worthwhile, Plus Health Impacts of Caffeine and Carbs
Athletes can now perform sweat analysis, check skin temperature, and monitor insulin in the field. But should they? We review the latest in nutrition technologies. We also talk about the potential adverse impacts of carbohydrates and caffeine on our health.
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401: The Further Initiative — What Female Ultra Research Is Teaching Us About Fueling, Recovery, and Performance
This episode highlights the Further Initiative — a groundbreaking research project on female ultra-endurance athletes conducted in partnership with Lululemon and the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific.
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400: The Past, Present, and Future of Sport Science with Drs. Louise Burke, Stephen Seiler, and Iñigo Mujika
For our 400th episode we invited three of the most prominent names in exercise physiology to discuss where we are and where we’re going in endurance sports science.
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399: Potluck Discussion - Is There a Ceiling, Value of Wintering, and Alternative Training
In this week’s potluck episode, we discuss whether there is a true ceiling to our potential, whether there’s a value in “wintering” or taking time off, and what cross training our hosts recommend.
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398: Creating Nutritional Training Plans, with MetPro’s Angelo Poli
As athletes, we understand the need for training plans, but have you ever considered applying the same principles to your nutrition? This episode discusses how it’s done.
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397: Fast Chats: Rethinking Injury Risk and Longevity—Evidence That Defies Convention
Two new studies challenge common assumptions: intensity may matter more than volume for healthy aging, and triathlete injury patterns aren’t what most coaches would predict. We unpack what this means for training prescription, and why neuromuscular and strength work belong in every plan.
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396: Neck Pain in Cyclists - Mechanics, Fit, and Clinical Insight
Experts in medicine, biomechanics, and physical therapy join Dr. Griffin McMath and Trevor Connor to decode the causes of neck pain in cyclists and the strategies that keep athletes strong, steady, and pain-free over the long haul.
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395: The Difference Between Efficiency and Economy, and Why You Should Care
Dr. Ray Browning joins us to answer a question that even some exercise physiologists get wrong: what is the difference between efficiency and economy?
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394: Teaching Parents to Better Support Their Child-Athletes
We talk with Dr. Jennifer Harris about the critical role that parents play in junior athlete development, and why that role is too often ignored or left undefined.
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393: Fast Chats - How Endurance Athletes Cope with Pain
We unpack what pain really means in endurance sport and how ultra-athletes use interoception, mindset, and adaptive coping (vs. maladaptive spirals) to finish stronger—less suffering, more control.
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392: Potluck Discussion - Altitude Downsides, Fatigue Weeks with Limited Time, and the Auto-Pause Debate
In this week’s potluck episode, we discuss whether there are issues with coming down from altitude, how to do a fatigue week with limited time, and whether or not to use auto-pause.
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391: How to Use Physiological Data to Determine the Work You Should Do
Physiologist Jared Berg talks with us about how he uses both in-lab and on-the-road testing to determine what type of work an athlete should focus on.
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390: Exploring the Mindset and Training of America’s Most Accomplished Nordic Skier, Jessie Diggins
No American skier has rewritten the record books like Jessie Diggins. She’s figured out how to take down the Norwegians at their strongest sport—and she shares how she did it.
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389: Fast Chats - Should We Be Reconsidering Zone 2 Training
Zone 2 training has become all the rage, but a 2025 review is taking a step back and questioning whether it really produces the gains we thought it does.
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388: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Trends in Training Software
TrainingPeaks CEO, Lee Gerakos, joins us to discuss the current trends in training software and where he thinks they are going.
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387: Preparing for Cyclocross Race Day, with Adam Myerson
Cyclocross veteran Adam Myerson shares the essential race-day strategies—covering equipment, course inspection, warm-up, nutrition, and tactics—that can make or break your season.
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386: The Psychological Impact of Overtraining
We talk with Dr. Kristen Dieffenbach about the psychological indicators of overtraining, which can often be the more dynamic signs for athletes and coaches to look for.
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385: Potluck Discussion - Fatigue Training, Impact of Pregnancy, and Athlete Parents
In this week’s potluck episode, we discuss the value of training fatigued, how to support a pregnant athlete, and what we can learn from parents who are professional athletes.
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384: The State of Gravel Racing, with Alexey Vermeulen and Ben Delaney
We’re joined by the Michigan-born gravel racer and the longtime cycling journalist to explore the good, the bad, and the ugly of gravel racing and riding in 2025.
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383: Longevity and Biomarkers of Performance
In this episode, we take a critical look at the longevity movement and explore the most valuable—yet elusive—biomarkers for athletes.
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382: Can We Resurrect the American Road Race Scene?
Leipheimer talks with our team about how a new racing model used at the Levi Fondo may be the future of domestic racing.
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381: The Synergistic Power of Training Your Brain, with Dr. Scott Frey
We’re joined by neuroscientist Dr. Scott Frey as we explore the effects of mental fatigue and brain endurance training on performance.
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380: Durability: The Fourth Pillar of Aerobic Fitness
Coaches have known about the importance of durability for years, but researchers are only just starting to catch up. We discuss why it is the fourth pillar of performance.
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379: Why Researchers, Coaches, and Athletes Need to Work Closely Together
We talk with Dr. Michael Kennedy about his work trying to bridge the knowledge-practice gap between researchers and practitioners
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378: Potluck Discussion - Lessons Learned, Comparing Intervals, and Is All Base the Same?
In this week’s potluck episode, we discuss lessons learned from big events, the difference between over-under's and true HIIT intervals, and whether all base training is made equal.
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377: When Is Our Interval Work Too Much?
Brent Bookwalter talks with us about the importance of balancing physical and mental resources to get our workouts just right.
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376: Too Little Protein? Too Much Sodium?
Two nutritional trends have serious health and performance consequences. We discuss the why, what, and how of protein and sodium intake.
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375: Comparing the Top Nutrition Apps for Endurance Athletes
In this episode, we explore how endurance athletes and coaches are using today’s top nutrition apps—and what to consider before relying on them.
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374: The Impact of AI on Training Prescription, with Dr. Paul Laursen
The world of AI is changing extraordinarily fast. We spoke with Dr. Paul Laursen about the current challenges and developments of the technology.
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373: The Revolutionary Work of Dr. Hans Selye
Dr. Stephen Seiler joins us to talk about one of the biggest influences on his own work, Dr Hans Selye who's been called the Einstein of the biological sciences.
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372: Coffee, Gels, and the Jitters: Using Caffeine Without Overdoing It
In this episode we explore the science of caffeine in endurance sports—when it helps, when it doesn’t, and how to use it wisely.
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371: Potluck Discussion - Is More Better, Training for Time Trial Series, and Dream Research
Our hosts talk about why we shouldn’t believe that more is always better, how to build a weekly time trial series into your training, and what research we’d like to see conducted.
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370: Our Deep Dive on the Norwegian Method
We talk with Brad Culp, author of “The Norwegian Method,” about the main tenets of the training philosophy, as well as who should and shouldn’t apply the method in their training.
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369: How Coaches and Athletes Interact with Data
Mollie Brewer joins us to discuss how we interact with data – which can say as much about coaches and athletes as the data itself.
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368: Are Shorter Cranks Faster?
On this episode, Lennard Zinn shares his decades of experience and experimentation to help answer the question of whether shorter cranks are better.
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367: Podcast Swap — Body Composition, Performance, and the Dangers of Under-fueling, from the TriDoc Podcast
This week, we share an episode from the TriDoc Podcast. Host Jeff Sankoff is joined by dietitian Alex Larson and coach Juliet Hochman to explore the complex relationship between body composition, fueling, and performance—plus how coaches can support athletes without crossing the line.
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366: Balancing the Principles of Training with Triathlon
The TriDoc Jeff Sankoff joins us to talk about how to still apply the principles of supercompensation and progressive overload in a sport as complex as triathlon.
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365: Potluck Discussion - Athlete Autonomy, Training Different Bikes, and the Importance of Skincare
In this week’s potluck episode, we discuss the balance of athlete autonomy versus prescription, how to balance training with multiple types of bikes, and how to avoid being swayed by athlete-marketed skincare trends that may not be worth the hype.
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364: How to Help Your Body Fit Better on the Bike with John Howard
We talk a lot about fitting your bike to your body, but there’s a lot you can do to keep your body healthy and help it fit in a more powerful position on the bike.
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363: Why Breathing Frequency May Become Our Best Measure of Training Stress
Dr. Stephen Seiler joins us to talk about his new project developing a breathing frequency measure and why it may match up better with perceived exertion than heart rate or power.
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362: How to Make Interval Work Motivating
Our team of coaches got together and discussed why we do intervals, how to execute them, and most importantly, how to make them more fun.
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361: Examining a Critical Meta-Analysis of Training Distribution Models
Dr. Michael Rosenblat joins us to discuss the largest meta-analysis comparing distribution models that he wrote with Dr. Stephen Seiler.
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360: Potluck Discussion: First Conversation, Doing Cadence Work, and Training with a Group
In this week’s potluck episode, we discuss what coaches should look for in their first conversation with an athlete, how to best do cadence work on the bike, and how to take advantage of group training while not losing sight of your plan.
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359: Do Women Athletes Need Zone 2 Training?
Recently, some prominent researchers have suggested that women need far less zone 2 training than previously thought. Physiologists Julie Young and Dr. Dana Lis join us to debate that question.
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358: How to Use—and Not Use—HRV in Your Training
We talk with HRV expert, Dr. Brad Lichtenstein, about the value of HRV in training, what it does and doesn’t show, and what to be careful of when you use it.
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357: Progressive Overload Is Critical But Does It Have a Limit?
Coach Isaiah Newkirk joins us to talk about why progressive overload is so important to training, and how we can continue to get gains when we can’t add more volume or intensity.
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356: The Importance of Maintaining Muscle Mass with Jared Berg
Fast Talk’s head physiologist details why it’s important to maintain muscle mass as an endurance athlete, and how to do it even when trying to lose weight.
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355: Potluck Discussion: Finding the Right Plan, Virtual Base Training, and U.S. Cyclocross
We discuss how to find the right plan for you, using virtual training platforms in the base season, and the state of U.S. Cyclocross.
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354: How Homeostasis Explains Everything
In this summary episode we discuss how homeostasis is at the core of almost every function in our bodies, including how we train and stay healthy.
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353: The Power of Motivational Interviewing, with Dr. Jeff Breckon
Dr. Jeff Breckon discusses motivational interviewing concepts and techniques to empower coaches to better effect change in their athletes.
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352: The Four Fitness Foundations of Mobility, Flexibility, Stability, and Strength
We talk with coach and physiologist Dr. Stacey Brickson about the importance of off-the-bike work, not just for performance but longevity and health.
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351: Drawing Ethical Boundaries in the Coach-Athlete Relationship
Dr. Kate Bennett discusses ethical boundaries, dual relationships, and power imbalances that both coaches and athletes should be aware of.
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350: How to Set Strava Records on the Most Famous Climbs in the World
Jack Burke tells us how he trained and raced record-setting climbs on Alpe d’Huez, the Stelvio, and the Mortirolo.
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349: Potluck Discussion: Sacrifices, Initial Season Workouts, and Over-Communication
Our hosts talk about whether it is better to be balanced or pursue something fully, good workouts to start the season out, and how much communication is too much.
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348: How to Find Your Motivation in the Early Season
Our team talks with pro riders Madigan Munro and Noah Granigan about how they find motivation to train and stay fit when their next race is a winter away.
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