DON'T TRAIN OUTSIDE Until You Watch This!

excuse me Teddy do you think that maybe every once in a while maybe you could fill the gas in the car in the snow I mean you were the last one to drive now I've got to go stand in the cold and and pump gas okay well duly [Music] noted why hello there endurance nerds I report to you live from the snow capital of the United States to bring you the brand of Science and Sass to which you become accustomed on this channel hit that there like button if you like SAS I mean it has the word ass it so it has to be good right but let's talk training shall we winter it's cold it's dark and if you live in the Northern Hemisphere it feels like it's never going to end ever and if you're like me you might just be looking at your indoor trainer or treadmill I could just stole your wallet and wondering if braving the elements is worth it just to break the monotony of those masochistic indoor training sessions but cold weather training not just in winter but in fall spring or that random Wednesday isn't just about toughing it out if you don't understand how cold affects your body metabolism and performance you're not just making it harder for yourself you could actually be sabotaging your training so in this video we're going to break it all down what happens to muscle function in the cold fueling considerations how your breathing is impacted and how to properly prepare for cold weather training to optimize performance by the end of this video you'll know exactly how to train smarter in colder months avoid common mistakes and maybe even use the cold to your advantage so let's start by talking about muscles and why training when the temperatures drop below t-shirt weather can have you feeling more fatigued than usual at a fundamental level muscles contract through the interactions between actin and mein filaments picture them like tiny hooks pulling against each other to create movement but here's where it gets interesting it actually requires more energy to get the muscle to relax than it does to contract now this might sound counterintuitive because we think of the contraction as the work phase but in reality Myas and heads naturally bind to acting by default it takes ATP your body's energy currency to actively break those bonds and allow the muscle to relax when ATP is limited like in the cold the muscles remain locked in a contracted state or you know after death below rer mortise so why does this matter in cold weather training and it comes down to a concept called the Q10 effect All chemical reactions in the body including those that produce ATP are temperature dependent the Q10 effect states that for every 10° CI drop in temperature enzyme activity slows down by about 50% this means critical biological functions are half as effective in the winter as they are in the summer and fall along the spectrum of diminished capacity for everything else in between muscle contractions become slower and weaker muscle relaxation takes longer increasing stiffness and energy production becomes less efficient requiring more oxygen and more ATP the Practical outcome is that every movement becomes harder less powerful and more fatiguing now imagine what's happening in Endurance Sports where hundreds of contractions per minute are required if your quadriceps can't relax quickly enough between each pedal stroke stride or push off your body is forced to work against itself the muscle stays partially contracted when it should be relaxing leading to increased muscle strain and micro damage higher energy demands for the same output and faster onset of fatigue it's like trying to Pedal your bike while lightly squeezing the brakes at the same time you're just wasting energy fighting internal resistance now let's layer in another issue muscle recruitment cold muscles aren't just slower they're also weaker when muscles are chilled they produce less Force per contraction the body compensates by recruiting more of those muscle fibers to maintain the same workload not so efficient right in one study researchers found that when a limb was cooled by just a few degrees participants had to activate more motor units to generate the same Force as they would at normal temperature and those fibers had to stay active for longer meaning that more energy was spent just to maintain performance suffice it to say training in the cold is much more metabolically expensive you're going to burn through far more energy for the same effort and put more stress on your muscles impacting performance and increasing recovery needs but we'll talk more about metabolic impacts in a few minutes here's the sneaky part about all this your legs may not even feel cold that's because your legs have a low density of thermo receptors unlike your hands face and core your legs aren't really great at detecting temperature changes you might feel okay riding and running in shorts at around 50° Fahrenheit but your muscles could still be operating significantly below their optimal temperature limiting your performance Elite endurance athletes are well aware of this take professional cyclists for example they follow strict leg covering protocols to guard against both the ambient cold and the additional cooling effect caused by high-speed air flow they wear knee warmers below 65° fahit and full leg warmers below 55° fhe now it might seem like an absurd proposition that's not that cold but those at the elite level know the penalty for not protecting their muscles this isn't just about Comfort it's about maintaining muscle function and preventing unnecessary fatigue how you perceive your skin temperature is not in any way determinative of how your body is truly responding and that's the critical point here a common myth is that as long as your core stays warm you're fine however research has indicated that skin temperature and not core temperature is the biggest driver of forc production loss Studies have shown that even when core temperature remains elevated cooling the skin leads to an immediate drop in muscle Force production this means that even if you're working hard and sweating underneath layers if your exposed limbs or cold you're still losing power even more interesting is that while it's not at all surprising that your face hands and feet are particularly sensitive to cold exposure Studies have actually shown that even just having lower facial temperatures increases Global energy demands because the body ramps up metabolic heat production and as we all know cold hands and feet and Par circulation reducing dexterity and delaying muscle response time so yes keeping your face and extremities covered isn't just about avoiding discomfort it's about preserving Energy Efficiency now before we move on let's quickly address embarcation creams these are the spicy tingly rubs that a lot of endurance athletes swear by in cold weather thinking that they warm up their legs here's the reality imbrication doesn't actually heat your muscles what's happening is a trick of the nervous system ingredients like capsacin or Menthol activate temperature sensitive receptors in the skin making you feel warm but your muscle tissue underneath it's still cold even worse some embarcation products might actually redirect blood flow away from the working muscles toward the skin which can increase heat loss and make your legs more vulnerable to fatigue so does it feel nice sure does it actually prevent cold related muscle fatigue not even a little bit if you like using it go for it but don't let it replace proper layering or warming up bottom line if your muscles aren't staying warm they aren't functioning efficiently so let's take a second to talk about the obvious clothing your clothing strategy in cooler weather can make or break your session dress too lightly and you'll undervine your training by accumulating muscle damage it's better to air on the side of overdressing it's a difference between simple discomfort and actual damage but here's the caveat if you're training around freezing temperatures sweat management matters if you overheat and start sweating excessively that moisture can quickly turn into a reliability accelerating heat loss and making you colder especially if your workout includes hard efforts followed by recovery periods or a long descent after a clim the best approach is layering start with a good base layer moisture wicking Marino wool or synthetic but never cotton then your mid layer insulating but breathable usually fleece or thermal layers are best and finish with a solid outer layer windproof and water resistant but breathable and like I said before don't neglect your face and extremities your body is hardwired to protect your core first meaning that when temperatures drop blood flow to hands feet and ears is reduced less circulation means reduced EX aity numb fingers and toes and even frostbite risk you can leverage hand or toe Wars neoprene or additional layers to ensure your extremities are well protected whether it's 50° or 10 degrees mix and match these layering strategies to ensure you're treating your muscles well there's no shortage of clothing out there designed to provide warmth and minimize bulk I know that sports wear and Technical Fabrics can get pretty expensive so if budget is a concern I look at Brands like decathlon innovate craft or shop sales or clearance items to cover your needs without breaking the bank and if the expense is still not an option just keep it indoors it's not worth the risk of damage to go out unprotected but if the risk of muscle damage wasn't enough let's talk about how the cold fundamentally impacts your metabolism when your body is cold not only does it burn more calories it shifts how it burns fuel there's a common belief that training in the cold means that you're going to burn through more carbohydrates because your body is working harder to stay warm and while total energy demands absolutely increase the way your body prioritizes fuel sources isn't quite that simple what's really interesting is that the proportion of fat oxidation actually increases across all intensities studies show that even when you're working at high intensities the body is using more fat as a fuel source than it would in warmer conditions to understand this let's first break down how your body normally fuels exercise under typical conditions at lower intensities so before your first lactate threshold that's around zones one and two and in something like a Cogan model that is a preferred fuel because it is more efficient for those longer sustained efforts at moderate intensities so between your first and second lact tape thresholds or zone three and four your body relies on a blend of fat and carbohydrates ensuring enough energy is present to meet the demands of your muscles and at high intensities Beyond lt2 so zone 5 and Beyond carbohydrate oxidation dominates because glucose provides ATP much faster and F oxidation just takes too long but when the temperature drops that balancer ratio will shift and there are a few key reasons why first cold exposure triggers a greater release of an epinephrine and norepinephrine the same fight ORF flight hormones that increase fat mobilization these catacol amans stimulate lipolysis meaning that more fatty acids are pulled into the bloodstream to be used for fuel now in theory you might assume that more adrenaline or epinephrine would also mean higher carbohydrate oxidation and while that is generally true that's not exactly how it plays out in colder conditions cold exposure necessitates that the body R priori how it uses fuel while adrenaline normally stimulates glycogen breakdown and glucose uptake cold induced peripheral vasil constriction impairs glucose delivery in the muscles in plain terms when it's cold your body redirects blood towards your core to maintain internal temperature which means loss of blood to the working muscles slowing down glucose uptake less efficient carbohydrate metabolism so that process of glycolysis the breakdown of glucose into ATP doesn't happen as quickly as usual and because glucose can't be delivered as fast Your Body compensates by burning more intramuscular fat stores Instead This is especially relevant for higher intensity efforts where carbohydrate oxidation is a dominant energy pathway if glucose delivery is even slightly impaired due to reduce blood flow it can create an energy lag meaning that your body May struggle to meet sudden bursts of demand and that leads to the crucial takeaway slower glycolysis in the cold can negatively impact high-intensity performance now in case I didn't make it clear I'm not saying that fat becomes the primary fuel source at intensity just that it comprises a bigger piece of the energy pie carbohydrates still provide the fastest energy source but in cold conditions the processes that break down glycogen into usable ATP are slightly blunted I mentioned that cold temperatures slow down enzymatic activity and that includes enzymes responsible for glycolysis so even if glycogen is available it may not be oxidized at the same rate this means you may experience a drop in Peak power output particularly in threshold V2 Max or Sprint efforts even though carbs still dominate the high-intensity work their efficiency is reduced leading to Greater relative Reliance on the slower oxidizing fat limiting your potential performance this doesn't mean endurance athletes should suddenly Go full keto for winter training carbohydrates still play a critical role but it does mean that fueling strategy and glycogen availability become even more important when training cold temperatures and it might feel like I just gave you an impossible equation to solve if my body naturally shifts towards burning more fat how the hell should I adjust my fueling in the winter and there are a number of strategies you can employ without having to break out your ti 83 first and most obvious increase your overall caloric intake but recognize the fat shift total energy expenditure is higher in the cold meaning that you need to eat more calories overall to maintain performance but because fat oxidation increases relative to carbohydrate oxidation you don't need to increase the carbohydrate intake at the same rate that you might for higher energy workout in warmer conditions the body's metabolic shift means that fat is covering more of that increased demand than usual blindly increasing carbohydrate intake to match the higher caloric burn is not necessarily effective the body's impaired ability to activate and oxidize carbohydrates quickly in the cold means that excess carb consumption won't necessarily translate into more usable energy on the spot instead those extra carbs May either be stored as glycogen for later use which isn't necessarily bad but doesn't directly solve the performance issue I just mentioned and does have an upper limit or contribute to increased lactate accumulation and that's not so great since the body struggles to metabolize carbs efficiently in cold conditions if you try to force more carbs into your system in the cold something that's increasingly experimented with under normal conditions you might actually be increasing lactate buildup rather than fueling yourself more effectively because of the slowed enzymatic activity instead of pyate entering the mitochondria for energy production it accumulates and the excess gets converted into lactate giving you less head room to produce and buffer lactate during your actual efforts and that accelerates the buildup of those pesky hydrogen ions or what we commonly refer to as lactic acid burn this doesn't mean you need to start slamming bacon and butter before your workouts but it does mean recognizing that your body will naturally pull from fat more than usual and slamming 120 g of carbs per hour is likely to do more harm than good and you're probably thinking this is all pretty nebulous how do you take these insights and make them actionable from a fueling strategy perspective and some small shifts can go a really long way first off ensure that you're pre-loading with carbs especially for any appreciable intensity glycogen usage can potentially outpace glucose in the cold as it's stored locally in the muscles in the warm weather your body doesn't want to deplete those reserves but in the cold slowed glucose uptake has the body Circ for any additional Pathways to produce ATP so making sure that those stores are topped up can go a long way for cold weather performance and if you find yourself shivering that energy demands skyrockets shivering isn't just an inconvenience it's your body's emergency heat generator using rapid involuntary muscle contractions to create warmth this process can increase your metabolic rate by two to five times resting levels pulling heavily from carbohydrate stores if you're shivering before or during exercise you're burning through glycogen at an accelerated rate before you even start pushing those high intensities so not only will you need to load up those glycogen stores you need to warm up properly two many of us get out for that workout and short change the warmup this can be even more tempting in the cold as higher intensity increases core body temperature faster right but a structured longer warmup properly brings your Aerobic System online gradually increasing blood flow to the muscles helping restore carbohydrate oxidation efficiency before you hit higher intensities think of it like priming your fuel system if you just jump straight into hard efforts your body is going to lean on fat more than you want it to and you may feel sluggish or underpowered and lastly maintain steady fueling instead of waiting till you're depleted in warm weather you can get away with a more reactive fueling strategy waiting until you've been working hard or even feeling the early signs of Bonk before taking in carbs but in cold weather that approach can leave you under fueled before your body even signals there's a problem A good rule of thumb is to start with your usual carb intake based on intensity say 60 gram of carbs per hour for moderate intensity efforts then adjust for the increased energy demands of the cold for example in freezing temperatures caloric burn can Rise by 20 to 40% to balance this your carbon take should scale up by about half that percentage so using that example if your total calorie needs increase by 30% You' bump up your carbon intake by 15% bringing that 60 G per hour up to about 70 G this small adjustment helps keep energy level stable and ensures you're fueling efficiently without overloading on carbs that your body May struggle to metabolize in the cold individual needs are definitely going to vary and this will require a little bit of experimentation but the simple 50% carbohydrate rule is a good place to start but what about the rest while your body is burning more fat in the cold eating more fat during training isn't necessarily the solution since digestion slows down and fat takes longer to convert into usable energy While redirecting that critical energy and heat to the process of digestion you should instead consider adding a small amount of protein about 5 to 10 gram per hour to support your muscle function and to round out your calories just be sure to avoid any heavy or fiber rich foods that are harder to digest and will pull energy away from your performance keeping fueling simple and easily digestible will help to ensure that you're using the energy where it matters this might seem like a lot but if you can get your fueling right you can maximize your cold weather training and even turn it into an advantage repeated careful cold exposure and proper fueling strategies can help to train the body to utilize fat more efficiently over time which may offer long-term endurance benefits through metabolic flexibility attention to detail is really the key here but let's shift gears again and talk about the ever critical respiratory system have you ever stepped outside in a frigid morning and felt like your lungs were on fire that's because the cold air is incredibly dry and your Airways aren't built to handle it and that dry air dries out your entire respiratory tract unlike the humid air inside your lungs cold air holds very little moisture when you breathe in your body rapidly Works to warm and humidify it before it reaches the delicate tissues of your lungs but in the process your Airway lining loses moisture which can cause irit itation inflammation and even a persistent cough especially after those hard efforts and even then your lungs aren't fully protected cold air can exacerbate or even cause exercise induced Bronco constriction reducing air flow by up to 50% for some this can start happening in as little as 5 to 10 minutes of exposure especially in dry conditions if you've ever felt like your breathing was restricted after short warmup and freezing temperatures this is likely why while it's most severe with those with asthma even people without respiratory conditions can experience this the muscles around your Airways tighten in response to the cold dry air which restricts air flow and makes each breath feel more labored you might not be out of shape but you can sure feel like it in cold weather your lungs are working harder to get the same amount of oxygen your perceived exertion also increases even if your effort stays the same less efficient oxygen exchange means that your body has to compensate increasing ventilation rate this can make moderate intensity work feel like high-intensity training and reduce your ability to sustain your efforts and as you can imagine cold air increases heat and fluid loss to respiration as I mentioned every breath that you take is warming and humidifying the air before you exhale it in the cold weather this means that you're losing more body heat and fluid just through breathing that's a key reason why winter training can feel so much more exhausting even if your intensity stays the same so how can you reduce respiratory strain in the cold start with wearing a buffer Mass to help to warm and humidify the air before it enters your lungs this can offset some of the irritation this is especially helpful in subfreezing conditions where Airway constriction becomes a lot more pronounced next hydration is going to matter far more than you think since you lose moisture through respiration staying well hydrated before and during training can help prevent Airway irritation and maintain better breathing efficiency and if you're training in extremely cold conditions below 20° Fahrenheit or so you may need to shorten your high-intensity efforts I think you guys get the point the biological impacts are no joke but we sure should don't want to be locked in doors every time the weather dips below a bomy 68° and in that regard it's important to note that not all Endurance Sports are impacted equally by the cold depending on how much wind exposure heat generation and Reliance on fine motor control your sport requires you may have a tougher or easier time dealing with the colder conditions if you're going to Brave the elements it's helpful to know how your specific activities are vulnerable and maybe you can consider some cross training to Leverage The Elements to your greatest advantage of all the Sports running is arguably one of the most cold resistant this is because running generates a lot of internal heat and with warm blood moving to the limbs and extremities resistance to the cold is significantly higher than in other sports as long as you're maintaining the appropriate skin temperature with clothing running is slow enough compared to cycling or downhill skiing for example that the wind chill is minimal the impact in muscle contractions create heat keeping body temperature stable and you can really layer up without worrying about those aerodynamics but running is certainly not without its challenges footing can absolutely be treacherous snow ice and slush can be a real pain in the ass breathing can be even more difficult in frigid air is running is a high ventilation sport meaning that you take in a lot of cold dry air increasing Airway irritation and overheating can actually be a real issue many Runners overdress and once you start sweating you're at risk of getting too cold when you slow down suffices to say your cycling or skiing load out will be drastically different than running and what about cycling cycling in the cold is a completely different Beast compared to running because you move much faster which exaggerates windshield even at a moderate Pace a 30° day can feel like 15° when you're moving at 20 mph your legs generate heat but your upper body stays mostly static making core warmth a bigger challenge sweat management is harder because wind strips heat away quickly and sweat not properly Wicked away from the body can make you dangerously cold and hydration often gets neglected cold temperatures reduce those thirst signals but you're still sweating underneath your layers add in the additional safety concerns that are ever present to us riders in those colder months it makes removing hamst bars much less appealing and you can find yourself with very irritated Airways for cycling in the cold it's best to just slow down use Cross or gravel tires or even a fat bike to increase rolling resistance to scrub your speed or simply ride rout that limit those speeds to control those conditions as much as you can of all the Endurance Sports aside from maybe Open Water Swimming which I wouldn't recommend cycling can be the most challenging to manage in cold weather so do your due diligence and that brings us to one of my personal favorite cross training Sports CrossCountry skiing unlike cycling CrossCountry skiing actually thrives in cold conditions it's one of the few Endurance Sports where cold temperatures don't significantly impact performance in fact racing in slightly colder weather is often preferable skiing uses almost every major muscle group generating a ton of internal heat that can be pushed to the limbs and extremities speeds are moderate meaning that windchill is less of an issue than in cycling and often your trails are nested in areas where dense tree populations are going to further cut that wind and while there's a strong orobic component breathing is slightly slower than something like running making cold air irritation much more manageable if you layer properly and protect your skin from the elements CrossCountry skiing is probably the ideal sport to safely and productively training the extreme cold allowing you to break up the monotony of those winter months just keep the wax side down I can go on covering Endurance Sports add nauseum but I think you get the point considerations for each sport will change depending on the temperature and the elements but the fundamental ideas remain the same if you can dial in your clothing fueling and warm-up routine cold weather training and cross training can be effective and even an advantage but if you ignore how cold impacts performance metabolism and breathing you're not building Fitness you're just setting yourself backward but let me know what's your go-to strategy for training in the cold do you keep it indoors do you bundle up and push through do you lean more on cross training tell me in the comments below and if you found this helpful let me know if you'd be interested in a deep dive into heat training as well and while you're Meandering that General vicinity down there show those like And subscribe buttons some love and as always I'll catch you in the next one see you [Music]

Training in the cold isn’t just about toughing it out—it’s about training smarter. If you don’t understand how cold affects your muscles, metabolism, and breathing, you could be sabotaging your performance instead of improving it. Today we'll cover 🔥 How does the cold impact muscle function? 🔥 Why does energy demand skyrocket in lower temperatures? 🔥 How can you fuel effectively without crashing? 🔥 What’s the best clothing strategy to avoid performance loss? Whether it’s a chilly fall morning, a cold spring race, or a mid-winter grind, we’re breaking down everything you need to know to train better, stay strong, and even use the cold to your advantage. 🚴‍♂️🏃‍♀️❄ What’s your cold-weather training strategy? Tell me in the comments! 🔔 Like & Subscribe for more science-backed endurance training insights! #ColdWeatherTraining #EnduranceTraining #Cycling #Running #SportsScience #TrainSmarter Some references used in this video Endurance Capacity Impairment in Cold Air Ranging from Skin Cooling to Mild Hypothermia https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00663.2023 Responses of the Hands and Feet to Cold Exposure https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4843861/ A Comparison of Passive Rewarming Systems Following Cold Water Immersion https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/10806032241270530 How Cold Weather Affects the Body During Exercise https://www.froedtert.com/stories/how-cold-weather-affects-body-during-exercise The Physiology of Cold Exposure https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/5197/chapter/12 Macronutrient Requirements for Work in Cold Environments https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK232856/ Cold Exposure and Exercise Metabolism https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6916124_Cold_Exposure_and_Exercise_Metabolism Training Outside in the Winter? Be Sure to Fuel Correctly https://www.triathlete.com/nutrition/training-outside-in-the-winter-be-sure-to-fuel-correctly/ How to Eat and Drink for Cold Weather Workouts https://trainright.com/winter-training-series-sports-nutrition-tips-for-cold-weather-workouts/ Respiratory Function and Symptoms Post Cold Air Exercise https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5705483/ When Running in the Cold Is a Smart vs. Bad Idea https://www.verywellhealth.com/running-in-the-cold-8727997 Why Training in the Cold Could Give You a Competitive Edge https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/cold-weather-training/ Winter Nutrition and Hydration Strategies for Athletes https://www.eatforendurance.com/post/winter-nutrition-for-athletes High Altitude and Cold Weather Sport: Are There Nutritional Considerations? https://acsm.org/high-altitude-cold-nutrition/: Cold Acclimation and the Effect on Sport Performance https://www.physio-pedia.com/Cold_Acclimation_and_the_Effect_on_Sport_Performance Nutritional Needs In Cold And In High-Altitude Environments https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK232855/ 0:00 Teddy 0:19 Intro 1:18 How Your Muscles Are Damaged 4:58 Why Embro is Useless 5:38 The Real Mitigation for Your Muscles 6:58 How Your Energy is Throttled 10:00 The Nutrition Equation 14:33 Breathing Breakdown 16:30 What Training Should You Do? 19:20 Closing Thoughts