#cycling

6 articles

Bicarb Gels Mid-Ride Added 12 W Late in a 3-Hour Cycling Test

BY DR. GYMBRO · Oct 31, 2026

What if the best time to take bicarbonate isn't before the race, but during it? A new randomized crossover trial in 11 trained cyclists tested bicarbonate-plus-carb gels across 3 hours of riding. In the fatigued state afterward, 12-minute time-trial power was 12 W higher than with carbs alone, and stomach symptoms didn't differ. But sprints and 2-minute efforts showed no significant gain, the sample was tiny, and the products came from MNSTRY. Here's what the numbers really say.

A wide editorial still life on a pale, warm-toned concrete surface in soft morning window light. In the center-left, a shallow matte ceramic bowl holds a small pile of bright red coffee cherries with glossy skins, a few sliced open to reveal pale mucilage and paired green-tan beans. Beside it, a small glass dish of fine, golden-brown powdered extract with a tiny wooden scoop resting on its edge. A sprig of coffee plant leaves, deep green and waxy, arcs across the foreground.

On the right side, slightly out of focus, a sleek road cyclist's handlebar and a matte black water bottle lean against a light plaster wall, suggesting athletic training without showing a person. A minimalist analog stopwatch with a clean white face and thin black hands sits in the mid-ground, angled toward the camera, its hands paused near the fifteen-minute mark. A folded linen cloth in oatmeal beige and a single small espresso cup with a thin crema ring add quiet texture.

The color palette is restrained and modern: cherry red, sage green, cream, soft terracotta, and charcoal accents. Light comes from the left, casting long, gentle shadows with a subtle warm glow and a hint of dust in the air. Shallow depth of field with crisp focus on the cherries and stopwatch, creamy bokeh in the background. Composition leaves open negative space in the upper right for a headline overlay. The overall feel is a clean, trendy health-and-science magazine cover: tactile, natural, minimal, and calm, shot in a 16:9 landscape frame with fine film-like grain and true-to-life tones.

nutrition

Coffee Cherry Extract: 200 mg Caffeine Lifted Cycling Output 4.6%

BY DR. GYMBRO · Oct 30, 2026

A low 200 mg caffeine dose from whole coffee cherry extract helped trained cyclists produce 4.6% more work in a 15-minute time trial. But the popular idea that it speeds up glycogen refuelling didn't hold up. This randomized, double-blind crossover trial involved just 12 cyclists and was industry-funded, with no plain-caffeine comparison group. Here's what the data show, what they don't, and who might want to try it.

Wide landscape editorial photograph of a mountain biker mid-ride on a dusty red-orange singletrack trail in the South African Western Cape, golden hour light raking across the scene. The rider is in sharp focus on the right third of the frame, wearing a weathered cycling kit with a race number plate on the handlebars, dust kicking up from the rear tire. Behind them, rolling hills covered in fynbos shrubland and silhouetted protea plants fade into soft, hazy blue mountains. Warm amber sunlight creates long shadows and a soft rim light around the rider and bike.

In the lower left foreground, slightly out of focus, a small minimalist glass vial and a clear water bottle sit on a flat sun-bleached rock, with a few drops of liquid catching the light. Next to them, a simple matte paper notecard and a pencil suggest data collection, with no legible text. The vial and bottle are clean, understated, and modern, with no branding.

The color palette is earthy and refined: terracotta, ochre, sage green, dusty teal sky, and cream highlights. The composition uses shallow depth of field, a generous negative space in the upper left sky for headline overlay, and subtle film grain. The mood is contemplative, skeptical, and quietly sophisticated, like a feature photograph from a high-end outdoor sports and science magazine. Natural, candid, cinematic, shot on a 50mm lens with soft contrast and muted saturation. No futuristic elements, no glowing effects, no molecular graphics, no text.

science research

Ketone IQ Raised Ketones at Cape Epic, But Did Nothing Else

BY DR. GYMBRO · Oct 27, 2026

Riders at the 8-day Cape Epic drank Ketone IQ twice a day and hit about 1 mM blood ketones, yet their fatigue, heart rate, reaction time and recovery looked the same as placebo riders. The double-blind trial tested R-1,3-butanediol in real racing conditions rather than a lab. The authors say the modest ketosis was not effective, and that butanediol should not be confused with ketone esters. With only 18 riders, the study has real limits, but it is a sobering data point for anyone considering a pricey ketone drink for recovery.

A cyclist in mid-ride, photographed from a low three-quarter side angle on a quiet country road at golden hour, wearing a matte navy jersey and a white helmet, with soft warm light catching the sweat on his forearms. His expression is calm and focused. The road bends gently through rolling green fields, and the background is softly blurred with creamy bokeh.

In the foreground on the left, a styled flat-lay-inspired still life sits on a weathered wooden surface and blends into the scene. It includes two clear water bottles with pale citrus-tinted liquid, a few torn energy gel packets in muted coral and sage, and a small pile of dried apricots and sliced banana. A handful of glossy orange slices adds a bright accent. The shallow depth of field keeps the cyclist sharp in the middle distance while the foreground items are gently softened.

The color palette is warm and editorial: soft peach, muted terracotta, sage green, cream, and deep navy. The light is natural and golden, with long, gentle shadows and a slight film-grain texture, like a high-end lifestyle or sports-science magazine spread. The composition follows the rule of thirds, with the cyclist on the right third and open negative space in the upper left, suitable for headline overlay.

The mood is energetic yet thoughtful, clean and modern, and the photograph feels authentic rather than staged. There are no logos, no readable text, and no futuristic or sci-fi elements. The overall look is crisp, airy, and refined, in the style of a contemporary health and performance journal cover.

nutrition

100 g Carbs an Hour Kept Cyclists Faster—And Glycogen Wasn't Why

BY COACH RYAN · Oct 25, 2026

Four hours into a hard ride, cyclists who fueled with 100 g of carbs per hour lost less power than those who took 60 g. The surprise is that their muscle glycogen ended up about the same. This randomized, double-blind crossover study of 15 trained men points to something beyond glycogen sparing. We break down the numbers, the 1:0.8 glucose:fructose protocol, and how to apply it. We also cover who should skip it and why the small, male-only sample matters.

A landscape editorial photograph in soft natural morning light. In the foreground on a rustic light oak table, a small cluster of fresh Rhodiola rosea plants with thick succulent blue-green leaves and tiny golden-yellow flower clusters rests beside a few dried, knobby amber-brown rhizome pieces. A matte ceramic cup of pale golden herbal tea sits beside them, with a thin curl of steam and a small linen cloth. The plants and roots are sharp, with fine texture and dewy highlights.

In the softly blurred background, a lean cyclist in a fitted charcoal jersey stands beside a road bike on a quiet country lane at sunrise. Rolling green hills fade into pale mist behind them, and warm light rims the rider's shoulders. The cyclist tightens a glove, calm and focused, in a pre-ride moment of preparation. A water bottle is mounted on the bike frame, and a simple analog stopwatch with a brushed metal casing lies on the table near the herbs, hinting at timed effort.

The palette is muted and modern: sage green, warm cream, soft gold, and slate gray, with gentle peach tones from the sunrise. Shallow depth of field, a clean, airy composition with generous negative space on the right third for headline text, and subtle film grain. The mood is calm, health-conscious, and quietly athletic, like a premium wellness and sports science magazine cover. No text, no logos, no futuristic elements.

science research

Rhodiola Rosea: A Stimulant-Free Pre-Workout for Hard Cardio?

BY DR. GYMBRO · Oct 19, 2026

A 2013 crossover trial found that a single 3 mg/kg dose of Rhodiola rosea an hour before a 6-mile bike time trial shaved the finish time from 25.8 to 25.4 minutes. Warm-up heart rate dropped from 140 to 136 bpm, and perceived exertion fell from 6.6 to 6.0. The gain is small, around 1.5%, and comes from only 18 people, so it's no miracle. Still, the effort-perception angle makes it an intriguing stimulant-free option for endurance athletes. Here's what the data show and how to try it sensibly.

A cyclist's legs mid-pedal on a stationary road bike, shot in a bright, airy, minimalist studio with a soft warm-grey backdrop. In the foreground on a pale oak table sits a small ceramic dish holding four deep coral-red softgel capsules, with a few translucent droplets of red-orange oil glistening beside them. Beside the dish is a sprig of dried red microalgae-toned seaweed and a halved wild salmon fillet, its coral flesh echoing the capsule color. Behind the table, slightly out of focus, a cyclist in a fitted charcoal jersey and matte black shorts rides a bike on an indoor trainer. Only the torso and legs are visible, with no face. A white towel hangs over the handlebars and a clear water bottle catches the light.

Soft diffused morning light streams from a large window on the left, creating long gentle shadows and a subtle golden-hour glow on the skin and the glossy capsules. The palette is restrained and editorial: warm cream, sand, soft grey and charcoal, with vivid coral-red as the single accent color. A minimalist analog stopwatch with a clean white face sits on the table, its hands near the 85-minute mark. A thin, elegant line-graph shape is subtly suggested by a curved strip of red ribbon lying on the table, rising from left to right to hint at the performance gain without any text.

The composition follows the rule of thirds, with the capsules and stopwatch in the lower left and the cyclist's motion-blurred legs sweeping across the right. Shallow depth of field, crisp macro detail on the capsules, and a fine film-like grain. The overall feel is a modern health and science magazine cover: clean, calm, sophisticated, and natural, with negative space in the upper area for a headline. There are no futuristic elements, no glowing effects, no laboratory equipment, and no text or logos. Landscape 16:9 format.

nutrition

Astaxanthin for 4 Days Boosted Cycling Time-to-Exhaustion From 72 to 85 Minutes in a Small Trial

BY DR. GYMBRO · Oct 15, 2026

Four days of astaxanthin at 28 mg/day lengthened cycling time to exhaustion from about 72 to 85 minutes in a small randomized trial, a gain of roughly 18%. The same protocol blunted rises in muscle damage markers (CK and LDH) and lipid peroxidation (MDA) after a hard ride at 75% VO2max. Inflammation markers and fuel use did not change, so the mechanism is still unclear. The dose is also well above what many softgels provide, and the study had just ten young men. Here is what the numbers show and where the evidence stops.