The Evidence Base

This is everything I know, organized by topic, and backed by the research I’ve spent years reading so you don’t have to. Every article in this library falls into one of two categories. Foundation articles give you the core concept in plain language. Deep Dives go further into the science, the mechanisms, the studies, the stuff that’s genuinely interesting if you want to understand why something works and not just that it works.

You don’t have to read them in order. But if a Deep Dive has a Foundation partner, I’d start there. The Foundation exists because context makes everything else land better. You wouldn’t skip the first act of a play and expect the third to make sense. (You could. But you’d be the person in the audience asking too many questions.)

This library is always growing. If there’s a topic you want covered, let me know.

Jump to a section

Training Physiology — 5 articles on energy systems, lactate, heart rate, and the interference effect
Movement & Injury Science — 7 articles on IT band syndrome, foot strike, cadence, strains, and ankle sprains
Nutrition & Fueling — 4 articles on caffeine, protein timing, ketones, and appetite
Recovery & Adaptation — 4 articles on soreness, foam rolling, NSAIDs, and post-ride beer
Cycling Performance — 6 articles on TT positioning, chainrings, anatomy, altitude, and Everesting

Training Physiology

How your body produces energy, adapts to training, and gets faster. This is the engine room. If you’ve ever wondered what lactate actually is, why your heart rate zones might be wrong, or whether you can get strong and fast at the same time, start here.

Foundation | What Is Lactate?
Everything you were told about lactic acid is wrong. Here’s what’s actually happening in your muscles.
Deep Dive | The Lactate Shuttle
The full molecular picture. MCT transporters, the Cori cycle, why polarized training works, and what George Brooks got right in 1985.
Foundation | Understanding Your True Max Heart Rate
Your Garmin’s number might be wrong. Here’s how to find the right one and why it matters for your zones.
Foundation | Strength and Endurance Strategy
Can you get fit and strong at the same time? Yes. Here’s what the research says about how to combine them.
Foundation | Sprint Intervals in Endurance Rides
Why dropping 30-second sprints into your long rides changes gene expression without adding recovery time.

Movement & Injury Science

How injuries happen, why common advice about them is often wrong, and what the research actually supports. If someone has told you to change your foot strike or foam roll your IT band, read this section before you do anything.

Foundation | IT Band Syndrome Basics
The friction model is wrong. The compression model is right. Your IT band isn’t tight. Here’s what’s actually going on.
Deep Dive | IT Band Compression, Hip Mechanics, and the Evidence for Strength Training Over Stretching
The full biomechanical story. Why hip strengthening works, why stretching doesn’t, and what the systematic reviews actually say.
Foundation | The Foot Strike Myth
Heel striking isn’t wrong. Forefoot striking isn’t right. The research on this is remarkably clear.
Foundation | Injury Risk and Running Styles
What actually predicts running injuries. (Spoiler: it’s not your foot strike.)
Foundation | Cadence Is Not a Magic Number
180 is not the answer. But cadence manipulation can do real things for injury risk. Here’s the nuance.
Foundation | Ankle Sprain Recovery: Running Again Safely
A phase-by-phase return to running plan. When to progress, when to back off, and when to call someone.
Deep Dive | Understanding the Myotendinous Junction
Where muscle meets tendon is where most strains happen. Here’s why, and what that means for prevention.

Dealing with an injury now? Check out our Rehab Guides for targeted help with shin splints, knee pain, Achilles tendinopathy, and cycling low back pain.

Nutrition & Fueling

What to put in your body, when, and why. I’m not a dietitian, but I can read the research on caffeine, protein timing, ketones, and appetite regulation. And I have opinions.

Foundation | Is Caffeine Cheating?
What caffeine does to your body and whether using it before hard workouts is fair game.
Foundation | Does Overnight Protein Work?
“Get faster while you sleep” is a great pitch. Here’s what the evidence actually supports.
Foundation | The Science Behind Exogenous Ketones
I first discovered exogenous ketones the hard way. By tasting them. Here’s whether they’re worth the suffering.
Foundation | How Lactate Helps Cyclists Control Appetite
Think you can’t get strong and thin at the same time? The lactate research suggests otherwise.

Recovery & Adaptation

What happens after the workout. Soreness, inflammation, foam rolling, beer. The stuff that determines whether your training actually sticks or whether you’re just accumulating fatigue with good intentions.

Foundation | The Science Behind Muscle Soreness
DOMS isn’t caused by lactate. Here’s what’s actually happening and what you can (and can’t) do about it.
Foundation | What a Foam Roller Does (and What It Doesn’t)
The democratic performance tool. But its reputation exceeds its evidence in a few key areas.
Foundation | How Beer Affects Post-Workout Recovery
Nobody likes a post-ride beer more than I do. Here’s what the research says about that habit.
Deep Dive | The Role of Cytokines in Exercise and Recovery
Why NSAIDs before exercise might be making things worse. The inflammatory response is doing something important.

Cycling Performance

The bike-specific stuff. Positioning, biomechanics, the muscles involved, and what happens when you point a bicycle uphill for eight hours straight. If you ride, this section is for you.

Foundation | Master Your TT Bike Positioning
The science behind your time trial FTP and how position changes affect it.
Foundation | The Science of Oval Chainrings
Do they help? The research on non-circular chainrings and what they do to your knees.
Foundation | Every Muscle You Use to Ride a Bike
It’s much more than glutes, hamstrings, and quads. Your primer on the anatomy of cycling.
Foundation | How Altitude Affects Calorie Burn
It’s harder to ride at altitude. Here’s why, quantified.
Foundation | How to Estimate Your Everest Climb Time
Endurance performance is just calorie burn per hour. This chart tells you what that means for Everesting.
Deep Dive | Understanding the Physiology Behind Everesting Success
And why you (probably) can’t do it. The physiological demands of climbing 29,029 feet in one ride.

Questions about any of this? Training decisions you’re trying to make? I work with endurance athletes in Richmond, VA and remotely. Get in touch.