VO2max training: structure for masters

We’re tackling a heavily requested topic today: triathlon training for masters athletes. Is it possible to slow down the natural performance decline through better and smarter training and recovery? Might you even be able to reverse time and hit new peaks later in life? Mikael Eriksson and Jack Hutchens discuss best practices for older athletes based on their coaching experience and the scientific literature.

HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: 

• The science of physiological and performance decline with age in swimming, cycling, running and triathlon
• VO2max, strength, muscle mass, fast twitch fibre atrophy, slower recovery, and other factors
• How to tease apart the inevitable decline due to biological processes, and the decline resulting from changing training habits for older triathletes
• The importance of VO2max training, and how to structure it differently for masters athletes
• Strength training as a critical component of triathlon training for masters athletes
• How recovery, nutrition, and sleep needs change with age
• Examples and case studies
• Listener questions
• Practical takeaways

DETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES: 

• We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode.
• The shownotes for today's episode can be found at https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts691/

LINKS AND RESOURCES: 

A couple of highlights from the vast literature on masters athletes. 

• Age-Related Changes in Triathlon Performances - Lepers 2010
• Masters Athletes: An Analysis of Running, Swimming and Cycling Performance by Age and Gender - Ransdell 2009
• Current Insights in the Age-related Decline in Sports Performance of the Older Athlete - Gasne 2021
• Master Athletes Are Extending the Limits of Human Endurance - Lepers 2016

WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?

If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following related episodes:

• The top-5 challenges for masters athletes and how to overcome them – Bo Falck Hansen, PhD | EP#176 - an in-depth interview where Dr. Hansen outlines five main challenges masters athletes face, some of them overlapping with today’s episode, others not.
• How to avoid triathlon and running injuries by optimising training load, life stress, strength training and nutrition | Chris Johnson PT - Not getting injured is key for masters athletes. This episode will help you avoid injuries.
• Strength training for endurance performance with Richard Blagrove, PhD | EP#292 - Strength training is another key component of triathlon training for masters athlete. This is perhaps my number one favourite strength training episode ever on That Triathlon Show.

You can find our full episode archives here, where you can filter for categories such as Training, Racing, Science & Physiology, Swimming, Cycling, Running etc.

You can also find separate archives for specific series of episodes I've done, specifically Q&A episodes, TTS Thursday episodes, and Beginner Tips episodes. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON: 

• The Scientific Triathlon website is the home of That Triathlon Show and everything else that we do
• Contact us through our contact form or email me directly (note - email/contact form messages get responded to much more quickly than Instagram DMs)
• Subscribe to our Newsletter
• Follow us on Instagram
• Learn more about our coaching, training plans, and training camps. We have something to offer for everybody from beginners to professionals.

HOW CAN I SUPPORT THAT TRIATHLON SHOW (FOR FREE)? 

I really appreciate you reading this and considering helping the show! If you love the show and want to support it to help ensure it sticks around, there are a few very simple things you can do, at no cost other than a minute of your time. 

• Subscribe to the podcast in your podcast app to automatically get all new episodes as they are released.
• Tell your friends, internet and social media friends, acquaintances and triathlon frenemies about the podcast. Word of mouth is the best way to grow the podcast by far!
• Rate and review the podcast (ideally five stars of course!) in your podcast app of choice (Spotify and Apple Podcasts are the biggest and most important ones).
• Share episodes online and on social media. Share your favourite episodes in your Instagram stories, start a discussion about interesting episodes on forums, reference them in your blog or Substack.

SPONSORS: 

• Precision Fuel & Hydration produce our favourite gels, sports drinks, and electrolyte and carbohydrate products here at That Triathlon Show and Scientific Triathlon. Use the free Fuel & Hydration Planner to get a personalised plan for your carbohydrate, sodium and fluid intake in your next event, and get 15% off your first 2026 order by using the code TTS2026 at checkout.
   
• Rouvy is hands down the most complete indoor cycling platform for triathletes. Among their thousands of beautiful bike courses from all around the world, all filmed in stunning quality, they have over 75 IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 race courses plus 20+ Challenge Family courses, so you can pre-ride your race from home. Real gradients, real visuals, and real feel! Head to rouvy.com and use the code TTS to get your first month free on top of a 7-day free trial.
   
• Effortless Swimming produce the best swim goggles for triathletes and open water swimmers. Their NanoClear anti-fog lenses give you clear, fog-free vision that lasts and doesn't wear off. Don't let foggy or leaky goggles ruin another swim. Go to shop.effortlessswimming.com and use the code TTS15 to get 15% off your goggles, and get a free two-month Effortless Swimming course membership.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.