Introduction

What if I said you could be a stronger cyclist, for less than a cup of coffee a day? Would you do it? This is part 1 of 10, of the N=1 series of becoming a stronger cyclist for less than a cup of coffee a day. In this series I am going to take you through my journey from my local Masters C category to Masters A in the space of 18 months, at the age of 57.

A year ago when I tried something new, I never thought it would end up as a ten part blog series, but here it is. Over the next 10 blog posts I am going to explore what happened when I introduced different ergogenic aids and training stimuli.

Part 1 Smoothie and Creatine

Part 2 Regular Sprint Training

Part 3 Strength Training

Part 4 Sodium Bicarbonate

Part 5 Polarised Training and Masters Training Plan

Part 6 Lactate Threshold Testing and Training

Part 7 Increasing race day carbohydrate

Part 8 90min Zone 2 rides with different inputs

Part 9 Increasing Protein Intake

Part 10 Putting it all together

If you are new to this blog, here's a some background about me and my training. I've been into endurance sports since my mid 20s. Starting with triathlon (sprint to Ironman) for about 11yrs and later in distance running (16 Marathons and more half marathons) over 16yrs. I started bike racing at the age of 50 in 2018, when I did some Northern Combine road races, here in Melbourne. In 2020 as Covid 19 emerged I started using TrainerRoad along with my Northside Cluster mates and my training took off from there.

Inspiration comes from the strangest of sources. My youngest son joined the army for a gap year and left a few of his supplements in the pantry. Creatine was one of them that I had been hearing a bit about on a few different podcasts. I took on the advice of creatine loading, by taking 20 grams a day for 5 days, before going onto a maintenance dose of 3 grams a day. At the same time, I started making a daily smoothie with beetroot, apple, ginger and celery. In a perfrect world I would have separated these out, but I was keen to make two positive changes, so why not load up.

Smoothie & Creatine

Here’s a breakdown of the estimated nitrate content in each of the ingredients:

This is a rough estimate based on average values from fresh produce. Actual nitrate levels can vary depending on growing conditions, soil composition, and freshness. For context, the World Health Organization’s acceptable daily intake (ADI) for nitrates is 3.7 mg per kg of body weight, so for a 77 kg adult, that’s about 285 mg/day.

The other benefit was starting every ride unfastened, a range of micronutrients, vitamins, minerals and fibre from the smoothie.

My first race on this "cocktail" was at an interclub criterium between Eastern CC and Northern CC at Casey Fields. It was my job to ride towards the front of the race and shut down attacks, so our sprinters could sit in until the end of the race and do their thing. I did my job and then had some gas left in the tank to finish third. The magnitude of the result was not lost on me. I had not placed at all in B grade and had finally cracked a spot on the podium at an interclub race. A check of the power numbers on that day compares peak Sprint power for 30 seconds for the race and the previous 12 months, with record numbers in the range of 24-36 seconds, maxing a significant 6.8% improvement.

Casey Fields Crit 6-7-24

Perhaps there was something in this. Two weeks later, I went on to take second at an interclub Kermesse and second in a crit on my home course, with more record sprint numbers amongst the same competition.

🥤 Purpose

For one full year, I conducted an N=1 experiment: drinking a daily smoothie made of beetroot, apple, ginger, celery, with 3 grams of creatine. My goal? To explore how this nutritional blend might affect my cycling performance, measured in power (watts). I had taken some beet juice supplements before, but they were expensive to maintain longterm. The dietary nitrates in my smoothie were 200-225mg, about half of the 400mg found in the beetroot shots for about $1.95 per serve (Smoothie $1.80 and Creatine $0.15 (based on a 1kg bulk purchase at $50/kg). My gut also got the benefit of all that healthy fibre, which helps hold fluid and helps introduce variety to my gut microbiome.

👤 Individual Focus

This experiment was tailored entirely around my personal baseline, lifestyle, and health goals. I'm competitive agegrouper, I work out moderately, eat mostly whole foods, and value mental sharpness just as much as physical performance. My decision to include beetroot and ginger was based on their reputation for aiding circulation and reducing inflammation; celery and apple added flavor and micronutrients; and creatine was chosen for its benefits in cellular energy production and muscular endurance.

🎯 Control and Measurement

To maintain consistency and track changes:

- Smoothie ingredients: kept quantities fixed across all 365 days. Some weeks pre-race I juice the ingredients instead to lower the fibre content of my diet.

- Creatine dosage: 3g daily, measured with a level scoop

- Time of consumption: Two thirds early-morning, before exercise and the remaining third of it in the afternoon instead of a snack or 30min before a race.

- Tracking tools: I used Garmin bike computer and Favero Assioma Power Pedals to measure power.

- I intentionally did not introduce new supplements for the first 6 months.

📊 Data Analysis

Though my data was personal and non-clinical, I noted several intriguing trends:

- Weight: I only update my weight randomly, but before this trial I was around 75kg and I immediately put on 1kg during the loading phase, which is to be expected as the body retains more water.

- Overall health: Over the 12M period, I did not suffer from any noticeable colds, flus or illnesses and this goes a long way towards being able to train consistently.

- Results: Charts in my training data showed consistent trends rather than spikes—suggesting subtle cumulative effects. I was closing gaps and regularly factoring in sprints, something I had never done before. I achieved personal best (PB) power numbers from 1-35 seconds.

Sprint Power improvement for first 3 months compared to January 1 2020 to June 30 2024

Subjective Observations

- Recovery: reduced muscle soreness after workouts, possibly linked to creatine’s buffering effects.

- Skin tone: noticed that the rosacea on my face and nose in particular were looking less red and inflamed than previously.

- Improved mental clarity: I feel my mental clarity has been improved as a result of my "cocktail"

⚠️ Limitations

This experiment was purely observational, with many caveats:

- No control group: I can’t say for sure what would’ve happened without the smoothie or the creatine, or just one of the inputs.

- Subjective bias: My expectations may have influenced how I performed.

- Generalizability: What worked for me may not work for others—especially with different health profiles.

Cost per day

Smothie $1.80

Creatine $0.15

Summary

I was so impressed with the results, that I told my mates about the creatine and before too long they too were putting out record sprint numbers. For $1.95 per day, I would wholeheartedly recommend taking this on as your daily routine. It's easy to prepare the night before by chopping up the ingredients and leaving in your fridge, so you just have to add water, blend and drink before you head out for a ride.

Journals on the topic