Kerry Group Rás Mumhan winner in 2013, Damian Shaw has combined a watt bike with an altitude simulator system to produce a work-out that he says can transform a rider's performance.
By Brian Canty
Altitude simulation training looks set to become the latest avenue explored by Irish cyclists seeking to enhance performance, with one of the top domestic riders boldly predicting performance gains of up to 20 per cent.
Bronze medallist in the national elite road race championships this year, Damian Shaw has recently built a facility for watt bike and altitude training in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, along with business partner Brendan Grimes.
His team mates in the Aquablue squad plan to use the new facility in coming weeks, with riders like 2012 Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins having used a similar approach.
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Already, top riders Joe Fenlon (Aquablue) and Irish international Thomas Fallon (Vacansoleil) have used the facility in Mullingar and Shaw believes it’s only a matter of time before more domestic cyclists do the same.
“I just had an idea of how to make training easier and better and the watt bikes were the next progression from the turbo trainers,” explains Shaw.
“So I got them in first, then we got an altitude simulator – we’ve had it about a month,” he added.
“I could never justify getting away for a month from work and going to altitude, not with the expense and time involved. So this was just an idea of mine because coaching is something I’d like to get into down the line.”
So far, the uptake has been good but many of his clients have been triathletes or track runners.
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Shaw admitted he was a bit sceptical at the start but having seen the benefits for himself, he knew he was onto something.
“I just wanted to see the results first for myself and being honest, I’m seeing them already. So you could say I’m a convert. I’m training on it myself because my work in the fire service demands that I’m on call a lot – so I need to be ready to go if a call comes,” he said.
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Essentially the altitude simulator involves an athlete or rider wearing an oxygen mask while exercising. The concentration of oxygen the athlete inhales is not as high as it would be at sea level, without the mask. It lowers the body’s oxygen concentration to levels found at high altitudes and makes the body more efficient at using oxygen.
“Professional athletes will probably just sleep using it and not exercise because they have enough hours in the day to train anyway,” said Shaw.
“But for guys stuck for time, like working cyclists, you can do your high intensity interval training at simulated altitude and that promises great results in a short time.”
He believes even one session a week for six weeks could see an improvement in performance of 15 or 20 per cent.
“It does tire you out though. I did three hours on it last Saturday and two on Sunday and I was totally wiped out for a few days after. But I noticed the difference in my watts out on the road.
“I’ve a guy who started off – he’s a guard with a family and is caught for time – and I can see him up about 34/40 watts over six weeks. He has come in once a week for six weeks and can’t believe the difference it has made to him.
“A training session can be as long or short as you like, but 90 minutes would be enough. You’d get a quality session in that time and I’d equate that to a two and a half hour session without the mask.”
For anyone looking for more information, they can contact Shaw on [email protected]
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