# Indurain Lab tested 14 years after Retirement



## Creakyknees

"the test reveals, 46 year old Indurain has still got the goods after pushing 450w as his aerobic power output at 191bpm which compares to professional cyclists still in their prime."


Can Miguel Indurain Make a Comeback? - The Inner Ring

Can Miguel Indurain Make a Comeback? - The Inner Ring

The Cycling Physiology of Migue... [Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2012] - PubMed - NCBI


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## gordy748

Creakyknees said:


> "the test reveals, 46 year old Indurain has still got the goods after pushing 450w as his aerobic power output at 191bpm which compares to professional cyclists still in their prime."


Wow. What a guy. So much for him sitting on his laurels and scoffing rioja.


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## PixelPaul

I didn't think the effects of EPO lasted that long.


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## Salsa_Lover

I guess he still can push similar wattage, but the problem for the grand tours is more the recovery, and at 46yo his body can't take the 3 week beating like before IMHO


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## Bremerradkurier

I guess he hasn't been buffet touring with Eddy Merckx.


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## qatarbhoy

Bremerradkurier said:


> I guess he hasn't been buffet touring with Eddy Merckx.


Eddy's earned a few buffets IMO.


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## woodys737

450W at 92kg=4.88W/kg. 450W is amazing any way you slice it. But, the W/kg would have to come way up to be competitive imo. Article said he used to race at 80kg...


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## tom_h

Read the article more carefully and especially the PubMed abstract. 450 W was his "maximal" aerobic power, probably the final power reached on a vO2max 'test to exhaustion'.

His power at "4 mM onset of blood lactate accumulation", practically speaking his functional threshhold power (FTP), was 369 watts.

369 W is an excellent value, to be sure, but there are some local masters racers in their late 40s - early 50s with similar powers, based on their race results. As you might expect, they win a lot ;-)


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## cda 455

PixelPaul said:


> I didn't think the effects of EPO lasted that long.



:lol: :lol:


Just couldn't resist, could you  :thumbsup: ?!


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## cda 455

Creakyknees said:


> "the test reveals, 46 year old Indurain has still got the goods after pushing 450w as his aerobic power output at 191bpm which compares to professional cyclists still in their prime."
> 
> 
> Can Miguel Indurain Make a Comeback? - The Inner Ring
> 
> Can Miguel Indurain Make a Comeback? - The Inner Ring
> 
> The Cycling Physiology of Migue... [Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2012] - PubMed - NCBI



Yea! My first cycling hero  !



Wow; Coke-sponsored water bottles! 

I'd love to have a couple. Or four  !


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## stevesbike

tom_h said:


> Read the article more carefully and especially the PubMed abstract. 450 W was his "maximal" aerobic power, probably the final power reached on a vO2max 'test to exhaustion'.
> 
> His power at "4 mM onset of blood lactate accumulation", practically speaking his functional threshhold power (FTP), was 369 watts.
> 
> 369 W is an excellent value, to be sure, but there are some local masters racers in their late 40s - early 50s with similar powers, based on their race results. As you might expect, they win a lot ;-)


the paper states his threshold power (lactate threshold) was 329 watts, 3.57 watts/kg. That puts him at a cat 4 or low cat 3 on Coggan's power profile.


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## cda 455

Just realized: I know Big Mig is older than me so I Googled him.

Yep, he's 48. He has a year and a half on me. 


Which, IMHO, says even more about the research findings.



Also; Apparently Big Mig has gained about 27lbs since retiring. 

That's not bad at all, especially compared to Greg LeMond. The pic I saw of him looks like he is at least 75lbs heavier :eek6: !


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## danl1

cda 455 said:


> Wow; Coke-sponsored water bottles!
> 
> I'd love to have a couple. Or four  !


BITD Coke was a tour sponsor and all teams had them. 

Crappy small-mouth snaphead things. 

Here's the modern interpretation.


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## cda 455

danl1 said:


> BITD Coke was a tour sponsor and all teams had them.
> 
> Crappy small-mouth snaphead things.
> 
> Here's the modern interpretation.



Yeah, I did notice the small mouth.


Maybe I'll make I own  !


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## tom_h

stevesbike said:


> the paper states his threshold power (lactate threshold) was 329 watts, 3.57 watts/kg. That puts him at a cat 4 or low cat 3 on Coggan's power profile.


I missed that! 
I'm at about 3.5 W/kg and 12 yrs older than Big Mig. He might struggle on some of the local hammerhead rides, as much as I do ;-)


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## OldEndicottHiway

Creakyknees said:


> Can Miguel Indurain Make a Comeback? - The Inner Ring
> 
> Can Miguel Indurain Make a Comeback? - The Inner Ring
> 
> The Cycling Physiology of Migue... [Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2012] - PubMed - NCBI



Oh my! 

Sigh.


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## saird

tom_h said:


> I missed that!
> I'm at about 3.5 W/kg and 12 yrs older than Big Mig. He might struggle on some of the local hammerhead rides, as much as I do ;-)



Untill he started training, then he'd leave you and your "hammerhead" heros behind :thumbsup:


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## SystemShock

stevesbike said:


> the paper states his threshold power (lactate threshold) was 329 watts, 3.57 watts/kg. That puts him at a cat 4 or low cat 3 on Coggan's power profile.


If he got back down to his prime riding weight (around 80kg), he'd be over 4 watts/kg.

That's not gonna win the Tour, but it sure ain't bad. 
.


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## Opus51569

Shhh... nobody tell Lance...


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## Bremerradkurier

SystemShock said:


> If he got back down to his prime riding weight (around 80kg), he'd be over 4 watts/kg.
> 
> That's not gonna win the Tour, but it sure ain't bad.
> .


He'd get stronger riding that weight off ;-).


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## jmal

Unless each person is tested in the same way, using the same metric equipment, comparisons to local guys that claim certain figures are meaningless other than for fun discussion.


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## paredown

Reminds me of the recent Moser thread--when he went racing in NYC recently:"I can hold anyone's wheel for 44 miles."


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## stevesbike

jmal said:


> Unless each person is tested in the same way, using the same metric equipment, comparisons to local guys that claim certain figures are meaningless other than for fun discussion.


it's not meaningless. Obviously, placing well in a race is about more than just hitting some watts/kg benchmark, but those numbers are informative especially if the race includes climbs. It also doesn't require being tested on the same equipment. At his present level of fitness, Indurain wouldn't be competitive in a masters field in places like SoCal.


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## jmal

stevesbike said:


> it's not meaningless. Obviously, placing well in a race is about more than just hitting some watts/kg benchmark, but those numbers are informative especially if the race includes climbs. It also doesn't require being tested on the same equipment. At his present level of fitness, Indurain wouldn't be competitive in a masters field in places like SoCal.


Perhaps meaningless is a bit hyperbolic, but the methodology needs to be consistent and the equipment needs to be standardized and properly calibrated as it would in any scientific study. 

A guy with a ten year old power meter following a different method of arriving at watts/kg, i.e. how he ramps up to the final figure, will not be as reliable as a more controlled study. Perhaps it is nit picking, but it's true.

I couldn't agree more that racing is more than hitting power benchmarks. I do think Indurain could reach and surpass the level of SoCal masters in very little time if he were dedicated and interested in doing so. I can't prove it, but I believe it to be true.

I also agree with the poster above who noted that the recovery capacity of someone Indurain's age would be a problem in a grand tour.


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