The Matchbox - A Cycling Podcast

Hello everyone. Welcome to the latest episode of The Matchbox Podcast powered by Ignition Coach Co. I’m your host, Adam Saban, and on this week’s episode we’re talking to the co-founder of Hexis, Dr. Sam Impey. 

 

As always, if you like what you hear, share this with your friends and leave us a five star review and if you have any questions for the show drop us an email at matchboxpod@gmail.com or head over to ignitioncoachco.com and fill out The Matchbox Podcast listener question form. 

 

Links from today’s episode: https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijsnem/aop/article-10.1123-ijsnem.2026-0135/article-10.1123-ijsnem.2026-0135.xml, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29453741/

 

Alight let’s get into it!

 

For more social media content, follow along @ignitioncoachco @adamsaban6 @dizzle_dillman @dylanjawnson @kait.maddox  

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/c/DylanJohnsonCycling https://www.ignitioncoachco.com 

https://www.youtube.com/@DrewDillmanChannel

 

Intro/ Outro music by AlexGrohl - song "King Around Here" - https://pixabay.com/music/id-15045/ 

 

The following was generated using Riverside.fm AI technologies

 

Summary 

 

This episode is a practical conversation about how nutrition can be personalized around training, not just tracked after the fact. Dizzle is joined by Dr. Sam Impey, co-founder of Hexas, to break down how the platform uses training data to recommend carb intake, support body composition goals, and make fueling easier for athletes and coaches.They also get into the newer frontier of performance nutrition, including bicarb, lactate gels, and why day-to-day nutrition habits matter for recovery, adaptation, and long-term consistency.

 

Timestamps

00:00 — Welcome and introduction to Dr. Sam Impey

02:00 — How Hexis started as a PhD research tool

03:08 — Why the platform was built to scale nutrition recommendations

04:31 — Hexis does not replace a nutritionist

05:01 — Early adoption by Uno-X and other tech-forward teams

06:16 — How the app syncs with TrainingPeaks and daily ride data

08:08 — Periodizing carbs around hard rides and recovery days

09:04 — Dizzle’s Leadville weight-loss block and what he learned

10:51 — Pro riders naturally vary nutrition with training load

12:12 — Why good carb timing improves adaptation

13:10 — Did weight loss affect power numbers?

16:03 — Late-night cereal, hunger, and cutting calorie-dense foods

17:28 — How vegetables support gut health and carbohydrate tolerance

19:15 — How a different environment made nutrition easier to follow

20:20 — Why training camps can improve compliance beyond the workouts

22:19 — App versus desktop use for athletes and nutritionists

25:00 — Hexis onboarding and how personalization starts

26:53 — Lose, maintain, or gain goals and how the plan adapts

28:30 — Food-tracking updates, barcode scanning, and favorites

30:10 — Natural-language food logging and meal correction

32:27 — How the app adapts calorie and macro targets throughout the day

34:34 — Education features and why the old video feed did not stick

35:37 — Interactive explanations for why recommendations change

36:43 — A plate-visualization idea that did not make it into the app

37:47 — Comparing Hexis with other performance tech and wearables

40:32 — Why total intake is only part of the nutrition picture

44:02 — Why nutrition sparks strong opinions

45:40 — What cycling can learn from other sports

46:27 — Cycling as an early innovator in heart rate, power, and fueling

48:23 — Recovery lessons cycling can borrow from rugby and football

50:57 — The rise of higher carb intake during competition

52:57 — Whether high carb intake creates health concerns

54:01 — Bicarbonate, lactate, and newer supplements

55:08 — How sodium bicarbonate works and why it may help performance

58:28 — Bicarbonate dosing, timing, and testing before race day

60:24 — When preloading and on-bike bicarbonate gels might make sense

66:03 — Why bicarbonate dosage is tied to performance, not just lactate numbers

68:16 — Lactate gels, theoretical effects, and emerging science

72:14 — Broccoli shots and isothiocyanates as a potential supplement trend

75:48 — Three common nutrition mistakes endurance athletes make

78:12 — Why protein matters more than many endurance athletes think

79:25 — Why race-day fueling should be trained, not improvised

83:27 — Why cutting on-bike fuel is usually the wrong move for weight loss

86:18 — Fasted training versus low-glycogen sessions and when each may make sense

91:10 — Low energy availability and why carbs around training matter for health

93:32 — How Hexas aims to help athletes fuel better around training

94:13 — How coaches can use Hexas to support off-bike nutrition

96:09 — Closing thoughts, partnership mention, and discount code

Hello everyone. Welcome to the latest episode of The Matchbox Podcast powered by Ignition Coach Co. I’m your host, Adam Saban, and on this week’s episode we’re talking to the founder and CEO of Tymewear, Arnar Larusson about all things training with ventilation metrics.

 

As always, if you like what you hear, share this with your friends and leave us a five star review and if you have any questions for the show drop us an email at matchboxpod@gmail.com or head over to ignitioncoachco.com and fill out The Matchbox Podcast listener question form. 

 

Alight let’s get into it!

 

For more social media content, follow along @ignitioncoachco @adamsaban6 @dizzle_dillman @dylanjawnson @kait.maddox  

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/c/DylanJohnsonCycling https://www.ignitioncoachco.com 

https://www.youtube.com/@DrewDillmanChannel

 

Intro/ Outro music by AlexGrohl - song "King Around Here" - https://pixabay.com/music/id-15045/ 

 

The following was generated using Riverside.fm AI technologies

 

Summary

This episode features Arnar Larusson, founder and CEO of Tymewear, talking about why breathing may be the missing signal in endurance training. The discussion centers on how ventilation can give coaches and athletes a more reliable view of internal workload, training zones, fatigue, and perceived exertion than heart rate alone.We also hear from Adam and Dizzle as they pressure-test the practical side of the tech, from zone setup to high-intensity work to whether the strap holds up in winter layers.

Key topics

Arnar Larusson shares how an engineering background in prosthetics and exosuits led him to endurance physiology and eventually to building a breathing sensor for athletes.

The core idea behind Timeware is that lab-grade insights about ventilation, thresholds, and metabolic output were not accessible in the field, so the company built a way to bring that signal outside the lab.

Arnar explains why he sees heart rate as only one limited piece of the performance picture, especially when it is affected by heat, altitude, fatigue, and fueling.

The episode breaks down why ventilation is a stronger reference point for training zones because it is more directly tied to what the muscles are doing.

Arnar walks through the evidence behind poor zone estimation using population averages, including the problem of large error margins and high non-responder rates.

Adam and Dizzle dig into the relationship between breathing rate, RPE, and how the strap could help athletes better calibrate effort in real time.

The conversation covers why ventilation is especially useful for endurance work and threshold work, while power remains the better guide for short VO2 max intervals.

Arnar explains how the strap’s dedicated breathing sensor differs from estimating respiration through HRV, especially once exercise intensity rises.

They discuss how fatigue, race load, altitude, and heat can distort heart rate and power, while ventilation often stays the steadier anchor.

The episode also touches on practical use cases like winter clothing interference, dynamic zones, and how the product may help coaches understand athlete readiness and training response.

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction to Arnar Larusson and the breathing sensor concept

00:34 - Arnar’s engineering background and the path from prosthetics to exosuits

01:29 - Why lab-grade breathing data mattered in the field

02:49 - The gap between lab testing and real-world athlete feedback

04:43 - Why breathing became the missing performance metric

05:01 - Timeware’s launch timeline and the Vital Pro Strap rollout

06:02 - Why heart rate alone is too limited to guide training

07:24 - The problem with population-based training zones

08:51 - Why true VT1 and VT2 zones matter more than estimated percentages

10:15 - Breathing as a cleaner signal than lactate or heart rate

11:41 - Why ventilation works as a foundation for interpreting other metrics

13:40 - The breathing rate and RPE connection

15:20 - How breathing rate can help objectively estimate perceived effort

16:22 - Using resting breathing data to set reserve and calibrate effort

17:38 - Why the strap complements heart rate instead of replacing it

18:35 - How ventilation helps distinguish fitness gains from fatigue effects

20:31 - Why power, heart rate, and ventilation can diverge during long efforts

22:39 - Why ventilation stays stable at altitude while power and heart rate shift

24:02 - How coaches think about custom heart rate zones versus ventilatory zones

26:22 - Ramp testing and how the app builds zones from multiple signals

27:52 - How heart rate responses vary by athlete, fitness, and season

28:58 - Jonas and the Visma example of a large VT1 shift in one month

30:19 - The psychology of getting attached to old training numbers

31:14 - Breathing as a grounding metric for effort perception

33:48 - Why ventilation is closer to a continuous lactate signal than heart rate is

35:48 - Why lactate is useful but delayed and influenced by fueling status

37:30 - The lactate cascade versus the near-instant response of ventilation

39:21 - Which ventilation averaging window works best for different workouts

40:05 - Does fatigue change ventilation, or just power and heart rate?

42:22 - Why stable ventilation can indicate fitness gains even when power rises

45:55 - Backyard ultra example showing breathing rate rising while ventilation stayed flat

48:16 - How coaches can use the data to adjust pacing and training interventions

49:02 - Why fresh legs can still show higher ventilation after racing

50:27 - Listener question on VO2 max workouts and how to use ventilation data

51:13 - Why power or pace is still best for guiding VO2 max intervals

52:39 - Why ventilation shines for endurance and threshold work

54:14 - Why standard VO2 max estimates can badly overstate actual capacity

55:06 - How the app’s zone testing improves confidence in training targets

56:27 - Using breathing rate as an RPE-style guide during hard intervals

57:40 - Winter clothing, bib shorts, and sensor interference

60:22 - Dynamic zones and the neural net designed to handle external interference

62:06 - Can ventilation reveal illness or respiratory issues?

64:29 - Anecdotal signs of infection, allergies, or asthma in the signal

65:14 - Current and upcoming integrations with major head units and platforms

67:18 - Why the strap includes both heart rate and a dedicated breathing sensor

68:39 - Why HRV-based respiration estimates break down during exercise

69:39 - Where listeners and coaches can get involved with Timeware

Hello everyone. Welcome to the latest episode of The Matchbox Podcast powered by Ignition Coach Co. I’m your host, Adam Saban, and on this week’s episode we’re talking about drive train efficiency, how to convert those quality indoor workouts into superior outdoor workouts, and whether we should be increasing muscle mass for more power output.

 

As always, if you like what you hear, share this with your friends and leave us a five star review and if you have any questions for the show drop us an email at matchboxpod@gmail.com or head over to ignitioncoachco.com and fill out The Matchbox Podcast listener question form. 

 

Alight let’s get into it!

 

For more social media content, follow along @ignitioncoachco @adamsaban6 @dizzle_dillman @dylanjawnson @kait.maddox  

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/c/DylanJohnsonCycling https://www.ignitioncoachco.com 

https://www.youtube.com/@DrewDillmanChannel

 

Intro/ Outro music by AlexGrohl - song "King Around Here" - https://pixabay.com/music/id-15045/ 

 

The following was generated using Riverside.fm AI technologies

 

 

Summary

This episode tackles two practical cycling questions: how to choose the most efficient and reliable chain for a SRAM 13-speed setup, and how to translate indoor workout discipline to outdoor riding. Adam and the Host also dig into whether adding muscle mass helps power output, how strength training should be periodized, and how much muscle is actually useful for cyclists.

Key topics

Jim from Albany, New York, asks about chain selection for a SRAM 13-speed Eagle/Explorer groupset.

Waxing a chain, including using Silca drip wax, can improve drivetrain efficiency and narrow the gap between a great chain and a mediocre one.

Matching the chain brand to the drivetrain brand can support better shifting, fewer dropped chains, and fewer compatibility issues.

SRAM 12-speed and 13-speed chains are effectively the same category; there is not a separate 13-speed chain standard.

Higher-end chains may offer meaningful durability benefits, even when their efficiency advantage is relatively small.

11-speed Shimano Dura-Ace is discussed as a historical efficiency benchmark, but the practical gap between modern drivetrain options is small.

Outdoor workout execution is a skill that must be practiced rather than avoided.

Shifting, route selection, and terrain awareness can help riders keep power within the target range.

Lap average, time in zone, and power distribution are more informative than occasional power spikes alone.

Strength training can improve force application, neuromuscular coordination, and cycling economy without requiring dramatic muscle gain.

Strength training should generally be emphasized during lower-intensity cycling periods and maintained during harder training blocks and race season.

Body type and racing goals should influence whether an athlete prioritizes climbing or sprinting performance.

Timestamps

00:00 - Jim asks about the most efficient chain for SRAM 13-speed and whether wax changes the answer

00:33 - Why Silca wax boosts efficiency and reduces the difference between good and bad chains

01:32 - Shimano Dura-Ace 11-speed as a historical efficiency benchmark

02:41 - Best practice: use the chain made for your drivetrain

04:03 - Durability, breakage concerns, and why higher-end chains can last much longer

05:35 - Force versus Red on SRAM flat-top and Explorer setups

07:28 - 12-speed and 13-speed chains are the same category

08:28 - Why off-road riders may choose SRAM for reliability over small watt savings

09:10 - Why waxing saves money by extending chain and cassette life

10:08 - Drip wax versus hot melt and how often to reapply

11:31 - Convenience, training time, and why not to overthink chain choice

13:13 - Blair’s question: indoor erg mode works, but outdoor workouts feel harder to hold

14:00 - Why outdoor execution matters more than perfect trainer compliance

15:20 - Use shifting and pacing skills to hold power across rolling terrain

16:56 - Why pedaling easier is not the same as making the workout harder

18:20 - Terrain choice matters for staying in Zone 2

19:39 - How to simplify outdoor intervals and narrow power ranges over time

20:36 - Using a 10-second average and a more stable power display outside

22:29 - Lap average can help, but only if the workout structure stays intact

23:31 - Why a 30/30-style effort is not the same as a steady tempo interval

24:33 - What to do when terrain interrupts a planned interval

26:24 - TrainingPeaks time-in-zone and workout distribution as coaching checks

27:34 - Reviewing workouts through color-coded power distribution

28:49 - Zone discipline is about lactate control, not just external power numbers

30:15 - Mixed feelings on erg mode and why it may not translate well outdoors

31:51 - Erg mode can help indoors, but it can also hide the skill of self-pacing

33:53 - Ryan asks whether more muscle mass means more power and how to periodize lifting

34:26 - Strength work, hypertrophy, and muscular endurance explained

36:25 - Why beginners often move from higher reps to lower reps for safety and progression

37:22 - How strength training and cycling blocks should align through the season

38:35 - Strength gains in new lifters are often neuromuscular, not just muscle growth

39:32 - Why strength training can improve cycling economy and muscle-firing efficiency

41:43 - Endurance athletes usually do not need huge muscle gains to benefit from lifting

44:06 - Goals matter: crit racers and climbers may optimize differently

46:10 - FTP is mostly cardiovascular, with strength training as a supporting tool

Hello everyone. Welcome to the latest episode of The Matchbox Podcast powered by Ignition Coach Co. I’m your host, Adam Saban, and on this week’s episode we’re talking about preferred cadence, durability workouts for mountain bikers, and our current takes on sodium bicarbonate supplementation.

 

As always, if you like what you hear, share this with your friends and leave us a five star review and if you have any questions for the show drop us an email at matchboxpod@gmail.com or head over to ignitioncoachco.com and fill out The Matchbox Podcast listener question form. 

 

Alight let’s get into it!

 

For more social media content, follow along @ignitioncoachco @adamsaban6 @dizzle_dillman @dylanjawnson @kait.maddox  

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/c/DylanJohnsonCycling https://www.ignitioncoachco.com 

https://www.youtube.com/@DrewDillmanChannel

 

Intro/ Outro music by AlexGrohl - song "King Around Here" - https://pixabay.com/music/id-15045/ 

 

The following was generated using Riverside.fm AI technologies

 

In this episode, Adam, Dylan, and Kaitlyn Maddox answer listener questions on cycling cadence, durability workouts, and sodium bicarbonate. They break down what changes performance, what mostly changes feel, and where the research and real-world experience line up.

 

Key topics

In this episode: cadence does not directly make you faster at the same power output. Watts matter more than RPM alone.

Dylan argues that the most efficient cadence is usually your preferred, most comfortable cadence, not a forced target.

The group discusses why low cadence can feel grindy on climbs and why too much cadence manipulation often adds more fatigue than benefit.

Kaitlyn and Adam note that bike fit, saddle height, core stability, and position can all contribute to bouncing in the saddle at higher cadence.

The conversation shifts to durability training and how to place hard sessions with intervals before and after endurance riding.

Dylan and Kaitlyn both say durability workouts are taxing enough that they should not be done year-round as a weekly default.

Kaitlyn explains her coaching approach of building one energy system at a time, then adding a durability session at the end of each block.

Dylan shares that he has progressed from basic endurance-between-intervals sessions to longer tempo blocks between interval sets to better simulate race fatigue.

The final section covers bicarbonate use for sprint triathlon and short running events, with agreement that it is worth testing for hard, high-intensity efforts.

The hosts compare products and methods, including delayed-release capsules, flavored systems, and the importance of trialing bicarb in training before race day.

 

Timestamps

00:00 - Listener question: does higher cadence make you faster?

01:10 - Same watts, different RPMs: what actually changes

02:45 - The most efficient cadence is your preferred cadence

04:03 - Can cadence be trained, or is it mostly self-selected?

05:16 - Why low-cadence riders can struggle on climbs

07:03 - Fast-twitch recruitment and why low cadence can burn you out

08:40 - Torque intervals versus cadence manipulation

10:20 - Why the science on cadence is not convincing

14:25 - Pogacar, short cranks, and why pro cadence trends can mislead

15:34 - Why more trained riders often naturally choose higher cadence

17:41 - Fixing saddle bounce: cadence, core, and bike fit

19:10 - Adam’s move to single-speed mountain biking

19:39 - Listener question: how to use durability work in training

20:58 - Why durability workouts are too taxing to do all year

22:30 - Building race-specific durability around the demands of the event

24:48 - How durability sessions differ from standard VO2 workouts

26:00 - Dylan’s progression from endurance gaps to tempo blocks

28:48 - Why Kaitlyn avoids a dedicated durability block

29:18 - Energy-system blocks and adding durability at the end

30:10 - Why these sessions should not happen the week before a race

31:21 - Where durability fits if an athlete only has one long ride day

33:29 - Why durability is not a third intensity day

34:09 - Listener question: is bicarb worth it for sprint triathlon and 5K racing?

35:21 - Why bicarb matters most for short, hard efforts

36:21 - Product options and stomach-friendly formulations

38:32 - Delayed-release capsules and reducing GI issues

39:04 - How Dylan doses bicarb before racing

40:38 - Why bicarb should be tested in training, not first used on race day

43:57 - Creatine versus bicarb: different benefits, different use cases

46:50 - Why supplement benefits do not always stack

48:33 - Bicarb plus caffeine and why that combination can feel stronger

49:27 - How bicarb can still matter in longer events

50:05 - The workout-level feeling of “unlocking another gear”

Hello everyone. Welcome to the latest episode of The Matchbox Podcast powered by Ignition Coach Co. I’m your host, Adam Saban, and on this week’s episode we’re talking about whether or not you should consider tire pressure changes into part of your race strategy.

 

As always, if you like what you hear, share this with your friends and leave us a five star review and if you have any questions for the show drop us an email at matchboxpod@gmail.com or head over to ignitioncoachco.com and fill out The Matchbox Podcast listener question form. 

 

Alight let’s get into it!

 

For more social media content, follow along @ignitioncoachco @adamsaban6 @dizzle_dillman @dylanjawnson @kait.maddox  

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/c/DylanJohnsonCycling https://www.ignitioncoachco.com 

https://www.youtube.com/@DrewDillmanChannel

 

Intro/ Outro music by AlexGrohl - song "King Around Here" - https://pixabay.com/music/id-15045/ 

 

The following was generated using Riverside.fm AI technologies

 

Summary

The conversation also gets into mini pumps, CO2, tire pressure strategy, and when it’s worth making equipment changes based on course layout.