The Science of Enduro – Lewis Kirkwood

May 8, 2018

Not only is Lewis Kirkwood a talented bike rider with a history in both XC and Enduro racing, and some time on the EWS circuit, but he is studying for a PhD in ‘Performance in Enduro Mountain Biking’. That makes him a pretty interesting guy in my book! I recently sat down with Lewis to find out about his studies so far, and what he has learned. From his undergraduate project looking at the physiological demands of enduro mountain biking, to his current PhD work, he has had some of the world’s top athletes in the lab, and has been taking data, from them and their bikes, at races and in training. We dig into the science to find out more about what it takes to be at the top. There is some really interesting stuff in here, and definitely a few things that could be applied to your own riding to improve your own performance. I know that I certainly learned a lot from talking to Lewis.

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To read Lewis’ paper, head here

To follow Lewis on instagram, head to @lewis_kirkwood

If you want to get in touch with Lewis via email, he’s on lewis.kirkwood@napier.ac.uk

And you can find out more about the Mountain Bike Centre of Scotland here

Lewis would like to thank the research group involved in the study, Professor Geraint Florida-James, Dr Lesley Ingram, Jamie Cunningham, and Dr Eva Malone.