Quote Originally Posted by OakLeaf View Post
As I said, my natural cycling cadence all my life has been around 85-87, and I'm pretty sure my natural running cadence is even a little higher than that.** You'd still have a hard time convincing me that I'm predominantly fast-twitch.

I've never, ever been fast. In high school we didn't have XC, but I ran the mile (longest distance we had) much better than I did the shorter distances. In a recent 10-mile event - that I wasn't actually racing, but just entered for practice - I kicked the last mile or so just about 20 sec/mile slower than my PR 5K.

In cycling, my best event was the 40K ITT.

In weight lifting, I do tend to be strong for my size and sex, but I think it has more to do with the fact that I put on muscle more easily than a lot of women. Pound for pound of lean mass, really it seems to me that my 1RM's ought to be higher than they are.

You really think based on my cadences alone that I should be predominantly fast-twitch???


___________________
** (That's based on old-fashioned timing and counting - I usually get right around 95. I'm totally coveting a footpod for my new GPS watch, solely for cadence since I do not do treadmills, but haven't found one in stock anywhere yet.)
No. Did someone say that?
You sound like a pretty classic slow-twitch to me.
Low-side cadence on the bike, mile runnner, lots of oomph left at the end of a long run.

The cool thing is you already know your natural cadence, so all the angsting over rpms is long gone for you.

I don't know how to emphasize this enough: Everyone Is Different. Everyone Has Their Own Unique Best Cadence.

If a person is happily riding along at (for example) 85-87 rpm, don't feel you have to change it up to 95-100 just because someone says that's better, or you think you are fast twitch and have to be just like another fast-twitch. Don't look at someone else's cadence that might be even lower and start thinking you have to slow yours down to match theirs just because they run like you do.

Ride your ride.

Play with cadence until you find your sweet spot. Be your own expert.

"Fast twitch" and "slow twitch" aren't cliques in high school that you have to join one or the other. It's a concept that helps to explain why some folks seem quite happy riding at rpms that would kill someone else. A concept that is meant to explain why "one size fits all" doesn't work on the bike, and why no-one should feel they are a bad rider or an inexperienced rider just because of their rpms.

There is no black and white in fast and slow. No dividing line. It's a gradation of grays.

I've said it before: I worked on some very cool research with Dr. Haushka on the embryological development of fast and slow twitch fibers back in the 1980's. It is fascinating stuff, and I encourage anyone interested in it to look up some of the original research. Your proportion of fast to slow in your muscles is as unique as your fingerprints. Find your sweet spot and ride!