I'm totally fascinated by the fracas surrounding Dr. Pedersen's thoughts on training in a glycogen depleted state. To make a long story short, it seems that some training adaptations might be facilitated by training in a glycogen-depleted state. See, e.g., http://www.sportsci.org/2006/ss.htm or the more pop-sciencey http://www.poweringmuscles.com/article.php?article_id=160.
I'm extremely curious to hear folks thoughts on this matter. As Stephen Seiler points out above, this does seem to resolve part of the mystery of how athletes in earlier times seemed to train so little. On an anecdotal note, it jibes with some personal experience I've had of riding in energy deficits. Carbohydrate stores certainly wouldn't be the first acute performance enhancer that can inhibit performance chronically; after all, rest behaves the same way.
I'm extremely curious to hear folks thoughts on this matter. As Stephen Seiler points out above, this does seem to resolve part of the mystery of how athletes in earlier times seemed to train so little. On an anecdotal note, it jibes with some personal experience I've had of riding in energy deficits. Carbohydrate stores certainly wouldn't be the first acute performance enhancer that can inhibit performance chronically; after all, rest behaves the same way.