Day in the life: Sprint cyclist Callum Skinner on Tokyo 2020 training, rest and nutrition
As a part of the British Cycling team my main goal is always the Olympic Games. Every competition along the way is seen as a stepping stone towards Tokyo 2020.
In the shorter term I’m concentrating on next season. I decided to sit out the current campaign and am training hard for 2020.
If we’ve got a full day I’ll typically wake up about 8.20am to get to the National Cycling Centre in Manchester.
There’s a misconception that to be a good athlete you need to wake up really early; a lot of the physiology points to the opposite. The importance of sleep hygiene has been drummed into me, as if you don’t get eight hours your risk of injury doubles.
Anthony Joshua doesn’t have a morning alarm – he relies on his natural cycle to wake him. That allows your body the time it needs to rest.
It takes 30 minutes for me to cycle to the track, where I’ll be in the gym from 10am until 12pm. As a sprinter I look like the exact opposite of most people who go to the gym as I focus on lower body exercises.
I have a very specific skill set. I am good at cycling, but pretty much poor at everything else.
In the gym squats are a big part, but I have suffered back injuries in the past so I focus instead on leg press, where I can push 600kg for five repetitions.
I then have a lunch break from 12pm until 2pm, which I might fill with some of British Cycling’s support services, like seeing the biomechanist to work out how to move more efficiently or the physiotherapist to clear up any issues.
I'm on the track between 2pm and 5pm, which consists of a 30-minute warm-up then four individual efforts. As a sprinter I want to get the most out of every burst, so we take 25-minute rests between them. I have to be able to completely empty the energy tank in 20 seconds.
It might look like a leisurely programme, but in reality it is perfectly tuned to suit a sprinter’s needs.
After the track session I might have a massage to aid recovery, or see the nutritionist. I cycle back home for around 6.30pm where I generally cook dinner and just chill out until the next day.
Food-wise, protein is very important but my diet is tailored towards my training so might include more carbohydrates. I typically eat six to eight 20g portions of lean protein per day, which is obviously a lot.
For breakfast I might eat overnight oats, or five eggs, spinach and mushrooms. I’ve started travelling with Michelin starred chef Alan Murchison, who is now focusing on helping athletes. He’s helped me get interested in nutrition and appreciate quinoa and beans.
British Cycling is very scientific in its approach, but food is left up to the individual, although we have DEXA scans every month which measure lean mass, so there’s nowhere to hide.
I’m like a self-employed athlete: I have all these services at my disposal but it’s up to me to eat, sleep and train correctly to improve.
Callum Skinner is sponsored by premium mattress brand Tempur.