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Nathan MacKinnon’s training begins after the game.
How did the Avalanche center score the second-most points in the NHL (84 points) at the All-Star break and average about 23 minutes of ice time? The legend of his gym habits continues to grow. McKinnon’s MVP-caliber season at Colorado was partially the result of cycling science.
First step: Ride a stationary bike.
“When it’s over (after a game), most teams are on a plane or bus within 20 minutes. And they’re on a plane within an hour and flying everywhere.” Coach Jared Bednar said. “They arrive early. We arrived late. But Nate has a routine that he does after games at home and on the go, so he’s not going to change that. It doesn’t matter. It prepares him for the next game.”
McKinnon discussed postgame training on a lengthy podcast with TSN Hockey Insider Elliott Friedman last month. McKinnon said his longtime trainer Andy O’Brien suggested the bike as a recovery tool. But it’s not that simple.
“It’s a ‘Zone 2’ vehicle,” McKinnon explained on “32 Thoughts: The Podcast.” “It’s like a subconscious part of the nervous system. It just gets rid of all the lactic acid. Tour de France (competitor) likes to run six hours in Zone 2 on their day off. And the next day too. They ride. Otherwise they get stuck. That’s where the idea came from. The more you play, the more I ride.”
According to cyclingweekly.com, riding in Zone 2 is “essential for increasing efficiency and endurance” and allows riders to use between 56 and 75 percent of their functional threshold power (FTP), or the highest average power sustained for an hour. I’m asking you to. Zone 2 rides increase the density of mitochondria (cellular power plants) in your muscles, while simultaneously burning fat and storing carbohydrates for energy.
Translation: McKinnon becomes scientific in his relentless pursuit of improving his game.
“What he’s been doing this year has been really consistent. What I’m talking about is… going from elite to super elite-like habits on the ice,” Bednar said. Ta. “But he’s found something in his desire to get better. With his drive and education in on-ice training, he’s always looking for an edge. He’s clearly found what works for him. It was.”
This is not a one-size-fits-all recovery model for Avalanche players. Andrew Cogliano, 36, is in his 17th season in the NHL and has played more than 1,200 games. His on-ice habits are considered elite among his Avalanche teammates, even if they differ from MacKinnon’s at times.
“Nate has things that might not work for me that might work for him,” Cogliano said. “In general, our culture in the gym is that we’re a hard-working team. … Nate is obviously the leader when it comes to that. If you want to play on this team, work ethic has got to be your number one priority. It won’t.”
McKinnon is taking a page from two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets playbook. “He’s probably an animal in the gym after games,” McKinnon said during a recent appearance on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast. McKinnon has a similar reputation.
Even if it means a long wait for teammates and coaches to finish Zone 2 rides.
“He pushes other players to do that, and it makes us better,” Bednar said. “And as a coach, you just go with it. After the game, I sit on my computer and work for an hour before I get on the bus. And instead of arriving at 1 a.m., I arrive at 2 o’clock. But he It worked out well for him. And he’s leading us.”
team mackinnon
Nathan MacKinnon is one of four team captains for the NHL All-Star Game in Toronto starting Saturday at 1 p.m. on ABC. Below is Team MacKinnon’s roster selected in Thursday’s player draft.
Colonel Nathan MacKinnon
Colonel Kale Makar
Sidney Crosby, PIT
Colonel Alexander Georgiev
Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota
Sebastian Aho, California
Tom Wilson, WSH
Jeremy Swayman, BOS
Travis Konecny, PHI
Elias Lindholm, VAN
Oliver Bjorkstrand, Southeast Asia
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