Riding Smarter, Not Harder: The Role of Cellular Energy Science in Cycling Performance

Susan Miller

March 23, 2026

As a cyclist….

You spend countless hours trying to squeeze every last watt out of your training and racing.

You meticulously plan everything from weekly training hours to pre-race meal plans in pursuit of marginal gains.

But there’s one critical factor that many cyclists are overlooking.

…the tiny human engines inside our muscle cells that create energy.

It’s called cellular energy science.

And it could be the missing piece of your cycling performance puzzle.

If you want to ride smarter, not harder…

Here’s everything you need to know about cellular energy and how to apply it to your training.

What You’re About To Discover:

Why Cellular Energy Is The Foundation Of Cycling Performance
How Mitochondria Determine Your Endurance Ceiling
The Science Behind Endurance Boosting Peptides
How ERR Agonists Are Changing Performance Science
What All This Means For Cyclists Right Now

Ready?

Let’s ride.

Why Cellular Energy Is The Foundation Of Cycling Performance

When it comes down to it…

All watts are created equally at the cellular level.

Humans store energy in the form of a molecule called ATP. Adenosine triphosphate.

When the body calls upon the muscles to contract, it breaks ATP down into usable energy then resynthesises it almost as quickly as it’s depleted.

Why does this matter?

The quicker ATP can be resynthesised — and the more ATP your cells can produce at once — the more power you can sustain.

Where does that energy come from?

During intense efforts like sprinting, your body relies on phosphocreatine and carbohydrates for fuel.

For endurance athletes engaged in prolonged aerobic exercise, stored fat becomes the primary fuel source as the body shifts into fat-burning mode.

But having enough fuel reserves isn’t what allows elite endurance athletes to outperform their competitors. It’s how efficiently their bodies can convert that fuel into cellular energy.

Enter science like Slu pp 332.

Researchers are just beginning to unlock the potential of endurance boosting peptides that act directly at the cellular level to enhance mitochondria function and increase the body’s ability to generate ATP.

How Mitochondria Determine Your Endurance Ceiling

Remember mitochondria from earlier?

Tiny organelles in the cells are responsible for creating ATP.

Not only are mitochondria where ATP is produced, but the number of mitochondria in muscle cells determines just how much ATP can be created at any given time.

More mitochondria = greater ability to produce ATP.

Better mitochondria = less energy wasted during energy production.

High-quality mitochondria are like high-performance engines in that they can extract more mechanical energy from the same amount of fuel.

And if you aren’t already thinking about mitochondria…

You should be.

By improving your mitochondria density and efficiency through things like endurance training and proper recovery, you can increase the ability of your muscles to create and use energy.

Mitochondria are why professional cyclists average between 630-1,100 hours of training per year.

Only through pushing their bodies to train for more hours than most people think possible can they develop the mitochondrial density required to perform at a professional level.

But there’s another way…

A new way to boost mitochondrial function.

Recent studies have begun to highlight the benefits of ERR agonists and their effects on mitochondrial health. By activating estrogen-related receptors (ERRs), compounds like SLU-PP-332 can trigger some of the same cellular pathways as endurance training without having to log endless hours in the saddle.

The Science Behind Endurance Boosting Peptides

If you have been around the fitness and cycling world for more than a few years…

You’ve probably heard every buzzword in the book when it comes to supplements.

Early research into things like conjugated linoleic acid and beta-alanine touted their ability to improve everything from aerobic capacity to cycling sprint performance.

But what if there was a supplement that worked at the cellular level to improve mitochondrial function and increase endurance?

Enter…

Exercise mimetics.

Also known as “Endurance Boosting Peptides.” Exercise mimetics are supplements that activate some of the same biological pathways in the body as aerobic exercise.

Instead of replacing the need to put in training hours, these supplements allow athletes to maximize the effectiveness of the training they’re already doing.

Peptides like SLU-PP-332.

SLU-PP-332 is an ERR pan-agonist, meaning it binds to and activates all three types of estrogen-related receptors.

Of particular interest to cyclists is SLU-PP-332’s ability to increase mitochondrial biogenesis and improve cellular respiration. Exercise endurance has also been shown to increase with this peptide.

How ERR Agonists Are Changing Performance Science

ERRs or estrogen-related receptors.

More importantly than they sound…

These receptor groups play a major role in regulating the body’s energy metabolism and mitochondrial function at the cellular level.

ERRs are responsible for:

Regulating mitochondrial biogenesis
Stimulating fatty acid oxidation
Supporting oxidative phosphorylation
Modulating fuel selection between carbs and fat

Three subtypes of ERRs exist in the body — ERRα, ERRβ, and ERRγ.

When activated, ERRs push skeletal muscle cells into a more oxidative state by increasing mitochondrial number and stimulating metabolic processes such as fatty acid oxidation and oxidative phosphorylation.

Translation:

Peptides that act as ERR agonists can increase mitochondrial production and improve the body’s ability to utilise fat as fuel.

And researchers are just beginning to uncover the effectiveness of ERR agonists like SLU-PP-332.

Studies prove SLU-PP-332 increases mitochondrial function and cellular respiration. Preclinical trials also showed an increase in type IIa oxidative skeletal muscle fibres following administration of SLU-PP-332.

Exercise endurance was also enhanced with SLU-PP-332.

Researchers in another study discovered that ERR activation led to up to a 30% increase in endurance.

ERR agonists aren’t meant to replace training. They’re meant to enhance the adaptations your body is already making through hard work and consistent training.

The more you train, the more you can benefit from supplements that give you a stronger cellular foundation to match.

What This Means For Cyclists Right Now

The sports science world is starting to focus in on one major takeaway:

Longevity in endurance sport is fueled by what’s going on inside the muscle cell.

Before you started reading this article, mitochondrial efficiency was probably the last thing on your mind when it came to cycling performance.

Now….

You know better.

Mitochondria are the foundation of your cellular energy production. They can be trained to become more efficient, and there are emerging training supports out there that can give you an edge when it comes to mitochondrial health.

Endurance Peptides are just one example of a supplement that targets muscle cells to support endurance performance.

As research continues into mitochondrial biogenesis and how to support mitochondria’s ability to produce energy, cyclists will benefit from investing as much time in understanding this science as they do in training for their next race.

And that, cyclists, is something to pedal your heart out for.