Name: Stephen Barrett Age: 23 Weight: 78kg Height: 179cm Sport: Road & Track Cycling Achievements and Competition Results: County 10mile Time Trial Championships 2007 – 1st place County 25mile Time Trial Championships 2007 – 1st place Regional Time Trial Championships 2007 – 2nd place Competed for Ireland at World Triathlon Champs in Hamburg 2007. Selected onto the Irish U-23 Track & Road Cycling Team (October 2007) About me: Stephen Barrett, originally from Ireland, is now based, in Loughborough, UK, where he is currently studying for an MSc in Exercise Physiology at Loughborough University. The last 9 months of Stephen’s life have literally been a whirlwind. He has gone from never cycling a bike in his life up to 12 months ago, to now being one of the top track cyclists in Ireland and has his sights firmly set on the 2012 Olympics. Stephen has no background in endurance sport and only decided to purchase a bike in May 2007 because of a local triathlon in his area. Since that day his cycling has taken off. He focused on triathlon for most of last summer with no ambitions to become a cyclist. only to be a better triathlete. He had some good results in his first triathlon season and ended up qualifying for the World championships which were on in Hamburg last September. He did very well there for his first world championships and posted the second fastest bike split in his age-group but had a pretty ‘average’ swim and ended up finishing mid-pack.

It wasn’t until Stephen arrived at University in Loughborough that he realised he may have a talent for cycling. At first he spent a first few weeks trying to improve his swimming, but then in mid October a call came from the Irish U-23 cycling coach about a talent ID test. They had been monitoring Stephens progress over the summer and had noticed a few good Time Trial results. Stephen says “I didn’t think much about that, and with no real specific training I did the ID test and produced some pretty good results, beating a number of the guys who were on the Irish elite squad and coming best by a long way over all the U-23’s. I was very fortunate to be in Loughborough surrounded my high class sport science support and coaches. It was with the help of my coach that I then realised I had the potential to make it to the Olympics and become a top class cyclist. Due to my quick rise to this elite level I was also able to enrol the help of one of the top nutritionists in Loughborough, Martin MacDonald, who I have been working with ever since. I was also able to gain my sponsorship with Excel Labs and whilst using their products in the last 6 months, combined with hard training, I have solidified my place on the Irish national U-23 squad, being seriously monitored by the senior elite squad.” Stephen has been offered a number of pro team contracts, all of which he has had to turn down due to University. He has been awarded the highly prestigious 2012 sports scholarship award at Loughborough and has already become a high profile name at any of the races he competes in, here in the UK. Look out for Stephens’s results in the coming months, his race calendar is hectic, sometimes racing up to four times in a week. Stephen told the team at Excel Labs “My coach often enters me in pro races as an extra training session…” The Excel Labs team wishes Stephen the best of luck in all his competitions and “…extra training sessions” and will be supporting him in whatever way they can. Training/Diet: Supplements: XL Beta – One of the most important XL products in my supplement regimen. It acts as an acid buffer in the muscles during high intensity exercise, which helps me get through those extra few intervals on the track in training. It essentially allows me to train harder for longer. XL Caff – I use XL Caff about an hour before all of my major races. I don’t use it during training because I feel when it comes to a race it gives that extra kick I need to push harder. It also allows me to focus better especially in time trials where it can be easy to lose concentration for a second which can be the difference between 1st and 5th place. XL Omega – I use XL Omega on a daily basis throughout the year. Since working with my nutritionist I have tripled my intake! I take a minimum of 6g per day. The benefits are endless; the main reason I use XL Omega is due to the anti-inflammatory effects, allowing me to recover from my training optimally. I also quite like the pronounced health benefits. XL Synthesis – I use XL Synthesis immediately following all of my hard interval or gym sessions. It contains a combination of all the right ingredients, at the right amounts, to kick start the recovery process allowing my body to recover fully for my next session which is usually in the same day! I must say I rate the effects more than the taste, however, results are all that matters to me. XL Whey+ - I use XL Whey+ everyday as a staple in my diet. It is an easy and tasty way for me to increase my protein intake which is essential for muscle growth and recovery. Training up to 6 hours a day means that I sometimes don’t have time to get protein in my diet from food sources. This is where XL Whey+ comes in, as it is easy on my stomach and quickly absorbed which means I can get on with my training. XL Creatine – Creatine is one of the most researched products out there and it has proven to work. I use XL Creatine during specific strength and power phases throughout my training year. Combined with XL Beta these products make my workouts intense and extremely productive allowing my body to adapt to the increased training stress and also in helping with recovery.