Endurance Planet: Recent Episodes
None
Endurance Planet is the premiere podcast for runners, cyclists, swimmers, triathletes, obstacle racers, and adventure racers who want cutting-edge information, education and entertainment to fuel your endurance passion. We are owned by host Tawnee Prazak. Contact us at admin@enduranceplanet.com.
Our Top Recovery Tools and Strategies, Morning vs Evening Workout Pros and Cons (Don't Do This Exercise First Thing), Plus: Healing Post Antibiotics
Revisiting RED-S - Myths, Relapse Risk With Injury, Athlete Plates and Intuitive Eating, And Initiating Tough But Helpful Conversations
Tendon Healing, The Single Most Important Exercise, and Inside A Coach's Rehab Protocol
From fasting to fueling in the morning (and why we recommend for athletes), peluva for ‘natural movement’ lifestyle and more
Minimalist Footwear For Knee Pain Relief and Boosted Economy - Current Research Findings and And How To Safely Transition To Reduce Risk, Plus: A Fit-For-Life Game Plan To Race Everything From 100m to Marathon
Holistic Approach To Building Bone Density and Lifestyle Medicine Part 3: A Fresh Perspective on Physical Movement and Nature Immersion
vbCyclocross Season Workouts And Tips, Grinding Gravel, and Non-Toxic 'Insanity,' How To Keep Your Cool And Healthy Balance + Budget Around Clean Living
Our 'Hangups' With Training, Roadmap to Track PRs, The Value of 'Rest and Digest' At Mealtime (But Why So Many Of Us Miss This and The Consequences)
Backpacking the High Sierra Trail, Summiting Mt. Whitney, and Comparisons with Competitive Sport
Run Plateaus, The Science on Run Cadence and Injury Rate (Hint: No Consensus), Triathlon Maintenance While Strength Building, Heat Adaption Protocols and More
Music As An Ergogenic Aid (But...), Plus Its Role In Neuroplasticity, Nervous System Balance and More
The Science & Art Of Stroller Running - A Guide To Maximizing Your Time Effort When Pushing Precious Cargo
Supplement Plans for Postpartum vs. Hormone-Healing Maintenance, Plus Lifestyle Medicine Part 1
Nausea at the Finish (Outside-The-Box Remedies), Combining Marathon Training and Yoga, Nutrition and Training For Multi-Day Bikepacking, and More!
Level Up Athletic Gains -- Work Your Ambidexterity, Recharge With Nature, Coexist With EMFs, and (Gasp!) Ditch The Wearable?!
Ragnar Recap--Back For The Fifth Time! Plus: Thoughts on Doping and Integrity, Safe Supplementing, Strength Training for Athletes Over 70, and More!
Know Thyself, How Well Can You Read Your Body's Signals? Plus: The 'Gray Zone' - It Isn't So Bad If Used Well, Here's How
To Train or Not To Train Through Hormonal Imbalances, High Heart Rate Concerns (and A Heart Health Check), and More
Humbled by MAF Training, Big Toe Rehab for Runners, Deep Dive on Introversion and Extroversion, and More
Chris McDougall and Eric Orton: On Holistic Training, Healthy Feet, Minimalist Shoes and Why We Need To Be Running Faster in Training
Destress Now, Be Healthy Later -- Guide To The Vagus Nerve and More On Mastering Your Stress And Boosting Health Outcomes
Holistic Winter Prep -- Light Therapy, Protein Goals, Hydration Needs and More, Plus: Julie's Rut 50k Race Reflections
Is It Overtraining? Steps To Recovering From Overdoing It, Strength Build After 'Chronic Cardio,' Carbon-Plated Shoes for Marathons and More
Dissecting Key Long Run Workouts For Marathon Training, HR vs. Pace For Training Runs, Tips On Planning Your 2023 Race Season, and More
Dissecting Key Long Run Workouts For Marathon Training, HR vs. Pace For Training Runs, Tips On Planning Your 2023 Race Season, and More
Lindsay Tuttle, NP: Redefining Wellness -- From Eating Disorder And Declining Health To Thriving, Entrepreneurial Mama
Lindsay Tuttle, NP: Redefining Wellness -- From Eating Disorder And Declining Health To Thriving, Entrepreneurial Mama
Beetroot vs. Tart Cherry Juice For Recovery, Latest Research on Carb Periodization (And Is It Worth It To 'Go Low' Sometimes?), Plus More
Overtraining Syndrome - Novel Findings, Remarkable Markers and Recovery Protocol, Plus Knee Pain During MAF Runs and More
Adjusting to Altitude and Dry Heat, Finding Peace with Postpartum Fitness, TSS For the Swim, and More
Rerelease: How To Race Well in the Heat, a Few 'Tricks' To Stay Cool with Paul Laursen, PhD
Inside Ironman St. George With Lucho - Lessons in Motivation, Self-Discovery, Perseverance and More
Dealing With Online Trolls, MAF and/or Intensity for Ironman, Minimalist Snow Boots, and Counting Down to IM St. George!
Are Food Intolerance Tests Reliable for Healing? Plus: Identifying Root Causes, Intuitive Eating, Hair Loss Solutions and More!
Swim Erg vs Lap Swimming For Triathlon Performance, When Can You Cease Strength For More Sport-Specificity (and Still Maintain Gains), Marathon Transfer To Ironman Run, and More
Your Immune System Part 3 - Role of Mental Stress, Supporting The Immune System For Vaccines, Boosters and Your Body, Athletes Who Get Sick A Lot, and More
In-Depth Sweet Spot Bike Training Guide for Ironman and Beyond, Going From Too High Heart Rates to MAF Focus for Master's Athletes, and More
Your Immune System, Part 2 - The Exercise 'Sweet Spot,' Deep Dive on Immune-Supporting Supplements, Self-Assessing Your Needs, and More
Ironman Fueling Plans with UCAN and More, Transitioning from Ultras to Ironman - Mindset and Training Style Adjustments, and More Fun!
Your Immune System, Part 1 - What Is It, Blood Markers To Analyze it, How It Can Be Affected by Toxins and Our Environment, The Rise of Autoimmunity, and More
Smart Ways To Incorporate Strides, Strength Training Programs To Try This Winter, Becoming A More Durable Ultrarunner and More
Sports Nutrition and Wellness Trends in 2021 and Beyond, LCHF Diets Gain Traction, and Much More!
St. George Becomes World Champs, The "Sweet Spot" With Salt (And Why Too Little Isn't Good), Plus: A Quick Gut Health Protocol
An Ultra Story Of Minding Menstruation and Health, Plus: Cold Thermogenesis Is It Right For You? (Hint: It's Not For Everyone)
Those Final Weeks To Nail A Marathon PR, Numbness on the Bike, What Polarized Training Can Offer, and More
Thyroid Health, Part 2 - Hidden Risks, Nutrient Needs, Training Ideas, Self-Care and More
Does Lifestyle Affect T More than Increasing Age? Plus: Newbie Triathletes Gettin' The Run Done, and Female Athlete Heart Rate Considerations
Have You Listened To Your Breath Lately? A Guide to Holistic Wellness Via Better Breathing, Natural Movement and More Time Spent Outdoors
Sports Drink Rundown, Training Considerations For A Woman's Cycle, Going 80/20 with MAF, and More
Oral Contraceptives Impair Lean Mass Gains, Plus: Deep Dive Into Mental Health and Menstrual Recovery For Athletes, Coaches and More
Surprise Guest Joins, Plus: MAF vs. HIIT For Health-Based Fitness, Side Sports While Endurance Training, and More
Thyroid Health, Part 1 - The What, How and Why of Thyroid Problems, Testing, Medications and The Impact of Thyroid on Health and Performance
Coming Off The Pill and Supporting Your Natural Cycle (For Athletes), The Best Time To Eat Iron-Rich Foods With What To Avoid For Better Absorption
Understanding Hypertrophy for Endurance Athletes (Why Gains Are Difficult But Not Impossible), Plus: Marathon PR Plan, and More
Running 14ers - Training, Nutrition and Altitude Advice, Uphill Racing Tactics, And Resuming Swimming Post-Shutdowns
Julie Goes Carnivore, Real Talk On Within-Day Energy Deficits, Plus a New Study Shows Avocados Favorably Alter Gut Microbiota
Zwift Racing Tactics, Indoor vs Outdoor Power Differences, and Crosstraining and Fueling for Ultrarunning
6 Empowering Mantras and Lessons For 2021: Featuring Megan Flanagan of Strong Runner Chicks
Spring Seasonal Eating Guide, Plus In Depth on The Science of Cravings and Creative Ways to Alleviate Stress
Recovery Intervals - How Much Rest Do You Need? And More on The Science and Art of Rest Sets and Avoiding Common Mistakes
Dr. Phil Maffetone 26: Self-Care During Uncertain Times, 'Risk' vs Reward of Wearables, Plus: Phil's Daily Habits for Wellbeing
Get Those Glutes Firing, The Single Most Important 'Rule' To Success with High Volume MAF Training, Low Libido Problems, and More
GI Stool Tests vs. Endoscopy/Colonoscopy, PPI Risks, Sports Nutrition for IBD/Colitis, and New Study Shows Eggs With Yolk Out Perform Egg Whites Only
Proper Pushups and Shoulder Health, Longest Brick Before Ironman (Also- Brick Options and Timing), Plus: Combining BQ Hopes With 140.6 Training
Is Adrenal Fatigue a Myth or Misnomer? A Deep Look At What's Really Going on To Get You Relief
Core Conditioning After Kids, Nutrition and Pace Planning For Run Relays, and Periodizing for MTB Stage Races and Run PRs
Recovered From Amenorrhea? How To Maintain Healthy Hormones, Why It's Important To Keep Your Period, and Mindfully Monitoring The Phases of Your Cycle with Complementary Training and Fueling Practices; Plus - Inside Tawnee's Recent Bloodwork!
How Much Mg To Reduce Soreness? Plus: Extreme Cold Weather Training Tips (and Cautions), and Feeling Burnt Out Yet Motivated
The Rise of Health & Nutrition Coaching -- An Inside Look at Our Process and Tips for Coach-Client Success
Practical Ways To Recover Better (Especially For Masters Athletes), How To Know How Fat Adapted You Are, and More!
Fall Seasonal Food Guide (Try These 5!), Plus: The Latest Publications on Vegan Diets, Bone Density and Iron Deficiency for Female Athletes
Lawrence Van Lingen: Discover Your Inner Ability - Run Better, Move Better, Breathe Better, Feel Better
The 3-Minute Burpee Test - How Do You Score? Plus: New Data on Physical Activity's Role In All-Cause Mortality, Tips to Deal With Extreme Heat & Humidity, and Speed Talk With Lucho
Can a Low-Lectin Diet Help Heal Autoimmunity? Plus: Probiotics to Increase Nutrient Absorption and Creatine For Plant-Based Diets
Do Vasectomies Affect Performance? (Lucho Shares His Experience) Plus: Coffee Talk and Programming Effective Recovery
$@#% That Pain in the Knee! How To Heal Your IT Band Syndrome, Chondromalacia Patella and 'Runner's Knee' Issues
Preconception and Postpartum Fitness Guidance, and 'Rapid Fire' With Lucho: Altitude Masks, Run Power Meters, and More!
Potato Purée vs. Sports Gels Put To The Test, 'Cleaning Up' A Poopy Problem, and Cultivating A Healthy Mindset For A Healthier Body
Top Workouts to Improve Threshold, How To Structure a Base Phase, and Finding A Compatible Coach
Injuries and Setbacks Suck, Leveling Up Our Mental State Can Help Us Rebound From Tough Times And Be Hardier Athletes
The Overtraining-Oxidative Stress Connection, A 30% Rule For Running--What Is It and Who Should Follow It, And Why Now The Time To Focus On Those Weaknesses
Summer's Best--Food As Medicine With These 5 Seasonal Picks, Plus: Gut Healing After Antibiotics
How 4-Second Sprints Can Transform Health (and prevent you from sitting for too long), Getting Back To Exercise as PLAY, Building a Smart Weekly Schedule, and More
Mastering Melatonin and Sleep (Without Supplementing), Being Weary of CBD, Hypermobile Athletes and the Estrogen Connection, and More
Dr. Phil Maffetone 25: Steps To Naturally Overcome Seasonal Allergies, Social Distancing From Sugar, and More
Don't Let Runner's Diarrhea Ruin Your Mojo, Plus: Carb Periodization vs. Chronic LCHF and Managing 'Calorie Quality' For High Energy Needs
Badass Bricks, Data Anxiety, Training For Life vs. A Race, The '1/5 Rule' For Bike-Run Balance, and More!
Strength Training Makes Sense For Endurance Athletes So Why Do So Many Plans Lack It? Plus: What the 'Drop Off' In MAF Pace Means, And Learning When You Should Call It Quits On A Workout
HPN 16: Dialing in Diet For MAF Training, What An Average Day of Healthy Fat Intake Looks Like, And Troubleshooting Stalled Weight Loss in an Ironman Athlete
Endurance Into Your 50s--From Sub 3:30 Marathons To The 80/20 MAF Approach, Plus: Try This Intuitive Week of Training To 'Customize' Your Aerobic Zone
Postpartum Recovery Plan - A Functional Health Approach For Athletic Mamas and Baby's Wellbeing
Coronavirus Adjustments--'Safe' Exercise Guidelines, Adapting To Your New Race Season, and Mentally Managing Abrupt Changes
Eating Disorders in Endurance Sports--Common Traits Between 'Good Athletes' and ED Patients, Risk Factors, The Road to Recovery, and Pursuing Health
Tapering Ain't Easy, Here Are Some Strategies To Help You Nail It, Plus: Maintaining An Endurance Base When Goals Stray.
Is Keto Bad For Bone Health? Plus: The Risks of Intermittent Fasting For Female Athletes (And Why We Say 'A Hard No')
How Not To Be A Stressed Out Athlete, Long Run Duration For Masters Marathoners, A Healthy Blend of MAF & Sprints, and More
Compassion and Social Connections To Enhance Performance (And Boost Health & Longevity)
The Case For Strength Training (Even When Research Says It Doesn't Help), Realistic Race Goals, Approaching Youth Sport Coaches, and 24 Hours of Pullups--Say What?
Are Your Symptoms Histamine Intolerance? Plus: Hair Loss in Women (Reasons and Fixes), and Cutting Food Costs While Keeping Quality High
Do Runners Really Work 30% Harder on Curved Non-Motorized Treadmills vs. Traditional Flat Treadmills? Plus: Running After Meniscus Surgery, How To Push Heart Rate While Cycling, and More
HIIT It! How (and Why) To Add High-Intensity Interval Training to Your Endurance Program with Success
Should You Increase Your Strength Length or Stride Rate? How To Prep For Hot Race When, Baby, It's Cold Outside, and Getting in Vertical Training Without Hills
Seasonal Eating Guide Pt 1, Why B12 May Not Just Be About Diet and How To Maintain Healthy Levels, Collagen vs. Whey Protein, and More
What it Takes To Shave an Hour Off a Marathon PR, Building Durability (For Fewer Injuries!), Achilles and Calf Maintenance You Need To Do, and More
Prevention and Healing of Diastasis Recti During Pregnancy and Postpartum and the Crucial Role of Proper Breathing
Setting Heart Rate Zones Based Off MAF, Bringing More Intuition Into Your Runs, and Always Injured What the Heck?
Fueling with Fructose Malabsorption, Loss of Appetite When Training, and Heavy Metals in Protein Powders -- Poor Science or Cause for Concern?
When 'Natural Running Form' Beats Strict MAF, Stepping Up To 100Ks, and Following Your Body's Signals To Achieve Your Race Goals
Krista Austin, Ph.D: Simplifying Sports Nutrition, and Are Female and Male Athletes More Similar Than We Think?
Sub-2 Relay, HRV-Guided Training, How To Approach Hills on MAF, Ironman After 50, and Quelling Anxiety Around Those 'What If' Thoughts
Steps To Healthy Cholesterol Levels, Theories for Increased Lipids When Low Carb, and Are Those Non-Nutritive Sweeteners Risky Or Not?
The Most Common Injuries To Prevent Against, The Sub-2 Shoe Debate, MAF For Health vs. Performance, And More
A More Spiritual Approach To Running, and The Group in Queens That Runs 3,100 Miles Each Summer
Custom Race Fueling Options, Recovering From Rundown, and More On Choosing Your Optimal Diet
Research Analysis - Revisiting Electrolytes and Cramping, and How Heat Affects Fat Oxidation Rates
Split Long Runs - Why and When Are They A Good Idea, Plus: Hamstring Healing, Bailing on Interval Workouts, and More
Do Plant-Based Diets Risk Nutrient Deficiencies? Plus: Quercetin Benefits, and the Real Deal With Canola Oil
Top 5 Exercises For An Explosive Mile, Achilles Bursitis, and Facing An Athletic Crossroads
Is Your Stride Rate Helping or Hurting Your Run Economy? Plus: Boosting Neuromuscular Fitness, Safety in Numbers, and More
Digging Into Poop of Elite Runners, Are You Ready For the 20 x 20 Miler, Heat and Hydration, and More!
A Pain in the Heel, Books on Strength Training, Raising Your Heart Rate, Vegetarian MAF, and more!
Sinking Legs During The Swim, Training For An Ironman On A Mountain Bike, Training For A 50K When You Don't Have Trail Access Or Time and More!
Ryan Hall: On Rebuilding Health, How To Be A Wiser and More Intuitive Athlete, His Top 4 Strength Exercises For Runners, and Much More
Are We Overdoing It With Anti-Inflammatories? The Bright and Dark Side of Inflammation, Bone Density and Stress Fractures, and What to Do For High Hamstring Tendinopathy
Fueling For A Multi-Day Stage Race, Fixing Food Fears, and Cutting Dairy and Gluten While Training
Is There An Optimal Cycling Cadence? Plus: Finding Your Tempo Pace, Marathon Debrief and Olympic Tri PR Tips
Nerve Flossing and Ankle Mobility 'Tests,' Adjustments for A Low Max HR, and Setting HR Zones the Old Fashioned Way vs. New-Age Technology
Tools to Help PTSD & 'Fight or Flight' Responses, When MAF Plateaus, and Using Tempo/LT for Ultra Training
Steps To Overcoming Fear and Anxiety, Swim Faster Without Trying So Hard, and 50k Tapering with a Marathon
Welcome to episode 4 of Holistic Performance Nutrition (HPN) with Julie McCloskey, registered holistic nutrition coach, and Tawnee, a certified sports nutritionist and holistic endurance coach.
Triathletes Seeking Love, Heart Rate for Half-Marathons, And Does Max Heart Rate Hold Any Significance?
Tawnee and Lucho answer questions about: Winter Motivation, 5k Focus For A Marathon Boost, A Quad-numdrum, and More!
In the episode of Ask the Coaches with Brock and Lucho, we answer listener questions about: is it bad to train in zone 3, how to prepare for racing at altitude, what type of strength training is good for triathletes, and more!
In this episode of Ask the Coaches, Brock and Lucho tackle listener questions about: Beginner Strength Training, Back to Back Racing, Core Strength for Endurance, Flipping the Triathlon, and more!
Gary Dudney, of Monterey, Calif., has been publishing articles on running, trail running, and ultrarunning for the past 20 years. His is the author of two books, The Tao of Running and The Mindful Runner, both of which you can buy on amazon by clicking the links.
In this episode of Ask the Coaches, coach Brock, Lucho and guest coach Tawnee answer the following questions about Incorporating Walking into Training, Improving Acceleration & Top Speed, and more!
On episode 2 of Holistic Performance Nutrition (HPN) with Julie McCloskey, registered holistic nutrition coach, and Tawnee, we take a deep dive into your gut health and the use of probiotics from why you need then to what brands and how to take them.
In this episode of Ask the Coaches, Brock and Lucho answer listener’s questions about How Run/Walk Training Works, How Different Types of Bikes Affect Training, Using Heat vs Cold for Fitness, How to Train for the Mile, and more!
In this episode of Ask the Coaches, Brock and Lucho answer listener's questions about knowing your potential as an athlete, what is the way to run downhill, how to not rely on your GPS so much, and the best way to return from a sacral fracture.
We're back with Tawnee interviewing our good friend, Dr. Phil Maffetone. On this show we discuss ways that you can ADD beats to your MAF heart rate and also new additions to the 180 Formula on when you should subtract beats from your MAF. Click here for Phil's full article on the 180-Formula Review and adding beats to MAF.
In this episode of Ask the Coaches, Lucho and Brock tackle listener questions about achieving a BQ if you are a noob, losing weight with keto, what to do when MAF stops working, and how to prepare for a cold 3k swimming race.
We are starting a new show on Endurance Planet called Holistic Performance Nutrition (HPN) and in this show, Episode 1, we introduce Tawnee's co-host Julie McCloskey, who shares her story.
In this 272nd episode of Ask the Coaches, Brock and Lucho answer questions about Titanium versus Carbon Fibre Bikes, Should you Race by Pace or HR, Taking Time Off to Get Balanced, Training Short races and Long at The Same Time, and more!
In this 271st episode of Ask the Coaches, Brock Armstrong and Lucho answer listener questions about Fuelling for a Double, Hill Training 101, Should Kids Take Supplements, MAF on Limited Time, and chat about their own training and racing.
Letting go of trivial stuff
“There will come a day when you’ll be sick, or someone close to you will die, and you will look back on all the trivial things that captured your attention and you’ll think, ‘What was I doing?’ You know this day is coming. Why not act on that knowledge now?” - Sam Harris
Diving deep into a mindfulness meditation practice
Tawnee talks about attending a weeklong meditation retreat in Colorado and the massive benefits and healing it provided. If you’re thinking of doing one, find a way to make it happen. Stop making excuses.
The retreat was at the Shambahala Mountain Center in Red Feather Lakes, CO. Shambhala is a branch of buddhism.
Learning to let go of “always wishing for another now.”
Be present. It’s all we have. Get comfortable with what is. This one can be hard. How many of us have been here, wishing for things to be different than what they are, or wishing for time to speed up because “it’ll be better when xyz happens"? No matter what the circumstance it's in our best interest to accept our reality, and that will lead us into more peace and balance.
Focusing on self-love and self-care on another level than any time before in my life.
Invest in yourself, and if something is going on don't try to bottle it up and "be tough." Take time off or away to just be. True self-care is still something so many of us neglect. We’re too worried about so many other things other than our own wellbeing. But our own wellbeing is always the No. 1 priority.
Understanding that "fixation is the root of suffering."
Obsessive thoughts, attachment, fixations—when we get stuck here it’s simple, we suffer.
In this episode of Ask the Coaches with coach Brock Armstrong and Lucho, we answer questions about Weak Glutes, Marathon to 800m, Why You Can't Raise Your Heart Rate, and more!
In the 269th episode of Ask the coaches, Brock and Lucho talk about: Training for Track with Limited Time, From Overweight to Boston, Fasting on Training Days, and more!
In this episode of Ask the Coaches, coaches Brock and Lucho answer Endurance Planet listener's questions about Mentally Preparing to Race, How Much is Too Much DOMs, Inconsistent Pacing, 50 Days of Ironman, and more.
In the episode of Ask The Coaches, Lucho and Brock answer questions about: Sudden Drops in Heart Rate, RPE and MAF, Back to Back Racing, Transitioning to Triathlon, and more!
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick![/sponsor] [sponsor image="https://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/HealthFitU-Logo.png"] Check out the new highly anticipated HealthFit University and how you can join this aerobic revolution. Health Fit U is led by health and fitness experts Dr. Mark Cucuzzella, Dr. Phil Maffetone, Ian Adamson, Jeff Vernon, Robin Desjardins and EP’s own Tawnee Gibson. Whether you’re a healthcare professional, fitness coach, trainer, or recreational or competitive athlete, HealthFit U is open to you with educational seminars and online resources that aim to help you and your clients build balanced, fat-burning, energized bodies for optimal performance. The next Health Fit U seminar is September 29-30, in Ranson, West Virginia. Book before Sept. 1 and save $50. Some other benefits of HealthFit U that you will love: • Certifies coaches specializing in endurance, strength, health and corporate. • Certifies health practitioners and offers CMEs and other continuing education credits. • Will post coaches and practitioners for referrals. [/sponsor] In this 266th episode of "Ask The Coaches," Coach Lucho and Coach Brock answer the following questions:
Amar asks: Hi, I went to a new gym recently and they had these new treadmills. They were curved and had no motors! I did a little googling and didn't find anything concrete on the effectiveness of these treadmills for endurance training. What are your thoughts? Here is a link of the ones at my gym - woodway.com/products/curve The coaches say... - The physiological and perceptual demands of running on a curved non-motorised treadmill: Implications for self-paced training - Researchers found that runners work about 30 percent harder on the curved, non-motorized treadmills. - Instead of making a conscious decision to speed up or slow down and then pressing buttons, the curved treadmill allows runners to self-regulate with every footfall, just as they would outdoors.
David asks: I looking for some advice regarding bilateral breathing. I’ve been toying with the idea of trying a tri; I’m usually a runner but the diversity of exercise from a tri is really appealing. I’ve gotten my swim together ok, nothing fast, but I feel I got the technical aspect down... except for bilateral breathing. I’m really comfortable breathing out of one side, but I can’t seem to even turn enough to the other side to get a breath in. I’m ready to quit on the concept but I keep hearing/reading that it’s such an essential part of swimming. Do you guys have any tips, drills, ideas to help that I can do on my own... I know masters or a coach would also help me a lot. Thanks! The coaches say: - Practice box breathing - especially holding a breath on the exhale. - Side swimming drills - especially on your non-dominant side. - Practice your body rotation. - Use fins for the first little while. - Check out www.swimsmooth.com
Rob asks: I have a complicated shoe question for you all that no shoe company, friend or my chiropractor can answer. I am throwing it to you all. Every shoe I wear (Altra lone peaks and Kings, Saucony Peregrines and Xodus, Montrails, Brooks) all blow out on either the medial or lateral sides of my shoes at the bony prominence behind the large knuckle of the big toe or around the base of the little toe. I have sized up (10.5-11) and have run the same at 10.5. I thought 11 would work because in one of my everyday shoes, I wear a size 44 or size 10.5 or 11 depending on the manufacturer. I have been doing a lot of squats this season, and have noticed some weaknesses in my abductors and adductors, it’s have been especially bad, but this does not account for the last several seasons of blowouts. I know how to fix the leg issues, I don’t think this is the source of the shoe blowouts. Do you guys have any ideas? One idea that was floated was that the terrain here in the East is especially brutal and rotational forces on the ball of the foot cause the fabric to blow out. I am a forefoot striker, with what is considered a chi running style. Anyway, I tend to float on the balls of my feet for my footfalls and takeoffs. The coaches say: - Forefoot runners can also put on the "brakes" when their foot plants which can cause it to slide on the inside of the shoe. - Sounds like a foot shape issue not a footfall or body weakness.
Scott asks: I am a 36-year-old runner (37 on 17th July) of 4-5 years who is on a journey to break 2:45 for the marathon. I ran 3:29 in my first marathon in Spring 2016, 3:10 in Spring 2017 and 3:01 this year so I am relatively inexperienced in marathoning but I’ve learned a lot from the first 3 marathons and most of all I am making progress so I am confident that I can at least give this target a good go. I am 5ft 8 tall and weighed over 200lbs when I started running and have dropped down to around 155lbs through exercise and healthier eating. I have no real problems knowing what to do in terms of training to get where I need to be and my goal is intentionally scary and questionable in order to motivate and inspire me. I’ve also made it public to some of my running friends in order to put it out there! I am running 6-7 times a week and including 1 speed session, 1 medium run and 1 long run every week with easy runs in between. However, I feel like I could make big leaps forward if I could just nail my diet. My current weight of about 155lbs has been the same, give or take a few lbs, since my first marathon in 2016 but I am still carrying a bit of timber around the middle in my hips and belly. I feel like I could easily drop another 7-10lbs safely and healthily but I am struggling to avoid bad food and drink. I generally eat healthy in between but my office has a constant supply of sweets, cakes, biscuits, coke cola all out on display for visitors and I have a very sweet tooth. I tell myself that today is the day I abstain and despite a healthy smoothie for breakfast, I walk by and I’ll think “1 little choc cake won’t derail my day” and then the slippery slope begins. I hate the thought of Coke too, in that there is nothing beneficial in it whatsoever, its like smoking! But I find it quite refreshing so I’ll take a can or two a day and it will really affect my stomach during running, especially if I’m racing. But I just don’t get how I can be so mentally strong with my attitude towards running, by going out and getting it done, rain or shine, sticking to my plan etc and then fall apart when it comes to simply not eating something that is terribly bad for me! It’s worth noting that I’m a vegetarian and I limit my dairy to a degree but I’m not totally vegan. I also want to reduce carbs and increase fats and I do this to a degree in the main meals that I eat but I completely ruin it by snacking on high sugar sweets and chocolate. I have the willpower and I have the motivation and I’ve proved this in other aspects of my running and when I initially started running and dieting I was able to cut processed foods with reasonable success but I feel like maybe there is maybe an addiction here that perhaps I need to recognise and tackle in a different way? In fact, I honestly feel that the problem is mainly because in my current job where I have been for 3 years, these foods and drinks are on display and available for me to just snack on and if there were no sweets and fizzy drinks I would be much more successful in avoiding the bad stuff during the day and it then I’d be in a good position to tackle my evening meal in a positive mood. The coaches say: - Try packing healthy snacks to eat at work so you aren't as tempted by the goodies. That is if you are truly in need of food. - Take responsibility. You don't have to eat it just because it is there. - Sounds like you only believe half of the equation - the workout, not the diet. - Very often, there is a conflict between our immediate desires and our long-term goals: What we want right now in this moment is at odds with our big picture desires and priorities. Welcome to adulthood. - When you find yourself confronted with a desire to eat that is in conflict with your desire to weigh less, take a moment to think about why you want what you want. - Consider how you would feel after eating whatever it is you want to eat. Will you feel satisfied? Happier? Less lonely? - TinyHabits.com
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick![/sponsor] [sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/PerfectAminoXP_Short_WEB_grande.png"]Get your hands on the athlete’s secret weapon, PerfectAmino, which comes in powder or pill-form, and features all the essential amino acids in the exact ratios needed to ensure proper protein synthesis in the body. BodyHealth, the makers of Perfect Amino, also offers well-formulated natural vitamins and supplements to meet your other needs including their Body Detox, Healthy Sleep Ultra, Intestinal Cleanse, weight loss aids, and more.[/sponsor] In this episode of Ask the Coaches with Brock Armstrong and Lucho, we answer these audience questions:
Michael asks: Hello, I'm from the midwest and have been an endurance athlete for 10 years. I've been racing Xterra (off-road triathlons) for the last three years. For 2018, I qualified for the Xterra World Championships in Maui. After reviewing the course online, there are some unique terrain challenges that will be difficult to simulate in the midwest. The race is at the end of October. I will prepare for about 14-weeks. I usually spend around 15-hours per week training, including weight training days. So a couple questions: Ocean swim... I'm comfortable in the ocean and waves, but I've never "raced" in the ocean. Any tips on how to prepare for an ocean swim while only having access to a pool and occasional open water lake swim? Tricks for spotting or breathing with waves? Bike... Maui features almost 3,000 feet of climbing with long continuous climbs that will take more than 30-minutes. In the Midwest, our longest climbs are 200-300 feet that take 3-5 minutes. I'm currently planning for at least 4 rides per week with 3 on a road bike and 1 longer mountain bike. How can I prepare for so much climbing when I only have access to small hills? Should I ride more volume, hill repeats, intervals, all of the above? Run... Similar to the bike, Maui has 1,200 feet of run climbing. Training recommendations? Power-to-Weight... I'm pretty lean 5'8" and 155-lbs. I'd like to shave off 3-5 lbs right before the race. I already eat very healthily. How do elite racers (especially cyclists) shave off weight while still putting in large training volumes that require thousands of calories per day? The coaches say: - Get into big groups of swimmers and get used to it. - Dive under waves on the way out and ride waves on the way in. - Use that hill as much as possible on the bike and run. - Push big gears before the hill and on the hill to make it "longer" - Train for running the downhill more than the uphill. - Don't lose the weight too close to the race (if at all).
Jared asks: I’m a soon to be a 38-year-old male, with competitive triathlon aspirations. My goal is to snag a Kona spot as I move up into the 40-44 age group. I recently raced Ironman Boulder and had a reality check when I hit the run. My projected 8:45 pace turned into a 10:00 something pace. My swim was was slightly faster than projected and I was about 15 minutes slower on the bike, which I attribute to some heavy wind. But I just blew up on the run, it was a hot day 95° and I also left my nutrition behind so I had to improvise on the course. 18th in AG finishing at 11:12:50. (10:13:00 was my goal) I’ve been working a lot on my run, and have even been PRing on some early season 5k and 10k races. I also and an incredible run at 70.3 St. George running my fastest half ever even with the hills! However, I feel that I’m lacking the structure to gain the speed and endurance I need. I would love to hear your thought on what I can do to improve. My run volume leading up to Ironman was 30-40 miles a week (hitting 50 one week) but I tend to default to a MAF style run especially for the long runs. I did a reverse periodization type plan this year with strides with most of the “speed work” in the winter. I also have Ironman Arizona scheduled for November this year but am considering deferring till next year so I can focus more of next season on that race. But wanted feedback to see if maybe another race this year might be beneficial. Would love to hear what you guys think. Other info if it’s helpful 5’9” 150 5k 21 10k 43 1/2 1:43 Marathon 3:48 (Open couple years ago) 70.3 4:53 IM 11:12 The coaches say: - Don't defer to next year - you need the practice. - Get some structure in your run training. You need to be faster. - You probably cooked yourself on the bike in Boulder - you need to learn to adjust effort based on the day. - It takes about 5 years to get good at triathlon.
Vicky asks: Hi! I'm a 59-year-old female athlete. I've been doing triathlons for about 35 years now, although these days I concentrate mostly on running except for during the summer when I do more biking and swimming so I can compete in Olympic triathlons. Several times now I've had an experience during a race that when I get off the bike I can't bend over to put on my shoes. I get severe cramps in both my quads and abdomen. I found that if I force it then it takes some time for the cramps to go away. Once I get my shoes on and get moving for the run, I'm fine. At the race on June 16th, I wasted almost an extra minute in transition, since once I finally got the shoes on (it was very difficult bending over), I had to stand there another 30 seconds till the cramps let go. This happened recently in the first race of a series I'm doing this summer. I'm a decent swimmer and biker and average runner. The bike was 25 miles on rolling terrain. I averaged 20.6 mph which was pushing fairly hard for me, but not anything I'm not used to doing. I probably passed about 50 people on the bike, and only had about 5 or 6 people pass me. (I was first of my age group on the swim, second on the bike. I finished 2nd overall in my age group.) The day of the triathlon it was pretty hot (upper 80's - this was in Jacksonville, FL), but I was most definitely well hydrated (I had to pee three times before the race started). I had my usual peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat with coffee to drink for breakfast with 3 hours to digest it. About 30 minutes prior to the race I ate a small homemade energy ball (nuts, oats, fruit, salt, etc). During the bike I drink watered down Gatorade. I try to do a brick at least once a week, running about 1 to 2 miles after a 25-mile bike ride. I should probably do longer rides, but I don't have the time. I compensate by making the rides fairly hard, throwing in sprints here and there. I never have the cramping during training though - it's only happened when I race hard. Any ideas? The coaches say: - Likely a Psoas issue. - Need to do some longer harder efforts to prepare rather than throwing in hard efforts occasionally. - Strengthen psoas and abs. - Not likely an issue with fuel or hydration.
In this 264th episode of Ask The Coaches, Lucho and Brock answer questions on Nasal Breathing, Sleeping Before a Race, Staying Limber, and much more!
In this episode, coaches Brock and Lucho answer questions on Training for a Hilly 10k, When to Ignore Cardiac Drift, Interpreting VO2 Max Tests, Glycogen Replenishing, and more!
Coaches, Lucho and Brock, answer your questions about Counting Calories on the Bike, Recovering During a Race, Pacing Your Long Runs, Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, and more!
In this episode of Ask the Coaches, Lucho and Brock answer the questions: Is Fat the New Tire Size, Does Racing Hurt MAF, Can MAF Make You Scrawny, How to Train as a Blue Collar Baller, and more!
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick![/sponsor] In this episode of Ask the Coaches, guest host Brock Armstrong joins Lucho to answer these questions.
Craig asks: Hey gentlemen, after listening to ATC #259 I started to think about myself and how I coach myself. I’ve been coaching for 15+ years and have read almost every book on training philosophy by every coach possible. Because my athletes seem to do so well, I trained myself too. In the past I seemed to do pretty well too, but recently it appears that I am not performing as well as I like or should. After really looking deep into it, I think I am now “quitting” on myself far too frequently during workouts than in the past. So my question is when should a coach get a coach? There are good and bad sides to being self-coached and I am curious as to your takes. On one side I know my body better than anyone so if I know my body isn’t feeling great I shouldn’t do that day's hard work out and move it. However, that same knowledge can be a detriment as maybe I am not giving my body a chance that day after an extra warm up. Also, Lucho I’ve heard you discuss you “reverse taper” in the past and would like to try it for my next marathon. Say mine is the 1st weekend in November, how would it look? Thanks again for all you do for us regular athletes. The coaches say: - Can you actually find a coach that you trust enough? - Being too easy or too hard on yourself is a sign you need assistance. - You still need to make a plan and write it out. Don't just wing it from day to day. - Overreaching is uncomfortable and supercompensation requires that you don't always feel fresh and ready. - Reverse Tape: after rest block performance can be poor. Do your taper start 4-5 weeks out, take 5-7 day rest block (reduce 80% of load), 2-4 weeks out bring training load up to 80% and then start to reduce.
Kris asks: Dear Brock and Lucho: First please pass along my best wishes to Tawnee. I'm a long time listener and my heart goes out to her and John. My goal is to break 3 hours in the marathon. I come from a rugby and hockey background (living in Canada) and so even though I've been participating in endurance sports for 8 years I still carry a lot of muscle. I'm 5'5" and weigh 152 lbs with about 8% body fat. I've done pretty well in my endurance racing, here are some relevant results: 2011 Boston marathon 3:01 2012 Mont Tremblant Ironman 11:07 2015 Mont Tremblant 70.3 4:53 2016 Boston marathon 3:02 I've run a 1:26 open half marathon and a 18:26 5k. I followed the Hanson Advanced Marathon program to run 3:02 in 2016 and loosely followed the Jack Daniels Blue plan for the 3:01 in Boston in 2011. I'm currently 44 years old. I have a busy life running a law firm, working about 50-60 hours a week and have two young kids. I have about 8-10 hours a week to train maximum. My MAF pace is 7:12 per mile. I have a low max heart rate. I have had a few field tests and never got above 165 max heart rate. I find running at my MAF pace to be moderately difficult. My run all day pace is at 8 min/mile with a heart rate of 125 bpm. With this background what would you recommend to get ready for my attempt to break 3 hours at the Scotiabank Toronto Marathon on October 21st? I'm doing a 70.3 in Muskoka on July 8th but don't have any other races planned before the marathon in October. Should I follow Hanson's model, Jack Daniels or another plan? Thanks for your time and keep up the great work. Love the show. Shout out to Brock from Canada. Keep well eh. The coaches say: - That race is flat and cool (often rainy with some breeze from the lake) which bodes well. Lot's or Canadian records get set there. - Muskoka 70.3 is a gorgeous race but the last part of the bike is a beast. Be ready for that. - The muscle doesn't seem to be holding you back but the key to getting those last couple minutes of your race time might be easier if you dropped some small muscle weight.
Craig asks: Hey everyone. After 4 months off due to sacral fracture, I have been base building with slow, easy miles all on dirt and grass for 1.5 months. I want to get my Mona Lisa-esque stride back (Its a stride that's a work of art but the beauty is in the eye of the runner, not for everyone). Should I use grass strides or short dirt hills strides (both roughly 200m) once a week to start getting my stride back? Is there a benefit to one over the other like less impact going up a hill but requires greater push off? And how long post-recovery should I test my MAF to see where it's at so I can get back into training? 2 months of recovery running before MAF test? 3 months? Thanks for every piece of information and more importantly, the comic relief you provide and the... The coaches say: - If they haven't checked bone density already, get that checked. Scarum is the first place we often see osteopenia show up. - Running barefoot on grass is a great exercise to get your stride back. - Hill running is your go to. Maybe some water jog as well. You could look into Physiclo pants...??? - Track running is soft and smooth. Less chance of wiping out than running on a trail. - No need to wait to test MAF. Get a baseline ASAP.
Megan asks: HI there! I'm struggling with a training dilemma. I simultaneously want to increase my speed while doubling my distance. Specifically, I want to train for & race a marathon. The longest distance I've gone is the half-marathon. My time was 2:21. I'd like to complete a sub-4 marathon. Is this crazy talk? Most info I've come across says to focus on one or the other in order to avoid injury. Thanks for your guidance! The coaches say: - Being ambitious is good but you still have to allow your body to progress as fast as it is able to. - Focussing on both in a training season is ok but periodize when you concentrate on each one. - You get faster from distance training too, not just from "Speed Work." Especially true when you are a beginner. - Listening to your body is key.
Coaches, Lucho and Brock, answer the questions: Why Do I keep Getting Injured, How Long is a Long Run, Cramping Off the Bike, Training for a Mountain Race, How to Self-Coach, and more!
This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick!
On this episode of Ask The Coaches, with guest coach/host Brock Armstrong:
Chris asks: I am 34 years old and only got into endurance sports over the last 3 years. I’ve always been overweight, even as a D1 athlete in college (soccer). I’ve done several 13.1’s, a few 70.3’s and am running my first 26.2 in a few weeks, followed by IMLP next summer. So here’s my question – Does MAF discriminate when it comes to weight? I have respectable times, despite being 240lbs at 6’0” tall. I’m a sub 2 hour 13.1 and sub 6 hour 70.3. The problem is that I generally am running at much higher HRs than anyone else I know or train with. I can run at 170-175bpm relatively easily for extended periods of time. No, my HRM is not broken – this is over several iterations. To the contrary, when I try to run my MAF pace of 147, I am stuck walking the majority of the time. I can’t in good conscience train for races by mostly walking. At the same time, I would like to be a much better fat burner. I do think that my fat burning must be better than my MAF efforts entail, as I have little problem completing a 15-18 mi run on very minimal calories. My 18 mi run this past week for example at an average HR of 159 only required around 150 calories during the run. So – should I use a different measurement to determine “easy” pace, or should I legitimately be walking? Obviously losing weight should be a focus, and it is, I am mostly LCHF and spend a good amount of time in the gym lifting, doing Lucho’s favorite, Olympic lifts, in an effort to improve my body comp. It’s so hard to find good endurance information for those of us who do not fit the standard athletic body type. So many principals are built on an assumption of body composition. Please help!
The coaches say: - Everyone walks when they first start MAF. Well... nearly everyone. - Brock's article called "Can Losing Weight Make You Run Faster?" and "Is BMI an Accurate Way to Measure Body Fat?" - A study called "Kinematic, Cardiopulmonary, and Metabolic Responses of Overweight Runners While Running at Self-Selected and Standardized Speeds" - Maybe your slow pace is close enough? 156hr would be very acceptable.
Sabrina asks: I am a long course athlete. I love just being out there in a race and enjoying the experience no matter how long it takes me. I train primarily in Zone 1-2 (swimming 2 days per week, walks/hikes 2-3 days per week (3-4 miles), a longish run (7-9 miles), a longish bike (15-20 miles), a long bike (25-30 miles) and a long run (12-15 miles). I love the pre-dawn hours and watching the world wake up during a run/bike. My daughters, on the other hand, are into obstacle races (I was the one who ran to a family obstacle race last fall – and yes I completed it). On our way to their first Spartan Kids event, I quickly agreed to do a full event once my oldest meets the minimum age requirement. Then we arrived and the gravity of my quick decision hit me. I do not want to hold my daughter back on the obstacles…..she has a hardcore game face during the Spartan Kids events and finishes well!!!! I have no measurable upper body strength!!! This is no joke……I have spent years disregarding your advice to do offseason weight training. It is not a love of mine so it is easy to choose a different workout. I will definitely need a lot to avoid the dreaded burpee zone if I cannot complete an obstacle. The upside is I have 1.5 years to fix this issue. So where to start? And still be able to complete my races next year? Also, due to my kids, my husband has built Monkey Bars, a mini Salmon Ladder, and a rope climb in the backyard. Next 1.5 years race plan: March 2018 Local Half Marathon (registered) May 2018 IM 70.3 Chattanooga (registered - A race – going with my tri club) Nov 2018 Local Marathon I do every year Spring 2019 IM 140.6….One of those I am turning 40 things
The coaches say: - Study on high reps/ low weight or low reps / high weight were best. - Start conservatively and build to the point where muscle failure happens at 12-15 Reps. That is your starting weight for each exercise. - Two days a week on non-swimming days. Bike days would be good. - Al Kavadlo bodyweight exercises
Ben asks: I am a long time listener of the podcast and appreciate all of the ATC episodes that you and Lucho do, as you both provide unique and great perspectives. I am a 40-year-old male, 6’, 170 lbs. I started endurance racing 12 years ago, and have since completed 70+ endurance events. PR’s: OLY – 2:09 HIM – 4:54 ½ Marathon – 1:38 Marathon – 3:33 2x qualifier for Duathlon Worlds I took a few years off with low training volume (~2 hours wk) due to work, family, and other obligations. In late 2014 I decided to get back into the swing of things, and subsequently posted my Marathon PR in the fall of 2015, but came out injured w/ severe plantar fasciitis. After months of rehab, multiple cortisone shots, and other attempts at curing it, I opted for surgery in May of 2016. Under the direction of my doctor, I started biking a few weeks after surgery, and on the 3rd ride I was hit by a car. Luckily enough, there were no broken bones, but there was a lot of body trauma and a severe concussion that eliminated any resemblance of working out for 3+ months. Once I was able to return to working out, I noticed that my surgically repaired foot still did not feel “fixed”, so in talking with my Dr, we opted for a 2nd surgery in November of 2016. I am happy to say that I have been on a solid road to getting back to decent training volume. While on a group ride in August I was buzzed pretty close by a vehicle, and realized that I wasn’t fully recovered mentally from my car/bike accident, and sold the road bike that I had built from scratch. So, I did the only thing any self-respecting (read: crazy) endurance athlete would do, I spent too much money on a mountain bike, and have dedicated my training/racing to off-road triathlons and mountain biking J Because after all self-inflicted injuries > car inflicted injuries J I will be racing my first off-road triathlon in July at the XTERRA Mountain Championships at Beaver Creek, and while I am not expecting to qualify for XTERRA worlds, I would be lying if I said it wasn’t at least in the back of my mind. The predicament that I am in is that I live at 900 ft and will be racing at 7500 ft, with the bike course having 3000 ft of climbing (with almost 2000 in the first 5 miles) and the run course having 1300 ft of elevation gain. I will be flying in the day before the race, but have a couple of work-related trips that will afford me at least a little bit of elevation training a few weeks before the race – - 4 wks out - 3 days of riding/running between 5,000 and 6,000 ft - 2 wks out – 2-3 days of riding/running between 6,500 and 7,500 ft Outside of what I am already planning on, what recommendations do you have to help bridge the 7,000 vertical foot gap/lack of oxygen that I am faced with so that I can perform to my full potential in July? Looking forward to hearing back from you.
The coaches say: - Beet Root and Echinacea to improve oxygen transport capacity. - A supplement like BioTropics Chlorella - HIIT to help develop oxygen carrying capacity. - Practice that first ascent but don't forget about speedy descent as well. - Breathing exercises that strengthen the diaphragm. - Those practice sessions will only be good mentally, they're not going to help physically. - Nutrition is key at altitude. Especially hydration.
Max asks: Been listening to your podcast for a few months and really enjoy it. Lots of useful advice! I am wondering how to incorporate strength training into my training program. Some background: I am just getting into trail running and have never run regularly in my life. I am 23 and have a background in swimming and water polo competitively and hiking/backpacking or skiing recreationally. I am running a race in mid-August (6.8 miles 2,200ft of vertical) and may run a trail half marathon 3,400ft of vert) in early September depending on how my training goes over the next several months. I live in Denver so I can get to the mountains on the weekend but generally not during the week. Through my research and listening to your podcast I have settled on doing 3 months of only MAF HR training building up volume and consistency over the three months. Then the next 3.5 months leading to the races will be mostly MAF training incorporating strides and trying to pack in as much vert as safely as possible (to avoid injury) on the weekends. During the second part of this training cycle, I am considering adding some strength training a couple days a week after easy runs. I imagine doing strength exercise using Dumbbells or body weight nothing extreme. My goal with the strength training is to build durability to avoid injury and strength to tackle hills as I can't always run on hills during the week. Also, I always take one rest day per week. My long-term goals involve moving up to longer distance over the next several years and would like to enjoy this sport for a long time. How should integrate strength training into my training? Should I focus on running volume now and incorporate strength training in the winter? Thanks for all the great advice and for putting on this podcast. Keep up the great work!
The coaches say: - Areas that all runners need to strengthen: Core (form and efficiency), Upper body (fatigue resistance), Legs (extra power), and Stabilizers in the ankles, knees, and hips. - Single leg work. - Plyometrics - Barefoot work to running efficiency, agility, and strengthen your feet and lower legs.
This episode is brought to you byGeneration UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick!
Join the Endurance Planet crew for a race experience of a lifetime! This year we're hosting three Ragnar teams: an ultra team and regular-distance team at Ragnar SoCal on April 6-7 (THIS WEEKEND), and a regular team at Ragnar Cape Cod on May 11-12. Lucho, Tawnee and some awesome athletes will all be together for an unforgettable weekend. To get the details and join the team email events@enduranceplanet.com. Need more convincing? Listen to some of our Ragnar podcasts here and watch a video of the experience here.
On this episode of Ask The Coaches (with the special guest coach, Brock Armstrong):
- John C Besides long runs, what type of training builds muscle and connective tissue durability and toughness? What training will help muscles and connective tissue develop resistance to the pain and stiffness from tissue damage that occurs during the later stages of a marathon? With just 3 Training sessions spaced out over a week consisting of Hill Repeats, VO2 Max Intervals, and a 25 Minute Tempo Run (totaling 2 to 3 hours of running a week), I can maintain a very high level of fitness. With this minimal training, I can perform to my abilities up to Half Marathon Distance (1:30 duration). In races beyond a half marathon, stiffness, pain and general lack of spring sets in and slows me down. I am savvy with regards hydration, fueling, minerals, amino acids, managing overheating, preventing neurotransmitter depletion and warding off fatigue. I would like to build durability without having to slog it out doing long multi-hour training runs. From experience, I know first-hand longs runs help build durability but have the negative side effect of taking up a lot of time and causing stiffness and tissue damage. To counteract these negatives requires adding additional training measures such as flexibility, massage, and plyometric training. I want to keep things simple and not have to devote more than a few hours a week to running, but still want to run a quality marathon up to my potential. Is it possible?
- Look after your joints: Inflammation Factor website and book, fish oil, collagen.
- Pre-fatigue exercises before running.
- Active lifestyle outside of workouts (standing desks and Dean Karnazes).
- Prioritize Recovery.
- Weights, box jumps, deadlifts, and so on for strength.
- Allison Just listened to ATC 250 - specifically the segment about the 30-year-old female whose MAF heart rate puts her at an exertion beyond what she can hold-the opposite of what usually happens for new MAF-ers. I’m so glad you addressed this question and hope you address it further. I have the exact same issue. I am a 34-year-old female-my MAF is 146 and I have a really hard time going this fast. Dr. Phil Maffetone did begin to address this in ATC November 29, 2017, but did not go into details. He says something like - “people get too fast, but there are ways to handle this....” but that’s it. I would love to hear more on this.
- Previous question from ATC 250: "MAF HR for 30-year-old female is very close to her apparent max HR of 165 (feels like she will collapse and pass out); used to running “aerobic” runs at 115-125 bpm."
- Run a 5k all out and use that to build zones from.
- Switch to a pace based plan. Dr. Daniels.
- Modifying MAF to still get aerobic gains.
- Glenn I’m a long distance runner and have a constant upper hamstring niggle that I’m aware of but it doesn’t impact performance. It’s flared up after some back to back days of beach sports. I can lightly run on it but mentally don’t want to fully extended/push myself so I’m not training efficiently. I’ve got about 10 more weeks of base building before marathon training ramps up so looking to eliminate the problem. Could you please ask Lucho what his program for his situation looks like and forward if willing, please. Any advice would be welcomed.
- High Hamstring Tendinopathy? These are the signs: - Pain deep in the buttocks, upper thighs, or back of the hips that starts gradually. - Pain or discomfort when sitting down, especially if it gets worse after sitting for a long time. - Pain that is triggered or worsened by an activity that involves repetitive leg motion, particularly running or biking. The pain may even begin at the same point in the workout. - Pain when bending fully at the waist, for example, to pick something up off the ground. - Pain that gets worse when accelerating or sprinting.
- Anti-inflammatory cream, massage, ART, PRP
- Ham issues can often be traced to foot inflexibility and/or glute mobility and strength. Look at those.
- Strength training to prevent this.
- Eccentric hamstring contraction.
- If you sign a waver - you might be able to ignore this.
- Nordic Hamstrong curls! Hip thruster, glute bridge, RDLs.
- Katy Bowman book Whole Body Barefoot
- Jessica Love the show and all of the great advice and crazy things y’all talk about. I had a question about marathon and 50k fueling. I working on becoming more fat adapted. The last marathon I ran, I took UCAN at the start and then one gel at 14 miles and another at 18. I did pretty well with that, no bonking or anything. The problem, though, is that I have finally narrowed down that UCAN is making me sick for nearly 3 days after I use it. Every time I use it I get severe stomach cramps, heartburn and I am nauseous.This lasts for 2-3 days. I’ve figured this out through some pretty detailed food journaling and workout log records. I’m 90% sure I have nailed it down to the UCAN. So what kind of fueling strategy would you recommend for someone running marathons (in about 3:30) and 50ks in about 5-6 hours?
- Gut health? Microbiota could be off. Or lacking. Try some probiotics.
- It's ok to have some carb based fuel, just not every day.
- Nike 2:00 fuel is www.maurten.com
- Jay In a recent ATC episode, you mentioned using a Stryd foot pod to measure ground contact time. So, of course, I went out and bought one of these devices. At my 8:20 MAF pace my GCT is 255 milliseconds at a 173 cadence. I really have no idea if this is good, bad, or ugly. But, I have started jumping rope anyway. What sort of ground contact time should I be aiming for? Am I correct to assume it will vary with pace and cadence? I guess I should add that I am a 47-year-old male, 4-5 runs/week, 20-40 miles a week, recently ran the Lake Tahoe Marathon in 3:56, planning on running a couple of trail 50Ks next year. Also, if you want to talk about it, what is your opinion of using power meters for running? Fad or future? My wattage seems to be about 200 for what it is worth. I’m going to contact Stryd to get their response to this question.
- Normal is between 160 — 300 milliseconds.
- Elite runners are under 200-milliseconds (Kenyans have the shortest - a factor in their speed?)
- GCT is linked directly to cadence. Increase cadence and you will lower GCT.
- Glute med strengthening - hip hikes, fire hydrants, glute bridge.
- Box drops, hill bounding.
- Get-Fit Guy jump rope.
- Foot plant is key. Move to the mid-front of your foot.
Your host Tawnee and her husband John give you a brief update on Endurance Planet and the news of their baby girl Whitney, who passed away at birth.
You can read more on Tawnee's new blog: Life After Whitney.
Tawnee will be taking some time off as she heals, and in the meantime, Lucho and guest host Brock will be recording new episodes of Ask the Coaches.
Waking Up Hungry At Night, Cortisol Rhythms, Ways To Know You're Eating Enough, Athletic 'Sabbaticals,' and Why We Don't Like Running Streaks
Top Ways to Boost Functional Threshold Power (FTP), VO2Max for Masters Athletes, MAF Training For Spartan Races, Fartleks for Ironman, and More
Our friend Brock Armstrong is back on Endurance Planet (and also back doing EP's audio editing) and he shares the experiences he's had using some of the most sophisticated, advanced biohacks in existence. He runs through a handful of machines, supplements and more to tell us what they are, how they work, his experience, the science and his n=1 conclusions on their effectiveness. At the end, he gives us his biggest takeaways on utilizing biohacks vs. good old fashioned exercise and diet.
In this episode, Tawnee and Lucho talk about Tips To Avoid Going Into The Marathon Over-Cooked, Hyponatremia Symptoms and Risks, Setting Sights on a BQ, and More
Jae Gruenke, GCFP, a Feldenkrais practitioner and founder of The Balanced Runner™. For the past 14 years she has helped runners from beginner to Olympian learn to run pain-free, efficiently, and fast. She specializes in helping those whose problems have not resolved with medical treatment and those transitioning to natural running form, minimalist footwear, and barefoot running. She teaches in the US, the UK, and Germany and also offers online programs at www.balancedrunner.com. You can also join Jae's Mind Your Running challenge from anywhere worldwide.
Tawnee and Lucho talk about the Benefits to Boosting Lactate Threshold, Hills v. Speedwork, Zone 2 and Ironman, Fat Malabsorption Issues, and More
On this episode, we welcome back sports journalist Alex Hutchinson, who's written a fascinating new book titled Endure: Mind, Body and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance. Pre-order your copy here (ships out out in February). Endure is a must-read for all endurance athletes! In addition to authoring books, Alex is Outside Magazine's Sweat Science columnist and a long-time elite runner. He was on Endurance Planet back in 2015, listen here. On today's show we dive into concepts presented in Endure.
How To Approach the Offseason Comeback, Stress Fracture Risk In Collegiate Runners, Beet Juice For Fat-Adapted Athletes, Glute Activation Exercises, and More
Why Genetic Tests May Fall Short and The Pros and Cons To Discovering Your DNA, Plus: Truths of Leg-Length Discrepancies and More...
Ask the Coaches talk about - Setting Heart Rate Zones using Metabolic Efficiency vs. MAF 180 Formula, Strength Training After Illness, HRV Troubleshooting, Nasal Breathing, and More
With guest Ben Greenfield - What's Up With Maurten, Relieving GI Distress With Breath And Core Work, Luteal Phase Supplements, And More
In this episode of Ask The Coaches we cover Post-Workout Fueling Myths (and What You Should Do), Pre-Training For a 100-Miler, Buying Kettlebells For Home, and More!
On this show we're joined by coach and human potential specialist Brian Mackenzie and Emmy-nominated writer Phil White, who are both co-authors of the book Unplugged, which teaches athletes to think more critically about technology use and the tools to upgrade your fitness, performance and consciousness.
On this episode of Ask the Coaches:
Article discussion: Weight machines vs. free weights
It’s not an either or - they work synergistically.
It depends: What are your goals?
Machines may be safer for some (especially those new to weights).
How to keep winter training motivation high when it's lonely and cold?
Cross country ski season is here - while everyone else seems to be in offseason.
Find inspiring documentaries or idols to watch and follow. Tawnee always love the film, What It Takes.
On intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation.
The fear of failure vs. willing to go for it even if failing is a risk.
For more mental tips check out our Brave Athlete podcast.
Training for long course/ultra when you have a physically demanding job as well.
Training/racing resulted in an injury: piriformis syndrome. Did the combo of physical labor at work combined with 50k training lead to overtraining?
How to factor in physically demanding jobs with your training schedule - usually the physical work won't substitute training sessions, but the physical work does need to be factored into the schedule.
Piriformis injuries - what are the usual causes:
Increasing training mileage too quickly
Running mechanics
Weakness of hip abductors/glute med - if hips aren’t strong enough, then more strain is placed on the piriformis, which can lead to overuse, muscle tension and injury.
Sitting (commuting) for a relatively long time
How to plan your heavier weight sessions with your endurance training.
Ultrarunners who need weight lifting legs, but finding that it's causing the legs to be pretty wiped out for up to 2-3 days preventing any quality runs from happening.
How much strength training do you really need based on your priorities?
Periodizing strength and endurance training.
When it's ok to run even if your legs are trashed from weight lifting.
Nursing mama wants to know how to approach training for the 2018 season, with plans to do an ultra.
Focus on intensity or volume?
Keeping a close watch on your body, and in this case breastmilk supply, to make sure your providing enough for your baby - if the goal is to breastfeed.
When is it ok to get back to training soon after giving birth? It depends. Largely on what your fitness was pre-pregnancy, during pregnancy and how fast you heal from the birth.
Tawnee says: Don't worry, we don't all have to be super moms - go at your own pace and don't feel guilty if some moms can achieve more prenatal and postnatal.
Dr. Tamsin Lewis speaks on breastfeeding for athlete moms.
How do you decide training interval duration?
Interval duration depends on intensity you're looking to achieve.
How to properly execute VO2max intervals - what's too much, what's too little and what is the sweet sport for interval duration.
Recovery intervals play a huge role too.
Using field tests to determine HR zones that will get you to the intensities you want.
Keeping intervals appropriate to your needs and race goals.
How much is too much?
Dr. Phil Maffetone is back for an instant classic on how you can maximize your fitness gains and longterm health simultaneously:
MAF Method refresher:
It's not just about the 180 Formula when you pursue MAF, it's a holistic method for overall improved health, wellness and fitness.
There are 8 steps to mastering MAF, which we discuss in detail:
Carb intolerance
Inflammation
Vitamin D
Folate
Build the Aerobic System
Manage Stress
Build a Better Brain
Healthy Aging
More: https://philmaffetone.com/method/
Study: Physically active white men at high risk for plaque buildup in arteries
A recent study showed that white men who exercise are at a higher risk for plaque buildup in the arteries, and news has spread. View the article here. We get Phil's take and what is missing:
Calcification is clearly a dangerous sign, but a downstream problem. Two common causes are:
Increased fat (especially pericardial)
Low vitamin D
Pericardial fat risks:
When abdomen gets fat, the fat around heart also probably excessive - affects cardiac output, stroke volume and the athlete's training and racing HR goes up, having a negative effect on performance and health.
The importance of your waist-to-height ratio. Your waist should be no more than 1/2 your height.
Study mention: American runners have never been slower
Phil's new study on the overfat population, and what they found:
An increase prevalence of exercise among adults (up to 52%)
But also a paralleled increase of overfat people (91% of American adults, and 69% of kids in the US).
WHY is there this trend (i.e. more exercise but getting fatter)?
How was being "overfat" assessed?
Conclusion: you can't outrun a bad diet.
What is a healthy body fat range to be in according to research and Phil?
Normal ranges of body fat percentages--abnormally low, healthy, abnormally high:
BF ranges
Dangerously low
<14% women (but even ~17% +/- could pose risks)
<8% men
Dangerously high
31.6% women
17.6% men
Source: Lohman and Colleagues
Phil says don't exceed these following ranges; it's where things start to go wrong:
29.8% for women
15.3% for men
On this episode of Ask the Coaches:
Reasons for seemingly getting slower (or not progressing) despite several years of training?
Taking into account immunity (how often are you getting sick?), stress levels and mindset in gauging your fitness progress or lack thereof.
Defining speedwork and aerobic sessions - make sure you're not training too hard on your aerobic sessions or too easy on speedwork!
When MAF seems like a great idea but it results in a walking pace that doesn't improve.
Is it true that ketosis should only be sustained for a limited amount of time? But what is the goal of MAF is to switch your whole body to burning fat instead of sugar?
Cycling ketosis and low carb.
There are more risks for female athletes undertaking ketosis (Tamsin Lewis explains here).
However, some athletes thrive on ketosis and low-carb, hear pro triathletes Amanda Stevens and Pete Jacobs on their experiences.
Dealing with serious gut issues for years, and it's time to get answers: How do you ultimately determine if you have candida and/or something else, and what steps do you take to eliminate the symptoms?
Test don't guess!
Gut tests recommended: GI MAP and GI Effects.
In times of gut healing that is necessary, it's best to put racing on the back burner until you're better to allow for more effective and faster recovery.
Tips on how to "beat" the central governor (CG), which during races wants to protect your from hurting yourself.
A little CG history - The central governor is a proposed process in the brain that regulates exercise in regard to a neurally calculated safe exertion by the body. More here.
Lucho and Tawnee's give their take on the importance and validity of CG, with examples of how to train to overcome it.
Paraphrased quotes from Tim Noakes' appearance on EP in 2013:
Training - vigorous hard training, convinces the brain that you can do what you didn’t believe possible. Whether conscious or unconscious. Noakes speaks to the comrades marathon - training hard and training with people who were faster, built belief. You have to convince the brain you can do this.
We all get to the point where brain says it’s time to stop; at ~65% of race, "you’ve done enough now you can quit." You have to override that. Mark Allen is good example - failed 5 times at Kona, won 6th, then kept winning. He solved his mental problems. We each have to solve our metal problems. Every time you fail and quit, it makes it harder.
Signs that CG coming into play? How can we override… Judge the first 400m of a workout or race - you can tell it’s going to be a good day or bad day. Brain will tell you what it’s going to be like going forward. Any indicator that tells you something is wrong, is indicator that you’re going to have a bad day. Only when your body tells you things are ok - that’s the day to go for it.
First-time ironman and went faster than expected, with a 10min marathon PB.
Average HR lower than MAF during Ironman marathon, what does that mean?
Cardiovascular fitness base vs. muscular endurance – we need both to have a faster marathon.
How do you train to be able to push harder on the run (relative to HR) in an Ironman?mp3
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]This holiday season give the gift of health, wellness and elevated performance--whether to yourself or to a loved one. Just head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free... The new year and new season is coming, why not give the gift of health and performance optimization![/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/amazon2.jpg"]The holidays are upon us! When you do your holiday (or personal) shopping on Amazon, make sure to support EP! It's super easy: Just copy and save this link in your browser for Amazon, and when you click it to shop it will automatically trigger the EP link to help support the show. Or if you don't have the link saved, just be sure to open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com—it’s just one extra click to link to Amazon through the banner on our sidebar or click the Amazon links in the show notes. Thanks for supporting the show. [/sponsor]
Anna Vocino is an actress, standup comedian and co-host on America's Angriest Trainer Podcast with Vinnie Tortorich. She has a fabulous cookbook called Eat Happy, with gluten-free, grain-free and low-carb recipes, which was largely inspired by the diet changes she made after being diagnosed with Celiac Disease.
On this show we discuss:
- Anna's story of finding out she had celiac disease and how it changed her life and how she ate.
- Taking a more functional approach to her condition and making diet changes to get her health back.
- Transitioning to gluten-free.
- Making gluten-free healthy not just another processed-food junk diet.
- It's not just gluten, but dairy that is a big offender in athletes and those with autoimmune conditions.
- Dairy-free cheese options.
- Vinnie's Fitness Confidential book.
- When Anna hooked up with Vinnie on the podcast she was inspired to go a step further and adopt a "no sugar no grains" (NSNG) diet, and discusses how this helped her further, especially in managing autoimmune flareups.
- Making healthy, clean eating enjoyable for the whole family.
- The recipes in Eat Happy are a great resource for athletes looking to clean up their diets or those who have gut issues like you.
- The inspiration to write a cookbook and why it's no easy feat.
- Including desserts with low amounts of natural sugars - moderation!
- Real sugars vs sugar substitutes.
- And much more!
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for a n added kick![/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/amazon2.jpg"]The holidays are upon us! When you do your holiday (or personal) shopping on Amazon, make sure to support EP! It's super easy: Just copy and save this link in your browser for Amazon, and when you click it to shop it will automatically trigger the EP link to help support the show. Or if you don't have the link saved, just be sure to open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com—it’s just one extra click to link to Amazon through the banner on our sidebar or click the Amazon links in the show notes. Thanks for supporting the show. [/sponsor]
On this episode of Ask The Coaches:
We’ve recently had many general questions on what to do in offseason; here are links to shows where we’re talked about offseason structure, please start there. If you have a more specific offseason question that we didn’t address yet, then send it to us!
- ATC 244: Offseason Planning
- ATC 199: Base Training Pros and Cons in the Offseason
- And More shows on the offseason here
In the meantime, today, Tawnee and Lucho share their top offseason strength training goals and exercises that we're assigning to you for this year's offseason... your homework:
Tawnee's:
- Strength
- Squats - overhead, air, single leg, banded, bulgarian
- Deadlifts - single leg, regular, SL with row
- Upper body row variations pull-ups
- TGUs - learn a skilled movement
- military press - half kneeling press
- KB swings - regular and single arm
- Split squats - weighted or TRX
- Functional
- yoga
- stability exercises - single leg
- crawls - bear, superman, crab
- full locust
- standing bow pose
- birddog
Lucho's:
- Nordic curl
- Split squats
- Lateral movements
- Hill bounding
Questions:
- How to structure a training program that includes all the non-sport crosstraining and non-sport body work for injury prevention and more? Such as yoga, strength training, mobility sessions, relaxation, etc. it just seems like there's too much today and a full-time job!
- Pressing the reset button and starting MAF at 52 years young. But at that age, MAF heart rate leads to painfully slow training (mostly walking) and it's taking the fun out of training, so what to do? Health is a priority and goal is to train for half-marathon in 12 weeks and triathlon nationals next season.
- Our thoughts on the newest study citing the number of deaths in triathlon; read the article we reference here.
- If there is "risk of death" in partaking in triathlon, should we be concerned and potentially avoid it? Why we think - no way!
- How to make sure you're low-risk and healthy for triathlon.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/amazon2.jpg"]The holidays are upon us! When you do your holiday (or personal) shopping on Amazon, make sure to support EP! It's super easy: Just copy and save this link in your browser for Amazon, and when you click it to shop it will automatically trigger the EP link to help support the show. Or if you don't have the link saved, just be sure to open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com—it’s just one extra click to link to Amazon through the banner on our sidebar or click the Amazon links in the show notes. Thanks for supporting the show. [/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]This holiday season give the gift of health, wellness and elevated performance--whether to yourself or to a loved one. Just head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free... The new year and new season is coming, why not give the gift of health and performance optimization![/sponsor]
Dr. Tommy Wood is back on the show for another edition of Ask the Doctor, Tommy's sixth time as our resident doc. You can find Tommy over at NourishBalanceThrive, and be sure to check out their Elite Performance Analysis quiz. On this show, we catch up with Tommy and he tackles the following listener questions:
Tommy's published Letter to the Editor in the Strength & Conditioning Journal, written in response to a point-counterpoint article:
- A Case for and Against a Ketogenic Diets in Athletes
- Point: Matthew Kavalek and Ryan Gannon
-
Counterpoint: Mike T. Nelson
-
Both sides made great points, but Tommy had some extra thoughts!
- Point:
- “the beneficial effects of a KD on aerobic performance are fairly well established”
- Wish that were true, but isn’t yet
- Probably due to the nature of the studies
- Louise Burke
- Race walkers
- Ketone ester in cyclists
- Louise Burke
- Recent Caryn Zinn study
- 5 cyclists on keto for 10 weeks
- All of them lost weight
- Peak power decreased
- All of them saw worse time to exhaustion
- But one had an increase in VO2Max
- “the beneficial effects of a KD on aerobic performance are fairly well established”
- Counterpoint:
- Metabolic flexibility is important
- Risk of “losing metabolic machinery”
- This is only really true if you look at PDH
- The rest of glycolysis is working just fine (FASTER study)
- Extra pyruvate either via PC to OA
- Or converted to lactate (Cori cycle)
- If wanting to boost PDH and maintain metabolic flexibility on keto, do HIIT
- Remember:
- For performance, some carbs are likely to always be important
- Keto for the sake of keto doesn’t make much sense from a performance standpoint
- Keto athletes still eat carbs!
- For performance, some carbs are likely to always be important
Questions:
Ironman athlete, 50-year-old female, with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) - LDL's been high since 20s, on medications (Lipitor, Crestor), being advised a low-fat diet, training for Kona, having adverse effects from meds - what to do!??
- Everything MUST be discussed with a doctor/cardiologist
-
FH is a result of mutations that reduce the expression or function of LDL-R
- Reduces uptake of LDL into the liver
- Increased LDL levels
- Reduces uptake of LDL into the liver
-
- When it comes to heart disease risk, LDL-P matters much more than LDL - High LDL-P isn’t enough * Need some damage to the artery for cholesterol to accumulate
- Most people have heterozygous FH
- Only one receptor mutation
- Increase in death from heart disease
- Highest risk is in the 20s-40s
- Once you reach your 60s, risk is the same
- Highest risk is in the 20s-40s
- Lower cancer risk
- Overall mortality rate is normal
- You have to die of something!
- Family tree mortality study in Holland
-
- Mortality risk and cause of death varied widely + Lower in 19th Century + Higher in 1950s
- Determined that environment was much more important than the mutation itself.
- Smoking, diet, exercise etc
-
- In those with hFH that have had a heart attack, their LDL is not higher than those who have not had a heart attack
-
- Have higher insulin and measures of insulin resistance.
-
- HbA1c is one of the strongest predictors of atherosclerotic risk in FH
-
Glucose control, insulin, and insulin resistance appear to be better predictors of CVD risk in FH
-
Much like in people without FH
- Angie has:
- “High HDL”
- Can be dysfunctional in the setting of high oxidative stress
- Normal triglycerides
- Likely has a Trig/HDL ratio <1, which means she has little evidence of IR
- “High HDL”
- Statins
- No clinical trials have shown efficacy of statins specifically in FH
- Statins have a poor ability to reduce CVD risk as primary prevention in women
- Some evidence that statins can impair adaptations to exercise
- May have a greater negative effect in males than in females
- Angie has:
-
Most interesting:
- Increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, especially in women
- Most studies show about a 50% risk increase
-
- Strategies - Maximise expression of LDL-R * Ensure proper thyroid function + Adequate calories - Says she’s hungry all the time + Adequate insulin (carb cycling?) - Manipulate PCSK9 * Insulin sensitivity and some insulin * Minimise inflammation
- Chris Masterjohn would suggest a Kitavan-style diet
- 20% fat, 10% protein, 60-65% carbs
- High-quality carbs (whole foods)
- Refined carbs can increase LDL-P number
- Probably need more protein for an athlete
- Others would say eat a low carb diet
- Minimises glucose influx and insulin levels
- I’m agnostic
- Eat whatever maximises performance while:
- Minimising inflammation
- Keeping HbA1c and markers of insulin/IR low
- Eat whatever maximises performance while:
- In summary
-
- What causes heart disease in FH is what causes heart disease in everybody else
- LDL levels don’t matter on their own
- In the HUNT-2 study, overall mortality decreased with increasing total cholesterol in women
-
- Take this stuff to doctor to review and make decision!
- Ask for evidence that statins will reduce her risk of CVD as primary prevention in FH
- Discuss the linked papers
- Track advanced particles (LDL-P, Lp(a) etc)
- Carnitine can reduce Lp(a)
- Can also increase endurance performance
- Take Q10 if continuing on the statin
- Doses up to 600-1,000mg until muscle pain stops
- Also fat soluble vitamins
- Alternatives
- Ezetimibe and low-dose statin
- PCSK9 inhibitor?
- Identify and minimise sources of inflammation
- Ensure proper training and recovery
Husband needs advice for wife: References and guidance on how a natural eating lifestyle can help cure low serotonin and depression, and pros and cons of SSRIs like Prozac.
-
- Let’s initially say that the assumption that depression is due to a deficiency in serotonin is correct. - * SSRIs as the main treatment - Revisit previous Ask the Doc (talked about serotonin and PMS) * Paper by Rhonda Patrick and Bruce Ames + Tryptophan shunted away from serotonin production in the setting of stress and inflammation - Minimise those + Exercise and insulin (carbs) both increase the uptake of large neutral amino acids (like the BCAAs) into the muscles, which reduces competition for tryptophan to enter the brain + Vitamin D is required for the production of the TPH2 enzyme, which converts tryptophan to 5-HTP - SUNLIGHT! + Omega-3 fatty acids are needed at synapses in the brain to make sure serotonin signalling work properly
-
Serotonin is important for mood
- However, the suggestion that depression is due to a serotonin deficiency is not that well proven
- In general, the benefit from SSRIs in depression is minimal
- Old studies comparing antidepressants to active placebos (usually atropine) showed very similar effects from both
- When compared to inert placebos
- ~40% reduction in symptoms from anti-depressants
- ~30% reduction in symptoms from placebo
- Though they haven’t been compared directly, the effect size of SSRIs smaller than or at best equal to that seen from:
- Meditation
- Exercise (aerobic, yoga etc)
- Diet
- SMILES trial
- 12-week trial in moderate and severe depression
- Whole food-based Mediterranean-style diet
- Remove sugar, fried foods, and processed grains
- SMILES trial
- Depression probably isn’t directly due to a serotonin deficiency
- BUT is tightly correlated to inflammation
- Genetic susceptibility
- Optimise vitamin D and some Omega-3s
- Reduce stress and inflammation
- High-quality diet has an effect size at least as large as taking SSRIs
- BUT is tightly correlated to inflammation
- To get off SSRIs
- Strategies from Dr. Josh Turknett
- CHECK with psychiatrist
- CAN go cold-turkey (with permission)
- Need to believe that the other strategies are at least as good (if not better) than the pill
- A good trick is to try paired conditioning
- Taper down the drug (i.e. 50%)
- Take it with something else
- An action - meditation or exercise
- Vitamins (Vitamin D)
- Sugar pill (real placebo)
- Imagine getting that same mood boosting effect as you would from the full SSRI dose
-
- Taper again (25% or 0%)
- Placebo still works even if you know it is a placebo!
- Cure - Jo Marchant
-
Athletes in 50s experiencing twitchy legs in bed (restless leg syndrome). Struggling to relax muscles and can twitch violently every couple of minutes for what seems like forever. What's the research say on drinking pickle juice before bed? The Swiss brand, Sponsor, is now selling shots of vinegar, pickle juice, magnesium & quinine to relax muscles - is there any science behind this tonic?
- Start by talking about exercise-associated muscle cramps
- This is what the Sponser supplement is designed to improve
- A large amount of the research has been done by Kevin Miller, Central Michigan University
- Initially thought that cramps were due to:
- Dehydration
- Electrolyte depletion
- Some combination of the two
- Mainly based on anecdotal studies and case reports
- Controlled trials have shown these are likely not the cause
- Pickle juice does reduce cramping
- Does so faster than it would take to replenish electrolytes or fluids
- Many doses (1-2ml/kg) of pickle juice have been shown to have negligible effects on sodium and potassium levels during exercise.
- Unlikely to be due to dehydration or electrolytes
- Another product - Hotshots
- Roderick Mackinnon and Bruce Bean
- Roderick won a Nobel prize for describing the structure of ion channels that contribute to nerve impulses
- Contains acid, ginger, cinnamon, and capsaicin
- Roderick Mackinnon and Bruce Bean
- The Sponser and Hotshot product both aim to do the same thing - desensitise certain pain receptors (Transient Receptor Potential or TRP channels)
- TRPV1 and TRPA1
- Now thought that cramps are due to hyper-excitability of α-motor neurons
-
- Brainstem and spinal cord
- Basically get permanent contraction of the muscle
- Or a reflex movement without a significant stimulus
-
- Exciting the TRP channels (skin, tongue, oesophagus, stomach) dampens down the overall excitability of other nerves
- Use of capsaicin creams to reduce pain
- May be best to use a combination of TRPA1 and TRPV1 agonists?
- TRPV1 activators
- Garlic
- Capsaicin
- Clove
- Cinnamon
- Acetic acid
- Piperine (black pepper)
- TRPA1
- Ginger
- Mustard and wasabi
- Acetic acid
- Green tea catechins
- Long term quinine for muscle cramps may increase death risk.
- Used for restless leg syndrome (I used to prescribe it!)
- Reduces leg cramps by about 25%
- BUT long term use (usually in the elderly) is associated with increased risk of death!
- For myoclonic jerks, as you get during early sleep, the evidence isn’t as good
- But the hyperexcitability of spinal nerves (or decreased inhibition from the brain) is thought to be part of it
- Similar mechanism of action to cramping
- 5-HTP may also help
- But the hyperexcitability of spinal nerves (or decreased inhibition from the brain) is thought to be part of it
- My tip: Brew a chai (green) tea with some chili and add apple cider vinegar!
- Or eat curries
A 37-year-old female runner with Ulcerative Colitis in need of advice. Took prednisone (steroid) for last flare, never lost the weight gained, a lot of bloating issues and cortisol belly, considering digestive enzymes, fermented foods. Not following a specific diet, still eating gluten and dairy.
- Will certainly have digestive issues and a different gut microbiota in UC
- Autoimmune
- Some evidence for elimination diets
- Specific Carbohydrate Diet
- May be better for Crohn’s, but some evidence in UC too
- Low FODMAP diet
- AIP
- I would trial one of these in that order, and re-introduce slowly over time. Dairy and gluten are two common culprits
- Specific Carbohydrate Diet
- Some evidence for elimination diets
- But good evidence for probiotics
- VSL #3 and E. coli Nissle 1917 (Mutaflor)
- Bio-Three (Streptococcus faecalis, Clostridium butyricum, and Bacillus mesentericus). This is a product that contains it.
- Probiotic-3 from Advanced Orthomolecular Research
- Mixed Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus strains. (i.e. D-Lactate free Bifido and Lactobacillus probiotic from Custom Probiotics)
- Bifidobacterium longum
- UC is associated with increased intestinal permeability and visceral fat
- May contribute to her bloated feeling
- Should improve as inflammation improves
- Elimination diet
- Probiotics
- Other anti-inflammatory approaches
- Soothing gut tonics - popular in our athletes
-
- Curcumin, Boswellia, Quercetin, Marshmallow
- GI-revive (DfH)
- Enteromend (Thorne)
-
- CBD
- Great data in animal models of IBD
- Some promising data in humans, including people we know and have worked with
- Difficult to get high-quality CBD due to extraction issues
- Elixinol is popular
- 15mg 1-4 times per day
- Soothing gut tonics - popular in our athletes
- If you think you have gut issues - try NBT's automated "Elite Performance Analysis" at NBT.AI
More references (mentioned on show):
- http://www.enduranceplanet.com/ask-the-doc-how-fasting-affects-females-differently-causes-and-treatments-for-pms-why-hba1c-is-an-unreliable-marker-and-more/
- http://www.enduranceplanet.com/dr-richard-maurer-decode-your-blood-tests-for-optimal-results-managing-insulin-cholesterol-thyroid-weight-fitness-and-more/
- http://www.enduranceplanet.com/nikki-kimball-on-depression-a-fat-adapted-diet-and-ultrarunning/
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for a n added kick![/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]This holiday season give the gift of health, wellness and elevated performance--whether to yourself or to a loved one. Just head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free... The new year and new season is coming, why not give the gift of health and performance optimization![/sponsor]
On this show:
-
A little Kona talk.
- For more, catch our Kona recap podcast we recorded with Thorsten Radde hours after this year's Ironman World Championships.
-
The long run when training for a 50k trail run: how far?
- Using past marathon training as a gauge for how far your 50k long run can be.
- For 50k, something in the 25-26 mile range or 4-5 hours is a good idea for a long run.
- Back-to-back runs also work well for 50k training when it's tough to get in long days.
- Using the bike as a tool in 50k training - add fatigue and stimulus without adding more wear and tear.
-
Should a cyclocross athlete focus on run training to enhance bike racing?
- Cyclocross is heavily focused on skills and tactics, sprint run training can help.
- Speed training with cyclocross (not long running and MAF): Diagonals and short, hard run intervals, as well as explosive hill repeats.
- Incorporating a bike workout with Tabata run intervals on the treadmill.
- Plyometrics and drills!
-
Heart adaptations to endurance training.
- What happens and should we be focused on getting a bigger pericardium? Or is there more to it?
- Changes in the left ventricle, cardiac muscle hypertrophy, chamber size, stroke volume, cardiac output, etc.
- Are these best achieved when young?
-
How should teenage athletes maximize their participation in sports like soccer where running, speed and strength are important?
- Off-season for youth athletes - what to do, in particular for soccer-runners?
- Off Season Training For Youth Athletes
- Dr. Phil Maffetone on MAF Training for Youth
- Coaching kids with youth coach George Zack
-
The MAF Method and how it relates to max HR - if at all.
- Different ways to find your aerobic training zones: MAF (180 Formula), lactate threshold testing, max HR, etc. Reasoning and pros and cons for these methods.
- White Paper on the MAF Method
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]The holidays are coming! When you do your holiday (or personal) shopping on Amazon, make sure to support EP! It's super easy: Just copy and save this link in your browser for Amazon, and when you click it to shop it will automatically trigger the EP link to help support the show! Or if you don't have the link saved, just be sure to open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com—it’s just one extra click to link to Amazon through the banner on our sidebar or click the Amazon links in the show notes. Thanks for supporting the show. [/sponsor]
On this show we catch up with pro runner Tina Muir, who's had many life changes since we last spoke with her in 2016 (listen to that podcast here). If you don't know Tina, she is a pro runner from the UK and living in Kentucky with her husband, who's a running coach. Last year Tina reached new heights in her career by running in the World Championships for her home country, and just months later PR'ing in the marathon with a 2:36 (at CIM). In 2017, she decided to take a break from running to recover hear health, hormones and to start a family, which she's done with immense success. You can read about Tina's transformation on her blog here, and check out her fabulous podcast, Running 4 Real, here! Also, to learn about Tina's strength training programs that she mentions on the show, click here.
Topics covered:
- Taking a break from running - a REAL break with NO running!
- Realizing that sugar cravings meant something more - was still under-fueled and too lean for a very long time. Sugar cravings left once body was in better balance.
- Allowing the body to balance out and gain weight.
- Mentally dealing with the big changes that come with taking a break and putting your sport on hold to focus on health.
- The road to regaining a period and wondering, will it ever come back?! Keeping faith, mitigating stress and dealing with the waiting game.
- Wondering: Will I be able to get pregnant after all my body's been through?
- The benefits of having no expectations when it comes to conceiving.
- I'm pregnant - now what?
- Returning to running AFTER becoming pregnant.
- Tips for running, strength training and working out while pregnant.
- Listening to your body and not being stubborn.
- And more!
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/PerfectAminoXP_Short_WEB_grande.png"]Head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free... Get started now on the path to optimizing your health and performance!
Get your hands on the athlete’s secret weapon, PerfectAmino, which comes in powder or pill-form, and features all the essential amino acids in the exact ratios needed to ensure proper protein synthesis in the body. BodyHealth, the makers of Perfect Amino, also offers well-formulated natural vitamins and supplements to meet your other needs including their Body Detox, Healthy Sleep Ultra, Intestinal Cleanse, weight loss aids, and more.[/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]The holidays are coming! When you do your holiday (or personal) shopping on Amazon, make sure to support EP! It's super easy: Just copy and save this link in your browser for Amazon, and when you click it to shop it will automatically trigger the EP link to kick us back a few pennies of the purchases you make! Or if you don't have the link saved, just be sure to open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com—it’s just one extra click to link to Amazon through the banner on our sidebar or click the Amazon links in the show notes. Thanks for supporting the show. [/sponsor]
Announcement:
If you want in on an epic experience with the EP crew, don't wait, email us now at events@enduranceplanet.com! We have two teams for SoCal Ragnar on April 7-8, both ultra and regular distance, and we're taking signups for Ragnar Cape Cod on May 11-12.
On this show:
- Should you spend more time training your swim kick for the triathlon swim leg?
- Calf and quad cramping during the triathlon swim when in choppier waters.
- Some drills and benchmarks for developing your swim kick.
- Vertical kicking
- 500 kick sets, etc.
- Dr. Phil Maffetone will say he doesn't promote long runs/LSD longer than 2-2.5 hours (or one needs to add walking time only), but Lucho will say otherwise. We explain the difference in philosophy.
- Slowing down to hold MAF heart rate is ok for training but not always recommended for racing. So, should we practice race pace and harder running in training where you disregard the heart monitor at some point, or not and stick to MAF?
- The role of dairy and athletic performance? Why would one go dairy-free and what are the benefits of eating dairy?
- Why you'd go dairy free:
- Dairy is usually one of the biggest GI offenders in athletes according to research, but that doesn't mean we all should avoid it. You have to learn if you're lactose intolerant or sensitive and have issues with dairy - some don't, but many do.
- In this show with Dana Lis, PhD, we talked about FODMAPs. Lactose, found in dairy, is a FODMAP and one of the most common GI disrupters, along with fructans and fructose.
- Lactose combined with gluten was even more risky in their study. Lactose in whey protein.
- Take home:
- Use an elimination diet to test is reaction to dairy and if it specifically causes you GI upset.
- If still not sure, and symptoms present, test your gut health for any dysbiosis, SIBO, leaky gut, etc.
- Many studies have shown benefits of dairy especially for athletes:
- JISSN position stand on protein with benefits of dairy.
- "Overall, research has shown that products containing animal and dairy-based proteins contain the highest percentage of EAAs and result in greater hypertrophy and protein synthesis following resistance training when compared to a vegetarian protein-matched control, which typically lacks one or more EAAs [86, 93, 147]."
- "In general, the proteins with the greatest leucine content include dairy (9–11%), egg (8.6%), and meat (8%), while sources low in leucine include plant-based proteins."
- Tons of studies have shown the benefits of whey protein on performance.
- Go for clean dairy - organic, grassfed, etc.
- We love: Vital Proteins Collagen Whey and Collagen Peptides!
- Collagen Peptides are lactose-free.
- Also, dairy might not be your problem and it's not always to be vilified - is it another variable for which dairy is getting the blame?
- JISSN position stand on protein with benefits of dairy.
- Why you'd go dairy free:
- We've discussed the benefits of minimizing ground contact time (GCT) when running in order to improve your running - we go more in depth on this aspect of training:
- Inverse relationship: As pace increases, GCT decreases.
- In this study, ground contact time was the only factor which correlated significantly with both running economy and maximal running speed.
- This study shows midfoot strikers have shorter GCT.
- Improve GCT by improving power & stiffness with: speedwork (strides, sprints), strength/plyos (focus on hips/glutes), biomechanics (foot plant - midfoot).
- Is there a cycling equivalent to running's ground contact that could help someone improve their riding to be more efficient and faster?
- Posterior/ anterior cleat placement. Internal/ external cueing. Cadence.
- Muscularly, what muscles get used minimally during cycling that are needed for running?
- The difference is more in how the muscles are used. Concentric (cycling) vs eccentric (running). Gastroc and adductors are used more in running. Also there’s a big change along with change in incline. Uphill vs flat or downhill in running mainly.
- Using the data to determine goal race pace for a first marathon:
- Female athlete with a half-marathon PR of 1:33:35, training long runs between 8:00-8:25 pace with 135-140 HR, and ideally wanting to run it in the 3:25-3:30 range fora BQ, but unfamiliar with the distance - so what's a reasonable goal?
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for a n added kick![/sponsor]
With Kona right around the corner, on this show we feature professional triathlete Pete Jacobs, the winner of the 2012 Ironman World Championships. The year prior to that, Pete was second at Kona and the winner of Ironman Australia. After a hiatus, this year he's toeing the line at Kona again. Today we're going to hear Pete's full story on the health issues he's had, the ups and downs he's had prior to and since his win in 2012, and how he's made drastic changes (for the better) to his diet, lifestyle and training with the guidance of our very own Dr. Phil Maffetone.
Topics covered with Pete:
- Pete's background in triathlon and years as a pro.
- Pete's approach to training and diet in those years leading up to the 2012 victory.
- Experiencing massive fatigue issues since 15 years old, but after the 2012 win, instead of a day or a few the fatigue would last a month or two.
- A vicious cycle: Feel good for 6 weeks, train hard, get fit, sign up for a race, then get to the race feeling burnt out again.
- Diet changes: In 2016 Pete removed meat with feet, dairy and all grains, and saw improvements (3rd at Ironman Cairns regional champs). But then got sick and never bounced back.
- Pete then turned to Dr. Phil Maffetone - what did Phil advise Pete do?
- From Phil's advice: Pete cut out the carbs, rested and relaxed going into Ironman Arizona 2016. On very little race fuel (some honey) and sticking to a moderate heart rate he had one of the easiest Ironman's he’d ever done in under 9 hours.
- From then, he started looking at the keto diet along with tons of research, podcasts, reading, trial and error to begin understanding his body better.
- Reintroduced meat this year and started training at MAF 95% of the time.
- Previously, training involved a lot of threshold efforts, but over 150 HR recovery would be slow, and often couldn’t get power.
- Blood glucose management & why fasting doesn't work for Pete.
- Still would see fasting glucose goes high; helps to eat many smaller meals often.
- The build to Kona and making a comeback on the world stage this year.
- And much more!
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for a n added kick![/sponsor]
Announcement:
- We got a team for the SoCal Ragnar SoCal ULTRA team in addition to our usual regular team, so that opens up more spots on the regular team and the ultra team too. The race is April 7-8, 2018. If you are interested in running for either the regular team or ultra team, please get in touch with us ASAP. We are seeing that spots fill fast. We’d love to see more of the ladies join us. Email events@enduranceplanet.com.
- We're also planning on having an EP team at Ragnar Cape Cod May 11-12, 2018 too!This is a great opportunity for East Coasters who can't make the trek to SoCal. If interested in being on this team, email events@enduranceplanet.com.
On this episode of Ask the Coaches, topics & questions covered include:
- Addressing veganism and vegan athletes:
- Some listeners want to know why Tawnee suggests vegans add meat and animal-based products back into their diets. Why she said what she did, why she's not anti-vegan, but why she's usually more pro-meat, looking at the research on diets, and why individualization + looking at how you feel/symptoms is key (there is no one diet for everyone).
- Head to the bottom of this post for Tawnee's full report on the pros and cons of vegan diets for athletes and general population with links to relevant studies...
- On the coach-athlete relationship and trust:
- Struggling with how much to share with your coach, particularly when runs or workouts don’t go well. Should we always tell all such as the minor things like waking up exhausted and having terrible runs, or having to rearrange the week to plan training around other activities?
- When you hire a coach, understand what he or she if offering for the monthly fee you'll be paying and levels of communication you get.
- What if you're ashamed to admit a bad day or need to prioritize other things in life above training?
- What is the right balance between an athlete sharing everything about every workout vs. letting them deal with some of the day-to-day struggles of endurance training on their own?
- How do coaches build trust with athletes to be able to share anything, including the struggles?
- Coaching fees
- What are the different audio clips that make up the podcast intro?
- A listener sends a note to Lucho saying to get his Creatine from Thorne. We agree.
- Elaborating on what an off-season should look like and not look like.
- How does offseason differ from athletes at the pointy edge vs. middle-of-the-pack athlete?
- Identifying red flags in your offseason planning.
- When it's ok to "work on weaknesses" and still get in reasonable training in the offseason.
- Mid-season breaks vs. offseason.
- Taking true time off doing NOTHING vs. general unstructured offseason exercise - which do you need?
- How many weeks should a rest break or offseason be?
- What if you have plantar fasciitis in the offseason? What to do? Still run?
- If you have Ironman and Oly races next year, you're healthy, not burnt out and, and you're a strong runner but weak swimmer, what are some good ideas for offseason training?
- Swim drills in the offseason.
- Long runs and double run days in the offseason?
Vegan pros and cons; research mentioned:
Vegan "Pros"
- More animal deaths can be prevented with a vegan diet.
- A low-fat high-carb vegan diet can benefit health and weight if done correctly. Weight loss sustainable—without calorie restriction.
- https://www.nature.com/articles/nutd20173.epdf
- BROAD study: “This programme led to significant improvements in BMI, cholesterol and other risk factors. To the best of our knowledge, this research has achieved greater weight loss at 6 and 12 months than any other trial that does not limit energy intake or mandate regular exercise.”
- “A nutritive vegan diet canbe designed to achieve the dietary needs of most athletes satisfactorily.”
- Helps to supplement with creatine and Beta alanine.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28924423
- Cardio-metabolic benefits.
- “Plant-based diets may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease events by an estimated 40% and the risk of cerebral vascular disease events by 29%. These diets also reduce the risk of developing metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes by about one half. Properly planned vegetarian diets are healthful, effective for weight and glycemic control, and provide metabolic and cardiovascular benefits, including reversing atherosclerosis and decreasing blood lipids and blood pressure.”
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28792455
Vegan "Cons"
- Risk of micronutrient and/or mineral deficiencies (usually due to poor meal planning); specifically risk for being low in:
- Iron
- B12
- Omega-3s (EPA, DHA)—algae is the only way besides making it from ALA
- Calcium
- Vitamin A
- Zinc
- Iodine
- Even risking low calories!
- Much if not all of this can be solved with animal-based foods: pastured eggs, grassfed beef, wild salmon, organ meats, seafood—and these animal-based foods are all very bioavailable protein sources.
- https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0192-9
- Risk of low protein (and incomplete protein sources; most complete protein sources are animal-based). Also, higher protein proven again and again in research to benefit athletic performance.
- https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1550-2783-4-8
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15212749
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21167687
- Vegetarian diets can lead to lower muscle creatine and lower muscle carnosine levels in consumers.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28924423
- Research has shown vegan diets can be too high in omega-6 and not high enough in omega-3. This one is controversial though since many vegan diets done well are also lower fat and high Omega 6 is not a problem. But a junk food vegan diet, this may be a risk.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16441942
- Tend to be high carb—and this isn’t necessarily bad at all, if that works for you, but if you want to be a LCHF vegan, that gets really tough and leaves out a lot of options.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16441942
- Not sustainable for most—the argument it, you feel great at first (3-6 mo.) then it fades, and you keep trying but deficiencies add up and there’s a slow decline. This has happened with many athletes in particular.
- Soy is high in protein but possible side effects—mimics estrogen, has anti-nutrient saponins, GMO if not monitoring for that, etc.
- http://americannutritionassociation.org/newsletter/whole-soy-story
- Even with plant-based diets, animals may be killed. Not as much as some anti-vegans claim, but it still happens.
More resources:
- Denise Minger: What paleo can learn from plant-based diets
- Mark Sisson on vegan diets
- Research: Vegan diets: practical advice for athletes and exercisers
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/IST-Logo-Stacked-CMYK.jpg"]Head over to ep/com/shop to check out some awesome services we love and recommend for athletes. Like Inside Tracker, where athletes can get up to 30 biomarkers tested, learn the true state of your health, and use this information to better your health and performance by making the right diet tweaks for your needs and so on. Use code "enduranceplanet" for a 10% discount off your next Inside Tracker test. Also if you’re not already, you need to start shopping at Thrive Market, which is basically Costco meets Whole Foods meets Amazon. Sign up for an annual membership using our links at EP.com on the show notes or shop page, and start saving on healthy food, personal care products and clean products for the home. Shop conveniently from your home computer or your smartphone. The membership is not something you will regret, take it from me. I’ve saved hundreds since becoming an member and have saved time too that I can invest back into the rest of my life and well-being.[/sponsor]
We catch up with Thorsten Radde of trirating.com featuring our Kona Preview and covering the latest and greatest in professional triathlon including:
- SuperMoms
- Many pro women are having babies, and with the points system it's making it really hard to comeback and get to Kona. Is the current setup fair to these SuperMoms or could improvements be made?
- Thorsten explains some possible solutions and/or exceptions that could be made to make it more fair for moms to make their comeback in the pro ranks after they took time off for baby.
- Some of the recent SuperMoms: Rachel Joyce, Sonja Tajsich, Eva Wutti, Jocelyn McCauley, Kim Schwabenbauer, Liz Blatchford, etc.
- 70.3 Champs
- This year saw a bigger pro women field with the race split over 2 days. Is Kona next?
- Kona preview
- Qualifiers as of the final cutoff, Tawnee's picks and Thorsten's KPR.
- Defending champs and the big names who will be toeing the line at the Ironman World Championships this year.
- Also who will not be making an appearance?
- Sander's shift towards Kona.
- The Raelert brothers.
- And more!
- New athlete tracker on Ironman.com site - finally a solid improvement?
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for a n added kick![/sponsor]
On this episode with Tawnee and Lucho:
- Journal of Strength & Conditioning Study mention: Acute Effects of Plyometric and Resistance Training on Running Economy in Trained Runners.
- Bottom line:
- Plyos and strength training temporarily reduce running economy.
- Don’t plan your key run in the 24hr after your plyos and heavy strength training:
- For Tawnee: Do you wish you could not have said certain things that have now been proven incorrect or there is debatable evidence for some things you said early on on some of the podcasts?
- For Lucho, you said that you could do 5 quality speed sessions a week and felt great. Do you think this has to do with your background of being able to handle high mileage since most people couldn't start training for 400 races and do 5 speed sessions a week with blowing an Achilles or hammy?
- MAF training for competitive Crossfit athletes?
- A CrossFit coach from Brazil who trains Guilherme Malheiros, a 17-year-old who was 2nd overall at the Reebok CrossFit Games 2017, wants to know: is MAF training and/or aerobic training appropriate for this athlete to better develop his "weak" aerobic fitness?
- Pros and cons to low-intensity running volume for strength athletes.
- Alternatives to MAF for strength-based athletes:
- Tempo runs
- Diagonals - 18-24 x 100m @ 80% on rest of jog/walk across field
- 3 miles max for long runs - done as rolling hilly fartlek, hills 80%, downs easy
- Following a new training plan and wondering - can you safely jump from 4 runs a week to 6 runs a week when transitioning from half-marathon to a 10k plan?
- The fear of losing fitness in the offseason - why this is playing with fire.
- Nutrition for a 23-year-old female athlete on low/carb keto: Experiencing a loss of muscle, energy and stamina, and wondering is more carbs will solve this problem.
- When adding back in carbs after being keto: Where to start? What are the best carb choices? Will the body tolerate them ok?
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]You can support EP when you shop online! Simply open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com to do your online shopping—it’s just one extra click to link to Amazon through the banner on our sidebar or click the Amazon links in the show notes.[/sponsor]
We're joined by pro triathlete Lesley Patterson, a 3x world champion in offroad triathlon, Ironman champ, pro mountain biker and endurance coach at Braveheart Coaching, along with her husband, Simon Marshall, PhD, who is a sports psychologist, exercise physiology professor, and the go-to guy for endurance athletes to train their brains and build mental toughness. This show will teach you to "build a better brain" and we cover concepts in their new book, The Brave Athlete - Calm The F*ck Down and Rise to the Occasion, a book we highly recommend purchasing (and be sure to use so with our amazon link!). Also, to hear Lesley on Endurance Planet in 20176 where she candidly discusses her struggles with Lyme's disease, click here.
On this show we discuss:
- Introductions and about their new book, The Brave Athlete - Calm The F*ck Down and Rise to the Occasion.
- Simon and Lesley team up to help athletes over at Braveheart Coaching.
- Laying out the framework and science on how our brain is structured, and how it affects and directs our thoughts, decisions and so on.
- Defining our chimp brain, the professor brain, and computer brain?
- Why are these parts of the brain important for athletes to be aware of, and what do they each control?
- Real-life application to how the chimp brain vs. professor brain works.
- How and why to manage your chimp brain.
- On self-identity, self-efficacy and negative perceptions we will feed ourselves, like "I wish I felt more like an athlete," "I'm slow therefore I don't qualify as an athlete" or "One day I'll be...."
- How to fix these underlying identity issues in athletes and build more positivity and confidence in ourselves.
- Simon and Lesley's take on social media, the pros and cons, and being able to broadcast yourself and/or compare yourself with others.
- Impression management, what that is and what we need to know.
- Exercise dependence - it's a real thing, why does it happen and what are the criteria?
- In the book, they cite an article that says 52% of triathletes met criteria for exercise dependence, and runners at 25%.
- Some traits of exercise dependence and how do we know what we are doing is healthy and innocent enough vs. exercise gone too far and becoming unhealthy?
- If you are dependent, why is this potentially a bad thing and how should one deal with it?
- What is "symptom hypervigilance"?
- And much more!
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for a n added kick![/sponsor]
Lucho and Tawnee are on for Ask The Coaches 242, on this show:
- An ultrarunner and professional bike courier is working out 50 hours a week wants to know: What would proper fueling look like for this amount of volume?
- Eat - a lot!
- Protein needs for endurance athletes: 1.4-2.g grams or protein per kg of bodyweight; up to 3g pro/kg weight is safe.
- How many carbs to still be metabolically efficient? It's all relative to training - don't go too LCHF when training volume is high.
- How to train yourself to handle more fuel that your body needs.
- Study mention: Rethinking the Role of Fat Oxidation
- Participants exercised 25-35 hours a week and even with more carbs were great fat burners at all intensities.
- Listen to us discuss more on this episode with Dr. Maffetone and Paul Laursen.
- Depression and running - is getting that endorphin release a type of therapy?
- Hear Nikki Kimball talk about her experience.
- Recovery from overtraining syndrome (overexercising, undereating) and not able to get back to past fitness despite years of recovery, what could be going on?
- Can overtraining syndrome permanently damage your central nervous system?
- Looking at overtraining recovery holistically and getting back to healthy training - are there other health imbalances that may need fixing and could be holding you back?
- Are your blood tests really "fine"? There are different ways to interpret blood tests, and athletes are looking for optimal and need the right kind of practitioner to help.
- Talking to a functional doctor or doctor who specializes in sports medicine may give you the answers you need.
- When we recover, don't focus on paces that you once could do, focus on your wellbeing, heart rate training and what your body allows now!
- 36 year-old male targeting a 2:50 fall marathon - using MAF and questions on training runs and pacing:
- Make sure your long runs are appropriate to race distance - don't cut it too short!
- What pace should tempo runs be at? Are race pace and tempo the same?
- If you have a realistic goal for you marathon, you need to train at goal race pace, in this case a 2:50 marathon requires training at a 6:29/m pace -- it's not about heart rate in this scenario!
- However, don't attempt crazy paces if they're not appropriate to your fitness. Most of us shouldn't arbitrarily pick a pace and train at that - we should train at heart rate and develop fitness appropriately, let paces fall into place from there and choose race pace wisely - you still need to be aerobic for a marathon!
- Practicing race day fuel in training is mandatory!
- Use nutrition at your goal race pace so you know what your gut can handle and also to train the gut.
- Lucho mentioned a marathon prep workout where you do a double run of two half marathons in one day - what are the details on executing this?
- The "Special Block" by Renato Canova
- Do this 4-5 weeks out from race, no closer
- 3-6 miles warmup
- Then 7-10 miles at goal race pace
- Chill
- Repeat in evening
- Can we get back to race paces we once knew, even if we're now in our 40s?
- 49-year-old male athlete trying to get back to peak fitness he once knew
- History of heart attack but getting healthy now.
- Gained weight over the years; would dropping some weight and getting back under 200 lbs help?
- Clean eating and lifestyle adjustments.
- The role of crossfit and strength training when your main goals are running-related.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]You can support EP when you shop online! Simply open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com to do your online shopping—it’s just one extra click to link to Amazon through the banner on our sidebar or click the Amazon links in the show notes.[/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/PerfectAminoXP_Short_WEB_grande.png"]Head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free... Get started now on the path to optimizing your health and performance!
Be sure to check out our top favorite supplement for athletes, PerfectAmino. Protein in your food alone may not be enough. Amino acids must be in the right ratios to be utilized. that’s what makes PerfectAmino so potent. PerfectAmino has all the essential amino acids in the exact ratios needed to ensure proper synthesis in the body. It can boosts training, recovery, healthy lean mass (bones, muscles, ligaments, connective tissues), and more. PerfectAmino also comes in a sugar-free powder form that's great for those who don’t like pills and/or want something tasty to mix in your workout drink![/sponsor]
Our guest, Dina Griffin, holds a Masters of Science degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition and is a Registered Dietitian, Board Certified Sport Dietitian, and Certified Level II Metabolic Efficiency Training Specialist. Dina's clientele includes adults of all ages and activity levels, from “off the couch” athletes to recreational and elite/professional endurance athletes including fitness enthusiasts, runners, ultrarunners, road and off-road cyclists, triathletes, and adventure racers. Dina has completed numerous marathons, ultrarunning races, short- and long-course triathlons, and cycling events to personally understand the nutrition challenges encountered by athletes. Although she is based out of Boulder, Colo., she provides nutrition coaching for athletes nationwide and internationally through her services at eNRG Performance.
On this show we discuss:
- Whether there is a strong correlation between metabolic efficiency and an increase in athletic performance? Including, indirect ways performance may increase: body comp, gut health, etc.
- Can the argument be made that fat burning is less efficient for athletes and using carbs is superior?
- Hypothetical case studies: How would Dina approach individual carb/diet recommendations for athletes keeping their health needs in mind as well - e.g.
- Diet recs for a 20-something female athlete who misses periods here and there or full-on amenorrhea
- Diet recs for a 45-year-old male with a family history of diabetes and poor blood sugar regulation?
- Blood glucometers as a good tool - for certain people.
- A good example is Alex hutchinson's article "Are Endurance Athletes More Susceptible To Getting Diabetes" which shows just how individual nutrition is for athletes on how it affects health!
- What is nutrition periodization?
- When it comes to nutrient timing and nutrition periodization, what are the biggest mistakes athletes make?
- Talking ketosis, specifically, exogenous ketones and the pros and cons of these plus what the science says, as well as Dina's experience.
- The new study that came out that showed ketone supplements impaired high intensity exercise:
- Nutritional Ketone Salts Increase Fat Oxidation But Impair High-Intensity Exercise Performance
- How Dina typically guides fueling plans for ultrarunners and ultra athletes, including long-course triathlon?
- How her athlete at Leadville fueled for the 100-mile mountain bike race and her calories per hour.
- In addition to ME testing, eNRGperformance also offers other types of testing like non-invasive muscle testing, can you tell us what this does and why it'd be worthwhile to do it?
- Go to metabolicefficiency.org to find certified ME-certified coach in your area.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]Head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free... Get started now on the path to optimizing your health and performance! Be sure to check out and try out:
- Inside Tracker is an awesome healthcare service to use for convenient and informative blood testing geared toward athletes. You can get up to 30 biomarkers tested and more on your journey to bettering performance. Use code "enduranceplanet" for a 10% discount and get started here.
- Thrive Market, which is basically Costco meets Whole Foods meets Amazon. Sign up for an annual membership now to start saving on healthy food, personal care products and clean products for the home. Shop conveniently from your home computer or your smartphone.[/sponsor]
Tawnee and Lucho are on for Ask the Coaches episode 241.
Announcements:
- Have a question for one of our shows? Send to questions@enduranceplanet.com.
- Ragnar: The 2018 SoCal regular team is FULL for now, but we are entered in the lottery for an ultra team and will know if we get it by September. If we get it, some regular team members will switch to ultra and more spaces will open for both teams, so there’s still a chance to join us... If interested, email us at events@enduranceplanet.com.
- Amazon - Before you do your amazon shopping, click the big yellow banner in top right corner, or the links in select show notes. You can even right click and save the link in your browser so you don’t have to go to EP first every time. Your support for the show is much appreciated, thank you!
Convo & Questions:
- Book mention (get your hands on a copy): The Brave Athlete by Simon Marshall, PhD, and Lesley Patterson
- Lucho's track training as of late: key components to sprint training and limiting factors in max speed.
- Read more on training and get an ongoing education over at Lucho's blog here: joghard.blogspot.com.
- Plans to hike the High Sierra Trail (HST) with the family, including kids, in 2018. Is this 70+ mile thru-hike doable for a 15-, 14-, and 11-year-old?? We talk the in's and out's of backpacking, and making a decision on whether it's right, safe and smart to do with your kids.
- The HST is same hike Tawnee and John did for their honeymoon which you can hear about here.
- For the marathon, what's the key to maximizing performance with the endurance component being so vital? After two attempts, not getting a lot of success at the distance and desiring to nail a race.
- Lucho's 20 x 20 mile goal in your marathon-training plan.
- What gives when HR won't get even too MAF while doing intervals on the bike trainer? A 50-year-old runner and bike newbie can't seem to get HR over 120 on the bike; is there a still a benefit? Continue trying? What to do to boost HR?
- Neuromuscular training for the bike is key to getting HR able to go where you want it.
- Short efforts of 10 seconds or less, high cadence, single leg drill, etc.
- Based off a VO2max test, can you determine a "new" MAF HR range? Not quite.
- The difference between MAF training and zone-based HR training (i.e. metabolic vs. cardiovascular means of determining your target heart rates).
- More in this episode of ATC.
- Learning to BELIEVE in yourself and that you ARE an athlete, even when you don't really feel like it. It's all about the narrative you give yourself - think positive!
- The risks of hypocaloric diets and how they can destroy you resting metabolic rate (RMR).
- Why eating more may actually be good for your waistline and body comp, in particular if you're chronically underfueling and stressed.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for a n added kick![/sponsor]
Dr. Steve Gangemi, the Sock Doc, is back on the show. We hear about his latest adventure race and he provides his wisdom on the following:
Sports nutrition - fact or myth? We clarify the following:
- Does coffee/caffeine before exercise leads to dehydration?
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165%2F00007256-200131110-00002
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12187618?dopt=Abstract
- http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/y90-135#.WYnOntPysi4
- If you’re fat-adapted can you "race low" (low cal/low carb) during long races? (Or, instead: train low, race high?)
- http://www.thenoakesfoundation.org/nutrition-network/train-low-race-high-being-fat-adapted-and-racing-on-carbohydrate
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21326374
- http://journals.lww.com/acsm-essr/Fulltext/2010/10000/Carbohydrate_Availability_and_Training_Adaptation_.2.aspx
- Calorie recommendations and examples for fat-adapted athletes racing long distances.
- Does insulin make us fat?
- It can/does in certain conditions, but it’s ENERGY BALANCE that ultimately determines fat storage.
- https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/2017/08/04/insulin-doesnt-make-us-fat-mwm-2-26/
Plus answers to your questions:
- Can having the MTHFR polymorphism impede progress in aerobic training?
- Supplementing with 5-MTHF (800 mcg) and Methylcobalamin (100 mcg) and muscle soreness.
- Initial improvements in MAF then a plateau in progress with no improvements after 8 months; what to do? Change training stimulus or could it be MTHFR?
- Phil Maffetone on when it's time to add intensity to your MAF training.
- After knee surgery that included stem cell and PRP injections, what is the recommended downtime before running again?
- Ryan says: In January I started having pain in the arch and inside ankle of my left foot. I went to see a physical therapist and they said I have posterior tibialis tendonitis. At the same time, I would also say I was/am recovering from overtraining. In November I started working with Nourish Balance Thrive after figuring out I had low testosterone, hypothyroid, C. Diff, and Candida from lots of training and a low carb/keto diet (I do obstacle course racing). The physical therapy has been helping, I have been having less pain during every day movement and running. I have been doing strengthening exercises moving my foot through various ranges of motion with a resistance band. However, in addition the PT recommended I get orthotics to help support the arches of my feet (I have always been told I have flat feet). I got the orthotics and it has helped but after browsing the Sock Doc's website it seems he is against orthotics in most cases. My question is what would the Sock Doc recommend to help heal my posterior tibialis tendonitis? Obviously my #1 focus is on addressing my hypothyroid, low testosterone, and gut infections but I also want to heal my posterior tibialis tendonitis as well. Does he think that once I fix my overtraining symptoms will that help my tendonitis? Should I ditch the orthotics or should I wear them until I heal and then start working on running without them? Sorry for the long question, and thanks for all the help!
- Sock Doc on PF.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick![/sponsor]
On this episode of Ask the Coaches:
-
Tawnee’s back from her break, and her and Lucho take some time to catch up and share the latest news, including that she's pregnant! You can read more of Tawnee's pregnancy blogs and follow her journey at tritawn.com.
-
Study mention - Running Exercise Increases the Intervertebral Disc
- “Chronic running exercise in men and women is associated with better intervertebral disc (IVD) composition (hydration and proteoglycan content) and with IVD hypertrophy.”
- “Despite repetitive loading of the spine during running (considered to be a contributory factor to the development of IVD degeneration), the exercise groups of the current study did not show any detrimental effects at these lower lumbar segments. In contrast, the long-distance runners and joggers showed evidence of better IVD hydration and glycosaminoglycan content in the lower lumbar spine than those that did not perform sport.
- “loading of the spine under body weight during running in otherwise healthy people may well be beneficial for the lower lumbar IVDs.”
-
Afternoon marathon meal prep: What to eat (or not eat) for a 2 p.m. marathon start, and also how to simulate this if long runs are between 3-4 a.m. due to extreme daytime heat.
- Eat a meal ~5 hours before then have a UCAN drink pre-run! Avoid high fiber, FODMAPs, and dense foods like meats
-
How does the MAF 180 Formula work if you are under 20?
- Over 16 - use the MAF 180 Formula.
- 16 or Under - don’t use the 180 Formula, go by 165 HR. Do MAF tests at this HR.
- Pros and cons of HR for youth and also why it's all about mindset.
- More from Phil in this interview.
- Talking mindset and psychology with Steve Magness.
-
In a runner with intermediate experience training for a half marathon: Should long runs be at MAF? Also what if current MAF is 12mins/mile and the 1/2 marathon goal is under 8:45 - 9:00 min/mile pace.
- Using the VDOT calculator (here) to estimate race paces for different distances.
-
What gives you the best bang for the buck when it comes to weightlifting for endurance athletes (type, exercises, sets and reps)? It depends on the goal and needs:
- Power/Speed - power is the ability to generate high amounts of force over a short period of time. The time component is key. Great for CNS training - more efficiency and muscle recruitment without adding too much mass and can improve LT. Great for EAs.
- Plyos - 2-3 sets of 10 or so reps, or 10-30m if by distance.
- Speed-strength weightlifting (quick and explosive not slow and steady lifting), etc. - 3-5 x 3-5 @ 50-75% max. Oly lifts, squats, DL, etc.
- Circuits - combine all elements: plyos, speed-strength and strength.
- Strength/Hypertrophy - Strength is how much force your muscles can generate and exert, often heavier slow strength workouts. EAs want to be strong but not bodybuilder buff. The idea is to have enough mass to help motor unit recruitment (maximize your fibers firing) for more force generation.
- Periodize/progress:
- Offseason: Low/mod reps, mod weight, 3-5 sets, 10-15 reps @ 65-75% max.
- Base: 3-5 sets, 8-10 reps @ 75-80% max.
- Build: 2-4 sets, 2-6 reps @ 85-95% max.
- If working this into race season be sure to plan and taper! Sometimes I’ll save all the heavy strength for offseason/early season and transition to more endurance/functional as race season ramps up.
- Periodize/progress:
- There's also also:
- Muscular endurance - high rep, low weight, e.g. >12 reps @ <65% of max.
- Functional - teaching the body to move efficiency often with low to no weights; developing coordination between the nervous and muscular systems; three planes of motion.
- Mobility - balance, flexibility, yoga, etc.
- Power/Speed - power is the ability to generate high amounts of force over a short period of time. The time component is key. Great for CNS training - more efficiency and muscle recruitment without adding too much mass and can improve LT. Great for EAs.
-
Can you use jump roping to maintain aerobic endurance?
-
Is there difference between bouncing on both feet vs single-leg jump roping?
-
Crashing after two years of high intensity interval training: constant muscle soreness, aches and pains, poor sleep, frequent sore throats, and higher than normal heart rates when resting.
- How to recover and how long to scale back: 8 weeks minimum.
- Is it possible to use MAF throughout the year AND incorporate higher intensity intervals (Z4, Z5 and Z6)? Yes, but not all at once - patience!
- How can you balance Maffetone and Friel's training techniques?
- Our Kona special with Joe Friel.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for a n added kick![/sponsor]
On this show Lucho and George Zack chat it up and cover:
- US Masters National Championships
- Training for speed.
- Is marijuana a performance enhancing drug?
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]Head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free... Get started now on the path to optimizing your health and performance![/sponsor]
Dr. David Minkoff is an alternative health practitioner and triathlete based in Florida. At 69 years young, he has completed 42 Ironmans and feels healthier than ever. He was also Endurance Planet's resident doctor for our Ask the Doc shows back in the day (see archives). On this show we catch up with David, talking about his alternative health practice, training and racing, and supplements, including a refresher on amino acids like PerfectAmino for our new fans!
On Alternative Medicine and Health Maintenance
- How Dr. Minkoff got into alternative medicine and the story of his wife's amazing recovery from a debilitating autoimmune condition.
- How to keep a robust, strong immune system that does not go into overdrive.
- Are autoimmune conditions on the rise, and if so why?
- Identifying toxins in our environments and bodies.
- Risks of glyphosate and other chemicals laden in foods.
- The importance of a clean organic diet and knowing the source of your food.
- If you're healthy you can "get away" with a bit more like eating out and not eating entirely organic, but if your health needs work then go all in until you're better.
- Once you're healthy, can you resume eating foods that once were triggers? it depends.
- Signs to tell if you're in good health or in need of detox and support.
On Training and Racing
- Dr. Minkoff has completed 42 Ironmans and is training for #43!
- He has dabbled with MAF--his thoughts as a master's athlete and how he's modified it to fit his needs and make progress.
- The ability to push hard and reach very high intensities in short races (i.e. 170+ HR in a sprint triahtlon run). Why this is so good for athletes, young and old but not to be overdone.
- Running for masters (Minkoff's way): volume, intensity, shoe choice
- Supplementing
- The top supplements Dr. Minkoff recommends:
- BodyHealth Multi
- BodyHealth Fish Oil
- PerfectAmino
- On PerfectAmino, a blend of essential amino acids in the right ratio for optimal absorption:
- Specific benefits of essential amino acid (EAA) supplementing for athletes
- What's the difference between EAAs and protein in food?
- Digestibility of protein from food - if you're on anti-acids you may not be getting adequate protein from your food.
- Digestibility of PerfectAmino and body's ability to use it in comparison
- How EAAs have specific benefits to low carb athletes, those looking to control carbs, and those doing IF or fasting.
- Keto athletes may need to watch protein, but EAAs are ok and won't spike glucose.
- Keto for men vs. women.
- Dosing with PerfectAmino:
- Take 6-7 if you're less than 120 lbs
- Take 10 or more if you're over 120 lbs.
- Taking extra will not have an adverse effect.
- Best to take before exercise.
- EAAs role in mitigating central fatigue so you can go longer.
- Is PerfectAmino safe for pregnant women? Yes, and recommended!
- Meet Greg White, a professional writer, avid runner and student of all things health.
- How to begin using minimalist shoes after a back injury and 4 year break from running. Book link:https://www.amazon.com/Whole-Body-Barefoot-Transitioning-Footwear/dp/0989653986
- How best to structure training with MAF + intensity.
- What exactly a taper is and several strategies to you can use.
- What do you do when you plan to build a two year base.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for a n added kick![/sponsor]
We are back with The Sock Doc, Dr. Steve Gangemi, for another"grab bag" style show with a variety of important topics and answers to your questions so you can kick more butt in your training and racing...
- Steve's trip to the Galapagos Islands a few highlights including the giant turtles who sound like Darth Vadar and look like ET.
- Female health in ironman training.
- Females who gain weight (especially midsection) when training harder for Ironman - what gives?
- Female ironman athletes with thyroid issues.
- The role of thyroid and gaining weight when training heavily - training may suppress thyroid even before it suppresses HPA axis function.
- Does the MAF philosophy apply equally to women and men?
- What happens when you overtrain aerobically - i.e. "aerobic excess."
- If not getting results with all aerobic-based training switch it up and add intensity (in moderation).
- What to eat when IM training with thyroid issues, how to train in order to have a healthy body?
- Make sure your carb intake matches activity - could be 80-200+ grams a day that you need!
- Bioidentical thyroid supplement instead of synthetic thyroid meds - finding what works for you.
- Problems with thyroid medication, Naturethroid.
- Arthroscopy on a medial meniscus tear and post-surgery rehab - how to stay healthy, active and avoid re-injury?
- With meniscus, you must identify and address underlying issues that caused the problem to prevent reoccurrence.
- Could be biomechanical but could also be health and hormones.
- The estrogen connection to ligament laxity - the applies to men too not just women!
- Identifying endocrine disruptors - too high carb diet/carb intolerance, personal care products, household products, even candles!
- Squat issues!
- Dorsiflexion.
- History of using an orthotic with a heel lift.
- Toeing out.
- Getting to 45 and 90 degrees.
- Use a heel life or not to work on getting lower?
- Range of motion and mobility issues.
- Pros and cons to hands-on therapy (massage, chiro, ART) vs. self-myofacial release.
- Do you really need to eat within X minutes of running? What if you are forced to run right before bed - still eat after?
- When it DOES make sense to eat within 30-60min after a workout - long days, anaerobic sessions, etc.
- Timing your food/meals and carbs if you're a late-night runner.
- Female athlete with a hiatal hernia and colitis - help!
- Symptoms during swimming and biking.
- Gut issues for years.
- HH leads to pain, bloating, cramping, discomfort especially during all swims; nearly unable to do bricks let alone triathlons.
- Relationship of breathing issues and chest vs. diaphragmatic breathing.
- Effective DIY solutions for hiatal hernias - healing is possible!
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]You can support EP when you shop online! Simply open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com to do your online shopping—it’s just one extra click to link to Amazon through the banner on our sidebar or click theAmazon links in the show notes.[/sponsor]
- Meet guest host Ann-Sofie Forsmark, a Swedish ultrarunner who has been a PT for 18 years, running coach the last 5 yrs and also nutrition coach with focus on athletic performance.
- Strategies to deal with lower energy and decreased recovery while trying to drop weight
- How to overcome, or not, the lack of desire to push hard in races.
- Ideas for racing an ultra by MAF HR, pace, and PE.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for a n added kick![/sponsor]
Dr. Phil Maffetone is back for this instant classic episode talking about heart health and athletes with everything you need to know, what information out there that you can ignore, and proactive tips to stay healthy for a lifetime.
- We often see articles and hear unfortunate stories of athletes with heart health complications, sometimes resulting in death. It understandably would make anyone a bit nervous to think their exercise routine might be deadly. But is it as simple as assuming that exercise puts one's heart at risk? Or are there underlying issues that would make one more prone to developing a heart condition or experiencing a cardiovascular event.
- What are legit vs. inaccurate concerns about types of damage to the heart muscle that may be associated with running and endurance sports?
- The basic physiological adaptations that occur in the heart and CV system when one trains for endurance - these adaptations all boost performance but could put more "stress" on the heart.
- Phil outlines the real reasons athletes get heart issues—from diet to stress—and why you can rest easy that exercise is ok and that a lot of the news media you hear is hyped up or not telling the whole story.
- Even if someone appears healthy and eats clean, could there still be an underlying risk?
Easy ways to monitor and assess your health and risk:
- Things we can do to be proactive:
- Clean diet low in "junk" foods and rich in nutrient dense whole foods
- Mostly avoid refined sugars/carbs and vegetables oils; avoid carb intolerance
- Tailor carbs to your needs
- Interview with Dr. Cate Shanahan
- MAF test
- HRV measuring
- Recovery focus
- Frequent blood work
- Triglycerides (fasted)
- Cholesterol
- TG HDL Ratio
- Fasting blood glucose—monitor this often
- Measure your waist circumference—waist to height ratio;
- Health history and physical from doctor; with you asking the right questions - record your office visits or appointments!
- Blood pressure monitoring
- Clean diet low in "junk" foods and rich in nutrient dense whole foods
- Risk factors:
- Pre-diabetes or diabetes
- Pre hypertension or hypertension—sympathetic system revved up, will perform well at expense of health.
- High waist circumference value—if it’s half your height or more, that’s not good.
- Only then go to: EKG, ECG, treadmill stress test (don’t go to this first).
Studies mentioned:
- Potential Adverse Cardiovascular Effects From Excessive Endurance Exercise
- Long-term excessive endurance exercise may induce pathologic structural remodeling of the heart and large arteries. What are issues with the heart that can happen over years?
- Acute effects:
- Volume overload of the atria and right ventricle, with transient reductions in right ventricular ejection fraction and elevations of cardiac biomarkers.
- Returns to normal within 1 week.
- Months to years of repetitive injury may lead to:
- Adverse CV remodeling
- Patchy myocardial fibrosis, particularly in the atria, interventricular septum, and right ventricle, creating a substrate for atrial and ventricular arrhythmias.
- Coronary artery calcification
- Diastolic dysfunction
- Large-artery wall stiffening.
- Are Olympic athletes free from cardiovascular diseases? Systematic investigation in 2352participants from Athens 2004 to Sochi 2014
- Assessed the prevalence and type of CV abnormalities.
- 2352 Olympic athletes average age of 25.
- 92 athletes (3.9%) showed abnormal CV findings.
- Structural abnormalities (6 types) included
- Inherited cardiomyopathies (n=4)
- Coronary artery disease (n=1)
- Perimyocarditis (n=4)
- Myocardial bridges (n=2)
- Valvular and congenital diseases (n=45)
- Systemic hypertension (n=10)
- Primary electrical diseases (4 types) included
- Atrial fibrillation (n=2)
- Supraventricular reciprocating tachycardia (n=14)
- Complex ventricular tachyarrhythmias (non-sustained ventricular tachycardia, n=7; bidirectional ventricular tachycardia, n=1)
- Major conduction disorders (Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW), n=1; Long QT syndrome (LQTS), n=2).
- Conclusion: “This study revealed an unexpected prevalence of CV abnormalities among Olympic athletes, including a small, but not negligible proportion of pathological conditions at risk. This observation suggests that Olympic athletes, despite the absence of symptoms or astonishing performances, are not immune from CV disorders and might be exposed to unforeseen high-risk during sport activity.”
- Running as a Key Lifestyle Medicine for Longevity
- Recently, specific questions have emerged regarding the extent of the health benefits of running versus other types of PA, and perhaps more critically, whether there are diminishing returns on health and mortality outcomes with higher amounts of running.
- In general, runners have a 25%–40% reduced risk of premature mortality and live approximately 3 years longer than non-runners.
- After controlling for smoking, booze consumption, body mass index, and the like, running still was found to reduce all-cause mortality risk.
- Roughly each hour spent running adds 7 hours to one's lifespan.
- Running might just be the most cost-effective "life medicine" from a public health standpoint,
- Found that even slow jogging is consistently considered a vigorous-intensity physical activity.
- Physical activity and telomere length in U.S. men and women: An NHANES investigation
- Telomeres are nucleoprotein caps positioned at the end of chromosomes.
- Aging causes telomeres to shorten significantly and results in gradual cell deterioration.
- Regular physical activity reduces disease risk, possibly due to the preservation of telomeres.
Results showed that regular activity accounted for significantly longer telomeres in U.S. adults. - The longer telomeres found in active adults accounted for 9 years of reduced cellular aging.
- Dose of jogging and long-term mortality: the Copenhagen City Heart Study
- Compared with sedentary nonjoggers, 1 to 2.4 h of jogging per week was associated with the lowest mortality.
- The optimal frequency of jogging was 2 to 3 times per week.
- The optimal pace was slow or average.
- The lowest HR for mortality was found in light joggers, followed by moderate joggers and strenuous joggers.
- "The findings suggest a U-shaped association between all-cause mortality and dose of jogging as calibrated by pace, quantity, and frequency of jogging. Light and moderate joggers have lower mortality than sedentary nonjoggers, whereas strenuous joggers have a mortality rate not statistically different from that of the sedentary group."
Show Notes: Lucho has a guest host, GZ. Psychology of coaching kids VS adults. Lucho's first race since the Leadville 100 4 years ago. How to structure training for an older athlete struggling with recovery.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] If you’re looking to take the holistic healthy life a step further but you’re not sure how to start head to Life Post Collective, an inner-circle community created by Tawnee Prazak Gibson. At LPC you’ll find Tawnee’s resources on holistic health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and more to help you on your path to optimization--the same resources and tools she uses for her athletes and clients. No gimmicks at LPC, Tawnee created this community for your wellbeing and as a home to share practical evidence-based and experienced-based ways to kick more butt. Through LPC’s integrative forums and features on the site, you can learn from not only Tawnee but also like-minded people all working toward common goals.
EP fans get your first month FREE at Life Post Collective using code “ep2017” - act now and make this the best year ever![/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]You can support EP when you shop online! Simply open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com to do your online shopping—it’s just one extra click to link to Amazon through the banner on our sidebar or click theAmazon links in the show notes.[/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]You can support EP when you shop online! Simply open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com to do your online shopping—it’s just one extra click to link to Amazon through the banner on our sidebar or click the Amazon links right here in the show notes.[/sponsor]
Dr. Cate Shanahan is a board certified family physician and author of Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food. She’s an expert on epigenetics and has studied culinary traditions and dietary habits of her healthiest patients. She’s applied her learning and experiences in all these scientific fields in the book Deep Nutrition, which we’ll be discussing today and applying to the needs of athletes too.
Intro
- Dr. Cate's background as an athlete and after, plagued with injury and joint problems, and what she discovered about the role of nutrition in healing?
- Is Dr. Cate a functional doctor, or does she define herself another way? Plus her thoughts on functional medicine and Western medicine practices.
- How Dr. Cate got interested in epigenetics and gene expression—and what these things mean.
- We essentially have the power to change our health and wellbeing via diet; in other words, diet affects gene expression.
Diving into concepts presented in Deep Nutrition
- We're not "stuck" with the DNA we're born with; we can "turn on" or "turn off" certain genes based on what we do.
- Tied into this is genetic wealth and genetic momentum—i.e. what our ancestors have brought to the table for our wellbeing.
- So this day in age, the diseases and health issues we’re seeing are largely due to diet not just random chance.
- Many of us are nutrient starved from the empty calories we eat and that’s what’s making us sick.
- People will argue that we’re living longer, etc., but just because we’re living longer doesn’t mean we’re healthier—or does it? And furthermore, as you present in the book, are we really living longer?
-
What are the two worst food villains?
- Vegetable oils—just how bad are these and what kind of health effects do they have? In particular brain health and oxidation.
- Sugar—avoid refined processed added sugar, and from there generally keep sugar (all kinds even natural) to less than 100g day.
-
Read Dr. Cate's Good Fats bad Fats article here.
- Sugar’s role in glycation—what this is and how we can change our diet to fight glycation?
- Meanwhile, it’s not just the vegetable oils and sugars, there’s a connection between modern over-consumption of vegetable oils/sugars and under-consumption of traditional foods and health issues.
- Are there flaws with the concepts of the Paleo diet?
- Dr. Cate introduces The Human Diet, which is based on eating the foods our ancestors did—this isn’t exactly paleo, and it’s not exactly about low carb, so what does it mean?
- The Human Diet looks to traditional cuisine & foods…
- “The native diets had ten or more times the fat-soluble vitamins and one-and-a-half to fifty times more minerals than the diets of people in the United States.”
-
The Four Pillars of World Cuisine that we all need in our diets:
- Meat cooked on the bone
- Organs and ofal (what Bourdain calls “the nasty bits”)
- Fresh (raw) plant and animal products
- Fermented and sprouted foods—better than fresh!
-
Dr. Cate is not anti-carb and allows and recommends (in moderation) sprouted breads, sprouted beans and legumes, yogurts, rice, even corn masa in the Human Diet—we've evolved to be able to eat and digest these things!
- But at the end of the day all carbs even healthy ones essentially turn to sugar, so what's her take on this considering she's anti-sugar (refined, processed stuff) but ok with certain carbs?
- Do you budge at all on eating this perfect nutrient-dense diet, say for the occasional indulgence in a social setting, or in effort to not be too orthorexic and mentally crazy over food? I mean I love everything you say, but I can already see myself wanting to get OCD about only eating perfectly and I know many in our audience are probably like me where we can take health perfection too far.
- Can healthy eating/living go too far where it’s mentally unhealthy?
Tying in the Human Diet and Deep Nutrition to the needs of athletes:
- First, how can so many elite endurance athletes get away with a crap diet and still perform well and look awesome? (Is this related to the supermodel who eats twinkies and smokes—as mentioned in the book?)
- Junk diets destroy collagen and can even put athletes at risk for diabetes.
- Is the Human Diet safe for athletes?
- For example, it’s still on the low carb side—basic recommendation in the book are for about 90-130 g carbs over a day (14% of calories), and definitely high on fats. This information MUST be adjusted for an athlete's activity levels and likely more carbs needed, but be sure to have your carbs post workout and/or with dinner; not at breakfast and not before workouts.
- But the Human Diet allows for a variety of carbs like sprouted bread or beans, rice, corn masa, fruit, etc., just keeping to moderation.
- Also is 14% calories from carbs is too low for females, athlete or not?
- Too high carbs can mess with hormonal function, but can’t also too low carb?
- Sports nutrition talk and looking at new-age science to make new guidelines
- Dr. Cate's take on fat for fuel for athletes, vs "old school" carb loading.
- Lately there have been more FODMAP intolerances being identified in athletes, especially dairy, so how would you suggest individualizing this?
- Yay or nay on food allergy tests - why Dr. Cate says they're incredibly flawed and that elimination diets are your best bet.
- Some inclusions in the Human Diet you don’t see everywhere these days:
- Gluten, dairy, corn tortillas… things like real milk not nut milk, and plenty of cheeses and yogurt.
- On gluten—why gluten may be ok for some, and not for others in particular immune function and when we create antibodies to gluten?
- What are some fast, simple changes to make to one’s diet according to Dr. Cate:
- Salad
- Dairy
- Organ meats
- Fermented
Quotes from Deep Nutrition:
- "Within a given family, the earlier the abandonment of traditional foods for a diet of convenience, the more easily perceptible the decline.”
- “As much as hospitals and clinics like to talk about wellness and prevention, the truth is, a real discussion about healthy eating cannot take place in a doctor’s office. Tis is why in order to check of the “nutrition-discussion box” they rely on sound-bites, like “eat your colors,” which doesn’t really mean much, or “everything in moderation,” which, in a world where toxins are marketed as health foods, can be harmful advice. Providing real dietary guidance requires far more time with patients than insurance models currently allow. You could fill a book with what needs to be discussed for anyone to adopt a truly healthy diet—which is why, in 2003, I started writing this one.”
- "One of the most important new concepts of Deep Nutrition is the idea that the foods parents eat can change the way their future children look. recognize two toxic substances present in our food that are incompatible with normal genetic function: sugars and vegetable oils. We’re going to put calorie counting and struggling to find the perfect ratio of carbs to protein to fat on the back burner. These exercises don’t reveal what really matters about your food."
- "What if you could re-engineer your genes to your liking? Want to be like Mike? How about Tiger Woods? Halle Berry? George Clooney? Or maybe you want to change your genes so that you can still be you, only better. Maybe you want just a modest upgrade—a sexier body, better health, greater athleticism, and a better attitude."
- "Epigenetics helps us understand that the genome is more like a dynamic, living being—growing, learning, and adapting constantly. You may have heard that most disease is due to random mutations, or “bad” genes. But epigenetics tells us otherwise. If you need glasses or get cancer or age faster than you should, you very well may have perfectly normal genes. What’s gone wrong is how they function, what scientists call genetic expression."
- "Getting sick isn’t random. We get sick because our genes didn’t get what they were expecting, one too many times. Most importantly, I’ve learned that food can tame unruly genetic behavior far more reliably than biotechnology. By simply replenishing your body with the nourishment that facilitates optimal gene expression, it’s possible to eliminate genetic malfunction and, with it, pretty much all known disease. No matter what kind of genes you were born with, I know that eating right can help reprogram them, immunizing you against cancer, premature aging, and dementia, enabling you to control your metabolism, your moods, your weight—and much, much more.”
- “The reason that so many of us have health problems today is that we no longer eat in accordance with any culinary tradition. In the worst cases of recurring illnesses and chronic diseases that I see, more often than not, the victim’s parents and grandparents haven’t, either. Tis means that most Americans are carrying around very sick genes."
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/PhatFibreV2logo.png"]This episode is brought to you by Phat Fibre, an MCT powder supplement designed by athletes and scientists that aids in maximum performance without causing GI side effects. Phat Fibre is a gluten-and dairy-free hypoallergenic slightly digestible fibre that gives just enough slow-release carb to maximize performance without affecting blood glucose levels and also curbs appetite for hours. It’s ideal for low-carb or carb-conscious athletes and you can use it in conjunction with other products we love including UCAN and PerfectAmino. Find out more details on our shop page. BEST OF ALL: EP fans get 15% off this cutting-edge sports nutrition product with code “EP.” Click here to get your hands on Phat Fibre now![/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for a n added kick![/sponsor]
- If fat-adapted and for long training runs fueling with UCAN, Vespa, Nuun, and water, do you still need to add more carbs/sugar during a marathon to account for higher heart rates or cardiac drift?
- UCAN's tips for fueling a marathon.
- Nutrition tips for running a marathon 10-15 seconds faster than MAF pace.
- Tips for training for a sandy ultra (Badwater Cape Fear) and the best way to build specific strength for sand running when you don't have access to sandy beaches to train on.
- Are 3 mile MAF runs enough of a stimulus to elicit a change in fitness? Why it depends and for whom would 3 miles be great and for whom would it be not enough?
- Since the success of a MAF program is heavily dependent on volume but ramping up hours too quickly is dangerous, adding in some elliptical training seems wise to strengthen your aerobic base but not risk injury....
- Does doing MAF on the elliptical for 60-plus minutes complement MAF running training or would this not be enough of a stimulus?
- Would it be better crosstraining than the MAF on the bike?
- Is MAF right for me or should I add more intensity? "I work out for health but also to be able to compete with my friends on MTB races (and the occasional run). I have to balance training with a full time job and family of four kids. So I get between 2-6 workouts per week, it varies a lot."
- Periodizing MAF based on your time availability and goals.
- Recovery tips...
- What's Lucho prioritizing with his recovery these days?
- Nutrition: eating/supplementing after a long run?
- PerfectAmino - powder or pill form
- Stretching: when to stretch, mobility practice, yoga, etc?
- Rest day: what's the best to do?
- Other: contrast bathing, cold therapy, sauna?
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]You can support EP when you shop online! Simply open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com to do your online shopping—it’s just one extra click to link to Amazon through the banner on our sidebar or click theAmazon links in the show notes.[/sponsor]
Headed to the Big Island? Then take a listen. Our buddy Thorsten Radde is FINALLY making the trek to Kona this year so we dedicate this show to discussing travel plans and questions he had for being in Hawaii during Ironman, including:
- What's the "best" location to stay in Kona? What's the layout like and pros and cons of being walking distance to the pier vs. driving distance? Tawnee shares insight on places she's stayed over the years and what you get based on where you stay:
- The “best” location just depends on the environment that appeals to you and the level of action you want (or lack thereof) outside your door. If you want to be totally in the mix and like hotels, look at the King Kam (host hotel) or Seaside Inn (Seaside is right on Palani). Uncle Billy’s is another popular one within a mile of the finish.
- If you want to be a bit further from the finishline area but still in a popular area and within walking distance from town, check out places further down Ali’i drive—a mix of hotels, condos and house rentals. Starting at the Royal Kona (about .8 miles from the pier) there are decent places. I’ve stayed at the Wyndham and Aston Kona By The Sea and liked both (probably prefer the Wyndham); both are within 2 miles from the pier on Ali’i Drive.
- Anything beyond mile marker 2, and you’re going to want transportation (car rental) for sure. It gets quieter but every day it will still be packed with runners and cyclists all week long, as well as houses rented by popular companies like GU, Clif Bar, Training Peaks, etc.
- If you want a nice hotel a bit further down Ali’I look into the Sheraton.
- In my time, I’ve started staying farther away and only doing VRBO rentals (vacation rental by owner). I’ve fallen in love with the Coffee Belt and the neat little houses you can find and rent for really cheap ($100/night for nice 2 bd places with kitchen)—great as long as you don’t mind staying 10-15 miles from the Pier.
- Or you could go the opposite way and head north and check out resorts like Mauna Lani and places in the Waikoloa area—a 25-30 mile trek from the Pier but some people wouldn’t stay anywhere but these places, and I can see why. Gorgeous. Quiet. Ultimate Hawaii.
- Last tip—while hotels are nice, you can usually find a VRBO.com house/condo or privately owned rental for cheaper and with more room and more amenities, like a kitchen. Personally, we stock up the fridge and make breakfasts in our place, which saves us money and justifies eating out for lunch and dinner for days and days. This is also nice when you’re staying for an extended time—hotel rooms are cramped!
- Is there a place to rent a bike? Both to "travel around town," but also for riding parts of the course? For most of us NOT racing, it doesn't make sense to bring our own ...
- Tawnee's take: Easier said than done when it comes to bike rentals during Ironman week, but I also haven’t had much time to do riding in Kona due to work and other obligations so I haven’t dug that deep to find a bike. Call Bike Works (in Kona) well in advance to ask about reservations. For beach cruisers, often hotel/condos will have spares to borrow (Wyndham has this), ask when reserving. Otherwise, I think rentals are scarce.
- Timing - when do you ideally want to be there and how early before the race? Also island hopping options pre or post race.
- If you really want to get the full experience get to Kona on or around Monday before the race (race is second Saturday of October always). Any earlier not really necessary. I’d definitely stay the week after the race too—tons to do on the Big Island and since it’s the biggest island it takes longer to get places—shocking revelation, I know ;)
- Island hopping can take a good chunk of time so plan for at least 3-5 full days on another other island(s) if you plan to visit—fewer than 3 full days is not enough in my opinion (you're already there so find the time, you won't regret it!). There's always so much to do no matter what you're interested are.
- Thorsten is planning a lot of island hopping time!
- John and I have only gone to one island at a time post-Kona but that’s because we can’t really take more than 2 weeks away from home. If you have more time, go for it. I’d say you’ll have your fill if you do 3 islands and stay for 3 weeks. Each island is SO different—I’d say Maui and Kauai are my top picks after the Big Island.
- Tawnee's Favorite Restaurants
- Driving Distance
- Da Poke Shack - you cannot skip this place, best poke there is!
- Coffee belt - Rebel Kitchen, Keei Cafe, Kaya's, Donkey Balls
- Kona Brewing (walking distance for some)
- Kenichi Pacifc for Sushi - in shopping center
- Walking distance from pier
- Umeke's (not as good as da poke shack IMO)
- Daylight Mind Cafe
- Huggo's - Fine dining or on the rocks - best sunset view
- Basik Cafe
- Lemongrass Bistro
- Krua Thai Cuisine
- Lava Java
- Driving Distance
- Grocery shopping
- For health nuts check out Island Naturals market!!!
- Also a Costco, and big supermarkets all in town, easy drive
- Must get gear
- Get a souvenir shirt or two from Big Island Running Company
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/PerfectAminoXP_Short_WEB_grande.png"]This episode is brought to you by BodyHealth, the makers of PerfectAmino, an athlete’s secret weapon featuring eight essential amino acids in the exact ratios needed to ensure proper protein synthesis in the body. PerfectAmino has been tested and approved for in-competition athletes and professional sports; and all of us over at EP have used in in our athletic careers.
BodyHealth also recently debuted Perfect Calm, a new well-formulated magnesium powder supplement to round out an athlete's needs in particular getting good sleep and stress management. And did you know that BodyHealth also offers well-formulated natural vitamins and supplements to meet your other needs including their Body Detox, Healthy Sleep Ultra, Intestinal Cleanse, weight loss aids, and more. Plus, PerfectAmino now comes in a sugar-free powder form that's great for those who don’t like pills and/or want something tasty to mix in your workout drink![/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] If you’re looking to take the holistic healthy life a step further but you’re not sure how to start head to Life Post Collective, an inner-circle community created by Tawnee Prazak Gibson. At LPC you’ll find Tawnee’s resources on holistic health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and more to help you on your path to optimization--the same resources and tools she uses for her athletes and clients. No gimmicks at LPC, Tawnee created this community for your wellbeing and as a home to share practical evidence-based and experienced-based ways to kick more butt. Through LPC’s integrative forums and features on the site, you can learn from not only Tawnee but also like-minded people all working toward common goals.
As a special offer for EP fans, we're giving you your first month FREE at Life Post Collective using code “ep2017” - act now and make this the best year ever![/sponsor]
Our guest Steve Magness is a coach to top distance runners including Olympians, World Championship qualifiers, and top 10 finishers at Major Marathons. He is also a lecturer and writer on the topic of science of performance. He has two books, including The Science of Running and the latest titled Peak Performance, which drops in June, along with numerous articles and a newsletter at the scienceofrunning.com, and a podcast called "On Coaching" that can be found on iTunes. As many know, Steve's also an accomplished runner himself.
Topics discussed with Steve:
- Steve's favorite topic these days in the sports world: psychology and the mind, and in particular what he's learned coaching collegiate runners.
- The distinct patterns of coping with pain and fatigue that he observes in his athletes - what the top performers vs. the rest do naturally.
- Mental toughness with NO limits!
- One thing Steve is sick of hearing or talking about: Weekly volume and/or weekly mileage - that's missing the point!
- Steve has a coaching program that's unique from others out there - what is his work all about and what makes it different?
- "We are consumed with becoming experts on the physiology and the technical, which is all well and good. But we've lost our teaching roots."
- For coaches, what matters: concepts or details? Steve has a more detailed article on this here.
- We have to understand WHY we are doing certain things for our athletes, not just execute details.
- What are some of his "rules of coaching." See the full article here.
- At the end of the day make sure it's simple + usable.
- "In an age where we are inundated with information, the problem is no longer collecting what the greatest minds on the planet do, it’s in making sure it is applicable."
- When working with an athlete and you see passion that could go too far and become destructive how do you "fix" that without bringing them down?
- Why he thinks Malcom Gladwell's 10,000 hour rule misses the point, especially for endurance athletes. Read Steve's full article here
- "Instead of telling everyone they can be an expert with deliberate practice, let’s just say, you never will find out where your ceiling is without a lot of work. And to me, that’s what the journey is about. "
- Seems like 10k hours is different with endurance sport where too much doesn't always equate to success especially if you pile on too much too fast?
- For athletes, is deliberate and smart practice for at least THREE years a better rule of thumb? It takes time to absorb training and figure out racing, and after 3 years it's just beginning.
- On patience!
- Tackling battle between the scientific side and the practical side training. Where does Steve stand on this? Is there a balance and synergy between the two?
- Some of us at EP want to know: What's your definition of "tempo" is and where it fits with Z3, marathon effort, threshold?
- Steve's recommended reads
- The Biology of Desire - by Marc Lewis
- Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing - by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman
- Letters from a Stoic - by Seneca
- Ego Is the Enemy - by Ryan Holiday
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/PhatFibreV2logo.png"]This episode is brought to you by Phat Fibre, an MCT powder supplement designed by athletes and scientists that aids in maximum performance without causing GI side effects. Phat Fibre is a gluten-and dairy-free hypoallergenic slightly digestible fibre that gives just enough slow-release carb to maximize performance without affecting blood glucose levels and also curbs appetite for hours. It’s ideal for low-carb or carb-conscious athletes and you can use it in conjunction with other products we love including UCAN and PerfectAmino. Find out more details on our shop page. BEST OF ALL: EP fans get 15% off this cutting-edge sports nutrition product with code “EP.” Click here to get your hands on Phat Fibre now![/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for a n added kick![/sponsor]
On this episode of Ask the Coaches:
- Followup from ATC 234:
- Were we ‘too harsh’ or even wrong on American marathoners slowing? Lucho spews some stats and another good article mention.
- Speaking of fast running, we discuss the Sub-2 Hour Marathon attempt, before it happened.
- Correction from that episode: The Ironman swim cutoff is 2:20 not 1:30!
- Are neoprene shorts (like Roka Sim) legal in warmer water triathlons? Do we think neoprene shorts might be a good speed boost?
- What you can and can't wear in triathlons, based on water temps, etc. - read and learn the official rules here!
- If each of us were to open a restaurant, what would your menu look like?
- Is the MAF approach arbitrary, overblown and over-hyped? Do we "idolize" MAF? One fan chimes in.
- Are both MAF and the 220-minus-age formula not based on good science and lacking consideration of the athlete's fitness, or do they have value?
- When finding target HR goals - considering the fitness of the athlete, metabolic efficiency, cross-over point, etc.
- The MAF White Paper
- Is there a market saturation of triathlon events, Ironman specifically? Too many events to the point of many races not even fulling up? What is the current state of the sport looking like?
- How to better estimate my future race paces? Coming off a marathon and actually ran much faster than the ol' "MAF minus 15 seconds" for overall pacing (estimated my target race pace to be 8:40 min/mile, as it turned out, ran at an average pace of 8:25 min/mile, and in control).
- Using marathon time to predict half-marathon goal pace.
- What went wrong aka common half Ironman mistakes? Help with possible reasons that one athlete's 70.3 race went poorly.
- In a nutshell, issues with cramping, pacing, weather and nutrition that we tackle and try to make sense of.
- Possible theories:
- Not enough training in the heat before the race.
- Overcooked the bike, even though the heart rate was really low (aerobic endurance vs muscular endurance).
- Dehydration, the "wrong" type of drink, or too few calories.
- Thanks for any input you can give me. I don’t ever want to feel this way again…
- Link to an interview with Stacy Sims, possible answer in there as it relates to hydration.
- Talking about hydration needs on EP with Paul Lausren.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/PerfectAminoXP_Short_WEB_grande.png"]This episode is brought to you by BodyHealth, the makers of PerfectAmino, an athlete’s secret weapon featuring eight essential amino acids in the exact ratios needed to ensure proper protein synthesis in the body. PerfectAmino has been tested and approved for in-competition athletes and professional sports; and all of us over at EP have used in in our athletic careers.
BodyHealth also recently debuted Perfect Calm, a new well-formulated magnesium powder supplement to round out an athlete's needs in particular getting good sleep and stress management. And did you know that BodyHealth also offers well-formulated natural vitamins and supplements to meet your other needs including their Body Detox, Healthy Sleep Ultra, Intestinal Cleanse, weight loss aids, and more. Plus, PerfectAmino now comes in a sugar-free powder form that's great for those who don’t like pills and/or want something tasty to mix in your workout drink![/sponsor]
Dr. Tamin Lewis is back and also is working on a new business Fibr Health. Check it out!
On this show:
- Discussing risks of the pill and IUD for female athletes.
- What can happen when on birth control:
- Inflammation CRP
- Disrupt microbiome
- Decrease B vitamins
- Increase needs for Mg
- The pill can also raise SHBG, which binds to testosterone, and there have been claims of cancer risks but that remains controversial.
- Birth control and athletic performance
- Also should women on the pill avoid LCHF diets?
- LCHF diets will more likely affect thyroid hormones, which is relative to perceived energy deficit.
- Women who are at the point in life where they want to be on BC (after having kids, etc.); suggestions for a good method of birth control for someone who's scared about birth control's cancer risks and performance losses?
- Pro female athlete's recovery from overtraining syndrome (OTS):
- Cycles have returned but painful periods and fatigue remains.What to do?
- Female athletes need to support hormones and the liver
- Supplements mentioned:
- Alpha lipolic acid
- NAC
- Glutathione
- Calc D.
- The liver enzyme and muscle breakdown issue - high AST and ALT are not just a sign of liver issues if you're a hard-training athlete!
- Advice for female athletes going through perimenopause and training recommendations.
- Resource mentioned on this show: http://www.cemcor.ubc.ca/
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/PhatFibreV2logo.png"]This episode is brought to you by Phat Fibre, an MCT powder supplement designed by athletes and scientists that aids in maximum performance without causing GI side effects. Phat Fibre is a gluten-and dairy-free hypoallergenic slightly digestible fibre that gives just enough slow-release carb to maximize performance without affecting blood glucose levels and also curbs appetite for hours. It’s ideal for low-carb or carb-conscious athletes and you can use it in conjunction with other products we love including UCAN and PerfectAmino. Find out more details on our shop page. BEST OF ALL: EP fans get 15% off this cutting-edge sports nutrition product with code “EP.” Click here to get your hands on Phat Fibre now![/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out UCAN's new bar made with coffee beans![/sponsor]
On This episode of Ask the Coaches:
- With all of the data, apps, online coaching, supplements, research, blogs, podcasts (great and otherwise), interwebs, and all... Why is America so slow in the marathon compared to where it was 30 to 40 years ago?
- Article from Outside Online on this topic
- More runners
- Incentives
- Habits
- Are runners are becoming more keen to health risks of running so much
- Are we too connected to the world and getting too stressed over that?
- Endurance athlete with sinus bradycardia and extremely low heart rates. What's normal, what's not?
- Bradycardia is defined as "the presence of sinus rhythm with a rate less than 60 beats per minute (bpm) in the sinus node of the R atrium; sinus arrhythmia is said to be normal in many individuals."
- Bradycardia is common in endurance athletes - it's simply the heart adapting to physical demands making it more efficient producing a greater stroke volume, which in return allows the heart to circulate the same amount of blood with fewer contractions.
- Normal resting hear rate ranges can be 40-60 bpm for athletes (or even in the 30s!).
- That said, train by watts (going off FTP) or HR for those with bradycardia/very low heart rates?
- More on bradycardia here.
- Heart rate and swimming - do we need to worry about heart rate when we swim the same way we do with running and cycling?
- When your current swim pace won't allow you to make the Ironman swim cutoff (e.g. 2:45/100yard) what to do to get up to a speed that will work if Ironman is your goal.
- Suggestions for a HRM watch for swimming?
- How injured runners can make use of the pool and water sports during their recovery - swimming, aqua jogging, etc.
- Good resource on waterproof fitness devices.
- Maintaining run-specific fitness when you can’t run due to injury, what activities to do?Walk, hike steep hills, swim, and use the bike trainer, rowing ergometer, elliptical, stairmaster, weights, gym workouts, etc.? Which activity or combination of activities are best to keep run fitness as sharp as possible?
- Using the elliptical during injury recovery to maintain run fitness.
- Tawnee's love for rowing machines.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/PerfectAminoXP_Short_WEB_grande.png"]This episode is brought to you by BodyHealth, the makers of PerfectAmino, an athlete’s secret weapon featuring eight essential amino acids in the exact ratios needed to ensure proper protein synthesis in the body. PerfectAmino has been tested and approved for in-competition athletes and professional sports; and all of us over at EP have used in in our athletic careers. BodyHealth also recently debuted Perfect Calm, a new well-formulated magnesium powder supplement to round out an athlete's needs in particular getting good sleep and stress management. And did you know that BodyHealth also offers well-formulated natural vitamins and supplements to meet your other needs including their Body Detox, Healthy Sleep Ultra, Intestinal Cleanse, weight loss aids, and more. Plus, PerfectAmino now comes in a sugar-free powder form that's great for those who don’t like pills and/or want something tasty to mix in your workout drink![/sponsor]
On this episode, Dr. Tommy Wood of Nourish Balance Thrive is back! Sign up for Tommy's weekly highlight emails here.
Adrenal Fatigue
- Tommy's take on a recent systematic review looking more deeply into adrenal fatigue as a medical condition.
- 58 articles
- Terminology and methodology need to be normalized
- Not able to find studies in which there's a gold standard test for assessing the integrity and functionality of the HPA axis—one test is the insulin tolerance test (ITT).
- Cortisol tests - The results of our review indicate that the three major tests (CAR, DAC and SCR) used to identify the underlying causes of the fatigue/exhaustion state failed to do so, since they were unable to demonstrate significant differences or proper causality.
for further prospective studies aiming to correlate fatigue, exhaustion, or burnout status with impairment of the HPA axis, an ITT or a 250 μg CST should be performed to evaluate the adrenocortical ability to release cortisol, measurements of ACTH, DHEA-S, and corticosterone (an intermediate steroid product that is impaired earlier than cortisol [127]), the adoption of the most validated questionnaires, particularly Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Chalder Fatigue Scale, SF-36 or the General Fatigue Scale of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventor, and considering different study populations...
- Keeping it relevant to athletes: we are often told we are at a high risk or have adrenal fatigue, but a PCP may call BS, saying “that doesn’t exist.” What’s one to think? What’s the bottom line?
HbA1C vs. Glucose Readings
- Once on EP we discussed that it is possible that an HBA1C measurement can be incorrect possibly due to having increased red blood cell lifespan, therefore leading to a higher reading since the measurement assumes a 8-12 week RBC lifespan. Is there some test that can be performed to see if one's RBC are causing this effect?
- What could it mean when fasting blood glucose is regularly in the 70's, postprandial 60-90 minutes is usually less than 100, and waking and pre-meal is low 90's, but HBA1c comes back somewhat high at 5.6-5.7% for years now? Are there any other possible causes for this issue?
Thyroid Conditions and/or Grave's Disease
- Athletes living with Graves Disease and still training; how to navigate life and thrive given the condition?
- How to be a more efficient T4 to T3 converter? Are there common causes to poor conversion? Is there an optimal time of day to take the levothyroxine, ie: morning vs. bedtime vs. the middle of night/early morning? What role does cortisol play in T4 to T3 conversion?
- Helpful supplements:
- Anti-inflammatories (for gut etc.)
- Liposomal Curcumin
- Liposomal GTH
- CBD oil
- Gut tonics - slippery elm
- GI revive
- Gaia Turmeric sport
- Some with Graves may find that breathing is more labored due to paralyzed vocal cord, even at an easier effort, so my perceived level of exertion feels harder than "normal" people at any given effort. Any thoughts on how to maximize training while dealing with this higher than normal RPE?
- Training adaptations and recovery take much longer due to Graves - just accept this and deal or is there something we can do?
- Athletes who have or complain of chronic hay fever when they train and resorting to antihistamine every 12 hours so would be interested to know if anyone else has complained of the same symptoms and found a way to manage them.
This episode is brought to you by:
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/PhatFibreV2logo.png"]Phat Fibre, an MCT powder supplement designed by athletes and scientists that aids in maximum performance without causing GI side effects. Phat Fibre is a gluten-and dairy-free hypoallergenic slightly digestible fibre that gives just enough slow-release carb to maximize performance without affecting blood glucose levels and also curbs appetite for hours. It’s ideal for low-carb or carb-conscious athletes and you can use it in conjunction with other products we love including UCAN and PerfectAmino. Find out more details on our shop page. BEST OF ALL: EP fans get 15% off this cutting-edge sports nutrition product with code “EP.” Click here to get your hands on Phat Fibre now![/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out UCAN's bar made with coffee beans![/sponsor]
On this episode of ATC:
- Ragnar recap! It was another epic year for the Endurance Planet ragnar team. Photos and videos on our Instagram account.
- If you want to join EP for a future Ragnar, email us at events@enduranceplanet.com to get your name on the list. It will fill up fast. We're looking at doing both Ragnar SoCal and Ragnar Cape Cod in 2018! Please indicate which race you want in on and if you want regular or ultra team.
- Check out our FB Live we did here.
- Figuring out aerobic HR zones: PR in the marathon is a 2:52. MAF is 148 and a 7:00 pace. Training Peak says aerobic zone is up to 156 HR (sub 7 pace). Stay at 148 or push the 156?
- MAF is based on fat-burning and metabolism, whereas most other HR zone methods are based on cardiovascular metrics: listen to use discuss this un detail on ATC 226.
- MAF as a range and not one set HR.
- When MAF feels hard.
- Coming back to running after two stress fractures on tibia. Training again for marathons. Current MAF pace is in the 8:30's (faster than before) but having to force that pace; it feels a lot better to run at a lower HR in the 120-130 range with pace in the 9:00's. What to do: Force MAF or run at what feels more natural?
- The art of coaching.
- If an athlete having mental issues with running sometimes it's best to throw out the HRM.
- Ironman athlete having trouble with MAF: 148 too hard to run at but 140 is a lot of walking. How to figure out what the right HR to train at is? or maybe.... just go out an run and find the fun again?
- Probably not always best to use race data to set HR zones especially for triathletes.
- Getting into the world of competitive cycling: which category to register in, join a cycling team or club and what style of race is good to start out with?
Joanna Zeiger, PhD, is a professional athlete (racing pro triathlon from 1998-2010), an academic and endurance sports coach. Her new book titled The Champion Mindset: An Athlete’s Guide to Mental Toughness is a must-read for athletes and the topic of this show. Pick a copy of the book on Amazon here. You can find Joanna at Race Ready Coaching.
- Joanna’s story is an athletic career defined by perseverance and a grit. As a pro triathlete, she’s been an Olympian (Sydney 2000), 70.3 world champion, Ironman Champion, Kona top-5 finisher, and a 7-time Olympic trials qualifier in the marathon, triathlon and swimming.
- We pick up with the story of Joanna's injury sustained during the 2009 70.3 World Championships, followed by the painful rehab, recovery and making a comeback to running.
- Last year she ran Olympic Trials in February, and it was a tough race. She discusses how she got through this mentally and physically, and what it was like to have her last place finish covered in articles and making headlines.
- Essentially, The Champion Mindset is on how to successfully change behaviors and ways of thinking to achieve optimal success, and with all the countless hours of training Joanna’s done in her lifetime, why she believes the mental edge still rules above all else.
- Why would one need to have a goal-setting makeover—how can goal setting go wrong?
- Tough love, being blunt and even being a "jerk" in certain settings when working with athletes.
- Mention of running streaks and how Joanna is not afraid to say she's not a fan (nor is Tawnee). We elaborate.
- The concept of "training insanity."
- Reckless and ill-thought-out decisions we make in regards to training, in particular pushing through red flags and doing workouts when we should be resting.
- Training insanity is something most if not all coaches will appreciate; we can always see it in our athletes yet as an athlete we often have a hard time recognizing when we do this.
- If we don’t have a coach, how do we know when to stop and call it a day or push through? Because sometimes pushing through can be ok in the right context!
- On making excuses, and how to stop making excuses.
- What does the research say about self-handicapping, i.e. making excuses?
- How do excuses tie in with performance outcomes and how to let go of making excuses?
- At the end of the day you write that self-handicapping is just our attempt to protect the ego.
- How can we be less egocentric yet still believe in ourselves and have the self-confidence to get out there, get the work done and to achieve greatness?
- What does the confident mindset entail?
- Signs that you have your ego in check vs. signs that you need to work on your ego and not let your worries over racing and performance get out of hand.
- Joanna is one of the few Type A endurance athletes who says she is not a perfectionist. Specific ways in which she's clearly not focused on perfection in the way she lives and executes her life.
- A day in the life of Joanna, and how she prioritizes.
- Many perfectionists need to do a better job at prioritizing and not put everything as #1 in life.
- Can perfectionism ever be healthy for us? When to channel you perfectionism.
- Her chapter on finding meaning. It seems a big theme in this section is embracing the new—new opportunities, new challenges, trying new things—and all the while practicing gratitude and finding the joy in. For example, she was not a fan of running at first! How did she learn to turn something you didn’t like at the time, i.e. running, into something you thrive at and love doing?
- Why doing "new stuff" is great for us and can enhance our sport.
- In all the research she put into the book, was there anything that she personally found particularly helpful and refreshing on what it means to have a champion mindset?
- Get the book here!
Shoutout to our sponsors:
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/PerfectAminoXP_Short_WEB_grande.png"]BodyHealth, the makers of PerfectAmino, an athlete’s secret weapon featuring eight essential amino acids in the exact ratios needed to ensure proper protein synthesis in the body. PerfectAmino has been tested and approved for in-competition athletes and professional sports; and all of us over at EP have used in in our athletic careers. BodyHealth also recently debuted Perfect Calm, a new well-formulated magnesium powder supplement to round out an athlete's needs in particular getting good sleep and stress management. And did you know that BodyHealth also offers well-formulated natural vitamins and supplements to meet your other needs including their Body Detox, Healthy Sleep Ultra, Intestinal Cleanse, weight loss aids, and more. Plus, PerfectAmino now comes in a sugar-free powder form that's great for those who don’t like pills and/or want something tasty to mix in your workout drink![/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out UCAN's new bar made with coffee beans![/sponsor]
On this episode of Ask The Coaches:
- Study mention: Effect of Ankle Mobility and Segment Ratios on Trunk Lean in the Barbell Back Squat
- 14 male athletes were tested, looking at the effect of ankle mobility/ROM on trunk angle in the parallel squat.
- Ankle mobility significantly negatively correlated with trunk lean, thereby showing that a subject with greater ankle ROM had a more upright torso in the parallel squat position.
- This suggests that greater ankle ROM raises the trunk angle and thereby reduces shear forces in the trunk.
- In addition this study showed a significant relationship between ankle dorsiflexion in the weight-bearing lunge test and the parallel position of the barbell back squat. This suggests that the WBLT can be used as a valid predictor for the degree of DF in the PS.
- For coaches, the WBLT can be used to examine if the excessive forward trunk lean is caused by restricted ankle ROM.
- Quick followup from ATC 231 on the ultrarunner with a hydration/fueling question: Another issue could be if he’s still keto or VLC, which can negatively affect mineral and electrolyte status.
- Keto athletes are often said to need more sodium and minerals in the diet for a couple reasons: the diet causes more sodium and water to be excreted and it’s harder to “store” these due to low insulin.
- Are there any drills or things to focus on while walking that could improve running? Or are running and walking to difference biomechanically to have a crossover.
- You can do run drills and bodyweight exercises intermittently during walks!
- How many steps a day are Americans taking? Tawnee discusses in detail over at LPC (along with more fun facts). Get your first month free on LPC with code "lpc4me"
- Lucho's bike buying guide!
- Colorado's Double Triple Bypass in 2018 and in need of a new bike - help!
- What's the "minimally effective dose" of bike one can buy without excessively compromising performance and experience?
- How should one prioritize how money is spent -- components, frame, wheel-set, gear -- so you get just enough but not over the top?
- How to build a durable bike in the $2,000-$3,000 price range.
- 650 cc vs 700 cc wheels
- Component talk
- Chronotypes (fascinating!) and a dolphin who needs help with sleep.
- Listen to our podcast on chronotypes and "your type" featuring Dr. Michael Breus.
- Remedies and strategies to promote better sleep, overcome difficulty falling asleep and minimize mid-night awakenings.
- Get more sleep tips in The Power of When.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out UCAN's new bar made with coffee beans![/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] If you’re looking to take the holistic healthy life a step further but you’re not sure how to start head to Life Post Collective, an inner-circle community created by Tawnee Prazak Gibson. At LPC you’ll find Tawnee’s resources on holistic health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and more to help you on your path to optimization--the same resources and tools she uses for her athletes and clients. Tawnee created this community for your wellbeing and as a home to share practical evidence-based and experienced-based ways to kick more butt. Through LPC’s integrative forums and features on the site, you can learn from not only Tawnee but also like-minded people all working toward common goals.
As a special offer for EP fans, we're giving you your first month FREE at Life Post Collective using code “ep2017” - act now and make this the best year ever![/sponsor]
On this episode with The Sock Doc:
- Healing an unstable shoulder joint after years of sports; treatments and recovery for athletes.
- Shoulder issues involve the labrum, bursitis and tendonitis.
- Options for shoulder healing including PRP, prolotherapy and cortisone.
- Male Ironman master's athlete wants to know how to clean up his diet, where to start without going too crazy, and introducing new healthy habits.
- Are there “go to” supplements that every endurance athlete should take?
- When looking to add supplements, should one get a blood test first to find out the current state of health as well as a hormone panel?
- "You can never supplement your way out of a bad diet."
- Why would one take a daily baby Aspirin; is it a good idea for athletes?
- Aspirin risks: It can knock out sulfur and those taking it will also have higher magnesium requirements when taking a daily Aspirin.
- Athlete with a history of cancer and pernicious anemia who's now running using the MAF Method but experiencing some issues.
- An issue like pernicious anemia could interfere with training/MAF; we discuss why.
-
- A B12 deficiency and/or anemia can impair MAF development.
- What's the deal with high MCV.
- MAF training and being so slow, continually. Should one add in intensity and VO2max workouts or strength training with the intent to boost MAF?
- VO2max vs. lactate threshold (LT) as valuable metrics.
- VO2max may not matter as far as overall performance capabilities go (LT likely matters more) but we discuss why it's still good to touch base with VO2max in training especially for master's athletes, as discussed by Joe Friel in Fast over 50.
- Cortisone for plantar fasciitis (PF).
- The Sock Doc says, never everrrr get four cortisone injections in the same spot!
- The real deal and real cause of PF in most cases.
- PF is almost always tied into overtraining and related to adrenal burnout as well.
- Check out more of the Sock Doc's resources on PF.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/PerfectAminoXP_Short_WEB_grande.png"]This episode is brought to you by BodyHealth, the makers of PerfectAmino, an athlete’s secret weapon featuring eight essential amino acids in the exact ratios needed to ensure proper protein synthesis in the body. PerfectAmino has been tested and approved for in-competition athletes and professional sports; and all of us over at EP have used in in our athletic careers.
BodyHealth also recently debuted Perfect Calm, a new well-formulated magnesium powder supplement to round out an athlete's needs in particular getting good sleep and stress management. And did you know that BodyHealth also offers well-formulated natural vitamins and supplements to meet your other needs including their Body Detox, Healthy Sleep Ultra, Intestinal Cleanse, weight loss aids, and more. Plus, PerfectAmino now comes in a sugar-free powder form that's great for those who don’t like pills and/or want something tasty to mix in your workout drink![/sponsor]
On this episode of Ask the Coaches:
- Coffee talk - cold brew, mycotoxins and more. Read Tawnee's "full report" on coffee over at LPC (new members use code "lpc4me" to get your first month free).
- When downhill running causes heart rate to spike and can't even hold MAF - what gives!? What to do: slow down to keep it low, or just let go up on the downhills?
- Study mention: Changes in Run Economy Following Downhill Running.
- “Downhill running induced reductions in maximal isometric strength of the knee extensors, a three- to six-fold increases in plasma creatine kinase activity (inflammation) and myoglobin concentration (muscle damage), and muscle soreness for 4 days after the downhill run. Oxygen consumption increased immediately to 3 days after downhill running. There were also increases in heart rate, minute ventilation, RER, RPE, blood lactate concentration, and stride frequency, as well as reductions in stride length and range of motion of the ankle and knee. The results suggest that changes in running form and compromised muscle function due to muscle damage contribute to the reduction in running economy for 3 days after downhill running.”
- Hydration/fuel strategy issues for a male ultrarunner--or something else going on?
- "Over the past few months I have begun to get dehydrated on my runs and seem to run out of energy earlier than i have in the past. I have started supplementing with more solid foods and upping my water intake while I run but it is difficult to digest more solid foods with the sloshing of the stomach in running versus cycling. The solid foods seem to help me run strong or with more energy for a bit, but tend to ultimately lead to stomach cramping unless I drastically slow the pace."
- Also eats a very clean plant-based diet, has been keto and low carb.
- What to do to find the optimal fueling and hydration strategy?
- Could gut issues be at play hindering ability to process any nutrition?
- Mention of low-FODMAP diets for athletes with GI issues during training and racing.
- Listen to our podcast with Dan Lis PhD on research with low-FODMAP diets in athletes.
- Issues with MAF HR and LT being "too close" and lacking a solid lactate threshold. For a running wanting to compete in 10ks to marathon distances, what workouts to do to improve lactate threshold?
- Is there any benefit to holding a pace slightly faster than threshold or are those workouts just a total waste of time? Such as running about 20 seconds per mile below threshold pace for 5 miles?
- Since running translates nicely to the bike, If I have a run heavy training schedule, can I get away with a little less time on the bike?
- If training for shorter distance running events (5k- HM), would it be more advantageous to run most of your non-quality runs at MAF or at MAF+10 pace?
- How to know if you should add 10 bpm to your MAF--it may work, it may not. Depends!
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out UCAN's new bar made with coffee beans![/sponsor]
Dana Lis, PhD, is a Registered Dietitian, researcher, lifetime athlete and has a huge knowledge base on sports nutrition for optimizing athletic performance. Dana's been involved in current research examining gluten-free and low-FODMAP diets for athletes, especially endurance athletes, which is the focus of this episode. You can reach Dana at www.summitsportsnutrition.com or on Twitter: @dlisforrest.
Intro & Why Our Guts Are At Risk
- Dana's background and how she got involved in this area of research.
- The research shows perhaps we need to think twice about gluten as the cause of GI issues, and perhaps look more to FODMAPs as the problem.
- FODMAPs = Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols.
- “Available literature suggests that it is the reduced fructan and GOS quantity in a gluten-free diet that modulates GI symptoms and not gluten itself (Gibson and Muir 2013; Gibson et al. 2015).”
- The Monash FODMAP app and online resources
- Why does endurance exercise run the risk of causing gut issues (a refresher) and can we train ourselves to have a stronger gut?
- Takes 4 to 5 days for epithelial cells (the gut) to repair after a bout of endurance exercise; but athletes train more frequently than that.
- Increased intestinal permeability from exercise may lead to excessive absorption of gluten-derived peptides in NCGS, which could lead to immune-related responses.
- Dehydration and heat further compromise intestinal integrity.
- Altered digestion of short-chain carbohydrates may augment GI symptoms triggered during exercise.
- Despite some GI-adaptions in trained individuals, splanchnic blood flow is still reduced by up to 80% at 70% V02max (Qamar & Read, 1987).
- How common are GI issues? “Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are common in up to 70% of endurance athletes (de Oliveira & Burini, 2009), and aside from mechanical, psychological and physiological triggers, several dietary factors are believed to influence symptoms (de Oliveira et al., 2014).”
Gluten Research on Athletes
- Takeaways from the review article: “Commercial Hype Versus Reality: Our Current Scientific Understanding of Gluten and Athletic Performance.”
- “This diet has not been shown to affect either positive or negative competitive performance or symptoms of GI health and inflammation and/or nutritional status in NCA (non-celiac athletes).”
- But, in NCA, what if a GFD (gluten-free diet) makes someone feel better even if the science says “no difference?"
- What about athletes with subclinical conditions and reports showing how gluten increases inflammation, intestinal permeability, leaky gut and so on?
- “Exploring the Popularity, Experiences, and Beliefs Surrounding Gluten-Free Diets (GFD) in Non-Celiac Athletes (NCA)” show positive outcomes with a GFD, even if the placebo effect aka “belief effect” is at play.
- 910 athletes
- 59% follow a GFD less than 50% of the time (GFD < 50).
- 41.2% follow a GFD 50–100% of the time (GFD > 50), including 18-world and/or Olympic medalists. Predominantly endurance sport athletes.
- 84% of the GFD > 50 group indicated symptom improvement with gluten removal.
- Reasons why athletes adopted this diet (self-diagnosed vs medical condition); risks of the diet; positive outcomes reported; and conclusions.
- Meanwhile Dana's study, “No Effects of a Short-Term Gluten-Free Diet on Performance in Non-Celiac Athletes” showed no difference and no positive effects of a GFD in healthy well-trained athletes.
- How this study was conducted and outcomes.
- Was the intervention possibly not long enough to see an effect?
- What did the GFD consist of and how did you control to make sure athletes didn’t know as well as control for adequate calories and carbs.
- Are there really any downsides to going gluten-free especially if you're able to ensure proper calories, carbs, etc.
- Perhaps a better approach for pre-competition special diets may be a low-residue diet, especially to hit race weight goals and attenuate any potential gut distress.
- On being cautious of "orthorexic" behavior towards food and special diets like GDF and low-FODMAP.
Low-FODMAPs for Athletes
- While gluten and GFDs are pretty well known and trendy, FODMAPs seem to just be getting more attention in the athletic community.
- Will low-FODMAP diest be the "next big thing?" They already are Down Under, with low-FODMAP foods labeled on shelves of stores.
- What's the potential negative issue with FODMAP foods and why these foods could be even more risky for athletes than gluten alone?
- "Fructans and other FODMAPs are poorly absorbed in the small intestine where they increase luminal fluid content and possibly affect gastric motility. Poorly absorbed, they subsequently transit to the colon as products for fermentation by colonic bacteria, resulting in GI symptoms such as diarrhea and flatulence. Although no data are published yet in athletes without IBS, it is conceivable that residual FODMAPs in the small intestine (ileum) and colon or intake of FODMAPs during training potentiates GI distress during and after strenuous exercise."
- So maybe it’s not the gluten, it’s the FODMAPs!?
- “Available literature suggests that it is the reduced fructan and GOS quantity in a gluten-free diet that modulates GI symptoms and not gluten itself (Gibson and Muir 2013; Gibson et al. 2015).”
- Is gluten is technically a FODMAP?
- Gluten is a protein in wheat, barley, and rye. Gluten and fructans are not the same thing. Fructans are a type of carbohydrate in these same foods (and more). Research is hinting that perhaps it is the fructans (a type of carb) in these foods, not the gluten that is causing the issues in people!
- What are some common FODMAP foods sports nutrition supplements/products.
- Dana's case study on 31 y/o male multisport athlete with a history of exercise-induced GI symptoms especially in running:
- Single-blinded approach; 6-day habitual diet compared to a 6-day low FODMAP intervention diet (81 ± 5g vs 7.2 ± 5.7g FODMAPs.day-1) for their effect on GI symptoms and perceptual wellbeing. Training was similar.
- Symptom improvement with low FODMAP diet prior to and throughout 3 d of strenuous running training. “Although there are limitations associated with self-report data, these initial findings from our group suggest that perceived gluten-triggered GI symptoms in athletes might be due to FODMAPs, particularly fructans and lactose as potential symptom modulators.”
- His statement: “symptoms were remarkably better compared to habitual period and were basically non-existent during exercise or during the day throughout the intervention period.”
- In the case study, what did his low-FODMAP diet consist of and how did you control to make sure he didn’t know?
- Based on research, what FODMAPs appear to be biggest offenders and why?
- Fructans, lactose, and fructose.
- Fructose may be incompletely absorbed and causes bloating, abdominal pain/discomfort, and flatulence. Fructose combined with glucose can be problematic too.
- Lactose was the most common trigger reported in Dana's survey (86.5%, n = 402 of 465, of the 92.8% attributing high FODMAP foods to GI symptoms); yet, it is so commonly consumed by athletes, including whey protein powders.
- Lactose and gluten combines were most frequently attributed to GI symptoms by 52.7% (n = 245 of 465).
- Thoughts on adopting a low-FODMAP diet? Do arbitrarily or only if a condition present
- Should we test the state of our gut health as well, in order to partake in a healing protocol to build back a stronger gut?
- IBS, SIBO, Candida, leaky gut, etc., are all seemingly becoming more widespread in athletes and non-athletes with all sorts of side effects. Should we be weary of these foods to begin with if training (i.e. gluten, FODMAPs), or wait until there’s a problem whether clinical or subclinical?
- Training the gut to handle the sports nutrition you need.
- How often should you do training sessions to build a strong gut and during which sessions
- Only necessary once a week - do it during your "big" key session each week (long ride, long run or long brick).
- Low-FODMAP sports nutrition sources.
Conclusions
- Closing thoughts on special diets and how to make use of this information for your own sports nutrition needs.
References
- Lis D, Stellingwerff T, Shing CM, Ahuja KD, Fell J. Exploring the popularity, experiences and beliefs surrounding gluten-free diets in non-celiac athletes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2014; 25:37–45.
- Lis D, Stellingwerff T, Kitic CM, et al. No effects of a short-term gluten-free diet on performance in non-celiac athletes. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 2015b; 47:2563-70.
- Lis D; Fell J, Ahuja K, Kitic CM, Stellingwerff T. Nutrition and Ergogenic Aids. Volume 15 & Number 4 & July/August 2016 .
- Lis D, Ahuja KDK, Stellingwerff T, Kitic CM, Fell J. Case Study: Utilizing a Low FODMAP Diet to Combat Exercise-Induced Gastrointestinal Symptoms. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. 2016; http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2015-0293.
- Lis D, Ahuja KDK, Stellingwerff T, Kitic CM, Fell J. Food Avoidance in Athletes: FODMAP Foods on the list. Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab. 41: 1002–1004 (2016); dx.doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2015-0428.
- Pfeiffer B, Stellingwerff T, Hodgson AB, et al. Nutritional intake and gastrointestinal problems during competitive endurance events (Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2012;44(2):344–51.
- Soares FL, de Oliveira Matoso R, Teixeira LG, et al. Gluten-free diet reduces adiposity, inflammation and insulin resistance associated with the induction of PPAR-alpha and PPAR-gamma expression. J Nutr Biochem. 2013;24(6):1105–11.
- Uhde M, Ajamian M, Caio G, et al. Intestinal cell damage and systemic immune activation in individuals reporting sensitivity to wheat in the absence of coeliac disease. Gut 2016;65:1930-1937.
- Halson SL, Martin DT. Lying to win—Placebos in sport science. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2013;9:597–9.
- Hadjivassiliou, M., Sanders, D.S., Grunewald, R.A., Wood- roofe, N., Boscolo, S., & Aeschlimann, D. (2010). Gluten sensitivity: from gut to brain. The Lancet. Neurology, 9, 318–330. PubMed doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(09)70290-X.
- Loucks, A.B. (2004). Energy balance and body composition in sports and exercise. Journal of Sports Sciences, 22, 1–14. PubMed doi:10.1080/0264041031000140518
- Despain, D. 2014. The surprising reason gluten-free diets actually work. [Online.] Available from outsideonline.com/1923951/surprising-reason-gluten-free-diets-actually-work.
- Golley, S., Corsini, N., Topping, D., Morell, M., and Mohr, P. 2015. Motivations for avoiding wheat consumption in Australia: results from a population survey. Public Health Nutr. 18: 490–499. doi:10.1017/S1368980014000652.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] If you’re looking to take the holistic healthy life a step further but you’re not sure how to start head to Life Post Collective, an inner-circle community created by Tawnee Prazak Gibson. At LPC you’ll find Tawnee’s resources on holistic health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and more to help you on your path to optimization--the same resources and tools she uses for her athletes and clients. No gimmicks at LPC , Tawnee created this community for your wellbeing and as a home to share practical evidence-based and experienced-based ways to kick more butt. Through LPC ’s integrative forums and features on the site, you can learn from not only Tawnee but also like-minded people all working toward common goals.
As a special offer for EP fans, we're giving you your first month FREE at Life Post Collective using code “ep2017” - we'll see you in the LPC ![/sponsor]
On this episode of Ask The Coaches:
- Tainted supplements and safe supplementing
- IVs for athletes - know the rules and what's allowed
- L-Carnitine?
- Followup from ATC 228 on sleep needs before late-night or all-night competitions; more from the research:
- Active Voice: Does Banking Sleep Before Sleep Deprivation Improve Physical Performance?
- "In each condition, subjects performed six nights of either EXT or HAB at home followed by an assessment of motor performance and neuromuscular function at baseline (D0) and after one night of TSD, i.e., 34–37 h of continuous wakefulness (D1)."
- "The main finding of our study is that physical performance was improved in the sleep extension condition. Indeed, the time to exhaustion (test of sustained isometric muscle contraction) was increased compared to the control condition. Altogether, the findings suggest that “banking” sleep improves motor performance in a manner mediated by perceptual and cognitive factors. The longer the exercise (endurance activity), the more beneficial sleep extension may be—especially in a particular sport competition where sleep deprivation tends to prevail, e.g., as in ultra-endurance races where sleep can be a limiting factor. We also believe that the beneficial effect of sleep extension would be accentuated in people who are chronically sleep deprived for multiple reasons."
- Study mention; comparing high-intensity vs. aerobic training on mitochondrial development:
- Superior mitochondrial adaptations in human skeletal muscle after interval compared to continuous single-leg cycling matched for total work
- "High-intensity intervals compared to moderate-intensity continuous training in cycling elicited superior mitochondrial adaptations in human skeletal muscle despite equal total work. HIIT = 4 x 5 @ 65% max watts; aerobic = 30min @ 50% max watts."
- Volume was the same in both conditions - aerobic training would require more volume than HIIT to get the same gains.
- Is there a way to determine which of the four triathlon race distances you’re built to perform the best in? Long course vs. short course, etc. Can you use past results to judge what distance triathlon is the strongest?
- Also factoring in what you're able to do with training given other life obligations and how that plays into ideal distance to focus on.
- Ironman veteran taking on her first stand-alone marathon, specifically the Glacier 3000 in August in Switzerland, on a glacier and up a mountain with 1,900 meters of elevation gain.
- Should I also add leg extensions and gym workouts?
- Hiking and running combos?
- Trail running over or at MAF?
- Using a high altitude tent; when to start sleeping in that?
- Female runner having trouble with health and weight issues. Also dealing with grave's disease, IBS, depression and taking a progesterone-only BC pill. Question on weight loss; despite decent miles and eating well weight is not budging. What to do?
- Our episode on natural healing for depression with Dr. Tamsin Lewis.
- All the focus on female amenorrhea on the podcast lately: is this really that common?
- Meanwhile, it seems like overfat athletes is more of a problem; what are the effects of training too much with impact while too heavy?
- Tawnee's blog response to this question and outlining the real deal with amenorrhea.
- Our podcast with Nicola Rinaldi, PhD, on healing amenorrhea.
- Matt Bach will be joining Life Post Collective to talk about the male version of this.
- More resources for female athletes dealing with hormonal issues over atLPC.
- Use code "ep2017" for your first month free on LPC!
- Question on training for Boston, followed by an ultra four weeks later, and then later this year another marathon and ultra - how to structure training and where to fit in long runs while accounting for recovery that'll be needed and mitigating stress.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] Head over to our Shop Page where we've added even more awesome products that we love and use, including Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener, Vital Choice seafoods, and Vital Proteins (their collagen is top notch!). Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance and you can also feel safe that you're getting the best-quality products and services available today, we’ve done the research for you. Also don’t forget to shop Amazon via EP (click that big yellow banner to the right) to further support the show. [/sponsor]
Dr. Richard Maurer is a naturopathic physician, author, and expert in metabolic recovery and health. His 2014 book, The Blood Code, demystifies blood test results & body fat measurements to reveal the primal diet and fitness needs that lead toward health and longevity and also that correct weight problems, hypothyroid symptoms, prediabetic conditions and type 2 diabetes. he's also a triathlete and comes from a family of endurance athletes. Get the book here.
Get out your pen and paper to take notes on this special episode:
- Richard's story and why he chose to be a naturopathic doctor and write this book to empower us, the patient.
- The Blood Code empowers us with tools to be our own expert, use metabolic to assess our health, and prevent or reverse health issues including:
- Type 2 Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Weight issues
- Cholesterol and lipids
- Dr. Maurer's family history of diabetes and his personal ordeal becoming pre-diabetic, even as an athletic doctor. How he turned this around and "manages" his genetics to avoid disease.
- Getting into insulin, glucose, the lipid panel, and HbA1c.
Insulin
- We want to be insulin sensitive, but going too LCHF all the time can lead to too much insulin sensitivity, which can be a bad thing. Why this is the case.
- Read more from Dr. Maurer on why too much insulin sensitivity can be harmful as well.
- HOMA IR: Calculating insulin resistance vs. insulin sensitivity based of blood tests.
- Use the HOMA IR calculator here.
- How to fix IR.
- To clarify: What's the deal with LCHF people or athletes still having high blood glucose even fasting? Is it genetics....stress.... IR....some or all of the above?
- On monitoring BG throughout the day
- Metabolism is burning excessively and not able to keep up with glycogen requirement))
- When to recommend LCHF diets vs. when to avoid them.
- On men and LCHF, using Dr. Maurer's experience.
Cholesterol
- It seems like we're still conditioned to think we should just want to see lower cholesterol but this isn't always true. What are the key things we should assess and consider when looping at a lipid panel?
- Can triglycerides (TG) and HDL be too low and why?
- A LCHF diet can lead to too low triglycerides/cholesterol, why?
- What Dr. Maurer considers to be ideal cholesterol numbers for men and women separately, and the answer might shock you!
- TG:HDL ratio, don't go less than 0.5 (TG divided by HDL).
- More on the TG:HDL ratio here.
- On LDL and particle size and number.
- With conventionally "high" cholesterol, how Richard will guide a patient and make recommendations.
Supplements
- Dr. Maurer's thoughts on using supplements for certain conditions, including BG regulation.
- Supplement as little as possible.
- What he takes.
Thyroid
- Defining thyroid conditions, in particular hypothyroid issues.
- Perhaps hypothyroid is not as bad as it sounds.
- More on Dr. Maurer's thoughts on thyroid.
- Defining TSH, what ranges he uses for TSH (i.e. what's his definition for high TSH that could be indicative of hypo), and why is TSH not enough to assess thyroid health, and
- Free T3 is the most active form of thyroid and we want good thyroid health to convert into active T3..... but diet can screw this up.
- T3 can drop with too much insulin sensitivity/LCHF; this slows down metabolism.
- T3/thyroid also sensitive to the exercise and temperature in which we exercise.
- Overheating = hypothyroid, it's fast to react
Words of wisdom
- There's often a tradeoff some exercise is great, but too much exercise starts to extract from our health. What do you think the threshold is for this and how to manage it?
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/IST-Logo-Stacked-CMYK.jpg"]Head over to enduranceplanet.com/shop to check out some awesome services we love and recommend for athletes. Like Inside Tracker, where athletes can get up to 30 biomarkers tested, learn the true state of your health, and use this information to better your health and performance by making the right diet tweaks for your needs and so on. Use code "enduranceplanet" for a 10% discount off your next Inside Tracker test.
Also if you’re not already, you need to start shopping at Thrive Market, which is basically Costco meets Whole Foods meets Amazon. Sign up for an annual membership using our links at EP.com on the show notes or shop page, and start saving on healthy food, personal care products and clean products for the home. Shop conveniently from your home computer or your smartphone. The membership is not something you will regret, take it from me. I’ve saved hundreds since becoming an member and have saved time too that I can invest back into the rest of my life and well-being.[/sponsor]
Ben Greenfield is back for another edition of Sports Nutrition:
Meal Frequency
- Dandelion tea
- Is it better to have more or fewer feedings throughout the day? Can eating more often have a beneficial effect on blood markers, as long as it’s healthy and moderate portions? How does this compare to the benefits seen in intermittent fasting/LCHF trends of late.
- JISSN position statement on meal frequency, “Increased meal frequency appears to have a positive effect on various blood markers of health, particularly LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, and insulin.”
- Alan Aragon et al meta-analysis on meal frequency that is mentioned.
- More from Aragon.
- Slight correlation with eating more leading to weight loss (i.e. metabolic advantage).
- But are there tradeoffs to frequent feedings?
- Protein absorption - we can absorb about 30-40g max per feeding for proper protein synthesis.
- Sweet spot is 3 meals a day.
- Wired to Eat by Robb Wolf
Supplements For Strength and Endurance Competition
- What are specific supplements for an athlete trying to compete at a high level in both triathlon and strength competitions like Crossfit.
- Creatine
- HMB
- ATP
- Beta-Alanine - Listen to SN 235 for more in-depth talk on beta-alanine.
- BCAAs - such as PerfectAmino.
How Much Fat Can We Absorb in a Meal?
- Is there a general rule for the amount of fat someone can absorb in a single meal? Assuming one can consume excess fat in a meal, when does too much dietary fat have negative consequences like gut upset of fat mass gain?
- Fat oxidation during exercise can be up to 60g per hour, but a big portion come from endogenous fat.
- The speed at which fat moves through GI tract is about 2 hours (from eating to emptying).
- We can eat 1,000 calories of fat maximum (~110g), BUT it's better to keep it at 60g fat per meal, maximum, and any more may be a stress on GI tract, uncomfortable, etc.
Carb 'Sensitivity' & LCHF/Keto
- Over a long period of time following a LCHF diet, does the body lose its ability to handle carbs? Are we doing harm by not eating a diet balanced in carb/fat/protein?
- On one hand, no reason to believe that low-carb affects ability to digest carbs.
- But on the other hand, maybe low-carb can affect our ability to use carbs...
- New review in the Strength and Conditioning Journal titled "A Case for and Against Ketogenic Diets in Athletes."
- With long-term keto, glycogen levels in muscle and the liver may or may not be compromised but “the athlete will likely lack the metabolic machinery needed to fully use them as fuel sources.”
- "Although ketone bodies may serve as a substitute for CHO, they may also paradoxically reduce endogenous CHO availability through inhibition of hepatic glucose output, therefore lowering the capacity to sustain higher intensity efforts (6,9). These findings emphasized the point that although glycogen levels in muscle and the liver may or may not be compromised with long-term KD, the athlete will likely lack the metabolic machinery needed to fully use them as fuel sources. It also suggests that while long-term KD may allow time for adaptation, short-term (i.e., 4 weeks) CHO restriction may compromise muscle glycogen stores."
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out UCAN's new bar made with coffee beans![/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] If you’re looking to take the holistic healthy life a step further but you’re not sure how to start head to Life Post Collective, an inner-circle community created by Tawnee Prazak Gibson. At LPC you’ll find Tawnee’s resources on holistic health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and more to help you on your path to optimization--the same resources and tools she uses for her athletes and clients. No gimmicks at LPC, Tawnee created this community for your wellbeing and as a home to share practical evidence-based and experienced-based ways to kick more butt. Through LPC’s integrative forums and features on the site, you can learn from not only Tawnee but also like-minded people all working toward common goals.
As a special offer for EP fans, we're giving you your first month FREE at Life Post Collective using code “ep2017” - act now and make this the best year ever![/sponsor]
On this episode of Ask the Coaches:
- Tawnee's "experiment" drinking FitVine wine the night before this recording.
- On reading books instead of social media, and this article.
- Click here for the book that Tawnee's currently reading.
- Lucho gets "called out" on his eating habits (i.e. low food intake and inability to gain weight) by a respectful fan offering constructive criticism, and gives his response.
- Is their ANY benefit from doing "out of order" brick workouts? Such as run-bike or bike-swim, or other combos. What would be potential pros and cons, and benefits?
- One of Tawnee's old favorite workouts was a run-bike-run-bike for as long as you need to go, keeping the intervals relatively short.
- How do people deal with the guilt associated with training? In particular when you have little ones at home that you want to be with as much as possible, but you also want to make sure you stay healthy and fit.
- Transitioning out of orthotics for athletes with a history of Achilles tendinitis.
- Transitioning to minimalist shoes and how Tawnee went about it (taking years to do it safely).
- For 2017, Xterra has changed their point system to be total cumulative points versus only scoring points from your top four race finishes. So competitive athletes may choose to up their quantity of races, such as racing 8 or 9 races in a 14 week time frame, including USAT Nationals and ITU Worlds. How can one race this often while maintaining fitness and recovering well. What to monitor to stay on track for optimal performance, how to prioritize races, and what too do between races.
- JISSN Study on beer drinking post-exercise and its effects, mentioned by Tawnee.
- Ron's story leading to his current problem:
- I ran track and cross country in high school but wasn’t very good.
- Was mostly sedentary for 20+ years after that
- In 2010 at 39 years old I weighed 327 lbs and was on all kinds of blood pressure and cholesterol meds and had frequent gout attacks
- I lost 150 lbs from March to December 2010, basically following Atkins induction (less than 20 g carbs/day)
- I started working out on a recumbent stationary bike during that time, all of this was doctor monitored and approved
- Once I hit 180 lbs my doctor suggest I start running so I signed up for a trail half marathon for my first race J
- 11 months later I ran my first marathon and finished my first half ironman five months later
- Now I have finished 3 ironmans, 4 half irons, 1 50k, 15 marathons and I’ve lost count on all the other distances.
- But now, something's not right... he describes symptoms of burnout (mental, physical), erratic heart rate issues including a high heart rate when running, and is always just feeling like something is off. Doctor says he's fine, but is he really? Is it overtraining? HPA Axis dysfunction? How to dig deeper to get solid answers and who to go to for help.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]Head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free...
You can also support EP when you shop online! Simply open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com to do your online shopping—it’s just one extra click to link to Amazon through the banner on our sidebar or click theAmazon links in the show notes.[/sponsor]
On this show we're joined by Nicola Rinaldi, PhD, an expert on hypothalamic amenorrhea and author of No Period Now What, who’s here to talk all about why we lose our periods, how to regain a missing period and how to live a healthy, fertile life whether or not kids are a goal. This talk dives heavily into the research that's available as well.
Defining hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA) and risk factors
- The network of hormones that communicate and control our cycles and fertility starting with our actions and the hypothalamus.
- Variables that lead to decreased communication in reproductive hormones.
- Quote from the book, highlighted by Tawnee: "No matter what our conscious minds think, if our hypothalamus senses an unfavorable nutrient balance or stress environment, it will shut down the ability to cycle and procreate."
- Nicola's story of losing then regaining her period and fertility.
- It's important to point out this doesn't just happen to high-level athletes!
- What are tall-tell signs one is at risk whether it's an unhealthy approach to exercise, food, body image, stress or all of the above - maybe some women don't even realize they're harming themselves.
- 5 risk factors:
- Low body fat
- Decreased food intake
- Constant hunger
- Stress
- Exercise
- Is the #1 factor in HA is lack of energy availability?
- HA women have higher levels of perfectionism.
- Exercise obsession - how much is too much?
- How come some girls can handle more and still get a period?
HA vs. PCOS
- What is PCOS, how does it differ from HA, and how women can figure out if they have PCOS or HA. Similarities and differences.
- Must have two of three specific symptoms for it to be PCOS.
Why is HA unhealthy as is using BC to "fix" it?
- The potential consequences beyond brittle bones and infertility.
- Predisposition to heart disease.
- Cognitive decline.
- BMI numbers associated with losing a period.
- Birth control (BC) pills are not an accurate indicator of health.
- Thoughts on using BC to get and maintain a period that might not be present otherwise.
- Nicola's take: Be on BC and get an "artificial" period or get off BC and have no period? (For those gals aren't quite ready to do the work to get back the period naturally.)
HA recovery
- The recommended steps for women to take.
- Who to see: a conventional doctor, naturopath, health coach, etc.? Healing on your own?
- Eating recommendations for healing and how to adopt a healthy mindset and ditch restrictions in the process.
- Thoughts on supplementing with bioidentical progesterone or other supplements like estrogen, chasteberry, etc., as a way to speed the recovery process?
- Is hormone testing of some kind is needed?
- In healing phase, thoughts on decreasing exercise and by how much? Some studies show if food is adequate (thus EA) maybe a decrease in exercise isn't as necessary.
- Tawnee's personal story on regaining her period and how she had to decrease exercise to not just because of the phyiscal stress but the mental stress she had toward sport at the time.
- What other variables go into healing such as stress management. How can girls like us ditch the stress when it's so programmed in our blood and DNA??
- What if it's not working - still no period?! What to do?
- Thoughts on Clomid or Femara as treatment for normal menstruation and ovulation.
- What's the normal BMI for women to get to for having a period with normal ovulation and luteal phases, and if it's a goal, pregnancy?
Making a return to training/exercise
- Women who've recovered from HA: What's next?
- Are we able to resume an exercise program and keep a normal period?
Fertility
- Other issues like ongoing low progesterone and luteal phase defect.
- How does a history of HA affect future fertility? Do women with history of HA struggle to get pregnant? Does the duration of HA make a difference i.e. 6 months vs 10 years of HA?
- How long should you recover from HA or what signs should you see before it's time to try to get pregnant?
- Doing all we can for the health of the unborn baby - what can we do to make sure we're building a "palace" for our little ones and not letting our own exercise/food addictions take over and cause us to stay too lean before/during a pregnancy?
- More and more women are exercising during pregnancies at levels even doc's didn't traditionally advise, but if you have history of HA should you be more careful with exercise before/during pregnancy?
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out UCAN's new bar made with coffee beans![/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] If you’re looking to take the holistic healthy life a step further but you’re not sure how to start head to Life Post Collective, an inner-circle community created by Tawnee Prazak Gibson. At LPC you’ll find Tawnee’s resources on holistic health, wellness, fitness, nutrition (including her custom recipes) and more to help you on your path to optimization--the same resources and tools she uses for her athletes and clients. No gimmicks at LPC, Tawnee created this community for your wellbeing and as a home to share practical evidence-based and experienced-based ways to kick more butt. Through LPC’s integrative forums and features on the site, you can learn from not only Tawnee but also like-minded people all working toward common goals.
As a special offer for EP fans, we're giving you your first month FREE at Life Post Collective using code “ep2017” - act now and make this the best year ever![/sponsor]
On this episode of Ask the Coaches:
- Follow-up on cold workouts and HR issues covered in ATC 227. Some athletes find their RPE lower and heart rate takes longer to increase in cold weather. We talk further on the individual nature of how weather affects our training.
- On MAF volume and how much you need, probably the #1 question we get...
- Take a listen to past shows on this topic here.
- Lucho chimes in with some wisdom and why not to cut corners or try to do the least amount possible.
- Building a home gym, what would be included, what would be omitted and also hear the difference between Tawnee and Lucho's home-gym vision.
- How do you recommend building it over time? It seems like it'd very easy to go over board.
- Of these which are necessary: Kettlebells, dumbbells, barbells and plates, trap bar, pull-up bar, medballs, swiss ball, TRX, sled...? If you were starting out fresh, what would you buy first?
- Kettlebells vs. dumbbells.
- Tawnee mentions she has a detailed post on home gyms over at LPC (with pricing breakdown), check that out here.
- Pro triathlete sings the praises of MAF training.
- Why, at the start of his runs, would one experiences a sharp spike in HR, even a very easy jog. His MAF HR is 140 but he will spike into the 150s easily in those initial 20 minutes.
- Late-night or midnight race start questions:
- Advice regarding sleep for a night-time ultrarunning race, in this case a 100k that starts at 7pm.
- An OCR event that begins at midnight with 8 hours to complete as many laps of the course as possible. Recommendations for what to do and eat during the day before the race start? Also how to tackle sleep; sleep in as late as possible or wakeup at normal time? What meals are most important?
- MAF training for Leadville success. An EP listener chimes in on his experience going 8:39, ranking 59 out of 550 for age category 40-49, with a body that performed flawlessly thanks to dedicated MAF conditioning. Meanwhile he says that all his buddies are sugar burners and they did well but with higher heart rates; although, they are 10 years younger and don't get the whole metabolic/fat adoption/MAF concept.
- How to go sub 8 this year?
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"] Head over to our Shop Page where we've added even more awesome products that we love and use, including Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener, Vital Choice seafoods, and Vital Proteins (their collagen is top notch!). Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance and you can also feel safe that you're getting the best-quality products and services available today, we’ve done the research for you. Also don’t forget to shop Amazon via EP (click that big yellow banner to the right) to further support the show. [/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] If you’re looking to take the holistic healthy life a step further but you’re not sure how to start (and let’s face it, there is an overwhelming amount of information on the interwebs) head to Life Post Collective, an inner-circle community created by Tawnee. At LPC you’ll find Tawnee’s resources on holistic health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and more to help you on your path to optimization--the same resources and tools she uses for her athletes and clients. No gimmicks at LPC, Tawnee created this community for your wellbeing and as a home to share practical evidence-based and experienced-based ways to kick more butt. As a special offer for EP fans, we're offering a New Year's deal where you can get your first month FREE at Life Post Collective using code “ep2017” - act now and make this the best year ever![/sponsor]
On this show we're joined by Jae Gruenke, GCFP, a Feldenkrais practitioner and founder of The Balanced Runner™. For the past 14 years she has helped runners from beginner to Olympian learn to run pain-free, efficiently, and fast. She specializes in helping those whose problems have not resolved with medical treatment and those transitioning to natural running form, minimalist footwear, and barefoot running. She teaches in the US, the UK, and Germany and also offers The Balanced Runner Online Running Technique Camp and other online programs, find out more at www.balancedrunner.com.
Topics we cover:
A different way to tackle things:
- Jae's background in dancing and becoming a runner.
- Jae thinks and operates a bit differently than most when it comes to how to build a solid runner. She explains her philosophy, techniques and what makes her different.
- She teaches neuromuscular education techniques using the Feldenkrais Method - retrain the brain.
- The mind-body connection to running.
- Why classic workouts/strength training are often not enough for runners especially to resolve injury.
- Why a lot of experts, physios, coaches, etc., still can't help people resolve reoccurring running injuries.
Specific running issues and remedies:
- When running we want our hips to shift - a little - and not be too stiff, why this is and how it should all work in the kinetic chain...
- "The one thing that works is learning to shift your pelvis so your weight goes all the way over your right leg so your gluteus medius doesn’t need to overwork nor your knee turn inwards. This requires a movement of your pelvis and spine, and this brings us back to core stability and the more effective alternative, core action."
- What would prevent someone from moving their hips adequately? i.e. Tight hips: causes and solutions
- How to fix a runner with chronically sore quads - more in Jae's blog here.
- Importance of arm swing (if we don't get to it above)
- Improving hip extension - is the couch stretch enough? ;)
- Correcting R/L imbalances and why the R side is always dominant no matter if your left- or right-handed
- Glutes: are the usually overworked or underdeveloped?
- Mention of the book "The Talent Code" and how its themes tie in.
- And much much more in this episode!
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out UCAN's new bar made with coffee beans![/sponsor]
On this episode of Ask the Coaches:
- Followup on strapless HRV app: There is on! Check out HRV4TRAINING if interested, which uses the iPhone camera (and does not need a separate heart rate strap).
- Lucho drools over a fan selling his 2000 Litespeed Saber frame.
- Is MAF affected by COLD temperatures? Whether freezing temps or temps in the 40s (F) for SoCal folks, can cold weather cause our pace to slow down in order to hold MAF?
- Swimmer's ear - "doctor Lucho" shares his remedy.
- If a swim injury (or swimmer's ear) has you out of the pool, how to redistribute that training volume if you're a triathlete? (caution against adding too much extra running too quickly).
- Are aerobic benefits the same regardless of sportwhen using the same heart rate ranges (i.e. 180 Formula)? Not looking for sport-specific gains, rather, for my general aerobic health.
- In ATC 222 we basically say, "Metabolic Efficiency Testing is the new MAF… (The testing) is a scientific approach to Maffetone’s principles." Explaining the philosophy behind this statement.
- How to interpret ME test results from a super efficient fat burner - is it now time to focus on getting faster and not get overly obsessed with how much fat burning can happen?
- Using your Metabolic Efficiency Test to determine HR zones and training needs, being specific to your race goals.
- Explaining and clarifying some basics of Jack Daniel's method with real-life application:
- Intervals should be done at 95-100% of V02MAX or 97-100% of MHR
- Using VDOT score, what happens if it's hard to get HR that close to max using the VDOT interval pace, as well as having a hard time getting HR close to Threshold using the VDOT Threshold pace.
- Good post by Steve Magness on VO2max
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] A New Year’s freebie deal you don’t want to pass up: If you’re looking to take the holistic healthy life a step further but you’re not sure how to start (and let’s face it, there is an overwhelming amount of information on the interwebs) head to Life Post Collective, an inner-circle community created by host Tawnee Prazak Gibson. At LPC you’ll find Tawnee’s resources on holistic health, wellness, nutrition, fitness, athletic performance and more to help you on your path to optimization--the same resources and tools she uses for her athletes and clients. No gimmicks at LPC, Tawnee created this community for your wellbeing and as a home to share practical evidence-based and experienced-based ways to kick more butt. Through LPC’s integrative forums and features on the site, you can learn from not only Tawnee but also like-minded people all working toward common goals.
As a special offer for EP fans, we're offering a New Year's deal where you can get your first month FREE at Life Post Collective using code “ep2017” - act now and make this the best year ever! [/sponsor]
Michael J. Breus, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist who specializes in sleep, biorhythms, and improving the lives and sleep patterns of patients using chronotypes. He is the author of The Power of When that explains the concept of chronobiology and the four categorizes everyone falls into, which then helps you discover the perfect time for you to do everything including when to have sex, workout, sleep, eat, ask your boss for a raise and much more. No matter what your goals are, reading The Power of When and understanding your natural chronotype can change your life and speed your path to self-optimization.
On this show you'll discover:
- Michael's background as a clinical psychologist and sleep expert... and how he found success with using chronobiology more than other techniques.
- The four chronotypes and their origins (scientific backing and the animal names they're given):
- Lions
- Bears
- Wolves
- Dolphins
LIONS
- Conscientious, stable, practical, optimists, overachievers, prioritizing health and fitness and strategizers. leaders yet introverts.
- Morning people, like really early risers with high morning cortisol
- For Lions instead of doing fasted workouts fueled by caffeine in the AM instead we should eat soon after waking, skip the caffeine until later, take a few min to contemplate goals and plans, and have sex - all before 8am! Then get to work, but don't rush into solo work - connect with people, have meetings.
- What about early-morning emails for Lions?
BEARS
- These guys are 50% of the popular and whom after we model the standard daily routine of 9-5 work and such.
- What makes bears bears? Cautious, extrovert, friendly, open-minded, aspire to be healthy, likes familiarity
WOLVES
- The night owls: Impulsive, permissive, creative, moody, insightful, intuitive, risk takers, pleasure seekers, emotional - and not morning people.
- EP fan asks: "Do you have any advice for someone who only has time to train in the morning before work, but who has, for his whole life, been a so called night owl and thus horrible at waking up/training early?"
DOLPHINS
- Only turn off half the brain when sleeping so to speak
- Cautious, introverts, neurotic, intelligent and often insomniacs.... many athletes are high stress who also have insomniac tendencies.
- OCD perfectionists, but risk avoidance
- How can dolphins attenuate episodes of insomnia?
- Using "Bed restriction" techinques for insomniacs
YOUR TYPE
- Are athletes usually of the same chronotype or is it as random as the general population?
- Athletes are usually Lions and Dolphins
- Can you change your chronotype so that your can train, work and sleep as you WANT/NEED to in life and overcome the genetic chronotype you were given?
- Chronotypes are based on the DNA we're borns with and can't be changed but we do tend to evolve over time.
- You can use 23andme data to further nail down your chronotype.
- PE3 gene
- Can you be more than one type and what to do if you are? How to really find out your type.
- Many athletes need to train in the early hours before work, kid duties and other life stuff: Should we just suck it up and train early or truly try to reorganize our lives for better results?
- The use of light therapy to optimize your biorhythms and how this helps you get up early and have energy even if you stay up late or have trouble sleeping through the night.
- The best time for sex and how to optimize sex with your partner by finding the right time for both of you!
- Are certain types are more stubborn and unwilling to follow your guidelines?
WHEN TO WORKOUT
- Best time to run/workout:
- Varies by up to 26% from morning to evening
- Best time relates to when you wake up
- Lions - 5:30 p.m. Yup, even though they're morning people, Lions should workout later in the day and not first thing in the morning when cortisol is already really high and time is better spent elsewhere. Workout later in the evening for a boost of energy and to optimize the session instead of getting sleepy too early. Then leading up to race, switch to AM workouts to get body primed for racing at that time of day.
- Dolphins - 7:30am
- Bears - 7:30am or noon, fasting pre breakfast or afternoon to suppress appetite
- Wolves - 6pm for performance and fat burn
- Across all type the WORST time of day to workout is 6am - why?
- injury risk
- core temp not up yet
- wait at least 90min after waking
- Discussing other biorhythms that determine ideal run time:
- fat burning rhythm - when to run to burn fat and boost metabolism
- performance rhythm - workout according to your preferred wake up time for fastest times. Studies show peak power in evening, but
- rest rhythm - time of workout to improve quality of sleep (benefits of workout out early = better sleep)
- Do evening or nighttime workouts reach a point of diminishing returns if they're too late by decreasing sleep quality?
- Other biorhythms in fitness including coordination rhythm, power rhythm, flexibility rhythm, muscle growth rhythm, muscle strength rhythm and more.
- When is the best time of day for strength training? Yoga? Team sports?
- Pain tolerance rhythm - morning types can handle more pain than evening types
SLEEP OPTIMIZATION & DIET
- Best time to wake up:
- Lion 5:30-6am - chill for 10min in bed, and best foods to have at breakfast
- Dolphin 6:30am - get up and into light immediately
- Bear 7am - get up right away
- Wolf 7:30am - snooze once then get up and into light
- More thoughts on manipulating macros for best results
- On napping:
- Lions 1:30pm
- Bears 2pm
- Dolphins and Wolves no naps allowed
- What is the "Nap-a-latte"
- Don't try to make up for sleep by sleeping in on the weekends
- Michael recommends a regimented "Power Down Hour" - what does this entail?
FINAL THOUGHTS
- Often we can't do all these hacks because life just doesn't allow for it, so how can we try to do our best?
- These days there are more race options and varying times of days, what about trying a race at night if you're a Wolf?
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out UCAN's new bar made with coffee beans![/sponsor]
On this episode of Ask the Coaches, the first of 2017:
- Quick discussion on a great blog post by Steve Magness: What Actually Matters - Concepts of Details?
- On cleanses as we get into the new year: How about thinking about it a different way and an opportunity to ADD more to your life, not restrict!
- We are doing New Year cleanse/reset over at lifepostcollective.com, and looking to add and enrich our lives - not just restrict. Tawnee shares a few things she'll be adding to her 2017 including more turmeric.
- Some sarcasm and fun from our Swedish friend, PÄR TÖRNHULT
- If you're at triathlete, should you bother with all MAF training if you can only train 7hr a week? Or is it not enough of a stimulus? Or can you mix it up? (And those 7 hours include SBR, so less than 50% of that is running.)
- Is the heart rate associated with LT, AeT, and MAF all the same?
- The biggest factor that separates MAF from most other approaches to training and setting HR zones is that MAF focuses on METABOLISM to set your target HR, whereas most other approaches focus on the CARDIOVASCULAR system to set zones.
- MAF wants you to be in fat-burning zones
- How does this correlate to AeT, i.e. aerobic threshold and LT, lactate threshold
- MAF training for those healing from plantar fasciitis can be promising to stay injury free
- MAF progress going from 11:30 to an 8:23 pace at 138 heart rate, but after that it went back up to a 9-9:15 pace then plateaued - what to do?
- Changing the stimulus: it's either volume or intensity that needs to change!
- Followup on the acid reflux issue mentioned in this recent show with Dr. Maffetone.
- Health specialist chimes in to add advice: "The athlete complaining of reflux said it got bad on the swim and worse on the bike. I would have liked to know how his race day tri suit, aero time and race pace diaphragmatic involvement played into significant increase on pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter. Sometimes we can dial in exactly what we eat but don't take into consideration how food gets into or stays in our stomachs. Particular attention to pressure around the waistline, aero position, and when/how one eats can also have a significant effect on reflux. Because we are already depleting precious blood supply to the GI system, absence of gravity (swimming and aero position) can take a toll on esophageal motility."
- Former power/speed athlete transitioned to endurance and is now doing triathlons and Ironman but unsure of aerobic efficiency. How to decide to go with a MAF-based plan, or Friel, or what... how to choose; how to know; what to do?
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]Head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a wider variety of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free... Be sure to stock up on PerfectAmino, which comes in powder or pill-form and is an athlete’s secret weapon featuring all the essential amino acids in the exact ratios needed to ensure proper protein synthesis in the body. Plus don't forget to open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com to do your online shopping! [/sponsor]
On this episode of Sports Nutrition 236, we have a special guest host, Dr. Steve Gangemi aka The Sock Doc. In addition to his chiropractic practice, Steve is a board-certified sports nutritionist and joins the show to tackle your questions...
In This Show:
- How to help athletes with excess anxiety and unnecessary stress, mentally speaking, especially females?
- Are there supplements, certain macro ratios or specific foods would we advise for athletes dealing with anxiety, worry and high stress?
- Should one avoid IF and sugar? How to find the proper nutrition for one’s cognitive needs?
- Should one get tested to measure for deficiencies and imbalances, which is best to do first: urine organic acids, blood or hormone?
- GABA and nourishing your neurotransmitters.
- Steve shares his balanced approached to diet and nutrition.
- Pros and cons of nutritional ketosis, and understanding the risks of taking it too far.
- Trouble in keto land: Ironman athlete wants to know if going from low-carb/loosely Paleo to fully ketogenic was too much for the body and the cause of his performance decline.
- Other potential negative impacts from going full keto: an increase in resting HR, drop in HRV, drop in power, slower MAF pace, and increase in racing HR.
- The concept of carb cycling for best results
- Adopting MAF after year of dealing with an injury and also learning to wean off carb dependence.
- When diet, fasted workouts and low carb can go too far, especially for females.
- Achieving healthy body composition and understanding the red flags if your body is getting too lean.
- Could you have signs of an eating disorder and not realize it?
- Abnormally high blood glucose reading despite a lower carb diet, healthy lifestyle and regular exercise?
- What should you do if glucose levels commonly are 105-120 up to 140s upon waking. Could this be a sign of a more serious issue that requires investigation?
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] If you’re looking for that extra bit of support to build a richer, fuller, healthier life head to Life Post Collective, an "inner circle community" created by host Tawnee Prazak where she shares her expertise on holistic health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and more, and helps you on your path to optimization. Right now you can join Life Post Collective for just $1 for the first month; use the code "holiday2016" when signing up. See you at LPC, where you will enjoy direct access to Tawnee and a like-minded community all working toward common goals. [/sponsor]
On this episode with Dr. Tamsin Lewis of Curoseven, we dive deeper into female issues, how to be a healthy fertile female athlete and Q&A:
- Tawnee shares personal details about regaining her menstruation once she made the decision to stop being such a hard-hitting athlete, and the time it took for her periods to normalize.
- The value of tracking your female health and cycles.
- Tamsin shares more of her story from pro triathlete to regaining health and her pregnancy.
- Depending on the situation, normalizing one's period after years of amenorrhea can take time, even years.
- A crucial variable in proper HPA axis function and healthy hormones for a normal cycle is energy availability (how much you have once you subtract energy expenditure from energy intake).
- Questions from female athletes:
- Competitive female endurance athlete wants to start a family with her husband. She recently stopped taking the pill and hasn’t gotten a period back yet. Is it normal for a woman’s body to take time to readjust after being on the pill for so long or is there potentially a deeper issue to address?
- Are there certain tests to determine if there are underlying problems?
- Scale back on exercise (and if so to what extent)?
- Supplementing? Thorne Basic Prenatal and what else to be healthy before baby?
- Breastfeeding while training and racing an Ironman - are there special considerations? Was very active during pregnancy, so this is not too much of a new extreme.
- Bouncing back to great fitness postpartum - faster than before! But what can female athlete moms expect as far as performance after weaning and hormones regulating?
- Does breastfeeding or not breastfeeding (i.e. the hormones) influence performance?
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Be sure to check out UCAN's new bar made with coffee beans![/sponsor]
On this edition of Ask the Coaches with Tawnee and Lucho:
- Is there a difference and/or pros and cons to doing a bulk of your MAF/base miles on an incline vs. on a flat surface besides the slower pace on inclines?
- Clarifying the difference between junk miles and MAF/aerobic training?
- Junk miles: Anything that is helping toward your goal(s), or, worse, working against your goal(s)!
- If you're freely and loosely exercising and not "training" (like Tawnee mentions) this isn't necessarily junk miles because there is the health benefit to being active!
- A triathlete who raced Ironman Kona this year chimes to discuss the severe gut, nutrition and hydration issues he had, and wants some advice and answers as to what was going on to avoid these problems in the future.
- Our podcast with Paul Laursen in which he discusses hydration guidelines and how to race well in heat.
- Hyponatremia risks and knowing how to properly hydrate to stay safe
- When racing the marathon: push harder and take risks, or run conservative for a “safe” race?
- On one hand we need to set realistic goals, on the other hand we should take realistic risks!
- Mental toughness and central governor talk
- Learning how to believe in ourselves and not feed negative thoughts that work against our race outcomes. (No "I can't"!!!)
- Tawnee's 'Mental Toughness' series on LifePostCollective.com. Join now and get the first month for just $1 with code "holiday2016".
- Followup on sweet spot training for running - is this basically polarized training if your intervals are around threshold and VO2max?
- Are longer intervals at 10k effort considered a sweet spot for running?
- How much training can be "intensity" and discussing risk vs. reward?
- The Stephen Seiler video on his research that is the basis of polarized training
- Takeaways:
- DISCIPLINE! Easy must be easy, hard must be hard. Don’t run up a hill on an easy day! Also remember many research studies are looking at elite athletes who can handle the stress because it’s their job!
- “Training at LT is too much effort for too little gain”
- How about not training very much at MP at all! Instead: polarized, sweet spot, etc.
- What are the details of high intensity? Comes down to “tolerable accumulated duration” - how long at what intensity can you tolerate? I.e. 90% for longer duration more tolerable than 100% for shorter duration.
- “Effort matching model”
- Polarized as not just short very hard efforts of <3min, but harder efforts for 4-8min at ~90% (sweet spot?).
- It's not so much about periodization; rather, just a lot of work happening, and most of it low intensity - but as you get closer to races, hard sessions get harder and easy gets easier.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]You can support EP when you shop online! Simply open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com to do your online shopping—it’s just one extra click to link to Amazon through the banner on our sidebar or click theAmazon links in the show notes.[/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]Also, head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free... Get started now on the path to optimizing your health and performance![/sponsor]
On this episode of TriNews with Thorsten Radde:
- Top-3 favorite triathlon moments of 2016
- ....Thorsten and Tawnee each share theirs. What do you think? What are your favorite moments from this year in triathlon? Email or tweet at us to let us know!
- Tawnee's
- Gwen Jorgenson and Nicola Spirig Olympics battle, with Gwen getting gold and Nicola getting pregnant right after the race!
- Patrick Lange's record-breaking day in Kona (listen to our Kona recap here).
- Natasha Badmann's final Kona performance capping off one of the most inspiring careers ever in the sport.
- Thorsten's
- Roth & Frankfurt
- MBK & Diana Riesler's consecutive wins and IMNZ, IMAZ and IM Malaysia, respectively.
- Big German wins: Jan Frodeno, Julia Grajer
- Tawnee's
- Special guest interview: Pro triathlete Joe Gambles
- Healing his Achille's
- Transitioning to more minimalist running shoes as part of healing his injury
- Specializing in 70.3 vs. full-ironman distances
- Why he's finally shifting to more Ironman focus
- "70.3's build you up; Ironman breaks you down"
- In 70.3 vs. Ironman, it all comes down to the bike and for Joe the bike was a strength in 70.3 but a weakness in IM, and he's working on fixing that
- On diet and nutrition:
- Fat-adaptation - Joe's diet has transitioned to be better at utilizing fat for fuel
- He's also a vegetarian and talks on that
- Other pros who are becoming more fat-adapted: Tim Reed, Sam Appleton, Benn Hoffman, etc.
- The secret to success: proper timing of nutrients and proper nutrients that complement the workout (high intensity = add back more carbs)
- Joe on being Heather Jackson's coach
- Their plan that got Heather on the IM Kona podium (3rd)
- How they improved Heather's bike and also got her out of a plateau
- Early season:
- Neuromuscular training
- High-cadence drills and developing an efficient pedal stroke
- Top-end power work, short-duration intervals/repeats
- VO2max workouts
- Add the high-end work to a huge bike base for the best success
- On the men and women's race in Kona
- And more!
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out UCAN's new bar made with coffee beans![/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] If you’re looking for that extra bit of support to build a richer, fuller, healthier life head to Life Post Collective, an "inner circle community" created by host Tawnee Prazak where she shares her expertise on holistic health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and more, and helps you on your path to optimization. Right now you can join Life Post Collective for just $1 for the first month; use the code "holiday2016" when signing up. See you at LPC, where you will enjoy direct access to Tawnee and a like-minded community all working toward common goals. [/sponsor]
On this episode of Ask the Coaches with Lucho and Tawnee:
- Fat-adapted low-carb female runner experiences gut issues in half-marathon after taking sugary gels; she thought the high-intensity would require more sugar for fuel but the plan backfired, resulting in bloating and cramps.
- The more fat-adapted you are, the more you burn fat even at higher intensities.
- Gut-bomb effects of gels - more on the science of why they may wreak havoc.
- Fructose, maltodextrin, and also the bigger risks of gels if you have gut issues like SIBO or dysbiosis.
- Good alternative fuel strategies to gels for running races.
- Why UCAN digests differently than gels and traditional fuels.
- Will vasectomy patients experience low testosterone?
- How to mitigate chances of low T if you're an endurance male athlete.
- Thoughts on sweet spot base training for cycling, i.e. lots of rides with increasingly longer intervals at 75%-95% of your FTP. Comparing this approach to MAF.
- Sweet spot is a more traditional threshold training program that can yield great results but comes with higher risk and increases chances of overtraining.
- Can sweet spot training be applied to running?
- What's the deal with MAF for swimming; should we apply MAF to the swim?
- The importance of technique above all in swimming!
- Helping a 51-year-old male athlete find his "next thing" in sport, where he can also inspire and promote a positive message on health, fitness and nutrition to his daughter (who's had an eating disorder) and wife...
- How to still be an all-around athlete but not get obsessed with training.
- Don't feel like you have to race if you don't want to!
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] If you’re looking for that extra bit of support to build a richer, fuller, healthier life head to Life Post Collective, an "inner circle community" created by host Tawnee Prazak where she shares her expertise on holistic health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and more, and helps you on your path to optimization. Right now you can join Life Post Collective for just $1 for the first month; use the code "holiday2016" when signing up. See you at LPC, where you will enjoy direct access to Tawnee and a like-minded community all working toward common goals. [/sponsor]
On this episode with Dr. Phil Maffetone:
- Acid reflux in ironman (but never before that!) - possible causes and ideas for solutions.
- On stomach acid.
- The problem with antacids.
- Trouble-shooting Ironman nutrition issues despite being incredibly fat-adapted and healthy.
- Pre-race breakfast thoughts and keeping it simple!
- Considering fewer calories before a big race to put less stress on the gut.
- If you inhibit fat burning in a race by going out hard in a bike race (because that's just how they are), can you still burn fat for fuel at all?
- Why in some races going out hard is imperative, but in other races be more mindful of pacing.
- What's Dr. Phil's own exercise routine? Does he use a HRM?
- Advice for an athlete with Wolff-Parkinsons-White (WPW) syndrome who wants to do MAF but HR will randomly spike very high literally uncontrollably.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Elkhorn-Relay-circle-logo.png"]Our friends over at Doomsday Racing are putting on their Elkhorn Relay in the largest enclosed valley in the US, the Elkhorn Wilderness in Northeast Oregon. Teams cover more than 200 miles with more than 13,000 feet of elevation change. The next relay doesn't kick off until August 11, 2017, so get your friends together and click here to sign up now. Use the code “Crazybird17” for a chance to get a reduced entry fee of only $850.[/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] If you’re looking for that extra bit of support to build a richer, fuller, healthier life head to Life Post Collective, an "inner circle community" created by host Tawnee Prazak where she shares her expertise on holistic health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and more, and helps you on your path to optimization. Right now you can join Life Post Collective for just $1 for the first month; use the code "holiday2016" when signing up. See you at LPC, where you will enjoy direct access to Tawnee and a like-minded community all working toward common goals. [/sponsor]
- Do you chew gum while you’re training/racing? You may want to think twice about that habit and ditch the "artificial junk"
- Typical sugar free gum ingredients: Sorbitol, Gum Base, Glycerol, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Aspartame, Mannitol, Acesulfame K, Soy Lecithin, Xylitol, Colors (Beta-Carotene, Blue 1 Lake), BHT (to Maintain Freshness).
- Artificial sweeteners may induce glucose intolerance.
- More from Chris Kresser on harms of artificial sweeteners here.
- Ultrarunner who pushed too far, went too hard and is now suffering from overtraining syndrome. How to get past it? How to recover?
- Tip: Don't put a time limit on your recovery from OTS.
- Coach wants advice on a female athlete who's making the transition from being a Crossfitter with poor endurance to an Ironman athlete.
- Body type, size and shape...
- How coaches can help promote healthy body image...
- Using MAF...
- Improving diet...
- But, really, with MAF how many miles/hours per week to improve?
- If you go over MAF once a week when you're feeling good and want to let it rip, does that really negate everything else? Is it all or nothing with MAF?
- Former collegiate distance runner trying to make a mark on the road race circuit is having hydration, kidney and health issues; needs advice.
- Super-saturation of minerals and acid salts in your urine, such as calcium and uric acid, can crystallize and form solid masses. This can happen if you don’t drink enough fluids,
- Oxalate discussion on recent SN with Ben
- Also: lower sugar and refined carbs; track hydration, 2 L a day minimum; aim for light yellow urine; lower caffeine; consider magnesium, B6 and a full health check to find underlying cause with a doctor or qualified practitioner.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] Head over to our Shop Page where we've added new friends who make products that we love and use, including Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener, Vital Choice seafoods, and Vital Proteins (their collagen is top notch!). When you shop through Endurance Planet you support the podcast, and ensure that you're getting the best-quality products and services available today—we've done the homework for you!
Also, are you ready to live a holistic healthy life but not sure how to start? Join Tawnee and crew at Life Post Collective! At LPC, you'll discover practical ways to make health and performance the priority. Get direct access to Tawnee and her secrets to building a healthy life—what she does and recommends—and also access the tools she uses to coach clients whose goals range far and wide from healing health to athletic performance. As a special offer for EP fans, we're offering a holiday deal where you can join Life Post Collective for just $1 for the first month! Use code "holiday2016" to get this special introductory fee, and give yourself or a loved one the gift of wellness by joining this like-minded community. [/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/PH-logo-strapline_trans.png"]This episode is brought to you by Precision Hydration, the sweat experts who provide personalized hydration strategies and drink mixes to athletes of all levels. Not sure about your sweat and sodium loss? You can start by taking Precision Hydration’s free entry-level Online Sweat Test and get a recommendation for a formula that fits your needs, or go the next step with their exercise-free Advanced Sweat Test. Then use the code “ENDURANCE10” to get 10% off your first order.[/sponsor]
Brie Wieselman is a functional health practitioner in Santa Cruz, Calif., who specializes in reprograming hormones, fixing digestion, improving detoxification systems and female wellness. Her philosophy is that our physical health creates the bandwidth for our emotional, spiritual, and professional growth and success.
Download Brie's free handout titled “The Foundation of Health” here.
On this show:
- Brie's background and health journey that led her to practicing functional medicine
- What is functional medicine and how is it different?
- Using the functional model to assess health, healing and achieving optimal wellness and performance
- You don't have to be sick! It's great to further increase health toward optimization
-
Tackling root causes and the key areas of focus....
-
Liver & Detox
- What detox isn't (i.e. juice cleanses)
- What detox IS and what it can achieve
- Liver detox is the key to rebalancing hormones for males and females
- Estrogen dominance
- Alcohol's role
- Beer drinkers and brewers beware: hops are estrogenic and can contribute to estrogen dominance
- Athletes sweat - is that enough for a detox?
- Gut dysbiosis clogs up the liver and is a huge toxic burden
- Candid produces ethanol (alcohol)
- Phases of detoxification
- What's necessary for a good detox: amino acids/protein, and nutrients such as Vitamins A, B(s), C and antioxidants
- How long does detoxing take?
- What's the deal with athletes who have HIGH liver enzymes (but not big drinkers)?
- Muscle/tissue breakdown, overtraining, high sugar consumption (especially fructose), and genetics
- Liver enzymes AST and ALT
- Adrenals
- Cortisol patterns - too high, too low, what does it mean?!
- HPA axis - the system by which our brain interprets the situation and does the best for us
- Dysfunction is a problem with the "software" not "hardware"
- Is adrenal fatigue a myth, or is there a better way to describe it?
- Relationship between adrenals and diet
- Keeping blood sugar under control is key
- Stages of "adrenal fatigue"
- One - cortisol sort of high
- Two - Cortisol increases; wired but tired
- Three - Cortisol tanks, DHEA tanks (fatigue, difficulty healing, etc)
- BUT it does not always present in this exact manner!
- Free cortisol
- Tie in with training/racing and fueling
- Testing: DUTCH
- Gut
- Basics on tackling sever issues like Chron's, IBS, Ulcerative Colitis and SIBO
- Assess lactoferrin and calprotectin
- IBS associated with anxiety and serotonin issues
- If cortisol is too high or low this can contribute to leaky gut
- A good "intro" test? GI MAP!
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] If you’re looking for that extra bit of support to build a richer, fuller, healthier life head to Life Post Collective, an "inner circle community" created by host Tawnee Prazak where she shares her expertise on holistic health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and more, and helps you on your path to optimization. Right now you can join Life Post Collective for just $1 for the first month; use the code "holiday2016" when signing up. See you at LPC, where you will enjoy direct access to Tawnee and a like-minded community all working toward common goals. [/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out UCAN's new bar made with coffee beans![/sponsor]
On this episode of Ask the Coaches with Tawnee and Lucho:
- What is MAF? Explanation for new listeners and a refresher for loyal fans. Tawnee and Lucho each give their definition of MAF.
- Equipment recommendations for nighttime (or early morning) running/workouts to remain visible and safe?
- High-visibility Petzel headlamps - our pick!
- LED flashlight
- Nathan Bandolier Reflective Vest
- Nathan Streak Reflective Vest
- Do the MAF "run walk" or stick to steady state?
- "When you're running at MAF best to stay steady-state or speed up until you hit your 'max' at which point you slow down and walk HR is settled, and repeat?"
- "Would it be better to train at a slow and steady pace at MAF, or closer to average marathon race pace (slightly faster) with the inevitable breaks of slowing down to keep HR below MAF?"
- "Do you have to run continuously at MAF HR to get the benefits or is run then walk to remain at/below MAF giving the same effect?"
- When is the MAF run-walk combo acceptable?
- Don't try to bargain to run harder than you should be if using MAF - if you need to stick to slower steady state to develop the base, so be it!
- For master's runners: why you may want to consider scheduling workouts that take you over MAF in training to work the high-end fitness.
- Is there a correlation between menstrual cycle hormonal fluctuations and HRV?
- Is there a correlation between perimenopause and HRV?
- Research-based evidence to clear up hormones and HRV question; a couple links to what is quoted by Tawnee:
- http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jdms/papers/Vol14-issue7/Version-2/A014720105.pdf
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/articles/26691637/
- MAF is plateauing, what next? In 28 months, MAF dropped from 12min/miles to 8:25min/miles. Time to incorporate intensity, where to start?
- Gradually adding intensity, a la Lucho
- How segueing into more intensity can boost your MAF pace (but only do this is you've spent time building your MAF base!).
- Posterior knee pain? Getting "mysterious" pain in the back of the knee during running that no one can diagnose--help?
- Which type of professional to seek out for help on fixing biomechanical & injury issues
- Common posterior knee issues: popliteal tendinitis, popliteal muscle inflammation, Baker's Cyst, weak hamstrings and/or glutes, etc.
- 31 y/o female struggling with chronically high HR of 175 no matter what pace she's running (from 6:30 to 10:30, HR is high!). What's up with that?
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/PH-logo-strapline_trans.png"]This episode is brought to you by Precision Hydration, the sweat experts who provide personalized hydration strategies and drink mixes to athletes of all levels. Not sure about your sweat and sodium loss? You can start by taking Precision Hydration’s free entry-level Online Sweat Test and get a recommendation for a formula that fits your needs, or go the next step with their exercise-free Advanced Sweat Test. Then use the code “ENDURANCE10” to get 10% off your first order.[/sponsor]
Ben Greenfield joins for another edition of Sports Nutrition.
- What are oxalates and when would a low-oxalate diet be beneficial?
- Oxalates and their role in kidney stones, joint aches and pains
- Foods high in oxalates:
- Leafy greens like spinach, kale, rhubarb, almonds, beets, beer
- Cooking can lower oxalates
- Candida or fungal issues can make oxalates in the body
- Some oxalates are ok for the majority of people; too many can become "toxic"
- Causes of oxalate sensitivity:
- Genetics, low B6, low minerals, poor gut health
- How to check your oxalate levels or sensitivity? Tests like organic acids and certain blood markers
- Fat-soluble vitamins
- Does being fat-adapted mean saying goodbye to snacking?
- Is hunger between meals a “bad” thing if you're trying to be fat-adapted?
- Getting hungry between meals during Ironman training - are meals not adequate enough?
- Pros and cons of snacking & how Ben approaches between-meal "snacks"
- Shiritaki miracle noodles
- How to find out if you're meals aren't calorically dense enough?
- Calculate resting metabolic rate and energy expenditure based on activity level, etc. compared with energy intake.
- Tawnee gave personal example of this example at lifepostcollective.com where she tracked food and activity level to see her energy balance.
- Online resource: cronometer.com
- How to portion out your dietary fat. (Carb and protein portions are easy to understand, but what about oils etc?)
- Pros and cons of measuring fats like oils (hint: neither Ben nor Tawnee does it)
- What about using protein for fuel?
- Amino acids block fatigue and prevent breakdown
- Examples of "safe" (more digestible) protein sources that you can take in during training and racing.
Ad text - doomsday racing
On this show we feature Dr. Phil Maffetone with special guest Zach Bitter. Zach recently embarked on MAF training this year and has been a fan and follower of Phil's for years but on this show they meet for the first time with a great conversation ensuing.
- We find out why Zach started training by the MAF Method and using the 180 Formula
- Before, Zach was doing too much training at too low HR and not getting the proper stimulus
- Zach lists out what he noticed relatively quickly into doing MAF
- MAF results: fast responder, dropping to a sub-6 MAF pace, and also a testament to health and wellness when progress is quick
- Phil gives an initial assessment and feedback on Zach and how he's more effectively enlisting and training slow-twitch fibers
- With big volume that Zach needs (100+ mpw), is running all the time at MAF risky business with his pace that fast?
- Transitioning to speedwork was EASIER for Zach having done MAF for a while, and he responded better, more quickly, etc.
- When fitness is there, MAF gives muscular endurance and strength that can be lacking when running at "too low" an effort
- ...But MAF isn't like this for everyone, so we discuss more on having to "slow down" to hold the right HR on MAF
- Using time and not miles to guide training
- Getting into a state of flow especially on track races like Zach does, and playing devil's advocate of when getting into flow is hard for most if constantly having to monitor HR - and the related frustrations
- How Zach paced his American record runs at the Desert Solstice (comparing race HR to MAF HR)
- Correcting muscle imbalances to get faster
- It's ok to DNF on a race to preserve health and stay injury free
- Does it seem like we drill in the same themes over and over? Maybe, but that's because we need to keep hearing it and avoid the plans that promise "quick fixes" and gimmicks out there!
- Zach and Phil on diet
- How Zach has evolved his approach to LCHF, and how his version of LC is actually more carb intake than you might guess - but that's because he's putting in so much training volume!
- Adjust carb intake to your needs, and take in the minimal effective dosage for health and wellness
- Zach races with 100-200 calories an hour, with a "trickle" of carb coming in - not in excess
- It's not all about measuring ketones and being in ketosis! Focus on getting better, not on what the pee strip says
- MAF may not be "sexy" and we don't package it up and sell it easily (i.e. there are no packaged MAF bars on the market), but why we think that's ok and what keeps it genuine and awesome
- Phil's fear of "MAF dolls" ;)
- and more!
- Ask questions to questions@enduranceplanet.com
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out UCAN's new bar made with coffee beans![/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/PH-logo-strapline_trans.png"]This episode is brought to you by Precision Hydration, the sweat experts who provide personalized hydration strategies and drink mixes to athletes of all levels. Not sure about your sweat and sodium loss? You can start by taking Precision Hydration’s free entry-level Online Sweat Test and get a recommendation for a formula that fits your needs, or go the next step with their exercise-free Advanced Sweat Test. Then use the code “ENDURANCE10” to get 10% off your first order.[/sponsor]
On this episode of Ask The Coaches with Tawnee & Lucho:
- Training postpartum, and targeting future triathlons including the LD World Championships in 2017 - feeling fitter, but more strength endurance needed!
- How to increase strength on the bike to sustain the higher power and not get tired at a moderate RPE?
- Is it cutting it too close to do a 70.3 half-distance triathlon three weeks before a full Ironman? Pros, cons and how to navigate it with success, including the training that needs to be done leading into the stretch of races.
- Is it ok to use MAF for run training, as well as do Crossfit? Can you do MAF runs and Crossfit on back-to-back days and yield good results? Or is it a bad idea to do crossfit where heart rate gets all jacked up?
- Is MAF and Crossfit a good combo for athletes doing Obstacle Course Racing?
- Racing a 5K run in the unknown altitude of 7,000 feet: How to create the race plan for pacing and HR at the high-elevation race? How can you expect HR to be different?
- Finding the root cause of chronic IT Band Syndrome and some ideas for self-assessment... Help for a passionate ultrarunner who just wants to run!
- Case study: A 32-year-old male, 145lbs, who takes good care of himself, low stress, and good diet (paleo). Doing base building for the beginning of marathon training using hear rate. Staying at or below 140BPM and this feels good, but when bumping up to 145-150 BPM (actual MAF) it feels much harder. Is this the point where you must start adding faster workouts? Have my legs forgotten how the faster pace feels?
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out UCAN's new bar made with coffee beans![/sponsor]
For past episodes of "So You Wanna Go Pro" (No. 1-4) click here.
On this show we're joined by not only Matt Bach this time, but also his wife, Lauren Bach, for an exciting update:
- Matt's Santa Cruz 70.3 experiment and result
- More health testing:
- 4-point Cortisol test
- Fresh blood labs with new, improved testosterone numbers and other data pointing toward progress
- The strategies that have led to matt feeling so much better and allowing him to heal
- The tradeoff of losing elite endurance fitness - what's next?
- The schedule lately:
- More CrossFit, recovery, minimal training and allowing the healing to set in
- Tentative training and racing plan moving forward
- Bringing in Lauren
- Lauren's been with Matt for 12 years and knows him well. We get her take on everything that's happened since Matt first won IMMD, her observations on Matt, transparency on her life, their lives together, and family planning
- Big surprises (even Tawnee gets surprised with what the couple shares)!
- The study Matt is putting together with researchers on the East Coast on elite endurance male athletes and hormones - if you fit the criteria email Matt at matthew.j.bach@gmail.com - they're looking for participants!
Recently we attended the Bulletproof Conference in Pasadena, Calif., to learn about the latest and greatest in biohacking, self-quantification and self-enhancement. (Tawnee will be sharing some of the top things she learned over at lifepostcollective.com.) Our friend and frequent podcast guest Dr. Tamsin Lewis was in attendance, and together with Tawnee they had the chance to sit down for a quick interview with Dave Asprey.
Click here for the full video recording of this interview.
On this show:
- Tamsin addresses specific medical questions and hormone-specific topics with Dave including testosterone and Dave's journey dealing with low testosterone and supplementation.
- We tie in the endurance sport component to see what Dave said on how endurance athletes can mitigate the negative effects of chronic training and stress.
- Hormonal health for non-competing athletes and endurance athletes who are competing under regulations. Many suffer from hormonal imbalances, and Dave gives his personal opinions, insights and recommendations.
- Female specific: healing from amenorrhea and related hormonal issues.
- On diet and low-carb: How to hack your diet for the benefits of low-carb without being low carb.
What do you think of this show? Send us your questions, comments, insights, critiques to questions@enduranceplanet.com.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/PH-logo-strapline_trans.png"]This episode is brought to you by Precision Hydration, the sweat experts who provide personalized hydration strategies and drink mixes to athletes of all levels. Not sure about your sweat and sodium loss? You can start by taking Precision Hydration’s free entry-level Online Sweat Test and get a recommendation for a formula that fits your needs, or go the next step with their exercise-free Advanced Sweat Test. Then use the code “ENDURANCE10” to get 10% off your first order.[/sponsor]
On this episode of Ask the Coaches with Lucho and Tawnee:
- Study: The Influence of a Personal Trainer on Self-Selected Loading during Resistance Exercise.
- Takeaway: people did “more” when a personal trainer was there and didn’t cut corners so to speak. We can probably assume the same for those with a coach for endurance sport training.
- Can you do a shorter taper with MAF training?
- If all training is at MAF and you are injury free, do you still need a traditional (long) taper?
- Thoughts on recovery for master's athlete doing hill repeats and intervals - what's best to do the day after a hard day?
- Mention of Ironman athlete Cherie Gruenfeld's training schedule.
- Have you ever worked with a person that did not achieve success with MAF training? Are there any special cases that MAF just does not work for someone? And if so, what to do?!
- What's important to add to the training log in addition to the workout stats so that you have that history to look back on?
- Trouble hitting my MAF heart rate at age 25 (MAF 155 bpm). Troubleshooting to figure out what's going on. Does Lucho think that MAF isn't the right approach here?
- Lucho's Kona predictions (did he get it right?)
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] EP's Kona Specials are brought to you by Life Post Collective, the brainchild of host Tawnee Prazak where she shares her years of expertise on holistic health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and more and helps you on your path to optimization. Life Post Collective offers practical evidence-based and experienced-based ways to lead a healthy, happy life and perform your best and features articles, videos, guides, forums, and more to come including live webinars with Q&A. Through LPC’s integrative forums and features on the site, you can learn from not only Tawnee but also like-minded people all working towards common goals. Life Post Collective is only $10 a month to be a member; check it out now! [/sponsor]
It was a record-breaking day in more than one way! So much excitement and surprises went down at the 2016 Ironman World Championship. On this Kona Special, we recap the pro men's and women's race with Thorsten Radde providing his commentary and stats from the day, and Tawnee giving her highlights and point of view from what she saw unfold live and in the press conference.
For more visit trirating.com.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] EP's Kona Specials are brought to you by Life Post Collective, the brainchild of host Tawnee Prazak where she shares her years of expertise on holistic health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and more and helps you on your path to optimization. Life Post Collective offers practical evidence-based and experienced-based ways to lead a healthy, happy life and perform your best and features articles, videos, guides, forums, and more to come including live webinars with Q&A. Through LPC’s integrative forums and features on the site, you can learn from not only Tawnee but also like-minded people all working towards common goals. Life Post Collective is only $10 a month to be a member; check it out now! [/sponsor]
Paul Laursen, PhD, is back already to discuss how to race well in the heat and avoid detrimental heat stress especially at a race like the Ironman World Championships in Kona. Paul is an adjunct professor at Auckland University, reseracher and has published more than 100 refereed manuscripts in moderate-to-high impact exercise and sports science journals, and his work has been cited more than 3,000 times. He's very involved in helping athletes have success at races like Kona, with some pros using his strategies this year.
Also, listen in to find out how you can win a Floe bottle as it relates to topics covered in this podcast.
- Heat paralysis in racing and Jonny Brownlee in Cozumel
- Normally we think of this happening mostly in events like IM, but at the recent WTS GF in Cozumel we saw that this is not always the case: Jonny Brownlee
- What went wrong for Jonny from a physiological standpoint?
- Heat paralysis
- Intensity is the greatest source of heat (not hydration status)
- Afferent heat feedback
- Is this the world's best example of overcoming central governor?
- On Alistar carrying him to finish
- Preparing for Hot Events
- Heat shock proteins
- Preparation in training helps to mitigate heat stress on race day - get hot! What to do before the race in training, the week of, etc.
- How much "heat training" is appropriate, i.e. overdressing or working out in a hot room, before it reaches point of diminishing return
- Using the sauna, and should you drink while in the sauna or avoid rehydrating for further beneficial adaptations?
- Enhanced sweat response when trained for hot conditions
- Hydration During Hot Events
- Is it really safe to recommend we drink to thirst and assume we'll execute correctly?
- Diluting sodium concentrations by #1 over-drinking + #2 loss of sodium in sweat to varying degree may lead to hyponatremia. Overdrinking (not sodium loss) is the most likely cause. How about those who lose lots of sodium and do a race like Kona, increased risk?
- Max rate of fluid absorption is 400-800 ml per hour, best not to exceed this
- Drinking 1L per hour is overhydrating and risky!
- Tim Noakes' Waterlogged
- Drink to thirst makes sense, but does that work for all? What about when our brains are "mush" during a race?
- Mention of Alan Couzens blog on hyponatremia
- Practice "drinking to thirst" in training, so you know how to stick to it and know your needs in racing
- Is knowing sweat rate "overrated"?
- Turns out, some dehydration ain't so bad, i.e. 2-3% may be perfectly safe and ok
- We don't need to keep the system in perfect balance when we're racing!
- Can we adapt to mild dehydration?
- What qualifies as under-drinking to a point where hypohydrated state is a risk? i.e. at what point does it put us at risk for heat illness?
- On Fluid Temperature
- Why this is arguably more important than hydration, the research that shows how fluid temp matters, etc.
- Floe Bottle - a way to have an ice slushy, which is better at cooling than ice water. use for pre-cooling and during. Some pros will be using in Kona
- Research shows: 500 ml of an ice slushy 30min prior to exercise leads to performance benefits up to 20% increase
- Win a floe bottle by emailing us "the best" followup question you can come up with as it relates to topics covered in this podcast.
- Other Heat Topics
- Why cramping is not about fluids and electrolytes, and what it IS about
- Cramping due to sodium loss is a myth
- Cramp Killers podcast mention
- What makes Kona unique & how to handle these conditions, such as crazy winds on bike and higher energy cost
- Other factors affecting endurance performance in the heat
- Are there supplements we can take or avoid to alleviate heat stress? (Thinking more so as a way to "calm" gut)
- Glutamine, arginine, BCAAs
- NO NSAIDS (why to avoid)
Resources
- Are We Being Drowned in Hydration Advice?
- Current Hydration Guidelines Are Erroneous: Dehydration Does not Impair Performance In The Heat
- Floe bottle
- Paul Laursen speaking at a conference
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] EP's Kona Specials are brought to you by Life Post Collective, the brainchild of host Tawnee Prazak where she shares her years of expertise on holistic health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and more and helps you on your path to optimization. Life Post Collective offers practical evidence-based and experienced-based ways to lead a healthy, happy life and perform your best and features articles, videos, guides, forums, and more to come including live webinars with Q&A. Through LPC’s integrative forums and features on the site, you can learn from not only Tawnee but also like-minded people all working towards common goals. Life Post Collective is only $10 a month to be a member; check it out now! [/sponsor]
For this Kona special we are making about you. We all have dreams and many of us have that dream to Kona Qualify. Well we have back with us Alan Couzens, MS, to present real-life data on what separates those who qualify for the Ironman World Championships in Kona from those who don't. These are every day athletes, not pros. There are a lot of variables at hand and it's pretty easy to make assumptions on how one would KQ, but Alan has compiled data to break it down more specifically.
- There is not much research on Kona qualifying specifically, making this data special.
- Get Alan's blog with all the data here.
- Alan's data: how many athletes it's based on (20), what's the time frame/season being covered, and other variables of the sample population.
- One-third of athletes qualified of those sampled.
- While based on the 2015-16 season, it's largely similar to what Alan sees every year. However, there trend is showing that it is getting harder to qualify and more competitive.
- Building the base of fitness in order to be ready for the "final 12 months" into a KQ. In other words it's not realistic to go from the coach and to Kona in 12 months, so what were prior seasons like building up appropriate aerobic fitness and whatnot?
- How do you assess if someone is ready for "what it takes" kind of work. How can a self-coached athlete do this? Or maybe someone with a coach but still trying to be intuitive if the coach doesn't assess for them?
- Do you think it takes a special kind of athlete who is capable of "what it takes" or could pretty much anyone figure it out given the right life circumstances, i.e. time, health, etc.
- Of all the variables which is MOST important in getting a KQ: Workload. Volume and getting the work done is most important.
- "Almost double that of the non-qualifiers, averaging about 17hrs a week, (~2.5hrs/day of training) - '2 a days', most days, through the year are the norm."
- Take home: if you can put in the time, no reason you can't make it.
- Annual hours (12 mo period): 800+ hours for qualifiers, and <500 hours for non-qualifiers.
- Monthly hours: minimum, average, and max hours and how it varies with the season and priorities at certain key times.
- Going above and beyond with training camps, etc.
- However: standard deviation of over 200hrs - genetic freaks can make it on less
- Other stats analyzed:
- TSS - higher in KQ
- IF (intensity) - not that different between groups, and KQ are relatively low. Highlights aerobic focus this is a good bit lower than most self coached athletes train & is also a good bit below race intensity for most of the speedy group.
- EF - bike and run efficiency factor numbers (avg power and pace divided by HR).
- Avg male: 240 watts at 140 HR, 7:30 run pace at 140 HR. Women about 10% lower watts on the bike.
- BMI - not too skinny and can't starve yourself to Kona. More talk on other aspects of body comp including body fat percentage and LBM. Leanness matters in the heat especially when intensity increases (i.e. male pros on the bike go extra hard).
- K1 - Quantifying the training load to see your "buck vs. bang." And in fact the more you push volume limits, the less fitness bang you get.
- What about variables not measured:
- Metabolic efficiency and fat-burning ability
- Lactate Threshold
- VO2max
- If consistency is key, what about concept of being inconsistent in order to listen to the body and look out for health, assuming we don't operate like a machine?
- Tracking other data on the day-to-day to assess readiness to train: mood, HRV, etc. If score is bad, make it an easy day. If score is good, go at it!
- It comes down to getting in the key sessions.
- Troubleshooting: What if you're a good aspiring athlete but you miss a year or good chunk of time?
Resources
- Dr. Phil Maffetone & Alan Couzens: Pros and Cons of Metabolic Testing, Plus: MAF Q&A
- Alan Couzens, MS: Better Performance Through Smart Training, Plus: Top-Three Tips for Every Athlete to Follow!
- Kona Qualifiers
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] EP's Kona Specials are brought to you by Life Post Collective, the brainchild of host Tawnee Prazak where she shares her years of expertise on holistic health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and more and helps you on your path to optimization. Life Post Collective offers practical evidence-based and experienced-based ways to lead a healthy, happy life and perform your best and features articles, videos, guides, forums, and more to come including live webinars with Q&A. Through LPC’s integrative forums and features on the site, you can learn from not only Tawnee but also like-minded people all working towards common goals. Life Post Collective is only $10 a month to be a member; check it out now! [/sponsor]
Our annual Ironman World Championships preview featuring expert Thorsten Radde of trirating.com. If you want the full guide to this race, download Thorsten's 2016 Kona Rating Report. On this show we give you all the important need-to-know info to be dialed in for this year's race taking place on Saturday, Oct. 8:
- Last year surprises or standouts
- Who was faster or slower than expected?
- Rinny hit by car prior to race (minor) & DNF last year - ready for redemption in '16?
- TO's huge day, and EP's post-Kona show with TO here to see what he did along with coach Mark Allen for his breakthrough race performance
- Lots of women ran their way to a top spot last year, including Sarah Piampiano who we had on the show this year, listen here
- Who had disappointing days and "back" this year? Jodie, Meredith, Luke, Bart. Marino done?
- Pro men's race dynamics
- How this race is executed and who will be big players this year
- Pro women's race dynamics
- Besides Ryf and Rinny, the women's race is looking to be a more open field. Missing "big" names like Steffan, Joyce, Blatchford, etc. How will it unfold?
- Podium predictions based on the past
- When analyzing the results of the previous races in Kona, a few interesting "patterns" emerge on how results change from year to year. While these pattern are in no way certain, they still offer some insights on what to expect from year to year
- 17 of the last 20 winners came from the Top 4 in the previous year.
- Top 10'er Trends
- About a third of the athletes between 4th and 10th place have finished there in the year before
- About a quarter haven’t raced in the previous year
- Only very few athletes manage to take this step the next year from top 10 to podium
- About a third fall out of the Top 10 in the next race
- Heatmaps
- A five-level system to show an athlete's strength and weaknesses compared to the best athletes in the field, chances of doing well in one leg and overall
- Using Luke McKenzie's heatmap rating as an example to see how one might use this to improve in future Kona races
- Who are the rookies this year?
- Jesse Thomas, Mel Hauschildt, Kevin Collington, Patrick Lange, Kaisa Lehtonen, and more
- By the stats, who will be on the podium/top 5 this year
- Download the Kona Rating report to follow along and also see the full list of predicted finshes
- Shoutout to oldest and youngest athletes racing Kona as a pro
- Natascha Badman - legend at 49 and still racing pro
- More women who are over 35 than men?
- Trivia!
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] If you’re looking for that extra bit of support to build a richer, fuller, healthier life head to Life Post Collective, the brainchild of host Tawnee Prazak where she shares her “insider” expertise on holistic health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and more and helps you on your path to optimization. Life Post Collective offers practical evidence-based and experienced-based ways to lead a healthy, happy life and perform your best and features articles, videos, guides, forums, and more to come including live webinars with Q&A. Through LPC’s integrative forums and features on the site, you can learn from not only Tawnee but also like-minded people all working towards common goals. Life Post Collective is only $10 a month to be a member; check it out now! [/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out UCAN's new bar made with coffee beans![/sponsor]
On this episode of Ask the Coaches with Tawnee & Lucho:
- Clarification from ATC 218 on glycogen depletion: Yes, with MAF and being fat-adapted you are more able to spare glycogen and avoid glycogen depletion, but with harder/longer efforts (racing, long bricks, intensity, and 2-6+ hour days) we tap into glycogen for fuel more, thus we deplete more and need to refuel appropriately. Remember: it’s all percentages of fuel being burned; rarely if ever is just fat is being burned for fuel.
- Praise for the Stacy Sims female-focused podcast. Any recommendations for more female-centered podcasts?
- With swim, bike and run intervals and repeats, what comes first: Develop the speed with long recoveries and progress the number of intervals from there, or build to the duration of intervals first at a slower speed and progress from there?
- Repeats and intervals are about speed, yes, but arguably more important is the recovery period!
- Repeats (3k pace) require full recovery, a 1:4+ work-to-recovery ratio.
- Intervals (VO2 and 5k pace) are partial recovery, about a 1:1 work-to-recovery ratio.
- From there it's threshold (10k-15k pace; FTP/LT), HM, marathon pacing, etc. (adjust for swim or bike).
- Help for how to sleep well with a noisy upstairs neighbor?!
- Mention: The noise-cancelling headphones that Tawnee loves
- Best way to do MAF on the indoor trainer when training for Ironman, and how to program workouts.
- With MAF focused-training, is it ok to just jump into a sprint triathlon for a tune-up? Can you continue forward with the MAF/IM focus and just show up on sprint race day and let it rip?
- Why it's important to "brush up" with strides before doing a sprint so it's not an abrupt extreme going from MAF to intensity, which may be a shock to the body and risky.
- Thoughts or advice on long-ride nutrition: before is a high-fat coffee (with butter/egg/coconut oil/cream), and during the ride an electrolyte drink (nuun), UCAN at the 3hr mark, at the 4hr mark working in some carbs like sweet potato or avocado wrap and some Tailwind.
- Does finishing a long ride with carbs defeat fat-adaptation goals?
- Short alactic bursts at the end of my runs are great, but is this something of benefit on the bike rides, too?
- Discussing alactic work in this episode of ATC.
- Stretching appears to get a bad rap. However, there have to be instances when stretching is good for a person? Such as having notoriously tight hamstrings. So, when is stretching actually good for you? Should it only be dynamic? Is static stretching ever ok?
- Why we want to promote flexibility, and how to do this beyond stretching.
- Tightness may be a reflection of your health, such as inflammation, hormonal imbalances, fascia, etc.
- Sock Doc - No Stretching, Move Naturally
- Sock Doc - Why To Stop Stretching
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] If you’re looking for that extra bit of support to build a richer, fuller, healthier life head to Life Post Collective, the brainchild of host Tawnee Prazak where she shares her “insider” expertise on holistic health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and more and helps you on your path to optimization. Life Post Collective offers practical evidence-based and experienced-based ways to lead a healthy, happy life and perform your best and features articles, videos, guides, forums, and more to come including live webinars with Q&A. Through LPC’s integrative forums and features on the site, you can learn from not only Tawnee but also like-minded people all working towards common goals. Life Post Collective is only $10 a month to be a member; check it out now! [/sponsor]
Martin: How does the MAF Method apply to kids? I have 2 very active boys aged 3 and 6. Tim Noakes seemed to backtrack a bit with his lchf for kids details (perhaps for political reasons but it didn't feel like he was putting out what he really wanted to) saying that carbs for kids wasn't so big an issue but I'd like to know if letting them have the carbs is fine or whether I should be getting them to eat less (I already restrict the processed junk and the sugars etc).
In 1:59 there was mention of training runs not needing to go beyond 2-2.5 hrs. Does this limited volume also apply to the bike for long-course racing? What’s a good long bike duration for MAF if racing 70.3, IM and endurance cycling events when following MAF?
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out UCAN's new bar made with coffee beans![/sponsor]
Brad Kearns runs Primal Blueprint Publishing, is co-author of Primal Endurance (a book we love and recommend!), and works closely with Mark Sisson.
What you may not know is that Brad was once one of the best professional triathletes in the world back in the day and remained pro for nearly a decade. Among his career highlights: In ’89 he recorded the fastest-ever U24 Ironman time in Kona, and in '91 he won Bud Light series and was ranked third in the world. During his triathlon career he hired Sisson as a coach, whose since remained a dear friend and with whom he now works.
On this show, Brad sits down with Tawnee to talk triathlon--as it was in the '80s and '90s--and about being a pro, his health, retiring, his evolution to where he's at now (including regaining health and overcoming chronic fatigue), and the valuable lessons learned along the way that's landed him working with guys like Mark and promoting the healthy way for athletes.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] If you’re looking for that extra bit of support to build a richer, fuller, healthier life head to Life Post Collective, the brainchild of host Tawnee Prazak where she shares her “insider” expertise on holistic health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and more and helps you on your path to optimization. Life Post Collective offers practical evidence-based and experienced-based ways to lead a healthy, happy life and perform your best and features articles, videos, guides, forums, and more to come including live webinars with Q&A. Through LPC’s integrative forums and features on the site, you can learn from not only Tawnee but also like-minded people all working towards common goals. Life Post Collective is only $10 a month to be a member; check it out now! [/sponsor]
- Research discussion: The Prevalence of Nonfunctional Overreaching and Overtraining in Young English Athletes
- Running efficiency
- Is it best to be a midfoot/forefoot striker and not a heel striker when doing the MAF method? Why?
- What type of running shoes are best when putting in effort to change foot strike? Maximalist, minimalist, etc?
- Transitioning from long-haul backpacking (PCT) into training for an ultra, in this case the Rocky Raccoon 100.
- How to kickstart a healthy diet after months of backpacking where you have to eat anything you can carry, and not always able to make the healthiest choices.
- The approach of slowly lowering carbs and why not to make a drastic switch to LCHF.
- How to arrange your ideal crew for a long ultra: picking your peeps, making sure your crew knows what they're getting into, and more.
- Pump-up music mention: The Red Hot Chilli Pipers
- Can the MAF Method work with a moderate/higher carb diet i.e. up to 300 grams of carbs a day that still focuses on whole food sources like fruit, veggies, natural starches/tubers, white rice and bit of honey.
- How moderate carbs (not low carb) can still work in your efforts to being a fat-burner and efficient, healthy athlete. It's all about timing, quality and quantity.
- Low carb isn't for everyone, we explain why.
- What's more valuable for the MAF Method: duration or frequency? Eg, running less but more days (6-7 days), or running more each day but less days (4 days per week).
- What was Lucho's diet was like when he was heavily training and had his fastest MAF times?
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out UCAN's new bar made with coffee beans![/sponsor]
Ben Greenfield is back for Sports Nutrition 235:
- Neurofeedback training
- Alpha beta imbalances
- Decreases distraction
- More focus
- Like meditation (but way more expensive)
- Check out: Peak Brain Institute and Dr. Andrew Hill
- Maffetone’s 2-week test to test carb intolerance (CI).
- What does it mean when you have some positive outcomes such as less bloating and more focused, but also some negative outcomes such as breaking out on the face?
- Detoxing and "coming off" sugar and carbs
- Glucose restriction causes our body to tap into adipose tissue to burn fat
- During this process, toxins can be released
- Ending a higher carb diet also means killing off fungal overgrowths, etc, which can lead to short-term detox symptoms
-
How to mitigate the negative effects during a detox:
- Hydrate to flush out toxins
- Liver detox supplements: NAC, milk thistle, glutathione, liquid trace minerals
- Whole foods that detox: cilantro, parsley, onion, dandelion root
- Infrared sauna
- Skin brushing
-
Beta-alanine supplementation: What does it do, pros and cons, can it benefit endurance athletes, does intensity matter, dosage, and when to take?
-
- Precursor to carnosine, which may improve exercise recovery, wound-healing, antioxidant, anti-aging
- Buffer to lactic acid increases at higher intensities (buffering accumulated hydrogen ions)
- May increase power output
- Best for exercise that's short-to-moderate duration and high power output (not as effective for moderate aerobic/MAF exercise intensities)
- Can cause flushing
- Combine with baking soda for more effective results, but only microdose baking soda
- ~5g/d; consume before exercise
- Carbs before a race and "carb-loading" strategies for fat-adapted, health-conscious and/or LCHF athletes
- Which meal is the "most important" before your race? (Hint: not the pre-race dinner)
- Have the "bulk" of carbs at breakfast or lunch the day before the race because absorption of carbs takes 8-12 hours (i.e. carbs become muscle and liver glycogen)
- May consider small frequent snacks the day before instead of large meals
- Fat oxidation levels and your "diet" - burning fat even if you eat carbs
- Glucose will always be the preferred energy source even if you're a fat-burner, in keto, etc.
- Ben and Tawnee share personal thoughts on carbs for athletes from a health and performance perspective
- More on race-morning breakfasts on SN 230
- Building the ideal healthy aid station for endurance athletes - what would this includes?
- Macadamia nuts
- Low-sugar fat-based gels, i.e. chia gels, nut-butter gels, Muir gels, etc
- Minerals, such as sea salt
- Sugar-free electrolyte beverage
- Effervescent electrolyte tablets
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]Head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free...
Check out Nordic Naturals, which helps you fight inflammation with the cleanest fish oil you can imagine, no fishy burps, all quality. Get 15% off and free shipping when you shop through EP; just enter Practitioner’s ID “114594” here.
And also to meet your protein needs, especially important for women as we discuss in this show, food alone may not be enough so supplement with the best: PerfectAmino, which has the most important amino acids (including leucine and the rest of the BCAAs) in the exact ratios needed to ensure proper synthesis in the body. PerfectAmino now comes in a sugar-free powder to mix in your workout drink, smoothie, or pre- and post-workout fuel![/sponsor]
Stacy Sims, PhD, joins the show for a second time to talk all about women, and how female athletes can maximize their potential by understanding their bodies, and how women function differently than men. Stacy recently released a new book co-authored with Selene Yeager titled ROAR: How To Match Your Food And Fitness To Your Female Physiology For Optimum Performance, Great Health, And A Strong, Lean Body For Life (available on kindle or paperback). Listen to our previous with with Stacy all about hydration.
On this episode:
Men vs. women
- The basic differences
- Women: type 1 fibers more efficient for burning fat and sparing glucose. But in recovery burn more carbs and metabolism back to baseline faster than men’s.
- More prone to catabolism—hormones
Menstrual Cycle & Support
- What happens during a cycle, the phases, hormone fluctuations, ovulation, etc, and how this ties in with performance, training, racing.
- Estrogen and progesterone
- 1st phase – your prime time! Why you're most like a man on Day 1 and that first week of cycle, stronger and it feels easier. Women also access carbs "more easily" during this time
- 2nd phase – high-hormone phase, PMS, and generally not able to perform as well. Reduced reaction time, coordination off, etc. Women burn more calories during this time (5-10% increase in metabolism).
- Fat vs carb burning in 1st vs 2nd phase
- Other issues during the 2nd phase/luteal phase:
- Loss of plasma volume up to 8%
- Higher progesterone which has a catabolic effects (more protein and BCAAs especially leucine)
- Mitigates CNS fatigue
- Metabolism changes
- Not as effective at cooling (run hotter), so add more ice and cold drinks
- Bloating, cramping, GI issues, mood, etc.
- Most at risk for hyponatremia during luteal phase, no more than 27 oz/hr
- Is there any reason to believe that being LCHF during the high-hormone phase to mitigate PMS issues?
- Value of leucine
- Value of fish-oil during the luteal phase to mitigate PMS and menstruation symptoms
- Why and how things "get better" on Day 1—although, the day you feel great again will vary for women due to cramping and other issues associated with the onset of menstruation
- Cramping is not your hormones
- Supplements to ease pain: magnesium, baby aspirin OR white willowbark, and 1g/day omega-3 fish oil
- Estrogen spares carbs
- To get into fat-burning you actually need a bit more carb
- Low-hormone (first phase) you can stick to limited fueling with your workouts
- Risks of oral contraceptives 25
- Carbs for women: 130-140 grams a day MINIMUM
- Ketosis only really works for men
- Ancestral reasoning
Amenorrhea, missing periods and stress
- Female athlete triad vs. RED-S—not just the three factors, what is RED-S?
- Missing periods even if BF is reasonable, up to 30%.
- What are root causes:
- Inadequate nutrition and energy availability and/or hypo-caloric diets that don't meet needs as athlete
- High-stress and high cortisol, stress can be from many things not just exercise
- The science (hormonal response) of what happens with too low carb and/or hypocaloric
- Risks of intermittent fasting (IF) for women: IF can lead to high cortisol > adrenal fatigue
- Cautioning against fasted workouts if you are a woman
- Fasted training directly increases cortisol, and this can backfire leading to insulin resistance
- Fuel before esepcially with amino acids
- Fuel can be a small snack if not hungry like 100-150 calories
- Study mention by Tawnee: Light IF like 12-14 hour overnight actually improved women in the luteal phase. But that longer fasts like up to 24-48 hour or alternating fasting led to negative outcomes and actually decreased glucose tolerance
- However: lowering carb intake to avoid typical Western diets isn't a bad thing, meanwhile increase fats/proteins to avoid too low calories; just avoid too low carb
Peri- and post-menopausal athletes
- The top things we need to know about our later years
- Estrogen drops off
- Changes in diet and training needs
- Two easy days after every hard day
- Train the high-end to maintain power output
- Thirst sensation even more dampened
- More intolerant to carbs and fructose
- Risk of eating fructose, sugar and high GI foods/drinks
- Not as easy to store excess energy from fructose as fat so instead remain as FFAs in blood—metabolic havoc and IR
- Harder to convert fructose to glucose
- More sensitive to carbs and carb intolerant, due to less estrogen and DHEA
- Also not as good at fat burning nor retaining/building muscle
- Body composition changes in the post-menopausal woman
- Hormones and sleep issues—60% of Post women complain of insomnia issues, what’s the deal?
- Melatonin: progesterone and other hormone’s effect on melatonin—and this can go for all women
- Sleep supplements: Tart cherry juice (get the liquid form)
Weight & Nutrition
- On carb quality and Tawnee's one "bone to pick" with Stacy on carb recommendations that include grains, gluten, wheat.... are these the best choices for women if GI issues are a potential or real issue?
- Sports nutrition guidelines
- When to take nutrition and/or focusing on the right pre- and post-fueling vs. when can we go without specific fueling?
- Eating for your physiology: Are you an ectomorph, mesomorph, endomorph or combo? And how to eat for your body type
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/soundprobiotics_bottle.png"]Head to the Shop page to check out the top-level research-backed supplements we support and offer from quality sources. We keep it simple on our Shop page, you won't find an overwhelming amount of brands and choices, and what we offer are the best products backed by science and known to benefit endurance athletes.
This includes Sound Probiotics, the first pure probiotic plus prebiotic formulated specifically to improve the gut health and immunity of the competitive athlete, for those who train and race simply can't afford to be sidelined by illness or GI issues, and EP fans save 10% and get free shipping on Sound Probiotics.
Plus check out the full line of supplements by the gold-standard Thorne Research, who also offers a sports performance label, Exos. Whether for performance, improving or enhancing health, or all of the above, Thorne Research will have a formula that fits your needs and it’ll be backed by clinical research and 100% quality. For athletes we like everything ranging from Glutamine and Mervia, a powerful curcumin-based all natural anti-inflammatory, to multivitamins, B vitamins and digestive enzymes.[/sponsor]
On this episode of Ask the Coaches #217 with Tawnee and Lucho:
- Wanna run Ragnar SoCal with the EP crew? Email us at events@enduranceplanet.com.
- Have a question for any of our shows? Send to questions@enduranceplanet.com.
- HRV-guided training for athletes being studied, and it works!
- "The number of moderate and HIT sessions was significantly lower in HRV group compared with traditional training. No other differences in training were found between the groups. But 3000-m running performance improved in HRV group and not in traditional during the intensive training period. VO2max improved in both groups... The results of the present study suggest the potential of resting HRV to prescribe endurance training by individualizing the timing of vigorous training sessions."
- When knee pain sets in after a dozen miles…
- Succeeding in weight loss journey and getting fit, but in a trail race knee pain set in at mile 12. What happened and how to fix this issue so it doesn't become a bigger problem for future training and racing.
- Pros and cons to mountain biking for Ironman bike training
- MTB crosstraining is fine, just make sure to spend time on the TT bike including long rides.
Concurrent training
- It's hard to hold HR at MAF when doing a run after strength training, what's the deal?!
- What the research says on concurrent training and the order of aerobic vs. strength training--pros and cons to each and what you should do if you follow MAF.
- Fatigue generated from one may negatively affect quantity and quality of the subsequent exercise.
- Does Aerobic and Strength Exercise Sequence in the same session affect oxygen uptake during and posteexercise?
- Few studies have addressed the sequence of AT and ST in the same session and its influence on VO2 during and post-exercise.
- AT before ST exercises, AT between 2 blocks of 3 ST exercises, and AT after ST exercises.
- No significant differences in absolute or relative values of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2), heart rate (HR), and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) exercise when comparing the three sessions.
- ST and AT, when performed in sequence in the same session, does not seem to affect overall oxygen consumption during the exercise session. Thus, combining resistance training and aerobic exercise in one session does not limit the cardiovascular demand of the exercise session, ie training sessions may include both without noticeable impact on aerobic exercise.
- A look closer: Aerobic running first then strength could allow for lower HR and lower % of Vo2 max, may be best for MAF (this was not statistically significant but looking at graphs I see lower HRs and lower % of Vo2max). Like, 142 HR when AT first vs. 154 HR when AT second.
- However, this may not be ideal for strength gains bc acidosis you want from ST to build muscle seems to be impaired if you do AT then ST.
- That’s not the final word though. Study by Wang et al:
- In this study there were two groups: one with only endurance exercise (E), and the other in which endurance exercise followed by a bout of resistance exercise (ER). ER did 60min @ 65% VO2max, 15min rest, strength training.
- “A novel finding in the present study is that resistance exercise performed after endurance exercise resulted in enhanced expression of genes involved in the signaling cascade of mitochondrial biogenesis/oxidative metabolism, as well as enhanced activation of proteins involved in the regulation of muscle protein synthesis. These results challenge the current view of how to optimize endurance training adaptation.” --
- Pan Pacific Conference of Medicine and Science in Sport on Concurrent Training
- Overall: “No negative performance effects of adding heavy resistance training to ongoing endurance training regimens.”
- Plus: “The ‘interference’ effect of concurrent strength and endurance training depends on the ability level of the athlete.”
- “Nutrient provision (i.e., protein) can attenuate the ‘interference effect’ of endurance exercise on hypertrophy signalling pathways.”
- Brief recovery period between workouts probably makes a difference, at least 10-15min between.
- ST gives neuromuscular benefits and ability to sprint at the finish.
- Concurrent training is more beneficial for endurance athletes rather than for strength athletes.
Pre-race anxiety
- What to do when pre-race nerves get to the point of a physical illness? How to prevent this before future races?
- Can biofeedback training of psychophysiological responses enhance athletes' sport performance? A practitioner's perspective.
- Biofeedback helps athletes in experimental group to recognize and control psychophysiological parameters better, in comparison to the control group.
- Stress pulls us apart: anxiety leads to differences in competitive confidence under stress.
- Low-anxiety individuals become overconfident, and high-anxiety individuals become underconfident. Cortisol responses to stress were found to relate to self-confidence, with the direction of the effects depending on trait anxiety. stress as a major regulator of individuals' competitiveness, affecting self-confidence
- Psychophysiological stress in tennis players during the first single match of a tournament
- Winners had significantly lower cognitive anxiety and higher Self-confidence scores than losers. Somatic anxiety was significantly higher in the losers. cortisol response to competition, anticipatory rise. cortisol concentrations being the highest at the loser's.
- Psychophysiological stress responses during training and competition in young female competitive tennis players.
- Match day elicited higher SC levels for losers at all points in time when compared to winners. All players showed significantly lower SC levels during training when compared to the match at all points in time except during the evening for winners. Winners of match and training situations had significantly higher self-confidence and lower cognitive anxiety and somatic anxiety scores than losers. Heart rate and RPE were significantly higher for losers only during the match
- Tips:
- Self awareness
- Control the controllables, let go of the rest
- Self talk and performance cues - the mental training; mantras, key words, songs, etc.
- Don’t be rushed
- Don’t fall victim to self-fulfilling prophecy
- Life Story on Netflix, a must watch especially the baby barnacle geese!
More Resources
- Can biofeedback training of psychophysiological responses enhance athletes' sport performance? A practitioner's perspective
- Effect of resistance training regimens on treadmill running and neuromuscular performance in recreational endurance runners
- Resistance exercise enhances the molecular signaling of mitochondrial biogenesis induced by endurance exercise in human skeletal muscle
- Does aerobic and strength exercise sequence in the same session affect the oxygen uptake during and postexercise?
- Effect of resistance training regimens on treadmill running and neuromuscular performance in recreational endurance runners
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out UCAN's new bar made with coffee beans![/sponsor]
Dr. Phil Maffetone returns along with a new special guest, Paul Laursen, PhD, an adjunct professor at Auckland University and performance physiologist who leads the Performance Physiology Team at High Performance Sport New Zealand, which helps Olympic athletes and hopefuls. Paul has published more than 100 refereed manuscripts in moderate-to-high impact exercise and sports science journals, and his work has been cited more than 3,000 times. On this show we talk about one of Paul's recent papers relating to fat burning at high intensities and why the findings offer ground-breaking information for the world of exercise physiology by giving us a further understanding on how much fat-burning athletes can achieve.
Intro
- How Paul and Phil met
- Their co-authored paper: Athletes Fit But Unhealthy
- FASTER Study mention--hear our podcast series with Jeff Volek and Zach Bitter here.
Respiratory Exchange Ratio (RER)
- Is the respiratory exchange ratio (RER) as accurate as we've been led to think?
- Brief definition/refresher on RER
- "When the intensity is high; when breathing becomes difficult and talking would be an effort; lactic acid is being formed and when this happens the acid will be buffered by a buffer that the body naturally contains: bicarbonate. As soon as this starts to happen bicarbonate will release CO2 and water. Thus we have another source of CO2, that is not directly related to carbohydrate and fat oxidation. In short, the method of calculating carbohydrate and fat burning cannot be used at high intensities." - What is Fat Max by Asker Jeukendrop
- "This non-respiratory CO(2) excretion can invalidate use of the RER for determination of fat and carbohydrate oxidation."
- Discussion of this study and implications
- Transition...
Fat Burning at High Intensities: More Than We Thought?
- Get the full text here of Paul's study: Rethinking the role of fat oxidation
- Can we/do we actually burn a higher % of fat at higher intensities than we've been led to believe or told even with lab testing?\
- Fat oxidation is explaining performance at high-level intensities
- Can we maintain the same high level of performance burning that much fat?
- "Highly trained participants sustain higher work rates with substantially greater fat oxidation rates, but similar CHOox rates, during intermittent high-intensity exercise."
- Both substrates--CHO and FAT--are important
- It's not about low-carb diets, it's about highly trained athletes
- What were diets of the well-trained (WT) subjects vs recreationally trained (RT)?
- WT had more of a "mixed" diet but were still great fat-burners due to sheer volume of training (25-35 hrs a week)
Practical Applications
- How to fuel for these results
- Fueling approach for maintaining health and performance. Discussion each of our perspectives, gender differences, etc.
- The importance of individualization with diet and health plan
- The "Peter Attia" approach to diet for health and longevity.
- More on pros and cons of too low carb/keto for athletes; can backfire it on our health and performance?
- Besides diet, what about training variables to be a better fat burner i.e. volume and intensity?
- Should we be utilizing more high-intensity to be a better fat-burner and when to add this intensity....Phil and Paul each give their thoughts.
- Principle of specificity
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]You can support EP when you shop online! Simply open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com to do your online shopping—it’s just one extra click to link to Amazon through the banner on our sidebar or click theAmazon links in the show notes.[/sponsor]
We are back with Dr. Tommy Wood for another edition of Ask the Doc. Three major areas covered in this episode:
Monitoring of the oxidation reduction potential or redox status of ultra runners post-race
- Discussion on oxidative stress focusing on this new study: "Variations In Oxidative Stress Levels In Three Days Follow-Up In Ultra-Marathon Mountain Race Athletes"
- ROS generation during strenuous exercise:
- Activated neutrophils
- Xanthine oxidase
- Hypoxanthine (high ATP turnover and degradation) produced by exercising muscle. Converted to xanthine and urine acid by XO using oxygen w/superoxide as a byproduct
- Allopurinol before TdF time trial resulted in lower levels of AST, CK, and lipid oxidation (malondialdehyde) compared to placebo
- NADPH oxidase
- Mitochondria - some
- After (ultra)marathons, increases in:
- CK, IL-6, CRP, 8-OH-2dG, cardiac troponin, ferritin, GSH
- In this study: 12 males sampled at the Olympic Mythical Trail 103km ultra, in effort to find a better understanding of the adaptive mechanisms against oxidative stress induced by athletic events, overall to help improve recovery, health and performance.
- 24, 48, 72h post-race (8/12 males finished)
- Lower glutathione (GSH) in red blood cells for 72hr afterwards
- RedoxSYS Diagnostic System
- Increased static oxidation reduction potential (sORP)
- Decreased capacity oxidation reduction potential (cORP)
- More oxidants (oxidized thiols, superoxide radical, hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxide, nitric oxide, peroxynitrite and transition metal ions
- Fewer antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, β-carotene and uric acid)
- In the average person, antioxidant supplementation (vitamins C, E, ALA etc) decrease training response (less hormetic stress)
- During repetitive or exhaustive exercise (sprints ie bleep test), NAC supplementation -> increased GSH and slower fatigue
- Overall the data on anti-oxidants and performance is VERY conflicting
- Depends on dose of drug, dose of exercise, and how trained the person is
- Supplement or take NAC (or allopurinol?) during long or multi-day races
- Minimize during training or high stress periods (travel etc)
- If doing so much you need antioxidants over a long period of time, are you doing too much?
- Fix other issues?
- Increased intensity of exercise -> gut permeability and LPS translocation
- Inflammation long-term -> cardiac damage and AF and arrhythmias?
- Study of non-trainers vs moderate vs heavy trainers
- Moderate groups had highest glutathione
What the heck are lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and why should we care?
- Bulletproof Radio mention
- LPS produced by Gram -ve bacteria
- Absorbed either through a leaky gut
- OR bound onto proteins in blood lipid fractions
- Gets into chylomicrons after a fat-heavy meal
- Causes increased cortisol levels, inflammation, increased cholesterol
- Inflammation and mood or brain fog
- Depression
- U-shaped curve of LDL and mortality
- LDL (chylomicrons, HDL as well) bind to LPS
- Chronic increases and inflammation -> increased LDL (protective)
- Indicates low-level endotoxinaemia
- Acute or more severe inflammation:
- Decreased liver synthetic capacity
- Lipoprotein production drops
- LDL drops
- Lipids can’t leave liver -> fatty liver
- Those with sepsis who get a drop in HDL and LDL are more likely to die (survivors increase cholesterol production)
- Decreased LDL -> increased death rate from infections
- Giving human blood lipids to mice exposed to toxic levels of endotoxin reduces mortality
- Some people think that it ALL comes back to endotoxins
- Increased LDL
- Not causative necessarily
- Chronic inflammation
- Some bacteria (Strep mutans also inactivated by chylomicrons) incl. Klebsiella are associated with atherosclerotic plaques
- Circulating endotoxins are higher in those with T2DM and CVD regardless of other factors (BMI, blood lipids, blood glucose etc)
- T2DM people get increased endotoxin release after a “high fat meal”
- Higher baseline values in obese and impaired glucose tolerant
- Suggests increased gut permeability already (more LPS can get in)
- Short-term insulin peaks can be anti-inflammatory to combat the effect of endotoxinaemia
- So hyperinsulinaemia might be a protective response to endotoxins
- Then causes issues with growth and intimal thickening/hypoxia -> greater lipid deposition
- White adipose tissue inflammation means fat IR therefore fat is no longer a useful defence mechanism against extra calories?
- Corn oil/PUFA lowers LDL by dramatically increasing endotoxinaemia?
- Increased LDL
- Introducing fat bombs on top of a bad gut
- More LPS -> more IR -> greater need to restrict carbs in a feed-forward manner
- What about a high-fat diet causing an increase in cholesterol? Is this ok, and what you need to know about cholesterol and fat in the diet.
- Western diet
- Acellular carbohydrates promote a more inflammatory gut microbiota
- Gut inflammation not just LPS-associated
- Mice infected with E. coli with less inflammatory LPS still get IR and leptin resistance
- Gluten etc increase gut permeability
- Large amounts of fat increase translocation of LPS across gut
- Ricardo Carvalho aka O Primitivo
- WHO death from various causes vs total cholesterol
- Lowest all-cause mortality at 200-240
- Lower cholesterol -> increased mortality from infectious diseases
Iron-Deficiency Anemia
- Female athlete hoping for some insight regarding iron deficiency anemia
- Mechanisms involved in the etiology of iron deficiency anemia beyond insufficient iron intake, such as iron absorption and transport.
- Other solutions instead of “eat more red meat”? Something else going on downstream?
- Adverse GI outcomes associated with iron supplementation.
- Studies show reduced iron bioavailability in vegetarian diet despite similar iron intakes.
- Get iron from haem-iron i.e. animal based foods for better absorption and consume with fruits and veggies to enhance absorption further (vitamin C).
- Proferrin is a haem iron
- What to avoid having when you’re eating iron rich foods (i.e. caffeine, etc)?
- Grains, nuts, seeds (phytates)
- If celiac, best to just remove all grains
- Coffee/tea/red wine - polyphenols and tannins
- BUT moderate alcohol can increase uptake (beer the most?)
- Dairy products (calcium)
- Other metals (from supplements)
- Grains, nuts, seeds (phytates)
- Do non-weight-bearing cross-training?
- Most iron “intake” comes from recycling of old RBCs and iron stored in macrophages in the liver and spleen
- 1-2mg/day vs 22mg/day
- Need 20-25mg/day
- Women need ~1mg/day more
- 70% of body iron is in Hb
- High prevalence of iron deficiency +/- anaemia in athletes (>50% in some studies)
- Higher sTfR (not an acute phase protein) - TIBC
- Lower ferritin (<20)
- An athlete’s iron stores are compromised via several well-established exercise-related mechanisms:
- Haemolysis, haematuria, sweating, and GI bleeding
- Check for FOB
- Menstruation in females
- “Regular weight-bearing exercise of moderate to high intensity can increase iron losses by 30% to 70%”
- Iron lost in sweat decreases with heat acclimation
- Under intensive training, 5-7ml (doubled) blood loss in the gut per day
- Lose ~0.5mg/ml of iron
- Haemolysis, haematuria, sweating, and GI bleeding
- Exercise duration and intensity are negatively associated with Hb, Hct, and serum ferritin concentrations in highly-trained athletes
- Replacing iron in iron deficient women leads to improved speed, reduced HR, and reduced lactate in a treadmill test
- Exercise-induced hepcidin regulation
- Serum iron and inflammation (esp. IL-6) increase after exercise (>70% VO2Max)
- Direct impact (runners), inflammation (IL-6) and ROS can induce haemolysis to increase serum iron during/after exercise
- Seen in swimming, cycling, rowing, weight training
- More IL-6 when glycogen is depleted and in hot environments
- Results in increased hepcidin production in the liver
- Variable response - responders vs non-responders?
- Marathon runners 24-72h after race.
- Non-responders had higher baseline levels
- May have sampled too late
- Can rapidly reduce serum iron and Hb production
- Decreased ferroportin on brush border of duodenal gut cells (enterocytes) -> decreased iron absorption
- Sequestration of iron into macrophages
- Reduced iron recycling
- Smaller hepcidin response in the iron deficient
- Variable response - responders vs non-responders?
- In matched intensity/volume cycling vs running, running seems to cause a greater increase in hepcidin
- Serum iron and inflammation (esp. IL-6) increase after exercise (>70% VO2Max)
- Most studies include single periods of exercise or races, rather than an accumulated effect over time.
- 9 weeks of military combat training in females leads to decreases in iron status, with decreases associated with worse performance
- Ferritin decreased
- RDW increased
- sTfR increased
- Of 94 women, 7->17 became iron deficient
- 1-1.5h of high-intensity exercise 4-6d/week (16,000 steps)
- Combated with a high-iron supplement bar?
- 8 Weeks of interval and fartlek training in women
- Increased sTfR
- Decrease in Hb and RBCs
- Decrease in hepcidin (smaller responses due to deficiencies?)
- More long-term studies done in females
- 9 weeks of military combat training in females leads to decreases in iron status, with decreases associated with worse performance
- Experimentally, injecting LPS -> IL-6 (and CRP) -> hepcidin peak 3h later
- Almost identical to that seen after high-intensity exercise
- People at risk of lower iron stores:
- Infections esp. H. pylori - blood loss
- Other gut infections
- Part of the job of hepcidin is to drive the sequestration of iron to prevent iron being available to pathogens
- Also used to generate ROS to kill pathogens
- When iron is scarce, certain bugs upregulate iron sequesters (siderophores)
- E. coli, Klebsiella, proteus, citrobacter, enterobacter (Gram -ves)
- Enterochelin - highest affinity of any siderophore
- Candida - transferrin
- NSAIDs
- Vegetarian or vegan diets? Especially females
- Heavy menstrual bleeding or IUD
- Genetics
- 80% of French Olympic champions have some kind of HFE mutation
- 12 tested
- More likely in aerobic or fight sports
- Not necessarily associated with increased Hb
- May reduce exercise-induced hepcidin increases
- Maintain a higher serum iron
- Improved recovery and cardiac function
- 80% of French Olympic champions have some kind of HFE mutation
- Hypothyroid (thyroid meds?)
- In one person, changes in thyroid status result in changes in ferritin
- Iron and bugs
- All bacteria (except, most commonly, Lactobacilli) need iron
- Old blood in transfusions increases risk of bacteraemia
- Free iron from haemolysed blood supports bacterial growth
- Iron deficiency protects against malaria
- In theory iron supplementation will promote bacterial growth BUT
- If iron deficient, need to figure out the cause
- Restricting iron isn’t going to fix an infection or improve iron status
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Thrive_FB_Banner.jpg"]Support companies we love and use:
Inside Tracker isan awesome service to use for convenient and informative blood testing geared toward athletes. You can get up to 30 biomarkers tested and more on your journey to bettering performance. Use code "enduranceplanet" for a 10% discount.
And Thrive Market, which is basically Costco meets Whole Foods meets Amazon. Sign up for an annual membership now to start saving on healthy food, personal care products and clean products for the home. Shop conveniently from your home computer or your smartphone.[/sponsor]
Back on EP is our friend, The Sock Doc, aka Dr. Steve Gangemi, to discuss the real deal with Vitamin D--yes, it's super important, but are we over-hyping its importance and the need to supplement these days? It turns into quite the discussion! Before that we catch up with The Sock Doc on his new book, The Systems Health Care Manual, a 175+ page manual geared toward practitioners to aid in evaluating, diagnosing, and treating patients. You don't have to be a practitioner either to benefit from this manual! Get it here. Also: We ask Steve how to find a good chiropractor and/or massage therapist? Do we need both?
On Vitamin D and other essential vitamins and nutrients:
- Vitamin D's importance for athletes and the general population, but we take a critical look. What D actually does for us, the active form of D (and the conversion that takes place in our body for the active form of D), measuring in blood labs, optimal levels, supplementing with D and dosages, ways to get D more sun to get your D.
- Clinical history: Vitamins E & D
- Vitamin E was the big hype back in the day: people told to supplement, usually was synthetic form, led to hormonal issues, common problem associated was hip pain, with less E supplementing improvements occured
- Now, these days Vitamin D is the big hype
- A lot of experts and studies say we need to "get our Vitamin D up," is this valid?
- Discussing normal ranges and units used, ng/ml vs. nmol/L
- What about Vitamin A? (Great for immune wellness)
- Why Steve says he's often more inclined to prescribe Vitamin A for a client than D
- Often fear associated with Vitamin A due to potential side effects, toxicity issues, and liver issues.
- Types of Vitamin A—check the labels on your supplements to see what you are really getting. (beta carotene, palmitic acid, retinol)
- Signs of Vitamin A deficiency:
- Frequent bladder infections
- Itchy skin
- Sore throat
- Critical nutrients Steve also likes includes
- Glutathione
- Fish oil(s)
- Vitamins A & D should be in 5:1 ratio
- Vitamin D3, is also known as cholecalciferol
- This becomes 25(OH)D, also known as calcidiol, in the liver and is best indicator of D status (usually measured in blood labs)
- With more niacinamide and iron, vitamin D becomes 1,25(OH)D, also known as calcitriol, in the kidneys. This is the most hormonally active form.
- D has critical roles in the human body—meanwhile, the risks of taking too much D
- What's measured in blood doesn't always tell the whole story
- Optimal Ranges of Vitamin D? There's a lot of debate:
- Deficiency: in the teens
- Gray area: 30-40 ng/ml
- Optimal: ~ 50-80 ng/ml
- Vitamin D deficiency is common—why are we low in D? Factors:
- Lacking co-factors for conversion to active form of D in the liver; need Mg and B3 for this
- Liver is impaired
- Deficeincy of something else inhibiting D production
- Body's function impaired and unable to convert to active form of D
- Immue issue, infection, etc.
- Cytochrome P450 pathway
- D3 vs. D2: why you don't want plant-based vitamin D2, especially in large doses
- D is often said to benefit athletes and increase performance including:
- Increased skeletal muscle function, force and power production
- Decreased recovery time from training
- Increased testosterone production via inhibited testosterone aromatization—conversion of T to estrogen—and enhanced androgen binding
- Decreases inflammatory markers, including alanine (ALT) and aspartate (AST)
- BUT are performance benefits seen in research limited to individuals who had a vitamin D deficiency to begin with?
- Other reasons for low D:
- Not enough D because not absorbing dietary fat or not enough dietary fat in the diet?
- Absorb more D with more fat! Nordic Naturals fish oil offers Vitamin D in the Ultimate Omega (get 15% off NN with this code: 114594)
- Or not enough D because of low body fat?
- Genes, hereditary factors and personal experience of sun exposure for more D and better health
- Endogenously produced vitamin D
- Best Sources of Vitamin D
- Fatty fish
- Egg yolks
- Quality dairy
- Sunlight
- Role of Vitamins K1 and K2
- Do we need K vitamins with our D, or are these not imperative?
- Are K deficiencies a real thing?
- How do we really know if we are out of balance???
- Gut health
- Clearing up confusion, and take-home messages!
Resources
- Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Muscle Strength
- Plausible Ergogenic Effects of Vitamin D on Athletic Performance
- More on Vitamin D from The Sock Doc
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/PH-logo-strapline_trans.png"]This episode is brought to you by Precision Hydration, the sweat experts who provide personalized hydration strategies and all-natural products to athletes of all levels. Precision Hydration offers an exercise-free Advanced Sweat Test that determines your unique needs; studies show that sweat rate and sweat sodium concentration differ greatly from athlete to athlete, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Find your nearest test center here (and listen to this show for Tawnee’s experience with this test). Or to start, take Precision Hydration’s free entry-level Online Sweat Test to get your own personalized hydration plan. Use the code “ENDURANCE10” to get 10% off your first hydration product order. [/sponsor]
- Wanna run Ragnar SoCal with the EP crew? Email us at events@enduranceplanet.com.
- Have a question for any of our shows? Send to questions@enduranceplanet.com.
- Discussing Tawnee’s MAF Test and "starting from scratch." Takeaways for YOU in your own testing and analysis with the MAF Method.
- Get full details on Tawnee's MAF test on her blog here.
- On race weight and how to find optimal body composition without being too light... An EP fan wonders if he should drop more weight before the final race in a series where he's currently ranked high.
- When cutting back on calories and trying to drop pounds can backfire if too extreme.
- Focusing on how you feel and perform, not a number on the scale!
- Cutting back on strength training and weights before A races, not only to avoid excessive fatigue but also optimize body composition for endurance.
- On finding your healthy weight and avoiding the horrors of trying to be skinny for your sport; why Tawnee will opt for extra bodyweight and just get stronger to carry the load!
- More on the risks of underfueling as we discussed on ATC 215. One listener chimed in to share his story.
- We talk about how you can’t really just pick a race finish time and achieve it, it's not that easy, but when it comes to goals and seeing what it takes to Kona, can you chase times???
- Have you reached your race potential? Can you still find more speed and get that next level?
- On the deep competition in Ironman and Kona qualifying at amateur ranks and realistically figuring out if you have a chance.
- The No. 1 thing you can do to find out if you have more: Get a coach.
- Also, training alone may not be enough to get to your potential, take the holistic approach and do further functional health testing and monitoring to assess current health (any deficiencies or additional support needed?)
- Trekking poles for ultra: yay or nay?
- Tawnee on her love for trekking poles and which kind she got here.
- Adding a bike commute to work during MAF half-marathon training. Should these commutes replace a run or run(s)? Should it just be added to the run schedule as another workout?
- Discussing stress is stress is stress and if you add more why you want to be careful in not making it too much.
- But it depends: You need enough runs to get the stimulus to get better, and too much crosstraining will not benefit running to a certain degree.
- Figure out: How many runs per week, the "intensity" and duration of the bike commute, and the effective "dosage" to become a better runner.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out UCAN's new bar made with coffee beans![/sponsor]
Dr. Tommy Wood and Chris Kelly of Nourish Balance Thrive join to discuss how athletes can go the next step in healing and bulletproofing their guts and bodies.
On this show we cover:
Exploring the Autoimmune Paleo Diet (AIP) and cutting-edge concepts to gut healing
- What is AIP?
- Foods removed are those with anti-nutrients, protease inhibitors, phytic acid, saponins, and with other known gut-irritant properties.
- The phases of AIP: elimination (all), reintroduction, rebuilding...etc
- This process allows you to discover your own food sensitivities which a test may not accurately find nor show
- Why the AIP diet may be good for an endurance athletes and why one would undergo an AIP protocol?
- Athletes put their bodies through long periods of "stress" during exercise, and this can hurt our gut health, causing or worsening leaky gut/gut permeability
- While no research and just anecdotal evidence, the AIP may help an athlete suffering from gut issues in training/racing/in general (or other health issues) by eliminating "known irritants" to allow for faster healing?
- Chris shares his experience of the "old him" who was plagued with bloating, high inflammation (hsCRP) and even blood in the stool back when he was high carb. Since clearing much of his dysbiosis, he now uses AIP strategically before racing to ensure a strong gut.
- However, AIP is not meant to be a forever diet! Can be too restrictive if kept over time; missing out on variety and nutrients
- Is there any research on AIP protocols yet or just anecdotal? Any other research pointing to how an elimination diet can help heal gut/issues?
- There are many studies with lines that indirectly support the concepts of AIP but nothing specifically on AIP; i.e. studies show the benefits of removing foods with anti-nutrients and strategies to heal gut lining
- Tommy shares insight on the interpratation of reserach and using caution (example: a study that used raw kidney beans leading people to say "avoid beans!" but there are flaws in this logic)
- Sarah Ballantyne's website for a mountain of info on AIP
- What you CAN have on the AIP diet, and the foods to avoid
- Can AIP be too restrictive and depriving? Can it lead to cravings?
- Other possible AIP complications, like more food prep, shopping and cooking.
- What to avoid until symptoms dissipate: dairy, grains, nuts, seeds, eggs, coffee/caffeine, nightshades,
- Adjustment phase: breaking old habits, learning new habits.
- It's a mindset: embrace AIP as an opportunity! Not a diet of restrictions.
- Do you have to have an autoimmune condition to benefit from AIP?
- Can AIP become too high-carb and/or work against fat-adaptation?
- Tangent: CARBS AREN'T BAD!
- Tommy and Chris share different view points on carbs in the diet
- More on fructose, fiber, lectins, phytates
- Tommy promotes a "mixed diet;" Chirs personally enjoys keto and will even make a LCHF version of AIP
- You don't have to have an autoimmune (AI) condition to benefit from AIP, but autoimmunity is on the rise in today's population and those with an AI issue will benefit with an AIP protocol
- Taking a closer look at your symptoms, could it be signs of AI? Skin issues, gut issues, infections, etc.
- If you have AI, you need carbs
- On feeling better with carbs
- Tommy: "Even if trying to be a fat-adapted athlete you need carbs to prime the system"
- Insulin: not all evil and when it is a good thing!
- Are high-fructose foods a problem and to be avoided?
- If there's a malabsorption issue or bacterial dysbiosis in the gut
- Athletes have "high turnover" so fructose may not be all bad
- But, still, not always a ton of nutritional value in fructose foods so choose wisely
- And more on FODMAPs
- Seeking solutions and avoiding symptom management
Other potential helpful and healing diets
- Nutritional ketosis, veganism, the specific carb diet (SCD), low fiber diets, etc.
- Your choice depends on your symptoms and needs
- "How Not To Die" by Michael Gregor
- What are Lipopolysaccharides (LPS), and why are they bad?
- Inflammatory, fat is transporting bad bacteria making it systemic
- Relationship with gut dysbiosis
- On getting more and monitoring your micronutrients
- Pros and cons to saturated fats
- On low-fiber diets
- IBS, constipation issues, and when we see improvements with this approach
- Not just diet that will cure: an "elimination season"
- If symptoms or health issues are that bad, consider taking some time off from sport and competition to heal the body fully first
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/PerfectAminoXP_Short_WEB_grande.png"]Head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Today we're highlighting:
Nordic Naturals, the cleanest fish oil supplements you can imagine, no fishy burps, all quality. Get 15% off and free shipping when you shop through EP (just enter Practitioner’s ID “114594” here.)
And PerfectAmino, whether powder or pill-form, is an athlete’s secret weapon featuring all the essential amino acids in the exact ratios needed to ensure proper protein synthesis in the body.[/sponsor]
Since going pro after a career in finance, Sarah Piampiano's accumulated multiple 70.3-distance wins, an Ironman win and many other podium performances, as well as a 7th place finish at the 2015 Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. This year she'll return to Kona. Last year she launched The Habit Project, an online community geared toward helping supporting positive habit changes. Along the way, Sarah has also struggled with Hashimoto's disease, a thyroid disorder, and was diagnosed as a young girl. On this show we will learn how Sarah has overcome Hashimoto's and still competes at the top level of long-course triathlon.
For more info on athletes with Hashimoto's and taking thyroid medication read "Thyroid Madness - Everything You Need to Know" by Steve Magness, who also has Hashimoto's.
On this show:
- Sarah's background from a career in finance to becoming a professional triathlete
- How she got into triathlon, and the bad habits she had prior to becoming a triathlete
- Hired coach Matt Dixon of Purplepatch Fitness, left job, moved across country to Los Angeles, began competing as a professional, and by April that year won Ironman New Orleans 70.3.
- Hashimoto's and Health Struggles
- Struggles as recent as this year, 2016, coming off Kona and an Ironman win late last year.
- Diagnosed with Hashimoto's when young, this is a thyroid disorder in which your body recognizes your thyroid gland as a foreign body and attacks it.
- Managed it through medication but things were starting to go bad into the triathlon days.
- Broken leg in '14 leading to investiage current thyroid status--what was going on and the link to the fracture and overall health
- Diet changes that Sarah made early on
- Still seeing low thyroid functioning and increasing med's
- Energy struggles
- Tons of inflammation and swelling. "To the point that sometimes – if I ate something 'off' – I would retain upwards for 10-12 pounds of fluid as my body reacted negatively to whatever I had consumed," she says.
- Inflammation after an Ironman
- Ice cream and swelling after Kona '15
- Tackling an elimination diet to heal from within and boost thyroid function; also to fully understand what foods were causing the swelling and inflammation.
- Removal of grains, sugar, alcohol, legumes and dairy. Still allowed to eat protein, fruit, nuts and seeds, vegetables and potatoes.
- How she managed elimination diets in season or offseason as a pro triathlete who needs fuel and can't be too low carb
- Using the time after a race when training volume and intensity are low/non-existent to eliminate the "bad stuff"
- New diet was a huge turning point
- But still, living a life of balance and avoiding some treats--even if some consequences
- How she's learned to manage her condition, diet, and thyroid health to still train and race as a pro avoiding setbacks
- Lastly, Sarah shares about The Habit Project, and why she started it, its mission and more.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out UCAN's new bar made with coffee beans![/sponsor]
- Chat about upcoming Olympics, in particular triathlon and favorites to win
- Water quality issues in Rio, should the athletes still swim despite the risk?
- Ways to reduce the bounds of our central governor, and train to be able to better override central governor when you need to.
- Why are some people's central governors are stronger than others?
- Getting outside your comfort zone often, using things like sauna to a point of discomfort, bikram yoga, cold water exposure, specific workouts (running, etc), and more
- Why are your shoulders and neck getting so sore and fatigued when in aero? And how important is it to hold the "turtle position" in order to properly utilize an aero helmet?
- The role of the T-spine in your bike comfort
- Tips to be a better "aero weenie" and/or "weight weenie" and the best-bang-for-your-buck upgrades to your bike.
- A well-fitting triathlon bike, light and aero wheelset, aero helmet, clean (aerodynamically) cockpit, aero center pull brakes, Ceramic Speed oversize pulley system, ceramic bottom brackets, supposedly faster chains, and special gearing. A generalized version of this question would be
- How can endurance athletes benefit from knowing resting metabolic rate (RMR)? How can this information be used to benefit performance and recovery?
- The 'epidemic" of underfueling and learning how many calories you needs by breaking down your daily expenditure
- Given that (short) sleeved kits have tested faster and are becoming more popular why haven't we seen long sleeve kits yet? Is there even an advantage over short sleeved?
- More on the MAF Method being a "volume approach" to training. What does this mean? how much volume is enough? Can you cut from cooldown and add more volume to run time?
- Cooldown tips beyond walking
- Two biggest reasons people don't improve with MAF: 1) not enough volume; 2) underlying condition
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Thrive_FB_Banner.jpg"]Support companies we love and use:
Inside Tracker isan awesome service to use for convenient and informative blood testing geared toward athletes. You can get up to 30 biomarkers tested and more on your journey to bettering performance. Use code "enduranceplanet" for a 10% discount.
And Thrive Market, which is basically Costco meets Whole Foods meets Amazon. Sign up for an annual membership now to start saving on healthy food, personal care products and clean products for the home. Shop conveniently from your home computer or your smartphone.[/sponsor]
We're joined by Ironman statistician Thorsten Radde, of www.trirating.com, for another installment of TriNews. It's a pivotal point in the season with the first round of Kona Qualifiers announced based on the current KPR rankings. Who's going to the Ironman World Championships this year?! We discuss that and much more:
- Ironman Frankfurt and the hypothermia situation
- Iron Trivia! Play along as Thorsten challenges Tawnee with these questions:
- Fastest IM times of 2016 on bike, run and overall
- IM winning streaks (lots of wins at one race or wins year by year on different courses)
- Home wins
- Unbeaten Kona rookies
- Challenge Roth, another record-breaking day
- Daniela Ryf's back to back weekends of racing
- Discussing Daniela's bike strength (4:31 at Roth) vs. Rinny's run strength (2:49 at IM Austria), and the great battle it will be in Hawaii this year
- KPR July cutoff news
- Who's in for Kona so far (40 males, 28 women, plus AQs), who's on the cusp, who's out
- We discuss the guys and gals who will be toeing the line in Kona this year
- Plus more insight, Thorsten's analysis, and stats
Resources
- Get Throsten's KPR Observer (right-hand column)
- Trirating.com: The 'unofficial' KPR July cutoff slot allocation
- Trirating.com: Current top 10 ratings
- Ironman's KPR System
- Current KPR - Women
- Current KPR - Men
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]You can support EP when you shop online! Simply open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com to do your online shopping—it’s just one extra click to link to Amazon through the banner on our sidebar or click the Amazon links in the show notes.[/sponsor]
A special edition of Endurance Planet with Tawnee and her husband, John, who are interviewed by Lucho about their backpacking honeymoon! Click here for the full written recap of the trip on Tawnee's blog that includes more photos, GPS files, and a detailed spreadsheet of their exact gear list (with brands), meal plan, HST itinerary, travel info and more.
- Background on why they did it and what they did (what is the High Sierra Trail)
- They wanted to create their own event--not participate in a structured event with rules
- Discussing the original conservative plan vs. how the actual timeline unfolded--finishing 2 days early!!
- Preparing for the trip (planning, shopping, training, mental, etc)
- Lessons learned: they could not treat this immense thru-hike like a race, and had to get over the "racing attitude" that's usually ingrained
- The mental and physical of backpacking vs. endurance racing
- It's not easy to backpack, it's also not as hard as preparing for Ironman, it's just different
- Having a new concept of what "a mile" means. And why it's better to focus on time!
- Mileage was always off, couldn’t rely on trail or map numbers, just accept it and keep moving forward
- Having patience and a flexible approach
- Dealing with blisters
- The simplicity of being out in the backcountry: everything to live was on our backs
- Day 4: Tawnee deals with a visit from an "old friend" and how she managed
- Girls, get the Diva Cup!
- Day 6: Climbing Mt. Whitney and feeling those old "pre-race butterflies"
- “Performing” at elevation, and/or feeling like death over 13,000 ft.
- Tying this into races at high elevation like Leadville, etc.
- Similarity of picking ultra pacers and picking your backpacking partner(s)
- The importance of TEAMWORK!
- Finding a routine in the mornings and evenings before and after they day's hike.
- Backpacking vs. ultra (mindset)
- Feeling "free" without being addicted to the data--a shift from past ways
- Equipment highlights:
- Delorme - safety net in case of emergency
- Garmin watch - good backup for tracking hikes
- Trekking poles - and why they were the best decision ever to have these on the trail!
- Shoes and blisters - harsh realities
- Top experiences on the HST:
- Kaweah gap
- Getting completely on the same page with your mate
- Summiting Mt. Whitney
- Precipice Lake
- What would we do differently?
- Little mistakes: poor choice in mittens/gloves, accidentally brought multiple soaps yet not enough floss, no SD card in GoPro, bad socks, solar panel vs. battery packs, different shoes, etc.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/ketosummit.png"]Check out the Keto Summit hosted by our friend Chris Kelly of NBT and keto expert Louise Hendon, which will feature more than 30 of the world's best researchers, trainers, doctors, authors, and chefs who will teach you when and how a keto diet can help you gain more energy, lose more weight, increase your athletic performance, become more productive, and improve your mood. The fun begins Sept. 25, 2016 with pre-launch specials available. Sign up now.[/sponsor]
We are back with the godfather or health and wellness for endurance athletes, Dr. Phil Maffetone. Today we dive into the tricky subject of how to achieve a healthy hormonal status while still training for your sport. That is, how we can participate in sport--even at highly competitive levels--and save our hormones from tanking or fix them if we're in a bad place. Plus: Q&A on common MAF Method follows.
Can you get to that high end of performance and still be healthy?
- The "gray area"--things change every day, and we MUST monitor athletes closely.
- Always assess and reassess athletes to see how much we can push. (A good coach should do this, but self-coached athletes should do it too.)
- Low hormone levels in endurance athletes usually due to HPA axis dysfunction.
- The HPA Axis dysfunction leads to a reduction in health over time in the pursuit of fitness, and eventually performance.
- Common issues: low/no progesterone/estrogen in females, low T in males, or some combo.
- Adrenal issues, and Phil's take on "adrenal fatigue."
- The role of stress. We need stress in order to adapt, but we need to manage stress to not go overboard into unhealthy territory.
- How do we manage? Monitor all the clues, red flags, symptoms, etc, that the body exhibits. Monitor often.
- Sharing brilliance from Dr. Tami Meraglia on Bulletproof Radio: The top 3 questions to ask your doctor.
- What effect does nutrition have on my health?
- hat do you think about the difference between normal lab ranges, and optimal lab ranges?
- What do you do if what I’m telling you (signs, symptoms), doesn’t match the lab results?
- Some examples of random but important symptoms: frequent urination (especially at night), salt cravings, low blood pressure and getting lightheaded often.
- Phil chimes in on the often-sketchy nature of blood chemistry at not telling the whole story
- Calcium ranges in blood labs
- Saving your hormones the all-natural way for your own well-being and also follows rules of sport's governing bodies, WADA, etc!
- So, should we just supplement with testosterone if our T is low? No! Instead, figure out why it's low and fix naturally.
- Phil talks on the risks and harms of supplementing with testosterone for non-competing athletes, non-athletes, or athletes who choose to supplement regardless of rules.
- For women: temporary supplementation with progesterone cream when it's needed is legal, and safe, and it may work.
- Tawnee shares her experience on using progesterone cream with success to help the body re-learn to produce and use this hormone--then weaning off.
Is 'Slow' MAF causing pain or injury and getting you 'nowhere'?
- If you have to slow down upon starting MAF to hold target HR and you're significantly slower than before, ongoing, as such some report that these slower paces cause more aches and pains and sometimes injury (more pounding, harder on the body to run slow, etc), so what's the remedy?
- When starting MAF you have to start a full program to address all variables and be proactive: fix muscle imbalances, wear the right shoes and/or practice barefoot, adopt healthy nutrition, and so on, to avoid these issues from taking place.
- Can you be "so slow" at MAF (i.e. walking or really slow jog at target HR) that it has no benefit as it relates to increasing run speed/fitness?
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]Head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free... Get started now on the path to optimizing your health and performance![/sponsor]
Episode 214 of Ask The Coaches with Lucho and Tawnee providing answers to your questions and discussing the latest and greatest for your endurance training and racing.
Announcing Ragnar SoCal 2017! We are building the team(s) now and plan to finalize within a month or two so if you're interesting in a life-changing epic experience running with Lucho, Tawnee and the Ragnar crew email us at admin@enduranceplanet.com to lock in your spot right away. We hope to have a normal 12-person team and also introduce an ultra team for the 2017 event!
- We discuss results of the new study 'Effects of Energy Drinks on Economy and Cardiovascular Measures' in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
- Drinks used: Red Bull, Monster and 5-Hour Energy (with the placebo as Squirt soda).
- Protocol: Drink, wait, run; what was measured; and outcome.
- Energy drinks don’t increase performance but do raise systolic blood pressure.
- 5-Hr Energy decreased RPE... is this a good or bad thing? We discuss.
- “First, there were no improvements in economy noted in this study. Second, energy drinks impact cardiovascular function at rest and during exercise. The small increase in systolic blood pressure (3.84 mmHg at rest and 8.81 mmHg during exercise) may not have a negative health impact. However, it is recommended that individuals be aware of the increase in blood pressure.”
- Take-homes, practical application and our two-cents!
- On switching from ultras back to marathon road racing, and how to dial in marathon pace for fast and flat racing that is so different than ultra trail pacing?
- How to predict marathon pace using a field test of 3 X 4 miles at goal pace (or something close to that workout)
- How to predict marathon pace using your MAF test. Read Phil's full article including years worth of data they've accumulated.
- Fitness has gone south, and feeling like MAF may be the answer to come out of the rut. But skeptical and still feeling like Joe Friel's "use it or lose it" makes sense. Move forward with MAF?
- How old was Lucho when he dialed in his MAF pace to be 5:55/miles? And other variables that led to Lucho's killer MAF pace!
- Our EP podcast with Phil Maffetone addressing when to add intensity with the MAF Method
- Scheduling long run and long bikes for the weekend: Which one would be best to schedule first if you can't do 'longer' sessions during the week?
- Doing the run on Saturday--is it better to run on fresh legs to limit any injury caused after a long ride day?
- Vs. doing the run on Sunday to simulate the run portion of half and full distance triathlons?
- And what about doing a big brick on the weekend--long bike and long run all on one day with the added bonus of practicing race nutrition!
- Followup from a listener who's implemented MAF and more carbs to decrease stress, help performance and be healthier--and is seeing the benefits.
- "I have been strictly MAF'ing it on the run and am now at an 8:45 MAF from 9:45.... I have found that I really need to add in some CHO in the evening meal."
- Tawnee rants a bit on carbs and fat-adaptation--athletes don't have to be very low carb to get fat adapted!
- Nose breathing as an additional way to gauge your pace, avoid too high stress, and run smoothly.
- MAF and the effect of heat! Argh! Do we adjust MAF HR? Flub it ~ 5 beats allowing HR to increase? Stick to strict MAF and slow down, or what?!
- Using MSP (maximum sustained power) workouts, but getting really bad DOMS. What to do?
- What does an MSP (maximum sustained power) workout entail?
- Case study: 59-year-old female, with chronic Achilles injury and recently diagnosed Hashimotos thyroid disease, now taking hormone medication. Goal is to do a half marathon in 2017. MAF HR is super low at 106 and finding it near impossible to run, bike and hike keeping HR at or below this; it's affecting quality of life! Should she give up everything for a while? Still bike and hike and allow HR to go over 106? Go back to 121 HR that was being used before the adjustments to MAF for illness, meds? Lost on what to do...
- Prioritizing goals: Health first including healing the autoimmune condition, meanwhile still be active doing what you love (hiking, etc), and have patience with structured running training until condition improves. It's hard to heal a health condition while trying to train for a race!
- Also a note on natural healing and alternatives to traditional hormone meds.
Resources on Autoimmune Healing (for thyroid, etc):
- The Thyroid Cure by Michelle Corey
- The Autoimmune Solution by Dr. Amy Meyers
- What Your Doctor May Not Tell You: Autoimmune Disorders by Deborah Mitchell
We're back with Episode 4 of "So You Wanna Go Pro" featuring elite triathlete Matt Bach. This episode takes an unexpected and somewhat ironic turn of events. Listen to Ep. 3 here.
- Matt discusses recent developments in his health & plans to heal:
- Diagnosis: Stress reaction in femur, osteoporosis, and double genetic mutation in MTHFR with C677T variant
- What's a stress reaction vs. fracture, why did this happen, risks, treatment (was on crutches for 6 wks), plan
- Bone health and association with low testosterone
- Leanness, calories, nutrient absorption and more
- Immediately ceased all focused training and racing
- It takes many months, or even years, to destroy T levels and bone density; will take months to restore it
- Matt's T #s already improving along with better energy and libido
- Matt shares a non-scientific survey he did of 22 elite/pro triathletes and their hormonal health & more research:
- 13 diagnosed with hormone problems, 6 have symptoms but no official diagnosis, 3 reported no problems
- Will Matt still pursue going pro?!
- Getting more answers with further testing such as 23andMe soon
- Further research shows: >3 risk alleles = greater risk (30% vs 5% for 0 risk alleles)
- On MTHFR: Very common! Body less efficient at producing an enzyme that converts inactive folic acid into active form of folate (i.e. 5-MTHF)
- Why most of us want Methylated folate/5-MTHF vs. folic acid (and brands we trust for supplementing i.e. Thorne)
- Folate helps with cell reproduction
- Also the role of B12
- Recommended supplement to boost methylation
- Matt's approach to healing via nutrition, supplements and lifestyle:
- All-natural approach, taking nothing that is banned. Plan to return to competition, don’t want side effects
- Picking the right team of doctors
- Not much endurance training (1x per week swim/bike)
- More sleep
- More social time and time with wife, Lauren!
- Physical Therapy
- Strength work
- On diet: Continue eating clean and healthy, Metabolic Efficiency Training, and figuring out if this is the right "diet" for Matt still?
- Tons of Supplements, some temporary
-
- Strontium, multivitamin, methylated folate and B12, magnesium
- Increased to 5000 IU D3, D-Aspartic Acid Powder, BCAAs, Pregnenolone
- Omega-3s
- Also a Probiotic, vitamin K2, Selenium, vitamin C, CoQ10 and Gaia HPA Axis
- Psychology and ongoing plans to go pro:
- Pro plans on hold, but not gone, patience to heal first is key!
- Not as restless as expected with changes
- Headspace and mental work to stay happy and motivated
- Off crutches, can’t run still, but Alter-G soon
- Sponsors awesome, continue to support; new ways to help them
- What others are saying to Matt
- The influence of other athlets struggling, and how Matt is finding solace in their stories on overcoming hardship
Resources
- Ep. 1: So you wanna go pro
- Ep. 2: So you wanna go pro
- Dr. Phil Maffetone on Folate vs. Folic Acid Pt 1
- Dr. Maffetone on Folate vs. Folic Acid Pt 2
- Dr. Maffetone on Folate vs. Folic Acid Pt 3
- Dr. Ben Lynch's mthfr.net website for more on this common gene mutation
- Dr. Tamsin Lewis on MTHFR
- Cody Beals' blog
- Matt Bach's blog
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]Check out all the good offerings on our Shop Page! Featured this week are:
Inside Tracker, an awesome service to use for convenient and informative blood testing geared toward athletes. You can get up to 30 biomarkers tested, find out your real inner age (your calculated age based on health status), and use all this information on your journey to bettering performance. Best of all you can use code enduranceplanet for a 10% discount; click here to get started now.
And Thrive Market, where Costco meets whole foods meets amazon. You save on healthy food, "safe" personal care products and clean products for the home. Thrive's list of goods keeps growing which is super exciting. It seems like all the brands we like are offered Thrive. Sign up now.[/sponsor]
Dr. Tamsin Lewis of curoseven.com, a functional health practice based in the UK, joins Endurance Planet again for a informative conversation on how to heal depression and anxiety for athletes who are suffering. We look at alternative ways to prevent, manage and/or end depression and anxiety using a holistic approach, while still addressing medications such as anti-depressants and their role.
On this show you'll learn:
- Catching up with Tamsin and her new life as mom. She's back to running and fills us in on how's she's managed to juggle having a newborn, her work and running (with a sub-3 marathon at London this year)--but along the way reprioritizing her life from what it once was.
- Read more on Tamsin's blog here.
- How common is depression in athletes?
- Comparing depression (sad, hopelessness) with anxiety (worry, fear). More info.
- What we’re starting to see is that depression is not just in your head.
- Mention of Kelly Brogan, MD, and the groundbreaking work she's doing around depression, and advocating holistic ways to heal.
- Depression: it's an inflammatory disorder … and usually another inflammation-based condition going on in conjunction.
- Does anxiety work the same way or is the science of what is at the root cause of anxiety different?
- What could be root causes and/or the sources of inflammation? And how to treat root causes like inflammation.
- Gut health as treatment.
- The gut-brain connection as it relates to depression. Heal the gut, heal the brain.
- A healthy diet as treatment. Decrease gluten, sugar and inflammatory foods. Concepts of LCHF, but not taking LC too far.
- Mention of our podcast with ultrarunner Nikki Kimball who's depression is eased with a LCHF diet.
- Blood & hormonal testing to find out more of one's chemistry that could be contributing to depression and anxiety such as vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
- Females hormonal fluctuations can contribute to depression and anxiety especially certain times of the month.
- For females, what are good foods to eat during the luteal phase to help mood state (hint: don't go too low carb!).
- More on the MTHFR gene mutation and how this can contribute to poor moods, etc.
- What are "nutraceuticals" and supplements recommended to heal depression and anxiety?
- Links to hormones:
- Low Progesterone: anxiety
- Low Testosterone: confidence
- Low Estrogen: skin, mood
- High Cortisol: inflammation
- Exercise as treatment. But in the appropriate dosage and with the right mindset.
- Avoid taking exercise too far into an obsession or something that’s contributing to their inflammation (i.e. avoid “exercise dependence”).
- Exercise can be an effective treatment and preventative for depression and mental illness, but too much can certainly can contribute to declining mental health.
- How does Tamsin navigate anti-depressant meds? What are situations when medications are needed vs. not.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/vespa.jpg"]Fans of EP can now enjoy a discount on VESPA, the fuel that aids in optimizing fat metabolism for high performance. Simply head to vespapower.com and use code "EP2016" for a 15% discount. This code is good for two weeks beginning July 11 so don't wait! We'd love to hear how VESPA is working for your endurance racing and healthy living; email us a admin@enduranceplanet.com to share your story.[/sponsor]
On this show, Tawnee interviews elite ultrarunners Paul Terranova, Travis Macy and Peter Defty on real-life application of fat-adaptation, and the benefits that come with being a healthy, fat-burning endurance athlete. You'll learn more on how to apply fat-adaptation and/or the Optimized Fat Metabolism (OFM) Method to endurance sport through these top endurance athletes who are living examples of how it works--and how it works even for elite performances. We also discuss how those who go this route will gain benefits outside of just endurance training and racing--they lead healthier lives with better energy and longevity.
- Introducing Paul Terranova to the show and he gives his bio of going from a marathoner and triathlete with multiple Kona finishes to ultrarunner, with mention of his recent 16th place finish at Western States 100.
- Travis Macy, who was on EP back in 2015 discussing the Ultra Mindset, is fresh off second place at the San Juan Solstice 50 and shares a bit about his rac
- During Peter’s first appearance on EP we covered OFM in more detail and this time just a refresher on OFM concepts, tying in the ancestral aspect of eating and pros to using fat for fue
- Travis and Paul each share their unique stories on why they cut the carb-based fueling and went the fat-adapted route; Travis just began his journey this year while Paul's was a gradual transition that came with age.
- Travis on tying in his family into the process, and how his wife and kids have benefits from higher fat, lower carb diets
- How to: Strategies on becoming fat-adapted, how long did it take for them to become fat-adapted, what it felt like in the process, changing nutrition both on and off the race course, and how to plan and time it with A races especially at the elite level.
- Utilizing fasted training and the 12-14 hr overnight fast.
- How do you know when your metabolism has become optimized at fat-burning?
- How do you incorporate “strategic carbs” for race performance as well as enough carbs to make sure you’re not too LCHF for the demands of sport?
- Putting fat-burning/OFM to the test--Travis, etc, discuss those first races using the new approach and the results.
- On race nutrition for fat-adapted elite ultra athletes.
- Travis has changed what he's using, now a combo of Tailwind, only needing 125-150 calories an hour, plus VESPA.
- Paul uses gels but has gone from needing 350-425 calories an hour to about 150 calories an hour, and says this is the biggest benefit he's experienced with fat-adaptation.
- Peter says the female ultra ahtletes and triathletes he consults with generally require roughly 100-150 calories an hour, with more on cool days and less on hot days, and this may change with the female cycle.
- General eating habits for the fat-adapted athlete, sample meals, timing of macronutrients/carbs.
- The added energy that comes with being a fat-burning machine and avoiding the afternoon crash.
- Often fat-adapted athletes aren’t as hungry and a huge risk is being too low calorie--how to avoid this pitfall.
- Periodizing nutrition with the season.
- Offseason:Do you go back to focusing on keto/LCHF and/or allow flexibility to just enjoy food, not even worrying about macronutrients?
- Mindset tips for fat-adaptation/OFM--it requires a bit more discipline one might argue, but why it’s worth it.
- Travis on the "Eat It" not "Diet" mindset--enjoy what you have available to eat, and don't whine about what you "can't have" with this style of eating.
- Paul on "delayed gratification."
- To drink or not to drink? Beer, wine, etc.
- Book mention: "How Bad Do You Want It."
- and more.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/ketosummit.png"]Check out the Keto Summit hosted by our friend Chris Kelly of NBT and keto expert Louise Hendon, which will feature more than 30 of the world's best researchers, trainers, doctors, authors, and chefs who will teach you when and how a keto diet can help you gain more energy, lose more weight, increase your athletic performance, become more productive, and improve your mood. The fun begins Sept. 25, 2016 with pre-launch specials available. Sign up now.[/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]Don't forget: you can always support the podcast by opening Amazon via EP when you do your online shopping—just click the banner link on our sidebar or the links provided in the show notes whether you’re on your computer, phone, or tablet. It adds one extra click to your process, zero added fees, but gives us just a little bit of extra support that pays off big time.[/sponsor]
On this show with Ben Greenfield:
What's the deal with Veggie Wash and washing our produce?
- Are spray fruit washes to better-clean produce worthwhile? Does it remove pesticides more than hot water would? Is it worthwhile? Pros and cons.
- In choosing organic vs. non-organic the rule of thumb to go by (hint: does it have a protective layer of skin that is edible or not?)
- Do we really need to be so anal about washing our produce? For example, there are many benefits of soil-based probiotics. If you’re buying from a reputable source like a Certified Organic Farmers Market vendor, or growing produce in your own backyard how does the need to wash food change?
On intermittent fasting (IF) and carb refeeds:
- What are the suggested guidelines for IF frequency for males and females.
- How to schedule in carb refeeds for endurance athletes to avoid chronically too low carb, and using carbs strategically.
-
With a carb refeed every day:
-
Women need 100-150 gram/CHO a day
-
Men need 150-200 g/CHO a day
-
This is assuming the athlete was LCHF in prior meals that day.
- With frequent carb refeeds, is this ok for athletes looking to improve health and blood sugar management? It comes down to GLUT 4 Regulators and insulin management.
-
Supplements to manage BG and/or make you insulin sensitive:
-
Ceylon Cinnamon
- Bitter Melon extract
-
Apple Cider Vinegar (before meals)
-
Then in your year or season if you're an athlete in training and racing aim for cyclic ketosis, not year-round ketosis.
For fat-adapted athletes, how do you “train the gut” for longer endurance events
- Is it different than "traditional" sports nutrition approaches?
- Practice once every 2 weeks or so, or at least 3-4 times total before an A race
- Tips to mitigate gut permeability (i.e. leaky gut) and maintain gut barrier function during training and racing so it's not compromised and we absorb our nutrients and fluids while feeling ok.
- Upregulating nitric oxide production as a way to reduce GI issues commonly experienced, i.e. if gut is experiencing lack of blood flow that is common during exercise and this is causing severe GI problems as a result, then manipulation of blood flow to the gut by upregulating nitric oxide production could be a way to reduce symptoms according because nitric oxide amy cause vasodilation in the gut according to some research out there. The use of glutamine–arginine–citrulline or nitrate supplementation could help.
4 Ways to bulletproof your gut before a race (starting 2 weeks in advance):
- Load with probiotics (get 10% off Sound Probiotics with code "enduranceplanet" here)
- Pair with colostrum
- Take Restore for Gut Health
- Avoid NSAIDs
More resources on upregulating nitric oxide in the literature:
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4008808/#CR19
- http://ajpgi.physiology.org/content/303/2/G155
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the fuel of choice for healthy athletes looking to burn fat for fuel, maintain steady energy without the spikes and crashes, and optimize sports performance. EP fans get 15% off UCAN, shop now.[/sponsor]
On this show with Lucho and Tawnee:
- In the market for a new multisport GPS watch? Tawnee is and we go over options, pros and cons of what's out there, etc., discussing price point, features, battery life and more--chime in if you have an idea of a good all-around watch!
- When late-night training is the only option due to dad duty and work: is it detrimental or ok to be training this late into the night? How to assess if it's ok, hormonal concerns, sleep concerns, metabolic issues, etc?
- "If you magically learned that your best non-athlete friend just wound up stuck on an island where the local people put everyone through a test that involves running to the top of the (active) volcano and back--a 100 km feat--and you could only send them two books to help your friend pass this test, what two books would you send them?" Lucho and Tawnee chime in with their answers.
-
Books mentioned:
-
Primal Endurance by Mark Sission
- Dr. Phil Maffetone's Big Book of Training and Racing
- Jack Daniels' Running Formula
- The Lore of Running by Dr. Tim Noakes
-
Hudson's How to Be Your Own Best Coach
-
Thoughts on easy-prep low-GI healthy dinners. From instant salads to ways to have fresh protein on the table in under 10 minutes, we discuss options. Scroll down to find Tawnee's easy creamy broccoli soup recipe.
- How do you afford to eat on a healthy, low GI diet?
- Article mention: Is Organic Meat Better? By Chris Kresser
- Thoughts on the RTX cooling gloves, which aim to cool athletes and maintain core temp via the palms of our hands. Could this help a mountain biker and/or endurance athletes?
- On gloves for mountain bikers: full fingered gloves, fingerless gloves or no gloves? Discussing best options as it related to grip, control and also staying cool.
- Instead of cooling gloves, how about a cooling vest!
- Is the 'Training Mask' a beneficial product or just a gimmick? We go over how this thing may benefit your fitness and performance, and what you can expect from it and what you won't get; pros and cons.
- Master's athlete with great MAF results, seeing his pace go from 10:15 to 8:35 minute miles. Now, the big test: Ironman Lake Placid.
- How to pace the Ironman marathon if you've used MAF and/or other types of training methods, using heart rate, RPE, pace and more to execute the marathon without fail... Lucho drops some major wisdom
- MAF Method Philosophy: Is it for everyone? A veteran runner says that it seems like some athletes are made for MAF, while others aren't--and having to traing "slow" at MAF leads to slow racing, etc. Is this true or is it possible for all of us to benefit from MAF if we do it the right way?
- Why it's a myth to associate MAF training with slow training.
- Lucho addresses the myth of "non-responders" to MAF Method--and how to become a fail-proof responder to MAF!
~~~
Tawnee's Easy Clean Creamy Broccoli Soup
- Ingredients:
- 4-6 stalks of broccoli, chopped into florets and keep the stalks
- 10-15 crimini mushrooms, chopped in half
- 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped into large chunks
- 3-5 leaves dino kale
- 2-3 cups of bone broth (more or less depending on how thick you want the soup)
- Avocado oil or ghee (ghee gives a stronger butter flavor)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: fresh parsley, fresh garlic clove or drizzle of garlic-infused extra virgin olive oil
- Optional: 2-4 tbsp collagen powder (add AFTER cooking and blending)
-
Note: ingredients are estimates! Tawnee likes to use enough to fill a large Le Cruset dutch oven about 2/3 the way with produce and half full with bone broth/liquids.
-
Directions: Sauté broccoli and onion in oil/ghee on medium heat with top on. Add bone broth and continue cooking. Add mushrooms, kale and optional parsley and turn to higher heat with the top still on. Cook until all veggies are very soft. Transfer to vitamix and blend on high until you have a creamy soup. If you don’t have enough bone broth you can add water to avoid the soup being too creamy—better to add little bits at a time and you can always add more rather than adding too much at first. For an added bonus, stir in some collagen powder after you’ve blended and while the soup is still piping hot.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]Endurance athletes need extra support that we simply can’t get through diet & lifestyle alone especially with how highly active we are. Where to start? Head to enduranceplanet.com/shop and you’ll find products, supplements and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse over the years that work. And don't forget: you can always support the podcast by opening Amazon via EP when you do your online shopping—just click the banner link on our sidebar or the links provided in the show notes whether you’re on your computer, phone, or tablet. It adds one extra click to your process, zero added fees, but gives us just a little bit of extra support that pays off big time.[/sponsor]
We are joined by Coach Jason Koop, director of coaching for Carmichael Training Systems living out of Colorado Springs, coach to elite ultrarunners, and an ultrarunner himself. Jason has coached and supported the likes of Dean Karnazes, Dakota Jones, Kaci Lickteig, Dylan Bowman, Timothy Olson, and more.
Jason has a new book titled "Training Essentials for Ultrarunning: How to Train Smarter, Race Faster, and Maximize Your Ultramarathon Performance," in which he reveals his training approach for ultra success and in this episode we dive into some of those concepts.
Covered in this show with Coach Jason Koop:
-
The four biggest mistakes ultra athletes make, as discussed in book:
-
Too much focus on volume — Most people realistically have 10-12 hours to train a week, 14 hours at best. You can reach a point of diminishing returns, and how to find that point for you.
- Not enough intensity— Ultra athletes need intervals at VO2max for ultra training, not just pounding aerobic miles. How do you gauge readiness for intervals and what kind of intervals?
- Lack of specificity — Specifically how does this relate to ultra? Terrain, altitude, weather, nutrition, hiking, uphills, downhills, level running, etc.
-
The N of 1 — The flaw of using only one's experience to coach others; ultra is "behind the times" and how this affects progress and training techniques in the sport.
-
Embrace walking (hiking), and train for it—walking is not running and needs to be practiced.
- Why Jason is NOT a fan of crosstraining—and instead promotes simply running and rest with the limited time available to an athlete.
- Exceptions on crosstraining and when it may work for an athlete: during time of injury, potentially in offseason, and simple proprioceptive drills for better running.
- Jason promotes moderate volume, more intensity and avoiding overtraining—so, how does his approach differ from typical marathon programs or short-distance training approaches?
- Using a systems-based approach.
- Do the least specific training furthest away, and the most specific training closest to your race.
- How does Jason like to train athletes for ultras in a way that is sustainable rather than bursting into the scene then quickly burning out?
- Establishing clear goals for a) a "career" in sport (whether amateur or elite) and b) for each race.
- "Be invested in the event, and don't just do a race because it's there."
- "Know your goals and what you're looking to get out of each race, and/or your sport career."
- What sets the elite ultra athletes apart from amateurs besides genetic potential?
- What's the key to success if we all have limited time to train and we toe the line with relatively similar fitness levels? A: It's the mental, psychological and emotional factors that really make the difference.
- How to help ultra athletes prepare for a long day of, essentially, problem solving.
- Practice "problem solving" in your training.
- Get the book here.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/ketosummit.png"]Check out the Keto Summit hosted by our friend Chris Kelly of NBT and keto expert Louise Hendon, which will feature more than 30 of the world's best researchers, trainers, doctors, authors, and chefs who will teach you when and how a keto diet can help you gain more energy, lose more weight, increase your athletic performance, become more productive, and improve your mood. The fun begins Sept. 25, 2016 with pre-launch specials available. Sign up now.[/sponsor]
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/PerfectAminoXP_Short_WEB_grande.png"]PerfectAmino now comes in a sugar-free powder form that's great for those who don’t like pills and/or want something tasty to mix in your workout drink, smoothie, or pre- and post-workout fuel! PerfectAmino, whether powder or pill-form, is an athlete’s secret weapon featuring all the essential amino acids in the exact ratios needed to ensure proper protein synthesis in the body. BodyHealth, the makers of Perfect Amino, also offers well-formulated natural vitamins and supplements to meet your other needs including their Body Detox, Healthy Sleep Ultra, Intestinal Cleanse, weight loss aids, and more.[/sponsor]
We're back for another edition with Dr. Phil Maffetone.
On this show we dive deeper into potential issues holding you back from making progress. So, if you're not seeing results with MAF and/or fat-burning, yet on paper you are doing everything "right" with training, diet, and lifestyle, then take a listen because it could actually be something else. Even if you've had progress the topics covered today could get you too the next level. Of course, the theme of nutrition and what we eat is integral for this episode including a great discussion at the end of the show.
Be sure to read Phil's new published article titled Athletes: Fit But Unhealthy, and also check this article on Phil's website profiling our very own Tawnee Prazak on her journey in sport and health.
On this show:
- Creating mighty mitochondria! Without good mitochondria could we be slightly suffering?
- Mitochondria are our powerhouse for energy, efficiency and health. They extract energy from nutrients to produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate) which our body uses to create energy for a countless cellular processes. They are also integral in the metabolism of lipids/fatty acids (aka your fat-burning)
- Help with steroid hormone production (testosterone, estradiol), insulin/glucose regulation, and cellular calcium homeostasis
- When mito are burdened they produce more free radical damage. Increasing mitchondria takes the demand off mitochondria and disperses the workload. This is when they make fat into ATP and produce less free radical damage
- Mitochondrial dysfunction is a real thing and serious, and it's at the root cause of many genetic disorders, chronic diseases, etc.
- But for athletes it may just be poor-functioning mitochondria holding you back from making progress
- When not functioning well we aren't as good with blood sugar regulation and fat burning during exercise
- Most common problem in hurting your mitochondria is the use of statins--depletes CoQ10--as wel as most prescription drugs too (consult with your doctor)
- How to boost mitochondria?
- Endurance training helps boost mitochondria, but in this case that might not be enough for the population we're addressing.
- The right diet/nutrition is key for creating highly effective mitochondria! High fat diets, low in refined carbs, sugar and junk, with macro's adjusted to your needs and health.
- Healthy mitochondria depend on a diet that stabilizes blood sugar levels, normalizes fatty acid ratios, and provides mega-doses of trace minerals and phytonutrient anti-oxidants. This diet consists of fresh vegetables and healthy fat sources.
- Supplements for better mitochondria?
- Supplement if deficient, and don't supplement with the false idea that more is better. In some cases certain supplements in abundance are not good for us and have a potential toxic or harmful effect.
- If you have any deficiencies you're going to affect hundreds if not thousands of functions in the body
- Supplements discussed that aid in healthy mitochondria: CoQ10, B2 (riboflavin), ALA, Mg, Zinc, iron, PQQ, carnitine
- Carnitine deficiency in particular: carnitine is required to oxidize fat in the mitochondria. With age, carnitine levels decline. Carnitine supplementation has proven effective in reducing fatigue, enhancing cardiovascular function, improving body composition, lowering blood sugar, and more.
- Treating people is easy, it's the assessment process that is so hard!
-
We must read and analyze the signs or symptoms and consider the biochemical pathways in what's presenting
-
Can we overdo it on antioxidants and/or recovery protocols and blunt the training response/adaptations?
- There is evidence that some recovery aids such as ice, anti-inflammatory nutrition and antioxidant supplements blunt the adaption to training. So how do you maximize recovery without erasing the workout and making the training ineffective?
- Research indicates that antioxidants can impair metabolic processes--dose matters, as well as type (synthetics especially Vitamins C, E)
- But we need them to offset free radicals! and boost mitochondria!
- Are we actually doing more harm than good without antioxidants? Where can we find a happy medium?
- ROS reactive oxygen species covered in Phil's paper Athletes: Fit But Unhealthy
- Bottom line:
- Can too much focus on recovery techniques hold back your fitness?
- Or, can too little focus on recovery, even with MAF, inhibit adaptations (i.e. fatigue, poor health, etc)?
- Give the body what it needs
-
Tie back to Phil's mention of spacing his speedwork apart by 4 days.
-
Could it be body composition? Specifically: too low body fat, are there risks?
- We often discuss risks and harms over being overfat but what about the opposite?
- Can we have such low body fat as an endurance athlete--male or female--that it hurts our fitness and health? Obviously the answer is yes for women who are more sensitive to low body fat, but what about men?
- For men is there risk in closing in on 3% body fat or less? Is it playing with fire?
- There is a range of healthy body fat, but the range is hard to determine
- If someone's healthy and doing well but has low body fat assess the symptoms. If this person is truly ok it is not a concern
-
Body fat measuring and its accuracy
-
And more....
- Hormonal imbalances associated with having poor fat-burning ability
- Find your ideal carb intake
- Bob Newhart's "Stop It" mentioned by Phil
- More on diet and getting real on what we're really eating
- Inaccurate diet reporting
- Phil and Tawnee share their difference POV's on "food flexibility"
- Phil lays out some real risks with even slightly too much intermittent fasting--could be more of a stress on the body and in reality you need to eat more. The only IF you need may be that gap between dinner and breakfast the next dya.
- Shoutout and giving love to Primal Products: Mayo, Dark Chocolate Almond Bars, Dressings and more
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the fuel of choice for healthy athletes looking to burn fat for fuel, maintain steady energy without the spikes and crashes, and optimize sports performance. EP fans get 15% off UCAN, shop now.[/sponsor]
On this show with Lucho and Tawnee:
- Alactic training routines: What does this even mean? The benefits of alactic training, application and exercise examples. Plus assessing your readiness. This came up on the show with Maffetone and Mark Cucuzella, and Mark says at the end of runs he does: ABCD skips, single leg run, 40 meter sprints, burpees, etc.
- How to transition back to short-course racing and re-gain speed after doing long-course and aerobic training for several years.
- Tips to win a sprint world title for age-groupers.
- Is it possible to have both aggressive health goals AND long-course triathlon performance goals? And how to go about achieving both?
- Is it ok to allow health to potentially suffer a little temporarily in the pursuit of improving fitness and achieving race goals?
- Good health comes first; focus on fitness second.
- How do you assess if health is in a good place to push forward? At what point in a training cycle is it ok to make health secondary to fitness?
- Why do our hearts pound so hard after climbing even just two flights of stairs despite being a super fit athlete?
- Discussing health and performance goals for a menopausal female athlete and prioritizing one's needs for optimal outcomes.
- How to help your spouse, significant other and/or family adopt a better diet and nutrition when they may not realize all the unhealthy things they are eating. Taking an approach of being kind not negative to help your person change bad food habits to good ones, break addictions and adopt sustainable healthy eating.
- All our shows with Dr. Phil Maffetone
- Military application of the MAF method. How MAF can work in a training routine/job that also requires a lot of intensity and heavy lifting.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]Head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse such as Perfect Amino, the best amino acid supplement choice for athletes with all the essential amino acids in the exact ratios needed to ensure proper synthesis in the body, and Inside Tracker, a great place to go for convenient and informative blood testing geared toward the needs of athletes; use code "enduranceplanet" for a 10% discount on your next blood test, get it scheduled here! You can also support Endurance Planet by clicking our Amazon link right here or on the side bar banner for all your online shopping.[/sponsor]
Our guest Tina Muir is an elite runner, community manager and podcast host at Runners Connect, and from the UK but currently residing in Kentucky with her husband, who's also a running coach. On this show we hear about Tina's diet transformation going from a high-carb, sugar-addicted athlete suffering some negative side effects to making big diet changes to support better health, correct hormonal imbalances and improve performance. Her diet changes included moving to a higher fat, lower carb/sugar nutrition plan with more whole foods and less processed junk foods. In just a short time, Tina had immense success with the changes including running a PR 2:37 marathon in London earlier this year, recovering and sleeping better than ever, and more. On this show we discuss all of it:
- Tina's background in running leading her to becoming an elite runner, but suffering some issues that led her to seeking help from Tawnee
- Tina's problems with stress, fatigue, sleep, recovery, and more
- Even though she needed changes, she was still skeptical... yet trusting enough to give it a go
- A look at Tina's former diet, and the diet analysis performed by Tawnee
- On quality vs. quantity
- Tina was eating enough calories, it was the quality that was lacking and hurting her
- Why Tina needed a drastic overhaul to cut the junk, eat more fat and protein, with fewer carbs but NOT go too low carb
- The art of coaching someone on diet tying in health needs, athletic training, and the psychology of it all
- Breaking old habits and starting to adopt new ones
- Baby steps... changing her breakfast and lunch, and still allowing certain foods to avoid being too restrictive
- The fast positive results Tina felt in a matter of weeks
- Macronutrients! How many carbs Tina was eating (300-500 grams a day), and the recommendations for carbs that Tawnee gave (eat fewer carbs but don't go under 150-200 grams of carbs a day)
- Examples of what she eats
- Clean eating carbs that Tina has switched to eating regularly
- How Tina managed all the changes to her diet while still training for two of the biggest races of her life, and incorporating these new fueling concepts into her training
- Did they decide to tweak her sports nutrition as well?
- On alleviating some gut issues with the cleaner diet
- Leading up the the big races: The real test. Tina walks us through how she approached her tapering, pre-race fueling and race fueling.
- Race morning breakfasts and bathroom stories
- Best recovery of her life after the half-marathon
- Her London Marathon experience where she ran a 2:37 PR! We get the full story
- More on her blog here: More Fat and Protein, Less Carbs and a 2:37 Marathon
- The recovery bowl that Tina and Tawnee love
- Timing of carbs for optimal performance and health
- And more!
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the fuel of choice for healthy athletes looking to burn fat for fuel, maintain steady energy without the spikes and crashes, and optimize sports performance. EP fans get 15% off UCAN, shop now.[/sponsor]
Yuri Elkaim is a nutrition, fitness, and fat loss expert and the NYT bestselling author of The All-Day Energy Diet and The All-Day Fat Burning Diet. A former professional soccer player turned health crusader, he's most famous for helping people who've tried everything to lose weight and get in great shape, with little success, finally achieve breakthrough results. Yuri is on a mission to empower 10 million people to greater health by 2018 by making fitness and health simple again. And today we're lucky to be getting some of Yuri's wisdom on EP. Yuri than you for joining the show!
On this show:
- Yuri's story of being a pro soccer player, and eventually fit but unhealthy. His symptoms including chronic fatigue, asthma, eczema, etc, and at 17 he lost all his hair after developing an autoimmune condition. He changed everything and found his path to quality health. One of the biggest lessons he learned was the importance of what one does BETWEEN training and/or workout sessions....
- Why all you need is the minimum effective dose.
- Keys to creating good habits that stick:
- Why we shouldn't invest in willpower and how to set yourself up for success instead
- The power of our environment--make it a good one
-
Creating habits requires three steps:
-
Cue
- Practice
-
Reward
-
External vs internal rewards
- The journey is the rewardCuC
- Some key habits of top performers:
- 10 Habits of Successful People (Done Before 9 a.m.)
- Meditation - why is it worth doing a meditative act instead of extra miles or more working out? Yuri explains the science of why meditation is so healthy
- Sleep - deep sleep! Tips on mastering your sleep and why an earlier bedtime matters so much for the best quality sleep
- Yuri's morning routine and examples of healthy and productive habits
- On nutrition and eating for performance:
- The kind of breakfast Yuri recommends to help manage cortisol levels
- Intermittent fasting - all it takes is once a week or a brief time period to reap the benefits
- Why grazing and eating all the time is terrible for our health (insulin, etc)
- Eating for performance VS fat loss--there is a difference
- Get good at using fat for fuel, that's always the goal
- On raw foods--why Yuri is a fan
- Alkaline diets--anti-inflammatory, lead to less soreness, and more so more veggies on your plate!
- On coffee--Is Yuri on board with caffeine and Bulletproof coffees or not?
- Listen to Dave Asprey and Yuri "go at it" on the coffee debate in this podcast
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/PerfectAmino3.png"]Head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse such as these two gems: Perfect Amino, the best amino acid supplement choice for athletes with all the essential amino acids in the exact ratios needed to ensure proper synthesis in the body; and Nordic Naturals high-quality fish oil supplements, including Ultimate Omega Sport, a special blend to meet the demands of hard-working athletes. meets every one. Get 15% offNordic Naturals and free shipping by entering Practitioner’s ID “114594” here.[/sponsor]
On this show:
- Will several months of backpacking (on the PCT) translate into quality training and fitness for a 100-mile ultra? The pros and cons to lengthy backpacking for training, and the formula to make it all work.
- Drills to help body position and a better catch in swimming: side kick drills, sculling, catchup drill and more! Lucho lays it down.
- Help for inner groin pain that happens during long runs in male ultrarunner. What are the reasons for groin pain to develop including imbalances and more, and solutions to try. We discuss!
- How can master's athletes keep strength and high-end but still keep MAF training as a focus for better aerobic development. Lucho gives two options for ideal training plan concepts.
- Can fat adapted athletes with a higher heart rate increase their MAF and/or zones by 20 beats? Or use the formula 200 minus your age instead of 180 minus age..... Tawnee spells out the wisdom that Dr. Phil Maffetone gives on this subject.
- "Both elevating HR and increased max HR are abnormal. It’s a sign of stress. This means, of course, something is wrong. It certainly does not mean you can raise your MAF HR 20 beats (as that could make things even worse very quickly)... " - Maffetone
- And more on the dangers of "diet" according to Maffetone. Avoid the D word! Find what works best for you instead.
- In what scenarios is pure MAF training (and no added intensity) is the best option for your Ironman training? We talk over one female athlete's situation in her build up to IMCdA with a stressful life as well.
- How much stress can we handle before we break down? How to know when it's too much and adjust before you break.
- Phil Maffetone and Phil Laursen's new paper, Athletes: Fit But Unhealthy
- Tawnee's blog on lifestyle & mindset adjustments for better health
- Do the activities during a 15 minute warm-up for a MAF run matter? And if so, what do we need to be doing? What are the HR goals on warmups?
- What are the best things to consume before a MAF Test? Hint: UCAN is a great option!
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]Head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse (such as Sound Probiotics mentioned on this show--save 10% with the code ENDURANCEPLANET). You can also support the podcast by opening Amazon via Endurance Planet when you do your online shopping—just click here or easily the banner link to the right on our sidebar.[/sponsor]
Dr. Grace Liu, PharmD, is a functional medicine practitioner and one of the world's leading experts on the gut microbiome with an international practice of 19+ years. She specializes in consulting, nutrigenomics, functional laboratory analysis, disease management, and personalized programs for executives, athletes and multitasking moms. She helps rebuild biomes to restore vitality. In October 2016, she has an upcoming book being published 'The Amazing Gut: Secrets to Unleash the Power of Your Gut Microbiome' on basic gut testing, ultra potent and soil-based probiotics, #Bionicfiber, fermented foods, and recipes to optimize the human biome. The body-brain-bowels can achieve their maximum potential by reconnecting their ancient networks to rich soil, plants, healthy animals, and ancestral living. This is the philosophy at the heart of her foundation TheGutInstitute.com, and also where you can go to hire Grace for health consulting. Grace is also an experienced triathlete, and practices what she preaches having rebuilt her own microbiome after gut dysbiosis.
On this show:
- We talk PaleoFx, where Grace just was speaking, learning and enjoying delicious Paleo foods; we get the inside info on the big themes at the conference this year.
- Check out Grace's slides from her PaleoFx presentation: download slides for free here!
- Grace's story from having chronic fatigue, weight loss followed by weight gain, and gut dysbiosis to near-perfect health by removing the toxins and rebuilding a robust gut.
- What was at the root cause of Her issues? Hormonal damage from an IUD, dental implants, vaccines, lifestyle, and more.
- Moving out of traditional pharmacy to functional medicine, and digging into the microbiome as a key source of our health.
- Gut dysbiosis: at the root of leaky gut, autoimmune conditions, PCOS, and so much more. Fix that and heal fast!
- Gut issues as the root cause for hormonal issues like low testosterone and low progesterone. And how to heal.
- Referencing the progress of MMA fighter turned ultrarunner Kyle Kingsbury who was once broken and insight from Grace on his gut healing.
- The dangers of raw potato starch and why it can make you fat. Don't eat raw starches! It's not natural!
- More resources from Grace on why raw potato starch is bad, and who should especially avoid it.
- Noted that raw vs cooked potato starch are difference.
- How and why do things "go wrong" in endurance athletes making it easier for bad bacteria and opportunistic pathogens to burrow in, whether they come from food, the water in which we swim, or our environments?
- Common "bad guys" include too much e. coli, clostridium, salmonella, staph, etc. As well as parasites like giardia.
- Our gut wall lining is only ONE cell layer protecting the contents in the gut from the outside blood stream--hence, leaky gut is a real risk!
- Gut health and immunity and what happens over time when we push our bodies without respecting the health side.
- On antibiotics: wiping out the good flora. Temporary relief but at what cost? Take with probiotics if you must take them.
- On botanicals as a "golden" way to heal the gut by being gentle to it.
- Mentions of Grace's Initial Defense and her Bifido Maximus probiotic and the AMAZING results she gets when she puts people on these.
- What does Grace think of Sound Probiotics' formula and how does it differ from her formula?
- What to look for in a probiotic.
- Why diversity in the gut is a good thing.
- How about those athletes who never have issues? What's different about them?
- Nutrigenomics, gene mutations and the bad that can happen when these mutations get expressed.
- The role of stress and inflammation in how gene mutations "turn on."
- Adrenaline and estrogen"hanging around" in the body is not a good thing.
- How to "turn off" the mutations
- The benefits of Triphala extract - bind to parasites and pathogens to remove them, but also binds to minerals and iron so don't overuse.
- The risks of iron overload.
-
Three steps to build a warrior gut:
-
Test don't guess.
- Weed and Seed/Feed
-
Your gut is an athletic organ--avoid spraining, injuring or breaking it!
-
Risks of oil of oregano--it can help but it can also be harsh on the gut--as well as GSE, berberine, etc.
- Instead consider botanicals, adaptogens, Chinese herbs
- Boswellia for inflammation relief
- We need to weed the gut to rid the bad, but is it vital to do this before re-seeding? Or can we do simultaneously?
- On fiber and what's the deal with Grace's bionic fiber?
- How to gradually implement fiber into the diet as a healthy prebiotic and building a robust gut, as well as when to AVOID dosing with fiber and why.
- Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) supplementing--building gut bacteria that can aid in athletic performance
- Other common issues that can be tied to the gut: acne, eczema, vaginal dryness, and more. Grace explains why and what to do!
-
Functional tests that Grace recommends:
-
GDA GI Fx Stool Panel
- CDSA
- Organic Acids (Great Plains)
Learn from Grace live this December:
Microbiome Medicine weekend seminar, Dec. 3-4, 2016, Oakland, Calif. Learn how to enhance your integrative nutrition and medicine practice with practical gut protocols based on simple testing, to eradicate bloating/brain fog/fatigue, digestive disorders, anxiety/depression, reverse cancer risk, autoimmune disorders, food allergies and the epidemic of diabesity. Taught by three functional medicine pharmacists: Anh Nguyen PharmD BCACP, Ericka Gray PharmD, Grace Liu PharmD
Text 33444 with GUTLIVE for further updates and information.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]Head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance such as the top-quality supplements by Exos Performance Nutrition including their AM/PM Multivitamin, L-Glutamine and Creatine, and convenient healthy food from Thrive Market--shop online and save time and money with Thrive! .[/sponsor]
Thorsten Radde of trirating.com joins for another edition of TriNews to get you up-to-date and in the know on the latest in greatest in Ironman news. Get Thorsten's KPR Observer here to keep up with points rankings and how the season is shaping up heading into Kona this year.
On this show:
Ironman Trivia & Race News!
Thorsten quizzes Tawnee on IM news that's gone down between Jan-May 2016. Do you know the answers? Tune in to get the low down.
- Who are the four U.S. Ironman champions this year so far?
- Which athletes won Ironmans in their home country this year?
- Which Germans dominated IM Texas?
- What Scandinavian countries will be represented in the IM World Champs this October?
More IM News:
- IM Brasil coming up (McMahon, Schildknecht, Stefan Schmid; Liz Lyles vs. Ariane Monticelli)
- IM Cairns getting strong fields with both the males (Cam Brown, Luke McKenzie, Tim Berkel, Jeff Symonds, Romain Guillaume, Jordan Rapp, Matt Hanson) and females (Linsey Corbin, Jodie Swallow, Liz Blatchford, Bek Keat, Michelle Bremer, Kate Bevilaqua)
- No Kona this year: Rachel Joyce (pregnant), Eva Wutti (pregnant), Angela Naeth (injured but getting better), and Caroline Steffen (taking a break from IM!)
Winner winners.....
- IM New Zealand
- Cam Brown - course record, winning for 12th time, oldest male IM winner
- Meredith Kessler - course record, winning 5th in a row
- IM South Africa - Regional, so AQs
- Ben Hoffman
- Kaisa Lehtonen
- IM Australia
- Tim Reed
- Beth Gerdes - 2nd fastest run of the day 2:56:10
- IM Texas - Regional - shortened bike course, AG race “suspended” during lightning
- Patrick Lange
- Julia Gajer
- IM Lanzarote
- Jesse Thomas - keeping his perfect IM record!
- Tine Holst
On this show we're joined by two powerhouses, Dr. Phil Maffetone and new to the show Dr. Mark Cucuzzella.
You can get more from Mark at naturalrunningcenter.com, healthyrunning.org, and his online running shoe store featuring exclusively minimalist shoes at tworiverstreads.com.
On this show we dive into a fully holistic and integrative chat about what it really takes to be your best self with health and performance!
- Mark Cucuzella shares his incredible journey that's led him to overcome injury and run 2:24 marathons, and at age 49 he's still running sub-2:50 making him one of the best master's marathoner alive.
- How MAF training helped Mark overcome years of overtraining, and still allowed him to have major success in the marathon
- How Mark switched from a high carb diet and being insulin resistant to a low carb diet and better health just 5 years ago, and the positive changes he's seen
- Mark and Phil discuss MAF Method principles, progression and more
- The very important role of a healthy diet in seeing progress, but why Mark still got results with MAF on a high-carb less healthy diet
- Comparisons with Lydiard-style training
- On health markers like HbA1C - Mark says normal and healthy would be 4.5-5.0%, pre-diabetic is 5.7% and diabetic is 6.0%
- Instead of dissing high cholesterol look to the ratio of triglycerides and HDL
- Healing without drugs and food as medicine
- Mark has to manage insulin resistance and poor glucose tolerance and how he does this effectively
- "A Beautiful Medicine"
- On taking charge of y our health and well-bieng and problems with mainstream medicine
- Running Boston in Vibrams and the Harvard research that's being done by Irene Davis
- Loading rates: lower loading rates equated with less injury issues
- Discussing minimalist vs maximalist shoes and injury
- Shoes don't cause injury, the dysfunction does
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the fuel of choice for healthy athletes looking to burn fat for fuel, maintain steady energy without the spikes and crashes, and optimize sports performance. EP fans get 15% off UCAN, shop now.[/sponsor]
Lucho and Tawnee discuss and answer the following for ATC 210:
- Ideas for high-fat low-carb breakfasts that are quick, easy and convenient. See below for Tawnee's high-fat breakfast smoothie recipe.
- Seeing MAF improvements on the run, but MAF on the bike is tough! But MAF on the bike is really tough and fatiguing. What to do? Decrease HR on the bike and just keep it at to adapt?
- Experienced Ironman athlete looking to improve run even more by doing MAF and tempo runs. Could the slow training (slower than goal pace) and fast training (faster than goal pace) help develop more efficiency at target race pace?
- Discussing the purpose of "Efficiency Factor" (EF) and how an athlete can properly interpret the data.
- Discussing the purpose and potential value of rTSS for the run, what it means and is it necessary. How to calculate without a GPS watch.
- More resources on EF and rTSS:
- Efficiency Factor and Decoupling
- EF in Running
- What is Normalized Graded Pace
- "As the EF rises, aerobic fitness is improving. As it falls, aerobic fitness is decreasing. Of course, the workouts you’re comparing should be similar, meaning the course and terrain were about the same as well as the weather, your effort and a number of other elements that typically affect heart rate such as caffeine, lifestyle stress, altitude and more."
- "One of the best workouts for applying the EF concept is a workout I call the aerobic threshold (AeT) run. Warm-up and then run for a standard duration, such as 30 minutes, on a standard course while keeping your heart rate 28 to 32 bpm below your lactate/anaerobic threshold heart rate. This is roughly your aerobic threshold. By recording your EF for that workout portion and repeating this workout frequently you will be able to determine your aerobic fitness progress."
-
How to mitigate the negative effects of racing in high heat. Tawnee wrote an article for Competitor.com, How Heat & Humidity Affect Performance, but how about some practical advice to help with heat issues!
-
Tawnee's Easy Creamy High-Fat Breakfast Smoothie:
- 1/2-1 avocado
- 2 tbsp raw coconut butter
- 1/4-1/2 cup coconut milk (from BPA free can)
- 2-3 tbsp Great Lake Collagen Powder or protein powder of choice
- Dash vanilla
- Liberal shake of cinnamon
- Dash nutmeg
- 5 ice cubes
- Extra water as needed to get to desired thickness
- Optional: Add frozen organic blueberries or leafy greens, and if you need to add a bit of stevia or sweetener of choice
- Blend all ingredients in high-powered blender like vitamix. Serve immediately.
- Top with unsweetened coconut flakes, raw crushed nuts, unsweetened cacao nibs, or a clean paleo granola.
Welcome to episode 3 of “So You Wanna Go Pro” with Matt Bach. Matt has made the decision to follow his dream of becoming a full-time professional triathlete, and EP will follow Matt during his transition from amateur to pro triathlete, documenting what it’s really like to go pro in this sport. Matt currently has a successful finance career on Wall street and has built a very nice, comfortable life with his wife Lauren. Now in order to go pro he has to change (almost) everything he’s built. Lauren is supportive of Matt following his dreams, but Matt and Lauren also do not want to start over completely or lose what they currently have. They want to keep the comfortable life, and even look to start a family in the near future.
Listen to previous shows here.
Quick Updates
- Boston - able to run 10 miles at 6:10 pace as easily as I did, with bag and taking selfies and video
- Hip doing better!
- Breakthrough on bike and in pool last 2 weekends
- Race schedule adjustments? nope... June 5th - Raleigh 70.3 & June 12th - Eagleman 70.3
- What kind of run workouts before then?
Matt's research on going pro
- Speaking with pros about what it’s like to be pro, and how to make it (Meredith Kessler, Ben Hoffman, Sarah Piampiano, Andy Potts, Cody Beals, Davide Giardini, Molly Roohi). What did these people say, what stood out in their advice?
- The people that have been the most helpful to me are the ones who treat their triathlon career as a business, which is what Matt wants.
- Ben Hoffman's perspective on the economics of triathlon
- Meredith Kessler & Sarah Piampiano – both came from finance too, and both are now very successful pro triathletes. Both moved to part-time at work, then made the jump. They have both been extremely gracious and have gone above and beyond to share their knowledge and experience with me.
How Matt lives by "Making life an experiment"
- Aerodynamic improvements - dropped my front-end, sleeved kit, hydration setup), two months ago went to the A2 wind tunnel to see the data. Found around 10w, still more to go
- Little things like bottle placement
- Tradeoff of more aero vs comfort
- Using the trainer for cycling - one of the biggest breakthroughs. Jared Tootell 2013, then Tailwind Endurance. Discovered what it was like to ride hard
- Heavy Gear Cycling - HR/Power disconnect…MAF HR = high power. Means you’re fit, legs are the limiter. How do you fix that? One way is heavy gears. I did it in 2014 to great success. Runners typically strong aerobically but not powerful like cyclists. 4x5min at threshold 80/75/70/65 -> 5x7min at threshold 75/70/65/60/55
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Skora-logo-600px-trans.png"]This episode is brought to you by SKORA Running, crafting running shoes that incorporate what nature intended with what the best technology can enhance. Find out more and shop now at SKORA.[/sponsor]
Dr. Tommy Wood is back for his 4th round as our resident export for Ask the Doc. Tommy is a medical doctor, with degrees from Oxford University and Cambridge University. He’s currently working toward a Ph.D. in neonatal brain metabolism at the University of Oslo, Norway. He is also an athlete, specializes in working with endurance athletes, and he takes the functional approach to practicing medicine for optimal health, wellness and performance. Tommy consults with athletes via Nourish Balance Thrive. You can also submit a question to Tommy for future ATD episodes at questions@enduranceplanet.com.
Announcements: Tommy will be speaking at the Biohacker Summit in London on May 21, and the Icelandic Health Symposium on May 26, along with Dr. Tim Noakes. Check it out if you're in town!
On this show:
One supplement for all?
- What top supplement does Tommy recommend to enhance health and/or performance?
- Exos AM/PM Multi
- Designs for Health's Multivitamin
Causes and treatments for PMS
- Help for females with bad PMS issues that affect mood, athletic performance, and more
- Weeding through treatment options: 1) 5-HTP to manipulate neurotransmitters; 2) Better lifestyle management (i.e. meditation, forest bathing, positive attitude, eat well avoid sugar); 3) Supplement with chasteberry/St. John’s Wart (eg Women’s Phase 1).
- Late luteal phase leads to relative changes in each woman, i.e. drop in progesterone and estrogen
- The role of serotonin and dopamine; dopamine regulates prolactin
- Chasteberry, St. John's Wort (SSRI) and supplements like Women's Phase 1 - these can relieve symptoms but not getting to the "higher up" issue that is causing PMS issues
- Chasteberry's mechanism of action
- Can B6 alleviate PMS issues?
- Neurotransmitters are linked to root cause of PMS issues, so to get answers look to production and turnover of neurotransmitters via Organic Acids test, i.e. 5-HIAA test to see if it's low
- Do Organic Acids test during peak PMS
- Also a DUTCH hormone test to track female cycle and hormonal fluctuations
- Ronda Patrick & Bruce Ames paper on serotonin synthesis
- The role of Vitamin D - can too little make PMS even worse?
- The role of omega-3 fatty acids - how being deficient may worsen PMS, and thoughts on high-dosing fish oil with Nordic Naturals to alleviate symptoms; how much and can you have too much fish oil.
- Fish oil and gut permeability
Intermittent fasting & fasting for women (not the same results as for men)
- Can IF/fasting work for guys but be detrimental for women?
- This well-written, well-researched article highlights potential harms of fasting for women (athlete or not) by Stefani of Paleo for Women
- Why Tommy and Tawnee never recommend alternate day fasting for females
- Most lab studies are using male rats, Tommy explain why, and also how this is not optimal to determine what's best for women
- 6:1 ratio of male to female rats used in any research regarding the brain
- Women incur more stress with intermittent fasting, and if you then combine this with endurance exercise stress it becomes extra risky. Likely to develop into female athlete triad symptoms including loss of menstruation.
- What if a female (athlete or not) doesn't care about having her period--is this ok? Tommy explains pros and cons.
- Ideal diet protocol for females: How to eat healthy, avoid crappy carbs, eat for fat adaptation but avoid doing damage of eating too little or fasting
- Tying this back in with menstruation:
- Females are most insulin sensitive during the follicular phase (1st phase)
- Females are more insulin resistant during luteal phase (2nd phase, including PMS time)
- Oddly, a high carb low fat meal can offset or mitigate PMS symptoms. On the other hand, eating high-fat low-carb during the luteal phase may be optimal for health and insulin response.
- Tawnee chimes in on her personal experience with diet during different phases.
Do we need carbs to be a good fat-burner?
- Do we literally need to ingest some carbs to allow for and/or optimize fat burning? Or can we go low carb/no carb pre- and during-training/races and still be a kick ass fat-burner?
- Low carb vs no carb = big difference
- Going too low carb/no carb can starve microbiome
- If you fast you don't get mitochondrial biogenesis, we need/want mitochondrial biogenesis so don't fast too much
- The role of AMPK - we want to stimulate AMPK because it has a positive effect on the way muscle cells use glucose and fatty acid oxidation
- Exercise is the most powerful physiological activator of AMPK
- More on glycogen cycling/replenishment for athletes and why it's important!
Is HbAIC a poor predictor of blood sugar control and disease risk?
- EP fan says he's doing it all right with diet, exercise, etc, yet HbA1C and fasting glucose were high. What gives?
- Most blood tests assess hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) as a way to get a snapshot of blood sugar/glucose control for the past 90 days, screen for and diagnose diabetes and prediabetes in adults, but is it reliable?
- Tommy says his HbA1C is also highish as well, at 5.7%
- Article on HbA1C by Keith Runyan that we mention on the show as a good resource to back up our statements
- An A1C of 6.0 supposedly indicates blood glucose could have been 100-152; an A1C of 5.0% indicated blood glucose of 76-120.
- A1C is actually largely determined by genetics (up to 50%)
- Looking at RBCs - the average lifespan of an RBC is 115-120 days, but in athletes they may have increased turnover of RBCs due to foot strike hemolysis, and this could lead to higher MCV due to the blood cell breakdown
- Take-home: Don't use A1C to calculate average blood glucose! Instead get an at-home glucometer to monitor especially 2-4 hours after eating.
- Supplies offered by Nourish Balance Thrive
- As for higher fasting blood glucose this could be due to higher stress, bad sleep, coffee, etc. Re-test.
Head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. When you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast. You can also support the podcast by opening Amazon via endurance planet—just click the banner link on our sidebar at or the link here.
On this show Tawnee and Lucho catch up on life and answer your questions:
- New research on strength training for to enhance running performance, nothing new but we share the takeaways from this study:
- Trained 2x week in preseason and 1x a week in season, at least 48 hours recovery between
- Subjects: 20 competitive collegiate and national-level distance runners (1500 m – 10,000 m distance)
- Exercises: max strength (back squats) first focus in preseason, explosive strength/speed (jump squats), reactive strength (pogo jumps, drop jumps) followed in season, as well as assistance work i.e. single leg exercises, glute activation and knee stability exercises (RDLs, SL squats, etc)
“increase the athlete’s motor potential, and gradually improve their capacity to use [this] motor potential during the performance of specific competition exercises” (41). Reactive-strength is the most important strength quality for short-, middle- and long-distance running events (42).
- Last show with Maffetone we discussed when to add anaerobic training, and generally it’s when you plateau at MAF and stop seeing progress. But what if you plateau for other reasons? For example, one EP fan tweeted that new runners can plateau from form issues, a good point. How does Lucho handle these things?
- Overcoming issues with downhill running including high hamstring strain. What to do to master downhills?
- Hitting a plateau? For someone who can now seemingly run forever (with the assistance of UCAN, Vespa and conventional sports nutrition), and pace is settling into a groove but not chancing but, what should be done? Add intensity? Polarized training?
- Post-ultra "binge" eating. If you find yourself wanting and craving tons of carbs and food in general after a race what does this mean? When is it time to lay off the celebratory food and get back to clean eating?
- Mention of the Two-Week Test by Maffetone to assess for carb intolerance
- The negative effects of beer, wine and alcohol from a mental and physical standpoint for athletes and otherwise:
- Can become addicting, and a little leads to more and more -- Lucho shares his experience
- Changes gut flora and microbiome
- Leaky gut/intestinal permeability
- SIBO risk
- Gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating, gas, abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea
- Increase burden on liver, to the point where detox pathways and antioxidants are tapped out
- Risk to other organs especially if toxic load and body burden is high
- So what's the answer? Abstain or practice moderation! Avoid booze after hard training or racing ideally
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the fuel of choice for healthy athletes looking to burn fat for fuel, maintain steady energy without the spikes and crashes, and optimize sports performance. EP fans get 15% off UCAN, shop now.[/sponsor]
Jesse Thomas is a professional triathlete, including 6x Wildflower champion, co-founder of Picky Bars, husband to pro runner Lauren Fleshman, and a dad to a little boy. He's fresh off his sixth consecutive Wildflower win, training for Ironman (and Kona hopeful), managing Picky Bars as it turns into a multimillion-dollar business, and at the end of the day always puts family first. On this show we pick Jesse's brain to see how he does it all, and stays happy and motivated in the process.
The Reigning Wildflower Champ
- On Jesse's sixth Wildflower win on Saturday, April 30, 2016. How was this one for Jesse?
- Jesse's now making the push for Ironman, racing Ironman Lanzarote in a few weeks to hopefully secure enough points to lock in Kona after a win at IM Wales in 2015 and put all his efforts toward Kona; how does that change things?
- A glimpse into his IM training routine with the help of Coach Matt Dixon, and how did this IM stuff play into Wildflower?
- Jesse's run training for Ironman (hint: not a ton of volume!)
- PR run at Wildflower
- Battling with fellow dad and course recorder holder Terrenzo Bozzone at Wildflower
Jesse's Inspiring Life Beyond Triathlon
- Founded a Picky Bars in 2010 and it has exploded; just landed in Trader Joe's and the company is set to make more than $1 million in 2016.
- The Picky Bars concept including healthy nutrition with gluten-free ingredients. Jesse was experiencing stomach issues on a triathlete's diet of 5,000-6,000 calories a day and discovered that gluten-free was beneficial. The bars embodied this, and they started making them and selling them through a club they formed.
- How a small business initially grows from grassroots style into something bigger
- Managing a small (and growing) business and pro sport career
- How Jesse manages his mind to keep things in check and not let life get out of hand
- Jesse's approach to his schedule and planning: stay super organized or go with the flow day-to-day?
- The importance of prioritizing, sometimes it has to be hour-to-hour and the planned schedule goes out the window
- Prioritizing the to-do list based on financial reasons and doing what brings home the bacon
- “Picky Bars provides me with a break from training and training provides me a break from Picky Bars and those two things work symbiotically,” Jesse says. “And running our company has made me a better athlete.”
- When it gets tough and like the to-do list is never-ending how do you keep yourself from getting overwhelmed.
- Why now for Ironman, when he's got more on his plate than ever?
- Does Jesse have a "practice" to unwind from triathlon and work?
- Running for stress relief vs. running for training/performance
- Family first, and how his son helps him disconnect from all his work
- Running a business alongside his wife and how they separate business and personal life to not get too wrapped up in work 24/7
- At the end of the day it's all about having FUN!
- How Jesse's race nutrition incorporates Picky Bars; how many he eats on the bike, which are easiest digested during racing, and more.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Skora-logo-600px-trans.png"]This episode is brought to you by SKORA Running, crafting running shoes that incorporate what nature intended with what the best technology can enhance. Find out more and shop now at SKORA.[/sponsor]
Lesley Paterson is a two-time XTERRA world champion (and three second places) among many other achievements in triathlon. She also runs Braveheart Coaching with her husband sports psychologist Dr. Simon Marshall.
On this episode we learn why Lesley is one of the bravest in triathlon.
- Lesley's diagnosis: Lyme's disease, which would change everything
- What were symptoms that led her to test and find out about Lyme's
- How she decided on treatment and how Dr. Minkoff came into the picture.
- Managing her symptoms and adjusting her race schedule as needed, with the goal to keep competing and never give up
- HPA axis dysfunction & making a choice
- Her immune system is compromised with this condition and often immunity compromised in athletes, so what does Lesley do to offset these issues to make sure she stays strong?
- The diet tweaks she made to support health and going gluten-free and paleo
- Supplementing with PerfectAminio
- Using ozone for Lyme's treatment and overall recovery
- On top of her pro career she has a busy coaching business
- How she and her psychologist husband coach athletes
- While Lesley's trying to keep herself in check with her training and health, she's also trying to push her athletes; how she manages that.
- Tips for staying mentally tough
- A "day in the life" of Lesley
- Lesley's training and race nutrition choices trying to keep it healthy and paleo style
- Gels by Muir Energy
[sponsorimage="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/exos.png"]SupportEndurancePlanet when you shop online! Openyour Amazon pageviaEP when you do your online shopping—just click the link orthebanner on our sidebar. One extra click, zero added fees,anda bit of extra support to the show.Alsoheadto enduranceplanet.com/shop and check out the products and serviceswelove including top-tier supplements by ExosPerformanceNutrition, including their AM/PMMultivitamin, L-Glutamine and Creatine.[/sponsor]
On this show with BenGreenfield:
- Schooling, education and credibility as an expert inthefield
- Snacks to fuel a workout when it's not mealtime, aiming forLCHFor Paleo style
- The goal is to still be in a fat-burning state is you haveapre-workout snack
- Pre-workout snack ideas, in particular for the afternoon andforstrength training
- Post-workout snack ideas: something with amino acids orconsiderwaiting to the next real meal, and avoid going toocatabolic
- Plan your workouts with meal time to avoid toomuchsnacking
- Bone broth, the new sports drink?
- Snacking from the male and female perspective
- Follow up on Natural Calm discussion from our last episode; is this product clean,safeeffective? (see below for more)
- Other top ways to get your magnesium
- Getting enough calories? A 67-year-old male athletesayshe's having trouble getting in 3,000 calories, what to do?
- How to set your daily calorie needs
- Caloric needs and health issues, the relationship
Here is what Natural Calm posted on the Reddit forminresponse to the poor review they received on Labdoor.com:
Hi,
In regards to the Arsenic levels that Labdoor has decided to use,itis from a proposed limit over 10 years that was NEVER approvedoraccepted. The current established level for Arsenic is10mcg/day.Why Labdoor decided to use a never approved or acceptedproposal inunclear. In regards to the Natural Calm supplement,here is NaturalVitality's official statement on it:
"The simple truth is that Natural Calm both meets its potencylabelclaim and is well within the No Significant Risk Levels forarsenicand in fact is less than 10 percent of California’s Prop65stringent safe threshold levels. This has beenconsistentlyscientifically validated by third party test resultsfrom topAmerican testing labs as part of standard GoodManufacturingPractices.
While testing results commissioned by Labdoor, whencorrectlyinterpreted, align perfectly with our results, theirreportcontains a number of distortions which provide both ahighlyinaccurate picture and a disservice to consumers. WebelieveLabdoor is attempting to use our well-deserved,award-winningreputation to inflate their importance. Apparentlytheir businessmodel involves casting themselves as a “trustedsource” by creatingsensationalized stories to drive traffic totheir website with theobjective of creating profit from advertisingsales and,interestingly, sales of supplements.
Factual Flaws
Labdoor’s Natural Calm test size was over two and a half timesourrecommended serving size but they did not factor that intotheiranalysis. When correctly interpreted our results read:
Magnesium was 346 mg, about a 1% variance from our label claimof350 mg.
Arsenic was .7992 of a microgram. Less than 8% of theCaliforniaProp 65 No Significant Risk safe threshold.
Labdoor was approached regarding their misinterpretation oftheresults and asked to retract their press release, send outacorrected press release and update their website.
However, Labdoor refused to admit wrong doing of any kindandcontinues to assert the virtue of their inaccurateposition.
At this point, both through the correct interpretation of theassayprovided to us from Labdoor and our retest of the lot inquestion,Natural Calm has been clearly shown to be accurate both interms oflabel claim and in following California’s Prop 65. Thelaboratoryused by both Labdoor and Natural Vitality was the highlyregardedCovance laboratories. Covance’s interpretation of testresults(both Labdoors and ours) validates our position in terms oflabelclaim and purity.
Additional information is available at Natural Vitalitycustomerservice if desired (info@naturalvitality.com). Havingcleared therecord with scientific facts, we now consider thismatterclosed."
I would be happy to provide you with the Certificate ofAnalysisthat we had performed on an actual servings size instead ofthe10.66g that Labdoor used, which is 2.5x our suggestedservingsize.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the fuel of choice for healthy athletes looking to burn fat for fuel, maintain steady energy without the spikes and crashes, and optimize sports performance. EP fans get 15% off UCAN, shop now.[/sponsor]
On this show with Tawnee and Lucho:
- Tawnee tells about her Boston Marathon experience.
- Soreness on the top of the foot, what could this be? Ideas: Metatarsal stress fracture, bone spur, shoes too tight.
- Young 24-year-old male describes being a highly anaerobic endurance athlete who holds his heart rate at 170-190+ bpm often, and his MAF pace is very slow at the lower HR. What does this mean? What should he do?
- A highly active anaerobic system is a red flag, not sustainable, a la Maffetone.
- Take a step back and focus on developing the aerobic base?
- Managing panic attacks. Lucho and Tawnee share insight.
- What does it means and what should you do if you happen to freak out on the swim during a triathlon, even if you're an experience triathlete?
- Channel your panic energy into productive race energy.
- How to properly pee on the bike and run! We talk strategies and etiquette
- A 44-year-old male runner shares his metabolic test results and how he's become a great fat burner even at high heart rates. How does this fit in with his MAF heart rate/pace, as well as performance goals. We debate!
- Figuring out aerobic threshold training heart rate when fat-burning exceeds the 180 Formula MAF HR.
- Are you giving up potential performance to be an extreme fat burner?
- How to balance getting ideal results with your fat-burning goals?
- When too low carb starts slowing you down, and when it's time to add back in some carbs
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Skora-logo-600px-trans.png"]This episode of Endurance Planet is brought to you by Skora Running, a small shoe company headquartered in Seattle, WA, where you'll find a leading group of innovators crafting running shoes that incorporate what nature intended with what the best technology can enhance. We can't get enough of our Skoras for running, casual wear, strength training and more; great models and color options. Find out more at enduranceplanet.com/skora. Or head directly to Skora here.
Also: You can support Endurance Planet by opening Amazon via EP when you do your online shopping—just click the link or the banner on our sidebar. Tawnee's most recent purchase on Amazon? Paleo To Go meals to bring on a backpacking adventure, as well as the brilliant book Eat Fat Get Thin by Dr. Mark Hyman.[/sponsor]
On this show with Dr. Phil Maffetone:
- EP fans, the MAF team is seeking MAF test and race data from YOU for research purposes. Contribute your information here.
- Race pace relationship with MAF pace, in particular the marathon.
- When there is a big gap between your MAF pace and the marathon, why is this a red flag and signs of overtraining?
- Marathon pace is to be 15 seconds faster than MAF pace, and if it's not Maffetone says this is an imbalance and a problem that needs to be solved.
- If you are much faster in racing than MAF pace this is the first stage of overtraining.
- Training and racing well over MAF is a sign that the sympathetic nervous system is chronically revved us. Being "artificially" faster is not sustainable. Fast races will eventually turn into slow races.
- A highly anaerobic system is a red flag.
- The best predictor of performance is a sub-max test (not max).
- The million dollar questions: When to transition from an aerobic base/pure MAF focus to to 'other' training (i.e. adding intensity, high intensity workouts, racing, strength, etc.).
- When you hit a plateau in your MAF progress, that's when it's time to implement anaerobic training into the plan!
- If intensity is applied moderately and doesn't set back health, can it be helpful in improving one's MAF pace during the aerobic phase? Especially for master's athletes who have lower MAF HRs and are often forced to walk at MAF pace due to low heart rate ranges.
- Also, how does the MAF Method apply intensity differently than more traditional zone-based plans, e.g. a Joe Friel plan?
- It doesn't really matter what you do for higher intensity training as long as you continue to make progress, not regress, don't overtrain, and maintain health.
- What would be an abnormal plateau?
- What's the deal with non-responders? Is this a thing? Or is there more to the story?
- If some is not responding to MAF training alone, why is this? Either a) not enough volume, b) not enough intensity or c) underlying health issue.
Listener Q&A:
- "Why do we need carbs to maintain fat-burning? Can we actually run out of carbs to stop fat burning? Does this mean we should consume some carbs during exercise even if we are an efficient fat burner?"
- Don't intervene with carbs if you don't need them.
- You need the least amount of carbs possible to get the performance you want; not more.
- "Fat burning dictates competitive ability as an endurance athlete" - Dr. Maffetone
- Testing vs 180 Formula? Should we use metabolic testing to set our MAF heart rate or the 180 Formula?
- The 180 Formula aalculation for MAF heart rate is the ceiling where you solely burn fat for fuel, but if ones aerobic threshold heart rate is higher than the 180 Formula, which number should we use?
- What happens if one's crossover point (max fat burning heart rate) is a minute a mile faster than MAF pace?
Parting words of wisdom:
- Always have FUN!
We are coming to you from Boston, MA, on Marathon Monday Eve for Episode 2 of EP's newest series "So You Wanna Go Pro?" with pro triathlete hopeful Matt Bach. On this episode, Matt and Tawnee had the chance to sit down together in Boston to record this show, and it's full of twists in the journey.
Need to catch up? Listen to Episode 1 here.
On this show:
Part 1: BOSTON MARATHON
- Matt is suffering from a minor hip injury flare up. We discuss what's going on, the likely underlying cause, and how he plans to recover.
- How he is revising his strength training to manage this issue.
- How the hip issue has led Matt to also revise his Boston Marathon race plan and face a tough reality: Only run 10 miles then pull out to avoid further aggravating the issue.
- What it's like to mentally accept a DNF when you know it's the best decision to get better for future races.
- If Matt had raced Boston, we talk about juggling marathon and Ironman training, and also how is a marathon race strategy planned to fit in with the A race triathlons?
- Pacing an open marathon, and setting race goals.
- They say that running an open marathon is much harder than running a marathon in an Ironman, and that often doing a marathon for IM training is often not necessary or must be done carefully. We get Matt's opinion on this.
Part 2: LOW TESTOSTERONE
- Matt opens up about dealing with low testosterone that he discovered last year.
- What symptoms of low T did he experience? What did he do to find out more?
- How he plans to train & race at the level he needs, while working to improve health status.
- Relating Matt's situation to runner Ryan Hall and what Ryan has gone through; including Ryan being open about discussing low T, etc.
- Using the functional model to investigate underlying causes of health issues like Matt has, and will this be the route that can actually get him the answers he needs?
- And more on managing T and training.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the fuel of choice for healthy athletes looking to burn fat for fuel, maintain steady energy without the spikes and crashes, and optimize sports performance. EP fans get 15% off UCAN, shop now.[/sponsor]
Announcements:
- Meet Tawnee in Boston! In Boston for the marathon? Meet up with Tawnee at an event hosted by Inside Tracker on Sunday, April 17 from 1-3pm ET (Tawnee speaks at 1:30 pm). Details here.
- Have an opinion on root canals? We want to keep an open discussion, email us at podcasts@enduranceplanet.com.
- Endurance Planet team crushes Ragnar SoCal: 6th overall out of 698 teams and 3rd in the open division
Answers to your questions:
- Running cadence when running uphill: what's the approach to take?
- Does it make any sense to try to maintain "normal" cadence when running uphill?
- Controlled fasting for several days during rest weeks--is this a good idea and for whom will it work and who should avoid it?
- How much MAF volume is enough to gain fitness? 10 hours a week, 15, 20?
- Coaching woes. Is your coach listening? What to do when you coach isn't giving you the service you desire. And in hiring a coach be sure to see what that coach is willing to offer you.
- Coaching fees: The price often reflects the service you receive; we discuss typical coaching fees and what is delivered.
- Research on bike pedals showing very little difference between flats and clipless pedals--thoughts?
- MAF, form and HR: While doing long runs at MAF, what does it mean when form changes about 45 minutes in to the run, typically for the better with increased glute activation, followed by heart rate beginning to rise. Is this normal?
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Skora-logo-600px-trans.png"]This episode is brought to you by SKORA Running, crafting running shoes that incorporate what nature intended with what the best technology can enhance. Find out more, use their "shoe finder" and shop now at SKORA.[/sponsor]
On this show with Dr. Phil Maffetone, we discuss the top reasons why refined carbs and sugars are so bad for athletes. You often hear how refined carbs and sugar are bad for non-athletes, sedentary populations and in clinical cases (chronic disease, obesity, diabetes, etc), but what about hard-training athletes? We're taught that endurance athletes need carbs and sugar to fuel, but is this really the case? Or are these "junk" foods just as dangerous for active populations and endurance athletes.
Clarifying common questions:
- If athletes are usually more insulin sensitive shouldn't carbs be ok?
- Do carbs still have a detrimental effect when used during training or racing? Or is it ok because they go straight to working muscle? What does the science say?
- If refined carbs and sugars are bad, but "no carb" or "very low carb" diets are also risky, what kind of carbs and how many per day are good for athletes?
- What constitutes a bad vs. good carb?
Top reasons to avoid "bad" carbs:
- Anti-nutrients - blocks nutrient absorption
- Inflammation
- Insulin issues
- It's junk - no nutritional value, empty calories, often fortified with synthetic vitamins and minerals
- Body composition
- Gluten - intolerance even in absence of celiac disease
- Gut issues
- Leptin & Insulin issues
- Energy fluctuations - blood sugar spikes, drops, vicious cycle.
Take Action:
- What to eat before a workout, some "acceptable" ideas including safe carbs.
- Find your carb grams per day
'Sleep Low' Study
Finally, we discuss a recent article in the NY Times and the research study being highlighted: For Serious Training Hold The Carbs At Dinnertime
Enhanced Endurance Performance by Periodization of Carbohydrate Intake: "Sleep Low" Strategy
Support Endurance Planet when you shop online! Open your Amazon page via EP when you do your online shopping—just click the link or the banner on our sidebar. One extra click, zero added fees, and a bit of extra support to the show. Also head to enduranceplanet.com/shop and check out the products and services we love including top-tier supplements by Exos Performance Nutrition.
On this episode of Sports Nutrition with Ben Greenfield:
- Nutrient delivery mechanisms and absorption of supplements.
- How can we know if we’re getting the most from our pills and capsules? Are there common supplements that are better to get in non-pill form?
- Liposomal glutathione vs NAC pills
- Vitamin D/K2--liquid or pill form? We recommend Thorne's brand.
- Vitamin injections/IV's
- Bitter melon extract as an insulin mimetic. Could it be used to speed up carb re-loading e.g. between heavy endurance sessions? Would you be able to store more glycogen in a short time using bitter melon as opposed to relying on insulin / GLUT4 alone?
- Does eating fish bones and / or egg shells have any health value, i.e. a good source of calcium?
- Debate over stevia. Are small amounts in products like UCAN ok?
It's Ragnar weekend with the EP crew! Follow us on Instagram for live updates.
On this show:
Tawnee discusses her double root canal extraction to eliminate underlying toxins
More on her blog here.
Marathon goal time for Boston? After losing 100 lbs and shaving 3hrs off the marathon, trying to figure out goal pace for Boston based on MAF data and 2:54 PR.
Combining triathlon and motocross racing.
Heat-adaptation techniques for a relay race in Mojave.
MAF test of: 6.11, 6.23, 6.24, 6.24, 6.27. How to predict a marathon time off this.
Finding a functional practitioner.
Crossfit woes: IT band issues, always sore, suffering during the runs. Switching to Pilates and working on core, glute med, etc... Go back to heavy lifting or no?
When your MAF and LT are too close, what to do for training and increasing range of fitness.
Welcome to a brand-new series on Endurance Planet: "So You Wanna Go Pro" with Matt Bach. Matt has made the decision to follow his dream of becoming a full-time professional triathlet, and EP will follow Matt during his transition from amateur to pro triathlete, documenting what it’s really like to go pro in this sport. Matt currently has a successful finance career on Wall street and has built a very nice, comfortable life with his wife Lauren. Now in order to go pro he has to change (almost) everything he's built. Lauren is supportive of Matt following his dreams, but Matt and Laura also do not want to start over completely or lose what they currently have. They want to keep the comfortable life, and even look to start a family in the near future. For more insight on the harsh reality of going pro, listen to our recent TriNews show with Thorsten Radde.
Why Matt says he's finally making the move to go pro:
- "I had an epiphany in March last year that if I didn’t give it a shot, I would regret it for the rest of my life. I don’t want to always wonder 'what if?'"
- "I love to inspire and be inspired, and if I can do that every day for a living, that’s a dream come true."
- "I want to see how good I can get."
- "Overcoming my weakness to rest on my laurels."
- "Justin... " (matt's brother who sadly passed away)
On Episode 1 we get to know Matt and more behind his decisions and plans:
- Re-Introducing Matt and what he's been up to
- 2015 season: Top amateur at Eagleman, built out sponsorship for 2016, delayed going pro
- How full-time job status has affected his training and racing thus far--will he be even better once he pares back hours at work?
- Discussing Matt's current lifestyle you have and the reality that' he's not an unattached bachelor living off a part-time job.
- Insight on Matt's finance job on Wall Street (which he started during the financial cirsis); where he and his wife have made their home; plans with this wife, Lauren.
- Speaking of Matt's wife, what's her take on all this so far?
- How did the idea of going pro became a reality?
- Of all the variables, what is the biggest challenge in going pro? Mainly financial.
- When Matt and Lauren sat down how did they make decisions and figure out the plan?
- It came down to two decisions for Matt: "Fork in road, either go pro, pare down my work hours and take sponsorships, OR stay amateur, maintain work hours, have smaller sponsor commitments and do what I did last year. Turns out I learned that there was really two separate decisions there 1.) pare down hours or not and 2.) race as a pro or amateur."
- Taking action
- He began paring down hours in January (with pay cut), now working 3 hours in the middle of the day, 3 days per week.
- What were factors influencing decision to pare down hours, and how much to pare them down?
- Meanwhile transitioning towards training more like a pro; we discuss how's it been going so far. Has he noticed a difference in the quality of training, performance and ability to recover better?
- Matt's planned 2016 Race Schedule (main events):
- April 18th - Boston Marathon
June 5th - Raleigh 70.3
June 12th - Eagleman 70.3
July 24th - Ironman Lake Placid
September 11th - Santa Cruz 70.3
October 8th – Kona, pending qualification - Thinking behind schedule: race more to build out resume, not put all eggs into one basket and to get a better feeling for what it’s like to be a pro; race back to back weekends to test ability to recover; race a 70.3 that includes more travel.
- Nutrition talk:
- When we last talked on EP in 2014 Matt was all on board with being a fat-adapted athlete and using UCAN who's since become a sponsor. He fills us in on his current diet and nutrition, and plans with nutrition for this leap into another level of training.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the fuel of choice for healthy athletes looking to burn fat for fuel, maintain steady energy without the spikes and crashes, and optimize sports performance. EP fans get 15% off UCAN, shop now.[/sponsor]
On this show:
Dr. Tommy Wood is back for Ask the Doc! Tommy is a medical doctor, with degrees from Oxford University and Cambridge University. He’s currently working toward a Ph.D. in neonatal brain metabolism at the University of Oslo, Norway. He is also an athlete, specializes in working with endurance athletes, and he takes the functional approach to practicing medicine for optimal health, wellness and performance. Tommy consults with athletes via Nourish Balance Thrive. You can also submit a question to Tommy for future ATD episodes at questions@enduranceplanet.com.
Genetic/DNA testing
- Are these tests worthwhile, and what things they can help us discover? Or, can we be intuitive, find our unique needs, and generally work to be healthy to do what’s best for our body?
- Uses for 1) predicting and 2) general battery.
- Genotype does not equal phenotype.
- Methylation issues, MTHFR mutation, ApoE genotype, alzheimer's risk, disease risk, and other things a DNA test can highlight.
- Comparing DNA tests to other types of functional health tests (ie blood chemistry, hormone tests, organic acids tests, and more).
- Are tests like a blood chemistry just a snapshot, whereas DNA testing is better for the big picture, unchanging and static? Or not?
- We're constantly changing, so test phenotype.
- The philosophy of genetic/DNA testing: do we really need to know?
- If we have a better understanding of epigenetics can we then control our lifestyle to optimize self and prevent potential diseases or avoid triggers that can negatively influence health?
- how can these tests help athletes find out more about athletic potential, food needs (i.e. how well you tolerate fat vs carbs), etc.
Testosterone talk
- Understanding a drop in testosterone in a young male endurance athlete
- After completing two extreme ultra cycling events, a 30-year-old male sees drop in total testosterone and symptoms of fatigue. Dr. Wood explains why this can happen.
- How to assess (for free) if you have normal T levels putting aside your numbers on a test.
- If you see a drop, is that necessarily a bad thing?
- When low or low-normal test results are an ok thing. For example, hypothyroid for longenviety.
- Mention of Ray Cronise on Rich Roll's show and and a case for having lower levels of growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor, etc., for longevity and health.
Tart Cherry
- Potential benefits of tart cherry: help muscle soreness and DOMS, can help with sleep and aids in insomnia relief, a powerful antioxidant, etc.
- Tart cherry's naturally occurring melatonin
- Shown to decrease ROS in marathon runners
- Why sometimes you want ROS to better adapt to exercise
- Loading with tart cherry for best results vs. chronic daily use
- When you would want to load with tart cherry (eg after a race to ease acute damage, during travel to help with sleep, etc)
- Comparing with NAC -- good in certain situations but not necessarily for chronic use by athletes
- Examining the product: Cherry Flex
Case study: Low blood protein,Perfect Amino, stomach/GI issues, hiatal hernia, GERD, and food intolerances
- What does low blood protein mean, what are possible reasons for low blood protein and the underlying cause?
- How low blood protein relates to albumin, globulin, Hematocrit, Hemoglobin, WBC and RBCs.
- GI issues and absorption of nutrients/protein
- A case for being on PPIs in the presence of a hiatal hernia and GERD, and explaining the mechanism of of a burning my esophagus and huge reflux
- Why we WANT stomach acid in decent levels for digestion, preventing infections, and more.
- Supplementing with Betaine HCl, and the appropriate candidate for this.
- Increasing protein to 1.8g/kg of bodyweight per day if signs of low protein/malabsorption
- Adding in amino acid supplements like Perfect Amino to help with low protein
Food sensitivity tests
- Food allergies most often point to an issue in the gut!
- Mucin lining
- MRT vs. Cyrex, pros and cons
- Why an elimination diet is often a better way to go to really dial in individual issues and save money.
- Possible negatives to high dose fish oil, e.g. 6g of fish oil a day, on gut permeability, food intolerance, etc.
More resources:
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]Head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you optimize health & performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free! You can also use our Amazon link (or click the banner) for all your online shopping as another way to support the show![/sponsor]
On this show with Lucho and Tawnee, answers to your questions:
- Running for mental health
- Pros and cons of using exercise as an outlet for anxiety, stress, mental illness and anger. When it's a good thing, but how a good thing can go too far and add more stress if not careful in managing it.
- Lucho's candid experience with mental health issues
- Using MAF approach to overcome ongoing injuries in calf and Achille's tendon without giving up the sport
- Is it safe to transition to minimalist running with a recent history of Achille's tendon and calf issues? How to incorporate minimalist shoes and going barefoot safely.
- Discussing different minimalist shoes like Skora's.
- MAF athlete who suffers from Crohn's disease (autoimmune) and uses diet and lifestyle to treat my illness. Noticing a higher heart rate of 10-15 beats higher on my morning training runs, compared with evening runs when it stays lower and more easily in MAF. What's going on? not a caffeine issue. Could it be the autoimmune condition?
- “In Crohn's disease, a rogue immune system attacks the digestive tract, causing inflammation and tissue damage. Crohn's disease symptoms include abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever, and fatigue. Like many autoimmune diseases, symptoms tend to cycle, getting worse during flare-ups and then subsiding.”
- How to train effectively when you work in the airline industry as a pilot or flight attendant: making use of off time at home, and how to exercise from hotels and in different cities while traveling.
- Managing the physical stress of travel and how travel, flying and crossing time zones is rough on the body, especially for athletes, and needs special consideration to stay healthy.
- Is it ok to not have calories on long runs if you are fat adapted and not hungry? Is water enough? Yes and no....
- Explaining situations where it is ok to go without calories and how this is a good sign of fat-adaptation vs. when you would want calories even if not bonking, especially for females who are more sensitive and often need at least some calories on board to offset any potential negative effects on health.
- Developed Plantar Fasciitis (PF) from a backpacking trip. Tried everything. Nothing working. Racing an Ironman later this fall. What to do? Help for PF and being able to train for triathlon while still recovering.
- Advice for training building up to a multi-day triathlon: Building the aerobic base but when to transition to higher intensity work for the bike and marathon?
- Assess your MAF pace, and all the variables the tie into where you're at. Maybe it's not so bad after all!
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]Head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you optimize health & performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free![/sponsor]
On this special episode of TriNews with Thorsten Radde we dive into the topic of going pro and what it really entails.
- "I want to go pro, what do I need to do?"
- Criteria: U.S. vs. other countries' requirements on achieving pro status
- Variables to consider: current lifestyle vs. lifestyle as pro, will you still be working part- or full-time, do you have time to train and recover like a pro?
- How has becoming a professional triathlete evolved in the past 5, 10, 15+ years?
- How many pro triathletes exist today
- Financial considerations
- Of today's long-course pros, how many are able to make a comfortable living off just prize purse earnings?
- How else do pro triathletes make a living?
- Comparing pro triathlete's income with other pro sports
- Sponsorship and endorsements for pros
- What do sponsorships offer? And what do sponsors require from their pros?
- How to be appealing to sponsors in what you offer in not only performance, but your following, reputation, online presence, etc.
- Sponsors vs. affiliates (and how this works in podcasting, too)
- The bottom line of needing to perform to make ends meet
- Finding longevity and a sustainable approach as a pro: is it possible this day in age?
- The KPR system and the need to race a lot to "make it"... is allowing for long-lasting careers and healthy pros?
- Long-course pros vs ITU pros
- How Olympic triathletes are more supported by the federation
- The role of "donors"
- Examples of up-and-coming pro's who had rocky starts: Kyle Buckingham, Matt Hansen, Matt Trautman, etc.
- From a pure stats & POV (not emotional) does Thorsten think going pro is wise?
- But from an emotional standpoint and the idea of following your dreams, taking a chance and taking risks... is going pro worth it?
- Never living a life of "what if's" and coulda, shoulda, woulda's
- It may be hard, but if you have what it takes... go for it! That's what we think!
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the fuel of choice for healthy athletes looking to burn fat for fuel, maintain steady energy without the spikes and crashes, and optimize sports performance. EP fans get 15% off UCAN, shop now.[/sponsor]
Pro triathlete, coach and dietician Kim Schwabenbauer joins the show for the second time to talk about the journey she made with her body to transition from the top level of Ironman racing to becoming a soon-to-be mom! We discuss how intense endurance exercise can cause infertility (mentally, physically), and the specific tweaks Kim made to gain fertility and have a healthy pregnancy.
What we cover:
- Why can't we get pregnant? The reasons Kim thinks she struggled to pregnant at first, including racing several Ironmans.
- Even with a normal period, why some women (athlete or not) may struggle to conceive.
- The secret that ended their struggles and allowed Kim to get pregnant
- The role of relaxing and letting go of stress in hormonal balance and overall health
- Discussing body fat and BMI levels, and Kim's body fat ranges as a pro athlete
- Getting comfortable with a healthy amount of fat
- Why female athletes have it hard when it comes to knowing how much exercise is acceptable to do during pregnancy--and how their exercise amounts can safely differ from conventional norms
- Mentally letting go of the training and competing for another, greater purpose--becoming mom
- Going through the phases of pregnancy: sick and tired at first, but now back at consistent exercise
- What's Kim's exercise like right now at 18 weeks:
- 5 X a week of low-intensity cardio, 30-60min per session
- 2 X a week of weight lifting, 30min per session
- Wearing a HR monitor to keep things in check, but also just listening to your body
- Will Kim go back to racing pro?
- Kim keeps it busy: Coaching; registered dietician; teacher; in grad school; studying for a personal trainer certification.... how does she do it especially now with the pregnancy?
Top 5 tips: What female endurance athletes can do to maintain a healthy body even if pregnancy isn't a goal, or an athlete who's wanting to get pregnant but doesn't want to have to quit exercise completely.
- Lower stress - keep it controlled!
- Sleep - don't neglect it!
- Communicate - have your network, ask questions
- Test - know your health and where you stand
- Diet - clean eating wins all
More resources:
- Pro triathlete Sarah Haskins on pregnancy
- Research: Physical Activity and Fertility in Women
- Article: Hard Training May Reduce Fertility in Athletes
- Nicole DeBoom on getting pregnant as an endurance athlete
- Kim on EP in 2013 talking about making it to Kona as a pro woman and more
- Heidi Austin - triathlete and crossfit mom talks about pregnancy and training with a baby
- Tamsin Lewis - candid look at a female triathlete's pregnancy
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/exos.png"] Check out our SHOP page that offers an ever-growing list of trusted services and products we’ve come to love, use and endorse--helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast. Company spotlight: We love the supplements and trusted formulas by Exos Performance Nutrition including their AM/PM Multivitamin, Aminos, Curcumin, and more.[/sponsor]
On this show with Ben Greenfield:
Nutrition for adventure racers that do multi-day events, race self-sufficiently, sometimes for 24-36 hours at a time, no aid stations, no drop bags, etc.
High "hemoglobin A1c" (HbA1c) results in high-fat fat-adapted athlete.
What does HbA1C measure? And it's relationship with Type 2 Diabetes.
If you're following a high-fat diet and are an athlete, why would your HbA1C be high?
How does a plant-based lifestyle fit in regards to fat adaptation, carbohydrate consumption, and the ultimate goal of being a metabolic efficient fat burner?
Needless to say, I'm a plant-based triathlete and been going strong for 4.5 years now.
Resources for plant-based athletes on diet:
RawFoodSos.com's Guide for Vegans
Vespa's guide to plant-based nutrition
Can you build up a tolerance to fat as you become fat adapted, and actually need more fat to feel full?
Head to enduranceplanet.com/shop to shop services and products we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance, and when you buy through EP you support the show!
Nailing 50k nutrition and showing fat-adaptation in calorie needs
Using UCAN products to stay in fat-burning mode
Training and kids:
New dad with a new baby is finding that he's not able to train, eating poorly, GI issues returned, and gaining weight--help!
The cashews that Tawnee loves
Going from sugar burner to fat burner with very good results in running and triathlon. Last December had a kid. Extra busy now. Doing daily runs of about 15-20 minutes, longer on weekends, combining it with crossfit-like workouts. Will this suffice to stay and/or get fit?
Using the Sami Inkinen approach
How much training volume is needed per week to instigate the beneficial changes of the MAF method training?
How often can you MAF train?
How much strength training can be done during a MAF training period?
Is there a place for doing the classical 6-10 50-100 meter strides at the end of a workout, working on leg turnover without taxing your system, in MAF training ?
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the fuel of choice for healthy athletes looking to burn fat for fuel, maintain steady energy without the spikes and crashes, and optimize sports performance. EP fans get 15% off UCAN, shop now.[/sponsor]
Barefoot Ted McDonald spent over a decade mastering natural running techniques, and is an accomplished athlete known for self-experimentation and testing his natural human capabilities. He is founder and president of LUNA Sandals, the adventure sandal company based in Seattle, and Solowheel Seattle, the one-wheeled urban transporter company he started in 2014.
On this show we learn about the philosophy of what it means to run barefoot and naturally:
- Ted's quest to discover primal natural human capacities. What does that entail? What got him on this path in life?
- His SoCal background growing up surfing, skating, and loving brands like "Hang Ten"
- His philosophy: Self-experimentation is key. Find your own path. Share what you discover. Repeat.
- Patience and mindset when pursuing barefoot/natural running.
- It took Ted about 10 years to master barefoot technique, and in that process he regained connectedness, mindfulness, and presence in running and body.
- What does Ted see has come of the minimalist craze and injury rate, has it gotten away from what barefoot/minimalist running should be about?
- Getting back to the root of why we participate in outdoor activity: whether it's spirituality, connectedness, achieving the state of flow, etc.
- Sport: Don't get caught up in results and competition; it's ok just to get out there, move, participate and feel
- Anarchistic philosopher J. William Lloyd in 1890 wrote the first treatise on running where he suggests that health and pleasure should be our primary motivation for movement, not competition.
- Lloyd wrote in a paper on coed running clubs and games in the 1890s:
- "I would advise that each runner leave shoes and stockings at home, but of course this should be optional with the individual; next to bare feet are sandals, next to sandals moccasins, next to moccasins, soft, low shoes."
- How people can safely transition from a life-time of shoe-wearing to barefoot/minimalist. Hint: It depends.
- From Ted's blog; his three goals to master barefoot/minimalist running
-
- Master gentle, quiet, forefoot-centric landings, silent and smooth.
- Quicken your cadence: Running in bare feet encourages this naturally.
- Stable upright posture: balanced head, core engaged, unbent torso, the feeling of balance, relaxed, yet strong.
- The inspiration behind LUNA sandals, the design and how they came to fruition
- LUNA's vs. Vibrams or other minimalist run shoes
- Comparing LUNA wearer's to "more traditional" runners
- What your footwear says about why you are running
- What's the deal with his latest business: Solowheel Seattle?
- "Choose the simplest solution that works well"
Other Resources:
- Flow: Psychology of Optimal Experience (book) - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
- Survival Skills of Native California (book) - Paul Campbell
- The Zen of Running (book) - Fred Rohe
- Barefoot Ken Bob
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/PerfectAmino3.png"]Head to our Shop Page where you can discover a bunch of cool services and products we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance, including PerfectAmino amino acids tabs, and Nordic Naturals Fish Oil. When you shop through Endurance Planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free.[/sponsor]
On this show we're joined by Dr. Phil Maffetone and endurance coach Alan Couzens!
Part 1: MAF listener questions
- For an experienced master's marathoner (age 53), is 172 average heart rate too high for a marathon?
- MAF pace slowed down significantly after completing the Two-Week Test. Why would this be and how to get it back?
Part 2: Metabolic testing in a lab
Value to the athlete:
- Performance: Strong link between fat oxidation and Ironman performance. Equal correlation to OBLA (FTP). Especially so at higher end of performance/for larger athletes.
- CHO stores 2000-3000kcal Competitive Ironman = 8,000-9,000kcal output for avg size athlete.
- We have to make up the balance or intensity will come down.
- Health: Almost all the 'big hitter' diseases are related to poor metabolic fitness: diabetes, but also CVD, cancer, Alzheimers have been linked to metabolic dysfunction i.e. messed up hormonal response (IR) AND mitochondrial dysfunction. Graded metabolic test hits both.
- Bottom line -- with all of the possible numbers out there for an athlete to track, this one offers HUGE benefit to both your performance & your health
Key concerns:
- Metabolic testing is a poor business model for a lab.
- ~6hrs per test with set up, long test, analysis, clean up.
- A good quality met cart is north of $20,000.
- Therefore, lots of folks cut corners in both time (shortening of stages, start at too high intensity, omit warm up) & equipment (cheap metcarts).
Tips:
- Go to a college or hospital. They can afford good met carts and are less time conscious/more apt to experiment.
- Go with your own protocol. Most colleges are VO2max focused & are less familiar with longer protocols.
- Fast 3hrs prior
- 30 min w/up VERY easy. (can be before test e.g. easy commute spin)
- long test ~10x5min stages. Takes a while for RER to stabilize at each stage.
- from
What you want to see:
- Tall AND broad fat oxidation, i.e. you have a high level of fat oxidation and you burn it at a wide range of intensities.
- Large/top male pros: 7-10kcal/min (> 70% VO2max/20kcal/min)
- Top level age-group male: 4-6kcal/min (->15kcal/min)
- Top AG female: 3-5kcal/min (->10kcal/min)
- Most <3kcal/min with drop off starting @ 60% VO2max
- Keto up to 14kcal/min - high but not broad.
How to utilize & improve results:
- Nutrition AND aerobic base work (in equal measure!)
- What kind of diet?
- Sports nutrition
- and more!
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the fuel of choice for healthy athletes looking to burn fat for fuel, maintain steady energy without the spikes and crashes, and optimize sports performance. EP fans get 15% off UCAN, shop now.[/sponsor]
On this show, answers to your questions:
- Stretch cord swim drills: What does one actually do with those stretch cords for 10 minutes?
- Cycling shoes: how too choose the right pair for your feet & needs, features of cycling shoes and what to look for, different types, and when is it time to replace cycling shoes?
- Tawnee's 5-part functional strength test for her athletes--top secret! ;)
- Runners and cycling: So, you want to buy a bike for crosstraining and easy days, how do you go about finding the right bike for your needs? What price range should you look at? What kind of frame, components and style of bike (mountain bike, road bike, cyclocross), and more! Plus how to add cycling into a run training program to avoid overtraining.
- Volume or frequency? If coming back from an injury (in this case the Achilles) is it better to build back the long run volume or try and get in more frequent shorter runs?
- Combining half-marathon and triathlon training coming off injury:
- Bike training in conjunction with training for a half marathon? How often, and what type of ride?
- What types of runs are recommended leading up a half marathon when being cautious of past injury and also needing run fitness for triathlon?
- How to re-structure training after the half marathon leading into the triathlon?
- We talk about Santa Barbara Triathlon course specifics.
Three examples of dryland swim workouts:
- Basic:
10min of intervals bending over at hips and mimicking swim stroke by facing attachment point and pulling stretch cords that are attached to door/wall at about waist high - Full workout:
warmup, 2-3 sets:
10 ea. external should rotation, elbow bent at side, with cords
10 ea. band pull-aparts
20 scap pushups
10 ea birddogs
main set, 3 sets:
1:00 freestyle swim stroke with high elbow recovery, using cords
10 ea. split squat jumps
1:00 catchup stroke/high elbow with cords
60" plank variations (add march)
1:00 double freestyle pull (both arms same time), using cords
30" full locust hold (yoga)
1:00 stretch cord row
30" ea. side triangle pose
1:00 cable chop (both directions), with cords - Links to more swim-specific dryland drills:
http://triathlon.competitor.com/2014/08/training/swim-warm-up-exercises-with-a-stretch-band_81944/3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVUBIXi5JM0
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/CFB-logo-wider-font-copy-transparent.png"]This episode is brought to you by Cool Fat Burner, the world’s first brown-fat calorie-burning cooling vest that can boost metabolism by 300%, burning over 250 calories an hour at higher intensities, as well as help build muscle, aid in recovery, promote overall wellness and allow for a good night’s sleep. EP fans 10% off the purchase of a CFB with the code “EndurancePlanet” here.[/sponsor]
On this show:
- Who is Peter Defty? GM of VESPA, nutrition expert and ultra athlete who developed a safe, healthy approach to fat adaption for endurance athletes called "Optimized Fat Metabolism" (OFM). Peter got into running circa 2000, going from carb burner with poor results to a fat burner with success in racing. He' competed in the Western States 100, among many other events, and also coaches ultra athletes on using fat as fuel (Timothy Olson, Nikki Kimball, Zach Bitter, etc). He works with guys like Stephen Phinney, Jeff Volek, etc., on refining this approach for success in life and racing.
- When is low carb dangerous, when is it appropriate?
- Why do athletes get it "wrong" with low carb (and/or trying to become "fat-adapted") and see detriments? Overthinking it? Too low cal? Not healthy to begin with? Not enough carb refuel for an athlete's needs?
- Female vs male differences. Why females need special considerations, and looking at it from an ancestral perspective.
- "Ketosis for females is actually a natural state if you look at history!"
- What is "Optimized Fat Metabolism" (OFM) and what makes it different than low carb if they both promote burning fat for fuel? How does it differ from Seebohar's metabolic efficiency?
- "Any volume of exercise with glucose is doing more longterm harm than good."
- Fat is your aerobic energy source and glycogen/glucose is your "fight or flight" fuel. Avoid that chronic fight or flight...
- Strategic carbs: We don't cut carbs, we use them wisely. Race day up to 90% of calories may be carbs, but that's ok because it's just a small percentage overall.
- Phases of fat-adaptation:
- OFM for optimal fat adaptation is not a keto diet, it's not chronic low carb either. But with OFM one of the stages is getting into nutritional ketosis. How is this done healthfully and safely?
- Periodizing ketosis: in offseason, and maybe once and a while during recovery blocks. Avoid during high-volume or intense training.
- On vegetarian, vegans.
- How evolutionarily speaking humans developed a bigger brain at the cost of a robust gut system--thus, we need to take careful care to manage gut health.
- "An under-appreciated yet vital aspect of fat-adaptation is the nutritional benefits of metabolizing the fat soluble Vitamins A, E, K & D and their co-factors found in animal fats."
- Creating optimal metabolic conditions, pathways and hormonal balance with "strategic carb restriction" and optimizing fat metabolism.
- If an athlete is unhealthy and/or overtrained, where do we start? Ketosis in an unhealthy body is not wise, so what's the steps to getting to this optimized state if you're starting off in a "deficit."
- The quality of food vs how we stress over food.
- Just eat fresh whole food--even if it's not organic--and ditch the stress instead! You're better off managing stress than worrying about organic or not.
- "The food industry is not as bad as we demonize it to be, compared to the vegetable oil manufacturers who should be sued."
- If one meets all these conditions of fat-adaptation, good health and a good diet, can they remain healthy while doing extreme endurance endeavors (ironman, ultras, etc) without setbacks? And not just healthy, but perform well (i.e. Kona qualify, elite ultra, etc)?
- Closely monitoring diet/carbs with the female cycle, in particular during the mid-luteral phase avoid heavy carbs intake in order to avoid inflammation and increased cortisol and insulin levels. If we treat ourselves well nutritionally during mid-luteal phase (before the period) we may offset some of those nasty PMS symptoms.
More resources:
- The Nikki Kimball Interview
- Zach Bitter Appearances on EP
- FASTER Study
- EP's Series on the FASTER Study
- Zach Bitter - What is Low Carb
- Zach Bitter - High Carb vs High Fat
- Zach Bitter - Sample Diet
- Zach Bitter - Intermittent Fasting
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/amazon.jpg"]You can support Endurance Planet by opening Amazon via EP when you do your online shopping—just click the link or the banner on our sidebar. Tawnee's most recent purchase on Amazon? YogaToes Gems. Fixin' the toes from those years of smashing them in shoes.[/sponsor]
We have The Sock Doc, Dr. Steve Gangemi, back on the show to give it to you straight:
Part 1: Orthotics
- Why The Sock Doc says orthotics are unnecessary
- Fix your feet & body, don't add artificial support
- Orthotics are just a band-aid for underlying issues
- Sure, orthotics can improve joint mechanics and nervous system function, but more so they are doing more harm than good
- They mess with mechanoreceptors, sensory receptors that respond to mechanical stimuli, such as pressure and pain
- Orthotics are actually controlling undesirable motion--they stabilize but they don't correct underlying problems
- Is an orthotic EVER ok? We talk about situations where an orthotic may be acceptable
- How The Sock Doc successfully weans people off orthotics
- The role of the posterior tibialis muscle health in your success (the pronation muscle)
- The role of the soleus (calf muscle)
- The role of upper body mechanics, shoulder health, posture, etc, on what your feet are doing and your run stride biomechanics--there is an important relationship to consider and we need to build the foundation properly without orthotics
- The role of muscle energy, and muscle fatigue
- Adrenal glands, adrenal health and your feet
- Nutrients and their relationship to different quadrants in the body: Can you burn out electrolytes (nutrient deficiency) and develop an injury in a related area of the body?
- The nutrient and body part relationships:
- Left posterior and magnesium
- Right posterior and potassium
- Left anterior and sodium
- Right anterior and calcium
Part 2: Flexibility
- Why do people stretch?
- What is stretching and what is it supposed to achieve?
- Flexibility is not just a joint to bend through its full range of motion, it’s the reflection of your nervous system
- The impact of stress and tension on your flexibility
- If you are under significant physical, emotional or nutritional stress, then your nervous system will respond by tightening certain muscles.
- Stretching what is tight or thought to be tight, is often treating the symptom rather than the cause
- "But if you’re drinking coffee, eating sugary snacks, not breathing, and hate your job – you’ll never stretch your way out of it."
- The worse our breathing becomes, the tighter our psoas and other muscles become.
- You shouldn't ever feel the need to stretch post workout, and if you do that's a sign you maybe worked out too hard/too intensely
More Resources
- Unnecessary orthotics
- No orthotics for flat feet
- A case FOR orthotics
- Move with a purpose; stop mindless stretching
- Stretching for flexibility, or not
This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel for athletes looking to burn fat for fuel and optimize metabolic efficiency, sports performance, and health. EP fans get 15% off UCAN, shop now.
On this show:
Dr. Tommy Wood is back for Ask the Doc! Tommy is a medical doctor, with degrees from Oxford University and Cambridge University. He’s currently working toward a Ph.D. in neonatal brain metabolism at the University of Oslo, Norway. He is also an athlete, specializes in working with endurance athletes, and he takes the functional approach to practicing medicine for optimal health, wellness and performance. Tommy consults with athletes via Nourish Balance Thrive. You can also submit a question to Tommy for future ATD episodes at questions@enduranceplanet.com.
Digestion talk
- Motility - what it is and its importance, and why it matters a lot for endurance athletes.
- Phases & the migrating motor complex, the cleaning wave between meal
- Time without eating (mini fasts) stimulates movement kinesis
- Benefits for digestion to go 4-6 hours between meals and intermittent fasting
- There are positive effects of fasting for athletes too!
- Can you fast without negative effects and reap all the positive effects?
- Weight loss: how to plan your calories and achieve your goals
- How can motility be disrupted?
- Can underlying gut issues disrupt motility (SIBO, candida, etc) and/or supplements or foods?
- Vagal tone and HRV - how this fits in with digestion and gut health
- Why "fat-adaptation" is beneficial for optimal digestion by allowing you to space out meals without "detrimental" effects of going 3+ hours without food.
- For Athletes: Is it good or bad to be eating all the time? Many athletes eat before, during, after training and graze through the day. Pros and cons to this as it relates to digestion and motility.
- Why we should be giving the gut a rest regularly. If not daily, taking the time 1-2x a week to do some intermittent fasting or fasts. Or cycle our nutrition appropriately with the race season.
- BUT: Is it potentially dangerous (hormonally, etc) to go too long without eating (3-4+ hours) especially for females?
- Prokinetics: what are they and when would we want to use them?
Healing Mast Cell Activation Disorder
- The functional approach to heal a female runner with mastocytosis with anapyhlaxis or "exercise-induced anaphylaxis," basically, an allergic reaction to one's own body with certain exercise.
- Mast cells: immune cells that induce the histamine release
- Histamine issues: one makes too much, releases at the wrong time, can't metabolize it; allergic response
- Histamine's relation with GI issues, food and diet and
- Food's cross-interference with exercise as a possible cause
- Lectin: it can bind to mast cells and cause them to activate
- Lectin found in soy, legumes, wheat, potatoes
- Try an Autoimmune paleo diet, elimination diet and/or food allergy testing
- Supplements to help with histamine metabolism: Folate, B12, Vitamin C, etc.
[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/CFB-logo-wider-font-copy-transparent.png"]This episode is brought to you by Cool Fat Burner, the world’s first brown-fat calorie-burning cooling vest that can boost metabolism by 300%, burning over 250 calories an hour at higher intensities, as well as help build muscle, aid in recovery, promote overall wellness and allow for a good night’s sleep. EP fans 10% off the purchase of a CFB with the code “EndurancePlanet” here.[/sponsor]
Announcements:
Run Ragnar SoCal with the EP Team! We have one more spot open and we may consider a second team for ultra if there’s interest. Email events@enduranceplanet.com to claim your spot for an unforgettable weekend.
LA Marathon, Boston marathon--we will be there. Are you a fan of EP and want to meetup? Get a hug from Tawnee!
On this show:
- Shoe talk: Love for minimalist shoes, wide toe boxes and for Skoras, just because.
- Using Yoga Toes to fix toe problems
- Don't smash your toes into narrow shoes
- When should you replace shoes? Instead of a set mileage look at when your "bad habits" mold into the shoe wear and tear and further promote those bad habits.
Three new studies just released in the NSCA's Journal of Strength and Conditioning with endurance sports love that we discuss in detail:
-
- Changes in Contributions of Swim, Cycle, and Run Performances on Overall Triathlon Performance over a 26-year period
-
- Similarities and differences in pacing patterns in a 161 and 101 km ultra-distance road race
-
- Barefoot running reduces the submaximal oxygen cost in female distance runners
More Q&A:
- How would you alter typical road triathlon training to the demands of off-road racing (XTERRA Olympic distance races)? Key workouts for swim, bike, run plus figuring out frequency, intensity, recovery weeks, and more.
- Mark Allen's old-school guide to strength training article - what's still relevant, what would we change?
- What strength training exercises would you include for muscular endurance as well as repeatable short bursts of power?
- Lifts to replace leg extension and leg curl?
- Sumo deadlifts compared to straight leg or Romanian deadlifts
- When it comes to cycling and running which variation of deadlift is the best? Or would a variety be best
- How to plan lifts in your training schedule
- When it comes to squats, which variation is ideal: front, high bar, or low bar? Or once again does it not matter?
Check out our SHOP page that offers an ever-growing list of trusted services and products we’ve come to love, use and endorse--helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast. Company spotlight: We love the supplements and trusted formulas by Exos Performance Nutrition including their AM/PM Multivitamin, Aminos, Curcumin, and more.
On this show with Ben Greenfield:
"Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digtial Age" by Sherry Turkle; book talk with Ben and Tawnee
Food combining
- Importance of food combining and mixing macros
- Eating fats & proteins with carbs can slow sugar release, which can be a good thing to control blood sugar, but does eating fats & protein with carbs take longer to digest due to different acid environments? Examples: fruit/honey with fats; steak and potatoes, etc.
- Different acidity in foods and digestion
- Are eggs and bacon really the best idea for a pre-race or pre-workout breakfast even if you are fat-adapted?? We talk pros and cons of this meal.
- Why it's sometimes a good idea to forgo protein and fat before a gnarly workout/race.
- What is an "easy digesting" fat-adapted breakfast?
- Should we be loading up our veggies with butter, coconut oil or other fats?
- Bitter melon extract
- Cinnamon with carbs for blood sugar control
Amino acids (protein supplements)
- Powder vs. pills?
- What's the difference, is one form superior, and why?
Nutrition and supplements for thyroid support
- How you know when thyroid needs a boots: TSH is high, T3 is low
- To convert T4 to T3 you need glucose
- The tradeoff on too little or too much T3 for longevity
- Supplements discussed:
- Thyro-gold - using thyroid powder from pasture-fed New Zealand cows
- L-aspartic acid
- Coleus Froskohlii
- Glycerol
2016 Diet Trends
- Dietary customization with genetic testing, blood work, gut testing and more
- Honing in on your diet unique to your needs, with technology to support convenience
This episode is brought to you by Sound Probiotics, the first pure probiotic plus prebiotic formulated specifically to improve the gut health of the competitive athlete, developed by a team of doctors and endurance athletes who get it. Click here to get 10% off and get free shipping on your order.
On this show:
These days a lot of endurance athletes are taking charge of their health by getting testing done through online-based companies that make this process easier and more effective than ever. As such we are able to go deeper and learn more about the common potential "problems" that male and female endurance athletes face. Enter Chris Kelly of Nourish Balance Thrive. As the founder of NBT, Chris is on to talk about trending health issues he sees in endurance athletes after analyzing thousands of tests.
We also catch up with Chris' athletic accomplishments in mountain biking and cyclocross as a keto-based athlete, with Tawnee asking "hard" questions on carbs, performance, fueling and more.
Common health issues in endurance males:
- Slightly hypothyroid
- Iron overloaded (how to offest this)
- Folate and B12 deficient
- ...with symptoms, why this happens and solutions
Common health issues in endurance women:
- Slightly hypothyroid
- Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)
- Testosterone dominant
- ...with symptoms, why this happens and solutions
Also discussed:
- Hypothyroid: what leads to these issues in addition to poor diet habits
- Best new test you can get: The DUTCH hormone test
- Using Tawnee's health tests (blood, hormones) as an example
- Fertility awareness and the female cycle
- Tracking basal body temperature (BBT) and using Kindara
- The fabulous Grace Lui
- Vitamin D - a big problem still?
- Low ferritin and anemia in female athletes and vegetarian/vegan athletes
- Exos' AM/PM Multivitamin with the kind of folate you want!!!
- From our friends at Inside Tracker: Cortisol and testosterone are often elevated/depressed, as is the T:C ratio (an indicator of catabolic or anabolic state), especially in males. Usually related to heavy training, lack of sleep, not enough emphasis on recovery, or all.
More resources:
- NBT's podcast on iron overload
- Should you reduce your iron intake?
- Inside Tracker on health trends and solutions for athletes
- NBT's Clinical Coaching Group
- To get a discount on an Inside Tracker test use code "enduranceplanet"
- Exos Performance Nutrition
This episode is brought to you by Cool Fat Burner, the world's first brown-fat calorie-burning cooling vest that can boost metabolism by 300%, burning over 250 calories an hour at higher intensities, as well as help build muscle, aid in recovery, promote overall wellness and allow for a good night's sleep. EP fans 10% off the purchase of a CFB with the code "EndurancePlanet" here.
On this show, with Dr. Phil Maffetone:
Part 1: Best of 2015
- Our top shows from 2015 (by the download #s):
-
- With Tim Noakes on Hydration
- With McDougall/Walters on Natural Born Heroes
- On Healthy Training and MAF Training for Master's; close behind was our last 'Grab Bag' Show post-IMAZ.
Part 2: Are you a fat burner?
We analyze these 10 variables that could tell you more about your fat-burning:
- Metabolic lab testing. Get a test in lab that measures crossover point. Arguably the most accurate way to figure out if you’re a fat burner during exercise, if you have the means and desire.
- MAF pace. If it’s easy for you to hold MAF without HR spiking to your threshold or above.
- Measure ketones post exercise. Options would be at-home measuring devices for blood, breath, or urine.
- Blood test. For these purposes what more can we learn from fasting glucose, HbA1c, testosterone, DHEA, cortisol, etc.
- Blood glucose monitoring. Generally avoiding big spikes or prolonged elevated blood glucose post meal, and big crashes or hypoglycemia.
- Field "Bonk Test."Build up to a 2hr aerobic run, or 2-3hr aerobic bike done in a fasted or semi-fasted (fat as fuel) state with no bonk and no post-workout “hangry” effect. To verify: test ketones, self-monitor energy and hunger for rest of day should be normal, and monitor fatigue/recovery.
- Body fat testing! If you’re over an ideal BF range there’s a good chance you’re fat burning isn’t working optimally. Also where do you hold BF? This dives deep into what’s really going on with health and could be one clue into deeper issues (i.e. you eat for fat-adaptation, low carb, etc, yet you’re still fatter than you should be).
- Steady energy. Monitor hunger and energy levels - you should not be getting hangry or feel major food-related energy fluctuations. Fat burners have steady energy most the time. This is independent of exercise.
- Calories. You must be eating quality calories, good fats, fewer carbs and avoid a low-cal diet. Once you are great a fat burning you will find that your calorie needs may be less at times.
- Intermittent fasting (IF). If you are in good health and hormones in a good place, try intermittent fasting: 12-14 hours between dinner and breakfast the next day; 4-6 hours between daily meals.
On this episode of Ask the Coaches:
- Submit a question to the show at questions@enduranceplanet.com BUT please kindly keep it to 100-200 words max. (If we need more info, we will email you.)
- How to combine training and racing for ultras and half-Ironmans.
- The situation: In 2016 I'd like to focus on being faster in the (3) 70.3 I have planned, the first of which is on April 23. Before that doing a 50k broken up into (10) 5k races, each one starting at the top of the hour for 10 hours. How can I use this event to my best advantage given my goal of faster 70.3 times, with one of those races being 6 weeks after the funky 50k? How should I pace these (10) 5ks to help my training?
- How you would modify an Ironman training plan to train for the ITU Long Course Triathlon, aka Challenge Penticton, with distances of 3k/120k/30k. What kind of long run/ride distances would you aim for? Would over-distance training be a bad thing? What intensities?
- Training for a marathon while also wanting to PR the Olympic distance triathlon 5 weeks later. How to accomplish this?
- Why would one's MAF run pace be faster coming off of the bike than an open run?
- If MAF off the bike pace looks unsustainable even though within MAF, so should you slow down to usual MAF pace even if that means running below MAF HR? How does this vary from a training day versus race day?
- For a novice triathlete, what percent of FTP should one aim for during a hilly Ironman race? Should the goal power vary from the flats, to uphill, to downhill?
- Applying FTP to Ironman racing a la Lucho:
- 50-60% for an ~8+ hour IM bike. 60-70% for ~6-8 hours.
- Training for the Western States 100 June if you live in a flat state; how to best train for the 18,000 vertical up and 23000 down at Western.
- MAF pace all over the place and not getting faster, why?
- The situation: Male athlete recovering from "going too hard on the easy days" and decided to try the Maffetone method. After 8+ weeks, pace at MAF HR varies significantly from run to run and even within runs anywhere from 8:48 to 11:28. Additionally I have not gotten any faster running at MAF HR. Any suggestions for a newbie to MAF training?
- With swimming: is it ok to just do longer distance non-stop swims? Especially if you don't like drills and repeats, and generally just enjoy non-stop swimming.
- What is the purpose of intervals and drills in the pool for triathletes who then race non-stop?
- On weighted vest training: introducing the weighed vest, progression, run training, etc. Tawnee talks from experience/expertise and Lucho chimes in.
- The weight vest we love is made by Hyperwear.
Endurance athlete and hydration expert Andy Blow, of Precision Hydration, joins this show to talk further about hydration and electrolyte needs, and why sweat testing could be your answer to overcoming blow ups in races and the ticket to the best performances of your life.
Announcements
- You can take Precision Hydration's FREE entry-level sweat test online to get your own personalized hydration plan.Want the full advanced Sweat Test that Tawnee had? Find your nearest test center.
- Ready to up your hydration? Use the code "ENDURANCE10" to get 10% off your first Precision Hydration product order.
- Find more deals on trusted products we love at enduranceplanet.com/shop.
- Click here to watch Tawnee receive a sweat test with the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) in Kona as mentioned on this podcast! The results from this cycling sweat test are discussed on the video with GSSI experts as well as Andy during this episode, and we compare the cycling test with the machine-based sweat test...
On this show
PART 1
- About Andy Blow
- Andy was an elite-level triathlete and has a few top 10 Ironman and 70.3 finishes to his name. He brought home an Xterra World Age Group title back in the year 2000. Knee surgery forced him out of competitive triathlon a few years ago, but he still competes for fun at events like Coast to Coast New Zealand and OTillO Sweden. He's got a degree in Sport and Exercise Science and was once the Team Sports Scientist for Benetton and Renault F1 teams. He learnt about hydration and electrolyte replenishment the hard way, by getting things very wrong and ending up in the medical tent of more than one hot-climate endurance event. It took a lot of frustrating trial and error to get to the bottom of his hydration problems. But it was totally worth it, as Precision Hydration was born out of this struggle.
- The Basics:
- Should we be measuring sweat via sweat test or is ball-parking enough?
- "Drink to thirst" like Noakes says, but Andy adds: drink what you lose (in terms of electrolytes). Why is this?
- Does our body has buffering mechanisms for sodium and that those mechanisms correct any sodium imbalances (according to noakes and maffetone)
- Discussion from stats and data posted on Precision Hydration's blog:
- "Some people losing as little as 0.2g per litre of sweat and others losing near 2.0g per litre! This means that different athletes need to take in very different amounts of sodium when sweat output is high. This variance in sweat sodium loss is largely down to genetics. Whatever the cause, it’s clear that a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to electrolyte supplementation doesn’t work."
- "Our own data (which is probably one of the most comprehensive sets available) shows a much wider variance in sweat sodium values (approximately 19mmol/l to 84mmol/l) in well trained athletes than he quotes in the book (around 20-40mmol)."
- The truth that there's a wide range of sweaters and it's genetics
- Andy discusses his thoughts on the role of health status and how it can alter sodium regulation putting one at risk, and the role of health and hormonal balance in regulating hydration and sodium/electrolytes overall.
- When hormones are in imbalanced state, and HPA axis no functioning properly, can this cause a hydration-related issue?
- Ultra/extreme endurance races and racing in heat:
- Recommendation for athletes who are racing 24+ hours or multi-day and in extreme dry heat?
- In these extremes is it unsafe to just drink water? what about water but eating food like chips and whatnot
- Flip that to something like ironman or ultraman in hawaii (humidity!). how do things change for hydration and sodium needs in these conditions vs dry heat?
- What do you like to have athletes use? Tabs that dissolve.
- Are salt tab and pills too concentrated?
- Are gatorade and/or traditional sports drinks too much (i.e. too high osmolality and sugar?)
- Special diets:
- Dr. Jeff Volek recommends a pretty high sodium supplementation when on the ketogenic or LCHF diet. Noakes has even conceded that Jeff Volek might be right and that when LCHF, your sodium needs are different.
- Discussing LCHF athletes sodium needs. "I've tried a lower sodium diet in general and it just didn't work. The cramps would get really bad. Especially during sleep. Even my hands would cramp. I would also get super light headed."
- Andy gives his analysis on Tawnee's sweat test in Kona with the GSSI
PART 2
- Live with Andy Blow to get sweat tested with Precision Hydration's equipment!
- We met up with Andy again, in person, after the recording of the initial podcast to receive some sweat tests using his special equipment (no exercise required). Find out what the results showed and further analysis comparing a high sweater with lots of sodium loss vs. a low sweater with little sodium loss.
- Two tests are completed during this meeting comparing two very different kinds of sweaters--John, a high sweater who loses a lot of salt (like Andy); and Tawnee, a low sweater who doesn't lose much sodium.
- What we can take away from this individualized approach and information to optimize sports performance.
Further listening
- Drs. Noakes and Maffetone on hydration.
- Dr. Stacy Sims on hydration.
This episode is brought to you by Cool Fat Burner, the world's first brown-fat calorie-burning cooling vest that can boost metabolism by 300%, burning over 250 calories an hour at higher intensities, as well as help build muscle, aid in recovery, promote overall wellness and allow for a good night's sleep. EP fans 10% off the purchase of a CFB with the code "EndurancePlanet" here.
On this show:
Get to know James Lawrence, aka the Iron Cowboy, who last year did the impossible by accomplishing 50 Ironmans in 50 states in 50 days.
- The real deal with James' beard and how he treats it.
- Comparing 505050 to Kona ironman World Championships
- Taking the ultimate offseason to recover fully and accepting losing fitness
- James spent roughly years building a base practicing patience
- From his coach, David Warden on the coach's blog
- "Six of James' slowest performances took place in the first 11 days. Was it the tough bike courses of the mountain west? Someday I'll record the elevation gain for each day and be able to answer definitively. For now, I flatter myself that my theory was correct: I didn't need to get James ready for 50 IMs in a row, I just needed to get him ready for 10. The fitness to do the remaining 40 builds from there. In other words, what's the best way prepare for 50 IMs in a row? Do 10 in a row and repeat 4 more times."
- On getting faster the deeper the campaign went on
- The role of Crossfit, strength training and intensity to build durability
- James' rules of Crossfit
- Some of his favorite power/strength-building workouts (gym and sport-specific)
- How did the team decide on appropriate pacing: RPE, HR, watts, pace, etc.
- What were specific HR ranges and watts and how did they adjust and adapt to this. At times not even getting near the "caps" that coach laid out.
- Did he plan pacing and have specific slow days based on a state's terrain or climate, like we'll use this course to go easier? Or did it just unfold?
- Day 18: the bike crash from falling asleep
- Maintain good energy on little sleep and the crazy schedule
- The art of being flexible with the plan
- Nutrition and fuel
- Fat-adaptation, metabolic efficiency and using fat for fuel!
- The Iron Cowboy Alter ego: where and how did he find out this is something that works so well
- The art of being selfish
- Presence
- James' "POWER MINUTE"
- "When was the last time you did something hard or new"
- Hopefully we all need to hit some rock bottoms to learns and grow
- Getting uncomfortable
- Was there a doctor on hand/med team on hand?
- Copy cats trying to replicate the 505050?
- Haters gonna hate
- What's next:
- Iron Cowboy coaching
- The Iron Cowboy triathlon, coming July 2016 in Utah.
- Also mentioned:
Rich Roll podcast
Check out our Shop page and ramp up your supplement supply to support an invincible body in 2016. We love the supplements and trusted formulas by Exos Performance Nutrition including their AM/PM Multivitamin, L-Glutamine and Creatine.
-
Ben Greenfield joins SN 229 for a special kick off to the year discussing how to reboot your health and ramp up immunity during the winter months and offseason.
-
Immunity
- Top hacks for better immunity
- L-Glutamine
- Bone broth
-
Rest
-
Travel healthy
-
Helpful hacks to avoid getting sick if you traveling and fly a lot
-
Supplement ingredients
-
Thoughts on artificial sweeteners and stevia in health products
-
Ben on orthorexia
- What it's like to be in that mindset and breaking free
- Ben's podcast on orthorexia
This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel for athletes looking to burn fat for fuel and optimize metabolic efficiency, sports performance, and health. EP fans get 25% off UCAN, shop now.
In celebration of Ask the Coaches' 200th episode, we take a walk down memory lane and dig up Episode One, Lucho and Tawnee's first-ever show together in October 2011. Follow along as we re-play that first show and your hosts give their commentary along the way...
Click here to the full Episode #1.
Thanks to our loyal fans for making ATC the #1 show on Endurance Planet. We looks forward to answering more of your questions and having fun for years to come!
We are joined by Dr. Tamsin Lewis, who's become a new mom since her last appearance on EP! Read Tamsin's pregnancy blog, mentioned on the show. You can hire Tamsin for a health consultation at Curoseven.com.
This episode investigates the risks and dangers of going to low carb, and advises athletes to assess their health via blood tests, consulting with professionals, etc, before taking on any extreme diets.
- What are the risks of going too low carb or keto; problems you can create with these diets?
- Who should avoid extreme low carb and ketosis (<50g/day)?
- Take home: Finding health, finding balance
Defining ketosis
-
- similar to starvation mode
- use mainly fat and protein for energy
- eating <50 g CHO/day
- exogenous forms of ketones
What are the potential risks of going too low carb or keto; problems you can create with these diets?
- Gastrointestinal issues
- constipation, diarrhea, pain, bloating, etc
-
disrupting the microbiota, epigenetics, and is keto the preferred diet for you?
-
Female specific issues
- problematic for supporting a healthy female hormone environment (disruption; depletion)
- high cortisol & the pregnenalone steal
- signal that body is in high stress state
- can create thyroid problems
- TSH increase; T3, T4 decrease
- cortisol up, progesterone down; menstrual irregularities
- potential loss of cycle or irregular period with too low carb
- importance of diet during the luteal phase
- psychological issues; anxiety and depression
- caloric restriction/low-calorie mistakes
- infertility and pregnancy complications
-
anecdotal evidence of: low-carb great at first, weight loss, etc, then you crash and hormones go crazy, get depleted, etc
-
Can males suffer from similar hormonal and health issues as females?
- testosterone disruption (the fight with cortisol)
- muscle loss
-
catabolic vs anabolic states
-
Athletes:
- trouble recovering
- trouble reaching high-end speed/intensity
- trouble executing training (volume and or intensity)
-
trouble if overtrained
-
Glucose & cholesterol issues
- if you have high fasting blood glucose and cholesterol circulating in blood stream
- a weird thing can happen: switching to LCHF = increase in fasting BG
-
the brain induces insulin resistance to preserve glucose for itself
-
Keto and LC foods: beware of artificial foods, dairy, fewer veggies
- a lot of keto recipes call for stevia and artificial sweeteners to avoid sugar, bad news
- a lot of dairy recipes too
- "bacon salad syndrome" - protein and fat but not enough veggies
- missing variety of nutrients
Other options for fat-adaptation
- Metabolic flexibility
- carb timing, use carbs as a weapon for training/racing
- Example: Zach Bitter
- Thoughts on high carb
So, who should avoid/consider avoiding:
(or get healthy first)
- Thyroid problems, hypothyroid
-
TSH, T3, T4
-
Females who exhibit:
- triad cases
- who tried to be healthy actually got very sick and compromised; until the underlying issues are solved NK is not going to work well and even backfire
- hypothalamic amenorrhea, eating disorder, energy availability
- body too chronically in sympathetic state
- mention of the "high" that comes with ED, keto
- active athletes
-
trying to increase fertility or currently pregnant
-
Adrenal fatigue or other hormonal imbalance
-
Other underlying conditions, disease or metabolic issues (diabetes, cholesterol issues, etc)
-
extreme training; endurance or HIIT
- can slip in and out of keto/low carb but still in need of carb refuel/moderate carbs
Who has success with keto?
- Sufficient calorie intake. eat enough calories! Eat fat like it's your job!
- Cyclic approach
- Metabolically fit, healthy people
- Using carbs when they are needed for sports performance!
Take home & finding the balance
- We are still seeking health, wanting to avoid refined carbs, sugar, maintain steady energy, be metabolically efficient, etc. So avoiding LC/keto is not a pass to eat high carb junk foods. It's about moderate carb intake
- 50-60% fat, 20-30% protein, 10-30% carbohydrate?
- seems like 100-200g CHO/day is safe for most
- or more traditional 40-50% CHO may work, it depends
- carb cycling
- Make it your goal to get metabolically fit and solve your underlying health conditions. so whether you choose keto or not as your diet you at least know you are a healthy individual.
More Resources:
The Paleo Mom - List of Keto Dangers
Robb Wolf - Females, Carbohydrates, and Hormones
Paleo for Women - the Pregnenalone Steal
TriTawn - Quitting gum
We're joined by Juliet Starrett, aka JStar or @MrsMobilityWod, an all-around badass athlete, businesswoman, mom and wife of Kelly Starrett. Juliet is a lifelong athlete who rowed in high school, on the U.C. Berkeley crew team, and paddled for the U.S. Women’s Extreme Whitewater Team from 1997-2000. She's won two World Championships and five national titles. She's also a former full-time attorney, who is no stranger to 80-plus hour work weeks, and a mother of two girls. In 2005, Juliet along with Kelly co-founded San Francisco Crossfit, which has evolved into one of the premier Crossfit gyms in existence. She's competed in CrossFit Games, and has also helped Kelly build and popularize Mobilitywod.com; in fact, many say that she's the mastermind behind Kelly's rise to fame and success. In recent months, Juliet and Kelly have taken a stand for kids' health with StandUpKids.org, which seeks to get stand-up desks into schools across the country and promote healthy movement, exercise and lifestyle in today's youth with goals of combating the obesity epidemic, and instilling healthy lifestyle and diet practices. On this show we cover: * Movement and workouts for kids * Workouts and Crossfit for kids, and the CandyWOD from halloween! * Guidelines for kids doing any sort of training, strength or otherwise. * When is it ok to get them started? How frequent? Bodyweight or weights? * How much of a stickler should we be on form for kids? Is it important to let them just learn movement naturally? * Top movements or exercises every kid should learn.
- Standup Kids: Fighting for children's health and standup desks in schools
- StandUpKids.org's Mission: to get every public school child at a standing desk in 10 years, to combat the epidemic of sedentary lifestyles and inactivity, and to better reflect 21st century education goals.
- From Dave Epstein's The Sports Gene - our genetic component for the desire to move
- Raising Cain
- Movement for kids as a solution to ADHD and other diseases, etc, and NOT more sitting and meds.
- Researchers are also now beginning to explore the connection between too much sitting and general inactivity and the rapid increase in ADHD. Read more here.
-
Are we drugging out kids and preventing their athletic potential?
-
Current problems in today's youth
- The average U.S. student is sitting an average of 4.5 hours/day at school and (for kids ages 8-18) an additional 7 plus hours/day in front of a screen, etc... nearly 85% of their waking hours in sedentary positions.
- Sitting equated with smoking, as little as two hours continuously increases risk for heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancer, back and neck pain (among other orthopedic problems) and will literally shorten your life
- Tacking on regular exercise to an otherwise sedentary life doesn’t overcome the negative effects of too much sitting. create ways for children to be continually moving more throughout the day.
- More on desks: how tall, etc.
Switching gears...
- Women's strength training and healthy approach to body image, diet and sports performance
- Juliet's thoughts on strength training for women, including frequency and intensity
- How she's built and maintained a fit, strong bod for most her life
- Strength training for women and their sports performance goals
- Why she thinks genetic testing is super helpful in building the perfect diet, routine
- Her approach to nutrition and supplementing
- Keeping it real and promoting a healthy body image, and instilling healthy attitudes in her girls and today's women
- Who is Sage Bergner and why should you care?
We're joined by Dr. Mark Stephany of Sound Probiotics to explore how endurance athletes can get an edge by focusing on gut health.
Grab this free ebook on gut health in athletes and probiotics, which we refer to in the show.
Check out this new article "The Athlete's Guide to Probiotics" by Alex Hutchinson, also referenced in the show.
Covered in this episode:
- How does endurance training and racing affect athletes’ immunity and microbiota
- What is the microbiotia?
- Its significant role in digestion, immunity, cognition and performance.
- The tie in with leaky gut.
- 70% of the immune system in gut, and when we stress the body with lots of exercise we compromise the immune system.
- Cases of pro athletes who've gotten sick before their A races, and the tie in with gut health.
- Can our microbiotia tell us about how good of an athlete we are?
- What data comes from a test like ubiome, and is it really worth it in making suggestions for better health at this point?
- Can we improve microbiotia and have that carry over into better performance?
- Microbiome of elite athletes vs non-athletes--differences?
- What are probiotics?
- How do they work?
- Compare probiotics with prebiotics.
- Why we want bacteria, and also why antibiotics are terrible.
- Why are probiotics and prebiotics especially important for athletes.
- Research on heat tolerance with probiotic use referenced by Hutchinson: "University of Tasmania study found that runners performed better on a treadmill in 95-degree heat after taking a multistrain probiotic for four weeks. Bacteria leak from the gut into the bloodstream during strenuous activity, explains lead researcher Cecilia Kitic, causing inflammation that can raise core temperature. By making the gut lining healthier, the probiotics appear to help the body tolerate hot conditions. "
- Research on probitoics' effects on hormones also referenced by Hutchinson: "The microbes in your gut also release hormones like dopamine, seratonin, and noradrenaline into your bloodstream, and they play a key role in teaching your immune system to distinguish between friendly and harmful bacteria."
- Supplements vs food form.
- Why not eat just a bunch of kimchi and yogurt? Or food forms of resistant starch for prebiotics?
- What's the difference between probiotic supplements.
- How specific strains can treat specific issues in folks: i.e. obesity, depression, immunity, and so on.
- Formulas/strains in other top brands (Prescript Assist, Primal Defense, etc)
- How a probiotic is created for athletes specifically.
- When if ever is a probiotic not good?
- If you have an gut bacterial overgrowth, candida, SIBO, or infection like H. pylori, should you be careful with probiotics?
- Do you recommend having a few different probiotic brands to create diversity?
- Overall, what's the biggest gain for athletes?
- Warding off gastrointestinal illness
- Hard to measure the gains if you're preventing athletes from getting sick; i.e. hard to measure that which is not there, right?
- Questions from athletes:
- "If I feel good, no digestion issues, etc, why do I need to take a probiotic and/or eat fermented foods?"
- "If I'm having a flare up from a past or ongoing gut issue (i.e. overgrowth, infection, sensitive to carbs, etc) is it ok to load up on extra probiotics and antimicrobials like oil of oregano for a quick cleanse/reset?"
- Announcements:
-
Ragnar SoCal signups! Join us April 1-2, 2016, for an epic adventure of a lifetime. Email: events@enduranceplanet.com.
LOL: Bro science takes on altitude training masks, watch here.
Teaser: Upcoming podcast on hydration, sweat rate, sweat sodium loss with Precision Hydration. -
Offseason talk:
- Lucho and Tawnee give their take on the article "The Myth of winter base training for cyclists"
- What do you need this offseason? Depends on experience, what was your season like, and what are next season goals? So, figure out your needs.
- You have the same weekly volume available, but just drop intensity to base/junk miles? That usually wont get you anywhere.
- What about mitochondrial density? There are other ways to get results than low-intensity training.
- "In a well-trained endurance athlete more volume at low intensity will no longer result in greater mitochondrial density (they’ve already adapted to the intensity level required)1 (Dudley, 1982). To get faster they need to stimulate mitochondrial development with higher intensity efforts.2 (Burgomaster, 2005) Very long training sessions are still necessary, but more from an experiential standpoint than a physiological one."
- Amend: "going slow makes you slow" to: "going too low HR/recovery zone too often won't make you faster." Slowing down to work on base at MAF is fine and will get you faster (until you reach the plateau).
- Be ok with losing a little fitness to avoid OTS!
-
How do you know when to go from the base period to the build period? Or, when can you graduate from total MAF training to adding more intensity?
-
On coaching:
- Hire a coach for 2016? Be self-coached? Or get online training plans?
- How effective is online/remote coaching?
- Thoughts on a remote coach who can't always see you in person, and how today's technology makes that easier.
-
Advice for athletes who are on a budget and can't afford coaching services but still want to succeed at longer distance events?
-
Books for the self-coached athlete:
- Joe Friel's Training Bible books
- Training and Racing with a Power Meter (Allen & Coggan)
- Your Best Triathlon (Friel)
- The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing (Maffetone)
-
The Endurance Handbook (Maffetone)
-
Female runner "case study":
- On making a marathon comeback post-injury
- "I know I know.... Let your race choose you. But I have a bone to pick here. Ran a 3:02 on the course (Portland marathon) in 2013. Ran another 3:02 in 2014 in Vancouver. Missed Boston 2015 with tibial stress fracture. Currently back to building base 65-80 miles a week (easy pace of 7:30-8:05) with one tempo per week (think 5-8 miles 6:40-6:50 pace). My own training history shows me that too much intensity (400s, 800s, mile repeats) leads to injury. I'm 10 months out from planning to finally break 3. A recent maf test has my heart rate 150ish pace around 7:40. Wondering about looking at building a plan around more goal pace training instead of intensity and working more leg turnover with fartlek work. Goal marathon pace would be 6:45. Which I know I can do. It's strategizing how to get there by building slowly consistently and injury free."
Dr. Steve Gangemi, aka The Sock Doc, joins Endurance Planet for the first time, providing extremely valuable insight and expertise for endurance athletes. Steve operates his holistic alternative health practice out of Chapel Hill, NC.
Who is Steve, The Sock Doc?
- Where did the name "The Sock Doc" come from?
- Steve's journey to minimalist and barefoot running... and barefoot living
- Shoe talk and why big brands and going less minimalist these day
- A little love for Skora's minimalist shoes
- Adopting an "all natural" healthy lifestyle and functional health practice, and a philosophy toward health, fitness and training that was influenced by Dr. Phil Maffetone
- Steve's explains MovNat, his involvement and why it's a valuable certification
Allergies, Asthma and Athletes
- Why are so many athletes and folks in general getting allergies?
- How can we take all-natural steps to improve health and end allergy woes?
- The role of the adrenals
- Does what we did as kids and in our youth matter still if we've taken steps to be healthy? (i.e. antibiotics, poor diet, etc--before we knew any better!)
- C-sections vs. vaginal births
- Kids and allergies: What women can do to ensure the build a healthy baby in the womb
- What's the deal with asthma, and why so many athletes
- The step-by-step process to naturally healing asthma a la Steve
- Athletes using prescription drugs and inhalers
- More info from the Sock Doc on allergies
Digestion and Bacterial Overgrowth
- Poor digestion and risk for bacterial overgrowth in athletes who are using sugar/carb-based fuels and have a traditional western diet
- All that gas, bloating and gurggling stomach - could it be an overgrowth problem?
- Why we need and want hydrochloric acid HCl in our stomachs for optimal digestion
- The digestion process and the relationship with stress
- The role of carbs: too many leads to problems, but can too little be risky as well?
- The association between diet and sports nutrition fuels with gas and bloating
- How to test, determine if you have an overgrowth and fix your gut!
Mentioned on This Show:
- Asthma is the most common chronic disease among Olympic athletes
- The Link Between Diabetes, Pesticides and PCBs
- Caffeine supplementation improves metabolic rate and fat oxidation
- On gluten allergies
- Overgrowth testing by NourishBalanceThrive
This series is a raw look inside the life of ultrarunner Michelle Barton on her journey to redemption at Badwater 135, the world’s toughest foot race. Michelle didn’t reach her goals at Badwater 135 in 2015, and she is hungry to get back there. Revisit the podcast documenting Michelle’s Badwater 135 race experience.
For past episodes of Project Badwater, click here.
On this show:
- We all have a reason of why we started running, why we keep at it, and why some of us gravitate to ultra. What's Michelle's story?
- The hard times Michelle has faced in her personal life
- Witnessing Type 2 Diabetes in a loved one
- How running was there for her when she needed it most
- Never giving up and the will to #staystrong
- Update on 2016 race schedule
- Find out about running the SoCal hotspot, Mt. Baldy
- Michelle's switch from an overly strict and restrictive diet to a more casual approach to food
- Finding balance with food that will aid in better performance (not too strict, not too casual)
- More structure to Michelle's ultra protocol and having the crew take care of the controllables!
- Preparing and planning for upcoming tests: blood chemistry test ordered through Nourish Balance Thrive, MAF test, and an FMS test
- Probiotics in the diet? The checklist run-through we go through, taken from OutsideOnline.com's article:
- “Fermented foods contain bacteria that can help build a healthy gut. So load up on yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, miso soup, tempeh, and kombucha.”
- “Eat onions, leeks, chia seeds, bananas, artichokes, and honey. They contain nondigestible carbohydrates that serve as food for probiotics.”
- “Take a wide-spectrum probiotic that contains both lactobacillus and bifidobacterium, which provides the intestines with healthy bacteria.”
- “Don’t use antibacterial soaps. Not only is there little evidence that they provide more benefit than regular soap and water, but there are also concerns that they could breed antibiotic resistance.”
- Want to ask Michelle a question for the show? Email us here.
Head over to our Shop page and check out products and services from the brand we trust. In need to supplements? We love Exos Performance Nutrition, who provides research-backed and clean formulas to help maximize athletic performance. Check out our top picks from Exos:
- Multi-Vitamin Elite - The a.m. formula helps boost energy during the daytime, while the p.m. formula supports rest and recovery at night.
- L-glutamine - A non-essential amino acid that's incredibly effective for increasing immunity and performance.
- Creatine - Supports energy production to maintain and promote lean body mass, muscle endurance, and power output.
- Curcumin - Fights "bad" inflammation while helping maintain the body's "good" inflammatory response; supports joint, liver, and gastrointestinal function.
On this sports nutrition episode, Ben Greenfield joins to answer your questions, talk ketosis, and more:
Nutrition for the 24-hour World’s Toughest Mudder; each loop:
- Chia seed and honey mix
- 10 PerfectAmino
- 1 Oat Mega bar
- Oral IV
- Total: about 350 cal an hour plus water
Diving deeper into ketosis for triathletes and endurance athletes:
- why Ben quit keto after 2013 but is now back to it
- comparing keto with and paleo
- is this advised for someone training for their first ironman?
- pros and cons of keto
- keto salts - can they help even if you’re not on a keto diet? cognitive benefits, heart benefits, performance benefits; but not really health benefits...
- using a ketone monitor
- is keto worth the tradeoffs (i.e. the downsides of keto if you're a foodie)
- how and why pro and/or elite athletes could thrive with the keto approach
- prototype nutrition
Keto research:
- Remember the FASTER Study with Volek and Phinney? The study is now out!
- Revisit EP's three-part podcast series on this ground-breaking research featuring Jeff Volek and Zach Bitter
More on carb-burning at altitude:
- do even fat adapted athletes burn more carbs at altitude
- how to tweak nutrition for optimal endurance performance at altitude
- Lucho runs a 5k Turkey Trot; Tawnee runs to and from her Turkey Trot
- Followup on buying and building a bike: Talking components, electronic vs. manual gears, brakes, combining different brands, frame sizing and more.
- Why is it that there have been no world record holders in marathon running coming out of the U.S. lately? Will there be in the (near) future?
- Looking at today's youth runners and how to reasonably and safely develop a future marathon champ in the U.S.
- How to incorporate the MAF Method for marathon training when coming off injury? "Coming back from peroneal tendinitis, starting back up with running from zero, wanting to safely build up mileage. And should there be speedwork?"
- Tawnee's journey on training using the MAF Method for an open marathon at her blog tritawn.com; refer to January thru May 2015 posts.
- Master's athlete stagnating/plateauing with LSD/MAF training and looking to incorporate higher-intensity training. "After 8 years of gains, I am now just getting slower (and slower) and I want to turn that around."
- Adding weights to the training program
- Farmer carry love
- Defining speedwork and comparing it with tempo/threshold workouts
- The tie in with polarized training
- Live high/train low: If one does not have that luxury of living high could intermittent hypoxia (say an hour a day) be of value?
- Reference to our last ATC episode that covers the “Effects of intermittent hypoxic training (IHT) followed by intermittent hypoxic exposure (IHE) on aerobic capacity of long-distance runners.”
We are joined by biomechanics expert and functional guru Jay Dicharry, PT, to develop your offseason and ongoing functional strength program for better endurance sports performance and injury resilience.
On this episode we dive into how endurance athletes (runners, triathletes, etc) can develop better overall athleticism, neuromuscular fitness, coordination and motor control:
- Stability and mobility needs for runners and triathletes
- How to restore motion (mobility) and develop stability
- Planes of motion: saggital, frontal, horizontal
- Exercise focus examples: lateral stability, core, hips, legs, foot, ankle joint
- Why it's important to work with your unique anatomy (we're not all from the same cookie cutter)
- Try this: foam roller between shins, drive big toes into ground
- Reactive vs proactive balance (reactive = flopping; proactive = you CAN stabilize)
- Common exercises Jay continually prescribes to athletes that work
- Shoulder blade position & its importance
- Pigeon
- Bridges with the glutes, and not your back or hammys
- Talking about overhead squats and hip hinges, and why these are specific to an endurance athlete's overall wellness and performance (despite what some may argue)
- Lacrosse balls or Yoga Tune-Up Balls for T-spine mobility
- Avoiding over-prescribing and keeping it simple
- How often if ever does Jay see his programs not work or take way longer than expected... and why?
- Why do certain runners get the same injuries in the same spot over and over.
- On injury rehab: why rest is good initially to decrease inflammation but it DOES NOT cure the problem
- The Linsey Corbin story of 2014: A 9-mile long run for Kona coming off injury, how realistic is this for the rest of us?
More resources from Jay:
- Anatomy for Runners (book)
- His blog
- Getting ready to go minimal
- Fixing broken runner
Project Badwater* is brought to you by Sound Probiotics. Episode 2a of the Badwater series features the most important man in all of Badwater 135: Race Director Chris Kostman, of AdventureCORPS. Get caught up on previous episodes of Project Badwater here.
In this show Chris sits down with host Tawnee Prazak for a candid interview. Get to know the man behind the Badwater race series, and why he's one of the most unique race directors on the planet. Find out what makes Badwater 135 so unique and different from any other ultra out there...
Chris' background as an athlete and ultra cyclist; racing Race Across America in his youth, and even Ironman racing. These are the experiences that shaped Chris into the person he is today.
The formative years working with RAAM.
Silver State 508 ultra-cycling race (formerly Furnace Creek 508).
How Chris got involved in Badwater 135.
What Badwater 135 was like back in the late '90s early 2000s, and Chris' vision to take it to another level when he took over.
The need for more rules... but seriously!
Chris, the benevolent dictator.
Chris Kostman in the zone as race director shortly before the start of Badwater 135 in 2015.
The unique selection process in place for Badwater 135 and why it's the way it is.
The Badwater "family" - it's a real thing.
Why is it valuable for people to do an "insane" ultra event and endure so much suffering.
The type of people who do Badwater 135, and how Chris is more than just an RD to this group.
Chris' vision for races and wanting to share adventures and take people to unique places.
Discussing other races in the Badwater series - Salton Sea and Cape Fear.
On DNF'ing at a race like Badwater 135.
*The Project Badwater series documents ultrarunner Michelle Barton on her journey to Badwater 135, the world’s toughest foot race, in 2016. Michelle didn’t reach her goals at Badwater 135 this year and she is hungry for redemption. Revisit the podcast documenting Michelle’s Badwater 135 race experience this year. And also check out our podcast documenting her awesome race at Badwater Salton Sea.
A special casual conversation with Dr. Phil Maffetone:
-
Phil and Tawnee finally meet in person, at IMAZ... at last!!!
-
Amanda Stevens placed 2nd at IMAZ and had a great year with the MAF approach, arguably the best year of her career... at 38 years old!
-
Hear Amanda and Phil on the show back in June
-
Tawnee's 30k race report with Phil's analysis and assessing progress for ultra training
-
More on training intensity for healthy ultra taining
Answers to listener questions:
What is up with heart rate spikes at the start of a run? Is it ok to let HR spike if it settles at MAF? And the need to build out more of a base through easy warmups that include walking
Muscle cramps and fatigue at the end of a marathon that was not normal from past experiences. "I have hit the wall in races in the past when it felt like no matter what I thought my body wasn't going to go any faster than it wanted. This felt different. I definitely felt like I had the energy to keep up the pace, but I slowed to keep my muscles working." See the garmin data as you listen along.
Plus:
-
What's up with this MAF Certification?
-
Why does phil pack a cooler for road trips, and more on healthy eating habits...
-
And more fun!
Want to join the EP crew for Ragnar SoCal April 1-2, 2016? Email us now for details!
Lucho's swimming again? Say what?
What's "head-banging" have to do with training?
Run analysis for loyal EP fan Van Dieu!
- Overcoming being a "plodder"
- Now activating the pelvis/hips, stabilizing core and upper body, driving forward using hamstrings/glutes
- Problem: 'new' run style feels grossly exaggerated, much higher heart rate and foreign
- Question: Run slower to stay at MAF or allow for higher HR to adopt new form??
- watch the video of old vs new form.
Examples of an Ironman tapering schedule:
Traditional-ish:
4th to 5th week out, cut run mileage first
3rd week out, cut the bike, cut run more
2nd week out, cut the swim, cut bike/run more
Race week: low volume, bouts of intensity & rest!
Also:
-strength maintenance (no weights)
-cut the fat, cut the volume
-add intensity
-week before about 90min bike, 10ish mile run
-and IT DEPENDS!!!
OR: Lucho’s 5-week reverse taper:
5th week: severe drop, cut back to 30-40% of peak volume.
4th week: will likely feel crappy, build back to 50% ish of peak volume
3rd week: ~50-60% of peak volume.
2nd week: cut back down to ~40%-50% unless you're not feeling good. Then possibly drop down to 30%-40%.
Race week: scale enough to be ready for the race. Run every other day only.
More on adding intensity (i.e. threshold intervals) during Ironman taper
Mental stress vs. physical stress. Is there any way of differentiating between low HRV scores caused by mental stress and those caused by training?
Tawnee's mention of her recent open and honest blog post.
- Thoughts on this article on Ryan Hall’s recent struggles & his mention of low T
- More importantly, why we should leave Ryan Hall and his racing alone...
- More on overtraining and athletes who come on strong but then aren't able to keep up with top results
- OTS in ultrarunners reported in Outside Online
- Can you get away with big volume if it's mostly MAF/zone 2, and mix in just a little intensity? Or can even that be too much?
We're joined by ultrarunner Travis Macy, who recently released his first book The Ultra Mindset, a great read for any endurance athlete out there. Grab your copy here.
Also, entering offseason? Check out PerfectAmino for your No. 1 amino acid supplement to take as you ramp up your offseason strength-training. More good stuff on our shop page.
On this show:
- Travis and his family's quest to "need less" and on building a small house.
- Inspired by the Tiny documentary
- Travis was "that guy" who set the new Leadman record in 2013 (36:20), after our own Lucho set the record in 2012 by going 37:xx; Lucho was the first to go sub 40 hours.
- Travis book: part biography, part self-help-ish featuring "8 mindsets" with tools for runners.
- ow has Travis' life been since the "chaos" of writing and releasing a book?
- Travis on the concept of "being busy" and why he's not buying into that...
- Our negative thoughts & Travis' idea of rewriting negative stories
- On quitting; never quit because you fear the outcome
- But.... when is ok and smart to quit?
- What are some traits in athletes who should consider a break, quitting or changing things up?
- Has Travis ever experienced burnout?
- what's the secret to no burnout?
- The value of technical sessions
- And more on the book and Travis life as a teacher, etc.
Travis' usual weekly run schedule:
-10-15+ hours of training/ running; 75mpw
-6 runs: 3 hard runs - long (4+/-hr), hill tempo/intervals, 2nd long or speedwork. 3 recovery runs.
Want to join the EP crew for Ragnar SoCal April 1-2, 2016? Email us now for details!
Lucho's swimming again? Say what?
What's "head-banging" have to do with training?
Run analysis for loyal EP fan Van Dieu!
- Overcoming being a "plodder"
- Now activating the pelvis/hips, stabilizing core and upper body, driving forward using hamstrings/glutes
- Problem: 'new' run style feels grossly exaggerated, much higher heart rate and foreign
- Question: Run slower to stay at MAF or allow for higher HR to adopt new form??
- watch the video of old vs new form.
Examples of an Ironman tapering schedule:
Traditional-ish:
4th to 5th week out, cut run mileage first
3rd week out, cut the bike, cut run more
2nd week out, cut the swim, cut bike/run more
Race week: low volume, bouts of intensity & rest!
Also:
-strength maintenance (no weights)
-cut the fat, cut the volume
-add intensity
-week before about 90min bike, 10ish mile run
-and IT DEPENDS!!!
OR: Lucho’s 5-week reverse taper:
5th week: severe drop, cut more than 50% volume
4th week: will likely feel crappy, 50% ish of peak volume
3rd week: build back volume
2nd week: volume
Race week: scale enough to be ready for the race
More on adding intensity (i.e. threshold intervals) during Ironman taper
Mental stress vs. physical stress. Is there any way of differentiating between low HRV scores caused by mental stress and those caused by training?
Tawnee's mention of her recent open and honest blog post.
- Thoughts on this article on Ryan Hall’s recent struggles & his mention of low T
- More importantly, why we should leave Ryan Hall and his racing alone...
- More on overtraining and athletes who come on strong but then aren't able to keep up with top results
- OTS in ultrarunners reported in Outside Online
- Can you get away with big volume if it's mostly MAF/zone 2, and mix in just a little intensity? Or can even that be too much?
We are BACK with Episode 2 of Project Badwater, if you missed Episode 1 you can listen here. Project Badwater is brought to you by title sponsor Sound Probiotics.
This series is a raw look inside the life of ultrarunner Michelle Barton on her journey to the 2016 Badwater 135, the world’s toughest foot race, with Tawnee advising. Michelle didn’t reach her goals at Badwater 135 this year and she is hungry for redemption. Revisit the podcast documenting Michelle’s Badwater 135 race experience this year.
Today's theme: Offseason agenda for ultra (with a BONUS audio clip at end of the show when the conversation escalates after turning the microphones back on... is too much racing the root cause of overtraining syndrome/fatigue?)
-
First some fun and food talk: Michelle's best meal in the past week--what stood out as awesome, delicious?
-
Mindful eating and being present with food and meals
-
Flashback to early on in ultras, what mistakes did Michelle make?
-
Tips for Tawnee and John racing a hilly trail 30k this weekend, a race where Michelle holds the course record.
-
What 'new thing' did Michelle try after our chat on Episode 1?
-
Training plans! On creating a written training schedule for the first time in her career! What's it like to see a plan, stick to it, respect the scheduled off days, and... the benefits:
-
How much better, mentally and physically, has Michelle felt as a result of the structure?
-
Building base miles...effort on these workouts? Keeping in check and not doing too much...
-
The offseason and recovery - what's normal for Michelle to do what does she want to do this year?
-
Why is offseason just so hard to do for certain runners/triathletes, especially those who live in climates like SoCal....
-
Other off-season goals...is more recovery needed? Strength training, etc?
-MAF test re-do
The functional strength workout mentioned by Tawnee:
Warmup:
5-10' exercises working mobility and stability; floor and standing/single-leg movements.
Main set:
3-4 sets:
20 ham curls on physioball (PB) - add in SL curls
10 knee tuck - pike - pushup or scap pushup on PB (if bad shoulder, or UCS present, do scap pushup)
10 beck extensions on PB
10 reverse extensions (toes glued) on PB
10 plank variations on PB - circles, saw, leg march, etc
100 jump rope
3-5 wall angels
3-5 OH squats facing wall, hands stay behind toe line and can't touch wall, push butt back and knees out as you lower
3 sets:
8 ea side leg lifts
5 ea SL squats transition to SL balancing stick (arms OH) on TRX or rings
Cooldown:
mobility and light stretching, foam rolling
Drs. Phil Maffetone and Catherine Dudick, a trauma surgeon in Atlantic City, come on to talk about the relationship between trauma and exercise and give recommendations to endurance athletes on building a training program that keeps them from falling victim to injury--whether soft-tissue injury or chemical injury.
- The similarity between what occurs in athletes and a trauma patients?
- Inflammation is the common response; inflammation drives healing, but it can also drive further injury
- Why the events prior to an injury or "niggle" are often the true root of the cause
- Do we ever want some trauma, i.e. micro trauma, as a way to build and adapt on the quest to become fit for our sport?
- Should you train through pain, niggles and injuries (Tawnee brings up cases when athlete still raced when injured and accomplished great feats or had to bow out)
- The mental side of dealing with injury/sports trauma, recovery and the need to keep going and not give up
- What kind of recovery in training is needed to avoid serious soft tissue or chemical injuries
- The "less is more" approach vs. "no pain no gain"
Highlights from the article "10 Truths About Sports Trauma" by Dr. Maffetone:
- Trauma happens, how to mitigate
- Injury and ill health result from excess exercise trauma.
- Injury is not normal
- Trauma patients and athletes share much
- Brain-Body Stress connection
- Training trauma is the anthem of the no-pain, no-gain philosophy
- The training equation helps balance trauma
- Total recovery needed
- The root of most injuries
- No cure in a pill
Ben Greenfield joins for a new sports nutrition to discuss:
Cold Therapy
- The recent and unfortunate cryotherapy death. What's up with these chambers, and are there better/easier/safer ways to get the benefits of cold therapy?
- Why you want a little cold exposure in your life, but extremes aren't necessary.
- Ray Cronise talking cold thermogenesis and weight loss on EP!
Testosterone (T)
- Testosterone and its importance for endurance athletes and master's male athletes.
- What are normal levels for males?
- What are normal levels for females?
- Free T vs. serum T
- would "low normal" T levels affect recovery from workouts and workout/race day performance?
- Safe, all-natural and totally legal supplements to bring up low T:
- Zinc; magnesium; topical magnesium; fat soluble vitamins D, K, A; or "boosters" such as prolensis, tribulus,
bulbine; stinging nettle (root seed); mucuna.
- And what about liver tablets for adrenal support, which is correlated with good T levels?
Healing
- What can we do supplement-wise to promote better healing and recovery before and after a planned medical procedure and/or injury?
- Case study for female athlete getting a non-surgical procedure done on a vascular birthmark on the left heel that has begun ulcerating in the last 9 months and progressively worsened.
Resource/supplements listed out:
- proteolytic enzymes: bromolain, Wobenzyme, Recover Ease
- Aloe vera extract, microalgaes (spirunlina, chollera), Goto Cola
- Vitamin C
- Colloidal silver
- Topical treatment: phototherapy
- Who is Shawn Stevenson?
- Stem cell precursors
Beet juice
- Beet juice and fat-adaptation. What's more important: the performance boost from ingesting beet juice pre-workout or pre-race, or staying super low carb/low sugar and avoiding beets/beet products to stay in fat-burning mode?
- Or does beet juice not compromise the fat burning system?
- Supplements like Red Ace Beet juice and Beet Performer, and their grams of sugar and carbs.
On low fat vs. low carb
- What did Ben take from his recent Denise Menger interview, in which she discussed her "In defense of low fat" article?
- Did ben change his thoughts on fat and carb intake?
- Are there benefits of high fat?
- Is sugar not as metabolically damaging as we once thought?
- What happens when sugar/carbs are consumed in absence in fats?
- Specific reason why low carb still has a strong case for being very healthy for most.
New Ask the Coaches with Lucho, lots to catch up on and answers to your questions:
- Athletes who deal with Seasonal Affective Disorder, SAD. How to go about diagnosing, and tips/recommendations on how to counteract this problem (non-medication form).
- What you need to know about being with 'TYPE A' personality here.
- How to master running in head winds, and train effectively for races with head winds.
- Case study for 44-year-old male on heart rate training zones: LCHF, metabolic test data, high heart rate, training by MAF, but MAF "too easy", marathon goals, and more.
- MAF Method vs. the Joe Friel approach to training. Do you have to pick one method vs the other? Can you marry the two and not affect your MAF training? Do we need more consistent interval training and weights?
- Backpacking/hiking: Do you need hiking boots or do the right running shoes do the trick?
- Shoutout to our love for Skoras.
- Outlining a longterm plan to qualify for Ironman 70.3 Worlds in 2017.
- Recovery advice for strained right obliques in an endurance runner.
- Is MEAT the new RICE for recovery?
Project Badwater, Episode One, brought to you by title sponsor Sound Probiotics.
Sound Probiotics is the first pure probiotic plus prebiotic formulated specifically to improve the gut health of the competitive athlete and it was developed by a team of badass and brilliant endurance athletes. I am taking Sound probiotic, are you? get started at here or our shop page, and save 10% plus free shipping on your order of Sound Probiotics.
This new series will follow ultrarunner Michelle Barton on her journey to the 2016 Badwater 135, the world's toughest foot race.
Michelle didn't reach her goals at Badwater 135 this year and she is hungry for redemption. Revisit the podcast documenting Michelle's Badwater 135 race experience this year.
And also check out our podcast documenting her awesome race at Badwater Salton Sea.
In this series we will also be documenting the journey I'm on, along with my fiance John, into the ultra world as we train for Badwater Salton Sea.
In this show:
Update
- Transrockies and margaritas
- DNF at Run Rabbit Run 100
- Broken rib - say what?!
- What did her doctor say about the rib? What was the recommended recovery protocol?
- What did Michelle do to stay fit while recovering? How much rest was involved?
- Her speedy recovery and timeline back to running post-injury
- Supplements?
- Running the Whoo's El Moro 25k
Moving forward
- Tawnee's role to help Michelle as an advisor, resource, and consultant
- What does Michelle say she needs in her training approach to get redemption at badwater?
- The value of a more structured plan & the season ahead
- "Homework" and immediate goals: Find a stress-relieving activity to balance out the stress of training and to unwind. We discuss ideas like yoga, walking or hiking, meditation, or even cooking.
- And more!
Our Kona coverage continues with two legend of the sport, six-time Ironman World Champion Mark Allen and Ironman Champion Tim O'Donnell, who's fresh off a third-place finish in Kona. Both of today's guests have made appearances on EP before: Click here for Mark's appearances; and TO's visit here.
http://www.enduranceplanet.com/?s=mark+allen
http://www.enduranceplanet.com/eps-4th-of-july-weekend-special-catching-up-with-pro-triathlete-tim-odonnell/
On this show you'll learn what went into TO's podium performance with Mark as his coach, including what was needed to make a comeback after a disappointing day in 2014:
- Why TO hired Mark as a coach including his goals for longevity and to avoid overtraining
- TO's 2014 race in Kona was not a good day and ended with TO in 32nd - what happened that day? (In 2013, he had been 5th)
- After Tim's 2014 race what did Mark think, and what did he see that needed more work or change?
- "Holes in TO's physiology" that Mark honed in on to fix
- The increase in aerobic training/MAF Method
- How did TO adjust and handle Mark's approach to the coaching program? How did it differ from what he had done in past training?
- A careful balance between aerobic base work and race-simulation intensity
- Strategically and progressively adding in race specific intensity (2-month kona-specific phase)
- Developing better fat metabolism via the aerobic training
- Nutrition strategies, and discussing TO's tried and trusted nutrition plan
- Mark's take on nutrition for pro's vs. age groupers
- TO's race nutrition breakdown: what he ate for breakfast, during the bike and on the run (80-85g/CHO an hour on the bike @ ~73kg bodyweight)
- The 2015 IMWC race plan & execution
- TO breaks down his 2015 performance including when he pulled into 1st on the bike and what was going through his head
- TO's 2:55 marathon and that final pass by Andy Raelert
- And... finishing 3rd. 'Merica!
- Back to the drawing board for 2016 - what will they work on next for Kona's to come...
- and more!
For more of Tim's race history and results click here.
During this year's annual Ironman Sports Medicine Conference, Dr. Bob Murray, FACSM, and Dr Rod MacKinnon, a Nobel prize winning neuroscientist, presented groundbreaking research on exercise induced cramps, including years of work that's led to a better understanding on the origin of cramps and, more importantly, how to cure them.
On this show, Dr. Bob Murray joins to share that exclusive information:
How bad is cramping in our population?
- How many of us cramp?
- Athletes vs general population
Background: Dr. Rod and Dr. Bruce Bean
- who are they and why did they take such an interest in exercise-induced cramping?
- they are athletes who've suffered from cramps!
Discussion of common cramp theories
- Electrolyte depletion/dehydration
- Going harder than you have in training
- Tight and stiff
- Theory that simply no one really knows
- Fatigue interferes with the spinal reflex control
Real life scenarios & sport-specific or situational cramping:
- Swimming
- Transition from bike to run
- Running - quads, etc
- Aren't those highlighting deficiencies in the sport/training perhaps?
- What about another common situation: night cramps
Skeletal muscle vs. smooth muscle cramps
- i.e. what about side stitches
So, what actually causes cramps?
- It's the nerves not the muscle
- Cramps are caused by an excessive firing of motor neurons, not by the muscle. Under normal circumstances, motor neurons control muscle contractions without incident. But when the nerves are destabilized, painful cramps can occur.
- How did they ultimately make this discovery...and how accurate is it?
The science of cramp cures
- Certain ion channels respond to certain spices (heat/pepper)
- Ion activates > nerves activate
- Nerves in mouth > brain > spinal cord > cramps cured
- In other words: stimulate ion channels in the mouth, esophagus, and stomach; enables the body to perform at its maximum without the fear of cramping
- Pickle juice and mustard - maybe not a myth after all?
The cure is in the spices!
- A special concoction of hot pepper, ginger, cinnamon
- Is a homemade concoction good enough?
- What is Flex Pharma offering?
- But, can we solve on our own? (training, diet, stress, etc)
What kind of athletes are being tested with this formula?
- Cramp-prone athletes (cramps common 2-3x a week or more)
Dosage of the concoction
- Swish and spit?
- TRP channels
- When and how to take it?
- 30 min ahead and/or at onset of cramps
- and more
Athlete recruitment for more testing!
- Leave comments if interested
More on cramping and Flex Pharma:
Itsthenerve.com
Article in outside Magazine
Three weeks before the Ironman World Championships, professional Haley Chura was just getting into her long Sunday ride when disaster struck--she was hit by a car. The accident knocked her from the road and into a ditch, doing some damage to Haley and her new bike but, thankfully, it wasn't the worst possible scenario. The impact, however, was enough of an impact to land her in the hospital and require some serious stitching up to her leg. In the aftermath she initially was unable to walk to the bathroom--how would she race the IM world Championships in 3 weeks?!
Find out on this show.
We talked to Haley Oct. 11, the day after Kona, to hear about her past three weeks, and what went into her fast recovery that still allowed her to toe the line on Oct. 10 in Hawaii. (Hint: a positive attitude, having a great support system, and nourishing the body with good nutrition can work magic even at the worst of times).
Read more on Haley's blog. http://www.haleychura.com/
And hear Haley on EP after her first Ironman victory in 2014! http://www.enduranceplanet.com/trinews-ironman-champ-haley-chura-joins-plus-recaps-on-imaz-and-recent-races-triathletes-gettin-hitched/
Thorsten and Tawnee recap the 2015 Ironman World Championship pro race in Kona, Hawaii.
In this show:
– Highlights and what stood out in 2015?
– A 32 % DNF rate among the pros (13 women, 17 men); up from 22% last year
– New generation of athletes dominating Kona (Frodo, Ryf, etc.)
– Crazy crashes, and “carnage” on the bike, and more
– Slower marathons for both men and women (about 6 min slower on the run), but still some great performances seen on the run
– How competitive was the women’s vs men’s race from at statistical POV?
– American men put up good fight against the German domination
– Tim O’Donnell has career-best 3rd place finish
– Heather Jackson debuts in Kona with a 5th-place finish
– Why did Rinny DNF?
– Incredible comebacks on the run including Rachel Joyce, Liz Blatchford, Andreas Raelert, etc.
– Other “underdogs” who had great days
– Inside info from what Tawnee saw on Ground Zero including highlights from the post-race conference last night
– Stats from Thorsten
– FULL rundown of the men’s and women’s pro race
– Stats from Thorsten
– Why we need 50 Women to Kona now!!! #5Q
– and more!
More links:
– Thorsten’s first analysis of Kona 2015
– Thorsten’s profile on Cait Snow
– Thorsten’s profile on Susie Cheetham and a followup
– Our interview with Dede Griesbauer
Coach Joe Friel sits down with Tawnee overlooking the Kona shores on the eve of the Ironman World Championships to talk all about endurance training. Get a deeper understanding of the process and journey that makes a great athlete. Whether you have a coach or are self-coached this is a must-listen! And of course, some Kona and Ironman tips included!
EP’s top picks of Joe Friel’s books:
Triathlete’s Training Bible
Fast After 50
Your Best Triathlon
Click here for a listing of all Joe’s books!
Also check out Joe’s blog for more great articles and resources.
Topics covered in this show:
-Training Peaks, understanding the new Performance Management Chart (PMC), and other ways to monitor your training
-Joe on aerobic (Z1-Z2) training vs. intensity
-The years-long journey of building an aerobic base before “allowing” intensity
-Watching your ego
-Fixing things if you experienced overtrainining and/or had too much intensity too early on
-When to add intensity… and how much, how often? (Dose + Density)
-Risk vs. reward of intensity
-Do we really need 5+ heart rate zones?
-Joe’s take on simplifying it to 3 zone-training
-Lactate threshold testing
-The aerobic threshold and how it correlates with lactate threshold (AeT = LT – 30 beats)
-What Joe really thinks of heart rate, and the need to be flexible with it
-Tips for athletes over 50 – and why you want strength training + intensity even if your races are lower efforts
-Tempo workouts
-The individual nature of training and coaching, and how there’s no one-size-fits-all way!
-Even Joe says, “IT DEPENDS!!!”
-Modifying templates to fit your needs as a unique athlete
-The secret to making it to Kona….
-And much more from Joe including stories of athletes he’s coached and more!
Sunny Garcia is a native of Hawaii and has surfed all his life, becoming a pro surfer at age 16. Since then he’s been crowned surfing’s world champion, has dozens of titles to his name and is one of the most well-known surfers on the planet.
But this Saturday, Oct. 10, you won’t find Sunny in the lineup. Instead, he will tackle one of the biggest competitions of his life, the Ironman World Championships.
In recent years Sunny, now 45, found a new passion, triathlon. And on this show we learn about his transition from pro surfer to Ironman triathlete, and we get to the root of his competitive nature that keeps him thriving…
Sunny is also involved with nonprofits including Smile Train, for whom he’s raised more than $50,000 during his Road to Kona.
We bring together two badasses of the triathlon and endurance world: Pro triathlete Beth Gerdes and ATC's Tim "Lucho" Waggoner. Before ATC, before Beth was an IM athlete -- Lucho coached Beth and helped her develop her signature run--she runs a sub-3 marathon in an Ironman. In this show you will get lots of marathon talk and even specific workouts that may benefit your own training. We also pick Beth's brain on how she managed to bounce back and race so well after having her daughter.... Overcoming Injury, Developing a Fast Run and a 3-Hour Marathon: Beth's setbacks of stress fractures and how she build an injury-free body Her first MAF Test - what were her splits? Lucho's take on the talent beth presented and how he developed her potential The infamous double run day: AM - 11-mile progression run work all day PM - 11-mile progression run, again Naps before the track workouts A classic Daniels' workout... in the pool? 50-50-100s Beth on Postpartum Ironman Racing A run down on Beth's life since finding out she was pregnant to now: Surprise! Pregnant - Kona 2013 Wynne born - May 2014 First Ironman back, IM Malaysia - Sept 2014 (4 mo later) Ironman Western Australia Ironman Melbourne Ironman Cairns (mechanical DNF) Ironman WIN at Switzerland - July 2015 Kona as Pro 2015 How she gauged how much to train during and after pregnancy How Beth got her body back and got her fitness back Being a new mom and a pro triathlete ain't always easy... but how they deal The win at Switzerland Her approach to racing Kona Nutrition Chat! What do she and Luke eat? -Meals the week of a big race, pre-race dinner and breakfast Why Beth goes gluten free on race week but isn't normally GF Race superstitions
Discussion on a new review study measuring the effectiveness of polarized training
-What is polarized training: undulating nonlinear periodization model with nearly all the training time spent at a “light” (≤13) and “very hard” (≥17) pace with very limited time at “hard” (14-16) or race pace (6-20 RPE scale). To accomplish this, the polarization training model has specific high-intensity workouts separated by one or more long slow distance workouts, with the exercise intensity remaining below ventilatory threshold 1 and/or blood lactate of less than 2 mM (LT is usually 4 mmol/l)
-Bottom line: best accomplished by going easy on long slow distance workouts, avoiding “race pace” and getting after it during interval workouts.
-Research says: Effect sizes for increasing aerobic endurance performance for the polarized training model are consistently superior to that of the threshold training model. (this study showed that some athletes decreased performance with the threshold training model)
-They define Z2 as race pace/intensity, so training should be Z1 or Z3 for polarized model.
-Promoting Z1 & Z3 – lines up with kenyan system. canova eventually spend time/push volume at race pace. 60% at race pace+
-Do we spend too much time in Z2? aka… our race pace/gray zone?
-Mention TSB on training peaks
Deep squat position in a test (like FMS) vs. real life
-Take home: I think the specifics laid are are good for test consistency, but in reality all of us might have our own unique needs and biomechanics that lend to our ideal squat position and that is ok.
Max HR & why it’s a bad tool for setting zones
-Is max HR a legit way to set zones? Is there such thing as a true max HR? Difference between 180 Formula and training with the zone concept. Listener asks, “Since the 180 formula was just made up for approximation purposes, what if you actually have some real numbers to work with, like a true max HR?”
More reading
Hiking/walking vs. Run Training for Ultras
-Knowing the importance of being a “good” hiker for my longer ultras I notice when training at MAF at a certain incline on trails, I can either jog very slowly to maintain MAF, or speed hike and be slightly lower than MAF. Given the different muscle and neurological demands between running and hiking, would I be better off training the hiking aspect (because we all know most runners suck at hiking) right now or continuing the slow jog, which doesn’t feel natural? or does it matter given that MAF is MAF, right?
-See Myth #2
–Tawnee’s current training
-Say lucho?
Clarifying Jack Daniels’ Terminology
-I get slightly confused reading Daniels’ book when it comes to some terminology. I can’t quite figure out what he means by a “Hard” run or pace. Is that different from Threshold or Interval or Repetition? It must be but I can’t quite figure out how. And regarding Easy vs. Long. Seems to me Long runs are done at Easy pace. Yes? Point is that L runs are really also E runs. Just longer, I guess. Yes? Although he spells it out fairly well, a quick Lucho definition of E vs. M vs I vs T vs R would be helpful, especially if Lucho has a twist on the definitions.
Banana Chips?
-Listener wants to know more about the banana chips made in coconut oil that Tawnee buys on Amazon.
Coming off an upper-body/shoulder injury, with the green light to run again after 3 months off of just walking. How to safely build back running mileage for ultra training? Looking for general guidelines and advice to avoid doing too much too fast.
Luchoism: “Training is your choice, use the tools to do what’s right for you.”
What does Lucho mean by “pleasant fatigue” and why is this a good thing to have?
New episode of Ask the Doc with a new guest expert Dr. Tommy Wood joining the show! Tommy is a medical doctor, with degrees from Oxford University and Cambridge University. He's currently working toward a Ph.D. in neonatal brain metabolism at the University of Oslo, Norway. He is also an athlete, specializes in working with endurance athletes, and he takes the functional approach to practicing medicine for optimal health, wellness and performance. Tommy works closely with our friend, Chris Kelly or Nourish Balance Thrive and to get in touch or consult with Tommy and/or the NBT team, click here.
Mentioned on this show:
-Webinar on "natural blood boosting" with Chris Kelly, Dr. Wood and Tawnee. http://o2boost.nourishbalancethrive.com/
Use the code "O2BOOST10" for 10% off on the webinar.
-Tawnee's blog that links to Tommy's article on walking. http://www.tritawn.com/2015/09/beyond-maf-how-to-add-volume-go-longer.html
-Testing and consultations with Nourish Balance Thrive. http://www.nourishbalancethrive.com/?aff=dcSW72R2PHE4W2RODY4SGWGFP2HM
-Tommy's writing for breakingmuscle.com.
Answers to your questions on:
Blood boost needed
Ultrarunner shares recent blood work that came back that I had low levels in several areas. "My total Iron and Iron Saturation were fine, as was everything else that was tested. As these results are the same as 6 months ago and I don't have any obvious day-to-day symptoms, my primary care doc doesn't seem concerned. But as an ultrarunner who sometimes races at altitude, I've got to think that these low levels could be hampering my performance. What supplementation or other protocols would he recommend to address?"
RBC (Red Blood Cell Count): 3.97 M/uL
HGB (Hemoglobin): 12.4 g/dL
HCT (Hermatocrit): 38.5%
-what are normal levels for these markers in athletes:
RBC: 4.0-4.2 M/ul
HGB: 13 g/dl
HCT: over 40%
-higher the HGB the faster you go
Investigating causes of why the numbers are low:
-sports anemia, blood plasma increases
-TIBC 250-400, ferritin 30-100 - look to see if these are normal
-T levels? saliva, hormone test
-MCV, too high B vitamin deficiency
-B vitamins
-MCH levels
-MCHC levels
-Zinc deficiency?
-gut bleeding
-kidney, creatinine
-hsCRP
Late-night hunger pangs on LCHF
I am struggling with calories and being so hungry at night I wake up nauseous even though I think I am eating all the time.
I am a middle school teacher and recently got a Garmin that has an activity tracker. At the end of the day I had walked up to 5 miles (I was shocked). I also workout 5 days a week; 3 are HITT type workouts for 30-40 minutes of various bodyweight exercises. The other 2 are more traditional weight workouts where I lift heavy. I also run 4 days a week for an hour to 1.5 hours each time.
I was consuming 3500-4000 calories a day and still was waking up around 2 am with that empty nauseous feeling where I wanted to eat an entire pizza.
I am a 165 lb male with 8% body fat and follow a LCHF diet with most of my 100grams of carbs coming at night in the form of sweet potatoes.
Can I eliminate this nauseous feeling without eating more food? It seems that 4000 is a high amount of calories or is the only way to do it to increase my calorie consumption to 4500.
Investigating the underlying issues:
1) eating enough?
2) sleeping enough for total stress? cortisol peaking at night? re-eval goals/training? saliva
3) hypoglycemia at night
4) Carbs & Carb timing:
-are carbs at night the best idea after all?
-Have your carbs at breakfast, it's ok!
-Why carbs in the AM, as well as most calories earlier in day might be a smart way to go.
-Muscle insulin sensitivity higher in AM, put in muscle not fat storage
-Benefits of eating carbs with acids, or lemon juice
5) Is it inflammation, parasite or gut issue?
To find out more:
-gut testing
-track blood sugar!
Struggling with a lower carb, high-fat (LCHF) diet:
1) Not losing weight with LCHF, why???
-focus on body fat not weight
-six packs don’t live longer
-fat loss = need health,
-not healthy? body stores fat
-calorie is not a calorie, but you can eat too much
-chronic stress: ⅓ will lose weight, the rest won’t
-look to life and health
-rule out infections
-high volume exercise, women, prevents weight loss
-reduced T3
2) LCHF but still hungry, why???
-not enough fat yet
-not enough calories once carbs got eliminated?
-not hungry but still not eating enough
-Intermittent fasting (IF): pros and cons
Sex hormones, HRT and naturally boosting testosterone
For the older runners (over 50), endurance efforts may foster low testosterone levels. Since men (and woman) have a mixture of male and female hormones, it may be a mistake for runners to just add estrogen or testosterone to their bodies. How do find out the right mixture? Is this recommended by sports medicine professionals? What is the role of creatine in endurance athletes and how does this enhance hormone levels?
-look at why are T levels low?
-look symptoms of low T: men vs women
-no symptoms? no worries
-men with lower T have increased CV disease
-women with low hormones have increased risk of metabolic issues
EP Gear Mega Sale! All trucker hats, men's shirts and women's shirts are 50% off for a limited time. Click here to get your gear NOW while supplies last! On this show we're joined by nutritionist and endurance sports expert Lindsay Cotter of cottercrunch.com Intro & Background as the "sherpa housewife" -Who are The Cotter's? -About Lindsay -Feeding her pro-triathlete husband, James Cotter -What Lindsay's learned after 8+ years of cooking for a pro triathlete? -Lindsay's battles with a parasite that resulted in gut issues and food intolerances, and fixing health via food -How does Lindsay describe her approach to food and fueling for health and performance? -How does she food/meals healthy but substantial and satisfying for hungry endurance athletes? Carbs, gluten and food prep -Can gluten wreak havoc on endurance athletes even if they "feel ok" with it? -Why to be gluten-free even if not gluten intolerant? -Gluten's role in gut health and how it can wreak havoc -More on carbs: Lindsay is not hardcore low-carb but they are careful on types of carbs allowed and does a lot of grain-free recipes. What are your thoughts on carbs and athletes, and carbs in general? -phytic acid -why is white rice better than brown rice? -nuts: always soak even if raw? -if grain free what are your go-to stick-to-your-rib sources for calories? Hormones and what to avoid? -Foods/ fuel to support hormonal health and specifically adrenals, as adrenal fatigue is fairly common on busy on-the-go endurance athletes and entrepreneurs! -what types of foods do you look to for hormonal well-being? -what to avoid? -higher fat? -What foods to avoid that can hurt athletes health/performance/well-being, and prevent progress? Homemade sports nutrition and recipes -Portable fuel ideas for pre/during/post workout -Healthy Bites, the basic concept and recipe examples, and why they work for great fuel source -Get the free Healthy Bites ebook -Other unconventional sports nutrition ideas? What about post-workout and having something healthy to avoid going for quick junk -How busy athletes can create quick, easy and nourishing meals? -dinner example: Lindsay takes us through a real-life scenario of a busy day, getting home and needing to cook a fast healthy meal. -Vegan chai spiced smoothie bowl More from Lindsay: LC's All-Time Top Recipes: Coconut rice and pomegranate porridge Homemade gluten-free "uncrustables" Paleo mango coconut almond protein bars 6 recipes rich in magnesium 6 recipes for adrenal health GF crockpot fire-roasted shrimp tacos Vegan chai spiced smoothie bowl GF Curries More recipes by category Training/Racing Fuel Recipes: Gut health and sports nutrition recipes 9 GF energy bites for endurance athletes and runners Healthy Bites recipes
Shoutout to our loyal fans who've donated to the Week of Kona coverage. There's still time to donate! On this show we discuss a couple new studies just released in the NSCA's Journal of Strength and Conditioning: “The Effect of Rocktape on Rating of Perceived Exertion and Cycling Efficiency” -18 recreational cyclists -4 conditions: 60% vo2max with RT; 60% VO2max no RT; 80% vo2max with RT; 80% VO2max no RT -During the RT conditions, investigators applied RT to the anterior arms and legs, and posterior neck and back -Overall RPE, leg, arm, and chest RPEs were obtained (RPE-O, RPE-L, RPE-A, and RPE-C, respectively). -Gross cycling efficiency was determined by calculating the ratio of the amount of work performed to the energy expended. -5.9% lower overall RPE with the tape -The use of RT did not increase gross efficiency -The main finding in this study was that subjects reported a lower level of exertion overall and at the chest, which may lead to increases in overall performance of these athletes. The use of RT before athletic events should not be discouraged. -It could be plausible that tactile input on the back for the RT creates an awareness of the thorax position, improving form and allowing for better diaphragm expansion and contraction, thus explaining the RPE-C vs. RPE-A or RPE-L. For RPE-L and RPE-A, no differences were found with the application of the tape. The increased proprioception from tape is thought to help increase range of motion and optimally align joints. “Predicting marathon time using exhaustive graded exercise test in marathon runners” -40 marathon runners 2012-2013 -significant correlation between graded exercise treadmill time and marathon performance time -formula: y = -3.85x + 351.57 (y= MPT; x = treadmill time) -sex, weekly running duration, experience, age, etc did not correlate with MPT -how this helps? possibly a cheaper and easier way to predict than other tests/lab stuff -Noakes said in 90s the best predictor was combining lab measures of LT and peak running velocity + previous race times (half mary) -This study used the Bruce protocol, modified - graded exercise test to voluntary exhaustion -During the protocol, two minutes into each stage HR & RPE were recorded. -The protocol included a 5’ warm up at 4% incline and 4 km/h (2.5mph) followed by stepwise progression every 3 minutes as seen below in Table 2. Each participant was asked to continue as far into the treadmill protocol as they could. Once they reached voluntary exhaustion the treadmill test was terminated and total time, maximum heart rate and average heart rate were recorded. -More on the Bruce Protocol -did the treadmill test 2 weeks prior to the marathon -Conconi Test -A lucho favorite -Discussing Lucho-isms: "Things I write to athletes: MAF (and any training theory) is based on stress. You have to stress your body in order for it to strengthen. If you do just MAF for an extended period of time then you have to use volume to do this. An athlete doing 5-6 hours a week at just MAF will eventually plateau. At that point you either increase intensity or volume. With cycling in particular you'll need lots of volume. In my own MAF periods when I was racing Ironman my bike weeks would hit 35 hours. That's JUST the bike. So if you take on strictly MAF focused training you have to consider that you'll have to increase volume as your body adapts. I can't tell you how quickly your body will adapt or how fast you'll end up. I believe that athletes have to simply do the work. Do their best in training and on race day. If they then make few mistakes then the race results are not within your control. They're nothing more than a product of your previous work and race day execution. If you could choose all these things, like how quickly you gain fitness or what time you hit on race day, then it would all be simple! You could just pick a winning time. But instead you have to do the work, day in and day out until you reach the point that it's possible. So. Can you qualify for 70.3 Worlds doing just MAF? Sure! If you do the appropriate amount of work (volume) day in and day out. When will that happen? No way to predict that. The amount of volume your body can handle isn't my choice or even your choice. It's your body's. It will decide when enough is enough and it will tell you in no uncertain terms when you reach that point. You just have to listen to it. I've talked often that athletes tend to predetermine their training mileages and then ignore their body's signals that they need to rest just to hit those numbers. That is wrong on every level. We can't just choose an end result with weekly mileage and expect it to be correct." And answers to YOUR questions: -Follow up on our last podcast and letting your race choose you: Damien asks, Shouldn't that be true for the distance too? What about Tawnee going from marathon to ultra? -Training for a 24hr and trying to figure out a training plan for it, including two-a-days, long runs, etc. Lucho gives his advice and some concrete numbers. -Recently adopted MAF training , now doing Maffetone's 2 Week Test, and it has been rough! Feeling like crap and running even slower. Is this normal? Carry on and stick it out? -Transitioning from just triathlon training to ultra training as well. How to balance the three sports with an added emphasis on running if looking to do a 50k run, 100-mile run and 70.3 triathlons int he next year? -Is the 10% rule crap? And an old post from Tawnee on why the 10% rule is outdated.
On this show, Dr. Phil Maffetone joins to discuss healthy aging and training for older athletes the MAF way!
Check out enduranceplanet.com/shop for great products and services, special savings and ways to keep you healthy and fit for a lifetime. When you shop through the podcast and you support the show! Also be sure to donate to our Week of Kona coverage! Intro -Who is Hans Selye? -Taking charge of our own health & being proactive Healthy Aging Tips -Find out more in Phil's latest book, The Endurance Handbook. -Seven factors for healthy aging; pg. 244. -Five similarities among centenarians & discussing how to adopt these things into your life (from a love for life to having courage) -Slow the aging process; pg. 234 (factors: body fat, avoid eating bad carbs, strength train, adequate protein, hormonal balance) -Posture and gait as signs of good healthy aging; grow younger via posture. -Bent Spine Syndrome (BSS). Chemical disorders, chronic inflammation, muscle imbalances. Low T, low thyroid function, low D. Psychological state. Even affects ANS! -How it's ALL related. Aerobic/MAF training for masters athletes -The problem using the 180 Formula with those in the age range of 50-60+. These athletes have a very low MAF HR of 120-130, or lower, and for the experienced athlete this sometimes works out ok but often it's just painfully slow. -Besides being on medication or not, how do you know if someone is healthy? -Maffetone's approach to determine one's unique MAF heart rate the "involved" way and not just using the 180 Formula. -High HR exceptions for those age 50-65+? When does he recommend, if ever, increasing the MAF HR for them? Is it only if they meet the condition (d) of the 180 Formula which states, "If you have been training for more than two years without any of the problems listed above, and have made progress in competition without injury, add 5." -Is low HR a penalty or is "the only real penalty is not being healthy?" -How much recovery/days off a week? -More tips on types of exercise for good health.
This is not your typical EP podcast. Our guest is not your average hardcore triathlete nor ultrarunner. But this story is extremely touching and inspiring, and proof that hard work with the right approach pays off. In fact, our guest, Keith Christensen, is a long-time fan of Endurance Planet and credits the show for helping him learn to adopt a sustainable healthy, fit lifestyle and diet--essentially saving his life.
Keith was known as "Big Keith" most his life. He played sports in high school, and was well-liked. But he dealt with lots of inner demons at the same time (candidly discussed in this show), which manifested into high numbers on the scale. At 25 he broke his back and could not walk unassisted for a year. Keith went from a 235 lb man to almost 500 lbs--a size 32 pant to size 54--going from active woking in the steel industry to not active, depressed, jobless and so on. He is a husband and father, and knew he had to change his ways.
In 2012 he finally started making those changes beginning with quitting smoking. Then in 2013 his journey to permanent weight loss accelerated. No more yo-yo crash dieting or boring exercise programs. After being inspired from what he heard on EP, Keith decided to adopt the low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) approach and participate in outdoor endurance exercise (running, hiking, dynamic strength training). It worked. It was sustainable. And he felt better than ever. The pounds started coming off, and Keith was able to regain his life and found new happiness unlike ever before.
Keith is now down more than 160 lbs and has run more than 4,000 miles in two years (including plenty of running and obstacle races). He's also a running coach who helps marathoners run their first race or those coming back from injury. He is also a "go Ruck" coach helping local ex-military with PTSD by getting them out and active.
On this show you'll hear:
As a non-endurance athlete (at the time) how did Keith get into and inspired by the Endurance Planet podcast?
On being "Big Keith"
How negative family relationships and negative self-worth manifested into obesity.
Why Keith says his weight gain was related to feeling like "a prisoner to my cyclical feelings of inadequacy and failure from childhood through adulthood."
The psychology of someone who becomes obese from Keith's experience: "Just like any problem, no matter how deep you think you bury it, it will eventually surface. For me, it surfaced on the scales, which I topped at 456 lbs January, 2013. I was slowly poisoning myself with the one thing I found comfort in, FOOD. I had tried before and, like most, I set a weight-loss goal but never really committed. When I failed to accomplish the goal, I ate to feel better."
Weight loss mistakes Keith made in previous approaches. "In the past I had always imposed a weight-loss goal instead of a just-getting-healthy-and-fit goal."
What was the catalyst to finally make permanent changes?
Baby steps: quitting smoking in 2012.
"What I took from that experience was that if my WHY was strong enough then I could find the willpower."
Motivation and willpower.
His experience with high-carb low-fat eating and the problems with that for his weight loss goals.
Switching to LCHF - the pros, cons and results for someone trying to lose extreme weight. Why this way of eating worked when other approaches did not.
How Keith found success by educating himself on healthy living and healthy eating.
What new things did you bring into your diet?
His approach adopting a sustainable exercise routine?
How moderate hiking was so beneficial instead of needing to go inside a gym to suffer.
What does Keith eat? A day in the life of meals, snacks and exercise for Keith.
The need for a positive environment at home to achieve personal success.
The dynamic and relationship between Keith and his wife, who was also looking to lose weight.
How Keith's life changed since beginning his journey to getting fit and healthy, and how he's inspiring those around him.
Discussing protein needs.
Avoiding "skinny fat" syndrome.
Sharing food and recipe ideas.
Brands and specifics discussed on this show:
Thrive Market
https://thrivemarket.com/?aff_id=2036&t_id=102a9b3307e9b5d73b19905786739a&o_id=6&utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=Endurance+Planet&utm_campaign=ThriveMembership
Go Raw
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0027YQL14/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0027YQL14&linkCode=as2&tag=endurplane01-20&linkId=BGDS55MM52VZW537
Epic Bars
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KDQZ0GU/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00KDQZ0GU&linkCode=as2&tag=endurplane01-20&linkId=WDPPTX7XVM56INTL
Julian Bakery Coconut Paleo Wraps
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EPTYHGA/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00EPTYHGA&linkCode=as2&tag=endurplane01-20&linkId=XJTNRA3UME2OCZ3L
Paleo Wraps with Turmeric
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KLJVYI2/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00KLJVYI2&linkCode=as2&tag=endurplane01-20&linkId=WTRR6GTOVB4JWBKU
Quest Nutrition
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PDV0QCI/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00PDV0QCI&linkCode=as2&tag=endurplane01-20&linkId=ISZXXL4JDXU76NHW
Mt. Capra Protein (Tawnee and EP's pick)
mtcapra.com - email us for a special discount code
Tawnee's high-fat green smoothie recipe
http://www.enduranceplanet.com/let-your-race-choose-you/
This episode is brought to you by LifeBeam, sensing the human race. Stacy Sims, PhD, is an Environmental Exercise Physiologist and Nutrition Scientist specializing in thermoregulation, hydration, performance nutrition, and sex differences in athletes, implementing strategies to improve performance outcomes and overall health. She's the co-founder of Osmo Nutrition, natural sports nutrition products for hydration. On this show we provide another perspective on the topic of hydration as a follow-up to a recent episode featuring Dr. Tim Noakes and Dr. Phil Maffetone. The discussion with Stacy includes: Stacy's mission in the world of exercise phys, nutrition and sport and her extensive background as an endurance athlete Her hyponatremia story while racing the Ironman World Champs in Kona during a "high hormone" phase, and how electrolytes "saved" her Hormonal influences of the menstrual cycle affect fluid dynamics Taper time is to stock up on electrolytes WHAT YOU ARE DRINKING: Does it matter? Why hydration is not a black or white issue and why it's very individual As such, why Stacy thinks "just water" is not enough Do both sodium and glucose allow for best results for fluid absorption? The physiological reasoning for why we need sodium with fluids during exercise The physiological reasoning for adding carbs/sugar with a drink - "for ideal fluid absorption, you need a bit of sugar" Instead of sugar in the drink can you do water with real foods that have some carb, sodium and electrolytes? The synergy between fluids and whole food solid fuels The argument against salt tabs and electrolyte pills How to add the ideal amount of salt to your drinks and hydration needs How do drinks with some sugar affect fat-adaptation and fat-burning? Is some sugar in sports drinks "healthy" assuming that it's being used for exercise and optimal fluid absorption in athletes, and not for sedentary people? Or should athletes consider scaling back on sugar during exercise? Discussing how there is a time and place for using specific sports nutrition products, but that they're not needed for every session Is sugar and calories during exercise and racing ok for overfat athletes looking to lose weight? History and science of osmolality in sports drinks - why did Gatorade become a 6-8% carb solution? (Palatability vs. physiology/science) Making your own sports drink vs. buying a sports drink like Osmo Do we really need to buy sports drinks or can we just as easily (and more cheaply) make our own? Need to stop and reload on fuel and fluids while training? Stacy's #1 tip to get properly hydrated and fueled from convenience store items (hint: don't buy the sports drink!!!) Types of solutions: hypotonic - fastest fluid absorption isotonic - less absorption hypertonic - least absorption of all Types of sugars: discussing fructose, glucose, maltodextrin and different transporters to take in these sugars Risks of fructose, especially for women - less efficient; sits in the gut for longer risks of maltodextrin - hyperosmolar environment and an increased osmotic pressure = GI discomfort what combo do you recommend, i.e. is fructose + glucose better than just fruc? Discussing "all-natural sugars" - maple syrup vs. honey, which is natural and just simply glucose and some fructose Why dates may be a superior "all-natural" fuel over other dried fruits (hint: it's the type of sugar) When to drink to thirst When to drink on a schedule How to make use of pee sticks to measure hydration The effect of heat and environment on hydration needs Research vs. real world: thoughts on what we find in lab settings vs autonomous outdoor exercise DEHYDRATION - Is dehydration necessarily all evil? Or does it depend? How will training status decide that? The competing interests of blood: to muscle for work, and to skin for cooling (sweating/evaporation of sweat) They said dehydration not a problem and even beneficial with weight loss. thoughts? The benefits of heat acclimation to prevent severe dehydration Is there a way to tell if you are a) properly hydrated and b) if you are becoming dehydrated c) experiencing hypnoatremia? -hyponatremia -headaches, bloating, dizziness -proper hydration: 500-800ml an hour during -impossible to match what you lose during exercise so rehydrate after (foods and drinks) Bottom line: practice and prepare!
Shop and save with the podcast at enduranceplanet.com/shop you support the show when you shop through us! – ALSO – Donate to EP for this year’s Week of Kona coverage! On this Ask the Coaches: -Tawnee’s Easy Green Smoothie recipe: Ingredients: 1 cup cold water 1/2 avocado 1” cube ginger root (or less if desired) 2 scoops Mt. Capra protein powder (email us to get an exclusive 10% discount code for Mt. Capra) 1 tbsp great lakes collagen 1 tbsp chia seeds 1/2 tbsp maca powder 3 dino kale leaves 1 tsp cinnamon shake 1/4 tsp sea salt 5-7 ice cubes optional: extra greens, 1/4 cucumber, berries or sweetener (to taste) ...Blend and enjoy! Nutrition: roughly 340 calories -Lucho hangs out at Leadville 100 Ultra -Tawnee runs Red Rocks in Las Vegas Questions: How to combine training for a marathon and ultra that are 4 weeks apart. In this case the listener is looking to break 3 hours at the Boston Marathon, followed by a 50-mile ultra. Tawnee has a similar 2016 challenge of Boston followed by Badwater Salton Sea. Backpacking the full PCT: is it a good idea to be fat-adapted or in a ketogenic state? Why being a fat-burner can save you weight in you pack and provide steady energy, but why you also want to incorporate carbs and not over-worry about food and macronutrients. Alternative food ideas for those with a sensitivity to coconut or coconut oil who have a LCHF/Paleo-style diet. Healthy fat options: -Eating/baking/toppings: flaxseed, chia, raw nuts and seeds, yogurts -Milks: almond milk (but not a shitty kind), nut milks, a quality protein powder mixed with water!, full fat dairy if you can handle, goat milk -For cooking: ghee, animal fats (ie lard, bacon grease, duck fat), full fat dairy, eggs -Don’t heat oils: sesame, flaxseed oil, walnut oil, macadamia oil, most nuts and seed oils -Avoid: vegetable oils, canola, soy, corn, sunflower/safflower, shortening, hydrogenated, margarine, etc Applying the MAF method to Xterra tri racing Let your race choose YOU! We discuss using MAF and building fitness on your own timeline vs. choosing a race and trying to build specific fitness by the race deadline. Let your individual needs come first, be patient, then choose a race. Insomnia help! Is underlying stress and diet causing sleepless nights?? This listener has tried a lot of hacks like no electronics and sleeping in a cool, dark room, but still can’t sleep through the night. We discuss possible causes -- looking outside the box -- and solutions such as meditation to calm the mind and find inner peace. Another helpful article on insomnia cures.
If you haven't heard episodes #1-8 or Project ZENdurance, well you better get caught up! Episode 8 of Project ZENdurance brings closure to this series (for now), and we discuss all the things that Brett has learned along the way since he and Tawnee started in April. -What has Brett changed for his training, nutrition and lifestyle as a result of Tawnee's coaching/advising? -What has he not changed -Was there anything Tawnee proposed or recommended in which Brett just said, "no way, won't do it;" or was he fully convinced that her strategies make sense? -How has Brett's goals changed as a result of this project? -What results has he seen? -Are there any regrets or things that didn't work out? Also: -specifics on more diet tweaks and success stories -specific on health updates -and more! Keep listening for a special announcement at the end of the show...
Shop and save with the podcast at enduranceplanet.com/shop you support the show when you shop through us! - ALSO - Donate to EP for this year's Week of Kona coverage! In this 191st episode of Ask The Coaches, Tawnee and Lucho cover a ton of fun stuff including the "best question ever asked"... and: -The lowdown on cold brew coffee and why it's arguably better than traditional brews out of the machine -How bout ‘dem hills? Down and out after a “disappointing” hilly 15.5k trail race -Difficulty maintaining fitness among some difficult family circumstances this year, and seeking tips in balancing training stress with life stress to optimise recovery and hopefully to get stronger. -Peroneal tendonitis after finishing an Ironman. Was it too much, and too frequent running after the race? How to fix the issue looking beyond just rest and time off. -Is “MEAT” the new “RICE”? -Lucho says that running for more than X miles/Y hours is more mental than physical due to reaching a point of diminishing return. Is there a similar threshold for a long day in cycling? -At what point does a long cycling day cross over to be mostly mental fitness as opposed to physical? -From Nathan: “I am a farmer and ultra runner and listen to your podcast while I work in the field, mowing, harvesting, weeding. Thank you for consistently furthering the conversation on healthy training for endurance athletes and making hours of work under the sun go by with greater ease. While I am training for Pinhoti 100 (Alabama) using the Maffetone Method, I want to play the contrarian here and get you and Lucho's thoughts on this. It seems between your show and Maffetone's books and website, when looking at elite athletes, the most common plot arch of a Maffetone Method success story is: An athlete with a history of intense, anaerobic training and racing - whether in marathon, ironman, cycling, ultras or track - adopts MAF and within a year or two, they are at the top of their field, breaking their previous records. Are we perhaps overlooking the fact that such effectiveness from The Maffetone Method very often precedes a history of anaerobic-centric training? I am a 30 year old male who has run on and off since grade school but nothing like the last two years of ultrarunning. Largely because of what I've heard on Endurance Planet, I intend to follow MAF "strictly" because the holistic, long-term approach to competitive fitness appeals to me. After 6 months, I am seeing myself gradually get quicker and more economic in my trail runs, needing less food and experiencing only healthful soreness and fatigue. *But I aim to reach the limit of my endurance capacity, getting there gradually and without injury. I do not have the overtraining, the burnout, the history of intensity behind me - besides comically slow cross-country in high school. Is running at MAF for years then eventually periodizing with strategic anaerobic sessions going to bring me to the limit of my speed in a comparable way that overtrained athletes who adopt MAF attest to achieving?” -MAF and the elements: MAF pace slowed by 2 minutes per mile after moving from altitude to hot muggy weather - help! What to do? -On patience and looking deeper into fitness gains or lack thereof. -And more!
Endurance Planet documents The Badwater 135-Mile Ultra, "the world's toughest footrace," which takes runners from Death Valley, Calif., which typically posts the hottest temperatures on earth, to Whitey Portal, with more than 10,000 ft of elevation gain along the way. Tawnee and her fiance John take on the task of crewing for Michelle Barton, a pro elite ultrarunner who you ay remember from her past appearances on EP including the Badwater Salton Sea show where she set the women's course record, as well as this January 2015 episode. https://instagram.com/michellembarton/ http://www.enduranceplanet.com/badwater-salton-sea/ http://www.enduranceplanet.com/ultra-talk-with-majo-srnik-and-michelle-barton/ What you get in this special episode you get more than 15 audio clips recorded during the race as it unfolds, portraying the reality of this grueling event. Plus a special candid post-race chat with Michelle going over everything that happened and the hard lessons learned. -Intro to the race and setting the scene -What's it like in Death Valley and Furnace Creek, where all the runners stay pre-race -Chris Kostman, RD, sends off the runners from the Badwater Basin just before nightfall -Crew pit stops to take care of Michelle along the way through midnight and into the next day -Tips for crewing ultras (including how to deal with sleep deprivation) -Tips for managing an ultrarunner's needs and giving tough love -Managing the heat and lack of sleep -Monitoring the ultrarunner's health -Hearing an athlete's will to keep going even when the body wants to stop and sleep -Nutrition during an ultra -The reality that even the best of the runners have bad days, as Michelle experienced this year at Badwater -Hard choices: contemplating & choosing DNF at mile 75.4 -Post-race recap talking about what went down: highlighting pre-race stressors, injury and lack of rest that had a huge negative impact. What mistakes we made and how we can do better, and most of all how we want redemption and to do it right in 2016!
On this episode: Ben and Tawnee discuss their love for saunas and hot yoga plus the benefits of this kind of heat exposure. How to burn fat and build muscle simultaneously, as Ben recently discussed on his podcast (add link). We go on to add how this changes for endurance athletes logging in lots of cardio. Burn fat/gain muscle: -calorie deficit (500-1,000 fewer calories a day; this may vary weight weight/size) -presence of resistance training -enough protein: 0.7g/lb bodyweight -one calorie re-feed day per week BUT endurance training changes all of this From a metabolic efficiency standpoint, are rolled oats and brown rice two ingredients that can be considered complementary to becoming a fat-adapted athlete on the basis that they may not cause insulin to spike? -Mention of podcast with Dina Griffin and Bob Seebohar on metabolic efficiency (add link) -GI Index -Mention of our episode on Insulin and athletes -how measuring blood glucose can help your efforts What is reishi mushroom tea? -What are the benefits generally and for athletes? -Interested try reishi tea at a great price by buying through Thrive Market http://go.thrv.me/aff_c?offer_id=6&aff_id=2036. Coffee & coffee power naps -do they actually work? -how can you get away with drinking coffee later in day and still sleep well Brown rice syrup as a sweetener -are there really legitimate risks from toxins like arsenic? Can combining Dextrose/Maltodexrin and UCAN (add affiliate link https://www.generationucan.com/enduranceplanet/) work as fuel and fat-burning for longer rides? -the science of quick acting fuels vs. slow-release fuels -does combining these kinds of fuels make sense? -can we stay in true fat-burning mode when adding in a fast-acting sugar-based fuel? -mention of Vitargo and the science of how it acts extra fast -talking about different transporters -what about honey and UCAN? Could that be the ideal combo? -Want to try UCAN? save 15% at enduranceplanet.com/ucan Mention of Natural Force's Iskiate Endurance and Raw Tea http://www.mynaturalforce.com/products/iskiate-endurance Why would you smell ammonia coming from you when working out?
Want to run Ragnar Napa on Oct. 23-24, 2015 with Endurance Planet in beautiful northern California, going from San Francisco to Napa? Yes you do! Who wouldn’t?! Join our team now; inquire at events@enduranceplanet.com Also shop with & support the podcast at enduranceplanet.com/shop - it's a win win: get special discounts and deals on tried and trusted products and services AND support the podcast when you shop through us. Get on it! This week Tawnee and Lucho cover a ton of topics including power meters, running strides, open water swimming... and: Why did Tawnee stop drinking kombucha? Could kombucha be both good and bad? How do you know if it's good or bad for YOU? Should we use KBs to increase aerobic capacity or should we stick to sport-specific training to do the job? This is a follow-up discussion on a recent ATC where we talked about a new study showing how KBs increase aerobic capacity (VO2max). Investing in a power meter - how to choose based on price, types of power meter, what you’re getting with each kind of power meter, the veteran products vs. newer products, are the cheaper ones going to yield the same quality? Power meter resources mentioned: -DC Rainmaker’s Power Pricing Wars -Slowtwitch’s Power 101 -iBike review Do hill repeats, fartleks, intervals, tempo, etc (aka more intensity) fit into a MAF program? Or do you have to give those up? How and when to know when to do them. Plus how to keep training “fun.” Defining “drills.” Why strides are good to do year-round. How to measure consistent HRV when you have a rotating work schedule. Why Lucho needs to try HRV. How do you pace during an open water swim? And more OWS tips for training and racing. How to taper for a hilly ultras that are 50+ miles. Key: minimize stress, not just training stress but ALL stress! ...and we end this show with more Lucho Wisdom: 1) How Lucho knows how to rest and recover now that he’s “exercising” again. And 2) how he guides athletes to learn to listen to their bodies vis his coaching techniques.
Dr. Tim Noakes and Dr. Phil Maffetone have followed each other and supported one another's careers for decades, but they've never actually met. Until now. Endurance Planet brings these two brilliant men together for the first time in history, making for an instant classic podcast!
LifeBEAM makes the world’s most advanced wearable instruments for measuring human performance. No need for a chest strap, your heart rate monitor is embedded into the Smart Helmet, Smart Hat and Smart Visor. And they’re compatible with both ANT+ and Bluetooth low energy! Use the code “endurance15planet” for 15% off. Also be sure to check out our Shop page to save and get your hands on the products and services we trust and use ourselves. When you shop through the podcast you support the show! You can even click on our Amazon banner to help out! Navigating this show: Part 1) - INTRODUCTIONS The first half hour is spent getting to know more about Phil and Tim, and how their careers and philosophies have been so synergistic over the years. You'll learn how they first came to know about one another (hint: Ironman, Mark Allen and Paula Newby Fraser), how they've influenced each other, their "unconventional" approaches to coaching and diet, and how they deal with presenting opinions that are often controversial compared with mainstream sports science. Resources: Noakes on Endurance Planet in 2013. Noakes' books: Waterlogged The Real Meal Revolution (NEW!) Lore of Running Past episodes with Maffetone on EP. Maffetone's Books: The Endurance Handbook The Big Book of Training and Racing Article on Johnny Cash and the guitar Part 2) - HYDRATION DONE RIGHT Starting at about 35 minutes we jump into the main topic for the show: a full in-depth guide to teach all athletes how to properly hydrate in any training or race conditions, especially the long endurance events, as well as how fueling and fat-adaptation fits in. The ideas are not what you typically hear in mainstream sports science, but they're ones that will keep you healthy, aid better performance and even serve to save your life and longevity. You'll learn: -Definition of hyponatremia and its risks for endurance athletes. -Why we don't need more water/fluids nor electrolytes and how our body has buffering mechanisms for sodium and that those mechanisms correct any sodium imbalances.... -...However, health status can alter sodium regulation putting one at risk. -The role of health and hormonal balance in regulating hydration and sodium/electrolytes, and the role of the HPA axis in this. When hormones are in imbalanced state, and HPA axis no functioning properly, how is one at higher risk for hydration-related issues during a race? -What is ADH, its role and the "syndrome of inappropriate secretion of the antidiuretic hormone (ADH)." -Do we have a predisposition to develop hyponatremia due to health? What can we do to prevent hydration and electrolyte problems? -Weight gain vs weight loss in races. -The "myth" that dehydration and weight loss is bad. -An argument against the traditional idea that a loss of body mass of more than 2% is detrimental to performance (this is often stated as a benchmark in sports science). -How weight loss is actually ok and even beneficial since it lightens the load that must be carried. -What does this mean when one gains weight during a race and is it more dangerous than losing weight in a race? -How do you avoid overdrinking if you're ridiculously thirsty - including at very hot races -- especially when the athlete just wants plain water? -WHy taking more electrolytes if you're drinking more than average water/fluids is NOT safe and does no extra good in the prevention of hyponatremia. -Learning to drink to thirst and intuitively - the brain knows what it wants so listen to it! -However, how do we know when to trust our thirst sensation (brain) to drink intuitively vs. needing to turn off those desires kind of like overriding central governor? -More on central governor and "overriding" it to perform well (but safe) in a race. -Challenging the "sweat sodium loss" test. New-age sports scientists who say it's simply a matter of measuring one's individual sweat sodium loss to develop their own unique hydration and electrolyte needs? These days these services are more widely available to athletes in labs everywhere and custom hydration plans are being written. We'll tackle this concept.
-Case Study/Question from an elite ultrarunner: "My question is regarding sodium replenishment during exercise. Recently, I got sweat sodium analysis done at a lab. The results showed that I lose around 1400mg of sodium per liter of sweat. The idea is that you replenish a percentage of that loss with the water that you drink. In my case, the recommendation was 1200mg of sodium in liter of water consumed. Having had success with this strategy in training, I tried it out at a 100 miler (bighorn 100) is past June. The race starts on a Friday and this year it was very hot. In the past, on hot days I usually end up having to deal with cramps. The cramping starts early so I feel like it's not related to fatigue. Last year at the same event, I started cramping around mile 13!!! Anyways, long story short, this was the first hot ultra running event where I didn't have any cramping issues at all. I've also been able to repeat the results in subsequent running events. Also, in the past, during runs my clothes would get super salty. But now, even with the higher sodium intake, I don't find huge salt stains on my clothes. What are Dr. Noake's and Dr. Maffatone's thoughts on this? I'm familiar with Dr. Noakes' views on sodium supplementation but do anecdotal stories like mine (and many others from what I hear) warrant another look at sodium supplementation during exercise?"
-Is it possible that the combination of high sweat sodium concentration and high sweat rate (and a hot day), might overwhelm mechanisms that balance sodium requiring sodium supplementation along with water ingested? -Also, when it comes to cramping, is the problem not so much about dehydration but instead re-hydration without adequate sodium and overwhelmed sodium buffering mechanisms? -The real deal on our sodium needs and why low sodium/no sodium diets are a dangerous, bad idea. -Tangent: High sodium is NOT the cause of hypertension, but sugar is; and the risks of meds to fight high blood pressure. -The role of weather and altitude and hydration/sodium and fluid needs? In particular: what about the really hot and/or humid endurance events: IM Kona, IMAZ, Badwater, WS100, etc? -The sad news of a 30-year-old male athlete who died at the finish line of Ironman Frankfurt this year in abnormally hot conditions, and reports that said he had swelling of the brain (indicating hyponatremia). Tim and Phil challenge news reports on this that said, "he didn't consume enough minerals during the race" and "the athlete drank mostly water during the race and did not take in enough minerals. The human body requires extra salt and minerals when working hard in very hot conditions." -Fueling strategies. Maffetone and Noakes are both in the "high fat" camp and promote avoiding high carbs and poor quality carbs. How does one's fueling before or during a race play any role on their sodium and hydration status or hydration needs? -How Noakes saved his own life going LCHF and keto, as well as overdcoming Type II Diabetes. -Lessons from Noakes and Maffetone who's been there and done it all, and want to teach you the tools to be healthy and perform well for a lifetime! -Closing words of wisdom (don't miss this)!
Be sure to check out enduranceplanet.com/shop for the trusted products and services we recommend, and enjoy exclusive deals and great savings! When you shop through the podcast you help support the show and keep it thriving!
On this show we're joined by professional ultrarunner Nikki Kimball, one of the most accomplished ultrarunners alive as well as a physical therapist out of Bozeman, Montana. Nikki gives a candid interview on her struggles with depression and adopting a low-carb high-fat diet for better performance in sport and in life. Nikki opens up about female-specific issues when being fat-adapted from her experiences, answering all those burning questions you've had and especially: Is LCHF for female athletes a good idea and safe? While the answer is most certainly: "it depends on the individual" we still get a close account on what to expect based on Nikki's experiences.
Topics discussed:
-
An intro on Nikki's ultra career
-
The documentary "Finding Traction" that followed her journey in getting the Vermont's Long Trail FKT – 5 days, 7 hrs, 42min, 272 miles
-
WS100 this year, and her struggles going into the race. She still finished top 10, making her the first female to have 10 top-10 finishes including two wins!
-
Her intense battle with depression and how she manages it to still live an awesome life (and how diet plays a role!)
NUTRITION
-
How Nikki ate and fueled for years before taking the high-fat route, including being vegetarian.
-
How and why she went the fat-adapted route
-
Her approach to fat, carbs and protein; in terms of intake, timing them with training, racing, her season, etc?
-
What kind of carbs does she eat, and cycling in carbs.
-
How long did it take to feel and be fat adapted?
-
Experience as a woman specifically who prescribes to LCHF
-
How did her body react high fat diet - pros and cons?
-
Hormonal balance: did hormones out of whack or did hormones improve
-
Fatigue management
-
Cognitive effects
-
Performance effects?
-
Addressing high-end speed when LCHF
-
Higher clarity in races
-
Ability to race with few calories and still perform even better
-
How she fuels for races and what she eats during
-
What are her carb/sugar go-tos if used in a race
-
Intermittent fasting (IF) for female athletes
-
Hunting
-
and more
We're joined by Chris Kelly of Nourish Balance Thrive to talk about Tawnee's journey back to good health and go inside her functional health test results including her adrenal profile (saliva test), Organix Acids (urine test) and blood chemistry. We discuss the before and after, showing the progress Tawnee made to regain health and thrive once again. You'll learn:
-
female-specific hormone and stress issues and using the saliva test to gather information
-
info on cortisol and its daily progression, and what Chris typically sees in depleted athletes
-
the pregnenalone steal (listen to this show with susanne bennett for more) http://www.enduranceplanet.com/dr-susanne-bennett-hormonal-balance-and-allergy-prevention-for-endurance-athletes-clean-eating-outdoor-training-tips-and-more/
-
analyzing testosterone, DHEA, progesterone, estrogen, cortisol
-
the "health lows" that Tawnee went through
-
what she did to REGAIN health and hormonal balance again!
-
the role of lifestyle/stress vs. supplementing to get better
-
why there's "no one size fits all" approach to supplements to balance health
-
why the organix acids test is so important and what it tells us
-
the synergistic relationship between these multiple functional tests to get the full picture on one's health and how things affect each other
-
talking about specific markers on the Organix acids test
-
what is Tawnee still struggling with?
-
and much more!
This episode is brought to you by Lifebeam. Whether going for a run, TRX training, playing a sport, or even hiking, the LifeBEAM smart hat can send precise measurements of your heart rate, steps, and calories to your favorite smartphone app or fitness watch. Find out more at enduranceplanet.com/lifebeam. In the episode, Tawnee and Lucho cover a ton of questions and topics, including: -Tips for crewing an ultra (like tawnee will be doing at Badwater 135). -How to survive all-nighters when in real life you love sleep, how to fuel, how to maintain good energy for your runner, how to manage the weather extremes (HEAT!), etc. Links to check out: -Blogs from Lucho's pacer Tim Long. -New research on ginger in the Journal of Strength of Conditioning. Listener Questions: Peter W. First off, thanks for all the great content week to week. You all make the traveling I do for work and the training I do indoors much more bearable. Keep it up! Now, I'm going to sign up for Ironman Lake Placid this coming week and even though I have a long way to go until next year's training even begins, I am thinking about trying a new training style. I have done IMLP twice (2011 and 2014) with good results. However, I was flogging myself to get them. I use a typical 24 week training schedule that is fine in the beginning, but when the volume gets up too high, I become a zombie. It wears on me emotionally and takes a while to dig myself out of the hole I put myself in. That being said, my results have been good, so it becomes a struggle of do the ends justify the means... This year I want to take the Ben Greenfield approach, but I want to know if it's possible to achieve the same or better results without being Ben. I've always done lots of volume with low intensity (LOTS of zone 2, which does line up with my MAF). What if I switch my 5 hour weekend rides to 2.5-3 hours with lots of threshold work? What if I quit logging 2-3 hour long runs every Sunday and do descending 3x5k repeats? I'm pretty resilient in terms of durability. I am very results driven (even though I know at least Tawnee will tell me to give that up). I earned a Kona slot in 2014 but had to pass on it because of a family wedding already planned for October 11. I really want to get to the Big Island, so do I go to the same well again or do I roll the dice with something new? Jonathon C I am running the NYC Marathon in November and the Walt Disney World Dopey Challenge in January. The Walt Disney World Dopey Challenge consists of a 5k on the Thursday of race week, a 10k on Friday, a half marathon on Saturday, and a full on Sunday. I plan on running 90% of the NYC Marathon at MAF; the 5k, 10k, and half marathon 100% MAF, and the full Marathon 80% and then see how I feel from there. I plan to be very conservative during my training, but to leave everything on the race course during the second half of the Marathon. Should I anticipate exhaustion levels to be so high during the WDW Marathon/final parts of the Marathon that I will need to train my anaerobic system? I plan on training the 8 weeks between race events exclusively at MAF, but will it behoove me to train my anaerobic system? Will I have to increase my carb consumption between WDW Dopey Challenge races? Do you have any general suggestions on timing of fueling during and between races? I usually do not consume anything during runs that are below 2hrs (I generally do not consume anything during half marathons and below). Are there any benefits/reasons to fuel during the shorter races? Ben F I am a moderately experienced endurance athlete (mostly trail running and bicycle commuting these days). I do not race very often, but I enjoy other, more personal endurance adventure "projects". In the next year or two, I am planning what I call human powered adventures (or human powered ascents). The idea is simple: avoid any kind of motorized transportation. For example, I will ride my bike about 50 miles from my house to the foot of Mount LeConte (in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park), run to the top of the mountain (4000 to 5000 feet over 6-10 miles, depending on the route), take a selfie and have snack, run back down, and ride home. This might take anywhere from 9 to 12 hours or more, depending on my fitness, weather, etc. So, I expect to be riding home in an exhausted state, possibly in the dark. What can you suggest about anticipating and minimizing the risks inherent in bicycling on the road after a long, tiring day?
This episode is brought to you by UCAN Superstarch. Ditch the sugar-based fuel. Take your training, racing and health to the next level and optimize your performance! Also, be sure to check out (and sign up for) Thrive Market, which we mention on the show, and discover great savings on healthy foods. Lucho and Tawnee are back for their biweekly discussion of all things endurance, including: Discussion: Two newer studies in the NSCA's Journal of Strength and Conditioning: 1) How to know if you are ready to deadlift. 2) Effects of KB training on aerobic capacity/VO2max. Answers to your questions: -Training for RAAM. What does it take to be ready for an event like the Race Across America, where to start and how to build a training program? -Who is the IronCowboy? -Training for endurance mountain biking - how to prepare for the "dynamic" load in MTB, accelerating out of turns, performing technical climbs, as well as muscular endurance? -Training and racing at altitude while using the MAF Method; carbs at altitude? -Younger athletes using MAF and the higher HR being hard to hold, what to do? -Struggling with MAF HR on trail runs - HR just wants to go high! What to do??? -Getting healthy and getting back to training - how athletes can avoid setbacks to train and race healthy! -Polarized training and the MAF method; is 80-20 a good rule for lower vs. higher intensity? -Joe Friel on Polarized training. -and more!
Make sure to check out enduranceplanet.com/shop for amazing deals and also to lend your support to the podcast by shopping through EP! Thorsten and Tawnee are back! After a longer hiatus than expected, TriNews returns with a vengeance! In this episode we cover: -Quickie update of highlights in IM racing since last show in late May, -The "rise" of Thorsten - athletes need him! -Thorsten’s experience at Frankfurt - inside info on the day, race highlights, etc -Full race recaps: IM Frankfurt and Challenge Roth (get more at trirating.com) -Comparing Frankfurt vs. Roth, -Fastest iron-distance courses: Roth, Sweden, Barcelona, florida, Austria, -How should amateurs pick their ideal iron-distance race according to Thorsten, and does a fast course necessarily mean you're going to do well? -KPR Rankings - where are things at before the final three IMs and two HIMs, -Get the KPR Observer at enduranceplanet.com/kpr -50 Women To Kona - Sign the Petition -Fair Starts Protocol, -And much more!
This show brought to you by Lifebeam, sensing the human race. Lifebeam powers the world of wearable innovation with smart hats, visors and helmets that have a built in heart rate monitor so no chest strap required! NO CHEST STRAP = NO MORE CHAFFING! Lifebeam products work with ANT+ & bluetooth so it can pair with nearly all mobile apps and fitness devices. Head to enduranceplanet.com/lifebeam for information and to buy your hat, visor and bicycle helmet today.
Dr. Phil Maffetone just released his latest book, The Endurance Handbook: How To Achieve Athletic Potential, Stay Healthy, and Get The Most Out of Your Body, with the foreword written by Tawnee! You can grab your copy of the book for less than $15.
In this episode we dive into tons of topics covered in the book and all the good information you will find in there. Other topics discussed in today's podcast: - Mention of Tracy Hoeg, the WS100 Medical Conference and MAF research presented (among other great, new studies). - How is The Endurance Handbook (check link) different from The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing? - ICYMI: Past shows with Phil Health, Nutrition & Diet: - Phil recommends frequent eating every 2-4hr - is this good for maintaining fat adaptation as well? What about fat adapted folks who don't get as hungry? When to know to add in small snacks? - About brown fat and tips to get it activated so you burn more fat, including use of cold exposure and proper food timing. - Is Phil yay or nay on ketosis for endurance athletes? - Fat-burning and less carbs is great and all for health, but what about the people who do just fine on carbs, and are thriving/athletic/energetic, even at ages 40+. Are they not intolerant to carbs and just lucky? - Knowledge on yourself via the "Two-Week Test", - Mention of insulin and athletes, - Why is Phil such an advocate of eggs? Has he seen a lot of folks who have or develop egg allergies? Training: - Phil says max HR and LT HR vary on any given day, but not MAF HR - why? - Revisiting MAF on the bike vs run, the pros and cons of mixing LT and MAF to interpret athlete data, and more for the coaches out there or self-coached athlete, - How much is enough to properly overreach for desired adaptations but not trashing one's self? - Pro triathlete Amanda Stevens' recent 2nd place at IMCdA and her lower calorie burn per hour showing increased fat adaptation! (Hear Amanda and Phil on this show), - Is it ever ok to train tired and train fatigued especially for endurance, and when/how to do this safely? - Phil says you want to feel good after workouts, but is it possible to always feel good after training and be doing enough to increase fitness? ... and more fun along the way!
Ben Greenfield joins the show to answer your questions and dive deep into some super helpful topics for athletes looking to get the most from food. -
Discussing post-race pizza "binges" and other acute food binges, whether after a hard race or on a holiday: are all those calories really that bad? Why and/or why not? -Is conventional meat/produce really that bad? -Psychological aspect to food and eating -Is being stressed/having anxiety over food choices/food sources the worst thing you can do to your health (even worse than eating conventional)? -Why no-stress approach to food is the best bet -Tips on learning to slow down, enjoy, appreciate and get the most out of your food and meals Also: -Late-night snacks for athletes looking to build muscle or recover: What to eat based on your goals?!?! -Some say protein to build lean muscle; some suggest satiating fat like nuts; what about carb-reloading? How does each work and how to choose what's right for you? -Tawnee and Ben share their before-bed "sweet treat" recipes -Snacks and food that will prevent late-night hypoglycemia -and more!
This episode is brought to you by UCAN Superstarch! Ditch the sugar-based fuel. Take your training, racing and health to the next level and optimize your performance! Find out more at enduranceplanet.com/generation-ucan-superstarch Lucho and Tawnee team up as always, to shoot the endurance breeze, answer your questions and discuss:
- Lucho's "MAF assessment run" with all the deets.
- Tawnee's recent backpacking adventure and zen experience with fishing
- Help for a serial masters marathoner who developed a high hamstring strain and looking to MAF for good motivation and something fresh. "Can I do a MAF program only running 3 days a week (25 miles average)?"
- When to progress with MAF to avoid plateau.
- When MAF HR on the bike is hard to do, what to do?
- Dr. Maffetone's NEW book is now.
- Help, in need of better sleep! Triathlete mom with a 6-month-old looking to get better quality sleep (but with limited sleep hours) in order to recover better and get that extra edge back for training.
- Sleep tips mentioned in the show: -GABA, the neuro-inhibitory transmitter for the brain to shut itself down. -5-htp is a precursor to serotonin and melatonin. -Melatonin - but I avoid this bc then body may not know how to produce enough on its own.
- Snacks: -high fat w/ collagen snack, -Natural Calm Magnesium powder, -possibly more carb (don't force feed but this could be soothing and helpful to also rebuild while sleeping)
- Also: -Blue blocker glasses -NO sleeping pills -Essential oils or calming teas like chamomile
- Help for a busy fitness instructor who's also training a lot of volume for Ironman, and wanting to improve.
- Process- vs. outcome-oriented. Look to the present situation to become a faster runner in the long run (and avoid being outcome-oriented).
- What does it mean when MAF runs are "hard to do" and "uncomfortable"? Answer: Two situations, 1) either over-fatigued/overtrained leading to a depressed HR, or 2) MAF gets so efficient that the pace is too fast. How to know....
- What is the difference between SweetBeat and SweetBeat Life?
- How to balance overreaching with recovery by listening to your body. Michelle asks, "During IM training build weeks when you are training 'tired' to mimic race day, not completely recovering each day, and have a lower HRV (Not super low, avg low) through out the week. How should that be approached?"
- Is it possible to race at high intensity on a low carb/high fat diet? And when to add in carbs for best results.
This show is brought to you by Sound Probiotics. As an athlete, you are more susceptible to illness due to your intense training. All of your hard work can lead to a weakened immune system, threatening to keep you out of competition. Sound Probiotics can help boost immune function by improving gut health, allowing you to perform at your highest level. Alan Couzens, MS, is a Colorado-based exercise physiologist and triathlon coach with Endurance Corner. He is a wealth of knowledge on coaching endurance athletes, and in particular an expert on the sports science and numbers side of things -- he will gladly admit that he loves geeking out on the data (as such, he's created some phenomenal tools and calculators for athletes to better interpret, use and apply data found on his blog alancouzens.com). Alan also pays close attention to the art of coaching and makes it a top priority to keep athletes healthy, happy and performing well -- and avoid overtraining. On this show we pick the brain of this sports science expert and discuss:
- Quick story of Alan and Tawnee's friendship and their idea of "project openness",
- Alan's a lifelong athlete himself and has his own story finding his path to health over the decades,
- How his experiences has shaped him as a coach,
- Top three things that athletes should make a priority to better themselves: 1. sleep - don't slack on it 2. intensity - watch out for HIIT! 3. recovery - more emphasis on stress reduction, yoga, relaxation.
- HRV monitoring from his POV and the value of this metric to guide training, to avoid overtraining, etc,
- Understanding the day-to-day fluctuations in one's HR and using ranges instead on one static HR (power/HR = efficiency; there's about a 10% swing in daily HR),
- Zone-based training correlating with MAF training,
- The need for a strong aerobic base above all else, and using Alan's "two-zone rule" - aka easy/steady - for aerobic workouts,
- His run calculator - turning weight and pace into power that would be equivalent to watts on bike and using this for racing,
- The sub max FTP calculator - get fresh data but avoid going too hard if not appropriate
- Balancing the art & science from this coach's POV,
- And more...
Follow Alan on Twitter
You can benefit from EndurancePlanet.com/shop and its handpicked sponsors and affiliates by using special discounts and offers to enhance your training and health. We only team up with companies whom we love and trust, and whose products and services we use and recommend ourselves. Check out EndurancePlanet.com/shop for more info. Ben Greenfield is back, and on today's show we dive into the topic of insulin and its role in the body as well as how it plays a role specifically for endurance athletes. -Defining insulin: what role does insulin play in the body; how and when insulin works -Insulin sensitivity -Insulin resistance -Athletes vs general population
Why does insulin matter to athletes? The good: -anabolic -stimulates protein synthesis -prevents breakdown -muscle recovery The bad: -high insulin = lowers ability yo burn fat -IR issues -health problems -sugar burner -possible inability to lose weight/lose fat
Diet/nutrition for athletes -exercise helps insulin sensitivity so is overdoing it on carbs and sugar really that bad if you're exercising a ton? -insulin crucial for muscle recovery -the post-exercise window to take in food in regards to insulin -other issues with too many sugars/carbs regardless of insulin (there ARE other health implications) -insulin and fat burning -how does carb backloading/reloading at night play a role in all this for athletes who want to control insulin but need to replenish at times of high activity? -timing of macronutrients for optimal results - higher fat during the day and higher carb at night
Glucose monitoring: -How does blood glucose levels correlate with insulin? -Explain normal vs abnormal Glucose levels -why and when we should test our glucose and how to interpret
Our guest on this show, pro ultrarunner Mike Wardian, uses Inside Tracker for his blood/health testing, and we're happy to offer our Endurance Planet fans 10% off their Inside Tracker test with the code "enduranceplanet" at insidetracker.com. Check out more deals at enduranceplanet.com/shop - when you shop through the podcast you support the show while also saving on the products and services we recommend!
Mike Wardian, 41, started running and competing in triathlons in 1996. Fast forward to 2015 and his accomplishments are nearly too many to list (but scroll down and we've added the highlights of his running career). Most recently he broke the 50k record going 2:59:49.
On this show we find out how Mike ticks and go inside his success discussing everything from his choice to be high carb, using blood testing for better health and ideal weekly mileage, to working full-time and being a good dad and father. Find out more at www.mikewardian.com.
Topics discussed:
50K World Record
-His approach to breaking the WR on a treadmill
-Breaking his own previous records this May
-On raising the bar
-Recovering for this race, and recovering after for the next one(s)...
Diet/Nutrition
-On eating higher carbs
-On being in the FASTER Study and his performances compared with LCHF guys
-Trying LCHF and not responding well
-A typical day of eating and fueling for mike including timing with his training
-Race fuel protocol
-Recovery fueling
-Supplementing
Health
-Using Inside tracker for blood testing and to refine diet
-What did Mike learn about his health from the test that you didn't know before? Any deficiencies?
-What tweaks did he make nutritionally?
-The excitement of re-tesing
"I think the coolest thing about the blood testing is it can show you where you need to focus your eating and help you say choose carrots over spinach or sweet potatoes over brown rice. I like that. I feel like I eat pretty well but the testing can determine exactly how well and then I can tweak stuff."
Training
-Why 70-90 miles a week is better than 100+ mpw
-Recovering from 5 stress fractures and 5 hernias as a result of overtraining
-Why was 100+ was too much?
-How did Mike find his sweet spot mpw? Also in terms of not doing too little.
Racing
-50k WR. i'm a big believer that once the bar is set, it becomes easier to break. did that help you finally get that sub3hr 50k after several attempts?
-why do you like being a serial racer?
-how do you manage your recovery to bounce back as quickly as you're able to especially busting out top level performances
-On racing and running exclusively in Hokas!
Personal
-Family man with 2 kids, wife and dog.
-Works full time at an international ship brokerage, coach and consult for races and events
-Sponsored professional athlete and compete over 40 times a year.
-ON raising a child who suffers from epilepsy
-How mike managed a busy schedule and keeping stress to a minimum
"Life is pretty incredible."
What's Next?
-WS100
-Racing regularly
-World travels to races
-and more!
More accomplishments in Mike's running career:
Michael is a three (3) time United States of America Olympic Trails Qualifier in 2004, 2008, 2012 and has a personal best marathon time of 2:17:49 set in 2011 at the Grandma’s Marathon.
Michael is a six (6) time member of Team USA for the 100K World Championships in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 and has lead the team most years that he was a member with his best finish ever in 2011 for a Silver Medal for the USA and lead the team to the first ever Team Gold Medal for the USA Men (in the 26 years that the USA has been competing).
Michael is a three (3) time member of Team USA for the 50K World Championships in 2009, 2010, 2014 and Michael was the Bronze medalist for the USA in 2009 and 2010.
Michael was the 3rd place finisher at the Badwater Ultra Marathon (135 Miles in Death Valley, CA in July with average temps at 121 degrees) in 2011.
Michael has won multiple USATF National Championships: 50 Miles (Road-2011), 50K (Road- 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011), 100K (2008), 50 Mile (Trails-2008).
This episode is brought to you by Sound Probiotics, the first probiotic created specifically for athletes using research to create a formula of essential probiotic and prebiotic strains to boost athletes' immunity and gut health. Save 10% and get free shipping and enduranceplanet.com/probiotic. Lucho and Tawnee catch up on life and talk about Lucho raising kids "his way."
Answers to your questions: -Training for those with an active "on your feet" job. "I drive for UPS; and I'm on my feet 8-9 hrs a day at work and train for marathons and triathlon. Should my training schedule be adjusted since I'm on my feet so much and not at a desk" -Help for desk jockeys! "Do you have any advice for those of us who sit at a desk all day? Any exercises we can do? In my case, I unfortunately cannot use a standing desk." -Chris McDougall article mention. http://www.outsideonline.com/1928756/sitting-wrecks-your-body-more-standing-isnt-solution -Lucho and Tawnee's five best warm-up exercises. Plus: is warming up even necessary or is quick, light jogging enough?Here are Tawnee's top recommendations: 1. single leg balance/deadlifts - lock out bottom knee plus activate shoulders/back and elevated leg in line with torso no sagging 2. 4-way lunge+ walking lunge 3. leg swings - front/back + lateral 4. T spine/shoulder mobility - birddog w/ ext rotation, wall angels 5. butt kicks - glute/hammy focus, ankle mob + ground contact Bonus: jump rope + SL jump rope Plus: walk/jog and build to MAF or desired HR don't force the HR right away! -Tips on resistance training and stretching (not immediately before running) for running injury prevention and to prevent high hamstring strains? -Having the strong urge to pee during long swims - why? -Fat-adapted fueling for Ironman: Can you use your same nutrition as always but just modify? -Fueling with "Infinit" - do we have an opinion on this fuel for fat-adapted athletes?
This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Super Starch. Ditch the sugar-based fuel. Take your training, racing and health to the next level and optimize your performance. It's been six years since Chris McDougall helped make minimalist running more mainstream with “Born to Run.” He's back with a new book out, called “Natural Born Heroes.” On this show we not only talk to Chris but also Dr. Phil Maffetone and Hal Walter for a show that's an instant classic. You'll learn how guys like Phil and Hal have greatly inspired Chris, and how all three of them are living a primal, functional life in all the ways they view their fitness. Topics discussed in this show: - How Chris was "late to the party" and went on to find Hal and Phil, - Functional fitness as a way of life (from running to parkour) - Exploring the physical, mental and nutritional tactics of humans throughout history. - Who is the Cretan Runner? - How do war stories from WWII and soldiers on the Greek island of Crete tie in with endurance sports and athletics? - WWII's "The Clown" - a runner who carried war messages some 50 miles back and forth between mountain hideouts. - How did setting up a practice rather than going into business effect Dr. Phil's career? - Are people getting away from specific distances and races and get more focussed on higher health and movement goals? Is this the "golden age" of fitness? - The “Natural Movement” was the name Georges Hébert gave to the physical fitness method he created in the early 1900s. His credo was: “Be fit to be useful.” - Being competitive vs. acquiring skills - How did Phil once gauge how fit he was? (Hint: it involved hunting) - Chris' take on diet and fat as fuel, and how he was inspired by Phil - Phil's 2-week test. Chris and his wife's experience doing this protocol for life-changing results - “A diabetic isn’t going to listen to you,” Phil said to Chris. Why? - How food, drink and sport nutrition manufacturers killed our ability to burn fat for fuel, and how we can get it back! - How every animal on earth knows how to eat properly except for humans - how do we get back to that? - The art of Pack Burro Racing from one of the world's best, Hal Walter. And more on the relationship between man and animal in nature and endurance events. - What else will we learn in Chris' new book? - Chris share stories of some Natural Born Heroes, - And much more!
Ronda Collier, CEO of SweetWater Health, the makers of the SweetBeatLife heart rate variability (HRV) app, returns to the podcast to talk in detail about the applications of HRV for your endurance training, racing, recovery and fatigue management. These concepts are useful for both coaches and athletes. We last talked to Ronda in fall 2013 about the basics of HRV, and you can hear that show here. it's advised to listen to that show first for a general education on HRV if you're not that familiar with it, and then listening to this show that goes more in depth.
Click here to get started with the SweetBeatLife app, which is the HRV app of choice for the Endurance Planet team!
On this show we cover: -What are some big changes Ronda's seen in the world of HRV and with the SweetBeatLife app. -Are there notable differences in HRV between elite athletes, recreational athletes and non athletes? -The importance of individualization and not generalization in your HRV score. -the importance of sleep and worrying less -HRV has circadian rhythm -How we can use HRV to assess readiness to deal with training. -Can we use HRV to decide if that day and/or the program can be HIIT or more moderate aerobic-based. Does Ronda have opinions on either style of training in terms of long-term health and robustness for athletes? -What 'baby steps' can we implement for an athlete looking to actively improve HRV (or a coach looking to convince an athlete of the merits of such strategies) without taking away from training -What sort of long-term changes can interventions like meditation, stress reduction/lifestyle changes, coherence training, or even less intense training have for the athlete who's chronically stressed out?-Definition the nervous system and what HRV measures: -The SYMPATHETIC - low-frequency (LF), fight or flight; high energy sources to deal with (real or perceived) challenges or threats-The PARASYMPATHETIC - high-frequency (HF), rest and repair; vagal tone; brake pedal. HRV is indication of Vagal Tone -LF vs HF -Fatigue & overcoming fatigue -How can HRV show the way you are tired, meaning which part of the nervous system is fatigued? -why is ‘sympathetic dominance’ which we often see in times of overtraining, is arguably more dangerous than parasympathetic dominance? -How always being in fight or flight mode prevents the athlete from resting when they need to the most (!) -How do you recover the parasympathetic as an athlete?
-How does rMSSD fit in, its value, and why it's possibly worth tracking this number too.
-HRV vs. RPE, common sense, and using other feedback metrics to gauge readiness to train? -HRV before a big race (hear tawnee's HRV before IM Tahoe '13)
As an athlete, your hard work can lead to a weakened immune system, threatening to keep you out of competition. Probiotics can help boost immune function by improving gut health, allowing you to perform at your highest level. Check out Sound Probotics at enduranceplanet.com/sound_probiotics In today's podcast Tawnee sits down with podcast regular, Dr. Phil Maffetone and a brand new voice on Endurance Planet Dr. Amanda Stevens. In this round table conversation they touch on: -Amanda’s bad year before starting work with Dr Maffetone, -The importance of improving sleep habits and lowering stress levels to improve your health and fitness, -The first steps in the training relationship between Maffetone and Stevens: rediscovering balance in body and life, the importance of assessing the aerobic system, diet, fuelling and fat adaptation, -Reflecting on the different racing experiences at IM Brazil 2013 (winner) versus 2015 (3rd place finish) and the difference in training approach between the Olympic centre system of the 2013 win and the Maffetone system for her 2015 race, -How Amanda learned how to trust herself and took control of her own training after being an athlete at the Olympic centre where everything was controlled for her, -What’s coming up next for racing for Amanda: leading up to and including Kona 2015, -And much more!
We've done the work and hand-picked companies we trust and love for you to benefit and leave the guessing game out of things. Now, you can support the podcast by shopping through us while getting great savings at enduranceplanet.com/shop. -Lucho analyzes Tawnee's marathon, and more chat on running, setting goals, training for a successful race execution, elite runners, and everything related. -Carrol: I'm the guy you met at M2B packet pick up. Congrats on hitting your BQ time, I hit mine also. Anyway, my race was very similar to yours. I felt great until mile 22, then I struggled to maintain my pace. I wasn't bonking, but my legs were dead. You touched on this with Brock, but can you address this further in one of your future episodes. I would like to know how better to prepare for this, and what exactly is happening to my muscles. -MAF: It's not a one-size-fits-all plan. When should it just be MAF HR vs. when can you add in more speedwork/intensity? Can you still get the benefits of running at MAF for 90-95% of my mileage with one short speed/tempo workout thrown in the mix? -Lucho’s definition of tempo- Z3 or 5-10 beats over MAF -When is a wiggle not a wiggle (sic)? When training (swimming, running, cycling) and pains/aches flare up, its a question of "do I keep going, or shut it down?" This may be a classic "it depends" question, as I imagine there a are other things that should be considered, such as training history, intensity of pain, etc. But if you guys have any advice on how to assess these situations that would be great. Thanks! wiggle = niggle Info on Perfect Amino http://affiliates.bodyhealth.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=562_13, the new MAP; hear Dr. Minkoff's recommendations (as read by Tawnee) on dosing, when to take it, and more: -pre workout, during and/or after? -with food or no food? -how many at a time? -max tablets per day? -Triathlon bike leg question: How to use FTP watts from a trainer test to gauge how hard/easy to go on the bike when you don't have a power meter on your real bike, and how to correlate FTP to HR for your race plan. -Running with a weighted vest -Farmer carries and the farmer carry record is...what?!
Get all your health testing needs at Nourish Balance Thrive http://www.nourishbalancethrive.com/?aff=dcSW72R2PHE4W2RODY4SGWGFP2HM, featured on enduranceplanet.com/shop, and start your path to optimal health with the right functional testing geared toward the needs of endurance athletes, it's the best investment you can make for yourself. While your over there check out other new deals and offers from companies with love including Sound probiotics, EXOS Performance Supplements (formerly thornedfx) and more. On this show, there are no big races in Brett's immediate future but the relationship with he and Tawnee is getting even deeper and the issues going on are arguably more important than just prescribing workouts. In fact, things take a turn from Ep. 6...
-Sugar and carb dependency for workouts and diet/nutrition is still a red flag, what steps must be taken?
-Steps to being fat-adapted (and fears)
-Is Brett cheating recovery since IMTX? What does Tawnee say? -Scheduling health testing around training/races -and much more.
Jill Miller, the founder of Yoga Tune Up and author of the book Roll Model, joins the show to enlighten us on ways to heal and prevent injuries and pain, as well as feel better, move better and perform better in our sports. Click here to get the same Yoga Tune-Up kit that Tawnee now uses and recommends. On this show we learn a ton from Jill including: -Jill's story of exercise obsession and an eating disorder -How Jill learned to finally changed her ways and learned to be kind to her body -How her past inspired her to dedicate her life and career to helping others live pain free and be kind to their bodies -Concepts of Yoga Tune-Up and how it can benefit endurance athletes -Nervous system health with the balls, and how it can calm you down -How Yoga Tune-Up balls and therapy compare with the foam roller, massage, and other types of trigger point balls; and why it may be a better choice and/or necessary addition to your "body maintenance" -How regular use of the Tune-Up balls can potentially improve blood chemistry! -Fascial fitness and fascial proprioception for injury prevention, better performance and improving coordination and precision -Decrease pain, improve posture -When to use ball therapy (pre or post workout?), and how often? -How to do these techniques -Overcoming injury with the ball therapy (hear how Tawnee overcame a baker's cyst) -and more! Find out more at: https://www.yogatuneup.com/
Roles reverse as Brock interviews Tawnee on her BQ marathon performance. You can read Tawnee's race report and see photos here.
Included in this show: -How to have health and performance -Health testing while training -Stress and health management -Nutrition for fat-adapted endurance training and racing -Pre-race meals and race-day nutrition for the marathon -MAF training -Execution of the marathon -and more
New TriNews with Thorsten and Tawnee reporting on trending news in the triathlon world:
-Faris Al-Sultan ending his career, we reminisce on his achievements. Hear Faris' interview with Bob Babbitt after his DNF in Texas http://www.babbittville.com/babbittville-radio/faris-al-sultan/
-Ironman Lottery deemed illegal, get the details and read the article. http://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/world-triathlon-corporation-ironman-forfeits-more-27-million-lottery-proceeds (revenue forfeited? program to be restructured)
-WTC’s reply to lottery decision. http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/news/articles/2015/05/ironman-responds-to-kona-lottery-decision.aspx
-Tawnee vs. Thorsten on whether each would enter the lottery to get to Kona--would they do it?
-Challenge NA withdrawing pro Prize Purses for some races (Quassy, Atlantic City, Maine, Poconos, Cedar Point), lack of pro interest cited as reason; 25k purse remains for Challenge Knoxville, Challenge San Gil, Challenge Maceio and Challenge Florianopolis; 15k reduced purse for Challenge Williamsburg and Challenge Florida.
-Challenge Oman cancelled because of political instability in the region. http://www.slowtwitch.com/News/Challenge_Oman_is_cancelled_j5081.html
This episode is brought to you by UCAN SuperStarch; the revolutionary fuel that helps you achieve metabolic efficiency and allows you to burn fat. Save 15% at enduranceplanet.com/ucan or click here for the savings to apply automatically. Check out Tawnee’s pre-workout UCAN recipe. Also, want to join EP for Ragnar? We had such great success with Ragnar SoCal that we’re doing it again! This time we’re doing Ragnar Relay Napa Valley Oct. 23-24, 2015. If you want to be on the time for a once-in-a-lifetime experience email us at events@enduranceplanet.com and we’ll give you the details! More on the race here https://ragnarrelay.com/race/napavalley Announcement: Ultrarunning legend Tom Green, the original grand slammer, recently had a significant accident, and he has been in shock trauma for a number of weeks. There has been a huge outpouring of support from the ultra community to support Tom and his family as he faces his latest endurance challenge. To help Tom visit his GoFundMe webpage. On this show Tawnee and Lucho team up and discuss: -IRONMAN University: What's it all about? Worth the investment? Is it enough to make for a good coach? http://university.ironman.com/. -Testing LTHR and comparing it with aerobic HRs. The value of having that high-end fitness vs. aerobic fitness, and why HR data will depend on what kind of athlete you are, i.e. ultrarunner vs. short-course triathlete? -Why you generally want a gap between aerobic zones and LTHR -What Joe Friel missed in his blog post, which you can read here: Question on Heart Rate Joe Friel -More on LTHR testing and a "case study" analysis on actual bike LTHR test data from a 20' TT, and comparing it with run LT data, with our recommendations: Scott says: I just did a field LT test on a spin bike. I have a really hard time getting my HR up compared to running. My legs always get tired and burn even at a low HR. My LT HR for running is about 172 (field test only, 8 months ago). But my average for this test was 142 for the 20mins, with a max HR of 159. My PE was in line with what I was suppose to be doing according to the test. The test was done on an old spin bike. I'm 38, have been doing OD triathlons for 2 years with a PR of 2:29. and my half marathon PR is 1:44, to give you an idea of my fitness level. I would like to know Why is my HR so hard to get up? Should I use the 142 as my LT# to determine the zones for the training plan? It seem like my go all day PE and zone is around 125BPM, but then a harder PE i would say is my Tempo effort is only about 5 or 6 BPM higher. Finally if this is a problem, Id really like to know how to fix it. Protocol used by Scott: Here is the LT test I did. I actually warmed up about 10 more mins of easy spin at the start. 3:00 Warm-up at effort of 2/10 3:00 3/10 Warm-up 3:00 4/10 Getting warmer! 3:00 5/10 Warmer still! 3:00 6/10 Tempo 3:00 7/10 Strong effort 3:00 2/10 Recovery 4 x 1:00 Fast pedal with 1:00 recovery 3:00 Recovery at 2/10 20:00 Pain, agony, misery and FTP 3:00 Cool-down! -How close should run and bike LT HRs be? -The power of hiking and walking in your training plan, especially for ultrarunners who will be walking/hiking. -In light of a recent show where we were discussing folks not going at IM marathon pace because it is too slow - should ultrarunners occasionally practice going slower than I would typically do to dial in the slower pace I will need to practice early on at Leadville? I think I should but it seems that you are generally saying not so much. -Is it smart or "dangerous" to do weekend longer rides with a group even if they push your outside your aerobic zones? How much does the "enjoyment" factor play a role? Is it wiser to ride solo and steady pacing? And the role of recovery in deciding.
Brett and Tawnee catch up 48 hours after Brett raced IRONMAN Texas on May 16. Was it the race Brett hoped to achieve? Tune in as they analyze Brett's results, talking about the data, his story, Tawnee's feedback, and what's next. You won't want to miss this exciting development in the series.
On this show: Get your pens and paper ready to take notes; Dr. Phil Maffetone joins to help you dial in your taper, set a realistic goal race pace (especially for the marathon) and teach you to train MAF-style for ultras. Plus: find out the #1 way get faster and perform better without changing your training nor training more (hint, the answer is near the end of the show).
Our ongoing series with Brett from the Zen Triathlon podcast conitnues, be sure to listen to episode 1, 2, 3, and 4 first! In this show we've strung together a couple recent conversations between Tawnee and Brett. Part 1 deals with stress, symptoms of overtraining, and more, using Brett's situation as an example: -reactive hypoglycemia -what is reactive hypoglycemia, the symptoms and how to resolve it -glucose monitoring for athletes -Brett's battle with vitiligo -the gut-brain-skin connection -chronic stress leading to an exacerbation of skin conditions -pressure to perform More resources: Reactive hypoglycemia http://www.runhilaryrun.ca/Images/Athlete%20Reactive%20Hypoglycemia.pdf Chris Kresser on stress, gut, skin and overtraining http://chriskresser.com/new-ibs-fodmap-research-overtraining-and-acne-and-treating-alopecia-areata/ Part 2 is the pre-IMTX race plan and goal-setting chat. -Feedback on final taper workouts, HR issues, etc -Brett's past performances at IMTX and using those splits to guide this year's goals -Gauging past and future performances -How hard to go on the bike -HR or watts for Brett on the bike? -IM wattage based on FTP -How to execute the run -Realistic goals for Brett based on past runs at texas -Nutrition protocol
Endurance Planet is pleased to present a "podcast documentary" taking you through the reality of racing ultras.
Go inside the the Badwater Salton Sea Ultra, a gruelling 81-mile ultra race that takes place in extreme desert heat and through the forest up insane mountains in Southern California. Follow along as Michelle Barton and Majo Srnik complete the gruelling 81-mile course, with your host Tawnee and her fiancé John serving as their crew. Whether you're interested in endurance events, racing ultras, crewing ultras, or simply being entertained, this show covers it all... and it gets real.
Michelle and Majo were featured on this EP podcast earlier in 2015; they are elite ultrarunners and finished third overall at Badwater SS in a time of 17:02, with Michelle setting a new female course record by hours. As the documentary unfolds, you'll hear our pre-race planning meeting weeks before the race, audio clips recorded the night before the race and then throughout the entire ultra as it's unfolding live, and wrapping up with an in-depth and very insightful post-race recap the next morning. Plus learn about the Badwater races and RD Chris Kostman.
To jump to a specific part of the podcast: - Planning meeting - 00:09:08 - Pre-race dinner - 01:05:56 - Race start - 01:15:57 - Mile 40/about halfway - 01:20:00 - A team won - 01:42:50 - Post-race recap - 01:48:48
For more info and photos, check out Tawnee's blog on the badwater salton sea.
And EP Exclusive! Hear what the participants of Ragnar SoCal had to say about the event, in their own words!
If you want to join Endurance Planet for Ragnar Napa Oct. 23-24, 2015, email us at events@enduranceplanet.com -- hurry spots are filling fast! For more on Ragnar SoCal you can listen to our pre-race show here, and post-race show here.
This episode of Ask The Coaches is brought to you by Skora running, innovating what nature intended with that the best technology can enhance! Check out their new Tempos for a well-rounded shoe. More at enduranceplanet.com/skora. Lucho and Tawnee discuss topics and answer questions on:
-
Tawnee’s experience crewing at Badwater Salton Sea Ultra (81 miles) and how EPIC it was! The full story and details on an exclusive podcast coming soon.
-
Eating habits: Lucho is shifting to eating more food, to experiment and build muscle but is it working? On the flip side, Tawnee is eating a bit less by eating when hungry and eating intuitively and not just eating to eat; how’s it working out?
-
Coming off a marathon and now wanting to use MAF for my next 100 miler in 11-12 weeks; is that enough time to see any adaptations for the ultra?
-
Heat acclimatization. Protocols, and should wokrouts with heat exposure be at 'easy' intensity, 'HIM race effort' or above threshold? What should you do outside of just training for heat adaptations? How long does it take.
-
Hamstring strength for running: How and why the hamstrings are your true powerhouse for running. Hamstrings vs. quads. Developing dynamic strength for running and more.
-
To run by heart rate or not for ultra training? Arguments for and against.
-
Semi-fat adapted atheltes doing ultras: is it a good idea to still eat calories early on to put caloric money in the bank for later? n forcing nutrition early when not hungry or tired?
A sports nutrition classic with Bob Seebohar and Dina Griffin!
Check out enduranceplanet.com/shop for great deals on products and services we love, and support the podcast when you shop through us! This week we're highlighting Inside Tracker for your blood-testing needs to optimize performance, and Thrive Market where you can shop for great quality food for less! About our guests: Bob Seebohar, MS, RD, CSSD, CSCS, created the concepts of nutrition periodization and metabolic efficiency training. He specializes in enhancing health and improving performance by improving metabolic efficiency and using nutrition periodization. He's served as a sport dietitian for the US Olympic Committee and the personal sport dietitian for the Olympic Triathlon Team, and much more. Read Bob's blog. Dina Griffin is female endurance athlete who gets it. She earned her master’s degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition and is a Board Certified Specialist in Sport Dietetics, and is a wealth of knowledge on metabolic efficiency, fat adaptation, and achieving health and performance. You may remember her from out metabolic efficiency test last year when tawnee was tested in colorado and the two analyzed the results. Dina practices what she preaches as a triathlete and ultrarunner who completed Leadville 100 last year. Find them at www.enrgperformance.com (formerly fuel4mance.com).
Covered in this show: * Metabolic efficiency (ME) and fat adaptation through sensible nutrition, and why ME is not equal to low-carb * Carbs! Tackle high fat vs high carb (or traditional carb fueling) for endurance athletes * How did Dina and Bob's philosophy on sports nutrition evolve into what you believe in and recommend today? * Why you want ME and how carbs fit into the picture including traditional high carb vs low carb, timing of carbs, etc. * What the research really says about low-carb and ME for athletes (and this may surprise some of you!) * Describe a typical metabolic test and how you then make recommendations for that athletes? * If someone is a sugar burner how do you lay out a plan to shift that to more fat burning? * How long till you get results? * What do they typically see in lab tests on athletes? * Is testing necessary or can we guesstimate? * Should nutrition be periodized for training and the race season? i.e. High fat with base phase/lower intensity, then high carb with build/race phase, or is that outdated and we can remain lower carb in periods of more intensity? * Thoughts on timing of macronutrients and carb refueling; when to eat your carbs (AM, PM, during training, etc)? * Real-life recommendations for athletes and types of foods you should be eating and should be avoiding
Check out enduranceplanet.com/shop where you can save on great products and services while also supporting the podcast! A "two-part" episode with Brett (zentriathlon.com) and Tawnee:
PART 1: -Diving into the psychology and coach-athlete relationship between Brett and Tawnee -Is Brett listening to Tawnee? Does Tawnee have "coach's authority" on Brett -Getting real and setting the record straight...
PART 2: -Details on Brett's recent race at Ironman 70.3 Galveston, Texas -The crash! WHAT happened?! (good info to know if you ever do this race!) -Did Brett bike to hard? -Power meter not working? -"Holding on" for the run -Lessons learned, deep thoughts -Learning to race smart even when data and devices fail to work -Managing fatigue before Ironman Texas -More on future races, the last big brick, IMTX and pacing
This episode is brought to you by UCAN SuperStarch; the revolutionary fuel that helps you achieve metabolic efficiency and allows you to burn fat. Save 15% at enduranceplanet.com/ucan or click here for the savings to apply automatically. Be sure to check out Tawnee's latest pre-workout UCAN recipe--it's easy and delicious. Also, want to join EP for Ragnar? We had such great success with Ragnar SoCal that we're doing it again! This time we're doing Ragnar Relay Napa Valley Oct. 23-24, 2015. If you want to be on the time for a once-in-a-lifetime experience email us at events@enduranceplanet.com and we'll give you the details! More on the race here https://ragnarrelay.com/race/napavalley On this episode of Ask the Coaches: -Lucho getting into bodybuilding? And more on adding lean muscle mass/weight as an endurance athlete. -Experienced marathoner looking to hit a 3-hour goal -Realizing too much training has been LSD and high-end/anaerobic development is lacking--how to fix this and work the high end safely -The relationship between volume vs. intensity -Lucho vs. Tawnee debating big-volume daily running weeks for weeks at a time--is it safe and healthy? Hudson may recommend it, but is it for everyone? Who should be doing this approach? -Does maintaining fat-adaptation mean every single workout needs to promote it? Or can you take an “80/20” approach? -Long-term running development for ultra success, aka build your body to handle the miles before jumping into a race -Where you should be fitness-wise/running-wise 20-30 weeks out from an ultra -Being real with life duties and race goals -Master’s female athlete having trouble with MAF and keeping HR low (it's just too slow; HR feels "fine" when it's higher). Is MAF not for her or does she need to give it more time and practice? -Explaining TSS and rTSS and if you are an athlete or coach who needs to use these -Training data--how much do we really need?! -The MAF Test--is it really the only data you need to measure gains (or lack thereof) in fitness and health?? - and more...
Support the Podcast & Save! Shop & SAVE with EP at enduranceplanet.com/shop, and enjoy great savings on services and products we love and use ourselves! Every time you buy something through our shop page you are one step closer to your optimal health and performance AND you help keep Endurance Planet alive, it’s a win-win! We can’t thank you enough for your support!!! And keep an eye out, as we’re always adding new companies who WE love and trust. Win a LifeBeam Smart Hat! We recently relaunched the EP newsletter with special deals, exclusive content and more. Anybody who signs up for the EP newsletter at enduranceplanet.com in the month of April will be entered into a drawing to win a LifeBeam Smart Hat. If you’re already signed up to the newsletter send an email to newsletter@enduranceplanet.com to be entered. On this episode with Ben Greenfield: - Marijuana for athletes? Enhance performance, reduce pain and more with pot. - Ben's article on weed for athletes - How do detect a protein deficiency, and is this something with which we should be concerned? - What is protein deficiency? - Using amino acids such as PerfectAmino - the newer, updated version of MAP at a better price point - Case study of a female runner who's worn down, seeing decrease in performance and having health issues -- is more recovery, less stress and better-quality eating habits the answer? - Let go of relentless training to improve health and performance! - Why we can't diagnose from basic test results alone
Check out great deals on products and services and support the podcast: www.enduranceplanet.com/shop! Be sure to listen to episodes one & two of Project ZENdurance if you haven't already! Tawnee catches up with Brett before he tackles Galveston 70.3 this weekend. Working recovery into the routine vs. a block of going hard and hoping to survive and recover in time; brett's thoughts on interval-style workouts that allow you to assign rest as needed - aka if you see a drop off, scale back! How did the first long brick of 5.5hr on Sunday go for Brett? Heat woes. How was his recovery from the long weekend including Sunday? How is Brett recovering so fast? what new tricks is he using compared with before? Learn how MAF is working out for Brett! Mention of our recent podcast with Dr. Maffetone. Tawnee's outlined rest-week rides and runs before Galveston Positive goal setting (and learning not to talk yourself down) Owning your strengths in setting realistic a race plan; visualization Talking 70.3 race plan and pacing goals Maffetone & anaerobic race prep; more from Phil on anaerobic training. Brett's nutrition plan for 70.3 (breakfast ideas and fueling during the race) - to bagel or no bagel? UCAN+dextrose combo on bike Debating Gatorade vs. something like Skratch/Osmo/gels+water on the run course?? Brett's new relationship with carbs and the positive results he's seeing!
This episode of Endurance Planet is brought to you by SKORA Running, offering running shoes that incorporate what nature intended with what the best technology can enhance. Find out more at enduranceplanet.com/skora. Be sure to check out SKORA's brand-new Tempos. Interview with 3x IM Champ Dede Griesbauer Bio: * Winner of IM UK 2006, Brasil 2009 and Taiwan 2015! * Top US Kona finisher in 2007 (7th), 2009 (9th), also 10th in 2008 * Horrible crash at IM Germany 2011 * October 2013: moved to Boulder from Boston, tough times coming with it * Most of 2014 dealing with injury; went on to win her first 70.3 (Taiwan) * Coached by Siri Lindley * Co-founder of TriEqual * Highly educated businesswoman with a Wharton MBA * Background (and future) in financial planning and the stock market * Can't do pullups (and we dive into WHY this is!) :) * Road to Kona 2015? (currently 4.500 with 2/2, needs ~5.100)
Oldest IM Winners - Fernanda Keller - Brazil 2008: 45Y 36D - Natascha Badmann - South Africa 2012 45Y 136D - Nina Kraft - Louisville 2014: 45Y 236D - Dede Griesbauer - age 44 at IM Taiwan! (Oldest male is Cam Brown at 42 years)
Race Results April 12: IM Taiwan (25k$ purse, P-2000) * Women: 1. Dede Griesbauer (USA) 9:20:23, 2. Dimity-Lee Duke (AUS) 9:31:30 3. Kim Schwabenbauer (USA) 9:38:34 * Men: 1. Domenico Passuello (ITA) 8:25:55 2. Frederik Croneborg (SWE) 8:28:38, 3. Patrick Evoe (USA) 8:40:58
Check out enduranceplanet.com/shop for some great deals and savings on a bunch of services and products we love. when you shop with endurance planet you help support the podcast! right now we're even offering deals on blood testing with inside tracker, memberships to thrive market, the brand new perfect amino which is a better and cheaper alternative to MAP aminos, and much more. On this show: The Clinician vs. The Scientist! Dr. Phil Maffetone and Dr. Tracy Hoeg debate whether recommendations can be given to athletes and coaches based on current scientific knowledge. Tracy will defend the scientist's POV to some degree, while Maffetone will take the clinician's POV. We discuss metrics like VO2max, lactate threshold, HR zones, and others that are often used from a science-based training approach. We also hear Tracy's story; she is a medical doctor, PhD, scientist, an accomplished ultra runner who recently switched to MAF training... oh ya, and a loving mother and wife. She's one of the lucky runners who responded incredible fast to MAF training and she's been documenting her journey on her blog at http://www.mylittlephysiology.com/blog.
Support the Podcast & Save! Shop & SAVE with EP at enduranceplanet.com/shop, and enjoy great savings on services and products we love and use ourselves! Every time you buy something through our shop page you are one step closer to your optimal health and performance AND you help keep Endurance Planet alive, it's a win-win! We can't thank you enough for your support!!! And keep an eye out, as we're always adding new companies who WE love and trust. Win a LifeBeam Smart Hat! We recently relaunched the EP newsletter with special deals, exclusive content and more. Anybody who signs up for the EP newsletter at enduranceplanet.com in the month of April will be entered into a drawing to win a LifeBeam Smart Hat. If you’re already signed up to the newsletter send an email to newsletter@enduranceplanet.com to be entered. On this show: - The best routine for marathon recovery? What kind of ramp up afterward to get back to 100%? - A guide to solving low back pain from running (see below for details) - Ironman training: How much of my running should I be doing at my open marathon pace versus my Ironman marathon pace? I did an open marathon in November in 3:04, however, at Ironman I hope to do 3:30. - have you been running TOO hard?! The benefits of hard running but why you may want to switch to a lower effort for the majority of your training runs. - HR training zone guidance for 10k (and long distance) running - Nail the 10k in an Olympic and how to get your 10k Oly time closer to your 10k open time!- Avoid over-fueling in an Olympic-distance triathlon- 20 weeks out from a marathon and time to get busy - help! Is it advisable to build volume & work on strength simultaneously? If feeling overtrained do you have a preference as to which to decrease - volume or intensity? Plus how to add in hills with limited resources? Lucho’s Run Training Schedule (Marathon based) Monday - recovery Tuesday - speedwork or tempo (tempo if not fresh for speed) + yoga Wednesday - moderate volume (6-14 miles) Thursday - very ez 3-4 miles x2 (double day) Friday - tempo or converse from tuesday Saturday - don't wreck sunday Sunday - long run option to switch thursday and friday if you feel good on thursday after warmup! Kettlebell brand mention by Tawnee: http://www.kettlebellsusa.com/metrixx-ecoat-black-cast-iron-kettlebells-military-grade-kettlebells.html Solving Low-Back Pain*
1) Work out your tight/weak hips - pelvis is getting pulled forward by illacus and psoas, but pelvis is needing to be neutral or even slightly posterior tilted to avoid LB pain - glutes stabilize hips - if you have weak glutes this allows pevlis to get pulled forward more - glutes too weak + tight anterior muscles = pelvis tilts forward & more pressure on low back - create strong but mobile anterior muscles (hip flexors); work on max hip flexion, i.e. pull knee to chest Fixes: couch stretch yoga strengthen glutes strengthen hip flexors deep squats overhead deep squats See more on this Kelly Starrett MWod video to test your risk for low back pain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBkCoXPn_Ic
2) Upper body / T spine - if you are hunched and in excessive kyphosis this will actually add more pressure on the lumbar spine aka low back fixes: foam roll T spine DAILY! external rotation of shoulders strengthen mid back/lats "turn off" upper traps and neck
3) Lower body - maintain neutral feet, loose calves, etc. - alignment and good form starts here.
Brett Blankner of the Zen and the Art of Triathlon podcast http://www.zentriathlon.com/ is just over a month out from Ironman Texas and Tawnee’s taking on the task of coaching Brett for Ironman success! Listen to Episode 1 of this new series first if you haven’t yet; click here. On this show we focus on: - key workouts and long bricks that Brett needs to complete in the final weeks before IMTX - the format Tawnee recommends for 3 big bricks for IM training (how much bike vs. run, and volume/intensity) - How to plan around Brett’s BUSY schedule - Racing 70.3 Galveston and goal-setting - Fueling during workouts and honing in on race nutrition that Brett will use - His latest concoction of: a mix of UCAN (enduranceplanet.com/ucan), dextrose, malto, and Hornet Juice. - Food talk and mention of Thrive Market (https://thrivemarket.com/?aff_id=2036&t_id=10218a5693db929b62ea48ea5d9c36&o_id=6&utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=Endurance+Planet&utm_campaign=ThriveMembership) for finding quality food a cheaper prices - enduranceplanet.com/shop to join Thrive now! - Coconut flakes and Paleo cereals to replace Raisin Bran http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KXDPS60/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00KXDPS60&linkCode=as2&tag=endurplane01-20&linkId=W4V63L3QIKSUID3D http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O6DHNB6/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00O6DHNB6&linkCode=as2&tag=endurplane01-20&linkId=CX2DHLUBEWB5CV2U - Carbs at night (not the morning) whenever possible for better fat-adaptation - the other Zendurance https://www.facebook.com/ZENdurance - and more
Lucho, Tawnee and Brock sit down together hours after finishing the Ragnar SoCal Relay to share all the details about their experience and how to successfully execute one of these epic relay events! We answer listener questions that were submitted as well.
A special thanks to our sponsors for the the event, Generation UCAN Superstarch and LifeBeam Technology. We couldn't have asked for better support and such quality products for the ultimate in sports performance! You can find out more at enduranceplanet.com/ucan or enduranceplanet.com/shop where you can enjoy exclusive savings of 15% off your purchase on both UCAN and LifeBeam products. Also, the Endurance Planet Team results are in: - Official time was 26:44:05 for 182.4 miles (8:48 avg pace) - 10th in our division - 55th overall out of 700+ teams - Passed 600+ teams - Accidentally ran an extra mile (L---- got lost ;)) so technically we were even faster;)
Topics covered in this podcast: - How to train for this kind of endurance event (and how not to train) - Strategy for pacing when you have three runs spaced over 26+ hours (did they go all in or conservative?) - Sleep deprivation and its effects - Logistics (multiple vans, exchanges, etc) - Teamwork and supporting each other - Nutrition and hydration - What NOT to eat (hint: M&Ms!) - Pre-race preparation tips for a smooth event - How to properly rest and recover during the event - What to wear (and what to bring) - Lucho, Tawnee and Brock's specific running experiences, the terrain they faced and more - Tawnee's HRV and HR data collection - and the results! - How are team moved up the ranks and having the competitive vibe - Will there be more Ragnars (and other EP team events)?! - Many more fun insider stories that went down with the EP team! - and More!
Also, this isn't the last on Ragnar; we're recording a special podcast featuring the rest of the EP Ragnar team and the drivers who will share their highlights and personal accounts of their experience doing this event. We'll be releasing that soon!
We're debuting a new series on Endurance Planet featuring Brett Blankner of Zen and the Art of Triathlon "hiring" Tawnee as his coach to see if she can help him achieve his goals in long-course triathlon racing. Consider it a bit like a reality triathlon if you will.
Brett is the "everyman" athlete and represents the same trials and tribulations that nearly every endurance athlete and triathlete faces at some point. He's been racing for years and is very experienced; however, he has many unfulfilled dreams and keeps missing his goals. In particular: he finally wants to nail the run, nail nutrition (and diet!), and go sub-10 in an ironman. This year, he's training for IM Texas and UltraMan.... and more for 2016.
It's Tawnee's task to figure out where the "holes" are in his training, lifestyle and diet and see if she can recommend the right changes for better performance on race day.
The kicker: Since Brett since he’s so experienced finding out "what's wrong" gets a bit trickier.
So, on this series you will go inside our coaching conversations and what it’s like inside of a real coach-athlete relationship. Including snapshots inside Brett's life such as his food log (see below).
On this first show we talk general training, burnout on running from doing and ultra and getting back to it, structuring run training, and A LOT on diet, and the art + science of coaching an athlete.
Brett's Food Log:
Saturday
Wakeup
2 cups of coffee one with half-and-half together with butter
Raisin bran cereal with coconut milk
Early AM Run
Fuel - Salty water with just a little bit honey
fish oil capsules, probiotics
Handful of almonds
Tiny piece of a Kind bar, left over from yesterday.
Handful of hatch pepper chips.
Bacon egg and Asiago cheese bagel from Panera, then most of another bagel (whole grain) with veggie cream cheese. Coffee
Bike ride and run
Banana chips protein bar coffee pasta with olive oil and sausage some chips egg and cheese bagel about a third of one Half of a diet Coke
More pasta. Didn’t eat enough on bike ride and run, which is a rarity. This doesn’t usually happen. Maybe food logging results in lower calories by accident. Cool with it. Accidents happen. Fistful of spinach and carrots for salad, no dressing.
Late evening - Small bowl of hummus.
Sunday
Raisin bran cereal with coconut milk
1.5 scrambled eggs with some cheese and salsa
banana
Fish oil capsules, probiotics
4 hour bike ride and run. 10 to 2 pm. - Packed 290 calories per hour, but only averaged 200 to 210 calories per hour. Didn’t want more and felt fine. Wondering if this has to do with better metabolism from all the fat I’ve been eating.
230 pm - Drank leftover fuel, IPA ale, small serving of pasta with tomato sauce with some ham, and some cashews. Felt totally normal and like fueling was spot on. Not really that hungry, which is very interesting (good fueling!)
4 pm - half of a Kind bar while waiting for Kai’s haircut.
5pm - Gourmet hamburger on wheat with lots of veggies (onion, jalapeno, lettuce, avocado) and small serving of gourmet fries. SO GOOD!
Monday
4:45 am - Coffe, Raisin bran cereal with coconut milk, handful of cashews, fish oil pills, probiotics
Swim
Banana, Kind bar
Coffee
Late breakfast - KungPao chicken frozen dinner with lots of veggies and I added some cashews
Amrita bar
Lunch - half of Freebirds burrito (beans, guacamole, peppers and onions, pico, beans, rice, steak)
3:30 Pm - other half of burrito
4:30 - Cashews and an apple
5:30 - small amount of turkey, pasta, mozzarella, and hummus. (had to run to tri club meeting).
7:30 pm - IPA ale, pb and j on Ezekiel bread.
Bed!
Tuesday
4:40 am - raisin bran with coconut milk
Coffee
6 am bike ride. Honey and maltodextrin sips as needed.
7 am made green smoothie to drink throughout the day - kale, carrots, banana, olive oil, hemp protein powder, chia seeds, macca powder, apple juice to sweeten.
8 am - Handfull of cashews.
9 am - Chicken Korma frozen dinner. Hungry! That should do the trick.
11 am - Peanut butter and jelly on ezekiel bread.
Lunch run
2:30 pm - finished off green smoothie
3 pm - Cashews.
3:30 - Diet coke.
3:50 - Small green apple. Yum!
4:45 - Popsicle (hungry, what was available at work)
6 pm - Chili with beans, cornbread, cheese, cantaloupe.
Coffee. Yum.
7:18 pm - Half a pb and j on ezekiel bread.
8:30 pm - Small amount of chips and hummus.
Tawnee's (quick & brief) recommendations:
Eliminate:
-Raisin bran (replace with avocado/high fat fuel if breakfast. or depending on the day something like sweet potato, roasted kabocha squash, plaintains, green bananas, etc)
-
Bagels and cream cheese
-
Chips
-
Frozen meals (ah!)
-
roasted/salted nuts (raw organic only!)
-
NO SODAS ever (diet or otherwise)
Borderline:
-
pasta (choose GF instead, or swap with rice, quinoa, etc)
-
sandwiches (try open faced? and add more fat i.e. avocado for calories), or replace with a wrap instead
-
PB (almond or another nut butter instead)
Eat strategically:
-
burritos
-
bread (choose quality options life Ezekiel, Sourdough, gluten free, etc)
-
chili/cornbread - really depends on quality of ingredients.
Ok, IMO:
-
ezekiel bread
-
sourdough
-
paleo cereals
-
nut butters but not PB
Add:
-
more veggies, greens especially but all are good. we'll want to monitor reactions to FODMAPs. if they give you gas we may have to have you seek out a prof to test gut health. veggies inherently aren't the culprit for causing gas, and they are needed!
-
good fats (fatty fish like sardines and salmon, avocado, coconut oil, MCT oil, grassfed butter, quality olive oil, avocado oil, raw nuts/seeds, bacon, animal fats, grassfed beef with fat, etc)
-
organic, pasture-raised, grassfed, no-hormone added quality meats only (no conventional)
-
some stevia/honey for sweeteners
-
UCAN (enduranceplanet.com/ucan)
-MAP (enduranceplanet.com/shop)
Lucho, Tawnee and Brock meet up in SoCal less than 24 hours before the start of the Ragnar Relay to dish on the race ahead and catch up.
A special thanks to the sponsors of Ragnar for helping this team come together:
Generation UCAN Superstarch, the cutting-edge molecular starch that provides clean-burning, long-lasting steady energy for athletes. UCAN will be in both our vans for Ragnar!
LifeBeam, which makes the world’s most advanced wearable instruments for measuring human performance. No need for a chest strap, your heart rate monitor is embedded into you hat, helmet of visor.
From recovery to sweat rates this show is jam-packed with cutting-edge sports nutrition and health information! Ben recently hung out with Dr. Allen Lim of Skratch Labs and the FeedZone cookbook, and we cover what went on in that conversation and much more including:
- The latest research on sodium, electrolytes and sweat and how you can up your game by managing these things,
- More on RS (listen to our ground-breaking interview with Chris Kelly),
- Nutrition advice for racing cold events like Norseman 2015 and triathlons in general,
- Why you want to go for simplicity in your race nutrition,
- How to use products like Skratch Labs and solid foods such as bonk breakers and rice cakes during a triathlon,
- Tangent! VRBO vs AirBnB, Uber and More travel conveniences to enhance your race experience,
- UCAN chat! How to best dissolve UCAN effectively. Also, how Tawnee uses UCAN pre-workout ,
- Do you need to achieve "better blood?" Start by enhancing your recovery and treating the body well,
- Anti-inflammatories that are more effective that NSAIDs: Mariva, turmeric
- and more!
LifeBeam makes the world's most advanced wearable instruments for measuring human performance. No need for a chest strap, your heart rate monitor is embedded into theSmart Helmet, Smart Hat and Smart Visor. And they're compatible with both ANT+ and Bluetooth low energy! Here's how can you get your hands on a FREE LifeBeam Hat: CONTEST #1: The EP team is running Ragnar SoCal on 4/10-4/11 and we're giving away a LifeBeam Smart Hat to the person who correctly guesses the EP team's finishing time for the race, which is 182.4 miles total for the 12-person team. Simply enter the contest by submitting your guess on our Facebook page or via a tweet to @enduranceplanet. Be sure to include the hashtag #EPLifeBeam. That's it. Post your guess with the hashtag before 4/10 at 12pm to be entered. CONTEST #2: And if you don’t win that contest, we have another for you. We recently relaunched the EP newsletter will great information on the podcast and more. Anybody who signs up for the EP newsletter at enduranceplanet.com in the month of April will be entered into a drawing to win a LifeBeam Smart Hat. If you’re already signed up to the newsletter send an email to newsletter@enduranceplanet.com Also You can save on LifeBeam products with the code endurance15planet. For more information LifeBeam head to enduranceplanet.com/shop.
On This Show: * Are days off overrated? What are your thoughts on active recovery? * Top 10 food for endurance athletes and much more talk on food and eating (like: does Lucho eat grassfed meat?) * The LIST: -Sweet potato -Avocado -Eggs -Coconut oil -Greens (kale, spinach, chard, etc) -Cruciferous vegetables (prebiotics) -Ginger /turmeric -Wild salmon/ fatty fish -Sauerkraut (probiotic) -Raw nuts * Bonus 3: -Gluten free grain like buckwheat or rice -Grassfed butter or ghee -Berries * Bouncing back and forth between ultras and triathlon training and how to manage volume, avoid over-training the run as well as avoid burnout on the run * Switching from ultra to triathlon and vice versa * When to add 5 beats to your MAF * Using a MAF range vs. just your specific MAF HR * Yraining for a half-marathon on a firefighter's schedule of 2 days on, 4 days off - help planning! * Shoutout to Munselle Vineyards in Sonoma * And More!
Check out the Endurance Planet shop page to get great deals on products we love and recommend, it's all at enduranceplanet.com/shop. And also be sure to grab a copy of Thorsten's KPR Observer at enduranceplanet.com/kpr! On this episode of TriNews:
News Women’s movement/equality issue heats up: * Sara Gross’s latest blog post: How the #50WomenToKona came about * Launch of TriEqual.com and Thorsten's involvement * Interview with Rachel Joyce on Slowtwitch
Race Results March 21st: IM Melbourne (150k$ purse, P-4000) Top 5 finishers
- Men: 1. Jeffrey Symonds (CAN) 8:04:29 2. Tim Van Berkel (AUS) 8:07:57 3. Brad Kahlefeldt (AUS) 8:09:21 4. Christian Kramer (GER) 8:11:31 5. Nils Frommhold (GER) 8:12:58
- Women: 1. Melissa Hauschildt (AUS) 8:52:51 2. Yvonne Van Vlerken (NED) 8:58:58 3. Caroline Steffen (SUI) 8:59:08 4. Asa Lundstrom (SWE) 9:02:49 5. Beth Gerdes (USA) 9:05:08
Notable
- Safe Kona slots for Jeff, Tim, Nils, Mel, Yvonne, Caroline, Rinny
- First time for “enhanced coverage” and GPS trackers
March 28th: 70.3 Oceanside (60k$, P-750) Podium
- Men: 1. Jan Frodeno (GER) 3:47:08 2. Andy Potts (USA) 3:48:43 3. Lionel Sanders (CAN) 3:49:19
- Women: 1. Heather Jackson (USA) 4:14:47 2. Heather Wurtele (CAN) 4:16:07 3. Holly Lawrence (GBR) 4:16:59
Notable
- Lots of chatter about the gap between MPRO and WPRO (3 minutes) - Angela Naeth rode up to the end of Pro men and was stuck with a drafting penalty
March 29th: ITU WTS AUckland (150k$, Olympic Distance) Podium
- Men: 1. Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) 1:55:25 2. Javier Gomez (ESP) 1:55:39 3. Pierre Le Corre (FRA) 1:55:50
- Women: 1. Gwen Jorgensen (USA) 2:09:04 2. Katie Zafares (USA) 2:10:42 3. Andrea Hewitt (NZL) 2:10:58
Notable
- 10th WTS win for Gwen
March 29th: IM South Africa (150k$ purse, P-4000) Top 5 finishers
- Men: 1. Frederik Van Lierde (BEL) 8:16:35 2. Ivan Rana (ESP) 8:30:45 3. Bart Aernouts (BEL) 8:35:59 4. Matt Trautman (RSA) 8:37:21 5. Eneko Llanos (ESP) 8:37:50
- Women: 1. Jodie Swallow (GBR) 9:26:56 2. Lucy Gossage (GBR) 9:31:20 3. Susie Cheetham (GBR) 9:33:02 4. Camilla Pedersen (DEN) 9:35:25 5. Diana Riesler (GER) 9:38:16
Notable
- Safe Kona slots for Frederik, Ivan, Bart, Matt, Jodie, Susie
- Jodie racing for Linda & Edith (?)
- Frederik’s Season plan still includes Frankfurt & Hawaii!
March 29th: Challenge Bateman’s Bay (35kAUD purse, ≈27kUS$, Middle Distance) Podium
- Men: 1 Sam APPLETON 3:57:29, 2 Peter ROBERTSON 4:03:21 3 Per BITTNER 4:06:48
- Women: 1 Yvonne VAN VLERKEN 4:25:47, 2 Liz BLATCHFORD 4:25:51 3 Mary Beth ELLIS 4:29:31
Notable
- Yvonne and Per backing up one week after IM Melbourne!
Closing song by the one and only Phil Maffetone.
If FODMAPs (broccoli, etc) give you gas and bloating and you've been eating raw starches to get in your resistant starch (RS), then you won't want to miss this episode.... These days you hear a lot on Resistant Starches (RS) being a good of prebiotics for better health, while FODMAPS are potentially "bad" for causing bloating and gas. But as more research and science emerges, the truth on RS and FODMAPs is coming out. Chris Kelly of Nourish Balance Thrive is here to set the record straight on both categories with news that may shock you and change how you view these foods and your own health state. On this show learn:
- Why FODMAPs aren't to blame and how they actually can highlight a deeper problem in your gut. Why have they received a bad rep, are they really at fault for causing gas an bloating? Why we need and want FODMAPS.
- Resistant starches (RS): What are they? What so the do? Why are most "popular" raw resistant starches actually a bad idea to consume (i.e. ditch the potato starch!)? What RS do we really need/want?
- How your current gut health ties in with FODMAPS and RS.
- Do you have bad gas? It may be time to improve gut health...
- The process of fixing your gut and achieving better health on the inside!
- How does RS fit in with a low-carb or keto diet?
- Why gut-healing supplements are like a raft that's used to cross a river -- you don't need them forever!
- How this all ties in to sport and the ability to achieve better performance starting with your health as well as what you eat. (Including Chris' own journey to good health for better performance as a pro MTBer).
We are joined by Ben Greenfield to answer your questions on: Adding Muscle:
- How to build muscle from weight training while doing endurance sports?
- What's the endurance mileage limit if you are trying to gain muscle mass?
- What supplements/ whole foods are recommended to gain muscle mass?
- Mention of Master Amino Acid Pattern.
Timing of macronutrients for optimal performance and fat adaptation purposes:
- What to eat PRE vs. POST workout
- You can still have carbs, just time appropriately
- If you eat fat, do you burn more fat?
- How does the workout type or intensity of the day matter?
- Eating on off days - scale back of replenish? High carb, moderate carb or low carb?
- How to fuel leading up to a big race
- How to fuel if you're not yet optimally fat adapted?
- Burnout before Boston Marathon
- What actions would you suggest to get me through & past burnout - both physical and mental/emotional - so I can do the best I can on race day and hopefully enjoy it?
- How do I choose a target goal pace (even if it’s overall average with allowances for up/down fluctuation) so I can use it in my last long runs?
- Thoughts on Ryan Hall and his DNF in the LA Marathon. Was it heat, pace, training, etc?
- Recent article on Ryan mentioned in the show
- How often do does an experienced MAF-follower adjust the HR for age? Every year that you get older, do you lose a beat?
- Training for a hilly 53k race in a flat environment
- How does Lucho define an "Ultra" (and is 50k too short now to be a true ultra, listen to hear our take)
- Adding intensity starting 18 weeks out as a rule of thumb
- Is it ok to combine skiing and strength-training activities above MAF effort, with MAF-based run training?
- How close to an ultra should you continue strength training/gym work? When and how to taper into maintenance; when to shut it down.
- As one tries to improve their form by recruiting the appropriate muscles which should make one more economically efficient will the use of these "new muscles" temporarily increase your heart rate as they adjust?
- More on learning to activate new muscles correctly and put it into practice in your sport.
This series is brought to you by VESPA, Nature's Catalyst for Optimizing Fat Metabolism (OFM) and the cutting-edge sports nutrition for fat-adaptation. Give it a try! As a special offer for listening to this Endurance Planet series you can enjoy 15% off your purchase when you use the code “ep2015” at enduranceplanet.com/vespa and start your road to fat adaptation now! WAIT! First Listen to Part 1 and Part 2 – make sure that you are up to speed on the series.
What you get in Part 3 of the FASTER Study and Low-Carb Fueling Series: Discussion and Practical Applications
- How we can make use of low-carb fueling for endurance sport, and is it worth he effort?
- If high fat is good and fat adaptation can improve performance, why are so many athletes even at the elite level still more high carb and finding benefits with that approach? Is this simply an awareness issue or is there more to it?
- How does LCHF play into one's speed potential; how does it affect an athlete's high end? i.e. Duration/intensity of ultras vs. 1/2 marathon or sprint/olympic triathlon.
- LCHF for endurance and health.
- Benefits of fat adaptation and fewer calories needed during competition: less GI issues, mental clarity, no bonking, able to maintain speed, etc.
- Is ketosis and low carb manageable, safe for athletes long term? Males vs. female differences/hormones? Especially female athletes who often appear to be more sensitive to fueling strategies...
- Periodizing this approach to diet? i.e. do it in the base phase then transition diet in build/peak/competition phases? yay or nay?
- More on FASTER: any surprises? What else can you share? When will it be published?
- Fueling tips, what to eat and timing of calories for athletes? What carbs do you recommend, and what about sports nutrition fueling?
- Dr. Volek mentions UCAN for fat-adapted fueling (link to: enduranceplanet.com/ucan)
- Can LCHF make you faster?
- and bonus time with Zach and Tawnee discussing....
More reading:
- Check out this great writeup on the FASTER Study with further details, charts, analysis and more.
- Zach’s Blog
- Dr. Jeff Volek’s other research and articles
Meredith Kessler: We blast MBK with a bunch of questions on everything you'd want to know about her and some: her favorite wines and wineries, whether she uses heart rate for training, does she want kids, her kona goals, breaking 3 hours in the marathon, her secret to success at the races and much more. Help Meredith with her CAF fundraiser:
- www.challengedathletes.org/SHIFT2015
- Meredith Kessler's Personal Page for SHIFT 2015
KPR Observer 2015 KPR, 10 min video Check out the latest KPR Observer
Race Results March 7th: IM New Zealand (75k purse, P-2000) Podium - Men: 1. Cameron Brown (NZL) 8:22:13, 2. Terenzo Bozzone (NZL) 8:28:53, 3. Dylan McNeice (NZL) 8:38:05 - Women: 1. Meredith Kessler (USA) 9:05:45, 2. Gina Crawford (NZL) 9:26:11, 3. Melanie Burke (NZL) 9:41:51 Notable - 11th win by Cam, 4th win by MBK - new swim record by Dylan, new course record by MBK (and a personal best marathon) March 7th: ITU WTS Abu Dhabi (750-20k-5k, $150k purse, paying 20 deep) Podium - Men: 1. Mario Mola (ESP) 52:32, 2. Vincent Luis (FRA) 52:45, 3. Richard Murray (RSA) 52:50 - Women: 1. Gwen Jorgensen (USA) 58:58, 2. Katie Zaferes (USA) 59:14, 3. Flora Duffy (BER) 59:21 Notable - Jonathan Brownlee 5th, Javier Gomez 6th March 8th: 70.3 Subic Bay (P-500, $15k purse) Podium - Men: 1. Timothy Reed (AUS) 3:51:59, 2. Mitchell Robins (AUS) 3:55:48, 3. Josh Amberger (AUS) 3:57:12 - Women: 1. Parys Edwards (GBR) 4:18:13, 2. Beth Gerdes (USA) 4:24:05, 3. Dimity-Lee Duke (AUS) 4:27:39 March 15th: 70.3 Monterrey (P-750, $60k purse) Podium - Men: 1. Tim Don (GBR) 3:42:49, 2. Kevin Collington (USA) 3:46:04, 3. Mauricio Mendez Cruz (MEX) 3:46:15 - Women: 1. Magali Tisseyre (CAN) 4:00:48, 2. Sarah Piampiano (USA) 4:11:03, 3. Angela Naeth (CAN) 4:12:54 March 15th: 70.3 Puerto Rico (P-500, $25k purse) Podium - Men: 1. Igor Amorelli (BRA) 3:54:59, 2. Chris Leiferman (USA) 4:00:24, 3. Cedric Boily (CAN) 4:02:23 - Women: 1. Sarah Haskins (USA) 4:21:31, 2. Dede Griesbauer (USA) 4:28:50, 3. Jackie Hering (nee Arendt, USA) 4:31:54 Notable Two AG athletes hurt during the race in a gang shooting (unrelated to the race)
Upcoming Races/Previews Ironman Melbourne (March 22nd) - rolling age group start 70.3 Oceanside (March 28th) Ironman South Africa (March 29th) Submit your picks on www.IM-Predictions.com for Melbourne and South Africa
Canadian triathlete Janelle Morrison recently retired from professional triathlon after her final race -- the Ironman 70.3 Silverman in Henderson, Nevada, on Oct. 5, 2014. During her career as a pro, Janelle overcame the unspeakable. In 2010, Janelle was in a horrific car accident that quite literally shattered her body. She was told that her racing days were over. But she defied everything and made an epic comeback to professional triathlon, highlighted by finishing third at Ironman Canada. Her journey to recovery and back to racing was captured in a new documentary filmed by the Kelly Brothers, which will be officially released March 24, 2015, titled A Second Chance: The Janelle Morrison Story Available on Amazon. In this interview, we talk with Janelle about the past, the present and the future. Her story is one of the most captivating and unique accounts ever shared on Endurance Planet. It is a truly inspiring tale of finding happiness in the most unconventional of ways. Read her full bio at janellemorrison.com
This episode of Ask the Coaches is brought to you by SKORA Running, where you'll find a leading group of innovators crafting running shoes that incorporate what nature intended with what the best technology can enhance. Find out more at enduranceplanet.com/skora. Lucho and Tawnee team up for a new Ask the Coaches and discuss:
- Tawnee goes backpacking and off the grid, and Lucho talks camping and archery. (Mention of the book Zen and the Art of Archery). Who are these wilderness lovers?!
- Ultrarunner Rob Krar did a MAF test, and he shared it with us so we discuss! (Listen at the end of the show for the followup discussion) See Rob’s MAF test on Strava.
- Comparing Rob’s test with Lucho’s former MAF tests from back in the day
- Pacing ultras for a speicific PR goal. In this case, the Comrades Ultra Marathon
- Help fixing pigeon-toed footing while running -- what corrective exercises are recommended to achieve better foot alignment.
- Kelly Starrett mention, and his Mobility Wod exercises to help.
- Should we eat and/or take certain supplements before bed? When to eat, when not to, in order to achieve the ultimate rest and recovery.
- High heart rate spikes during running that are not normal, help!
- Have there been any studies regarding female athletes on low carb diets and the effect it has on their performance in racing/training/life? Not only in comparison to other diets, but also how the response may differ from the response in males? So far most information just involved men! We need to get more legit research on the ladies?!
- Headache help!! What could be the cause of weird, severe headaches after long workouts?!
- More on Rob Krar’s MAF Test (with HR data).
This series is brought to you by VESPA, Nature's Catalyst for Optimizing Fat Metabolism (OFM) and the cutting-edge sports nutrition for fat-adaptation. Give it a try! As a special offer for listening to this Endurance Planet series you can enjoy 15% off your purchase when you use the code “ep2015” at enduranceplanet.com/vespa and start your road to fat adaptation now! Listen to Part 1 be sure to tune into part one of the series before you continue on to part 2.
What you get in Part 2 of the FASTER Study and Low-Carb Fueling Series: Defining the FASTER study & the Results “We’re charting new territories here in terms of what are the limits in how much fat humans can oxidize.” – Dr. Jeff Volek Previously fat oxidation rates were seen at 1g per minute prior; seen in this study. But the FASTER study showed up to 1.8g per minutes of fat oxidation – first to be documented in a lab setting!
- How this applies to performance: no bonking, mentally sharper/higher clarity, less muscular fatigue, etc.
- FASTER = Fat-Adapted-Substrate Oxidation in-Trained-Elite-Runners
- Purpose: physiological differences between elite male ultra-marathon runners with one cohort following a conventional high carbohydrate diet and the other following a low carb/fat-adapted strategy
- Subjects – how were they recruited, how many runners were involved, their athletic ability (elite), how the diets were monitored (HCD vs LCD)
- Low carb (<20%) vs. High carb (>50%) diets being tested
- Research protocol - what were the variables, what did the runners do (duration & intensity of running upon their visit, etc), what was being measured, etc?
- The 3-hour treadmill run at 65% VO2max, and in Zach’s opinion, what was it like to participate and have to run on the treadmill for 3 hours at a set intensity.
- Brain and cognitive aspects of performance, and how fat-adaptive/keto prevents brain from running out of fuel; and tying in Noakes’ Central Governer theory.
- Subjectively, how did HCD look running vs. LCD
- How LCD vs HCD actually burn fuel and the ratios of glycogen vs fat over the course of 3hrs, and how each performed
- Fat oxidation rates – how much FAT can humans burn?? What current science said until now, and how this study sets new ground for what we now know is achievable.
- One subject actually recording a rate of 1.8 grams /minute of fatty acid oxidation at a set RQ.
- Crossover point.
More reading:
- Check out this great writeup on the FASTER Study with further details, charts, analysis and more.
- Zach’s Blog
- Dr. Jeff Volek’s other research and articles.
In this exclusive podcast we speak with Dr. Marty Hoffman and dive into the most extensive research to date on ultrarunners. Marty is the key researcher of The ULTRA Study, a longitudinal study on more than 1,200 ultrarunners that began in 2011 and will continue for years to come to find out what really happens when we run, a lot. The most recent information was released in 2014 telling us so far some fascinating habits of ultrarunners which we discuss in detail on this show: The Purpose This study examines the prevalence of chronic diseases, health-care utilization, and risk factors for exercise-related injuries among ultramarathon runners. No prior study has examined a large group of ultramarathon runners to assess prevalence of chronic medical conditions and how these individuals make use of the medical system. Subjects & Duration Med age: 42 (range: 18-81) Gender: 68% men Ethnic origin 93.5% white Location: 88% US Experience: 3,347km over 12mo (more than 2000 miles); (range 418–12,134 km) HEALTH STATS Common medical conditions:
- allergies and hay fever
- Exercise induced asthma
- (The respective prevalence for asthma and allergies was around 11% and 25% in the ultramarathoners, whereas the prevalence in American adults is around 8% and 7%)
Uncommon medical conditions:
- cancer
- coronary artery disease
- diabetes
- seizures
- HIV
- mental health disorders
This population is NOT using medical system as much as the general population.
- There was little use of the medical care system during the prior 12 months, but 64% of the outpatient medical visits were for exercise-related issues
INJURY STATS
- Common; most common site of injury: knee
- Younger/less experienced > older runners --- Older age not a risk factor in injury!
- Equal injury rate to shorter distance runners
- Stress fractures more common though, and women > men (BMI did not differ between groups when considering men and women separately)
- Stress fractures: most (88.1%) indicated one had been sustained after they had started running at least 3 days per week; foot, lower leg, ankle.
- A majority, 933 (77.0%), of individuals in the study group reported exercise-related injuries in the prior 12 months.
- 1,900 injuries were reported.
- Exercise-related injuries that resulted in lost training of at least 1 day in the prior year were reported by 783 (64.6%).
"NONATTENDANCE" ISSUES How do ultrarunners fare vs average population when it comes to missing work or school due to illness or injury (hint: runners are seemingly more willing to tough it out and show up!) Compared with the general population, ultramarathon runners appear healthier and report fewer missed work or school days due to illness or injury.
- Only missed 2.2 days vs 3.7 days of avg population ages 18-74
- The average number of days in which more than half the day was spent in bed due to any illness or injury in the prior year was 1.0 among the ultramarathoners, compared with the 4.7 days reported for adult Americans
- Why are ultrarunners like this, what are their demographics?
Grab a free copy of this article. For more research on ultrarunners visit wser.org's site
Shop with Endurance Planet’s Favorites! You can benefit from Endurance Planet’s handpicked sponsors and affiliates by using special discounts and offers to enhance your training and health at enduranceplanet.com/shop On this episode Lucho and Tawnee spend some time catching up and chatting and answer the following questions:
D: Master's athlete overcoming lots of injuries and still wanting to train for Ironman I had a very successful Ironman Arizona in 2013. January of 2014 tore left quadriceps muscle. Continued swimming and cycling and started running again at the end of February. Had to start very slowly and was only up to 6 miles by April. Walked / jogged Boston in April. Early June tore right medial meniscus. In August had meniscectomy. Continued having significant problems, had repeat MRI which showed recurrent tear so had second meniscectomy in December. I have been able to again swim and bike as well as XC ski. With 40 years of endurance I am able to go long, and recently completed a 51k XC ski race. However, with lack of conditioning I was not able to “race.” I am hoping to be able to start running in the next several weeks. Have not run since June. My question: with this back ground what will be the best way to start and get back into running shape for IM Chattanooga in September and at the same time avoid suffering a new injury. I have been looking at MAF as a way to build more endurance and base. I have LT info from biking that I could use to go with zones.
G: Annoying bloating as a result of trianing even on an empty stomach - why? I often find that if I participate in training sessions longer than an hour, I get a terrible bloat. These sessions are not high intensity in nature, but I often feel 'plump' if they do last longer than 60 mins. This feeling lasts up until lunchtime. Any idea how to reduce this swollen feeling? Bear in mind, i train AMs, and within 30 mins of waking up. I don't really ever take any pre-training nutrition (as i feel i have enough glycogen reserves). Could this be contributing to it?
G: How important is it to eat right after a workout? I often don't have an appetite after training. So sometimes I skip breakfast, and then just have lunch. I start feeling hungry perhaps 2-3 hours after a session. Am I harming myself by not talking that magic 4:1 post recovery nutrition? And when you're trying to adopt a lower carb lifestyle - what is the best post nutrition item to intake?
I: Freezing winter but needing to train for a 50k - help! I’m targeting a 50km trail race on May 23. Elevation gain appears to be around 3,500 feet for the 50km. This would be my first 50km race. It’s currently freezing cold in Ontario and my running (outdoors!) has been limited to an average of 3.5hrs per week with an average weekly distance around 30km. My hope is to be able to increase my training time to 5-6hrs per week during March and hopefully 7-8hrs per week for April-May. It is unlikely that I will have more than 8hrs per week of training during the year. What would be the best way to structure my March-April training? What makes sense in terms of a combination of MAF, intervals, and hills? I don’t have access to a treadmill, so my running always happens outside. I do have access to a pool, but I haven’t used it this year so far. My goal is to finish the 50km below 6hrs, which seems very reasonable to me given that the race is so early in the season. Your help is appreciated. Plus chat on eccentric strength training to benefit runners' crosstraining.
This series is brought to you by VESPA, Nature's Catalyst for Optimizing Fat Metabolism (OFM) and the cutting-edge sports nutrition for fat-adaptation. Give it a try! As a special offer for listening to this Endurance Planet series you can enjoy 15% off your purchase when you use the code “ep2015” at enduranceplanet.com/vespa and start your road to fat adaptation now! What you get in Part 1 of the FASTER Study and Low-Carb Fueling Series:
Introducing Jeff Volek
- Over the last 15 years Jeff’s research has helped us better understand what constitutes a well-formulated low-carbohydrate diet and its impact on obesity, body composition, adaptations to training and overall metabolic health.
- He has published hundreds of scientific manuscripts and presented hundreds of talks at scientific and industry conferences. He is co-author of “The New Atkins for a New You” and two self-published books “The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living” and “The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance.”
- And he’s an athlete: A former competitive powerlifter who continues to follow the principles of a low-carb diet while training regularly for strength and health.
- More at artandscienceoflowcarb.com
Re-introducing Zach Bitter
- Listen to Zach’s previous EP appearances here and here.
- Ultrarunner and coach, holder of the 12-Hour World Record, 100-Mile American Record and numerous course records. Follows high-fat diet, has been on EP twice, writes a great blog, is a teacher and more.
Defining Low-Carb
- In terms of grams and percent of total calories per day,
- Low carb vs ketogenic,
- How Zach tackles LCHF with training/racing, including how and when he allows for more carb. Plus Jeff’s take on Zach's approach.
Adapting to Fat as Fuel
- Define Fat adaptation & the shift we're seeing in approach to sports nutrition (maybe not new to Jeff, but new to masses ;))
- How to burn fat for fuel by restricting carbs,
- What we’re seeing in fat-adapted athletes and the benefits, including the ability to run ultras on <2,000kcal vs. traditional 6,000kcal,
- At 7-14% body fat one still has 20,000-30,000 kcal of adipose tissue reserves.
Introducing the FASTER Study
- Jeff’s inspiration for the FASTER study?
- How is the FASTER study different?
- What the FASTER study is about to show us in terms of sports nutrition and the body’s ability to use fat for fuel, and the ground-breaking results,
- Zach’s involvement as a subject in the study,
- High carb vs low carb being put to the test,
- Fat oxidation – what does it mean, and how does it differ based on your fat-adaptation. What Jeff and the researchers found was unlike anything every seen in a lab before! HOW MUCH FAT CAN HUMANS BURN?!
More reading: Check out this great writeup on the FASTER Study with further details, charts, analysis and more.
News * Ironman vs. Challenge + Challenge Prize Purse in Americas - how does it compare with Ironman’s? * Standardized Competition Rules for IM - 12m Pro Draft Zone (front to front), 5 Min Penalty for Drafting, 21.9°C/71.5°F wetsuit cutoff temperature. Note the 20m rule at challenge and how they loved it * Race Coverage for Worlds and Regional Champs: Ironman Live “a hosted online show with extensive, in-depth coverage of the professional race. The coverage will include live GPS tracking for all professional athletes”, * Reuters: Ironman for sale (or possibly IPO), * Move to make Tawnee and Thorsten Challenge announcers!!!!
Race Results Feb 26th: Challenge Dubai Half-Distance (300k purse, 65k for each winner)
- Podium
- Men: 1. Terenzo Bozzone (NZL) 3:45:45, 2. Tim Reed (AUS) 3:46:35, 3. Michael Raelert (GER) 3:46:49
- Women: 1. Daniela Ryf (SUI) 4:05:01, 2. Heather Wurtele (CAN) 4:09:21, 3. Helle Frederiksen (DEN) 4:11:43
- Notable
- Terenzo Bozzone (1st across the line), Michael Raelert (2nd across the line, now 3rd), Manuel Küng (3rd across the line, now 9th), Andy Potts (5th across the line, now 12th) & Ben Collins (10th across the line, now 16th) were assigned a four minute “assessment” for taking a wrong turn and cutting the course by 2.4k (turning 1.2k too early)
- Similar stories from WildFlower,
- Million Dollar purse for winning all three Triple Crown Events
Feb 22nd: Challenge Wanaka (Full Distance, 80.000 NZD, about 60.000USD)
- Podium
- Men: 1. Dylan McNeice (NZL) 8:37:14, 2. Dougal Allan (NZL) 8:40:06, 3. Courtney Ogden (AUS) 8:49:46
- Women: 1. Gina Crawford (NZL) 9:31:51, 2. Laura Siddall (GBR) 9:43:46, 3. Michelle Bremer (NZL) 9:52:16
- Notable
- 3rd win by Dylan, 6th win by Gina.
Upcoming Races/Previews * IMNZ - March 7 + Thorsten’s predictions * IM 70.3 Subic Bay Philippines - March 8 * ITU Abu Dhabi - March 6-7
Get hooked up with Pure Vitamin Club Daily Multicaps for only $24.95 for a 90-day supply. With Pure Vitamin Club Multicaps, you get 13 essential vitamins and 11 key minerals without any hidden ingredients of fillers so you can rest assured that there are no gaps in your diet and you are getting all the vital nutrients you need. Find out more at enduranceplanet.com/shop. On this show we catch up with Vinnie Tortorich, America's Angriest Trainer, to talk about:
- Vitamins and how/why Vinnie set out on a quest to develop the clean and filler-free Pure Vitamin Club Daily Multicaps,
- Strength training for endurance athletes, Vinnie style,
- Bone density in cyclists, is an issue we need to address more seriously?
- Staying strong for female endurance athletes, using Vinnie's partner Serena as an example.
- and more!
This episode is brought to you by Skora Running, bringing you what nature intended with what the best technology can enhance. Find out more at enduranceplanet.com/Skora. We had a spot open on our Ragnar SoCal team (April 10-11) so if anyone is interested in joining Team EP for an epic run experience email events@enduranceplanet.com. Check out our updated Shop page for great savings on all the things we love and use, including some newly added ones from Inside Tracker (legit health testing), and Thrive market (healthy foods at a lower price). On this Ask the Coaches with Lucho and Tawnee:
- Tawnee goes to KB class and is also "struggling" from too much crosstraining in her marathon training; seeks Lucho’s advice
- Lucho talks about wanting to go to Russia and more snow in Colorado
And then to the “real” stuff:
- New study showing the positive effects of creatine and how it can increase testosterone and decrease cortisol
- Product mentions: Natural Stacks Creatine and Master Amino Acid Pattern
- Swim Video Analysis, watch as we analyze
- More swim talk including: -Struggling with the side kick drill in swimming. Why is this and how to master side kicking for better swimming! -Hip rotation -Building power with paddles
- Analyzing HR from LTHR tests on bike and run. Bike HR tested is showing abnormally high, what’s up with that?
- Developing a good swing phase in running, and is it important to implement this on long slow runs or not possible/necessary?
- Watch a good runner fly,
- Mention of Tawnee doing Mule kicks (in Skoras Cores!)
- And much more fun packed into this extra long show!
Alex Hutchinson is a writer, physicist and athlete who is a wealth of information on everything in the exercise science world. Alex's popular blog Sweat Science is featured on runnersworld.com/sweat-science, and on it he highlights the best research going on involving running, endurance sport, athletic performance, nutrition and more. His book: Which Comes First Cardio or Weights is another fabulous source of research-backed truths on the science of exercise. On this show we cover three major topics including: Brain training
- Brain Training Boost Endurance
- The concepts of brain training and combining cognitive and physical tasks,
- What are the results?
- How does this differ from and relate to the Central Governor Theory,
- Mental training athletes were “training themselves to tolerate a harder perceived effort, so when the cognitive task was removed, the effort felt easier.”
- When should you avoid the cognitive and just focus on the physical?
- Practical applications and takeaways from this approach? is it worth it?
- Brain Plasticity in Skill vs. Endurance Sports,
- What is brain plasticity?
- Why do skill athletes show greater motor cortex plasticity?
- Always learning vs. mastering a sport so you go on "autopilot" - pros and cons.
- Personal examples from Alex and Tawnee,
- Brain Training in Your Training Program: - Thoughts on how we can tie together our brain and training (mind body connection) -- i.e. listening to our bodies as the best way to decide how to workout - intensity, duration, etc. - Mention of Run by Matt Fitzgerald,
- More on brain training,
- Mental imagery.
Concurrent training
- Setting the record straight: Does strength training hinder endurance adaptations? Is it generally good or bad for runners or triathletes - and does the type/intensity of strength training depend?
- What does the research say on order of strength vs endurance if you are to do them as back-to-back workouts? Again, does the type of workout for each matter?
- Lunge matrix example.
Stretching pre-workout
- The research on static stretching before a workout? Ya or nay?
- No research to show that stretching reduces injury risk, and in fact it can have negative consequences on RPE, etc.
- Alex's standup desk mentioned.
Ben Greenfield brings his expertise to Sports Nutrition and answers your questions and more on:
How to get rid of fat cells permanently (hint: step outside your comfort zone and be willing to get chilly)
New UCAN bars? Say what?!
Cortisol control! What foods, supplements and low-stress practices can help lower/maintain good cortisol during high volume training blocks?
How much do we really need to worry about mitigating free radical damage from endurance training? What steps can be taken to lower these risks? Does where we live matter (city vs. foreset)?
Is it a good idea to reload on carbs to some extent after a HIIT session if we are following a high fat low carb diet?
Fat-adapted? Now - how to stay that way while allowing more carbs into the diet, including 12-hour daily fasts.
And more!
This podcast is sponsored by Skora Running, makers of innovative running shoes that incorporate what nature intended with what the best technology can enhance. Find out more and get your pair now at enduranceplanet.com/skora Also, the EP Newsletter is back! Sign up and never miss a beat! On today's show we have a great conversation on Renato Canova's marathon training method drawing on Lucho's experience using this method for himself.
Find out: What sets Canova's training apart from other marathon plans? Is Canova right for you? Canova Specifics:
- Base "requirements" before tackling this kind of plan
- Starting the season with speed
- Will anaerobic work erode aerobic development
- Run fast to race fast
- How to determine your goal marathon pace, upon which so much of this style is based
- Canova's specific period and the crazy workouts
- Lots of running near/at goal marathon pace.
- Fast long runs of 17-24mi
- Speed vs. distance, which is more important?
Plus:
- Lucho's experience with Canova
- The bigger picture of choosing a marathon plan and customizing it
More Canova resources:
- Canova 101 Article from Running Times
- Lucho's Canova blog
Then, answers to YOUR questions on:
- How to find your bread and butter race distance for running -- from the 100m to 10k to marathon -- based on past performances
- Periodizing training for a fall Ironman and Sprint Triathlon Championships that will be 2 weeks apart
- Ultrarunner getting back to training for a hilly 50k in late June and needing guidance
- and more!
Dr. Tamsin Lewis is back on the podcast and opens up on a recent scare she had with her pregnancy plus we also dive into a case study on making a comeback to racing after adrenal fatigue.
Part 1)
Tamsin shares her experience on the following (in her words): "At 27 weeks of pregnancy my waters broke which as many of you will assume means going into labour is imminent. We were admitted to hospital and kept under close observation for 10 days and treated for a presumed infection (which they never found). I have a heart shaped womb so was always going to be at risk of premature labour.
Thankfully Baby girl is still staying put and everything is currently stable at nearly 29weeks now. With waters gone I'm at ongoing risk of infection and early labour so we taking each day as it comes. There is no associated between exercise and waters breaking early so my fleeting guilt that perhaps I may have done too much has passed. I certainly was being cautious with little intensity. It makes one exquisitely sensitive as caring for a small vulnerable being & you just want the best for her. Life has certainly changed from this time last year climbing mountains in Lanzarote relatively carefree to working full time again and building a little one - But we adapt & learn and accept that challenges just take a different, perhaps more responsible form."
Part 2)
Then we then dig into a case study of a 37-year-old female endurance athlete who suffered some health problems and adrenal fatigue, and is on track to getting healthy again after working closely with Dr. Dan Kalish. She wants to resume training for trails runs and half-Ironmans and not have a setback. She provided us with her saliva hormone test results, and more information on her health and progress. With this, we're going to have Tamsin give her two cents on the case.
Sport the logo and support the show! Get your Endurance Planet gear now! On this show Tawnee and Lucho dive deep into a bunch of topics and your questions including:
- SUP racing (vs triathlon) - Tawnee's first experience
- Nutrition periodization and how to develop metabolic efficiency and then move on, revisiting the idea of need 4:1 carbs-protein post-workout, and more on carbs
- Taking caffeine tablets (No-Doz) pre run - good are bad?
- Caffeine and adrenal fatigue
- How lucho and tawnee use caffeine/decaf, and is caffeine ok?
- Training for a 540km long road bike race, should I swap some of the 2h zone 2 rides on the trainer for VO2max intervals and threshold work? Will that help me prepare for such a long race?
- Why is there a difference in perceived effort between the bike and the trainer?
- First marathon and missed goal by 30min - what happened?! Going through the data to make sense of it all, and how to change things for a better race next time.
- Miraculous MAF improvements from walking 6-10 miles a day, drills, corrective exercises, hip mobility drills, weight training, and limiting carbs while adding more fats and proteins
This podcast is sponsored by Skora Running, makers of innovative running shoes that incorporate what nature intended with what the best technology can enhance. Find out more and get your pair now at enduranceplanet.com/skora One of our most in-depth and valuable podcasts EVER with Dr. Phil Maffetone, and a must-listen if you want to turn into an endurance beast and master the MAF Method. On this show topics include:
- Maffetone's new beard,
- Hear Maffetone analyze a real-life MAF Test - what conclusions does he draw, and how he makes sense of the data (using Tawnee's MAF Test as an example!)
- Tawnee's MAF Test Report on her blog,
- Is it ok to start with MAF (180 formula) mid season if you wanna try different approach to your training or better finish season and start fresh in another one with plenty time before peak and A races,
- Do you need stay on exact target MAF HR or can you train below and still have benefits?
- Specific tempo or speed work training above threshold with the MAF Method,
- Should you always just go at MAF, or is that not needed and other intensities ok? how to know when,
- Bottom line of MAF: show objective improvement over time,
- 1:59 Marathon reference (pick up the book for yourself).
Case study with Maffetone's analysis: Subject: 30-year-old male triathlete Situation: For the past 3 years I've gone long... 2x Ironmans, 6x 70.3, multiple marathons, and lots of olympic/sprint tri's too. Last year I decided to train with a MAF protocol to prepare for the Black Hills 100K ultramarathon (which I finished 2nd place!). For MAF training, I'm 30... so I kept my heart rate below 150. My first MAF test I ran 8:20s... second MAF 7:05... third MAF 6:40. After that, the races started and I just stopped doing MAF testing (mistake). But what I found was when I would go for an "easy" run at MAF... I had a really hard time getting my heart rate up to 150 BPM. I felt like I was running TOO hard to get up to 150 BPM. In fact, I felt like my respiratory rate was a little high, even though my heart rate was low. Now I think this is a pretty good problem to have, but one thing I've learned is that its better to show up to races a little under-trained and healthy versus over-trained and injured.
Questions: * Is this difficulty reaching MAF normal? I mean I can run harder to get to that 150 BPM, but my perceived rate of exertion is pretty high. At this point, should I be adding different training tactics (intervals, tempo, strength, etc) instead of running at MAF all the time? Or do I just need to mechanically learn and get comfortable with running faster? * I've read Mark Allen was ticking off 5:20s at his MAF; I wonder if he felt like he was pushing too hard or if those 5:20s felt comfortable. Should I train at MAF forever or do you get to a point where your base is solid enough and you're ready to add in some new training techniques?... and much more!
Get your EP shirts and hats now at enduranceplanet.com/gear! Tawnee and Lucho are back again this week to chat, debate and answer your questions... including:
- Tawnee vs. Lucho at Ragnar, who will run faster? (plus Tawnee's recent MAF test tritawn.com)
- Building strength for endurance sport and the issue of set x rep counts. Are up to 30-40 reps beneficial, or stick to lower reps for strength/power, moderate reps for muscular endurance. Arguments in favor for both, and how to decide.
- Plus, why you should master the exercise movement and technique before adding weights and higher reps!
- The myth that lactate/lactic acid causes burning sensation, and lactate's real role. So, what causes the burn then?
- Training for MTB races that include LT intensities and lots of muscle tension on technical descents
- Why you should add wall sits to your trainer workout
- Cures and ideas to fix winter insomnia
- Runner with pain on the top of the left foot, advice on what could be contributing to this? (Pain is located at the distal end of the metatarsals lining up with the second and third toes.)
- Adding a neutral shoe to help, such as Skora.
- Katy Bowman article referenced by Tawnee
- VDOT pacing. Using Jack Daniels marathon schedule and a recent half-marathon as "pace-setter", how am I supposed to know if I should do my runs on a faster VDOT or not? What are the signs that I could/should increase VDOT/pace and by how much? What are the signs that I could look for that say that I am fooling myself?
- Rant on being overly connected and obsessed with phones and devices, and learning to let go and live life.
This podcast is sponsored by Skora Running, makers of innovative running shoes that incorporate what nature intended with what the best technology can enhance. Find out more and get your pair now at enduranceplanet.com/skora.
On this show we're joined by Kelly Starrett, who's revolutionized how athletes think about human movement and athletic performance. Kelly is a coach, physical therapist, author, speaker, and creator of Mobilitywod.com. If you've seen or heard Kelly before (there's a good chance you've seen him floating around YouTube), you know he's lively, passionate and brilliant, and we're stoked to have him visit Endurance Planet for a technical talk that will help you improve your endurance sport performance and movement efficiency.
In fact, recently Kelly released his latest book Ready to Run, and we highly recommend that all athletes add this to their library for a phenomenal resource.
Kelly is also the author of the best seller Becoming a Supple Leopard.
On this show you'll get an hour of awesome content from Kelly including:
Mouth piece for jaw alignment and better performance?
Discussing the concept of downregulation for athletes
Breathing mechanics and mechanical ventilation efficiency (MVE), and how better breathing can increase performance and decrease unnecessary stress
Why we need both spinal stability and mobility for optimal performance
Overcoming an overly flexed spine and neck/back/shoulder tension caused by cycling, running, etc.
The squat and overhead squat, and all the wonderful things this can tell us and do for us. (Note: Even though endurance athletes aren't squatting during competition, why these movements are so specific and useful in our training.)
How to fix a faulty squat - and the need for torsion in the hips for an upright torso
Exercise recommendations:
box squats
goblet squats
box step-ups
T spine mobility
More in Ready to Run
How often do we need to practice movement corrections, mobility exercises and strength training for results?
Injury prevention
Gray Cook quote & discussion: "Runners insist they cannot take time off from running to work on these patterns (ex: hurdle-step of FMS) because they believe endurance will decline, but in fact, reduced efficiency is guaranteed when continuing to train and practice sub-optimal patterns with high training volume. The enhanced efficiency gained by two weeks of mobility and stability corrective exercises and calisthenics targeting weak links will FAR outweigh any microscopic loss in metabolic efficiency." - Movement, pg 206
Optimal performance through healthy, smart living and how Kelly and his family operate including habits to promote optimal sleep at night
Today kicks off with a round of "Lucho's Life Tales," and then gets into your questions on:
- The connection between plantar fasciitis and the calf? And help for runners to treat and/or avoid plantar fasciitis. - Article reference: running.competitor.com/
- Is it true that even the smallest amount of refined sugars can hinder your body's quest for being fat-adapted/metabolic efficient or is some carb/sugar ok? Thoughts on post-workout recovery nutrition? How does the 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio after hard workouts apply?
- Paleo cornbread muffin recipe mentioned by Tawnee.
- Are Boston's downhills really so bad that they require extra hill work (or is that just part of the myth)? And if they are, how can I train for them without risking injury or a setback? Crosstraining? - Eccentric exercises to help downhill running covered in this show.
- HR/training zone case study, and general guidance on creating your own running HR zones!
- The subject: 40-year-old female Her situation: "I'm currently about to start training for a June marathon, I'm 20 weeks out right now... I ran a LTHR test today, I ran it as per Friel's blog, 15 min WU, then 30 minutes all out, I lapped my watch at 10 minutes and my average HR over the last 20 minutes was 183... I have been using MAF over the last couple of months. My MAF HR is 145 considering my age, and that I haven't been injured, etc lately... When I plug this LTHR into my zones, I get <149 = recovery (so now my MAF pace = recovery?), and 150-163 for Aerobic. Should I be running my easy runs (including Long runs that don't have quality) in my Aerobic zone, or would it be better to stick to the lower recover/MAF zone? I'm currently running around 40 mpw, and plan on doing a Hudson style marathon plan that will peak in the high 50's."
- Do we need to worry about EMF while running with a phone, HR monitors and new technology, or even the Apple watch?
Thorsten and Tawnee catch up for a special TriNews dedicated to the ladies in triathlon. We talk about the announcement of the new Women in Tri Board and the latest in the push for women's equality. We are then joined by pro triathlete Sara Gross, who brings amazing insight to the show!
Sara's Racing
- Sara on being a pro triathlete for 10 years and her break throughs in 2014
- Winning two Ironmans in one year (Brazil and IMMT in 2014), after coming off some tough races
- How she tweaked her training to get fit to win (including more strength training, and strength work on the bike)
- Racing multiple Ironman races in a year, including Kona
- Balancing pro triathlon with being a mom, wife, and more
- Future race plans
On Equality
- Sara is also writing a four-part series on women's equality in triathlon. Read the first installment of that on her blog or at witsup.com.
- The problems facing female pros in triathlon - from race start times and getting caught up with the amateur males to the number of women allowed in Kona
- Sara's own experience dealing with drafting accusations after her Brazil win
- Details of the research she's doing on her 4-part series including her "thesis statement"
- and much more very valuable insight on women in triathlon from a pro who understands this world so well
Ben Greenfield joins us while in transit (aka at the airport - got to love the dedication!) to answer your questions on:
- Can routine blood testing actually have a negative effect on performance? Ben shares his most recent experience in which he found this to be the case.
- Is there a difference between black and white chia seeds, is one kind better? or just a gimmick?
- Top recipes for pre- or post-working fueling (snacks or meals) for those trying to be fat adapted and/or maintain that state?
- How to use UCAN for marathon (Boston) training for a generally fit, fat adapted runner.
- Iceman wins 26th world record as he runs up Mount Kilimanjaro in just 31 hours and 26 minutes - Mirror Online
Want to run Ragnar SoCal with the Endurance Planet team that will include Lucho, Brock, Tawnee and other loyal podcast fans? Email events@enduranceplanet.com to claim your spot by Sunday, Jan. 25. It's going to be epic, with special surprises in store. We're accepting ANY level of runner from beginner to elite -- it's just about a fun time together.
On this episode of Ask the Coaches:
-
New study on ultra runners looks at their health, injury rate and more. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/15/what-ultra-marathons-do-to-our-bodies/?smid=fb-share&_r=2
-
How to know how long the long run should be for your running race (5k, 10k, half marathon, marathon); for shorter race = shorter long run? Or no? And how does this apply to a master's athlete who's looking to be extra nice on the body and not pound junk miles
-
Can no longer hold MAF, and HR is way too high even when trying to run aerobically. What's going on, and why we recommended getting a stress test, etc, to make sure health and wellness is prioritized.
-
MAF and weekly volume. Address the conflict between what Dr. Phil says in his Big Book of Endurance Training about athletes often not needing more than 12 hours a week of endurance training — presumably at MAF — and the general agreement in the endurance community that if you don’t train intensely (above MAF), then you need to train long.
-
Should you add bouts of intensity even if MAF focus is the goal, and when to start adding more intesnity in your training and moving away from just MAF.
-
The Boulder 100, and Lucho on drinking beer (or lack thereof).
-
Our "pros and cons" to the Pose Running method
-
Ragnar news from Lucho
-
and more!
Tawnee has a round-table interview with elite ultrarunners Michelle Barton, 43, and Majo Srnik, 36, the day after they raced the Avalon 50 miler. On this show we'll hear the story of Michelle and Majo's unique friendship and their shared love for running. Michelle is a SoCal girl and Majo is originally from Slovakia but now a resident of Calgary; different backgrounds but through sport they became friends, running/race partners, and even coaches for one another! We pick their brains on:
- racing with someone else
- how to train for ultra on the day to day
- speedwork vs. volume for ultra training - how to figure out what you need
- heart rate/data or not?
- cross training
- choice of nutrition
- shoes
- race planning as an ultrarunner
- staying healthy
- racing year-round - is it doable?
Their tentative 2015 race schedule:
- Sinister 7
- Lost Soul
- 223-mile John Muir Trail (Co-ed FKT attempt)
- Fat Dog
- Chris Kostman’s Salton Sea 81 mile point to point race
- Badwater
- TransRockies w
- TransAlpine in Europe (wishlist race!)
- Shadow of the Giants 50k in Yosemite
- Whoo’s in El Moro 50k
BONUS: Winter-time Treadmill workout from Majo (modify as needed for your fitness level): Notes from Majo: "It's all about good-form running! Later on you can adjust and tweak speed, etc. I do 4-5 sets of tabatas nowadays; it shouldn't be easy... Incorporating this least once or twice in training routine, especially in winter months when running outside slowly seems just like collecting junk miles. Have fun!" THE WORKOUT -- Warm up easy running 1 or 1.5 miles starts from 6mph up to 8mph last 400m. -- Tabatas Start into the session with tabatas. Do 8 tabatas. Tabatas are always in one group of 8, running at threshold/all-out effort: 8 X (20 seconds on, 10 secs off/recovery) Notes: for 20 seconds go all out with good form, quick turnover, use your arms, ideally 12mph. when you rest step off the belt for 10sec. Then jump back on 20sec, etc. -- Recovery After tabatas, jog for about 3-4 minutes. You can walk if u need to. -- Intervals Go hard for 2 minutes (a little bit faster than race pace). Recover for 30 seconds. Do it 5 times. -- Accelerations After that do accelerations. Run hard (fast like tabatas) for 30 seconds and recover for 90 seconds. The focus is recovery so you can hammer the accelerations. Do 5-8 accelerations...30 seconds on/90 secs off. -- Recovery After that, run for 1.5 miles to cool down. You can find them both online: Majo - http://www.strava.com/athletes/2879812 Michelle http://thegearnuts.com/2014/09/26/in-the-spotlight-with-michelle-barton/ ON IG: Majo http://instagram.com/majocalgary Michelle http://instagram.com/michellembarton/
On this show Lucho commits to joining EP's Ragnar SoCal team! Email us at events@enduranceplanet.com to get your spot to run the relay with Tawnee, Lucho and the crew this April! More info on Ragnar SoCal. Answers to your questions:
- Are we over-rolling our IT Bands and missing the underlying cause of ITB pain? And how strengthening glute med, etc, work into the equation.
- Is the ‘Insanity 30′ workout program (HIIT circuits) worth the $120 for a ultra-runner? Or is there a better solution to add in strength training for ultra athletes?
- IM Lake Placid 101 from Lucho's experience racing it.
- Tips for a marathoner going into Ironman
- Should you schedule races after your big A race? Or let go, wait it out and see how recovery goes first?
- Muscular imbalances and making use of varying types of running shoes and orthotics. Plus why we should ultimately be working toward a balanced injury-free body and not look to shoes to solve our problems!
Thorsten and Tawnee catch up for the first edition of TriNews of the year! Before we leave 2014 behind, we recap some great Ironman performances from the past year as Thorsten puts Tawnee to the test with his Trivia questions -- she how she does! The trivia as well as 50+ pages of 2014 Ironman results and analyses can be found in Thorsten's annual TriRating Report, which you can grab for free at enduranceplanet.com/trirepot.
On this show: Triathlon News
- Bevan Docherty announced his career end (http://docherty.kiwi/retirement/)
- Cat Morrison announced “change of career” (http://www.catmorrison.com/)
- 2-year doping ban for Morgan Chaffin (recently 4th at IM Boulder, Testosterone) http://lavamagazine.com/pro-triathlete-chaffin-accepts-2-year-ban-for-testosterone-positive/
- Amy Marsh diagnosed with leukemia (http://team-marsh.com/life-gave-us-a-lemon/life-gave-us-a-lemon), now looking for donations and a matching bone marrow donor (http://team-marsh.com/life-gave-us-a-lemon/how-can-i-help)
- $300,000 prize purse (paying 10 deep) for Challenge Dubai (half distance on Feb 27th) announced (http://challenge-dubai.com/challenge-dubai-announces-300k-prize-purse/)
Looking back on 2014
- TriRating Report 2014; grab your free copy at www.enduranceplanet.com/trireport; donations accepted
- We talk 2014 Ironman Trivia!
Race Results Port of Tauranga Half:
- Podium - Men: 1. Craig Alexander 2. Braden Currie 3. Cameron Brown - Women: 1. Gina Crawford 2. Michelle Bremer 3. Julia Grant
- Notable - Any guesses if Crowie will race another IM/Kona?
70.3 Pucon:
- Podium - Men: 1. Richie Cunningham (AUS) 2. Felipe Baraza (CHI) 3. Mario de Elias (ARG) 4. Luke McKenzie (AUS) (12 finishers) - Women: 1. Barbara Riveros (CHI) 2. Valentina Carvallo (CHI) 3. Heather Jackson (USA) 4. Romina Palacio (CHI) 5. Beth Gerdes (USA) (10 finishers)
We are back from our holiday break with brand-new ATC with Lucho & Tawnee!
Announcements: Wanna do a relay race with Endurance Planet?! We are building a team for the SoCal Ragnar Relay this April, and we'd love to have you join Tawnee, special guests, and our Endurance Planet crew for a 200+ mile adventure from Huntington Beach to San Diego, Calif. Event is April 10-11. If you want to be a part of this epic adventure with Endurance Planet email us at events@enduranceplanet.com for details and pricing information. Space is limited and we need our final roster of parby the end of January so if you want to get in contact us ASAP! It's sure to be a great event and especially because we have some fun surprises in store for you :)
Tawnee on Paleo Runner Your host, Tawnee, was recently featured in an interview on the Paleo Runner Podcast with Aaron Olson, talking on her efforts to regain health and also on healthy + easy cooking ideas.
ATC Show Notes: * TP & Lucho catching up after the holidays and anything new for the new year? * Time-based run training program rather than kilometers(miles) . * Thoughts about the cooper test vs Joe Friel vs MAF tests for running? * How to run safely outside when it's icy * How to train/strategize for a speedy relay race aka Winnipeg's Great Grain Relay (7-10 X 800m). * Marathon training for teens * Marathon training for a faster time with limited weekday time, unlimited weekend time, and only using the 3-Zone approach (not 5 or more zones). * Why strength training benefits the endurance athlete's weight-loss goals * Long term strategy to build from half marathon to ultras; planning weekly schedules. * and more!
Dr. Dawn McCrory is an LA-based physical therapist who owns and runs Kinesis, and a triathlete (training for IM Boulder). In addition to being a PT, Dawn is also an expert in the fields of movement dysfunctions, fascial fitness, neurokinetic therapy, and helping endurance athletes... If you aren't sure what fascial fitness is or nerukinetic therapy -- or why you want it -- then keep listening because they are keys to up'ing your game in sport and life. Also check out the Kinesis Living blog at kinesisliving.wordpress.com On this show you will learn how to move better and be injury free with the following:
- Why neurokinetic therapy might be your new best friend, taking Dawn's personal story of success with it into account
- What is fascial fitness and why you want it
- How injuries can leave a lasting effect even after the pain is gone
- Developing compensations and their harm to our performance and efficiency
- Why you should get a functional assessment before you train and race
- How to personally self assess your movement, mobility, and stability
- Daily movement corrections we can all incorporate during driving, standing in line, etc
- Squat mechanic basics
- Why Dawn says to never run back to back days (thus no more than 3x a week)
- How to balance out your endurance training schedule with more supplemental exercises
- MYTH: less running means you give up fitness/performance potential
- What Dawn's Ironman training schedule looks like, and what strength training exercises she does at least 2x a week
- Listener Q& A
- And more!
In this Best of 2014 edition of "Ask The Ultrarunner" from June 20, Lucho and Tawnee talk about their current training, and what they're doing including Lucho's MAF pace improvements and Tawnee's new experiment with minimalist training style. Plus, real evidence from an everyday runner's MAF test results over the past 16 months, and how to execute the perfect MAF test (with proper warmup). Here's the data we discuss (heart rate and average pace): 148 11:48 153 10:04 150 9:36 147 9:41 145 9:09 Then answers to your questions on:
- Our take on IRONMAN's announcement to partner with Little Debbie for IRONMAN Chattanooga
- Could Lucho run 16% grade for 3km? Aka the Lyrebird Trail at the Thousand Steps in the Dandenong Ranges, Melbourne.
- Help for runners to loosen up tight shoulders? And the underlying cause.
- How to train and prepare for Leadville 100 at altitude (when not living that high), and in the final 10 weeks what should weekly mileage look like?
- Metabolic efficiency results analysis - looking at crossover point compared with MAF, etc
- Before a 100miler is it reasonable to do a block of intensity before returning to more ultra-specific training? Will this help metabolic efficiency?
- Jack Daniel's training program questions
- Looking over a training plan for a 100k in Sept.
- Cooper tests vs. MAF tests for running
- and more!
Ray Cronise spent 15 years at NASA but after gaining weight his life took a different path when he sought solutions to achieve personal weight loss. His background in science led him to study the human body's nutritional and caloric energy balance, and how to drive weight loss through basic thermodynamic principles. He now operates a popular blog, hypothermics.com. On this "Best of 2014" show from June 24, we learn a bit more about Ray's background and weight-loss success strategy, then we dive into the latest on nutrition science and caloric energy balance including:
- Recently published work by Ray, David Sinclair and Andrew Bremer: "The ‘Metabolic Winter’ Hypothesis: A Cause of the Current Epidemics of Obesity and Cardiometabolic Disease" (click for full paper), which presents ..."a novel way to view the major food macronutrients and human diet in this era of excessive caloric consumption, along with a novel relationship among calorie scarcity, mild cold stress, and sleep that may explain the increasing prevalence of nutritionally related diseases."
- Definition of "metabolic winter"
- Why proteins, carbohydrates, and fats (macronutrients) are somewhat irrelevant in Ray's argument
- Evolution of human's relationship with food and how it's changed over time -- for the worse
- Why "eat less, move more" doesn't matter, and why obesity is about diet (intake) and not exercise (energy expenditure)
- Fasting, and Ray's take on going without food
- The psychology of food and eating
Plus even more: * Making science more available to the public, and why and how Ray made it possible to provide Open Access to his latest published review (and the $3,200 price tag) * His must-have scientific journals, including New Scientist Magazine and Nature * The current state of blogging and who you should and can trust as "experts" * Seth Godin * Recent Dr. Oz upset on miracle weight loss
...and much more! Click here to download audio.
On this "Best of 2014" episode Lucho and Tawnee cover a ton, including a recap with insight on the Western States 100 and the results, the great coverage by iRunFar.com, as well as insight on other results from last weekend at the races (triathlon included).
Plus answers to your questions on:
-top workouts to improve VO2 max and the science of how to do it, especially for for the middle aged athletes and ultrarunners
-sports psych: “Why when I am running the race I feel like i am going to die the whole time. And 10 minutes after I am finished I am upset at myself that i didn’t push harder and I feel I was a wimp and should have performed better?”
-abnormally dead quads during an ultra – why?!
-changing running stride and getting pain/injury as a result
-suggestions for navigating steep two-way sections in ultra races such as Leadville
-taking risks in ultras (i.e. 50kms) to push your boundaries and see what you’re capable of – smart idea?
-Lucho on how often he likes to race and why
-advice on fueling for a diabetic endurance athlete (hear Tawnee’s past interviews with diabetic athletes Vinnie Santana and cyclist James Stout for great insight)
-and more!
This show is sponsored by Generation UCAN SuperStarch. Find out more and save 15% at enduranceplanet.com/ucan.
Ben Greenfield joins us for the last Sports Nutrition podcast of 2014, and fittingly we discuss the top trends in nutrition, diet and health over the past year; how this applies to athletes; and what's ahead in 2015 and beyond? Oh ya, and we also talk about how Ben fuels for obstacle Spartan racing and how that's different than what he's done in the past!
Top Three Diet Trends of 2014:
1) Not just high fat, but quality fat!
-In recent years we learned high fat is good and not to fear fat, but this year we focused on drilling in the point that our fat needs to come from quality sources and to avoid "bad" fat i.e. that from conventional meat and dairy, etc.
-reference to the book: The Big Fat Surprise http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451624425/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1451624425&linkCode=as2&tag=endurplane01-20&linkId=ACSR7ULHEJYJ33GS
2) Beyond gluten free!
-your symptoms may not just be a result of gluten. There are other things in the environment, our food and more that can wreak havoc within. Don't just blame the gluten!
-plus indulge on the foods that heal: fermented foods, bone broth, raw milk, etc.
3) The Microbiome - Pay Attention
-research is exploding on how important the gut microbiome is to overall health, immunity, and more.
-Reference to the Underground Wellness podcast # 306
http://undergroundwellness.com/podcasts/306-5-steps-to-permanent-gut-healing/
What to Except in 2015:
1) Protein outside the box: insects and beyond!
-with food shortages, expect to see protein form other sources like insects!
2) Growing your own food
-get back to the basics, know the source/origin of your food, and dig in the dirt!
3) Hunting
-get in touch with nature.
-if you have the means, gather and hunt for your own food. Or, if you're a city-dweller then find the most local, natural forms of meat possible!
This episode is brought to you by SKORA Running, leaders in crafting running shoes that incorporate what nature intended with what the best technology can enhance. Find out more at enduranceplanet.com/skora. #runreal Katy Bowman, MS, is a biomechanist and author who's helped thousands reduce chronic pain, increase bone density, and improve metabolic health through movement and proper alignment. Now she takes on endurance athletes in this podcast! Katy writes frequently on her blog, KatySays.com, and has several published books including her most recent (and the focus of this show) titled, Move Your DNA: Restore Your Health Through Natural Movement. Her other books include, Every Woman's Guide to Foot Pain Relief: The New Science of Healthy Feet and Alignment Matters: The First Five Years of Katy Says. On this show & in her latest book you'll find out more on the following: Intro -The premise of Move your DNA - what does that mean? -Katy's history as a chronic exerciser but why and how she was not "healthy" - i.e. she had acne, body hurt, she'd get anxiety if she didn't exercise, cramps, not that lean, not that strong - and the takeaway she learned Movement issues -What is movement, why is it the answer and HOW is it different than exercise? -Goal of movement vs. exercise? For athletes? -Standing work station - pros and cons -circulatory system & cardio issues - why being sedentary with random exercise is the worst for our heart = working over time. But movement keeps blood moving all around -How our body adapts to poor form/bad habits Major common issues in modern humans -duck feet -shoulders/posture/kyphosis -chronically flexed knees and hip flexors -hips & pelvis (pelvis stabilization!!!) Running -the idea of falling forward when walking - explain and is this also a bad concept to follow when running? -Why is treadmill running is not like real running, biomechanically speaking -How do you know if you're in need of help even if you're not injured? Signs: -painful massages -- omg I can relate to this and after fixing myself, they no longer hurt like they once did!! -test for hip abductor & extension tests for weaknesses (and other tests you present) -other tests you'd recommend for athletes Take steps to improve yourself & DNA -Katy's top movements that every athlete/person should be doing daily to overcome the bad habits we've developed (and for athletes to avoid biomechanical-related injuries), such as the exercises presented later in your book.
In this Best of 2014 epsidoes, we're joined by Dr. Phil Maffetone for another jam-packed episode in effort to get you fitter and healthier than ever. On this show we discuss: * Choosing a clean coffee * Getting in sync with your body for better performance and tools to do so * Mastering the relationship among heart rate/breathing/movement when running (and in sport) * How being out of harmony can hinder fitness goals and prevent MAF improvements * Muscle fiber types and their role in fitness, metabolic efficiency, etc * The concepts of being a good fat burner (and Phil's articles here) * Thoughts on athletes who are suffering metabolically as overfat or "skinny fat" - why does this happen, how to change, and more * How you can change your body for better health in just two days * Diet tips for metabolic efficiency
Answers to your questions on: * How to prevent fatigue in the later stages in a race * Coming back from overtraining * ... and much more!
This episode of ATC is brought to you by Doc's Skincare, makers of all-natural skin and body protection for athletes that is free from nasty chemicals. Save 30% and get free shipping with the code enduranceplanet, just head to enduranceplanet.com/docs to start shopping now! Be sure to check out the chamois creams and anti-chafe sticks especially! Today Tawnee is joined, as always, by her old buddy Lucho to talk about... successful marathons, ultras, and more in the new year - plus why it's wise to add in functional training, and...
- Tawnee's insight on why SUP is good for endurance athletes
- Pregnancy and endurance training
- Training advice for a second attempt at an ultra, and preventing what "went wrong" the first time including: - Improper fueling strategy (ultra rookie mistakes) - Too aggressive with my run/walk strategy (planned a 25min/5min run/walk...this worked well for 4-5 hours then I had to adjust) - Hip flexors became sore after 12 hours, nearly debilitating after 20 hours - Race was a 2.25 mile trail loop so aid station was available every 2 miles...became a crutch after mental fatigue took over
- Tips on how to asses hip flexor strength and stability
- Ready to get back to the marathon after time away with a 2:45 goal. Dabbling with Jack Daniels. JD seems all pace-based, so is there any point of using JD at all if I’ll be swapping paces for heart rates? Also: running mountains vs. flats, leg speed issues, periodization, etc.
- Preparing for a flat road 100k in April at MAF but afraid that MAF pace will be too hot to handle for 100k. So, does it make any sense to adjust the bpm down to achieve a more sustainable pace? Or train at MAF and just adjust as needed on race day?
- Training for short course triathlon and doing roughly 20 hours per week. If time is not a major constraint, what are the best things to add on top of a training program to improve performance that aren't too physically taxing? Does this change depending on whether you are in base training vs peak of season?
- Benefits of functional training in a endurance athlete's schedule
- Training for two marathons and an ultra in 2015 -- need help on planning the training schedule!
This episode of TriNews is brought to you by UCAN SuperStarch, the revolutionary fuel source that enhances fat burn and metabolic efficiency. Save 15% and find out more at enduranceplanet.com/ucan. On this episode of TriNews, Thorsten and Tawnee recap highlights from recent races around the globe, in particular Challenge Bahrain and Ironman Cozumel. Below is a full list of triathlons that occurred the last couple weekends with podium finishers. Then they are joined by Beth Gerdes and Luke McKenzie, who call in from Australia where they're relaxing after a full season of racing, including most recently Beth's 4th place at IMWA. We have a great chat about Beth's race, their past year including the birth of their daughter, Wynne, and how they're able to manage their training, racing, travel, and more! Don't forget to grab your copy of the KPR Observer at http://www.enduranceplanet.com/kpr where you can get a $5 discount.
Triathlon Race Results Update: Weekend of Nov. 29-30: Challenge Phuket (Half Distance) Podium
- Men: 1. Ruedi Wild (SUI) 4:02, 2. Frederik Croneborg (SWE) 4:04, 3. Luke McKenzie (AUS) 4:06
- Women: 1. Melissa Hauschildt (AUS) 4:27, 2. Parys Edwards (GBR) 4:42, 3. Radka Vodickova (CZE) 4:45
Ironman Cozumel Podium
- Men: 1. Michael Weiss (AUT) 8:12, 2. Matt Chrabot (USA) 8:29, 3. Alonso Clemente McKernan (ESP) 8:30
- Women: 1. Nicola Spirig (SUI) 9:14, 2. Michelle Vesterby (DEN) 9:17, 3. Kelly Williamson (USA) 9:24
70.3 Western Sydney Podium
- Men: 1. Josh Amberger (AUS) 3:49, 2. Joe Gambles (AUS) 3:51, 3. Joseph Lampe (AUS) 3:54
- Women: 1. Anja Beranek (GER) 4:16, 2. Gina Crawford (NZL) 4:19, 3. Lisa Marangon (AUS) 4:25
Challenge Florianapolis (Half Distance) Winners
- Men: Edivânio Silva Monteiro (BRA) 3:40
- Women: Haley Chura (USA) 4:06
Ultraman (D1: 6.2m Swim, 90m Bike, D2: 170m Bike, D3: 52.4m Run) Winners
- Men: Tobias Winnemöller (GER) 3:02 - 5:43, 8:45, 6:42: 23:28
- Women: Yasuko Miyazaki (JAP) 2:57 - 6:20, 9:28, 6:54:57: 25:41
Weekend of Dec. 6-7: Challenge Bahrain Podium
- Men: 1. Michael Raelert (GER) 3:36, 2. Andreas Dreitz (GER) 3:38, 3. Tim Reed (AUS) 3:39:24
- Women: 1. Helle Frederiksen (DEN) 3:55, 2. Rachel Joyce (GBR) 3:58, 3. Jodie Swallow (GBR) 3:58
Notable
- Deep, stacked field, 20m draft zone, state-of-the-art online coverage
- 500k$ Prize purse this year, 100k to the winner
- 1M$ purse announced for next year (Details open, press release)
Ironman Western Australia Podium
- Men: 1. Denis Chevrot (FRA) 8:05:58, 2. Patrik Nilsson (SWE) 8:12:11, 3. Per Bittner (GER) 8:14:36
- Women: 1. Britta Martin (NZL) 8:56:33, 2. Mareen Hufe (GER) 9:00:21, 3. Liz Blatchford (GBR) 9:02:10
Notable
- Beth Gerdes running a 2:58 run course record six months after birth of Wynne, finishing 4th
- Yvonne Van Vlerken crashing twice, but still finished 5th
- Two drafting penalties for Liz Blatchford (8 minutes)
- Lots of Aussie males DNF’ing (among them Fettell, Kemp, Gambles and Dellow)
Lucho is back with Tawnee to chew the post-holiday fat and answer your questions... including:
- FTP test issues: -- Protocol used - 10 min warm up, 3x1 min high cadence, 5 min recovery, 5 min all out, 5 min recovery, and then the 20 min test. -- Results - Avg Power 301, Avg HR 144, Avg Cadence 91. FTP is 285. But given a MAF HR of 140 what does my avg HR in the test of 144 say? Taking MAF out of the equation what does the test say about HR and Power zones?
- Training with a spouse who's at a different level of fitness -- i.e. Cat 1 MTB'er needing to fit in harder solo efforts, while also train easier with his Cat 3 MTB'er wife.
- Buying a MTB and options to consider
- Kicking problems for a triathlete who's a decent swimmer but self-taught and no background in swimming. Is poor kicking a problem that needs looking at, or is a "if it ain't broke don't fix it" kind of situation? Should I hire someone to look at my technique? Shoot a video? What drills (besides a kick board) would you guys suggest to fix this problem?
- Altitude simulation training tools - chambers and masks - are they worth the money and/or effort for the potential benefits they offer? Or not worth it? Plus: should you use devices even if not training for a race at altitude? And insight on training for races at altitude for sea level/low-altitude-living athletes.
- For runners - would you get more benefit spreading run mileage out over 4 runs per week or 6 runs per week (either way a long run of the same distance once a week). So which offers more aerobic benefit - less frequent longer runs or more frequent shorter runs?
This episode is brought to you by Skora Running, leaders in crafting running shoes that incorporate what nature intended with what the best technology can enhance. Find out more at enduranceplanet.com/skora. #runreal We're joined by TJ Murphy, athlete, author, and former editorial director of magazines that we've heard of I'm sure, including Triathlete, Inside Triathlon, and Competitor magazines. But TJ made a personal shift in his life -- you'll get the scoop today -- and as such his career shifted as well. He's still writing but now you'll find him as an author of recent books including Inside the box, Unbreakable Runner, as well as contributions in Kelly Starrett's Ready to Run. In 2010, TJ made a huge life change hasn't looked back. At that point he was an accomplished runner (2:38 marathoner) and triathlete (multiple Ironman finishes), but he was broken, chronically injured and in pain. Through his job as editor, he found a new path to rebuilding a strong, functional body and getting back performance using strength training and decreasing endurance training (he chose CrossFit Endurance as his means to get strong). On this show we learn about TJ's journey, including his biggest weaknesses (the same weaknesses common to many athletes) and how they were fixed. We also go into more detail on functional strength training for endurance athletes to prevent injuries and perform better. Plus address the burning question: whether running more is actually good or bad for your performance, citing this recent blog written by TJ. We finish by answering a couple listener questions including: "I have been running on and off for 5-6 years. This winter my goal is to build up my run fitness, but I would like to do it orthotic free without over supportive shoes. How can I go about removing my dependency on my orthotics with my over-pronating foot." - Sammy "What is the true goal for weight training for triathletes? Do you benefit most from 2-5 reps near your max in heavy compound lifts, or is the goal to get the cardio with 15-20. People say 20 rep is endurance which is inaccurate because 20 reps is 2:00 and that's not endurance, but has a good cardio fit. 8-12 reps is hypertrophy which makes you bigger, 3-5 reps gets you stronger, but increases injury and takes longer to recover. I am confused on the goals of a triathlete. I come from bodybuilding type background and that goal is clear so any advice would be great! Also if it needs to be switched up what exercises at what reps, sets, and tempo?" - Richard
On this episode Lucho and Tawnee dive into a bunch of topics including:
- A swim analysis! Grab the video, and follow along as we analyze this swimmer's form!
- Ironman athlete getting surgery to repair the meniscus. What should be done after surgery for recovery and rebuilding strength, including lifestyle changes from sitting down too much at work and commuting.
- Reference to Kelly Starrett's new book, Ready To Run
- Is there a translation between the Maffetone approach and the HR zones by Coggan?
- Using MAF when you have a really low HR and an especially low max HR -- is MAF the right approach or not, and why?
- Lucho and Tawnee discuss their MAF tests on the bike and how to train at MAF on the bike effectively.
- Are 45-60 minute MAF rides worthwhile?
- Is it detrimental to MAF aerobic training for triathlon/running if resistance training such as back squats pull me up out of MAF twice a week, every week?
- Achilles always gets to tight when climbing/hill repeats - what's going on and how to fix?
- Describing an aerobic-like zone by effort using Borg's scale. Or, how is MAF best described?
Today Tawnee is joined by Ben Greenfield to answer your sports nutrition questions... including:
- Can carb intake with high fat raise cholesterol? What about the idea that carbs should be consumed with fat to slow the glucose spike and improve satiety.
- Why are so many triathletes overweight? Especially compared to those who do heavier strength training programs. Is this hormone balance? Is it all the cortisol and the driven down testosterone? Are heavy weights better than endurance training for body composition? What about pro triathletes?
- Mention of Tawnee's blog: tritawn.com.
- Mention of Ben's ideas on concurrent training (workout included) and training for obstacle races with 5X5s, etc.
- If you don't follow a strict low carb diet and are training (running) about 80-90 miles a week what is recommended percentage of carbs be on high intensity vs low intensity days?
30-40% CHO active day
20-30% CHO less active day - What about a few tips for athletes to avoid weight gain this holiday offseason?
- Mention of Eric Goodman Core DVDs
- Bonk help: "I just ran a marathon this past Sunday and I was shocked by mile 15 I was really hungry. I mostly eat a high/good fat diet. I was taking gel every 40-45 mins and then at mile 15 i decided to take them every 30 mins to keep from feeling hungry for the rest of the race and then I noticed my pace started to decrease around mile 17 and on. I was able to keep going for the remaining miles but a much slower pace. was this the typical nutrition bonk and there was no way to really recover from that hungry feeling at mile 15?"
In this "Best of 2014" Episode of Ask the Coaches, Lucho and Tawnee answer your questions on: * Racing an Xterra, 70.3, and Ironman in one season: When to ride the MTB vs. road/tri bike? Is a 3hr ride a 3hr ride regardless of the bike? * Three-year plan to try and qualify for Kona in the 40-44 age group for a reasonably well rounded athlete, advice! * Groin pain after intense runs – what’s the cause, is it muscle imbalance, weakness, etc, and how to fix? * “The Lucho Guide to Heart Rate Training” – breakdown of his “zones” using MAF and Threshold; i.e. Base = Threshold minus 20 beats, Temp = Threshold minus 10, etc. * The difference in beats between MAF and Threshold and what that says about your fitness * The importance of maintaining your high end and how fast you can increase VO2max * How much does body type affect endurance training * Slow-twitch vs. fast-twitch muscle fiber types, and importance for endurance athletes * What are the biggest mistakes you’ve seen someone make (or you yourselves have made) while competing in their first ironman? * Difference between a speed versus a power workout in running? * Best exercise to work on bike strength when all you have is an island bike on an island * Exercises to build upper body strength for an athlete with limited range of motion in right elbow. * how do you take a marathon program and adapt it for 100-mile training? * Mitochondria: how can you either increase the number/density or function through diet or exercise, and are efforts longer than 60min effective in their development?
This episode of TriNews is brought to you by Doc's Skincare (link to: enduranceplanet.com/docs), the best line of long-lasting all-natural skin and body protection around so you don't have to expose yourself to nasty chemicals ever again and you can still can get the comfort and protection you need to feel good and perform well. Find out more and save 10% with code "enduranceplanet" at enduranceplanet.com/docs.
Also get your subscription to the 2015 KPR Observer now to follow along with Thorsten and Tawnee as next season unfolds; click here to buy now and save $5 here (link to: https://gum.co/2015KPR/enduranceplanet). Or head to enduranceplanet.com/kpr for more info.
On this episode Tawnee and Thorsten catchup on the latest and talk with professional triathlete and Ironman champion Haley Chura, 29, who recently won her first Ironman in Brazil at Ironman Fortaleza. On this show we'll hear all about her victory and that gnarly course, plus Haley's experiences since going pro in 2013, racing Kona last year, the road to future World Championships, her swim prowess, and more. Follow Haley on her blog and website at www.haleychura.com, and twitter at @haleychura.
Race news and more covered in this show includes:
Racing weekend Nov. 8-9, 2014:
Challenge Foster
Winner
Men: Mitchell Robbins (AUS)
Women: Liz Blatchford (GBR)
70.3 Mandurah
Winner
Men: Michael Raelert (GER)
Women: Annabel Luxford (AUS)
Notables
Men: strong field including Tim Reed (2nd), Chris Kemp (3rd), Luke Bell (4th), Craig Alexander (6th)
Women: Caroline Steffen (2nd), Nikki Butterfield (3rd), Anja Beranek (4th), Rachel Joyce (5th), Rebekah Keat (6th), Mareen Hufe (7th)
IM Fortaleza
Podium
Men: 1. Guilherme Manocchio (BRA) 8:30:16, 2. Eneko Llanos (ESP) 8:32:02, 3. Thiago Vinhal (BRA) 8:52:54
Women: 1. Haley Chura (USA) 9:09:20, 2. Ariane Monticeli (BRA) 9:41:55, 3. Jessie Donavan (USA) 9:51:33
Racing weekend Nov. 15-16, 2014:
Challenge Shepparton
Winner
Men: Josh Amberger (AUS)
Women: Annabel Luxford (AUS)
Notable
Last Australian Pro race for Belinda Granger, Berkel pulled out (hip issue)
IM 70.3 Ballarat
Winner
Men: Michael Raelert (GER)
Women: Melanie McQuaid (CAN)
IM Arizona
Podium
Men: 1. Brent McMahon (CAN) 7:55:38, 2. Clemente Alonso McKernan (ESP) 8:00:32, 3. Jordan Rapp (USA) 8:03:04
Women: 1. Meredith Kessler (USA) 8:50:41, 2. Lisa Hütthaler (AUT) 8:58:46, 3. Heather Jackson (USA) 9:08:57
Notable
Fastest debut IM for Brent McMahon (one of three sub-8 debuts)
bike course record for Jordan Rapp
--
Upcoming Races
Ironman Cozumel (Nicola Spirig IM debut!)
Ironman Western Australia (what a women’s field! Yvonne Van Vlerken, Beth Gerdes, Liz Lyles, Liz Blatchford, Bree Wee, Kate Bevilaqua, Asa Lundstroem, Mareen Hufe, Sarah Piampiano)
Other Triathlon News
Challenge North America will have a Championship Race (Knoxville, TN in May 2016) and will offer Pro purses and pay 10 deep (http://www.challenge-familyusa.com/challenge-family-regional-championships-and-prize-money-confirmed-in-the-americas/, more details to come.
Weddings: Faris Al-Sultan & Ina Reinders, Danielle Kehoe & Jeff Mack
Engaged: Ben Hoffman & Kelsey Deery
We are joined by Dr. Tamsin Lewis, who has some exciting news to share since we last spoke with her: she's pregnant! Tamsin shares what it's like for a female athlete to experience pregnancy for the first time and she gets very specific with the changes in her body and lifestyle including:
- levels of hormones getting crazy
- how she's altering her exercise
- changes to her diet/nutrition and what she has cut out
- and more.
You can follow Tamsin's blog at sportiedoc.com for updates and progress on her pregnancy!
Plus we also answer your questions on:
- SHBG levels athletes and its relationship with sex hormones and testosterone.
- Is high SHBG a cause for concern in athletes? (i.e. is high SHBG a normal result of training, or can it decrease T bioavailability)
- What causes high SHBG?
- Gluconeogenesis - turning non-carb sources to glucose for fuel.
- Is gluconeogenesis from plant protein sources different than from animal protein?
- Flat coke: should you incorporate it into regular training or save it for races? Do you need to adapt your body to using coke or is it really "magic" fuel?
This episode is brought to you by UCAN Superstarch, find out more and SAVE 15% off your purchase at enduranceplanet.com/ucan.
On this show:
-Tawnee shares a strength-training circuit, and she and Lucho catch up on the latest.
-MAF & weather. How wether "extremes" affect MAF running and MAF testing, and how to deal with either crazy cold or crazy hot/humid conditions when you have to do your MAF tests. Can you factor weather in to your performance? Or just try to work around it?
-Follow up/further insight to last week's question on an Achilles Tendon issue and fix
-Running at high altitude (8k+ ft). Living at altitude for an extended period of time: What is a timeline for acclimatization, knowing that is still is very individual and personal question depending on one’s fitness and previous altitude exposure. Second, when would you know you're ready to start training specifically and not just "running easy?"
-Is there any rule of thumb for "translating" a Ironman marathon time to an open marathon? Should you/could you run an open marathon before a full Ironman? Also: how half-marathon times relate to half-Ironman times? And can your half-Ironman run predict your open marathon?
-Long runs for your first 24 hr ultra in June 2015 with a background of 50ks - how do you determine how long to go in training?
-Eccentric hamstring exercises (box drops, RDLs)
-HR issues after 12+ months of Long Slow Distance running as part of Ironman training, and wanting to do a half-marathon.
Thorsten and Tawnee are joined by pro triathlete Tim Berkel for a fun chat. The big news is Tim's awesome debut performance at the Ironman World Championships this year where he was 7th overall and top Aussie. Plus we also catch up on what's going on with Tim, including his "fun run" with Macca at the NYC Marathon, future race plans, how he keeps it real with a little partying mixed in, pug love, and more.
Plus prior to Tim coming on, Thorsten and Tawnee share a bit of race news from IM Fortaleza, Bahamas, and preview this weekend's IMAZ. Get the full race reports and rosters at www.trirating.com
Also head to enduranceplanet.com/kpr now to get your subscription to the KPR Observer with a special $5 discount exclusive to endurance planet fans!
We're joined by pro triathlete and Ironman champion Angela Naeth to take a look at some of the messy and often "taboo" health issues that women face in endurance sports.
Many female endurance athletes struggle with their cycle and menstruation -- whether that means having "harsh" periods with cramping and debilitating pain, or amenorrhea (the lack of regular menstruation, which is usually due to the vigorous and stressful nature of endurance sports, and resulting low body fat).
In this case Angela shares the struggles she's had with her own menstruation over the years and gets candid with her journey and the role that sport played. We also learn why she was compelled to conduct an informal survey asking fellow female triathletes and runners how they manage their menstruation and use of birth control.
Menstruation and Birth Control Survey - The questions, results and a more detailed analysis by Angela.
Along the way in this show we give a bunch of tips and insight for the female athletes out there! We hope to bring these issues to light and no longer have women fear speaking up about the harsh realities of participating in endurance sports.
This show is brought to you by UCAN SuperStarch. Save 15% at enduranceplanet.com/UCAN. Also check out this cool event: UCAN + Meb in Laguna Niguel, CA, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11. Come join! Here's the official invite and register for FREE . Your host, Tawnee, will be there in the audience and hanging out! Come out for the fun! Today, Lucho and Tawnee answer your awesome questions on:
- Did Lucho get his KOM?
- Achilles pain with no injury history - should I continue to run if I am experiencing pain? Goal is to run in a 10k and a half marathon.
- The best way to ride up hills., i.e., sitting, standing, a mixture? Do you have different recommendations for steeper or longer hills? ("I am signed up for Oceanside 70.3 and IM Wisconsin for next year.")
- Can you use the Compex too much?
- Post-Kona questions: (1) There's been a lot of commentary about how diligent both Rinnie and Sebastian Kienle were in getting nutrition and hydration in during the marathon. What surprised me is that both of them took some in at the last aid station, which I think was only a mile from the finish line. I would think at this point, unless you are in Julie Moss territory, you would just go, particularly if you have any concern that a competitor is still coming up from behind. (2) During the early part of the bike leg, one of the commentators noted that several pro women were riding (mashing) at a low cadence in the mid-70's to keep their heart rate down. But wouldn't this aerobic "savings" be offset by extra muscle fatigue? What are the lessons here for age groupers?
- Beer choices. "I'm doing IMAZ this year. My FTP is 325, and my peak weeks of training have been 60mpw on the run and about 25k of swimming. This will be my 8th IM, but I've never raced a fast course like this so pacing well will be key. My question is for Lucho: the night before the race should I go with a Big Daddy IPA (which is local to me) or go with Arizona Wilderness "the refuge" IPA which is local to Arizona. Please help me make a wise choice."
- Best types of strength training/fitness classes for triathletes in the offseason. "I'm a long-course triathlete, somewhat injury prone, with a fairly strong lower body and core but weak upper body, looking for a good off-season strength training regime. I'm reading Matt Dixon's The Well Built Triathlete, and I know he poo-poos group training classes (pilates, yoga, TRX, boot camp, etc.) as not being the best and most efficient strength training for triathletes, but I think I would be more motivated to go to a group class rather than do my own lifting regime. Of the classes that are fairly standard gym offerings, which ones would you recommend for off-season? Once I start training for the 2015 season, I'll probably switch to Matt's recommended protocol for the sake of efficiency. Thank you!"
2015 KPR Observer - Find out why you need the 2015 KPR Observer, and how you can get it for less than $20 if you act before Nov. 12; head to enduranceplanet.com/kpr-observer now! We are joined by Thorsten Radde for your full TriNews podcast with the latest news in the triathlon world. On this show we discuss:
Racing last weekend(s) 70.3 Miami Podium
- Men: Michael Raelert (GER)
- Women: Magali Tisseyre (CAN)
Notable
- Cunningham, Cave,
Ironman Florida Podium
- Men: 1. Lionel Sanders (CAN) 6:58:46 (by 19 minutes!), 2. Tom Lowe (GBR) 7:17:53, 3. Maxim Kriat (UKR) 7:24:50
- Women: Yvonne Van Vlerken (NED) 8:01:47 (by almost 35 minutes!), 2. Camilla Lindholm (SWE) 8:36:28, 3. Ashley Clifford (USA) 8:36:55
Notable
- cancelled swim, Time Trial start
- last time as a Pro race
- Lew Hollander (oldest IM finisher, 85-89 AG), Sister Madonna Buder (84 years old, just missing cutoff)
70.3 Taiwan “Senior Citizen Day” (according to Thorsten ;)) Podium
- Men: Cam Brown (NZL 42 years)
- Women: Dede Griesbauer (USA 44 years)
Noosa Triathlon Podium
- Men: 1. Aaron Royle (AUS) 1:47:59, 2. Dan Wilson (AUS) 1:48:02, 3. Ryan Bailie (AUS) 1:48:06
- Women: 1. Ashleigh Gentle (AUS) 1:59:10, 2. Paula Findlay (CAN) 1:59:58, 3. Caroline Steffen (SUI) 2:00:29, 4. Liz Blatchford (GBR) 2:01:37 7. Melissa Hauschildt (AUS) 2:04:49
Notable
- Aussies dominate, Felt podium for women
Upcoming Races * Ironman Fortaleza (BRA Nov 9th) * Ironman Arizona (Nov 16th)
Other Triathlon News * Death of Jackie Gallager (Moving article by Tim Carlson on Slowtwitch)
-The lowdown on Serrapeptase for recovery as an athlete; blog resource:
http://exclzyme.wordpress.com/2013/10/08/5-health-benefits-of-serrapeptase/
-The benefits of digestive enzymes;
What you want:
lipase
lactase
papain
beware: hydrochloric acid (in limited amounts)
Brands mentioned:
Millenium sports
ThorneFX
-How does one's metabolism effect speed at which s/he absorbs and utilizes supplements, nutrition, and hydration in racing and how to train this process for best results
-Frankenfuels and FODMAPs in sports nutrition that can gut havoc
http://thornefx.com/defying-sports-nutrition-paradigms-ben-greenfield-used-thornefx-fuel-ironman-world-championships/
-Ben's "Kona recap" on his race and how his nutrition went including using Natural Force's Iskiate Endurance and recovery fuel
We are joined by Dave "The Shoe Guy" Jewell for an insightful conversation on the running shoe count at the Ironman World Championships this year, including an overall look at the state of running shoes with trends and more. Follow Dave on twitter: @superdavejewell and his blog at: endorphinfanatic.blogspot.com.
The official Kona Shoe Count was published in LAVA Magazine, which you can see here: http://lavamagazine.com/2014-kona-running-shoe-count-results/ (or scroll down for a copy of the results).
In addition to the rankings of running shoes worn, on this show we discuss:
-Why certain shoes are popular
-Kona being a global race and how this impacts running shoes present
-New trends in running shoes: what type of shoe are the athletes loving right now?
-What brand had a bigger presence at Kona than ever before
-Changes from past years at kona - what's different? whats the same?
-The smaller shoe companies ("other") and their presence
-How ad campaigns translate to actual sales and shoe use in kona
-The type of runner and shoe worn
-Other observations (objective/subjective data based on numbers, etc)
~~~
Official shoe count results by the numbers:
Asics 17.7%
Saucony 14.5%
Newton 10.7%
Brooks 10.3%
Adidas 6.9%
Hoka 6.0%
Mizuno 5.9%
Zoot 5.9%
Nike 5.0%
On 4.6%
New Balance 3.7%
Other 2.4%
K-Swiss 2.3%
Pearl Izumi 1.7%
Skechers 1.7%
Others: Puma was the largest brand in other with 10 runners.
We are back with super dad himself, Lucho! Today we dig into a bunch of your listener questions and dive deep into the philosophy of endurance athlete parenting (the debate on whether you can do both and be your best at both simultaneously) - and so much more:
- How long to rest after a mega endurance race - and what does "rest" actually mean,
- Planning offseason training coming off an Ironman/race with more Ironman/long races next year,
- How to structure a typical week in offseason mode to do enough but not too much? Working on weaknesses, etc,
- How to structure a taper for an ultra,
- Jumping into marathon training fresh off a half-ironman - how to proceed safely with a good running plan, and goal setting for the marathon,
- MAF tests: controlling the variables, timing the test in the schedule, and how rested should you be before for most accurate results,
- Shoutout to Brett of the Zen Triathlon podcast; and check out his upcoming Ironbaby.
We're joined by primal living guru Mark Sisson, founder of the popular website Mark's Daily Apple and the Primal Blueprint Podcast, for a exciting conversation covering a lot of ground including:
- Mark's history as an elite triathlete and marathoner, and why he got out of it
- Inside the world of anti-doping efforts in sport using Mark's knowledge and background as the Anti-Doping Commissioner of the ITU for nearly 13 years.
- The issue of "chronic cardio"- what it means really and can we still do endurance events and avoid this trap? Is health + endurance performance possible?
- How Mark found better performance in life and sport once he stopped "trashing" his body
- Strength training for endurance athletes
- Mark's top few tips for endurance athletes who want health, longevity and performance
- and more!
Pro triathlete Liz Lyles http://www.lizlyles.com/ was this year's top U.S. female in the Ironman World Championships going 9:18:11, in a stacked field of American ladies (13 who raced, in fact!). Liz started triathlon in 2002, but gave it up for a while to have kids. She resumed the sport and got her pro card. Since then she's been on fire winning two Ironmans and proving to be a dominant force at long-distance triathlon. In this show we get to know Liz and her story, juggling life as a pro triathlete and mom to two little ones, all about her race in Kona this year (read her full blog here http://lizlyles.wordpress.com/2014/10/19/everything-happens-for-a-reason/), racing dynamics of the bike for pro women with AG men in the mix (including thoughts on Frankfurt this year where she was 2nd as well as Kona this year), what's next on her racing schedule (hint: it's coming up), and more!
The quick facts: 2x Ironman champ Coach: Cliff English Home: Reno, Nevada; trains at altitude (6000ft), near Tahoe Mom of two & wife Teaches spin classes 3x a week Kona splits this year: 1:00:19 swim, 5:10:15 bike, 3:03:24 run, 9:18 total Past Ironman results:
2014 Kona -7th, 1st US (9:18) IMFrankfurt- 2nd 2013 IMGermany- 5th IMLT- 4th IMWAus- 1st Kona- 16th (9:41) 2012 IMMOO-1st IMCoz- 10th
We are back with Ask the Coaches and Lucho! On this show get Lucho's analysis of Kona and answers to your questions on:
- Legs cramping and pains leading to a DNF in an ultra (Vermont 50) - figuring out what went wrong to be stronger next time,
- Our top hill training workouts for ultras and other run events,
- 2015 planning: Looking to put three 70.3’s on the schedule and wondering how best to space them out,
- Doing IMAZ but training not up to par - how to cram in the last 3-4 weeks before an Ironman to still get through the day,
- Preparing for a hot marathon to acclimatize prior,
- HR in training vs. racing - higher in race but same effort, why?
- Unexpected surgery that could affect training for IM next year - bail on race?
- and more!
Ben Hoffman achieved his perfect race at the Ironman World Championships this year earning him second overall and top American going 8:19:23. Hoffman, who went pro in 2007, is a four-time Ironman champion and has raced Kona five times, moving up the ranks from 56th in '09, 42nd in '10, DNF in '11, 15th last year and finally second this year.
Ben went into the race largely under the radar, and on this show we hear the "secrets" that went into Ben's awesome day, including how he's tweaked his diet this year, his training, the mental game/confidence, race day strategies, and much more.
Plus we go inside Ben's decision to race IM Florida on Nov. 1, just three weeks after Kona.
Ben's Ironman results:
2014
Kona- 2nd
IMCdA - 3rd
2013
Kona - 15th
IMCdA - 1st
2012
Kona - Didn't race
IMMOO - 1st
IMSG - 1st
2011
Kona - DNF
IMLP - 2nd
IMSG- 4th
2010
Kona - 42nd
IMLP- 1st
IMSG- 2nd
partied with you that year
2009-
Kona - 55th
2008
IMAZ- 6th
Just 48 hours after the IM World Championships, we sat down with Mirinda "Rinny" Carfrae in her Kona condo to chat about her epic win -- her third World Champion title in which she had to overcome one of the largest deficits in history to defend her title, escalating herself to legendary status as one of the few women who have more than two titles at Kona, not to mention back-to-back wins.
Rinny ran a 2:50:26 off the bike, breaking her own run course record set last year (in 2013 she also won and set the overall women's course record), while also making up enough spots to put her in the lead and win by about 2 minutes in front of Daniela Ryf and Rachel Joyce.
In this interview we get all the details on Rinny's day including:
-How mentally taxing was this race; how many more does she have in her?
-How much time she thought she could make up realistically pre-race
-Staying positive and help from coach Siri Lindley
-How her effort at Challenge Roth played into Kona
-A recap of her day, especially what she was thinking in T2
-Full details of executing that incredible run
-Passing her husband Tim O'Donnell who didn't have a great day
-Making passes and interacting with her fellow competitors
-When will she validate for next year's Kona?
-Future plans and what is next on her agenda?
-And tons more!
Pro Andy Potts finished second American and fourth overall in the Ironman World Championships this year, coming off an unfortunate DNS from 2013 due to a stress fracture. In fact Potts has now raced in Kona six times out of the past seven years, and this year's fourth place result was his best to date.
In this show we get the whole story from Andy plus LOTS of useful tips for any Ironman athlete (or athlete in general) including:
-How he finally discovered he had a stress fracture last season and taking steps to recover, including having to pull out of Kona last year
-Why he felt he had a "bad" swim this year
-Dynamics of the bike
-How he worked to improve his bike and run for Kona this year (which resulted in the third fastest run of the day - a 2:48)
-Tips for the rest of us
-Using data while racing
-and more!
Tawnee and Thorsten Radde of trirating.com chat the morning after the Ironman World Championships to relive and recap the day in full detail, and what a day it was with record-breaking performances from folks like Rinny and a successful day for the uber bikers like Sebastian Kienle. In this show you'll hear all you need to know about the pro race and how the day unfolded on both the women's and men's sides.
Plus get insight from Tawnee who saw the race unfold in person, as well as her inside scoop on what was said in the post-races pressers. From Thorsten we hear the nitty-gritty details and analysis. Thorsten provided great race day predictions and stats at kona.trirating.com.
We also discuss race day conditions, finishing rates among the pros, comparisons with past performances, results of our US vs. Germany game, and much more!
So hang out with us and enjoy the show!
We catch up with Thorsten Radde of trirating.com for a final chat prior to Saturday's Ironman World Championships. Thorsten picks Tawnee's brain on what it's like "behind the scenes" in Kona at the press conferences, mingling with pros, etc. Then we play a fun game....
Team USA vs. Zee Germans
In this new game, we stack up USA vs. Germany*. Each person picks 10 athletes from our countries (male or female), talks about why they would have a great race, etc. The winner will be lowest sum of ranks for the athletes we picked.
Rules: Points are taken from the best placed 5 of these ten (to account for DNFs, more DNFs = last place). Points per athletes = rank he/she is placed in the Kona race. Winner is the player whose athletes placed best (i.e. the fewest points). We will follow up with the "winner" of the game post race!
Also, Thorsten will be doing live predictions during the race (mix of actual splits and my predictions as the race progresses). You can follow at kona.trirating.com.
*Full list of athletes representing each country:
Team USA
Bib Name
6 Timothy O'Donnell
15 Andy Potts
18 Matthew Russell
29 TJ Tollakson
31 Andrew Starykowicz
41 Ben Hoffman
44 Justin Daerr
103 Meredith Kessler
108 Linsey Corbin
109 Caitlin Snow
110 Elizabeth Lyles
113 Amber Ferreira
117 Mary Beth Ellis
120 Beth Shutt
124 Amanda Stevens
129 Lisa Roberts
132 Jackie Arendt
133 Kim Schwabenbauer
134 Bree Wee
135 Jessie Donavan
137 Kelly Williamson
Zee Germans
Bib Name
3 Sebastian Kienle
9 Jan Frodeno
26 Maik Twelsiek
28 Faris Al-Sultan
35 Christian Kramer
42 Christian Brader
43 Nils Frommhold
52 Boris Stein
54 Andreas Raelert
122 Kristin Moeller
128 Julia Gajer
138 Katja Konschak
We caught up with Ben Greenfield in Kona shortly after he finished speaking at the Sports Medicine conference. In addition to the speaking engagement, which you'll be able to hear at bengreenfieldfitness.com on the premium channel, Ben recently had the opportunity to accept a slot into this year's Ironman World Championships and accepted!
So in this show we pick Ben's brain on:
- How you can prepare for a major endurance event with 4-6 weeks notice
- What he'll do last minute to prep for an Ironman Hawaii (he only had two weeks notice)
- His detailed nutrition plan for Kona this year including a honey/chia/coconut water hydration concoction he'll use
- Expectations for the race
- and more!
We hang out at sunset along Ali'i Drive to give you a glimpse of an iconic stretch of Ali'i drive while talking about running and tools to enhance your training/racing. Featured is the Polar V800 Training Companion's foot pod, which is an optional accessory with the new multisport GPS device. On this show you'll learn:
- How developing an ideal run cadence can help your efficiency, technique and more
- Is there an optimal run cadence?
- Why is a foot pod important for more than just cadence (hint: treadmill runners can benefit greatly!)
- Plus: some FUN surprises along the way!
There's a good chance you've seen the "More Than Sport" logo floating around the latest endurance event or triathlon you attended. Well, on this show we talk to the man behind the More than Sport movement: Ironman Champion Chris Lieto. We caught up with Chris in Kona overlooking the Kailua-Kona Pier, a place to which Chris is no stranger; he's raced the Ironman World Championships multiple times with his best finish coming in second in 2009. Chris is no longer racing at the highest level, and we hear his story of his decision to move away from professional triathlon racing. However, Chris is busier than ever growing More Than Sport, being a dad/husband, and much more.
Specifically on More Than Sport, in this show learn:
-What's the mission statement and purpose of More Than Sport
-What kind of charitable work are members doing?
-Why More Than Sport makes it easier than ever to do quality charity work
-Which big pros are involved
-Some of the specific projects that Chris and members are doing
-Who can join, and how to get involved
-How to contribute (the EP team bought More Than Sport shirts after the interview to show our support!)
-The growth of the organization
-and much more!
Tawnee sat down with two-time Ironman World Champ Macca on the lava rocks at sunset Wednesday just outside the Clif House to grab a chat on the pro men's race for this year's 2014 Ironman World Championships. Not only do we get some great insight from Macca on the men's field this year, but also Macca's overall insight on the dynamics of the men's race including the psychology -- using his years when he still raced in Kona.
Among the men discussed (with macca's podium picks) are:
Jan Frodeno - Olympic gold medalist showing he has what it takes at Ironman
Frederick Van Lierde - defending champion
Crowie - opting not to retire and instead still race this year
Ivan Rana - watch for this one, seriously.
Sebastian Kienle - a race favorite and a beast on the bike!
Nils Frommhold - 1st at IMSA and 2nd a Challenge Roth this year
Luke McKenzie - coming off 2nd place last year and a front guy on the bike
Marino Vanhoenacker - He's back and can mix things up on the bike and i the overall race
Andreas Raelert - he's coming in with a different attitude this time, will it work?
Any Potts - what he does on the swim changes the whole game
Bart Aeronauts - Belgian who can run with the best in Kona
.....and more!
Dr. Allen Wood is an expert ART practitioner, chiropractor and sports medicine specialist based out of San Francisco and the clinic, Ultimate Sports Medicine. Allen comes to Kona annually to volunteer at the ART tent helping triathletes get their bodies firing at 100 percent for race day.
Take a trip into the infamous Energy Lab -- one of the toughest portions of the Ironman World Championship race course. But no worries, no harsh conditions in this feature. We give you tips on cadence work to enhance your bike fitness, training and racing -- get stronger, and enhance neuromusclar fitness!
We take a look at Polar's speed sensor and cadence sensor set up on a Felt IA, and how these optional accessories can round out the Polar V800 experience and your fitness.
Also, check out or review of the V800 Training Companion.
Every year we make our way over to one restaurant in particular -- Da Poke Shack -- and not just once but multiple times during Ironman week. We're not alone, as thousands of triathletes, locals and tourists flock to this joint for the freshest, best-quality wild fish and side dishes in town. In fact, on any given day you'll see top pros including Crowie, Rachel Joyce and many more eating here prior to and after the race.
Da Poke Shack team keeps the place casual and not widely advertised, but don't let that fool you: This year, Da Poke Shack was rated #1 of the top 100 restaurants to visit in the US by Yelp. http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2014/02/27/yelp_s_top_100_restaurant_list_da_poke_shack_is_america_s_top_rated_restaurant.html
In this show you'll find out the story on how Da Poke Shack came to be, some secrets on what goes in to the perfect poke, and why everyone is raving about this place and coming back for more!
We are joined (again!) in Kona by professional triathlete, coach and businesswoman Hillary Biscay to get her expertise on the top pro women racing Kona this year. Get all the inside information you need on which women to watch and who's on fire for this year's Ironman World Championships taking place Saturday, Oct. 11. The women we discuss:
- Daniela Ryf - The newcomer phenom and the only pro woman under 30 year
- Mirinda Carfrae - defending champion with two titles in Kona
- Leanda Cave - the 2012 champion, and the year's comeback queen?
- Caroline Steffan - Kona veteran who's no stranger to the podium here
- Mary Beth Ellis - The focused Ironman powerhouse who trains under the Siri Lindley camp
- Meredith Kessler - With 50+ IMs to her name, she's all in for Kona this season (listen to Tawnee's interview with MBK's coach Matt Dixon here)
- Rachel Joyce - Badass Brit groomed by Dave Scott
- Liz Blatchford - Last year's surprise third place finisher, ITU background
- Yvonne Van Vlerken - Last year's fastest female bike split and podium threat
- Jodie Swallow - Coming off second at 70.3 Worlds
- Linsey Corbin - her ninth Kona
- Cait Snow - one of the fastest runners; currently with this year's fastest female run split in IM (2:52 - IM Nice)
We also hear Hillary's take on the IM Kona equality issues including the number of pro men and women who should be allowed to race here. More on Hillary: Hillary is the current Ultraman World Champion, a title earned last year. We caught up with Hillary shortly after that victory. Hillary has 66 Ironman finishes to her name (three in 2014). She's not racing Kona this year, but her husband, Maik Twelsik, will make his return to the men's pro field in Hawaii this year, and Hillary also has six of her coached athletes racing as well. If that's not enough, Hillary will be working at the expo and doing a bunch for Smashfest Queen, her triathlon, running, cycling and fitness apparel brand.
Endurance Planet's Week of Kona coverage is brought to you by Polar, leaders in heart rate monitor and fitness-assessment technology. Find out more at enduranceplanet.com/polar. Week of Kona with Terenzo Bozzone, a five-time world champion, including a win at 70.3 Worlds in 2008, and the current Wildflower Long Course record holder with a 3:53:43 set in 2006. On ya, and he's only 29. Terenzo's triathlon career goes way back despite his age, and this year marks Terenzo's return to the Ironman World Championships after being absent since 2010. On this show we hear all the latest from Terenzo, how he recovered from a brief period of "overcooking" himself in training and racing, and his plans for Kona this year. We talk about his latest performance at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Mont Tremblant where he placed 9th, and Terenzo give a great glimpse inside what it's like to ride with the pros in a championship race -- including the likes of Jan Frodeno and Javier Gomez. And much more fun...
Coach Matt Dixon, the founder of purplepatch, takes us inside his mind on how to effectively coach athletes looking beyond just the day-to-day training. We dive inside the topics presented in his newly released book titled The Well Built Triathlete: Turning Potential into Performance. And of course we talk about the Ironman World Championships, Matt's pros racing Kona this year, etc...
Specifically we discuss:
The Well-Built Triathlete: Turning Potential Into Performance
-Insight on Matt's book - why he wrote it
-Empower the athlete!
Matt's Background
-How his athletic career shaped his coaching
Coaching Philosophy
-change the way endurance athletes are coached
-more recovery, less volume focus
-volume: it is derivative not objective
Pro Triathlete Meredith B. Kessler (MBK)
-How Matt took her from an 11:30 IM to 9:48 to champion by decreasing volume
Coaching pros vs. AGers
-talk about the difference in how each type of athletes ticks
-all about managing training into one's lifestyle
-athletic IQ
A detailed profile of Matt's pros racing Kona this year and how he keeps their training individual for the Big Dance:
-Aussie Tim Reed
-American MBK
-Kiwi Gina Crawford
Strength Training
-functional movement patterns
-progression
-How to incorporate all the way up to an A race
Fueling
-body fat issue
-post race fueling
Recovery/Health focus
-Matt's best (and free/cheap!) training tool
-pee strips to test recovery status, hydration, etc.
-technology to monitor recovery/well-being
-being intuitive with how you feel
and more!
Cherie Gruenfeld, 70, legendary triathlete who will race the Ironman World Championships for the 20th time this year. She has 16 Ironman titles, and 11 of those are at Kona. She's the founder and director of Exceeding Expectations, a program that uses the sport of triathlon to positively re-direct the lives of at-risk, inner city kids; and she's also a long-time triathlon coach. It all began when Cherie and her husband, Lee, made the decision to leave their corporate jobs and pursue their passions -- for Cherie that was sport. After that decision she was made, Cherie never looked back..... On this show we discuss:
The support of her husband, a non-athlete, over the years and secrets to a successful marriage with an athlete in the household.
Cherie's evolving expectations of herself over the years
Secrets and tips to success for the aging athlete
Kona performances, going sub 12 at Kona in 55-59 (the first woman to achieve that), etc.
Cherie's training and her current format for a 'big' Ironman training week and recovery:
Week 1
Mon -Recovery
Tue - Hard day
Wed - Recovery
Thu - Hard day
Fri - Recovery*
Sat/Sun - Long/hard days
*recovery days are usually swims vs. no training at all
Week 2
Mon - Recovery
Tue - Recovery/easy
Wed - Moderately hard run
Thu - Semi-hard day
Fri - Recovery
Sat/Sun - Moderately hard days
Week 3
...repeat!
Her thoughts on taper and dedicated recovery days/recovery weeks, plus her go-to recovery protocols (ice baths + compression!), sleep, diet and more
How her training now differs from her younger days
Cross training and strength training
Experiencing hard days, tough races, DNFs, injuries, hard seasons...
Coach or self-coached, and why?
Nutrition and diet: Her fuels of choice and has that changed over the years
Supplements she takes, including MAP
Post Kona...and a proper offseason...
Tips on planning a race season for a master's athlete.
Tips for a master's athlete looking to PR and continue to improve
...and more!
This episode of Ask The Coaches is brought to you by Generation UCAN SuperStarch, find out more and save 15% off your purchase at enduranceplanet.com/UCAN. Lucho and Tawnee sit down to discuss two-zone training, the new world record at the Berlin Marathon, concurrent training techniques, Boston 2015 training races, should you use movies or music to motivate... and more!
New Marathon World Record set in Berlin last Sunday -- our thoughts. Read more and see the splits.
What are some questions a pacer should ask an ultra marathoner at aid stations?
What are questions to avoid or how to phrase tough questions better?
Concurrent strength and endurance training - pros, cons and how to time workouts for best results.
More resources on concurrent training:
- http://www.tritawn.com/2010/11/combining-endurance-strength-training.html
- http://www.trainingbible.com/joesblog/2007/11/concurrent-strength-and-endurance.html
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22002517
Racing and training help leading up to Boston Marathon 2015. Is it ok to do a sprint triathlon and half-marathon prior? A case study: 50-year-old runner for whom MAF training did not work, but Pfitzinger/Friel/Hudson zone training did yield positive results in the marathon. Is a two-zone system ok, i.e. simply aerobic and anaerobic? And how to vary workouts within each "zone." In this case with a typical training balance of 70/30 (aerobic to anaerobic) and developing zones based on a lab metabolic test session for both cycling and running. Racing the www.silverfallsmarathon.com on Nov. 1; given this athlete's "data" what should the final month of training be like and what goal marathon pace(s) should be targeted? We get specific with it... Music or movies to motivate? Thoughts and examples of motivational clips on youtube to boost mental state for training or competition.... versus using music to motivate? Why we prefer music for motivation over videos. Tangents and Lucho's love for http://www.youtube.com/user/BroScienceLife.
How could we have a countdown to kona without talking to Craig "Crowie" Alexander? Tawnee talks to Crowie about his decision to race Kona after winning IM Melbourne, his family support, his age, his training, race strategy, and also...
- Training in boulder,
- The effect of sport and racing on children,
- Coaching Paul Matthews,
- How age has changed him and his approach (longer recovery),
- Racing less and taking more time off and improving his nutrition,
- How having Andy Potts back will effect the swim in Kona,
- "You've gotta come of the bike with some juice in the tank",
- Coaching Apolo Ohno,
- What's the next chapter in Crowie's life?
- www.sansego.co
We're excited to announce that we will be traveling to Hawaii this year to bring you coverage in the leadup to the Ironman World Championships on Sat. Oct, 11. We're thrilled to have on board with us Polar as the official title sponsor for Endurance Planet's 2014 Week of Kona Coverage. The latest and greatest pre-Kona triathlon news (plus an exciting announcement) with Tawnee and Thorsten (of trirating.com):
Racing last weekend(s) ITU Long Distance Championships in China (4k-120k-20k) Podium
- Men: Bertrand Billard, Sylvan Sudrie, Cyril Viennot (all FRA!)
- Women: Camilla Pedersen (DEN), Kaise Lehtonen (FIN), Andrea Hewitt (NZL) - with a broken collar bone
Notable
- Craig Alexander 5th (slower bike; but best run split), DNS by Melissa Hauschildt
Ironman Mallorca Podium
- Men: Tim Don (GBR) 8:34, Miguel Fidalgo (ESP) 8:38, Mike Aigroz (SWI) 8:40; “only” 10th for Timo Bracht
- Women: Eimear Mullan (IRL) 9:24, Dede Griesbauer (USA) 9:27, Astrid Ganzow (9:31)
Ironman Malaysia Podium
- Men: Patrik Nilsson (SWE) 8:41, Frederik Croneborg (SWE) 8:58, Karol Dzalaj (SVK) 9:15
- Women: Diana Riesler (GER) 9:26, Keiko Tanaka (JAP) 10:00, Dimitry-Lee Duke (AUS) 10:02
Notable
- 5th for Beth Gerdes 10:15, <4 months after birth of daughter Wynne McKenzie
- DNFs for Luke Bell, Rebcca Preston
Ironman Chattanooga Podium
- Men: Matt Hanson (USA) 8:12, Daniel Bretscher (USA) 8:19, Trevor Wurtele (CAN) 8:22
- Women: Angela Naeth (CAN) 8:54, Ruth Brennan Morrey (USA) 9:09, Jennie Hansen (USA) 9:12
Notable
- 116-mile bike
- fastest IM distance swim (aided by current) 38:06 by Barrett Brandon; previous record: 39:08 by Luke Bell in New York
Upcoming Races Challenge Rancho Cordova Ironman 70.3 Silverman Ironman Barcelona Rev 3 Anderson
Other Triathlon News Letter by Andrew Messick to Pros:
- changes to the KPR for 2015 (5 races, max 3 IMs and 3 70.3s)
- 25 minute gap Pro women to AG in Kona 2015 (as in previous years, 20 min in 2014)
- no even slots for men/women in Kona (50+5+AQ & 35+5+AQ, on IM website)
- volunteer work for Kona Pros
- better online coverage promised
- limiting discussion on social media
Tightening of “validation” rules:
- “Former Ironman World Champions using their Five Year Exemption will be required to validate their Ironman Championship entry by racing competitively (as determined by IRONMAN in IRONMAN’s sole discretion) and finishing at one Pro-Qualidying IRONMAN Race during the Qualifying Year”
- Open Letter by Pete Jacobs.
Kona News * Check out Thorsten’s FREE Kona Rating Report (donations accepted to support his hard work) * Submit your own Top picks at IM-Predictions.com for a chance to win free race entries to Challenge Roth, IM Sweden, Challenge Almere or Challenge Bahrain * Injuries: - Peter Robertson: out after breaking his collar bone - Mel Hauschildt: Still dealing with her torn pec tendon (had to skip ITU LD)
This episode of Ask The Coaches is brought to you by Generation UCAN SuperStarch, find out more and save 15% off your purchase at enduranceplanet.com/UCAN.
On this episode, Lucho and Tawnee team up to chat and answer your questions: -Thoughts on the cancellation of Ironman Lake Tahoe -Options given to IMLT athletes by WTC, and race alternatives for athletes who were ready to go for IMLT -- how to revise your schedule? Should you race now, or rest and save it for next year? -The "hurt" of sprint triathlons after coming off half-Ironman training -Offseason: How much weekly running volume in Nov/Dec/Jan to keep things ticking over for further MAF improvements next year -Run cadence for tall runners -Ways to monitor and increase run cadence -Cramping during an adventure race 5 hours in. Have tried being super hydrated, salt, electrolytes, and pickle juice, but nothing seems to help. Any suggestions? -Help and advice for a tarsal coalition injury sustained from a combination of being in flatfooted, severe overpronator, etc. (If you've had this condition email us at admin@enduranceplanet.com.) -Suffering from PF with Boston on tap for 2015 - what to do, and advice for pool running and bike workouts to maintain fitness -Jens Voigt's world-record performance; watch it!
Meet Ironman Champion Matt Bach, 27, of New Jersey. Matt's a member of Team Zoot and a triathlete since 2010. On Sept. 20, 2014, Matt won IMMD in 8:51 with a 1:05 swim, 4:41 bike and 3:00:25 run, which earned him the win by more than 5 minutes. IMMD was the first Ironman to not feature a pro field. It was Matt's fifth Ironman and a PR performance. He'll now race Kona in 2015, his second time at the Ironman World Championships. . On this show we get to know Matt and discuss:
. His Secrets to Success -So.... what changed this year for IM Maryland that led to his huge Ironman PR of nearly an hour??? -Got a coach (Tailwind endurance) -No injuries thanks for strength training/PT -Power meter -Adjusted diet and fueling to be more metabolically efficient . Race Coverage of IMMD -Matt's thoughts -Awarding the winners . His background -Runner in HS and college -When and how he got started in triathlon
-Doing it for his brother who died of cancer, and raising money for St. Jude's . Balancing Full-Time Work and Training -Day job at a hedge fund company
-A Day in the Life -Morning workouts -Wife and dogs
.
Diet and Metabolic Efficiency for Success -This year how he became extremely fat-adapted and the benefits he saw -Raced on less than 100cal an hour at IMMD!!!! -Fuels using primarily Generation UCAN SuperStarch - find out more at enduranceplanet.com/UCAN -Works with Nicci Schock of ElevateByNicci -His pre race dinner and breakfast -Macronutrients in his regular diet
. Racing -Will we see Matt going pro??? -Half-Ironman goals -Plans for the rest of 2014 and the 2015 season leading into Kona -Goals for the IM World Championships next year -Team Zoot member
We've launched a brand-new show on Endurance Planet where YOU can participate by sharing your story on a pre-determined topic (topics announced on the show)! Stories must be 90 seconds max, and you can easily record your story for free at at speakpipe.com/enduranceplanet.
Those who've shared a story are entered to win a FREE consultation with Brock or Tawnee! We choose the winner based on the "best" story on the given topic!
In this inaugural show we hear five port-o-potty and bathroom horror stories athletes faced during training or racing. And, oh boy, we have some folks who weren't afraid to tell all! After each of the stories, Brock and Tawnee provide some commentary and share their thoughts (and even their own related stories).
Next month's topic:
The "dumbest" thing you've done within 48 hours before a big race that sabotaged your race day -- whether conscious or subconscious! Record now at speakpipe.com/enduranceplanet!
Once again, our old buddy Ben Greenfield joins us for an informative and entertaining journey through sun burns, acid reflux, supplements, ketosis, amino acids, coffee, licorice and more!
In the show we answer your questions about:
Astaxanthin 10mg for skin protection
Natural Calm consists of Mg citrate using citric acid, can this have a potential adverse affect for anyone with (GERD) -- in particular the citric acid?
What is the supplement PQQ, and can it have a benefit for athletes. Is the price tag worth it? Or is it over-rated? Check out this article.
Fueling during training when following the ketogenic diet, and:
- is it safe to have a 4-hour fasted bike ride, or would eating a high fat snack during the ride be ok (ie coconut butter with mixed nuts and cacao snack)
- is it OK to have more carbs during/after long workouts vs non-training days?
Master Amino Acid Pattern (MAP) (MAP) vs. ThorneFX's amino acid product.
- what are the differences and can both be of benefit? Is one superior?
Does coffee (regular and/or decaf)
- does it effect absorption of certain supplements including Omega 3 fatty acids, minerals, iron, multivitamins, and magnesium.
- which supplements you need to specifically keep separate from coffee?
Benefits of licorice root for those with adrenal fatigue. And what else does LR benefit?
This episode is brought to you by: Squatty Potty which you can learn about at enduranceplanet.com/squattypotty. Use the code enduranceplanet for 10% off your order! Squatty Potties make great gifts (hint hint). On this ATC, Lucho and Tawnee discuss runner Ryan Hall partnering up with a new coach, the legendary Jack Daniels, 81.
Then the coaches answer your questions on:
Doing a 50 mile ultra 3-4 months after one's first ironman -- is this a good or bad idea and why? Re-assessing HR zones (especially if they don't "feel" right). Numbers based on LT/VO2max tested in a lab but HR zones seem off and hard to hit. Is it more efficient to do some longer zone 3/tempo workouts for a half marathon race than easier runs and/or intervals? Thinking about signing up for Escape from Alcatraz, but weak in the swim. How strong of a swimmer would I need to become to sign up for that race? And what can be done to get strong for a gnarly swim?! How early should you travel to a race at altitude to acclimatize (in this case Leadville 100 MTB) especially if you don't live in altitude? Get there a night before? A week before? Two weeks before? What does science and anecdotal evidence indicate works best for racing at altitude? New event in the UK called the Isoman, which has worked out a supposedly “equal” ironman using current world records: a 7mile swim, a 61.3mile bike and a marathon. How would you train for this event? Endurance athlete who wants to be speedy at sprint triathlons but also have the endurance to do trail ultras -- how do you train to get the best of both worlds? Approaching a block of marathons and a 50k all taking place within three months -- how to recover between races; how pace each race; and how much rest after it all in prep for next season? What does it mean when hands and fingers swell during and after an endurance race such as Ironman in the heat? Is it an electrolyte and/or hydration issue? How far do you have to go to be considered an ultra athlete? Is there standards or is it totally subjective? Lucho and Tawnee get philosophical and think deeply on this one...
Endurance Planet makes history by bringing together two legends for their first-ever dual interview: six-time Ironman World Champion Mark Allen and Dr. Phil Maffetone, who was Mark's coach that led him to the ultimate success in long-course triathlon racing.
Specifically we dig into:
Part 1: Mark & Phil's History and Using MAF! -How Mark and Phil met -Mark's first-ever MAF Test and the shocking news of having to run slow to get fast -The dynamic between Mark and Phil, and their coaching relationship, trust in the plan, etc -How long it took for Mark to see results in racing -MAF HR on run vs. bike -Mark's first Kona win in '89 and his 2:40:04 run -- what was different that year? -How long it took for Phil's approach to click in Mark -How they maintained Mark's health and life balance allowing for years of racing success
Part 2: The Current State of Ironman Racing - Is It Healthy? -Do Mark and Phil think that current athletes/pro over-racing with negative health impacts? -How the current system contributes to over-racing -Why and how things need to change to take care of athletes for present and future health -Athletes need to play a role in making changes -and more
Part 3: Modern Coaching -Mark on coaching Tim O'Donnell on Angela Naeth -Phil on advising current pro athletes (including Naeth) -How they coach and prevent athletes from going down a path toward negative health -The dynamics of how they coach together -What goes into successful coaching -- and what kind of "coaching" to avoid! -Coaching for athletic success -How to find a great coach -and more
Tawnee and Thorsten link up for a jam-packed show including a special visit and interview with Pro Kim Schwabenbauer. In the show:
Racing Last Weekend(s) Ironman Wisconsin, Sept 7 - Men: Bretscher/Marsh/Gomes/Bachor - Women: Martin/Kozulina/Clifford (Jackie Arendt 5th) IM Wales - Men: Matt Trautmann (RSA) 9:07; Fraser Cartmell (GBR) 9:10 - Women: Only two Pro starters! Amy Forshaw (GBR) 10:57 70.3 Sunshine Coast - Great result for Caroline Steffen (winner, with a great 1:18 run) - Solid result for Pete Jacobs (3rd), couldn’t quite keep up with winner Courtney Atkinson on the run (1:12 vs. 1:14) Other 70.3s - Rügen (GER) - cancelled swim (5kR-90kB-21kR) -- women: Yvonne Van Vlerken (1:26 run) -- men: Michael Raelert - Kronborg (DEN) - no Pro category - Challenge Weymouth (shortened swim), Challenge Almere?
Interview with Kim Schwabenbauer Kim Schwabenbauer, RD, LDN, CSSD, is a triathlon coach, professional triathlete and board certified specialist in sports nutrition who owns her own nutrition counseling & endurance coaching business, Fuel Your Passion. Kim joined us on Endurance Planet last year after Kona, click here for that show. This year, she qualified for the Ironnman World Championships at the end of June with 5,050 points as 23rd of 28 females. It will be her second time racing Kona as a pro. In 2013 she placed 22nd in a time of 9:49. In this interview, we hear how training and racing has gone for Kim since Kona last year, including her two podium finishes at Ironman Melbourne (3rd) and Ironman Lake Placid (2nd). As well as her not-so-great day at Ironman Wisconsin where she had a DNF. Also her thoughts on racing Kona, and more!
Kona/KPR News KPR Last changes in the men’s field after rolldown: Passuello, Daerr, Schildknecht, Raelert (declines by Bracht, Zyemtsev, Bockel (injury), Brown) Then Sept 10: Passuello declined, slot rolls to Paul Ambrose IM South Africa is now the fifth Regional Championship Thorsten's next Kona Rating Report
Thorsten Radde of trirating.com joins Tawnee for another detailed report on triathlon news around the sport and around the globe. Including...
Racing last weekend(s): 70.3 Champs in Mt Tremblant, Quebec (Canada)
- Men: Javier Gomez, Jan Frodeno, Tim Don
- Women: Daniela Ryf, Jodie Swallow, Heather Wurtele
Tweets by Sebi
and, Mel Hauschildt
Ironman Wisconsin
Last weekend August:
WTS Season Finale in Edmonton, Alberta (also Canada)
- Women: Gwen Jorgensen, Andrea Hewitt, Nicky Samuels
- Overall: Gwen, Sarah Groff, Andrea
- Men: Alistair Brownlee, Mario Mola, Javier Gomez
- Overall: Javier, Mario, Johnny Brownlee
Powerman Zofingen (10k-150k-30k, 50.000 US$ prize purse, 1st 6.250$)
- Women: Emma Pooley 6:47:28 (improving old CR by Karin Thürig by 16 minutes!)
- Men: Gael Le Bellec 6:21:47
Other Issues:
Rev3 races merging into Challenge A champ race to rival WTC?
Dr. Tamsin Lewis of www.curoseven.com (or @sportiedoc on Twitter) joins for another in-depth episode of Sports Nutrition! The newly crowned Ironman champion fills us in on her win at IMUK and much more...
Including:
Did Tamsin in fact use the nutrition protocol mentioned on this show (recorded just days before her win).
Tamsin's choice for gels while racing: A high fat lower carb (12g) energy gel with coconut oil by the Swiss brand, Winforce; and Tamsin's choice: winforce.com/categories-368-3/ultra_energy_complex/
L-Carnitine for fat-adapted athletes and how it can benefit energy production More on antioxidants and their effects on athletes - are they beneficial or detrimental? And how to dose with Vitamin C for athletes for max gains.
Mention of this recent study: Antioxidant supplementation during exercise training: beneficial or detrimental?
Electrolytes - do you need them in long endurance events? And why it depends. Adaptation to heat and humidity - how long does it take, how you can achieve this even without being in heat, and more.
Achieving weight loss while training to get to your ideal race weight (using examples of a runner and triathlete)
How hormonal issues and stress can hinder weight loss goals even if you're burning tons of calories with training Weight loss for females vs. males De-stress with headspace.com Good foods to eat pre-workout and post-workout and more!
This episode of Ask the Coaches is brought to you by Squatty Potty; find out more at enduranceplanet.com/squattypotty.
Tawnee and Lucho sit down for a LONG talk about art, the sub 3-hour marathon, lab test, field tests, riding intensity and offseason training. Also in this show: Run video analysis with Josh Camson
Hitting 1000 watts on the bike - using lucho's strategy from this show worked!
Trying to nail a sub-3-hour marathon, and how to to analyze every aspect of training and life to make those crucial improvements. Using the example of a female runner who's PB is 3:02.
What tests are worth paying for or do field tests done on own suffice? For example, is it worth it to get professional tests on metabolic efficiency, VO2max/LT tests, etc. vs. using a heart rate monitor and some self-run field tests to establish some basic training zones? What's the ROI?
Long ride execution: Focus on easy/moderate base volume, tempo, some threshold/higher intensity or all of the above for 70.3 and 140.6 training?
50k in 8 weeks: What's the best way to approach the next eights weeks: volume or specificity?
Also, would it be a good or bad idea to run a marathon at goal 50k pace 4 weeks out? Off season training this year into early next year for a June ultra run.
Tips on strength training, cross training and more.
This episode is brought to you by: Squatty Potty Find out more at enduranceplanet.com/squatty, and use the code "enduranceplanet" for 15% off your purchase! On this show, our buddy Ben Greenfield is back with us to answer your sport nutrition related questions, comment on our latest episode with Matt Fitzgerald... and much more! In today's podcast we cover:
- Can Vitamin D have adverse effects? Experiencing low libido, low testosterone, and low HRV.
- Why you need to take Vitamin K and A with Vitamin D
- Ideal range for Vitamin D is: 40-80
- Thoughts on this LCHF homemade breakfast cereal: 3 TBSP hemp hearts, 1 TBSP chia, a bit of cinnamon maca powder, heaping TBSP almond butter, coconut milk, and a handful of berries or sliced banana.
- Why you don't want to eat eggs and bacon every single day
- The meaning of "low carb" in percentage of daily calories: 5-10% is low carb 20-30% carbs is acceptable or 40% depending on day/activity
- Is it normal to be able to run / bike up to two hours in the am fasted, but have a hard time getting the intensity up following this regimen. So you need to eat soon afterwards to replenish?
- What can I do to have quality workouts without eating too much?
- Cals per hour for IM race for a fat adapted triathlete, on the bike and run. And size/weight differences for calories and hour.
- Calories per hour during ironman - 400 at max if you're trained to use fatty acids you'll have enough
- smaller people (<150lbs) 300 calories per hour on bike 200-250 on run
- bigger people (>150lbs) 400 calories on bike 300-350 on run
- Follow up to calories an hour from what Matt Fitzgerald said on a recent show - Ben's take (basically, the opposite)
- Why would it be difficult to drink almost any water when I wake up in the morning? Body position or tension.
- Training in the evenings vs mornings -- bonking in the evening but totally fine in the morning, why? Any fuelling suggestions for an evening run?
Today, Tawnee and Brock introduce a brand new interactive show called - Ask The Athletes!
That's right, we want to hear from you guys, the athletes. We want you to share your hardships, your triumphs, your failures, your funny tales and your epic anecdotes on this brand new call in podcast.
This month we are looking for your "Porta-Potty Disaster" stories.
Go over to speakpipe.com/enduranceplanet to record your story and if it fits our criteria, we will play it on the show. Remember you only have 90 seconds to record your story so make sure you have it planned out - no rambling allowed. Don't worry, we tested it and 90 seconds was plenty of time for Brock to tell his sweaty spandex pants around the ankles tale so it should also be plenty of time for you!
We're joined by Thorsten Radde of trirating.com for a quick recap of last weekend's Ironman racing (Aug. 23-24), which was the last weekend for points that go toward this year's Ironman World Championships. Who made the cut, who just missed it? We also talk about some developing news regarding the female professional women who were reportedly given an opportunity to increase their field at Kona this year but turned down the chance -- our thoughts on that.
More details to follow as you listen:
Fight for female pros:
-The Boulder meeting with WTC and and the pro women, and a chance for women to get up to 50 slots THIS YEAR. More on slowtwitch.
Racing last weekend (starting at 13:00):
Budapest 70.3
Wins by Michelle Vesterby and Bruno Pais, 3rd not enough for Ronnie Schildknecht
Ironman Japan
Wins by Michael Rünz 8:53 and title defense by Li Shiao-Yu 9:58; 2nd for Harry Wiltshire (backing up after 5th in Sweden, good for Kona slot)
Ironman Copenhagen
Wins by Henrik Hyldelund 8:03 and Daniela Ryf 8:53, 2nd for Sofie Goos (Kona slot), 3rd for Mareen Hufe (narrowly missing Kona)
Ironman Louisville
Win by Chris McDonald (Kona) 8:40 by 16 seconds over Thomas Gerlach
And for women, Nina Kraft 9:31 (oldest IM winner), 2nd Jackie Arendt (Kona)
Also taking place last weekend:
Challenge Penticton: Jeff Symonds 8:26, Carrie Lester 9:27 (two title defenses, two course records)
MetaMan: Cam Brown 8:28, Gina Crawford 9:17
Final Kona qualifying for 2014 and a look at Thorsten's KPR Observer
-Who's in for sure, who's out, and are there chances for rolldowns?
-Thorsten's free KPR Update to wrap up August
Dr. Jamie Busch is practising physician, medical director and co-founder of Nourish Balance Thrive, and professional mountain biker. On this show she'll provide a wealth of information for athletes looking to optimize health and performance.
Specifically we discuss:
-Jamie's story and background as a mountain biker, doctor and co-founder of NBT. -The state of healthcare today -Western/traditional medical practices vs. functional medicine approach; pros and cons of each -Disease in today's population -Athletes with health problems including diabetes -Athletes with high cholesterol - what could that mean; plus debunking myths on cholesterol -Foods and diet for good cholesterol -Health vs performance for athletes and why health needs to be priority -Jamie 's own health struggles that she's faced as a busy athlete and doctor, and the steps and tests she's taken to resolve her issues -H. Pilori -Adrenal fatigue - why does it happen, how does it manifest into a big problem -Best health tests for athletes, and timing of testing for athletes -and much more
Top 3 Tests Recommended by Nourish Balance Thrive -Adrenal profile test -GI stool sample test -Comprehensive metabolic profile test
Recently Zach Bitter set out to break the 100-Mile World Record during Six Days in the Dome, but his stomach had other plans. Zach faced nutritional woes but still completed his 100 miles in 12:08, not enough to break the 11:28 record. In this show we'll hear that story and how he coped.
Plus more including:
-Zach's previous appearance on the podcast -The track Zach raced on in a dome in Alaska, and other racing going on -Race recap including the saga of the bathroom stops -Was it something he ate?! -Zach's planned race nutrition using banana chips in coconut oil as he has before, and how that changed -Fueling with Mountain Dew, Swedish Fish and/or Vespa -Thoughts on using sugary fuels as an LCHF athlete and how that affects his performance, fat adaptation, health, etc -Living life to the fullest now, even if it means knocking years off life down the road -A smart approach to recovery from ultras - including muscles, intensity during recovery, and healing the endocrine system -Mention of Tom Sperduto 100 miles Later Portraits
What's next for Zach:
-World 100k Championships taking place in November -Desert Solstice 100 Miler in December
Plus:
-Update and insider info on "Faster Study" with Dr. Volek and Dr. Phinney, looking at high fat vs high carb endurance athletes -Read Zach's race report.
We know not everyone has an hour-plus to listen to podcasts every week, so Lucho and Tawnee have decided to throw in some short and sweet shows covering just 1-2 topics.
Don't worry, we'll still have our regular ATC with answers to all your training and racing questions, but "ATC Flash" is for those days where you don't have much time and still want some useful information entertainment.
We'll address topics that are aimed at helping you "be better" -- topics can apply to sport/fitness/training, lifestyle, decreasing stress, better time management, etc. We'll also cover interesting articles, studies and news, and we want suggestions from YOU for show topics as well! Lastly, we'll be giving fan shoutouts to those folks who've put the podcast to use in their own lives for success in training and/or racing!
On this inaugural show we discuss:
-Getting rid of your gym membership to save time and money, and weight training at home for cheap, using Lucho's protocol as an example! -Stand-up comedy: How it can help us unwind, de-stress, get some laughs, and make us better people -How EP fan Phil DNF's at LT100 last year, and per our advice made a comeback this year to finish his 100-mile run! Want to chime in?
Send us an email to admin@enduranceplanet.com for your show topic suggestions or to tell us how the podcast has helped you!
We are joined by Thorsten Radde, founder of trirating.com and author of the KPR Observer newsletter (add links to both), for another in-depth look at the races and how things are shaking up in the KPR. Specifically we cover:
Ironman and 70.3 Racing Recaps and winners from August:IM Boulder: Justin Daerr, Danielle Kehoe Norseman: Allan Hovda, Line Foss IM Sweden: Horst Reichel, Leanda Cave IM Mont Tremblant: TJ Tollakson, Sara Gross 70.3 European Championship: Bart Aernnouts, Daniela Ryf 70.3 Lake Stevens: Terenzo Bozzone/Ben Hoffman, Melanie McQuaid 70.3 Timberman: Leon Griffin, Mel Hauschild
Race Previews This Weekend:
IM Japan IM Copenhagen IM Louisville 70.3 Budapest
KPR News:
How the rankings have changed and can still change after this weekend. Thorsten's KPR Observer
Other Issues:
WTC announcement re. fewer Pro races in NA
More resources:
Changing the gap between Pro Women and Age Group Men in Kona Messick interview on Slowtwitch (comments re. Pete Jacobs)
We’re joined by Dr. Phil Maffetone for another jam-packed episode. Today we mostly concentrate on Dr. Phil's new book, 1:59: The Sub-Two-Hour Marathon Is Within Reach—Here’s How It Will Go Down, and What It Can Teach All Runners about Training and Racing and we get down to the nitty gritty about the book, the concept and how the heck it's going to "go down".
During the conversation we discuss:
-why are odds in favor of barefoot runner for a sub-2-hour marathon
-foot mechanics: want a springy stride, not overly flexible
-what are necessary traits of sub-2-hour marathoner
-running economy - what does it mean, how to build it
-debunking "more is better" with training volume
-sample weekly training schedule for running found in book
-type of training - aerobic base needs vs speedwork
-percent of VO2max in open marathon (vs ironman marathon)
-MAF test vs. 5k Running Race Pace (chart available in book!)
-how to treat an elite marathoner vs. average age grouper? is there a difference? or not? (hint: treat the individual)
-overreaching vs. overtraining
-bloodwork, blood test ranges, marketing of therapy/drugs
-why salivary cortisol testing is better than blood cortisol testing
-why 1:59 and not 2:00; the importance of time and how the brain processes it
-time vs. miles for training - why time is usually better than mileage
-Phil's love for fartlek workouts (and why they're better than the track)
-@ ~1:00 The brain's role in running a marathon
-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and its importance - how the brain and body coordinate
-@ ~1:12 developing rhythm as a runner (no: we're not doomed to be klutzy!)
-teaching breathing technique with the stride pattern - how to coordinate and the ratios of breathing in/out with foot strikes; and how to not feel "out of breath" while running
-training the cerebellum
-why a metronome is your best run training tool ever
-course needs for a 1:59
-runners in our time could break 2 hours
Matt Fitzgerald, endurance sports guru, nutritionist, author, coach and athlete, joins us to answer your sports nutrition and diet questions. Specifically we cover:
-More sleep or a "better" dinner: Is it better to sacrifice an hour or two of sleep to make and have a quality dinner, or to eat something quick and easy and not as nutritious, but get more sleep?
-Nutrition for a 3-hour long off-road triathlon in heat and technical terrain (i.e. Xterra Maui)
-Thoughts on Camelbaks/hydration packs on bike portion of triathlon
-One listener's opinion of Matt's "doctrine" (on certain foods, diet, science, etc) and Matt's rebuttal
-New study showing decrease in performance when athletes went LCHF vs. a more balance diet of CHO/Fat/Protein
-Low carb high fat (LCHF) for more sedentary non-athletes vs. athletes
-Why it has become so controversial to say that foods like grains and dairy can be permissible sources of nutrition
-Why should we avoid sugar and carbs 2 hours before a marathon
-Matt's take on calories and carbs per hour for an ironman (bike vs. run)
-Is training without hydration or nutrition detrimental despite having really decent race results such as a sub-3 marathon?
-Should you avoid foods high in fiber within 48 hours of the event
-Matt's new book: 80/20 Running: Run Stronger and Race Faster By Training Slower
-and more!
This episode of Ask the Coaches is brought to you by Squatty Potty, which helps you achieve the perfect poop; find out more at enduranceplanet.com/squattypotty. Choose from multiple designs and use the code "enduranceplanet" for a 15% discount!
On this episode, Lucho and Tawnee team up to cover all this and more:
-Fly fishing and shark talk
-Men's Health article article on pain that Lucho read (on people who fear pain vs. people who don't fear pain)
-Leadville 100 Trail Run predictions
-Run video analysis for podcast fan and triathlete, Craig, who's coming off sacral fracture; head to enduranceplanet.com to see the videos at this post!
-Is it ever good to do all long runs in Z3 and interval work in Z6 for long-distance run training? Or stick to more moderate Z2 for long runs and a little bit lower intensity (Z4-Z5) for intensity
-Which is the better option: concrete with the impact force versus the crown/camber of asphalt roads?
-Lucho's 3 best bang for your buck minimal time/maximum gain cycling workouts for the trainer (i.e. workouts less than 45min), and cycling workouts that incorporate strength training (no equipment necessary)
-Music for workouts: what we like and why it helps
-Crash train for a half-marathon in 5 weeks - best types of run workouts and structure of training (hills, long tempos, fartleks, etc)
-How to spend money for more fitness gains: power meter or hire a coach? When is a coach the better route; when is the power meter and no coach better?
-Comparing your performance to that of others in ultra, and finding the right kind of motivation to increase fitness
-Coming off injury: Coming back from 5 months off due to torn tendon on the top of the foot and shoulder surgery. Was training for a 100 prior to the injury, what's the best course of action do that I can attempt another 100 by early 2016?
This episode of Ask the Ultrarunner is brought to you by Squatty Potty; find out more on how to achieve the perfect poop at enduranceplanet.com/squattypotty. Use the code "enduranceplanet" at checkout for 15% discount. On this show, Lucho and Tawnee discuss the following based on your questions: -Tips to train (bike) in Arizona heat and not melt -Using Maffetone's 180 Formula for master's athletes. More info at: http://philmaffetone.com/180-formula. -Should you do speedwork for Ironman training (and if so, appropriate workouts) -Effective run works for final phase of Ironman training -Liquid nutrition: what's effective and healthy? natural homemade concoctions, UCan, coconut water, for those who are fat adapted? -Percent of FTP for half-ironmans - what's the best intensity and why it depends -Aquabike half races: what percent of FTP to ride at with no run off the bike? -How does your bike split time (or predicted bike split) play a role in the watts you should hold on the bike, your percentage of FTP, -Running streaks: yay or nay? -How to hit 1,000 watts on the bike - Lucho style -7 exercises to avoid in the gym (via Huffington Post) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/04/exercise-fitness-expert-pet-peeves_n_5641513.html -How to get in shape for a 400k ultra -Ironman training with limited bike experience -Training techniques for 100k - using concepts of MAF and Canova for most bang for your buck -Avoiding risk in ultra racing: longtime ultra-runner coming off foot injury and now leading into another 12-hour run race; how much running is needed in final few weeks and should you shut it down to be conservative for a better race day? -Avoiding stomach slosh in an ironman in the heat; role of intensity in training and racing -Calories per hour on the bike in an Ironman, -The magic of coke while racing -and more!
On this special episode, Tawnee's mom, Lyndee Prazak comes on the show to talk about her first-ever Ironman that she recently completed in Whistler, Canada. Pictures of her day included in this post. Lyndee, 56, was coached by Tawnee for the race, and we talk about what it was like to make the leap into this distance after only having raced sprint and olympic triathlons prior.
In this show you'll hear: -Going the full distance for the first time as a master's athlete -Managing training, fatigue, previous injury issues, and pre-race anxiety -A breakdown of her day and insight on the Ironman Whistler course (swim, bike, run) -Race-day strategies to manage energy and be comfortable for a longer day out there -Nutrition and fueling for Ironman and Lyndee's protocol that worked perfectly -What it's like to accomplish this feat -Will she do it again? And why she'll be stronger next time
Thorsten Radde, of trirating.com and author of the KPR Observer, joins the show again for the latest after the July cutoffs on the Kona Points Rankings (race reports on IM Zurich, IM Lake Placid, IM Canada). Tune in to find out who's locked in for the Ironman World Championships, who's on the bubble, and how tricky it is to qualify with August racing.
We also discuss with Thorsten the debate between pro men vs. pro women invited to race Kona, and Thorsten gives his analytical perspective on why it's 50 men vs. 35 women, as well as thoughts on how it should change to be more equal and fair.
Also addressed is the KPR structure allowing for heavy August racing and how that affects racing in Kona, prize purses, the IMLP7th situation (find out more from The Real Starky), slowtwitch article on pro times at Kona, effect of social media, and more.
Please note: Shortly after this show was recorded IRONMAN issued a press release noting many changes to the KPR and structuring of IRONMAN races, prize purses, etc.; some of those changes directly addressed items we discuss on this show. Here's a brief exert from the IRONMAN press release issued Sunday, Aug. 3, for reference and link to the full article:
"In 2015, IRONMAN will have a total professional prize payout of over $5 million - an increase from 2014. Debuting next year, IRONMAN will be shifting the Professional Prize Purse structure in the Americas at select IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 races designated for professional competition. All other races will be age-group competition only. This change will feature the following enhancements: * Fewer focused professional races creating bigger prize purses in those races * All Championship races will pay first through 10th * A meaningful and regionally fair schedule that promotes more head-to-head competition between top professional athletes * Improved sequencing of events with consideration of World Championship."
IRONMAN also announced further changes to regional championship races, the swim start at Kona and more. Read the full article here.
...and get hooked up with Thorsten and his latest: blogs, KPR Observer, and his podcast!
-
This episode of ATC is brought to you by SweetBeatLife. Right now you can enter to win a free HealthPatch kit valued at $250 by sharing your SBL geek screen on Facebook, then liking and commenting on BeatHealthy's FB page! Listen in for details!
On this show:
-IM Boulder predictions on thoughts on pros racing
-Tapering: Do you actually ever feel good, how to maintain intensity and cut volume effectively, paranoia about injury in the final weeks before your race and more
-What is going wrong when an "EZ" Z2 bike ride ends up feeling really hard?
-Ironman training disrupted; how to pick it up in final 9 weeks?
-What's the purpose in body markings these days at triathlons these days?
-Top TRX exercises would you consider as most beneficial for runner, and maybe more specifically in preparation for my race plans.
-Doing 1km "I" sessions following Daniels 5-10km plan a week before a sprint -- how many intervals are enough?
-Calf cramping on one side only - is it nutrition, overuse, imbalance or what?
-What to do in 3 weeks between races (in this case: did an Ironman and 3 weeks later doing 70.3) -Coming off of sickness and how to get back to training -Pacing using watts for a long, steep road bike race -Lucho's favorite road trip snacks -and more!
This episode of Ask the Ultrarunner is brought to you by Squatty Potty; find out more on how to achieve the perfect poop at enduranceplanet.com/squattypotty.
On this show, Lucho and Tawnee catch up and answer your questions on:
-how does one's training paces correlate to a race paces for marathon training
-what percentage of your goal race pace should you run at during long training runs for the marathon (and what do coaches Hudson and Canova say?)
-role of heat on pacing: why you should avoid always running in heat, plus why is it good to do sometimes
-methods for nutrition, rest and recovery for a 150 mile relay run
-training advice for the North Face 50 Mile Ultra this December
-what does it mean to see a significant increase in resting heart rate and training heart rate; why this may be bad and what to do to fix it
-using HRV to monitor stress such as the SweetBeat app
-Ironman training: avoiding the urge to chug drinks late into a long ride which then causes the sloshy feeling, i.e. how to better hydrate on the bike for the run
-and more!
Dr. Tamsin Lewis caught up with EP just a couple days before winning her first Ironman (IMUK) on Sunday (read about Tamsin's win here). We talked with Tamsin in detail about her exact fueling plan for Ironman including breakfast, everything she'll eat on the bike, run fueling, supplements that she takes, and more. Find out how this Ironman champ takes some unconventional approaches to race-day fueling that clearly paid off with success!
Tamsin's Ironman nutrition and supplements that we discuss:
Pre-race:
-The days before - increased carb intake as well as macronutrients and caloric needs
-Glutamine for gut barrier and immune system
-Probiotics to strengthen gut
-Morning of: porridge, seeds, gluten-free white bread, honey, coffee, etc
Supplements:
-Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) to help with acidity in gut
-BCAAs (brand: PhD)
-Activated charcoal
-Buscopan (to prevent cramps)
During bike:
-Mars Bar
-Salted honey nuts
-Coconut chocolate bar
-gels with coconut oil/fat
-Gus in gel flask with BCAAs in a bottle
-plain water
During run:
-Gels
-water (first half)
-coke (second half)
-anything to survive
Plus answers to your questions on:
-Fueling for early morning workouts such as swims, and how Tamsin fuels
-Using Haribo candy for fuel: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haribo
-Diet/fueling recommendations/strategies for peri- or menopausal women
-Using chia seeds before/during exercise - pros, cons? (Mention of Huma gels)
-Binding agent for homemade energy bars
-And More!
This episode of Ask the Coaches (ATC) is brought to you by Conquer Bikes, the only fully custom wheels around. Find out more and build yours now at enduranceplanet.com/wheels.
Lucho and Tawnee are back for ATC. On this show they catch up and answer your questions on:
-Running shoe issue: Why would running shoes be blowing out at the sides of the shoes in the toe box? Doesn't matter brand of shoe.
-Planning Ironman training into a work schedule in which shift hours are always changing -- how to maximize performance and recovery? Is it more important to get in the long days/recovery days in the proper order OR the time in the saddle/time on your feet for endurance races?
-Training to train, and how should an experienced athlete start preparing for the 2015 Leadville 100 Run now (it is 14 months out) in terms of volume/intensity/and exercise plan. Running, strength training focus, etc.
-Running off the bike vs. open running races.
-Planning multiple triathlon/running races in the schedule for ideal performance and recovery.
-Training help for Ironman Maryland -- currently training 20+hrs a weeks with 2 FTP bike sessions (1.5 hrs total), lots of tempo rides, running 50mpw+ with one quality session. Back off on the quality session for the run to help avoid injury or overtraining?
-Mention of Dr. Maffetone's new book on a sub-2:00 marathon!
-Thoughts on a non-periodized style of marathon program that Australia's Rob De Castella followed as well as Steve Moneghetti, who were 2:07/2.08 runners. They did the same training week in week out with very little variation at all. They only freshened up before major races. Each week they would do 6 easy miles in the morning Monday to Saturday and a Sunday long run of 21 miler with an extra 6 miles in the afternoon to get to 27miles. Monday pm was an easy 10miles Tuesday pm was a 20-30min hard hill with a 10min after at race pace. Or monas Fartlek. Wednesday pm was a 18mile long run Thursday pm was another quality of about 8 x 400m around the 5km mark, Friday was a easy 10miler. Saturday arvo a race or another short quality session then the long run Sunday.
-Juggling marathon and 70.3 training
-Should you buy a tri bike for an Ironman or will you be ok on a road bike? Why do either? When is a road bike the better choice? How do hilly courses like Ironman Lake Tahoe play a role in the decision on which bike?
This episode is brought to you by Squatty Potty, which you can find out more at enduranceplanet.com/squattypotty. Use code "enduranceplanet" at checkout for a 15% discount exclusive to EP fans. Ben Greenfield joins us for this edition of Sports Nutrition. Topics covered and questions answered including:
-Ben's take on doing the Crossfit workout, Murph
-Curcumin and boswellia for inflammation
-How do proteolytic enzymes work differently than other anti-inflammatories like curcumin, etc, in fighting inflammation
-Is glutathione a supplement we should be taking or is it a waste?
-How about NAC, a precursor to glutathione?
-Top-rated NAC brand: PharmaNac
-Ben's whey protein powder picks: Mt. Capra and ThorneFX
-What are some ways to ingest more water during workouts or races in the heat longer than about 2 hours to prevent severe dehydration
-Mention of the hydration pack, The Source
-How much water maximum can we safely drink per hour during exercise to avoid hyponatremia -- Ben's gives specifics!
-Practicing a fat-adapted fueling strategy for a half-Ironman, but bonked -- what happened? How to remedy?
-The real deal on oxalic acid and should we be concerned about it
-and more!
We are joined by Dr. David Minkoff to provide insight on the benefits of functional medicine and finding the best doctor to find the right diagnosis and cures. Specially we answer listener questions looking for answers on their diagnoses/health issues including:
-Male triathlete with chronic fainting and seizure problems; diagnosed with vasovagal syncope. Given the history, is this the right diagnosis? What can be done to alleviate condition and still do sport?
-The gut's role as another brain in the body
-How exercise can acutely disrupt thyroid
-The need for testing: blood tests, GI tests, etc, to get to the bottom of your ailments
-Athlete diagnosed with minimal change disease and put on prednisone. Is this the rigth diagnosis, how to overcome this issue, and alternatives to prednisone?
-Resources recommended by the doc including acam.org.
-Athlete with Hep C: Is exercising positive or negative?. New treatment and training at the same time - doable ? Safe?
-How do blood thinners (coumadin) affect performance/recovery?
-DVT in calf - help and guidance
-mention of The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz
-and more!
We are joined by triathlon expert Thorsten Radde who provides some of the most in-depth analyses of pro Ironman racing and the Kona Points Ranking (KPR) in existence. Thorsten's Ironman ratings, reports and more can be found all at www.trirating.com. He also recently launched a cool new triathlon podcast called IM Predictions, as well as a newsletter titled the KPR Observer.
On this show we meet and get to know Thorsten and all the cool triathlon-related things he has going on, then we dive right into the news with:
-A full in-depth recap of Ironman European Championships in Frankfurt, Germany, including the top names and results in the men's and women's races. See Thorsten's race report here.
-Talk about the start timing issue for pro women: why is this such a problem, how it affects results, what can be done to solve it
-An up-to-date look at the KPR: who's locked in, who's a maybe, who's a long shot, who is out for this year's Big Dance in October?
-Getting into Kona as a male vs. female, and the numbers game with racing for points
-and much more!
Click here to support EP's Week of Kona so you can receive the latest and greatest Ironman coverage this year from the Big Island.
This episode of Ask the Ultrarunner is brought to you by Squatty Potty, which is your ticket to better elimination. Find out more at enduranceplanet.com/squattypotty.
Also: It's that time of year and we need your help to make this year's Week of Kona coverage a reality! Head to enduranceplanet.com/kona now to make a donation!
On this episode Lucho and Tawnee cover a ton, including a recap with insight on the Western States 100 and the results, the great coverage by iRunFar.com, as well as insight on other results from last weekend at the races (triathlon included).
Plus answers to your questions on:
-top workouts to improve VO2 max and the science of how to do it, especially for for the middle aged athletes and ultrarunners
-sports psych: "Why when I am running the race I feel like i am going to die the whole time. And 10 minutes after I am finished I am upset at myself that i didn't push harder and I feel I was a wimp and should have performed better?"
-abnormally dead quads during an ultra - why?!
-changing running stride and getting pain/injury as a result
-suggestions for navigating steep two-way sections in ultra races such as Leadville
-taking risks in ultras (i.e. 50kms) to push your boundaries and see what you're capable of - smart idea?
-Lucho on how often he likes to race and why
-advice on fueling for a diabetic endurance athlete (hear Tawnee's past interviews with diabetic athletes Vinnie Santana and cyclist James Stout for great insight)
-and more!
Brett Blankner, host of Zen and the Art of Triathlon, fills in as co-host for this edition of Multisport News for a fun recap of some of the big races that occurred last weekend, June 28-29, including:
-Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs Lake results and a course rundown by Brett (hint: hot, hilly, hard)
-Ironman Austria and the fast times of champs Linsey Corbin and Ivan Rana
-World Cup and soccer talk
-Youth sports trends that eventually affects pro sports, plus differences in females vs. males
-ITU Chicago mention
-Hairy legs. vs. Shaved legs and Specialized's research in the wind tunnel. See the video here.
-IM CdA
-IM France - Leanda Cave DQ, fast females, etc
Anne Thilges and Tina Ament aren't your typical "couple" who race triathlon together. Tina is a blind athlete, and Anne is her guide. Together they race Ironman (and do quite well!). This year they've earned the opportunity to become the first female blind athlete/guide team to race in the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. Most recently, Anne and Tina raced in Challenge Atlantic City June 29, and you can see their results here. On this show, Anne and Tina take us through how they met, what it's like to race an Ironman side by side for a full 140.6, the logistics of working together as a team, and Kona training. We also get to the the personal stories of both Tina and Anne: -40:00 hear Tina's story including her life growing up with a condition that left her blind. -47:00 hear Anne's story as an athlete who's been racing Ironman since '95.
We are joined by Ben Greenfield for this episode of Sports Nutrition, to answer your questions on:
-What does Ben think of the hypothesis and ideas presented by Ray Cronise, which were featured on a recent podcast with Tawnee.
-Fasting and intermittent fasting - what defines IF and when is it safe to do, when to avoid
-What type of fasting protocol should one implement for weight loss (# days to fast, etc)
-Carb needs per day (in grams) for the following exercise intensities (especially for female athletes):
easy: 40-60g CHO
medium: 60-100g CHO
hard: 100-150g CHO
extreme: ad libitum; whatever you want
-should you eat even if not hungry but knowing it's your only chance due to busy schedule?
-sports nutrition drinks that have some sugar like Skratch and Osmo -- can they be consumed by those trying to become fat adapted, or avoid?
-when using nut-butter based gels, should we need to be as diligent on drinking water with them like the carb/sugar-based ones?
-fueling/carb needs for short tough races/events like TTs, cyclocross, and events around 1 hour or less at/near max
-when choosing a quality Stevia extract what additives to avoid, and what to looks for in a good product
-Good books and resources on weight loss, why we get fat, etc.
This episode of Ask The Coaches is brought to you by SweetBeatLife, which now is offered with a HealthPatch, which conveniently sticks to the skin and eliminates the need for a heart rate strap. Find out more at at enduranceplanet.com/sweetbeat.
On this episode Lucho and Tawnee talk discuss and give answers on:
-Strength training and what the coach's are doing lately in the gym
-Swim analysis for EP fan, Peter Liu. Click here to watch the video Peter sent that Lucho and Tawnee discuss.
-Also: extra swim video resources to watch perfect badass form: Grant Hackett in the 1500M, Hackett technique video, and and Ian Thorpe slow motion.
-Why would one see a very high HRV in the two days after a race and/or hard training, then see it drop finally on the third day
-Fractured thumb, healing, and how to get back swim fitness in final month before an Ironman
-Hitting a rut in racing in which times are getting slower, not faster, despite more experience and consistent training. What gives? Could it be overtraining, health issue, or possibly even not enough training?
-Bike fit fees, and analyzing options for a good bike fit that's worth the money
-Intensity on the bike vs. run for triathlete who's now trying to focus on 3 marathons in a row (learn more: http://www.tomwalkerfitness.co.uk)
-Should you alternate between weeks of high volume on bike and low volume run, then switch it up with more running less biking, and so on? Or is it better to maintain consistency in each sport?
-and More!
Ray Cronise spent 15 years at NASA but after gaining weight his life took a different path when he sought solutions to achieve personal weight loss. His background in science led him to study the human body's nutritional and caloric energy balance, and how to drive weight loss through basic thermodynamic principles. He now operates a popular blog, hypothermics.com.
On this show we learn a bit more about Ray's background and weight-loss success strategy, then we dive into the latest on nutrition science and caloric energy balance including:
-Recently published work by Ray, David Sinclair and Andrew Bremer: "The ‘Metabolic Winter’ Hypothesis: A Cause of the Current Epidemics of Obesity and Cardiometabolic Disease" (click for full paper), which presents ..."a novel way to view the major food macronutrients and human diet in this era of excessive caloric consumption, along with a novel relationship among calorie scarcity, mild cold stress, and sleep that may explain the increasing prevalence of nutritionally related diseases."
-Definition of "metabolic winter"
-Why proteins, carbohydrates, and fats (macronutrients) are somewhat irrelevant in Ray's argument
-Evolution of human's relationship with food and how it's changed over time -- for the worse
-Why "eat less, move more" doesn't matter, and why obesity is about diet (intake) and not exercise (energy expenditure)
-Fasting, and Ray's take on going without food
-The psychology of food and eating
Plus even more:
-Making science more available to the public, and why and how Ray made it possible to provide Open Access to his latest published review (and the $3,200 price tag)
-His must-have scientific journals, including New Scientist Magazine and Nature
-The current state of blogging and who you should and can trust as "experts"
-Seth Godin
-Recent Dr. Oz upset on miracle weight loss
...and much more!
This episode of ATU is brought to you by Conquer Bikes, which offers fully customized carbon wheels at affordable prices and also gives back by donating a bike to an underprivileged child for every wheelset they sell. Find out more at www.enduranceplanet.com/wheels.
On this edition of "Ask The Ultrarunner," Lucho and Tawnee talk about their current training, and what they're doing including Lucho's MAF pace improvements and Tawnee's new experiment with minimalist training style.
Plus, real evidence from an everyday runner's MAF test results over the past 16 months, and how to execute the perfect MAF test (with proper warmup). Here's the data we discuss (heart rate and average pace):
148 11:48
153 10:04
150 9:36
147 9:41
145 9:09
Then answers to your questions on:
-Our take on IRONMAN's announcement to partner with Little Debbie for IRONMAN Chattanooga
-Could Lucho run 16% grade for 3km? Aka the Lyrebird Trail at the Thousand Steps in the Dandenong Ranges, Melbourne.
-Help for runners to loosen up tight shoulders? And the underlying cause.
-How to train and prepare for Leadville 100 at altitude (when not living that high), and in the final 10 weeks what should weekly mileage look like?
-Metabolic efficiency results analysis - looking at crossover point compared with MAF, etc
-Before a 100miler is it reasonable to do a block of intensity before returning to more ultra-specific training? Will this help metabolic efficiency?
-Jack Daniel's training program questions
-Looking over a training plan for a 100k in Sept.
-Cooper tests vs. MAF tests for running
-and more!
Ever been curious about how this show "ticks?" Then listen to this special inside look at the Endurance Planet podcast featuring lots of fun stories and information. In this show you'll learn:
-How and why Ben Greenfield and Tawnee Prazak got involved with Endurance Plant back in 2011.
-What our goals are for this podcast, for you, and what's in store for the future.
-About how you can get involved, sponsorship opportunities and more.
In effort to continually feature the stories of amazing amateur endurance athletes, on this show we talk with triathlete Mike Wasserman. Mike is in his 50s, and got a late start in endurance sport, but he's cracked the code on how to maintain a sturdy, injury-free and fit body that allows him to race everything from marathons to triathlons up to the Ironman distance year after year (with some very fast times to his name over the years). On this show, he'll share some insight on how he maintains his health and fitness via smart training and planning (by the way: he is coached by our very own Lucho)!
We'll also hear some epic race stories from Mike, who's known for choosing and loving the hardest Ironmans around. He did IM St. George three years in a row, IM Tahoe, among others and has some great experiences to share on this show.
This episode of "Ask the Coaches" is brought to you by the new and improved SweetBeatLife app by SweetWater Health, which measures heart rate variability (HRV) and much more with the utmost accuracy. Head to enduranceplanet.com/sweetbeat to learn more and download!
In this show Lucho and Tawnee catch up on what's new in their lives and answer your questions on:
-How bad can multiple Ironmans a year be for the body and the whole system? Can fatigue be accumulated and bring consequences for next years season or overall? We reference this article on long-term effects on heart health.
-Training by heart rate v. watts on the bike,with workout tips and more
-Can surfing count for a swim session, and how closely does surfing mimic swimming in terms of benefiting swim fitness for triathletes?
-Comparison of calorie burn in running vs cycling
-Cadence issues -- how to go from a low-cadence athlete to high cadence and why that's good; plus: benefits of doing low cadence ME work
-Bodyweight squats/lunges vs. squats/lunges with weight - differences, what's better for strength development, and how to improve with weights
-If given the luxury of a strong tailwind, is it beneficial to get out of the aero position and have your body active as a sail and have the wind push you along?
-Sami Inkinen aka “Sami Style” minimalist training -- Lucho and Tawnee's take on it, pros and cons. Listen to Sami on Endurance Planet!
-and More!
Also, you can follow Tawnee's progress on her wrist fracture and training status at tritawn.com.
Ben Greenfield joins the show to discuss and answer your questions on:
-Top things recommended for a pregnant endurance athlete (triathlete) in regards to nutrition -- macronutrients/micronutrients, supplements, other baby-friendly practices, resource recommendations, and even how to handle those cravings
-Extra skin after extreme weight loss: how to measure how much skin, how to get rid of it, and can it hurt performance in sport
-What is the difference between beta alanine and basic alanine? Necessary for a vegan endurance athlete?
-What's the best way and safest way to lose weight/body fat whilst training for a half ironman? In particular for female athletes?
-and More!
Learn how to hack your run with Sami Inkinen, one of triathlon's fastest age-groupers who's known for a minimalist style of training and just recently won top amateur at Wildflower on limited time by hacking his run. Sami is a successful entrepreneur and businessman and co-founder of Trulia.com, and he's all about optimizing physical performance while still working 90-hour weeks and traveling extensively. Among his many accomplishments he's gone sub-9 hours in multiple Ironmans including Kona, has multiple 70.3 AG titles including at the 70.3 World Championships, and most recently was overall AG champion at Wildflower.
On this show we'll discuss:
-How Sami "hacked" his run in four weeks to become this year's Wildflower AG champion (coming off what he describes as "undertrained" and "overweight")
-Four key components to success in hacking the run for triathlon
-How he involves strength and running for optimal performance
-His minimalist training style and how he combines s/b/r workouts for success with lower volume
-How he transformed from sugar burner to fat burner through a low carb high fat diet, and how his performance in triathlon increased from those dietary changes
-how he fuels during racing now, and what he uses in triathlon
Then switching gears...
-How Sami and his wife Meredith are embarking this June on a 60-day journey of rowing more than 2,400 miles from SF to Hawaii while raising awareness in the fight against sugar in the typical diet (find out more at www.fatchancerow.org)
-The logistics of an endurance row across the Pacific including food/fuel, rowing shifts, rest, and more
-Training for this journey
-How we can follow them once they launch ~mid June
-and More!
-How to know if you're ready for 50k training on limited time? Or should you wait until later in life? And how to approach an 11-month time for training on average only 4 days per week -- MAF, intensity, both?
-Do older athletes need more intensity or MAF-based approach?
-Energy systems and being anaerobic vs. aerobic? How long does it take to get back into your mostly aerobic energy system if you have been running anaerobic. How much rest do you need after anaerobic/VO2max intervals?
-Analyzing performance and dropoff in pace in one's first 100 miler. Slowed down so should he have started slower? Was it inability to handle the pain? Nutrition?
-Switching from triathlon to longer trail running for a lifelong athlete and best way to tackle training -- MAF or higher intensity/low volume? Should you give up the bike/swim or use as crosstraining?
-Lab data to show LT vs. aerobic zones - a quick analysis
Dealing with plantar fasciitis? How to prevent this, what exactly causes this? Help needed for an ultrarunner in training...
-Newer athlete training for longer mountain bike races and needing to develop aerobic base -- help on training program?
-Muscle fiber type issues in running. Can you be "all fast twitch" or no?
-Training for another marathon looking to break 3 hours. What do you think of the Hudson vs. Pfitzinger for someone with a 3:02 marathon PR, and a 1:20 half?
-Foot pain in morning and remedies to relieve it.
-and much more.
In light of host Tawnee Prazak's recent wrist fracture, we're doing a special series on bone health and fracture healing for athletes, with today's show featuring Ben Rawson, DO, a Clinical Instructor and Pain/MSK Fellow at University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics who will soon be joining a group in Austin, TX, which focuses on Regenerative Medicine to treat musculoskeletal conditions. He has training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation with subspecialty training in Pain and Musculoskeletal Medicine. Prior to this, he was a US Air Force Flight Surgeon. He's also a triathlete.
On this show we cover:
-Stress fractures and common types in endurance athletes
-Vommon risk for stress fractures as well as acute bone fractures
-How to maintain healthy bones through diet, supplements, the right amount of exercise, etc (and what to avoid)
-Once you're broken: what is the healing process and timeline for bones, how does it reform, etc.
-Rehab and nutrition for a full, healthy recovery
-The inflammation response to healing, and why we want that and want to avoid certain treatments that can block or prevent the inflammation response
-Can you actually speed recovery of bone fractures or is that a myth?
-Rehab treatments such as physical therapy, prolotherapy, PRP, cryotherapy, basic ROM/mobility work, etc.
-Possible complications in healing process
-Mention of Tawnee's blog and the treatments and supplements she's using for healing (read more at www.tritawn.com) - does Ben concur?
-and More!
We're joined by Dr. Tamsin Lewis for an episode of Sports Nutrition (and other health and wellness topics) to discuss the following:
-Tamsin's recent bike crash during a 70.3 and how she recovered quickly in order to race again
-That first half-Ironman and how to figure out the right nutrition to avoid bonk
-Can getting nutrition "wrong" have short- and long-term ill effects?
-Is it dangerous to start long-distance triathlon at a young age? Do you have any tips for young athletes?
-Alcohol in weeks/days leading up to a big race -- cut it out or is 1 drink still ok?
-Tips on hydration in heat for ultra racing and more on the physiology of exercising in heat and how that affects nutrition/fluid intake.
-and More!
Lucho and Tawnee for Ask the Coaches:
-Run video analysis featuring Nilo A. (see video below)
-Followup comments on cortisone and ice baths.
-Best tactics for training in the heat / training for a hot race? Heat acclimatization, etc.
-Should runners switch to perceived exertion instead of heart rate on hot days, or have an allowance for a higher rate?
-Should you do a practice 70.3 for full Ironman training to dial in nutrition, pace, etc?
-Healing from an Achilles issue and how to know when to start running and training for triathlon again?
-Our opinions on cycling saddles, including brands/types we like, comfort, etc.
-Commuting to work on cyclocross bike- add additional weight (5 lbs.?) to even make those commuting days more fruitful?
-and more.
A sports psychology special with mental skills training coach Carrie Cheadle, who specializes in working with endurance athletes and is the author of the recently published a book, On Top of Your Game: Mental Skills to Maximize Your Athletic Performance. On this show she joins us to dive into topics to help improve your training, race performance and overall life including info on:
-how much performance is mental vs. physical
-the psychological component of suffering - and how Carrie's coaches athlete to suffer better in competition.
-performance anxiety and how to handle pressure,
-how to relax nerves before a big event "how to do that"
-being in the zone and getting in state of flow - how to get there, how to know if you've been there
-achieving better life balance (what to do when you feeling guilty about training and taking time away from family/friends)
-Carrie's top tips of things that you can do daily to be a better person and athlete
-gratitude and how that plays a role....
-and more!
We are joined by sports nutritionist Matt Fitzgerald again for an exclusive look into his new book, "Diet Cults" in an interview unlike any you've yet to hear with Matt thus far. We talk about everything from Agnostic Healthy Eating to proven secrets to successful weight loss, and much more. Get a glimpse into this hit book with Matt's commentary.
Among the topics in this show, we discuss the following:
-Matt's epigraph of choice and the meaning behind it: "It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man." Matthew 15:11
-The "The Myth of Natural"
-Matt's day take on Paleo and Brian McKenzie of CrossFit Endurance.
-Matt's take on gluten - is it ok or to be avoided?
-Pleasure aspect of food and eating
-Successful weight loss strategies and secrets
-The three common things done by people who successfully lose weight, and the one behavior they all have in common
-The "Myth of Mechanisms as Outcomes" (including talk on potatos and starches)
-Sugar and Matt's take on this including his "Myth of Absolutes"
-Tim Noakes discussion
-Explanation of "agnostic healthy eating"
-What Matt eats for breakfast regularly that may shock you
-and more!
Lucho and Tawnee team up to answer your questions on:
-Risks and benefits to cortisone shots. Specifically: dealing with a torn muscle with an ultra approaching -- get a cortisone shot to relieve pain and still be able to run, or not?
-Cross-training sabotaging ultra racing? Strength training more and now running slower.
-Are ice baths worthwhile or is it a waste of time energy?
-The role of the placebo effect in things like recovery tools.
-Garmin HR monitor woes.
-What makes your "will to suffer" stronger? At what point does the "will to suffer" stop? How the hell do you override that "will to not suffer"?
-Training in fire conditions when air quality sucks.
-Buying maltodextrin -- brands, suppliers, etc.
-A new 'beer ultra' concept with a 24-hour race that combines running and beer with a points system -and more!
One of our most unique, informative and funniest episodes of Ask the Coaches to date with Lucho and Tawnee! We begin the show with our first-ever run analysis, as Tawnee and Lucho critique the run from this video submitted by Nathan. Listen to what the coaches have to say, and watch the video at enduranceplanet.com.
From there, answers to your questions on: -New to triathlon and got a lottery slot into Kona -- now what?! Training advice for the year ahead. -Mitigate effects of jet-leg when traveling for races -How much and what kind of strength training to implement when training for half and full marathons? -Coming off Ironman and shifting focus to improving 5k time. How long does IM endurance stick around, do you still need MAF/Z2, and how to build a new plan for speed? -Fitting in a 70.3 and marathon in the same month -- how to structure a training plan for success and recovery advice -What weird things have the coaches seen while out training on the road? -Is the recent beer mile record legit? -And more!
We are joined by triathlon expert and LAVA Magazine Editor Brad Culp for a new edition of Multisport News. In this show we cover:
-Results and recap of the US 70.3 Championships held at St. George, Utah, including detailed insight on the big-name pros who showed up to race.
-Results and recap of the Wildflower Triathlon, including how they executed the race this year with drought conditions and the 4-Peat by Jesse Thomas and 3-Peat by Heather Jackson
-Results of St. Croix 70.3
Plus Brad's insight on:
-Rev3 cancelling their pro prize purse
-The growth of WTC and Ironman events
-The state of triathlon as a sport -- is it growing or is it decreasing in popularity, and why?
-What to watch for this summer and more!
-And more!
Endurance Planet continues our new feature "Endurance Love" podcasts that highlight a couple in endurance sports who rocks it in their relationship and in triathlon. This episode features triathletes Mike Feldman and Lauren Martz, of Indiana, who have quite the story to share starting with how they met, their not-so-average dating life, and most recently their engagement!
We hear how Mike, who's on the Wattie Ink. Triathlon Team, and Lauren, who's on Zoot's Triathlon Team, manage their demanding lives of working full-time jobs and training for 70.3 triathlons while also getting creative with spending time together and planning a wedding in the most stress-free style possible!
Ben Greenfield joins the show to answer your questions and discuss the following sports nutrition topics:
-The possibility of depleting mineral stores while going low carb.
-The 7 supplements for low carb dieters, and why/when we need them
-At-home blood glucose testing to gauge carb intake
-Alkalinity: What are the facts, ins/outs, risks/benefits of an alkaline-based lifestyle for your average Joe/Jane 'athlete' (amateur).
-Getting sick a lot and it really interrupts training. Any recommendations to keep sinus/respiratory issues at bay?
-Allergy relief tips
-And More
We are joined by Lucho for this addition of Ask the Ultrarunner featuring answers to your questions on:
-If you had the chance to train a chronically injured athlete such as Anton Krupicka, how would you change their training given their injury history to make them stronger/less injury prone? Lifting? Cross training?
-Upper body mechanics in running and suggestions for upper body strengthening that's beneficial particularly for distance running?
-Long run volume during a 6-week gap between two ultras?
-The back to back long runs or single long run in training for a 100 miler. What is sufficient?
-Ultra mountain bike training: how to combine MAF and tempo/intervals for the race in ~4 months?-If your 'A' race is 11 weeks away (Badwater) and you have a 145 mile race booked before that should you do the 145-miler or skip it?
-Hill training for ultras: short/steep hill repeats or long extended climbs/decents?
-And More!
Lucho and Tawnee team up to answer your questions on:
.
-How do you go about determining “race pace.” Specifically for a marathon and a BQ, but also for triathlon and in general.
-When trying to stay around goal watts on bike, what's your opinion on what to do when you get in a pack legally and power drops along with heart rate drops but speed is the same? Do you go around and keep power up or sit in and get some recovery?
-How do you know if you held back too much in a triathlon and could have gone harder?
-Tips to get a faster swim when endurance is there but not speed. Drills, sets, etc. -Is there a point in trying to set up the road bike for triathlons with aero bars (and if so how), or just keep the road setup?
-Training on your road bike vs. tri bike, and how that can affect triathlon racing.
-High cadence or low cadence on the bike. What is best for an Olympic triathlon, etc?
-How you can apply MAF principles to bike training especially hen there are hills and decents that affect HR
-How to use Jack Daniels 5-10km training plan for bike training
-Didn't make BQ -- should you jump into another marathon a couple weeks later to try again?
-and more!
Dave Jewell, one of the running shoe industry's top leading experts and longtime endurance athlete, joins to give a complete guide to running shoes and using shoes to stay injury free and thrive. Dave got his start in the running shoe world in 1989 when Paul Huddle asked Dave, "Do you want to sell shoes?" The rest is history as they say. Today Dave is the director of footwear marketing for Zoot Sports. On this show he joins us to address all the major common running shoe questions, so we can put you in your best pairs. Included topics:
-How to pick the right running shoe for you (what to look for, what to avoid) -Using running shoes to stay injury free -How many pairs of running shoes should you have and rotate through regularly -Running shoe industry trends including: Minimalist vs. maximalist trends -When to get rid of shoes? Is there a "magic" mileage number after which we should discard a pair of shoes, or does show lifespan depend on runner -Observations from Dave during run leg of triathlon events (including Oceanside 70.3) -Most popular shoes -Training for longevity in running -Running drills that Dave uses to stay injury free and healthy
-Dave's best tips from years of experience
-and so much more!
On Monday, April 21, 2014 the hearts of runners and endurance athletes worldwide were with Boston. It was a momentous day in which the running community and folks of Boston took back the Boston Marathon, one year after the tragic bombings.
On this special episode, host Tawnee Prazak has an exclusive chat with marathoner Dr. Freddie So from his Boston hotel overlooking the finish, just a couple hours after he crossed the finish in his 10th consecutive Boston Marathon. It was in that 10th attempt where Freddie finally achieved his goal of breaking 3 hour in the marathon. We'll hear all about how Freddie was finally able to go sub-3, as well as much more insider commentary on what it was like to be in Boston for the marathon this year after last year. In fact, we spoke with Freddie one year ago on the show during which he took us through his experience on that tragic day.
Ben Greenfield joins the show to answer your questions on:
The benefits/ pros and cons of honey vs. maple syrup for fueling endurance and in general
How long does it take to become 'fat adapted' -- in life and for enhanced sport performance
Locust-based protein powder (and also: lotus root)
Help for athlete with ischemic colitis, supplement advice, and is Imodium AD ok for racing?
Why Bulletproof coffee as a pre-race breakfast can help you kick butt And more!
Lucho and Tawnee team up to answer your questions on: -Select and customize a good marathon training program to get to the next level -- and specifics on choosing from Hudson, Friel, Hanson, Higdon, Daniels -Aqua jogging for injury, maintaining fitness and general cross training
-Recommendation for a 12-week 10k program for an experienced runner. -What are the pros and cons of a sleeveless wetsuit vs full sleeve? And thoughts on a two-piece.
-How to execute a great pre-race training trip on the course where you plan to race (i.e. Mont Tremblant for 70.3 Worlds) -The "conflict" between what Dr. Phil says in his Big Book of Endurance Training about athletes often not needing more than 12 hours a week of endurance training — presumably at MAF — and the general agreement in the endurance community that if you don’t train intensely (above MAF), then you need to train long. -Is there an advantage in training at least 50% at MAF and then doing threshold too? -Training for endurance cycling event coming off injury (peroneal tendon and some achilles tendinitis) - MAF or intensity or both?
-and more!
An information-packed episode that every endurance athlete should hear featuring special guest Dr. Susanne Bennett, who specializes in hormones, allergies, clinical nutrition, environmental and lifestyle medicine. She is the author of best-seller The 7 Day Allergy Makeover, a step-by-step program providing natural solutions to eliminate allergies and restore vibrant health from the inside out. In this show we discuss the following plus so much more:
Hormonal balance for endurance athletes
-Athletes and hormones and how we can train for endurance and stay in balance
-Adrenal stress and adrenal fatigue -- symptoms and how to overcome
-Testosterone, cholesterol, cortisol, estrogens, adrenals, DHEA
-Learn all about the Pregnenolone Steal
-How diet plays a role (and specifically animal protein and fat)
-Dr. Susanne's adrenal tonic, Jing Jing, and herbal remedy solutions
-Other safe supplementing options
.
Food, eating out and food allergies
-Food allergies/sensitivities and how they can wreak havoc for endurance athlete; the most common sensitivities
-Navigating how to eat out and avoid harmful hidden toxins, contaminants, or additives in foods -The negative side to alcohol -- fungal toxins, histamine response, yeast issues, sleep, etc -Bowel movements -Foods with fermentable sugars that could wreak havoc on the gut -How long does it take to heal your gut? -Fermented foods -Detecting yeast overgrowth -Can you be allergic to gluten and not know it? . Outdoor training tips to avoid allergies/exposure to harmful things -Is it harmful to be swimming in chlorinated pools constantly? And tips to offset harms of chlorine -Allergies and endurance sport, more common in endurance athletes who are outside so much and also wearing down their bodies constantly? -Runny nose when training - year round -- why does ti happen and how to fix -Skin care, sunscreen/sunblock use, prevent breakouts from sweat/workouts, etc -How to build healthy, robust skin -Athlete's need for NAC and glutathione , Vitamin C and quercetin -Practical tips to clean out allergens and prevent allergens from entering your home
Dr. Tamsin Lewis, profession triathlete and sports medicine doctor, joins the show for a special edition of Sports Nutrition. Topics covered in this show include:
-Her background and overcoming an eating disorder to become a strong pro triathlete
-Sex-specific fueling and hormonal issues for female endurance athletes
-Disordered eating in endurance sports that can have negative effects on health
-CARBS: How many carbs should endurance athletes have, what kind of carbs, when to eat carbs, the low-carb debate, etc.
-How to still develop fat-burning ability through training but still have carbs at the right time when they are needed for key sessions
-Women and how they handle carbs and fat oxidation
-Thyroid talk, and the importance of T3, and foods for healthy thyroid function
-B vitamin needs
-Blood work and common deficiencies, supplements
-Problems with birth control pill and oral contraceptives
-Blood work analysis through CuroSeven (you can hire Tamsin for a consult).
-Charcoal for upset stomach during a race
-and more!
Lucho and Tawnee team up for "Ask the Ultrarunner" and Lucho's wisdom, with answers to your questions and more:
-Advice on driving home after a marathon/ultra to mitigate DOMS, swelling, and still promote recovery. And also managing fatigue on that long post-race drive.
-Doing 50-mile races as training for a mountain 100M, and/or concentrate on doing higher mileage training at home
-How much should you be able to squat, should you be able to squat your bodyweight, safe squatting advice for max gains, using the 1RM approach, etc
-Best ways to stop boredom in an ultra, especially if MP3 players are not allowed
-Taper mileage/volume and intensity in weeks before an "A" race half marathon
-Running without a beard
-How to train for ultras but still maintain short-distance speed (for 2-mile time trials)
-Feeling sick by mile 75 of an ultra due to nutrition/gut problems - what went wrong and how to do it better next time
-When to cut hill training when tapering for a 100-miler
-and more!
Lucho and Tawnee team up for Ask the Ultrarunner with the latest and answers to your questions:
In this show:
-Chrissie Wellington to do Leadville 100 MTB
-Hobie Call - from sub-2:00 marathon goal to obstacle racer
-How to know if you went into your marathon too "cooked" and fatigued resulting in going much slower than your goal
-MAF and speedwork for 50k training and using shorter races to "get in shape"
-Training advice for a 3-Day MTB race -- use MAF or Zone training, and the importance of specificity
-Using HRV
-Training for inclines and decents, and how muscles can adapt to downhill running in as little as one session
-Late season marathon and 50k -- how to train?
- key sessions to help an ultrarunner do well in a competitive half-marathon
-how fast must a runner run a flat 5k/10k to consider a shot at a 2:18 marathon
-and more!
The Real Starky makes his exclusive podcast debut on Endurance Planet, and we get to know this mysterious character a bit more, why he's doing what he's doing, and perhaps even find out his real identity. (If you haven't heard of him, he's created a popular Twitter parody account in which he says it like it and, as such, can sometimes be offensive and brutally honest.) As he does on Twitter, TRS says it like it is on this show on everything triathlon related. Specifically we talk about: -Recap of Ironman Melbourne -Crowie's retirement -Ironman 70.3 Oceanside preview -TRS' opinions on many pro triathletes and issues... listen to find out who and TRS' -And much more.
Lucho and Tawnee team up for "Ask The Coaches" to answer your questions on: -Planning a season around half-Ironman and marathon racing, and why "getting ahead" in run training is a great idea -What does it mean (and say about your level of fitness or lackthereof) when your Z2 HR from a typical Joe Friel/LTHR test is so far off from your calculated MAF HR. -Deep tissue massage before a race? Pros and Cons. -Strong runner, strong in strength training, but weak cyclist - what to do -Training tips for the last 6 weeks before your first half marathon -In a metabolic efficiency test, what's established when you see that aerobic threshold or crossover between the predominant utilization of fat vs carbohydrate? -what happens to metabolic efficiency if you start at a sprint pace to establish positioning before settling into an aerobic/fat-burning pace? Will your efficiency return or will it be an issue getting back to aerobic efficiency? -Sprinting late in a race -Finding metabolic efficiency test practitioners -Running with baby joggers -The longest swim sets you should do in half-Ironman training and should you do 2000m+ swim time trials to prepare for a half-Ironman or is it unnecessary/hurtful to form? -Options for a 50k training plan - how to format for the best race possible? -Ganglion cyst on the foot - how to still train for a half-Ironman especially in running -Pros and cons to bike commuting to and from work for triathlon training -Having trouble with MAF - hurts to run slow and HR spiking
Joe DeSena, the co-founder of the Spartan Race Series and accomplished endurance athlete, joins the show to talk all about obstacle racing and exclusive news on his new book. Specifically we talk about: -Growth of obstacle racing, how many Spartan races are offered, where, etc. -Types of Spartan races and The Death Race (distances, difficulty, etc) -How to train for obstacle racing: strength and endurance, including Joe's top 3 exercises -Obstacles involved in a Spartan race: full list with Joe's favorites -Nutrition for racing -Rise of elite obstacle racers (i.e. Hobie Call) -Joe's athletic career -Obstacle racing vs. tradition triathlon and ultras -Mental side of obstacle racing Plus: -Reebok's new obstacle-racing shoe designed with Joe's input! -"Spartan Up", Joe's Spartan Racing book due out this year -and more!
Lucho and Tawnee team up to answer your questions on: . -Beard talk, and Lucho's beard -When MAF pace is closing the gap on my tempo pace, how do you push out tempo pace? What % of weekly mileage should be tempo, speed, or hills? -Back-to-back races: Running 16 miles, then mountain biking 32 miles. How to train now, especially when there's still snow to deal with. -Tips for a clicky knee during training -Once you go Hoka, can you ever go back? And why it's good to rotate running shoes. Should you rotate out of Hokas regularly (and why) or rotate among Hokas? -Running with a metronome for cadence work -Going from 50-milers to 100-milers, and how best to adjust the nutrition and practice it in long runs -How far can you push myself without fuel or drink on long runs? -How would Lucho train for a 24 hour race/run, scheduled in July? Aka a 16 week plan? .
Ben Greenfield joins to answer your questions on: . -Adaptogens and what are they? Are there any worries with intake of too much of adaptogens? What different adaptogens do in the body to support the athlete? When is it beneficial to take them? Use them before or during long races? Best types and more? -Female endurance athlete trying to figure the best amount/type of carbs to eat, which to avoid, FODMAP issues, and carb/calorie needs for females vs. males -When it comes to food/drink containers, what are the best choices, what to avoid, and why? -Is there a difference in drinking beet juice vs blending it? -And More!
Dr. David Minkoff joins the show to answer a bunch of great sports medicine questions on:
-Magnesium and Vitamin D as alternatives to blood pressure meds for high blood pressure - why it's safe and won't interfere with training -How much is "too much" for older runners -Ear pain during exercise -Osteoarthritis in the hip - why your running days are not over, and how to treat this -Tips to get ride of stubborn belly fat and why is it there even when you're fit -Runner with bad pain on the top of the foot - diagnosis and treatment help -Recommendations for inflammation, particularly in joints and tendons from exercising -Chronic bladder infections (UTIs) -- what are alternatives to antibiotics, and how to stop getting them -Help for chondromalacia in the knee -Alleviating adductor/groin strains -and more!
Lucho and Tawnee present this episode of Ask The Coaches, featuring an intro talk about Lucho's plan to return to racing and his goals for Leadman 2015, how he'll manage it in his life, and more. Answers to your questions on: -Advice on how to approach training for optimal performance in short-course and long-course triathlons -Tawnee's Ironman nutrition plan tips for women -How to avoid a bonk in your next Ironman -Pros and cons of the two beat kick versus the six beat flutter primarily during half ironman to ironman distance. -Adjusting to a neutral shoe coming from a stability shoe, and more on shoes -Injury behind the knee/upper calf -Training and racing with a torn meniscus: Is it possible? -Tips for a marathon that has a long downhill start - wanting to save the quads and not get too sore -Doing back to back run races one month after a marathon -Using a treadmill that has decline and mega incline features in training for an ultra -and more!
Zach Bitter is an elite ultrarunner and last December at the Desert Solstice 24-Hour Race in Phoenix, Zach broke the American 100-mile record with a time of 11:47:21. He went on to also set a new world record for distance run in 12 hours, covering 101.66 miles. Zach uses a high-fat, lower-carb, moderate-protein diet to maximize his performance and he's extremely in tune with his nutrition, body, training and racing with lots of great tips for endurance athletes racing any distance. On this show we talk in detail about: -Zach's diet for training, racing and everyday eating habits, concepts of Optimized Fat Metabolism (OFM), his thoughts on health vs. performance, how he once was high carb, and more. -How he's experimenting on himself during runs to determine his fat-burning ability at certain paces in glycogen-depleted states. -Zach's thought's on Jeff Volek's FASTER study, and how he is participating this month. -His performance at the Desert Solstice, setting new records and details on that day, his nutrition and what he'll change going forward, and more -What's up next in 2014 and his next race this month, including goals to get on the US 24 Hour Team for this year's World Championships -Health talk, including Zach's cholesterol numbers and how they went up after going high fat low carb, but why he's actually healthier -Training talk, and specifically how Zach incorporates speedwork into his ultra training with success -What data he uses and doesn't use in training -Knowing how and when to take rest -Zach's lifestyle -and more!
Brock Armstrong is the popular co-host of the Ben Greenfield Fitness podcast, an endurance sports coach at Skywalker Fitness, and avid endurance athlete. For the first time ever he opens up on a podcast about his past, telling his story of experiencing an illness that led to multiple heart failures and near-death experiences, which ultimately transformed his life and led him to his current career and lifestyle in sport.
Brock is also an expert on general anxiety disorder and anxiety issues that endurance athletes face, and in the second half of the show we discuss strategies for athletes to overcome sport-and race-related anxiety, let go of fears and get the most out of their training and racing, including discussion of real-life issues that cause anxiety in triathlon and much more.
Specific topics:
35:00 start talk on anxiety; what is general anxiety disorder and how common among athletes, etc
42:00 we apply cognitive therapy to a real-life triathlon/racing scenario to help YOU be a mental rockstar in your future races!
47:00 we talk about how to manage fear about personal performance in a race.
53:00 managing your head/worries DURING a race.
Lucho and Tawnee for Ask the Ultrarunner with answers to your questions on:
-Stick to just MAF for ~28 weeks until a 100-mile Ultra run? Or add intensity/anaerobic work? -Having trouble keeping HR in MAF/higher near end of long runs (20+ miles) - why? -Muscular imbalances in hip external rotators highlighted by single-leg squats -- how this can hinder performance and how to fix it -Can't race for a long time, but still want to train for MTB Ultras: Just stick to MAF or do intensity as well? -Should you hike at MAF or is it ok to be below? -Setting zones for someone with a high heart rate - ditch MAF? -Threshold talk -And More!
Ben Greenfield joins the show to talk sports nutrition and more. We cover: . -Thoughts on elevation training masks -Ben's experience in the new low-carb athlete study (aka The Faster Study) with Dr. Jeff Volek and Steve Phinney; the testing protocol; Ben's VO2max, threshold and fat-burning results (in detail!); implications of the study and more -Is there anything that inhibits and/or helps Vitamin D absorption -More on supplements, dosages, and combining certain supplements, and more -Getting better rest the night before a race: What can you do to wind down & relax but still be up in time for the race?
-Ben's resources on finding quality nutrition information -Fat talk: MCT oil and fish oil
-What is the best type of sugar (or combination of sugars) to consume during an Ironman? Are some sugars easier to digest than others and what are the pros/cons of different types of sugars? -And More!
-Racing an Xterra, 70.3, and Ironman in one season: When to ride the MTB vs. road/tri bike? Is a 3hr ride a 3hr ride regardless of the bike?
-Three-year plan to try and qualify for Kona in the 40-44 age group for a reasonably well rounded athlete, advice!
-Groin pain after intense runs - what's the cause, is it muscle imbalance, weakness, etc, and how to fix?
-"The Lucho Guide to Heart Rate Training" - breakdown of his "zones" using MAF and Threshold; i.e. Base = Threshold minus 20 beats, Temp = Threshold minus 10, etc.
-The difference in beats between MAF and Threshold and what that says about your fitness
-The importance of maintaining your high end and how fast you can increase VO2max
-How much does body type affect endurance training
-Slow-twitch vs. fast-twitch muscle fiber types, and importance for endurance athletes
-What are the biggest mistakes you've seen someone make (or you yourselves have made) while competing in their first ironman?
-Difference between a speed versus a power workout in running?
-Best exercise to work on bike strength when all you have is an island bike on an island
-Exercises to build upper body strength for an athlete with limited range of motion in right elbow.
-how do you take a marathon program and adapt it for 100-mile training?
-Mitochondria: how can you either increase the number/density or function through diet or exercise, and are efforts longer than 60min effective in their development?
Audio edition from this week's video special featuring Dina Griffin, MS, RD, CSSD, METS, putting your host Tawnee Prazak through a metabolic efficiency test out of Kompetitive Edge in Denver, Colo. For EP's YouTube page with the full video that also includes charts, graphs and more, head to www.youtube.com/enduranceplanetTV.
Ben Greenfield joins the show to answer your questions and talk the latest in sports nutrition. On this show we discuss: -The benefits on eating organic grassfed heart: its mitochondrial content, dense nutrient profile, and heart's potential benefit for athletic performance -Are women's-specific nutrition products necessary, and more details on female stuff: the menstrual cycle, phases and how that may effect performance in sport -Tawnee mentions this study that showed no effect of cycle phase on performance. -How to start tracking your cycle today -Amino acid discussion: what's essential, non-essential, BCAA, and what does a product like MAP contain -Importance of certain levels/ratios of amino acids -Is V8 vegetable juice any good as it is made from concentrate? Is anything made from concentrate any good for you? -Confusion on finding the right diet and how to go about doing so for optimal performance in triathlon. Hire a nutritionist? Trial and error? Testing? Click here to download audio.
Valentine's special with endurance sports couple Lane and Jennifer Vogel on their evolution into racing, living in a dual-athlete household and having fun.
Listen to the audio from a recent video podcast that Lucho and Tawnee recorded at Lucho's Colorado house. For the full video visit our YouTube.com/EndurancePlanetTV page!
What's included:
Weekend recap and brewery reviews
Metabolic Efficiency Test discussion
Listener questions
Push-up and plank challenge
More listener questions
Visit EndurancePlanet.com for the latest in the endurance sports world, free training plans, and more.
Visit EndurancePlanet.com for a free newsletter, training plans and more.
How can your diet affect your chances of getting a stress fracture -- what to eat and what to avoid, the importance of Vitamin K2 for healthy bones, how to use nutrition periodization based on activity level, how to find your caloric requirements, eating "ideal" number os calories but feeling too full from all the food, unwelcomed weight loss despite high food intake, losing too much weight with Paleo, and more.