May 11, 2023

How to boost your mental endurance

Mental fatigue decreases endurance performance, and mental training can increase performance. So how do you do that mental training? Here researchers showed subjects a 10-15 minute mental training video for 3 weeks. 

A control group didn’t watch the videos or receive any other preparation.

Subjects were randomly assigned to their groups, and all took vo2 max and threshold tests before and after the 3 weeks, and a Time To Exhaustion test (TTE) at the end of the three weeks. Researchers also measured  electrical muscle activation. The videos, which were watched for nearly 3 hours per subject, included exercises designed to: reduce stress, improve breathing, teach positive self-talk, and visualize success.

Results: The video-trained subjects improved their TTE by 10%. They needed less muscle activation to attain this result. Conclusion: “Three weeks of mental training improves performance by reducing EMG, decreasing activation of the muscle and reducing metabolic factors during the latter stages of exercise.” More at European J of Applied Physiology (free full text).

Des Linden’s new approach to training

One of the things many of us appreciate about Des Linden is her no-BS approach to running. She doesn’t hyper-inflate her comments , or beat around the bush. She gets right to the point. Now approaching 40 (birthday: July 26 this year), Linden told Runner’s World:  “Age is not a mindset; that’s silly. It’s a physiological thing.”

Roger that. Yet Linden wants to keep running strong, so she has to figure out how to accommodate her years. Last fall, she trained in her normal high-mileage manner for the NYC Marathon, but with a disappointing outcome. She ran 2:32 including a non-Linden-like 8 minute positive split for the second half. 

Training for the recent Boston Marathon, she dropped her mileage almost 20%, and did more interval training at 5K pace. She also took more recovery days to make sure she was ready for the hard ones. “It’s the power,” she said. “That’s your speed coming off the ground. That’s what springs you forward.” 

Result: She ran a strong 2:27:18. More at Runner’s World.

The best warmup for a 5K race

I’ve always believed, as a common-sense sort of rule, that the shorter your race distance, the longer and harder the warmup you need. Conversely, the greater your race distance, the shorter the warmup. Sprinters need to do everything possible to prepare themselves for the sudden, pulled-muscle-potential demanded by their event. Marathoners should mostly sit around to conserve energy, and run the first mile slower than goal pace as a smart warmup.

What about in between distances? Good question. And here’s an answer--at least for 5K runners.

Researchers measured the 5000-meter time trial results of 13 high-fit male runners after two different warmup protocols. One included 3 x 250 repeats at race pace (high intensity); the other included no running faster than 70% of race pace.

The high intensity warmup produced significantly better results, in part because it “led to an improvement in pacing strategy.” More at J of Sports Science & Medicine (free full text).

Short, quick strides can lower injury risks

Anyone who tries to predict which runners will get injured is playing a fool’s game. Of course, there are some indicators. The strongest has always been prior injury. Overstriding is another, often measured as low stride rate.

Predicting which runners will get injured is a fool’s game, but there are some indicators. The strongest has always been previous injury, and overstriding (with low stride rate) has shown up in several injury studies. 

Here 171 active duty soldier-runners wore a shoe pod for 6 weeks to collect key biomechanical data. Twelve months later, their injury records were analyzed. Who got injured?

Those with a low stride rate had more injuries than high-frequency runners, but the biggest stride factor was a long contact time. “Participants with the longest contact time were at a 2.25 times greater risk for a running-related injury.” To the extent that you can manage to do so, it’s generally good to run with a light, quick stride. More at Sports Biomechanics.

Ketone drinks might improve your muscle growth and mental sharpness

I got excited about a recent ketone drink article published at Triathlete until it started sounding familiar. Then I checked deeper, and realized it was a 4-year old column picked up from Outside Online. It’s still interesting because it hints that ketone drinks could be a boost to recovery rather than a direct boost to performance. Of course, recovery is no small factor in hard-training endurance athletes.

Besides, the ketone studies keep coming--many of them from a Belgian lab focused on their potential benefits. RLRH recently mentioned one linking the drinks to muscle growth “which may be at least partly due to stimulation of erythropoietin secretion.” More at The Physiological Society (free full text).

Now the same lab has another ketone finding--that it might delay fatigue in ultra runners by sharpening mental clarity. That could be a big factor for runners facing the almost inevitable brain fog. The researchers note: “Ketone esters increase circulating dopamine concentration and improve mental alertness, as well as improve postexercise muscular inflammation in ultra-endurance exercise.”

You put all these ketone studies together … and you begin to get a bit suspicious. The results sound too good to be true, too much like a free lunch. Still, the researchers are apparently funded by the federal government, not the ketone industry, so we should give them at least one ear. More about the ultra running paper at J of Applied Physiology.

Sure, you’re skinny. But you can still get strong

If Alex Hutchinson and I were to face off in a weight-lifting competition, we’d both lose. We’d be DQ’d for failure to show up, because we’re embarrassed about our low muscle mass. But it’s also why we’re so interested in strength training (called “resistance training” in the science world).

We know muscle is important, from reading all the research, and we’d both like to add some muscle to increase our overall health-fitness. Here, Hutchinson does a great job summarizing new and encouraging strength training research out of Belgium. Bottom line: We skinny folk with an excess of Type 1 muscle fibers (good for endurance) can add muscle just like the Type 2 (power) folks.

We might, however, need to do a few more repetitions--about 25% more. As the researchers highlighted: “Importantly, slow typology individuals performed a significantly higher training volume to obtain similar adaptations compared to fast typology individuals.” 

But that’s no problem. Reps is what we’re good at. Reps reflect endurance. More at The Journal of Physiology. 

Not that anyone should expect a miracle transformation. Hutchinson has “included strength training in my routine pretty consistently over the past decade, but I’m in no danger of needing to buy bigger T-shirts.”  Same here, and I still can’t do more than about 2 dozen pushups at a time. But one of my docs noted that I had better muscle tone, which brought a smile to my face. More at Outside Online.

How diet affects your sleep … and everything else

We don’t hear much about this, but your sleep is affected by what and when you eat. And of course your sleep impacts everything else, especially mental and physical performance. A high protein diet with plenty of tryptophan is helpful, as are low glycemic index carbs, fruits like cherries and kiwis, and keeping a watchful eye on your caffeine and alcohol intake. It’s also smart to not eat too close to bedtime. More at Cureus (free full text).

Sleeping too much or too little are both linked to shorter lifespans, but performing more exercise reduces this risk. More at European J of Preventive Cardiology. Exercise of various types, including low-intensity housework and walking, “is an effective and safe non-pharmacological intervention for sleep disturbance.” More at International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.

Lost hours of sleep impair endurance exercise the next day. When well trained cyclists were deprived of 3 hours sleep, their performance the following day suffered even though some measures like heart rate, lactate, and glucose were unchanged. More at J of Sleep Research.

Lastly, exercise physiologist Brady Holmer notes the “profound link between sleep and cardiovascular aging.” Even the American Heart Association is paying more attention to sleep. The AHA recently added sleep to its “Life’s Essential” list, now numbering 8 items. The other 7: diet, exercise, nicotine, weight, blood lipids, blood glucose, and blood pressure. Holmer suggests: ‘Think of every night of sleep like an exercise training session--an opportunity to rejuvenate your body and grow stronger.” More at Substack/Brady Holmer.

3 new ways to run cool in summer heat

Some of us haven’t encountered summer heat yet, but we know it’s coming. We also realize it will put a dent in our running enjoyment and performance. That’s why researchers are always looking for ways to help us out a bit. Here are three new papers on the subject: one about pre-run cooling; one on in-run cooling; and one about post-run recovery.

The first investigated the effects of a “neutral beverage” vs. a pre-run “ice-slush/menthol beverage” drink with menthol (consumed 30 minutes pre-exercise, or 60 minutes). All drinks were followed by 60 minutes of hard cycling in a hot, humid environment. Result: “Performance was significantly higher in Pre-60 than in Pre-30 and Neutral conditions.” More at Biology of Sport (free full text).

In the second paper, experienced runners used an ice-filled cap for 10 minutes before and during a 5K time trial in a hot lab. The protocol was “a randomized crossover design.” Subjects performed significantly better with the icy cap even though there was no change in their core temperature. Clearly, they would have known when they were wearing the cold cap.

The cap is commercially available here, and it doesn’t appear that the company paid for the test. There is no declaration in the paper, and no mention on the website. The cap weighs 13 ounces when ice filled, and then less as the ice melts. 

Conclusion: “Continuously cooling the head may be a practical strategy to enhance running performance in hot conditions.” More at International J of Exercise Science (free full text).

The third report examined the recovery potential of battery-powered cooling gloves worn after subjects had performed 30 minutes of high intensity exercise in a lab. Compared to a no-cooling condition, 20-minutes of glove use produced a significant drop in body temperature and blood lactate concentration. The gloves also enhanced cardiac function and muscular endurance in a subsequent exercise challenge.

Conclusion: “Hand cooling can effectively improve athletic performance.” The authors also note that cooling gloves are much smaller, more portable, and less expensive than cold-water immersion tubs and other cryotherapy devices--thus more “practical and convenient.” The gloves used in the trial were customized and not commercially available. More at Technology & Health Care (free full text).

Here’s what the gloves looked like:

SHORT STUFF you don’t want to miss

>>> 7 ways a marathon affects your body

>>> The big picture: How to use Relative Perceived Exertion to guide your training.

>>> Who returns to running after a hip/knee replacement?

GREAT QUOTES make great training partners

“Energy and persistence conquer all things.”

--Benjamin Franklin

That’s all for now. Thanks for reading. See you again next week. Amby

May 4, 2023

Pooping for performance (Yes, there’s a scientific study)

This article falls into one of my favorite categories: “Didn’t see it coming.” Also: “I knew it felt good, I but didn’t know why.”

Researchers tested a group of elite triathletes after “rectal defecation” (pooping) vs no rectal defecation. A good poop decreased systolic blood pressure, increased blood supply in the prefrontal brain, and increased “sub navel oxygen consumption” (oxygen pickup of the leg muscles, a good thing.) Most importantly: “Pre-exercise defecation significantly improved high-intensity endurance performance.”

Conclusion: “This study demonstrated a performance enhancing effect of defecation for elite triathletes.” I think race directors might have to increase their Porta Potty orders. More at J of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (free full text).

Do super shoes change the 180 strides/minute rule?

There’s a modest history of researchers counting stride rates here and there--at elite road races, elite track races, and among recreational marathon runners. They often evaluate footstrike at the same time--forefoot vs midfoot vs rearfoot--although they don’t always use the same definition of these three.

But the running world has turned upside down since the last of these studies was performed. Now everyone’s wearing super shoes. So how does that change things?

To find out, a Spanish team measured foot strike and cadence of runners in the Tokyo Men’s Olympic Marathon in the summer of 2021. About 69% of the runners used a midfoot strike, while 31% landed on their rearfoot, and only 10% on the forefoot.

The low forefoot result made sense to the investigators as they termed it “the most demanding landing technique,” thus not preferable for 26.2 miles. “We can conclude that midfoot striking is the most favorable technique for long distance road events.”

They found that the average stride frequency of the top 8 finishers was 185/minute, while the three medalists averaged 188/min. These results were largely similar to previous study outcomes. Impressively, the Olympic runners maintained their stride frequency across the full marathon distance.

The study provided specific reference to Eliud Kipchoge’s stride rate. Kipchoge ran the second half of the Olympic Marathon about 2 minutes faster than the first half, but he barely changed stride rate at all. Therefore, he got faster by increasing his stride length. In the beginning, middle, and end of the marathon, his stride rate per minute was: 186, 185, 187. More at PrePrints.org (free full text).

How an expert carbo loads: Bagels, bagels, bagels; then graham crackers

Marathon runner and sports nutritionist Meghann Featherstone ran a personal record on the Boston course several weeks ago in her fourth effort there. Here’s how she carbo loaded beforehand, presented in such exhausting detail that you’ll be glad you don’t have to run a marathon after reading her story.

But you might also be convinced to redouble your nutritional focus before your next marathon. More at Featherstone Nutrition.

A hot debate: Should every runner try the marathon?

Here’s an intriguing question that many runners have found themselves facing. The Forum questioner says he/she is happy and healthy running half marathons. But of course it’s impossible not to think about the marathon distance. Is the full 26.2 worth trying? 

Some respondents argue, essentially: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That is, if you’re happy doing what you're doing (nothing longer than a half marathon), there’s no reason to change your habit. Makes sense, right? Hard to argue against this perspective.

Of course, some do. And I like what they say: “Marathons aren’t the only game in town, but I can tell you they are very rewarding, and bring something different to the table.” Also: “You should definitely continue to do things in running that scare you a little or that you’re uncomfortable with.” 

This is one reason ultra running has grown so popular. Many runners are curious, adventurous, and willing to explore the unknown and challenge themselves--all excellent qualities. More at Reddit/Advanced Running.

 

3 ways to strengthen tendons and ligaments

All runners are worried about Achilles tendon injuries, because you can’t go far or fast without a healthy Achilles. Other lower leg tendons are also important: the iliotibial band, the patella tendon, the tendons up high on your hamstring, and down low (peroneal) in your foot.

This article discusses three ways to strengthen these tendons, making them more resistant to injury: with eccentric exercises, plyometrics, and isometric contractions. I had never thought much of using isometric work to begin an injury-recovery plan. Sounds smart. 

Once you feel your muscle has regained good health, you can move on to plyometrics and eccentric strength training. Both have the potential to actually improve performance. More at Training Peaks.

Drink these 3 fluids to live longer

What are the best fluids to drink on a daily basis when you’re not exercising? The author of a big new study has a direct answer for that. “Based on our study I would rank black coffee, unsweetened tea and plain water higher than low-fat milk, fruit juice or artificially sweetened beverages,” he told CNN.“Sugar-sweetened beverages like colas, fruit juices that are high in sugar and whole fat milk that’s high in saturated fat are known risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes and premature cardiovascular disease.”

Of course, you’ll need sugar in your beverages when running, especially marathon-like distances. When you exercise, the body’s biochemistry changes in dramatic ways, and that which is bad while you’re watching TV--sugar--suddenly becomes an essential ingredient that fuels performance.

In the paper behind the CNN report, researchers followed more than 15,000 adults with diabetes for 18.5 years to see how their beverage-consumption affected their development of heart disease and death rates. They found the following hazard ratios for high consumption vs low consumption: 1.20 sugar sweetened beverages, 1.20 full fat milk, 0.98 fruit juice, 0.96 artificially sweetened beverages, 0.88 low fat milk, 0.79 tea, 0.77 plain water, and 0.74 coffee. The ratios were similar for the development of cardiovascular disease.

Also, replacing sugary beverages, artificially sweetened beverages, or full fat milk with coffee, tea, or plain water “was consistently associated with lower all cause mortality.” More at British Medical Journal (free full text).

Females (especially) take note: A plant-based diet could increase bone injuries

The relationship between eating disorders and possible bone injuries has become one of the most investigated and most important in endurance sports. It started decades ago with the Female Athlete Triad and has more recently turned to male eating disorders, especially in sports where low weight might confer a performance advantage such as running and cycling. 

A big question: Do females have greater risk than males? Here are several recent studies that increase our understanding of bones and vigorous exercise.

This “critically appraised” review of the topic found “low-moderate evidence” of a link between eating disorders and bone injuries in female athletes. Less is known about males. More at J of Sport Rehabilitation.

“Bone stress injuries have plagued the military for over 150 years,” afflicting up to 10 percent of new recruits. The primary risk factor is “too much training, too soon.” Women have about twice the bone injuries of men. Good nutrition can help but also “exposure to stress, sleep loss, and medication is likely harmful to bone.” More at J of Science & Medicine in Sport (free full text).

A study of 16,000+ U.S. adults from 2005 to 2018 found “hidden dangers” to a plant-based diet on bone health. Specifically, plant-based diets, which are often recommended for their potential health and environmental benefits, are “associated with decreased bone mineral density in a nationally representative population of U.S. adults.” The most protective foods are: vegetables, refined grains [yeah, I don’t get it either; but that’s what they reported], animal fat, eggs, and meat. More at Nutrients

Here’s a super deep dive into sacral bone stress injuries in runners with specific advice on training and diet errors that might be causative factors. As well as solid, healthy guidance on getting back onto the road. More at Pogo Physio.

Lastly, a group of world-renowned exercise nutritionists have concluded that consuming sufficient carbs, even more than total calories, is the key to maintaining strong bones in endurance exercisers. In a 6-day study with elite race walkers on a low-calorie diet, they found that: “Carbohydrate may be key for maintaining bone formation during prolonged exercise, but both overall energy and carbohydrate are necessary to support bone formation at rest and limit exercise-related bone resorption.” More at J of Bone & Mineral Research (free full text).

What’s the truth about exercise and improved brain function?

When he’s got time left over from his work at Outside Online, Toronto’s Alex Hutchinson occasionally writes newspaper articles. Here he looks at some recent reports that have cast doubt over one of our fondest beliefs--that exercise is as good for the brain as it is for the eyebrows-down.

One rigorous review found only “negligible” evidence that exercise produces cognitive benefits. On the other hand, another high-quality review used Mendelian randomization to find “significant associations” between moderate and vigorous exercise (like running) and “increased cognitive functioning.” [Mendelian randomization is a statistical technique that edges close to cause-and-effect by using the known genetic makeup of subjects.] The paper observed no evidence of the same from “average physical activity,” ie, vacuuming the house, mowing the lawn, etc. More at The Globe & Mail.

If you’re a marathon runner, you might be doing good work for your hippocampus--the part of your brain responsible for regulation of stress, and also spatial navigation. At least that was the finding that popped out from MRI imaging of 73 marathon runners vs 52 healthy, matched controls. The marathoners seemed to have “a hippocampal volumetric reserve that protects against age-related hippocampal deterioration.” More at Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise.

SHORT STUFF you don’t want to miss

>>> Run for the future: More and more shoes and running fitness apparel are made from recycled and sustainable materials.

>>> Nothing special: Muscle injuries (and concussions) are more prevalent in high schoolers who specialize in a particular sport and/or spend more than 8 months per year in one sport.

>>> Outdoors vs treadmill: Running outdoors provides “greater feelings of revitalization and positive engagement, decreases in tension, confusion and anger and depression, and increased energy.”

GREAT QUOTES make great training partners.

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”

--Mark Twain

That’s it for now. Thanks for reading. See you next week. Amby