December 7, 2023

 Running Is 15X Better Than Walking VS Stomach Fat, Heart Attacks

All aerobic exercise is good exercise, including modest walking--the world’s favorite fitness activity. But it’s also true that vigorous exercise is distinct from moderate exercise, and appears to have strong independent benefits.

For example, this prospective cohort study looked at more than 70,000 individuals in the British Biobank database to distinguish low/moderate exercisers from those who did more vigorous exercise. The primary outcome was any change in the well-established relationship between stomach fat and heart attacks (fatal and non-fatal).

And the differences were dramatic. Basically, every minute of vigorous exercise was equivalent to 15 minutes of moderate exercise. It took only 30 to 35 minutes/week of vigorous exercise “to offset the association between abdominal obesity and incident cardiovascular disease.” Whereas you’d have to walk about 500 minutes to achieve the same results.

Important note: Almost any running, even quite slow, reaches the scientific definition of vigorous exercise, usually pegged at 6+ METS/hour. Some other equivalents: shoveling, soccer, jumping rope, and carrying heavy loads.

Casual walking racks up about 4 METS/hour, and is thus moderate exercise. More at British J of Sports Medicine with free, full text.

Science Of Running Shoes: Is More Cushioning Better?

We’ve all noticed that the minimalist-shoe boom is mostly dead, and the maximalist, highly cushioned shoe is very much alive. This trend got started before the birth of present day super foams (which are light, highly cushioned, energy-returning, and more). The new foams have accelerated the rush to thick, comfy shoes. 

We also know these shoes can make us faster, as marathon records keep falling at a dramatic clip. The lingering question is the injury question. Are these thick, cushioned shoes good for our joints and muscles?

A recent paper offers a tentative “Yes.” It investigated ground reaction forces, heel impact, soft tissue vibrations, and bone vibrations among 48 runners, half male and half female. Also, half of the subjects in each sex category were “recreational runners” and half “competitive runners.”

The subjects all ran in 4 different pairs of shoes that were identical except for the cushioning (“midsole deformation”) they supplied. This deformation ranged from 0.9 mm to 8 mm. The 4 pairs of shoes were produced with a 3_D printer. 

Here’s what one shoe looked like. I presume this is one with a high degree of cushioning/deformation.

Result: The more cushioned the midsoles, the greater the decrease in “soft tissue vibrations and bone accelerations.” This sounded really good, so I asked first author Robin Trama if it would improve running economy or at least the “fatigue resistance” of the leg muscles. He was cautious about both of these, saying, in effect, “Probably not.” 

The authors did, however, predict a likely positive outcome for injury reduction. Conclusion: “Increasing midsole deformation could therefore mitigate the risk of injury, while increasing running comfort and smoothness.” More at J of Sports Sciences.

How To Boost Your Hemoglobin & Run Stronger

Here’s a deep and helpful article by David Roche about hemoglobin--the wonderful molecule that shuttles oxygen to your leg muscles to help them perform at max efficiency. If your hemoglobin is low, so is your performance. Boost your hemoglobin, and you’ll run faster. It’s pretty much that simple. 

This is one reason why so many athletes train at altitude during parts of the year: It increases hemoglobin. As does sauna bathing, which Conner Mantz and Clayton Young (2:07:47; 2:08:00) practiced regularly before their impressive Chicago Marathon finishes this fall, according to Young on a recent Carrie Tollefson podcast. So you know they'll be repeating the same strategy before the February 3, 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials. 

EPO and autologous blood doping (withdrawing your own blood for a time, then re-infusing when you’re looking for a hemoglobin boost) are known performance-enhancers banned by international sports groups like the Olympics. EPO can be detected in doping tests, but autologous boosting is trickier to pinpoint. Also, too much hemoglobin in the blood, while rare, is a health hazard.

I didn’t know that sleep apnea (closely related to snoring) can also increase hemoglobin. Not that this is a good way to go about it, because it’s not healthy.  

Roche believes endurance athletes should get semi-regular blood tests for their iron level, and use an iron supplement as necessary to keep those levels in the high-normal range. Also, fuel your training well. Low calorie intake is often linked to low iron and low hemoglobin. More at Trail Runner.

Pre Race Sex? No Problem--It Won’t Hurt Your Performance

Research (and speculation) about the effect of sexual relations on subsequent athletic performance has been going on for a long time, and isn’t likely to stop soon. The subject is too juicy for authors and publications to resist, so it returns with some regularity.

The study reported here is a year old, but seems to have been in the news a bit lately. It represents a meta-analysis and systematic review of how intercourse or masturbation affect performance. 

The first thing to know is that no one has ever studied actual race or time-trial performance--the measures most interesting to runners. Rather researchers have used “various physical fitness tests” after sex. These included aerobic capacity, pushups, jump height, and the like. 

Also, 99% of subjects were male. It’s glaringly obvious that we’re missing half the world here. 

Anyway, “Performance in several physical fitness measures was unaltered in young men after sexual activity that occurred in the previous 30 min to 24 h.” In other words, the researchers uncovered neither a positive or negative result. Relax, suit yourself. More at Nature with free full text.

3 Core Exercises You Should Do EVERY Day

I actually enjoy core work, unlike my feelings about many other running-related exercises. I do them throughout the day on the floor right next to my computer desk. 

Okay, to be totally honest, I’m not a big side-plank fan. But I’ll try to be better now, since it made the short list of 3 great exercises illustrated and explained here. I particularly like the McGill Crunch, new to my repertoire. More at Dango.

Sure, Olympians Do Fierce Interval Workouts. But Should You?

Everyone knows that hard interval training produces great results for top runners. Interval training worked for Roger Bannister, it worked for Emil Zatopek, and it has been working ever since. 

But for those not focused on Olympic glory, there’s another more important question regarding interval training, these days often referred to as HIT (high intensity intervals). If you’re not going for the gold, but merely want to boost your health and fitness, do you have to crush your intervals like Roger Bannister?

That’s the question raised and answered in this paper by fitness heavyweights including Andy Jones, Michael Joyner, and Martin Gibala.

Here’s the answer in a word: No. World class performers might have to reach into the “sprint intervals” domain to get the most payback. But athletes with more modest goals can succeed at a lower intensity. 

Indeed, for these individuals, the authors “contend that HIIT can be characterized as intermittent bouts performed above moderate intensity.” In other words, you can dial it back a bit. Running intermittent intervals that are hard-but-controlled should gain you substantial rewards. More at Sports Medicine with free full text. 

Here’s a nice graphic highlighting the differences between HIT training for “Performance” and HIT training for “Health.”

Dear Santa: Please Bring Me A Massage Gun For Christmas

It’s possible you’ve already put one of those percussive massage units on your personal Christmas wish list, or that of a runner friend. They seem to be everywhere these days, even at the corner drug store.

In theory, these devices can apply higher-speed or higher-force stimulation to muscle groups than a human massage specialist. That could assist in both injury prevention and/or injury recovery.

But we don’t have much evidence so far, and most of what we hear is anecdote from friends. Many users and clinicians report that the muscles--particularly the calf muscles, quads, and hamstrings--feel better, looser, more ready-to-go after massage-gun therapy than before. 

One recent meta analysis and systematic review sounded positive, but noted “no changes observed in the lower body.” Oops.

Authors of a new systematic review hoped they might find better, clearer evidence. They didn’t, concluding that existing studies and papers have been of poor quality. 

Indeed, when it came to actual performance like “acceleration, agility, and explosive activities,” subjects performed a little worse after massage gun use. Things were better for recovery, where massage guns “were shown to be cost-effective instruments for stiffness reduction, range of motion and strength improvements.”

In other words, they’re more likely to help you get back to your normal training routine than they are to juice a fast race or training performance. That will sound good to many runners. More at J of Functional Morphology & Kinesiology with free full text.

Lauren Fleshman Running Book Wins Big Award (Plus $$$)

A running book, Lauren Fleshman’s Good For A Girl, has become the first book about running to win the prestigious William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award in Great Britain. It’s also the first book written by a woman about women in sports to win the 35-year-old prize, including its payment of .$38,000. (Laura Hildendbrand won for Seabiscuit, but the Biscuit was a stallion.)

Fleshman, a former track star at Stanford and beyond, wrote the book herself without a co-author (ghost writer). It mixes candid memoir with fiery criticism of the sport. It’s also her first book.

In it, Fleshman recalls the mixed messages she received from family and peers, and the male domination of coaching and athletic governance. She rails particularly against male coaches fixated on pressuring women runners to change their body composition for supposed faster performances. 

The William Hill judges lauded Fleshman’s books for its “heartfelt narrative” and “compelling writing.” On instagram, she wrote: “My greatest hope is that by the time Zadie [her daughter] reads this book, the topics have become so irrelevant that she asks herself, ‘How the hell did this book win Sports Book of the Year?’ ” 

I concur with this selection. I found Good For A Girl the best and most important running book of the year. More at Athletics Weekly.

Apologies and a correction: There seem to be lots of Univ of Florida graduates among RLRH readers. They were quick to point out my mistake in writing that NCAA cross country champ Parker Valby competed for Florida State University (FSU) rather than the Gators of UF. UF is also the site of the Jack Bacheler/Frank Shorter running glory days, the novel, “Once A Runner,” and the invention of Gatorade.  

SHORT STUFF you don’t want to miss

>>> Beef up on beef: Adults over 65 showed more muscle protein synthesis after a beef-based meal than an equal-calorie vegan meal.

>>> When to skip speedwork: If your expected marathon pace is more than 20% slower than your 5K pace, you don’t need speedwork. You need more base miles.

>>> Bicarb no, placebo yes: In a RCT, cyclists performed better with sodium bicarbonate only when told they were receiving a performance-enhancing substance.

GREAT QUOTES make great training partners

"No one can say, ‘You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.’ The human spirit is indomitable." 

--Roger Bannister, first runner to run a sub-4 minute mile

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

November 30, 2023

This Simple Form Fix Will Make You FASTER & More Efficient

I’ve received personal arm-carriage instruction from Golden Harper and Tom Miller, both of whom are referenced in the below article. Both are true running experts and record-holders of different stripes, and both made me a believer in their systems. 

And the best thing about this: There’s nothing to buy. You don’t have to pay a cent. (Although I’ll link to one $12 item.) You just have to practice on your own.

Basically, the system could be called: “Run with your elbows.” Or: “Pull your elbows back.” The article claims that driving your arms backward shifts your balance more upright and forward. In that position, your feet can land closer beneath your body, and push backward more efficiently. 

In fact, coach Andrew Kastor says the one thing he typically yells in a race, where a runner can only hear and implement one simple thing, is: “Elbows Back!”

That’s what I see whenever I watch a video of Eliud Kipchoge heading toward another marathon finish tape. Look at the side view of Kipchoge 20 seconds into this video.

You’ll also enjoy this webpage that promotes a $12 elastic band you can buy to practice Kipchoge elbow running. Click down the page once or twice for an adorable, short video with a young girl runner who’s about 10 years old. (You can fashion a similar device on your own by grabbing a length of elastic resistance band, tying the ends together, and sliding the loop over your shoulders like a coat. Once it’s on, simply tuck your thumbs or whole hands into the front of the loop, and start running. More at Outside Online.

Rock and roll: Do “rocker” shoes boost your performance?

Recently I’ve had several strong runs at a pace faster than I anticipated. This is always nice. But it makes you wonder: Why? Since my fitness didn’t change in any dramatic way from last week to this week, what was going on?

I wondered: Is it the shoes? As it happened, I had dug to the bottom of my shoe pile and pulled out a pair that I hadn’t worn in close to a year. And these were the shoes that produced the two fast workouts.

I won’t name them, as this is hardly a controlled experiment. I’ll only say this: I was wearing a well-known brand that isn’t among the top 3 (or perhaps even 5) when people talk about their favorite, fast running shoes. Yes, the shoes have a super foam and a stiff midsole plate like most of the other shoes I’ve been wearing.

They also have quite a dramatic rocker sole. That’s why I ended up at the article linked below, which looks at the pros and cons of rocker-sole running shoes. The article defines and presents photos of rocker shoes--some have both a toe and heel curve; some just a toe curve--and includes all the usual warnings about individual differences and knowing your own style of running.

In general, it implies that rocker shoes are more likely to work for healthy heel strikers and for those with heel/achilles problems. And less suitable if you have knee/hip issues.

A related note regarding those new $500 Adidas super shoes. You know--the ones worn by Tigist Assefa to a world record in Berlin and by Tamirat Tola in a course record at New York City. In its press release, Adidas claimed the shoe “features a revamped geometry with a first-of-its-kind forefoot rocker, placed at 60% of the length of the shoe. This innovation is lab-tested to trigger forward momentum and improve running economy.”

That’s promotional copy, not scientific text. Still, it seems safe to assume that we’ll be reading a lot more about rockers as well as foams and plates in future shoe releases. More at Run Repeat.

The Training Tool That Gives You The Biggest Bang For Your Buck ($0.00)

You can use a wrist or chest monitor to measure your heart rate while training.You can approximate your power output on the run. You can measure a lot of things these days with different types of “wearables.”

But it remains true that your RPE, or Relative Perceived Exertion, may be your most effective gauge of training intensity. If only you can learn to trust yourself rather than the nearest digital display. As this article notes: “Sometimes, the most intuitive solutions are the most effective.”

Some have little faith in their “intuitive” reactions precisely because they don’t display a blinking number. That doesn’t mean that RPE has no value. In fact, your subjective exertion can be linked to training zones, goal races paces, environmental conditions (heat, altitude), and the like. See the end of the linked article for a handy chart that could boost your confidence in RPE training. 

You don’t have to throw out your digital devices. They can be both fun, and instructive. But don’t forget the oldest and best running advice: “Listen to your body.” More at Trail Runner.

Nutrition Strategies That Defeat Stomach Distress

If you’re searching for the best way to maintain energy during a long run or marathon race, you can’t do much better than looking to ultra runners. After all, given the distances they cover, they have to figure a way to maintain energy. 

This systematic review investigates ultra runners, and how they cope most successfully with fueling requirements. “Consistent with other research, nausea, cramps, bloating, vomiting, and diarrhea were the most commonly experienced symptoms.” Oh, my. Not good.

And the best solutions? Reduce FODMAPs. Also, limit dairy, stay away from medium-chain triglycerides, and practice, practice, practice.

FODMAPs are sugars, or “Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides And Polyols” that the small intestine absorbs poorly. “Restricting the intake of FODMAPs has proven a successful method of alleviating gastrointestinal symptoms in approximately 70% of individuals” troubled by stomach issues.

Finally: “With practice, increased carbohydrate intakes can be tolerated by athletes and may enhance athletic performance without major attenuations [drops] of GI comfort.” More at Nutrients with free full text.

NCAA Champ Parker Valby Proves That Cross Training WORKS

Many runners cross-train to avoid injury and prolong their healthy running, but few bigtime race winners credit their success to cross-training. Parker Valby of Florida State University is the rare exception. She was second in last year’s NCAA Cross Country Championships, and first this fall. 

We still don’t have a lot of specific information about Valby’s training, but she apparently covers only 25 to 30 miles a week with on-the-ground running. That’s less than half what many top collegiate runners do. When not running, she’ll log an hour or more per day of cross-training on an elliptical machine named the Arc Trainer (a favorite of many runners) and/or an indoor bike or other equipment.

Here her coach of a year ago describes how fiercely Valby attacks workouts when cross training. And here members of the LetsRun message board debate their views on cross-training for runners.

The linked article below summarizes several studies of cross-training for runners--how it can help you maintain fitness, and maybe even improve. Cross training can be particularly helpful for masters runners, and for young runners battling injury. 

A key issue: When you do hit the roads, trails, or track, you’ve got to devote some hard workouts to race pace preparation. I think it’s a good idea to also include some modest downhill running, because it’s hard to simulate eccentric muscle contractions of the legs on most cross-training machines. More at Trail Runner.

Unexpected result: High heat produces few health risks to endurance athletes

The upcoming U.S. Marathon Trials (Feb. 3, Orlando FL) have been embroiled in controversy for several months now, long before the runners get to Florida. The Trials qualifiers protested the announced noon time start, claiming it could prove dangerous to their health. The Local Organizers said they had been told that a noon start was non-negotiable. The national governing body, USATF, tried to duck its head and hide, as it usually does.

Most recently, a new start time has been announced: 10 a.m. That seems a minor change that will make little difference if the temperature or humidity are high on February 3.

But what about the runners’ safety claim? Is it evidence-based? Perhaps not

A new paper investigated “core body temperature responses during competitive sporting events.” Conclusion: Top athletes racing in the heat do “not have impaired health during real-world sporting competitions, likely due to being heat acclimatised from their training and their perceptual tolerance to the heat.”

Make no mistake: Everyone feels worse in the heat, and runs slower. But these don’t necessarily create health emergencies. Indeed, “The prevalence of exertional heat injury/exertional heat stroke was low” in the reviewed research. More at Biology of Sport with free full text.

Is Heinz Ketchup The Next Energy Gel Of Choice? 

No, of course not. But the company has gotten good PR mileage from their recent campaign. I suspect they did it because nutritionists point out that ketchup isn’t a vegetable, and contains too much salt and sugar.

Or maybe someone at Heinz is a serious marathon runner, and simply got a bit wacky-inspired. If so, I give her/him credit for that. 

The campaign seems aimed at urban folks who live in a neighborhood with lots of fast food joints. You know--the kinds of places where they pile up those little red Heinz ketchup packets with all the other condiments, utensils, and napkins. 

Being the analytical type, I decided to check how much fuel you actually get from one of the tiny red packages. Turns out, they only contain 8 to 10 calories vs 100+ calories in a typical runner’s gel. So, if you want to fuel your long run or marathon with Heinz, you’ll have to order a burger or french fries as well. (Just kidding.) 

“I’m totally skeptical,” said one sports dietitian to the NYTimes. Others agreed.

Lifetime Runinng With Endurance And Gratitude

This newsletter, “Run Long, Run Healthy,” exists because I believe the running you did yesterday is wonderful, but the running and other movement you do tomorrow is more important. Yes, you’ll probably be slower tomorrow (next year; next decade), but your personal fitness contributes more to your overall health and well being with increasing age.

To serve this end, I have now run Connecticut’s big annual Turkey Trot, the Manchester Road Race (4.748 miles) 61 years in a row--an unofficial world record for road race streaks. I know this streak won’t continue infinitely, but I can’t see any reason to stop now. 

I won Manchester 9 times in my 20s. That was fun. But the race is more meaningful to me now than it was then. Even though it takes me twice as long to complete the course as it did in the 1970s.

Two women are not far behind me. This year Janet Romayko and Beth Shluger finished Manchester for the 51st year in a row. That appears to be a world-record road race streak for women.

Romayko says: “I will continue running Manchester as long as I can. My aunt walked the course on Thanksgiving at age 93. I’d like to beat her record.” That’s the attitude we need.

Shluger: For 50 years I have had the gift of knowing exactly what I’ll be doing on Thanksgiving morning, and it's a gift of love, family, community and the Manchester Road Race. In this sometimes-crazy world, that is a mighty precious gift.” That’s the gratitude we need to express. More at AmbyBurfoot.com

SHORT STUFF You Don’t Want To Miss

>>> Feet first: Footstrike pattern is more important than footwear” when it comes to injury prevention.

>>> Successful surgery: For runners with serious iliotibial band problems, the PLAR technique allows “a return to previous sports performance in a short period of time.” (free full text)

>>> Stride right: The Stryd foot pod is effective to “delineate exercise intensity domains, guide training intensity, and assess aerobic fitness.”

GREAT QUOTES Make Great Training Partners

“It’s only cold outside if you’re standing still.”

--Anon

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