Open Questions: Testing Durability

Michele Zanini, PhD, returns to the That Triathlon Show to discuss his latest research on the topic of durability. We also broaden the discussion to include the most up to date research findings on durability from the broader sports science community. 

HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: 

• How long runs and running volume impact durability of running economy
• The difference in physiological deterioration after 120 compared with 90 minutes of running
• Evidence-based interventions and general characteristics for improving durability in runners, cyclists and triathletes
• The most important questions about durability that remain unanswered (for now) by the sports science community
• Michele’s pick of top training and sports and triathlon science trends over the last couple of years

DETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES: 

• We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode. 
• The shownotes for today's episode can be found at https://scientifictriathlon.com/673/

LINKS AND RESOURCES: 

• Michele’s ResearchGate
• Michele’s past appearances on That Triathlon Show
  • Michele Zanini (part 1) | EP#393
  • Michele Zanini (part 2) | EP#394
• Episodes referenced
  • Including sprint training in cycling – training responses and peformance improvements with Nicki Winfield Almquist, PhD | EP#300
  • Nitrate loading, marathons, and endurance sports science with prof. Andy Jones | EP#187
  • Cycling training methods from the WorldTour with Stephen Barrett, Head Coach of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale and coach of Felix Gall
• Papers cited
  • The Physiology of the World Record Holder for the Women's Marathon - Jones 2006
  • Long-Term Development of Training Characteristics and Performance-Determining Factors in Elite/International and World-Class Endurance Athletes: A Scoping Review - Staff 2023
  • Long-Term Development of Training Characteristics and Physiological Determinants in World-Leading and Medal-Winning Female Cross-Country Skiers: A Three Decade Comparative Analysis - Staff 2025
  • Aerobic Energy Turnover and Exercise Economy Profile During Race Simulation in a World-Record-Breaking Male Full-Distance Triathlete - Christensen 2024 (the Magnus Ditlev case study, already a modern classic in triathlon science)
  • Durability of Parameters Associated With Endurance Running in Marathoners - Hunter 2025
• Female athlete survey
• Durability PhD studentship: LinkedIn Post  and University portal

WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?

If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following episodes related to sports and triathlon science:

• Bent Rønnestad, PhD | EP#386 - one of the most influential sports scientists of his generation talks interval training, heat training and more
• Training characteristics of world class distance runners with Øyvind Sandbakk, PhD | EP#363 - as the title suggests, based on excellent research
• Rune Kjøsen Talsnes, PhD | EP#427 - the science and practice of overtraining 
• Gabriele Gallo, PhD – The Science of Cycling Performance | EP#441 - an assortment of topics from the science of cycling with the man behind “Knowledge Is Watt”

You can find our full episode archives here, where you can filter for categories such as Training, Racing, Science & Physiology, Swimming, Cycling, Running etc.

You can also find separate archives for specific series of episodes I've done, specifically Q&A episodes, TTS Thursday episodes, and Beginner Tips episodes. 

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