What Was It Like Working With Cross-Fit Athletes at Training Thinktank?

I would love to ask around your time at thinktank because that very much sounds like you're in the trenches working with athletes getting as much data as possible. I was an endurance athlete so I spent a lot of time in that world and had actually coached quite a few endurance athletes before really transitioning into coaching with cross-fit. Over the years at training thinktank it really challenged my ways of thinking because prior to doing a lot of that hands-on work there you couldn't really find a lot of information online about what the physiology of top cross-fit athlete looks like.

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Hello and welcome to The Progress Theory where we discuss how to implement scientific principles to optimise human performance. In this episode, we have Sports Physiologist & Bioscientist, Evan Peikon.

What does the physiology of a hybrid athlete look like? We can understand the physiology of individual strength and endurance sports, and through this series of the Progress Theory, we also know how strength training can have a positive effect on, for example, running performance through improved running economy. But physiologically, can the two co-exist? In this episode, Evan and I discuss the role of the cardiovascular system for hybrid training, the effect of muscle size on endurance performance, and have a go at predicting how far hybrid performance can go.

But before we get to the show I want to thank our sponsors, who the show would not be possible without.

I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to my production partner, KULT Media.

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They have created brand guides, comprehensive podcast strategies, enhanced the podcast production, developed custom workflows for me and edited & mixed all of the video, audio and social media content.

Their simple Coach, Create & Collaborate process has saved me 100’s hours in podcast production, resolved countless technical issues and consistently help me to improve my podcasting game.

So if you want to establish and engage your audience, or are ready to launch your own podcast head to www.kult.media to learn more.

Thank you to HMN24 – fuelling human potential and optimising everyday human performance and well-being.

First of all – HMN24 is not a sports supplement company. I’ve seen sport supplements be used as a method to improve performance in the gym and at a certain sport. However, these supplements, like a pre-workout, are often used on top of a lifestyle which does not provide the foundation needed for optimal performance. There’s no point taking pre-workout supplements if your sleep, hydration, and nutrition is an unstructured mess. I’m convinced that a large percentage of injuries are often caused, not because training was poor, but because a poor lifestyle foundation increased the athlete’s susceptibility to injury. Sports supplements are often used to plaster the cracks in poor lifestyle habits, which only causes more future problems.

And this is where HMN24 is different. The product range at HMN24 not only helps improve your foundation; it optimises it. The HMN24 products are designed to fit around your circadian rhythms, from the moment you wake up, to key moments in the day when you need optimal focus, to getting the best sleep at night, there’s a product to optimise each phase of the day.

I can’t recommend enough the “live on form’ pack, consisting of the products Rise, flow and pre-sleep. Rise is for the morning and is my absolute favourite. It tastes amazing. Rise contains caffeine for increased morning alertness (though not a huge amount of caffeine, which is sooo much better for avoiding gastro-intestinal distress), electrolytes from coconut and watermelon powder to increase hydration after the previous night’s sleep, and B-vitamins, to ensure you ready to win the morning. I’m not a fan of long-winded morning routines. I wake up, have my Rise with ice, and get straight to writing, and I’ve seen such an improvement in getting into deep work.

By the time 2pm comes around the effects of caffeine from Rise has worn off, but I don’t want to take more caffeine because that’s going to interrupt getting to sleep later on. This is where Flow is perfect. It’s a caffeine-free nootropic, perfect for improving alertness and concentration during that mid-afternoon slump. And finally, I take pre-sleep just before bed, which is a comprehensive night-time complex, formulated to help support well-being and fortify the body against the fatigue and stress that come with leading a performance-driven lifestyle.

I can’t recommend these products enough they are a game changer for human performance. And also, while you’re at their website hmn24.com check out there plant protein, which is incredible for smoothies post-training, and their website includes articles and an awesome podcast for those wanting to learn more about human performance. You can even check out the episode I did with them, I thoroughly enjoyed that chat I had with Phi Learney, Co-founder of HMN24, and it has led to an awesome collaboration with HMN24 supporting The Progress Theory. If you want a 10% discount on all HMN24 products either head to their website via the links in the Instagram bios of @theProgresstheory or my personal Instagram @drphilprice or use the code PHILPRICE at checkout.

In this episode, we discuss:

1:11 - Introduction
3:52 - Working at Crossfit Think Tank
5:20 - The Crossfit athlete, mitochondrial density and the dilation of blood vessels
9:21 - Arterial blood pressure and cardiac output
13:10 - The influence of genetics
15:30 - The difference between Crossfit athletes and Hybrid athletes
18:32 - Physiological ceilings
20:56 - VO2max in elite CrossFit athletes
23:28 - Critical metabolic rate, muscle relations and respiratory endurance
29:11 - The use of NIRS
32:57 - Body position, skeletal muscle pump and gene expression.
40:07 - The development of exercise science
43:16 - Hybrid training advice for coaches
46:28 - Understanding recovery/aerobic base training
52:49 - What’s the future potential for the hybrid athlete?
1:00:25 - Can being elite in one sport affect being a good hybrid athlete?