227. Javelina 100 Training, Science Debate on REDs, Long Zone 2 Efforts, Tadej Pogacar's World-Domination Strategy, and Strava AI!
Oct 8, 2024
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The hosts dive into the intense training for the Javelina 100, sharing the ups and downs athletes face. A fiery debate erupts over the contentious RED-S concept. They explore the significance of steep downhills for endurance, and how heart rate-based training should be feel-oriented. Insights from Tadej Pogacar’s training strategies spark fascinating discussions. Plus, there's a humorous take on Strava AI's quirks, and the exploration of carbohydrate oxidation rates among athletes adds scientific depth to the conversation.
The podcast emphasizes the importance of individualized training strategies, highlighting how each athlete's recovery metrics can differ significantly based on personal genetics and previous training intensity.
A heated debate on the existence of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) illustrates the complexities of sports science and the necessity for clear communication around athlete health research.
Intense training, such as repetitive heavy downhills, is discussed as crucial for preparing for endurance events like Javelina 100, showcasing the need for targeted workouts.
Listener engagement reveals transformative personal stories regarding relationships with food, emphasizing the podcast's positive impact on athletes facing challenges with disordered eating and fueling strategies.
Deep dives
Understanding SKT and Recovery Impact
The concept of Slowest Known Time (SKT) is introduced as a playful reference to the speaker's slow descent down the stairs, drawing attention to the importance of understanding one's body and recovery metrics. Despite the slow pace, the speaker's resting heart rate was found to be within a desirable range, illustrating that individual heart rate metrics can vary greatly between people. This discussion leads to reflections on how muscle breakdown and recovery may not solely correlate with resting heart rates or heart rate variability (HRV), but more so with the overall intensity of recent training sessions. As the speaker prepares for an upcoming race, this personal exploration emphasizes the significance of individual recovery strategies and training responses.
Training Insights from Professional Athletes
The conversation shifts to the training approaches of professional athletes, particularly focusing on Tadej Pogačar, a world-class cyclist. It is highlighted that each athlete has unique physiological responses, as Pogačar maintains a resting heart rate that is higher than the speaker's, yet both have different optimization strategies. The discussion emphasizes that understanding recoveries, such as HRV and muscle breakdown, is a complex interplay of personal genetics and training intensity. This serves to illustrate that every athlete's approach to training and recovery may differ significantly, emphasizing the need for individualized coaching strategies.
The Importance of Personalized Training Approaches
The topic moves into the details of Javelina 100 training, emphasizing the need for specific types of workouts as race day approaches. A recent intense treadmill workout is described as pushing the limits of the speaker's endurance, revealing how such experiences can lead to personal breakthroughs despite the struggle. The training strategy of repetitive heavy downhills is discussed, showcasing the necessity of eccentric muscle contractions in preparing for endurance events. This highlights that while each training session can be challenging, they are pivotal for building the required strength and endurance for race success.
Critique of Scientific Research on Nutrition and Exercise
A detailed critique of recent scientific research is introduced, where the podcast discusses a controversial study questioning the existence and diagnosis procedures of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDS). It emphasizes that titles in research can often mislead and encourage misinterpretations, leading to negative consequences or conflicting outcomes in understanding athlete health. The importance of evidence-based research is discussed, stressing that real-world applications of research findings should consider broader implications for athletes' health and well-being. This discussion serves as a reminder of the complexities inherent in sports science and the necessity for nuanced understanding and communications around nutrition and exercise.
Voices from the Athlete Community
Listener engagement is highlighted as a vital part of the podcast, showcasing personal journeys that articulate struggles with disordered eating and the impact of discussions on fueling strategies. One listener shares their profound experience of overcoming restrictive diet mentalities through the guidance of the podcast, emphasizing newfound openness to different foods. The narrative illustrates that creating a supportive community helps individuals embrace positive changes in their dietary habits, thereby enhancing their quality of life. This reaction underscores the podcast's role in influencing athletes' relationships with food and nutrition in a healthier, more informed way.
The Journey of Endurance Athletes
The podcast resonates with every listener who has experienced the demanding journey of being an endurance athlete, highlighting the universal challenges of racing and nutrition. Audience stories reveal personal transformations, emphasizing that reframing one's approach to health can significantly impact life quality and relationships. The message reinforces that feeling empowered to embrace food and nourishment aligns with a more extensive athletic lifestyle, free from guilt or restriction. This understanding fosters appreciation for the collective experiences of endurance athletes navigating similar struggles along their paths.
Fun Conversations Around Training and Performance
Conversations about the intersection of training, performance, and nutrition lead to lively discussions about personal experiences, such as running race tests and how athletes can adapt to different types of endurance training. Imagery is presented through personal anecdotes, humorously contrasting the challenges faced during hard workouts with the enjoyment shared over food and community. The dynamic between recovery, fueling, and hard training distances is explored, while maintaining a light-hearted tone encouraging camaraderie among athletes. These interactions serve to humanize the challenges of endurance training, making the topics more relatable and enjoyable.
We made loud grunting noises to celebrate recording this great episode! A primary training discussion was on putting the finishing touches on the quick build for the Javelina 100 Miler. It's getting very, very real. Confidence is rising, and falling, and falling some more, then rising again. We bring you into the process to feel just how hard it all can be at times for athletes of all levels. Prepare to grunt.
But the main topic ventured into an area we usually avoid: heated debates. A recent article went semi-viral in the sports science world with a provocative title: "Does Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) Syndrome Exist?" While the article does have important points, we think those points are obscured by a title and supporting thesis that don't pass muster relative to what's seen and experienced in the real world. The researchers brought some hot fire in their title, and we aim to do the same as a counterpoint.
And this one was full of fascinating topics! Other topics: why steep downhills may be important for fatigue resistance even in flatter races, pushing back endurance limits via very hard workouts, ultra spreadsheet creation, Tadej Pogacar's appearance on Peter Attia's podcast, Zone 2 training, how heart rate training needs to be feel-based, fueling levels based on intensity, an important new study on carb oxidation changes based on body size, our thoughts on Strava AI, the Houston basketball team doing fast mile runs, notes from the pro biking peloton, Courtney Dauwalter's domination, a study on VO2 max that points out how hard science can be, and a beautiful listener corner message.
Bring some chocolate milk, because this episode got spicy!
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