

Do Poles Improve Performance in Trail Running with Nicola Giovanelli PhD | KoopCast Episode 173
Mar 30, 2023
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Nicola's Research Origin Story
- Nicola Giovanelli started his research on poles in trail running due to observing the fastest athletes using poles uphill.
- He noticed existing studies on Nordic walking didn't apply well to trail running due to different techniques and terrain.
Poles Improve Speed, Not Oxygen Use
- In maximal uphill trials, athletes were faster with poles but used similar oxygen consumption and energy.
- Going as hard as possible, VO2 max limits energy, so poles don't change metabolic cost but improve speed.
No Energy Saving at Submaximal Intensity
- At submaximal, longer duration intensities, poles did not lower physiological effort markers like VO2 or heart rate.
- Results suggest poles don't reduce energy cost in non-fatigued conditions during moderate intensity uphill walking.