KoopCast Durability in Ultrarunning with Michele Zanini, PhD | KoopCast #239
21 snips
Apr 10, 2025 Michele Zanini, a PhD candidate at Loughborough University and head of Strength and Conditioning for the Italian Triathlon Federation, explores the crucial role of durability in ultrarunning. He delves into how strength training can improve running economy and delay fatigue, revealing insights from his research on over 50 runners. The conversation also covers practical training strategies for building resilience and performance, emphasizing the balance between intensity and volume to enhance endurance while minimizing injury risks.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Durability Defined and Measured
- Durability refers to the physiological changes that reduce performance during prolonged exercise due to fatigue.
- It's identified by decoupling between heart rate and speed, showing increased effort at steady pace or reduced speed at steady heart rate.
Better Runners Are More Durable
- Higher-performing runners exhibit less running economy drift during prolonged efforts.
- Better durability corresponds to about half the upward drift in economy seen in lower-performing runners.
Durability: Chicken or Egg?
- Durability likely develops both as a natural result of training and through specific physiological adaptations.
- Training volume, particularly long runs, is critical for developing durability in endurance athletes.