Durability in Ultrarunning with Michele Zanini, PhD | KoopCast #239
Apr 10, 2025
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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.
Durability in ultrarunning is crucial as it reflects how performance metrics decline under fatigue during prolonged exertion.
Strength training significantly enhances running economy and helps athletes maintain performance levels during endurance activities despite fatigue.
Consistent training volume is essential for improving durability, but must be balanced with injury risk management for optimal outcomes.
Deep dives
Understanding Durability in Ultra Running
Durability in ultra running refers to how an athlete's maximum performance and physiological metrics, like VO2 max, decline after enduring fatigue, such as long-distance running. This emerging concept highlights the importance of maintaining performance levels as fatigue accumulates during prolonged exercise. Coaches and scientists now recognize durability as a critical factor that correlates with athletic performance and fitness, suggesting that it’s not only measurable but also trainable. The conversation emphasizes the need for a comprehensive understanding of endurance training, underlining that both physiological testing and coaching strategies must focus on improving this aspect for better outcomes in performance.
Michele Zanini's Contributions to Durability Research
Michele Zanini, a prominent researcher, blends practical experience with academic insights, focusing on the relationship between training and physiological adaptations in running. His background in sports and exercise science, combined with internships with elite athletes, shapes his perspective on enhancing performance through targeted interventions. His work emphasizes the practical application of physiological studies, urging athletes and coaches to focus on effective training strategies to improve performance outcomes. Zanini's current PhD research delves deeper into durability, exploring the nuances of running economy and its significance in endurance sports.
Physiological Changes During Prolonged Exercise
During endurance activities, athletes typically experience a phenomenon known as physiological drift, where performance metrics such as heart rate and speed become decoupled as fatigue accumulates. This results in either an increase in heart rate at a steady pace or a decrease in speed at a constant heart rate. Measuring these changes helps athletes recognize how their physiological state impacts performance over time, particularly in events like marathons and ultra marathons. The ability to understand and track this drift effectively can aid athletes and coaches in adjusting training regimens to mitigate fatigue effects.
The Role of Strength Training in Enhancing Durability
Incorporating strength training into endurance training programs is found to be beneficial for enhancing durability among athletes. Research indicates that strength training not only improves running economy but also helps athletes maintain performance levels under fatigue during prolonged exercise. By implementing specific exercises that focus on overall capacity, muscle stiffness, and strength, athletes can increase their resilience to fatigue. This approach suggests that while high-volume running is critical, complementing it with strength workouts can produce significant performance improvements.
Volume as a Key Variable in Training for Endurance
Training volume is recognized as a paramount factor influencing durability and overall performance in endurance sports. The evidence suggests that athletes who engage in higher volumes of training over time tend to exhibit greater endurance and performance sustainability during races. However, a balance must be struck between increasing volume and managing injury risk, particularly for those susceptible to overuse. Coaches emphasize the need for consistent volume while also considering the specific needs and responses of individual athletes to tailor training programs effectively.
Michele Zanini is a PhD candidate at Loughborough University as well as the head of Strength and Conditioning for the Italian Triathlon Federation. During this podcast we ddiscuss the concept of durability as it relates to ultramarathon performance.
