KoopCast

Dr. Nicolas Berger, a Senior Lecturer at Teesside University, dives into the emerging concept of durability in ultrarunning. He discusses the significance of physiological variables and critiques traditional testing methods. The podcast explores how muscular strength can combat fatigue during intense events and the delicate balance between running economy and durability. Listeners learn about practical strategies for improving endurance, the role of nutrition, and the importance of tailoring training to race conditions. A must-listen for aspiring ultrarunners!

CTS Coaches Sarah Scozzaro and Nicole Rasmussen share insights on setting up a strength program for ultrarunners. They discuss programming for performance goals, scheduling, relevant exercises for running, and the importance of tailoring workouts to individual needs. The discussion emphasizes injury prevention, performance enhancement, and balancing strength training with running volume.

Stephanie Howe, PhD, a CTS Pro Coach and nutritionist, discusses weight loss for performance and macronutrient breakdown. They also talk about the challenges of maintaining sustainable diets, the rebound effect after diets, and the importance of enjoying food. The podcast explores the complexities of weight loss for athletes, skinfold analysis, smart scale accuracy, different approaches to weight loss, and how the menstrual cycle affects female athletes. It emphasizes the significance of fueling and body weight for ultrarunners.

Learn how to structure your training season for trail and ultra running, including tips on strength training, race planning, and heat training. Explore the steps to set up for long-distance races like the Western States 100. Discover the significance of race recon and heat training. Hear about the importance of course recon and planning for hydration and nutrition. Enjoy a story, advice, and gratitude. Congratulate coaches Cliff Pittman and AJW on becoming full-time coaches and providing race support for CTS athletes at the Western States 100.

View all show notes and timestamps on the KoopCast website.Episode overview:Neal Palles is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Mental Performance Coach, and CTS Ultrarunning coach based in Longmont, Colorado.Have you ever felt the weight of failure pressing down on you after a season of unmet athletic goals? Join Coach Jason Koop and CTS coach Neal Palles as we dissect the emotional journey of resilience in the face of athletic disappointment. In our heart-to-heart, Neil shares his eloquent insights from his latest article, guiding us through the storm of DNFs and injuries and charting a course toward using these setbacks as the building blocks for future triumphs.Episode highlights:(12:05) Moving past failure: practical example, find what failure means to you, breaking down standards and process goals, reframing failure into a growth mindset, personal Leadville example, taking failure as a challenge rather than a threat(33:55) Diffusing from stories: recognizing the personal stories we tell ourselves, examples, sources, write the story you want(42:45) Intentional catalysts: pacers, recognizing you can use help, getting help from friends and family, taking care of yourself, communicating with your tea,Additional resources:Neal’s article ‘The Freedom to Fail’-https://coloradopsychotherapyandsport.com/blog/2023/12/6/the-freedom-to-failSUBSCRIBE to Research Essentials for UltrarunningBuy Training Essentials for Ultrarunning on Amazon or Audible.Information on coaching-https://www.trainright.comKoop’s Social Media: Twitter/Instagram- @jasonkoop

View all show notes and timestamps on the KoopCast website.Episode overview:CTS Coaches John Fitzgerald and Stephanie Howe discuss how to navigate winter training for Ultramarathon.Episode highlights:(14:39) Structuring the winter season around races: athletes who peak at different times of the year, longer recovery for athletes with longer race seasons, 4-8 weeks of fun or unstructured training, recognize when you need a break(37:58) Work on weakness at a time: athletes try to change too many things at once during the winter season, examples, pick one weakness to work on(59:36) Fitz on returning to running: shifting from non-weight bearing to weight bearing activities, strength foundation, working on running while snow piles up, keeping two runs per weekAdditional resources:SUBSCRIBE to Research Essentials for UltrarunningBuy Training Essentials for Ultrarunning on Amazon or Audible.Information on coaching-https://www.trainright.comKoop’s Social Media: Twitter/Instagram- @jasonkoop

View all show notes and timestamps on the KoopCast website.Episode overview:Nidia Rodriguez-Sanchez, Ph.D., has spent her career in the field of sports nutrition and physiology. She earned her BSc in Dietetics / Clinical Nutrition and later pursued postgraduate studies in Anthropometry and Nutrition applied to Sports, which gave her a better understanding of the unique nutritional needs of athletes and physically active individuals.Dr Rodriguez-Sanchez has worked as a sports dietitian for a Mexican professional football team and as a nutrition advisor for the Gatorade Sports Science Institute Mexico. She also holds an IOC Diploma in Sports Nutrition, and she is an ISAK Level 3 Instructor.Dr Rodriguez-Sanchez holds a PhD in Hydration Physiology and has completed post-doctoral research in the field.She is a Physiology and Nutrition Lecturer at the University of Stirling, where she also serves as the MSc Sport Nutrition Programme Director.In addition, Nidia is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), a Graduate member of the Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register (SENr), and a member of the Physiological Society (PhySoc).Episode highlights:(17:53) Theory on hormone cycles and hydration: estrogen and progesterone can impact nutrition needs, performance, brain function, investigating fluid and electrolyte balance (25:27) Practical considerations for females: no meaningful differences in hydration for female athletes versus males or across different phases of their cycle, no performance differences, avoiding overhydration, cross-cycle variations in core temperature are insignificant(36:23) Sweat testing: Precision Hydration sweat testing at CTS, sweat testing protocol, menstrual cycle phase does not impact resultsAdditional resources:Fluid and electrolyte balance considerations for female athletes-https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34121620/SUBSCRIBE to Research Essentials for UltrarunningBuy Training Essentials for Ultrarunning on Amazon or Audible.Information on coaching-https://www.trainright.comKoop’s Social Media: Twitter/Instagram- @jasonkoop

View all show notes and timestamps on the KoopCast website.Episode overview:Nick Tiller, PhD is an exercise scientist at Harbor-UCLA. He is also the author of The Skeptics Guide to Sports Science, a columnist for Ultrarunning Magazine and the Skeptical Inquirer.Episode highlights:(9:09) Science communication: academics fighting back against media claims, Don't Be Such A Scientist, the importance of science communication, examples(44:48) Identifying bad science: 28% increase in VO2max is a red flag, sedentary versus trained individuals, training and EPO example, unsubstantiated citations, statistical errors, absolute versus relative VO2max, retracting the article(1:37:10) Inverse relationship between media presence and credentials: fitness influencers on Instagram, being a full-time influencer and capitalizing on sensationalization, science is incremental and rarely sensationalAdditional resources: You can find all of Nick’s work here, https://www.nbtiller.com/ Our combined Twitter list- Louise Burke- @LouiseMBurke Asker Jukendrup- @JeukendrupBrad Schoenfeld-@BradSchoenfeldGuillaume Millet- @kinesiologuiStuart Phillips- @mackinprofMichael Joyner @DrMJoyner Kristy Sale- @ElliottSaleTrent Stellingwerff- @TStellingwerffInigo San Milan-@doctorinigoMarco Altini- @altini_marcoSian Allen- @DrSianAllenStephen Seiler- @StephenSeilerSUBSCRIBE to Research Essentials for UltrarunningBuy Training Essentials for Ultrarunning on Amazon or Audible.Information on coaching-https://www.trainright.comKoop’s Social Media: Twitter/Instagram- @jasonkoop

View all show notes and timestamps on the KoopCast website.Episode overview:Luc van Loon is a Professor of Physiology of Exercise and Nutrition and Head of the M3-research group at the Department of Human Biology at Maastricht University. Luc has an international research standing in the area of skeletal muscle metabolism and has published well over 475 peer-reviewed articles. Current research in his laboratory focuses on the skeletal muscle adaptive response to physical activity, and the impact of nutritional and pharmacological interventions to modulate metabolism in both health and disease.Episode highlights:(22:50) Results of collagen research: collagen stimulates neither connective nor contractile proteins in muscle, potential explanations, the benefits of collagen are not confirmed, areas for future research(42:35) Dietary protein intake: athletes who exercise more consume more food, thus their protein and amino acid intake per kg body mass is already high, recap(45:57) Sources of collagen: collagen from skin sources are superior, dangers of concentrating heavy metals in bone broth, example of athlete consuming arsenic from saltAdditional resources:SUBSCRIBE to Research Essentials for UltrarunningBuy Training Essentials for Ultrarunning on Amazon or Audible.Information on coaching-https://www.trainright.comKoop’s Social Media: Twitter/Instagram- @jasonkoop

Jeff Rothschild, a registered dietician and researcher, breaks down carbohydrate periodization for trail and ultra runners. He explains how athletes can manipulate their carbohydrate intake during high intensity or high training periods for improved performance. Rothschild's innovative research unveils a Carbohydrate Periodization Index, which quantifies daily carbohydrate periodization and can enhance athletes' performance. The podcast also delves into the challenges of implementing this approach and the importance of individualization and tracking carbohydrate intake and training load. The episode concludes with resources and tools for optimizing fueling strategies in ultrarunning.