KoopCast

View all show notes and timestamps on the KoopCast website.Episode overview:Brendan is an Associate Professor of Sport and Exercise Physiology and Head of School for the School of Health and Human Performance at DCU. His current research investigates skeletal muscle function and adaptation across the life course, with special interest in the synergy between nutrition and exercise interventions ranging from athletes to older adults. His research group performs human trials involving both acute and chronic interventions for outcomes around performance (physical and cognitive), recovery, and adaptation. It has employed various experimental designs and has been complimented by molecular analysis tools, including transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. Nutrients recently and presently under investigation include caffeine, creatine, omega-3 fatty acids, resveratrol, leucine, protein hydrolysates, beetroot juice, and exogenous ketones.Brendan received his BSc in Sport and Exercise Science from the University of Limerick in 2003, MSc in Sport and Exercise Nutrition from Loughborough University in 2004, and Ph.D. from Dublin City University in 2008 before completing two years of post-doctoral training with Prof. Juleen Zierath’s Integrative Physiology group at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden. His doctoral studies focussed on skeletal muscle adaptation to exercise, and in particular, the continuity between acute molecular responses to individual bouts of exercise and adaptations induced by exercise training, whereas his post-doctoral training utilized animal models and in vitro cell systems to investigate the transcriptional regulation of skeletal muscle development and mechanisms of insulin resistance. He joined the faculty in the School of Public Health, Physiotherapy, and Sport Science at University College Dublin in 2011, where he spent five years before moving to DCU. He is also a Visiting Research Scientist at the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Pensacola, FL, USA, and a Principal Investigator at the National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology at DCU.Outside of academia, through his sporting career as an inter-county Gaelic footballer with Sligo from 2003 to 2017, Brendan has had a lifelong association with sport, training, and performance at all levels of competition, from grassroots to elite level, and also practices in the field as a performance nutritionist with emphasis on field-based team sports, and endurance athletes.Episode highlights:(25:27) The “preferred energy source”: media sources, ketones become the dominant fuel in the brain during starvation, dominant does not mean preferred, ketogenesis is a survival mechanism, exogenous ketones can rescue heart failure(35:30) Ketones as glycogen sparing: Tour de France background, mechanistic basis, two existing relevant studies, one showed glycogen sparing and one showed no difference, differences in methods, the theory is solid but the proof is lacking(57:27) Ketones for protein generation study: design, downstream markers from mTOR increase with ketones, protein synthesis was not measured directly but is likely, once again the mechanistic theory is promising but the proof is pending, ketones for sleepAdditional  resources:Papers discussed- Exogenous Ketone Supplements in Athletic Contexts: Past Present and FutureKetone monoester ingestion increases postexercise serum erythropoietin concentrations

View all show notes and timestamps on the KoopCast website.Episode overview:Professor Bishop is a world leader in muscle exercise physiology, with over 250 scientific publications. He leads the Skeletal Muscle and Training research group at Victoria University in Australia. The focus of his research group is to examine how diet, exercise, and genes interact to regulate skeletal muscle adaptations. Throughout his career, Professor bishop has held many different and important leadership positions within the exercise science community in Australia.  He was the youngest-ever president of Exercise & Sport Science Australia (ESSA). He has been named one of the top 25 influencers of exercise & sports sciences in Australia. He has twice been on the Excellence in Research Australia (ERA) panel. He was made a fellow of three different organizations, Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and the European College of Sports Science (ECSS). Professor Bishop is now a director of the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) and an assistant editor of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.Episode highlights:(19:56) Physiological limits to mitochondrial mass: homeostasis and why athletes plateau, mitochondria can never be 100% muscle mass, car analogy and spatial limitations(43:29) Acute responses to training with low carb availability: cell signaling and mitochondrial benefits at lower intensities, no benefit at high intensities, train low can augment moderate intensity, recovering from low carb takes time(54:12) Mechanisms of sodium bicarbonate: lactate and hydrogen ions move down concentration gradients, sodium bicarbonate lowers blood acidity by pulling hydrogen ions out of the muscle, applications to anaerobic performanceAdditional resources:David’s TwitterPodcast with Renee Eastman on Physiological TestingMighty Mitochondria with Iñigo San MillánEffects of Dietary Supplements on Adaptations to Endurance TrainingPrinciples of Exercise Prescription, and How They Influence Exercise-Induced Changes of Transcription Factors and Other Regulators of Mitochondrial BiogenesisGet my deep dive newsletter Research Essentials for UltrarunningBuy Training Essentials for Ultrarunning on Amazon or Audible.Information on coaching-https://www.trainright.comKoop’s Social MediaTwitter/Instagram- @jasonkoop

View all show notes and timestamps on the KoopCast website.Episode overview:Alannah McKay completed a Bachelor of Science (Exercise, Health, and Sports Science) at the University of Western Australia in 2014. Subsequently, Alannah completed a post-graduate position within the Physiology department at the Australian Institute of Sport, where she was involved in preparing many Australian athletes before the 2016 Rio Olympic and Paralympic games. Since Alannah has submitted her Ph.D. titled “The Effect of Dietary Manipulation on Iron Metabolism and the Immune System in Elite Athletes,” which was undertaken in partnership with the Australian Institute of Sport, Western Australian Institute of Sport, and the University of Western Australia. Alannah joined Australian Catholic University as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in 2020. Her research will continue to explore the impact of diet and exercise on a range of health outcomes in athletes, with a specific interest in iron metabolism.Episode highlights:(20:48) Iron metabolism and low-carb diets: 3 week ketogenic intervention followed by <24 hours of carbohydrate intake, low carb diets decrease hepcidin, the acute carb intervention did not restore hepcidin, low carb states are when you are at greater risk for iron deficiency(39:40) What iron supplements to use: ferrous sulfate, 100mg of elemental iron, maltofer, deficiency versus topping off, tailor frequency and dosing, avoid multivitamins(47:39) Frequency of supplementation: absolute and relative absorption, the more iron you consume the more you absorb, alternate day dosing is well supported, mechanistic reasoningAdditional resources:Papers discussed- CONTEMPORARY APPROACHES TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND TREATMENT OF IRON DEFICIENCY IN ATHLETESAcute carbohydrate ingestion does not influence the post-exercise iron-regulatory response in elite keto-adapted race walkersChronic Adherence to a Ketogenic Diet Modifies Iron Metabolism in Elite AthletesSix Days of Low Carbohydrate, Not Energy Availability, Alters the Iron and Immune Response to Exercise in Elite AthletesAcute carbohydrate ingestion does not influence the post-exercise iron-regulatory response in elite keto-adapted race walkersSign up for Research Essentials for UltrarunningBuy Training Essentials for Ultrarunning on Amazon or Audible.Information on coaching-https://www.trainright.comKoop’s Social MediaTwitter/Instagram- @jasonkoop

View all show notes and timestamps on the KoopCast website.Episode overview:Dr. Olivier Girard is an Associate Professor in Human Performance and Research Director of the Sports Science, Exercise, and Health Department at the University of Western Australia.He spent 20 years in the field of exercise physiology and biomechanics developing and facilitating performance outcome-based solutions for elite athletes (mainly team/racket sports), coaches, and their support teams. In Perth, Dr. Girard leads an environmental physiology special interest group.Olivier completed his Doctoral Degree (2006) in Human Movement Sciences at the University of Montpellier in France. For eight years, he worked as Research Scientist at Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, a FIFA and IOC-accredited medical center. He was employed at Lausanne University, Switzerland, and Murdoch University in Perth, Australia.Olivier has published over 200 articles in peer-reviewed journals and 25 book chapters and has presented his work at more than 180 national/international conferences.Episode highlights:(47:32) Timing altitude interventions: pre-race acclimation is high risk-high reward, using altitude to enable harder training requires a second step, Koop’s low risk to high reward process(56:35) Lesson 5: managing fatigue is key, altitude exposes your weaknesses exponentially, you need to nail the basics(1:18:29) Intermittent hypoxic training: intervals and resistance training in hypoxia, potential benefits to muscle strength, combining hematological and non-hematological training, live high-train low and highAdditional resources: https://www.oliviergirard.com/Subscribe to Research Essentials for UltrarunningBuy Training Essentials for Ultrarunning on Amazon or Audible.Information on coaching-https://www.trainright.comKoop’s Social MediaTwitter/Instagram- @jasonkoop

View all show notes and timestamps on the KoopCast website.Episode overview:Amy-Lee Bowler is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Bond in Australia. Her research seeks to understand the current practice pathways and subsequent dietary management used by sports dietitians when assessing and managing energy availability in athletes.Episode highlights:(25:45) Personalization of blood glucose: new study on standard glucose levels in athletes, “metabolic flexibility”, lipid oxidation, tighter glucose control in endurance athletes, intensity, duration, diet, and training level all change blood glucose(35:41) CGMs for identifying acute low energy availability: subjective assessments might be more valuable, examples(55:30) CGMs are not tools for athletes: it is difficult for athletes to determine anything useful from the data, examples, currently CGMs must be used with practitionersAdditional resources: The Use of Continuous Glucose Monitors in Sport: Possible Applications and Considerations-https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijsnem/33/2/article-p121.xmlLow Energy Availability in Female Athletes: from the Lab to the Field-https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33832385/Sports Dietitians Practices for Assessing and Managing Athletes at Risk for Low Energy Availability-https://www.jsams.org/article/S1440-2440(22)00036-6/fulltextSign up for Research Essentials for Ultrarunning-https://www.jasonkoop.com/research-essentials-for-ultrarunningBuy Training Essentials for Ultrarunning on Amazon or Audible.Information on coaching-https://www.trainright.comKoop’s Social MediaTwitter/Instagram- @jasonkoop

Dominic Guinto, the Director of Athlete Services for CTS, brings extensive experience in matching athletes with the right coaches. He emphasizes the importance of understanding individual athlete needs and the value of effective communication in building strong coach-athlete relationships. The discussion also touches on evolving training methods, like gravel biking and strength training. Guinto advocates for a personalized approach to coaching, focusing on trust and mentorship to enhance athletes' performance and overall experience.

View all show notes and timestamps on the KoopCast website.Episode overview:Harlan Austin, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist with national certifications in sport psychology and addiction psychology.  With 20 years of experience working in the sport and clinical psychology field, Harlan has worked with individuals focused on high performance, return-to-performance, and leadership development. Harlan has served in many roles, including performance consultant, clinician, program developer, and clinical director. He has lectured and presented at national conventions on the topics of sport and performance psychology, clinical sport psychology, athlete psychological assessment, athlete rehabilitation, and athlete return to sport. Throughout his career, Harlan has had the opportunity to work with professional athletes (NBA, MLB, NFL, Boxing, LAX, Ski, and Snowboard), healthcare professionals, US Special Forces groups, and high-level executives.Episode highlights:(14:20) Why athletes are higher risk for addiction: no simple answer, appreciating social context, hard work and celebration, examples, adolescence and sport, letdown in sport(30:00) Changing behavior to aid performance: meet addicts where they have motivation to change, develop incongruence between addiction and performance(41:20) The process of recovery: removing the substance is step one, finding out what was going on under the surface is step two, parallels to the athlete mentality, transferable skillsetAdditional resources:Resources covered- CAGE Substance Abuse Screening Toolhttps://www.recoveryanswers.org/https://www.samhsa.gov/ https://www.addicttoathlete.com/ ------------------------------------------------------Get Research Essentials for UltrarunningBuy Training Essentials for Ultrarunning on Amazon or Audible.Information on coaching-https://www.trainright.comKoop’s Social MediaTwitter/Instagram- @jasonkoop

View all timestamps and show notes on the KoopCast website.Episode overview:(2022 Re-Release)Meredith Terranova is a performance nutritionist to many of today’s top ultrarunners. She has been helping her clients reach their nutritional goals since 2004.  Through Meredith’s guidance, her clients have reached goals ranging from losing weight, wellness nutrition, race nutrition, training and recovery nutrition, and others using a real world nutrition approach. During the course of this conversation we discuss Meredith’s approach to nutrition planning, how to find the right foods for you and her famous ‘gas station’ protocol.Episode highlights:(18:20) Compounding variables at altitude: increased need for carbs, intensity, hydration, temperature, processing fuel, pacing(26:39): Summary of nutrition advice: effort first, hydration second, the Nibble Principle third, practice your routine(38:28) Logistics and routine: plan your low-altitude training nutrition around your high altitude nutrition and race logisticsAdditional resources:Meredith’s Website: https://eatingandlivinghealthy.comBuy Training Essentials for Ultrarunning:Amazon-https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09MYVR8P6Audible-https://www.audible.com/pd/Training-Essentials-for-Ultrarunning-Second-Edition-Audiobook/B09P38S2PR?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-290525&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_290525_rh_usInformation on coaching-https://www.trainright.comKoop’s Social MediaTwitter/Instagram- @jasonkoop

View all show notes and timestamps on the KoopCast website.Episode overview:Charlie Pedlar, Ph.D. is a researcher at St. Mary’s University in Twickenham, London. He started out as a research assistant for the British Olympic Association based at Northwick Park Hospital. He has since held positions as London Region Lead Physiologist at the English Institute of Sport (primary sport: British Athletics) and Chief Science Officer at Orreco. Charlie was the Director of the Centre for Health, Applied Sport and Exercise Science at St Mary’s between 2009 and 2015. Whilst embedded in high-performance sport, Charlie completed his Ph.D. at Brunel University in 2007 entitled 'Sleep and Exercise during Acclimation and Acclimatization to Moderate Altitude in Elite Athletes, which involved a combination of field data collected during moderate altitude training camps and laboratory data, investigating responses to altitude in the GB national squads for Speed skating, Biathlon, Rowing, Kayaking, and Athletics.Episode highlights:(19:19) Necessary biomarkers to track: full blood count (FBC) aka  complete blood count (CBC), ferritin, Vitamin D, nutrition-related markers(25:30) Standardizing blood tests: timing tests around training and menstrual cycles (continued at 39:41), fasted and rested conditions, guidelines for getting good test data, practicality of standardized blood testing(54:30) Blood testing and performance: companies don’t know if you are performing well, they can’t tell you what is optimal, retrospective data analysis, health and performance are complementary, athlete intake exampleAdditional resources:https://www.orreco.com/Papers discussed-A case study of an iron-deficient female Olympic 1500m runner. Blood biomarker testing for high-performance physiology and nutrition: current perspectives, limitations, and recommendations. Buy Training Essentials for Ultrarunning on Amazon or Audible.Information on coaching-www.trainright.comKoop’s Social MediaTwitter/Instagram- @jasonkoop

View all timestamps and show notes on the KoopCast website.Episode overview:(2022 Re-Release)The weekend training camp is an essential element of most ultrarunner’s training programs. Coaches Ryne Anderson, Cliff Pittman and host Jason Koop discuss how to set up the most effective training camp possible inclusive of goals, volume and the right timing relative to your race.Ryne Anderson is a CTS Expert coach located in Knoxville, TN. He has been coaching ultrarunners since 2018 and joined CTS in 2021. Ryne has run and coached numerous athletes with limited access to mountains that had successful races at Bighorn 100, Leadville 100, CCC 100k, and San Juan Solstice 50. Integrating strength and mobility work is vital to an athlete’s overall development, and incorporates running-specific strength work with each athlete he coaches.Cliff Pittman began pursuing his passion for endurance sports at the age of 11 when his parents signed him up for a community track club. He competed on a national level in both track and cross country through high school, but opted to enlist in the military shortly after 9/11, and delayed college until later in life. After a decade in the military, he transitioned into a corporate career, but continued to train several military athletes preparing for special operations. Cliff continued his passion for endurance sports by training for triathlons and marathons. In 2017, he launched a Life Coaching Practice that enabled me to leave my corporate career. But as he made efforts to grow that business, more and more athletes were seeking his help with their running goals and events. Cliff took this as a sign to align his purpose and efforts with what he is really passionate about – coaching athletes. In 2019, he transitioned to full-time run coaching with a specialty in helping ultra/trail athletes.Episode highlights:(45:06) Ideal scheduling for training camps: scheduling around training blocks, scheduling camps based on convenience(48:38) Boundaries on training camp volume changes: using midweek runs as a benchmark, duration and frequency of runs, using races(1:03:26) Summary: duration, scheduling, physiological versus psychological benefits, practicing race strategy and nutrition, specificity of mode, volume increases, have goalsAdditional resources:https://trainright.com/coaches/ryne-anderson/Ryne on Instagramhttps://trainright.com/coaches/cliff-pittman/Cliff on InstagramBuy Koop’s new book on Amazon or AudibleInformation on coaching-www.trainright.comKoop’s Social MediaTwitter/Instagram- @jasonkoop