Thank you, thank you, thank you...on we go!

SOUP is taking a break for the summer, and will be back in September 2021.

Hillary Allen, aka Hillygoat, is one of the top ultra- and sky-runners in the world. We talk about her views of life and running, what's important, and how to stay competitive while embracing whatever life brings. Her near-death accident during the 2017 Tromsø Skyrace, and her recovery are chronicled in her book Out & Back: A Runner’s Story of Survival and Recovery Against All Odds Her website: https://hillaryallen.com/ Show page: https://scienceofultra.com/podcasts/149

Let's answer the question: How much time should I spend training at different intensities? And, let's bust the polarized training myth in the process.

Rebroadcast part 2 of 2 - Two of the living legends of performance hydration bring everything you could want to know about hydration for endurance athletes. This episode is all about application of knowledge in the context of ultras.

Rebroadcast part 1 of 2 - Sam Cheuvront, PhD & Robert Kenefick, PhD, two of the living legends of performance hydration, bring everything you could want to know about hydration for endurance athletes starting with the basics in this episode.

Major advances in our understanding of human metabolism have been made in recent years, and they’ve been pioneered by Herman Pontzer, PhD. He, and his colleagues, are making discoveries in human metabolism and energy balance that will reshape our approach to human health for many years to come. These are fundamental breakthroughs that are providing explanations for outcomes among energy intake, exercise, and body weight that have confused us for so long. Get his new book on the show page: https://scienceofultra.com/podcasts/145

[Rebroadcast] Our goal is never to get good at suffering. Our goal is to suffer less under the same conditions, not to make running easier but to run with greater ease.

Dr. Baar rejoins us on the show. He was previously on for episode 58. Today we illuminate the central role of connective tissue and associated proteins in transmitting force from muscle, extend that understanding to explain how muscle functions in running (hint: it’s not at all like most people think), and dive into ways that you can optimize your connective tissue health. https://scienceofultra.com/podcasts/143

Kathryn Ackerman, MD, MPH is a sports medicine physician, Associate Professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, medical director of the Female Athlete Program at Boston Children's Hospital, Associate Director of the sports endocrine research lab at Massachusetts General Hospital, and a team physician for USA Rowing. Dr. Ackerman is, herself, a former national team rower. Twitter: @DrKateAckerman https://twitter.com/DrKateAckerman Female Athlete Conference: https://www.femaleathleteconference.com​ https://scienceofultra.com/podcasts/142

Hiking! I'm joined by Ian Sharman for a deep dive into training for hiking in ultras.

How much running and how much overall exercise training should you be doing to prepare yourself for ultra-marathons or other major endurance adventures? Show page: https://scienceofultra.com/podcasts/140

If you only have one training pace, this should be it. https://scienceofultra.com/podcasts/139

Kelly McGonigal, PhD understands the power of mindset and movement better than anyone. Show page: https://scienceofultra.com/podcasts/138  

A primer on the why and how of sleep for endurance athletes with Amy Bender, PhD from the Centre for Sleep. Show page: https://scienceofultra.com/podcasts/137

Mileage is the most important factor in your training, after consistency, no matter your goals. Show page: https://scienceofultra.com/podcasts/136

Two questions answered today. Should you put intervals at the beginning or at the end of the workout? Should progression runs be done by effort or pace?

Herman Pontzer, PhD is an evolutionary anthropologist at Duke University interested in how the human body evolved and how our species’ past has shaped our health and physiology today. He studies the ecology, lifestyle, diet and evolutionary history of humans and apes to better understand metabolism and health. As you’ll hear in the interview, we emphasize what hunter-gatherer societies can tell us about the human body because it’s the lifestyle of hunter-gatherers that created the bodies we have. Several years ago, Dr. Pontzer and his colleagues were curious about the total energy expended per day by people living as hunter-gatherers. They discovered that nobody had made the actual, direct measurements. It took them a while to convince funding agencies that this was a good use of research dollars because the reviewers thought ’these are very active people, they’re going to be expending a lot more energy than sedentary people, we have good estimates of that based on activity level, we’re not going to learn anything here’. But Dr. Pontzer and is colleagues persisted, got the funding, and did the direct measurements. They discovered that the Hadza people of Tanzania expend the same number of calories per day as sedentary people in the United States and other modern societies despite being much more active. Show page: https://www.scienceofultra.com/podcasts/134

Andrew Skurka & Joe McConaughy join me to talk about training and psychology for ultra distance events. Show page: https://scienceofultra.com/podcasts/133

Let's talk about failure, success, and learning.

Iñigo is back on the show, following up on his recent appearance in episode 127. In the previous episode, we talked about tapering. In this episode, talk about strength training from every angle, and we dive into two specific examples of training tweaks that made big improvements for athletes he coaches. Episode page: https://scienceofultra.com/podcasts/131

Trent Stellingwerff has been in the trenches of nutritional support and body composition in supporting athletes of all abilities for many years. Today, we talk through critical new insights that can apply to your training. Episode page: https://scienceofultra.com/podcasts/130

Dan Moore, PhD, brings us the current science on protein requirements for endurance athletes along with very practical advice for putting it into action for you. Episode page: https://scienceofultra.com/podcasts/129

Alyssa Amos Clark is an extraordinary athlete. We start this interview after she completed 66 marathons in 66 days, on her way to many more. We finish discussing her journey, including her battles with COVID-19. Episode page: https://scienceofultra.com/podcasts/128 Instagram: @theory_in_motion Alyssa's website: https://akamos13.wixsite.com/website

Iñigo Mujika (PhD) has coached numerous Olympians, national teams, and is recognized as one of the top triathlon (swimming, cycling, and running) coaches in the world. He's published over 100 peer-reviewed articles, books, and book chapters. He literally wrote the book on tapering, which is the main focus of our discussion though we touch on many other important and practical topics. Find all the links we talk about at https://scienceofultra.com/podcasts/127

My guest today is David Bishop, PhD from Victoria University in Australia. He’s a world leading expert on the health and performance outcomes of exercise prescription with a particular emphasis on mitochondrial adaptations. Recently, he’s been studying the impact of twice-per-day training and that’s the main reason I brought him on the show. You’ll learn, for example, that running twice in a day may be more beneficial than training for the same duration in one long run. But we explore many other topics that will help you take your workouts to the next level. I spoke with him in the midst of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic while he was on sabbatical and in lockdown in the north of Italy.

Jose Areta studies energy availability, training, and performance. We talk about his recent case study of an amenorrhoeic athlete who restored their menstrual cycle while training and competing at a high level, his comprehensive review of glycogen utilization, and how an athlete can loose weight while training for performance and periodizing carbohydrate intake. SOUP is free of advertisements and sponsors, it’s supported by listeners who find it useful: https://scienceofultra.com/support

My guest today is Mark Burnley, PhD from the University of Kent, in the UK. His principle interests concern endurance physiology, specifically the oxygen uptake and metabolic responses to exercise and the power-duration relationship. For example, he was part of the group that first validated the 3-minute all-out test to estimate critical power. He's spent much of his career questioning why a large fraction of our exercise capacity is unsustainable. In other words, we can only maintain exercise when the intensity is less than 20-30% of our ability to generate force…why do we have so much additional capacity when we can't sustain it?

Patrick Wilson (PhD) is an Associate Professor at Old Dominion University and author of a newly published book, The Athlete's Gut. He was a guest in episode 16. Today, we update our understanding of gut physiology from when he was first on the show but spend most of our time on lots of new and applied questions relevant to your training, racing, and adventures.

Andy Jones is one of the world's leading experts in human performance physiology, especially in the realm of endurance. Nike recognized this when they brought him onto the Breaking 2 project. He's most famous in many circles for his pioneering work using nitrates to boost performance. Yes, this is the beetroot guy. Today we talk about mechanisms of fatigue, critical speed/power, evidence-based approaches to training, and (of course) beetroot juice.

Dr. Julien Louis takes us through the training, pacing, and physiology of the father-son duo who set a new world record for combined time in the marathon. In 2019, Tommy (59 yrs) and Eoin Hughes (34 yrs) ran the Frankfurt Marathon in times of 2:31:30 and 2:27:52, respectively. Their combined marathon time was 4:59:22. Dr. Louis studied Tommy in a previous year and then studied the pair as they took on, and ultimately succeeded, in setting the new record. We discuss the father-son team and extract additional take-away messages for your training.

Mapping your training and then seeing what events (races, or adventures) fit on your map, without bending it, keeps the focus on what’s most important…you. This method tells you which events you could run because it’s the method that fits events to your body rather than bending your body to fit events. It’s the only approach that will provide a lifetime of healthy and sustainable running progress.

This is a deep dive into carbohydrate periodization with Drs. James Morton and Julien Louis where we explain the science behind our recommendation of FUEL FOR THE WORK REQUIRED (e.g., enough but not much more) and GLYCOGEN THRESHOLD (i.e., train to low levels). We also explore issues of sex and age, how bone health may be critically dependent on carbohydrate availability (not just total calories), and several other important topics.

Dr. Ron Maughan is arguably the most recognized name in sports nutrition. I was fortunate to meet with him in St Andrews, Scotland for our discussion. In this interview we talk about his early days in sports, running with the likes of Don Ritchie among many others, and review some of the current recommendations on training and nutrition.

Our goal is never to get good at suffering. Our goal is to suffer less under the same conditions, not to make running easier but to run with greater ease.

Today’s conversation is with John Kiely and Craig Pickering. John was on episode 52; we talked the lack of evidence supporting periodized training programs. We begin with the current state of evidence in genetic testing for athletic potential and planning training. We move on to more useful ways of viewing your training program. It really is simple yet multitudes are derailed by chasing placebo effects for marginal gains on an inconsistent program. Oh, and we talk about placebo effects as well.

Cramping isn't well understood. But here's what we know right now.

Rest days are a staple of most running programs. But are they needed. In this episode we reframe our view of exercise, rest, and recovery time to help you make clearer decisions about when you exercise.

A T/F from each of our four coaches posed to the group to wrap up 2019. Does level running speed translate to uphill abilities, is training for a 200 miler fundamentally different from training for shorter distances, should you run through tweaks or injuries, is more running volume going to help you run 100-milers better...these are our main topics of conversation.

Our four coaches discuss taking time off. If you’re looking for a coach, or just have questions, you can reach David Roche at SWAPrunning.com Ian Sharman at sharmanultra.com Krissy Moehl at krissymoehl.com Shawn Bearden at ScienceOfUltra.com ([email protected])

A massive how and what on traveling, including cameo appearances from numerous elite ultra runners.

I sat down with Spring co-founder Rafal Nazarewicz, PhD to talk about using real foods in ultras.

Is overtraining common among ultra runners? Are you running too much? Can adherence to the mantra of consistency open a gateway to overtraining?

How much do your training runs need to look like the race or event to maximize your performance? That's the basic question behind the term 'specificity'. Our four coaches address these ideas in today's Coaches' Corner.

What is the 'long run'; can it be too short; can it be too long? Today we simplify and demystify this enigmatic workout.

How valid are the most commonly held beliefs in exercise training that assume a reliable and specific adaptation to a specific workout - do this workout and get that result ? In this episode, I explain why we now view these ideas as too simplistic. We dig into how the basic principles that underly the majority of exercise training plans owe their origins to a theory of pathological stress-response patterns, which may not be reliable across the spectrum of sports. Then we take a four-step approach to getting it right, or at least better.

Technology gives runners the opportunity to run according to readouts and feedback from devices. To what extent should you use them?

In recent episodes we’ve explored how you can train your mind and body. The third area for training is craft. Everything from pacing, to hydration strategy, to gear choices, to foot care are part of your craft. Today, the part of craft we’re going to explore is downhill running. Downhill running is a skill. It requires deliberate practice and can not be mastered just by training the body or running downhill a lot without putting at least some thought into it.

Is there a general formula you can apply to taper properly for an event? Find out how our coaches approach tapering with their athletes.

You can train our mind, body, and craft. In recent episodes on training your body, we skimmed the surface of training endurance and economy. If you run a lot of miles, often on race-like terrain and run all out for short bursts a few times per week, you’re doing the majority of the work that will improve your body’s capacities. To further extend stamina, you may want to run comfortably hard intervals, the topic of today's episode.

Today’s episode breaks from our traditional format on Coaches’ Corner. Instead of starting with a T/F statement and then discussing the topic, we talk about a specific event today. This episode was recorded on July 2nd, 2019, just a few days after the 2019 WS100 Endurance Run. My guest coaches each had some great insights and experience at the event and we thought this would be a great opportunity to talk about their experiences and about how training may differ among athletes for the same event. Remember that you can send your suggested T/F statements for topics of future episodes to [email protected]

Today, we take a closer look at focus, which is the first of our core features of a high performance mindset. From focus with mindfulness, you can develop the other features of a high performance mindset: calm, confidence, optimism, and trust.

If you’re going to do something that’s difficult, like running ultra-marathons, it’s important to have a strategy. Inside of that strategy you have to develop and refine skills through deliberate practice. Train your mind, just like you train your body. In this installment, we create an overview of training the mind.

The average pace for an ultra-marathon isn't very fast. In races of 100 miles, for example, the average pace can be slower than easy training runs. How do successful ultra-marathon runners pace themselves? How do you pace yourself? Is it true that you should start races, especially longer ones, like a stroll in the park?

Do older athletes need to train differently compared to their younger selves? Coaches Ian Sharman, David Roche, Krissy Moehl, and Shawn Bearden discuss training as we age in today's Coaches' Corner. Watch the discussion on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/loH878kbRbQ Each coach can be reached through their respective websites: Krissy Moehl http://KrissyMoehl.com David Roche https://SWAPRunning.com Ian Sharman https://SharmanUltra.com Shawn Bearden https://ScienceOfUltra.com  

Running economy is one of the three key features in performance, along with endurance and stamina. You can develop your running economy through heavy resistance training, sprints, and volume. This episode is a crash course in how do it right.

V̇O2max is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use per minute. It's a metabolic rate that can be sustained for 6-10 minutes. Why do you hear so much about it in running, when competitions are so much longer. Maybe your V̇O2max isn't something you should ever focus on.

What we’re talking about today is stamina. Stamina is your ability to maintain a pace for a long time. Stamina comprises endurance and economy. Endurance is your ability to cover a distance or to persist for a time. Economy is a traditionally quantified as the steady state oxygen consumption at a given running velocity. For our purposes, economy of running is the energy required to run at a given pace. Today’s episode is meant to introduce the key concepts and functional goals of improving endurance and economy so that you can improve stamina. Today, we also explain endurance as a capacity and how to increase endurance within the context of consistency for sufficient and relative weekly volumes. We also outline how to progress training volume of easy running and how to test your bioenergetic and physiological capacity profile with an easy run test. Then we added strides as a salvo into developing economy. Economy will be the next topic in the series on training your body for ultra-marathons.

Workouts are when you stress your body. The rest of the day is when you improve. That's what we call recovery. Not only recovering to be able to do it again (get back to pre-workout capacity) but also adapt and become stronger (a new baseline capacity). Coaches Ian Sharman, David Roche, Krissy Moehl, and Shawn Bearden discuss recovery in today's Coaches' Corner. Watch the discussion on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/loH878kbRbQ Each coach can be reached through their respective websites: Krissy Moehl http://KrissyMoehl.com David Roche https://SWAPRunning.com Ian Sharman https://SharmanUltra.com Shawn Bearden https://ScienceOfUltra.com  

As we begin to dissect the three domains of training - mind, body, craft - start by answering Why and What. Then we can decide How to train. Your answers are unique to you. This episode will give you definitions and guidance on answering Why and What for yourself.

The format of SOUP is going to shift a little. Here's what you can expect.

Part 2 of our conversation into the considerations for your first ultra marathon. In today's episode we focus mostly on the mental aspects of getting it right.

Today we dive deep into the mind of ultra runner and coach, Ellie Greenwood. We discuss everything from competition vs participation to the benefits of multidirectional sports in the development of a trail runner to how she prescribes intensity in training the athletes she coaches. You can connect with her at https://sharmanultra.com Twitter: @eLLiejG Facebook and Instagram: EllieJGreenwood

Should you run a marathon before signing up for an ultra-marathon? Coaches Ian Sharman, David Roche, Krissy Moehl, and Shawn Bearden discuss that question in today's Coaches' Corner. Watch the discussion on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/loH878kbRbQ Each coach can be reached through their respective websites: Krissy Moehl http://KrissyMoehl.com David Roche https://SWAPRunning.com Ian Sharman https://SharmanUltra.com Shawn Bearden https://ScienceOfUltra.com

Amelia Boone is the most accomplished obstacle course racer on the planet. Now she's running ultra marathons. What does it take to make that transition? What do success and failure look like to someone so dominant in one sport and very good in another? What motivates and drives Amelia's passion for endurance sports? We learn about all these topics and more in today's conversation, which is an in-person interview near her home California.

Train for speed when you're training for ultra-marathons...wuh? Should ultra runners train for speed? Short answer: yes! And, that's the topic of this edition of Coaches' Corner with David Roche, Ian Sharman, Krissy Moehl, and Shawn Bearden. Watch the discussion on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/loH878kbRbQ Each coach can be reached through their respective websites: Krissy Moehl http://KrissyMoehl.com David Roche https://SWAPRunning.com Ian Sharman https://SharmanUltra.com Shawn Bearden https://ScienceOfUltra.com  

We've learned about foot strike patterns but never quite like this. What's the role of sensory feedback and shoe cushioning on foot strike and on your running patterns? Today we get deeper insights into these issues so you can make more informed decisions about your shoe choices and running mechanics with Missy Thompson, PhD. Connect with her: Researchgate:https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Melissa_Thompson10 Instagram: flcexercisescience Twitter: FLC_Exercise Science Facebook: FLCExerciseScience

How do you handle adversity in the moment? Do you have a mental training practice? You know that ultra-marathon running is as much mental as it is physical. RISE to train your mind as well as you train your body.

Runners need to run. Ultra-marathon runner need to run a lot. But could you be more effective spending some of that time cross-training? If you’re looking for a coach, or just have questions, you can reach: David Roche at https://SWAPrunning.com Ian Sharman at http://www.sharmanultra.com Krissy Moehl at http://krissymoehl.com Shawn Bearden at https://ScienceOfUltra.com If you want to submit a True/False statement for us to discuss on a future episode of Coaches’ Corner, send it to [email protected]  

My guest today is Luke Nelson. He's a physician assistant, race director, husband, father, and public lands activist. He’s been on the podium at many of the top ultras, set course records, and has set numerous FKTs of mountain linkups and traverses. Prior to getting fully into mountain running, in 2012 he was the U.S. Ski Mountaineering National Champion. He’s active on Instargram and you can follow him @slukenelson He’s and ambassador for Patagonia and also runs for La Sportiva, GU, Zeal Optics, Jaybird, Suunto. And, in August of 2018, he placed 8th at the legendary Tor des Geants. Our conversation today is mostly about his preparation and experience in that race but we get into a lot more as well. He’s also a friend and neighbor of mine, so we recorded the episode when he joined me at my house. If you’d like to support the podcast and keep it advertisement-free, go to https://scienceofultra.com/support. If you want to take your training to the next level, and you’re interested in hiring me to be your coach, go to https://scienceofultra.com/coaching

True or False: Injuries are usually predictable and preventable. Coaches David Roche, Ian Sharman, Krissy Moehl, and Shawn Bearden discuss their answers in our ongoing series, Coaches' Corner. David Roche SWAPrunning.com Ian Sharman SharmanUltra.com Krissy Moehl KrissyMoehl.com Shawn Bearden ScienceOfUltra.com

Part 2 (of 2) in this extraordinary interview with Dr. Megan Roche. We talk about everything from research to coaching to dysfunctional eating to experiencing joy in a lifestyle of running. Megan Roche is a medical doctor, coach, scientist, book author, and exceptional trail runner.

Megan Roche is a medical doctor, extraordinary trail runner, coach, scientist, and book author. This episode is the first in a two-part interview. We talk about everything from research to coaching to joy in running.

True or False: Performance metrics are important for optimizing outcomes

The title says it all. Everything you should know about the foundations of a good diet from one of today's leading practitioners, nutritionist Nancy Clark, RD.

This is the first episode of Coaches’ Corner, a new and ongoing series with several of the top trail running coaches in the world, Krissy Moehl, David Roche, Ian Sharman, and me. Each of these episodes is intended to highlight a specific topic relevant to all trail runners. We start in the form of a T/F statement, get a one-word answer from each coach, and then discuss the nuances that make the real answer less clear. Ultimately, the purpose is to provide you with information that you can apply to your own training. These are also published on our YouTube channel at YouTube.com/ScienceOfUltra The T/F statement for today's episode is: There’s a minimum volume of running required before adding any structured workouts (such as intervals or hills) becomes more useful than simply adding more volume

When to walk vs run on inclines, how can poles help, use water in your weighted vest...practical gems from this top athlete and applied scientist.

Marlene Giandolini, PhD and Sebastien Pavailler, PhD are biomechanists who work for Salomon. Today, they bring us insights from their research and the applied intersection of biomechanics, trail running, and shoe design. We discuss everything from trail runner kinematics to shoe drop to foot swelling. So much valuable and new information in this one!

Gianluca Vernillo, PhD is one of the world's leading scientists studying mountain ultra trail runners. Today he brings a vast amount of science and practical insight from his years of studying the uphill, downhill, and other physiologic features of extreme endurance running in the world's toughest mountain courses.

How do the best endurance athletes partition their training? Most of understand what it is to go out for an easy run, but what about intervals. How do the best in the world do it? And, what does the science show about how you should design your interval workouts? What should you do for work duration, rest duration, total work, frequency, and effort level? These are the principle issues we discuss in this episode. And, we wrap up with parting advice from Dr. Seiler that you must hear if you're going to become your ultra best.

Professional runner Dylan Bowman invited me into his home to discuss his running. We cover topics ranging from his development and early years, to his motivations and mindset, to racing strategy and more.

Interested in training on low glycogen levels? Doing it by running in the morning, without breakfast? If so, you may not be doing what you intend. In this episode, I explain why...and provide an actionable and reliable approach to do it right.

Alex Hutchinson is a prolific science-based writer who covers all facets of running. In this interview, we dig into the insights he's developed over the years and talk about his new book: Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance.

Amino acids, the leucine trigger, and branched chain amino acids. What do you need, should you supplement, do they aid performance...all these question answered and much more.

An overview of recovery strategies with Dr. Shona Halson, Senior Recovery Physiologist at the Australian Institute of Sport.

Today’s episode is a special compilation of advice from some of the brightest and most insightful minds in the world of sports physiology. I ask many of my guests for their insight and wisdom into the biggest mistakes and the most grounded advice from their years of experience in respective fields. This special episode of Science Of Ultra is a curation of the practical wisdom in those answers from the first 25 episodes.

Listener questions answered!

Backpacking legend, Andrew Skurka, is also an outstanding ultra runner. Today, we learn about the psychology, mindset, and perspectives it takes to become one of the most accomplished adventurers in the world.

So, you've been running for 4...6...10...18...24...hours. Yes, your legs are tired. But, what about your respiratory muscles? Are they suited to breathing heavily for that long? Do they fatigue? Does greater effort to breath in a long ultra translate into higher ratings of perceived exertion? Check out my interview with Darlene Reid, PhD to learn the answers to those questions and how you can train your respiratory muscle to become your ultra best!

Guillaume Millet, Ph.D. is the world's leading expert on neuromuscular fatigue in ultramarathons. We explore the many facets of fatigue and bring his years of field research to you in practical and applied terms that you can use to help become your ultra best.

Dr. Roger Enoka is the world’s leading expert on the neuromuscular determinants of movement in health and disease. Today we talk about the physiology of controlling muscle force, new paradigms for viewing fatigue, muscle cramps, and aging. He also answers the question, “why is running fast downhill beneficial for a runners development?”.

The structures that transmit force from muscle cells to bone are critical components of your running health and economy in addition to a common site of injury. Today we learn all about tendons and sinews from the world's leading expert on this topic.

Answers to listener questions.

Today we cover questions on heat acclimatization for altitude performance, veganism, building hiking into training even if you live in a flat area, respiratory discomfort after endurance exercise, foam rolling, weight lifting, mental fogginess after endurance events, body weight, and taking time off for niggling injuries.

A deep scientific discussion of the concept of critical power/critical speed as the 'fatigue threshold' with an emphasis on how it may apply to ultra-endurance training and performance.

Today we touch on a variety of topics in biomechanics, from shoe cushioning to children's shoes to pool running...and more...

Introduction of a new episode category: SOUP Bites. You have specific questions. In SOUP Bites, you'll get specific answers!

A thought-provoking analysis of training dogma, practices, and approaches from one of the world's leading experts on program development.

One of the highest profile and most sought after coaches in ultra marathon running, David Roche delivers novel approaches to training athletes that may help you as much as they've helped his runners.

An overview of the best predictors of ultra endurance performance from the world's leading expert. The data may surprise you...

Soup to nuts on our current understanding of recovery from one of the scientific leaders in the field. Dr. Peake is a colleague of Dr. Neubauer, who was on last episode (#48), discussing the immune system in recovery. Today we broaden the discussion and talk about the other knowns and unknowns on the topic.

Think the immune system just helps to keep us from getting sick or recover from illness? Think again...

Dr. Andrew Murray is a Scottish ultra-distance runner, family medicine practitioner, and author of 'Running Your Best: Some Science and Medicine' and 'Running Beyond Limits: The Adventures of an Ultra Marathon Runner'. Today we sit down for a chat about best practices in staying healthy and making physical activity part of your life for better training gains.

Legendary geneticist Claude Bouchard, PhD joined me for a pragmatic discussion. In discussion of genetics, the focus is often on the genetic outliers and extremes of potential. While that's always fun, today's discussion is focused on what we know that is relevant to you. Dr. Bouchard is THE living legend in the field of the genetic underpinnings of responses to exercise; his group literally invented the field that seeks to understand variability in exercise responses to training at the genetic level.

Author of 'The Ultra Mindset', Travis Macy, sits down with us to discuss the book and share his insights into mental side of our sport.

This week I interviewed Bob Kenefick PhD and we outline a strategy for you to develop your approach to staying properly hydrated - actionable info!

In this week’s episode, I sat down with Mike Wardian. He's one of the most prolific runners on planet Earth. As this episode airs, he’s traveling the world to complete seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. He’s a font of information on how to be successful while making running a lifestyle. And, yes, he actually has a ‘regular job’. How does he do it? Listen and learn.

Everything you need to know for optimal protein nutrition to maximize your training and adaption. Dr. van Loon joins us from the Netherlands where he leads a large and outstanding research group. He's the world's leading expert on this topic. How much, when, what about sex differences, what about aging, right after training, what about over night...we cover it all!

Everything you need to know about the fundamentals of biomechanics as they relate to injury in runners. Lots of actionable info in this one!

We dive into Dr. Kram's research on biomechanics and energy utilization, running economy, and the things you need to pay attention to as well as what you don't.

A comprehensive conversation with elite ultra runner Stephanie Howe Violett, PhD where we talk about her year of injuries, her approaches to injury recovery and to training, and her expertise (PhD) in sports nutrition.

What do you mean when you use the word 'training'? Today, we start a project, together, to create a training framework.

Recent research findings from research at the Western States Endurance Run on gastrointestinal distress.

Findings from recent research on recovery practices and their effectiveness for ultra marathon finishers.

The myth of adrenal fatigue.

Western States champion (2015), Magdalena Boulet, joins me for an amazing episode. Learn all the ins and outs of her training, racing approaches, nutrition strategies, and much more!

Roundtable discussion with three coaches (Paul Lind, Andrew Simmons, Ty Draney) recorded on location, including audience questions.

Ian Torrence has complete nearly 200 ultra distance events and has won approximately 25% of them. He has important advice to give regarding longevity in the sport and approaches to DNFing that you need to hear if you want to be successful in this sport for years to come.

You are an endurance runner. So, what's the point in doing high intensity interval training (HIIT)? Whether you are new to endurance running or a seasoned veteran, you will benefit from HIIT. We explore how, what, when, and why in this episode.

Learn how to prepare for performance in the heat and how heat acclimation can actually improve your performance in moderate temperatures.

Ben Levine, MD is among the legends of exercise cardiology and altitude physiology in sport performance. It is an honor to have him join the Ultra Clan for this amazing interview, packed with heaps of evidence-based, applicable, relevant, and actionable knowledge.

Today, I shine the spotlight on Mathew Laye, PhD. He is a scientist, coach, and athlete. As winner of the Rocky Raccoon 100 miler, along with his scientific and coaching background, he brings a rare mix of all three areas of expertise in ultra marathon training and racing to the show.

A double episode. Interviews with cardiologists Larry Creswell M.D. and Aaron Baggish M.D. They are at the forefront of heart health in endurance athletes. Is ultra marathon running okay for your heart? Listen and learn.

My guest today has had a life of endurance, persistence, adventure and exploration that we can all learn from. My guest is Terri Schneider. She was a professional triathlete for nine years, has raced multi-day eco-adventures around the planet, and is an ultra marathon veteran. We explore her life of endurance pursuits through the lens of her recent book, Dirty Inspirations: Lessons from the trenches of extreme endurance sports.

This week, we explore the ins and outs of economical running. Learn what you can do to improve yours and to what extent it will make a difference in your performance.

My guest today is Michael Gervais, PhD. He has been described as an industry visionary. Dr. Gervais is a licensed psychologist who focuses most of his time on people at the "top of their game", including the NFL's Seattle Seahawks, NBA players, Olympians, military personnel and corporate leaders. While spending years in the trenches of high-stakes circumstances, he has developed clarity for the tools that allow people to pursue their potential.

My guest today is John VonHof. He literally wrote the book on foot care for the athlete, Fixing Your Feet. You can learn more from him on his website, http://www.fixingyourfeet.com Today we dig into all the essential components of good foot care, from shoe fitting to blister care. We wrap up by defining the essential features of a good minimalist foot care kit for your next run or adventure.

My guest this week is Max King. He won the 2011 World Mountain Running Championships and the 2014 IAU 100 km World Championship. He’s won numerous national titles at distances ranging from half marathons to ultra marathons and he was named U.S. national mountain runner of the year in 2011. He is a back-to-back winner of the Warrior Dash world championship, winning in 2014 and 2015. Also, in 2014 he tackled his first 100 mile race, the legendary and extremely competitive Western States 100 mile Endurance Run where he finished 4th.

An incredible episode on psychological fatigue. Is fatigue in ultra endurance performance mostly in your mind? What can you do to stay psychologically motivated to keep going? Listen and learn on today's episode with the pioneering experts on this topic.

My guest today is Daniel Lieberman, PhD Dr. Lieberman is Professor and Chair of the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, and the Edwin M. Lerner II Professor of Biological Sciences at Harvard University. He was educated at Harvard and Cambridge. He studies how and why the human body is the way it is, and the relevance of human evolution to contemporary health. His major research foci include the evolution of long distance walking and running abilities as well as the effects of shoes on locomotor biomechanics and injury; he also studies the evolution of the highly unusual human head. His work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and many other groups and foundations. He has ongoing fieldwork projects in Kenya and Mexico. In addition to over 130 peer-reviewed research articles, he’s published several books including "The Evolution of the Human Head (Harvard University Press, 2011), and “The Story of the Human Body” (Pantheon, 2013). If you’ve read the book “Born to Run”, then you’re already familiar with his work because that title was actually the title of a cover in the journal Nature that featured his research well before the book of the same title; and my guest is a major figure in the book itself.   In this episode, we explore the evolution of running, the biomechanics of barefoot running, and what shoe cushioning is and does for (and to) us. We make the distinction among barefoot, minimalist, and cushioned shoes and learn about the interesting effect of barefoot running, and possibly minimalist shoe running, on normalizing foot arches.   As always, we wrap up with some actionable answers to fundamental questions in barefoot running when I ask Dr. Lieberman,   What are the most common misconceptions you see in the running community with respect to barefoot vs shod running? Based on all your research, are their compelling reasons to consider barefoot or minimalist running from an endurance performance standpoint? Is there any reason to think that someone running ultra marathons would perform better or be less injury prone by switching to barefoot or minimalist running if fully and properly adapted. Should runners pay attention to their foot strike or should they just let their bodies do what’s comfortable and allow natural biomechanical adjustments to develop without conscious input?

My guest today is Louise Burke, PhD Dr. Burke is Head of Discipline in Sports Nutrition for the Australian Institute of Sport. She is also Chair in Sports Nutrition, Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University. She served as Team dietitian for the Australian Olympic team for the past 5 Olympics ( specifically in: 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012). Her long list of peer-reviewed publications have been cited nearly 4,000 times. She is the author of the books Practical Sports Nutrition and Clinical Sports Nutrition. She is one of the top sports nutrition experts on the planet and she is a world leading expert on today’s topic of fat adaptation in endurance sport training and performance.   How much hype and hyperbole have you heard on the topic of fat adaptation in endurance performance? How often have you wanted the rigorous answers to specific questions on whether the science truly bears out this approach? Within the ultra marathon community, the idea of adapting substrate sources to prefer fat is a very popular topic. The idea is that a higher percentage use of fat will spare glycogen and thereby improve performance in an endurance event. Basically, the intent is to delay running out of internal stores of carbohydrate because it may be challenging to ingest and absorb carbohydrates at a rate that can keep up with use in an ultra marathon.   Today, Dr. Burke helps us understand the history of this topic and cuts straight to the unbiased exploration of the currently available data. Note that this idea has been around for a long time and it’s current popularity is a renaissance of previous waves of enthusiasm. What’s the real skinny on fat adaptation? This episode covers it all, including best practice guidelines for your top performance.   Our wrap-up action items today are the answers to: What are the most common mistakes Dr. Burke sees ultra endurance athletes making with their overall nutrition? And, what should you be doing? What would she say to an ultra endurance athlete interested in training and performing at their best today, regarding fat adapting diets?      

My guest today is Michael Joyner, MD. He would need no introduction in the field of exercise physiology. Dr. Joyner is an integrative physiologist, scientist, and evidence-based Anesthesiologist at the Mayo Clinic. His specific areas of expertise include autonomic control of circulation, muscle and skin blood flow, exercise, oxygen transport and metabolic regulation in humans. Additionally, much of his lab’s work in these areas includes the study of aging. This work has been continuously funded by the NIH since the early 1990s. The list of his awards and honors is lengthy; suffice it to say that he has received many of the highest awards in the fields of physiology, medicine, and exercise. Most scientists would feel they had a worthy career with 2 or 3 seminal papers on a subject. My guest today has a list of seminal publications longer than many scientists complete lists. Dr. Joyner published over 350 scientific papers, and many books and book chapters; with many thousands of citations. Simply put, Dr. Joyner is one of the most influential figures in modern exercise science, from molecules & mechanisms to health advocacy. He is also an avid runner.   Later in the interview, you get a glimpse into his knowledge base in the history of running and runners. He rattles off runners and other elite athletes, their ages, and times of performance over many decades. This breadth and depth of knowledge allows him to bring to you amazing insights and many thoughtful ideas….including a haiku!   You can connect with Dr. Joyner at: His website on Human Limits of Performance Twitter: @DrMJoyner His clinical profile at the Mayo Clinic   Dr. Joyner answers many questions, including:   What are the definition(s) of fatigue? How does ‘fatigue’ differ from ‘tired’ and where do they overlap physiologically. What are the causes of fatigue in extreme cases or high intensity: occlusion of blood flow, max sprint, constant effort at ~maximal lactate steady state (fatigue in about an hour or two)? When we talk about VO2max, we generally consider the cardiovascular system - delivery of oxygen-rich blood - as the major limiting factor based on the knowledge that isolated muscle (like in single leg lifts) can consume more oxygen per 100 grams than that same tissue does at whole body VO2max. Is there a role of the cardiovascular system in exhaustion if we maintain fluid and electrolyte homeostasis? Muscle micro-trauma is likely to be a major cause of fatigue in ultras. First, what exactly is the muscle trauma and damage that is occurring during ultra marathons? Second, is this likely to be a major source of fatigue? What is the physiological basis of cardiac drift and does it have a role in fatigue or exhaustion? Fatigue is very complicated when we consider running ultra marathons. What can we say are likely contributors? Are there any factors that might be contributors in higher intensity effort that are not likely to contribute to fatigue in an ultra marathon? What do we know about aging an endurance performance relevant to fatigue? In longer events, we are likely to become relatively depleted of stored glycogen before the end of the race. If our event lasts hours…perhaps many hours…longer, and we can consume and absorb 60-90 g of carbohydrates per hour - will substrate availability contribute to fatigue even if we slow down enough to match energy intake with utilization? In other words, is there anything about being in the depleted state for a long period of time (muscle cells contracting with little internal carbohydrate) that shifts efficiency so as to contribute to fatigue? What do we know about the nature of systemic feedback signals to the brain that may contribute to fatigue/exhaustion in ultras? What do we know about the brain and motivational fatigue in events that require moderate effort for many hours, over night, and some times even multi-day? What role does sleep deprivation play in fatigue/exhaustion?   We develop a list of the expected common or primary predicted sources of fatigue/exhaustion in ultra events.   We wrap up with two action questions. What are the most common misunderstandings for misconceptions about fatigue and exhaustion in ultra endurance performance? What are the 3-4 most important actions we can take to stave off fatigue or exhaustion in an ultra endurance event (what can we do about the most common causes)?

My guest today is Jennifer Pharr Davis. She is an author, speaker, and a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year. Jennifer is among the most well known of American long distance hikers. She holds the record for the women’s FKT for a thru-hike of the Appalachian trail; a record which was the overall outright record for several years and fell by only 3 hrs 12 minutes in the summer of 2015. She has hiked over 12,000 miles on six different continents, including thru-hikes on the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail (three times), the Colorado Trail, the Long Trail in Vermont, the Bibbulmun Track in Australia, and numerous trails in Europe and South America, including the Tour du Mont Blanc, which ultra marathon runners will be familiar with. Connect with Jennifer: 1) On the trail! 2) Facebook: Jennifer Pharr Davis 3) Twitter and Instagram: JenPharrDavis 4) Her company: BlueRidgeHikingCo.com 5) Books: Becoming Odyssa and Called Again: A Story of Love and Triumph She answered many questions on this in depth interview, including: You hiked that AT in 2005, 2008, and the overall record setting year 2011. Your first women’s record of the trail in 2008 was a bit over 57 days; in 2011 you destroyed that record and did the trail in a bit over 46 days. How did that enormous improvement come about? Would you describe the demands of a long-distance thru-hike? Granted that weather can have a big impact, what does a ‘typical’ day look like for a long distance thru hiker? Are you ever running/jogging during a thru-hike or is it all hiking? Tell us about your training for a thru-hike. In your experience, would a 3-4+ week thru-hike be good training for ultra marathons of 100 miles or longer? How do you handle sleep deprivation, or functioning on little sleep, for weeks on end? Tell us about your nutrition for a thru-hike. Tell us about your foot care on a thru-hike. You wrote an article recently for the New York Times for which you explored the topic of sex differences, or lack thereof, in ultra distance events. Tell us about that. Tell us about the psychological demands of a major thru-hike. As an exceptional, experienced, and accomplished ultra-endurance athlete, you have surely had some very dark moments (mentally). Would you take us to back to your darkest experience, tell us that story and how you handled it? We wrapped up with some advice for ultra marathon runners interested in tackling a thru-hike.

My guest today is Patrick Wilson, PhD and RD. He is Assistant Professor of exercise science in the Human Movement Sciences Department at Old Dominion University, in Norfolk, VA, where he also directs the Human Performance Laboratory. He earned a Ph.D. in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota, where he also received training in the areas of public health and epidemiology. He completed his post-doctoral research training at the Nebraska Athletic Performance Laboratory, specializing in sport nutrition applications for collegiate athletes. And, he is also credentialed as a registered dietitian.    He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications covering a wide variety of sport nutrition-related topics. He has conducted both laboratory- and field-based research examining the effects of nutrition on endurance exercise performance, including the effects of carbohydrate composition on gastrointestinal distress and performance during prolonged running. His studies have included marathon runners, ultra-endurance runners, and Ironman competitors.   In this episode, we cover all the angles on gastrointestinal (GI) distress as it applies to ultra runners. You learn the major factors that influence GI distress and how to maximize your chances of keeping your GI tract happy.   In the wrap-up, he answers two key questions. 1. What is the biggest mistake athletes make regarding food/drink intake and GI distress? 2. What take-home recommendation would you give for athletes to reduce their chances of developing GI distress in ultra events?

William is a 62 year old British and Scottish international athlete and has set 160 ultra distance running records (from 30 miles on the track to 3100 miles/ 5000 kms on the road) at World, British and Scottish level including age-group records.

Science of Ultra   Episode 13   Carbohydrates for ultra marathon training and racing   My guest today is Asker Jeukendrup, PhD. He is a leading sports nutritionist and exercise physiologist who spent most of his career at the University of Birmingham (UK), where he was a Professor of Exercise Metabolism and Director of Research. He worked the last 4 years for PepsiCo as Global Senior Director of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute Based in Barrington IL (US). He is currently running a consulting business “Mysportscience” and is a visiting professor at Loughborough University. During his career he authored over 200 research papers and book chapters, many of which have helped to change the sports nutrition landscape. He is also the author of 8 books. He is the former editor of the European Journal of Sport Science and Associate editor of the Journal of Sports Sciences. During his career he worked with many elite athletes and teams including several World and Olympic champions. He also practices what he preaches and is competing in Ironman distance triathlons as well as other endurance events. To date he has completed 21 Ironman races including 6 times at the Ironman world Championship in Hawaii.    You can connect with Dr. Jeukendrup: www.mysportscience.com Twitter @jeukendrup   Here are some of the questions Dr. Jeukendrup answers: On a daily basis, what are the carbohydrate needs of an ultra endurance athlete? How many calories can most people digest and absorb per hour when running? What is the fate of consumed carbohydrate relative to stores while exercising? What are the key factors to be considered with respect to the carbohydrates during a long event that may last 24 hrs? Can we predict when relative glycogen depletion might occur in an ultra marathon? What should we consider when we are choosing specific high-carbohydrate foods? What are the key issues to consider relative to the timing of carbohydrate intake prior to, during, and following training workouts? What about timing of carbohydrate consumption for a race event? Is glycemic index of a given food different when running vs at rest? For those who don’t like sweet tastes while exercising or late in races, what are the sources of simple carbs that don’t taste sweet? Are there data, or any good reason to expect, that any aspect of carbohydrate digestion/optimal sources/etc. will change over the course of an ultra marathon? Does carbohydrate physiology change when we go way beyond the better understood distance of marathon?  Is consumption of foods that contain protein, fat, or fiber a concern in light of effects on gastric emptying? When we consume carbohydrate during a run but prior to reaching very low levels of glycogen in muscle and liver, are those calories used more/less/equally to stored muscle glycogen? Can carbohydrate consumption keep us from reaching a muscle and/or liver glycogen depleted state? What is the relation between carbohydrates (type, source, complexity?) and likelihood of GI distress? Tell us about the topic of ‘fat adaptation’ to spare glycogen. From my reading and understanding, there is no good evidence that fat adaptation provides any benefit to endurance performance and it may even impair higher intensity performance (like going uphill) by not ‘sparing’ glycogen but rather by ‘impairing’ glycogen utilization…that apparent sparing may actually be a side effect of impaired utilization. How does caffeine ingestion interact with endogenous and exogenous substrate utilization? GI distress late in a race makes it difficult for some people to retain any calories they might swallow. Tell us about this interesting topic of ‘mouth sensing’ and what it might do for us in that situation.   We wrap up with a couple of focused action items:   1) What are the 2-3 biggest mistakes or misconceptions that you see endurance athletes make regarding carbohydrate and fueling for performance?  2) What advice do you have for runners wanting to dial in their carbohydrate strategies (maximizing calories, best sources for them, etc.) for training and racing?                 

My guest today is Cody Lind. He's sponsored by Scott and, at age 20, is a rising start in the ultra marathon community. He set five course records and placed second in the U.S. Sky Running Series. We talk about his training, racing, and his perspectives on running. From big weekly mileage to big weekly vertical, Cody trains hard. Learn about his special connection to the Western States 100 mile Endurance Run and what it takes for even a gifted runner to do well in Sky Running in the U.S.

My guest today is Stuart Phillips, Ph.D. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Waterloo in Human Physiology. He joined McMaster University in 1999 as an Assistant Professor and is currently a full Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Medicine. He is also the inaugural Director of the McMaster Centre for Nutrition, Exercise, and Health Research. His research is focused on the impact of nutrition and exercise on human protein turnover, specifically in muscle. He is also interested in how exercise and protein impact body composition, strength, and function in aging. His research is funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, the National Science and Engineering Council of Canada, the US Department of Agriculture, and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation. He has authored more than 190 research papers and several newspaper and magazine articles.   In this episode, we learn:   What are the overall (daily) protein needs of endurance athletes, and will this differ for ultra marathon runners? Does it matter if we get it throughout the day vs mostly at one or two meals? Does our daily average need to be daily or can it average over days?   Is there a protein hunger, per se, that is reliable and will we self regulate sufficiently? What is protein used for in an endurance athlete? How much protein is used for energy /ATP? What do we know, or can we expect about protein needs and use during and following an ultra? Is protein immediately before, during, or immediately after training handled differently? Is it beneficial to consume protein immediately after a training bout? Are there adverse effects of excess protein? Are all proteins equal?   And, as always, we what up with an advice question:   What advice might he give to an ultra marathon runner concerned with their protein intake?  

It is defensible to say that no molecule has as much controversy and misunderstanding in all of exercise physiology and sports than lactate.   We start with the basics: Where do lactate and lactic acid come from - how is it produced? What happens to lactate / lactic acid once it is produced - what is it’s fate? We go through some common statements and talk about what’s correct and what is not: "Lactic acid build up is what causes muscle burn." "Lactic acid stays in muscle and causes soreness." "Doing some sort of stretching, massage, or exercise will ‘wash out’ lactic acid from a prior training session." "Now the big one: lactic acid build up causes fatigue." The ‘lactate threshold’ has had many definitions. These are as disparate as the onset of blood lactic acidosis to the maximal lactate steady state - very different exercise intensities with regard to endurance performance. Dr. Gladden gives us a brief history and explanation. Gas exchange is a different topic but many attempts have been made to correlate gas exchange thresholds with lactate thresholds and, ultimately, performance capacity thresholds. This is a big topic area, but Dr. Gladden briefly relates gas exchange concepts/thresholds to definitions of lactate thresholds. We learn the answer to: Is it necessary to exercise at or above the lactate threshold (whichever definition one uses) to increase it or can sub-LT exercise improve the LT? There is controversy over the source of H+ (hydrogen ions; protons) in exercise ‘acidosis’. Does it come from lactic acid, splitting of ATP, or some other source? While the maximal lactate steady state is at least a rough idea of the work load that can be sustained for a ‘long time’, ultra marathons last 4-5 hours on the short side and 24-36 hours in the longer events. How long can the workload of MLSS really be sustained even if every other aspect of performance (hydration, core temp, etc.) could be maintained perfectly? If lactate / lactic acid doesn’t cause fatigue and the MLSS is not sustainable for ultra marathon distances, to what extent is lactate / lactic acid relevant for ultra marathon training or performance?   We wrap up with two questions as take-home points:   1. What is the biggest misunderstanding that endurance athletes have about lactate / lactic acid? And, what is correct? 2. What advice does Dr. Gladden give to an ultra marathon athlete interested in their LT to apply to their training for ultra marathons?

My guest today is Luke Nelson. This episode was recorded on location at the Pocatello Running Co. in Pocatello, Idaho, USA. Luke is the race director for the Scout Mountain Ultra Trail race in Pocatello (held in early June each year). He is a Physician Assistant with a full time job. He is the 2012 US Ski Mountaineering Champion. He won El Vaquero Loco seven years in a row and he is a winner of the Big Horn 100. He’s an Ambassador for La Sportive, Patagonia, and Ultraspire. He’s sponsored by First Endurance and Smith.   Luke tells us all about his training, his experiences over the past year, his approach and experience to the mental side of our sport, and what 2016 has in store. He is a phenomenal athlete and an exceptionally kind and generous person, committed to promoting and preserving wild places. You’re going to love this episode.

My guest today is Jason Koop Director of coaching for Carmichael Training Systems His list of athletes includes some of the biggest names in ultra running but also people like you and me. And, as an accomplished ultra runner himself, he knows first hand all that goes into performing in our sport.   Jason Koop is back…and he answers some very direct questions, like: In our last episode with Jason, episode 3, he explained his overall approach to training as transitioning from the least race-specific workouts to the most race-specific. A listener might question then, what is the reason for training short interval high intensity far out from a race at all? How does THAT benefit the overall plan and training? There are proponents of always training below LT, basically training at race pace or lower year 'round. What are Jason's thoughts on that and what are the physiological mistakes in that approach?  In the fall, many people are thinking about planning the following year. What should we consider as we question which races we sign up for, especially considering necessary recover time between races? How does he monitor athletes for signs of over-fatigue on a short time frame and over the course of a season? What is the physiological basis for doing recovery runs (rather than just taking the day off), and how should recovery runs be implemented in the course of a weekly plan? How does Jason monitor for progress and improvements during a training plan and how does he know it’s time to move on to the next phase of training? How long is the final phase (‘aerobic’) of training, optimally? In that final phase, where we are most race specific, what would we expect to be a weekly volume (distance or time) relative to the goal race and how should that volume be distributed throughout a week? Physiologically, why not divide the desired weekly volume evenly over 6 days, with one day off…what is the distinct benefit of more and less on different days in this final phase? The big race is now a few weeks away. How do we balance loss of preparedness from tapering with race readiness - what is an effective tapering strategy for shorter ultras like 50k to longer events, like 100 miler?   Plus, Jason answers two  high impact questions…are you ready? What are the 2 most common mistakes that you see in athletes prior training when they first hire you? What are the 3-4 key action items that we can put into practice right away to improve our training?  

My guests today are veterans of Science of Ultra; they joined me in Episode 4.LISTEN TO THAT EPISODE (#4) FIRST IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY. Today we continue our series with them on all things sweating, hydration, electrolytes, and fluid balance.    Up first is Team Leader of the Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division at the US. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (aka USARIEM). In addition to his doctorate in exercise physiology, he is also a registered dietician. My first guest is Dr. Sam Cheuvront. My second guest is Principal Investigator in the Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division at USARIEM. He served as the president of the New England Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine. And, he is an ultra marathon runner himself. So, he knows first hand what it takes to achieve in our sport. My second guest is Dr. Robert Kenefick. Collectively, my guests have published over 200 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and reviews. They are two of the world’s leading scientists in hydration and fluid homeostasis, especially during exercise.    They work for the U.S. Army. So, we must provide the disclaimer that "The views and/or opinions of Dr.'s Kenefick and Cheuvront are theirs personally and do not reflect the views or opinions of the U.S. Army or DoD."   In the first part of this series, episode 4, we focused on the physiology of fluid and electrolyte balance. That episode is packed with fundamental physiology and what we talk about in this episode builds on what we covered in episode 4. So, you’ll benefit most from this episode if you’ve listened to that episode.   In this episode, we’re focusing on: FLUID BALANCE AND THERMOREGULATION WHILE PLANNING FOR PERFORMANCE   Quick background: We sweat to put water on the surface of our skin, which evaporates to the environment. The transition from liquid to gas requires a large amount of energy; sweating cools us because that energy comes in the form of heat, which is drawn from our skin. Sweat that drips off of us, does not provide that cooling benefit. Either way, that fluid loss eventually impacts all three body fluid compartments, which are 1) blood plasma, 2) intracellular (inside cells), and 3) interstitial (outside cells but not including blood).   Listen and learn the answers to these questions: We start with a scenario: I go for a long run and during the run my urine is dark; after the run I try to replace fluids by drinking plenty the rest of the day and by bedtime, my urine is a much lighter color. But, when I wake up in the morning, it’s dark again…what’s going on? What is the time-frame for fluid/electrolyte shifts among body compartments? As we sweat, the fluid and electrolytes initially come from the interstitial compartment, specifically around the glands near the surface of our skin. As we run and sweat…what do we know about fluid shifts and electrolyte shifts across the three body compartments during prolonged exercise. Another example, I run and take water = regular urination and clear; drink electrolyte solution = less urination and darker…we talked about the physiology of this in episode 4 but now, putting a real world example to the physiology, what’s happening to me in those cases?   Then we move into specific preparation for performance   Dr. Kenefick is an ultra runner and a leading expert on this topic, plus he has access to all resources for measurement and testing. He must never have any problem with fluid and hydration...right? Once in a while, we hear advocates of ‘bonk’ runs where one would purposefully dehydrate or go out without water. Clearly, this can be very very dangerous and we recommend against doing bonk runs. Out of curiosity, thought, is there any evidence that we can train in a way that will help us to perform better in a dehydrated or low volume state? Keeping ALL ELSE EQUAL, what are the practical, relative effects of each of the following on sweating: long clothing vs short vs nothing (same material - just different coverage), tightness of clothing, type of material, color of material? What are the definitions of adaptation, acclimation, acclimatization? What does it mean to be acclimatized to a hot environment with respect to body fluids, hydration, and sweating? What are best practices for preparing to race in warmer environments? Exercise, sauna,…? What is the recommended protocol for acclimation to heat in preparation for an event? What is the time-course of gain and loss of heat acclimation? When we plan for thermal stress from the environment, we must consider not only temperature but other factors such as wind, sun exposure, and humidity. Let’s say that we have gone through the acclimation protocol. Is there a cut off temperature/thermal stress range, below which, there is no benefit to performance. How can we gauge whether going through the protocol will be of benefit? Specifically thinking about what’s going on during running: at what body temperature do we begin to sweat and where on the body do we sweat first, most, etc.? Should we be concerned about gear placement (e.g., hydration pack vs waste belt) with regard to efficient sweating and cooling? E.g., would we expect any appreciable difference in fluid loss or cooling over time for someone wearing a hydration pack vs waist belt vs none or handheld bottles. To what extent does carrying extra weight affect sweat loss due to the extra work of carrying it; e.g., as much as 5 lbs for some full hydration packs vs 1 lb or so for a full handheld.    LINK TO FLUID REPLACEMENT IN EXERCISE POSITION STAND OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SPORTS MEDICINE (ACSM)   LINK TO ALL ACSM POSITION STANDS   Many people have the idea that, while running, ‘if they are continuing to urinate and it isn’t very dark, then they are probably OK’. We’ve established that watching urine color - DURING exercise - is not a reliable method for monitoring hydration status. So, “How can I monitor myself for appropriate fluid replacement and maintenance during an ultra marathon (or during a long training)?”    Our wrap up, big money question today...WHAT’S THE ANSWER?                  

My guest today is Scott Trappe, PhD   Dr. Trappe is the Director of the Human Performance Laboratory and John and Janice Fisher Endowed Chair in Exercise Science at Ball State University. He received his undergraduate training at the University of Northern Iowa where he was captain of the swim team. He worked for US Swimming at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs while obtaining his  M.S. at the University of Colorado. His PhD training was with Dr. David Costill at Ball State University followed by post-doctoral training in muscle physiology with Dr. Robert Fitts at Marquette University. For the past 20 years, he has been working with NASA to help optimize the exercise prescription for astronauts.  His work has also been supported by the NIH. Concurrent to the work with NASA, he’s conducted exercise training studies in older adults, aging athletes and various college and elite athletes. Using a whole body to gene approach, he and his colleagues have gained a better understanding of muscle plasticity. He is an expert in the area of adaptations to training and to disuse - or detraining. And, he joins us today to talk about that plasticity, specifically in the area of balancing training with detraining as it may apply to tapering.   In today’s episode Dr. Trappe and I talk about training adaptations, then detraining, then put those together to come to some conclusions about the tapering period where we try to balance these.   The questions I posed to Dr. Trappe include:   Training Genetics. There was a belief that genetics provide each person with a particular range of possibility and that there is a limit set by those genetics for each person such that one person’s maximal potential may be below another’s lower spectrum. Is that correct and to what degree do genetics compare with training for our endurance capacity. What is the time-course for the various adaptations: capillarity, mitochondrial capacity, power, neuromuscular control, etc.? [for clarity, capillarity is the density of capillary blood vessels within skeletal muscle - which is important for oxygen and nutrient delivery ; mitochondrial capacity is the sum of the tools a cell uses for generating ATP while utilizing oxygen] - it will vary based on the volume and intensity but we talk generally about the components. What components continue to develop over years of training and what components of adaptation to endurance are maximized, if any, relatively early (like in the first year or so of regular serious training) - e.g., we don’t continue increasing capillarity indefinitely. Training prescriptions are often designed so that a given hard day of training is maximized while still low enough in density so that the next training day (perhaps 2 days later) can be completed with equivalent volume/intensity. How do we optimize this - there is a spectrum - steady runs every day vs very hard one day that takes many days to recover from…how do we plan for the balance so that we are making the fastest, steady gains in endurance capacity? Some prescription plans cycle three weeks increasing in density (volume or intensity or combination), then back off for a week, then start over with a little increase. Graphically this might look like three steps up and one down, repeat. How does this approach compare to backing off slightly in those three weeks and not stepping down in the fourth week - evening out the 4 weeks so that there is a persistent increase in training density over time. Any benefit of one approach over the other? Cross-training: physiologically useful or can we get more out of staying 100% sport specific and tailoring the workouts carefully (to avoid injury and boredom)? When we evaluate training, the goal is to maximize adaptable stimulus and provide sufficient environment for adaptation. To what extent do easy days (recovery runs) layer onto the stimulus for adaptation: is there a stoking effect that keeps the stimulus maintained until the next tough workout OR do recovery runs somehow promote a more beneficial adaptation environment - where do recovery runs sit in the balance equation of stimulate/adapt? …what do we know about the specific mechanisms of the benefits of easy days (recovery runs) between hard workouts?   Detraining For an endurance runner with capacity X or Y, what is the minimum stimulus required to maintain what they’ve developed; surely this varies for the different components from neuromuscular coordination and control, through muscle bioenergetics…but what do we know about maintaining capacity? Trail running, and many or most ultra marathons are on trails, require both endurance and an endurance in power - due to the elevation changes, both up and down hills. Are these capacities different from a muscle tissue perspective…flat ground endurance vs mountain hills endurance? Do those capacities detrain differently?   Balancing Training Adaptation with Detraining Promoting recovery while resisting losses is the fundamental issue at play in the period called tapering. Whatever you call it, it is the final days or maybe weeks as we approach a key race or event. What are the best practices for tapering for endurance events - what works, what doesn’t? Recovery required from races - 50k-100mile+ all can take a substantial toll on muscle tissue both structurally and functionally. When muscle is trashed - not a lot has been studied in the specific context of ultra marathons but we do know about repeated eccentric loading [eccentric is contraction while a muscle is lengthening - as is required of the quadriceps while running downhill] - what elements of muscle function recover the fastest and what takes the longest to recover? Considerations for races in quick succession (e.g., 100k-100mile 4-6 weeks apart, or 50k 2-3 weeks apart)?   We wrap up with two specific questions: What are the biggest mistakes that Dr. Trappe sees distance runners make in their tapering plans? What three key messages of advice does Dr. Trappe have for ultra marathon runners with regard to tapering?   Should ultra runners use standup desks at work?   LISTEN AND LEARN THE ANSWERS TO THESE PLUS SO MUCH MORE...  

My guest today Ian Sharman   He is part of a small group in the ultra community - he is both a successful coach with his own coaching company and he’s an elite ultra marathon runner. In 2013 he set the record holder for the fastest Grand Slam of Ultra Running. Since Jan 2014 he has won 6 ultra marathons. AND, he has also earned a top-10 finish all 6 times he has run the Western States 100. So far, in 2015, he has won both Rocky Racoon (which he also won in 2011) and the Leadville 100 (which he also won in 2013).    I dig into Ian’s approaches and philosophies in coaching to learn: About his current athlete load and how he trains. His overall framework of training prescription - the macro-view (philosophy) to training for ultra marathons.   He also answers questions like: How and when, in a season, do you focus on long runs? How and when, in a season, do you prescribe high intensity workouts - what is the benefit relative to ultra performance? When, if ever, is cross training appropriate? What’s the benefit? There are many terms for training features, like ‘speed work’, tempo, striders, fartleks, 2 per day, back-to-back, etc. Do these play a roll in your training prescriptions - how/why/why not? What might a week of training look like 10 months from a key event (e.g., Leadville 100) vs 1 month out? Do you use a HR monitor with your athletes? What is your approach to monitoring or ensuring that training is balanced with the right amount of recovery; monitoring for over-fatigue or over-training? Recovery runs vs days off? Tapering; how do you approach tapering with your athletes?   We wrap up with two specific questions for the Ultra Clan What are the two most common mistakes that Ian sees in prior training plans when an athlete first comes to hire him as a coach? What three specific action items of advice would he give to us that we can make sure we have in place to optimize our training or racing today?   AND MUCH MORE…

My guests today are Dr. Sam Cheuvront and Dr. Robert Kenefick Two of the world’s leading scientists in hydration and fluid homeostasis Going in alphabetical order,  My first guest is Research Physiologist and Team Leader of the Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division at the US. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (also known as USARIEM). His research includes the study of environmental and nutritional factors influencing human work performance. He is a leader in the fields of human fluid needs, dehydration assessment, heat stress mitigation, and exercise thermoregulation. He’s published over 100 -peer-reviewed papers and book chapters. Our first guest is Sam Cheuvront, PhD, RD My second guest is Principal Investigator in the Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division at USARIEM. He has published over 90 peer-reviewed manuscripts, book chapters AND reviews on fluid homeostasis and the physiological responses to environmental stress. He served as the president of the New England Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine and received their Honor Award in 2012. He is also part of the Ultra Clan as an ultra marathon runner himself. Our second guest is Robert Kenefick, PhD. My guests work for the U.S. Army. So, we must provide the disclaimer that "The views and/or opinions of Dr.'s Kenefick and Cheuvront are theirs personally and do not reflect the views or opinions of the U.S. Army or DoD." Part 1: BASIC PHYSIOLOGY - FLUID & ELECTROLYTE BALANCE This episode is the first in a two part series on fluids, hydration, and electrolyte physiology pertaining to ultra marathon running. We’re starting with the basics and progressing to specific application. In this episode, you'll learn the answers to: What are the major body fluid and compartments and definitions the major relevant terms (de/eu/hyperhydration, hyper/hypovolemia)? What are the mechanisms/routes and quantities of water loss? How much water does a person need each day? Drinking to thirst - is it sufficient, like you hear commonly? (spoiler: NO!) How much salt is lost in sweat - only sodium? To what extent does this change throughout the time-course of an ultra marathon? What’s in sweat and what are ranges of rates and composition in running? During exercise, the majority of water gained is in the form of what we drink. But we have heard about getting water also from the breakdown of stored glycogen. Is this accurate? How can we expand our plasma volume? When do we need (and not need) an electrolyte-containing drink either during or after exercise? What is needed in an electrolyte drink beyond sodium? Hyponatremia; should it be a concern for most ultra marathon runners?  When does a runner need to consciously add sodium, beyond just following cravings? AND MUCH MORE...  

My guest today is Marty Hoffman, M.D.   All about the history and current topics of research at Western States Endurance Runs (WSER). Hyponatremia at WSER Learn the answer to, "Is sodium supplementation necessary to avoid dehydration during prolonged exercise in the heat?”. What do we know today about the long term health of ultra-endurance runners? Is ultra marathon running bad for us AND WHY IT MAY NOT EVEN MATTER? Learn the most important take-home action items from research at WSER that you can put into practice TODAY! Find out how you can get involved in research at WSER. http://www.wser.org/research/ AND SO MUCH MORE...   http://scienceofultra.com  

This is the introduction episode, where I tell you about myself and the origin of Science of Ultra, a podcast for ultra marathon runners.