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1. Sport's eating disorder crisis: The time is now to treat elite athletes like human beings:
An athlete’s health is worth its weight in gold. An athlete’s worth isn’t just weight and gold.
The facts don’t lie: athletes are more likely than the general populace to suffer with an eating disorder.
But in an industry revolving around the cold, hard, impersonal statistics of medal totals, goal tallies, kilograms lifted, distance covered and punches thrown, are the fundamentally human struggles of mental health problems such as eating disorders forgotten along the way?
More...from Give Me Sport.
2. Science Shows You Can Go Farther and Faster with Music:
Your secret training weapon might just be the perfect playlist.
You’re midway through a hard interval run when your favorite song comes on. All of a sudden, you feel strong and powerful, and somehow the effort seems a bit easier. Whether it’s the lyrics, the beat, or just the way it makes you feel, there’s something about the music that gives you an extra boost of energy.
Numerous studies have shown that listening to music during a workout can boost mood, provide motivation, lower rate of perceived exertion (RPE), help with pacing, improve heart rate recovery time, and, most interestingly, improve physical performance.
A new study in the Journal of Human Kinetics showed that listening to music during a running time trial led to a 10% increase in total distance covered, as well as a 14% increase in speed. There was also evidence of 8% lower blood lactate concentration in those who listened to music while running. Why? Researchers suggested it might be due to the relaxing effect of music, which could decrease muscle tension, increase blood flow, and improve lactate clearance.
More...from Triathlete.
3. New Balance Supercomp Trainer Review: Feels Illegal Cause It Is:
What You Need To Know
Weighs 11.4 oz. (332 g.) for a US M10.5 / 8.7 oz. (247 g.) for a US W7.5
So much stack it should be illegal… oh, wait, it is
Far more stable than the Adidas Prime X
Did we mention it even comes in Wide?
Available now for $180
THOMAS: When we were first introduced to the New Balance Supercomp Trainer (which we’ll call the SC Trainer from here on out) at The Running Event last year, we were told this thing was technically illegal.
And by illegal, we don’t mean it was trafficked through international waters or worn on the feet of a prize-winning rooster in an underground cockfight. It’s illegal in the most white collar of ways, a running shoe that exceeds the stack height limits for a race day shoe, set at 40mm by World Athletics (this shoe has 47mm in the heel, 39mm in the forefoot). You can wear it, but elites can’t, as evidenced when Derara Hurisa won the Vienna Marathon in the Adidas Prime X and was subsequently disqualified.
More...from Believe in the Run.
4. What you can learn from Keely Hodgkinson's training and race-day preparation:
She doesn't run as many weekly training miles as you might think. Here's why…
Keely Hodgkinson shot to stardom in the 800m final at the Tokyo Olympics last summer. It was quite a year for Keely, who was also crowned Diamond League Champion in the 800m and became the youngest ever 800m European Indoor Champion.
This summer, she's back to it, having recently taken silver in the 800m at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon – as well as silver at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. We caught up with Keely, so she could share all things training and race preparation (including the all-important race-day breakfast)…
What does a typical week in your training diary look like?
‘A lot of people find my training quite weird, because I don’t really do slow stuff. Long runs are not really a thing in my training plan except in the summer, because that’s when the track sessions get more intense, so that’s when you need the slower recovery days. In winter, I do a lot of cross-training to try to keep off my feet. Too much time on my feet and I end up getting loads of stress responses. So it’s cross-training on Mondays. On Tuesdays, I’ll do a session on the cross trainer and then I’ll do a track session. Wednesdays are a 30-minute run and 40 minutes on the cross trainer, plus some gym work. Thursdays are similar to Tuesdays, but with maybe more of a tempo-type session. I always have Fridays off, then Saturdays in the winter will be a longer session and in the summer a track session. Sundays in the winter will be hills, and in the summer I’ll do a 15-minute run.’
More...from Runner's World.
5. Should You Stop Drinking For Better Performance?
A physician and IRONMAN Certified Coach reports on his most recent group experiment: abstaining from alcohol in the pursuit of better performance.
I come in contact with a lot of athletes through my writing, teaching and coaching and the various triathlon forums I’m a part of. In the closing months of 2017, I began collecting their comments about alcohol. More specifically, their comments about how alcohol was possibly affecting their performance/weight/mood, etc.
I hoped to respond to them with first-hand experience coupled with medical expertise, and so I targeted another “Drynuary” experiment (no alcohol whatsoever between January 1 and January 31).
One thing I have learned is that more athletes than you think have an uneasy relationship with alcohol. We range from a little worried that our consumption isn’t the healthiest thing we could be doing, to wondering if it might be hindering our performance. Just a few of these concerns are illustrated by the following quotes from athletes just like you and I:
More...from Training Peaks.
6. Active vs. Passive Recovery and Exercise Performance: Which Strategy Is Best?
Recovery is perhaps the most commonly overlooked aspect of people’s exercise regimens. Perhaps it’s because most people feel they’re not working hard enough at getting fit, so the need for rest seems counterintuitive. They’re more concerned about undertraining than overtraining. Or, perhaps it’s because it’s the least sexy aspect of training. After all, when’s the last time you saw a magazine cover with a hard-bodied fitness model touting the benefits of proper recovery?
The truth is, recovery from exercise training is a vital component of the overall exercise program, and is essential for optimal performance and continued progression. If the rate of recovery is appropriate, higher training volumes and intensities are possible without the detrimental effects of overtraining, which can include an increased resting heart rate, disturbed sleep, or decreased hunger on multiple days.
More...from https://tinyurl.com/2g3gkjme" target="_news">ACE.
7. The most common sporting injuries:
It is widely recognised that physical activity is good for our health and wellbeing. As a result, many people take up sports as a leisure pursuit. However, there is always a risk that we could come off worse, and sustain one, or more, sporting injuries.
Contact sports such as football, rugby, and basketball are notorious for sporting injuries due to their physical nature and the highly competitive arenas in which they are played. But are you more likely to sustain a sporting injury in American football or baseball? And is a hamstring injury more common than a knee injury?
With this in mind, claims.co.uk analysed athlete injury data across various contact sports (football, rugby, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, and American football) in order to determine the most common sporting injuries, and in which sports they are most likely to occur.
More...from Claims.co.uk.
8. Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport: What Coaches Need to Know:
Mary Cain, a former record-breaking phenom, made a different type of headline Opens in a new window when she spoke up about the pressure she faced to lose weight that caused her to disappear from the running scene (Cain, 2019). Cain’s willingness to speak up started a social media movement that brought to the public’s attention the cost of under-fuelling to an athlete’s physical and mental health.
The evolution of relative energy deficiency in sport
While not realizing it at the time, Cain, who had lost her period, experienced five bone stress fractures, and whose performance was suffering, was experiencing relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S). Introduced in 2014 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) consensus group, RED-S is a syndrome that impairs various physiological functions, including metabolic rate, menstrual function, bone health, immunity, protein synthesis, and cardiovascular health (Mountjoy et al., 2014). The underlying cause of RED-S is low energy availability – this occurs when calorie intake is insufficient to meet the calories expended through exercise, leaving inadequate energy for normal bodily function (Loucks & Heath, 1994).
While the terminology of RED-S was not introduced until 2014, the negative impact of low energy availability on athlete health was not a new finding. Studies in the 1980’s demonstrated that amenorrhea – the absence of menses or irregular menstrual cycles – had implications not only for reproduction, but was also detrimental to bone health (Drinkwater et al., 1984, 1986). Building on this foundational research, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) published a position statement on the “female athlete triad” in 1997 – an interrelated syndrome of disordered eating, absence of menses or irregular menstrual cycles, and poor bone health (Otis et al., 1997).
More...from SIRC.
9. Can You Pass the 10-Second Balance Test?
This simple, often neglected skill can pay huge dividends later in life.
Len Kaplan began having difficulty walking in a straight line when he was in his 50s. Scoliosis combined with compressed discs in his back were causing his balance to deteriorate.
“Physical therapy, regular exercises, just wasn’t getting the job done. I needed something different,” Len, now 80, said.
Around that time Len and his wife, Ginny, took a cruise with twice-daily Tai Chi classes. Ginny, 77, said they loved Tai Chi — which consists of slow, controlled movements and deep breathing — so much they found a class in nearby Yorba Linda, Calif., when they returned home. The habit stuck.
More...from the New York Times.
10. Can you overdose on caffeine?
You can probably relate to the need for a morning coffee to kick-start your day, or a caffeine gel to get you through to the finish line of a race, but can you have too much of a good thing?
Caffeine is proven to keep fatigue at bay and boost perceived energy levels in most people when taken in moderation, but there can be negative side-effects when taking too much.
From the relatively ‘minor’ effects of headaches, jitters and sleep deprivation after drinking one ‘cup of joe’ too many, to more extreme and rare cases where a massive caffeine intake has unfortunately proven to be fatal.
Ultimately, your experience of the effects of caffeine and exactly how much is too much will be individual to you and be influenced by your habitual use, tolerance and sensitivity…
How much is too much?
More...from Precision Hydration.
11. Take the Lead With the Best Marathon Running Shoes:
Put down your best splits yet with can't-miss runners from Nike, Adidas, Hoka and more.
Let's go racin'.
From starting line to finish line, you rely on your gear to make the most of your marathon experience. That means investing in apparel and footwear to keep you calm, comfortable and efficient on the race route. Marathon shoes are specially designed to help you put down your most powerful steps as you chase down those personal bests.
But with running shoe breakthroughs happening every day and technologies pushing the record books to new heights, which marathon silhouette is best? From high-octane speedsters to kicks that cater to your personal gait, we've combed through the rankings and stayed in-stride to curate this roundup of the best marathon running shoes for you. Before we toe the starting gate, however, let's break down just what makes up today's marathon shoes.
More...from Gear Patrol.
12. Address muscular imbalances with yoga:
This is an excerpt from Yoga for Runners-2nd Edition by Christine Felstead.
Yoga quickly reveals and has the capacity to address muscular imbalances and strengthen weak zones that may lead to injury. A yoga practice that increases range of motion in the joints, stretches out the tight spots, and strengthens the weak ones will help the body’s overall alignment and reduce risk of injury. An early observation of many runners who start practicing yoga is discovering the differences in strength, mobility, and flexibility between their right and left sides. Likewise, many people make the unexpected discovery that they have a weak upper body, core, hips, and glutes, and they learn how this can contribute to injury. Often most astonishing is the discovery that their legs may be strong for running, but when challenged in static isometric holds, they quickly become jelly-like.
Take a simple lunge, for example. It is not uncommon for runners new to yoga to be very unstable and shaky in this pose, doing all they can to stay upright and not fall over. The ability to be grounded through the feet, stable in the legs and trunk, and able to straighten the arms overhead while maintaining even and calm breathing is extremely challenging. The position of the legs in a basic high lunge (figure 4.1) appears similar to a running stride, but a running stride involves momentum and movement. The lunge, though, is static, requiring stability and isometric contraction of some muscles in the legs and torso, along with grounding and stability in the feet and ankles, while allowing some parts of the body to relax. It’s impossible to escape the work involved in static holds and challenging to find the balance of effort and ease to hold the pose for a period of time.
More...from Human KInetics.
13. Noticed More Running Gear in REI Lately? You’re Not Imagining It:
The retailer is expanding aggressively into the running market, with an eye to attracting new customers
When Lloyd and Mary Anderson founded REI in 1935, the last thing they had on their minds, probably, was running. The two climbers started what eventually became the co-op by selling affordable, quality ice axes, and it was there—in the hardcore climbing space—that the retailer largely remained for decades.
It wasn’t until 40 years later, in 1975, that the business even expanded beyond its home city of Seattle, which was at that time mostly a hub for the buying and selling of climbing gear. As the U.S. outdoor market began to take shape in the last few decades of the twentieth century, however, REI gravitated—at first gently, and then with increasing speed—to the middle ground of adventure retail, selling a little bit of everything to just about everyone. Bikes, skis, kayaks, general fitness, and travel gear became part of the expected offerings when shoppers walked through the co-op’s doors. And in that lucrative, widely customered territory, REI ascended.
More...from Outside Online.
14. What is tramadol? Explaining pro cycling's ban on the potent painkiller:
Explainer: The effects and history of tramadol, and what the UCI rules actually mean
On Wednesday, 17 August 2022 Nairo Quintana became the first professional cyclist to be sanctioned for using the opioid painkiller tramadol in competition.
The case is unique in that the UCI rules, in force since March 2019, exceed those of the World Anti-Doping Agency in banning Tramadol.
Tramadol use falls under the UCI's medical regulations, rather than its anti-doping programme, so positive tests are not treated as anti-doping rule violations.
More...from Cycling News.
15. Sex Differences between Men and Women:
And why they matter in sport.
Because apparently it still needs saying, I am going to talk about sex differences and athletic differences, and why this matters for female sport. Some of what follows might sound patronising—indeed, much of the content is taught at primary school level—but the impact I have had in this arena has been building from basic biological principles, rather than after-the-fact firefighting to defend terrible policies.
Note: A lot of the following is unreferenced. If you need references, you don’t care about sport.
Like almost all animals and many plants, male and female humans are built differently, because they do different things in reproduction. Males have testes that make sperm to be delivered by the penis. Females have ovaries that make eggs to be fertilised by sperm and grow, within her uterus, into babies.
In humans, like almost all animals and many plants, there are two sexes.
Our different reproductive systems develop, in the uterus, under the influence of genes and then hormones, but the role of hormones does not stop at moulding reproductive systems. At puberty, hormones cause males and females to develop sex-typical secondary characteristics that form a mature body prepared to reproduce. Shaped by evolution and sexual selection that, for example, favours fighting skills in male primates, these secondary characteristics also help those males and females secure or attract a mate with which to reproduce.
More...from Bettle Bomb
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