When frost blankets the ground and trails hush in the northern hemisphere, it's the off-season's silent call for trail and ultra runners. Just as nature embraces dormancy, preparing for a resurgence, winter invites runners to pause, rebuild, and gear up for an injury-resistant forthcoming season.
Ultramarathon runners, even seasoned ones, often face unexpected stomach challenges during races. Pushing limits in extreme conditions can swiftly turn a promising race into a digestive disaster when the body rejects fuel.
Athletes encounter a spectrum of challenges, from strained muscle fibers to compromised immune systems, as they navigate the rigors of intense training cycles and competitive races. The repercussions of insufficient recovery can be profound, significantly impacting an athlete's overall performance.
The art of endurance fueling, once an informal practice marked by pub stops and unconventional choices, has undergone a remarkable transformation into a finely tuned science. Back in the early 1900s, Tour de France champion Maurice Garin relied on pub cuisine, while Canadian marathoner Tom Longboat's 1908 Olympic experience involved an unfortunate champagne interlude at Mile 19. From alcohol and tea to bananas and cake, historical fueling methods exhibited a broad spectrum of approaches.
A recent report from Supersapiens' scientific team delves into two important objectives. Firstly, it aims to demystify rebound hypoglycemia, a sudden drop in blood sugar experienced by individuals who eat close to their workouts. Secondly, it emphasizes the valuable insights gained from using continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) on healthy athletes. These dual objectives are particularly intriguing for those who have faced rebound hypoglycemia, promising to provide crucial knowledge in this area.
Running is a popular pastime and a great way to stay active, no matter where you are. While it offers numerous benefits, it's important to be aware of potential injuries that can arise. Runners are susceptible to various injuries, such as those affecting the knees, feet, and ankles. To ensure a safe and enjoyable running experience, consider the following tips:
The world of ultrarunning demands athletes to push beyond their perceived limits. In this challenging discipline, trail and ultrarunners engage in meticulous training to measure and understand exercise intensity. While technology has significantly influenced the training methods across various endurance sports, including heart rate monitoring, there's a growing recognition among experts and coaches of the efficacy of Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE).
Endurance training, widely celebrated for its health benefits, now presents a paradoxical twist. Recent research delves into a surprising connection between strenuous exercise and atrial fibrillation, or A-fib. This irregular and rapid heart rhythm condition, though often benign, holds potential risks for athletes.
In the current landscape of fitness and technological progress, the arena of health data has become remarkably accessible. Most GPS timepieces now incorporate heart rate monitoring as a standard feature, offering valuable insights into how your heart reacts to the rigors of running. Nevertheless, it's only natural for runners to ponder whether their heart rate during exercise falls within the realm of health and safety. Recently, we connected with Dr. Dan Augustine, a distinguished sports cardiologist, to elucidate some of the frequently raised queries concerning running and heart rate.
The familiar refrain that "running will spell trouble for your knees" has likely crossed the ears of many a runner. These words of caution often lead runners to ponder the effect of their cherished sport on their knee joints, raising questions about whether it's time to trade in their running shoes for a biking helmet. However, it's imperative to distinguish fact from fiction and delve into the scientific veracity of these claims.
