Endurance Planet

By Endurance Planet Inc.Health & Fitness

Endurance Planet episodes

August 28, 2020ATC 318: The Link Between Libido and Intensity, ‘Mistakes’ That Could Sabotage Runs, and More
Sponsor:
This episode is brought to you by UCAN Superstarch, the fat-burning fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts. UCAN now has two new flavors of energy bars for you to try—salted peanut butter and chocolate almond butter—and new energy powders enhanced with your choice of plant-based pea protein or whey protein, each option packing 20g protein per serving! EP fans get 15% off UCAN, click to activate your discount and shop now. You can also use the code ENDURANCEPLANET if you’re shopping at ucan.co for that same 15% discount.

Intro:
Our heart goes out to all the communities impacted by the forest fires in California.
A quick follow-up to ATC’s 317: The 3-Minute Burpee Test (discussed after the rapid fire questions)
Rapid Fire Questions for Lucho:
What are your top book recommendations and/or best books you’ve recently read? (Does not have to be about sport)
Lucho has been an avid reader his whole life. He read the Tarzan series by Edgar Rice Burroughs and a lot of Steven King novels when he was a young kid. Now he mostly reads to relax at the end of the day (i.e., Lee Child, Craig Johnson – the Longmire mysteries, and C.J. Box). He’s also read the Lonesome Dove, Moby Dick, The Road (Lucho doesn’t recommend you read this book if you’re a new father), and the Quran.
If you’re interested in these books, help support the podcast by clicking on the link(s) above.
What time do you go to bed? (And do you still have insomnia, if not what has helped?)
Lucho goes to bed around 8-8:30 pm. His routine might be considered abnormal to most, but he enjoys it. He does recognize that his hard workouts might affect his ability to sleep, but it doesn’t seem to negatively affect him.
Mike asks:
Intensity work and sex drive: Is there a correlation?
Good day. Thank you again for the podcast and the willingness to answer our questions. I did my high intensity work today and even though it didn’t go as well as planned I felt pretty good about myself and my sex drive was elevated. I had noticed this in the past: higher intensity work equates to feeling better and higher drive. I tend to have the opposite feeling with long runs as they tend to drain and take away from me. Is this a normal feeling? Does it have to do with hormones? Is it neurotyping?
What the coaches say:
Testosterone isn’t a part of the neurotyping
Although, Neurotype 1’s may have higher testosterone because they naturally lean towards powerlifting, weight lifting, sprinting, etc.
Check out Lifepostcollective.com where you can sign up for free to access Tawnee’s articles, no strings attached and see this article we mention, focusing on natural ways and workouts to boost T: https://lifepostcollective.com/workouts-and-guidelines-to-increase-testosterone-naturally/
Harvard Health on Testosterone
More than a third of men over age 45 may have reduced levels of testosterone than might be considered normal (though, as mentioned, defining optimal levels of testosterone is tricky and somewhat controversial)
Symptoms of testosterone deficiency in adult men include:
Reduced body and facial hair
Loss of muscle mass
Low libido, impotence, small testicles, reduced sperm count and infertility
Increased breast size
Hot flashes
Irritability, poor concentration, and depression
Loss of body hair
Brittle bones and an increased risk of fracture
High-intensity exercise will have an acute (and potentially long-term) benefit to testosterone levels and sex drive
Strength training, power, speed, and HIIT exercises release more growth hormones and anabolic hormones (I.e., testosterone)
Too much cardio/endurance training may deplete these hormones (but the “how much” obviously depends)
Endurance training releases higher amounts of cortisol and catabolic hormones
Multiple studies have shown that you can boost your testosterone levels by sprinting or HIIT
Physiological and performance changes from the addition of a sprint interval program to wrestling training
The SIT consisted of 6 x 35-m sprints at maximum effort with a 10-second recovery between each sprint
The SIT protocol was performed in 2 sessions per week, for the 4 weeks of the study
Testosterone levels remained high even after those people had fully recovered from the sprint workout
Testosterone responses to intensive interval versus steady-state endurance exercise
Steady-state endurance (SSE) session consisted of a continuous 45-min run at 60-65% VO2max
HIIT session was repeated periods of 90-sec treadmill running at 100-110% maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and 90-sec active recovery at 40% VO2max for 42-47 min.
The sprints boosted testosterone significantly more than the relatively easy jog. Both increased free T, it’s just that the sprints did a better job
HIIT might produce a more pronounced turnover of FT by androgen-sensitive tissue than the SSE form of exercise
Ryan Hall: On Rebuilding Health, How to be a Wiser and More Intuitive Athlete, His Top 4 Strength Exercises for Runners, and Much More
What’s the main difference between HIIT vs chronic cardio (hard to find a definitive answer)
Reproductive hormonal profiles of endurance-trained and untrained males.
The findings indicate that chronic endurance training lowers testosterone and free testosterone in males possibly by impairing testicular function.
The endurance-trained men in the study were training about 6.6 days a week on average, 68 minutes per session on average with a ~34min 10k PR and 167min marathon PR, and had been training this way for at least the past 12 months
Resistance training too, of course
For the biggest testosterone benefit: Weight training @ 80-95% 1RM with longer rest, also focus on lower body
Don’t skip leg day!
Bob asks:
I did everything wrong, but what was the worst thing?
I live in the desert at 4,300 feet and regularly run trails up to 10,000 feet — and occasionally up to 14,000. I’ve run the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim twice. So I’m no stranger to the conditions that led to the following incident.
I drove to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to run the Rim Trail out and back to see the sunset — 6.8 miles each way. The temperature was below 80 degrees, which seemed perfect. Maybe that’s why I didn’t prepare or even do the run intelligently. The night before, I had a couple of beers. The day of, I had a pint of ice cream and some potato chips for lunch. Then there was a 30-minute nap.
I began at 5pm. I ran to Hermit’s Rest without drinking any water or eating anything. At Hermit’s Rest, I drank a liter of water and ate an F-Bomb, then started back. That’s when the shit hit the fan. About a mile in, my calves started feeling fatigued. I switched to walking/running/walking/running. The calves got worse. The muscles felt so depleted that I walked more and more slowly. When I would stop to stretch them, they would cramp. By then it was dark, and I worried that I might be sleeping outside that night. The pain in my calves and up into the backs of my knees was intense — never felt that before.
Now, the post-mortem: I admit that my pre-run diet was shitty. But the run was less than 14 miles at a fairly constant 7,000-foot elevation — no big deal. One thing I’m wondering about is this: I almost always wear compression tights when I run, in part so I don’t have to smear sunblock on my legs. This time, however, I wore non-compression shorts and plastered SPF 100 on my lower legs and the backs of my knees.
Could there be something in the sunblock that was absorbed through my skin?
Was it just lack of water and electrolytes?
Was it a combination of stupid decisions?
Love the show — even if you say I’m an idiot!
What the coaches say:
Here’s a link to a few articles on sunscreen written by The Sock Doc
What? Homemade sunscreen! Here’s a recipe:
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup beeswax
4 TBS shea butter
6 TBS non-nano zinc oxide
Few drops of lavender essential oil (optional)Recipe source: MommyInMaine
The blood sugar crash from the ice cream and potato chips could have lead to the nap
Athletes want to be careful not to have a spike in blood sugar 30-60 minutes before a race because it could lead to a huge drop in blood sugar
A previous episode with Paul Laursen; no more than 800 ml of water per hour.
Compression is better for a recovery aspect than a performance aspect
Compression leggings are good for proprioception (it helps with running economy)
Andy Potts podcasts
May have pushed calves too hard!
May want to look at magnesium levels and electrolytes.
Previous episode on cramp killers
The post ATC 318: The Link Between Libido and Intensity, ‘Mistakes’ That Could Sabotage Runs, and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 9 min
August 21, 2020Lawrence Van Lingen: Discover Your Inner Ability – Run Better, Move Better, Breathe Better, Feel Better
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We are joined by Lawrence van Lingen, originally from South Africa and current resident of Laguna Beach, CA. Lawrence is a movement specialist and specializes in structural integration; he has helped thousands of runners to overcome injuries, transcend athletic achievement and be healthier—from amateur athletes to seasoned professionals at the top level of endurance sport. He is the founder of InnerRunner, which offers online classes and workshops to help all level athletes hone in running skills, movement skills, and wellbeing. Below you will find some links to a few fantastic youtube videos by Lawrence as well as his full YouTube channel.
If you have any follow-up questions for Lawrence, please email us at [email protected].
On this episode:
Previous episode mentioned: Dr. Phil Maffetone and & Alan Couzens: Pros and Cons of Metabolic Testing, Plus: MAF Q&A
Lawrence’s background includes training as a chiropractor, completing a postgraduate degree in sports chiropractic. He used to work with elite athletes on movement, treatment, and mobilization. Now he primarily works on fascia and movement.
Difference between a sub 2:10 vs. a 4:00+ marathon runner
Has a lot to do with the shape and the position they can hold
You want to see:
Ankles and feet that are more relaxed
Shoulders soften
More length in torso
What you can’t do in a training workshop you can’t do when you run
Best way to train without causing tension:
Calm and relax your nervous system down to create space and fluidity in your body
If you relax, the tissues fall into place more naturally
Keep movement in your natural range of motion
Learn how to position and manipulate your body so that you know how it intrinsically feels to be in that position
Breathe
Control your nervous system through breathing
Breathe less, slower, and softer
A lot of the movements that Lawrence does in his workshops are based on somatic movements
Slow down
Learn intrinsic movement patterns
Sync up breathing and movement (this especially helps with back pain)
Example: during the Cat-Cow exercise breathe in as you arch your back, and breathe out as you round your back.
It’s important to actively work on your breathing
Work on slow, soft breathing for ~15 minutes a day
The 365 Method
3 times a day, breathe 6 breaths a minute for 5 minutes total. Repeat 365 days a year
Nose breathe while doing this method (helps you breathe into your diaphragm)
Breathe: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor (if you’d like to support the show use this link!)
The importance of maintaining a balance between the parasympathetic system (rest and digest) and sympathetic nervous system
Without the parasympathetic system, your digestion and sleep are affected which impacts the recovery process
This can all lead to a cycle of poor sleep, anxiety, and tension which contributes to a sympathetic overload
The roles of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the body:
Oxygen is a vasoconstrictor (blood vessel constrictor) and a smooth muscle constructor (airway constrictor)
When you’re hyperventilating you need more oxygen but you’re also hyper oxygenated
Carbon Dioxide is a vasodilator (opens up the blood vessels) and a bronchodilator (softens your tissue) and increases your ability to breathe. It also facilities oxygen transport from your red blood cells into your tissues (like a lubricant for oxygen).
It’s very beneficial to have normal levels of CO2 in your bloodstream.
Lawrence uses an Oura ring to observe HRV and respiration rate
The most important thing is to have a daily routine!
Sync breathes into movement
Lawrence encourages foam rolling to 6 breaths per minute
Spend time softening and slowing down your breathing
How does Lawrence approach his work
He treats everyone as if they are a runner because if you can run then you can move in a functional manner
He treats individuals problems/concerns and gets them to a point where they can run if they wanted to
Running 30 minutes, 4x a week is a good, loose goal
“Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution” – Dobzhansky
He treats everyone from a functional anthropological and anatomical viewpoint
The Story of the Human Body by Daniel E. Lieberman (if you’d like to support the show use this link!)
Barefoot and minimal running
We have more nerve endings in our feet than in our hands
Find a safe place to run barefoot
Slowly build the level of strength in the feet
A goal to aim for:
Run an easy jog for 20 minutes 2x a week
Start with a 1-minute easy jog, then every 4 runs add another minute
Barefoot running downregulates the nervous system
Currently, Lawrence runs in Asics GlideRides and wears Luna sandals
Lawrence’s InnerRunner Workshops
Sync up your breathing
How to use your hips in a synchronized manner
Forward shift vs. forward lean
Try and just get your hips to shift forward
Plus so much more
Resistance training
The forces of running are large so you can only replicate it with heavyweights or plyometrics
There is room for a little bit of strength training
Lawrence likes squats and deadlifts
“When it comes to being strong, you need to be stable.”
The goal is to become more resilient
You’re working on movement, balance, coordination, and timing
You want to move with length and strength
Ask yourself: what is your intent behind what you do?
Lawrence likes to do The Turkish Getup
Lawrence’s YouTube Channel highlights
Before a run, Lawrence recommends:
Rounding and Arching and Synchronized Breathing
Pelvic Clocks
Adding fluidity and timing
If you want to add fluidity and timing to your running, practice it at rest, or lying down if you can calm your body and make it flow at home when you are calm you may find it appearing in your movement.
Rhythm allows you to relax. Staccato is not rhythm. 180 steps per minute to a metronome is not rhythm, which ends up staccato. That creates tension. If you believe “tight is right” then by all means us staccato.
To be fluid and run with rhythm, to free up movement and delay fatigue you have to be of a calm mind, breathe freely and be in the moment.
Happy penguin
Foundational: learn how to stack body (i.e., vertebrae, hip, legs)
Connect your Core and Switch on Glutes: Frog Bridge to Butterfly Crunchie
How to link your anterior core to your hips and glutes for a more connected core, hips, and glutes. Great for people that have lost weight, after pregnancy or people that feel they have weak glutes and or stomach muscles. Great for achieving a six-pack.
People with overactive hip flexors, iliopsoas muscles, or deep anterior core tension will find it useful. It is also a great Thoracic spine mobilizing exercise.
Big Toe walk for better gait/ how to walk
Walking fast is counterproductive; don’t use it to burn calories
Recommended is at least 1 hour to 90 minutes four times per week.
The post Lawrence Van Lingen: Discover Your Inner Ability – Run Better, Move Better, Breathe Better, Feel Better first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 8 min
August 14, 2020ATC 317: The 3-Minute Burpee Test- How Do You Score? Plus: New Data on Physical Activity’s Role In All-Cause Mortality, Tips to Deal With Extreme Heat & Humidity, and Speed Talk With Lucho
Sponsor:
This episode is brought to you by UCAN Superstarch, the fat-burning fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts. UCAN now has two new flavors of energy bars for you to try—salted peanut butter and chocolate almond butter—and new energy powders enhanced with your choice of plant-based pea protein or whey protein, each option packing 20g protein per serving!
*SALE ALERT* GET 20% OFF ALL BARS THROUGH AUG. 16, 2020 ONLY! And always ongoing: EP fans get 15% off UCAN, click to activate your discount and shop now. You can also use the code ENDURANCEPLANET if you’re shopping at ucan.co for that same 15% discount.

Intro
Tawnee and her family have started full-time vanlife. See more of the journey and the “why now?” on her Instagram account. And don’t forget: Lucho’s on IG now too!
Study Discussion #1
International Standards for the 3-Minute Burpee Test: High- Intensity Motor Performance
What the Coaches say:
This study aimed to develop international standards for evaluating strength endurance with the use of the 3‐Minute Burpee Test
Random population sample of over 3,000 women and almost 6,000 men
Average age of participants was 20 years old
On average the men completed 56.69 cycles/3-minute test, and the women completed 48.84/3-minute test
The best male participant completed 82 burpees, and the best female participant completed 73 burpees
Both Lucho and Tawnee decided to complete the 3-Minute Burpee Test!
Lucho completed:
60 without pushups
Tawnee completed:
30 with pushups
47 without pushups
Lucho has been doing burpees during his stream workout sessions
Burpee Beep Ladder Assessment
The only thing that Lucho has seen that qualifies as a true burpee is when the thighs and chest touch the floor (how you get down doesn’t necessarily matter).
We encourage you to do a 3-Minute Burpee Test! Email us at [email protected] and let us know how it went! We’d love to hear from you.
Study Discussion #2
Recommended physical activity and all cause and cause specific mortality in US adults: prospective cohort study
What the Coaches say:
This study aimed to find the correlation between all cause mortality, specific mortality, and physical activity
All cause mortality and specific mortality categorized into 8 different causes: cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory tract disease, accidents and injuries, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes mellitus, influenza and pneumonia, and nephritis.
Longitudinal study (8.75 years)
479,856 US adults followed from 1997-2014
Participants 18 years of age or older
Physical activity categories:
Insufficient Activity defined as those who were not meeting the standards of the 2018 physical activity guidelines
Aerobic Only defined as “at least 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity aerobic activity (e.g., gardening, brisk walking), or 75 minutes a week of vigorous intensity aerobic activity (e.g., running, faster cycling).”
Strength Only defined as “muscle strengthening activity was sufficient at a recommended ≥2 times/week and insufficient if <2 times/week.”
Aerobic and Strength
59,819 participants died
Most deaths from cancer and cardiovascular disease (8 causes total were identified – see above)
Those who did both Aerobic and Strength had a 40% reduction in all cause mortality
Aerobic only 29% reduced risk (also reduced risk in all 8 causes identified in the study)
Strength only 11% reduced risk (reduced from only 3 causes)
“Physical inactivity is estimated to be responsible for 6-10% of the global burden of major chronic non-communicable diseases and 9% of premature deaths.”
Physical inactivity equates to a “total cost of $53.8 billion to healthcare systems worldwide in 2013. Among all countries, the United States has the highest economic burden, of about $24.7 billion in healthcare costs (accounting for 45.9% of global healthcare costs).”
From the burpee study: “Weekly aerobic training should involve 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise (46 to 63% of maximal oxygen uptake, VO2max) for 30 to 60 minutes per session and/or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise (64 to 90% of VO2max) for 20 to 60 minutes per session.” (Klika and Jordan, 2013)
Burpees include aerobic and strength! Do yourself a favor and get your burpees on!
You will be a more resilient human by investing in your training!
Matt from Australia asks:
Want my cake and eat it too!
First off love the show especially ATC! I have systematically gone through and listened to pretty much all the episodes. My question is I want to increase my speed (who doesn’t?) while training for distance races, I have a 45km trail run lined up for early October and then a 30km in mid-November. I normally stick to 5k,10k and half marathons but with the current situation my normal races are not on. I feel the easy answer to improving my 1k (3.24) and 5k (19.31) PBs is to improve my out and out speed. Currently I am topping out at 15s for 100m. In my youth it was a flat 12s and I am now 38. With all of life’s factors I usually run between 40-70km a week. I am sure Lucho could rant on this for a while, I would love to hear.
What the Coaches say:
The first thing you need to consider is durability. Doing true speed work is violent (i.e., impact – force upon landing, dynamic movement – tendons under a high load); need to work into it.
Start with strides (even a really good 200-meter program starts with tempos)
Then, build into relaxed sprints (grounding workouts); continue to develop
Once you reach your near top end, sprint for 30 meters; but Lucho says not to worry too much about this (he doesn’t think you need to work on true speed)
Strides and timing 100 meters will be plenty for you
Timing is really important – it drives intent!
One of Lucho’s favorite workouts is the ladder workout
If you want to focus on critical speed, running 40-70km a week is going to ruin that (you can’t run 70k a week and develop critical speed effectively; you can improve it, but you can’t top it out)
Start with strides; spend 4 weeks focusing on the 100. Don’t drop weekly volume.
Do a really long warm-up!
An example of Lucho’s warm-up:
400 easy
Lunges, isometric wall sits, seven-way hips, isometric hamstring holds, single-leg RDLs, hopping, hip/leg swings
20-meter strides
40’s (timed)
1-3 x’s 100’s – building into each. Start out easy and relaxed, last 40-50 meters max effort (not forced!)
Once Lucho feels feel ready, then he’ll start the workout.
Don’t overthink it too much!
Richard asks:
Heat’s one thing, what about excessive heat?
I started to listening to the ATC show last fall while training for my next (5th) marathon. Love the show and feel like I can relate to a lot of the questions that are answered. The Coronavirus has changed my training plan from being aggressive (trying to prep for a marathon PR) to more of a maintain mode.
My question centers around training in excessive heat/humidity. I live in Alexandria Virginia (near the Potomac River) and we’ve had a record hot July, with most days over 90 degrees (including I think 19 straight days) with high to very high humidity. I have struggled to maintain my normal training paces (I’m going 20-30 seconds slower pace per mile on most days). I get that it’s more difficult to run in high heat and humidity, but was wondering if there’s an “agreed upon”/common distance equivalent for running in such conditions…for example running 7 miles in current challenging northern Virginia weather conditions (90-95+ degrees with high to very high humidity) is “equivalent” to running 10 miles in “normal” northern Virginia weather conditions (~75 to 80 degrees with low to moderate humidity)? I guess I’m partially just searching for an excuse as to why I’ve struggled so much (slow pace, heavy legs, needing to stop to rest [normally I don’t stop]) during runs this late June and July.
Data about me: I turn 51 this year and have been running for about 4 years. My normal training run pace is about 7:30 per mile (not tempo/interval/speed, that’s obviously at a faster pace). I race distances from 5k (18:35 PR) to marathons (2:58:20 PR) on roads, and run in 5- and -10 mile trail series races too.
I’d appreciate your thought on this issue.
What the Coaches say:
Excessive and consistent heat training detracts from the quality of training. But the coaches think you’re getting fitter!
If you were to run in cooler weather all of a sudden, you’d see improvements
Training in this type of heat equates to high altitude training
You build mental toughness and grit training in the heat
Emerging research is showing that hen training in the heat excess ammonia is produced in the muscles. This ammonia goes up to the brain and can cross the blood-brain barrier
Extra ammonia accumulation can cause a disruption in cerebral neurotransmitter homeostasis (i.e., decrease cerebral function)
The removal of ammonia is dependant on the synthesis of glutamine from glutamate (which is a precursor for GABA)
Therefore, exercising in the heat possibly decrease healthy neurotransmitters
The evaporation of sweat off our body cools us down; this isn’t happening as efficiently in the humidity
Your pace may possibly be the same!
Keep an eye on your heart rate
Balance is key here – don’t push it too hard
The post ATC 317: The 3-Minute Burpee Test- How Do You Score? Plus: New Data on Physical Activity’s Role In All-Cause Mortality, Tips to Deal With Extreme Heat & Humidity, and Speed Talk With Lucho first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 12 min
August 07, 2020HPN 20: Can a Low-Lectin Diet Help Heal Autoimmunity? Plus: Probiotics to Increase Nutrient Absorption and Creatine For Plant-Based Diets
Sponsor:
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Intro
Julie’s followup on her plant-based experiment, with outcomes of the 30 days and her plans going forward.
Study Discussion
Benefits of Creatine Supplementation for Vegetarians Compared to Omnivorous Athletes: A Systematic Review
“Creatine supplementation in vegetarians increased total creatine, creatine, and phosphocreatine concentrations in vastus lateralis and gastrocnemius muscle, plasma, and red blood cells, often to levels greater than omnivores. Creatine supplementation had no effect on brain levels of phosphocreatine. Creatine supplementation increased lean tissue mass, type II fiber area, insulin-like growth factor-1, muscular strength, muscular endurance, Wingate mean power output, and brain function (memory and intelligence) in vegetarian participants. Studies were mixed on whether creatine supplementation improved exercise performance in vegetarians to a greater extent compared to omnivores.”
Also a supercompensation effect?
“Creatine supplementation in vegetarians is effective for increasing creatine and phosphocreatine levels to an extent that vegetarians may achieve higher levels of creatine and phosphocreatine after supplementation, compared to omnivores (i.e., it appears that the lower baseline levels in vegetarians might allow for “super compensation” of creatine or phosphocreatine levels with supplementation; see Table 1). For example, five to seven days of creatine supplementation (at a dose of about 20–25 g/day) results in greater increases in plasma creatine [36], vastus lateralis total creatine [37], and gastrocnemius phosphocreatine [33] concentrations in vegetarians versus omnivores,
Creatine for endurance athletes?
Creatine can be used as an energy source for ATP synthesis.
Benefits are not as strong for endurance athletes as they are for strength/power athletes, but some studies point to evidence of benefit, such as a glycogen sparing effect, and loads of anecdotal evidence on its benefit.
Creatine mentions on Endurance Planet (click this link or search keyword creatine on our site).
For EA’s using creatine may be more about the “indirect” benefits one might find e.g.:
Effects of short-term creatine supplementation and resistance exercises on resting hormonal and cardiovascular responses
“Results of the present study suggest that more than 5 days of creatine supplementation, associated with resistance exercises is sufficient for increasing testosterone concentrations and decrement in cortisol concentrations.”
Also: one study showed that creatine for EAs may be able to reduce RPE and improve physiological markers during exercise(e.g. lower HR in heat).
May decrease muscle wasting in older populations (review of studies).
But also there are studies of no profound effectof creatine.
Side effects may include fluid retention, but maybe this is a good thing for hydration status in heat?
Note really much downside to trying and seeing for yourself!
Check out FullScript (also available on our Endurance Planet shop page) for a great trusted online supplement dispensary with creatine options from which to choose.
Probiotic Administration Increases Amino Acid Absorption from Plant Protein: a Placebo-Controlled, Randomized, Double-Blind, Multicenter, Crossover Study
This study looked at “nutritional strategies to raise the blood amino acid concentrations after ingesting a plant protein source to overcome compositional shortcomings.”
“Compared with animal protein sources, plant protein sources, with the exception of soy protein, are incomplete proteins lacking in one or more essential amino acids. Plant proteins contain less branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), especially leucine [13], one of the crucial amino acids for muscle health, especially the activation of muscle protein synthesis (MPS) [14]. In addition, plant proteins differ in absorption kinetics and the amount of amino acids absorbed by the host.”
“Pea protein is low in methionine and contains lower amounts of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), which play a crucial role in muscle health.
“certain probiotic strains have proteolytic properties and have been linked to an increased production of digestive enzymes and subsequently improved host protein utilization [12].”
Probiotic L. paracasei LP- DG® and L. paracasei LPC- S01 have promising effects and were used in this study because they have been shown to increase absorption of key nutrients of specific importance to athletes, such as amino acids from protein.
“Fifteen physically active men co-ingested 20 g of pea protein with either AminoAltaTM, a multi-strain probiotic or a placebo for 2 weeks in a randomized, double-blind, crossover design, separated by a 4-week washout period.
“Probiotic administration significantly increased methionine, histidine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, tyrosine, total BCAA, and total EAA maximum concentrations (Cmax) and AUC without significantly changing the time to reach maximum concentrations. Probiotic supplementation can be an important nutritional strategy to improve postprandial changes in blood amino acids and to overcome compositional shortcomings of plant proteins.”
“The co-administration of probiotics with pea protein increased methionine AUC levels by 20% in our study, offering an alternative nutritional approach to overcome the low methionine content in pea protein.”
Some take-home points:
The more support and strength you have in your microbiome the more dietary protein will get digested and utilized. Adding a probiotic, prebiotic and a way to increase stomach acid is a great strategy for most people.
Need good levels of Hcl also if you want to absorb dietary protein, as it is needed to convert inactive pepsinogen to active pepsin, the stomach enzyme that digest protein.
Not sure if you’re protein deficient? Symptoms to watch for:
Fluid retention
Dizziness or nausea
Cuticles tear easily
Muscle wasting
Low hormone levels
Poor coordination
Overall weakness
Colds, flu, infections easily
Premature aging
Dull hair, dry hair, or hair falling out

Eric asks:
Eliminating Lectins for Autoimmunity?
My wife is a marathon runner and we’re learning that she likely has the onset of an autoimmune condition (we are awaiting the diagnosis but it’s pretty certain either lupus or RA). In starting to research for her in natural ways to heal I’ve come across the role of lectins and read that a low lectin diet has a therapeutic effect on autoimmune conditions. Have you guys heard of this? I know Julie has been doing a lot of experimenting with her own diet to alleviate some issues. Curious to hear a discussion. And also, for those without autoimmunity, is it still a good idea to avoid lectins? How does the 80/20 type approach apply to this stuff. Like if she were to have gluten once in a while is that a hard no or maybe ok?
Any other tips on training modifications, or nutritional interventions would be great!

What the Coaches Say:
Lectins defined: a protein that binds to sugar molecules in cells throughout the body altering their function. They are part of a natural defense against microorganisms, pests, and insects.
Symptoms of lectin overload: swelling, digestive trouble, gas/bloating, brain fog, weight gain.
Lectins and their possible role in autoimmune disease: lectins can strip away the mucous coat of the small intestine leaving it vulnerable for an overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria.
There is emerging research on the link between lectins and their role in autoimmunity but nothing is “proven” at this point.
Do Dietary Lectins Cause Disease?
“Of particular interest is the implication for autoimmune diseases. Lectins stimulate class II HLA antigens on cells that do not normally display them, such as pancreatic islet and thyroid cells.9The islet cell determinant to which cytotoxic autoantibodies bind in insulin dependent diabetes mellitus is the disaccharide N-acetyl lactosamine,10 which must bind tomato lectin if present and probably also the lectins of wheat, potato, and peanuts. This would result in islet cells expressing both class II HLA antigens and foreign antigen together—a sitting duck for autoimmune attack. Certain foods (wheat, soya) are indeed diabetogenic in genetically susceptible mice.11 Insulin dependent diabetes therefore is another potential lectin disease and could possibly be prevented by prophylactic oligosaccharides.”
In other words: lectins have binding properties that can cause intestinal permeability, disrupt digestion, cause nutrient deficiencies, and all around cause severe intestinal damage WHEN CONSUMED IN EXCESS (or genetically susceptible). This damage to the gut creates intestinal permeability which we know is the gateway to various autoimmunity. We need our mucosal layer healthy so it can moderate the absorption of nutrients and water and to prevent harmful substances from entering our bloodstream.
Some additional resources:
Terry Wahls who healed her MS largely via diet has some interesting data and research on low lectin diets, which can be modified for paleo, vegan, etc.:
Terry Wahls, MD, on New Research Into Diet and Lifestyle Treatments for Autoimmunity and Beyond
https://terrywahls.com/news/articles/
Stop Autoimmunity with a Lectin-Free Diet
Plant Paradox Diet
This is another low-lectin diet resource by Dr. Gundry, who says “Plants don’t want to be eaten. They simply want to survive. One of the ways they defend themselves against hungry animals like us is by producing toxic chemical compounds – proteins known as lectins. And when lectins invade our bodies, they can cause some serious inflammatory responses and other health issues, like leaky gut syndrome, weight gain, brain fog, and more.”
Abstract: Remission/Cure of Autoimmune Diseases by a Lectin Limited Diet Supplemented With Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Polyphenols (Gundry; 2018)
NOTE: This was a simply presentation at an AHA conference not a peer-reviewed published study.
“95/102 patients achieved complete resolution of autoimmune markers and inflammatory markers within 9 months. The other 7/102 patients all had reduced markers, but incomplete resolution. 80/102 patients were weaned from all immunosuppressive and/or biologic medications without rebound.
“We conclude that a lectin limited diet, supplemented with pro and prebiotics, and polyphenols are capable of curing or putting into remission most autoimmune diseases.”
Grundy’s approved foods vs not approved foods due to lectin content.
Interesting things we noticed on this list:
The focus on resistant starches instead of grains as carb sources
Veg focus can be: Cruciferous and leafy greens largely ok
What about oxalates in greens?
Carrot greens- a little known thing you can keep & eat!
Some foods like cucumber are ok with seeds/skin removed
Nuts at a ½ cup day are ok as nut flours (dose matters!)
Many plant-based proteins are on the “no” list (soy, tofu, TVP, edamame, etc.)
Not allowed: non-southern European cow’s milk products (lol)
Also being mindful of animal-based proteins: what does the animal’s diet looks like?! Go for grassfed/pastured, avoid grain or soybean fed animals.
This one is hard because it can get expensive to exclusively eat all pastured, e.g. we eat organic chicken but not always pastured.
One way to go about this is to look at the “no” list and see what foods you may be eating a lot of regularly and maybe look to modify there to begin, while adding more of the “yes” foods.
Actionable steps:
Start by eliminating the heavy hitters: Gluten, Nightshades, Beans/Legumes, Peanuts
If seeing a reduction in symptoms, but are still uncomfortable, keep trying to eliminate others.
What about gluten every so often? Is there a reaction? Then probably should stay away. Depends on the severity! But any reaction, even low grade, will probably be worth it to really minimize it because there is obviously a reaction occurring and the body is stressed.
One of the big factors to destabilize lectins is using something like a pressure cooker and/or peeling and deseeding… or just not eating them.
Lectins okay with people without Autoimmunity?
If you have any of the symptoms above and these foods are frequent in your diet, it’d be worth a shot to get rid of some, test on yourself.
Also consider: Training Modifications:
Give the gut a break and chance to heal without the jostling of long-distance running
Pick a couple months to really ease up, and see if your flares decrease.
We know blood flow is diverted to our skin and muscles during long or high-intensity work.
This will increase gut permeability and delay healing.

The post HPN 20: Can a Low-Lectin Diet Help Heal Autoimmunity? Plus: Probiotics to Increase Nutrient Absorption and Creatine For Plant-Based Diets first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 19 min
July 31, 2020ATC 316: Do Vasectomies Affect Performance? (Lucho Shares His Experience) Plus: Coffee Talk and Programming Effective Recovery
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Lucho Rapid Fires:
Where did you get the nickname Lucho?
Last name used to be Luchinski. Somewhere around 2004, a cycling training partner started calling him “Lucho” instead of Luchinski, and it stuck. (He since changes his last name, but “Lucho” still sticks).
Coffee or no coffee before a workout?
Yes! But Lucho warns against becoming addicted or using it to mask extreme fatigue.
If you’re new to coffee, don’t overdo it.
Decaf is a great way to feel some of the psychological benefits of coffee without a big caffeine spike.
Buy fresh (preferably organic) beans
Considering weaning off coffee two weeks before an A race. Then you can have coffee on race day and really feel it!
Lucho’s favorite post-workout meal?
60 grams of organic whey protein isolate after the workout with walnuts, almonds, peanuts, and raisins at lunch later. If the workout is super long and intense, he’ll add 60 grams of carbs to his bottle during the workout.
Mt. Capra mention for non-cow whey protein (comes from goats and their Deep 30 protein includes electrolytes and probiotic).
Dissect this quote: “I have a saying ‘train, don’t strain.’ The Americans have the saying ‘no pain, no gain’ and that’s why they have no distance running champions. They get down to the track with a stopwatch and flog their guts out thinking that it’ll make them a champion, but they’ll never make a champion that way.”— Arthur Lydiard
The American system is premised on brutalizing yourself from the age of 13 past college to the pro level. Instead, Lucho thinks you need to spend all that time building your base and becoming durable at high volume. Then, when you’re “bulletproof” you can go hard.
Lucho also thinks there’s a sociological component. In Kenya/Ethiopia, every athletic hero is a runner. In the US, 10-year-olds are idolizing NFL players. Running isn’t encouraged in this country.
Anonymous asks:
Do vasectomies negatively affect athletic performance?
Good morning,
Big fan of the show and long time listener. Not sure if this fits in with ATC or more in HPN?
Basically my wife and I have been discussing me getting a vasectomy as we don’t want children. I appreciate that it’s not the same as when you neuter a racehorse, but I guess I’m still concerned about how it may affect my sports performance.
I’m a competitive AG athlete (31 years old) and was trying to get an elite ticket in the world of XTERRA/ cross triathlon until COVID happened, so fingers crossed 2021 goes a bit more to plan. My concerns are that having this surgery may jeopardise my performance in my athletic journey, but I am also interested to get your thoughts on wider health/ exercise longevity impact in the long term?
What the Coaches say:
No, there is no performance drop-off (because you’re not being castrated). There will be no change in testosterone or any other hormonal change.
Lucho recommends not getting the vas deferens clip in the procedure. Just do cauterization.
In his experience, the anxiety of going into the procedure was way worse than the procedure itself. It only takes about 4 minutes and is totally painless.
Take the recovery seriously (two weeks totally off!).
Research studies
Long-term safety, health and mental status in men with vasectomy
Effect of Short Period Vasectomy on FSH, LH, Inhibin and Testosterone Secretions, and Sperm Motility in Adult Male Rats
Sperm changes, obviously, but “early bilateral vasectomy does not strongly affect the endocrine function of the testis.” This was in rats.
Mark Sisson article
“Evidence strongly suggests that your facilities will remain fully operational, your sex life will improve (or at least stay the same), and your testosterone levels will be unaffected. All they’re doing is capping the vas deferens – the tubes that deliver sperm during ejaculation. You can still ejaculate, and the ‘body’ is none the wiser. You’re just ‘inactive.’”
Note that vasectomies can fail (like a <10% chance but it’s possible so just fyi).
Mention: Dr Jolene Brighten’s book: Beyond The Pill
Vicky asks:
Comparing bike training to run training and negotiating days off?
Hi Tawnee and Lucho!
I hope you are both doing well – listening to your podcast, it would seem that you are. I’m one of the few athletes to be relieved to have my races cancelled, as I wasn’t doing too well recovering from a skydiving injury. All is good now, but I’m in the phase of clawing my way back to being in good running shape.
My questions are simple, so I’ll ask them first, then give you more background than you probably need, but I often hear you wondering things about people who have asked questions, and hopefully I’ll cover anything you might want to know.
1) When I train on my bike, should I use the same training philosophy that I do when I run? Hard days/easy days, long rides, short rides with hard intervals, tempo rides, etc? (Please talk about how a hard bike affects running and vice versa if you would as well.)
2) Do I need a complete day off if I take two relatively easy days in a row?
Here’s my background:
I’m a 61 year old female, and I’ve been racing and training most of my life. High School swimmer, then not much till I joined the Army at 23 years old. Then I got into running and triathlon (I’m almost a pioneer in that one!), completing my first marathon at age 25 without much guidance except run a lot! (Time was 4:19, and I slept around the clock afterwards!)
I took a few years off from racing to have children, then started back again in my late thirties. Got really serious about training in my late 40’s, and hit most of my PRs from 5K to Marathon in mid-fifties. After that, I suffered a lot of injuries and surgeries for various things (including a broken foot running into the ocean for a triathlon). I realize now some were injuries due to increasing mileage too rapidly. That was the year I got all my PRs!
Currently I’m recovered from the sky diving thing (a hard landing that my knee took the brunt of) except for a large lump that remains below my kneecap. I’ve had some foot issues that I now realize was from wearing stability shoes and switching to zero drop Altras without a good transition period. Feet are finally adjusting, and I’m up to 20 to 25 miles a week running.
I am currently signed up for an Olympic Triathlon set for October. I’m training on the assumption that it will happen, but I’m fine if it doesn’t. Like Lucho, I just enjoy the process of training.
In an effort to heal my feet, as well as prevent a hip issue (piriformis?) that I’ve had in the past, I have limited my running to 4 times a week. But I have a very hard time taking a day off, so I bike on the other days. Here’s what my week looks like:
Monday – run 5 miles very easy, sometimes on a treadmill
Tuesday – bike inside on my trainer for an hour, doing mostly very short intervals (20 to 35 seconds) with the same recovery for an hour
Wednesday – run 6 miles, in a progression run, gradually getting a bit faster. The last mile includes 6 very short hill sprints. I’m working up to a full blown interval workout, but taking it slow getting there.
Thursday – bike outside 20 miles, average pace around 18 mph
Friday – run 5 miles in the rolling crests (can’t call them hills) around my house, easy pace
Saturday – long run of 8 to 10 miles, using run 2 min, walk 30 seconds, fairly easy pace
Sunday – Long bike, 30 miles (that’s long for me at this point!) at pretty much the same pace as the Thursday bike
One interesting note from my many years of training, is that the last few years I’ve gotten much slower at running, but my biking and swimming haven’t changed much, and may actually be a bit better. I know the swimming is due to my extensive study of good technique, which is why I also want to apply better technique to my biking. I’m not swimming at the moment, but will add that in later as swimming comes very easy to me.
Thanks for your help. I hope I covered everything important!
What the Coaches say:
The basic physiology is the same between bike and run, but the main difference is that cycling isn’t load bearing so you can do more volume.
A hard run is going to affect the bike more than a hard bike will affect the run (because running beats you up more).
The majority of triathletes hire a coach because it’s hard to blend the two!
Doubling up is essential in tri training.
Check out Cherie Gruenfeld as bad ass master athlete: https://enduranceplanet.com/cherie-gruenfeld-grandmaster-triathlete-racing-her-20th-ironman-world-championship-race-this-year-hear-her-story-and-tips-for-longevity-in-sport/
Lucho thinks your 5 mile “easy” runs are too challenging, given your long run is 8 to 10.
Instead of running easy on Friday, double up and do your run after the bike on Thursday. Take Friday off. Total days off are essential.
You could swim 1K max on recovery days.
Switching to time versus miles can help ensure you don’t overdo it.
The post ATC 316: Do Vasectomies Affect Performance? (Lucho Shares His Experience) Plus: Coffee Talk and Programming Effective Recovery first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 14 min
July 24, 2020Sock Doc 10: $@#% That Pain in the Knee! How To Heal Your IT Band Syndrome, Chondromalacia Patella and ‘Runner’s Knee’ Issues
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Welcome back to another episode featuring Dr. Steve Gangemi, aka The Sock Doc. Steve is a holistic alternative health care doctor who runs a practice in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Learn more about his practice at drgangemi.com and visit his many resources at sock-doc.com. We’ve included some of his articles and videos that pertain to this show’s topic below in the show notes.
On this episode:
Definition and differentiation of some common conditions:
IT band syndrome – Stress/pain on the outside of the knee.
Patellofemoral pain syndrome – Pain in the front of the knee.
Chondromalacia patellae – Friction or breakdown of cartilage under the kneecap. Also known as “runner’s knee.”
George Harrison asks:
Runner’s knee woes
Hey guys, just recently started listening to your show and have really enjoyed it so far. I’ve got a question for you regarding runner’s knee and how to go about treating it.
A little bit about me: I’m 27 and relatively new to running (a little over 2 years). I’ve done a few half marathons and usually try to run 15-20 miles a week. I had plantar fasciitis issues on my right foot about a year ago, but took some time off and got some insoles and haven’t had any problems since. I started to experience pain on the outer part of my left knee during my last run and even felt it lock up a couple times. I’ve taken about a week off to rest it, but I still have some lingering pain and stiffness on the outside of my knee and knee cap while walking. It happened on a shorter run where I was focused on improving my speed, so I was pushing it harder than I normally would. I was running in some new shoes and did not have the insoles in that I usually use. It was also only a couple weeks after my most recent half, so I might have been doing too much too soon. After looking around on the internet, it appears that my symptoms are pointing towards runners knee or IT band syndrome. I’ve been doing the “rice” treatment method which has helped a little bit, but I was wondering if you guys had any other treatment or prevention methods that may help. Or if you think it may be a different type of injury entirely. I was planning on doing another half in a couple of months, however I really don’t want to hurt myself any further so it may be in my best interest to sit this next race out to be safe. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Really itching to get back out there!
Also, Peter W. asks:
ITB problems and tugging on the knee
Hi – Thank you so much for the podcast and everything that you do! I am a solid sub-8min MAF runner (32 years old) who typically logs between 35 and 50 miles a week. I’ve recently developed a bad case of ITB syndrome which pulls on my left knee and inflames my left knee cap between miles 6 through 10 or so. I’ve gone for a few sessions of active release which helps in the short term but I still get this issue now and again. Serious sucks!,
Should I look at lungs/weighted step ups and rucking as ways to strengthen and improve this issue? More specific stretches possibly? I realize this is a very general question but would be interested into any insights you all on the podcast might have!
What The Sock Doc says:
Potential gait issues
Insoles/cushions are okay when it comes to someone healing an issue like plantar fasciitis
RICE: rest, ice, compression, elevation.
Rest (to a certain degree). Prefer active recovery vs. passive.
Icing is usually not recommended anymore; may even delay healing. The exception would be to ice something using the cryokinetic method (i.e., icing the area so you can mobilize it better).
Compression is the most beneficial. May compress the affected area or massage around it.
Elevation may help with swelling.
Sock Doc’s Video: Treatment and Prevention of ITB Syndrome
Consider the holistic components (e.g., stress levels outside of running, nutrition, sleep, etc.)
Rory Campbell asks:
First Achilles now Chondromalacia patellae got me
Hi guys, Rory from Scotland here. I hope you’re all staying safe and well? Pretty much all of our events have been cancelled for the foreseeable future so I guess it’s time that we can focus on strength building, staying fit and healthy.
Before covid-19 hit us I was having difficulties with Achilles pain and so I focussed on building strength around the Achilles, my legs, core etc. Stopped running and instead hit the gym. In the process of strength building I managed to hurt my right shoulder (maybe doing rdl’s) which is still bad but more significantly a knee niggle came back to haunt me. I had noticed it occasionally on long runs last year but did not impact on my day to day life or running plans. I had a few big ultras last year that culminated in the transalpine run in September. Plans for this year included an 80mile event and some other interesting bits and bobs. All changed now, of course. So the MRI shows Chondromalacial patellae, I’ve rested but also am conscious of not resting, if that makes sense. I can’t run because it gets aggravated. Cycling also seems to aggravate it unless it’s a very light spin on the turbo for 30-40 minutes. Likewise the cross-trainer (elliptical). My shoulder still hurts so some strength excercises I can’t do. Squats also aggravate it. I’m following a 24hour rule – try something, if it hurts the next day then pull back again. I have it taped up, have taken ibuprofen and have iced it. I am very frustrated as all I want is to head out to the hills close to my house and maintain/grow my fitness again. Everything I have read suggests this will get better with time but I’m not seeing it yet. I feel it in my knee just walking around.
Can you suggest some movement strategies or exercises?
What The Sock Doc says:
Possible inflammation from training too hard/often (overtrained), or not recovering properly.
Try for a holistic health assessment.
You may want to hold off on the 80-mile event for now
Focus on getting healthier; think about what is running your body down. You want to be able to run pain-free!
Sock Doc’s website includes information on virtual consultations, contact information, etc. if you’d like to work with a professional!
Female-specific:
Women in perimenopause and menopause feeling knee soreness and pinch type feelings in the knee that wasn’t there before. Is this a factor of making this hormonal transition?
What The Sock Doc says:
Previous podcast episode with the Sock Doc
High estrogen or low progesterone in women could cause ligament instability.
Hormonal imbalance symptoms are common, but not normal.
Supplements:
For those wanting to run marathon or longer and experiencing knee pain on long runs over 10 miles or so… or if by 18-20 miles the ache is unbearable. What’s going on? Will something like glucosamine help? Fish oil? What other supplements?
What The Sock Doc says:
Never take a supplement to try and run through pain!
First, you need to figure out why you can’t run!
Fish oil can act as an anti-inflammatory.
If you take NSAIDs and you feel better, that is pretty much telling you that you have a fatty acid imbalance.
The post Sock Doc 10: $@#% That Pain in the Knee! How To Heal Your IT Band Syndrome, Chondromalacia Patella and ‘Runner’s Knee’ Issues first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 9 min
July 17, 2020ATC 315: Preconception and Postpartum Fitness Guidance, and ‘Rapid Fire’ With Lucho: Altitude Masks, Run Power Meters, and More!
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Also head over to our Shop page where we have some updated offers for you guys, including the wonderful products by Mt. Capra who have top-of-the-line goat-based protein powders, goat milk ghee, colostrum all sorts of good stuff for you and your little ones, as Mt. Capra also has a fantastic goat-milk based formula recipe and kit.
Redaction from ATC 314:
The book mentioned in the last ATC (Your Kids Suck and It’s Your Fault) doesn’t exist… oops!
But check out this podcast (the first 30 minutes) on early child hormonal development.
Lucho also recommends this podcast from Christian Thibaudeau on neurotyping.
Lucho Rapid Fire Questions:
Altitude masks: are they actually effective and worth it to adapt to high altitude conditions?
From a physiological standpoint, no.
In Lucho’s opinion, though, they can have a beneficial psychological effect. The masks make it more difficult to breathe, so training with it allows you to get more comfortable with this feeling (which is similar to what you experience at altitude).
Side note: do not use a mask if exercising while pregnant!
Running power meters: are they accurate/reliable/valid data, and worth the investment? Useful as another metric, and/or as an alternative to HR? What about prescribing “target power ranges” for run workouts as you would watts on the bike?
Lucho thinks they have the potential to be just as useful as a power meter on the bike.
If you’re not a data person, don’t worry about using it (Lucho doesn’t).
From a data guidance and tracking perspective, they’re incredibly useful.
The devices will probably continue to get more accurate over time.
FeetMe and RPM2 measure force at the foot level. This is similar to an SRM, and should be more viable than an algorithm.
Sub-max fitness tests to predict max HR: What do you think about using the sub-max HR tests (like this from Sally Edwards) to predict max HR? Looks like she recommends doing 4 of the sub-max and averaging them, and also doing her calc.
Lucho isn’t a fan of using max HR to set your zones; there’s not really a correlation between max HR and LT.
HR is a variable datapoint, so take it with a grain of salt.
Rather than using a max HR test to set your zones, do your long run, keep it chill, and use your average HR to set your zone 2 (+/-5).
Joe Friel’s 20-30 min LT test is another effective way to set your zones.
Keep in mind that energy systems are on a spectrum and you switch over gradually. You don’t suddenly shift from LT to VO2 the second you go over LT.
Anonymous asks:
Preconception fitness and health
Hi Tawnee and Endurance Planet Team!
My short question is: how can I build my aerobic base based on my SLOW progression with MAF, and push my aerobic endurance, in a healthy way as we begin to try to conceive?
Context: The longer version is that I have run on and off – VERY slowly and with poor training techniques – since 2012, but never much stuck with it besides perhaps a once yearly training for a 10k. I broke my femur in December 2018, and by June 2019 began Orange Theory, where I built up from walking on the treadmill to finally being able to run for short bursts again. This got me hooked on heart rate monitoring, and I ran my first post-break 5k in October 2019; I also took a MAF test. I’ve done a few 5ks since then – my time varies between about 38-45 minutes for a 5k. (I don’t run at my husband’s pace!! I’m more of a completion ribbon gal).
It’s been my goal to get in good physical fitness to recover from the break/build strength, be generally healthy, but also to build a good base for pre-conception health; we want to begin trying for a baby this summer, and know this can be such an unpredictable journey.
But while Orange Theory was pushing my fitness and I was improving quickly, I realized in April when the world shut down that my aerobic fitness was not increasing. I ran a 3 mile MAF test in October 2019 at a target heart rate of 146 (I’m 34) with an average pace of 16:18 min miles. In April 2020, my average was 18:54 min miles.
After I saw in my April MAF test that my times increased, I began training with 30-45 minute runs 6 days a week, expecting my fitness to improve; it did not (at least much – I went to 18:17 min miles in May, and just today did cut down to a 17:31 minute mile average.
So: the last few weeks, I’ve been sticking to many MAF runs with a few others worked in. I’m so slow on MAF runs (18-20 min miles) that I feel like I’m walking backwards, and I’m being patient anyway, but it feels like I could lose fitness? I’m trying 3-4 MAF runs a week, with some sprints at the end. I’m maintaining 2 5k runs a week in which I just run at a fun pace, which results in an average heart rate of between 170-180. My 5k heart rate averages are beginning to decrease by just a touch, and I just ran my fastest 5k time since my leg break at 36 min. I did a long MAF warmup and a MAF cooldown as well.
The longer version of the question
Is it beneficial to mix in some MAF training with other runs like this? And — as we begin trying for a baby, and if I get pregnant- would it be best to train purely at MAF so that I’m keeping my heartrate down? This past year has been the most intense physical “training” of my life – I’ve never done long endurance running or played sports, so I can’t quite tell if I have a “baseline” of fitness, like other more intensely trained athletes do. I’m just wondering about the best approach for building/maintaining fitness in a healthy way during a possible pregnancy, given my context.
YIKES what a wordy question/essay.
Thanks for all of the great podcast episodes!
What the Coaches say:
If your MAF isn’t improving given how much training you’re doing, you might want to look at other aspects of your life.
How’s your diet and blood sugar levels? Consider tweaking calories and macros.
Don’t be extreme in either dietary direction… don’t eat too many carbs and don’t be keto.
What’s your stress like? If you’re in a chronically stressed state with high cortisol then your body might not respond well to training.
170-180 is definitely an intense place to be, even if it feels fun.
HIIT and infertility
There are no published randomized controlled clinical trials on this to my knowledge.
There was a Norwegian study from a number of years ago that looked at reported exercise frequency and intensity and did find a link to lower pregnancy rates in the group with the highest frequency of intense exercise. This was a longitudinal retrospective study and does not show cause and effect. And I believe that group of women eventually did get pregnant, it just was later on………
“The biggest impact of exercise on fertility, whether it be endurance or HIIT-type workouts, is that if a woman is getting her period regularly every month that’s a great sign of hormones likely in balance and should increase chances of getting pregnant (all other factors taken into consideration of course).
If she is struggling with infertility already she might want to cut down on the high intensity workouts (to once or twice per week max) to do everything she can to improve her chances. But if just starting out and no signs of problems, no need to modify things (as long as her periods are good and she’s eating enough!)
On HIIT in pregnancy
Again, no randomized controlled clinical trials.
I personally tell women they can continue doing the type of exercise they are used to doing, but the intensity needs to be modified during pregnancy.
Keeping the HR <150bpm is an outdated rule written by men who don’t exercise, so I don’t go by that.
Your resting heart rate is elevated in pregnancy and your exercise HR is also, linked to the increased cardiac output of pregnancy. The best rule of thumb is to use the perceived exertion scale as a guide.
Exercising at low to moderate intensity is best.
Occasionally getting up to moderately hard is ok
Avoid the hard to very hard zone.
This applies in the first trimester and all the way through.
RPE is a very valuable tool rather than just HR, but there are also some generally guidelines when it comes to HR. 170-180 is physiologically intense. Sure, 170 feels “fun,” but 160 would probably be safer.
Your comfort level matters so if you feel best sticking to MAF then do that but you don’t have to (I preferred sticking to my MAF range, which also aligned with my RPE).
Stick to a similar routine that you’ve been doing, not adding a bunch of new volume or intensity.
When TTC- Look at signs of health first e.g. hormones, regular period, stress balance, HPA axis, gut health, etc. If something’s off then address that which may require exercise modifications if the exercise is having any deleterious effect on the most important variables of fertility.
Not sure? Cycle tracking (ovulation, long enough luteal phase?), BBT, DUTCH test, cortisol panel, gut test if that’s a problem, etc.
Listen to this recent podcast we recorded taking a holistic look at preconception health: HPN 8: Mindful Fertility, TTC, and Managing MTHFR and Folate Intake
Chloe asks:
Postpartum body care for athletic mamas?
Hi!
Do you have any guidance on how to take care of your body post baby? Any websites/books On getting back into working out etc. I look online – and there just seems to be so much junk (drink these shakes! Pay 1000 for the perfect post baby body!) which I’m not interested in.
I’m hitting three weeks post baby, feeling good and have been just walking. I’ve been listening to my body – but I just want to make sure I’m doing all I can do (in a smart way!) I want to start lifting again and slowly getting back into running again!
Thank you in advance!
What the Coaches say:
Get on your DR exercises, core/pelvic floor is everything! Even a few minutes daily makes a difference.
Breath work for DR: Jill Miller: Prevention and Healing of Diastasis Recti During Pregnancy and Postpartum and the Crucial Role of Proper Breathing
IG recommendation: ajcorectology for more DR exercises
Don’t overthink it. Like with the previous question, I think going by RPE is the best possible thing you can do and just shut out what other moms may or may not be doing after birth. I started with 1 mile….. then 2 miles… then by 4-5 months later I hammered out a 6k trail race and my HR was soaring but that was about right volume-wise for where I was at.
As I built back into volume I was sure to stick to mostly MAF because I felt like my metabolic function was all off and whacky after pregnancy. Some say pregnancy is a state of insulin resistance, by the way, which is an interesting concept. So I wanted to hone my metabolic function back in and it took a long time to get some breakthroughs with my MAF efforts.
Don’t stress over the “pressure” we place on ourselves and feel externally to get back to some level of pre-pregnancy fitness. Honor thy season you’re in—you are a mama now and that baby needs you first and foremost. I promise you’ll get it back with time.
From the health and holistic side, make sure you’re not pushing it too hard so your milk supplies diminishes prematurely.
Another EP Podcast resource: Brie Wieselman: Postpartum Recovery Plan – A Functional Health Approach For Athletic Mamas and Baby’s Wellbeing
The post ATC 315: Preconception and Postpartum Fitness Guidance, and ‘Rapid Fire’ With Lucho: Altitude Masks, Run Power Meters, and More! first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 16 min
July 10, 2020HPN 19: Potato Purée vs. Sports Gels Put To The Test, ‘Cleaning Up’ A Poopy Problem, and Cultivating A Healthy Mindset For A Healthier Body
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Welcome to episode 19 of Holistic Performance Nutrition (HPN) featuring Tawnee Gibson, MS, CSCS, CISSN, and Julie McCloskey, a certified holistic nutrition coach who you can find over at wildandwell.fit.
Intro
Julie shares with us a bit about her journey with chilblains, and her experiment with a 30-day vegan diet. You may follow Julie along in her journey through her Instagram account. She also wrote a blog titled I’m Going Vegan for 30 Days, Here’s Why
On this episode:
Study: Potato ingestion is as effective as carbohydrate gels to support prolonged cycling performance
“The purpose of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of potato ingestion as a fueling strategy to support cycling time trial (TT) performance compared with CHO gel or water in trained cyclists.”
Study dynamics:
Highly trained cyclists, averaging 165 miles a week, training for the past 7 years; subjects: 9 male, 3 females
Experimental trials were completed during the mid-follicular phase of the menstrual cycle for the female participants.
Randomized crossover design
Ingested 60g/CHO/hr during cycling challenge followed by TT to measure performance
Ate controlled meals 24hr pre-tests of macros: 60/20/20
Rode 2hr steady states 60% Vo2max combined with hill simulations at a higher intensity
Took in 15g CHO every 15min from either potato puree or Powergel (120g CHO over 2hr), then did TT
The individuals who chose the potato puree had more GI distress than the individuals who consumed the gels.
“The overall GI symptoms were higher for potatoes than for the other conditions after the cycling challenge. Specifically, there were higher levels of abdominal pain, bloating, and discomfort during the late phases of the cycling challenge.
But average GI symptoms were lower than in previous studies indicating that both CHO conditions were well tolerated by the majority of the study’s cyclists. It is worthwhile to mention that only two participants had previously chosen potatoes as their personal race fuel, but all participants regularly ingest CHO gels during races and training, and according to the gut training theory, frequency of ingestion could also alter digestibility and perceptions of fullness.”
Potato has a different composition breakdown vs gel
Potatoes are higher protein and fiber than gel
“Potato ingestion reduced gut damage, as indicated by similar reductions in plasma I-FABP concentrations between gel and potato vs. the water condition, throughout the exercise protocol.”
The importance of training the gut
Potatoes are a low FODMAP option
FODMAPS/Composition for 15g CHO worth of each:
Potato is low fructose compared to gel but higher in glucose; both low galactose
Potato puree is cheaper to make than buying gels
humangear GoToob silicone bottles (great for use as a gel flasks, toiletries, kid’s snacks, etc)
“TT performance was significantly faster (P = 0.032) in potato (33.0 ± 4.5 min) and gel (33.0 ± 4.2 min) conditions compared with the water condition (39.5 ± 7.9 min); however, no difference was observed between the potato and gel conditions (P = 1.00).”
Anu R. asks:
Chronic diarrhea (not just when running)
Hi, I am a long time listener of Endurance Planet and I love the work that you do! My question is all digestion issues. Lot of poop talk here! (Feel free to shorten my question, I just wanted to give you enough info about my situation.)
I am a 40-year-old female triathlete, currently training for an Ironman. I have had issues with my frequent bowel movements for years but during this stay-at-home order I have had an opportunity to pay more attention. I poop on average 4 times a day, range between 2 and 6. Using the Bristol Stool Chart my poop is always diarrhea: it’s always mushy blobs or mostly liquid. Sorry if that’s TMI. Some resources say that this is a sign of the stool going through intestines too fast and nutrients not being absorbed. I pay a lot of attention to my diet. I eat a lot of fruit and veggies and whole grains so lack of fiber should not be an issue. I get enough protein for my size and activity but I have a hard time recovering from my workouts, even though I sleep and take care of my body through light activity and body maintenance (yoga, foam rolling, etc.).
What can I do to make my intestines work at a normal pace? I have tried the Fodmap diet for about four weeks now but I see no change. I might be having a bit less bloating because I am eating less legumes but my bowel movements are still very frequent. I don’t feel sick but I think this is limiting my performance a lot. Sometimes I have so much bloating and discomfort in the afternoon that I skip my workout, especially if it’s a run. But the main problem is the trouble recovering, even though I think I’ve done my best to dial in training and recovery measures. Thanks for your help!
What the Coaches say:
Both coaches recommend working with someone to hone in on the issue
Specific Carbohydrate diet for 30 days? Book/Founder “Breaking the Vicious Cycle” by Elaine Gotschall
A diet low in the type of carbohydrates that don’t create digestive problems so the pathogens can be starved out and the damage to the mucosa can heal.
If you have gut issues and your not breaking down sugars properly, they will be used for microbes and increase the dysbiosis and damage to the mucosa.
Not much science to back it up, but has been shown to help a lot of people with chronic digestion conditions find relief: IBS, celiac, Crohn’s, chronic diarrhea, diverticulitis.
Goal: to improve digestion and absorption of nutrients so you feel like a human again. Super restrictive and not much scientific evidence, but if you want to try something new for 30 days, it might be worth a shot.
Food allowed:
Fresh and frozen vegetables and legumes (soaked)
The exception of those high in starch: potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, parsnips, chickpeas, bean sprouts, soybeans, mung beans, fava beans, and seaweed.
Fresh, raw, or dried fruits (as long as no sugar is added)
Meats, poultry, fish, eggs
Natural cheeses, homemade yogurt, dry curd cottage cheese
Not allowed:
Canned vegetables
Canned fruits, unless they are packed in their own juices
All grains, including flour
Starchy vegetables
Processed meats
Most dairy products
Sugars and sweeteners
GI Stool test
For something so chronic and debilitating would highly recommend investing in a GI stool test. Specifically, look for candida overgrowth or infections/parasites like giardia or cryptosporidium. In this kind of situation, probably best to get the GI MAP, not GI Effects.
Open water swimming (OWS) – potential parasites! Was there a time when you had a rather sudden onset of symptoms? Think back.
Need to confirm and or rule out one of these issues to target your healing plan.
Other ideas:
Other life stress and/or a combination of exercise stress
Play around with giving yourself some true relaxation! If you ease up on training for 1, 2 even 3 weeks, do you notice a difference in stool quality? As usual, we need to address the stress component and how much it could be playing into this. And if you haven’t tried that at all, scale back to no more than 5-6 hours a week of MAF focus. The only intensity would be some strides (i.e. short non-fatiguing bouts).
IgG food allergy test
Can be controversial but keep on your list if you keep coming up short on answers and solutions.
From Genova: “The presence of circulating IgG antibodies to foods may be suggestive of increased intestinal permeability, also referred to as “leaky gut syndrome.” When the tight junctions forming the barrier in the gut don’t work properly, larger substances can “leak” through, causing an immune response. This immune response may result in the production of IgG antibodies to foods.4 There are multiple dietary and lifestyle factors that contribute to increased intestinal permeability. These factors include alcohol,13 stress,14,15 chronic NSAID use,16Western-type diet (high consumption of red meat, animal fat, high sugar, and low fiber food),17 and prolonged and strenuous exercise.“
Amanda asks:
Athlete struggling with body
As always, loving your podcast and so happy that you continue to release episodes throughout these crazy times. I always am so stoked to see an updated episode come through.
You featured my question almost a year ago now around athletic amenorrhea but to quickly recap – I am a 26 and am a competitive age grouper. I havent had my period in a few years but have experienced some weight loss that I attribute it to. At my heaviest, I was about 160lbs and am 5’7″ (only sharing numbers because I know it helps tell the full story)- I started training for tris and lost some weight, then I started working with a nutritionist when my weight started to climb back up but my calories hadn’t matched that. I found out I wasn’t eating enough – enough of the right things at the right time or at all. So I increased my calories and really focused on timing around workouts and the pounds came off. At my lightest I was 115 (and admittedly this was way too light) so I bounced up to 125 where I feel like I hit a groove – PRs, felt confident, and was eating very strategically. I got tired of counting calories and concerned that its been almost 2 years since I had a menstrual cycle (they were never regular before but they are now absent). SO recently I’ve just tried to listen to what my body wants but also UP my calories – I try to hit 2500 a day as a baseline I’ve heard that’s the sweet spot to getting your period back. I eat relatively clean – tons of veggies and good clean carbs. I focus on lots of protein and a good amount of fat although I am definitely more of a carb/protein gal. I also rarely have processed foods and I really focus on eating to support my training which is anywhere from 13-20 hours per week. All this to say, I am very discouraged with what my results have been since trying to let go of the tracking and eat more to get to 2500 (as a baseline! so not including the long training days and intensity workouts). I’ve attached some photos (one of when I felt good and one of this week) I am sitting at about 131lbs right now and have gained a pound a week for the last several weeks. Is it stress? Is it eating too much? Would love any advice as it feels very out of control and I love to be in control – HA! I don’t want to have to count calories forever to be at a good healthy weight where I feel lean and happy. Anyway, thanks for listening. Keep up the amazing work, love following this podcast and community.
What the Coaches say:
It sounds like a lot of thought (and stress) is going into calories and working out
Coaches support not tracking your food any more
Have you tried decreasing your training?
“Eating clean” is very stressful!
Find ways to learn how to trust your body
When does the pursuit of excellence in sport and controlling all the variables become unhealthy?
Orthorexia – fear of foods that don’t fit the definition as being safe or healthy
The coaches recommend working with a professional
Get away from the obsession of tracking calories, weighing yourself, etc.
Fat is your friend!
Healing is possible
The post HPN 19: Potato Purée vs. Sports Gels Put To The Test, ‘Cleaning Up’ A Poopy Problem, and Cultivating A Healthy Mindset For A Healthier Body first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 10 min
July 03, 2020ATC 314: Top Workouts to Improve Threshold, How To Structure a Base Phase, and Finding A Compatible Coach
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Intro Discussion
Dopamine and screen time: learn more from Lucho on his Twitch. Tips on how to guide your child’s athleticism and development.
Josh asks:
Programming a triathlon base phase
Hi, I am 38 years old and venturing into being self-coached with a little more structure rather than following random plans. I’m doing this as I transition from being mostly a runner who’s had fun but hasn’t been that serious about it, to now starting to train for triathlons (with the hope that we have options to races in early/mid- 2021). I plan to do Olympic and 70.3 next year and want to see how more quality training can get me closer to my potential.
Right now I want to make the commitment to base-phase training because that’s my weakness and what I need (especially the bike and swim) and am wondering does base mean ALL zone 1/zone 2, or do you include some intensity too, and if so how much or what types of high-intensity workouts make sense in a base phase? Is this an 80/20 kind of thing or 90/10? Or does it depend? (LOL). For the bike specifically, how do I work on improving my FTP in a base phase?
Secondly, what are the pros and cons to more of a “reverse periodization” if I were to do a lot of intensity and lower volume now, and then transition to more volume and less intensity basing this off racing 70.3s in 2021 sometime.
Thanks for the work you guys do and the detailed answers you always give!
What the Coaches Say:
It absolutely does depend on a number of factors: age, past training, durability, etc.
Joel Friel’s 12-week base period is often helpful. Consists of polarized base 1, 2, and 3.
You could do 30 weeks of base if you wanted, but watch out for stagnation and plateau.
Begin with the least specific and as you approach your race the training gets more specific.
Look at this base period as HR based or power based. Don’t get wrapped up on pace.
Don’t think about FTP during the base period.
If you say base phase training is your weakness, don’t put a time frame on it. You could easily do 8 weeks of base 1, another 8 of base 2, and another 8 of base 3.
For the swim, focus on kick and drills.
90/10 or 95/5 approach is ok. The main goal should be to increase volume, not intensity.
This is absolutely a time to work on strength training and functional fitness.
The world is your oyster right now! You can do no wrong.
Marty asks:
My weakness is my LT–how do I increase it?
In response to your last show when Lucho talked about focusing on your weakness it got me to thinking that my weakness is my LT, it’s too low I think. I hit it at 150 HR according to tests and that’s pretty close to my MAF of 140. SHouldn’t my LT be closer to 160-165? I’ve been an endurance athlete for 8 years so I have been training regularly, mostly half-marathons and the occasional marathon. I also have a bike and ride regularly, but don’t do triathlon or race bikes.
What are your top 3- workouts and/or tips for improving LT? Both run and bike?
What the Coaches Say:
There’s a possibility that your MAF is too high. Consider going more zone based.
Is your endurance up to snuff? In order to develop a strong LT, you need to have endurance.
What type of training have you been doing? If you’ve been doing a lot of intensity, step back and just do MAF for 6-8 weeks.
Maybe the test was an off day. What other variables are at play?
Assuming your MAF is correct and the LT test is correct, your LT is bad… as you know LT should be more like 20-25 beats above MAF.
Threshold workouts for run and bike are similar, though bike is more durational.
You need to go into them rested and fueled (with carbs), then rest after them because they’re fatiguing.
Best bike: 2 x 20 minutes steady state LT (advanced!)
Start with: 2 x 10 FTP, 3 x 15, 3 x 20, then up to 2 x 20. 1 minute rest in between intervals, but take as long as you need to hit the target.
If you need an even more gradual entryway: 4 x 5 min.
“In n outs” for 20 minutes can also be helpful, as it engages your brain.
You can do the same for the run.
Mile repeats on the run at 10 seconds faster than LT pace is ok, but all-out sprints isn’t as helpful.
Megan asks:
How to go about researching for a new coach?
I am a long time listener and look forward to listening to your podcast every weekend during my long runs. Without knowing it; Tawnee & Lucho have guided me through 2 Boston marathons and a handful of shorter races. These 2 experts are the best!
Question for the podcast:
I am reaching out to see if you could offer any guidance on finding a running coach?
I have been coached by someone locally and built a strong foundation in strength, durability and endurance with her, however, due to the pandemic she has had to close her one on one coaching business (so sad and tragic).
Although I don’t know if marathons will happen in the fall, I am registered for the Chicago marathon in 16 weeks.
I’ve built a solid aerobic base using your guidance and MAF method- building up to a 100 mile run week at one point and can easily run 60+ miles on any given week without much strain.
My marathon PR is a 3:10 at Boston and am really just looking to hold around that fitness, maybe shave off a few minutes if possible.
Searching now for a running coach just to help set up a training schedule that gives me adaptation without running my body into the ground.
Can you help?
Thank you again for all that you do!
PS: Lucho’s Instagram workouts are awesome!
What the Coaches Say:
Start with the methodology. If you’re a fan of MAF, find someone who is already using MAF or is willing to incorporate it into their approach.
Of course, this is difficult. There’s no database of coaches and their philosophies.
Don’t settle for someone who says it’s “my way or the highway.” You want a coach who’s flexible and can adapt to your needs.
You clearly have a lot of motivation and the potential to push yourself over the edge. You need someone who can rein you in.
You’ll want a coach who will monitor your recovery (whether that’s quantitative or qualitative is up to you).
You want a coach who will give you what you need: you don’t need a cheerleader. You want a legit guide.
Start stalking people on social media! This includes coaches and athletes. Put out feelers from there.
Ask local running clubs (online for now).
If there’s a big-time coach you like, see which coaches follow/engage with them on social media.
Before committing to a coach, see if you can do a 15-minute phone call or a short email exchange. You want to make sure it’s a good fit.
The post ATC 314: Top Workouts to Improve Threshold, How To Structure a Base Phase, and Finding A Compatible Coach first appeared on Endurance Planet.
55 min
June 26, 2020Carrie Cheadle: Injuries and Setbacks Suck, Leveling Up Our Mental State Can Help Us Rebound From Tough Times And Be Hardier Athletes
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Carrie Cheadle is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant and author. She’s also been on Endurance Planet twice before, click here for her past appearances. Her most recent book, Rebound, is the topic of this episode and takes you through the mental training that complements healing from injury. And not just injury–the tools Carries presents transcend athletic injuries and are useful for anyone going through a tough time, including the abrupt and unexpected changes and cancellations we’re all facing in 2020 due to the covid19 pandemic. Grab your pen and paper or keep these show notes nearby because in this show, we dive into very specific topics presented in the book that set the stage for the tools you need to level up your mental game. Carrie is also host to the Injured Athletes Club podcast, and has a Facebook support group for injured athletes. We encourage you to pick up a copy of her new book, Rebound.
This book, Rebound, is not just helpful for injury. People are struggling for many reasons right now, and books like this can help. Injury parallels the covid19 pandemic cancellations and abrupt and unexpected changes to the 2020 season. Mainly, none of us are racing right now; we’ve had that taken away, so it’s a lot like being injured, and thus, the process to healing has parallels. From a mental perspective, we are all “injured athletes” in a sense right now… and it’s not easy!
On this episode:
Injury/setback is just as much MENTAL as it is PHYSICAL
Dealing with all the unknowns that come with an injury/setback can be challenging, but it’s also a normal part of the journey to encounter setbacks!
How to continue to stay motivated through setbacks by deliberately adjusting your goal(s)
Possible correlation between high levels of stress and those who get injured more often
More research needs to be done to determine the cause and effect.
Chronic stress can throw the HPA axis out of whack, making it more difficult for your parasympathetic nervous system to do its job of calming you down.
High levels of stress can affect:
Our immune system
Our brain, making it harder to make rational decisions
When we are under stress, sometimes self-care is one of the first things to go.
When injured, not racing, or in any position from which one needs to bounce back and recover— don’t ignore the mental component of the setback too.
During the recovery process, go F.A.R.
Feel – feel your feelings without guilt and label the specific emotion.
Accept – accept where you’re at right now.
Recover – your recovery is your sport!
“Injury ranks among the most stressful events you will go through as an athlete; not only are both your body and your mind under duress, but you’re often denied the regular endorphin boost that comes with intense physical activity. Proactively seek out these feel-good neurochemicals aids in recovery by countering the stress you’re enduring.”
ACTION: Make a list of alternative ways to boost endorphins, seek joy and support.
Getting (un)stuck
If you want something to be different, you have to do something different.
Progress is not a perfect, upward trajectory.
Seek external support.
Control
Write down what is inside and outside of your control
What do you notice about the two sides? Which side do you feel like you have been living in?
Hardiness – personality construct made up of three different parts: control, challenge, and commitment
Encouraging a shift in focus on what you still can do
Our thoughts like to time travel; when we feel out of control usually we have traveled too far forward (i.e., too wrapped up in the what-ifs).
STAY PRESENT or cultivate the ability to bring yourself back to the present moment
Meditation is a tool to help cultivate/develop mindfulness.
Key takeaways
Do things to help mitigate stress.
Double-down on things that bring your joy and relaxation.
Have things to look forward to, even something small!
Incorporate random reminders into your life:
Set an affirmation reminder on your phone for your future self!
We have a tendency to want to run away from our emotions, but so much can be gained by allowing yourself to feel your feelings.
Treat yourself like you would treat a cherished loved one.
Give yourself compassion, kindness, and grace.

The post Carrie Cheadle: Injuries and Setbacks Suck, Leveling Up Our Mental State Can Help Us Rebound From Tough Times And Be Hardier Athletes first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 1 min