Endurance Planet

By Endurance Planet Inc.Health & Fitness

Endurance Planet episodes

February 17, 2017 ATC 229: Can Training Can Make You A Better Parent, Benefits of Out-Of-Order Bricks, How Much Beer Is ‘Too Much’ After Exercise, And More
1 hr 9 min
February 08, 2017Nicola Rinaldi, PhD: No Period Now What – Healing Hypothalamic Amenorrhea and Managing Fertility
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On this show we’re joined by Nicola Rinaldi, PhD, an expert on hypothalamic amenorrhea and author of No Period Now What, who’s here to talk all about why we lose our periods, how to regain a missing period and how to live a healthy, fertile life whether or not kids are a goal. This talk dives heavily into the research that’s available as well.
Defining hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA) and risk factors
The network of hormones that communicate and control our cycles and fertility starting with our actions and the hypothalamus.
Variables that lead to decreased communication in reproductive hormones.
Quote from the book, highlighted by Tawnee: “No matter what our conscious minds think, if our hypothalamus senses an unfavorable nutrient balance or stress environment, it will shut down the ability to cycle and procreate.”
Nicola’s story of losing then regaining her period and fertility.
It’s important to point out this doesn’t just happen to high-level athletes!
What are tall-tell signs one is at risk whether it’s an unhealthy approach to exercise, food, body image, stress or all of the above – maybe some women don’t even realize they’re harming themselves.
5 risk factors:
Low body fat
Decreased food intake
Constant hunger
Stress
Exercise
Is the #1 factor in HA is lack of energy availability?
HA women have higher levels of perfectionism.
Exercise obsession – how much is too much?
How come some girls can handle more and still get a period?
HA vs. PCOS
What is PCOS, how does it differ from HA, and how women can figure out if they have PCOS or HA. Similarities and differences.
Must have two of three specific symptoms for it to be PCOS.
Why is HA unhealthy as is using BC to “fix” it?
The potential consequences beyond brittle bones and infertility.
Predisposition to heart disease.
Cognitive decline.
BMI numbers associated with losing a period.
Birth control (BC) pills are not an accurate indicator of health.
Thoughts on using BC to get and maintain a period that might not be present otherwise.
Nicola’s take: Be on BC and get an “artificial” period or get off BC and have no period? (For those gals aren’t quite ready to do the work to get back the period naturally.)
HA recovery
The recommended steps for women to take.
Who to see: a conventional doctor, naturopath, health coach, etc.? Healing on your own?
Eating recommendations for healing and how to adopt a healthy mindset and ditch restrictions in the process.
Thoughts on supplementing with bioidentical progesterone or other supplements like estrogen, chasteberry, etc., as a way to speed the recovery process?
Is hormone testing of some kind is needed?
In healing phase, thoughts on decreasing exercise and by how much? Some studies show if food is adequate (thus EA) maybe a decrease in exercise isn’t as necessary.
Tawnee’s personal story on regaining her period and how she had to decrease exercise to not just because of the phyiscal stress but the mental stress she had toward sport at the time.
What other variables go into healing such as stress management. How can girls like us ditch the stress when it’s so programmed in our blood and DNA??
What if it’s not working – still no period?! What to do?
Thoughts on Clomid or Femara as treatment for normal menstruation and ovulation.
What’s the normal BMI for women to get to for having a period with normal ovulation and luteal phases, and if it’s a goal, pregnancy?
Making a return to training/exercise
Women who’ve recovered from HA: What’s next?
Are we able to resume an exercise program and keep a normal period?
Fertility
Other issues like ongoing low progesterone and luteal phase defect.
How does a history of HA affect future fertility? Do women with history of HA struggle to get pregnant? Does the duration of HA make a difference i.e. 6 months vs 10 years of HA?
How long should you recover from HA or what signs should you see before it’s time to try to get pregnant?
Doing all we can for the health of the unborn baby – what can we do to make sure we’re building a “palace” for our little ones and not letting our own exercise/food addictions take over and cause us to stay too lean before/during a pregnancy?
More and more women are exercising during pregnancies at levels even doc’s didn’t traditionally advise, but if you have history of HA should you be more careful with exercise before/during pregnancy?
The post Nicola Rinaldi, PhD: No Period Now What – Healing Hypothalamic Amenorrhea and Managing Fertility first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 12 min
February 08, 2017 Nicola Rinaldi, PhD: No Period Now What – Healing Hypothalamic Amenorrhea and Managing Fertility
1 hr 12 min
February 03, 2017ATC 228: How To Build A Home ‘Gym,’ Lucho’s Volume Philosophy, Late-Night Race Starts, and More
Sponsor:
This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out UCAN’s new bar made with coffee beans!

Sponsor:
If you’re looking to take the holistic healthy life a step further but you’re not sure how to start head to Life Post Collective, an inner-circle community created by Tawnee Prazak Gibson. At LPC you’ll find Tawnee’s resources on holistic health, wellness, fitness, nutrition (including her custom recipes) and more to help you on your path to optimization–the same resources and tools she uses for her athletes and clients. No gimmicks at LPC, Tawnee created this community for your wellbeing and as a home to share practical evidence-based and experienced-based ways to kick more butt. Through LPC’s integrative forums and features on the site, you can learn from not only Tawnee but also like-minded people all working toward common goals.
As a special offer for EP fans, we’re giving you your first month FREE at Life Post Collective using code “ep2017” – act now and make this the best year ever!

On this episode of Ask the Coaches:
Follow-up on cold workouts and HR issues covered in ATC 227. Some athletes find their RPE lower and heart rate takes longer to increase in cold weather. We talk further on the individual nature of how weather affects our training.
On MAF volume and how much you need, probably the #1 question we get…
Take a listen to past shows on this topic here.
Lucho chimes in with some wisdom and why not to cut corners or try to do the least amount possible.
Building a home gym, what would be included, what would be omitted and also hear the difference between Tawnee and Lucho’s home-gym vision.
How do you recommend building it over time? It seems like it’d very easy to go over board.
Of these which are necessary: Kettlebells, dumbbells, barbells and plates, trap bar, pull-up bar, medballs, swiss ball, TRX, sled…? If you were starting out fresh, what would you buy first?
Kettlebells vs. dumbbells.
Tawnee mentions she has a detailed post on home gyms over at LPC (with pricing breakdown), check that out here.
Pro triathlete sings the praises of MAF training.
Why, at the start of his runs, would one experiences a sharp spike in HR, even a very easy jog. His MAF HR is 140 but he will spike into the 150s easily in those initial 20 minutes.
Late-night or midnight race start questions:
Advice regarding sleep for a night-time ultrarunning race, in this case a 100k that starts at 7pm.
An OCR event that begins at midnight with 8 hours to complete as many laps of the course as possible. Recommendations for what to do and eat during the day before the race start? Also how to tackle sleep; sleep in as late as possible or wakeup at normal time? What meals are most important?
MAF training for Leadville success. An EP listener chimes in on his experience going 8:39, ranking 59 out of 550 for age category 40-49, with a body that performed flawlessly thanks to dedicated MAF conditioning. Meanwhile he says that all his buddies are sugar burners and they did well but with higher heart rates; although, they are 10 years younger and don’t get the whole metabolic/fat adoption/MAF concept.
How to go sub 8 this year?
The post ATC 228: How To Build A Home ‘Gym,’ Lucho’s Volume Philosophy, Late-Night Race Starts, and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 10 min
February 03, 2017 ATC 228: How To Build A Home ‘Gym,’ Lucho’s Volume Philosophy, Late-Night Race Starts, and More
1 hr 10 min
January 25, 2017Jae Gruenke: End That Injury For Good! Re-Train Your Brain To Run Faster, Smoother and Injury-Free For Life
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Sponsor:
If you’re looking to take the holistic healthy life a step further but you’re not sure how to start (and let’s face it, there is an overwhelming amount of information on the interwebs) head to Life Post Collective, an inner-circle community created by Tawnee. At LPC you’ll find Tawnee’s resources on holistic health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and more to help you on your path to optimization–the same resources and tools she uses for her athletes and clients. No gimmicks at LPC, Tawnee created this community for your wellbeing and as a home to share practical evidence-based and experienced-based ways to kick more butt. As a special offer for EP fans, we’re offering a New Year’s deal where you can get your first month FREE at Life Post Collective using code “ep2017” – act now and make this the best year ever!

On this show we’re joined by Jae Gruenke, GCFP, a Feldenkrais practitioner and founder of The Balanced Runner. For the past 14 years she has helped runners from beginner to Olympian learn to run pain-free, efficiently, and fast. She specializes in helping those whose problems have not resolved with medical treatment and those transitioning to natural running form, minimalist footwear, and barefoot running. She teaches in the US, the UK, and Germany and also offers The Balanced Runner Online Running Technique Camp and other online programs, find out more at www.balancedrunner.com.
Topics we cover:
A different way to tackle things:
Jae’s background in dancing and becoming a runner.
Jae thinks and operates a bit differently than most when it comes to how to build a solid runner. She explains her philosophy, techniques and what makes her different.
She teaches neuromuscular education techniques using the Feldenkrais Method – retrain the brain.
The mind-body connection to running.
Why classic workouts/strength training are often not enough for runners especially to resolve injury.
Why a lot of experts, physios, coaches, etc., still can’t help people resolve reoccurring running injuries.
Specific running issues and remedies:
When running we want our hips to shift – a little – and not be too stiff, why this is and how it should all work in the kinetic chain…
“The one thing that works is learning to shift your pelvis so your weight goes all the way over your right leg so your gluteus medius doesn’t need to overwork nor your knee turn inwards. This requires a movement of your pelvis and spine, and this brings us back to core stability and the more effective alternative, core action.”
What would prevent someone from moving their hips adequately? i.e. Tight hips: causes and solutions
How to fix a runner with chronically sore quads – more in Jae’s blog here.
Importance of arm swing (if we don’t get to it above)
Improving hip extension – is the couch stretch enough?
Correcting R/L imbalances and why the R side is always dominant no matter if your left- or right-handed
Glutes: are the usually overworked or underdeveloped?
Mention of the book “The Talent Code” and how its themes tie in.
And much much more in this episode!
The post Jae Gruenke: End That Injury For Good! Re-Train Your Brain To Run Faster, Smoother and Injury-Free For Life first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 28 min
January 20, 2017ATC 227: Cold’s Effect on Aerobic Training, Fat Burning Then Speed, Daniels’ VDOT Workouts, and More
Sponsor:
This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out UCAN’s new bar made with coffee beans!
On this episode of Ask the Coaches:
Followup on strapless HRV app: There is on! Check out HRV4TRAINING if interested, which uses the iPhone camera (and does not need a separate heart rate strap).
Lucho drools over a fan selling his 2000 Litespeed Saber frame.
Is MAF affected by COLD temperatures? Whether freezing temps or temps in the 40s (F) for SoCal folks, can cold weather cause our pace to slow down in order to hold MAF?
Swimmer’s ear – “doctor Lucho” shares his remedy.
If a swim injury (or swimmer’s ear) has you out of the pool, how to redistribute that training volume if you’re a triathlete? (caution against adding too much extra running too quickly).
Are aerobic benefits the same regardless of sportwhen using the same heart rate ranges (i.e. 180 Formula)? Not looking for sport-specific gains, rather, for my general aerobic health.
In ATC 222 we basically say, “Metabolic Efficiency Testing is the new MAF… (The testing) is a scientific approach to Maffetone’s principles.” Explaining the philosophy behind this statement.
How to interpret ME test results from a super efficient fat burner – is it now time to focus on getting faster and not get overly obsessed with how much fat burning can happen?
Using your Metabolic Efficiency Test to determine HR zones and training needs, being specific to your race goals.
Explaining and clarifying some basics of Jack Daniel’s method with real-life application:
Intervals should be done at 95-100% of V02MAX or 97-100% of MHR
Using VDOT score, what happens if it’s hard to get HR that close to max using the VDOT interval pace, as well as having a hard time getting HR close to Threshold using the VDOT Threshold pace.
Good post by Steve Magness on VO2max
The post ATC 227: Cold’s Effect on Aerobic Training, Fat Burning Then Speed, Daniels’ VDOT Workouts, and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 9 min
January 20, 2017 ATC 227: Cold’s Effect on Aerobic Training, Fat Burning Then Speed, Daniels’ VDOT Workouts, and More
1 hr 9 min
January 11, 2017Dr. Michael Breus: Discover Your Chronotype To Optimize Workout Timing, Improve Sleep, Unlock Potential, and More
Sponsor:
A New Year’s freebie deal you don’t want to pass up: If you’re looking to take the holistic healthy life a step further but you’re not sure how to start (and let’s face it, there is an overwhelming amount of information on the interwebs) head to Life Post Collective, an inner-circle community created by host Tawnee Prazak Gibson. At LPC you’ll find Tawnee’s resources on holistic health, wellness, nutrition, fitness, athletic performance and more to help you on your path to optimization–the same resources and tools she uses for her athletes and clients. No gimmicks at LPC, Tawnee created this community for your wellbeing and as a home to share practical evidence-based and experienced-based ways to kick more butt. Through LPC’s integrative forums and features on the site, you can learn from not only Tawnee but also like-minded people all working toward common goals.
As a special offer for EP fans, we’re offering a New Year’s deal where you can get your first month FREE at Life Post Collective using code “ep2017” – act now and make this the best year ever!

Michael J. Breus, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist who specializes in sleep, biorhythms, and improving the lives and sleep patterns of patients using chronotypes. He is the author of The Power of When that explains the concept of chronotypes and the four categorizes everyone falls into, which then helps you discover the perfect time for you to do everything including when to have sex, workout, sleep, eat, ask your boss for a raise and much more. No matter what your goals are, reading The Power of When and understanding your natural chronotype can change your life and speed your path to self-optimization. Take the quiz to discover your chronotype here.
On this show you’ll discover:
Michael’s background as a clinical psychologist and sleep expert… and how he found success with using chronobiology more than other techniques.
The four chronotypes and their origins (scientific backing and the animal names they’re given):
Lions
Bears
Wolves
Dolphins
LIONS
Conscientious, stable, practical, optimists, overachievers, prioritizing health and fitness and strategizers. leaders yet introverts.
Morning people, like really early risers with high morning cortisol
For Lions instead of doing fasted workouts fueled by caffeine in the AM instead we should eat soon after waking, skip the caffeine until later, take a few min to contemplate goals and plans, and have sex – all before 8am! Then get to work, but don’t rush into solo work – connect with people, have meetings.
What about early-morning emails for Lions?
BEARS
These guys are 50% of the popular and whom after we model the standard daily routine of 9-5 work and such.
What makes bears bears? Cautious, extrovert, friendly, open-minded, aspire to be healthy, likes familiarity
WOLVES
The night owls: Impulsive, permissive, creative, moody, insightful, intuitive, risk takers, pleasure seekers, emotional – and not morning people.
EP fan asks: “Do you have any advice for someone who only has time to train in the morning before work, but who has, for his whole life, been a so called night owl and thus horrible at waking up/training early?”
DOLPHINS
Only turn off half the brain when sleeping so to speak
Cautious, introverts, neurotic, intelligent and often insomniacs…. many athletes are high stress who also have insomniac tendencies.
OCD perfectionists, but risk avoidance
How can dolphins attenuate episodes of insomnia?
Using “Bed restriction” techinques for insomniacs
YOUR TYPE
Are athletes usually of the same chronotype or is it as random as the general population?
Athletes are usually Lions and Dolphins
Can you change your chronotype so that your can train, work and sleep as you WANT/NEED to in life and overcome the genetic chronotype you were given?
Chronotypes are based on the DNA we’re borns with and can’t be changed but we do tend to evolve over time.
You can use 23andme data to further nail down your chronotype.
PE3 gene
Can you be more than one type and what to do if you are? How to really find out your type.
Many athletes need to train in the early hours before work, kid duties and other life stuff: Should we just suck it up and train early or truly try to reorganize our lives for better results?
The use of light therapy to optimize your biorhythms and how this helps you get up early and have energy even if you stay up late or have trouble sleeping through the night.
The best time for sex and how to optimize sex with your partner by finding the right time for both of you!
Are certain types are more stubborn and unwilling to follow your guidelines?
WHEN TO WORKOUT
Best time to run/workout:
Varies by up to 26% from morning to evening
Best time relates to when you wake up
Lions – 5:30 p.m. Yup, even though they’re morning people, Lions should workout later in the day and not first thing in the morning when cortisol is already really high and time is better spent elsewhere. Workout later in the evening for a boost of energy and to optimize the session instead of getting sleepy too early. Then leading up to race, switch to AM workouts to get body primed for racing at that time of day.
Dolphins – 7:30am
Bears – 7:30am or noon, fasting pre breakfast or afternoon to suppress appetite
Wolves – 6pm for performance and fat burn
Across all type the WORST time of day to workout is 6am – why?
injury risk
core temp not up yet
wait at least 90min after waking
Discussing other biorhythms that determine ideal run time:
fat burning rhythm – when to run to burn fat and boost metabolism
performance rhythm – workout according to your preferred wake up time for fastest times. Studies show peak power in evening, but
rest rhythm – time of workout to improve quality of sleep (benefits of workout out early = better sleep)
Do evening or nighttime workouts reach a point of diminishing returns if they’re too late by decreasing sleep quality?
Other biorhythms in fitness including coordination rhythm, power rhythm, flexibility rhythm, muscle growth rhythm, muscle strength rhythm and more.
When is the best time of day for strength training? Yoga? Team sports?
Pain tolerance rhythm – morning types can handle more pain than evening types
SLEEP OPTIMIZATION & DIET
Best time to wake up:
Lion 5:30-6am – chill for 10min in bed, and best foods to have at breakfast
Dolphin 6:30am – get up and into light immediately
Bear 7am – get up right away
Wolf 7:30am – snooze once then get up and into light
More thoughts on manipulating macros for best results
On napping:
Lions 1:30pm
Bears 2pm
Dolphins and Wolves no naps allowed
What is the “Nap-a-latte”
Don’t try to make up for sleep by sleeping in on the weekends
Michael recommends a regimented “Power Down Hour” – what does this entail?
FINAL THOUGHTS
Often we can’t do all these hacks because life just doesn’t allow for it, so how can we try to do our best?
These days there are more race options and varying times of days, what about trying a race at night if you’re a Wolf?
The post Dr. Michael Breus: Discover Your Chronotype To Optimize Workout Timing, Improve Sleep, Unlock Potential, and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 2 min
January 11, 2017 Dr. Michael Breus: Discover Your Chronotype To Optimize Workout Timing, Improve Sleep, Unlock Potential, and More
1 hr 2 min