Endurance Planet

By Endurance Planet Inc.Health & Fitness

Endurance Planet episodes

July 15, 2022ATC 342: Overtraining Syndrome – Novel Findings, Remarkable Markers and Recovery Protocol, Plus Knee Pain During MAF Runs and More
Sponsor:
This episode is brought to you by the UCAN Company, the fat-burning fuel of choice for metabolically efficient endurance athletes and health enthusiasts.
UCAN products are powered by SuperStarch, a unique, low glycemic complex carbohydrate that delivers long-lasting energy with no spikes and no crash, keeping your blood sugar steady. It’s the perfect complement for the healthy metabolically efficient athlete. Whether you’re racing fast short-course events or grueling Ironmans and ultra runs, UCAN products have grown so much over the years, as well, to fit your needs, with everything from drink mixes to their popular EDGE gels.
Athletes from all types of sports and levels are using UCAN these days, with top-level and pro triathletes, runners and even Crossfit athletes are using UCAN to fuel their best performances. But, UCAN is also a fantastic product for non-athletes and/or outside of training too.
Many UCAN products are offered in both plant-based and whey protein options, all with SuperStarch, including plant-based bar flavors cherry berry almond, salted peanut butter and chocolate almond butter, as well as a variety of energy + protein powders—great for those of you athletes looking to gain or maintain strength.
Best of all: EP fans get 15% off everything UCAN offers, click to activate your discount and shop now. You can also use the code ENDURANCEPLANET2021 if you’re shopping at ucan.co for that same 15% discount.

Sponsor:

Fullscript is an online supplement dispensary with professional, high quality top-brand supplements from a verified distributor. When you sign up for Fullscript through EP you can get 10% off thousands off your supplements.
Fullscript even carries PerfectAmino essential amino acids by BodyHealth—including the tablet form and powder form. Some other good finds on Fullscript include Vital Protein Collagen Peptides, Thorne products, Nordic Naturals fish oils, and other great, trusted brands such as Pure Encapsulations and Designs For Health. Fullscript has you covered on every aspect of health and wellness. Head over to Fullscript now by clicking the link, and get set up with your own personal account for 10% off your supplements. When you buy supplements from a trusted source you ensure higher efficacy and proper storage and handling. So check out Fullscript, your go-to online dispensary with a discount..

On this episode of Ask The Coaches with Lucho and Tawnee:
Intro:
Endurance Planet is making a return to Ragnar SoCal in April 2023!!! Our team is nearly full and we’re open to building a second a team (maybe an ultra team). If you’re interested in joining the Endurance Planet Ragnar Team, and hanging out with Lucho, Tawnee and the rest of the crew you can email us at [email protected].
Update on Lucho’s burnout post-Ironman and how he’s doing a couple months after IM St. George.
On coaching youth: the importance of instilling knowledge on the fundamental concept of perceived exertion (RPE), and correlated data (HR, etc) and more.

Swim Erg (Vasa) Training:
Real-life Results in Racing?
A little anecdotal evidence on a couple of Tawnee’s athletes who almost exclusively used the vasa swim erg trainer for swim training for an ironman-distance race (2.4-mile swim). They started swimming in a pool once a week several months prior to the race, otherwise exclusively used the erg for more than a year. Their swim times were 1:20 & 1:14. We discussed swim erg training in detail on ATC 337, so this is a fun piece of evidence to add in favor of erg training (and stretch cords as Lucho swears by!).

Taylor asks:
Knee Pain During Slower MAF Runs?
Hey all, thanks for being such a great resource. Just started the MAF method to help train for my first 70.3 four months from now. Committed to being patient with it, even at 12+ minute miles. But I am finding that running that slow causes discomfort in my knees after my run is over. It feels like I’m just trudging along and there is more pressure on my knees and quads while running. Thoughts on how to reduce this discomfort? Or will this go away as I build aerobic base and can run at a faster pace again?
What the coaches say:
Possible that the knee pain is actually stemming from a poor bike fit.
If seat too low, you’ll feel pain under the patella in the front of the knee.
If seat is too high, you’ll feel pain/add stress on the backside of the knee.
Get a proper, professional bike fit!! Worth it!!
Make sure it’s not runner’s knee / excessive quad dominance.
One way to help quad/anterior dominance would be more posterior-focused strength training e.g. deadlifts.
Cadence during MAF runs matters, it shouldn’t be too slow. Still needs to be 85+. Anything under 80 is trending low.
Shorten stride length a bit to help this.
Allow heart rate (HR) flexibility!
You don’t need to stick to just strict MAF HR running to help pace to quicken and run more efficiently, up to 5-10bpm over your true MAF HR can be ok!
A slightly higher but still aerobic (e.g. 5-10 bpm over MAF) often allows more “natural running” in your MAF runs when you’re starting out with this method and MAF pace is relatively slow. The slightly higher HR is still aerobic and usually without detrimental effects, allowing you to find more of a sweet spot of form efficiency and still progress your MAF training and pace.
Incorporate intervals of “natural running” or a heart rate of 5-10bpm over that last 1/2 mile to 1 mile.
Don’t wear worn out, old shoes! Especially if they are maximalist shoes, as they could contribute to an unnatural foot plant.

Study Discussion:
Diagnosis of Overtraining Syndrome (and recovering from OTS)
Diagnosis of Overtraining Syndrome: Results of the Endocrine and Metabolic Responses on Overtraining Syndrome Study: EROS-DIAGNOSIS
Novel insights of overtraining syndrome discovered from the EROS study
Recovery from Overtraining Syndrome: Learnings from the EROS-Longitudinal Study
“In the present study, innovative tools were proposed for the diagnosis and prevention of OTS that yielded 100% accuracy in distinguishing overtraining syndrome from healthy states. This was done without the need to include the presence of decreased performance or exclude confounding disorders in this sample of athletes. These diagnostic approaches should be reproduced and validated as optional assessment tools for the diagnosis of OTS. Although OTS is highly heterogeneous, a combination of markers rather than a single marker appears to be more appropriate for the diagnosis of OTS, regardless of the proposed method.”
What the coaches say:
This study was called the “Endocrine and Metabolic Responses on Overtraining Syndrome (EROS)” study.
Identification of more than 45 novel OTS biomarkers.
Only males in this study between 18-50 y/o.
Athletes = training of at least 4x a week and >300min (just ~5hr a week).
Suspected OTS = Underperformance of ≥10% of previous performance as verified by certified sports coach, or loss of ≥20% in time-to-fatigue, with self-reported increase in sense of effort in training relative to before OTS.
Compared with healthy athletes and non-athletes.
Novel findings:
It’s not about training load alone…
It’s never just one thing…
Of course excessive training without adequate rest is a risk and/or a rapid progression in volume or intensity. However these researchers found that:
“OTS occurred independently from excessive training, since insufficient calorie, protein, or carbohydrate intake, poor sleep quality, or concurrent excessive cognitive effort were the found to be prevailing predictors of OTS.”
We think there’s a certain personalist type that is more susceptible to OTS, similar to the type of person who develops an eating disorder.
Example of nutrition risks in OTS:
Calories <32kcal/kg/day
Protein <1.7g/kg/day
This is not always easy to do, but an important habit to be mindful of when training.
Carbs <5-5.4g/kcal/day
Stigmas on body shapes between men and women, yet particularly male and female athletes are still at risk for thinking leaner is better (e.g. watts per kilo makes a difference).
Should we food log? It really depends. Tawnee is not a fan of long-term food logging nor food logging at all for certain people; however, for some it can be helpful to highlight any deficits or use to fine tune and optimize nutrition intake.
OTS usually resulting in a GAIN of body fat % and LOSS of muscle mass.
Also risk factors that can contribute to OTS:
Long-term extreme diets (including low carb and intermittent fasting / IF).
Stressful work or study in addition to training (cognitive/physical effort concurrent to training).
Poor sleep usually related to inability to disconnect from social media or TV.
Focusing on sleep hygiene is not that difficult to do but can make a huge difference!
A deep dive on binge watching TV shows and social media scrolling… what are these habits telling us? They are not inherently bad but they can become a negative influence in our lives.
When some TV is ok, finding the right balance.
Doing more than 7-9 hours a day of general life/heavy cognitive activities & stress were risk factors.
“Over-life syndrome.”
Mood scores are also valuable, in this study they used the POMS questionnaire: “since the active self-perception of feelings and fatigue are underestimated by many athletes, as they tend to avoid perceptions of potential barriers to their trainings.”
“Athletes affected by OTS experience a ‘hyporesponsive’ and ‘hypometabolic’ state, based on the findings of decreased basal metabolic rate and fat burning, paradox adipocyte saving in fat storages, impaired hormonal responses to demands, and decreased testosterone, T-to-oestradiol ratio and GH, and increased catecholamines. These findings suggest an anti-anabolic and pro-catabolic environment.”
Standout biomarkers found to be altered in OTS:
Creatine kinase (CK)—high; higher CK might have resulted from impaired and prolonged muscle recovery. CK is protein known as an enzyme, released by muscle. (Don’t confuse with creatine supplements, which increase creatine PCR in the cell.)
Post-exercise lactate—abnormally lower.
Exercise-stimulated prolactin, growth hormone (GH), cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) responses—blunted response.
Total catecholamines—exacerbated; might have resulted from an attempt to maintain function despite energy depletion.
Discussing the biomarkers unaffected by OTS vs. those affected by OTS.
This study found some markers to be unchanged or not significant to the diagnosis of OTS, such as thyroid markers (TSH, Free T3), but for some athletes, these specific markers can still be affected and part of their unique presentation of OTS. Keep an open min when diagnosing.
Most of the non-similar markers between the overtraining group and normal groups reflected losses of conditioning or adaptive processes that athletes typically undergo, or ‘deconditioning’.
Top remarkable markers of ‘deconditioning’ in OTS identified were (quoted):
Blunted and late GH, cortisol and prolactin responses to an exercise-independent central stimulation test, which may explain the loss of pace and performance during OTS.
Reduced testosterone levels, which may explain the loss of muscle mass in athletes with OTS.
Increased oestradiol levels without a concurrent increase in testosterone (reduced testosterone-to-oestradiol ratio), which could cause some of the psychological and body metabolism and composition patterns found in OTS;
Worse mood states (particularly fatigue, vigour, depression and confusion), likely correlated with worse sleep quality and hormonal dysfunctions.
Changes in body metabolism and composition (lower metabolic rate and fat burning, more body fat, less muscle mass and less hydration), likely due to a hormonal environment that leads to a muscle-specific catabolic state, and reduction of overall metabolism.
Recovery from OTS:
Researchers then held a 12-week interventional protocol in athletes with actual OTS, with interventions including:
Increased food (calorie) intake;
Transitory interruption of the trainings;
Improvement in sleep quality;
Management of stress.
You can measure sleep and stress with many available apps these days to better understand where you’re at!
What they did and found (quoted material):
50 parameters were assessed during recovery protocol, including hormonal responses to an insulin tolerance test (ITT), basal hormonal and nonhormonal biochemical markers, body metabolism, and composition.
After 12 weeks of intervention, early cortisol and early and late GH responses to stimulations improved significantly. Cortisol awakening response (CAR) increased by two times, while nocturnal urinary catecholamines (NUC) and CK reduced by two to three times. Basal estradiol reduced while testosterone/estradiol (T:E) ratio increased.
FreeT3 and IGF-1, which were not different than healthy athletes at baseline, disclosed significant increase, whereas ultrasensitive C-reactive protein (usCRP), which was also similar to healthy athletes, has an exacerbated reduction. While all basal parameters and early responses to ITT normalized when compared to healthy athletes, basal metabolic rate, fat oxidation, body fat, muscle mass, and hydration status had partial but non-significant improvements.
In conclusion, athletes affected by actual OTS demonstrated substantial improvements after 12 weeks of intervention, in particular IGF-1, freeT3, CAR, estradiol, testosterone/estradiol ratio, CK and NUC, and early cortisol, early prolactin, and overall GH responses to stimulations. FreeT3, usCRP, and IGF-1 seem to be the sentinel markers of recovery from OTS.
If in doubt? Things to monitor:
Take a few days off more than you’re used to doing.
Monitor intensity even if volume is low.
Bloodwork if you can, when you can, but we know that’s not always realistic for everyone.
Monitor the mental aspect—is your training feeling forced? Are you mentally wasted? How’s quality of life? Perceptions matter.
Performance decline is HUGE. (Consistent and reliable testing helps a lot of track and monitor these things.)
Are you a more scattered-brained and more clumsy than usual?

The post ATC 342: Overtraining Syndrome – Novel Findings, Remarkable Markers and Recovery Protocol, Plus Knee Pain During MAF Runs and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 19 min
July 01, 2022 Andrew Hall: From Hormone-Depleted Triathlete To Thriving Ironman Amateur Champion, With Bonus Sports Nutrition Plan!

Sponsor:
This episode is brought to you by the UCAN Company, the fat-burning fuel of choice for metabolically efficient endurance athletes and health enthusiasts.
UCAN products are powered by SuperStarch, a unique, low glycemic complex carbohydrate that delivers long-lasting energy with no spikes and no crash, keeping your blood sugar steady. It’s the perfect complement for the healthy metabolically efficient athlete. Whether you’re racing fast short-course events or grueling Ironmans and ultra runs, UCAN products have grown so much over the years, as well, to fit your needs, with everything from drink mixes to their popular EDGE gels.
Athletes from all types of sports and levels are using UCAN these days, with top-level and pro triathletes, runners and even Crossfit athletes are using UCAN to fuel their best performances. But, UCAN is also a fantastic product for non-athletes and/or outside of training too.
Many UCAN products are offered in both plant-based and whey protein options, all with SuperStarch, including plant-based bar flavors cherry berry almond, salted peanut butter and chocolate almond butter, as well as a variety of energy + protein powders—great for those of you athletes looking to gain or maintain strength.
Best of all: EP fans get 15% off everything UCAN offers, click to activate your discount and shop now. You can also use the code ENDURANCEPLANET2021 if you’re shopping at ucan.co for that same 15% discount.

Sponsor:
Thorne supplements help athletes meet their unique needs and we have everything Thorne offers available to you over at our shop page, endurance planet dot com slash shop or link through the show notes. When you shop through us you support the podcast, a win win.
Thorne products are shipped around the world and they ensure quality control over summer months when it’s super hot outside: Before they launch a new product, they subject it to accelerated stability testing and the product formula must demonstrate stability. If the formula fails, then the product is reformulated and the accelerated stability testing is conducted on the new formula.
Whether you’re looking to heal from issues like gut dysbiosis, hormonal imbalances like low sex hormones or imbalanced stress hormones, or just looking to improve performance, maintain a strong immune system and get that extra edge, Thorne has so many formulas to fit you needs or bundles to cover even more bases. And many of Thorne’s supplements are NSF certified. If you’re curious on what supplements might be a good fit for you, just ask us! Send us an email to questions at endurance planet dot com telling us about yrouself and where you think you might need to fill in some gaps.
Thorne now even offers health testing such as a convenient budget-friendly gut health tests! So starting shopping with the best there is, you can find Thorne over on our Shop page, and like we say about all supplements: when you buy from the source you ensure higher efficacy and proper handling of your supplements plus you support the podcast!

On this episode we welcome Andrew Hall, 36, an elite triathlete from Salt Lake City, UT. Andrew joins us to candidly share his journey from the health and hormonal issues he faced during his early years in triathlon to adopting a new approach and pursuing a level of healing that’s not only allowed him to fix the issues that ailed him, but also has led him to performing as a top amateur triathlete at the Ironman distance. Follow along with Andrew’s triathlon journey at @andrewtrihall.
Getting into sport, stepping up to 70.3s, being self-coached, slightly obsessed, probably taking the wrong approach to training and racing and noticing things were off by end of 2016.
What Andrew thinks he did that ultimately led to health issues, namely low testosterone and hormonal imbalances, dangerously low body mass, and more.
Signs and symptoms, how he became more aware of what exactly was going on, and what actions he took.
Working with sports med doctors at first, but then being coached by triathlete Matt Bach for a more holistic approach.
His approach toward healing and rebuilding what he’d lost, under Matt’s guidance.
Healing took about two years of work and trial and error. For a while, cut training by 2/3… meanwhile a heightened focus on sleep, strength training, etc.
What did he learn about himself during that time of intense healing?
The rebuild back into specific training, utilizing MAF, and then the pandemic and how that played a role.
With everything he’s learned, Matt shares his approach to balancing performance and health.
Tackling the Ironman distance with immense success at IM CdA 2021, as well as IM StG 2022.
And as promised in the interview, here is a breakdown of Andrew’s sports nutrition plan he uses for Ironman:
Ironman sports nutrition plan:
Breakfast:
2 serving of UCAN Lemon
1 serving of vanilla whey protein
Blueberries
Mixed in almond milk
Scratch lab hyper hydration mix
2 UCAN edge prior to swim
Bike*:
2x bottles with 5 servicing of UCAN with a salt stick pill and alt sur red tablet mixed in
1 bottle of UCAN hydrate
3x sis gels with 2 contain caffeine from 75-200mgs
Run*:
Water and other drinks (red bull/ Cola) as wanted/needed
2-5 Maurten gels as needed, usually not the full gel is consumed.
*Add more electrolytes as needed and based on heat/weather conditions.
The post Andrew Hall: From Hormone-Depleted Triathlete To Thriving Ironman Amateur Champion, With Bonus Sports Nutrition Plan! first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 4 min
June 17, 2022ATC 341: Adjusting to Altitude and Dry Heat, Finding Peace with Postpartum Fitness, TSS For the Swim, and More
Sponsor:
This episode is brought to you by the UCAN, the only sports fuel of its kind and a fuel that helps you thrive via stable blood sugar, metabolic efficiency and more. UCAN is powered by SuperStarch, the fat-burning fuel of choice for metabolically efficient endurance athletes and health enthusiasts.
UCAN now offers a Superstarch-powered energy gel called Edge! This is not just any sugar-loaded ordinary gel. It has 70 calories, 0 grams of sugar and 15g of Superstarch equating to 19g of carbs; Edge is a hit among triathletes and runners looking for easy, healthy, clean-burning fuel. Get at ucan.co.
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Sponsor:
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Intro:
Further followup on Lucho’s recovery, physical and emotional, post-Ironman.
We talked about Lucho’s full IM experience on ATC 340.
Doing fun things after a huge race, including activities with your kids.
Going into a race, especially after finishing one big race recently, making sure you’re in the right head space and mind and body are not at war.
Chris Dierker asks:
Moving to elevation & adapting
Hello, Hoping you can provide some input and guidance. We moved from 500′ above sea level (Illinois) to the high desert In Reno, NV in January and am struggling with adapting to 5,000′. I’m a 67 year old ultra runner. Have not been able to find any info on how to acclimate after moving, tips and training to expedite adaptation. Can you provide any guidance? Thanks,
What the coaches say:
Not always just elevation, consider the weather conditions, in this case moving to a much drier climate.
Breathing in dry air vs. humid air and the dehydrating effects of exercise in dry conditions.
Hydration is key with electrolytes.
Lucho drinks 4L a day at his home at 8,000 ft.
Expediting adaption? Not really possible, but you can mitigate the negative effects taking place while adapting, eg more carbs, diligent hydration, etc.
Higher elevation puts us more in fight or flight mode and more hypoxic state for a while.
Bottom line is that we just don’t exercise as well at altitude as we do at sea level.
That’s why “live high train low” is so popular in exercise physiology.
Research studies mentioned by Lucho:
Bassett, D.R. Jr., C.R. Kyle, L. Passfield, J.P. Broker, and E.R. Burke. Comparing cycling world hour records, 1967-1996: modeling with empirical data. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 31:1665-76, 1999.
Peronnet, F., G. Thibault, and D.L. Cousineau. A theoretical analysis of the effect of altitude on running performance. Journal of Applied Physiology 70(1):399-404, 1991.
You lose 1.1% of your aerobic capacity/O2 carrying capability just at 1,000ft alone.
At 2000ft a loss of 2.2%
At 5000ft loss of 5.6%
5,000ft elevation is not that extreme, best we can do is just work to get fitter than we were before to make up the deficit.
Age plays a role here. Gets harder as we get older.
Work on strength: Definitely incorporate strength training and VO2max workouts, as well as muscular endurance sessions.
For Vo2max workouts: drop duration and increase rest. At least a 1:1 work:rest ratio, not less, but more if needed. (Don’t want to start the next interval still being hypoxic.)
Holistic health check as well:
In need of new labs? Start with a basic CBC, Iron panel, etc.
Study mention: “Pre-Altitude Serum Ferritin Levels and Daily Oral Iron Supplement Dose Mediate Iron Parameter and Hemoglobin Mass Responses to Altitude Exposure.“
Conclusion: Oral iron supplementation during 2–4 weeks of moderate altitude exposure may enhance hemoglobin mass production and assist the maintenance of iron balance in some athletes with low pre-altitude iron stores.
Sarah asks:
New mom MAF problems
Hi! My son is 20 months old and I’ve made a gradual return to training after an initial break from giving birth. Before pregnancy I was an avid triathlete and runner, not super competitive, but enjoyed everything from sprint & Olympic tris to half marathons. My MAF pace pre-pregnancy peaked at about 9:00 mile pace, but now even after 20 months postpartum and no longer breastfeeding (which we did for over a year), I can’t get my MAF to sub 10:00 pace. What gives? I feel like so often you hear of “super moms” but what about us who actually struggle a bit more after kids? I am also wondering if there are other health tests or blood tests I should consider, or ways to tackle this more holistically as I know from your show it’s not always just about the training. Thanks so much!
What the coaches say:
We’re all unique in how we recover from birth so learning the art of self-care and patience for one’s self in a busy season of life is paramount.
Tawnee shares that she was not a fast speedy mama returning from pregnancy and birth, but instead the positive was that her whole mindset shifted to appreciation for the art of balancing it all and getting that special “Me time” to run, and when I framed it that way pace and data became way less important.
That said, if you suspect something might be going on:
Thyroid
Stats say 1 in 12 new moms may develop a postpartum thyroid condition often autoimmune. Up to 17% have some sort of thyroid condition. Checking this is critical. We’ve discussed this at length on our recent thyroid health series:
Thyroid Health part 1 with the Sock Doc
Thyroid Health part 2 with the Sock Doc
Get in-depths lab and even if you had it tested before make sure labs are updated as we change rapidly after giving birth.
I’ve personally seen more cases of hypo but I’ve seen a few friends develop hyper, it can go both ways.
Also to check more general blood labs:
Inflammation eg CRP
Homocysteine (and prob B12, folate too)
Vit D3
Iron panel
CBC with diff
Suspect gut?
First find a functional practitioner or health coach you like then order labs through him or her. It’s possible to do labs on your own but having an expert give you the analysis and protocol is worth the extra money. Avoid food sensitivity tests, go with something like a GI MAP, Genova, Doctor’s Data.
If bodyweight and dieting are on your mind:
Stop chasing the “old you” and your “pre-pregnancy body.” Instead give your body love and respect, with an emphasis on mental and emotional help.
Honor where you’re at in life and your important role as a mom.
Avoid fasting and keto, too much stress on the body
What you can do is be more mindful of timing carbs for best blood sugar response and get in at least ~120g/day for most athletic women, more if breastfeeding is 100% normal and ok.
On training, it may be best to:
Start focusing more on strength aspect, see if diastasis recti is playing a role in core stabilization.
Past episode on DR & healing here.
Crosstrain on bike to allow more variety without added stress.
If doing strict MAF consider adjusting and adding strides, moderate tempo, progression runs and even runs where you just leave the watch behind – may need to get legs to move a bit quicker to regain that efficiency.
Nasal breathing workouts and nasal breathing in general.
Maximize sleep even with a little on—do your best and don’t cut corners when you have the opportunity to sleep soundly.
Scott asks:
Follow up to ATC 339 on CTL & TSS
Hi Lucho and Tawnee,
A followup question for your recent show:
You mentioned having a TSS cap and watching ramp rates, etc. Is that only for cycling and running or do you also estimate for swimming and include it in the mix?
While less taxing than the bike and run, it seems that monitoring overall loading and fatigue that swimming would factor in, assuming a decent number of sessions and volume.
Thanks much and keep up the great episodes, Cheers from Zurich!
What the coaches say:
Definitely include the swim in overall scores. Swimming can be very taxing, especially if you’re not a great swimmer.
If you’re a great swimmer and you’re just maintaining, there could be a case for ignoring swim TSS, but best still to include it.
How to measure swim TSS?
Test! You have to test because it’s based off of threshold.
Example test set with 300 repeats to get threshold pace.
Set threshold swim pace in training peaks, and go from there.
If you don’t think it’s that accurate, you can underscore it by 5-10 points.
Try not to be too technical about it, and can assign swim TSS to your consistently done workouts. There’s not a lot of science, if any, on this, so it’s not going to be completely exact.
Levels of data geek (and wearing a watch or not in the pool).
Remember that TSS is a stress score, HR will be lower, no load bearing, so the overall stress effect is less, but the metabolic stress is huge for many of us–partly do to thermodynamics: water temp in pools is generally colder and we are working to generate body heat.
The post ATC 341: Adjusting to Altitude and Dry Heat, Finding Peace with Postpartum Fitness, TSS For the Swim, and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.
56 min
June 03, 2022Rerelease: How To Race Well in the Heat, a Few ‘Tricks’ To Stay Cool with Paul Laursen, PhD
Sponsor:
This episode is brought to you by UCAN, the fat-burning fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts.
UCAN products are powered by SuperStarch, a unique, low glycemic complex carbohydrate that delivers steady, long-lasting energy with no spikes and no crash and keeps your blood sugar steady. The perfect complement for the healthy metabolically efficient athlete…
UCAN is offering a “training bundle” to give you an assortment of their products for testing. EP fans get 15% off UCAN, click to activate your discount and shop now. You can also use the code ENDURANCEPLANET2021 if you’re shopping at ucan.com for that same 15% discount.

Sponsor:
We are excited to have partnered with Fullscript, an online dispensary with professional, high-quality supplements delivered to you by a verified distributor. When you sign up for Fullscript through EP you can get 10% off thousands off supplements from hundreds to the top brand names like Nordic Naturals, Pure Encapsulations, Designs for Health, Seeking Health, Vital Proteins and so many more. When you buy supplements from a trusted source like Fullscript you ensure higher efficacy and proper storage and handling. So check out Fullscript, your go-to online dispensary with a discount..

Enjoy this special re-release of a show that aired during the lead up to the 2016 Ironman World Championships!
Paul Laursen, PhD, is back already to discuss how to race well in the heat and avoid detrimental heat stress especially at a race like the Ironman World Championships in Kona. Paul is an adjunct professor at Auckland University, reseracher and has published more than 100 refereed manuscripts in moderate-to-high impact exercise and sports science journals, and his work has been cited more than 3,000 times. He’s very involved in helping athletes have success at races like Kona, with some pros using his strategies this year.
Heat paralysis in racing and Jonny Brownlee in Cozumel
Normally we think of this happening mostly in events like IM, but at the recent WTS GF in Cozumel we saw that this is not always the case: Jonny Brownlee
What went wrong for Jonny from a physiological standpoint?
Heat paralysis
Intensity is the greatest source of heat (not hydration status)
Afferent heat feedback
Is this the world’s best example of overcoming central governor?
On Alistar carrying him to finish
Preparing for Hot Events
Heat shock proteins
Preparation in training helps to mitigate heat stress on race day – get hot! What to do before the race in training, the week of, etc.
How much “heat training” is appropriate, i.e. overdressing or working out in a hot room, before it reaches point of diminishing return
Using the sauna, and should you drink while in the sauna or avoid rehydrating for further beneficial adaptations?
Enhanced sweat response when trained for hot conditions
Hydration During Hot Events
Is it really safe to recommend we drink to thirst and assume we’ll execute correctly?
Diluting sodium concentrations by #1 over-drinking + #2 loss of sodium in sweat to varying degree may lead to hyponatremia. Overdrinking (not sodium loss) is the most likely cause. How about those who lose lots of sodium and do a race like Kona, increased risk?
Max rate of fluid absorption is 400-800 ml per hour, best not to exceed this
Drinking 1L per hour is overhydrating and risky!
Tim Noakes’ Waterlogged
Drink to thirst makes sense, but does that work for all? What about when our brains are “mush” during a race?
Mention of Alan Couzens blog on hyponatremia
Practice “drinking to thirst” in training, so you know how to stick to it and know your needs in racing
Is knowing sweat rate “overrated”?
Turns out, some dehydration ain’t so bad, i.e. 2-3% may be perfectly safe and ok
We don’t need to keep the system in perfect balance when we’re racing!
Can we adapt to mild dehydration?
What qualifies as under-drinking to a point where hypohydrated state is a risk? i.e. at what point does it put us at risk for heat illness?
On Fluid Temperature
Why this is arguably more important than hydration, the research that shows how fluid temp matters, etc.
Floe Bottle – a way to have an ice slushy, which is better at cooling than ice water. use for pre-cooling and during. Some pros will be using in Kona
Research shows: 500 ml of an ice slushy 30min prior to exercise leads to performance benefits up to 20% increase
Other Heat Topics
Why cramping is not about fluids and electrolytes, and what it IS about
Cramping due to sodium loss is a myth
Cramp Killers podcast mention
What makes Kona unique & how to handle these conditions, such as crazy winds on bike and higher energy cost
Other factors affecting endurance performance in the heat
Are there supplements we can take or avoid to alleviate heat stress? (Thinking more so as a way to “calm” gut)
Glutamine, arginine, BCAAs
NO NSAIDS (why to avoid)
Resources
Are We Being Drowned in Hydration Advice?
Current Hydration Guidelines Are Erroneous: Dehydration Does not Impair Performance In The Heat
Floe bottle
Paul Laursen speaking at a conference
The post Rerelease: How To Race Well in the Heat, a Few ‘Tricks’ To Stay Cool with Paul Laursen, PhD first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 8 min
May 20, 2022ATC 340: Inside Ironman St. George With Lucho – Lessons in Motivation, Self-Discovery, Perseverance and More
Sponsor:
This episode is brought to you by the UCAN, the only sports fuel of its kind and a fuel that helps you thrive via stable blood sugar, metabolic efficiency and more. UCAN is powered by SuperStarch, the fat-burning fuel of choice for metabolically efficient endurance athletes and health enthusiasts.
UCAN now offers a Superstarch-powered energy gel called Edge! This is not just any sugar-loaded ordinary gel. It has 70 calories, 0 grams of sugar and 15g of Superstarch equating to 19g of carbs; Edge is a hit among triathletes and runners looking for easy, healthy, clean-burning fuel. Get at ucan.co.
UCAN also has delicious flavors of energy bars for you to try—salted peanut butter, chocolate almond butter and cherry almond—and equally yummy 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 ENDURANCEPLANET2021 if you’re shopping at ucan.co for that same 15% discount.

Sponsor:
Thorne supplements help athletes meet their unique needs. And many of Thorne’s supplements are NSF certified. So let’s make sure you’re not running yourself into any deficits—this list is a good place to start:
Magnesium Bisglycinate
Stress B Complex
Vitamin D/K2 drops
Multivitamin Elite
Prenatal
Meriva
L-Glutamine
BioGeset
Go ahead, click on each supplement if you’re curious to learn more about how these supplements may serve you. Maybe one of these or one of Thorne’s targeted bundles for sleep, stress, or performance, will complement your needs and round out your diet this season.
Thorne is always available to you on our Shop page, and like we say about all supplements: when you buy from the source you ensure higher efficacy and proper handling of your supplements plus you support the podcast!

On this episode of Ask the Coaches #340, we go into detail about Lucho’s day at Ironman St. George, the 2021 Ironman World Championships including a recap of his training leading up, race day and much more!
On this show:
Training recap–weekly volume per sport and totals, including stretch cords as a sub for pool swimming.
Did the same swim set consisting of 5 x 100 + 500 pull, always; lots of use of pull buoy.
Swam a 1:05.
Biking minimal until December 2021. But hated indoor riding so didn’t do too much of it.
Snow tires on cyclocross.
Only biked more than 5hrs twice.
Training on the bike was tough and lacked, not the proper specificity for IM.
FTP differences between outdoor bike vs indoor trainer, so he focused on HR instead.
Race day he averaged 126 bpm on the bike–he went too easy out of fear of blowing up. But also what helped was that he spent all his time training at altitude much higher than StG. Plus he was rested and intentionally went easy, yet still had a solid bike split.
Sold run training, which maybe had some transfer to the bike (eg many 20-milers).
Article that says 1 in 5 dropped out of IM StG in May 2022.
How to redeem yourself if you had a bad day at StG this year.
The shocking thing was all the difficult climbs that weren’t the main two climbs near the end… constant up and down.
Most important: don’t avoid hills, climb all the hills!
What messed him up the most on the bike was neck and trap pain.
The mental vs. physical…
Mentally on the bike: this is where it got really tough for him.
His family surprised him by showing up on the bike course when he didn’t expect it… and it all changed from there, he lost the urge to keep pushing hard, mentally he wasn’t in it, he was questioning why (while thinking his family was the only thing that mattered), and it was not just about finishing it and enjoying it.
Compared to the past Lucho who was a pro with laser focus on competing and finishing at the top, this made IM StG a very unique race experience where he just cruised and didn’t worry about performance.
the last time he raced an IM (as a pro) was about 15 years ago when his first son was only 6 months old.
Ironman is the kind of journey that will teach you what really matters. For Lucho, it became so much about family… so what it means to “do your best” has changed from then vs now.
Started the run solely focused on seeing his family again.
Very difficult run course, just up and down and very little flat. Deceiving, exposed and hot.
Started the run fast with low HR. Felt tight, hot, and realized that pushing it was more than he was willing to do and a place he just didn’t want to go, from both a health and mental perspective… he thought, why wreck himself? Been there, done that. No desire to do it on this day. So instead he took, yet again, the approach of enjoying it, chatting with fellow athletes and spectators, smiling, and more.
And yet it was still very hard, hot and difficult. Because that’s Ironman… and that’s St. George.
Succumbed to it and had red bull, and loved it, and even had some Gatorade instead of his maltodextrin drink.
Overall finish 12:03.
Goals and motivation… nothing aligned in the end for him.
How it started (i.e. dreams of qualifying for Kona) vs. how it ended (i.e. not wanting to do Kona). There was some faking it along the way, but realized that faking it is not an effective strategy.
So how he persevered through that and still did what he needed and honored his commitment to the race.
At the end of the day, we are going to care what other people think to some degree.
It also was about how this experience could be about bettering himself.
Mostly only trained when it did not impact his family, difficult to do.
On TSS.
For athletes trying to work their training around family. And how relentlessly difficult it can be to manage a busy, demanding schedule.
All in all, at the end of the day there were countless lessons learned and he found his WHY… and most of that took place in the year leading up to Ironman race day.
Lucho says this was the hardest IM course he’s done.
The role of the dry desert heat.
People need to be more gentle on themselves when it comes to their approach to Ironman.
Do we really need to be training all those hours that they say we need for Ironman? Lucho questions that more now…
The post ATC 340: Inside Ironman St. George With Lucho – Lessons in Motivation, Self-Discovery, Perseverance and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 3 min
May 06, 2022HPN 32: Seed Oils At Restaurants, Tips To Alleviate PMS/PMDD in Your Menstrual Cycle, Sourdough Love and More!
Sponsor:
This episode is brought to you by UCAN, the fat-burning fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts.
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Welcome to episode 32 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.
On this episode:
Homemade sourdough & more
Tawnee talks sourdough with Julie; her husband John is baking it at their home now and it’s been a process to get it up to par but once it did, what a treat it’s been, even with a history of having to avoid most gluten.
Talking long-fermentation sourdough and how the gluten content might be decreased in this form and easier to digest for those otherwise sensitive to gluten (Celiac is a different story though and GF is still recommended).
Safety for patients with celiac disease of baked goods made of wheat flour hydrolyzed during food processing
This study shows effects of sourdough that was fermented so that part of the gluten was degraded, or sourdough that contained only 8 ppm of residual gluten.
Long ferment is usually around 30 hours; important to note that not all sourdoughs are baked this way or the same way, many are not long-ferment and more like regular bread.
Julie shares about her food freedom and the occasional treat such as a hot-crossed bun on Easter that she had, but how those things are not.
Ari asks:
How “careful” should you be at restaurants?
Hi guys! Love the show. I am all on board with clean eating: eliminating seed oils, buying organic, grassfed, wild, etc., gluten free, and don’t do a ton of grains. My question is: How do you navigate eating out at restaurants? Namely, the oils they use to cook, whether organic or grassfed meat is used, that kind of stuff. Do you avoid certain foods if they don’t fit these criteria? Some proponents of healthy fats and oils recommend avoiding seed oils at all costs, but this feels like it could be a slipper slope. I don’t eat out much, maybe 1-2x a week, and I never really thought about it but now I find it constantly on my mind at restaurants.
What the coaches say:
It depends, frequency matters.
If you’re eating out a ton all week long, every week, then it may have a greater negative impact. But just a couple times a week or less may be insignificant to cause any problems.
Reading ingredient labels is important but giving yourself permission to eat it anyway is ok sometimes, especially as athletes who should not be over-restricting 24/7.
Eating out is something to be enjoyed not feared and has a lot of positives despite the occasional exposure to seed oils, etc. “Good enough” is often ok (not every single thing always has to be organic and grassfed).
Social aspect of dining out together and letting go of the fear that would otherwise hold us back from those experiences.
Go out and be with your community, don’t let fear rule you. We can’t control everything, and that’s ok.
For many of us loosening the reigns is just what we need rather than over-obsessing and nit-picking every aspect of food and meals, especially those you aren’t preparing yourself.
When is it time to be more strict with these things? If you’re suffering from chronic inflammation, obesity or another health ailment which may benefit and improve with a better quality diet then mostly eliminating things like seed oils, etc., may be in your best interest. People have made incredible health transformations in changing their diet to largely avoid these foods.
Many of us, however, may be more prone to orthorexia and fear of foods.
Most restaurants are not using olive oil, coconut oil, butter, etc., as their main oils, and are using vegetable and seed oils. But does that mean we live in fear and avoid going out? No.
Awareness is helpful, but obsession is not healthy.
How this ties into raising kids and teaching youth to have a healthy relationship with food; as parents and mentors we have a huge influence over the development of healthy habits surrounding food.
Social media’s role and how “influencers” who avoid “toxic” ingredients anyhow this can actually be toxic for our mental health.
Monitor your health, see if what you’re consuming is having a negative impact at all, eg seed oils and inflammatory markers.
Last word on seed oil: If you are overdoing it with seed oils, you may find that your skin burns in the sun pretty easily… and in eliminating seed oils completely or mostly you may find a healthier internal state that leads to healthier skin which won’t burn in the sun so easily like it once did.
Make these changes and make your choices from a place of self-nourishment.
Jamie asks:
Late luteal support?
Hi! Love the show. I am one of those women who really see the effect of sex hormones in my menstrual cycle, particularly about a week before I start my period. It’s ok that I’m not “optimal” during that time and I try to better prioritize recovery while avoiding too much HIIT, but is there anything I can do nutritionally to help me feel even just a little better during that time? Why do we actually feel so cruddy and moody in that week before starting?!
What the coaches say:
This time of month
It’s fairly common to experience this, but it doesn’t have to be this way–or at least not so severe.
The 4-season analogy with our menstrual cycle:
Week 1 = Spring
Week 2 = Summer
Week 3 = Fall
Week 4 = Winter
Luteal phase include weeks 3 & 4 after ovulation.
After ovulation hormones surge then in the last week progesterone and estrogen begin to decline in the last week, which can really trigger symptoms.
Why so cruddy and moody? “It is anticipated that PMS is likely to be influenced by the action of progesterone on neurotransmitters like gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), opioids, serotonin, and catecholamine. Preexisting serotonin deficiency with increased progesterone sensitivity is also considered responsible for this disorder.” – Premenstrual Syndrome 2021
Also, a lot of this is about the balance between estrogen and progesterone in that luteal phase, both the surge then the drop. If the ratio is out of balance you’re going to experience worse symptoms (usually caused by too high estrogen and/or low progesterone).
Using bioidentical hormones can help balance out progesterone with estrogen.
HRV can be affected in the luteal phase; usually HRV drops in that last week along with a drop in training quality, sleep quality and so on.
Empower yourself by understanding your hormones and cycle, and doing what you can.
Late luteal phase also contributes to more total body inflammation, now’s the time to watch your diet a bit more closely to keep inflammation low.
Nutritionally
Food and behavior are linked. Managing blood sugar is especially important for managing your mood. Anti-inflammatory, nutrient dense diet. Whole foods. Balanced meals. Balanced snacks. Grounding foods like soups, stews, broths, meats, and fiber.
Omega 3s up to 1g/day.
Cruciferous vegetables contain something called Indole-3-Carbinol that help metabolize estrogen.
Cruciferous vegetables also contain DIM that helps (or can supplement with DIM to lower estrogen).
Water! It’s insane how dehydrated most of my clients are without even knowing it.
Fiber! Fruits and veggies with the skin on. Chia and flax to help out.
Gut heath – part of estrogen metabolism happens in the gut so having a good ratio of good guys to bad guys and making sure you’re not constipated will help get it metabolized and eliminated.
Limit: added sugars, pastries, candy, fried food, cows milk (especially if you get acne)
A study from Egypt revealed the positive association between PMS and excess intake of sweet-tasting food items. It also showed that other factors, such as intake of junk food and coffee, were significantly associated with PMS. Thus, making it evident that lifestyle factors have a significant association with PMS and PMDD.[3] Cheng et al. did a similar study among women university students for assessing the factors associated with PMS and revealed that dietary factors such as consumption of fast food, drinks containing sugar, deep-fried foods, and lifestyle factors such as less habitual exercise and poor sleep quality is significantly associated with PMS.
The histamine connection: histamine response can happen more in the luteal phase.
With histamine though, be sure to consider the role of the immune system not just hormones!
Supplements with DAO to help histamine.
Supplements
To help alleviate luteal phase symptoms:
CoQ10 – acute: boosts cardio, decreases oxidative stress; long-term: may increase time to exhaustion, enhances mitochondria, etc.
L-Carnitine – helps maximize fat burning capabilities, boost energy, cardiovascular benefits, keeps blood sugar levels even and can also help minimize food/carb/sugar cravings and overeating.
Tart Cherry Extract – shown to reduce pain perception during and post-exercise soreness, attenuates catabolic response, reduces inflammation.
Beetroot extract – continue normal dosage.
BCAAs or Perfect Amino.
Activities
Organizing, creative projects, Me Time, walking, yoga, stretching, not planning anything huge.
Orgasms!
Reduce stress and anxiety, increase circulation to the pelvis, relieve migraines, better skin, improve your menstrual cycle. You release oxytocin which can counter the negative effects of cortisol.
“Research has shown that women who have sex on a weekly basis also have more predictable mednstrual cycles. Women who don’t have sex regularly may have more sporadic cycles, which tend to be shorter, a possible indication of low progesterone and estrogen dominance, but regular orgasms can have a hormone-balancing effect. They also can hep relieve menstrual cramps because releasing oxytocin and other endorphins during orgasm may reduce pain.” – Dr. Jolene Brighton, Beyond the Pill
The post HPN 32: Seed Oils At Restaurants, Tips To Alleviate PMS/PMDD in Your Menstrual Cycle, Sourdough Love and More! first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 3 min
April 22, 2022Sock Doc 17: Epstein-Barr Virus and More – Managing Chronic Viruses in Athletes and Living Your Best Life
Sponsor:
Thorne supplements help athletes meet their unique needs. And many of Thorne’s supplements are NSF certified. So let’s make sure you’re not running yourself into any deficits—this list is a good place to start:
Magnesium Bisglycinate
Stress B Complex
Vitamin D/K2 drops
Multivitamin Elite
Prenatal
Meriva
L-Glutamine
Go ahead, click on each supplement if you’re curious to learn more about how these supplements may serve you. Maybe one of these or one of Thorne’s targeted bundles for sleep, stress, or performance, will complement your needs and round out your diet this season. Thorne is always available to you on our Shop page, and like we say about all supplements: when you buy from the source you ensure higher efficacy and proper handling of your supplements plus you support the podcast!

Sponsor:
This episode is brought to you by the UCAN, the only sports fuel of its kind and a fuel that helps you thrive via stable blood sugar, metabolic efficiency and more. UCAN is powered by SuperStarch, the fat-burning fuel of choice for metabolically efficient endurance athletes and health enthusiasts.
UCAN has done it again and come out with Edge, a Superstarch-powered energy gel! But this is not just any ordinary gel. It has 70 calories, 0 grams of sugar and 15g of Superstarch equating to 19g of carbs; Edge gels are selling so fast, so be sure to hop on their website at ucan.co right away and get yours.
UCAN also has delicious flavors of energy bars for you to try—salted peanut butter, chocolate almond butter and cherry almond—and equally yummy 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 ENDURANCEPLANET2021 if you’re shopping at ucan.co for that same 15% discount.

Dr. Steve Gangemi, The Sock Doc, is a natural health care doctor who founded and practices at Systems Health Care, an integrative wellness center in Chapel Hill, NC. Steve is also a longtime endurance athlete and is a wealth of knowledge for athletes looking to optimize wellness.
On this episode:
Introducing Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) and other chronic viruses
There are thousands of types of herpes viruses, about eight affect us as humans.
With EBV, which causes mononucleosis, up to 90-95% of the adult population has this and not everyone will have even known they got it?
Mono is not just caught from kissing, they can be caught more easily just with interacting with someone infected, and we may not even realize it.
Also often a lot of misdiagnoses where mono is missed and treated as something else.
Either way, the virus doesn’t leave our body after the initial infection.
Why are some people horribly affected by EBV and having many flares, where others don’t even have any issues with it?
Acute symptom would be: sore throat, fever, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, etc.
Chronic cases: chronic fatigue type syndrome, sore joints, feeling feverish and run down; it can vary person to person but for each person their pattern tends to repeat and be consistent.
The thing we want to know is what provoked it to flare? And what can we do to get it to calm down quickly?
What things provoke it? It varies… Epigenetics, lifestyle, diet, general health, immune function, overtraining.
A lot of people simply aren’t giving their body what it needs to improve and that is when epigenetic comes into play more. The thing to note is we CAN have a huge impact on these viruses and stop the vicious cycle of flares and feeling the persistence fatigue.
But for many athletes, we’re constantly pushing ourselves and more worn down.
Steve says during his time in school + training for Ironman World Championships he was more prone to cold sores than he is now with a more balanced, healthy lifestyle, diet and approach.
Viruses are much more opportunistic than many bacterial infections. But there’s not always a direct treatment for viruses as compared to certain bacterial infections.
It has to due with state of immune system, antioxidant issues and are you over-oxidized, inflammation and overall state of health all can affect the outcomes of a certain intervention treatment.
So it’s more about getting health in order so body can more effectively deal with certain viruses.
What can be confusing is that you can have high antibodies and high titers for EBV yet EBV may not be the cause or reason why you are feeling horribly. There’s no direct relationship 100% of the time. Partly because there’s no definitive to the bloodwork and a yes/no point; questionable cutoffs.
You could also have hormonal imbalances, gut issues, another virus or infection and that can cause the EBV to flare up more–so it’s about finding what else might be going on.
A lot of conditions, autoimmune and Lyme included, there’s no clearcut test, it requires some deeper analysis.
Usually these viruses or things like Lyme only are flaring up a lot when there’s other notable health conditions going on, or trauma, and so on. Usually never just one thing–so ask, what else was going on in the years leading up?
It’s interesting to dive more into the mindset of being sick with a condition and how the ego plays the role, and the importance of putting the ego aside to get real with what is going on/what was going on.
Testing
Seems like testing is difficult to achieve, and often it takes a long time to get it narrowed down to EBV.
You can go test crazy, but is that necessary?
With EBV, distinguish is it active or reactivation? Antibodies can stay high and even stay chronically elevated long past the infection or flare. You may feel better and have definite improvements in symptoms but antibodies may stay high.
So labs are only part of the picture; build a whole profile of the patient.
Some docs say, if your antibodies are 5-10x higher than normal range that could be a reactivation of a certain virus, but that doesn’t mean you are having a flare or reoccurrence.
Current or older infection data and how antibodies fall into place.
E.g., they will say if the IgG (longer term antibodies for someone who had the infection a long time ago) is greater than 10x the upper limit, that’s a positive result, ie reactivation. But the question to ask is, are there symptoms, how is the person feeling?
Anti-VCA IgM appears early in EBV infection and usually disappears within the early weeks. In testing for VCA, if it’s 5-10x higher that’s more of an active infection now.
Dissecting this further
Study mention: Clinical investigation of athletes with persistent fatigue and/or recurrent infections
“Recent studies have indicated that reactivation of non-primary Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a common cause of oropharyngitis in young adults and may be associated with the symptoms of URTI in competitive athletes. New tests for EBV reactivation were therefore included in the clinical investigation.”
“Evidence of Epstein-Barr virus reactivation was detected in 22% of the athletes tested.”
But correlation does not always mean causation, so even with that study finding a correlation, it does not mean that the EBV is causing the increased likelihood of illness in these athletes. It very well can be but not always certain.
And, other studies have shown that athletes are no more susceptible than general population, perhaps? Study.
Analogy of back pain and how the symptoms and physical presentation don’t always add up.
Book mention: Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection, by Dr. John Sarno
Address these things as a whole-person concept, and goes back to lifestyle, diet, etc…
So if it is EBV or another virus, how to deal
If EBV or another virus is the issue and that’s what you’ve decided, you can address the virus specifically to help immune system; natural remedies include astragalus, etc.
Athletes all know the concept of injuries, think of these viruses are like a systemic injury. So if symptoms coming on, build your go-to treatment.
E.g., a lot of people take lysine for HSV cold sores. But you don’t want to over-use this and mess with amino acid pools. It’s ok to take for an acute onset of cold sore but not recommended to take ongoing/daily as a preventative.
Lysine starves off arginine, lysine creates an imbalance and starves the virus of consuming higher levels of arginine.
Viruses are opportunistic. Antioxidant status can have a significant effect.
Steve is more of a fan of natural forms of Vitamin C (e.g. camu camu, whole food sources) over ascorbic acid.
Natural treatment options
Astragalus overall great for improving immune system.
Echinacea more anti-viral.
Selenium inhibits viral replication.
Olive Leaf is usually effective for EBV.
Vitamin A too. (A traditionally used in high doses for measles treatment even in babies.)
Using Vitamin A and selenium gives a bigger bang for your buck, rather than herbs alone.
Whereas, conventional medicine uses prescription anti-virals.
With shingles, another herpes virus, it also responds well to herbs.
The amount of flare up someone gets correlates with oxidation in tissues, and that oxidation can prolong recovery.
What about natural/more alternative treatment options such as ultraviolet blood irradiation?
The autoimmune connection
Link between EBV and autoimmune – High percentage of people with MS, lupus, have EBV
Can/does EBV trigger AI?
Decreased antioxidant status, increased oxidative stress, immune activation – viral mutations occur more rapidly and that chronic immune response can then turn into an autoimmune condition. AI conditions often spur from infections, which varies greatly, provoking the immune system in some chronic way.
Further thoughts
Don’t chronically chase the virus and lower numbers. You can still be doing great even if labs don’t change, don’t let that deter you!
It’s hard because these viruses and chronically dealing with them can be traumatic, so how can we come to terms and be in harmony with our bodies?
Cultivate more trust in our bodies, often our bodies are so good at dealing these things.
Where do we draw the line on testing? It can be a tough call. If you do enough labs, you will always find something wrong. Sometimes it’s ok to not test more.
Identifying with your illness, and the dangers of that. You are not your illness.
The post Sock Doc 17: Epstein-Barr Virus and More – Managing Chronic Viruses in Athletes and Living Your Best Life first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 9 min
April 08, 2022ATC 339: Using TSS and CTL To Your Advantage, Master’s Athlete MAF Progression, And More
Sponsor:
This episode is brought to you by the UCAN, the only sports fuel of its kind and a fuel that helps you thrive via stable blood sugar, metabolic efficiency and more. UCAN is powered by SuperStarch, the fat-burning fuel of choice for metabolically efficient endurance athletes and health enthusiasts.
UCAN has done it again and come out with Edge, a Superstarch-powered energy gel! But this is not just any ordinary gel. It has 70 calories, 0 grams of sugar and 15g of Superstarch equating to 19g of carbs; Edge gels are selling so fast, so be sure to hop on their website at ucan.co right away and get yours.
UCAN also has delicious flavors of energy bars for you to try—salted peanut butter, chocolate almond butter and cherry almond—and equally yummy 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 ENDURANCEPLANET2021 if you’re shopping at ucan.co for that same 15% discount.

Sponsor:
Thorne supplements help athletes meet their unique needs. And many of Thorne’s supplements are NSF certified. So let’s make sure you’re not running yourself into any deficits—this list is a good place to start:
Magnesium Bisglycinate
Stress B Complex
Vitamin D/K2 drops
Multivitamin Elite
Prenatal
Meriva
L-Glutamine
BioGeset
Go ahead, click on each supplement if you’re curious to learn more about how these supplements may serve you. Maybe one of these or one of Thorne’s targeted bundles for sleep, stress, or performance, will complement your needs and round out your diet this season. Thorne is always available to you on our Shop page, and like we say about all supplements: when you buy from the source you ensure higher efficacy and proper handling of your supplements plus you support the podcast!

Making Use of TSS & CTL: Pros and Cons
Lucho is using these metrics on himself for the first time ever; there’s a difference between coaching them and feeling them
CTL
Stands for chronic training load.
The accumulation of 6 weeks stress/42 days.
Don’t aim for a certain CTL number because that will drive you to avoid rest.
Rest weeks cause a drop in CTL.
Ramp rate: how fast you want to bring CTL up.
Is it not factoring rest enough?
Doesn’t look at performance, per se; can’t guarantee results.
It is useful to gauge the past 42 days and be mindful of the ramp rate.
You can reach the end result in different ways, some ways more sustainable than others.
Lucho isn’t going over 120 CTL for his Ironman training.
TSS
Crossover between using TSS as you would mileage
TSS was developed for cycling, using wattage
But there’s an art to adapting run TSS and swim TSS to the plan.
Running is load bearing, and just different than biking in the stimulus provides.
Good to use TSS to gauge trends, whether the end of the week or over more time, and can compare with total volume.
Lucho is using TSS to push him that extra bit but not too much.
TSS lacks the context of a workout’s structure; it doesn’t tell you how you got to X TSS.
TSS isn’t that great for just looking at individual days, using it for trends over time is more useful.
Also, use TSS as caps!
Always always make sure you take into consideration other variables.
With TSS, fatigue accumulation may make back-to-back subsequent workouts feel harder yet this is not reflected in TSS–there’s a correlation but not one that is official or measured.
So use your holistic measures to gauge, this is the art of coaching and tracking athletes.
Michael asks:
Progressing Run Fitness with MAF, Using the Right Heart Rates and Methodology?
My age is just about 60. I have been an endurance athlete for over 20 years. Using 180-60 and adding 5 more beats, I am trying to target a 115-125 heart rate. However, my normal easy “all day” runs without looking at my watch are about 115 bpm. If I increase my pace so that I approach 120 or even 125 bpm, my actual running pace would enter tempo pace. I have the opposite situation that I’ve read from most people using MAF. I need to speed up to hit my HR target, not slow down. Any advice?
What the coaches say:
MAF test looks great, he is fit, starting off in a great place. Very little drop off in pace in a 7-mile MAF test, which is good. Consider longer MAF tests to see when drop-off takes place (same goes for the bike).
Don’t increase heart rate for MAF but add some intensity; do a more polarized approach on the run but not the bike.
Run is the one discipline that has the most injury risk so no need to risk it for Ironman.
Come at this more from a triathlete’s perspective not a marathoner’s perspective.
Goal pace for the Ironman marathon matters in how you approach volume.
Heart rate on the bike isn’t always the same- generally, the bike is about 5-10 bpm lower on the bike than the run due to less muscular engagement.
Benefits of MAF are health and prevents you from running too hard, and the benefit will stay there even if you do different methods on the bike… but MAF alone on the run could be affected; just depends.
Lower run mileage for Ironman training, maybe 30 mpw is the best? (Bike the most, run the second most, and swim the least—volume-wise).
As you’re adapting to the bike and swim, stay at MAF on the run, and then when bike/swim fitness progresses you can add more intensity on the run.
MAF range can be 110-130 bpm, this allows for individual variability on any given day; our RPE can change on a given day due to other factors (don’t micromanage).
Vo2 max is the most important for master’s athletes (the thing we lose the quickest and easiest as we age) so make sure it’s not neglected over the course of the training program; can also do threshold.
Save tempo for the final build up to the race.
The post ATC 339: Using TSS and CTL To Your Advantage, Master’s Athlete MAF Progression, And More first appeared on Endurance Planet.
44 min
March 25, 2022ATC 338: Dealing With Online Trolls, MAF and/or Intensity for Ironman, Minimalist Snow Boots, and Counting Down to IM St. George!
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Intro
Lucho updates us on his Ironman St. George training, now just about 8 weeks from race day. You’ll hear: How’s his motivation especially since training hard through a cold, snowy winter season? What is his training focus at 8 weeks out? What does he think about the 7500ft elevation gain on the bike? And more.
Tawnee shares some shoe insight she learned over this past winter, for any minimalist footwear lovers out there be sure to check out the Xero Alpine Snow Boots and Vivobarefoot Tracker II Fg for some warm and robust yet minimalist boots to wear in winter and beyond (no affiliation, just a fan).
Questions
Anonymous asks:
Dealing with online trolls
Hi, How do you or would you guys deal with hateful comments and trolls on social media (or maybe your podcast)? I am a female runner in my 30s and I enjoy posting about my journey training for marathons and other events. Usually it’s all good, and I don’t have loads of followers but most who do follow are supportive and kind. However, every now and then I get a troll who is just mean for no reason—I had one guy say I look nothing like an athlete, and I’m chubby and slow for how much I “train” and I should find another hobby. Someone else commented on my nutrition choices saying “what a joke.” Someone else told me all I care about is how I look in photos but I fail to hide “the ugly.” There have been more of these one-off type comments, but these are a few examples—I immediately block the trolls. I know I should let things like this roll off me, this is just how bullies are, but I can’t. It sticks with me, and makes me want to quit social sometimes and question my self worth. It’s like, I could have 100 nice comments and 1 mean one, and that one is the one that bothers me endlessly. Even the idea of a mean or judgey comment before posting something gets me anxious sometimes. How can I better deal with this stuff and still get joy from social media—so I connect with the community and good people— and not let it be constantly triggering for me?
What the coaches say:
It’s often not about you the subject of the mean comments, but rather, it’s the person leaving the mean comments who is in turmoil. These “trolls” are suffering and in a weird way we can find a place to hold sympathy for that.
If you must, it’s ok to take a break from social to work on yourself to the point where mean comments can roll off you and not affect your emotional state.
Some of us are extra sensitive to hateful comments, that’s ok.
Often, these things sting really bad at first but their impact fades with time.
Using a negative comment to fuel you to post more, and use social media even more for the purpose you intended.
Don’t engage: Blocking the troll and not responding to the comment(s) are key to getting past this! Even if you want to say something and defend yourself, it won’t change the person’s mind and their intention to hurt.
You’re not alone, a lot of us deal with hateful trolls. The thing is, they don’t know you, the context, or anything about it… the people who do know you and support you, those are the ones to focus on; those are the people who matter!
Put yourself first! Find a place of self-love, where you share your story authentically and without shame.
Get to a place where you let the troll motivate you to just be you regardless of the jerks out there.
Don’t forget, social media will always be a “highlight reel” of sorts.
Don’t let the trolls harden you.
As athletes we want to be accepted, let’s face it, and let’s evaluate our relationship with how important performance, time and our body image is. Athletes come in all shapes and sizes, and different speeds.
Matt asks:
Ironman: MAF and/or intervals
Hey! This question is mostly in regard to the hike but feel free to tie in thoughts on the run too. I am doing my first Ironman later this year. I’ve done plenty of short course races, sprints and Olympic, but not anything longer. In training for short course I’ve done my share of intervals and intensity. The difference with Ironman is obviously the distance and being prepared for that. Do you guys think a MAF approach is enough? Or are there intervals and intensity that should be brought in at some point on the bike, if so, what are examples of Ironman specific intervals/intensity in training? My main thing is that I don’t want to train too hard this year and I know MAF is what I need, but worry that it’s “not enough” if you know what I mean.. I’m sure this is an “it depends” answer and curious to what that entails! Thanks!
What the coaches say:
MAF can always be enough for Ironman training, but it often depends on your goals, and volume needs to be there consistently.
6-7 hours a week may not be enough.
Over 10hr/week is good, and 14 hours a week is an even better place to be.
It’s not the end of the world to eliminate intensity, Vo2, etc, for Ironman training.
The older you are the more intensity you tend to need.
In 40s, brief period of VO2 max work at 10-12 weeks out. Just 9-18 minutes in one session, once a week for ~7 weeks.
Threshold training can be beneficial. Low to mid Z4 can be enough.
If you know intuitively MAF is what you need follow that.
Test your MAF regularly, is your heart rate and pace lining up to a place where you’re efficient? Is it realistic heart rate and pace for an Ironman?
Polarized training: is it getting a bit trendy right now?
Context for this mode of training is critical. Athletes doing boatloads of volume are more likely to benefit from it (e.g. runners going 100+ miles per week etc).
Periodizing this type of training at the right time of season makes a lot of sense; don’t do it year-round.
A good time to do it is the last 12 weeks before your Ironman (a reasonable time to eliminate the middle zone).
Using MAF as the foundation is a smart approach and sprinkle in various types of intensity throughout your training cycle.
E.g. sweet spot, muscular endurance and work in Z3/Z4. Get those muscles prepared!
Check out ATC 336 for in depth look at sweet spot.
Ironman is about fuel usage / metabolic function, and MAF really addresses that.
The post ATC 338: Dealing With Online Trolls, MAF and/or Intensity for Ironman, Minimalist Snow Boots, and Counting Down to IM St. George! first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr
March 11, 2022Rerelease: Dr. Phil Maffetone 22: The Eight Steps To Mastering MAF, Healthy Body Fat Ranges, and How Athletes Can Decrease Health Risks
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We’re rereleasing this classic episode. Enjoy!
Dr. Phil Maffetone is back for an instant classic on how you can maximize your fitness gains and longterm health simultaneously:
MAF Method refresher:
It’s not just about the 180 Formula when you pursue MAF, it’s a holistic method for overall improved health, wellness and fitness.
There are 8 steps to mastering MAF, which we discuss in detail:
Carb intolerance
Inflammation
Vitamin D
Folate
Build the Aerobic System
Manage Stress
Build a Better Brain
Healthy Aging
More: https://philmaffetone.com/method/

Study: Physically active white men at high risk for plaque buildup in arteries
A recent study showed that white men who exercise are at a higher risk for plaque buildup in the arteries, and news has spread. View the article here. We get Phil’s take and what is missing:
Calcification is clearly a dangerous sign, but a downstream problem. Two common causes are:
Increased fat (especially pericardial)
Low vitamin D
Pericardial fat risks:
When abdomen gets fat, the fat around heart also probably excessive – affects cardiac output, stroke volume and the athlete’s training and racing HR goes up, having a negative effect on performance and health.
The importance of your waist-to-height ratio. Your waist should be no more than 1/2 your height.
Study mention: American runners have never been slower

Phil’s new study on the overfat population (click link for full text!), and what they found:
An increase prevalence of exercise among adults (up to 52%)
But also a paralleled increase of overfat people (91% of American adults, and 69% of kids in the US).
WHY is there this trend (i.e. more exercise but getting fatter)?
How was being “overfat” assessed?
Conclusion: you can’t outrun a bad diet.

What is a healthy body fat range to be in according to research and Phil?
Normal ranges of body fat percentages–abnormally low, healthy, abnormally high:
BF ranges
Dangerously low
<14% women (but even ~17% +/- could pose risks)
<8% men
Dangerously high
>31.6% women
>17.6% men
Source: Lohman and Colleagues
Phil says don’t exceed these following ranges; it’s where things start to go wrong:
29.8% for women
15.3% for men
The post Rerelease: Dr. Phil Maffetone 22: The Eight Steps To Mastering MAF, Healthy Body Fat Ranges, and How Athletes Can Decrease Health Risks first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 19 min