In today's in-person episode, Dan and Owain break down the physiological components of marathon running.

There's more to the marathon (and other distances) than just having a big VO2max! Thresholds, economy, and durability all interact with each other, and as you'll hear, there's more than one way to run a marathon from a physiological perspective.

If you want to submit a question for a future episode drop them here.

Paula Radcliffe Study

Michael Joyner Marathon Physiology Study

Building on a very popular Twitter thread (https://x.com/Dan_Nash94/status/1797744471565574604),Dan & Owain discuss marathon pacing.

First, an overview of some of the physiology that you'll be contending with during a marathon - especially if you go out too fast!

Dan & Owain then discuss the pacing plan Dan has utilised in recent marathons, and how you could go about doing the same yourself.

Let us know if you've used a similar physiological anchoring method for a marathon and how you got on!

Owain is also recruiting for a research study looking at hot baths and EPO, which will be a future podcast topic too - if you're interested in taking part more information is here: https://many.bio/EPOStudy

In this episode, Dan and Owain explore the research on the supplements and accessories that have recently been hitting the headlines.

They share what the research has to say on their effectiveness including, who may benefit the most, the risk-reward ratio, and advice on implementation strategies.

Dan finishes the podcast with a plug of both the Sport Physiology Hub, and his new online coaching offer. If you are interested in one of the five coaching slots that Dan has available, then introduce yourself via email ([email protected]), including a description of your training background and upcoming goals. The deadline for emails is September 1st.

Is threshold training old news? Should we all be following the "American Method"?

Dan & Owain talk through the mens 1500m Olympic final; how the race played out, what training is best to run a championship 1500m, will we see a shift of training methods in the next 4 years.

What did you think of the 1500m final, and the rest of the Olympic events?

Do you use threshold training yourself?

Get in touch via X with your questions or comments - @dan_nash94 & @owainzerilli

If you fancy getting tested in a lab, check out the Sport Physiology Hub - https://www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/sportandhealthsciences/researchandinnovation/innovation/Pages/sport-science-services.aspx

In this episode Dan & Owain discuss the physiology of the warm up.

For many runners, a warm up features some jogging and possibly a few strides. But the warm up of a professional runner differs significantly, due to some interesting research into what is often referred to as "priming".

Dan & Owain discuss some of the history of the research, the physiology of "priming", and offer some practical applications that you can try before your next session or race.

If you give priming a go, let us know how you get on!

Get in touch via X with your questions or comments - @dan_nash94 & @owainzerilli

Research discussed:

Ingham et al., Priming in 800m runners - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22868404/

Jones et al., Priming time to exhaustion - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14652506/

Mark Burnley's explanation of VO2 Kinetics - https://youtu.be/ptPHNo9z7eA

In this second episode of The Physiology of Endurance Running Podcast, we explore all aspects of the 2nd threshold. We cover:

Critical Speed Calculator

You can access the calculator via this link. You will need to download the Excel file in order to edit the document. Let me know if it doesn't work!

Key References

"Muscle metabolic responses to exercise above and below the “critical power” assessed using 31P-MRS"

"Critical power is positively related to skeletal muscle capillarity and type I muscle fibres in endurance-training individuals"

Dr Mark Burnley: Twitter Profile and YouTube channel

Find more from me on Twitter and Strava, while here is a link to my  "Physiology of Endurance Running"  webinar series.

In this first episode of The Physiology of Endurance Running Podcast, we explore what the research has to say on how best to fuel your marathon. We cover:

• The pros and cons of fat and carbohydrates as fuel sources
• Why taking on carbohydrates aids performance
• How much carbohydrate should we take on during a marathon
• How to choose which fuel type to take on
• How to plan your own nutrition strategy for training and racing

Key References

"Glucose-fructose likely improves gastrointestinal comfort and endurance running performance relative to glucose-only"

"Contemporary Nutrition Strategies to Optimize Performance in Distance Runners and Race Walkers"

"Solid, Gel, and Liquid Carbohydrate Format Effects on Gut Comfort and Performance"


Specialists you should follow

Louise Burke: Twitter Profile and ResearchGate Profile

Trent Stellingworth: Twitter Profile and ResearchGate Profile 

Find more from me on Twitter and Strava, while here is a link to my  "Physiology of Endurance Running"  webinar series.


Post-production corrections
At 34' I say that Maurten gels contain 40g of carbohydrate. They actually contain 25g while SIS Beta Fuel gels that I also refer to contain 40g