The Podium

Caffeine is the most frequently consumed psycho-active substance in the world.  It has been studied for decades, and it's benefit for sports performance is well-documented.  Even so, few understand the pros and cons of using caffeine for performance.  We'll dig into the science and help you understand how your cup of coffee may positively impact your next 5K. 

Sleep.  It seems so simple, but sleep is often an overlooked determinant of health and performance.  The recognition of this importance is growing, and for some, the pendulum may have even swung too far the other way.  In episode 3 of this season on The Podium, we dig into the science of sleep, how it affects us, and what we can do to ensure we have the best plan for optimizing our daily sleep and recovery.

Glucose, or "blood sugar", is a variable which can change significantly throughout our day.  Those kinetics are a major determinant of our health and of our athletic performance.  In this episode, we review the basics and talk about the most effective ways to measure and impact our blood glucose levels.

Heart Rate Variability (or "HRV") is the metric which elite athletes are following daily to assess their recovery and plan their daily training.  The science around HRV dates back many decades, but only recently has this become something we can all easily measure.  Whether you are aiming to compete at the highest level or simply perform in daily life, might HRV be the guide you have been looking for?

The amount of misinformation and politicized skewing of data has been both amazing and disheartening.  In this episode, I dig into the questions that I am most frequently asked by patients.  For some, there are answers.  For others, it is not black and white.  The goal is to step away from the political-year confusion and look at what we currently know about the pandemic.  I'm no virologist or epidemiologist, but this has been an issue that has been at the forefront of elite sports in recent months.  I won't pretend to be an expert.  This is just my honest take on things to date.

Season 2 of The Podium is about to be launched!  In this season, we will address:

- HRV (Heart Rate Variability) as a measure of recovery
- Glucose metabolism for health and performance
- Sleep
- Caffeine as a performance aid

We'll also have two great interviews to share with you.  Six more episodes of The Podium are coming your way, in Season 2.

I had the pleasure of sitting down for a (remote) conversation with Dr. Allen Lim, renowned sports scientist and founder of Skratch Labs.  Allen is always one of my favorite people to talk to, as he's such a wealth of knowledge and insight.  This conversation was recorded while maintaining our social distance at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, so please excuse the sub-par audio.  I promise you, while the audio may not be first-rate, the content in this one certainly is!

From a ketogenic diet to ketone supplements (aka "exogenous ketones"), we discuss where potential benefits and pitfalls lie with respect to health and performance.

Fasting has become mainstream.  Whether it's longer fasts of days without food, or simply compressing your feeding window (known as Time Restricted Eating or "Intermittent Fasting"), everyone seems willing to give this a shot.  On this episode, we delve into the science behind fasting and whether it might be a useful tool to add to your regimen.

Many are familiar with creatine as a supplement used by bodybuilders and power athletes.  Recent research has shown that it may have benefit for endurance athletes and even for cognitive performance.