How much does cold slow us down?
In light of the COVID-19 situation, we have some time until we know when our next A-race will be. As a result, some athletes I work with have been analyzing their winter performances and workouts in an attempt to gauge their current fitness and make training plans moving forward. As I have written about […]
Does warming up really make a difference?
Oh hey, I’m back! It’s been a while. My hiatus from writing didn’t coincide with a break from reading though, and I have accumulated a number of tidbits and interesting thoughts on training and performance to bring to you in 2019! No promises on the frequency of the articles, but I shall do my best. […]
Protein Part III- How much does acute intake matter post-run?
The days of my protein rambling have almost come to an end! In my last post, I discussed how much protein should be ingested/day and how that protein should be distributed. The article before that discussed whether acute protein consumption before and activity enhances performance. In my final article in the protein series, I want […]
Protein Part II: How much and when to eat it
Welcome back to another protein-focused edition of Training & Performance! My last article looked at the evidence in support of avoiding protein while you run. Today, I will discuss one of the more common questions I hear at my practice: does protein timing and distribution matter? And should you be consuming protein directly after a […]
Does ingesting protein during a run enhance performance?
I have written many times(1, 2, 3, 4) about the importance of ingesting carbohydrates during a race (if it’s long enough). I’ve also discussed how taking in other sources of fuel, like protein, is not the best move due to it triggering an increased risk of GI distress. The reason: in part, protein is not absorbed and metabolized as […]
Are you maintaining your iron status?
When it comes to performance, there’s no doubt that nutrition plays a significant role. In the past, I’ve really focused on acute nutrition: what you can do directly before or during your run to be faster (i.e. here). An area I have neglected to focus on is what you should be doing from a nutritional […]
Does heat acclimation and pre-cooling really help?
Well, it’s safe to say that the hot summer days of running are here! With many big races on the horizon, including the Waterloo Classic, it’s important to make sure we do our best to prepare for the additional challenge heat provides. It’s a topic I wrote about briefly in the past, but this week […]
Can you train your gut to handle carbs?
I’ve written a few times (1, 2, 3, 4) before about how important it is to ingest carbs while racing a distance that takes over ~40-60mins to enhance performance. There still seems to be some resistance to doing this; some of it is fueled by pseudoscience, but some is fueled by the very legitimate concern […]
Can Vitamin C Help Runners to Stay Healthy?
Last week I spent most of the week with a mild head cold. Nothing crazy, but enough to motivate me to review my old immunology notes yet again to relearn what I already know (it’s always fun picturing the T-cells destroying the bad stuff). Times like these also motivate me to relearn other things, like […]
Racing Flats: How light is light enough?
Last month I wrote about how much of a difference light shoes make. In summary, the study I referenced showed losing 100g/shoe will result in just under a 1% improvement in running economy (RE) as long as all other features remain equal. At Health & Performance, this article generated a lot of good questions. The […]
