SUPER PRACTICAL - December 2024
Quick, actionable steps from studies I shared this month.
Every week I review five studies and share my notes and practical takeaways in a newsletter. I learn a lot from the process, but it’s a lot of new information to take in and I don’t remember all the details and takeaways.
In 2025, I’m starting a new, monthly newsletter that captures the essential details from the studies that month. It’s short, simple, and actionable. These points are simplified and filtered through my own reading and experience, but it’s meant to be a way to test new things and to use the lessons in the real world.
This newsletter will be for paid subscribers. It’s going out to everyone for December and January, and then to paid subscribers after that.
Each item in the list has a link to the original newsletter with all the details and related research. Just click on the DO, MAYBE, or DON’T.
[Note: paid subscribers have access to all the newsletters in the archives.]
DO these things
DO: Follow a pyramidal time-intensity distribution when training for the marathon. The fastest runners at all levels followed this TID with the fastest overall doing more volume in Z1.
DO: Increase the volume of low-intensity training when preparing for the marathon to improve running economy. Muscle fiber type is associated with running economy and this may be a way to increase the number of slow-twitch fibers.
DO: Use clams, sidesteps, unilateral bridges, and quadruped hip extensions to strengthen the gluteal muscles while limiting TFL activation. These are the most effective exercises.
DO: Hydrate enough during exercise in hot conditions. Dehydration was associated with reduced vagal autonomic modulation, potentially reducing performance.
DO: Choose the most comfortable footwear when selecting race shoes (while still choosing supershoes). More comfortable shoes were associated with higher running economy.
DO: Ensure that iron levels are high prior to altitude training and use HRV and SpO2 to manage intensity when arriving there. Adaptation is individual and a single approach cannot be used by all athletes.
MAYBE try these things
MAYBE: Reduce pre-season training load to decrease the chance of injury. Rugby players who did this were still as fit in season, but experienced fewer injuries.
MAYBE: Allow more time between strength training sessions (at least 72 hours) for soreness to decrease. Adaptation was greatest after soreness diminished.
MAYBE: Use more than just sRPE to measure training load. sRPE alone wasn’t able to predict potential injury.
MAYBE: Ignore your cravings during a diet and follow a plan with only a small calorie deficit. Low-fat diets resulted in brain changes that led to craving unhealthy foods to compensate thereby putting the diet at risk.
MAYBE: Use a 20g/day dose of β-Alanine supplementation during high-load training camps. This appeared to help cyclists improve uphill time-trial times.
MAYBE: Test different means of carrying fluid and hydration during running to find what’s most comfortable. There doesn’t appear to be a difference between carrying fluid in handheld bottles, a waist pack, or a backpack.
DON’T do these things
DON’T: Use cold water immersion nor percussive massage for recovery. They don’t appear to help.
DON’T: Start training too soon after big events (allow at least 3 days recovery). 72 hours wasn’t enough to recover from a football match and starting training earlier increased hamstring injury risk.
DON’T: Restrict sleep. Sleep restriction negatively alters the body’s adaptive response to training.
DON’T: Use ketones. They do not appear to improve actual cycling performance.
DON’T: Cut calories excessively or follow a diet with too large a calorie deficit. Low-energy availability for just two weeks impaired performance and it wasn’t regained fully after 3 days of fueling.
DON’T: Worry about taking in carbs during short, high-intensity intermittent training sessions. Taking carbs didn’t preserve muscle glycogen or improve sprint performance.
That was terrific thank you!