The Physiology of Endurance Running Podcast

This podcast is all about getting sport science research out into the public domain. We cover what we do and don't know regarding all topics related to endurance running performance and, more importantly, how can we use this information to make ourselves healthier and faster runners! Your hosts are Dr Dan Osborn-Nash, 2:15 marathon runner and sport physiologist for Welsh Athletics and Welsh Triathlon, and Owain Zerilli, MSc student exploring the effects of heat on EPO release and 2:38 marathon runner

Road to Valencia- 2 weeks to go

2 weeks to go, the hay is in the barn, the work is banked. Dan & Owain talk through the last "big" week of training before Valencia marathon. Dan travels up north for a wedding, but before that runs one last big treadmill session, with some final shoe testing. Dan's session planning is also discussed in a listener question. If you have any questions for Dan before the big day in Valencia, drop them in the form below for next week's final episode before the marathon! The Physiology of Endurance Running podcast is now proudly sponsored by SOAR. SOAR produce high quality running clothing, designed to fit the needs of runners that put in time & effort to the sport. Check them out here - ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.soarrunning.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can submit questions for this series or our Q and A episode here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/XGmxsR6dsanikRSX7⁠

11-20
47:15

Road to Valencia- 3 weeks to go

A big week in the books for Dan, with two sessions and a long run. Dan & Owain break down the sessions, and take a deep dive into some shoe testing numbers as Dan decides on his shoes for the big dance in Valencia. The Physiology of Endurance Running podcast is now proudly sponsored by SOAR. SOAR produce high quality running clothing, designed to fit the needs of runners that put in time & effort to the sport. Check them out here - ⁠⁠⁠https://www.soarrunning.com/ ⁠⁠⁠ You can submit questions for this series or our Q and A episode here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/XGmxsR6dsanikRSX7⁠

11-12
57:37

Heat, the poor man's altitude?

On today's episode, Dan & Owain take an initial dive into the physiology heat exposure. They first discuss the physiological benefits and drawbacks to altitude, and how this can lead many to using heat as a means to increase haemoglobin mass. They then discuss different forms of heat exposure, including baths and sauna, and the physiology behind undertaking these. Let us know if you've used baths or sauna in your training and how you've found it! The Physiology of Endurance Running podcast is now proudly sponsored by SOAR. SOAR produce high quality running clothing, designed to fit the needs of runners that put in time & effort to the sport. Check them out here - https://www.soarrunning.com/ You can submit questions for this series or our Q and A episode here: https://forms.gle/XGmxsR6dsanikRSX7

11-07
56:18

Road to Valencia- 4 weeks to go

Dan & Owain are back to discuss Dan's training with 4 weeks to go until the Valencia Marathon! Dan's week began on a high note, before coming down with a cold. Dan logged a fast long run beforehand, which is broken down, along with a few listener questions! The Physiology of Endurance Running podcast is now proudly sponsored by SOAR. SOAR produce high quality running clothing, designed to fit the needs of runners that put in time & effort to the sport. Check them out here - ⁠⁠https://www.soarrunning.com/ ⁠⁠ You can submit questions for this series or our Q and A episode here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/XGmxsR6dsanikRSX7

11-05
45:22

Road to Valencia- 5 weeks to go

A big week in the books for Dan, and a big episode to break it down! Dan & Owain discuss the sessions, as well as Dan's carbs & bicarb use during the sessions - and his thinking for using them during the marathon itself. A longer episode than normal, but a lot of information to cover! The Physiology of Endurance Running podcast is now proudly sponsored by SOAR. SOAR produce high quality running clothing, designed to fit the needs of runners that put in time & effort to the sport. Check them out here - ⁠https://www.soarrunning.com/ ⁠ You can submit questions for this series or our Q and A episode here: ⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/XGmxsR6dsanikRSX7

10-29
50:19

Strength & Conditioning for Endurance Runners

Dan & Owain are back to discuss strength and conditionining training. A growing body of research has focussed on S&C training and its impact on endurance training. Dan & Owain talk through some of the myths and possible benefits of S&C, and how to apply these to your own training. If you're interested in reading more about S&C, Richard Blagrove's book is a fantastic resource and aimed specifically at runners: https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9781847979872/Strength-Conditioning-Endurance-Running-Blagrove-1847979874/plp The Physiology of Endurance Running podcast is proudly sponsored by SOAR. SOAR produce high quality running clothing, designed to fit the needs of runners that put in time & effort to the sport. Check them out here - https://www.soarrunning.com/ You can submit questions for this series or our Q and A episode here: https://forms.gle/XGmxsR6dsanikRSX7

10-24
51:53

Road to Valencia- 6 weeks to go

Dan & Owain are back again to dissect Dan's training - but begin with an exciting announcement about the podcast! With 6 weeks to go until Valencia marathon, Dan returns to a fairly normal training week! Using lab data to guide his return to sessions, they go through Dan's aborted session, followed by a quality session later in the week. They also discuss fitting training around Dan's hectic schedule, and the impact that possible changes to the Commonwealth Games has on Dan - a runner that sits on the cusp of qualifying! The Physiology of Endurance Running podcast is now proudly sponsored by SOAR. SOAR produce high quality running clothing, designed to fit the needs of runners that put in time & effort to the sport. Check them out here - https://www.soarrunning.com/ You can submit questions for this series or our Q and A episode here: ⁠⁠https://forms.gle/XGmxsR6dsanikRSX7

10-21
35:44

Road to Valencia- 7 weeks to go

In this episode, we review Dan's week following his PB at Cardiff Half Marathon. Initially, a positive start, with a quick recovery from the race. We then discuss Dan's strength training regime that he has introduced as a "marginal gain" in this Valencia block. Unfortunately, Dan then caught one of the many viruses going around which led to three days off running and a measly 72km for the week. You can submit questions for this series or our Q and A episode here: ⁠https://forms.gle/XGmxsR6dsanikRSX7

10-17
26:32

Road to Valencia- 8 weeks to go

In this new mini-series, we will share a week-by-week account of Dan's preparations for Valencia marathon where he is targeting the European Road Running Championships qualifying time of 2:12:30. As this is a podcast about physiology, the emphasis will be on how Dan uses his own data, and findings from the scientific literature, to optimise his training and performance come race day. In this first episode, we breakdown the results from Dan's recent submax test and discuss how that will inform what his training will look like over the next 8 weeks. Dan's test data can be found here: Dan Nash- submax test (3.10.24).pdf You can submit questions for our Q and A episode here: https://forms.gle/XGmxsR6dsanikRSX7

10-09
38:57

Durability - the fourth dimension of endurance physiology?

After giving their excuses for recording a week later than planned, Dan & Owain delve into Durability. As they discuss, durability is a growing area of research and particularly impacts marathon (and ultra) performance. But how do you measure it, and how do you improve it? A new mini-series is announced to close the show... https://forms.gle/XGmxsR6dsanikRSX7

10-04
50:50

The Physiology of the Marathon

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

09-13
01:01:41

How to pace your next marathon

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

08-30
01:04:16

Cooling headbands, Bicarb, Beetroot and Caffeine: What is worth spending your money on?

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 (Dan-Nash@Outlook.Com), including a description of your training background and upcoming goals. The deadline for emails is September 1st.

08-21
01:04:52

Is threshold training dead?

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

08-09
46:24

The Physiology of the Warm Up

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

07-15
44:55

Easy running- why bother?

Welcome back! Dan finally feels like he has the time to relaunch the pod and is joined by new co-host, Owain Zerilli. In this episode, we delve into all things "easy running". We started with defining what easy running is from a physiology perspective, before going into describing what benefits we can (and can't) expect from training in "zone 2". We finish by looking at the bigger picture, discussing how we should fit our easy running into our training weeks and practical tips on how to let go of our egos.

07-01
01:02:27

Threshold Training: Is it worth the hype?

Threshold training has come to prominence in recent years, primarily through the success of the Ingebrigtsens. In this episode, I discuss what threshold training actually entails, why it might be a useful intensity to train at, and what are the limitations with threshold training. A lot of the dicussion is centred around a recent review that discusses why "The Norwegian Model" of training may be the next step in the evolution of training practices. This article can be found here: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/5/3782 If you would like to support the show, you can buy me a coffee here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Dan.Nash

03-12
54:31

The physiological model of endurance running performance

Yes, we are finally back! In this episode, we delve into the physiological model of endurance running performance. We discuss the determinants of VO2max, metabolic thresholds and running economy. We cover additional parameters that are important in the middle-distance events and distances beyond the marathon. Lastly, we discuss the relative importance of the physiological parameters across the different events and how we might determine what is limiting our performance. If you would like to support the show and contribute to the generation of more content, you can buy me a coffee here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Dan.Nash

02-27
01:10:38

The 2nd Threshold: The physiology and its applications to training

In this second episode of The Physiology of Endurance Running Podcast, we explore all aspects of the 2nd threshold. We cover: What is the 2nd threshold and why is it important for performance What do we know about the determinants of the 2nd threshold Do we know how best to train it? How can we use the critical speed model to calculate our 2nd threshold outside of a lab and without lactate measurements How can we apply the critical speed model to our own training 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 "The maximal metabolic steady state: redefining the ‘gold standard’" "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" Specialists you should follow Dr Mark Burnley: Twitter Profile and YouTube channel Dr Philip Skiba: Twitter Profile and Book Find more from me on Twitter and Strava, while here is a link to my  "Physiology of Endurance Running"  webinar series.

09-03
53:41

How to fuel your next marathon

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 sourcesWhy taking on carbohydrates aids performanceHow much carbohydrate should we take on during a marathonHow to choose which fuel type to take onHow to plan your own nutrition strategy for training and racingKey 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 followLouise Burke: Twitter Profile and ResearchGate ProfileTrent 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 correctionsAt 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

08-29
57:30

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