Fat Burning for Ultra Runners
Given an ultra takes a lot longer than 2 hours (the approximate limit of our carbohydrates to supply energy) it is clear that fat is going to be a big contributor to our energy supplies. The less effective we are at using fat for fuel the more carbohydrates we have to consume during a race […]
Sodium – do we need it?
The ability to measure our sodium losses in sweat during exercise has led some to thinking that we need to replace at least some of what we lose in sweat to ensure our blood sodium levels don’t fall to levels that effect performance or health. The thinking goes that somewhere between 230-1700mg of sodium can […]
Fuelling for optimum performance in ultras
One of the main reasons for a DNF in an ultra is nausea and vomiting (23% of DNFs at the 2009 WSER were for this reason). Even among those that finished, up to 40% of the Western States field experienced nausea and or vomiting that affected race performance. Stomach problems can sabotage all the hard […]
Does dehydration impair endurance performance?
For many years we have been lead to believe that a dehydration level of more than 2% will negatively affect performance and therefore we should drink to limit dehydration to this level. This advice has even been given out by coaches and trainers for years and was the official recommendation of the American College of […]
Racing in the heat
Its been just over a month since I collapsed at the Great North Walk 100 miler. Recovery was relatively quick thankfully and I have spent the last few weeks researching all I can on what happened to me and how to prevent it happening again. I have also heard from many other runners who have […]
How to avoid cramp – training, tapering and pickle juice
Cramp. It’s a runner’s worst nightmare. One minute you are running along feeling great, next minute you are clutching your leg trying to find a way to relieve the cramp that has taken hold of your calf or hamstring. If this happened at the finish line it wouldn’t be such a problem, but when it […]