In a paper that has been provisionally approved for publication in the Frontiers of Physiology Journal, three academics studied the link between improvements in running economy and the subsequent effect this had on running velocity.

Shalaya Kipp, Rodger Kram and Wouter Hoogkamer knew that “training, footwear, nutrition, and racing strategies (i.e. drafting) have all been shown to reduce the metabolic cost of distance running (i.e. improve running economy)”. But the academics wanted to know what this meant to the runner on the ground.

What does this mean for your PBs?

There isn’t an established idea of how improvements to running economy translate into performance. Kipp, Kram and Hoogkamer, working from the US and Canada, took it upon themselves to “quantify how metabolic savings translate into faster running performance”. If you’re using less energy to run a certain speed, how much faster does that actually mean you can go?

The findings were very interesting. The faster the athlete, the less benefit there is from their improving running economy. Not that the benefits aren’t still there but the faster you are, the lower the effect for any given percentage.

If you’re going slower than three metres per second (<10.8kph) then the benefit is greater than the improvement in running economy. If you improve running economy by two percent then you’re going to go slightly over two percent quicker. Wonderful.

Running quicker lessens the gains

If you’re running quicker than three metres per second (>10.8kph) then the improvements will be slightly less. The example given in the abstract for the paper might not relate to many runners at five and a half metres per second (19.8kph). At this pace, you’re looking at getting two thirds of your running economy improvement from the actual increase in speed.

So it’s not like for like, but you’re still getting a hefty improvement. For example “at 2:04 marathon pace, a 3% improvement in running economy translates to a 1.97% faster velocity or 2:01:36, almost exactly equal to the recently set world record.” The gains might be smaller but the differences are still worthwhile.

So what about the fancy Nike shoes that promote a 4% improvement in running economy? Well how much they help apparently depends on just how quick you are in the first place. Some might know my opinion of Nike isn’t the best. I also feel there were some interesting conflicts of interest within that 4% study, but the results are there. I’m sure Adidas runner who painted over a pair of Nike shoes for the Dubai Marathon felt that it was worth the gamble.

So should I improve my running economy?

Most certainly. Reducing the metabolic cost of running, i.e. reducing how hard it is to run a set pace, is always going to have benefits. The longer you race the more important it might become. Marathoners and ultra runners have to take into account the fuel stores being depleted too.

So keep an eye out for the full paper coming soon. All the fancy numbers around don’t always directly equal the improvement you might get. But hopefully this research will give an insight into the improvements one will see in the marathon.

What must also be considered is the potential psychological benefits. If you believe something is going to make you run faster then chances are it might do just that. It could all be down to your own perception of effort too. If you think that your shoes/fancy watch/super food will make life easier in a race, then your own perception of effort may decrease too.

And remember to train intelligently too. All the fancy gimmicks in the world don’t make up for hard work and consistency.

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Recent research from the Federal University of Sergipe, Brazil, looked into hyper-hydration strategies. This is where you essentially pre-load water before a race so there is less risk of dehydration during the event. 

To do this you have to increase the electrolyte levels in your water, rather than just drinking a huge amount. This would just increase your visits to the toilet and potentially put you at risk of hyponatremia.

The researchers actually added a huge amount of sodium to the water the athletes were drinking. Solutions of 2400mg/l (not too dissimilar to a saline drip) or just plain water were given to the athletes to drink as they desired the day before their testing.

Their findings were interesting

Whilst one might expect performance to be improved by greater hydration at the start, for 10km no performance benefits were noted in the study. Over this distance, dehydration may not be a huge performance factor. The additional water weight carried may have led to a zero-sum gain. 

They have hypothesised that over a longer distance, where dehydration might be a bigger issue, the results could have been different. Other studies in cycling, however, have shown some benefit in shorter races, in warm or hot conditions.

Ask the expert

We spoke to Andy Blow of Precision Hydration about the study and it is something they monitor closely. “The added sodium in hyper-hydration drinks is what allows your body to pull more water into the bloodstream and hold it there,” said the hydration expert.

“The problem with concentrations as high as 2400mg/l a drink is that it can cause real GI troubles in some athletes.

“We tend to recommend lower concentrations like our 1500mg/l products. The aim is to get people amply hydrated for their event, not always significantly hyper-hydrated.”

There was a study into electrolyte concentrations that looked at effects of drinks containing plain water, 1,380mg/l, 2,750mg/l and 3,680mg/l of Sodium. The higher the concentration the better the hydration of the subjects, but the two higher concentrations caused more issues with diarrhoea. Hence PH going with 1500mg for their highest concentration.    

Especially in an unusually hot summer such as 2018, many people are partially dehydrated on a regular basis. We’re not as physiologically adapted to the heat and not accustomed to rehydrating properly after exercise. It can take the body 24-48 hours to reach an equilibrium after a heavy workout the heat.

A study in 2017 showed that as many as a third of runners turned up to competition dehydrated. Then other studies showed that many also turned up hyponatremic. University and club athletes had drunk large quantities of water to avoid dehydration but forgot to add electrolytes. 

Adding electrolytes to your water can help your body with absorption and you’re less likely to be exercising the next day in a dehydrated state. 

Hydration before, not just during races

“When people talk about hydration, most of the time it’s about what and how much athletes should drink during exercise,” said Blow, raising another interesting point. “Performance is also massively influenced by hydration at the start line.

“When you’re racing in a hot environment you’re generally fighting a losing battle with water and electrolytes. So you may as well give yourself the best chance by pre-loading, as you would with carbohydrates.”

The day before an athlete shouldn’t take on huge amounts more than usual. Ensuring a significant sodium concentration in the fluids you drink will mean that your body will absorb more of that water. 

It’s something to consider if you’re an athlete running twice a day too. Taking even a small level of dehydration into your second session can affect performance. So considering your hydration levels can make a big difference on a daily basis too.

Is hyper-hydration for you?

So the study that prompted this article did find an improvement in hydration levels over a 10km trial. But, interestingly, not performance levels. If you’re expecting to run in an extremely hot environment or are a particularly prolific sweater then there is still a good chance it will make a difference.

The study also showed there was less need for water taken on board during the race. If you knew your race didn’t have water stations then it might lead to more benefits of hyper-hydration.

Then if your race is longer the benefits start to increase. For a marathon or an ultra, especially hot conditions, there could be large benefits. 

Really many of us should focus on being amply hydrated, rather than hyper-hydrated, to start. As Blow pointed out, just getting to the start line in a healthy state should be your first aim. As with all of the marginal gains, start simple before worrying about the little things. 

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A February 2018 study undertaken by a team of Danish physiologists, investigated “whether improved running economy, with a period of speed endurance training and reduced volume, could be related to adaptations in specific muscle fibres”.

Whilst the researchers were looking more at the adaptations of different muscle fibres, the outcomes of the physiology tests makes interesting reading.

The study took 20 trained runners, 14 male and six female, and set them a 40-day training period with 10 sessions of speed endurance training alongside a 36% reduction in their running volume. The 10-speed sessions comprised of five to 10 x 30-sec maximal running efforts.

The speed endurance training formed part of an eight-day cycle of training, with the sessions on days two and six.

The participants started with six 30 second efforts, separated by three 1/2 minutes of walking recovery before progressing to 10 intervals of 30 seconds for the second half of the study.

Before the training began the participants undertook tests such as an incremental test to exhaustion, a muscle biopsy, running at 60% VO2Max and a 10km time trial. The last two were undertaken in both normal and depleted glycogen states to compare the difference.

At the end of the 10 weeks, the tests were performed again.

What were the results?

After the 10 weeks of reduced running volume and the specific 30-second effort sessions, both tests with normal glycogen levels and depleted, saw improvements in 10km time trial performances.

In the first test (glycogen levels in a normal state) there was a 3.2%, improvement, with the average 10k time dropping from 45.2 minutes to 43.7 minutes.

With glycogen depleted, participants in the 10-week study saw an average improvement in their 10k time trial of 3.9%. From 47.7 minutes beforehand compared to 45.8 minutes afterwards.

VO2 Max stayed the same after the study, but vVO2 Max, the velocity at VO2 Max, saw an increase. Basically the speed endurance sessions increased the efficiency of the runners at top end speed and there was more bang for your buck.

Running economy was improved in the 60% VO2 Max test and the 10km time trial. Showing you don’t have to be a sprinter to get the benefits of running at maximal effort. An improvement of the top end economy also sees efficiency at lower speeds improved.

Considerations?

It is important to note there was no control group of normal progression to compare the findings. The benefits seen could have taken place with the normal training of the subjects as well.

There is no mention of whether the participants in the study had previously undertaken any speed endurance training. The potential benefits to a runner who regularly undertakes similar training already was not discussed but it could be hypothesised benefits would be lessened.

Many athletes and coaches use high-speed efforts to improve running economy and this study reinforces the reasoning behind. Running at full speed for short bursts can improve running economy at all speeds.

The post Study shows 30 second efforts can improve 10k time appeared first on Fast Running.

A theory exists called the central governor theory, this is based on the argument that the mind will override your physical ability to run, almost as a warning sign telling you to slow down. But although the mind signals that your body is exhausted, physiologically there is still more to give and if you can override your central governor, you will not err on the side of caution when it comes to exhaustion and can go further, faster and longer than ever imagined.

So how far does the power of the mind stretch? One recent study by Stephen A. Mears and a team at Loughborough University investigated whether the mere perception to the mind of breakfast ingestion would enhance high-intensity cycling performance.

Many struggle to eat before races or high-intensity training sessions, either due to the time of day, pre-race nerves or GI problems during the event and as a result many choose to run in a fasted state. Fasted running does have a place, mainly to help the body improve its ability to utilise fat stores alongside carbohydrate stores for energy at relevant effort levels, but it’s not always the best option for races or high-intensity sessions.

The research is set to be published in the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance and although the subjects in the study were cyclists, the results should be relevant to all endurance athletes.

“When exercise duration is longer than 60 minutes it is generally advised that athletes consume carbohydrate in the 1-4 hours before exercise,” states Mears, but “for exercise lasting less than 45 minutes there appears to be little evidence, if any, to suggest pre-exercise carbohydrate ingestion will enhance performance.”

In the study, Mears and his team looked at whether just the perception of breakfast (placebo), when tested alongside a breakfast of 2g carbohydrate per kilogram of body mass and another with just water, made any difference in a time trial performance of around 20 minutes. The perception of breakfast was provided by a placebo of similar texture and taste (sounds great eh?).

What they discovered was interesting, really interesting. The first group, those who took on only water before the time trail recorded slower times (1146 ± 74 s) than the group who had a carbohydrate breakfast – which you would expect for a high-intensity workout. Before a hard session, you need to make sure your glycogen stores have enough energy in to get the most out of that session.

Lastly, the placebo results. If you’re into guessing you might expect the placebo to have a similar effect as the water only group.

However, interestingly the placebo group was a little bit quicker (1112 ± 50 s) than the carbohydrate group. The perception alone of having breakfast was enough to provide a quicker time than water and, interestingly, a quicker time that the carbohydrate breakfast group too.

Mears concluded that: “the improvement in performance is likely attributable to a psychological rather than physiological effect, with the subjects perceiving the ingestion of breakfast and nutrients as beneficial, resulting in an increased self-selected intensity.”

So what does this mean for any cyclists, or even runners, taking this information on board? It is a clear indicator that even just the perception of breakfast is beneficial before high-intensity efforts of 45 minutes or less.

From a practical point of view, it also seems that the nutritional content of such breakfast isn’t a determining factor in the performance for short, high-intensity efforts and it would be better to have anything, even just a small breakfast or carbohydrate source, before your race/session. This could be of use to runners who typically cannot stomach food before such an occasion.

Performace Dietician Renee McGregor says: “it’s the same theory around carbohydrate mouth rinses, which can be useful for short amounts of time but can trick the body into thinking there are more carbohydrates available.” McGregor also makes the point that you shouldn’t “make a big deal about pre-race breakfasts as actually when fuelling for any race, you should be really planning at least 24-48 hours before depending on the distance of the race.”

So who’s for a pretend breakfast and a decaf coffee? Don’t be silly, you still need a proper coffee.

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