Some Work, All Play

We bowed down to the power of hot mugwort before this amazing episode! The main topic was on a study that may be the long-lost "missing link" in our training theory. It took 12 elite endurance runners and had them do sprints of 100 meters and 400 meters, along with a VO2 max test. Their findings (and one striking non-finding) may connect studies on speed interventions with real-world implications. We also answered listener questions in the "no secrets" style! The most hairy question was on a topic that people don't talk about too much in public: supplements. We say what we take and why we take it, with a million disclaimers because we're cool like that. And this one was full of the best topics! Other topics: takeaways from Strava's Year in Sport, why an experience this week may influence how we think about training theory, the cost of the Western States 100, year-end voting, how fueling and hydration are letting people race more, AI use cases for athletes, our thoughts on cold plunges, a framework for mental toughness, nose strips in poker, the evolution of shoes, and Listener Corner. In the episode, we talk about a video we saw where champion triathlete Lionel Sanders had his treadmill directly in front of a photo of one of his competitors celebrating a victory. We're inspired. So if you hear some extra motivation in our voices, it's probably because we put a photo of the Smartless guys in front of the mic in our bedroom. We love you all! HUZZAH! Follow Huzzah for science insights: https://www.instagram.com/thehuzzahhub/ Click "Claim Reward" for $80 at The Feed here: thefeed.com/swap Buy Janji's amazing gear: https://janji.com/ (code "SWAP") Purchase SWAP hats here: https://swaprunning.com/swap-hats For weekly bonus podcasts, articles, and videos (plus hat purchases): patreon.com/swap

We collected some wonderful questions before this great episode! It's our classic "no secrets" style, where we take you behind the scenes to combine research and theory with what athletes are actually doing, but maybe not talking about. We started with a new study on maintaining heat acclimation, which helps answer questions on how to improve blood volume year-round in a sustainable way. Then it was onto the questions! Topics of the questions: sodium bicarbonate and ketone use, the difference between big dreams and excessively big dreams, speed development for long races, our possibly-surprising take on speed versus volume, how bicarb supplementation changes sodium intake, our experience with topical bicarb lotions, preventing cramping, why hill strides may feel harder than flat strides (and how that's connected to their value), the recovery cost of strides, our approach to self-massage for recovery, the potential benefits of hot yoga, and more! We love... the 2005 movie "Hitch" starring Will Smith and Kevin James. And we love you all! HUZZAH! Click "Claim Reward" for $80 at The Feed here: thefeed.com/swap Buy Alex King's amazing Terignota shorts and shirts here: https://terignota.com/collections/all Purchase SWAP hats here: https://swaprunning.com/swap-hats For weekly bonus podcasts, articles, and videos: patreon.com/swap

We got our Rich Roll on before this amazing episode! David's appearance on the Rich Roll Podcast came out this week, and we started with some takeaways from a surreal experience. We then pivot into some talk on protein in adaptation and recovery. When in doubt, the answer for us is often to throw some protein on it. Next was a truly wild study that looked at low energy availability and managed to do the impossible: it included a control group that was blinded to the intervention. How is it even possible to make subject unaware of their caloric intake? How could 2 weeks of intentional underfueling be allowed ethically? We delve into a new frontier of nutrition and performance science. And this one was jam-packed with fun topics! Other topics: banging the cymbal, what we learned in the few months since the Rich Roll episode was recorded, why enhancing "fat metabolism" via nutritional interventions has limited utility, a review study on swearing and performance, how that has implications for self-talk and internal monologues generally, the emerging science of continuous lactate monitors, our predictions for their future use, an article on the uncertainty of ketones, contrasting that with their widespread adoption in endurance sports, a study on gold medalist Kristian Blummenfelt, how he meets his astronomical fueling needs, how heart rate zones vary across athletes, why everyone is different with heart rate, and Listener Corner. Thank you all for the love and support to make any of this possible. We love you all! HUZZAH! Click "Claim Reward" for $80 at The Feed here: thefeed.com/swap Buy a "SLURP" hat to support female athlete scholarships: https://thefeed.com/products/the-feed-some-work-all-play-hat Buy Janji's amazing gear: https://janji.com/ (code "SWAP") For weekly bonus podcasts, articles, and videos (plus hat purchases): patreon.com/swap

We brought some joyful and fluid-tastic vibes to this great episode! The main topic involved us picking our jaws off the floor as records were absolutely annihilated at the JFK 50 Mile, America's oldest ultramarathon. We have some inside info on how David Sinclair set the record, which we think could be Ultra Performance of the Year. Plus we worship the queen, Rachel Drake. Why are we seeing record after record get smashed at every major race? The answer likely lies at the intersection of training, shoes, and most of all--fueling. We also talked about a breakthrough new study from the Boston Marathon. Researchers found that the prevalence of low energy availability indicators was associated with worse performance and health outcomes. Find your strong, and you will find your fast! And this one was full of fun topics! Other topics: David recording through fluid adversity, Megan taking one for the team because she loves the podcast mornings, the "Shoot Your Shot" mini-documentary on the Javelina 100, the frontiers of lubrication, lessons from Ryan Sullivan's incredible long-term progression, Shelby Houlihan returning from her ban, why we want to uplift forgiveness, a question on embracing competition, and Listener Corner. We love you all! HUZZAH! Click "Claim Reward" for $80 at The Feed here: thefeed.com/swap Buy a "SLURP" hat: https://thefeed.com/products/the-feed-some-work-all-play-hat Watch the "Shoot Your Shot" mini-documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pzUKGEmvqk Buy Janji's amazing gear: https://janji.com/ (code "SWAP") For weekly bonus podcasts, articles, and videos (plus hat purchases): patreon.com/swap