Music Increases Endurance? »
You have no doubt heard people tout the positive motivational effect that music can have on your running, but according to new research it may be more
Keep Active to Fight Cancer »
We all know exercise and physical activity is good for us. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who could tell you that activity is not a component of balanced, healthy living. (Or at least honestly, and not part of a last-ditch attempt to spend a lazy summer’s day sunk deep into the couch watching baseball [...]
Endurance Training Boosts Your Fast-Twitchers, Too »
When it comes to muscle fiber-types, you’ve got your fast-twitch for sprinting and slow-twitch for distance running performance, right? Well, not so fast. Researchers have recently published results online in the Journal of Applied Physiology that suggest it might not be so black and white, after all.
Oscar Pistorius Cleared for Competition »
As if we needed another reason to be intrigued by the track and field events leading up to, and culminating at, this summer’s Beijing Olympics, we might now have one. If he can qualify for the South African team, Oscar Pistorius, a bilateral amputee and Paralympic track star, will be allowed to compete against able-bodied [...]
You Say Tomato, I Say Tomahto »
Last summer caffeine broke into the news as a possible weapon in the fight against the damage and cancer caused by the skin’s exposure to UV rays. Now, as we trade our running tights for shorts and strip off to our t-shirts and tanks, it looks like it’s the tomato we need for our added [...]
All In A Day’s Work »
No matter what part of the running spectrum we slot into, whether we’re out for a 2-mile weekend jaunt or to haul it across Death Valley and surrounding mountain ranges, most of us want to know what we can do to run better—faster or longer, or happier and healthier with fewer aches, injuries and heaving [...]
Taking a Closer Look at Runner’s Knee »
Swimmers have their ears. Tennis players have their elbows. Us runners have our knees.
When you consider the act of running and the impact our bodies absorb each time a foot hits the ground, it’s no wonder our knees are susceptible to injury. There is a variety of things that can go wrong at this joint, [...]
Does Imagery Influence You? »
All right, fellas. Moment of truth. Does the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition ignite your muscle-building, fat-burning machine? When you flip through Maxim, are you instantly compelled
Visualizing the High »
Runner’s high: the idea that endorphins released during endurance activities cause a person to feel exceptionally happy— euphoric, even. Is it fact or fiction?
Probiotics: Not Just for Your Gut Anymore »
In recent years, bacteria have gained popularity on the health and wellness scene. Most commonly, you hear of the wonders probiotic bacteria can work for your gastrointestinal health. But now there’s evidence to suggest they may play a beneficial role in staving off respiratory tract infections too. This could be welcome news for endurance athletes who might have compromised immune systems that leave them more susceptible to these types of
Science Wednesday »
At every gym, there is a dark and mysterious place. There are heavy things that can crash and bang, as well as easily hurt someone. I’ve cast surreptitious glances toward this world, even tried to step inside, but it is beyond my comfort zone. I have no problem throwing on bright yellow clothing and running [...]
Play Often, Stay Young »
It is general knowledge that exercise leads to healthy hearts, toned muscles, and strong bones. But if you take your microscope and zoom in to your body at the cellular level, there’s new evidence to show exercise benefits the bits inside our cells too. And when it comes to the natural aging process, this is [...]
Young, Female, Running & Dieting? Read This »
When we think of running nutrition, our minds turn to what foods will help us run faster, better, easier. What foods give our bodies the pep they need to sustain our high-energy pursuits.
Science Wednesday: The 10 Percent Solution? »
It’s that time of the year again—the beginning. We’ve traded last year’s calendar for a fresh, clean slate, and many of us are busy negotiating our ticket back onto that wagon of good health after a brief layover in the land of indulgence and lethargy. It’s a good time to take a deep breath [...]
Endorphins: More Than a Feeling? »
I don’t get high. It seems that ever since I stepped onto the running scene, I’ve heard accounts of the euphoric place running can take some of its practitioners. But so far, my jaunts have not once taken me to this seemingly mythical runner’s Shangri-La. There’s no doubt running keeps me happy; but, that’s more [...]
It’s Not Only Milk That Does a Body Good »
When we picture physical benefits of exercise, it is easy to think of building muscle and losing fat, depending on our own personal motivations. These are easy to focus on because the progress can be visual. We watch the sinews become prominent, feel our calf muscles develop, and notice our hamstrings and quadriceps take shape. [...]
Time for a Water Stop »
How much water should I drink? What seems to be a fairly straightforward question usually has a different answer, depending on who you ask. You should drink 8 glasses of water a day. No, that’s an old wives’ tale: you don’t need that much. Or, you could need more. When we exercise, it becomes more [...]
Filling Gaps in the History of Running »
Do you remember the first time you ran? Was it early in life? Later? Somewhere in the middle? Did you bound out of the womb ready to clock your first personal best, or did you take to the track with a bit more hesitation? Did you do it because it was asked of you, as [...]
Hot Feet, Iron Deficiency & Footstrike Hemolysis »
It’s been almost a year since I committed myself to high mileage marathon training. Prior to that, I trained on roughly 35 to 45 miles per week (mpw). On the new program, my last two marathons peaked at between 70 and 85mpw.
With a four minute PR in May and another eight minute PR in [...]
NOVA’s Boston Marathon Callenge »
We got a great email from NOVA today telling us about their upcoming show, NOVA’s Marathon Challenge.
In cooperation with the Boston Athletic Association and Tufts University, NOVA was granted unprecedented access to the Boston Marathon course. In the summer of 2006, we began following 13 hopeful novices as they took the first step toward [...]
Out of the Freezer and Into the Fire »
In case you haven’t heard, it’s going to be hot at the Beijing Olympics next summer. We’re not talking a bit uncomfortable. To athletes pushing themselves to their absolute physical and mental limits, it’s going to feel hotter than a well-greased metal frying pan in the devil’s own kitchen. In other words, sizzling hot.
The participants [...]
My Legs Are Eccentric »
Read the entire account of Mike’s experience: part one, part two, part three, and part four.
My peak performance package at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona, began almost immediately after arrival with a trip to the nurse to check my blood pressure (116/64) and resting pulse rate (64). Then a program specialist went through my action-packed [...]
Is it Time to Work a Bit of Soccer Into Your Training? »
Some people live to run. These folks are happy as long as they feel the track, trail or road beneath their feet. And then there are other runners who relish various cross-training activities to mix things up now and then. If your spicy garnish happens to be a game of soccer, you may be in [...]
The Ice Bath: Sexy Fad or Scientific Fact? »
After a hot and sweaty run, the prospect of chilled liquid appeals to many runners. Water, a sports drink, maybe even a beer might do nicely to quench the body’s desires. But, the eyes widen when this cool cocktail is served up in the form of floating ice cubes in a bath tub sans purple [...]
The Aerobic System »
In the last article we discussed that ATP, regardless of the type of activity is the energy currency of the body. During aerobic activity, such as long distance running we require a constant energy supply over a long period of time. The aerobic system is able to supply this energy by using carbohydrates, [...]
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