EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR ENDURANCE ATHLETES
Many endurance athletes invest in sophisticated equipment and digital technology to help support and enhance performance.” In this section, you’ll find information on what works best, and how to get the greatest benefits from technology.
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Wearing ankle weights and a weight training vests can help you run faster – but do it slowly Many athletes participate in plyometric exercises (jumps, hops, bounds, etc.) as part of their regular training routine but aren’t sure whether the plyometric work should be carried out using only body weight for resistance or with added... MORE
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Triathletes – why a wetsuit will improve your swimming leg If you’re a triathlete, you’ve got to like wetsuits. They keep frigid water from paralysing your arm and leg muscles and sinking your ship before you make it to shore, and they can improve swimming speed by 3 to 7 per cent, enough to give... MORE
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Compression clothing – can it help you squeeze out a PB? The use of compression clothing such as elastic shorts, tights and vests has become increasingly widespread amongst athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike. Injury prevention, style, fit and anecdotal reports of performance and recovery enhancement are all reasons cited for its use. But what scientific... MORE
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Athletic Performance – keeping your cardiovascular system in shape Heart rate variability – what is it and how can it be used to enhance athletic performance? Heart rate monitors provide important feedback about the intensity of exercise, but can’t measure the cumulative fatigue of workouts or the subsequent training effects. However, new innovations using heart... MORE
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How Choosing The Right Bike Can Help Avoid Injury To ride at your best, your bike must fit you as snugly as your cycling shorts Australian physio Sean Fyfe explains how to steer clear of road racing pitfalls by fine-tuning your body and your machine Cycling is more often a benign force than a cause... MORE
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Is treadmill training a help or hindrance for the serious athlete? When an athlete runs on the track, on roads or on firm ground, their legs create propulsive forces which accelerate their centre of mass and drive it forward. The athlete’s centre of mass is decelerated during each recovery (early-stance) phase of the gait cycle,... MORE
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Do men and women run with completely different gait styles? If so, are those differences so great that female runners need their own distinctive running shoes? Some experts point out that a key difference between the sexes is in the hips–which tend to be wider in women to promote childbirth. For example, female runners at... MORE
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Here’s the scientific verdict on those nose strips – the damned things don’t work Successful swimmers sported them at the Olympics. Professional rugby players use them. Famous football players have them on their conks. And now more and more runners are showing up at races with the devices stuck on to their snouts. Of course,... MORE
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The supposed benefits are literally a widening of the nostrils, reducing resistance to air flow, thereby allowing easier breathing (the strips were originally developed to assist sleep and help people with breathing problems). Are they any use? Scientific research has shown that it is the function of the muscles and/or the cardiovascular system that are... MORE
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Warning: reliance on a heart monitor can seriously damage your performance If you’ve decided to engage in the popular practice of performing a race or workout at a particular heart rate (or fixed percentage of max heart rate), you’ve eliminated a big problem: you won’t have to worry about estimating your actual cycling or... MORE
