TRIATHLON RESEARCH

We have spoken several times about research.  I will not try to make a fire twice, so I will refer to previous posts.  If you have been following me for a while, it will give you more information about triathlon.  Reading documents twice or three times at different times in our life, any document written by anybody give us more information about the subject.  We have a series called, Triathlon Physiology for Dummies and the Tendency toward the Mean.  In chapter one, we talked about experimentation in triathlon.  Albert Einstein would say: “When the phenomenon is too complex, science fails us.”  We looked for ways to overcome what Einstein said using one subject experimentation. 

Why one subject experimentation? A tendency toward the mean will be present most of the time because the amount of variables present when testing a very small cohort, 20-30 or 40 subjects, does not give a statistical power; “science does not proof, just proves.”  The experimentation is useful when we know the different variables.  For instants, I have seen graphics which do not belong to me. It is a testing of the Mexican Federation, where increasing the pacing (decreasing the time per kilometer) when increasing the cadence, correlates with a better outcome while competing running, compared to increasing the time flying (increasing the stride length).  When you see the outcome it is difficult to make something out of it if you do not have a good idea about the variables, but knowing the background it is easier.  This is the strongest reason why the tendency toward the mean exists, or as I would say:  “chance plays a major role when we do not have an intervention for each variable.”  Improving technique is an intervention.  That is why Einstein said: "God does not play dice with the universe."

Let’s continue with the example of cadence.  It is said that increasing cadence increases oxygen consumption, reason why some coaches advocate low cadence.  This looks like a paradox because we do not take into consideration the type of fibers use and the neurological training needed to run or to cycle at a high cadence, above 220 running and above 105rpm cycling.  When we do a metabolic test, the more oxygen we use the fitter we are.  Increasing cadence augments oxygen consumption because the heart, lungs and legs use more oxygen.  The advantage is the type of fibers used while cycling or running, oxygen consuming fibers, the ones that fatigue until they die, or if there is an oxygen debt.  If we decrease cadence, e.g. to 180 running or 80rpm cycling keeping the same speed, involvement of the other fibers that do not use so much oxygen takes place and fatigue sits in or bonking is a consequence.  What to do with high oxygen consumption in the case of high cadence? Eat more in order to continue exercising.  How much? For a 70kg athlete, 450 calories per hour is the goal, in order to avoid the bonking.  Of course, we need to have a neurological training and anaerobic training to face the competition at a high cadence which I will explain later.  Empirical observations we have with Lance Armstrong and the athletes we have trained.  In some athletes we have a before and an after when changing the cadence, a one subject experimentation. TRIATHLON PHYSIOLOGY FOR DUMMIES AND THE TENDENCY  11/3/12

If we believe in genetic induction, i.e. training is a genetic induction.  We can expect that our gut can also adapt to increase the carbohydrate absorption and metabolism.  We can give 350 calories per hour without great problems and good results.

The amount of proteins ingested will depend on the amount of times we hit the VO2max above 87%.  Depends on how much one elevates cortisol (please see: March 19, 2012. TRIATHLON PHYSIOLOGY FOR DUMMIES AND THE TENDENCY TOWARD THE MEAN. Fourth part: cortisol and growth hormone); the hormone that increases the formation of glucose (gluconeogenesis) using our own proteins for that purpose.  It can be several hours after finishing exercising when cortisol comes down, reason why we should increase our protein ingestion up to 4grs per kilo when we do this kind of training, maintaining the caloric balance with carbohydrates.  The more we do this training and tolerate it, the better we become.  A simple CBC with differential and ferritin is enough if we have a well-educated triathlete who counts caloric intake and takes protein according to what is mentioned above.    Triathlete´s nutrition and overtraining  10/6/12

1)   An hour and twenty minutes after taking the last load of carbohydrates while biking at 70% VO2 max, the exogenous carbohydrates are metabolized to CO2 contributing a 60% to the total metabolism.  This is not a conclusion from the previous study, but it can guide us to experiment empirically without harming the athlete.  The worst thing it can happen is that the athlete could not finish the race because of abdominal malfunction (don´t do it before an important race!).  I will copy what is said in the article (GRAMS OF CARBOHYDRATES VS TIME) http://arno.unimaas.nl/show.cgi?fid=1598 :

MIN                                  TOTAL CHO                       EXO CHO

0-15                                         41                            1.3

15-30                                       38                            7.1

30-45                                       42                            10.6

45-60                                       42                            12.2

60-75                                       39                            12.8

140-155                                    42                            25.8

155-170                                    38                            19.8

I am always careful to show the film because young people want to perform in a very special way.  Unfortunately, they do not have enough knowledge/experience to do it on their own without supervision; everything could become a catastrophe without knowledge; Einstein would say that experience is knowledge, the rest is information.  The point I make clear watching the film is: “if you do not look for the right people to learn from, you become a fool because there is a tendency toward the mean.”

This is a statistical observation: “if you mixed two different groups regarding a characteristic, the groups tend to look the same after certain amount of time.” Wikipedia says the following. “In statistics, regression toward the mean (also known as regression to the mean) is the phenomenon that if a variable is extreme on its first measurement, it will tend to be closer to the average on a second measurement, and—a fact that may superficially seem paradoxical—if it is extreme on a second measurement, will tend to have been closer to the average on the first measurement.[1][2][3] To avoid making wrong inferences, the possibility of regression toward the mean must be considered when designing experiments and interpreting experimental, survey, and other empirical data in the physical, life, behavioral and social sciences.”  In other words, we can become as our rival if we share time competing.  This could be good or bad depending on the kind of rival we have.  The same happens in the creation of a team, we depend on teammates more than anything.  Please read the information on Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regression_toward_the_mean

A Tendency Toward The Mean and Richard Bach´s Risk 4/3/12

We started a research protocol 13 years ago, a protocol we still follow. We had four children at the beginning that chose us as a team.  The kids wanted to train with us that is why I said we were chosen; four more children joined the team six month later.  We are left with one of those eight children but we have started the creation of a New Athletic Culture.  We have had around 40 children who started the adventure of being part of this culture but they stayed out of the process for multiple reasons, being ALL OF THEM RELATED TO LACK OF EDUCATION.  That is the reason why we have ONE SUBJECT EXPERIMENTATION; we can point out the kind of educational handicap.