#training

Articles tagged: training

61 articles

Garmin bought Moxy: what a muscle oxygen sensor really measures — up to ±20 points between legs and a threshold that repeats to within 7 watts

Without a press release, Garmin bought Moxy — the longest-standing maker of muscle oxygen saturation (SmO₂) sensors — and back in February filed an application for the Muscle Battery trademark. We explain what SmO₂ shows, why the absolute number is noisy by 14–18 points, and how the threshold from the trend reproduces from test to test within a few watts.

gear training cycling

Ekaterina Gromova•Oct 12, 2026

Heart rate in your earbuds: AirPods Pro 3 vs a chest strap — a 2-beat average error and ±10 at high intensity

Irish researchers compared the heart rate sensor in AirPods Pro 3 with a Polar H10 chest strap in 40 participants and 16 735 paired readings. The average error was about 2 beats with no systematic bias, but at high intensity individual readings drift by ±10. We look at which workouts the earbuds are good enough for.

running gear heart-rate

Maxim Belyaev•Oct 5, 2026

Shoe drop and running economy: 0 mm instead of 20 cuts energy cost by 1.6%, but your calves and Achilles pay the price

Researchers in Texas built the same running shoe with a 0, 10, 20 and 30 mm drop and had 20 runners test them. The lower the drop, the more economical the running. We look at the mechanism, why “zero drop for everyone” is premature and what a randomised trial in 553 recreational runners showed.

running gear injury-prevention

Andrey Leskov•Oct 5, 2026

Maximum heart rate: “220 minus age” underestimates it on average in endurance athletes — data from 4375 people and how to find yours

Stephen Seiler's group compared the real maximum heart rate of 4375 runners, cyclists and triathletes with the formulas. On average the formulas err low by nearly 5–6 beats, and for some individuals by 15–20. We look at how to determine your maximum in the field and why a lab test can miss it too.

running cycling heart-rate

Olga Marchenko•Oct 5, 2026

Body Battery, Recovery, Readiness: 14 “readiness scores” from 10 brands — and not a single published formula

In May Google released the Fitbit Air, a screenless band whose headline number is “readiness”. Garmin, WHOOP, Oura, Polar and Coros all have similar indices. A 2025 review found 14 such scores from 10 manufacturers: none disclosed its formula, and only a handful showed validation against a reference standard. Some of the raw data underneath them, however, is measured quite well.

recovery science training

Anna Severova•Sep 14, 2026

Your watch lies by kilometres: eight GPS models, a 3.2–6.1% error, and why the forest is “shorter” and the track is “longer”

The same long run: you have 32 km, your partner has 29. A look at validation studies of sport watches: up to 9% under-reading in the city and the forest, systematic over-reading on the track, a 12.1% error for the worst model over 4,000 m, and where the extra three kilometres come from when there are no satellites.

running gear training

Ekaterina Gromova•Sep 7, 2026

The 1% treadmill rule: 12 runners, a 400-metre track and the 3.6% of oxygen the incline does not compensate for

Since 1996 it has been assumed that a 1% incline makes the treadmill equivalent to the road. In 2026 that was checked three times over: on the track a kilometre costs 3.6% more oxygen even with the incline, and elite lactate thresholds on the treadmill and on the track differ by 7–8 s/km.

running training science

Andrey Leskov•Sep 7, 2026

HYROX from the inside: 59% of the time is running, and lactate peaks at the stations

Hybrid races are sold as a test of strength. Laboratory measurement says the opposite: the only variable that predicts the result is VO₂max, while grip strength and muscle mass do not correlate with finishing time at all.

training running science

Ekaterina Gromova•Sep 1, 2026

78,912 Boston finishers: with even pacing the “wall” happens in 0.2% of cases

The largest analysis of marathon splits sorted runners into four pacing types. Among those who ran evenly, a collapse in pace in the second half occurred in 0.2% of cases. Among those who ran erratically — in 85.4%. The gap in finish time between the extreme groups is almost an hour.

running marathon training

Olga Marchenko•Aug 24, 2026

The marathon wall: VO₂peak drops 6% before you even reach 30 km

Marathon runners ran for 90 minutes and then repeated their lab tests. Peak oxygen uptake fell from 56.7 to 53.4, and speed at lactate threshold from 12.8 to 12.1 km/h. This is durability — the quality your testing protocol never measures.

running marathon training

Maxim Belyaev•Aug 18, 2026

Sleep trackers versus polysomnography: they catch sleep, they miss wakefulness

Six wristbands were tested in a sleep lab against PSG: sleeping epochs are recognised over 90% of the time, wakefulness only 29–52%. WHOOP overstates sleep time by 24 minutes, Apple Watch by 20. Here is what follows for your training.

recovery science training

Anna Severova•Aug 18, 2026

Heart rate zones in running and cycling: the average gap is 2 beats, the transfer error is 12

Across 5311 athletes, maximum heart rate on the bike came out just 2 beats lower than in running. But you still can't carry threshold zones from one sport into the other — and here's why the group average is useless.

training heart-rate science

Anna Severova•Aug 10, 2026

A cuff at 250 mmHg before intervals: eight weeks, and 11 seconds off the kilometre

Greek runners shut down blood flow in their legs before every interval session. The average kilometre in a 5 × 1000 m test got 11 seconds faster against 5 in the control group — but the winner here looks like plasma volume, not haemoglobin.

training science running

Dmitry Volkov•Aug 10, 2026

Lactate 2.0 today, 3.0 tomorrow: what a handheld lactate meter actually shows

A 2026 systematic review: handheld lactate meters correlate with the laboratory reference at r = 0.95–0.99. And yet the spread of a single measurement at 3 mmol/L is ±0.4 mmol/L. Here is why that is not a contradiction.

science training running

Andrey Leskov•Aug 7, 2026

FATmax: there is no fat-burning pace that is the same for everyone

Across 1,121 athletes, maximal fat oxidation occurred on average at 49.3% of VO₂max — with a range from 22.6 to 88.8%. Known factors explain only 47% of the differences. Here is what to do about it in practice.

science nutrition training

Olga Marchenko•Aug 7, 2026

Five days of heat acclimation were not enough: what changed by the ninth

The critical heat limit a person can tolerate moved only after nine days of adaptation — after five there was no shift at all. Plus one more finding: you need a gap between the block and race day.

training science running

Anna Severova•Aug 7, 2026

Leucine on its own: 8.5 grams twice a day raised VO₂max in cross-country skiers

Six weeks of leucine supplementation in cross-country skiers improved maximal oxygen uptake and strength. Here is how a single amino acid differs from «just eat more protein» — and who might actually benefit.

nutrition science training

Dmitry Volkov•Aug 7, 2026

Menthol mouth rinse: fooling the brain with cold without cooling the body

Rinsing the mouth with a menthol solution every six minutes raised mean power by 1.67% in the heat. The body does not actually cool — only perception changes. Here is where that helps and where it gets dangerous.

nutrition science cycling

Olga Marchenko•Aug 7, 2026

Jet lag at an away race: why eastward is harder than westward

Flying across time zones costs roughly one day of adaptation per zone travelling east — and half that going west. We unpack where the asymmetry comes from and how to plan your arrival around it.

training health science

Maxim Belyaev•Aug 6, 2026

Watches That “Measure Blood Sugar”: Why It Is Physically Impossible and Why It Is Dangerous

An ordinary optical sensor on the wrist cannot measure glucose — not because the algorithms are bad, but because it never collects the signal in the first place. We unpack the physics, a fresh re-analysis of the data, the FDA position, and what actually works.

health science nutrition

Ekaterina Gromova•Aug 6, 2026

Massage gun: half an hour of mobility, not recovery

A fresh RCT reported enormous effects — so enormous they are hard to believe in groups of ten people. We unpack what percussion therapy reliably delivers, what it doesn't, and when it's better left alone.

recovery science training

Dmitry Volkov•Aug 6, 2026

Shoe rotation: 39% less injury risk — and why it isn't that simple

Runners who alternated between several pairs got injured noticeably less often. But there is only one study, it is more than ten years old, and it is observational. We unpack what you can take from it and what has been read into it.

injury-prevention running science

Anna Severova•Aug 6, 2026

Poles on the trail: they take load off your legs, but they don't make the work easier

A fresh study measured the cost of transport uphill before and after a 31-kilometre race. Poles reduced the load on the legs — but total energy expenditure doesn't drop, and by the end of the race the arms are just as tired.

trail running training

Andrey Leskov•Aug 6, 2026

Cadence lock: why your watch shows your cadence instead of your heart rate

The useful signal in an optical heart rate sensor is just 1–2% of the reflected light, and every foot strike attacks it from three directions at once. Here is why your heart rate “sticks” at 180 during intervals — and why no firmware update will fix it.

training running science

Olga Marchenko•Jul 31, 2026

Compression Garments for Recovery: Why There Is Almost No Evidence

A fresh meta-analysis in endurance athletes found a shift in favour of compression for muscle soreness, but the confidence interval crosses zero, the risk of bias is high in 10 assessments out of 11, and the effect on performance could not be pooled at all.

recovery science running

Andrey Leskov•Jul 30, 2026

Cycle Symptoms in Female Athletes: Why Asking “From Memory” Inflates Them Twofold

108 elite athletes kept a diary across 554 cycles. It turned out that retrospective questionnaires systematically exaggerate symptoms, and that not everything in training suffers — in football, high-speed work dropped off, while in cycling power did not change at all.

health training science

Anna Severova•Jul 30, 2026

Acute-to-chronic workload ratio: why the “0.8–1.3 zone” will not save you from injury

ACWR has become a standard metric in sports watches, but the meta-analysis is built on football, the confidence interval for the safe zone is enormous, and planning a season around ACWR did not reduce injuries at all.

injury-prevention training running

Maxim Belyaev•Jul 29, 2026

Dirty air and running: why you should watch ozone, not the AQI

A meta-analysis of 23 studies found a significant link with performance for just one pollutant — ozone. PM2.5 particles and the overall air quality index showed no reliable effect. Here is what that changes in practice.

health science running

Ekaterina Gromova•Jul 29, 2026

Critical speed and D′: finding your sustainable-pace boundary without a lab

Critical speed is not another heart-rate zone — it is the physiological line between “I can hold this” and “this is about to end”. Here is how to measure it with two efforts on the track, and what your D′ reserve means.

training running science

Andrey Leskov•Jul 29, 2026

Ketone esters: not race fuel, but an adaptation tool?

An eight-week study found a marked gain in power and mitochondrial adaptations from a ketone ester taken after training. Yet most of the literature finds no effect — here is why both pictures may be true.

nutrition science cycling

Dmitry Volkov•Jul 29, 2026

Overtraining syndrome: why the lab results are almost always “normal”

A review of 30 studies found there is no single marker of overtraining, and the diagnosis is made by exclusion. Here is what is actually worth tracking, and when it is time to see a doctor rather than a coach.

training health science

Andrey Leskov•Jul 29, 2026

Polarized versus pyramidal: where the advantage exists and where it does not

A meta-analysis of 17 studies confirmed the superiority of the polarized model for VO₂peak — but only in blocks shorter than 12 weeks and only in well-trained athletes. In time trials there is no difference at all.

training running science

Olga Marchenko•Jul 29, 2026

Plus 55 minutes of sleep: what one extended night before a morning start gives you

In a crossover RCT participants slept 55 minutes longer — and the next morning covered almost 10 metres more in a shuttle test with half the drop-off in speed. Here is what is genuinely proven and what is being read into it.

recovery science training

Anna Severova•Jul 29, 2026

Pre-cooling: how cooling before the start helps you run in the heat

An ice vest, cold water, and ice slurry before the start create a heat reserve and push back overheating. We break down the 2024 meta-analysis and what an amateur can actually apply at a hot start.

training science running

Andrey Leskov•Jul 22, 2026

Running power meters: why 'watts' in running, and where they're overrated

Running power isn't the same thing as cycling power: it isn't measured directly but modeled. We break down where the device genuinely helps a runner and where it's credited with excess precision.

training running science

Maxim Belyaev•Jul 22, 2026

CGM in healthy athletes: what a glucose sensor really shows, and what we made up

At record-setting events, glucose in elite athletes without diabetes drops to 3.0 and climbs to 11 mmol/L — and that is normal. Here is why an amateur might want a sensor, why it is not a “fuel gauge,” and where self-deception begins.

nutrition science training

Olga Marchenko•Jul 19, 2026

Menopause and endurance: what a survey of 187 female athletes aged 40–60 revealed

Sleep problems, exhaustion and joint pain are the most common companions of menopause among female runners, swimmers and cyclists. A new PLOS One study shows how hard the symptoms hit training — and what to do about it.

health training science

Andrey Leskov•Jul 19, 2026

Blood flow restriction training: how light weights do the work of heavy ones

A cuff partially restricts blood flow, and loads of just 20–30% of your max deliver an effect close to heavy lifting. We break down where this genuinely helps a runner and why “cinching your leg with a belt” is a bad idea.

training science running

Anna Severova•Jul 18, 2026

Endurance That Lives in Your Head: What Brain Endurance Training Is

Mental fatigue raises your perceived effort and makes you quit sooner — at the same heart rate. Let's unpack how to train your “brain endurance” without burning out.

training science running

Maxim Belyaev•Jul 18, 2026

Altitude training: why “live high — train low” doesn't work for everyone

Breaking down LHTL without the myths: how long you really need to live up high, why it won't work without iron, and what an amateur — not an elite marathoner — can realistically do.

training science running

Anna Severova•Jul 17, 2026

Inspiratory training: why runners and triathletes should strengthen their breathing muscles

The diaphragm tires too and “steals” blood from your legs. We unpack how a handheld resistance trainer cuts breathlessness and perceived effort — and why it isn’t about a VO2max record, but about finishing without that “not enough air” feeling.

training science running

Olga Marchenko•Jul 17, 2026

Running cadence: it's not about a magic “180” — it's about overstriding

A fresh 2025 review: low cadence is linked to lower-leg injuries, while too long a stride loads the knees. We break down how to measure your step rate and raise it safely by 5–10%.

injury-prevention running science

Dmitry Volkov•Jul 17, 2026

Zone 2: why “180 minus age” lies and how to find your easy pace

Zone 2 is work below your first threshold, not a number on your watch. We break down why heart-rate formulas get it wrong and how much easy running an amateur actually needs.

training science running

Andrey Leskov•Jul 17, 2026

Ice Bath: Friend of Recovery, Foe of Muscle Growth

Cold-water immersion speeds your return to form between races but blunts strength and hypertrophy adaptations. Let’s figure out when ice works for you and when against.

recovery science training

Dmitry Volkov•Jul 16, 2026

HRV training: how morning RMSSD tells you when to push and when to rest

Your morning RMSSD reflects how well you have recovered. Let’s look at what research says about training “by readiness” and how to measure HRV without fooling yourself.

training science running

Anna Severova•Jul 16, 2026

Tapering for Race Day: How to Unload and Peak

A good taper adds an average of 2–3% to your race result. We break down what the research says and lay out a ready-made 3-week plan for the marathon and half marathon.

training running marathon

Ekaterina Gromova•Jul 16, 2026

A Hot Bath Instead of Mountains: How Heat Raises VO₂max

Five weeks of post-run hot baths raised maximal oxygen uptake in trained runners by roughly 4,4%. We unpack how heat triggers the same blood and heart adaptations as altitude — and how to use it without the risk.

training science running

Anna Severova•Jul 15, 2026

Carbon “super shoes” on the trail: does the road magic work

The 2026 meta-analyses confirmed it: on the road a carbon plate really does save 2–3% of energy. But all the science on “super shoes” is built on treadmills and steady pacing — and on trails and climbs there is simply no evidence of any benefit.

running trail marathon

Olga Marchenko•Jul 13, 2026

Can you swap part of your running for cycling without losing fitness? What a meta-analysis showed

A systematic review of 7 randomized trials compared running and cycling training. It found no difference in VO₂max gains or running performance — we break down what this means for triathletes and recovering runners.

running cycling triathlon

Maxim Belyaev•Jul 11, 2026

The Menstrual Cycle and Endurance: What's Actually Proven

Averaged “train strictly by phase” schemes are overrated. We break down what recent field studies show and why a personal approach and symptom tracking matter more than a universal mapping of training loads to cycle phases.

training health science

Andrey Leskov•Jul 10, 2026

Carbohydrate periodization: why 'train low' improved running economy

A new RCT in Frontiers in Nutrition: 4 weeks of a low-carb phase followed by a return to carbs improved running economy at the lactate threshold — something neither constant keto nor constantly high carbs achieved.

running nutrition training

Dmitry Volkov•Jul 9, 2026

The “Norwegian Method”: the double threshold every runner argues about

Two threshold sessions a day and a lactate meter in your pocket — we break down what in the “double threshold” is backed by science, what stayed pure hype, and how an amateur can try the method cautiously.

running training science

Maxim Belyaev•Jul 8, 2026

Downhills wreck your legs: how your training background protects your muscles

A new study of trail runners found that those who regularly run downhill repeats damage their muscles less and better preserve their squat strength. We break down what this means for your training.

trail running training

Anna Severova•Jul 7, 2026

The Achilles doesn’t need a break, it needs load: how to rebuild a runner’s most temperamental tendon

A fresh 2026 network meta-analysis and the protocol of a new study suggest that heavy slow work and isometrics make the Achilles stiffer and thicker, while rest and stretching through pain are almost useless. Here’s how to load the tendon the right way.

injury-prevention running science

Olga Marchenko•Jul 3, 2026

Creatine isn’t just for the “gym”: what science tells runners and triathletes

A fresh review in the journal Nutrients gathered 38 creatine studies in endurance sports. The verdict: it has little effect on “pure” aerobic work, but genuinely helps sprints, strength work, and recovery. We break down who needs it and how to take it.

nutrition science training

Ekaterina Gromova•Jul 2, 2026

Why runners need a barbell: strength protects economy in the final kilometers

Ten weeks of strength and plyometric work barely changed “fresh” running economy, but they preserved it through the end of a 90-minute run and boosted performance under fatigue. Here is why endurance runners need heavy squats and how to fit them in.

training running science

Andrey Leskov•Jul 1, 2026

One Foot Exercise That Improves Balance in Trail Runners

New research shows: 3 sets of a simple foot exercise significantly improve dynamic stability. We break down the science and proper technique.

running trail training

Andrey Leskov•Nov 30, 2025

5 Signs You're Drinking Wrong (And the Calculator That Will Fix It)

Hydration is one of those topics where it's easy to mess up in both directions. Drink too little — you suffer. Drink too much — you suffer even more. Here's how to tell if something's off.

hydration running training

Andrey Leskov•Nov 20, 2025

How Much to Drink on a Long Workout: A Formula Without Guesswork

'Drink more water' is advice about as useful as 'run faster.' How much is more? A liter? Three? Let's calculate specifically.

hydration running training

Maxim Belyaev•Nov 14, 2025

Why Heart Rate Rises While Pace Drops: The Hidden Effects of Dehydration

Familiar situation: you're running your usual route, same pace, but heart rate is 15 beats higher. Legs feel heavy, breathing harder. Overtrained? Getting sick? Or is it simpler — and scarier?

hydration running heart-rate

Dmitry Volkov•Nov 12, 2025

The Complete Hydration Guide for Runners: How to Calculate Water Loss and Stay in Shape

How much do you really need to drink during training? Why do elite marathoners lose 10% of body weight and set records, while amateurs fear losing 2%? Let's dive into the science, myths, and formulas.

hydration running training

Andrey Leskov•Nov 10, 2025

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