5 tips for training in summer
Follow these 5 simple summer training tips to keep your workouts on track during the warmer weather.
7 key sleep factors – could you improve yours?
We know sleep is hugely important for recovery. Here are some excellent tips from an article by expert Nick Littlehales.
Better is Better
Like so many coaches out there, I’ve coached a fair share of athletes who subscribe to the “more is better” mindset. Over my years in the endurance world, I’ve definitely learned to subscribe to the “more is not better; better is better” philosophy. Why? Because...HRV response and other lessons from a long Gran Fondo
As some readers will remember, two years ago I prepared for the Mallorca 312, the longest (and possibly best organised) Gran Fondo cyclosportive event in Europe. Last weekend was the third time I have done it, and my target was to beat the previous two years’...Periodisation – is there a more modern approach?
Periodisation refers to the alternation of loading and de-loading phases within training, balanced with periods of recovery in order to produce supercompensation – the magic by which the athlete’s performance improves.
HRV as a measure of recovery in US College Football Players in-season
This study followed one looking at changes in HRV during preseason training camp and was designed to assess HRV changes during the early part of the competitive season to see whether the same effects on different positions occurred to the same extent.
Monitoring adaptation to training with HRV – what’s the best metric?
Athletes and their coaches are always looking for reliable, convenient ways to monitor how well their training is going and performance gains its producing. We know that morning HRV measures are affected by training programmes, but what should we look for to be effectively monitoring adaptation?
Acute to Chronic Training Load ratio. What does it mean and how is it useful?
Coaches often talk about the importance of not increasing your training volume too quickly. For example many running coaches say not to increase your mileage by more than 10% per week to reduce the chances of overuse injuries. But now there is a more scientific and personalised formula – and it’s easy to use too!
Individualised cold water immersion to speed recovery
Who, what and why? Coldwater immersion baths are often used to speed up recovery in both endurance and team sports. It is thought to be effective by moving fluid back from muscle tissue into the circulation, preventing reduction in contractility and associated muscle...Physiological Responses to Spring Football in College Players
For over 5 years, the team of Andrew Flatt & Mike Esco have been doing sports performance HRV studies in collegiate athletes. Their latest project involves monitoring HRV in collegiate football players during spring camp. Players in different positions have...To train or not to train – one ithlete user’s journey through recovery
My biggest mistake: When the neuro surgeon told me my recovery would take two years my first reaction was shock and disbelief. Then I said silently to myself: I’ll show them I’ll do it in less. Recovery Training from illness, injury or surgery, is not just about...How to use HRV in sports training Part 3
Recovery Strategies Sleep. Not only quantity, but quality is important. Human growth hormone which is essential for body repair, is mostly produced during the first four hours of sleep, and these turn out to be the most critical hours for recovery. Alcohol, caffeine,...Alcohol, HRV and athletic recovery – what you ought to know
Government guidelines in the UK suggest no more than 14 units per week, equivalent to a standard glass of wine or a pint of lower strength (4%) beer every day for maintaining health. But do these suggestions also apply to athletes in training?
HIIT for recreational runners – does it work?
Is HIIT a better use of your precious training time than longer sessions of continuous running? An important question for runners is ‘am I more likely to get injured with one type or the other?’
Training for recovery following cancer diagnosis
My journey to ithlete was in an effort to master this climb and be fresh for the descent that followed. To improve as I got older. To expand on the base I had built for my recovery. Recovery from treatment for cancer.
Why does it remain so difficult to recover? In conclusion
I questioned every rest day and every lighter session. I couldn’t believe that recovery would ever work, but six months down the line, my back and hamstring are cured and I am mentally more stable than I ever have been.
Why does it remain so difficult to recover? Loss of Stress Management and Loss of Identity
When I feel uncomfortable or low I turn to exercise to pick me up, this becomes a lot trickier when the reason I feel uncomfortable and low is because I cannot exercise…
International Olympic Committee’s Recommendations for Total Load in Sport
Doing a good job of managing your total load will reduce the likelihood of illness and injury significantly. This post follows our recent summary of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s consensus statement on loading in sport and focuses specifically on their practical recommendations.
Why does it remain so difficult to recover? Lack of Acceptance
It took a couple of hours of coercion to get me to call a physiotherapist because ‘they’re going to tell me not to swim for the foreseeable future and I can’t cope with that… Does this sound familiar? Read how Georgina coped.
Why does it remain so difficult to recover? The Discomfort of Doing Nothing.
In my examination of the challenges of recovery, this is, for me, the strongest and trickiest feeling to deal with: the insecurity of doing what is perceived as ‘nothing’. Training feels like taking control, being active, pursuing your goals and making use of your life; sitting still does not.
Why does it remain so difficult to recover? Introduction
Full time Sprint Swimmer Georgina Gardner Stockley introduces her upcoming blog series ‘Why does it remain so difficult to recover?’
Training Blog: Andy Dolphin – June
Having spent 6 months building up to the 300 mile ride, it was time for backing off a little…
Training Blog: Andy Dolphin – May
This month see’s Andy and his team take on the much anticipated 300 mile Charity Ride!
Mallorca 312 – Event and post race recovery
In summary, I think the preparation for this event was a success – especially the many hours of MAF endurance training, and the aerodynamic improvements to both my position and the bike itself. I think diet was the only area I didn’t get quite right, and perhaps I need to gain confidence that I can perform on a low(er) carb diet on a 100m event first.
Adrenal Fatigue and Overtraining
Following on from our recent research summary, we take a closer look at adrenal fatigue and how it affects your training and performance
HRV after exercise: implications for training prescription
Introduction Researchers Jamie Stanley & Jonathan Peake from the University of Queensland, with the guidance of heart rate variability (HRV) sports research supremo Martin Buchheit have put together an important review article with over 120 references. The paper...Luke Campbell ithlete utilisation
As the strength and conditioning coach of one of the highest profile athletes from 2012 the pressure was on me to get everything in place for the start of Luke Campbell’s professional career in 2013. In a review of his first professional fight camp we decided that to...SaaS or Science as a Service – How Quantified Self data is disrupting Professional Sports Part 1
by Carl Valle After reading several blogs on HRV and physiological monitoring with athletes, I wanted to respond publicly on what I consider practical monitoring in applied sport science. I currently question if real data is being collected longitudinally, or are...Fatigue, overtraining & the road to recovery
Okay, here goes . . . my first ever internet blog. Where shall I begin? Well it makes sense to share my experiences and understanding of the phenomenon that brought about me working in conjunction with ‘ithlete’ and using heart-rate variability to inform my training ....Simon Wegerif’s Polarised Training Challenge Part 5
In this 4th update, I’d like to run through the preparation for the first real test of the season – the Hampshire Hilly Hundred – a course designed to make the most of the rolling countryside of north Hampshire. The section of chart below is my heart rate...Bruce Conner on Overtraining
I have a tendency to overtrain I know a lot of highly motived people who do. Hard training can be very addictive. I have had three distinct times in my life where I have physically overtrained. The first was when I was 19. Back in the fall of 1975 I went to the...Effects of intensity and duration of exercise on HRV recovery
Simon Wegerif, Creator of ithlete summarises HRV research led by respected sports scientist Stephen Seiler. What exactly is the relation between workout intensity & recovery?
Lee Doran’s ithlete HRV Training Diary – December
Getting Started with HRV So, this is my first blog as an ithlete athlete. After receiving support from the ithlete team, I have started using the HRV Monitor and found this fantastic. This month has been an important month for me as I am currently recovering from...Lee Doran
I’m an international Javelin thrower and UK Champion (2011 & 12). I have been using ithlete for a few weeks now and feel it will be a great asset to my training. I started throwing when I was just 12 years old after picking up a cricket ball at the Gateshead...Fitness Does Not Equate to Health
by Amber Pierce A big part of what I love about being a professional athlete is helping promote lifestyle choices that lead to better health and overall quality of life. Fitness plays an integral role in maintaining and optimizing health, and people...Why doesn’t ithlete measure low frequency (LF) power or LF/HF?
James Heathers, explains why the most informative & replicable measure of Heart Rate Variability in the short term is a paced breathing High Frequency task.