186. The Physiology of Altitude: What Training at 10,000 Feet Does to Your Body
Release Date: 04/01/2021
The Strength Running Podcast
Pete Pfitzinger is a RRCA hall of famer, top American at two Olympic Marathons, and legendary coach and author most known for his book (the 4th edition is now available for preorder!). He's the top American at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Marathons, a 2-time winner of the San Francisco Marathon, 3rd place finisher at the 1987 NYC Marathon, and a coach with 30+ years of experience. He's on the podcast today to discuss marathon training: How is your posture during the delay related to how you run and your ? The value of back to back hard days (and how to structure them) Training red flags...
info_outlineThe Strength Running Podcast
Strength training is such a valuable tool for building speed, power, efficiency, strength, and injury resilience, that this episode needed to be republished! It originally aired in March 2022. Andy Galpin, PhD has been an assistant professor at California State University Fullerton for more than a decade. He formerly won a Division 3 national football championship while earning his exercise science degree at Linfield College. He then got his Master’s in Human Movement Sciences and his PhD in human bioenergetics. He serves on many advisory boards in the area of human performance, wrote the...
info_outlineThe Strength Running Podcast
Continuous Glucose Monitors - or CGM's - tell you how much glucose is in your body in real-time. But can they be helpful for runners? As the carb revolution continues and we understand the importance of high-carb fueling for endurance performance, the next logical question to ask is: Well, what's the optimal level of glucose? Is there a range that's most beneficial? Coach Hunter Allen joins us to discuss how to train effectively with a CGM. He is a USA Cycling Level I coach, founder of the Peaks Coaching Group, cofounder of TrainingPeaks Software, and a former professional cyclist with...
info_outlineThe Strength Running Podcast
A breakthrough race is intoxicating. Running a big Personal Best is a clear sign that you're training well, thriving, and on the right track. But what happens next? What happens after you run a big PR and your season comes to an end? How do you keep the momentum going, while still respecting recovery and your need for down-time? This episode is a repost of a conversation on the with coach Sara Manderscheid. We talk about: Recovery is a real phase of training. Learn how long to rest and why it's more than physical. Race analysis and reflection: Discover how to learn from your...
info_outlineThe Strength Running Podcast
Do nasal strips actually help you breathe better? What about detox diets or organic food - are they worth it? In this episode, Dr. Nick Tiller shares the evidence behind a variety of health and wellness trends and ideas, including: Cupping Organic Food Detox Diets Nasal Strips Respiratory Muscle Trainers Barefoot Running Dr. Nick Tiller is a research associate at the Lundquist Institute, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, an acclaimed writer, and author of The which was named one of Book Authority's "Best Sports Science Books of All Time." He is an accomplished ultra runner, a regular contributor...
info_outlineThe Strength Running Podcast
Creatine is now one of the most hyped supplements with promises of faster recovery, leaner muscle gain, and even increased strength and power. But should distance runners consider adding it to their routine? Is it worth the benefits while considering its drawbacks. Brady Holmer is a physiologist, 2:24 marathoner, and author of the and Run Long, Run Healthy newsletters (the latter was previously authored by legend Amby Burfoot). He joins us to discuss: What is creatine and what it does Its benefits (and caveats with those benefits) Potential drawbacks Timing and dosing of creatine...
info_outlineThe Strength Running Podcast
My client Brandon has had an amazing few years: he resolved several imbalances, improved his stride, healed ITBS, ran PR's in 4 major race distances, and also set a few training mileage PR's .... wow! In this episode, he explains how he turned his running around and got faster, healthier, and able to train even more. A big part was his embrace of strength training with our program. For other options, see all of our . We discuss: What his training was like before he made this transformation How he changed his approach to running for the better The distances that he set PR's in The most...
info_outlineThe Strength Running Podcast
Dr. Victoria Sekely is a physical therapist, certified strength & conditioning specialist, and certified running coach. She is one of the brightest, most nuanced thinkers in the running space. In this episode, we answer YOUR questions about strength training! How to balance running and CrossFit When "something is better than nothing" might be wrong Why pilates and yoga are not replacements for strength training Why weight lifting shouldn't be aerobically demanding Calf & soleus exercises she recommends How to get confident adding weight to your strength exercises A lot more! I am so...
info_outlineThe Strength Running Podcast
Bestselling author and acclaimed exercise science journalist Alex Hutchinson is back on the podcast! He is a regular columnist for Outside magazine writing the and has contributed to publications such as the New York Times and the New Yorker. He’s a former member of the Canadian national team, holds a PhD in physics from the University of Cambridge, a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University, and conducted post-doctoral research with the National Security Agency. We're exploring the frontier: what Alex is most excited about from the latest research that has the potential to...
info_outlineThe Strength Running Podcast
Hear Jason getting interviewed about fundamental training: the most important elements of any training plan, why you should focus on middle distances, the remaining 1% of things to focus on, why the term "full marathon" should be banished, and more. This is a repost of an episode of the . Resources from the show: (case study) Don't forget to hit the follow button and subscribe to the Strength Running Podcast! Thank you Previnex! After resisting most supplements for the better part of my life, I’m cautiously changing my tune. I’m now a Masters runner and in my personal life, I’m...
info_outlineToday, we're talking to Jonathan Levitt who took his high altitude training seriously. Not only is he paying attention to how he performs at 9,600 feet, he's also using blood tests to track important biomarkers that indicate how his body adapts.
Jonathan is a sub-3 marathoner, sales manager for InsideTracker (code strengthrunning saves you 20% on any test), and host of the For The Long Run podcast.
Jonathan shares not only anecdotal stories of how his body is responding, be he also has the data to back it up. He is lucky enough to have a team of experts helping him figure out how to adjust to altitude.
In our conversation, Jonathan and I talk about:
- Adjusting workouts when first moving to higher altitude
- Increasing fitness with decreasing intensity
- Biomarker changes after 2 months
- Importance of fundamentals like sleep and nutrition
Links & Resources from the Show:
- Follow Jonathan on Instagram and Twitter
- Read the blog training at high altitude
- Blood test with InsideTracker (code strengthrunning saves 20% on any test!)
Thank you Elemental Labs!
A big thanks to Elemental Labs for their support of this episode! They make electrolyte drinks for athletes and low-carb folks with no sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors.
They're also offering free product: just pay for shipping and you can get their sample pack including 8 packets of citrus, raspberry, unflavored, and orange salt varieties.
Elemental Labs' products have some of the highest sodium concentrations that you can find. Anybody who runs a lot knows that sodium, as well as other electrolytes like magnesium and potassium, are essential to our performance and how we feel throughout the day.
The citrus flavor has quickly become my favorite and I’m drinking one a day now to help me get enough fluids in our dry Colorado air. It’s tasty and delicious and I find that I’m not peeing every 45 minutes throughout the day, which might be an indication I wasn’t eating enough sodium.
There’s now mounting evidence that higher sodium intake levels are not unhealthy – and athletes need substantially more than your typical sedentary person. Of course, ask your doctor if you’re worried. But for those athletes running outside in the heat, an electrolyte replacement makes a lot of sense.
So check out Elemental Labs to try their sample pack for free and get your hydration optimized for the upcoming spring season.