What has amazed me since the publication of Christopher McDougall’s excellent book is the lack of coverage the running magazines have given barefoot running. Whilst the national press have seen the subject worthy of quite large articles, the running press have been very quiet. Perhaps it is not so surprising when we look at the pages running magazines devote to advertising expensive running
Drinking beetroot juice increases stamina.
Researchers at the University of Exeter have carried out a small study which shows that the nitrate in beetroot juice leads to a reduction of oxygen uptake, slowing the rate at which a person becomes exhausted.
Subjects could exercise up to 16% longer after drinking the juice, and the reduction in oxygen uptake was greater than that achieved by any other known means – including training. The
What’s your personality type?
Research carried out by Sophie Hopper from Leeds Metropolitan University has shown that ‘Type D’ personalities are more likely to take up individual non-contact sports such as running.
Type D (or “Distressed”) personalities are typically anxious, irritable, insecure, and socially inhibited, and tend to use maladaptive coping strategies (resignation / withdrawal) when faced
Running Injuries — can we predict who, when and why?
Leading researchers agree that it is not easy to determine why some runners seem to get injured more often than others. Usually, it is an increase in distance or an increase in pace that can cause a problem. But how much further and how much faster? Although we have broad guidelines, such as ‘do not increase weekly mileage by more than 10%’, it’s impossible to say specifically
Big calves and healthy hearts
According to a study reported in The Stroke Journal, carried out in Dijon, Bordeaux and Montpellier, big calves can be a cause for celebration.
The research on 6265 subjects indicated that hefty calves signified a reduced risk of stroke. The larger the size of someone’s calves, the lower the risk of clots on the neck arteries.
This supports the idea that body shapes may determine health fates.
