Fight or Flight Fitness

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Alex Hutchinson, over at Sweat Science, when discussing the article that came out (and covered by many blogs) about the optimal running pace, asked a question I have found interesting for a while:

Well, I’ve often pondered the scenario where you’re stranded in the desert with no food, 100 miles from the nearest aid, and you have to decide what your strategy is. Do you run? Walk? How fast? Seems like if you know your optimal pace, you can maximize your odds…

This same question is part of the impetus for this blog. Can a human travel by food 100 miles without food, without food and water? And since biking is 4-6 times more efficient what about traveling 500 or so miles by bike without food (and/or water)?

I have searched around and haven’t come across any mention of anyone having accomplished or even tried these tasks. No doubt our ancient (maybe not so ancient) relatives were faced with having to travel a 100 or so miles without food.

Now maybe most people would think it is impossible to travel 100 miles without consuming any calories - but I guess we won’t know until somebody is willing to try.

We do have enough energy in our fat stores for 11 days of walking or 3 days of running (on average).

Are you up to the challenge?

(H/T to Andrew)

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When you think about survival fitness, or just the ability to complete a marathon or an ironman you need to become aware of how much energy storage you have and of what type. And maybe more importantly how far these energy stores could take you if you are performing a low level task such as walking or a higher energy task such as running.

I won’t discuss the energy system that are the main contributors to events that last less than 1 or 2 minutes, but instead concentrate on the ‘endurance’ energy systems.

glucose and glycogen stores:

——————————————————————–Provides energy for:

—————————————————————————-walking                     running

blood glucose:                            20 g                 15 min                       4 min

liver glycogen:                             80 g                 1 hour                      18 min

muscle glycogen:                    350-700 g         5 - 10 hours             2 - 3 hours

Adipose tissue (fat)           9,000 - 15,000 g        11 days                     3 days

So you can see even if you add up all the glucose/glycogen stores that come from consuming carbs you don’t have enough for completing a marathon in a time that most people are capable of. Most people will complete a marathon in  2.5 to 5 hours and a major part of ‘hitting the wall’ is when you run out of glycogen muscle storage. And obviously any longer events such as ultramarathons, hiking, or ironman events you require fat burning - and you better be good at it.

Despite this fact there are not many of the sport trainers telling you about the importance of the ability to use fat or that this can be trained. If you want to be able to perform well in long endurance events, do a long hike (be it for pleasure or to survive) you want to become an efficient fat burner. Additionally, this might help you lose fat, which is of prime importance for many people.

Many of us want a very detailed layed out exercise program - but the reality is that if we just get off our butt and get out there and do something physical you are not only automatically better off that laying paralyzed on your couch but probably ahead of the vast majority of everybody else.

Chuckie V who was a world class ironman triathlete (you might remember the mohawk guy) and two time completer of the pacific coast trail (a 2,700 mile hike - wow!) has a good post on caveman training here.

In training, don’t be afraid to occasionally take the caveman approach and find some shit out for yourself. Go ape-shit! After all, where’s the fun in playing it safe? No Internet forum is going to know what works for you, or what doesn’t. No coach or scientist or “expert” is going to either, without some trial and error. You need to think like the bumble bee or the caveman or the German goddess and do what it takes to learn for yourself. This is the best form of learning and it’s called EXPERIENCE. We learn from experience and we gain experience from making mistakes. Go out on a limb, because as any Neanderthal can tell you, that’s where the fruit is found.

Chuckie offers coaching service but is not afraid sometimes you just got to go learn yourself. He offers these caveman tips in a followup blog piece.

1) Eat like a caveman. This means avoid eating food in packaging or food that contains more than one ingredient. It does not mean drinking tea or coffee or smoking something that grows in the ground. If you can’t get through a single day without coffee, a drug, something is wrong.

2) Train like a caveman. Go out all day and see what you can discover for yourself; go primal! Discard the power meter or the heart-rate monitor or the bike computer or the GPS or your MP3 player or your watch. Eschew all electronica and get in tune with your own frequencies. It may take some time to descramble them.

3) Get in touch with your fears. Fear is that little darkroom where negatives are developed. Cavemen were full of fear and theirs were far more tangible than yours likely are.

4) Make some mistakes. They will likely not cost you your life, so go on, make them. Then, more importantly, learn from them. If you’re too afraid to make mistakes, you’ll never be a caveman.

5) Under-dress. Try it: you’ll learn how fragile and insignificant you truly are. You are just a smudge of a fingerprint on a window of a skyscraper, a speck of sand on vast beach on a tiny island in an endless sea floating in a universe without boundaries, a molecule of nothingness.

6) Get lost. Go somewhere new, somewhere unfamiliar, and get acquainted with it and with yourself. Leave the city of comfort and find the wilderness of your intuition.

7) Sleep outside, under the stars. Talk about feeling insignificant! If you don’t think this will have an affect, you haven’t tried it. Those same stars are the very ones your caveman cousins gazed at each night and I’m willing to bet they knew more about them than you or I do.

If you lack raw physical talent, try making up for it with lots of long and hard training. If you fail then, at least you gave it an honest effort. Throw hard work at almost any problem and the problem is no longer a problem. Of course, it’s the hard work that then becomes the problem, but only if you abhor it.

9) If it can’t be done, give it a shot. Find out for yourself whether it’s true or not. Those who repeat that it can’t be done are almost always interrupted by someone doing it. Just as it was back in the days of the caveman, rules are constantly rewritten.

10) See if you can do this once every so often and perhaps more than just a day; maybe a week, a month, a year, a lifetime. I propose trying it one day a week, a designated Day of the Caveman. I’m not advocating giving up on society (as you might think I have) but rather to not let it suppress you or shape you or your decisions. Grow a beard, quit being metrosexual, end this nonsense of “leadership” (you too are trivial and insignificant), walk to work, open-water swim, play with fire, throw caution to the wind, or spit straight into it. Don’t settle for someone else’s lessons or their experiences. Write your own story, even if it’s in hieroglyphics.

Thanks Chuckie for sharing your thoughts with us.

A certain amount of the hurdle to obtaining a good level of fitness is maintaining your drive and enthusiasm. Inspiration can provide the boost when you are lacking the required motivation to get out there and exercise.

Here is one video that I find useful: “I got soul but I am not a soldier…” (song by the Killers: “All these things that I’ve done.”)

Make sure you catch out the sprint in the end of the video.

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A 4 minute workout can improve your aerobic fitness to the level normally associated with 60 minutes per day (5-6 days a week). And you will also improve your anaerobic fitness which the traditional 60 minutes of moderate work (70% of Vo2 max) will not.

Would you be interested in cutting your workout time - but getting the same or even better results? But I will warn you during those 4 minutes you will suffer, and it will seem a lot longer than 4 minutes.

Previously, I outlined an effective interval training regimen that centered around 30 seconds of near all out work (be it running sprints, bike, etc) followed by a 4 minute rest period. You repeat this 4-6 times, the problem some people would find is those ‘wasted’ 4 minute rest intervals. If you want to have even a more efficient work out session you can turn to Tabata intervals.

Tabata intervals:

Tabata intervals consist of 20 seconds of all out sprints (170% of Vo2 max) followed by 10 seconds of rest/recovery. You repeat this for 7-8 sets. The total time taken to complete this workout is only 4 minutes. Simple, short and sweet. You can run these sprints (I suggest slight uphill slopes), you can do stairs, bike, rowing, etc.

Peak Performance has a very good article on Tabata intervals (and other intervals), giving details about the science.

The first study consisted of two training protocols using a cycle ergometer. The first protocol used a constant workload of 70% of VO2max for one hour (traditional aerobic training), 5 days a week. After 6 weeks the VO2max had increased from 53ml/kg/min to 58ml/kg/min, but there was no significant change in anaerobic capacity.

The second protocol worked on high-intensity intervals of 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest. The work rate was at 170% of VO2max and 7-8 sets were done each day for 5 days a week. In the second protocol VO2max increased by 7ml/kg/min (ie more than steady state) and anaerobic capacity improved by 28%. When you look at the total time spent in training for the two sets of subjects, the first protocol involved 30 hours training, while the second involved only 2 hours!

Tabata then compared this highly effective interval workout with a protocol using 4-5 repetitions of a 30-second workout at 200% of VO2max and 2-minute rest intervals. He looked at both the accumulated oxygen deficits of the two protocols and the peak oxygen uptakes during the last 10 seconds of each interval. It was clear that the 20:10 seconds work:rest ratio taxed the anaerobic and aerobic systems maximally. The advantage of 20:10 Tabata intervals is that they are very effective and do not take a long time at all. The disadvantage is that they are very hard work and it takes a highly motivated athlete to work at the high levels of intensity required!

So now you have another arsenal in your interval training regimen. You can pick the short Tabata intervals (20 sec. work, 10 sec. rest) or the more traditional 30 sec. work, 4 min. rest. In reality a wide variety of intervals session with different work to rest ratio will work. The trick might be to mix them up so you do not become so bored. The downside of high intensity interval sessions is they require high motivation. Therefore, you might want to mix them up with more traditional relatively easy endurance sessions (think long easy run or bike).

But if you want to make the most of your time (or do not have a lot of time to spare) give Tabata intervals a try.

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Alan Couzens over at endurance corner writes a very good piece (click here for the full article) about the overall importance of including sprint intervals in your training even if your overall goal is an ultra endurance even like an Ironman.

He gets into the detailed physiology as you can see from this passage:

In the figure above (adapted from this study), the x axis represents intensity (%VO2max), the y axis represents aerobic adaptation in the form of cytochrome c concentration (nmole/gm). As you can see, slow twitch fibers were maximally (aerobically) trained at an intensity of ~83% of VO2max (approximately equal to the anaerobic or ‘functional’ threshold. FOG fibers were maximally trained at anywhere from 83-116% of VO2max, while FG fibers weren’t significantly trained until the workload exceeded 100% of VO2max, and weren’t maximally trained until the workload reached 116% of VO2max.

But beyond just the interval work he also discusses the importance of long slow stuff (which I have mentioned previously but haven`t gone into the details).

An additional study that has particular relevance to the optimal duration/intensity combination for slow twitch fibers was that of Harms and Hickson (1983). In this study, the researchers found a near linear relationship between duration of work and adaptation of slow twitch fibers. In other words, providing a minimal intensity of training was maintained (60%VO2max), doubling training volume elicited performance improvements of 40-100%. When we compare to the improvements in Dudley’s study, it becomes clear that in the case of slow twitch fibers duration and frequency trump intensity.

Therefore, you can see the benefits of both sprint intervals and long slow endurance stuff that could even include long serious walks.

Now what does he actually prescribe for sprint intervals (for your base training):

Essen (1978) found that providing the length of the training interval was kept short (15-30s), exercise performed in excess of VO2max elicited glycogen depletion patterns and lactate levels much more in accordance with tempo or threshold training, i.e. 2-4mmol/L lactate even when continued for 30-60 minutes (i.e. 30-60 repetitions). These intervals do not provide the same level of stress on the central systems as long intervals, therefore long intervals or time trials are indicated for a short period of time prior to competition to truly peak an athlete, however, in terms of maximizing peripheral adaptations in FG fibers, 30-60 reps of 15-30s with a 15s-1min rest period is optimal.

This at least give you some of the physiology behind interval training and some guidelines (30-60 reps is a lot so I would say gradually build up to this level), with the additional reminder of also including some low intensity endurance work.

Now many companies are lined up with big advertising budgets to convince you to buy X, Y, of Z sports drink.

Well Alan Argon over on body recomposition give a very thorough post on what drink is best when comparing a well know high-end energy recovery drink and chocolate milk - I think you might be surprised of his answer. You can read it by clicking here.

Price

Chocolate milk by the half gallon (64oz, or about 2000 ml) is approximately $3.00 USD. Sticking with our 340 kcal figure, this yields 3.7 servings, which boils down to $0.81 per serving. A tub of Surge costs $36.00 and yields 16 servings (3 scoops, 340 kcals per serving). This boils down to $2.25 per serving. That’s 277% more expensive than chocolate milk. Even on a protein-matched basis, Surge is still roughly double the price. Bottom line: chocolate milk is many times easier on your wallet.

Cost is not the only criteria, but here is the conclusion:

I have no vested interest in glorifying chocolate milk, nor do I stand to benefit by vilifying Surge. My goal was to objectively examine the facts. Using research as the judge, chocolate milk was superior or equal to Surge in all categories. The single exception was a win for Surge in the convenience department. So, if the consumer were forced to choose between the two products, the decision would boil down to quality at the expense of convenience, or vice versa. I personally would go for the higher quality, lower price, and strength of the scientific evidence. Chocolate milk it is.

For all the details and rationale go read the complete article here. Now this article compares Surge and chocolate milk, but I think the overall conclusion would also hold for most other sports drink - chocolate milk wins.

Fun video showing some real life sprinting.

Get out there and sprint.

Sprint intervals:

One reason people give for not engaging in exercise is they do not have the time. Well if time is your main limiting factor sprint intervals is the perfect ticket for you.

A currently equaling pressing issue for many people is lack of extra funds so they can not afford to join a gym. Then sprint interval training is the perfect ticket for you.

Sprint training will save you immense time and money – no driving 10-40 minutes to the gym (time and financial cost), no gym membership.

You simply need an open area of anywhere from 50-200 meters long. A nice uphill grass slope is one great choice, but not the only one. If you don’t like sprinting in the rain or snow you can easily use a stairwell of any building (you only need about a 5 flights of stairs to get a great workout). Even a parking lot, sidewalk (but don’t plow down the strollers), or side street can provide an avenue for your sprint intervals.

The science:

The reality is any form of sprint training will be good for you. Some people point out, just look at sprinters physiques. The problem with that argument is was in the sprinting that make them look that way, or they are sprinters because they have that type of physique (lean and muscular).

But there are a series of scientific papers that point out the efficiency of sprint intervals.

Burgomaster et. al., 2005 used 4-7 ‘all out’ 30 second sprints (which are painful I can tell you from experience) followed by 4 minutes of recovery performed every second day for a two week period (total of 6 sessions). In sum total the subjects performed approximately 15 minutes of exercise over the 2 week period.

Results:

Citrate synthase increased by 38%, resting muscle glycogen levels increased by 28%. More importantly cycling endurance at 80% of Vo2 peak was significantly improved compared to the control group (26 +/- 5 minutes for the control group, 51 +/- 11 minutes for the sprint training group). Hence, endurance performance doubled in 2 weeks. The authors point out the increase in citrate synthase seen with 15 minutes of work is similar to what is observed with more traditional endurance paradigms of 6-7 days a week of an hour or more of moderate level aerobic exercise (65% of Vo2 max).

A followup study by Gibala et. al., in 2006 found similar results. In this study they directly compared the above sprinting paradigm training done for 2 weeks versus 90-120 minutes of continuous cycling at 65% of Vo2 max over the same two week period in young active men (university students that already did recreational exercise 2-3 times a week, e.g. jogging, cycling, etc). The total time commitment for the two groups was 2.5 hours (including recovery periods – with only 15 minutes of actual exercise) for the sprint training versus 10.5 hours for the endurance based training.

Results:

Both groups improved their endurance ability in a 750 kJ cycling test, and there were no statistical difference between the two groups (the sprint group improved 10.1% and the endurance group 7.5%). Mean power output was in the range of 212 to 234 Watt range for the approximate 1 hour of cycling (which just to give you a baseline is the wattage a serious but not top age group athlete would push for the entire ironman leg of the bike portion - 5-6 hours). Additionally, muscle buffering capacity and glycogen content increased similarly in both groups (with the un-statistical overall advantage trending to the sprint group).

Bottom line in a direct comparison in already active young men the sprint training which required 4 times less time produced equal level of aerobic improvements.

But there is a cost to sprint intervals:

It saves you time and money – but they are somewhat painful. Not only can your muscles hurt but also a more visceral hurt in the guts that can occur with serious physical exertion. You have to teach yourself to tolerate this discomfort. It is not going to kill you – it will make you stronger

Another very popular form of interval training is called Tabata intervals. Tabata intervals consist of 20 sec of sprints (be it rowing machine, bicycle, sprints, or stairs) followed by 10 seconds of rest intervals (which will even save more time since you have less resting period – but you pay in higher overall level of pain). I will save the discussion about these intervals for another time – but feel free to try them out.

Get ready for the new year with a new resolution to improve your fitness and health. Sprint intervals might be one answer for you.

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Yesterday’s workout:

5 stair sprints of 5-6 floors, followed by an approximately 200 meter uphill sprint. 8 sets of push ups with a minute rest between sets.

Today’s workout suggestion:

Try sprints again - slow gradual buildup so your body gets use to them. Chin ups. One of the big advantages to these type of workouts are they do not take up much time.

Endurance - long flight:

In the past humans in many situations had to travel many miles by foot, to either hunt game or to obtain certain additional food sources. In fact remarkably, humans over a fairly short period traveled out of Africa to inhabit the entire land mass of the world.

In our modern world we travel everywhere by plane and car. Heck people will even drive two blocks to go to the gym.

There can be extreme situations which require long distance travel by foot. These aren’t your everyday situations - such as your plane has gone down in a remote area, you get lost skiing or hiking, a natural disaster of some sort. The point is do you have the ability to coverage many miles by foot? We are not talking about running a marathon. Running a marathon is a very controlled situation where you have to travel exactly 26.2 miles and people are lined up every few miles to hand you water, sports drinks, oranges, sports bars, even jelly to rub on your bits that are getting raw. In a flight or fight situation you are unlikely to be receiving handouts.

The question is can you travel 10, 20, 30, 50 miles or more with nothing but the proverbial shirt on your back? Sure by luck you might be in a situation where you have two liters of water to carry with you - or a stream you are following - but you might have no water and no streams - can you travel the distance? Can you survive? I am not necessarily talking about running, but just a good paced walk. There are some advantages to long distance walking compared to running which I will detail in later posts.

I will be outlining a practical training approach so you can increase your endurance (combined with the sprint training) that will teach your body to burn fat so it can handle long distance mileage with very little input of energy - basically you want to become a fat burner. And by teaching your body to be a better fat burner this will improve one the modern day health problems.

Tomorrow:

Tomorrow I will post about the science behind how sprint training is a very effective, and time efficient, manner of training not only for anerobic sprinting but also for general aerobic conditioning.