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It’s not often that we get the opportunity to address a serious information ‘gap’ in sports science – a real lack of up-to-date information that could hold back athletes and coaches alike, and prevent them from getting the results they deserve.

Distance running is just such a gap. You’ll find plenty of up-to-date information about the shorter, sprint events, as well as the marathon. Indeed, we at Peak Performance have ourselves recently published work books on both these topics. But you’ll have to look long and hard to find many equivalent sources of up-to-date information on how best to prepare for, and compete in, the so-called ‘in-between events’ – 800m, 1500m, 5000m and 10000m.

That’s why we're pleased to announce the latest addition to Peak Performance’s library of sports books, Training for Distance Running.

In this 88-page special report we dissect the major current debates over training and competing in middle distance, analyse the very latest scientific findings – then spell out in plain English their significance for the serious distance runner and coach. Every page of this brand new report draws on the latest evidence-based thinking in sports science research – new findings that probably won’t percolate through to the general sporting press for many, many months, if they make it at all…

That makes it a rare opportunity to assess for yourself the latest thinking on distance running, and decide how best to integrate it into your training and conditioning.

Read our brand new report today and here are some of the exciting facts you’ll learn:

New ways of improving the capacity of fast-twitch fibres to contribute to endurance activity, taking account of distance and the need for both sustained and ‘kicking’ power. (This process may, in fact, hold the physiological key to optimising endurance performance)

A revolutionary, new running technique that allows you to run faster, and further than ever – without injury

Four strategies for overcoming a side stitch during competition – including a special breathing technique designed to quickly alleviate the symptoms so you’re not forced to stop running

Details of a new breed of carbohydrate drink – one which promises genuinely enhanced endurance performance

mental strategies you can use to develop increased endurance tolerance

why you should not rush to judgement about the need for orthotics based solely on a visual reading of rear foot movement

pre-cooling techniques that allow you to delay physiological shutdown – even during the most demanding of events

Fast-Twitch Muscle Fibres – don’t make the same mistake in your training that many other athletes do

Traditionally, the vast majority of distance athletes – and their coaches – devoted a large part of their training year to developing aerobic capacity. In so doing, they focused much, if not most of their attention on so-called slow-twitch muscle fibres.

In recent years, however, there’s been something of a sea change, with increasing amounts of speed work incorporated into the training regimes of the more knowledgeable athletes and coaches.

But, as new research in Training for Distance Running reveals, even the most far-thinking athletes and coaches may still be underestimating the role of fast-twitch muscle fibre in building optimal endurance – and undermining their event performances accordingly.

That’s why we kick off our discussion with an analysis of the findings of some very recent research into the critical relationship between fast and slow-twitch muscle fibres – specifically how best to develop and condition both muscle types in such a way as to build maximum endurance in distance athletes.

In this chapter we tell you how to enhance the already high oxidative capacities of slow-twitch fibres. Then we identify new ways of improving the capacity of fast-twitch fibres (yes, that’s right – fast-twitch…) to contribute to endurance activity, taking account of distance and the need for both sustained and ‘kicking’ power.

NB: this process may, in fact, hold the physiological key to optimising endurance performance.

You’ll also learn several mental strategies for developing increased endurance tolerance and the sustainable contractile properties of all muscle fibre types, as well as a number of pre-cooling techniques that you can use to delay physiological shutdown – even during the most demanding of events.

All of it practical, usable, scientifically-proven information that you can put to work right away – either for yourself, or your athletes.

Strength Training: an absolute no-no for distance athletes – or is it?

While many endurance events draw heavily on the aerobic energy system, they often also require short high-energy bursts provided by the anaerobic energy pathways (for example, during the sprint for the line) – pathways that are often neglected in training because of the desire to concentrate on endurance performance.

But new research by Finnish scientists at the Research Institute for Olympic Sports, made available to athletes for the first time in Training for Distance Running, suggests that this strategy may be counterproductive for endurance runners, and that anaerobic performance can be readily enhanced without increasing training volume or compromising endurance.

In the study, the effects of concurrent explosive strength and endurance training on aerobic and anaerobic performance and neuromuscular characteristics were studied in 25 distance runners, who were split into an experimental group (13 runners) and a control group (12 runners).

All of the runners trained for eight weeks with the same total training volume, but in the experimental group a certain amount of the endurance training time was replaced by training more typically performed by speed and strength athletes. After the eight-week training programme, all the runners were evaluated for various aspects of performance – with some very surprising results.

In Training for Distance Running we give you full details of the results – and spell out the crucial implications for endurance athletes.

Body Fat and Distance Running: are you too heavy, or too light?

The one outstanding anthropometric characteristic of successful competitors in all running events is a low body fat content. The textbooks tell us that the body fat stores account for about 15-18% of total body weight in normal young men, and in young women the figure is about 25-30%.

However that fact is not a licence simply to go out and shed the pounds. You don’t want to be too thin an athlete, believe it or not.

That’s because our fat stores are important and the fat cells play many key roles. As well as acting as a reserve of energy that can be called upon at times of need, fat is important in the structure of tissues, in hormone metabolism, and in providing a cushion that protects other tissues. Moreover, there’s good evidence that the immune system is impaired when body fat stores are too low. A reduced ability to fight infections means more interruptions to training and more chance of being sick on race day.

And for female athletes, there are some very immediate consequences of a low body fat level, including especially a fall in circulating oestrogen levels. This in turn can lead to a loss of bone mass, causing problems for women in later life through an increased risk of bone fracture.

So the critical question is: what’s the appropriate weight for an individual distance athlete, and what’s the best way to achieve it?

In Training for Distance Running we tackle both these issues, drawing on new sports scientific findings into optimal weight loss techniques for athletes, both mean and women. Then we look at the relationship between body fat and performance, identifying in the process some complicating factors that indicate it’s not enough just to say that the more you train, the thinner you get, the better your performance. If only it were that easy…

Finally, we identify 5 strategies you can safely use to control weight and body fat while maintaining your training load.

Distance Training Methods: did you know it’s quite likely you’re running TOO MUCH, not too little?

From the start of the marathon boom in the 1980s, high mileage has been the theme of all middle and long distance coaching. Particularly once the American physiologist David Costill established the fact that at up to about 80km a week there is a straight-line relationship between mileage per week and improvement in VO2max, which added scientific credibility to practical experience.

Exceptions to this rule have been rare, partly because coaches have not dared to go against the trend, and partly because, for professional marathon runners with all day to train, mileage is the answer.

However, what applies to full-time marathon runners does not necessarily apply to those running shorter distances. What Costill did not do (because there were too many variables involved) was to compare the results of, say, 50 km per week of intensive training against 80 km of steady running.

Now, in 2007, we’re able to look more critically at the relationship between training volume and race-day performance, thanks to a number of studies featured in Training for Distance Running.

In this section we then go one step further, relating the scientific findings to the practical training requirements of a 10km runner. We share with you the details of an 8-10 week programme, setting out the typical requirements of a race week schedule versus a week in which there was no racing.

Then we address in full the typical concerns of athletes when faced with the prospect of doing fewer miles in training. Questions such as: What about loss of endurance? Will this lead to a fall-off in performance? Does following a low-mileage programme affect your long-term progress? How many days a week should I run?

You get comprehensive answers to all these questions, and more.

The Biomechanics of Running: why do so many runners get injured – and what can be done about it?

Running is both a very popular competitive sport in its own right and a fitness activity used at all levels, from recreational gym routines to elite sports training programmes. But running requires the body to absorb continuous repeated impact forces, and running-related injuries are a common presentation in any physiotherapy or sports medicine clinic. At the extreme, elite endurance runners will probably require a weekly physiotherapy treatment, all year round, to keep their bodies healthy.

So in Training for Distance Running we devote the next part of the report to discussing the biomechanics of running, with a view to helping athletes and their coaches determine the best running style for themselves, and thereby keep the prospect of sports injury to a minimum. In describing the biomechanics of running, we focus for each body part on what is considered ‘normal’ mechanics and then discuss how deviations from that norm may increase stress on the body, and lead to injury.

Please note, we focus our discussion on distance running, and therefore our analysis centres on running speeds between 12 and 16 kph (about 8 to 6 minutes per mile). The sprint action (9-10metres per second or faster) is distinct from running at these more moderate speeds.

First we dissect the running cycle, examining first the stance, then ankle, knee and hip mechanics. Then we turn to pelvis and trunk mechanics, with a particular emphasis on the most efficient angle for running without increasing the likely incidence of injury.

In our section on foot mechanics we tackle head-on a number of common myths about pronation and supination – and in the process divulge some important new facts about the rolling of the foot that might surprise you.

NB: you’ll also find out precisely why you should interpret with caution any qualitative video analysis you make of a runner’s rear foot motion, and why you should not rush to judgement about the need for orthotics based solely on a visual reading of rear foot movement.

Finally we turn our attention to the mechanics of the upper arm and body, explaining both their role in running efficiency and injury prevention -–and how practically to achieve these goals.

Running Technique: details of a controversial new running style that could both increase your speed and reduce the likelihood of injury

The popularity of running as a leisure pursuit has increased throughout the past 25 years, reflecting social trends away from organised team sports and towards less time-consuming, more flexible and independent ways of keeping fit and active. Over the same period there has been an explosion in sports science and sports injury research and therapeutic practice. Among other things, this has produced a wealth of advice on baseline fitness and training for running, and huge advances in footwear technology.

Yet runners keep on injuring themselves. They continue to seek treatment, typically, for Achilles tendinosis, patellofemoral pain, repetitive calf muscle strains, big toe pain and low back pain – and it seems to those of us who have been around the sports therapy world for a while that the incidence of running injuries has not reduced significantly. Is it time to return to the fundamentals of running to find out why so many people are still hurting themselves?

That’s why in Training for Distance Running we look at the issue of running technique – a little-examined area for most runners who regard running as an activity in which technique is a low-level consideration. After all, they say, isn’t running simply a matter of putting one foot in front of another, then doing it faster and further?

In this chapter we first examine the fundamental principles of running, before describing an alternative to the most commonly used ‘heel strike’ method that enables athletes to train without fear of injury, with a real reduction in their injury risk – and with the prospect of still being able to improve their performance.

Because this new running method is quite different to the conventional approach, it’s essential that you practice it thoroughly in order to master the different gait and biomechanics involved. For this reason, we set out a number of training drills in full detail – nine of them in all.

Yes, it requires some upfront practice – but wouldn’t it be worth it if you could run faster, and further than ever? Without injury?

Physiology and Event-Day Performance: how to conquer the dreaded side stitch

The sight of Haile Gebrselassie pulling out of the 2007 London Marathon was almost as shocking to onlookers as Paula Radcliffe’s untimely exit from the Olympic Marathon in Athens.

The double Olympic 10,000m champion dropped out of the lead group shortly after the 30km mark, clutching his ribs. ‘I had a stitch here in my chest and could not continue. I’m not injured I just couldn’t breathe,’ he told BBC Sport, with more than a tinge of exasperated disbelief in his voice.

Amazing, isn’t it. Here’s one of the world’s most accomplished athletes, and yet he’s been forced out of an event by a ‘minor’ ailment whose cause has continued for decades to elude the minds of the world’s most accomplished sports scientists.

However the lack of a definitive scientific explanation for a stitch shouldn’t really surprise us, since it’s a very difficult phenomenon to study using normal experimental methods. Experimental scientists generally study a phenomenon by inducing it, or manipulating it, and in doing so they derive a better understanding of its characteristics and the mechanisms that control it. But the stitch is notoriously unpredictable in its onset, so making any attempt to analyse its causes well-nigh impossible.

That makes the chapter on the causes, treatment and avoidance of stitches in Training for Distance Running particularly invaluable.

Because for the first time we can deal in an informed manner with this relatively minor yet potentially event-conquering affliction. It may only last a matter of minutes, it doesn’t require surgery or other invasive medical treatment, and yet it can ruin your race – whether you’re a fun runner or an Olympic champion.

First we discuss the causal factors involved in athletes getting a stitch, drawing on two recent studies; one of almost 1000 sports participants in Australia. The other involving a group of 40 athletes who had been selected on the basis of their susceptibility to getting a stitch during training and competition.

Both studies provided important insight linking stitches with a particular part of the cardio-vascular system. Drawing on these conclusions, scientists have been able further to explore the vital link between stitch and respiration and, on this basis, formulate 4 specific strategies you can use to overcome a stitch during competition – including a special breathing technique designed to alleviate the symptoms.

The chapter concludes with a listing of the essential facts we now know about the cause, prevention and alleviation of stitches during exercise – must-have information for athletes and coaches alike.

Nutrition and Endurance (1): details of a performance-boosting new breed of carbohydrate drink

The marketing of sports drinks is a highly-competitive – and lucrative – business for the manufacturers concerned. But for the endurance athlete and coach it can be a confusing subject. Which drinks, if any, offer a real competitive advantage, and which are more hype than substance?

It often seems you’re better off taking many manufacturers’ claims with a large pinch of salt!

Now the indications are that recent sports science research into carbohydrate absorption and utilisation could herald a new breed of carbohydrate drink – one which promises genuinely enhanced endurance performance.

In Training for Distance Running we present the findings of this recent research – and suggest possible strategies for coaches and distance athletes alike who want to capitalise on this important new information.

First we explain the importance of consuming carbohydrate during endurance events, and the background to modern carbohydrate drink formulation. Then we present recent research on the potential benefits of mixed carbohydrate drinks made using this new formulation, and make specific recommendations for athletes.

Nutrition and Endurance (2): are you wasting your time – and money – on this alternative to creatine?

The cheapest and most popular form of creatine (and the sort used extensively in scientific studies) is creatine monohydrate, a white powder that needs to be mixed with water/fruit juice etc before use. More recently, however, other more exotic and expensive forms of creatine have appeared, which claim to offer performance benefits over standard creatine.

One of these alternatives, claimed to offer a number of other advantages over powdered creatine, including instant absorption, no side effects (such as water retention, bloating or cramping) and complete assimilation into the muscles – is the subject of our next section on nutrition for distance athletes.

In Training for Distance Running we report the findings of a very recent Californian study of effects of ingesting this creatine variant on cross-country runners. The results may surprise you; they’re sure to save you money.

Training for Distance Running is the latest in a series of special reports from Peak Performance, the sports science newsletter. This book is not available elsewhere.

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