Triathlon is a sport that demands time, requires exertion, and produces fatigue. If you train upwards of 10, 20 or even 30 hours a week, you will experience elements of metabolic (energy), physiological (muscles) and psychological fatigue. This is exacerbated if you are also trying to combine your training with full time work. Therefore the importance of proper recovery to reduce fatigue in all these areas is paramount. So lets look at recovery strategies in a brief, succinct and useful way that will ultimately improve your productivity and performance at work and in triathlon.

For me, recovery has two key components; optimal nutrition to replenish metabolic stocks and the use of actual recovery strategies to reduce physiological and psychological fatigue.

Nutritional Considerations

Endurance training is predominately long duration and at a low to moderate intensity, therefore carbohydrate and fats are our key sources of fuel. Whilst fat is a readily available fuel source and something we do not have to be particularly conscious of in our diets, even in very slender athletes, carbohydrate and protein levels are very important to consciously maintain. It is vital that we replenish these stores post-workout to optimize recovery and performance in subsequent sessions. Below are my recommendations for your diet, as simple as it can get. Be sure to read the Important Hints to help put things in perspective.

Carbohydrate

The science

• Stored as glycogen in the body
• Fuel for 2 hours of moderate/high intensity exercise (below 75% of your max)

Athlete Guidelines

• 10hr/week training: 6 – 7g/kg/day
• 20hr/week training: 7+g/kg/day

Important hints

• Reduced glycogen may result in excessive fatigue and concentration loss, and severely reduced recovery.
• Important that carbohydrate forms the basis of each meal otherwise you will breakdown muscle to access protein sources.

Carbohydrate rich foods include breads, pasta, cereal, rice, potato, fruit, and low-fat dairy

Protein

The science

• Protein (or its amino acid building blocks) repairs cells of the body (eg. Muscle cells), helps with production of enzymes and hormones and is utilized as an energy source when carbohydrate and fat stores are depleted.
• Athletes require only a small increase in protein intake.

Athlete Guidelines

• 10hr/ week training: 1 – 1.2g/kg/day
• 20hr/week training: 1.6g/kg/day

Important hints

• Combine Protein intake with Carbohydrate intake 30 – 60 minutes after completing intensive session
• Use exogenous protein powder for readily available replenishment post-workout, then use protein rich foods in your everyday diet. If excessive amounts are taken instead of carbohydrate, as suggested above, muscle break down can occur to provide alternative energy supply.

Protein rich foods include lean meat, fish, eggs and beans

 Recovery Strategies

 Recovery strategies are aimed to complement our nutritional goals to optimize improvement from training load and to assist the body to regain the physiological and psychological capacity required for the next performance. Inadequate recovery can result in increase risk of injury, overtraining, and ultimately underperformance. Whilst there is currently a wealth of recovery fads available, there are a select amount of strategies with good research base. As with the nutritional recommendations, I have outlined key recovery strategies is a clear and hopefully useful way.

Cool down

 The science

• Increase clearance of lactate from circulation reducing magnitude of muscular fatigue (evident with Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness).
• Lowers core body temperature in a graduated and controlled state
• Evidence suggests improvement of up to 30% in subsequent performances

Athlete Guidelines

• It’s simple. 10 – 15 minutes of gradually reducing low intensity exercise (similar to the activity performed during work-out)
• Stretching can be introduced for main muscle groups used, holding each stretch for at least 30 seconds

Important hints

• Stretching is a good addition post-exercise. Evidence for stretching pre-exercise does not exist and actually places you at greater risk of straining muscles.
• Combine the cool-down with immediate rehydration and food intake to allow replenishment of electrolytes and to instigate early muscle rebuilding.

Cold Water Immersion (aka. Cryotherapy)

The science

• Intense exercise causes tearing of muscle fibers and local inflammation.
• Cold Water Immersion is a physiological and psychological modality that decreases heart rate, blood pressure, core body and muscle temperature, and reduces inflammation and pain sensation.
• Cold water causes blood vessels to constrict, forcing blood and muscle damage byproducts away from the muscles. Following cold water immersion, blood vessels will expand again, allowing return of new blood to the muscles for muscle repair.

Athlete Guidelines

• 5 – 10 minutes of immersion in water of between 10 – 15 degrees.

Important hints

• Showering or a chilly beach wade immediately after a work-out can be a convenient and effective alternative to purposely designed cold water immersion
• Break protocol into periods of immersion (2 minutes) with periods of room temperature exposure (2 minutes) to promote a ‘pumping’ effect
• Excessive cold water immersion of longer than 10 minutes can stress immune system and increase risk of illness.

Cold water immersion can be as convenient as a walk in the ocean

 Psychological activities

The science

• Involves the use of debriefing, relaxation and sleep strategies
• Reduces heart rate, body temperature, anxiety and stress post performance and significantly increases subsequent performance

Athlete guidelines

• Debrief; talk about a performance with a coach/mentor immediately after to critically analyze, force closure, and plan for next performance. This will reduce stress and anxiety and promote motivation.
• Relaxation; whatever makes you feel relaxed, comfortable and not thinking about any performance is key. This will reduce heart rate, blood pressure, stress and anxiety, ultimately improving physiological and psychological recovery and enhancing subsequent performance
• Sleep; it is vital to maintain a regular sleep cycle and avoid diet and environmental stimulants. As long as the hours of sleep are consistent, the actual hours you sleep is almost irrelevant (provided it’s not below 5!).

Important hints

• Psychological strategies are vital and an area I personally struggle with the most. However, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of utilizing these debriefing, relaxation and sleep techniques to reduce physiological and psychological fatigue, increase training adaptations, and ultimately improve your subsequent performances.

Recovery is the most undervalued and poorly understood aspect of athletic training. Our modern-day lifestyles, be it work, family, and sport, encourage the “more is better”, “go hard or go home” and “sleep when your dead” mentalities.  I will not lie, I am definitely a culprit here. My advice to you and ultimately myself is take a step back and tell yourself  “what I do is not normal and I need to give my body a chance”. I honestly believe you will be amazed at the changes to your performance across all aspects of your life.

Written by John Polson

Professional Triathlete
Physiotherapist (DPhty, BSpSci) at Back in Motion – Mermaid Waters

The Gold Coast Mother’s Day Classic is becoming a Polson family tradition. Find the most ridiculous pink ensemble you can, top it off with standard pink shades, and you have the perfect clothing for a fun run in aide of the National Breast Cancer Foundation. This year over 3000 people participated in the Kids Fun Run, 4km run, and the 8km run. The day had a much greater meaning than running, finishing banners, and prizes. It’s about celebrating mums, honouring those women that had been affected by breast cancer, and raising much needed funds and awareness for the search for it’s cure.

Click any one of the thumbnails (below) to enlarge, then scroll.

“The day we stop enjoying it is the day we give it up”

Over the past six years I have been privileged with training a group of women that simply bring a smile to your face. Over the course of this time these ladies have endured my erratic schedule of training and university commitments, sometimes getting to the point where I am not at sessions for months on end. Through all of this the girls have remained and have developed a wonderful friendship that can only be experienced to be believed. This article on the girls of Fitness in Numbers was published in the May edition of Women’s Running Australia, Australia’s most popular women’s fitness magazine.

Click HERE for full size article.

Click HERE for full size article.

My first Ironman 70.3 is now complete. What a tough day; physically, mentally and emotionally.

Race day greeted us with conditions that were challenging at best, a living hell at it’s worst. Overnight there was a large storm front that moved through the area, bringing with it rain, blustery wind, a swell that more resembled a washing machine, and murky water that looked perfect for Western Australia’s Great White population. Just prior to the start the chop seemed to have picked up even more. The white and red markers were almost invisible from the shore and completely invisible in the water. As the gun went off and the process of getting through the chop started, it was immediately evident I was going to struggle in these conditions. Fear can do some amazing things and the next 1.9km was my absolute definition of hell. I was quickly isolated from the group, with the priorities of staying above water and not getting eaten fairly ambiguous.  Fast forward to the end of the swim, because the whole leg was disgraceful, I exited the water about 5 minutes behind guys I usually come out ahead of. Wow. Quickly erase that one from memory.

My goal for the rest of the race was pretty simple – I had not come all this way to simply roll around. I wanted to give it a crack and see how many guys I could pass. The bike course at Busselton doesn’t necessarily suit a light guy like me. There was approximately 2m of elevation on the entire course and the exposure to the wind meant you could get blown around significantly. However, throughout the 90km I felt in control and able to stay on top of each gear. I am very proud to say I managed to hold the distance to the main pack; something that people will know is very difficult to do. In the process, I caught and passed quite a few athletes that had not been able to hold wheels in the pack. I entered transition 5 minutes and change behind the pack, and another 3 minutes to solo leader James Hodge.

Onto the run, I was very motivated by my bike and the opportunity I had of getting back into the top ten. Whilst the run is definitely my strength, it becomes a much greater beast at the end of a 70.3. In my previous attempt at this distance, albeit with much less preparation and focus than I had for Busselton, I struggled from the outset and was quickly shuffling. This time it was completely different. I set out at a very solid pace, holding 3.15 – 3.20 through the first 7km and feeling comfortable, passing a number of competitors and now into 10^th place. With every turn I could see top 5, and with a gap of only a few minutes, I made this my next objective. Unfortunately, the proverbial elephant quickly jumped on my back and I suffered through the last 7km.  I came in 9^th with only three minutes separating 3^rd to 9^th and some very high profile long course athletes in between. I recorded the 2^nd fastest run split of the day.

I walk away from Busselton with very mixed emotions. Secretly, the goal for this weekend was top five. I have had a busy few months with completing my thesis and university. However, I made a big push (and some sacrifices) to put in the volume required to achieve this result. Therefore I have no excuses. There were simple and stupid mistakes I made (see swim) that cost me a shot at this and I will be focused on rectifying this for future races. However, I also walk away from Busselton very encouraged by what I can potentially achieve. I genuinely feel I am much stronger on the bike thanks to the guidance of Grant Giles and Team Aeromax. Furthermore, I am encouraged by my run and the improvements I can make here with continued training and maybe a smarter pacing strategy.

Next on the schedule is commencing work with Back in Motion Mermaid, and then races in Noumea at the Noumea International Triathlon on 27th May, and then Cairns 70.3 on the 3rd June.

Thank you to my partners Scody Australia, Nutrend Australia, On-Running, Italiatech, Volosport, Back in Motion and of course my extended family. Your support during these early stages is genuinely appreciated. This is a process and I am very confident in some great things throughout this year.

John Polson

Australian Professional Triathlete
Physiotherapist – Back in Motion Mermaid Waters

To many a race suit is a piece of textile, a product of expensive development designed to get you from start to finish in the quickest, comfiest and least lycra-caused embarrassment possible. For some professional athletes, a race suit is simply a makeshift billboard emblazoned with sponsor logos. More importantly for me, my race suit is symbolic of how I got to the start line and the partners who have come on the journey with me.

I will start off by saying there is a sappiness alert with the text below. Some of it may sound poetic, but often when you put your thoughts on paper (or screen rather) this is inevitably the case. The aim of this post is to give athletes food for thought. To challenge the trend of what we, as athletes, do for our support network. It’s more than the professional licence, it’s more than the results. At the end of the day, what does your race suit and the organisations on your race suit mean to you.

The partners I am currently associated with have privileged me with the support of their business and see the value of what the partnership can provide. I choose the word partnership very purposely. I do not regard these as sponsorships – a term that is associated with one-way provisions from business to athlete. Unfortunately, this is commonplace. When building a partnership, I always try and show what I can do for the business. It’s a reality that I am not World Number 1 or  my face is not on the box of breakfast bars. Yet.  So I ask myself some questions. Are my skills both on and off the the sporting field a fit for their brand and my brand? How could I help with the development of products? How could I increase their bottom line? Ultimately, as a physiotherapist and a business owner, I feel as though I can offer much more than a guy running around with a degree of talent.

My race suit is just a small way of giving the partnership a tangible image. These are the partners that make the suit, the journey, and the future so very exciting.

Nutrend

Nutrend nutrition supplements are one of the most exciting manufacturers in the sport supplement industry. The products are extensively used throughout Europe and their development has benefited from the support of major European Olympic committees. Nutrend place much emphasis on research and development, contradicting many of their competitors who simply copy others and mass produce for major retailers. Nutrend Australia is a relatively new commodity, commencing distribution in 2011. Michael Berman is the man behind the Australian venture and is committed in taking Nutrend to the top of the nutritional supplement industry.  I am thrilled to be using a range of products that are of such high quality and designed specifically for athletes (and endurance athletes particularly). I am just as enthusiastic to be working with Michael in the marketing of suitable products for the Australian industry. Over the coming months and years be on the look out for regular articles and columns I will be writing for Nutrend.

Scody

An Australian brand. A Gold Coast Brand. Scody Australia is now one of the most recognizable brands within Australian triathlon circles. Scody is the official uniform and clothing partner of Triathlon Australia, as well as a major supporter of many of Australia’s top triathletes. Bernard Schreiber, Managing Director of Scody, is contributing a large amount of resources aimed at developing industry leading race suits and apparel for triathletes. I am very motivated and enthusiastic to be working with Bernard and his team, assisting in the research of new materials and technology that will help in the continued advancement of Scody.

On-Running

On-Running, a Switzerland based shoe manufacturer. The shoes are designed based on the simple idea of replicating that floating feeling you get when running on gravel or sand covered trails. Rubber elements on the sole are designed to absorb both horizontal and vertical forces, lessening ground reaction forces and improving force development at toe off. On-Running Australia is a very exciting prospect, with brand exposure rapidly increasing week to week. As a physiotherapist, I am very proud to endorse On-Running shoes and the potential they have for application throughout the health and fitness market. I am excited to be able to work with Florian to realize this potential in the market, as well as offer my knowledge in any way possible.

Volosport

Volosport is an Australian based agency specializing in athlete representation, leadership development and sports marketing. Volosport, and it’s Owner Glen Duggan, have a very simple philosophy; “Partner elite athletes, who get more than just good results on the sporting field, with organizations that understand the importance of “all-round performance”, the need for brand image and the key behaviors needed to be a great ambassador”. I have inferred above my reluctance to use the word sponsorship. I genuinely believe this discredits my commitment towards the business and the skills that I bring to the partnership. Glen and the Volosport team have helped me establish partnerships with businesses that are exciting, balanced, and will last a long time.

Back in Motion – Mermaid Waters

Back in Motion health group is a group of physiotherapy and wellness centers across Australia. Back in Motion has 33 locations across Australia, and is in amidst a very exciting growth phase. Back in Motion – Mermaid Waters and it’s Director Brad Beer won the prestigious Gold Coast Business Excellence Award for excellence. I am delighted to announce I will be joining the Back in Motion team in mid-May, commencing work as a Physiotherapist.

The Invisible Partners on the Race Suit

Without going into too much detail, too much emotion, there are people who simply allow this journey to happen. They are just as much a part of the race suit, the journey, and the future.

• My Mother Anthea
• My Father John
• My Sister Carla
• My Stepfather Chris
• My Girlfriend Alishia
• … and a whole list of very tolerant family and friends.

As I said at the start, this is just food for thought. What I have mentioned is simply the way I approach things and I genuinely appreciate the support and love the process of working with these organisations.

2012 will be a very exciting year – athletically, professionally, and personally. Thank you for being a part of my journey.

Just like your weekly bunch ride, hill reps, or coffee shop crawl, core exercises should be a vital part of your training program. Recent studies have shown that a strong core maximizes power development and enhances recovery after intense efforts by creating a stable platform for which the legs can function efficiently. Try these exercises every second day for 6 weeks… and thank me later!

1.     Bridge

What it works: Transverse abdominus (TA), Lower Back, Shoulders
Why it works:  Helps with maintaining position during long rides and time trials.
How to do it:  Come up onto your toes and forearms, keeping back flat.

2.     Side Bridge

What it works: Transverse abdominus and obliques
Why it works: Improves pelvic stability, reducing lazy hips when fatigued
How to do it: On your side. Raise your bottom off the floor, keeping your side straight.

3.     ‘Bicycle’

What it works: Transverse abdomius, Rectus Abdominus, Hip flexors
Why it works: Improves pedal efficiency with activation of core muscles during hip flexion and extension.
How to do it: On back. Touch elbow to opposite knee, the alternate, fast.

4.     Ground Climbing

What it works: Transverse abdomnus, rectus abdominus, hip flexors
Why it works: Like the bicycle, only this time more dynamic!
How to do it: On all fours, alternate one leg forward, one leg back. Fast!

Plus 1 : Thoracic Extensions

Stay safe on the road!

 

This article has been reproduced for Nutrend Australia May Newsletter

Ryan Fisher had a convincing win at the Gold Coast Triathlon; Luke Harrop Memorial at Southport on Sunday. The race featured a 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run. Fisher finished a minute ahead of Josh Amberger and James Hodge in second and third, with Ben Shaw and me a further minute back in 4th and 5th. Detailed results below. Click any one of the thumbnails (below) to enlarge, then scroll. More photos under ‘Continue Reading.’

Are you neutral? Do you need support? Are you heavy or are you light? Do you like being “bare”? Too personal? Never. What do you need in a running shoe?

Written by John Polson

Selecting a running shoe today is a rather confusing process. We are drowned in advertisements and endorsements of products and techniques that are claiming to be the next best thing in running. They claim to be lighter, more supportive and even more natural. Other than some over the top color schemes, essentially many of these products are the same and come out of the same factory. Here are some facts. The majority of the world’s running shoes are manufactured by Yue Yuen, a Chinese Taipei business. Approximately 200 million pairs of shoes are produced by Yue Yeun each  year. These are shoe brands that are on your feet at the moment. The importance of this point is not the manufacturing location; it’s the point of difference between all these companies, or lack of, and the emphasis on research and development, or lack of!

One of the companies rethinking the running shoe is On-Running, a Switzerland based manufacturer. The shoes are designed based on the simple idea of replicating that floating feeling you get when running on gravel or sand covered trails. The development of the shoe is somewhat more complicated. Each pair of On-running shoes are designed to absorb vertical and horizontal impact. This is in contrast to every other running shoe that is designed to absorb only vertical impact. To achieve this ability to deal with both forces, On-running shoes come with a very unique cushioning element; pieces of round rubber on the sole of the shoe. Weird? A little. Does it feel good? It feels amazing… and this is why!

Performance

The importance and action of the rubber elements on the sole is obvious; heel-strike is soft and toe-off resembles a spring or pogostick.  The Cloudsurfer, the lightweight trainer and the Cloudracer, the racing flat, are the most responsive shoes currently available in the market. There is a genuine feeling that every bit of energy created during the swing phase of the running gait is transferred into forward momentum during stance.

Comparison of vertical and horizontal ground-reaction forces obtained when running. Graph shows significant forces in both vertical and horizontal directions. Courtesy of Kram et al, 1997

Usability

The rubber elements on each On shoe do take some time to adapt. The elements at the front are more prominent and like other brands of shoes currently available, they do encourage midfoot strike. Mid foot running will reduce any deceleration moments througout the gait cycle caused by excessive heel strike and increase sustained run speed through increased rate and and foot contact under the body. A point of difference with On-Running shoes is that rather than placing a large wedge on the midfoot to achieve these improvements, the progression of the rubber elements in this region is much more subtle and provides less risk of developing common overuse injuries to the tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius, or the plantar fascia.  It is a good idea to progress slowly with these shoes, introducing them slowly into training runs with the ultimate goal of complete integration after a month.

Design

Don’t try and say that the look of a shoe is not important. These shoes look amazing. They have a ‘WOW’ factor created by the soles, but look extremely professional and sophisticated. They are everything you would imagine a Swiss product to be.

Running is very much a minimalist sport. It’s all about you, your shoes and the ground. The shoe creates the connection with you and the ground you’re running on. You ultimately want a shoe that makes running a pleasure in every way possible. Accepting marketing slogans as gospel and using the endorsement of famous athletes as it’s evidence may not be the best choice for you!

John Polson is a qualified Sports Scientist (BSpSci), studying Doctor of Physiotherapy, a registered Personal Trainer, and Professional Triathlete. If you would like any further information on running shoe selection and how you can best optimize your run times, do not hesitate to  contact John using the Contact Form on this website.

Twilight Half Marathon Race Records were broken! John Polson officially broke Patrick Nispel’s race record set in 2011. Commonwealth Games athlete Kate Smyth also broke Roxie Schmidt’s race record and reached the time bonus money as well!

Is there anything better to do than a V02 Max Test on a Sunday morning?
Watch the video here…