Dear Colleagues,
The physiological responses to endurance exercise, optimal training techniques, sports nutrition, and equipment are continually being examined. Recently, there have been major advancements that have truly enhanced endurance performance. For example, the 2-hour barrier for the marathon was finally broken in October 2019 by Eluid Kipchoge, who covered the 42.195 km in 1 hour 59 minutes 40 seconds. In October of 2020, we witnessed two new world records for the 5000m and 10,000m (previously set in 2004 and 2005, respectively). The 5000m record was improved by 2 seconds from 12:37:35 to 12:35:36, and the 10,000m record was improved by an incredible 6.5 seconds, from 26:17:53 to 26:11:00 by Joshua Cheptegei. Training techniques, new nutrition products/strategies, and especially new designs and technologies in running shoes have all clearly contributed to these advancements. However, are these achievements due to careful planning and execution of training and nutrition, or are they more influenced by new technologies? Polarized training has been suggested as the most beneficial training distribution to enhance endurance performance, but experienced athletes and coaches appear to already have been practicing in this manner. New shoe designs however have been shown to improve running economy, and advances in aerodynamics have decreased the power output required in cycling events.
Conversely, although clearly popular, it has been repeatedly shown that high fat or ketogenic diets do not benefit endurance performance, and can in fact hamper performance by increasing the oxygen cost of exercise compared to a high carbohydrate diet. Optimal carbohydrate ingestion rates are now recommended to be 60 - 90g/hr, and several new carbohydrate solutions have been designed to try and accommodate these high rates, with even higher rates of consumption reported in competition.
This Special Issue will focus on scientific research related to the physiological responses during endurance exercise, and we invite papers examining:
Training methods of endurance athletes
Effect of equipment on physiological responses during exercise
Nutritional strategies to enhance endurance training adaptations and performance
Physiological responses and chronic adaptations due to endurance training
Technologies used to assess physiological responses to endurance training
Dr. Nicolas Berger
Dr. Russ Best
Guest Editors