A new study on Ultra-Endurance triathletes found...

...when heart rates (HR) from laboratory based swim, bike and run assesments, to determine heart rate at Ventilatory Threshold (VT), were compared to heart rates during an Ultra Endurance triathlon race, it was interesting, but not unexpected, to see the following:

Swim: 
Tested HR @ VT: 137.1b/min
Race HR: 149.2b/min

Bike: 
Tested HR @ VT: 142.8b/min
Race HR: 139.2b/min

Run : 
Tested HR @ VT: 147.7b/min
Race HR: 136.2b/min

Lab  assessment

Racing 

The research found that the greater the time between the swim and the cycle, the slower the time achieved in the run.

The researchers suggested that the best predictor of performance for this group of triathlets was:

1. Weight adjusted VO2max
2. The difference in heart rate between the Swim and bike legs

This study was conducted by INEFC-Barcelona Sports Sciences Research Group Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain and Departament d’Enginyeria Informàtica i Matemàtiques, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain. Reserachers: A. Barrero1, D. Chaverri1, P. Erola2, X. Iglesias1, F. A. Rodríguez1

Abstract

Achieving your goals

Achieving a desired goal can be challenging, frustrating and often, end in failure.

Research has shown that when one goal (or new habit) is selected and set per month, just one, success rates can be as high as 80%.

When we get over-ambitious, and add a second goal (or new habit), success rates drop to 20%.

Take away: Select one and only one habit or goal per month and work tirelessly to achieve that one goal.

Success is almost guaranteed!

1lb of meat, 2500 gallons of water - Some food for thought

With the recent increase in conversation on what causes obesity, the release of the documentray Fed Up, and increased awarerness of the impact food has on our lives, health and well being, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to share a few other interesting tid bits I recently read in my Precision Nutrition studies.

• A 2006 United Nations report stated that raising animals for food generates more greenhouse gases than all the cars and trucks in the world combined. 
• Lancet recommended that we should try to limit our farmed meat intake to 3 ounces per day. 
• Livestock farming produces as much as 13 billion tons of waste world wide every year.
• 1lb beef uses roughly 2500 gallons of water 
• 65% of the grain we harvest is fed to animals - yet 1 billion human beings are startving. 

What do you think about those numbers?

Clearly a more plant based diet, with reduced intake of farmed meats can not only have a profound impact on your overall health and wellness, but on the helath and wellness of our earth.