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Some Work, All Play

311. The Science Episode! How To Stop Cramps, Fat Oxidation Changes, Missing Link Heat Training, The Difficulty of Physiology Data, and More

5/19/20261 hr 42 min

We talked about some of the strangest and coolest research topics in endurance sports for this episode! Basically, the science discussions went long, so we just ran with it.

The main discussion was on how to stop cramps, laying out 10 theories. But put on your tin foil hats, because we think the cramping conspiracy runs deep. Our theory: cramping is connected to fatigue resistance is connected to all endurance performance, and thinking about cramp prevention might revolutionize all training theory even for athletes who never cramp. IT GOES DEEP!

We also talked about a new missing link heat study, connecting altitude blood changes to long-term passive heat training. It was especially weird because the researchers were unsure of exactly why it happened. Those are the most fun study moments!

Other topics: very short-term changes in fat max and fat oxidation (featuring the wildest figure we have seen in a long time), the difficulty of studies due to large error bars and small effect sizes, the crossover point in metabolic research, the incredible Dark Wizard documentary, and a question on relationships.

For a clue about what was censored, here’s the hint: I caught mommy [bleeping] [bleepa blaus].

We love you all! HUZZAH!

-David and Megan

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Clips

Show Me The Study? No.
Heat After Races? Absolutely
The Marathon Crossover Explained
Big Tapers Can Backfire
Unified Theory Of Cramps
Why Heat During Taper Works
Love Through Every Version
Cursing, Faith, And Humanity

Transcript preview

First 90 seconds

  1. Megan Roche· Host0:01

    Woo.

  2. David Roche· Host0:01

    Woo. Welcome to the Some Work All Play podcast. We are so happy to be with you today.

  3. Megan Roche· Host0:04

    Happy Tuesday.

  4. David Roche· Host0:05

    It's Tuesday.

  5. Megan Roche· Host0:06

    And we are swimming in some veggie sticks on this Tuesday.

  6. David Roche· Host0:08

    Oh, yeah.

  7. Megan Roche· Host0:09

    [laughs] Yeah.

  8. David Roche· Host0:10

    Yeah, yeah, I don't feel great about this one. So, uh, you were gone this weekend. You went, um, with Leo back to where you grew up in Pennsylvania. It was a really special trip.

  9. Megan Roche· Host0:18

    It was so much fun. It was my first time traveling with Leo solo in a minute, and we had a blast.

  10. David Roche· Host0:22

    Yeah.

  11. Megan Roche· Host0:22

    Like, I feel like he's actually at that age where it's enjoyable to travel with him.

  12. David Roche· Host0:26

    [laughs] Yeah.

  13. Megan Roche· Host0:26

    And it was great.

  14. David Roche· Host0:27

    Yeah, and you said you have delayed onset muscle soreness in your thumbs right now?

  15. Megan Roche· Host0:30

    I do. I played field hockey, and I went to the turf and, like, went to my high school.

  16. David Roche· Host0:33

    Yeah.

  17. Megan Roche· Host0:33

    And they had this box, this bin of, like, 100 balls. [laughs] And as soon as I hit two or three of them- [laughs] ... I was like, "I gotta keep going."

  18. David Roche· Host0:40

    [laughs] You just couldn't stop.

  19. Megan Roche· Host0:41

    I was like, "I should socialize right now. I should hang out with Leo," but it activated the, like- Yeah ... high school primal part of my brain that was like, "I cannot stop."

  20. David Roche· Host0:48

    Oh my gosh.

  21. Megan Roche· Host0:48

    And so I probably hit, like, 75 balls.

  22. David Roche· Host0:51

    Yeah.

  23. Megan Roche· Host0:51

    And [laughs] now my thumbs are sore.

  24. David Roche· Host0:53

    What a tricky time, because you're waiting to exercise until you get another heart test done. Um, so right now you see 100 balls and you're like, "I gotta go." [laughs] "I gotta... I can't stop."

  25. Megan Roche· Host1:01

    I mean, I feel like at any time in my life- It's true ... there's, like, this, like, true competitor within me, and as soon as you put me on that field, I'm like, "I just can't stop."

  26. David Roche· Host1:08

    [laughs] As soon as she sees balls.

  27. Megan Roche· Host1:09

    I'm like, "It's addicting. Help me." [laughs] [laughs] And no, I mean, it's legitimately... It actually, like, makes me smile that my thumbs are sore- Yeah ... because it reminds me of just, like, a prior self. Yeah.

  28. David Roche· Host1:19

    Yeah. Well, that's beautiful.

  29. Megan Roche· Host1:20

    [laughs] Yeah.

  30. David Roche· Host1:21

    What's not beautiful is while you were gone, I was with Ollie, who's our younger kid, and because I had a lot of free time, it's like, "Okay, how can I be the best parent possible?"

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