Posts by stevemagness
Presentations: Training and How to Apply Science to Coaching
Over the past week, I had the privilege to speak at two different clinics/conferences that both presented unique challenges. I told everyone I would put my powerpoints online, and I hope that you guys who read the blog can get something good out of them too. The first clinic I had a chance to speak…
Read MoreResearch Galore!- Summary of 2013 ACSM research
Each year for the biggest sports science conferences, I try and go through all of the abstracts being presented. It’s the second best option, since attending isn’t an option due to my schedule. Besides seeing the new research that is out there, you get to notice trends. It gives you a good idea on where…
Read MoreNeuro-Doping: The intersection of neuroscience and performance
I’m a science junkie. For the past few months, my interest has been on neuroscience in particular, partly due to the fact that exercise, fatigue, and performance is increasingly being seen as an issue that needs to be looked at from a neuroscience perspective. A few months ago I was reading a book on the…
Read MoreThyroid madness- Everything you need to know
Thyroid disease has entered the public’s consciousness thanks to an article in the Wall Street Journal. I debated on whether to write a blog about it or let it be. In the end, I decided it was necessarybecause of the misinformation out there on the topic. The most important thing when discussing complex issues like…
Read MoreInflammation nation- Is inflammation good or bad?
Over the past year or so, the idea of making sure not to inhibit the training effect has risen in popularity. The old concept was that as soon as the workout was done, everything possible was done to recover for the next workout. In practicality, this made sense, as if we could recover for the…
Read MoreAttacking Adaption from Multiple Directions
The Multiple directions approach: One particular thing I notice from athletes or coaches, and a trap I fell into early in my coaching career, is you start to pigeonhole workouts to develop particular qualities. For instance, if high-end aerobic endurance (or in science speak lactate threshold) needs to be developed, the answer was always going…
Read MoreGenetics of sport- Does Doping change genes?
Genetics of sport- Are we searching in the wrong places? The topic of genetics of endurance sport is a fascinating one. For as long as I’ve been a competitive runner, the question of whether nature or nurture gave rise to the pocket of dominating distance runners in East Africa has been around. Researcher Yannis Ptisliadis…
Read MoreMy interactions with Lance Armstrong
With Lance Armstrong’s confession being the major news item of the moment, I figured I’d throw my two cents in and give my perspective. I had a short interaction with Lance when I worked with Nike. Essentially we had to help Lance with his running form and training a little as he transitioned into triathlons.…
Read MoreLong term development: Coaching HS, college, and professional runners
I was fortunate enough to give a presentation for the Gulf Coast Scholastic Track Coaches Association Clinic this weekend. In the talk, I focused on the keys to long term development. I don’t like giving generic talks on training, so my hope was to explore some of the differences between coaching at different developmental ages.…
Read MoreWhat do Orthotics and shoes actually do? Looking at data from a professional runner
Often times in research we focus on norms. We look at the average effect of different interventions and then apply them to everybody. In this way, as a whole we get what the effects are for most people. By doing this, sometimes we miss the individual effects. So in today’s first blog of 2013, I…
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