​1. Why Mobility Matters
 
Mobility refers to the ability to move freely and easily. It encompasses flexibility, strength, and balance. Good mobility allows you to perform daily activities with ease, reduces the risk of injuries, and contributes to better posture and overall physical function.
 
Reduced mobility, on the other hand, can lead to stiffness, pain, and a decreased range of motion. It can also increase the risk of falls and limit your ability to engage in physical activities you enjoy. It is often the first step on a slippery slope to further inactivity and its consequences.
 
The importance of body movement cannot be overstated for both executives and athletes alike. Here are some key reasons why:
 
For Sedentary Executives
 
1. Reduced risk of chronic diseases: Regular movement and physical activity can help prevent obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic conditions. Excessive sitting, now common in modern life, is linked to many of these diseases.
 
2. Improved mental health: Daily movement, even light to moderate activity, has been proven to drastically improve memory, mental clarity, and emotional regulation. It can help combat depression and anxiety.
 
3. Better posture and balance: Good posture, which is maintained through regular movement, is important for balance and reduces the risk of injuries. It also helps maintain correct form during exercise.
 
4. Increased productivity: Movement and good posture can improve productivity at work. Standing desks, regular breaks to stand and stretch, and walking meetings can all help combat the negative effects of prolonged sitting.
 
For Executive Athletes
 
1. Enhanced performance: Proper movement patterns and techniques are crucial for athletes to perform at their best and gain a competitive edge.
 
2. Injury prevention: Athletes exposed to rapid movements need a high level of dynamic joint stability and control of whole body movement to decrease the risk of injuries. Incorporating proper movement patterns into training is key.
 
3. Mental well-being: Despite the pressures they face, athletes can benefit from the mental health boosts of exercise by including light to moderate conditioning sessions in their training plans. This can help with emotional regulation and memory.
 
In summary, regardless of athletic status, prioritizing regular movement through exercise, stretching, postural habits, and even daily activities can have far-reaching benefits for physical health, mental well-being, and overall quality of life. For athletes, optimizing movement is additionally crucial for performance and injury prevention.

2. How to Self-Assess Your Mobility
 
Here are some simple tests you can do at home to assess your body movement and mobility:

If you are wanting to have a more in depth look at mobility and movement it’s always recommended to consult with a professional for a Functional Movement Screening (FMS) or an Athletic Ability Assessment (AAA), both of which can be done at our partner Costa.

• The Functional Movement Screen (FMS)

 
The FMS is a popular screening tool used to assess fundamental movement patterns that underlie both sport performance and injury risk. It evaluates basic movements like squatting, lunging, stepping, and reaching. Whilst the FMS provides valuable insights, some practitioners feel it may not adequately assess the more demanding movement abilities required in sports. That's where the AAA comes in. 

• The Athletic Ability Assessment (AAA)

 
The AAA is a movement assessment protocol designed specifically for athletes. It evaluates an athlete's movement competency under load and greater levels of complexity compared to the FMS. Each exercise is scored on components like trunk control, range of motion, and lower body alignment. A score of 1-3 is given for each component, with a maximum score of 9 per exercise in sequential order: 1. Prone hold, 2. Side holds, 3. Overhead squat, 4. Single leg squats, 5. Walking lunge, 6. Hops, 7. Bounds, 8. Press-ups, 9. Chin-ups
 
3. Improving Your Mobility
 
If you identify areas where your mobility is limited, there are several things you can do to improve it:

• Stretch regularly: Incorporate stretching into your daily routine to improve flexibility and range of motion.
• Practice yoga or Pilates: These low-impact exercises focus on improving flexibility, strength, and balance.
• Stay active: Regular physical activity helps maintain muscle strength and joint mobility.
• Use foam rollers or massage balls: These tools can help release muscle tension and improve circulation.
• More about this in next week’s blog post

 
Conclusion
 
Self-assessing your body movement and mobility is a simple yet important step in maintaining overall health and well-being as an executive, as much as an athlete. By identifying areas where your mobility may be limited, you can take proactive steps to improve it through stretching, exercise, and other techniques. Remember, good mobility is key to staying active, independent, and enjoying a high quality of life. By identifying movement dysfunctions and asymmetries, targeted training programs can optimize everybody’s functional capacity, performance, and resilience over time.
 
Don’t forget. It is the small daily steps that turn into positive habits, patterns, and beliefs ingrained in body and mind. Enjoy the journey!

BONUS TIPS COACH GLENN:
You can often work on muscle stretching and joint mobility as individual exercises to alleviate the immediate discomfort of impeded mobility, but sometimes the cause can be found in an underlying skeleton imbalance or blockage. That is why I recommend physical therapists which are also chiropractors, like Sarah Monhaghan at Costa Health, as she can look deeper to resolve the original cause of the restriction for longer term resolution.
 
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A Comprehensive Guide from the Boardroom to the Starting Line.
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Preparing for a triathlon isn't just about the hard work and miles logged before the big day; it also involves meticulous planning and organization to ensure peak performance. Whether you’re already an athlete or gearing up for your first race, this guide will help you navigate the crucial final stages of preparation. Coach Glenn and Tim put their 25+ joint years of experience together so you don't have to make the same mistakes they made.

1. Months Out: Long-term Preparation

Depending on the length of the race (sprint, Olympic, half or T100 or Ironman distance) and the placed importance in your racing calendar (A, B or C race), the planning could start a year in advance. Not only do you need to consider location and travel, but also how it impacts the rest of your season and the time needed to prepare. Check the anticipated course conditions, temperature, humidity, ascent on bike and run, type of swim course, to make sure you can execute the particulars or can train towards the specific requirements.

If it is an international trip, make sure to discuss this with your family. You can turn a resented solo-endeavor into a family oriented “tri-cation”, where you combine your race with a family holiday in an exotic destination, and where some relax time for all is added. Consider that you’ll need some time before the race to acclimate, but it’s also preferable that you allow some time after the race to enjoy your time off, stress-free, with your family and/or supporters.

As soon as you have registered for your race, it is best to book your travel and accommodation immediately, and it’s ideal to do research and choose a hotel or Airbnb close to the race finish line.  

For international races in different time zones, aim to arrive early (one day per hour time zone difference), or as close to that timeframe as possible, work and holiday permitting.

2. 7-10 Days Out: Tapering and Race Visualization

Depending on your age and length of the race you should begin your taper 7-to-10 days before the event. Gradually reduce volume, but keep the short bursts of intensity in race pace to preserve muscle responsiveness and avoid a detraining effect.

Adjust your diet to decrease caloric intake proportionally as your training volume decreases to avoid unwanted weight gain. Maintain a high level of hydration of 2-to-3 liters per day.  If you are travelling into a hot area, you might include some heat training protocols in advance, to adjust your body to the expected local temperature.

Now is the time to start reading and memorizing the specifics of the swim, bike and run course. Check out where the course ascents and what impact it will have on your power distribution across the course. Do you need a wet suit or swim skin? Is it a mass start or rolling start? Do you need specific clothing to address the weather (layering)? The more you can mentally prepare for the unknown, the less stress you will face on race day.
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IMPORTANT: Before you travel, make sure to lay out all your gear, per race segment, from pre-swim, swim, T1, bike, T2, run to ensure you have everything packed. There may be some items, like goggles, CO2 cartridges, spare tires, race suit that you may want to pack in doubles/redundantly. Do not try anything new on race day, anything you buy on site is a liability.

3. 3 Days Out: Race Preparation

By now, hopefully you are on-site and can check in to get your bib number and stickers to prepare your race gear. It is a mentally satisfying experience knowing that you have arrived and are cleared for the race. The real triathlon is about growth through the training journey and the race is the celebratory cherry on the cake. As from the registration process, you should be focused on enjoying the rewards of your hard work and taking it all in.

Ideally you can also get a short swim, bike and run in to keep the muscles loose and active. Target some key course elements so you can visualize them and avoid stress and confusion on race day.

• SWIM: If you can, go for the event-organized orientation swim. The key here is not to swim the full course, but to focus on the start and finish, and perhaps, the key turning points. Based on your swim comfort level, consider where to turn short or wide. As you may expect people clog together and create bottlenecks around the buoys. If you want comfort, turn wide. As part of your prep, try to identify key markers to facilitate sighting. It is easier to aim for a big building than for a small buoy. Don’t forget that you can sight in many ways:
  • Landmarks ahead of you
  • The shoreline next to you
  • Buoys on course
  • Sand lines or markers on the lake or ocean floor
  • And of course, other athletes on course during race day

 

• BIKE: Limit your bike to 30-45 minutes and focus on the first and last 5-10kms of the course. Get to know the initial exit of T1, as you may be a bit dizzy after the swim and don’t want to get confused. Also, at the end of the course, check out as of when you can start reducing power, increase your RPMs to flush out the lactate from your legs, and as of where you could take your feet out of your shoes, if you choose to do so. If you have the time, take the car and ride the course completely the day or two before, or 1 loop of the course, to familiarize yourself with the turns, key points and ascents and descents.

 

• RUN: This can be just running back and forth to the registration, the orientation swim or running the course track to see the exit from T2 or the entry to the finish line.  (You don’t want to miss that one 😊.)

​Don’t forget to agree with your supporters about where they can best see you and where you can expect them at T1, T2, on the course and where you will meet them after the race.

4. 2 Days Out: Packing and Carb-Loading


Lay out all your gear out by Phase: Swim, T1, Bike, T2, Run, and post-finish. Use visualization to mentally rehearse each stage, ensuring that you pack all necessary items, including spares like goggles, tires, and race suits. (View Checklist)
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Start carb-loading 36-hours prior to the event, to maximize glycogen stores. Opt for easily digestible carbs and familiar foods that have proven successful in your training. As you have not worked out a lot in recent days, it is not the volume that counts but “what” you eat. Replenishing your glycogen stores in your muscles and liver will give you the optimal tank of energy for your race. Keep refilling it up to the start of the race.
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5. 1 Day Out: Transition Area Setup:  Visualize – Visualize – Visualize!

Perform a final equipment check while in the transition area. Go through the motions of opening your bag and thinking about putting on every piece of equipment and/or nutrition that you need and are going to touch. This is an essential last check to see if everything you ultimately need is in there. ​

Conclusion

By organizing your preparations into these strategic phases, you will ensure that less is left to luck. Remember, the key to a successful race day is as much in the details of preparation as it is in the physical training. Equip yourself with a clear plan, focus on execution, and embrace the challenge ahead with positivity and preparedness. Good luck!

Don’t forget. It is the small daily steps that turn into positive habits, patterns, and beliefs ingrained in body and mind. Enjoy the journey!

BONUS TIPS COACHES GLENN AND TIM:

• Place an energy gel in your transition bag. As you are running from your bag to your bike or out of transition 2, you have a bit of time to have a quick energy boost before hitting the bike or run course.

• Uncomfortable topic and an often neglected one, is the stress on your GI. Typically, there are 2,500 people and only 10-20 toilets (and most of them don’t have toilet paper). Try to go to the restroom before going to the transition zone, but for safety, bring an extra roll of toilet paper with you, to avoid a mess – and kindly leave it behind for the others.
• Great TriDot podcast EP227: 9 steps to Get Ready for Race Day

 ​
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A Deep Dive into the Latest in Endurance Training ​

20%Below are a few of the key philosophies dominating the field today:

1. Training Periodization

Periodization remains a cornerstone of endurance training, involving the systematic planning of athletic or physical training. The aim is to reach the best possible performance in the most important competition of the year. It involves progressively cycling through different phases of training intensity, volume, and type of exercise. This method helps prevent overtraining and promotes peak performance at the right time. Advances in this area include more sophisticated models like block periodization and undulating periodization, which allow for greater flexibility and adaptation to the athlete's responses.

The latest insights from big data focus on speed and strength first, during the development phase, and then building endurance in the competition phase. The logic is: it’s easier to build endurance while maintaining speed, than vice versa. You want to avoid long endurance sessions for as long as possible because they stress the body more and are more prone to injury. Also, logically, the faster you become in the development phase, the less endurance you will need on race day. Based on your speed, you can calculate backwards from race day how much endurance you will need. Finally, the AI powered platforms provide different endurance building periods for each sport individually, instead of a more old-school approach of all-or-nothing.

2. Polarized Training

Polarized training has gained significant traction among endurance coaches and athletes. This approach divides training intensity into distinct zones: a large volume of low-intensity training (around 70-80% of total training time in zone 2) and a smaller proportion of high-intensity workouts (around 20-30% in zone 4), with very little training at moderate intensity  (zone 3). This model is based on research suggesting that such a distribution can optimize performance improvements while minimizing overtraining and injury risk.

The issue with the middle-of-the road, zone 3, training is that it has all the downsides of zone 4 stressors (lactate buildup), without the strength benefits, and it is not providing more aerobic benefits than zone 2. Hence, training needs to focus either on building strength and speed (zone 4) or aerobic capacity (zone 2), which will translate into an increase in engine effectiveness (zone 3) on race day. Why this is important and how it is linked to your lactate curve is explained in this video.

3. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

Although not new, HIIT has been revalidated as a highly efficient training method for improving cardiovascular fitness, endurance, and performance in a shorter timeframe. HIIT involves short bursts of intense activity, followed by periods of rest or low-intensity exercise. This method is particularly appealing to executive athletes, who often have limited time for training. It maximizes health and performance benefits within a condensed training session, challenging the notion that high volume training is the only path to endurance success.

Besides the anaerobic and strength benefits, building HITT into your swimming, cycling and running routine intervals finetunes the neuromuscular alignment of muscles firing together as one (motor) unit, which increases efficiency at peak performance.

4. Mindfulness and Mental Training

The psychological aspect of endurance sports is receiving more attention than ever. Techniques such as visualization, mindfulness, and mental resilience training are becoming integral parts of coaching. These practices help athletes manage stress, improve focus, and maintain motivation over the long haul of preparation and competition. Recognizing the mental challenges of endurance sports, contemporary coaching addresses the athlete's mind as a muscle that requires training and recovery.

Visualization has shown amazing results in optimizing technical prowess and unconsciousness execution. Levering the power of mirror neurons, where people trigger similar emotional and physical responses from others, you can actually trigger the same response while either looking in the mirror or imagining the perfect execution. Like a computer simulation, you can repeat those memories many more times and much faster than executing them in real-life, but it turns out they are almost as effective.

5. Data-Driven and Technology-Enhanced Training

With the advent of wearable technology and advanced analytics, training is more data-driven than ever. Coaches and athletes can monitor a vast array of metrics in real-time, from heart rate variability to power output and sleep quality, real-time sweat monitoring and ingestible core temperature sensors. This information allows for highly personalized training plans that can adapt dynamically to the athlete's current state, optimizing both performance and recovery.

As an endurance coach, I work with male and female executive athletes, and both have their own challenges. In this blog, we will dig deeper in support of female athletes with perimenopause or menopause challenges. First, as a male, I do not claim to know, so I have merely edited the inputs from the women around me, and added research to substantiate the findings. Secondly, it is important to always work closely with a healthcare professional, including a sports medicine doctor and a sports nutritionist, to develop a personalized plan that addresses your specific needs and goals.​

Perimenopause and menopause, occurring typically between 45 and 55, come with a specific set of challenges. These hormonal changes can have various impacts on the body, including changes in muscle mass, bone density, metabolism, and overall performance, even more so for executives and athletes. Here are some typical impacts of perimenopause and menopause on endurance athletes and ways to counteract these impacts through nutrition and sport activities:

Mood Swings and Sleep Disturbances:

Hormonal fluctuations during perimenopause and menopause can lead to mood swings, hot flashes, irritability, headaches or migraines, and sleep disturbances (night sweats), affecting recovery and training consistency.

Countermeasure: Prioritize sleep and stress management techniques. Maintaining a regular sleep schedule and practicing relaxation methods can improve sleep quality and mood. Your dietary choices and limitation of alcohol consumption are an integral part of your sports program and can significantly affect the intensity and timing of your menopause symptoms.

Hormonal Changes:

Estrogen levels decrease during perimenopause and menopause, which can lead to changes in body composition and muscle mass.

Countermeasure: Strength training exercises can help maintain muscle mass and bone density. Adequate protein intake is also crucial for muscle maintenance and repair. There is no indication that higher levels of physical activity would trigger menopause earlier.

Metabolic Changes:

The metabolic rate may slow down, making it easier to gain weight and harder to maintain a lean body composition.

Countermeasure: Focus on a balanced diet with the right number of calories for your activity level. Adjusting caloric intake to match your energy expenditure can help prevent weight gain. Every women can benefit from an increase in activity level focusing on strength, at least 2 days a week according to the WHO, combined with 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity. To support this, you need protein intake to build or keep muscle mass. If you are exercising more we recommend focusing carbohydrate intake from whole foods. Endurance athletes should add more resistance training in their planning during and post-menopause to avoid muscle loss and osteoporosis.

Bone Health:

Reduced estrogen levels can lead to a decrease in bone density, increasing the risk of osteoporosis and joint stiffness.

Countermeasure: Ensure you have an adequate intake of calcium and vitamin D, both through diet and, if necessary, supplements. Weight-bearing exercises, such as running and resistance training, can help maintain bone density.

Recovery Time:

Hormonal changes can affect recovery time, potentially leading to longer recovery periods between intense workouts.

Countermeasure: Pay attention to recovery strategies, including nutrition, hydration, stretching, and foam rolling. Incorporate active recovery days into your training plan. Don’t forget that it is during recovery that you are building muscle, not during exercise.

Nutrient Needs:

Nutrient requirements, such as calcium, iron, and vitamin B12, may change during perimenopause and menopause.

Countermeasure: Work with a sports nutritionist to tailor your diet to your specific needs. Ensure you get enough iron-rich foods to prevent anemia and maintain energy levels. Vitamin D and Omega-3’s are generally great additions to your diet.

Hydration:

Hormonal changes can affect fluid balance and thermoregulation during exercise, increasing the risk of dehydration.

Countermeasure: Stay well-hydrated before, during, and after workouts. Pay attention to fluid balance, especially in hot and humid conditions.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

As with the Testosterone Replacement Therapy with men, HRT shows substantial evidence that it helps relieve menopausal symptoms and has a positive effect on muscle mass and bone density by normalizing estrogen. Alternatively, you can look at natural alternatives in the form of phytoestrogens, like found in soy. If you are racing, make sure to check if your supplements are not on the banned substances list.

Conclusion:

Menopause is a phase of life we cannot get around, but some will be less affected by it than others. Although we need to accept it and move on, we can try to reduce the impact and consequences by focusing on a regular sleeping pattern, balanced diet focused on protein, reduced alcohol intake, 2x3 per week strength training, 150 minutes of aerobic effort, sufficient recovery, supplemented by Vitamin D, Calcium and Omega-3. If needed, consult a doctor to consider HRT to optimize performance and overall health during this transitional phase.
 
Don’t forget. It is the small daily steps that turn into positive habits, patterns, and beliefs ingrained in body and mind. Enjoy the journey!
 
Coach Glenn Bonus Tip: I am not a woman, but have seen the impact of menopause first hand through my spouse. It is not an easy journey, and certainly hard to enjoy, but know that everything is cyclical. So it is important to realize that this phase will also come to an end. Enjoy the small wins and especially take control of all the variables you can to minimize the impact. You are the master of your future.

Interesting Tridot Podcast EP220: From Peri to Post

Key Symptoms

For business professionals and triathletes between 40-60, the key symptoms of andropause can significantly affect both their professional performance and athletic capabilities:

• Decreased Energy Levels: A reduction in stamina, which can hinder long business days or intense training sessions.
• Mood Changes: Including irritability and depression, potentially impacting professional relationships and personal motivation.
• Sleep Disturbances: Such as insomnia or increased fatigue, affecting recovery and daily functioning.
• Decreased Libido: A reduction in sexual desire can affect personal relationships.
• Physical Changes: Reduced muscle mass (sarcopenia), and bone density (osteoporosis), directly impacting athletic performance and physical resilience. The reduce metabolism, together with increased leptin and insulin resistance tends to increased body fat.
• Cognitive Decline: Difficulty in concentrating and memory lapses can hinder decision-making and productivity.

Causes

​The primary cause of andropause is the natural decline of testosterone levels as men age. However, certain factors can exacerbate this decline, especially for business professionals and triathletes:

• Stress: High levels of stress, common in competitive business environments and intense physical training, can further reduce testosterone levels.
• Poor Lifestyle Choices: Including inadequate nutrition, lack of sleep, and excessive alcohol consumption.
• Overtraining: Particularly relevant for triathletes, can lead to hormonal imbalances and exacerbate symptoms.

5 Actionable Strategies for your age

For men experiencing andropause, especially those in demanding careers and sporting activities, several strategies can help manage symptoms according to age:

1. Work Pressure and Stress

Executive roles often come with intense pressure and stress, which not only affect health but can also impair decision-making and leadership. Managing stress involves navigating it effectively rather than trying to eliminate it entirely. Mindfulness and clear boundaries between work and personal life are crucial strategies. Acknowledging stress as part of the job allows executives to build resilience and coping mechanisms.

Endurance training, such as running, cycling, or swimming, is a potent stress reliever. It helps by releasing endorphins, often referred to as the body's natural painkillers and mood elevators. Regular endurance activities can improve sleep quality, reduce symptoms of anxiety, and foster a general sense of well-being.

2. Change and Agility

In today's business world, change is constant. Executives need to be flexible and adapt quickly. They should see change as a chance to grow and innovate, not just a problem. Creating a culture that welcomes change, tries new things, and learns from mistakes is vital. Leaders also need to stay ahead of future trends and be ready to switch direction when needed.

Endurance training helps executives not only physically but also mentally. The discipline and perseverance they develop prepares them to lead through changes with confidence and flexibility. The visualization techniques and mental agility required to deal with problems during training and racing is a skill that can be ported to the business environment.

3. Productivity and Efficiency

In a fast-changing world, being productive means not just doing more in less time but doing the right things well (TriDot podcast). Executives need to prioritize tasks and delegate wisely. Using technology to manage time better, streamline processes, and cut unnecessary meetings creates space for strategic thinking and innovation. Balancing work and personal life is important for staying productive and avoiding burnout.
 
Regular endurance training boosts energy and brain function, making executives more productive. The training routines help with prioritizing tasks and managing time. Executives find that the focus and determination from training help them overcome work challenges with more energy and effectiveness.

4. Team Spirit and Collaboration

An organization's success depends on its people. To thrive in a fast-changing world, it's essential to create a culture where teamwork and cooperation are encouraged. Executives should lead by example, promoting open communication, respect, and inclusivity. Embracing diverse viewpoints and working together as a team can lead to more innovative solutions and a stronger, more unified workplace. Recognizing team accomplishments and individual contributions boosts morale and loyalty.

Endurance training, especially when done as a group or with a coach, strengthens teamwork and collaboration. Training together or participating in endurance events builds a sense of community, support, and shared success. For executives, this underscores the importance of teamwork, communication, and joint effort in reaching goals, reflecting the collaborative spirit needed for organizational success.

5. Leadership and Personal Growth

Executive well-being is closely linked to ongoing personal growth. Leaders must keep learning, seeking new knowledge, skills, and perspectives. This includes both professional and personal development, like improving emotional intelligence and ethical leadership. Investing in oneself not only improves leadership ability but also sets a strong example for the whole organization.

Endurance training is a journey of personal growth, teaching valuable lessons in goal setting, perseverance, and overcoming challenges. It fosters a growth mindset and shows that limits can be pushed. For executives, this mirrors the continuous learning needed for effective leadership. Committing to personal health through endurance training also sets a positive example for employees, promoting a culture of health within the organization.

CONCLUSION

Incorporating endurance training into the lives of business executives offers a multifaceted approach to enhancing well-being in a VUCA world. Not only is it a physical outlet for stress and tension but it also cultivates the mental resilience, agility, and collaborative spirit essential for successful leadership. As executives embrace endurance training, they unlock new potentials in personal health, well-being, and professional performance, paving the way for a more resilient and dynamic leadership style.

Hypoxic Training: Options and Outcomes for Performance Enhancement
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Hypoxic training, also known as altitude training, involves exercising in environments with a lower oxygen concentration than at sea level. This type of training can significantly impact athletic performance, particularly for endurance athletes, by inducing various physiological adaptations that improve oxygen delivery and utilization in the body, like optimizing your factory's critical resource availability and efficiency to maximize output.
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Let's delve into the science behind hypoxic training, its different types, its application and alternatives with the help of subject matter expert Frederic DeVreese from Olympeak

Impact of Hypoxic Training

Hypoxic training stimulates adaptations in the body that can enhance endurance performance. Key impacts include:

• Increased Red Blood Cell Production: The kidneys respond to lower oxygen levels by producing more erythropoietin (EPO), which stimulates the production of red blood cells. This increases the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity.
• Improved Oxygen Utilization: Muscles adapt to use oxygen more efficiently, enhancing mitochondrial efficiency and increasing capillarization (the formation of small blood vessels) in the muscles.
• Enhanced Metabolic Efficiency: There's an increase in the muscles' ability to metabolize glucose anaerobically (without oxygen), which is beneficial during high-intensity efforts.

High Altitude Training Formats

Real Altitude training works because, although the air contains the same percentage of oxygen, due to the lower air pressure, all molecules are spread further apart, which means that with the same volume inhaled, the amount of oxygen received is lower (edit April 5th, 2024).
​
Let’s compare the 3 main altitude training formats:

• Live High – Train Low: ​This allows for maximum physiological adaptations, while still being able to train at maximum intensity. This works great for athletes who want to combine aerobic capacity without compromising intensity. This is considered by far the most beneficial strategy.
• Live Low – Train High: This maximizes aerobic capacity and efficiency at altitude, with a positive effect on VO2max. This is often used to prepare for competition at high altitude or for athletes in rehab that want to mimic anaerobic effects at lower intensities (also see BFR). The risk here is that your submaximal training at altitude will cause you to reduce maximum power.
• Live High – Train High: ​This maximizes red blood cell count and hemoglobin, enhancing endurance performance and oxygen utilization efficiency, but at the cost of maximum intensity. There are no real cost-effective alternatives.

Alternatives to high altitude travel training

Realistically, amateur endurance athletes don’t have the time or the budget to travel to high altitude training camps, so here are some great cost-effective shortcuts:


1. Hypobaric Chambers:​

You can sleep in a pressurized chamber where the air pressure and oxygen level can be controlled to simulate different altitudes. This is the opposite as to what divers use for decompression. This very expensive solution provides hypoxic benefits at night, while you can still workout at your maximum during the day. This is a cost-effective way to simulate Live High – train low format.

2. Normobaric Hypoxia: (edit 29/02/2024)

To mimic the “live low-train high” format, you can use oxygen masks during workouts. The benefit of the train high format is a shorter, high intensity hypoxic condition which has lower impact on fatigue or sleep. Onthe other hand, you can also copy the "live high-train low" format by sleeping in normbaric tents to breathe oxygen-reduced air at sea level during the night. 

3. Nasal Breathing During Exercise

Nasal breathing during exercise results in slower, deeper breaths, which creates a mild hypoxic condition increasing the CO2 level in your blood. This enables more efficient release of oxygen from hemoglobin to the muscles (see Bohr Effect).  

4.Breath holding

Breath-holding is a technique that induces hypoxia and hypercapnia. Five breath holds (25 seconds plus), can yield a remarkable 24% increase in natural EPO concentration, three hours post-breath-holding, which results in the increase of red blood cells 3-4 days after, thus enhancing the oxygen-carrying capacity.

5.High Intensity Training

High-intensity workouts in Zones 4 and 5 simulate hypoxic training benefits by inducing internal metabolic stress. This stress enhances cardiovascular and muscular efficiency, and improves lactate threshold and VO2 max, thereby augmenting the body's oxygen transport and utilization capabilities. Key is to balance this out (20%) with base Zone 2 (80%), aerobic training for optimal effectiveness.

6.Blood Flow Restriction Training for Rehabilitation

Blood flow restriction (BFR) training during rehabilitation, especially after musculoskeletal injuries, mimics muscular hypoxic conditions by limiting oxygen flow to muscles. This technique fosters adaptations that improve oxygen use efficiency, allowing for strength gains through low-intensity exercises by simulating the effects of high-intensity training.

7. Cross adaptations through heat training (*Added 22/02/2024)

"Whilst heat and altitude training are not the same in a literal sense, the cross-adaptations elicited by a sensible exercise protocol in heat are favorable to performance in a hypoxic environment (altitude)." Basically, the heat shock response from heat exposure during training provides a similar response as hypoxia training. What is called "acclimatory homeostasis": includes: reduced heart rates, higher oxygen saturation levels, increased cardiac output, and elevated baseline levels of cytoprotective proteins like HSP72

Conclusion

Hypoxic training, through its various forms, leverages the body's adaptive responses to low-oxygen environments to enhance endurance performance at sea-level. Additionally, workarounds like hypobaric chambers, normobaric hypoxia, nasal breathing and intensity training can simulate some benefits of altitude training, making it a valuable tool for athletes unable to train at altitude.

Don't forget. It is the small daily steps that turn into positive habits, patterns, and beliefs ingrained in body and mind. Enjoy the journey!

BONUS TIP from Coach Glenn

Although my recommended option is to sleep in a normobaric chamber, a less expensive way to force yourself into moderate hypoxia conditions during training, is by shifting breathing cycles to a lower gear (as we discussed in part 4 of our oxygen series). For instance, where you normally breathe 4 in – 3 out in a Zone 2 pace, you could try to breath 5 in - 4 out to change your breathing pattern from 25 times per minute, to 20 times per minute, creating a form of normobaric hypoxia, 20% less oxygen per minute. Advanced runners can combine this with nose breathing to further strengthen their CO2 tolerance and their diaphragm.

Oxygen Series:

• The Power of Oxygen(24/1/2024)
• Optimal Breathing (31/1/2024)
• Stress Relief and Focus (9/2/2024)
• Rhythmic Breathing Patterns (14/2/2024)
• Hypoxic Training, Formats and Benefits (21/2/2024)
• Conclusion: Executive Wellbeing (28/2/2024)

 

Injury Management

When you are running, you are generating a force 2-to-3x your body weight when your foot lands. At the deepest point of any exhale, your muscle tension drops and that means you absorb more of that weight with your joints. If you breathe in an even pattern (try it) you will always exhale on the same side, meaning the joints on that side are always absorbing the load. However, an uneven breathing pattern allows you to alternate that impact, which basically means a 50% reduction in absorption on one side. Similar on how the Moebius belt doubles its lifespan by flipping the belt over.

Interestingly, you can also use this technique the other way around. If, while running, you are feeling some strain in your muscles on one side of the body, you can temporarily switch to even breathing to offload the strained side and focus the load on the other side. Usually, this allows the muscle to relax, after which you can resume your uneven breathing. It’s like a business team temporarily taking on a higher workload to alleviate another team struggling with resources.

Performance Optimization

Just like increased market demand requires more production resources, elevated athletic performance requires more oxygen. You can select different breathing rhythms as gears to align with the required effort.

• For example: Typically, zone 2 running is a leisurely pace at which you should still be able to talk. But that is very arbitrary. Using a “4 in – 3 out” rhythm does exactly the same but it is more manageable. If you want to go faster, needing more oxygen, you can shift to a 3-2 breathing cycle in zone 3, or a 2-1 breathing cycle in zone 4 or above. Consciously managing your breathing gives you more control over your effort, like manipulating gears on your bike. You can use it to your advantage during races to put the pressure on a competitor, or adapt to the needs of the terrain, by shifting to faster rhythms as it becomes hillier.

Alternatively, you can use this system for the opposite mindset. As you become more familiar with the relationship between your zones and your breathing patterns you can use them to stay in a specific zone.

• For instance, if you’re in zone 2, using a 4-3 breathing cycle and you can’t catch your breath, needing to shift to a 3-2 pattern, it means you are going too fast. This allows you to really enjoy the run without needing to monitor your speed or even wearing a sports watch (”naked” running).

Optimal Flow, Creativity and Problem Solving

We discussed in part 2 of our blog series, how breathing patterns and focus on your heartbeat can facilitate meditation. Often mantras are used to assist internal reflection and fend off external thoughts. When running with specific breathing patterns, the counting of your steps and breathing can have the same meditating effect.

Additionally, the repetitive nature of step counting enables a runner to find optimal flow. Finding the zone in which your mind turns into subconscious execution of the physical task.

• Have you ever been in a car and suddenly realized you are a lot further than you expected, like awakening from a trance. That is the same state you can achieve while running or cycling.

Finally, as mentioned by Dr. Greg Wells, this optimal flow state, combined with the increased intake of oxygen is often the ideal mix for the highest forms of creativity and problem solving. For executives, finding the right zone to let go of the day-to-day issues and crises, can generate the right amount of relaxation to empower theta brainwaves and achieve a Eureka moment.

Don't forget. It is the small daily steps that turn into positive habits, patterns, and beliefs ingrained in body and mind. Enjoy the journey!

BONUS TIP from @Coach Glenn: Capturing great ideas on the go.

“On numerous occasions during a run or bike ride, I come up with the best ideas. It might result in a writing frenzy upon my return home, but it has happened that I forgot by the time I got home. I’ve learned and recommend to quickly capture those ideas by either leaving yourself a voicemail, or writing yourself a quick text/email with the gist of the idea, to check it when back home. Never waste a great idea!”

General Benefits and Business Applications:

Breathing techniques offer a plethora of benefits that parallel the needs of a thriving corporate environment. Regular, controlled breathing exercises can:

• Activate a relaxation response that may effectively reduce stress and anxiety in the workplace.
• Enhance emotional regulation and concentration, enabling better decision-making in high-stress situations and sharper focus on business tasks.
• Contribute significantly to physical well-being and mental resilience.
• Promote better sleep quality, ensuring clarity of mind and rejuvenation of the body.
• Boost energy levels, crucial for endurance in the fast-paced business world, and aids in pain management.

​Key Philosophical Concepts and Business Correlations:
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1. Mind-Body Connection: Controlled breathing influences the autonomic nervous system, like a strong leadership impact throughout the organization.
2. Presence and Mindfulness: Focused breathing brings us into the present moment, similar to a focus on day-to-day operational excellence in business.
3. Regulation of the Nervous System: Controlled breathing shifts the body from stress to relaxation mode, mirroring a business's transition from crisis to continuous improvement.
4. Energy and Balance: Proper breathing balances energy, much like effective business management balances the strengths of different departments into a strong company.

Effective Breathing Techniques for Executives:

1. Diaphragmatic Breathing: Building a Resilient Business Foundation - Like building a strong foundation for a business, deep diaphragmatic breathing enhances lung capacity and promotes relaxation. It strengthens your core, reduces back and neck issues, while increasing blood flow and oxygen delivery to your body.
2. Box Breathing: Strategic Planning for Stressful Situations - This technique is used by Navy Seals, and involves equal parts (4-4-4-4) of inhaling, holding, exhaling, and holding again. It can be practiced in preparation for, or during, stressful business situations, helping to maintain composure and clarity.
3. Progressive Muscle Relaxation with Breath: Releasing Business Tension - Consciously tensing and relaxing muscle groups, while breathing deeply, helps systematically address and resolve stresses in your body. Similar to Lean concept of lowering the water level, tensing your muscles might identify key issues in your body, which you can consciously relax to resolve.
4. Mindfulness Breathing: Centering for Enhanced Business Focus - Focusing solely on the breath brings the mind to the present, reducing reactionary responses and improving focus, like a strategic offsite in business to assess realign with its core objectives.

Integration into a Busy Executive Schedule:

Incorporating breathing techniques into the fabric of daily life involves a few key strategies. Coach Thomas Hague recommends incorporating regular short breathing sessions during the day. Five times, two and a half minutes each, to dramatically reduce stress. This can be done at anytime and anywhere, even during meeting breaks. It might even be a group activity, to foster a balanced and healthy corporate culture and improve the group’s emotional intelligence and resistance to stress.

Additionally, we recommend taking five to ten minutes before bedtime to breathe purposefully. This will improve your sleep and allow you to awaken fully refreshed for the new business day and its challenges. 

Don’t forget: It is the small, daily consistent steps that turn into positive patterns, habits and beliefs ingrained in body and mind. Enjoy the Journey!

BONUS TIP from Coach Glenn:
Track your heartbeat for more self-awareness and stress relief.

As a variant of the muscles tension and relaxation exercise (#3 above), once you are able to listen to your heartbeat and align your breathing with it, you can try to deeply focus and track the pumping sensation through your body. This does require a healthy, strong heartbeat and an advanced focus overall.
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I usually track it from my chest, to the top of my head, and then down my neck and back, to the back of my legs and toes, then back up the front of the legs and abdomen to my fingertips. Once you achieved that level of focus, you can target the sensation in a specific troubling muscle group and focus on the pumping blood through the muscle, calmly inhaling and exhaling, to relax the muscle.

Introduction

Oxygen, the silent yet omnipresent force, is more than just a breath of air. It's the cornerstone of vitality, especially for those balancing the rigors of executive leadership with the demands of endurance sports. Understanding its multifaceted role not only enhances performance but also enriches overall well-being. Knowing that 65% of us are not breathing optimally is cause for pause.

Over the next few weeks, we will dig deeper into how business executives and executive athletes can harness the power of oxygen from efficient breathing and stress relief, to optimizing performance from race day to the boardroom. We want to start, however, by clarifying why oxygen is important in all aspects of health for all executives, athletes or not.

Cellular Respiration: The Fuel of Life and Decision-Making

Every moment, whether in a high-stakes meeting or during a grueling marathon, your cells are at work, converting glucose into the energy molecule ATP (Adenosine triphosphate), a process heavily reliant on oxygen. Remarkably, with oxygen, this conversion is about 15 times more efficient than its anaerobic counterpart. Imagine this efficiency mirrored in your daily business operations and athletic training, indispensable in sustaining both mental acuity and physical endurance.

Oxygen: The Brain's Silent Partner in High-Pressure Environments
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Your brain, a mere 2% of your body weight, commands an impressive 20% of its oxygen supply, reflecting its immense energy requirements, especially in cognitively demanding scenarios. In the high-pressure world of business, where split-second decisions can have monumental consequences, ensuring your brain is well-oxygenated is not just a health concern but a strategic advantage. Adequate oxygen supply ensures mental sharpness, creativity, and effective problem-solving, key attributes of successful leadership.

Strengthening the Immune System: Oxygen's Protective Role

As the guardian of your health, your immune system relies significantly on oxygen. This vital element fuels the cells that defend your body against illnesses, playing a pivotal role in maintaining a robust immune response. For business professionals and athletes alike, a strong immune system is non-negotiable. It's the foundation of resilience, enabling you to face daily challenges without the setback of illness. Lower oxygen levels can suppress immune function, emphasizing the importance of proper breathing and oxygenation for overall health and fortitude.

Wound Healing and Tissue Repair: A Miracle of Oxygen

In the fast-paced world of business and endurance sports, your body's ability to heal and repair is crucial. Oxygen plays a starring role in this process. Vital for wound healing and tissue regeneration, oxygen is the unsung hero in cellular repair processes. Just as a business leader fosters growth and recovery within their organization, oxygen facilitates the repair and regeneration of tissues. This process is essential, whether recovering from an intense workout or rebounding from the daily wear and tear of a busy executive life.