Scientific Training for Endurance Athletes

Description

Endurance sports performance is not about magic workouts, fad diets, or special supplements. It is about understanding the human body and how it responds to physical work. Science provides us with the tools to come to that understanding. However, that science is often inaccessible to the average athlete. This book changes that. Packed with over 400 references, Scientific Training for Endurance Athletes provides an evidence-based framework to analyze and improve your swimming, cycling or running. It includes not only the techniques Dr. Skiba has used to help his athletes set world records, but the scientific basis of those techniques explained in everyday language. Although it contains example workouts and schedules, Scientific Training for Endurance Athletes does not provide canned training plans. Instead, Dr. Skiba teaches you the concepts you need to know in order to develop your own custom training program. You will learn to rigorously evaluate what you have done, and then make the adjustments necessary to better pursue your dream performance. By the time you finish this book, you will understand that the secret is there is no secret. Note: In addition to entirely new material, this work includes the information found in Dr. Skiba's out-of-print books (Scientific Training for Triathletes, and The Triathlete's Guide to Training with Power), updated to include the latest research in the field. Review: Unique Perspective, Get it - I own no other endurance training books of any kind. I had looked up free versions, Reddit discussions, interviews/podcasts, or excerpts on desertcart of other common books/ideologies: Daniels, Pfitz, etc etc. I wanted something that would speak at a high enough level to discuss training zones, training paces, how to train them and the physiological underpinnings of doing so. This book was ideal. The author uses very specific nomenclature and very strict definitions, so some people reading it quickly might be turned off. He even tries to address some issues of coaches using terms incorrectly, in order to help communicate concepts. Before getting this, I had trouble pulling the trigger since there were very few reviews online anywhere. But I'm happy that I did and I see no need to have another book like this: that is to say a background text about training for endurance. It might be the case that some customers might want more prescriptive week by week outlined training plans with multiple different options such that other more common books might also be helpful. The book uses mathematical modeling for predictive analysis. So it is frustrating, especially as a runner, that it is hard to trust power W the same way that cyclists can and therefore some of the equations in the book feel more cumbersome. Nonetheless, they still work. Review: Powerful info made easily understandable - Dr Skiba has taken a bunch of things - cryptic scientific jargon, confusing medical terms, and widely accepted but corrupted practices - and laid them out in simple, easy to understand plain language. He backs up his statement with facts, and clearly notes when something is his personal opinion (but based on some 30 years of medical practice and coaching Olympians and world record holders). I found several topics of which I “kind of” understood something about, which Dr Skiba explained clear as day, and wiped away a lot of misconceptions I’ve been carrying around with me. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about endurance training at any level (recreational to professional).