Better is Better

Like so many coaches out there, I’ve coached a fair share of athletes who subscribe to the “more is better” mindset.  Over my years in the endurance world, I’ve definitely learned to subscribe to the “more is not better; better is better” philosophy.  Why?  Because...

Individualised cold water immersion to speed recovery

Who, what and why? Coldwater immersion baths are often used to speed up recovery in both endurance and team sports. It is thought to be effective by moving fluid back from muscle tissue into the circulation, preventing reduction in contractility and associated muscle...

How to use HRV in sports training Part 3

Recovery Strategies Sleep. Not only quantity, but quality is important. Human growth hormone which is essential for body repair, is mostly produced during the first four hours of sleep, and these turn out to be the most critical hours for recovery. Alcohol, caffeine,...

Mallorca 312 – Event and post race recovery

In summary, I think the preparation for this event was a success – especially the many hours of MAF endurance training, and the aerodynamic improvements to both my position and the bike itself. I think diet was the only area I didn’t get quite right, and perhaps I need to gain confidence that I can perform on a low(er) carb diet on a 100m event first.

HRV after exercise: implications for training prescription

Introduction Researchers Jamie Stanley & Jonathan Peake from the University of Queensland, with the guidance of heart rate variability (HRV) sports research supremo Martin Buchheit have put together an important review article with over 120 references. The paper...

Luke Campbell ithlete utilisation

As the strength and conditioning coach of one of the highest profile athletes from 2012 the pressure was on me to get everything in place for the start of Luke Campbell’s professional career in 2013. In a review of his first professional fight camp we decided that to...

Fatigue, overtraining & the road to recovery

Okay, here goes . . . my first ever internet blog. Where shall I begin? Well it makes sense to share my experiences and understanding of the phenomenon that brought about me working in conjunction with ‘ithlete’ and using heart-rate variability to inform my training ....

Simon Wegerif’s Polarised Training Challenge Part 5

In this 4th update, I’d like to run through the preparation for the first real test of the season – the Hampshire Hilly Hundred – a course designed to make the most of the rolling countryside of north Hampshire. The section of chart below is my heart rate...

Bruce Conner on Overtraining

I have a tendency to overtrain I know a lot of highly motived people who do.  Hard training can be very addictive.  I have had three distinct times in my life where I have physically overtrained.  The first was when I was 19.  Back in the fall of 1975 I went to the...

Lee Doran’s ithlete HRV Training Diary – December

Getting Started with HRV So, this is my first blog as an ithlete athlete. After receiving support from the ithlete team, I have started using the HRV Monitor and found this fantastic. This month has been an important month for me as I am currently recovering from...

Lee Doran

I’m an international Javelin thrower and UK Champion (2011 & 12). I have been using ithlete for a few weeks now and feel it will be a great asset to my training. I started throwing when I was just 12 years old after picking up a cricket ball at the Gateshead...

Fitness Does Not Equate to Health

  by Amber Pierce   A big part of what I love about being a professional athlete is helping promote lifestyle choices that lead to better health and overall quality of life. Fitness plays an integral role in maintaining and optimizing health, and people...

Heart Rate Variability Monitoring in Team Sports

by Chris Black & Ben Stirling Ben Stirling and Chris Black both work in professional rugby league and have a particular interest in monitoring and physical performance, both in terms of injury prevention and strength and conditioning. Monitoring in Team Sports As...