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All The Gear – Debunking Triathlon Myths
By Dr Thom PhillipsAlmost on a weekly basis I get an email touting the latest gadget, gizmo, piece of latest research that is going to help you perform at your best in 2014. The manufacturers boldly throw around outrageous claims about performance, price and the latest superstar of the tri-world who’s endorsed the product. Thankfully, at thetrilife.com we’re completely independent – we have no corporate tie-ups, no allegiances to retailers or manufacturers, which means (unlike some other coaching companies out there) we can take our time to look carefully at the evidence and decide whether it’s total garbage or actually worth spending your hard earned cash on. For this month’s newsletter I thought I’d share a few of the bits and bobs I’ve seen over the last few months and give you an idea of what the science behind it says.
First up is www.headstrongposturetrainer.com. On the surface it looks like a piece of plastic that fits on the back of your head to stop you moving your head when swimming. They claim it increases stamina, makes you more relaxed and improves your technique. Let’s look more closely at these claims: As it’s such a new product, there isn’t any evidence. But let’s just take a step back and have a think about this: How is a car aerial device going to change to your technique? It may change your head position, marginally, until it inevitably falls off your head, but will unlikely have any effect on your early vertical forearm, catch or recovery phase. Increases stamina? Really? I can’t see a single physiological mechanism by which this rubber thong would increase your stamina unless it was pressing on an ancient Egyptian energy releasing point on your skull. Bold and ultimately baseless claim that wouldn’t stand up in a GCSE biology class, let alone any kind of scientific laboratory. And lastly, how many times have you been in a pool based triathlon and you haven’t felt the volunteer whack you on the head with a float? Do you honestly think you’ll get any tactile feedback from a flexible piece of plastic the size of a biro? Yeah, me neither.
Claim: REJECTED
The staple accompaniment to a school dinner salad, that dusty jar languishing at the back of grandma’s cupboard. The humble beetroot is seeing something of a resurgence at the moment, mostly due to the buzz around its potential benefits for exercise and performance. A quick scan of the “beet it” website and you’ll see it’s getting a good following. So what does the evidence show? Surprisingly, the evidence is pretty much all positive. Beetroot juice improves oxygen consumption during sub maximal and maximal exercise; it reduces resting blood pressure too. Surely this is a gold starred, certified winner. Well yes, just be aware that in the studies the participants were drinking 0.5L of juice! So a relatively cheap and effective way to boost your performance this winter.
Claim: ACCEPTED (as long as you like beetroot juice and don’t mind purple wee!!)
The winner of the Maglia Rosa, and the winner of this year’s Malliot Jaune can’t be wrong, can they? Elliptical or eccentric chain rings. Their claim: 6.2% increase in power output, improved sub maximal efficiency, immediate benefits. Well, what does the science say? Unfortunately, the jury’s out a bit on this one. I spent a few hours looking through the available literature, unfortunately there’s no meta analysis to give a fundamental yes/no answer and it seems that the scientists are well and truly split down the middle. What is clear though, is that there are definitely no disadvantages to the elliptical rings. In the studies, the cyclists either stayed the same or got better. Starting at about £150 for a set, they’re not the cheapest bit of kit, but if you’re writing to Santa and you’ve been a good boy or girl then they may be worth the investment!
Claim: JURY’S OUT
I’m going to finish on a biggie, and a real bugbear of mine – Compression Clothing. Yep, sorry to burst your bubble guys. The benefit of compression clothing is a BIG FAT LIE. Any search through the scientific literature will throw up well designed studies that show, repeatedly, that wearing compression clothing neither increases performance (1) or speeds up recovery (2) in endurance exercise. I don’t doubt that some of you guys reading will be shouting “heretic” and “well they work for me”, “Crowie can’t be wrong”. That may well be true (apart from the Crowie one), but the numbers don’t lie, there’s no physiological difference between wearing compression tights or normal tights for running or cycling in, although I suspect that fish net tights may have some distinct aesthetic if not aerodynamic advantages in some cases!
Claim: REJECTED
So, now you know. Sorry for being the cynic in the corner, but as a coach, it’s important that I spend my time figuring out what works and what doesn’t so I can pass that knowledge onto you, the athlete. There are loads of products out there that really work for triathlon training, GPS, power meters, pull buoys, kickboards. The stuff that you can see working as soon as you pick them up. Spend your time and money on a balanced diet and learn to use the simple tools effectively. Ignore the glamour and the gimmicks and the quick fixes, because ultimately, there are no shortcuts to better performances, just hard work, dedication and a healthy dose of cynicism.
