Some Work, All Play – Episode 292

The Countdown! Our 10 Most Important Training Studies of the Year
Air Date: January 6, 2026
Hosts: Megan Roche, M.D. & David Roche

Episode Overview

This special episode is a fast-paced, laughter-filled deep dive into the ten most influential endurance training studies of the past year (2025). Drawing inspiration from MTV’s classic TRL-style countdowns, Megan and David combine science, coaching experience, personal anecdotes, and plenty of on-brand banter to analyze each study’s implications for runners, coaches, and curious listeners. The episode covers physical, physiological, and technological frontiers in endurance sports, consistently weaving hope, empathy, and humor throughout the discussion.

Main Themes

• Integrating Science and Practice: Real-world coaching and athlete experience meet the latest in endurance research.
• Navigating Uncertainties and Bias: Both hosts openly discuss scientific skepticism, confirmation bias, and the necessity for open-mindedness.
• Physical & Mental Health: Emphasizing recovery, fueling, psychological resilience, and long-term wellbeing.
• Future Innovations: The role of machine learning, AI, and evolving tech (from footwear to training tools) in shaping performance and research.

Key Discussion Points and Timestamps

1. Personal Updates & Setting the Scene

[00:11 – 05:41]

• David shares injury saga & “stages of grief” for sidelined athletes — from denial (running through injury), bargaining (crazy cross-training), to acceptance (lasagna pan ice baths).
• Megan emphasizes the importance of listening to one's body and prioritizing long-term health.
• Joyful housekeeping: how they balance training, coaching, and "smelly hormonal status."
• Quote [03:16, David]: “My mental health can really be evaluated through my armpits… if you can smell them from six feet away, that’s how you know my hormonal status is really good.”

2. Training Approach and Adaptation

[05:42 – 07:16]

• Megan’s shift to a “chill” aerobic approach—how less intensity has yielded lower heart rates, steadier progress, and more enjoyment.
• Quote [06:37, Megan]: “I think I’ve just been a chill bitch… Each year [my effort level] chipped down a notch… Now, for the most part, it’s pretty easy, and I think it’s helping everything.”

3. Roadmap: The Top 10 Countdown

[07:41 – 10:49]

• Inspired by MTV's TRL, the studies are ranked based on “biggest takeaways that actually change the way we think about training theory”—not just by scientific novelty.
• Playful anticipation of fierce debate and bias confirmation.

The 10 Most Important Training Studies of 2025

#10: Temporary Myelin Reduction in the Brain After Hard Efforts

[12:11 – 16:14]

• Study: “Reversible Reduction in Brain Myelin Content upon Marathon Running”
• Takeaway: Hard endurance efforts can cause temporary reductions in brain myelin (26–28%), possibly affecting cognition and fatigue.
• Implications for stacking hard training/races and long-term under-fueling.
• Ketones may help support brain fuel needs post-exercise.
• Quote [13:12, Megan]: “The brain is almost stuck in .6 speed… it’s really hard to have those higher-level conversations and focus.”
• Implication: Reiterates importance of fueling during/after hard events, and raises interest in cognitive effects of long ultrarunning.

#9: Colon Health—Elevated Risk in Endurance Runners?

[16:32 – 20:48]

• Study: “Risk of Precancerous Advanced Adenomas of the Colon in Long Distance Runners” (Conference abstract)
• Finding: 15% of runners studied had advanced adenomas vs 1–2% in general population (no control group).
• Emphasis on screening for athletes, especially with GI irregularities or family history.
• Concern over fear mongering versus real risk.
• Quote [17:55, David]: “If you’re just a person going through your life, and had some of the bowel movements runners have, you’d be like, Holy crap—this is a problem. In fact, unholy crap.”
• Playful debate about YouTube colonoscopy content – “Wahoo” as colonoscopy catchphrase.

#8: Recovery—Elevated Metabolic Demands Post-Ultra

[21:37 – 24:02]

• Study: “Total Energy Expenditure and Intake During a 161km Mountain Ultra” (Wasatch 100 case study)
• Finding: Metabolic rate remains 2x baseline even seven days after a 100-mile ultra.
• Lesson: Fuel for recovery like you’re still long-running for days.
• Cautions about bone metabolism and injury risk post-ultra.
• Quote [23:16, David]: “You need to feel like it’s long run day for a week after.”

#7/#6: The Carbohydrate Wars

Low-Carb vs. High-Carb Fueling in Endurance
[24:59 – 34:44]

• #7 Study: “Carbohydrate Ingestion Eliminates Hypoglycemia… in… Very Low and Very High Carbohydrate Diets”

  • Found 10g carbs/hr improved performance 22%—but criticized for not testing higher carb loads.
  • Quote [28:35, David]: “The hard part about low-carb studies is... almost always from the same group of researchers that are low-carb proponents already.”
  • Emphasis on researcher confirmation bias & critical evaluation.

• #6 Study: “Carbon-13 Labeled Glucose-Fructose Show Greater Oxidation and Lower O2 Cost … at 120 v. 60 v. 90 g/hr in Elite Marathoners”

  • 2.6% running economy gain at highest carb intake (120g/hr) in fast marathoners.
  • Debate over real-world applicability; warning not to let single studies override accumulated practice and outlier variability.
  • Quote [32:43, Megan]: “I think we’re gonna have huge outliers on either side... What does a smaller female athlete—how are they going to respond to 120+ grams/hour?”

#5: Long Run Distance as Main Injury Predictor

[37:53 – 44:30]

• Study: “How Much Running is Too Much? Identifying High-Risk Running Sessions in a 5,200-Person Cohort Study”
• Findings: Exceeding your longest run in previous month by 10% increases injury risk; weekly mileage increases are less risky.
• Emphasis on “acute vs chronic load,” risk of big jumps in long run, especially in ultra training.
• Quote [38:19, David]: “If your long run was 16 miles when you hadn’t done eight miles in the previous 30 days, injury risk skyrocketed.”
• Practical application: Encourage gradual long run progression; fuel to mitigate acute stress.

#4: Protein—Rest Day Needs Higher Than Expected

[44:36 – 48:06]

• Study: “Protein Nutrition for Endurance Athletes: A Metabolic Focus on Promoting Recovery and Training Adaptation”
• Takeaway: New method estimates athletes may need >1.8g/kg protein—rest days especially see increased requirements.
• Encourage athletes to up protein when not training to promote recovery and reduce fatigue.
• Banter about protein shakes vs. “business meals,” and the evolution of protein influencer trends.

#3: Big Data—Easy Volume Predicts Marathon Success

[48:19 – 52:42]

• Study: “Training Intensity Distribution of Marathon Runners Across Performance Levels” (120,000 marathon runners via Strava)
• Result: Only easy (Z1–2) volume scaled with performance; hard effort volume (Z3–5) stayed constant.
• Lighthearted promise to post all David’s training to Strava if he recovers—so he can “DNF at 30 miles and everyone can see why.”
• Quote [49:17, David]: “Faster marathons were solely explained by increases in easy volume.”
• Caution about data biases, the “saturation” point of easy volume, and the need for top-end output.
• Mention of “knowledge is Watt” Instagram for visualization.

#2: Passive Heat Training—A (Potential) Breakthrough

[52:47 – 58:46]

• Study: “Long-Term Passive Heat Acclimation Enhances Maximal Oxygen Consumption…”
• Result: Five weeks of 5x50min hot tub sessions increased hemoglobin mass by nearly 4%, similar to “heat suit” exercise training but with lower training stress.
• Cautions: Protocol feasibility, gender applicability, interaction of passive vs. active heat, interaction with altitude.
• Reflection on overdoing “heat suit” protocols, and the interplay of “practice vs. science.”
• Quote [53:21, Megan]: “How have we not already seen this?... I feel like my brain had assumed we had already found this with passive heat training, but indeed, we had not.”

#1: Machine Learning Revolutionizes Shoe Design, Running Economy

[59:13 – 64:13]

• Study: “Data-Driven Shoe Design Improves Running Economy Beyond State-of-the-Art Advanced Footwear Technology Running Shoes”
• Finding: Puma, using computer-aided design and optimization algorithms, produced a super shoe with a documented 3% running economy improvement over existing top super shoes.
• All tested athletes responded positively; potential for even further gains foreseen.
• Discussion of lack of injury consideration in optimization models; anticipation that similar advances will come to trail shoes and beyond.
• Quote [61:04, Megan]: “3% could be the difference between making an Olympic team and not.”
• Extrapolation to future AI roles in science, equipment, and training analysis (“data gathering is here…the processing can come from other places—extremely exciting”).

Notable Quotes and Laugh-Out-Loud Moments

• On Hope & Endurance:
  • [03:37, David] “If you don’t have almost irrational hope at various times, why would you keep showing up day after day?”
• On Confirmation Bias:
  • [28:35, David] “If you want to believe, and a study comes out that justifies your belief system, that’s scary.”
• On Rigorous Science:
  • [37:53, Megan] “Megan’s button gets tickled by large cohort studies.”
• On Sandwiches and Gender Roles (satirically):
  • [54:26, David & Megan] “Who cares [about female athlete data]? ... Make me a sandwich.” “You actually do make sandwiches. You really have good sandwiches.”
• On Trail News & Community Forgiveness:
  • [75:14, Megan] “We are all carrying something that if we got exposed for this reason would be, ‘What is happening?’ ... Forgiveness needs to be at the forefront.”
• On Machine Learning in Trail Shoes:
  • [63:41, David] “I’d like to take any trail shoe and present it to the researchers that designed Puma and watch them laugh.”

Additional Segments

Product & Sponsor Chat (The Feed, John G, Race Day Bicarb Bar)

• Banter on experimenting with 45g Victus gels and groundbreaking ketone IQ (none sold locally—“zero in six months”).
• New bicarb bar with 6g sodium discussed—David wonders if he’ll need to “boa constrictor” it down (“wrap your whole body around it, really, really tight, and then swallow it all at once”).
• John G fleece tights and running bras get raves.

Trail Community News

[73:03 – 81:00]

• Shelby Houlihan’s re-entrance into trail racing—celebrated for her technical prowess, discussed vis-à-vis her doping ban and internet outrage.
  • [75:13, Megan]: “We are all carrying something; we all fail purity tests.”
• Ann Trason: At age 65, completed 100 miles with a walker, cross-country style, despite rheumatoid arthritis—a model for “doing hard things for the sake of doing hard things.”

Listener Corner

• A runner in bear country plays SWAP podcasts on speaker to scare wildlife; banter about expert use of noise for both bear safety and baby calming.

Conclusion & Looking to the Future

[69:47 – 72:32]

• Excitement for where science, technology, and the SWAP community are headed in 2026 and beyond, with inklings of more YouTube content, new plans, and increased sharing of both scientific and personal stories.
• Quote [68:24, David]: “With science, I think it’s about trying to maintain a constant one-year head start. One year advantage.”
• Closing [71:48, David & Megan]: Anticipation for more laughter, science, and love in the next year—“It’s gonna be so fun.”

Episode Highlights & Essential Takeaways

• Fueling, recovery, and injury prevention trump all else:

  • Fuel both muscles AND the brain.
  • Recovery takes longer and is more demanding post-ultra than most athletes realize.
  • Avoid big long run jumps; keep easy volume steady and progressive.

• Embrace and question the science:

  • Be wary of confirmation bias and oversimplification from all sides (“I want to believe” is not enough).
  • Remember the value of big data, but don’t ignore outliers and practicality.

• The future is data-driven and AI-enhanced:

  • Machine learning is already making athletes faster—first in shoes, soon in training and everything else.

• Love, hope, and forgiveness—on and off the trails:

  • Community is about supporting each other through the mishaps (“We all fail purity tests”).
  • Bring curiosity, leave judgment, and always keep humor close at hand.

For runners, coaches, and science nerds alike: this episode encapsulates why SWAP remains a must-listen in the endurance world—offering equal measures wisdom, warmth, skepticism, and enthusiasm for whatever’s coming next.