Category: News

“Jumproping” is both a blessing and a curse in many runners’ training sessions; it is often considered little more than a diversion, whereas it can instead serve a very supportive, important role in our training program.

If done with continuity, exercises with a jumprope can bring significant improvements to various aspects:

– More effective thrust through the development of reactive force and elasticity, as well as the activation of all leg muscles, particularly in the lower leg, ankle and foot.

-Running technique through the development of coordination, in addition to the activation of muscles which are often underused between the ankle and foot.

-Resistance, if the exercises are part of a sufficiently intense training session

Let’s look at a few applications:

-2-3 repititions of 1-2 minutes each at the end of warm-up

-1-2 minutes as an interval exercise in indoor strength circuits when running outdoors is not possible. A potential workout is 20 min of warm-up, 3 sets of abdominals, + 1 min jumprope+half squats, 1 min jumprope+push-ups, 1 min jumprope+alternating-leg lunges, 1 min jumprope, with a recommended 2 min between sets

-technical strides with the jumprope, skipping, walk-kicking, heel-running, etc.

Expert runners can vary their jumprope use even more, reaching up to 5 min or more of continuous exercise. We suggest starting calmly and patiently (the first few times you may find it difficult to jump continuously), progressively including the jumprope in workouts, until you reach a level of continuity of at least one or two workouts a week.

In short we can say that the jumprope is a very useful tool to include in general training workouts in the fall and winter that all runners will benefit from, especially those who practice trail running, who will note and enjoy increased general coordination (useful on downhill and uneven terrain) and elasticity. Aside from the most expert runners, training sessions which incorporate jumproping are discouraged in workouts right before a race in order to avoid any leg soreness.

Let’s clear up the relationship between running and coffee, or better, caffeine.

By now a must for many people in the world, so much so that it is one of the most consumed substances in any form, COFFEE contains a substance that was first isolated about 200 years ago by a German chemist: CAFFEINE. How does caffeine affect our body? The well-known researcher Graham has told us that caffeine induces the body to CONSUME FAT FOR ENERGY, which lets runners save the glycogen content in their muscles. Caffeine also has a stimulating effect on the nervous system, and is therefore able to help you perceive less fatigue. Other research also suggests that caffeine improves MUSCULAR EFFICIENCY.

In principle, a dose exceeding 12MCG/L of caffeine in urine is considered doping (by WADA, World Anti-Doping Agency), which is equivalent to drinking more than 7 coffees simultaneously 30 minutes before a race. Several studies have been conducted which demonstrate the effects of caffeine in terms of improved performance. Consuming 2.5 cups of coffee before a workout or race already has ergogenic effects (improving energy consumption), and in particular, in one experiment it was noted how athletes who had been given an amount of caffeine exceeding the allowed limits “were able to prolong their efforts up to 90.2 minutes, compared to the 75.5 minutes of other athletes who had not consumed caffeine”, while the allowed doses only showed a light increase in stamina during a moderately strenuous aerobic workout.
The effect of caffeine’s metabolism is documented by the respiratory exchange ratio, the concentration of plasma glycerol and free fatty acids, as well as the maximum oxygen intake.

This therefore demonstrated the effective function of caffeine that had been hypothesised: it improves fat catabolism, reducing the oxidation of carbohydrates. But as mentioned before, there is more. If these are the effects on energy metabolism, there are also a whole host of excitatory consequences in the nervous system. Caffeine also facilitates the contribution of calcium ions, and, by increasing the sensitivity of muscular myofibrils, it aids muscle contraction.

These data must however be reasond with, as it is important to note that if fat is not used in races up to 10 km (so metabolically speaking, caffeine doesn’t help), in longer races such as a half-marathon or marathon there are certain factors which limit the energy improvement of caffeine, such as TOLERANCE TO IT BEFORE EXERCISE (a high amount of caffeine induces tachycardia, tremors and nervousness), and especially the HIGH CONCENTRATION OF CARBOHYDRATES before exercise. So what we can deduce from all this is that coffee before a marathon is useless.

Nonetheless, if taken in small amounts (approximately 1/4 of a coffee) along with maltodextrin or fructose, it facilitates their absorption in the intestine, thus increasing the amount of energy available to muscles.

There are many different scenarios, which should be evaluated one by one. The quality of the caffeine is undeniably important as well, as pure caffeine provides a significant improvement in performance when consumed just beyond the allowed limits.

It is the hottest part of the year and athletes need to take the necessary steps if they are not to suffer a deterioration in performance. There are several factors to consider, here are just some of them. Correct nutrition is fundamental to keeping the body well fuelled but, at the same time, agile and light. Focus on fruit, vegetables, fibre and whole foods. Hydration should be adjusted according to the humidity level and the duration of the activity in question.

It is important to begin any training session fully hydrated, although this should not be overdone. During the run, it is a good idea to replace liquids lost, preferably just with water or with rehydrating drinks (well diluted). As a benchmark, on a particularly muggy day, drink a glass of water every 15-30 minutes.

In terms of clothing, make sure you wear light-coloured and highly breathable clothes which leave large areas of your skin uncovered to allow for good ventilation, therefore helping your body to cool quickly.

As regards training sessions, try to find time during the cooler parts of the day (first thing in the morning or in the evening), routes which are sheltered from direct sunlight and/or which are airy (e.g. forests, tree-lined avenues, etc.) and create sessions which do not involve excessive energy consumption. When you have longer sessions planned in hot weather, you should take precautions, ensuring you are not caught out. In these circumstances, you may require sun cream, a hat, a bottle belt, sunglasses, etc. The issue, even in this brief summary, is clearly a very complex one, so be very careful when training in the heat and never underestimate the risks it brings.