Be nice to have a podcast on the roadmap for Athletica. I am sure plenty of exciting things are in the pipeline. Be interesting get some broad brush strokes on some of it.
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Good idea. I’ll talk with the team!
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I am curious what experience or thoughts the Prof has on things like Enhanced Games, blood doping epo and/or performance enhancing drugs and motor doping that happens in all levels of cycling. And if he has seen it or crazy stories about it.
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Interesting question. I’ll bring it up and see what he says.
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We’ll do a podcast episode on the adaptive games and doping. What other questions do all of you have?
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Well based on recent experience and what the AI coach said. Suppressed heart rate during prolonged ultra endurance events: the physiological reasons, strategies before, during, and after events. Questions such as, is it better to have more micro naps or longer sleeps, on an event where the clock never stops and you have to choose between if you wish to finish in the time limits etc.
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Curious to see what Prof and others (can we find an expert) think about the seeming increase of certain cancers in endurance athletes. We see the news about higher incident rates of colon cancer, for example, and anecdotally have an ultra-endurance friend (lots of long running and mountain biking) that is having his second bout with colon cancer, the first in his mid-30s now relapse in his early 40s. Would love to hear thoughts on protection methods while training (assuming lower sugars, better hydration, etc.)…
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Here in the UK that is being seen increasing in those under 50, but not the over 50s. But also increases in type 2 diabetes and other diseases that usually manifest at a much older age. It is mostly viewed as due to the big increase in the amount of ultra processed foods being eaten and poorer diets by younger generations compared to older. Eating out and take aways used to be a rare treat and ready meals were not a thing when I was younger.
I was not aware of any research connecting it to ultra distance athletes. Clearly if more people take part in ultras, then in absolute numbers you will see an increase in incidents of colon cancer amongst ultra participants. But the relative risk has not changed as the denominator has also increased.
You also have to remember that the baseline is that 1 in 2 of us will experience cancer in our lifetimes. The baseline is already high, and most of us will know someone who has had or has some form of cancer.
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You can find a lot of news articles (NYT, WP) but since the news usually aggrandizes the results I like to read the actually study, here for your enjoyment: https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO.2025.43.16_suppl.3619
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Interesting but Adenomas are noncancerous tumours.
I wonder if it needs to be competitive ultra to increase the risk of advanced Adenomas? Plus whether they would find the sane in cycling and again whether that needs to competitive.
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Certainly a lot more detail needed, better designed and larger studies, but would still be interesting to hear from any experts on potential causes and ways to potentially mitigate that they may suggest in the interim.
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