Science of Running

A new study from Florida State shows that pre-run dynamic and static stretching affect your body in different ways.

My Jockology column in today’s Globe and Mail gets seasonal and looks at five bits of research related to exercising outdoors in the winter. For example:

The challenge: Going bareheaded in the winter is like leaving the lid off your thermos. Classic studies in the 1950s showed that if you wear winter clothes but no hat at 4 C, you lose about 50 per cent of your body heat through your head.

The research: A U.S. Army study published in early 2011 showed that your face is almost as important as the top of your head for heat loss. Volunteers spent an hour in a cold chamber with a wind chill of -20 C; those who wore a balaclava had measurably warmer fingers and toes than those wearing a normal hat. Your body tries valiantly to keep your brain warm by shunting blood away from your extremities toward your head.

Read the whole column here.

Italian researchers analyze four decades of data to explore what factors are speeding up men’s marathons.

A study of London Marathon runners finds that eating more than 7 g/kg of carbohydrate the day before the race is associated with faster times and maintaining pace in the later stages of the race.

A new study reveals how regular runners in a road race hit the ground — with surprising results.

You can’t always take the results of medical studies at face value.

A study of London Marathon participants finds a surprisingly high prevalence of allergy symptoms.

After prolonged exposure to cold, fingers and toes hurt less — but that’s not necessarily good news.

A new review assesses 23 studies suggesting that antioxidant supplements may actually block some of the benefits of training.

A new study offers encouraging news for female runners — unlike their male counterparts.