Six Minute Mile
Posts
Will you burn fat by running on an empty stomach?

Will you burn fat by running on an empty stomach?

Also today: How sweating and other factors make us born to run

June 07, 2024

Minute 1: Does fasted cardio actually burn fat?

Can runners get faster with fasted cardio? Intuitively, it’s always seemed logical that if we want to train our bodies to burn fat for upcoming marathons, we should run on an empty stomach in the morning so we don’t have recently-ingested carbs in our system. The research suggests it’s more complicated than that. Used incorrectly, fasted cardio is not only ineffective, but it can also be counterproductive for athletes. To get the real scoop on this fitness trend, check out: “When ‘Fasted Cardio’ Actually Makes Sense.” The bottom line is, fasted cardio seems to help if you’re dealing with a sensitive stomach, don’t have time in your schedule for several meals a day, or are generally trying to lower your daily caloric intake. What fasted cardio won’t do, however, is guarantee you’ll burn fat as you exercise. That’s usually the main selling point for fasted cardio, but according to this piece: “Fat Burning: using body fat instead of carbohydrates as fuel,” the way you exercise has a lot more to do with how much fat you burn, while diet and eating habits are less impactful. Research shows that when we exercise at a moderate intensity (about 50% to 65% of our VO2 max), we maximize our fat oxidation rate. Furthermore, there aren’t any ironclad ways to hack your diet to increase fat burning, but caffeine and green tea do seem to have a moderate impact on burning fat. If you’re interested in altering your diet for weight loss in general, you might be better off adding some of these: “5 high-volume, low-calorie foods to make cutting easier.”

#NotSoFast

Creatine + Collagen: The Essential One-Two Punch for Endurance Athletes

Push What’s Possible.

Healthspan isn’t just about adding years to your life, it’s about adding life to your years! And that's much easier when you add the right supplements to your diet.

From essential vitamins and minerals to specialized blends designed for an athlete’s needs, there's something out there for everyone. When combined with a balanced diet and regular exercise, supplements can help you feel more energized, improve your immune function, support brain health, and even promote healthy aging.

But with so many options on the market, choosing the right supplement is like finding a needle in a haystack. That’s why we turn to Momentous, the makers of high-quality, science-backed, and rigorously tested supplements. They’ve got a two-in-one offer for collagen and creatine to fully support your development. Collagen reinforces the body’s structural foundation, while creatine fuels your muscles for explosive power. Become an unstoppable force and an immovable object with Momentus Collagen + Creatine.

Momentous pursues third-party testing and independent certifications. No fillers, no additives. What you see on the label is exactly what you get.

Momentous is offering subscribers of Six Minute Mile 15% off your first order. Click here and use code "SMM15" for these exclusive savings.

Minute 2: Runners can build full-body strength with this guide

They say there’s strength in numbers, and we’d have to agree. Especially if you’re referring to the number of pounds on the bar, or number of reps you’re completing in the gym. We love supplementing our running with strength training to improve performance and protect against injury, but it’s intimidating to choose from hundreds of possible exercises. Luckily, there’s a helpful new guide to be found here: “Strength Training Will Help You Run Stronger, Faster Half Marathons.” In this article, training is broken down into four categories with these simple corresponding charts: lower body, upper body, core, and plyometrics. On your strength training days, you may find it helpful to pick one or two moves from each category to build a full body workout. If you’re new to strength training, you may want to watch out for these: “7 Strength Training Mistakes Runners Make.” Endurance athletes often have a tendency to think that the more reps, the better. While it’s true that high rep ranges can improve muscular endurance, you’re already getting a lot of that type of stimulation during cardio exercise. Using low-rep, high-weight sessions can improve your strength and power, which can translate to a faster top speed and stronger kick in a race. In a similar vein, taking frequent rests during strength training can feel unusual to a runner who’s used to long, uninterrupted periods of exercise. However, taking your time between sets can ensure you’re performing quality repetitions with good form, and that’s what will deliver the best results over time.

#WeightWeightDon’tTellMe

Minute 3: How sweating and other factors make us born to run

Fish swim, birds fly, and humans run. If you ever had any doubt that you were meant to be a runner, we’ve got good news. The latest research indicates that running has helped humans evolve into one of nature’s most enduring animals, according to this new story from Outside: “Why You (Yes, You) Were Born to Run.” By now, it’s been well established that early human life involved quite a bit of persistence hunting. That's when an animal catches its prey by following it long distances until it reaches exhaustion. For that, the hunter needs a few things, like an abundance of slow-twitch muscle fibers, sweat glands to cool off, and long achilles tendons to recycle energy while moving. Lucky for us, humans have all those components, and it’s why we’re one of the most efficient animals when it comes to moving across land over long distances. Our ability to sweat is especially useful in these hot summer months, but did you know your sweat can teach you about your nutritional needs? Take a look at these: “4 Signs You Might Be a Salty Sweater – and Why That Matters When It Comes to Your Workouts.” If your sweat tastes exceptionally salty, your post-workout clothes become crusty, you’re cramping during workouts, or you crave salty food after a run, you may be losing a high amount of electrolytes via sweat. If so, you’ll want to replenish them with 5-10 ounces of an electrolyte-rich drink every 15-20 minutes. To dial in the perfect rehydration plan, you should consider using a simple biosensor like the one described in this review: “Basic Review: Nix Hydration Biosensor.”

#SaltLicks

Register today - St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend presented by Juice Plus+

Minute 4: Burn rubber on the trails with these four race-ready trail runners

Normally, we’re ecstatic to hear our friend Brian Metzler’s thoughts on just one pair of shoes. This week, we’re in for a treat, because he’s broken down the pros and cons of four top-notch trail racing shoes that will have you gliding up and down terrain with ease. We’ll include the highlights of the review here, but be sure to check out the full review on our website to learn more.

Racing on trails is both similar and much different than running fast on the roads, though I’d argue that the thrill of racing on the trails is heightened by the technicality of the terrain and the environment around you. In a road race, the goal is to run at a consistent pace just below your red line as your heart rate gradually increases from start to finish. On the trails, because the race course is often hilly with steep climbs and fast descents, there’s no such thing as a consistent pace or heart rate. Your heart rate and breathing might spike early in a race and stay elevated all the way to the finish line, even though you’re trying to recover on the downhills or flat sections.

The racing shoes for each discipline are similar and different, too. The universal design paradigm for road racing super shoes has evolved around hyper-responsive midsole foams with lightweight uppers and minimalist rubber outsoles. Trail running shoes built for running fast on moderate to rugged terrain also have lively midsole components and some type of internal devices to enhance energy return, but those plates and rods embedded in the midsoles serve a dual-purpose of enhancing propulsion and modulating stability, while the outsoles on trail shoes are all about providing reliable grip specific to the terrain you’re running over.

Here’s a rundown of four of the best race-ready trail running shoes you’ll find at running stores this summer.

Adidas Agravic Ultra Speed, $220

This is the new hot rod of the trail running scene. It’s built to be fast and responsive on milder trails without a lot of rocks, rocks and other obstacles. It has four hardened-Peba stability rods embedded in the forefoot of its energetic EVA-blended Lightstrike Pro midsole and a dramatically rockered shape that creates an extremely propulsive ride. It’s not very stable on rugged and rocky terrain, but it can fly on smooth dirt trails, gravel roads or mildly technical routes.

Best for: Long-distance racing on mild trail surfaces

Best feature: The innovative chassis combines a springy midsole foam, stabilizing energy rods, and a rocker shape for a rhythmically propulsive ride on smooth terrain.

Weights: 8.1 oz. (women’s size 8); 9.5 oz (men’s size 9)
Heel-Toe Offset: 8mm; 38mm in the heel, 30mm in the forefoot

Craft Pure Trail, $170

This is a versatile, all-around trail running shoe that can tackle a wide range of terrain. It’s like a mid-range SUV with plenty of creature comforts that also has the technical skills to go off-roading. Its chassis is built on a thick layer of Craft’s high-rebound supercritical Cr midsole foam, which creates a soft, responsive, and stable ride. It’s not a super fast or light shoe, but it can be a reliable workhorse that can tackle multi-hour runs on a variety of terrain types.

Best for: Running slower to moderate paces for long distances on mild to rugged terrain
Best feature: The thick, knobby rubber outsole can bulldoze over just about any terrain you’ll encounter—dirt, gravel, boulders, logs, streams, and even wet grass.

Weights: 8.5 oz. (women’s size 8), 10.8 oz. (men’s size 9)

Heel-Toe Offset: 6mm (35mm in the heel, 29mm in the forefoot for men; 36mm in the heel, 30mm in the forefoot for women)

Brian covers an additional two shoes in his full review – the Nike Ultrafly (the Tesla of trail running shoes) and the New Balance Fuel Cell Supercomp Trail (a cross between a Formula One car and a Jeep) – which you can read about on our website.

#FantasticFour

Accept the Challenge! Run the 40th Annual Army Ten-Miler!

Minute 5: Quick Intervals

When motivation is low and you need a pump up jam, you can always count on Coach Trax’s recommendation to keep you moving. Here are her latest thoughts: Today's song is “All A Mystery” by Phantogram. This New York duo, made up of Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter, have been making really good music together for more than 14 years. They have released four studio albums and their sophomore effort, “Voices” is one of my all time favorites for running. Barthel's vocals along with their “mind-bending guitar and hazy synths,” as described by “TSIS,” produces a sound that's very unique to them and is likely a big reason behind why they have been so successful. “All A Mystery” was just released this spring and will hopefully be on a fifth album, predicted to launch this fall. We haven't had new music from them since 2020 so I'm overly excited for this one. Based on this single, I'm guessing the album will be a lock. I do love a good mystery, though. Don't you? Listen on Spotify or Apple Music. #TurnItUp
An energy gel company known as Spring Energy came under fire last week when a Reddit user tested one of their products called “Awesome Sauce.” The results weren’t so awesome, and it turns out the gels contained far fewer calories and carbs than advertised, meaning users were probably underfueling during their runs. Well, a third-party lab wanted to confirm these findings, as well as check on a few other popular gels (including Honey Stinger, GU and Maurten), and you can see the results here: “Investigation: Lab Tests Confirm Spring Energy Misrepresents Carbs and Calories, 7 Other Brands Have Accurate Labels.”
Many of our friends and fellow endurance sports nerds still put stock into the goal of hitting 10,000 steps per day as a minimum to maintain basic fitness. One journalist dared to double down, and what she found was better sleep and faster recovery. If you think 10,000 steps per day just ain’t enough, check out: “I walked 20,000 steps every day for a week—and the results surprised me.”

Minute 6: Daily Inspiration

What does it take to be named the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year? Just ask Christian McCaffrey, the 49ers running back who’s got enough speed to hang with world class sprinters. It’s no coincidence he can move so swiftly, given his training routine that was put on display in a recent video from @burgsportsperformance. His workouts are derived more from wise track coaches than from “sprint til you barf” football coaches. McCaffrey relies on a range of speed and agility drills and all that versatile movement helps keep his muscles primed for explosive speed in any direction. If you want to vary your same old routine and develop your speed for summer road races, follow along with his exercises in the clip below.