What’s new on the run?

Optimal cooling

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics was the hottest games on record. Temps got up to 94.5 degrees Fahrenheit, which was the highest ever recorded at the games. Pun alert: research in overheating is a hot topic. Heat can dramatically hinder performance in both amateur and competitive athletes. 

How do Olympic runners handle that kind of heat? Researchers first evaluated whether it is more helpful to cool athletes before they compete or during the competition. A 2006 study published by the Research Institute for Sports and Exercise Sciences stated that "pharmacological ergogenic aids are discouraged due to likely side effects in cerebral function whereas behavioral measures, including precooling the body, have practical support.” The study argues that ingesting a pharmacological aid doesn't support an athlete's performance as well as precooling. They found that cooling during competition did not protect athletes from damaging effects of heat.

New Zealand’s Olympic athletes demonstrated this theory during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. They used a heat chamber regularly leading up to physical activity. This helped the athletes better prepare and acclimate to hot, humid conditions.

Another study looked at the cooling effects of pre-exercise menthol use. In March 2022, The International Environmental Journal of Public Health demonstrated that athletes experienced a “higher relative power for longer durations with the addition of the menthol mouth rinse, compared to cold water or placebo. The use of menthol (0.1%) as a mouth rinse showed small performance benefits for short duration high intensity exercise in the heat.” And a study published by the Journal of Sports Science Medicine concluded that ingesting ice “may have attenuated the effect of heat and subsequently improved working memory during exercise in heat.”

Do you feel like you overheat on your runs? Suck on a peppermint candy or have a few ice chips before you run to see if that helps you keep you cool. 

Shoes that prevent injuries before they happen

Running shoes have come a long way over the years. When running started to become more popular in the mid to late 19th century, shoes were made from rigid leather with flat bottoms. Spikes were introduced to make runners faster and improve the ability to handle different terrains. 

Eventually, physicians started to pay closer attention to foot health. Before the mid-20th century, doctors typically treated foot issues without understanding what caused them.

This new understanding of biomechanics lead footwear designers and engineers to analyze how a shoe can best support foot function. Running can take a toll on the body. To reduce that toll, Marion "Frank" Rudy patented small gas-filled membranes fitted into the soles of running shoes in 1979. This was the first example of shock absorption in modern running shoes. The technology became hugely popular. By the 2000s, runners sought shock-absorption features, which was provided by a lightweight foam in the middle of the shoe or heel, depending on the shoe manufacturer.