gsteinb

https://www.outsideonline.com/fitness...port-2012.html


Myth #1: Stretching prevents injuries and improves performance.
Myth #2: Running barefoot is better for the body.
Myth #3: You need to focus on your core to become a better athlete.
Myth #4: Guzzling water and electrolytes before a race prevents cramps.
Myth #5: Popping ibuprofen before a hard workout prevents sore muscles afterward.
Myth #6: Dehydration hurts race performance.
Myth #7: Ice baths speed recovery.
Myth #8: Long and slow is the best way to burn calories.
Myth #9: Fructose is a performance killer.
Myth #10: Supplements take performance to the next level.


Up for Debate: Massage boosts recovery after a tough workout.
Up for Debate: Surgery is the best remedy for an ACL tear.
Up for Debate: Cortisone shots speed healing after an injury.

StephenH

Took me a minute to realize that each one has its own little article, it's not just the listing.

dws5b

I like #3. No more crunches.

Triguy

Number 8 has to be the number one thing I see getting in the way of endurance athletes getting faster. Lots of people ask me how to get faster at running or biking and I usually ask them what the one workout they won't ever miss is; and it's their long slow distance stuff. I tell them their answer should be their speed work.

There is a study out there somewhere that shows 10 minutes of VO2 max work in a workout, creates a large percentage(maybe 70) of slow twitch mitochondria that a one hour workout at 70% creates AND it creates way more fast twitch mitochondria.

In my opinion the benefits to working out at Threshold and VO2 max just can't be undersold.

Homebrew01

I got 9/10. Didn't know about #6

Quel

Myth #6 is really poorly titled. Dehydration is still bad. They are just refining what it means to be dehydrated.

hyhuu

"Up for debate: Massage boosts recovery after a tough workout." It seems like GT riders would be the best subjects for this study.

surfer777

My roommate feels that winter is the time to cross train for his bike riding and that he needs to work on his core muscles so he will be a better rider. I've always felt that the best way to get better at something is to do that something, not do something else. Glad to see this article supports my beliefs!

mihlbach

I read the article for Myth #2. The article does not conclude that the benefits of barefoot running are a myth. On the contrary, the article concludes that barefoot running is good for your body, but that one needs to be careful when making the transition. I tend to agree.
For what its worth, I don't run much, but I've done a lot of barefoot treking, or rather, treking in minimalist footwear, and after some initial adaptation, its much nicer than with any shoes I have ever tried. With "Five Fingers" I can hike day after day without developing blisters or any kind of foot-ankle-leg soreness. Hiked down into the Grand Canyon, and back up, this summer in "Five Fingers". The extra feedback with the ground provides more stable footsteps, improved traction, and I have found, reduces the tendency to trip on things or stub you toes, and reduces the chances of ankle injury. Once you get the hang of it, there's no turning back. Wearing shoes now feels like a handicap...like I have a tibial nerve deficiency.

DXchulo

I take it I'm not the only one who gets free Outside magazines for some unknown reason?

The core strength one is pretty interesting. Focusing on the core has been such a big trend (fad?) lately.

gsteinb

There's this new thing called the internet.

hyhuu

I never heard of #8 being talked within the context of athletic performance (burn calories??). It has been always about fitness and weight lost for the mass. I bet for many people 10 mins at VO2max is not sustainable.

RUOkie

actually, if you read the article, they just mention that you work your core doing other things. Like running or cycling. If you maintain good form on the bike, you ARE working your core at the same time. Same thing with GOOD FORM while running.

The article about barefoot running is also what most proponents of the barefoot technique proport. It is not a cure all, but does lead to a decrease in certain types of running injuries (in exchange for increasing certain others)

jrobe

This advertising magazine is worth less than the subscription price (free).

pgjackson

#1 should be spot reduction. There is a billion dollar "fitness" industry built on the idea that you can get rid of your gut by doing crunches or make your a$$ smaller by doing lunges and squats.

#2 should be lifting weights will make you bulky and muscle-bound. Women particularly believe this crap.

badhat

i dont really trust Outside any more than i trust any of the sources/CW theyre trying to debunk.

outside is among the grand champions of overstating and misrepresenting clinical research for lay people.

mihlbach

I get it sometimes....does it come from Nashbar or something? I usually just chuck it. I have better things to read.

DXchulo

Even among cyclists you'll hear a lot of talk about working on the core to improve riding. I would say the common perception is that cycling alone isn't enough and additional core exercises are necessary.

I know Bicycling isn't the best magazine, but a lot of people think this way:

(https://www.bicycling.com/training-nu...g-fitness/core)

badhat

people misunderstand the benefits of LSD

its true that there are interval regimens that have similar or even greater benefits to doing LSD during base, but theyre typically a lot more stressful on the body.

done properly, vo2 max intervals are a once or twice a week routine, and they burn you out for a day or two after.

LSD on the other hand, doesnt have the same sort of cumulative fatigue problems and allows you to make cardiovascular progress in the off season without taxing you to the point of burnout.

DXchulo

I think it came from Performance a while back. They were giving out a free year, but that was over a year ago for me.

lotek 

yup, I got mine when I bought something from Nashbar, I found an easy
solution to that particular little problem, I don't purchase anything from Nashbar
anymore.

Outside used to be a good magazine back in the late 80's early 90's, now
it's just Bicycling for all outdoor sports.

HokuLoa

I've never known much about Outside but what I have seen doesn't add much to their credibility. Even with this, to get to the conclusions in their list they have to force the context to specifically support their assertions and exclude evidence/context to the contrary. Not a very reliable source at purely face value...

alexfboyle

I agree. Let's do this experiment.

RUOkie

very well said

pallen

Good stuff - I learned a lot of things I didnt know

This line is flat wrong though
"The concerns about high-fructose corn syrup have more to do with the highly processed foods they often show up in rather than the intrinsic characteristics of the sugar. "

The reason the highly processed foods are bad is exactly because of the intrinsic characteristics of the sugar they have added. Not just HFCS, regular cane sugar is just as bad.