Michele Zanini
mzaniniphysiology.bsky.social
Michele Zanini
@mzaniniphysiology.bsky.social
Lecturer in Applied Exercise Science @ The Open University
PhD @ Loughborough University
Head of S&C and Physiologist @ Italian Triathlon Federation
Applied Physiology, Endurance, Performance
5/7

When we merged data from both groups, RE durability correlated:

📉 strongly to weekly longest run (r=-0.67; p<0.001)

📉 and moderately to weekly running distance (r=-0.48; p=0.038)

But not to declines in neuromuscular function.
August 29, 2025 at 5:21 PM
4/7

Neuromuscular function followed a similar trend:

🦵🏼 SDT showed larger drops in maximal squat force (-19% vs -12%)

⬆️ SDT lost CMJ performance (6.6%), while LDT maintained it
August 29, 2025 at 5:21 PM
3/7

During a 90 min run at LT:

- Running economy deteriorated nearly 50% less in LDT than SDT (+3.1% vs +6.0%)

- Differences emerged after 60min and grew with time
August 29, 2025 at 5:21 PM
2/7

We matched well-trained runners for 10k time (39 min), V̇O₂max (~58 ml/kg/min) & LT speed (12-13 km/h)

But differed in training characteristics:
- LDT: regularly running ≥90min
- SDT: always run <70min

LDT also ran more (51 vs 30 km/wk) & had better fresh running economy
August 29, 2025 at 5:21 PM
🚨 The last paper of my PhD is out in @MSSE

Regular Long Runs and Higher Training Volumes are Associated with Better Running Economy Durability in Performance Matched Well-Trained Male Runners

🙏🏻 Rich Blagrove & Jonathan Folland

Temporary free download.

🔗 journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/ab...

🧵 1/7
August 29, 2025 at 5:21 PM
3rd place in the Young Investigator Award at @ecssofficial.bsky.social, presenting in front of 1500+ people.

“You are here because you are excellent, and the quality of your research is excellent”.

Among the kindest words I’ve ever been told. As a young scientist, they mean the world 🙏🏼

Ad maiora.
July 7, 2025 at 4:56 PM
This Tuesday I will give an oral presentation at the @ecssofficial.bsky.social annual congress in Rimini about:

The effect of 90 and 120 min of running on the determinants of endurance performance in well-trained male marathoners

01.07.2025, 14.30
June 29, 2025 at 7:57 AM
📣 New paper out in European Journal of Applied Physiology

We discuss an often-overlooked aspect in sports science and rehab research:

The importance of matching training load across interventions.

Nice collaboration led by Tomek Kowalski.

📄 Open access
🔗 link.springer.com/article/10.1...

🧵1/5
June 24, 2025 at 8:19 AM
6/8

Blood lactate (BLa) was the least reliable:

🔹 ICC = 0.48–0.94
🔹 CV = 5–16%

Reliability dropped after 60 min.

This likely reflects limits in analyser precision more than physiology.
Caution warranted when interpreting small BLa changes during prolonged exercise!
May 27, 2025 at 12:40 PM
5/8

RPE was moderately reliable, with:

🔹 ICCs = 0.41–0.72
🔹 CV = 4.2–6.0%
No effect of time on CV – fatigue didn’t make it less reliable.

Important: subjectivity means RPE isn’t as stable as physiological data.
May 27, 2025 at 12:40 PM
4/8

Heart rate (HR) was also highly reliable:

🔹 ICCs = 0.82–0.92
🔹 CV = ~1.1%
🔻 Slightly lower in trial 2 at later timepoints; possibly due to familiarisation.

Still well within typical day-to-day HR variability.
May 27, 2025 at 12:40 PM
3/8

Ventilation (VE) and RER also showed strong reliability:

🔹 VE: ICC = 0.96–0.97, CV < 3.6%
🔹 RER: ICC = 0.78, TE ≤ 1.9%

These markers are consistent across 90 min of heavy-intensity running.
May 27, 2025 at 12:40 PM
2/8

Both Energy Cost (EC) and Oxygen Cost (OC) showed excellent reliability across all timepoints:

✅ ICCs: 0.96–0.99
✅ CVs: 0.6%–1.2%
✅ TE: ≤1.4%

No decline in reliability over time.

‼️RE durability is measurable and trustworthy.
May 27, 2025 at 12:40 PM
New paper out in Scand J Med Sci Sports!

We tested the reliability of running economy (RE) and other physiological parameters during 90 min of running.

➡️ Running economy is highly reliable in a fatigued state, a 👍🏼 implication for testing durability

🆓📄 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

🧵1/8
May 27, 2025 at 12:40 PM
🏃🏻 A results summary:

→ VO₂peak ↓
→ RE ↓
→ sLT ↓
→ FULT ↑ (misleadingly)

🏁 Intensity drifts upward → effort gets harder → pacing is harder to sustain

🧠 Testing in an unfatigued state may overestimate race pace. Especially in athletes with poor durability.

9/14
May 19, 2025 at 9:16 AM
🏁 Speed at LT (sLT) — strongly associated with marathon performance — declined:

3.0% after 90min
6.6% after 120min

sLT may help to capture the cumulative effect of all determinant changes.

🫁 V̇O₂ at LT was unchanged
🫀HR at LT only increased slightly (+2 bpm)

8/14
May 19, 2025 at 9:16 AM
⚠️ Fractional utilisation at LT (FULT):

+2.8% (90 min)
+4.9% (120 min)

This increase isn’t necessarily a good thing — it likely reflected the shrinking aerobic ceiling (V̇O₂max) while V̇O₂ at LT stayed the same.

7/14
May 19, 2025 at 9:16 AM
As a result of V̇O₂peak and RE changes, By 90 and 120min the run intensity climbed from 79%, to 86%, to 91% V̇O₂peak.

4 runners hit >95% and likely crossed the heavy-severe domain threshold.

⚠️ This would lead to rapid fatigue development in the marathon.

6/14
May 19, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Running economy (RE) expressed as O₂ cost (ml/kg/km) worsened more steadily:

+4.2% (90 min)
+5.8% (120 min)

In line with previous studies.

5/14
May 19, 2025 at 9:16 AM
🫁 V̇O₂peak (ml/kg/min) dropped:

-3.1% after 90min
-7.1% after 120min

🏃🏻 Speed at V̇O₂peak was reduced by:

-5.8% after 90 min
-10.7% after 120 min

Maximal HR, peak blood lactate, and RER largely decreased.

4/14
May 19, 2025 at 9:16 AM
We used a standardised protocol:

🧪 Measured determinants of performance and speed at LT in 3 conditions:
🧪 Unfatigued and after 90 and 120 min of running
🧪 At heavy-intensity
🧪 Same lab conditions, footwear, and nutrition

With highly-trained runners (2:47 marathon SB)

2/14
May 19, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Our new durability paper is out in SJMSS!

We tested how endurance performance determinants change after heavy-intensity running (90 and 120 min) in well-trained marathoners.

📌Below details of what we’ve found.

🆓 Open-Access
📄 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

🧵1/14
May 19, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Physiological Responses During Prolonged Running

Enhanced running economy durability in E+S (red) vs E (blue).

Lower blood lactate & RPE at 90 min in E+S vs E.

📊 In figure changes pre-post intervention.

🧵 6/10
March 2, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Strength & Power Adaptations
Strength training resulted in:

✅ +15-22% Maximal isometric strength
✅ +7% Jump height and power

🦵🏼 Neuromuscular adaptations may underpin improvements in RE durability and fatigued performance.

🧵 5/10
March 2, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Enhanced Fatigued High-Intensity Performance

After 90 min of running, strength-trained runners exhibited a 35% increase in TTE

While the endurance-only group remained unchanged.

Indicates improved ability to sustain high-intensity efforts under fatigue.

🧵 4/10
March 2, 2025 at 7:06 PM