Here’s your free but abridged version of this week’s “Run Long, Run Healthy” newsletter. Subscribe below to receive the complete, full-text edition with the newest and most authoritative scientific articles on training, nutrition, shoes, injury prevention, and motivation.
Does a Post-Run Beer Hurt Your Recovery?
Many runners (myself included) sometimes like to enjoy a nice cold beer (or two) after a tough session, whether it’s a casual celebration or just a way to unwind. But how does alcohol affect recovery?
Research on this topic has been all over the place. Some studies suggest alcohol impairs muscle repair and strength recovery, while others show no major effects—especially with low to moderate intake. A new study takes a fresh look at this question, focusing on how moderate alcohol consumption impacts recovery after muscle-damaging exercise.
Researchers recruited 24 young Japanese men and had them complete a 45-minute downhill run at 70% VO2 max—an exercise known for causing significant muscle damage and soreness. Afterward, half of the group consumed alcohol (1g ethanol/kg body weight, roughly equivalent to 5–6 drinks for a 70kg person), while the other half drank water. The researchers measured muscle strength, power, and perceived pain before, 24 hours, and 48 hours after the workout.
Alcohol didn’t impair muscle strength or power recovery—the participants’ ability to contract their muscles hard and their squat jump height was no different when they drank alcohol or water. However, alcohol did increase muscle soreness—the group that drank alcohol reported greater pain in their quadriceps and hamstrings compared to the control group. While both groups experienced delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), pain in the alcohol group persisted longer and increased at 48 hours post-exercise.
What this means for runners
The big takeaway here? If you’re having a post-run drink, it likely won’t tank your strength recovery—at least not after a downhill run. But it might make you feel more sore for longer. If soreness is an issue, reconsider alcohol post-run because it can make DOMS worse, potentially delaying your next quality workout.
Of course, a single drink after a race or long run probably isn’t a big deal, but if you’re trying to optimize recovery between key sessions, skipping alcohol might help reduce soreness. Save the celebratory booze for a less demanding training stretch.
RELATED ARTICLE: The Beer Mile: Your Complete Guide
🎙️ Podcast: Run Farther, Feel Fresher: Mastering Running Economy
Ever wonder how some runners make it look effortless? 🏃♂️💨
In our latest episode, Michael, Katelyn, and Alex dive deep into the nitty-gritty of running economy—what it is, why it matters, and how you can fine-tune yours to run faster with less effort. ⚡
From stride mechanics to power-boosting drills 💥, we’re breaking it all down so you can start seeing results ASAP.
🎧 Tune in now and start running smarter! 🚀
Why Runners Should Care about Fiber (It’s Not Just for the Bathroom)
When we talk about sports nutrition, the conversation almost always revolves around carbohydrates, protein, hydration, and maybe even supplements. But there’s one key nutrient that often gets ignored in athletic circles: fiber.
Most runners think of fiber as something to avoid before races to prevent gastrointestinal distress, but a new review suggests we should rethink its role. It highlights how fiber influences gut health, metabolism, recovery, and even endurance performance.
The authors argue that fiber should be strategically included in an athlete’s diet rather than simply being seen as a digestive nuisance. How can fiber help runners? There are several possible mechanisms.
Gut health and performance are connected.
The fiber we eat feeds gut bacteria, leading to the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate. SCFAs help maintain gut lining integrity, reducing the likelihood of leaky gut—a condition linked to poor endurance performance and higher inflammation. Athletes with a diverse gut microbiome tend to have better metabolic efficiency and immune function.
Fiber promotes recovery
Beta-glucan, a specific fiber found in oats and barley, has been linked to improved strength and endurance. It may also help reduce post-exercise inflammation, aiding in muscle recovery. A low-fiber diet can reduce microbial diversity, leading to higher inflammation and impaired recovery.
Strategic fiber intake matters for athletes
While fiber can be beneficial long-term, it should be adjusted around training and race days to avoid gastrointestinal issues. The paper outlines different scenarios where fiber intake should be manipulated, such as reducing fiber pre-race to maximize glycogen storage and prevent stomach distress, increasing fiber during heavy training blocks for gut health and satiety, and gradually ramping up fiber intake to about 30g per day over six weeks to avoid sudden digestive discomfort.
Long story short
Don’t neglect fiber in your everyday diet. While pre-race meals might need to be low-fiber, a fiber-rich diet outside of competition can improve gut health, metabolism, and recovery. My strategy has always been to cut out extremely high-fiber foods like salads about 4 to 5 days before a big race.
The gut microbiome plays a bigger role in performance than most athletes realize, and fiber is one of the best tools to support it. So next time you think about optimizing your nutrition, don’t just focus on protein and carbs—fiber deserves a seat at the table (and on your plate), too.
RELATED ARTICLE: The Runner’s Diet: Everything You Need To Know About Nutrition For Runners
Can You Train Like a Weekend Warrior and Still Get Faster?
What if I told you that you might not need to train every day to see real gains? A new study put the “weekend warrior” approach to the test, comparing runners who train frequently to those who cram their sessions into just two days per week. The results challenge conventional wisdom and might just change how you think about structuring your own training.
For the study, researchers split participants—sedentary to recreationally active adults—into two groups:
- High-frequency group: Four workouts per week (two moderate-intensity, two high-intensity)
- Low-frequency or “weekend warrior” group: Two workouts per week, but each session was twice as long
Both groups completed structured endurance training over eight weeks, with an identical total training volume. The goal? To see if splitting workouts across more days led to superior fitness gains. The surprising finding? It didn’t appear to matter.
VO2 max improved significantly in both groups (~10-12% increase) while endurance capacity more than doubled, as measured by a time to exhaustion test at a high intensity. Metabolic efficiency also improved, with participants using oxygen more efficiently (~7% decrease in oxygen consumption at submaximal exercise) and shifting toward greater fat oxidation (~17% increase). While neuromuscular resilience was slightly better in the high-frequency training group, this did not translate to better endurance performance.
Should you become a weekend warrior?
If your schedule is chaotic and you can’t train as often as you’d like, this study suggests you can still make meaningful progress—as long as you’re hitting your total weekly volume. However, before you commit to just two days a week, consider that training frequency may impact sustainability. The study lasted only eight weeks, and whether the weekend warrior approach remains effective over months or years is unclear. Would fatigue accumulate? Would injury risk rise? More research is needed.
Long sessions also require strong recovery. Cramming your entire workload into two marathon sessions means increased physical stress per workout (not to mention a clear schedule). If you go this route, prioritize recovery strategies like proper nutrition, sleep, and mobility work. Finally, there is the issue of performance vs. practicality. While the study suggests that you can train less frequently, is it the best approach for long-term progress? Elite runners spread out their training for a reason—balancing volume and intensity while avoiding excessive fatigue.
RELATED ARTICLE: Good News, Weekend Warriors: Studies Show No Downside To Cramming Your Workouts Into Just Two Days
SHORT STUFF You Don’t Want To Miss
Olive oil—BYU’s key to success in cold weather?
The BYU cross-country program is known for producing champion athletes. They’re also experts in training in harsh conditions, and per a post on their X account this week, the secret might be a light sheen of olive oil on their skin. Apparently, the teams use olive oil during cold-weather running as a “layer of insulation.”
“Graza olive oil got us a national championship,” coach Ed Eyestone quipped.
In Case You Missed It:
Just HOW FAST is Jacob Kiplimo?
He recently broke the half marathon world record in a time of 56:42. That’s:
- 2:41/km (or 4:19/mile)
- 13 :26 seconds per 5K (on average)
- 26:43 per 10K (on average)
Watch our video of running legend Amby Burfoot breaking down this incredible performance:
HERE’S WHAT ELSE YOU WOULD HAVE RECEIVED this week if you were a subscriber to the complete, full-text edition of “Run Long, Run Healthy.”
- Are the diets of ultramarathoners suboptimal for health?
- The risks of taking ibuprofen before hot-weather workouts
- Why training based on race pace might be the most effective strategy
- A philosopher’s take on why we lie to ourselves about running
- A runner’s guide to lactate threshold
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading. As always, Run Long, Run Healthy.
~Brady~
