B I O N I C

RUNNER #1 issue / November 2017

Andrea Katharina Runs with the Maasai How to change

your rollers Your first ride, Avoid Rookie Mistakes

SCOTT BROWN HIIT Cross Trainer Delivers Unexpected Intensity HIIT: IT WORKS!

Don’t Run the Risk

www.run4.co m

How to Upgrade to Safety Axels TM

BONE DENSITY FOR RUNNERS Pimp My Bionic Runner

The science behind

running

cross training The Immune Open Window Effect: MARATHON RUNNERS

BEWARE!

November 2017 BIONIC RUNNER

1

What is it? Finally an outdoor running trainer that gives you the same workout as running but without the pounding. Why use one? To arrive at events fast, fit AND uninjured. When should you use one? When you are building volume, peaking, or want a safe interval or fartlek tool. It will enable you to manage the excessive training loads, and avoid impact and overextension injuries. How does it help prevent injury? The Bionic Mechanism transfers the passive ground reaction forces into active ground reaction forces. Passive GRF are the point at which impact injuries occur. By increasing active GRF you build running strength. The Bionic also protect you from extention injuries. How will it help you to get faster? Intervals and fartlek are known to increase speed, but can often lead to impact related or over extention injuries. Now you can perform these in a safe environment. The resistance training will build foundation leg strength. By doing Bricks, you can double your training distance.  How it is different from an elliptical or a bike? Ellipticals and bikes don’t feel like running, and they don’t get your cardio into the same zones. The Bionic Runner has a gait similar to running with a high kickup and the foot landing under your body. It will also give you a workout every bit as tough as running.  What has changed to enable a new solution? For years of R&D, and 1000’s of hours of testing by runners in 32 countries around the world.

“ I was recovering from a torn plantar fascia and subsequent stress fracture of metatarsal. I could only manage to get 12 runs in before the Berlin marathon, and the rest of my training was done on the Bionic Runner. I can honestly say that it got me over the line. I ran 3.51 which is 3 min faster than my NY time last year after having trained all year for that race. Thanks.” Salliann Powell, Brisbane “ I have stayed completely injury-free despite an estimated 12,000,000 steps in 8,000 miles.’ Dr Tom Anthony, New York “ After two months of commuting to work I decreased my time in the Prague 10 km Grand Prix night event from 38:21 to 36:24, finishing 79th place out of 5542 runners. I don’t think you need better evidence, that the Bionic runner realy does it’s job well :-) ” Roman Hermanek, Czech Republic

Check it out now

www.run4.com

Announcements

Model

Comparison Gen2

All Bionic Runners come standard with The Patented 60:40 swing stance phase tim-

A frame built to last - we combine the technologies of forging, extrusion, and CNC machining to deliver to you a superb and reliable frame. The aluminium is 6061 that is both T4 and T6 heat treated for increased strength and rigidity.

Summary

ing, so you get a High Intensity workout.

Long stride technology .

The perfect foray into the exciting world of Bionic Running. The Gen2 is built on our proprietary Bionic Running technology. It is an all-rounder that offers amazing bang for your buck. Disc brakes, 8 speed internal gear hub, and alloy frame. It folds in half, so it is easier to transport and store. It comes standard with the Patented 60:40 swing stance phase timing, so you get a High Intensity workout.

Spectacular stirrups. The stirrup is the heart of the BR technology chain. It combines with the pedal crank and the roller track on the frame to create a run like workout that is unique to the BR. 100% forged in one piece.6061 Aluminium that is aircraft grade. Two heat treatment processes to double the strength. Anodised. Precision CNC machined

Steering

Disc Brakes front and rear.

Forks Frame

Custom made Ergonomic Running Pedals

Gear System

It is all about Choice. We want to give you the best value product at amazing prices. For each model we offer three different price points.

Convenient handle for carrying. Premium liquid paint Non-Folding

Convenient handle for carrying. Premium liquid paint Non-Folding

Steel front forks that accept a 20 inch wheel

Light weight aluminium front forks that accept a high volume 26 inch wheel

Light weight aluminium front forks that accept a high volume 26 inch wheel

Sturmey Archer 8 speed internal gear hub with a 325% range.

Nuvinci N330 Infinetly Variable Gear system allow you to change gears in one continuous motion, a bit like a light dimmer. Simply adjust the gears by twisting the gear shifter on the handlebars for continuous progression from one speed to another, with no abrupt ratio changes or harsh gear engagements so you can always find the cadence you want. The N330 has a 330% range and is almost maintenance free.

Nuvinci N380 Infinetly Variable Gear system allow you to change gears in one continuous motion, a bit like a light dimmer. Simply adjust the gears by twisting the gear shifter on the handlebars for continuous progression from one speed to another, with no abrupt ratio changes or harsh gear engagements so you can always find the cadence you want. The N380 has a 380% range and is almost maintenance free.

20 inch rear and a 26 inch front wheel. Dual walled alloy rims. The ride comfort of a BR is enhanced by using a 26 inch front wheel. A more comfortable ride means a more enjoyable workout. The larger front wheel, with 1.95 wide tires allows for over 3 times the air volume in the tires. This acts like a suspension system creating a smoother ride.If you want improved ride comfort and handling, the 26 inch wheel is for you.

20 inch rear and a 26 inch front wheel. Dual walled alloy rims. The ride comfort of a BR is enhanced by using a 26 inch front wheel. A more comfortable ride means a more enjoyable workout. The larger front wheel, with 1.95 wide tires allows for over 3 times the air volume in the tires. This acts like a suspension system creating a smoother ride. If you want improved ride comfort and handling, the 26 inch wheel is for you.

Standard Plan / Reviewer Plan / BRuber Plan

Standard Plan / Reviewer Plan / BRuber Plan

Folding, forged aluminium, heat treated for strength

Folding

Standard – this is our normal price that is 40% Reviewer – we give you a $200 discount in

return for 2 reviews. This helps customers like you make informed decisions.

Wheels

below what we’d need to sell it in a bike shop.

20 inch wheels front and rear with a 1.35 wide Kenda tyres

4

BIONIC RUNNER November 2017

Pricing Plans

BRuber – we give you a $600 discount in re-

turn for 2 reviews and 12 test rides to interested people. These test rides help people try the Bionic Runner before they buy.

The Predator Plus is the Predator on steroids. You get all the benefits of the Predator, but with a much larger gear range of 380%. Attack hills with confidence, and power along flats with increased speed. If you want the best, here it is.

Folding and Height adjustable. Find the exact height that suits you so you can BRun in comfort. The stem is Indexed and Adjustable to suit your height. There is 130mm of adjustment in a vertical direction so you can find the height that most suits you, and then lock it in place with the unique index design. Stiff and ridged, for a powerful Ride. The stem will always feel solid and not flex side to side like other brands, which means you can concentrate on your workout. Built to last – it is forged from 6061 Aluminium that then undergoes two heat treatment processes to double it’s strength. Forging, unlike casting, strengthens the metals grain structures to make then stiff and strong. It is then precision CNC machined and annodised. Easy storage and transportation with the Collapsible Steering column

Maximum user capacity of 100kg.

Pricing Options

The Predator is the new benchmark in cross training. It takes the patented Bionic Running technology we all love in the Gen2, and combines it with comfort and superior drive train. The high volume air tires combine with improved geometry to give a ride that is smooth and responsive. The Nuvinci IVT means you have the latest in leading edge gear systems. It changes flawlessly on any terrain, including hills, and because there is an infinite amount of gears within it’s range, you can always dial in the exact resistance and cadence you want. If you can afford the extra, it is well worth the upgrade.

PRedator Pro

Folding and Height adjustable. Find the exact height that suits you so you can BRun in comfort. The stem is Indexed and Adjustable to suit your height. There is 130mm of adjustment in a vertical direction so you can find the height that most suits you, and then lock it in place with the unique index design. Stiff and ridged, for a powerful Ride. The stem will always feel solid and not flex side to side like other brands, which means you can concentrate on your workout. Built to last – it is forged from 6061 Aluminium that then undergoes two heat treatment processes to double it’s strength. Forging, unlike casting, strengthens the metals grain structures to make then stiff and strong. It is then precision CNC machined and annodised. Easy storage and transportation with the Collapsible Steering column

Unique Roller System, made from a special grade of industrial strength Delrin. Precision CNC machined. The axle uses a CROMO steel, that is heat treated and CNC. Dual bearings in each wheel capable of carrying a load of 240 kg per bearing, so you can expect a long life Alloy handle bars fitted with ergonomic grips and bar ends. The bar ends are special handles that allow you to change your grip to attack hills better.

PRedator

Standard Plan / Reviewer Plan / BRuber Plan

November 2017 BIONIC RUNNER

5

health

The Immune Open Window Effect:

Marathon Runners

B ewar e !

l

ong distance runners should be aware of the “open window” effect that happens 2 to 72 hours after extreme runs or rides. After a huge effort like a marathon, immune function is suppressed for a few hours up to a few days; this makes it a whole lot easier to catch an upper respiratory tract infection, which just feels like adding insult to injury when you’re already completely wiped out from the effort of completing the race. There have been numerous studies over the years trying to nail down the one magical supplement that will turn us all superhuman during and after maximal endurance efforts. Unfortunately, none of these studies has come up with much. Glutamine, antioxidant supplements, zinc,

ibuprofen … none of these supplements has shown a significant effect in ameliorating immune suppression after marathons or long rides. Vitamin D shows significant promise. In a group of athletes training during winter months, the vitamin D-deficient group suffered upper respiratory tract infections at a much higher rate, for more days, and with more severe symptoms, than those who had optimal vitamin D levels. This study did not address the immunity dip that happens after a prolonged endurance effort such as a marathon, but it’s important news nonetheless. Maintaining a generally strong immune system before embarking on a strenuous endeavour is like starting the race halfway around the track. A significant advantage, to say the least. Those of us living in the northern hemisphere would do well

The common cold can lay you out for a week or more and usually seems to show up when you have a whole lot of other stuff you’d rather be doing. If your immune system is shaky, a chest cold can turn into bronchitis or pneumonia. I’m guessing you don’t have time for that.

6

BIONIC RUNNER November 2017

to supplement with vitamin D at least during the winter months, as strong midday sunlight exposure is the primary determining factor in establishing healthy levels. The one intervention that has been proven to help a bit is consuming carbohydrates during the event. When you run for a long time, your body quite reasonably feels stressed. Cortisol and other stress hormones begin to circulate, and this is an important piece of the immunosuppression puzzle. Consuming carbohydrates helps your body to reduce the amount of stress hormone sloshing around as you run, which is key in closing that “open window” a bit. Competitive and recreational distance runners sometimes restrict calories to attain lower body weight to improve their speed, and this is another key to athletic immunity. If you’re beginning from a base of inadequate nutrition, you’ll be leaving the starting line on race day with an immune system that is already struggling to keep up. Surround yourself with strangers

and their resident germs, pour on some stress hormones and voila: you may find yourself coughing your way through recovery week.

into your overall immune status. Athletes tend to have healthier immune systems than their sedentary counterparts, which is great news!

So how do we build a strong base from which to work? The foundation of your immune function is your lifestyle and nutrition. If you are restricting calories, you could be taking in inadequate protein, vitamins and minerals. The building blocks of recovery are vital to staying on top of your game. Once your diet is dialed in, with enough high-quality calories, there are a few other factors that play

If you’re looking for that extra tiny edge of improvement, consider lifestyle factors outside of training and nutrition; stress and sleep are both big players in the overall wellness game. If you find your general stress levels are high, chronically elevated cortisol can have an ongoing immunosuppressant effect. Getting sick regularly, in spite of the fact that you run daily and eat all your veggies? Take a look at the rest of the picture. If you’re regularly overwhelmed with anxiety and stress, consider doing some mental imagery work to calm your system down. Imagining a happier time, or conjuring a joyful memory, can light up the same parts of your brain that are active when you are given a monetary reward. Feeling good makes you feel good, oddly enough. Seeking out good feelings can have long lasting effects on your overall emotional resilience and wellbeing, and reducing circulating stress hormones can give you a stronger foundation of immunity.

it also has a specific effect on immune function. People who are chronically sleep deprived are sick more often and recover more slowly. Sleep and stress go hand in hand, and it becomes a bit of a chicken and egg equation. Are you stressed because you’re not getting enough sleep, or are you not sleeping well because you are stressed? We all carry a certain amount of sleep debt, and working to pay some of that debt off can go a long way toward bringing us to a state of optimal health. Avoiding screens and alcohol at night and practicing mindfulness meditation are low barrier to entry interventions to improve your sleep quality. Taking a multi-pronged approach to optimizing your immunity seems the likeliest way to protect yourself from illness. Make sure your vitamin D levels are optimal, eat enough good-quality food, supplement with carbohydrates during long endurance events, reduce chronic stress, and get as much good-quality sleep as possible. Consider these steps your armour against bacteria and viruses, then get out there and run!

Sleep is incredibly important to athletic recovery and general health, but

November 2017 BIONIC RUNNER

7

f

User Stories

our million years ago, early human ancestors in Africa stood up on two legs, and we’ve been running ever since. By the time

changed feelings about running weren’t immediately apparent, even to her. It took years for her to begin to understand just how important running was to her, and how much she missed it.

Australopithecus flourished in South and East Africa, humans were as bipedal as they are today.

“I had essentially lost sight of who I was,” she says.

Andrea Service got a chance, while working in Kenya, to run in the Rift Valley where humanity took those very first steps. Following those prehistoric footsteps helped her return to running after years of having given it up and forgotten its importance in her life. But even after she remembered how important running was, it took the Bionic Runner for her to keep going.

You Keep Running

From the Maasi to Nova Scotia, find out the story behind what drives Andrea Katharina to run.

Running, even in Nova Scotia’s freezing winters, is a vital part of Andrea’s life. It gives her physical strength and spiritual endurance. “I’ve been running as long as I can remember,” Andrea says. “It underpins my life.” In her twenties and thirties, Andrea ran competitively, but, like many people, gave it up when she became a parent. Not only did she have less time to run, but her attitude towards it also began to change. Those

But she needed help to find her way back to running, and it happened in quite an unexpected place. While working in Kenya as a forest ecologist, Andrea visited the Rift Valley, part of an enormous, buckled fault zone of mountains, valleys and lakes stretching through Africa from Tanzania to Ethiopia and the Red Sea coast. In this ancient, broken landscape where humanity’s past is revealed in the folded and eroded layers of rock, Andrea rediscovered her own, nearly forgotten past. “A Maasai who was on the team to help guide us through the Rift Valley asked me about running and said he would take me out the next day,” she remembers. Two other Maasai joined them the next day for a long run through the wilderness, where Andrea saw rhi-

nos, impala, flamingos, zebras, water buffalo, and other wildlife. “It was a dream to be running in this landscape with the smell of the hot earth beneath me and that incredible sky overhead,” Andrea remembers. “Occasionally the warriors would come very close – they were in tribal dress and held spears; at other times they would spread out and I would feel as if I was alone.” When they returned to camp, her Maasai friend told her, “Now, you keep running.” And she did.

Dark Thoughts The Maasai had given her back something she’d forgotten she’d lost. “Running itself has changed my life,” she explains. “It’s given me confidence in myself, a belief that I can get through difficult circumstances and withstand physical pain.” Like most runners, she knew about pain, knew about pushing herself through it. On her last marathon, for example, she ran even though she was sick. “I had flu and couldn’t keep any fluid

Andrea Katharina

Runs with the Maasai 8

BIONIC RUNNER November 2017

November 2017 BIONIC RUNNER

9

User Stories

“The BR forces you to have perfect running form,” she says. “You are pushing straight down with your leg without over-striding, which gives you that nice highcadence feel, and if you slouch with fatigue, the machine gives you a slight kick in the calf!” At first, Andrea and Tom got one Bionic Runner, which they shared. “Our first ride outside was tremendous,” she remembers. or gels down. I really lost control of the race at thirty kilometers and had dark thoughts,” she says. “I felt terrible, but I finished.” But sometimes, physical pain was too much to endure, and it threatened to rob her of the dream she’d just welcomed back into her life. “I honestly am at a loss when I can’t run,” Andrea says. “When injury sidelines me, it’s really difficult because it feels as if the fabric of my life has unraveled.” And injuries have sidelined herplenty. “I’ve had terrible injuries that sidelined me from running, training and racing,” she says.

Andrea, who has hopes of someday running an ultramarathon, saw salvation in the Bionic Runner. when you’re covering long distances,” she says. “It alters your running form and the belt propels you forward in a way that is hard on the hips.”

“There was a point when I couldn’t run five strides.”

Neither she nor Tom wanted to be indoors anyway, not even in the coldest part of Nova Scotia’s brutal winter. They wanted to be outside.

Trying The Treadmill Together

“I swam, biked, strength trained – anything to keep moving; but, of course, runners like to run and I missed it,” Andrea says.

She’d hurt her Achilles tendon, hip and knee all on one leg from over training and insufficient recovery. “I have been basically broken for two years,” she says. Seeking a way to keep training without so much damage, Andrea got a treadmill. But it wasn’t an ideal solution, even though her partner, Tom, who’d been injured on military deployments, also used one and they could run on them together. “Treadmill running isn’t optimal

10

BIONIC RUNNER November 2017

Even injured, it was hard for her to stay indoors and let her body heal. “Runners are stubborn and tend to go out on the roads again too soon,” she says. “I lost two seasons’ worth of running – it’s been awful.” ‘It’s changed everything!’ Last year she saw an ad for the Bionic Runner, and thought it looked promising. A friend in Halifax got one, which gave Andrea a chance to try it out. Right from the start, she was impressed.

“What we found is that we were running with no impact; there was no injury pain; and we felt tired but not leg-trashed afterwards. It was very exciting.”

“It’s changed everything! I feel as if I can get back to proper racing again,”

Andrea, who has hopes of someday running an ultramarathon, saw salvation in the Bionic Runner. “It’s changed everything! I feel as if I can get back to proper racing again,” she says. With Andrea ramping up her training to six days a week and Tom running seven, sharing wasn’t going to be viable for long, and pretty soon the pair got a second Bionic Runner. Andrea, still recovering from injury, uses the Bionic Runner at least four times per week, often after running outside in the cold. “I’m also using it to extend my long runs, so I am running 23 to 27 kilometers outside for a long run, and then jumping on the BR after to extend the mileage without pushing into injury,” she says. Come sweeter summer weather she plans a lot of Bionic Running outdoors, too. And she’s competing again: “I sometimes place in my age group if I’m running well. I run and race all distances but my preference is marathons. I would like to attempt an ultra if I can remain injury free during the training.” With the help of the Bionic Runner, she thinks she has a chance to get there. One thing she hasn’t yet tried is Bionic Running while carrying a spear, as her Maasai friends did!

November 2017 BIONIC RUNNER

11

User Stories

QA &

with Andrea Katharina What’s your favorite place to train? Outdoors on backwoods trails or BRunning on the roads. Any nutrition suggestions? Eating well is crucial. Porridge, berries, chia seeds, hemp hearts before we set out; a smoothie when we return; lots of kale, fish, sweet potato. Eat as clean and as green as you can. Do you have any injuries? Yes, I have achilles, hip and knee injuries – they’re overload injuries from training on the roads for our races.

Why did you start Bionic Running? I used it to recover from injuries incurred from road running and to extend my mileage without jeopardizing my legs. Any major goals or races coming up? I am hoping to qualify for Boston again and have two marathons planned for spring and autumn; other shorter distances as well. What are your favorite things about Bionic Running? I’m able to run without compromising

my legs on the road. I love the fact that I am running without impact and have no injury pain when I BRun. It also forces you to have perfect running form and I feel it’s helped turn me from a heel to a mid-foot striker. Has it changed the way you train? Yes, I do all my hard speed and hill workouts outside on the road; but I recover on the Bionic Runner and extend my long runs by jumping on the BR after I come in from the roads.

Do you have a favorite training routine with the Bionic Runner? All my recovery runs are on the Bionic Runner – and my long runs are extended by jumping on the BR. I love the fact that all my training on the BR is on heart rate zone 2. What are the three best things you like about the Bionic Runner? No injury pain when I BRun; able to maintain zone 2 heart rate; able to extend my long runs without incurring further injury. What would you do if you couldn’t use a Bionic Runner anymore? I would be at a loss! Nothing mimics perfect running form without the impact like a BR. I’d continue to swim, bike and strength train but I would really miss the BR in my training. It would be awful not to have it now. What would you say to someone considering buying a Bionic Runner? You will never regret it. It’s indispensable to training seriously without incurring the common running injuries we all have from too many miles on the road.

12

BIONIC RUNNER November 2017

You will never regret it. It’s indispensable to training seriously without incurring the common running injuries we all have from too many miles on the road.

Tell us something that no one would know about you? When I was working as a forest ecologist in Kenya, I had sadly given up running. I had essentially lost sight of who I was. A Maasai who was on the team to help guide us through the Rift Valley asked me about running and said he would take me out the

next day. Two other Maasai accompanied us and we ran through the most incredible terrain – I saw rhinos, impala, fish eagles, flamingos, zebras, water buffalo … it was a dream to be running in this landscape with the smell of the hot earth beneath me and that incredible sky overhead. Occasionally the warriors would come very close – they were in tribal dress and held spears; at other times they would spread out and I would feel as if I was alone. When we came back to camp, my Maasai friend said: Now, you keep running. It was a gift: they had given me a part of myself back that I had lost. I’ve run ever since and it would feel terrible to have to give it up. If you were to define Bionic Running in a word what would it be? Indispensable. Bonus Question: Is there a question you’d like to answer for us about Bionic Runner? The Bionic Runner is well worth the money. We sold our treadmills to purchase ours and have not regretted it. Our training – indeed, our love of running – would lack an important component without the BR.

November 2017 BIONIC RUNNER

13

Gen2

Bionic Runner Component Overview STOP Drivetrain: Sturmey Archer 8 speed internal gear hub with 325% range.

Brakes: Disc front and rear.

Crank: Hollow spindle, external bearings for light weight and added stiffness.

Frame: Folding 6061 alloy that has T4 and T6 heat treatment for added strength.

Wheelset: 20 inch dual walled alloy wheels front and rear.

16

BIONIC RUNNER November 2017

Tires: Kenda 20 x 1.35 tires

Steering: Folding steering stem, ergonomic grips and bar ends.

November 2017 BIONIC RUNNER

17

User Stories That’s when the Bionic Runner came to his rescue. The substitution of low-impact training for hundreds of miles of pounding on the pavement allowed Brown to manage his injury and keep running.

Scott Brown first experienced the pleasure of running when he was just 15.

b

ut though he enjoyed it immensely, he quit after just two years due to back pain. And it took 28 years and other, more serious kinds of pain for him to hit the road again.

Scott Brown 18

BIONIC RUNNER November 2017

“I love the freedom of having options when I’m feeling at risk of injury”, says Brown, 52, who hopes, thanks to the Bionic Runner, to be able to keep running for the rest of his life. He’s clearly in love with running, since he’s continued enthusiastically even after running a half marathon in Quebec City where it was 35 degrees centigrade and he struggled across the finish line 20 minutes past his planned time. Or after the agony of hitting the wall in the Hamilton Marathon, where he shaved 37 minutes off his best marathon time but ran out of energy at 34 kilometres. That kind of pain doesn’t faze him at all – even needing medical attention for his cramped feet and calves after Hamilton. He doesn’t regret the

normal pain and discomfort of running, just the abnormal problems of chronic injuries. Brown, who has arthritis as well as that labrum tear in his left hip, landed on a sharp rock in a trail race this summer and is now nursing a sprain of the main joint of the big toe, often called Turf Toe. He’s using the Bionic Runner to train at a 2 to 1 ratio, to help him get back into running by doing what he calls “bionic bricks”. He rides the Bionic Runner 20K, parks it, and runs 5K, and then finishes back on the Bionic Runner for 20K. That’s his 25 kilometre run! So far, the reduction of impact has helped him to train more than he could have without it. “I started out with smaller brick sessions in the beginning, like 10-210 and gradually keep building up to incorporate more mileage running. Controlling impact is very important if I want to continue running late in life”, says Brown.

He started again at 45, on New Year’s Day in 2010. He woke up with a horrible hangover and a voice inside said: “You’ve got to make some changes or you’ll die.” He needed to quit smoking, deal with a drug and alcohol addiction, lose 30 pounds, and feel better. He could only run for a minute at a time, so he started a 5K running programme that incorporated walking and running. And it worked – his enjoyment of running hadn’t gone away in three decades. “Nine months later I ran my first marathon and was hooked”, he says. But running injuries hadn’t gone away, either. “A stubborn groin injury in 2012 set me back for a year”, he says. “After a lot of consultation I ended up having an MRI with a dye injected into my hip to reveal it was a torn labrum.”

November 2017 BIONIC RUNNER

19

User Stories

“A high heart rate can be reached much faster on the Bionic Runner, and the effort required is much greater”

Brown hasn’t just used Bionic Runner for bionic bricks, though. At first, he used it to warm up for his speed running workouts, but then discovered he could replace some of his speed workouts with rides on the Bionic Runner. “I’ve also used it to replace speed workouts”, he says. “Instead of an 8 x 800m intervals, I have done 8 x 1600m.” Brown finds that 2 to 1 ratio helpful in all his running training, both distance and speed workouts. “A high heart rate can be reached much faster on the Bionic Runner, and the effort required is much greater”, he says. “Thus, you get a great running workout in much less time.” Though he has also used a type of

20

BIONIC RUNNER November 2017

elliptical trainer at home, Brown says the Bionic Runner more accurately captures the intensity of running. “The Bionic Runner by far simulates the running movement much better due to its design. I sold my Elliptical bike last year because I just wasn’t riding it.” The muscles he needs for racing are more effectively trained by the Bionic Runner, Brown explains. “I feel more of an overall leg and hip work-

out as well.” Through careful training, Brown will keep working to improve his marathon time and to enjoy the drama – both positive and negative – of the races themselves. Brown feels he is well prepared for a long life of running because he is able to reduce his overall impact while still keeping in running shape. “My hip issues are non-existent today and my only injuries since getting the Bionic Runner are of the accidental nature, not due to over use or poor form,” says Brown

November 2017 BIONIC RUNNER

21

User Stories

“My hip issues are non-existent today and my only injuries since getting the Bionic Runner are of the accidental nature, not due to over use or poor form,”

Pimp

My Bionic Runner

Ludwick Wouters from Belgium has pimped his BR with a set of red fenders from Alibaba for € 5. Thanks Ludwick for sharing! 22

BIONIC RUNNER November 2017

November 2017 BIONIC RUNNER

23

health

When it comes to making sure your bones are in top shape, you might think that popping a calcium supplement is going to get the job done. In fact, you might need a time machine.

b

one density won’t seem like a very big deal when you’re ten, but the activities you do as a kid and up to age 25 actually have lasting impact upon the strength of your bones for the rest of your life. According to a UK study, even the age at which you first walk as a baby has a bearing on how strong your bones will be as a teenager. Until the age of 25, our bones respond to weight-bearing exercise by becoming denser, stronger and thicker. As we move towards middle age, this capacity diminishes somewhat (especially at the ends of bones). The effect is still present, albeit to a lesser degree, when we subject our bones to impact stress such as running or boxing, or load our bones along their lengths by lifting free weights. Side note: why free weights? Unless you’re using machines because you’re injured or doing physio on the advice of a PT, free weights will always give you more bang for

Bone

Density

for Runners 24

BIONIC RUNNER November 2017

your buck because they require more of your body to be engaged. Squatting, for example, is more useful than using a leg press machine, since the force of the weight when squatting is distributed along the spine, through to the pelvis and leg bones. Leg pressing in a machine offers limited benefit in comparison, as the movement disengages a large portion of the chain of movement, loading the leg bones in isolation. The neat thing about impact and bone density is that the effect is specific to the part of the body experiencing stress. It’s not a systemic adaptation, it’s localized to the area doing the work. Think of a tree that grows on a windy hill versus one growing in a sheltered forest. The tree on the hill will develop a thicker, gnarled, strong trunk, and the sheltered tree will grow taller. The taller tree maybe more useful from a lumber standpoint, but it will also be more fragile. Bones may not be trees (and they won’t become gnarled and twisted in response to weight lifting); but they react to external stimulus in a similar way: if you subject your skeleton to progressive stress, it will adapt to the new input by creating denser bones. An easy illustration is available when we look at professional tennis players; experiencing repeated impact with the dominant arm results in one significantly stronger humerus. Oh, and those tennis players also had stronger lumbar spines and femoral neck, indicating that all that sprinting around the court pays off in spades. It would seem that a bit of impact is actually a good thing, and avoiding impact at all costs can actually be detrimental to your skeletal health. Our bodies are kind of amazing, though. Look at what happens after just one bout of impact work like jumping up and down. In this study, subjects jumped until they were exhausted, and their blood work showed signs of bone turnover within 48 hours. It’s almost like your skeleton is asking you to bounce around!

For runners, the legs, pelvis and spine receive the bulk of the benefit. (This is a strong argument for upper-body weight training to supplement a running programmeme, unless you like the idea of titanium legs and brittle arms.) If you do some hill work on the Bionic Runner, you will notice that the upper body gets a great workout as you sway the BR from side to side to muscle up those hills. It’s fun to go down the rabbit hole on bone density science because for so many years we’ve heard that impactful sports such as running are harmful to our joints and spines. In fact, running actually improves the strength and resilience of cervical discs and it increases bone density. Now, as always, context is important. Carefully monitored ramp-ups of running activity are always a good idea; and although running is good for bone density and cervical discs, too much of a good thing is bad for your joints and cartilage. But for those worried that their knees or back will “wear out”, new research is showing evidence to the contrary. Use it or lose it, as they say; just be smart about it. It is all about thinking that running is for life and not overdoing it or over training. Overtraining is the leading cause of injury among runners. It is a balancing act between bone density, fitness training, form training, injury and running for life. A smart approach is to divide running fitness training from running form training. Running form training helps us to improve running economy, whereas running fitness training causes physiological adaptions to increase the oxidation of fuel by running muscles and to deal with the carbon dioxide and lactic acid produced. One way to do this is through a running-specific running fitness training machine. By specifically recruiting and stressing the same muscles as running, the Bionic Runner’s 60:40 swing versus stance phase-timing causes similar physiological adaptations to improve running-specific fitness.

Aging athletes will be happy to hear that running reduces age-related bone loss, making it an effective measure in preventing osteoporosis. The only catch? Once you stop running (or weight training) regularly, it’s business as usual as far as losing bone density and strength is concerned. Some of the reduced effect on bone density of weight-bearing exercises in elderly people may be because older, deconditioned folk just don’t have the conditioning to exert the necessary amount of force. After all, it’s not just about whacking your skeleton over and over, you also need the musculature to support your chosen activity. The science is in: if you want to stay capable as you age, you’ve got to use what you’ve got starting now. Use common sense, of course, and don’t dive into an ultramarathon right off the couch. Ramping up mileage and pace in a reasonable manner will go a long way to keeping your magical skeleton injury free. While running is a great choice when it comes to preserving bone density, don’t neglect your upper body; give those arms and shoulders some heavy love. You can perform things like weights or push-ups, or, even better, go for some extra miles on the Bionic Runner and exercise all of your upper body as well as your core and legs. Your future self will thank you. And if you were a sedentary kid or a late walker, don’t despair! Your body is still an incredible bone factory, given the right circumstances.

November 2017 BIONIC RUNNER

25

User Stories

HIIT Cross Trainer Delivers Unexpected Intensity

r

Rob Gardner is a 38-year-old level-four running coach and high school physical education teacher from Queensland, Australia. Rob has been running competitively since he was 15; he specialises in the 10K event but also competes in 5K to 15K races and triathlons.

ob has twice overcome serious knee injury (torn meniscus in 2005, worn down medial in 2010) and has been testing a HIIT (high-intensity interval training) nonimpact cross trainer called the Bionic Runner to help improve his training, and avoid further injury. Rob breaks his training down into two main phases, the first focusing on base fitness and the latter on competition training. Rob’s competition training consists of intervals at 5–10K race pace. Then as the season progresses and his weekly training distance plateaus, the intensity of his intervals increases to 1.5–3K race pace. To assist his interval training, Rob has been using the Bionic Runner.

26

BIONIC RUNNER November 2017

Unexpected intensity Those of you familiar with HIIT will understand the idea of pushing your training to its limits at regular and intensive intervals.vT techniques to push his body to become race ready. As the principal research subject in a ground-breaking research project, Rob compared standard running with bionic running sessions on the Bionic Runner non-impact cross trainer. In his training session, Rob planned to bionic run a quality session of 8 x 400m intervals and compare it to a similar session he did in the previous week. Rob typically runs a 400m distance in 76 seconds. With this in mind, he set the interval timer on his watch to 76 seconds

November 2017 BIONIC RUNNER

27

User Stories

Strength and Conditioning (JASC). The research had three key findings:

1. The Bionic Runner is just as

intense as running. “We feel confident concluding that the sensation of high intensity exercise using the asymmetric ovate (now called Bionic Runner) is more satisfying because the swing and stance timing feels more like running.”

2. The Bionic Runner offers a

low-impact way for users to run naturally. “During the transition from toe-off to initial swing, the large sweeping arc of the footpath as the knee extends induces a simulated leap (double float) which makes the whole motion feel more like running than any other characteristic in the gate cycle.”

3. The closed kinetic chain at the

Every time your feet push up from the ground as you take your next stride, they produce active ground reaction forces. before he pressed the start button. As the timer counted down, Rob started coasting along on the Bionic Runner in preparation. then as his watched beeped, he changed down a gear increasing his cadence as he started his first interval.

particularly tough, so I had to work the whole time … I just had to fight through and push really hard to keep my speed up.” With no time to reflect on what had just happened, the timer beeped again and Rob was into his next interval.

The intensity level Rob achieved while training on the Bionic Runner was quite unexpected. By the time 76 seconds had elapsed, Rob had only covered 360m of the usual 400m he would usually cover on foot, yet his cadence had reached 168 steps/m as his heart rate peaked at 163bpm. He explains: “On the grass surface it was

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is an essential component in Rob’s preparation for competitive events. The session data confirmed research already published in the Journal of Sports Technology. The Bionic Runner is the first non-impact cross trainer to mirror the intensity and sensation of running across a

28

BIONIC RUNNER November 2017

range of training modalities. Training with the Bionic Runner, Rob was able to closely match running sessions, including paced distances, intervals, hill climbs and Fartlek training.

The Bionic Runner and biomechanics The Bionic Runner was created for runners, to mimic natural running style, so that you can train safely and effectively. The unique bionic mechanism moves with your feet as you run, replicating the “60:40 swing/

stance” timing of your running. This means that while running, your feet move as you would expect, and you experience the familiar feeling of your feet being off the ground while you run.

the ground as you take your next stride, they produce active ground reaction forces. The Bionic Runner maximizes these forces, to improve your running speed and strength.

Every time your feet hit the ground when you are running, they experience impact known as passive ground reaction force. The Bionic Runner removes these forces, creating a non-impact running environment. Removing this force is a key way to help avoid running-based injury.

Journal of Australian Strength and Conditioning

Every time your feet push up from

In order to prove the theory at the centre of the Bionic Runner story, Run4 (the company behind the Bionic Runner), conducted some scientific research. This research was published in the Journal of Australian

heart of the Bionic Runner technology helps to mimic the natural movement of the runner, while at the same time improving recovery and reducing the potential for further injury: “The range of movement in the knee during the swing phase may also be beneficial from an injury recovery perspective as it may lead to greater blood circulation to the lower limbs during exercise.”

Training in cycles Periodization is a system used by runners such as Rob to plan their training and preparation. The idea involves reaching your peak just at the crucial moment – for example, preparing for a key race or event. Periodization focuses on the scheduling of “cycle”’ of training over a specific period, to enhance performance. Rob’s training periodization is broken down in three ways.

November 2017 BIONIC RUNNER

29

User Stories Rob’s overall training program for the year or season is known as a macrocycle. There are three phases (known as mesocycles) within a macrocycle: preparation, competitive and transition. A mesocycle represents a specific phase of training within Rob’s overall macrocycle and typically lasts 3 to 6 weeks (each week can also be known as a microcycle). Within Rob’s training programmeprogrammememe a mesocycle emphasizes his focus on the continual improvement of the same type of physical adaptations to stress – for example, muscle mass and anaerobic capacity. Rob uses the Bionic Runner as part of his interval training routine. Rob’s mesocycle involves more kilometres than his damaged knee can handle, and so he uses the Bionic Runner to safely continue and prolong his training. The Bionic Runner mimics his natural running style so he can train effectively, but it eliminates the pressure “loaded” onto his body from his usual road running. To train his cardiovascular system using the Bionic Runner, Rob commented that: If I was going to stress the cardiovascular system, I like to use the

30

BIONIC RUNNER November 2017

fartlek training because that’s the change in pace. It’s the change in pace which really, really works it. If I was to go out and run at that same pace the whole time, you don’t get that almost shock to the system and your body will be cruising along at a certain heart rate and on a steady state … Fartlek training can be very unstructured. You can either go, “I want to do 200m surge here or I want to do a kilometre surge. I want to surge for 30 seconds, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, whatever that is.” And you can do it exactly the same on the Bionic Runner. You surge for that distance. The muscular system is another area that Rob trains: If I’m going to develop my muscular system, I’ll actually incorporate things like hill sprints as well. The length, you can vary, even though it’s a fairly gentle slope, somewhere between 3 and 5 percent, that really strengthens the muscles because of that resistance of going up the hill. At some times during the season, you might do 200m sprints up it. You might do around about ten with a walk or a jog down for recovery. A lot of times, you can go

300m/400m up the hill and then that makes it a very different session so it becomes more muscular endurance than more towards the strengthening …You can really get quite close and replicate the session from a hill session to a Bionic Runner. Running speed is a critical component of Rob’s training. He feels speed is still something that distance runners should look at. Completing his speed training on the Bionic Runner has proved beneficial for Rob:

Rob’s mesocycle involves more kilometres than his damaged knee can handle, and so he uses the Bionic Runner to safely continue and prolong his training.

By doing it on the Bionic Runner, there isn’t that loading. So you could do it, especially if you were injured and want to have the strength, that would be perfect, because you can just train to improve really, really fast. The resistance in terms of the gearing that you put on would be fairly low, so that you can get the legs turning over really, really fast.

A Bi Rob is not unusual in his love of running, and his ongoing injury problems. Knee and foot injury are unfortunately par for the course with distance running. Running is more than a hobby for Rob: it’s an outlet for him and in many ways defines who he is. According to Nummela et al (2007): “To run competitively in triathlon and distance events requires a significant training workload.” To run at the competition level he is accustomed to, Rob had to continue with a significant training schedule, except his knee would not enable him to do so. Rob was faced with potentially having to abandon running. The Bionic Runner has helped him to be able to manage his knee condition and continue running at the same time,

enabling him to increase his training volume and undertake the necessary significant training workload, as Rob states: I love the feeling of running, and the Bionic Runner does feel very close to running. If you are a little bit sore or carrying a slight injury, you can continue to do the running on the Bionic Runner when you wouldn’t otherwise be able to do a session, so that is a real advantage. You can extend the amount of training you can do without breaking down – so you can use the Bionic Runner to increase the volume of training that you could otherwise do. The story of Rob Gardner is just a case in point. Rob’s story will be familiar to runners the world over. The Bionic Runner is made by runners. The unique technology allows you to be a better runner. The Bionic Runner is truly bionic by nature: it mimics human movement (in this case, running) to enable users to overcome physical limitations that their bodies would otherwise not be able to alone.

November 2017 BIONIC RUNNER

31

Training Tips

1

Riding the Bionic Runner has many similarities to riding a normal bicycle, however, there are some important differences.

3

2

How to Ride Practice on a flat, even surface away from traffic, other obstacles or hazards. 1. Rotate the gear selector up, or forward, for less resistance to start.

o

2. Straddle the Bionic Runner frame and grab each handlebar grip.

YOUR

— When braking you should only use two finger.

4

FIRST RIDE

bviously the main difference is that there is no seat, so you are always standing when you ride the Bionic Runner. The Bionic Runner also has a long wheel base and small wheels, so it requires a larger turning radius and therefore behaves differently to other bicycles you may have ridden in the past. Before your first ride, you should read this Owners Manual and make

32

BIONIC RUNNER November 2017

sure you understand all aspects of the Bionic Runner.

from cars, other cyclists, other obstacles or hazards.

If you have any unanswered questions, contact customer support by emailing: [email protected]

Take the time to familiarize yourself with the Bionic Runner’s features, controls and performance.

The Bionic Runner provides a high intensity workout. Before you begin any new training program that includes Bionic Running, especially if you are not used to high intensity exercise, we strongly advise you to consult with your primary care physician.

Test the brakes at slow speed, putting your weight toward the rear and gently applying the brakes, rear brake first. Sudden or excessive application of the front brake could pitch you over the handlebars. Applying brakes too hard can lock up a wheel, which could cause you to lose control and fall. Skidding is an example of what can happen when a wheel locks up.

When you buckle on your helmet and go for your first ride, be sure to pick a controlled environment, away

This way you can maintain contact with the handlebars between your thumb and two smaller fingers.

WARNING: Braking or peddling one handed will likely cause you to lose control and fall.

5

3. Rotate the cranks backwards to position one of the pedals in an elevated position. Push off while stepping onto this pedal. This will cause the Bionic Runner to start coasting forwards. 4. Take a moment to find the opposing pedal with your other foot. 5. Start pedaling the Bionic Runner. Work your way up the gears using a high cadence with low resistance. This will allow you to feel the sensation of running.

November 2017 BIONIC RUNNER

33

Training Tips

Keep your torso straight and lean from your ankles to maintain good posture.

Common First Time Mistakes

Common First Time Mistakes

The Grip of Death – If you are finding that your arms are aching or getting overly tired, it is likely caused by gripping the hand grips too hard. Relax. Loosen the grip so that you have control of the handlebars, but you aren’t strangling the grips.

Before riding the Bionic Runner in traffic where hand signaling is required, you should practice riding one handed at low speeds in a controlled environment away from traffic, other obstacles or hazards.

It feels weird or awkward in my legs, or my calves are hitting the stirrup - Check that you are standing upright. Try tilting your hips towards the handlebars. To ride one handed you need to support your weight evenly between both pedals with the foot opposing your steering hand at the rear. Stand upright while coasting and brace the back of your calf against the stirrup for greater stability. Signal quickly with intent, returning both your hands to the grips before breaking or pedaling.

WARNING: Do not brake or pedal while riding one handed. To stop, place all your weight on one pedal, then take your foot off the opposite pedal and extend this foot. Apply the brakes to slow down and step off with your free foot as the Bionic Runner comes to a stop.

Posture Good posture is important for imprinting an efficient running form during training. To maintain good posture, keep your torso straight and lean forward from your ankles (above).

My feet slip off the pedals – This may be more common among cyclists who use cleats because you are used to pulling up. Consciously think of your feet being connected to the pedal and allow some of your body weight to maintain on the pedal during the upstroke

Given this restriction you should only coast while riding one handed and signaling in traffic. As such, you should only perform hand signals at intersections that are relatively flat. This restriction will place limits on the routes you can safely ride in traffic. Plan your routes accordingly.

Calves hitting the back of the stirrups is a clear indication of poor riding posture. Bending forwards at the hips while Bionic Running should be avoided.

34

BIONIC RUNNER November 2017

November 2017 BIONIC RUNNER

35

17%

17% of injuries occur in the foot or ankle

fact & data

DON’T RUN DON’T RUN THE RISK THE RISK DON’T RUN THE RISK You’re more at risk of running injury than you think

You’re more at risk of running than you think You’re moreinjury at risk of running injury than you think

13%

42% of injuries occur in the lower leg

Running more than 65 kilometers per42%week of injuries occur

17% of injuries occur in the foot or ankle

in the lower leg

is a risk factor for both male and female Running more than 65 kilometers per week runners to incur lower-extremity injuries. is a risk factor for both male and female

runners to incur lower-extremity injuries. 3 4 5+ times

75%

90%

70%

70%

5%

6.3%3

times

90%

90% of running injuries lead to a reduction in training time.

90% of running injuries lead to a reduction in training time.

42% of injuries occur in the knee

42% of injuries occur in the knee

75%

75% of all running injuries are overuse injuries.

75% of all running injuries are overuse injuries.

42%

42%

17% 17% of injuries occur in the foot or ankle

17%

70%

70% of runners will become injured when running.

70% of runners will become injured when running.

70%

70% of running injuries require medical treatment.

5%

5% of running injuries result in an absence from work.

70% of running injuries require medical treatment.

5% of running injuries result in an absence from work. 42% of injuries occur in the hip or pelvis

11%

42% of injuries occur in the hip or pelvis

11% 13% 42% of injuries occur in the lower leg

13%

42% of injuries occur in the lower leg

is a risk factor for both male and female

22 / OCTOBER 2017

36

per week Running than 65 kilometers runners to more incur lower-extremity injuries.

BIONIC RUNNER November 2017

2.1%4

times

times

4.8%5+

times

Average annual setbacks of 4 days or more 6.3% 2.1% 4.8% CAN RUNNING SHOES TREADMILLS ELLIPTICALS DON’T HELPannual AREN'T SPECIFIC of 4CAUSE Average setbacks daysINJURY or more RUNNING SHOES DON’T HELP

ELLIPTICALS AREN'T SPECIFIC

TREADMILLS CAN ! INJURY CAUSE

In 2013, research published in the Exercising on treadmills exacerbates A 2012 study found that Elliptical British journal of Sports Medicine the incidence of biomechanical exercise was not sufficient on its showed that the hardness (or softinjury. Common injuries associated own to maintain running perforness) of a running shoe’s sole had no with high treadmill workloads inmance, even though no significant effect on the runner’s chance of clude hip-flexor strains, shin splints, reduction in VO2max or lactate injury. A 2008 research survey found achilles tendon, plantar fasciitis and threshold was observed. A 2007 no evidence a link between pain, is caused observed increased the loadIn 2013,ofresearch published in the study A Exercising on which treadmills exacerbates 2012 study found that Elliptical iliotibial-band pronation control shoes and injury on a treadmill with too quadriceps straining British journal of Sports Medicine ing of exercise the incidence of biomechanical wasmuscles not sufficient on its by running rate. showed that the hardness (or soft- the patellofemoral a stance. joint. Common injuries associated own to maintain running perfor- narrowinjury. ness) of a running shoe’s sole had no with high treadmill workloads inmance, even though no significant effect on the runner’s chance of clude hip-flexor strains, shin splints, reduction in VO2max or lactate Sources: British Medical Journal, Runners World, American Sports Livestrong, Journal of Sports Physical injury. A 2008 research survey found achilles tendon, plantar fasciitis and threshold was Journal, observed. A 2007 International Therapy, Podiatry Today, Sports Medicine Journal,American Journal of Sports Medicine, British Journal of Sports Medicine no evidence of a link between iliotibial-band pain, which is caused study observed increased the loadpronation control shoes and injury by running on a treadmill with too ing of quadriceps muscles straining rate. narrow a stance. the patellofemoral joint.

!

Running more than 65 kilometers per week

17% of injuries occur in the foot or ankle

times

Sources: British Medical Journal, Runners World, American Sports Journal, Livestrong, International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, Podiatry Today, Sports Medicine Journal,American Journal of Sports Medicine, British Journal of Sports Medicine

You’ll run better with Bionics O CTO BE R 2 0 1 7 / 2 3

run4.com

November 2017 BIONIC RUNNER

37

There are thousands of cross trainers claiming all sorts of things, but they all have one common flaw. They are based on 50:50 swing/stance timing. They are neither like walking nor running.

Better Science

The patented Bionic Runner mechanism has a timing and motion based precisely on running. It uses a unique 60:40 swing/stance phase timing to maintain your running fitness, without the impact. By specifically recruiting and stressing the same muscles as running, the 60:40 swing vs stance phase timing causes similar physiological adaptations to improve running-specific fitness. This sets the Bionic Runner apart from cross trainers. The goal of running training is to improve running-specific fitness and stride economy. As the body responds to the stress of running exercise, training causes physiological adaptations to increase the oxidation of fuel by running muscles and to deal with the carbon dioxide and lactic acid produced.

Training with the Bionic Runner is

INTENSE

HEARTRATE BREAKDOWN EASY PACE

You can expect to reach similar heart rates to running. And, because it has gears, it also provides dynamic resistance, so you can more accurately maintain your target heart rate zones during training.

65-75% HRmax MODERATE PACE 80-90% HRmax TEMPO & THRESHOLD 82-92% HRmax HILLS & INTERVALS 98-100% HRmax

FARTLEK 80-100% HRmax

This is particularly important for endurance athletes, where event specific preparation is all about maintaining an even pace at your lactate threshold (normally 92% HR max).

With the Bionic Runner, you can expect to spend up to 80% of your training time within your target zone, so you can maximize the benefit from your quality training sessions.

Typically 88 to 92 percent HR max. Great for improving endurance. A steady pace somewhere between hard and very hard (percieved rate of exeron)

Leap

Stride 100%

Absorpon Inial Contact

38

Double Float

Propulsion Mid Stance

BIONIC RUNNER November 2017

for 20 to 60 minutes.

Swing ≈ 60% Inial Swing

Toe Off

Double Float

Mid Swing

40

20

Terminal Swing

12%

Inial Contact

100 50 0 00:00 00:05 00:10 00:15 00:20 00:25 00:30 00:35

60

Speed

Stance ≈ 40%

Heartrate

Recovery

2% 0

Z1

Z2

Z3

35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 00:00 00:05 00:10 00:15 00:20 00:25 00:30 00:35 80

5%

Z4

Heartrate Zone

Z5

Cadence

Drive

Time (percent)

Impact

350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 00:00 00:05 00:10 00:15 00:20 00:25 00:30 00:35 150

79%

80

Power

Tempo Sessions

60 40 20 0 00:00 00:05 00:10 00:15 00:20 00:25 00:30 00:35

November 2017 BIONIC RUNNER

39

health

HIIT: It Works!

H

IIT (high-intensity interval training) is everywhere. From spinning classes to spinning-plus-yoga classes, to huge chain gyms, to tiny CrossFit boxes, it looks like the high-intensity interval trend is here to stay. Part of HIIT’s popularity as a training protocol is that the science actually supports the claims (unlike, ahem, the Abdominizer™). Maybe the most famous interval protocol is the Tabata protocol, which consists of a 4-minute workout broken into 20-second intervals of work followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated eight times. The Wingate Test is another iteration of interval training, consisting of 30 seconds of work followed by 4 minutes of recovery, repeated eight times.

isting endurance programme. After all, anaerobic capacity can only take us so far – about 75 seconds to be exact; so it’s interesting that sprint intervals improve both aerobic and anaerobic capacity. It doesn’t take a lot: spending less than 10 percent of your training time on high-intensity intervals could give you a significant edge.

minutes of recovery, repeated eight times, results in elevated levels of epinephrine (which is responsible for releasing fat from both subcutaneous and intramuscular fat stores). For untrained individuals, a much shorter sprint interval (8 seconds) followed by 12 seconds of low intensity movement, repeated for 20 minutes, yielded similar results. Have more fun. If you don’t enjoy a training protocol, you’re unlikely to stick with it long term. While interval training can be extremely challenging, people who do HIIT report liking it more than steady-state cardio training. Enjoying the work you engage in is important for a number of reasons, not least being that life is just too short not to have a good time.

Some workout trends take the public imagination by storm and fizzle out once everyone realizes that Skateboard Pilates isn’t the cure-all magic they’d hoped it would be. It’s important to look at the science be gen hind the fad. HIIT is super effective. After

six weeks of interval training versus steady-state endurance training, the interval-trained subjects in one study had significantly better aerobic and anaerobic capacity than the steady-state group. Exerting maximum effort for short bursts taxes both the anaerobic and aerobic systems almost maximally, and it requires a lot less overall time commitment to gain some pretty spectacular results. For distance runners, developing endurance is, of course, very important. HIIT isn’t the only way you should be training; but it is an excellent supplement to your ex-

40

BIONIC RUNNER November 2017

Intervals aren’t only useful for improving running speed, however. Here are a few unexpected ways in which interval training has proven itself beneficial: Burn fat. Interval training is more effective at burning belly fat than steady state cardio. For trained individuals, sprinting all-out (either running, biking or on an ergometer) for 30 seconds followed by up to 4

subjects. As the effort decreases, the time spent exercising increases to compensate, and the subjects in this study did 3-minute high and low walking intervals for an hour, five days a week. The control group walked for an hour at a steady, moderate pace, also five days per week,

Improve oxyuptake. Even three minutes per week resulted in improved skeletal muscle oxidative capacity in one study on untrained adults. Teaching your muscles to handle oxygen more efficiently in just three minutes per week? Sign me up.

It doesn’t have to be super intense. With a name like high-intensity interval training, you might think you will be gasping on the floor after each session. Surprisingly, even interval walking programmes have an immediate effect on blood glucose levels in diabetic

but only the interval-trained group improved their VO2 max. Only the interval walkers lost fat mass, and improved their glycemic control. Save time. HIIT workouts are surprisingly short. Both Wingate and Tabata protocols total about four minutes per workout (Wingate takes a bit longer, as there are longer recovery periods). HIIT intervals yield significant benefits even when performed three times per week, as compared to 60 minutes of moderate exercise performed five times per week. You don’t even have to run. It might seem like the only way to improve your running is to, well, run more. Interval training using calisthenics is just as effective at increasing work capacity as sprinting or biking. Performing 30 seconds of burpees (assuming you have the coordination and familiarity with the movement to perform at an adequately intense level) followed by 4 minutes of rest yields similar changes

in aerobic and anaerobic capacity as high-intensity sprint training. Even doing Tabata intervals of kettlebell swings has transferable benefits, as illustrated here. If you’re short on time, diabetic or just plain bored of your current training programme, it might worth throwing in a few high-intensity intervals to spice things up. You may be surprised at the huge effect such a small protocol can have on your overall fitness!

November 2017 BIONIC RUNNER

41

Maintain

Roller

Replacement

TOOLS REQUIRED

STEP 1: Remove Crank-Stirrup Bolt

STEP 2: Remove Roller Bolt and Slide the Axle Out

STEP 3: Loosen the Clamp

STEP 4: Dismantle The Roller Axle Assembly In Below Sequences And Replace The Two Rollers

WARNING: After replacing rollers, assemble the parts back to the bike in the reversed order. Remember to tighten the bolts COMPLETELY! Notes: Tighten the clamp each side the same amount so the gap between each half is the same on both sides.

42

BIONIC RUNNER November 2017

November 2017 BIONIC RUNNER

43

The Ultimate in long stride running cross training get yours today www.run4.com

PRedator Bionic Runner

Component Overview STOP

Drivetrain: Nuvinci Infinitely Variable Hub with 330% range. It’s smooth, reliable, and you can always find the perfect resistance level.

Crank: Hollow spindle, external bearings for light weight and added stiffness.

Wheelset: 26 inch front and 20 inch rear dual walled alloy wheels.

46

BIONIC RUNNER November 2017

Tires: Kenda 26 x 1.95 and 20 x 1.95 tires high volume tires for better comfort.

Brakes: Disc front and rear.

Frame: Folding 6061 alloy that has T4 and T6 heat treatment for added strength.

Steering: Folding height adjustable and indexed steering stem, ergonomic grips and bar ends.

November 2017 BIONIC RUNNER

47

B I O N I C

RUNNER

s u p p [email protected]