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Thomas Mortelmans

Thomas Mortelmans

04
Sep
Snippet #034: Minutes Near the Ceiling: Why Time at VO2max Shapes Aerobic Adaptation

Snippet #034: Minutes Near the Ceiling: Why Time at VO2max Shapes Aerobic Adaptation

VO2max is the ceiling rate at which the body can use oxygen to fuel muscle. The data show that accumulating
4 min read
31
Aug
Entry #036: Nitrate, Bicarbonate, Beta-Alanine: The Big Three, and Where Each One Actually Helps

Entry #036: Nitrate, Bicarbonate, Beta-Alanine: The Big Three, and Where Each One Actually Helps

There is a shelf in my pantry that tells a small, slightly embarrassing story about endurance science. A purple bottle
15 min read
28
Aug
Snippet #033: What Your Muscle Oxygen Sensor Is Actually Reading

Snippet #033: What Your Muscle Oxygen Sensor Is Actually Reading

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) shines near-infrared light through skin into muscle and reads how much hemoglobin and myoglobin is
2 min read
26
Aug

Hi (again). I`m Thomas

Many Mondays in, a growing community and time for a proper re-ntroduction: who writes this, why it started, and the half of the work a newsletter could not do on its own.
5 min read
24
Aug
Entry #035: The Aging Engine: What Masters Athletes Reveal About Mitochondrial Decline

Entry #035: The Aging Engine: What Masters Athletes Reveal About Mitochondrial Decline

A muscle biopsy from a seventy year old cyclist who has trained for three decades does not read like a
13 min read
21
Aug
Snippet #032: Muscle Memory Is Written in Your DNA's Dimmer Switches

Snippet #032: Muscle Memory Is Written in Your DNA's Dimmer Switches

DNA methylation works like a set of dimmer switches sitting on top of your genes, turning each one down or
2 min read
17
Aug
Entry #034: Reading Training Load: The Fitness-Fatigue Balance

Entry #034: Reading Training Load: The Fitness-Fatigue Balance

Two athletes finish the exact same twelve week block: same sessions, same hours, same numbers logged to the watch. One
14 min read
14
Aug
Snippet #031: Why Humid Air Kills Performance Even in Moderate Heat

Snippet #031: Why Humid Air Kills Performance Even in Moderate Heat

Sweat cools the body only when it evaporates, and evaporation depends on the water vapor pressure difference between skin and
2 min read
12
Aug
OpenLab #009: An evidence-first way to spend on supplements

OpenLab #009: An evidence-first way to spend on supplements

Averi Firari is a USA Cycling-certified endurance coach and kinesiology instructor at James Madison University. He holds an M.
18 min read
10
Aug
Entry #033: The Hot Room as Recovery: What Sauna Does for the Tired Body

Entry #033: The Hot Room as Recovery: What Sauna Does for the Tired Body

There is a particular kind of evening that endurance athletes know well. The hard session is done, the legs are
14 min read