Introducing Sweat Science 101!

Plus a not-so-surprising estimate of Tadej Pogačar's VO2 max.

My dad was an ethicist whose work focused on how people with different beliefs find ways of making decisions together. I like to think that pluralistic spirit shows up in the way I write about sports science: the evidence is seldom definitive, so I try to focus on clarifying what we know and presenting different perspectives rather than telling people what to do.

In a perfect world, this approach helps people make informed decisions that fit with their own situations and prior beliefs. On the other hand, sometimes it just feels like passing the buck: I don’t really know whether, say, lactate gels work so… uh… you decide!

So, in the spirit of trying to offer some genuinely useful practical advice, I’ve put together a free ten-part email series for Outside. It’s called Sweat Science 101, and the goal is to step back from the details and synthesize the key messages that I would give to friend who asked my advice. Or to put it another way, this is what I do myself when no one is looking.

Here are the ten topics I’ll be covering, one per week:

1. Endurance Training

2. Strength Training

3. Supplements

4. Recovery

5. Fueling & Hydration

6. Running Form

7. Heat

8. Altitude

9. Pacing

10. Running Shoes

The series just launched; you can sign up for free here and read a preview of the first installment here. And just to clarify, Sweat Science 101 is a limited-run, ten-part, weekly email series—once it’s over, it’s over. My main email newsletter continues unabated here on Substack!

What Else Have You Got?

Not a whole lot, actually. I did write a Sweat Science column about scientists who crunched the data from four of Tadej Pogačar’s recent climbs to estimate his VO2 max, which they peg (with conservative assumptions) at around 96 ml/kg/min. That’s nearly identical to the highest ever reliably reported value, from now-retired cyclist Oskar Svendsen. Not a surprise to anyone who’s been following Pogačar in recent years, of course!

I also did a few interviews and podcasts, including this one with fellow Substacker Sebastien Page.

Other than that, most of July was devoted to getting away from my computer. I’ll leave you with two pics from my trip from Montreal River to Ishpatina Ridge (the highest point in Ontario) then down the Sturgeon River:

Sometimes the waters were calm...

… and sometimes they weren’t, which was even more fun.

Thanks for reading!

Alex Hutchinson