Customer Reviews

Runner's World The Runner's Body: How the Latest Exercise Science Can Help You Run Stronger, Longer, and Faster

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I think this book presents a lot of good information, but it shockingly lacks references or a bibliography. The whole premise of the book is that the authors - 2 of whom have PhD's - are reviewing current studies on running. But they don't cite the studies, many of which I would like to take a peek at. How can two guys with doctorates write something and not provide their references? In college we would be accused of academic misconduct for doing that.

Assuming the information is accurate, I think this is a good review. It's a little wordy and blathers on in some places, as if trying to add some meat. For the price, it's worth the read. There are a couple of annoying editorial mistakes, like missing graphics, but that's sort of forgivable.

I think this is a good book for the athlete who is interested in the science behind the training. This book is not for someone looking for a basic training program. It is for the person who wants to know about all the physiological processes involved in running on the cellular level and why things work the way they do.

A fantastic resource for the science-oriented runner. Lies strongly toward the left on the spectrum between peer-reviewed journal and popular press. No bibliography and no citations are a definite weakness. The material is presented in a logical fashion and is readable for someone who isn't accustomed to the peer-reviewed journal format (most people). Challenges many of our cherished beliefs regarding proper training, nutrition, recovery, etc. If you're looking for a day- by-day training guide this isn't it, but if you want to know what the current research shows about training principals, this is for you.

Are you a runner who wants to be enlightened? Then pick up this book, which challenges conventional wisdom in many areas including training, diet, fatigue, and injuries. I have been running for three years and trying to move up a level. This has helped me understand many things about my body and its adaptation to running. I've already seen my times improve. One point I will make is that the information may be overwhelming to a beginning runner or a non-runner who is considering the sport; however, for anyone who has been running seriously even for a few years, you will learn a lot and should be able to make some adjustments right away. The only people who may not be too keen on it are the makers of nutritional supplements and some sports drinks, whose effectiveness the book debunks. Another point is that I read this book on the Kindle, and some of the charts don't reproduce as well on its screen. I suspect that the paper version would alleviate that problem.

Found this book to have valuable information to improve my running; includes info on mechanics, hydration, optimal fueling, mental involvement, weight loss, supplements, shoes (or no shoes), etc. When the science is inconclusive, they say so, which is refreshing. I've run over 85 marathons and 8 ultras, and I still learned a lot from this book -- even took notes to review key points before my next race.

The book had good information and was a big help in some areas. However, the authors simplified some explanations a little to much for my taste. Overall the book is excellent. I recommend Runner's World The Runner's Body to any runner who want's to further their knowledge on the sport.

Has things in it no other running book contains. Lots of useful tips for staying healthy during serious training for runs. Highly recommended especially if you have ever had a running injury (like most of the rest of us).

The draw back of this book is the fact that the authors failed to document their references which certainly frustrates those with a more detailed knowledge of physiology, particularly researchers. However, the authors cover the galaxy of physiological factors that relate to exercise, specifically running, in great detail
without being stuffy or over analytical. In fact the authors write quite often in conversational style. A prime example. and a good case for demonstrating how up the date the book is, is their discussion on minimalist running, running forefoot/mid foot versus the heel. The authors cover the movement such as POSE and Chi and virtually argue among themselves with the conclusion that forefoot/mid foot running isn't for everyone. That in itself is refreshing since there is an argument. Interesting topics include challenging sport drinks and the over indulgence in concerns for dehydration and in fact they describe a condition called hyponatremia where over hydration can actually cause cell damage and possibly death and then there is the over use of NSAIDs (ibuprofen for example) that can inhibit natural healing. And the authors cover the nature and causes of injuries in great, straight forward detail. Others who have read Daniel's book will appreciate the discussion on VO2 max and running efficiency, which is done more simply but is written for a broader audience. The authors do reference studies here and there but leave no footnotes and I can understand some of the frustration, such as the brief comments that carbonated drinks have a negative effect on bone density. I certainly wanted to see references to that study but alas, there is none. But the authors cover an amazing array of subject material in a pleasant readable and informative fashion and for the depth of information, I think the book worthy of 5 stars.

This book was very good overall. It told me a lot of things that to which I wanted th answer and hadn't be able to find all in one place.

1. NO! muscle soreness is not caused by lactic acid burn. It is caused by microscopic tears in the muscle fiber!

2. There was enough repetition to know which points the authors were underlining. When reading books that have so much information, it is always good to have some things repeated (they can get lost in the way of getting through the whole book).

3. There was just enough technical information to give you the background necessary without turning it into a Biology text. It appears that their journalist co-author (Matt Fitzgerald) helped them to cut down some of the non-essential information. This book was not the least bit bloated.

4. This book could be read in any order if you wanted to skip to the parts that you wanted to read most.

5. There were very useful diagrams of atypical stretches that most of us don't do.

Problems:

1. As others have noted, this book does not have a bibliography-- and that would have been useful if one wanted to look at the abstracts of some of these articles to check the conclusions and sample sizes for oneself.

2. There were lots of good stretching diagrams, but some of the stretches that they described in the text would have been a lot easier to visualize if they had just included a photo. Why not have just been consistent and put in photos for all the stretches described? In this case, a photo really *would* have been worth 1,000 words! Better yet, a *whole section* of photos on stretching (given its importance in running).

3. I could have done with a section on the racial differences between runners. They had a section on East African distance runners, but they could have expanded that section and answered some things about the differing bone profiles of the races.

I broke one of my cardinal rules and bought this book new, but it was much worth it. I also see why the asking price was so high: There was enough good information in it to justify that price.

I throughly enjoyed reading this book. I am a Sports Medicine doctor and these guys were able to teach me something. Funny how myths get perpetuated in society. Of course, product manufacturers also have a stake in keeping the myths going. Highly recommend this book.