Scientist and project leader @ TNO human performance, exercise physiology, recovery, thermophysiology, athletics, pole vault, muscle ageing, twin
Joined January 2011
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Sam Ballak retweeted
Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people.
Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.
Sam Ballak retweeted
Draadje.
Waarom Europa moet breken met de Verenigde Staten, en moet stoppen met de hielen te likken van Trump. En als de VS de NAVO dan gaan opblazen, dan doen ze dat maar. Dit is een U-turn van jewelste van de VS. 1/?
Sam Ballak retweeted
Is training volume really the most important variable for maximizing capillary adaptations?
Here is a breakdown from our meta-regression of 425 studies of how ET, HIT, and SIT affect capillarisation and why training volume becomes more important the fitter you get 🧵
Sam Ballak retweeted
Modelled changes in VO2max over time with different training interventions. Log-linear response
Haven't fully digested this entire behemoth meta yet (aggregating 353 studies & ~6000 participants!), but this might be my new favourite figure 👏
Sam Ballak retweeted
Dit, dít is is een crisis.
nos.nl/artikel/2540098-te-we…
Sam Ballak retweeted
For those interested in this topic:
👟Active recovery vs CWI vs HWI in elite athletes: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3772…
🛁Recovery and CWI/ice usage: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3905…
🧊CWI/ice post injury: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3923…
Why are we still ice bathing?
Robust evidence shows cold-water immersion after training INHIBITS recovery by blunting muscle protein synthesis and anabolic signaling.
Why, then, are we still doing it? It's culturally ingrained at this point. Athletes are jumping in cold tubs because that's what we do, and fitness influencers have more sway than credible scientific experts.
Only in unique circumstances, e.g., between successive competitive heats, is there any potential benefit.
🔗skepticalinquirer.org/exclus… #science #exercise
Sam Ballak retweeted
Training Truths: Aerobic Conditioning
What feels important
Focusing only on maximal aerobic speed (MAS) as the key to improving aerobic conditioning.
What actually moves the needle
Sequencing between critical speed, low-intensity training, and maximal aerobic speed.
Each has a role, but the true value comes from understanding how to blend them into a progressive structure that builds endurance repeat and recover durability.
MAS alone won’t create the complete athlete.
It’s about using the right tool at the right time in training.
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Music credit: Still D.R.E. (Instrumental)
Sam Ballak retweeted
The myth of switching to fat metabolism. Countless times I have heard commentators say “And then you switch to fat metabolism”. But how does fuel use actually work? Is there really a switch to fat metabolism? bit.ly/3whwXRD
Sam Ballak retweeted
Prior HEAVY exercise 🪨 promotes FASTER rise in VO2 ⬆️📈
during a FOLLOWING BOUT of exercise. 2️⃣🚴
We call this mechanism - a PRIMING EFFECT! ☝️1️⃣
Use the priming effect to
accelerate T to VO2max 🚄⏱️🫁
in your HIIT TRAINING 🚴🏃♀️🎯…
Sam Ballak retweeted
Proud of this team! 🥇🥇🥈🥉🥉🥉
European country number 1 in Athletics at the Olympics!!
@Atletiekunie @TeamNLtweets @Papendal
Sam Ballak retweeted
🔥🇫🇷 | Een dikke knuffel van premier Schoof voor Sifan Hassan. Ze is de held van iedereen. 🙌🙌 #Paris2024
📺 Stream Paris 2024 op HBO Max
Sam Ballak retweeted
SIFAN HASSAN DOET HET 'GEWOON'. Olympisch marathongoud na twee keer brons op de 5000 en 10.000m. Legendarisch ❣️❣️❣️ #Paris2024 – at Paris, France
Sam Ballak retweeted
🔥🇫🇷 | Snollebollekes in het Stade de France! Van links naar rechts met alweer een medaille op de estafette! 🥈🎶 #Paris2024
📺 Stream Paris 2024 op HBO Max
Sam Ballak retweeted
I won’t have time to read all the theories about tonight’s outcome. It’s also not really important because it was win or lose.
But here is what I know: Femke tried everything to run faster than ever to stand a chance to win gold.
Just the pace was too fast for her profile 24.04 at 200m / Sydney 23.84!). Therefore she didn’t run relaxed and economical enough. So she went out of fuel on the last 120m
But Sydney was just too strong tonight and by risking everything, Femke exposed herself and lost silver.
This is how competition works. If she would have race for second, she wouldn’t have been happy either.
Incredibly proud of her giving it all. How many athletes would have give the mixed relay a go in her position (remember that she produced an amazing 47.93 to win gold)?
So, no she didn’t have too many races before this final, she just tried everything to win and an amazing athlete was just better than her. And this strategy brings her bronze.
Thanks to all the fans in the stands. The stadium was mainly orange tonight. And this is because of Femke’s personality and her love for competing.
Big congrats to Sydney for continuously setting new standards and pushing us on the road to excellence.
Huge performance for Anna Cockrell becoming the 4th athlete in history running sub52.
Sam Ballak retweeted
Hoe rent Femke Bol zo hard? ‘Ze is een Ferrari en Volvo ineen’
trouw.nl/olympische-spelen-2…
De 400 meter horden is een van de zwaarste atletiekonderdelen. Femke Bol lijkt met gemak over de hindernissen te snellen. Wat is haar geheim?
Nu in #Trouw – at Saint-Denis, France
