You train hard and have a great plan, yet you're still not getting the results as an endurance athlete. Maybe you're feeling exhausted or battling mood swings? Something is off and the dots just aren’t connecting - but you don’t know why. It is frustrating! It could be your fueling strategy. In Episode 38, Dr. Kate Ackerman, Harvard professor, spor…

Welcome to Imperfect Progress!! We're talking all things KNEE PAIN today with Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Howard Luks who specializes in sports medicine. Dr. Luks was Chief of Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy at New York Medical College for over 20 years, where he taught the next generation of Orthopedic Surgeons about the needs of athletes of all ages. …

Have you ever pushed yourself to the limit in a ride or race, only to be held back because you're struggling to breathe? You're not alone - as many as half of athletes face respiratory issues. During this episode of the Imperfect Progress Podcast, Dr. James Hull, a pulmonologist and Professor at the ISEH- the Institute of SportExercise and Health a…

Osteoporosis, the "Silent Thief," erodes bones without a whisper. Whether you're an athlete or just cherish mobility, your bones are partners in every adventure. During this podcast we unveil the secrets of your skeletal strength, embracing aging gracefully and embracing life's potential. Your bones are always building and breaking down, shaping yo…

Pro cyclist Haley Smith is no stranger to the cycling world. She's a force on two wheels, and vulnerability and her willingness to share her inner struggles is a super power in and of itself. If you struggle with confidence, are always comparing yourself to others, and obsess about watts per kilo or data, listening to conversation is guaranteed to …

Are you tired of the frustration and disappointment of struggling to follow through on your habits? Have you ever experienced the pain of starting a new routine only to find yourself skipping days or abandoning it altogether? It's a disempowering cycle that leaves us wondering why we can't stay on track. During this podcast episode, I've had an enl…

How can under eating, over exercising, high stress events and losing your period as a result, potentially contribute to poorer heart health? The science is surprising and it isn't being talked about enough. My guest today sheds light on all of these. It's important information that's not getting out to many athletes and coaches. Today’s guest Dr. C…

Welcome to episode 31 of the Imperfect Progress Podcast! On today's podcast I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Meagan Wasfy, a sports cardiologist and echocardiographer at the Mass General Hospital Brigham,Massachusetts. Dr. Wasfy completed her undergraduate degree is from Harvard College and medical degree from Harvard Medical School. She ser…

Welcome! Today's episode is about all things carbohydrates, insulin and blood sugar, at rest or during cycling and other endurance exercise. My guest Dr. Javier Gonzalez is deeply invested in research in the area of Nutrition and Metabolism and has over 159 papers published in the field. He's deepling interested in understanding human fuel use, spe…

Bone injuries can end your athletic season and even your athletic career - yet bone is often an after thought. If you're having repetitive bone stress injuries, there are likely other things going on with your nutrition and training that need further investigation. It's never too late to intervene with bone health. As a cyclist, poor bone health ca…

Caffeine, America's most popular drug. More than 85% of Americans drink at least one caffeinated drink per day. But for athletes, caffeine is a drug that's not restricted by WADA, which means athletes can use it and reap the benefits in their sports nutrition plan. I know what you're thinking, my coffee is a drug!? I know, that sounds strange, but …

Don't make the mistake of believing the hype. It could cost you your bike race. Scroll Instagram for 5 minutes and you'll be inundated with diet and sports nutrition advice. Unfortunately a lot of it is BS. The reason I do this podcast is to bring you quality information from credible sources, so you don't have to learn everything the hard way. Thi…

Olympic cyclist Ruth Winder knows a thing or two about bike racing, cycling culture and what it takes to be one of the best cyclists in the world. Ruth has won stages and the GC in some of the most prestigious races on the World Cup circuit. Like most athletes, she's no stranger to adversity . In today's podcast Ruth shares some important lessons s…

Everyone's talking about creatine and rightfully so. As the most proven sports nutrition supplement on the market, it holds a lot of clout and can be an asset to both your performance and health span. It may even benefit your road biking or gravel cycling! There's a lot of new research around creatine, and I wanted to make sure you were up to date,…

There are a lot of devices and apps measuring your body's physiological data on the market, but can they really help you recover and perform better? Heart rate variability (HRV) is getting a lot of attention these days, as are metrics that measure 'recovery' and stress. I wanted to get clear on the differences between these data, how athletes can u…

Turmeric, it's more than just a spice to add flavor and color to your cuisine. In fact the evidence is starting to accumulate that turmeric reduces inflammation, improves athlete recovery and can be as effective as Tylenol (paracetamol) in reducing osteoarthritis pain. I started using turmeric after a good friend recommended I try turmeric ginger s…

Every year athletes drop out of races because the heat beats them down. It's a hard pill to swallow after all of that training you've put in, to have to DNF. But it doesn't have to be that way. Heat adaptation is a powerful performance tool that even the best in the world aren't implementing, but they should be. The proof is in the science and the …

Over the last decade, more research has focused on the benefits of exercise in alleviating and treating depression and anxiety. I had the incredible opportunity to speak with Neuroscientist Dr. Jennifer Heisz about this topic today. Dr. Heisz is an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University and directs the Neurofit …

Ever wonder why you're not recovering as quickly as you used to, why your joints feel a bit more "crickety," and why your training routine isn't bringing you the returns it used to? With age, our bodies change and our muscles change. We must understand what to tweak to best manage our changing bodies and keep them strong and resilient. I reached ou…

"As ketone levels go up, ketones themselves inhibit their own production. When you drink an exogenous ketone and you elevate the ketones in the blood, you're going to be in the short term, blunting that fat release, that lipolysis component." Dr. Brianna Stubbs If you're an endurance athlete on the internet, there's little doubt you've stumbled acr…

You're a runner or triathlete and you‘re putting in all the miles, but are you spending any time strength training? If you're not strength training should you be? Why? And importantly, HOW? It’s easy to get lost in a Dr. Google search about this question, flustered with the endless contradictory opinions and recommendations. I felt it was important…

Why can't you stop that negative chatter in your mind? Would you ever talk to someone the way to talk to yourself? On that note, how should you talk to yourself, in the first person or third person? Hold on, do you even recognize your thought patterns? If not, how do you cultivate the awareness that you have negative self talk running like a reel i…

For athletes looking to conceive during their lifetimes, understanding the potential impacts of exercise on reproductive health is paramount. I noticed that there was very little media attention given to the effects of exercise on reproductive health. After having met many athletes who have struggled with fertility and reproductive health, I wanted…

Are you an athlete wondering if CBD oil can help you, if it's safe and whether it can help with pain, recovery or sleep? Well if you ask Dr. Google about it, you’ll get a surprising amount of claims telling you it will definitely help with sleep, recovery, inflammation and mental health and many of these sound very credible and “sciency.” But what …

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why should I track my menstrual cycle?” If so, I’m sure you’re not the only one, but it turns out, this is a pretty empowering thing to do. Are you suffering from cramps and bloating? Is your energy, mood or libido fluctuating? Do you have heavy bleeding some months and not others? When asked to explain this with your…

When you get a three time world champion and her world class coach on the same podcast, there's a whole lot of wisdom and expertise that arises. Enter Amber Neben and Tim Cusick. Amber Neben is no stranger to cycling. With two world time trial championship gold medals to her name and one team time trial world championship title, plus over 70 career…

If you’re an athlete, there’s a high likelihood you’re familiar with and may have experience with creatine supplementation. Creatine, which is inherently part of our body’s energy production, has a robust body of evidence backing it which reaches back decades. Evidence runs deep for creatine’s ability to improve performance in sports with short exp…

Tired of being tired? You're not alone. Millions of people struggle with sleep every night. In Canada, 1 in 2 adults have trouble going to sleep or staying asleep and 1 in 5 do not find their sleep refreshing. Yet, sleep is a powerful free tool at your disposal that can improve your athletic performance, mental and physical health. Knowing how many…

Have you caught yourself deep into a Netflix binge, wondering where the hours went? How about fixated on a project at your desk while day turns to night, barely having moved? You ask yourself, "Where did the time go and when is the last time I stood up?" I can definitely raise my hand here. Although long periods of focus clearly have some benefits,…

From under the hood of the car to under the driver's helmet, performance coach Mike Garth has become an expert in all aspects of auto racing. He's spent countless hours working with F1 Red Bull auto racers as well as professional endurance athletes, including cyclists and triathletes. Mike truly believes coaching is an art and it quickly became app…

“What’s the worst that can happen? We only have one life, you have to go for things...” David Swain David Swain is no stranger to making big changes and taking the “leap.” He shares his story with us during this insightful conversation, giving us a look inside the origins of his own drive and his ability to thoughtfully navigate change throughout h…

“Half of all mental disorders start before the age of 14, you want to get in and prevent them before they start and that means making sure that kids are getting the right nutrition and physical activity and obviously when they get into adolescence not smoking.” Dr. Felice Jacka, Director of The Food and Mood Center and founder and president of the …

It’s SUPER hot out there this summer so this week’s episode with Dr. Heather Logan Sprenger is fitting, since we dive into hydration and regulating body temperature so we can beat the heat! Listeners will gain insights into Heather’s youth in sport and how this played into her long career as an elite athlete and professional athlete in the sports o…

Welcome to the Imperfect Progress Podcast! I’m excited to share this episode focused around girls in sport, women in coaching and community involvement with author, athlete and entrepreneur Molly Hurford. If you love cycling and you love reading, you and Molly Hurford (@mollyjhurford) will have a few things in common. Let’s add writing, travel and …

"There’s still this notion that, in female athletes, that it’s ok to lose their period during high intensity training in the middle of a season, cross country or track and field for example, and I continually have to educate that that’s not normal and that lack of period is a good sign that something is off…” Dr. Emily Kraus Dr. Emily Kraus is a Sp…

With decades of experience in the health and fitness industries, Dr. Alwyn Wong is a wealth of knowledge. Alwyn has worked with athletes in the NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB, and PGA, as well as Olympic, and IFBB athletes. He currently works as a Chiropractic Doctor out of Toronto, Canada. Alwyn specializes in acupuncture and active release techniques and mor…

“I equate focusing on health with high performance and when you have a healthy resilient body then you’re going to get a better performance and it’s going to be sustainable. Making that connection is key, it’s not choosing one or the other.” Leah Kirchmann If you follow women’s cycling, Leah Kirchmann will be a familiar name to you. As one of the w…

Athletes all over the world are facing uncertainty about when the next competition is and where their focus should be right now. Although athletes tend to be resilient and forward thinking, these times present athletes with a unique stress, compared to the almost expected ‘forks in the road’ that they contend with regularly. A good coach helps us n…