" Up your mileage.. " ???

Time to clear up this with mitochondria,... as much as the scientists knows about it! I say "as much as scientists knows about it" because NO ONE knows exactly down to the smallest detail ........

When we talk about running and training and mitochondria we usually hear that aerobic easy running produce mitochondria ( " the power plants" in our cells), not that more efficient/ potent and powerful mitochondria is produced even at faster running.

How to Maximise Your Mitochondria | Runner's World Australia and New Zealand (runnersworldonline.com.au)

In your body there is 100 trilion ( 100 000 000 000 000 000 000 !! ) mitochondria, whether you run or not. These mitochondria unites and divides, breaks down and builds up. Every second ( ! ) of your life there is produced 2 000 000 000 (!) of mitochondria! They use 90% of all oxygen and produce 90% of all energy in the body.Half of all mitochondria are replaced every month.

( will continue to even more give a background and explanation why it functions so well to reach individual optimum performances on quite low mileage if you balance the necessary components in a very smart and efficient way. )

His source is Runner's World.

nature.com

Could mitochondria help athletes to make gains?

The muscles of elite endurance athletes boast high numbers of extra-efficient mitochondria. Unlocking the secrets of these cellular components could yield gains for future Olympians.

Open link

And from my understanding, mitochondria development is only one piece of the puzzle. It also has a point of diminishing returns where you won't be able to effectively use the energy created of having "more or more efficient" mitochondria.

Therefore, how do we keep making gains? Let's say a runner builds from 40-50mpw as an 18yr old, competes at a high level in school and post-collegiately, and is running around 100mpw as a 28-30yr old. Within that framework, it may be beneficial to gradually reduce your global volume later into your 30s and find a better stimulus for adaptation (ie- better workouts focused on more time at intensity; for the 5K-Marathon, that likely means greater signaling coming from accumulating 40-80min at 80-90% of best effort rather than 15-25min @ 95-100%... No more 12x400m @ 5K pace for you, and far less easy 90-120min runs...They are no longer a stimulus for further adaptation).

Also, strength and sprint training... If you develop all this slow-twitch fiber mass, but can only recruit 50% of them due to obsessive jogging, you are wasting your time. Strength training, plyos, and short sprints can be the "key" to accessing far more total fibers and initiating better recruitment patterns within your muscles. This will lead to more total stride power, better fatigue resistance at faster paces, and improved running economy- all without adding any more unnecessary "mileage" to your bespoke week.

Runners World as I refered to about maximizing mitochondria is only one of many scientific evidence I have taken note of backing up what I write . I can't post links to them all. It`s free on the web for those interested on the subject.

A very good reflection I think. However half of the number of mitochondria is consumed in a month , but replaced with new, actually reused ( ! ) , fresh potent mitochondria. This process makes us, in addition to better runners, also that our health improves. But then we have the natural aging process of course which ultimately limits our ability. That`s life folks! ))