Some Work, All Play

David Roche and Megan Roche
  • 4.8 (1.9K)
  • RUNNING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Five to ten topics, sometimes about running, with lots of love and enthusiasm and science. We dig deep into training, races, studies, pop culture, and much more! With Megan Roche, M.D. and David Roche!

  1. 3D AGO

    296. How To Use Electrolytes, Zone 2 Problems, Strange VO2 Max Measures, The Weird World of Probiotics, and AI Training Thoughts!

    We cornered the market on mozzarella sticks before this awesome episode! The main topic involved our recommendations for electrolyte use in races and hard training. Sweat replacement is one of the strangest, least understood parts of athletic physiology. We give our guidelines from lots of real-world experimentation.  And this one was full of incredible topics! Other topics: the happiest place on Earth, Megan’s first video filming and the year of vulnerability, David’s return to run, a new probiotic study showing the weird connection between the gut and brain, Kristian Blummenfelt measuring with the highest VO2 max ever (or did he?), Airpod 3 heart rate, gambling in running, Truett Hanes’ OTQ chase, our updated thoughts on applying AI in training, a Nomio follow-up, the perils of setting Z2 in the wrong place, changing directions on the track, elliptical v. bike training, bike cadence, a deep question on parenting, and lots more! Whenever you’re in doubt about our place in the Universe, look up at the night sky, take a deep breath, and give the universal signal: SUCK IT. That will make a bit more sense soon (maybe). We love you all! HUZZAH! -David and Megan Click "Claim Your Sponsorship" for 40% off at The Feed here: thefeed.com/swap Buy Janji's amazing gear: https://janji.com (code "SWAP") The Wahoo KICKR Run is the best treadmill on the market: https://www.wahoofitness.com/devices/running/treadmills/kickr-run-buy (code “SWAP”) For training plans, weekly bonus podcasts, articles, and videos: patreon.com/swap

    1h 44m

  2. JAN 27

    295. Debunking Low Carb Science for Endurance Athletes

    We ordered extra-extra cheese before this deep-dive episode. The main topic took up most of the recording today, involving a new narrative review that argues for a low-carb approach for endurance athletes. The real-world performance benefits of carbs are clear for anyone who has traveled this path, but at the end of the day, who cares? It's just performance. The low-carb believers can get left behind and that's ok by us. The reason we are talking about this relates to health. The carb conversation is nuanced--it's not about taking in as many carbs as you can all the time, and their arguments point out legitimate discussions about how to balance fueling in training and life. But their arguments also infiltrate the broader discussion of nutrition, and anyone who works in this field sees what can happen on the other side. There is a boneyard of ruined careers from serious endurance athletes who have undershot carb intake. The negative mental and physical health outcomes from carb restriction take this out of the academic realm and into much more serious places. We love carbs because we love performance. But mostly we love carbs because we love people, and we want to see athletes be able to shine their lights as brightly as possible. Other topics on this episode: our approach to cross training, the incredible Beth McKenzie episode on the Freetrail podcast, Alex Honnold free soloing a skyscraper, a study tracking DEXA scan results with stress fracture outcomes, and we answer an important question from a listener about dealing with a tough health diagnosis. This one starts with a different tone as we grieve the terrible news from Minnesota. Thank you for being on this journey with us. We love you all! HUZZAH! -David and Megan Click "Claim Your Sponsorship" for 40% off at The Feed here: thefeed.com/swap Buy Janji's amazing gear: https://janji.com (code "SWAP") The Wahoo KICKR Run is the best treadmill on the market: https://www.wahoofitness.com/devices/running/treadmills/kickr-run-buy (code “SWAP”) For training plans, weekly bonus podcasts, articles, and videos: patreon.com/swap

    1h 25m

  3. JAN 20

    294. The Bicarb Revolution, Theory of Doubles, Vitamin D Supplementation, Stairmill Training, and Zone 2 Weirdness!

    We loaded up on Vitamin D (and deodorant) before this fresh episode! The main topic was a new sodium bicarbonate study, tracking 40k bike time trial performance at altitude. It’s another brick in a really big scientific wall supporting the use of bicarb for performance. We zoom out to let you know why we think it’s also effective even in very long distances... and maybe at lower (cheaper) doses. We also talked about Vitamin D supplementation, using a big review study showing that over half of athletes had inadequate levels. Hit the ADEQUATE sign! And this one was full of great topics! Other topics: the power of taking 3 days off, an update on David’s health journey, arm band heart rate, our Nomio epiphany, shoe nerd news, a new analysis on running economy changes in different trail shoes, the Hopecore Corner with pieces of art we really like, a quick-hitter CBD study, improving bike power, the theory of doubles, a fun sports bra question, using the stairmill, heart rate zones, and whether to follow logic or the heart with race decisions. We love you all! HUZZAH! -David and Megan Click "Claim Your Sponsorship" for $40 free credit at The Feed here: thefeed.com/swap Buy Janji's amazing gear: https://janji.com (code "SWAP") The Wahoo KICKR Run is the best treadmill on the market: https://www.wahoofitness.com/devices/running/treadmills/kickr-run-buy (code “SWAP”) For training plans, weekly bonus podcasts, articles, and videos: patreon.com/swap

    1h 25m

  4. JAN 13

    293. Ultra Runner of the Year Rankings, Unintentional Low Carb Studies, Health Update, Continuous Lactate Monitors, and Blood Tests!

    We got our big juicy pumps for this amazing episode! We started by talking about a couple pieces of personal news, including a shockingly cool number 4 ranking in the Ultra Runner of the Year voting... and some tough health findings from an MRI. The newest shoe review is a medical boot. It’s still better than most trail shoes. The big science discussion was on a pair of studies on advanced female runners, with both finding low carbohydrate intake on training days. One of the studies on elite athletes found that 94.3% had low energy availability! We broaden out the discussion into nutritional approaches generally. And David tries to broaden it out into a thinkpiece about the food pyramid. At a certain point, maybe your thinkpiece is so wrong that you eventually loop around and become right? Don't answer that. And this one was full of great topics! Other topics: our approach to training and health with the foot, a study on using heat training to substitute for other types of training, what we’d spend with $200 a month, how we are making money off AI, the Burrito League, some quick thoughts on continuous lactate monitors, Shelby Houlihan and Molly Seidel setting records at trail races, Raya for trail and ultra runners, sleep and FKTs, blood tests and training for downhills in a flat place. We love you all! HUZZAH! -David and Megan Click "Claim Your Sponsorship" for $40 free credit at The Feed here: thefeed.com/swap Buy Janji's amazing gear: https://janji.com (code "SWAP") The Wahoo KICKR Run is the best treadmill on the market: https://www.wahoofitness.com/devices/running/treadmills/kickr-run-buy (code “SWAP”) Athlete Blood Test (code "SWAP"): https://www.athletebloodtest.com/shop/ For training plans, weekly bonus podcasts, articles, and videos: patreon.com/swap

    1h 31m

  5. JAN 6

    292. The Countdown! Our 10 Most Important Training Studies of the Year

    This was one of our all-time favorite episodes! We discussed takeaways from our 10 top endurance performance and health studies of 2025, full of science, recommendations, and debates.  We don’t want to give away the countdown, but this one had everything! We’re talking fueling, training, brain health, colon health, and shoes. You just know there had to be a shoe study. Running shoes are 92% of David’s personality.  Our mission was to summarize the science in a way that would help you take the research into the real world. We think that if you can stay 1-2 years ahead of widespread adoption of new scientific principles, you can always have an edge even as the world starts to catch up. Plus, it’s fun! Not as fun as a colonoscopy, but still fun! We also talked about 3 pieces of running news, including Shelby Houlihan’s first trail race, a new bicarb energy bar, and Ann Trason’s 100 mile performance.  We love you all! HUZZAH! -David and Megan Click "Claim Your Sponsorship" for $40 free credit at The Feed here: thefeed.com/swap Buy Janji's amazing gear: https://janji.com (code "SWAP") The Wahoo KICKR Run is the best treadmill on the market: https://www.wahoofitness.com/devices/running/treadmills/kickr-run-buy (code “SWAP”) For training plans, weekly bonus podcasts, articles, and videos: patreon.com/swap

    1h 27m

  6. 12/30/2025

    291. The Top 40 Predictions and Hot Takes for 2026!

    This episode is full of the biggest predictions and most fun hot takes! We gathered 40 deep thoughts from listeners, and we had a blast responding to them all. Topics: just about everything related to running and endurance! We’re talking shoes, races, technology, media, training, strength work, culture, thermometers in sensitive places, and so much more. Thank you for being here for an incredible and unpredictable year. We love you all! HUZZAH! -David and Megan Click "Claim Your Sponsorship" for $40 free credit at The Feed here: thefeed.com/swap 25% sale on the Wahoo KICKR Run, the best treadmill on the market: ⁠https://www.wahoofitness.com/devices/running/treadmills/kickr-run-buy⁠ (code “SWAP”) Buy Janji's amazing gear: https://janji.com (code "SWAP") For training plans, weekly bonus podcasts, articles, and videos: patreon.com/swap

    1h 23m

  7. 12/23/2025

    290. No-Secrets Q+A on Running Form, Heat Training, Uphill Treadmill, Supplement Hypotheticals, Bicarb v. Nomio, Power Meters, and More!

    We realized the perils of a hurricane-force tailwind before this amazing holiday episode! To celebrate the season, we opened up the mailbag to answer listener questions on all sorts of topics. Topics this week: what we’d save from a fire, a hot-tub experiment follow-up, Megan’s exciting news, whether we’d ever try triathlon, a vest that ejects gels, heat training submersion levels, hemoglobin A1C and REDs, iron supplementation, uphill treadmill effort and timing, scheduling rest days, a supplement hypothetical, Nomio v. sodium bicarbonate, cycling metrics, running power meters, running form changes, tart cherry juice hacks, training on a through-hike, limiting aid station support, and a beautiful listener corner message. Thank you so much for being here in 2025! May your holidays be like the water in our hot tub: ELECTRIC. We love you all! HUZZAH! -David and Megan Get 40% off your first order and $10 credit for every $100 spent at The Feed here: thefeed.com/swap Buy Janji's amazing gear: https://janji.com (code "SWAP") The Wahoo KICKR Run is the best treadmill on the market: https://www.wahoofitness.com/devices/running/treadmills/kickr-run-buy (code “SWAP”) For training plans, weekly bonus podcasts, articles, and videos: patreon.com/swap

    1h 26m

  8. 12/16/2025

    289. Threshold Training Explained, How To Run Strides, VO2 and Longevity, and The Best Story We Have Ever Told!

    We are still recovering from the laughs at the end of this episode! Before getting to that story, this one had a great training discussion on improving threshold performance. We dug down into why it’s more complex than just doing threshold workouts, and how you can put it into practice. There was also a new study on VO2 and its relation to aerobic and lactate thresholds. We broaden it out to address recent conversations on VO2 and longevity. David went for a joke that almost ended the podcast altogether. You know, the usual. And this one was full of great topics! Other topics: the hot tub science experiment, Megan’s inclusion on the Singletrack list for course records of the year, the most hilarious year-end list, David’s fueling realization, the continuation of the shoe saga, a study on breakfast and metabolic health, the Roast My Strava app, self-care gifts, how to run strides, peeing in longer races, overpronation and shoe choices, dressing in winter, rowing as cross-training, and the most beautiful Listener Corner message. It ended with a story that we have been holding in for a full year. Stick around to the end for a treat. We love you all! HUZZAH! -David and Megan Click "Claim Your Sponsorship" for $40 free credit at The Feed here: thefeed.com/swap   Buy Janji's amazing gear: https://janji.com (code "SWAP") Follow the meme account we mentioned: https://www.instagram.com/maxjolliffeunsolicitedmemes/  Check out Roast My Strava: https://roastmystrava.com/  The Wahoo KICKR Run is the best treadmill on the market: https://www.wahoofitness.com/devices/running/treadmills/kickr-run-buy (code “SWAP”) For training plans, weekly bonus podcasts, articles, and videos: patreon.com/swap

    1h 29m
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Hosts & Guests

4.8
out of 5
1,852 Ratings

About

Five to ten topics, sometimes about running, with lots of love and enthusiasm and science. We dig deep into training, races, studies, pop culture, and much more! With Megan Roche, M.D. and David Roche!

Information

  • Creator
    David Roche and Megan Roche
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    301
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © David Roche and Megan Roche
  • Show Website
    Some Work, All Play

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