And then the perfect storm arrived. Between June and July I started a power-focused training mesocycle, complete with lessons from a pro swim coach, while also grinding through prep for my medical residency exam. In other words: I was about to push my limits on every front at once. Maybe, just maybe, creatine could help me thrive through it.

Prioritise What’s Proven

As it turns out, creatine is one of the most well-researched, safe, and effective supplements out there for building strength and power (see the research1). A growing body of evidence also points to benefits for memory and cognition, especially under stress, plus faster muscle recovery after hard training by reducing cell inflammation.

The mechanism is simple: creatine boosts ATP, the energy currency our cells run on. Its mechanism makes it more useful in anaerobic efforts like lifting and sprinting, anything short and explosive. Nonetheless, newer research is exploring creatine’s potential role in traumatic brain injury, concussion recovery, and even neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.

One Supplement at a Time

Life is expensive enough without throwing money at every supplement an influencer swears by. Keeping my stack small not only protects my empty wallet, but also lets me guess better which supplement is doing something. Before I get into how it went, full disclosure: the only other supplements I take are vitamin D and magnesium bisglycinate. Vitamin D contributes to normal immune function, and magnesium because it’s is involved in the activation and metabolism of vitamin D, plus it has well-known calming effects on the nervous system that help with sleep.

Important note: vitamin D shouldn’t be supplemented if your levels are already normal: excess can become toxic.

A Personal Experiment in High Stress

For the first month, I noticed... nothing. ^^ To be fair, there were plenty of confounders: an Italian heat wave, plus 8 to 9 hours of effective studying a day, which alone is enough to lower training performance and energy levels. Most mornings I woke up feeling like I'd been hit by a bus. A cold shower, a glass of water with electrolytes, and some mobility work in the sun were the only things stopping me from crawling back into bed. Anyway, first month, nothing dramatic. I also didn't get the "puffy" look people love to complain about. Perhaps my muscles looked a little fuller, but ultimately, not overeating helped me keep my body composition essentially unchanged.

Then the second month hit, and I started feeling unstoppable. I carried out amazing workouts and felt like I could continue for hours. Studying, too. I kept bracing for the crash, waiting for the moment I’d collapse, but it never came. To be honest, I have to flag another confounder here: the exam was getting closer, and adrenaline, plus the very real fear of not covering enough material was doing a lot of the heavy lifting too. No naps. Some days I clocked 10 hours of studying. Also, as the test day approached, I dialed training back to every other day and cut the volume. I wish I’d tapered my study hours too. I didn’t. :(

Was Creatine Actually Worth Taking?

I’d like to believe creatine, magnesium, and vitamin D were all helping me. But just like I wrote in my post on sleep hygiene (link to post), I genuinely believe our mind is the biggest driver of performance, bigger than any supplement. The mind is the car. good sleep and good food are the fuel (and by the way, creatine is naturally loaded in beef and sardines). Creatine and magnesium? Maybe just the turbo boost.

So, to be clear: this post is not a recommendation to go trying supplements. And if you do consider trying creatine, I suggest to seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional or sports coach to better understand your goals and whether creatine is actually necessary to reach them. Our mind really is our biggest source of energy. Not because I say so.. the Romans did: mens sana in corpore sano. ^^

Ok, I was probably young and naive. However, I’ve noticed the following pattern in many young professionals. We leave the university bubble, start working, and..surprise: we become a bit disappointed with our first experience. So we do what any reasonable (and slightly restless) person would do: we try to change it, looking for better, more remunerative options. When we eventually start the new job, convinced life will finally be better… we realise it wasn’t the magical solution after all.

Then it becomes a question of how we react. Some people accept those disappointments passively; others face them actively, with patience, and discover that their initial expectations can even be exceeded. And then there are those who fight, who really try to make it work, but eventually realise, without regret, that the long-desired job or change simply wasn’t right for them, and either return to their original path or choose a completely different one. Which of these was I?

I started med school with a lot of enthusiasm and energy. Of course, if you put enough effort into anything, even learning Excel formulas can become interesting (I truly enjoy Excel ^^). However, I genuinely found every module I studied to be inspiring, even the preclinical ones. At the same time, I started realising that the grass wasn’t necessarily greener. I thought about quitting many times, and I also realised that quitting is actually okay, if we do it because something truly isn’t for us, and not simply because it’s hard.

My beloved mountain guide, Piergiorgio Vidi, says that “mountaineering taught him that quitting can be a sound choice.” After all, we don’t want to fall and get hurt, we don’t want our mental health to go south. Even though my situation is a bit different from the ascent of Patagonia’s gloomy Cerro Torre ^^, at some point during an ascent, climbing back down becomes more dangerous than continuing upward. Moreover, until I truly committed, my mind was never fully at peace. A professor once said in Neurology class: “If you cannot choose, you are not free.” So I decided to persevere.

But I still haven’t answered the question: was it worth it? Let’s not beat around the bush. YES. And the reason is twofold. Firstly, the photo below. I think it’s worth to fight for something in life. even if it’s not perfect, for something we must fight, for something we must suffer. Everyone choose their own.

Secondly, beautiful and unexpected things happen. Someone you meet. Being able to stay close to my mother during illness, to watch my dog Lola grow up (she was born six years ago) next to me while I studied, and to spend so much time with a friend who has now become one of my closest. Another silver lining was interning in a department that allowed me to help both my parents.

Also, I’m not going to dive into all the differences between medicine and engineering, but I definitely stepped into med school way too rational, way too precise, way too… obsessive ^^. These frenetic years didn’t just make me more resilient to stress, it also made me less black-or-white. It forced me to leave some work partially unfinished, to make imperfect decisions, to accept compromise. This is exactly why it was worth it: for the person you become after going through a certain experience.

To finish off, I’ll share something quote that I believe is even more relevant:

.. Is that why Lola always does a head tilt ?! (Photo credit: Nadine)

Playlist of the month

The whole point of this post is to transmit good energy, hence why not accompany it with my playlist:

I’m dedicating this post to all of you who, at some point in your fitness journey, have done something… questionable in the gym ^^ —and paid for it with back pain.

I’m definitely in that group. This post is meant to share practical tips drawn from my experience as an avid lifter and swimmer — along with insights from my coach, spine experts and some of my subscribers, like Filippo and Andrea (hi guys ^^).

Let’s start with me.

My first episode of back pain dates back to 2011, on the Smith machine—caused by poor technique, and likely resulting in a minor disc bulge. Around that same period, I also experienced lower back pain from high running volume. That time I managed to get away with just some rest; however, things escalated in 2013, when I broke my ankle. As often happens with injuries, it created imbalances that predisposed me to back pain, especially on the side compensating for the injured leg. After that phase, I became much more sensible with my training. In fact, I stayed injury-free for nearly a decade.

Until recently.

Over the past couple of years, heavy deadlifts and barbell squats started giving me warning signs—small tweaks, occasional strains—until this March, when a sudden pull caused a significant lower back contraction.

Let’s move to my friends.

Filippo had a similar experience — he developed a serious disc bulge after heavy “ass-to-grass” squatting. Since then, he’s stepped away from barbells altogether (we’ll come back to that later).

Andrea’s case was different—and more complex. His back pain was strongly influenced by visceral stress and underlying inflammatory gastrointestinal conditions.

And then there are even more serious scenarios. My father once diagnosed spinal cancer in a patient who initially presented with back pain. So as you can see, back pain can have many different causes.

The table below summarizes some of the most common ones.

As you can see, back pain is indeed a huge topic: there are countless causes, mechanisms, and contributing factors. But for the purpose of this post, I’m going to narrow the focus. We’ll be talking specifically about back pain that comes from training due to inadequate exercise selection and technical mistakes.

Structurally, this post follows a similar logic to the one I used in post: “Learning to Understand Pain”. If your main issue is knee pain rather than back pain, you might want to check that one out as well.

Let’s stop chasing PRs

Over time I started rethinking my approach to training. The goal isn’t anymore to just get stronger and look good, but also to build a body that is resilient and across a wide range of activities, without constantly flirting with injury.

This goal is achieved by avoiding potentially harmful exercises and by practicing exercises that are preventative on a regular basis. I will point out all the preventative exercises for you, but first — let’s set two basic concept:

1. Not all backs are built the same. Our spines have different geometries: some are more “thin and flexible,” better suited for bending; others are “thicker and robust”, better at handling compression. Also, spines may have different curvatures, known as kyphosis, lordosis, and scoliosis. What does that mean in practice? We are not all equally suited for the same movements, and we are not all equally prone to the same injuries.

2. Joints are the limiting factor in the long run. Most of us gym-goers tend to focus just on muscles, which can adapt relatively quickly after injuries. However, joints, discs, ligaments and cartilage adapt much more slowly, and they are indispensable for continuing training. Hence, from a healthspan perspective, constantly pushing to the maximum is not a smart strategy if we want to preserve our joints.

Rant over ^^

So - which are the exercises that actually put us at risk for back pain? Unfortunately, the answer is: it depends. It depends on your type of spine, your loading, and your technique.

As my coach Giovanni often says, culturally many of us have been brought up on a very specific idea of training: deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, bench press, i.e.: big multi-joint lifts.

These exercises absolutely have value. They are systemic, efficient, and powerful.
But they are also complex. And in many general fitness contexts, they don’t always have a clear, necessary application.

When we start pushing heavy loads, even small compensations can become a problem over time. That’s one of the reasons I’ve grown to appreciate more analytical, machine-based work when it comes to loading heavy.

The deadlift isn’t worth It (for most people)

The previous advice was quite generic: we should consider machines - not because they’re superior—but because they allows for more control. Now, let’s talk about specific exercises and let’s start with the kings of the weight room: the deadlift.

The deadlift is often described as one of the most complete exercises there is: highly neurologically demanding, involving almost every muscle in the body. All true. But it’s also a very technical, high-cost movement.

So the real question becomes: do you actually need it?

If your goal is general fitness, or sports like football, golf, or recreational activity, the answer according to Dr. Stuart McGill, a world-renowned professor emeritus of spine biomechanics at the University of Waterloo: not necessarily.

Personally, I’ve started to step back from “very heavy” deadlifts. For me, the strain on my spine didn’t outweigh the benefits. I also found that they made me feel less agile in the water and required too many days to fully recover when pushed too heavy.

I’ll be honest — I will miss the deadlift. There’s something uniquely satisfying about it. The feeling of lifting something heavy off the ground, the full-body tension, the sense of raw strength..it’s hard to replicate.

But at the same time, it’s refreshing to realise that building strong, muscular legs doesn’t depend on it. There are alternatives that can give you many of the same benefits with less risk, especially when programmed well.

Here are some exercise ideas for building strong legs, inspired by the work of my coaches and personal experience.

• Rear-leg Elevated Split Squat: Even with just bodyweight, this can be very effective. Placing your hands behind your neck increases activation of the spinal erectors.

• Bulgarian Split Squats: Super challenging and effective.

• Goblet Squats: A simple way to train squatting mechanics with lower spinal load.

• Single-leg step-ups: Great for adding coordination and balance in the equation.

Lastly, here are a few key principles I’m committing to:

1. Add “low-load” spine care work
   As part of warm-up, during mobility practice or on rest days. For example “legs up the wall” (link below), the famous cat-cow, the horse-stance (for decompression), the cobra, the side plank (for stabilisation).

2. Focus is non-negotiable when lifting

   Losing focus for even a second is often where things start to go wrong.

3. Control every phase of the movement
   Not just the lift, but the lowering as well. This is the phase where we can “relax” and hurt ourselves)

4. Limit how often we go heavy
   Maximal or near-maximal efforts shouldn’t be a daily habit.

5. Be honest about our form
   If needed, film ourselves and ask for opinions of trainers. Small compensations are often invisible.

6. Reduce unnecessary spinal loading
   For me, this means stepping away from barbell squats and heavy deadlifts.

7. Build around safer, effective alternatives
   Including the exercises that I mentioned in the previous paragraph.

Golden Links: Exercises for back pain prevention

I am sharing with you one of the best and quickest fixes ever: the 1 minute legs up the wall. I firmly believe this stretch is fundamental to prevent both lower back pain while also improving blood flow after a sedentary day, check it out:

And here are the top back pain exercises suggested by Dr. Mc Gill:

Quote of the month

If your spine can’t move then you’re going to be restricted. Let’s take care ^^

Photo of the month: Lola’s 6th Birthday

Today 6th of April is Lola’s 6th birthday <3<3<3 Photo credits: Nadine

Today I’ll be sharing with you year-long multidisciplinary training program focused on fitness at 360 degrees and physical competence, as well as prevention and long-term resilience. Perhaps the term “longevity program” could also be appropriate, but I’ve never loved that word, so I’ve named the project AthElite Program.

The idea is simple: this program is not for athletes, but for people who want to train with the same precision and structure that athletes use, but instead of aiming at performance for podiums, want to achieve athleticism that is broader, more human, and less tied to a single activity.

Let’s remember that one of the most powerful life strategies, in general, is to live in variable environments. Exposing ourselves to new movements or methods forces adaptation across multiple systems, keeping the body flexible and reactive—essentially younger — and better able resolve acute inflammation efficiently.

You might be thinking: “I enjoy going to the gym without much structure. I like the occasional Pilates class. I climb. Right now, I’m into triathlon.” I get it—and more importantly, movement in any form is valuable. Exercise is a stressor, and becomes beneficial one only when it’s intentional. So yes, do what works for you. However…

At some point, you may notice yourself drifting from one month to the next without a clear sense of direction, asking, “What should I do next — and why?” If that sounds familiar, reading about the Athlete Program could offer a way to think about training as a multidisciplinary, varied, and intentional health journey.

This project came from three core realisations.

1. First, there is a need to prioritise “one main quality” every two to three months. That quality might be strength, endurance, hypertrophy, power, or something else. Of course, there’s always overlap, and the lines can blur — but I’ve understood that progress is much clearer when one or two goals are clearly in the foreground.

2. Second, we can continue to train everything but reduce it to focus on the priority. Roughly speaking, it takes about "one-sixth of the training volume to maintain a quality compared to what’s needed to build it. This frees up energy, time, and focus, allowing to actually see progress with your priority goal.

3. Third, we should base the priority phase on our life situation. If we’re outdoors more in the summer, maybe training looks like exercising in the park, long bike rides or swimming outdoors. If life is busy or stressful, pushing maximal strength might not be the smartest move; a lighter pump session and steady runs may serve us better.

Hence the Athlete Program is built around this idea: train like an athlete, live like a human. Structure without rigidity. Precision without obsession. This is the framework I’ll be sharing NOW and refining throughout the year…

Each month in the AthElite Project is built around three pillars. The first is the priority—the main quality we want to develop during that phase, such as strength, power, or hypertrophy. The second pillar is supportive: trained at a lower volume to maintain previously developed qualities, support recovery, or work on less demanding elements like balance and coordination. The third pillar is cardio, expressed in different forms and always tailored to the main priority.

For example, during a high strength–focused month, cardio might lean towards sustained efforts closer to the upper aerobic (lactate) threshold. In contrast, an endurance-focused block is paired with aerobic work at varied rhythm (up to 80% HRmax). This structure creates continuity across the year, so no phase feels isolated or disconnected from the next. Phases can also be blended—for example, hypertrophy with a metabolic twist—and any blocks that don’t serve your goals can be left out.

Lastly, let’s note that “rotating methods” is different from “program hopping”. This is crucial: throughout the program, we stick to a single method for 6–8 weeks, and when necessary, we can repeat it with different exercises or adjusted intensities (for example, if your goal is growing legs and glutes, we can include more hypertrophy- blocks). Rotating methods, then, isn’t about novelty for its own sake. It’s about exposing the body to diverse signals and reducing overuse injuries. Do you really see yourself training VO₂ max all year long… and still enjoying life? ^^

I’m thinking of developing the AthElite Project throughout 2026, with the goal of launching it in 2027 as a purchasable blueprint—complete with examples, videos, and optional consultation for personalisation. I know this approach won’t be for everyone — and that’s okay. It’s designed for people who enjoy training with intention and have some experience, but it can always be personalised around specific goals and sports.

Photo of the month

Quote of the month

It’s true that plans change all the time..but making them is a “good starting point”! ^^

This year, no goal setting for the final post.

I thought I’d share six stimulating questions.

Hopefully one of them can help you in some way in the new year 🤞🏼Let’s check them out:

1. What food makes you feel great?

2. When do you feel best, energy-wise?

3. When do you experience the highest quality training?

4. What limiting belief have you decided is true, without concrete evidence?

5. What passion project have you been dreaming about starting?

6. Where do you think often about returning to?

I bet this how you’re feeling right now?! ^^

It’s okay ^^ It’s the time of the year to unwind. So for now, no need to answer. Just keep reading and find out my personal answers instead..

1. What food makes you feel great?

   I used to think carbs caused fat gain, influenced by common beliefs, and often minimised pasta, potatoes, and fruit. This year, I re-evaluated that by paying more attention to how I feel in training. When I eat carbs the evening before a workout, I feel stronger the next day and enjoy my workouts more.

2. When do you feel best, energy-wise?

   When I’m not sore and I can train on consecutive days. A long bike ride or an all-out session can feel satisfying occasionally, but being able to push every day is far more effective (more on this topic in the next section!).

3. When do you experience the highest quality training?

   When I haven’t eaten too much, or too late, the night before. It reminds me to recall the Arab saying I posted earlier this year:
   “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a minister, and dinner like the poor.”

4. What limiting belief have you decided is true, without concrete evidence?

   Each of us serves a mission in this life, though we rarely choose it. But this idea can also feel limiting, because so much of what happens: the suffering, the injustice (think about the war), the random pain (think about cancer) — doesn’t seem to fit into any clear purpose. Not everything can be explained by a mission.

5. What passion project have you been dreaming about starting?

   I don’t know exactly how or when, but I’d love to build a private service focused on elite health optimisation — for people interested in improving metabolic and hormonal health, as well as enhancing fitness and sports performance.

6. Where do you think often about returning to?

   Indonesia: the smiles of the people, the shades of green, and the perfect waves.

Fatigue Masks Fitness: Is Being Sore Actually Good?

Lately, I’ve been thinking about soreness. If you’re sore from strength training or stretching, that’s completely normal. Though did you notice that flexibility or running/ swimming performance is reduced after a day of weight training?

When we add volume or push intensity, soreness is almost inevitable. And if we think about what a stretch really is, it’s essentially a lengthened contraction. As we approach our end range, the stretch reflex kicks in and the body tries to protect itself by contracting the very muscle you’re trying to lengthen - it’s like holding an isometric position.

The key point, though, is that improvement doesn’t happen during the work itself. It comes from recovery, adaptation, and the compensation that follows. So if we’re constantly sore, those gains, along with our true range of motion, can end up being masked. It’s worth noting that soreness at the start of a new program is very common and usually settles within two to four weeks. Also, stretching while sore is fine, even though our range may be temporarily reduced.

Thus moving forward I‘d like to strike a better balance: enough volume and intensity to create a stimulus, but not so much that I’m perpetually fatigued and unable to express my progress or access my real flexibility. Lately I’ve been experimenting with new training methods:

• Power training
  I’ve started training power (e.g. plyometrics) more regularly, and the payoff is huge: a boost in rate of force development, enhanced motor-unit recruitment, sharper elastic qualities.

• Buffer training
  This means increasing the number of sets while reducing reps, staying slightly shy of failure. For example: a 50% buffer — 8 sets of single-leg press with 4 reps each. I use this approach mainly for large muscle groups, like the quads.

Both approaches have shown reduced soreness and good transfer to skills like swimming.

Two Things

And extra two thoughts, inspired by my friend Filippo’s video on skill-building:

• Forget to-do lists - Before we add new tasks, let’s try to subtract those activities we keep postponing every day.

• You don’t find a passion - Passion develops naturally through consistency and effort in any activity we dedicate our time to.

Quote of the month

Photo of the month

Playlist of the month

Lately, I’ve been experimenting with a new kind of mobility — people call it Animal Flow, movement culture, or simply natural movement. Whatever the name, it’s about reconnecting with the body’s original language: crawling, reaching, twisting, flowing close to the ground — movements that we rarely perform anymore, for one reason or another. Honestly, the best explanation is probably watching my silly attempts to move like a tiger, a crab, or maybe some confused version of both. ^^

Maybe there’s a reason my mountain guide gave me the nickname Baluba — a playful way of calling someone wild or a bit primitive. I used to be pretty uncoordinated wandering around the mountains, haha. However, it’s through my clumsy, slightly ridiculous attempts to imitate nature, to rediscover how to move freely, with curiosity instead of judgment. Maybe that’s the real training goal: not perfection, but the ongoing exploration of different practices and growing along the way.

Now, I’ll take this opportunity to make an even sillier reflection on training in general. What I’m getting at is the natural fallacy: the idea that just because something looks natural, it must therefore be right or better. Of course, there are plenty of “natural” things we don’t want to go back to — like sprinting barefoot after prey or sleeping on cave floors. So what can we actually learn from studying human evolution, culture, or animal movement, without falling into that trap?

Here’s the key: we don’t have to move in a primal way. We can, if it feels fun, if it teaches us something new about coordination, balance, or locomotion. Whether you prefer a structured mobility routine or a more improvised flow, the point is the same: keep moving and learning new locomotor patterns. Maybe that’s why I keep coming back to the Baluba in me — the one who doesn’t move perfectly, but moves anyway. Because in the end, that’s what keeps training alive: stimulation and enjoyment.

“To move is not to exercise only”

Talking about movement, I can’t not mention Ido Portal, the world’s foremost expert on human movement. Ido has spent a lifetime studying, combining and evolving elements from an enormous range of martial arts, dance genres and science to develop a unified theory and practice of movement called “The Ido Portal Method.”. He says:

“To move is not to exercise only. I recently got asked what are people’s biggest mistake in regards to exercise. I replied: They view their physicality, being in the body, through the lens of exercise alone.”

We often think of language as something used only for communication. But language also exists in how we express being in the world. Movement is that kind of language too. When I move, I express. What we need is not just a workout, but a way to move, a language, a process. I want people to be able to move like they could burst into a monologue: expressive, spontaneous or alive.

If you’re interested, check out some simple videos from the movement culture I’ve been learning from and give it a go!

Movement Videos

Quote of the month

Photo of the month

Playlist of the month

Of course, I couldn’t not share my movement playlist.. it’s part of the story.

First things first: the “common cold” is anything but common — it’s actually a gang of 160+ different rhinoviruses. That’s why you can catch a cold again and again in the same year, each one might be a brand-new “serotype” your immune system hasn’t met before. Moreover, cold viruses are stubborn little things — they can hang out on door handles for up to 24 hours — and they usually sneak-in when someone coughs, sneezes and then touches something you later touch (most infections happen when we then rub our eyes or face without thinking). The flu (influenza) instead is a bit simpler — there are fewer types, mainly A, B, and C strains — and it doesn’t last as long on surfaces (about two hours). But it makes up for that by spreading really well person-to-person through coughs, sneezes, and close contact.

Are you sick of the flu?

Before you aim that flu shot at me ^^

Okay, before I drag you through Health Class 101, let’s skip straight to the vaccines so you actually stick around. ^^ This month I’ve been shadowing a GP and basically became a vaccine machine — arm after arm after arm. Firstly, did you know that the flu shot is only for influenza, not for the common cold? Scientists have tried to target rhinoviruses before, but no vaccine has worked well enough to be useful in real life so, for now, no shot protects against colds. Flu shots exist only because influenza viruses come in far fewer, more predictable strains.

The flu shot is basically a yearly weather forecast for viruses — scientists predict which strains will hit based on last season’s data. They come in different strengths, tailored for people under 50, over 60, and over 80. From what I’ve noticed, most people over 50 get the flu shot… probably because they’re done learning lessons the hard way?Like any medical intervention, the flu vaccine has pros and cons: it won’t guarantee you won’t catch the flu, but it can make the illness much milder and lower your chances of ending up in the hospital.

So what’s my take? It’s generally wise for adults, old and metabolically unhealthy people to get vaccinated each year. I have never gotten the flu shot, but this year I will because I am often in high-exposure settings like hospitals.

Time to NEWSTART Your Immune System

I know, I know — this sounds like health class 101. But check-out the cool acronym “NEW START” that outlines the main pillars of a healthy immune system:

• N – Nutrition: Eat food your great-grandma would recognise! Yellow kiwis are my staple lately!

• E – Exercise: Always, but not like a maniac — viruses love burnt-out athletes.

• W – Water: Drink it, splash it..freeze in it! Maybe my cold showers are making me stronger — or just colder.^^

• S – Sunlight: Catch some rays — vitamin D and virus defence, free of prescription

• T – Temperance: Smoke less, drink less, regret less.

• A – Air: Breathe trees, literally! Forests leak plant chemicals your immune system eats up.

• R – Rest: Sleep is when your immune system hits the gym so you don’t have to!

• T – Tribe: Chill out, hug people, find meaning..science says it beats stress!

These layered lifestyle “slices” act like Swiss cheese protection: each isn’t perfect on its own, but together they greatly reduce the chance of getting seriously sick.

Should you exercise indoors or outdoors?

Exercising outdoors is generally better for immune health: fresh, circulating air and sunlight help reduce viral load and support vitamin D levels. However, very cold, dry air can dry out our nose and throat, weakening the natural defenses and making it easier for viruses like the flu to enter. On the other hand, Indoor gyms can trap viral particles if they’re poorly ventilated. And overheated rooms often have very dry air, because heating actually lowers relative humidity unless moisture is added (think of the old trick of placing a pot of water on the radiators).

In the end, it’s a trade-off. Personally, I prefer to do my resistance training indoors, where I have all the equipment I need, especially during the winter months, when cold air can hurt performance (our bodies work best around a moderate temperatures. I still try to get outside at least once a week for a ride, a hike, or (more rarely) surfing. If I do train outdoors in cold, dry weather, I cover my neck with a buff and make sure to drink lots on strict orders from my girlfriend ^^ If instead I choose to train indoors, I look for spaces with good ventilation, and not too many people that I leave with more viruses than reps. ^^

If you get ill despite my ramble

When are you most contagious?

One of the tricky things about the flu virus — much like the common cold — is that you start shedding virus and becoming contagious about 24 hours before your first symptoms appear. That means you can spread the flu before you even know you’re sick. This “stealth phase” gives the virus an advantage and helps explain why flu outbreaks spread so quickly. Once symptoms do show up, you remain contagious, and you’re typically most infectious during the first three days, when coughing, sneezing, fever, and headache are at their peak.

Beware of the Flu-encers

Every office or classroom has that one person: 0% productivity, 100% flu distribution. If you spot someone looking flu-ish, do everyone a favor — wrap them in a mask and ship them home. And if that someone is you, don’t feel guilty: wrap yourself in a blanket instead, fire up Netflix, and stop sharing your “productivity” with everyone’s immune system. ^^

“I don’t believe in meds — can I get antibiotics?”

Antibiotics are just as useless as flu-encers. Colds and flu are viral, so antibiotics won’t help and only add to resistance. Anti-inflammatories (like ibuprofen) can sometimes ease fever and aches, but they’re not always helpful. In fact, my GP sometimes opts for a short two-day cortisone course instead, but that’s a doctor’s call, not a DIY fix.

Haram — an Arabic way of saying “poor thing”

And here is my concluding note: Haram sister, Haram girlfriend! Both doing everything right this year: eating well, washing hands, playing it safe… and yet somehow catching the flu FOUR times anyway. Maybe it’s not bad luck at all. Maybe it’s just their boyfriends stressing them out so much that their immune systems go: ‘You know what? We’re on leave..!” ^^

Quote of the Month

Photo of the Month

Playlist of the Month

Nearly everyone I know has dealt with some form of knee pain during their fitness journey. Let’s name a few of my subscribers: Filippo - tore his meniscus with a Muay Thai kick. Alessandro - tore his meniscus and partially injured his ACL during judo. Emanuele - irritated his meniscus on an epic long-distance bike ride. And me? I banged my knee in judo practice at 12 — a small injury that quietly evolved into patellar chondromalacia years later. And the list goes on. But here’s the thing: even those without a clear injury often experience knee discomfort, especially with repetitive sports like running.

A very common type of knee pain is the kind that occurs under the kneecap. Why? One possible reason is imperfect patellar bio-mechanics — something many of us have. Women, in particular, are more prone to this due to differences in hip-to-knee alignment. And those who are new to knee pain often fear something catastrophic is happening — right, Emanuele? However, occasional pain isn’t something to panic about; it’s an opportunity to understand pain (click here for popular post) and to train wisely around it — strengthening the muscles that support the knee and helping the patella "float" more smoothly.

So — let’s take a deep breath, relax, and dive into my strategy for managing knee pain.

Training Around Knee Pain

To start with I believe there are two crucial steps:

1. Try not to let the pain destabilise your mind, or affect how you show up in other parts of your life. Don’t let knee pain spill over into your work or your relationships.

2. See a physician. To understand what is happening and how to approach your recovery. I wouldn’t advise stopping your whole body from moving - it’s a classic all or nothing mentality.

Now, assuming your physician says you can continue training, your goal should be to keep training all the areas you can. And for painful areas, find movements that you can get stronger without making pain worse. Let’s break down this approach more clearly.

Scale Back, Get Curious, Then Build Up

1. Scale Back: Reduce the load on the painful area using one or more of these strategies:

   • Lighten the load — even down to bodyweight — until the pain is manageable (around 2 out of 10).

   • Slow it down — move more deliberately, increasing time under tension instead of relying on fast, dynamic movements.

   • Avoid impact — skip plyometrics or other high-impact drills.

   • Add stability — use hand support, machines, or switch from unilateral to bilateral movements.

   • If movement is unbearable: use isometric contractions

2. Get curious:

   • Adjust the angle — elevate your heels, change the bench position, or shift your body alignment.

   • Swap the movement — choose new exercises (see my knee-friendly list below) or related variations, like a front squat instead of a back squat.

   • Change the tools — experiment with dumbbells instead of barbells.

   • Explore different activities — for example, cycle instead of run, which is more concentric and less impactful, while still strengthening the knee.

3. Build up. As your recovery progresses, gradually increase the load, range, and duration of your movements to gently test your knee. Some discomfort is normal along the way, you can expect echoes of the old pain to resurface from time to time. Sometimes it’s hard to know whether it’s the body speaking, or the mind playing tricks on us. Ughhh.. or, as my girlfriend likes to sigh: “Ufftttt.” ^.^

List of exercises that can build a strong and healthy knee:

Here’s a list of knee-friendly exercises, ordered from the most conservative onward. Check-out the video below to find-out my favourites! I still include some of these exercises in my training even outside of rehab.

• Peterson Step-Up — excellent for isolating the vastus medialis oblique (VMO), muscle, often undertrained compared to its opposite muscle; this exercise can support better patellar tracking and reduce pain.

• Isometric Wall Sit — a secure way to build endurance around the knee joint; this exercise is generally the first choice in rehabilitation programs.

• Isometric Quadriceps Contractions – a safe way to activate the muscles responsible for knee stability, without moving the joint.

• Single-Leg Squat Variations — step-ups, box step-downs, and similar movements to build unilateral control.

• Assisted Step-Back (or Reverse) Lunges — generally less painful than walking lunges, as they require less forward translation of the knee.

• Single-Leg Glute Bridge (elevated)

• Leg Press — offers controlled angles and progressive loading.

• Sled Push Variations — especially dragging, which is highly effective for the VMO.

Other Must-Do Work

• Hamstrings — crucial for strength balance and ACL protection (hip thrusts, bridges, RDLs, hamstring curls).

  • Tip: Tempo Romanian deadlifts may help to focusing on non-painful ranges

• Calves & Tibialis — calf raises, tib raises (particularly important for runners).

  • Tip: target the soleus with a rotary calf machine and slightly bent knees — also protective for the ACL.

• Stretching — vital for knee decompression; regular stretching can literally take pressure off the joint.

• Tissue Release — use tools like foam rollers, massage balls, or manual techniques to ease tightness and improve mobility around the knee.

Lastly—and beyond any specific exercise—the most important thing I can leave you with is this: believe. Believe with everything in you that you will return to doing what you love. I know what it’s like to think it’s over — I was the first to think so for myself. But you have to want it, and you have to believe it. Pessimism often feels like the “realistic” choice. Hope can seem naive. But I’ve learned that hope and positivity aren’t just nice ideas — they change outcomes. Doctors may give you timelines and predictions, but medicine is not engineering. Your body can adapt in surprising ways and surpass all expectations. It’s never over until it truly is.

Playlist of the month

Quote of the month

Widely accepted “common knowledge” can sometimes be superficial or unexamined. Real insight often comes from questioning the obvious, seeking out what others overlook, or doubting consensus when it seems too comfortable. Do YOU agree?

Photo of the month

Beware of the Barbell

I’ve recently decided to step away from the barbell for two specific lifts: squats and conventional deadlifts. Not because they’re “bad” exercises, but because for me, the risk–reward isn’t worth it. Over the years, I’ve dealt with recurring stiffness and the occasional sharp twinge in my lower back whenever I had a barbell across my shoulders — as has a subscriber friend of mine, Filippo. These issues likely come down to technique, load management, and individual anatomy. With great coaching much of this could probably be addressed. But if you also struggle with back pain, I think it’s worth considering alternative lifts that deliver similar results with less risk.

Squats will always be a gold-standard movement for building quads and glutes, but these days I lean toward the leg press machine or Bulgarian split squats with dumbbells, full stop. For hip hinges, I still love the barbell — just not for conventional deadlifts. Instead, I rely on Romanian deadlifts (RDLs), hip thrusts, and back extensions. Here’s why: RDLs emphasise a pure hip hinge, keeping the spine stable while loading the hamstrings and glutes through a long eccentric — great for hypertrophy and posterior strength. Conventional deadlifts, by contrast, are more a strength test, highly fatiguing for the spine and CNS, and tougher to recover from.

Hence by choosing the above alternatives, I can still train hard while protecting my long-term back health — because no single lift is “mandatory”. In fact, I’ve even gone through phases of training with just bodyweight or functional work and honestly, I felt fantastic — almost as if it was the best thing I could do for my body.

Muscle Gains Without the Fat Tax

There have been phases where I trained hard and consistently, yet wasn’t fully satisfied with my body composition relative to the effort. Then I came across a short video by fitness coach and scientist Jeff Nippard, who ran a personal experiment: he bulked for six months in a large caloric surplus, gaining both muscle and fat. Then Jeff cut back down to his original body weight to see how much muscle remained. The results showed that most of the muscle was retained, demonstrating that the bulk “worked,”, but the big surplus led to unnecessary fat gain.

His takeaway was that a slower, leaner bulk can deliver the same muscle growth with far less cutting required afterward. I’ve noticed the same in my own training, and now I prefer to eat more moderately — enough to either build or maintain muscle, but not so much that I also gain fat. Right now, I’m trimming calories slightly, and I feel more energetic, lighter, and leaner than before.

Tracking Calories Eaten in an App

Following up from the previous point… how do I actually trim calories? Here is my suggestion.. Firstly, we need to estimate Resting metabolic rate (RMR), which is the number of calories our body burns at rest. Personally, I did a metabolic test to estimate RMR: 1,721 kcal. On top of that, I usually add 500 to 1,000 kCal depending on my activity level for the day. Lastly, I apply a nutrition periodisation approach, inspired by coach Marcus Filly:

• Six weeks of fat loss (using a 5–10% daily deficit), followed by a

• Two-week diet break — then

• Repeat, or pivot into performance/maintenance depending on the season.

This is a skill that pays off long-term. You don’t need to track forever, but even a few weeks or months can completely reshape your sense of portion sizes, protein needs, and hidden calories. Track diligently, weigh yourself daily, and use weekly averages (better) to understand the relationship between what you eat and what you burn. If you want a ballpark estimate of your energy needs, try this macro calculator that factors in weight, muscle mass, and activity level.

Make Workouts Possible Everywhere

A quick 30-minute home or hotel session is far better than nothing — it keeps your momentum alive. Grab a set of resistance bands and try my travel workout in this video, or simply do the bodyweight routine below.

• 20-Min AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible)

  • 15 Air Squats

  • 10 Push-ups

  • 10 Reverse Lunges (each leg)

  • 45 second Wall Sit

  • 45 second Forearm Plank

• Choose the reps that enable you to maintain high Quality movement

Playlist of the Month

If you enjoyed Peak Performance n.2, you’ll love my Softronica Playlist n.2. ^^

Quote of the Month

There are moments in life — a vacation, a new baby, a demanding career phase, or simply being in love — when it’s not just okay, but actually healthy to set aside performance goals. Obsession rarely serves us well. We can always return to your objectives, but enjoying a little extra of your partner’s delicious family food is part of a balanced, joyful, and truly healthy life.

Many thanks to my sister Isy for this beautiful quote with perfect timing.

Photo of the Month

This summer, I was repeatedly told off by both my girlfriend and my cycling buddy: “Did you put on sunscreen, Ric?” The irony? I had just finished studying dermatology. So I decided to put together some useful information and tools on UV protection — for myself and for anyone, like me, who’s finally ready to start protecting their skin with the best sunscreen possible.

When the Sun is our Friend

The famous neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman keeps telling the world to get about 10 minutes of sunlight within 30 minutes of waking.. This early light, when the sun is low in the sky, helps set our circadian rhythm, boost our energy, improve our mood and regulate our hormones. I mention this because, for such brief exposure, skin protection isn’t necessary—and getting morning light has genuinely improved my days.

The Not-So-Sunny Side of UV

However, too much sunlight can be harmful — it speeds up skin aging, breaks down collagen and elastin, and increases the risk of skin diseases. “Just five sunburns between the ages of 15 and 20 can increase the risk of developing skin cancer by 80%.1 “ Note: Sunburn does not equal skin cancer­ – it’s an immune response to too much sun. The real issue is chronic exposure, which can be both the initiator and the accelerator of disease. One example is actinic keratosis, a precancerous change in sun-damaged skin that often appears on the face, ears, scalp, and forearm, and can progress to squamous cell carcinoma. Another is lentigo maligna, a melanoma in situ that develops most often the head and neck of older individuals.

The Best Tools for Sun Safety

Let’s start with the basics—a cool hat helps! Especially if it’s like my girlfriend’s, which is light-years cooler than mine. ^^ Now the real question: which hat looks better on me?

Jokes aside, check this simple web app called UV index, which tells the UV index for each location and how long we can safely enjoy the sun without protection, based on our skin type. And if you’re looking for a good sunscreen, scan it with the Yuka app! But what exactly makes a sunscreen good or bad? Stay with me…

Sunscreens Worthy of Your Skin

There are two types of sunscreen worth mentioning:

1. Mineral-based sunscreens - the ones with zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide - are the safer, less controversial choice. They sit on the skin and block UV rays without sinking in.

2. Chemical sunscreens - can be absorbed into the body and may carry risks like endocrine disruption, especially with heavy or frequent use. Occasional use probably isn’t a big deal.

If you have the choice, mineral is the smarter long-term move. A word of warning: mineral sunscreens can be harder to apply — they are thicker and may remain visible on the skin. You’ve probably noticed surfers with white, patchy faces: they apply thick zinc oxide for reliable protection against both UVA and UVB rays.

And here’s an important distinction: UVB vs. UVA. Think of this mnemonic: UVB = “B”urns you now, UVA = “A”ges you later. Both, however, can cause skin cancer. And for the record, SPF numbers reflect only UVB protection. To know if your sunscreen also protects against UVA, look for the small UVA logo on the packaging.

Last but not least, application is just as important as the type. SPF 30 blocks ~96.7% of UVB rays, SPF 50 about 98%, and SPF 100 about 99%—so yes, some UV still sneaks in. To really get the protection your sunscreen promises, we need about 2 mg per cm² of skin - that’s roughly 40 g for a full-body cover-up.2 And no, once-a-day isn’t enough, we should reapply every two hours, and after swimming or sweating. If you’ve found a great sunscreen brand or product, please let me know in the comments below!

Playlist of the month

Summer’s not over yet - and I hope you’re still out there roasting with suncream. Either way, here’s a playlist for your next adventure.

Quote of the month

I’ve decided that a little tan is enough - my girlfriend prefers “macchiato”: just a hint of color, effortlessly classy.

Photo of the month

Let’s start with a phrase we all hear far too often: “You only live once, right?” I’ll be honest — I hate this excuse. People usually throw it around when they don’t want to admit a difficulty in removing a bad habit. I know — resisting temptation is hard, and the science of behaviour explains why with just three words: “Signal → Routine → Reward”. For instance, when we feel a bit hungry around 10 AM (signal), we head to the coffee shop and order a cappuccino with croissant (routine), which then gives us a quick hit of pleasure and comfort (reward).

Is this really such a big deal? Well… yes. This little loop can quietly drain both our wallets and our health — especially when we consider one of the most fascinating forces in nature: the “compounding effect.” Small actions, repeated over time, can snowball into big outcomes — for better or worse. So here’s a simple idea: what if, instead of indulging five times a week, we started with just twice? And what if we took that money we saved and set it aside — or even invested it? Over time, those small choices might surprise us.

Now, full transparency: I’m writing about this topic because I’ve struggled with this problem myself. For years, I burned through money buying snacks at work, signing up for pointless subscriptions, and making way too many impulsive Amazon purchases. I still remember my mother’s face when she found out that, in 2013, I had bought a phone-stand shaped like… a toilet plunger. True story. Anyway, onwards and upwards.

Interview with Theo Thomas: Swimmer and Finance Expert

Tell us about your passion for finance and sports?

Hi everyone and thanks Ric for granting me a minute of fame! My name is Théo. I’m French-born, Italian-raised, British educated and currently live in Berlin, Germany. I’ve spent the last seven years at the intersection of traditional finance and tech, starting in M&A at JPMorgan in London and then scaling German neobank Trade Republic across 14 European markets. Today I’ll tell you a little more about swimming, my chlorinated secret sauce to staying healthy and happy in an otherwise pretty ‘dry’ (pun intended) corporate world.

How has swimming changed you?

Investment banking threw at me the harshest working conditions of my career, regularly working over 90 hours per week for years in a row. Swimming became the safety net. It came back into my life as a treasured « Théo time », which for the past couple of years I have sought to push to new heights by participating in long-distance, open water competitions across Spain and France.

Swimming is a very forgiving sport, rarely causing muscle aches or injuries even when my swim counter crosses 15 km (or 300 laps) per week. It’s also a very meditative activity, where the alternating rhythm of breathing, strokes and balancing of the body over the water matters so much more than the raw effort itself.

In that sense, swimming has been the lighthouse to help me keep track of how well I am doing physically and mentally, ensuring my two occupations don’t overweigh over one another and that I always have a goal to aspire to and a track record to keep me accountable.

Do you feel any synergy between finance and fitness?

Totally. Finance is a competitive industry where you can easily bottle-up a lot of pressure at work in a short time. Preserving your ability to think rationally through tough negotiations, objectively evaluate risks & opportunities and taking decision with a cool head is directly impacted by your mental and physical state, for which swimming does wonders in helping modulate.

A solitary sport like swimming is also a competition against your former self to improve the odds of becoming the better version of your future self, with fewer external motivators to keep you on track as compared to team sports. Every outing to the pool, the lakes or the sea is an affirmation of your will over taking a passive stance to reaching your goals.

What is your next challenge?

Until Columbus crossed the Atlantic and discovered the Americas, the Strait of Gibraltar was believed to be the edge of the known world. You’d see the phrase “Non Plus Ultra” (“Nothing Further Beyond”) to describe that belief on European maps. After Columbus, Spain flipped the motto to “Plus Ultra” (“Further Beyond”) to symbolize its global ambitions… and kind of a fun flex over the rest of the world. I’m equally excited and terrified to be attempting the crossing of the Strait between Spain and Morocco by swim later this is August. Wish me luck! :)

Thanks, Theo — your answers really resonate with me and are a true inspiration to keep seeking new challenges. They’re also incredibly motivating for my girlfriend, who’s just getting into swimming. I can’t wait for the day we do a long-distance swim together! Best of luck for the Strait — you’re going to crush it!

Reps and Returns: Surprising Parallels

Let’s come back to the main point: I’ve paired fitness and finance because in both, the practices that bring lasting benefits are often counterintuitive. Here are a few examples:

Simple but Hard

Saving money is simple in principle — but hard to do. Just like moving more and eating less sounds easy, but in reality it isn’t. Why? Because our psychology is vulnerable, we are wired to avoid discomfort. In fact, psychology is one of the key factors that separate successful investors and those who develop great physiques from those who fail over time.

Patience

In fitness, you skip some dinners out or late nights in exchange for a better physique months (or even years) down the line. Similarly, in finance you forgo some spending today for the possibility of a greater purchasing power tomorrow. In both cases, we’re investing — so that we can use our body and our money to enjoy the people and experiences that matter to us (also) further down the road.

Long-term Persistence

Stop training? You lose muscle. Stop managing your finances? You gradually become poorer. But there’s more to this point: persistence is easy when everything is going well — the real challenge comes when it isn’t. For example, in finance, you must keep investing even when the market is falling apart, and become more cautious when everything looks great (e.g.: by rebalancing your portfolio). Similarly, in fitness, you must keep showing up when you're out of shape or injured, and then adjust your efforts once you've reached your goals (e.g.: by deloading or taking rest periods), in order to avoid fatigue-related injuries and maintain long-term progress.

Need for Diversification

Investing in single stocks or volatile assets like cryptocurrencies is highly risky in the short term — it can wipe out our wealth overnight. A smarter approach is to build a globally diversified portfolio — combining ETFs (exchange-traded funds that replicate the performance of numerous stocks), bonds, and other assets — to spread risk and build resilience. Fitness works the same way: if you focus solely on one activity — say, running — while neglecting other pillars like strength, mobility, and stability, you’re setting yourself up for injury.

One Can Compensate for the Other

Last but not least — as Nick Maggiulli, CEO and Data Scientist at Ritholtz Wealth Management points out: “staying healthy is a powerful tool for enhancing our financial situation as a whole”. In a recent article, he wrote that “exercise is useful if you’re late with your retirement plan” (which resonates with me personally, given my own career changes). The core idea is this: by focusing on your health, you won’t just feel healthier, you’ll also extend your working years and consequently increase your potential to earn and save more over time.

Therefore, to see real progress in fitness — as in finance — you must go against instinct and common sense. You sacrifice pleasures, free time, even that extra hour of sleep — all for a benefit that might only arrive tomorrow (and is never guaranteed). You must be patient — because the negatives show up first and the rewards take their sweet time — compounding sneakily in the background. And funny enough, as my friend Filippo always says — you might even end up “liking the hard parts the most”.

Quote of the Month

Let’s start with a definition: Muscle power is the ability to generate force quickly. And interestingly, power is one of the strongest predictors of longevity — even more so than being lean. This is sometimes referred to as the 'fat but powerful' paradox. 2

Two Reasons to Get Explosive

1. The greatest decline. As can be seen below, power declines more rapidly than muscle mass or strength during aging.

2. Injury Prevention: Power is not only useful in sports, but it also determines how well we do activities of daily living like climbing stairs, getting up out of a chair, and protecting ourselves against falls.

Therefore, the loss of power (termed “powerpenia”) is a better predictor of adverse health outcomes, such as falls and mortality, compared to the loss of strength or mass (termed “sarcopenia”).

Wanna Train Like a Superhero?

Let me tell you straight up what it looks like: simply put, it’s high-velocity resistance training—performing the concentric phase as explosively as possible, followed by controlled movement during the eccentric phase.

Leg Press Dynamic Strength Training

10 total sets:

• 2 sets: 10 reps @ 50% 1 RM (e.g.: 100), 1'30 Rest

• 3 sets: 6 reps @ 65% 1RM (e.g.: 120), 1'15 Rest

• 4 sets: 3 reps@ 80% 1RM (e.g.: 140), 1'00 Rest

This scheme also works with other traditional exercises like pull downs, chest press and deadlifts.

Alternatively: power can be included in “functional training” for example:

1. Ball Slams to the Ground

2. Kettblell Side Plank Snatch

3. Dumbbell Snatch in Sagittal Split Stance

4. Low-Cable Squat Jump & Row

30 seconds per exercise with 1 min rest, repeat 3 to 4 times

Other examples of fast, powerful movements to train power without machines

• For the lower body: Fast step-ups using your own or if you’re at the park climbing a set of stairs as quickly as possible

• Performing push-ups or pull-ups as quickly as possible using elastic bands to modulate the loading

If you managed to power through this newsletter without skipping a single rep — uh, I mean letter — then congratulations, your explosive strength is already elite!

Warmly,

Ric

It’s a pretty sweet system, and that’s why I decided to use a CGM — a continuous glucose monitor — that lets me track my glucose levels in real time and run little experiments on myself to better understand how my body responds to food, movement, and everything in between. CGMs have recently grown in popularity, helping people make more informed decisions about what they eat and drink and even prevent diabetes. High-level athletes also use CGMs to fine-tune their fueling strategies for training and performance.

To help you better understand my experiment, here are some simple reference ranges for optimal glucose levels:

• Fasting: 73–89 mg/dL

• Daily Range: 70–140 mg/dL

• Postprandial (after meals):

  • 1-hour target: <125 mg/dL

  • 2-hour target: <95 mg/dL

Sweet data & blood sugar drama: my experiments uncovered

Day 1 of my experiment started with me as a walking pillow: 3 AM airport drop-off for my girlfriend (true love, right?) ^^ Lunch was low-carb — glucose only climbed to about 110, and then dropped quickly after a short 10-minute walk (note the sharp dip below). Next, around 3 PM, I had a snack and took a nap. It wasn’t very restful, and glucose crept back up to around 100.

What likely happened: The combo of sleep deprivation and a restless nap can put the body into mild stress mode — raising cortisol and triggering a small glucose bump. Takeaway? That quick walk after lunch made a clear impact — glucose dropped fast, showing just how powerful even light movement can be. And while the nap felt a bit “off”, it was probably still beneficial. Glucose isn’t just about food—it reflects the whole picture, including rest, movement, and how we manage stress.

Day 2 kicked off the morning with fasted functional training (low intensity), which pushed my glucose up to around 120 mg/dL. After that, I jumped into 4x4 VO₂ max intervals on the stationary bicycle. Glucose hovered around 110 mg/dL during the effort, dipping slightly to ~100 mg/dL during rest periods. I initially expected a bigger spike — as anaerobic efforts usually trigger a sharp glucose release. On another day, fed training on my road bike showed similar glucose levels — except during sustained efforts (30–40 km/h), when it rose to 130 mg/dL."

What this suggests: Training fasted is definitely doable, especially for body composition goals or when eating beforehand doesn’t feel great. But context matters: endurance athletes, women and anyone training for performance are generally better off fuelling. Light eating both before and throughout training can help support energy levels, especially when exercising at times that are unusual for you 👉 Check out my popular post on training nutrition with triathlete Sameer Sadan for more on this!

Later in the day, I hit an unexpected low — glucose dropped to 57 after dinner (I was feeling weak, had a headache, and mildly questioned all my life choices.. classic Ric. ^^ I immediately thought “reactive hypoglycaemia” — a dip in blood sugar that occurs after eating, usually due to an exaggerated insulin response. It can happen if you're very “insulin sensitive” (cells respond well to insulin), or if you eat a large amount of fast-acting carbs that cause insulin to overshoot.

What likely happened: I started dinner fasted and hungry, but opened with slow-digesting, high-fibre foods (artichokes, sardines, tomatoes, tempeh) — usually a great strategy for blunting glycemic spikes. Only later did I add a bit of banana and pineapple — too little, too late. According to my professor, "I didn’t do a proper post-carb load." His point — and I agree —is that after fasting or when you’re already running low, you need some fast-acting carbs early in the meal to prevent a crash.

This got me thinking — while we often aim for minimal glucose spikes, some variability is totally normal and even useful. We shouldn’t fear carbs nor occasional peaks. In fact, refeeding after a long fast requires intention. If not handled well, it can trigger exaggerated compensations—leading to both hyperglycaemic spikes (from too many carbs) and hypoglycaemic dips (from too few or poorly timed carbs).

Takeaways from Other Days

Active Day, Lower Nighttime Glucose: With smaller dinners, I never experienced hypoglycemias and always slept better. However, if I had a very active day, my overnight glucose sometimes dipped into the low 70s. This supports findings from studies showing that insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake can remain elevated for 24 to 48 hours after exercise.

Stress Snacking vs. Smart Snacking: A clear pattern emerged — my glucose always stayed around 85 mg/dL while walking, but hovered near 100 mg/dL when sitting. During long study sessions, it even crept up to 120 before I ate anything. Gave in to a 'healthy-ish' snack and hit 140 😂. Lesson learned: a quick walk or a YouTube break beats stress snacking every time. Later that night, real hunger hit around 10 pm — probably from a calorie deficit — so I opted for a small snack (milk and walnuts - rich in tryptophan). No spike, no crash, and stable glucose overnight.

Was monitoring worth it, or did I just want to look cool wearing a Sensor?

Probably the latter, but let’s make some sense of my experiment anyways! ^^ With diabetes rates climbing faster than your blood sugar after cornetto e marmellata, understanding how food affects your unique metabolism is important. CGMs are great tools; however, they aren’t food judges, and misreading the data can lead to unnecessary food fear, like side-eyeing a banana or treating a bowl of pasta like it’s a glucose bomb. ^^ We should not let glucose spikes scare us off nourishing carbs.

Blood sugar rises after eating —that’s normal. What matters is how efficiently our bodies bring it back down. The problem is just “chronic” hyperglycemia, which can lead to inflammation and negative effects on our organs. Diets high in processed foods and low in fibre increase this risk. Moreover, we should always interpret results in context. Stress, medications, illness, sleep disorders, dehydration and menstrual cycles can all influence blood sugar levels. Let’s wrap it up with five..

Simple & Practical Glucose Tips That Actually Work

🍝🚶‍♀️Earn Your Pasta — Then Help It Digest

Exercise before a meal (if possible) and then go for a short walk after eating to blunt glucose spikes.

🥦🥩 Eat Protein & Veggies First — Unless You're Starving

Start meals with protein and fibre to help flatten glucose curves. BUT: If you’re very hungry or coming off a fast, add a bit of carbs early to avoid reactive hypoglycemia!

🍌🧀 Don’t Let Your Carbs “Go Out Alone”!

Balanced snacks help keep glucose steadier — just add some protein or fat. For example, pair fruit with Greek yogurt, a handful of almonds, or a parmesan stick.

🪑💔 Break Up With Your Chair - Just for a Bit

Walking kept my glucose ~85 mg/dL, while sitting always pushed it to ~100. Break up long sitting sessions with “exercise snacks”—E.g.: mobility, air squats, push-ups, etc.

🐾📱Skip the “Stress Spike”

If you catch yourself reaching for snacks out of stress or boredom, just walk it off. Or distract yourself with a YouTube video — or some dog reels on Insta (no shame).

Bonus points if you made it this far 👉 Click here to check out the simple nutrition plan I followed during these weeks: big breakfasts, solid lunches, and lighter dinners.

Quote of the month

Shot of the month

Playlist of the month

Mobility? Bro, that’s just stretching!

Dr. Kelly Starrett, legendary physical therapist and author of Becoming a Supple Leopard, draws a clear line between stretching and mobility: the former is often seen as a passive activity aimed at lengthening muscles, whereas the latter involves dynamic movement and positioning. But what’s the point of mobility practice? The goal is to develop the ability to move freely, and to access our body's normative range of motion (eg 180 deg shoulder flexion) in order to perform our personal desired physical tasks without pain while also maintaining joint health.

Here are five low-level suggestions from Dr. Starrett that really stuck with me.

1. Bring back play into our warm-ups — and cut out what’s not useful! Not every warm-up needs to look like a checklist drills. Think tennis balls, mini trampolines, etc. And then remove what doesn’t serve your sport or your job; for example, foam rolling might feel good, but it’s not going to prep you for a fight.

2. Hit high intensity in our warm-up - to bring heart rate up. For example, try this dry breath-holding exercise : hold your breath for 10 seconds and sprint on the bike (or another cardio machine), recover through your nose only, and start the next round every minute for 5 minutes — it’s playful and purposeful.

3. Start exploring positions our body basically never sees. Think full-body arches like the bridge or camel pose ( photo above), spinal twists, side bends, shoulder rotations, hip spin-ups, etc. These movements not only improve mobility, but also do wonders for our digestive and reproductive systems via increased blood flow.

4. Sit on the ground — AT LEAST ONCE A DAY. Kelly emphasises creating a dynamic environment that promotes healthy behaviours naturally. For instance, sitting on the ground while watching TV: you’ll be forced to shift around like a restless toddler. It’s like sneaking a mobility session into your latest Netflix binge.

5. Use Objective Health Benchmarks

   We shouldn’t rely solely on vibes to track our health. Establishing clear, objective benchmarks allows you to make smarter decisions about our training and recovery. Useful metrics might include VO₂ max, heart rate variability, postural photos, and blood biomarkers. (Stay tuned for a newsletter on this topic!)

   What about a more simple but powerful metric? A third-party reality check: “Is my swimming — my primary sport — actually improving?” Thist kind of feedback is an excellent way to evaluate whether out training is really working.

Now, let’s level up and get into the high-level stuff...

Stretch Your Limits — Literally

Here are two high-level tips from Kelly Starrett:

1. Train “Hip Extension”
   Hip extension is essential for powerful, functional movement — think running, or jumping. Incorporate exercises like split-stance squats or Bulgarian split squats and jumping variations to train this pattern. One of Kelly’s favourites is the couch stretch — crucial for those who spend a lot of time seated, as it can improve hip function and alleviate stiffness in the quads.

2. Support Pelvic Floor Health
   The pelvic floor deserves more attention than it gets. A simple diagnostic trick: take a ball (tennis or similar) and gently apply pressure around the glutes, pelvis, and pelvic floor area. If anything hurts upon compression, there’s likely some dysfunction there. That’s your cue to breathe, relax, gently contract, and explore.

Golden links: my videos

In addition to Kelly’s videos, why not check out my two mobility routines? Routine #1 was a big hit on YouTube last year, and Routine #2 has just dropped — fresh and ready to go!

Quote of the month

Playlist of the month

Shot of the month

While writing some technical posts, I stumbled upon a draft titled “Backlog,” a space where I store ideas for future exploration. To my surprise, I found a collection of inspiring thoughts, many of them influenced by Ido Portal, one of the world’s foremost experts on human movement. These reflections highlight some habits and “practices” that I believe are gradually fading from our lives:

1. The ‘Unofficial’ Practice

Let’s focus on the way we climb stairs: do we stomp like elephants? Or are we gentle with our knees? Unofficial practices have the potential to refine our movement naturally. After all, the ultimate goal of any gym exercise is to translate it into real life.

Another unofficial practice could be simply playing: stepping outside the rigidity of our routines at least once a week. Why not have a non-structured workout with your partner, or cook a new and random recipe with the food that is already in the fridge?

2. The Beginner’s Mind: “Shoshin” (初心)

Ido says: “Mastery is for the…something vulgar”. Debatable, right? In today’s era of hyper-specialization, mastery can provide professional success. At least outside work, embracing breadth over depth may help to gain a wider perspective of reality.

In Japanese martial arts they call it Shoshin (初心)—having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying a subject, even when studying at an advanced level, just as a beginner would.

3. Winning the War vs. Winning Battles

I trained the handstand for a few years, but then I learnt to let it go. Maintaining this skill wasn’t worth my time, likewise with piano. Moreover, I know that everytime I achieve a goal, it will leave me with a feeling of emptiness, as the journey has finished.

So what? Now I am ‘more aware’ and I take new challenges ‘less seriously’ (currently learning the “press-to-handstand”^^). If I lose the battle, I can still win the war, and try to enjoy more the process of becoming, and learning about myself in the process.

4. The Delicate Things

Small acts of presence are indeed disappearing. When we leave a meeting, do we offer a genuine “Thank you, I really enjoyed this presentation!”; or even better, do we ever compliment lonely chefs at a restaurant? Acknowledgement is what people need.

Another example of delicate things is human touch: Such a fundamental need. When’s the last time we gave a hug? Or received one? My practice is to put my hand on someone’s shoulder when he comes besides me.

5. Space & Solitude

We all have a tendency to become accustomed to both good and bad experiences - it’s called hedonic adaptation. To counteract this phenomenon and avoid dulling our appreciation over time, we need to create space between ourselves and the people or experiences we cherish most. But here’s the catch: even when we’re alone at home, we often don’t truly have space.

Why? Technology. Don’t get me wrong — I love tech. But it has a way of filling every empty moment with instant stimulation. I mean, let’s be honest, who doesn’t check Instagram in the toilet? ^^ . In fact, some of our best ideas come in the shower — it’s one of the few places where we actually have mental space. And in that space, solutions, creativity, and fresh perspectives emerge.

Hence, carving out some time for solitude every day, in which we can reflect and calm the mind, may really help to make us grow, while also resetting our levels of pleasure for the best people and experiences. In the words of Rumi:

Warmly,

Ric

From e-mails to meetings

When working with people from different cultures, meanings and intentions can easily get lost in translation. Below are useful considerations I learnt from Erin Meyer, an American author and professor at INSEAD Business School in France, who studies how we communicate and collaborate across cultural boundaries.

Some communication features are universal — for example, bright eyes during a conversation often signal curiosity or a question. However, participation styles vary widely: some cultures are more vocal, while others prefer a balanced environment where individuals are invited to speak. Interestingly, expressiveness differs based on cultural migration patterns. In more heterogeneous societies, like the U.S., people tend to use more facial expressions and explicit communication. In contrast, more homogeneous cultures, such as Japan, often rely on subtle cues and ‘speaking between the lines.’ Even humor and feedback styles differ—Italians laugh after a joke, whereas Americans often announce “That’s funny.”

While learning these cultural cues is crucial, the key to overcoming communication gaps is trust. Meyer explains that once emotional bonds are formed, people become more receptive to direct communication. This is known as effective trust— when we understand a person’s true character, we rely less on their communication style and more on our relationship with them. In addition to cultural norms, also personality plays a role. In fact, I know many Italians who choose to live in another country that aligns more with their personalities and working styles. Ultimately, navigating cross-cultural communication is possible, but requires awareness, adaptability and continuous improvement.

Love without borders

When it comes to relationships, I had to ask my sister Isy for her perspective. Having lived in numerous countries and being in a cross-cultural relationship herself, she can surely help us out on this topic. Isy and her boyfriend Luke met in London and both speak fluent English, but they’ve embraced each other’s backgrounds by learning each other’s languages — she’s studying Dutch, and he’s learning Italian. According to Isy, language offers an intimate window into a culture. Some expressions simply don’t translate, and certain words exist only in one language, capturing emotions or ideas that might not have an equivalent elsewhere.

While language in professional settings is often functional and straightforward, in relationships, love, and family, linguistic differences can feel like more of a barrier. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t be overcome! Learning a language — or simply understanding the traditions and ways of another family—helps bridge the gap. A family’s customs and values aren’t always conveyed through words alone; they’re also expressed through actions, emotions, and shared experiences. Therefore to truly connect, we have two paths: learning the language and/or immersing ourselves in the culture—whether by experiencing daily life or the traditions. Both avenues lead to a deeper understanding of the other person.

"Thanks, Isy — now, let’s spice things up and add more ingredients to the pot!

Vulnerability: the loudest form of communication

Here is another tool that may help us with cross cultural communication: vulnerability. When a person shares something personal, it encourages the listener to do the same, fostering trust and connection. This emotional exchange is deeply ingrained in human nature and can even develop relationships with individuals we might initially dislike.

And to conclude, my personal view:

I don’t believe statistics or probabilities should dictate how we navigate relationships— every person, every connection is unique. In fact, our unique personalities and backgrounds shape how we see the world and communicate. Recognising this allows us to engage with curiosity and humility rather than judgment. What matters most is keeping an open mind and embracing the richness of different cultures. For me, the ultimate key to true understanding is “seeing the world through the same lens” as another person—something only possible by sharing experiences, immersing ourselves in their culture, and perhaps by living in their original environment. But this newsletter won’t provide all the answers—just some (tasty) food for thought. After all, the real lessons come from life itself.

Playlist of the month

Quote of the month

Shot of the month

I have been working a lot on myself to better control my impulses. In the past, I would get angry very easily—much like Tom Hanks’ character in A Man Called Otto—whether things didn’t go as expected or when I felt someone was acting unjustly toward me, others, or the environment. That said, some things will probably always irritate me real bad. For example, people who drive slowly in the fast lane —what’s the plan here dude? A casual Sunday drive on a Wednesday morning? — and those who toss cigarette butts out of their car windows — like they’re sprinkling breadcrumbs for some imaginary eco-friendly pigeons! ^^. Despite these annoyances, I’ve made decent progress in managing my reactions, which is why this topic resonates with me.

Handling ourselves at the peak of rage

The two best ways of de-escalating anger are to:

1. Challenge the thoughts that trigger the surges of anger. Note— timing matters: the earlier in the anger cycle the more effective.

2. Cool-down in an environment free from potential triggers of anger; e.g.: distancing yourself for minimum 20 minutes and seeking-out distractions.

Effective mood-altering distractions include activities like watching TV, movies, or reading. However, indulging in treats such as shopping or eating tends to have little effect, as they often allow the distressed train of thought to persist.

And what about the worst way to cool down? the ventilation fallacy: screaming is one of the worst ways to cool down: outbursts of rage actually tend to escalate the emotional brain's arousal, leaving us feeling even angrier and upset.

In short — "Don't suppress it. But don't act on it.", cit.: Chogyam Trungpa.

Handling someone else at the peak of rage

Perhaps the ultimate measure of emotional mastery is not just managing our own anger but handling someone else’s rage at its peak. The ability to to calm distressing emotions in others is, indeed, a mark of emotional brilliance. Research on emotional contagion suggests an effective approach: distract the angry person, empathise with their feelings and perspective, and then draw them toward an alternative focus that calms them. The author provides an example: if a drunken man is being violent, you might distract him by complimenting his drink, mentioning that you frequently have it yourself. Then, draw him in conversation about his problems and ultimately, suggest heading to your favorite bar to talk it over.

In conclusion, it is important to recognise that the emotional brain often relies on response patterns learned early in life, often influenced by our parents. Hence, to effectively adopt the emotional responses discussed, a helpful strategy could be to practice them not only during challenging situations but also in less stressful encounters. This approach reinforces these responses and makes them more accessible when they are most needed. Becoming a champion of emotional judo is indeed a long journey - this reminds me of a young Japanese girl I photographed at the Kodokan Tokyo museum, aspiring to become a champion.

Warmly,

Ric

Who’s with Edison on this one? Honestly, the man was ahead of his time. Fun fact: many medicines are basically nature’s greatest hits packaged in pill form. (Check out this previous post to see how medicine and supplements compare!)

Nonetheless, the grey area of nutrition is slowly turning Technicolor, and we’re starting to realise just how much food controls everything: our bodies, our moods, and sometimes our decisions at 11 p.m. in front of the fridge ^.^

In this post, we’re diving into how diet can help tackle menstrual pain (yes, really!) and a rising star in the world of natural compounds: Inositol. Buckle up — it’s about to get interesting!

Interview with future MD Nadine Haj

Give us a brief insight into the nutrition strategy across the menstrual cycle?

As every woman out there knows, dealing with painful menstruation can be very challenging.  As an active person who enjoys the gym, I wanted to find a way to stay consistent with my workouts, even during my period. 

Last semester, during my OB/GYN course at university, I realised just how much diet influences hormonal changes in women. I’ve always been fascinated by how it can affect energy levels, recovery, and overall well-being, so I did my research and discovered some key nutrition strategies, that I believe are worth sharing:

1. First, during the follicular phase (the first half of the cycle), estrogen levels rise, and the body is more insulin-sensitive, meaning carbohydrates are well-utilised for energy. This is a great time to focus on complex carbs, lean proteins, and healthy fats to support muscle growth and endurance. Hydration is also key, especially leading up to ovulation, as electrolyte balance can influence performance.

2. As the luteal phase begins, progesterone increases, leading to higher cravings, potential bloating, and reduced tolerance to carbs. So, adding more fiber, healthy fats, and magnesium-rich foods like dark chocolate, nuts, and leafy greens can help with mood and water retention. Keep in mind, in this phase inflammation is more likely, so focusing on omega-3s and anti-inflammatory foods can make a difference.

3. During menstruation, iron levels drop, making fatigue a common issue. Prioritising iron-rich foods like spinach, red meat, and legumes, alongside vitamin C sources for better absorption, can help maintain energy levels. Staying hydrated and reducing caffeine intake can also help minimize cramping and bloating.

Overall, syncing nutrition with the menstrual cycle isn’t just about optimising workouts — it’s about feeling good, reducing discomfort, and supporting the body’s natural rhythms. I’ve personally found that making small adjustments can lead to noticeable improvements. Click here to download my detailed strategy !

What’s one of your favourite recipes

I had to think hard about this question—mainly because I love food too much to pick just one favorite! But if I had to choose, I’d go with Mujadara, a classic Arabic dish made with lentils, and caramelised onions.

Not only it is comforting and delicious, but it requires only a few ingredients and is packed with nutrition! Lentils are a powerhouse—high in protein and fiber, low in fat, and great for heart health, digestion, and weight management. Plus, the caramelised onions take the flavor to the next level! It’s easy to make, budget-friendly, and somehow tastes even better the next day. If you want to try it, I'll attach here my grandma's recipe which I prefer.

A lesson learnt recently?

In the last year, I’ve learned to truly appreciate the little, simple things in life and the people around me. It’s easy to get caught up in big goals and future plans, but I realised that joy often comes from the small, everyday moments — like a good conversation, a shared meal, or even just a walk with the person you love.

I used to think happiness was tied to major achievements, maybe it's the way I was raised to believe, but I’ve come to see that it’s also found in the little things we often overlook.

This shift in perspective has made me more present and grateful. I now try to slow down, notice these moments, and appreciate the people who make life brighter. It’s a simple lesson, but one that has changed my daily life.

The future is: finding alternatives

In this day and age, we are seeing rising rates of metabolic conditions such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and, in women specifically, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is a hormonal disorder characterised by irregular menstrual cycles, ovarian cysts, and elevated androgen levels, often linked to insulin resistance and fertility challenges. To manage symptoms, hormonal contraceptives are often prescribed. However, while the pill can manage these symptoms, it is essentially bypassing the underlying issues.

Aside from serious conditions like endometriosis, the use of the pill should generally be minimised. Without delving too deeply into this topic, it’s important to note that the pill induces significant endocrinological and metabolic changes. Potential negative effects include vaginal dryness, reduced sex drive, mood changes, potential tumor growth (in estrogen-progesterone-sensitive cancers), nutrient depletion (e.g., magnesium and B vitamins), and thyroid disruption. Therefore, the future of treating metabolic conditions lies in identifying alternative approaches. Let’s explore some..

1. Nutrition: While the pill can sometimes provide an initial boost, dietary changes play a crucial role in alleviating symptoms such as acne. If I had to offer one simple piece of advice, it would be to minimise refined carbohydrates, fructose (learn why here), and processed foods. Additionally, learning to track caloric intake and adopting a gradual, steady calorie restriction may support weight loss, which in turn will help manage symptoms and improve fertility.

2. Supplementation: This field is rapidly evolving, so it’s essential to 'prioritise what’s proven'. One promising option is inositol— sugar alcohols related to B vitamins that naturally occur in foods like fruits, grains, and nuts. Inositol is a key component of cellular membranes, a precursor in metabolic signaling pathways, and a part of reproductive fluids. In fact, “D-chiro-inositol” form has been shown to lower androgen levels, improve insulin sensitivity and to enhance fat oxidation, making it particularly beneficial for PCOS and supporting ‘metabolic flexibility’. The other form “Myo-inositol” may also help reduce anxiety and improve sleep due to its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier.

3. Metformin: the cornerstone treatment for type 2 diabetes. Thanks to its ability to improve insulin sensitivity, reduce glucose production in the liver and regulate blood sugar levels, this medication is another safe, effective option that works well in combination with Inositol.

4. Exercise: Last but definitely not least — the ultimate over-the-counter medicine for improving insulin sensitivity (because your muscles are basically glucose vacuums). I'll stop preaching now, I promise ^^!

Playlist of the month

Quote of the month

A variation of Nadine’s favourite quote: “What is right for you will find its way..”

Shot of the month

Here’s a shot from Nadine — who is just as passionate about photography as she is about cooking! After all, a great photo is simple like the Mujadara—get the right ingredients, add some flavour, and avoid overcooking it with too many filters! ^.^

I’ve always enjoyed training on an empty tank, especially in the early morning. But not all sports endeavors are the same. Heading off to the slopes with your skis, embarking on a long hike, or setting out on a bike ride might require different nutrition strategies compared to a gym workout. My usual strategy was to start riding fasted and then nibble on some fruit and nuts after about an hour. However, one day, during a 75-kilometer bike ride, I found myself feeling unusually cold, sweaty, and irritable in the last 10 kilometers. I also entertained the thought of selling my bike. That unpleasant episode led me to refine my fuelling strategy, and thus I seeked for the advice from my friend Sameer, a triathlete based in New York and today’s host of "The Holistic Wave."

Sameer taught me that how much you eat depends on the duration of your workout. However, the increase in calories you need isn’t linear. For example, if you extend your ride from 1.5 hours to 3 hours, you’ll need more than twice the calories. Sameer typically consumes about 15-20 grams of carbs for a 1.5-hour ride (examples in footnote1) but almost 90 grams for a 3-hour session. Sometimes, even 90 grams isn’t enough for longer efforts. For instance, pro cyclists, who often endure gruelling six-hour races, consume around 100 grams of carbs per hour! According to current research, the gut can be trained to absorb about 60 grams of glucose per hour, with an additional 30 grams of fructose (which utilises a different absorption pathway).

Above is an example of a Tour de France bike with a label detailing exactly how much to eat and when during the race! Isn’t it fascinating to see how athletes have gone from casually shovelling down plates of spaghetti when hungry to obsessively tracking every gram of carbs in precision-engineered snack packs? For the nutrition enthusiasts reading, there are online tools to estimate these parameters, such as Precision Hydration’s Planner. But for me, the takeaway is simple: it’s always better to top up glycogen stores before embarking on a long, active day; and to keep fuelling and hydrating with electrolytes throughout — not just when I’m feeling hungry!

Interview with Triathlete & CTO Sameer Madan

How did your passion for triathlon start?

I moved from San Francisco to New York in late 2015. In SF, I used to spend 3 hours a day going to and from work. In NYC, that time was reduced to 15 minutes. So, I needed a hobby to fill the extra 2 hours I now had every day. Naturally, I decided to sign up for an Olympic distance triathlon in 2016. I trained very little and showed up to the race with a rental bike. Very soon after, I got my ass handed to me and I collapsed on the ground after crossing the finish line. It sucked, and I was destroyed. That's when I discovered that I was a masochist - because I signed up for another race right away. Fast forward to now, I've done about 25 or so triathlons.

What was the most significant event for you as of today?

I would say probably the “Escape From Alcatraz” Triathlon in San Francisco. I learned to swim when I was living there, and my first ever open water swim race was a swim from Alcatraz to SF. If you've seen the movie "Escape from Alcatraz" then you know that it used to be a prison on an island surrounded by cold, windy, potentially shark-infested waters. Now, people swim from it as a challenge so I was pretty happy when I managed to finish the swim!

What are the top 3 challenges of being a triathlete?

1. Knowing how to train. Just going to the gym everyday will not cut it. I used to workout 7 days a week and still get destroyed in races. If you’re interested in understanding how to train for any endurance sport, I recommend reading this book.

2. Recovery. As you'll learn from the book I linked above, most (80% or so) of your workouts will be easy to allow your body to recover for the next hard workout and to avoid injuries.

3. Balance. This is my biggest challenge. If you get to a level where you are competing to get on the podium rather than just trying to finish the race, going out for drinks with friends will get harder. My solution is to make some of the workouts more social, for example swimming in a Masters teams or running with my run club.

What are the lessons you learnt through triathlon?

Consistency is king. The key to growth in the sport is to show up day after day and put in the work, rather than to do short-term sprints that can cause burnout. It's the same principle I apply to my work (I am the founder of a health-tech start up).

Having an off-season. Staying at peak race fitness all year is impossible. Fitness will go up-and-down, so you want to plan your build-up in a way that you peak during the race season. After that is done, it’s important to focus on different activities or to cut yourself some slack so that you can enjoy training without worrying about hitting some specific numbers.

Another exciting project you are working on?

I'm the CTO and Co-Founder of a health-tech startup, where we do remote treatment of chronic neurological conditions. I've been doing that for 4 years now, about the same amount of time that I've spent on proper triathlon training. It's interesting to watch consistent growth in both things over time. You can learn more about us here: https://www.neurahealth.co/

I found Sameer's interview inspiring as it demonstrates the powerful synergy that can develop between our passions and our work. It also serves as a reminder of the benefits of spacing out workouts—when possible—rather than overexerting ourselves on a single day, and of the importance of enhancing the social aspect of fitness.

Playlist of the month

Quote of the month

Interview with wine expert Alessandro Ioni

Tell us about your passion project?

It all started with an invitation to a guided wine tasting in Montefalco, aimed at local influencers. At the time, I was running an Instagram page dedicated to showcasing the beauty of the Umbria region. That experience was truly eye-opening and since that day, I’ve been passionately studying and tasting wines, with a particular focus on the incredible offerings from this region. Today, my Instagram page, Umbriagram, has evolved to spotlight the best of Umbria’s food and wine.

Any advice on how to pick a good wine at the restaurant? What are your top 3 reds and top 3 whites?

When starting with the food, it’s always a great idea to seek the sommelier’s advice on wine pairings. Even if you're familiar with some excellent options on the wine list, the sommelier might introduce you to something new and exciting. Choosing wine in a group can be more challenging, as people often order a variety of dishes but share the same bottle. For beginners, a few simple guidelines can help: pair red wine with red meat or tomato-based dishes, white wine with white meat or fish, and a sweet wine (not dry sparkling) with dessert.

Here are my favourites reds:

1. Sagrantino

2. Sangiovese

3. Trasimeno Gamay

And my favourite whites

1. Trebbiano Spoletino

2. Grechetto and

3. Chardonnay

These are all “single-grape” varieties, even though blends are usually very interesting!

Something people don’t know about wine

The world of wine is vast and intricate, so it’s no surprise that many people have only a basic or general understanding of its history, production process, and unique characteristics. When it comes to tasting, one of the trickiest and often underestimated challenges is identifying the wine's aromas. Most people don’t realise this difficulty stems from the fact that we’ve largely lost the habit of training our sense of smell in daily life.

A lesson learned recently

A lesson I’ve learned recently is that our perception changes just as much as wine does. Over time, wine evolves, vintages differ, and flavours develop—but so do we. Our tastes grow and shift, which means every tasting reflects not just the wine’s journey but our own as well. Pair that with the ever-changing context of food, mood, setting, and people, and each experience becomes truly one of a kind. So let’s embrace the change, and let’s have fun..!

Check-out Umbriagram

And have a glass of wine with this song:

Warmly,

Ric