Sweat Elite Podcast

Matt dives into the results of his recent super shoe testing at Griffith University, comparing 12 of the best Chinese racing shoes before putting the leading models up against some of the biggest Western brands. Using laboratory running economy testing at 17 km/h, the results produced some major surprises - including a sub-US$100 Chinese shoe outperforming several of the world's most established super shoes.
Matt Fox Links
Coaching: https://sweatelitecoaching.com/matt-fox/
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattinglisfox/
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Email: matt@sweatelite.co
The Anta C202 G9 Edition 2 emerged as the best-performing Chinese shoe, ahead of the Li-Ning Feidian 6 Elite and Qiaodan Feiying Plaid 3.0. Matt breaks down the rankings, the impact price and expectations can have on perceived shoe performance, and just how much difference the right racing shoe could potentially make across a marathon.
Matt also looks ahead to the Sydney Marathon, where he plans to attempt the world record for the fastest marathon run in jeans. He discusses the Australian Championships uniform rules, the maths behind breaking the 2:34:45 record, Sydney's challenging course, and why the record may be considerably harder than he initially expected.
The episode finishes with Melbourne Marathon goals, the Fat Fox Method for managing body weight around marathon training, strength training, HYROX, longevity, an upcoming 5K attempt, and a preview of several upcoming podcast episodes.
Episode Chapters
00:00 Podcast cold open
00:35 Why test super shoes
02:52 Lab testing setup
04:14 Chinese shoe rankings
04:49 Dragonfly hype check
06:19 Price and placebo
08:22 Third place surprise
10:14 Western shoe clues
11:59 Anta wins overall
12:54 Name confusion explained
14:49 Who this applies to
16:40 How big the gains
19:04 Cost and who should test
21:33 My marathon shoe history
23:22 Next race Sydney plans
24:20 Jeans Champs rules
25:57 Record maths reality
27:55 Sydney trip logistics
30:12 Melbourne dreams and Kipchoge
31:09 Fat Fox Method
34:23 Getting leaner safely
36:22 Gym, HYROX and longevity
40:57 Early mornings and wrap-up
42:07 Jeans and 5K prediction
44:14 Next content teasers

Matt is joined by Dr David Lipman to discuss one of the newest and most talked-about supplements emerging in elite endurance sport: lactate gels.
Train with Matt Fox:
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Sweat Elite Supporters Club:
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Matt Fox on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/mattinglisfox/
Matt Fox on Strava:
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Contact Matt:
matt@sweatelite.co
Dr David Lipman on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/drdavidlipman/
Dr David Lipman's Website:
https://www.drdavidjlipman.com/
The conversation has gained attention around the Tour de France, with companies including From Lab to Field, Enervit and Santa Madre developing lactate-based products. Unlike glucose and fructose, which rely primarily on SGLT1 and GLUT5 transporters in the gut, lactate uses monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs). This potentially provides athletes with another pathway to absorb and utilise energy alongside traditional carbohydrate fueling.
The concept isn't completely new, but delivering meaningful amounts of lactate without creating gastrointestinal or taste problems has historically been difficult. From Lab to Field is developing a patented hydrogel designed to improve lactate delivery and tolerance while producing a less acidic product. Early prototypes have reportedly combined around 5 g of lactate with 40 g of carbohydrate.
There are also interesting possibilities beyond simply providing additional energy. Lactate can be used as fuel by the muscles, heart and brain and also acts as a signalling molecule. Researchers are investigating whether supplementation could influence glycogen replenishment, recovery and metabolic responses during exercise.
There are already some impressive performance claims circulating, including improvements in power output and reductions in fatigue, but the evidence remains preliminary. Much of the exciting data appears to come from research connected to the companies developing the products and still needs independent replication.
One particularly interesting possibility is that lactate supplementation may have different effects below versus above the first lactate threshold. Elite athletes reportedly using lactate alongside very high carbohydrate intakes of around 90-120+ g/h have described positive experiences, but exactly how much additional benefit lactate provides remains uncertain.
The discussion also compares lactate with exogenous ketones, another alternative fuel that has generated significant interest in endurance sport. Ketones have produced mixed performance results, although emerging research suggests potential benefits in areas such as heat tolerance, recovery, altitude exposure, sleep and resilience to heavy training.
Both lactate and ketones may eventually have applications outside sport because of their roles as fuels and signalling molecules, particularly in the brain. Overall, lactate gels represent an exciting new area of endurance nutrition, but they're still at the beginning of the research cycle. The potential is significant, but athletes should distinguish promising early findings from benefits that have been independently and consistently demonstrated.
Episode Chapters:
00:00 Lactate Gel Buzz
00:19 Who's Making Them
01:16 How Lactate Fuels
02:53 Hydrogel Delivery Breakthrough
03:58 Legality and Doping Questions
05:20 Performance Claims and Evidence
06:42 Real World Use and Cost
07:43 Beyond Sport Applications
08:56 Ketones Update and Research
11:25 Personal Ketone Use Cases
12:44 Conflicts and Wrap Up

Welcome back to another unstructured In My Opinion episode. Matt shares an update on losing weight to run faster, the explosion of Chinese super shoes and Dynafish, a potential marathon world record attempt in jeans, HYROX plans, coaching updates and why he has backed away from frequent sauna use.
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Contact Matt:
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Matt opens with updates on the Sweat Elite Podcast, including changes to the private feed, a new weekly subscriber hangout and a small number of coaching opportunities becoming available.
The main discussion centres around losing weight to run faster, prompted partly by Josh Kerr's visible change in body composition alongside his recent performances. Matt reflects on his own marathon career, including a period where gaining roughly 3.5 kg coincided with slower marathon performances before intentionally losing around 4 kg and returning to consistent sub-2:20 racing.
Matt explains the simple approach he has personally used - maintaining a modest calorie deficit on most days while prioritising high-volume, satiating foods, then aggressively increasing carbohydrate intake around important training. Rather than trying to remain perfectly fuelled every hour of every day, he discusses using roughly 12-hour windows before major sessions and races to maximise carbohydrate availability, followed by substantial refuelling afterwards.
He also discusses why he avoids obsessing over daily scale weight, instead looking at longer-term trends and carbohydrate cycles. Matt believes intentional weight-loss phases should generally be relatively short - around 6 to 12 weeks for most athletes and rarely beyond 20 weeks - rather than becoming a permanent part of training.
The conversation also tackles the stigma surrounding weight loss in endurance sport, RED-S, disordered eating and the potential danger of becoming obsessed with numbers. Matt stresses that this approach is only relevant to runners who genuinely have weight they can healthily lose and that improving performance should never come at the expense of long-term health.
Later in the episode, Matt shares updates from the Chinese running shoe world, including upcoming laboratory testing of several Chinese super shoes and the rapid growth surrounding Dynafish. He discusses distribution delays, demand in China and plans for bringing more shoes into international markets.
Matt also considers racing the Sydney Marathon in jeans and potentially attempting the marathon world record for running in jeans, before discussing his future racing ambitions, interest in trying HYROX and whether an Ironman is something he would ever consider.
Finally, Matt explains why he has stopped frequent sauna sessions after noticing increasing fatigue and deteriorating training quality, despite initially introducing sauna as part of his marathon preparation.
Topics:
00:00 Welcome and Setup
00:27 Topics and Context
02:46 Pro Podcast Changes
03:46 Subscriber Hangouts
06:05 Coaching Spots Open
07:12 Why Weight Matters
08:18 Josh Kerr Example
09:45 My Marathon Weight Shift
14:41 Stigma and Pushback
20:08 Simple Weight Loss Framework
24:34 Carb Timing for Workouts
28:59 Risks and Obsession Trap
30:38 Carb Cycles Not Scales
31:44 Avoid Number Obsession
32:47 Who Should Cut Weight
35:46 Coaching And Stigma
37:36 Chinese Shoe Lab Tests
39:39 Dynafish Distribution Plans
43:36 Sydney Jeans Marathon
45:40 Weight Loss And Future Goals
50:55 HYROX Versus Ironman
52:31 Sauna Fatigue Lesson
57:25 Wrap Up And Next Steps

Jack Kelly from The Triathlon Hour returns to the Sweat Elite Podcast for a fun challenge - ranking six running workouts from manageable to completely diabolical.
Along the way, we debate stop recoveries versus float recoveries, discuss whether marathon pace should be guided by effort or pace, explore the biggest differences between training for running and triathlon, and explain why some workouts are far harder mentally than physically. We also share how weather, fueling, terrain and fatigue should influence the execution of key marathon sessions.
The episode finishes with the hardest workouts either of us has ever designed. Jack unveils a brutal 29.6 km session combining marathon pace with repeated half-marathon-pace intervals, while Matt shares a relentless 25 km progressive run that finishes faster than goal marathon pace. If you're looking for new training ideas or simply want to hear two coaches dissect what makes a great workout, this episode is packed with practical insights and plenty of debate.
Jack Kelly / The Triathlon Hour
Instagram:
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Podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/show/4gjZJMzMev7LvylirVjIGD?si=b3f1e6f64841417d
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@thetriathlonhour
Matt Fox / Sweat Elite
Coaching:
https://www.sweatelitecoaching.com/matt-fox/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/mattinglisfox/
Strava:
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YouTube:
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Timestamps
00:00 Welcome Back Banter
00:53 The Hat Story
02:48 Six Workout Challenge
06:02 Stop Rest Debate
07:57 Workout 1 - Most People Could Do
10:21 Workout 2 - Moderate
15:10 Workout 3 - Challenging
21:59 Workout 4 - Hard
29:36 Level 5 - Really really hard
36:56 Level 6 - Diabolicaly hard!
43:51 Fueling Weather Logistics
46:27 Wrap Up Next Rivalry Tease
These workouts are discussed for educational and entertainment purposes. Adjust the volume, intensity and recovery to suit your experience, current fitness and training goals.

Is getting lighter always the answer for runners chasing faster race times? Matt Fox is joined by Dr David Lipman for a short, sharp discussion about weight loss, performance, RED-S and the risks of taking leanness too far.
Dr David Lipman Links
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drdavidlipman/
Website: https://www.drdavidjlipman.com/
Listen to David's Podcast
For more conversations exploring the science, psychology and hidden stories behind sport, check out 1% Better - Hidden Stories in Sport, co-hosted by Xylon van Eyck and Dr David Lipman.
Matt Fox Links
Coaching: https://sweatelitecoaching.com/matt-fox/
Supporters Club: https://sweatelite.co/supporters-club/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattinglisfox/
Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/6248359
Email: matt@sweatelite.co
Matt and David explore why being lighter does not automatically make an athlete faster. Although reducing excess body fat may improve running economy and performance, there is a lower limit where continued weight loss can begin to compromise health, recovery and long-term performance.
Matt shares his own experience of becoming faster after losing weight, while David explains why the human body cannot be treated like a simple machine. Some body fat may provide an important energy buffer because the absorption and use of fuel can vary between athletes and from day to day.
They examine Ryan Hall's experience as a cautionary example. Hall initially improved while becoming extremely lean, but his performance and health eventually declined after taking the process too far. This temporary improvement can create a dangerous "more is better" mindset, where athletes continue restricting food because the early results appear positive.
The conversation also breaks down Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, commonly known as RED-S. Rather than viewing RED-S as the result of one isolated mistake, David describes it using a stress bucket model. Training load, inadequate fueling, poor sleep, work pressure and other life stressors can accumulate until the athlete's ability to recover is overwhelmed.
Matt and David discuss carbohydrate periodization and carb cycling, including when lower-carbohydrate training may have a place within an endurance program. However, they stress that these strategies do not eliminate the risks of chronic under-fueling. Athletes still require adequate carbohydrates, protein and dietary fat to support performance, recovery and overall health.
They also cover behaviours associated with disordered eating, the spectrum between structured nutrition and unhealthy restriction, whether runners should deliberately lose muscle mass, and the difficult tradeoffs that can exist between short-term performance and long-term health.
Episode Timestamps
00:00 Is Lighter Always Faster?
00:43 Fat Buffer and Absorption
01:31 Ryan Hall Cautionary Tale
02:38 When Leanness Backfires
03:28 RED-S and the Stress Bucket
06:27 Carb Cycling and Risk
08:43 Macronutrients and Carb Periodization
10:29 The Disordered Eating Spectrum
12:13 Muscle Mass vs Running Goals
13:20 Health and Performance Tradeoffs
14:28 Wrap Up and Thanks
This conversation is provided for general educational purposes and is not individual medical or nutritional advice. Athletes concerned about RED-S, disordered eating or persistent under-fueling should speak with a qualified healthcare professional.