Sweat Elite Podcast

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.
Be coached by Matt:
https://www.sweatelitecoaching.com/coaching-2026
Join the Shareholders Club / Private Podcast Feed:
https://www.sweatelite.co/shareholders
Matt Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/mattinglisfox/
Matt Training Log - Strava:
https://www.strava.com/athletes/6248359/
Contact Matt:
matt@sweatelite.co
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:
https://www.instagram.com/jackkellytri/

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:
https://www.strava.com/athletes/6248359
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@SweatElite
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.

Jack Kelly joins the Sweat Elite Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on massive weight loss, injury prevention, marathon training, running performance for triathletes, heat adaptation, recovery, and the small "one percenters" that can make a big difference.
Follow Jack Kelly / The Triathlon Hour:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetriathlonhour/
Jack Kelly with Elliot Jenkins - Heat Training:
Listen on Spotify
Follow Matt / Sweat Elite:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattinglisfox/
Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/3152859
Sweat Elite Supporters Club: https://www.sweatelite.co/supporters/
Jack is the host of The Triathlon Hour and a coach working with professional triathletes. In this episode, we discuss his transformation from around 125kg down toward 80kg, the unconventional approach he used to lose weight while staying injury-free, and why walking, varied movement and high-frequency training may be underrated tools for endurance athletes.
We then go deep into marathon training, breaking down some of our favourite sessions including 25 x 600m, 1K on/1K float, progression long runs, 2K repetitions, long marathon-pace intervals and the classic 2 x 10K marathon dress rehearsal.
We also discuss sleep consistency, post-workout carbohydrate intake, creatine, Nomio, sauna and heat adaptation, occasional "hero sessions," energy drinks, and the importance of considering heart health when using stimulants.
Episode Timestamps:
00:00 Jack Kelly Joins
00:27 Japan Detention Story
02:49 Weight Loss Turning Point
07:57 Andorra Reset Plan
12:18 Walking For Resilience
16:55 Secret Injury Proofing
25:25 Coaching Career Highlights
27:51 Ari Klau Progress
30:18 Triathletes Running Fast
35:49 Marathon Million Dollar Hypothetical
36:26 Fastest Triathlon Marathon
38:08 Kristian Marathon Potential
39:14 Gustav Motivation Question
39:50 The Secret Marathon Workouts You Need to Know
01:36:12 The Six 1%'ers You Can Focus On To Imrove
01:39:51 Japan Detention Sleep Reset
01:41:02 Irony of Gummies and Jail
01:42:23 Sleep Aids and Insomnia
01:43:35 Recovery Fuel After Training
01:46:15 Creatine Water Weight Explained
01:47:52 Nomio Supplement Deep Dive
01:54:17 Sauna and Heat Adaptation
01:57:37 Hero Sessions Superman Cape
02:01:12 Monster Energy Pre Race Ritual
02:03:25 Heart Health and Stimulants
02:05:00 Wrap Up and Where to Follow
Disclaimer: This podcast is for entertainment and educational purposes only and should not be considered medical or nutritional advice. Always consider your individual health circumstances and seek appropriate professional advice where necessary.

Race Weight and Carb Cycling: Losing Weight to Get Faster Without Sacrificing Key Workouts
Welcome back to another short, sharp sub 15-minute episode. Today, I discuss the relationship between race weight and endurance performance, using examples including Josh Kerr, the new mile world record holder, Comrades Marathon winner George Kusche, and Olympic triathlon champion Kristian Blummenfelt.

I explain how losing weight has helped me improve my own marathon time from 2:35 to 2:18, while also addressing the risks of aggressive dieting and underfueling. This episode is not intended for anyone with a history of eating disorders, and I am sharing my personal experience rather than professional nutritional advice.
I break down how I use a moderate calorie deficit on most days while carb cycling around important workouts. The goal is to fuel heavily with carbohydrates for approximately 12 hours before and three hours after key sessions, then return to lower-calorie, filling foods during easier periods.
Matt's Links
Coaching: https://sweatelitecoaching.com/matt-fox/
Supporters Club: https://sweatelite.co/supporters-club/
Email: matt@sweatelite.co
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattinglisfox/
Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/6248359
Episode Timestamps
00:00 Elite Weight Clues
02:05 Podcast Setup and Warning
03:55 My Race Weight Journey
06:04 Critics and Risk
08:14 Calorie Deficit Basics
10:21 Carb Cycling for Workouts
12:52 Foods That Keep You Full
14:11 Resources and Wrap Up