MILES OF MEANING / FIELD NOTES
Claim Registry
A claim is a bounded synthesis, not a score for an entire protocol.
Reviewed and authorized edition. Historical migration remains partial; missing extraction does not mean no effect.
Publication record
Reviewed: 2026-10-03T22:24:08.944Z · Authorized: 2026-10-03T23:39:57.891Z
Review: 868c60dfc2c7
15 claims linked to guidance; 128 historical candidates await reconciliation.
High-load strength training can modestly improve measured running economy in studied middle- and long-distance runners.
CLAIM-0CD3A71B155D · Supported
Why / Evidence
- Scope
- 652 middle- and long-distance runners across 31 studies.
- Directness
- Indirect for ultramarathon finishing time and downhill durability.
- Consistency
- The reviewed high-load studies show a small average economy benefit; speed and athlete fitness modify effects. Results from other strength methods are not interchangeable.
- Uncertainty
- Moderate certainty for several individual methods; low for combined methods in the source review.
- Limitations
- Running economy is a submaximal laboratory outcome. This review does not establish an optimal 100K dose or a reduction in injuries.
- Author synthesis date
- 2026-10-03
Supporting: EV-E982F8DDF098
Conflicting: None classified; not proof of absence
Indirect: None classified; not proof of absence
Not classified: None classified; not proof of absence
Reasoning history
2026-10-03 · Unassessed → Supported. Bounded synthesis of retained findings; no automatic guidance or protocol change. Independent exact-content review pending.
A night or more without sleep can impair athletic performance. Effects of partial restriction over one to three nights are less certain.
CLAIM-96723313BDF7 · Supported
Why / Evidence
- Scope
- Athletes, with emphasis on elite athletes; not a single ultra-specific trial population.
- Directness
- Indirect for choosing sleep timing during 100-mile or continuous multi-day racing.
- Consistency
- The consensus favors individual sleep opportunity, while controlled evidence for specific partial-restriction effects remains limited. Consensus agreement is not replication of an ultra nap trial.
- Uncertainty
- Narrative review and expert consensus; this is not a graded trial of an ultramarathon nap schedule.
- Limitations
- The consensus cannot determine a safe universal caffeine dose, nap interval or minimum sleep allowance for a race.
- Author synthesis date
- 2026-10-03
Supporting: EV-6755B0033CD3
Conflicting: None classified; not proof of absence
Indirect: None classified; not proof of absence
Not classified: None classified; not proof of absence
GUIDE-048A55E32256 · GUIDANCE-RECOVERY-FOUNDATIONS
100-Mile Protocol · Recovery Protocol
Reasoning history
2026-10-03 · Unassessed → Supported. Bounded synthesis of retained findings; no automatic guidance or protocol change. Independent exact-content review pending.
Repeated eccentric bouts produce a smaller later damage response, but the contribution of neural and neuromuscular mechanisms remains unresolved.
CLAIM-30D1CCBCF93A · Emerging
Why / Evidence
- Scope
- Healthy adults in laboratory eccentric-exercise studies.
- Directness
- Indirect for downhill ultrarunning and 100K performance.
- Consistency
- Peripheral-force results show the clearest recovery-compatible pattern; central activation and motor-unit results are mixed or sparse. The mechanism is unresolved.
- Uncertainty
- Exploratory systematic review and meta-analysis with few studies per outcome.
- Limitations
- No downhill-ultra intervention, no race outcome and no validated optimal exposure dose.
- Author synthesis date
- 2026-10-03
Supporting: EV-7B340045B6AF
Conflicting: None classified; not proof of absence
Indirect: None classified; not proof of absence
Not classified: None classified; not proof of absence
Reasoning history
2026-10-03 · Unassessed → Emerging. Bounded synthesis of retained findings; no automatic guidance or protocol change. Independent exact-content review pending.
Foot-strike effects differed by grade; a non-rearfoot pattern did not reduce downhill impact loading and shifted load between joints.
CLAIM-02FA61F0F0B0 · Emerging
Why / Evidence
- Scope
- 42 habitual runners in graded treadmill running.
- Directness
- Direct for acute downhill mechanics, indirect for injury and 100K outcomes.
- Consistency
- One cross-sectional laboratory comparison shows grade-dependent redistribution of load. Independent confirmation of an injury or ultra-performance effect is absent from this synthesis.
- Uncertainty
- Acute biomechanics study; early evidence for technique decisions.
- Limitations
- No randomised retraining, progressive fatigue, injury or performance outcome.
- Author synthesis date
- 2026-10-03
Supporting: EV-4BF74A8FD495
Conflicting: None classified; not proof of absence
Indirect: None classified; not proof of absence
Not classified: None classified; not proof of absence
Reasoning history
2026-10-03 · Unassessed → Emerging. Bounded synthesis of retained findings; no automatic guidance or protocol change. Independent exact-content review pending.
The single-stage ultra position stand supports individualized nutritional practice and gut training; an eight-man marathon experiment measures oxidation and GI responses across intakes, not ultra finishing outcomes.
CLAIM-2C9A97281B5B · Supported
Why / Evidence
- Scope
- Single-stage ultra runners in a position stand; eight elite male marathon runners in a separate experiment.
- Directness
- Direct guidance for single-stage ultra nutrition practice; indirect experimental evidence for long ultra outcomes.
- Consistency
- The position stand supports individual rehearsal. The marathon oxidation experiment addresses a different outcome and cannot confirm a universal ultra target; these are complementary rather than replicated dose findings.
- Uncertainty
- Position stand and small experimental study; no validated intake trajectory for each distance.
- Limitations
- Food format, concentration, heat and individual GI tolerance differ; 120 g/h is not established as a universal ultra target.
- Author synthesis date
- 2026-10-03
Supporting: EV-99D201AEF73E
Conflicting: None classified; not proof of absence
Indirect: EV-E703930E78CD
Not classified: None classified; not proof of absence
50K Protocol · 100K Protocol · 100-Mile Protocol · Multi-Day Protocol · Fuel Protocol · Recovery Protocol
Reasoning history
2026-10-03 · Unassessed → Supported. Bounded synthesis of retained findings; no automatic guidance or protocol change. Independent exact-content review pending.
Observed gastrointestinal symptoms and skin problems coincided with reduced intake during and after a multistage ultra; association cannot establish a treatment.
CLAIM-974C1241993B · Emerging
Why / Evidence
- Scope
- Runners in multistage and 24-hour ultramarathon cohorts.
- Directness
- Relevant to prolonged events; not a causal intervention trial or universal stage plan.
- Consistency
- The lower-intake association was found in the staged cohort but not established in the continuous 24-hour cohort. Applicability must retain that distinction.
- Uncertainty
- Observational association, not a tested correction strategy.
- Limitations
- Event conditions, symptoms and food availability can confound intake. No specific menu or amount was validated.
- Author synthesis date
- 2026-10-03
Supporting: EV-CD5EFB3852BA
Conflicting: None classified; not proof of absence
Indirect: None classified; not proof of absence
Not classified: None classified; not proof of absence
Reasoning history
2026-10-03 · Unassessed → Emerging. Bounded synthesis of retained findings; no automatic guidance or protocol change. Independent exact-content review pending.
A review of exercise-associated hyponatremia supports avoiding excessive fluid intake; sodium intake does not make overdrinking safe.
CLAIM-2289EF02B73C · Supported
Why / Evidence
- Scope
- Endurance exercise settings, not a dose-finding trial for each ultra distance.
- Directness
- Safety principle transfers; exact fluid volume cannot be inferred.
- Consistency
- The clinical review identifies excessive fluid intake as a recurring risk across settings; variable mechanisms and presentations prevent one self-diagnostic rule.
- Uncertainty
- Clinical review and established safety practice; individual race needs remain variable.
- Limitations
- Environmental conditions, sweat loss and available supply vary; symptoms require proper assessment.
- Author synthesis date
- 2026-10-03
Supporting: EV-6B3C8F002595
Conflicting: None classified; not proof of absence
Indirect: None classified; not proof of absence
Not classified: None classified; not proof of absence
50K Protocol · 100K Protocol · 100-Mile Protocol · Multi-Day Protocol · Fuel Protocol · Recovery Protocol
Reasoning history
2026-10-03 · Unassessed → Supported. Bounded synthesis of retained findings; no automatic guidance or protocol change. Independent exact-content review pending.
A network review found limited and mostly low-certainty evidence that recovery modalities outperform passive recovery on later sport performance.
CLAIM-FD8E1C898ACA · Insufficient evidence
Why / Evidence
- Scope
- Competitive and elite endurance athletes across 16 randomized trials.
- Directness
- Indirect for return-to-training timing after an ultra and between-stage restoration.
- Consistency
- Performance comparisons were more consistent than soreness outcomes. Sparse networks and low certainty prevent a general ranking of all modalities.
- Uncertainty
- Systematic review; largely low or very low certainty.
- Limitations
- Different protocols and outcomes; no fixed recovery interval or clearance criterion.
- Author synthesis date
- 2026-10-03
Supporting: EV-6B6590E3FFB6
Conflicting: None classified; not proof of absence
Indirect: None classified; not proof of absence
Not classified: None classified; not proof of absence
50K Protocol · 100K Protocol · 100-Mile Protocol · Multi-Day Protocol · Recovery Protocol
Reasoning history
2026-10-03 · Unassessed → Insufficient evidence. Bounded synthesis of retained findings; no automatic guidance or protocol change. Independent exact-content review pending.
Sleep and performance in ultra studies are associated, but shorter race duration and other factors may explain some differences.
CLAIM-287B6E094889 · Emerging
Why / Evidence
- Scope
- 1389 athletes across 16 heterogeneous ultra studies.
- Directness
- Relevant to overnight ultra exposure; no causal sleep schedule for an individual runner.
- Consistency
- Observed sleep–performance relationships vary across formats and designs; race duration and reverse causality prevent interpreting less sleep as the cause of a faster finish.
- Uncertainty
- Systematic review of observational associations; no randomized nap timing.
- Limitations
- Confounding by speed and event format; planned sleep interventions remain untested here.
- Author synthesis date
- 2026-10-03
Supporting: EV-2BED9892FDFA
Conflicting: None classified; not proof of absence
Indirect: None classified; not proof of absence
Not classified: None classified; not proof of absence
50K Protocol · 100K Protocol · 100-Mile Protocol · Multi-Day Protocol · Fuel Protocol · Recovery Protocol
Reasoning history
2026-10-03 · Unassessed → Emerging. Bounded synthesis of retained findings; no automatic guidance or protocol change. Independent exact-content review pending.
An individual-participant meta-analysis found no universal superiority of polarized over pyramidal intensity distribution across endurance athletes.
CLAIM-083B10877671 · Supported
Why / Evidence
- Scope
- 348 endurance athletes across 13 studies.
- Directness
- Indirect for a specific trail ultra progression or weekly session count.
- Consistency
- The pooled comparison did not establish overall superiority; possible subgroup differences do not justify a universal split, and non-significance does not establish equivalence.
- Uncertainty
- Synthesis with training-status interaction; not a 50K-specific randomized plan.
- Limitations
- Does not establish optimal distribution by race distance, terrain or injury history.
- Author synthesis date
- 2026-10-03
Supporting: EV-3FD0E177F879
Conflicting: None classified; not proof of absence
Indirect: None classified; not proof of absence
Not classified: None classified; not proof of absence
Reasoning history
2026-10-03 · Unassessed → Supported. Bounded synthesis of retained findings; no automatic guidance or protocol change. Independent exact-content review pending.
Two 322 km finishers showed exceptionally high total energy expenditure and water turnover measured with doubly labeled water.
CLAIM-22D67B4BD2B4 · Emerging
Why / Evidence
- Scope
- One female and one male runner completing a 322 km mountain ultramarathon.
- Directness
- Direct for multi-day ultra physiology; indirect for a 100K fueling or hydration prescription.
- Consistency
- Both finishers illustrate large demands but differ in duration and totals. Two cases cannot establish consistency across athletes or estimate a typical intake requirement.
- Uncertainty
- Two-person field case study; descriptive, not a dosing trial.
- Limitations
- N=2, one event, no intake intervention; water turnover is not a universal fluid-intake requirement.
- Author synthesis date
- 2026-10-03
Supporting: EV-A0E38D4B7A25
Conflicting: None classified; not proof of absence
Indirect: None classified; not proof of absence
Not classified: None classified; not proof of absence
Reasoning history
2026-10-03 · Unassessed → Emerging. Bounded synthesis of retained findings; no automatic guidance or protocol change. Independent exact-content review pending.
Rearfoot versus non-rearfoot pattern was not associated with one-year running-related injury risk in 738 runners.
CLAIM-4C982BF9A6C1 · Emerging
Why / Evidence
- Scope
- 738 runners from the 4HAIE cohort.
- Directness
- Direct for injury association by habitual footfall pattern; indirect for deliberate technique retraining in trail ultras.
- Consistency
- One prospective cohort found no statistically detectable association. This does not establish equivalence, replication, or the causal effect of changing foot strike.
- Uncertainty
- Large observational cohort analysis; no randomized strike retraining.
- Limitations
- Association does not prove that changing foot strike is beneficial, harmless or appropriate for an individual runner.
- Author synthesis date
- 2026-10-03
Supporting: EV-F4DD08D3D381
Conflicting: None classified; not proof of absence
Indirect: None classified; not proof of absence
Not classified: None classified; not proof of absence
Reasoning history
2026-10-03 · Unassessed → Emerging. Bounded synthesis of retained findings; no automatic guidance or protocol change. Independent exact-content review pending.
Traits are associated with runner outcomes; observation does not show that training a trait improves performance.
CLAIM-MIND-001 · Emerging
Why / Evidence
- Scope
- Mixed distance-running populations.
- Directness
- No validated ultra prescription.
- Consistency
- Heterogeneous; the review does not justify one universal intervention.
- Uncertainty
- Bias, heterogeneous outcomes and limited direct ultra evidence.
- Limitations
- 50 of 53 studies had moderate or serious methodological concerns; association does not establish causation.
- Author synthesis date
- 2026-10-03
Supporting: EV-2D2F5F2007D3
Conflicting: None classified; not proof of absence
Indirect: None classified; not proof of absence
Not classified: None classified; not proof of absence
Reasoning history
2026-10-03 · Unassessed → Emerging. Candidate synthesis; independent review pending.
Mental-skills interventions show some psychological signals; reliable running-performance improvement is not established.
CLAIM-MIND-002 · Emerging
Why / Evidence
- Scope
- Mixed distance-running populations.
- Directness
- No validated ultra prescription.
- Consistency
- Heterogeneous; the review does not justify one universal intervention.
- Uncertainty
- Bias, heterogeneous outcomes and limited direct ultra evidence.
- Limitations
- Bias, heterogeneous outcomes and limited direct ultra evidence.
- Author synthesis date
- 2026-10-03
Supporting: EV-E76AD9241E0F
Conflicting: None classified; not proof of absence
Indirect: None classified; not proof of absence
Not classified: None classified; not proof of absence
Reasoning history
2026-10-03 · Unassessed → Emerging. Candidate synthesis; independent review pending.
The ultra nutrition position stand includes adequate dietary intake in recovery from repeated training.
CLAIM-RECOVERY-001 · Supported
Why / Evidence
- Scope
- Single-stage ultra training; transfer to stage-to-stage recovery remains conditional.
- Directness
- Direct scope for single-stage ultra preparation, indirect for a specific recovery interval.
- Consistency
- Consensus synthesis; no independent comparison of the complete proposed sequence.
- Uncertainty
- No universal meal or return-to-training rule established.
- Limitations
- Position statement with mixed evidence; no trial of this complete recovery sequence.
- Author synthesis date
- 2026-10-03
Supporting: EV-99D201AEF73E
Conflicting: None classified; not proof of absence
Indirect: None classified; not proof of absence
Not classified: None classified; not proof of absence
Reasoning history
2026-10-03 · Unassessed → Supported. Bounded position-statement synthesis; independent review pending.
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