Episode 62 Poles (Bâtons) Cheating or Essential Efficiency Tool? 🏔️

Episode 62 Poles (Bâtons) Cheating or Essential Efficiency Tool? 🏔️💬 Got a question or feedback? Write us at: [email protected]☕ Buy a Gel Caf for Lactate to support the work: ko-fi.com/lactateSummary: With the Western States 100 finally lifting its decades-long ban, the debate is over: poles are a core tool for ultra-endurance. But how do they actually work? This episode dismantles one of the biggest paradoxes in sports science: how a tool that increases your total oxygen consumption (VO₂) and heart rate can simultaneously *lower* your perceived effort (RPE). We explore the neurophysiology of the "RPE Paradox" through Corollary Discharge Theory, revealing how your brain is tricked into feeling less fatigue by distributing motor commands across four limbs instead of two. We then separate the systemic cardiovascular tax from the peripheral muscular reward, showing how poles preserve your leg muscles by offloading tons of cumulative impact force over a 100-mile race. Finally, we provide a practical blueprint for transforming from a bipedal runner to an efficient quadruped. You'll learn the physics of swing weight (why carbon is non-negotiable for racing), how to size your poles using the 90-degree rule, and the precise gradient (around 26%) where deploying them shifts from a metabolic penalty to a race-saving advantage.Keywords: trail running, ultramarathon, trekking poles, running economy, biomechanics, rpe, corollary discharge theory, vo₂, endurance, western states 100🎙️ Lactate, the podcast that deciphers science to improve your performance.Key references :Giovanelli, N., et al. (2025). The impact of pole use on vertical cost of transport and foot force during uphill treadmill walking before and after a simulated trail running competition. *PubMed*. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40622586/Pellegrini, B., et al. (2023). A Review of Biomechanical and Physiological Effects of Using Poles in Sports. *PubMed*. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37106684/Schwameder, H., et al. (2000). Knee joint forces during downhill walking with hiking poles. *PubMed*. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10622357/Peyrot, N., et al. (2008). Effects of hiking pole inertia on energy and muscular costs during uphill walking. *PubMed*. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18460993/Carmichael, C. (2026). The Science Behind Using Trekking Poles in Trail and Ultrarunning. *TrainRight*. https://trainright.com/science-trekking-poles-trail-running-ultrarunning/Western States 100 will now allow trekking poles and traction spikes. (2025). *Canadian Running Magazine*. https://runningmagazine.ca/trail-running/western-states-100-will-now-allow-trekking-poles-and-microspikes/Voices generated by artificial intelligence from the scientific report produced by the Lactate team.