The TriDoc Podcast, triathlon and health in one place · Dr. Jeff Sankoff

Ep.182: Tymewear for ventilatory metrics in training and another visit with Matthew Marquardt

·1 hr 12 min·4 clips

Taylor Nibb says she would not change anything in the moment, even after Kona.

Jeff Zankoff opens the show by welcoming back Matthew Marquardt, one of his favorite professionals in the sport. Marquardt talks through the reality of being a medical student who still trains at a professional level. The work is demanding. He also says he would not want to do it any other way. The conversation treats triathlon as something he does for fun, but fun that still comes with discipline. It also touches on the broader benefits of training, from general health to coping, de-stressing, and travel around the world. From there, the episode moves into TimeWare and its ventilatory metrics. Jeff and Matthew work through what those metrics may offer an athlete in training. They treat the device as a kind of fail-safe metric rather than a magic answer. The appeal is simple: a way to check whether the body is doing what the athlete thinks it is doing. That matters when effort, coffee, dehydration, and similar factors can blur the picture. The tone stays skeptical without dismissing the idea. The pricing comes up as part of the real-world test. The device is discussed as a $300 purchase. The subscription is discussed separately, and that extra yearly cost changes the calculation. Jeff is blunt that the subscription seems unnecessary if an athlete already has a coach. The AI workout layer reads as convenience, not a requirement. That keeps the conversation from turning into product copy. Jeff also compares ventilatory testing to the kind of lactate work some athletes do regularly. His view is that ventilatory thresholds would be a better option than that for many people. He sees a signal in the data, even if the evidence is still limited. The episode does not overclaim. It leaves room for uncertainty while still finding practical value. There is also a sense that the topic may be more useful in the hands of top-tier teams than in the average training room. Jeff wonders aloud how those zones might line up over different workouts. That question hangs in the air as the episode ends. It fits TriDoc well: a training tool, a medical lens, and enough skepticism to keep the discussion honest.

As heard by us

A practical, skeptical look at ventilatory-threshold metrics that keeps the product pitch in check.

TriDoc sits in a practical middle ground between sports medicine and gadget skepticism. Jeff Zankoff talks with returning guest Matthew Marquardt, then turns to TimeWare and ventilatory-threshold metrics as a way to guide training.

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Why you'd press play

You want a smarter read on ventilatory thresholds without buying the hype.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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