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5 Key Takeaways From the Women's Division at the 2024 CrossFit Games

August 20th, 2024

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Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up premium subscriber edition.

In today’s edition:

  • “Cardio is Queen” and four other quick takeaways from the Women’s Division at the 2024 CrossFit Games.

  • Alan Aragon’s “Flexible Dieting” has provided important guidance for athletes trying to balance fueling for performance while seeking body composition. Check out two of EC Synkowski’s key takeaways from the book today.

  • Training for elite performance has always been viewed as counter to health and longevity. However, a new study published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine calls that conclusion into question.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I thought a random pedestrian hit me in the water, and it was actually Jeff Adler…I didn’t realize it was him until two hours later when everyone’s like Jeff was swimming the wrong way and then I realized” - 2024 Games champ James Sprague on the B.Friendly Fitness podcast, discussing the confusion in Marine Creek Lake during Event 1

CROSSFIT GAMES

Credit: Scott Freymond

5 Takeaways From the Women’s Division at the 2024 CrossFit Games

The 2024 CrossFit Games were tough to watch this year after the tragic passing of Lazar Đukić, and like many others, I was conflicted about the competition. 

Could I cheer for athletes knowing they were mourning the loss of a friend? Does anyone care if a record is broken when so many hearts are already broken?

  • While the CrossFit community still mourns the loss, I fall back to the original reason I started to create statistics content in the first place: To promote the athletes and their accomplishments. 

With that in mind, I dove into the 2024 results and found five takeaways from the women’s competition this year.

Cardio Is Queen

Running looms large at the CrossFit Games. 

Since 2012, only one CrossFit Games iteration has had less than three running events. 2024 was no exception, with running appearing three times — “Lake Day,” “Track & Field,” and “Dickies Triplet.” 

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SPEED READS

B. Friendly Fitness Games Q&A with Games Champ James Sprague: Briend Friend and Patrick Clark went live yesterday to answer questions, chat with 2024 Games champ, James Sprague, and give an update on “what’s next.” Watch here.

“Independent Third-Party Investigation” Update: On Friday night, CrossFit CEO Don Faul emailed 2024 Games athletes directly to share an update about the investigation into Lazar Ðukić’s death in Event 1.

  • CrossFit has contracted Peter Edge, the CEO and founder of Controlled Strategies and a former director at Homeland Security Investigations, the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Constantly Varied Conversations: In a video posted last night, John Wooley discussed some concerns that Peter Edge’s selection raised. Watch the video here.

  • The most significant concerns Wooley pointed to were that the PFAA was not consulted in the selection process, and further, that a significant component of his career was connected to the U.S. Border Patrol, a multi-year sponsor of the CrossFit Games.

No Swimming Events at CrossFit Licensed Events: CrossFit HQ sent an email to organizers of CrossFit-licensed events on Friday that read:

  • “In light of the tragic event last week, there is an important update on licensed event programming: Effective immediately, no open water or pool swimming events are allowed until further notice.”

  • The email continued, “Our collective efforts are vital in improving water safety guidelines and ensuring the safety of all participants.”

Lazar Ðukić Support Funds have been set up here and here for those who are able to give.

ICYMI: Australian dominance on the competition floor and heartfelt tributes to Lazar Ðukić characterized the 2024 CrossFit Games Team Division. Get caught up now.

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

Credit: @jeana.aragon / Instagram

Exploring 2 Key Ideas from Alan Aragon’s Flexible Dieting 

In his groundbreaking book, Flexible Dieting, renowned nutritionist Alan Aragon challenges conventional wisdom surrounding strict dietary protocols. 

  • I’m often asked about the books I recommend folks read for health and diet, and this is one of the few I point to.

In the book, Aragon presents a compelling case for a more personalized, adaptable approach to nutrition that considers our psychological need for autonomy and individualization. 

In a recent episode of the Consistency Project podcast, I highlighted two key concepts from the book that resonated most with me and that I’ve incorporated into my client work.

Motivation in Nutrition

Aragon introduces the concept of self-determination theory, which posits that humans have three basic psychological needs: 

  • Autonomy 

  • Competence

  • Relatedness 

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RESEARCH

Credit: @aerobiccapacity / Instagam

New Study Finds Link Between Elite Athletic Performance and Longevity

Elite athletes sometimes get a bad rep when it comes to the performance-health continuum.

And, to some degree, with good reason.

Some studies suggest that marathon runners, endurance cyclists, and triathletes might be putting too much stress on their hearts, which could cause long-term damage and possibly lead to early death. 

  • Further, it’s well known that elite gymnastics, figure skaters, lightweight rowers — and other sports where women need to be super lean to perform at an elite level — often lose their menstrual periods. And let’s not even get started on contact sports and the long-term health impact of concussions.

As for CrossFit, it might be too young of a sport to really understand the impact training at an elite level has on the body 50 years from now.

But now, there’s some good news for elite athletes: A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in May suggests that elite runners, namely those who were able to run a mile in less than four minutes, live longer than the general population.

The details: The research team, made up of Canadians and Australians, looked at the first 200 athletes who achieved the sub-four-minute mile in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s and found that, on average, they lived five years longer than the average person.

HIGHLIGHTS

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