Hi All
Another
month has come and gone and here in the winterless north of
During
the icy period, we had a couple of newly-weds stay with us at our foreststay
homestay (www.foreststay.com), and as
they were from
Even
though I may moan a little about our sometimes cold conditions, I am truly
appreciative of the climate that I have to train in. I don’t have to content
with snow, cold driving rain, severe icy roads or continually cold conditions.
A relatively cold morning usually produces a mild and trainable day. This
climate helps to overcome some of the non-motivational aspects of winter
training.
PROGRAM
FITNESS
If you should be aware of someone
who might benefit from being on a running or walking exercise program, please
get them to log on to www.profitness.net.nz
for more information on how I may be able to help. They may also wish to
contact me direct via my email address. If you wish to know a bit about our Homestay operation, the
website can be seen at www.foreststay.com
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10 Tips to Overcome
Morning Stiffness
by Robert Chu, PhD, Lac
Do you find it difficult to get
out of bed in the morning, because of too much pain? Does it take you an hour
or two for your body to ‘warm up' and your joints and muscles to loosen before
you can tackle the tasks of the day? You are not alone.
According to the
Morning stiffness is one of the more common complaints doctors hear about from
patients with fibromyalgia, arthritis, rheumatism and those whose bodies no
longer rebound after a day of activity—even gardening—like it used to.
Don't let morning stiffness cut your day short, by starting it later... And
while most people reach for muscle relaxants like Motrin and pain relievers
like Aleve to get them going, you don't need to.
Main Causes of Morning Stiffness
The basic causes of morning
stiffness are lack of daily physical activity, being overweight, having a poor
diet, not sleeping properly, and being in an environment that tends to be cold
and/or damp.
Exercising on a daily basis (even walking while swinging your arms) is a great
way to release those feel-good endorphins, get the blood moving, and help clear
nasty toxins from the body.
Being overweight causes you to be carrying unnecessary poundage, which puts
strain on your joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments.
A poor diet that is high in simple carbohydrates causes weak muscles, bad posture
and lethargy.
A poor sleeping posture can lock your body in a bad position for hours, causing
reduced blood flow to the local muscles, and a build-up of lactic acid, causing
stiffness.
Living or working in cold or damp environment causes muscles to stiffen because
the cold or damp affects the blood flow throughout the body.
Relieving Morning Stiffness
You can be happy to know that what is
causing your morning stiffness can be avoided or corrected... Here are 10 easy
things you can do to make a big difference in your life.
1) Be sure to get ample deep sleep, so your body can repair
and recharge. Forget about those troubles or conversations or tasks that need
addressing; they can be handled tomorrow. Also, be sure to sleep either on your
side or on your back—as stomach sleeping causes unnecessary stress on the low
back and spine.
2) If your room is drafty, seal the windows or door. If it is
cold, try a space heater or using extra blankets to prevent that cold or
dampness from stiffening your body.
3) Do some easy stretches while lying in bed, then sitting up
in bed—such as bending to the front and sides. This will stretch and loosen the
muscles and help flush them with more blood.
4) Take a hot shower. This serves as a means to induce
sweating, promote blood circulation and release muscle spasms. Simply stand
under the hot water and... relax!
5) After you are warmed up from the shower, do some gentle
knee bends—as far as you can go without falling! You can hold on to something
for balance, if needed. You don't have to go all the way down, either. These
exercise almost 90% of the skeletal muscles. Find a counter, table or chair and
use your hands for support. Then exhale and squat as low as you can go, then
inhale and stand up again. Do 10 of these to get the morning blood flowing and
creaky joints silent.
6) Drink the best water you can get. Often the tap water in
our cities is not the freshest or safest. Even cities like
7) Eat better. Cut down on simple carbohydrates and start
reading labels to avoid consuming more toxins. Simply eliminate all foods with
artificial color, enriched white flour and artificial flavors / sweeteners
(high fructose corn syrup, crystalline fructose and aspartame). If you don't
know what it is, or have difficulty pronouncing it, avoid ingesting it.
8) Learn some coping mechanisms and stress management
techniques, so that you're not lying awake all night thinking about your
problems. Learning how to deal with toxic people in your life will both allow
you to sleep better and reduce the stress-induced muscle spasms that cause
pain.
9) Get some regular exercise. The idea is to go out and do
some something physical with your body. Even a simple routine of 10000 steps a
day (buy a pedometer!) will greatly improve your health!
10) Be the fashion police! You want to dress appropriately for
these cold months, and you might do well to sleep in flannel pyjamas or sweats.
Remember, cold air causes muscles and joints to stiffen.
These simple tips followed with a little dedication, along with some minor
lifestyle changes and changes to the living environment, can help you overcome
morning stiffness in no time.
Runners
burn calories even when they rest
THE
benefits of exercise don't stop when the running shoes come off.
A new peek inside the muscles of resting athletes shows that they burn fuel
even when their bodies don't need the energy.
Endurance sports such as long-distance running are known to increase the number
of mitochondria, the tiny engines inside cells that
convert sugars and fats into ATP molecules, the cell's energy carriers. This
boosts the capacity of muscles to consume oxygen and
work at higher power during exercise.
Now Douglas Befroy and his colleagues at Yale University say that the mitochondria
in the muscles of men who run at least 4 hours a week consume 54 per cent more
fuel at rest than those of men who don't run (Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, DOI:
10.1073/pnas.0808889105). Yet the amount of ATP produced by the two sets of men
was the same, indicating that when at rest the extra fuel
was being "wasted", and turned into heat.
Because mitochondrial fuel-burning helps to clear out the cellular fats thought
to contribute to insulin resistance, this finding suggests a way that training
can help to protect against type 2
diabetes even when exercise is over.
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/health/mg20026795.900-runners-burn-calories-even-when-they-rest.html
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Increased substrate oxidation and mitochondrial uncoupling in
skeletal muscle of endurance-trained individuals
Abstract
Endurance exercise training is accompanied by physiological changes that
improve muscle function and performance. Several studies have
demonstrated that markers of mitochondrial capacity are elevated; however,
these studies tend to be performed ex vivo under conditions
that yield maximal enzyme activities or in vivo but monitoring the response to
exercise. Therefore, it is unclear whether basal
mitochondrial metabolism is affected by exercise training.
To explore whether resting muscle metabolism was altered in trained individuals
in vivo, two independent parameters of metabolic function
tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle flux (VTCA), and ATP synthesis (VATP) were
assessed noninvasively by using magnetic resonance spectroscopy in a cohort of
young endurance trained subjects (n = 7) and a group of matched sedentary
subjects (n = 8). VTCA was 54% higher in the muscle of endurance trained
compared with sedentary subjects (91.7 ±
7.6 vs. 59.6 ± 4.9 nmol/g/min, P < 0.01); however, VATP was not different
between the trained and sedentary subjects (5.98 ± 0.43 vs.
6.35 ± 0.70 ìmol/g/min, P = 0.67). The ratio VATP/VTCA (an estimate of
mitochondrial coupling) was also significantly reduced in trained subjects (P
< 0.04).
These data demonstrate that basal mitochondrial substrate oxidation is
increased in the muscle of endurance trained individuals yet
energy production is unaltered, leading to an uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation
at rest. Increased mitochondrial uncoupling may
represent another mechanism by which exercise training enhances muscle insulin
sensitivity via increased fatty acid oxidation in the resting state.
By Jamie
Wakefield
The
Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) recently to announced the release of Sports
Science Exchange (#108),
titled "Does a High-Carbohydrate Breakfast Improve Performance?"
In this article, Drs. Clyde Williams and David Lamb review the scientific
literature and provide practical recommendations on the optimal type, amount,
and timing of carbohydrate ingestion prior to exercise.
Key Points of SSE #108:
- Fatigue during prolonged heavy
exercise is often associated with low or depleted muscle glycogen stores
and with lowered blood glucose.
- Eating a high-carbohydrate meal
for breakfast 2-4 hours before constant-pace exercise can improve
endurance capacity (time to exhaustion) but may not be advantageous in
time-trials, especially if sports drinks are consumed during the trials.
- Contrary to earlier reports,
there appear to be no adverse effects on endurance capacity when consuming
well-formulated carbohydrate solutions within the hour before exercise.
Practical
Tips of SSE #108:
- About 3-4 hours before
exercise, eat an easy-to-digest high-carbohydrate meal that provides about
2-2.5 g of carbohydrate/kg body weight.
- About 1-2 hours before
exercise, ingest 300-600 ml (10-20 oz) of water or a sports drink to
ensure that you are well hydrated before exercise. Consumption of a sports
drink is a way to provide hydration and extra carbohydrates.
- Drink a sports beverage
frequently throughout prolonged exercise, following the simple rule that
you should drink enough during exercise so that you do not gain or lose
body weight during the exercise period.
About the Authors:
Dr. Clyde Williams is a Professor of Sports Science at
http://www.gssiweb.org/Article_Detail.aspx?articleid=901&level=4&topic=4
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Exercise Tip of the Week
The Alfredson 180 calf raises
The specific
eccentric training regime often recommended for Achilles pathologies is the
Alfredson ‘180 repetition’ calf raise programme. The regime is named after the
researcher Hakan Alfredson, who stumbled upon this treatment while he was
trying to rupture his own degenerative Achilles tendon with repeated bouts of
high volume exercising through pain. Instead of rupturing, his Achilles
improved. He went on to pilot research studies that demonstrated the benefits
of high volume eccentric exercise in tendon management
The athlete
stands on the bottom step of a staircase, facing inwards, hands lightly
supporting at either side. The forefoot of the affected leg is placed on the
edge of the step. The athlete lowers their body down by dropping the heel of
the affected leg over the edge, with control; then places the foot of the
non-affected leg on the step to raise the body back up to the starting point.
If this proves too difficult, or if both Achilles are affected, it is possible
to raise back up on two legs (thereby sharing the concentric load) and coming
down on a single leg (this is the “2 up, 1 down” concept).
Perform 3 x 15
eccentric heel drops with the knee straight and 3 x 15 repetitions with the
knee bent, repeated twice daily.
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Tip of the week - Isotonic
Drinks
Summer’s
coming (for some) and unless you’ve been living on Mars for the past 10 years, you can’t
possibly have failed to notice the huge array of ‘isotonic’ sports drinks that
vie for your attention. But how do isotonic drinks work and can they enhance
your sport performance? Andrew Hamilton explains…
Isotonic – what does it mean?
Sports drinks fall
into 3 categories: fluid replacement, energy replacement drinks and recovery
drinks. While they often include minerals and small amounts of energy, fluid
replacement drinks primarily aim to replace lost fluid during and after
exercise. Energy drinks contain much higher levels of carbohydrate. Their goal
is to help prevent muscle stores of energy from becoming depleted during prolonged
endurance exercise, but are less efficient at replacing lost fluid. Recovery
drinks contain large amounts of easily assimilated carbohydrates and proteins
to refuel the muscles after training and so accelerate recovery.
Studies have shown
that water is most rapidly absorbed from the stomach when it contains the
roughly same concentration of dissolved substances as that of blood. At this
concentration, a drink is said to be ‘isotonic’ or at the same concentration as
your body fluids. During exercise, both energy (in the form of carbohydrate)
and electrolyte minerals (sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium) are lost
along with water. By dissolving these substances in water at the correct
concentration, isotonic fluid replacement drinks can not only help replace lost
fluid more rapidly than even plain water, they can also help replace some of
the lost energy and minerals too.
Using isotonic drinks
- Do I need them? - If you exercise
vigorously in hot conditions for half an hour or more, or in cooler conditions
for an hour or more, you may benefit from a fluid replacement drink.
- How do I choose? –
Ingredients-wise, look for a drink containing around 6 grams of
carbohydrate per 100mls (around 25-30 calories) and one that also contains
sodium (Na, at least 40mgs), potassium (K, at least 15mgs) as well as
calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg). Carbohydrate type is also important. Long
chain sugars such as glucose polymers and maltodextrins exert a lower
osmotic pressure than simple sugars such as glucose, sucrose and fructose.
This means long chain sugars can be dissolved in water at higher
concentrations for better energy replacement, while keeping the drink
isotonic. They also tend to release their energy more gently than simple
sugars – a bonus for those susceptible to energy swings. Don’t forget also
that the taste is vital – if you don’t like it, you won’t drink it!
- How do I use them? –Little and
often is the key. Try to drink around 200mls (8oz) every 15 minutes or so
during exercise, rather than gallons all at once. When trying a new drink,
always test it out in training first. You don’t want to discover that it
upsets your stomach halfway through an all-important event!
- What’s wrong with plain old water?
– Nothing at all! For many, water is still the preferred way of staying
hydrated. It’s well tolerated by those with sensitive tummies, does a
pretty good job of rehydrating and is free!
- Where can I find isotonic drinks?
– Health food shops, larger chemists and sports shops and even some
supermarkets. You can even make your own (see home brew below).
HOME BREW ALTERNATIVE
If money’s tight in
these credit crunch times and you train recreationally, rather than with the
aim of qualifying for London 2012, you can do a lot worse than make up your own
‘home brewed isotonic drink’. Simply mix 3 parts of fresh orange juice with 2
parts tap water and add a quarter of teaspoon of table salt to each litre of
your orange/water mix. Although not as efficient at replacing energy, it’s
pretty much isotonic, supplies the electrolyte minerals, tastes nice and is
very cheap!
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Training Tips - THE REST IS
EASY
Why you have to back off in order to push hard. - By Ed Eyestone
(From the May 2009 issue
of Runner's World)
Ron Hill, the British Olympic
marathoner, has run every day since December 1964. That streak includes running
the day after a car crash in which he broke his sternum. I'm all for
consistency, but that seems to cross the line into compulsivity.
In college I took one day off every week. I liked the end and beginning it
created for each week. NCAA champs and Olympians have been made that way. Yet
some were incredulous that any day could be squandered on rest.
Years of research disprove the notion that a day off wrecks fitness; in fact,
the opposite is true. Little detraining—the loss of fitness and performance
that occurs when you stop working out—happens until you take off more than two
weeks. When it follows difficult bouts of work, rest lets your body adapt to
the work and improve. A day off every seven to 14 days restocks glycogen
stores, builds strength, and reduces fatigue. Without recovery, adaptation may
occur short-term, but ultimately it will fail. And since most injuries come
from overuse, a day of cross-training,
rest, or easy miles can prevent three-or four-week forced breaks caused by,
say, ITB syndrome.
I worked my butt off for six days to enjoy logging a zero on the seventh. I
caught up on sleep
and nursed soreness with massage and light stretching. The day was as crucial
to training as a long run. I could push through hard workouts knowing rest was
ahead. I started the new week physically and mentally restored—ready for
whatever masochism awaited.
That said, I can appreciate how some find it hard to let the running shoes sit.
On his rest day, German Silva, who won the 1994 and '95 NYC Marathons, ran an
easy three miles, keeping his heart rate below 60 percent of max. These jogs
may not boost VO2
max, but they loosen up the muscles to fend off sluggishness.
So is a little running on a rest day okay for mere mortals? It can be. As long
as you keep the volume and intensity very light, you can still get the recovery
benefits. (The same goes for cross-training on a rest day: Keep it relaxed.)
Light recovery runs shouldn't be confused with base miles you log between hard
workouts. Base miles—the staple of training—strengthen muscles, build
endurance, and burn fat. The key is to keep the pace conservative. Use the
chart below as a guide. Then get back to work.
Less Is More
Rest days and easy days reward runners with different benefits
REST DAY
How It Helps:
Prevents overuse injuries
Restores glycogen stores
Prevents mental burnout
How Often: Once a week
How Easy: Off completely or 20 to 30 minutes (or 2 to 4 easy miles)
below 60% of max heart rate
EASY DAY
How It Helps:
Builds base
Improves endurance
Increases blood volume
How Often: 80 to 85% of total weekly mileage
How Easy: 70 to 75% of max heart rate or conversational pace at
comfortable to moderate effort
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Good Luck
out there