Conditioning Research

Vern Gambetta makes some interesting points about the causes of hamstring injuries: Based on my observations over the years here is my take on the hamstring pull situation in baseball and for that matter other sports. Too much emphasis on static stretching in warm-up. Warm-up to stretch, do not stretch to warm-up. Flexibility of the hamstring is basically a non factor in hamstring pulls, it is dynamic hip flexibility that is important. You don't get that wallowing around on the ground in pregame stretch. Lack of sufficient warm-up. The current rage in warm-up does not involve enough movement, way too much at walking tempo, you need to build the warm-up in a crescendo to top speed sprints. Another reason is too much emphasis on linear running mechanics, very little on turns. The hamstring is a transverse plane muscle that is stressed when running a curve and on deceleration. There is too much strengthening using non functional exercises in prone and supine positions. Read more here

The set up that Ross proposes here makes a lot of sense.....but I don't think my neighbours in the flat underneath me would approve. They prefer it if I do this:

more swing doctrine... Anyone else heard of Captain Swing ?

Stephan has posted a great little article on his blog, all about Body Composition . It is a post that is straightforward but would be powerful if people only grasped the basics of what he is talking about. Because losing fat or gaining fat is ultimately about your hormones - like Mike says here it is an hormonal event - Stephan's protocols all involve steps to restore insulin sensitivity. "This will not only improve body composition, it will normalize your metabolism on a fundamental level, reducing the risk of all the common chronic diseases." You should read all of the article , but the things he recommends are: Carbohydrate restriction; (see my posts ) Exercise (especially intervals ); Intermittent Fasting; ( IF ) and Losing the soda. (basically dumping sugar ) All proposals with which readers of this blog will be familiar. On the topic of restoring insulin sensitivity, I thought this study was interesting, in that it would seem to argue against drinking alcohol wi...

Because when it gets hard they stop enjoying it! The Relationship Between Exercise Intensity and Affective Responses Demystified: To Crack the 40-Year-Old Nut, Replace the 40-Year-Old Nutcracker! BACKGROUND : A causal chain linking exercise intensity, affective responses (e.g., pleasure-displeasure), and adherence has long been suspected as a contributor to the public health problem of physical inactivity. However, progress in the investigation of this model has been limited, mainly due to inconsistent findings on the first link between exercise intensity and affective responses. PURPOSE : The purpose was to reexamine the intensity-affect relationship using a new methodological platform. METHODS : Thirty young adults (14 women and 16 men) participated in 15-min treadmill exercise sessions below, at, and above their ventilatory threshold. The innovative elements were the following: (a) Affect was assessed in terms of the dimensions of the circumplex model; (b) assessments were made repe...

I've noted before that stress is an under-appreciated factor in health - and may be responsible for a lot of heart problems . Here is a study which highlights the importance of stress to metabolism - especially in the obese: Stress and metabolism. Obesity, lipid disorders, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and coronary heart disease are frequently encountered in wealthy populations. All these disorders frequently occur as clusters, constituting the metabolic syndrome. It is currently admitted that insulin resistance plays a central role in the pathogenesis of this syndrome. Stress responses include activation of the sympathetic nervous system and stimulation of epinephrine and cortisol release. These hormones may over the long term reduce insulin sensitivity. Cortisol may also favour the development of central obesity. In healthy individuals, mental stress increases heart rate, but simultaneously decreases vascular resistance in skeletal muscle. This results in a moderate increa...

Actually stretching is OK but not as a warm up - that seems to be the view of both scientists and coaches now. For example, Vern Gambetta comments : I want to make sure that people do not get the impression that stretching is not important. Stretching as a means to improve functional flexibility is very important. It is a separate training unit. Stretching is not warm-up! This New York Times piece concludes: Another systematic review, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise in 2004. It looked at multiple studies and found that stretching “was not significantly associated with a reduction in total injuries,” but also concluded that more research was needed. For now, many experts say that what may work is a quick warm-up, like low-impact aerobics or walking. It also helps to ease into an activity by starting off slow and then increasing speed, intensity or weight (for lifting). So how do you warm up, if ...