Conditioning Research

This is interesting. I'm not totally sure why or what - if anything - is the application, but it is intriguing. According to a study by researchers from Denmark and The Netherlands published in the October 2008 print issue of The FASEB Journal, the brain, just like muscles, works harder during strenuous exercise and is fueled by lactate, rather than glucose. One thing that this might indicate is that even when you are running low on glucose, your brain can be fuelled in an alternative way. I'm aware that the brain can run on ketones. Here is another energy source and another reason why carbs may not be so necessary...... This press release suggests an evolutionary perspective: "From an evolutionary perspective, the result of this study is a no-brainer (a pun perhaps?!) . Imagine what could have or did happen to all of the organisms that lost their wits along with their glucose when running from predators. They were obviously a light snack for the animals able to use l...

OK, this is in rats, but more support for interval training: Efficiency of Intermittent Exercise on Adiposity and Fatty Liver in Rats Fed With High-fat Diet Results : The major finding of this study is that IE (interval training) was more efficient than CE (continuous exercise) in reducing the adverse effects of high-fat diet and sedentarism. There was an improvement in the lipid profile and a reduction in food intake, body weight gain, visceral and central adiposity, and fatty liver, contributing to the control of obesity and other comorbidities, including nonalcoholic fat liver diseases. There is more on intervals here: Indecent Intervals

This study indicates that the benefits of steroid use can continue even after the doping has stopped. If athletes are banned for steroid use there is a strong argument that the ban should be permanent because they have a continuing benefit..... A team of researchers has examined the impact of anabolic steroid use on power lifters years after the athletes had ceased to take the drugs. The researchers found that while physical traces of the drug no longer remained, changes in the shoulder and quadriceps still gave lifters an advantage years later. Check out the full story here: Anabolic steroids provide a competitive edge in power lifting years after doping has ended

Here is an interesting article: Differences Between People And Animals On Calorie Restriction ScienceDaily (Sep. 24, 2008) — Calorie restriction, a diet that is low in calories and high in nutrition, may not be as effective at extending life in people as it is in rodents, according to scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. I think I'll stick to IF

Some more thoughts on training - particularly thinking within the Primal Blueprint or Art Devany's paradigm . I've been quite influenced over the years by the ideas of Paul Chek with respect to basic Primal Patterns. This is the idea that there are certain fundamental moves that are the foundation of all we do athletically and in everyday life. To operate well in life we need to be able to squat, lunge, push, pull, twist, bend and walk/jog/run. Chek says: To clarify what I mean by “primal standard”, consider that as developmental beings we had to squat, lunge, bend, push, pull, twist, walk, jog, and run efficiently and effectively to survive. If you couldn’t perform these essential primal patterns, you were a drain on your family or dead, one of the two! I have read someone else expand on this and say that if you cannot squat (think sit down and stand up) it is not that you are not fit, you are actually disabled. Anyway I thought also about how these different move lend t...

I have been thinking about muscle soreness. I love training hard and waking the next day to check out the soreness in the muscles. My first workouts with weights over 20 years ago produced intense and exquisite soreness the next day and over the years I have continued to experience that soreness and often use it as a gauge to indicate that I've been working hard - my pecs are sore: I must have trained effectively etc. However, I've been thinking more about this recently. How useful in real life is such soreness? If a training session leaves you exhausted immediately after it and almost crippled with soreness the next day, is that a practical or useful way of training for everyday life? I want my training to enhance my life. To make me fit for whatever challenges are going to come at me in those days. I might need to sprint for a bus, to sprint away from a fight or to defend myself in some way. If my ability to perform is limited because of my previous day's training ...

Product Review: CLIMBING: Training for Peak Performance (Second Edition) My Summary – excellent, up to date and well worth the money Google Books extracts available here Who is this guy and what is the product? CLYDE SOLES is a writer-climber with varied experience in the field. He has summitted 8000-meter peaks and has written for magazines and authored several books, including The Outdoor Knots Book, Rock and Ice Gear, and Climbing: Expedition Planning. Book Description Climbers at all levels benefit from working to build core strength, opening the door to higher levels of achievement. This new edition of the Mountaineers Outdoor Expert series classic is completely updated and expanded. There is new instruction on yoga, Pilates, and herbal supplements, as well as an expanded section on core training. The book contains more information about rehabilitation after an injury, plus several new training programs. What does the product claim? This book is for climbers of all ages, abiliti...