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...

I've previously had posts on shoes . In previous posts about running shoes I came to the conclusion that shoes should be as simple as possible to avoid interfering with the natural "barefoot" style of walking/running, the gait which we naturally adopt when unencumbered by shoes. Here is another study which tends to point in the same direction. If you look at magazines, you will realise that running shoe companies spend a lot of money on advertising to promote their various cushioning properties-- air, gels, plastic springs, foam or whatever etc. This new study found that there was no difference in shoe cushioning after the shoes had been worn for 200 miles. The runners adapted their biomechanics somewhat to cope with th changes in the shoes, but these adaptations were the same in three cushioned shoe types--air, gel, and springs. Conclusion: "Runners should choose shoes for reasons other than cushioning technology." Interesting findings given all the market...

here is one for Peter - regular consumption of small doses of dark chocolate may reduce inflammation Note that it is a j shaped curve - eat more and you lose the effect. Regular Consumption of Dark Chocolate Is Associated with Low Serum Concentrations of C-Reactive Protein in a Healthy Italian Population Dark chocolate contains high concentrations of flavonoids and may have antiinflammatory properties. We evaluated the association of dark chocolate intake with serum C-reactive protein (CRP). The Moli-sani Project is an ongoing cohort study of men and women aged 35 y randomly recruited from the general population. By July 2007, 10,994 subjects had been enrolled. Of 4849 subjects apparently free of any chronic disease, 1317 subjects who declared having eaten any chocolate during the past year (mean age 53 ± 12 y; 51% men) and 824 subjects who ate chocolate regularly in the form of dark chocolate only (50 ± 10 y; 55% men) were selected. High sensitivity-CRP was measured by an immunoturb...

Here is a good one, but one that needs some context. A telomere is a region of repetitive DNA at the end of chromosomes, which protects the end of the chromosome from destruction..... During cell division, the enzymes that duplicate the chromosome and its DNA can't continue their duplication all the way to the end of the chromosome. If cells divided without telomeres, they would lose the end of their chromosomes, and the necessary information it contains. (In 1972, James Watson named this phenomenon the "end replication problem".) The telomere is a disposable buffer, which is consumed during cell division and is replenished by an enzyme, the telomerase reverse transcriptase. This mechanism usually limits cells to a fixed number of divisions, and animal studies suggest that this is responsible for aging on the cellular level and affects lifespan. (From wiki ) So telomeres are the protective end bits of chromosomes, but they get shorter as you age.... If you remember Doll...

We have spoken about balance before, particularly thinking about how it can help to prevent injuries to the ankle and knee. Here is another new study which points in the same direction. Balance training can of course be very simple. It might sound a bit daft, but I stand on one leg as I put my socks on each day and also as I take a pee. Balance Training Improves Function and Postural Control in Those with Chronic Ankle Instability. Purpose: The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to determine the effect of a 4-wk balance training program on static and dynamic postural control and self-reported functional outcomes in those with chronic ankle instability (CAI). Methods: Thirty-one young adults with self-reported CAI were randomly assigned to an intervention group (six males and 10 females) or a control group (six males and nine females). The intervention consisted of a 4-wk supervised balance training program that emphasized dynamic stabilization in single-limb stance. M...

Off in the hills for a few days....... just done a 50 mile walk. photos to follow

Great post from Vern Gambetta today: Frans Bosch in several of his presentations has defined Strength Training – as coordination training with resistance. I think that is a good starting point. My adaptation of that definition is as follows: Coordination training with the resistance and mode that is appropriate for the sport or activity trained for. I think this definition gets us away from chasing numbers in terms of maximums and put the focus on the application of strength rather than strength you can measure. That is interesting stuff. How much strength do you need?

I've mentioned before that while your genes may lay out an ultimate potential, this is not a determined end point towards which you move. You have some influences on the expression of these genes, whether they are turned on or off to be crude. Diet, environment, exercise, infection, attitude, stress etc will all cause certain genes switch on. The BBC carried a story yesterday about this. Exercise 'blunts fat gene effect' Carrying two copies of the FTO gene significantly increases the chances of becoming obese. However, a study carried out among the US Amish community found an active lifestyle appeared to remove this risk. Genes are not destiny - you have an influence...... The abstract of the study is below: Physical Activity and the Association of Common FTO Gene Variants With Body Mass Index and Obesity Background Common FTO (fat mass and obesity associated) gene variants have recently been associated with body mass index (BMI) and obesity in several large studies. ...

I've had posts in the past which have thought about water. There is an oft repeated prescription that we need 8 glasses a day, a prescription that has been shown to be a myth . Drinking too much can actually be dangerous . The basic idea I think is to drink according to thirst - not an earth-shattering idea but an important one. Be that as it may, it is still important to drink. Way back I posted a study which said that not having enough water in your system limits strength, power and high-intensity endurance. Here is another study which says the same sort of thing and more: If you don't have enough water in your system you are likely to have more stress hormones - (cortisol and norepinephrine) less testosterone altered carbohydrate and lipid metabolism The implication seems to be that if you want to promote muscle growth and minimise muscle breakdown, then you need to be adequately hydrated. I'd need to read the whole paper to get more, but this is certainly inte...

I've previously pointed to studies (e.g. here ) that indicate that static stretching should be avoided prior to exercise - especially if your exercise is one that needs explosive power . Here is a study which accepts that position but indicates that you can minimise this negative impact. If static stretching is to be included in the warm-up, some sort of high-intensity sport-specific skills based activity is completed as a final warm up prior to going on court/field. So stretch before if you must but if you do, then add some high intensity stuff - jumps or sprints - to get your power back.... Negative effect of static stretching restored when combined with a sport specific warm-up component There is substantial evidence that static stretching may inhibit performance in strength and power activities. However, most of this research has involved stretching routines dissimilar to those practiced by athletes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the decline in performance...

Mike has started a nice simple Web site with a Daily Fitness Challenge - the Daily 100 . The Daily Challenge is created by a professional fitness trainer to help YOU get moving and fit on a daily basis. Get a new challenge everyday and feel good that you are accomplishing something, start the day off with the right attitude! All challenges can be modified for any level whether you are new to fitness or more experienced. So welcome to the community, challenge yourself, challenge others around you and make it happen everyday. There are no more excuses…just results and success! This weekend's challenge was pretty straightforward - maybe inspired by Mark ? : So for the weekend you have to do a total of 100min (minimum) of being outside and engaged in some sort of physical activity. Well fine! I was aiming to get into the hills anyway today. Beinn Odhar is a nice hill just north of Tyndrum, with fabulous views. The clarity of the air was staggering today with clear sight of the high...

The One Arm Pushup is a fantastic exercise. It gives balance, strength and well to be honest it looks good! Pavel's Naked Warrior book devotes virtually the whole volume to this exercise and the pistol (one leg squat). Anyway, Jim at Lean and Hungry Fitness pointed to this great tutorial from Beast Skills on how to do a one arm pushup. Beast Skills has some fine material and it is worth spending some time there; for example there are tutorials on the one leg squat , the handstand and even the Clapping Handstand Pushup !

I don't have kids.....but if I did (or if I ever do) I hope I'd be able to put into practice some of Steve Maxwell's ideas in this article 10 Ways to desissify your kid (and maybe yourself in the process)

If you have been following Lyle's series on the Hormones of Bodyweight Regulation you will be familiar with the role of Leptin Leptin signals to the brain that the body has had enough to eat, or satiety. A very small group of humans possess homozygous mutations for the leptin gene which leads to a constant desire for food, resulting in severe obesity. This condition can be successfully treated by the administration of recombinant human leptin.[1] Thus, circulating leptin levels give the brain input regarding energy storage so it can regulate appetite and metabolism. from wiki Here is an interesting study which looks at Leptin and the way in which fatty fish, in the context of a calorie restricted diet, affects it: Three servings a week of fatty fish included in an energy-restricted diet appears to be a valid strategy for specifically improving insulin sensitivity and leptin levels Specific insulin sensitivity and leptin responses to a nutritional treatment of obesity via a combi...