[cosmichillbasher] A few interesting tit bits
ts drinks or water : what is the best choice for sports performers?
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What does the term sports nutrition conjure up in your mind? Carbohydrate and protein? Vitamins and minerals? Or maybe the more
exotic ergogenic aids like creatine? Whatever springs to mind, I bet it isn't water. Yet water is of supreme, overriding importance
to both your health and performance.
Your body might appear solid, but it's actually much more like a bag of salty water, containing a few bones to maintain its shape.
Water accounts for around 70% of your body weight – that's eight stone of water in an 11-stone adult! However, the loss of even a
tiny fraction of this water can significantly reduce your performance, which is why maintaining good hydration is vital for all
serious athletes.
Water is the medium in which the biochemistry of the body takes place. Every one of our trillions of cells both contains and is
bathed in a watery medium. It's hardly surprising, therefore, that we have developed mechanisms for keeping the water content of the
body pretty constant. Because some water is continually being lost in urine (in the process of excreting waste products), a constant
throughput of water is required to maintain fluid balance. This balance is controlled principally by the kidneys and the thirst
mechanism. When total body water drops, hormonal messages are sent to the brain to create thirst. Excessive water intake, on the
other hand, stimulates an increase in urine production.
As well as providing the perfect chemical environment for our bodies, water has another extraordinary property – the ability to stop
our bodies overheating by evaporating via the skin in the form of sweat. This is particularly important during exercise, when heat
output rises dramatically.
More...from Peak Performance Online at:
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/sports-drinks.htm
exotic ergogenic aids like creatine? Whatever springs to mind, I bet it isn't water. Yet water is of supreme, overriding importance
to both your health and performance.
Your body might appear solid, but it's actually much more like a bag of salty water, containing a few bones to maintain its shape.
Water accounts for around 70% of your body weight – that's eight stone of water in an 11-stone adult! However, the loss of even a
tiny fraction of this water can significantly reduce your performance, which is why maintaining good hydration is vital for all
serious athletes.
Water is the medium in which the biochemistry of the body takes place. Every one of our trillions of cells both contains and is
bathed in a watery medium. It's hardly surprising, therefore, that we have developed mechanisms for keeping the water content of the
body pretty constant. Because some water is continually being lost in urine (in the process of excreting waste products), a constant
throughput of water is required to maintain fluid balance. This balance is controlled principally by the kidneys and the thirst
mechanism. When total body water drops, hormonal messages are sent to the brain to create thirst. Excessive water intake, on the
other hand, stimulates an increase in urine production.
As well as providing the perfect chemical environment for our bodies, water has another extraordinary property – the ability to stop
our bodies overheating by evaporating via the skin in the form of sweat. This is particularly important during exercise, when heat
output rises dramatically.
More...from Peak Performance Online at:
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/sports-drinks.htm
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Protein-added Sports Drinks Don't Boost Performance During Exercise,
Study Finds
Main Category: Sports Medicine / Fitness News
Article Date: 05 Aug 2006 - 9:00am (PDT)
Adding protein to a sports drink won't make you race faster, suggests
findings from researchers at McMaster University.
"Sports drinks improve performance during prolonged exercise because of
two key ingredients: carbohydrate, which provides fuel for working
muscles, and sodium, which helps to maintain fluid balance," says Martin
Gibala, an associate professor of kinesiology at McMaster. "Research
also supports the practice of consuming protein after exercise to
promote muscle recovery. However, the alleged benefit of consuming
protein during exercise is controversial."
The study, which is published in the August edition of Medicine &
Science in Sports & Exercise, found that adding protein to a
carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink did not improve cycling time trial
performance compared to the sports drink alone.
The research was conducted on 10 trained cyclists who performed a
simulated 80 km bicycle race on three occasions. During exercise, the
subjects were given a sports drink, a sports drink supplemented with
protein, or a placebo drink that provided no energy. The drinks were
similarly flavored and neither the subjects nor the researchers knew
what drink was consumed during a given test. The study found that the
sports drink improved performance compared to the placebo drink -
confirming prior research - but there was no additional benefit of
protein supplementation.
"Previous studies that suggested protein was beneficial used 'ride to
exhaustion' tests that do not resemble normal athletic competition. In
addition, the subjects in those studies received less than the optimal
recommended amount of carbohydrate," says Gibala. "Our study shows that
protein confers no performance benefit during 'real life' exercise when
athletes consume sufficient amounts of a sports drink."
The study, which was funded by Gatorade, comes at a time when the
sports drink industry is under pressure to create new products by adding
ingredients that might further enhance performance. Some companies have
heavily marketed protein-laced sports drinks as the next magic bullet,
but Gibala's research disputes such claims.
Study Finds
Main Category: Sports Medicine / Fitness News
Article Date: 05 Aug 2006 - 9:00am (PDT)
Adding protein to a sports drink won't make you race faster, suggests
findings from researchers at McMaster University.
"Sports drinks improve performance during prolonged exercise because of
two key ingredients: carbohydrate, which provides fuel for working
muscles, and sodium, which helps to maintain fluid balance," says Martin
Gibala, an associate professor of kinesiology at McMaster. "Research
also supports the practice of consuming protein after exercise to
promote muscle recovery. However, the alleged benefit of consuming
protein during exercise is controversial."
The study, which is published in the August edition of Medicine &
Science in Sports & Exercise, found that adding protein to a
carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink did not improve cycling time trial
performance compared to the sports drink alone.
The research was conducted on 10 trained cyclists who performed a
simulated 80 km bicycle race on three occasions. During exercise, the
subjects were given a sports drink, a sports drink supplemented with
protein, or a placebo drink that provided no energy. The drinks were
similarly flavored and neither the subjects nor the researchers knew
what drink was consumed during a given test. The study found that the
sports drink improved performance compared to the placebo drink -
confirming prior research - but there was no additional benefit of
protein supplementation.
"Previous studies that suggested protein was beneficial used 'ride to
exhaustion' tests that do not resemble normal athletic competition. In
addition, the subjects in those studies received less than the optimal
recommended amount of carbohydrate," says Gibala. "Our study shows that
protein confers no performance benefit during 'real life' exercise when
athletes consume sufficient amounts of a sports drink."
The study, which was funded by Gatorade, comes at a time when the
sports drink industry is under pressure to create new products by adding
ingredients that might further enhance performance. Some companies have
heavily marketed protein-laced sports drinks as the next magic bullet,
but Gibala's research disputes such claims.
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Go ahead, people, take it all off:
That's pounds and inhibitions, of course. In increasingly popular striptease workouts, they're the main targets.
I'M bumping. I'm grinding. I'm taking it off. But there's no two-drink minimum and nobody's waving dollar bills at me. I'm in a gym,
not a strip club.
It had taken some courage to show up at 24 Hour Fitness in West Hills and pull off clothing — as a dancer, I'm more of an old sofa
than a Chippendale. But cardio striptease is supposed to be the newest way to get fit, so there I was at the new "24 Tease" class on
a recent weekday evening. (I'd worn a couple of extra layers, even in the steaming Valley heat, just to have something to peel off.)
One other male — and 16 women — had gathered in a large room with a polished wooden floor surrounded by mirrors, the usual home of
step and aerobic classes, to learn striptease moves and get a workout. I tried to hide in the back of the room, next to the spinning
machines.
Although normally about 90% of the participants in group exercise classes are women, adding the strip element cuts male
participation to 5%, instructor Tina Kendall said. "Men's perception of group exercise is that it is dancing, not a workout," she
said.
It's true that for many men a liberal infusion of beer or the hope that dancing is foreplay is needed before they'll get up and
shimmy. And the Hair Toss is especially difficult for guys like me who don't have tresses like Fabio's.
But striptease workouts are gaining mainstream acceptance.
More...from the LA Times at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/fitness/la-he-striptease24jul24,1,7443884.story?coll=la-health-fitness-news
****************************************
That's pounds and inhibitions, of course. In increasingly popular striptease workouts, they're the main targets.
I'M bumping. I'm grinding. I'm taking it off. But there's no two-drink minimum and nobody's waving dollar bills at me. I'm in a gym,
not a strip club.
It had taken some courage to show up at 24 Hour Fitness in West Hills and pull off clothing — as a dancer, I'm more of an old sofa
than a Chippendale. But cardio striptease is supposed to be the newest way to get fit, so there I was at the new "24 Tease" class on
a recent weekday evening. (I'd worn a couple of extra layers, even in the steaming Valley heat, just to have something to peel off.)
One other male — and 16 women — had gathered in a large room with a polished wooden floor surrounded by mirrors, the usual home of
step and aerobic classes, to learn striptease moves and get a workout. I tried to hide in the back of the room, next to the spinning
machines.
Although normally about 90% of the participants in group exercise classes are women, adding the strip element cuts male
participation to 5%, instructor Tina Kendall said. "Men's perception of group exercise is that it is dancing, not a workout," she
said.
It's true that for many men a liberal infusion of beer or the hope that dancing is foreplay is needed before they'll get up and
shimmy. And the Hair Toss is especially difficult for guys like me who don't have tresses like Fabio's.
But striptease workouts are gaining mainstream acceptance.
More...from the LA Times at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/fitness/la-he-striptease24jul24,1,7443884.story?coll=la-health-fitness-news
****************************************
LAST WEEK'S POLL RESULTS:
"Do you believe Floyd Landis is guilty of doping?"
Answers Percent
1. Innocent 42%
2. Guilty 42%
3. Don't care 17%
"Do you believe Floyd Landis is guilty of doping?"
Answers Percent
1. Innocent 42%
2. Guilty 42%
3. Don't care 17%
Does Testosterone Build a Better Athlete?
TESTOSTERONE injections can make male rats more aggressive in marking their territories, cause castrated red deer to grow antlers,
and induce female rhesus monkeys to screech like males. In studies on humans, testosterone injections have increased and
strengthened muscles.
But does taking testosterone — a controlled substance whose possession is illegal unless prescribed for medical reasons —
automatically improve athletic performance?
In sports, testosterone shots or creams are supposed to be magic bullets that spur athletes to train harder, run or bicycle more
quickly, jump higher, swim faster, hit a baseball farther, recover sooner, and, let's not forget, increased sex drive and
combativeness. Certainly, the idea that taking doses of the hormone gives competitors an unfair advantage is behind the brouhaha
over Floyd Landis, the 2006 Tour de France winner who French officials say tested positive for elevated testosterone on the day of
his remarkable comeback during Stage 17. Mr. Landis has denied taking any performance-enhancing substances.
But some leading experts who study testosterone are not convinced that supplementing the hormone improves endurance or overall
athletic performance. Unlike a hyper-caffeinated sports drink, the synthetic hormone does not provide an instant jolt, but works
over time to bulk and fortify muscles.
What other effects taking testosterone may have on athletes is the subject of heated debate.
More...from the New York Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/10/fashion/10Fitness.html?_r=1&ref=othersports&oref=slogin
TESTOSTERONE injections can make male rats more aggressive in marking their territories, cause castrated red deer to grow antlers,
and induce female rhesus monkeys to screech like males. In studies on humans, testosterone injections have increased and
strengthened muscles.
But does taking testosterone — a controlled substance whose possession is illegal unless prescribed for medical reasons —
automatically improve athletic performance?
In sports, testosterone shots or creams are supposed to be magic bullets that spur athletes to train harder, run or bicycle more
quickly, jump higher, swim faster, hit a baseball farther, recover sooner, and, let's not forget, increased sex drive and
combativeness. Certainly, the idea that taking doses of the hormone gives competitors an unfair advantage is behind the brouhaha
over Floyd Landis, the 2006 Tour de France winner who French officials say tested positive for elevated testosterone on the day of
his remarkable comeback during Stage 17. Mr. Landis has denied taking any performance-enhancing substances.
But some leading experts who study testosterone are not convinced that supplementing the hormone improves endurance or overall
athletic performance. Unlike a hyper-caffeinated sports drink, the synthetic hormone does not provide an instant jolt, but works
over time to bulk and fortify muscles.
What other effects taking testosterone may have on athletes is the subject of heated debate.
More...from the New York Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/10/fashion/10Fitness.html?_r=1&ref=othersports&oref=slogin
********************************************
Novel race in Spain
*************************************************
Journal of Sports Sciences
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Issue: Volume 24, Number 8 / August 2006
Pages: 835 - 842
URL: Linking Options
DOI: 10.1080/02640410500141737
Effect of aqua exercise on recovery of lower limb muscles after downhill running
Junichiro Takahashi A1, Keiji Ishihara A1, Junichiro Aoki A1
A1 School of Health and Sports Science, Juntendo University, Chiba, Japan
Abstract:
The aim of the present study was to examine how the recovery of physiological functioning of the leg muscles after high-intensity eccentric exercise such as downhill running could be promoted by aqua exercise for a period until the damaged muscle had recovered almost completely. Ten male long-distance runners were divided equally into an aqua exercise group and a control group. From the first day (Day 0) to the fourth day (Day 3), the participants completed a questionnaire on muscle soreness, and serum creatine kinase activity, muscle power, flexibility, whole-body reaction time and muscle stiffness were measured. After measurements on Day 0, the participants performed downhill running (three 5 min runs with a 5 min rest interval at *10%, 335.7 ± 6.1 m · min*1). The aqua exercise group performed walking, jogging and jumping in water on three successive days following the downhill running on Day 0 for 30 min each day. Muscle power was reduced on Day 1 in the control group (P < 0.05). Muscle soreness in the calf on Day 3 was greater in the control group than that in the aqua exercise group (P < 0.05). In the aqua exercise group, muscle stiffness in the calf was less than that in the control group over 4 days (time main effect: P < 0.05; group × time interaction: P < 0.05). We conclude that aqua exercise promoted physiological functioning of the muscles in the legs after high-intensity downhill running for a period until the damaged muscles had recovered almost completely.
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Issue: Volume 24, Number 8 / August 2006
Pages: 835 - 842
URL: Linking Options
DOI: 10.1080/02640410500141737
Effect of aqua exercise on recovery of lower limb muscles after downhill running
Junichiro Takahashi A1, Keiji Ishihara A1, Junichiro Aoki A1
A1 School of Health and Sports Science, Juntendo University, Chiba, Japan
Abstract:
The aim of the present study was to examine how the recovery of physiological functioning of the leg muscles after high-intensity eccentric exercise such as downhill running could be promoted by aqua exercise for a period until the damaged muscle had recovered almost completely. Ten male long-distance runners were divided equally into an aqua exercise group and a control group. From the first day (Day 0) to the fourth day (Day 3), the participants completed a questionnaire on muscle soreness, and serum creatine kinase activity, muscle power, flexibility, whole-body reaction time and muscle stiffness were measured. After measurements on Day 0, the participants performed downhill running (three 5 min runs with a 5 min rest interval at *10%, 335.7 ± 6.1 m · min*1). The aqua exercise group performed walking, jogging and jumping in water on three successive days following the downhill running on Day 0 for 30 min each day. Muscle power was reduced on Day 1 in the control group (P < 0.05). Muscle soreness in the calf on Day 3 was greater in the control group than that in the aqua exercise group (P < 0.05). In the aqua exercise group, muscle stiffness in the calf was less than that in the control group over 4 days (time main effect: P < 0.05; group × time interaction: P < 0.05). We conclude that aqua exercise promoted physiological functioning of the muscles in the legs after high-intensity downhill running for a period until the damaged muscles had recovered almost completely.
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