Pulse of Progress?
New drugs aim to improve the treatment of high blood pressure by
attacking it in novel ways
By ANITA GREIL
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
October 10, 2005; Page R4

Of all the people being treated for high blood pressure in the U.S.,
it's estimated that only about one-third of them have it under control.

That alarming statistic is one reason doctors and researchers are
scrambling to improve the treatment of high blood pressure, or
hypertension, a potentially life-threatening condition that puts
sufferers at risk for heart disease, stroke, kidney problems and other
serious diseases.
THE JOURNAL REPORT

[See the fulll report]1
See the complete Personal Health report2.

While numerous drugs are available to treat high blood pressure, none
of them is perfect. Some can be slow to work, while others disappear
from the body too quickly. For most patients, no one of these drugs on
its own brings blood pressure down to target levels.

As a result, more and more doctors are treating hypertension patients
with a combination of drugs, trying to find the most effective mix for
each individual. And researchers are developing drugs that attack
hypertension in new ways. Two promising new drugs under development,
Novartis AG's SPP100 and Myogen Inc.'s Darusentan, are still 18 months
or more away from regulatory approval, but researchers say the drugs
have the potential to improve hypertension care.

Blood pressure is the force in the arteries when the heart beats
(called systolic pressure) and when the heart is at rest (diastolic
pressure). Blood pressure is too high if the systolic reading is 140
or higher or the diastolic pressure is 90 or higher.

Although narrowed arteries and other factors can contribute to high
blood pressure, in the vast majority of patients the cause is unknown.
It's unclear whether there is a genetic component. Hypertension runs
in some families, but that may be as much a result of shared
lifestyles as of shared genetic backgrounds. Being overweight,
drinking too much alcohol and eating too much salt raise the risk of
having high blood pressure.

Often there are no obvious symptoms, which is one reason the condition
commonly goes unnoticed for years. The results can be devastating. The
World Health Organization estimates that around 7.1 million people die
each year due to complications from hypertension.

Doubling Up

Current drug therapies for hypertension include diuretics, or water
pills; beta blockers; and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)
inhibitors, which are all available generically. Newer medicines
include angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), such as Diovan and
Cozaar, and calcium channel blockers such as Norvasc. Diuretics, beta
blockers and calcium channel blockers lower blood pressure by reducing
the strength and rate of the heartbeat. The ACE inhibitors and ARBs
prevent the production of chemicals in the kidney that can raise blood
pressure. None of the drugs has ever been proved to be significantly
more effective than another, says Jessica Mann, a cardiologist and the
medical director at Speedel, a Swiss start-up pharmaceutical company
that did the early research on SPP100 before licensing the drug for
further testing to Novartis.

One problem with the currently available treatments is that most
patients don't reach the desired blood-pressure levels with one
medication. "When you are diagnosed with high blood pressure, you are
lucky if the first drug prescribed has the right mode of action to
lower blood pressure below target," Dr. Mann says.

As a result, it's becoming more common for physicians to prescribe
combinations of two or more drugs, typically including a diuretic, the
oldest type of hypertension drug, says Thomas Pickering, head of the
Behavioral Cardiovascular Health and Hypertension Program at the
Department of Medicine at Columbia University in New York. It appears
that the best results generally are being achieved by combining an ACE
inhibitor or ARB with a drug that works in another way, Dr. Pickering
says. Drug companies have caught on to the trend and increasingly are
producing treatments that combine drugs in a single pill.

New Treatments Ahead

Meanwhile, researchers hope patients can get better results with two
new drugs now under development. SPP100 is the first in a new class of
hypertension drugs called renin inhibitors. Renin is an enzyme that
controls the formation of a substance called angiotensin II, the key
mediator in the regulation of body fluid volume and blood pressure.

Although ACE inhibitors and ARBs all affect levels of angiotensin II,
Novartis says SPP100 does it in a way that has the potential to be
more effective than existing treatments. The drug recently completed
clinical tests required before any new treatment can be submitted to
the Food and Drug Administration for review. The tests showed that
SPP100 significantly lowered blood pressure and that lower levels were
maintained for 24 hours. Novartis plans to file early next year for
FDA approval to market the drug in the U.S.

The staying power of SPP100 could be a significant benefit, some
experts say. A common complication of treatment for high blood
pressure is that the effect of medication wears off within hours. As a
result, patients often aren't protected when they need protection
most: early in the morning, when blood pressure is highest. Indeed,
most strokes happen in the early morning, Dr. Mann says.

However, physicians like Dr. Pickering maintain that around-the-clock
protection can also be achieved with existing medications by simply
splitting up a day's worth of drugs into two doses.

Another drug candidate that aims to lower blood pressure in a novel
way is Myogen's DAR201, or Darusentan, which has proved to cause
significant drops in blood pressure in patients for whom other drugs
don't work. The compound is about a year behind SPP100 in clinical
development and could become available by 2008.

Darusentan promises to be the first in a class of drugs called
endothelin receptor antagonists, or ERAs. The drug works by blocking a
hormone called endothelin, which is believed to play a critical role
in the control of blood flow and cell growth. Because Darusentan
blocks the constriction of blood vessels, and therefore works
differently from currently available drugs, scientists hope it can
work for those patients whose blood pressure can't be successfully
reduced to target levels even if they are taking three or more
hypertension treatments.

There is one problem with treating high blood pressure, though, that
can't be overcome with any combination of drugs or new treatments:
Hypertension patients are particularly prone to neglecting to take
their medication.

Because high blood pressure usually has no symptoms, there's no
discomfort or disability to remind patients of the importance of their
medication. And the penalty for not taking the pills often is years
away, which can make it difficult for many people to be conscientious
about their treatment.

There's little physicians can do about this problem, except to try to
convince patients of the gravity of the issue. Dr. Pickering has one
suggestion: Patients who are told to monitor their blood pressure
daily, he says, can at least see the results of their treatment, and
might be more likely to stick to their regimen.

--Ms. Greil is the bureau chief for Dow Jones Newswires in Zurich.

Write to Anita Greil at anita.greil@...

Training in the Great Indoors
Getting in shape for cycling, rowing and skiing --- without ever
leaving home

By JEN MURPHY
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ONLINE
October 1, 2005

Hoping to stay in shape through the winter without catching frostbite?
Increasingly, amateur and professional athletes are turning to indoor
workouts to train for sports when conditions outside aren't ideal.

Purists might scoff at the idea of rowing inside rather than on the
water, or biking in place for hours in a dreary room, but recent
advances in equipment design and technology have made exercising at
home less tedious than it used to be. Indoor training alone isn't the
optimal way to prepare for races and other demanding sporting events,
but outdoor workouts have their pitfalls, too. Experts say a
combination of indoor and outdoor conditioning is best, especially for
those looking to ramp up their strength and endurance. We look at the
pros and cons of training for cycling, rowing and skiing, without ever
leaving your home. To read about long-distance runners who train on
the treadmill, see: Running to Stand Still1.
* * *
CYCLING

Options for cycling indoors go beyond spinning classes at the gym.
Cyclists can hook up their bikes to trainers, essentially stands that
attach to the rear wheel of your bike -- or rollers, a training
machine akin to a treadmill for bicycles. With the aid of
interactive-graphic software projected on a computer screen,
television or against a wall, riders can have a virtual outdoor
experience, watching video of courses that mimic actual races such as
the Walt Disney Half Iron Man in Orlando, Fla., or San Francisco's
Escape From Alcatraz triathlon.

Trainers create varying levels of resistance using wind, magnets or
fluid. The faster you pedal, the more resistance you generate.

On rollers, the cyclist rides on top of three aluminum cylinders that
rotate along with the bike's wheels. Rollers take a fair amount of
proficiency to use because just like road riding, you can only
maintain your balance while pedaling. Beginners might want to line up
their bike near a doorframe, so that they have something to brace
themselves against if they start to wobble.

Pros

Being able to ride outdoors often depends on the weather and the time
of year. Icy, snowy winters can make roads perilous. Hot, humid
climates and cities with poor air quality aren't ideal, either.
Another benefit of training indoors is being able to control one's
surroundings. "A lot of people don't have easy access to a 20- or
30-minute ride without stop signs, traffic lights and bad road
conditions," says Sam Callan, science and education manager for USA
Cycling, the organization that fields U.S. national teams. A
controlled environment also makes it easier to measure performance
changes, says Chris Carmichael, founder and chief executive of
Carmichael Training Systems and coach of Tour de France winner Lance
Armstrong. "Generally, you should focus on a specific physiological
demand or element you are trying to develop, like pedal cadence, when
you're using an indoor trainer," he adds.

Cons

"Nothing compares to the outdoors," says Jim Miller, director of
women's endurance programs for USA Cycling. "Can you prepare for a
local century ride indoors? Probably. Can you prepare for the Tour de
France inside? No chance."

Mr. Carmichael cautions that by training indoors, riders miss out on
environmental changes that they will have to confront in outdoor
races. "Outdoors, you always have little dips and ascents, and if you
make a left turn you might face a crosswind and your speed drops.
Those small speed changes are very noticeable when you are out there
and, subconsciously, you develop skills to deal with them."

Many manufacturers say their products simulate uphill riding, but
cycling coaches say inclines are impossible to duplicate on a level
surface. "When you're actually climbing a hill outside on a bike, the
front wheel is not level with the ground," Mr. Carmichael says. "The
arms move from the drops of the bars to the tops, and you start using
more of the glutes and lower back, and the upper body becomes more
engaged." Elevating the front wheel better imitates a climb, but the
cyclist has to stop the workout and remove the incline to return to
level ground. Another consideration is noise -- some indoor trainers
can be loud, so test them before purchasing.

Equipment

Basic trainers are available from Blackburn, Cateye and CycleOps --
they range in price from $160 to $800.
[Challenger roller]
The Challenger roller from Kreitler retails for a suggested $300.00



CompuTrainer (www.racermateinc.com2) combines a trainer with
computer-generated 3-D simulations of hills and turns. The entire
package sells for $1,474. The CompuTrainer also can analyze pedal
stroke and other performance guideposts.

Kreitler (www.kreitler.com3) makes a range of rollers that retail for
between $290 and $600.
* * *
ROWING

When rowing on water, you are essentially pulling an entire boat back
and forth beneath you, while your body remains fairly stationery. On
an indoor rower, the machine is fixed and the body moves back and
forth on a sliding seat.

Pros

Rowing machines have the advantage of safety, comfort and convenience.
"There's no getting wet, no tipping over, no worry of a motor boat
running you down," says Judy Geer, co-founder of rowing-machine maker
Concept2 and a former member of the U.S. national and Olympic crew
teams. "Sometimes you can work out harder indoors because you can
completely focus on the motion of rowing and not worry about other
variables." Technology also makes it easier to monitor training gains
(or deficiencies) on an indoor rower than on the open water.

Cons

While indoor rowing machines are useful for maintaining endurance and
muscle, they don't replace the feel of a boat, says Harvard
University's men's heavyweight crew coach Harry Parker. "Running is a
little different because you can run at a normal gait [indoors]," adds
Mr. Parker, a former Olympic rower and Olympic crew coach. "With
rowing, you have to have a feel for that particular skill of putting
the oars in the water and taking them out, and you just can't
duplicate that skill."

Equipment

Concept2's (www.concept2.com6) Model D indoor rowing machine costs
$850 and comes with a display monitor that measures elapsed time,
distance, pace, calorie expenditure, power output and strokes per
minute. It also keeps track of performance and can transfer workout
data to a PC.
[WaterRower-Classic photo]
The Classic rower from WaterRower, shown in American black walnut,
sells for $1,495.



WaterRower's (www.waterrower.com7) indoor rowing machines adjust
resistance automatically, which means there is no fumbling with
settings. The machine is nearly a foot shorter than those manufactured
by Concept2. Their wood or stainless steel frames are designed to look
more like furniture to blend in at home. Prices start at $895.
* * *
SKIING

Indoor ski-training machines come in three basic types --
cross-country, incline and lateral platform systems. Cross-country
machines simulate skiing and come with makeshift poles, while incline
trainers, which are designed to be used by either cross-country or
downhill athletes, don't resemble skis but condition the muscles
involved in the sport. Lateral platforms are designed primarily for
downhill skiers.

Pros

Indoor training helps improve performance as well as prevent injury.
"The incline trainers and cross-country trainers don't beat up on
cartilage, so you can train hard without beating up on your joints,"
says Vern Cooley, an orthopedic surgeon at the Rosenberg Cooley
Metcalf Clinic in Park City, Utah, and member of the U.S. ski and
snowboard teams' medical board.

Cons

Nothing can prepare the body for dealing with outdoor challenges like
ice patches and negative wind chills. "Optimally, it's best if you can
train both indoors and outdoors," says Dr. Cooley. "Athletes on the
U.S. ski team do a lot of both [because] there are some things you
can't do outdoors."

Equipment

NordicTrack Classic Pro Skier (www.nordictrack.com8) replicates the
motions used by cross-country skiers. A true test of one's
coordination, its adjustable, independent-resistance controls for the
arms and legs allow you to vary the intensity of upper- and lower-body
workouts. It sells for $599.

The NordicTrack Incline Trainer X10 ($2,299) and NordicTrack Incline
Trainer X5 ($1,755) don't look like skis but train the core muscles
involved in the sport. The key feature is the incline pad -- the X10
can be raised up to a 50% grade.

Skier's Edge (www.skiersedge.com9) uses a nonimpact lateral design. It
comes in three different frame sizes -- the higher they rise off the
floor, the greater the challenge -- with interchangeable platforms and
various resistance settings that simulate nearly every style of alpine
skiing.

Write to the Online Journal's editors at newseditors@....

Running to Stand Still
Some marathon runners are training in an unlikely setting -- indoors.

By ELLEN GAMERMAN
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
October 1, 2005; Page P11

To train for the Oct. 30 Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C.,
Ron Eaker gets up at 5:30 a.m., laces his sneakers and sets out on a
2˝-hour run that takes him over a 16-mile course. All that, and he
never leaves the house.

Dr. Eaker, a 47-year-old obstetrician from Augusta, Ga., is one of a
growing number of marathoners who train on treadmills. Purists may
snicker, but runners -- many of them baby boomers eager to preserve
their joints -- have embraced the regimen as a way to exercise without
succumbing to asphalt-pounding injuries.

The sporting-goods industry has noticed. This fall, several companies
are unveiling new treadmill lines designed to ease the transition to
long-distance road racing -- a subject of concern to some orthopedists
and trainers who say that a sudden return to blacktop can cause
injuries. These innovations, including video screens and running
surfaces that can be adjusted to soften impact, may be most important
for marathoners who put in miles on the treadmill every day, but they
also appeal to casual joggers and weekend athletes who run short races.
	 THE GREAT INDOORS
• See three new marathon-friendly treadmill models1.

• Read about training regimens for indoor cycling, rowing and skiing2.




Treadmill runners say that training with a 1% to 4% incline helps
compensate for the lack of wind resistance and the little boost a
runner gets from pushing off a moving belt. Beside touting the
treadmill's obvious advantages -- no weather, no darkness, no traffic
-- enthusiasts say they can make the experience as visually
stimulating as outdoors by running next to screens showing footage of,
say, white sand beaches in Hawaii.

Treadmill manufacturers are billing the new models as high-tech
training equipment that enhances race-day performance. In mid-October,
Nautilus will begin selling a model with a computer program that takes
runners through a 26.2-mile course closely mirroring the uphill
sequences of the Boston Marathon route. Icon Health & Fitness, which
owns NordicTrack, will release treadmills this fall with features that
incorporate benefits of outdoor running, such as running deck
cushioning that can be dialed up to a harder surface or down for less
impact.

But even with sophisticated screen displays, enthusiasts don't expect
to shake the gerbil-on-a-wheel stereotype. "My wife won't even tell
people anymore because the reaction's always the same: 'What's wrong
with him?'" says Dr. Eaker, who passes the hours by watching a tape of
"Chariots of Fire" on TV. A veteran of nine marathons, he says he and
his machine "have a bond."

The treadmill guru is Rick Morris, a 48-year-old trainer in Lone Tree,
Colo., who last year self-published "Treadmill Training for Runners."
He once ran the Disney World Marathon after training indoors
exclusively and finished within three minutes of his personal best.

To Mr. Morris, long runs on open roads are boring. During indoor runs
as long as 35 miles, he watches videos of marathons. Yes, he's had
moments like George Jetson on a runaway treadmill at the start of the
1960s cartoon -- Mr. Morris fell once when he stripped off his shirt
while trying to keep a swift pace. But he says treadmill training is
the best way to guard against injury. And though he agrees that
runners shouldn't hit the pavement for the first time on the day of
the race, he says road running lets them slack off since they control
the speed.

Not everyone is excited to see all these runners going nowhere. Some
orthopedists and coaches assert that runners who train indoors are
more vulnerable to injury when they're abruptly introduced to asphalt,
uneven surfaces, turns, steep up-and-down hills, wind and weather.

Dr. Warren King, an orthopedic surgeon in Palo Alto, Calif., says he
is seeing more injured middle-age runners who have thrown themselves
into marathons without the proper training. Treadmill training is good
for preventing overuse injuries, he says, but dangerous for race day
because joints that haven't been conditioned for the shock are more
likely to break down. "If you're going to train for an event," he
says, "you want to mimic that event as closely as possible. There's
something to be said for pounding yourself into shape."

Nonetheless, wholesale sales of electronic treadmills -- most of which
cost between $1,000 to $5,000 -- reached $1 billion for the first time
in 2003 and topped that figure in 2004, according to the Sporting
Goods Manufacturers Association, a trade group. The SGMA attributes
that increase in part to a marathon boom.

This fall, at least one treadmill event will join high-profile races
like the New York City Marathon on Nov. 6 and the Marine Corps
Marathon. In late October, George Kerns, a building engineer in
McLean, Va., plans to run 50 miles indoors to raise money for a home
for troubled teens. How will he pass the time? "I do a lot of math
problems in my head," he says. But he won't do subtraction: "You don't
want to think negative."

Indoor runners tired of taunts that their pastime is boring can retort
that running outdoors isn't always exciting either. Consider the
102-mile charity run that Navy Lt. j.g. Geoff Weber completed on Labor
Day weekend. The course consisted of two cones one mile apart on a
beach. No treadmill, true. Just a straight line, a countdown clock and
a sweaty Lt. Weber, running back and forth.

Write to Ellen Gamerman at ellen.gamerman@...

[note  hyponatremia tends to be less of a problem for fast enurance
runners.  Why?  The profile for this person is that he or she is not
spending time stopping and gulping lots of fluids.  This person is out
in the sun for a relatively short time - exposed to the sun, sweating
salts and drinking fluids.  The problem often arises in the very slow
runners, who carry their own water and drink at every water stop and
are out for a longer period of time in harsh temps., etc.  Again,
moderation is important. In training, it is often a question of not
whether you can but whether you should.  So you undertrain, overtrain,
over drink. Moderation.  -Coach Bob]


By Matt Fitzgerald
For Active.com
September 19, 2005

Every endurance athlete knows that sweat is salty. That's why sports
drinks contain salt (i.e. sodium). By replacing both the water and the
salt you lose in sweat, sports drinks do a better job than plain water
of keeping your body temperature down and your performance level up.

There's a debate, however, about whether the typical sports drink
contains enough salt. The typical sports drinks contains less salt
than sweat does, so it can't fully replace the salt lost through sweating.

Some experts believe that this discrepancy poses no threat to the
athlete's performance or health. Others believe that it does, and
advocate the use of salt supplements such as Lava Salts® and/or
extra-salty sports drinks such as Gatorade Endurance Formula® during
prolonged exercise.

Who's right? Do runners really need to fully replace salt losses
during long workouts and races? A quick look at the relevant research
answers this question easily. The evidence clearly demonstrates that a
typical sports drink provides enough salt to optimize performance and
protect the athlete's health, provided he or she doesn't overdrink.
There's no measurable benefit associated with consuming extra salt.
Let's look at some of the details.

Optimizing hydration

Sodium is said to assist hydration in two ways. First, it's believed
to increase the rate of fluid absorption from the gut into the
bloodstream. And faster fluid absorption means faster hydration and
less dehydration.

However, according to a pair of studies from the University of Iowa,
sodium only increases the rate of fluid absorption if the fluid
doesn't also contain carbohydrate. If the fluid does contain
carbohydrate -- as most sports drinks do -- the amount of sodium
contained in the drink (or consumed with the drink, in the case of
salt tablets) has no effect on the absorption rate. The carbohydrate
itself maximizes the rate of fluid absorption.

The second purported benefit of sodium with regard to hydration is
that it helps athletes maintain a higher blood volume, which in turn
keeps body temperature and heart rate from rising during prolonged
exercise. Research has shown that sodium does indeed have these
effects. However, a South African study found that a high-sodium
sports drink was no more effective than a low-sodium sports drink in
regulating body temperature and preventing "cardiac drift" (rising
heart rate during prolonged exercise).

What can we conclude from these results? You don't need to consume as
much sodium as you lose in sweat to keep your blood volume up and your
temperature and heart rate down. The amount of sodium found in a
typical sports drink will do the job. Taking in extra salt won't
provide any additional benefit.

Avoiding hyponatremia

The major salt-related risk to the health of runners is hyponatremia,
a potentially fatal condition that has received a lot of attention
lately. Also known as water intoxication, hyponatremia results when
the sodium concentration of the blood falls too low due to prolonged
sweating combined with excessive fluid consumption. Symptoms include
dizziness, muscle cramping, confusion, and stomach bloating. Severe
cases can lead to seizure, coma and even death.

Because hyponatremia is characterized by low salt concentration in the
blood, some experts advocate consuming extra salt during exercise as a
way to prevent it. However, the primary cause of hyponatremia is not
consuming too little salt, but is rather drinking too much fluid.
Therefore the best way to avoid hyponatremia is not to consume more
salt, but to drink less fluid instead.

A recent Swiss study compared the effects of three different fluids --
water, a low-sodium drink and a high-sodium drink -- consumed at a
high rate of one liter per hour -- on the blood sodium levels and
performance of runners in a four-hour run.

Despite the fact that the high-sodium drink contained almost as much
salt as sweat, 46 percent of the study subjects developed mild
hyponatremia when using it. While this percentage was slightly lower
than the percentage of subjects who developed mild hyponatremia when
using the low-sodium sports drink, these results clearly show that
it's hard to avoid diluting your blood, now matter how much salt you
consume, if you overdrink. (The current recommended drinking rate for
runners is 400-800 ml/hr.) It's also worth noting that none of the
three drinks tested in this study had any effect on performance as
compared to the others.

Studies involving salt tablets -- which are popular among
ultra-runners and long-distance triathletes -- have produced similar
results. In a New Zealand study of Ironman participants, salt tablets
were found to be unnecessary to maintain normal blood sodium levels.

The underlying conclusion we can draw from all of the research on salt
intake in endurance events is that the typical sports drink provides
plenty. Salt tablets and extra-salty sports drinks provide no
additional benefits for performance or health protection.

This article was adapted by the author from The Cutting-Edge Runner:
How to Use the Latest Science and Technology to Run Longer, Stronger,
and Faster (Rodale, $15.95). Click here to purchase a copy.

American Running Association
September 19, 2005

You wouldn't take your car on a road trip with an empty tank of gas;
nor should you take your body to the gym without fuel.

Distance runners who want to tone up, increase power and
explosiveness, or alleviate impact force on joints are encouraged to
weight train, usually in higher repetitions with lower weights than
their strictly body-building friends. What are the optimal nutrients
to keep things running smoothly, then, and how does when you eat them
influence your results?

Fuel up before your workout

For starters, don't go to the gym famished. While consuming a three
course meal 10 minutes before weight training is clearly not
advisable, eating a protein and carbohydrate snack will provide fuel
for a stronger workout.

As you begin to digest the protein into amino acids, your muscles will
appreciate and put to work these protein building blocks as you weight
train and afterward.

And as every marathoner knows, consuming carbohydrate will increase
your glycogen stores. This is important for endurance events, but also
in high-repetition weight training that relies on breaking down sugars
for fuel. Nancy Clark, M.S., R.D., recommends a fruit yogurt or a
small bowl of Cheerios and skim milk for a pre-exercise snack.

Refuel post-workout

After a hard gym (or track) workout, your muscles are in what can be
termed a state of breakdown: their glycogen stores are reduced;
cortisol and other hormones that break down muscle are high; the
muscle damage that occurred during exercise causes inflammation; the
amino acid glutamine that provides fuel for the immune system is
diminished.

It's important to feed your muscles a carb-protein combination as soon
as you can tolerate it. If you just drink water after your workout and
dash to work, you'll miss the 45-minute post-exercise window of
opportunity to optimally nourish, repair and build muscles.

In a 12-week training study, the elderly subjects who took a
supplement composed of 10 g protein, 7 g carbohydrate and 3 g fat
immediately after each exercise session achieved an eight-percent
increase in muscle size and a 15-percent increase in strength, as
compared to the control group who took the supplement two hours later
-- they saw no change in muscle size or strength.

Optimal protein intake

In addition to replenishing glycogen stores, the carbohydrate is
important in this first refueling session as it also stimulates the
release of insulin, a hormone that helps build muscles. The protein in
combination with this will repair muscle tissue and reduce cortisol.
But how much protein should you eat to build muscles?

The recommended protein intake for sedentary people is about 0.45 g
per pound of body weight daily. Runners should aim for 0.6 to 0.7 g.
Unless you're on a restricted eating regimen such as a vegan diet,
this is not hard to achieve -- most carnivores don't need to go
looking for protein. Look instead for less fatty meats like chicken
breast (see right).

For example, a 150-pound runner aiming for 0.7 g of protein per pound
of body weight would need to find 105 g of protein in his/her daily
diet. Two three-ounce servings of boneless, skinless chicken breast --
i.e., two chicken breast halves -- total around 54 g of protein,
depending on how close each cutlet is to three ounces and the type of
chicken.

A cup of chick peas (which are great on salads) has 12 g. Two cups of
skim milk will give you 20 g. Add two hard-boiled eggs and a serving
of whole cashews -- about one handful -- for another 17 g, and you've
met your protein needs for the day. Alternately, three servings of
chicken breast, the cashews, plus two cups of low-fat milk daily
yields the equivalent protein.

Tofu is a versatile food and can be substituted for meat in most
recipes, though to get the same amount of protein you will need to
consume more. Chicken breast contains about four times the protein
found in tofu. A three-ounce serving contains 6.4 g, the equivalent of
one hard-boiled egg. (A good rule of thumb with boneless chicken is
that approximately one-third of the total weight equals the amount of
protein it contains. A three-ounce serving weighs 86 g and delivers
approximately 27 g of protein.)

As always, but certainly in periods of heavy training, it's important
to rely on overall eating habits and not merely pre-exercise loading
to keep muscle glycogen high and protein available during workouts. By
keeping several small meals balanced with carbs, protein and healthy
fats throughout the day, you will optimize weight training and running
performance.

(USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory, www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp; J.
Physiol., 2001, Vol. 535 (Pt 1), pp. 301-311; The Athlete's Kitchen,
Nancy Clark, MS, RD, July 2005;
www.metric-conversions.org/weight/grams-to-ounces.htm)

American Running Association, empowering adults to get America's youth
moving. For more information or to join ARA, please visit
www.americanrunning.org.

Simple drills to improve running economy
By Matt Russ
For Active.com
September 19, 2005

Run economy is an often overlooked aspect of a proper training
program, mainly due to lack of technical knowledge. Along with VO2max
and lactate threshold, economy is one of the three pillars of running.

Utilizing your energy in the most efficient manner possible is the key
part of speed progression. Simply put; the more fluid and graceful you
are, the less oxygen you'll be using as you run.

As fitness improves and speed increases an inefficient run stride will
become a major limiter. You may reach a point where progress plateaus
until your form issues are addressed. Economy isn't something that can
be perfected in a single workout. It takes time and thousands of
proper strides before the form will become automatic. You should work
on your form every time you run, or at least be aware of it to ensure
you're not going back to old (bad) habits.

If you're a novice runner, the sooner you work on your form the
better. It's much more difficult to change form that has been
reinforced by years of bad habit.

Having good form doesn't just improve speed, it can help prevent
injury. When you run, you land with a force three times your body
weight. By reducing vertical oscillation and braking forces, you
lessen the stress and impact on your body.

Stride rate

Improving stride rate is a good place to begin. If you have a low
stride rate, you're probably producing more vertical oscillation. This
means you're projecting energy and motion upwards instead of forward,
which produces greater impact. Running should be akin to flying with
your feet briefly touching the ground.

An elite runner's feet touch the ground for as little as one tenth of
a second per stride. The more time your feet spend on the ground, the
more energy you're wasting. You want to aspire to a stride rate of
180-190 strides per minute.

If you're a beginner, in all likelihood your stride rate is closer to
170 strides per minute, or lower. Don't worry about your stride
length; your stride will naturally lengthen as your stride rate
increases. Count your left or right foot strides for 20 seconds. You
should be in the 30-32 stride per minute range. Increasing stride rate
will initially feel awkward, and may seem like you are taking "baby
steps" while running, but this is a good sign. Plan on taking several
months and a lot of practice before increasing your stride rate. Be
patient.

Stride rate drills

Turn overs: Turn overs train your neuromuscular system to move your
legs faster than they're used to. You will use a short stride and fast
stride rate. This may feel a bit awkward initially. Visualize a
sandpiper running on the beach and move your legs as quickly as you
can while keeping a short stride. Be sure to lengthen your stride at
the end of the drill and don't stop abruptly as it will be hard on
your body. You can do four to six turn overs of 50 meters after your
run strides.

Walk/run progression: Start by walking with a fast turn over and
proceed to your walk/run threshold. Move your feet as fast as you can
while maintaining a walk. Now slowly and seamlessly progress into a
slow run with a fast turn over. Your stride rate should be about the
same. You'll find that your stride is smooth and that there's little
vertical movement.

Metronome running: A metronome is a timing device used by musicians.
It can be purchased at your local music store for around $25. Be sure
to get a small, portable, battery operated unit. Dial in 180 beats per
minute on your metronome and match your footfalls to the beat. Once
you get your rhythm down get on a treadmill and practice maintaining
180 s.p.m. at a variety of speeds and grades. You can also download a
digital metronome and save it to your MP3 or CD player. Go to
http://www.milsoftware.com/crystalmetronome/ for details.

Foot strike

Your foot should strike forcefully directly under your center of
gravity or hip. Visualize a line from your belly button to the ball of
your foot. If your foot lands before or after this point, there are
braking forces that will decelerate you. I recommend a mid-foot strike
just aft of the ball of the foot. A mid-foot strike limits the amount
of time your foot spends "rolling" along the ground when compared to a
heal strike. The less contact time your foot has with the ground the
better. Use a quick contraction of the muscles in your lower legs
during push off, or a "pawing" motion.

Foot strike drills

Barefoot Running: Running in thickly padded shoes on even surfaces
does not make the muscles of the foot and lower leg work very hard.
You also transfer more of your energy to your shoes and less to the
ground. When you run barefoot you naturally use a forefoot strike and
strengthen the foot and lower leg muscles. Not only does this give you
a better foot strike feel, it helps prevent injury. Start by spending
as much time as possible walking in bare feet. Add barefoot running
very gradually into your training, starting with just one session per
week. Make sure the surface you're running on is well tended and clean
of debris, such as a golf course or athletic field.

Marching: Begin by walking slowly forward on the balls of your feet,
making sure your heels don't touch the ground. Use small steps, about
12 inches in length. Then raise your right knee to hip level (so that
your thigh is parallel to the ground) on each stride. Draw your heel
along your inseam as you raise your leg. Your right ankle should be
directly under or slightly behind your right knee, and your right foot
should be 'cocked' (toes pointing upwards). This will form a "Z"
formation with your foot, lower leg and thigh.

Rise on the toes of your left foot as you bring your right knee to hip
level. Hold your chin and trunk upright. As you get acclimated to the
leg mechanics start swinging your arms slowly in rhythm with the
marching stride. Use proper arm motion (see below), and don't lean
backwards.

Repeat this action with the opposite leg, raising the knee to hip
level and moving through a normal walking stride for 50 meters.

Posture

When running, picture yourself as a puppet controlled by marionette
with a string attached to your head. The string holds your posture
vertical and perpendicular to the ground. Keep your chest out, eyes on
a point about 30 feet in front of you, and head fixed. A slumped
posture restricts your breathing. Keep your hips and back erect,
creating an overall "tall" posture. Keep all your motion projected
into the forward plane and avoid any lateral or vertical motion.

It's hard to correct your form if you can't see it. To get some visual
feedback, position a mirror at various positions around your
treadmill, or better yet, use a video camera equipped with slow motion
to video yourself running.

Posture drill

Hips tall position: Stand with feet at a comfortable distance apart
and slowly rise, supporting your body high on the balls of your feet,
while squeezing your abdominals.

Arm motion

Your arm motion acts as a counterbalance to your hips. If you have a
stiff upper body while running, your shoulders will rotate causing an
opposing movement of the hips; again, wasted energy. Try keeping your
shoulders loose and your arms swinging like pendulums from your
shoulders. Your arms should work in the same rhythm as your legs. Keep
your hands relaxed and thumbs up.

Maintain a fixed 90-degree angle at the elbow and make sure your arms
don't drop below your waist. There should be no movement at the elbow
when running. Your arms should work freely forward to back and should
not cross the midline of your body; remember all energy forward. Keep
your hands loose, thumbs up, and don't clench your fists.

Arm motion drills

Side Brush: Gently brush the side of your ribcage with the palms of
your hands as your run. If you have a fixed angle at the elbow you
can't "reach" with your hands.

Pendulum: Concentrate on relaxing your shoulders, especially the
trapezius muscles, by performing a few shoulder shrugs. Now swing your
arms loosely front to back, keeping a fixed 90-degree angle at the
elbow. Make sure you're not rotating your shoulders. Slowly speed up
the movement while maintaining a relaxed swing. Are your shoulders
relaxed?

Strides

Simply put, strides are running with perfect form. I recommend you
perform strides at the beginning of your workout before you're
fatigued. Work on your key limiter. Start off slowly running 100
meters concentrating on your form. Walk back to your starting point
and gradually increase speed and distance as you maintain perfect
running form. Strides are a great warm-up activity and should be an
integral part of weekly training.

As you can see, there's a lot more to running than just moving your
body faster. If you're reinforcing bad form you're working against
yourself. A lot of economy problems are just bad habit, but some are
caused by an injury, biomechanical problem, or flexibility issue.

The best course of action is to get some professional eyes on you and
identify your individual issues. I video my runners on a treadmill and
play different shots of their stride back in slow motion. This gives
very precise visual feedback on what they're doing right and wrong.
Don't try to change everything at once, or overnight. Your pace may
actually slow slightly as you adapt to new form, so be patient.

Work on the most glaring problem with your economy and perfect it,
then move onto the next. I never attempt to work on more than one or
two things per session. Work on flat terrain, since it's easier to
focus on form. Finally, realize that even if you are an experienced
runner with great form, it's still a good idea to check your economy
regularly. Old habits do die hard.

Matt Russ has coached and trained athletes for over 10 years around
the country and internationally. He currently holds licenses by USAT,
USATF, and is an Expert level USAC coach. Matt has coached athletes
for CTS (Carmichael Training Systems), and is an Ultrafit Associate.
Visit www.thesportfactory.com for more information.

By ROBERT J. DAVIS
Special to THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
September 13, 2005; Page D4

It sounds like a strange contradiction: barefoot shoes. But two brands
of such shoes, Masai Barefoot Technology and Nike Free, are being
hailed by manufacturers as a way to strengthen muscles that aren't
taxed by normal shoes. Both supposedly improve athletic performance,
and MBTs are also said to increase circulation and reduce back pain,
among other things. Though each type of shoe has its enthusiasts,
there's limited independent, published research to back up the claims,
and foot doctors warn the shoes aren't right for everyone.

MBT's manufacturer, Swiss Masai, says the shoe is inspired by the East
African Masai people, who walk barefoot on soft, uneven terrain. As a
result, they have few back and joint problems, according to the
company. The MBT shoe has a multilayered sole with a rounded heel,
which creates an unstable feeling of walking on a ball or sand. To
stay balanced, the wearer is forced to use small muscles in the feet
and legs.

As these muscles strengthen, says the manufacturer, the load on the
joints decreases, resulting in less pain. The shoes are also claimed
to "lengthen" the body by improving posture and promote weight loss by
burning more calories. Some proponents say the shoes can even reduce
cellulite.

To make their case, MBT promoters often point to company-funded
research conducted at the University of Calgary. The study, which
included only eight subjects, concluded that MBTs result in more
muscle activity than standard shoes while the user is standing, and
less stress on knee and hip joints during walking. A recently
completed study by the same team suggests the shoes may reduce knee
pain in certain people with arthritis. Other small studies done in the
U.K. and Germany have found that the shoes positively affect posture
and gait. There's no credible evidence, though, that MBTs reduce the
appearance of cellulite.

MBTs are sold in a variety of styles, including sandals, sneakers,
boots and business shoes. They're expensive, running as much as $250
or more per pair.

Nike Frees, which cost $85 to $100, are targeted to a more limited
audience: athletes. Designed differently than MBTs, Frees don't have
an unstable sole but instead allow feet to move naturally as they
would without shoes. The idea comes from the experience of some elite
athletes and their coaches, who have found that training barefoot
helps increase strength and speed, and reduce injuries.

German research funded by Nike Inc., Beaverton, Ore., shows Frees
improve foot strength and flexibility when used during warmups. Some
foot doctors say the shoe may be fine for elite athletes but doesn't
provide enough support for the average runner. As a result, they worry
that Frees could cause tendinitis and other injuries like those they
see in weekend warriors who go running barefoot on the beach. Nike
says that there have been no injuries during testing and that the
shoes are safe when used as intended as a training tool.

If you decide to try Frees or MBTs, learn from a knowledgeable
salesperson how to use the shoes properly. Break them in gradually,
and don't expect them to reshape your body or cut your running time in
half. Remember that despite the claims, they are, after all, just shoes.

--With reporting by Debra Goldschmidt
• Email aches@...

Female Athletes

New thinking on training, conditioning, diet and

injury to help you compete at your best

Dear Colleague,

When are the women athletes going to catch the men? Never, say the male chauvinists. But I’m not so sure. Already scientists are suggesting that females have better endurance qualities than males, and that the marathon record might eventually fall to them. Looking at Paula Radcliffe’s recent achievements, I can well believe it.

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• What’s the physiological effect of taking the contraceptive pill, and how can it impact on your athletic performance?
  
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• How should women integrate strength training into their conditioning regimes?  

• In what ways does PMT affect your athletic performance – and what can you do about it?  

• Is it true that women athletes are less able to tolerate high-intensity training than men?

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Performance and the Pill: how does this common pharmaceutical affect athletic performance?

The oral contraceptive pill (OCP) is the form of contraception most widely used by women in general and sportswomen in particular. Undoubtedly, the main reason for its popularity with both groups is its high effectiveness in preventing pregnancy. Female athletes may also choose the Pill on the basis of other perceived benefits, including bone health, the ability to manipulate the menstrual cycle and control of premenstrual symptoms.

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Sports Nutrition: what are the gender-specific dangers for women athletes?

Nutritional advice for female athletes is a growing area of specialist interest, and indeed concern, for dieticians and sports nutritionists.

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Strength Training: how should female athletes incorporate this into their sports conditioning?

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Knee Injuries: why are women so much more susceptible – and what can you do about it?

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In childhood, there is very little difference between boys and girls with regard to endurance running – and what difference there is actually favours girls who, in development terms, are slightly ahead of boys in the years leading up to puberty.

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High-Intensity Training: should women do less than men?

The ‘accepted wisdom’ on female athletes is that they don’t recover from hard training as well as males do. This slur on females does appear to make a certain amount of physiological sense. After all, the primary male sex hormone, testosterone, is a potent bone and muscle builder and connective-tissue construction. So theoretically, after a rugged workout in which heavy stress is placed on muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones, males should be able to rebuild those parts of the body more quickly.

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How Not to Eat Like a Power Broker:
Time-Pressed Dieters Try to Alter Habits

By MELINDA BECK
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
September 6, 2005; Page D1

Does this sound like anyone you know?

He -- or she -- typically has a muffin or donut in the morning, or
skips breakfast entirely. Lunch might be a sandwich or yogurt on the
run. By around 4 o'clock, they are ravenous and hit the vending
machine or snack on whatever cookies or candy are sitting around the
office. Once they get home, they will devour the children's leftovers
and keep grazing until bedtime. Or they head out for drinks and a big
dinner with friends or clients, demolishing the bar nuts and the
breadbasket along the way.

Stephen Gullo, a New York psychologist and diet counselor, calls this
the "Wall Street Eating Syndrome," because it sums up the eating
habits of so many of his time-pressed patients in the financial
industry. But variations of it apply to millions of other Americans --
and it's a prime recipe for gaining weight.

Amid the sea of contradictory diet advice, there is an emerging
consensus that skimping on meals early in the day sets people up for
compulsive snacking later -- and that this cycle goes a long way
toward explaining why Americans are becoming steadily more obese.

A key reason that most French women don't get fat, writes Mireille
Guiliano, in her best-selling book of the same name, is that they eat
balanced meals throughout the day and don't snack.

Skipping breakfast, says Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist and author of
"The South Beach Diet," "allows blood sugar to drop and hunger to
increase over the course of the morning, resulting in powerful
cravings for a lunch that includes carbs of questionable value -- the
very kind guaranteed to keep you overweight."

Of course, eating a good breakfast is hardly revolutionary advice. But
many Americans haven't taken it to heart. The NPD Group, which has
been tracking food trends for 25 years, says 12% of Americans
regularly skip breakfast. Some people argue that eating breakfast
makes them hungrier during the day. But that's likely because they are
eating the wrong breakfast, which can be just as bad as skipping it.

Starting the day with a donut or sweetened cereal and orange juice --
or other refined carbohydrates -- can activate your appetite instead
of controlling it, says Walter Futterweit, a specialist in diabetes
and other endocrine disorders at the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in
New York City. "You're getting a sudden burst of pure sugar, which
causes an immediate release of insulin," prompting your blood sugar to
drop. An hour or two later, you may start feeling edgy, irritable,
have difficulty concentrating and you're driven to eat again. "It's a
vicious cycle. It really disrupts the whole day," Dr. Futterweit says.

Indeed, Dr. Gullo says his high-powered patients weren't overeating
because of a lack of willpower. "These people have extraordinary
willpower," he says. The problem was, "They were fighting their own
body chemistry."

Besides being too busy to eat enough early in the day, victims of
"Wall Street Eating Syndrome" inadvertently set themselves up for
binge eating once they do start snacking in the late afternoon, Dr.
Gullo writes in his book, "The Thin Commandments." If you go without
food for more than three or four hours, and then eat simple
carbohydrates such as cookies or pretzels, you spark a sudden rise in
a natural body protein called neuropeptide Y. It's like putting "a
match to gasoline," he explains. "Instead of being satisfied, your
appetite has actually been turbocharged, and instead of eating just
one cookie, you end up eating the whole bag."

The best way to keep your blood sugar stable and your appetite under
control, many nutritionists agree, is to fill up on protein for
breakfast -- ideally, an egg white omelet or nonfat yogurt. More lean
protein and a salad or other vegetables for lunch will help keep you
feeling full for hours. A midafternoon snack with protein and fiber --
think hard-boiled eggs, low-fat cheese or a low-fat, high-protein
energy bar -- will protect you from feeling like you need a
high-carbohydrate fix around 4 o'clock.

By dinnertime, you should be less hungry, and content with more lean
meat and a salad or vegetable. If you want a late-night snack, try
crudities, sugar-free Jell-O or a low-calorie frozen pop. "The later
you are eating, the lighter you should go on carbohydrates," says Dr.
Gullo.

Many successful dieters say they have become new converts to the
breakfast habit. "I try to push myself to eat something like cottage
cheese or an egg-white omelet," says one investment banker who
recently lost 85 pounds, despite working long days on the trading
floor surrounded by junk food and having frequent late dinners with
clients. He also makes time to exercise, either at 5 a.m. before work,
or at 11 p.m. afterward. "My wife thinks I'm nuts," he says. "But I'm
pretty determined."

Eliminating temptations also helps. "Conference rooms are usually
junk-food rooms -- bring your own snack with you," says Dr. Gullo, who
recommends packing individual servings of water-pack tuna, low-fat
cheese and high-fiber bran crackers.

"We banned food in our office," says Nancy Shapiro, 57, who, with her
sister, Joyce Segal, 59, lost a total of 95 pounds by eating breakfast
for the first time, lean protein lunches and healthy snacks. The
sisters are co-owners and co-presidents of Joyce Leslie Inc., a
Moonachie, N.J., retail chain that sells junior-size clothing. "We fit
into our own inventory now!" says Nancy.

Preventing and treating shin splints
By Curt Blakeney and Zig Ziegler
For Active.com
August 16, 2005

Any athlete who has experienced the pain of shin splints knows the
frustration in dealing with this common overuse injury. "Shin splints"
is a general term for a condition caused by inflammation to the
anterior or posterior muscles and tendons in the lower leg or adjacent
soft tissue along the shin bone (tibia).

The area of tenderness can range from two to six inches and the pain
may become so extreme that it causes you to stop running altogether.
It's important to see a doctor, who can rule out a stress fracture of
the tibia.

Shin splints occur most commonly in runners or aggressive walkers. The
common belief is that they are caused by training on exceptionally
hard surfaces, like concrete sidewalks, but the onset is often caused
by an increase of intensity and frequency of running workouts, or by a
dramatic change in your routine. It's directly related to the
repetitive pounding forces associated with running or poor mechanics.

So, increasing running speed or miles too quickly, or switching from
soft surfaces (grass, rubberized tracks) to hard surfaces may put you
at greater risk.

How to prevent shin splints

Running surface
When you make the adjustment from a soft running surface to a hard
one, don't overdo it. Give your legs time to make the adjustment. If
you run five miles on a soft surface, run fewer miles on a hard
surface until your muscles and soft tissue make the adjustment. Your
muscles and soft tissue will get sore, so monitor your recovery time
carefully and don't overdo it.

Biomechanical issues
A biomechanical analysis (often using motion capture video) can
pinpoint problems with poor running mechanics.

For instance, in the case of anterior shin splints, the tibialis
anterior muscle and tendon may be overextended during running, which
stresses the muscle and tendon. By decreasing stride length, the
athlete is effectively decreasing the functional length of the
tibialis anterior muscle, which subsequently reduces the pull of the
muscle on the tibia.

Shin splits are often found in runners who have a tendency to pronate
the foot (roll it excessively inward onto the arch), or have tight
Achilles tendons or calf muscles, or weak ankle muscles. Strengthening
and stretching exercises for ankles and calf muscles can help prevent
them from occurring.

Shoes
In addition, proper footwear is crucial. Don't use running shoes that
are worn out, and choose a pair that meets your needs. Many running
stores can help you choose the right shoes by examining your current
shoes and evaluating your stride. Find a store in your area that has
knowledgeable staff who will spend some time with you.

Running shoe manufacturers offer a variety of styles with different
cushioning, stability and motion control features, so work with
someone who can help you find the features that are right for you.

Orthotics
If you have faulty foot mechanics, a doctor or trainer may recommend
orthotics -- custom fit, anatomically molded shoe inserts that realign
the foot to a natural, neutral position. This in turn relieves foot
and leg stresses and prevents a wide range of problems.

Treatment

There is no quick cure for the treatment of shin splints. The healing
process can take several weeks, or, in some cases, months. In order to
allow the inflamed tissue to heal, it's recommended that you stop running.

During the initial recovery period, try low-impact workouts, such as
stationary cycling, elliptical machines and pool running. Icing the
inflamed area on a regular basis and using anti-inflammatory
medications, such as ibuprofen, will reduce swelling. Ultrasound
treatments can also help.

It's imperative that you find out what caused the shin splints in the
first place and make adjustments to ensure they don't return. Begin
running gradually and build up slowly to pre-injury training level.

Curt Blakeney is a freelance writer based in Arizona. Zig Ziegler is
the founder and CEO of Motion DNA (www.motiondnacorp.com), a
Scottsdale, Ariz.-company that tests and researches the biomechanics
of athletes.

http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=12223

By Matt Russ
For Active.com
August 16, 2005

The shoes we run in today are great for reducing impact. There are a
myriad of devices, gels, air channels, etc., designed to lessen the
compressive loads on the joints.

One drawback, however, is that if you do most of your running on even,
paved surfaces the lower leg muscles and joints don't have to work as
hard to stabilize. Joint stability and integrity are crucial for
injury prevention. That's where trail running comes in.

Running over uneven and varied surfaces makes the muscles of the lower
leg work especially hard; think specific strength training for the
lower leg muscles. I recently noticed how sore my lower legs were
after a competing in an off-road multi-sport event. The tendons,
ligaments and muscles all get stronger in response to this type of stress.

Best time is in base

There are a few considerations when integrating trail running into
your training plan. Unless you run in off-road events, the best time
to incorporate trail running into your plan is in base.

As with any new type of training stress, it's important to implement
it gradually. You may want to start off with one workout per week of
limited mileage, and steadily increase the duration.

Off-road surfaces vary from crushed gravel, sand, grass, single-track
hiking trails, to rough back-country trails. The more varied the
terrain, the more your lower legs and body will be stressed. On
extremely rough and elevated terrain, hiking may be just as effective
(and safer) than running. You'll likely enter your aerobic base zones
in this type of terrain without having to run.

Use trail shoes

Trail shoes offer more support and traction, but much less cushioning.
Trail shoes vary from running shoes with a more aggressive tread, all
the way up to hiking shoes which may not applicable for running.

Make sure you consult with a salesperson to get the right shoe for
your type of training. I don't recommend doing any road running in a
trail shoe, but you can take your running shoes off road if the
surface is relatively stable, such as crushed gravel.

Trail running works both the lower legs and all the muscles associated
with running, including lateral knee stability, and will help develop
coordination. You can continue to incorporate trail running throughout
the season for strength maintenance. Trail running adds variety to
your training, with better scenery!

Matt Russ (has coached and trained athletes around the country and
internationally. He currently holds licenses by USAT, USATF, and is an
Expert level USAC coach. Matt has coached athletes for CTS (Carmichael
Training Systems), is an Ultrafit Associate. Visit
www.thesportfactory.com for more information or e-mail him at
info@....

http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=12224

The perfect runner: Improve your form
By Mindy Solkin
August 16, 2005

Do you know how to run? This isn't a trick question. It's vital for
successful running to understand both the physiology of running (how
our heart, lungs and muscles work) and the biomechanics of running. If
you picked the right parents you may be lucky enough to be a
genetically talented runner.

Most people who run never think about the movement of their bodies.
They go through the motions as if by rote, disassociating the sport
from the task at hand. But runners need skills training, just like a
tennis player needs to learn how to hold the racket.

Assessing your body in motion and correcting faulty biomechanics with
technique and strengthening exercises will ultimately allow us to
"play" our sport to the best of our ability. Here's how.

Body alignment

Because the running motion is a series of changing postures using
ballistic motions, the tendency is to displace the center of gravity
(the point under your navel) by running in a vertical hopping style
instead of the preferred forward-leaning position.

Creating one smooth line from head to toe with a 10-degree lean from
the ankles (not the waist), will allow for a controlled falling
movement. The smoother the motion, the less energy expended to cover a
given distance.

Slower runners tend to use a hopping motion due to the foot hitting
the ground in front of their body rather than under it. When this
happens, a braking action takes place, which can cause the dreaded
shin splints.

Form drill: While holding onto a sturdy object, stand sideways in
front of a mirror with your legs shoulder-width apart. Lean forward
until you're nearly ready to fall and rise up on the balls of your feet.

Make sure your chest and butt are not sticking out. The line should
look like a smooth 10-degree forward lean from head to ankles.

Stride right

Improving your stride length (the angle of your legs when they are the
greatest distance apart) and your stride frequency, or turnover rate
(the number of foot-falls that hit the ground in a given time) will
help to prevent injuries and make you a faster runner.

When the stride is shortened due to vertical bouncing and lack of
running-specific strength, a sinking action occurs, keeping your foot
in touch with the ground for a longer period. Staying in the air
longer requires more strength but will enable you to cover more distance.

Increasing back-kick height, so that your lower leg raises to a nearly
parallel position to the ground when it's behind you, and improving
hip extension strength, so that your knee lifts higher in front, will
increase your stride length.

[Ok, we do not push the knee lifting forward and very high. Just use
your hamstring to lift the foot and stop the effort once your foot
leaves the ground. Minimal movement.  Let gravity bring the foot down;
no pounding or pushing off the toes!  Remember the PONY? - Coach Bob]

Taking more footsteps per minute will optimize your stride frequency.
Try to aim for 90 steps a minute.

Form drill: To increase stride length, start by marching in place with
high knees, then run in place with high knees and finally start moving
forward in this exaggerated marching position with quick footsteps for
about 30 yards.

Arm motion

While the lower body takes a lot more effort to correct, adjusting
your arm swing is more of a tweak. Many runners swing their arms
across the chest, so that the elbows point out to the sides instead of
behind them. The upswing of the arm should allow the hand to stop at
mid-chest height, while the hand should drive backwards to the side of
the body on the backswing.

The forearm essentially stays parallel to the ground and the hands are
gently cupped with palms facing toward each other. The arm swing
should be one smooth movement with a 90-degree angle formed by the
upper arm and forearm. The shoulders should be relaxed and held away
from the ears.

Form drill: Standing with one foot forward and knee bent, and the
other leg outstretched behind you, and holding lightweight dumbbells
(two to six pounds), move your arms vigorously forward and back for
about 25 swings each side, while concentrating on keeping the
90-degree angle, palms toward each other and elbows driving back.

The short and the long of running form

Adapting your form to your particular long-distance running event is a
smart move. For shorter races such as a 5K, you'll need to take
quicker footsteps and have a moderately long stride. Quicker footsteps
are a more tiring process but are suited for shorter races. For the
marathon, you'll want to conserve more energy, so your back kick
should not be too high.

Form drill: Practice this on a treadmill. Put the speed at a
comfortable pace, faster than marathon pace but slower than 5K pace
and count your footsteps within a one-minute period to give yourself a
baseline.

Then, change the speed to both faster than and slower than your
baseline to simulate 5K and marathon pace, respectively. Count your
footsteps within one minute at these two paces. During your next
training run on the road, try to simulate the paces and footsteps of
your treadmill run. Notice the mechanics of your form and try to
simulate that on race day.

Mindy Solkin is a USATF, Level III-certified running coach.

Reprinted, courtesy of Windy City Sports Magazine. For more articles
and information for Windy City Sports, please visit
www.windycitysports.com

The following information was contained in a recent newsletter-ad:

Achilles tendinitis – clinical facts

Achilles tendinitis is a loose term used to describe the pain,
swelling, and tenderness usually experienced in the area 2cm to 6cm
above the insertion of the tendon into the heel bone.

Around two thirds of Achilles tendon injuries in competitive athletes
are incidents of inflammation. When the term `tendinitis' is used in a
clinical context, however, it refers to tendon degeneration without
associated inflammation. This may lead athletes and their coaches to
underestimate the chronic nature of the condition. Although surgery is
sometimes used to correct this injury, Achilles Tendinitis –
Prevention and Treatment raises important questions about the
effectiveness of surgical procedure.

Assessing risk: the likelihood of injury increases with the number of
years of running, the training pace and the weekly mileage. Achilles
tendinitis is an overuse injury. The longer you have been running, the
more likely you are to suffer and the condition is most commonly seen
in male recreational runners between 35 and 45.

As described below, the way we run can affect the Achilles tendon and
this needs to be analysed.

How the way we run can cause injury: running consists of a
co-ordinated set of joint movements: foot down, cushioning phase,
push-off and toe-off. The joints work together, cushion the impact and
then propel the body forward. If this chain of co-ordinated joint
movements has a weak link, then other parts of the chain have to
compensate and excess stress can occur. An analysis of the running
biomechanics of running shows exactly how, when and to what extent the
muscles work during the phases of running and reveals how inefficient
biomechanics can cause injury.

A common misunderstanding about muscle activity: the nature of leg
muscle activity when you start running at push-off is quite the
opposite of what you might expect to happen.

In fact, the muscles – quadriceps, gastrocnemius, soleus, anterior
tibialis, gluteus maximus, and hip abductors - are not active during
the push-off phase. They only become active just before foot-down to
prepare the body for impact with the ground.

The muscles act to provide a stiffness to the joints in order to
control the landing. Only the hamstrings and adductors are active
during the push-off phase. Contrary to what many believe about running
muscles, the energy from the push comes from the tendons and not from
active contractions of the muscles.

Rear foot pronation and ankle strength: research found that, after
looking at a whole host of factors, a greater degree of rear-foot
pronation and reduced ankle-muscle strength were strongly associated
with Achilles tendinitis.

This means runners need to develop sufficient strength in the ankle
muscles and use specific conditioning and running technique exercises
to control excessive pronation of the rear foot. The causes of
Achilles tendinitis: research has indicated insufficient strength of
the gastrocnemius, soleus and anterior tibialis, and specifically
insufficient eccentric strength, will result in poor control of the
dorsiflexion and pronation during the foot-down and cushioning phases
of running. If these movements are not controlled, particularly the
velocity of pronation, then this can cause an excessive whipping of
the Achilles tendon as the foot strikes the ground and the knee rolls
forward over the foot, which may result in injury.

The hip may also cause problems for the lower leg and Achilles tendon.
This is an example of how the whole leg chain is dependent on all the
links working correctly. If one area, such as the hip, does not
perform its correct function, then other areas are adversely affected.

Functional exercises for the Achilles

The key to making a full recovery from any injury is not just
corrective treatment and healing, but also re-strengthening and
rejoining co-ordination of the joint and all the movements it is
involved with.


* * * * * * *
Ok, enuff said!  So how does that play into our way or style of
running?  For one, you read (and for the very experienced distant
runner knows) mileage, repeated mileage, lots of mileage, is just
plain setting you up for a retetitive injury such as achilles
tendonitis. "The way we run can affect the Achilles tendon and this
needs to be analysed . . .."  Well, what we are trying to teach you is
a method or style that does not employ pushing off and toeing-off.
Remember, we lift the foot off the ground with just the hamstring!  We
do not push or slam the foot back down to the ground - but let gravity
pull it down.  We want you to run as lightly as possible.  "Float like
a butterfly" as the ole saying goes.  That's why I ask you to listen
to the way your feet sound when you are running!

Now about those weird drills?  Well, I told you last night that they
are for coordination and some for good. solid muscle elasticity and
strength.  We are trying to make stronger those other muscles
mentioned above.  We are tryng to get you to know your body and regain
control so that excessive pronation is eliminated - good form!

So it's very important to have fun and be relaxed doing all of this
learning of a new style or method.  Having fun makes learning less
stressful and easier to absorb the knowledge in question.  But you
must at the same time be serious about "making a serious effort to get
the method/style down."  Do not go through the motions.  Think about
what you are doing.  Get to know your body; get in tune with it; get
in control of it!  Practice the drills alone in front of a mirror or
with another participant. Now this leads me to another point . . .

We are such a large group that it is difficult to work with you all in
an effect manner.  Oh, it's fun at times trying to convey some point
but I am afraind that we cannot be there with you to guide you as
might be needed or expected.  So smaller is better!  By now you may
know where I am going with this:  Pace-Group Assignments.

Last night (if you were there), you learned about your placement in a
given pace group.  First, these assignments are not permanent in
nature.  It's a work in progress.  But for now each group is to act as
a cohesive training unit.  That means working together on long runs -
deciding what time to meet (e.g., earlier than 8:00 am?).  For some
groups, 8:00 am is it since that how some of you planned this training
program.  Others of you are placed in a squad or unit in which doing
the training loing run is a must (and a possibility) in this heat,
especially as we progress in the program and the distance doth
accummulate!

Now, for Tuesday workout, please try to maintain your tribe
affiliation.  [Note:  For the very fast runners, who are doing long
runs at Candy Cane City (with Brian O'Connor, Paul Schwartz and Amy
Vitro) and Sunday trail runs (with Brian Ivins), you will train on
Tuesday nights as a group by joining the speed group headded by Ellen
Cooper.] By now most of you should know the basic drills and exercises
to do. Every Tuesday I will have posted on the Calendar of the
discussion site and send out an email, what specific speed work needs
to be done for that evening.  We will continue to do 15-15s and
lactate spoilers (those are those 2 minute runs with a 1 minute
recovery).  But starting in August, you can expect more of the
standard speed work to be introduced - 200s, 400s, and even 800s. [For
those in the Ellen Cooper's Speed group, you can expect some double
duty on speed work since you are more than capable of handling it and
do need the extra intensity]  Come September, we will be inside at
Philbin's where you will see and do pylometric and explosive running
techniques - and this is why we give a "nod" to Philbin's for such
sponsorship assistance.

Now this placement should act as a means to get you to train with
folks of similar abilities as yourself.  You can push each other as a
group to achieve better form, speed and efficiency.  If we introduce a
new drill to your group, this will allow me to pop in and help out
your squad leaders with that.  This also will allow me the luxury to
roam around and visit with you all to see how each of you are
progresing alon.  Something a head coach should do.

So keep a look out for this pace group placement information.  I will
be sending it out in the next day or two.  Get to know your
participants in your group.  Plan an outing of some sort.  Have a DVD
viewing party of the POSE or CHI running DVD, which I will lend to
your group if you want to do that.  Have your group select a couple of
workout dates for bringing snacks and refreshments for the whole SR
team.  Get inventive.  Hey, even name your unit, as they do in
Survivor.  Make a name that you can identify as a group.  OR as Wanda
say, "let's have a song to call our own!"

More later!

Run Wisely and Safely,

Bob Fabia

http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/index.php

I have been reviewing some of your entries in the SR Membership roster
located at the Files sction to the left.  With some of you, I have
sent more questions on your listed pain.  Even then the responses that
I get are vague.  Naturally, there is no substitute for a good up
close and personal actual examination of the problem area and the
overall form as well.  But is always helps if you, as the client, can
be more specifi as can be.  FOr those of you with pain, please go to
the above site and do a self analysis.  You may not hit the mark all
the time but at least when you write to me or Rachel you will be more
specific and be using standard and acceptable terms to state exactly
where the pain might be - rather tha just "I have foot pains."

Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

SR Management

By now, some of you have read some email traffic between me and our
program physical therapist.  Yes, if you go to the Database section
(to the right) - click - you will find a number of informative items.
  One of the new ones is a question and answer format for getting
information from Physical Therapist Rachel Miller.  Please check this
out and post a question of interest to Rachel.  Naturally, if you have
a matter you feel you want to keep more private, just email her directly.

Coach Bob

PS  Rachel's email address is:

rachelmed@...

This is a new style geared to get you to run more naturally - faster
and without pain an injury.  But you must practice the form or pose
for it.  If you are a novice runner, then you will learn or acquire
this very easily.  A veteran runner?  If you are resistant, then no.
Be open and flexible and you will get it since you have shown this by
being motivated to sign up for this program.  The best time to start
to learn this new process is during the off season time.  That's why
you should not wait until July 9th or 12th to find out what's there to
do with this program.  The time is NOW!


1. Raise your ankle straight up under your hip, using the hamstrings
2. Keep your support time short
3. Your support is always on the balls of your feet
4. Do not touch the ground with your heels
5. Avoid shifting weight over your toes: raise your ankle when the
weight is on
the ball of your foot
6. Keep your ankle fixed at the same angle
7. Keep knees bent at all times
8. Feet remain behind the vertical line going through your knees
9. Keep stride length short
10. Keep knees and thighs down, close together, and relaxed
11. Always focus on pulling the foot from the ground, not on landing
12. Do not point or land on the toes (see Fig 3: Toe running)
13. Gravity, not muscle action, controls the landing of the legs
14. Keep shoulder, hip and ankle in vertical alignment
15. Arm movement is for balance, not for force production

What?  Doesn't make sense?  Can conceptulize this pose stuff? Where is
this explained in more detail?  Go to the Sports Injury Bulletin
Section in the Files Section to your left.  Download the March Issue.
  You can find more information at www.posetech.com.  I would recommend
ordering the DVD, if you are inclined to order only one item (the book
or the DVD).

Coach Bob

PS The Dr. Nicholas Romanov's POSE method or style of learning to run
is the accepted and preferred training for the USA Triathalon Team,
The Brits Triatheles and Mexican Triatheles use it.  The Olympic
Modern Pentathalon Development Committee endorses and uses it.  Well,
I can go on but I think that you get the picture that ole Coach Bob is
not just pulling this out of his hat, etc.

Index for Research Running News
  VOLUME 21 ISSUE 3

HAMSTRINGS ARE FIRST SITE OF FATIGUE
Many runners believe that the calves are the first muscles to fatigue
during hard running. However, new research from France indicates that
it is actually the hammies which go first. Specific remedies for
hamstring fatigue are provided.

MANY RUNNERS CAN'T KEEP GLYCOGEN UP
For years, runners have assumed that the simple adherence to a
high-carb diet will keep muscle-glycogen levels high during periods of
intense training. New Australian research indicates that this
assumption is unwarranted. Specific strategies to keep glycogen at
lofty levels are provided.

LITTLE EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT ORTHOTIC USE
"Common sense" suggests that many runners have biomechanical
abnormalities - and that such flaws can be fixed by wearing orthotics
during training. However, the actual research paints a much-different
picture.

ENGLISH SCIENTISTS GIVE ICE A CHILLY RECEPTION
Runners commonly apply ice to sore spots after workouts, believing
that ice application can reduce pain, retard inflammation, and speed
recovery. Unfortunately, the evidence suggests that ice application is
no better than placebo.
Click here to download 21-3

VOLUME 21 ISSUE 2

WHY DENTISTS MAY SOON BECOME TOP RUNNING COACHES
The composition of an athlete's spit can reveal much about what is
happening inside his body. Specifically, the concentrations of nucleic
acids, proteins, hormones, and immune-system modulators in saliva may
tell an athlete whether he is highly fit or on the verge of
overtraining. Dentists are in the forefront of this new kind of
research, and thus - in the future - a trip to the dentist may take on
new meaning for serious athletes.

STRANGE SCENES FROM THE BOSTON MARATHON
At the Boston Marathon this year, runners could be observed at the
starting line taking in significant quantities of ibuprofen. This is a
bad practice, since ibuprofen does not reduce the risk of cramps,
tends to raise the risk of gastro-intestinal problems, blunts
post-exercise protein synthesis, and may retard post-marathon recovery.

CAN FOOT TYPE PREDICT RUNNING INJURY?
"Common wisdom" says that low-arched feet tend to produce greater
amounts and velocities of pronation and predispose runners to higher
risks of overuse injury. The research, however, tells a different story.

HOW TO SELECT A RUNNING CAMP
Tips are provided for finding a great running camp and avoiding the
really bad ones.
Click here to download 21-2
VOLUME 21 ISSUE 1

NO WAY TO TRAIN
Innovative new research carried out by Scott Trappe and his colleagues
at Ball State University reveals that individual muscle fibers adapt
in unique ways to endurance training. Unfortunately, the training
carried out by a cross-country team seems to lead to sub-optimal
changes in muscle-cell functioning.

THE SCIENCE OF KENYAN EATING
Amazingly enough, the eating habits of the world's-best endurance
athletes have not been carefully studied - until now. New research
carried out by a Glaswegian-Kenyan team reveals that the highest-level
Kenyan runners adhere to three key principles of sports nutrition.

SHOULD YOU WEAR A COOL VEST DURING YOUR HOT-WEATHER WARM-UPS?
The use of a light, form-fitting, cooling vest during your warm-ups
can improve your performances in hot-weather races, perhaps because
the vest helps delay the attainment of a body temperature which is
strongly linked with fatigue.
Click here to download 21-1
VOLUME 20 ISSUE 10

THE SEARCH FOR THE PERFECT INTENSITY DISTRIBUTION
Scientific research reveals that training at intensities which are
close to lactate-threshold running speed can produce large gains in
fitness. Elite athletes seem to ignore this research as they pile up
relatively large quantities of training at high and low intensities,
while ignoring threshold-type work. The "intensity-distribution"
strategy employed by elite athletes provides an important lesson for
all runners.

CALF COMPLAINTS CREATE FRIGHTENING FOOT FORCES
Foot injuries in runners, including metatarsal stress fractures, have
been linked with a wide array of factors, including high arches,
excessive pronation, and sudden boosts in mileage. New research from
Germany correlates increased pressure on the metatarsal areas of the
feet during quality running with calf-muscle fatigue. Exercises for
upgrading the fatigue-resistance of the calves are provided.

PREGNANT - AND HIGHLY FIT!
Several investigations have shown that pregnant runners lose aerobic
capacity during their pregnancies, but new Norwegian research
indicates that pregnant women can train for eight-plus hours per week,
including five hours of endurance work and one hour of intervals, with
no risk to the unborn child - and thus completely preserve VO2max,
leading to a post-partum "spring-board effect" on fitness.
Click here to download 20-10
VOLUME 20 ISSUE 9

MCT1s ARE MARKERS OF PERFORMANCE
New research carried out by Claire Thomas and her colleagues reveals
that an athlete's muscular MCT1 content is a predictor of performance
and fatigue-resistance. MCT1s can transport energy-rich lactate
molecules across muscle cell walls, and high-intensity training
appears to be the optimal way to enhance MCT1 concentrations.

BETTER ECONOMY IN JUST 20 NIGHTS
Research carried out by elite runner Philo Saunders and colleagues in
Australia demonstrates that sleeping at altitude, while simultaneously
training at close to sea level, can enhance running economy by more
than 3 percent in just 20 days. Altitudes above 2000 meters are
probably necessary for this effect to occur. In contrast, sleeping and
training at moderate altitudes (below 2000 meters) does not upgrade
economy.

SHOULD YOU USE IBU, COX-2 INHIBITORS, OR ACETAMINOPHEN FOR YOUR ACHING
MUSCLES?
Athletes often use ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
medications to relieve the symptoms of their overuse injuries and
"reduce inflammation," but new research carried out by Louis
Almekinders suggests that cheap, plain-old acetaminophen may be just
as effective in some cases. Furthermore, taking NSAIDs immediately
after an injury occurs may have a negative impact on recovery.
Click here to download 20-9
VOLUME 20 ISSUE 8

MARATHON SOCKS UNDER PRESSURE
The use of compression hosiery during competition is increasing, with
top runners such as Paula Radcliffe and Meb Keflezeghi attired in the
pretty puttees and the press spouting the news that the socks increase
blood flow and oxygen consumption. Alas, the truth is that the
forceful stockings do not improve performances.

MYOKINE OF MUSCLE IN A TIME OF FLU
Your leg muscles do far more than produce the forces you need to run
your 5Ks and marathons; they also synthesize and release myokines,
chemicals which determine how your body responds and adapts to your
training. Specifically, your muscles produce IL-6, aka the "exercise
factor," a potent chemical which modulates post-workout inflammation,
enhances glucose uptake by the muscles, and spurs the breakdown of
fat. Certain kinds of training seem to augment IL-6 production.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU CREATE SETS OF INTERVALS?
Any interval workout can be carried out continuously or broken down
into sets, and there are advantages associated with each technique.
Generally, no-set interval sessions spike oxygen consumption, which is
a definite positive. However, the utilization of sets of about six
work intervals within a workout usually maximizes the amount of
running which you can carry out at a specific, desirable pace. It is
important to include both types of sessions in your training program.
Click here to download 20-8
VOLUME 20 ISSUE 7

TWO-A-DAYS: FOR FOOTBALL AND RUNNING?
The strategy of carrying out two workouts in a single day has
classically been viewed as a way of expanding training volume.
However, new research from Denmark reveals that the technique can
increase aerobic-enzyme production and enhance performance. The
mechanism may be that the low glycogen levels which result from two
daily sessions spur the transcription of genes responsible for
fitness. Fortunately, the Danish strategy does not force you to
overtrain or to run with chronically low glycogen levels.

MIXTURE OF CARBS BEST FOR SPORTS DRINKS
An exciting new investigation reveals that combining three different
carbohydrates within a sports drink leads to a dramatic increase in
the rate of utilization of ingested carbohydrate during running. This
increase can diminish the effects of low muscle-glycogen levels on
performance. No commercially available sports drinks contain the
appropriate mixture of carbs, but it is possible to mix up your own,
super-charged sports drink at home without much trouble.
Click here to download 20-7
VOLUME 20 ISSUE 6

TAKE AS LONG AS YOU WANT
Runners and coaches are used to thinking that the 1:5 work-recovery
ratio is perfect for very high-quality interval workouts.
Unfortunately, the scientific evidence suggests that the use of this
ratio actually retards work-interval quality! During workouts designed
to boost maximal running speed, it is better to utilize recovery
intervals which are much more expansive.

CAN SWISS BALLS BOOST RUNNING ECONOMY?
There is considerable evidence that Swiss-ball training can improve
core strength and stability - during certain movements and position.
However, new research suggests that such strength and stability do not
"carry over" to the act of running. There is no evidence that
Swiss-ball training can make a runner more economical.

CAN MASSAGE ENHANCE RECOVERY?
A post-workout or post-competition massage feels great, but there has
been little evidence that such an intervention actually enhances
recovery. Now, new research from Sweden indicates that massage has no
effect at all on muscle function following a very strenuous workout.
However, massage may still have some "central effects" which are
beneficial.

CAN CHITOSAN LIFT YOUR AEROBIC CAPACITY?
There is no question about whether chitosan can block fat absorption;
the compound derived from shellfish and insect skins does just that.
However, there has been considerable debate about whether chitosan
supplementation can actually promote weight loss. Alas, new research
suggests that chitosan is as effective as magical incantations when it
comes to changing the number on the bathroom scale.
Click here to download 20-6
VOLUME 20 ISSUE 5
YOUR BRAIN IMAGINES FATIGUE
During hard running, your brain can unconsciously create a sensation
of fatigue, even when your muscles are functioning nearly optimally.
Fortunately, this fatigue can be controlled by the type of
self-dialogue in which you engage. Positive self-talk can improve
performances, can help you prepare properly for races, and can lead to
appropriate and productive evaluations of races.

BE PRACTICAL WITH YOUR VVO2MAX TRAINING
New research from Australia indicates that 60 percent of Tmax is a
beneficial work-interval length during vVO2max training. In addition,
it is important to be flexible with your vVO2max workouts. Instead of
rigidly adhering to 30-, 60-, and 180-second work intervals, you can
adjust interval lengths to correspond with convenient distances on the
track.

WHAT TO DO ON A BAD DAY
Sometimes quality workouts begin badly for unexplainable reasons.
Surprisingly, one of the best strategies to employ in such situations
is simply to complete one or two intervals as well as you can - and
then call it a day. Because of the way in which fitness "accumulates"
during training, reasonable amounts of fitness will still accrue from
the shortened workout.

SHOULD WE GIVE VITAMIN E AN A FOR RECOVERY?
Vitamin E helps to protect muscle membranes during hard or sustained
aerobic running, so it has been speculated that vitamin-E
supplementation might enhance post-workout recovery in serious
runners. We take a look at the hard evidence concerning E's
potentially protective effects in athletes.
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VOLUME 20 ISSUE 4

Not Just Another Article about Hyponatremia
Hyponatremia is a potentially life-threatening disorder which can
develop in runners and other endurance athletes. There has been
considerable debate about its causes, but it appears that it can arise
as a result of overdrinking low-electrolyte fluids or in response to
several hours of very "salty sweating." Several strategies are
presented for minimizing the risk of developing the malady.

How to Have Vintage Muscles
Aerobic capacity declines with ageing, but it has not been clear how
much of this loss is due to drop-offs in the abilities of muscle cells
to utilize oxygen. Evidence is presented which suggests that a
muscle-cell's aerobic characteristics are more influenced by training,
rather than age. Strategies are outlined for keeping muscle-cells'
"aerobic profiles" at a high level, even as one gets older.

How to Beat EIAH
Exercise-induced arterial hypoxemia strikes most experienced runners
when they attempt to run at high-quality speeds for sustained periods
of time. Attempting to avoid this problem appears to be fruitless, but
there are ways to train which can minimize the negative effects of the
hypoxemia. We outline a special workout for accomplishing this.
Click here to download 20-4
VOLUME 20 ISSUE 3

Getting the Jump on Your Competitors
Explosive training is a proven way to improve your maximal running
velocity, and drop jumping is a valuable form of explosive training.
It makes sense to include explosive training in early phases of your
overall training. A speed-boosting circuit-training session with
elements of explosive training is introduced; it can be used in any
phase of your program.

Nandi Dandies: What Nandi Boys Do When They "Go out on the Town"
As you might expect, genes can play a role in determining performance
potential. Possessing two copies of the I allele of the ACE gene, for
example, makes it much more likely that an individual can achieve
success as an endurance athlete. The I allele seems to be distributed
rather evenly around the world, however, and Caucasian and African
young men respond to vigorous endurance training in exactly the same
way. East Africans may achieve superior endurance success by "keeping
their eyes on the prize."
Click here to download 20-3
VOLUME 20 ISSUE 2

THE THIRD WAY TO GET FASTER
Carrying out high-quality running training can improve your maximal
running speed, which is a key predictor of endurance performance.
Conducting explosive training, with an emphasis on movements which
mimic the gait cycle of running, also upgrades your maximal running
velocity. Now, there is a third way to get faster: New research
carried out in Norway reveals that high-resistance strength training
improves speed, economy, and endurance performance. Although this
seems improbable at first glance, since the rates of movement utilized
during maximal strength training are slow, the improvements in muscle
function and competitive ability are huge. In this article, we show
you exactly how to use high-resistance training to make yourself a
considerably faster runner.

HERBAL STUDY PLANTS DOUBT
There has been considerable interest in the herbal supplements,
Cordyceps sinensis and Rhodiola rosea, as potential ergogenic aids.
Cordyceps has been utilized by world-record-holders as a key part of
their training, and one scientific study found that Cordyceps boosted
maximal aerobic capacity. However, a new study finds that two weeks of
supplementation with the two herbal preparations produces no changes
in performance, heart rate, or oxygen consumption. Furthermore, the
"proprietary blend" included along with the herbs in the product
capsules has such low doses of potentially ergogenic compounds that it
is unlikely to have an impact on performance.
Click here to download 20-2
VOLUME 20 ISSUE 1

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU'RE JUST OUT RUNNING AROUND
There are days when it is nice to "free-lance" one's interval
workouts, and research carried out by Norweigan researchers indicate
that such sessions can be extremely high in quality.
NORWEGIANS CAN HAM IT UP, TOO!
Norwegian researchers are getting into the hamstring act with a unique
and extremely effective exercise.

ARE VEGETARIAN DIETS BENEFICIAL FOR ENDURANCE PERFORMANCE?
Many meat-eating athletes wonder whether a switch to a vegetarian diet
might provide a performance boost, and there are logical reasons for
such thinking.


Running Research News Topical Index Information

Volume 21-2 issue March 2005

Not a single scientific study has ever linked preexercise
ibuprofen ingestion with a reduced risk of muscle
cramps. Similarly, no investigation has ever connected
ibuprofen intake with improved performance in an endurance
event (in fact, no research has correlated ibuprofen
consumption with significantly reduced discomfort during
competition, either). In addition, there are many reasons
why ibuprofen intake can be quite counterproductive
when it is associated with extended exercise.
. . . .
In truth, various lines of research indicate that ibuprofen
intake is either ineffective or else actually retards
muscle and connective-tissue healing following injury. In
one study, muscles which had been pre-dosed with ibuprofen
prior to injury recovered no more quickly than sinews
which were treated with acetaminophen after the damage
occurred (2). In another investigation, injured Achilles
tendons healed more slowly when they were treated with
an anti-inflammatory medication, compared with a placebo
(3).

It was clear that ibuprofen impaired intestinal function.

The bottom lines? Both anecdotal experience and
high-quality research indicates that ibuprofen is misused
by endurance athletes (7). Don't be one of the misusers,
especially since the evidence is tilted so strongly towards
the idea that pre-and within-race ibuprofen ingestion can
do negative things to your gut, muscles, and connective
tissues.


Volume 21-1 issue. Jan-Feb 2005

NO WAY TO TRAIN
Ingenius new research reveals that individual muscle cells respond in
unique ways to various forms of endurance training. Unfortunately, a
typical cross-country season seems to lead to a variety of sub-optimal
transformations in muscle function.

THE SCIENCE OF KENYAN EATING
Amazingly enough, the eating habits of the world's-best endurance
athletes have not been studied scientifically - until very recently.
New research carried out by a Glaswegian-Kenyan team reveals that the
highest-level Kenyan runners are definitely not adherents of the Zone
or South-Beach Diets.

WEARING A COOL VEST DURING WARM-UPS CAN BOOST YOUR HOT-WEATHER
PERFORMANCES
The use of a light, form-fitting vest during warm-up activities can
boost your hot-weather racing performances, perhaps because
utilization of the vest delays the attainment of a body temperature
which is strongly linked with fatigue.


Read these stories in our Vol. 20-10 issue.

THE SEARCH FOR THE PERFECT TRAINING MODEL
Many scientific investigations have shown that training at intensities
which are close to lactate threshold produces sizable gains in
fitness. Elite athletes seem to ignore this research as they pile up
training far away from threshold at the two "poles" of intensity -
high and low. The elites' characteristic pattern of training provides
a key lesson for runners of all ability levels.

The lower intensity will usually be better for recovery, and better
for recovery is good, since it will enhance the ability to complete
the next, scheduled, potent, above-LT session in red-hot fashion.
Thus, the polarized pattern may work quite well for the non-elite
runner, too.


CALF COMPLAINTS MIGHT CREATE FRIGHTENING FOOT FORCES
Runners are susceptible to a variety of foot injuries, including
metatarsal stress fractures. Scientific research has indicated that
several different factors may be responsible, including high arches,
excessive pronation, and rapid increases in training volume. However,
new research from Germany suggests that calf-muscle fatigue during
quality running may put undue pressure on the feet in the metatarsal
areas, potentially leading to injury. Exercises to strengthen your
calves and feet are provided.

PREGNANT - AND FIT!
Pregnant runners often lose aerobic capacity during their pregnancies
and have trouble recovering fitness following childbirth, but new
research from Norway reveals that a safe, appropriate exercise program
can perfectly preserve VO2max and provide a "spring-board" for gains
in aerobic fitness post-partum. The Norwegian regime is described in
detail.

20-9 Nov 2004

Intense workouts:  Super-set training
and MCT1 progression go hand-in-hand, too, and here is a MCT1-
boosting treasure from RRN's workout vault:
(1) On a day when you are feeling rested and energetic,
warm up until you feel loose and totally ready to run intensely.
(2) Move along fluidly for 1200 meters at your current 5-
K pace.
(3) Recover with just one minute of light jogging, and
then blast 800 meters at close to all-out intensity (or at least faster
than your vVO2max).
(4) Enjoy three minutes of easy-jog recovery, and then hit
7 X 400 at faster than 5-K tempo (shoot for four to five seconds
quicker than 5-K alacrity), with equal-in-time-duration recoveries.
(5) Jog lightly for two miles to "cool down".
This session, which can be carried out regularly once
you have emerged from your base phase of training, improves
your speed and lactate-threshold velocity, it forces lactate
levels to mount continuously throughout the workout, and it is
pure MCT1 gold, causing a steep spike in MCT1 production
in your muscles. As molecules of MCT1 mount like multitudes
of polyps on your muscle and mitochondrial membranes,
you will clear more lactate from the blood during your
hard workouts and races and break down more lactate for fuel
inside your mitochondria. You will have the fuel you need to
run at faster speeds in your competitions, the fatigueresistance
you must have to sustain those higher-quality
paces, and the lactate-transport capacity you require in order
to reach your lofty goals as a runner.

* * * * *
Overall, it was clear that acetaminophen, the safer and
less-costly medicine, had effects on muscle weight, gait maintenance,
inflammation, satellite-cell action, and perhaps on pain
reduction (interviews with the mice concerning their pain
proved fruitless) which were equal to those produced by the
fancy-schmancy NSAID.. . . utilizing acetaminophen, rather than NSAIDs, to
treat his running-related aches and pains when they become significant.
The logic is that traditional NSAIDs are riskier from a
side-effect standpoint, and the new COX-2 inhibitors put a pronounced
dent in his wallet. In addition, if the NSAIDs really do
put the damper on short-term inflammation, that might be a very
bad thing for the healing process. The slowing of tendon and
ligament repair when COX-2-inhibiting drugs are taken shortly
after injury is also a bit troublesome (as is the fact that no one is
sure when the "green-light period" for COX-2 inhibitors actually
begins following tendon damage). For now, modest
amounts of acetaminophen (when necessary), a bit of pain tolerance,
and natural physiological processes, unperturbed by
NSAIDS, should be just fine for curbing the symptoms associated
with typical, overuse running injuries.


20-8 Oct. 2004

Marathon socks.
Continuous efforts or set intervals?
The bottom line? For your next 12 X 200, 12 X 400, or
open-ended interval session, enjoy it both ways at different
times within your schedule – with and without the sets and intermezzos.


20-7 Sept. 2004

Mixing a great carb drink


20-6 Aug 2004

Interval Training: Recover for as long as is necessary to complete
each work interval in the planned manner. This might mean using 1: 7,
or it might mean utilizing 1:20 or even 1:30 – it doesn't matter. For
these high-speed workouts, we are looking to develop the neuromuscular
capacity to improve maximal running speed, which is an important
predictor of both sprint and endurance performances. Dragging through
the final intervals of a session won't cut it; we want to do all of
our intervals at that fine edge which forces those reluctant nerves
and muscles of ours to improve their functioning. With
max-running-speed improving sessions, we are not trying to hoist
average oxygen-consumption rate – we are trying to run faster. If
grandiose recovery intervals allow us to do that, we should violate
the 1:5 principle and utilize fat recoveries without a moment's
hesitation.
A good start, during your first few weeks of training, would be
something like (2-4) X (60-100), with whatever recoveries you need to
run at the same speed during each work interval. The pace to use is
simply your maximal pace, but you should not strain and tighten up as
you run: Relax and flow along smoothly, while attempting to run as
quickly as possible, maximizing force production with each foot impact
while simultaneously keeping contact times very short. Note that a
workout like this is so short
that it can be included within your warm-up before a quality workout
or even carried out on an easy day (after you have warmed up, of
course). The only time not to do it is after a fatiguing workout:
Remember that max-speed workouts depend on coordination and quick
force production, which are hampered by neuromuscular fatigue. Toward
the end of your training year, as your key 400-meter, 800-meter,
1500-meter, 3-K, 5-K, 10-K, half marathon, marathon, or ultra-marathon
competition approaches, you will have worked up to something like 15 X
60, 12 X 100, or 8 X 200, all completed with "flying starts" (don't
begin the work intervals from a standing still position), all at close
to max speed, and all with as much tasty recovery as you need to
preserve power.


20-5 Jun-Jul 2004

Brain fatigue and pysch running

20-4 May 2004
Hyponatremia

20-3 Apr 2004

For these reasons, RRN recommends the use of forefoot landings during
drop jumping (in a later article, we'll address the question of
whether heeltoe-striking runners should attempt to shift over to the
forefootlanding strategy during actual running). Three final points
about drop-jumping are in order:
(1) For your first attempts at drop-jumping, drop onto a very
"forgiving" surface, such as soft grass, relatively soft earth,
moderately packed sand, or a basketball or gym floor with some "give"
to it. Keep the number of reps to a minimum during your first few
drop-jump sessions, too; a seemingly paltry six to eight reps should
be about right. Finally, employ low box or step heights until you have
built up a modicum of drop jump strength and coordination; four to six
inches are actually good starting heights.
(2) When you hit the ground after your drop, jump forward instead of
vertically, while of course minimizing ground-contact time. This will
make the action more similar to running.
(3) After you have been drop-jumping for a considerable period of time
without trouble (four to six months or so), shift over to one-foot
drop jumps, landing on one foot instead of two before springing
forward. When you do this, reduce the height of your box or step at
first, and fall back to just six or eight reps per leg. You can then
gradually make a progression to more reps and greater height.

(1) By running faster during training,
(2) By carrying out explosive training, with an emphasis on jumping,
hopping, and bounding movements and maximal
muscular contractions completed in the shortest-possible amount of
time, and
(3) By performing high-resistance strength training for the leg
muscles, with a reliance on resistances which can not be utilized for
more than six reps prior to failure.

an example of a speed-developing circuit workout which incorporates
all three principles of speed enhancement
and which can be used during almost any phase of the overall training
cycle


20-2 Mar 2004

Stride rate (cadence), stride length and intense training is helpful.
Running fast during your workouts, rather than slow and long, improves
force production by your leg muscles, upgrades coordination at high
speed, gets your feet on and off the ground more quickly, and makes
you more powerful..  explosive strength training can also be very
effective at amending max speed.  Explosive strength sessions (that)
lasted from 15 to 90 minutes and consisted of sprints (five to 10 reps
of 20 to 100 meters), as well as jumping exercises (alternative jumps,
bilateral counter- movement jumps, drop-and hurdle jumps, and one-leg,
five-jump drills).

Alternative jumps simply consist of bounding along on a flat surface,
while alternating from left foot to right, back to left, etc.

Bilateral counter-movement jumps are standing jumps, carried out using
both legs at the same time; they are usually performed in place
without any horizontal displacement. The word "bilateral" simply
refers to the fact that both legs simultaneously provide the force for
the jumps.

"Counter-movement" alludes to an emphasis on lowering the body into a
reasonably pronounced squat before performing the jump (as opposed to
a rebound jump, in which there is very limited flexion at the knee and
hip during the eccentric phase of the jump).

One-leg five-jump drills are performed just the way they sound:
Athletes stand on one leg and jump five times in a
row – forward - as quickly and yet as far  as possible (as though they
were engaged in a one-leg run with long bounds). After the drill is
completed on one leg, it is repeated with the opposite lower appendage.

The drop-and-hurdle jumps are a variation of the Ablakov test (no
doubt named for a Soviet coach who specialized
in plyometric training), in which an athlete drops down from a box or
platform that is set at a prescribed height (15 to 75 centimeters or 6
to 30 inches depending on the athlete and the sport involved) and then
immediately rebounds (jumps) over a hurdle.

Squats:  Note that it is wise to carry out a warm-up, with 10 minutes
or so of jogging, before the squatting actually begins; it is also
sensible to perform a warm-up set of squats, with very light
resistance, before the three tough sets are actually attempted. You
can perform your squats on a light day of running training or before
you begin a quality running workout; it is important not to do them
when you are not fatigued.


20-1 Jan-Feb. 2004
- Nordic Hamstring Strengthening Exercise
- The truth about Vegetarian and Endurance Running

Sport Injury Bulletin March 2005

Go to the files location and check out the Sports Injury Bulletin for
March 2005 - Coach Bob