Runner's and Triathlete's Web Digest - January 14, 2005

The Original Runner's and Triathlete's Web was founded in January of 1997 as a
not-for-profit resource site. RunnersWeb.com Inc. is
now a small business venture which sponsors the OAC Racing Team, a women's road
racing and triathlon club, and the OAC Gatineau
Triathlon and OAC Corporate Relay. The site is not in any way associated with
the two UK "Runner's Web" copycat sites or the
Runner's Web Book Store in the USA.


Support our advertisers:

1. Road Runner Sports, the world's largest running store at:
http://www.roadrunnersports.com/cgi-bin/rrs/rrs/rrHome.jsp?sc=CBM-00105&prfc=1

2. Toronto Waterfront Marathon. September 25, 2005:
http://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/

3. Sof Sole Offer:
A free pair of our technical socks ($9.99 value) with the purchase of any Sof
Sole insole.
http://www.sofsole.com/pages/promo/rwebsockoffer.html

Shopping on the internet? Check out our list of affiliate programs at the bottom
of the email.

The Runner's and Triathlete's Web Digest is a weekly e-zine dealing with the
sports of running and triathlon and general fitness and
health issues. The opinions expressed in the articles referenced by the Digest
are the opinions of the writers and not necessarily
those of the Runner's Web. To comment on any stories in the Digest visit our
Forum at:
http://excoboard.com/exco/index.php?boardid=4655

This newsletter has been composed using Outlook set to "Plain Text" format. The
Digest is sent via an email list at
http://groups.yahoo.com.
If you experience any delays in receiving your copy of the Digest, please advise
us at:
mailto:webmaster@...

Webmasters:
Get our Syndicated headlines for you site.
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/rw_getRSS.html


Visit the Runner's Web at http://www.runnersweb.com/running.html The site is
updated multiple times daily. Check out our daily news,
features, polls, trivia, bulletin boards and more. General questions should be
posted to one of our forums available from our
FrontPage.

For new subscribers:
If you have any questions regarding the options available for receiving this
digest, please do NOT email the list, rather email me
directly at mailto:Webmaster@...


You can receive the digest in three ways:
1. Immediately, via email,
2. Daily, in an email summary, and
3. By accessing the YahooGroups.com web site on demand.

The mail list has been set to not allow attachments out of concerns for viruses.
Also, all messages must be approved by the monitor
(me) prior to being released to the group.

NOTE
**[ Some e-mail clients may split the URL address into two lines. If you have
trouble connecting to a link, be sure that you
paste the entire address into your browser, so that it ends in ".html" or
another appropriate suffix ].

References/URLs:
Most references in the digest which do not have a specific URL listed here are
available from the Runner's Web FrontPage (or
Archives) at: http://www.runnersweb.com/running.html
Also, if have email software that does not read HTML, all links contained in the
Digest are available from the Runner's Web. All
URLs listed here have been verified as of the Digest publication date. It is
possible that the site may have archived or deleted the
page after publication. If you are unable to reach a URL listed here, ensure
that you are using the entire URL (see above). If you
still cannot reach the site, please email me at:
mailto:webmaster@... and I will try to track it down.

Note: Some sites require free registration. If you wish to sign up for free
access to sources for our articles without using your
main email address we suggest the use of a mail alias program such as
www.emailias.com.


New This Week:

Request for Help:
The Runner's Web News is indexed by Google, NewsNow(UK), MSN's news NewsBot,
AskJeeves and a number of other news searches.
Our RSS feed is available through Yahoo and other RSS Readers.
We are requesting our subscriber's help in getting our News indexed by Yahoo.
Go to this link below and follow the instructions:
News content providers can submit content directly to the Yahoo! News Search
index by selecting the "Suggest news site" from the
pull-down
menu on the News feedback form.
Please provide the following information in the feedback window
-http://add.yahoo.com/fast/help/us/news/cgi_feedback/ to assure that Yahoo! can
process your request.
Name of news source
URL of news source
RSS address (optional)
Contact email address.
Thanks for your help.

On January 7th we started a new feature on the website - A Question and Answer
with Owen Anderson from Running Research News.
Send in your training related questions for Owen to answer to
mailto:webmaster@...?subject=Owen_Anderson
Check out the questions and answers from the Q and A Index page at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/RRN_AskOwen_index.html

If anyone is looking for a web mail provider, you might wish to consider
Google's GMail. Currently you can get GMail by invitation
only from a current user. I still have some invitations to give away to the
first to respond (by email timestamp) Digest
subscribers to contact me at: mailto:kparker@....

The Runner's and Triathlete's Web Digest is now available through an RSS feed
for myYahoo at:
http://e.my.yahoo.com/config/cstore?.opt=content&.url=http%3a//rss.groups.yahoo.\
com/group/RunnersWeb/rss
The Digest is also available through other RSS Readers on request.

Microsoft® Alerts on RunnersWeb.com Inc.
RunnersWeb.com Inc. now offers Microsoft® Alerts! This service lets you receive
important messages through your MSN® Messenger or
Windows® Messenger, your e-mail, or your mobile device. You can choose how and
when you receive these messages by specifying your
preferences during the easy setup process.
Sign up at:
http://www.messagecast.net/alerts/login.do?PINID=2598&returnURL=http://www.runne\
rsweb.com

We are currently at 909 members as of publication time. Forward the Runner's Web
Digest to a friend and suggest that they subscribe
at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RunnersWeb/join.

Race Directors:
Advertise your event on the Runner's Web. Over 1.8 MILLION visits in 2004!
For more information:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/rw_advertising.html
For text ads check out our AdBrite partnership at:
http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=15182&afsid=1

To comment on any stories in the Digest visit our Forum at:
http://excoboard.com/exco/index.php?boardid=4655


Runner's and Triathlete's Web Content Partners:

* Sports Nutrition by Sheila Kealey.
Sheila is one of Ottawa's top multisport athletes and a member of the OAC Racing
Team and X-C Ottawa. She has a Masters in Public
Health and works in the field of nutritional epidemiology as a Research
Associate with the University of California, San Diego. Her
column index is available at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/SK_index.html

* Carmichael Training Systems
Carmichael Training Systems was founded in 1999 by Chris Carmichael. From the
beginning, the mission of the company has been to
improve the lives of individuals we work with through the application of proper
and effective fitness and competitive training
techniques. Whether your focus is recreational, advanced, or you are a
professional racer, the coaching methodology employed by CTS
will make you a better athlete. Check the latest column from CTS at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/cts_columns.html.

* Running Research News
Running Research News is a monthly newsletter which keeps sports-active people
up-to-date on the latest information about training,
sports nutrition, and sports medicine. RRN publishes practical, timely new
material which improves workouts, prevents injuries, and
heightens overall fitness. Check our latest column from Running Research News
at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/RRN_index.html

* Peak Performance Online
Peak Performance is a subscription-only newsletter for athletes, featuring the
latest research from the sports science world. We
cover the whole range of sports, from running and rowing to cycling and
swimming, and each issue is packed full of exclusive
information for anyone who's serious about sport. It's published 16 times a
year, including four special reports, by Electric Word
plc. Peak Performance is not available in the shops - only our subscribers are
able to access the valuable information we publish
Check out our latest article from Peak Performance Online at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/PPO_index.html

* Peak Running Performance
Peak Running Performance Is The Number 1 Technical Running Newsletter In
America! Check out their article index at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/PRP_index.html.

* WatsonLifeSport
Lance Watson is "Just The Winningest Coach in Triathlon". He has been coaching
triathlon and distance running since 1987. Over the
years, Lance has coached some of the most successful athletes in the sport of
triathlon and duathlon,
His latest article (Multisport: Ask Coach Watson - Improving run speed) is
available at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20050114_LW_ImprovingSpeed.html


This Weeks Personal Postings/Releases:
We have NO personal postings this week.


This Week's Digest Article Index:

1. Science of Sport: Is Contrast Training For You?
2. Athletics: The Yessis System for Improving Running Performance
3. Science of Sport: Drink it Up
4. Running's Greatest Bloopers
True stories of chaos on the roads, tracks and trails of the world
5. Diet and Lose Weight? Scientists Say 'Prove It!'
6. Do I need a women's specific bike seat?
7. Joe Henderson's Running Commentary - My Big Brother
8. NISMAT Sports Nutrition Corner: Carbohydrate
The easiest and one the most proven ways of improving performance is by
manipulating carbohydrate intake, particularly for endurance
type athletes or those involved in sports like soccer, water polo, and
basketball.
9. "Elements of good running form" by Coach Katherine
10. Stronger Heart May Give Women Longevity Edge
Greater age-related decline found in men's pumping ability, but physical
activity appears to offer protection.
11. Yoga for Runners
Although yoga and running lie on opposite ends of the exercise spectrum, the two
need not be mutually exclusive.
12. Five Common Race Nutrition Mistakes
Avoiding these five common race nutrition mistakes could mean the difference
between a DNF and a PR in your next triathlon.
13. From Runner's World
14. Too Little Sleep May Pack on Pounds
Study links insufficient slumber to obesity.
15. Checking up on heart rate monitors
The popular devices track optimum workout levels, but some doubt their general
usefulness.
16. How much is your diet costing you?
Eating healthy doesn't have to cost more. But for many Americans, diet plans and
higher grocery bills go together like peanut butter
and jelly.
17. Triathlon - Our National(s) Myopia
18. New diet guide: Count calories and exercise
The government on Wednesday told Americans to slash their calorie intake and
exercise 30 to 90 minutes a day, updating guidelines
that advised people to lose weight but gave few specifics on how to do it.
19. Crunch Time
Ab machines promise washboard stomachs in minutes a day, but do they really
work? We get an expert and put seven units to the test.
20. Stress fractures can be avoided
21. Bursitis
Prevention & Treatment Strategies for Bursitis.
22. High-Intensity Training Is More Effective In Improving Cardiorespiratory
Fitness Than Moderate-Intensity Training Of Equal
Energy Cost
23. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine
24. Pumping Iron
How Iron Levels in Your Blood Affect Running Performance.
25 News Scan
A collection of news items.


Runner's Web Weekly Poll:
This week's poll is: "Why did Paula Radcliffe choose to run the London Marathon
over the Boston Marathon?"

Cast your vote at: http://www.runnersweb.com/running.html
Post your views in our Forum at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/runnersweb_forum.html
[Free Registration Required]

The previous poll was: "Should the Ironman triathlon be added to the Olympics?"
The results at publication time were:
Answers Votes Percent
1. Yes, added 34 31%
2. Yes, replace Olympic distance 7 6%
3. No 68 61%
4. No opinion, don't care 2 2%
Total Votes: 111

You can access the poll from our FrontPage as well as voting on and/or checking
the results of previous polls.

Forward the Runner's Web Digest to a friend and suggest that they subscribe at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RunnersWeb/join


Five Star Site of the Week: Marie Davenport, World Class Runner.
Bio:
EDUCATION: PROVIDENCE COLLEGE, Providence, Rhode Island
Bachelors of Science, Marketing, 1997-1998
Bachelors of Science, Management, 1993-1997
IRISH NATIONAL TEAM
2004.... Competed in Olympic Games - Athens
2003.... Competed in World Championships - Saint-Denis
2002.... Competed in European Championships - Munich
2002.... Irish National 1500m Champion
2002.... Ran for Ireland in the World Cross Country Championship
1999.... Competed for Ireland in World Cross Country Championship
1998.... Competed for Ireland in the European Cross Country Championship
1996.... Competed in Olympic Games - Atlanta
Check out Marie's website at:
http://www.mariedavenport.com/


Send us your suggestions for our Five Star site. Please check our
list of previous Five Star Sites available from the Five Star
Window under the link "Previous Five Star Sites" as we do not wish to
repeat a site unless it has undergone a major redesign.


If you feel you have something to say that is worthy of a Guest Column on the
Runner's Web, email us at
mailto:webmaster@... or leave your comments in one of our Forums at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/forum.html or from our FrontPage.

Our Photo Slideshow is updated on a random basis. Check it out from our
FrontPage.

Book of the Week: Mastering Mountain Bike Skills.
Increase your speed, control, and versatility on the bike. Mastering Mountain
Bike Skills provides detailed technical instruction
for all mountain biking disciplines:
Cross-country
Downhill
Mountain cross
Free riding
Dirt jumping
Urban terrain
With top pro mountain biker Brian Lopes as your teacher, you’ll learn how to
handle the bike better than ever, in any conditions,
across all types of terrain. Key tips and special photo sequences throughout the
book add insight to Lopes’ world-class instruction.
Buy the book at Human Kinetics at:
http://www.humankinetics.com/products/showproduct.cfm?associate=880&isbn=0736056\
246


More books from Amazon at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/amazon.html
and Human Kinetics at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/human_kinetics.html

This Weeks News:

Articles:

1. Science of Sport: Is Contrast Training For You?
By Owen Anderson, Ph. D. (copyright © 2003-2005)
When athletes carry out strength-training workouts designed to improve their
power, they often utilize relatively light resistances,
since such resistances permit more explosive movements. However, they also
often combine light loads with heavy loads within their
power workouts, because heavy resistance seems to create a greater activation
and preparation for maximal effort in subsequent
explosive movements (1). Some exercise experts have claimed that the power
gains associated with the utilization of a combination
of heavy and light resistance can be three times greater, compared with
conventional programs which use only light or only heavy
resistance (2).
Controlled scientific research suggests that the gains in power associated with
heavy-light combinations are a bit more subdued, but
nonetheless real. In one study, athletes achieved a statistically significant
2.8-% increase in explosive, jump-squat height after
performing a set of relatively heavy-resistance half-squats, compared with doing
the jump squats without the preceding high-load
half-squats (3). Researchers suggested that this difference occurred because
the heavy squats produced a "potentiation" effect
which allowed muscles to contract more quickly and forcefully. This response
was believed to be particularly noticeable in
fast-twitch motor units - collections of muscle cells with an intrinsic ability
to shorten at high rates of speed.
Supporting work carried out by noted German scientist Dietmar Schmidtbleicher
(4) found that three maximal voluntary contractions of
the quadriceps muscles led to a 3.3-% upswing in counter-movement jump height
for both male and female athletes (counter-movement
jumps are efforts in which an athlete first goes into a crouching position and
then springs upward as high as possible). In
Schmidtbleicher's investigation, drop-jump height also improved after maximal
quadriceps work (drop jumps are performed by jumping
down from a platform and then springing up explosively), and explosive force and
movement velocity were greater during bench throws
after upper-body maximal voluntary contractions. Note that this positive effect
of prior heavy exertion on subsequent power,
although real, is somewhat counter-intuitive. One might expect that maximal or
near-maximal contractions against heavy resistance
would induce some level of fatigue that would subsequently retard explosive
movements, but instead well-controlled high-load work
often seems to facilitate subsequent powerful actions.
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20050115_RRN_Contrast.html


2. Athletics: The Yessis System for Improving Running Performance:
The Yessis System for Improving Running Performance is unique in that it is
based on science and practice. It closely examines the
physical qualities such as strength, flexibility and power and technical
(mechanical) aspects that determine how well and how
successfully you run.
The Yessis System evolved over many years of study and practical experience.
Its origins were in the research that was done on
runners, especially Soviet biomechanical and physiological studies when their
athletes were dominant in the world of sports. Their
analyses of running were far beyond anything that was available in the Western
World. In addition to the Soviet research, other
countries that had successful runners were analyzed to determine how they
developed high-level runners.
As a biomechanics and kinesiology professor, Dr. Yessis integrated this
information into his teachings and developed practical means
of helping runners. For well over thirty years, he performed biomechanical and
kinesiological analyses of hundreds of runners,
mostly world-class and Olympic level. The information gleaned and the practical
experiences gained culminated in the present system
which is still constantly evolving as new exercises and techniques are developed
for even greater improvement.
The Yessis System is based on three distinct but overlapping phases of training.
They are based on proven ways to improve and
perfect the physical and technical abilities needed in effective running. This
includes 1) Improvement of running technique, 2)
Development of the physical qualities such as strength, flexibility and power as
they relate specifically to running, and 3) The
combining of technique with improved physical development to get the greatest
improvement possible. Understand that your running is
only as good as your physical abilities allow. Merely doing more running does
not improve your ability to run faster or further.
This typically leads to injury, not better running!
Specifically, the three distinct but overlapping phases are as follows:
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20050113_YESSIS_Technique.html


3. Science of Sport: Drink it Up:
By Josh Powers, CTS Senior Coach
We all know how important hydration is to the success of any physical endeavor
and how critical it is in peaking performance in an
endurance event. Off the bike hydration is as easy as carrying around a bottle
of water and enduring the ridicule of your friends
for being the only adult they know that never goes anywhere without a bottle.
On the bike hydration is another matter. It's an
activity that tends to take far more conscious thought and planning.
Water accounts for roughly 60% of the total body mass in most male cyclists and
about 55% for the average woman. That's close to
100 lbs of water for a 160 lb male or roughly 11.5 gallons of water. Water can
be lost through several avenues. After combining
the water losses through perspiration, urination and breathing you can loose
close to 3 liters of water every day. If you're
exercising in hot and or humid environments you have the capability of loosing
triple that value.
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_CTS_20050114_Powers.html


4. Running's Greatest Bloopers:
True stories of chaos on the roads, tracks and trails of the world.
Take thousands of people and set them loose on the streets of a city or town, a
mountain trail, or even the controlled environment
of a track, and what do you get? A not-so-rare opportunity for things to go
spectacularly wrong! After exhaustive research around
the globe, we have compiled a sampling of the funniest-case scenarios we’ve been
privileged to witness (or hear about) in recent
history. We present here Running Times’ awards for Outstanding Achievements in
Running Mishaps and Misadventures. All of these
stories are true and, we believe, qualify for induction into the Blooper Hall of
Fame.
Best "One-Bad-Apple-Spoils-the-Whole-Bunch" Blooper
Presented by the New Hampshire Apple Growers Association
Unquestionably, this prize goes to Tom Derderian, who managed single-handedly to
ruin the 1981 Portsmouth (NH) Marketplace 10K by
sending thousands of hapless runners into total chaos and confusion. (This story
is a Running Times exclusive, as Tom has kept his
dark and horrible sin a secret for 18 years and is only now revealing the truth
to clear his conscience once and for all.)
It all began innocently enough as the gun went off and several thousand runners
headed through the winding streets of the old
seaport town. They were led by two sub-30-minute guys who, along with the lead
vehicle, promptly disappeared out of sight of the
chase pack. Tom was happily in third place, leading a pack of several dozen men
running about 31- to 32-minute pace, with several
hundred more runners strung out behind.
More...from Running Times at:
http://www.runningtimes.com/issues/99nov/bloopers.htm


5. Diet and Lose Weight? Scientists Say 'Prove It!'
With obesity much on Americans' minds, an entire industry has sprung up selling
diets and diet books, meal replacements and exercise
programs, nutritional supplements and Internet-based coaching, all in an effort
to help people lose weight.
But a new study, published today, finds little evidence that commercial
weight-loss programs are effective in helping people drop
excess pounds. Almost no rigorous studies of the programs have been carried out,
the researchers report. And federal officials say
that companies are often unwilling to conduct such studies, arguing that they
are in the business of treatment, not research.
"In general, the industry has always been opposed to making outcomes
disclosures," said Richard Cleland, the assistant director for
advertising practices at the Federal Trade Commission.
"They have always given various rationales," Mr. Cleland said, from "'It's too
expensive,' to even arguing that part of this is
selling the dream, and if you know what the truth is, it's harder to sell the
dream." The study, published in today's issue of
Annals of Internal Medicine, found that with the exception of Weight Watchers,
no commercial program had published reliable data
from randomized trials showing that people who participated weighed less a few
months later than people who did not participate. And
even in the Weight Watchers study, the researchers said, the results were
modest, with a 5 percent weight loss after three to six
months of dieting, much of it regained.
More...from NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/04/health/nutrition/04fat.html


6. Do I need a women's specific bike seat?
For some women, a women's specific bike seat is quite possibly the most
important component on their bike. If you have serious
comfort issues with your bike saddle a women's specific bike seat may be the
answer, but don't just get any women's specific bike
seat, you will want to make sure it fits you properly.
While sitting on your bike for hours at a time is never particularly pleasant on
the bottom side, mountain biking doesn't need test
your ability to endure pain.
It is important to note that male or female, your body does need some time to
adjust to riding a bike. If you haven't ridden a bike
for some time it may take two or three rides within a couple weeks for your body
to adjust to sitting on a bike seat. However, once
this adjustment period is over, a little soreness from sitting on the seat for a
long ride may be normal but you shouldn't have any
significant pain during or after a ride.
There are two issues that should be dealt with in any women's specific mountain
bike seat.
More...from About at:
http://mountainbike.about.com/od/womensbikingguide/f/Womens_seats.htm


7. Joe Henderson's Running Commentary - My Big Brother:
My brother Mike and I didn't look or exercise alike, eat or sleep alike. He was
two years older but looked a decade my senior, not
because I'm youthful but because he aged faster. He outweighed me by almost 100
pounds, not because I'm thin but because his food
intake far outran his activity.
But Mike and I were more alike than anyone would have guessed at first glance.
Most of all we shared a lifelong passion for
sports -- one sport for me, all of them for him.
He worked two jobs at once -- one for pay as information director for an Iowa
high school athletic association, the other voluntary
for anyone who wanted his statistical services for sports in his home state. His
greatest athletic love was the Drake Relays, which
he served for 40 years.
For all the writing that my brother did, he almost never mentioned himself.
(Again unlike his brother.) One of the very few pieces
that did was a biographical sketch requested by his employer. He wrote this as
if talking about someone else.
I quote his own words: "In grade school Mike used crayolas and dice for 'play'
track meets complete with scoring." From the next
bedroom I would hear him announcing these nighttime races: "Here comes Orange on
the outside... Black is dropping back." He recorded
all the results.
Mike was once a better athlete than he ever would let on later. He started at
quarterback on our high school's football team, played
a strong game of basketball at five-feet-seven and ran the hurdles -- LOW
hurdles, anyway -- until a knee blew out in his junior
year.
As a senior he hobbled along gamely on 1-1/2 legs. We played on the same
football team that year. Mike was the reserve quarterback
by then, and I ran the ball only in games when the outcome was well assured.
More...from Joe Henderson at:
http://www.joehenderson.com/archive/484.html


8. NISMAT Sports Nutrition Corner - Carbohydrate:
The easiest and one the most proven ways of improving performance is by
manipulating carbohydrate intake, particularly for endurance
type athletes or those involved in sports like soccer, water polo, and
basketball.
Carbohydrates are simple sugars or long chains of sugars which are linked
together [starches]. Paradoxically, carbohydrates are the
preferred fuel during exercise of high intensity but they are stored in
extremely limited amounts in the body. This storage form of
carbohydrate, called glycogen, is found primarily in muscles and liver. The
glycogen in the muscle is used directly by the muscle
which is being exercised. In other words, once its limited stores of glycogen
are gone it cannot "borrow" from other resting
muscles.
Depletion of glycogen by the working muscles leads to severely impaired exercise
performance, which at its extreme is known as
"hitting the wall". This makes obvious the need to
1. increase glycogen stores prior to exercise, and
2. supply carbohydrate during prolonged exercise.
More...from Nismat at:
http://www.nismat.org/nutricor/carbohydrate.html


9. "Elements of good running form" by Coach Katherine:
Since the run is the final portion of the triathlon, it is often the hardest for
people as they are running on low energy. Becoming
a more efficient runner will help you make the most of the last leg of your
triathlon. There are a few skills that you can practice
in order to be a smooth and seemingly effortless runner.
The first skill to practice is proper body alignment. Begin by standing tall,
with your head directly over your hips and your feet.
This position, with a slight amount of forward lean, should be maintained while
running. It is helpful to look several yards in
front of you while running, rather than looking directly in front of your feet.
Avoid the two extremes of bending at the waist and
leaning too far forward, or pushing your hips and butt back into a sitting
position.
The second skill to practice is a high turnover rate. Turnover rate is defined
as the number of steps you take per minute. You can
determine your turnover rate by counting how many times your right foot strikes
the ground within 10 seconds, multiplying that
number by 6 for total right foot strikes, and then doubling for your total steps
per minute. A good goal turnover rate is around
180 steps per minute. This is equivalent to 15 foot strikes of your right foot
10 seconds. This may feel fast and awkward at
first, and you may need to shorten the length of your stride to accomplish it.
If your existing turnover rate is much lower than
180, you will need to spend several weeks slowly building up to that goal. As
you become more used to running at a higher turnover
rate, it should start to feel easier and more comfortable.
More...from onTri.com at:
http://www.ontri.com/runningform.html


10. Stronger Heart May Give Women Longevity Edge:
Greater age-related decline found in men's pumping ability, but physical
activity appears to offer protection.
Less heart weakening with age may explain why women tend to outlive men, but
physical activity could close the longevity gap.
UK researchers at Liverpool John Moores University found that between the years
of 18 and 70, men's hearts lose between 20% and 25%
of their pumping ability while women's experience little change.
Lead researcher David Goldspink, however, says that research suggests men can
improve their health because 50- to 70-years-old
veteran athletes have been found to have hearts as strong as inactive
20-year-olds.
The findings come from a study of the effects of aging on the cardiovascular
system. For two years, Goldspink and colleagues have
looked at more than 250 healthy men and women between the years of 18 and 80.
Choosing only healthy people, they say, allows them to look at the aging process
without the complications of various diseases.
More...from Better Humans at:
http://www.betterhumans.com/News/news.aspx?articleID=2005-01-10-4


11. Yoga for Runners:
Although yoga and running lie on opposite ends of the exercise spectrum, the two
need not be mutually exclusive.
During the course of an average mile run, your foot will strike the ground 1,000
times. The force of impact on each foot is about
three to four times your weight. It's not surprising, then, to hear runners
complain of bad backs and knees, tight hamstrings, and
sore feet.
The pain most runners feel is not from the running in and of itself, but from
imbalances that running causes and exacerbates. If you
bring your body into balance through the practice of yoga, you can run long and
hard for years to come. Although yoga and running
lie on opposite ends of the exercise spectrum, the two need not be mutually
exclusive. In fact, running and yoga make a good
marriage of strength and flexibility.
Striking a Balance
Runners who stick with running are most likely structurally balanced individuals
who can handle the physical stresses of the workout
with minimal discomfort. Yet, many runners don't survive the imbalances that
running introduces. Often, they suffer from chronic
pain and are sidelined by injury.
A typical runner experiences too much pounding, tightening, and shortening of
the muscles and not enough restorative, elongating,
and loosening work. Without opposing movements, the body will compensate to
avoid injury by working around the instability.
Compensation puts stress on muscles, joints, and the entire skeletal system.
More...from Yoga Journal at:
http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/192_1.cfm?ctsrc=sectnav
Avoid injury when practicing yoga and Pilates
Millions of Americans are taking up core-strengthening exercises including yoga
and Pilates. Many are enthusiastic but inexperienced
novices who fail to protect their spine while learning these practices.
In fact, in a recent national poll conducted by Harris Interactive, more than
half of all Americans suffered from back pain within
the past month, with nearly 16 percent blaming exercise.
More...from Active.com at:
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=11368&sidebar=576&category=healthclub


12. Five Common Race Nutrition Mistakes:
Avoiding these five common race nutrition mistakes could mean the difference
between a DNF and a PR in your next triathlon.
Mistake #1 - No plan
Perhaps the most common race nutrition mistake triathletes make is to come into
races without a plan. This oversight leads to costly
errors such as drinking too little and becoming dehydrated and eating too much
and becoming nauseated. In order to avoid making such
errors, you need to come into each race knowing what, when, and how much you're
going to drink and eat from the time you wake up
race morning until you cross the finish line. This plan should be based on 1) a
basic knowledge of the principles of race nutrition,
2) knowledge of your body's specific fluid, electrolyte, and carbohydrate needs
and tolerances, 3) the length and conditions of the
race, and 4) your fitness level upon entering the race.
More...from Inside triathlon at:
http://www.insidetriathlon.com/scott/articles/2331.0.html


13. From Runner's World:
* Coach's Corner
"If you routinely stay together with your running partner for only the first 20
minutes of an hour-long training run, your pace is
thrown off for the rest of the workout. Also, you start to feel defeated after
awhile. Communication is the key. Talk about ground
rules with your training partner before the run. Make sure you agree on the
pace, distance and route. The more input you have during
joint workouts, the less stress you'll feel running with a partner." - Coach
Bobby Gordon

* Injury Prevention
Strengthen your ankles: Strong ankles will help you avoid sprains and other
injuries, and they'll help you run more efficiently. Try
this: With your eyes closed, stand in a doorway balancing yourself on one foot,
gradually working up to 45 seconds for each foot. Do
this exercise two or three time a week.

* Performance Nutrition
Before you go to sleep, throw together a healthful lunch that will keep you
energized during the afternoon tomorrow. Always keep
sandwich fixings on hand such as: turkey, tuna, lean ham or beef, and hummus.
Toss in a soup-in-a-cup along with freshly cut
vegetables, and a piece of fruit. When eating out, pick a restaurant with
healthful offerings. If portion sizes are huge, share with
your coworkers or take leftovers home.

* Editor's Advice
"Whether you're preparing for spring track or road racing, the weekly long run
during the winter is important. Don't worry about the
pace. Just work on getting your long run up to what it was during the summer
when you were preparing for the fall racing
season." -Catherine Gundersen, RW managing editor

* Training Talk
"Finding the balance between being too intense for too long or not intense
enough for too short a time is the key to a successful
training program. If your workouts are too intense for too long, you'll probably
develop an injury. If your workouts are too short
at a low level of intensity, you'll never achieve your goals." -From No Need for
Speed by John Bingham

* Words That Inspire
"I've been running for 20 years. That's 20 years of positive decision making and
elevating my goals that got me there, not a couple
of months of hard work. You can relate that to anything in life, persistence and
making positive choices." -Deena Kastor, 2004
Olympic Games marathon bronze medal

* Editor's Advice
"Whether you're preparing for spring track or road racing, the weekly long run
during the winter is important. Don't worry about the
pace. Just work on getting your long run up to what it was during the summer
when you were preparing for the fall racing
season."-Catherine Gundersen, RW managing editor



14. Too Little Sleep May Pack on Pounds:
Study links insufficient slumber to obesity.
It sounds like the best diet plan of all time -- sleep more, weigh less.
It could be a reality, say researchers who have produced more evidence linking
less sleep to obesity.
The findings, which appear in the Jan. 10 issue of the Archives of Internal
Medicine, don't say which came first -- sleepy people or
fat people.
But study co-author Dr. Robert Vorona, an assistant professor of sleep medicine
at Eastern Virginia Medical School, suspects that
lack of sleep sets off hormonal changes that affect appetite. "It's very
possible that, over the long haul, restrictions in sleep
could dispose you to obesity," Vorona said.
He acknowledged that his theory is a bit odd, especially considering that people
use more energy when they're awake. "It's
counterintuitive that restricting sleep should lead to obesity, that sleeping
more should make you more apt to lose weight," he
said. "That doesn't sound like it makes sense."
More...from HealthScout at:
http://www.healthscout.com/news/1/523324/main.html


15. Checking up on heart rate monitors:
The popular devices track optimum workout levels, but some doubt their general
usefulness.
Hop on any cardiovascular machine these days and, in addition to the display
panel, you're likely to find metal plates on the
handlebars; grip them and your heart rate will pop up on the digital readout.
Those metal plates are sensors for an internal heart rate monitor, increasingly
popular in recent years, that's been showing up on
stair climbers, treadmills, elliptical trainers and stationary bikes from
companies such as Precor Inc., Life Fitness Inc. and
StairMaster Inc. Calculating heart rate during exercise and comparing it with a
standard target-heart-rate chart is a popular way to
determine whether someone is working at an appropriate level, and these
touch-sensitive monitors are a step up from the old-school
method of manually taking a pulse. The monitors are also available as
chest-strap devices.
But not all experts are convinced of the tools' usefulness. Though some say the
monitors can help people exercise at an optimum
level, others dismiss them as unnecessary bells and whistles.
At Gold's Gym in Venice, many members use the cardio machine monitors, says area
manager Matteo Baker. "The better the technology
has gotten, the easier it's become for members to figure it out," he says.
"Consumers nowadays are aware of heart rate, especially
when it comes to burning calories, and that's why they're demanding it from
manufacturers."
Most machines in commercial facilities have monitors, and higher-end home
equipment incorporates them as well. Some newer models are
able to pick up signals from chest-strap devices; among those, some machines can
adjust the workout intensity to keep the user in
the ideal zone.
More...from the LA Times at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-monitors10jan10,1,299194.story?coll\
=la-headlines-health&ctrack=1&cset=true
[Long URL]


16. How much is your diet costing you?
Eating healthy doesn't have to cost more. But for many Americans, diet plans and
higher grocery bills go together like peanut butter
and jelly.
The "typical" American spends about $59 a week per person on groceries,
according to recent figures from the Food Marketing
Institute.
So what's it going to cost you to go on that new diet? That depends on who you
ask and exactly what you eat.
Many of the low-carbohydrate diets emphasize regular portions of lean proteins,
which can be costly, says Ken Fujioka, M.D.,
director of nutrition and metabolic research at the Scripps Clinic in San Diego.
Eating on those plans can cost 25 percent to 50
percent more, he says, "mainly because of the increase in [the price of] beef.
"Also, when you go out to eat, you tend to go to nicer restaurants, steak houses
and so forth," Fujioka says.
Phil Lempert, author of Being the Shopper, worked with USA Today to do the math
for eating at home on two popular low-carbohydrate
diet plans. He calculated that a week's worth of suggested menus for the popular
Atkins diet plan costs $99 a week. For South Beach,
the total came to $89, says Lempert, editor of Supermarket Guru.
More...from Bankrate at:
http://www.bankrate.com/nscre/news/advice/20040604a1.asp


17. Triathlon - Our National(s) Myopia:
By Dan Empfield 1.10.05 (www.slowtwitch.com)
I'm a big supporter of our federation. Why? For the same reason I'm a big
supporter of America. Even if a current
administration—either administration—is tone deaf to the Idea upon which its
existence is built, it's the only government we have.
Though I am a supporter of both governing bodies—USA and USAT—I would sometimes
like to cause organ death or permanent mental
illness to certain of those who are charged with executing governance. (Yeah,
that's overkill—I would like to torture them in lesser
ways, but there are no lesser ways and still have it be torture, according to
our future Attorney General.)
What annoys me? Consider triathlon's national championships—not the race in any
particular year, but the process for venue
selection. I wrote about what a Nationals ought to look like four months ago.
Apparently it didn't take. I got an email last week
from a furious race organizer who informs me that our federation is demanding a
$30,000 rights fee from the city where the race is
staged, and USAT will retain the rights to produce the race. As to the latter
demand, I have no quarrel. It's that other demand I'd
like to consider.
More...from SlowTwitch at:
http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/opinion/nationals2.html


18. New diet guide: Count calories and exercise:
The government on Wednesday told Americans to slash their calorie intake and
exercise 30 to 90 minutes a day, updating guidelines
that advised people to lose weight but gave few specifics on how to do it.
The government on Wednesday told Americans to slash their calorie intake and
exercise 30 to 90 minutes a day, updating guidelines
that advised people to lose weight but gave few specifics on how to do it.
The new dietary guidelines will be used to update the familiar food pyramid,
which most people recognize but few heed. The revision
will be the pyramid's first since the Agriculture Department created it 12 years
ago.
Issued by the Agriculture and Health and Human Services departments, the
guidelines strengthened the government's advice on whole
grains, telling people to choose whole grains such as whole wheat bread instead
of refined ones like white bread or bagels.
People should also eat a lot more vegetables and fruit, the guidelines said.
"Eating fewer calories while increasing physical activity are the keys to
controlling body weight," the guidelines said.
The government recommended three one-ounce servings of whole grains each day,
such as certain unsweetened breakfast cereals, to
reduce the risk of heart disease and help maintain weight.
The new guidelines also encourage people to eat whole fruits and vegetables
rather than fruit and vegetable juices.
More...from CNN at:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/diet.fitness/01/12/food.pyramid.ap/index.html


19. Crunch Time:
Ab machines promise washboard stomachs in minutes a day, but do they really
work? We get an expert and put seven units to the test.
You can't channel surf these days without tripping over infomercials about
abdominal exercise machines. The claims sound fabulous.
The chiseled models look great. The messages are hard to resist.
"Men, get rock-hard, washboard abs! Women, get a flat stomach and a trim, sexy
waist! A patented rocking motion makes exercising
fun, safe and easy. It eliminates back and neck strain. Doubles the benefit in
half the time. Reduces the spare tire around your
gut. It's easy to order by phone. Call today!"
Blame it on the buffed actors appearing on "Baywatch," the bone-thin models in
Calvin Klein ads, the increasing popularity of
bare-midriff fashions or liposuction among celebrities. Whatever the reason,
everybody wants washboard abs.
We were as curious as you about whether they really worked, so we picked up the
phone and called. In fact, we made four calls and
ordered four different units, then went out and purchased five more at a
sporting goods store. In the end, we wound up with seven
different devices and thus began a rigorous, hands-on Popular Mechanics
comparison test. (Two devices didn't make it into the test.
We'll explain.)
We worked out with each of the units for about two months, becoming familiar
with their design, construction and directions. Then,
we enlisted fitness guru Kurt Brungardt to help analyze their physiological
value.
More...from Popular Mechanics at:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/sports/1283171.html


20. Stress fractures can be avoided:
Do not be fooled into thinking that your injury is a stress fracture only if you
are unable to run. Many runners could avoid stress
fractures if they would only take notice of a pain in the legs after a run.
At this point it’s possible to prevent a stress fracture by responding to the
developing problem: Stop running and see a sports
medicine specialist.
The words "stress fracture" strike fear into all runners. The diagnosis usually
means no running for at least six to eight weeks.
What exactly is a stress fracture and why should it scare you? More importantly,
what can you do to avoid a stress fracture, and to
deal with one if it does occur?
A stress fracture is a crack that does not go completely through the bone.
Initially called march fractures, they were first noted
in the 19th century in Prussian soldiers who marched too far or too often. The
injury has two main causes: too much repetitive
stress on a bone and/or weakness of the bone, which can result from a number of
different factors. If the repeated strain is greater
than the strength of the bone, then it will fracture.
The most common site of a stress fracture in the lower body is the tibia or shin
bone, followed by the metatarsals, the bones in the
foot behind the toes. Most stress fractures develop gradually. A typical tibial
stress fracture will initially be felt as "shin
splints," a catch-all term that refers to pain along the inside of the tibia.
The pain usually starts out over a large area along
the shinbone, and is mainly noticed after a hard training session or race, or
the morning after a long or difficult workout.
Shin splints occur when the muscles pull away from their attachment site along
the inside of the tibia. At this point it’s possible
to prevent a stress fracture by responding to the developing problem: Stop
running and see a sports medicine specialist. Left
untreated, the muscles will continue to pull, and this may cause a crack to form
in the bone. The pain will progress to the point
where it is noticed more during the run, and become focused on a smaller area of
the bone.
More...from World of Endurance at:
http://worldofendurance.com/runnersguide/training_column.asp?a_id=1038786&st_nam\
e=AchievingPersonalBest


21. Bursitis:
Prevention & Treatment Strategies for Bursitis.
What is a bursa?
Bursae are tiny fluid filled sacs located in areas of the body where bones,
ligaments and tendons connect. There are more than 150
bursae in the human body and they act as cushions for joints. The bursae help to
decrease friction between moving parts and without
them movement would be painful.
What is bursitis?
Put simply, bursitis is inflammation of the bursa. When inflammation occurs, any
movement or stress on the bursa causes pain and
prevents the bursa from working properly.
Some common signs of bursitis are a dull ache or stiffness in the affected area;
increased pain with movement; tenderness; swelling;
redness; and heat.
Although there are many bursae located throughout the body, the most common
areas of complaint are the shoulders, elbows, hips and
knees.
What causes bursitis?
The main causes of bursitis can be broken into two major areas: chronic
bursitis, which is caused by overuse or repetition, and
acute bursitis, which is caused by traumatic injury.
In the first instance, any prolonged, repetitive movement of a joint will place
strain on the bursa, which over time can cause
inflammation and tenderness and result in bursitis. For example, prolonged
hammering or vacuuming can place strain on the bursae in
the elbow and wrist, and result in bursitis.
More...from the Stretching Handbook at:
http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/archives/bursitis.htm


22. High-Intensity Training Is More Effective In Improving Cardiorespiratory
Fitness Than Moderate-Intensity Training Of Equal
Energy Cost:
Changes in cardiorespiratory fitness and coronary heart disease risk factors
following 24 weeks of moderate- or high-intensity
exercise of equal energy cost.
O'donovan G, Owen A, Bird SR, Kearney EM, Nevill AM, Jones DW, Woolf-May K.
Department of Sport Science, Tourism and Leisure, Canterbury Christ Church
University College, Canterbury, United Kingdom.
This study was designed to investigate the effect of exercise intensity on
cardiorespiratory fitness and coronary heart disease risk
factors. Maximum oxygen consumption (VO2 max), lipid, lipoprotein and fibrinogen
concentrations were measured in 64 previously
sedentary men before random allocation to a non-exercise control group, a
moderate-intensity exercise group (three 400-kcal sessions
per week at 60% of VO2 max) or a high-intensity exercise group (three 400- kcal
sessions per week at 80% of VO2 max). Subjects were
instructed to maintain their normal dietary habits and training heart rates were
re-prescribed after monthly fitness tests.
Forty-two men finished the study. After 24 weeks, VO2 max increased by
0.38+/-0.14 l(.)min(-1) in the moderate-intensity group and
by 0.55+/-0.27 l(.)min(-1) in the high-intensity group. Repeated measures
analysis of variance identified a significant interaction
between monthly VO2 max score and exercise group (F=3.37, P<0.05), indicating
that VO2 max responded differently to moderate- and
high-intensity exercise. Trend analysis showed that total cholesterol,
low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, non-high-density
lipoprotein cholesterol and fibrinogen concentrations changed favourably across
control, moderate-intensity and high-intensity
groups. However, significant changes in total cholesterol (-0.55+/-0.81
mmol(.)l(-1)), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol
(-0.52+/-0.80 mmol(.)l(-1)) and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol
(-0.54+/-0.86 mmol(.)l(-1)) were only observed in the
high-intensity group (all P<0.05 vs. controls). These data suggest that
high-intensity training is more effective in improving
cardiorespiratory fitness than moderate-intensity training of equal energy cost.
These data also suggest that changes in coronary
heart disease risk factors are influenced by exercise intensity.
From: NCBI


23. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine:
* Awkward Running Form
Many people look terribly uncoordinated when they run. Telling them to change
their form will just make them more uncoordinated. If
a coach criticizes a team member for poor running form and doesn't correct the
underlying causes, the person is likely to become
self-conscious about how he or she looks, and run even more slowly.
Coordination usually improves just with repeated practice in
the chosen sport.
Running form can improve markedly if you can correct muscle imbalances and
structural abnormalities with appropriate exercises and
perhaps mechanical devices. A coach can videotape the athletes while they run,
then review the tape in slow motion to analyze the
mechanical defects. For example, leaning forward during running is often caused
by weak back muscles, which can be treated with
exercises to strengthen the back. Pointing the toes out is often caused by weak
lower leg muscles and can be corrected by doing
exercises to strengthen the shin muscles. Leaning back on the heels after foot
plant can be caused by excessive rolling-in motion of
the feet or weak calf muscles. Treatment often includes special inserts in the
shoes and calf strengthening exercises, such as toe
raises while holding a heavy weight in the hands. Holding the shoulders up
towards the ears during running is usually caused by weak
shoulder muscles, which can be corrected by shrugging the shoulders while
holding weights. A low knee-lift is often caused by weak
quadriceps muscles in the front of the upper leg. The quadriceps can be
strengthened by pedaling a bicycle, skating, or running up
hills.

* Dear Dr. Mirkin: Will fasting before a big event improve my endurance?
No. Fasting became popular because of a study that showed rats can run further
after fasting than after eating. But rats are
different from people. In rats, fasting increased the rate that a rat's muscles
use fat, to preserve stored muscle sugar. In humans,
fasting does not cause muscles to burn more fat. After fasting, human muscles
continue to burn primarily their own sugar. Fasting
for 24 hours uses up the same amount of muscle sugar as running for 90 minutes.
How long you can exercise a muscle depends on how much sugar, called glycogen,
you can store and how long you can keep glycogen in
that muscle. When a muscle runs out of its stored glycogen, it hurts and you
will have difficulty coordinating it. Every time that
you move a muscle, some of the stored glycogen is used up. Every time that you
eat, some of the food can be stored as glycogen in
that muscle. When you go for a
long time without eating, you use up glycogen without replacing it. If you fast
before a race, you will start that race with reduced
stores of glycogen in your muscles and you will not be able to compete at your
best.
It is nonsensical to claim that fasting increases endurance by causing muscles
to burn more fat and less glycogen so that muscles
can retain their stored glycogen longer. When you start with less glycogen, you
still use it up faster and run out of fuel earlier.
You can increase your endurance by markedly cutting back on exercise in the days
before your competition and eating as much or more
than usual. If the competition lasts more than two hours, you should also eat
and drink during the event.


24. Pumping Iron:
How Iron Levels in Your Blood Affect Running Performance.
Iron is clearly important for running performance, yet many serious runners do
not monitor their iron levels. Iron is used for
production of hemoglobin in your red blood cells, myoglobin in your muscle
fibers, and enzymes for aerobic energy production.
Runners tend to lose more iron than non-runners due to foot strike hemolysis
(breakdown of red blood cells when your foot strikes
the ground) and iron loss through sweat and the gastrointestinal system. For
pre-menopausal women runners, maintaining normal iron
levels is often a challenge due to these factors plus menstrual blood loss and
low iron intake.
How does iron affect your running? Your red blood cells contain hemoglobin.
Oxygen attaches to hemoglobin at your lungs and is
carried to your muscles and other tissues where it is used to produce energy
aerobically. If you have low iron levels, you produce
fewer red blood cells, and your hemoglobin level decreases. Less oxygen is
transported to your muscles, therefore, and your running
performance (amongst other aspects of your life) deteriorates. A small but
significant percentage of women runners develop iron
deficiency anemia (low hemoglobin, hematocrit and red blood cell count), which
has an immediate negative effect on running
performance (this condition is relatively rare in otherwise healthy men).
Depending on which studies you read, between 25 and 60 percent of competitive
female runners and up to 20 percent of male runners
have low iron stores, or iron depletion. The incidence is particularly high
among runners who have put in high mileage for a number
of years and avoid red meat. If you have low iron stores, your body may not be
able to maintain optimal levels of hemoglobin,
myoglobin and other proteins such as aerobic enzymes.
More...from Running Times at:
http://www.runningtimes.com/issues/04janfeb/pfitz.htm


25. News Scan:

* Only moderate drinking may lower stroke risk
Moderate drinking has been associated with a lower risk of heart attacks, but
the picture has been less clear in the case of stroke.
A new study says just how moderate your drinking has to be to protect against a
brain attack: It should be no more than one drink
every other day, and the libation of choice should be red wine.
Consuming more alcohol than that will invite cardiovascular trouble, the
researchers said. For men who drink three or more glasses
of alcohol a day, the increased risk of stroke reaches almost 45 percent,
compared with nondrinkers, according to the report in
Tuesday's issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
"As men drink more, the risk for stroke becomes particularly clear," said study
author Dr. Kenneth Mukamal, an associate professor
of medicine with Harvard Medical School.
Over 14 years, Mukamal's team collected data on 38,156 men who participated in
the Harvard School of Public Health's Health
Professionals Follow-up Study. Every four years from 1986 to 2000, the men
completed questionnaires about their diet and how much
they drank.
From the Indy Star

* The weaker sex?
"A team from Liverpool John Moores University found men's hearts lose up to a
quarter of their pumping power from 18 years old to
70," reports BBC News. "But there was little change in women's hearts from 20 to
70, the study of 250 people said. The researchers
said the difference may explain why women live on average up to five years
longer than men."
From the Globe and Mail

* Muscle Loss Can Point to Heart Failure
The link between weight loss caused by muscle wasting and congestive heart
failure is outlined in a Tulane University Medical Center
study in the current issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
It's known that congestive heart failure -- the leading cause of cardiovascular
disease and related death -- is associated with
elevated blood levels of angiotensin II, which causes blood vessel contraction,
high blood pressure and muscle wasting.
While it was recognized that weight loss caused by muscle wasting is an
important predictor of poor outcomes in patients with heart
failure, researchers had a poor understanding of the mechanisms underlying this
association.
In previous research with rats, the Tulane scientists found that administration
of angiotensin II resulted in a reduction in body
weight and a decrease in levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in both
blood and skeletal muscle.
In this new study, the Tulane team found that angiotensin II inhibited IGF-1
signaling in skeletal muscle. They concluded that this
is casually related to the loss of skeletal muscle.
The scientists also found a complete reversal of angiotensin-induced muscle loss
in mice genetically engineered to overproduce
IGF-1.They found strong evidence that a specific signaling kinase pathway is
involved in the ability of IGF-1 to prevent muscle
loss.
From: HealthDayNews

* Iron Deficiency Sends Cells Into Tailspin
Iron deficiency forces cells to preserve what little iron they have and to
maintain essential functions by dramatically reducing the
activity of more than 80 different genes.
That's the conclusion of a Duke University Medical Center study in the Jan. 14
issue of Cell.
"We discovered that iron deprivation actually reprograms the metabolism of the
entire cell. Literally hundreds of proteins require
iron to carry out their proper function, so without this nutrient, there is a
complete reorganization of how cellular processes
occur," researcher Dennis J. Thiele, a professor of pharmacology and cancer
biology, said in a prepared statement.
Some of the genes affected by iron deficiency are known to play important roles
in generating energy, aging, protecting the cell
from free radicals and copying the cell's genetic code. But the function of many
of the affected genes is unknown, meaning that some
side effects caused by iron deficiency may go unrecognized.
The Duke team conducted its research in yeast cells. The findings may help in
the diagnosis and treatment of health problems caused
by iron deficiency, the researchers said.
Iron deficiency affects more than 2 billion people, and is the most common and
severe nutritional disorder worldwide. Anemia is the
most widely recognized symptom of iron deficiency. Other symptoms include
fatigue, weakness, cognitive problems, heart complications
and developmental disorders.
Iron is found in red meats, dried fruits, shellfish, spinach, whole grains,
seeds and a number of other foods.
From: HealthDayNews.

* Flexibility Reduces DOMS
How do some exercisers get away with less soreness than others?
A new study suggests flexibility reduces susceptibility to exercise-induced
muscle damage and delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
Eccentric exercise frequently causes muscle damage and DOMS. To induce muscle
damage, subjects performed six sets of 10 isokinetic
eccentric hamstring contractions at 60 percent of maximum strength, so everyone
exercised at the same relative intensity.
On the following three days, subjects were tested for DOMS symptoms.
The least flexible subjects (as measured by passive stiffness) felt
significantly more muscle tenderness and pain than the most
flexible subjects on the second and third days.
The least flexible subjects also experienced a statistically significant loss of
isometric strength, and increased creatine kinase
activity (another indicator of muscle damage).
Researchers theorize that the strain of lengthening stiff muscles during
eccentric contraction results in muscle fiber damage.
''Exercise in the presence of muscle damage involves a greater metabolic stress,
and limits exercise intensity and duration.
Therefore, more flexible people may be able to exercise at a higher intensity or
for a greater duration on the days after a bout of
eccentric exercise,'' they conclude.
Source: The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 1999; 27, 5: 594-599


*End of Articles*

This Weeks Featured Events:
*Please verify event dates with the event websites*

January 15, 2005:
Museum of Aviation Marathon - Warner Robins, GA
http://www.robinspacers.org

Portland Winter Run - Portland, MI
http://www.portlandrunningclub.homestead.com

January 15-16, 2005:
Freudenstadt European Winter Triathlon Championships - Germany
http://www.triathlon.org/winter-tri/win-2005/freundenstadt/index.html

January 16, 2005:
Bermuda Marathon & 10K - Bermuda
http://www.bermudatracknfield.com/btfa.htm

Carlsbad Marathon - Carlsbad, CA
http://www.carlsbadmarathon.com

HP Houston Marathon - TX
http://www.hphoustonmarathon.com

La Paz ITU American Continental Triathlon - Argentina
http://www.triathlon.org/international/int-2005/la-paz-2005/index.htm

Lost Dutch Marathon - Apache Junction, AZ
http://www.lostdutchmanmarathon.org

Marathon de Marrakech & Half Marathon - Marrakech, Morocco
http://www.marathon-marrakech.com

Richmond Road Races - Ottawa, ON
http://www.ncra-ottawa.com/hm/inside.php?id=203

Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon & Half-Marathon - Mumbai, India
http://www.mumbaimarathon.com

St. Pete Beach Classic 5K/10K - St. Pete Beach, FL
http://www.stpetebeachclassic.com


For more complete race listings check out our Upcoming Races, and Calendars.
Check the Runner's Web on Sunday and Monday for race
reports on these events at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running.html


Check out our FrontPage and our Runner's Web Television Links page at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/rw_television.html

For Triathlon Coverage check out The Sports Network at:
http://www2.sportsnet.ca/tvschedule/tvsked_sport.php?region=ONTARIO&schedule_id=\
25

Send this to a Friend:
Forward the Runner's Web Digest to a friend and suggest that they subscribe at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RunnersWeb/join

Your Feedback and Comments:
Comments, contributions and feedback are always welcome via this list at:
mailto:runnersweb@yahoogroups.com and in our Runner's Web
Forum, available off our FrontPage. If you post to the mailing list and get your
email returned, please contact the Runner's Web at
mailto:webmaster@... to notify us of the problem. To update your
Runner's Web eGroups subscriber's profile,
go to the web site at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RunnersWeb/join, sign in
and update your changes.
Forward the Runner's Web Digest to a friend and suggest that they subscribe at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RunnersWeb/join

Have a good week of training and/or racing.

Ken Parker
Runner's Web
mailto:webmaster@...
http://www.runnersweb.com/running.html


Runner's Web Affiliate Programs:
***********************************
Our newest affiliate is TrainingPeaks.com by Wes Hobson.
Find the training program that fits you at:
http://www.trainingpeaks.com/rw

HDO Sports - Leading Edge Sports Products
http://www.modularmerchant.com/clients/hdo/?aid=12

Puma
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000006585654

Fitsense Speed, Distance & Heart Rate Monitoring System for Runners and Walkers
http://buy.fitsense.com/processing2.asp?ID=28&Ad=101

Peak Performance Online
Free Copy of Peak Performance!
High-quality training newsletter worth £4 ($6) delivered straight to your door
http://www.pponline.co.uk/sendme/free.php?aff=runnersweb&sub=run

HDO Sport for Timex Body Link products
http://www.modularmerchant.com/clients/hdo/?aid=13

ITUtv.com
Live webcasts of triathlons and multi-sport events.
http://www.itutv.com/
Use promo code "RUNNERSWEB" to get a $5.00 discount.

Blockbuster
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000005675551

Fairmont Hotels
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000005674720

Triathlon Meetup
http://triathlon.meetup.com/r/d5n6/d5n6/0/http://triathlon.meetup.com/?a=d5n6/
593 are signed up for local Triathlon Meetups! Happening THIS month, find out
when .

The Finish Line
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000005637857

Patagonia
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000005568199

Motorola
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000005463364

AOL Broadband
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000005348025

Get the GM Card, get 5% Earnings from every credit card purchase, and
start charging toward a new GM car, truck or SUV.
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000005347188

ING DIRECT makes $aving money simple! Open your account online today
and start earning 2.10% variable APY. No Fees and No Minimums!
http://www.qksrv.net/click-1452277-10124087

TriSwim Coach - The Complete Guide to Triathlon Swimming
http://hop.clickbank.net/?rhianyth/triswim1

adidas' running apparel at 15% off! All running shorts, pants, and
shirts at reduced prices .
http://service.bfast.com/bfast/click?bfmid=20812557&siteid=39999062&bfpage=15745\
37

If you have an accident while running or cycling, do you want your
family to be contacted? Do you want to receive immediate and
proper medical treatment? If so, make this cool item part of your
gear -- for safety and peace of mind. Road ID has created 4
awesome ways for athletes to wear ID: the SHOE, the WRIST, the ANKLE,
and the NECK.
Get your RoadID at:
http://www.roadid.com/?referrer=50

The TRACK PROFILE Reader 2004, an in-depth review of the 2003 season
by Bob Ramsak, is now available. Selected from hundreds of
reports filed by the Track Profile News Service last year, The TRACK
PROFILE READER provides a unique look back at the
personalities, stories and events that defined track and field in
2003. With in depth profiles of the sport's biggest stars and
comprehensive on-site reports from major competitions, this annual
review takes the reader beyond the results, providing a perfect
companion for casual and
diehard fans alike. Check out the book at:
http://www.booksurge.com/author.php3?accountID=GPUB00341&affiliateID=A000497

The Stretching Handbook:
http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/cgi-bin/at.pl?a=286905
The Stretching Video in a DVD version. With the DVD version you're
able to use the convenient menu facility to:
* Go directly to a specific stretch;
* View only stretches for a specific muscle group;
* Pause each stretch to get a good look at how it is performed;
* View only the introduction and rules for safe stretching; or
* Play the entire video from start to finish.
Buy the DVD at:
http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/cgi-bin/at.pl?a=286905&e=products/video-dvd\
.htm

Buy all your sporting goods at Fogdog Sports, your anytime, anywhere
sports store.
Click here: http://www.fogdog.com/cgi-bin/affiliate?siteid=40054907

How To Run And Enjoy The Marathon By James Raia:
Price: $7.95
As a practical guide to the 26.2-mile journey, How To Run And Enjoy
The Marathon is a series of 15 self-help and service-oriented
articles about running marathons - the proper shoes to running
etiquette - is written by James Raia, a journalist and veteran
middle-of-the-pack marathon and ultramarathon runner in Sacramento,
Calif.
Buy the book at:
http://hop.clickbank.net/?rhianyth/eltomaja

END...OF DIGEST...