A FREE WEEKLY E-ZINE OF MULTISPORT RELATED ARTICLES.
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
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The Original Runner's and Triathlete's Web was founded in January of 1997 and is
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Visit the Runner's Web at http://www.runnersweb.com The site is updated multiple
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SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS:

1. RunnersWeb5K.com Race for Women
Women's only racing returns to Ottawa June 24th with a 5K race along the
Rockcliffe Parkway from the Aviation Museum.
More....
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5. National Capital Race Weekend - Ottawa, ON May 26 - 28, 2006
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6. Toronto Waterfront Marathon. September 24, 2006.
http://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/

7. The Toronto Marathon, October 15, 2006
http://www.torontomarathon.com

8. LifeSport by Lance Watson - Professional Coaching
Lance Watson 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. A Human Kinetics
graduate (sport psychology minor), Lance has had the
opportunity to work with and be mentored by numerous world-class swim, bike, run
and triathlon coaches and liaise with many top
sport professionals (scientists, psychologists, nutritionists, therapists, etc.)
Lance has coached at the 2000 Olympics, 2002 Commonwealth Games and 2003 Pan
American Games. He has been head coach at several
national-team events and coached at various Ironman, ITU World Cup and world
championship events. As well, he was an award recipient
as "Triathlon Canada Elite Coach Of The Year" four consecutive years from
2000-2003. He was the 2004 Olympic Team Head Coach
(Triathlon).
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/LifeSport.html


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If anyone is looking for a web mail provider, you might wish to consider
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Microsoft(r) Alerts on RunnersWeb.com Inc.
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and when you receive these messages by specifying
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Race Directors:
Advertise your event on the Runner's Web.
TRAFFIC CONTINUES TO GROW
Year Session Total Session Daily Pageviews Total
Pageviews Daily Hits Total Hits


Daily
2005 2,749,670 7,753.35 14,652,389
40,143.53 45,586,536 124,894.62
2004 1,786,510 4,881.17 9,564,629
26,132.87 34,204,661 93, 455.36
% Increase 54% 59% 53% 54%
33% 34%

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Marathons, Races and Triathlons pages.


THIS WEEK:
Beginning April 30th and lasting through Mother's Day (5/11), adidas is offering
15% off women's products! Choose from a wide range
of both apparel and footwear for performance, plus adidas Originals for style!
Customers should use AFFILMD06 at check out.
http://service.bfast.com/bfast/click?bfmid=20812557&siteid=39999062&bfpage=17782\
49

The Ottawa Race Weekend, Canada's largest running event, announced its first
national charity partnership in 32 years with the
Canadian Athletes Now Fund.
The Canadian Athletes Now Fund is a not for profit organization that raises
direct financial support for Canadian athletes so they
can compete on the world stage. Since 1997, the Fund has raised over 4 million
dollars and supported over 500 able bodied and
paralympic athletes.
This is a fabulous opportunity to support our Canadian athletes when they need
the support the most. It takes tremendous dedication
and training to be the best in the world and it also takes financial support.
The Canadian Athletes Now Fund provides direct financial support to our Canadian
athletes. Athletes allocate the funds they receive
for equipment needs, coaching, training opportunities and proper nutrition.
The Canadian Athletes Now Fund is looking for 2008 passionate and proud
Canadians to run, walk or skate for our Canadian athletes
during the Ottawa Race Weekend. When you join the Canadian Athletes Now Fund
team you will find out which athlete your efforts will
be supporting plus donations of $25 or more will receive a tax receipt.
FREE Technical Running Shirt for all Canadian Athletes Now Fund Team members!
START TODAY! JOIN OUR TEAM: CLICK ON LINK BELOW:
https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/startup.aspx?eventid=5828
To Donate or for more information visit: www.canadianathletesnow.ca
or Call us at:1-866-YES-2008 .

WIN a Trip for 2 to Scotiabank TORONTO WATERFRONT MARATHON
Flat, fast and festive!
Exciting, cosmopolitan, international, but right next door! "Experience middle
earth and marathon heaven all in one trip to
Toronto!" Join RW Hero Ed Whitlock, John "The Penguin" Bingham, and 10,000+
runners from 30 countries and 40+ states.
More...
http://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/en/rwcontest_us.htm

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We are running a weekly quiz - starting Monday, March 20th - with the weekly
winner getting FREE entry into the RunnersWeb5K.com
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Sub 18:00 5K women runners should contact me for FREE entry into the race.

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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 monthly column from
CTS at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/cts_columns.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 article archive from Peak Performance Online at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/PPO_index.html

* Peak Running Performance
Peak Running Is The Nation's Most Advanced Running Newsletter. Rated as the #1
Running Publication by Road Runner Sports (Worlds
Largest Running Store) , Peak Running caters to the serious / dedicated runner.
Delivering world class running advice are some of
running's most recognizable athletes including Dr. Joe Vigil (US Olympic Coach),
Scott Tinley (2 Time Ironman Champ) Steve Scott (3 Time Olympian) and many more.
This bi-monthly newsletter has been around for over

13 years, and in the past two it has been awarded the "Golden Shoe Award" in
recognition of it's outstanding achievements.
http://www.clixGalore.com/Sale.aspx?BID=37234&AfID=103794&AdID=5075&LP=www.peakr\
unningperformance.com
Check out the Peak Running 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.
Check out the Lance Watson Online Article Index at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/LW_index.html

Running Research News:
RRN's free, weekly, training update provides subscribers with the most-current,
practical, scientifically based information about
training, sports nutrition, injury prevention, and injury rehabilitation. The
purpose of this weekly e-zine is to improve
subscribers' training quality and to help them train in an injury-free manner.
Running Research News also publishes a complete, 12-page, electronic newsletter
10 times a year (one-year subscriptions are $35); to
learn more about Running Research News, please see the Online Article Index and
"About Running Research News" sections below or go
to RRNews.com.
Check out the article index at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/RRN_index.html


THIS WEEK'S PERSONAL POSTINGS/RELEASES:
We have ONE personal posting this week.
ONE:
FROM: mailto:bernicepierson@...
DATE: Tue, 25 Apr 2006 14:32:10 -0700
SUBJECT: Off Road Triathlon and Adventure Race Season Kickoff PARTY!
SCARAB's Kickoff to the Off Road Tri and Adventure Racing Season Party!!!!
Saturday, April 29 from 2-6pm Castaic Lake
Recreation Area Hosted by the Big Blue Adventure Series
http://www.bigblueadventure.com
Everyone is invited to cheer on your fellow athletes as they complete the race,
take part in the BBQ, enjoy live music by The
Moceans, attend clinics, win raffle prizes, and meet
potential teammates!



THIS WEEK'S DIGEST ARTICLE INDEX:

1. Multisport: Tri Gut Check - Avoiding Race Day GI Distress
2. Nutrition: The Real Value of Protein
3. To Sleep or Not to Sleep?
By Kelli Emmett, CTS Senior Coach
4. Joe Henderson's Running Commentary - Setting the Pace
5. The Real Value of Protein
6. Hill Training When and How
7. Collapse in the Endurance Athlete
8. Disordered Eating + Runners
A Troublesome Combination.
9. Belly fat blues
A noxious type of fat raises risk for heart disease, diabetes and more. Luckily,
it's easy to rid with exercise.
10. Fatigue gene isolated
With discovery of mutation that inhibits stress response and causes chronic
syndrome, researchers hope to improve patient care.
11. Guzzling sport drinks may not be best for kids
12. From Runner's World
13. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine
14. Small changes 'add years to life'
Making small changes to your lifestyle can have a significant impact on how
long you will live, research has shown.
15. Selecting The Right Running Shoe
16. Training and Performance - Blaze A New Trail
17. Rolling Wonders
From sleek and sexy road machines to mountain-taming single-speeds, the big news
about this year's best bikes is trickle-down
technology that makes cutting-edge performance accessible for every rider and
any budget.
18. Nancy Clark's Nutritional Nuggets
When food is foe.
19. The evolving art of carbo-loading
20. Heavy Coffee Drinking Doesn't Hurt the Heart
No risk of heart disease found in two long-term studies.
21. The hottest exercise equipment: TV
But is all that viewing good for your health?
22. Getting a jump on things
The force of plyometrics isn't just for athletes seeking an edge.
23. Skull Study Proves Bike Helmets Work
Dropped or hit hard, helmeted skulls didn't crack under pressure, researchers
say.
24. Science or Sizzle?
The Maker of Race-Based Vitamins Says They Target Real Biological Differences.
Some Say It's a Marketing Gimmick -- and Plain Wrong.
25. Digest Briefs:



RUNNER'S WEB WEEKLY POLL:
"Deena Kastor set a new American record of 2 hours 19 minutes 36 in winning the
recent London Marathon. She was assisted by two male
pacers one of which was her training partner despite the fact that the race was
supposed to be a "women's race". Should pacers be
allowed?"

You can access the poll from our FrontPage ( http://www.runnersweb.com) as well
as checking the results of previous polls.
Post your views in our Forum at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/runnersweb_forum.html
[Free Registration Required]

LAST WEEK'S POLL RESULTS:
"Lance Armstrong has announced that he is running the NYC Marathon. What time
will he run?"
Results at publication time:
Answers Votes Percent
1. Sub 2:20 8 6%
2. 2:20 - 2:29:59 17 14%
3. 2:30 - 2:39:59 19 15%
4. 2:40 - 2:49:59 27 22%
5. 2:50 - 2:59:59 28 22%
6. 3:00 - 3:09:59 9 7%
7. 3:10 - 3:19:59 3 2%
8. 3:30 - 3:29:59 4 3%
9. Over 3:30 10 8%
Total Votes: 125

FIVE STAR SITE OF THE WEEK: RacerGirl.com.
RacerGirl.com is XTERRA triathlete Melanie Mcquaid's new site.
"Melanie has raced at the highest level and has represented her country at 11
World Championships for three different events, taking
top spot to become World Champion in 2003 and became first women's repeat
champion in 2005. She has been recognized as part of a
professional mountain bike cycling team, a professional women's road cycling
team, and now as one of the world's top triathletes. In
2006, she was ranked #3 on the Triathlon World Rankings, across all disciplines,
by Inside Triathlon magazine and 2005 Female
Offroad Triathlete of the Year by Triathlete magazine and 2005 Female Elite
Offroad Triathlete of the year by Triathlon Canada.
In addition to her athletic achievements she has worked as a television and
radio personality, worked as a publicist, created
newspaper ads to promote other athletes, and launched two websites. She
completed a BSc, founded a non-profit organization, branded
and managed a cycling team, appeared in numerous advertising campaigns, and now
has begun working as a coach for selected athletes."
Check out Melanie's new site at:
http://www.racergirl.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.


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


BOOK OF THE WEEK: The Traveling Marathoner : A Complete Guide to Top U.S. Races
and Sightseeing on the Run
By Elise Allen
Book Description
Whether you've finally qualified for Boston, you're debuting in Chicago, or you
can't resist the urge to run 26.2 miles through
balmy Honolulu breezes, this book will help you and your cheering section plan
an unforgettable marathon vacation-at any time of the
year, to any part of the country.
All the race basics
. Contacts and registration info
. Course descriptions, route maps, and race-day insights
. Where to carbo-load
. Strategies for spectators-the best viewing spaces and breakfast places
All the travel basics
. Orientation info and maps
. Hotels with great race-weekend rates and amenities
. Top sights to see, regardless of how your legs feel
. Great places for a well-earned foot rub
Races include:
Walt Disney WorldR; New Orleans; Los Angeles; Boston; Cincinnati; Newport, OR;
Salt Lake City; Choteau, MT; Stowe, VT; Chicago; New
York City; and Honolulu.
From the Author
As a traveling marathoner myself, this is the guidebook I've always wanted. Like
most marathoners, I'm in no danger of actually
winning one of these absurdly long races. For me and upwards of a half million
others each year, the marathon is simply about the
challenge: pushing ourselves to do something seemingly impossible. And to
celebrate that amazing accomplishment, we often bring our
family and friends to out of town races, making the whole weekend a
mini-vacation, with a 26.2 mile trek as its centerpiece.
Of course, that's not a typical vacation. And typical guidebooks can't tell you
everything you need to really enjoy that kind of
trip.
That's where The Traveling Marathoner comes in. For each race in the book, I've
researched everything you need to know in order to
have a fantastic marathon trip: where to stay, where to eat... even the best
places for your friends and family to grab breakfast
before or after they cheer you on. I also cover all the race information, from
registration to celebration, so you'll be completely
prepared. And with the marathon-a-month format, you can find an excellent race
for any time of year.
Buy the book from Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/140001459X/runnersweb/104-4388901-4841560\
?v=glance&s=books


THIS WEEK'S NEWS:

1. Multisport: Tri Gut Check - Avoiding Race Day GI Distress:
The finish line can seem awfully far away when you are plagued by
gastrointestinal (GI) distress on race day. To be clear, the "GI
tract" refers to the digestive system, or the mouth, esophagus, stomach, and
intestines. Symptoms can range from heartburn, nausea
and vomiting to cramping, bloating and diarrhea. Up to 63% of athletes must deal
with varying degrees of GI distress, which in its
most severe form can bring even the best-trained athlete to their knees. Women
happen to be more susceptible than men to GI distress
as well as individuals with preexisting GI issues (reflux, lactose intolerance
or irritable bowel syndrome). In triathlon, the
majority of issues on the run are related to the lower GI tract, while on the
bike there may be more vomiting and reflux, associated
with the upper GI tract. Given the disastrous effects that GI distress can have
on race day performance, it is important to identify
not only the causes, but also how it can be prevented.
The causes of GI distress can be divided into 3 categories: biological,
mechanical and nutritional. Let's look at each of these in
more depth.
Biological
Reduced blood flow to the GI system
During exercise, blood is routed away from the digestive organs to working
muscles and the skin for temperature regulation. Studies
have shown that blood flow to the digestive organs can be reduced between 40%
and 50% during exercise. Decreased blood flow may
reduce intestinal absorption of the foods you are eating, causing nutrients to
accumulate in the GI tract creating an "osmotic
effect" where fluid will move into the intestine and cause bloating and
diarrhea. Combine reduced blood flow with the dehydration
common in long distance athletes and the problem is further exacerbated.
Dehydration reduces total blood volume, additionally
limiting blood flow to the intestinal organs.
Stress/anxiety
Studies have shown that acute psychological stress will alter the ability of the
GI tract to function properly. Pre-race jitters are
the cause of great lament for many triathletes. A well thought out nutritional
plan can get literally flushed down the toilet when
you roll your bike into T1 for the first time.
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20060425_NYTCS_GI.html


2. Nutrition: The Real Value of Protein:
A typical problem for athletes is that they lack the stored energy required for
quality training. A contributor to this problem is
the common misconception that protein is a good primary fuel source for strength
training, muscle building, and intense exercise. It
is difficult to find a body builder that does not rely on some form of protein
or amino acid supplement, and moreover contributes
their success to these products. These athletes in particular consume much more
protein than they require. Because this higher than
necessary consumption of protein can offset the intake of other essential energy
nutrients (carbohydrates), it is not surprising
that many athletes struggle with low energy during a work out. Ironically,
endurance athletes require almost as much protein as body
builders for their normal training. It is important to clear up the
misconception of protein as ready source of energy and uncover
the real value of protein- recovery.
All nutrients (carbs, protein, fat) get converted to energy in the form of
adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Each nutrient however has
unique properties that determine how it gets converted to energy. Carbohydrate
is the main nutrient that fuels exercise of a
moderate to high intensity. Fat fuels low intensity exercise for long durations.
Once stored carbohydrate is used up, glycogen
depletion occurs. This means "Hitting the wall" or "bonking;" there is no more
in stored carbohydrate to burn. During exercise this
can be avoided by simply replenishing carbohydrate stores (eating easily
digestible carbohydrates during moderate exercise that
lasts more than 90 minutes). But glycogen depletion can also occur after several
days of limited carbohydrate intake. This means
going into your work out on an empty tank of fuel. Limiting carbohydrate intake
forces exercise intensity to be reduced to a point
that relies on fat metabolism for energy production. Protein, the main function
of which is to maintain and repair body tissues, is
not normally used to power muscle activity, however protein will be relied on to
satisfy energy requirements as a last resort if
these two other resources on not available.
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20060428_TSF_Protein.html



3. To Sleep or Not to Sleep?
By Kelli Emmett, CTS Senior Coach.
All athletes have good intentions of getting the necessary sleep before jumping
out of bed in the morning. Yet, when life gets in
the way, it is easy to skip a few hours of sleep to finish off more of a busy
day's tasks. This leads to the inevitable question:
Should you take the next day off from training to get a few extra hours of
sleep?
A few questions you might want to ask before dragging yourself out of bed at 5
am are: How many days in a row have you slept less
than 7 to 8 hours? Has your resting heart rate been higher then normal within
the last several days? How rested should you be to
maximize the benefit of this workout?
While a single night of poor sleep will not affect your overall performance,
consistent sleep deprivation could be detrimental to
your training. A study, led by Eve Van Cauter Ph.D., researcher at the
University of Chicago, IL suggested that, at rest, athletes
who are sleep deprived move glucose from the blood into waiting tissues 40
percent slower than when they are fully rested1. This
could make it extremely difficult for endurance athletes to replenish their fuel
tanks and perform at their best the next day. This
study also confirmed that your body releases human growth hormone that repairs
and strengthens muscles, and revitalizes the immune
system while you are asleep. Therefore, consistently cutting into your sleep
time may do you more harm than simply making you tired.

More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_CTS_20060425_Sleep.html


4. Joe Henderson's Running Commentary - Setting the Pace:
Another reason I love teaching and coaching runners is that each new group asks
me to prove myself all over again. They don't know
me or my methods. I need to show them that spending the next three to four
months on the scheduled training will be worth their
while.
We'd barely started a new term in my 10K training class at University of Oregon
when a young runner we'll call Dan questioned me on
pacing. He couldn't, or wouldn't, slow down to the pace I'd suggested for his
long runs. I need such challenges every few months to
brush up on my sales pitches.
"I have not been hitting my target times, because frankly they seem too slow,"
Dan said. He wasn't rebelling or debating, just
wanting an answer. "Explain to me why is it beneficial to run slower for the
longer runs rather than coming close to race pace. I
thought if you trained slow, you raced slow."
Runners like Dan make me think before answering them. They won't accept "because
I know so and say so" as an answer. Neither is
"this is what I've always done and what hundreds of students before you have
done."
He didn't want to know that others had routinely raced one or more minutes per
mile faster than most of than training miles. He
wanted to know why my way might be better than the one he'd thought was right.
I told him that if you're an experienced runner, already routinely exceeding the
distances run in class (at that time, four to five
miles), fine. Go ahead and run them faster than the target.
Take this as a tempo run, at pace of a race at least twice this long. But run
this hard only one or two days a week.
More...from Joe Henderson at:
http://www.joehenderson.com/archive/home.php?article=2053


5. The Real Value of Protein :
A typical problem for athletes is that they lack the stored energy required for
quality training. A contributor to this problem is
the common misconception that protein is a good primary fuel source for strength
training, muscle building, and intense exercise. It
is difficult to find a body builder that does not rely on some form of protein
or amino acid supplement, and moreover contributes
their success to these products. These athletes in particular consume much more
protein than they require. Because this higher than
necessary consumption of protein can offset the intake of other essential energy
nutrients (carbohydrates), it is not surprising
that many athletes struggle with low energy during a work out. Ironically,
endurance athletes require almost as much protein as body
builders for their normal training. It is important to clear up the
misconception of protein as ready source of energy and uncover
the real value of protein- recovery.
All nutrients (carbs, protein, fat) get converted to energy in the form of
adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Each nutrient however has
unique properties that determine how it gets converted to energy. Carbohydrate
is the main nutrient that fuels exercise of a
moderate to high intensity. Fat fuels low intensity exercise for long durations.
Once stored carbohydrate is used up, glycogen
depletion occurs. This means "Hitting the wall" or "bonking;" there is no more
in stored carbohydrate to burn. During exercise this
can be avoided by simply replenishing carbohydrate stores (eating easily
digestible carbohydrates during moderate exercise that
lasts more than 90 minutes). But glycogen depletion can also occur after several
days of limited carbohydrate intake. This means
going into your work out on an empty tank of fuel. Limiting carbohydrate intake
forces exercise intensity to be reduced to a point
that relies on fat metabolism for energy production. Protein, the main function
of which is to maintain and repair body tissues, is
not normally used to power muscle activity, however protein will be relied on to
satisfy energy requirements as a last resort if
these two other resources on not available.
More...from the Sport Factory at:
http://thesportfactory.iuplog.com/default.asp?item=167908


6. Hill Training When and How:
It's well known that hill training makes you a stronger runner. Certainly, if
you will be racing hilly courses you need to train
specifically for what you will be facing. However, even Tracksters and
Flatlanders should integrate hill training into their
programs.
Hill training increases power output which, when integrated into a comprehensive
training program leads to faster running. It is
perfect strength training for runners because it is "running-specific", which
traditional weight training or cross-training are not.
First, a caveat: hill running is hard on your body. If you are prone to Achilles
tendonitis hard uphills may be contraindicated. If
you have joint, shin splint or related problems, downhills may exacerbate the
problem. You must ease into hill work or you will
definitely encourage injuries.
What goes up must come down. Downhill running takes as much practice and
adaptation as uphill running. In fact, it is more likely
that downhill running will cause injuries than uphill due to pounding. To
decrease opportunities for injuries, walk down the steep
hill repeats and easily jog down on the longer ones.
Hill training does not make you faster directly. In fact, it makes you stronger
but, slower if left alone. Your legs cannot turnover
as fast going uphill as you can on the flats. So, the net effect is slow strong
legs. Counter that by integrating a few fast repeats
without hills at the end of your workouts.
More...from RX Running at:
http://www.rxrunning.com/article.htm


7. Collapse in the Endurance Athlete:
KEY POINTS
Most cases of collapse are benign in nature and occur after an athlete crosses
the finish line or stops exercising. Athletes who
collapse before finishing are more likely to have a serious condition.
Athletes who are awake and alert after the collapse are less likely to be
seriously ill than those who have a diminished level of
consciousness.
In evaluating the collapsed athlete, it is essential to check vital signs
(especially rectal temperature if heat stroke is
suspected), assess fluid status (dehydrated vs. fluid overload), and perform
laboratory tests (blood sodium and glucose) when
needed.
The most common benign cause of collapse is low blood pressure due to blood
pooling in the legs after cessation of exercise (as in
postural hypotension, heat exhaustion, or syncope). This condition is treated by
elevating the feet and pelvis until symptoms
improve.
The most common serious cause of collapse is low blood sodium (hyponatremia),
which is usually associated with excessive replacement
of sweat with fluid containing little or no sodium. Hyponatremic athletes who
appear fluid overloaded should not receive intravenous
fluid.
Heat stroke is a rare cause of collapse but can be fatal if not diagnosed early
and treated with ice-water immersion to achieve
rapid cooling.
INTRODUCTION
Collapse is perhaps the most dramatic of all medical problems affecting
athletes. Though collapse can be seen in any athletic event
requiring maximal exertion, it is most common in endurance events, such as
marathons and triathlons. The incidence seems to increase
as the race distance, temperature, and humidity increase (O'Conner et al.,
2003).
In endurance events, about 85% of the cases of collapse occur after the athlete
crosses the finish line (Holtzhause & Noakes, 1997).
Most of these cases are benign and the athlete suffers no lasting deleterious
effects, but in some circumstances collapse can be
severe and life threatening. For this reason, medical personnel attending
endurance events or caring for these athletes should be
aware of the proper evaluation and management of the collapsed athlete, which
can sometimes be the difference between life and
death.
More...from GSSI Web at:
http://www.gssiweb.com/reflib/refs/699/sse95.cfm?pid=96&CFID=3768376&CFTOKEN=128\
48495


8. Disordered Eating + Runners:
A Troublesome Combination.
Eating disorders don't happen overnight. A runner doesn't wake up on Monday and
need to be hospitalized because last week he or she
"came down with" anorexia nervosa, an illness characterized by an obsessive
effort to lose weight and become thin through
self-imposed starvation. Nor are runners forced to sit out this weekend's race
because they unfortunately just "caught" bulimia
nervosa-a vicious cycle of attempting to control one's weight by under-eating or
dieting that then leads to overeating and purging
the unwanted calories by vomiting, using laxatives, or compulsively exercising.
In fact, long before performance falls off, vomiting after meals is uncovered,
or significant weight loss is apparent, warning signs
exist that point to a runner struggling with food, weight, and a negative body
image. Living on this slippery slope is
energy-sapping, full of potential landmines like stress fractures and chronic
overuse injuries-and it erodes the athlete's
confidence, self-esteem, and quality of life. After all, what's happening on
someone's plate is also happening in their life. The
bottom line: An athlete doesn't need to be diagnosed with a full-blown eating
disorder to be in trouble and need help.
The best treatment for eating disorders is prevention. Once entrenched, the
extreme emotions, attitudes and behaviors surrounding
weight and food issues indicative of anorexia or bulimia nervosa are
life-threatening and are extremely difficult to dislodge. The
best chance for recovery lies with professional treatment, which is costly and
typically takes years. That's why it's so imperative
to intervene early to redirect runners engaged in disordered eating and
compulsive exercise habits or who are at risk for developing
a poor body image. Real progress, however, will come only when the running
community as a whole acknowledges and actively works to
stop harmful practices based on distorted beliefs about food, weight and
performance that continue to thrive and drive many runners
down the wrong path.
More...from Running Times Magazine at:
http://www.runningtimes.com/rt/articles/?id=3769&c=6


9. Belly fat blues:
A noxious type of fat raises risk for heart disease, diabetes and more. Luckily,
it's easy to rid with exercise.
HAVING a little paunch is just no good with a Speedo or bikini. Health-wise,
it's none too pretty either.
That bulge is the outward sign of a deeper problem: visceral fat, a kind of
biological monstrosity that, in excess, wreaks havoc on
the body, raising the risk for heart disease, diabetes, possibly even dementia
and some types of cancer.
Lying deep inside the body, wrapping around the liver and other major organs,
visceral fat acts like a kind of organ itself -
spewing out bad hormones and squashing the production of good ones. It sets up
the body for sickness as the years roll by and
additional fat accumulates.
"Visceral fat is very bad for you," says Richard N. Bergman, a professor at
USC's Keck School of Medicine. "It seems to have a more
negative outcome on health than overall fat."
The evidence now is so compelling that some experts suggest it's time to forget
about scales and weight loss and focus on waists and
"inch loss."
Luckily, visceral fat doesn't appear to be a particularly stubborn enemy. Health
experts have discovered that consistent, moderate
exercise by itself appears to help the body rid itself of vast amounts of deep
abdominal fat - even when the scales show the pounds
aren't dropping very fast.
More...from the LA Times at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-fat24apr24,1,812941.story?coll=la-h\
eadlines-health


10. Fatigue gene isolated:
With discovery of mutation that inhibits stress response and causes chronic
syndrome, researchers hope to improve patient care.
Chronic fatigue syndrome, a condition sometimes given short shrift as groundless
complaints from people whose illness is "all in
their heads," actually is caused by genetic mutations that inhibit the body's
ability to respond to stress, researchers announced
yesterday.
Findings from the largest chronic fatigue study to date reveal that certain
clusters of genes underlie the syndrome, which
scientists now say is indisputably real. Indeed, it affects about 900,000 people
in the United States, a vast proportion of them
women, say experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who led
the research.
Dr. Julie Gerberding, the agency's director, called the gene-based investigation
exciting and an illustration of how important a
role human genomic information is playing in public health.
"This is the first credible evidence of a biological basis for chronic fatigue
syndrome," Gerberding said during a news briefing
yesterday, noting that scientists are producing solid clues about a condition
"of great importance to many people."
The syndrome has been diagnosed globally, and teams of researchers in Britain
and Spain are conducting similar genetic studies.
Chronic fatigue syndrome has a mixed bag of symptoms that can vary, although
extreme, unrelievable fatigue is the syndrome's
hallmark symptom. Most notably, sufferers are unable to cope with everyday
stress whether caused by infection, injury, trauma or any
other adverse event.
Scientists say the study ultimately will help doctors better diagnose patients
and tailor medications.
More...from Newsday at:
http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-hscfs214710211apr21,0,182678.story?coll=ny\
-health-print


11. Guzzling sport drinks may not be best for kids:
Question: Should I be giving my 6-year-old sports drinks at soccer practice and
games? Every other parent does, but I am not sure he
needs them.
Answer: There is scientific evidence supporting the need for sports drinks such
as Gatorade, All-Sport, Hydrafuel and others for
people who exercise at a high level of intensity for extended periods of time.
But most kids just don't exercise that hard.
In general, sports drinks are unnecessary for children who are not exercising in
the heat or at a high intensity for a prolonged
period of time. Plain water usually can do the trick.
If you want to flavor the water with a splash of their favorite juice, it might
encourage them to drink more.
We all know that hydration is an essential factor when anyone exercises. When it
is hot or humid outside, the need for hydration is
even greater.
When it is humid, the pressure gradient between our skin and the environment is
less, not allowing for evaporative cooling from our
sweat. When it is hot, we sweat more, and this can cause an increased loss of
water as well as electrolytes (sodium and potassium).
More...from the Statesman Journal at:
http://159.54.226.83/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060424/COLUMN0805/604240301/10\
64


12. From Runner's World:
* Coach's Corner
Build upper-body flexibility. Tired runners tend to hunch over. Increasing the
flexibility of your chest muscles will improve your
form, enhance your breathing capacity, and help you stay upright. Try this
stretch: Stand in a doorway with your forearms against
the doorframe, elbows at shoulder level. Step or lean forward until you feel a
stretch across your chest. Hold for at least 30
seconds.
-Art Liberman
* Injury Prevention
Bunions anyone?
If you think your bunion is caused by overpronation, try an arch support or
custom orthotic device, which will reduce overpronation
and minimize the growth of the bunion. Wear a pad to reduce friction, and if
your shoe is rubbing cut out the area that touches the
bunion. Bunions can make shopping for shoes an exercise in frustration.
* Performance Nutrition
Dandy Dandelion:
What may be a nuisance in your backyard is a nutritional gem in your salad bowl.
Rich in vitamins A and C, tender young dandelion
greens offer a nice change of pace from lettuce in springtime salads.
* Editor's Advice
Efficiency Lesson:
"Recover alone! Training hard with a group is fine but recovery days are
different. Try to run alone the day after a hard workout.
If you run with someone else, there's a tendency to push harder than you should.
Without getting a full recovery, you can set your
entire training week back."
-Lori Adams, RW assistant editor
* Training Talk
"Keep your breathing rhythmic and deep, but not artificially slow, drawing air
from the diaphragm. Exhale with controlled force.
When running hard, many runners who breathe properly at lower intensities allow
their breathing to become shallow, excessively
rapid, and wheezy."
-From Runner's World: The Cutting-Edge Runner by Matt Fitzgerald


13. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine:
* Intense Exercise Treats and Prevents Diabetes:
An exciting study from Yale shows that intense exercise is far more effective in
preventing and controlling diabetes than exercising
at a leisurely pace (Journal of Applied Physiology, January 2006). Inactive,
healthy, non-obese women over 72 years of age were
started in training programs of hard (80 percent of aerobic capacity), moderate
(65 percent) and easy (50 percent). All three groups
did the same amount of work, burning 300 calories per session. The intense group
had a great improvement in their ability to use
sugar and suppress fat formation, while the low intensity group had little
benefit.
This means that intense exercise can help both to prevent and to treat diabetes.
The most tissue damage occurs immediately after
eating, when blood sugar levels rise the highest. After you eat, sugar goes from
the intestines into the bloodstream. The only
places that sugar can be stored are in your muscles and liver. When your muscles
are not exercised, they are full of sugar and sugar
has no place to go after it enters your bloodstream. On the other hand, when
your muscles are exercised, they empty their stored
sugar. Then when you eat, sugar can go from the intestines into the bloodstream
and then immediately into the muscles, preventing a
high rise in blood sugar.
The exciting news from this study is that the more intensely you exercise, the
greater the protection from developing diabetes and
the better the control of your diabetes if you already have it. A word of
caution: 75 percent of diabetics die from heart disease
and some people can suffer heart attacks during intense exercise, so check with
your doctor first.
* Dear Dr. Mirkin: How old should a child be to start serious athletic
training? I think my daughter is an exceptionally fast
runner.
A: Young children can start training for athletic competition at a very young
age as far as their bodies are concerned, but they
should not start before they want to accept the regimented lifestyle required
for athletic competition. In 1967, I started
competitive long distance running for young children and was the first national
chairman of the age group committee of the Amateur
Athletic Union and The Road Runners Club of America. Children came from all over
the United States and Canada to compete in age
group cross country and track running. Many were coached by experienced runners
and trained with the same types of workouts used by
older, more experienced runners. These children rarely suffered from injuries
and when they were injured, they recovered faster than
older runners do.
Young children are not at increased risk for injuries when they run races or
lift weights. Doctors expressed concern that the growth
centers in their bones would be more likely to break, but this rarely happens.
However, many of the better runners quit. In one
study from Southern California, 90 percent of female runners under age nine
stopped running before they reached high school. It's
all right for young children to start training in a sport, provided that they
want to do it, that they take plenty of days off from
training, and that their coaches and parents allow them to be children.
* Carbohydrate Plus Protein Increases Endurance:
A pasta supper before a race is traditional because athletes believe that
carbohydrate loading is the best way to prepare their
muscles. A study from the University of Texas shows that taking foods with both
carbohydrates and proteins increases an athlete's
endurance more than eating just carbohydrates (International Journal of Sport
Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, Volume 13, Issue 3,
2003).
When you exercise vigorously for more than two hours, you need to take extra
fluid, salt and calories. The best way to do this is to
drink whatever fluid tastes best to you, and eat any food that includes plenty
of salt. Many studies show that taking in extra
carbohydrates during an event prolongs endurance, so athletes often eat oranges
and other fruits, cookies, sandwiches and any other
carbohydrate-rich food that they like. This study shows that they will have even
greater endurance if they also take in high-protein
food such as cheese, meat, chicken or fish. During prolonged, intense exercise,
your muscles are damaged and the extra protein
supplies protein building blocks called amino acids that can help to limit
muscle breakdown and hasten recovery.
From Dr. Mirkin at:
http://www.drmirkin.com


14. Small changes 'add years to life' :
Making small changes to your lifestyle can have a significant impact on how
long you will live, research has shown.
The Cambridge University study looked at over 25,000 people.
It found that stopping smoking, exercising more and eating better could give you
the life expectancy of a person 11 to 12 years
younger.
The government is backing the research, and launching an initiative to encourage
people to make small changes to improve their
health.
The study, carried out in Norfolk, is part of the European Prospective
Investigation and Nutrition (Epic) study, involving over half
a million people in 10 European countries.
The UK arm of the study is following 25,663 men and women aged between 45 and 79
years old since 1993, looking at their diet,
environment, lifestyle and health.
The participants have regularly filled in questionnaires about their diet,
lifestyle and health and had periodic check-ups from
nurses.
These latest results from the study showed eating five portions of fruit and
vegetables a day can give you the life expectancy of
someone three years younger.
More...from the BBC at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4941910.stm


15. Selecting The Right Running Shoe:
By Steve DeMoss
Want to become a better runner? For many of us (and triathletes in particular),
a substantial improvement in performance can be
attained simply by spending more time running. Pretty simple, right? Run more,
get better at it. Of course, having a well
conceived training plan as opposed to simply logging junk miles will play an
important role as well, but logging consistent miles
over the long term will certainly pay dividends in making you stronger and
quicker afoot. But it's not always as easy in practice
as it sounds in theory.
Injury or the presence of pain, are often key factors in limiting the ability to
log miles consistently. Whether it's shin splints,
IT band pain, plantar fasciitis, or any number of other ailments, discomfort
will surely dampen your enthusiasm for running.
So how can this hurdle be avoided?
The three most common causes of injury in runners are doing too much, too soon,
not stretching enough (aren't we all guilty of
this?) and improper footwear. A sound training plan along with advice on proper
stretching before and after a run should help you
avoid the first two pitfalls. Getting correctly fitted in a quality running
shoe will help you avoid the third.
What to Consider When Selecting a Running Shoe
Let's start by saying that this is a selfish process. It's all about you. Just
because your friend, your coach, your hero, or
anyone else wears a particular shoe, that doesn't mean that it's the right shoe
for you. Equally important is the fact that
different shoes are designed for different purposes. There are shoes that
provide maximum, moderate or mild stability for runners
who exhibit varying degrees of instability in their gait. There are shoes that
offer very little stability, and shoes that offer
almost no stability at all for runners with a very efficient gait. There are
also performance trainers and racing flats - "go fast"
shoes that are ideal for race day or fast training days. Then there are trail
shoes, designed to provide certain benefits for
runners who spend most of their time on rugged terrain. Needless to say,
selecting the correct shoe for you can become confusing
very quickly.
More...from the Sport Factory at:
http://www.thesportfactory.com/rightrunningshoe.shtml


16. Training and Performance - Blaze A New Trail:
Runners take your mark. Spring is here.
No other season creates such a natural motivation to get out and run - often
more miles than you might be ready for. But there's an
ideal way to ramp up your miles safely and take advantage of the warm weather:
Trail Running. Few surfaces are kinder on your legs
and body than the malleable dirt and soft peat found on running trails.
Millions of city dwellers mistakenly assume good trails aren't available to
them, when in fact some of the best are right in their
backyard. Consider:
In Houston, TX, 1600-acre Memorial Park offers groomed trails just 10 minutes
from downtown. There are miles of varying terrain in
scenic Pennyback Park in Philadelphia, PA. Just east of the "Hollywood" sign in
LA is Griffith Park, the largest urban park in the
world with extraordinary views along its paths. You can see everything from
marmots and muskrats, to great blue herons and cedar
waxings along the trails of the Des Plaines River Trail in Chicago, IL. Forest
Park is Portland, Oregon's largest city park and
features thirty miles of lush trails. And in the heart of New York City lies the
famed Van Cortlandt Park cross-country trail -
recently resurfaced with packed
cinders for extra running comfort.
So hit the trails this spring! The Web is a great resource for finding nearly
every type of trail near you, and the information
tends to be more up-to-date than many books. Be aware that trail running
requires a different kind of mental focus than running on
roads. If you're just starting out exploring this type of running, choose milder
inclines or flat trails, and favor well-worn paths.
Here are some other helpful tips for getting the most out of your day in the
woods.
In General
* Always let someone know the trail you will be taking before you head out for
your run. It's best to run with a companion if
possible.
Remember that it's okay to stop and take in the scenery. Part of what makes
these runs special are the sights, sounds and smells of
the great outdoors. Your run need not incorporate strictly scheduled, hardcore
training, though it certainly can offer that as well.
More...from Nike.com at:
http://www.nike.com/nikerunning/usa/home.jhtml?loc1=tools_training&loc2=runners_\
library&loc3=127&promoID=USRU_EM_041906_aprnewsmen#r
unners_library
[Multi-line URL]


17. Rolling Wonders:
From sleek and sexy road machines to mountain-taming single-speeds, the big news
about this year's best bikes is trickle-down
technology that makes cutting-edge performance accessible for every rider and
any budget.
BIKES, LIKE CELL-PHONE PLANS, should come tailored to your needs. That's what
you finally get in 2006: a slew of highly refined
models suited to your riding preferences. Want a road ride? Now there are pure
racers, comfort bikes built for speed, and everything
in between. Mountain bikes, you say? You'll choose between single-speeds and
29ers and all-mountain machines.
Don't panic. We've done all the hard work for you. We loaded up 26 bikes and
headed to Tucson, Arizona, where we logged laps in
sandy arroyos, on jangling singletrack, and along ribbons of desert pavement
until we settled on the finest rigs in each category.
In the pages ahead you'll find two picks in each class: the rigs you lust
after-decked-out dream rides for cash-flush
connoisseurs-and value-laden alternatives that are a must for anyone on a modest
budget. And unlike with cell-phone plans, you'll
never have to ration your time on these rides.
More...from Outside Online at:
http://outside.away.com/outside/gear/200604/2006-best-bikes-1.html


18. Nancy Clark's Nutritional Nuggets:
When food is foe.
"I can't eat just one Hershey's Kiss. It's all or nothing."
"I try to stay away from peanut butter; I end up eating the whole jar."
"I don't keep cookies in the house."
Is this you? All too often, it is. I hear about it all the time from runners
who bemoan their battles with food. For them, peanut
butter and chocolate are "trouble foods," --the enemy and not one of life's
pleasures. Ice cream is also taboo, and fights with food
are a daily energy drain.
Because too many casual exercisers and competitive athletes alike deem food to
be the fattening bad guy, SCAN (the Sports and
Cardiovascular Nutrition Practice Group of the American Dietetic
Assoc.;www.SCANdpg.org) have suggested several ways to help
athletes, including runners, improve their relationships with food and their
bodies.
Below are just a few tips to help runners transform their food fears into
peaceful fueling.
Hungry or bored?
When you can't decide whether you want to eat because you are hungry or bored,
eating disorder specialist Jessica Setnick of Dallas
suggests you try the Apple Test.
Simply ask yourself "Would I want to eat an apple now?" (or any other food that
is boring for you). According to Setnick, if you are
hungry enough to eat a boring apple, then you most likely are truly hungry. But
if you bypass the apple only to indulge in apple
pie, think again. Maybe you are just bored and are using food to entertain
yourself.
More...from Devine Racing at:
http://www.devinesports.com/Article.7+M5f8f7b9041a.0.html?&cHash=4930711f10


19. The evolving art of carbo-loading:
The practice of carbo-loading dates back to the late 1960s. The first
carbo-loading protocol was developed by a Swedish physiologist
named Gunvar Ahlborg after he discovered a positive relationship between the
amount of glycogen (carbs stored in the muscles and
liver) in the body and endurance performance.
Scientists and runners had already known for some time that eating a
high-carbohydrate diet in the days preceding a long race
enhances performance, but no one knew exactly why until Ahlborg's team zeroed in
on the glycogen connection.
Subsequently, Ahlborg discovered that the muscles and liver are able to store
above-normal amounts of glycogen when high levels of
carbohydrate consumption are preceded by severe glycogen depletion. The most
obvious way to deplete the muscles of glycogen is to
eat extremely small amounts of carbohydrate. A second way is to engage in
exhaustive exercise.
The stress of severe glycogen depletion triggers an adaptive response by which
the body reduces the amount of dietary carbohydrate
that it converts to fat and stores, and increases the amount of carbohydrate
that it stores in the liver and muscles as glycogen.
Ahlborg referred to this phenomenon as glycogen supercompensation. Armed with
this knowledge, he was able to create a more
sophisticated carbo-loading protocol than the primitive existing method, which
was, more or less, eating a big bowl of spaghetti.
The Ahlborg method
Ahlborg came up with a seven-day carbo-loading plan in which an exhaustive bout
of exercise was followed by three or four days of
extremely low carbohydrate intake (10 percent of total calories) and then three
or four days of extremely high carbohydrate intake
(90 percent of total calories).
More...from Active.com at:
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=12998&


20. Heavy Coffee Drinking Doesn't Hurt the Heart:
No risk of heart disease found in two long-term studies.
If you're reading this over your morning cup of coffee, you can sip away with
the comforting thought that a new study found no
relationship between drinking lots of the brew and coronary heart disease.
Data on more than 120,000 participants in two U.S. studies that followed people
for as long as two decades found no link between
heart disease and a daily intake of six or more cups of coffee. In fact, the
risk was the same as for people who had less than one
cup of coffee or tea a month.
A couple of caveats go with the overall findings, the researchers said.
"We can't exclude the association between coffee consumption and the risk of
coronary heart disease in small groups of people," said
Rob van Dam, a research scientist at the Harvard School of Public Health, and a
co-author of the report.
For instance, a recent study suggested that one form of a gene responsible for
metabolism of caffeine could make coffee harmful to
people who carry the gene, van Dam said, "although that finding requires
confirmation."
And the new findings don't apply to heavy consumption of unfiltered coffee, such
as the French press kind, he said. "Studies have
consistently shown that drinking a lot of French press coffee increases
low-density lipoprotein, the bad cholesterol," van Dam said.
More...from HealthScout at:
http://www.healthscout.com/news/1/532299/main.html


21. The hottest exercise equipment: TV:
But is all that viewing good for your health?
One piece of exercise equipment is becoming so popular that some people can't
bear to face a workout without it: the television.
Just as many people are glued to their TVs at home, so they are at the gym,
intently focused on CNN or "American Idol."
Almost every gym offers some form of TV entertainment, and the more magnificent
the club, the better the options. Uber-complexes
feature individual screens integrated into cardio machines, allowing exercisers
to watch whatever they like. Others have banks of
wall or ceiling-mounted screens, some offering headsets so users can listen to
particular shows.
More clubs are buying or contemplating buying equipment with integrated
television screens, and many even have televisions in
strength training areas, where concentration - especially around free weights -
is critical.
Wireless headsets are now available, allowing gym members to wander while
listening to one of 14 digital audio programs.
Soon there may be video iPods able to interface with a club's system, predicts
Kevin Fee, a vice president with Broadcast Vision
Entertainment, an Agoura Hills, Calif., company providing entertainment to
health clubs. Eventually, members may be able to select
from a bank of movies and programs and toggle between those and wellness data
such as heart rate and blood pressure.
Fun, sure, but this may not be the best way to wade through a workout.
More...from the Daily Camera at:
http://www.dailycamera.com/bdc/health_and_fitness/article/0,1713,BDC_2431_464732\
6,00.html


22. Getting a jump on things:
The force of plyometrics isn't just for athletes seeking an edge.
Like many young football players, Albert Schmidt wanted to be better. Last
summer, he was preparing for his first year in high
school and hoping to be an even better tight end / defensive end.
Erin Flecke, 15, does some plyometric training under the watch of trainer Emily
Rockwell at the West County Sports Fitness and Rehab
Center in St. Louis. Plyometrics focus on strengthening muscles and making them
contract faster.
So he joined a summer sports clinic at the Four Rivers Area Family YMCA in
Washington, Mo. There, he learned something new: a type
of exercise called plyometrics.
Plyometrics, or jump training, helps you train to get the maximum effort out of
single reps, says Emily Rockwell, an exercise
specialist at Missouri Baptist Medical Center.
"It really helped me get the edge," says Schmidt, 15. "It helped me get that
explosive power . . . And people noticed how much
better I got between eighth grade and freshman year."
The science of plyometrics rests on alternating between lengthening and
shortening of the muscles while resistance (usually gravity)
is applied to them. For instance, you squat down before a jump to shorten your
muscles, then leap up to lengthen them.
In plyometrics, you train the muscle to get strong and to contract faster. "The
rubber-band effect," says Dave Reddy, a trainer and
owner of Reddy Health & Performance of Brentwood, Mo. "Strength training gets
you to a certain point, where, say, you can lift 100
pounds. But plyometrics makes us generate that 100-pound force in less time."
Plyometric movements are used mostly by athletes, such as Schmidt, particularly
those who play football, basketball, volleyball and
soccer.
More...from the Journal-Sentinel at:
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=417935


23. Skull Study Proves Bike Helmets Work:
Dropped or hit hard, helmeted skulls didn't crack under pressure, researchers
say.
Experiments conducted with water-filled human skulls confirm that bike helmets
that meet U.S. standards do protect kids from head
injury.
To come up with the results, the researchers dropped helmeted skulls onto a
metal anvil, testing whether the helmets protected
against fracture-inducing impact.
While the method may seem startling, the results should please parents
everywhere.
"We were able to objectively measure that helmets do provide a benefit,
absolutely, beyond question," said study lead author Dr.
Chris A. Sloffer, a neurosurgical resident at the University of Illinois College
of Medicine, in Peoria.
The findings were expected to be presented Tuesday at the annual meeting of the
American Association of Neurological Surgeons in San
Francisco.
Sloffer and his co-author, pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Julian J. Lin, noted that
an estimated half a million Americans sought
emergency treatment for bicycle-related injuries in 2004. Head injuries
accounted for 69,500 of these cases.
In the same year, 600 people died as a result of bicycle accidents, with
two-thirds of those deaths due to traumatic brain injuries.
More...from Health Scout at:
http://www.healthscout.com/news/1/532312/main.html


24. Science or Sizzle?
The Maker of Race-Based Vitamins Says They Target Real Biological Differences.
Some Say It's a Marketing Gimmick -- and Plain Wrong.
The GenSpec brand of dietary supplements, proclaimed to be the "first
genetically specific product line," aims distinct products at
blacks, whites and Hispanics, and at men and women within each group.
GenSpec's multivitamins for African American and Hispanic males and females, for
instance, contain higher amounts of vitamin D
because, the Florida-based maker of the products says, the skin of darker-toned
people doesn't make as much vitamin D from the sun
as that of lighter-skinned people.
Because women have a higher risk of the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis than
men, GenSpec's multivitamins for black, white and
Hispanic women contain higher amounts of bone-enhancing calcium.
Unique "physiological and metabolic differences" can make certain groups more
likely to develop some diseases, said Joseph Lander,
president and founder of GenSpec. The small company, which also sells
race-targeted weight-loss pills, bases its products on
research into key racial health distinctions, Lander said. The company plans to
start selling an Asian multivitamin in the next
month.
While the approach may demonstrate clever marketing, some experts said, there is
no gold-standard science showing that members of
these groups are healthier if they take targeted nutrients in pills.
Asked to review the research posted on the GenSpec Web site, Jane Delgado,
president and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic
Health, said the information "wasn't very compelling." She continued: "It's not
surprising that people want to market to each
[ethnic] group, but I think at this point what the communities need to know is
how to eat better."
More...from the LA Times at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/10/AR2006041001309.\
html


25. Digest Briefs:
* That Little "Twinge" Should Be Telling You Something
By Coach Matt Russ, The Sport Factory
Our bodies are amazingly adaptable and have an enormous capacity to recover. The
problem with athletes is that they often do not
listen to their bodies. We are trained to ignore pain and persevere; this is the
nature of endurance. But this ethic can easily work
against us. Orthopedists will tell you athletes often come to see them only when
they can no longer train. They may have been
training injured for weeks or months. This point is generally far beyond what
the average person succumbs to, and means the injury
has progressed that much further.
Your body usually gives you an indication it is being asked to do what it is not
ready for, especially in regards to overuse
injuries. You may feel a little "twinge" of pain that turns into a dull ache. At
first it may go away when you exercise, then the
area becomes stiff or sore post exercise. Next, you aware of the pain when
exercising- then all the time, even at night.
This process may often be avoided with a day or two off, some ice, a few
anti-inflamatories, and a reduced training load. Running is
the most injury prone sport of triathlon and simply changing the remainder of
your week to swim and bike work outs may give an
impact injury the space it needs to heal with little implication to your overall
goals.
An injury or potential injury really only has two directions to go in; it will
get better or worse. And the direction it progresses
may be largely up to you. Endurance athletes repeat movements over and over
thousands of times in a single work out. If there is a
small strain, sprain, or tear it is unlikely it will get better under this type
of stress. Your body is a machine like any other, it
will break down. Listen to it when it tells you it needs a break.

* Vitamin and mineral intake of twelve adolescent male Kalenjin runners in
western Kenya.
Christensen DL, Jakobsen J, Friis H.
Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the diet of adolescent male Kalenjin runners in
a boarding school setting was adequate compared to
FAO/WHO recommendations. DESIGN: A cross-sectional design study. SETTING:
Marakwet High School in western Kenya. SUBJECTS: A study
of twelve adolescent male Kalenjin runners was carried out to determine their
micronutrient intake. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Over a
two-week period, samples of the main eaten food were collected for analysis of
micronutrient distribution and a daily 24 recall
interview performed to determine additional food intake. RESULTS: The estimated
intakes were compared to recommended or suggested
adequate daily intake (RSDI) by FAO/WHO. For vitamin A, pyridoxine, folic acid,
vitamin B12, vitamin C, and vitamin E, the intakes
represented only 17%, 82%, 56%, 55%, 95%, and 65% of RSDI, respectively. In
contrast, the intakes of thiamine. riboflavin, and
niacin all met RSDI by 208%, 107%, and 131%, respectively. Similarly, the
intakes of magnesium, iron, and zinc were 272%, 404%, and
122% of RSDI, respectively, while calcium and selenium were below, 47% and 49%,
respectively. The daily intakes of phosphorous,
copper, and chromium were estimated to 4214 mg, 1309 microg, and 79 microg,
respectively. CONCLUSION: Total daily micronutrient
intake of the twelve Kalenjin runners was far from adequate compared to FAO/WHO
daily recommended and suggested adequate intake.
From the NCBI

* Gerry Lindgren, Marty Liquori, and Patti Catalano Dillon have been selected
for induction into the National Distance Running Hall
of Fame. The trio will be honored at ceremonies on July 8 in Utica, NY.

* Q: I am a slow runner. In fact, last week I was running and I was passed by a
glacier. How can I improve my speed?
- Mark
Yonkers, New York
A: Biomechanists have long known that there are two ways to improve running
speed. Increase your stride length and increase your
stride frequency. It makes sense, right? But how can you do that? Both require
increased flexibility and sport-specific strength, as
well as improved neuromuscular efficiency. Fortunately, you can work on these
things with a few specific drills. For all of these
drills, complete each three to six times. Recovery between each should entail
either walking back to the starting point of your
drill or one to two minutes easy walking.
Running Strides
These efforts should be anywhere from 50 to 150 meters in length, and can be
done after your daily run. The interval should be done
as a build-up effort; that is, starting at a low speed, build to near 5K race
pace, and then gradually ease off the gas to the
finish. You should be focused on maintaining an upright posture, lifting your
knees, and executing a proper arm swing.
High Knees
These efforts may be more accurately described as "fast knees." They are short,
20- to 50-meter efforts that require you to lift
your thighs parallel to the ground while running, repeatedly, as fast as you
can. Horizontal speed is not important with this drill,
but vertical speed is paramount.
Power Skips
Although possibly the hardest of the three drills for many people, these are
good for specifically improving strength in the ankles
and calves. Go back to your childhood and re-learn how to skip. Make it more
explosive by attempting to vault as high as possible
with each push-off. Your thigh and opposite upper arm should raise parallel to
the ground at the same time. These should be most
often done in 20 to 50-meter intervals as well.
Incorporating these drills into your running program will increase your running
dexterity, strength, and neuromuscular conditioning,
and will help you to run faster next year.
From Chris Carmichael at Outside Online at:
http://outside.away.com/outside/bodywork/carmichael-20060421.html




THIS WEEK'S FEATURED EVENTS:
*Please verify event dates with the event websites*

April 29, 2006:
Country Music Marathon - Nashville, TN
www.cmmarathon.com

Kentucky Derby Festival Meijer Marathon & Mini Marathon - Louisville, KY
www.derbyfestivalmarathon.com

April 30, 2006:
Big Sur International Marathon - Carmel, CA
www.bsim.org

Brantford Classic - ON
www.brantfordrotary.com/run.htm

Frederick Marathon / Half Marathon - Frederick, MD
www.frederickmarathon.org/

Limestone City Half Marathon and 5K Race - Kingston, ON
http://www.runkingston.com

New Jersey Marathon / Half Marathon - Long Branch, NJ
http://www.njmarathon.org/

Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon - OKC, OK
www.okcmarathon.com

Run for Reach 5/10K - - Ottawa, ON
http://www.reach.ca/run/index_g.html

Runner's World Half Marathon - Allentown, PA
www.runnersworld.com/halfmarathon

St. Anthony's Triathlon - St. Petersburg, FL
www.satriathlon.com

Times Colonist 10K - Victoria, BC
www.timescolonist10k.com

Tribute to the Armed Forces Triathlon - Tempe, AZ
www.dcbadventures.com/new/events.php#246

Television - NBC - 5 PM EDT
Penn Relays - The ever-media friendly "USA vs. the World" showdown

June 24, 2006:
RunnersWeb5K.com Race for Women - Ottawa, ON
http://www.runnersweb5k.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/

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:
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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
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Forward the Runner's Web Digest to a friend and suggest that they subscribe at:
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Have a good week of training and/or racing.

Ken Parker
Runner's Web
mailto: webmaster@...
http://www.runnersweb.com/running.html
A running and triathlon resource portal
Runner's Web Online Store
http://store.runnersweb.com
RunnersWebCoach
http://www.runnerswebcoach.com


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**END...OF DIGEST...**