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. Visit the Runner's Web at
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SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS: All of the revenue from our advertisers and affiliates
goes to support clubs, athletes and clinics related
to multisport and Canadian Olympians.

1. Emilie's Run - The Emilie Mondor Memorial 5K Race for Women - Canada's
Fastest Women's 5K
Emilie's Run is over for another year. Almost 300 women completed the race with
38 women running under 20:00
For more on the race visit the website at:
http://www.emiliesrun.com.
Join Emilie's Run Community and contribute at:
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/emiliesrun?hl=en

3. Road Runner Sports, the world's largest running store at:
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000010069822.
New Arrivals from Nike With Web Exclusive Apparel and More!

4. Toronto Waterfront Marathon, September 28, 2008
http://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/

5. Goodlife Fitness Toronto Marathon - October 19, 2008
http://www.torontomarathon.com/

6. Training Peaks Training Peaks, LLC is dedicated to the endurance athlete and
coach. With our industry leading software products,
we're committed to help you monitor, analyze and plan your training. We
encourage you to draw on our passion for excellence to help
you reach your athletic dreams. Trusted by thousands. Dedicated to you.
http://www.trainingpeaks.com/

7. Running Free Running Free is a complete online running store with everything
for the casual to serious runner. They also have
retail stores in the GTA (Toronto) and Markham. Check them out at:
http://www.runningfree.com

8. January 4, 2008: Goodlife Fitness has come on board as a sponsor of Emilie's
Run GoodLife Fitness - Coed or Women's Only Visit
www.GoodLifeFitness.com today to receive 3 FREE Visits! Your 3 FREE visits
include: . A Visual Fitness Planner Consultation . Fit
Fix Orientation to learn how to exercise safely and effectively . Access to all
cardio and strength-training equipment . Access to
all of our world-class Group EXercise classes . A copy of Living the Good Life
audio CD Get started today! Visit
www.GoodLifeFitness.com Limited time offer.

9. Watch over 50 IAAF Events Live and On-Demand. World Championship Sports
Network ABOUT WCSN World Championship Sports Network
(WCSN) is the premier destination for fans of Olympic and lifestyle sports,
delivering an immersive experience via exclusive live
and on demand coverage of world class competitions, interaction with top
athletes and in depth access to sports news and information
year round. WCSN offers comprehensive coverage of over 60 sports disciplines,
through exclusive long term programming agreements
across a number of key International Federations and National Governing Bodies.
Major championship events in sports ranging from
Athletics (Track & Field), Skiing, Swimming, Gymnastics and Cycling to
Volleyball, Karate and Taekwondo are featured online at
http://tinyurl.com/ysnvnh and on television via WCSN's weekly syndicated
television program, World Championship Sports, available in
more than 45 million US households. WCSN also markets Olympic sports in
partnership with International Federations, National
Governing Bodies, local organizations, clubs, sponsors, and through related
websites and publications. WCSN is dedicated to
providing year round, in depth coverage of these important and exciting sports
to reach millions of fans around the world for whom
they represent a way of life. WCSN is committed to expanding the audience by
delivering programming that exemplifies the best of the
human spirit. WCSN enables fans to interact with world class champions as well
as get to know the up and coming athletes through
blogs, interviews and their broadcast commentary. Consistent with the world
class caliber of the sports it celebrates, WCSN delivers
high quality production values, leveraging state-of-the-art-technology and next
generation distribution platforms to provide an
immersive, interactive experience available anytime, anywhere.
Visit WCSN at: http://tinyurl.com/ysnvnh

10. Canadian Running Magazine: Subscribe at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/CanadianRunner.html

11. On August 5, 2008, uber ultra-runner Karl Meltzer will set off on the
biggest race of his life. His challenge: to run the entire
length of the 2,174-mile in less than 47 days.
Definitely daunting. Absolutely grueling. Probably insane. But when he does it,
he'll rule the AT as the guy who conquered it, all
of it, the fastest on two feet.
This is going to be Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Self, Man vs. Clock - and it's going
to be good. So, check back. As Karl's start date
draws near, this site will transform into mission control. With an interactive
map featuring real-time GPS tracking of his progress,
a blog, forums, videos, pictures and podcasts, whereskarl.com will be the place
to keep track of the Speed Goat as he ticks off the
miles on his way from Maine to Georgia. In the meantime, sign up for email
updates* on Karl's training and racing leading up to his
AT attack, feature additions to this site, and occasional discounts from
Backcountry.com and other sponsors
Check it out at:
http://whereskarl.com/?utm_source=runnersweb&utm_medium=banner&utm_content=ad1&u\
tm_campaign=whereskarl

12. Mi-Sport - The Ultimate Sports MP3 Player Introducing the world's first and
only waterproof and wireless sports mp3 player.
These Mi-SPORT mp3 headphones have a 1GB memory built into a cool neckband
design. At last no wire tangle and no earbuds to fall
out. The patented design makes this waterproof/sweatproof mp3 player great for
running, cycling and gym work. The player however is
more than splash proof! It can be completely submerged with no harm to it making
it perfect for swimming, kayaking, and water
skiing. Now incorporating the latest 3D music quality with it's adapted
waterproof speaker. Relax to music in the bath, or push out
that training session with no fear of losing your player or tangling the wires.
Circuit training is so much easier with your own
music. Enjoy the waves wire-free. This is the only waterproof pair of classic
headphones with a built in mp3 player in the world.
The stylish looking headphones play the usual MP3, WMA and WAV formats and are
compatible with Windows98/98SE/2000/XP and Apple MAC.
Depending on track length, the headphones hold well over 14 hours worth of music
and the rechargeable battery life is about 8 hours.
Nick Matthew, the 2006 British Open squash champion now uses the player to train
with and Mi-SPORT are endeavouring to encourage
more athletes to enjoy the benefits of training to wire-free music, podcasts or
coaching aids. Inspiration and freedom at last, for
athletes and exercise enthusiasts everywhere.
Check it out at: http://www.mi-sportmp3.com/

13. Labour Day Oakville Half-Marathon and 10/2K - Oakville, ON
http://www.oakvillehalfmarathon.com/

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NEW THIS WEEK:

ROAD RUNNER SPORTS
We have partnered with Road Runner Sports, the world's largest online running
store, to provide a shopping portal. Check it out at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/Mobile_RRS.html

Watch live and webcast of Track and Field and Road races on WCSN.
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At the Runner's Web site, click "Join this group". Once I have approved your
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RUNNER'S AND TRIATHLETE'S WEB CONTENT PARTNERS

ROAD RUNNER SPORTS
We have partnered with Road Runner Sports, the world's largest online running
store, to provide a shopping portal. Check it out at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/Mobile_RRS.html

* BREAKSWEAT.TV
We have partnered with Breaksweat TV to provide us with video content.
Simply Sports Media is part of a large group called Simply Media, which operates
more than 25 digital TV channels, including 6 on
satellite and cable. Simply Media has developed and continues to expand on
premium content for TV, web, mobile, captive Audience
Networks, and IPTV.
Breaksweat.tv was recently launched to provide instant access to premium video
content covering outdoor sports. The innovative
online channel uses a system called, Brightcove to continually and seamlessly
deliver content to its users, whilst providing
easy-to-use navigation.
Breaksweat TV is not a user generated website, or a broadcasting channel; rather
it is a platform used to host Breaksweat.tv's
independently produced video content, and content it obtains from key
relationships in the outdoor sports industry. By applying this
strategy to supply content for its viewers, SnowZone.tv is able to showcase
video content that is unique, high-quality, and
continuous filled with updated material.
For more information and to visit other existing channels in the Simply Media
network, please visit:
http://www.simply.tv/

* ACTIVE.COM RunnersWeb.com has teamed up with Active Trainer coaches to offer
training programs that are a balance of aerobic,
anaerobic and cross-training workouts. These training programs are built to get
people of all levels across the finish line. From
the first timer to the seasoned veteran you will find the right training plan
for you. Good luck with your training and we will see
you at the finish line. Training Log and Analysis: Log your daily workouts and
monitor your progress along the way. Getting Started:
Set a realistic goal for training. Review the list of training programs
developed by Active Trainer Coaches. Select the program that
best matches your current training schedule. If you have been inactive, select a
conservative schedule to assure success and
decrease the risk of injury. Plug in the start date or the date of your target
race and go! The schedule will automatically be
entered into your log. It is as simple as that... Training: Select the daily
email to receive your training by the day or log on to
your account and review the entire schedule. Use the interactive log to enter in
valuable training information. The more information
you enter in your personal log, the better. You will be able to use this
information in the future to evaluate performance, keep
track of what works and what doesn't and stay motivated to see just how far
you've come.
Sign up at:
www.RunnersWebCoach.com OR
http://training.active.com/ActiveTrainer/listing.do?listing=51

* 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.
Carmichael Training Systems at:
http://www.trainright.com/promos.asp?code=DSBYBFCSP

* 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
Visit the PPO site at: Peak Performance Online:
http://www.pponline.co.uk/cmd.php?af=517509

* 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 .

* 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 will only post notes here regarding
running and triathlon topics of interest to the
community. We have NO personal postings this week.

THIS WEEK'S DIGEST ARTICLE INDEX:

1. In The Long Run, Exertion Regulation Wins The Day For Marathon Runners
2. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health e-Zine
3. Mayo Clinic on the Summer Olympic Games: Better Athletes, the Physiology of
Performance, the Lactate Threshold, the Aging Athlete
and Much More
4. Is it a genetic flaw that makes Phelps the greatest?
5. Eating bananas is the best thing to do for muscle cramps … well, on second
thought
6. Break through the speed barrier with the ‘new interval training
7. Massaging Muscles Facilitates Recovery After Exercise
8. What does it take to grab gold?
9. In Sea of Similar Body Types, Nonconformists Can Succeed
10. This Week in Running
11. Structure Of Heart Can Be Changed Through Exercise
12. Taper For Endurance Athletes
13. Decreased Genital Sensation In Competitive Women Cyclists
14. Science of Sport: Extreme Competitive Sports - A Fitness Test For DNA
15. Runners Need Fat in their Diet
16. The Finishing Touches
Marathon Training Tips for the Last Four Weeks.
17. Men, Women and Speed. 2 Words: Got Testosterone?
18. Carbs and Sugar Damage Brain Cells that Regulate Appetite - Study
19. Getting Better With Age: Dive In
20. Digest Briefs


RUNNER'S WEB WEEKLY POLL:
"Has your involvement in sport affected your relationship with your "significant
other"?

You can access the poll from our FrontPage ( http://www.runnersweb.com) as well
as checking the results of previous polls.

LAST WEEK'S POLL RESULTS:
"Which of the following sports are you following in the Olympics?"
Answers Percent
1. Athletics (Track & Field) 31%
2. Cycling 21%
3. Swimming 25%
4. Triathlon 23%
5. Other 0%


FIVE STAR SITE OF THE MONTH: The Educated Runner
Owen Anderson, Ph. D., started EducatedRunner.com to give runners of all ages
and ability levels factual information about training,
sports nutrition, and injury prevention. Anderson's goals include dispelling the
many myths associated with running training and
giving runners practical tips which can immediately be put to work to improve
their fitness and performances. Owen Anderson is the
author of three books - Lactate Lift-Off, Great Workouts for Popular Races, and
Aurora.
Click here for more about Owen and the Educated Runner mission:
http://www.educatedrunner.com/About.aspx
Visit the website at:
http://www.educatedrunner.com

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

BOOK/VIDEO OF THE MONTH: This Voice in My Heart: A Genocide Survivor's Story of
Escape, Faith, and Forgiveness
by Gilbert Tuhabonye (Author), Gary Brozek (Author)
Book Description
From Publishers Weekly
In this inspirational autobiography woven with a gruesome eyewitness account,
Tuhabonye recounts his maturation as a world-class
runner and his survival of a Burundi massacre. Born in 1974 to a minority ethnic
Tutsi family, Tuhabonye grew up in rural Burundi,
his intelligence and industry aided by spectacular athletic ability. The
narrative alternates between the author's life story and
events on the day of the massacres. In October 1993, after a Tutsi coup ousted
the Hutu president, a Hutu mob invaded Tuhabonye's
high school, hacked many Tutsi students to death with machetes and forced the
rest into a building that they set afire. Only the
author survived. After months of painful recovery from severe burns, he regained
the ability to walk and then run again, a healing
process facilitated by his faith-a devout Christian, he says he forgave the
murderers and praises God for sparing him. Tuhabonye
joined Burundi's national team, traveled the world, fell in love and moved to
the U.S., where he now lives with his wife and
daughter-an uplifting ending to a simply told story of a man who persevered
through hard work, luck, presence of mind and (he
emphasizes) God's love. (May)
Copyright C Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All
rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover
edition.
Buy the book from Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00121AESY/runnersweb/102-0182896-9006569\
?v=glance&s=books

For more publications on running and triathlon visit:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/human_kinetics.html and
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/amazon.html

THIS WEEK'S FEATURES:

1. In The Long Run, Exertion Regulation Wins The Day For Marathon Runners:
Long-distance running is widely seen as one of the great physical challenges a
human can undertake and as the 2008 Summer Olympics
commence in Beijing on August 8, many eager sports fans will await with baited
breath the last event of the Games – the men's
marathon, held on August 24.
For these armchair fans, how marathon runners can complete the gruelling, 42.195
km event – physically and mentally – may seem like
a great mystery.
Jonathan Esteve-Lanao and Alejandro Lucia at the European University of Madrid
and colleagues at the VU University-Amsterdam and the
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse have investigated the physiological methods
employed by well-trained runners in order to regulate
the great physical strain and effort that are needed in order to complete and
perform well in marathons and other endurance
challenges.
In order to measure the exercise intensity undergone by male runners of various
abilities, Esteve-Lanao and colleagues evaluated the
heart rate response of 211 middle- and long-distance runners during running
competitions ranging in length from five to 100 km.
These runners were not elite performers but all were serious competitors and
some had enjoyed success in regional competitions.
More...from Science Daily at:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080812213810.htm



2. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health e-Zine:
* Preserve Cell Mitochondria to Age Well
An exciting report from the University of Washington in Seattle shows how
exercise prolongs lives (Exercise and Sport Sciences
Reviews, April, 2007). The leading theory for aging is that mitochondria
produce oxidants that damage the DNA in cells to shorten
life. Mitochondria are parts of cells that convert food to energy. They
function by stripping off electrons and protons from food
to produce energy. When they do this, they end up with free electrons that
eventually attach to oxygen, which produces free
radicals that stick to genetic material in cells to cause permanent damage.
As you age, your muscles lose mitochondria and those that remain become smaller
so that they produce far more free radicals.
Anything that increases the size or number of
mitochondria makes them function more efficiently so they produce fewer free
radicals. This recent review shows that exercising as
you age actually prevents loss of mitochondria and can even make them larger so
they produce fewer oxidants.
This report is particularly significant because a recent survey of the world's
literature in the Journal of the American Medial
Association (February 28, 2007) showed that there is little
evidence that taking antioxidant supplements prolongs life, and they may even
shorten life. Apparently it is necessary to avoid
production of oxidants, not just to take antioxidants as a corrective measure.
On the basis of these studies, if you do not already
have a regular exercise program, check with your doctor for approval and get
started.
* Dear Dr. Mirkin: How long do muscles benefit from carbohydrate loading?
An important part of your energy for vigorous exercise comes from the sugar
stored inside muscle cells. When you run out of stored
muscle sugar, your muscles may hurt and be more difficult to coordinate.
Carbohydrate loading is a technique athletes use to
increase the stored sugar in their muscles. Four days before a competition, they
exercise vigorously and then for the next three
days, they eat their normal diet plus large amounts of extra carbohydrates in
foods such as bread, spaghetti and potatoes. A
recent study shows that after carbohydrate loading, the muscles will be full of
extra sugar for up to five days (European Journal of
Applied Physiology, February 2007).
At three, five and seven days of limited activity after the loading process,
the researchers cut out pieces of muscle and analyzed
the sugar content. Only at seven days post-loading did muscle sugar
concentrations drop significantly. This means that if your
competition is delayed, you can expect the effects of carbohydrate loading to
last up to five days.
* Irregular Periods - Amenorrhea
Women who menstruate more often than every 21 days or less often than every 35
days need to be evaluated for a cause and almost all
need to take hormones. Women are supposed to have two hormones, estrogen and
progesterone. Estrogen stimulates the uterus to grow.
Progesterone stops the stimulation. If a woman has estrogen without
progesterone, her uterus is stimulated all the time which can
lead to uncontrolled growth, which is cancer. If a woman lacks both estrogen and
progesterone, she is at risk for breaking her
bones. Structural abnormalities of the uterus and vagina can interfere with
menstruation, but most of the time, irregular periods
are caused by abnormal ovarian function.
There are four types of irregular periods. A woman could be pregnant or in the
menopause. A blood test called chorionic gonadotropin
can diagnose pregnancy and FSH can diagnose menopause. She could have a brain
tumor called a prolactinoma, which can be cured by
taking bromocriptine pills. She could not be eating enough food, which is common
in athletes and curable by eating more food. She
also could have a defect in the way that her brain produces hormones (GnRH) that
start her menstrual cycle and she will have
estrogen, but no progesterone. These women usually have eggs that ripen but do
not pop into the uterus. Women who have these
conditions start to menstruate when they are given the second female hormone,
progesterone. The most common cause is polycystic
ovary syndrome (PCO or PCOS) which also can cause acne and obesity and can be
treated effectively with a diabetic diet and drugs to
lower blood insulin levels. All women with irregular periods need to be checked
by a gynecologist and most need to be treated.
* Measure Abdominal Obesity, Not Just Weight
Researchers at the University of Michigan report that not all people who are fat
are at high risk for heart attacks (Archives of
Internal Medicine, August, 2008). They showed that 51 percent of overweight
adults (36 million Americans) have normal blood
pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, while 25 percent of normal-weight
Americans (16 million) have high levels of at least two of
these tests. The media picked up this study with headlines such as "Better to
Be Fat and Fit Than Skinny and Unfit" (New York
Times, August 19, 2008).
However, the entire study is flawed. The authors measured overweight, not
abdominal obesity. If you just compare weight to height to
define obesity, more than 50 percent of
professional football players would be obese, and they are not. I am sure that
the study would show the far more harmful effects if
the authors had measured abdominal obesity rather than just weight. Storing fat
primarily in your belly can predict premature
death. It means that a person's insulin levels are very high and high insulin
levels mean that your body is not responding to
insulin so you are at increased risk for a heart attack, stroke, kidney damage,
arteriosclerosis and all the other harmful side
effects of diabetes.
Other studies do show that it is better to be fat and fit than out-of-shape at
any weight. Steven N. Blair of the University of
South Carolina showed that adults over 60 who had higher levels of fitness lived
longer than unfit adults, independent of how fat
they were (JAMA December 5, 2007). He showed that fat people who were able to
run on a treadmill longer than unfit, fat people had
better blood tests and fewer heart attacks and deaths.
How should these studies affect you? If you are overweight, you increase your
risk for heart attacks, strokes, cancers and premature
death. If you store large amounts of fat
primarily in your belly, you are at such great risk for premature death that you
should check with your doctor and probably get a
thallium stress test to see if your coronary arteries are already blocked. If
they are not blocked, start a supervised exercise
program and diet to lose weight and become fit. If your coronary arteries are
already blocked, you will need immediate counseling
about future treatment.
* Dear Dr. Mirkin: If I exercise and eat salty foods, as you recommend, won't
my blood pressure go up?
People who continue to exercise throughout their lifetimes are far less likely
to develop high blood pressure and the more they
exercise, the less likely they are to develop high blood
pressure (Journal of Hypertension. June 2008). In various studies, up to 91
percent of the North American population suffers from
high blood pressure which puts them at markedly increased risk for strokes,
heart attacks, kidney damage and arteriosclerosis.
Virtually all scientists agree that this frightening incidence of high blood
pressure is caused by lifestyle, and the major
lifestyle factors are lack of exercise, obesity, and eating too many calories,
refined carbohydrates and saturated fats.
For some people, but not all, increased intake of salt also contributes to high
blood pressure. However, if you exercise, you need
to take in extra salt since salt is the only mineral that you lose in large
amounts through sweating. Low salt levels can cause
muscle damage, fatigue and depression. Salt deficiency can also raise high
blood pressure because it causes your kidneys to produce
large amounts of renin and your adrenal glands to make more aldosterone. These
hormones constrict arteries to raise blood pressure.
* Dear Dr. Mirkin: What are the best sources of carbohydrates during exercise?
Athletes have known for more than 65 yeas that eating extra carbohydrates during
exercise can markedly improve their endurance. A
study from the University of California, Davis,
shows that the form of carbohydrate doesn't make any difference (International
Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism,
April 2008). Sugar in sports drinks, gels or sports jelly beans helped
athletes exercise faster and longer and produced much
higher blood sugar levels than athletes who drank flavored water that did not
contain sugar. If you are going to exercise for more
than an hour, you can drink any sugared liquid or eat any carbohydate-containing
food that tastes good to you.
From Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine at:
http://www.drmirkin.com


3. Mayo Clinic on the Summer Olympic Games: Better Athletes, the Physiology of
Performance, the Lactate Threshold, the Aging Athlete
and Much More:
The world-record pace for the marathon continues to improve for both men and
women. For men, the record pace for the marathon is now
about as fast as the record pace for the 10,000-meter run just after World War
II. Today, champion athletes are running more than
four times farther at speeds of well under five minutes per mile.
How can this be? Are humans simply built better or is there something else
behind the mind-blowing speeds on the racetrack?
Michael Joyner, M.D., an anesthesiologist at Mayo Clinic whose research
interests extend to exercise science, says that a
combination of factors are leading to new world records in track and field and
other sports. He attributes the improved records, not
necessarily to genetics, but to training harder and longer, improved medical
care and the fact that people from throughout the world
now participate.
In studying the world records of sporting events like the marathon, the mile and
10,000- and 5,000-meter races throughout the last
125 years, Dr. Joyner says there are key primary factors at play. Prior to World
War I, athletes didn't train every day. They
trained three to four times per week out of concern they would "overtrain" or
become stale. By the 1920s, athletes were training
more often and by the 1950s, especially in Eastern Europe, athletes were
training daily for hours at a time.
By the 1960s, more people from other countries were involved in competition than
ever before. Up until then, most champion athletes
came from European countries, the U.S., Australia and Canada. Since then,
however, athletes from the developing world have been able
to participate. Since the 1960s, some of the most successful athletes have come
from the East African countries of Ethiopia and
Kenya.
"So we've gone from maybe one-fifth or one-sixth of the world's population
participating to where we now have a huge pool of people
in the Olympic Games," Dr. Joyner says.
Does this mean we've reached a plateau in terms of speed?
"At some level we've reached a physiological plateau. In general, the champions
of today don't have dramatically better treadmill
times as compared to elite athletes of earlier generations. What I think we are
seeing is a small effect due to better racetracks,
shoes and improved sports medicine. And, people are participating longer, so you
have more competitive depth which leads to better
races and races designed to set world records," Dr. Joyner says.
More...from Market Watch at:
http://tinyurl.com/6nvn9q


4. Is it a genetic flaw that makes Phelps the greatest?
WHEN Michael Phelps left the pool after his 200m individual medley victory
yesterday, complete with a now customary world record,
only the collective might of the Chinese, American and German teams had bettered
his tally of six gold medals at these Games.
More glory presumably awaits in the coming days, when he is favoured to match,
then break Mark Spitz's record of seven golds in a
single Olympics. The excitement builds with each appearance on the blocks.
Now comes the time for dissemination: the hows, whens and whys of the most
remarkable performance in Olympic history. The 12,000
calorie-per-day diet, the 96-kilometre-per-week training regimen and the
unquantifiable mental strength have all played their part.
But a glance at his 2005 autobiography, Beneath The Surface, offers an insight
into the physiological factors behind Phelps's
freakish abilities in the pool - and some are downright frightening. In his late
teens, already well advanced on the path to
swimming greatness, Phelps attended a training session and felt his heart
accelerate at an alarming pace. Bob Bowman, his coach,
immediately consulted Phelps's mother, Debbie, and suggested he undergo tests.
His fear: Marfan syndrome, a disease which can lead to defects of the heart
valve and aorta, and substantially reduce the life
expectancy of those it afflicts.
"If you reach out your arms and form a T and your wingspan is longer than your
height, you can be at risk," Phelps wrote.
More...from the Age at:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/swimming/does-a-genetic-flaw-make-phelps-great/200\
8/08/15/1218307227410.html


5. Eating bananas is the best thing to do for muscle cramps … well, on second
thought:
For those of you who’ve experienced muscle cramping during your lifetime, I feel
for you. For those of you that haven’t, I wish I
were you. Muscle cramping can bring any workout to a grinding halt; not only is
it terribly painful when it happens, but it can
also leave you very sore for a couple days following this dreaded event.
One of the worst things for someone who’s trying to lose weight is to be in the
middle of a flab-kicking workout and suddenly feel
your breath being sucked right out of you as you collapse to the floor hitting
notes like Stevie Wonder and making a bargain with
your body to give you back control of it.
Although it hasn’t been proven, a big culprit to muscles spasms is thought to be
caused by dehydration and mineral loss due to
excessive sweating; just another reason why water is so important for weight
loss, not to mention fitness in general.1,2 But
sometimes, water isn’t always the cure all for cramping muscles; sometimes, a
sports drink is necessary to prevent cramping from
happening.
Even though it’s not a proven fact, staying hydrated and maintaining that right
mineral/electrolyte balance is still the smart thing
to do in doing your part to prevent cramping from happening. Get this, though.
Well, actually, let me present it this way. When
you think of how to prevent muscle cramps, what’s the first thing that pops into
your mind?
“Oh, I know this one; it’s eat a banana! Right?”
Wrong.
Many people think that eating a banana will help replace the potassium your body
has lost, and while this is true, cramping is
really thought to result because of sodium (salt) loss, not potassium loss.1,2
The truth is cramping is a very mysterious occurrence. While the majority of
cramping is experienced during physical activity,
what’s even harder to explain is waking up in the middle of the night with a
cramp. And even though no one really knows the true
cause to muscle cramps during exercise or while sleeping, I recommend you
experiment with what works for you.
More...from Reuters at:
http://tinyurl.com/5fajmf


6. Break through the speed barrier with the ‘new interval training
Using more active recoveries can result in better performances, says
international coach PETER THOMPSON.
Two coaches were walking slowly towards the entry gate of their local track.
“That Cadbury bar in your hand is chocolate,” said one.
“Yes, I know that,” came the reply. “But not all chocolate is Cadbury.” “Yes, I
know that too. And, your point is?” “Well, you said
that your athletes were doing an interval session tonight. Are they really doing
an interval session? Or, are they actually doing a
repetition session? Because, while in the same way that all Cadbury is chocolate
but not all chocolate is Cadbury; all interval
training is a form of repetition training but not all repetition training is
interval training.” “You know, you can be so annoying.
And, just why is this point, that you feel you have to have to make, so
important?” Just why is this distinction between repetition
training and interval training so important? Because, before we can look at the
exciting prospects of the ‘new interval training’ we
must know what the old interval training is and precisely why it is called
interval training. You are all aware that coaches and
athletes frequently use repetition training by breaking distances down into
parts, with the parts being repeated, such as 15
repetitions of 400m. This breaking down of training into smaller, more
manageable bites has probably happened since the very first
time that a man or woman put on clothing for a formal training session; and we
start to find clear references to ‘repetition
training’ by the early 1900s. To find the origins of the special form of
repetition training known as ‘interval training’ we must
also go back in history, almost 70 years to the late 1930s. At that time a
German coach, Woldemar Gerschler, was a pioneer
attempting to base his training methods on solid physiological and psychological
principles. For the physiology, he teamed up with
Dr Hans Reindell; and they applied Gerschler’s understanding of the importance
of cardiovascular conditioning in the search for a
training method which would maximise the size, fitness and efficiency of the
heart.
More...from the Canadian Athletics Coaching Center at:
http://tinyurl.com/5d7s9o


7. Massaging Muscles Facilitates Recovery After Exercise
Researchers testing the long-held theory that therapeutic massage can speed
recovery after a sports injury have found early
scientific evidence of the healing effects of massage.
The scientists have determined that immediate cyclic compression of muscles
after intense exercise reduced swelling and muscle
damage in a study using animals.
Though they say it’s too soon to apply the results directly to humans in a
clinical environment, the researchers consider the
findings a strong start toward scientific confirmation of massage’s benefits to
athletes after intense eccentric exercise, when
muscles contract and lengthen at the same time.
“There is potential that this continuing research will have huge clinical
implications,” said Thomas Best, a professor of family
medicine at Ohio State University and senior author of the study. “If we can
define the mechanism for recovery, the translation of
these findings to the clinic will dictate how much massage is needed, for how
long, and when it should be performed after exercise.”
More...from Science Daily at:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080812213937.htm


8. What does it take to grab gold?
What is it that makes a good athlete great? Is it the 10,000 hours of training
experts say is needed to make it to the top? Or are
elite athletes genetically destined to excel?
Here are some of the leading experts in their fields weighing in on what it
takes to become an Olympian.
Swimming
Look no farther than Michael Phelps - who has won eight gold medals at the
Beijing Olympics - when envisioning the perfect swimmer's
body.
"Long levers help," said Peter Carpenter, head coach of the Pointe Claire Swim
Club and age-group coach of Canadian Olympian Tobias
Oriwol.
But it's not just long arms that help swimmers power their way to the end of the
pool. Big hands catch and pull a lot of water, and
big feet and flexible ankles and knees add whip-like power to the kick. Also on
the checklist of physical attributes are narrow hips
and a small curvature of the lower spine (no J. Lo butts), which assist in
streamlining a swimmer's long torso.
Most swimmers start young. The best age is about 7, Carpenter says, as it takes
years to learn the technical side of the sport.
Swimmers must learn four strokes, each of which includes movement patterns that
exist only in an aquatic environment.
"The complexity of the technical skills to be mastered can't be underestimated,"
Carpenter said.
More...from the National Post at:
http://www.nationalpost.com/life/story.html?id=734898


9. In Sea of Similar Body Types, Nonconformists Can Succeed:
Usain Bolt is too tall to be a world-class sprinter. Mike Friedman is too heavy
to be an elite cyclist. Stefan Holm is too short to
be champion high jumper, and Erin Donohue is too short and stocky be a star
middle-distance runner. Yet all of them are Olympians,
and athletic anomalies, bucking conventional wisdom and somehow rising to the
same arenas as Michael Phelps, He Kexin and Dara
Torres.
Friedman, at 5 feet 9 inches and 170 pounds, knows he does not look like most of
his tall, lean teammates.
“I have an odd-shaped body, that’s for sure,” Friedman said in an interview
here, days before he competed Tuesday for the United
States track cycling team. But, he added, “I can time-trial pretty good for a
fat kid.”
If such unusually shaped athletes can succeed at this elite level, exercise
researchers have asked, then what does that say about
the physical qualities needed to be an Olympian?
No one answer exists: these anomalous athletes each have ways of compensating
for what others may consider the disadvantages of
their dimensions. Yet their success also challenges the expectations of exercise
science. There are logical explanations, but they
go only so far. The complete answer, said Edward F. Coyle, an exercise
physiologist who is the director of the Human Performance
Laboratory at the University of Texas, “is kind of a mystery.”
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/sports/olympics/20bodies.html?_r=1&ref=olympic\
s&oref=slogin


10. This Week in Running:
10 Years Ago- Khalid Khannouchi (MAR) won the Falmouth Road Race (MA/USA) 7M
over a string of
Kenyans who took the next four places. Khannouchi clocked in at
31:48, ahead of
John Korir (31:53), Luka Cherono (31:55), Hezron Otwori (31:57),
and Peter Githuka
(32:05). Catherine Ndereba (KEN) won her 2nd title here (of
four) with a 36:10 to
the 36:17 by runner-up Colleen deReuck (RSA). Teresa Wanjiku
(KEN) was 3rd in 36:52.
20 Years Ago- Francesco Panetta (ITA) won the Ivo vanDamme Memorial (BEL)
10,000m in 27:33.14, ahead
of Paul Arpin (FRA) at 27:49.22 and Addis Abeba (ETH) at
27:50.24. Four others finished
under 27 minutes. Jose Regalo (POR) won the 5000m in 13:15.62
with Yobes Ondieki (KEN)
at 13:17.06 and John Doherty (IRL) at 13:18.18 following. Liz
McColgan (SCO) won the
women's 3000m in 8:43.73, more than four seconds ahead of Lynn
Jennings (USA) at 8:48.19.
Annette Sergent (FRA) was 3rd in 8:52.27.
30 Years Ago- Rod Dixon (NZL) won the Ivo vanDamme Memorial (BEL) 5000m in
13:21.8. Marty Liquori
(USA) was next in 13:23.4 and Willy Polleunis (BEL) was 3rd in
13:24.0.
40 Years Ago- George Young won the USA Olympic Trials Marathon in 2:30:48.6
with Ken Moore and
Ron Daws getting the other two spots on the team with 2:31:47 and
2:33:07 respectively.
The race was held at high altitude in Alamosa CO, as a simulation
for the Mexico City
Olympic Marathon conditions expected. Notable dnf's included
Frank Shorter (Olympic gold
medalist in the marathon four years later), Billy Mills (1964
Olympic gold medalist in the
10,000m), Amby Burfoot (now an editor at Runner's World
magazine), and Jack Leydig (an
ARRS contributor among many other things).
50 Years Ago- Martin Hyman (ENG) won a 3 mile track race in Uxbridge ENG with a
13:34.0. John Merriman
(WAL) was given the same time in 2nd and Alastair Wood (SCO) was
3rd in 14:00.2.
60 Years Ago- Emil Zatopek (CZE) took a rare loss over 3000m in Amsterdam NED,
8:16.0 to the 8:09.6 by
Erik Ahlden (SWE).
From The Analytical Distance Runner, the newsletter for the Association of Road
Racing Statisticians with a
focus on races, 3000m and longer, including road, track, and cross-country
events.
The ARRS has a website at http://www.arrs.net.


11. Structure Of Heart Can Be Changed Through Exercise:
Just like any other muscle, the structure of the heart can be changed through
exercise. However, this adaptation process takes
longer than it takes the muscle to revert to its original conditions.
Researchers from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)
have studied this process in well trained hearts during their investigations to
identify pathologies.
Certainly everyone has at some point realized that the efforts at the gym result
in increased muscle tone, even if this is not easy
to maintain. The same applies to the heart; after enduring intense physical
exercise some of its characteristics change. Thanks to
modern imaging technology, in particular echocardiography, the study of such
characteristics has greatly improved.
In sports medicine, it is very important to know how the heart adapts and
regresses to its original state in athletes who train
intensively. The information of the regression of the heart to a normal status
when the training stimulus is removed is used by
sports cardiologists to delimit the physiologic adaptation of the pathology.
More...from Science Daily at:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080728111356.htm


12. Taper For Endurance Athletes:
"I give notice to members of my team that within a week or so of an
international contest, I shall be using the 'rest principle'
very much more than the 'train hard' principle. My experience as coach has
convinced me of the great importance of the 'rest
principle' in making peak performances."
Forbes Carlile, legendary Australian swim coach
"I seldom run hard in training leading up to a big race. There is little point
in leaving my best work on the training track."
John Walker, first man to run under 3:50 for the mile
Competitive endurance athletes often focus on optimizing performance at just one
or two major events during an entire season. They
usually "taper" or drastically reduce the volume of their training preceding
such important meets. Indeed, it is now widely accepted
that a properly designed taper should be an integral part of any endurance
athlete's preparation for a major competitive effort (for
review, see Houmard and Johns, 1994). Most athletes look forward to a taper as a
break from the rigors of intense training. On the
other hand, many coaches approach the taper period with some trepidation, as
they try to hit the right balance of training and
recovery.
During a taper, several variables can be manipulated in an attempt to maximize
performance. These include the frequency, duration,
and intensity of training sessions, and the duration of the whole taper period.
So far there has been no systematic study of any of
these variables; but from the existing research, some factors emerge as being
important to a successful taper.
First, the training volume is reduced in an incremental or stepwise fashion for
10-14 days, so that in the 2-3 days immediately
before a major competition it is almost zero. Although tapers as long as six
weeks have been examined, such extended tapers at best
only maintain performance, rather than improve it.
More...from SportScience TrainGain at:
http://www.sportsci.org/news/traingain/taper.html


13. Decreased Genital Sensation In Competitive Women Cyclists:
Women who participated in prolonged, frequent bicycling had decreased genital
sensation and were more likely to have a history of
genital pain than women runners, researchers in the Department of Obstetrics,
Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of
Medicine and The Albert Einstein College of Medicine report in the current issue
of the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
The researchers compared 48 women competitive cyclists to 22 women runners. They
used non-invasive techniques to evaluate the
possible effects of bicycling on genital sensation and sexual health.
Participants in the study were women bicyclists who
consistently rode an average of at least 10 miles per week, four weeks per
month. Women who ran at least one mile daily or five
miles weekly were chosen as a control group because they represent an active
group of women who were not exposed to direct pressure
in the perineal region.
"We found that competitive women cyclists have a decrease in genital sensation.
However, there were no negative effects on sexual
function and quality of life in our young, healthy pre-menopausal study
participants," said lead author Marsha K. Guess, M.D.,
assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale.
More...from Medical News Today at:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/56825.php


14. Science of Sport: Extreme Competitive Sports - A Fitness Test For DNA:
Unusually high levels of physical exertion do cause oxidative stress, but this
does not result in any long-term damage to DNA. This
is just one of the many outcomes revealed by an extraordinary research project
funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF that are now
published. As part of this project, 42 male athletes took part both in a
triathlon and an extensive biomedical study, which examined
numerous physiological values parameters during the period from two days before
to 19 days after the triathlon.
The range of personal views on the benefits - or otherwise - of physical
activity covers everything from "sport is good for you" to
"sport is a killer". From a scientific perspective, there is no doubt that
regular sporting activity has physiological benefits,
however, there is no such clear evidence of the benefits of extreme endurance
sports. Indeed, there are indications that ultra
distance runners, for example, may suffer increased health risks due to high
oxidative stress. This generates aggressive oxygen
radicals and metabolites which can damage cells and cell components. The
question of whether this exercise induced stress also
causes the DNA damage often observed as a consequence is now set to be answered
by the Austrian Science Fund FWF project.
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news_2008/rw_news_20080821_Exercise_DNA.html


15. Runners Need Fat in their Diet:
Published June 7, 1999 in The Post-Standard.
By Dr Kamal Jabbour, Contributing Writer
Finally, there is medical confirmation of what runners around the world have
known all along, that eating fatty foods is good for
them. In fact, a study at the University of Buffalo shows that runners who limit
their fat intake compromise their immune system and
increase their risks of infections and disease.
In findings presented on May 22, 1999 at the fourth International Society for
Exercise and Immunology Symposium in Rome, Italy,
University of Buffalo researchers reported that running 40 miles per week on a
diet consisting of only 17 percent fat compromised a
runner's immune system.
Medium and high-fat diets, where 32 and 41 percent of the calories came from
fat, enhanced the immune system's ability to withstand
the rigors of intense training. Professor Jaya Venkatraman, the lead researcher
on the study, suggested that higher-fat diets
lowered pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased anti-inflammatory cytokines. In
addition, fat intake affected the release of free
radicals and hormones, in turn impacting the immune system's ability to fight
disease.
Conventional wisdom in the sports nutrition community had long promoted a
low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet for improved health and
increased performance. However, many endurance athletes defied these rules by
indulging their cravings for high-calorie, high-fat
foods.
Earlier studies published by the University of Buffalo researchers confirmed
that competitive runners who increased the proportion
of fat in their diets improved their endurance without any adverse effects on
their weight, body composition, blood pressure, heart
rate or cholesterol.
While moderate levels of exercise enhanced the immune system, high-intensity and
endurance exercise produced excessive levels of
free radicals, thereby stressing the immune system. Since a high level of fat
was initially thought to weaken the immune system, the
researchers worried that improved performance could only be achieved at the cost
of reduced immunity to disease. Hence, their recent
research sought to determine whether increasing dietary fat intake would indeed
improve performance while compromising the immune
system.
The Buffalo study included six female and eight male competitive runners who
trained at 40 miles a week. These runners were part of
a larger performance study on the impact of dietary fat on performance and
nutritional status. The runners followed their normal
diets for one month, followed by one month each on a diet composed of 17
percent, 32 percent and 41 percent fat. Protein intake
remained constant at 15 percent throughout the study, while carbohydrates made
up the balance.
At the end of each month, the immunity of the runners was estimated by measuring
the concentrations of white blood cells, cytokines
and plasma cortisol in blood samples taken before and after endurance exercise.
Results showed that natural killer cells, among the
body's defense mechanisms to fight infection, more than doubled in runners after
the high-fat diet, compared to the low-fat regimen.
In addition, the levels of inflammation-causing prostaglandins increased after
the endurance exercise, and were higher when the
runners were on the low-fat diet.
The study confirmed that athletes not only performed better on a higher-fat diet
than on a low-fat diet, but that their immune
system was further enhanced on the high-fat diet. These findings should not
surprise the myriad of marathon runners who have fought
colds and infections to run a marathon. In fact, a recent survey showed that
over one half of the finishers in the New York City
Marathon reported getting sick within a month of running the marathon.
Although the Buffalo study concluded in favor of runners cravings for pizza and
ice cream, it seemed to neglect the
all-too-important psychological component. A total stranger to distance running,
my grandmother firmly believed that a well-fed body
was best equipped to succeed in physical as well as mental endeavours. Her
lasting impact on us is evident in our rapidly increasing
waistlines and race times.
Kamal Jabbour's diet extends the range of the Buffalo study towards higher
immunity and stronger endurance. His RUNNING Column
appears in The Post-Standard on Mondays. He maintains The Syracuse Running Page
and receives email at mailto:jabbour@....


16. The Finishing Touches:
Marathon Training Tips for the Last Four Weeks.
If you are running a fall marathon, chances are that you are wondering whether
you have done everything you can to prepare
optimally. Following are a number of specific steps that you can take to
eliminate the element of surprise from your marathon and
ensure that your body can handle the demands of 26.2 miles.
1. Learn as much as you can about the course. Find out if there are any
significant uphills or downhills and where they occur in the
marathon. Ask whether the marathon tends to be windy, and which sections are
likely to have a headwind. Try to design your long runs
to prepare for the nuances of the course.
2. Prepare for the downhills. Veteran marathoners know that while uphills may be
difficult, it is the downhills that will kill you.
When running downhill, your muscles work eccentrically to resist the force of
gravity, which causes microscopic muscle damage, and
makes it more difficult to maintain your pace later in the race. The muscle
damage from downhill running also causes inflammation
and delayed-onset muscle soreness, which is why you need to walk downstairs
backward for several days afterward. By incorporating
downhills into your training and focusing on increasing your leg turnover and
not leaning back, you can improve your downhill
running technique, which will reduce the braking action and subsequent muscle
soreness.
3. Start to taper your training. It is almost always optimal to do your last
very long run three weeks before your marathon. For
experienced marathoners this would be 18 to 22 miles.
More...from Running Times at:
http://www.runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=4424


17. Men, Women and Speed. 2 Words: Got Testosterone?
No matter what happens in the men’s marathon here Sunday, one thing is all but
certain. The winner will run the 26.2-mile course
faster than the winner of the women’s marathon last Sunday.
The woman who won, Constantina Tomescu of Romania, was fast, of course,
finishing the race in 2 hours 26 minutes 44 seconds — more
than a minute ahead of the second-place finisher. But for a variety of intrinsic
biological reasons, the best women can never run as
fast as the best men, exercise researchers say.
Women are slower than men in running, in swimming, in cycling. Whether it is a
100-meter race on the track or a marathon, a
200-meter butterfly swim or a 10-kilometer marathon swim, the pattern holds.
And even though some scientists once predicted that women would eventually close
the gender gap in elite performances — it was
proposed that all they needed was more experience, better training and stronger
coaching — that idea is now largely discredited, at
least for Olympic events. Researchers say there is no one physiological reason
for the gap, although there is a common biological
thread.
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/22/sports/olympics/22women.html?ref=olympics


18. Carbs and Sugar Damage Brain Cells that Regulate Appetite - Study :
scientist at Monash University has discovered that free radicals degenerate
brain cells that control appetite – and the damage is worse following ingestion
of carbohydrates and sugar, leading to a vicious cycle that only promotes,
rather than controlling hunger. Dr Zane Andrews, a neuroendocrinologist with
Monash University's Department of Physiology explains, "The more carbs and
sugars you eat, the more your appetite-control cells are damaged, and
potentially you consume more." The result is weight gain that just gets worse
with age, as cellular signals between the brain and appetite hormones become
imbalanced.
Normally, a set of neurons, called POMC's tell us we are full. Free radicals
attack POMC neurons. Ghrelin hormones, synthesized in the stomach, tell us when
our stomach is empty. Disharmony between PMOC neurons and ghrelin hormones tells
us we’re hungry when we’re really not, spawning a cycle of overeating from the
miscues.
More...from Reuters at:
http://tinyurl.com/5bdp8g


19. Getting Better With Age: Dive In:
DARA TORRES, the 41-year-old Olympic swimmer with the impossibly chiseled abs
who collected three silver medals in Beijing, has
proved at the elite level that getting older doesn’t mean getting slower in the
water. But put her aside for now.
Even outside the elite ranks, the 40-something (and older) swimmer of today is
faster than the 40-something of yesteryear.
Researchers at the Counsilman Center for the Science of Swimming at Indiana
University found that the population of Masters swimmers
(made up of 42,500 members ages 18 to 100-plus) has gotten faster over the last
20 years in age groups from 25 to 55, said Joel
Stager, the center’s director.
Why is that? They are applying better skills.
“Technique trumps training,” Dr. Stager said. “Water is the great equalizer.”
Chief among the reasons for the speediness, say coaches, researchers and
swimmers themselves, are improved stroke mechanics and
training methods emphasizing intensity over distance. This is good news for
those who like to race, and for those taking to the
water for fitness at any age.
As they age, people lose muscle mass and cardiovascular capacity, which declines
by 1 to 1.5 percent annually. But for regular
exercisers, the rate of decline is slower, researchers say.
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/21/fashion/21fitness.html?ref=fitnessandnutrition


20. Digest Briefs:
Dangerous caffeine high
Can all those energy drinks cause heart trouble?
More...from Yahoo at:
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?rn=222561&cl=9334538&ch=2\
22562


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

August 15-24, 2008
Olympic Games - Beijing, China

August 22, 2008:
Race for the Arts 5K - Sacramento, CA

August 22-23, 2008:
Myomed Ragnar Relay - Great River, WI to Minneapolis, MN

August 23, 2008:
Crim Festival of Races - Flint, MI

Glitnir Reykjavik Marathon - Iceland

Patrick Henry Half-Marathon - Poor Farm Park, VA

U.S. Half Marathon - Copper Mountain, CO

August 23-24, 2008:
Lean Horse Hundred & Half Hundred - Hot Springs, SD

August 24, 2008:
(Subaru Ironman Canada - Penticton, BC


June 20, 2008
Emilie's Run - The Emilie Mondor Memorial 5K Race for Women - Ottawa, ON
http://www.emiliesrun.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/

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Have a good week of training and/or racing.

Ken

Ken Parker
www.RunnersWeb.com
The Running and Triathlon Resource Portal
mailto:kparker@...
613-746-4053
http://www.OACRacingTeam.com
http://www.EmiliesRun.com

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RUNNER'S WEB AFFILIATE PROGRAMS:
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All revenue from advertisers and affiliate programs goes into the support of
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