Tom Seabourne Ph.D
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Sloshing
Anyone?
If your sports drink is too tasty it might slosh around too long in your
tummy. Sports drinks that contain less than seven percent carbohydrate
are absorbed faster than those with more sugar warns Susan Allen, R.D.,
on staff at American WholeHealth in Chicago, IL. Quicker gastric emptying
means less sloshing, she says. Calculate the percent of carbohydrate in
your favorite sports drink by dividing the grams of carbohydrate per serving
by the serving size in milliliters, and then multiply that number by 100.
If you discover your sports drink has more than seven percent carbohydrate
- happy sloshing; or mix it ½ and ½ with water.
ITB
Syndrome:
Do you ever feel pain on the outside of your upper leg when you are running?
Your illiotibial band (ITB) extends from your hip, past the side of your
knee and attaches to the outside of your tibia (shinbone.) ITB syndrome
or inflammation of this tendinous sheath can cause pain and sometimes
swelling says Topper Hagerman, Ph.D. rehabilitation specialist at the
Howard Head Sportsmedicine Clinic in Vail, CO. Be sure your shoes are
in perfect condition. And be careful of running on the side of the road
where it banks. "Too many days running in a row, or running too long may
also cause ITB syndrome", says Hagerman.
Beats
Per Minute:
A heart rate monitor is an efficient way to keep tabs on your training
to be sure that you are not overextending yourself, according to Sally
Edwards author of The Heart Rate Monitor Guidebook (1999), who resides
in Sacramento, CA. Runners and cyclists can set their monitors to sound
a warning signal if their heart rate wanders above the target level, which
would indicate that they are burning precious glycogen reserves too early.
A heart rate monitor also allows you to monitor your weekly progress to
ensure you are not overtraining.
Focus!
Imagine sprinting a 5K or pedaling a 10-mile time trial. Just you, the
road, and a stop watch. To set a personal record associate with your body,
suggests Robert Weinberg, Ph.D. sports psychologist at the University
of Miami in Oxford, Ohio. Association means that you tune into your sensations.
You are not obsessed about caloric expenditure or worried about your grocery
list. Focus on your breathing and your form. Process signals from all
parts of your body so you can alter your stride length or pedal stroke
according to the terrain, says Weinberg.
Negative
Splits:
Think it's boring to train on an out-and-back course? Out-and-back is
a great training tool to maximize your speed, recommends Mitch Bogdanfy,
Ironman triathlete and exercise physiologist. Ride or run back faster
than you went out. A quicker return trip helps you to develop a "negative
split mindset", says Bogdanfy. This teaches you to pedal or stride the
second half of your race slightly faster than the first half. It is a
great way to mentally and physically prepare for the last few miles of
your event, suggests Bognanfy.
Save
Your Knees:
Here are five ways to protect your knees according to John Atkins, ATC
and sports medicine rehabilitation specialist in Vail, CO.
- Wear shoes that fit your feet (If you are a pronator or supinator orthotics can help).
- Don't increase your weekly running or cycling mileage by more than five percent.
- Run on smooth trails or grass instead of concrete.
- Avoid cycling in gears so big that you cannot pedal faster than 60 revolutions per minute.
- Train your quadriceps and hamstrings with weights twice a week to bolster your knees.
Born
to Win?
To win a cycling or running road-race you do not have to be born to the
right parents. That is, you do not have to own predominantly fast twitch
muscle fibers according to Douglas Brooks, MS in exercise physiology and
author, lecturer, and video personality. Fast-twitch fibers fire with
power and quickness, but also exhaust their supply of fuel very quickly.
Slow-twitch muscles contract slower, but they are able to maintain that
contraction longer. Running and cycling road races typically require surges
of hard sprints alternating with steady-state recovery. The winners aren't
necessarily the fastest runners or cyclists, they are the ones who can
recover from the sprints most efficiently.
Gorgeous
Gams:
What do 100-meter runners, bodybuilders, and velodrome cyclists have in
common? Huge, well-defined, muscular wheels! Running hills is a great
way to build your quadriceps (thighs), gluteals (butt) and hamstrings
suggests Val Guzman, D.C., a sports medicine specialist in Philadelphia,
PA. And the stronger your legs, the better you perform. If you are pedaling
out your driveway and your back tire blows, stash your cycling cleats
and don your running flats. Jog to the nearest hill and start sprinting.
Sprinting hills keeps your lower body in top condition.
Pollution
Sucks:
Ever wonder why you can't train as hard through a thick blanket of smog?
Air pollution can inhibit your performance, according to a recent study
in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. When you work out in a city
where there is heavy air pollution, the carbon monoxide you inhale takes
the place of the oxygen your muscles need. Your muscles produce more lactate
causing you to feel "the burn" sooner into your workout than you normally
would. So if you are visiting Los Angeles on a particularly smoggy day,
leave your workout gear in the car.
