Resistance Training for Endurance Athletes?

For all time you crunched multisport athletes out there, I feel your pain.  Who needs weights when we only have time to run, bike, and swim?  Unfortunately, resistance training is essential for building power and strength. In addition, adding resistance training to your program will decrease risk of injury as you are creating increased strength around your joints.  Furthermore, weight training can dwindle out muscle imbalances if you target the appropriate areas.

Studies show that when an endurance athlete incorporates strength training into their training program, their time to exhaustion increased (run or bike farther than previously at the same intensity).  Strength training can improve an athletes efficiency in a sport as well.  Most endurance athletes are afraid that if they incorporate resistance training, they will gain weight.  You need not worry because since most of our time is devoted to endurance training, our bodies do not gain muscle mass easily.  But if we do end up gaining a few pounds, it shall typically result in increased power, something we should strive for.

How many reps? How much resistance? How many sets? These are all common questions I face everyday and this is where the principal of individuality comes in.  Everyone has different needs when it comes to training, but I will try and simplify these common questions.  I must reiterate, everyone's needs are different, therefore there are no cookie cutter exercise routines.  Each one needs to be tweaked for the individuals needs and requirements.

For a beginner who is new to weight training or someone who hasn't done resistance training in over 3 months, the first thing you want to work on is proper technique, therefore high reps (15-20) is adequate with low resistance (40-60% of 1 repetition maximum [RM] ).  The last rep should not be to failure, and if it is, lower the resistance for the next set.  The amount of sets for each exercise should be 3-5 and you should attempt to take a break no longer than 30 seconds to a minute between sets. This can be continued for 2-8 weeks while performing 2-3 workouts per week.

For someone who is used to weight training and feels confident with technique, I suggest they focus they try to focus on power and strength.  This can be accomplished multiple ways and many magazines and books offer their own resistance training templates.  I will explain my suggested plan as it can improve your applied force in the gym, but also translate to increased power when out for a bike ride or a run.  Keep your rep range within 5-8, with your last set being to failure.  The speed of your repetitions be moderate and the resistance should be about 60-80% of your 1 RM.  You should attempt to do 3-6 sets for each exercise and progressively increase the resistance as you go through sets (60% of your 1 RM for the first set progressing to final set being 80% of 1RM).  Your rest period between sets should be 2-4 minutes.  Continue this weight training for 3 weeks (2-3 sessions a week if possible) but on the 4th week change it up by doing explosive (fast) repetitions, which will cause you to increase your power.  Again, I shall reiterate for the 3rd time - this is merely my personal opinion and every individuals needs are unique.

Here are 4 guidelines for weight training, especially for us time crunched athletes:

1. Sport Specific Movements - When doing an exercise, try to mimic the exact position you would be in if you were doing the sport.  For example, if you are doing a single legged squat - bend your knee no further than if you were running, this is where you will need most power.
2. Big Muscle Groups - focus on doing exercises which target the major muscle groups used in each discipline. For example, the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteus are all used during cycling, therefore a great exercise would be a squat since it would target all areas.
3. Multijoint Exercises - these exercises can save you precious time in the gym because they allow you to work many muscles at once.  Again, squats are a wonderful example since they incorporate the ankle, knee and hip.
4. Wore Your Core - if you do not have a strong core, this may be what is keeping you from reaching your potential.  A strong core is necessary for an efficient swimmer since this is where most movements are initiated.  In addition, runners require a strong core to maintain an upright position during their distance.

Here are 5 essential exercises one can incorporate into their training programs resistance plan:

Single Leg Squat:

Standing Lat Push Down:





Lunges:





Dumbbell Chest Press:

Alternating Oblique Twists:

Enjoy and don't forget, weight training can be beneficial and break the mold of constantly swimming, biking, and running!

Java Jolt - Caffeine and Endurance Performance

Researchers have laboriously studied the effects of caffeine on sports performance with very optimistic results.  Caffeine has been known to increase wakefulness, reduce fatigue, and increase alertness.  This knowledge has been known for centuries and has been put into practice by around 90% of the adult population.  I myself require a coffee every morning to start my day off.  In addition to that, caffeine addiction is prevalent and symptoms of withdrawl can be observed for people who attempt to ‘quit’ drinking the miracle brew.  Again, I can attest to the withdrawl symptoms, and if I haven’t had my morning brew – get outta my way!

Back to the research surrounding caffeine ingestion and performance, which has had mixed results.  Caffeine can be found in coffee, sports drinks, energy drinks, capsules, and specific supplements.   Much research has been conducted and one main finding which seems to be accepted throughout is that the most effective form of caffeine is from capsules.  Some research assumes that another component of the drinks (coffee and energy drinks) works to antagonize the actual affects of coffee.

Caffeine has proven to improve endurance performance ranging from activities 30 to 120 minutes in duration.  So what makes caffeine such a potent ergogenic aid?  Research has shown (to different extents) that caffeine blocks adenosine receptors, increases lypolysis, increases catecholamine release, increases cortisol release, increases potassium release, increases levels of intracellular calcium, inhibits cAMP phosphodiesterase activity,  produces central nervous system activation and increased respiratory ventilation, PLUS functions as an antioxidant (Sinclair & Geiger, 2000).  I will explain a few of the most important affects of caffeine, but for a full review, please refer to the journal by Sinclair & Geiger titled Caffeine use in sports.

Increased lypolysis is crucial for endurance performance because energy is produced from the breakdown of fats (event called lypolysis).  Increased catecholamine release, epinephrine to be exact, causes increased circulation of free fatty acids and vasodilation of blood vessels to increase blood flow to exercising tissue.  Cortisol levels increase during exercise and improves athletic efficiency.  Increased intracellular concentration of calcium is facilitates the excitation-contraction coupling mechanism for skeletal muscle.

Now that I have stated all the positives regarding caffeine, I must inform you of the consequences.  One is that caffeine can be addicting and individuals become habituated to the effects of caffeine.  This ultimately results in increased consumption of the substance so that its effects can be felt.  In addition, as mentioned earlier, withdrawl symptoms can be observed when an individual stops ingesting caffeine.  Caffeine is also I diuretic which may cause athletes to urinate excessively, but the diuretic properties of caffeine do not occur during exercise.  Caffeine can cause sleeping problems and can inhibit the function of adenosine induced erythropoietin (hormone which stimulates red blood cell formation). 

So what does research suggest? Through much of the scientific literature, it seems evident that the adequate amount of caffeine to ingest is 2-3 mg/kg of body weight before and (or) during exercise.  Ingesting more caffeine than this amount does not increase performance, it may actually have adverse effects.  As an aside, in 2003, the Olympic Movement Anti-Doping Code included caffeine as a banned stimulant.  If an athlete’s urine caffeine concentration was greater than 12ug/mL, they were disqualified.

I am not saying that the missing link in your training is caffeine supplementation.  You must do your research before attempting to change your diet, especially with supplements.  Caffeine has positive and negative effects; therefore it is up to you to decide if you wish to pursue ingestion.  I have provided the list of journals and studies I read to write this article so please feel free to draw your own conclusions from them as well.  Click here to gather a list of articles using the popular Google Scholar which searches through peer reviewed journals. 

References

Bell, D.G. & McLellan, T.M. (2003).  Effect of repeated caffeine ingestion on repeated exhaustive exercise endurance.  Official Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, 35(8), 1348-1354.

Burke, L.M. (2008).  Caffeine and sports performance.  Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism 33, 1319-1334.

Conger, S.A, Warren, G.L., Hardy, M.A., & Millard-Stafford, M.L. (2011).  Does caffeine added to carbohydrate provide additional ergogenic benefit of endurance?  International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 21, 71-84.

Graham, T.E., Hibbert, E., & Sathasivam, P. (1998).  Metabolic and exercise endurance effects of coffee and caffeine ingestion. Journal of Applied Physiology 85, 883-889.

Sinclair, C.J.D. & Geiger, J.D. (2000).  Caffeine use in sports: A pharmacological review.  Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 40, 71-79.

National Capital Run 2011 - 10km

What I was chasing for 10 km

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 …. 8:35 am – the 40 runners taking part in the National Capital Run 2011, 10km distance were off.  We ran the 5km course so therefore we had to complete 2 loops.  I had never ran this course before so I was unfamiliar with what I was to encounter.   The only words of advice came from Matt Despatie, a veteran to the event, “I hate this course… there is this hill after the bridge which isn’t long, but steep.” – Real words of encouragement.

I started out quite well, actually leading the pack for about 3km.  I loved the route, it was scenic and downhill.  But one thing I truly forgot… I will have to come back uphill.  We started at Mooney’s Bay and ran towards the parkway, with gorgeous scenery everywhere.  Trees all around, the water alongside, I even recall a squirrel running across my path.

Initially I had looked back at around the 1km mark to really see my position and what kind of lead I truly had.  The pack was a fair distance away but I told myself to not try and over exert myself.  I have learnt from the past that I cannot do sprints as I deplete my immediate energy reserves too quickly which causes me to decrease my pace considerably.

At around the 3km mark, I heard footsteps behind me.  He was considerably faster than me as he made the quick dash ahead.  I attempted to maintain pace with him… but he was a fairly well conditioned athlete, and I had gone into this race with two mindsets – 1. Finish under 40 minutes, 2. Do not concern myself with other competitors.  I reminded myself of these two things and maintained my pace.

I hated the return route.  After that steady decline I had to fight through uphill battle after uphill battle.  I constantly pushed myself each step.  Once I got up these never ending hills I would take a second to slow my pace down so that I could recuperate and then continue.  These precious seconds I was wasting to slow down seemed costly but effective since I would have to do this hilly part for the final 25% of the race.

I made it to the 5km turnaround and thought to myself… I have to do this again? What made this even worse, the man in 3^rd place was inches behind me.  I knew my strengths were in the downhill of this course so I made sure to increase my cadence with short strides while running downhill.  This would spare my energy for the flat parts and the worst part of all… the uphill struggle to the finish.  I could hear the feet of 3^rd place bashing the ground the whole way.  I think the last time I looked back was with 3km remaining and he was 4 strides behind me.

As I made it to the 7.5 km marker, which was the return portion of the 5km, I thought I had made a considerable gap between myself and 3^rd place.  He was literally one stride away from me.  I kept pushing and never looked back, the only thing I knew was that if I could hear his footsteps, he wasn’t far.  Hill after hill I climbed, pushing myself harder and harder because every second counts at this point.  I managed to make decent gains during the uphill struggles, but I was finding myself burnt out when reaching the top which allowed him to catch up.

I remember looking down at the ground with 1 km left in the race.  His shadow was covering mine and I could hear his breaths becoming heavier; he too was just as tired as I was.  He attempted to pass me at one instance, but I pushed even harder.  My goals quickly changed at this very instance because I love competition.  I couldn’t let him pass me, especially this late in the race.

We were neck and neck as we made the final turn.   I looked up and saw my girlfriend standing there with a face of panic - I knew I couldn’t let him pass.  I couldn’t.  With approximately 150 meters left, I heard his breathing become labored and his foot strikes becoming harder.  I myself went into an all out sprint.  My breathing was getting harder and harder, my legs were sore, my calves were stiff, but I couldn’t let him get in front of me.  He was behind me since the 5km marker and I was not going to let him do anything else but chase me.  My mind shut off, my eyes fully focused on the task at hand, finish before him.  The pain in my legs had taken over my body, my mind was telling my body no more, no more.  I let out a scream of agony and dug even deeper with the last few strides to go.

I couldn’t believe how close our times were. I never thought I would have such a close race.  Here are the exact times which are posted on http://sportstats.ca/ :

PLACE	TIME	PACE	NAME	BIB NUMBER
1	37:43	3:47	Lavoie,Teddy	946
2	39:56	4:00	Ravanelli, Nicholas	1000
3	39:57	4:00	Georgieff, David	916

How much closer can it get?

Not only did I make my goal of finishing under 40 minutes, I also came second overall.  Initially I did not realize it since the timing clock was 5 minutes ahead because the 5km and Duathlon had started before at 8:30am.  My girlfriend had to tell me 4 times to convince me, especially while I was panting and wheezing after my all out battle.  It was an amazing day and I have to give credit to the support I had today from my girlfriend, she gave me that look of panic, but she knew I had it in me.   Seeing her at the final turnaround gave me that extra push I really needed.

Me after finding out I actually finished under
40 minutes.

I also want to send a shout out to Matt Despatie, who unfortunately had to back out of his Olympic Duathlon after the bike portion.  His lower back was enormous discomfort and he made the smart decision of not continuing on.  He came first place at the 2011 Smith Fallls Classic Sprint Duathlon.  Hopefully you can recover soon!

I also want to thank Somersault Events for hosting yet another successful event.  You guys sure know what you are doing and I will definitely sign up for future events with you.  Thank you.

National Capital Run 10km tomorrow

One more sleep until the National Capital Run 10km tomorrow... Do I think I will make my goal of 40 minutes? I feel confident, I really have to focus on pacing.  I have learnt from my past experience and I have made changes to my racing mentality.  Initially I assumed that if I went out hard, I would be able to maintain pace but never succeeded with this objective.  I plan on finding my pace and maintaining it throughout. I will solely focus on my running and technique since I find that I concern myself with other runners.  I am very competitive... I recall during the Colonel By Classic I attempted to maintain pace with the leader, I burnt myself out of energy and found myself slowing down completely, ending with 6th place overall.... I do not want that outcome again.

I will definitely take many pictures with my Blackberry Curve 9300... I apologize in advance for the poor picture quality.  Keep posted!

Do We Actually Acclimatize to the Heat?

Amateur and elite athletes around the world understand that if they reside in a hot and humid environment, they will acclimatize to the heat.  Many books and journals state that it is best to acclimatize to the race specific environment 2 weeks to even 4 months prior to your event.  For example, if you wish to partake in Ironman Hawaii, many authors state that it is beneficial to train in that environment to become acclimatized to the heat, especially if you reside in an environment farther from the equator.  But what if we live in an environment where we are exposed to heat for 4-6 months out of the year? do we fully acclimatize to the heat throughout the duration of the summer? Does anything interfere with our bodies acclimatization?

Anthony Bain, a Masters student at the University of Ottawa, working alongside Professor Ollie Jay in the Thermal Ergonomics Laboratory, posed the question - do we acclimatize to the heat since we reside in the environment?  Bain’s study, which was published in June 2011 by the European Journal of Applied Physiology, tested the present knowledge that individuals who live in hot and humid regions would exhibit increased skin blood flow, decreased core temperature, and the sweat response would occur at a lower core body temperature due to heat acclimatization.  The participants completed two trials; one trial in the last 2 weeks of May while the other was within the first two weeks of September.  Each trial consisted of biking at 60% of their VO_2peak for 90 minutes in duration.  The temperature of the room was 22.4 ± 1.0⁰C with a relative humidity of 37 ± 15%.  Core temperature, skin blood flow, and heart rate were monitored during the trials.  In addition, Bain had the participants record an Activity Log/Lifestyle questionnaire for the duration of the summer.  This log consisted of their activities performed (inside or outside) and whether they worked in or lived in air conditioning.   What did they find?

Bain concluded that no heat acclimatization had occurred throughout the summer months which were evident between the two trials performed for each participant.  There were no significant differences between sweat rates, core temperature and heart rate.   In addition, all of the participants worked in an environment with air conditioning and 50% of them lived with air conditioning in their homes.  Anthony Bain explains that since people are not exposed to the hot and humid weather for significant amounts of time, they do not acclimatize to the heat.  Just because an individual resides in such an environment, if they constantly expose themselves to a cooler climate, they will never fully acclimatize the heat.  Since all the participants were working in an air conditioned environment, no changes in physiological responses occurred between the two trials.  The main message Bain wanted to portray is that you cannot assume you have been acclimatized to the heat since you live in the environment.  Bain states, “Many people have a false sense of security while running in the late summer months thinking that they have properly adapted.”

So how do you fully acclimatize to the heat, especially if you plan on completing an Ironman in a hot and humid region like Hawaii?  Simple, do not solely train in the environment, but live in it too.  Just because you run or bike in the heat does not mean you will acclimatize to it eventually.  You need to continue the exposure to the environment before AND after your training.   If you are staying in a hotel for 2 weeks to 4 months prior to the event, turn off the air conditioning in your room and open a few windows.   You can also spend as much time as possible outside in the natural environment to reap the benefits of heat acclimatization.  The more time you spend in the environment, the better your body will acclimatize to it.  Remember, physiological adaptations do not occur overnight, they take countless hours of constant exposure to occur.

To read the full journal article: Does summer in a humid continental climate elicit an acclimatization of human thermoregulatory responses? - European Journal of Applied Physiology by Anthony Bain and Ollie Jay – CLICK HERE.

Rest & Recovery – One Major Limitation in Today’s Society, But Required

In today’s fast pace environment, it is difficult for many people to find time to rest and recover. We lead stressful, hectic lives and are always on the go, taking little time to fully recuperate physically and mentally. Rest and recovery are the greatest tools that an athlete can benefit from, but not many take an opportunity to halt and relax.

Much scientific literature has been devoted to the benefits of rest and recovery for athletes since it’s during this period where the body makes physiological adaptations. These physiological adaptations include increased stroke volume (volume of blood which the heart can pump out each contraction), better glycogen storage, increased fat-burning enzymes, decreased body fat, increased strength of tendons and muscles, decreased resting heart rate, and much more. The problem with most athletes, especially beginner multi-sport athletes, is that they constantly work themselves harder and harder without adequate recovery. They have such strong determination and willpower that they constantly strive to push themselves. Unfortunately, this mentality can cause overtraining and possible injury which may cause an athlete to stop training entirely.

90% of an average athletes time is spent recovering from workouts (I encompass sleep into this time since it is the most crucial for your body to make physiological changes). What you do with this bulk of time can dictate your progression. Optimally, it would be great to sit back and relax all day and only physically exert yourself during your workouts, but that is not the case. We all lead demanding lives which also fatigue the body, therefore one should also decrease their workloads during training to ensure that they do not succumb to the symptoms of overtraining such as fatigue, no progression, decrease in physical performance, inability to sleep, and decreased appetite. Every bit of stress is accountable to the body’s physiology, whether it is mental or physical stress.

Figure 1.0 Periods following workout stress

The above illustration simplifies the stages that the body undergoes after a training stress is applied. Initially, you fatigue the body’s energy reserves and may have produced micro tears throughout the muscle fibers specific to the exercise stress applied. Your overall fitness level decreases since both of these phenomena’s have occurred. The next stage is recovery where the body attempts to restore energy and repair the muscle fibers back to their original state prior to the applied stress. The next stage is known as overcompensation where the body not only returns but elevates past its original fitness level.

I have color coordinated Figure 1.0 to facilitate understanding. Simply put, if you attempt to stress the exact same muscles which stress was originally applied during the RED zone, you risk detrimental fitness effects. If you attempt to stress the muscles in the GREEN zone, you can increase your fitness levels since your body has adequately recovered from the last bout of exertion. Timing is crucial for the most efficient training program, but every athlete recovers at different speeds. What works for elite athletes such as Michael Phelps (Olympic Swimmer) or Mark Allen (6 time Hawaii Ironman winner) may not work for you. Trial and error is the best method to establishing proper resting periods. Maintain your training journal is crucial so you can evaluate increases or potential decreases in fitness. If you see decreases in performance, its best to reevaluate your program and increase rest periods because you may be overtraining.

In addition, here is a list of ways to help you during the recovery period after a workout:

• Active Recovery (IE:walking after workout)
• Massages
• Relax or stretch
• Hot shower or bath
• Lying down

Rest & recovery is the most crucial part of training, without it, you would never see improvements in fitness. By following the simple guidelines I have set out in this article, you can certainly avoid overtraining. The farther you can stay away from overtraining, the more efficient your training will be and you will be able to reach your goals safer and healthier.

National Capital Race This Saturday :)

Hey everyone! if you have just started to follow my ever recent blog, you might have noticed my race calender located on the right side of the page. As it states I have a race this Saturday July 30th taking place on Mooney's Bay Park. I am attempting to run the 10km distance in under 40 minutes. I will be happy none the less to finish in under 45 minutes, which is something I know I can definitely accomplish.


My reminders for race day? Firstly, I am not going to come out of the gates sprinting. That has always created problems in the past so I plan on trying to keep a steady pace throughout, but pour it on in the last kilometer. Secondly, I am going to properly warm up prior to this race. In the past I have solely done a few 'butt kicks' and gotten into the starting gate. I feel if I properly warm up I stand a better chance of making my goal. I have been training and attempting to maintain a pace of 4min/km, its now time to imitate training on race day!

Here is a link to the website with more information on the National Capital Race, and there is still time for last minute registration! :)  I will definitely keep everyone informed on the outcome post-race !

Wish me luck!  Follow my blog and get instant updates by submitting your email --> located on the right of the page!

Training Journal - An Asset

The one asset I cannot recommend most for an individual who wishes to train for something, whether it is a race, event, or personal development, is maintaining a journal. A journal serves many purposes including motivation, monitoring progression, can lend insight to overtraining, explanation for injury, when to increase volume or intensity, and so on. The benefits of maintaining an up to date log or journal for training for outweigh the disadvantages. It can eliminate the guess work out of training and even allow you to train to your potential.

You have many different options on how you can keep your training journal. Some people prefer to write everything down in an agenda or have bought a cheap notebook from the dollar store and created calendars and tables throughout. I have seen people come into the gym with printouts they made on Excel and writing down their progress. However you decide to record your training, there is always something to keep in mind – STICK TO IT.  Your training journal will stand to show your motivation and dedication towards your goal. It will also be able to show you what has worked for you in the past, this way you can avoid making mistakes in your training regime.

Personally, I use TrainingPeaks.com to record my workouts due to its ease of use and functionality. I can access Training Peaks from either my Blackberry, or log onto it through my computer. I use the basic version of the software which only allows me to input on the present day what I have done and not plan future workouts. If I upgrade to the Premium Version, I can do just that and more. Below I have included the difference between the two Personal Versions of Training Peaks (table also located on their website):

Features	Premium	Basic
Log exercise and meals	*	*
Track daily metrics (weight, sleep, stress...)	*	*
Basic analysis of workouts, meals and metrics	*	*
Upload workouts from 80+ training devices	*	*
Map, upload and record routes	*	*
Share workouts and routes to Facebook, Twitter & email	*	*
Interactive dashboard & journal	*	*
Mobile access (iPhone, Blackberry and others)	*	*
Calendar sync to iCal, Outlook, Google, etc	*
Enhanced analysis of workouts, meals and metrics	*
Schedule future exercise and meals	*
No advertising	*
VirtualCoach race season planning	*
Build an Annual Training Plan (ATP)	*
Basic strength exercise videos	*
Routes history and race tracking	*

I love the fact that I can simply add my workout from my Blackberry right after I am done and not have to worry about it once I get home. In addition, I can view previous weeks and see what I have completed. It also tallies up the total time of your training time weekly so you can monitor your volume. What I find especially interesting for endurance focused individuals is that you can map your routes. So if I go for a long bike ride, I can plot my route on a map and it will tell me my total distance and elevation throughout the journey. The online program is also compatible with GPS products from Garmin so you can magically sync those routes effortlessly.

Furthermore, you can also use Training Peaks as a meal and metric analyser. I have yet to experiment with these features, but what their website explains, you can use Training Peaks to also monitor weight loss through the metrics option. Simply take your measurements one day (girth, weight, etc) and then measure again in a couple weeks. Their nutrition database contains over 50 000 foods with users adding new ones frequently through the Community database. It will even monitor how much of specific vitamins and minerals you are getting daily which is a bonus for every user. All these features are powerful for everyday athletes who need that extra assistance.

Best of all, Training Peaks offers a “Dashboard” view where you can see Pie Charts and graphs representing your Fitness Summary, Metrics, Macronutrient Intake Percentages, Workout Durations, etc. These resources can help any athlete fine tune their progression so that they can reach their full potential.

All in all I would definitely recommend Training Peaks to anyone who wishes to keep a simple training journal, and best of all - its free. If you need to upgrade to Premium since you require the added features, it’s only $119.00 USD for 12 months which is not a bank breaking investment.  For more information on Training Peaks and their related software please visit their website.

This is my unbiased opinion - Training Peaks did not sponsor this message... but I wouldn't mind if they did.

Does It Matter What You Eat?

Does it really matter if you eat solely organic food or are you allowed to indulge every so often?  How about all the time?  Mr. D'Amico defies the rules many coaches, trainers, and nutritionists set out, throw out the whole organic vegetables and wild raised poultry in exchange for... MacDonalds?

He has conquered 15+ marathons and has a personal best of 2hours 36 minutes and 14 seconds.  The diet he chose for his last marathon was composed primarily of overly processed menu items from the 'Golden Arches.'  He and nutritionists battle the ever-growing debate, does it really matter what kind of macronutrients you eat, as long as they are within your caloric requirements and of proper percentages?

I'll let you be the judge on that, but feel free to read the article, I am sure it will make you feel less guilty the next time you are in line at the MacDonalds Drive Thru.

The ‘McRunner’ diet: How much does nutrition matter?

WENCY LEUNG

From Monday's Globe and Mail

Published Sunday, Jul. 24, 2011 4:00PM EDT

Sunday Bike Days

Living in Ottawa has its perks, one of them is having the most gorgeous scenery as you traverse down the Canal.  It is magnificent.  Being a student at the University of Ottawa, I am a 2 minute walk from campus to the beautifully maintained bike paths which run alongside the Canal.  I love the ability that I can change on campus into my bike or running gear and within 2 minutes be able to run long distances.  Today was one of those days.

On Sundays, the National Capital Commission (NCC) opens up the parkways in Ottawa and Gatineau Parks for cyclists.  I love that not only do I have the opportunity to bike across gorgeous landscapes, I do not have to contend with any other traffic besides cyclists, rollerbladers, and the occasional runner.  If you live in the Ottawa area and wish to take advantage of these parkways on Sunday mornings from 9am-1pm, visit Alcatel-Lucent Sunday Bikedays for more information!

I got up at 7am, had breakfast which consisted of 2 pieces of toast with lots of peanut butter and one cup of coffee.  At around 8:30 I packed up my bike, cleats, and helmet and made my way downtown for a gorgeous bike ride along the canal. I set aside 2 hours for my bike ride.  My legs were sore in the morning from the previous days long-slow distance run, but I decided to tough it out because I knew what I would be missing.  I parked on King Edward and made my venture across the Ottawa U campus towards Colonel By Drive.  At 9 am, the parkway is filled with cycling enthusiasts, from people in training to couples who enjoy riding leisurely.  In addition, everyone on the parkway is friendly.  People pay attention and you do not have to worry about going to fast or too slow.  Its a dream ride where you can just be yourself.

I managed to complete 4 loops in total of the open section of the parkway.  The open course is fun with slight hills and some windy parts because after all, you are near a body of water.  I always have a lot of fun on the parkway because I find people who are training as well and we race 'unofficially.'  Essentially it starts with one guy passing the other, catching up, and its a sprint for 7 km.  The rest becomes history.

After my 2 hours of biking, I am now sitting in the Bridgehead on Slater Street enjoying a dark roast coffee and feeling my legs throbbing.  Good thing this week coming I taper for my 10km run on Saturday, which I hope to finish under 40 minutes.  I can rest and rejuvenate the feeling in my legs the next few days, cut back on my training, and get ready for race day.

FURTHERMORE, if you would like to see my training log, simply click on the TrainingPeaks.com link located on the right of the page.  I plan on doing a review about this online training log, one that surely will not disappoint.

Spare 5 Minutes, Warm up!

In the middle of winter, do you instantly start up a cold engine and make it go 0-100km/h? Most, if not all of us, would say no since the engine has not warmed up and the risk of having mechanical issues increases. The same is true about your body; you shouldn't make it attempt to go from zero to hero without an adequate warm up.

I work at a gym, and far too often do I see individuals run out of the change room, set the weight stack, and push or pull out 12 reps with the final one being to failure.  The same is true for cardio, people set the speed of the treadmill to what they aspire to continue at for the duration of  their workout.  Let`s take a second so I can explain and walk you through whats going on in your body when you do not warm up.

Firstly, your body was in a slightly elevated resting state since you were essentially running out of the change room.  Your heart rate (HR) may have been elevated 5 beats per minute (BPM) while your blood pressure remained relatively constant.  You set up the appropriate weight or speed and commence.  Initially, stretch receptors in your muscles are shocked.  They send a signal to your brain immediately which it then relays to the working muscle through the sympathetic nervous system, saying to contract!  This message is not as fast as it would be after a warm up since your neurons did not expect this rapid signalling.  Now the metaboreceptors in the muscles are noticing that there is inadequate blood flow to the working tissue.  This signals the heart to contract rapidly and cause your blood pressure (BP) to increase.  Imagine a wrecking ball hitting a building, your blood is the wrecking ball and it is pounding away at your arteries. This drastic change in BP  and HR can cause many physical implications (heart arrhythmia for example).  during resistance training, your BP can reach levels as high as 480/350, which is approximately 4x resting state (average is 120/80).

Now since you have increased your HR immediately to increase blood flow, your body is shunting blood from places where it needed it most at rest.  This is now depriving those areas of nutrients such as oxygen so that your muscles can complete the task.  You may become lightheaded because the blood flow to your brain has decreased.  Furthermore, since your respiratory system has not had the chance to catch up to your immediate straining of the body, your blood pH will decrease slightly since inadequate blood flowing through the working muscle has not transported ample nutrients or removed waste products.

Finally, your muscles are tight initially, and when you commence immediate strain, the stretch reflex occurs where they do not want to contract easily and efficiently.  This reflex originates with the stretch receptors.  Essentially, your muscles are stiff.  If you attempt to work the muscle, without increasing its elasticity, you run the risk of injuries to your muscle, tendons or bones.

TO RECAP, you shock your neurons, mostly your stretch receptors and neuromuscular junctions (neurons which relay message to muscle to contract), your BP skyrockets and pounds on your arteries like a wrecking ball, and you fatigue faster since your body has not had a chance to adapt, which may result in less oxygen getting to your brain.  In addition, you run the risk of physical injury to your muscles.

If you warm up appropriately, you avoid all these problems because you have given the body a chance to catch up.  You elevate your HR gradually, which increases your BP gradually as well.  Ultimately, your increase in HR will increase the blood flow through your body so that adequate nutrients (oxygen) can be brought to your muscles, and waste products (carbon dioxide) can be removed.  At rest, your heart pushes 5L of blood per minute through the body, but during exercise it can push upwards of 25L of blood through the body.  With a warm up, you gradually increase the speed of your heart safely.

Warm ups do not need to be long, but a gradual increase in heart rate is what you are trying to achieve.  5-10 minutes of light exercise is all it takes to elevate your heart rate 30-40 BPM.  Furthermore, its best to do a warm up which suites the desired workout.  For example, you would not go on a bike for 5 minutes to warm up for an upper body resistance training day.  Match the warm up to the proper muscle groups you wish to work later.

Take the extra 5 to 10 minutes to have a healthy, safe workout.  5 minutes now can save you from a chronic injury which may take 6 months or more to heal!

'Sunny' D

One vital nutrient for everyone, especially athletes is vitamin D.  Unfortunately, not enough people ingest or acquire sufficient amounts which lead to many health implications.   Adding vitamin D to ones diet is simple; go outside!

Vitamin D is actually a steroid derivative from cholesterol.  Through the action of ultraviolet B rays (UVB) on a cholesterol molecule found in skin, the ‘hormone’ vitamin D is formed.  Be aware, sitting outside in the sun for countless hours has severe side effects such as sun burns and skin cancer.  Always use proper sunscreen when outside in the sun.  Our bodies actually store vitamin D during the summer so that we have vitamin D to last us during the winter.  As spring gets near, are vitamin D resources are soon depleted and we need to acquire more.  Sun exposure isn’t the only source of vitamin D, it can also be ingested from food such as wild salmon, sardines, tuna, vegetables, and from enriched foods (IE: milk) or dietary supplements.

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that assists with the absorption of calcium and phosphorous in the small intestine, bone development and strength, and proper neuromuscular function.  If one does not obtain adequate amounts of vitamin D, they suffer the risk of bone degradation, poor muscle tone, increased risk of infections and inflammation, increased cancer risk, and impaired brain, cardiovascular, and kidney function. 

How much vitamin D should one consume? Refer to the table below provided by Health Canada and other useful information provided on their site!

Age group	Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) per day	Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) per day
Infants 0-6 months	200 mg *	1000 mg
Infants 7-12 months	260 mg *	1500 mg
Children 1-3 years	700 mg	2500 mg
Children 4-8 years	1000 mg	2500 mg
Children 9-18 years	1300 mg	3000 mg
Adults 19-50 years	1000 mg	2500 mg
Adults 51-70 years Men Women	1000 mg 1200 mg	2000 mg 2000 mg
Adults > 70 years	1200 mg	2000 mg
Pregnancy & Lactation 14-18 years 19-50 years	1300 mg 1000 mg	3000 mg 2500 mg

To find out how much vitamin D is circulating in your blood stream, ask your doctor to perform a blood test.  They are simple and can give you the best indication of whether you are deficient or not.

There is some scientific evidence which proves that vitamin D may improve athletic performance.  This seems fair since vitamin D assists in strengthening bones and improved neuromuscular function.  A study conducted by Cannell et al (2009) concluded that Vitamin D may improve athletic performance in vitamin D-deficient athletes.  In addition, Michael F. Hollick M.D., Ph.D.  (2007) concluded that increased consumption of vitamin D resulted in greater muscular strength and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease.  Presently, more studies need to be done on the affects of vitamin D with athletes to further our understanding.  Many studies suggest that vitamin D-deficiency decreases performance, but a limited number of studies actually increase their subject’s vitamin D intake and then monitor their results.

In conclusion, get outside and enjoy some “Sunny” vitamin D.  Do it safely by wearing adequate sunscreen, and do not consume higher than normal amounts of vitamin D since it can be toxic to the body and cause hypercalcemia .  Do not take a vitamin D supplement without consulting your health practitioner!  Best idea, visit your doctor or nutritionist and get a blood test done to see where your vitamin D levels reside.

References:

Cannell et al (2009).  Atheltic performance and vitamin D. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 41(5), 1102-1110.

Holick, M, M.D., Ph.D. (2007).  Vitamin D deficiency. The New England Journal of Medicine, 357, 266-281.