Category: fitness

Running: Inside and Out

fitnessgroan2 Comments

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I want to talk about jogging and running, and the differences between outdoor training and treadmills.

When running outdoors their are environmental factors that come into play that affect exercise intensity. The obvious ones are wind resistance; you need to push your body through the air resistance when moving forward; and terrain variation, as no path is perfectly flat. On a treadmill, your body is not moving forward, so wind resistance is removed and need not be overcome, and the surface you’re running on is essentially flat. This is enough to cause treadmills to burn 5-10% fewer calories than outdoor running, though this can be compensated for by increasing the elevation 1°, while maintaining the same speed.

There are less obvious factors, however. For most runners, the form factor of the treadmill will alter the gate of the runner, forcing a more upright stance and altering the foot strike pattern, than would be optimal outdoors. An upright stance will change the way impact shock is distributed. This is compensated for by the treadmill with built in cushioning, but the upright posture can become habit and transfer into outdoor running where it can lead to a variety of injuries including shin splints, ankle, knee, hip and back pain.

Another factor is that research suggests treadmills over-report the amount of calories being burned by 20-25%. Factor in that treadmills are reputed to burn 5-10% fewer calories than outdoor running and the amount of calories you think your burning turns out to be significantly less.

I suspect, however, that even the 5-10% under-estimates the negative for treadmills. Many websites report that treadmills are essentially the same as outdoor running minus those environmental factors, but I disagree. I argue that the treadmill, being motorized, is inherently different than the proverbial hamster in a spinning wheel; the example most sited to explain why treadmills are mostly the same as outdoor running. The spinning wheel is not motorized, and the hamster must supply the energy to move it, even though the hamster is running in place. Another example is a person running on the deck of a cruise ship at sea. The cruise ship is moving, propelling the runner along regardless of their effort.

Both of these examples are erroneous. In the case of the hamster, the wheel will not move if the hamster doesn’t push it along, so while the hamster might remain stationary, it is pushing the wheel. The cruise ship example is even worse. A runner on deck would still be propelling their bodies forward, pushing through their hamstrings and glutes. On a treadmill, which is motorized, the treadmill is actually pushing your legs backward, reducing the use of your muscles to stabilization only, and not propulsion, as well.

Treadmills do have a place. Setting a fast pace can compensate for complacency. Inclement weather is no factor, and time of day is less an issue. Also, when you’re in a gym, you will exercise. All bets are off once you leave the premises.

My conclusion: when circumstances permit, walk jog, and run outdoors to maximize your exercise benefit. Leave the treadmill alone when possible.

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Exercise Science? part 2

fitnessgroan11 Comments

Science is a rigorous, no-nonsense, discipline.  A few months ago, a research team of physicists at the CERN laboratory in Switzerland reported that they had measured and recorded subatomic particles that traveled faster than the speed of light.  This is the most revolutionary discovery in the history of modern physics.  It completely destroys Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity and undermines the whole scientific consensus of how the universe works.  The reaction of the scientific community was immediate and visceral: “hmm, that’s interesting.  Lets double-check that.”  “I wonder where they made their mistake?  Lets check it out”.  Even the CERN scientist who recorded this potentially revolutionary finding wondered: “I wondered what we did wrong?”  Every real scientist would love to be the one that upend Einstein, just like Einstein overturned Newton.  But no real scientist is going to base their reputation on 1 study that has not been independently verified multiple times.  Not even if its their own study.  That’s science.  That’s integrity.  That’s truth.

The world of exercise science is nothing but bogus hucksterism: verb [ with obj. ]promote or sell (something, typically a product of questionable value).  Popular experts are dangerous people, selling opinions and personal preferences as facts, when their not trying to sell you a product they don’t even believe in.  That’s the nature of the “fitness world”.

One of this blogs followers; Mia; asked me about another blog she read.  I will not link to it, because it is terrible.  The author, Kassem Hanson is a personal trainer, a disciple of Charles Poliquin (an expert I formerly admired until I read this garbage).  The article talks about getting “skinny fat” and how certain exercise activities, like Spinning, can cause you to develop “cottage cheese thighs”.

I’m so tired of this.  This Kassem Hanson, if his bio is to be believed, ought to be an expert that I could quote, not waste time refuting.  He claims to have a BS in Exercise Science, BA Biochemistry and Molecular Biology – Cornell
BA Biology – Cornell.  A google search seems to indicate he went to Cornell College, in Iowa, not the Ivy League University in NY.  The fact that he intentionally leaves this vague indicates he wants you to assume the Ivy League connection.  Not that there is anything wrong with the similarly named college.  I don’t even have a degree in an exercise related field, which is why I would expect more from him.  And I am disappointed.

Let me be clear.  Not a single, reputable, scientifically based research study has shown spot reduction to be anything but a myth.  The American Council of Exercise (ACE), The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), The International Sports Science Association (ISSA), the National Association of Sports Medicine (NASM), and every other accredited personal training certifying body, as well as the National Institute of Health (NIH), all link to thousands of articles, research papers, and position papers giving the evidence against spot reduction of fat.  The inverse is equally true.  No activity can cause fat to specifically form in one area of the body over another,  The simple fact is that body fat accumulation is mostly genetically determined.  Again, the scientific evidence is overwhelming!  Hanson, and apparently Poliquin, are basing their opinion on a lone Danish study from 2007 that was never peer-reviewed or duplicated independently.  That such a study was done at all, and got published somewhere, doesn’t surprise me and was discussed in part one.  That Hanson and Poliquin would tout this and base their entire training philosophy around a single dubious study goes more to show their personal exercise preferences and bias than their commitment to exercise truth.

They misinterpret what Spinning is, and even say that “indoor cycling” is a better choice because it incorporates anaerobic high intensity intervals.  Uhhh, excuse me…Spinning is the original “indoor cycling program” and includes as part of its standard protocol anaerobic high intensity intervals, though there’s no guarantee in any program that the instructor truly understands or incorporates these principles, or that every participant follows those instructions.

He goes on to make other comments on the subject of things that will make you “skinny fat” mixing myths and facts indiscriminately, showing a tremendous lack of judgement.  For instance, he says that eating a vegan diet will make you “skinny fat”.  I know of at least 4 professional body builders who are Vegan, and I have friends who are vegan.  The body builders look like body builders.  And my friends run the gamut of fit, fat, “skinny fat” and powerful.  No I don’t personally advocate the Vegan diet because it is it is way more complex to insure that the individual consumes adequate complete proteins, but properly done, it can be just as healthy as a meat inclusive diet, for most people.  Please remember, that no diet is universally good for everyone.

Hanson claims scented candles will cause a man’s androgen levels to significantly drop.  Where he gets this tidbit from I don’t know, but if it were true, then their must also be scents that would raise androgen levels.  Where are those?  Trust me when I say the FDA would have this as a controlled substance if it were true.

So watch the next tour d france, the track athletes running the mile, three-mile, or marathons in the next olympics, or the top 100 finishers of the next Iron Man Triathlon.  Find the cottage cheese thighs.  Find the “skinny fat” competitor.  But also remember, you are not them.  You don’t train as hard, you don’t eat as well, you don’t sleep as well, and you don’t dedicate your life to your training.  That means you can’t compare you’re results, either.

What people like Hanson are doing is attacking a mode of training many people favor in the hope of getting these people to switch to a mode favored by Hanson (and other personal trainers).  Since the activity is different, you may in fact start to see some positive change, but that has to do with the SAID principle, not to any inherent superiority of their training method.  Once you start training with them, inertia is likely to keep you as long as you can afford it.  Of course, with a trainer watching you, it’s much more likely that you will train more intensely.  And that could lead to some improvement. And now they are getting your money, too.

Don’t expect unrealistic results that are greater than your commitment.  and always ask for the research.  Then ask for the independent, corroborating research. Stop being a sucker.

Ice Baths

fitnessgroan2 Comments
Prof. Sugarman. Russian Immigrant. 1890's. Brought the practice of Ice bathing to America, claiming its revitalizing benefits.
example of the modern ice bath

So what are we to make of the phenomenon of post exercise ice baths?  Even a casual investigation of the therapy will reveal that there are no actual studies that support the effectiveness of the therapy as an aid to recovery.  On the contrary, the few actual studies of its use in this regard are either inconclusive or show a negative impact.  This is not the same thing as using it for the treatment of injuries, though I can’t imagine full body or partial body immersion as ever being necessary.  Perhaps a runner suffering from chronic shin splints might immerse both legs up to her knees in an ice bath or bucket post race to deal with the pain and inflammation associated with that condition before it worsens post race, or to allow them to compete in the next event as close to full strength as possible, but for the average person, the very first letter of the RICE protocol says it all:  REST!  Being an athlete is not about being in great shape or being healthy!  You must be in great shape to WIN.  You must be as healthy as possible to WIN.  BUT THE POINT IS TO COMPETE AND WIN!  Athletes routinely sacrifice future health for the sake of their competitions.  Are you willing to risk the future health of your knees in order to be able to squat 415 lb. in 3 months?

My take on the ice bath is this.  Everyone is looking for magic.  A successful athlete uses this technique and claims it is the source of her success (this is called anecdotal evidence: meaning personal opinion without any proof).  Paula Radcliffe (image below right) is often credited with popularizing the practice by crediting her European long distance championship in 2002 to the use of ice baths.  This reminds me of another piece of magic from the world of sports.  In the late 90’s Mark McGwire was one of the great home run hitters and attributed his remarkable power to a readily available OTC supplement called DHA.  It was touted as a steroid “precursor” that the body could use to make elevated levels of testosterone (increasing muscle mass and power).  It’s popularity exploded in gyms and high school sports across the country.  This was taken so seriously by baseball “authorities” that they actually banned its use.  Of course, what McGwire didn’t tell the world was that he was actually taking steroids, too, and that maybe actual steroids had just a little to do with his herculean power.  DHA, meanwhile, is still readily available at your local Vitamin Shop and GNC.  And the FDA hasn’t seen fit to pull it off the market 20 years later.

English: Paula Radliffe winning in New York
Image via Wikipedia

What might ice baths do to actually help improve athletic performance?  Well, there’s the placebo effect.  You think something helps, so you unconsciously push yourself a little harder than you previously thought possible (though it was always possible).  It probably increases the victims tolerance to pain and extreme discomfort (SAID principle), allowing the athlete to mentally push through their pain threshold allows them to push just a little harder than their competitors (no research to prove this.  It is just my supposition; an uncertain belief).  You can now site this on your own, and in a few years it will be repeated as a fact by hundreds of sources all linking back to each other and this blog in a vicious circle of fog and mis-information, that may turn out to be true, or false, if anyone ever deigns to do actual reproducible studies.

Here’s the Wikipedia link to ice baths: click this

Just remember, unless you’re a competitive athlete; i.e. someone who lives and dies their actual competitions; when you’re injured you rest your injuries as the first protocol of RICE.  Even professional Athletes, in their off-season, rest.

Exercise Intensity & Overtraining

fitnessgroan3 Comments

The New York Times ran a great story in its health section this week, on exercise intensity, overtraining, and the insanity of some of the current marketing trends in the fitness industry.

Unlike their article on the value of icing, it is authoritative, well written, coherent, and uses respected experts to explain the points made. Read it here.

Exercise Science?

fitnessgroan4 Comments

Hello.  I’m back.  And i have a few things to say.

Over the last 2 weeks I’ve read multiple articles in the New York Times Health section, and a much longer piece in last Sunday’s New York Times Magazine, that would make any seasoned exerciser bewildered about what we do, and don’t know, about how the human body works.

In one article, “Why Ice may be bad for sore muscles“, there are so many ridiculous suppositions that it boggles my mind.  The article starts off:

“For the study, researchers at the University of Ulster and University of Limerick in Ireland reviewed almost three dozen earlier studies of the effects of using ice to combat sore muscles, a practice that many who exercise often employ. Ice is, after all, the “I” in the acronym RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation), which remains the standard first-aid protocol for dealing with a sports-related injury. Icing is also widely used to deal with muscles that twinge but aren’t formally injured. Watch almost any football, basketball or soccer game, at any level, and you’ll likely see many of the players icing body parts during halftime, preparing to return to play.”  (The bold text is highlighted by me)

In 29 years of being in the fitness industry, I’ve never; not once; heard the recommendation to ice muscles made sore from regular exercise or physical activity.  Not once.  Ever.  The RICE protocol is used in first aid when dealing with INJURIES.  Post exercise muscle soreness is not considered an injury and would be considered counter productive as icing the muscle would reduce blood flow, which is the opposite of what a weight trainer is trying to accomplish.  The paragraph then goes on to say that icing is also used for muscles that may not be sore, but “twinge”.  Again, never heard this in 29 years from a professional.  And the final nonsense: “…players icing body parts during halftime, preparing to return to play”.  Body parts, yes.  But not specifically muscles.  The athletes routinely ice shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, and ankles.  They do not typically ice biceps, pectorals, latissimus dorsi, Quadriceps, etc.  Do you know what the difference is?  Athletes ice joints, not muscles, during competition.  And they only ice themselves if they’ve suffered an injury, like a contusion, or severe muscle pull, or sudden attack of tendonitis; situations where inflammation around the affected joint will have a serious impact on the athlete’s ability to continue competing.  Yes, muscles cross joints, as do tendons and ligaments.  But it is the area of the joint that matters.  The article continues to discuss how the research being detailed shows that icing reduces the overall performance of the athlete in the affected area.  Really, was it the icing, or the injury that preceded the icing?  And how much more degraded would the athlete have performed if they didn’t ice at all and tried to compete anyway?  As someone who used to be a tournament racquetball player, I have some experience with elbow tendonitis.  Icing was sometimes the difference between winning a trophy and prize money, or losing because i could no longer grip my racquet.  As to why an athlete would risk more serious injury by continuing, the answer is: They are competitive athletes with prize money and trophies at stake.  This is who they are and it is often their job.  And Aaron Rodgers or Eli Manning at 75% effectiveness is many factors of 100% better than their respective backups.

Lets continue:

The article goes on to discuss how:  there  has been surprisingly little science to support the practice. A 2004 review of icing-related studies published to that point concluded that while cold packs did seem to reduce pain in injured tissues, icing’s overall effects on sore muscles had “not been fully elucidated” and far more study was needed.”  Why an ice pack before exercise should depress performance isn’t fully understood…”.   Not understood!  Oh my god!  Icing reduces blood flow and slows down cellular activity, which is why we ice severed limbs, not put them on heaters.  And ice will slow down muscle cellular activity and tighten up the muscles it is used on.  There aren’t any studies because it would be like a PHD in physics deciding to test Newtons theory of gravity by dropping an apple and a 50 kilo weight from the same hight to see if they fell at the same rate (they do).

I need to point out that a MLB Pitcher, or an NFL Quarterback is paid millions of dollars to play, while you and I are not.  They are not icing to rehabilitate an injury, they are icing to continue the competition.  And how did we go from discussing whether or not icing injuries was an effective treatment, to icing muscles before exercise to see how that affects performance?  How does that have any relevance to icing an injured body part?  No one ices before exercising.  Anyone in the exercise industry knows you warm up muscles and joints prior to exercise, not cool down!  For the rest of us, any injury that would require the RICE protocol would also be followed by the recommendation to rest the injury for a period of days or even weeks, depending on the severity.

Why was this ridiculous study done in the first place?  I imagine some graduate student in Ireland needed to conduct research and present their findings in order to receive their graduate degree.

As to why the New York Times decided to publish an article about this I surmise it was a slow news week in the world of exercise, and the writer of the article doesn’t know anything about fitness, or doesn’t care.  Write or die.  I see the same thing in all the major fitness magazines.  You can’t leave blank space.  You must publish something every month or go out of business (or lose your job).  This writer should lose his or her job just for publishing this nonsense and confusing the public more than they already are.  Hey New York Times…maybe you should hire me.

I will follow this up with two more blog posts; each on two other NYT articles; with valid information, much better researched, much more well-informed, and seemingly contradictory, on the issue of fat and weight loss.  Stay tuned.

The Cooper Institute

fitnessgroan2 Comments
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN - SEPTEMBER 30: Afghan Nat...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

The Cooper Institute has been a leading health and fitness provider for as long as that category has existed.  It was founded in 1970, by Kenneth Cooper, MD, who was an Air Force Doctor when he started researching the role of exercise on general health.  He published the results of his research in 1968; titled simply Aerobics, which is the first time that word had ever been used!  He literally is called the “Father of Aerobics”, and the organization he founded continues to do much of the cutting edge research being conducted in the fields of exercise science (including resistance training), nutrition, and health.  The website offers a plethora of information and tools freely available, including calculators for how many calories you actually eat, burn, proper portion sizes, and determining your optimal weight.

Check this site out HERE if you are even remotely interested in learning more about fitness.

English: KUNSAN AIR BASE, South Korea— Airmen ...
Image via Wikipedia

Sugar, Protein, and Us

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Sugar
Image via Wikipedia

Nutritionists have had a model for how refined sugars and simple carbs negatively impact the human body.  In a nutshell, it works like this:

I eat or drink a high sugar food product (candy, soda, pasta, breads; your body thinks they’re all the same).  These things are already in their most broken down state and are ready for immediate absorption.  Body releases a lot of insulin, which sucks up the sugar and causes blood sugar to temporarily soar (momentarily boosting energy)  then catastrophically crash since it just as easily gets stored (as fat) if you don’t use it right away.

English: Diagram shows insulin release from th...
Image via Wikipedia

When the burst of energy ends, your brain wants to get the energy back and tells you your hungry, again.  This model still works, but it’s an incomplete picture, and the truth appears to be even more insidious.

Our friend Thane shared this link which details the neurobiological mechanisms that underly the classic model I sketched above.  It sheds light on why it’s so hard to break this cycle, and tells us how to more effectively deal with the problem.  What I find most amusing is the fact that old medical advice from the 50’s and 60’s, on how to manage blood sugar levels using a chart called the glycemic index, came to these same conclusions long ago.

The article is still fascinating if your into science and health and fitness, so check it out here.

Seasonal Challenge!

fitnessgroan11 Comments
Aerobic In The City
Image by MR MARK BEK via Flickr

It’s easy to get complacent going into the holiday season. Distractions, food, family, friends, and parties all conspire to encourage us to put off making real fitness gains until the new year.

My challenge is this: let’s use the next 6 weeks to get into the best shape of our lives. Here’s my advice. First, if you need to lose weight, don’t focus on denial. Focus on content. Whatever you eat, enjoy. But only eat half of every meal. Only eat half of every desert. Only eat half of every snack. It’s not hard, at least it’s not if you believe you’re worth the effort it takes to pay attention to yourself.

Then follow these instructions regarding working out:

Identify your type:

US Navy 021101-N-5152P-003 Sailor trains aboar...
Image via Wikipedia

Are you an aeroboholic; someone who loves cardio to the virtual exclusion of other activities, even though you know you need weights too?

Are you an aerobophobic; someone who avoids cardiovascular exercise like the plague?

Now that you’ve identified your exercise personality type do this. Commit to 4 days a week minimum.

If you are a aeroboholic by nature, switch to 3 weight training workouts (not classes) and only do 1 cardio workout. If you can make it in more often, add 1 cardio, then 1 weight lifting. When you do your cardio, increase the intensity of your speed, elevation, and resistance, even if it decreases your duration a bit (keep 30 minutes as a bare minimum, however). When doing weight lifting, add an additional set to every exercise, and make that last set much more difficult than you are used too.

If you are a self identified aerobophobic you will, for the next 6 weeks, divide your workouts 50/50. Pick one aerobic activity that you dislike least (class or machine) and really push yourself hard. Continue to lift weights as normal twice/week. If you can add additional days, only add cardiovascular work, but don’t be afraid to do intense intervals. Sprinting can and will develop muscle.

In 6 weeks, both types will see dramatic improvement in terms of appearance and performance, when you eventually return to your normal routines.

Exercise is good for your brain!

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Another great NY Times health article on the almost un-intended benefits of exercise: improved brain function as you age. Read it here:
http://nyti.ms/vj3Epu

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