Stress fractures

Stress Fractures

Many athletes, or just normal people that work out regularly, can end up with a stress fracture, and not even know how it was caused. Many of these people have no recollection of an injury or accident that could have brought on the stress fracture; it just starts hurting one day, and gets exponentially worse.

Stress Fractures are small, and can be minuscule, cracks in the bone that are very often the result of over-exertion during exercise. When working toward a goal, or embarking on a new fitness regime, many people take it to the next level, too soon. Starting a running routine at a 10 minute mile on a 6 mile course would be a good example. It seems like a good idea to just jump right in and get into a routine, but the best plan is to build up to it. Exercise will actually strengthen your bones, when done correctly, but when people pile on more than their skeleton can take, it overwhelms the body’s natural process of growth and repair, and creates tiny, painful cracks. Most commonly, stress fractures are found in the feet and shins, a result of too much high or repetitive impactful cardio routines.

Stress fractures will heal themselves over a period of a few weeks normally, but your MD should be consulted, in the case that it is more than a stress fracture, and to prevent it from leading to a break down the road. During the rest period, it is recommended to avoid the exercise that caused the fracture in the first place, but replace it with low-weight bearing, non-impact exercise, such as riding a stationary bike, swimming or using the elliptical trainer.

Keeping tabs on the fracture is imperative, and checking in regularly with your doctor is going to help you with this. If it continues to hurt at the same or a heightened level, there may be more going on than a stress fracture, and your doctor will need to take a further look, take X-Rays and possibly set you in a cast, or a temporary medical boot.

Protect yourself from re-injury by taking it easy, or easier than you would normally. Lighter weights with higher reps may help, in addition to non-impactful cardio. When at work or play, avoid wearing uncomfortable, unsupportive shoes, and stick to athletic shoes as much as possible to help support your injury. It may be time to take a look at your footwear, especially the ladies, and trade in some of the high heels for more stable and suitable shoes. And if the problem persists, ask your doctor to take a more invasive exam, because there may be a different underlying problem that caused the fracture.

Follow a strict set of guidelines when resuming your work out routines, and take your time increasing your weight, duration and distances. The last thing you want is to bring the fracture back when it has almost fully healed, and do it all over again.

Fixed gear fever

Fixed Gear Fever

The New York City bicycle messengers have ridden fixed gear bicycles for years. The ultimate bike for them was a track bike; single speed “fixed” gear, no brakes. Movies have shown the messengers darting in and out of traffic, holding on to taxis and buses and portraying themselves as bicycle outlaws, if not scofflaws.

This minimalist bicycle has now gained resurgence among colleges and urban centers. The bikes have fewer parts to break or wear, cost less and are less desirable to a thief, or at least were so before the new found popularity. This article will explain what all the hoopla is about and how this unusual bike can be a valuable part of an adult recreational cyclist’s stable of bikes.

First, let’s discuss some background on this interesting bicycle to explain how it got to be in the place it occupies today. Bicycles in the late 1800s all had single speed “fixed” gears and the “freewheel” didn’t arrive until the early 20th century. When people are not familiar with a fixed gear bike, they wonder “How can you stop it?” and “Can you coast?” I like to use the analogy of a child’s tricycle to explain. The tricycle has the pedals and cranks directly attached to the front wheel and when you pedal, the trike moves forward and when you resist the pedals it slows. This is exactly how a track bike with no brakes can change speeds.

When bike racers are riding a track bike on a velodrome (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velodrome) they all are riding bikes with no brakes so nobody can slow down any quicker than the next person. This allows a group of riders to coexist safely on the banks of the track. When one rides a track bike on the road with no brakes other than the braking ability of resisting the pedals, the situation is changed. Bike messengers think it is extremely cool to ride a bike in traffic with no brakes. They tend to be expert riders who are able to plan ahead well enough to avoid collisions in most cases, however. What makes this concept interesting is when a college student or recreational rider with undeveloped skills goes out in traffic on one of these machines and cannot deal with the limitations. This is not only incredibly dangerous but is madness! Many cities such as Austin, TX are banning “fixies” without brakes from their urban environment for legitimate safety reasons.

I have a track bike that I race on the velodrome and I also have another I ride on the road. How can it be done safely? The answer is simple; I installed a front brake on the road fork and I now have a bike that can stop as easily as any other. It also has the advantages of a fixed gear that I am about to discuss which revolutionizes my training and riding experience. It can for you as well.

Fixed gear road bikes were actually used in the Tour de France until the 1930s. The organizers knew that the single speed bike was much more challenging than multiple geared bikes and thus outlawed the “sissy” bikes for years. These bikes actually had two gears. The rear wheel had what was called a “flip-flop” hub that had a cog on each side. The smaller cogs were used on the flats and descents while a larger cog (read: lower gear) was used to climb the mountains. The riders had to stop at the bottom of steep climbs and remove the rear wheel, flipping it around and installing it with the lower gear. They climbed the mountain, stopped at the top and reversed the process.

As a side note, Tullio Campagnolo invented the “quick release skewer” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quick_release) in 1927 which not only made the business of repairing flats easier in races but revolutionized the switching of wheels in races like the Tour de France. Riders had a huge advantage with the quick release rather than dealing with the wing nuts which were the standard issue.

Enough about background! Why in the world would an adult recreational cyclist want to train with a fixed gear bike? I think a better answer exists than the one Sir Edmund Hillary used when asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest. (The answer was, “Because it is there.”) The answer lies in the concept of cycling as the Fountain of Youth: intensity.

While we spend much time discussing the best ways to shift gears, we don’t spend a lot of time working on pedaling and cadence. With a fixed gear, you are relieved of the worries of gear selection as you only have one! Well, you aren’t exactly relieved of the gear selection worries, you just are when riding! It is very important to choose the right gear before the ride.

Assuming that you agree that intensity is a key ingredient to enjoying cycling as a way to stay young, and the fact that as we age we tend to get busier rather than less busy, a fixed gear bike is an incredible way to pack an awesome fitness training into a short timeframe. The reason is this: a 30-mile ride on a road bike will have a significant amount of coasting involved. 30 miles on a fixed gear is 30 miles! Additionally there is a bonus that is not available on regular road bikes: spinning down hills.

When I take the fixie out on the road around San Antonio I have to choose my gears so I can make it up the hills and still be able to hang on after the hill is crested. It is an interesting challenge to think about the ride before it happens so the proper gear can be chosen. I have a collection of chainrings and cogs so I have learned over time which gears work and which ones don’t. This is one of the best parts of cycling. We can “fail” by doing something like a poor gear selection and the worst thing that can happen is we may have to walk up a hill, hit the brakes on a descent, or get dropped by the other riders. That “failure” is what makes us learn. This is why we train and why cycling is so incredible.

Every time I ride the fixie I am entranced by the elegance and simplicity of a bicycle. It is astonishing to think that this same type of bike was ridden over incredible distances and unbelievable terrain by cyclists just like us, but born in a different day. The options are simple. Pedal faster, go faster. Pedal slower, go slower. When the hill comes, your energy is what gets you over the top with the tools you have chosen before the ride. When you crest the hill and everyone else is coasting your real job has begun, the descent which turns your legs into a whirling dervish. At the end of the ride you know you have really accomplished something.

This feeling of accomplishment is what gets cyclists up in the morning to challenge the elements, the traffic and their demons and ultimately makes us different than other sedentary people. Cyclists are truly a hardy breed and amazingly we can become cyclists at any point in life.

I know that this article may not convert all of you into fixed gear fanatics but I hope you gain some perspective as to how we attain the Fountain of Youth. It is through efforts that exceed our limits and recovery, as our bodies respond by getting stronger and more capable. A fixed gear bike is not the only way to fitness but it certainly is an interesting one!

Sports nutrition for the average athlete

Sports Nutrition For The Average Athlete

Why are we drawn to sports? It is because we appreciate and take pleasure in witnessing the human spirit in motion. Athletes competing and achieving despite difficulties inspires us all. It is a reality TV show in its best. Sometimes, we can’t help asking what sort of “all in one sports nutrition” they are taking.

It’s heartwarming to us those ordinary mortals, after years of training and hard work had triumphed against all odds. We know that these athletes had worked hard to develop their physical skills. We can’t help but be one in their triumphs and empathize in their defeats.

But surely this privilege is only for the professional athletes who have all the time in the world to engage in sports and sustain this with appropriate nutrition? Not necessarily true.

For people juggling a delicate balance between their busy life and their need for physical health, all in one sports nutrition maybe a heaven sent.

The secret of all in one sports nutrition lies in its ideal balance nutrients, compacted in one package. This will save you so much time in just preparing and consuming different sports nutrition when you’re in hurry. This will also save you money since you wouldn’t be buying several packs of the sports nutrients with overlapping nutrients contents.

All in one sports nutrition is also scientifically designed to include all the necessary nutrients needed by any athlete, and specially includes you. After long hours of workouts, all in one sports nutrition will work its wonder by giving you sustained energy source. And since this is a complete sports nutrition, there’s no reason to worry about missing one important nutrient during your last meal.

Some sports nutrition claims that having all nutrients in one package is not advisable because there is the tendency that the manufacturer will limit other vital nutrient. This maybe true for others but not with all in one sports nutrition. All in one sports nutrition was formulated exactly to contain the right balance, in the right amount, nutrients needed by athletes and sports enthusiasts, including you.

All in one sports nutrition contains ingredients designed to improve athletic performance. It is also designed to hasten the recovery of muscle fatigue every after exercise. All in one sports nutrition contains the perfect combination of complex and carbohydrates. This combination is at the heart of every successful sports nutrients product for carbohydrates provide sustained energy needed in a sustained exercise.

Balanced carbohydrates content of all in one sports nutrition

Most commercial sports nutrients product derives all of their calorie source from simple carbohydrates. This almost always results in blood sugar swings, making it hard for athletes in general to balance and steadied their movement during training or competition. Slow and steady delivery of calorie during regimen help the muscles not to deplete its supply of blood sugar. This is very critical during your exercise because this depletion can cause too much fatigue. This prevents also gluconeogenesis, a form of muscle cannibalism resorted to by our to produce energy during “emergency” or regimen.

Protein content of all in one sports nutrition

Aside from carbohydrates, nutritional supplement high in quality protein, will you’re your muscle’s re-growth and repair. Protein is a hard workers nutrient that goes a long way in maintaining your health during intense exercise. Protein produces the enzymes needed to help carbohydrates maintain energy levels during regimen.

Benefits aside, protein intake is one the most debated issue in the fitness and sports nutrition world. Too much intake of protein, claimed by many, harms the body. Consensus however, among fitness professionals and sports nutritionist suggest a different direction. Protein intakes above the RDA appears to stimulate the loss of body fat while increasing muscle tissue.

But all in one sports nutrition follows the RDA not because it supports the claims of anti-protein intake. All in one sports nutrition is perfect balance of necessary nutrients, carbohydrates and protein included. Aside from these two most important elements in any sports nutrition program, all in one sports nutrition also contains other minerals needed by your body to sustain itself during heavy exercise and other physical activities.

So you see, there’s no reason to loose hope joining the privileged groups of athletes. Your all in one sports nutrition will sustain you during your regimen, and it will help your muscles recover fast enough for your work office work tmorrow!

How to get sports nutrition at a discount

How To Get Sports Nutrition At A Discount

Why insist on buying costly sports nutrition if you can have discount sports nutrition?

Discount sports nutrition products and discount sports nutrition supplements are logical choices. Not cheap, mind you, but, actually clever. You will find products that are reasonably within your reach in discount sports nutrition stores.

Whether you’re into marathon, cycling, running, swimming, or weightlifting, discount sports nutrition stores give you a wide array of products to choose from. Discount sports nutrition offers all types of supplements, energy bar gels, sports energy drinks and other beverages, muscle development supplements, and other elements in the world of sports nutrition. Frankly, staying fit does not really mean breaking the bank.

For particular nutritional products, discount sports nutrition is a best source for the best available quality, like Amino acids, multi-nutrition content bars, muscle enhancing milk products, carb products, endurance enhancing producsts, whey supplements, and other specialized sports nutrient products.

Muscle-building package available at discount sports nutrition store

You can accelerate your training results by choosing the appropriate sports nutrition available on discount. It is for no reason that sports scientists have spent millions of dollars for research and development of supplements specifically targeted at people with special on muscle-building.

If you’re into weights or just athletically involved, you should be taking supplements right to supports your body’s particular need on building muscle fiber. While it is true than you can have results in your body even without the benefit of supplements, the extra works is by logic, needs extra nutrients, i.e., supplements. Particularly after workouts, the needs extra nutrients to repair its damaged muscle tissue, and it is here that the need for supplements is very obvious. Of course, dramatic results are also possible only when you’re using supplements.

Human growth hormone products

Also available at discount sports nutrition store are Human growth hormone products, better known as HGH. Bodybuilders, and other athletes that are into strength or resistance exercise can have immense benefit from HGH based products. There’s nothing to worry about taking HGH. Human growth hormone is a hormone that can be found naturally in our body. What HGH based products do is nothing but add a little bit more of this hormone.

This hormone also serves as a buffer whenever our muscles undergo extreme stress during exercise. Muscles also use this hormone to repair itself, during rest period. This hormone also produces lean muscles, which is one of the most coveted result in any other fitness program. Developing lean muscles will also result in decreasing body fat percentage. Endurance, energy production, and overall athletic performance will also improve by taking this hormone.

Protein and nitrogen products

Discount sports nutrition stores are also good sources of Glutamine products. Glutamine products are important to support any exercise regimen. This micronutrient enhances the ability of our muscles to recover after intense exercise. Glutamine also increases HGH production, thus, further improving the ability of the body recover after regimen. Glutamine also increases protein synthesis and nitrogen retention. This retention is important for the body to have a standby nutrient for emergency needs.

Other micronutrients in their elemental forms are also available in discount sports nutrition stores. Some of the micronutrients that make up the long list are vitamin C, vitamin E, bee honey and nutrients in concentrated form needed by athletes to build their strength and endurance.

Discount sports nutrition stores normally maintain a huge selection of bodybuilding supplements, sports nutritional supplements, general health and fitness nutrition goods, and other nutrients such as creatine, whey protein, weight loss supplements and weight gainers supplements. Other products with specific role are also available.

Countless studies had proven that taking these nutrients in combination improves absorption. Vitamins and other micronutrients are particularly known to exhibit these properties. Latest research also points to the positive synergy created by taking these micronutrients in combination. This synergy type of working has been observed also in other compound nutrients containing these micronutrients.

And because we’re talking about discount sports nutrition, we’re talking about discounted products. So, whether you want to lose some of the excess weight, or gain much needed muscle mass, you don’t really need to stress over how much their little helpers will cost you — discount sports nutrition is your ultimate answer.

Swimming – top 5 things to avoid

Swimming – Top 5 Things To Avoid

Burnout: One of the main issues swimmers come up against whilst training is burn-out, or over-training. Depending on your condition it can be deceptively easy to push yourself too hard and burn yourself out. Over-training before a big swim-meet is a notorious problem and is the biggest cause of upset results. The best way to avoid burn-out is to set yourself a strict training schedule and leave yourself at least 3 days (preferably a week) before any competition as a wind-down to give your body a chance to restock on energy and repair any muscle damage. Just like revising for an exam, preparation is the key! Don’t fool yourself into thinking you can be ready for a competitive swim with just a few days training before-hand.
Swimming without a goal: Without a definitive goal you will quickly lose interest in swimming. Your goal could be anything from improved average or peak lap times – to weight loss, socialising or race conditioning. Keeping a specific goal in mind and tracking your progress over time towards that goal is crucial to the success of your program and maintaining motivation.
Pushing through the pain barrier: Whilst often touted as the mark of success for top athletes, forcing yourself to train whilst injured or sick is a very, very bad idea! There is a big difference between pushing yourself anaerobically and pushing yourself when your body is already working overtime to combat a virus or injury. You should be listening to your body and working with it, not against it.
Getting stuck in a routine: If you find yourself swimming the same routine week in week out with no discernible improvement (or progress towards your goal) then you are really just treading water! Mix up your swim routines by varying distance, speed, stroke and drills. This will ensure you are getting a full body workout and improving both your aerobic and anaerobic fitness, whilst making your swim sessions all the more interesting.
Living with bad habits: It’s easy to spot bad swimmers, they’re usually thrashing around splashing all over the place and very slowly inching their way down the pool with a log jam of frustrated swimmers stuck behind them! The vast majority of them would probably insist they were good swimmers and didn’t need any help. Get a (suitably qualified) friend to watch you swim and give you some tips on improving your swim style – it’ll be much easier for them to see where you are going wrong. Alternatively get a qualified private swimming teacher from http://www.activeunlimited.com/swimming to work with you in a private pool and really ensure your swimming skills are up to scratch.