Where do those little pills come from, anyway?
Written by: Jonathan Toker, Ph.D., developer of SaltStick product
Consumers generally take for granted that the contents inside a bottle of supplement X matches exactly the label on the outside. 
Fortunately and for the most part, thanks to the rules currently in place, this is true. However, there are multiple opportunities during production where the contents of the bottle may no longer be represented correctly by the label. Somewhat analogous to bicycle frame builders, most brands of nutritional supplements are manufactured in a limited number of facilities, or contract labs. It’s not economically feasible for a small company with a product line of nutritional supplements to have its own production facility.
Contract labs specialize in production of supplements, analytical testing, and packaging. These labs can be either cGMP or non-cGMP compliant at this time, and the resulting product could be affected by the way the company treats each batch of product being produced. Until 2010, supplements can be legally produced in non-cGMP facilities. The actual contract lab used by any given supplement company is usually a guarded secret as part of one’s competitive advantage. Therefore, rather than looking to the name on the bottle, one must look at the actual contract lab as the source of the product, and the inherent production risks.
From start to finish at a contract lab
a) Starting Materials
Most contract labs source their raw materials from a wide range of outside suppliers, many of whom specialize in certain classes of materials, such as amino acids, protein powders, minerals, etc. Each supplier provides to the contract lab a certificate of analysis (COA) that is issued for each and every lot (batch) of raw material. Suppliers can be located overseas or domestically with the actual starting material produced anywhere around the world.
When raw materials are received by a contract lab, they should be positively identified. This is usually done easily and quickly by near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. By matching a characteristic fingerprint spectrum of the raw material with a reference spectrum for the material, identity can be confirmed. Purity (the percent active content of the material) is not usually assayed at this time, depending on the COA of the material for this and any other details. This is the first intersection where impurities that originated in the starting material factory or packaging would enter the contract lab undetected. Note that the NIR identity confirmation is not sensitive to pick up foreign matter in the raw material and is a bulk test only.
An entirely different set of concerns arises with herbal ingredients. Many materials such as St. John’s wort, royal jelly, ginkgo biloba, yucca root, grape seed extract, and many others originate from plant extracts. Currently, there are few standards in place to qualify these raw materials for potency or purity. This means that a bottle containing 100 percent St. John’s wort may actually have 5 percent active while another labeled the same way may have double or triple that amount. The FDA final rule guidance on these materials is still 100 percent identification testing, which is problematic due to current analytical testing limitations of some of these materials. At this time, manufacturers can apply for an exemption to this testing. It is hoped within the herbal industry that further clarity on this situation will arise before the FDA final rule takes effect.
As a result of these regulations, products containing herbal ingredients are generally non-standardized and consumers need to be especially aware of potential issues with these products. As a visual rule-of-thumb, if the “Supplement Facts” panel indicates “Daily value not established” for a given ingredient, it is likely that less than adequate information is known about that particular ingredient. Not only are herbal ingredients of often unreliable content, but their toxicity and benefits have generally not been tested in clinical settings, which further prompts the warning: buyer beware.
b) Processing of ingredients
Once the raw materials are identified upon receipt, the contract lab prepares the formulation according to specifications required by the supplement company. This can include dry mixing, wet mixing, granulation, and other physical handling steps. Containers used for these processes are part of machines that can be manually or automatically operated. Often made of stainless steel parts, these complex mixing bowls are used for a given batch and then cleaned and readied for the next product, one that may be totally distinct from the batch before and after it. cGMP contract labs will follow a set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that dictate how the machine is to be cleaned, rinsed, and dried. Some facilities conduct a “cleaning verification” whereby some of the rinse wash is tested for the active ingredient from the previous batch. Possible source of contamination #2 arises if a machine is incompletely or incorrectly cleaned leading to carryover from one product to another. In this way, for example, a steroid material from one product batch could be carried over to a protein supplement in the next batch of processed product.
c) Encapsulation/bottling/packaging of the product
The final step within the contract lab takes the mixed product into its final form for the consumer. This can include bulk powder in plastic tubs, pressing powder into pills, or filling capsules with powder. Once again, industry-specific machines are used for this step. Careful cleaning between batches of different product is critical to ensuring no cross-contamination between products. Once the product is in its final packaging, a quality control (QC) unit serves to qualify and inspect the final product. Once again following SOPs, the QC analyst inspects the product against specifications that can include fill weight, color, particle size and other physical characteristics.
Testing of the final product for quantitative content of active material is currently not required, but is coming into place with the new regulations by 2010. What this means is that upon QC approval and issuance of a batch-specific certificate of analysis (COA), the product is ready to be released to consumers. What is not positively known at that time is: Was production and mixing even and complete across the batch? Are there any foreign contaminants in the mixture? And most importantly, do the contents of that bottle match the writing on the label? Fortunately, the FDA final rule of June 22, 2007, requires manufacturers to address these questions. For contract labs already following cGMPs, implementation of these rules should be fairly straightforward, although costs to producers are likely to increase due to additional analytical work required. Expect non-cGMP contract labs to get in gear with the rules or face the prospect of shutting down in the coming years.
WADA and the difference between illegal and prohibited substances
At this juncture, it is worth defining the difference between an illegal substance and a prohibited substance. We are all familiar with materials that are regulated by the government that can include cocaine and other opiates, prescription products such as antibiotics, anti-seizure, antidepressants, etc., that are regulated as suitable for certain applications only, under the administration or prescription of a physician. Some of these materials are illegal under any circumstances while others can be used as needed by those to whom permission is granted (usually by a doctor’s prescription).
WADA has defined a list of substances for which their consumption has deemed to be “against the rules” of sport. Athletes who fall within a sport governed by WADA rules are responsible for observing the WADA prohibited substance list. To be clear: WADA-prohibited substances are not necessarily illegal from a regulated standpoint, but are listed because they can provide an athlete with an unfair advantage in sport. The consequence is that some WADA-prohibited substances can legally be produced in the same contract lab as other nutritional supplements. Looking back to the production discussed earlier, one can quickly determine how cross contamination between products can present an otherwise compliant athlete with a tainted product.
Does natural equal safe?
Health food companies and pundits for healthy living often cite that something is “natural”, implying that this automatically equates to “good” or “safe.” It is worth noting here that the most toxic substances in the world are natural (botulism toxin, and other plant and animal toxins such as from the puffer fish and poison dart frog). In the context of nutritional supplements, your body does not know the difference between purified calcium carbonate from the White Cliffs of Dover and purified chalk produced in a laboratory. While allowing for certain unique natural preparations available only in nature, at a chemical level, there is no difference between a substance in “nature” vs. the “lab.” CaCO3 is CaCO3 wherever you find it. With the above under consideration, it is worth keeping an open mind on both synthetic and natural ingredients, and selecting one over the other as needed and on a scientific basis alone.
Who cares?
With the vast majority of athletes competing at the amateur level, one must ask if it matters if a little bit of X gets in my supplement? Focusing specifically on triathlon, age group athletes are not tested currently at any race except the annual ITU World Championship. Therefore the vast majority of triathletes will never see a drug test. Are they willing to pay a little bit more for a supplement that had been prepared in a cGMP contract lab and tested for WADA prohibited substances? The professionals are tested much more frequently and races worldwide. National governing bodies (NGB) such as USA Triathlon inform their athletes that they must comply with the WADA prohibited substance list, informing athletes that it is their own responsibility to do so. However, other than conducting their own testing or avoiding all nutritional supplements altogether, there is no way that a dedicated professional athlete can ensure that neither the food that they eat nor the supplements they consume are clean. Until now…
Sleep
Sleep is often the most overlooked factor when considering injury prevention. Sleep is without question the number one strategy for staying healthy in all respects and these days we get less and less of it. Consider the average Ironman athlete who is juggling full time work with a family and 20+ hours of training per week. No wonder we have become a nation addicted to caffeine!
Among other things sleeps primary function is to allow recovery on all levels. Sleep is a heightened anabolic state, accentuating the growth and rejuvenation of the immune, nervous, skeletal and muscular systems. It is observed in all mammals, all birds, and many reptiles, amphibians, and fish. So if you’re not getting enough sleep this is the first place to start if you want to avoid injury or illness.
Nutrition
People don’t often make the connection between nutrition and injury prevention but it might be one of the most crucial factors to consider. Training involves a systematic breakdown of the body both physically and mentally. Endurance sports (stress) triggers the release of cortisol, a catabolic hormone (meaning it breaks down molecules into smaller units). We need cortisol to help metabolize sugars fats and proteins but it also suppresses the immune system and decreases bone formation. Cortisol has the opposite effect of sleep by creating a catabolic (opposite of anabolic) state in the body.
If we don’t replace what we have lost after a training session it can be a recipe for injury. What we ingest provides the building blocks for restoration. This includes everything from water to solid food and of course supplementation. We need to provide a steady flow of macro and micronutrients to allow for this recovery and effectively prevent injury.
Get a Coach
If you are considering tackling any kind of sport one of the best things you can do is employ the expertise of a good coach. Endurance athletes in particular have a tendency to overdo it on a regular basis. The “more is better” philosophy seems to be ingrained in our psyche not matter how flawed it actually is. A good coach will offer two things. First and foremost, smart planning. A good coach will structure a program to allow for periods of work and periods of recovery and if it’s done properly your body will adapt and get stronger after each load. Secondly, a good coach offers an objective look at how you are actually doing. Sometimes it’s tough to make smart calls on your own. A good coach can see what’s happening from outside of your “box” and help you make the right call when your body is breaking down.
Great Technique
Sports by nature are very repetitive. Endurance sports in particular lend themselves mainly to overuse injuries. Overuse injuries can be caused by too much of a good thing or simply poor technique. Proper biomechanics and technique are critical when you are repeating movements over and over again. It’s important to consider technique all the way up the chain from your feet to your upper body. Take cycling for example. Not only is it important to learn how to pedal properly but it’s also crucial to be set up on your bike and in your shoes in such a way to allow you to pedal properly. How your feet interact with the shoe and pedal is as important as the actual training. Technical practice is as important as energy system practice.
Be Cross Fit- Be Athletic
Endurance sports have a nasty habit of getting people moving in one plane and in very fixed positions. Sports such as running and biking require a more or less fixed position whereby the legs and arms move linearly with very little variation. Counter balancing these movements with alternate exercises is very important when considering injury prevention. It’s important to work opposing muscle groups on a regular basis. In the off-season one strategy is to become cross fit. Try different activities that challenge you muscularly. When you are in-season make sure you pay some attention to opposing muscle groups so you don’t overdevelop your prime movers.
Good Pain vs. Bad Pain
The expression “listen to your body” is used regularly but what does it actually mean? When considering injury prevention it means everything. It means acquiring the ability to know the difference between good pain and bad pain.
Discomfort is necessary in sport in order to move to higher levels of performance, we need good pain. Good pain occurs with normal physical exertion and includes things like increased breathing rate, lactic acid build up and muscle fatigue.
Bad pain is anything that doesn’t feel “right” and can often be pinpointed directly as in “it hurts here”. Bad pain is anything that causes us to move out of our normal range of motion or biomechanical pattern in order to compensate for the pain.
The best athletes know when to push through good pain and when to recognize and heed the signs of bad pain.
Use an injury prevention specialist
Believe it or not there are professions that specialize in recovery and injury prevention. Massage therapists, Physiotherapists, Chiropractors and Yoga instructors are all examples of professionals in the recovery and injury prevention business. Massage therapy for example increases blood flow to muscle groups, which provide oxygen and nutrients that help repair damaged tissues. Chiropractors focus on the spine and nerve pathways to make sure you are firing properly. Physiotherapy focuses on maintaining proper movement and function throughout the body. Yoga is a form of physical and meditative practice that has been used for its restorative properties for thousands of years. So when considering injury prevention, remember that you can and should seek the advice of a professional.
This recipe comes from Jasper Blake’s brother Ollie (a gifted athlete himself with a 2:31 marathon pb and a 9:20 finish in his one and only IM) who regularly makes enormous batches of this stuff usually presenting it in large zip lock bags as a Christmas gift. Ollie was given the recipe by a good friend named Al who has sailed around the world and used this granola as a main source of food on those voyages, but it is based on a recipe found in the Tasahara Cookbook, which was one of the whole grain/vegetarian bibles of the 1970s.
This recipe makes about 50 cups of granola. Exact quantities and type of flake, nut or dried fruit doesn’t seem to matter too much, so long as you end up with the correct balance of wet/dry and sweet ingredients. A batch this size will last at least a couple of months and costs less than $100. If you are a smaller family it is easier to make half a batch. It can be frozen to be enjoyed later.
1) Mix together in a large bowl or big rubber maid storage totes (C=Cup):
8 C oat flakes (old-fashioned rather than “quick oats”)
5 C triticole
6 C rye flakes
6 C wheat flakes
6 C other flakes (wheat germ, kamut, soy, rice, etc)
6 C oat bran
4 C bran flakes
4 C pumpkin seeds
2 C walnuts or pecans
1 C cashews
2 C pine nuts
2 C almonds
2) Mix and add to the grains:
5 C brown sugar
2 C maple syrup
3 C oil
3) Spread out a layer of the raw granola in a cake pan and on a cookie sheet (we usually use large reusable alumina turkey pan) and bake at about 350 for about an hour, stirring every fifteen minutes. The average-sized oven will allow you to bake four 8 x 11 inch pans at a time.
Hint: While cookie sheets are fine we tend to use cake pans because less of the granola ends up on the floor!
4) When granola is cool add raisins, dried cranberries, chopped fruits like figs, dates, dried papaya or apricots and such. Ollie uses about 10 cups of fruits for this amount of granola.
5) Freeze extra granola to keep it fresh.
Endurance sports require extreme attention to detail. Equipment, training, recovery and nutrition are all areas that demand constant fine-tuning. As endurance athletes competing in biking, running, triathlons, swimming, cross country skiing, paddling, rowing and adventure racing, the 7SYSTEMS team knows that proper nutrition is one of the keys in reaching your true athletic potential. Not only do you need the right vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants (or micro-nutrients), you also need the right carbohydrates, proteins, and fats (or macro-nutrients) as well as ensuring you are staying hydrated with the appropriate electrolyte load. As the general level of awareness of the role proper nutrition plays in sports performance has increased some companies have entered the market with innovative concepts. One of those innovative concepts is customizable nutrition.
Everyone is different. Endurance athletes have different bodies, different training programs and different race day needs. It makes sense that people will need different amounts of carbohydrates, proteins and electrolytes in their nutrition product. Sure you can vary the number of gels you take, add water to your Gatorade and carry salt tablets with you, and with some trial and error figure out how to make that work. But you don’t need to do that anymore. We have found a product that does that for you – INFINIT Nutrition.
INFINIT helps you take care of your personal training and racing macro-nutrient and hydration needs in a way that no other product can. INFINIT allows you to adjust total calories, flavour, protein, electrolytes, caffeine and amino acid levels, and even fine tune the blend of three different carbohydrates to match your chosen sport, distance and personal needs. INFINIT puts you in the unique position of being able to fuel yourself with exactly what is right for you and choose a flavour that you will be able to consume. We have been really impressed with how easy their system is to use – visit their website, do an initial questionnaire that asks specific details about you and your needs or go straight to the formula section and adjust the amounts of each item. They even offer phone support to help you figure out your optimal formula. You can make different formulas for training and racing and can even save your formulas for easy access on subsequent visits or to adjust as required. What a great idea.
Forget figuring out how many gels, bars and salt tablets you need. You can get it all in one drink in a formula that meets your specific needs to help avoid any gastric distress, cramping or bonking that might occur from using a generic product. AND it is all liquid, so if formulated at the right concentration it will be emptied freely from the stomach and then readily absorbed into the small intestine. We like products that are backed by science, and this one is.
For more information, visit http://www.infinitnutrition.ca/
About ten million Americans have osteoporosis, and another 34 million have low bone mass (osteopenia). A disease without symptoms, osteoporosis affects about 20 percent of men and 80 percent of women.
Because the bones gradually become weaker, they will probably break in a minor fall or, if left untreated, even from simple things like a sneeze. The most common fracture sites include the hip, wrist and spine, although any bone in the body can be affected.
A diagnosis of osteopenia or osteoporosis could be scary, leading some people to quit exercise due to fear it will cause fractures.
The reality is that those with low bone mass should make sure to exercise often. Being active may not simply aid the prevention of osteoporosis, but slow bone loss once it has already begun. Before beginning a training program, it is important to talk with a medical expert for guidelines, as degree of bone loss determines exactly what workout is best. Physicians can assess bone mineral density and fracture risk by scanning the body by using a special kind of X-ray machine.
As well as exercise, treatment may include dietary modifications and/or estrogen replacement therapy. The more you know concerning this condition, the more you can do to help prevent its onset.
To create strength and bone mass, both weight-bearing and resistance training exercises are ideal.
Weight-bearing workouts are those that require the bones to fully support your weight against gravity. Examples are walking, jogging, stair climbing, dancing or using an elliptical machine. Non-weight bearing exercises include biking, swimming, water aerobics and rowing. Weight-bearing activities such as walking as little as 3 x per week will benefit the bones.
Resistance training places mechanical force (stress) on our bodies, which in turn increases bone mineral density. Start by lifting light weights, moving in a slow and controlled manner, increasing resistance when you become stronger.
It is usually highly recommended that individuals with osteoporosis avoid the following kinds of activity:
- Step aerobics and high-impact activities including running, jumping, tennis.
- Activities that involve rounding, bending and twisting on the spine.
- Moving the legs sideways or across the body, particularly when performed against resistance.
- Rowing machines, trampolines.
- Any kind of movement that involves pulling on the head and neck.
Exercise Tips:
- Even if you don’t have osteoporosis, you should seek advice from your health care provider prior to starting a fitness program.
- Remember to warm-up before starting and cool down at the conclusion of each exercise session.
- To find the best benefit to your bone health, combine several different weight-bearing exercises.
- When you build strength, increase resistance, or weights, instead of repetitions.
- Remember to drink a lot of water whenever exercising.
- Vary the types of exercise that you try every week.
- Combine weight bearing and resistance exercise with aerobic exercises to help increase your overall health.
- Bring your friend along to help you continue or better yet, bring your family and encourage them to be healthy.
- Add more physical activity in your day; take the stairs vs. the elevator, park further way, and walk to your co-worker’s office instead of emailing.
Put LIVE into action!
L – Load or weight-bearing exercises make a difference to your bones
I – Intensity builds stronger bones.
V – Vary the kinds of exercise and your routine to keep interested.
E – Enjoy your exercises. Make exercise fun so you will continue in to the future!
Specific factors boost the probability of developing osteoporosis. While a few of these risk factors are controllable, others are not. Risk factors that could be controlled are: Sedentary lifestyle, excess intake of protein, sodium, caffeine and/or alcohol, smoking, calcium and Vitamin D deficiencies and taking certain medicines. Body size (small frame), gender, family history and ethnicity are risk factors that cannot be controlled. Women can lose up to 20 percent of their bone mass in the five to seven years after menopause, which makes them more vunerable to osteoporosis.
It is never too soon to start considering bone density.
- About 85-90 % of adult bone mass is acquired by age 18 in girls and 20 in boys.
- Nutrition and Exercise are critical for Healthy Bones in childhood and Adolescence
- Much of the reserve of healthy bone is built in youth and before the age of 30.
- Women may be more susceptible to an inadequate foundation process at this time than men.
- Sufficient calcium intake,a balanced diet with a lot of fruit and veggies and load-bearing exercise will be the recommendations for solid bone growth when you’re young.
Even if you do each of the right things while maturing and into adulthood, your inherited characteristics- your genes -can present you with bones that are susceptible to osteoporosis. This is even greater reason to maximize your lifestyle to prevent poor bone health.
Writer’s note: The info provided on this article are designed to support, not substitute, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her physician.
Michelle Aultman writes for the elliptical machine blog, her personal hobby blog dedicated to guidelines to prevent osteoporosis trough fitness at home. She has no professional intent and does not accept direct source of advertising coming from health or pharmaceutical firms, doctors or clinics and websites. All content provided by her is based on her editorial judgment and is not driven by an advertising purpose.
American Meat Institute objects to study’s results, arguing it was only one study and that it stands in contrast to others
Chicago — Reuters Published on Tuesday, May. 18, 2010
Eating bacon, sausage, hot dogs and other processed meats can raise the risk of heart disease and diabetes, U.S. researchers said on Monday in a study that identifies the real bad boys of the meat counter.
Eating unprocessed beef, pork or lamb appeared not to raise risks of heart attacks and diabetes, they said, suggesting that salt and chemical preservatives may be the real cause of these two health problems associated with eating meat.
The study, an analysis of other research called a meta-analysis, did not look at high blood pressure or cancer, which are also linked with high meat consumption. “To lower risk of heart attacks and diabetes, people should consider which types of meats they are eating,” said Renata Micha of the Harvard School of Public Health, whose study appears in the journal Circulation. “Processed meats such as bacon, salami, sausages, hot dogs and processed deli meats may be the most important to avoid,” Micha said in a statement.
Based on her findings, she said people who eat one serving per week or less of processed meats have less of a risk.
The American Meat Institute objected to the findings, saying it was only one study and that it stands in contrast to other studies and the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. “At best, this hypothesis merits further study. It is certainly no reason for dietary changes,” James Hodges, president of the American Meat Institute, said in a statement.
Most dietary guidelines recommend eating less meat. Individual studies looking at relationships between eating meat and cardiovascular diseases and diabetes have had mixed results.
But studies rarely look for differences in risk between processed and unprocessed red meats, Micha said.
She and colleagues did a systematic review of nearly 1,600 studies from around the world looking for evidence of a link between eating processed and unprocessed red meat and the risk of heart disease and diabetes. They defined processed meat as any meat preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or with the addition of chemical preservatives. Meats in this category included bacon, salami, sausages, hot dogs or processed deli or luncheon meats. Unprocessed red meat included beef, lamb or pork but not poultry.
They found that on average, each 50 grams daily serving of processed meat a day — one to two slices of deli meats or one hot dog — was associated with a 42 per cent higher risk of heart disease and a 19 per cent higher risk of developing diabetes.
They found no higher heart or diabetes risk in people who ate only unprocessed red meats.
The team adjusted for a number of factors, including how much meat people ate. They said lifestyle factors were similar between those who ate processed and unprocessed meats. “When we looked at average nutrients in unprocessed red and processed meats eaten in the United States, we found that they contained similar average amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol,” Micha said. “In contrast, processed meats contained, on average, four times more sodium and 50 percent more nitrate preservatives,” Micha added.
Last month, the Institute of Medicine urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to regulate the amount of salt added to foods to help Americans cut their high sodium intake. The FDA has not yet said whether it will regulate salt in foods, but it is looking at the issue
Most people involved in endurance sport do so to maintain or improve their overall health. Endurance sport stresses the body in certain ways causing physiologic change leading to these health benefits. These same stresses may have implications for dental health.
A main area of consideration for dental health for endurance athletes is tooth structure health. This area of health relates to tooth decay and erosion. Both involve loss of tooth structure. Decay is loss of tooth structure from bacterial acid production. Erosion is loss of tooth structure from dietary acid or gastric (stomach) acid.
Long periods of training or racing cause metabolic events that can reduce salivary flow. Saliva has a cleansing and buffering function for both acid and bacteria. As salivary flow is reduced, the oral environment may become more acidic. Dentists now believe that decay can happen because of many (possibly more than 300 different types of bacteria). The process is due to the biofilm on teeth. The pH of the mouth can select for bacteria. The more acidic the oral environment the greater the selection pressure for bacteria who produce and live in an acidic environment. This can lead to increased risk of decay.
Sport drinks are often low pH. Some energy drinks have a pH of battery acid. In addition, they may contain citric acid which binds calcium. This is a serious problem as the acid dissolves calcium from teeth and the citric acid binds it and takes it away.
To ensure that endurance sport activity does not have a deleterious effect on tooth structure, it is best to consult your dentist. There are tests available to determine the decay risk of an individual’s bacterial biofilm. There are management protocols to break up the biofilm, increase the pH and put selection pressure for healthier bacteria in the oral environment. This can reduce the risk of decay. Your dentist can also advise you related to use of sport drink and maintaining dental health. The goal should be to enjoy the health benefits of endurance sport and not compromise dental health.
Dr. Derek Hopkins (DMD, MS, RDT, FRCD(C)) is a restorative dental specialist practising in Victoria, British Columbia.
2 1/4 cups quick oats
2 cups spelt flour
1 cup sunflower seed
3/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
1/4 cup flax seed
1 cup granulated unbleached cane sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 1/4 teaspoons sea salt
1 3/4 cups dark chocolate chips or carob chips
1 1/4 cups raisins
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
3/4 cup canola oil
1 cup soymilk
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line 2-3 baking trays with parchment paper.
- Combine dry ingredients; from oats to raisins.
- Combine wet ingredients: from water to soy milk.
- Stir dry and wet together until just combined.
- Portion cookie dough using 1/3 C measure and place on baking tray.
- Gently flatten cookies.
- Bake for 24 minutes or until lightly browned.
On March 3rd, Richard Weber and his son, Tessum Weber along with international adventurers, David Pierce Jones and Howard Fairbanks embark on a trek to the Geographic North Pole. The 750 km trek from northern Canada is the toughest trek on the planet. This is Richard’s seventh full-length expedition to the North Pole and Tessum’s first expedition to the North Pole. On April 14, 2010 they reached the North Pole in 41 days 18 hours 52 minutes. They used 7SYSTEMS daily.
“It’s an amazing experience that is hard to describe in a few words. I think Howard best described it when he said : Some of the best moments are taken from the worst times. Mother Nature throws everything possible at you; storms, negative drift, whiteout, thin ice, high winds, extreme cold. You name it, we survived it. Our team was strong, we worked together well…during the last 5 days, we only slept 11 hours in order to best the southern drift and reach the Pole as expediently as possible.
With the support 7SYSTEMS provided our bodies during the expedition, I now want to start offering it to all the polar expeditions I train. I really believe it makes a difference.”
7 Questions from 7SYSTEMS
1. What accomplishment are you most proud of in your athletic career?
RW: In 1995 my Russian friend and I skied from Canada to the North Pole and back to Canada with no outside assistance. It took 122 days. It is the only (verified) expedition ever to go to the Pole and return without outside assistance.
2. What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?
RW: Great things are done by a series of small steps brought together.
3. What motivates you to get up every day and kick your own ass?
RW: At my age I do not have to kick my ass – it comes naturally.
4. Who is the person you look up to most and why?
RW: Roald Amundsen. “Adventure is bad planning”
5. If you were stranded on an island what book would you want to have with you?
RW: A survival book!
6. What’s your favorite unhealthy snack?
RW: Nachos
7. What is the best restaurant you’ve ever been too and what did you eat there?
RW: Les Fougeres in Chelsea Quebec is my favourite restaurant.
Read more about the Weber Actic Expedition to the North Pole.
After having H1N1 in the fall, Jen was looking for a supplement to help her meet the extensive demands of working full-time and training. Having heard positive things about 7SYSTEMS, and knowing several athletes on the 7SYSTEMS team, she decided to try it. Despite Jen’s daily exposure to germs and viruses at work, she has been in perfect health since starting with 7SYSTEMS, and she couldn’t be happier with the effect that it has had on both her training and overall health.
Jen knows a lot about health. After spending her high school years competing in multiple team sports, Jen went to Queen’s University, where she competed on the varsity cross-country and swim teams. It was during this time that she joined the triathlon club, and began to focus her athletic attention on triathlon. While in her third year at Queen’s, Jen accompanied a friend to a World University Games qualifying race, and ended up earning herself a spot. This first international exposure gained her entry to the National Triathlon Centre, where she remained a resident athlete from 2000-2004. During this time she raced ITU events around the world, with results including 3rd place at Canadian Elite Nationals, 1st at University Championships, and ITU finishes as high as 8th. Jen twice qualified to represent Canada at Elite U23 World Championships, and was later a member of the Canadian National Development Team. After taking five years off of racing triathlons to do her Master’s and start her career as a Pediatric Occupational Therapist, Jen has recently returned to triathlon, and is training with Human Powered Racing in Victoria BC.
- Cadence, cadence, cadence…on off road trails, it is all about moving your feet as fast as they can go
- Use your arms to set the tempo for your legs
- Try to stay as “tall” as possible. Think of staying upright
- To improve your uphills, you have to train your uphill running. Do intervals on a hill of 6-8%, my favourite is 8*3 min with 1 minute rest.
- Sometimes it is just faster to power hike than run—so practice power hiking in training
One of Adam Campbell’s favourite dinners gets made like this.
Lemongrass Soup with Halibut and Veggies
Halibut (or other white fish), cut into chunks (enough for 2-3 servings)
2 lemongrass pieces, “bruised” or gently sliced open
1/4 cup ginger, cut into matchstick pieces
1 cup broccoli, finely chopped
1 cup green cabbage, chopped
4 carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup tamari (or soy sauce)
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 can organic coconut milk
1 cup sliced mushrooms
6-8 cups water
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp miso paste
Rice or rice noodes (optional)
- In a pot combine the water, lemongrass, lemon juice, ginger, carrots, celery and onion.
- Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Add in coconut milk, broccoli, cabbage, tamari, mushrooms, salt and pepper and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes, adding more water if a thinner consistency is desired.
- Add the cubed halibut and cook for another minute or two, just until the fish is white and flaky.
- Pour the soup into bowls and whisk one teaspoon of miso paste into each bowl, if desired.
- Top with a scoop of steaming rice and enjoy!
So I raced my first Ultra, the Chuckanut 50km in Bellingham WA. It is one of the most competitive ultra races around and I wanted to test myself to see how I would stack up. I finished 3rd, having a solid battle between the 3 podium finishers. It was a super fun and hard race and I’ll definitely try more ultra events.
What I (think I) did well:
- I trained relatively well for the event. Jon Brown set me up very well with his emphasis on strength and endurance. When a runner/coach of his caliber gives you advice, you listen. Our long tempo outings and hill reps are not fun, but they build character. There is no focus on one big workout, or key day, rather it is the consistency over a season and years that really count. I also find that with my schedule of school and being a husband that I have to be okay with allowing some flexibility into my program (although Lauren is incredibly understanding of my NEED to run).
- After talking to Hal Koerner (aka the Man), I understand that a lot of the bigger ultras will have some “running sections”, so being fast will definitely be an advantage here. I think that keeping up some sort of efforts, mile reps, tempo work etc… will make a huge difference.
I realized that I have become a decent single-track and downhill runner. All my work on it last summer paid off. So yes, it can be trained. Still, I needed a few more long downhill efforts, but those will come over the summer. This is a big advantage, sort of free speed, so hopefully I can work these parts of the course, taking people out of their comfort zones during the race.
- For the most part, I managed to stay emotionally neutral. Never getting too up or down on myself. The few times I did, it cost me. I think these emotions can be related to and managed with nutrition (yes, I am an emotional eater).
- I was glad that I was aggressive. I like to be at the front of races (who doesn’t). I feel that you have to take some “calculated” risks. It is a race after all, so treat the event as a race! You do need to be realistic about what your abilities are though, so aggressive is a very subjective term. Unrealistic aggressiveness=a whole bunch of suffering.
- No blisters/chaffing! I have wicked gear!
- I made sure to enjoy the experience. As cheesy as it sounds, I know that I am fortunate to be able to run a hilly 50km and also that I am confident enough in my abilities to be able to “race” my first ultra. Not everyone can. Also, I really enjoy running along trails, so I don’t want to get too worked up about it.
What I could/need to improve:
- What I think I was lacking was training on long sustained climbs at effort and working long downhills. I also probably should have done 1-2 longer runs. Most of my long runs were in the 2.5 hour range, but I was getting in good total weekly volume.
- I needed to get in a massage or two. I definitely need to make sure that my hips and back stay loose, especially after long runs. I spend a lot of time sitting now, so I need to be more diligent about moving around and getting up to stretch out my hips while in class/working. I also need to be more diligent with core work.
- I think that I need to get back on the bike. For some reason, biking (not just easy spins, but actual steady rides with some climbs) helps my uphill running. It strengthens my back and allows me to practice getting in calories during long sustained efforts. If I lived right at a trailhead this might be different, but for now, I don’t, so I have to figure out how simulate it. Running is, and will always be, the best training for running!
- I remember reading a quote once, either by Peter Reid, or Mark Allen about nutrition during ultra events. That is when you feel good, eat, when you feel bad eat! I skipped a few gels and that was a mistake. When racing, I need to make sure I get at least a gel down every 40 minutes or so. I should also always have a “Just In Case” (JIC) gel on me and I need to keep eating through the last miles.
- I also need to make sure that I practice getting gels in at effort. I also think I drank a bit too much fluid early on, or was a tad short on electrolytes.
Remember that in long races, it ain’t over ‘til it’s over. A lot can happen in the last few miles. I was passed with about a mile to go. I don’t think that I expected to be in that much of a race at the end.
- Obviously, I need to do a few more races. I had never run that long at a hard effort, so not surprisingly, when it came to the unknown part of the race, the last few miles, I was unprepared to deal with what came up. Although I had an idea of what it would feel like, you have to actually experience it a few times before you can develop coping mechanisms, or develop a plan to manage the pain/emotions of the rough patches.
My Nutrition:
Dinner
•Woodfire Pizza-ham/cheese/onions
•“schooner” of Porter
•M&Ms
What I ate that AM (8am start):
•2 pieces of raisin toast-almond butter+honey (6:20am)
•shot of oil (6:20am)
•Starbucks Americano (7 am)
•3 sharkies about 30 min. before the start
•some sips of Vega electrolyte drink, maybe a 1/4 bottle
During the race:
•started with a capful of CarboPro+Nuun (not a great xombo)
•5 gels—too much caffeine in my gels (70min, 2hrs, 2:30, 3:00 , 3:20).
o 1 Power Bar, 4 Cliff shots.
•second bottle with Nuun (Mile 20)
•top up of Nuun at Mile 24
7SYSTEMS Endurance Sports Supplement contains 300mg of high quality Panax Ginseng in every daily pack (to buy our Ginseng pill separately would cost $20-$30 a month alone). Ginseng is one of our Critical System ingredients and plays an important role in 7SYSTEMS’ ability to keep you healthy so you can focus on your training and racing. Since this is one of the ingredients we get regular questions about we thought we would give you a quick overview of why it is included in the product.
Ginseng is arguably the best known herb on the market. There are two main varieties of Ginseng, Panax Ginseng, also called Asian or Korean Ginseng, and American Ginseng. Each type of Ginseng has a somewhat different biochemical make-up and therefore has different effects.
Origins
Panax Ginseng is native to China, Korea, and Russia and has been used as a herbal remedy in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. More recently Ginseng has been promoted as an ‘adaptogen’ which means it increases resistance to stress and builds energy and general vitality. As a result, Ginseng has been added to a variety of different products.
How It Works
The main active components of Panax Ginseng are ginsenosides, which have been shown to have a variety of beneficial effects, however, not as many as some products would lead you to believe. Hundreds of ‘scientific’ studies of varying quality have been published on Ginseng, resulting in alleged health benefits, including: stress reduction, improving memory and learning, preventing cancer, enhancing blood circulation, stimulating the immune system, improving vision and hearing, controlling blood sugar levels, controlling cholesterol, increasing physical stamina, regulating blood pressure, inhibiting blood clots, improving male infertility and erectile dysfunction and improving post-menopausal symptoms. The data in support of these claimed benefit is, in some cases, inconsistent and conflicting.
Benefits
Although many products claim Ginseng will enhance physical performance, many of these claims have not been conclusively proven and in fact most of the clinical studies investigating the value of Ginseng in directly enhancing physical performance have shown no effect. However, results of clinical research studies do suggest that Panax Ginseng may improve psychological function, immune function, as well as other conditions such as diabetes. Reputable studies indicate that Panax Ginseng enhances phagocytosis (natural killer cell activity); improves mental performance; causes vasodilation; increases resistance to exogenous stress factors; enhances libido and copulatory performance and affects hypoglycemic activity. We have included Ginseng for its beneficial effect on immune function. There is conclusive evidence of these effects as shown in some of the studies we have highlighted below.
Scientific Examples of Ginseng’s Effect on Immune Function
One study examined people who had had at least two colds in the prior year, with participants taking a Ginseng extract or a placebo for a period of four months. The number of colds per person was lower in the Ginseng group than in the placebo group and the proportion of subjects with two or more colds during the four-month period and the total number of days cold symptoms were reported for all colds was significantly lower in the Ginseng group than in the placebo group.
Several other studies have shown that an extract of Ginseng reduces influenza cases in both elderly and healthy persons when compared to a placebo. The group who received Ginseng had a lower incidence of influenza and colds, higher antibody titers, and higher natural killer cell activity levels.
Another study showed enhanced chemotaxis, phagocytosis, increased total lymphocyte count, and increased numbers of T helper cells in those who received Ginseng daily for eight weeks. While a further study of persons with acute chronic bronchitis who were treated with antibiotics or antibiotics plus Ginseng, resulted in those in the Ginseng group achieving faster bacterial clearance.
In one of the largest studies done on Ginseng to date, the risk of cancer was shown to be lower in those who used Panax Ginseng than those that did not for persons older than 40 years.
Side Effects and Safety of Ginseng
Overall, Panax Ginseng appears to be well tolerated in general although a small percentage of people taking Ginseng may experience certain side effects such as nervousness, agitation, insomnia, headaches, high blood pressure, and heart palpitations. If you do experience any of these side effects we recommend you consult with you physician. Where you are experiencing trouble sleeping, we recommend you take 7SYSTEMS in the morning with your breakfast rather than at night.
We also caution the following persons from using Ginseng without first consulting a healthcare provider: (a) person taking over-the-counter or prescription drugs, (b) people with diabetes, (c) people with heart disease or (d) people taking medications for high blood pressure; and pregnant or nursing women and children should avoid Ginseng altogether.
In Conclusion
Ginseng has been used for thousands of years, and has been added to everything from soaps and lotions to foods and supplements. Although, it is now generally agreed that Ginseng is not the whole body tonic able to enlighten the mind, increase wisdom, slow down ageing and cure many conditions, it does have many proven benefits…and you should consider if it can help you.
Joe Rizzi does more! He is the proud father of two active girls aged 5 and 6. He owns and operates a plumbing business that employs 10 people and works long days often doing hard physical work. Joe busted his butt all year in the hopes of making it to the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. Joe wakes up at 4am to fit in all his training before a hectic day of work and time with the family. He is proud of the fact that he rarely, if ever, misses one of his girls swim, dance or soccer practices or events.
Last reached his goal and qualified for Hawaii at Ironman Lake Placid. Joe finished the gruelling course in 9 hours 51 minutes and 40 seconds which landed him 31st overall and 4th in his age group!
He went on to finish Ironman Hawaii in an inspiring time of 10:10:26.
Joe manages to DO MORE with the help of 7SYSTEMS.
JJ has these muffins as snacks pre or post workout. He usually freezes them individually so he can grab one to take in a workout bag. His kids love them too.
1) In a large bowl mix:
2 cups flour
1 ¼ white sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2) Stir in
½ cup grated carrot
½ cup raisons
½ cup nuts of your choice
½ cup coconut
1 cup diced apple
3) In a bowl blend:
3 eggs
1 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla
4) Stir in flour mixture until batter is just combined.
5) Spoon into muffin tins, filling to top.
6) Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes.
7 Questions from 7SYSTEMS
1. What accomplishment are you most proud of in your sporting career?
BP: Florida 70.3 2007- 7th place finish. I learned the most about pushing through fatigue and racing in the heat. I also think it was a break through race for me. Sometimes the hard fought battles are the most rewarding to looking back upon.
2. What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?
BP: A few years ago while swimming and training with Colin Jenkins he used to always say to me “I have the gift all I have to do it show up, but you don’t so you better keep swimming”. That advice definitely used to keep me motivated.
3. What motivates you to get up every day and kick your own ass?
BP: I have the motivation to be the best athlete I can be. The feeling after a hard effort or an epic day is priceless, and the sense of accomplishment is huge. It’s not just about getting up and working out, it’s about waking up and committing to the effort or the workload in front of you in order to reach your goals.
4. Who is the person you look up to most and why?
BP: Crowie. He is an amazing, talented athlete and person. He is also very humble and leads a very balanced life. He also has a wicked accent.
5. If you were stranded on an island what book would you want to have with you?
BP: Andre Agassi’s biography entitled Open. I could read it 10 times and would still sweat reading it.
6. What’s your favorite unhealthy snack?
BP: Sausage on a bun or Tex Mex. Texas food is out of hand! If you race in Texas you must go out for Mexican food! I also like chocolate granola but luckily I can’t find Jordan’s in the USA so it’s under control.
7. What is the best restaurant you’ve ever been too and what did you eat there?
BP: Uncle Julio’s- may be one of my favorite places after a hard training day. It’s not the best for race weight but having chips and queso and some chicken fajitas are the bomb.
Click here for Brent’s personal blog.
It is generally well accepted dogma in the health and fitness industry (as in athletic conditioning) that stretching is an important part of a regular training program. We’ve been told that passive stretching will help prevent injury, improve performance, reduce DOMS, and should be part of a warm-up and cool-down. However, there is no scientific evidence to support these claims, and in fact there is mounting scientific research to show otherwise. Despite this, there seems to be a lot of conflicting advice about how and when to stretch. I’ve seen too many trainees unable to perform optimally or suffer from recurring injuries, in part due to improper stretching habits. It’s time to take a closer look at stretching and flexibility training.
According to the ACSM, flexibility is the measure of the range of motion at a joint or group of joints and the ability to move a joint through its complete range of motion.
There are 2 main categories of stretching: passive and active.
Passive stretching is when you use an outside force other than your own muscle to move a joint or limb beyond its active range of motion, to put your body into a position that you couldn’t do by yourself (such as when you lean into a wall, or have a partner push you into a deeper stretch). Unfortunately, this is the most common form of stretching used.
Active stretching eliminates outside force and it’s adverse effects from stretching procedures. It involves actively using your own muscles to achieve range of motion; as the antagonist (opposite) muscle contracts, the agonist (target) muscle groups lengthen and relax. This is a safe, effective, and recommended method of stretching.
Stop Being So Passive!
Although most people are more familiar with traditional passive stretching (where you push into a deep stretch, without muscular effort), it can actually hurt your performance and can potentially cause injury! Research from the American Journal of Applied Physiology and reports brought to us by the American College of Sports Medicine show that passive stretching can decrease strength and muscular power output by up to 20 %.
Passive stretching can also tear your soft tissue thus creating less available muscle for you to create power. This is especially significant if you consider that many athletes are still doing passive stretching prior to training or competition!
Static passive stretching will dampen the nervous system activation of the involved muscles, essentially making them looser, weaker, and less stable for at least an hour afterwards (Reduced strength after passive stretch of the human plantar flexors, 2000, Fowles). This reduces strength and joint stability and can negatively affect your athletic performance as well as increase risk of injury. Stacy Ingraham, an exercise physiologist at the University of Minnesota, concluded that passive stretching not only has no effect on preventing injuries, but it can actually make you even more likely to get hurt.
A study consisting of 1543 serious runners linking stretching to muscle problems was carried out by David Lally, PhD, (University of Hawaii). The important finding in Lally’s survey was that 47% of all male runners who stretched regularly were injured during a one-year period, while just 33% of male runners who didn’t stretch were hurt; a statistically significant difference (9).
Another study indicates that athletes in the highest 20% of the flexibility continuum are actually the ones with the highest rates of injury (15)!
Some people might argue that they can achieve a greater range of motion using passive stretching. However, this increased range of motion in static positions does not carry-over to the dynamic range of movement associated with sport. Even worse, achieving excessive range of motion is not necessarily beneficial to an athlete, and could even be injurious.
Although this type of stretching may temporarily relieve joint, muscle and back pain in some cases, it can ultimately aggravate the underlying condition, and increases weakness and instability. This may be hard for many trainers, coaches, and athletes to accept, but it is evidently very hard to justify including passive stretching anywhere in a training program. It is generally a less desirable way to improve flexibility and range of motion. If you are going to use passive stretches, at least do them only at the end of a workout or practice (never before) and follow each stretch with an active hold of that position.
Get Active!
So what is the alternative for improving flexibility? Active stretching is a safe effective method of maintaining a healthy range of motion, while increasing joint stability and strength. Because muscle ‘tightness’ is often due to compensation for joint instability or weakness in another muscle, developing strong, stable joints allows a greater range of motion. It is recommended to perform active range of motion (AROM) exercises following a workout, game, or practice session. The “stretch” positions can be very similar to passive stretches, but they are being held using muscular effort, not outside force. Actively hold each position for 10 to 15 seconds. Active stretching can also be incorporating into effective flexibility techniques such as ProprioNeuromuscular Facilitiation (PNF).
Examples of some basic AROM static stretches include:
· Lats- reaching your arms straight overhead
· Chest- extend your arms out to the sides, and retract your shoulder blades
· Quadriceps- flex your heal toward your butt, contracting the hamstrings
· Hamstrings- extend your leg straight in front of you, and contract the quads
Warming Up To A Dynamic Approach
Dynamic stretching is another form of active range of motion that is recommended before training, practice or competition, and has been shown to reduce muscle tightness while increasing nervous system activation. Dynamic warmup exercises involve moving parts of your body and gradually increasing reach, speed of movement, or both. Do not confuse dynamic stretching with ballistic stretching (which is not recommended)! Dynamic stretching consists of controlled leg and arm swings that gently and progressively move you within the limits of your range of motion. Conversely, ballistic stretches involve bouncing or “jerky” movements, trying to force a part of the body beyondavoids bouncing motions and tends to incorporate more sport-specific movements, such as arm circles, torso rotations, butt kicks, high knee lifts and walking lunges (without weights). its range of motion. Dynamic stretching
Recent scientific studies indicate that dynamic stretches before physical activity are preferable to static passive stretches (4,20,21). This may be particularly true for strength and power athletes.
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=CvIGjwZ25YA
Conclusion:
Athletes, coaches, trainers, and others need to use the combination of strength training, conditioning, and warming up that’s best for a given sport or activity. In general, it is recommended to perform a dynamic warm up before training and incorporate some active range stretches afterwards. Also consider that stretching naturally occurs when you exercise. In order to contract a muscle, the opposite muscle groups have to be relaxed and lengthening.
I understand that this may be new information for many readers. However, to quote Emma Wilkinson from the British Medical Journal on the subject of this new scientific research:
“These findings are contrary to what many athletes and coaches believe and what is common practice. Yet much of sport and exercise medicine and the management of musculoskeletal injury have developed empirically with very little research evidence. The culture is changing, and this study makes a valuable contribution to the debate on stretching.”
I encourage you to research this information more yourself and make an educated decision. It may be time to re-evaluate your approach to flexibility training. That’s the long and short of it.
References
(1) ‘Should Static Stretching Be Used During a Warm-Up for Strength and Power Activities?’ Strength and Conditioning Journal, Vol. 24(6), pp. 33-37, 2002
(2) ‘A Randomised Trial of Pre-exercise Stretching for Prevention of Lower-Limb Injury’, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Vol. 32(2), pp. 271-277, 2000
(3) ‘Injuries in Australian Army Recruits, Part III: The Accuracy of a Pretraining Orthopedic Screen in Predicting Ultimate Injury Outcome’, Military Medicine, Vol.162, pp.481-483, 1997
(4) ‘Effects of Static Stretching on the Maximal Length and Resistance to Passive Stretch of Short Hamstring Muscles’, Journal of Orthopaedic Sports Physical Therapy, Vol. 14, pp. 250-255, 1991
(5) ‘Viscoelastic Response to Repeated Static Stretching in the Human Hamstring Muscle’, Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, Vol. 5, pp. 342-347, 1995
(6) Shrier, I. Stretching before exercise does not reduce the risk of local muscle injury: critical review of the clinical and basic science literature. Clinical J. Sports Med. 9: 221-7. 1999
(7) ‘Predicting Lower-Extremity Injuries among Habitual Runners’, Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 149, pp. 2565-2568, 1989
(8) ‘The Ontario Cohort Study of Running-Related Injuries’, Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 149, pp. 2561-2564, 1989
(9) ‘New Study Links Stretching with Higher Injury Rates’, Running Research News, Vol. 10(3), pp. 5-6, 1994
(10) ‘Muscle Damage Induced by Eccentric Contractions of 25% Strain’, Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol. 70, pp. 2498-2507, 1991
(11) ‘Acute Muscle Stretching Inhibits Maximal Strength Performance’, Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, Vol. 69, pp. 411-415, 1998
(12) ‘Identification of a Threshold for Skeletal Muscle Injury’, American Journal of Sports Medicine, Vol. 22, pp. 257-261, 1994
(13) ‘Influences of Strength, Stretching and Circulatory Exercises on Flexibility Parameters of the Human Hamstrings’, International Journal of Sports Medicine, Vol. 18, pp.340-346, 1997
(14) ‘Physiology of Range of Motion in Human Joints: A Critical Review’, Critical Reviews in Physical and Rehabilitative Medicine, Vol. 6, pp. 131-160, 1994
(15) ‘Strength, Flexibility, and Athletic Injuries’, Sports Medicine, Vol. 14, pp. 277-288, 1992
(16) ‘Flexibility and Its Effects on Sports Injury and Performance’, Sports Medicine, Vol. 24(5), pp. 289-299, 1997
(17) ‘Investigation into the Effect of Static Stretching on the Active Stiffness and Damping Characteristics of the Ankle Joint Plantar Flexors’, Physical Ther. Sport, Vol.2, pp.15-22,2001
(18) ‘Passive Properties of Human Skeletal Muscle during Stretch Maneuvers’, Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, Vol. 8, pp. 65-77, 1998
(19) ‘Stretching during Warm-Up: Do We Have Enough Evidence?’, Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, Vol. 70(7), pp. 24-27, 1999
(20) ‘Dynamic Warm-Ups’, Sports Coach, Vol. 24(1), pp. 20-22, 2001
(21) Yamaguchi, T., Ishii, K. Effects of static stretching for 30 seconds and dynamic stretching on leg extension power. J. Strength Cond. Res. Aug;19(3):677-83. 2005
Josh Hewett is a personal trainer and strength & conditioning specialist with Top Form Fitness. He also coaches and competes with Team Barbarian Strength Athletics.
Josh holds a degree in Kinesiology from the University of Western Ontario, as well as personal training qualifications from several agencies including CanFitPro. He is a qualified personal training specialist and competitive strength athlete with over 14 years of involvement in the health and fitness industry including employment, academic, competitive, and volunteer experience. Whether your goal is to improve your health and fitness, excel at your sport or hobby, or to recover from an injury, Josh is prepared to motivate and guide you toward reaching your objective.
Josh would like to hear your questions or comments. Feel free to contact him at josh@top-form-fitness.com or visit his training website at http://www.teambarbarian.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Josh_Hewett
I love eating these after a long hard bike workout on a Saturday morning! I add heaps of maple syrup and sometimes some whip cream if we have any kicking around.
Spelt Banana Pancakes*
2 tbsp. flax seeds
2 bananas, ripe
1 1/2 cups vanilla soy milk
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. honey
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 cups spelt flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- Stir in all the ingredients in a mixing bowl
- Using a spatula, pour the mixture on to a hot pan
- Flip once the bottom pancake can easily come off the pan
- Remove the pancake from pan once second side is golden brown
* Taken from Gluten-Free Diet – A Comprehensive Resource Guide by Shelley Case
You won’t hear much about these stories unless you were at the Winter Olympics in 2010…
I experienced the village of Whistler, saw skiing competitions live, talked to volunteers and witnessed the excitement the Olympics brought to kids’ faces. I also had the chance to walk the streets of Vancouver to experience probably the biggest party of 2010, heard languages from all over the world, haggled for tickets and felt the beat of a city standing prouder than it ever has.
So for those that only had a chance to experience the Olympics through TV, web and newspaper coverage, here’s a look at the top 7 stories that you won’t hear about.
1- Spectators make the events- TV show the athletes but rarely promotes the spectators that come from different countries, bearing their flags costumes and traditions that go with each sport. For cross-country skiing, the Norwegians and Austrians bring 16 foot flagpoles covered in the flags of their favourite countries, while dressed in their traditional costumes. For speed skating, the Dutch come in yellow riding hundreds of bikes imported from Holland just for the Games.
2- Athletes are Anynomous- With the exception of a few hockey, snowboard and downhill skiing stars, you could walk by a medalist and not even know it. I’m sure I saw two women downhillers walking around Whistler Village unrecognized while the day before they had been idolized on TV. Without their helmets and ski suits, they were like any other spectator on the scene.
3- The various ‘Houses’ are Incredible- Nations and organizations find bars, building or other large venues where their athletes and entourage can go gather. They celebrate the best that country has to offer and create a bit of a home away from home for them. These are the places to try to get into and really get an understanding of the incredible effort it takes to send athletes to compete at the Olympics. Just make sure you know how to say hello and thank. These Houses are committed to speaking their languages and celebrating their traditions.
4- We were made for this- It’s a slogan that really hits home when you see the coordination, logistics and innovation that goes into pulling off what many are calling the Biggest Gathering of Humankind. To witness the busses, volunteers, athletes, spectators and media moving about, eating, working and playing with barely a glitch is amazing. As a spectator, I experienced nothing negative. Certainly there were events with their issues, but definitely no more that water other Olympics have experienced. Keep in mind that the events are the toughest to organize as VANOC is not solely responsible for them…rather it is a collaboration of various sporting, judging and building organizations that are ultimately responsible for each events success. It saddens me when I hear people refer to Vancouver 2010 as the Glitch Games…it’s such a typical Canadian perspective. Instead of focusing on an event that has helped Canada define what is at it’s core, the media lets itself fall victim to focusing on the inevitable fallout that comes with putting on any major event.
5- Walk through the streets- After a busy day, it’s easy for spectators and media to retire to their room to watch the recaps. The real action and energy takes place in the evening as the events close and people head out to celebrate and see the city. You get to see the city at its best and have the ability to talk to strangers and celebrities like you’ll never experience otherwise.
6- Try to get into restricted parties and venues- It’s the unwritten challenge that everyone is trying to score. Why? Simple human nature of wanting what you don’t have. Except at the Olympics you end up meeting some really interesting people and experiencing events hard to see anywhere else. It’s a thrill when you get into special venues like Austria House, Canada Hockey House and sold-out concerts.
7- Volunteers are the real heroes- Most athletes have fame, fortune or four more years of inspiration they get out of the Olympics. Volunteers have nothing to gain but the personal satisfaction of knowing they played a small part in creating the Olympics. Most have to be at their work-site by 6am and work until they get called-off by the crew chief. Yes they get nice swag and free tickets to events, but standing around on a ski hill for 6 hours freezing with your only mission being to respond to a radio request like “I need some tape” takes special dedication to the spirit of the Olympics. They are the one’s that really are the link between the organizers and the athletes. They are the one’s that are the biggest heroes in my mind.
Probably the biggest lesson we can take from the winter Olympics is that there are literally dozens of great sports that can keep us fit during the winter months. Triathletes often get stuck in a rut during the winter months and forget that there are other great ways to stay fit in the snow.
I was fortunate enough to enjoy a day of skiing in Whistler during the Olympic games and I can tell you I am incredibly sore from one outing. I was amazed with how vigorously my core and back muscles were worked during a day on the downhill slopes, not to mention my quads!
Other great sports that are perhaps more relevant to the aerobic athlete are cross country skiing and if you are fortunate to live in an area with an oval; speed skating. The cross over from cross country skiing and skating to cycling and running is remarkable. Take Clara Hughes for example, Olympic medalist in both cycling and speed skating. Many sports compliment each other and as Canadians I truly believe we should take advantage of and embrace the opportunity to participate.
Classic cross country skiing is said to transfer very well to running and skate skiing and skating compliments cycling very well. Many national level cyclists play in recreational hockey leagues during the winter. It works similar muscle groups, is a great interval type workout and is incredibly fun.
So use the Olympic inspiration from the last two weeks and get outside into the Canadian winter, you won’t be sorry!
Apple butter hockey stick slices
- Peel Granny smith apple
- Cut into quarters
- 1/2 teaspoon of almond butter on each slice
- Goes down in a couple bites and kids love it
Finns Power Slapshot Smoothie
1/2 cup of frozen blueberries
1 whole banana
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of almond milk
2 tablespoons of protein powder (brown rice, hemp or soy)
- To a blender add all the ingredients
- Blend until smooth, slurp it back and play some hockey!
Banana Puck Poppers
1 piece of sprouted grain bread- toasted
1 tablespoon of almond (or other suitable nut butter)
1 banana
- Spread almond butter on the toast, cut toast into 9 equal sized squares (two length wise cuts, two width wise cuts).
- Add one slice of banana to each square (hockey puck shaped). Easy bite sized portions that taste great!
AKA the Pig Tree
1/2 pound organic prosciutto, sliced
1/2 (8 ounce) package Neufchatel cheese (softened) or bowl or grated Gruyere cheese
12 spears fresh asparagus, trimmed
- Spread prosciutto slices out
- Spread Neufchatel or grated Gruyere cheese on slices
- Wrap slices around 2 or 3 asparagus spears
- Place on a BBQ for 10 minutes, rotating once after 5 minutes
- Serve as an appetizer or a side dish
“Three Olympic Games, dozens of ITU races, a new baby and let’s face it, I’m not getting any younger…. but the competition is. As an athlete I need to ensure that my body is in peak form for all of my races. And, as a dad, I need to make sure that I have the energy to train as hard as before and still have energy to play with my daughter. 7SYSTEMS endurance sports supplement is the perfect supplement for my new life. I am a pro at preparing for races but preparing for fatherhood was a whole other thing. With 7SYSTEMS I’m ready for a couple of sleepless nights, hours at the playground and an intense 2012 training program!”
Simon has been a world-class athlete for over ten years. He is a three-time Olympian and has won both Gold and Silver medals for Canada.
www.simonwhitfield.blogspot.com
“I’ll be the first to admit that I have always been a little skeptical about supplements. I have always been a believer that simply eating a nutrient-dense diet and eating the right foods at the right time was all that was necessary to perform at a high level in our sport. At the end of my 2007 season I decided to take a closer look at my diet and recovery nutrition as the Olympics were on the horizon and I want to be sure I have done absolutely everything in my power to be ready when I start that race. I had heard positive things about 7SYSTEMS from friends and training partners so I decided to test it out during my winter training block. It was a huge load of training so it really gave me the chance to put 7SYSTEMS to the test. Within a week of taking it, I started to notice differences in my recovery and energy levels. I have never been much of a morning person but I started to find myself more energized and motivated at the start of each morning swim. Plus, I managed to escape catching some colds that were lingering around this winter, which rarely happens when I’m training hard.”
“Thank you to 7systems for helping get me to the start line in Beijing healthy and ready to race. Now I am hoping it will help me heal faster. My disappointment in Beijing has only motivated me even more for London 2012. I look forward to working with 7systems to help achieve that goal.”
Lauren Groves is one of Canada’s most accomplished triathletes. She is a National Champion and top five finisher at the World Triathlon Championships in 2006. Her career is highlighted by being named and competing at the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008. After her spectacular crash in Bejing Lauren is focused on recovering and getting ready for London 2012.
Jeremy is someone who tries to do more in everything he does. He is a father who just welcomed his 3rd child, is a Managing Director at one of Canada’s top private equity firms, and is always ranked near the top of Toronto’s most competitive club squash ladders. His prowess on the squash courts got him onto the Queen’s Varsity squash team. His racquet skills, agility and strategic thinking continue to make him highly competitive on a doubles court, with an Ontario and National B Doubles title to his credit. He’s a great example of balancing life’s priorities while trying to do more in every aspect of his life.
“Between work, travel and family, making time for squash matches can be a challenge but it is something I work hard at as it really improves my outlook. Missing playing because of fatigue or illness is something I try hard to avoid so I started using 7SYSTEMS. It definitely made me feel better and I avoided getting sick. I ran out of 7SYSTEMS towards the end of the year and forgot to put in a new order with the birth of our newborn. Low and behold I got sick over the holidays. I remembered that I needed to get back on 7SYSYEMS and the team got me some more product really fast. I am back on it, feeling great and looking forward to my next match.”
Spicy Sesame Noodles
1 lb spaghetti (although Fresh Udon noodles are really good and are what we usually use)
1 cup chunky peanut butter
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp hot pepper sauce
1/2 tsp salt
2 large green onions, sliced
1 medium cucumber, sliced
- Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together peanut butter, orange juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, vegetable oil, cider vinegar, pepper sauce and salt until smooth.
- Add cooked spaghetti and green onions; toss well. Serve hot or cover and refrigerate to serve cold.
- Just before serving, toss with additional orange juice (if necessary) and garnish with cucumber slices.
- We usually add a ton of chopped up peanuts to the final dish which make it really tasty.
Malcolm Howard burst onto the international rowing scene in 2003 by winning the under 23 World Championships in the heavyweight 8 category. Malcolm has been one of the powerhouses of the Canadian National Rowing Team. That’s what happens when you train as hard as he does, stand 6′6″ and weigh close to 260lbs. Based out of Victoria, B.C. he has gone on to win numerous other World Championships and a Gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In fact, he has so much power that he snaps bike cranks on a regular basis.
Most recently Malcolm took gold in the men’s singles race at the National Rowing Championships in London, Ont.
“7SYSTEMS has really helped keep my health in top form so I could come to the National Rowing Championships in top form this year. It’s been a tough year for me after cracking my ribs. So not getting sick as I quickly tried to get back into rowing shape has been paramount. The great thing is that 7SYSTEMS co-founder Jasper Blake has also been helping me with my general conditioning with some fantastic bike rides around Victoria. It’s great being recognized with my selection for the PRO TEAM!”
Malcolm is focused on winning at the 2012 London Olympics.
7 Questions from 7SYSTEMS
1. What accomplishment are you most proud of in your sporting career?
MH: Winning gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics!
2. What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?
MH: “Be persistent.” Harry Parker. Not a man for many words, be persistant was often the whole pre-race talk from our coach Harry when I was racing for Harvard University. A legendary figure in collegiate athletics, Harry was a master putting a lot of meaning in very few words.
3. What motivates you to get up every day and kick your own ass?
MH: My motivation is always to get stronger and faster. On those miserable days when I want to stay in bed, I remind myself that we train in any weather because we know our competition will stay indoors when it gets too cold or windy out.
4. Who is the person you look up to most and why?
MH: Jasper Blake. No really…I have always looked up to Silken Laumann. I have heard many stories about her determination and perseverance in her training and racing. She came back from several difficult injuries to still compete and race at a very high level. Not only that, she trained under my coach, Mike Spracklen, a grueling taskmaster who trains his athletes harder then anyone else in the world.
5. If you were stranded on an island what book would you want to have with you?
MH: Lord of the Rings, not just because it is so long.
6. What’s your favorite unhealthy snack?
MH: Mom’s homemade cookies, so good that you can’t only have one, or three, or four…
7. What is the best restaurant you’ve ever been too and what did you eat there?
MH: So many to choose from, but recently, I would have to say Camille’s in Victoria BC. We had the Chef’s tasting menu which was excellent, amazing seafood and beef fillet all in one meal.
