GetFit.com.au

That morning cup of coffee may be an antidote to post-exercise muscle soreness, if preliminary research is correct.

In a small study of female college students, researchers found that a caffeine supplement seemed to lessen the familiar muscle pain that crops up the day after a particularly challenging workout

Known as delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS, the pain is common in the day or two after a workout that was more intense than normal. Exercise that involves eccentric contraction of the muscles is particularly likely to cause delayed muscle pain.

In eccentric contraction, the muscle produces a force while it's being lengthened. This happens when a person runs downhill, for example, or lowers a weight during a bicep curl.

Exercisers and researchers alike have tried many ways to prevent DOMS -- including over-the-counter painkillers, stretching and massage -- but studies have found no cure-all for the problem.

In the current study, published in the Journal of Pain, researchers at the University of Georgia in Athens looked at the effects of a caffeine supplement on delayed muscle pain in nine young women.

First, in a simulated workout, the researchers used electrical stimulation to produce eccentric contractions in the women's thigh muscles -- enough to cause moderate day-after soreness.

Next, they repeated the procedure over the next two days, but on each day, the women took either a caffeine pill or placebo pill one hour before the muscle workout. Neither the women nor the researchers knew which pill was given on which day.

Overall, the women reported significantly less muscle soreness during the workout when they took caffeine instead of the placebo. The supplement had about the amount of caffeine found in two cups of coffee.

The theory is that caffeine eases delayed muscle pain by blocking the activity of a chemical called adenosine, which is released as part of the inflammatory response to injury. Adenosine can activate pain receptors in body cells, explained Victor Maridakis, the study's lead author.

In this study, the pain relief with caffeine was stronger than that from painkillers like acetaminophen (Tylenol) and naproxen (Aleve).

Research into another popular pain reliever, ibuprofen, has shown inconsistent results, and it's unclear whether the drug -- sold under brand names like Advil and Motrin -- aids delayed muscle soreness.

Before downing a couple cups of joe before your workout, however, Maridakis recommends careful consideration of the possible side effects of caffeine.

"The negative side effects of caffeine are increased feelings of anxiety, heart palpitations, increased blood pressure, upset stomach, increased urination and disrupted sleep," he explained. "Caution should be used when consuming caffeine so not to exacerbate these side effects."

Though most people are "normal responders" to caffeine, Maridakis noted, some are hypersensitive to it and are at higher risk of side effects.

On the other end of the spectrum are the caffeine-resistant types. People who drink a couple cups of coffee a day tend to become desensitised to caffeine, the study points out, and it's unclear whether a dose of caffeine would aid their post-workout muscle pain.

Reuters

Posted by Dean at 11:36 PM | Permalink

A REVOLUTION in weight loss is about to hit Australia after scientists devised a workout that burns three times the amount of fat.

They found their specific brand of interval training prompts the body to click into a metabolic response that allows more fat to be burned under the skin and within the muscles.

Researchers at the University of NSW and the Garvan Institute studied 45 overweight women over 15 weeks, putting them through a 20 minute cycling regime in which they sprinted on a stationary bike for eight seconds followed by 12 seconds of cycling lightly.

"They lost three times more weight as other women who exercised at a continuous, regular pace for 40 minutes," UNSW Associate Professor Steve Boutcher said.

Their success was due to higher amounts of chemical compounds called catecholamines that are produced in increasing amounts when linked to interval sprinting; the resulting chemical reaction drives greater weight loss.

The scientists believe the regime would also be applicable to swimming, walking, running and rowing.

Professor Boutcher said other types of interval training use longer interludes which are not as effective for overweight people and said the current government recommendations for exercise are largely ineffectual.

"Walking for 60 minutes, seven times a week does not result in much fat loss, usually 1.15kg over 15 weeks – for a lot of overweight people this is going to be a revolution," he said.

The scientists found their method could "spot reduce" troublesome areas such as legs and buttocks.

The system will be useful to diabetics, as "insulin resistance was dragged down by about 32 per cent".

The findings were welcomed by Bondi local Kim Broderick, 21.

"I try to run or walk but if this system works better it's great."

The scientists are now ready for the next phase of the study which controls food and exercise plans.

"We hope to find even more loss in fat," Professor Boutcher said.

The trial will put participants through the interval training while placing them on a Mediterranean diet of fresh food as well as daily fish oil capsules, which helps burn fat more efficiently

Daily Telegraph

Posted by Dean at 08:37 PM | Permalink

A new study published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery reports that a newly developed stretch can ease the pain of the heel condition common in middle-aged people and younger people who spend a large proportion of their time standing up

Plantar fasciitis arises when the plantar fascia, the flat band of tissue connecting the toes to the heel bone, is strained, resulting in weakness, irritation and inflammation which can cause difficulty walking. The new stretch, developed by associate professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Rochester, Dr Benedict DiGiovanni, and professor of physical therapy at Ithaca College, Deborah Nawoczenski, targets the plantar fascia.

The study found that 75 per cent of patients who trialled the new stretch experienced pain relief, were able to resume full activity within three to six months and needed no further treatment. The stretch requires the patient to sit with one leg crossed over the other and to stretch the arch of the foot by taking one hand and pulling it back toward the shin for a count of ten. The developers of the new exercise say that this action should be repeated ten times in one sitting and that patients should undertake three sessions a day.

‘Plantar fasciitis is everywhere, but we really haven't had a good handle on it. The condition often causes chronic symptoms and typically takes about nine to 10 months to burn itself out, and for people experiencing this pain, that's way too long to suffer through it’ said DiGiovanni.

Source: HealthDay News,

Posted by Dean at 10:36 PM | Permalink

Even after age 60, people can significantly reduce their risk of heart disease and diabetes by adopting healthier habits, a new study from the UK shows.

"The present findings emphasise the benefits of lifestyle modification, including losing weight, increasing physical activity, stopping smoking, and avoiding a high-carbohydrate diet, in reducing the risk of the metabolic syndrome in older men," report Dr S Goya Wannamethee of the Royal Free and University College Medical School in London and colleagues.

People with the metabolic syndrome have a constellation of risk factors including high blood pressure, abdominal obesity, impaired blood glucose metabolism, and high cholesterol.

The syndrome, which is more common among older people, increases the likelihood that a person will go on to develop heart disease and diabetes.

To better understand how lifestyle changes might affect metabolic syndrome risk in older people, Wannamethee and colleagues looked at 3,051 men aged 60 to 79 participating in a long-term study of heart disease.

All were free of diabetes and heart disease, but about one in four had the metabolic syndrome.

Among the team's findings: The higher a man weighed, the greater his risk of metabolic syndrome.

Eating a high-carbohydrate diet and smoking cigarettes also increased the risk of the syndrome, but the risk for smokers who had quit at least 15 years previously was the same as it was for people who had never smoked.

The researchers also found that a low-fat, high carbohydrate diet increased metabolic syndrome risk, largely due to reductions in levels of "good" HDL cholesterol and increases in harmful triglyceride levels.

While men who reported being active throughout the study period were at the lowest risk of metabolic syndrome, with a 27 per cent lower risk than men who were sedentary, men who became active during the previous three years reduced their risk by 24 per cent.

Among those who lost weight during the past 2 to 4 years, 12.4 per cent had the metabolic syndrome, compared to 23.5 per cent of those whose weight did not change and 32.2 per cent of those who gained weight.

Even among men who were overweight or obese, those who had lost weight were at lower risk of the syndrome than those who hadn't.

The researchers conclude that lifestyle changes made later in life have "considerable potential" for preventing the metabolic syndrome.

© 2007 Reuters

Posted by Dean at 11:35 AM | Permalink

8 easy ways to keep working out on top of your to-do list.

Don’t beat yourself up for ditching that workout in the holiday crunch. You’re not alone. Even personal trainers, those models of toned muscles and firm tummies, sometimes feel the urge to slack. And after an entire day spent helping other people keep moving, who wouldn’t? So we tapped our favorite trainers for the secrets they use to keep themselves inspired. Here are their tips—in their own words. Give one a try the next time you’re tempted to abandon cardio for your couch.

1. Keep good company
“I recruit some of my co-workers to exercise with me. I’m less likely to get busy and bail if I’ve got company. Running with my dogs is helpful, too; they keep me going and make me laugh.” —Emily Mountain, coordinator for physical education and lifetime fitness, Kenyon College, Gambler, Ohio

2. Get out your date book
“I make a plan for the week, picking a specific emphasis like gaining more strength, flexibility, or endurance, or working extra hard on my upper or lower body. The constant change in focus helps me stay interested and motivated.” —Patricia Moya, certified Pilates instructor, New York

3. Commit yourself
“Goals go a long way. Signing up for an event or race helps bump up my motivation to work out, especially when I’m at the end of a long workday and happy hour is calling my name.” —Jill Pavel, personal trainer, South Plainfield, N.J.

4. Try male motivation
“I think of the hot guy I’m in love with (he goes to the gym at the same time that I do) but have yet to speak to. I can get psyched for a gym workout just thinking about watching his butt when he does squats.” —Christina Riordan, personal trainer, Chicago

5. Dress for success
“First thing in the morning, I put on my workout clothes. Even if I have a few things I need to do first, it’s more difficult to talk myself out of exercising if I’m already dressed for it.” —Dawn Kulesa, personal trainer and lifestyle coach, Tucson, Arizona

6. Take 10
“I make a deal with myself that I can stop my workout after 10 minutes if I don’t feel like continuing. But by that time my endorphins have kicked in, and I always end up finishing. Afterward, I feel great, and I try to relish that feeling and use it as motivation for my next workout.” —Machelle Lee, personal trainer, Santa Cruz, California

7. Do it for the kids
“What’s my secret? My kids. I want to make sure that I stay in shape and strong so I can still handle them when they get out of line when they’re older.” —Gunnar Peterson, personal trainer, Beverly Hills, California

8. Create a carrot
“I reward myself every Friday with an hour-long massage. Looking forward to that perk at the end of a busy week really helps to keep me focused and motivated.” —Rebecca Attanasio, personal trainer, Sarasota, Florida

9. You Only have one life - make the most of it !''
'' I use this quote with my clients and it really is effective in getting them moving and motivated '' - Dean Piazza , personal trainer Australia

by Bethany Lye
Health.com

Posted by Dean at 08:55 AM | Permalink