Saturday, March 23, 2013  -5th Annual Run Injury-Free Seminar

New Brighton Community Center,  10th Street NW, New Brighton, MN 55112

Join fellow athletes and keynote speakers Scott Christensen and Donna Marlor for a running seminar on March 23, 2013.
Learn first-hand from sports medicine physicians, physical therapists, and athletic trainers on how to run injury-free.

It’s almost the holiday season. Cookies, sweet treats and alcohol are more plentiful than snowflakes.  How much can an endurance athlete “afford” to enjoy?  Recent studies have absolved high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) from being any worse than sucrose, a.k.a “table sugar”.  But there is no question that too much of the sweet stuff – whether it is from HFCS or sucrose, or alcohol – can result in excess belly fat and a host of health problems.   Athletes with a large waistline and “apple” body shape may experience decreased insulin sensitivity, which means less access to energy when you really need it.  If you fit into this body type, no matter how many hours of training in your log, a high carbohydrate diet may not be the right fuel mix.   When excess belly fat appears, activation of adipokines, upsets normal carbohydrate metabolism and may make a high carbo diet the wrong choice even if you are training hard.  Rather than cutting healthy carbs (which all turn into glucose eventually), it’s smarter to focus on added sugars.  Fructose found naturally in whole fruit, vegetables, and dairy is quite low.  However, semi-prepared foods, fruit juice, restaurant foods and snacks can exponentially add sugar to your diet and you may not even realize it. For example, although Subway restaurants offer low fat, low sugar choices such as fresh vegetables, low fat meat, and 9-grain buns, the unsavvy consumer can put together a high sugar combination.  A 6-inch chicken teriyaki sub paired with a small fruizzle express totals up to 50 grams of sugar.  Like many condiments, sweet and sour teriyaki sauce is loaded with sugar, and the healthy sounding Fruizzle fruit drink is about three times as much sugar as a single piece of fresh fruit.  When it comes to holiday treats, be choosy.  Follow the one-a-day rule, and head for a shrimp cocktail or the smoked salmon instead.

SAMPLE LOW SUGAR MENU

Total Calories: 2400   Total Carbohydrate: 276 g, sugar 73 g, Protein 131 g, Sodium 2858 mg

Breakfast

Oatmeal instant, regular, Quaker 2 packets

English walnuts, 1 Tbsp

1 small navel orange

1 slice whole wheat bread (1 oz)

½ tsp Take Control margarine

Snack:

Fresh apple, 1 small

Lunch

Turkey & ham Subway SW, No oil

Apple, 1 small

Low calorie beverage

Snack

Rye Krisp crackers,3 each

1 oz (1 ind wrap stick) mozzarella cheese

Dinner

Chicken breast, 6 oz grilled or roasted, no skin

Large baked potato

1 Tbsp Take Control margarine

1 cup green beans

2 cups mixed green salad with 2 Tbsp Italian dressing

Snack

Apple, 1 small

SAMPLE HIGH SUGAR MENU

1 large banana nut low fat muffin (Dunkin Donuts)

1 Starbucks Frapuccinno coffee

8 oz Orange juice

Lunch

Chicken Caesar wrap (Chix-A-Fil)
Snack

16 oz Gatorade

Dinner

2 pcs. Lasagna dinner

1 slc Italian bread

1 cup mixed salad greens

1 T Italian dressing

Snack:

2 Muskateer;’s bar

1 package original flavor Sun Chips

1 Nutrigrain bar

Total Calories: 2753  Fat 83 , Carb 409 g, Sugar 205 g Sodium 4800 mg

Prep: 5 minutes   Cook 1 hour.        Makes 4 large servings          High protein – Gluten free – High Omega-3 fats

Wild salmon, eggs, and oatmeal make this a nutrient rich main dish, salad protein choice, or sandwich filling.   Let’s take a closer look at some of the ingredients and how they can help performance:  Egg yolk is a rich source of choline, which is found in acetylcholine, a key messenger between nerve and muscle cells during exercise. The yolk is also a rich source of lutein and vitamin E, important nutrients for eye and heart health.  Oatmeal    is a natural whole grain,  which lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease.  Wild salmon contains astaxanthin, a potent antioxidant, as well as healthy omega-3 fats which reduce inflammation.  

 Ingredients:

2 cups cooked, or canned salmon, flaked (1-14 oz can)  

½ cup uncooked, dry oatmeal   

2 eggs,  beaten             

1 medium onion, finely chopped  

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley         

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice               

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce   

½ tsp salt              

¾ cup 1% milk                                                                                                          

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray loaf pan with food oil or dot with butter. Gently but thoroughly blend all ingredients.  Place in a loaf pan or casserole, uncovered.  Optional:  lemon pepper blend, season to taste

Nutrition per serving:  Calories 275, Fat 13.3 g, Carbohydrate 14 g, Protein 26 g, Sodium 958 mg

I was asked to review the latest update from Chris Carmichael and found the Time-Crunched Cyclist: Fit, Fast, Powerful in 6 Hours a Week to be everything the title promised.  Chris’s tips can help any endurance athlete who is super timed crunched to hang with the competition who have more time to train.  His book includes programs for road racing, cyclocross, mountain bike events, Gran Fondos, century rides, and multi-day tours-all in under 6 hours a week. The book is now available in bookstores, bike shops, and online.  Preview The Time-Crunched Cyclist at www.velopress.com/crunch.

Through his popular endurance coaching service, Carmichael noticed that many busy cyclists are unable to make performance gains using conventional training methods; they simply don’t have enough time to train. Carmichael Training Systems developed a new approach-the Time-Crunched Training Program-to help cyclists achieve competitive fitness and power without the impossible time demands of traditional training methods.

The Time-Crunched Cyclist shows cyclists how to build fitness on a realistic schedule by tapping the power of high-intensity interval workouts. Cyclists learn the science behind this alternative approach to training before performing the CTS field tests to get a baseline reading of their fitness.

8 comprehensive training plans include effective time-crunched workouts, nutrition guidelines, and strength training to develop the speed and endurance for a wide variety of cycling races and events. New programs for this second edition bring cyclists up to speed for cyclocross racing, mountain bike endurance rides, and show bicycle commuters how to turn their twice-a-day rides into effective time-crunched workouts.

Cycling is more fun when you are fit, and now great fitness is achievable for cyclists who thought their best performances disappeared with their free time.

Dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, muscle cramps and heat stroke are four good reasons why every athlete should understand the basics of fluid physiology.   Quite simply, what you don’t know can be deadly.  Let’s take a look some facts and myths about balancing fluids and minerals correctly and racing “responsibly” for the conditions.

Fluid Balance Basics

Q: I have heard that drinking as much water as possible the day before a race is a good way to make sure your body is fully hydrated for racing.  Is this true? Read More

          Kimchi, miso, tempeh, kefir, sauerkraut.  Sauerkraut? Let’s be honest, if you’re from the Midwest, there isn’t a big chance that the post-marathon race food will stray much from beer, brauts, and maybe more beer. 

Before we throw out our favorite traditional fat-laden, high sodium favorites, let’s take a closer look at why our grandparents managed to live into their 90’s.  Well, at least, mine did, and they didn’t worry too much about eating summer sausage or hotdogs.  But they did  have a root cellar stocked with home canning.  Fermented foods such as pickles, beets, green beans, sauerkraut and corn were an essential part of their every day menu. 

A lot of today’s athletes might not realize that home canning is chock full of healthy probiotic bacteria.   Fermented foods provide gut-friendly bacteria that the gastrointestinal (GI tract) needs to balance the not-so-healthy bacteria.

Next time you finish a race and the food tent offers brauts or hotdogs, demand that natural sauerkraut be served – not the commercially pasteurized or homogenized as these processes will destroy the health promoting microorganisms.

If you are not into home canning, try products available from local farmer cooperatives, such as Hawthorne Valley Farms, or just make some in your own kitchen.

I don’t know very many master’s level athletes who don’t carry an extra 5-10 pounds more than they did during their 20′s.  It isn’t so much a cosmetic issue, or health issue.  But when it comes to performance and injury potential, the difference is like carrying a stone in your shoe for an entire marathon. 

It is possible to train for speed, or through an injury with a LightSpeed Body Weight Support System Jordans_LightSpeed_Brochure_2 .  No need to get into a funk, and become a pizza and beer couch potato.   Designed by an experienced physical therapist, it is the answer to keeping your training on track.

Hey, we all have a VO2 max limit, and sometimes even the most dedicated training plan doesn’t seem to improve it.  If you’ve been stuck just behind your best buddy in the pack, then it’s time to think about making a change.

Most athletes, tend to follow a sort of vague “drink/eat when I feel the need” plan during a race.  Recent research  conducted with trained cyclists proved that a scientifically planned nutrition strategy can improve a 40 km time trial ride by as much as 8 minutes when compared with a loosely planned, self-chosen nutrition strategy. Researchers took eighteen endurance-trained cyclists (16 male; 2 female) 
and tested them at intervals of 2 weeks, once following a self-selected nutrition plan, and once following a science based nutrition plan.  The science-based plan consisted of about 1000 mL·h(-1) fluid, in portions of just over a cup, every 15 min.  The hydration drink contained 500 mg sodium/liter, 60 g glucose/hour, 30 g fructose/hour, and 5 mg caffeine/kg body weight.  The test protocol involved a 2.5-h endurance exercise on a bicycle ergometer at 70% maximal oxygen uptake, followed by a 5 minutes of rest. Then  a time trial of 64.37 km (40 miles) was completed. The amount of  sport drink taken in was recorded every 15 minutes. When using the scientifically designed nutrition plan, the athletes completed the time trial faster (128 vs. 136 min; p ≤ 0.001) and with a significantly higher power output (212 vs. 184 W; p ≤ 0.001). The intake of fluid, energy (carbohydrate-, mono-, and disaccharide), and sodium was significantly higher in the pre-determined plan compared with self-selected nutrition support during the endurance exercise.  Moral of the story?  If you want to win, fuel with science and get results.

Losing weight can be the easiest way to improve race performance.  No athlete wants to drop  pounds at the expense of losing muscle, however,  which is the case when drastic calorie cuts are made.  But when calories are reduced by only 10% or so, weight loss progress feels like the last 2 minutes of a marathon.  Painful, and you just don’t seem to get to the finish line.

The fastest way to cut body fat still means capping calories at a slight deficit, but new research shows the focus needs to be on where they come from.  First, no question a higher protein diet of 30% of calories, vs the usual 15% is necessary.  Nix the beef and chicken, and instead, eat fish 5x per week in 3-oz portions to see a weight loss over an 8-week period by about 4 pounds more.  Fat loss can be increased by consuming  low fat dairy products as part of the daily protein intake.  Lastly, given the same calorie level, the consumption of whole grains in place of processed grain will give you the edge once again on reducing fat, instead of losing muscle.

So make it a grilled fish sandwich on a whole grain bun with low fat yogurt for dessert.  Fast lunch, and faster performance with super taste.

Barely time to text much less plan a 7-day carboload?  Your body does not tweet or text, but it is capable of loading up energy stores of glycogen in just 24 hours.  But, you have to do it by Mother Nature’s carbo-loading rules.  Here goes:

For a 24-hour glycogen load, start with a short, 15-20 minute, near maximum intensity workout,  designed to deplete glycogen stores.  This can be done 1-3 days prior to the race. High intensity is essential, otherwise go for the traditional longer workout to deplete stores, and follow with a traditional carbo-load regimen.  For the 24-hour, high GI approach simply use a “this for that” game plan- i.e., swapping whole grain, high fiber carbs for high GI carbs.  Avoid breakfast cereals based on oats, barley and bran. Sub cornflakes, rice chex, corn chex, puffed rice cereal. Use breads without whole grains, stone-ground flour, or sourdough.  White bread, rice crackers, or white bagels must be on the 24-hour load menu.  Consume potatoes without added butter or margarine, and no french fries. Enjoy canned fruit in heavy syrup  and cooked vegetables.  Avoid whole grains such as quinoa, wild rice, or pasta cooked al a dente.   Pasta cooked until very soft has a higher glycemic index. Drink high GI sport drinks such as Pure Sport Recovery or fruit drinks instead of 100% juice. Use high GI snacks between meals: Clif Bar Bloks, Jelly beans, hard candy, top toast with jelly or jam, snack on Clif bar Cookies ‘n Crème, or Powerbars.  REST after loading essential to maintain stores!  Just go to work and sit at your computer, or drive to your favorite race.  Naturally, you want to stay limber, so easy walking and stretching is A-OK.