Archive for Health and Fitness
Supplements and Ergogenic Aids for Runners
Posted by: | CommentsWhereas a nutritional supplement such as a multivitamin can help to provide optimum nutrition to support regular running, an ergogenic aid is assumed to significantly enhance running performance, and several different ergogenic aids are used in competitive running. However, the average runner is more likely to use the following supplements to support and enhance their running:
- Sports drinks
- Sports gels
- Sports bars
- Liquid meal supplements
- Carbohydrate powders
- Multivitamin-mineral supplements
- Anti-oxidant supplements.
A supplement should supplement a healthy diet rather than support an unhealthy diet. These are the first three things to evaluate when you are running regularly:
1. Are you consuming enough carbohydrate for energy?
2. Are you consuming enough fluid to remain adequately hydrated?
3. Is your diet balanced and healthy?
Make sure you can answer ‘yes’ to these three questions before you consider supplementing your diet.
There are several ergogenic aids used in competitive running, including:
- Creatine
- Amino acids such as glutamine
- Caffeine.
The most likely ergogenic aid you are liable to experiment with is caffeine. Caffeine is found in a wide range of everyday food and drinks such as coffee, tea, energy drinks and chocolate. As well as stimulating the nervous system, it enhances energy availability by increasing levels of glucose and fatty acids in the bloodstream. Consuming more than 5 mg per kg body weight can create a glucose-sparing effect by increasing the amount of fat used for fuel, and research has shown benefits in both sprint events and endurance running.
The effect that caffeine has upon you will depend upon two things:
1. How susceptible to the effects of caffeine you are, and
2. How much you usually consume.
From a health viewpoint you should not use caffeine to enhance your performance. Although caffeine can improve alertness and performance, it has no health benefits, and has been found to increase blood pressure – not good if you do high intensity running or racing. It is also a natural diuretic, so may contribute more to dehydration than to good hydration, and some individuals experience headaches, insomnia, restlessness or abdominal upsets through caffeine intake. However, if you drink coffee (or other caffeinated drinks) regularly anyway, you may be able to use your ‘habit’ to enhance your running.
Using Caffeine as an Ergogenic Aid for Your Running
Posted by: | Comments- Reduce your daily intake of caffeine – this way you are likely to feel the ergogenic benefits when you do drink it.
- Reducing coffee consumption will also decrease urinary loss of essential minerals such as potassium, magnesium and calcium – all necessary for optimum running performance.
- Drink an extra glass of water for each cup of tea or coffee you have to counter the diuretic effect on your fluid levels.
- Ensure that you are very well hydrated prior to using any caffeinated drinks for ergogenic benefits – remember that dehydration itself can sap energy levels, reducing your performance by up to 25 per cent.
- If you want to discover whether caffeine can have a beneficial effect on your energy levels, experiment by reducing your normal caffeine consumption and then drinking either a sports drink containing caffeine or one or two cups of coffee immediately before running.
- As with all adaptations to your diet, experiment with your training runs so that you know what works well before race day – you may find that drinking immediately before a run does not suit you.
- If drinking coffee, tea or caffeinated sports drinks does not have a detrimental effect on your run, you may benefit even more if you reduce your normal caffeine intake for a couple of weeks prior to race day and then consume your usual pre-run amount just before you race.
- If you are entering a running event, check if there are any rulings on acceptable caffeine levels in the urine – although consuming caffeine is legal, as an ergogenic aid it has previously been tested at certain race events and high levels found in urine may prevent you from running.
How much caffeine do you need to have an ergogenic effect?
Amounts from 100 mg to 500 mg have been found to be effective, with no significant improvements from higher intakes. This equates to between one and five cups of coffee (more cups if you drink tea) – if you don’t normally drink coffee or tea, one cup might have a substantial effect upon your energy levels; if you regularly consume caffeinated drinks you’ll probably need to drink more to achieve an effect. Caffeine doses as low as 1.5 mg per kg body weight can produce energy spurts which will improve running performance.
Meals for When You Have More Time before Running
Posted by: | CommentsLow GI, higher GL breakfasts or snacks which take longer to digest should be eaten if you have one hour or more before your run.
- Fresh fruit smoothie with added yoghurt.
- Fresh fruit salad (apple, orange segments, berries, kiwi, banana) with added yoghurt and topped with chopped nuts or seeds.
- Porridge with mixed nuts or seeds and a chopped banana.
- Toasted bagel with poached egg.
If you have 1-2 hours before running have low GI, higher GL lunches and light meals which take slightly longer to digest.
- Sardines on toast with a large mixed salad.
- Poached eggs and baked beans on wholemeal toast.
- Lentil soup and crusty rolls.
- Baked potato with tuna mayonnaise and salad.
Finally, if you have up to three hours before a run you can try low GI, higher GL dinners or larger lunches.
- Spaghetti bolognaise (made with mince, turkey or soya).
- Chilli con carne (made with soya, turkey or mince).
- Lasagne (made with mince, turkey or soya).
- Mixed bean stew.
Obviously, digestion times differ in each individual and depending upon the amounts eaten and the way food is prepared and cooked, so try out different meals and pre-run timings and see what suits you.
Diet for Runner – The Glycaemic Index
Posted by: | CommentsThe type of carbohydrate you eat will affect your performance because different types of carbohydrate foods are digested and absorbed at different rates. This affects the amount of energy available, and is used extensively in sports nutrition. Choosing the right carbohydrate foods to fuel your run is extremely important.
All foods containing glucose have a glycaemic index (GI) score. This relates to the amount of glucose a food contains, and how quickly blood glucose levels increase, providing energy. The foods with a high GI score are those that will provide a ‘quick fix’ of energy; those with a lower score take longer to digest and will provide energy for later in the day.
If foods have been digested in time to provide energy, or if your energy stores are adequate, you will have enough energy for your run. If energy stores are low, you may need to eat ‘quick release carbohydrates’ for immediate energy.
Glycaemic load
The glycaemic load (GL) of a food relates to the effect that a normal portion of the food or drink will have on blood sugar levels, and takes into account not only what type of sugar or starch a food contains (GI), but also how much glucose it contains. It can be calculated as follows:
Glycemic index (GI) X the weight of available carbohydrate (g)/100
For example, watermelon has a reasonably high GI as most of the sugars are glucose. However, it doesn’t have a high glycaemic load as so much of it is water; a typical portion contains only 14 g of carbohydrate, in comparison to 40 g in a 250 ml bottle of Lucozade. So if you are looking for something that will give you a faster source of energy (and a reasonable amount of it), choose a food or drink with a high GI and a high GL.
Here are some useful pointers on what to look for:
- A high GI indicates energy will be released quicker
- A high GL indicates that the food contains lots of glucose energy
- A low GI indicates more starch than glucose and a slow energy release
- A low GL indicates not much glucose content to provide energy.
Using the GI and GL to your advantage
You can use the absorption time of carbohydrate (GI) in the following ways:
- To provide energy just before your run
- To provide ‘top-up’ energy during long runs
- To provide slow-release energy for a run later in the day
- To adjust meals according to when your next run is.
For example, an early morning run would benefit from a carbohydrate-rich meal (high GL) the evening before, and, if there’s time, a breakfast high in simple carbohydrates (high GI) to provide more immediate energy for the run.
If you are eating three hours or more before your run, you can choose a low-GI meal as it will be absorbed more slowly and provide a sustained energy release as you need it. Ideally, this will be a meal that is high in complex carbohydrates (high GL) to provide plenty of energy – including rice, pasta, beans or potatoes.
If you have only got an hour or so before a run, go for a higher-GI meal as this will be absorbed quicker and create available energy for your run.
Nutrition for Running
Posted by: | CommentsIf you run regularly, you need to ensure that you are taking in enough energy. For example, it’s a good idea to increase your carbohydrate intake up to 60 per cent of your calorie intake. Carbohydrates are found in foods such as bread, cereals, fruit and vegetables, potatoes, rice or pasta, and they are broken down during digestion into glucose, or stored as glycogen. We store enough carbohydrate as glycogen for approximately 90 minutes of exercise, and then we have to ‘refuel’ by eating.
Fuels used during your run
Carbohydrates are our most available fuel source, as glucose is constantly circulating in the bloodstream, making it immediately available and an obvious choice of fuel. It takes longer to access the energy in stored adipose tissue (fat), so fats contribute more energy later on in a run. Although a higher proportion of fat is used when we run at a lower intensity, more energy in total is used from both carbohydrate and fat during higher intensity runs.
‘Fat burning’ runs
A long, slow jog using approximately 600 calories may use 60 per cent of fat in the fuel mix (360 calories used from fat), but as it is low intensity exercise, less calories are used overall. A faster hour run using 1,100 calories may use less (40 per cent) fat in the fuel mix, but more calories are used overall. 40 per cent of 1,100 calories is 440 calories used from fat. So, although a higher proportion of fat is used for fuel in lower intensity runs, more calories are used (overall and from fat) from a more difficult run. This does not mean that a long, steady jog is without its merits, but it may not be the most effective workout after all for ‘fat burning’!
Fat and Vitamins on the Run
Posted by: | CommentsFat is a concentrated energy source and oily foods such as fish provide several essential nutrients, but even though fat is a key fuel source during longer runs, it should provide no more than 25-30 per cent of your total calorie intake. Fat is used more during endurance events or runs of approximately one hour or more in duration – the longer the run, the more fat will be used for energy. However, fats can only be completely broken down with sufficient carbohydrate present. When glycogen (carbohydrate) stores are exhausted, fatigue is quickly felt, often known as ‘hitting the wall’, and exercise beyond this point is unlikely.
Vitamins and minerals
Adequate intake of the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) is essential for good health and good running. For example, nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium are essential for cardiovascular exercise, muscular contraction and fluid regulation, and several vitamins are required to convert food into energy.
A simple way to provide your body with the vitamins and minerals required is to base your diet on wholesome, unprocessed foods. Eating a junk food diet is like expecting your car to run on cheap petrol – here are some examples of the choices you could make for healthier nutrition and better quality running.
- Choose jacket potatoes instead of chips
- Choose a salmon steak instead of cod in batter
- Choose fresh, lean meat over beef burgers
- Choose wholemeal bread over white bread
- Choose fruit or unsweetened oat-nut bars over sweets and chocolate.
Future Female Urinary Incontinence Treatments
Posted by: | CommentsWhat kinds of treatments for urinary incontinence and its associated problems are on the horizon? Does it look as though some miraculous therapies will soon be available? Of course, it is everyone’s dream that miracle cures will be discovered for all disorders, but it is more realistic to expect that new, improved therapies will soon be available and they will make treatment easier and more effective. Drug companies are always working on new medications, but the process of development and approval is quite expensive and can sometimes take many years. Here are some of the new therapies that may be available in the near future:
- Medications such as newer anticholinergic agents that are more selective (effective) and specific (with fewer side effects) than the ones now on the market. These new drugs will be able to focus better on their urinary targets and be more effective in doing their jobs in helping to treat urinary incontinence, while avoiding unpleasant side effects.
- The use of medications or drugs applied direcdy into your bladder that decrease sensory input (such as capsaicin) could be very useful in the treatment of urge incontinence.
- A better, more stable and suitable tissue substitute for use in bladder augmentation surgery or sling surgery may be developed through biotechnology and tissue-engineering techniques.
- Gene therapy or the possibility of directly inserting tiny amounts of DNA and other genetic material into individual cells in damaged urinary organs may repair them and allow them to function better.
In the mean time, you should remember that there are many effective ways to treat urinary incontinence today. If you have a problem, even a little one, it’s really time to see your doctor and take care of it. Join the millions of women who have found help. It’s there, waiting for you, right now. Go to it!
Urinary Incontinence – Tips on Waiting for Treatment Results
Posted by: | CommentsThere is no hard and fast rule about how long it should take for you to see positive results from any given treatment. There are simply too many variables. Results can depend on:
- The type of incontinence
- The severity of your condition
- How long you have been incontinent
- Your age and physical condition
- The underlying causes and their treatment
- Other medical conditions you may have
- How well you follow your doctor’s directions
- Support from your family, friends, and co-workers
- Your patience
Patience
It may sometimes take you a while to find the right doctor, get a proper diagnosis, and treat all the underlying causes of your urinary leakage, but if you are patient, improvements will eventually begin to occur.
Once you have started treatment, you will probably want to ask your doctor how long you will have to wait for results, what all your options are, and if some other treatment will work in case your recommended therapy doesn’t have the results you are looking for.
You will also want information about everything you can do on your own to improve your condition. Chances are, you will follow up and do whatever it takes. More than anything, you want to regain control over your bladder and will do whatever is necessary to achieve that result.
Patience is extremely important. Diagnosing and treating incontinence can be a very complex and time-consuming task and it is really important for both you and your physician to persist until you experience some positive results.
Maybe you are not a patient sort of person. Perhaps, even if your condition is severe, you expect to cure it immediately. If that is the case and surgery is an option for you, you may decide to have surgery – not because it is the treatment of last resort, but because it is the treatment most likely to cure you quickly.
On the other hand, you may be a different type of woman, one who wants to avoid surgery at all costs. If that is the case, you may be willing to spend weeks and months doing .pelvic floor exercises, going for biofeedback treatments, and taking medication in order to avoid a surgical operation.
If you are fortunate, you may see good results in a few days or a few weeks. Otherwise, you may need a much longer time before your condition begins to improve.
Whatever happens, the important thing is never give up! Set your mind and your heart on conquering this problem and find a way to persist despite any difficulties you may have to face along the way. If you refuse to give up, remain patient, and keep working at finding a solution, you will eventually succeed.
Urinary Incontinence Advice – Coping With The Emotional Issues
Posted by: | CommentsIt is very important not to neglect all the things you can do on your own to improve your health. Sometimes you can prevent incontinence from ever developing in the first place. At other times, you can dramatically improve your condition and occasionally, even cure yourself. You just have to know how. That’s where self-help enters the picture. You really can take charge of your problem and learn to control or sometimes overcome it. The first step of your self-help program is usually a consultation with a doctor who is familiar with incontinence. It is an added benefit if the physician you choose is also familiar with self-help techniques and supports your using them.
These techniques are beneficial because they are:
- Non-invasive
- Inexpensive
- Without side effects
- Low or no risk
- Easily combined with other therapies
- Available to everyone
- Emotionally beneficial (since they actively involve you in your treatment)
- Indicative of your progress.
When you know that you are actively participating in health care and making a positive contribution to getting better, both your physical and emotional outlooks will change for the better.
Skin Care Products for Urinary Incontinence
Posted by: | CommentsOne side effect of urinary leakage can be problem skin. It is not always possible to clean leaking urine off your skin immediately and soaps can also be very drying. In order to prevent dryness, rashes, and odor, you can use specially formulated cleansers, creams, moisturizers, barrier ointments, skin protectants, and powders that have been designed for problems associated with urinary leakage. There is a wide variety of these types of products, made by many different companies. Be aware that these products are meant not only to deal with skin problems once they develop, but are also for preventive use to protect your skin from any damage that leaking urine may cause.
Deodorizing Products
Sometimes, the urinary leakage odors are made worse because the leaking urine is very concentrated. That can happen when you restrict your fluid intake, trying not to drink too much. There are a number of products to deal with this problem, including deodorizing sprays and wipes, deodorizing drops for neutralizing or masking offensive odors, and tablets that are swallowed and often contain chlorophyllin copper complex to control odors.