Excellent review looking at brain atrophy and exercise

Neuroscientist. 2012 Feb;18(1):82-97. Epub 2011 Apr 29.

The aging hippocampus: interactions between exercise, depression, and BDNF.

Erickson KI, Miller DL, Roecklein KA.

Source

Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. kiericks@pitt.edu

"In summary, we conclude from this review that there is mounting evidence that BDNF protein expression
plays an important role in age-related hippocampal atrophy and that geriatric depression magnifies hippocampal atrophy and risk for AD through BDNF pathways while exercise enhances hippocampal morphology and physiology by elevating the production of BDNF. Future research is needed to determine the extent to which BDNF mediates hippocampal atrophy and memory impairment or is a biomarker for other cellular and molecular changes."

5k Nov. 17th

Rock Springs Turkey Trot (5K) and Kids Gobble Jog

Rock Springs 4-H Center
1168 K-157 Highway

Saturday, November 17, 2012 @ 1:00 PM

http://www.rocksprings.net

Carbohydrate drinks and endurance performance

Study supports what I have been recommending for years, during endurance events like 10km or longer hydrate using a drink containing 4-7% carbohydrate for maximum performance and the least amount of digestive distress.In the study below, the carbohydrate was supplied in grams of CHO per liter of fluid per hour. 70 grams/liter is equivalent to 7% CHO in the drink.

Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2012 Oct 2. [Epub ahead of print]

Curvilinear Dose-Response Relationship of Carbohydrate (0-120 g•h-1) and Performance.

Smith JW, Pascoe DD, Passe DH, Ruby BC, Stewart LK, Baker LB, Zachwieja JJ.

Source

1Gatorade Sports Science Institute, Barrington, IL 2Department of Kinesiology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 3Scout Consulting, Hebron, IL 4Department of Health and Human Performance, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 5Department of Kinesiology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 6Dairy Research Institute, Rosemont, IL.

Abstract

ABSTRACT: There is a lack of consensus regarding the optimal range of carbohydrate (CHO) ingestion rates recommended for endurance athletes. Purpose: This study investigated the relationship between CHO dose and cycling time-trial performance to identify an optimal range of CHO ingestion rates for endurance performance. Methods: Fifty-one cyclists and triathletes (28 ± 7 yr, mean ± SD) across four research sites completed four trials. Each trial consisted of a 2-h constant load ride at 95% of the workload that elicited a 4-mM blood lactate concentration immediately followed by a computer-simulated 20-km time-trial, which subjects were asked to complete as quickly as possible. Twelve CHO electrolyte (18 mmol•L Na, 3 mmol•L K, and 11 mmol•L Cl) beverages (three at each site) were tested in a double-blind manner, providing subjects 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, and 120 g CHO (1:1:1 glucose-fructose-maltodextrin)•h during the 2-h constant load ride at a fluid intake rate of 1 L•h. All subjects also consumed a non-caloric placebo on one counterbalanced test occasion. Data were natural log transformed, subjected to a mixed model analysis, and are reported as adjusted treatment means. Results: We estimate incremental performance improvements of 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, and 4.7% at 9, 19, 31, 48 and 78 g•h respectively with diminishing performance enhancement seen at CHO levels greater than 78 g•h. Conclusion: CHO beverage ingestion and endurance (~160 min) performance appear to be related in a curvilinear dose-response manner, with the best performance occurring with a CHO (1:1:1 glucose-fructose-maltodextrin) ingestion rate of 78 g•h.

PMID:

22968309

[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Running does reduce stress

Effects of Emotional Exposure on State Anxiety after Acute Exercise

Smith, J. Carson

 

Abstract

Purpose: Despite the well-known anxiolytic effect of acute exercise, it is unknown if anxiety reductions after acute exercise conditions survive in the face of a subsequently experienced arousing emotional exposure. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of moderate intensity cycle ergometer exercise to a seated rest control condition on state anxiety symptoms after exposure to a variety of highly arousing pleasant and unpleasant stimuli.

Method: Thirty-seven healthy and normally physically active young adults completed two conditions on separate days: 1) 30-minutes of seated rest, and; 2) 30-minutes of moderate intensity cycle ergometer exercise (RPE = 13; 'somewhat hard'). After each condition, participants viewed 90 arousing pleasant and unpleasant and neutral pictures from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) for 30 minutes. State anxiety was measured before and 15 minutes after each condition, and again after exposure to the affective pictures.

Results: State anxiety significantly decreased from baseline to after the exercise and seated rest conditions (p = .003). After the emotional picture viewing period, state anxiety significantly increased to baseline values after the seated rest condition (p = .001) but remained reduced after the exercise condition.

Conclusion: These findings suggest the anxiolytic effects of acute exercise may be resistant to the potentially detrimental effects on mood after exposure to arousing emotional stimuli.

(C)2012The American College of Sports Medicine

 

Donut Dash Sunday, September 16, 2012 at 1 pm

San Jose State University looking for female marathoners to participate in a sport nutrition study

Are you a female currently training for a marathon?

Have you ever wondered if you’re eating to optimize your running performance? 

Participate in a sports nutrition study and find out!

We are conducting a graduate research study in sports nutrition and are looking for females at least 18 years of age that have completed at least one previous marathon.
What we want you to do:

• Email us at womenwhorace26.2@gmail.com and let us know that you would like to participate in our study!
• We will email you an eligibility determination form which you will complete and return.
• Eligible participants will be emailed a participation packet that includes:
  • A study consent form
  • Three surveys which will take about 1 hour to complete.
  • Datasheets to maintain a 7-day diet and training log, which will take a total of about 3.5 hours to complete.

What you get out of it:

• In return for your participation you will receive a dietary intake analysis and a personalized nutrient needs assessment that is created to support your athletic performance.
• You get to feel good knowing that you are contributing to science.
• All submitted information will remain confidential.

Ruby Slipper Run 10km/2mile

Ruby Slipper Run 10 km and 2 mile run
Saturday, September 29, 2012
10km 7:00am
2 mile 7:15 am
start at 6th & Lincoln, Wamego, KS

2012Ruby Slipper Run.pdf

KC Marathon, 1/2, 5km, and kids relay

WADDELL & REED KANSAS CITY MARATHON WITH IVY FUNDS
RUN ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COURSES IN THE MIDWEST5K, HALF Marathon, FULL marathon, and  RELAY KIDS
October 20, 2012

For more information go to: http://www.waddellandreedkansascitymarathon.org/

Advances in sports nutrition, exercise and medicine

 A nice collection of recent articles.

  http://www.biomedcentral.com/series/asnem

Coconut water or a sports drink?

 Looks like coconut water and carbo/electrolyte sport drinks didn't reveal a difference with respect to hydration and exercise performance.
Comparison of coconut water and a carbohydrate-electrolyte sport drink on measures of hydration and physical performance in exercise-trained men

Douglas S Kalman, Samantha Feldman, Diane R Krieger, Richard J Bloomer Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2012, 9:1 (18 January 2012)

Abstract
Background: Sport drinks are ubiquitous within the recreational and competitive fitness and sporting world. Most are manufactured and artificially flavored carbohydrate-electrolyte beverages. Recently, attention has been given to coconut water, a natural alternative to manufactured sport drinks, with initial evidence indicating efficacy with regard to maintaining hydration. We compared coconut water and a carbohydrate-electrolyte sport drink on measures of hydration and physical performance in exercise-trained men.
Methods: Following a 60-minute bout of dehydrating treadmill exercise, 12 exercise-trained men (26.6 ± 5.7 yrs) received bottled water (BW), pure coconut water (VitaCoco®: CW), coconut water from concentrate (CWC), or a carbohydrate-electrolyte sport drink (SD) [a fluid amount based on body mass loss during the dehydrating exercise] on four occasions (separated by at least 5 days) in a random order, single blind (subject and not investigators), cross-over design. Hydration status (body mass, fluid retention, plasma osmolality, urine specific gravity) and performance (treadmill time to exhaustion; assessed after rehydration) were determined during the recovery period. Subjective measures of thirst, bloatedness, refreshed, stomach upset, and tiredness were also determined using a 5-point visual analog scale.
Results: Subjects lost approximately 1.7 kg (~2% of body mass) during the dehydrating exercise and regained this amount in a relatively similar manner following consumption of all conditions. No differences were noted between coconut water (CW or CWC) and SD for any measures of fluid retention (p > 0.05). Regarding exercise performance, no significant difference (p > 0.05) was noted between BW (11.9 ± 5.9 min), CW (12.3 ± 5.8 min), CWC (11.9 ± 6.0 min), and SD (12.8 ± 4.9 min). In general, subjects reported feeling more bloated and experienced greater stomach upset with the CW and CWC conditions.
Conclusion: All tested beverages are capable of promoting rehydration and supporting subsequent exercise. Little difference is noted between the four tested conditions with regard to markers of hydration or exercise
performance in a sample of young, healthy men. Additional study inclusive of a more demanding dehydration
protocol, as well as a time trial test as the measure of exercise performance, may more specifically determine the efficacy of these beverages on enhancing hydration and performance following dehydrating exercise.
Keywords: Hydration, Coconut Water, Sport Drink, Exercise

July 2012

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Subscribers get a head start on our Hot Summer Sale

It's like starting in the Elite corral... To thank you for subscribing to our emails, we wanted to give you a head start on the competition.   We just finished marking down our closeouts for our Hot Summer Sale. Shop now and save up to 35% on closeout gear, including: Select styles and colors from our Spring 2012 apparel collection Older models of our most popular shoes, including the Adrenaline GTS 11, Ravenna 2, Trance 10, and more We'll even sweeten the deal by giving you free standard shipping on any order through July 16, 2012. Just enter the code HEADSTART at checkout. Sizes and colors are limited, and when they're gone, they're gone -- so get a move on. Shop the Women's Sale Shop the Men's Sale

Coinciding exercise with peak serum caffeine does not improve cycling performance.

Skinner TL, Jenkins DG, Taaffe DR, Leveritt MD, Coombes JS.

Source

The University of Queensland, School of Human Movement Studies, Australia.

 J Sci Med Sport. 2012 May 31. [Epub ahead of print]

Bottom line, to boost your performance by as much as 2%, drink your coffee (caffeine) one hour prior to your endurance event.

Sports and Energy Drinks Responsible for Irreversible Damage to Teeth Though energy drinks found twice as likely to destroy enamel than sports drinks Featured in For the Media - News Releases, May 2012 Posted on Tuesday, May 01, 2012

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CHICAGO (May 1, 2012)—A recent study published in the May/June 2012 issue of General Dentistry, the peer-reviewed clinical journal of the Academy of General Dentistry, found that an alarming increase in the consumption of sports and energy drinks, especially among adolescents, is causing irreversible damage to teeth—specifically, the high acidity levels in the drinks erode tooth enamel, the glossy outer layer of the tooth.   “Young adults consume these drinks assuming that they will improve their sports performance and energy levels and that they are ‘better’ for them than soda,” says Poonam Jain, BDS, MS, MPH, lead author of the study. “Most of these patients are shocked to learn that these drinks are essentially bathing their teeth with acid.”   Researchers examined the acidity levels in 13 sports drinks and nine energy drinks. They found that the acidity levels can vary between brands of beverages and flavors of the same brand. To test the effect of the acidity levels, the researchers immersed samples of human tooth enamel in each beverage for 15 minutes, followed by immersion in artificial saliva for two hours. This cycle was repeated four times a day for five days, and the samples were stored in fresh artificial saliva at all other times.   “This type of testing simulates the same exposure that a large proportion of American teens and young adults are subjecting their teeth to on a regular basis when they drink one of these beverages every few hours,” says Dr. Jain.   The researchers found that damage to enamel was evident after only five days of exposure to sports or energy drinks, although energy drinks showed a significantly greater potential to damage teeth than sports drinks. In fact, the authors found that energy drinks caused twice as much damage to teeth as sports drinks.   With a reported 30 to 50 percent of U.S. teens consuming energy drinks, and as many as 62 percent consuming at least one sports drink per day, it is important to educate parents and young adults about the downside of these drinks. Damage caused to tooth enamel is irreversible, and without the protection of enamel, teeth become overly sensitive, prone to cavities, and more likely to decay.   “Teens regularly come into my office with these types of symptoms, but they don’t know why,” says AGD spokesperson Jennifer Bone, DDS, MAGD. “We review their diet and snacking habits and then we discuss their consumption of these beverages. They don’t realize that something as seemingly harmless as a sports or energy drink can do a lot of damage to their teeth.”   Dr. Bone recommends that her patients minimize their intake of sports and energy drinks. She also advises them to chew sugar-free gum or rinse the mouth with water following consumption of the drinks. “Both tactics increase saliva flow, which naturally helps to return the acidity levels in the mouth to normal,” she says.   Also, patients should wait at least an hour to brush their teeth after consuming sports and energy drinks. Otherwise, says Dr. Bone, they will be spreading acid onto the tooth surfaces, increasing the erosive action.

Once again , new study supports what I have always advocated an active warmup like drills or running ~5 minutes at 60% effort prior to a workout or run. If you stretch, try after your run.

 Journal of Athletic Training 2012:47(1):5-14
© by the National Athletic Trainers' Association, Inc
www.nata.orgljat
original researCh.
Acute Lower Extremity Running Kinematics
After a Hamstring Stretch
Autumn L. Davis Hammonds, MS, ATC*; Kevin G. Laudner, PhD, ATCt;
Steve McCaw, PhDt; Todd A. McLoda, PhD, ATCt
*Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN; tillinois State University, Normal
Context: Limited passive hamstring flexibility might affect
kinematics, performance, and injury risk during running. Preactivity
static straight-leg raise stretching often is used to gain
passive hamstring flexibility.
Objective: To investigate the acute effects of a single session
of passive hamstring stretching on pelvic, hip, and knee
kinematics during the swing phase of running.
Design: Randomized controlled clinical trial.
Setting: Biomechanics research laboratory.
Patients or Other Participants: Thirty-four male (age =
21.2 ± 1.4 years) and female (age = 21.3 ± 2.0 years) recreational
athletes.
Intervention(s): Participants performed treadmill running
pretests and posttests at 70% of their age-predicted maximum
heart rate. Pelvis, hip, and knee joint angles during the swing
phase of 5 consecutive gait cycles were collected using a motion
analysis system. Right and left hamstrings of the intervention
group participants were passively stretched 3 times for 30
seconds in random order immediately after the pretest. Control
group participants performed no stretching or movement between
running sessions.
Main Outcome Measure(s): Six 2-way analyses of variance
to determine joint angle differences between groups at maximum
hip flexion and maximum knee extension with an a level
of .008.
Results: Flexibility increased between pretest and posttest
in all participants (F1,30 = 80.61, P< .001). Anterior pelvic tilt
(F1,30=0.73, P=.40), hip flexion (F1,30=2.44, P=.13), and knee
extension (F1,30=0.06, P=.80) at maximum hip flexion were
similar between groups throughout testing. Anterior pelvic tilt
(F1,30=0.69, P=.41), hip flexion (F1,30=0.23, P=.64), and knee
extension (F1,30 =3.38, P= .62) at maximum knee extension were
similar between groups throughout testing. Men demonstrated
greater anterior pelvic tilt than women at maximum knee extension
(F1,30=13.62, P=.001).
Conclusions: A single session of 3 straight-leg raise hamstring
stretches did not change pelvis, hip, or knee running kinematics.
Key Words: straight-leg raises, flexibility

should you cut out stretching before running?

Does pre-exercise static stretching inhibit maximal muscular performance? New study indicates yes. I have always advocated an active warmup like drills or running ~5 minutes at 60% effort prior to a workout or run. If you stretch, try after your run.

Scand J Med Sci Sports 2012:

Review
Does pre-exercise static stretching inhibit maximal muscular performance? A meta-analytical review L. Simic1, N. Sarabon2, G. Markovic1 1Motor Control and Human Performance Laboratory, School of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia, 2Institute for Kinesiology Research, University of Primorska, Science and Research Center, Koper, Slovenia Corresponding author: Goran Markovic, Motor Control and Human Performance Laboratory, School of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Horvacanski zavoj 15, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. Tel: +385 1 3658 606,
Fax: +385 1 3634 146, E-mail: gmarkov@kif.hr Accepted for publication 3 January 2012 We applied a meta-analytical approach to derive a robust estimate of the acute effects of pre-exercise static stretching
(SS) on strength, power, and explosive muscular performance.
A computerized search of articles published between 1966 and December 2010 was performed using PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science databases. A total of 104 studies yielding 61 data points for strength, 12 data points for power, and 57 data points for explosive performance met our inclusion criteria. The pooled estimate of the acute effects of SS on strength, power, and explosive performance, expressed in standardized units as well as in percentages, were -0.10 [95% confidence interval
(CI): -0.15 to -0.04], -0.04 (95% CI: -0.16 to 0.08), and -0.03 (95% CI: -0.07 to 0.01), or -5.4% (95% CI:
-6.6% to -4.2%), -1.9% (95% CI: -4.0% to 0.2%), and -2.0% (95% CI: -2.8% to -1.3%). These effects were not related to subject’s age, gender, or fitness level; however, they were more pronounced in isometric vs dynamic tests, and were related to the total duration of stretch, with the smallest negative acute effects being observed with stretch duration of _45 s. We conclude that the usage of SS as the sole activity during warm-up routine should generally be avoided.

Mercy Wild Run

Mercy Wild run will be held May 5, 2012.

Mercy invites you to be a part of the Mercy Wild Run - Saturday, May 5, 2012!

ABOUT THE EVENT:
The event offers 3 races -
5K Run
10K Run
Kid's Fun Run (children ages 4-10)

RACE DAY SCHEDULE:
6:30 - 7:30 a.m. Registration/Packet Pick-Up at Sunset Zoo Main Entrance
7:45 a.m. 5K/10K Participants at Start for pre-race instructions
8:00 a.m. 5K/10K Runs Begin
8:45 a.m. Face Painting for Kids
9:10 a.m. Kid's Fun Run Begins
9:30 a.m. Awards Ceremony

REGISTRATION:
To register prior to the day of the race, return the 2012 Wild Run Entry Form (PDF) by mail to:
Mercy West Rehab
Attn: Amber Befort
315 Seth Child Road
Manhattan, KS 66502

RACE PACKET PICK-UP:
Packets can be picked up from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, May 4 at Mercy West Rehab - 315 Seth Child Road. Packets will be available for pick-up the morning of the race also.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Registration for RoyalTracs5K begins at 7:30 AM, Race/Walk Begins at 8:30 AM.

Location: Northeast Community Park/Linear Trail, 680 Knox Lane, Manhattan, Kansas. This is an two loop course around the park. This is a Mixed Trail

- NO SPIKES.

For more information go to http://www.royaltracs5k.com/