What’s your experience with interval training?

Image source

I am not sure about you, but when I hit the 1-minute mark in the plank, my core is barking at me to stop.

And for those of you not familiar with the plank exercise, it works the abdominal, back and shoulder muscle groups and is good overall indicator of core strength.

This man, George Hood, recently set a world record plank time of 1 hour, 20 minutes and 5.01 seconds.

“I wanted to raise awareness with regard to the benefits of core strength, for one’s personal fitness and overall health,” said Hood, a personal trainer and former Marine. “I see so many people who are overweight, have bad posture and can’t walk from point A to point B. It all comes back to one’s core, and this particular exercise is the best one out there.” – George Hood

Feel free to post your best plank time in the comments section below.

Reid Coolsaet is Canada’s current fastest marathon runner. On October 16, 2011 he finished 3rd in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon with a time of 2:10:54.9.

In 2010, Reid ran a London 2012 Olympic qualifying time of 2:11:22.

We wish Reid all the best with his training leading up to London Olympics and of course, Canada will be cheering him on!

To follow Reid’s progress, be sure to check out his blog.

Healthynomics: Do you have any mentors or other athletes that you admire?

Reid Coolsaet: Dave Scott-Thomas has been my coach for 13 years and is a great mentor.  He’s had a long-term approach to my training which helped me develop at my own speed as I came to him with little training volume.

I get inspiration from so many athletes all the time.  In my early days of running I looked up to Kevin Sullivan, Jason Bunston and Graham Hood.  I felt I could relate to them because I grew up in the same area as they did and they were all international class runners.

HN: From a mental perspective, how has running impacted your life?

RC: Running has really helped my confidence and made me believe in myself a lot more.  Running has made me more patient, fitness doesn’t happen overnight and it can take years to get fast.

HN: What was the biggest challenge for you when transitioning up to the marathon distance?

RC: There weren’t that many big challenges into transitioning for the marathon except for the race itself.  The race is so brutally hard in a different way than the 5 and 10km and until you race one fast it’s hard to know what to expect.

Early morning running, drinking on the run, more mileage, longer workouts seemed to transition fairly smoothly.

HN: What do you do right before a race to prepare yourself to compete? Any race day rituals?

RC: Go to the bathroom.  I get everything organized the night before a race, chip in the laces, bib on the singlet and make sure I have all my gear and food.

HN: What is a typical pre-race meal for you and how many hours before a race do you eat?

RC: Before a marathon I’ll have a bagel and banana 3 hours before and then a Harvest PowerBar an hour and half before the gun, for hydration I use Ironman Perform.

HN: Running has a huge mental aspect. How do you keep your motivation and mind sharp to compete?

RC: Consistent training and focusing during tempo runs is the best practice to stay focused while racing.

HN: After a race, what do you do to recover?

RC: My favorite recovery snack is a PowerBar Protein shake (Chocolate PowerBar Protein mix, milk, banana, peanut butter, ice).  Followed by light stretching and then a cold tub.

HN: Do you perform any strength exercises to supplement your running and help avoid injury?

RC: I do form drills 2 X week and core exercises 2-3 X week.  I used to lift light weights when I ran track but I don’t do many weights anymore.

HN: Tell us a bit about your upcoming training trip Kenya.

RC: I’m going to Iten, Kenya for 5 and half weeks.  I went earlier this year and I really liked it and decided to go back next year (Jan 1st).  The weather, trails, athletes and the simple life all felt perfect for a winter training camp.

Iten is located at 7800 feet which is great for altitude training.  A few of the very best marathoners in the world train in Iten, no better place to witness the great ones.

Video – Reid Coolsaet in Kenya

HN: What is your goal for London 2012?

RC: My goal for London will always be dictated by how my training is going.  As of right now I have a goal of top 10 in mind.

Matt Fitzgerald is an author, runner, triathlete, coach and a sports nutritionist. Some of his best-known books include Racing Weight, Brain Training for Runners, and Triathlete Magazine’s Essential Week-by-Week Training Guide.

Most recently, Matt has written about the epic 1989 Ironman® World Triathlon Championship battle between Dave Scott and Mark Allen. In the book entitled Iron War, he captures the spirit of that duel.

A special thanks to Matt for his time! The interview…

Do you feel there are any particular aspects of training for endurance sports that are relatively untapped areas for improved running and endurance performances?

Matt Fitzgerald: If we’re talking about non-elite athletes, yes, there are plenty of known means of improving performance that the average Joe and Jane competitive runner are not tapping. Some of them are as basic as getting the volume and intensity of training right. Most runners don’t run enough and do too much of their running too fast.

A majority of elite runners, at least in the United States, are taking advantage of most of the known means of enhancing performance. They are much more likely than Joe and Jane competitive runners to cross-train, sleep at simulated altitude, get regular sports massage, and so forth.

As for what may still come down the road, I think the next big opportunity lies in the brain. New research suggests that perception of effort, which is produced in the brain, is the primary limiter of endurance performance. I think it’s very likely that we will discover ways of training or influencing the brain to push back the limits it imposes. For example, Samuele Marcora at the University of Kent has developed a video game that he believes may enhance endurance potential when used as an adjunct to physical training.

You have written lots weight control and racing weight for endurance athletes. Were there any surprising discoveries when researching the topic of race weight?

Matt Fitzgerald: I was surprised to learn just how powerful a predictor of endurance performance leanness is. We all know that the best endurance athletes are very lean, but few of us realize that body fat percentage predicts race potential as well as VO2max.

Even within a group of elite runners, for example, the leanest one is as likely to be the fastest as the one with the greatest aerobic capacity.

Many endurance athletes today rely on external feedback from devices like GPS and heart rate monitors to make the connection between their effort and pace to help improve their performance. How can learning more about the mind-body connection help improve endurance sport performance?

Matt Fitzgerald: First of all, let me say that I’m a big believer in using performance metrics such as time and watts in training. It’s a well-established fact that endurance athletes are able to perform at a higher level when receiving relevant performance feedback than when going strictly by feel.

That said, I do believe that many athletes rely too heavily on such feedback. It has a tendency to suck athletes into going too hard in workouts when they should take it easy. Paying attention to your body and understanding its signals are critical to maintaining a proper balance between hard work and lighter, foundational efforts in training.

What inspired you to write your new book “Iron War” about the epic 1989 battle between Dave Scott and Mark Allen?

Matt Fitzgerald: I think it’s one of the greatest stories in the history of sports. Two larger-than-life legends of sport, who are nearly polar opposites, race side by side for eight straight hours, obliterating existing ideas about the limits of human performance, at the culmination of a decade-long rivalry as intense as any sport has ever seen… I get chills every time I think about it! It’s a book I had to write.

You have recently partnered with PEAR Sports. Can you tell us a bit about PEAR and how it will help athletes get more out of their workouts?

Matt Fitzgerald: PEAR Sports is a new company that makes a training device which combines heart rate monitoring, speed-and-distance feedback, music, and audio coaching through headphones. Users download workouts onto the device and are then guided through them step by step through the session by a coach in their ear—who just happens to be me!

I think PEAR Sports is going to have a revolutionary effect on training. So many runners don’t get as much out of their training as they should because they don’t have a good plan, or because they have trouble translating a calendar of workouts on a piece of paper into correct workout execution out on the roads, or because they don’t know how to make proper use of heart rate and performance feedback. The PEAR device eliminates these issues in a clean sweep.

Minimalist running has received lots of press over the past couple of years. Do you think it’s here to stay or just a phase?

Matt Fitzgerald: I believe that the recent minimalist running craze has had a needed corrective effect on the running footwear industry. Not every runner should be in minimalist shoes, but until recently there just weren’t enough options available for runners like me, who fare best in light, low-heeled, flexible shoes.

Do you have any mentors or particular athletes that you admire?

Matt Fitzgerald: I have a very long list of mentors and athletes I admire! Many of my mentors are scientists. I am not a scientist myself, but I am fascinated by the science of performance and I like to serve as a bridge between that realm and the “real world” of training and racing.

To do this well I have had to rely heavily on mentoring from some of the scientists who I believe are doing the best work. They include the legendary Tim Noakes at the University of Cape Town, Stephen McGregor at Eastern Michigan University, and the aforementioned Samuele Marcora.

Obviously, Dave Scott and Mark Allen are near the top of the list of athletes I most admire. Number one on that list is probably Haile Gebrselassie. His sheer passion for running and for pushing his limits is hugely inspiring to me.

Any favourite endurance sport blogs or websites?

My favorite endurance sports blog is The Science of Sport. I suppose it would be, considering I coauthored a book (The Runner’s Body) with the two guys behind it—Ross Tucker and Jonathan Dugas!

Image source

If you’ve been in a gym in the last couple of years, you definitely have seen multi-coloured exercise balls, wobble boards of different sizes and various other balance building tools scattering the floor. While many exercise fads have come and gone, it looks like balance training is here to stay.

In Alex Hutchinson’s new book, “Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights?”, he goes through some of the research validating balance training as a method to prevent injuries and build strength in stabilizing muscle groups.

For athletes, balance and stabilization training can help prevent common injuries like ankle sprains.

Two studies conducted at the University of Calgary that looked 1,000 high school basket players and physical education students found that balance training on a wobble board reduced the occurrence of injuries.

There were a couple of studies however, that did not have the same conclusion. One of them looked at Dutch and Norwegian volleyball players. The volleyball players that had a previous history of knee injuries saw an increase in knee injuries with balance training.

Despite the study mentioned above, most studies support balance training as an effective way to reduce the risk of injury in sports with quick changes of direction like basketball, tennis, soccer and volleyball.

Some studies indicate that balance training may even help elderly people by reducing their risk of falling.

Training on unstable surfaces is important, but training exclusively on balance-training gadgets will not maximize your strength gains. Performing squats on a Bosu Ball is very challenging, but you will not be able to squat as much weight as you could on a flat, stable floor. In short, your strength gains will be less when squatting on the Bosu Ball.

How should you incorporate balance-training using wobble boards, exercise balls and other balance training tools into your fitness routine?

Moderation is the key. Wobble boards and exercise balls can challenge your balance, proprioception and stability – reducing your risk of injuries like ankle sprains. Do most of your training on stable ground for maximum strength gains, but be sure to implement some balance training to realize these benefits.

“Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights?” is available from Amazon.

Subscribe to free email updates from Healthynomics

Ever heard of the Redbull 400? Either had I. Thanks to Adam Campbell for sharing this video on his Twitter page.

Perhaps being the steepest mountain run in the world, the race covers 400 meters with an average gradient of 45%!

I can feel my lungs burning, no wait, exploding just watching this. Check out the video below.

“If you look at the human body from the outside it’s amazing, but if you understand it from the inside it’s absolutely mind-blowing.”  Dr. Greg Wells

Dr, Greg Wells is a physiologist who specializes in health and performance in extreme conditions. His work is focused on elite athletes who are trying to achieve international medal performances, and on children with chronic diseases.

Dr. Wells was the host of the Genini Award winning Superbodies segments that aired on CTV during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Healthynomics would like to thank Dr. Wells for his time.

Healthynomics: Tell us a bit about the type of research you work on?

Dr. Greg Wells: I am a physiologist. Which means that I study how the human body works. I am particularly interested in how the human body works at the extremes – either high performance sport or chronic disease. So I end up doing research on testing and training techniques for athletes, and on using exercise to diagnose and treat chronic disease. Even though these might seem different, the tools and underlying physiology are basically the same and what we learn from one group usually helps the other.

HN: From current research, where do you see the biggest opportunities for enhanced athletic performances?

DGW: I think we are still learning a lot about how to best train the human body for specific sports. We have evolved our training techniques so much in the last 20 years, moving from a high volume training approach to one where we work to achieve higher intensities more often. I think there is tremendous potential to move forward in this area. Also I am not sure we really understand recovery and regeneration. There is conflicting research right now about the benefits of using recovery tools like post-exercise foods or cold tubs because it may be that although they improve performance in the short term (hours) they may compromise adaptation in the long term (weeks – months). So we still have lots to learn but that is exciting.

HN: Are there any particular sports that you feel have untapped potential for improving performances with further research?

DGW: I think we can do much better at helping young people train for sports in a way that complements their individual potential and growth and development status. On the other end of the spectrum I think we also can learn a great deal about how we can use sports and specific activities to combat ageing.

HN: Over the past few years, what have you learned about injury prevention in sport?

DGW: I am sot sure I have seen great changes in the way we prevent and manage injuries. I do think there is greater awareness among coaches and parents about how injuries can be prevented through teaching proper technique and allowing for enough rest when athletes get run down. That is paying great dividends in keeping young athletes healthy and happy while they are training. While not specifically related to “injuries” per se, there have been excellent advances in our understanding of how exercise and training relate to the immune system. For example we know that your immune system is suppressed for s short period of time right after a workout, but that overall the immune system of athletes is stronger than in people who don’t exercise.

HN: What is research showing us with regards to maintaining athletic performance levels as we get older?

DGW: There has been an explosion of new research on how exercise protects the body from the effects of ageing – both physically and mentally. Exercise seems to prevent our DNA from the effects of ageing, and this in turn helps keep the internal structures of the body healthy and functioning properly. There is also now a growing body of evidence that shows that exercise can be used to prevent and in some cases even treat cancer, although this research is in the very early stages. We are also learning a great deal about how exercise helps improve the function and health of the brain and how training can help prevent and treat mental illnesses like anxiety, depression and maybe even Alzheimer’s disease.

HN: Tell us about any notable extreme athletic performances that have impressed you.

DGW: I have had the opportunity to train and work with some incredible athletes and I have witnessed some fantastic performances. Ray Zahab running the Sahara desert, Usain Bolt rewriting the record book in track, Michael Phelps becoming the best Olympian ever, young people sailing around the world, a blind person climbing Mt. Everest, the list goes on and on. What impresses me the most and what I find fascinating is watching humans push the boundaries of what is possible both mentally and physically. The great thing about that is any one of us can do that on a daily basis. If you go for a run and sprint up a hill that normally causes you to walk you have pushed the boundaries. That is what it is all about.

Let’s start with one incontrovertible fact: you can’t fulfill your ultimate potential as both a weightlifter and a marathoner at the same time. Too many hours sweating on the elliptical will hinder your ability to put on muscle, and pumping too much iron will slow your endurance gains. – excerpt from “Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights?”

This is a quote from Alex Hutchinson’s new book “Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights?” and sets the tone for this big question.  Before I go on, I must say that Alex’s book is a must-read for fitness professionals and enthusiasts alike.  Many of the most common, but puzzling questions that you have ever wondered about fitness and exercise science are tackled in an easy to understand manner. My goal is to write a full review on the book soon!

Back to the question at hand. Cardio or weights first?

Do you think that Patrick Makau who recently broke the world record in the marathon (2:03:38) could maintain that epic endurance and even come close to competing in a strong man competition? No, ridiculous I know – but I would love to be able to do both!

Most of us are not elite athletes and want a simple combination of endurance and a bit of muscle to show for our efforts. With regard to an optimal endurance-to-muscle combo, NBA players come to my mind. Many of them have bulging biceps and deltoids that pop from their shoulders yet (note my jealousy), they can run up and down a 94 foot basketball court for up to 48 minutes.

The key according to Alex Hutchinson’s book is to focus on your priority. What’s more important to you; being able to run in the local upcoming 10k race or being able to blend in with the crowd as you strut down Venice Beach? If it’s the 10k, focus on your endurance and put your time in on the treadmill before moving over to the weights.  If it’s the beach on your mind, you should pump up first and follow it up with some cardio at the end of your workout.

Now to dive down into the question of cardio or weights first a bit deeper.

Researchers have determined the common enzyme (AMP kinase) that dictates the process for both muscular growth and endurance enhancements. The enzyme switch is either set to “muscle” or “endurance”, but not both. Once the switch is turned in either direction, it’s essentially locked there until the completion of your workout.

Your goal is endurance = do cardio first

Your goal is building muscle and muscular strength = do weights first

Want a combination of both? Alex Hutchinson’s book recommends periodically switching it up to challenge your metabolism. Cardio first one day and weights first in your next workout.

The book “Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights?” is available from Amazon.

Your thoughts?

What is Fitocracy?

Fitocracy turns fitness into a social game. You can track your progress, compete against your friends around the world and take your fitness to the next level.

Fitocracy also makes tracking your workouts fast and easy, which means more time working out and less time recording data. A real objective way to achieve your goals.

I found out about Fitocracy from my interview with Leo Babauta of Zen Habits. Leo mentioned Fitocracy as one of his favourite online fitness resources.

How do I get started?

Fitcracy is not yet open to the public and you can only join by invite. Healthynomics readers however, are in luck.

Fitocracy has kindly provided Healthynomics with some exclusive invites – see the link below!

Click here to gain access to Fitocracy

If you are a current user of Fitocracy, I would love to hear your comments below.

Enjoy!

Rest and recovery is often overlooked when it comes to training for running and other endurance sports. Matt Dixon explained in a previous interview on Healthynomics that lack of proper rest and recovery is arguably biggest mistake in an endurance athlete’s training.

For elite level endurance athlete’s, motivation to train is normally not an issue. Taking time off to rest and recover however, when thoughts of their competition training hard enter the mind – well, that might just be a runner’s biggest fear!

Do you have sufficient rest imbedded in your training program to allow you to stay healthy and train hard on a consistent basis?

In a previous post, we introduced you to the 7 key body systems that an endurance sports supplement must support.

We have looked at the Glutamine and its role in supporting the muscular system. Now, we will discuss the key ingredient within an endurance sports supplement that supports the immune system – ginseng.

Why ginseng?

Ginseng plays an important role in 7SYSTEMS’ ability to keep endurance athletes healthy in order to focus on training and racing. 7SYSTEMS Endurance Sports Supplement contains contains 300mg of high quality Panax Ginseng in every daily pack.

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.

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.

Like many traditional herbs, ginseng is believed to have many positive effects on the body including the ability to fight fatigue, increase metabolism and increase sexual function. Ginseng helps increase the body’s resistance to stress such as trauma and fatigue and also to balance endocrine hormones. Ginseng helps your immune system recover from various daily stresses and helps keep your training on course.

Athletes who use 7Systems Endurance Sports Supplement

Jasper Blake – Professional Triathlete, Ironman Champion

Mike Neill - Professional Triathlete, Owner/Head coach Human Powered Racing

Simon Whitfield – Multiple Olympic Medalist Triathlete

Adam van Koeverden – Multiple Olympic Medalist, World Champion Kayaker

Lauren Groves-Campbell – 2008 Beijing Olympian Triathlete

Adam Campbell – Top Canadian Runner

Ray Zahab – Ultra distance running legend

Malcolm Howard – World champion, Olympic Champion Rower

Kyle Jones – Canadian Short Course Triathlon Team

Erinne Willock – Professional Road Cyclist, 2008 Beijing Olympian

Megan Brown – Top Canadian Runner

Annamay Pierse -Top Canadian swimmer and current world record holder for the women’s 200m breaststroke

Max Plaxton - one of Canada’s top male mountain bikers

Reid Coolsaet – 7-time 5000m Canadian Champion

Guest post by Dr. Robert W. Horovitz, B.Sc., ND

Cardiovascular disease is one of the most concerning health topics in North America as it affects over 80 million people per year in the US alone.  At the same time, bone loss is a growing concern as men and women over the age of 30 tend to lose approximately 1% bone density per year.  It is no surprise to most that sufficient calcium intake is important in maintaining optimal bone health, however too much calcium may find its way into the blood stream, possibly contributing to hardening of the artery walls and obstructing blood flow, leading to arrhythmia or worse; heart attack or heart failure.  Since supplements can bridge of the gap of what might be missing from a person’s diet, we have previously been faced with having to choose between preventing cardiovascular disease or bone loss with respect to calcium.

So what should we look for in a bone health supplement?

Vitamin K2 from fermented natto (soy), also called MenaQ7^TM, is intimately involved in helping to direct calcium towards mineralization of bone tissue.  Interestingly though, K2 also prevents calcium from staying in the blood stream and binding to arterial walls.  Intake of K2 through food has been correlated with a decreased risk of developing coronary heart disease.  Fermented natto is healthy for the heart and bones alike!

Calcium as an isolated mineral relies on a slew of other compounds for proper utilization in the body and can be dangerous if consumed in excess.  Consider looking for a bone health supplement containing a sustainable, whole food, plant calcium complex.  A great example is red algae (also called Lithothamnion calcareas, which is found near Iceland.  This natural, sea mineral complex is not only a fantastic food source of calcium (up to 12% more than blue-green algae), but contains magnesium as well as 74 other trace minerals.  L. calcareas is alkaline in pH, and has been the focus of several studies pertaining to inflammation; a leading contributory factor in bone loss in the first place, among other health related concerns.

Vitamin D3 what some regard as a top medical breakthrough, is revered for its ability to enhance calcium absorption naturally through food.  Moreover, D3 has been the focus of many emerging studies; notably pertaining to cancer, and seasonal affective disorder.   Most vitamin D3 supplements are isolated, highly processed compounds.  Consider a D3 that has been fermented with 100% USDA, organic, whole food.  Fermenting whole foods with USP isolated vitamin D3 biotransforms the D3 into a glycoprotein bound complex (food).  The fermentation process itself also produces a slew of health promoting compounds; including bacteriocins and ferment metabolites such as glutathione, beta-glucans, and kreb cycle intermediates (required for cellular energy), which are sold by themselves across North America and can also be found naturally through the wisdom of fermentation.

Achieving optimal bone health is a top priority, however not at the expense of contributing to cardiovascular disease.  Consider bone promoting formulas that contain vitamin K2 in the form of fermented natto to avoid compromise.  A plant sourced, whole food, sea mineral complex in the form of red algae (Litholamnion calcareas) is anti-inflammatory, and an excellent source of magnesium and other trace minerals.  Probiotic, whole food vitamin D3 can enhance absorption of key bone building nutrients while providing many other attractive health benefits.  When deciding on what formula is right for your bones, listen to your heart.

If you would like more information on Whole Food Probiotic Nutrients be sure to visit www.lifelongwell.ca.

Dr. Robert W. Horovitz B.Sc., ND is a licensed, practicing Naturopathic Doctor, practicing in Markham, Ontario (Canada). Services include treatments for health concerns using holistic nutritional counseling, botanical medicines, acupuncture. Ailments treated by Robert include but are not limited to; high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, hypothyroidism, menopause, infertility, insomnia, anxiety, depression, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, neurological dysfunction (MS, Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease). Robert offers comprehensive hair mineral analysis as well as in depth salivary hormone profiles. To book a free 15 minute consult (or telephone consult) call (905) 294-0454.  More information can be found at www.lifelongwell.ca.