How running made us human

Public release date 17-Nov-2004

Contact: Dennis Bramble, professor of biology
bramble@bioscience.utah.edu 
801-581-3549 (office)
University of Utah

Lee Siegel, science news specialist
leesiegel@ucomm.utah.edu
801-581-8993 (office) / 801-244-5399 (cellular)
University of Utah Public Relations

To contact Dan Lieberman, call Steve Bradt
steve_bradt@harvard.edu
617-496-8070
Harvard University Communications

 University of Utah

Endurance running let us evolve to look the way we do

Humans evolved from ape-like ancestors because they needed to run long distances – perhaps to hunt animals or scavenge carcasses on Africa’s vast savannah – and the ability to run shaped our anatomy, making us look like we do today.

That is the conclusion of a study published in the Nov. 18 issue of the journal Nature by University of Utah biologist Dennis Bramble and Harvard University anthropologist Daniel Lieberman. The study is featured on Nature’s cover.

Bramble and Lieberman argue that our genus, Homo, evolved from more ape-like human ancestors, Australopithecus, 2 million or more years ago because natural selection favored the survival of australopithecines that could run and, over time, favored the perpetuation of human anatomical features that made long-distance running possible.

“We are very confident that strong selection for running – which came at the expense of the historical ability to live in trees – was instrumental in the origin of the modern human body form,” says Bramble, a professor of biology. “Running has substantially shaped human evolution. Running made us human – at least in an anatomical sense. We think running is one of the most transforming events in human history. We are arguing the emergence of humans is tied to the evolution of running.”

That conclusion is contrary to the conventional theory that running simply was a byproduct of the human ability to walk. Bipedalism – the ability to walk upright on two legs – evolved in the ape-like Australopithecus at least 4.5 million years ago while they also retained the ability to travel through the trees. Yet Homo with its “radically transformed body” did not evolve for another 3 million or more years – Homo habilis, Homo erectus and, finally, our species, Homo sapiens – so the ability to walk cannot explain anatomy of the modern human body, Bramble says.

“There were 2.5 million to 3 million years of bipedal walking [by australopithecines] without ever looking like a human, so is walking going to be what suddenly transforms the hominid body?” he asks. “We’re saying, no, walking won’t do that, but running will.”

Walking cannot explain most of the changes in body form that distinguish Homo from Australopithecus, which – when compared with Homo – had short legs, long forearms, high permanently “shrugged” shoulders, ankles that were not visibly apparent and more muscles connecting the shoulders to the head and neck, Bramble says. If natural selection had not favored running, “we would still look a lot like apes,” he adds.

I Run, Therefore I Am

Bramble and Lieberman examined 26 traits of the human body – many also seen in fossils of Homo erectus and some in Homo habilis – that enhanced the ability to run. Only some of them were needed for walking. Traits that aided running include leg and foot tendons and ligaments that act like springs, foot and toe structure that allows efficient use of the feet to push off, shoulders that rotate independently of the head and neck to allow better balance, and skeletal and muscle features that make the human body stronger, more stable and able to run more efficiently without overheating.

“We explain the simultaneous emergence of a whole bunch of anatomical features, literally from head to toe,” Bramble says. “We have a hypothesis that gives a functional explanation for how these features are linked to the unique mechanical demands of running, how they work together and why they emerged at the same time.”

Humans are poor sprinters compared with other running animals, which is partly why many scientists have dismissed running as a factor in human evolution. Human endurance running ability has been inadequately appreciated because of a failure to recognize that “high speed is not always important,” Bramble says. “What is important is combining reasonable speed with exceptional endurance.”

Another reason is that “scientists are in developed societies that are highly dependent on technology and artificial means of transport,” he adds. “But if those scientists had been embedded in a hunter-gatherer society, they’d have a different view of human locomotor abilities, including running.”

Why Did Humans Start Running?

The researchers do not know why natural selection favored human ancestors who could run long distances. For one possibility, they cite previous research by University of Utah biologist David Carrier, who hypothesized that endurance running evolved in human ancestors so they could pursue predators long before the development of bows, arrows, nets and spear-throwers reduced the need to run long distances.

Another possibility is that early humans and their immediate ancestors ran to scavenge carcasses of dead animals – maybe so they could beat hyenas or other scavengers to dinner, or maybe to “get to the leftovers soon enough,” Bramble says.

Scavenging “is a more reliable source of food” than hunting, he adds. “If you are out in the African savannah and see a column of vultures on the horizon, the chance of there being a fresh carcass underneath the vultures is about 100 percent. If you are going to hunt down something in the heat, that’s a lot more work and the payoffs are less reliable” because the animal you are hunting often is “faster than you are.”

Anatomical Features that Help Humans Run

Here are anatomical characteristics that are unique to humans and that play a role in helping people run, according to the study:

 

• Skull features that help prevent overheating during running. As sweat evaporates from the scalp, forehead and face, the evaporation cools blood draining from the head. Veins carrying that cooled blood pass near the carotid arteries, thus helping cool blood flowing through the carotids to the brain.

 

 

• A more balanced head with a flatter face, smaller teeth and short snout, compared with australopithecines. That “shifts the center of mass back so it’s easier to balance your head when you are bobbing up and down running,” Bramble says.

 

 

• A ligament that runs from the back of the skull and neck down to the thoracic vertebrae, and acts as a shock absorber and helps the arms and shoulders counterbalance the head during running.

 

 

• Unlike apes and australopithecines, the shoulders in early humans were “decoupled” from the head and neck, allowing the body to rotate while the head aims forward during running.

 

 

• The tall human body – with a narrow trunk, waist and pelvis – creates more skin surface for our size, permitting greater cooling during running. It also lets the upper and lower body move independently, “which allows you to use your upper body to counteract the twisting forces from your swinging legs,” Bramble says.

 

 

• Shorter forearms in humans make it easier for the upper body to counterbalance the lower body during running. They also reduce the amount of muscle power needed to keep the arms flexed when running.

 

 

• Human vertebrae and disks are larger in diameter relative to body mass than are those in apes or australopithecines. “This is related to shock absorption,” says Bramble. “It allows the back to take bigger loads when human runners hit the ground.”

 

 

• The connection between the pelvis and spine is stronger and larger relative to body size in humans than in their ancestors, providing more stability and shock absorption during running.

 

 

• Human buttocks “are huge,” says Bramble. “Have you ever looked at an ape? They have no buns.” He says human buttocks “are muscles critical for stabilization in running” because they connect the femur – the large bone in each upper leg – to the trunk. Because people lean forward at the hip during running, the buttocks “keep you from pitching over on your nose each time a foot hits the ground.”

 

 

• Long legs, which chimps and australopithecines lack, let humans to take huge strides when running, Bramble says. So do ligaments and tendons – including the long Achilles tendon – which act like springs that store and release mechanical energy during running. The tendons and ligaments also mean human lower legs that are less muscular and lighter, requiring less energy to move them during running.

 

 

• Larger surface areas in the hip, knee and ankle joints, for improved shock absorption during running by spreading out the forces.

 

 

• The arrangement of bones in the human foot creates a stable or stiff arch that makes the whole foot more rigid, so the human runner can push off the ground more efficiently and utilize ligaments on the bottom of the feet as springs.

 

 

• Humans also evolved with an enlarged heel bone for better shock absorption, as well as shorter toes and a big toe that is fully drawn in toward the other toes for better pushing off during running.

 

The study by Bramble and Lieberman concludes: “Today, endurance running is primarily a form of exercise and recreation, but its roots may be as ancient as the origin of the human genus, and its demands a major contributing factor to the human body form.”

University of Utah Public Relations

201 S Presidents Circle, Room 308
Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-9017
(801) 581-6773 fax: 585-3350
www.utah.edu/unews

Chronic Exercise Preserves Lean Muscle Mass in Masters Athletes

A  study called, “Chronic Exercise Preserves Lean Muscle Mass in Masters Athletes,” which you can read HERE graphically illustrates what happens to your muscles (with and without) the type of regular and beneficial exercise that the sport of triathlon provides. The image above  is a cross section of a 40-year-old triathlete’s legs and the associated muscle. But the  other two images are the really interesting and telling ones. As you can tell, the 74-year-old masters triathlete’s legs are not unlike that of the 40-year-old triathlete’s legs. The study’s authors go on to write: “It is commonly believed that with aging comes an inevitable decline from vitality to frailty. This includes feeling weak and often the loss of independence. These declines may have more to do with lifestyle choices, including sedentary living and poor nutrition, than the absolute potential of musculoskeletal aging. In this study, we sought to eliminate the confounding variables of sedentary living and muscle disuse, and answer the question of what really happens to our muscles as we age if we are chronically active. This study and those discussed here show that we are capable of preserving both muscle mass and strength with lifelong physical activity.” They conclude by writing: “The loss of lean muscle mass and the resulting subjective and objective weakness experienced with sedentary aging imposes significant but modifiable personal, societal, and economic burdens. As sports medicine clinicians, we must encourage people to become or remain active at all ages. This study, and those reviewed here, document the possibility to maintain muscle mass and strength across the ages via simple lifestyle changes.”   I am referring to that study in the book i wrote: Triathlon, Loving it is easy

THE COOPER TEST, AN ENDURANCE TEST OF 12 MINUTES OF RUNNING.

The Cooper test is a test of physical fitness that was designed by Kenneth H. Cooper in 1968 for use by the US military. Its execution is very simple. You have to run (or walk) for 12 minutes, attempting to cover the largest possible distance. Before trying this, it would be a good idea for you to consult a doctor, since it is an exhausting test when executed correctly. Also, remember to do a decent warm-up. For the optimal calculation you will want to do the test on a 400-meter running track (0.25 miles). Record holder is Kenenisa Bekele, who ran a distance of 3 miles (4750 meters) in 12 minutes.

MAXIMAL OXYGEN CONSUMPTION VO2MAX
We use the term VO2Max to refer to the maximal amount of oxygen that the body can consume during strenuous exercise, which determines the highest boundary at which an endurance exercise can be performed. Essentially, the Maximal Oxygen Consumption refers to the maximal cardiorespiratory function and it can largely predict the maximal aerobic capacity and endurance. For a precise calculation of the VO2Max, you should go to an exercise physiology lab. However, there is also an amateur technique to calculate it based on your Cooper test results:
(The distance you ran in meters – 504.9) / 44.73
For example, at this test I ran 3200 meters.
3200 – 504.9 = 2695.1
2695.1 / 44.73 = 60.25 mls/kg/min
No matter how much of an amateur technique this is, I would like to point out that for the last 5-6 years I have been going to an exercise physiology lab twice a year to calculate my VO2Max and it always ranges between 57-61 mls/kg/min, depending on the training period.

Cooper test results evaluation

Age group	Sex	Very good	Good	Average	Bad	Very bad
13-14 year	Male	>2700 m	2400 – 2700 m	2200 – 2400 m	2100 – 2200 m	<2100 m
	Female	>2000 m	1900 – 2000 m	1600 – 1900 m	1500 – 1600 m	<1500 m
15-16 year	Male	>2800 m	2500 – 2800 m	2300 – 2500 m	2200 – 2300 m	<2200 m
	Female	>2100 m	2000 – 2100 m	1700 – 2000 m	1600 – 1700 m	<1600 m
17-20 year	Male	>3000 m	2700 – 3000 m	2500 – 2700 m	2300 – 2500 m	<2300 m
	Female	>2300 m	2100 – 2300 m	1800 – 2100 m	1700 – 1800 m	<1700 m
20-29 year	Male	>2800 m	2400 – 2800 m	2200 – 2400 m	1600 – 2200 m	<1600 m
	Female	>2700 m	2200 – 2700 m	1800 – 2200 m	1500 – 1800 m	<1500 m
30-39 year	Male	>2700 m	2300 – 2700 m	1900 – 2300 m	1500 – 1900 m	<1500 m
	Female	>2500 m	2000 – 2500 m	1700 – 2000 m	1400 – 1700 m	<1400 m
40-49 year	Male	>2500 m	2100 – 2500 m	1700 – 2100 m	1400 – 1700 m	<1400 m
	Female	>2300 m	1900 – 2300 m	1500 – 1900 m	1200 – 1500 m	<1200 m
>50 year	Male	>2400 m	2000 – 2400 m	1600 – 2000 m	1300 – 1600 m	<1300 m
	Female	>2200 m	1700 – 2200 m	1400 – 1700 m	1100 – 1400 m	<1100 m

For experienced athletes

Sex	Very good	Good	Average	Bad	Very bad
Male	>3700 m	3400 – 3700 m	3100 – 3400 m	2800 – 3100 m	<2800 m
Female	>3000 m	2700 – 3000 m	2400 – 2700 m	2100 – 2400 m	<2100  m

This article is a chapter of the book I have written: Triathlon: Loving it is easy.

Nutrition During Endurance Competition

Glycogen is the form in which carbohydrates are stored in our bodies and can be found in the liver and muscles.

Since the muscles have a greater overall surface area than the liver, a larger amount of glycogen (referred to as muscle cell glycogen) is stored there. Specifically, adults have about 2.6-3.5 ounces (75-100 grams) of carbohydrates stored in their liver glycogen and 10.6-14 ounces (300-400 grams) in their muscle cell glycogen. One of the processes taking place in the body of an athlete during an endurance race is that the stored amount of muscle cell glycogen can become twice as high as that of people who do not do sports.

In competitions that last over an hour, such as a marathon or triathlon, the glycogen reserve becomes exhausted, making nutrition during the competition an important factor. The stored glycogen (polysaccharides) is constantly broken down and converted into glucose (monosaccharides), which enters the bloodstream to produce energy.

For endurance competitions, the preservation of glucose levels in the blood is of the utmost importance. It is worth mentioning that the brain exclusively uses glucose as fuel, whereas the rest of the body can also count on fatty ac-ids and even proteins. Any kind of disturbance of these levels in the blood results in a decrease in brain function, with symptoms such as dizziness, moving difficulties, reeling, concentration problems, and even collapsing.

Remember the shocking finish of the supreme Swiss ATHLETE (the use of capital letters is for emphasis) Gabrielle Andersen in the marathon for women at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, which is a characteristic example of hypoglycemia.

I will not go further into the field of biology and the processes that take place in the human body during workouts.

However, there are a couple of basic things that every endurance athlete should know and put into practice, in order to avoid hypoglycemia and, by extension, speed reduction or failure to finish an event.

1. Apart from the glucose that originates from the muscle cell glycogen and liver glycogen, isotonic drinks should be another important source of energy during endurance competitions of over one hour. These drinks contain not only carbohydrates in a fluid form, but also electrolytes, which the body loses upon sweating and which therefore have to be replenished. The ideal amount of carbohydrates in these drinks is 6-8%. Less than that is insufficient, while in a higher concentration they are absorbed more slowly, which can lead to stomach trouble. By means of training and participating in competitions of little importance, each athlete should experiment with these drinks and find the one that makes him tick. In my case, for example, during triathlons and half marathons, it works to drink half a glass of isotonic drinks every 20 minutes and one glass 15-20 minutes before the beginning of the competition.

2. Moreover, as I already mentioned, during long-distance com-petitions, the human body does not only use glycogen, but also fat and proteins for the production of energy; albeit in smaller amounts, especially towards the end of the race. Our bodies prefer the energy production from carbohydrates, since it is more efficient than that from fat (which is stored in our bodies more plentifully than carbohydrates). Apart from storing more glycogen, an endurance athlete’s body should be able to mobilize and utilize fat reserves more efficiently. In order to train your body to burn fat, you should add a weekly long-duration and low-intensity run (over 1:30 h) to your training schedule. This kind of training makes the energy production process more reliant on fat than on carbohydrates.

3. Another important factor is: as a rule, endurance athletes should have determined their tactic and the speed at which they will per-form during each race, based on their training experience. They should stick to their plan, and under no circumstances should they get carried away by faster athletes or a sense of overconfidence and increase their speed. Generally, you pay a big price for that kind of cockiness during a race, since he glycogen reserve is exhausted much faster that way. It is better to finish a race according to plan; there will be many other competitions in the future where you can go faster, if you plan it.

4. Endurance athletes have to make sure that their glycogen levels are at maximum levels on the day of he race. In order to do so, they should not tap into these reserves
during the last three days before the competition by training for hours. Their nutrition should have an increased amount of carbohydrates.

This article is a chapter of the book I have written: Triathlon: Loving it is easy.

What Parents Should Say as Their Kids Perform

By Tim Elmore

In my work at Growing Leaders, we enjoy the privilege of serving numerous NCAA and professional sports teams each year. After meeting with hundreds of coaches and athletes, I noticed an issue kept surfacing in our conversations. Both the student-athlete and the coach were trying to solve the same problem.  What was that problem?

The parents of the student-athletes.

You may or may not believe this, but even in Division One athletics, parents stay engaged with their child’s sport, often at the same level they did through their growing up years. Moms will call coaches and advise them on how to encourage their daughter or son. Dads will call coaches and ask why their kid isn’t getting more playing time. Parents will call strength and conditioning coaches and inquire what they’re doing about their child’s torn ligament. Each of these calls is understandable. After all, no one has more at stake than the parent of a performer. They love their child, they’ve invested in their child and they want to see a “return on their investment.” Some athletes refer to their mom as their P.A. (personal assistant) or their agent. I know a mother who watches her collegiate daughter’s gymnastics practice behind the glass, all the while, calling and leaving voicemails for the coach on what should be done for her little girl. I even know sets of parents who moved into a condo across the street from their freshman athlete’s university. They didn’t want to miss a thing, and they certainly didn’t want to neglect to provide direction. I understand this. I am a father of two kids myself.

What we parents may not recognize is the pressure and angst this kind of involvement applies. May I tell you what student-athletes are telling me?

1. I love my mom, but when she does this, I get the feeling she doesn’t trust me.
2. My parents are great, but I feel like I have multiple coaches telling me what to do and I get stressed out over it.
3. I’m getting blackballed by my teammates because my mother keeps texting me and my coach, to give suggestions. I wish she would chill.
4. I feel like I’m never quite good enough; I can never fully please my parents.

Moving From Supervisor to Consultant

According to years of research on athletes, I believe parents have a more productive impact on their kids by making a change in their style. When our kids were younger, we played the role of supervisor. We were right there on top of the issues. And we should be—they were young and needed our support. As they age, parents must move to the role of consultant. We’re still involved, still supportive, but we allow our kids to grow up and self-regulate. When we fail to do this—we can actually stunt their growth. It’s a bit like teaching our kids to ride a bike. Remember this process?  First, we gave them a tricycle. The three wheels made it almost impossible for them to fall off, and they got used to peddling a vehicle. Then, they moved to a bicycle. It was bigger and had only two wheels. A little more scary. So we initiated them on that bike with training wheels. That prevented bad accidents. Eventually, however, we took the training wheels off, and our involvement became a tender balance of two ingredients: support and letting go. Did you catch that? Support and letting go.

What We Should Say When Our Kids Perform

The most liberating words parents can speak to their student-athletes are quite simple. Based on psychological research, the three healthiest statements moms and dads can make as they perform are:

Before the Competition:                                    After the competition:

1. Have fun.                                                    1. Did you have fun?
2. Play hard.                                                    2. I’m proud of you.
3. I love you.                                                    3. I love you.

Six Simple Words…

For years, I wondered what the student-athlete would say about this issue. After decades of work with athletes, Bruce E. Brown and Rob Miller found out. They suggest six simple words parents can express that produce the most positive results in their performing children. After interacting with students, they report:

College athletes were asked what their parents said that made them feel great, that amplified their joy during and after a ballgame. Their overwhelming response:

“I love to watch you play.”

That’s it. Those six words. How interesting. How liberating to the parent. How empowering to the student-athlete. No pressure. No correction. No judgment. (That’s the coach’s job). Just pure love of their child using their gift in competition.

When I learned this, I reflected on the years my own kids competed in sports, recitals, theatrical plays, and practices. Far too often, I wanted to play a role that added more stress to their life. Instead, I now realize—I just need to love them. And to love watching them play.

From a parent’s view—this is the best way to cultivate an emotionally healthy kid

– See more at: http://growingleaders.com/blog/what-parents-should-say-as-their-kids-perform/#sthash.R2u0etVy.dpuf

Sweet 452 km – a report on the first type 1 diabetes patient to finish Double Ironman, a 30-hour endurance triathlon race

Croat Med J. 2013 June; 54(3): 306–307.

doi:  10.3325/cmj.2013.54.306

Pavao Vlahek,¹ Siniša Car,² and Ivanka Ostroški²

Author information ► Copyright and License information ►

Scientific research of type 1 diabetes patients is often limited by ethical or technical reasons. Therefore, when people with diabetes decide to push their own limits and stretch the limits of our knowledge on their own, we can just observe and try to alleviate possible dangers. Here we would like to present a case of the first type 1 diabetes patient to safely complete the Double Ironman triathlon race. The race consisted of consecutive 7.6 km of swimming, 360 km of cycling, and 84.4 km of running.

Go to:

History and examination

The 27-year old patient has suffered from type 1 diabetes from his 6th year and used various insulin forms: Homologue+Homorap combination from age 6 to 11 years, Actrapid+Insulatard from age 9 to 21, and Novorapid+Lantus from the age of 22 till present. Before he started to compete in triathlons 3 years ago, the patient had had a history of obesity and badly regulated blood glucose level and calorie intake with frequent episodes of hypoglycemia.

After having entered a structured swimming, cycling, and running program he finished shorter triathlon distances and after 2 years in training completed the Ironman triathlon (3.8 km swimming, 180 km cycling, and 42.2 km running). This resulted not only in athletic achievement but also helped him to maintain normal body mass index, regulate blood glucose, and terminate hypoglycemic episodes. The usual insulin application was 25-30 IU/d administered by an insulin pen depending on calorie intake and training. The patient trained 2 hours on weekdays and up to 10 hours on weekend. The next goal was Double Ironman.

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The race report

During the 30 hours of race, blood glucose, calorie, and fluid intake were measured and insulin was applied. Complete blood count, and metabolic and biochemical parameters were measured 1 hour before the race, as well as 1 hour, 24 hours, and 7 days after the race. The race started at 16:00 with swimming. The air temperature was 29°C and the water temperature was 24°C. The cycling portion started at 19:27 and lasted until 10:15 next day, the air temperature staying around 20°C. The running portion started at 10:15 and finished at 21:10. During the day, the air temperature rose up to 35°C. Since scientific investigation had only secondary importance, measurements of blood glucose were taken at athlete’s will, 46 times. Blood glucose was measured approximately every 30 minutes during the swimming segment and every 45 to 90 minutes during cycling and running. During swimming, higher levels of blood glucose were maintained to avoid hypoglycemia (Figure 1). Calorie intake during the entire 29 hours and 15 minutes of racing was approximately 16000 kcal in various foods and fluids, while the fluid intake was 23 L in the form of isotonic drinks, water, and sweetened beverages. During the race, only 18 IU of Novorapid was applied, primarily after hyperglycemic episodes during transition stops between swimming-cycling and cycling-running portions.

Figure 1

Blood glucose during the race.

All the blood parameters 1 hour before the race were within the reference range. HbA1C measurement 2 days before the race was 5.5. One hour after the finish several parameters were elevated: leukocytes were 14.5×10⁹, bilirubin 23.3 µmol/L, urea 8.9 mmol/L, creatinine 110 µmol/L, CRP 18.1 mg/L, AST 146 IU/L, and CK 3234 IU/L. After 24 hours, only some parameters remained elevated: CRP was 14.5 mg/L, AST 197 IU/L, and CK 2479 IU/L. After 7 days, all the parameters were again within the reference range. The parameters were similar to those in a healthy person enduring a similar race.

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Conclusions

Although our patient showed that it was possible for a person with type 1 diabetes to participate in such a strenuous and long lasting event, we would not go so far as to conclude that ultra-endurance events and extreme physiological conditions are generally safe for people suffering from diabetes. Also, there is a lack of data about long-term consequences of such participation. There are only few reports on diabetes type 1 patients participating in endurance events. Most report participation in shorter races such as marathons (1–3) and emphasize dangers of hypoglycemia (4–7).

Despite dangers and obstacles, the potential benefit for a person with type 1 diabetes involved in endurance sports could be considerable. Athletes maintain a healthy lifestyle, closely monitor their blood glucose status, and serve as motivation for other people living with diabetes to involve in regular moderate exercise.

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References

1. Cauza E, Hanusch-Enserer U, Strasser B, Ludvik B, Kostner K, Dunky A, et al. Continuous glucose monitoring in diabetic long distance runners. Int J Sports Med. 2005;26:774–80. doi: 10.1055/s-2004-830561. [PubMed] [Cross Ref]

2. Grimm JJ, Muchnick S. Type I diabetes and marathon running. Diabetes Care. 1993;16:1624. [PubMed]

3. Hartvig Jensen T, Darre E, Holmich P, Jahnsen F. Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and marathon running. Br J Sports Med. 1987;21:51–2. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.21.1.51-a. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Cross Ref]

4. Murillo S, Brugnara L, Novials A. One year follow-up in a group of half-marathon runners with type-1 diabetes treated with insulin analogues. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2010;50:506–10. [PubMed]

5. Graveling AJ, Frier BM. Risks of marathon running and hypoglycaemia in Type 1 diabetes. Diabet Med. 2010;27:585–8. doi: 10.1111/j.1464-5491.2010.02969.x. [PubMed] [Cross Ref]

6. Devadoss M, Kennedy L, Herbold N. Endurance athletes and type 1 diabetes. Diabetes Educ. 2011;37:193–207. doi: 10.1177/0145721710395782. [PubMed] [Cross Ref]

7. Boehncke S, Poettgen K, Maser-Gluth C, Reusch J, Boehncke WH, Badenhoop K. Endurance capabilities of triathlon competitors with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Dtsch Med Wochenschr. 2009;134:677–82. doi: 10.1055/s-0029-1208104. [PubMed] [Cross Ref]

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Articles from Croatian Medical Journal are provided here courtesy of Medicinska Naklada

Protein Bars On-the-Go

On-the-Go Protein Bars

2c Almonds
1/4c Ground Flax Seed
1/2c Dried Fruit (Rasins and or Prunes are good)
1/2c Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
1/2c Natural Peanut Butter
1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
1/2c Melted Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
1 TB Maple Syrup or Honey
2-3 Tsp Vanilla Extract
Optional:
Coco Powder
Melted Chocolate

Place almonds, flax, fruit, coconut, peanut butter and salt in a food processor. Blend until it is a coarse- however chunky you would like it. Melt coconut oil on the stove, then stir sweetener and vanilla in. Pour into the nut mix and stir well. (Add coco powder if you like, about a 1/3c.) Press into an 8×8 pan and refrigerate for ~1 hour. (Spread melted chocolate on top if you want and refrigerate until hardened.)

After they are hardened cut them into squares and wrap individually with plastic wrap. Freeze or refrigerate.

Seminar: Triathlon injuries, prevention and rehabilitation.

 

Cyprus Triathlon Federation is organizing a seminar with title:

Triathlon injuries, prevention and rehabilitation.

The seminar will cover the most common injuries for all three disciplines, and the demographics around these injuries. We will talk about ways to prevent such injuries and will cover some aspects of rehabilitation to treat or prevent such injuries. The seminar will have both a theoretical part and practical part, therefore it is advised to come with your sporting kit.

Facilitator George Pengas, physiotherapist (Uk) and triathlete.

Reception will follow

The seminar will take place on Sunday December 23, 2012 from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM at KOE – Olympic House Amphipoleos 21, Nicosia, Cyprus and has no participation fee.

For registration please click here

 

New Studies on Older Endurance Athletes Suggest the Fittest Reap Few Health Benefits

From The Wall Street Journal

In a five-kilometer race Thanksgiving morning, Ralph Foiles finished first in his age group, earning the 56-year-old Kansan a winner’s medal.

Or was it a booby prize?

A fast-emerging body of scientific evidence points to a conclusion that’s unsettling, to say the least, for a lot of older athletes: Running can take a toll on the heart that essentially eliminates the benefits of exercise.

“Running too fast, too far and for too many years may speed one’s progress toward the finish line of life,” concludes an editorial to be published next month in the British journal Heart.

Until recently, the cardiac risk of exercise was measured almost exclusively by the incidence of deaths during races. For marathoners, that rate was one in 100,000—a number that didn’t exactly strike fear. Moreover, data showed that runners generally enjoyed enormous longevity benefits over nonrunners.

What the new research suggests is that the benefits of running may come to a hard stop later in life. In a study involving 52,600 people followed for three decades, the runners in the group had a 19% lower death rate than nonrunners, according to the Heart editorial. But among the running cohort, those who ran a lot—more than 20 to 25 miles a week—lost that mortality advantage.

Meanwhile, according to the Heart editorial, another large study found no mortality benefit for those who ran faster than 8 miles per hour, while those who ran slower reaped significant mortality benefits.

Those two studies—presented at recent medical conferences—follow the publication in recent months and years of several other articles finding cardiac abnormalities in extreme athletes, including coronary artery calcification of a degree typically found in the utterly sedentary.

Meghan Newcomer is a 32-year-old professional triathlete who has passed out during several races in recent years.

Opinion is nearly unanimous among cardiologists that endurance athletics significantly increases the risk of atrial fibrillation, an arrhythmia that is estimated to be the cause of one third of all strokes. “Chronic extreme exercise appears to cause excessive ‘wear-and-tear’ on the heart,” the editorial says.

Not everyone is lining up behind the new data. “The guys advancing the hypothesis that you can get too much exercise are manipulating the data,” said Paul Thompson, a former elite marathoner and nationally renowned sports cardiologist at Hartford Hospital. “They have an agenda.”

Sports cardiologist James O’Keefe, an author of the Heart paper, counters that Dr. Thompson is an exercise addict. “He, like many chronic exercise addicts, is the one with an agenda,” said Dr. O’Keefe, a sports cardiologist at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City. “My ‘agenda’ is my patients.”

Critics of the newer research say that the idea that running can harm the heart is based on research showing only an association—meaning that exercise may not be the cause of the problem. The note that in any large group of runners, high-mileage and high-speed athletes may be too few in number to be statistically significant.

Yet by all accounts, dosage is no less relevant to exercise than to any other medical treatment, and for years the endurance-athletics movement has prompted words of caution from none other than Kenneth Cooper, the Dallas physician widely credited with launching the aerobics movement nearly half a century ago. “If you are running more than 15 miles a week, you are doing it for some reason other than health,” said Dr. Cooper, adding that he suspects—without hard evidence—that extreme exercise can render a body more susceptible to cancer.

The most vocal proponent of cutting back for cardiac reasons is Dr. O’Keefe, a 56-year-old cardiologist and former elite athlete. From 1999 to 2004, he won outright the largest sprint distance triathlon in Kansas City, a testament not only to his athletic abilities but also to hours and hours of early- and late-hour training.

But a sense that this regimen was aging him prematurely, coupled with the mounting awareness of cardiac issues in extreme endurance athletes, prompted Dr. O’Keefe to slash his running to below 20 miles a week, never faster than eight minutes a mile.

Asked if he ever runs a five-kilometer race for time, he said, “Not for the past three years. After age 50, pushing too hard is probably not good for one’s heart or longevity.”

Meanwhile, Dr. O’Keefe’s fellow author on the upcoming Heart paper, Carl Lavie, continues racing at speeds slightly above what their editorial recommends. “I did a turkey day five-mile race in 38 minutes,” said Dr. Lavie, a cardiologist at the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute in New Orleans. “I train slower than I race, and when I race I know the risks. That’s all we’re trying to do: Let people know the risks and make up their own minds.”

The conflict between pursuit of health and of athletic glory is particularly acute in Meghan Newcomer, a 32-year-old professional triathlete who in recent years passed out during several races, requiring acute medical attention and prompting her loved ones to ask her to slow down or retire. She has a promising medical career, after all: Why not quit competing?

Instead, after undergoing in-depth study at a Connecticut sports-medical clinic, she was told to triple her intake of sodium during races. Yet she was also told to slow down, advice that helped her this summer complete—without passing out—her first Ironman-distance triathlon.

The idea that serial marathoners may earn no cardiac advantage over couch potatoes will surely amuse serial viewers of “Seinfeld” reruns. But don’t expect the running boom to grind to a halt. Optimal health isn’t necessarily the Holy Grail, even for aging athletes.

“Even if I knew for sure that running fast had an element of risk, I don’t know that I would back down,” said Foiles, the 56-year-old runner who lives in a Kansas City suburb. “To finish at the front of my age group, yeah, that’s an inspiration.”

Massage not only enhances recovery but may also boost fitness

After decades of scientific dismissals, a new study suggests that massage not only enhances recovery but may also boost fitness.

This article was originally published in the Sept/Oct 2012 issue of Inside Triathlon magazine.

Many triathletes swear by massage. They may not have the slightest idea how it works, but they are unshakably certain that it works. They can feel it. A good massage seems to take post-workout soreness and stiffness out of the muscles. A regular regimen of weekly massage seems to keep the body loose and supple and enhance freedom of movement.

Scientific attempts to validate these perceptions have almost always failed, however. Jason Brumitt, Ph.D., an assistant professor of physical therapy at Pacific University, summed up the situation in a 2008 review of the scientific literature on the use of massage therapy in sports. “Massage is a popular treatment choice of athletes, coaches, and sports physical therapists,” he wrote. “Despite its purported benefits and frequent use, evidence demonstrating its efficacy is scarce.”

Not anymore. A new study published in Science Translational Medicine provides the first physiological evidence that massage actually does something—and perhaps something more than even its most enthusiastic devotees thought it did.

To read the study, click here