From Coach Mike Boyle - nicely addresses many of the questionable aspects of the conventional wisdom regardling stretching, flexibility, and fitness. An athlete gets all of the flexibility they need from full range of motion functional movements. If you can squat below parallel, complete a full range of motion pullup, and hold a bar directly overhead, how much more flexibility do you need? The sit reach in particular is a poor measure of meaningful flexibility, as it encourages athletes to gain flexibility in their lower backs. The lower back is designed to have limited ROM in order for it to provide a stable, weight bearing capacity. It is not desirable to significantly increase the flexibility of the low back unless you are a specialty athlete, like a contortionist, or you are in rehabilitation. Hamstring length is cultivated naturally with weightlifting exercises such as the deadlift, weighted back squat, and weighted front squat. If you desire to gain more hamstring flexibility faster, use Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF).
"A recent NY Times article once again questioned the value of stretching.
Here is the article - http://tinyurl.com/ygt4grv
A Facebook link posted by one of my friends brought the article to my attention.
To be honest, I am amazed that writers can make the jumps in reasoning that they make with so little knowledge. In my opinion the author makes three huge mistakes in the first two paragraphs.
1- The author studied distance runners. These are at best an interesting sub-group but have no real relationship to most team sport athletes.
2- The study used the sit and reach test as the indicator of flexibility.
Any strength coach or fitness professional knows that this is a poor test as the test actually looks at movement across multiple segments. To call the sit and reach a hamstring test is really a display of ignorance. The truth is it as test of relative flexibility, which is often a problem, not an attribute.
3- Last but certainly not least the author states that the test measures elasticity. Flexibility, even if their measurements were valid and reliable, and elasticity are not nearly synonymous.
The end of the article gets slightly better but, not much. What the author fails to grasp is that the key is not the gains in flexibility but, the losses of flexibility over time.
Bottom line, neither the article or the study is very good.
Mike Boyle
http://www.functionalstrengthcoach3.com/"
Functional Strength Coach
105 South Street
Plainville, MA
02762
US
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Friday, January 22, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Saturated Fat - Not the Boogeyman
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/ajcn.2009.27725v1
Background: A reduction in dietary saturated fat has generally been thought to improve cardiovascular health.
Objective: The objective of this meta-analysis was to summarize the evidence related to the association of dietary saturated fat with risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and cardiovascular disease (CVD; CHD inclusive of stroke) in prospective epidemiologic studies.
Design: Twenty-one studies identified by searching MEDLINE and EMBASE databases and secondary referencing qualified for inclusion in this study. A random-effects model was used to derive composite relative risk estimates for CHD, stroke, and CVD.
Results: During 5–23 y of follow-up of 347,747 subjects, 11,006 developed CHD or stroke. Intake of saturated fat was not associated with an increased risk of CHD, stroke, or CVD. The pooled relative risk estimates that compared extreme quantiles of saturated fat intake were 1.07 (95% CI: 0.96, 1.19; P = 0.22) for CHD, 0.81 (95% CI: 0.62, 1.05; P = 0.11) for stroke, and 1.00 (95% CI: 0.89, 1.11; P = 0.95) for CVD. Consideration of age, sex, and study quality did not change the results.
Conclusions: A meta-analysis of prospective epidemiologic studies showed that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD. More data are needed to elucidate whether CVD risks are likely to be influenced by the specific nutrients used to replace saturated fat.
Received for publication March 6, 2009. Accepted for publication November 25, 2009.
Background: A reduction in dietary saturated fat has generally been thought to improve cardiovascular health.
Objective: The objective of this meta-analysis was to summarize the evidence related to the association of dietary saturated fat with risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and cardiovascular disease (CVD; CHD inclusive of stroke) in prospective epidemiologic studies.
Design: Twenty-one studies identified by searching MEDLINE and EMBASE databases and secondary referencing qualified for inclusion in this study. A random-effects model was used to derive composite relative risk estimates for CHD, stroke, and CVD.
Results: During 5–23 y of follow-up of 347,747 subjects, 11,006 developed CHD or stroke. Intake of saturated fat was not associated with an increased risk of CHD, stroke, or CVD. The pooled relative risk estimates that compared extreme quantiles of saturated fat intake were 1.07 (95% CI: 0.96, 1.19; P = 0.22) for CHD, 0.81 (95% CI: 0.62, 1.05; P = 0.11) for stroke, and 1.00 (95% CI: 0.89, 1.11; P = 0.95) for CVD. Consideration of age, sex, and study quality did not change the results.
Conclusions: A meta-analysis of prospective epidemiologic studies showed that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD. More data are needed to elucidate whether CVD risks are likely to be influenced by the specific nutrients used to replace saturated fat.
Received for publication March 6, 2009. Accepted for publication November 25, 2009.
Ever Wonder What Resveratrol Is and Why Folks Are Talking About It?
http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100119/full/news.2010.18.html
Sceptics continue to ask whether resveratrol really can delay the effects of ageing.
Sceptics continue to ask whether resveratrol really can delay the effects of ageing.
Men's Health on Heart Health - And Correct!
http://www.menshealth.com/men/health/heart-disease/understanding-cholesterol-and-heart-disease/article/34cf5983f7a75210vgnvcm10000030281eac
This is an easy to digest summarization of the work of folks like Gary Taubes.
Bottom line - lower carb intake equals lower triglycerides and higher HDLs and better heart health.
This is an easy to digest summarization of the work of folks like Gary Taubes.
Bottom line - lower carb intake equals lower triglycerides and higher HDLs and better heart health.
Everything You Want to Know about Vitamin D Supplementation
From the "heart scan blog", http://www.heartscan.blogspot.com/:
--"We use 60-70 ng/ml of 25-hydroxy vitamin D as our target. Most men and women require 6000 units per day to achieve this level."
--"I advise everyone that gelcap vitamin D is preferable. Some, though not all, liquid drop forms have also worked. Take a dose that yields desirable blood levels.
--"And blood levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D are ideally checked every 6 months: in summer and in winter to provide feedback on how much sun activation of D you obtain. If your doctor is unwilling or unable to perform vitamin D testing, fingerstick vitamin D test kits can be obtained from Track Your Plaque."
--"We use 60-70 ng/ml of 25-hydroxy vitamin D as our target. Most men and women require 6000 units per day to achieve this level."
--"I advise everyone that gelcap vitamin D is preferable. Some, though not all, liquid drop forms have also worked. Take a dose that yields desirable blood levels.
--"And blood levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D are ideally checked every 6 months: in summer and in winter to provide feedback on how much sun activation of D you obtain. If your doctor is unwilling or unable to perform vitamin D testing, fingerstick vitamin D test kits can be obtained from Track Your Plaque."
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Detox? Finally One That May Be Legit
http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/weight-loss/a-legitimate-use-for-orlistat/
Ever wish you could get the funky Persistent Organic Chemicals (POPs) out of your system? Dr. Eades leads the way.
Ever wish you could get the funky Persistent Organic Chemicals (POPs) out of your system? Dr. Eades leads the way.
Magnificent Summary on What LDL Is and Is Not
http://www.menshealth.com/men/health/heaart-disease/understanding-cholesterol-and-heart-disease/article/34cf5983f7a75210vgnvcm10000030281eac/5
This is a great summary of the information that Gary Taubes Highlights so well in "Good Calories Bad Calories" in regards to the significance of LDL.
BLUF: LDL does not predict risk of heart disease nearly as well as triglicerides and HDL levels do. With low triglycerides and high HDL, you needn't worry about LDL levels. In my book, taking statins to treat LDL levels makes no sense at all.
This is a great summary of the information that Gary Taubes Highlights so well in "Good Calories Bad Calories" in regards to the significance of LDL.
BLUF: LDL does not predict risk of heart disease nearly as well as triglicerides and HDL levels do. With low triglycerides and high HDL, you needn't worry about LDL levels. In my book, taking statins to treat LDL levels makes no sense at all.
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