Over-Training : How to measure and prevent.

How does over training happen?

Over training is the result of “inappropriate recovery methods that do not keep in pace with the demands of training.” Patients and athletes need to know that adequate rest is important to make gains and avoid over training.

Why does over training happen?

• Energy stores become depleted, therefore performance decreases.

• Inappropriate rest and recovery leads to injuries and no strength or mass gains.

• Poor nutrition; cannot heal tissues and replenish energy stores or electrolytes.

• Poor workout planning. Need adequate time following high intensity workouts.

Symptoms of over training

• Morning pH readings; basic urine readings means body is acidic, therefore prone to illness. (Ebbets, 2006)

• Personality, attitude and motivational changes. (Ebbets,2006)

• Elevated morning heart rate; greater than 10%. (Ebbets,p.32,2006)

• Fatigue, apathy, listlessness, loss of will power. (Ebbets,p.32,2006)

Stage control test

• Easy tests that can be performed to see if the athlete is over training. (Ebbets,p.32,2006)

• Examples include: vertical jump heights, standing long jump.

• Get baseline measures, and re-test at a later date for decrease in performance.

Physiological indicators for signs of over training

• Decreased strength, speed, coordination and endurance.

• Muscle soreness, injury, and slower recovery rates

• Increased sweating, excessive thirst, nausea, loss of appetite

Immunological indicators for signs of over training

• Increased susceptibility to illness, colds, allergies, infections, swollen lymph glands.

• Decreased lymphocyte counts, increased eosinophil counts

The 10 Day Rule (Ebbets, p.83,2006)

• Latency periods for organs and systems in the body to recover following exercise.

• Examples: heart rate 20-60mins, muscular system 24-48hrs, CNS 7x the muscular system

• Average recovery of the muscle system =36hrs. 36hrs X 7 =252hrs approximately 10 DAYS

• 10 Days of rest are needed following “personal bests” e.g.: 5k run, bench, squat, deadlift.

Proper nutrition to avoid over training

• Adequate protein for building and repair. 1.2g per kilogram of body weight.

• Complex carbohydrates for metabolic energy cycles and replenishing glycogen stores.

• Plenty of water to achieve optimal hydration and functioning of systems.

• Multivitamin and antioxidants for increased demands and stress on the body.

Other remedies for over training

• Change or revise training programs and goals

• Rest or active rest (low level exercise) will speed up recovery.

• Reduce psychological stress: meditation, deep breathing, tai chi, yoga.

• Cold Laser Therapy for accelerated healing and soft tissue repair. http://www.drbrentmoyer.com/Laser.aspx
• Lymphatic drainage performed by a registered massage therapist RMT

For more information Dr. Brent Moyer can be contacted at Brant Arts Chiropractic 905-637-6100. www.drbrentmoyer.com Twitter: @brantartschiro Facebook: Brant Arts Chiropractic

References:

Ebbets, R., (2006) Principles of Training Theory. The study and application of elite sport science. P.4-84.

Can Orthotics help foot, knee or back pain?

Orthotics for Foot Pain, Knee Pain and Back Pain

 

 

 

            Orthotics are prescribed and recommended by chiropractors, podiatrists and other health care professionals, and are custom-made for the patient's postural problems. Custom orthotic inserts provide functional support and cushioning.

Custom-made orthotics are designed to allow your feet to maintain their structural and functional balance. Your feet are the foundation of your body, to support your body when you stand, walk, or run; they assist you in locomotion; and they absorb forces or shock as you move to protect your spine, pelvis, and muscles.

Your feet are at optimal functioning when all the bones and arches are in their ideal stable positions. Foot problems such as weakness, instability, flat feet, or high arches will often contribute to postural problems in the rest of the body, which may lead to spinal misalignment. Custom-made orthotics will help to keep the feet in a stable and desirable position. On the photo to the left, you can see what over-pronation (rolling in) of the subtalar joint can do to the ankle, knee, hip, pelvis, spine and even the shoulders and neck. It is estimated that over 80% of the population have pronation problems which can lead to plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, bunions, knee pain and OA, sciatic impingement and scolisis of the spine.

How can orthotics correct over-pronation and pes planus (flat feet)?

 

When the foot is over-pronated (flat footed), the femur and the tibia stay in internal rotation.  (see pic above with left foot) This causes other parts of your body to compensate, changing the muscular structure and biomechanics of the gait cycle.

 

Orthotics will support the medial arch and keep the subtalar joint in a neutral position. In other words, when the foot is casted to correct the pronation, the joint is put in the correct position to compensate for the excessive "rolling in" of the ankle. The above picture illustrates how the custom orthotic aligns the foot and ankle in the correct postion.

 

Custom-made orthotics should be prescribed and casted by a licensed health care professional. Chiropractors, Chiropodists, and Podiatrists are experts in foot and gait mechanics and the effects of these problems on other areas of the body.

For more information Dr. Brent Moyer can be contacted at Brant Arts Chiropractic 905-637-6100. www.drbrentmoyer.com Twitter: @brantartschiro Facebook: Brant Arts Chiropractic

Prostate Cancer Risk Factors

  The BRCA gene, may also be found in men.  Men who carry this mutation, may increase their risk of prostate cancer, and breast cancer. (komen.org)  The incidence of prostate cancer increases drastically with increasing age.  It is very rare to see prostate cancer before age 50.  With regard to family history, it is estimated that 15 percent of men with prostate cancer have a brother or father (first-relative) that had prostate cancer as well.  Risk of prostate cancer is higher among blacks and lowest among Japanese (whites in the middle).  A number of studies have also reported higher levels of DHT and testosterone among blacks, and lowest among Japanese.  These hormone levels are essential to normal prostatic development.  The risks for developing prostate cancer directly parallel the race and androgen levels.  Your risk may also increase with high fat diets, especially animal/saturated fats.  There have been many studies that illustrate this correlation.  Possible explanations; dietary fat increases serum androgen levels, and fatty acids (linoleic acid, omega 6) may initiate prostate cell growth, while omega 3 fatty acids inhibit cell growth. (www.nci.nih.gov) National Cancer Institute.

Related blogs: See my post about about the anti-cancer diet and breast cancer risk factors.

For more information Dr. Brent Moyer can be contacted at Brant Arts Chiropractic 905-637-6100. www.drbrentmoyer.com Twitter: @brantartschiro Facebook: Brant Arts Chiropractic

 

 

Breast Cancer Risk Factors

 Risk is a person’s chance of getting a disease over a specific time period.  A person’s risk is usually estimated by looking at a specific age group, race etc..

For example, by looking at 100,000 women, ages 20-29 for one year, approximately 4 would develop breast cancer. That is to say, 1 per 25,000 women.  However, the lifetime risk of breast cancer for an American women born in 1990 is about 1 in 8, if she lives to be 85 (komen.org).  Risk factors can range from lifestyle choice to genetics to environmental factors, such as radiation.  It is known that early menarche (before age 12) have a higher risk of developing breast cancer.  Factors that decrease risk are called protective factors.  Women who have given birth before age 30 have a lower risk.  Therefore, giving birth is a protective factor against breast cancer.  It is also reported that women who take postmenopausal hormones have a 25 percent increase in risk.

            Several inherited mutations of genes have been linked to breast cancer, such as BRCA1, BRCA2, p53, and ATM.  These mutations would increase the risk of developing breast cancer, but they are in fact very rare in the population.  Thus, they only account for 10-15 percent of all types of breast cancer diagnosed in the U.S. (komen.org)  BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations are well recognized, although it is estimated that only 250,000 women in the U.S. carry this mutation.  If one does carry the BRCA1 mutation, they have a 60-80 % chance of developing breast cancer. (BRCA2, a slightly lower risk)  Since these mutations are quite rare among the general population, it is likely a combination of factors that contributes to the development of breast cancer.

(http://www.komen.org The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation)

 

Related blogs: See my post about about the anti-cancer diet.

For more information Dr. Brent Moyer can be contacted at Brant Arts Chiropractic 905-637-6100. www.drbrentmoyer.com Twitter: @brantartschiro Facebook: Brant Arts Chiropractic