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The question of what makes muscles tire is an
important one for endurance athletes. Gina
Kolata, a science writer at the New York
Times, looked at new
research which
suggests some surprising answers.
The long held theory that the buildup of
lactic acid causes fatigue was recently shown
to be incorrect
by George
Brooks
at UC
Berkeley.
Lactic acid is actually another fuel source,
which is burned in the mitochondria. (The
reason that tempo runs are helpful is not
that they delay the production of lactate,
but because they increase the mass of
mitochondria available for burning lactate).
This new research on muscle fatigue, stems
from work on heart disease undertaken by Dr.
Andrew
Marks at Columbia. They
discovered that congestive heart failure is
due to overstimulation of a weakened heart,
resulting ultimately in the leakage of
calcium ions into heart muscle fibers. Since
the presence (absence) of calcium ions is what
causes muscle fibers to contract (relax), this
leakage weakens the ability of muscle
fibers to contract.
While heart and skeletal muscle are different
in some ways, they are similar in others.
Dr. Marks extended his investigation to skeletal
muscle by working with
exercise physiologist David Nieman of
Appalachian State University (familiar to
readers of The
Bounce). What they discovered is that
the leakage of calcium ions is also
responsible for fatigue in skeletal muscles.
Are there any direct implications for
athletes in this? Not yet. While Dr.
Marks's work
has highlighted potential therapies for heart
disease patients, the extension to athletes
is still a long way off.
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Dick Beardsley has been a long time supporter
of nuBound and its nutritional benefits. He
has recently launched the Dick
Beardsley Foundation to support people
battling drug or
alcohol addiction, a situation where he has
some hard-won personal experience.
Dick broke onto the distance running scene in the late 1970s as an unknown farm boy from the midwest, who won a couple of big races and then challenged the up-and-coming hope of American distance running Alberto Salazar in the 1982 Boston Marathon. The epic battle between those two has entered history as the Duel in the Sun. While competing at the highest level of road racing, Dick was severely injured in a work accident on his farm. During his rehab from that he was hit by a truck while out running on a snowy road on a dark winter day. These various accidents left him in intense pain. As his tolerance for the pain medication grew, his life began to spin around pain medication and he lost control. In 1997 Dick got treatment for his chemical
addiction and has been drug free ever since.
This turning
point saved Dick's life. Today he enjoys his
life and his running more than ever. He
created the Foundation to ensure that
others in similar circumstances can find
their own turning points. The Foundation
operates through several educational
initiatives and a grant program to support
treatment for those in need.
The educational initiatives operate through a
speakers program where the goals are to
spread the word on picking up the warning
signs of chemical dependency and to encourage
dialog to make people more comfortable and
less afraid to discuss the subject.
Education on the benefits of a healthy
lifestyle is an important consideration as
well. The grant program seeks to ensure that
people who might otherwise fall through the
cracks, due
to lack of insurance or limitations in
coverage, can still receive the help they need
to pursue recovery.
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CrossFit
had issued a list of eight athletic
challenges.
These various feats of athletic
prowess were an open competition for all
comers. Over time they were all satisfied
but for one last one--performing 15 handstand
pushups on a set of rings.
This challenge went unmet until last October
when Jim Bathurst, a former college gymnast
posted the following video.
[Click on the picture to play.]
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Sincerely,
Mark Connell
nuBound
email:
mconnell@nubound.net
phone:
888.480.NUCLeotide (or 888.480.6825)
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| From the archives of The Bounce . . . |
| Advanced DNA/RNA Sports Supplement |
Recover Faster
Train Harder
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Train Harder
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