Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Friday, 12 March 2010
Total Body Fitness Gives Useful info on Achilles Tendonitis
Achilles Tendon Support Can Help Relieve Achilles Tendonitis Pain
So you’ve decided to exercise, but forgot to stretch your calf muscles, and now you have a sharp pain just above your ankle. This pain – most likely the result of Achilles tendonitis, a condition often caused by tight calf muscles – can be alleviated via Achilles tendon support.
The Achilles tendon, the strongest tendon in the body, connects the calf muscle to the heel bone, so Achilles tendon support is crucial to helping it remain strong. Named after the Greek warrior who could only be mortally wounded in his heel, the Achilles tendon supports your body’s weight during exercise and everyday activities such as walking and climbing stairs. When the Achilles tendon becomes irritated or inflamed, you may experience a sharp, constant pain just above your heel. If you’re experiencing this pain, you most likely have Achilles tendonitis. Total Body Fitness explains some causes and remedies to help people prevent or recover from this most painful condition.
Poor Achilles Tendon Support Can Cause Achilles Tendonitis
Tight calf muscles due to poor stretching or a too rapid increase in the frequency or intensity of athletic activity typically inflame the Achilles tendon, thus causing Achilles tendonitis and compelling you to pursue Achilles tendon support.
The following conditions and factors can also lead to Achilles tendonitis and the need for Achilles tendon support :
* Flat feet or over-pronation during walking or running.
* Shoes that don’t stabilize your feet.
* Leg length discrepancy (one leg is longer than the other).
Relieve and Prevent Achilles Tendonitis Pain
If you have Achilles tendonitis pain, you can find relief by integrating better Achilles tendon support exercises into your daily routine. Also, in addition to Achilles tendon support, try following these suggestions:
* Temporarily stop the activity that caused the pain (running, excessive walking, etc.).
* Ice and/or massage the painful area. Apply ice approximately three times a day for 20 minutes to help reduce inflammation of the tendon.
* Gently stretch and massage your calf muscle using a stretching aid..
* Use a heel lift in your shoes to help reduce the pull on the tendon and promote healing.
Achilles tendon support is crucial to helping avoid future problems with your Achilles tendon. Try to follow these tips to help guard against Achilles tendonitis in the future:
* Consistently stretch your calf muscles before exercising or walking.
* Wear shoes that stabilize your feet during motion. Remember, an ideal support shoe has the following characteristics:
o Firm heel counter
o Wide enough toe box to accommodate toes without pinching
o Semi-rigid or rigid shank
o Removable inner sole
o Long vamp
o Heel measuring between ¾ - 1½ inches
* Use heel lifts and other insoles in shoes to give your feet more cushioning and support. These types of products provide great Achilles tendon support.
* If you find yourself recovering from Achilles tendonitis, ease back into exercise slowly, giving yourself enough time to heal.
If the pain persists and you feel like you need better Achilles tendon support, The Podiatry Institute recommends consulting a podiatrist, as chronic Achilles tendonitis may require physical therapy, cast immobilization or even surgery in extreme cases.
So you’ve decided to exercise, but forgot to stretch your calf muscles, and now you have a sharp pain just above your ankle. This pain – most likely the result of Achilles tendonitis, a condition often caused by tight calf muscles – can be alleviated via Achilles tendon support.
The Achilles tendon, the strongest tendon in the body, connects the calf muscle to the heel bone, so Achilles tendon support is crucial to helping it remain strong. Named after the Greek warrior who could only be mortally wounded in his heel, the Achilles tendon supports your body’s weight during exercise and everyday activities such as walking and climbing stairs. When the Achilles tendon becomes irritated or inflamed, you may experience a sharp, constant pain just above your heel. If you’re experiencing this pain, you most likely have Achilles tendonitis. Total Body Fitness explains some causes and remedies to help people prevent or recover from this most painful condition.
Poor Achilles Tendon Support Can Cause Achilles Tendonitis
Tight calf muscles due to poor stretching or a too rapid increase in the frequency or intensity of athletic activity typically inflame the Achilles tendon, thus causing Achilles tendonitis and compelling you to pursue Achilles tendon support.
The following conditions and factors can also lead to Achilles tendonitis and the need for Achilles tendon support :
* Flat feet or over-pronation during walking or running.
* Shoes that don’t stabilize your feet.
* Leg length discrepancy (one leg is longer than the other).
Relieve and Prevent Achilles Tendonitis Pain
If you have Achilles tendonitis pain, you can find relief by integrating better Achilles tendon support exercises into your daily routine. Also, in addition to Achilles tendon support, try following these suggestions:
* Temporarily stop the activity that caused the pain (running, excessive walking, etc.).
* Ice and/or massage the painful area. Apply ice approximately three times a day for 20 minutes to help reduce inflammation of the tendon.
* Gently stretch and massage your calf muscle using a stretching aid..
* Use a heel lift in your shoes to help reduce the pull on the tendon and promote healing.
Achilles tendon support is crucial to helping avoid future problems with your Achilles tendon. Try to follow these tips to help guard against Achilles tendonitis in the future:
* Consistently stretch your calf muscles before exercising or walking.
* Wear shoes that stabilize your feet during motion. Remember, an ideal support shoe has the following characteristics:
o Firm heel counter
o Wide enough toe box to accommodate toes without pinching
o Semi-rigid or rigid shank
o Removable inner sole
o Long vamp
o Heel measuring between ¾ - 1½ inches
* Use heel lifts and other insoles in shoes to give your feet more cushioning and support. These types of products provide great Achilles tendon support.
* If you find yourself recovering from Achilles tendonitis, ease back into exercise slowly, giving yourself enough time to heal.
If the pain persists and you feel like you need better Achilles tendon support, The Podiatry Institute recommends consulting a podiatrist, as chronic Achilles tendonitis may require physical therapy, cast immobilization or even surgery in extreme cases.
Monday, 8 March 2010
Endurance athletes need vitamin D says Total Body fitness
Total Body Fitness Explains the Importance of Vitamin D for Endurance Athletes
We are only just beginning to understand the complexity and importance of vitamin D in relation to health. Of importance to athletes is the function of vitamin D as it relates to overall health, bone density, innate immunity, muscle wasting, and exercise-related inflammation and immunity. To train and race optimally, an athlete should not have any nutrient deficiencies.
Bone Health:
Deena Kastor, Olympic Marathoner, broke her foot in Beijing during the 2008 Olympic Marathon. It was discovered that her calcium levels were normal, but her 25(OH)D levels were reported to be around 15 ng/ml. And Kastor lives in sunny California. Because of an early scare with skin cancer, she is known to apply sunscreen for all of her outdoor runs, thus limiting her ability to manufacture vitamin D from sun exposure. Even with the extensive research to show vitamin D and calcium’s role in preventing osteoporosis, elite, college, and high school athletes continue to be deficient in one or both nutrient(s). Stress fractures are quite prevalent in runners and yet so preventable.
Increased VO2 max:
German research studies dating back to the 1950s show that athletes exposed to vitamin D-producing ultraviolet light had improved athletic performance. Other studies showed that athletic performance peaked at the end of the summer. Peak performance was also associated with 25(OH)D levels around 50 ng/ml. In addition, maximal oxygen uptake was found to drop when less ultraviolet rays reached the earth, for example, in the late fall. This is particularly a problem for marathoners training through the summer for fall marathons.
Reduced Inflammation:
After intense exercise, endurance athletes experience inflammation due to elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Vitamin D reduces the production of these cytokines while increasing the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines, thereby speeding the recovery process between hard workouts.
Improved Immunity:
In a February 2009 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, vitamin D3 levels were tested in 19, 000 Americans. Those with low levels of vitamin D had the highest incidence of colds and influenza. This is important information for endurance athletes who strive to balance heavy training loads and staying healthy.
What can be done?
1. Get regular, safe, twice-daily (5-30 minutes) exposure to sun between the hours of 10 am and 3 pm. Note that sunscreen and glass (being indoors) reduce or block UV energy.
2. Supplement with 1000 IU to 2000 IU of vitamin D3 to maintain normal levels.
For those living or competing in northern latitudes (north of Atlanta, GA) little to no vitamin D production will occur, so consumption of fortified foods and supplements is a necessity
We are only just beginning to understand the complexity and importance of vitamin D in relation to health. Of importance to athletes is the function of vitamin D as it relates to overall health, bone density, innate immunity, muscle wasting, and exercise-related inflammation and immunity. To train and race optimally, an athlete should not have any nutrient deficiencies.
Bone Health:
Deena Kastor, Olympic Marathoner, broke her foot in Beijing during the 2008 Olympic Marathon. It was discovered that her calcium levels were normal, but her 25(OH)D levels were reported to be around 15 ng/ml. And Kastor lives in sunny California. Because of an early scare with skin cancer, she is known to apply sunscreen for all of her outdoor runs, thus limiting her ability to manufacture vitamin D from sun exposure. Even with the extensive research to show vitamin D and calcium’s role in preventing osteoporosis, elite, college, and high school athletes continue to be deficient in one or both nutrient(s). Stress fractures are quite prevalent in runners and yet so preventable.
Increased VO2 max:
German research studies dating back to the 1950s show that athletes exposed to vitamin D-producing ultraviolet light had improved athletic performance. Other studies showed that athletic performance peaked at the end of the summer. Peak performance was also associated with 25(OH)D levels around 50 ng/ml. In addition, maximal oxygen uptake was found to drop when less ultraviolet rays reached the earth, for example, in the late fall. This is particularly a problem for marathoners training through the summer for fall marathons.
Reduced Inflammation:
After intense exercise, endurance athletes experience inflammation due to elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Vitamin D reduces the production of these cytokines while increasing the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines, thereby speeding the recovery process between hard workouts.
Improved Immunity:
In a February 2009 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, vitamin D3 levels were tested in 19, 000 Americans. Those with low levels of vitamin D had the highest incidence of colds and influenza. This is important information for endurance athletes who strive to balance heavy training loads and staying healthy.
What can be done?
1. Get regular, safe, twice-daily (5-30 minutes) exposure to sun between the hours of 10 am and 3 pm. Note that sunscreen and glass (being indoors) reduce or block UV energy.
2. Supplement with 1000 IU to 2000 IU of vitamin D3 to maintain normal levels.
For those living or competing in northern latitudes (north of Atlanta, GA) little to no vitamin D production will occur, so consumption of fortified foods and supplements is a necessity
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