The New Year is here!  Every January I’m inspired by enthusiastic people sharing their New Year’s resolutions with me.  It is very apparent that the fitness business booms in January.  With an increase in fitness related activity, inevitably, there is   a rise in injuries a few months down the road, usually in March or April.  This is because the common trainer and novice client or gym user will usually not train with proper rest and recovery in mind. 

Proper rest and recovery must occur when we put stress on our body, such as when we exercise.  This is not much different from the need to sleep and eat well during a hard week at work.  The human body’s ability to adapt and change its composition is amazing.  To achieve your New Year’s goals, you have to be diligent about training efficiently, eating well, and recovering properly.  The first two are well known, but the third isn’t - that is why injuries occur very often in the beginning of a sport season or when someone exercises too much, too soon.

This article was originally written as a training/education tool for 14 year old female soccer players.  Their zealous attitudes about training for soccer are so wonderful to witness.  My goal for the original article was to teach the athletes about taking care of their bodies after our training sessions were over.  With proper rest and recovery practices, the athletes should maintain positive feelings around strength training and not be discouraged by muscle soreness or overtraining.  A novice exercise participant can also feel positive about working out, if they take rest and recovery into account in their training plan.  This will also ensure they ward off anxiety about a huge change in their lifestyle.

Why are rest and recovery needed?  To change the composition of our muscles and body, we must put the body through stress by exercising.  The result of the proper amount of exercise is micro-injury to the muscle tissue.  The micro-injury causes the muscles to rebuild and repair, i.e. increasing muscle mass.  This process also causes an influx of feel-good hormones which improve mood, metabolism, and energy levels.  To maximize this process, you must be vigilant about rest and recovery.

Factors that Effect recovery and training

Training, nutrition, supplements, sleep, travel, school, work, psychological factors, physiological factors, genetics, environmental factors, social life, recovery interventions

Time! This is a discussion about rest and recovery on a macro level.  A micro level analysis would be concerned with rest and recovery in between sets, intervals, heart rate monitoring, lactate threshold, and short distance sprints.  The objectives of rest and recovery (below) refer to the variables that are important after a complete workout or following a match/race.  Assigning a rest time period in between certain exercise/competition bouts is YOUR job (or your trainer’s).  This is because every individual has a different threshold to reach before rest and recovery is necessary.  Choosing the appropriate amount of rest for optimal recovery depends on their fitness levels, stress levels, and sleeping habits.  This article will not give you the exact time you need for optimal recovery, but   will define the variables that will help you make better decisions about planning your training program.

THE OBJECTIVES OF RECOVERY

• Restore glycogen levels. This is the primary nutrition goal of the restoration process. Failure to do so has negative implications for the next workout or the next day. Glycogen is a source of energy for our muscles. Our body breaks down carbohydrates from our diet to form glucose and glycogen. If the glycogen is not used for energy, it is then stored in the muscles and liver for later use. Glycogen is the source of energy most often used for exercise. It is needed for any short, intense bouts of exercise from sprinting to weight lifting because it is immediately accessible. Glycogen also supplies energy during the first few minutes of any sport. During long, slow-duration exercise, fat can help fuel activity, but glycogen is still needed to help breakdown the fat into something the muscles can use. Ideally, you would like to restore glycogen levels to pre-exercise state.
•              o How to achieve restored glycogen levels: Carbohydrates should be taken within 2 hours after exercise. Research has shown that eating 100-200 grams of carbohydrate within two hours of endurance exercise is essential to building adequate glycogen stores for continued training. Waiting longer than two hours to eat results in 50 percent less glycogen stored in the muscle (Jentjens R, 2003).
• Restore depleted electrolytes. This issue should be addressed during and after exercise. Electrolyte replacement is crucial. Electrolytes are salts in the body.  They are found in blood, tissue, and fluids.  Proper balance is essential for muscle coordination, heart function, fluid absorption and excretion, nerve function, and concentration.  When a person sweats, essential electrolytes are lost.  Salts act like a sponge, holding the fluid in the body. If you drink a large volume of plain water, the body thinks it’s over hydrated because the water dilutes the concentrations of sodium and other dissolved substances in the blood. This switches off thirst and switches on the kidneys to increase urine output. Sodium, magnesium, potassium, chloride, and calcium are all important minerals lost in sweat. Avoid caffeine and colas because they delay the re-hydration process.
• Hydrate and rehydrate
• Minimize the breakdown of muscle by consuming protein after training. This encourages the focus on anabolic adaptations to training. Catabolic adaptations include the breakdown of muscle.
•      o Anabolic- metabolic pathway that constructs larger molecules from smaller molecules. For exercise this is the hormone response related to muscle growth and protein synthesis.
•      o Catabolic- metabolic pathway that destructs larger molecules into smaller molecules. In exercise science, this refers to the hormone response that breaks down muscle and causes overtraining (chronic syndrome). In some instances, catabolism is necessary for the muscles to use molecules for energy (breakdown of ATP and respiratory gases).
•      oFor meal planning: using a protein to carbohydrate ratio of 1 to 4 can prevent muscular breakdown.
• Offset the effects of free radicals. This is an environmental concern. Free radicals in the blood stream are caused by pollution and food additives. They can break down healthy cells, which can lead to a variety of health problems and predisposition to cancer. The use of antioxidants and vitamin C can help offset free radicals and their effects.
• Reduce inflammation. The stress of training produces a healthy amount of inflammation and unhealthy amounts of inflammation. Inflammation is a natural protective mechanism of the body to heal and stimulate blood flow to the damaged tissue. There must be a balance between allowing the body’s natural inflammatory response to take place and minimize swelling that inhibits muscular contractions. The best way to reduce inflammation is using isometrics and ice application.
• Boost the immune system. Systematic high level training will severely stress the body’s immune system. This must be addressed by moderating lifestyle and proper nutrition.  Shortly after exercise your immune system will be suppressed. Since exercise does stress the body, it takes real energy and physical resources for the body to adapt.
•        o Cortisol levels increase after exercise. The increased level is only temporary. The cortisol levels are increased because of its relationship to insulin. They have an inverse relationship. Insulin has an immense impact on metabolism by controlling the tissues to uptake glucose from the blood. Insulin levels decrease because the muscles are metabolizing glucose so insulin has no role during exercise, this in turn increases the counter hormone cortisol (L. Plat, 1996).
•      o Cortisol is associated with chronic stress and overtraining. Chronic stress and overtraining provide unhealthy levels of cortisol in the body. An acute increase in cortisol levels after exercise is necessary for the body to adapt and therefore healthy.
•      o This is the reason why you should not participate in exercise if you have a cold or virus. You will become more vulnerable to worsening your symptoms.
• Acquire adequate sleep. Get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. If sleep debts occur, your body’s ability to build muscle, maintain/lose weight, and the overall health of the participant/athlete will be compromised.
•      o If someone is not losing weight, but is eating healthy and exercising efficiently; I always ask about their sleep patterns. Not getting enough sleep is one of the big hurdles people encounter with unsuccessful weight loss.

I’m writing this article for a few very important reasons.  The first one is to educate my athletes on the importance of this subject in becoming a high level athlete, and I hope they begin to understand that the human body is quite the task master.  For the novice exerciser or the New Year’s resolution enthusiast, this article is to remind you that motivation and a strong will are not the only things that will help you achieve your goal.  Your success will be determined by the information you choose to accept and act upon.  Exercise is a process, hopefully a life-long one.  Proper rest and recovery is a big part of the process.  Without the proper amount, you are doing unintended harm to your body.

After reading this article, I hope that your exercise judgment has improved.  Applying this information will consist of trial and error along with a high level of self awareness.  Some examples of this would be: 

• Knowing the difference between the verge of injury and an acceptable amount of muscle soreness due to your previous workout/competition.
• Understanding the difference between what you want to do and what you can do, physically.
• Knowing how to take care of your body after and before a match/competition.

Works Cited

Eric Shamus, J. S. (2001). Sports Injury Prevention and Rehabilihition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Jentjens R, J. A. (2003). Determinants of post-exercise glycogen synthesis during short-term recovery. Journal of Sports Medicine , 117-144.

L. Plat, M. M. (1996). Effects of morning cortisol elevation on insulin secretion and glucose regulation in humans. American Journal of Physiology; Endocrinology and Metabolism , 36-42.

Zatsiorsky, V. M. (2000). Biomechanics in Sport: Performance Enhancement and Injury Prevention Volume 9. Malden, MA: Blackwell Science.

Calling female Athletes (ages 13-16) and Parents! Are you serious about your sport and want to excel at the high school or the club level? If so, then you need to be on a good strength and conditioning program.

We’ve been in your shoes… Let us help you transform your sports experience through education, sound strength training programs and unparalleled services in the IMPACT Program.

No matter what sport your daughter plays, IMPACT will improve their performance and reduce their risk of injury.

 She will work to:

• Build more muscular strength
• Develop speed, agility, and coordination
• Listen to her body
• Lead a healthy lifestyle
• Lower her risk for injury.

We take progress personally. Every athlete is unique—our instructor to student ratio of 1:7 allows us to interact one-on-one and establish personalized goals and benchmarks for each participant. Training takes place in a safe and fun environment and we provide the education every athlete should know to decrease the potential for injury and increase athletic skills (so you’ll get the most out of your game this year…next year…and for many healthy years to come).

 Cost for 6 sessions is 90$

 Contact Jenn for registration and ask about our generous referral bonuses!

Jenn@impactfitnessdc.com

have long been a supporter of sports for kids of all ages, but there is a new study that reinforces one of the most positive benefits of sports. Researchers at BYU have just released a study that reports that women who participated in high school sports are 41% more likely to be college grads as well.

In my opinion, sports help teach girls (and boys) some of the same life skills that are essential to success in college, including:

• Time management
• How to deal with success
• How to deal with disappointment
• Persistence
• Self esteem
• Team work
• The benefits of a good work ethic

Getting girls involved in sports as children is a great investment in their future!

 It’s easy to go into a text book and read the various reasons why exercise is good for your health, like keeping your heart healthy and reducing the risk of injury, but there are dozens more reasons why you should work out.  

Impact Fitness DC is a huge fan of the female athlete.  We are female athletes, who all have become fitness and health professionals to encourage healthy lifestyles.  We specialize in the female athlete because of her special needs and qualities.  In our combined years of experience, we have all experienced the highs and lows of competition .  Today, 38 years after a federal mandate was enacted to provide gender equality in sports, generations of female athletes have experienced the wonderful benefits of playing a sport.  Young women are becoming athletes in record numbers, advancing the image of the female athlete as well as the level of competition.  With those factors, the troubles and pressures are also increasing. 

• A 16 year old swimmer feels pressure from her mother who is counting on her talent to pay for college.
• A mother of a 14 year old soccer player is anguished over her daughter’s decision to train away from home.
• A 13 year old tennis player gets so angry with herself for making mistakes.

Some of these problems can be much more serious

• A 15 year old soccer player tears a knee ligament and accelerates her chance of arthritis by 40%.
• A 16 year old ballerina feels too much pressure from her instructors and stops eating.
• A 13 year old basketball player moves to a new school only to learn she cannot make the team and decides to “bulk up” by taking steroids.

The NCAA’s Women Foundation conducted research which concluded that girls who play sports are less likely to do drugs, join gangs, or even become sexually active.  The same study also concluded that girls who play sports also have higher self esteem and do better in school than girls who do not play sports.  I played soccer, softball, and ran track.  I could not be more thankful for my mother’s dedication to me and my decision to be an athlete.  This is true for so many reasons.  I played soccer in college on a scholarship that covered most of my tuition to a private school.  I played all over Europe. I have confidence that cannot be overshadowed and I have amazing leadership skills that have driven me to own a company before the age of 30.  The gratitude I have is the driving force behind my business.  However, the dilemmas facing female athletes are the reason why I am passionate about my business.  My decision to cater only to the female athlete is because of the epidemic injury rates. 

Most of these injuries are unnecessary.  Impact Fitness DC has the expertise and management tools to not only provide prevention for unnecessary injuries, but we promise to improve the athlete’s ability to perform. 

During my journey, I have encountered numerous female athletes from my generation who all congratulate my efforts and then ask me, “why didn’t I have someone like you when I was younger?”  The answer is simple.  We did not have the statistics, technology, and knowledge about the female athlete 15 years ago.  Impact Fitness DC has the expertise and the passion to motivate, manage, and improve your daughter or player’s athletic endeavor.

This website is designed to be a resource of science based information pertaining to the female athlete.  We want you to know how she is different from the male athlete and why her training must be catered to her distinctions.  If you are in the DC metro area, and you decide to use Impact Fitness DC for your daughter/player’s needs I am more than happy to discuss this with you.  Also please feel free to contact me with any questions.  My “door” is open.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Schwartz

Creator of Impact Fitness DC

Jenn @impactfitnessdc.com

What is MAT? 

MAT assesses and corrects muscular imbalances that are often related to pain and injury. MAT views muscle tightness as a form of protection in the body, caused by weak or inhibited muscles. Muscles must be able to perform their required function as needed when forces are placed on a joint. When a muscle is inhibited, or lost what’s called proprioceptive input, it is unable to perform its job efficiently. This creates instability and tightness in surrounding joints as the body attempts to protect itself.

How can MAT help my daughters’ performance and keep her healthy?

MAT not only helps athletes recover from injuries quickly, but it also helps them from happening in the first place. Preparing the body to be more efficient in training and athletic performance, the potential for injury is reduced. In order to reach optimal performance capabilities, an athlete is forced to train at a high level of intensity. Because of this, there is always potential for injury.  Some athletes may be predisposed to injuries due to muscular imbalances and the stresses that are placed on the joints and soft tissue because of the imbalances. When they train, the imbalances are magnified which leaves the body vulnerable to injury. Eventually, unable to tolerate the stress, they break down and become injured. The goal of MAT® is to correct the problem before an injury occurs.

My daughter isn’t injured, why would MAT be important for her?

An injury is a ’symptom’ of a deeper issue. The symptom is not the problem. When the body is asked to manage high levels of stress placed into the joints, it is imperative that it be able to tolerate those stresses. MAT is unique because it can identify areas of the body that are vulnerable. It can find the weak links before those links are broken. MAT can get to the root of the problem before it becomes an issue, as well as correct imbalances that are present during and after an injury.

My daughter has so much going on now, how important is MAT to her training schedule?

It is like driving a car with bad alignment. The faster you drive it, the faster the tires are going to wear out. The body functions the same way. If an athlete has muscular imbalances, the abnormal alignment results in increased stress on the joints and muscles. Taking the car in for regular maintenance checks and tune-ups, you are protecting your investment. The human body should be treated in just the same way; if not better!

How will MAT be applied to the fitness program?

After assessments and corrections have been made, a better understanding of the girls’ body will be available. Specific ‘homework’ may be sent home with her to reinforce the corrections.

During the training classes adjustments will be made for each girl and their own imbalances. This is done so that muscle strength will slowly increase and imbalances will start to diminish.

August 21 2009

The number of young athletes who are lifting weights as part of their training is steadily increasing. In past years, many discouraged weight training in children and young adolescents. This stemmed, in part, from the fear of injury and adverse effects on growth and development. We now know that properly supervised resistance exercise can have a number of positive effects on sports performance, health and psychological well-being. Recently, the National Strength and Conditioning Association assembled seven of the most prominent researchers in the area of youth fitness and resistance exercise. They reviewed 258 individual research studies and prepared a consensus paper regarding the safety, effectiveness, benefits and design of youth resistance training programs. What follows is a brief summary of the NSCA’s Position Statement. Part 1 focuses on safety issues and benefits of strength training. Part 2 addresses designing safe and effective programs.

Safety: For years, some argued that children should not lift weights as it could stunt their growth and injuries to the growth plates of the long bones. In fact, early surveys of sports-related injuries reported a number of injuries associated with youth weight training. However, the vast majority of these injuries were due to improper technique, poor supervision and unqualified trainers; not to weight lifting per se. In weight training studies that were properly supervised by knowledgeable trainers and the children were taught proper technique, very few, if any injuries occurred. This was the case when kids were using machines, body weight exercises, free weights or plyometrics. The key is that the programs must be properly supervised by qualified trainers that provide proper and constant instruction on the techniques and use of equipment. If this is done, the risk of injury is actually very small. As for growth and stature, no study has shown adverse effects on cartilage or growth plates and there is no evidence of “stunted growth”. In fact, resistance training in both children and adults promotes bone health rather than damage. Based on this, the authors of the Position Statement note that “there are no justifiable safety reasons that preclude children or adolescents from participating in a resistance training program”.

Effectiveness: There is little doubt that resistance training increases strength in children and adolescents. Studies show that children as young as 5-6 years of age can benefit from strength training. The strength gains of young children are usually slightly less than what happens in adolescents and adults but they are impressive none the less. Increases in strength of 30-50% have been reported. A wide variety of programs are effective including weight machines, free weights, medicine balls, elastic bands and body weight exercises.

A key difference between children and adults is how they adapt to resistance training and what is responsible for the strength gains. In adults, most of their strength gain is due to muscle hypertrophy (increased muscle mass). Children lack the testosterone needed to increase muscle size. Most of the strength increase that occurs in children is due to neuromuscular adaptations, improvements in skill, coordination and activation of individual muscle fibers. However, this is not to say that children cannot increase their muscle mass. Changes in muscle size are simply not as great as those that occur in adults.

Benefits: There are many potential benefits of youth resistance training programs for both the athlete and non-athlete. All health professionals agree that exercise is essential for proper growth and development. Almost any fitness program can enhance both physical health.
However, weight training offers several unique benefits that aerobic exercise programs may not. Studies have shown that weight training can improve fitness as well as reduce cardiovascular risk factors, strengthen bone, improve motor skill, increase resistance to sports-related injury and improve psychosocial well-being. For the non-athlete, resistance training has been shown to improve body composition by a combination of fat loss and muscle mass gain. It may also lower risk factors for developing diabetes, combat hypertension and improve other health markers. One advantage of resistance training for the non-athlete is that many children find it more enjoyable than traditional programs that involved prolonged aerobic exercise (e.g. jogging). This is especially true in non-athletes. For this reason, recent research studies promote weight training as a way to combat and treat childhood obesity. The changes in body shape, composition and strength can be a psychological boost. Improvements in self-confidence, self-image, mood and overall psychological well being are all associated with resistance exercise. Thus, weight training can be a very effective way to promote health in children and adolescents.

For any athlete, strength and power are essential elements of many sports. It is clear that weight training can lead to improved sports performance. This is especially true in young athletes. However, the benefits of resistance exercise extend beyond performance on the field. One of the more important payoffs of resistance training is that it increases the resistance to sports-related injuries. Improvements in bone health, neuromuscular coordination and muscular strength all make the young athlete less susceptible to injury. This is critically important for non-contact injuries such as knee and ankle ligament sprains and tears. In fact, one study suggests that a well-designed and properly supervised weight training program may reduce the risk of injury by 15-50%. Again, a wide range of programs ranging from free weights to body weight exercises seem to be effective. Thus the increased resistance to injury may be one of the more important benefits of resistance training. Given the high incidence of injuries in some athletes (e.g. ACL injuries in girls), some type of resistance training should be an essential part of any sports training routine.

Conclusions: Based on their examination of the research pertaining to youth resistance training, the NSCA arrives at seven key conclusions. They state that a properly designed and supervised resistance training program:

1. Is relatively safe

2. Can enhance the muscular strength and power in youth

3. Can improve the cardiovascular risk profile in youth

4. Can improve motor skill performance and may enhance sports performance in youth

5. Can increase a young athlete’s resistance to sports-related injury

6. Can help improve the psychological well-being of youth

7. Can promote and develop exercise habits during childhood and adolescents

Given this information, there is no reason why children and young adolescents should not participate in properly supervised resistance training programs. How these programs should be developed is the subject of Part 2 (coming soon).

Reference:

Faigenbaum AD, Kraemer WJ, Blimkie CJR, Jeffereys I, Micheli LJ, Nitka M, Rowland TW (2009) Youth resistance training: Updated position statement from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 23: (supplement 5) / S60-S79.

Jay H. Williams, Ph.D.

My strongest belief about the benefits of exercise is that exercise is most beneficial to the brain.  Other benefits, weight loss and strength gain, are secondary to the benefits for the brain and only occur because the relationship between food, energy, exercise, and learning are hard wired into our brains.  The mental benefits I am referring to are improvements in self-esteem, increased ability to learn more information at a faster rate, and the ability to better regulate hormones.  Recently, I attended a phenomenal class in LA about neuroscience, created and given by BioConstructs, a science-based health and fitness consultation company, which confirmed my philosophy that exercise is most beneficial to the brain.  This class also refined my knowledge of the mind-body connection.

The benefits listed above are only possible because of the mind-body connection.  Most of you understand that our central nervous system commands our emotions, movements, bodily functions, and posture, but what does it mean to have a mind-body connection in reference to exercise?  The BioConstructs creator Jacques Taylor gives this definition to the mind-body connection or the Extended Nervous System, “[It] is a continuum of molecules and tissue that record, distribute, and integrate information…this information is distributed into movement based on recorded information.”  Since we are not in science class, I can offer an overhaul of this accurate definition.

I want to explore this, so that you can have a working knowledge of the brain.  Hopefully, this exploration of the nervous system will give you insight that exercise should be used to better your life rather than participating in exercise because you have to.

The brain and spinal cord are constantly communicating via billions of nerve cells.  Even when we are sitting and lying down, our bodies send our brains regular updates about how our limbs are positioned.  The information input (anything picked up through your five senses) to the brain needs to be detected, converted into energy, and interpreted by the brain for it to be expressed as emotion, a function, or movement.  Let me explain one more time but a little more in depth: When the nervous system is detecting a disruption to the state of balance, or homeostasis, the body defines the need to control the situation.  After the detection, the nervous system needs to convert the information into energy to solve the control problem.  This includes the stimulation of hormone production and gene expression.  The interpretation will be able to accommodate to the body’s needs to control the situation, and bring the body back to homeostasis.  The initial control problem could be as basic as sustaining a yoga pose or staying awake in the car.  The interpretation requires sensory feedback.  Sensory feedback is necessary whenever there is sensory input, and the feedback is needed to sustain the activity.   I hope this basic explanation of the nervous system will help you to apply my philosophy.

Exercise is all about learning and creating habits and movement patterns to support a healthy life.  As such, exercise is so useful to the brain because of the learning process that is an ingrained function of human beings.  John Ratey, MD wrote a book that illustrates the amazing connection between neuroscience and exercise, “Spark, The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and The Brain”. On page 53 he states:

” Exercise improves learning on three levels: first, it optimizes your mind-set to improve alertness, attention, and motivation; second, it prepares and encourages nerve cell to bind to one another, which is the cellular basis for logging in new information; and third, it spurs the development of new nerve cells.”

Exercise can indeed improve learning in the brain.  This fact also applies to aging.  Aging from a neuroscience point of view is simply the reduction in speed of processing information.  This reduction occurs through the loss of synapses, nerve cells, and actual shrinking of the brain.  From the statement above, if our nerve cells are encouraged to bind together to become stronger, the brain has better access to the information attached to those nerve cells; this is an improvement in processing speed.  If we can generate and reinforce new nerve cells through exercise, we are replacing the older, damaged cells.  We can improve the strength and amount of capillaries to the brain through exercise which means the brain will have more blood supply and less shrinkage.  This is all possible through the release of Neurotrophic factors such as BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor), and neurotransmitters such as, serotonin and dopamine.  Neurotransmitters carry messages between nerves and with an additional boost from exercise you will improve your processing speed and therefore slowing down the aging process.  The Neutrotrophic factors elevated by exercise are- Insulin like Growth Factor (IGF), Fibroblast Growth Factor2 (FGF2) and BDNF. The release and regulation of BDNF is activity dependent.

The following chart illustrates the goodies we secrete when muscles contract.

Under the correct conditions, VEGF, FGF-2, IGF-1, FGF-2 and BDNF are produced when the muscles contract.  A correct condition implies that you are exercising enough and properly to reach and exceed the body’s threshold.  Meeting and exceeding the threshold will cause the adaptation that will result in more strength in the muscle and nervous system continuum.   More exercise is not always better!  At what point, does exceeding the threshold develop into an injury causing inflammation and a response from the immune system?  If this does occur it is important to recognize it and realize what could cause more damage.  Unfortunately I will not delve into this particular topic in this blog, but the point to make is that when the point of injury and inflammation is reached, the body will produce a different set of hormones and the immune system will approach the inflammation to control the situation.  This is particularly why you need to understand your body and its mechanisms.  This knowledge will take you to the next level of performance and health if you are able to apply it.

Here are the facts.  All of the benefits listed in this blog are results of regular and purposeful exercise.  It is known that exercise is strongly associated with the reduced risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s, exercise increases the learning ability in people of all ages, and individuals who exercise regularly can even recover better from strokes than the victims who do not exercise.  A great example of this was covered on  HBO Real Sports covered Freddie Roach. Currently the boxing trainer of Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan, he trains them at his LA gym in the boxing rink with pads exuding great hand eye coordination.  One thing to point out is Roach has Parkinson’s.  In his case the disease is progressing very slowly, and even though his former boxing career is linked to the cause of the disease, he still gets in the boxing ring and hangs with the best (literally) in the ring taking 40 rounds on the pads.  On the REAL sports segment, Roach’s neurologist is interviewed.  The segment highlights Roach’s amazing attitude and the slow progression of his disease.  The neurologist makes the connection of Roach’s slowly progressing disease to the amount of physical activity and coordination involved with his lifestyle.  If we can see improvement in neurological processes and dopamine regulation in people with Parkinson’s like Roach, we have a ton of possibility for preventing it and improving our own neurological functions.  All individuals that can participate in regular and purposeful exercise will see the benefits of exercise go to their head, inside the brain harvesting more opportunities to learn, be young and vibrant.

Posted by Jay Williams, Ph.D

Study Review for a genetic link to ACL tears

This study and review emphasize the need for injury assessment for all athletes.

One of the more hotly debated questions in soccer is why do female athletes suffer more ACL injuries than males. Researchers have proposed a whole host of possible explanations ranging from muscular strength to hormonal changes. For the first time, a preliminary study headed by researchers at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, has found a possible genetic link. It seems that a gene variant in one of the many genes that responsible for the production of collagen (the primary component of ligaments and tendons) may affect the risk of suffering an ACL injury.

A gene variant is a small variation in the genetic code. In many cases, gene variants affect health and may increase the risk of developing various diseases. The COL5A1 gene is responsible for the production of type V collagen. Collagen is the major protein found in ligaments and tendons. It gives these tissues, strength and elasticity. Compared to type I collagen, Type V collagen is a relatively minor component. However, it is necessary for organizing and strengthening Type I fibers. In an earlier study, this research group found the absence of what is called the CC genotype of COL5A1 BstUI RFLP to associated with increased risk of chronic tendinopathy (pain and swelling of the Achilles tendon). Based on this, they set out to determine if this same genetic variant was associated with increased risk of ACL injuries.

The investigators examined a total of 345 athletes from various sports. Of these 38 women and 91 men had suffered an ACL tear. Care was taken to match the injured and non-injured athletes in terms of age, weight, height as well as participation in contact, non-contact, non-jumping and skiing sports. A blood sample was taken and analyzed for variants in the COL5A1 gene.

Two key findings emerged from the results. First, women who possessed the CC gene variant were less likely to have suffered an ACL injury. Second, women who had a sibling with an ACL rupture were twice as likely to have had their own ACL torn. Interestingly, the risk of ACL injury in men was not affected by their gene variant.

This study if the first to suggest that there is a genetic component for ACL injury in women. Possessing a variant in one of the genes responsible for Type V collagen production seems to affect the female athlete’s risk of suffering an ACL rupture. Athletes who have the CC variant have reduced risk while those with other variants seem to have increased risk of injury.

What does this study mean for female athletes? First, this is a relatively small and preliminary study. More confirmation is needed to verify the results. Second the degree of risk associated with this gene variant is not clear. There are several examples of preliminary studies that initially showed a link between various factors and ACL injury risk. Subsequent studies failed to confirm the initial results or indicated that the risks were very small. So, further research is needed before we draw firm conclusions.

Third, let’s assume that the results are true and that this gene variant greatly affects risk of ACL injury. Then the importance of the study lies in the possibility of identifying “at risk” athletes before an injury occurs. A blood test could tell athletes, physicians and trainers which athletes are more likely to suffer a ligament tear. This information could then be to provide preventative measures to reduce the risk of injury. Those athletes without the CC variant of the COL5A1 gene might be given targeted training programs, special diets or preventative bracing / taping.

For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic risk factor for ACL ruptures in female athletes. While more research is needed to confirm these preliminary results, it may soon be possible to identify “at risk” individuals and design programs to counter this risk.

Reference:

Posthumus M, September AV, O’Cuinneagain D, van der Merwe W, Schwellnus MP, Collins M (2009) The COL5A1 gene is associated with increased risk of anterior cruciate ligament ruptures in female participants. American Journal of Sports Medicine, DOI: 10.1177/0363546509338266 Posted by Jay Williams, Ph.D.