Fitness Catch-All

Thanks Clover. I got a big kick out of your links.
1. Livestrong articles are titled in all caps. Made me laugh.
2. Crazy that the FDA hasn't updated that. Really glad my potassium supplements only cost like 6.5 cents a pop.

I think I remember that in televised tennis matches, if a player that looks is cramping he/she will call for a trainer's break between games and take the 5-10 minutes to get their ankles taped arbitrarily to give time for potassium pills to kick in. I want to say that Jon McEnroe always referred to them as salt pills though.

I don't think I'm low on carbs, but I don't put too much thought into diet. Just try to avoid red meat and oil.

S0LIDARITY wrote:

@Jonman, I am notoriously hydrated and smart water is supposed to have electrolytes. I exerted myself way in the fall to a larger extent with 11 outdoor games in 2 days but didn't experience anything like that tightness. I didn't have my usual overexertion dead-leg feeling Monday-Wednesday.

The fall was months ago. If you've been spent the winter mostly on the couch, you'll have lost most of that fitness.

Excerpt from 'The Triathlete's Training Bible' wrote:

Changes resulting from not training for 3 weeks
Aerobic capacity (V02max): -8%
Heart stroke volume: -10%
Blood plasma volume: -12%
Muscle capilliary density: -7%
Blood lactate during exercise: +88%
Lactate threshold: -7%
Use of fat for fuel during exercise: -52%
Time to fatigue (minutes): -10%

Use it or lose it, buddy. The law of compound interest applies here too.

I haven't been as active as the Fall or Summer, but I've still been getting about 2 hours of cardio in a week. Seems like a lot less now, now that I add it up. The results summary provides a pretty compelling reason not to take a break. I'll need to call that from the depths of my memory any time I take a vacation.

S0LIDARITY wrote:

I haven't been as active as the Fall or Summer, but I've still been getting about 2 hours of cardio in a week. Seems like a lot less now, now that I add it up. The results summary provides a pretty compelling reason not to take a break. I'll need to call that from the depths of my memory any time I take a vacation.

Yeah, it shocked me when I first read it, but I completely believe it having been through a few cycles of high and low training volume and witnessed the effect for myself.

IMAGE(http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/3307/i8kgof9.jpg)

karmajay wrote:

IMAGE(http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/3307/i8kgof9.jpg)

Why is there no swole skill in Skyrim?

Thanks again Clover for the potassium/magnesium tip. I've been taking supplements for those every-day, and an extra potassium post-work out and I haven't had a cramping/tightness issue since. I have also added daily clementines and frequent flattened-dried-bananas from Trader Joe's to my diet.

I'm kind of considering getting a pair of Fivefingers to mess around with. I already use a forefoot stride when running, so I'm pretty confident I'll be able to transition back and forth with them pretty easily. I'd probably be using them for a combination of road running and light trail running, as well as in the gym, potentially. I already have a pair of Inov-8s with a super aggressive tread that I use for "real" trail running, so I wouldn't need anything crazy on the Fivefingers.

Any suggestions on specific models or places to get them for cheap? Since I'm basically getting them for fun, I'd really rather not spend much more than $50. That may be crazy, but I figure it's worth a shot.

I picked up mine from the local REI store, they had my size on the clearance rack for $40. Depending on your size, here's an even better deal from their outlet store.

fleabagmatt wrote:

I picked up mine from the local REI store, they had my size on the clearance rack for $40. Depending on your size, here's an even better deal from their outlet store.

At that price, I think I'm gonna bite. Need to get home and try on the wife's - she's got the same ones, and we wear nearly the same size shoe - that'll help me decide which size to get.

Can anyone enable/recommend a pair of recovery tights for me? I was looking to replace some dying compression socks and stumbled across compression tights. Tights seem to make more sense, but it looks like the price-range for a quality pair is $90-$160.

S0LIDARITY wrote:

Can anyone enable/recommend a pair of recovery tights for me? I was looking to replace some dying compression socks and stumbled across compression tights. Tights seem to make more sense, but it looks like the price-range for a quality pair is $90-$160.

I have a pair of 2XU compression tights that I love to bits. I wear them while running though, not for recovery.

Recovery tights? As in, you wear them while recovering? What does that accomplish?

NSMike wrote:

Recovery tights? As in, you wear them while recovering? What does that accomplish?

They're supposed to do something other than make your ass look fabulous?

NSMike wrote:

Recovery tights? As in, you wear them while recovering? What does that accomplish?

So there's two types of compression for athletic clothing.

The super-tight kind you wear for recovery. They are tight enough to restrict your movement, but they squeeze your muscles and add extra pressure. They're supposed to increase blood flow and speed up muscle recovery. I notice a difference when I wear compression socks, but that only makes a significant difference in my calves. Recovery tights add extra compression to your calves, quads, hamstrings, and some cover your ankles and foot-arch too. From what I understand, Recovery tights are much tighter than my compression socks. It's common for athletes to wear these to bed, and some people wear them on long plane rides to help prevent DVT.

The traditional running tights add compression, but leave flexibility. They're supposed to help while you're actively running, cycling, hiking, etc. In my experience they make a bigger difference over longer distances. They can be used for recovery, but it's advised to go tighter to improve your quality of rest.

@wizard_in_motley
Like wearing nothing at all.
IMAGE(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lvnk8nnqwg1qa2uceo1_500.gif)

S0LIDARITY wrote:
NSMike wrote:

Recovery tights? As in, you wear them while recovering? What does that accomplish?

So there's two types of compression for athletic clothing.

The super-tight kind you wear for recovery. They are tight enough to restrict your movement, but they squeeze your muscles and add extra pressure. They're supposed to increase blood flow and speed up muscle recovery. I notice a difference when I wear compression socks, but that only makes a significant difference in my calves. Recovery tights add extra compression to your calves, quads, hamstrings, and some cover your ankles and foot-arch too. From what I understand, Recovery tights are much tighter than my compression socks. It's common for athletes to wear these to bed, and some people wear them on long plane rides to help prevent DVT.

It's also worth noting that as far as I've read, the science on how effective they are in terms of recovery and training gains isn't conclusive. Anecdotally, a lot of people, including pros, swear by them, but then again, a lot of pro sportsmen swear by their magnetic negative ion bracelets, so that's no mark of conclusiveness.

Fair points Jonman. I knew the evidence was far from conclusive, there have been some legitimate studies supporting each side of the compression for compression therapy debate. I don't know of any legitimate studies supporting the magnetic bracelets. I do know that I have seen Kiosks in the mall making money off of Derek Jeter wearing hologram bracelets, but I haven't seen any famous athletes smiling at me in compression tights on 2XU packaging.

Spoiler:

My link comes from an admittedly biased source, but it appears that the studies are independent of the vendor.

S0LIDARITY wrote:

Fair points Jonman. I knew the evidence was far from conclusive, there have been some legitimate studies supporting each side of the compression for compression therapy debate. I don't know of any legitimate studies supporting the magnetic bracelets. I do know that I have seen Kiosks in the mall making money off of Derek Jeter wearing hologram bracelets, but I haven't seen any famous athletes smiling at me in compression tights on 2XU packaging.

Spoiler:

My link comes from an admittedly biased source, but it appears that the studies are independent of the vendor.

I'm firmly of the opinion that if you feel that it helps, then it helps. Compression, magic bracelets, Tebow'ing, whatevs, man. Performance has a mental component as well as a physical one.

I see a whole buncha minor-league famous athletes smiling at me in compression gear from the pages of Triathlete magazine that turns up on my doorstep every month. They're just not very famous outside of the sport.

oMonarca wrote:

Everything You Know About Fitness Is a Lie

Sure, you have to eat right – that's another manifesto in itself – but if you just stick to a basic strength-training program, you can expect a certain wonderment about what the hell you were doing all those years, why nobody told you it was this simple before, and why nobody else in the gym appears to have heard the good news.

Total BS or is there a point to it?

Great article, I skimmed it but damn if it didn't take me like 10 years to learn this:

It can be hard to believe a true strength coach the first time he tells you that by pressing and dead-lifting on even days, squatting and doing chin-ups on odd days, avoiding all other exercises, and adding a little to the bar each time, you'll be stronger than you've ever been in only a month's time.

These days my only exercises are Squats, pull ups and dips (have trouble with deadlifts), and it works. Spent ages searching for the perfect combination of exercises, but it's all about compound movement, until you're thick enough that you need to add specific muscles to your routine.

To be fair, my info used to come from magazines and books, the internet wasn't as available for this back then, and even today it's full of BS and "Quick" methods. A lot in that article is still debatable, but it seems great overall.

NSMike wrote:

I have been dreading going to the gym lately. I wish I could figure out how to ignore the feeling, but I can't. Can't put my finger on why, exactly, either. Poor mood, lack of improvement /progress, changing gyms, all of them could be a factor. Also, this new gym has mirrors in front of the squat rack and it's really distracting. I wish I could just shut my eyes, but aside from looking weird, I guarantee I wouldn't be able to keep my balance.

Any advice on how to kickstart things?

If you're a normal person (ie no health issues etc), you're might just be overtrained, happens to everyone now and then. I'd recommend taking a strict two weeks off(maybe some walking) and then going back and see how you feel.

I got a pair of CW-X insulators tights for Christmas, and I've really been liking them. This brand's thing is that they include a support web that goes around the legs and, well, adds support. My pair is the Experts (I think), which go mainly around the knee, calves, and quads. I notice quite a bit less stiffness post-run when I've been wearing them. They're also plenty warm. I've gone out on days that are around 15F, and been perfectly fine with just these on my legs.

I'll probably be picking up a pair of regular weight ones in this brand for the upcoming racing season. I haven't decided if I'm going to try wearing them in the high summer, but I might, because it feels like they do help reduce muscle fatigue on longer runs.

I have no idea if they'd be good for recovery, but I've never really considered using compression gear that way anyway.

I went ahead and ordered a pair of Saucony running tights and Saucony recovery tights from Sierra Trading post. They were marked down from $110 to $59 for each, but they had a promo for 30% off if I signed up for their news letter. I ended up getting both for ~$90 total with shipping. I read that Zoot and 2XU were the preferred brands, but I have had good results with Saucony gear in the past.

I play a lot of Ultimate Frisbee, and many players wear running tights regardless of the temperature. I never asked any of them why, but I'm hoping they'll at least help prevent turf-burn. I've had to take an injury sub my last 4 games just to bandage some actively bleeding spots.

I'll be sure to give my experience with both pairs.

EDIT:@Chaz, it's my understanding that an ideal pair of recovery tights will be too tight and restrictive to be used comfortably during exercise. Maybe some compression while resting is better than no compression though.

2nd-EDIT: Found a Deadspin article that seems to support my take on compression gear.

Here's one that says compression tights don't do much for cyclists during a race. Eventually concedes that maybe it helps recovery.

When do I eat and not eat in general and in relation to working out? I want to avoid making my body think that it needs to convert food to fat.
Bedtime is a no-no probably.

RolandofGilead wrote:

When do I eat and not eat in general and in relation to working out? I want to avoid making my body think that it needs to convert food to fat.
Bedtime is a no-no probably.

Apparently this is all silliness. Time of day means nothing to caloric conversion. Eat when you are hungry. Stop eating when you aren't. Manipulate your schedule to be hungry or not hungry to match an appropriate dietary plan.

I would welcome documentation to the contrary, but I'm looking for medical journals or so forth. Something more reliable than Lifehacker.

On meal frequency
On required amount of protein

On protein timing relative to training

Plenty of studies sourced. Examine.com is a pretty great resource for this.


(Edit: Not intended as documentation to the contrary to Miashara's post, since it isn't)

nossid wrote:

On meal frequency
On required amount of protein

On protein timing relative to training

Plenty of studies sourced. Examine.com is a pretty great resource for this.


(Edit: Not intended as documentation to the contrary to Miashara's post, since it isn't)

Those are excellent citations. Thank you for posting them.

RolandofGilead wrote:

When do I eat and not eat in general and in relation to working out? I want to avoid making my body think that it needs to convert food to fat.
Bedtime is a no-no probably.

I'm on Miashara's train. When you eat is largely irrelevant. What you eat is crucial.

EDIT - that said, and depending largely on how you're working out, a pre-workout snack a couple of hours beforehand can make a difference. Only really an issue for long, hard workouts.

This is so weird. Not the answers I expected. I've heard not to eat before bed before. An obese woman I was talking to told me her doctor told her that her dieting efforts had tricked her body into going into "starvation mode". Also, sumo wrestlers have a rigorous schedule of eating and working out and diet and they do this for very specific reasons-whether to gain fat or muscle, so um, I'm surprised no one has anything to contribute.

"Starvation Mode" is sort-of a myth. It's a real thing, but it takes WWII-concentration-camp-levels of malnutrition to trigger it (not intended to offend, just point out the extremity). Someone who is dieting, especially an obese woman, is extremely unlikely to trigger it unless she had stopped eating for a long time. There was a lot of bad speculation out there within the past couple of years about triggering starvation mode, and it doesn't surprise me that a doctor might have picked up on it, but it's since been soundly debunked.

Diet is important, no doubt, but there's no huge correlation to eating and working out. Now, there is a study out there that shows there is a benefit to consuming protein either 45 minutes prior, during, or within 45 minutes following a workout where your intent is to build muscle, in that it shows that you generally tend to build more and recover more quickly, but that's about it.

I'd say experiment for yourself, i.e. if working out on a full stomach makes you uncomfortable, don't do that. But overall, it's far more important to pay attention to what you eat and how much than when.

On Starvation Mode.

I recommend reading the Nutrient Timing section I linked above, as well as the Muscle Damage and Recovery section just below it. At least read the blue summary sections.

As a bonus, studies related to eating at night.

Those of you who want studies and science instead of anecdotes should seriously look around examine.com. The Creatine page for example is ridiculous, just scroll to the bottom and look at the reference list.