GaryMoller.com

Cycling Study: Why did females who ingested protein complain of sore and tired muscles during the sessions?

2010-07-27T21:56:00.001+12:00

Woman running on empty: A seriously depleted nutrient base.

The study that is reported below this commentary found that female cyclists suffered discomfort and loss of performance the days after ingesting a mix of protein and carbohydrates following an exhausting endurance cycle as compared to a carbohydrate only intake; whereas their male counterparts in the study had a 4% improvement as compared to men who had the carbohydrate only intake.

Speculation is that the differences in protein digestion and metabolism between the male and female test subjects is probably due to differences in hormonal dominance. While this may well be the case, I tend to think that hormones do not have all that much of an influence. I think the answer is a lot simpler and to do more with the generally poor state of nutrition of many young and not so young women. This is especially so for women who participate in endurance sports like cycling and running.

When a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) is carried out on a young woman it is not in any way unusual to get a result similar to what is seen in the nutrient chart at the top left of this article. In fact, this is a common finding. A nutrient profile such as this one is indicative of a person who is running on empty - sustained only by a steady supply of low nutrient carbohydrate foods like breakfast cereal, fat free yogurt and rice crackers. While she may be in a precarious nutritional status this may not be obvious to the untrained observer and she may even be a top performer in sport. But she won't last for long. Analysis of her diet will typically reveal that she is partially or fully vegetarian, she may have developed some food intolerances, such as to lactose (milk sugar) which is hardly surprising, given the deluge she may have been getting in her diet as a child and young adult).

Digestion for a nutrient depleted female, is generally poor. This is because her starved state has her in a near state of metabolic hibernation and this includes the digestive system. Her digestion desperately tries its best to do the job; but her stomach will fail to produce sufficient stomach acid and what is produced is of a poor quality. The same will be the case with the pancreas which produces digestive enzymes. Being on a low fat diet, the release of bile from the gall bladder is erratic and the bile will again be of a poor quality. This all amounts to poor digestion. Especially if she adds a constant deluge of bottled water, Diet Coke or blue/red/orange Powerade!

Furthermore, the digestive tract is remarkably intelligent: It learns to anticipate the foods its owner eats daily and adjusts accordingly. If the diet is chronically lacking in protein and fat, then the digestion adapts by not producing as much of the digestive juices needed to digest these dietary items.

During exercise digestion progressively shuts down as intensity increases and as exhaustion sets in. If protein is ingested within a few hours of this exercise, the protein may pass relatively undigested.

It is therefore hardly surprising that the women in this study suffered discomfort and loss of performance after ingesting a protein supplement following cycling to exhaustion. The men in the study, on the other hand, fared better probably due to having somewhat better digestive health and being more used to protein in the diet.

Gary Moller

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The New York Times: July 2, 2010

Phys Ed: What Exercise Science Doesn’t Know About Women

By Gretchen Reynolds

Several years ago, Dr. David Rowlands, a senior lecturer with the Institute of Food, Nutrition, and Human Health at Massey University in New Zealand, set out to study the role of protein in recovery from hard exercise. He asked a group of male cyclists to ride intensely until their legs were aching and virtually all of their stored muscle fuel had been depleted. The cyclists then consumed bars and drinks that contained either mostly carbohydrates or both carbohydrates and protein. Then, over the next few days, they completed two sessions of hard intervals. One took place the following morning; the next, two days later.

Dr. Rowlands found that the cyclists showed little benefit during the first interval session. But during the second, the men who ingested protein had an overall performance gain of more than 4 percent, compared with the men who took only carbohydrates, “which is huge, in competitive terms”, Dr. Rowlands says. Other researchers’ earlier studies produced similar results. Protein seems to aid in the uptake of carbohydrates from the blood; muscles pack in more fuel after exercise if those calories are accompanied by protein. The protein is also thought to aid in the repair of muscle damage after hard exercise. Dr. Rowlands’s work, which was published in 2008, was right in line with conventional wisdom.

Not so his latest follow-up study, which was published online in May in the journal Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise and should raise eyebrows, especially lightly plucked ones. After his original work was completed, Dr. Rowlandssays, “we received inquiries from female cyclists”, asking to be part of any further research. So, almost as an afterthought, Dr. Rowlands and his colleagues repeated the entire experiment with experienced female riders.

This time, though, the results were quite different. The women showed no clear benefit from protein during recovery. They couldn’t ride harder or longer. In fact, the women who received protein said that their legs felt more tired and sore during the intervals than did women who downed only carbohydrates. The results, Dr. Rowlandssays, were “something of a surprise”.

Scientists know, of course, that women are not men. But they often rely on male subjects exclusively, particularly in the exercise-science realm, where, numerically, fewer female athletes exist to be studied. But when sports scientists recreate classic men-only experiments with distaff subjects, the women often react quite differently. In a famous series of studies of carbo-loading (the practice of eating a high-carbohydrate diet before a race), researchers found that women did not pack carbohydrates into their muscles as men did. Even when the women upped their total calories as well as the percentage of their diet devoted to carbohydrates, they loaded only about half as much extra fuel into their muscles as the men did.

Why women respond differently seems obvious. Women are, after all, awash in the hormone estrogen, which, some new science suggests, has greater effects on metabolism and muscle health than was once imagined. Some studies have found that postmenopausal women who take estrogen replacement have healthier muscles than postmenopausal women who do not. Even more striking, in several experiments, researchers from McMaster University in Canada gave estrogen to male athletes and then had them complete strenuous bicycling sessions. The men seemed to have developed entirely new metabolisms. They burned more fat and a smaller percentage of protein or carbohydrates to fuel their exertions, just as women do.

What all of this emerging science means for women and the scientists who study (or ignore) them is not yet completely clear. “We need more research” into the differences between male and female athletes, Dr. Rowlands says. In his own study, a particularly intriguing and mysterious finding suggested that the female cyclists somehow sustained less muscle damage during the hard intervals than the men did. Their blood contained lower levels of creatine kinase, a biochemical marker of trauma in muscle tissue. Did estrogen protect the women’s muscles during the riding? And if so, why did the female cyclists who ingested protein complain of sore and tired muscles during the sessions? “Honestly, I don’t know,” Dr. Rowlands says, adding that he does not think that his findings suggest that women should skip protein after exercise. “It’s true that we didn’t see evidence for a benefit,” he says. But his study was one of a kind. The findings need to be replicated.

In the meantime, female athletes should view with skepticism the results from exercise studies that use only male subjects. As Dr. Rowlands says—echoing a chorus of men before him—when it comes to women, there’s a great deal that sports scientists “just don’t understand”.

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Ultra Protein Plus Pea Protein by Douglas Labs 984 grams

2010-07-27T15:19:00.000+12:00

Perfect for vegetarians!

Ultra Protein Plus Pea Protein by Douglas Labs

Note: For sale in New Zealand by Practitioner prescription only. Contact Gary Moller by email for pricing details and to determine, for sure, if this is the most suitable product for you.
Email: gary@myotec.co.nz

Ultra Protein Plus Pea Protein provides a rich source of all the indispensable amino acids essential to health, as well as 25% of the nutrition provided by Douglas Laboratories' Ultra Preventive® III, a multi-vitamin/mineral dietary supplement. Pea Protein beverage powder also provides a significant amount of the prebiotic fructooligosaccharide (FOS) in delicious chocolate almond and vanilla bean flavors. It contains no genetically modified plant tissue and is pesticide, lactose and gluten free.

Ultra Protein Plus Pea Protein Chocolate Almond Powder 948 grams
Serving size: 1 heaping scoop, 31.6 grams
Servings per container: approximately 30

Each serving contains:
Calories 92
Total carbohydrates 7.6 g
Sugars (as Fructose) 5 g
Soluble Fiber 1 g
Protein 18 g

Each serving provides approximately:
Vitamin A Palmitate/Beta-Carotene 6,105 IU
Vitamin C (Abscorbic Acid, Corn Free) 260 mg
Vitamin D-3 25 IU
Vitamin E (as d-alpha tocopheryl) 100 IU
Vitamin B-1 (Thiamin HCl) 24 mg
Vitamin B-2 (Riboflavin) 12 mg
Niacin/Niacinamide 43 mg
Pantothenic Acid (d-Calcium Pantothenate) 125 mg
Vitamin B-6 24 mg
(Pyridoxine HCI/Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate Complex)
Folic Acid 200 mcg
Vitamin B-12 (on Ion Exchange Resin) 25 mcg
Biotin 75 mcg
Pantothenic Acid (d-Calcium Pantothenate) 125 mg
Calcium (Citrate/Ascorbate Complex) 112 mg
Iodine (Kelp) 45 mcg
Magnesium (Aspartate/Ascorbate Complex) 115 mg
Zinc (Amino Acid Chelate) 5 mg
Selenium (Organic Selenium in Krebs* Cycle and Kelp) 45 mcg
Manganese (Aspartate Complex) 4.5 mg
Chromium GTF 45 mcg
(Organically bound with GTF activity - low allergenicity)
Molybdenum (Krebs*) 23 mcg
Potassium (Aspartate Complex) 22 mg
Choline citrate/Bitartrate 34 mg
Inositol 23 mg
Citrus Bioflavonoid Complex 23 mg
PABA (Para-Aminobenzoic Acid) 11 mg
Vanadium (Krebs*) 11 mcg
Boron (Aspartate/Citrate Complex) 0.3 mg
Trace Elements (from Sea Vegetation) approx 20 mcg
L-Cysteine/N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine 45 mg
Betaine HCl 34 mg
Typical Amino Acid Profile:
Glutamic Acid 3565 mg
Aspartic Acid 2215 mg
Arginine 1620 mg
Lysine 1480 mg
Leucine 1440 mg
Phenylalanine 990 mg
Serine 970 mg
Valine 940 mg
Alanine 850 mg
Glycine 830 mg
Isoleucine 830 mg
Proline 810 mg
Threonine 740 mg
Tyrosine 740 mg
Histidine 500 mg
Cysteine 220 mg
Methionine 200 mg
Tryptophan 180 mg

Other Ingredients: Yellow pea protein, Natural almond chocolate or natural vanilla bean flavour.

Suggested use:
As a dietary supplement, adults take one to two servings per day, mixed with 8-10 ounces of water or other liquid. Blend well.

Ultra Protein Plus Pea Protein - 948 gms
Serving size: 1 heaping scoop, 31.6 grams
Servings per container: approximately 30

Each serving contains:
Calories 92
Total carbohydrates 7.6 g
Sugars (as Fructose) 5 g
Soluble Fiber 1 g
Protein 18 g

Each serving provides approximately:
Vitamin A Palmitate/Beta-Carotene 6,105 IU
Vitamin C (Abscorbic Acid, Corn Free) 260 mg
Vitamin D-3 25 IU
Vitamin E (as d-alpha tocopheryl) 100 IU
Vitamin B-1 (Thiamin HCl) 24 mg
Vitamin B-2 (Riboflavin) 12 mg
Niacin/Niacinamide 43 mg
Pantothenic Acid (d-Calcium Pantothenate) 125 mg
Vitamin B-6 24 mg
(Pyridoxine HCI/Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate Complex)
Folic Acid 200 mcg
Vitamin B-12 (on Ion Exchange Resin) 25 mcg
Biotin 75 mcg
Pantothenic Acid (d-Calcium Pantothenate) 125 mg
Calcium (Citrate/Ascorbate Complex) 112 mg
Iodine (Kelp) 45 mcg
Magnesium (Aspartate/Ascorbate Complex) 115 mg
Zinc (Amino Acid Chelate) 5 mg
Selenium (Organic Selenium in Krebs* Cycle and Kelp) 45 mcg
Manganese (Aspartate Complex) 4.5 mg
Chromium GTF 45 mcg
(Organically bound with GTF activity - low allergenicity)
Molybdenum (Krebs*) 23 mcg
Potassium (Aspartate Complex) 22 mg
Choline citrate/Bitartrate 34 mg
Inositol 23 mg
Citrus Bioflavonoid Complex 23 mg
PABA (Para-Aminobenzoic Acid) 11 mg
Vanadium (Krebs*) 11 mcg
Boron (Aspartate/Citrate Complex) 0.3 mg
Trace Elements (from Sea Vegetation) approx 20 mcg
L-Cysteine/N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine 45 mg
Betaine HCl 34 mg
Typical Amino Acid Profile:
Glutamic Acid 3565 mg
Aspartic Acid 2215 mg
Arginine 1620 mg
Lysine 1480 mg
Leucine 1440 mg
Phenylalanine 990 mg
Serine 970 mg
Valine 940 mg
Alanine 850 mg
Glycine 830 mg
Isoleucine 830 mg
Proline 810 mg
Threonine 740 mg
Tyrosine 740 mg
Histidine 500 mg
Cysteine 220 mg
Methionine 200 mg
Tryptophan 180 mg

Other Ingredients: Yellow pea protein, Fructose, Natural Vanilla Bean Flavor, Maltodextrin and BeFlora soluble fiber.
Suggested use:

As a dietary supplement, adults take one to two servings per day, mixed with 8-10 ounces of water or other liquid. Blend well.

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How safe are your cosmetics?

2010-07-23T23:15:00.000+12:00

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How is molybdenum and zinc connected?

2010-07-22T17:26:00.000+12:00

High zinc, low Molybdenum:
Poor zinc utilisation. Zinc deficiency.

I was wondering how molybdenum and zinc are connected?

Nicole
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Gary:
When zinc appears to be high relative to the overall pattern of minerals on the Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis and where Molybdenum is noticeably low, we can assume the body is failing to properly utilise dietary zinc.

Molybdenum aids the utilisation of zinc, so we can assume that the pattern of high zinc relative to molybdenum indicates that zinc is being lost from the body at an excessive rate.

As in the example to the left of this article, there appears to be a zinc excess; however, a zinc taste test confirmed the presence of a zinc deficiency. A combination zinc and molybdenum supplement was prescribed along with a copper supplement. Zinc and Molybdenum are both antagonists of copper, so adding these two without increasing copper intake may further lower already low copper levels. Additionally, the copper is best taken a number of hours away from the zinc and molybdenum.

Zinc deficiency: AIDS, autism, candida, depression, eclampsia, fungus, gastric ulcers, premenstrual syndrome, post partum depression, pregnancy, viruses, immune deficiency, macular degeneration, manic depression, peptic ulcers, prostate enlargement, rheumatoid arthritis, sterility, loss of smell and taste and slow wound healing.

Incidentally, the example published above shows similar issues going on between manganese and chromium. This person is losing chromium and risks increasing insulin resistance as the years pass - one of the consequences of chromium deficiency. This may ultimately result in diabetes. The other pattern of interest is the high calcium relative to sodium, potassium and copper. This will drive a number of health issues, including gall bladder disease, hypothyroid and arteriosclerosis. There is also a relationship between the elevated chromium and the high calcium.

All of these complex inter-relationships between minerals is further complicated by vitamins and other substances. For example, my earlier article about vitamin C and cancer cautions against indiscriminate use of vitamin C to prevent cancer because vitamin C is known to deplete copper stores. Low copper is associated with increase cancer risk.

The message is this: Give only modest amounts of supplementary nutrients,

only where needed and over a long time. No Big Hits.

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An update on my personal journey back to health fitness

2010-07-21T18:45:00.000+12:00

My 30's and 40's were characterised by chronic fatigue and stress, as is the case for so many of us who are trapped in the rat race of paying the mortgage, feeding the family and getting ahead in business and careers.

The usual response to stress and fatigue is to go join a gym, run or cycle and further beat up body and mind! I was no exception.

By the time I was 50 I was physically and mentally burned to the bone. Running was a painful shuffle, cycling was not much better. My enthusiasm for work was gone and there were disturbing goings-on with my health: Blood pressure was up and down like a yo-yo, cholesterol was creeping ominously upwards and my skin was breaking out in raw patches of precancerous solar kerastoses. I was unhappy about this state of affairs to say the least.

The last ten years have been a fascinating journey of discovery as I have sought to reverse these detrimental change. I have had stunning success. But it has taken every day of the last 10 years to turn the ship around.

The skin is now 100% clear and I have not been to the skin specialist for 5 years - there has been no need
Cholesterol is healthy
Blood pressure is stable as
Muscles no longer hurt
My brain works better than ever
My enthusiasm for exercise and competition is restored

In fact, my improvements in mountain biking have stunned me. I am definitely riding better than I was 30 years ago. Such is my health in general. In my last bike race I could barely believe it when I found myself up with some of the best MTB cyclists around, including former NZ representative and pro elite cyclist, Wayne Hiscock. I lapped riders who I have never previously beaten. Stunning. I can still hardly believe it and I did so with relative ease.

And bear in mind that I am 57 in a few months. Hardly a Spring chicken compared to guys I am duking it out with.

Results from Round 2 of the CX Series - California

Fast Race- 60 mins plus one lap
1. Edwin Crossling (19 laps)
2. Alex Revell
3. Waghorn
4. Davo Bushlove
5. Gary Moller
6. Wayne Hiscock
7. Alistair Crossling
8. Hayden Richards
9. Mike Thompson
10. El Jefe
11. Ben Murphy
12. Team Vegan
13. Thirsty Hirsty
14. Mike Milner
15. Cameron Wood
16. Andrew Leck
17. Nick the Schleckmeister Phillips 18. Chris Contador Costley

Results such as these are powerful validation that what I am writing about and advising clients to do are on the right track. There is no quackery: Just solid science mixed with many years of practical experience.

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Study: Vitamin C helps in cancer fight

2010-07-19T18:20:00.002+12:00

Vitamin C could play a key role in fighting cancer, a New Zealand study has shown.

University of Otago associate Professor Margreet Vissers, who is leading the Christchurch-based study, said there had been anecdotal accounts of vitamin C playing a beneficial role in cancer treatment, but her study was the first to give real evidence of a connection between the vitamin and tumour growth.

"Our results offer a promising and simple intervention to help in our fight against cancer, at the level of both prevention and cure," she said,

The study, published in Cancer Research journal, found tumours with low vitamin C levels had more of a protein called HIF-1, which allowed them to thrive in conditions of stress.

Prof Vissers said the findings were significant as they suggested it would be beneficial for people with cancer cells to have more vitamin C to limit tumour growth.

- NZPA
Text
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Gary:
While this study suggests that we should all run out and stock up on Vitamin C, I have words of caution: Too much C may actually cause the reverse by bringing about conditions that are conducive to tumour growth!

Its all about the relationship between vitamin C and copper (Cu). Low tissue Cu levels are common with some malignancies, generally the catabolic or highly metastatic types. Patients suffering Hodgkin's disease have an elevated iron to copper ratio, especially in their lymph nodes.

Vitamin C is antagonistic to Cu in the body: Excess vitamin C may therefore deplete cellular stores of Cu.

Copper is a key component in normal cell functioning because it helps regulate cellular respiration. When researchers added copper to the diet of lab animals, the mineral decreased tumour growth and slowed its spread and also increased survival rates.

There are a number of other conditions that are associated with low tissue Cu. These include gout, hypertension, antibiotic sensitivity, hyperactivity, manic disorders, insomnia and osteoporosis.

So, while vitamin C is definitely very good for you, too much may cause more ill health than may be prevented. It all comes down to figuring out how much is optimum.

My advice, based on the review of hundreds of hair tissue mineral analyses over the last four years is that 500-1,000mg of supplementary vitamin C in addition to daily fruit and vegetable sources is plenty enough.

Do not take more unless there is proper testing that shows the need.

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About our website store being down

2010-07-17T12:05:00.000+12:00

Our hosting service has advised that our website store is being repeatedly subjected to what is called "Denial of Service Attacks". What is basically happening is thousands of "Zombie" computers around the world are being coordinated to simultaneously log onto my website, thus causing the site to crash. This is extremely frustrating and probably the work of some idiot with nothing better to do with their time.

Despite the best efforts of the IT people working to fix the problem, these attacks are continuing.

If you want to place an order for goods in the meantime while we sort this out, please contact me directly:
gary@myotec.co.nz

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Annual Vitamin D Dose Linked to Increased Fall, Fracture Risk in Older Women

2010-07-15T17:49:00.001+12:00

In the study, which is reproduced in full below, elderly women were randomly administered a 500,000 iu dose of vitamin D or a placebo. To their surprise (Except me), there were more fractures in the women who received the megadose of vitamin D than those who did not. How could this be, since vitamin D is supposed to strengthen bones and improve strength and balance?

So, what's going on here? I will do some educated speculating in an attempt to shed light on this mystery ....

There are several principles of nutrition that we need to be mindful of when giving supplements to people:

Giving megadoses of a nutrient can trigger a protective response by the body to dump the excess. In so doing, one or many other nutrients may be lost in the process.
In addition, the dumping process may go too far, further exacerbating the original deficiency.
An excess of one nutrient can cause a relative deficiency of one or more other nutrients.
The body may need large amounts of other nutrients in order to incorporate the megadose into the body. If just one of these nutrients is in short supply, then the megadose may just sit wherever it ends up, doing no real good and possibly a whole lot of harm.

It appears to me that this misguided study is violating all of these common sense principles of nutrition.

It is increasingly standard practice for medical practitioners to prescribe megadoses of synthetic vitamin D to patients with low levels of vitamin D in the blood. These megadoses are usually divided into 10-20,000 iu weekly or monthly doses. The single massive 500,000 iu dose used in this study is astonishingly high to the point of beggaring belief.

The body loves to receive natural nutrients in consistent daily dribbles, rather than in occasional Tsunami floods of pharmaceutical grade synthetics. Most people, regardless of age, would benefit from a daily supplementary intake of natural vitamin D over winter of between 2-4,000 iu. Natural vitamin D in 1,000 iu capsules is dirt cheap.

Vitamin D is not patentable in its natural form and can not be sold at a premium. Synthetic variations that are dispensed in massive megadoses can be monopolised by their manufacturer and only dispensed by prescription with generous subsidies from Government. Whether there is any benefit for the poor patient is open to debate. There is no arguing that this practice is very healthy for the bank balances of the producers and the dispensers!

Here is the full report about the vitamin D Study .......

Laurie Barclay, MD

May 12, 2010 — Older, community-dwelling women who receive annual oral high-dose cholecalciferol have an increased risk for falls and fractures, according to the results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial reported in the May 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

"Improving vitamin D status may be an important modifiable risk factor to reduce falls and fractures; however, adherence to daily supplementation is typically poor," write Kerrie M. Sanders, PhD, from the University of Melbourne in Geelong, Australia, and colleagues. "We hypothesized that high-dose cholecalciferol (500 000 IU) given orally once a year to community-dwelling older women would reduce falls and fractures."

From June 2003 to June 2005, a total of 2256 community-dwelling women, 70 years or older, thought to be at high risk for fracture were recruited and were randomly assigned to receive cholecalciferol (500,000 IU) or placebo each autumn to winter for 3 to 5 years until study conclusion in 2008.

Monthly calendars were used to identify falls and fractures, and telephone interview and radiography allowed confirmation of the details. Serial blood sampling for 25-hydroxycholecalciferol and parathyroid hormone levels was performed in a substudy of 137 randomly selected participants.

Fractures occurred in 171 women in the cholecalciferol (vitamin D) group and in 135 in the placebo group, yielding an incidence rate ratio (RR) for fracture of 1.26 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00 - 1.59; P = .047). Fracture rates per 100 person-years were 4.9 for vitamin D vs 3.9 for placebo.

In the vitamin D group, there were 2892 falls in 837 women (rate, 83.4 per 100 person-years) vs 2512 falls in 769 women in the placebo group (rate, 72.7 per 100 person-years; incidence RR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.02 - 1.30; P = .03). A post hoc analysis of falls revealed a temporal pattern, with an incidence RR of falling in the vitamin D group vs the placebo group of 1.31 in the first 3 months after dosing and 1.13 during the following 9 months (test for homogeneity; P = .02).

Median baseline serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol level was 49 nmol/L in participants in the substudy, and less than 3% of the substudy participants had 25-hydroxycholecalciferol levels of less than 25 nmol/L. In the vitamin D group, 25-hydroxycholecalciferol levels increased to approximately 120 nmol/L at 1 month after dosing, were approximately 90 nmol/L at 3 months, and remained higher than the placebo group at 12 months after dosing.

"Among older community-dwelling women, annual oral administration of high-dose cholecalciferol resulted in an increased risk of falls and fractures," the study authors write. "Our study used the largest total annual dose of vitamin D (500 000 IU) reported in any large randomized controlled trial, raising the possibility that the adverse outcome is dose-related."

Limitations of this study include the possibility that nonclinical vertebral fractures would have been missed, possibly missing baseline clinical information because the participants were not evaluated at the study center, and lack of biochemical assessment of all participants.

In an accompanying editorial, Bess Dawson-Hughes, MD, and Susan S. Harris, DSc, from Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts, note the need for better understanding of basic vitamin D physiology.

"Specifically, the effect of dose size, route (intramuscular vs. oral), and dosing interval on aspects of vitamin D metabolism including CYP24 activity and on local tissue-specific 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D levels and actions should be investigated," Drs. Dawson-Hughes and Harris write. "It may also be necessary to reevaluate the risks and benefits of the current clinical practice of providing high loading doses of cholecalciferol to patients who are vitamin D deficient. In the meantime, it is important to reiterate that although vitamin D insufficiency is widespread, it can be safely corrected with a variety of existing supplement types and regimens and it should continue to be identified and treated in clinical practice."

The National Health and Medical Research Council and the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing supported this study. The study authors and editorialists have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

JAMA. 2010;303:1815-1822, 1861-1862.

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Living above the Arctic Circle - The Last Frontier

2010-07-15T17:31:00.000+12:00

I once had a couple of friends who lived off the land and raised a family in a remote valley deep inland from Whanganui. I am reminded of them when viewing this documentary of a couple who have lived 35 years more or less alone above the Arctic Circle in Alaska.

What a contrast to the crazy, frenetic lives we live today? And how dissociated from the natural environment have we become?

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Where should New Zealand's 2nd indoor cycling velodrome be located?

2010-07-15T13:34:00.005+12:00

"Palmerston North has lodged a proposal with BikeNZ and Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC) to build NewZealands second international indoor cycling velodrome.
Palmerston North City Council, Bike Manawatu, Sport Manawatu, and Massey University with the support of Manawatu District Council have lodged a proposal with BikeNZ and Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC) to build New Zealand's second international indoor cycling velodrome.
Manawatu and Palmerston North are the perfect locations for this being central and easily accessible. Easy to get to by road we are a three hour drive gets you to a million people, regular air services, easy accommodation access to the track.

More....."

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Gary:

Jonah Lomu (Tongan) bulldozing his way
through some big South Africans

Several years ago I recommended to the then head of NZ high performance cycle coaching that we should place our next cycle velodrome in the Auckland suburb of Otara (Otara is the largest concentration of Polynesians in the world). He scoffed at the idea because, in his opinion Pacific Islanders were not suited to individual sports. Talk about ignorant - it was a direct insult to my family as well as to all the Maori and Pacific Islanders who have excelled at sports like tennis, squash, golf, boxing, multisports and - yes - cycling.

If only we could put these legs to work on a track bike!

More than any other race on the planet, Polynesians are gifted with natural muscle development. This is perfect for track racing where a good big cyclist will always beat a good small one when it comes down to a neck and neck finish over the last lap or two. Track cycling is all about POWER. The track bike is perfect for those diesel engine Polynesian legs: All we have to do is shove some huge gears onto a specially strengthened bike and those powerhouse legs will produce the goods!

Our Secret Weapon revealed: PolyPower!

Alama Moller at full speed- who says
Polynesians are not good on bikes?

So, you might wonder, where are all the Polynesian cyclists? Well, there are not that many, mostly due to lack of opportunity and sticking a new velodrome in some paddock on the outskirts of Palmerston North is not going to increase their participation!

If you want to produce great athletes, regardless of race, they need to be participating in the sport from an early age. Cycling is an expensive Yuppie sport, that is out of the reach of many low income families which includes many, if not most of our Pacific communities.

Yes, Polynesians can
ride bikes very well

This is compounded by Maori and Pacific Islanders being trapped in a sporting stereotype that has them considered to be only good for sports like league, rugby and netball. There simply has not been the opportunity for participation of young Polynesians in cycling. But the truth is this: Polynesians can crank a bike along as good as anybody, if not better.

The solution I propose is to place a cycling velodrome in the heart of NZ Polynesia - South Auckland. Enlist the support of the local Pacific Islands community leaders and make the velodrome a social centre for the local youngsters. As with all velodromes, there will be an ample supply of club bikes along with a full programme of lessons, training and events for youth and adults.

An indoor velodrome has the added benefit as being the perfect way to introduce a safe and effective form of exercise (indoor cycling) to improve health for those with diabetes, weight, joint and cardiovascular problems.

If a velodrome was to be built in Auckland, it has more chance of ending up in Remuera or the North Shore than Otahuhu or Otara. That would be as tragic as placing it in the wops of Palmerston North. With election campaigning now underway for the new Auckland Super City, I hope that some of the candidates latch onto this proposal and run with it.

Myra Moller: Currently 3rd placed on the Australian
National Championships points table

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Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) Outline of typical programme and Costs

2010-07-13T13:59:00.002+12:00

First Assessment ($230)

This includes up to an hour of my time spent going through the report with you. This is either as a face-to-face meeting, by phone or Skype.

The report usually takes 3-4 weeks to arrive from the time that the hair sample is sent away.

A typical Intervention

It is usual, although not always the case, that some nutritional supplementation is required to correct any imbalances and to restore health. There are nearly always dietary modifications.

Where there are ailments such as back pain, fibromyalgia, several sessions of manual therapy, may be recommended. My time for these, including followup consultations to do with the HTMA are currently (June 2010) priced at $80/hr.

Nutrition Supplements (approximately $100-120)

It is usual to prescribe a maximum of four different nutritional supplements at a time, although this varies according to actual need as identified by the HTMA. Depending on the size of each container (usually 90 caps/tabs) and dosages, each should last 4-6 weeks. Most supplements are $25-$45 per bottle/packet and depending on quantity.

Duration ($80-160)

It is usual to continue an intervention for three months, so it may be necessary to replenish any supplements 2-3 times in order to maintain consistency with the intervention. We may need to meet 2-3 times for 30-60 minutes a time ($80/hr)

Maintenance ($80-160)

From 3-6 months we may stop or reduce any supplementation, while continuing with the beneficial diet and lifestyle changes, including exercise. Again, we may meet 2-3 times.

Repeat of the HTMA ($225)

Some time during the 3-6 month period of “maintenance” we will repeat the HTMA to obtain a comparative report with the first one. This is important to provide feedback as to the effectiveness of whatever we did over the previous 3-6 months of intervention and to chart your course ahead. My time is included in this fee.

Where there are ongoing health issues, or special cases such as hard athletic training and competition, repeat testing and refinement may continue every 6-12 months for as long as you feel the need is there.

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Have you ever tried your hand at cylocross bike racing?

2010-07-08T15:51:00.000+12:00

Here's a video of the cyclocross racing that I competed in last Sunday. The video is of the 30 minute race; I did the 1hr one. It was intense but great fun and good for the spectators. Not much skill needed by the way!

2010 Bike Hutt Cyclocross Series - Race 1 Trentham from BCNU on Vimeo.
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Junior doctors win free drinks case - A good example of the brainwashing of impressionable youth

2010-07-08T13:33:00.002+12:00

A row over whether junior doctors should get $250,000 worth of free drinks a year has damaged their relationship with the Canterbury District Health Board, their association says.

The Resident Doctors' Association (RDA), representing 460 Canterbury junior doctors, took a case against the board for failing to consult before withdrawing pre-packaged drinks from the free meals doctors are entitled to.

The association said it was important for busy doctors to keep well hydrated.
For the entire article, please go here....
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Gary:

The water bottling companies have been very effective over the last decade or so with their slick marketing campaigns to have us all drinking their water from our fresh water springs. In so doing, they have managed to create mountains of plastic rubbish.

$250,000 per year of your and my taxation money to supply doctors in just one health region with bottled water!

New Zealand supplies some of the best water in the world via the tap; but this has not prevented the wholesale switching of the populace from tap water to bottled water. Marketing has been directed at the youth of this country, via mainstream advertising and very much by sponsoring sports events and athletes such as our triathletes and rugby players. Parents are encouraged to send their child to Kindy with a bottle of water.

In New Zealand, the sale of bottled water, including sports drinks is a multi million dollar industry. It has clout. Few sporting magazines, if any, would risk publishing an article like this lest they lose their bottled water advertising revenue.

Sports events promoters actively encourage participants to "hydrate" before, during and after the event. This advice completely ignores the facts that death by not drinking enough water during a sports event is an extremely rare event; whereas death by drinking too much water is on the increase. Such is the power of the dollar that health and safety messages can be dangerously distorted.

Incidentally, most NZ bottled water comes from the Waihou Stream on the outskirts of my home town of Putaruru. It is unsettling how the local Council has gone about selling the rights to this water. First of all, the rate payers know very little about the details of the contracts due to "commercial sensitivity". The water appears to be going for next to nothing and for little benefit for the local populace. Water is valuable and one would expect, at the least, that there would be tangible benefits to the locals, like reductions in rates. But this is not the case.

Cut off the water to force the public buy it in bottles

Instead, the municipal water supply to Putaruru is only partially supplied by the pristine waters of the Wiahou nowadays. There is a "Water Park" in the centre of the town which was opened with my sister, Lorraine, present (Lorraine was Putaruru's "Water Ambassador" at the time) to highlight and celebrate Putaruru's water which, it is claimed, is the best mineral water in the world. There was a tap as part of the Water Park. Motorists would stop at the park to fill up containers to take home. Somebody of influence must have objected to this, because the supply was cut so that the only water is now a pathetic dribble! It an embarrassment to me and I now think the Water Park is a bad joke.

Back to the doctors and their $250,000 habit: If the young doctors have done their medical studies well they would know that the most important form of hydration is of the intracellular compartment and not so much the extracellar compartment or even the blood. They would know that hydration of the intracellular compartment depends not so much on how much one drinks; but more on there being adequate tissue salts and that these be in balance.

How to Brainwash a person - Just add water!

Drinking too much water, or water with just a few salts and not the lot in balance can cause intracellular dehydration because the constant peeing of excess water flushes out some of the already depleted tissue salts which the body is desperately trying to retain. The cell will reduce the water it has inside itself in a desperate effort to maintain the correct tissue salts concentration.

Constant sipping and guzzling water and sports drinks dilutes the digestive juices, reducing digestion further depleting the body. Sports drinks rot the teeth and gums and may even set a person up for diabetes. One would expect a young doctor to know these consequences. Or would we?

Brainwashing from an early age may be so powerful that the lie may continue to supplant the truth for an entire lifetime - even in the face of overwhelming evidence that the lie is just that - a lie. And replacing harmful habits with healthy ones are easier thought about than done! On we go harming our health and causing untold damage to the planet.

New Zealand tap water is generally very good and arguably as good as the water we have served up in a plastic bottle. My advice to Deborah Powell, spokes woman for the junior doctors is this:

Advise your members to drink less to improve their health and drink water from the tap.

One assumes that hospital water is clean. Their employer could assist this difficult habit change by issuing each doctor with a single reusable water container which they can fill when they wash their hands. We would hope that that is one habit they do more often!

Please read my article "Drink more water, drink, drink, drink"

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Tour de France - Drool over this!

2010-07-07T20:06:00.000+12:00

Teams bring out the Classic gear for Stage 3 cobbles.

Go here to see what each team used during Stage Three of the Tour de France.

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The truth about skin cancer

2010-07-07T15:49:00.002+12:00

Please take a few minutes to listen to this video by Mike Adams and then read my comments below.

This text will be replaced by the player

Mike Adam's comments are pretty much in line with my views about cancer and sun exposure. Agencies such as the Cancer Society have no credibility on this subject because they have huge financial stakes in the sale of sunscreens. They are not about to admit that sun avoidance causes masses of ill health including increased cancer risk across the board.

Example of a "Heart Healthy" diet - Yeah right!
Low fat - low everything. This young person is
running on empty and vulnerable to
cancer causing free radical damage

The key to using the sun for improving your health is to get plenty of sunlight without getting sunburn. Mike Adams talks about the nutrition factor and he is dead right. The Heart Foundation's "Heart Tick" foods are increasing cancer risk by encouraging people to favour processed foods that are lacking essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids and fatty acids.

You are probably thinking that what I have just written is irresponsible; but what I am saying is the truth which backed up by a wealth of robust scientific evidence as well as the evidence that I have garnered from my own testing of hundreds of people. Please refer to the hair tissue mineral analysis chart to the left which is a good example of how low so many people can get nowadays from following Heart Healthy recommendations. If you want to get your own hair analysis done, here is the link.

New Zealanders are usually deficient in nutrients like selenium, zinc and magnesium. This is made worse if exposed to toxic elements like mercury and arsenic (Most New Zealanders are - sadly). These toxins wipe out selenium and zinc. Did you know that deficiency in selenium can make you extremely vulnerable to skin cancer? Did you know that skin specialists use selenium preparations for the treatment of skin cancer? If you have been treated for skin cancer, has your Dr/specialist ever told you to increase your dietary intake of selenium?

Have you ever wondered why influenza epidemics are at the worst during winter? Of course we all know why - because population vitamin D levels plummet during winter! So why don't the Health Authorities encourage people to get some sun over summer to build their vitamin D levels and then take a vitamin D supplement during winter?

Did you know that you can reduce your need for sunscreen and increase sun exposure while actually improving your skin health by taking a single dietary supplement called Algotene? I am a living example myself. I used to visit the skin specialist every two years to have sun spots burned off. I have not been back for five years. Meanwhile, all my scaly sun spots have either dropped off or faded away. A miracle!

If you are really serious about reducing your risk of skin and most other cancers, then you will, first ensure your body has a rich supply of protective antioxidants, such as selenium and Algotene. Here is the link to the Algotene product page. Algotene is very safe to take but take care not to overdose on selenium or any other mineral for that matter. The best way to determine your mineral needs is the hair analysis. Once you are certain you have your antioxidants in place, go get a light tan in summer, take a vitamin D supplement in winter and go one step further and take a mid winter holiday in a tropical island like Samoa or the Cooks!

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How safe are Active Elements Tissue Salts during pregnancy?

2010-07-06T21:19:00.000+12:00

In answer to an inquiry (Gary)

Tissue salts are just that: They exist naturally in the salty fluid found in the cells of the human body and they are the minerals that are in the body structure and they power the life processes, so it is reasonable to assume that these are "safe" (How on Earth could they not be?). However, the real question is this: "Is it safe to ingest tissue salts, additional to what is already inside the body of a pregnant woman?".

Let's start by comparing the Safety of Water with that of Tissue Salts:
Water is essential for life, as are the tissue salts (minerals) that are found dissolved in the water inside the cells. Too little water and the person will wilt and eventually die of dehydration. Too much water and the person suffers and may even die from "water intoxication". But these are extremes.

It is not a question of whether or not water or tissue salts are safe - It goes without question that these are essential for life; it is really a question of how much or how little of these life essentials is safe". Get it right (in the centre) and these potentially hazardous substances are very, very good for you - as much as during pregnancy as at any other time.

The really good news about your body is it has very effective systems for regulating fluid and tissue salt balance. There is a wide margin for error. If there is too much then organs like the liver and kidney go into excretory mode, rapidly dumping any excess. If there is a shortage within, then the body conserves.

If, through testing, we can determine that there is an excess of one and a deficiency of another, then we will give more of what is lacking and less of what is in excess. In taking this obvious course of action, it is prudent to take a middle of the road approach, avoiding stark deprivation or mega doses. We take our time giving a little more or a little less than what we know is the optimum intake for whatever we are prescribing.

This approach is totally safe for all including for mother and child during pregnancy and while breast feeding.

Here is the link to Active Elements Tissue Salts.

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Is your Achilles tendon injury really that: Or is it something else?

2010-07-04T21:11:00.004+12:00

Note the trigger point for the flexor hallucis muscle is
easily mistaken for the Achilles tendon

Peroneus brevis is easily mistaken
for the Achilles

When people come to see me with their injuries and health problems, it is usually because they have exhausted every other option. Achilles tendon injuries are near the top of the list of reasons for paying me a visit. These injuries tend to be very poor healers. The reason given most times is that this tendon has no direct blood supply to expedite healing. There may be another reason why Achilles tendons fail to heal: The injury may not actually be to the Achilles tendon; but to one or more muscles immediately adjacent to it. Of course, recovery will be poor if the wrong part is being treated.

Note the small muscles (red) between the Achilles
tendon and the bones of the lower calf. These
are easily confused with the Achilles.

If the first diagnosis is of, say “Achilles Tendonitis”, the tendency for all who may subsequently become involved in your treatment is to blindly continue down the Achilles pathway, even when the results are disappointing. One reason why this may happen is the medical hierarchy and ACC claims setup makes it difficult for a therapist to

challenge the original diagnosis and to treat a problem that is different to what is recorded in the official paperwork.

As a slight aside; a popular treatment for Achilles tendon pain is to prescribe “concentric stretching”. A concentric Achilles stretch is typically done by standing with the balls of the feet on the edge of a step so that the heel can be slowly lowered, thus stretching the back of the leg while under loading from the body weight. Extra weight can be applied by shouldering weights. How this actually gives relief to Achilles pain remains a mystery, although there is much speculation.

The real reason concentric stretching sometimes works (partially), is not because of anything it does to the Achilles; but because it is stretching and strengthening the muscles that are immediately adjacent to the Achilles and which may be the real cause of the pain and disability.

These muscles are the Peroneus Brevis and Flexor Hallucis Longus (Please refer to the two images to see their exact locations in the lower leg). When viewing the back of the lower leg directly from behind (Refer to the “Leg - Posterior Superficial View) you will appreciate how easy it is for an injury to either, or both of these muscles to be confused with the Achilles or lower calf.

The first clue that the injury may not be entirely to do with the Achilles is to understand how the injury first arose. For example: If there was pain the day following walking or running up a very steep slope, then there is a high possibility that the muscle that flexes the big toe (flexor hallucis longus) was strained. This will be felt as slight tenderness and swelling under and to the inside of the Achilles. If the person had been running or walking over uneven, or side-sloping terrain then the muscles that prevent ankle inversion (peroneus longus and peroneus brevis) may be strained. If this is the case, there will be a hint of tenderness and swelling under and to the outside of the Achilles.

Treatment of either of these conditions of chronic strain consists primarily of deep tissue massage. This may be quite painful on the first few occasions; but there should be a marked improvement by the 3rd or 4th session and normal exercise well underway. Each hour long session needs to be spaced about a week apart and include the entire musculature of both lower legs, even if only one leg is affected.

Other measures, in addition to the deep tissue massage, may include fitting Formthotics Shock Stop heat moulded inner soles and exercises to strengthen the foot and calf muscles. Seldom, if ever, are custom orthotics required for this kind of pain. In most cases where orthotics have been fitted previously, some relief to ankle pain is experienced by replacing them with a pair of Shock Stop inner soles.

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Your email address:

Here are my latest mountain bike race results

2010-07-01T21:17:00.001+12:00

Genetically modified cyclist rides
past during pointless warmup routine

Two weekends ago, I made a quick foray to NSW, Australia to do the Husky 100km mountain bike race. While the course was better suited to the bigger Roadies, I was surprised to finish about 18.5 minutes ahead of the next veteran cyclist. I left the race thinking I had finished in 2nd place! My brain was tired.

Here is the summary of my results.

How to take years of life off
an expensive bike!

And here are some photos of me in action on my Merida Mountain Bike.

I am 58 years old in a couple of months and getting faster on a mountain bike with each month. I am now officially faster on a bike than at 30 years of age when competing in road races and multisports triathlons.

Post race: On an island, soaking up the
sun, while the World rushes by

Just to give you an idea of how much of an improvement there has been: Last November I raced an 80 km MTB event, finishing in 2nd place in the 50-60 age group in a time of 5:20min. The winner was about 20 minutes ahead. This most recent MTB race was 100km which I completed in 5hrs 20 min and over 18 min ahead of the younger 2nd place getter.

What really blew me away was how good I felt the day after: No sore muscles at all other than a slightly tweaked left ankle. This was the longest MTB race I have ever done and would have expected to be sore for several days from all the rattling from going over rocks, tree trunks and so on; but there was nothing other than a sore ankle. Unheard of!

I put this resurgence of energy and good health down to the benefits of destressing my lifestyle, regular deep tissue massage and evidence based nutrition going by the results of annual hair tissue mineral analyses.

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Success with improving health by use of the Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis

2010-06-28T13:01:00.001+12:00

"Went to my doctor yesterday for more nasal spray for hayfever and to check up on blood tests he had me do a few weeks ago. It was rather funny because he couldn’t stop congratulating me on how healthy I was.

Blood Pressure below norm, cholesterol at 2.1, and the rest of the tests, whatever they were for, were all fine and dandy. I guess a lot of people my age (70) are on medication of some sort or other.

So I guess your vitamins and minerals plus my lifestyle, which is very active, are a good combination.

Many thanks,"
Sylvia (permission given to publish)
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Gary:
What I like about the ICL Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) is that it takes out a lot of the guessing about what may be underlying chronic health problems or just getting old too soon!

Let me give you a quick run through of some of the more interesting indicators in Sylvia's HTMA:

Sylvia's "bekow norm" blood pressure is probably mostly due to her Na and K still being too low (refer the chart above). Na (soduim) and K (potassium) regulate fluid balance and thus blood pressure. Low blood pressure may be incorrectly regarded by some health professionals as being "healthy"; but this is true only to a point. Healthy blood pressure remains around 120/80 for a person wishing to live life to the full. People with low blood pressure tend to be tired, have trouble concentrating, have more dizzy spells, more falls and more car accidents. Having said this, BP lower than 120/80 would be than BP of, say, 150/100 or higher.

I assume Sylvia's doctor is responding to a healthy increase in her blood pressure as a result of increasing her intake of salt and potassium. This can be confirmed by a repeat of the hair tissue analysis later on.

The salt prescribed to increase her sodium levels is Himalayan Sea Salt and not ordinary refined salt which should be restricted in most cases. Potassium is increased by a supplement and eating high potassium foods.

Cholesterol is regulated by the liver. The minerals Zn (zinc) and Cu (copper) are used by the liver to power the enzymes that manufacture cholesterol. An imbalance and/or deficiency/excess of either of these minerals will result in cholesterol abnormalities, including high total cholesterol and imbalances between HDL and LDL variants of cholesterol. In Sylvia's case, there was a significant imbalance between Zn and Cu which we have taken steps to correct.

Cu is antagonistic to Fe (iron). In her case, we can assume Cu is depressing Fe. This will be a factor in iron deficiency-related fatigue, especially when in the presence of trace levels of mercury. Iron levels should be steadily improving with the dietary and supplement interventions.

If a woman has a history of chronic iron deficiency that fails to respond well to iron and B12 supplementation the reason may be to do with a problem with Cu retention and not to do with her Fe.

Incidentally, Cu excess is commonly seen in women who are taking oestrogen, either as HRT or birth control. Again Cu and Zn are used in the production of oestrogen and progesterone. If a woman is oestrogen dominant, she will tend to retain Cu and lose Zn. If she is progesterone dominant, then she will lose Cu and retain Zn. The health consequences of messing about with a woman's hormones can be numerous and significant.

The toxic ratios chart (above) shows how even tiny amounts of elements like Hg (mercury) can interfere with the bioavailability of important elements like Fe and Se (selenium), especially when the good ones are already depleted.

Thank you, Sylvia, for allowing me to share this with others.

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Where next for New Zealand Soccer now that the Football World Cup is over for them?

2010-06-27T13:52:00.000+12:00

Alama Moller kicking for Goal

Once the hoopla has died and the vuvuzelas of the SA World Cup are thankfully silent; where next for New Zealand soccer?

New Zealand's historic success at the tournament is brining in millions of windfall dollars for NZ Soccer and the ranks of junior soccer are already swelling to bursting. Recalling past occasions of NZ success on the sporting stage, there usually follows much talk with little action, much expenditure and little to show once the hype has settled and the money gone.

Sports that have had their chances in the past and blown them include squash, tennis, golf, hockey, kayaking and athletics - and soccer - of course! The outstanding exception to the sorry NZ trend to squander fantastic opportunities is rowing (I hope).

Millions of dollars are coming into Soccer's coffers and it looks like millions will quickly go out in what may be vain efforts to retain the services of Coach, Riki Herbert, and the core of his All Whites team. And I suppose the swelling leadership ranks will need hefty pay rises, new cars and then there are all those first class flights getting to talkfests to figure out what to do with all that extra dosh!

How much will be left over for developing the sport at the grass roots? If we look to sports like tennis and rugby, we can see the damage that is done to their grass root support when the professional side of the sport receives a disproportionate share of the limited resources.

The longterm health of a sport depends on a strong base of amateur participation, including volunteer coaching - Kill these off and you kill the sport.

I want to see most of soccer's financial windfall going into developing and supporting a strong coaching structure. The basic resources, including courses, for coaching development are already there via agencies like Regional Sports Trusts and SPARC; but it all comes down to how well they are used by the sports code. The club all my children have gone through (A period spanning 22yrs) relies entirely on volunteer "parent" coaching. There is little in the way of coach education and support for these coaches through the season and, oh what a difference a little would make to the enjoyment for the kids and the quality of play!

Several good coaches can produce a dozen skilled athletes each per year for the same investment that might be made in one skilled athlete who may never come to anything.

Investment in coaching development could be as simple for a club as having one or two senior coaches (who attend the formal coaching courses, sit their exams, etc) who's job it is to circulate among the volunteer coaches during team training sessions and games. Their job is to assist the volunteers with whatever is needed to improve their individual coaching standards, as well as to foster a positive consistency across the entire coaching pool.

If youngsters are to stay in the sport beyond their junior years they must develop is a love of the game, good basic skills and fitness - and the thrill of winning which will come as a result of the former basics.

If New Zealand is to fully capitalise on its World Cup success, then we need to concentrate on coaching development.

Good coaches produce winners

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Are there safer alternatives to a cortisone injection in the ankle?

2010-06-18T17:54:00.000+12:00

Permanent harm caused by a cortisone injection
into an ankle

Hi. I just read your article about the dangers of cortisone injections in the ankle and I have decided no to do it.
The results of the MRI scan show a build up of fluid in the ankle. I have a defect in the cartilage, a hole probably caused by a small loose bone but the doctor does not know what cause the accumulation of this fluid. I understand the injection would take the pain away but is not better working on the cause? What other safe treatment are available? Thanks
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Gary:
Despite the resurgence in popularity of the cortisone injection in recent years, nothing has changed with regards to the risks of this therapy. These risks are real and definitely not imagined.

Just what does a cortisone injection into an ankle joint actually do? Cortisone kills cells. In so doing there may be a dulling of pain and there may be a reduction in swelling and this may last for a number of weeks and even months. But this may be at the cost of years of life being taken off the durability of that ankle joint. This is because the joint surfaces may be thinned and "de-energised" by the injection. The long term result may be a permanently weakened joint and premature onset of arthritis.

If there is a small bone fragment floating about (A "Joint Mouse") then it may have to be surgically removed; but only if the specialist is certain about this. The fluid will most probably be from the irritation caused by this fragment (assuming there is one).

In my opinion, a cortisone injection into your ankle is short sighted therapy. It should be banned for all but the most exceptional case (I can't think of any, btw).

I have written many articles about joint pain, including ankle pain so please follow the links at the bottom of this article and you will learn a lot from the read. The most important principle to take on board for making a full recovery is to use therapies that energise your body to enhance healing and strengthening. Avoid ones, like cortisone, which are destructive. A good start is massage, gentle yet firm manipulation and good nutrition. You can find lots of articles on this site about these topics.

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Which rebounder (Lymphacizer) is best for me?

2010-06-18T17:36:00.001+12:00

Hi

I am enquiring about the R48 Gym rebounder. I am 105Kg and was wondering what the max weight it allows? The cheaper shop models have a 100Kg limit but I assume a gym model would be stronger.

Is there any delay with shipping?
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Gary:

Don't skimp: The R-48 is best for you because of how much you weigh. It is the Rlls Royce of rebounders. It will give you a lifetime of faithful service.
Here is the link to the Lymphacizer products. If your budget permits, then please add the poster and book to the purchase to ensure you get the best use out of your machine.

Delivery is within one working week, but add a couple more days if you are in the South Island and or in a rural region.

What to look for in a quality rebounder/lymphacizer

Springs

The springs should be conical shaped at both ends and paired so that one is coiled clockwise and the other anti-clockwise. This means that the stress on each spring is spread over their entire length and not so much at the ends of them. Stress fractures of the ends are rare.

By being paired with clockwise and anti-clockwise springs, twisting on the bed and frame attachments is eliminated, further reducing wear on the springs, frame attachments and on the bed itself.

Number of springs

In addition to the size, design and pairing of the springs check how many. For domestic use, look for a minimum of 36 springs. If the use is commercial, or for regular use by a person over 100kg then go for one with 48 springs.

Not only does the number of springs affect the positivity of the rebound, the stress on the bed is spread more evenly, thus improving its life.

Frame

The most important feature to look for on the frame is the presence of "U" brackets welded onto the frame to hold the paired springs. This is essential to prevent breakages to the springs. If the springs are fitted by hooking the ends into holes drilled in the frame, the springs will quickly bite into the frame and the bed will sag noticeably within weeks, making use of the rebounder unpleasant.

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I am allergic to Sulphur Drugs: Will MSM cause the same problems?

2010-06-18T17:23:00.000+12:00

I wanted to start taking glucosamine with chrondroitin for my joint pain. I’m 45 years old. I had an UTI and went to see my urologist. He prescribed for me a antibiotic that contained sulphur. After about 3-4 days I started breaking out in hives. I saw where you recommended people over 45 with joint pain should take something with MSM. The doctor said the sulphur in the antibiotic probably caused my hives. My question is, will taking something with MSM cause me to break out in hives? If so, what could you recommend to someone my age that wouldn’t cause me to break out in hives. My job requires I do repetitive motions with my hands. I suffer from pain in my wrist (where thumb meets wrist) and now I’m having pain in my elbow. Thanks in advance for any help you can give me on this matter.
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Gary:
The answer is "No". Sulphur drugs and the sulphur found in food, including eggs, garlic and supplements like
MSM (methylsulfonlymethane) are completely different. Your body can not survive without sulphur - it is essential for many functions in the body including the production of strong skin, tendons, ligaments and cartilage. MSM has the same LD50 rating (lethal dose 50%) of water. It is one of the safest nutrients that you can give a person and it is an extremely bio-available form of sulphur.

My understanding of sulphur drugs is they are harsh and not prescribed all that often nowadays because of all of the nasty side effects. I also understand that they can be damaging to the liver, as can many other drugs.

Sulphur containing foods and supplements are known to assist the liver with detoxification. In your case, sulphur containing foods and supplements may very well be beneficial with assisting a complete recovery after taking the sulphur drugs.

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Is there anything you can tell me about the skin disease vitiligo?

2010-06-16T18:45:00.000+12:00

Gary

Is there anything you can tell me about the skin disease vitiligo? Can the cell salts help ?

Vitiligo Skin Disease - More amazing videos are a click away
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Gary:
While there appears to be no cure for this disease, my limited experience of this conditions leads me to believe that there is a strong connection between its onset and periods of extreme stress with accompanying poor dietary habits (Stress and illness naturally upset healthy eating).

Some of the symptoms of vitiligo are remarkably similar to adrenal fatigue - intolerance of bright light for example.

Stressed adrenals are associated with depletion of magnesium and copper reserves and both of these are essential for healthy collagen, including skin. And it just so happens that copper depletion is the little known factor in greying of hair. If copper is severely depleted such as may happen during extreme stress, the gene which produces melanin is permanently switched off with the consequence that hair is no longer able to produce pigmentation: Hence the connection between stress and grey hair. It is possible that there is a similar mechanism at work in vitiligo.

The following may sound a bit like a broken record; but the best course of action is to get an accurate assessment of what is going on and then treat accordingly. The best test for you is a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis.

If you don't want to do this, then you could take a combination of minerals and vitamins on the assumption that what I have described applies to you. This would be ICL Copper Plus, ICL Pyridoxine, ICL Magnesium Plus, and ICL Algotene.

I do not expect this to result in a cure as such. However; this may improve health in general and may slow or halt the progression of the condition.

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Are there any exercises to assist the healing of my chipped ankle bone?

2010-06-14T21:51:00.000+12:00

I totally missed a stair, my ankle twisted every which way and I fell hard on the front of my body. When it was all said and one I chipped the end of the ankle bone and had swelling around my ankle.

I've been in a walking boot cast for 3 weeks but, I take it off and do walk a bit on the ankle. The swelling has gone down considerably but still a little swollen at the injury site.

Doc says another three weeks of this!!! I would like to know if there are exercises I can do to help the healing process and to keep the leg from getting smaller than the other?
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Gary:
Please read my article here about my own experience of suffering a chipped ankle. And here is the followup article here for you to read.

I injured my ankle mid 2007 and can report that I am 100% today, although there is still a wee bit of residual pain there to remind me to take care when out running over rough country!

Of course, severity of injury and stability are important factors in the treatment selected by your doctor; but I will make the general observation that most of the treatments are very much on the conservative side. While these "safe" options are most often selected, the downside is long periods of confinement to casts and crutches and then comes the equally long and costly process of restoring normal strength and function. A good deal of these losses are from the prolonged confinement and not so much due to the injury itself. My ankle injury was not immobilised and you can see a dramatic recovery with little loss of ankle function or leg strength.

Same ankle just 13 days later

I would add one extra piece to my earlier articles to expedite healing: 2-4 capsules per day of ICL Reparen. Every home should have some handy for those unexpected injuries.

When it comes to recommending exercise, I am limited in what I can advise without knowing in exact detail which bone has been chipped. However; three weeks into it should have the bone nicely healing with a good layer of scar to bind it down. Swimming of all kinds is a very safe and effective exercise which can progress to to kicking lengths with a pair of fins. Cycling is another exercise as are using a rowing machine and eliptical trainer if you have one. If it is not a weight bearing bone, then all of these forms of exercise should be safe and will encourage healing. I suggest you consult your doctor about these possibilities.

With all exercise, start very conservatively, check how you feel the next day and maybe increase a little next workout. Use pain as your guide. There is no place for anti inflammation medicines or pain killers. Your path to a full recovery using exercise is applied common sense in the end.

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GaryMoller.com

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