A new research paper from Florida State University may sound the death knell for static stretching before distance running events. In a question I asked her (see below), principal author Lynn Panton, Ph.D., says she and her colleagues have also concluded another, as-yet-unpublished article casting doubts on dynamic stretching.

The new paper, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, looked at 10 highly fit male runners who were averaging at least 20 miles a week in their training. Before a treadmill test run, they either sat quietly for 16 minutes or did 16 minutes of static stretching exercises. They then ran for 60 minutes on the treadmill–the first 30 minutes at a relaxed pace, and the last 30 minutes as fast as they could.

With stretching, they covered an average of 5.8 km in the last 30 minutes. Without stretching, they ran 6.0 km, an increase of 200 meters or about 3.4 percent. Eight of the 10 runners performed better without stretching; one performed better with stretching; and one performed essentially the same under both conditions. On average, the stretchers hit a max heart rate 5 beats per minute higher than the non-stretchers in the final 30 minutes. In other words, the stretchers were working harder but covering less distance.

In another interesting comparison, Panton and colleagues measured the calorie-burn of the runners during the first “easy” 30 minutes of the treadmill test. In this case, the stretchers burned more calories than the non-stretchers. In other words, the stretching routine seemed to make them less efficient.

The presumed benefits of stretching are so ingrained in runners and other athletes that it’s difficult to help them understand why stretching might be counter-productive, at least as a pre-race routine. Here’s what the Panton paper says: Increased flexibility might lead to “lower muscle-tendon stiffness and strength,” while “high muscle strength and muscle-tendon stiffness are more efficient.” If stretching increases flexibility and decreases muscle-tendon stiffness, then “it may increase energy consumption during an endurance event, decreasing the performance of trained athletes.”

This leads inevitably to the study’s conclusion: “Stretching before an endurance event may lower endurance performance and increase the energy cost of running.” If you shouldn’t stretch, what should you do? Most studies still support a sufficient warm up. The warm up should probably include short pickups at a speed roughly equivalent to the speed you expect to run during the race. These pickups will prime your muscles without fatiguing them.

Panton and colleagues draw no conclusions about possible relationships between stretching and injury prevention. They have only been studying performance, and only with well-trained athletes. The stretching and injury-prevention question remains difficult to resolve, although there are few studies indicating that stretching is effective.
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Here, researcher Lynn Panton, Ph.D., answers several questions about the new research.

Q: What do you think is the major contribution of your new paper?
A: Of course, our subjects were specifically a group of well-trained distance runners. Most of the previous studies were with power athletes. I think our study follows along with results that have been published with strength performance and sprint performance that stretching before the actual event may hamper performance at the elite level. We’re talking about situations where a second or less can make the difference between 1st and 2nd place. For the recreational runner, I don’t think stretching is going to have a huge impact.

Q: So you don’t recommend stretching before racing? What about improving one’s range of motion?
A: Again for the recreational runner I don’t think stretching is going to make a huge impact. Stretching is very important though for health benefits. The best time to stretch is after you have exercised. That’s when you are going to improve your range of motion the most. We know that individuals who stretch have better ROM and have less problems with back pain.  So it’s still important to stretch but concentrate on stretching during your cooldown,

Q: Any thoughts on dynamic stretching as opposed to static stretching?
A: We actually have a article in review on dynamic stretching. Although the differences were not significant in performance between the strecting and nonstretching group, there were still decrements that could have implications for the elite athlete when 1st and 2nd place can be determined by tenths of a second.

Q: Are you doing any other followup studies on stretching for runners?
A: We also have a women’s study in review too. We did not see the differences in the women, so I am not sure what to think.  Maybe women are more flexible in general, or perhaps our sample women runners were not as elite as our men. But we saw no differences in performance between the stretched and nonstretched groups.

Sometimes an occasional Snickers bar can be a good thing. :^)

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The survival rate for people who have sudden cardiac ar

rest incidents outside of a hospital is only 8%.  That shockingly low statistic isn’t just something that affects the elderly – heart attacks are a leading cause of death in women under the age of 55, and young women who suffer heart attacks are nearly twice as likely to suffer long term damage or die than male victims.  This is partially due to the fact that women, and their doctors, frequently don’t recognize the symptoms, which are different in women than they are in men.  Women who are suffering a heart attack are likely to experience back pain, indigestion and nausea and or vomiting rather than actual chest pain.

Kaitlin Forbes was hardly even a woman when she had her sudden cardiac arrest.  At age 15 Kaitlin was an active, athletic high school student who competed in three varsity sports at Rhinebeck High School in Rhinebeck, New York.  ”I was 15, the only things I thought about were sports, and boys, and my friends. Death was the last thing that crossed my mind,” says Kaitlin.

Then Kaitlin collapsed on the playing field – walking pneumonia, coupled with an undiagnosed case of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle), having caused her heart to stop without any warning what so ever.  Lucky for Kaitlin, her school had installed an Automated External Defibrillator system only two months before and trained the faculty how to use it.  That, in combination with her coach’s quick thinking and CPR training, saved Kaitlin’s life.

“I never even thought about the AED, but now I see signs for them everywhere. I guess you wouldn’t know about them until you’re affected by them.” Kaitlin says.  Kaitlin, now 20, has a pacemaker and is continuing her life at a fairly normal pace.  She and the mother of a teammate who was not so lucky and passed away in 2006 due to a similar condition have started a the Heart Safe Club in their hometown.  Kaitlin also serves as a Heart Ambassador for the American Heart Associations‘ Be the Beat campaign, which works to train young people to deal with cardiac arrest.  CPR and defibrillation training is vital for parents, teachers and teens themselves – moments can mean the difference between life and death.

Wow, watch your diet, get proper rest, train don’t strain your heart… and above all realize it can happen to you by recognizing, respecting the symptoms, and seeking medical attention before the attack occurs.

I’m not worthy, I’m not worthy. Holy cow! This kid makes my 200 push-ups look like silly putty!

I found this article interesting. The content is interesting, offering great advice on lengthening our life span; however, only the Bible can carry the claim of offering mankind the gift of everlasting life. John 17:3

Lewis Jackson

PS: Hey, I can’t give you everlasting life, but I have some great nutrition, fitness,
and beauty products at my website, http://www.mistergoodbuy.com

Here is a list of foods that are particularly high in Omega-3, antioxidants, or other substances that promote brain health.

Fish and Seafood

Fish are a great source of Omega-3, and research is strong on the benefits of fish and seafood consumption. In fact, oily ocean fish are the most potent anti-inflammatory food you can put into your body. However, with the publication of research that also shows high amounts of mercury and Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in some fish, eating fish and seafood is a little bit scary in today’s toxic world. Research has shown that mercury and PCBs can lead to mental impairment in adults, and can be particularly dangerous when ingested by pregnant women and small children. My recommendation is to limit your intake of the mercury-laden fish – such as swordfish, king mackerel, shark, tilefish, and albacore tuna – and instead take advantage of the many types of fish and seafood that are high in Omega-3 but low in mercury or PCBs – Atlantic and Spanish mackerel, wild Pacific salmon, herring, anchovies and sardines.

For more information, visit the Environmental Protection Agency’s website for recent information on which fish are high in mercury levels, and which are low. You can also visit the Environmental Working Group’s website, which provides you with a tuna calculator to determine safe limits.

Whole Grains

There is now an abundance of research on the health benefits of whole grain consumption. Including whole cereal grains in the diet has been linked with protection against type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, various cancers, obesity, depression and even skin conditions such as acne. As we point out in our book Your Skin, Younger, a long-term diet high in whole grain cereals has been shown to be protective against the development of the visible signs of aging (i.e. skin wrinkling during the aging process).

In 1930 General Foods took out a full-page ad in Good Housekeeping magazine under the banner “Your dining table can do damage your dressing table can’t repair!” It was an ad for fiber-rich Post’s Bran Flakes. Turns out they were right. Seventy-one years later a study of almost 500 older adults would show that a diet high in whole grains is associated with fewer skin wrinkles and visible signs of aging. Additional research is now linking healthy digestive functioning (and intestinal bacteria influenced by dietary fiber) with skin health. Whole grains are well known to be rich in dietary fibers which help balance blood sugar, improve digestive health, and they are also rich in skin protective vitamins and antioxidants.

Yogurt and Kefir

In recent years there have been a number of studies showing that fermented dairy products are important in health promotion. The bacteria residing in the intestinal tract can play a crucial role in overall health. Fermented dairy products can deliver beneficial bacteria (including Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria) to the intestinal tract. These bacteria can have a profound influence on health beyond the GI tract – for example, the consistent intake of yogurt through adulthood is associated with a decreased risk of the visible signs of aging later in life.  A recent University of Toronto study has shown that oral delivery of yogurt bacteria can diminish anxiety in adults with chronic fatigue syndrome. Human research shows that oral consumption of these probiotic bacteria can decrease inflammation not only in the gut, but throughout the body as well. Since most chronic medical conditions (from arthritis to psoriasis) are rooted in inflammation, the regular consumption of fermented dairy is recommended.

The benefits of the bacteria (found in fermented dairy) for skin health is discussed in detail in the Skin Digestion chapter of Your Skin, Younger.
Purple/Deep Red Foods

Foods that contain purple-colored pigments called anthocyanins are now being recognized as extra special when it comes to the protection of our blood vessels and our nerve cells. Examples of foods high in anthocyanins include blueberries, bilberries (European blueberries), blackberries, dark cherries, purple carrots, pomegranate, acai, purple sweet potatoes, purple cauliflower, black grapes and beets.

The purple pigments found in these foods offer significant antioxidant protection, enhance signaling between nerve cells, protect the blood-brain barrier, strengthen blood vessels that supply blood to the brain, and exert a significant anti-inflammatory effect capable of reducing pain.

Green Foods

Green foods contain a precious mineral – magnesium – that is worth its weight in nutritional gold. Magnesium makes up an important part of chlorophyll, the green pigment in plants. Found in nature’s greens, magnesium can quench the flames of inflammation in both the heart and the brain.

Turmeric

This is the yellow powder found in curry, and in a number of experimental studies it has been shown to have significant neuroprotective and mood-enhancing properties. Part of the reason for this might be the fact that turmeric contains curcumin. Curcumin is an absolutely brilliant plant antioxidant and has significant anti-inflammatory properties.

Ginger

Ginger has significant anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. Gingerol, one of the many active chemicals found in ginger, has been shown to specifically inhibit inflammatory chemicals of neuropsychiatric significance. In addition, research has shown that ginger can influence the manufacture of inflammatory brain chemicals at the genetic level, and that it protects the fat components of the nerve walls against free radical attack.

Green Tea

Research shows that regular consumption of green tea has multiple health benefits. Green tea contains a blend of phytochemicals called catechins, which are potent antioxidants with significant anti-inflammatory properties. It inhibits the growth of potentially harmful bacterial while promoting the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria.

To see what specific brands, supplements and other super foods

Dr. Logan recommends visit www.drlogan.com.

Dr. Alan C. Logan is a Connecticut Board-Certified Naturopathic Physician and invited faculty member of Harvard’s School of Continuing Medical Education, where he lectures in the mind-body medicine courses offered at Harvard. www.drlogan.com

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