Study Spotlight: Pickle Juice for Muscle Cramps???

By: Andrew Jagim

When I was living in Texas, several people recommended pickle juice to me as a remedy for exercise associated muscle cramps (or EAMC's). Now at first, I just thought this was some crazy Texas witch craft / lore in action, however believe it or not there is some research that supports this nutritional strategy. Once I began hearing about the potential benefits of consuming pickle juice to relieve muscle cramps and see some of the research supporting it's use I slowly changed my mind.

Believe it not, we still do not completely understand the exact physiological mechanism at play regarding muscle cramps, particularly ones associated with exercise.  We believe reductions in plasma volume and electrolyte disturbances increases the likelihood of experiencing a muscle cramp as athletes often experience more frequent cramping during hot and humid competition & training which is often indicative of mild dehydration.

However, acute stretching/massaging or activation of muscle receptors often helps to relieve muscle cramping (often immediately) both of which would have no impact on plasma volume and electrolyte changes. The current consensus is that some sort of motor end plate (point of innervation between motor nerves and skeletal muscle) dysfunction occurs as a result of intercellular changes likely resulting from dehydration or electrolyte variations.  So, where does pickle juice come in to play? Researchers out of North Dakota State University designed a study to find out:

What did they do?

Researchers conducted two different experimental testing days (1 week apart) during which time subjects were subjected to intentionally induced muscle cramps (via a crazy toe apparatus / torture device).  Prior to the muscle cramps, all subjects underwent a mild dehydration protocol (~3% body weight loss).  On one occasion the subjects consumed 1 ml/kg of body weight of deionized water or pickle juice; receiving the opposite treatment on the next occasion.  Cramp duration and muscle activity were assessed following the drink.

Results

Muscle activity wasn't different during the muscle cramp in each condition, however the muscle cramp was ~50 seconds shorter after ingestion of the pickle juice. 50 SECONDS!?

For those who have experienced a muscle cramp, that 50 second reduction in cramp duration would sure be a welcomed miracle.  The authors concluded that pickle juice appeared to inhibit the electrically induced muscle cramps and speculated that the improvement was likely a result of a neural mediated reflux originating in the mouth from the acetic acid in the pickle juice as the improvements could not be explained by rapid restoration of body fluids or electrolytes.

Take Home Message:

Believe it or not it appears as though pickle juice may actually work as a way to diminish muscle cramps.  With that being said, a lot of the previously used strategies will also help to prevent them in the first place; strategies such as staying hydrated, adding electrolytes to water, making sure to do a proper warm-up before training etc.

Testing Glute Firing Patterns for Hamstring Injury

By: Joel Luedke

Hamstring injuries are any athletes worst nightmare.  They seem to hold you out for longer than they should and when they are trying to heal something always seems to come up and set you back.  Frustrating to say the least.  The goal is to prevent them from happening and there has been extensive research on what might work best to accomplish this.

Eccentric loading of the hamstrings and the hamstring/glute complex have given the best results thus far.  But is that enough?  Often this is a great place to start but we also have to be concerned about mobility in the hips.  It doesn't matter how strong you are in your hamstring and glute complex if you don't have the range of motion through your hips to allow the muscles to move through their intended ranges of motion.  See our Mobility Monday: 20 Hip Mobility Exercises for some ideas on how to look at that angle.

Ok so now we have that addressed and we move pretty well through our hips but we still see people suffering from hamstring strains.  What else is there?  Well now lets take a look back at the nervous system that is making the hamstring and hamstring/glute complex fire.  We need to focus on proper glute, hamstring, and low back firing and the order that they occur.  So here is how it goes and how to test it.  We always want to the glute to fire first (lots of people are missing this) and then followed by the hamstring on the same side.  After this sequence has taken place we want to feel the low back erectors/QL on the opposite side fire.

1. Glute
2. Hamstring (same side as glute)
3. Opposite low back (erectors/QL)

Great we know that so how do we test it.  Well this one I borrowed (ok, took from) Cal Dietz creator of Triphasic Training.  It is a very simple test.  Say we are testing the right glute/hamstring complex.  You would put your left thumb on their right glute, and your left ring/pinky finger on their right hamstring. You would then place your right index finger on their left low back (erectors/QL).  You then ask the athlete to fire their glute and you are paying attention to the order in which things fire based on your feel.

This can be a very simple exam that could potentially save you plenty of headache when it comes to hamstrings.  The quick exam is great for post injury rehab to look at firing patterns and if they are dysfunctional with the injury but also as a way to test how they are coming along throughout rehab.  Training the correct firing pattern is very important and can also be used as a preventative measure as you are training and working on the the correct firing patterns in training.

Happy hamstring prevention.

Barbell Shrugged: Cal Dietz and Andy Galpin

Video: Testing Proper Glute/Hamstring/Low Back Firing (great accent as well)

Mobility Monday: 20 Hip Mobility Drills

By: Joel Luedke

This can be a quite daunting amount of mobility drills to get into but rest assured, you do not need todo all 20 in one session.  Use a couple a day or when you are attacking your hip in a mobility session.  We really think that your hips are a source of a lot of your pain whether that is in your hip(s), low back or all the way down to your knees.

These are easy and no equipment needed.  Check them out and get those hips moving not only for pain relief but also for power you never knew you had.

Things It Helps:
-Hips pain (shocking I know)
-Low back pain (due to tight hips)
-General knee pain

Video Courtesy: Redefining Strength

Friday Food: Paleo Mini Bagels

By: Joel Luedke

We wanted to try and find something that looked good and tasted good but follows some of the trends in the nutrition industry.  We know a few people that have dairy sensitivity so we thought we would start there (this also happens to be gluten free) and see what we could find for some tasty food.  This one appealed to me because I still love my carbs when I can get them and I will not argue with a bagel.  Check it out.

Ingredients:
-1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
-1/4 cup gold flax meal
-1 tbsp coconut flour
-1 tsp baking soda
-1/4 tsp sea salt
-5 large eggs
-2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
-1 tbsp poppy seeds
-1 tbsp raw sesame seeds
-1 tbsp onion flakes

Instructions
-In food processor, pulse almond flour, flax meal, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt.
-Add eggs and vinegar and pulse until thoroughly combined.
-Fit a pasty bag with a 3/8 inch round tip and fill bag with batter
-Pip into a mini donut pan
-Spinkle bagels with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and onion flakes.
-Back at 350F for 14-17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a bagel comes out clean
-Let bagels cool in pan for 10 minutes
-Serve

Source: Elanaspantry.com

Bright Light Therapy

By: Corissa Conard

“There is just not enough time in the day.” This is a phrase said and heard way too often, and is one that is pretty accurate – especially during the winter months when daylight is not on our side. There is nothing that can be done to change the amount of sunlight that is encountered throughout the day, but there is something you can do to put more hours back in your day.  Whether you are a corporate employee or business owner, a student-athlete, or stay-at-home mom, anyone can find benefit in this type of wellness tool.  

Feeling Better by a Flip of a Switch, Literally

Suffer from depression, fatigue, and a lack of concentration, insomnia or other sleep disorders? Live in cooler climates, the northern latitudes, or do most work indoors? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, there may be an alternative therapy that does not involve supplements, doctors/psychiatrists, or prescriptions. In as little as thirty minutes each day, you can increase energy and mood levels by simply sitting in front of a light.

A light? Yes, a bright light to be specific.  It sounds silly, really, but it makes much sense if you take a look at it scientifically:

From an evolutionary standpoint we are inclined to assume people slowdown in the winter - much like hibernation.  As the days get shorter and darker, our bodies respond to the light/dark shift by way of our circadian rhythm (i.e. our internal clocks) which virtually affects a whole host of cells within our body by, most notably, producing the hormone Melatonin.  Melatonin is known as the ‘sleepy hormone’ that is produced during the evening hours when our eyes, and then brain, processes the decrease in amount of light rays which sends us yawning.  All in all, “Lengthened duration of elevated nocturnal melatonin secretion during the winter nights has been implicated as an underlying physiological seasonal change associated with the pathology of winter depression” (Wehr et all 2001). By flipping on this specific light, you’re essentially suppressing that Melatonin and increasing your chances of a productive, fulfilling day!

Not Just for the Northern Lad

For over twenty years, there have been numerous studies completed, with many being done in clinical settings on those diagnosed with major depression. With the right intensity, timing, and duration, patients saw an 80% remission rate – a result scientists confirmed as being comparable to many antidepressants! So besides the typical winter depression, there are other depressive states this can possibly treat such as major non-seasonal depression (just mentioned above), and those suffering from bulimia and anorexia nervosa, two forms of eating disorders. 

The Right Duration, Intensity, and Timing

Candle light at 20 cm	10-15 Lux
Street light	10-20 Lux
Normal living room lighting	100 Lux
Office fluorescent light	300-500 Lux
Halogen lamp	750 Lux
Sunlight, 1 hour before sunset	1000 Lux
Daylight, cloudy sky	5000 Lux
Daylight, clear sky	10,000 Lux
Bright sunlight	> 20,000 Lux

The table to the right compares everyday objects or technologies to outdoor light in terms of intensity (aka lux).

General Information & Guidelines:

• The higher the lux is, the greater the intensity of light
• Rule of thumb: the higher the lux, the lower the duration (or time spent). 
• The greatest bang for your buck is 10,000 lux at 30 minutes
• Everyone responds differently so finding the right intensity and duration can take some time and practice.  Back off duration or intensity if experiencing either one or all of these symptoms: dizziness, nausea, and/or headaches.

• Outdoors on a sunny day is 500- 1,000 times brighter than office or room lighting.

  Do not use if diagnosed with light sensitive diseases, such as retinopathies, or psychological disorders such as bipolar disorder. Talk to your physician if you have questions or concerns

How FitRiss involves this in her in-home personal training services

Did I say sitting before? I meant moving! With the convenience of traveling to the client’s home, FitRiss also sets up a light box in the exercise area. Keep in mind that there is a particular distance from the light box that the client’s eyes can go, and furthering the distance makes the treatment less effective.  The great thing about this movement/exercise service, however, is that it doesn’t involve straying too far from the light as all the movements are done in a small space.  The overall thought is that when exercise is combined with this type of therapy it can create a double whammy effect in energy and mood levels, as it is a long held and evident fact that proper exercise induces production of the body’s happy hormones, and as we now know, light therapy can virtually do the same!

Mobility Monday: Heel Cord Lovin'

By: Joel Luedke

I had to post this one because I needed to personally use it this weekend.  After running something that resembled 10 miles and still working on not heel striking my calves let me know about it...and they aren't quiet.

What I like most about this video is it doesn't just hit the musculature that needs to be addressed when working on your calves and ankles but it also shows you how to help your ankle get moving which is important because it it doesn't move it doesn't matter how loose your calves are.  Pay attention to the movements he does use though when working on the soft tissue.  Just rolling over it is not enough.

What it Helps:
-Tight Calves
-Foot Tightness/Pain
-Generalized Knee Pain

Friday Food: Morning Mocha Protein Shake

By: Joel Luedke

We thought we would combine a couple of our favorite things together for this recipe....coffee and protein.  Need that boost in the morning both to your energy an your metabolism?  This might be the recipe for you to give a try.  Pretty simple and easy to make day in and day out if you buy in bulk.  Check it out.

Prep Time: 10 Mins

Ingredients:
-1 scoop chocolate protein powder
-1/4 cup almond milk
-1/2 cup ice cubes
-1 tsp instant espresso coffee powder or granules, steeped in 1/4 cup hot water
-1 tbsp unsweetened baking cocoa
-1 tbsp ground flaxseed meal

Directions:
-In blender, place all ingredients.  Cover; blend on high speed until smooth.
-Pour into glass.  Serve immediately and then get your day on.

Is it Okay to Run Before You Lift?

By: Andrew Jagim

I've been asked this question several times before: "Is it okay if I do cardio before lifting weights?" I understand that time is a luxury that not all people have, especially when it comes to getting your workouts in each week. So I understand when people want to maximize their time in the gym and try to get 2 workouts in at one time by doing their cardio and strength training all in one trip. 

However, by doing cardio first does it take away from your strength training?  Researchers recently sought out to answer this question.

What did they do?

Researchers had 11, resistance trained men complete a "control" resistance exercise session consisting of 3 sets of 6-10 repetitions for 5 exercises (high pull, bench press, deadlift, back squat and push press).  Then on 4 separate occasions the same subjects completed 1 of 4 aerobic exercise workouts followed by the same resistance exercise workout 10 minutes after. The 4 different aerobic conditions consisted of: 1) 60% of VO2 reserve for 45 min; 2) 75% of their VO2 Reserve for 20 min; 3) 90-100% of VO2 Reserve in 3-min intervals (x5) with a 1:1 work:rest ratio; and 4) 75% of VO2 Research uphill (6-9% grade) for 20 min.

What did they find?

All 4 aerobic protocols resulted in 9.1-18.6% fewer total repetitions completed in the resistance exercise workout compared to the control session.  In addition, average power and velocity were significantly reduced for the high pull, squat and bench press following the aerobic protocols.  Heart rate and ratings of perceived exertion were also higher following all 4 aerobic protocols.

Conclusions

The authors concluded that acute resistance exercise performance is compromised following aerobic exercises of different type, intensity, and duration with the largest performance decrements occurring post high-intensity interval workouts.

Take Home Message:

From this study we can draw a few conclusions. The first being that if we do any form of cardio prior to a strength training session, the overall quality of that strength session may be compromised. In addition, the biggest decrements appear to occur following a bout of high-intensity interval training; likely because it is the most physically demanding. Is HIIT a great form of training that offers several benefits? Yes, but it may not be the best prior to a bout of resistance training.  HOWEVER, in my opinion it depends on what your number one priority is.  Ideally, it would be best to do cardio and strength training on separate days but not everyone has that luxury. If your goal is to maximize the benefits from HIIT (i.e. increased aerobic capacity, increased lactate threshold, increased caloric expenditure etc.) then by all means do this first if you have no choice but to combine your cardio and strength days. But if your goal is to improve maximal strength, power and muscle hypertrophy, then you may be better off doing your strength training first so that you are not slightly fatigued going into your workout.  It's not the end of the world if you can't make this happen but if you are a high level competitor then you should probably pay more close attention to how you are structuring your workouts. If you are a CrossFitter, I have no idea what to tell you. Probably do all of the above? It's a tough sport.

Reference:
Ratamess, N., Kang, J., Porfido, T. et al. Acute Resistance Exercise Performance is Negatively Impacted by Prior Aerobic Endurance Exercise. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. PAP. (2016).

Could a Multivitamin Be Counterproductive?

By: Andrew Jagim

A lot athletes or active individuals usually supplement with a multivitamin to help provide some anti-oxidant support, in addition to several other health benefits of course. However, if we look at the concept of oxidative stress and why people recommend an anti-oxidant rich diet versus what drives several physiological adaptations, it just gets more and more confusing.

For example, some of that oxidative stress from reactive oxygen species (ROS) production make actually be a good thing and therefore interrupting this mechanism could be counterproductive.

During strenuous exercise, the production of free radicals (aka ROS) is increased. These free radicals, collectively referred to as oxidative stress can lead to cell apoptosis (death) if levels are chronically elevated. By consuming foods or vitamins that specifically contain a high degree of anti-oxidants, or substances that help reduce oxidative stress, it's thought that we can reduce the potential damaging effects of strenuous exercise.  With that being said, these free radicals may also serve as a necessary evil when it comes to triggering adaptive responses within the muscle. The reason why we train is to expose our bodies and specific physiological systems to a certain stressor, with continuous exposure we combat these stresses by adapting (i.e. increase energy production, improve blood flow, increase muscle size, strength, etc.).  If we remove or attenuate some of the acute stressors, we may also be minimizing the acute physiological stimulus needed to elicit said adaptations over time. 

There are several publications that suggest not only to high-dose multivitamins NOT improve performance, they may actually hinder certain training adaptations (1).  Initially, a lot of the research suggested that certain antioxidants (i.e. Vitamin C, E and CO-Q10) may hinder endurance performance in aerobically trained athletes when consumed at relatively high doses for several weeks. Recent evidence suggests that this maladaptation may actually occur with resistance training outcomes as well with evidence supporting the idea that antioxidants blunt a lot of the cell-signaling required to elicit muscle growth. Below is a direct quote from such a publication:

A significant number of both healthy and sick individuals are taking antioxidant supplements in the belief that these will improve their health and prevent or ameliorate diseases (1). Moreover, a large proportion of athletes, including elite athletes, take vitamin supplements, often large doses, seeking beneficial effects on performance (16). The complete lack of any positive effect of antioxidant supplementation on physiological and biochemical outcomes consistently found in human and animal studies raises questions about the validity of using oral antioxidant supplementation in both health and disease. The vast majority of experimental evidence clearly advises against this supplementation. Thus, we unreservedly confirm the conclusions derived from our previous research (4, 14) and disagree with Higashida et al. In our opinion, antioxidant supplements are, at the least, useless."

Now, keep in mind this is only one publication but you may be asking yourself: "Wait a minute, I thought you guys believe in vitamin supplementation and often recommend people to take vitamins?!" The answer to your question would be yes, we do believe that vitamins and antioxidants are important for long-term health. My opinion on the matter is that if you are not adequately consuming enough vitamins and anti-oxidants in your diet than supplementing with a multivitamin is probably a good idea. Is more better? Will it make you bigger, faster stronger? Probably not. How much is too much? Unfortunately we don't really have the answer as it is likely different for everyone based upon, body size, age activity level etc. More research is definitely needed in this area. For the time being, there are certain blood tests that can be done to assess your levels for certain vitamins and minerals from which you could then conclude whether or not you are deficient in certain areas.

References:
1. Gomez-Cabrera, M. C., Ristow, M., & Viña, J. (2012). Antioxidant supplements in exercise: worse than useless?. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism, 302(4), E476-E477.

Mobility Monday: Hip Demands of the Upright Torso

By: Joel Luedke

It is always good to have an assessment tool to see where you are at and how far you have come along with your work.  This is a great one to see how well you are able to move through your hips in order to keep an upright torso when squatting.  We want to be able to maintain an upright torso as much as possible when we squat.  It will not only help save your back but it also will show how much you are able to move through your hips.  We have world record holder squatter Andy Askow in this VIDEO who echoes this same point. 

Start with this simple test and see where you are at and start fixing it all below.

Things it Helps:
-Squat Form
-Tight Hips
-Painful knees (when squatting)

Here is a video to start getting after it and and fixing it.

Training for Kids

By: Joel Luedke

I've spent quite a bit of time this past couple of weeks working some youth camps in a variety of sports.  They have ranged from football, wrestling, basketball and gymnastics.  Ages have ranged from 5-6 year olds up to entering high school and through most of them there is a glaring lack of body control.  Now, I was always told you can't spell 'fundamentals' without 'fun' and while it finally makes sense to me now it most definitely did not back then.

What this post is geared to is how you can start training kids at a young age without putting them through intensive weight sessions that could potentially stunt their growth (thats not a real thing but a old tale that won't die).  There are so many things they can do to help them learn body control and have fun at the same time.  We list some ideas below:

1. Body Weight Exercises

The gymnasts that I have been around seem to have the best body control (and for good reason) and it is a great place for people to start out.  You could replace or substitute in martial arts for gymnastics and get a lot of the same benefits.  Getting kids out early running and jumping and figuring out how to use their body is huge.  All those basic skills will transfer over to sports that the young athletes might venture into and the rate of injury will decrease dramatically.  This is a great place to start and one I personally wish I had more interest in as a kid.

2. Put the FUN back into Fundamentals

It is not a lot of fun to learn how to run, jump, stop, cut and change direction so we have to make it that way.  Put a game to it and use the game as teachable moments.  When they are learning how to play the game and need to move faster and more efficient to win...BOOM there is your chance to throw in information about the best way to perform movements and motions that they will need.

This translates all the way up to the college level as I know a coach likes to use a good old game of tag to assess the ability of players.  Yep, as simple as that, tag.  You can see acceleration, declaration, cutting, rotation, change of direction and best of all planning and decision making.  Try these to make it fun.

3. Start Teaching Movements Young

There is nothing wrong with teaching full squats and mobility to a young athlete as long as you don't load them up too early in their career.  Make it a game.  A great story of a top USA weightlifting coach was his son would do a snatch move with a PVC pipe and then load it up and go around the house in his power wheel before coming back to hit another snatch.  He thought it was a great time and he was able to keep full motion well into his teenage years (its amazing how quickly you can lose it).  Again all the motion and movement will help transfer to the field and the sport of the kids choosing and as shown in the second video a whole lot of fun for the kid when they hit a PR.

And for more entertainment, finish on this one.

Mobility Monday: Compression Tack and Floss for the Knee

Happy 4th of July everyone.  We hope it has been safe and relaxing thus far.  Odd are you areprobably doing quite a bit of sitting (hopefully on a comfortable chair or a boat, I really hope it is a boat) but as we have seen in many posts before that can wreak havoc on your body.  Your knees can take the brunt of this havoc and this is a video to help out with that using VooDoo Floss bands. 

They seems a little crazy but wow are they effective.  This is a great video to help clean up your knee for any type of chronic knee pain you may have.  Check it out.

What it Helps:
-Any knee pain
-Tight quads (especially distal)
-Squat form