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Lead Stories: Saturday, September 6, 2008

Q&A: Is it true that weight loss during exercise is normal?

Posted December 29th, 2007 at 2:16 PM by Martin Kennedy

Section: Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab, Exercise

If you weigh yourself before and after an hour or two of exercise, the difference is likely to be fluid loss. However, in events lasting several hours or even several days, measurable fat loss can occur. At a competitive 12-hour indoor stationary bicycle marathon, one athlete took fluids and food throughout the entire competition, and still lost 2.64 pounds (Schweizerische Rundschau für Medizin Praxis, July 2007).

Of this weight loss, 1.98 pounds was due to loss of fat. His calculated muscle weight increased by 1.46 pounds due to damage to the muscle cells, which results in fluid retention in the cells.
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Your First Marathon:
You Can Do It!

Posted November 12th, 2007 at 6:30 PM by Andrew Goodman

Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Motivation, Training Tips, Cross Training, Health & Fitness, Exercise

Completing a marathon puts ordinary runners in the company of elite athletes—finishing a 26.2-mile run is an impressive accomplishment.

But you don’t have to be an elite athlete to join the ranks of marathoners around the world. With dedication and training, most runners can complete a marathon—and then have the satisfaction of being able to say, “A marathon” Yeah, I’ve done that.”

So don’t shy away from a marathon because it seems too hard, too long, too painful. With the right attitude and a good training regimen, it’s just 26.2 miles away.
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Who is the worse gas guzzler? You or your car?

Posted September 9th, 2007 at 11:00 AM by Jimson Lee

Section: Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Health & Fitness, Weight Loss

I’ve often wondered, who is the worse gas guzzler, you or your car?

My dependable 1999 Saturn SL-1 according to the Marketplace Fuel Survey Data (read the full story here), gets about 52 miles per gallon highway, and about 32 miles per gallon city driving with air conditioning and traffic.

Let’s take the human body for example.

Recently, I had no choice but to eat at McDonalds during a business trip. I had 2 Egg-Sausage-Cheese-McGriddle sandwiches for breakfast and a meduim orange juice. That’s about 1270 food Calories (or kCal) and it cost me $7.28. Here is the breakdown:

• each Egg-Sausage-Cheese-McGriddle sandwich: 530 Calories, 44g Carbs (47%), 20g Protein (21%), 29g fat (31%)
• Medium Orange Juice: 210 Calories, 17g Carbs, 0g Protein, 0g fat

If you add the 3 items above, that’s 55% Carbs, 18% Protein, and 26% Fat! No wonder North America has an obesity problem!

Since an average human body burns about 100 kCal per mile, whether you walk or run, that’s 1300 kCal for 13 miles.
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ASK LARA: Serotonin- Effects, sources, and suggestions for a healthy, active lifestyle

Posted September 8th, 2007 at 5:30 PM by Lara Johnson

Section: Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Columns, Ask Lara

Need advice? Injured? Confused? Overwhelmed? Bored? ASK LARA!
ASK LARA is a free advice column to help you with all of your running, fitness and nutrition inquiries. To ASK LARA — simply fill out the form at the conclusion of the column.

Q. I know that there are specific foods that help serotonin in the brain. What are they? Chocolate is one. Thanks.
~Michelle from Georgia

A. Interesting question. Since I am not a serotonin expert, I turned to some other sources for help in answering this one. Serotonin is defined as:

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, or 5-HT) is a monoamine neurotransmitter synthesized in serotonergic neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) and enterochromaffin cells in the gastrointestinal tract of animals including humans. Serotonin is also found in many mushrooms and plants, including fruits and vegetables.

Basically, serotonin is a chemical in the CNS that carries signals from one nerve cell to the next (hence, a neurotransmitter), thus allowing the brain to communicate. It is also one type of neurotransmitter that is highly sensitive to what we eat and influential in affecting mood. Other “moody” chemicals are dopamine and norepinephrine (source: the Mood-Food Connection).
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ASK LARA: Are Lean Cuisines a Healthy Choice?

Posted August 25th, 2007 at 5:22 PM by Lara Johnson

Section: Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Columns, Ask Lara

Need advice? Injured? Confused? Overwhelmed? Bored? ASK LARA!
ASK LARA is a free advice column to help you with all of your running, fitness and nutrition inquiries. To ASK LARA — simply fill out the form at the conclusion of the column.

Q. Are Lean Cuisines a healthy source of nutrients for daily meals? Sometimes 2 or more?
~Lean and Mean from Connecticut

A. It depends on what you are using as a means for comparison. In my opinion, it is always best to go with fresh foods (vegetables, grains, fruits, and protein sources), and to steer clear of ready-made products. From this standpoint, frozen entrees are not the healthiest choice due to the preservatives found in such products. However, if your alternatives are fried foods and twinkies, Lean Cuisines are a much better choice. In any case, in the world of frozen foods, it’s best to know what to watch out for.
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ASK FLASH: Questions regarding nutrition, diets, supplements and more…

Posted March 31st, 2007 at 1:41 PM by Joshua Flash Gordon

Section: Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Supplements, Columns, Ask Flash

Need advice? Injured? Confused? Overwhelmed? Bored? ASK FLASH!
ASK FLASH is a free advice column to help you with all of your running, fitness and nutrition inquiries. To ASK FLASH — simply fill out the form at the conclusion of the column.

—— —— —— —— ——

The most frequent topic that I get asked about is nutrition. We are all in search of ‘the perfect food‘ or ‘the ideal diet’ to complement our training.

Furthermore, many runners, and athletes in general, are looking for the ‘quick fix’ or supplements that will lead to certain improvement. It is a topic worthy of considerable discussion, but also one that can be difficult to fully grasp and/or resolve.

However, there a few fundamental concepts (that many of us are already familiar with) that everyone should keep in mind:
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Crunch Time: Optimum nutrition for runners

Posted January 25th, 2007 at 8:00 AM by Christopher Jack

Section: Running & Training, Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Race Prep & Recov

Find yourself dragging through those morning runs? Your 10k pace not where you want it? Sprinting toward the porta potties on race day? There could be an easy fix and it all starts with your diet.

Every runner’s training regimen, regardless of experience level, should have a focus on proper nutritional maintenance. When and what you eat can significantly affect your workout and performance will suffer without the proper balance of nutrients.

A common mistake made by runners, especially those early morning warriors, is running before fueling up. Without the proper nutrients in your system, your body will suffer from lowered glycogen and blood-glucose levels; depriving the body of essential energy and sustenance.
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This New Year’s Resolution:
A Healthy Heart

Posted January 1st, 2007 at 11:00 AM by Megan Hueter

Section: Health & Fitness, Exercise, Weight Loss

Eat too much this holiday season? You’re most likely not alone. However, eating too much on a daily basis takes a toll on your body, especially your heart. Make this New Year’s resolution a healthy one for you and your family.

You can start by checking out some different online opportunities, including the Discovery Health Channel’s National Body Challenge, and the American Heart Association’s Choose to Move program.

Programs such as these have been established due to chronic public health problems in the United States associated with poor diet and lack of physical activity. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death for all people in the United States, currently affecting nearly 12 million people.
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