Exercise, almost by definition is hard. To cause the body to adapt via an increase in strength, cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, or any other facet; a stimulus must be applied. Not only must this stimulus be applied, but to facilitate this improvement it must be...
EPOC gives you the benefits of exercise for free. EPOC, or 'Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption' refers to the prolonged benefits that can be derived from exercise at intensity. Tradition long slow cardiovascular exercise elicits a decent benefit during exercise,...
There are few movements with as much benefit and global reach as the deadlift. Sometimes, technique corrections are not sufficient in resolving poor movement. Let's look at the musculo-skeletal issues which may jeopardise your deadlift and how to fix them. This is not...
A 'fat burning zone'. There are two major issues with this concept. Misconception: If you exercise at a lower intensity you will burn more fat. If you exercise at a lower intensity you will burn a GREATER PERCENTAGE of fat. In the graph, total energy expenditure is...
Exercise should form a major part of a healthy pregnancy. Certain modifications should however be made to ensure safety and effectiveness. Numerous changes in the body occur during pregnancy, with implications from each affecting...
Who'd have thought that donning an expensive pair of black stockings would instantly categorise you as an 'athlete'!? We identify these sexy tights so much with performance, that hosts of exercisers now wear them by default. My...
There are few movements with as much benefit and global reach as the squat. Sometimes, technique corrections are not sufficient in resolving poor movement. Let's look at the musculo-skeletal issues which may jeopardise your squat...
Sleep apnoea is a condition characterised by pauses in breathing during sleep and intermittent cycles of sleep and arousal. The condition is caused by a sleep related decrease in muscle tone in the upper airway. This causes a collapse of the upper airway - leading to...
In understanding Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries, we must understand what the ACL does. It resists anterior tibial translation, a fancy way of saying it stops the shin moving forward relative to the femur (thigh bone). ACL injury can be caused by anatomical...
We know that exercise helps to slow the effects of ageing. But what of the effects of ageing on our ability to exercise? Ageing brings with it to the exercise table the following negative effects: Reduced strength Reduced...
Examining the vast body of research on factors aiding in the prevention of all forms of cancer reveals some common themes. Reviewing the literature tells us that the following methods are supported for cancer prevention:...
Researchers have delved deep into the links between exercise and sleep. The results are relatively simple, and provide steadfast recommendations to improve sleep quality, and sleep patterns through targeted exercise. Intense...
Power comes from the progressive application of forces. Throwing a dart requires very little power, and thus involves few segments (just the wrist and fingers). Throwing a baseball however requires high power and more segments...
The Knee is responsible for the majority of energy absorption during the running cycle, while the hip is responsible for the greatest energy generation. Basically, this tells us that strong hips (specifically hip extensors,...
With a global aging population, the importance of balance and fall prevention has never been greater. In this group of older adults, falls play a major role in not reduced quality of life, but also premature death. Falls lead to...
'I could do that with my eyes closed!' you cry. Apply that to exercise and you just might be able to. Proprioception is your brain's knowledge about your body's position. Close your eyes and bend your arm. Even though you can't...
The hamstrings muscle group has been plagued by injury, injury recurrence, improper rehabilitation and impaired performance. Bahr and Holme (2000) proposed that injuries result from a complex interaction of multiple risk factors...
As if you need an excuse to eat chocolate! Just in case you do, here's 13 health benefits of chocolate. The flavonoids (plant compounds from cacao) in dark chocolate play a role in improving cardiovascular health, both through...
There is a close relationship between stress and performance. This relationship can exist in both a negative and positive way. Stress is a stimulus that causes a physiological or psychological effect. Good stress is termed...
We want to increase strength. No surprises there. And yet we fail to use eccentric training as a mainstay of our programming. So what is eccentric training, and how can we use it to maximise performance. Eccentric training...
It's beginnings are all too familiar. An ankle rolls. A knee gives way. An muscle starts to hurt when it shouldn't. Welcome to inflammation. For the sake of this post, we discuss the inflammation caused by injury or trauma...
Exercise, nutrition and weight loss programs make use of food diaries. Science supports this contention. Research tells us that by being aware of what we eat we eat less. This works not only on a micro scale (per meal), but also on a much larger scale – with a...
How much physical activity is needed to drastically reduce the risk of disease? The answer might be surprising. You should already know that exercise intensity is the single most important variable in maximising the health benefits of exercise. You can read more in my...
Sleep is a highly sought, frequently underachieved necessity of life. And yet, people don't really know what's going on when they're asleep. Probably because they're... well... asleep. Sleep is an immediately reversible, perceptual wall between the conscious mind and...
In parts one and two of this series we covered the need for more effective hamstring injury screen, prevention and rehabilitation. In this, the final part, we discuss initiatives to fill this need. To aid in effective injury prevention, mode specificity is a vital...
What are the ten top ailments that reduce quality of life? We can examine this by looking at DALYs, or Disability Adjusted Life Years. Basically, these combine years of life lost due to premature death and years of life lived...
Fatigue is a bad thing. Or it is when you're trying to maximise performance. Fatigue is the recoverable reduction in the maximum force generating capacity regardless of the type of work being done. Basically, getting tired so you...
The female athlete triad is a trifecta of conditions commonly seen in the female athlete. The triad consists of: Disordered eating Premature osteoporosis Ammenorrhea (cessation of menstrual cycle for > three months) The...
More time is spent in bed than in any other place. The importance of good posture in bed is evident. We spend the majority of our time every day doing very specific tasks, in very specific positions. Regardless of how minor the...
In part one of this blog series, I discussed the prevalence of muscular injuries in general. In this, we discuss the specific need for further examination of the hamstrings - and why this muscle group is so predisposed to injury....