Summer Cycling Routines

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Use the Tour de France as an inspiration to start a summer cycling routine.Training at a variety of “tempos” and terrains will optimize your workout.Rest is particularly important between workouts when you’re cycling.

“From a strength standpoint, cycling is preferable to running as a cardiovascular workout. “

Watching the Tour de France can be a serious buzzkill for a guy trying to get in shape. Cyclists are among the most physically fit athletes in the world, and watching those guys go up a hill can be enough to make a guy trying in vain to get in shape to throw in the towel.

But if you can’t beat ‘em, as they say, join ‘em. Cycling is an amazing way to get in shape, and the benefits start showing soon. Instead of letting the Tour de France discourage you, use the physical fitness of the cyclists as an inspiration, and introduce cycling to your summer workout routines.

Cycling is a great way to not only improve your conditioning this summer, but also to enhance your physique. Some of the best benefits you’ll see with cycling training are the body’s enhanced utilization of oxygen, increased muscular strength and power in the legs, improved ability to buffer lactic acid buildup, and decreased body-fat percentage. From a strength standpoint, cycling is preferable to running as a cardiovascular workout, since you will be constantly working against resistance. That said, there are some important things you should consider when coming up with a summer cycling routine that will help you maximize your training.

One of the most important factors to consider when putting together your bike workout is variety. If you’re doing the same workout day in and day out, your body is going to adapt to it very quickly and you will stop showing results. By changing it up on a frequent basis, you will keep your body guessing as you work your muscles on a variety of levels at the same time.

Including one or two “tempo” sessions will help you build a good base for your summer cycling routine. In these workouts, you will be riding at a constant, fairly high intensity for 20 to 25 minutes. The idea here is to help your body grow accustomed to tolerating lactic acid so that when you do decide to push harder, you will not fatigue as quickly. These workouts will also help to push up your relative speed, thereby increasing your performance.

One session per week should be dedicated to a longer-duration workout, as this will help you build cardiovascular endurance. Not only is this good for proper health, but it will also give your body a break from the very high intensity workouts. Aim to cycle continuously, at a comfortable pace, for about 45 minutes to an hour. There is no need to overdo it during these sessions, unless you are training for an endurance event. Excessive endurance training will lead to issues with recovery and will take time away from other workouts you should be concentrating on.

Finally, adding one or two sessions of sprint training is a smart move, as these are what will really bump up your fitness level. Aim to go 30 seconds to a minute at a very hard pace, and then take a rest period for two to three times the duration of the sprint interval. Repeat this process 6 to 12 more times before starting your cooldown.

The next factor to consider when putting together your summer cycling routine is rest. Rest is absolutely critical if you hope to see progress, because if you don’t allow recuperation to take place, each session will only tear down your muscle fibers.

Along with scheduling days off, take into account any cross-training activities you participate in, such as weightlifting or other sports. If those are highly demanding physically, you will again need to scale back slightly on the cycling workouts so you do not overtrain.

Eating right is an essential component of any summer cycling routine… Next Page >>

‘Don’t use paracetamol for fever’

A respected scientific group has recommended not using paracetamol and several other drugs to reduce flu-related fever, saying they may increase the risk of death.

The position of the Wellington-based Medical Research Institute contradicts the established advice of the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation to use drugs such as paracetamol and ibuprofen to lower a high temperature caused by influenza. Aspirin should not be given to children or teenagers with viral infections.

However, the ministry said last night it expected to change its recommendations following a review.

A high fever makes the sufferer feel terrible, but the institute, led by respiratory physician Professor Richard Beasley, says there is strong evidence the high temperature that can be caused by influenza helps the body to control the virus.

In a letter published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, Professor Beasley and colleagues say there is insufficient evidence to support the use of the fever-reducing “antipyretic” medicines to treat fever from influenza.

“The limited evidence that does exist [from animal studies] suggests that the administration of antipyretics may have the potential to increase the severity of influenza illness and the risk of mortality.”

Institute programme director Dr Kyle Perrin said: “Although there isn’t a huge amount of data … we would say there’s no benefit of treating a fever with paracetamol and there’s potential harm in terms of making the illness worse or longer. So our recommendation would be not to treat a fever, but to use paracetamol as a pain reliever … If you’ve got a headache or sore muscles it’s reasonable to take it; it’s very effective and safe in that setting.”

But Dr Perrin did not call for health authorities to change their position.

“We don’t think there’s enough evidence yet to make a firm stand either way.”

He also said that although parents were often concerned about their child having a convulsion from a high fever, they were probably not harmful.

“Most of the data in this area suggests that the risk of febrile convulsions isn’t lowered by the use of paracetamol or other antipyretics. It seems that the febrile convulsion itself is to do with the infectious illness rather than the fever per se.”

Dr Darren Hunt, the ministry’s acting director of public health, said clinical practice was tending towards using medicines, if needed, to treat pain rather than fever. The ministry was likely to change its influenza advice to reflect this.

Fever in pregnancy, however, was a special case: paracetamol was recommended because it was important for the baby to reduce high temperatures.

FEVER TREATMENT

Ministry of Health advice for influenza treatment at home:

“Take drugs that relieve pain and fever, eg, paracetamol or ibuprofen. Aspirin-type medications should not be used for children and young people.”

Medical Research Institute:

“… there is an insufficient evidence base to support the use of antipyretics [fever reducers such as paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin] in the treatment of fever from influenza infection.”

Gene technique to stretch diseased arteries gives hope for heart health

Auckland gene scientists have come up with a way to put new stretch into hardened, old arteries, an important advance that points the way to a radical new treatment for heart disease.

Cardiovascular disease, mainly heart disease and strokes, is New Zealand’s biggest killer, accounting for around 40 per cent of deaths.

Associate Professor Mervyn Merrilees, of Auckland University, and colleagues in a six-country collaboration have treated arteries in an animal trial to make them more elastic and resistant to build-ups of cholesterol.

Their technique involves manipulating a gene called V3 which is present in humans and other mammals. By inserting it via a virus into blood vessel cells, the gene, which normally produces little V3 protein, is made to produce a lot.

The cells, injected into a neck artery, led to the formation of a new arterial lining rich in elastin, a protein which gives blood vessels, skin and other tissues their stretchiness.

As people age, they lose elastin. Along with the deposition of LDL or “bad” cholesterol, this contributes to arteries developing inflamed lesions that can crack, leading to little lumps breaking off. This in turn can cause the blockages that produce heart attacks and a type of stroke.

People at elevated risk of cardiovascular disease are advised to reduce bad cholesterol intake, to exercise and are typically prescribed a cholesterol-lowering statin medicine.

But Professor Merrilees and his colleagues are developing their discoveries with the hope of producing a new form of treatment for cardiovascular disease, possibly within a decade.

“There’s no reason to believe it won’t work [in humans],” he said yesterday. “We feel fairly confident that the same principles apply to humans as they do to other animals.”

A United States Government health organisation last week approved a grant for laboratory experiments with V3 using human tissue.

“They plan to take the human saphenous vein [from the leg] that is used in bypass operations, to soak it with V3 protein, to see if we can get them to switch on the deposition of elastic fibres.”

The technology has obvious potential for cosmetic surgery, including helping to remove wrinkles, but the researchers are not pursuing that, preferring to focus on killers such as cardiovascular disease.

Another angle being developed by Professor Merrilees is to try to increase the elastin content of skin grown in the lab which, starting with their own skin cells, could help burns patients or those with ulcers that don’t heal.

GENE POWER

The gene – V3, present in humans and other mammals.

* Normally produces little V3 protein.

Gene inserted into a virus, and the virus into blood vessel cells from animals.

* Now produces a great deal of V3 protein.

Neck artery cells scraped internally by angioplasty.

* The experimental cells are injected into the artery.

* New arterial lining develops on scraped area.

* New lining is rich in elastin, a stretchy component in blood vessels and other tissues. Lining now resistant to deposition of cholesterol.

NZ brewer to follow Aussies on health alerts

A major New Zealand brewer will introduce health warnings on its drinks after Australia’s liquor industry announced a similar move yesterday.

Lion Nathan expects to start voluntarily putting health warnings on its products in about six weeks’ time, but DB Breweries has rejected the action as ineffective.

DrinkWise Australia, a group funded by the Australian alcohol industry, said about 80 per cent of alcohol products in the country including beer, wine and spirits would carry warnings.

But Professor Doug Sellman, director of the National Addiction Centre, slammed the new labelling as cunning “Clayton’s warnings”.

He said the Australian messages, such as “kids and alcohol don’t mix”, were essentially meaningless.

Mr Sellman said more truthful warnings would be “alcohol causes cancer”, “alcohol can cause brain damage” and “alcohol can make people aggressive”.

Even accurate health warnings were unlikely to have an impact without more meaningful government action, he said.

“At the moment if you say, ‘Alcohol causes cancer’, people don’t even see it.

“And it was the same with tobacco. It wasn’t until the price went up and it became a much less normal thing to do, then people started thinking much more clearly about the health issues.”

Neil Hinton, corporate affairs director for Lion, rejected the notion that the moves were cynically self-serving.

“The point that we’re making is that we’re prepared to do our bit on it … you must ask the question of what would ever be enough?

“Probably prohibition would still have them upset. I think the reasonable man would look at that and say this is a good, responsible step from a good, responsible industry.”

He said DrinkWise Australia had picked up Lion’s own initiative that was announced in February, and New Zealand warnings would be similar to those in Australia.

The corporate manager of DB Breweries, Mark Campbell, said the company would wait to see whether warnings were introduced under an Alcohol Reform Bill to be considered by Parliament.

But the brewer was unlikely to introduce the health warnings on its own accord, he said.

“We’re not of the view that it’s going to change anything … the reality is it has been debated for many years, whether alcohol labelling is going to make a difference.

“But we’re realistic that it may well be something that we have to comply with down the track, and really don’t have any major concerns about doing so.”

New Zealand Winegrowers said they were reviewing their stance on “social policy issues”, and Independent Liquor could not be reached for comment.

Last week Netherlands-based professor Peter Anderson, one of the world’s leading public health experts, told an alcohol-harm conference in Wellington that alcoholic products should carry health warning labels, just as tobacco products do.

Crown researchers offer bosses test for synthetic cannabis

Employers will be able to test staff for synthetic cannabis use but those behind the testing admit creative chemistry will mean identifying users could be a game of cat and mouse.

Environment Science and Research (ESR) announced yesterday it had developed a method to enable testing of the synthetic cannabinoids found in “legal highs” such as Kronic.

The move was immediately slammed as “advertorial” for ESR’s services by Matt Bowden, who imports the chemicals used to make Kronic.

Mr Bowden said while employers had the right to identify staff stoned at work, the tests would ensnare others.

“Testing urine to find out what good, hardworking employees have been doing in the weekend? Don’t take the piss.”

The ESR also released a list of the synthetic cannabinoids found in each of the 41 products it recently screened.

Eleven varieties of cannabinoids were found and 10 of the products screened contained an elaborate cocktail of four or more. Two compounds have yet to be identified.

The same screening led to the recall of Kronic Pineapple Express and Cosmic Corner’s Juicy Puff Super Strength after they were found to contain the prescription sedative phenazepam.

Little is known about the health effects of the chemicals or what effect their combination may have.

The products all contained JWH-018 or JWH-073 cannabinoids, which enabled ESR to develop a test for JWH chemicals metabolised in the body.

Dr Keith Bedford, ESR’s general manager of forensic research, admitted testing would need to be constantly developed to keep up with the ever-changing nature of compounds used.

“It’s a real challenge. And we’ve seen in the New Zealand party drug scene over several years a continuing rolling process of new substances appearing.”

Last Friday, eight of the most popular synthetic cannabis products were banned across Australia after action from the Federal Government.

Mr Bowden would not comment on whether Kronic would develop new blends of their products to skirt the Australian ban or workplace testing.

“Australia is a country where millions of people use recreational drugs, and so millions of people are being penalised.

“Those people do deserve a safe alternative, I think. We’ll just wait and see what happens over there.”

Mr Bowden said publicising the screening results risked more “backyard cooks” trying to manufacture synthetic cannabis from home.

“Some consumers might go to the internet and start trying to buy these chemicals, and they probably won’t have a lot of information of dosage. So there’s potential for disaster there.”

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne said ESR’s screening validated the Government’s move to regulate the industry.

“The information today is a further validation of the strong steps the Government is taking,” he said, “and a further condemnation of an irresponsible industry.”

DOZENS OF CHOICES

One synthetic cannabinoid:

Tai High – New Super Strength Gold, Burn Apple Incense, Tokearoa High, High Dro, Dust FTP, 127 Is Illusion Maximum Strength, Not Pot – Rhino Strength Ganja Gang Delta, Ismoke, Puff The Magic Dragon, Dream 1.25 London Underground, Jungle Juice Wizard, Zohan, Kronic Potent Incense, Amsterdam Cafe Havana Special, Is Illusion 125, Is Illusion 125 High Strength Blend, Space Choc Nova Premium Grade, Space Strawberry Wrap Premium Grade, Space Grape Impact Premium Grade, Spice Gold

Two synthetic cannabinoids:

Lazy J, Tai High Afghan Kush, Electric Puha Ganja Guru Delta, Kronic Tropical Explosion, Kronic Purple Haze, Juicy Puff Super Strength (plus two as yet unidentified).

Three synthetic cannabinoids:

Aroma Wicked 1.5 Strength, Aroma Wicked Strength, Space V2 Herbal Incense

Four synthetic cannabinoids:

Puff The Philosophers Stone, Puff Super Strength, Kronic Pineapple Express, Marley Extra Strength 1.5, Kronic Skunk, Euphoric Blends Citrus Haze

Five synthetic cannabinoids:

Euphoric Blends White Rhino, Euphoric Blends Big Bang, Euphoric Blends Bubble Gum, Spice Diamond

Does Gluten Feed Yeast Cells?

This is such a common question because most Candida Diet websites will tell you to avoid all glutenous grains.

I’ll explain why you may want to avoid gluten while on a yeast eliminating diet but it’s not for the reason you may think.

Gluten does not feed yeast cells. Gluten is a protein and yeast cells do not feed on protein, but sugars. However, there are still some reasons that glutenous grains should be avoided.

Although, gluten may not be feeding the yeast, wheat products contain carbs that are quickly broken down by the body. In fact, saliva begins breaking down starch as you chew. It is this aspect that feeds Candida, not the gluten. Whole wheat products are better because they contain carbs that haven’t been broken down and refined, so they take longer to be broken down into sugars by the body. But, even whole wheat may not be suitable for some which brings me to my next point.

Because gluten is a protein, it can be recognized by your immune system as a threat. This can occur in various degrees in people from severe reactions like exists in celiacs to mild cases that are hardly noticeable. If you are gluten sensitive at all it means that when you eat glutenous grains, it causes inflammation in your digestive tract. This inflammation overworks your immune system preventing it from properly eliminating real threats like Candida albicans overgrowth. It also prevents your digestive system from working as efficiantly as it should.

I recommend that if you are at all sensitive to gluten that you cut out wheat and other glutenous grains from your diet. You can usually tell by how your body reacts to eating gluten. When you eat wheat do you get mucus in your throat? Does your stomach carry on? Do you get cramps or bloating? Do bowel movements become irregular? If any of these symptoms occur, then avoid it.

If you digest gluten without any problems then you can have some whole grain products, but they should make up a very small part of your diet. However, avoid any products that contain processed wheat or glutenous grain products as they will be quickly converted to sugar and will in turn feed the yeast.

I think most websites and Candida diet programs adopt the better safe than sorry mentality when it comes to glutenous grains. If you are unsure of your tolerance of gluten then this is probably good advice, however, if you have never had a problem digesting gluten, then some whole grains could be included in your yeast eliminating diet.

Looking for an effective, comprehensive Candida diet program? I recommend Yeast Infection No More. This program has stood the test of time, has a very low refund rate and offers a no risk 60 day money back guarantee. Linda Allen and her staff are always standing by to answer questions and to help you be successful on the program. This program addresses yeast sensitivity and allergy as well. Click Here to try it now.

A Simple Guide to Baby Supplies

Overwhelmed with lists of what you should buy for your new baby? Here's what you really need.

When you're pregnant, it's a delight to browse the baby stores for those adorable outfits, colorful playthings, and stylish strollers. You might be tempted to scoop up lots of baby gear all at once, but so much shopping can be overwhelming, not to mention expensive.

Relax. Realistically, you'll have plenty of time before your baby needs sippy cups, a high chair, or a potty. In the early months, your baby requires only a few essentials. For example, you can't take your baby from the hospital unless you have an infant car seat. And once you get home, your baby will need diapers, clothing, and a safe place to sleep.

As you prepare to welcome your baby home, make sure you have these important items on hand. 

This one's a biggie. Every state requires parents to have a proper car seat before they can leave the hospital with their baby. Your baby must be in a rear-facing seat until he or she is age 2. If you borrow a car seat, make sure it's not damaged and has not been recalled.

If you're not sure how to install a car seat properly, ask your pediatrician where you can find expert help, says Benjamin S. Danielson, MD, medical director of the Odessa Brown Children's Clinic at Seattle Children's Hospital. He says his hospital recommends a car seat-fitting specialist to parents. You can also call your local AAA chapter to find out whether it runs a car seat safety inspection station near your home. Many fire stations and police stations offer free car seat inspection on a drop-in basis, too.

A stable bassinet or crib offers your newborn a safe, comfortable place to sleep. If you start with a bassinet or cradle, follow the manufacturer's instructions on safe use, taking into account the weight and size of your baby.

As for cribs, look for one with slats that are no more than 2 3/8 inches apart, and make sure the mattress fits snugly into the crib so your baby can't slip into any gaps on the sides. Avoid headboards and footboards with cut-outs, which could trap a baby's head.

While it's tempting to spruce it up with stuffed animals, pillows, or heavy quilts, these things can impair your baby's breathing or pose a suffocation hazard.

Some doctors even caution against using any blankets in the crib. As an alternative, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests using baby sleeper clothing -- no covers needed.