Training Programs

Attached are your training and nutritional protocols for this week. Ideally, complete at the same time and location as last week.  Your goal is to be “faster” at a lower heart rate.  This can be accomplished by paying attention to details: warm-up, efficiency, biomechanics, breathing, etc.  Stay focused on the details and reap the rewards of faster speed at a low fatigue rate.

Causes of Inflammation

Also, I received quite a few questions about last week’s conversation about inflammation, especially about what causes inflammation.  To help clarify, inflammation can occur because of the following reasons and/or circumstances:

Trauma or Impact (i.e., fall to the ground); when you hit the ground you are in a race against space and time associated with significant inflammation (as quoted by my good friend and incredible athlete, Dr. Weatherwax).

Micro Trauma: exercise related activities from walking to weightlifting produce normal levels of inflammation.  The more impact and load bearing the activity, the more micro trauma damage occurs within the muscle tissue (and more inflammation as a result).

Chemical Stress such as food allergies or air born allergies (pollen, molds, etc.).  The body’s reaction to these allergies provides signals both obvious (runny nose) and not so obvious (inflammation).

Infections from bacteria, virus, fungus, or yeast causes inflammation.  The body puts high effort into attacking foreign objects and microbes – inflammation is one of the negative by products of fighting an infection.

High Body Fat causes inflammation because fat cells produce inflammatory chemicals such as cytokines and series 2 eicosanoids.  The higher the obesity level, the higher the inflammation levels.

Birth Control Pill and Hormone Replacement drugs may promote chronic inflammation.  Women who take estrogens have higher levels of C-reactive protein, indicating increased chronic inflammation.  Naturally, high levels of estrogens in women may not have the same inflammatory effect since these levels are still much lower than those from drug hormone therapy.

By focusing on consuming fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean protein, controlling your training intensity and duration levels will help control your inflammation levels throughout your body.  The lower the inflammation, the better your health and overall performance – another key to Work Smart, Not Hard, and Avoid Overtraining!

Yours in sport & health,

-Coach Robb, Coaches, and Staff

Thought for the week:
“Every pro was first an amateur.”