Nutrition

Probably every single one of us know how important is to eat healthy. For every physical activity our body needs energy. Energy is measured in calories (cal) and is obtained from the body stores or the food we eat.
Glycogen is the main form of energy which is stored in liver and the muscles. If we train with low glycogen stores, we will feel constantly tired and our training performance will be lower and will enhance the risk of injury and illness. Basically eating 5-6 meals or snacks per day will help maximise glycogen stores and energy levels and minimise fat storage.


Nutrition balance

Proteins  - important for growth and repair of muscle
e.g. eggs, milk, meat, poultry, fish and beans

Fat  - can be divide to  ´good fat´ (unsaturated) e.g. olive oil, avocado and nuts
                             and  ´bad fat´   (saturated)    e.g. fatty meat, cream, cakes and pastries

Carbohydrates  - our main source of energy
                         -  has two forms  sugar     e.g. fruits and vegetables
                                                     starches e.g. pasta, rice, oats and bread


Minerals - have an extent variety of roles in the body and eating
e.g. Calcium, Iron, Iodine, Magnesium, Phoshorous, Potassium, Selenium and Zinc

Vitamins - water and fat soluble vitamins play very important roles in metabolic functions in the body

e.g. Vitamin A,  B1 (Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Niacin), B5 (Panothenic acid) and Biotin, Vitamin B6 and B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Folate (Folic acid), Vitamin K

Fibre - is only found in plant foods. Also fibre helps to keep our digestive system healthy
e.g. Oats, beans, lentils, chickpeas and peas

Water - 60 % of the human body is water. It is calories-free and helps to carry other nutrients in the body.

A few tips:

Energy fuel tip
57% of carbohydrates (sugar or sweets, bread, pasta)
30% Fats (oil, dairy products, nuts)
13% of Proteins (meat, fish, eggs)


Recovery meal tip
500 ml of recovery drink or a pint of milk
1 banana immediately
and within 1 hour substantial food such as chicken or beans on toast

In the end do not forget to eat at least 5 pieces of fruit or vegetables per day but potatoes do not count. It is easy to remember a rainbow of colours to give our body the mix of nutrients it needs.
We are what we eat!

                       

                                             

Sport injuries and homeopathy 

Homeopathy is a form of medicine that has become increasingly popular in recent years, with more than 30 million users in Europe and many millions more across the globe. 

Lots of times, people with sports injuries find themselves going through lengthy painful therapeutic and recovery processes. Even if a surgical intervention is not necessary, casts splints, long periods of dependency on pain killers and long and painful rehabilitation periods are common.

Homeopathy can offer many solutions that expedite and simplify that recovery process. Homeopathic remedies have the ability to stimulate the body to use its own healing power.

Applying Homeopathic remedies to support the recovery process in cases of sports injury (be it a simple one, or a complicated one that may require surgery) may shorten the recovery and rehabilitation process, and make them less painful. This saves suffering, time and money.

Homeopathy may be incorporated from the very time of injury. Applying homeopathic remedies immediately following an injury can reduce the pain and shocking effect of the injury. Homeopathic remedies can help reduce swelling, oedema and hematomas.

As a result the injured will need significantly less pain medication or none at all. This, of course, will reduce or eliminate the very well known side-effects: Allergies, exhaustion, drowsiness and confusion. 

Reasons for athletes to choose homeopathic medicines

·       There are no harmful side effects such as drowsiness, exhaustion, allergies and confusion

·        They are safe to use in all cases, and equally effective in babies, old people and pregnant women

·        Because of the degree of dilution, they will not show up in any drug testing procedures, so there is no need to check whether any of the ingredients are on a banned list

·        Unlike conventional medicines, they can be kept for later use, with often only a few tablets from a bottle being needed for each episode of treatment

·        They are not tested on animals – all homeopathic medicines are tested through systematic trials with healthy human volunteers

·        They work with rather than against the body’s own repair mechanisms

·        They have been used effectively, in all parts of the world, for over 200 years

·        They appear to speed up the healing process and get you back to training and performing more quickly

·        An increasing amount of high-quality scientific research demonstrates that homeopathic medicines really do work .Several trials of homeopathy have considered the effects on sports injuries, such as ankle sprains, muscle strains and muscle soreness after exercise, while others have concentrate on the problems that many athletes are prone to, including upper respiratory tract infections, influenza, hay fever and cramps

Arnica and muscle soreness

Arnica is one of the most popular homeopathic remedies for musculoskeletal problems, and many endurance athletes use it in the belief that it can reduce muscular soreness after exercise. There have been a number of studies of this remedy. Once you’ve had success with Arnica, which, in my experience, is pretty much guaranteed, then you will want to venture further afield and try homeopathic self-care for other acute injuries. For more longstanding sports injuries or ones that are not easily amenable to self-treatment, find a professional homeopath.

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Silvia Giunta is a professional homeopath. She practices in Windsor and is part of Team Health Windsor.

If you want to discuss your conditions confidentially, ask whether homeopathy can help you or book an appointment. Please feel free to email her at practice@silviagiunta.co.uk

 

 

cramps

Cramps

We all have had them. They are unpleasant , often painful and they may last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes.

Common causes of muscle cramps include dehydration, low levels of certain minerals (magnesium, salt, potassium, calcium and sodium), muscle fatigue, exposure to large changes in temperature and reduced blood flow through muscles attendant in prolonged sitting or lying down.

The most often cramps are the calves, quadriceps, thighs and arches of the foot. Sometimes known as a Charley horse or corkie, this kind of cramp is associated with strenuous activity and can be intensely painful. Sometimes cramps are in other muscles in the body during the night or (less commonly) while resting.

First Aid
Gentle stretching and massage, putting some pressure on the affected leg by walking or standing, or taking a warm bath or shower may help to end the cramp.
Research has also shown that pickle juice could be an effective remedy based on its high sodium and electrolyte content.

Prevention
Massage, stretching, mental preparation, and fluid/electrolyte balance are likely helpful in preventing muscle cramps.

                                         

                                          

                                             

                                       The benefits of sports massage 
 

          The benefits of sports massage have been based on experience and observation. The application of sports massage causes changes in both psychological (mind) as well as psychological and physical (body).

        The effects of sports massage are tenderness and/or stiffness for 1 or 2 days after the massage and it is a normal reaction to it. 

       The benefits of sports massage include:

    

                       • Increased blood circulation 

                       • Increased range of movement

                       • Increased flexibility

                       • Increase in the elimination of metabolic waste products (lactic acid)

                       • Aid in healing and repair

                       • Help reduce pain

                       • Faster recovery from intense activity

So enjoy the benefits of health and well-being through sports massage for yourself and others.















 

 

Why we live with stress?!

                                                      Why we live with stress?!


Stress is everywhere in our daily life. It is typically decribes as a negative concept that can have an impact on mental and physical well-being.


The main causes of stress are: taking exams, ending relationships, changing jobs, moving house, money and many other negative aspects.


So what we can do about the stress?

Doing yoga or relaxation excersices, chewing gum and playing with worry beads are all common ways of relieving stress. Doctors nowdays say that there are very simpler ways. Their advice is that people should laugh and smile more often. When you smile and laugh, your body relaxes.


From the other side crying is also a natural way of relieving stress. Some people think that crying is just a loss of control and a sign of weakness.


However, is good to remember that after rain always comes sunshine. ;))

The Benefits of Stretching


Stretching comes naturally to all of us. Stretching is a simple and effective activity that helps to enhance athletic performance, decrease, the likelihood of injury and minimize muscle soreness.

Stretching, in its most basic form, is a natural and instinctive activity. People often stretch instinctively after waking from sleep or after long periods of inactivity.


The benefits of stretching are: 
1. Improved Range of Movement
2. Increased Power
3. Reduced Post-Exercise Muscle Soreness

4. Improve Posture
5. Develop Body Awareness
6. Improve Coordination
7. Promote Circulation
8. Increase Energy
9. Improve Relaxation and Stress Relief

The Rules of Stretching

There is no such thing as a good or bad stretch. Is it the way the stretch is performed and by whom it is being performed that makes stretching either effective and safe, or ineffective and harmful.

1. Warm up prior to stretching
2. Stretch before and after exercise
3. Stretch only to the point of tension
4. Stretch all major muscle and their opposing muscle groups
5. Stretch gently and slowly
6. Breathe slowly and easily while stretching

Commonly asked questions:

"How long should you stretch for?" A bare minimum is 10 seconds and is only just enough time for the muscles to relax and start to lenghten. For benefit of our flexibility we should hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds.

"How often should you stretch?" The beginner should stretch each each muscle group 2-3 times, however advanced level should stretch each , muscle group 3-5 times.

"For how long should you stretch?" The beginner, about 5-10 minutes and fot the professional athlete anything up to two hours.
 


The best result are achieved when stretching is used in combination with other injury reduction techniques and conditioning exercise.

F3 event from last weekend Half Ironman triathlon distance in Marlow

What a difference a week makes........
(written by Pete Norris)

After racing Wimbleball 70.3 a week ago and qualifying for Vegas, which was my main aim, I was still very disappointed with the result mainly down to my poor run. When a friend offered me an entry for the inagural Maximuscle Marlow Middle distance triathlon I jumped at the chance knowing that this would be a great race to podium at and to get some much needed run confidence back.
Bikes had to be racked on Saturday which was nice, it meant I could check the course out. I had a funny feeling I should of brought my Ironman UK 70.3 bike cover as the weather forecast told me it could be a wet one overnight. After racking bike and driving the bike course it was back home for some spag bol and a quick check(as you do) of the start list to see if I knew anyone then off to bed. After a relatively good nights sleep I was awoken at 4:45 with the sound of a rain bouncing off the window, no need for an alarm clock then. I'm more of a fair weather racer so this wasn't the best start to the day. After a couple of slices of toast and rather disappointingly no jam we were on the road to Marlow. As I arrived I had a deja vu moment, field,mud,cars,stuck, roll back 7 days and I was seeing the same things at Wimbleball at stupid o'clock in the morning. After living in Cyprus for 3 years and racing/training all year round it's taken me 2 years to get my head round the poor conditions in the UK, I think I'm finally getting there(maybe not). I eventually slipped my way into transition to put nutrition, shoes etc on bike and don wetsuit. The day started to get better at this point they had cut the swim down to 1500m, and the skies were clearing, bonus.
The swim started in 2 waves so with 400ish entrants there wasn't much of punch up. Luckily I saw Natalie Barnard just before race start and told her that I was going to draft her all the way up river(yeh right). I've never done a river swim before but actually really enjoyed it, swimming past barges with people staring out their port holes at 0700 on a sunday morning was rather bizarre. Exiting the water 2 minutes down Nat was exceptable. A quick transition and it was onto normally my favourite part of the race. The bike route is 2.5 laps with one noticeably long hill to a turn around and then flat out down again. My legs didn't really get going till I was into the last 10 miles, by this time I had worked out that I was in 3rd and slowly starting to feel good. A quick transition and I was out on the run hoping to prove something to myself. My friend said I was 3 minutes down on the leader and 1.20 down on 2nd. Out onto the 1st lap and this is where the race started to get interesting, the route followed a trail next to the river, on a normal day this would be very pleasant to run on but due to the downpour through the night it was like running through a swamp. My 1st lap I just went for it and nearly slipped quite a few times, the 2nd lap I had worked out where the tufts of grass were to place my racing flats on, by the time I had got onto my 3rd lap I was starting to feel stronger and was catching the guys in front, the swamp was starting to get enjoyable, it made it even better when I saw people clearly on their 1st lap slipping and slidding all over the place. It was a nice destraction I found, took my mind off how much my legs were hurting. Onto the final lap and I was 30 secs down on leader, I had him in my sights as we approached the swamp. Knowing now exactly where to run I placed my feet on all remaining tufts and went for it. As we hit the tarmac I looked back to see a sizeable lead had grown, I was still feeling good so I just nailed the last 2 miles. I had plenty of time to lap up the winning feeling, slap hands and punch the air. One very happy boy.
Thanks to F3 events for putting on a cracking event, Karin Polcerova, www.facebook.com/KayaTherapy who gave me an incredible massage, the people who put out a magnificent spread of cider and flapjacks. The RAF for giving me a new Zerod 2 piece and my coach Steve cassonz www.cassonz.com.

This is me massaging last weekend at Windsor duathlon. Very busy but it was good sunny day.

Sports massage in Windsor

Sports massage is not just for athletes.
Sports massage is a range of manipulation and stretch techniques that help maximise the body’s ability to perform, recover and relax.
A sports massage is a good choice if you have a specific problem.
Sore neck and shoulders or pulled hamstring, anyone?