Matt Metzgar

The Quick Step

I blogged last year about the importance of a speedy running cadence.  I've forgotten my own advice lately, and definitely felt the impact.  My last few times out doing intermittent running, I ran with a slow cadence.  I began to notice that the running didn't feel good, and I also didn't feel so hot the next day.

When I run with a fast cadence (180 steps per minute - 3 steps per second), the running feels fine and the next day I feel okay.  I have no explanation for why this is so important.  Maybe slow-cadenced running increases the impact forces on the body and trips the stress response.  I'm not sure, but I do know that the two different cadences lead to very different outcomes for me.

NEAT II

One of the researchers in the NEAT study, James Levine, practices what he preaches.  Knowing that an office environment can lead to sedentary behavior, Levine has replaced his desk with a treadmill and computer stand.  He walks on the treadmill while working on his computer and doing his daily tasks.

NEAT

Here's a research study that is groundbreaking in many ways.  Researchers from the Mayo Clinic studied how much non-exercise activity people engaged in each day.  It is referred to as "NEAT", non-exercise activity thermogenesis.  The idea is to capture all non-structured activity: standing around, doing chores, walking from place to place, fidgeting, etc.

What they found was quite astonishing: obese individuals were seated 2.5 hours per day more than lean individuals.  The difference in this seated vs active time equals roughly 350 calories per day.

The first thing that comes to mind is that the obese sat around more because they were overweight and out of shape.  But the researchers tested this as well:  they overfed the lean participants to gain weight and underfed the obese to lose weight.  The result?  The lean kept moving and fidgeting while the obese still continued to sit more.

The researchers speculated that this may be a genetic difference between people (similar to that discussed in my post on active monkeys).  But the next question is, why has obesity skyrockted only in the last couple of decades?  Obesity was virtually non-existent a century ago, and our genetic makeup has not changed since then.  The researchers conclude that the modern world is now a "chair-enticing environment"(office jobs, tv, etc.), and that those with certain gentic tendencies will sit more if given the chance.

I agree with this, but only partially.  I think daily activity is more a matter of habit and momentum.  Some people are more naturally active, yes.  But if an inactive person starts moving around more each day, I think eventually they will get used to it and tend to stay that way. 

Rainbow Foods

Here's a good article I came across about fruits and vegetables.  It points out that you are better off getting antioxidants and nutrients from whole foods and vegetables rather than from supplements.  Many people could guess that, but the article goes on to point out the benefits of combining fruits and vegetables to get even more benefits.

For example, it describes how eating fruits together can yield even more antioxidant benefit than if the foods were eaten individually.  The article also points out how the fat in avocados helps the body absorb the carotenoids in romaine and carrots. 

Many nutritionists recommend getting a "rainbow" of fruit and vegetables at meals.  This article confirms that this is good advice.

John Corbett

John Corbett and his band were playing here in Vegas last night.  John is famous for his roles in the tv show, "Northern Exposure" and the movie, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding".

John is also from my hometown, Wheeling, West Virginia.  Our paths almost crossed a couple of times in Wheeling but never did.  Last night, I met him after the show and got a picture.

Diets Still Don't Work

I've seen where several news outlets have written about a new diet study published this month.  The study, published in JAMA, compared the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and LEARN diets in overweight women.

The Atkins diet showed the most weight loss - 10 pounds after 12 months.  To some this "proves" the superiority of the Atkins diet.  However, I accessed the full-text of the study and came to very different conclusions.

First, the study measured weight loss, but did not differ between fat loss and muscle loss.  Typically in diet-only studies, participants lose a substantial amount of lean mass.

Second, all the groups (except for the Ornish group, which lost the least body fat anyways) regained body fat from month 6 to month 12.  This is again typical of diet studies.  The majority of weight is lost in the first six months, and then the weight is slowly regained over the course of a year or two.

Why do researchers keep wasting money on diet studies?  I am aware of no study that shows a weight loss of more than a pound or two if the study is carried out into multiple years.  Exercise is the only long-term way to reshape the body. 

Beware of Your Mouthwash

If you've looked at the mouthwash section of the grocery store lately, you will notice that Crest has changed directions with their mouthwash line.  For years, Crest's main product was Scope, which contains 15% alcohol.  Now their new product is Crest Pro-Health, which is alcohol-free.  I mentioned Crest Pro-Health before when my dentist recommended it.

When I looked at the grocery store today, Pro-Health dominated Crest's shelf space.  In fact, there were only a few bottles of Scope available, and they were up on the top shelf.  So why has Crest made such a dramatic change?  Most likely, it is due to the link between alcohol and oral cancer, which I've mentioned previously.

Think about it: if just drinking alcohol increases your risk for oral cancer, what will swishing an alcohol-based substance in your mouth once or twice a day due to the risk?  Many people use mouthwash for 15 to 30 seconds, and this increases the time that alcohol is in contact with the oral mucosa.  The research on all this is not definitive, but some studies suggest that alcohol-containing mouthwashes can increase the risk of oral cancer.

This makes Listerine look suspect in my eyes.  Listerine contains 20-25% alcohol depending on the type.  However, Listerine does contain some beneficial essential oils, which Crest Pro-Health does not.  Hence, I have been searching for the best of both worlds, an alcohol-free mouthwash that contains essential oils.  Currently, I am trying some alternative mouthwashes and will hopefully find one that fits the bill.

Alcohol and Oral Cancer

Oral cancer is a disease that does not get a lot of press, but it is on the rise.  The Cleveland Clinic states that oral cancer is now the sixth most common cancer among men.

For years, tobacco was thought to be the primary cause of oral cancer, and the role of alcohol was secondary.  This was because many people both smoked and drank, and it was hard to seperate out the effects.

Now a new study shows that alcohol is indeed an independent risk factor for oral cancer.  The relationship appears to be linear, with the more alcohol consumed the greater the risk of oral cancer.  More general information and an overview are available at the Oral Cancer Foundation.

See Rono Run

I came across the news that Henry Rono, a former world record holder in the mile, will be attempting to set a new mile record for his current age group.  He has been documenting his training in a public forum here (part 1) and here (part 2). 

Rono, who hails from Kenya, is famous for setting four track world records in 80 days in 1978.  Things went downhill after that, as he began drinking heavily.  At one point he was actually homeless.  Now he lives and trains in Albuquerque.  Apparently, there is a book in the works on Rono's life story.  A journalist's recent interview with him can be found here.

Power Running

Power Running is a good site that has a different take on running training programs.  The author of the site, Richard Gibbens, has really analyzed the research and puts forth solid recommendations.  Generally, he advocates infrequent, intense training for those who are not genetically gifted at running.