A Highly Effective Ski Conditioning Program

 

Downhill snow skiing can be an incredibly fun experience, but skiing requires ski specific conditioning and strength or you risk serious injury!   Skiing makes specific demands and to get the most from it and avoid injury you need to physically prepare!

 What is Ski Specific Strength?

Ski specific strength requires strength of the key muscles used in skiing and the right type of strength relative to the specific muscular contractions required in skiing.    The key muscles include the Quadriceps (front of thigh), hamstrings (back of thigh), Gluteals (hip musculature), inner thighs, outer thighs, calves, core musculature, low back, shoulder, back, and arms.    

These muscles will use all three contraction types: Concentric (muscle shortening to project force externally), Isometric (stationary contraction to prevent movement), and Eccentric (muscle lengthening to absorb forces – like moguls!).     

The unique requirement for skiing is Isometric and Eccentric strength and endurance which requires a specific set of conditioning exercises that mimic the sports requirements from these muscles.  The core muscles will also mostly be used in an eccentric and isometric fashion and need to be conditioned specifically as well.

The reACT Trainer - The Ultimate Ski Trainer!

The reACT Trainer (see a video demonstration here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S86Vx_4253Q) is by far the most effective exercise for developing ski specific strength, endurance, power, balance and stability.   It emphasizes eccentric muscle contractions which are so important for skiing while also demanding balance and core strength.   5 - 10 minutes twice a week for 2 - 4 weeks before your next ski trip will make a huge difference in your skiing performance!    The reACT Trainer is available at most Workout Anytime locations and you can learn to use it quickly by talking to a trainer or using these simple video tutorials:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuwTn-fHAYmTlZ64o-wcMPYaWawTfKZnl 

Slideboard Training

Slideboards are another amazing ski specific training tool.    Slideboard exercise emphasizes lateral movement, balance, coordination and timing.  It mimics the demands of skiing really well including loading the muscles in all three ways:  while shortening (pushing off), while stabilizing (while gliding) and while lengthening/absorbing (landing on the bumpers.  You can purchase a nice unit for home use here:  https://www.amazon.com/BRRRN-Slide-Board-Adjustable-Experience/dp/B08N82CDHG/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1PT22JF8L4YTJ&keywords=slide+board+exercise&qid=1643560571&sprefix=slide+board+exercise%2Caps%2C112&sr=8-6 

The reACT Trainer and Slideboards are two of the only tools that Olympic Skiers use to get ready for skiing!

Supplements to Optimize Resistance to Viral Infections!

 

Yes - there are supplements that are proven to support optimal immune function and resistance to infection!    Combined with a healthy lifestyle consisting of regular aerobic and strength exercise and a healthy diet these supplements can make a big difference in your ability to resist severe infection from many different viruses!    Learn about the key supplements to consider with your health care professional to support optimal immune function.

Quercetin – a plant chemical with strong anti-viral activity that is extremely proven to prevent and mitigate all sorts of viral infections as well as being outstanding for allergies.    In the case of Covid it is particularly well-suited because it is a zinc “ionophore” which means it drives zinc into the cells which is what hydroxychloroquine does but this does it with no side effects and no prescription.    For Quercetin to work well it is critical to take one of three bioavailable forms to optimize results..  

Quercetin Phytosome by Thorne – recommended dosage for effects – 600mg per day – 2 – 3 capsules

Quercetin LipoMicel Matrix by Natural Factors – 500mg per day – 2 capsules per day

Bioactive Quercetin EMIQ by Natural Factors – 200mg per day – 4 capsules

Two clinical trials with quercetin just proved how effective it is for Covid – see this recent blog article on the subject:  http://workoutanytime.blogspot.com/2021/08/quercetin-your-key-to-minimizing-covid.html

These quercetin supplements are all available on Amazon and both Natural Factors and Thorne produce supplements of the highest quality in direct compliance with pharmaceutical good manufacturing production guidelines so you know what you are taking!

Do NOT take Quercetin if you are on blood thinners of any kind!!!

 Zinc – if you regularly eat meat, oysters or pumpkin seeds you probably get enough zinc.  You want at least 15 mg per day from all sources and 30mg is better – particularly for those who drink alcohol or are vegans/vegetarians.  Use a high-quality chelated form of zinc like zinc picolinate or zinc gluconate or “Optizinc” which is another chelated form of zinc.   Keep total zinc intake no higher than 50mg per day – too much causes its own set of issues and take with a meal!

Zinc lozenges – zinc lozenges are particularly effective in dealing with all respiratory viruses including Covid and you want to have them on hand and begin taking IMMEDIATELY when you have any symptoms but NOT before then.    Not something you take prophylactically!     Best type is zinc acetate from Life Extension.     You want to ALWAYS have them available because this ONLY works when you start it right away!     Follow label directions.

 Vitamin C – if you take a decent multi and regularly eat fruit and vegetables you get plenty of C for day to day.    However, I strongly suggest you purchase several bottles of liposomal Vitamin C to have available to begin big doses at onset of any symptoms.  This form of C is the most bioavailable form you can get orally.    Start taking 2,000mg immediately and every two hours until you hit bowel tolerance.  Bowel Tolerance refers to the fact that when you take more than you can absorb in your gut your bowels get loose – nothing horrible.   IT is KEY to keep taking it more and more till you hit this level and you will find if you are sick you can take a ton of it before hitting this point whereas if you are not sick you will hit bowel tolerance much earlier.   C is VERY powerful but ONLY if you get enough in you!

Vitamin D and K2 – guys if you are not checking your vitamin d level PLEASE start – you can get a test from your doc or order an at home one with finger stick or order your own lab test without a doctor.   Optimizing vitamin d levels is the MOST important thing you can do to prevent yourself from ending up in a hospital in the event you catch covid and you need to do this NOW!  Taking megadoses when sick does NOT work nearly as well as getting tested and supplementing up to optimal levels.     See graphic below for dosing starting point based on blood test results.  

For most people this will require a minimum of 5,000iu per day of Vitamin D3 (only form to take).     ALWAYS take Vitamin D WITH Vitamin K2 – a fat soluble form of K that is critical for optimal absorption and effectiveness of D and an important part of preventing Covid Issues. D with K2 is very inexpensive and I would start taking this immediately if you are not sure you have good D levels – particularly if you avoid the sun which is understandable because sun can cause damage if you get too much.    D levels directly linked to Covid Outcomes in many studies per this graphic:

A great vitamin D and K2 product is https://www.amazon.com/Now-Mega-D-3-Mk-7-Capsules/dp/B078QQTY5G/ref=sr_1_10?dchild=1&keywords=vitamin+d+and+k2&qid=1628014493&sr=8-10

 Melatonin – melatonin is an extremely potent anti-inflammatory supplement that can inhibit the cytokine storm that is what causes all the issues in people that end up having big problems with Covid.   Children typically have very high melatonin levels (10 times higher than adults and 20 times higher than adults over 60) which is probably one of the reasons they have way less issue with Covid.  Do NOT take melatonin anytime but directly before bed on a day-to-day basis – the strategy for using it during an active Covid infection is entirely different!!!   I would recommend having it on hand in the event you catch covid and take as follows if you have covid symptoms: 

Melatonin Dosage Upon COVID-19 Infection
 If you are self-quarantined at home, the following dosage applies. 
 
Melatonin COVID-19 Infection Dosage:  5 milligrams to 50 milligrams
 
The lower range is for individuals with mild or no symptoms.  The higher range is for older individuals or those with more severe symptoms. 
 
Those taking ACE inhibitors, or have cardiac conditions or hypertension need to consult your doctor before taking high doses of melatonin.  Note that melatonin may lower blood pressure and cause hypotension at higher dosages.  
 
The correct infection dose should ideally be divided into daytime and nighttime doses.

Daytime – 40% of total daily dose, divided into small equal portions to be taken every TWO HOURS.  
 
Nighttime –  60% of total daily dose, divided into two portions taken 2-3 hours after dinner.  The final dose at night should be completed by 10 pm the latest.

If one is diabetic, or has insulin resistance, DO NOT TAKE MELATONIN.  Melatonin is able to suppress insulin. 
 
Please note that the oral dosage higher than physiological concentration is applicable during infections only.  Supplementation of high dose melatonin MUST BE SUPPORTED vitamin C which does NOT need to be taken at same time – follow C instructions above). You may not experience full benefits of melatonin in the absence of any vitamin C. 

 

 

Regular Exercise, Covid, and Vaccine Effectiveness

 

More and more research keeps coming out about the benefits of regular exercise for improving immune function, decreasing the likelihood of experiencing serious Covid Symptoms, and decreasing your odds of infection.

One of the latest studies from Glasgow Caledonian University showed that regular exercisers are 50% more likely to have a higher antibody count after receiving a vaccine than somebody who is not active.

In this study researchers specifically looked at aerobic exercise – like walking, running, or cycling – or combined aerobic and resistance activity delivered three to five times per week for an average of 30 minutes at moderate to vigorous intensity for 12 weeks.

The study showed that these levels of activity are associated with a 31% lower risk of contracting infectious disease and 37% lower risk of dying from an infectious disease.

The take home message is that regular exercise:

Improves immune function

Increases resistance to covid infection

Improves Antibody Levels when vaccinated

So now is NOT the time to stop exercising!   

Are Eggs Bad for You?

 

Demonizing eggs seems to occur on a regular cycle.  So what is the deal with eggs and are egg yolks bad for people?   

To answer this question lets take a look at cholesterol since it is the bad actor that everyone tends to blame for blocking arteries and causing heart attacks and stroke.     Almost all of the cholesterol in your body is made by your liver, and in fact the most popular cholesterol lowering medications work by decreasing your body’s production of cholesterol in the liver.  

Even if you eat NO cholesterol your body will make it because you cannot survive without it!  In addition, for most people your dietary intake of cholesterol has little to no effect on your circulating levels of cholesterol, and this includes egg yolks!  

As previously reported by NPR:

“[E]ating cholesterol can raise levels of it in the blood, but, as a growing body of research has shown, not by that much. Consuming sugar, trans fats or excessive saturated fat (from unhealthy sources) can be more harmful to cholesterol levels than dietary cholesterol itself.

Most of the cholesterol in our bodies we make ourselves in the liver, and total body levels are heavily influenced by genetics, gender and age. As more and more research suggests that some degree of cholesterol consumption is harmless, if not healthy, the egg's reputation is gradually returning.”

In 2015, dietary cholesterol (and egg restriction) was finally eliminated from the U.S. dietary guidelines, and the controversy appeared to have settled. However, there always seems to be another study urging people to avoid eggs, linking egg consumption and dietary cholesterol to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death.”

An Example of a Flawed Egg Study

A study, published in the journal JAMA on March 19, 2019, analyzed data from 29,615 American adults pooled from six prospective cohort studies with a median follow-up of 17.5 years, and claims to have found a dose-dependent relationship between egg consumption and cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality.

According to lead researcher Wenze Zhong, Ph.D., the results suggest there’s no safe amount of egg consumption, and the team believes the results should be taken into consideration when the U.S. dietary guidelines are updated.

Big Problems with this Egg Study

A careful review shows that are the multiple major flaws in this study.

According to Stuart Phillips,  Ph.D., director of the McMaster Centre for Nutrition, Exercise, and Health Research -- the amount of risk, that is reported in the study is trivial because the actual change in risk is insignificant.    For example they quote a relative risk increase which is very deceiving.      The study quotes a relative risk increase of 17%.  However, the absolute risk (which is all that counts!) paints a very different picture and equates to 17 versus 15 coronary events (2 events total) per 1,000 person years.   Needless to say this difference is meaningless.

It is also important to note that their data is based on individual’s memory of what they ate which has been proven over and over again to be very inaccurate.

Andrew Mente, Ph.D., principal investigator for the Epidemiology Program at the Population Health Research Institute, pointed out another problem with the data from this study:

“The primary hypothesis here is that eggs increase your bad cholesterol, and the more you eat, the worse it gets. But buried way down in the appendix is a note that they found higher egg intake is related to a reduction in LDL, your bad cholesterol. So, what’s driving the association in this research? It seems like there’s a contradiction with the findings.”

Several Studies Have Confirmed Eggs Are Good for Your Heart

There have been several large meta-analyses that have completely refuted the claim that egg consumption raises your risk for CVD.

Choline - A Critical Nutrient Found in Egg Yolks

Another common misconception is that egg yolks are bad.    In fact, the yolks contain all the micronutrients (egg whites are an outstanding source of highly bioavailable protein but almost no micronutrients).     

In addition to cholesterol egg yolks contain several key micronutrients.  For example, yolks contain vitamins A, D, E and K along with omega-3 fatty acids.  Egg yolks also contain more beneficial folate and vitamin B12. The yolks also contain far more of the nutrient choline than the whites, and all of the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin which are critical for eye health.

Choline is an essential nutrient that you MUST consume in order to produce Acetylcholine which is a primary neurotransmitter.   Don't get enough and you cannot produce enough Acetylcholine and that is NOT a place you want to go!

Acetylcholine is key for brain, nerve and muscle function as well as being essential for the liver.    Egg Yolks are by far the best food source of choline!

So do not be so fast to throw out your eggs - a highly nutritious, high protein food that is easy on your budget!

The Importance of Power Training for Everyone!

People typically think power training is only good for athletes, but power training is important for everyone – including seniors!

Power is the ability to produce force quickly which is not the same as strength – although there is a relationship between strength and power.   Using power specific training along with strength training is the key to building power.

The reason power is important is that in sport, and in life in general – things often happen quickly.   As such if you are not capable of moving quickly bad things can happen.  

For example if you step on an unstable surface and become unbalanced – your ability to quickly adjust is the key to preventing a fall.   Another example is if you are walking across a road and driver is texting and drifts over the yellow line and is heading right for you!  Your ability to quickly move can literally make the difference between life or death.

Furthermore, as you age you lose fast-twitch muscle fiber – the fibers that produce explosive force which is why power training is very important for aging adults!

What is Power Training?

Power training involves fast movement with a load, and there are many different ways to achieve this.  The most well known is barbell Olympic lifts like the clean, high pull, and snatch.

While these exercises are definitely effective for power development – they also have several key drawbacks including:

1.     Done incorrectly they have a very high injury potential.

2.    Proper execution takes lots of practice with a good coach trained in how to coach these movements.

3.     They demand high levels of mobility which many people lack.

4.     They take a lot of space.

Practical Power Training Exercises

The great news is that there are many power exercises that do not involve high levels of skill or mobility and have a much lower risk of injury including:

1.     Single Arm Dumbbell Cleans and Snatches – because they involve one arm the movement is much easier to learn and requires much less shoulder mobility.   In addition in the event you have an issue it is easy to drop the dumbbell to the side unlike a barbell.

2.     Medicine Ball Throws – are super easy to learn and because the ball is padded there is not a whole lot of risk.  Many different options from wall ball throws (overhead, underhand, sideways, etc.) are available.   To learn the one arm dumbbell snatch and some key medicine ball exercises check out this excellent instructional video from Mike Boyle:   https://youtu.be/NpE1ZtbZQpQ

3.     Ultimate Sandbag Cleans and Snatches – the ultimate Sandbag provides several highly effective functional power exercises that can be safely including cleans and snatches.  The advantage of using this bag is that it really changes stability so that you can use less resistance but get more functional benefit out of the exercises without high injury risk.  To get a sense of all the benefits of this amazing product for functional power development check out this video:  https://youtu.be/HudvmspdyBU