Pros and Cons of Training on Unstable Surfaces

 

Training on unstable surfaces owes most of its development to rehabilitation, where it originated.  There are many unstable training surfaces including physioballs, foam pads, inflated rubber disks, and Bosu’s.  These surfaces are used on the training floors of most gyms. 

The idea behind unstable training is that inconsistent motion stimulates sensory apparatus in the muscles and joints leading to increased sensory input and increased muscle activation.  In addition, these movements cause muscles on both sides of the joint to co-contract.  Co-contraction occurs to some extent during virtually all movement.   When we significantly increase co-contraction, the result is increased joint stability.

Increased co-contractions from unstable surface training can be very useful in the treatment of ankle instability and lumbar spine injury.  [MV1] However, when we use a concept originally developed for rehabilitation, we need to carefully evaluate how and when to use this approach in healthy or athletic populations.

For example, many trainers have clients perform shoulder presses while sitting on a physioball or standing on Bosu to increase core muscle activation.  However, this does not produce the desired result.  Studies show that doing shoulder presses on an unstable surface do NOT increase core muscle activation versus the same exercise done on a stable bench.

The reason for this result is that balanced vertical forces in alignment with the spine do not increase core muscle activity – regardless of instability of the surface the exercise is performed on!  The use of asymmetrical loading, such as doing a one-sided shoulder press, does increase core activation.  However, this is not increased further by being on an unstable surface.

Horizontal limb movements also increase core activation, but there is not a lot of evidence that adding an unstable surface increases this benefit.

When it comes to low back stabilization, research shows that exercises done on balls in a horizontal position (face up or face down) does increase core muscle activity.  Exercises like crunches, bridges, and push-ups on an unstable surface will result in increased core activation. 

Unstable Surface Training does NOT work well for absolute strength and power!

When it comes to absolute force production performing exercises such as bench press or squats on an unstable surface is counterproductive as force production significantly decreases when training on unstable surfaces.   When training for increased strength and power, performing exercises on stable surfaces is a much better choice. 

This is also true for sprint training because training on an unstable surface increases ground contact time and decreases force production, inhibiting acceleration.   

The other consideration when using unstable surfaces like a Bosu Ball is that lifting mechanics are significantly altered.  Researchers have suggested that training on highly unstable surfaces can actually increase the risk of knee injuries in certain populations!  Not to mention the risk of injuries also increases from hopping, jumping, and leaping on and off of unstable surfaces!

Training with Unstable Devices vs Training on Unstable Surfaces

Training using unstable loads like a sandbag has very different effects from training on an unstable surface.    In fact, unstable load training has direct positive transfer to many activities of daily living and sports because we are frequently called upon to move unstable loads including:

Carrying shopping bags

Carrying children

Contact sports where you are pushing, pulling and twisting against other people.

Unstable load training with sandbags also results in increased stabilizer firing and muscle activation that directly positively transfers to functional movement.

What role should unstable training play in developing programming for apparently healthy and athletic populations who are not injured? 

Research suggests that a combination of unstable and stable training will provide the best results.  This brings up two more questions:

 

           Which should come first: stable or unstable?

 

           What level of instability should be used with each particular person?

 

The answer to the first question is dictated by the rules of proper progression.  The three primary phases of stabilization training include: 

·       “Static” Stabilization (foundational) – meaning ability to stabilize in static postures such as the plank.

·        “Dynamic” Stabilization (strength/endurance) – ability to stabilize during dynamic exercises

·        “Ultra-Dynamic” Stabilization (power) – ability to stabilize during explosive movements

Within each phase:

·       Start with bilateral (both arms or legs) strength development in stable environments because it is safer and will increase strength more.  

·       Next progress to stable single limb challenges

·       Then progress towards hopping and jumping skills in a stable environment

·       Then apply that new strength and power to tasks involving postural control on unstable surfaces such as push-ups, planks, and other stability ball exercises done with the body parallel to the floor.  

When it comes to how much instability to use with each person, the answer will depend on the goal of the exercise and the ability of the individual.  Ideally you will use different levels of instability according to the goal of the exercise and your ability level.   Working with a qualified trainer is highly recommended to get the benefits of unstable training!

To learn a systematic approach to incorporating unstable load training check out DVRT – Dynamic Variable Resistance Training here:  dvrtfitness.com

 

 

Camping to Fix Sleep Issues!

 

You heard that right - camping can improve sleep by helping to synchronize your body with the natural daily cycle of the earth!    Camping is a great way to reset your daily sleep/wake cycle known as your Circadian Rhythm.  This cycle is critical for your health and longevity - everything in your body responds to this rhythm. 

Ideally your daily cycle should be in sync with the earth with wake cycles controlled by exposure to high levels of “blue light” early in the day and lack of exposure to Blue or Green light during the evening.

Many aspects of our modern lifestyle can wreak havoc on our ideal circadian rhythm with potentially deadly consequences if continued over the long haul.  Three of the biggest disrupters of a healthy circadian rhythm include:

Overexposure to blue and green light spectrum in the evening and night

Underexposure to Blue and Green light early in the day

Out of sync feeding cycles with a lot of eating occurring in the evening and night

Blue and green light are part of the spectrum of light given off by the sun, digital screens (including phones, tablets, TV’s and computers, electronic devices and fluorescent and LED lighting.      Early exposure to sunlight is the ideal source with an early walk outside.

In the normal course of human evolution prior to the advent of electricity humans got no blue/green light exposure at night and this is important because Blue and/or Green light signals “wake-up” to the pineal gland in the brain and shut off melatonin production.    

This is a very big deal because melatonin does a whole lot more than make you sleepy including supporting the healthy functioning of all our cells and specifically the energy powerhouse of your cells the mitochondria.

Out of sync prolonged eating – another key element of our evolutionary heritage is that humans rarely ate anything at night.     There was no light so people tended to eat during the day and go to sleep relatively early.      In addition, modern life includes a daily eating window that is way to long with most Americans eating during a 15-hour window of constant food/calorie intake.

This prolonged eating window coupled with late night eating is also out of sync with our genetic heritage.   Constant food supply and lights are a very new phenomenon for humans beings considering that this is only something that happened over the last 50 – 100 years whereas for hundreds of thousands of years people never at a night and consumed all their calories during a much shorter time window each day and also were forced to fast on a frequent basis.

Camping to the Rescue!

Believe or not something as simple as going camping for one week has been proven to rapidly fix all of these issues!   A 2013 Study in “Current Biology” showed that people’s circadian rhythm will synchronize to a natural, midsummer light-dark cycle if given the right stimulus (camping).  For the first week of the study participants went through their normal routines of work, school, social activities and their normal sleep schedules.

For the second week participants camped in tents outdoors with only natural light and campfires (no blue or green light!).    No digital devices were allowed.     The response was pretty amazing:  they shifted their wake up time approximately 2 hours earlier and melatonin release and shut-off was optimized with light/dark cycles of the earth.    This was true even for self-proclaimed “night owls”. 

Needless to people almost always adjust their food intake timing while camping as well with the strong tendency to not eat during darkness.

So as we approach summer - think about a camping trip to help reset your daily rhythm!

Can Stretching Increase Muscle Growth?

 

The short answer is YES – if done correctly for this purpose.   Muscle fibers increase in size primarily from mechanical tension.    This tension can come from force production where a muscle is producing force such as performing a resistance training exercise or from passive tension that occurs when stretching the structural elements of the muscle fiber itself.

To make things even more interesting muscle growth from mechanical tension from these two different methods is additive – meaning that when a muscle produces tension and is stretched at the same time more growth is triggered than from just producing tension or just stretching.

So the very best results come from making sure we use a full range of motion when performing resistance training and emphasize loading the target muscle at longer muscle lengths.

For example a review of 26 studies found that isometric exercises done in a position where our muscles are elongated (like the bottom of a bicep curl or the bottom position of a dumbbell fly) stimulate nearly 3 times as much muscle growth!

How to Incorporate Stretching Into a Muscle Building Routine

Incorporating stretching into your resistance training is actually pretty simple – choose exercises that challenge your muscle in a deep stretch position at the bottom of the lift and keep constant tension on the target muscle throughout the range of motion – including lowering slowly and smoothly.   This means never unloading like resting a bar on your chest when doing a bench press. 

Make sure to fully stretch the target muscle at the bottom of the movement – the key is challenging our muscles in that stretched position!

Isometric Training to Reduce Blood Pressure

 

You heard that right – Isometric Training has been proven to be the MOST successful form of exercise to lower blood pressure!     This flies in the face of what most of us have been told about Isometrics increasing blood pressure, but the key is understanding how the body responds to isometric muscle exercise both short and long term.

In the short-term when we tense our muscles strongly without movement – such as during an abdominal plank – our blood pressure goes up as the muscles press against the blood vessels.   However, the body responds to this challenge after the exercise by opening up the blood vessels wider which lowers blood pressure!

Multiple studies including a large research review have proven that isometric exercise is MORE effective than cardiovascular exercise or regular movement-based resistance training workouts.    This does not mean that you should not do cardiovascular exercise or movement-based strength training because there are many other benefits to these forms of training.

Isometric Hand Grip to Reduce Blood Pressure

Even isometric hand-gripping exercise has been shown to be highly effective at lowering blood pressure.   A recent systemic review showed that isometric handgrip training was superior to traditional endurance and strength training in lowering resting systolic blood pressure.    Multiple studies have shown that a simple handgrip exercise protocol (no sweating required!) can be highly effective in lowering blood pressure within 6 to 12 weeks when done just 3 times per week!

For example in a 1992 study where men trained using 30% of their maximum grip strength for two minutes and then resting two minutes done three times in a row conducted three times per week men in the study showed a 12.5 point drop in systolic blood pressure and 14.9 point drop in diastolic blood pressure!

Isometric Handgrip Protocol for Blood Pressure

Here is a simple protocol that you can do anywhere anytime.     Ideally purchase a handgrip dynamometer (handgrip exerciser that shows your force production during exercise) – such as this one:  shorturl.at/glKWZ

Using the gripper warm up doing a few test grips gradually increasing intensity and then do a couple of maximum efforts making sure you do NOT hold your breath.     Take note of your best effort and the force you produced.

Multiply your maximum grip force by .3 to determine your exercise grip level.   For example if you can produce 60lbs of force in your maximum effort – your exercise grip level would be 60 X .3 = 20lbs of pressure.

Take the dynamometer and squeeze with either hand to your grip level and hold it there for 2 minutes (setting a two-minute repeating countdown timer makes this protocol super simple).     Then rest for the next two minutes and repeat for a total of 3 sets.  Switch hands between sets and do this 3 – 4 times per week.

Here is a great video explaining the science and showing you exactly how to do the protocol:  https://youtu.be/8Kw4olWsYzs  

Consult with your physician before starting any exercise program.

Sleep and Heart Health

 

Recent research has uncovered yet another reason to focus on getting a good night’s sleep.  Columbia University researchers looked at approximately 2,000 middle to older age adults from another U.S. Study of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors and obtained sleep data from participants.  

Lead study author Nour Makaren, Phd. Stated that  “Our results show that sleep health is integral to heart health, and that an expanded definition of cardiovascular health that includes sleep is more predictive of future heart disease risk.”

The study suggests that you need 7 – 9 hours of sleep daily for optimal cardiovascular health.     People who slept less were also found to have higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure – all of which are clear risk factors for heart disease.

Not surprisingly the study found that 47% of people had moderate to sever sleep apnea – which can be devastating for sleep and heart health including dramatically increased rick of heart attacks, hypertension, depression, and stroke.

Do you have Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea refers to episodes where breathing repeatedly stops and starts.    Common symptoms include:

Loud snoring

Episodes where you are told by a partner that you stop breathing

Gasping for air during sleep

Awakening with a dry mouth

If you think you may have sleep apnea it pays to get it tested.    There are now effective in home tests that your doctor can order.    To order a test just google sleep apnea tests or ask your doctor.

Treating sleep apnea can be life changing and can quite literally save your life  – better rest, lower blood pressure, depression eliminated, and more energy all the time are common benefits!

   

Quercetin for Allergies and Viral Infections

 

For seasonal allergy sufferers Spring and Fall can be a very challenging time.  The good news is that there is a research-proven nutritional supplement that can help mitigate allergy symptoms without the side effects of over the counter (OTC) antihistamines. Quercetin is also safe to use with antihistamines. 

Unfortunately even OTC antihistamines are not without potential issues particularly for older people since they have been linked to the progression of dementia (https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/common-anticholinergic-drugs-like-benadryl-linked-increased-dementia-risk-201501287667)

Quercetin is a polyphenol found in apples, plums, red grapes, green tea, elder flower, and onions to name a few.   In addition to acting as an effective antihistamine quercetin is proven to be highly effective for the treatment and prevention of viral infections such as the common cold, flu and even Covid (see this previous blogpost:    http://workoutanytime.blogspot.com/2021/08/quercetin-your-key-to-minimizing-covid.html )

In fact, a 2007 study from Appalachian State University researchers did a study funded by the Department of Defense.   The study used had 40 cyclists divided into two groups with one group receiving 1,000mg per day along with vitamin C and niacin while the other group got a placebo.

They had the athletes ride a bicycle for three hours per day, three days in a row.    45 percent of the placebo group contracted a viral illness after the physical stress compared to just 5 percent of the quercetin supplement group.

In a 1985 Study, researchers found that quercetin reduces the infectivity and replication of Herpes Simplex Type 1, Polio-Virus Type 1, and parainfluenza type 3 along with respiratory syncytial virus.

A 2016 Study found that quercetin inhibited a wide range of influenza strains including H1N1, H3N2, and H5N1. 

How Quercetin inhibits viruses:

Inhibiting a virus’s ability to infect other cells (viruses literally infect your cells then take control of them and make them produce more virus!)

Inhibiting replication of already infected cells

Reducing infected cell’s resistance to treatment with anti-viral medication

Quercetin Supplements

Like many polyphenols – quercetin has very poor bioavailability meaning it is hard to get enough where it needs to go to produce its many benefits.     The great news is that there are research proven delivery systems that dramatically improve quercetin bioavailability.    

Look for “Quercetin Phytosome” which is quercetin bound to phytosomes or “Quercetin EMIQ” which is enzymatically modified quercetin.    Both are game changers when it comes to quercetin absorption and effectiveness. Some great products include:

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

These 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!

As with all supplements speak to your physician first and those taking any medication should search for drug nutrient interactions with Quercetin before supplementing.   For example, quercetin may amplify the effects of blood thinning medication so people on this type of medication should NOT take quercetin at all with speaking to their physician.

 

Exercise Beats Medication for Mental Health!

 

You heard that right – yet another study has shown that regular exercise can be more effective than medication for the treatment of mental illness – such as depression!

The latest study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine – looked at 97 studies making it one of the most extensive research reviews to date.

The study found that regular exercise of 12 weeks or less were highly effective for improving mental illness symptoms and that higher-intensity exercises showed greater improvements for depression and anxiety.    Notably the study also concluded that all kinds of physical activity can significantly reduce symptoms!

The groups that benefitted most from physical activity were people with depression, women who were pregnant and postpartum, people with kidney disease, HIV-positive people and even totally healthy people.

The study concluded that a little exercise can go a long way in improving mental health symptoms and that all types of physical activity studied were helpful.

Visceral Fat and Cardiovascular Disease

 

Visceral fat (the fat stored deep in the belly and surrounding your internal organs) is a strong predictor of your risk for cardiovascular disease including heart attack and stroke!  Visceral fat negatively impacts metabolic health resulting in these increased cardiovascular risks.  Body shape is directly related to levels of visceral fat and there are two classic patterns:  apple vs pear shape.   The Apple Shape also known as Android Fat Patterns means you tend to store your fat in your gut and torso whereas Pear Shape – also known as Gynoid Fat Pattern - means you tend to store your fat in your hips and buttocks.    Apple shape is much more common in men and Pear shape is more common in woman.   However, woman often shift from a Pear Shape to an Apple Shape after menopause because of the dramatic hormonal shift, and this shift is directly associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

A great way to know your fat pattern and associated risk is getting a Styku Scan – www.styku.com which can give you a handle on your level of visceral fat and associated risk.

Lowering Visceral Fat

Both exercise and caloric restriction can help reduce bodyweight and bodyfat levels.  A meta-analysis of 40 randomized controlled trials looked at the effects of exercise and calorie restriction on visceral fat (measured with MRI or computed tomography).

The study showed that both exercise and caloric restriction reduced visceral fat.   However, the study showed that there was a dose response effect for exercise - but not for caloric restriction - meaning that exercise provides progressively more benefits the more exercise you do!

The take home message is to find ways to increase your activity level and work on healthy eating habits!

Is Sugar Sabotaging Your Weight Loss?

 

Many people notice that eating breakfast makes them hungrier throughout the day, and this is probably NOT their imagination!   In this case the culprit is likely what they eat.  Specifically, refined carbohydrates, including sugar, can drive hunger particularly if they are consumed with little fat or protein.

A recent study tested this hypothesis with 16 healthy young women between the ages of 18 and 30 who had a stable body weight for the last 3 months.  Anyone with diabetes or on medications that affect appetite was excluded along with people who were allergic to any part of the meals given as part of the study.

Participants fasted for a minimum of 8 hours prior to the study.  In the morning participants came to the laboratory and were given a standardized test meal consisting of passion fruit juice, one cup of coffee, French bread and 5 grams of margarine.   The two drinks had no sugar added and the participants were instructed to sweeten to their preferred taste.

The sugar container given to the participants was weighed both before and after its use by each person to know the amount of sugar each person added to their drinks.   After completing the entire meal participants did not eat or drink anything (except water) until lunchtime.

Lunch was served 3 hours after breakfast and consisted of pasta with tomato sauce, and participants were instructed to eat until they felt satisfied. 

Study Results

The participants were divided into two groups based on the amount of sugar they elected to add to their breakfast.   The high sugar group added about 25 grams of sugar to breakfast while the low sugar group only added 14 grams of sugar. 

  

Both groups were evaluated for their perception of hunger and satiety.     The high sugar group had significantly higher levels of hunger during the three hours after breakfast AND consumed significantly more pasta at lunch!

Take Home Message

Avoid high sugar breakfasts such as standard breakfast cereal, fruit juices (eat fruit don’t drink it!) and consume 15 – 20 grams of protein and a small amount of fat.   Also try to add higher fiber carb choices like berries instead of banana, adding spinach to an omelet, etc.      Examples include an omelet with spinach with berries or a shake with protein, greens, and small amount of MCT oil for fat.

Tips for Adjusting to the Spring Time Change

 

It’s that time of year again – time to “spring forward” and set our clocks forward one hour next Sunday.  Resetting clocks in devices is simple.    Unfortunately, your body clock is not nearly as easy to reprogram.    This can come with real health consequences.  An hour time shift does not seem like a lot, but your body runs on a tight schedule and this one-hour change throws us off.

Scientists have documented that the shift to daylight saving time in the spring, when we lose an hour of sleep, is linked to an a much higher rate of attacks and car accidents.  The change throws off the sleep cycle and that is where all the problems come from.

Over the last 20 years, scientists have documented that, in addition to the master clock in our brains, every cell in our body has a circadian rhythm and time-keeping mechanism. The body and cell’s circadian rhythm help regulate important functions such as sleep and metabolism. And increasingly, there's evidence that when our habits — such as when we eat and sleep — are out of sync with our internal clocks, it can harm us.

When we disrupt our routines with erratic sleep or eating habits, it can increase the risk of metabolic disease. For instance, overnight shift workers are at much higher risk of developing diabetes and obesity. Research also shows that kids who don't have set bedtimes and mealtimes are also more likely to become overweight.

Regulating light exposure is key to regulating circadian rhythm.  It is the primary signal to turn on the body’s metabolic processes for sleep and rest to active and alert in the morning.

Maximize Exposure to Bright Light During the Day

It is important to maximize your exposure to daylight in the morning. This simple step is every bit as powerful as avoiding blue light at night.   Ideally get outside immediately upon waking – just five minutes of outside light can do the trick!    

Outdoor sunlight is about 1500 lux on a cloudy and 100,000 lux on a sunny day while indoor lighting typically maxes out at 500 lux!    Bright OVERHEAD light is the primary signal to shut-down melatonin production and wake up.    

If it is too cold to go outside consider buying a 10,000-lux light – ideal one that you can set to shine down on your face from above you.    

Minimize Evening and Nighttime Light

Exposure to light and electromagnetic fields from computers, phones, tablets, and T.V.’s all act as a stimulant, so it is important to minimize nighttime light exposure and blue light exposure in particular.  Blue light comes from artificial lighting.   Blue wavelengths – which are beneficial during daylight hours because they boost attention, reaction times, and mood – are disruptive at night.   Energy efficient lighting is packed with blue light as our electronics.

Turn off lights or dim them as much as possible.   If you must use a computer or your phone install blue light filtering programs on both that will adjust the amount of blue light emitted by your computer, phone, and tablets.    Flux – https://justgetflux.com is a free program for your laptop or tablet and the Twilight app for your phone.   Both allow you to set times and adjust blue light output of your devices automatically based on time of day! 

You can also buy blue blocking glasses to use in the evening.   This may seem gimmicky but there is very well-done research supporting the effectiveness of reducing blue light in the evening through these and other measures!

For night-time bathroom trips use a red-light nightlight as redlight does NOT disrupt sleep which is why you see it used by the military on ships and submarines!

Avoid Alcohol!

Alcohol intake is extremely disruptive to sleep and for many just eliminating it results in much higher sleep quality within a week.    Consider cutting down or completely eliminating alcohol intake particularly during the work week!

Stop all food and beverage by 8pm!

Ideally stop all food and beverage intake 3 hours before bed – late food intake can create digestive issues and late beverage intake can force bathroom trips disrupting your sleep.

Stay on a consistent sleep/wake cycle!

Get up and go to bed at the same time each day – this trains the body and mind.   It is NOT a good idea to sleep in on weekends – this just disrupts your circadian rhythm.

Minimize Caffeine intake after 10am!

There are slow and fast caffeine metabolizers and if you are a slow metabolizer it is critical to stop any and all caffeine intake by 10am!   

Exercise!

Yes – it’s true – for many a consistent exercise habit will dramatically improve sleep quality and duration!

Finish your morning shower with a cold shower!

While this may seem unpleasant at first cold showers dramatically ramp up the secretion of norepinephrine which is the brains primary stimulant.  See this blogpost for the many benefits of cold showers:  http://workoutanytime.blogspot.com/2022/04/can-cold-showers-improve-exercise.html