Does Coffee Really Improve Your Performance?

Marathon racers, bicycle racers, cross country skiers, and other endurance athletes may benefit from the caffeine in coffee. The studies by David Costill, an exercise physiologist at Ball State University, indicated that trained cyclists worked 7 percent harder in two hours of cycling when they were given caffeine. In a second test they had 19 percent more endurance.

Caffeine’s stimulant effect is not responsible for increasing your endurance. Rather, caffeine lessens the amount of glycogen burned by the muscles. It stimulates the release of fats from the tissues into the bloodstream. When more fats are available, the muscles burn them in preference to the glycogen. This spares the glycogen stores, and the muscles are able to work longer.

Caffeine overdose is common with athletes who drink three to four cups of strong coffee. Two cups does the trick. The suggested dose is about one and a half to two milligrams per pound. A 150-pound runner may benefit from 300 milligrams of caffeine, the amount in two average cups of coffee.

Source: Sports Health

What Is STRESS FRACTURE SYNOPSIS

How Stress Fractures Develop

1. Casual event

2. Pain after exercise only and relieved by short rest

3. Pain tolerable during exercise but more marked after exertion and relieved by longer rest

4. Pain intolerable during and after exercise and partially relieved by long rest

5. Constant pain not relieved by rest

Signs of Stress Fractures

1. Point tenderness of bone (except well-shielded femur)

2. Soft-tissue swelling

3. Palpation of callus (with time)

4. Alteration of gait

5. Muscular atrophy, especially anterior tibial and gastrocnemius-soleus groups

6. Full and painless range of motion of adjacent joints

7. Painless resisted active movement of joint

Treatment of Stress Fractures

1. Rest from running

2. Relieve symptomatic inflammation with ice and anti-inflammatory agent

3. Maintain strength (especially foot dorsum and plantar flexors)

4. Maintain cardiovascular fitness with swimming and/or biking

5. Orthotics tailored to need

6. When asymptomatic, gradually reintroduce running

Source: The Physician and Sportsmedicine

A Patient Testimonial

My name is Steve T. and the major problem I had was vertigo and nausea.

I went to the movies and had a bad episode of dizziness for the next few days. I was very dizzy anytime I looked up. I went to a regular doctor and he gave me pills that did not work, only made me dizzier.

My friends referred me to a chiropractor. I came and saw Dr. Moulas and had only one visit, and I never had the dizziness again. He is a miracle worker! Dr. Moulas is great!

Your Brain The Human Computer

The human brain has the potential to be faster and store more information than any computer ever developed. Unfortunately, we have only learned to use a tiny percentage of our brain’s capacity. Even so, your brain receives and interprets thousands of signals from every nerve in your body during every second of the day. The largest part of the brain, the cerebrum, relays messages from the sensory organs, such as the nose, eyes, ears, tongue and skin, to the various parts of your body. Certain areas of the cerebrum are responsible for specific functions, such as memory, reading comprehension, physical movement and so on. Another part of the brain, the medulla oblongata, controls automatic processes like breathing and keeping your heart beating. The cerebellum, is responsible for balance and motor coordination.

Your brain is connected to all parts of the body. The tail of the brain – the spinal cord emerges through an opening in the skull called the Foramen Magnum (a large hole). The spinal cord goes through the twenty-four bony rings or vertebrae and the spinal nerves branch out from the various vertebrae to carry information to and from every part of the body. As stated before, when the nerves are impeded because the vertebrae are out of alignment, the result is a lack of normal function.

Source: Chiropractic First

The Experience of Dr. Harry Llwewllyn

I was reading when I first felt a dull ache in my lower back. The ache continued on and off for days. I knew that a car accident in my childhood had caused a severe lordosis or abnormal inward curvature of the lumbar vertebrae, but the injury had never affected me until now. Being a medical doctor, I followed the typical route of back x-rays and orthopedic surgeons. I was told I could avoid lying down on my back, tolerate the pain or try surgery. Not one of these answers appealed to me.

My brother-in-law advised me to visit a chiropractor. After a month of adjustments, I could read without any back pain. After five months of adjustments, I drove 18 hours back to New Jersey without any back pain. Until then, my limit in a car was 30 minutes.

Source: Chiropractic First

Vitamin C lowers risk and may prevent gout

Gout is a type of arthritis that occurs when excess uric acid – a natural compound in the body – builds up in the blood. In a 20-year study of about 47,000 men, those who consumed over 1,500 mg of vitamin C per day from all sources were nearly half as likely to have gout as were men who got less than 250 mg per day.

In gout, excess uric acid forms sharp, needle-like crystalline deposits in the joints, causing inflammation and pain. Doctors believe vitamin C may help the kidneys excrete excess uric acid and may keep excess uric acid from forming.

Source: Archives of Internal Medicine

Chondroitin helps treat knee osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is estimated to affect 20 million people and may double over the next 10 years. A promising treatment therapy is supplementation with chondroitin sulfate, a natural compound found in healthy cartilage.

Although short-term trials look promising, few long-term studies have been published. A group of international researchers participated in a massive study examining the effects of long-term supplementation with chondroitin sulfate on structural and symptomatic changes in people with knee osteoarthritis. A total of 622 patients with knee osteoarthritis randomly took chondroitin sulfate (800 mg per day) or placebo for two years.

The chondroitin group showed significantly less joint space narrowing, a sign that supplementation slowed the progression of the disease. The chondroitin group also responded to treatment faster as shown by lower rating of pain. There were also no differences in side effects between supplementation and placebo.

The significant improvement in structural changes associated with chondroitin as well as reduced pain provides strong evidence for this therapy as a method to slow the progression of knee osteoarthritis.

Source: Arthritis Rheumatism

Metabolism Booster Part V

At present, exercise is the closest thing to an anti-aging pill that exists. Just 30 minutes of exercise each day can reduce a person’s risk of developing heart disease by up to 50 percent, according to the World Health Organization. And research has shown that three 10-minute bursts of activity are just a beneficial as one long session, so the recommended daily exercise quota could be achieved simply by taking a few short walks during the day, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or parking your car a few minutes from school and walking to pick up your kids. According to the WHO, such simple measures to incorporate 30 minutes of exercise into our daily life could halve our risk of developing chronic inactivity-related disease such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

Source: To Your Health

Metabolism Booster Part IV

Potassium is important for intracellular chemical reactions and regulates the transfer of nutrients to the cells. Potassium is required for proper carbohydrate metabolism. Severe potassium deficiency can lead to a heart attack. Studies have found that potassium can reduce high blood pressure and help to prevent heart attacks. Potassium supplementation also may help prevent type 2 diabetes in people taking thiazide diuretics. Research published last year suggests depleted blood potassium levels may explain why people prescribed diuretics for the treatment of high blood pressure run an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Always discuss dosing with your doctor before taking potassium or any other supplement, particularly if you currently take any medication for a pre-existing health condition.

Source: Ronald Klatz, MD, and Robert Goldman, MD

Metabolism Booster Part III

Magnesium is essential for life, as it plays a major role in the metabolism of glucose. It is also used in the production of cellular energy and to create protein. In addition, magnesium may help to protect against cardiovascular disease. Epidemiological studies have found that eating a diet low in minerals, specifically calcium, potassium, and magnesium, is associated with hypertension (high blood pressure). Studies have also shown that people with diabetes tend to have low magnesium levels. In one study, middle-aged people with the lowest serum magnesium levels were twice as likely as those with the highest levels to develop type 2 diabetes.

Source: Ronald Klatz, MD, and Robert Goldman, MD

Metabolism Booster Part II

Green tea: Unlike black and oolong tea, green tea (Camellia sinensis) is not fermented, which means the active ingredients remain unaltered in the herb. Green tea increases fat metabolism and helps to regulate blood sugar and insulin levels. A study involving overweight and obese people found that drinking a beverage containing 625 mg of green tea catechins enhanced exercise – induced weight loss – particularly in the abdominal area – and reduced fasting serum triglyceride levels. A study of green tea and weight loss in obese Thai men found the compound increases energy expenditure and fat oxidation.

Green tea is also thought to prevent cardiovascular disease by way of lowering cholesterol levels, inhibiting LDL cholesterol oxidation, and reducing the tendency of blood platelets to stick together. It also is a potent antioxidant. Green tea compounds not only directly scavenge free radicals, but also enhance the effectiveness of the body’s natural antioxidant systems.

Source: Ronald Klatz, MD, and Robert Goldman, MD

Metabolism Booster Part I

Chromium is an essential trace mineral that helps the body to make glucose available for energy and to maintain normal blood sugar levels. It is also important for the metabolism of amino acids and fats. People ages 55 and older who exercise regularly are at risk of deficiency and therefore may benefit from taking supplementary chromium.

Chromium is widely believed to be useful in the treatment of diabetes. Chromium also may lower the risk of heart disease. People with higher blood levels of chromium are at lower risk of developing heart disease, and chromium may also lower total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, while also raising levels of HDL cholesterol.

Source: Ronald Klatz,MD, and Robert Goldman, MD

Orange County Chiropractor Speaks Out To All

Chiropractic is a great natural way to relieve many pains in the body. The spine is the lifeline of the body, and the nervous system controls all bodily functions.

Chiropractic care may help people get off addicting pain managing drugs, so they can move on and lead a happy, healthy, and pain-free life.

Many of my patients have tried all traditional therapies that include: epidural injections, physical therapy, traction, and finally unsuccessful back surgery.

Chiropractic treatments may be the solution you have been seeking to eliminate your ongoing, chronic pains.

Dr. Moulas