Vitamin D, tissue flossing and fast glucose

​This weekend I was with my grandmother celebrating her 100th birthday. In this article about centenarians stats are that 40% play video games regularly, while 27% have asked AI a question which surprises me since the ONE centenarian I have met is definitely not doing that. My grandmother is sharp but thinks I am a gym teacher who gets paid through the TV. The concept of coaching online is just beyond her understanding. The article goes on to say, "nearly half do some form of strength training at least once a week, 67% say they eat a healthy diet, and 42% report walking or hiking on a regular basis". My grandmother has complained about how far the mailroom is from her apartment for years, eats mostly fudgsicles and would give you a scowl if you suggested strength training. So, you could take advice from my incredible grandmother, sit more, refuse PT and play bridge at genius master level, BUT she hasn't started her weekly email yet, so until then, I guess you are stuck taking advice from me, like lift heavy, play outside and tend to your community. 

You can tick off some of those boxes by joining me on Wednesday night for Strength Training for Runners. Live to your screen and always free. Stay home, get strong. 

VITAMIN D IN ATHLETES
A new blog series is coming out on the importance of Vitamin D in athletes. As runners who are in dark places with long winters, please read up. The article is the first in a series on everything you should know. And if you don't want to read it, this first article basically establishes that Vitamin D won't turn you into a superhero BUT not having enough of it could keep you feeling like a super zero on workouts. If you haven't been getting blood tests to check, this is a reminder to inquire with your primary care physician. The coolest fun fact I learned from this article is, if your shadow is longer that you are tall, you are not making Vitamin D.

USE SOME VOODOO
I have recommended athletes use tissue flossing (aka voodoo flossing) four times last week so I thought I would share this widely in case this could be helpful for you or a running partner. Voodoo flossing is a mobility technique that uses compression in the form of a thick, rubber band wrapped tightly around joints or muscles to reduce pain, mobilize tissues and increase range of motion. The compression when released brings with it a flush of blood flow to the area thought to aid in healing.

Voodoo floss for the knee- Basically, wrap it, do some non-weight bearing movement while sitting, then stand up and walk or do some squats and unwrap. 2X per day is enough. You can turn a bike tube into a voodoo strap. If you want some commentary on it, here you go.  Also works great for ankles. 

There are some studies on use of this technique and this one summarizes them all into the "there is weak evidence" category. That said, I have seen pain relief myself and with athletes. They aren't super expensive and may be worth a try. 

A CASE FOR JUNK FOOD
If you are an endurance athlete, this one is for you. For endurance runners, "when energy expenditure is high, carbohydrate delivery is performance-critical, and high-fiber options can become a liability. Low-bulk, rapidly digestible foods aren’t “bad choices.” They’re often the only practical way to hit fueling targets without wrecking your gut or drifting into chronic under-fueling." "Post-exercise, your muscles are desperately trying to refill glycogen (the stored form of carbohydrate that was just depleted). In that window, ingested carbs and sugar don’t just “hit your bloodstream” and linger. Rather, they get transported into the muscle and converted into fuel reserves. That’s one reason refined carbohydrates can be surprisingly useful: they deliver glucose quickly at the exact moment your body is most ready to absorb it."  In the refueling period post long run, the emphasis should be on getting in enough, which may be from a burrito joint or ultra processed bar to get in enough. Watch out what you are calling junk! It could be your recovery go to. 

Happy trails,
Dana