No, really, this is a serious blog entry. Today I was running, and so was my nose. Why does my nose run faster than my feet when I run? This is a good question and so I went on a Google research expedition to find some answers about my most perplexing body issues. Here's what I found:
Why does my nose run as fast as my feet?
A runny nose, a condition called exercise-induced rhinitis, is most likely due to the increased air flow; as your breathing rate increases, your nose kicks into hyperactivity. Cool and dry air—or both—have been shown to increase secretions similar to that of exercise-induced asthma. If you're as self-conscious about your drippy schnoz as I am, know you're not alone: A 2006 study, published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, surveyed 164 exercisers and found that 40 percent had a runny nose while exercising inside, and 56 percent had one outside.
Running Rx: Don't worry about it, stuff your pockets with tissues and perfect your farmer's blow.
Why do my legs shake after a long hard run?
If your rubbery, burned-out gams had a fuel gauge, it would be firmly on "E." Sometimes the needle hits "empty" as a result of sheer effort. If your muscles aren't familiar with a new movement, they become inefficient at contracting and can't work in a coordinated manner, which results in shaking. Or, it could be that you started too quickly. If you go out too hard, the oxidative system doesn't kick in as smoothly as it does when you warm up and work up to a good pace. It's a bit like shifting gears too quickly in a car. You deplete your energy levels prematurely. The other cause is simply that your muscles are depleted of electrolytes and glycogen—easily accessible fuel on which they run—and the shaking is their way of telling you to "fill 'em up".
Running Rx: Pre-run, warming up is the key. Start slow, and ease into your ultimate pace. If you're running hard for more than 45 minutes, drink eight ounces of a sports drink about 20 minutes before you run; the carbs will keep your muscles humming. Post-run, if you're trying to shake the shakes, walk around, stretch gently, and grab quick fuel, like a sports drink.
Why do my legs twitch in bed at night after a long run?
If your legs are still moving when you're under the covers after a long run or a late soccer game, chances are you skimped on a post-run meal. Working hard and sweating causes the excretion of a lot of sodium and calcium, two electrolytes that are responsible for muscle relaxation. And being iron deficient, especially for women, can also contribute.
Running Rx: Get up and head to the kitchen for a glass of milk and some pretzels. To stave off future problems, make sure to include dairy, salt, and iron, found in lean red meat and spinach, in your meals after a run.
Why do my bending knees sound like Rice Krispies when I walk down the stairs?
Snap, crackle, pop? Crepitus, the medical term, happens when cartilage, the connective tissue between bones, starts to age. We all start life with quiet, smooth cartilage between our kneecaps and thigh bones, but over time, it becomes gray and old and doesn't regenerate; most people older than age 30 have some mild crepitus. Weak quads or a tight IT band can pull the kneecaps out of alignment and exacerbate the wear and tear. Your knees pipe up when they bend past 30 degrees because the kneecap tracks into a groove in your femur—that is, cartilage-weak bone grinds into cartilage-weak bone. The intensity of the pressure and the different contact points in the groove make the noise.
Running Rx: Cracking knees may lead to problems down the line, like arthritis. Minimize that chance by strengthening the muscles that control the hips and knees with exercises such as the clamshell for the hips and squats for the knees. Remember to keep your lower half in alignment while performing these exercises.
I use the bathroom right before I start, so why do I have to pee mid-run?
The urge to detour into the bushes can happen for a couple of reasons. As your heart pumps blood more rapidly around your body, your kidneys may produce more urine, especially if you were well-hydrated prior to your run and you drink during it; or, you could be dehydrated, and the concentrated urine in your bladder may give you that gotta-go feeling; or, due to a slightly weak sphincter combined with the jostling of running, a bit of urine may leak through the bladder and stimulate the urethra, making you wish you could just cross your legs while running.
Running Rx: Take a pee break. If it happens a lot, schedule a pit stop at a urologist's office.
Why is it easier for me to run in the morning and so hard to rally at the end of the day?
Are you an "early bird" or a "night owl"? Our body is regulated by over 100 built-in clocks known as the circadian rhythm. Everybody has their own circadian rhythm. Each unique 24-hour cycle influences an aspect of our body's function, including sleep, body temperature, hormone levels, heart rate, blood pressure and even pain threshold. Our body is normally synchronized to a light-dark 24-hour cycle we call a day. Depending on your natural bird persona--lark or owl--your energy and mood will vary depending on the time of day.
Running Rx: If you want to hit the road or trail at 6 a.m.—and not hit anybody there over the head with a coffee cup—expose yourself to light as soon as the alarm goes off. This is the easiest way to wake up your body. Also, realize that as you age, you naturally become more of a lark (I haven't always been one). Want to extend your staying power? Exercise either outside, if the sun is still out, or in a bright room two to four hours before bed. It's tough to fight biological tendency, the important thing is to exercise, any time of day.
Why do I feel like a genius after a run?
Perhaps the biggest benefit of a great 10-K is that, post-run, you're sure you could score 1,600 on a Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), 2,400 if you're under 25—or at least improve. Running increases levels of positive neurotransmitters, like endorphins; norepinephrine, which is responsible for alertness; and serotonin, which helps regulate mood. Plus, running puts the brain in an 'alpha-wave' state, which is associated with feelings of calmness and well-being. A handful of studies have documented that moving your feet correlates with improving your brain; two studies conducted at the University of Illinois found that 30 minutes of exercise resulted in up to a 10 percent improvement in cognition, or being more effective in processing a problem or situation. Maybe that stellar score isn't out of reach.
Running Rx: Um, if you really have to ask, maybe you should go for a run.
Wacky fix or weird science?
Okay, sometimes you may sneak a sip of juice from the pickle jar. But could that seemingly worthless liquid, which often gets tossed into the trash when the pickles are gone, be the key to athletic endurance and avoiding debilitating leg cramps? Some anecdotal evidence says “Yes”! But what does science say? Before you get yourself in a pickle, let’s find out!
A favorite folk remedy has won scientific approval after years of study and speculation. In a double-blind study, researchers compared the effects of drinking the dregs from jars of Vlasic pickles to that of deionized water. The results were clear: the induced cramps went away in 85 seconds in the people who drank pickle juice, compared with 150 seconds for those who drank deionized water. People who drank pickle juice stopped cramping faster than those who drank water...faster than Gatorade...faster than Powerade, or any other supplement.
In fact it works so fast, researchers believe that the water and electrolytes found in pickle juice have little to do with its muscle cramp busting ability. They believe that “the rapid inhibition of the electrically induced cramps reflects a neurally mediated reflex that originates in the oropharyngeal region and acts to inhibit the firing of alpha motor neurons of the cramping muscle”. Or, in plain English...it triggers a nerve reaction in your throat that stops your nervous system from telling your muscles to cramp up. How cool is that?
No comments:
Post a Comment