Personal training and nutrition in Cheltenham

Friday 5 December 2014

Re think Stress = Wider Vessles and Bigger muscle Fibres for endurance sport

Two Size topics that I found interesting this week. 

 1. How we think about stress controls the diameter of our blood vessles. Kelly McGonigal heath psychologist and Yoga teacher, describes the affects of those who deal badly with stress have a higher percentage of mortality due the affects on the heart.

screen shot taken from video
 Interestingly people who are courageous and those who give up their time to help others don't have this reduction in diameter. I can think of  those that won the Victoria Cross Award for Bravery, many who have shown amazing strength of character to do the impossible. Kelly tells us how we should be rethinking stress it is actually helping us.
here is the link via Ted Talks.

The second is an article blogged by sports scientist Alan Couzens how us endurance athletes should spend more time lifting heavy weights and not just to strengthen the weak areas, Our muscle fibres actually reduce in size to help them function for longer with the same amount of fuel. Us ectomorths need to take note as over time we will reduce muscle mas. That of course can be see in older age and problems with osteoporosis.
Part of Alan's study, muscle mas

To quote Alan. "Muscle Moves Stuff" and we want to move our bikes better we need some of that fast twitch white stuff. Time to get out and toss a caber or two over the winter. And time to get out your old body measurements to see whats has been happening, or start recording them for future reference.

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