VO2max

The monthly newsletter of RunCoachJason.com

Jason Karp, professional coach, consultant, freelance writer

May, 2006

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In this issue:

Exercise to Reduce Anxiety

VO2max and Ventilation

Asthma and Vitamin C

Exercise for a Better Sex Drive

Consulting

Athlete Spotlight

In Press

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Exercise to Reduce Anxiety

Work, kids, or spouse got you stressed?  Go for a run.  Many studies have found that exercise reduces anxiety as well as do other treatments, including medication.  However, the exercise needs to be aerobic and last for at least 20 minutes.  Training programs also need to exceed 10 weeks before you can expect to see significant changes in anxiety.  While it is unknown exactly why aerobic exercise reduces anxiety, it has been suggested that it may be due to the sense of accomplishment that comes from successfully completing an exercise bout, the distraction from daily work, the neurophysiological effects of exercise, or an increase in body temperature which may have therapeutic benefits.    

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VO2max and Ventilation

A major consequence to the athlete of the high level of ventilatory work that accompanies intense exercise is the high oxygen cost associated with that ventilation, representing a potentially significant “steal” of blood flow from the main exercising muscles.  During moderate exercise (70% VO2max), the oxygen cost of ventilation has been estimated to equal 3-6% of total body oxygen consumption, while during maximal exercise, it equals 10-15% of VO2max.  So, if you have a VO2max of 60 ml/kg/min, 6-9 ml/kg/min are being used by your ventilatory muscles.  One of the more elegant effects of training may be that the body learns how to most effectively ventilate the lungs to minimize the oxygen cost of breathing, improving running economy and, thus, performance.  The irony, however, is that the more highly-trained you are, the greater the metabolic workloads you can achieve and sustain, and therefore the greater the ventilatory work will be. 

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Have Exercise-Induced Asthma?  Try Vitamin C

If you’re one of the millions of active people who suffer from exercise- induced asthma, alleviation of your symptoms may be as close as your medicine cabinet.  A few scientific studies have found that taking large doses of vitamin C (1 to 2 grams per day) decreases the severity of asthma symptoms by protecting against damaging oxidants in the lungs.

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Exercise for a Better Sex Drive

In addition to the many documented health benefits of exercise, it may also improve your sex drive.  Studies published in Behaviour Research and Therapy in 1995 and in Journal of Abnormal Psychology in 1996 found that a single 20-minute bout of intense exercise immediately prior to viewing an erotic film significantly increased women’s physiological sexual arousal (measured by vaginal blood flow and vaginal pulse amplitude) but not their perception of sexual arousal in response to the erotic stimulus compared to when the subjects did not do any exercise prior to viewing the film. 

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Consulting

Looking for a talented professional who can help you perform your best or increase your company’s productivity?  RunCoachJason.com offers fitness and writing consulting services to health professionals, coaches, athletes, magazines, fitness companies, local and national media, and other organizations.  For more information, or to hire Coach Jason as a consultant, e-mail jason@runcoachjason.com.

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Athlete Spotlight

Jonathan Little

 

A 4:19 high school miler, Jon ran 14:45 for 5,000 meters as a talented 19-year-old, but struggled to improve during his last two years in college.  For a year out of college, while working a full-time job, Jon trained with Coach Jason until he returned to the training-friendly environment of school in 2004.  Continuing to consult with Coach Jason while he currently attends law school at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, he has turned his attention to the marathon, running 2:33:26 in his first one in January, 2005.  At the Boston Marathon last month, in only his second marathon, he placed 23rd, running a smart 2:23:17, only 1:17 away from qualifying for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.

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In Press...

Turn on the Power: Energy System Specific Training, my article on how to get the most out of your training by targeting the 3 energy systems used to run, appears in the May, 2006 issue of Running Times.

 

My Fitness News contributions on cardio-weight training order, post-workout nutrition, reducing inflammation after workouts, and staying cool during exercise appear in the May, 2006 issue of Oxygen magazine.

 

Running Between the Lines: Track Running, my article on the basics of running on a track, appears in the May, 2006 issue of Atlanta Sports & Fitness.

 

My Fitness News contributions on exercise on an empty stomach, lactic acid and fatigue, free weights vs. machines, and hiring a personal trainer appear in the June, 2006 issue of Oxygen magazine, on newsstands in May.

 

Also look for my quotes in the June issues of Writer’s Digest, Fitness magazine, and Outside magazine, on newsstands in May.

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To view past newsletters, go to http://www.runcoachjason.com/newsletter.

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©2006 Jason Karp.  All rights reserved.