The Lactic Acid Myth

DOMS or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness is a term that describes the muscle soreness experienced 36-48 hours after any significant increase in effort, range or duration of effort. According to Lloyd Mills it is a multi dimensional problem. The Four Main causes for DOMS: 1st Hyaluronic acid built becomes a tissue and joint irritant and stays in the joint until the joint is compressed and moved again. 2nd Metabolic Creatinine build up. It takes 72 hours for Creatinine to be urinated out and during this time the body has lessenergy or ATP deficiency to repair tissue, causing a nutritional deficiency. 3rdProprioception adaptation of the nervous system from low intensity to high intensity. We tell the body to do an intense activity and it resets the intentions of the nervous system preparing the body to do the activity again in the future. When the muscles don't get the same stimulus the muscles begin to get less stimulus and is unable to repair and organize or create homeostasis of the tissue 4th MicroTrauma- Overuse of muscle fibers can damage contractile fibers. This stimulates repair process that tells the cells to have a little inflammatory process, irritating nerves even more.

How to Avoid DOMS: 1st Do a good warm-up and ROM every 3-4 hours for 72 hours after an intense workout. 2nd Make sure there are no nutritional issues that relate to poor circulations, blood sugar levels, medication side effects or mineral deficits.

Clean Your Sinuses!

Those that live in an arid climate like Boulder, Colorado are especially prone to developing sinus infections. The functioning of the mucus membranes of the sinuses are severely compromised in a dry climate. Meaning they are less efficient at clearing out irritants and maintaing a barrier of mucous to protect the body from getting an infection.

Most sinus infections or “colds/allergies” can be avoided if proper integrity of the nasal passage is maintained.

To avoid a trip to your doctor and using harmful antibiotics and other medications that have a host of negative effects on the body, use nasal irrigation. Many more up-to-date doctors are recommending cleaning the nasal passages as a number one way to defend against colds, allergies, and sinus infections.

There are several types of nasal cleaning devices available. I would recommend a syringe type system because it can get into the higher nasal passages and it is easier to use. I bought mine at Pharmaca in Boulder but most grocery pharmacies carry a nasal cleaning product.

Hydration with water and electrolytes/salts and a low sugar and low inflammatory diet can also help you to avoid sinus problems.

What Are Electrolytes

So, you just bought a $2.50 bottle of electrolyte water or rather salt water. Yes Electrolytes are salts. Salts are one of the most important nutrients to maintain proper body functions. Lack of salts can create a vicious cycle of malnourishment. I know many people trying to stay hydrated and often they are trying to hard.

If your urine is clear, your are loosing more water than you gain. Urine is a waste product and should have waste products in it. Studies have show that those people that add a pinch of micro-nutrient salts like Himalayan salt or Celtic sea salt have a better recovery with less fatigue. Why because salts are used in almost all chemical processes of the body.

Träger and Mentastics by Harry Dalford and Julie Kingston-part of a larger article

.........I then give a very simple analogy of how muscles can be likened to a sponge. If you hold a sponge under a running tap, water will percolate through it. So the major blood vessels are the pipes feeding the tap. If you squeeze a wet sponge you will remove most of the water and if you let the sponge go it will suck the water back in.

In a muscle, blood and fluids are carrying oxygen and nutrients (amongst other things). In the process of working, the muscle uses this fuel and produces waste products that the circulation system removes to the 'waste processing plant' (kidneys / liver / skin etc). However by holding the 'Bicep' one is squeezing the 'Sponge', making it do the work, but not allowing the 'suck' part of the cycle to replace the fuel and remove the waste produce.

The longer the muscle is held in the squeeze part of the cycle the more 'waste' is produced until there is no more fuel to use. Now, the waste is a very important part of the process because it is a chemical, (essentially acidic), which acts as an irritant to the cells and nervous system receptors in the muscles and connective tissues in joints. This chemistry, for example lactic acid, is the stuff that makes your muscles feel tired and achy if they have been over worked. This is a clever design feature in the form of a bio/electrical/chemical safety valve which sends information to the brain which then sends other information to the muscles telling them to release the workload or create movement thereby allowing the "suck" part of the cycle to take the waste products away so that they are not irritating / stimulating / eroding the muscle / connective tissues / nervous system receptors.

By allowing the muscle to go though its complete design process it works efficiently and is comfortable and movement can actually be pleasurable.

The Living Matrix of Bones

Lloyd Mills Lecture Notes -3/16/12
by Wendy Woods

Quite literally cell growth, regulation and maintenance will not occur in your bones unless they are stimulated or are physically stressed. But bones are not just a separate system in the body that are isolated and functioning independently. Bones are not something that we only have to look at later to avoid osteoporosis. Bones are a living matrix woven into the very foundation of our health.

Bones effect all functions in the body from blood cell production to immune cell production, energy storage, maintaining mineral/electrolyte balances and most importantly communication. Bones communicate through force. With each impact, twist, pull, the bone produces tiny electrical signals to communicate to the bones cells to either build, breakdown, or maintain. This communication is key in the bodies ability to support activity or recover from a surgery. The skeletal system effects all other body systems and regulate itself independently of the brain. Your bone health will have a high impact on your overall well being.

Weight training and regular physical activity is the most common advice that a Doctor will give you to support your health.

So make the choice of health.