April 2010 - Spring has Sprung!
Thank-you for reading this month's edition of the Performance Advocate!  We have some great articles for you on everything from the importance of regular thytroid check-ups to Kettlebell lifting for the aging popluation.
 
Also, joining us, from San Diego, Franz Snideman, fellow RKC, shares his thoughts on athletic rotation.

Yours in Strength & Health,

Carmen Bott, Editor in Chief

The Performance Advocate
www.humanmotion.com

"Athletic Rotation always comes from the Hips and T-Spine" 

by our guest  Franz Snideman, RKC 
 

The ability to rotate your hips and spine in sports and in life is very important. In fact we would say that highly athletic people rotate effortlessly, powerfully and safely. Look at the an NFL running back pivot and rotate as they out maneuver a lineman or a tennis player pop a beautiful backhand and you will see a thing of beauty. As rotation is part of life it also unfortunately causes damage in the body and not because rotation is itself a bad thing, quite the contrary. The problem is that most people we see and train rotate using the wrong part of their body and this means that they rotate from their lumbar spine. The joints of the lumbar spine are not designed to rotate more than 5 degrees at max and if you ever saw a human spine removed from the body you would understand very quickly by simply trying to rotate the low back. It just doesn't rotate because of the way that the facet joint are designed. The joints are almost concave and do not allow much rotation at all.

The bottom line is that the lumbar spine is designed to flex and extend but not to rotate. Rather than rotating out of the lumbar spines we want to encourage rotation from the hips and the thoracic spine.

If you move up to the upper and middle back (thoracic spine ) you will see the facet joint are flat and smooth and are designed to handle rotation and lots of movement. So if you are asking yourself, okay, well then why doesn't everyone just move from their thoracic spine and leave their lumbar spines out of it? That is a great question but the answer is that our lifestyles today do not facilitate movement from the thoracic spine because we are more sedentary than ever before. Also, the postures we expose our bodies to on a daily basis encourage the upper back to round and chest to sink (think of sitting in front of a computer screen for hours or sitting behind the car wheel). Most of the day we spend in flexed postures which paralyze the upper back from even moving at all. Thus we become Thoracic spine challenged and compensate by moving out of our lumbar spines.

Franz has provided us with a great link to his video on athletic rotation. 
Check it out here:
http://www.revolutionlajolla.com/revolution_newsletter_002.html
Kettlebell Techniques & Older Adults...Oxymoron? I think not!  
By Paul Hemsworth  CSCS, CEP, BSF®
 

Why is it that when we think of exercise for the older adult, visions of aerobic steppers & tubing dance in our heads? It is not to say that these aren't fine tools to help people with their longevity, but understand that an older adult does not differ that much from an elite athlete. For one, both are fragile: a professional baseball pitcher making $20 million a year, in my opinion, is just as fragile as someone who is approaching 65 years of age. What is fragile? In the example of the baseball pitcher, it is the arm that is fragile...along with the salary he is making. One wrong move and he's out for the year with a shoulder injury, the team is out their star pitcher along with his salary, and you're out of a job. Similarly a 65 year old woman has been subjected to years of wear and tear on her body along with the normal degenerative processes of aging, making her vulnerable to broken bones, joint pain, and restricted movement.

Both also require power. The pitcher obviously needs power to generate ball speed off the mound. The 65 year old needs power for a wide range of situations: avoiding a slip on the ice, catching their grandkids from falling, pushing a heavy door open, and so on. The point is, just because a person is getting older, doesn't mean their training should be restricted to machines. They still require stability, balance, strength, and power. One method of training that is set up great for the older adult is kettlebell lifting. For whatever reason, when people see kettlebell swings performed for the first time they think it looks unsafe. What I deem to be unsafe is someone on a seated machine... call me crazy. The fact is, when taught correctly, kettlebell movements are extremely safe and very transferable to everyday life. Anyone who has trained with Olympic lifting movements, can appreciate that for most (not all), there comes a time where these movements begin to wear you down and can't be sustained. I say most, because I believe Olympic lifting to be great as you age, as long as your body can handle it. Kettlebell lifting addresses a number of concerns for the older adult: mobility, hip power, posture, cardiovascular fitness.

Below are a few examples of exercises with a corresponding concern for the older adult.
Concern: Stamina, posture and hip strength
Lift: Kettlebell swing
Target: Gluteal strength, core stability, safe spine, scapular stability, cardiovascular fitness



Swinging is great to develop hip strength & power along with teaching the client to keep their spine neutral when they bend over. Most older adults either avoid certain beneficial movements because they are restricted, or they attempt certain movements but lack the strength in certain muscle groups and hurt themselves. Again, even if the weight is lighter, hip hinging is a basic movement pattern that must be continued through the later years.

Concern: Shoulder mobility, lifting overhead
Lift: Arm Bar
Target: Thoracic spine mobility, shoulder mobility



The arm bar is an excellent exercise to improve thoracic mobility. Even if you begin with a water bottle, the individual is allowed to understand how to get what Gray Cook calls "proprioceptive vertical" - in other words, how to control a vertical arm with awareness and stability, while opening up the anterior portion of the trunk. It is great to begin with a water bottle and progress from there. Understand that not all people will be able to do this movement, so take great care in learning the movement properly in order to understand when it should be applied to your client. If the client can't support the kettlebell or doesn't have the mobility to get proprioceptive vertical, start with a water bottle or a shoe.

Concern: Standing from a seated or lying down position
Lift: Turkish Get-up
Target: Shoulder mobility & stability, core stability, hip mobility & stability





Even if you do not use weight, the fundamentals of the Turkish Get-up are phenomenal for activating the right muscles to stand from a lying down position. Think of how many people you know just roll over, flexing and rotating their spine to stand up. The TGU helps to regain mobility through the hips and shoulders as well as stability in the shoulders and core. It also teaches how to keep a neutral spine while utilizing the power from the hips and core.

Concern: Picking grandkids up
Lift: Deadlift
Target: Core stability, shoulder stability, hip power, safe spine



Although not a traditional kettlebell lift, the deadlift can be performed with kettlebells in a safe manner. Even if the platform needs to be raised for the individual, this exercise has endless benefits. It is more functional than a squat - i.e. putting something in your trunk, putting the clothes in the washing machine, storing your suitcase in the overhead bin, lifting the turkey out of the oven. For a great resource on the deadlift, see Coach Bott's article: http://www.carmenbott.com/2010/03/15/discussing-the-deadlift/

Understand that these movement patterns do not need to be taught with weights in order for the cross-over to occur. The Turkish Get-up is a prime example of something that can be taught without weight and still be tremendously beneficial. Please note that there have been no descriptions to these exercises. If you have not been taught these by a certified kettlebell instructor (preferably RKC), please make sure you do before teaching lifts. Jim Talo is an RKC level 2 and Carmen Bott is an RKC level 1 trainer - to book in a session, please go to www.humanmotion.com.

Finally, one must understand the client's tolerance to activity based upon their age, familiarity of movement, stability and overall strength. The tissue tolerance may be a lot lower and the recovery time a lot longer in an 80 year old compared to someone much younger... but this doesn't mean it can't be done. Following appropriate progressions, starting with learning the movement pattern, is always essential... young or old.

Examining your Thyroid                                 

Brought to you by Naturopath, Dr. Bryan P. Walsh 
 

Imagine seven people all lined up next to each other.  Each one of them reports that they have the exact same symptoms: fatigue, difficulty losing weight, constipation, the "blues", cold hands and feet, and feeling puffy all the time. 

These are all classic symptoms of hypothyroidism, or a low functioning thyroid gland, but what I'm about to show you is that each of these seven people can have a different defect in thyroid physiology and there is a strong likelihood that none of them will be diagnosed correctly.

The Thyroid: Your Fat Burning Gland

The thyroid gland is the main metabolism gland in your body.  As said previously, if your thyroid is not working correctly, you will have a difficult time losing weight.

However, the thyroid does so much more than that.

·         Every cell in the body has receptors for thyroid hormone. 

·         Low thyroid hormone leads to elevated cholesterol, triglycerides and gall stones

·         If a mother has low thyroid function while pregnant, there is an increased chance that her child will have mental retardation. 

·         Low thyroid hormone leads to poor digestive function, including low digestive enzymes and constipation

·         Hormonally, there are intimate connections between the thyroid and other hormones.  For example, thyroid hormone makes progesterone receptors more sensitive, meaning a woman with hormonal symptoms every month, may actually have a thyroid issue driving it.

·         Low thyroid hormone can impact neurotransmitters such as causing low dopamine levels, leading to loss of motivation and will-power.

The thyroid is an important gland. 

It is also a very sensitive gland.  The thyroid gland is negatively impacted by a number of external chemical influences such as chlorine, fluoride, some heavy metals and other synthetic chemicals.  This is one of the explanations why there are so many thyroid issues today.

But here is the reality.  There are millions of people with a thyroid problem that do not know it because of flaws in understanding of basic thyroid physiology and in the way the thyroid is tested today.

There are two ways of evaluating thyroid, symptoms and testing.  Both are important.

Symptoms

Symptoms of low thyroid hormones are vast.  This indicates just how far reaching the effects of thyroid hormone are.

Some low thyroid symptoms include:  fatigue, weakness, weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight, coarse, dry hair, dry skin, hair loss, cold intolerance (you can't tolerate cold temperatures like those around you), muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches, constipation, depression, irritability, memory loss, abnormal menstrual cycles, and decreased libido.

If you have some or all of these symptoms, you will want to get testing.

Problems with Testing

Before you get tested, understand there are three major problems with laboratory testing.

1.    Broad reference ranges - Ranges are created using people who go to the doctor, not healthy ones.  Therefore the reference ranges are far too broad to catch minor fluctuations in thyroid physiology.

2.    Non-standardized reference range - Not only is the reference range too broad, but it varies from lab to lab, and state to state.  Therefore you can have a thyroid issue in one state, but not another.  That's not health. 

3.    Insurance company influence - Doctors only run tests that are considered "medically necessary" by insurance companies.  Therefore, doctors won't often run a good thyroid panel because most insurance companies won't pay for them.

Fortunately testing is available for some people in select areas.  More on that in a bit. 

Thyroid Physiology

Here's a promise.  If you understand this section, you will have a better working knowledge of thyroid physiology than most doctors.

Thyroid physiology is more complicated than this, but here is a basic working foundation of it that works very well in identifying the majority of thyroid issues.  (Please watch the associated video for visual/auditory people.)

There is a section in your brain called the hypothalamus that releases thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH).  It tells  the pituitary gland to produce thyroid stimulating hormones (TSH), which then tells the thyroid how much hormone to produce.

The thyroid gland itself puts out a number of thyroid hormones, most of it being thyroxine, otherwise known as T4.  Over ninety percent of thyroid hormone produced by the thyroid gland is T4, which is considered to be a prohormone because it has minimal metabolic effects on the body.  Triiodothyronine (T3) is the active thyroid hormone, but only seven percent is produced by the thyroid gland.  The rest has to be converted from T4.

The majority of thyroid hormones produced by the thyroid are bound to a protein (thyroid binding globulin) to transport them around the rest of the body. At some point in their travels, T4 is converted to T3 in many tissues of the body, primarily the kidney and liver, and free T3 then gets into the cells to exert its metabolic effect.

It should also be noted that twenty percent of thyroid hormone, T3 sulfate and T3 acetic acid, must be converted to active T3 by gut bacteria. 

What Can Go Wrong

Getting back to the line of seven people, all experiencing the exact same symptoms, here is how they can all have a thyroid issue, but have a defect in a different area of thyroid physiology and therefore all requiring different treatment. 

Can you see why so many people have undiagnosed thyroid issues?

1.    Defect #1 - Pituitary

 

If the pituitary is not functioning correctly, it cannot produce adequate amounts of TSH to stimulate their thyroid.  This is most often due to suppression of the pituitary by cortisol. 

 

2.    Defect #2 - Thyroid

 

This defect is medically referred to as primary hypothyroidism, which is the one dysfunction doctors actually look for.  However, the reference range for TSH is so wide, many people with this defect will be missed.  Also, many people with this defect have an autoimmune thyroid condition (see Bonus Defect below).

 

3.    Defect #3 and #4 - Thyroid Binding Globulin (TBG)

 

1.    High TBG - If there is too much thyroid binding globulin, thyroid hormone would be bound and unable to get into the cell.  Thyroid function may be perfect, but if it's all bound, it can't get into the cells.  This is most commonly caused by elevated estrogen in both men and women. 

 

2.    Low TBG - If there is not enough thyroid binding globulin, there can be too much free thyroid hormone available for cells.  While this doesn't sound like a problem, elevated free thyroid hormone shuts down receptor sites and can therefore cause hypothyroid symptoms, despite high free thyroid hormone levels. The most common cause of this is elevated testosterone in both men and women.

 

4.    Defect #5 - Conversion

 

If inactive T4 cannot be converted to T3, there will not be enough active thyroid hormone for cells.  This can be due to a number of issues including certain mineral deficiencies (i.e. selenium), elevated cortisol or excessive oxidative stress.

 

5.    Defect #6 - Dysbiosis

It is difficult to know the degree that dysbiosis can cause thyroid physiology issues.  Because twenty percent of thyroid hormone is converted to active T3, if there is significant gut issues, or lack of healthy gut bacteria, there may be low thyroid symptoms.

6.    Defect #7 - Thyroid Receptor

If thyroid hormone cannot get into the cell there will be low thyroid symptoms despite thyroid hormone levels in the body.  Receptor site defects can be caused by elevations in cortisol, homocysteine or vitamin A deficiency.

7.    Bonus Defect - Autoimmune Thyroid

In industrialized countries, the vast majority of primary hypothyroidism issues (Defect #2) are due to an autoimmune condition called Hashimoto's syndrome.  If this is the case, it is no longer a thyroid issue, but rather an immune system issue and must be managed as such. 

What To Do

To be honest, I'd love to tell you what to do for each of these.  I really would.  But it is not as easy as that.  However, when traveling down the road to being healthy, you must start with the first few steps.  Here they are:

1.    Take a good look at the hypothyroid symptoms listed earlier in the article.  If you have many of those symptoms, you may want to look deeper into the

2.    Next, get a good blood work thyroid panel done.  A good panel includes TSH, total T4, free T4, total T3, free T3, T3 uptake and thyroid antibodies (TPO and anti-thyroglobulin). 

3.    Get it interpreted by someone who uses a functional/optimal reference range and actually understands thyroid physiology.

The thyroid is a very different gland when it comes to health, as well as our ability to lose weight.  There are many different things that can Seven different people.  Seven different issues.  All resulting in the exact same symptoms.  And all probably missed in the conventional medical system.

Contact Bryan Walsh for consult at:

443-458-8307 (phone)

(443) 740-9220 (fax)

bryan@drbryanpwalsh.com

http://www.drbryanpwalsh.com

http://www.fatisnotyourfault.com

 
Nutrition Tip
 
__________________

A Princeton University research team has demonstrated that all sweeteners are not equal when it comes to weight gain: Rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same.

"Some people have claimed that high-fructose corn syrup is no different than other sweeteners when it comes to weight gain and obesity, but our results make it clear that this just isn't true, at least under the conditions of our tests," said psychology professor Bart Hoebel, who specializes in the neuroscience of appetite, weight and sugar addiction. "When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they're becoming obese - every single one, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don't see this; they don't all gain extra weight." 

 
 
 
Issue Contributors:
Editor in Chief:
Carmen Bott
Franz Snideman
Paul Hemsworth
Dr. Bryan Walsh
 


Human Motion's Reporter and Columnist:
Emily Beers

Publisher:
Jackelyn Thompson


The Performance Advocate © 2010 Human Motion Inc.
This message generated by Human Motion Strength & Conditioning.
Published by: Jackelyn Thompson