Cardio Coach

Boost your stamina

Lindsey Parry is a qualified biokineticist, South African duathlete and the official coach of the Comrades Marathon Association.

If a marathon programme calls for a two-hour endurance session, will I get the same benefits if I split it into an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening?

You ‘ll get very similar benefits from splitting your session. You’ll also get other positive benefits such as reduced injury risk due to less fatigue in the muscle. The down side is that mentally you do not get accustomed to being on your feet for long periods of time. Your muscles and joints also don’t get used to being on the go for so long. Linked to this, is your body’s use of different fuels to power your sessions after approximately two hours. There are even further changes after about four hours. It is important for longer races that you allow your body to become more efficient at burning these fuels. If time is a problem, then it is acceptable to split the run over two sessions for the majority of your training. However, make time every three to four weekends to do a single longer (two-hour plus) session.

What’s more effective – an energy bar or gel?

Both are important forms of energy, the nature of the race will determine which is most effective. Gels are a highly concentrated source of readily absorbable energy, the lag time between consuming them and “feeling” the extra energy is five to 10 minutes and a gel should last 45 minutes depending on the intensity of the exercise. They are very easy to consume and therefore will be first choice when doing sports like running when it’s harder to eat solids. The down side is that if exercise goes on for four hours or more there’s a very real possibility that you’ll get sick of eating the high glucose gels and you’ll need energy from another source. Bars are a great alternative, are usually not as sweet and release the energy a little slower, which means they “last longer”. When adventure racing or cycling, bars are a great way to get large amounts of concentrated energy and they don’t leave you feeling ill after hours of exercise. So try a combination of both.

I have moderate asthma and it affects my running. How can I train to improve my times while not endangering myself?

There are two aspects to address here: firstly, you need to medically control your asthma. Every time you push yourself to the point where you have an asthmatic incident, you’re placing an unnecessary stress on your body and, in severe cases, your heart. If you control it medically you will be able to run with more freedom and less interruptions. The second aspect is that you need to build up both your volume and intensity more conservatively than a non-asthma sufferer. By doing so you’ll reduce the risk of inducing asthma, build up a great base and, in most cases, there will be an improvement in your lung function with a reduction in your asthmatic incidence. You’ll discover that by maintaining a high degree of cardiovascular fitness, you’ll reduce the impact of asthma on your life.

Archives

Would you recommend that an average guy gets his VO2 tested?
- Would you recommend that an average guy gets his VO2 tested? Will it help me to train more effectively?
  
  No. While it may be fun to find out what it is and to gain a story to tell your mates, your VO2 max will tell you little about your athletic ability and also very little about how to train. If you want to get technical about your training to get the most out of your sessions, you can either perform a test to get your maximum heart rate, or, if you have the money and are very interested in how your body works, get a graded lactate test done. The sport scientist involved can break your training down into zones based on your anaerobic threshold. Both tests will allow you to plan sessions around percentages of your max, ensuring your training time is well spent.
How long would I need to spend in the pool to feel like I’ve had a good workout?
- I always feel like I’ve had a better session when I’ve sweated. How long would I need to spend in the pool to feel like I’ve had an equivalent workout?
  
  The wetter the better. Exercising in water can present a couple of physiological challenges related to both warm and cold water. In cold water you battle to hold onto your body heat as the water conducts it from your body. You won’t, therefore, sweat nearly as much as you would in a terrestrial environment (in the gym). Similarly, in water that is warmer than the heat you generate, your body won’t be able to rid itself of excess heat and you’ll become uncomfortable – you will be sweating, but since you’re wet already, you won’t feel it. However, once you’ve dried off , you’ll sweat more than usual as your body cools down, just like it does after terrestrial exercise. For a proficient swimmer, an hour of intense swimming is the equivalent of an hour of moderate exercise in the gym.
What training should I do for a cycle stage race?
- I’m training for a bicycle stage race. Is riding enough or should I be doing gym work too?
  
  The major component of the race will be riding your bike, so this should be your primary focus. Because you are doing a stage race, make sure that at least two of your sessions per week are longish back-to-back rides. If you are doing adequate riding and you still have a further one to two hours per week available to you to train, then doing some strength training will be beneficial to making you stronger as well as helping with injury prevention. The best exercises are step-ups onto a high bench, leg presses and squats. It is also a good idea to do some core-strengthening exercises.
What is lactic acid?
- What is lactic acid and why does it make my body stiff?
  
  Lactic acid is a compound formed within the muscles. During cellular metabolism of glucose, known as glycolysis, hydrogen ions (H+) and pyruvate molecules are formed (lactic acid). As you increase exercise intensity, your body increases the production of lactic acid. Lactic acid has a reputation as being the exercise “baddie” and has been falsely blamed for causing the end of your exercise. There are a number of factors that contribute to the cessation in exercise. Oft en the highest lactate recordings are found in individuals who performed the best – if lactic acid was responsible for ending exercise this would not have been possible. So, why does lactic acid cause stiffness? Well, it doesn’t. Stiff or swollen muscles during and post-exercise can be attributed to lactate and other metabolic waste build-up. Your body is quite efficient at dealing with this. Soon aft er exercise this feeling passes and within hours your lactate levels will return to normal. Stiffness is caused by little micro tears in the muscle, with fluid building up in the interstitial spaces to repair the tears. The pain you feel is a result of this inflammation.
Can you recommend popular half-marathons to run?
- I just did my first half marathon, the Two Oceans, and I’m hooked. What other South African “halfs” do you recommended?
  
  The best half marathons I’ve run in South Africa are: > The Outeniqua Half Marathon (SWD) > The Knysna Half Marathon (EC) > The Loskop Half Marathon (MPL) > The Amatola Half Marathon (EC) > The Grape Run Half Marathon (WP) > Cape Point Half Marathon (WP) > The Pineapple Half Marathon (Natal) Others I haven’t run but that come highly recommended include: > The Foot of Africa Half Marathon (WP) > The Hemel en Aarde Half Marathon (WP) > The Winelands Half Marathon (WP) > SC Striders Sardine Half Marathon (Natal) > Sani Stagger Half Marathon (Natal)
Are running tights a gimmick or do they work?
- Do running tights really help with your running performance or are they more of a gimmick?
  
  Running tights on their own serve very little purpose other than keeping your legs warm. In cold weather this can help with performance, especially in athletes who are susceptible to the cold. Compression garments are designed to aid recovery and there are some claims that they enhance performance. I’m sceptical about the performance claims, although I have personally experienced the recovery benefits. Studies show that there is little difference between ice baths, compression garments and light exercise on recovery for reduction of post-exercise muscle soreness, but indicate that they all do work.
How do I know if I'm injured or my muscle is just stiff?
- How do I know when muscle pain is just from being stiff, and when it is more serious?
  
  Muscle pain and stiffness as a result of doing activities such as downhill running and gym work, particularly when you are not used to it, is called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). It is usually present in more than one muscle and on both sides (if you have worked out both sides of the body). The discomfort peaks up to 48 hours after the activity and then disappears. Pain that occurs as result of a sudden injury is localised on one side of the body, lasts longer than 48 to 72 hours, and is worse when the muscle contracts. This sounds more like a muscle tear and you should consult a physiotherapist.
I've broken my wrist, what's the best way to train?
- I broke some small bones in my wrist and am now trying to strengthen my wrist and forearm muscles. What is the safest way to start training?
  
  As a rule of thumb, bones usually take six weeks to heal, and should be rested and protected during that time. When the rest period is over, controlled loading on the tissue should be applied so that the healed tissues get progressively stronger. For this reason you should get a progressive rehabilitation programme from your physio or biokineticist that culminates in your return to resistance work. Remember, you should not feel pain at any stage in your rehabilitation. If you do, it means that the tissues are not yet healed and you will require reassessment. Don’t rush into the training, and follow the advice of your expert.
What workout do I follow to improve my surfing?
- Are there any re strength workouts that will improve my surfing skills?
  
  Surfing can be broken up into three main components: paddling out to catch waves; dynamic balance; and lower-leg strength endurance. The act of paddling out into the surf makes use of similar muscles to swimming and also requires strong chest muscles for diving under waves and pushing your board down. So it’s important to have strong chest, back, shoulder, tricep, bicep and latissimus muscles. Dynamic balance relies on both the strength of your muscles (the core and abdominal muscles play a big role) and, vitally, the firing patterns of your muscles. Your ability to surf long waves repeatedly depends on the strength and endurance of your quad and glute muscles. It is therefore wise to do a total body workout for surfing with particular focus on bench press or dumbbell presses, lat pulldowns/ pull-ups, straight arm lat pull-downs, tricep dips and bicep pull-ups for the upper body (repeat each exercise three times with 15 reps per set). For your abdominals, focus on your lower abs as these are critical for the stability of your pelvis. Do reverse rolls, reverse crunches and static bridging (do every exercise three times for 30 seconds each). For your legs, focus on leg presses, squats and step-ups onto a high bench (three sets of 20 reps).
Does touch rugby provide enough of a cardio workout?
- Does touch rugby provide a good workout? I play twice a week for an hour and a half each time instead of going for a short run, and I just want to make sure I’m doing enough cardio for the week.
  
  Touch rugby is a great cardiovascular workout. The American College of Sports Medicine guidelines say that three hours of cardiovascular exercise is the minimum required to maintain a healthy heart. You’re doing the bare minimum from a health maintenance point of view. Aim to do at least one more day of exercise of a lower intensity than touch for approximately an hour. This will also help improve your cardiovascular fi tness and make the touch more enjoyable, especially in the last 30 minutes!

*Men's Health does not give out contact information for experts featured in our magazine or on our web site, and queries addressed to these individuals cannot be forwarded on your behalf. If you require professional health and lifestyle advice, we strongly recommend that you contact your local service providers.

District 9 and Invictus got stuffed at the Oscars. What other great films were robbed of the Best Picture Oscar over the years?
	Citizen Kane (lost to How Green Was My Valley in 1941)
	Dr Strangelove (lost to My Fair Lady in 1964)
	2001: A Space Odyssey (wasn't even nominated, and lost to Oliver! in 1968)
	Star Wars (lost to Annie Hall in 1977)
	Apocalypse Now (lost to Kramer vs Kramer in 1979)
	Raging Bull (lost to Ordinary People in 1980)
	Raiders of the Lost Ark (lost to Chariots of Fire in 1981)
	ET (lost to Ghandi in 1982)
	Saving Private Ryan (lost to Shakespeare In Love in 1998)
	The Gangs of New York (lost to Chicago in 2002)

Cardio Coach

Archives

OTHER EXPERTS

COMPETITION

POLL