Cardio Coach

Boost your stamina

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

Are there any exercises that you can do to improve lung capacity?

There is some evidence to suggest that by improving the efficiency and strength of your intercostal muscles you can increase your lung capacity. The improvement in capacity of lung volume will be limited by the anatomical size of your lungs. This is determined by genetics and potentially, to a smaller degree, the extent of physical activity as you develop. The thinking behind doing exercises with flow meters, straws and so on, is that by strengthening the intercostals you maximise the anatomical lung capacity. We know, however, through years and years of testing, that we never come close to using anywhere near our total lung volume during exercise; there is always a reserve. By doing cardiovascular exercise, you increase the ability of the intercostals to drive respiration for prolonged periods of time and under stressful conditions.

Can you suddenly â€œbecomeâ€ allergic?

Most definitely: an allergic reaction occurs when your bodyâ€™s immune system treats a specific trigger as a foreign substance. Generally, allergies tend to be present in childhood and as the immune system develops, an individual may grow out of the allergy. There are more and more cases, however, of adult onset allergies, particularly to peanuts, shellfish, fish and eggs. Itâ€™s estimated that two to three percent of adults have seafood allergies as opposed to one percent of children. Scientists have identified several allergens in seafood, most importantly a protein called tropomyosin, as the culprit. So if you start turning into the Michelin man shortly after that giant seafood platter, go straight to the casualty as it can be potentially lifethreatening. There are also sophisticated blood tests that can identify exactly which triggers you may be allergic to.

Should I include weights in my training programme to run a marathon?

Running is a sport with a high eccentric demand. What this means is that the eccentric load (the weight of your body under gravity) placed on your running muscles is high because your muscles lengthen as the load (the stress your muscles feel each time your feet hit the ground) increases. Scientifically, this lengthening means that fewer bonds exist between the filaments in the muscle when they are stretched and are, therefore, forced to do more work. This becomes even more apparent when a course involves lots of downhill running. When youâ€™re younger, you train to stay fit, but as you age you need to strengthen your muscles so that youâ€™re able to continue to train. By following a balanced strength programme, you can slow down the muscle degeneration that occurs with age and prevent some of the natural wear and tear on joints. But while gym is a great supplementary exercise, if you donâ€™t have time to do both, then stick to running.

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Is a pedometer a gimmick?
- Can using a pedometer each day really help to make me a fitter, healthier person, or are they just a gimmick?
  
  One of the many definitions I found for the term â€œgimmickâ€ is: an innovative or unusual mechanical device. Other definitions include words like cheat and deceive. I would classify a pedometer as a gimmick as it is an innovative mechanical gizmo, but not in a negative light. Where it has some potential is that it can highlight just how active (or inactive) you are during a 24 hour period. This awareness can lead to things like: taking the stairs, walking to lunch or even jogging. For this reason, this â€œgimmickâ€ can be useful in aiding you to get fitter and healthier purely through raised awareness. But just like any other kind of fitness tool, it canâ€™t force you to exercise, thatâ€™s still up to you.
Are there any legal supplements I can take to improve in the marathon?
- Are there any (legal,of course) supplements I can take to improve my cardio performance during a marathon?
  
  The most widely used â€œsupplementâ€ for endurance racing is carbohydrates, commonly in fluid form handed out during the race (Coke, Energade or Powerade). Additionally, most marathoners will consume gels with a high carbohydrate (sugar) content. This constant supply of very high-glycemicindex carbs can lead to nausea and an unpalatable sweetness, so using alternatives like small baby potatoes or chopped banana can also deliver energy. Pros often mix their â€œsecretâ€ concoctions by adding a variety of amino acids, fats, electrolytes and proteins to their drinks. This aids absorption and delivery of carbs to the working muscles. Drinks such as PVM add amino acids and electrolytes to facilitate carbohydrate absorption and delivery. Alternatively you can use Peptopro â€“ an amino acid complex formulated to facilitate absorption of carbs into the muscles.
Should I take creatine on a nonworkout day?
- Iâ€™m looking to bulk up. Should I take creatine on a nonworkout day?
  
  Creatine Phosphate (CP) works well for increasing muscle mass primarily because it provides a good energy delivery system of CP to the muscles when they need it most during a workout. This allows you to lift more and heavier weights, which gives you greater muscle and strength adaptation. There is a case for taking the creatine on non-workout days to help with CP stores, but these stores are very small and once â€œfullâ€ you will pass the rest out as urine. Another side effect of creatine usage is increased water retention, so some of the increased muscle size is increased water volume at a cellular level. For these two reasons it would be better to be conservative in your use of creatine and consume it, as per the recommendations on the tub, 15 to 30 minutes prior to a workout and then again after a workout. This will ensure you have additional CP available for a workout and replenish your limited stocks right afterwards.
Will I get the same benefits if I split an endurance session?
- 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 â€˜ll get very similar benefits from splitting your session. Youâ€™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 donâ€™t get used to being on the go for so long. Linked to this, is your bodyâ€™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.
Whatâ€™s more effective â€“ an energy bar or gel?
- Whatâ€™s more effective â€“ 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 â€œfeelingâ€ 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 itâ€™s harder to eat solids. The down side is that if exercise goes on for four hours or more thereâ€™s a very real possibility that youâ€™ll get sick of eating the high glucose gels and youâ€™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 â€œlast longerâ€. When adventure racing or cycling, bars are a great way to get large amounts of concentrated energy and they donâ€™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 still improve my times?
- 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, youâ€™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 youâ€™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. Youâ€™ll discover that by maintaining a high degree of cardiovascular fitness, youâ€™ll reduce the impact of asthma on your life.
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 Iâ€™ve had a good workout?
- I always feel like Iâ€™ve had a better session when Iâ€™ve sweated. How long would I need to spend in the pool to feel like Iâ€™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 wonâ€™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 wonâ€™t be able to rid itself of excess heat and youâ€™ll become uncomfortable â€“ you will be sweating, but since youâ€™re wet already, you wonâ€™t feel it. However, once youâ€™ve dried off , youâ€™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?
- Iâ€™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 â€œbaddieâ€ 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 â€“ if lactic acid was responsible for ending exercise this would not have been possible. So, why does lactic acid cause stiffness? Well, it doesnâ€™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.

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