Survival of the Fittest

TONIGHT, I’M GOING TO THE PREMIERE of “Let It Out: The Movie,” on athletes’ and fans’ favorite Olympic moments. And, I have VIP tickets because I interviewed Julie Foudy, the film’s spokesperson, for Experience Life’s July/August cover. Woo woo! But I’m not sure what exactly that means — a free packet of extra-soft tissues, perhaps? Because you see, the aim of the 40-minute documentary, sponsored by Kleenex, is to reduce viewers to teary, snotty messes by the end, and I’m sure I’ll comply. Download the trailer below, or visit www.letitout.com tomorrow, when the full documentary will be available for your viewing pleasure online.

Download Video

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A WHILE BACK, MY FRIEND HALVO (the same one who can do one-armed pull-ups) was complaining she couldn’t find a good sports bra. My personal favorites are made by Built on Athletics, or B.O.A., in large part because of their unabashedly loud patterns. (Click on a style of bra, then consult the drop-down menu to see all of their pattern options. Ohhhhh, I shouldn’t have done that — now I am coveting-coveting-coveting the printed spaghetti strap workout bra with the “Birds” print.)

If the selection isn’t vast enough for you and you see a pattern on one of their other items that’s not available in a sports bra, that’s possible, too. For example, if you MUST HAVE a sports bra in the “Bonehead Red” skulls pattern you saw in men’s running shorts, B.O.A.’s gracious general manager, Brad Thompson, has offered to tack on any special orders to the print run they’re just about to have (i.e., hurry). Just call him at 1-800-900-2120 and if he can do it, he will, at no extra charge — they’re just about making the customers happy over there. If you have other questions, call the 800 number above or email info@boausa.com.

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MORE ON THE DIFFERENCE between tendinitis and tendinosis at Mike Robertson’s blog, and what you can do for patellar tendinosis. (Yet more on the topic of -osis vs. -itis in this post and this article.)

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KELLY OVER AT FITNESS FIXATION lets us down gently about why we might not be able to carve out a six-pack. OK, not exactly gently … but it’s a good reminder to embrace the differences in how our bodies interpret what “fit” looks like.

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THE INFORMATION IN this post on what to eat at different points in your menstrual cycle is really interesting. If I had a better handle on what I should be eating and when period (snicker snicker), I’d be all over it.

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WILL THE GREAT STRETCHING DEBATE ever be settled? Perhaps not, due to the anecdotal nature of the topic. Still, these two studies strive to learn a bit more. (If you’re asking yourself, What debate? see here, here, here.)

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I READ A BUNCH OF smart and interesting perspectives on the much-hyped possibility of an “exercise pill” that boosts endurance, but I thought this MedHeadlines post was particularly good. Bottom line: No pill is going to have the comprehensive effects you get with the real deal.

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SO FAR TODAY, I’ve had “I Want You” by Third Eye Blind, “American Girl” by Tom Petty and “The Pina Colada Song” by Rupert Holmes stuck in my head at different points of time. Not only is that a fairly schizophrenic mix, but I haven’t heard any of those songs today.

Thoughts? Got a song stuck in your head?

[photo credit: addrox]

[From left to right: what a tendon is supposed to look like; one with tendinitis; one with tendinosis. Credit: Vicky Earle]

Did you know that most athletes who believe they’re plagued by tendinitis (also spelled tendonitis) actually have tendinosis (also spelled tendonosis)? Stupid athletes.

Just kidding — in many instances, a doctor or physical therapist misdiagnosed the problem, and that misdiagnosis can mean wasted treatment time, prolonged pain and lost sports seasons. Stupid doctors. (Kidding again!)

But there are some pretty important distinctions. Tendinitis involves inflammation of the tendon, doesn’t last longer than a couple weeks and heals just as fast, while tendinosis involves degeneration and can go on and on (and on), until you’re able to stimulate collagen regeneration in the injured area.

As far as treatment options go, while tendinitis responds well to ice, rest and anti-inflammatories to treat the inflammation, tendinosis does better with therapeutic exercises — mainly of the eccentric, or negative, variety.

Had I known that five years ago, I might have had a less irritating relationship with my knees. Some of the same strengthening therapies would have held true, but I wasted an awful lot of time treating inflammation that wasn’t there.

The differences between the conditions, as well as some of the best treatment options, are covered in more depth in the May Experience Life article “Tendon Trouble,” which, if you’ve ever struggled with a case of tennis elbow or runner’s knee that you can’t shake, is worth a read.

I also really like this article at Runnersweb.com. Some highlights:

• At least 25 percent of athletes treated for knee problems at major sports clinics are typically diagnosed with tendonitis, but there is strong evidence that the majority of athletes diagnosed with tendonitis are not really suffering from the disorder.
• The “tendonitis plague” may actually be a severe outbreak of tendonosis, not tendonitis.
• A reasonable course of therapy for tendonitis, an inflammatory condition, would involve the use of anti-inflammatory drugs; in fact, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications have become the mainstay of treatment for so-called “overuse” injuries to tendons. The trouble is that there is evidence that anti-inflammatory drugs can actually have a negative impact on the progress of tendonosis, in effect retarding the healing process.
• It is clear that a tendon [suffering from tendinosis] needs to be mechanically stimulated in order to begin the process of activating its fibroblasts and synthesizing significant quantities of new collagen fibers; complete rest would prevent this from happening.
• One tried-and-true treatment for tendinosis involves the deliberate, eccentric loading of a painful tendon and its muscle, a process which seems to accelerate strengthening of both the tendon and its associated sinew.

In other words, rather than endlessly icing, resting and popping anti-inflammatories, those of us with suspiciously long-lasting “tendinitis” might be better served by adjusting our routines and doing eccentric exercises to stimulate healing.