In clinical research compression textiles have already been successful for many years. Preferably inactive and lying patients as well as travelers during long distance flights are wearing compression socks to prevent thrombosis. For these people the socks provide a better flow rate in the venous system, smaller venous back pressure, thus a higher venous blood return to the heart.

Compression garments use outside pressure on the muscles. This improves blood flow inside the muscles and surrounding connective tissue. The precondition for optimal oxygen and nutrient provision of muscles is an essentially even blood flow.

This even blood flow is hard to achieve while standing upright, so several different mechanisms have to support the back flow of blood to the heart. This is so important because 85% of the entire fluid volume in the body is being found in the venous system.

External mechanical pressure e.g. from compression garments causes a volume redistribution from superficial to deep venous system. This in turn causes an increase in flow rate in the deep venous system. This effect is often equated to a higher evacuation of metabolic waste products and better oxygen supply in the muscles, ergo: improved performance.

During exercise e.g. cycling, running, skiing another effect is added: Inside the veins are venous valves located in regular intervals. Created in pairs they prevent any venous back flow in the direction of the extremities (legs) which happens in between every heartbeat. At the same time the veins are being compressed through muscle contraction (“muscle vein pump”). This transports the blood volume from one venous valve to the next in the direction of the heart.

In the event this mechanism is disturbed or overworked (e.g. physical activity), the veins expand and that makes the venous valves insufficient (limited functionality). This feels like “heavy legs” and they swell. Increased venous back flow to the heart means in reverse better boost potential in the heart itself and therefore more supply of oxygen and blood in the periphery.

What should you pay attention to?

Based on the named effects any compression wear in sports is only useful if the pressure flow is anatomically matched. This means the compression is strongest at the ankles and continually gets less over the knee and to the thigh. This is called “graduated compression”. For compression socks or tights a pressure range of 20-30mmHg at the ankle has been deemed optimal. (1mmHg is the static pressure a 1mm high mercury column develops).

What do we learn?

According to our research (based on the results of 37 international sport compression studies) it is beneficiary to wear compression garments during exercise if you:
1) want to improve maximal strength, sprint performance and jumping height,
2) want to influence your oxygen intake and lactate concentration (endurance),
3) want to increase your stamina.

For compression during recovery you should know that:
1) Lactate concentration tends to go away quicker while wearing compression wear,
2) Muscle pain and swelling is reduced through wearing of compression gear,
3) Maximal jumping, sprint and power performance recover quicker while wearing compression gear.

By  SLS3  www.slstri.com

Riding  in cold weather has always been a challenge.  The problem is that you’ll start out  cold then warm up and break a sweat, making yourself wet.  Then, when you travel downhill, the combination
of wet skin and windchill will be quite chilling.

Below, you’ll find a list of the cold weather clothing that will make winter riding less of a bone chilling experience.

Booties. In cold temperatures, your feet are the most vulnerable part of your anatomy.  Pressure from pedaling will  tend to cut off the circulation to your toes, which can put you at a risk of frostbite.  In cold conditions, neoprene booties are a must have.  They will zip over your shoes and even have a pattern in the sole where you can cut out a piece for cleats.

Gloves.There are several manufacturers that make “lobster gloves”, a hybrid glove that separates your index finger and thumb from the rest of your hand.  These gloves are warmer than regular gloves, and the distinct index finger will allow you to operate your shifting and brake levers.
In case your hands get cold, you should carry a pairof lightweight glove liners will you as well.  If you have to stop to take care of a problem, the liners will protect your hands from the cold.

Glasses.Glasses that wraparound and provide maximum protection from the wind are best to wear in the winter.  You can protect yourself from debris, as well as the cold.

Socks.You should wear heavy socks although not to heavy.  A sock that is overly heavy will make your shoes tight, cut off circulation, even make your feet cold.  You should try lightweight socks, as they will keep your feet warm without bulk.  If you need an extra layer, try silk ski socks as they are very warm and also extra lightweight.

Underwear. Polypropylene is the best material here, as it is lightweight and best for colder temperatures.

Wind protection.Moving air is the biggest cause for losing body heat.  By having good wind protection you’ll be able to vent perspiration while also protecting yourself from windchill.  You should choose pants and a jacket based on durability, breathing, and price as these types of clothing can get very experience.

Helmet and liners Your head is very important, as you lose 50% of your body heat through your head.  A helmet is designed tokeep you cool in the summer, not warm in the winter.  A fleece liner inside your helmet will keep your head and ears warm during winter riding.

There are numerous ways that you can improve your mountain bike safety.  Many riders will tell you

that wearing a helmet is the most important step to staying safe.  The second most important step is
that you should always ride in control of your mountain bike.

By riding in control you’ll not only prevent crashes, but keep others on the trail safe as well.  When
riding out of control you loose the ability to adjust to the terrain as you ride over it.  This can
and usually does result in serious injury toyourself and others.

Follow these helpful guidelines and you’ll remain safe when riding your mountain bike.

Gear
Always make sure that you wear a helmet and other necessary safety gear for the conditions that you
plan to ride in.

Never ride beyond your control
There is never any shame in walking the areas of the trail that you don’t feel comfortable in riding
and you should never let anyone else tell you that there is.

Keep your speed under control
Always make sure you keep your speed at a level  where you can quickly adjust to any obstacles or
change in the trail.

Knowing your trail
You should never push the limits on trails that you aren’t familiar with.  You should take trails you
aren’t familiar with at slow speeds until you learnthem better.

Slow down around blind corners
If you can’t see past a corner you should always slow down, as you never know who or what is around it.

Start small then go big
Work your way up to stunts or obstacles.  Practice in less difficult or dangerous situations before you
move up to something more dangerous.

Playing it smart
If you start to question what your doing, you probably shouldn’t be doing.  Always think about what you are
doing and go with your instincts.

You don’t need try to prove to your  spouse, your family, your training buddies, your dog, or anyone else that you “can do it”. If you don’t start off  your race  slowly, pacing yourself  and then gradually build upto both greater speed and sustainable effort , you will only prove that you can make yourself too exhausted to be competitive on race day or, worse, that you know exactly how to injure yourself , keep yourself out of the picture  for several weeks or just walk away from a race .

Do not spend time comparing  yourself with other athletes performance or a goal time, it is better to focus on yourself and understand how to use your fitness capabilities the best possible way to achieve the goals you set based on the actual training you did and not the one you hoped to do.

One piece of advice which can help to combat dehydration is to carefully weigh yourself before and after running to establish how much weight has been lost through fluids. Weighing yourself before the run will give you a good baseline weight. After returning from your run, remove any clothing which is soaked with sweat and weigh yourself again. For every pound of weight you have lost, you should consume 16 ounces of water o  sports replacement drinks .  This is because any weight which was lost during the course of a run is likely the result of fluid loss and runners should aim to replenish the fluid which was lost as soon as possible.

Making a concerted effort to drink before, during and after your run can also help you to avoid the dangers of dehydration. Before each run, the runner should take care to ensure he is properly hydrated. This may be accomplished by drinking a cup or  two of water or sports replacement drinks shortly before a run. However, care should be taken to avoid drinking too much liquid immediately before a run because it can make you feel uncomfortable during the run. Runners should also plan on drinking during their run as well. There are a number of commercially available products which make carrying your own water during runs both comfortable and easy. These products include simple  water bottle  holders as well as packs designed to hold a bladder which can be filled with liquid. These are similar to hydration packs  often worn by bicyclist  except the ones for runners are usually worn around the waist instead of as backpacks. During the course of the run, the runner should make an effort to drink according to a schedule instead of waiting until he feels thirsty to drink. This is critical because once a runner starts to feel thirsty, dehydration has already set in and it can take substantially more liquid to replenish what has already been lost. Taking in small amounts of water every 15-30 minutes should work well to help a runner avoid dehydration.

Runners who are going for longer runs such as marathons or training runs for a marathon or other long distance event should plan on taking along a sports replacement drinks instead of just water. These drinks contain sodium which not only helps to replace the sodium which has been lost through sweating but also helps to encourage the runner to drink even more. This can be helpful during long runs because losing too much salt and only using water as a replacement can make the runner susceptible to hyponatremia.

Several factors need to be considered when choosing the kind of suit to wear for swimming or any other water activity. Most of the factors are optional or those that are dictated by the wearer’s preferences. For example, how much exposure to the sun is the swimmer willing to take? Here, he or she will pick a swimsuit based on the extent of body coverage the garment will provide. Of course, trends in fashion will also be in his/her mind.

But one factor that always has to be given weight is water temperature. It is advised that swimmers use the kind of swimsuit that will give them sufficient body coverage and protection during cold water swimming, as in swimming in outdoor bodies of water (oceans, rivers, or lakes). Two types of swimsuit are recommended for this purpose: wetsuit and dry suit.

Wetsuit:

Open water swimmers and deep divers use wetsuits because of the thermal insulation they provide. A typical wetsuit is made of neoprene (a synthetic rubber), which is foamed with small bubbles of nitrogen gas. These bubbles reduce heat conduction by minimizing heat transport through the gas. Note that like most other gas, nitrogen has minimal thermal conductivity in relation to water. Apart from insulation, wetsuits also provide abrasion resistance and buoyancy, the latter made possible by the low density the bubbles give.

An efficient wetsuit is one that fits snugly. If a suit fits too loosely, it will cause water to break away from between the body and the suit, taking the body’s heat away as well in the process. An important feature of a wetsuit is the flexible seal at each cuff, which helps in the retention of water.

A reminder to underwater swimmers and divers: A wetsuit’s thermal insulation and buoyancy properties are reduced as the foamed neoprene gets compressed at depth.

Dry Suit:

This suit is often used in cold water swimming, diving, and other such activities or sports done in or around outdoor bodies of water. Wearers of dry suits are provided with thermal protection while immersed in water or exposed to cold temperatures while, for instance, windsurfing or canoeing.

Except for the head and the hands and feet, a dry suit protects the entire body during extended immersion in cold water, especially if the water temperature is below 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit). Some divers or swimmers find discomfort in a wetsuit during prolonged stay in cold water, and thus they prefer to wear a dry suit instead.

Compared with a wetsuit, a dry suit provides better thermal insulation as it is designed to prevent the entry of water. If only for this, many open water sports enthusiasts prefer dry suits over wetsuits, as they consider the former more suitable for use in cold water.

A dry suit has three necessary parts:

1. Waterproof shell – This is the main part, which is made from synthetic rubber (example, polychloroprene) that gives the suit its thermal insulation property.

2. Seals – These are usually made from latex rubber, and are set around the neck and cuff portions of the suit to prevent entry of water. They are, however, not perfectly watertight, such that seepage is possible during use.

3. Waterproof zipper – This essential part is commonly set up across the rear of the shoulders or the front of the torso (diagonally or straight down the middle).

It is a fact that water is more efficient than air when it comes to conducting heat away from the body. Cold water is understandably even more efficient in this respect. Hence, an improperly geared open water swimmer or diver faces the risk of hypothermia (below normal body temperature). A wetsuit or dry suit is therefore important in any cold water activity.

Running has been recommended by many doctors and therapists to people who are in the quest to improving their mental health. This is because running, like other exercises, unquestionably takes care of the mental health as efficiently as it does to oneís physical well-being. There are many psychological benefits of running, but here are the seven most cited:

1. Reduces stress and anxiety
Runners are known to be less stressed and are more able to deal with their daily stressors effectively. This is attributed to the fact that running refreshes their thoughts, keeps their minds off worries, and gives them ample and undistracted time to think, reflect, and concentrate. In addition, according to some reports, running is more efficient in addressing anxieties better than medications.

2. Enhances mood
When running, the body produces a substance called endorphin (endogenous morphine) that creates a different sense of euphoria. This state of euphoria is called runnerís high basically because after running, individuals are in a good mood, are happier, and indescribably feel better. Runnerís high is also believed to be responsible for the runnersí seeming ìaddictionî to running: Because they are always intensely post-euphoric, runners keep running every chance they get.

3. Improves confidence
The sense of achievement after finishing a run or completing a target distance boosts the runnersí confidence. This is especially true of people who are naturally competitive they regularly sign up for marathons and other running events. Improved confidence also comes to people who have noticeably lost weight and achieved more toned and firmer muscles through running.

4. Fights addiction
Running is conceived to be a natural tranquilizer, which is why therapists recommend it to those who are battling with their addiction. Many successful stories have been documented, saying that recovering patients use the time they would otherwise spend to satisfy their addiction in running. Through running, patients also become mentally stronger to resist the urge of alcohol, drugs, or anything they feel addicted to.

5. Develops mental alertness and focus
Because running keeps the mind on the ìnow,î the mind is trained to focus and concentrate. Running also relieves mental fatigue, sharpens memory, and improves overall mental stamina. Runners, in effect, are found to have better problem-solving skills and are more mentally alert than before.

6. Relieves depression
Running is found successful in treating clinical depression. The act of running, according to therapists, serves as a psychotherapy, which gives the patients their own space to heal and connect with their selves better. They also say it is a good distraction from all depressing things. Other than depression, physicians also find running an effective therapy for people with other types of psychological disorders.

The coordination of mind and body is improved with regular running. Whether running on a flat, paved surface or on an uneven trail, the mind is trained to harmoniously work with the body to prevent stumbling and tripping over. Like the other psychological benefits of running, better mind-body coordination is important in daily activities.