Vitamins a Plenty

Greetings!

Everyone at some point or another has either taken a vitamin supplement or at least read about them.  This post is not meant to discuss the pros or cons of supplementation of vitamins or minerals, but rather explain what vitamins are and what they do in our bodies.  I figured that so many people do take these types of supplements that perhaps it may be wise to know what exactly you are putting in your body, since they can have both positive and negative effects.

A Vitamin is an organic compound that is present in food and is required in small amounts for normal metabolic function. (1)  Vitamins are classified into two categories; water soluble and fat soluble.

Water soluble vitamins are as you would guess, easily dissolve in water.  Since they dissolve so easily, they are moved through the bloodstream at a rapid rate.  They are not as easily stored as their fat soluble companions, so they are excreted very easily through urine.  Have you ever taken a multi-vitamin only to notice that your urine is neon yellow shortly after? The high amount of water soluble vitamins you ingested have to go somewhere and the body can only accept so much, thus the excess (which is most of the pill you took) exits through your urine, which is now super saturated with these vitamins. B vitamins (8 in total) and Vitamin C are water soluble.

Fat Soluble vitamins travel through the lymphatic system of the small intestines and into the general blood circulation within the body. (2)  Afterwards, they are then stored in the body via fatty tissues and in the liver. These types of vitamins can be dangerous in high amounts due to the fact that, if we store certain amounts of a vitamin, then consume more and more of said vitamin, it could lead to toxicity of a particular vitamin.  Fat soluble vitamins include: A,D,E,K

Let's take a look at the major vitamins.  I have left out some of the B vitamins, not that they are not important  but I want to stick with the more common vitamins. *Please note that I give credit to reference #1 for all the research provided below vitamin wise

 I grew up watching these two chow down on veggies and for good reason.

Vitamin A (retinol/retinal/carotenoids): As we discussed A is a fat soluble vitamin that is found in yellow fruits and vegetables, leafy greens and of course carrots. It plays an important role in vision, cell division and immune health. If we fall into a deficiency of vitamin A it could result in night blindness and excessive dry skin among others. (Read more about Vitamin A). If we consume too much Vitamin A, Hypervitaminosis A can occur with sides effects including the ever popular orange tint to the skin.

-B Vitamins play vital roles as co-factors, which they ensure certain chemical and enzymatic reactions are carried out in the body.  It should also be known that some B vitamins are usually referred in their chemical form such as: "be sure to take Thiamine" rather than " be sure to take vitamin B1"   The food sources listed as "found in" are mere examples as most vitamins have more than two sources.


Read more about B Vitamins

B1 (Thiamine): Thiamine as all other members of the B family are water soluble. It is found in grains, liver and eggs. Deficiency can lead to Wernicke's disease or Beriberi, which can cause vast fatigue and cause complications to various systems in the body. Overdosing thiamine can lead to drowsiness.

B2 (Riboflavin): Riboflavin is found in live, dairy products and bananas.  Deficiency of riboflavin can lead to Ariboflavinosis. There is no known overdose symptoms of riboflavin, but remember too much of a good thing can be harmful so I wouldn't push it.

B3 (Niacin): Niacin is found in meat, fish, eggs and many vegetables. Deficiency of niacin can lead to Pellagra, which has a laundry list of not very fun symptoms. Overdosing niacin can lead  to liver damage among others.

B7 (Biotin): Biotin is found in egg yolks and liver. Common issues of deficiency lead to dermatitis, inflamation of the skin like a rash. No know overdose symptoms are known









B9 (Folate/ Folic Acid): Folic acid can be found in green leafy vegetables and pastas. It is important in cell production and is especially important to pregnant women. Many birth defects can be linked to folic acid deficiency  There are a variety of potential risks from overdosing folic acid which can be found HERE

B12: B12 is found in meats, eggs and milk.  Deficiency can lead to megaloblastic anemia, a nasty process of inhibiting red blood cell production and even prevents DNA synthesis.  Overdosing B12 can lead to a rash (I've just discovered that this is only loosely considered a side effect)

The most well known source of vitamin C.

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid): Vitamin C is water soluble and is necessary for amino acid synthesis, most notably collagen. It is important for tissue, bone, cartilage and teeth maintenance and repair.  Vitamin C is also a antioxidant, which can block harmful free radicals.  C is found in many fruits and vegetables. Scurvy is the disease caused from lack of vitamin C, which affected ocean bound travelers for years, with common symptoms of decreased ability to fight infections, gingivitis and anemia.  Overdoses of C can lead to diarrhea and upset stomach.

Fish may not be everyone's cup o tea, but they have many healthy benefits

Vitamin D : Vitamin D can be found in fish and eggs. It is necessary for calcium absorption. Two types of bone diseases can be linked to D deficiency: Osteomalacia and Rickets.  Rickets, the more talked about of the two is a big problem in children that causes soft and weak bones, which can inhibit their growth. Hypervitaminosis D is caused from too much vitamin D.

Vitamin E : Vitamin E is found in many fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and even in some edible flowers. It is an antioxidant. Deficiency and overdosing are highly debatable, as no consistent data has provided and answer.

Vitamin K: Vitamin K can be found in green leafy vegetables, especially parsley (see the facebook post). K is useful for making proteins for bone and tissues and for blood clotting.  Deficiency of K can lead to Bleeding diathesis, or an unusual case of bleeding and an overdose can cause problems for people on blood medicines.



Now that the class is over lol, you can see why companies try to suggest that taking their product is the best way to get all your vitamins. With so much information presented why not just pop a pill?  I'm not saying they cannot be useful, I take a few myself, but for reasons and opinions we'll discuss in the future. Of course I'm going to suggest you get the majority of your vitamins from natural food sources as it is not really that hard to do so.  For example, to get our RDI (recommended daily intake) of say vitamin C, which is 60 mg, a medium orange generally contains 70 mg or C, so one orange would take care of the base intake we need to maintain a healthy body. 400 IUs of vitamin D is the RDI, which can easily be attained through 3 oz of most oily fish. Vitamin K's RDI is 80ug. 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley contains roughly 153% of our vitamin K. One cup of whole grain rice contains multiple percentages of our B vitamins.

Looks pretty tasty to me.

So what? All that tells me is I need to eat fruit, veggies and whole grains, I've heard this many times before. Well, lets look at it like this; for lunch if you were to have a nice piece of 3oz cod, with 1/2 cup of brown rice, chopped some parsley and added an orange (mandarin is the traditional) you'd have a delicious and healthy meal, all while getting most of your A,B,D and K vitamins for the day.  Getting your vitamins through food sources doesn't have to be too challenging.  I think if we all made an effort to cook at least two meals a day keeping in mind the RDI and how important vitamins really are, we would see not only see a healthy America, but it would even begin to tackle the obesity epidemic, getting away from fast foods and back to old fashioned cooking. We don't  have to change over night, but rather take baby steps leading to the ultimate goal.

Not as appetizing as the real thing.

If you have any questions or concerns about vitamins, feel free to leave a comment or contact me and I will try to answer any of them to the best of my ability.  Thank you for reading!

Dreams can come true! - Cinderella from Disney's "Cinderella"


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1.Powers,S. Howley, E. (2007) Exercise Physiology Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance 6th edition (600-610) NY: McGraw Hill


2. Medlineplus (2011) "Vitamins" http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002399.htm


*I am not a doctor or a licensed physician.  I am in no way diagnosing anything and recommend that you speak to your physician before making any medical decisions.

*I am not a registered nutritionist or dietitian. The information presented is for education purposes only.

1000 Views and Counting

Wow!

After a few months of starting this blog, it has reached the 1000 view count.  The blog has reach many people all over the country and worldwide including:

U.S.

Australia

Brazil

Bulgaria

Canada

China

France

Germany

Greece

Ireland

Malaysia

Mexico

Pakistan

Panama

Philippines

Russia

Saudi Arabia

South Korea

UK

Ukraine

United Arab Emirates

It has been very fulfilling and exciting to make these weekly posts, but I wouldn't be writing them if you weren't reading them, so for that I thank you!

1000 is just the beginning, I hope to reach thousands of more people in the future!

On a Personal Note 2

Greetings!

About a week ago I was chatting with a gentlemen at the gym about some lower back and knee pain that had been troubling for some time, when I helped him experience an epiphany.  While I was showing him a few stretches and corrective exercises we got to talking about his training style, previous experiences with exercise and his goals and we discovered that he had been doing the same style of training since high school (man was in his late 30's).  He had always tried to be the biggest and strongest man in the gym, which he was both a very large and strong man as he was squatting upwards to 600 pounds the previous day. The only problem with his method was he really had no idea why he trained this way.

What I mean is every time he came to the gym, his only goal was to load up a lot of weight, work really hard and repeat the next day.  Now, when your a 16 year kid, sure that is usually the typical M.O. of weight lifting, but as we get older priorities change.  When I asked him about his current plot on the road map of life, I found out that he was married with three kids and worked at a job, which he was on his feet or traveling most of the day.  So as I was stretching his hamstrings, I asked him how training like a power lifter was helping him in his overall daily life, especially since he was not actually preparing for any type of power lifting competition   When I finished my question, he just looked at me for a minute with no answer.  It took another minute and mediocre rationalization before he came to the simple conclusion; he had no idea why he trained the way he had been or how his results were helping him outside the gym.

Other than pure strength and power, which I'll agree is very helpful in real world situations, his training seemed to be doing more harm than good overall.  Sure he could move a house, but his back and knees were so sore that he had to wear belts and wraps just to make it through the workout and than pop a few aspirin to relieve the excess pain afterwards. He didn't have any flexibility what so ever and his range of motion was very poor.  To me that didn't seem like his hard work had been paying off in the grand scheme of things, but I'm not one to judge, I mean each to their own, but as I like to say; in most situations your training in the gym should be assisting in your day to day life outside of the gym.

After we finished up a few movements I helped paint a picture of his future self.  In one scenario I had him at age 50, chronic pain in his knees and back and struggling to pick up the paper outside his door.  In the second scenario, he was the fun grandpa wrestling around with his grand kids and getting out of bed without having it become a chore.  That's when he achieved his epiphany.  He realized that perhaps there were a few things in life more important than just being the Hulk. He'd like to be able to play ball with his son without having to take multiple breaks.  He liked the idea of being the fit and active "old dude" as he put it as opposed to some of the older fragile gentlemen we see very often.  Envisioning himself down the road helped him realize that perhaps he could alter his training methods in order to maximize his results outside the gym.

This man's situation is nothing but common place with men around his age, but sometimes we don't realize we've entered that "twilight zone" of training because we never set measurable goals or we don't realize that what we do in the gym can and should be benefiting us outside of the gym.  Let it be known that I know many bodybuilders and power lifters that successfully take the results from their workouts and use them to benefit them very much outside of the gym.  I don't mean to belittle any form of training or purpose that one style is the be all end all way.  You can train in any style you wish, as long as you can justify what the end results are doing for you.  In this situation, the results were doing more harm than good and if continued, could lead to a very painful future.  I think it's important to find a style of training that you not only enjoy, but can benefit from once you step out of the gym.

In conclusion, I just wanted to share a story about a situation I see very often.  Sometimes, we fail to set goals for ourselves and I don't just mean reaching a specific weight or achieving a certain poundage, but what is really important in our lives.  Sometimes it's easy to overlook the simple things, things we take for granted now, but down the road, could become more of a task.  Playing with your kids, enjoying your physical freedom, traveling around the world, any of these are great examples of aspects of our lives we may wish to obtain, which training can be a great tool to help reach these goals.  There is no true method to attain all the goals, but sometimes we need to take a moment and re-evaluate what we are doing and how it is fitting into our goals and needs for our daily lives.  I'm proud to have been able to help this man re-evaluate his methods and at least give him some insight as to what he could be getting out of his training and it's what I like to do when I meet with new clients: helping them enter a Regenesis of training in their lives.

Thanks for reading!

"Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it" -Lou Holtz

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ATP: The Body's Energy

When it comes to the exercise world, adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, is cream of the crop for muscular contraction and cell life.  To us trainers, ATP is known as the universal energy donor because it can couple the energy released from the breakdown of foodstuffs into usable energy for cells. (1) As important as ATP is , it is important to note how our bodies produce this molecule.

An ATP molecule.

Muscles already have a storage of this ATP molecule, but exercise demands a very large amount of ATP to provide contractions (look for this blog in the future), but the storage alone cannot meet the demand.  For our bodies to get this ATP we have three metabolic pathways: the combination of ATP and phosphocreatine, or the ATP-PC system, breakdown of glucose or glycogen known as glycolysis and finally oxadative formation. (1) The first two pathways are known as anaerobic, meaning it does not require oxygen and the third is aerobic, meaning it does require oxygen.

Sprinters use the ATP-PC system in their short, but intense journey

Inside our muscles, a small store of phospocreatine (PC) and ATP exist to provide energy for muscle contraction at beginning of exercise and energy for short, high intensity exercises, which usually lasts less than 10 seconds.  Athletes that are sprinters, or power lifters rely on this ATP-PC system to provide their short, intense actions, but someone like a football player making a dash at the goal line, or a baseball player trying to beat the throw to first base also rely heavily on this system. This system does not require oxygen.

Lifting those weights leans heavily on the process of glycolsis.

The second energy system is called glycolysis   Glycolysis involves the breakdown of glucose and glycogen through a very complex series of metabolic actions ending in the formation of ATP. Glycolysis offers sufficient energy for actions lasting from about 10 seconds to about 2 minutes. This is the energy system weight lifters primarily use, since a set of work usually lasts about 30-90 seconds of exertion. This system does not require oxygen.

Swimming and other long duration exercise utilizes the oxidation process.

The final energy system is what we call the aerobic ATP production or oxidative phosphorylation (OP).  Unlike the other two systems, this process requires oxygen, through means of the very complex Krebs cycle then through the electron transport chain. The end result of the ETC is the formation of water and ATP, which is why we breath oxygen.  OP kicks in after about 2 minutes of exercise and is primarily used for continual, low intensity actions such as jogging.  This is the main system we tend to use at rest as well.

In order to win this race, your body would have to use all three phases of the bodies energy system accordingly.

Now, here's the kicker, these energy systems do not function as a single system, they work in conjunction with each other. You see, in order for glycolysis to begin working for the weight lifter, the ATP-PC must activate for the first for seconds, then when the storage is used up, glycolysis is called upon to continue the action.  In order for the OP system to begin working for the jogger, their ATP-PC storage is used up in the first few seconds, then glycolysis takes over for two minutes, then finally aerobic ATP is active to allow for the continual movement. (please note that at 2-3 minutes of exercise a 50/50 split of anaerobic and aerobic occur) Although the systems never truly just stop working you can think of it like this:

ATP-PC (1-5 seconds)>>>>>> Glycolysis (up to 2 minutes)>>>>>>>>OP (used the most after 2 minutes) 

In order to get to the next system you'll go through the previous one first until the energy system for a particular exercise is optimal.  You may primarily use oxygen and the OP system when you go jogging for an hour, but you must use the ATP-CP and glycolysis systems as you begin and continue to jog.  The whole process of combining the three systems is more integrated and complex than an entire website devoted to the subject.

Take a look at how complex glycolysis and Oxidative Phosphorylation truly is to produce the energy we require for exercise. (Photo courtesy of inoxx.net)

As you can see, the body has a very complex and diverse system(s) to provide cells and skeletal muscles energy to allow for the desired exercise or movement we wish to perform.  Our body's method of generating this ATP molecule is a very large process(s), even though I have provided a nutshell version, please do not think this is as simple as it looks.  Through a natural storage, conversion of foodstuffs and our breathing of oxygen, our body finds ways to supply us with the energy needed not only for sport, but for life itself.  The next time you begin a particular exercise, think for a moment what type of energy system you might be using the most and you may then be able to strategize what type of food and training needed to maximize your results.

"No! Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try"- Yoda


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References

1. Powers,S. Howley, E. (2007) Exercise Physiology Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance 6th edition (33-48) NY: McGraw Hill

2. Howley, E. Franks, B. (2007) Fitness Professional's Handbook 5th edition (446-447) NY:  McGraw Hill

*I am not a doctor or a licensed physician.  I am in no way diagnosing anything and recommend that you speak to your physician before making any medical decisions.

*I am not a registered nutritionist or dietitian. The information presented is for education purposes only.

Time to Pick a Bone

Greetings!

Have you ever broken a bone? Well, count me lucky because fortunately I'm batting 1,000 in that department. No I'm not gloating, but I was just thinking how complex and how vital our bones really are and wanted to remind everyone what bone really is and what an amazing structural component it is in our bodies.

Due to the build up of calcium, bones are very durable and strong.  Bones are our body's foundation, if not for them we would be nothing more than a pile of skin and muscle. They also act to protect us from injury such as falls and impact injuries.  Finally, bones in conjunction with joints (see old blog post) provide movement.

As I had posted earlier in the year, the human body contains 206 bones and are categorized in four types: long, short, flat and sesamoid.  As not all bones are alike, bone structure is not as black and white as you may think. Bone is composed of two layers of tissue that are classified as either compact or trabecular.

Compact bone is actually osseous tissue or the outer layer of the bone, which is the nice white portion of the bone we think about.  Although it looks completely smooth, compact bone actually has many filled with many canals (see figure above)  that allow for blood and nerves to move through. Compact bone also makes up roughly 80% bone in our bodies.  Compact bone is made of special cells called osteocytes. These cells are lined up in rings around the canals. Together, a canal and the osteocytes that surround it are called osteons.(1)

Trabecular bone, often referred to as spongy bone, is the inside layer of the bone and like it's name suggests, is very porous.  Don't be fooled by it's name, spongy bone is quite hard.  The open spaces make room for bone marrow, nerves and blood vessels, which is how nutrients pass through. (1)


Bones are composed of four types of cells:  osteoblasts, osteoclasts, osteocytes, and lining cells.

Osteoblast

Osteoblasts are the cells that make new bones and rebuild bone when we break them.  When there is damage to a bone, many of these osteoblasts come together forming a material called osteoid (2) This is like a foundation, which minerals are then added to bit by bit until the new bone is compete. Once this process is finished they become lining cells or osteocytes. (1)

Osteocyte

Osteocytes, as mentioned above, are the remnants of osteoblasts.  They pile upon each other and with their star like arms, connect with other osteocytes serving as a network, delivering minerals to other cells in the area they are located at. (1)

Lining Cell

Lining Cells are also the bi-product of osteoblasts, but unlike osteocytes the cover the surface of the bone.  Lining cells serve to aid in the movement of molecules in and out of the bone. (2)

Osteoclast

Osteoclasts break down and reabsorb existing bone. Osteoclasts and osteoblasts both aid in the process of reshaping bones. When the bone breaks, callus forms to begin the process of healing and is broken down by osteoclasts until the bone returns to it's original shape.(1) It is also thought that, when new blood vessels, nerves, and veins are needed in an area, osteoclasts break down bone material to make new passages (2). Finally, bones that are used more often and need to support more weight, such as the bones of athletes, become thicker and stronger over time. Bones that are used less often, such as those that need to be put into a cast for long periods of time, are broken down, becoming smaller and thinner. (2)



As you can see from this brief post (it would take many posts to fully understand bones) bone is quite complex and fascinating.  With so many bones in the body, not too mention the joints the create, it's hard not to really appreciate what they do for us on a daily basis.  I hope it never happens to you, but if you or anyone you know breaks a bone, you now know a little knowledge of the rebuilding process a few basic anatomical properties as well. In addition, I'v e included a few models of the Osteogenesis process and how some of these little guys we talked above work as a team.

Thanks for reading!

Another Dream that failed. There's nothing sadder- Captain James T. Kirk


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References

1. Fox, S.I. (2004) The Study of Body Function, Human Physiology 8th Edition (16-18). NY: Martin J. Lange

2. ASU School of Life Sciences (n.d.) Busy Bones. http://askabiologist.asu.edu/bone-anatomy. Retrieved February 13, 2013.


*I am not a doctor or a licensed physician.  I am in no way diagnosing anything and recommend that you speak to your physician before making any medical decisions.

*I am not a registered nutritionist or dietitian. The information presented is for education purposes only.

Omega Fatty Acids

Hello,

I was asked last week to describe what an EFA (essential fatty acid) was and thought it might be wise to post some general information about them and the Omega 3-6-9 supplements that are all around us.  These tablets have been on the rise over the last decade or so and have been linked to many health benefits, mainly the cardiovascular perks. (please see below for information that may dispute such)  So let's begin with the basics shall we?

The Omega fatty acids are actually known as essential fatty acids (actually only 3 and 6 are essential) meaning that they are vital for the body to function, but cannot be synthesized on their own, thus we must ingest them from food sources.  You workout buffs have no doubtedly heard of the essential amino acids in all of your protein powders, well those types of amino acids cannot be produced in our bodies either.

Omega Fatty Acid Supplements.

Omega-3 or Alpha Linolenic Acid, is a polyunsaturated fat meaning it's structure contains more than one double bond chain of carbon atoms.  Omega-3's are necessary for proper developmental growth and brain function (1) Many studies have suggested that Omega-3's have the ability to reduce heart disease, which is why they have become such a hot commodity as of late.  Natural occurring sources of Omega 3's are widely found in fish, which is why most supplemental are labeled Fish Oil.  Fish oil usually contains DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) and EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid), two EFA's that are widely known for their heart healthy benefits(2).  Omega-3's are also found in various nuts and seeds, flax being the most popular.

Fish is an excellent source of Omega-3's.

Omega-6, or Linoleic Acid, is also a polyunsaturated fat and like Omega-3, is essential for proper growth and brain function(3). Omega-6's have suggested to be useful for aiding in the following ailments: Arthritis, Allergies, and ADHD and perhaps others (3). The most common source used for supplements comes from the Evening Primrose flower, but the most common sources food wise are found in many seeds and nuts such as: pistachios, almonds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, but are also in their respected oil forms (peanut, flax, sesame).

Almonds

Flax Seeds

Omega-9 is not an essential fatty acid (nor is Omega-7 for that matter). Unlike it's fellow fatty acids, Omega-9 is a monounsaturated fat and can be created in our bodies without consuming outside sources.  There have been studies to show that like the others, Omega-9's can help reduce heart disease and perhaps even controlling blood sugars(4).  We get plenty of Omega-9's from oils, particularly olive oil.

Recently, there have been a few studies released that negate the notion that the Omega fatty acids are responsible for decreasing heart disease. The Journal Of the American Medical Association and The New England Journal of Medicine, both show that the average test period of 5.5 years had very little to no noticeable positive effects of reducing cardiovascular disease. (Additional JAMA study)

Always research any supplement you intend to start using before doing so. 

So what do we make of all this information?  There appears to be studies that suggest we should be getting these Omega fatty acids and others that say otherwise. I recommend you do a little research into the pros and cons of them and discuss it with your doctor before you make any final decisions.  The supplement world is aimed at convincing you that without a certain product you could be at risk for some ailment, but how would you know if you don't know what the ailment is?  Maybe with your diet, you already get the recommended amount of a supplement and do not need them, or maybe a little extra could help you reach a target goal.  Knowledge is power and it shocks me the amount of people that will aimlessly pop a bunch of pills without reading about their side effects, let alone just general information about a product.  Below I have listed a couple of articles on Omega fatty acids, along with the others above this should be a good start.  In addition if you should have a question or a want for any information about a particular product feel free to leave a comment and I will try to get an adequate source for information.

Thanks for Reading!

Omega-6 Pubmed
Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine on Omega-3s


"Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"- Albert Einstein



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References
1. University of Maryland Medical Center (n.d.) Omega-3 Fatty Acids. http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/omega-3-000316.htm. Retrieved February 6, 2013

2. The Mayo Clinic. (n.d) Omega-3 Fatty Acis, Fish Oil, Alpha-Linolenic Acid.  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fish-oil/NS_patient-fishoil.  Retrieved February 7, 2013

3.University of Maryland Medical Center (n.d.) Omega-6 Fatty Acids. http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/omega-6-000317.htm. Retrieved February 6, 2013

4. Sabrina Candelaria. May 19, 2009. Omega 3-6-6: What dose it all add up to? http://wellness.med.miami.edu/documents/Omega%203.6.9.pdf. Retrieved February 7, 2013


*I am not a doctor or a licensed physician.  I am in no way diagnosing anything and recommend that you speak to your physician before making any medical decisions.

*I am not a registered nutritionist or dietitian. The information presented is for education purposes only.

What is the Rotator Cuff?

Greetings!

When it comes to the shoulder, everyone knows of the rotator cuff.  "That guy tore his rotator" is often heard when someone is discussing an injury to an athlete or just another person in general. Perhaps the most common self diagnosed injury is " I have a bad rotator from years of blah blah" The problem is this "rotator" as most call it is much like the core we discussed a couple weeks ago, in that it is not a separate muscle, but rather a collection of muscles which are known as the SITS muscles.

SITS are four magical muscles that pretty much determine how much movement and function an individual will have with their shoulder.  As you can already guess, the SITS are responsible for rotational movements of the arm, but if these muscles are not working properly they can affect more than just a golf swing.  First lets take a look at these SITS muscles shall we?

Supraspinatus- Muscle responsible for moving the arm away from the body, or abduction.
Infraspinatus- Muscle reponsible for externally rotating the arm
Teres Minor- Muscle is also responsible for external rotation
Subscapularis- Muscle responsible for internal rotation

Now, as you can imagine things are not always as simple as you first see.  I only labeled the movements of the SITS muscle were to show their function in planar function , however they play a supportive role to the shoulder as a whole as seen below.

The shoulder is made up of three major bones: the Humerus, or upper arm, the Scapula, or the wing bone and the Clavical, or collar bone.  The rotator works to keep the head of the humerous inside the glenoid fossa forming the glenohumeral joint.  Basically, they keep the ball portion of the arm bone in the socket portion of the shoulder.  The SITS muscle come together over this part of the shoulder with their tendons, which act as a covering of sorts to help attach the arm to the shoulder and thus, allows proper lifting and rotation of the arm.  (see a previous post on joints and tendons).   There is also a little lubricating object called a bursa, which help the tendons of the rotator cuff move more swiftly.

When we hear about someone tearing their rotator, a couple of things can cause this.  If you were playing basketball and fell down and stretched your arm out to soften the landing you can tear the rotator cuff.  You can also break a bone, most often the collar bone or even dislocate the shoulder.  Injury is where this is going, as it is one of the major cause of rotator problems.  The other is the wear and tear we go through during life or degeneration of the cuff.  This is caused from overuse of the shoulder, particularly in the form of  swinging motions or over head pressing motions as well.  Common injuries that occur are:

• A partial tear is like an early sign that the tendon is being damaged or fraying as it is known. It is not torn per-say, but it is like a cord beginning to fray and becoming unstable.
• A full tear can be a hole or rip in the tendon, but still attaches to the bone, but can be as as sever as the tendon coming off the head of the humerus.
• The inflammation of that little bursa sac can also lead to bursitis and cause discomfort while the shoulder is in movement (although not a rotator injury in the base definition, however it can often be a side effect of rotator injuries).

So how can you tell if you may have some sort of rotator injury?  Well there are a few common signs to watch out for all of which can be moderate to sever (the higher level would probably warrant a check up) such as:

• Pain in the shoulder while just resting or when slight pressure is applied to the area.  Sleeping on the arm will tend to cause a fair amount of pain when there is an injury.
• If you experience pain or weakness when lifting your arm in general or any type of rotational movements are accompanied with pain.

• If you hear cracking or popping noises while the shoulder is in use that is accompanied by pain (we all have herd someone's or our own pop, but painless popping is usually an okay sign)  This may also be an early sign for other injuries like arthritis or labrum tears.

The problem I see with the degeneration of the rotator cuff in people is ignoring the early warning signs.  Most people chalk up a simple pain to age or just a simple pain and pass it off.  As time goes on they start to take an aspirin to deal with the increased pain and finally it becomes to the point of severe pain, which causes a cessation of activities and movements.  Treatment comes in many forms, the simplest, which I often preach is rest and limiting the activities that cause the pain, followed by monitoring the shoulder to see it the pain subsides.  Of course, therapy or working with a trainer of some type, is a great way to catch these imbalances before they occur or early enough to strengthen the SITS muscles back to adequate form. Finally, medical interaction may be needed in the form of steroid injections or even surgery.

When it comes to the rotator cuff or problem with any portion of the body, prevention is the key.  If we do miss the early signs it is always a good idea to do what we can to prevent further injury and rebuild the strength of said area to optimize it's function from the point of discovery.  Avoiding surgery is always a great idea and not relying on constant steroid injections is not a bad idea either, so keep an eye on those shoulders and know some of the early warning signs of what could be a rotator injury.  On the flip side, now that you know a little more about the cuff be sure to appreciate the complexity of it and how it is indeed no mere muscle, but a complex team responsible for our rotational freedom.

Rotator Cuff Information


“It is not the length of life, but the depth.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson 


*I am not a doctor or a licensed physician.  I am in no way diagnosing anything and recommend that you speak to your physician before making any medical decisions.

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