Health ShortsMay 2004Does Heel Pain Get You Down?
Do you have a stabbing pain in the heel when you walk across the floor in bare feet? Heel pain is a common problem among recreational athletes, often leading them to abandon their regular routines. Heel pain can develop when a runner or walker tries to do too much too soon, or it can be a result of wearing the wrong shoes. Inadequate support at the arch can cause repeated tearing of tissues in the heel. To provide the stability the foot needs, an athletic shoe should bend at the toes and not in the middle. When you have pain in the heel, or anywhere else in the body, it's crucial to decrease or eliminate your usual activity until the pain subsides.
[SOURCE: "Heel Pain Epidemic Afflicts Weekend Athletes," Podiatry Management, November-December, 2002] Prevent Fractures with Arch Supports
When you land from a jump, a stress greater than five times body weight is placed on the tiny bones and ligaments of your feet. If you're a weekend athlete who jumps frequently, the accumulated stress can eventually result in a stress fracture. A recent study found that basketball players wearing arch supports had significantly reduced stress on the fifth metatarsal, a small bone running along the top outside edge of the foot. Based on these results, the author, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Joseph Guettler of Royal Oak, MI, believes arch supports would help prevent stress fractures in recreational as well as college and professional athletes, particularly those with flat feet or high arches.
[SOURCE: Ira Dreyfuss, "Study: Arch Support May Ward Off Injury," Associated Press Health, April 4, 2004] Who Eats More-Runners or Swimmers?
Some researchers have talked of the "polar bear" effect in explaining the results of a few small studies that have found swimmers to lose less weight than bikers and walkers doing comparable workouts. The cooling effect of regular workouts in the water, they said, may stimulate the appetite as the body tries to preserve body fat as protection against the cold. Two recent studies, however, failed to confirm this theory. Purdue researchers found that runners ate slightly more than swimmers after a 45-minute workout. And a study at the University of Arkansas found no difference in the appetites of runners and swimmers after similar extended workouts.
[SOURCE: Michele Stanten, "Does Swimming Make You Too Hungry?" Prevention, June, 2000] Toddlers, Infants Too Young To Swim
Even without instruction, children are usually able to make rudimentary movements in the water similar to the dog paddle as early as their first birthday. Based on existing research, however, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that an adult should be within an arm's length-"touch supervision"-any time their infant or toddler is in the water. Until age four, the AAP points out, children are not developmentally ready for formal swimming lessons, and "aquatic programs for infants and toddlers should not be promoted as a way to decrease the risk of drowning."
[SOURCE: American Academy of Pediatrics, "Swimming Programs for Infants and Toddlers," Pediatrics, April, 2000] Seniors at Risk of Cycling Accidents
Parents are understandably worried when their children start riding bicycles, but the highest rate of fatal cycling accidents occur among older adults. In 2000, 71 percent of bicycle-related deaths occurred to adults age 50 and over. In 2001, nearly 12,000 bikers over age 65 required emergency room treatment. Only 38 percent of adult bike riders wear helmets regularly; as a result, they are more than twice as likely as children to die from head injuries suffered in a cycling accident.
[SOURCE: Janice S. Hayes, Bobette Henslee and Jean Ferber, "Bicycle Injury Prevention and Safety in Senior Riders," Journal of Trauma Nursing, July-September, 2003] Don't Forget the Water Bottle
If you're going out bicycling for an hour, or even less, don't forget the bottle of water or a sports drink. At a speed of 20 miles an hour, an average cyclist will lose in an hour more than a pound of sweat that must be replenished for good performance and to prevent dehydration.
[SOURCE: "Think a 15 Mile Ride Is Nothing To Sweat About? (Endurance and Hydration)," Bicycling, July, 2003] How Soon Can You Swim after Eating?
You may have heard from your grandmother that you must wait an hour after eating before going into the pool or lake. While the dire consequences usually associated with this warning may be exaggerated, the reasoning is sound. Eating directs blood to the stomach and intestines; exercise diverts it away from digestion to the muscles being used. While a relaxing float in the water after a meal may do no harm, you're going to find it uncomfortable and difficult to exercise and should avoid getting into deep water too far from shore.
[SOURCE: "Ask Tufts Experts," Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, May, 2003] Overcoming a Fear of the Water
While their friends are flocking to the pools and beaches during the hot summer months, some individuals make excuses, schedule other activities or simply don't go...because they have an overwhelming fear of the water. The phobia may be linked to a traumatic childhood experience or it may, like other phobias, simply be an unexplained and irrational fear. If you have a phobia, you know that forcing yourself to dive in the deep end is no solution. There are, however, effective programs to help hydrophobes overcome their fear. Most start by gradually building the person's confidence in the water while he or she masters basic techniques of breathing and floating.
[SOURCE: R. Daniel Foster, "Pool Panic," American Fitness, July, 2000] Cycling and Sex-the Good and the Bad
Male high-mileage bicyclists have a rate of erectile dysfunction disproportionately high for their age-presumably because of the pressure exerted by the bicycle seat against blood vessels and nerves in the genital area. In other respects, cycling may be the best thing you can do to maintain good sexual function since it builds cardiovascular fitness and improves blood flow, particularly in the lower body. One recent study of older men with congestive heart failure confirmed the benefits of cycling. After eight weeks of biking, 80 percent of these men reported improved sexual function.
[SOURCE: Brian Good, "Pedal for Sex," Men's Health, April, 2002] Some Pools Increase Asthma Risk
For a child or adult with asthma, a warm, humid indoor swimming pool is considered an ideal environment for a workout. A recent study from Belgium, however, found that some pools develop a buildup of a gas called trichloramine that may trigger an asthma attack. Trichloramine is a byproduct of chlorine mixed with swimmers' sweat, urine and other organic matter. Levels are usually highest in the air just above the water's surface. The problem can be averted by proper ventilation of the pool and requiring that swimmers shower before entering. Most doctors advise asthma patients to be aware of the risk but to continue their workouts.
[SOURCE: Douglas Zipes, "Asthma and Indoor Swimming Pools," Medical Update, November, 2003] Say No to Antibacterial Cleaners
Public health officials worry that widespread use of antibacterial cleaning products will hasten the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, reducing the effectiveness of medications. As further evidence against these products, a study of 238 households in New York City found that, after 48 weeks, those using antibacterial cleaners had no significant reduction in infectious disease symptoms, colds, sore throat, runny nose, cough, diarrhea or vomiting compared to those using other cleaners. Among chronic disease patients, researchers were surprised to find a higher rate of fever, runny nose and cough with the use of antibacterial products.
[SOURCE: E.L. Larson, et al, "Effect of Antibacterial Home Cleaning and Handwashing Products on Infectious Disease Symptoms: A Randomized, Double-Blind Trial," Annals of Internal Medicine, March 2, 2004]
New Orange Juice May Lower Cholesterol
Margarine-like spreads (Benecol and Take Control) with plant stanols and sterols added have been found to reduce blood cholesterol by 10 to 14 percent if used as directed. Now an orange juice (Minute Maid Premium Heart Wise) has plant sterols added for similar cholesterol-lowering benefits. An eight-ounce serving of the orange juice contains one gram of plant sterols, exceeding the FDA requirement that a product have at least .65 gram per serving for claiming a possible cholesterol-lowering effect.
[SOURCE: "Supplemented Orange Juice May Help Lower Cholesterol," Mayo Clinic Health Letter, May, 2004] Roadside Athletes: Watch Your Eyes
If you run, jog or walk along the side of a highway or heavily traveled thoroughfare, you may want to consider wearing protective eyewear. An article in the American Journal of Ophthalmology [March, 2004] reports three case of roadside walkers and runners who suffered severe eye injuries when a small piece of metal was apparently kicked up from the road by a passing vehicle. All three injuries were potentially vision threatening, with tiny metallic fragments cutting through the cornea and lodging deep in the eye. Although the risk of such an accident is small, the doctors recommended that roadside athletes protect their eyes with lenses made of impact-resistant material.
[SOURCE: Amy Norton, "Joggers on Roadways, Mind Your Eyes," Reuters Health, April 23, 2004] | 
