The Secret to Invisibility

Earlier this week on Dirck Edge at Motorcycle Daily wrote a piece on how motorcyclists are invisible on the street.

My main transport around town is a Hyosung SB50 scooter. It's a lovely little scooter than handles most of the 50kmh limits easily, and struggles its way through the 70kmh section I have to navigate daily. It corners with a typical scooter pogo action, but the speeds that can be maintained are impressive, but ultimately much slower than the real motorcycles in my past.

Around town, I am also completely invisible, or a target to be passed as closely as possible, ultimately sort of like the cross between a bicycle and a full blown motorcycle that I am.

Except an 120kg idiot on a 50kmh projectile makes a big dent.

But the ones that get me are the people who are completely determined not to be behind a scooter. If this means going 80kmh and overtaking into oncoming traffic, that's just fair game. In the 70kmh section I cannot maintain the same speed as the surrounding traffic, but as I am only in there for a minute and only one of dozens of scooters that use that area, I'm not too worried.

I have, however, given up sitting to the left of the left lane (NZ drive on the left) which allows the faster cars easier time to pass. Why have I given up on this? mainly because the cars will pass me as closely as possible, I mean I could scratch their head through the open passengers window close, like I am not even there, invisible.

This process is made even more exciting when it is performed under streaming rain.

Ultimately it means that the riding style tends to be aggressive and potentially offensive, but how can people be offended by something that doesn't exist?

Something Invisible?

Research Watch

Reference
Lunden ND, Saunders MJ and Todd MK. Postexercise Carbohydrate-Protein- Antioxidant Ingestion Decreases Plasma Creatine Kinase and Muscle Soreness. Int J Sports Nutr Exerc Metab 2007;1:109-123

Abstract
The authors investigated the effects of postexercise carbohydrate-protein-antioxidant (CHO+P+A) ingestion on plasma creatine kinase (CK), muscle soreness, and subsequent cross-country race performance. Twenty-three runners consumed 10 mL/kg body weight of CHO or CHO+P+A beverage immediately after each training session for 6 d before a cross-country race. After a 21-d washout period, subjects repeated the protocol with the alternate beverage. Postintervention CK (223.21 ± 160.71 U/L; 307.3 ± 312.9 U/L) and soreness (medians = 1.0, 2.0) were significantly lower after CHO+P+A intervention than after CHO, despite no differences in baseline measures. There were no overall differences in running performance after CHO and CHO+P+A interventions. There were, however, significant correlations between treatment differences and running mileage, with higher mileage runners having trends toward improved attenuations in CK and race performance after CHO+P+A intervention than lower mileage runners. We conclude that muscle damage incurred during training was attenuated with postexercise CHO+P+A ingestion, which could lead to performance improvements in high-mileage runners.

My thoughts
This is another in a line of Pacfic Health Laboratories research from the Saunders group. Pacific Health Laboratories produce the Endurox and Accelerade product ranges, as well as Satiatrim (a weight management product).
This was a randomised cross over trial, which looked at the effect of a carbohydrate supplement, compared to a carbohydrate-protein-antioxidant supplement, on muscle soreness and creatine kinase (a marker of muscle damage) levels in 24 cross country runners.
It is worthy to note that while there were 24 subjects included in the final analysis, this was only 67% of the initial study group, with 5 failing to complete data recording and 8 did not comply with the external exercise requirements.
The results show similar trends to earlier reports in different study groups and different exercise situations. Cross country running tends to provide an interesting model, as the downhill segments increase eccentric loading on the athletes, creating larger levels of delayed onset muscle soreness.
The final conclusion seems somewhat extrapolated from the results, which showed no differences in running performance, but perhaps points the way to a larger longer term training trial that allows a large group of athletes to be selected into a randomised controlled trial, that follows their total mileage, tracks feelings of muscle pain and ultimately attempts to measure a performance gain at the end of the trial. These longer term trials are important because if there is a performance benefit of using these products, it is likely to be small in the acute setting, but if the benefits are somewhat additive over time, it may produce an attractive performance benefit to the athlete.
But even though the use of protein in endurance sports is still a novel approach, this provides further evidence for the use of a carbohydrate-protein (and antioxidant) beverage following training sessions.

Whakarewarewa

Earlier this month the family made a trip around the North Island of NZ. Part of this trip included a visit to Whakarewarewa "The Thermal Visit" in Rotorua.
The attached video is the geyser that is 'shared' between Whakawerawera and Te Puia geothermal attractions.
Because it was a relatively warm, clear day, the boiling water quickly turned to steam, which made viewing the geyser difficult.

Training - Tuesday 30th January

Warmups
Treadmill: 10mins moderate

Accessory
Ol Squat: warmups, 140(308)x5, 180(396)x5
Nat Glut/Ham: -Px5, -2mx5x2

Supplementary
A1: MS Leg Extention: warmups, 60x20, 78x12
A2: MS Leg Curl: warmups, 30x20, 48x12
MS Alt Db Row: 57.5x20
Pushups: Normalx8, 1medballx8x2
Stretch lower

Notes
My back actually felt off first thing this morning, but it was fine going into the squats. I also have to figure out a way of working the Glut/Ham raise to add some resistance to the top of the movement.

The MS in MS Leg ext/curl/rows is my acronym for Max-Stim, a training system designed by e-Friend - Dan Moore. Dan has an book available, free of charge, explaining the system and the research behind it, available here

Research watch

Reference
Folland JP and Williams AG. The Adaptations to Strength Training: Morphological and Neurological Contributions to Increased Strength. Sports Med 2007;2:145-168

Abstract
High-resistance strength training (HRST) is one of the most widely practiced forms of physical activity, which is used to enhance athletic performance, augment musculo-skeletal health and alter body aesthetics. Chronic exposure to this type of activity produces marked increases in muscular strength, which are attributed to a range of neurological and morphological adaptations. This review assesses the evidence for these adaptations, their interplay and contribution to enhanced strength and the methodologies employed.The primary morphological adaptations involve an increase in the cross-sectional area of the whole muscle and individual muscle fibres, which is due to an increase in myofibrillar size and number. Satellite cells are activated in the very early stages of training; their proliferation and later fusion with existing fibres appears to be intimately involved in the hypertrophy response. Other possible morphological adaptations include hyperplasia, changes in fibre type, muscle architecture, myofilament density and the structure of connective tissue and tendons.Indirect evidence for neurological adaptations, which encompasses learning and coordination, comes from the specificity of the training adaptation, transfer of unilateral training to the contralateral limb and imagined contractions. The apparent rise in whole-muscle specific tension has been primarily used as evidence for neurological adaptations; however, morphological factors (e.g. preferential hypertrophy of type 2 fibres, increased angle of fibre pennation, increase in radiological density) are also likely to contribute to this phenomenon. Changes in inter-muscular coordination appear critical. Adaptations in agonist muscle activation, as assessed by electromyography, tetanic stimulation and the twitch interpolation technique, suggest small, but significant increases. Enhanced firing frequency and spinal reflexes most likely explain this improvement, although there is contrary evidence suggesting no change in cortical or corticospinal excitability.The gains in strength with HRST are undoubtedly due to a wide combination of neurological and morphological factors. Whilst the neurological factors may make their greatest contribution during the early stages of a training programme, hypertrophic processes also commence at the onset of training.

My Thoughts
While I try to maintain a somewhat up to date coverage of most published peer-reviewed research surrounding strength training, it is difficult. Review papers such as this one by Folland and Williams provide a nice coverage of the concepts underlying the development of strength.

I especially liked the section entitled "Indirect Evidence of Neural Adaptations, Learning and Coordination"

The authors comment on the observation that increases in dynamic strength (1 Rep max) are disproportionately greater than the gains in isometric strength. This indicates that performing a 1RM is more than just strength, but the ability to display the muscles maximal force potential, in a coordinated effort of the agonist and antagonist muscle groups. This effect can even been seen on relatively simple single joint movements. These neural adaptations are highlighted in a section highlighting Imagined Contractions and their ability to increase strength gains. Going through a lift in the mind has long been a method, for good or bad, used by lifters to help with the big lift. I generally perform the desired movement pattern during the day (bench), it started with the "Grease the Groove" concept by Pavel Tsatsouline, but now its just a habit.

Training - Monday 29th January

warmups
band pushdown: 2mx12x3
Band facepull netural: 2px12x3
OH shrug: 20x12, 30x12, 40x12
St arm band pulldown: 2px12x3

Main move
Bench: warmups, 180(396)x2x2

Accessory
MG Bench+GuB: 140(308)x1, 170(374)x1, 180x1
MG Bench+GPuB: 140x1, 160(352)X1, 170x1
MG Bench+GPMuB: 140x1, 160x1, 170x1
Bench+ GPMuB: 100(220)x20

Supplementary
Neutral grip facepull: warmups, 66x12x3
Pushdowns: 66x20x2
Standing L flye: 12x12x3
Sidelat: 10x12, 12x12x2

Notes

Bench sucked... I still haven't got my groove back in the movement. MG bench+GuB etc means Medium Grip Bench + Green (or purple or mini) under Bench. So I put one 45lb plate on the bar, I then loop the bands together to make a long single band, adn then stretch that over the bar ends and to the plates. Doesnt create the same tension as the full bands, but works the lockout.I am playing around with it so I have lockout work without screwing with my groove.

Training plans for '007

Basic plan for the year is

Lose some fat (110kg goal)
Gain some size
Get stronger

Pretty simple

Just gotta do it

The training log that follows will be listed in kilograms. I will sometimes add the weight in pounds, seperated with brackets.

In the beginning

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