Thermoregulation: Training in the Heat

Phoenix. It’s hot. Sometimes, it’s hot and humid thanks to the monsoon season. The summer sun strikes your skin with the warmth akin to a burning campfire – when you sit just too close and feel the hair on your legs begin to singe from the heat.  But unlike a…

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Is Aspirin an Ergogenic Aid?

Ergogenic \ˌər-gə-ˈje-nik\ adjective:  To enhance or improve physical performance and recovery, as in ergogenic aid.  Greek: ergon, to work. People are always searching a way to boost their performance.  Over the past decade, the news has been littered with stories about professional athletes’ reliance on performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) to get ahead, legal or…

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Lactate… The Math, The Myth, The Legend

AV Hill and Meyerhof together

Chances are, you’ve been thinking about this all wrong.  You may have first learned about lactate (or lactic acid) from a trusty high school coach, explaining why your legs burned at the end of a really hard sprint. Or, perhaps you read about it in a popular book or magazine.…

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A (Partial) History of Vitamins – Are Supplements Necessary?

A few years ago, an article published in The Atlantic investigated whether or not taking extra vitamins was actually good for your health.  This same question appeared in other news outlets strewn about the internet, all with catchy headlines associating multi-vitamin consumption to a decrease in lifespan. There is no argument that vitamins,…

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The Mediterranean Diet: Treating Your Ticker (and Waist!)

On a cool, sunny morning last week, I was sitting at the bar in PayN’Take, a local joint in downtown Flagstaff, constructing the basic skeleton of this article.  As I fueled my thoughts with a routine cup of joe, I had the pleasure of meeting an inquisitive and seemingly balanced local woman.  We got to talking, as women…

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The Health Benefits of Beer (Yeah!)

Beer and sports go together like… well, beer and sports.  Mountain biking, rugby, football – if the fans aren’t consuming a cold one while cheering on their favorite athlete or team, you can speculate (DD’s are important!) Budweiser’s famous Clydesdales ads are traditionally strewn throughout Super Bowl commercial breaks.  Even…

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Extra Fat Burn After Exercise? Sorry, Ladies.

I overheard a conversation about a week ago between two women discussing their weight-loss plans.  “My trainer told me that I will burn extra fat for 24 hours after I workout,” one stated confidently. It’s a common statement and belief passed around gyms, the internet, and even in educational institutions.…

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Stop Blaming Autism on Vaccines Already!

During his 2016 campaign, I read an article in the Washington Post explaining how Donald Trump still believes that vaccinations are to blame for autism in children. Why this was even a topic of his campaign is of question, but it was nonetheless.  Furthermore, at the rate the media was…

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Ulnar Neuropathy and Cycling

Have you ever suffered from a loss of feeling in part of your hand after an extended bike ride? Not only is it uncomfortable, but the use of your fingers decreases the longer you continue, which can make shifting and braking difficult.  You may be suffering from a condition known…

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