We’ve all been told that exercise is a great stress reliever. And it’s true—the science backs it up. Exercise does decrease stress hormones like cortisol and increase endorphins—the “feel good” drugs of the body—to give us that natural mood boost.

What we must also realize is that training can increase stress hormones if it goes too far in the opposite direction. Hard training can concentrate the stressors of life, leading to one of two syndromes: overtraining (OT) or underperformance syndrome (UPS). These terms are often used to describe conditions in which athletes complain of reduced physical performance for no apparent medical (or otherwise obvious) reason. Basically, these syndromes are the results of an imbalance between training and competition on one side and recovery on the other.

Hormone imbalances such can interfere with not only performance, but the ability to enjoy life.

Scientists have monitored athletes with symptoms of OT/UPS and have discovered that the same stress-relieving adrenal rush that exercise gives you can also undermine your endurance, strength, and speed. Within the body there are several key hormones that must operate within a very narrow range to keep the balance between stress and relaxation in check. Most importantly, they include the steroid hormones cortisol and DHEA, produced by the adrenal glands, and prolactin, a hormone produced by the pituitary gland. Elevations in these hormones occur in response to physical, mental, or emotional stress, such as an extremely low-calorie diet, lack of quality sleep, job pressure, fights with your spouse, or being caught in a traffic jam. Temporary increases in these hormones help us perform well, enhance our ability to deal with the physical stress triathlon training places on the body, and most importantly allow us to do what we love and perform well.

The stress response is controlled by the brain, which signals when the appropriate hormones are to be released. Once the brain is informed that enough of each has reached the bloodstream, the brain typically signals for production to cease. However, if stress continues and the hormones continue to be released for too long, an athlete can lose their ability to shut down the stress response and restore the body. As a result, that athlete’s body will operate as if they are under constant stress, regardless of what training they’re performing. In essence, chronic stress can cause a breakdown in the communication links between the brain and the adrenal and pituitary glands, keeping hormone levels high even when they shouldn’t be. If stress continues for a long enough time, hormone production will drops, producing an exhaustion that can lead to the final performance for a lot of athletes.

Hormone imbalances such as these can interfere with not only performance, but the ability to enjoy life. They can cause a decrease in the muscles’ ability to contract efficiently, interference with muscle tissue repair, compromise the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats (which cuts off the fuel supply to the brain and body at critical moments), impair immune function, decrease energy levels, and cause depression, anxiety, and fatigue.

Most studies have found that it’s not just one isolated factor that creates the environment for OT/UPS. Rather, it’s the toxic mix of life combined with exercise stressors. Maintaining a normal stress response to work, training, and life’s activities can only happen if athletes understand and embrace preventative activities such as periodization, regular regeneration phases, knowing the body’s limits, and knowing when to minimize training during other stressful periods in life.

Recovery from OT/UPS is not easy and takes time and patience. It often involves complete rest, removal of all stressors and potentially even assistance from an endocrinologist—a physician who specializes in regulating the hormones of the body. Athletes may even undergo specialized medical treatments such as dexamethasone suppression in order to lower very high levels of cortisol and improve the potential for or rate of recovery. Other means include medication, lifestyle changes, regular massage, meditation or relaxation activities, however these modalities are only beneficial if the stressors are completely removed and not immediately re-incorporated into life.

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Krista Austin is a physiologist and nutritionist who consults for the Nike Oregon Project, numerous track and field athletes, USA Triathlon, among others. She’s worked as a physiologist for the U.S. Olympic Committee and as a performance nutritionist for the English Institute of Sport and England’s Cricket Team. She has a PhD in exercise physiology and sports nutrition, a master’s degree in exercise physiology, and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Visit her website at www.performanceandnutritioncoaching.com.

“Lotion for my legs? I’m not that type of guy,” I quipped, until I tried it. Now I just rub a dab of Medium Mad Alchemy on my knees and Boom goes the dynamite! My knees are happy. And there’s nothing better than happy knees—except maybe healthy lungs and strong legs. Embro works in cold temperatures, wet and rainy conditions, and even warm days. I won’t ride without it. The non-warming embro I use as a muscle rub.

One problem I noticed though, it took a long time for the embro to wear off. I’m talking 12-plus hours. Heck, sometimes I like the unforgiving heat, as the Hangar can get cold. A shower won’t help either—water only activates and intensifies the heat.

Until now. Mad Alchemy sells Unbrocation!

Or Post Ride Wash as they call it. I call it a savior. Unbrocation is a rinse that helps, as you might have guessed, remove the embrocation. As with all MA products, the rinse contains natural oils. Have I mentioned its scent? I want to drink this stuff. I won’t I assure you but it smalls of ginger and citrus. I dig it.

Unbrocation is available seperately for $7.95 or in a pack with a bottle of body wash and shower bag for $16.95. Worth its weight in gold if you ask me. And it’s easy enough. You  just spray it on, scrub your ham hocks, and rinse. The accessory body wash included with the pack helps rinse off the rinse after you rinse. I’m getting loopy now. Time to sign off.

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Gordon Yeager runs a boutique bicycle mechanic service in the San Diego area. He has 18 years experience in the bicycle industry including neutral support for USA Cycling and Mavic SSC. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his friends and family, and riding his bike as much as he can. Follow him on Twitter, visit his website, and watch for his gear reviews and tips in this monthly column.

“I have special memories of racing in downtown Toronto in 2000 and 2001 and I am pleased to have Toronto back in my race calendar,” said Simon Whitfield. “It will serve as an effective tune-up race for my fourth Olympics in London. I am committed to promoting the Toronto Triathlon Festival to ensure it becomes an enduring legacy for my sport in Canada’s largest city.”

Triathlon Canada, the International Triathlon Union, Olympic Champion, Simon Whitfield and Sports Focused Consulting are partnering together to make the Toronto Triathlon Festival a reality. The race weekend will be a celebration of the ultimate challenge of human endurance and tenacity and ideally a signature event on the North American triathlon circuit. One of the main features of the race is the key role the city itself will play, as the urban race route takes participants on an unprecedented path along Toronto’s harbourfront and through the city’s downtown core.

“Races hosted in world class locations such as New York City, Washington, Tokyo and Melbourne, offer diverse landscapes. However, all have one thing in common: they offer a distinct and unique race experience for athletes,” said Sports Focused Consulting President, Jeff Chong. “We believe the Toronto Triathlon Festival will provide the ultimate urban race experience and will allow Toronto to stand proudly amongst this distinguished list of world class host cities.”

The 2012 Toronto Triathlon Festival will offer World Championship Qualifying Spots for both the Olympic and Sprint Distance races. As well, Triathlon Canada has awarded the 2013 and 2014 National Championships to the Toronto Triathlon Festival which will help attract participants from across the country.

“Simon Whitfield is to triathlon as Wayne Gretzky is to hockey. He is our sport’s star,” said Alan Trivett, Executive Director, Triathlon Canada. “Simon’s active presence will attract many participants who want to “race with Simon” and the fact that Simon will use this race as a final tune-up before heading to London for the 2012 Olympics is such a compelling and truly Canadian story.”
For more information about the race or how to register, please visit www.torontotriathlonfestival.com.

The Timex Triathlon team of 48 athletes 2012 celebrated its 11th season this year. Check out Larry Rosa’s photographs from the event above, and Mac Brown’s report from the weekend here.

Ever hear this from a fellow triathlete? “I used to run a 5:45 mile in college, but since I turned 50 I can’t seem to get under 7. I just don’t understand what’s wrong!”

One of the hardest things about aging is coming to terms with the changes in your body. For those who have never really been that athletic and who find triathlon and endurance sports later on in life, it can be an empowering and even life-changing discovery. On the flip side though, for those who have been highly athletic since their younger years, adjusting to the inevitable limitations, slower times, and subsequent blows to the ego that aging brings can be a tough pill to swallow.

I have my own special name for it. I call it Aging Triathlete Denial Syndrome (ATDS). It’s a variation of regular TDS (Triathlete Denial Syndrome) which affects triathletes of all ages and encompasses such lame denials as having a hundred different reasons for why you do badly in a race or get spat out the back of a group ride the second it hits a steep hill.

Always focus on the positive and the things you can control.

I have received a number of emails from triathletes specifying what their times for a certain distance were when they were young and, given that, asking what their times should be now that they have reached the ripe old age of 50. Of course, that’s impossible for me to answer. Only a coach can answer that because I know nothing about the triathletes themselves. If there is one truism about triathlon, it is that one size does not fit all—from training schedules, to intensity levels, to VO2 max, to pain threshold. Two people with the same PR ten years ago, who’ve followed the same lifestyle and have been exposed to the same environmental conditions since, will likely have very different times today. That is because the body and mind change in very unique ways.

Just as importantly as the physical side, their mental approaches and attitudes—a massive part of the triathlon game—are going to be very different. Two triathletes of the same physical ability can have very different performances in training or on race day because of their different mental approaches to the sport.

That brings us to two of the basic rules for triathletes of the over-50 kind:

1) Focus only on what you can control. Try not to pay attention to what the triathlete next to you is doing. Letting what others do affect your life, your self-esteem and your enjoyment of triathlon is a sign of weakness. By focusing on the controllables, you become stronger.

2) Focus only on what you can do now. Do you want to be that triathlete who turns up at a training session and all they talk about is what amazing times they used to crank out? The past is the past. It’s gone and it’s not coming back. Live in the present and focus on your goals, not reminiscing about past glories, real or imagined.

Time targets, used reasonably and realistically, can be highly effective as motivational or goal-setting tools. If they must be used for training or racing, then they should be measured relative to an athlete’s current, not past, fitness levels.

In place of time targets though it may be worth considering non-time targets for racing and training such as heart rate or sustained average speed. In other words, change the sole focus of goals from times to something else like accomplishments, or race completion in a certain zone of effort. Whatever is used however, make it something that is easily measured and comparable throughout a training schedule.

As with everything triathlon, keep training and racing as positive an experience as possible. If comparing current to past, and now unattainable, times are causing anxiety to a triathlete, and that athlete cannot accept a new age-oriented focus, it might be beneficial to replace those targets with something current, attainable, and/or motivational.

For us who are over 50 years old, comparing ourselves to others and comparing present times to those of the past can be negative training and race techniques. Always focus on the positive and the things you can control. Believe me, it’s way more fun that way.

As an aside, back in the day when I was doing my undergraduate degree in the chaos theory of college survival, I vaguely remember running a mile in 3:59. There was no one there to witness the whole thing and I don’t actually remember much about it. However, I do remember it involved something about an end of semester celebration, some beer kegs, claims of indecent exposure, lots of police sirens and flashing lights, a police dog with sharp teeth, and not being able to sit down for a week. Actually, it may have been 9:53 and not 3:59, but who’s counting. After all, numbers are all relative I guess…

Keep the questions coming to ian@over50triathlon.com. See you next time!

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Ian Stokell holds a MA in Physical Education and has been a sports writer for more than 30 years. When he isn’t working with pro triathlete Lesley Paterson on a new film project, you can find him training hard to keep up with his fellow 50-54′s.

It’s a race that very nearly didn’t happen, but with the perseverance of the organisers headed by race director, Shannon Kurek, the assembly of the Brisbane team of USM Events Australia, which was recently acquired into the WTC family, and huge support from the local officials and volunteers here locally, the race made it to the waters edge of the Indian Ocean and Ironman 70.3 Sri Lanka champions were made.

“This was an adventure triathlon,” says winner Faris Al-Sultan (GER), who blitzed the course in hot and windy conditions. “If you want perfection in a race, then inaugural races in developing countries are not going to be for you”.

Al-Sultan admitted that while perfection was not delivered, the race went ahead in difficult circumstances and nobody tried to hide and make excuses. It was also clear on how everybody had pulled together and made the race happen.

Women’s winner Lucie Zelenkova (CZE) came here to win. The athlete who lives and trains in South Africa is used to challenging training and racing conditions and said that her race today lived up to those expectations.

“This was a crazy adventure you would not experience anywhere else. I saw something different and that’s why I came here. I am thankful to the WTC, because without their races I would not have raced in so many different places, met so many new friends and experienced so many cultures.”

Crazy refers to the bike course that was three intense loops. Athletes praised the swim and run, especially the run that was reduced to four close-knit loops where athletes could keep an eye on their competition. With cooling breezes off the Indian Ocean, plenty of spectators and willing volunteers it proved to be the highlight for many.

Second place female Katya Rabe of Germany likened today’s race to an adventure race. “The volunteers were amazing, especially on the run course, and I am happy that the race was not cancelled and that we got to come here and experience this.”

Second-place finisher Bryan Rhodes (NZ) has raced all over Asia. He posted the fastest bike split of the day with a scorching 2:05:24, which included a tumble.

Christie Sym (AUS) finished third today and was here racing for the first time since her gallbladder surgery last year. She was full of smiles on many levels after revealing that she had no nutritional problems, which means the surgery was a success.

Age group performance of the day goes to an Australian who now lives in Phuket, Thailand, AJ Anderson. He blitzed his 30-34 AG and came fifth overall in a time of 4:10:31.

Continuing on with the age groupers, they are the athletes who come here just for passion alone and the consensus among the majority is one of “sure it was a little crazy, but it was also great fun.”

To sum up, a miracle has been achieved here today. A transition area that has wowed many of the athletes appeared overnight. Teamwork in every area of race organisation has taken place with three different cultures over three different continents working together over the past five days. The result has been a success. As female winner Lucie Zelankova stated. “If everyone crosses the finish line safely you can say that today has been a success.”

Not to long ago the local people in south East Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines were as mystified by the sport of triathlon as Sri Lanka is today. How fast the times change and now Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines among others have embraced triathlon. And we hope that the same progression will now happen here in Sri Lanka as the people have been introduced to a sport that they would never before in their life have experienced or witnessed up close

Top 5 Men:

1. Faris Al-Sultan: 03:51:39
2. Bryan Rhodes: 03:59:14
3. Alessandro Degasperi: 04:00:54
4. Fredrik Croneborg: 04:04:27
5. Kent Horner: 04:10:49

Top 5 Women:

1. Lucie Zelenkova: 04:30:17
2. Katja Rabe: 04:34:13
3. Christie Sym: 04:36:38
4. Claire Horner: 04:37:34
5. Dana Wagner: 04:42:02

Triathlon America, an industry organization dedicated to promoting the sport and the business of triathlon, today announced a first-of-its-kind certification program for triathlon specialty retail stores. The Triathlon America Certified Retailer program is designed to direct consumers to retailers that have made significant investments in triathlon gear and services, and award stores that are committed to the sport of triathlon.

Specialty stores recognized as Triathlon America Certified Retailers have demonstrated their ability to serve the nation’s rapidly growing number of triathletes by providing a wide selection of triathlon products and services; hiring knowledgeable, well-trained staff; and playing an active role in their local triathlon communities.

“The Triathlon America Certified Retailer program is a badge of honor for specialty stores dedicated to the sport of triathlon,” said Jack Caress, President of Triathlon America. “In addition to recognizing the best triathlon retailers, we also hope to encourage other stores to begin offering more products and services for triathletes so that we can collectively grow the sport and businesses serving the market.”

In order to acknowledge the many triathlon retailers continuously striving to serve its customers, Triathlon America will award three levels of certification: Gold, Silver and Bronze. Stores that earn Triathlon America Certified Retailer status will receive certified retailer decals for the store and a certification logo that can be used in marketing materials. Certified triathlon retailers will also be recognized on the Triathlon America website, in press releases announcing their certified retailer status, and at the annual Triathlon America Conference.

Triathlon stores interested in receiving certification will be required to fill out a detailed questionnaire evaluating a wide range of products and services, provide photos of the store and complete a short essay. Certification status is good for two years.

The application process is free to Triathlon America members. There is a $100 application fee for non-members. Membership information is available at www.triathlon-america.com. For questions about the application and the certification process, please contact Paul Banta, General Manager, Triathlon America at paul@triathlon-america.com or 503-969-4147.

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Our time at Playitas is sadly coming to an end: bikes are being packed, suitcases filled and sunshine desperately soaked up as we prepare to return to the UK where the temperatures are only just hovering above freezing. It’s been a fun few weeks here in Fuerteventura, and Playitas really is an awesome place to train. We thought we’d sign off our series of LAVA posts with a few highlights:

1. Easy life. Don’t let this sub-heading mislead you. Not for one second are we suggesting that the life of a triathlete is easy (as if!), but having so many great facilities just a short walk from your apartment has made training a whole heap easier. When you’re fitting in up to four sessions a day, having all the facilities right on your doorstep means you can max out recovery time instead of transportation time. The 50m pool and gym at Playitas are located beside each other and the restaurant and accommodation are all within easy reach, so you never have too far to go. And boy is that a good thing some days!

Breakfast with Andi Bocherer

2. Inspiration. It’s hard not to train well here when you’re always surrounded by so many quality athletes. With the likes of Rasmus Henning, Dirk Bockel, Javier Gomez, Marino Vanhoenacker, Thomas Hellriegel, Andi Bocherer, Sebastian Kienle, Silvia Felt, and Filip Ospaly all training here you’re never short of inspiration. It’s fun comparing training tales, and you can always tell who’s had a tough day working out—or who forgot their sunscreen—when you see each other in the restaurant in the evening.

WIth Ironman France 2011 champ, Silvia Felt

3. Fueling and re-fueling. Forgive us for mentioning the buffet YET again, but the food here really is top-notch. The chefs are keen to cater to athletes’ diets and provide plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meats, as well as lots of local options like paella and our favorite, goat stew. If you’re partial to dessert and are trying to keep the pounds off then it’s probably best to not even walk past the dessert trolley: you will soon be sporting the “buffet bulge.”

4. Ride your heart out. Biking here in Fuerteventura is terrific and from the moment you clip in at Playitas you’ll be spoiled with route choices. If you love to climb and descend, then there’s a great loop out towards Las Hermosas, Pajara, and Betancuria. If you’re looking to fit in some fast, flat TT intervals, then the roads north towards Tuineje and Antigua and east towards Puerto del Rosario will allow you to get your tuck on. Be warned: there’s no such thing as easy riding in the Canaries, so check the wind speed and direction before setting off so you know when and where to expect a headwind. If you need to stop for a quick cake and café con leche, the patisserie in Antigua comes highly recommended. Seb Kienle got us hooked on it and Thomas Hellriegel considers it a vital pit stop.

Co-author Rachel Joyce at Hellriegel's recommended pit stop

5. R&R. It’s not the training that makes you stronger, it’s the resting, right?! Fear not, there are plenty of spots around the Playitas grounds in which to kick back and relax. The stunning infinity pool is a great place to escape with its sun loungers looking out over the Atlantic. There’s also the Sun Salutation at 8am every morning—an ideal opportunity to stretch, relax and steal some “me” time to set you up perfectly for the day ahead.

Nada mas from us for now. Next stop, UAE for the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon, and the field is stacked.

Learn more about Playitas at www.trips4fitness.com. Visit Emma-Kate and Rachel’s websites, eklidbury.co.uk and racheljoyce.org, and for regular updates, follow them on Twitter: @eklidbury and @RJoyce09

We spent the day with Pearl Izumi’s 2012 Tri Team at the San Diego Low Speed Wind Tunnel yesterday. Here are senior editor Jay Prasuhn’s shots of the action. Read the whole story here.

The March 3rd race will be studded with world champions, world record holders, and Olympians, joining some of the sport’s most promising up and coming talent from growing triathlon hot spots such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan. This year’s elite field includes athletes who have recorded a combined total of 16 world championship titles, 47 European titles, 102 national titles, and 76 Ironman wins, plus more than 500 podium places between them.

“This event has gone from strength-to-strength, both in terms of the quality and depth competing. When we started this event three years ago, we wanted to create a showpiece that would be a calendar highlight for triathletes the world over. Looking at this year’s line-up, I would say we have fully achieved that goal,” said Faisal Al Sheikh, Events Manager, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority.

A 2012 highlight for the men’s race is the arrival of Chris Lieto, the American known as the ‘fastest man on a bike,’ who has 80 triathlons and 15 victories under his belt, including three Ironman wins and three top 10 Championship finishes, including a second place in 2009. Known for his strength and skill on two wheels, Lieto recently underlined his reputation with a stunning 4:25:10 bike leg at the Ironman World Championships.

“I am very excited to race Abu Dhabi this year.” Lieto said. “I am usually not prepared in my fitness this early in the year but I have decided to up my training and put in the miles to be ready. I just finished Ironman 70.3 Panama as a preparation race and good signs of my fitness are showing. I have a couple of weeks to fine tune some things and I feel I will be ready to contend for a win at Abu Dhabi.”

On Lieto’s heels will be returning champion Frederik Van Lierdre, couble Abu Dhabi podium finisher Dirk Bockel, and five-time World Cup winner Rasmus Henning. Other big hitters include first-year champion Eneko Llanos, plus Clayton Fettell, Andrew Starykowicz, Fraser Cartmell, Luke Bell, James Cunnama, and Leon Griffin.

The women’s race is packed with first-class competitors as well, making for a tight fight throughout the entire 223km long course flagship competition.

Caroline Steffen, ‘the Swiss Miss’ is returning to Abu Dhabi for the third time, hoping to better her second place finish last year. In 2011 she overcame injury to win six events in five countries and has been a top-five finisher at the Ironman World Championships in both 2011 and 2010. With her long distance background, Steffen will be the one to beat.

Looking to make her mark in Abu Dhabi is Melissa Rollison, a relative newcomer to triathlon having only switched to the sport in 2010 after a successful athletics career. In just a short time, the Australian has managed to dominate the world’s Half Ironman circuit winning an incredible seven events, breaking course records for each and is currently 70.3 World Champion. Also predicted to be in the lead pack on race day are British trio Leanda Cave, Emma-Kate Lidbury, and Rachel Joyce, Canadian Angela Neath, and Australian Nikki Butterfield, who’s returning to the sport after five years out as a professional cyclist in America and Europe.

The unique course offers one of triathlon’s most picturesque settings: starting in a clear blue lagoon, biking on the famous Yas Marina Circuit, and then ending on the sweeping shores of Abu Dhabi Corniche.

Pro Men’s Field

Andi Boecherer (GER)
Andrew Starykowicz (USA)
Bryan McCrystal (IRE)
Bryan Rhodes (NZ)
Chris Lieto (USA)
Clayton Fettell (AUS)
Dan Halksworth (UK)
Dirk Bockel (LUX)
Eneko Llanos (SPA)
Erich Wegscheider (USA)
Faris Al-Sultan (Team AD) (GER)
Fraser Cartmell (SCO)
Frederik Van Lierde (BEL)
James Cunnama (AUS)
Jeremy Jurkiewicz (Team AD) (GER)
Johann Ackermann (FRA)
Jo Spindler (GER)
Leon Griffin (AUS)
Luke Bell (AUS)
Maik Tweisiek (Team AD)
Michael Davidson (SA)
Niclas Bock (GER)
Nicolas Munoz (ESP)
Paul Ambrose (Team AD)
Rasmus Henning (DEN)
Sam Hsieh (Short Distance) (TAI)
Stephen Bayliss (UK)
Swen Sundenberg (Team AD) (GER)

Pro Women’s Field

Angela Neath (CAN)
Caroline Steffen (SWI)
Christie Sym (AUS)
Daniela Sammler (GER)
Emma-Kate Lidbury (UK)
Eva Nystrom (SWE)
Emi Sakai (JAP)
Heather Wurtele (CAN)
Jodie Swallow (Team AD) (UK)
Kristin Moller (Team AD) (GER)
Leanda Cave (AUS)
Lisa Ribes (USA)
Lucie Zelenkova (CZE)
Melissa Rollison (AUS)
Michelle Bremer (NZ)
Nikki Butterfield (AUS)
Rachel Joyce (UK)
Rachel McBride (CAN)
Silvia Felt (GER)

The grandfather of all restorative poses is known simply as “legs up the wall.” It’s one of the easiest to do—all you need is a wall, a closed and locked door, or even a coffee table or chair. At its most basic, the pose simply involves putting your feet up. Getting into the position is the hardest part of it. These steps help you make a graceful entry:

-Sit sideways and very close to the wall, one hip against the wall.
-Swivel your head and torso into the room as you swing your legs up the wall.
-Scoot closer so that your feet are propped up the wall, your bottom is near the baseboard, and your torso, arms, and head are positioned in a way that feels very relaxing. If your hamstrings are very tight, you’ll need to be a little farther from the wall.

To make the pose deluxe, add a pillow under your hips or under your head. An eye pillow over your eyes or forehead will help you settle, too. If it’s cool in the room, spread a blanket over you (you can tuck it between your heels and the wall, adding cushioning as well as warmth).

If there’s no wall handy, or your lower back feels tense, do Legs to the Sofa instead, using a coffee table, chair seat, or couch to support your calves. Go for right angles at the front of the hips and the back of the knees. The weight of your femurs will help your pelvis settle, relaxing your lower back.

Stay in the pose for at least five minutes, and up to 15 minutes. As you rest, notice the rise and fall of your breath, and watch your thoughts drift through your mind like clouds across the sky. Don’t get caught up in your thinking; be a passive witness instead. Include the pose in the afternoon or evening after your longer workouts or travel, and you’ll begin to counter the stress of training and life to gain equilibrium.

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The word “Metron” is something you’ll likely be hearing a lot more in triathlon circles this year. If all goes according to plan for Vision, it’s a term that will become as familiar to you as Dura-Ace, Red, and Firecrest in the very near future.

First off we need a little clarification on a question I get asked every time I mention a Vision or FSA (Full Speed Ahead) product. Yes, they are the same company. Like SRAM and Zipp, they’re two brands of the same company. FSA acquired Vision in 2003, and now both brands keep offices in Seattle and Milan, with all non-custom manufacturing taking place in Taiwan.

As for the term “Metron”, it’s Vision’s equivalent of Dura-Ace, meaning it’s reserved for only top-end components. Metron first created a stir late last year when it was announced that Vision would unveil a complete road and TT group under the Metron name. Attendees at last fall’s bike shows were able to get a look at the TT shifters and front derailleur, but it will likely be a few more months before finished versions of the road shifters and rear derailleur are made public. When you already have three large component manufacturers with a whole lot of patents (Campy, Shimano, and SRAM), lawsuits are always a concern.

While Vision still hopes to release a complete group in 2012, the brand’s main focus for this year has shifted to aero wheelsets, particularly ones that handle crosswinds well. The highlight of the 2013 Metron wheel lineup (which dealers will have in less than two months) is the Metron 81 tubular wheelset, which Vision debuted at a press launch in Mallorca this week.

I came to Mallorca expecting to see something very similar in shape to Zipp’s Firecrest, which maintains its rim width all the way from the tire bed to the spokes. Judging by recent releases from the likes of Bontrager, HED, and ENVE, these “fat” rims are becoming standard, but Vision is bucking this trend—at least slightly. The M81 maintains a wider profile (23.5mm) at the brake track, making for smooth airflow between the tire and rim, but it does narrow as you get closer to the spokes, coming down to 16.5mm. It’s certainly not a traditional V-shape rim, but rather a hybrid between a V and today’s rims with bigger bulges (sorry for the innuendo).

At 81mm deep, it’s on par with Zipp’s 808s in terms of rim depth, and surprisingly, Vision was able to shave a few grams of weight off the industry leader. The M81s come in at 1,495g per pair, 24 grams lighter than the 808s, which was previously the lightest tubular wheelset at this depth.

The Ride

Saving a few grams is all well and good, but what about the ride? Vision ran over 900 CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamic) simulations of over 100 different rim profiles prior to testing prototypes at the San Diego Low Speed Wind Tunnel, and its engineers assured me that the big difference would be felt in high crosswinds. Luckily for them, the weather in Mallorca has been downright awful this winter, so we were able to do a test ride with crosswinds blasting as hard as 30 mph.

A soft ride is even more important than aerodynamics when you have to run a marathon after 112 miles in the saddle.

I have to admit I was a little nervous about the test ride. After having spent more than three months off a bike due to a broken collarbone and separated shoulder, riding in high winds with 81-mm deep wheels struck me as a pretty bad idea. I was more than a little relieved to find that the M81’s rounded rim profile cut out a significant amount of side force, making it feel like I had a 40-mm rim up front, not a 80mm. They handled as well as any deep-section wheels I’ve tested, especially in sketchy corners, as the smooth integration between the tire and rim helped minimize tire deflection.

The other major highlight was the way the wheels ate up bumpy roads (which there are plenty of around here), making road divets feel like nothing more than a pebble. Vision’s choice of top-end carbon and resin pays huge dividends when it comes to smoothing out the ride, and in my opinion, a soft ride is even more important than aerodynamics when you have to run a marathon after 112 miles in the saddle. The M81s feature a 3K carbon weave on all the high stress areas (brake track, bends, and spoke holes), with a unidirectional weave everywhere else to provide just enough flex. A sprinter at Le Tour might want something a little stiffer, but for a triathlete, the plush ride is something you’ll really appreciate.

The finishing touch of the M81s are the six ceramic bearings (two front, four rear), something Vision does better than just about anyone else. Thanks to a clever little threaded cap on the hubs bearing tension can be adjusted by the rider or a mechanic in only a matter of seconds.

While I’m not ready to call the M81s the hands-down, best wheels I’ve ever tested, they do launch Vision into some pretty elite company with the aforementioned brands, something I never would’ve expected a year ago. And for those of you who have already jumped on the carbon clincher bandwagon, I’m told an M81 carbon clincher is in the works.

Additional technical specs and pricing info to come.

This week in San Diego, Pearl Izumi gave a few of their pros a valentine that would last much longer than chocolate: a date—for many a first—with the San Diego low speed wind tunnel. In town for the 2012 Pearl Izumi Tri Team Camp, Cameron Dye, Angela Naeth, Caitlin Snow, and Jesse Thomas each got an hour or two with Retul fitter Matt Steinmetz and the engineering geeks behind the glass. (ITU athlete Flora Duffy and veteran triathlete Tim DeBoom were also present, though not tunnel-bound on this particular visit.)

By the time we arrive, Steinmetz has already swapped Olympic non-drafting specialist Dye’s stem and added some spacers. “The thing we’re focusing on is getting his arms narrow and high,” said Steinmetz.

“How’s Cameron looking?” asks Geoff Shaffer, PI’s Global Marketing Director. “We’ve still got a lot of work to do,” DeBoom replies with a grin.

Just another day in the tunnel.

It’s an interesting concept for a triathlon team—one that seems tight-knit and familial, yet incredibly diverse. DeBoom is a two-time Ironman World Champion with a new taste for the sport’s more extreme end, pursuing races like Norseman and the Leadville 100 mountain bike race. He serves as the steady captain of the team, and serves as an advisor to many of the athletes.

“We reached out to Tim,” says Shaffer, who met DeBoom through his wife Nicole. Now in its fourth year, Shaffer says the team was founded on getting athletes to help develop new products, as well as for better brand exposure. “We’re not the New York Yankees,” he says. “We haven’t gone out and signed the biggest names in our sport. With Tim’s help we’ve been able to find some good up-and-coming-triathletes. It’s small enough that all the product managers know the athletes by name.”

Up-and-coming, sure, but also accomplished: Newbie Thomas stunned the field last year at Wildflower, spunky Naeth just won the high-profile Panama 70.3, and Snow’s incredible run has made her the top American woman in Kona for the past few years.

Despite the obviously bonus of having these types of athletes on board, Shaffer says the team is quite simply a fun project. “Our product managers sit down and interview the athletes first. We’re looking for people who have something to say. It doesn’t help when an athlete says ‘this sucks’ or ‘this rocks.’ We want specifics.”

“It shows what Pearl Izumi is about and to be part of that is awesome,” says Naeth. “If we have issues or ideas we come up with, they’re very open to anything and everything. We have the ability to talk to the developers, and to try new things and experiment.”

Naeth is an independent thinker who understands the grey relationship between aerodynamics and comfort. She’s just come out of the tunnel, and says that the changes made today are the same ones Steinmetz had done to her bike in previous fittings. She says for her it’s not about forcing herself into those changes, but racing in the position she’s comfortable in. “I usually give any new tweaks five or six rides before I decide,” she says. And since she’s racing Abu Dhabi in a few short weeks, she’ll likely stick with what worked for her in Panama.

Move over, carbon

Tuesday, the day before the athletes arrived, PI’s head apparel haunchos geeked out in the tunnel over something different from velocity and drag coefficient. They’re in town not only for helping dial in the athletes’ bikes, but to test apparel materials.

“Triathletes are willing to pay a grand for wheels that they think will make them that much faster. What they don’t realize is that a jersey can offer similar benefits,” says Shaffer.

This is where Ted Barber—Director of Innovation and Advanced Development, and Ron Rod—Speed Shop Product Developer, come in.

Barber unveils a huge metal case of cylinders and pipes he’d used for testing new materials in the tunnel the day before. Who knew Lycra and polyester could be aerodynamic test subjects?

In another room adjacent to the tunnel, Ron Rod is doling out carefully-marked plastic bags stuffed with clothing. For these guys, kits and jerseys aren’t just for sponsor shout-outs and pretty colors.

“We’ve built a custom pattern for each of their bodies,” says Rod, who thinks the number of athletes on the team is just perfect. “There are lots of brands that have much bigger teams, but we just couldn’t customize apparel to that scale. And we don’t need much more input on the product side for this year, so this is a good number.”

He says each athlete has custom pocket styles: Dye has no pockets, Thomas has two on a one piece, Naeth has one, DeBoom has two. They get to pick and choose what works best for them.

Rod’s along for the trip to make sure everything fits just right, a factor tied directly to the athletes’ current body composition. This is the first time, for example, that he’s seen Naeth in about five months. “Some of these guys just keep losing and losing…eventually there will be nothing left!” he says. “We want to get rid of as many wrinkles as possible, with zero chafing. We basically want them to not notice the product while they’re racing.”

As in the caes of Dye’s bright orange plaid, it will be hard not to. At least for us along the sidelines.

After lunch and a few more hours of fittings, the crew heads back to their North County homebase for a swim session, dinner, and more team bonding. It’s a short stop in triathlon’s heartland, before they scatter all over the planet to do what they do: train and race like the animals one of the PI ads says they are. Naeth is off to Abu Dhabi, Snow is gearing up for Galveston 70.3, and Duffy, at least, will be back here in May for the WCS race.

It’s a diverse group—in age, experience, and focus—brought together by a brand that celebrates individuality, performance, and good design. Slip on one of their jackets or a pair of their running shoes, and know that a triathlete probably had a hand in bringing it to perfection. Because while the body inside might not be perfect, the stuff this company covers it in comes pretty darn close.

Don’t miss our photo gallery of the day.

Ironman recently announced the acquisition of USM Events, Australia’s leading event management company and the owner of iconic multisport festivals in Geelong, Noosa, Mooloolaba, and Cairns. USM is also the producer of the Dextro Energy Triathlon in Sydney.

The gallery above offers some highlights from the past year of racing in these beautiful venues, where Ironman world champions like Craig Alexander, Chris MacCormack, Mirinda Carfrae, and Melissa Rollison have all cut their teeth. In short-course as well, Australia has produced such fine athletes as Emma Snowsill, Emma Moffatt, Courtney Atkinson, and Brendon Sexton, to name a few.

If you’ve read Chris MacCormack’s memoir, “I’m Here to Win,” or have followed the careers of triathlon legends like Mark Allen and Dave Scott, you know that Australia is as important a geographical touchstone for triathlon as San Diego or Kona. Since 1983, the triathlon in Noosa has been attracting and building the kind of talent we see flying down Ali’i drive years later. Likewise, Mooloolaba and Syndey have been key stopping points for Olympic-distance triathlon. It was in Sydney in 2000 where the world first watched Canadian Simon Whitfield and Swiss Brigitte McMahon take the first Olympic gold medals in our sport.

So make yourself a Vegemite sandwich, browse the gallery, and tell us in the comments about your favorite Australian moment, events, and people.

Today, World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) announced that it has acquired USM Events, Australia’s leading event management company and the owner of iconic premier multisport festivals at Noosa, Cairns, Mooloolaba and Geelong. USM Events is also the operator of cycling’s Jayco Herald Sun Tour and the Sydney ITU World Championship Series triathlon event.

As part of the acquisition, WTC will integrate the management of its Ironman and Ironman 70.3 races into USM’s operational and management structure. Daryl Herbert, Owner and Managing Director of USM Events, will remain in a management role and WTC staff in the Asia-Pacific region will be integrated into USM Events.

“Besides bringing world-class events like Noosa, Mooloolaba, Geelong and the Cairns Adventure Festival into the WTC family of events, USM provides WTC with a robust operational platform in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Andrew Messick, CEO of WTC. “We hope to be able to use USM’s staff and know-how to help create compelling multisport festivals in Asia and around the world.

Herbert said, “This is an outstanding opportunity for both parties, and our key event stakeholders, to significantly grow our iconic assets in the Australian and Asia-Pacific region.”

He continued, “USM Events will continue to deliver to our loyal customers and supporters the same successful format and culture that each of our events has developed over the years. We will also continue to deliver the events to the world class standard they are known for but with the added support and prestige that WTC adds.”

Peter Hedge, President of Triathlon Australia, said: “Triathlon Australia has development of the sport as one of its key objectives and recognizes the important role that all event organizers have to play in meeting this objective. We wish WTC and USM Events all the best in their future endeavors.”

Don’t miss our photo gallery of USM’s signature events.

Ogio took the typical “helmet, shoes, and wetsuit storage” transition bag model and amplified it, adding such features as an armored storage compartment, a “techvault”  for your GPS or phone, and enough zippered compartments for all your race-day needs.

I took this bag out for a long training weekend in the desert, and it delivered on all fronts. I could easily fit two pairs of cycling shoes, running shoes, gloves, helmet, wetsuit, goggles, Garmin, sunglasses, and all my powders and gels. The bag easily transitions from backpack to duffle bag, which made it easy for me to pack up and carry into my hotel room, and then later throw onto my bike as I rode down to the start line of a local charity ride. Its sleek design and cool color scheme garnered a few compliments along the way as well.

The bag's Protection Case, and shown in pack mode

Of all the features on this bag, my favorite is the crush-resistant armored pocket. Large enough to fit two pairs of sunglasses and a pair of goggles, you don’t have to worry about your lenses getting crushed or lost sticking out the back of a loose pocket.

At the end of the weekend, the water-resistant  storage pocket was a godsend. I could stuff three days of sweaty cycling and running clothes and my swimsuit into the large pocket and forget about it until I arrived home.

If you’re looking for a bag that offers enough storage for multiple days of training, but yet sleek enough to fit on your back as you ride around town, look no further than the Ogio Endurance Collection.

$140; Ogio.com

This is the first installment in a series of profiles of athletes who are pairing their passion for triathlon with something bigger than themselves. Know of a triathlete (or group of triathletes) making the world a better place through their training and racing? Tell us in the comments or email the editor. 

As a triathlete, you’ve probably influenced someone to give multisport a try. Maybe it was your single-sport friend who was looking for a little variety in their training, or maybe it was a family member you cajoled into a race from their usual spot among the spectators. However it happened, I’d be willing to bet that everyone reading this can think of at least one person they’ve introduced to triathlon.

What is it about our sport that inclines us to recruit? In my experience, the conversations have always sounded akin to a recommendation for a must-see movie, or a great restaurant in town. We triathletes tend to couch our training and racing experiences more like visits to an amusement park than obligations to fulfill.

Perhaps the reason we want to share this with others is because of the positive changes we’ve experienced in our own lives as a result of being triathletes. When we train for triathlon, we feel good. And we want to pay it forward.

Most athletes find their training to be a metaphor for life and feel compelled to use that energy for something more important than “the win.”

Of course the trend isn’t exclusive to triathlon, as athletes across a variety of sports have used their passion and drive to further causes beyond the game. According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, more than 1.6 million nonprofit organizations registered with the IRS in 2011. Think of the running and cycling races you’ve done that are attached to non-profit organizations, then imagine that behind each event there’s likely a passionate athlete fueling the cause. There’s a lot of opportunity out there to influence people in a positive way. That’s the beauty of triathlon—the three sports give us the opportunity to touch three separate audiences, building a powerful “do-good” machine.

Triathletes are using their drive to strengthen more than their finish times. From the professionals to the hometown heroes, the multisport movement to do good has caught on at every level.

Professional triathlete Chris “Macca” McCormack believes it’s essential to tie your training to a purpose larger than yourself. In his book, “I’m Here to Win,” he describes the moment he realized that racing to cross the finish line was no longer enough to stay in the game. After failing to win the Ironman World Championship in five attempts, he finally won the race in 2007.

“Everyone was celebrating,” he writes, “But I was thinking, I should feel more than this. I’ve done it. I should be happier. I should feel fulfilled. Instead, I felt ready to retire. I loved my sport, but what was left?” he wondered.

For Macca, it was the beginning of the Macca Now Foundation, a non-profit organization he set up to commemorate his mother, who passed way from breast cancer in 1999. The group provides assistance to families in active treatment for the disease, in order to lessen their financial burdens and improve their quality of life.

Other pros who’ve lined up their racing with bigger causes include Chris Lieto’s More Than Sport initiative, and Jordan Rapp and Michellie Jones’ World Bicycle Relief, both of which we’ve covered here at LAVA.

HCM's Chase Away Cancer 5K

And then there are the amateurs, like Pennsylvania-based Mike Marsteller, who felt a similar calling to put his elite-level talents to good use. Having lost his father to cancer at a young age, Marsteller has always felt that there was something much more fruitful than a finish line in this game, as triathlon provided an outlet for him to come to terms with losing such an instrumental person in his life. He wanted to find a way to use the sport to help others in his same situation.

“My idea was simple—to locate people and families in our area who are impacted by cancer and help them with small financial items—like paying for medical bills, rent and groceries,” he says of his HCM Foundation (named for his father’s initials). “I would think about all these great ideas, but then wonder, where I was going to get the money to do anything about them?”

Marsteller credits his network of multisport friends for helping him bring HCM to life. “If it wasn’t for my triathlon network, the foundation wouldn’t exist. The relationships I built through triathlon have led me to connect with incredible people who have taken HCM into their hearts and have contributed to its growth in ways I can’t even explain,” he says. Since its incorporation in 2009, the group has raised $97,000, helped 50 families in the community, and awarded nine college scholarships to students impacted by cancer.

Triathlon coaches are getting in on the “do good” action, too. QT2 Systems Coach Mary Eggers is working with the Melissa’s Living Legacy Teen Cancer Foundation to offer her talents as the program developer and trainer for one of the country’s only programs to train adolescent teens recovering from cancer.

“We were dealing with teenagers who had chemo therapies, radiations, and surgery. One of them had a hip replacement, one had a knee replacement, another had balance issues. They completed treatment and were told to go get healthy, yet nobody was telling them how to do that. There are plenty of programs for those who are 18 and older, but nothing for these kids,” Eggers says. Teaming up with Lauren Spiker, the organization’s founder, and a PhD student from Rochester University, the program evolved into a research study supported by a grant, thanks to the Wegmans foundation.

No matter what your sport is, it takes drive, determination, and discipline to find success. Most athletes find their training to be a metaphor for life and feel compelled to use that energy for something more important than “the win.”

Says Eggers, “No victory, Ironman finish, course record, or race qualification has ever felt as awesome as this feels. Trophies will collect dust, and titles will be won by others. This is something that will not only last, it will reach far and make a difference in the lives of others. That is what victory is all about.”

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Lisa Barnes Dolbear is a USAT Level 1 coach and an Ironman athlete who lives and trains in upstate New York. She runs a popular “Dare to Tri” program at her local gym to help introduce new people to the sport, and strives to help athletes balance daily life with their passion for multisport. Follow her blog on mental training, Tri Mojo.

“We’re extremely enthusiastic about the pilot phase of the new AGR system in Europe,” said Andrew Messick, Chief Executive Officer of WTC. “We continue to be impressed by the caliber of age group athletes competing in our races and we’re excited to more fully acknowledge and reward their accomplishments.”

Athletes ranked No. 1 in their age group in 2012 will receive free entry to a 2013 Ironman, Ironman 70.3 or 5150 Triathlon Series qualifying event of their choice. Athletes ranking second through fifth in their age group in 2012 will receive guaranteed entry for the 2013 Ironman, Ironman 70.3 or 5150 Triathlon Series qualifying event of their choice. The AGR slots will be added into the overall number of available race entries and will not impact registration opportunities for other age group participants across qualifying events.

Athletes will also have the chance to race a 2012 European 5150 Triathlon Series event for free once they register for a 2012 Ironman and Ironman 70.3 event in Europe.

The new AGR system is unique in that it scores races in the Ironman, Ironman 70.3 and 5150 Triathlon Series in one system. In phase one of the program, age group athletes, regardless of nationality, will earn points by competing in any WTC-affiliated race in Europe. Points are collected between May 12, 2012 and Nov. 10, 2012, with the first race opportunity being Thomas Cook Ironman 70.3 Mallorca and the final being Ironman 70.3 Lanzarote. The system will be broken down into three categories: small, big, and bonus points.  Information on the points system may be found by visiting: www.ironman.com/ranking.

While the first phase of the AGR program is open to any athlete, initially points may only be earned on the European race circuit. WTC plans to expand the program globally in 2013 with Messick adding, “We are committed to making this program a success and we’re looking forward to offering athletes around the globe the opportunity to compete for a spot on the AGR list as the program expands worldwide. We will welcome feedback from the triathlete community on the test run of this program and how we can improve the overall experience.”

All athletes who finish an Ironman, Ironman 70.3 or 5150 Triathlon Series race in Europe between May 12, 2012 and Nov. 10, 2012 will receive an online certificate with their ranking. An example AGR list with data from the 2011 races will be posted on April 15, 2012. The first official AGR list will be available online by May 15, 2012, following the Thomas Cook Ironman 70.3 Mallorca, and will be updated after every event, with the final official list being uploaded on Nov. 20, 2012.

For additional information on the AGR System, please visit www.ironman.com/ranking. All athletes who qualify for a complimentary invitation to a European 5150 Triathlon Series race must submit their Ironman and Ironman 70.3 entry registration codes and the name of the 5150 of their choice to agr.invitation@ironman.com. The free entry must be used during the 2012 race season. Athlete inquiries should be directed to rankings@ironman.com. For press-related inquiries, please contact Jessica Weidensall at jessica@ironman.com or 813.868.5914.

The contest by the numbers: 5, 247 photographers, 124 nationalities and 101, 254 total pictures entered. 350 images by 57 photographers of 24 nationalities were awarded prizes in 9 categories. Learn more about the organization and view the winning photos at www.worldpressphoto.org. This win brings triathlon attention in the sports and media communities worldwide, and we are very proud to have featured it on our December/January cover. The contest was covered by the New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Guardian, to name a few.

You can read the full story behind how this photo was shot over on Miralle’s blog, but here’s an excerpt:

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So as I was sitting there at about 6:59 a.m., 30 feet on the bottom of the bay, trying to line up schools of fish below schools of man without getting too many bubbles from my mouth and regulator in the frame, and getting the correct exposure/focus as well, when I noticed in the corner of my eye the battery was blinking. All I could think was “shit my camera is going to die before this start, and I’m gonna miss it all,” and less than a minute later I could hear the muffled cannon fire, the surfboards holding the line of swimmers open, and the mass of humanity swim overhead. Click, click, cli… and I got about 2.5 frames in the first second of the race before my camera crapped out. All I could do was swim back to land and pray that I got one usable frame out of all the time and preparation that went into that morning.

A week later as I entered the LAVA offices to show my images from Kona to the publisher and editors, and I had one image in mind from the 60-plus I was showing that stood out in my as the strongest contender for the cover. It wasn’t a classic image of Chrissie Wellington crossing the finish line, nor one of Craig Alexander crushing the course record becoming the first man to win the 70.3 and Ironman World Champs in the same year, but rather an artistic frame of anonymous swimmers among a school of fish in the bay. I’ve shot all but one of the cover photos run by LAVA, and they are usually lit, stocky, tight action or portrait shots; this scene setter from Kona was a long-shot by those standards.

The fish frame was one of those images and moments you get once in your lifetime, where all the elements line up, and preparation meets opportunity. Editor-in-chief Brad Culp went to bat for me on this one, and after a couple heated debates over what the best cover image should be, they went for it. It’s my favorite cover shot yet and it’s for the best as all the other triathlon magazines will have that stocky image of the finish line. LAVA will have that different shot that no one else runs.

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We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Congrats, Don!

Recipe: Good-for-You Brownie Thins

There’s good news for chocolate-loving triathletes this Valentine’s Day. Magnesium, one of the main elements found in cocoa, is possibly one of the most overlooked nutrients in the athlete’s diet. Even a modest deficiency in magnesium can affect oxygen uptake, proper functioning of the central nervous system, electrolyte balance, glucose metabolism, immune system functioning, and nerve and muscle functioning, to name but a few.(1) Add to that protein synthesis, bone strength, blood pressure and heart rhythm, and without magnesium, we’ve got a recipe for disaster.

You may have first met magnesium on the label of your favorite sports drink (2); as an essential electrolyte for activity, it’s often added to such beverages. Moreover, over the past few years, research has demonstrated a that magnesium is a necessary ingredient to relax the muscles during exercise. Magnesium is also behind the common post-workout Epson salt soak recommendation–it’s highly effective for relaxing sore muscles and reducing stress.

If the diet is deficient in magnesium, however, the body is forced to work harder than needed.

Although research is inconclusive in terms of the need to supplement with magnesium, in order to enhance physical performance (3,4), current research on magnesium supplementation on human subjects appears to be lacking. As an essential mineral that is slowly disappearing in the American diet, I hope in this article to at least raise awareness of the importance of magnesium in your daily nutrition regime.

Magnesium and the Athlete

As an athlete, you may think that your active lifestyle and ability to easily maintain or lose body weight reduces your risk from being one of the 35 percent of Americans who are obese (5). Unfortunately, no person is free from disease. Cited as being needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body, with half of stored magnesium found in bone and the other half found inside the cells of tissues and organs, dietary magnesium is becoming more recognized for its possible role in preventing and treating conditions such as diabetes, osteoporosis, hypertension, cancer and stroke (6).

According to a recent meta-analysis of the risk of ischemic stroke and magnesium intake, Larsson and colleagues discovered that the medium dietary intake of magnesium among U.S. citizens was 242 milligrams a day, which is far from the recommended daily allowance of 420 and 320 mg/day for adult men and women, respectively (7). Furthermore, among the 250,000 people in the U.S., Europe and Asia who were followed throughout Larsson’s study, 6,500 of the initial 250,000 subjects (or 3 percent) experienced a stroke throughout the study. It should be noted, however, that for every 100 mg of magnesium that a person took in each day, the risk for blood clotting decreased by an astonishing nine percent (8).

Take chili to a whole new level by adding cocoa

As an active individual, you understand the role of nutrition and how it impacts your athletic success. Despite being able to efficiently metabolize food while partaking in daily exercise, one must not overlook the significant changes in agriculture techniques and food processing, the low-nutrient, high-calorie Western diet, and the possible correlation of magnesium deficiency associated with acute and chronic conditions. In other words, no matter how many miles a week you cover during training, if your diet is deficient in any one nutrient, short and long-term performance as well as overall health may be compromised.

Of concern for endurance athletes, research has shown an increased loss of magnesium through exercise due to the transfer of magnesium from plasma into red blood cells (8). The greater the metabolic demands placed on the body, the greater the need for magnesium in red blood cells to support activity. Despite the loss of magnesium in sweat and urine (often replaced by sport drinks), as the duration of activity continues, magnesium levels in red blood cells may continue to decrease. As long as dietary intake of magnesium is adequate, this loss will likely be compensated for.

If the diet is deficient in magnesium, however, the body is forced to work harder than needed(8). In other words, you may find yourself doing double the work and receiving half the anticipated outcome. Otherwise healthy individuals who have a magnesium deficiency may experience increased oxygen uptake, possibly due to a decrease in red blood cells, as well as an increased load on the cardiovascular system. Although there is limited research on the role of supplemental magnesium in healthy, active human subjects during activity, it could be assumed that magnesium deficiency–either through poor dietary planning or overtraining–may limit consistent performance gains among competitive athletes.

Speaking of performance limiters, athletes are very aware of fluctuating blood sugar levels throughout training, hence the tendency to eat everything in sight after a long ride. The role of magnesium and blood sugar control is promising, with research demonstrating that low magnesium levels may reduce insulin sensitivity (10). In both diabetics and non-diabetics, adequate magnesium intake appears to play a positive role on fasting blood glucose as well as affecting how the body breaks down digested carbohydrates and how the body uses insulin (10). Considering that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains is advised for diabetics in regulating blood sugar and insulin levels, magnesium-rich foods (which are also high in fiber) could possibly play a vital role in controlling blood sugar levels and helping athletes metabolize glycogen and fatty acids more efficiently during and after training. Recognizing that athletes are often vulnerable to crave sweet, salty, and high-fat foods after activity, foods rich in magnesium may prevent episodes of overeating and rapid drops in blood sugar as you attempt to refuel throughout the day. Perhaps that daily craving for chocolate is actually a sign that your body is in need of more dietary magnesium.

Excellent dietary sources of magnesium include plants rich in chlorophyll, which gives vegetables their green color. Magnesium can also be found in whole grains, beans, legumes, and nuts, as well as in hard water and soil.

Food sources of magnesium: (6)

Cocoa powder (25g) – 125 mg
Almonds (1 ounce) – 80 mg
Spinach (½ cup) – 78 mg
Cashews (1 ounce) – 74 mg
Soybeans (½ cup) – 74 mg
Wheat germ (¼ cup) – 69 mg
Oatmeal (1 cup) – 61 mg
Peanut butter (2 tbsp) – 49  mg
Pinto beans (½ cup) – 43 mg
Brown rice (½ cup) – 42 mg
Kidney beans (½ cup) – 35 mg
Banana (1 medium) – 32 mg
Non-fat milk (1 cup) – 27 mg

Toxicity, calcium, and bone health

Absorbed through the small intestine and regulated by the kidneys, toxicity of magnesium is rare in healthy individuals. Despite an ever-increasing deficiency in the typical “healthy” person, individuals taking diuretics, antibiotics, or anti-neoplastic medications, alongside diabetics, individuals with kidney problems and individuals with chronic malabsorption issues (ex. Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, enteritis, diarrhea) may be more at risk for magnesium deficiency and should regularly consult with a physician to discuss proper testing for magnesium status. Keep in mind that magnesium is highly concentrated in the cells (and not blood) so a blood test for magnesium may have limitations. Discuss the symptoms of magnesium deficiency with your doctor if you feel your diet is lacking key nutrients (or if you train intensely) but routinely show results within normal limits.

Lastly, athletes understand the importance of bone health in order to reduce risk for stress fractures and chronic wear and tear. Because bone health is famously supported by optimal intake of calcium and vitamin D, it is often advocated that in order to prevent osteoporosis and to increase bone strength, active individuals should increase calcium, either through dietary sources and/or supplements. However, increasing calcium to recommended levels or above, alongside a deficiency of magnesium, may be damaging to the body.

In terms of calcium intake, current research is demonstrating an increased risk of prostate cancer among men consuming a high dairy diet (>1,500 mg of dairy calcium/day)(11). However, controlled intakes of around 800-1000 mg/day of calcium (dairy or supplements) may lower the risk of new precancerous colon polyps in people who had already had one, as well as showing protection against colon and rectal cancer in both men and women (11). Considering the inconsistency of research on calcium, perhaps it is a deficiency of magnesium, and not calcium, that is affecting the role of calcium in the body.

Whereas calcium induces muscle contractions, magnesium allows muscles to relax. This may ring a bell if you tend to cramp during racing, all while consuming a high “starchy” carb diet on the days or weeks leading up to a race. (Not to mention that serving of ice cream, or cereal with milk as your ritual post-workout treats!) Without adequate magnesium, calcium (either through diet or supplementation) may collect in the soft tissues and be poorly absorbed in bones. In order to reduce the risk of arthritis, osteoporosis, muscle cramping, menstrual cramps, thyroid problems and/or premenstrual problems, I strongly encouraged you to aim for the recommended intakes of dietary magnesium while consuming a varied, whole-foods heavy diet.

Because every eating opportunity is an opportunity to provide your body with a variety of nutrients, do not overlook variety for your daily meals and snacks. If you are training for an upcoming event, trying to achieve weight loss or body composition changes, it’s time to stop worrying about what you “can’t” eat and start focusing on what you can, should, and need to eat for the overall health that powers your active lifestyle.

Recipe: Good-for-You Brownie Thins

References:

1) Laires, M.J. et al. (2008). Exercise, magnesium and immune function. Magnes Res. 21(2): 92-96.

2) Nielsen, F.H. and Lukaski, H.C. (2006). Update on the relationship between magnesium and exercise. Magnes Res. 19(3): 180-9.

3) Newhouse, I.J. and Finstad, E.W. (2000). The effects of magnesium supplementation on exercise performance. Clin J. Sport Med. 10(3); 195-200.

4) Cheng, S.M. et al. (2010). Magnesium sulfate enhances exercise performance and manipulates dynamic changes in peripheral glucose utilization. Eur J. Appl Physiol. 108(2): 363-9.

5) Katherine, M. F. et al. (2010). Prevalence and trends in obesity among US adults, 1999-2008. J of the Am Medical Assoc. 303(3); 235-241.

6) National Institutes of Health. Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Magnesium. Office of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium/.

7) Larsson, S.C., Orsini, N. and Wolk, A. (2012). Dietary magnesium intake and risk of stroke: a meta-analysis of prospective studies. Am J. Clin Nutr. 95(2): 362-6.

8) Lukaski, H.C. (2000). Magnesium, zinc and chromium nutrition and physical activity. Am J of Clin Nutr. 72(2): 5855-593.

9) Lukaski, H.C. and Nielsen, F.H. (2002). Dietary magnesium depletion affects metabolic responses during submaximal exercise in postmenopausal women. Am Society for Nutr. Sciences. 132: 930-935.

10) Sales, C.H., et al. (2011). Influence of magnesium status and magnesium intake on glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes. Clin Nutr. 30(3): 359-64.

11) Giovannucci, E. et al. (2006). A prospective study of calcium intake and incident and fatal prostate cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers. 15(2): 203-10.

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Marni Sumbal, MS, RD, CISSN is a Registered Dietitian with a Master of Science degree in Exercise Physiology. She is the owner of Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition, LLC  and is a USAT Level-1 coach. Marni recently finished her 2nd Ironman World Championship race in Kona, and enjoys spending time in her kitchen coming up with vegetarian creations. If you can’t find her writing this monthly column, cooking or training, she is likely outside running with her furry best friend, Campy.

These brownies features both cocoa and black beans, two ingredients rich in magnesium. While they bake, learn all about what magnesium can do for you as an athlete in my exhaustive article.

Good-for-You Brownie Thins

 Makes 28 thins

Ingredients

¾ cup black beans (nutrition facts is for low-sodium canned beans)
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp instant coffee
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup soy flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp dark chocolate chips

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Generously coat a 10 x 14 baking sheet (and edges) with oil.*
2. In blender, puree beans, oil and applesauce. When smooth, add the eggs, cocoa, coffee and vanilla, and blend on medium until smooth.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together baking powder, flour and salt. Add to blender and pulse until incorporated.
4. Add chocolate chips and pulse 5 times (for 1 second each)
5. Spread batter on sheet and move sheet until batter is evenly distributed over the entire sheet.
6. Bake for 16-20 minutes or until top is firm (or test with toothpick so that batter is cooked in the middle)
7. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting. Top with fresh fruit.

*For thicker brownies, use a smaller baking dish. Oil on baking dish is not included in nutrition info.

Nutritional information per brownie: 44 calories, 2.6 g fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 4.5 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 44 mg sodium, 2.8 g sugar, 1.4 g protein, 12 mg calcium, 8 mg magnesium

A selection of shots from today’s race in Panama. Stay tuned for more to come.

Race report: lavamagazine.com/racing/naeth-docherty-take-panama-70-3

Last week, the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Panama went from a low-key season kick-off to a high-profile sporting event in what seemed like minutes. On Thursday, WTC announced a partnership with the Lance Armstrong Foundation, and the seven-time Tour de France winner’s plans to compete in a full serving of races this season. The Twitter rumors were true: Lance would get the ball rolling just three days later in Panama.

The hot day of racing brought a few interesting turns, both expected and not. Matty Reed led the men out of the water, while uber-biker Chris Lieto led the bike throughout, finishing in 2:31:44. Armstrong, however, wasn’t far behind, with a split of 2:31:49. As always, the race was decided on the run.

In the end, Armstrong managed to power through an uncomfortably hot day, as he later stated in an interview. Lance maintained his lead until the tail end of the race when Bevan Docherty, one of triathlon’s best runners, passed him. (Docherty was a bronze medalist in Beijing, and a sliver medalist in Athens. Moreover, he has never been beaten at this distance.)

“I didn’t really know that I could win this. It is my first half Ironman race in 12 years and I wasn’t sure how to pace myself. I got my second wind in the last 4 km and was able to catch Lance,” said the New Zealander to Ironman.com reporter Kevin MacKinnon after the race. Docherty finished in 3:50:13, and Armstrong in 3:50:55–a seriously impressive debut for the cyclist-turned-triathlete.

Though not touched by the presence of a worldwide celebrity, the women’s race was an exciting one as well. Third-place Kona winner Leanda Cave was a pre-race favorite, as was Canada’s Angela Naeth. Nina Kraft led the women out of the water, but it was Naeth’s well-established power on the bike that pushed her to the front of the pack. With the fastest bike split of the day (2:26:31), Naeth was well-positioned for a win.

Naeth’s half marathon time of 1:21:44 was the second-fastest of the day, next to Kelly Williamson’s (1:16:18), but her bike had positioned her well, and she soared to her second ever 70.3 victory in 4:15:31. Williams managed a second-place finish, with Margaret Shapiro and Leanda Cave taking third and fourth place respectively.

All eyes will be on Armstrong in Galveston, Texas, where he’ll contest another 70.3 title and show the world that–in the words of hos memoir–it’s still not about the bike. This time, it’s also about the swim and the run.

Watch a post-race interview with Lance Armstrong here; visit Ironmanlive.com for video interviews with Naeth and Docherty.

Top 10 Pro Men

1. Bevan Docherty (NZL) 3:50:13
2. Lance Armstron(USA) 3:50:55
3. Richie Cunningh (AUS) 3:52:59
4. Rasmus Henning (DOM) 3:53:38
5. Romain Guillaum (FRA) 3:54:44
6. Jesse Thomas (USA) 3:55:30
7. Chris Lieto (USA) 3:56:21
8. Ivan Vasilyev Moscow (RUS) 3:58:32
9. Oscar Galindez (ARG) 4:00:53
10. Bert Jammaer (BEL) 4:01:24

Top 10 Pro Women

1. Angela Naeth (CAN) 4:15:31
2. Kelly Williams (USA) 4:19:11
3. Margaret Shapiro (USA) 4:19:34
4. Leanda Cave (GBR) 4:21:42
5. Tine Deckers Kessel (BEL) 4:25:29
6. Yvonne Van Vler (NLD) 4:29:00
7. Natascha Badmann Oftringen (CHE) 13:46
8. Michelle Vesterby Odense (DNK) 4:30:20
9. Bree Wee (USA) 4:31:09
10. Dede Griesbauer (USA) 4:33:03

Ironman’s Kevin MacKinnon catches up with Lance after his 2nd-place finish today at Ironman 70.3 Panama. Part II and Part III available on Ironmanlive.com.