In This Issue

Pilates® Method of Body Conditioning

Pickling And Smoking

Sugar For Quick Energy?

Parkinson's Disease

When is Juice Not Juice?

Why Warm-up

Questions And Answers

You may have recently heard of the Pilates® Method of Body Conditioning; or maybe not, but it is becoming more popular around the country. It is not new, having been originated by Joseph Pilates (Pi-LAH-teez), who as a child was quite sickly. He started quite early in his life to develop a healthier and stronger body, and went on to dedicate his lifetime to developing and teaching his exercise system; including developing specific equipment for use with his exercises (see Figures 8-1a to 1g).

He was German-born (1880), but later moved to England. As World War I broke out, he was put in an internment camp as a potential enemy, where he became a nurse and started an exercise program for other internees. His exercise program is based on his experiences in that camp, and later refined in New York City.

After his release from the internment camp, he moved to the United States where he set up a studio in N.Y.C. His system, which he called "Contrology", became popular among professional dancers, but the system is now catching on with a wider public. Pilates died in 1967 at the age of 87, but his system is alive and well. The Pilates® Method is intended to produce a state of total, balanced fitness. Pilates defined Contology as "the science and art of coordinated body-mind-spirit development through natural movements under strict control of the will."

Pilates established six basic principles for his "Method:"

• Concentration - Pay special attention to each movement. [This is the same as with weight training, only the advice is to concentrate on the precise muscle that you are trying to train.]
• Control - All movements must be under complete mind control. [Weight training's corollary is to control the weight through both concentric and eccentric contractions - try to eliminate momentum.]
• Centering - To Pilates, the human physical center (the source of all motion) is called the "Powerhouse," and is essentially the muscles around the abdominal cavity and the buttocks. The "Method" focuses on strengthening this area.
• Flowing Movement - The exercises are done in a controlled, flowing movement - smooth and even; that is, avoid stiff and jerky movements.
• Precision - Somewhat akin to "proper form" in weight training.
• Breathing - Breathe properly to fully oxygenate the working muscles (and remove noxious gases). This involves forced exhalations for full inhalations. [As with running and weigh training.] Essentially, you inhale in preparation for movement, and exhale as it is executed.

There is a set of Pilates® equipment, but most of his exercises can be done without it. If a person is so inclined, he/she can purchase some or all of it for home use; or there are a number of Pilates Studios® around the country where the equipment is available, along with certified instructors to help you - like any conventional, commercial exercise facility.

My assessment of the Pilates® Method of Body Conditioning (and mind you I have had no direct experience with any of the exercises or equipment) is that it is just one more exercise system that can be used to achieve fitness - primarily flexibility and muscle tone (see note-1). It might appeal to people seeking physical rehabilitation, or something different from conventional exercise methods and equipment, or for those not seeking a high degree of muscle development or aerobic fitness. I see the Pilates® Method as similar to yoga or Tai Chi - excellent exercise systems, but for a specific set of enthusiasts.

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note-1 Muscle tone, as defined here, is a lean, defined look, involving minimal muscle hypertrophy.

The following figures depict all of the special equipment designed for use with the Pilates® System, and assorted body positions assumed during the exercises.

Pickled or Smoked foods: are there any health ramifications of either? Pickling - not really. Smoking - maybe. But remember that these two food preservation methods have been around for centuries.

Pickling doesn't create any harmful products at all. Vinegar (a pickling medium) is a dilute solution of acetic acid. Some people can develop an upset stomach from too much vinegar, but that seems to be the biggest risk from pickled foods.

Smoking of food can be a potential problem because smoke contains many compounds that have been shown to be unhealthy, especially those that have shown increased risk of certain types of cancer. In the U.S. and some other countries, virtually all commercially smoked foods are made with liquid smoke. This is a condensate of smoke that has the harmful chemicals removed. Home smoking of foods, on the other hand, typically results in the addition of harmful chemicals.

Even though home-smoking adds harmful chemicals to food, occasional consumption is not associated with any known harmful effects. Commercially produced smoked foods from big companies do not contain enough harmful chemicals to be concerned about.

Sugar for quick energy? Not unless you are involved in long duration, high intensity exercise (like running a marathon or playing full-time in a soccer match) will you benefit from a shot of sugar just before, or during, the activity. For lesser intensity/duration activities, the desired quick energy burst will not occur. The blood-sugar level will be increased, but not used. The body gets its energy (for the first hour or two) mainly from glycogen, a stored form of glucose (in muscles and the liver) that is easily converted to glucose (which ultimately leads to energy production); not from sugar circulating in the blood-stream. For most exercisers, carbohydrate consumption a few hours before exercise should provide adequate glycogen/glucose.

Ref: Consumer Reports on Health, May 1999

Parkinson's disease is one of several neurological disorders called, as a group, parkinism, and result from a decline in dopamine (see note-2)-producing brain cells, specifically from the death or damage to certain neurons in the substantia nigra of the brain, the normal source of dopamine production. But Parkinson's develops only after a substantial number of these neurons are affected. Parkinson's takes a longtime to develop because the remaining undamaged cells make up for the lost ones, but are eventually over-whelmed and symptoms of the condition start to appear - hand tremors, slow movements, changes in posture and gait, and unsteady balance.

No cause of Parkinson's is known, and there is no cure; but, symptoms can often be mitigated by a drug therapy. As with hypertension medications there is no single most effective drug or dose. It takes a little experimentation to come up with the right combination. Drugs to choose from include:

• Levodopa (also called L-dopa) is the "gold standard." It is used by the body to produce dopomine to replenish the brain's supply. Levodopa is ordinarily given along with carbidopa, which can reduce some of levodopa's side-effects and can reduce the amount needed.

  Levodopa has been used since the 1960s, and delays the on-set of some of Parkinson's more severe symptoms. It allows sufferers to prolong their symptomless years. Bradykinesia (extreme slowness of movement) and rigidity are helped most; tremor less.

• Bromocriptine, ropinirole pergolide, and pramipexole all mimic dopamine, but are less effective than levodopa on rigidity and bradykinesia.

• Seligiline (deprenyl) delays the need for levodopa, and when given in combination with levodopa, seems to heighten and prolong its effect.

• Tolcapone, a COMT inhibitor, also lengthens the effect of levodopa therapy. It is commonly used for those who have moderately advanced Parkinson's.

• Entacacapone, another COMT inhibitor, functions very similarly to tolcapone, but with a lower risk of liver toxicity.

However there has been some interest in a procedure called "pallidotomy," which kills cells in the globus pallidus (another area of the brain), and may improve conditions of tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia by interfering with a specific neural path. The risks associated with surgery; however, make it a less popular option.

The FDA has approved a brain implant gadget that seemingly helps the possibly debilitating effects of Parkinson's, like shaking and trembling, by transmitting electrical pulses through a wire to an implant in the thalamus. They seem to interrupt signals from the thalamus that are thought to be responsible for causing tremors. But, again, although some might benefit from surgery, most people (both physicians and patients) simply won't accept the risks for unknown benefits.

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note-2 Dopamine is a chemical that acts in the brain to transmit nerve pulses required for smooth, controlled muscle actions.

Juice is healthy stuff, right? Yes and no. Many juices on the market are little more than sugar water. If you buy juice that includes "beverage," "ade," "drink," "cocktail," or "blend" in its name it hardly qualifies as fruit juice, which is how it is commonly sold. Unless it is labeled as 100% juice, it isn't, with a few exceptions. If a juice is 90% juice; for example, it is still acceptable, but not your best choice.

Eating actual fruits and vegetables is better than drinking juice - usually fiber-free and calorie-dense - but six ounces of juice counts as one serving of fruit (or vegetables, as-the-case-may-be). As an example of the calorie differences lets look at an orange: 60 calories, as opposed to 110 in a cup of orange juice. But that juice still has most of the fruit's vitaamins, minerals, and phytochemicals - not like soft drinks or the pseudo-juices; however, even the poorest (nutritionally) juices, like cranberry juice cocktail, for example, can have potential benefits over soft drinks. A study using cranberry juice cocktail found that urinary tract infections were reduced. Researchers hypothesize that proanthocyanidins (or maybe some other substance in cranberries) are effective by preventing bacterial adhesion to the wall of the urinary tract.

So, why do companies sell pseudo-juice? Money of course - big profits in sugar water. Most of these products have their fruits on the labels, but not in the juice.

Here are a few examples of the best and worst of the juices.

100% juice - the best:

• Tropicana Pure Premium Orange with Vitamin E and Double C
• Tropicana Season's Best Orange with Double Vitamin C
• Florida's Natural Orange with Calcium and Vitamin C
• Odwalla Smoothies Blackberry Fruitshake

• Five Alive - 42%
• V8 Splash - 25%
• Snapple - 6% (except Lemonade or Whipper Snapple, both 8%)
• Sunny Delight - 5%

Cereal for breakfast is hard to beat. Well-chosen breakfast cereal can give you an excellent start to your day. How, you ask?

For starters, there is the fiber. Pick a whole-grain cereal like bran cereals, Grape-Nuts or shredded wheat, and enjoy the fiber benefits. It may reduce the risk of constipation, diverticulosis, or even heart disease.

Low- or no-fat is another option. Use low- or non-fat milk to avoid/minimize saturated fat and cholesterol. You also get the advantage of calcium and vitamin D for dem bones.

Add some fruit (like raisins, bananas, berries, peaches,??) and receive their many benefits.

Between the cereal, fruit, and milk you get plenty of needed vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Speaking of fiber, it is estimated that the average American doesn't get even half of the recommended 20-35 grams a day. A good breakfast cereal (especially a bran cereal) can provide more fiber than just about anything else (except maybe legumes). For those who are concerned about having to spent too much time in the bathroom, there are some reasonable options containing only three grams of fiber - you don't have to get it all in one place (or one meal), and you don't necessarily need large amounts - a bowl of cereal containing three grams of fiber can be healthy.

As you probably know, there are two forms of fiber: soluble and insoluble.

• Insoluble fiber seems to help prevent constipation and diverticulosis, and maybe (big maybe, right now) reduces risk of colon cancer. Most high fiber (bran) cereals contain mainly insoluble fiber. This type may also provide some heart protection.
• Soluble fiber seems to help lower cholesterol. Good sources are made of oats or psyllium.

So, if you don't have a high cholesterol level, just pick a cereal with the most fiber you can get, which means it will be mostly insoluble- a product like All-Bran Bran Buds. If you do have high cholesterol, look for soluble fiber - All-Bran Bran Buds is a good source. It has 13 grams of fiber, with four grams being soluble.

You would do well to skip the breakfast candy - those high-sugar cereals that kids usually want - too many calories, not enough fiber, and usually not whole anything, so even fortified versions are missing some nutrients.

Some examples of good choices, based on three or more grams of fiber, eight grams or less of sugar, no artificial sweeteners, and no more than three grams of fat, are:

• Kellogg's All-Bran Bran Buds
• Kellogg's All-Bran
• Post Shredded Wheat 'n Bran
• Post 100% Bran
• Post Spoon Size Shredded Wheat
• Post Grape-Nuts
• Kellogg's Complete Oat Bran Flakes
• General Mills Cheerios

How about the "bad" stuff? Here are a few:

• Apple Cinnamon Cheerios
• Honey Frosted Wheaties
• Kellogg's Razzle Dazzle Rice Krispies
• Kellogg's Cracklin" Oat Bran
• Quaker 100% Natural Oats, Honey & Raisins
• Smart Start

Why warm-up, I don't have a lot of time to waste? It isn't a waste of time. Here are a few reasons why.

1. To improve delivery of oxygen to the exercising muscles.
2. To elevate body temperature to help prevent injury.
3. To increase blood flow to the exercising muscles to improve delivery of fuel.
4. To increase blood flow to the heart - lessens risk for heart problems.
5. Reduce muscle viscosity - improves mechanical efficiency and power of exercising muscles.
6. To promote early sweating; i.e., to start the body's air conditioner.
7. To speed up nerve pulses to improve coordination.
8. To increase blood flow muscles and connective tissue - improved flexibility.
9. To prepare CV system for in-creased activity.
10. To wake-up the muscular system for ensuing activity.

(Q) What is muscle tone? You often hear, in an exercise facility, an instructor/trainer ask a new client: "do you want to build or tone?" I'm not sure what the physiological difference is.
A.F., Mountain View, CA

(A) In terms of exercise, "tone" is "a look" - lean and "defined." It requires weight control (relatively low body fat), and at least some strength training. Toning is actually a modest amount of body building - some muscle building is required, except in some genetically gifted individuals who are basically born with "the look." But even they have to eventually do some maintenance work to hold on to it.

Another aspect of tone is related more to general health- a purely neurological process. A good example of complete loss of tone is a quadriplegic - no nerve activity from the neck down.

(Q) At what point in the life of a child does muscle growth stop?
D.D., Rifle, WY

(A) During a child's prenatal development, muscle cells (fibers) grow by both hyperplasia (splitting muscle cells to create new ones), and hypertrophy (enlargement of existing cells). Shortly after birth hyperplasia ceases, and ensuing muscle growth is via hypertrophy. [Per "Life Span Motor Development" by Kathleen Haywood, Ph.D.]

During childhood, differences in muscle mass between the sexes are minimal, although boys have a slightly higher muscle mass. But, during and after adolescence boy's begin to increase muscle mass significantly more than girls. Boys at age 17 are about 54% muscle mass, while girls don't add much beyond age 13, and as adults are at about 45%.

(Q) What is the source of the greatest amount of energy spent during rest?
C.R., Wellington, N.Z.

(A) Both fat and glucose are ordinarily "burned" together; but at rest, fat supplies about 60% of the body's energy needs.

(Q) Is magnet therapy reliable, or even legitimate?
M.N.F., Union City, CA

(A) Magnet therapy has been around for centuries, but there is no reliable scientific evidence to support it. However, it has such a long history that it is hard to discount it. But, keep in mind that the placebo effect can diminish pain for 30% of users of any intervention.

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Send questions or comments to Michael Fenner: e-mail to Mike Fenner
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