Category: Sports

The Big C…omrades! And 5 other “C’s” that might help you.
It is that time of the year again, an influx of runners in my office, increasing the mileage as Comrades qualifiers approach and the month of June draws closer. As promised from my last blog “Sportsmen or women? This read is for you” I want to dive into different sports focuses over the next few months, with the Comrades Marathon being my first event of choice.

Based on my own private practice experience, which I know is only 3.5 years, this is my feedback, advice and hopefully helpful tips for you thus far, together with some input from some of my patients. Please note, this is just my broad-spectrum analysis. I am fully aware that during your Comrades’ journey you will receive advice from a hundred different people but FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU. These are just points to be aware of and to consider. And with that said, don’t read this and then go change everything, that in itself can lead to disaster. If these tips are helpful, start making the necessary changes over time.

[ CROSS TRAINING ]

The biggest ‘error’ I have personally noted is patients dropping every other activity just to increase running mileage. “I can’t surf anymore because I need to run instead.” “I don’t want to strength train because it makes me too bulky for Comrades.” Like I’ve quoted before, the best way to prevent injury is by staying diverse with your movement demands! We need to work through a wide range of physical literacy challenges in order for different systems and tissues to be stressed without being overstressed. Yes, I understand that you need running mileage, but what is the point of all the mileage if you develop a stress fracture or medial tibial stress syndrome? Running is a LINEAR sport, but the forces applied during running are not just sagittal or in a straight line. If you don’t incorporate movements that make you stronger in the frontal and transverse planes, you may just end up with an ITB (iliotibial band) syndrome.

Balance practice, core endurance, and strength training will drastically reduce your chances of developing running injuries, especially whilst training for ultra-marathon distances. Why balance practice? Running is one foot at a time, and you are constantly changing loads, therefore this is a skill we need to develop and possess. Why core endurance? Most issues that occur deep into a run stem from hip and core stability mechanisms fatiguing. Why strength training? It really helps to have strong, activated gluteal and lower limb muscles. Resistance is key to ensuring that our joints can handle the repetitive stress from km’s of running. Did you know that running can create forces up to 3x your body weight with each foot strike? Your Achilles tendon, for example, is loaded 3.4x your body weight during walking but 7.7x your body weight when running. And this resistance training doesn’t refer to light weights and high reps. Another reason why lower body strength and trunk control (core) is important is that the majority of runners are heel strikers. Research shows that rearfoot striking increases stress on the body to a much greater degree than those who are mid, to forefoot strikers. The stronger you are, the harder you are to hurt.

[ CONDITIONING ]

If your friends dare you to do the Comrades marathon in a couple of months and you’ve never run more than 10km’s, maybe not the wisest decision you’ll ever make. Conditioning is of vital importance for reducing injury risk. As discussed above, running subjects the body to an increased, repetitive load with every foot strike. Be smart and realistic about your goals. Just because someone believes you can do the Comrades, doesn’t mean you have to enter the upcoming one and prove you can achieve it. It is a 90KM ROAD ULTRA MARATHON. Yes you might complete it, but at what cost? We all know there are some super humans that beat all the odds, run a dozen Comrades marathons with minimal preparation and still manage to avoid injuries or knee surgery, but those individuals are few and far beyond.

So what do I mean by conditioning? According to the Britannica Encyclopaedia, “conditioning, in physiology, is a behavioral process whereby a response becomes more frequent or more predictable in a given environment as a result of reinforcement, with reinforcement typically being a stimulus or reward for a desired response.” So, if Comrades is your goal (and by that I mean a successful Comrades as injury-free as possible), then get a few half marathons under your belt first. Once you’ve done that, allow the mileage to climb again and then get very comfortable with doing a marathon, or two. And I don’t mean this happens all in a few months. Comrades is not running away (yes I know what I did there), you have plenty of years ahead to prep for an event of this magnitude. And besides, research shows that peak running performance occurs later in your 30s and/or with the correct conditioning over the years. With that said, if you are very conditioned in the marathon department, this is great, however, when picking your qualifier marathon, don’t pick 4. Too many people exert themselves 110% over a few marathons, instead of strategically planning for one or two. You cannot always expect your body to show up for that many marathons.

[ CORRECT EATING – NUTRITION ]

I decided to consult the beautiful Mariella Sawyer for this section, a top South African triathlete and dietician (e-mail her at hello@mariella.co.za for more information). Her pointers include:
- Everyone is an individual and different things/food work for different people so stick with what YOU know.
- Race intensity influences how well your body can digest food. The higher the intensity, the less blood goes to your gut, meaning that digestion becomes a lot more difficult. This is why easily digestible carbs such as gels are often the go-to for those racing at higher intensities.
- Hydration is key! Electrolytes are important and dehydration is often the cause of cramps, stomach stitches, nausea, vomiting and a decline in performance.
- PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT! Practice your race-day nutrition during long runs and figure out what works best for you.
[ CONSERVATIVE CARE ]

Of the thousands of individuals that run the Comrades Marathon, I always wonder how many see a chiropractor or get regular sports massages during their training, 10% maybe? And I don’t mean visits to either due to running injuries, I am just referring to maintenance care, maybe more like 5%? I always think it’s fascinating that when our shoes reach a certain mileage and are worn out (which happens pretty quickly when training for an ultra-marathon), we get new ones. In most cases, not because they are causing injuries, but because we have come to terms with the level of wear and tear they are exposed too. We do this, yet we fail to get our bodies treated regularly during this time. I am sure our bodies are the ones withstanding the constant impact of the weekly increased running mileage. Respect your body during this time, its training to achieve a huge goal.

Book a sports massage TODAY if you haven’t had one. Flush out those toxins, give the body some TLC and celebrate it for all the efforts it has achieved thus far. If you haven’t seen a chiropractor, make an appointment with one TODAY too. “But why do I have to see a chiropractor if I don’t have any reason too?” Well, why do you service your car every 15 000kms if there’s nothing wrong with it? Here are a few pointers taken from my previous blog regarding the benefits of chiropractic care for you.

Chiropractic care improves movement, on a spinal and joint level, as well as overall body movement. Imagine training for the comrades with ankles that don’t move properly? That directly affects the whole gait cycle and can lead to numerous lower limb enthesopathies, like ITB syndrome and shin splints.

Better Balance and heightened body awareness. Chiropractic care restores balance to the entire body through correcting nervous system disturbances and allowing signals to flow freely between the brain and the body. Upper cervical adjustments have a direct influence on the brain stem. Do you know what the function of the brainstem is? It controls the flow of messages between the brain and the rest of the body and also controls basic body functions such as breathing, heart rate, swallowing, blood pressure, consciousness, whether one is awake or sleepy, and maintains healthy brain function and balance/coordination.

Increased flexibility. When joints and spinal bones are in proper alignment, you are able to manoeuvre with ease.

These benefits, therefore, contribute greatly to preventing injury, relieving body stress inflicted by strenuous training regimes, increases strength and enhancing performance. Seeking chiropractic care is not only about injuries, but it’s also about body function and overall optimal performance.

[ CELEBRATE ]

And finally, celebrate the small victories. Celebrate the fact that you are training for an ULTRA MARATHON, and that fact the most of you have probably already successfully completed one, or multiple Comrades marathons. This is a massive achievement and you should be proud of yourself. Too often we fail to celebrate the things we achieve, the things we are capable of conquering, the goals we keep knocking out the park. Too often we forget that many people aren’t able and well enough to achieve something of this caliber, despite deeply desiring too. “Health is a crown that the healthy wear on their heads, but only the sick can see it.”

If you want some more perspective, here are a few patient testimonies for you.

Emari

“There will be times in the race where you feel great especially at the start but hang back. Then there will be times in the middle where you will feel like the finish line is incredibly far away and all you can think about is how much everything hurts. But then you will see someone you know or you have a snack or you walk for a bit and you will eventually start feeling a bit better, just hang in, you will get there.

On the up run, I felt so ill in the first half and couldn’t eat anything and could only drink water. I got to halfway and wanted to cry, it just seemed so far, but I had a rehydrate and just kept going only drinking water and what I felt I could stomach. I took some walk breaks and eventually felt better and was able to start eating again in the second half and my latest km of the whole race was the last one because I couldn’t believe I was actually finishing. Once I got to the top of Polly shorts, I knew I would make it.

The down run is much more of a mental battle about the distance. Running over 90kms in mentally insane. I got to 60kms and it felt impossible that I still had another third of the race to do. But because there is quite a bit of downhill in the last part, you just have to keep moving forward, and running into Durban is amazing! So much support and you are running home. Best advice – lots of vaseline and remember to take in the experience instead of just focusing on the time on the clock.”

Sam

Everyone is different, you will get so much advice on pacing, nutrition, etc, but no one knows your body better than you, listen to it. You will hit a wall or two and you will get over it. Your mind is powerful and if you can get over the wall, you will finish the race (if you have put in the work). Find inspiration from your surroundings – there are some boring bits and long hauls – look around and find distractions, take part in traditions and talk to people around you, even if you get nothing back, encouraging someone else may be the encouragement you need.

Nicole

My Comrades marathon journey in 2018 started as a daunting experience, stepping into the unknown and venturing into a sport and distance I know very little about. The best advice I received was to listen to one person’s advice and stick to one training plan. Thanks to my coach, Glen Gore, I was able to follow a manageable training plan and get as much advice from him as I wanted, as often as I wanted it. Throughout my 5 month build-up to Comrades, I did no other training besides running and swimming. I was incredibly conscious of the amount of physical work I was putting my body through so I made sure I booked a chiropractic appointment with Dr. Bezuidenhout every second week and sometimes every week depending on my training load. Due to the fact that I have a physical job where I am sometimes on my feet for up to 9 hours a day, I was very aware of the load I was placing on my legs. I didn’t do any form of gym or weight training during my 5 month training period, so I relied on swimming as my cross-training. It definitely helped massively with recovery, with getting rid of lactic acid after big runs, kept my core and upper body strong and gave me an opportunity to rest my legs. Being in the water also has a massage effect, so swims helped me to feel relaxed and physically relieved after running, at no extra expense. Although I have been injury-prone my whole life, I did not get injured once throughout all of my Comrades training and I suffered from no pain or injuries on race day. If I can give one piece of advice, it’s the advice I received – choose one plan and stick to it.

Big love,

Doc Lol x
4 January 2020
Sportsman or woman? This read is for you.
As healthcare practitioners, we generally find our niche, and by that I mean the favorite ailments we love to treat, or the focus we attract. Some chiropractors choose pediatrics, or pediatrics chooses them. Same with geriatrics, postural correction, sports injuries, or animals (yes there are chiropractors who work on animals, racehorses for example).

For me, I think I’ve attracted the sportsmen and women, why? Probably because it’s been apart of my life forever, and continues to be. It’s one of my communities, and it is something I’m so passionate about. From swimming and underwater hockey to cycling, running and CrossFit, at different performance levels, with the occasional involvement and enjoyment of a large range of other activities. I generally find that patients want a practitioner they can relate too, someone who understands the sporting struggle, the hard work, the injuries, the brick walls, the “I can’t afford to rest” and so many other factors. Well, I know I do.

In the next couple of months, I am going to be unpacking different sports or major events based on my practice experience, whether that be young swimmers with the goal of making the Olympics, runners participating in a 5 km fun run or the Comrades Marathon, athletes prepping for Warrior races, etc. So if this kinda talk interests you, stay tuned over the next few months. But to set the foundation for these forthcoming blogs lets focus on the well being of sportsmen and women in general and why chiropractic care should form part of your preparation just as much as the training itself. And by the term “sportsmen/women” I do not mean exclusively a professional athlete that is being paid to compete, I am using it as a loose term for any individual training religiously towards a goal or event.

Sean Atkins, Exercise Physiologist said, “I would estimate that at least 90% of world-class athletes use Chiropractic care on a regular basis to prevent injuries and to improve their performance.” Well, let us have a small look.
- Tom Brady, American Football Player, “As long as I see a chiropractor, I feel like I’m one step ahead of the game.”
- Tiger Woods, American Professional Golfer, “I’ve been going to chiropractors for as long as I can remember. It’s as important to my training as practicing my swing.”
- Floyd Patterson, former American Professional Boxer and World Heavyweight Champion (1956 – 1962), “I have to have a series of chiropractic adjustments before I go into the ring. I found that going to a chiropractor three times a week helps my performance. The majority of boxers go to chiropractors to get that extra edge.”
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Professional Bodybuilder, when asked about his personal training, he talked about his chiropractic treatment, “This is how I found out the best way to use chiropractors, not only after injuries but also before injury.”
So there are numerous famous athletes that utilise chiropractic care to enhance their game. But what about the everyday heroes and sportsmen and women that walk into my practice regularly? Can we better relate to them? What do they have to say?
- Comrades runner and provincial triathlete seeing a chiropractor every two weeks to ensure she is as injury free and well maintained as possible.
- National High Jump athlete who “traveled with a chiropractor for weekly competitions, working his chiropractic magic at every session we had.”
- The CrossFit athlete receiving maintenance care to improve ankle and hip mobility in order to squat more efficiently.
- National Paddler receiving chiropractic adjustments prior to surf-ski races to keep any niggles at bay and to ensure paddling efficiency and optimum performance.
- Cyclist preparing for KZN and SA road cycling champs receiving chiropractic adjustments “to increase power output on the bike, which isn’t a perception, it is a defined reading.”
- Competitive swimmers receiving “regular care to maintain a high intensity in training and peak performance whilst racing.”
One patient of mine wrote this in a review, “As an individual who is involved in a numerous amount of sports, I have learned but one thing when I have decided to skip on my chiropractic appointments; chiropractic support is not a necessity but an absolute essential part of the training and healing process.”

With all that said, if you’re training towards a sporting goal, however big or small, chiropractic care has an important role to play in your training.

So what are the benefits of overall wellness and chiropractic care to sportsmen or women? I am going to unpack this slightly differently, and I hope you will understand why by the end of the blog, because as a chiropractor, I personally believe in a holistic approach to care, especially when treating athletes, which ultimately means I consider the FIVE PILLARS OF HEALTH. Sleep/rest. Nutrition. Mental/Attitude. Movement. Spinal/Nervous System. My attention is focused more specifically on one pillar (naturally the nervous system), but I address and pay attention to all pillars because, in order to function and race at your optimum, you need a good balance of all five. One car wheel doesn’t perform its function without the other three working in unison.

To begin, as sportsmen and women, we are ALWAYS looking for the next best thing to enhance our performance and get ahead of our components and opposition. Have you tried Hydrotherapy? What about that athlete, he’s on a Ketogenic diet and look how well he’s performing. Have to tried ice bathing after every session? Maybe you should train in an altitude chamber? Have you tried genetic testing? Everyone needs to find what works for them, and yes, these things can all aid performance, however, I will share this disclaimer: Get your FIVE PILLARS OF HEALTH aligned first. Let’s go.

[ SLEEP/REST ]

Every night when we sleep, our metabolism changes and our cells go into rebuild mode. They do this to repair the damage that has occurred during the day, as well as to flush out any toxins that have accumulated. You are all putting your body through huge amounts of stress each day on the bike, on the road, in the gym, in the pool, etc. We are not super humans even if we think we are.

How many of you spend your time before bed on your cell phones or iPads? Well, believe it or not, this bombards you with EMFs which affect our body’s ability to produce melatonin – a hormone that is necessary for proper sleep.

Insufficient sleep = impaired repairing of cells and a build-up of toxins.

ONE OF THE BEST PERFORMANCE ENHANCERS IS SLEEP!

You can’t expect to train at your optimum if your body hasn’t received the recovery it needs. With that said, it is not only sleeping, this includes RESTING and giving your body time to rebuild from numerous hard training sessions. Overtraining is a thing, it isn’t just some myth.

[ NUTRITION ]

Aha!

You know that saying – you are what you eat – well there is a lot of truth to that. What we eat every day is going to determine the health and energy of our cells and how efficiently our metabolic pathways work.

I always like to relate to the food you eat to fuel for a car. High-quality fuel = high energy cells. Low-quality fuel in the form of processed foods etc = low functioning of the cells.

I treat so many sportsmen and women that are not eating well but are expecting the results. When I take a case history and ask, “So how are your eating habits? Do you eat well for your training?” Um… it’s either a guilty smile that follows or “ah that’s nice wallpaper.” Please ladies and gents, see a dietician if you are unsure how to fuel yourself adequately, get a good eating plan that is specific to YOU. Just because Sally functions well as a vegan, doesn’t mean you will. Be smart.

[ MENTAL ]

Now, this is crucial in the sport you do.

This is not only your mental capacity, its the relationship you have with those around you.

People close to us have a tremendous effect on our health, positively, negatively or both. This, however, works both ways – you also play a role in adding value to those around you, especially close training partners.

Sport is a relational healthy mindset, just as much as an individual mindset. I find that many sporting individuals that I treat are actually seeing a sports psychologist regularly and there is nothing wrong with this! Especially if you’re a professional or competitive athlete, the stress that comes with performance is high and can be mentally challenging, and struggling in this area can have a massive impact on external performance.

[ MOVEMENT ]

Yes as sportsmen and women, you’re active. Well done. For my patients that don’t exercise, I encourage movement of any sort, but in your case, I’m not talking about going for your training runs or your scheduled 180km cycle. In your case, it’s movement specific to avoid injuries and ensure stability and strength.

The best way to prevent injury is by staying diverse with your movement demands.

This is the perfect summary of a great quote from Boo Schexnayder on the topic of preventing injuries:

The ides is that the human body was designed to be a Swiss Army knife of movement with the capability of sprinting, jumping, lifting heavy things, moving with fluid motion, and feats of endurance. Focusing on just a few of these elements for your “exercise” would simply be a mistake. By working through a wide range of physical literacy challenges, different systems and tissues are stressed without being overstressed. This results in more resilient tissues and less injury. So have your primary focus but supplement or break up programming with components of physical literacy that are neglected by the “meat and potatoes” of your program.

The number of athletes I see that have a weak core, um… insert emoji facepalm to the face. If you are serious about your goals and want to achieve some superb results, please see a Biokineticist, you will not be disappointed. CORE: GET GOOD AT BEING STILL SO YOU CAN BE EFFICIENT WHEN YOU’RE MOVING FAST.

[ NERVOUS SYSTEM ]

Which brings me to this. So what are the reasons why sportsmen and women get adjusted and receive chiropractic care?
- Well, firstly it is non-invasive and DRUG-FREE. We do not prescribe medication to try to fix niggles or prevent injuries, nor do we give medication to enhance performance. We simply look to the neuromusculoskeletal system, because that is where it all begins.
- Heightened body awareness. Training towards a goal requires a lot more activity and participation, and for some sports that further requires higher levels of impact on the body. Chiropractic adjustments restore function to the body and nervous system.
- Chiropractic care improves movement, on a spinal and joint level, as well as overall body movement. Imagine training for the comrades with ankles that don’t move properly? That directly affects the whole gait cycle and can lead to numerous lower limb enthesopathies.
- Better Balance. Chiropractic care restores balance to the entire body through correcting nervous system disturbances and allowing signals to flow freely between the brain and the body. Upper cervical adjustments have a direct influence on the brain stem. Do you know what the function of the brainstem is? It controls the flow of messages between the brain and the rest of the body and also controls basic body functions such as breathing, heart rate, swallowing, blood pressure, consciousness, whether one is awake or sleepy, and maintains healthy brain function and balance/coordination.
- Increased flexibility. When joints and spinal bones are in proper alignment, you are able to maneuver with ease. This is crucial to athletes.
All the above benefits, therefore, contribute greatly to preventing injury, relieving body stress inflicted by strenuous training regimes, increases strength and enhancing performance. Seeking chiropractic care is not only about injuries, but it’s also about body function and overall optimal performance.

What are you truly missing out on?

Focus on ensuring that these five pillars are standing strong and I can assure you that achieving your sporting goals will be that much easier and much more enjoyable.

As always,

Inspiring you to Move. Heal. Excel.

Big love,

Doc Lol x
4 January 2020

Category: Sports

The Big C…omrades! And 5 other “C’s” that might help you.

Sportsman or woman? This read is for you.