USANA Health Sciences, Inc. (NYSE: USNA), an international nutritional company, is proud to continue its tradition of sponsoring deserving Malaysian sportspersonswho are role models to all young athletes in the country.
The USANA Elite Athletes Malaysia are:
1.Muhamad Heidy, a top notch dodgeball player whose achievements include:
# Vice President & Head Coach of Malaysia Dodgeball Federation – Present
# 1st Runner Up for Asean Dodgeball Championship 2015 and
# Ranking #2 in Dodgeball World Cup 2016, Manchester.
2.Adli Hafidz Mohd Pauzi, up and coming boxer with milestones including:
# Silver medallist light-heavy boxing category in 2017 SEA Games Kuala Lumpur
# WBC Asia Silver Champion for middleweight category and
# WBC Asia Exemplary Boxer of the Year 2018 Award from Asian Boxing Council.
3.Welson Sim Wee Sheng, national record holder for several swimming freestyle categories with other achievements including:
# Olympian of the Year 2017 by Malaysian Olympic Council
# Best Sportsman of 2017 SEA Games and
# Defeated 2016 Rio Olympic Gold Medalist Australian swimmer, Mack Horton.
Ms Vivienne Lee, Regional General Manager for USANA Malaysia, Singapore & Taiwan said:“Today marks a very special occasion for all of us as USANA Malaysia is delighted to contribute in a truly meaningful way in the career development of these three fine sportspersons and we are continuing a tradition of sponsoring local athletes ever since 2016.
“USANA is active in sponsoring athletes who rely on USANA supplements to keep them in top shape and we are helping them to be in the circle of world-class athletes and elite champions who trust their health to USANA products.
“For all the three USANA Elite Athletes Malaysia, their sponsorship is worth more than RM100,000 including supplements sponsorship and networking with the USANA athlete community, for at least one and a half year.
“We are thrilled to welcome our dynamic trio to the USANA family. All athletes need nutritional products that help keep them in top form for stamina, energy and focus that only peak health can bring.
“USANA Health Sciences is proud to have all three of these outstanding athletes join the ranks of more than 4,500 professional athletes throughout the world who are using our wide range of products to keep them in the best possible physical and mental condition,” she said.
They include among the many others, five-time world boxing champion Timothy Bradley Jr and 2016 Rio Olympics swimming contender Kelsi Dahlia, who are all drawn to USANA’s unrivaled nutritional supplements.
The USANA elite athletes around the globe rely on USANA products to maintain their health. They choose USANA because of the quality of its products, and the potency guarantee the company provides, ensuring what’s on the label is what’s in the product—and nothing else.
“USANA is excited that Muhamad Heidy, Adli Hafidz and Welson have chosen to trust their health to USANA, and we are delighted to play a role in helping them achieve their dreams of becoming a leading professional sportsperson globally,” added Vivienne.
*The mentioned athletes are either distributors or dedicated users who have received compensation for their partnership and/or complimentary USANA products.
An article in New York Times in 2018 described a novel benefit for employees introduced by Levi Strauss & Company in San Francisco: free genetic screening to assess their hereditary risks for certain cancers and high cholesterol. Its CEO Chip Bergh wanted to reduce the company’s employee health care costs – naturally, any CEO would! So he hoped for a positive response from his employees. In the article, it states that other companies in the US like Nvidia, Salesforce, SAP, Slack, Stripe, Snap and Visa have offered the genetic screenings as an employee benefit. The company they used was US-based Color Genomics, a start-up that has quickly become a leader in employee genetic screening and counseling.
Hong Kong / Singapore
Meanwhile over in Hong Kong, Bloomberg article delves into a test subject from Hong Kong – David Leung who took a genetic test that came free with an insurance policy and has since followed a diet plan inspired by his DNA report. Prenetics Inc analysed Mr Leung’s genes and has sold more than 100,000 DNA testing kits in 2018 and aims to double sales volumes this year as it starts marketing directly to consumers as well as through insurers. Its executive officer Danny Yeung said that they want to “democratise genetic testing.” Leung’s genetic analysis and diet recommendations were provided in a 44-page report with an additional feature of an app that enabled him to interact with a health coach.
Prenetics seem to have outdone itself with a new brand, Circle DNA – claiming it as THE WORLD’S MOST COMPREHENSIVE DNA TEST at USD189.
Moving down towards the equator in Southeast Asia is Singapore-based Imagene Labs that markets itself as a DNA-based beauty and wellness company that creates customised solutions based on individuals’ unique genetic traits. Its Managing Director Wong Mun Yew says, the company’s sales strategy is to forge partnerships with spa and fitness chains.
Australia
Further down under in Australia, we found myDNA. Founded in 2007 by leading Clinical Geneticist, Associate Professor Leslie Sheffield, myDNA aims to unlock the power of personal genomics for everyday consumers. May 2019 marks the month that this Aussie company has stepped into the United States of America and will be launching two main products for that market; Nutrition & Fitness(MSRP USD99) provides personalised Nutrition, Fitness and Caffeine Reports. Vitamins(MSRP USD89) identifies 12 genes that help determine a person’s need for nine different vitamins and minerals.
Making nutrition personal in the USA
Personalised nutrition is forecasted to be worth $US11.5 billion by 2025 worldwide (2018 Axiom Market Research report). An article by the Australian Financial Review spoke to Dr Michael Fenech, founding president of the Asia-Pacific Nutrigenomics and Nutrigenetics Organisation who co-authored a paper evaluating scientific evidence for genotype-based, personalised, dietary advice. Basically, eating right for your gene-type. He gave an example about obesity. An area where our responses to food differ and where, potentially, nutrigenomics could help us lose a few kilos. “Multiple genes, including the FTO gene, are involved in metabolism and weight control and a personalised diet may increase the chance of a dieter’s success,” he says.
DNA testing disclaimers
When customers sign up, swab and send their DNA to the respective DNA testing providers, they need to know that their data may be shared with research partners of those DNA testing labs. Also, that they need to be prepared for unexpected surprises from the results of their DNA tests.
Is DNA testing a means to gather data to prolong life span?
Did you know, that search engine giant Google’s founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin have such great interest in researching to extend life span that they setup Calico, a research and development company whose mission is to harness advanced technologies to increase our understanding of the biology that controls lifespan. Their interest was reported in an article in the Australian Financial Review, which shares, “Brin inherited a gene that predisposes him to Parkinson’s disease, and Page has nerve damage that affected his vocal cords.” I found this intriguing that the world’s largest Internet search engine company has made its mark in DNA Testing via AncestryDNA, a provider known for ethnicity genetics testing from only USD59. Besides providing the world with free internet, perhaps this could be the start of a life lengthening elixir.
This article has been compiled from various sources gathered from published articles, written and edited by Jasmine Low, co-founder Asia Fitness Today. No payment has been derived from this piece and is not an advertorial nor endorsement. Thoughts expressed are the author’s own.
A quick dive into what STRESS means, and how you can manage it!
Pressured to perform at school? Managing timelines at work? People handling. Keeping the peace within the family. Everything is interconnected, and there are so many ways in managing and reducing stress in your life. Everyone is different too, so while some people may react explosively, others may simply laugh it off, run a marathon or resort to a quieter method be it through prayer, medication or mindfulness. Stress can arise from anything or anyone who places a high demand or expectation from you.
“Stress, if adapted can motivate us every day in our daily life”, – MYHEALTH
In an article excerpt from Ministry of Health of Malaysia MyHealth website, writers Prof. Madya Dr. Alvin Ng Lai Oon suggests that stress can be good or bad. He writes, “We need stress to survive. Stress, if adapted can motivate us every day in our daily life. Through stressful situations, we develop abilities to adapt, cope and respond to life’s demands. On the other hand, stress is bad when we are not able to manage it properly or when we view it negatively. Poor stress management leads to feeling out of control which in turn will lead to other unhealthy coping strategies,”.
According to a journal by Harajyoti, Dipankar, Lipika and Nabanita (2012) – “Comparative Study on Stress and Contributing Factors Among Graduate and Graduate Students”, stress factors were found to be behavioural, psychological and psychosomatic. In terms of behaviour, the study suggests that stress is caused by instability in relationships. The psychological aspects are where stress stems from from anger, low self-esteem, depression where all of it seems to be related to emotional disturbance. In psychosomatic terms, factors such as headache, sleep problems, ulcers and high blood pressure tend to cause stress and pressure.
In the study, they found that females show often more symptoms in anxiety, back pain, neck pain, appetite and skin rashes. The report also said that there were studies that suggest that the inability to adapt to stress is associated with the onset of depression or anxiety. In one study, two-thirds of subjects who experienced a stressful situation had nearly six times the risk of developing depression within a month of experiencing stressful events. Some evidence suggests that repeated release of stress hormone produce hyperactivity in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal gain and disrupts normal level of serotonin, the nerve chemical that is critical for feeling of well being. Certainly, stress diminishes quality of life reducing feeling of pleasure and accomplishment
and relationship are often threatened. The data was derived from a sample pool of 250 participants comprising of students and post-graduate students.
University of Puerto Rico’s Michael J. Gonzalez & Jorge R. Miranda-Massari (2014) published “Diet and Stress”. Here’s an excerpt from the report:
Stress happens in 3 stages. The first is an initial state of alarm (fight or flight response), which produces an increase of adrenaline. Living organisms can withstand
occasional extreme stress and still survive. The second stage is a short-term resistance mechanism that the body sets up to cope with the problem. The final stage is a state of exhaustion. The exhaustion stage occurs when the body has used up all
its available resources. If the situation is not taken care of, stress can produce long-term damage to the body, including heart problems, high blood pressure, the immune system problems (susceptibility to infections and allergies), skin problems (acne, itchy
rashes, psoriasis, and eczema), pain (neck, shoulder and back), diabetes, and infertility.
Stress affects the whole body.
Musculoskeletal System
When muscles are tense for prolonged periods of time, other reactions of the body promote stress-related disorders. Tension headache and migraine headache have been associated with chronic muscle tension in the area of the shoulders, neck,
and head.
Respiratory System
Stress can make breathing more difficult. For those with asthma or a chronic obstructive disease, getting enough oxygen can become difficult.
Cardiovascular
Repeated acute stress and persistent chronic stress can induce inflammation in the vasculature, especially of the coronary arteries. This is one of the proposed mechanisms associating stress to myocardial infarcts. It addition, it has been shown that the way a person responds to stress can alter cholesterol levels.
Endocrine
Stress affects how the hypothalamus signals the pituitary gland and the autonomic nervous system to secrete the stress hormones epinephrine and cortisol. The hypothalamus stimulates the adrenal glands cortex to produce cortisol and the adrenal me-
dulla to produce epinephrine. This gives the body the energy to run from danger.
In every stressful situation, there is a solution. Finding the root cause is key. In the next paragraph, we share some tips on the best methods in which you can manage stress in your lives. Remember these 3 letters, E, E & E!
Eat
A balanced diet is based on the “Myplate” of the food set. Eating is one of life’s simplest pleasures. Ever head the term “comfort food”? Nourishment for your mental and physical being comes from the food you meticulously plan throughout the day. Keep your food simple, light and nutritious so it’s easily digestible and keep you from feeling sluggish after lunch.
Stressful situations can increase the acid content in our stomach. Makes one think differently when they say “I have butterflies in my stomach”!
Our team had a very insightful read of Diet & Stress by Michael J. Gonzalez & Jorge R. Miranda-Massari, 2014. Citing the report, “…a food industry that provides main staple foods that are additional stressors (refined carbohydrates, excessive animal fats, artificial colours, preservatives, and sweeteners). Unhealthy eating patterns will only result in an increased level in stress, followed by further health problems in the near future if the issues are not resolved. With a healthy eating plan accompanied with scientific supplementation and a proper stress management program, one can overcome stress, prolong one’s life span, and reduce the likelihood of stress-related illnesses,”
“One of the main problems with on-going stress is the depletion of nutrients. The stress response is fight or flight; either action requires lots of energy. Stress utilizes many nutrients for energy production, even if one sits in front of a computer screen all day,”.
“B vitamins are essential for coping with stress, as they are used in most metabolic enzymes. Substances like sugar, alcohol, and caffeine will drain these resources and affect the functionality of the body and the brain. When under stress, the body uses reserve B vitamins,”.
“Foods can help relieve stress in several ways. Comfort foods, like a bowl of warm oatmeal can boost levels of serotonin, a calming brain chemical,”.
Exercise
For busy executives, you could incorporate some exercise into your day, just as though it were an important appointment. We would suggest a less strenuous routine, that would help you work out a sweat but without stressing your body out too much.
Ed Haynes, founder and head trainer at a gym in Hong Kong shared that exercise itself stresses your body. So it’s not a good idea to pack physical stress on top of an already stressed body. You can read more about it here.
Rest
A really good rest is penultimate. When you get enough rest, your physical and mental condition is calm, balanced and ready to to make right decisions. Heed this advice. It’s been said, good rest is productivity’s best friend.
Here’s a tip from Dr Lim Li Ling, Consultant Neurologist at the Singapore Neurology & Sleep Centre, Gleneagles Medical Centre and Director, Sleep Disorders Unit, Singapore General Hospital.
Sleep-wake Schedule
Go to bed and get up at about the same time every night and morning respectively, including weekends. Try to have a regular schedule of going to bed and waking up. This will help you to anchor your circadian (“biological”) clock and establish a consistent rhythm of sleep. Read more…
A Comparative Study on Stress and it’s Contributing Factors among the Graduate and Post-Graduate Students by Harajyoti Mazumdar, Dipankar Gogoi, Lipika Buragohain and Nabanita Haloi. 2012. Read more…
Stress dan Kesihatan. Dr Izzat Haznil Bin Ismaal. Pegawai Perubatan PKU UTMKL. Read more…
Diet and stress. Michael J Gonzalez and Jorge R Miranda-Massari. 2014. Read more…
This article was written by AsiaFitnessToday.com editorial team with research by Nabila Azamuddin and Nur Nadiah Yazid, UiTM Sports Management faculty.
Pentingnya air dalam badan kita dalam menjalani aktiviti seharian! Semua orang mempunyai pengetahuan bahawa hidrasi adalah sangat penting dalam tubuh badan kita. Hal ini kerana, setiap aktiviti yang kita lakukan akan memerlukan kuantiti air yang banyak dalam badan. Jika tubuh badan kita dalam keadaan dehidrasi, ianya akan menyebabkan kita kekurangan tenaga dalam badan. Selain itu, ianya juga akan menyukarkan kita untuk melakukan aktiviti-aktiviti harian kita seperti bersenam, bekerja serta dalam menggunakan otak untuk berfikir.
Disebabkan itu, jikalau kita perhatikan pelajar-pelajar, pekerja-pekerja serta para atlet sangat mementingkan air sepanjang mereka melakukan aktiviti harian mereka. Mereka tidak akan lupa untuk membawa sebotol air dalam melakukan aktiviti harian mereka. Dalam satu keratan akhbar Harian Metro ada menyatakan air bersih boleh merangsang system pertahanan badan, metabolisme sel dan mengurangkan risiko sel menjadi tidak normal, mencegah bahan toksik daripada merebak ke sel lain dan mengurangkan risiko terhadpa jangkitan.
Menurut artikel guesehat.com, salah satu hal yang perlu kita ketahui tentang hidrasi badan adalah tubuh yang kekurangan cairan tidak hanya boleh dilihat dari warna urin. Menurutnya lagi, warna urin yang kita keluarkan belum tentu sesuai menggambarkan keadaan hidrasi tubuh yang tengah dialami. Faktor luaran yang lain seperti makanan, minuman serta pengambilan vitamin dan mineral turut dapat mengubah warna urin menjadi lebih pekat.
Dehidrasi sangatlah penting untuk dijaga, sepertimana yang telah dinyatakan diatas kesan- kesan sampingannya. Konklusinya, sentiasa membawa sebotol air putih kemana jua kita pergi walaupun tidak melakukan aktiviti yang berat. Seterusnya, air putih juga mempunyai banyak khasiat untuk badan kita. Nantikan artikel seterusnya untuk mengetahui dengan lebih lanjut mengenai nutrisi makanan yang baik.
Artikel ini disusun oleh tim Asia Fitness Today yang mengambil inspirasi dari laman web Guesehat dan Harian Metro.
I’m sure you’ve heard fitness trainers saying this – engage your core, engage your core! Your “core” refers to the muscles that surround your midsection, the part that runs from the top of our pelvic bone to the top of your stomach, wrapping around to your lower back. Basically it’s your trunk area.
Why does your “core” need to be strong? It needs to be not only strong, but also flexible and coordinated to help you in every action and movement. The core area helps us flex, extend, side-bend and rotate your trunk in all directions, as well as keep the trunk stable. Along with your hips and lower back, the abdominal muscles is crucial in keeping our centre strong so that we can use our arms and legs powerfully without hurting your spine.
Why is core engagement important?
A strong core is important in maintaining good physical health. Remember, your core is the building block for your entire body’s posture and overall movement. Once you have strong core muscles, you can improve your balance, coordination and stability, as well as reduce any risk of lower back pain and injury.
Besides athletes and sportsmen, elderly persons can also greatly benefit from having a strong core.
Building the exercise routine
Incorporate practicing core engagement exercises so you can also build endurance around your other muscles. A very simple tip, is to ensure holding a good posture at all times. This simple practice naturally engages your core! So when you’re standing, your spine is more or less in its natural curve. Once you’re used to it, it will become second nature and standing with a relaxed core will actually feel weird.
Six packs equal a strong core?
Let’s start with aspiring towards a lean physique…without a six pack. Most people with six packs are truly inspiring and disciplined; keeping an extremely strict exercise regime and maintaining a planned nutritional schedule and intake. Often pictures of athletes or models parading their six packs are taken during their peak conditions where they have activated both their transverse and rectus abdominus. They don’t usually look like that all year round. In truth, this kind of lifestyle is not realistic for ordinary people like us who do not have 6-8 hours to exercise every day. Abdominal definition is, in many cases, a side effect of being strong and healthy. In other words, strengthen your Transverse Abdominus.
What’s the Tranverse Abdominus?
Transverse Abdominus, or TVA, is the deepest layer of abdominal muscles. It covers our whole torso from ribs to pelvis and from front to back. The TVA muscles are set horizontally like a weight belt or corset and it does not move your pelvis or spine. It helps with your breathing and also helps stabilise your spine, in addition to forceful exhaling of air from the lungs and compress the internal organs.
Why is the TVA so important as a core muscle?
The TVA helps stabilise your spine and is one of the main muscles that helps stabilise the lumbar spine, which is the bottom part of the spine. You can tell you have a weak TVA when you have lower back pain.
When you strengthen your TVA, you not only strengthen your back, which is important for many other activities such as lifting stuff, sitting, walking and many more activities that involve limb movements.
When your TVA is weak your abdominal wall will bulge outwards and your pelvis may rotate and your may increase the risk of a curvature of the spine. In other words, strengthen your core to decrease the risk to your spine. It also helps you to trim your stomach area.
How do you build on the TVA as a core muscle then?
There’s no one magical exercise routine, but a combination of movements that engage the core in a way that works so much better than crunches and sit-ups.
Planks are well known for “working” the core, but some other exercises include pull-ups, jumping, spinning, and rolling.
These movements have one thing in common – and that is, none of them are “isolation” exercises. Basically, in order to do those movements, you need to use your abdominals to maintain your posture and stability throughout the motion.
Core engagement exercise tips
Engage your core while seated
A lot of us sit for long periods of time either at the office or while driving. For this very reason, practising and engaging your core is especially important as you sit down or get up from your chair or car seat.
Step 1: Sit up straight in your chair, with your shoulders over your hips, then let your back relax back against the backrest.
Step 2: Sit up into your original position again and feel that light sense of tension in your abs needed to hold yourself up. It should not be much. Just a light, but deep, engagement. This is the level of engagement you want to have while you walk, run or do any movement throughout your day.
Abdominal Vacuum
Step 1: Sit up tall on a chair. Straighten your spine and place your feet flat on the floor.
Step 2: Draw your bellybutton in toward your spine, engaging your core muscles. Do not hold your breath; instead breathe deeply and evenly.
Step 3: Contract your abdominals or pulse the muscles in and out until your muscles fatigue.
You can practice the abdominal vacuum exercise throughout the day while you are sitting on a chair.
Engage your core – AsiaFitnessToday.com
Abdominal Hold
Step 1: Sit on the edge of a chair with a straight spine and your feet flat on the floor.
Step 2: Place your palms flat on the seat of the chair, curling your fingers around the edge of the seat.
Step 3: Engage your core muscles by drawing your bellybutton in toward your spine. Press down with your hands and draw your knees toward your chest, lifting your feet two to four inches off the floor.
Repeat this exercise as many times as you can during a one-minute interval.
How about other times when we are not sitting or exercising?
Keep your core engaged lightly and gently during any and all movement: when you first get out of bed (with a gentle stretch), while walking, getting into and out of your car, at the office at your desk, and most definitely while you run or walk or do any kind of fitness activity, standing in line, cooking dinner, even while brushing your teeth.
When you focus your mind on your core several times a day, you are in touch with a deeper part of yourself, in the present moment.
Reminding ourselves to keep our core engaged
Make it a game…how many muscles can you engage in any movement if your core is engaged. Feel the difference in how you move when your core is or is not consciously employed. How about setting an alarm on your phone, with a ring tone that is unique to remind yourself to engage your core?
Revisiting the benefits of breathing right
You might not think about something that happens so automatically as breathing, but it can make all the difference in your workout – especially when doing stomach exercises. Breathing out at the right time tightens your ab muscles and engages your core, so you get more out of your workout. Proper breathing technique can also give you more stamina while on the exercise mat. When exerting yourself, it can seem like a natural reaction to hold your breath. Don’t do this! Keep breathing otherwise you could get dizzy and faint.
Proper Technique
Improper breathing techniques could interfere or delay your ability to get the most out of your ab workout. To get the most oxygen from your lungs to your muscles, it’s important that you draw air deep into your lungs. This is accomplished using a technique known as abdominal breathing.
Abdominal breathing helps you fill your belly with air to get the optimal amount of oxygen into your body. If you’re only pulling air into your chest, you may not get the oxygen you need during a workout.
Ok, some people will say that they breathe with their lungs. This is okay as long as you can feel your abdominal muscles move.
The problem arises when you use your upper chest to breath as this more often than not causes or makes chest pain worse.
Chest breathing are shallow and rapid or fast breaths. This is a stress response and can lead to hyperventilation, which is bad for those with stress and anxiety. You can use abdominal breathing to control your nervous system and encourage your body to relax. When your body is relaxed, it brings a range of health benefits.
Take a quick at the last issue of Running Malaysia where we touched on Breathing. Proper breathing helps you to lose weight as well. So when you’re strengthening your core, don’t forget to breathe.
Credit: Article compiled by Nikki Yeo – Co-founder AsiaFitnessToday.com and ACE-certified Fitness Trainer.
Understanding the differences between men and women in long distance running
It’s a fact. Men and women simply have different morphology. Most runners will have a training plan to clock in the distance in order to achieve their goal of be it a 5km or an ultra marathon. While we are determined to cross the finish line with our personal best time, it would help to get to know your body better so you can reach the maximum potential of your given anatomy. In order to optimise your training and improve your performance, I’ve compiled a few differences that will create a better understanding of the differences between men and women.
Physiological gender differences & implications for training and performance
Before boys and girls hit puberty, their body structures are similar in terms of body weight, height, length of their legs and upper-arm circumference. During puberty, development occurs and boys will start to develop larger shoulders while girls start to develop larger and wider hips. Due to the smaller shoulder size of women, this poses a disadvantage for women to develop upper-body strength, limiting their body strength on the upper-body in comparison to men throughout adulthood. Women’s narrow shoulders compared to men’sare also generally shorter and women are naturally born with larger pelvis width-to-height ratio and shoulder-to-hip ratio than men.
“We some times hear the term pear-shaped being used to describe a woman’s shape, but the basic truth thata woman has wider hipsis specifically for the purpose of child bearing. Notice that most professional female runners tend to have smaller and narrower hips, so it’s their natural born physique that also aids them towards excelling in distance running”.
The Q Angle (or Quadriceps Angle)
The anatomical and biomechanical features are disparate between men and women. Women have a larger pelvis because they are designed to carry the child. This larger pelvis combined to a shorter femur lead to a different Q angle at which the quadriceps muscle – from the pointiest position of the pelvis, scientifically known as the Anterior Superior Iliac Spine – meets the kneecap (or patella), compared to the line connecting the ligament attaching the patella to the shin. The angle between these two lines forms the Q angle.
Males have a Q angle between 8 and 15 degrees while females have a Q angle between 12 and 19 degrees.
SOURCE:PHYSIOPEDIA,Q ANGLE
How does this difference influence the running?
Women, as they have a broader angle, are more subjected to Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries while exerting themselves. The Q-angle dissimilarity refers to a difference of knee alignment as well. In short, men are anatomically better designed than women for running. The space for ACL movement is more limited by women than in men, putting the ACL in a critical position as it can easily get pinched and lead to rupture of the ligament, especially while stretching or twisting. However, when you practise how to train properly, you will lower the risks of getting injuredmale or female.
In summary,
A larger Q-angle puts women at a mechanical disadvantage when running.
Wider hips and a large Q-angle put the femur at an angle when the foot is on the ground.
Elite female runnershave narrower hips, which closely resemble male runners. Research has also shown that the hip width of very good female runners is similar to that of both athletic and even non-athletic males.
Women’s anatomy also affects their stride mechanics. Research has shown that female runners take shorter strides than male runners when running at the same speed. Although it’s interesting that the combination of stride rate and stride length differs between female and male runners, it’s not completely clear why women take shorter strides.
Obvious reason is that women are generally shorter than men and have shorter legs, hence the shorter strides. (misconception among runners)
Research has also shown that taller runners don’t take longer strides than shorter runners. Stride length is more a product of hip extension and how much force your muscles produce as you push off the ground.
Therefore, something else must cause female runners to take shorter strides than male runners when running at the same speed
Differences in body weight and body composition
Muscular differences
Muscle mass is on average 35% of the total mass of a man against 28% in women. Moreover, women have more “fat” than men. The fat of a woman averaged 20% against 13% in a man.
Women have a smaller muscle than men
Women can’t produce much muscle as much as men
Men are able to sprint faster than women
Knowing that muscle activity is the cause of energy expenditure during exercise, and the woman has less ability to produce energy and therefore less strength and endurance.
Cardio muscular distinctions
The heart
The heart is a cardio muscular muscle that enables oxygen through blood stream to be pumped to your muscles.The female heart is smaller. While it weighs 118 grams on average in women, men’s hearts weighin at about 178 grams on average. Training improves the heart skills in both women and men. This enhancement is however limited in women.
Maximum Heart Rate is the maximum number of beats the heart can achieve in the space of a minute. This value is unique to each individual and it also changes with age and gender.
The Maximum Heart Rate is thus higher in women than in men. On average, a woman will reach 174 beats per minute against 169 beats per minute. Women’s hearts beat faster because the volume of blood ejected by the heart is lower than men’s.
However, a smaller heart doesn’t mean men are better at running marathon. Even though you first impressions turn into men’s advantages, women are still in the run!
VO2max: maximal oxygen consumption
Femaleshave less blood than males. This could be explained first by the period women experience every month, but that isn’t the only factor. The blood plays an important role while running. Indeed, the vital oxygen you need to make your muscles work is transported through blood.
VO2max is the maximum capacity to store, transport and use oxygen during aerobic exercise. In other words, this is the maximum volume of oxygen consumed during exercise. Your muscles and oxygen are necessary to produce the required energy for training. The more your VO2 max is, the more your body is able to use oxygen to produce energy.
The VO2max on average for male is45-50 ml/min/kg and 35-40 ml /min/kg for women.
Men have an average of 13.6 to 17.5 grams of haemoglobin per decalitre in their blood. Women have 12.0 to 15.5 grams per decalitre.
Women therefore have less capacity to store and transport oxygen, a difference that translates both during tests of strength or resistance during endurance events.
A more advantageous metabolism in women
Carbohydrate (or glucose) is stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver. These stores represent the prime source of energy but they are limited. Indeed, the muscles can store about 400 grams of glycogen and the liver 100 grams.
After running out of this energy, a runners’bodywill seek another source of energy through the fat. You store fat all over your body, especially beneath the skin and around internal organs. An important note is that proteins are generally not used as the main resource of energy, except in extreme circumstances.
Men will use glycogen as the energy used while running whereas women can easily usefat and less carbohydrate at a given intensity of exercise. Men will need to recharge their hydrocarbon stocks to fuel their running capacity. It takes about 30 minutes to hydrocarbon/sugar to reach your bloodstream.
As a conclusion, women need to approach their training and racing differently than men to optimise their unique characteristics.
More than that, hormones in both males and females differ in amounts and in the effect that they have in the body. Indeed, for women, the best time to run is during the Follicular Phase, which is during your sixth to 15th day after your period. The differences occur in muscles and metabolism as well.
Being aware of these differences means is also a way to realise that your needs are different, that is why tailoring your diet and your training is necessary.
Women, you may be physiologically weaker, but you are still champions J
Alissa Laurent, a Canadian runnerwon the Canadian Death Race in 2015 and ended 90 minutes before the second winner, a man.
In short, women are scientifically better distance runners than men. So go ahead and with safe and consistent training, you can outrun the boys!
