The Alternative Medicine Blog

08-Marathon Training, Miami 2010: Why Vitamin B6 Should Be Part Of The Antioxidant Network & 9 Miles (hills again!)

Below is a map of my hilly route (mapmyrun.com, 2009). It is an awesome run up and down Fruitport road. Elevation ranges from 574 ft to 663 ft. The ascent is 112 ft and difference in elevation is about 90 feet or equivalent to a 9 story climb. The starting point once again is the Spring Lake Rite Aid. This course is getting even prettier as the leaves are starting slowly to turn color exposing a runner to an awesome display of fall colors. A 1:30 hours run that literally nourishes body and mind!

Now that we have taken care of nourishing the mind, how about some info on nourishing the body as well? After today's stats we'll cover vitamin B-6.

07-ING Marathon Training, Miami 2010: The Sweat Rate: a Crucial Measure of Dehydration During Exercise & 4 Mile Run

Today’s preparation for the 2010 ING Miami Marathon consisted of a short, easy four mile run. Nothing big, just enough to get the weekly mileage up. On another note, today as promised, we will be discussing loss of body weight during exercise or as nutritionists call it: The Sweat Rate. The sweat rate is an important indicator and gives us very important information about the body’s state of dehydration during exercise. The sweat rate also allows us to calculate optimum fluid replacement. Of course optimum fluid replacement is extremely important not only for recovery, but also to restore glycogen homeostasis and prepare us for the next bout of exercise. But firs today’s stats, followed by an explanation of  “The Sweat Rate.”

06-26.2 Marathon Training, Miami 2010: 13 Mile Long Run & The Hottest Thing Since Sliced Bread: “Bambou” Underwear!

So, OK! Let’s start today’s training update with another Gear Check. You thought that this was all serious business about training for the 2009 ING Miami Marathon? Not quite. This post however, has to do with marathon running. There are other important things to optimum performance, such as proper shoes, (covered here) clothing, gadgets, music, etc. I usually don’t “wash my laundry in public” but this stuff I gotta share. Today’s Gear Check is absolutely awesome, and if you are an inspiring runner, or even a couch surfing hipster, you might want to check today’s Gear Check on proper running attire: bamboo underwear.

05-26.2 Training Miami 2010: 5 miles running against wind gusts of up to 60 mph & today’s Antioxidant: Vitamin E

Yesterday’s 5 mile run was nuts. On the way back I was battling unbelievable wind gusts. Come to find out, there was a High Wind Advisory in effect for most of West Michigan! I figure that  carving my way through the wind was a great workout that will help me prepare to run 26.2 miles. After the stats please find info on the fat soluble antioxidant Vitamin E.

04-26.2 Training Miami 2010: 9 Miles Going Up And Down Hills. Plus This Run’s Nutrition Topic: Antioxidant Vitamin C

Sunday's run was absolutely awesome. It took me up Fruitport Road with it’s many hills. The temp was just right, with very little wind. Awesome conditioning workout. Here are the stats, followed by today’s Antioxidant: Vitamin C why you should make sure you get enough, good sources of Vitamin C and some precautions on Vitamin C.

003-26.2 Training Miami 2010: Very easy 4 miles & Nutrition and Exercise. Today we’ll start to explore Network Antioxidants...

Many of you might be familiar with the concept of the “Free Radical Theory” of aging. In short, free radicals are an unavoidable product of an organism that deals with aerobic respiration, such us humans. When oxygen is involved the very process of living and breathing creates free radicals. Free radicals can in turn, over time, do considerable damage to cells and cell membranes. Enter antioxidants. There is good scientific research out there that certain nutrients have the ability to quench free radicals and thus make them less dangerous to our cells. Individual cells are the building blocks for every tissue such as muscles and organs such as the heart. Running of course depends very heavily on aerobic respiration, and thus, the potential to increase free radical circulation. Over the next couple of “runs”...

Factors influencing the restoration of fluid and electrolyte balance after exercises in the heat

Purpose: The creators of this study tried to find the best way to rehydrate after strenuous exercise in the heat. All the experiments were performed under controlled conditions in a laboratory in which researchers experimented with different rehydration techniques.
Because potassium is thought of to help rehydration after exercise because potassium is a major component of cytosol and ingestion of potassium after exercise might help retain water in intracellular space, researchers set up an experiment to find out if that indeed was the case.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin) & High Cholesterol

Health care providers have been prescribing Vitamin B3, more specifically, the nicotinic acid form of vitamin B3 since the mid 50's [1].

The Coronary Drug Project (CDP) followed over 8,000 men who had at least one heart attack for six years. When researchers compared findings with placebo, they found that 3g of nicotinic acid per day was responsible for [2]:

10% reduction in total serum cholesterol (nicotinic acid significantly increased HDL cholesterol {the good}, while decreasing LDL cholesterol {the bad}),
26% reduction in triglycerides,
27% reduction in recurrent nonfatal heart attacks
26% reduction in strokes and transient ischemic attacks.

Organic Foods and the New Business Model

To call organic farming a new business model is somewhat of a misnomer. Organic farming has been practiced ever since the dawn of civilization. In order to understand the recent growth of organic foods in what is perceived big business one must back up about one century. If you guessed that organic farming started with the industrial revolution, more specifically the second industrial revolution (1870-1914) you are probably pretty close.

Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency

I am intrigued by the intermediary of glucose, Glucose-6-phosphate. After tearing out my hairs dealing with this sucker last week it becomes pretty obvious how important G6P is.

Having a major role in 5 metabolic pathways, it follows than that it is very common in cells. Following along this line of thought, it should also come as no surprise that the most common enzyme deficiency on this planet has to do with G6P. About 400 million people are affected by Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency which can cause hemolytic anemia. [1]

The enzyme Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase plays a role in the oxidative stage of the Pentose Phosphate Pathway, converting glucose-6-phosphate to 6-phosphoglucono-d-lactone. Not only does this enzyme catalyze the above conversion, a by-product of this conversion is none other than the ever so important NADPH. The whole step uses NADP+ and Mg2+ to produce before mentioned NADPH + H+.[2]

Deficiency of this enzyme causes accumulation of glucose, and a reduction of NADPH. It is suggested that the deficiency of G6PD might be directly related to the high prevalence of diabetes mellitus type 2 and hypertension in African Americans.[3]

It seems that the only treatments for G6PD deficiency are:[4]

* Prevention: avoidance of foods and drugs that may cause hemolysis
* Blood transfusions, dialysis
* Splenectomy (removal of the spleen)
* Folic acid supplementation

When one considers the magnitude of G6PD deficiency as it might be the cause of not only hemolytic anemia, but also hypertension and diabetes mellitus type 2, it comes as a surprise that the only four options for treatment should be a radical surgery, nutritional steps for prevention, or blood transfusions/ dialysis.

I can't help but wonder how come that there are no other treatments available? Is it too big of a problem to solve?

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucose-6-phosphate_dehydrogenase_deficiency
2. http://www.biochem.arizona.edu/classes/bioc462/462b/glycolysis.html
3. Gaskin RS, Estwick D, Peddi R (2001). "G6PD deficiency: its role in the high prevalence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus". Ethnicity & disease 11 (4): 749–54
4. Treatment. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucose-6-phosphate_dehydrogenase_deficiency