Digestive Issues and Autism

Researchers are studying a gene that may cause both autism and gastrointestinal disorders, a study in Monday's Pediatrics Report. More than 30% of people with autism also have some kind of stomach or intestinal problem, compared with fewer than 10% of people who aren't autistic, says study author Daniel Campbell, research assistant professor at Vanderbilt University. Campbell is focusing on a gene called MET, which is involved in brain development before birth and in connections between brain cells after birth, as well as in the process through which the gastrointestinal system repairs itself. In his study, a variation in this gene was associated with both autism and gastrointestinal problems in 118 of 214 families.

Hopefully this research will begin to unravel the mystery of Autism.

My Ironman Competition has Gotten Tougher

Lance Armstrong has a new challenge, and it involves competing in Hawaii. The seven-time Tour de France winner wants to compete in the Hawaii Ironman in Kona, in either 2011 or 2012. Armstrong says the year depends on if this year or next year will be his final Tour de France. The 38-year-old says he wants to compete for fun, but thinks it's possible to finish in the top ten. He ran marathons, was a swimmer as a child, and a national-level triathlete in his late teens.

Product Review

This is a new section I'll try to keep up so you those of you who are ensured and motivated to take health and fitness more seriously can get my insite on products that I use.

First off, lets discuss hydration. (and no, I'm not this smart. I got my info from Hammer Nutrition - My preferred event supplement)

When we exercise, we burn molecular fuel, mostly glycogen, but also some protein, fat, and blood glucose from ingested nutrients. The breakdown of these energy providers releases heat that builds up and raises our core temperature. The body must rid itself of this heat and maintain a core temperature within a few degrees of the well-known 98.6 F (37 C). An active person needs a reliable cooling mechanism. Actually, you have several. You lose some heat through your skin. Blood carries heat to the capillaries near the skin's surface, removing heat from the body core. You breathe harder to get more oxygen, expelling heat when you exhale. But by far the most important part of the cooling system, accounting on average for about 75% of all cooling, is your ability to produce and excrete sweat. Your skin is like a radiator and the water you intake is like antifreeze. You run low on antifreeze, you overheat. So, you need to hydrate during exercise. All that to get to the product review....

I've used 2 hydration systems. The Amphipod Runlite Trail Endurance and the Nathan Speed 4R. Both are belt systems (you wear them around your waist during training/events) and both carry about 40 oz of liquid. The Amphipod uses bottles that clip into the belt where as Nathan uses silicon pouches to hold the bottles in place. To get to the point, I prefer the Nathan by far. The main issue for me is, the bottles on the Amphipod do not easily clip into place and you have to change your stride and slow down to get them in and out. Also, the belt on the Amphipod has to be adjusted and clipped into on. If you don't have it right from the beginning, it slides around and is pretty uncomfortable. The bottles on the Nathan are easy to get to and easy to put back. The waist band is a limited stretch elasticized material that works awesome. Both are equipped with attached pockets to store the ever important iPod and fuel gels.