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Sports Nutrition You Can Trust®
Consulting Services For Athletics & Food Industry
Sit-Ups and Sundaes Don't Mix: Diet With Exercise Works Best
If you're overweight and hoping to shed pounds, but still regularly
indulging in french fries -- don't count on exercise to salvage your
weight-loss efforts. To truly slim down, obese and overweight people need
to watch what they eat and get moving, according to a new analysis of
weight-loss trials dating back to 1985. (Embargo expired on 17-Oct-2006 at
19:00 ET)
Cochrane Library, Oct-2006
--Health Behavior News Service
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524221/?sc=dwtp
Vitamin C Status Is Related To Markers
We have preliminary evidence that vitamin C status favorably
influences fat and exercise performance. This research examined the
relationship between plasma vitamin C concentrations, markers of
adiposity, and adiponectin concentrations. These data indicate that low
plasma concentrations of vitamin C and adiponectin are independently
related to risk for adiposity.
47th Annual Meeting of the American College of Nutrition, Reno Grand
Sierra Resort (formerly Hilton Resort)
--Journal of the American College of Nutrition
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524391/?sc=dwtp
Review of Previous Studies Indicates Health Benefits From Eating Fish
Outweigh Risks
Despite the risks of possible contaminants, the health benefits of
consuming fish, including a lower rate of death from heart disease, exceed
the potential risks, according to a review of previous studies, published
in the October 18 issue of JAMA. (Embargo expired on 17-Oct-2006 at 16:00
ET)
JAMA, 18-Oct-2006
--American Medical Association (AMA)
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524290/?sc=dwtp
Grape Seed Extract Halts Cell Cycle, Checking Growth Of Colorectal Tumors
In Mice
Chemicals found in grape seeds significantly inhibited growth of
colorectal tumors in both cell cultures and in mice, according to
researchers who have already demonstrated the extract's anti-cancer
effects in other tumor types. (Embargo expired on 18-Oct-2006 at 00:00 ET)
Clinical Cancer Research, 18-Oct-2006
--American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524330/?sc=dwtp
How Much Influence Do Medical Publications Have On Your Doctor?
New research by Saint Louis University in today's Journal of the
American Medical Association asks two intriguing questions: How much
impact do articles in prominent medical journals really have on how
doctors treat patients, and how fast does that impact affect clinical
practice? The answers? Quite a bit, and very quickly -if the news is
negative. (Embargo expired on 17-Oct-2006 at 15:00 ET)
JAMA
--Saint Louis University Medical Center
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524337/?sc=dwtp
Many Adverse Drug Events Occur Outside the Hospital, Lead to Emergency
Visits
Each year, an estimated 700,000 persons experience adverse drug
events that lead to emergency department visits, according to a study in
the October 18 issue of JAMA. (Embargo expired on 17-Oct-2006 at 16:00 ET)
JAMA, 18-Oct-2006
--American Medical Association (AMA)
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524287/?sc=dwtp
Widely Prescribed Diabetes Drug Falls Short of Promise, Says New Review
A new systematic review calls into the question the health benefits
versus risks of an oral medicine widely prescribed for diabetes throughout
the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. The drug -- called pioglitazone
-- is marketed in the United States by Takeda Pharmaceuticals North
America, Inc., and Eli Lilly and Co. under the trade name Actos. (Embargo
expired on 17-Oct-2006 at 19:00 ET)
Cochrane Library
--Health Behavior News Service
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524222/?sc=dwtp
Allergy Drugs More Harmful Than Helpful for Chronic Ear Inflammation
Children who have persistent fluid in the middle ear, a condition
called otitis media with effusion, are more likely to be harmed than
helped by antihistamines and decongestants, a new review of studies has
found. (Embargo expired on 17-Oct-2006 at 19:00 ET)
Cochrane Library
--Health Behavior News Service
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524183/?sc=dwtp
Hypnosis and Acupuncture Show Promise for Labor Pain
A review of non-drug pain relief therapies suggests that hypnosis and
acupuncture may ease labor pain. (Embargo expired on 17-Oct-2006 at 19:00
ET)
Cochrane Library
--Health Behavior News Service
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524352/?sc=dwtp
Latest Weight-Loss Pill Offers Modest Results, Blocks 'Munchies'
A new drug billed as a magic bullet for obesity -- rimonabant
(Acomplia) -- does help people lose weight, although not that much weight,
and also helps lower cardiac risk factors, according to a review of
studies. (Embargo expired on 17-Oct-2006 at 19:00 ET)
Cochrane Library
--Health Behavior News Service
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524350/?sc=dwtp
Hormones and the Skin: the Role Hormones Play as We Age
Many people say that aging is just a state of mind. However, many
dermatologists will tell you that aging can be affected by your hormone
levels. Whether low or high, your hormones affect your skin, hair and
nails as you age.
--American Academy of Dermatology
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524411/?sc=dwtp
Encouraging a Lifetime of Healthy Skin Right from the Beginning
Almost right from the beginning of a child's life, parents encourage
their children to be healthy eaters while being active and fit. This also
is an important time to promote healthy skin care. Whether washing the
delicate skin of an infant or providing effective treatment for toddlers
with eczema, there are numerous ways parents and dermatologists can work
together to keep children's skin clean, healthy and nourished.
--American Academy of Dermatology
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524412/?sc=dwtp
Discovery's Edge is Mayo Clinic's Online Research Magazine
Discovery's Edge, Mayo Clinic's online research magazine, highlights
stories of leading medical investigators. Many features cover ongoing
projects long before they reach the journals. Science writers and medical
reporters seeking new story ideas will want to check out the articles,
which span a wide range of conditions and feature visuals they can use in
their own publications.
--Mayo Clinic
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524406/?sc=dwtp
Potential New Therapeutic Target for Asthma, Allergies and Cancer
Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have identified how a
bioactive molecule involved with allergy, inflammation and cancer is
transported out of mast cells, according to findings published online this
week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
PNAS, online, Oct-2006
--Virginia Commonwealth University
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524395/?sc=dwtp
A Natural Chemical Found in Strawberries Boosts Memory in Healthy Mice
Fisetin, a naturally occurring flavonoid commonly found in
strawberries and other fruits and vegetables, stimulates signaling
pathways that enhance long-term memory, report researchers at the Salk
Institute for Biological Studies in this week's Online Early Edition of
the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
PNAS, online, Oct-2006
--Salk Institute for Biological Studies
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524397/?sc=dwtp
Vitamin D levels linked to breast cancer progression
By Stephen Daniells
17/10/2006 - Increasing vitamin D levels may help curb the development and progression of breast cancer, suggests a small study from Imperial College London.
“This report, while being an observational study, clearly shows that circulating vitamin D levels are lower in patients with advanced breast cancer than in those with early breast cancer,” wrote lead author Dr Carlo Palmieri in the Journal of Clinical Pathology (doi.10.1136/jcp.2006.042747).
Both forms of the vitamin, D2 and D3, are hydroxylated in the liver and kidneys to form 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the non-active ‘storage' form, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, the biologically active form that is tightly controlled by the body. Scientists use serum 25- hydroxyvitamin D levels as a measure of vitamin D status.
This observation adds to an ever-growing body of evidence linking vitamin D status with incidence and risk of various cancers, including breast, colorectal and prostate. Indeed, the link between vitamin D intake and protection from cancer is not and dates from the 1940s when Frank Apperly demonstrated a link between latitude and deaths from cancer, and suggested that sunlight gave “a relative cancer immunity.”
The authors of the new study recruited 279 women with invasive breast cancer. The disease was in its early stages in 204 women, and advanced in the other 75.
Measuring serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the researchers report that women with early stage disease had significantly higher levels of vitamin D (15 to 184 millimoles per litre) than the women in the advanced stages of the disease (16 to 146 millimoles per litre).
Levels of parathyroid hormone were also significantly lower in the early stage breast cancer patients than women with advanced disease, but no difference in serum calcium levels was observed.
Palmieri and his co-workers said that the exact reasons for the disparity was not clear, nor is it known whether the low levels of vitamin D among those with advanced disease are a cause or consequence of the cancer itself, with previous studies reporting that vitamin D sufficiency and exposure to sunlight may reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.
Consumption of vitamin D in a diet, without fortified foods or supplements is difficult since no food is naturally rich in vitamin D. Most vitamin D is made in the skin on exposure to sunlight, but some campaigners have advised against too much sun due to increased risk of skin cancer.
"The next step in this research is to try and understand the potential causes and mechanisms underlying these differences and the precise consequences at a molecular level,” said Palmieri.
“We also need to look at the potential clinical implications of monitoring and maintaining high circulating vitamin D levels in breast cancer patients," he said.
Over one million women worldwide are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, with the highest incidences in the US and the Netherlands. China has the lowest incidence and mortality rate of the disease.
The National Cancer Institute estimates that 13 percent of American women will develop breast cancer during their lives.
Cinnamon extract could ease metabolic syndrome
By Stephen Daniells
18/10/2006 - A daily supplement of cinnamon extract may boost antioxidant defences and reduce the oxidative stress linked to the metabolic syndrome, suggest results from a small placebo-controlled, double-blind study from the US.
"This study tells us that the active compounds found in cinnamon extract may be helpful in reducing the risk of these diseases by providing cells protection from harmful oxidation," said Dr. Richard Anderson from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a collaborator on the study.
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a condition characterised by central obesity, hypertension, and disturbed glucose and insulin metabolism. The syndrome has been linked to increased risks of both type-2 diabetes and CVD.
Fifteen per cent of adult Europeans are estimated to be affected by MetS, while the US statistic is estimated to be a whopping 32 per cent.
The new study, presented earlier this month at the 47th American College of Nutrition annual meeting, adds to a growing body of research reporting that active compounds in cinnamon may improve insulin sensitivity in people with impaired fasting blood sugar levels.
The study is said to be the first to show an effect of cinnamon extracts on antioxidant status in humans and adds further support to the potential beneficial effects on glucose metabolism.
Twenty-four participants with impaired fasting glucose were recruited for the placebo-controlled, double-blind study, led by Dr. Anne-Marie Roussel from the Joseph Fourier University in France. They were randomly assigned to receive either a daily dose of 500 milligrams of cinnamon extract (Cinnulin PF, Integrity Nutraceuticals) or a placebo for 12 weeks.
At the end of the study the researchers found that plasma antioxidant levels, as measured by ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) and plasma SH (thiols) were both significantly increased, relative to the placebo group. Plasma levels of the compound, malondialdehyde (MDA), a reactive carbonyl compound related to oxidative stress, were also decreased as a result of cinnamon supplementation, but were unchanged in the placebo group.
NutraIngredients.com has not seen the original data, nor has it been published to date in a peer-review journal.
Dr. Anderson said in a statement that the results of Dr. Roussel's study were "extremely positive."
"People with impaired insulin function are at a higher risk of developing life-threatening chronic diseases, including diabetes and heart disease, the number one killer in the U.S. This study tells us that the active compounds found in cinnamon extract may be helpful in reducing the risk of these diseases by providing cells protection from harmful oxidation," he said.
A previous study by Dr. Anderson reported in 2003 (Diabetes Care, Vol. 26, pp. 3215-3218) that just 1g of the spice per day reduced blood glucose levels, as well as triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol in a small group of people with type 2 diabetes.
A placebo-controlled, double-blind study published in May (Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 25, pp. 144-150) reported that cinnamon and a cinnamon extract (Cinnulin PF) could reduce blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).
There have been toxicity concerns over consistent consumption or high doses of whole cinnamon or fat-soluble extracts.
Tim Romero, vice president, Integrity Nutraceuticals International, marketer of Cinnulin PF, welcomed the results: “Cinnulin PF provides a safe and effective nutritional solution to millions of people suffering from impaired insulin function and pre-diabetes.
"Moving forward we will continue to invest our time and resources in additional clinical studies to further validate the science in support of Cinnulin PF," he said.
According to Integrity, Cinnulin PF contains standardized quantities of the active components of cinnamon, two trimers and one tetramer classified as double-linked type-A polymers, but not the potentially harmful compounds.
Cinnulin PF is claimed to be the only cinnamon extract standardized for these compounds.
Nonthermal Food Processing Heats Up
__________________________________________________
ARS News Service
Agricultural Research Service, USDA
Laura McGinnis, (301) 504-1654, laura.mcginnis@ars.usda.gov
October 18, 2006
--View this report online, plus any included photos or other images, at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr
__________________________________________________
Technologies such as high-pressure processing, ultraviolet light and irradiation can be faster, cheaper and less disruptive to food quality than traditional thermal processing for killing microbes that can contaminate food products, according to scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS).
Under the guidance of research leader Howard Zhang, scientists at ARS' Eastern Regional Research Center (ERRC) in Wyndmoor, Pa., have investigated the effectiveness of these and other antimicrobial methods.
High-pressure processing (HPP) treatment involves applying 80,000 to 130,000 pounds per square inch of pressure to a sample. The researchers found that applying that extreme pressure for two to five minutes will inactivate the majority of microorganisms on or in a food source.
While HPP can eliminate close to 100 percent of vegetative microorganisms, it is not effective at removing microbial spores. In addition, at a cost of 5 to 10 cents per pound, it's too pricey to be practical. Zhang hopes that future research will change that.
The scientists have also investigated ultraviolet (UV) light and irradiation to protect food. They used UV processing on an apple cider sample that had been inoculated with bacteria. The UV treatment compared favorably to heat pasteurization, reducing the pathogen populations by more than 99 percent without changing the cider's flavor.
Irradiation exposes food to a low level of ionizing radiation to inactivate molds, yeasts, parasites, bacteria and other microorganisms that can lead to food spoilage and illness. Studies show that eating irradiated foods poses no increased health risk for consumers.
ERRC research findings have enabled federal regulatory agencies to establish standards to ensure the safety and quality of irradiated products like fruit, vegetables, juice, meat and meat substitutes.
Read more about this and other food safety research in the October 2006 issue of Agricultural Research magazine, available online at:
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/oct06/food1006.htm
ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency.
__________________________________________________
* This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays.
* Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm
* NewsService@ars.usda.gov | www.ars.usda.gov/news
* Phone (301) 504-1638 | fax (301) 504-1486
SPORTS ALLIANCE®
Celebrating 25 Years
Sports Nutrition You Can Trust®
Consulting Services For Athletics & Food Industry
Kathleen DeBoer, former Volleyball Coach and Senior Associate Athletic Director at the University of Kentucky and current American Volleyball Coaches Association Executive Director, takes a critical look at how coaches train males vs. females. She finds many coaches may be shortchanging both genders in their approach. Read the Full Story
PRACTICE LIKE A GIRL, COMPETE LIKE A BOY: TRAINING THE TOTAL ATHLETE By Kathleen J. DeBoer “I’d rather coach women in practice settings any day, but if we are talking about coaching in competition, I’d prefer coaching men.” I have heard this statement or a variation of it from many coaches who have worked with both female and male teams in a wide variety of sports. This pattern in preferences for different genders in different situations, while not universal, is certainly common enough that it cannot be attributed to isolated coaching idiosyncrasies. |
When I question those making the statements, the responses are again very similar. The preference for females in practice settings stems from the observations by these coaches that the female athletes listen better, are more interested in learning technique and in knowing specifically what their role is in different situations. Since most coaches find the details of technique and strategy fascinating, the attention of their athletes to these areas is naturally affirming. The stated preference for males in competitive situations is that male athletes can block out extraneous concerns and “just play,” that they take initiative in making things happen, and that the goal of winning is never questioned and always shared, if not always accomplished. For coaches, who are universally competitive people, these responses in contests are viewed as natural and normal, and any other response perplexing, if not utterly incomprehensible. So what causes these differences? Do our athletes come to the gym with the predisposed characteristics to battle or to bond already hard wired into them? Or, are we training them to respond differently to practice and competition? I believe the answer is a combination of both factors. |
One way to unpack the issue of predisposition is to look at how athletes choose to behave when they are not being lead or coached. A friend of mine has taught eighth-graders how to play volleyball in co-ed physical education classes for over twenty-five years. He describes these patterns of behavior when the students enter the gym. The first boy who comes into the gym grabs a volleyball off the rack and either shoots baskets with it or tosses it up and hits it against the wall. The first girl who enters the gym sits down on a bleacher to wait for her friends. The next boy who enters the gym generally engages with the first boy. They start playing short court over the volleyball net or engage in a game of one-on-one at the basketball goal. The second girl who enters the gym may get a ball off the rack and sit down next to the first girl or she may sit down in a different place on the bleachers. As more boys enter the gym, the games they are playing either expand or multiply. After a number of girls are in the gym they will get in a circle and pass and set the ball around the circle, laughing and talking as they exchange the ball. This differentiation is not universal, meaning there are girls that will display the characteristics typical for boys and boys who sit rather than engage, but they are the rare exceptions. The teacher reported to me that this pattern of gendered behavior has not changed for the twenty-five years he has been teaching volleyball to his classes. When choosing unsupervised interaction, the males choose competitive play, the females choose cooperative play. What happens when athletes are being coached? The 1990 Olympic Sports Festival was held in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The eight men’s and women’s volleyball teams trained at Carmichael Gymnasium and an auxiliary facility. Bill Neville, a veteran coach with broad experience working with both males and females at both the elite and beginning levels, was the head of the volleyball delegation. In that role he spent considerable time observing the practices of the various coaching staffs. He made the following generalization about the training: the women’s teams, regardless of the gender of the coaching staff, spent a lot more time on technique and positioning drills than the men’s team; the men’s teams spent a lot more time in competitive, game-like drills than the women’s teams. I tucked the comment away for further reflection and observation because I was curious as to whether this tendency was peculiar to volleyball or held true across various team sports. When I returned to my college administrative post, I watched a variety of teams in practices to evaluate Neville’s hypothesis. The pattern he had observed in the volleyball practices held true for our basketball teams, our baseball/softball teams, and our soccer teams. Like the volleyball team practices, the women’s teams spent more time drilling on positioning, and repetitive technique-oriented sequences; the men’s teams spent more time in head-to-head, competitive, results-oriented sequences. Since most of those coaching at the collegiate level had spent all of their time coaching either men or women, the coaches were unaware that this difference in training methods was so prevalent. At our institution only men coached the men’s teams but both men and women were in head and assistant positions with the women’s teams. As with the Olympic Sports Festival, only the gender of the athletes had an impact on the nature of the practice activities, not the gender of the coach. When I asked our coaches to reflect on the difference, the most common speculation was that the female athletes did not have the same physical skills in terms of movement, jumping ability and power as the male athletes, and, therefore, good technique was more critical to their success in playing the game. Shortly after these conversations I went to watch a friend coach his son’s six-year-old basketball team. When we entered the gym the boys were engaged in a variety of activities, some competing with each other by shooting long shots from outside the three point line, others playing H O R S E, still others trying to dribble without having another child steal the ball. The coach started the organized part of the practice with a few dribbling drills. The boys engaged in these exercises so lackadaisically that the coach stopped the drill and scolded them harshly, pointing out that dribbling was an essential skill to playing the game and they should pay attention to their method. Next he introduced a shooting drill. My friend began by explaining to his charges how to hold the ball in their hands, where to position it in relation to their bodies and how their hands should look on follow-through. During this explanation the boys fiddled and nudged each other, rarely looking at the coach. As soon as he gave them the go-ahead to practice this technique, they ran to the baskets and immediately started playing a game to see who could make the most baskets in the shortest period of time. Shortly thereafter, about fifteen minutes into the sixty minute workout, the coach divided the boys into teams for competitive drills, scrimmaging first in three-on-two fast break situations and progressing to five-on-five drills. These six-year-olds had no skills or movement abilities whatsoever, yet they spent most of their practice time in competitive, game-like progressions. My next opportunity for observation was at the Women’s Volleyball World Championships in Sao Paolo, Brazil, when I accompanied our national team as an advisor. Our practice times frequently overlapped with those of the other women’s teams. During the course of the two weeks I watched the silver medalist Brazilian team and several of the Asian teams in training sessions. These were the best women’s volleyball teams in the world, full of elite athletes with 15-20 years of high-level training and competition. They were, for the most part, above average jumpers with great body control and movement skills. Their practices, however, were amazingly technique oriented. They worked for long periods of time on footwork drills for blocking and transitioning from defense to offense. They spend considerable time on serving and passing drills. Only occasionally, for a few minutes at the end of a training session, did I observe anything that resembled a scrimmage or competitive exchange. These back-to-back observations of a beginning boy’s team engaged mostly in game-like activity and elite level women’s teams engaged mainly in technique training made me question the rationalizing lore I had been given by my peers as to the reasons for the gender differences in training regiments. The truth is that we as coaches are training our teams to their strengths because they are more cooperative and easy to deal with when engaged in activities in which they are comfortable. By our methods we reinforce what they already do well—teach females cooperative play, teach males competitive play. What we must realize, however, is that by our focus on technique, positioning and tactics we short-change our female athletes. We don’t subject them regularly to the uncomfortable stresses of competition. In the same vein, by our focus on battle, rivalry and proving oneself in training males, we leave them under-prepared also. They don’t get exposed to the difficult discipline needed to learn stress-proof technique or the repetition necessary to refine integrated tactics. To make a female team more competitive, we must practice competing. We must accept that the “me versus you” nature of a contest can be difficult for those who choose cooperative play when left to their own devices. For females, then, competitiveness must be taught and rehearsed. On the other hand, the male worldview grounded in proving ones self in opposition to others does not lend itself to the restraint of repetitive drilling. For males, then, the discipline to train, to learn proper technique must be taught and rehearsed. Each of you at this point can cite examples of elite athletes in your sport who are exceptions to these stereotypes—athletes who are both rigidly disciplined and insanely competitive. Yet I venture you could make a much longer list of those who didn’t quite make it because they were accomplished in only one half of the equation. The unanswered question for coaches is: how much competing do you put into your training if you are coaching women, or how much drilling do you demand if you are coaching men? It’s a tricky question. Each coach must evaluate the capacity for anxiety-producing activity among his or her athletes. My observation is that the younger the athletes the lower their tolerance for unpleasant experiences. Their primary motivation for engaging in the sport is to “have fun.” More mature athletes realize that periods of stress in training are part of the process in pursuing athletic excellence. I’ve also seen that, in most cases, a major jump shift from current practice does not work. Radical shifts make athletes edgy and confused about the goals of training. They quickly lose the sense of enjoyment they get from participation. The coaches of female teams who have the most success with teaching competitiveness are verbal and straightforward about what they are doing and why. Instead of assuming their athletes know how to compete, they make the practice of competing a regular, disciplined, and evaluated part of a workout. They also verbally deconstruct the inevitable conflicts that result from forcing their athletes into the uncomfortable situation of battling against each other. They accept the strife as part of the learning process. Finally and very importantly, they are attuned to the level of anxiety on their team so they can quickly revert to calming, process-oriented drills when necessary. Those who failed at teaching competitiveness plunged their teams into a mano-a-mano struggle without explanation or debriefing. The resultant fretfulness and disruption of team chemistry is generally disastrous to relationships among the players themselves and with the coach. The feminine ability to put emotions into words and the penchant to problem-solve verbally makes authentic communication between coach and athletes, and among the athletes themselves a prerequisite for success in training a female team to compete. Basketball’s Rick Pitino is the coach I have observed who had the most success with training males in repetitive, technique-specific, non-competitive sequences. He did this by separating his technical training from his team training. His morning sessions were individual—one or two athletes at a time, short—20 minutes, and frequent—four times per week. The focus was completely on technique—shooting the three, cross over dribble, stutter step and accelerate, head/ball fake and shoot, free throws, etc. The athlete was corrected each time he performed a technique incorrectly regardless of the result of his efforts. I observed a session one day in which a player missed 90% of his shots. The coach running the drill stood where he could only see the player’s form, not whether he made the basket or not. His comments were directed at the prescribed shooting form, which was correct most of the time. The coach said nothing about the misses. The sessions were also at game speed and very efficient. The athlete was breathing hard, yet aerobically, most of the time and, depending on his position, took between 250 and 400 shots per session. The main reason for the success of this training regiment is the individual nature of the sessions. The athlete was working only to satisfy the coach and the soul focus of the coach was the technical accuracy of a particular movement. The absence of rivalry and very clear feedback patterns allowed for concentration on method rather than outcome. Unlike the successful female practices, there was no conversation and no explanation. The mundanity of the individual training was numbing, even to me as a casual and occasional observer. But the effectiveness is also clear. Pitino’s players are known at the professional level for their excellent fundamentals and healthy self-confidence in their abilities. Their technical efficiency has also been said to mask physical limitations allowing them a couple of years or a season as a professional that they might not otherwise have had. Training complete athletes will not happen automatically. It takes purposeful attention by the coach to the part of successful competing that is difficult for them. Females must be taught, through frequent repetition, how to benefit from and be comfortable with head to head competition. Males must be taught, through daily rehearsal, how to benefit from and be comfortable with repetitive sequences focused on technique and tactics. Without knowledge of each gender’s predispositions, coaches easily gravitate toward a training regiment that reinforces that gender’s strengths. The results are frustrated coaches and semi-prepared athletes. Just as we take responsibility for all other aspects of training, coaches must be accountable for teaching their athletes either the competitive fire (female) or the technical discipline (male) that is essential for athletic success. Kathleen DeBoer is the author of the book “Gender and Competition: How Men and Women Approach Work and Play Differently” and is currently serving as the Executive Director of the American Volleyball Coaches Association. |
Dave Ellis, RD, CSCS
15810 Holbein Drive • Colorado Springs, CO 80921
Cell 402/250/5406 • dave_ellis@mac.com • FAX 719/481/0692
• Chair National Strength & Conditioning Association - Nutrition Special Interest Group
• Advisor Professional Baseball Strength & Conditioning Coaches Society, USADA & Taylor Hooton Foundation
• USA Hockey Level V Coach • Official Provider of Sports Nutrition & Body Composition Services to USA Hockey
• Author Fundamental & Advanced Fueling Tactics® DVD's & Food First Nutrition Poster • www.fuelingtactics.com
Fueling Tactics Nutrition in 2 minutes
Heatstroke Prevention from fuelingtactics.com
What others are saying about Dave Ellis
and the Fueling Tactics sports nutrition system
Sports dietitian and strength coach Dave Ellis has been refining and field-testing his three-step Fueling Tactics®sports nutrition system for 25 years now and in the summer of ’06 released his nutrition system on DVD for the first time (see www.fuelingtactics.com - a one-hour version for athletes and a two-hour version for coaches and teachers).
Ellis directed nutrition services during the University of Nebraska’s three national championship football seasons in 1994, ’95 and ’97. And he was on board when the New England Patriots won their third Super Bowl capping off their 2004 season, but as you can see from the quotes below Dave’s practice now spans every aspect of sports:
“A well organized approach to educating and feeding athletes can make a difference, especially at the highest levels of sport. Dave’s Fueling Tactics system is a time-tested performer.”
--Head coach Bill Belichick, three-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots
“We knew early in Dave's career that he could help us sell athletes on the value of nutrition. He has endless curiosity in this area. Dave was a big part of our three national championship teams.”
--U.S. Congressman Tom Osborne (Neb.); head football coach (1973-97) at the University of Nebraska
"When we were ready to evolve our nutrition and body composition services for basketball we brought in a professional in Dave Ellis. Dave's ability to work with all aspects of our organization was evident starting with the positive changes made in our travel meals. Being able to work with administration, sports medicine and strength and conditioning is key in making changes that really work and Dave has the experience to navigate them all."
--Lute Olson, Head Basketball Coach, University of Arizona
“It's great to see the evolution in Dave's nutrition system over the years. It's obvious that he keeps up with the research as well as the trends that top athletes and coaches are exposed to. Dave has become one of the true Professionals in his field."
--Barry Alvarez, Athletic Director & Former Football Coach, University of Wisconsin Athletics
“Dave Ellis is one of the few people that a head coach can put in front of the entire team with confidence that he’s going to deliver concise messages with credibility. Few people in sports have been behind the scenes of more organizations, and he’s learned something from all of them.”
--Bob Stoops, Head Football Coach, University of Oklahoma
“Dave has always been able to communicate complex nutrition concepts to athletes with the energy it takes to keep their attention. Dave is one of the few in the field with the credibility to influence athletes at every level of competition.”
--Jerry Schmidt, Head Strength Coach, University of Oklahoma
“I’ve witnessed from day one how Dave’s been blazing a trail in sports nutrition and strength training. He always seems to be ahead of the curve. He’s the only person I know who has a system to determine athletes’ weight-carrying capacity. Knowing the limitations of an athlete’s frame adds much needed objectivity in determining the position an athlete may be best suited to play.”
--Frank Solich, Head Football Coach, Ohio University
“Dave was one of the first to realize there could be diminishing returns when adding body weight to athletes, even if it was lean weight. As an orthopedic surgeon, that kind of insight, which came early in Dave's career, is characteristic of his overall success. Dave is an innovator!”
--Pat Clare, Head Orthopedic Surgeon, University of Nebraska Athletics Orthopedic Group
“As an N.B.A. strength coach it is very important to determine the optimal body weights of our players. The unique frames of NBA athletes make it particularly challenging but Dave has devised an objective method of determining frame size that looks at skeletal parameters beyond height. The end result is a customized, easy to use nutrition program that lays the foundation for optimized athletic performance."
--John Murray, Strength Coach, Golden State Warriors
“It's great to find someone who delivers a message that athletes can wrap their arms around. Dave presented data in a sex specific manner so that our female athletes related to it and were motivated by it. We saw immediate results because our athletes listened!”
--Sherri Coale, Head Women's Basketball Coach, University of Oklahoma
"Dave has the experience and credibility to have an immediate impact with athletes. However, his ability to connect with them in an organized and highly informative way is what has kept our athletes talking about his Fueling Tactics system long after his visit. He is an asset we plan to continue to use with our football team well into the future. As a matter of fact, we plan on sharing him with all our athletics teams at Boston College."
--Todd Rice, Head Strength Coach, Boston College
“Dave’s 3-step Fueling Tactics system helps athletes outwork the competition with the power of food! Fueling Tactics is a program we are introducing to our USA Hockey athletes in 2006.”
--Mark Tabrum, Director of Coaching Education, USA Hockey
"Dave is one of the few Sports Dietitians who can illustrate how professional athletes routinely gain muscle in a safe and ethical fashion. Young male and female athletes need to hear this message so they don't lose perspective on just how many athletes are doing it right.”
--Don Hooton, Founder of the Taylor Hooton Foundation (www.taylorhooton.org)
“Both my wife and I were immediately impressed with Dave's down-to-earth approach and motivational style. He has vast experience and stays on top of the latest research.”
--Mike Wahle, All Pro Offensive Lineman, Carolina Panthers
“Dave’s counsel and advice on nutrition and supplementation has been greatly valued by the Professional Baseball Strength & Conditioning Coaches Society.”
--Tim Maxey, Cleveland Indians Strength & Conditioning Coach
“If you’re looking for state of the art research and application in the areas of nutrition, metabolism, body composition and frame estimation, the leader in the field is clearly Dave Ellis.”
--Paul Golberg, MS, RD, CSCS, Strength & Conditioning/Dietitian, Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club
“As an N.B.A. strength coach it is very important to determine the optimal body weights of our players. The unique frames of NBA athletes make it particularly challenging but Dave has devised an objective method of determining frame size that looks at skeletal parameters beyond height. The end result is a customized, easy to use nutrition program that lays the foundation for optimized athletic performance. “
--John Murray, Strength Coach, Golden State Warriors
“In all my years of being around athletics I have never heard a nutrition message that is more grounded and easy to understand than Dave's. It's a message that is applicable to everyone, not just athletes. Americans in general need the wake-up call that Dave's Fueling Tactics system delivers.”
--Brian Boitano, Olympic Gold Medalist, Professional Figure Skater
"I send athletes and coaches to Dave to benefit from his extremely professional and effective Fueling Tactics system, and the results have been outstanding. For those whose schedules don't yet permit for them to consult with Dave personally, I provide them a copy of his DVD and poster, which is an easily understood, excellent educational tool. I highly recommend Fueling Tactics System as a key component to athletic success."
--Neil M. Cornrich, NC Sports, LLC
“Dave’s depth of knowledge and practical application of sports nutrition is at the world class level. He can go from cellular metabolism to “coaching” athletes about a food first approach in the same breath. That is what makes Dave an invaluable resource to the athletic community.”
--Michael Barnes, National Strength & Conditioning Association, Director of Education
“A lot of people talk about sports nutrition, but few practice it on a full time basis. Even fewer have done it for 25 years! Dave is the real deal and has been doing it longer than anyone in the business."
--Rob Skinner, Director of Sports Nutrition, Georgia Tech Athletics
“I don't know of any other sports dietitian who practices at the competitive level of sports that Dave does. He has the practical expertise that can actually help us determine what direction we need to take some of our clinical research. Dave often knows what works long before we have the data to validate it. If Dave says it works for his athletes, you can bet he has first hand knowledge."
--Wayne Askew, PhD, Professor and Director, Division of Nutrition, College of Health, University of Utah
“Few people outside the highest levels of sport get to witness Dave behind the scenes. Having seen his practice evolve over the years, and having tracked his successes, it’s clear to me that his methods have become highly refined, and that he offers one-of-a-kind expertise that you simply won’t find anywhere else."
--Mitchell Kanter, Director of Nutrition, Cargill Inc.
"Dave's 25+ years in the sports nutrition world are unsurpassed; I don't know anybody in the sports nutrition world who is better connected or grounded on the realities of feeding athletes than Dave Ellis. You can always get a realistic perspective on what works with Dave which has made him a valuable advisor with my practice as a Sports Dietitian."
--Christopher R. Mohr, PhD, RD, Ownder www.MohrResults.com
“Dave is light years ahead of anyone in sports nutrition. His Fueling tactics are a unique blend of cutting edge nutritional science and 25 years of personal experimentation with feeding athletes. His basic and applied knowledge on nutrition, metabolism, and performance is unmatched – Dave is the total package when it comes to optimally feeding athletes.”
--Jeff S. Volek, PhD, RD Nutrition and Exercise Researcher, University of Connecticut
"We have gotten a great deal of mileage out of Dave's Advanced Fueling Tactics DVD as a class room educational tool or just by playing it in areas where the athletes congregate. It's a message they need to hear over and over. The ability to send a copy of the Fundamental Fueling Tactics DVD home to educate those cooking for the athletes is also key in closing the circle.”
--Zach Duval, General Manager, Explosive Edge Training, Omaha NE
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