From my experience working in the fitness industry, this has been a question that has been asked many times. How much cardio is enough? When it comes to exercise it all depends who you ask. There are recommendations from 30 minutes up to 90 minutes of moderate intensity activity, most days of the week. There are some signs that we need to look for that could help us determine if you are performing too much activity.

Exercise Induced Immunodepression:

This is described as immunological changes due to prolonged and intensive exertion (2). Athletes that were involved in regular strenuous activity were at a higher risk for upper respiratory tract (URT) infection (1,2). This also caused other skeletal muscle and other mechanisms to be affected. So what can athletes do to prevent immunodepression? The only supplement that was found to have a significant impact was a carbohydrate supplement (1,2). This was found to reduce inflammation and lower cortisol levels.

Behavioral Aspect of High Frequency Exercises:

Other than affecting the immune system, excessive exercise has been found to have an addiction component. As fitness professionals, we would not think that being addicted to exercise would be a bad thing. I would actually like to see more people find exercise as a pleasure rather than torture. So, when does exercise become addictive? In a recent study, participants expressed that they exercised to control mood and have an ideal body shape. These participants would exercise to “scratch the itch” (3). This is referred to performing an exercise because it has the properties of being pleasurable (3). It is not meant to accomplish a long term goal, but to provide pleasure to the participant immediately following the exercise session. This experience would be referred to as a “high” or a “buzz” (4). Exercise addiction can become dangerous affecting an individual’s thinking, behavior patterns, establishing a craving for exercise, causing internal conflicts, conflicts with other people, and causing people to experienced withdrawal symptoms (4).

Overtraining Syndrome and Injury:

As expressed before, prolonged and intensive exertion can cause the immune system to become weak. Aside from that, excessive training can cause Overtraining Syndrome (OTS). OTS is better known as burnout and commonly occurs in athletes that train excessively often causing a reduction in progress, even after extended rest periods (5). Early forms of OTS can be described as muscle and joint soreness/pain, muscle weakness, and acute and chronic inflammation. This can lead to mild to severe injury and loss of muscle function (5). Here are some precautions one must take to help prevent or treat OTS:

1. organize your workouts
2. keep your workouts new and fresh
3. individualize the intensity to each individual or athlete
4. maintain optimal nutrition, sleep, and rest

References:

1. Nieman, D. (2008). Immunonutrition support for athletes. Nutrition Reviews, 66(6), 310-320.
2. Moreira, A., Kekkonen, R., Delgado, L., Fonseca, J., Korpela, R., & Haahtela, T. (2007). Nutritional modulation of exercise-induced immunodepression in athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 61(4), 443-460.
3. Cox, R., & Orford, J. (2004). A qualitative study of the meaning of exercise for people who could be labeled as ‘addicted’ to exercise -can ‘addiction’ be applied to high frequency exercising?. Addiction Research & Theory, 12(2), 167-188.
4. Terry, A., Szabo, A., & Griffiths, M. (2004). The exercise addiction inventory: a new brief screening tool. Addiction Research & Theory, 12(5), 489-499.
5. Smith, L. (2004). TISSUE TRAUMA: THE UNDERLYING CAUSE OF OVERTRAINING SYNDROME?. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research (Allen Press Publishing Services Inc.), 18(1), 185-193.
6. Meeusen, R., Duclos, M., Gleeson, M., Rietjens, G., Steinacker, J., & Urhausen, A. (2006). Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the Overtraining Syndrome. European Journal of Sport Science, 6(1), 1-14.

Article Provided by Rene’ Moreno- B.S., NASM- CPT, PES

http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/running-shoes-may-cause-damage-knees-hips-and-ankles-28866.html

http://www.pmrjournal.org/article/S1934-1482(09)01367-7/fulltext

OUR VIEW:

The major concern as we analyze shoe running versus barefoot running is the change in foot strike.  With shoes a runner tends to land more on the heel as opposed to the barefoot runner who tends to land more on the mid- to forefoot.  With this drastic change in mechanics, runners increase the likelihood of repetition injury to the knees, hips, and ankles due to increased torque to the lower extremities.  However we do acknowledge that a complete move from shoe to barefoot training is not practical and can lead to foot injuries if a properly progressed transition is ignored.   We recommend everyone learn more about the benefits of barefoot training and if desired slowly and safely utilize this method of training.  We also believe more time and research needs to be dedicated to the improvement of the running shoe.  These improvements need to focus on reducing the torque on all lower extremity joints.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060918142456.htm

OUR VIEW:

Lack of time seems to be the most frequent excuse for not performing a regular exercise program.  Current research suggests that interval training can deliver efficient and effective workouts for most if not all populations.  This concept is the backbone of The Eleet Program™.  We are aware that interval training can be very demanding however a properly progressed interval style training program with the appropriate mix of weight training, anaerobic and aerobic conditioning can help maximize your workout time and improve your overall results.

In an attempt to be unique, fitness professionals often forget that the body is a three-dimensional unit.  We spend too much time isolating muscle groups and not enough time on Movement Mastery.  There are 6 major movements of the body and 14 movement patterns we all need to master. 

6 MAJOR MOVEMENTS
The Squat
The Lift
Lunge
Push (vertical and horizontal)
Pull (vertical and horizontal)
Rotation

FOUNDATIONAL 14 (movement patterns to master)
Reverse Lunge
Lateral Lunge
Rotational Lunge
Push Up
Jumping Jack
Body Squat
Ball Slam
Push Press
Plank
Side Plank
Pillar
Jump Rope
Dead Lift
Front Kick

As we move forward in 2010 we need to:
focus on the BASICS and learn how to properly progress exercise
focus on real function and not single joint activities
learn more about three-dimensional movement and proper coaching techniques
advise higher intensity efforts where appropriate
organize workouts based on movement NOT muscles

NOTE: This article is intended for apparently healthy individuals. If you are injured or are having pain please consult your physician or health care professional before beginning an exercise program.

In an attempt to improve our overall body function, all fitness professionals and fitness enthusiasts need to understand the relationship between Closed Kinetic Chain Exercises and Open Kinetic Chain Exercises.

Closed Kinetic Chain Exercises are exercises performed where the foot or hand doesn’t move during the exercise. The foot/hand remains in constant contact with a surface, usually the ground, foot plate of a machine or machine handle. These exercises are typically weight bearing exercises and are usually multi-joint movements.

Examples include: Back Squats, Front Squats, Leg Press, Lunges, PUSH UPS, Handstand Push-ups and Pull-ups.

Open Kinetic Chain Exercises are performed typically where the hand or foot is free to move. These exercises are typically non-weight bearing, with the movement occurring at the elbow or knee joint. If there is any weight applied it is applied to the distal portion of the limb.

Examples include: Knee Extension, Straight Leg Raise, Bicep Curl, BENCH PRESS

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