Ask Dr Dan

You may know him as an elite athlete, love-god or super cool member of the Elwood set. But lurking under that ultra smooth veneer is a mega-geek, more at home in a lab coat and scientific goggles than Armani jeans or Nike Dry-Fit.

Go ahead - ask him a question - and see what the good doctor has to say.

Welcome to the world of Dr Dan!

Q - From "Wobbly Man",
I read recently an Age article that claims a coffee after training can reduce DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). Is this true?

A - Doctor Dan Says,
G'day Wobbly,

Very sorry for the extremely late reply.

Another article appeared in the most recent edition of runners world, supporting the benefits of coffee in reducing DOMS. You need to pay close attention to the fine print, as you do with most research. Coffee reduced the sensation of DOMS in NON-habitual caffeine consumers (people that don't regularly consume caffeine). AND, the sensation of DOMS was only reduced in the hour following caffeine ingestion (so the effects appear to be transient, but still noteworthy).

I'm not entirely certain of the mechanism by which caffeine attenuates the sensation of DOMS, but I envisage it involves the central stimulatory properties of caffeine which may elicit an analgesic effect, similar to the effect of light exercise in releasing endorphins and concomitantly reducing DOMS.

Hope this clears it up.

Ps. See the next issue of runners world for a full article on DOMS. It features Paul Martinico in his favourite post-run therapy (an ice bath)!

Q - From "Mr Sniffles",
I doubt you have the same problem as me - as you are a finely tuned athlete and treat your body like a temple - but I was wondering if you have any advice for avoiding and/or dealing with the common cold? Also, do I get sick because I run so much, or am I just soft like Presnell's PB's?

A - Doctor Dan Says,
I have recently received a few emails from athletes in our training group (using the word "athlete" very loosely with reference to Presnell) enquiring about the regularity that they are affected by "low grade viruses". So, I thought I would put together a brief article and attempt to answer some questions.

Enhanced immune function is often experienced by athletes and other physically active individuals who engage in regular moderate physical activity. However, intense physical training and competition suppresses immune function, decreasing the resistance to minor illnesses such as upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). Epidemiological studies have provided some evidence that the volume and intensity of exercise is related to the incidence of URTI. There are several immune components in saliva that fluctuate in concentration and rate of production when monitored over the course of a prolonged intense training block. In an elite setting, with access to laboratory testing equipment, these indicators of reduced immune function could be used as a method to decrease the prevalence and/or severity of the common cold. Given that very few of us have access to such facilities, the recommended strategies to prevent URTI include:

1. Avoiding overtraining (should be no problem for some - no names mentioned)
2. Providing adequate rest and recovery during the training cycle and after competition (again should be no problem for some and this doesn't mean not completing the set of 1km reps Bailey)
3. Limiting exposure to sources of infection
4. Ensuring adequate nutrition
5. Possibly vitamin C supplementation

Run yourself ugly!

Q - From "Dr Dan Fan",
I am contemplating giving blood at the blood bank. Information on their website indicates that your blood supply is fully restored after 48 hours. I am a bit dubious of this particularly as runners rely so heavily on their oxygen carrying capacity.

Can you give us your insight on the effects of blood donation and how long it takes your body to get back to normal?

If I had a race coming up what is a safe period of time to give blood to ensure that I am back to peak condition? i.e. 2 weeks before, 1 week before or is 48 hours enough?

If I do give blood should I modify my training for a few days to let my body recover or keep going as normal?

A - Doctor Dan Says,
This is a really good question as I’m sure many other kind persons like yourself consider donating blood, yet are unsure of the performance implications.

Donating blood obviously reduces your blood volume dramatically, reduced in concert is your red cell mass. As most people know, red blood cells are responsible for transporting oxygen around the body, this includes delivery to the working muscles during exercise. Hence, your oxygen carry capacity is reduced after blood donation and so is your aerobic capacity (endurance).

It generally takes a week to 10 days before complete restoration of blood volume, so the 48hr suggestion is a little off the mark. It is ok to train the next day after donation, but don’t expect to pull out a PB session of 1km reps, you might find yourself labouring a little and your performance reduced for the next few days.

For an elite athlete, I would not recommend donating. For the moderate level endurance athlete (training 5 – 7 days per week) it’s certainly ok to donate but pick an appropriate time to do so. If you are a more than month out from a big race, go ahead and bleed but within a month I personally wouldn’t consider it.

Hope this sheds some light.

Q - From "Secret Admirer",
Dr Dan, you're a freak. How did you have six weeks off with injury, then pull out a sub 50min 14.7km??? I envy you, you are the greatest. I bet you must have girls flocking all over you.

P.S. Is there a photo of you on the website? I bet you are HOT HOT HOT. I love a guy in a lab coat, it's nerdy but damn sexy!

A - Doctor Dan Says,
Thanks for the kind words. I'll approach this email as only I know how, as a damn sexy nerd.... I mean professionally.

Regarding my performance in the Run for the Kids, AV Round 1, it didn't come from doing nothing. Yes I had 6 weeks off land-based running, but in this time I was water running, some days twice per day. As much I would like to consider myself a "freak", I can only attribute the performance to the water running sessions. Admittedly I was surprised myself how well it maintained my level of fitness over the injury period.

For more information on water running, eg how to and what you need, check out the In The Press page on the website.

Keep it real, keep it in perspective, just get out there and run.

Q - From "Anon",
I'm curious about the use of sunglasses while running.

With a few cloudy days lately I have noticed that some runners continue to wear their sunglasses while training. I am concerned that if I buy an expensive pair I may be mistaken for a chardonnay quaffing yuppie (like the runners wearing sunnies on the HVT banner sometimes do)?

Is there any correlation between price and performance? Do mirror lenses work any better?

A - Doctor Dan Says,
Mate in a simple reply, some runners believe that image speaks louder than performances do. Mutton dressed as lamb etc.

My opinion, if you're that into wearing sunglasses while you run; go to your local service station or Rebel Sport and pick up a $20 pair of fakies, then get on the track and let your running do the talking....

Q - From "Sweaty Pig",
Why is it when I am as fit as a fiddle I don't sweat, but when I have a few relaxing weeks and get back to training seriously, I am a Sweaty Pig? What's going on?

A - Doctor Dan Says,
The sweat response to exercise is a very individual one. During exercise individuals may sweat anywhere from 0.5 to 3 litres per hour, this also obviously depends on a number of factors, namely environmental conditions (temperature & relative humidity), exercise intensity and gender. The sweat response is also a protective mechanism of thermoregulation (i.e. the control of core body temperature within safe limits, reducing the likelihood of heat-associated performance impairment or illness).

Given all this, the reason you perceive yourself to sweat more following an easy training cycle is of interesting, especially considering when you are at your peak you really don't perspire that much. Fitter individuals are normally heat-acclimated, which is largely synonymous with earlier onset of sweating during exercise, which would suggest that you sweat more when fit. In your case, the increased sweat response on recommencement of heavy training is likely indicative of your body re-adapting to the extra heat load associated with the increased workload. Once your body has fully re-adapted, your fitness is approaching optimum levels and your ability to lose heat, through mechanisms other than sweating, is also functioning at the optimal capacity.

During this phase of your training ensure that you are conscious of how much fluid you are losing and how much you should be drinking, as you are more susceptible to dehydration with large fluid losses. To get an indication of your individual sweat rate, try weighing yourself immediately before and after a few sessions, then divide the difference between your pre and post-session body weight by the duration of the session in minutes and multiply this value by 60 to produce a value in millilitres or litres per hour.

One final point on rehydration: This is a simple one that most people would be aware of already. Regardless, if you are unsure how much fluid you need to drink after a high-sweat session, just monitor the colour of you urine in the few hours after the session. If the volume is small and it remains a dark/bright yellow colour then you need to drink more fluid, but if you are back to light yellow to almost clear you are well on track to being fully rehydrated.

The most important thing is, never be afraid to sweat, it's a sign that you are working hard. Besides, most men love a woman who glistens in the sun, I reckon it almost has that oiled-up, seductive photo shoot appeal.

Q - From "Mr Sleepyhead",
Dr Dan, why do I feel so sluggish when running in the mornings? Today I ran before work and felt as though I was barely moving forward, yet the effort seemed fairly high. Is there a scientific answer to this, or should I give up on sport and start playing golf?

A - Doctor Dan Says,
This is a very good question, with a definite scientific explanation.

Chronobiology is the science concerned with investigations of time-dependent changes in physiological variables. Circadian rhythms (or your body clock) refer to variations that recur every 24 hours or in a solar day.

Body temperature is one such physiological function that is affected by circadian rhythm. Rhythmically, your body temperature is lowest in the morning and peaks in the early evening. In concert with this physiological response, heart rate and perceived exertion fluctuate in a similar manner, this is the likely reason why you felt your intensity was fairly high, but legs were barely moving.

Some indirect evidence of the correlating effects on athletic performance is research that confers a tendency for world records to be broken by athletes competing in the early evening. This is also a reason why most high-intensity training sessions are completed in the early evening, as for most of us, this is the time at which performance is highest and training affords its greatest benefits.

In light of this, it is important to note that the rhythms can be influenced by a number of things, fortunately one of them is exercise. This means by turning that once a week morning run into a habitual session you will soon find yourself striding out with far greater ease. In this regard, in preparation for an early morning race, I would recommend for the few days prior that you schedule your daily training session to commence at the same time that the race will start. This way you'll be on the start line feeling fresh and free from those heavy morning legs, without having to consume 10 cups of coffee on the way.

Enjoy mate, Dr Dan.

Q - From "Concerned",
Dr Dan, I'm really getting worried by the colour co-ordination of some of the girls at training. In your opinion, what colour bests suits Kirsten, Kylie, Kate, Claire, Juanita and Victoria? I'm sure all the girls can't wait for your advice.

A - Doctor Dan Says,
A very important question that you have posted. Based on Tuesday night, I would recommend pale fluorescent green. It seems to be the colour of the moment. Colours are typically selected according to personality, but for the females you have suggested, I would personally recommend anything small, bright and minimal... However, I think most have already achieved this. Additionally it is also very important that all running paraphernalia match. These include top, shoes, hair ties, bracelets, mascara etc. If shoes are to be changed during the session, they also should match the said items.

Enjoy your running and the perks that it has to offer on the side.