In this edition we outline some great upcoming community events.  We have provided some helpful tips to maintain your health and fitness as we transition from summer to fall.  For the athletes among us, we’ve provided some new research looking at proper after-workout recovery foods.  Be sure to take the quiz after reading the article for your chance to win!  We’ll take a look at a remarkable accomplishment of one of ESSMC’s own, and we’ll welcome in the autumn season and the start of school and fall sports. 

Remember to visit essmc.com to view our video which provides a 60 second overview of the practice. Check out the patient testimonials, and get answers to your Physical Therapy related questions.

 Feel free to share this email with friends or family who may be interested in the content or perhaps may need our services.

We welcome feedback on topics that you might have a special interest in, or any other question that you may have. Please email us at news@essmc.com and we will get right back to you. Enjoy this edition, and don’t forget the quiz.

Up Coming Events

Penn Township 5K Fall Crawl Run/Walk:

The 5K run/walk will be held on Saturday Sept 11th at 8:30am at the Penn Township municipal building.  ESSMC is a sponsor of this year’s race and will be providing drawstring bags to all the participants.  Proceeds benefit the Penn Township fall festival.  Applications can be found at http://www.penntwp.org.

Come out and support the community by running, walking, or cheering on the runners!

Celebrate Monroeville:

Thursday, September 16th   from 4-8pm at the new Monroeville Convention Center.  Celebrate Monroeville is a showcase of local businesses and restaurants from around the area.  The “Taste of Monroeville” section gives you a chance to sample local favorites.  ESSMC will be on hand to meet and greet, and answer your questions about physical therapy and our practice.  We hope to see you at this great community event!

News & Announcements

Important Insurance Reminders
We urge patients to be good advocates for their healthcare and to have a good understanding of the insurance plan provisions. One of the most significant points to remember is that you ALWAYS have a choice of providers for any service that you need. More often than we would like, we hear that patients are being directed away from our practice by physician groups owned by UPMC. Be aware of this and insist on choosing our practice especially if you have had a successful result in the past.  

Be a good consumer and seek out what is best for you!

Co-Pay/ Deductible Challenges?
If you or someone you know is in need of our service, but is hesitating to schedule because of co-pays or deductible issues, please call the office and discuss the matter with our staff. We DO have options for you. Your conversation will be held in the strictest confidence.

Active For Life

Active for Life is a wellness program sponsored by The American Cancer Society.  This 10-week program encourages all adults to be more active on a regular basis by setting individual goals and forming teams for motivation and support. 
Recently, they published some quick tips to kick-start health and fitness for those in the workplace and at home. 

For more information, check out the American Cancer Society website at: http://www.cancer.org.
 
FACTS
More than 60 percent of U.S. adults do not engage in the recommended amount of activity.

• Approximately 25 percent of U.S. adults are not active at all.
• Physical inactivity is more common among:
  • Women than men.
  • African American and Hispanic adults than whites.
    
  • Older than younger adults.
    
  • Less affluent than more affluent people.
    
• Social support from family and friends has been consistently and positively related to regular physical activity.
  

BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

• Reduces the risk of dying from coronary heart disease and of developing high blood pressure, colon cancer, and diabetes.
• Can help reduce blood pressure in some people with hypertension.
  
• Helps maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints.
  
• Reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression and fosters improvements in mood and feelings of wellbeing.
  
• Helps control weight, develop lean muscle, and reduce body fat.
  

33 Ways to Increase Your Footsteps

1. Go 10 feet out of your way to pick up a piece of trash in the street.
   
2. Stop your car on a long trip and get out in the fresh air to stretch and walk a few minutes to loosen up your leg and back muscles.
   
3. In the shopping mall, park where all the other cars aren't.
   
4. Unload your shopping bags from the car in four trips instead of juggling four bags in two arms while throwing out your back.
   
5. If you ever move again, consider selecting a multi‐level house or condo with a basement, main floor and second level.
   
6. Take your dog out for one extra 5‐minute walk a day.
   
7. Take a walk and promise yourself you won't stop until you find a penny.
   
8. Garden!
   
9. Cut your lawn with a non‐riding mower.
   
10. Play golf like a pro‐ without an electric cart.
    
11. Watch part of a movie, sports event or the news on a treadmill or stationary bike instead of 100% on the couch.
    
12. Get up from the computer occasionally to deliver your office e‐mail personally.
    
13. Enter your office building on the far entrance.
    
14. Take a family member for a walk anytime.
    
15. Take one or two extra flights of stairs each day instead of the elevator.
    
16. Walk about your house once a day to make one tiny home improvement.
    
17. Walk alongside the moving walkway at the airport.
    
18. Walk the length of the concourse while waiting for your delayed flight.
    
19. Rise off the couch and move during TV commercials.
    
20. Walk around the soccer field while watching your kids play a game.
    
21. Take a short 2‐minute walk outside when you feel your energy dropping.
    
22. Keep a physical activity journal for the rest of your life.
    
23. Set a goal to reach "x" footsteps per week.
    
24. Park your car in a central location and do your errands on foot instead of driving 30 seconds to each individual site.
    
25. Walk away from your TV whenever a food commercial comes on.
    
26. Never sit for more than 20 straight minutes.
    
27. Change the TV stations manually once in awhile.
    
28. Rake leaves in the fall more often.
    
29. Return your supermarket shopping cart to its proper storage location.
    
30. Help a senior citizen carry a package at the shopping center.
    
31. In general, take more trips to carry less weight per trip.
    
32. Take a 5‐minute walk after dinner.
    
33. Think footsteps‐anytime, anywhere.                                          

Adapted from‐ Active for Life ‐American Cancer Society

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Athletic Training News

As we gear up for fall sports season, East Suburban Sports Medicine Center is proud to be Sports Medicine Providers for Gateway School District and Plum Borough School District. 

Click the links to view the school’s Athletics webpage:

Gateway

Plum Borough

Recovery Nutrition
By Lisa Dorfman, MS, RD, CSSD, LMHC

Refueling after training is like putting money in the bank--it's the body's safe deposit box for muscle sugars called glycogen. This investment for muscles ensures adequate energy for daily training and overall health. Without food or fluid after exercise, the body is unable to completely recover from workouts and improve performance.

The post workout snack, beverage or meal also helps tendons and ligaments to heal, builds and maintains a healthy hormonal & immune system, and keeps electrolytes in balance--minerals that helps muscles to contract and relax on every run and for each hit, kick or tackle. Post-training nutrition is especially important for athletes who workout twice daily; compete in all day, multiple- day and/or in events where morning prelims are wedged between afternoon finals.

Recovery Nutrition Science 101
The body continues to burn calories after a workout, called exercise post oxygen consumption (EPOC), which lasts 15 minutes to 48 hours after training. EPOC causes an additional calorie burn and higher metabolism beyond the workout--a benefit for weight and fat management--a drawback when calories are needed for building the performance athlete. The amount of EPOC calories burned depends on gender, training status, training intensity and duration, and fitness level-- accounting for a few to several hundred calories. Why are extra calories burned?

EPOC calories are burned because:

• The body replenishes sugar in muscles and replaces the simplest energy form called adenosine triphosphate (ATP) at the cellular level;
  
• Lactate--responsible for post exercise muscle soreness needs removal.
  
• Normal breathing, heart rate and body temperature needs restoration to pre-exercise levels
  
• Blood needs re-oxygenation after muscles cease working out.

Recovery Fuel
The post workout food formula can consist of fluids or solid food as long as the athlete can stomach it, literally. Since the gut shuts down after exercise, not all foods will work for everyone. Depending on training type and timing of the next workout, the composition and amount can vary while keeping in mind the golden recovery rule; getting something--anything as long as it's within the window of refueling opportunity, about 15 minutes to two hours after training for adequate replenishment.

The best foods to eat are those high in carbohydrates. Planning ahead by storing a sports drink, bar, or snack in the gym bag or stopping for a smoothie on the way home is one way to ensure adequate replenishment within the recovery window. Meals/ snacks with 65% carbohydrates or more, about 0.8g to 1 gram/kg bodyweight / hour have been shown to replenish muscle stores best. For the 150 pound athlete (68 kg) (kg=pounds / 2.2), a snack or beverage with about 54 grams -68 grams carbohydrates. Visit the Recovery Fuel Chart for snacks that meet this requirement.

It's just as important to refuel after shorter high intensity workouts as it is for longer workouts. The difference between the recommended foods depends on whether or not it is the last workout of the day. If athletes have a second workout--lower fat, lower fiber and bland foods are best over high fiber, fat and spicy foods to prevent gut distress. For example, the two-a-day athlete would do better with a plain turkey sub with lettuce and tomato after the first workout instead of a Mexican Taco salad with cheese, refried beans, ground beef, guacamole, salsa and the shell.

As for hydration, replacing fluids at a rate of 1-1½ times, about 16-24 oz for every pound lost in sweat. Weighing before and after a training session can provide a good guestimate of fluids lost during exercise. And while it's not necessary to weigh daily, seasonal weighings are recommended since ambient temperature affects fluid losses.

Urine color is the simplest and one of the most accurate measures of hydration. If the urine is pale yellow, that's good, while dark urine means dehydration. Completely clear urine is a concern since it suggests overhydration--the overconsumption of water and potential loss of electrolytes. Therefore, recovery fluids should include water, electrolyte rich sport drinks, and recovery fuels with sugar and protein (depending on the intensity of the workout) to cover all bases and replace all losses. When food doesn't work, a sport shake is an easy, portable way to replace carbohydrates and protein needed for maintaining muscle gains and strength accomplished during workouts.

The Extras--Supplements for Recovery
No need to look far-- whether roaming on the Internet, in magazines or at the vitamin store, you'll find a plethora of products promoted to target recovery nutrition. What works, what doesn't?

Most formulas provide too much fuel for most athletes, some with additional substances such as herbs, which can be illegal to use in collegiate or professional sports--many include just enough to meet the athlete's needs. Reading the labels is key to meeting your personal needs.

Here's a quick summary of the top three of what's hot, what's not, what's promising. Keep in mind, whole foods are always best since nutrients in food work synergistically with recovery compounds such as antioxidants, omega 3s, vitamins and minerals. The bottom line is to get something in the body after workouts and if you can't eat whole foods, look for a shake, bar or sport drinks company that is recommended by reputable sports organizations, teams and athletes. Most important, recovery fuel is a 24/7 job for athletes. Don't wait until after workouts to try and catch up with a good overall diet.

Lisa Dorfman, MS, RD, CSSD, LMHC, Director of Sports Nutrition and Performance--UM and adjunct professor- Dept of Exercise and Sport Science, consultant to US Sailing, and professional athletes worldwide, Lisa is a former pro triathlete & competitor in over 34 marathons (PR 2:52:32), Ironman USA, and the 2004 Long Distance Duathlon World Championships for Team USA. Lisa has been featured on Dateline, 20/20, CNN, ESPN, Fox, MSNBC, Designing Spaces, E and local & international news & appears in dozens of publications monthly including SoBeFit Magazine where she is Nutrition Editor. Lisa's books, The Tropical Diet (2004) and The Vegetarian Sports Nutrition Guide (2000) and programs are available worldwide and at her website www.foodfitness.com.

We welcome your feedback on this article. Please e-mail us at: tcfeedback@momentummedia.com

Source:
http://www.training-conditioning.com/2009/05/29/recovery_nutrition/index.php

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Referring to the article posted about Recovery Nutrition, which of the following statements about post workout food intake is false?

A.)  Post workout Recovery foods can consist of fluids or solid food.

B.)  It's not as important to refuel after shorter workouts as it is for longer workouts.

C.)  The body continues to burn calories for 15 minutes to 48 hours after a workout or training.

D.)  Getting something in your system during the window of refueling opportunity, about 15 minutes to two hours after training, is key for adequate replenishment.

The first 10 people with the correct answer will receive a $10 gift card to Panera Bread!  Reply via email at news@essmc.com with the correct answer to receive your gift card. Include your name, address and of course the correct answer. Good luck!!

Dee, from our Penn-Township office recently sent this in.  She writes:

In this picture the boys of Oasis Boys' Home in San Luis, Sonora, Mexico proudly display back-packs that were donated by ESSMC.  A Pittsburgh group from Caring Hearts Ministries visited the boys and took them to a local water park.  The boys loved carrying their lunches in the backpacks. They were excited to receive the gift but more importantly they were happy to know someone in the US cares.  THANK YOU ESSMC!

Where has your Rehab Taken You?
Send us your photos of you wearing your ESSMC gear and we’ll post it in the next Newsletter