July edition

Welcome to the July edition of our monthly newsletter. This month sees Britt Caling (our Principal Sports Physio) back onboard in the clinic after spending most of June in the US working with the Australian Institute of Sport Triathlon Team. Britt has put together a diary of her travels so that we can all get a glimpse of what it is like to travel with an elite sporting team. Our dietitian, Kristen MacKenzie has also included some simple nutritional tips for weight loss … read on for more.

WHAT'S NEW THIS MONTH???................

· Michelle Barsby wins June Referral Rewards Draw
Congratulations to Michelle Barsby who has won a beauty voucher to be pampered at Lumiere Beauty & Wellness Spa, Runaway Bay. Remember, each time you refer somebody to GCPSH your name goes into the monthly draw to win a prize - the more referrals you send the greater your chances of winning! For more information on our referral rewards program contact the clinic.

· Pre-Paid cards for Pilates Classes now available.

From 1st July 2009, GCPSH introduced a pre-paid multi-visit card system for pilates classes. 5 visit cards are available for $60 (that’s $12 per session) with casual visits available at $15 per session. The introduction of the card system should help prevent congestion at reception when booking & paying for classes, help keep track of attendance so you don’t forget to book (or to show up!) & help you get better results out of the classes by promoting consistent attendance.

As the classes are getting busier and numbers are limited, it is really important to book ahead for the classes and to be aware that we will be enforcing our cancellation/no show policy. Current class times are as follows:

o Tuesday 9:30-10:30am (Physio Pilates with Lisa)
o Saturday 8am-9am (Physio Pilates with Lisa)
Please contact the clinic if you have any queries about the new card system or would like to make a booking.

SPONSORED/ASSOCIATED GROUPS

· Runaway Bay Soccer Club on top of the table

The BayHawks (Runaway Bay Soccer Club) 1st division soccer team are currently leading the competition, after a win against Merrimac on the weekend.

The 1st division Open Women’s Team, currently placed 2nd is also performing well. GCPSH Massage Therapist Katie Cox plays for the team and has reported that they are looking so good that they may have the opportunity to move up a division to premier league next season … Go the Girls!!

All registered players with the BayHawks are now eligible to obtain discounts for physio & massage treatment at the clinic. Resident physio Lisa Graham is currently working with the senior men’s teams, both in training and at home games. For more information on the Runaway Bay Soccer Club go to www.runawaybaysoccerclub.com.au.

· Vision Personal Training Studios : Free seminars teaching you how to lose body fat and keep it off !!

Vision Personal Training continue to run free monthly education seminars at the Runaway Bay Studio. These sessions are designed to teach you:

o How much exercise you need according to your body type
o Which exercises are the most effective
o Why including resistance training provides the best results
o And much much more!!

For more information on session times and bookings go www.visionpt.com.au

FEATURE ARTICLE: What is it really like working with an elite sporting team?? …….

Britt Caling reports on her travels with the Australian Institute of Sports (AIS) Triathlon Team.

Early June I left Australia to work with the AIS Triathlon Program through the USA leg of their Tour. The first stop was Boulder, Colorado where the athletes were based for an altitude training camp. The team at this stage consisted of Brad Kahlefeldt, Courtney Atkinson, Annabel Luxford, Dan Wilson and Alee Sharp, with Shaun Stephens the head coach and Chris Lang support coach.

My role during the tour included Physio, Massage and optimizing recovery strategies, including ice-bathing (see picture below of ice-bathing) and fluid/food replacement.

Ice-bathing at Boulder.. Who said recovery was easy!

Triathletes would have to be the hardest trained athletes on the planet. Most days, these elite triathletes will complete a training session of all 3 disciplines- swim, cycle and run- within the 1 day. The sessions will take between 1hour and 3hours each to complete, meaning that they are training (on average) 5-6hours per day!

Most swim and track running sessions I am in attendance to monitor the group and help with warm-up stretching, mobilization or activation/drill exercises. Every day for me is a little different with each athlete completing training in different formats each day. Due to the extensive training load, triathletes are obviously very prone to overuse injuries and a number of the athletes on tour were experiencing small niggling injuries that required me to consult with them up to twice per day. The uninjured athletes generally received massage every 2-3days in an attempt to prevent injury. Completing this grueling schedule 7days per week made me a fairly busy little physio! None-the-less, I am generally able to squeeze in a little sight-seeing in the form of running myself around the town while the athletes are out on the bike. Not the ideal way to play tourist, but better than seeing only the inside of a physio consult room!

The town of Boulder is 1600m above sea level and the reduced oxygen levels had an apparent effect on the athletes during their intensity training sessions, with their breathing rates and Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) higher than when training at sea level. The aim of an altitude camp is basically to make the athletic body more efficient at transporting and utilising oxygen to improve their performance on return to sea level racing. Shaun drove the girls and I up the mountains until we reached 3000m for a short 5km run up to 3200m. It was definitely an experience trying to breathe under those conditions and we were that high that we were at times running through the snow (see photo1 of Bella and I).

Boulder is a beautiful city and a haven of trails and mountain biking and it is apparently one of the most active cities in the world. The whole population ride bikes or walk and the city itself boasts a mecca of bike paths and wilderness to explore. While I was limited with the exploring that I could do, I did manage to walk a couple of the most beautiful trails and had the opportunity to appreciate the view (see photo below).

The next step on the tour was the Washington D.C World Series Race where Olympic Gold and Bronze Medallists Emma Snowsill and Emma Moffat joined the team. The race location was amazing with Pennsylvania Avenue in the heart of the city being closed to traffic for the duration of the race. The course itself passed by most monumental structures such as the Capital State Building (see photo below) and the Washington Monument. The Australian women performed well with Emma Moffatt and Emma Snowsill placing 1st and 2nd, while Brad Kahlefeldt finished 11th in the men after missing the leading 5men out of the swim and being still a little tired from some hard training at altitude.

Photos: Left - Me & Annabel Luxford in the mountains. Middle- Breathtaking views of Boulder. Right - Capital State Building, Washington

Following Washington we departed for the Hy-vee World Cup Triathlon in Des Moines (pronounced “De Moyne”), Iowa. Des Moines hosts a big money race (US$200 000 for 1st place) that attracts all the top level triathletes. Des Moines is otherwise a quiet country little town that gets very excited about triathlon. Emma Moffat won the women’s, with Emma Snowsill 2nd, while Brad Kahlefelt placed 2nd in the Men’s race. These 3 athletes combined with Courtney Atkinson to place 2nd in the World Teams Race the following day. Overall, Des Moines was a successful trip for us Aussies!

As I left to return home the AIS team departed for their European training base in Aix Les Baines (in the French Alps). It was a great opportunity to work with the team and has allowed me to hone my Sports Physio skills to manage the best athletes in the world. These physio skills are essential for me to continue developing and can be applied to management of all levels of athletic endeavours - from the social athlete and weekend warrior through to the more competitive athletes that visit GCPSH. In addition, working closely on tour with Nicola Bullock, the AIS Sports Physiologist has expanded my knowledge and understanding of how current Sports Science fits closely into Sports Performance and Sports Physio.

If you have any questions about my experiences or how I can help you, your family, friends or colleagues in relation to improving your sports performance, developing as a triathlete or any injury concerns you may have, please feel free to contact me at the clinic. Happy Training!

Australian Results
Washington World Series Triathlon:
· Women: Emma Moffatt 1st; Emma Snowsill 2nd.
· Men: Brad Kahlefeldt 11th.
Des Moines World Cup Triathlon:
· Women - Emma Moffatt 1st; Emma Snowsill 2nd.
· Men - Brad Kahlefeldt 2nd; Gareth Halverson 12th; Dan Wilson 16th; Courtney Atkinson 41st.

FOCUS ON NUTRITION (by Kristen MacKenzie, Dietitian & Sports Nutritionist)

Tip of the month…… WEIGHT LOSS

The number one tip for weight loss is - focus on fruit and vegies. As a nation we are not getting enough and these are a critical part of a successful weight loss diet. Changing some of your snacks to fruit while adding some vegetables to your main meals while maintaining a balanced diet can be the key to weight loss success!!

Nutrition for the young athlete- they are not just little adults!

Increasingly, athletes can become professional at a younger age. Many athletes are meeting the demands of multiple sports or even, multiple team and training demands within a sport (for example school, representative, regional, club). It is not uncommon to see young athletes training two times per day for most days of the week, with a few scheduled games or events each week. This can pose multiple challenges for the young athlete, the parents and their team management.

Young athletes’ needs are different from their parents and from their peers. While growth in itself raises the need for some nutrients in the diet; sport or exercise also places increased requirements on the athlete. Common nutrients at risk in young athletes include carbohydrate, protein, calcium, iron, B Vitamins, essential fatty acids, and sometimes some of the vitamins that are common in fruit and vegetables are also lacking. Further compounding this issue, young athletes can be ‘picky’ in their food choices. It is also important to remember that some of the guidelines that are important for the rest of the adult or overweight population (eg. low fat, low sugar) may not be applicable to the young athlete. Some of the following snack foods or lunch foods are encouraged.

Yoghurt, creamed rice or chocolate dairy snacks
Fresh, tinned, dried fruit and fruit juice Nuts and seeds
Milk or flavoured milks (MILO has increased calcium and iron)
Muesli bars or nut-containing muesli bars
Foods containing the good fats, such as avocado, olive oils, or chips using unsaturated oils
Cheese or cheese sticks
Grainy breads and cereals (and lots of good carbohydrate containing foods)
Protein foods such as meats, hummus and baked beans

Kristen MacKenzie is a Sport and Health Dietitian with additional qualifications in Exercise Science. She consults to the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) and the Brisbane Lions AFL Club and is available for bookings at GCPSH alternate Fridays from 1:30-6pm. In addition to working with elite athletes, Kristen is experienced in assisting social and more competitive age group athletes manage their nutrition, families & individuals requiring weight management assistance or nutritional advice to help manage various medical conditions. For more information or to schedule an appointment with Kristen, contact the clinic.

PRODUCT OF THE MONTH: Compression Calf Guards

These snug-fitting compression garments (pictured below) may look a little weird but are excellent for those of who participate in running/jumping sports and suffer from calf and/or shin complaints. By compressing the lower leg they reduce the amount of trauma to the muscles in the region, provide support to the tissue, and encourage removal of waste products such as lactate. This guards against injury, minimizes soreness & fatigue, and assists recovery post training & racing. Many elite runners and triathletes regularly use calf guards for these reasons, including a number of the current AIS elite triathletes such as Dan Wilson (see below)

Dan Wilson (AIS Triathlete) in his 2XU calf guards. Dan runs in his calf guards to reduce calf tightness that develops during and post-running and assists his recovery from training.

The calf guards are available with & without stirrups. Stirrups are great for sports where shin guards are required (eg- soccer) or as a light-weight gaiter for orienteering and trail running.

MONTHLY DISCOUNT: JULY SPECIAL!!

While stocks last in the month of July, Compression Calf Guards for current clients are available at the discounted rate of $50! Be quick before they are sold out!

GCPSH offers current clients a 10% discount on all 2xu gear. Perform at your best by training, racing and recovering in the gear that is relied upon by some of the best athletes in the world! As the cooler months approach wearing tights and tops as undergarments can have the added effect of providing extra warmth. Check out the full range @ www.2xu.com.au.

MONTHLY FUNNY…….
"Did you know the Tibia (otherwise known as your Shin Bone) is a device for finding furniture in the dark!" (we'll blame Britt for this one!!).

CLIENT CAPERS: Best Wishes & Congratulations to ……

Sally McLellan as she heads to Europe to complete preparations for the Track & Field World Championships held in Berlin in August. Sally left the Gold Coast last week and just 3 days after getting off the plane raced and won her first 100m hurdles event (held in Sotteville, France) in a time of 12.75 sec. This is Sally’s second fastest time of the year – not bad!!. She has another 8 competitions to compete in prior to Worlds.

Runaway Bay Soccer Club for their recent performances highlighted above. Keep up the good work guys and gals.

All athletes who competed in the Gold Coast Marathon, Half Marathon, 10km and/or 5km. This includes our wonderful GCPSH front-desk staff Sandy (Half marathon) and Mel (10km). We hope you all achieved your goals from the event and are recovering well. Remember massage is fantastic for recovery and management of post-race aches and pains – our therapists are only too happy to help!

We look forward to helping you optimise your health, well being and sporting performance. If you have any queries about our services & products please contact the clinic on 07 5500 6470 or go to www.gcpsh.com.au.

Yours in good health,

The GCPSH Team