It’s a Great Time to be Active
Programs & Events
Survivor Solutions: A Second Opinion
We are please to announce the creation of Survivor Solutions: A Second Opinion. Finding
health care providers that understand and encourage physical activity and exercise can be
difficult. To address this we have partnered with the American Running Association and
the America Medical Athletic Association to offer our members access to 200 clinicians
covering 27 different medical specialties. A clinical advisory board, representing
clinicians across the U.S., volunteer their time to respond to your physical activity and
exercise related medical questions on issues such as nutrition, physical therapy,
psychology, oncology, endocrinology, sports medicine, cardiology, and women's health.
Your physical activity and exercise related medical questions are evaluated and
forwarded to the appropriate clinician. You should receive a response to your question
within seven days. All we ask is that your health or medical questions are physical
activity, exercise, and training related.
Survivor Harbor 7
The Survivor Harbor 7 has added Fort McHenry National Monument & Historic Shrine
to the course in 2006. We are excited to offer another Baltimore landmark to our
course. Fort McHenry offers a scenic and refreshing change to the course. Registration is
booming and we anticipate filling all 2,000 slots for the event prior to race day so register
today at www.activesurvivor.org.
Community Resources
Launch of the American Road Race Medical Society
A new group of doctors and health care professionals have formed the American Road
Race Medical Society (ARRMS). ARRMS brings together medical workers from road
races nationwide. With more people than ever signing up for distance races such as
marathons, the call for streamlined health and safety guidelines for race personnel is at an
all time high. For more information about this organization please visit
http://www.arrms.org/
Conditions & Treatments
There is a saying that doctors do not cure patients; only your body can heal itself. Clinical
research describing the relationship between physical activity, exercise, and quality of
life is significantly changing medical, worksite, school, and community policies.
Exercise has become a cornerstone treatment of many chronic diseases. Each month we
will briefly cover a health issue as it relates to clinical evidence concerning the
importance of physical activity and exercise training. This month we will cover
Myocardial Infarction (MI).
Myocardial Infarction (MI) “Heart Attack”
Myocardial Infarction" (abbreviated as "MI") is the death of some of the muscle cells of
the heart caused by closure of the artery ("coronary artery") that supplies that particular
part of the heart muscle with blood.
With advances in medicine, most individuals survive a heart attack. For those who have
had an MI, exercise training may result in: improved maximal oxygen consumption
(VO2Max); improved ventilatory response to exercise (breathing easier); relief of anginal
symptoms secondary to reductions in heart rate and/or blood pressure; increased heart
rate variability; decreased body weight, fat stores, blood pressure (particularly in
hypertensives), total blood cholesterol, serum triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein
(LDL) cholesterol; improved psychological well-being and self-efficacy; and protection
against the triggering of MI by strenuous physical exertion. Studies also demonstrate
increased exercise tolerance in clients with left-ventricular dysfunction, despite lack of
improvement with ejection fraction (the amount of blood being pumped with each heart
beat). This is a particularly important finding. Despite the fact that beta blocker treatment
shows a pronounced improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction, there has been no
consistent measured effect on quality of life. However, increased peak oxygen uptake
achieved by exercise training is associated with an improvement in quality of life.
Finally, exercise has shown a 25% reduction in total and cardiovascular-related mortality
with no change in rate of nonfatal recurrent events.
Recommendations for Exercise
Once your physician has determined clinical cardiac stability, Survivors of MI (beyond
phase IV) should be exercising at a minimum three non-consecutive days per week.
Duration of exercise should be between 30 to 60 minutes continuous or accumulated.
Exercise should include flexibility, strength, and endurance. Perceived exertion can be
moderately hard.
For more information on exercise and heart disease please visit the Mayo Clinic at
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-disease/HB00067
Next month we will look at Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery and Angioplasty.
References:
National Heart Lung & Blood Institute: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
J.L. Durstine & G.E. Moore. Exercise Management for Persons with Chronic Disease and
Disabilites. American College of Sports Medicine, 2003. Human Kinectics.
Research & Policy in the News
News from the American College of Sports Medicine.
Scharhag, J. Meyer, T., Auracher M., Gabriel H., & Kinderman, W. Effects of graded
carbohydrate supplementation on immune response in cycling. Medicine & Science in
Sport & Exercise, Feb. 2006.
Researchers found that immune response during prolonged exercise can be influenced by
carbohydrate supplementation. A 6% to 12% carbohydrate beverage ingestion seems to
be sufficient to reduce the metabolic stress and to attenuate the exercise-induced immune
stress as well.
Advocacy Opportunities
Along with the growth of the Active Survivors Network, the need for volunteer
involvement from our members has also grown. To address this, we’re developing
volunteer opportunities to participate on national advisory teams. For your opportunity to
participate and shape national Active Survivor policy please call Dr. John Librett at
770.356.9365 or email him at JLibrett@ActiveSurvivor.org.
Meetings & Conferences
World Congress on Physical Activity and Public Health
17–20 April 2006
Grand Hyatt Atlanta Buckhead
Atlanta, Georgia
The congress will emphasize key scientific and programmatic advances in the field from
the past 10 years and highlight the direction of future research and promotion of physical
activity and public health. The congress will provide an interdisciplinary forum for
information exchange on current research and practice in physical activity in public
health. Audiences include researchers, practitioners, students, and professionals interested
in state-of-the-art information and education in physical activity and public health.
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/ICPAPH/
Cooper Institute Conference Series
Parks, Recreation, and Public Health: Collaborative Frameworks for Promoting Physical
Activity
October 26 - 28, 2006
While public health, parks and recreation share some common goals there has been
inadequate discussion between the professions. The goal of this meeting is to advance the
cross-disciplines of public health, parks, and recreation. By providing a forum to discuss
scientific and practice issues, researchers and practitioners will establish collaborative
frameworks for strengthening collaboration between these disciplines.
http://www.cooperinst.org/
Please send items for consideration for next month’s newsletter to
Jlibrett@ActiveSurvivor.org.