The Fit Fizjo

Great pleasure to be involved with the over the past few weeks, I am forever grateful for the hospitality from everyone at the club 🙌🏾

MUSCLE CRAMPS!😖

I’m sure we have all been there. First few days hitting the gym or starting of a new kind of activity or sport and you start getting muscle cramps after and during. From first hand experiences I feel your pain 😂 Well here is a diagram with my top tips in battling those muscle cramps.

You will find both longer term strategies (strength & capacity), short term (hydration & fuelling), and also acute (immediately before and after onset of cramp).

Cramps are thought to be induced by fatigue related interference with muscle-excitation.

No.1 Tip
Pickle juice (often mixed with pepper, lemon juice and a few other ingredients) believe it or not it can help alleviate muscle cramps. The mechanism is thought to be from “short-cutting” the muscle excitation. You don’t even have to swallow it - simply swirl it around your mouth a few times.

Hope this is somewhat helpful.

To Ice or Not To Ice that is the question 🧊 🤔 - The current biggest debate in the Sports injury world!

To Ice or Not To Ice that is the question 🧊 🤔

Sports medicine and injury rehab are evolving rapidly, with the latest research leading the way. 🏥 That's why there's so much debate about whether ice is a hero or a villain in injury recovery.

When you twist your ankle or see your favorite athletes getting hurt on the field, your first instinct might be to reach for the ice pack. 🤔 But is this old-school approach still in sync with the latest findings? 📚 Let's dive into the chilling truth about ice and

The OL) aids recovery through cell regeneration induced by light mechanical loading in the early stages. Subsequently, Rest (R) or a lack of movement is detrimental to recovery (3).

But what about ice?

In 2014, Dr Mirkin acknowledged changes in the research and, as any evidence-based scientist would, retracted ice from his initial protocol. He stated that coaches had been using his “’RICE‘ guideline for decades, but now it appeared that both ice and complete rest may in fact delay healing, instead of helping” (3).

What Dr Mirkin is referring to is the necessary benefits of the inflammation process. When we injure ourselves, our body sends signals out to our inflammatory cells (macrophages) which release the hormone Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1). These cells initiate healing by killing off damaged tissue. Although when ice is applied, we may actually be preventing the body’s natural release of IGF-1 and therefore delaying the initiation of the healing process (3).

Ice was finally revoked in 2019 from the injury management process with the latest and most comprehensive acronym: PEACE & LOVE (Protection, Elevation, Avoid Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, Compression, Education & Load, Optimism, Vascularisation and Exercise).

My Opinion 😎: From experience firsthand I have observed that Ice is effective for reducing swelling and inflammation but I would definitely combine and incorporate it with the new PEACE & LOVE Protocols when dealing with acute injuries.

What is your opinion? Would love to hear your experiences & opinions in the comments section below

Patellar tendinitis, also known as jumper's knee, is a condition characterized by pain and inflammation in the patellar tendon, which connects the kneecap (patella) to the shinbone (tibia).

It typically occurs in athletes who participate in sports that involve jumping, such as basketball or volleyball.

The main symptom of patellar tendinitis is pain and tenderness in the patellar tendon, usually located just below the kneecap.

The pain may be dull or sharp and is typically worse with activities that involve jumping or running.
Other symptoms may include swelling, stiffness, and a limited range of motion in the knee.

Treatment for patellar tendinitis typically involves a combination of rest, ice, compression, and elevation (the RICE protocol), as well as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to relieve pain and inflammation.

Physical therapy exercises, such as stretching and strengthening exercises, may also be recommended to help rehabilitate the tendon and prevent further injury.

In severe cases, more invasive treatments such as corticosteroid injections or surgery may be necessary.

However, most people with patellar tendinitis are able to recover with conservative treatment and a gradual return to physical activity.

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Block out the noise 🔇 and focus on the goal🧘🏾‍♂️

𝐀𝐬 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐈 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐰𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧.

All though it’s great to look up to someone for example a celebrity as your inspiration but it shouldn’t be your main goal. Your main goal should be to become the best possible version of yourself! As you should always remember that we all have different body shapes and sizes, different metabolism and habits. Some of us are blessed with great genetically body traits ( Guilty! ✋🏾) and some of us are not. So next time you fantasise about having that Kim Kardashian’s or for the lads Arnold Schwarzenegger body stop 🛑 for a minute and think about becoming the best version of YOU! Let promote body positivity!!✌🏾

My mini pre holidays cut was successful as you can see 💦 , now it’s BULK time ! Bring on the carbs 😋

One of the very few times you will see me in the water 😂