Born to Run

A recent study performed by researchers at the Wingate Institute and published by the American Physiological Society entitled “Interaction between SNPs in the NRF2 gene and elite endurance performance” has revealed an exciting new discovery. Apparently elite endurance athletes who have a variation of a particular gene makes them ‘born to run’.

The research identified a difference between endurance athletes and sprinters. Regardless of the competitive level, in all cases those athletes who excelled in endurance sports were found to have one of two particular variants of the NRF2 gene. So far, there is no cause and effect relationship established but the research into the human genome is ongoing. It is the hope that eventually the role of this gene variant in athletic performance will be revealed.

The NRF2 was identified as one of the factors influencing athletic endurance because it plays a role in the production of new mitochondria. Mitochondria are the cells that produce energy. NRF2 also has a positive reverse effect on inflammation and oxidation that occur during intense exercise, much the same as Extreme Endurance.

The exact variations of this gene are called the NRF2 A allele and NRF2 C/T genotype. In some elite athletes, both variations were found. Research was performed on 155 track and field competitors and arranged by endurance and sprint specialties and further categorized as ‘elite’ (as defined by international or Olympic performances) and ‘non-elite’. These results were compared to a control group of 240 people who were not involved in sports.

This research opens the door to new possibilities in the field of understanding the reasons behind why some athletes are able to reach the top of their fields while others perform nominally. You can bet that the makers of Extreme Endurance will be closely following subsequent studies and using the information to benefit endurance athletes with their drug free supplement.

American Women Dominate ITU Winter Triathlon Championships

It was a red letter day for the Team USA women at the 2010 ITU Winter Triathlon Championships held February 12 – 14 in Eidsvoll, Norway. Traditionally this competition is dominated by the Norwegians and Austrians, but this year it was the Americans’ turn to shine in the team relay elite event when they took home the gold medal.

Fifteen teams from five nations competed in the team relay, which consisted of a two kilometer run, a three kilometer mountain bike race, and finishing with a three kilometer cross country skiing trek for each of three team members.

The US women’s team, comprised of Emma Garrand, Heather Best, and Rebecca Dussault, took an early lead and held on to it for the duration of the course. The Americans took the gold with a full four minutes and 26 seconds to spare before the second place Norwegians crossed the finish line, followed by the Russian women claiming the bronze.

On the men’s side, the Norwegian team of Arne Post, Tor-Atle Fuglerrud, and Tor Halvor Bjornstad dominated the competition, ultimately taking the gold. Russian Team One claimed silver while Russian Team Two came in third. The bronze medal, however, went to Italy since only one medal is awarded per country in this competition.

Complete results of all individual and team events can be found at the International Triathlon Union website.

While most people are watching Olympic games in Vancouver, such events as the ITU Winter Triathlon Championships with its roster of competitive endurance athletes also provides great viewing for spectators in other parts of the world.

Sweden Wins Gold in 2010 Winter Olympics Biathlon

After an unusual mistake allowed two competitors to begin the biathlon race early, Swede Bjorn Ferry managed to overcome the unfair advantage by bringing home the gold medal – Sweden’s first in 50 years of Olympic participation. Not since 1960, when the Olympics were held in Squaw Valley, has Sweden enjoyed a gold medal moment as provided then by 20k racer Klas Lestander.

Ferry’s time of 33 minutes and 38.4 seconds to complete this year’s 12.5 kilometer course allowed for a huge lead. He was followed by Christoph Sumann of Austria who crossed the finish line 16.5 seconds after Ferry. Vincent Jay of France took the bronze medal after finishing 28.2 seconds after Sumann. Norway’s Ole Einar Bjoerndalen was favored to place in the top three but two missed shots took him out of the running for a medal.

The International Biathlon Union can only hope that Sweden’s victory overshadows the officials’ mistake in allowing two racers to start early due to errant placement in the wrong lanes. Norbert Baier, the union’s official delegate, called this blunder “an embarrassment”. Added to the goof in the men’s competition was a similar mistake in the women’s event when three female biathletes started later than they should have.

The biathlon features a staggered start. Start times are based on standings from a previous event, allowing winners a time advantage. Each participant is assigned a lane based on these start times and two competitors, one from America and one from Canada, took the wrong rows. Both officials and volunteers assigned to check bib numbers did not realize the error until the event was finished.

Since the rest of the biathlon events scheduled for the Winter Games do not feature staggered starting times, there should be no further blunders influencing the results of these popular Winter Olympics events featuring top endurance athletes.

Training in the snow in Germany

Heidi Jesberger putting in the miles! (kilometers)

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Heidi in Lanzarote

Heidi in Lanzarote

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Heidi in Lanzarote

Premier of a New Duathlon Competition

If you are looking for a new endrance athlete event to compete in this year, consider the premier of the 2010 Twinsburg Duathlon Sports & Fitness Expo in Ohio scheduled for June. This brand new event is sanctioned by USA Triathlon and sponsored by the local Parks & Recreation department.

The Twinsburg Duathlon will consist of a two mile run, followed by 10 miles of biking, and ending with a two mile run. The running course follows an off-road trail while the biking course goes across asphalt roads in the city. There are several divisions in which to register including a two-person relay which allows one member of the team to do all of the biking while the other takes care of the running legs.

Awards will be given to the winner of each age group as well as one for the overall best performer. Competitors who live in Twinsburg will also be eligible for the best male and female residents awards.

Prior to the race, a Sports & Fitness Expo will be held at the city’s fitness center. Competitors can pick up their packets during the expo at the recreational center or the day of the race but must be registered prior to arrival. Because the Twinsburg Duathlon is a USAT sanctioned event, all participants must acquire a membership card, which can be good for the day of the competition or purchased as an annual membership.

The Twinsburg Duathlon sounds like an excellent event for the beginner endruance athlete who wants to specialize in the duathlete competition. Be sure to step up your training regimen and work on aerobic threshold performance now to be prepared for this new competition in June. Further details can be found here.

Yvonne Van Vlerken after Lanzarote

Happy as a little kid I was when I got my products last week. They arrived just in time to come with me on training camp in Lanzarote/Spain.

After using them for a week and taking 2x 4 tablets I had a short hard race here on the island. It’s a duathlon over the distance of 5km. Run, 20km. Bike (heavy hilly course) & 2,5 km. for the second run.

I competed in this race for the fifth time and won it for the 4th time.

I have to say this year was the hardest competition ever, maybe you got Thomas press release and you already read the story? I was faster then ever and the strange thing was that I wasn’t as sore as I normally am after this race. I could train the rest of the day and could even train normal the next day. I suppose this is the effect of your product, if not, then its a miracle:-)

I’m taking your Extreme Vital 40 as well and hope to come back to you with positive news about this product soon. As you know, we always wait till we made our own opinion about a product, it has to urn our trust:-)