Showing posts with label cross-country skiing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cross-country skiing. Show all posts
Sunday, January 12, 2025
Monday, December 9, 2019
Skiing Cuts Vascular Dementia Risk in Half
It is your doctor's responsibility to get you skiing again. You have a very elevated chance of getting dementia. Your doctor better have protocols to prevent that.
Your chances of getting dementia.
1. A documented 33% dementia chance post-stroke from an Australian study? May 2012.
2. Then this study came out and seems to have a range from 17-66%. December 2013.
3. A 20% chance in this research. July 2013.
4. Dementia Risk Doubled in Patients Following Stroke September 2018
5. Parkinson’s Disease May Have Link to Stroke March 2017
Nothing done by your doctor?
Laziness? Incompetence? Or just don't care? No leadership? No strategy? Not my job?
I used to cross country ski quite a lot, I could do hockey stops on cross country skiis. That was back in Minnesota where they actually have snow. Living here in Mid-Michigan for 7 years I don't think the ground has completely frozen at all. Snowfalls up to 5 inches melt from below in the next week. I do get out but one pole cross country skiing is quite difficult and with no groomed trails keeping the skiis parallel and straight is challenging. I do require my AFO to be worn, otherwise my left ankle turns under all the time
Skiing Cuts Vascular Dementia Risk in Half
SKIERS are 50% less likely to develop vascular dementia, half as likely
to be depressed, and if Parkinson’s strike, it's very delayed – despite
pathological changes in the brain. Learn more.
Skiers are 50% less likely to develop vascular dementia -- but not Alzheimer's. They are also half as likely to be depressed, and if Parkinson’s strike, it's very delayed. These connections were discovered by researchers when they compared 200,000 people who had participated in a long-distance cross-country ski race between 1989 and 2010 with a matched cohort of the general population. The results of the population register study, led by researchers at Lund University in Sweden together with Uppsala University, were recently published in three scientific articles.
"As brain researchers, we have had the unique opportunity to analyse an
exceptionally large group of very physically active people over two
decades, and we have unravelled some interesting results," says Tomas
Deierborg, research team leader and associate professor at Lund
University.
It has been previously shown that the skiers of Vasaloppet, a popular cross-country skiing race in Sweden, have a reduced risk of suffering a heart attack, but not what the situation looked like for brain diseases.
In the group of Vasaloppet skiers (a total of 197,685 people) there were 50 per cent fewer people affected by vascular dementia than in the control group (a total of 197,684 people). On the other hand, researchers discovered that the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease was not reduced, something that contradicts previous studies in the field which show that physical activity has an impact on Alzheimer's.
Two decades after the skiers had competed in the Vasaloppet ski race, 233 had developed dementia (incl. vascular and Alzheimer's dementia), 40 of these people had been diagnosed with vascular dementia and 86 people with Alzheimer 's disease. In the general population, 319 had developed dementia, 72 had developed vascular dementia and 95 had developed Alzheimer's dementia.
"The results indicate that physical activity does not affect the molecular processes that cause Alzheimer's disease, such as the accumulation of the amyloid protein. Nonetheless, physical activity reduces the risk of vascular damage to the brain, as well as to the rest of the body," says memory researcher Oskar Hansson, professor of neurology at Lund University.
The researchers saw similar results when they studied 20,000 subjects in the population study called Malmö Diet and Cancer. The participants who were most physically active had a lower risk of developing vascular dementia, in line with the results found in the Vasaloppet cohort. On the other hand, there were no significant differences in developing Alzheimer's disease between the group that was most physically active and the group with the lowest physical activity.
The researchers also studied whether Vasaloppet skiers had a reduced risk over time of developing Parkinson's disease. Two decades (21 years) after they had participated in the Vasaloppet ski race, 119 people had been diagnosed with Parkinson's. In the general population, 164 people had received the diagnosis. However, the difference between those who are physically active (the Vasaloppet skiers) and the general population appears to diminish over time.
"The mechanisms behind this still need to be investigated, but it seems that those who are physically active have a 'motor reserve' that postpones the onset of the disease. If a person trains a lot it may be possible to maintain mobility for longer, despite the pathological changes in the brain," speculates Tomas Olsson, doctoral student and author of the study.
When the researchers studied how many Vasaloppet skiers suffered from depression compared to the general population, they found that the risk was halved in those who had participated in Vasaloppet.
Following two decades of follow-up, a total of 3,075 people had been diagnosed with depression, of whom 1,030 were Vasaloppet skiers and 2,045 people were from the general population.
Researchers also studied the differences between men and women. The risk of suffering from depression was further reduced in men who were part of the group with the fastest finishing times. This did not apply to the fastest female Vasaloppet skiers, though.
"However, the fastest women still had a lower risk of suffering from depression than those who were not active in the general population," says Martina Svensson, doctoral student at Lund University and author of the scientific articles.
REFERENCE:
Skiers are 50% less likely to develop vascular dementia -- but not Alzheimer's. They are also half as likely to be depressed, and if Parkinson’s strike, it's very delayed. These connections were discovered by researchers when they compared 200,000 people who had participated in a long-distance cross-country ski race between 1989 and 2010 with a matched cohort of the general population. The results of the population register study, led by researchers at Lund University in Sweden together with Uppsala University, were recently published in three scientific articles.
Article continued below...
It has been previously shown that the skiers of Vasaloppet, a popular cross-country skiing race in Sweden, have a reduced risk of suffering a heart attack, but not what the situation looked like for brain diseases.
In the group of Vasaloppet skiers (a total of 197,685 people) there were 50 per cent fewer people affected by vascular dementia than in the control group (a total of 197,684 people). On the other hand, researchers discovered that the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease was not reduced, something that contradicts previous studies in the field which show that physical activity has an impact on Alzheimer's.
Two decades after the skiers had competed in the Vasaloppet ski race, 233 had developed dementia (incl. vascular and Alzheimer's dementia), 40 of these people had been diagnosed with vascular dementia and 86 people with Alzheimer 's disease. In the general population, 319 had developed dementia, 72 had developed vascular dementia and 95 had developed Alzheimer's dementia.
"The results indicate that physical activity does not affect the molecular processes that cause Alzheimer's disease, such as the accumulation of the amyloid protein. Nonetheless, physical activity reduces the risk of vascular damage to the brain, as well as to the rest of the body," says memory researcher Oskar Hansson, professor of neurology at Lund University.
The researchers saw similar results when they studied 20,000 subjects in the population study called Malmö Diet and Cancer. The participants who were most physically active had a lower risk of developing vascular dementia, in line with the results found in the Vasaloppet cohort. On the other hand, there were no significant differences in developing Alzheimer's disease between the group that was most physically active and the group with the lowest physical activity.
The researchers also studied whether Vasaloppet skiers had a reduced risk over time of developing Parkinson's disease. Two decades (21 years) after they had participated in the Vasaloppet ski race, 119 people had been diagnosed with Parkinson's. In the general population, 164 people had received the diagnosis. However, the difference between those who are physically active (the Vasaloppet skiers) and the general population appears to diminish over time.
"The mechanisms behind this still need to be investigated, but it seems that those who are physically active have a 'motor reserve' that postpones the onset of the disease. If a person trains a lot it may be possible to maintain mobility for longer, despite the pathological changes in the brain," speculates Tomas Olsson, doctoral student and author of the study.
When the researchers studied how many Vasaloppet skiers suffered from depression compared to the general population, they found that the risk was halved in those who had participated in Vasaloppet.
Following two decades of follow-up, a total of 3,075 people had been diagnosed with depression, of whom 1,030 were Vasaloppet skiers and 2,045 people were from the general population.
Researchers also studied the differences between men and women. The risk of suffering from depression was further reduced in men who were part of the group with the fastest finishing times. This did not apply to the fastest female Vasaloppet skiers, though.
"However, the fastest women still had a lower risk of suffering from depression than those who were not active in the general population," says Martina Svensson, doctoral student at Lund University and author of the scientific articles.
REFERENCE:
- Oskar Hansson, Martina Svensson, Anna-Märta Gustavsson, Emelie Andersson, Yiyi Yang, Katarina Nägga, Ulf Hållmarker, Stefan James, Tomas Deierborg. Midlife physical activity is associated with lower incidence of vascular dementia but not Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer's Research & Therapy, 2019; 11 (1) DOI: 10.1186/s13195-019-0538-4
Sunday, December 17, 2017
Cross country skiing
With most of the day available before my social connections, I got out my skiis, fishscale ones since they are slower and less likely to break. My beautiful wood ones - Asnes from Norway, are still packed in my storage locker in Minneapolis. I made it 100 yards down the trail before I turned around and went back for my AFO. In ungroomed trails my left ankle rolls a lot. Even with my AFO, keeping two long sticks pointed parallel to each other is difficult. This is more walking on skiis than skiing. I can't do the classic push off and glide anymore. The Fitbit registers about 30% less distance than actually covered, probably because of some minimal glide and no heel strike registering a step.
Managed not to fall, although had to plant the ski pole on the left side numerous times to keep from toppling that way. The first year I lived here I managed to ski quite a few times, that led to my obsession to keeping branches and logs off the trails
Managed not to fall, although had to plant the ski pole on the left side numerous times to keep from toppling that way. The first year I lived here I managed to ski quite a few times, that led to my obsession to keeping branches and logs off the trails
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Cross country skiing
After 4.5 months of clearing trails I finally found time in my social calendar to actually try it today. 20 degrees and snowing, it was beautiful out. I have to wear my very first AFO because it's the only one that fits in my ski boots and I need it to prevent rolling my ankle. I did the 3 small cleared loops, tried to get to the back loop but numerous branches across the trail prevented that. Only fell onto my knees once when trying to herringbone up a 1 foot rise. Its pathetic how slow I ski now. 2 hour's worth and I don't think I raised my heart rate at all. But I did doze in my chair after coming back. Life is great.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Increased risk of atrial fibrillation among elderly Norwegian men with a history of long-term endurance sport practice
Boy do these people know anything about correlation vs. cause and effect? Right now there is nothing about my XC skiing that would suggest any endurance or cardiovascular effect.
Increased risk of atrial fibrillation among elderly Norwegian men with a history of long-term endurance sport practice
Myrstad M, Lochen ML,
Graff-Iversen SG, Gulsvik AK, THeel DS, Stigum H, and Ranhoff AH. Scan J Med
Sci Sports. 2013; [Epub Ahead of Print].
Take
Home Message: Older male, cross-country skiers are more likely to have atrial
fibrillation than the general population, but participation in leisure time
physical activity may mitigate the development of atrial fibrillation.
Atrial fibrillation (AF), the
most common cardiac arrhythmia, is more prevalent among older adults and young
athletes who compete in long-distance endurance races. While these races are growing
in popularity amongst an older population (65 years and older), we have a poor
understanding of the association between long-distance endurance training and
AF among older athletes. A better understanding of this would help clinicians
better inform and counsel patients on current training standards and how to
maintain optimal cardiac health. Therefore, Myrstad and colleagues completed a
study to investigate if long-term endurance practice is a risk factor for AF in
elderly men. The researchers identified and mailed questionnaires to 658
Norwegian cross-country skiers, age 65 and older for inclusion in The
Birkebeiner Ageing Study (a longitudinal study of skiers, age 65 and older who
participate in Norwegian Birkebeiner cross country ski race). A total of 509
skiers completed and returned the questionnaire, and were included in the
study. The authors compared the collected data with similar data from 1,867
individuals over 65 years of age in The Tromsø Study (a general population-based general health study). Both studies
included questions assessing the presence of AF, participation in leisure time
physical activity, age, body mass index, presence of coronary heart disease,
hypertension, diabetes, educational level, health status, smoking habits, and
alcohol consumption. Overall, participants who skied were less likely to consume
alcohol or smoke, had lower body mass index, and had a higher level of
education compared with individuals in the Tromsø Study. Individuals in the
current study also reported a higher level of leisure time physical activity
than those included in the Tromsø Study. Further, the authors found a higher
prevalence of AF in those males who participated in long-distance cross-country
ski races. Interestingly, participants who reported participating in light or
moderate leisure time physical activity in the past 12 months were less likely
to have AF.
Overall, the current
study suggests that elderly men who regularly participate in long-distance
endurance practice may have an elevated risk of AF, while participation in less
strenuous, leisure time activities was associated with a lower prevalence of
AF. This may be useful to clinicians who work with an older (65 years and
older) population. For example, we should encourage sedentary individual to do more
leisure-based physical activities. Clinicians should also be careful to monitor
and educate our extreme long-distance athletes about the possible risks so that
they may make a well-informed decision about their participation. While this
study supports previous research we should be cautious because of certain
limitations of this study. Of primary concern, is all of the data was
self-reported and therefore could be less accurate than doing a proper physical
examination to assess the presence of AF. It might be helpful if future
research follows long-distance athletes over time to better understand when and
why these athletes develop AF. Until more studies can be completed in this
area, clinicians should be aware of these results because it may aid in the
diagnosis of AF, it provides support for more leisure-time physical activity,
and provides some evidence that we may want to begin counseling patients that
there may be some risks associated with long-distance endurance activity and
that they should be carefully monitored.
Questions for Discussion: Should we advise older patients
who compete in long-distance endurance activities about the possible risks of
AF? Do you monitor your endurance athletes for AF?
Written by: Kyle Harris
Reviewed by: Jeffrey Driban
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
“Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly.”
Robert H. Schuller
I got this from the latest Tiny Buddha post. Exactly what Peter Levine says about your movements in rehab.
And more great quotes from there;
“What have you done to make your dream come true?”
I was scared that I wouldn’t be good enough, posh enough, young enough, confident enough, and Lord-knows-what-else enough to learn how to play a musical instrument.
I hate the way my walking looks, my hip hikes, my foot swings out, my knee barely bends. The only thing that mostly recovered is I can dorsiflex the foot by thinking about it. But I'll walk every weekend in the trails in the woods, falling down doesn't occur too much anymore. And my skiing is atrocious, it would be even worse if I had to step over all the fallen limbs and trees I cleared in the past 4 months. Right now I'd call it shuffling on skis, there is no glide yet.
Too many of my email correspondents want the instant rehab - if only I can find the right therapy/therapist.
I think the best advice our doctors and therapists could give us would be; There are NO shortcuts to stroke rehab, its going to look ugly for a long time. We have no idea how much you'll recover. Are YOU willing to put in the time and effort to recover?
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Trail clearing again
When I was gone over the weekend Michigan had a massive ice storm. 3/8ths to 1/2 inch ice coating everything. I checked out the trails I've been clearing for the last 2 months. It took me 2 hours to get maybe 1/3 mile because of all the branches I had to saw with my pruning saw. I walked just 1 loop and have probably at least another 4 hours of cleanup there. I only fell once and that was non-eventful. Maybe by the end of January they will be cleared enough for me to go cross-country skiing.
Monday, November 11, 2013
Snow - Yes
Its lightly snowing today. Maybe this winter will actually be a decent winter for stroke rehab. You need fairly deep snow so you have to post hole your steps requiring you to lift your foot high enough to clear the snow and stay balanced. Last year was pathetic, about 5 snowfalls of 4-5 inches each time, the snow would completely melt between each snowfall and the ground never froze. My trail clearing just needs two more limbs cut out. I hate daylight savings time, it doesn't allow me any walking time in daylight after work.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Changing seasons for stroke rehab
Ten days ago I probably went for my last cross-country ski of the year. 2 hours worth with no cardio exertion at all. It was a pathetic winter, I wanted feet of snow for extra therapy. Two days later I took my bike to the local bike shop for a tuneup and to get the one-handed braking system SlidePad installed and a mirror attached. The coming weekend is supposed to hit 50F. This year is going to be the year I bike all over town. It took 2.5 years after my first analysis of how to accomplish this. I will start with a dedicated bike path 6 blocks away on side streets.
Previous posts;
Analysis to riding a two-wheeled bike
Biking and sex—avoid the vicious cycle
http://oc1dean.blogspot.com/2012/11/study-biking-restores-brain.html
http://oc1dean.blogspot.com/2010/11/triking-and-dangerous-stroke-rehab.html
http://oc1dean.blogspot.com/2012/10/preparation-for-biking-saebo-flex.html
http://oc1dean.blogspot.com/2011/08/epic-failure-at-bike-stroke-therapy.html
http://oc1dean.blogspot.com/2012/09/baby-steps-in-biking-stroke-rehab.html
http://oc1dean.blogspot.com/2012/09/baby-steps-in-biking-2-stroke-rehab.html
http://oc1dean.blogspot.com/2012/09/baby-steps-in-biking3-stroke-rehab.html
http://oc1dean.blogspot.com/2012/10/baby-steps-in-biking4-stroke-rehab.html
http://oc1dean.blogspot.com/2012/11/baby-steps-in-biking5-stroke-rehab.html
http://oc1dean.blogspot.com/2012/11/adventures-in-biking6-stroke-rehab.html
Don't follow my steps, your doctor and therapists control your recovery.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Cross-country skiing - Yeah
We got 5 inches of snow in the last storm which was wonderful because we were losing our snow cover for the third time this winter. Skied for about 2 hours, reversed one of the loops to not have to go on a very slight downhill, right now downhills with no groomed tracks are not possible. The only casualty was my nose, I was trying to duck under some small branches not realizing than one had thorns. It caught on my nose and since I was balanced on skis with my good hand holding my ski pole to keep me upright, I now have 2 pock marks and a one inch scratch across my nose, I bled like a stuck pig for a while. But it was fun.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
The snow is going, going, gone
Damn these weather patterns. I'm finally in a place where I could walk out the door and go cross-country skiing. On Sunday we received 3 inches of new snow on top of the 2 inches that were there. This morning, Tuesday, after an all night rain the grass is once again showing, 51F at 11am and foggy out.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Cross country skiing and stroke rehab 2013
I'm happy, putting on the AFO helped tremendously, of course looking at the skiis today I realized why I was rolling my ankle so much. There are heel plates with ridged metal pieces attached to the ski to grab your heel and keep it from sliding off the ski. Well my right ski is missing that heel plate and I was wearing that ski on my left foot. There are large L and R stickers on the skiis. 1 hour of skiing and I didn't even break a sweat. Three fallen trees about 1 foot off the ground to get over, I may have to get a larger pruning saw to cut them thru. At one spot there was an 18 inch rise over 4 feet and I spent twenty minutes tromping around before I succeeded in making it up.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
cross-country skiing stroke rehab
We have about 3 inches of snow here. Walked across the parking lot to the woods with my skis and one pole. Its about 30 F here, so quite warm, no need for long underwear. The ground isn't frozen yet so I had good traction with my pole. I'm using my waxless skis because they are slower and better able to take skiing over branches, rocks and dirt. My waxable wood skis are beautiful but it may be years before I can handle the speed of them. I went without the AFO because it cramps my toes a lot. It was a problem because my ankle rolled a lot, forcing me to ski very slowly and awkwardly trying to keep the weight on my inside. I cut short the loop, maybe one third mile. While I very seldom roll my ankle when walking the action of skiing is completely different since you are trying to push the ski forward with a flat foot. And the spasticity of my ankle tries to point the toe downward and to the underside. This is so common there should be a stroke protocol to overcome this and be readily available to every survivor. Only 30 minutes skiing. On New Years I'll try again probably with the AFO.
This used to be my one of my main cardiovascular exercises and I would do it for hours. That will be years ahead. But I won't give up.
This used to be my one of my main cardiovascular exercises and I would do it for hours. That will be years ahead. But I won't give up.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Nude stroke rehab
Got your attention didn't I. I'm up in northern Minnesota at the Maplelag resort. XC skiing went ok, about 4k today, only fell once going down a slight hill when the groomed tracks disappeared and I no longer can jump around on my skiis to catch myself before falling. The owner collects signs and this one is on the wall. On Sunday I skied 8k, fell three times, twice because the temperature hit 43 softening the snow in the sun, going down hills switching from shade to sun caused me to lose control plowing face forward into the snow. The third time I was skiing on Luckys' Loype, a single track trail, you need to be able to do step turns on this one, the groomed tracks disappear quickly. I sat down and plowed into the woods. Still a lot of fun.
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