Blog: Feature Stories

For the record, we’re a coffee crowd here at RunCharlotte. But, sometimes that large Chick-fil-A tea hits just right, doesn’t it? And if you grew up down south, you probably know from sweet tea. Ditch all that sugar, and for the most part, you’re left with the energy drink that dates to 2700 BCE.

That’s a lot of history and a lot of time to study the effects tea has on a person. For centuries, the Chinese used tea as a medicinal beverage before it ever became a daily drink. Today, we have a pretty good grip on the science and nutrition that makes tea the real deal.

Tea Provides Protection

For starters, “tea contains polyphenols, known as catechins, which are antioxidants that can be beneficial for our health,” says Matt Dengler, dietician and owner of RxRD Nutrition. “Antioxidants prevent or delay cell damage and may play a role in the prevention of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.”

Good to know. And as you might suspect, or already know, not all teas are created equally. Dengler says green teas contains a higher amount of antioxidants compared to other kinds of tea, and research shows there is a positive link between green tea consumption and cardiovascular health.

Herbal teas may contain unique benefits. Peppermint tea contains menthol, which can help soothe an upset stomach and improve GI issues. Chamomile tea can be used to ease anxiety and act as a sleep aid, and ginger tea can help reduce inflammation and help with nausea and motion sickness.

Caffeine and tea

While tea contains caffeine, it does not contain as much as a cup of coffee. So if you’re looking for that “jolt” that coffee can deliver, tea falls a little short.

For reference:

• One 8-oz cup of coffee contains 95mg
• An equal amount of black tea contains 48mg
• An equal amount of green tea contains 29mg
• Most herbal teas contain very little caffeine

Compared to energy drinks, tea contains far less caffeine, says Dengler. Most 12-16oz contain between 200-300 mg of caffeine. Also, many energy drinks also contain added sugar, additives, and legal stimulants which can elevate heart rate and blood pressure.

Tea and performance

Research shows that green tea consumption may be beneficial for athletic performance, says Dengler.

Prolonged or high-intensity physical activity increases energy requirements in the body’s tissues, which in turn can induce muscle damage and cause fatigue. This is referred to as oxidative stress.

Due to a high amount of catechins, the consumption of green tea can be protective against oxidative stress which is normally produced during prolonged or high-intensity exercise. It’s tea for the win here.

While nothing’s perfect, tea has some distinct benefits for runners and endurance athletes. Canned or bottled teas with flavorings and sugars will outweigh most of the upshots of including tea in your routine. But brewing up some tea is not much more difficult than boiling water, and that’s a pretty low bar to hop for a performance and recovery boost that’s easy to swallow.

Whether you watched it happen, saw it, read it, or just heard about it, the cardiac event that felled Damar Hamlin was – and is – just plain scary. As of this writing, the 24-year Buffalo Bills safety is recovering at home, after being hospitalized since suffering cardiac arrest during the January 2 Monday Night Football game versus the Bengals.

While Hamlin was resuscitated and whisked from the field; worry, tears, and prayers quickly rippled from the sidelines, to the stands, to around the world. As his condition improved and the news cycle churned, “what” and “how” were common questions.

What was so unique about that seemingly routine football play? How could something like that happen to an athlete at the pinnacle of their sport? And, could it happen to me?

Few among us will play professional football, but most of us appreciate the potential risk of physical injury players are subject to.

There are potentially several possible causes for Hamlin’s cardiac arrest, a term most of us are familiar with. But many experts are suggesting he experienced a rare phenomenon called commotio cordis, when the chest is hit at just the right time to cause a potentially deadly disruption in the heart’s rhythm.

“You know about it, you read about it, it’s on board exams, but it’s not something you regularly encounter because it is so very rare,” said Dr. Keith Anderson, a Novant Health Family Medicine and Sports Medicine Physician, and Medical Director for the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon.

Research from the American Heart Association state that only 10 to 20 cases are reported each year. Most cases involve adolescents; few reported victims are over 20 years old.

“There’s probably not a genetic predisposition for an occurrence like this,” added Anderson, “and I don’t believe one person is more susceptible than another, unless they’re involved in activities that involve high velocity, but even then it’s a very freak thing to happen.”

Anderson pointed to incidences at little league parks that eventually led to AED devices (defibrillators) being standard equipment at ballparks. Anderson suggests those are more likely to save the life of a parent or grandparent in the stands rather than a player experiencing commotio cordis. Or, presumably healthy people – like runner and author Jim Fixx* – who died of a heart attack after his morning run.

“There are countless reasons to be active,” finished Anderson. “There aren’t many not to.”

“I tell all of my patients, the information and research are overwhelmingly clear that regular exercise, like running, is proven to reduce the incidences of heart attack, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. Not to mention the mental and emotional benefits, the reduced risk of depression, dementia, and Alzheimer’s.”

Few among us will play professional football, but most of us appreciate the potential risk of physical injury players are subject to on a regular basis. When we updated this story for publishing, the Bills had left it up to Hamlin as to when he’ll return to the team facility.

Although our lives and livelihood aren’t necessarily tied to our ability to run; injury, illness, or setbacks may affect our ability to participate in our primary activity. Anderson recommended having a plan B, C, D, or whatever it takes to remain physically active. (Spoken like a true multisport athlete.) For us runners, having a side sport like swimming, cycling, weightlifting, etc., can actually ward off injury and make us better runners, to boot. More on that later…

And if you’re worried whether something like this could happen to you? Anderson suggested looking beyond the headlines and into the details.

“If the most recent incidences or examples that are being cited are from years ago, it should give you an idea that the condition or opportunity is pretty rare.”

If you have questions about your own risk factors, or your heart health in general, talk to your doctor. Or, find a remarkable Novant Health physician here: https://www.novanthealth.org/pf/

*It has been well-studied that Fixx had underlying genetic conditions and other risk factors that led to his heart attack.

Wait a minute. We’re barely into the new year and we’re talking “off-season?” At the very point on the calendar, when we should be embracing coming adventures, events, and opportunities, we’re getting into rest and recovery? Why, yes. As a matter of fact, we are.

Whether you trained full-tilt during the holidays, or still can’t recall where you put your shoes after that last long run or race of 2022, the “off-season” can mean different things to each of us. This also means it can be just about any time for any runner, and for any reason. No matter why you take time away from running – and most of us should – there are better ways to make the most of it. We mined some of our favorite Charlotte area coaches for these bits of gold.

Reflect and Recover

Take the appropriate amount of time to reflect and be proud of both the training cycle and the race before moving on to the next one.  Not only are we pushing the body physically over an extended period of time (training), but we are pushing the body mentally. There are psychological and physical changes happening in the body.

Regardless of the outcome of a race, it is so important to sit in recovery and reflect. What were the things you learned you need to work on as you got further in the training cycle? What were the things you did better this training cycle? Each time we prepare for a big race we are already better prepared for the next. Experience builds confidence. – Coach Jen Dufresne, Cross Conditioning Training @crossconditioningtraining

Assess the Situation

It’s very important to have an off-season after a season of building fitness and going after PRs. Athletes typically dial back (but don’t eliminate) their volume and intensity and focus on recovery, strength training, etc. For example, if coming off a marathon training cycle, the first thing that I do is take a full week off with absolutely no running. This allows me time to assess injuries I might not know I sustained during the race once the normal soreness goes away and gives my body the much needed rest that it has earned. Next, I reverse taper for about a month to ease back into my normal base mileage. After a month, I start adding back running workouts.

For some, this is also a great opportunity to remember why they enjoy running, which can be forgotten in the throes of the training season while focusing on race goals. The off-season is a great setup for the next season of PRs! – Coach C.J. Langley, @unc4me82

Mix It Up, Slow it Down

Now is the time to mix in things you don’t normally get to do – take some yoga, go for hikes, play pickleball, etc. Reconnect with family and friends during this time, too. It’s ok to enjoy a little of what you normally do in season (for example if you’re a triathlete, then swim, bike, run) just to keep up your technique, but the ultimate goal is to keep everything at a super low level for the next few weeks. Take advantage of this post-season time; it’s all about mental and physical rejuvenation.  After a few weeks of this, you should feel ready to start easing into a structured training routine again.  – Coach Karen Wood, @karenwood1003

Stretch and Strengthen

The off-season is a great time to create a stretching routine that works for you. Dynamic stretches before starting a run, and static stretches after are a great way to boost your recovery. Improving flexibility and mobility can only help you and your stride, as well as reducing the risk of injury. Strength training. As a personal trainer, this one is near and dear to me. When I was in high school and college running cross country, no one emphasized the importance of weight lifting. It helps keep your bone density strong, helps develop muscle strength, balance, and core stability. All of these things can assist your running! Incorporate 2 days of strength training into your maintenance training, and grow those fast-twitch muscles that will help you kick to the finish line when race season begins again. Coach Kate Hamilton, @k.ham5

Ditch the Numbers

Every athlete’s post-seasons look different based on a variety of factors. Overall, it’s essential to take a few weeks without any structure and then gradually get back to some structure. The post-season is a good time to lose the metrics, run by feel, get on some trails, and remember the reason why you do this sport in the first place. It’s also a great time to do some different activities such as yoga, hiking, or cycling.

In order to have long-term sustainability, it’s important to reset. Once athletes take an appropriate amount of time off, then it’s time to start being a healthy human exercising (not training), and doing what feels good to them. I think it’s essential to embrace getting out of shape. It sure feels good to start getting back in shape during the pre-season. Coach Meghan Fillnow, Fillnow Coaching @fillnowcoaching

The spring running season will be on us soon. Yes, the 2023 Six Pack Series begins March 11 with the Shamrock 4-Miler. If you’ve yet to take time away from running and training, you know the drill. The best time to start was yesterday. The second best time is today. For now; rest, recover. We’ll see you at the races this spring!

Talk about being ahead of your time. When Mr. Teabag and the Ministry of Silly Walks fetched laughs in the early 70’s, John Cleese and company certainly couldn’t have guessed the bit would make medical headlines some 50 years later. But here we are.

Briefly, a trio of researchers recently studied 13 participants to see whether Mr. Teabag’s silly, inefficient, stride would be a more effective way to burn calories and increase cardiovascular fitness. As part of the study, participants’ ventilation, gas exchange, and energy expenditure were measured over the course of various silly walks.

And while no one died of embarrassment, study participants did indeed work harder to cover the prescribed distance while doing the unorthodox walks. Compared to normal walking, they had about 2.5 times higher oxygen uptake and burned more calories in the process. Something completely different, indeed.

So what’s a one-off study based on a British sketch comedy show mean for runners like you and me? We asked Will Hayes, Performance Manager at Novant Health Sports Performance.

“When an athlete becomes very proficient at any movement discipline – running, swimming, biking, etc.—the energy expenditure the athlete needs for the activity decreases because efficiency in the movement has increased,” said Hayes. “If you take runners and assess VO2 max on a bike it will be lower than if it is assessed via running because of inefficiency in the athlete’s movement, generally speaking.”

We’ve likely all felt this shift in efficiency, especially after time away from running. Getting “back in shape” after injury, illness, or a layoff is the same experience but with a shorter learning curve.

Essentially, practice begets efficiency. That’s a good thing when you’re trying to get in the most miles or more miles faster. You’ll need to flip that equation if your goal is to burn more calories or challenge your body to adapt to new movements.

“For a recreational athlete who has goals around health and body composition, changing the exercise modality can provide increased stimulus particularly in metabolic expenditure (aka, calories burned) without increased intensity or volume,” adds Hayes.

Bottom line, to avoid plateaus in fitness and training your best bet is to mix it up. That doesn’t mean you have to run less – or run more – to get results. Adding hills, tempo runs, or trails to your running routine will do the trick. Strength training, yoga, and yes, even silly walks can boost your overall fitness and keep your running fresh and fun.

It’s that time of year again! No, we don’t mean the holidays. It’s the season of limited daylight, a lack of foliage, and temperatures that make you wonder if things will ever be warm again. The winter is in full swing, and unless you’re the type to retreat to the treadmill in the frigid temperatures, you’ll be getting your run done in the cold. 

But the real problem isn’t the cold itself… it’s finding the motivation to leave the warmth of your home for the cold streets or trails. If your motivation is dropping just as fast as the temperatures, don’t worry you’re not alone! But what can you do about it? 

The Novant Health Charlotte Marathon Ambassadors are pros at completing training runs in the cold and they’ve got a few secrets to share with you. Let’s stay motivated runners!

Holiday Scavenger Hunt

The falling temperatures may put a dent in your motivation, but they also signal the start of the holiday season. Use that to your advantage, create a list of some of your favorite holiday decorations and see if you can find them on your run. If you don’t, then you’ll just have to keep looking on your next run!

Have a Run for Lunch

Are you still working from home? In our increasingly digital society if you are working from home, and can spare a lunch break, consider running during the warmest part of the day. It may still be freezing, but the difference between running at 1pm and 7pm is quite literally night and day!

Reward Yourself

Have you been waiting to try that new Starbucks winter drink, or maybe you aren’t sure you deserve that steak dinner you’ve been thinking about, why not bet your run on it?  Motivation to go run in the cold doesn’t always have to come from internal will power. Bribes aren’t always bad!

Signup for a Spring Race

We all know that it’s easier to train with a goal in mind and that goes doubly if you are training for a race that is coming up quickly. Sign up for  a spring race and you will definitely get out on the road for your training runs. No one wants to run a race unprepared. This is doubly motivating if you sign up for the race with a friend!

Meet Up With Friends

An oldie but a goodie. We all know that the best motivation for running in the cold, the heat, a long run, a short run, or any other run is bringing a friend along. If your friends aren’t up for running in the cold, running with a run club is also a great alternative. Misery really does love company!

 

Are you still here? With all of that running motivation you should be out there logging those cold miles. A special thanks to the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon Ambassadors for sharing some of their winter running tips and tricks. Remember that winter training makes spring PRs so keep at it and don’t let your motivation fall with the temperatures. Stay safe and stay warm (as warm as you can)!