DOCTORS’ LOUNGE
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physiologic and biochemical foundation, he
argues that our metabolic cascades at the
cellular level cannot discern jogging from
weight lifting. His statements on mechanical
venous return during resistance training
provide rationalization for the following:
weight lifting is better tolerated (far less
angina) in post-myocardial infarction rehabilitation patients than is aerobic exercise.
In fact, the literature is beginning to look
empirically into the aerobics versus resistance training debate. Studies within the last
five year seem to indicate similar benefits in
muscle hypertrophy and physiologic adaptations in both activities when “maximum
effort” is reached. Yes, a subjective sense
of “this is really hard” might be the key ingredient for effective exercise. More studies
with more complex biological analysis will
surely emerge.
The BBS exercise technique combines the
medical literature, physiology, and experience from many training sites to illustrate
a safe and effective technique for anyone
who wants to become healthier. The chap-
ter on effective exercise in seniors lists 17
references showing positive health benefits
in parameters from bone mineralization to
lipid profiles to depression.
Perhaps the most refreshing and convincing argument for this Body by Science
high intensity super slow weight-training is
that Dr. McGuff is not selling us anything.
He’d like us to buy his book, and if we live
in his town in South Carolina he would
be happy to train us – but unlike many of
the podcasters and diet/exercise gurus, his
website is not an online store. He lists his
workout each week (with videos illustrating
technique) and posts a teaching point, encouraging healthy discussion amongst the
commenters on his site.
When our friends and patients start burning out on their New Year’s resolutions to
exercise 5 days a week, I say we tell them
about this method of weekly safe, effective
resistance training. Let’s be more specific
than “You need to exercise.” Tell them to go
out and do something hard. The anti-fragile
human body responds to stressors by getting
stronger, in order to not die the next time
it is pushed.
1. McGuff, Doug , Little, John. Body By
Science. McGraw-Hill. 2009
References
2. Fisher J, Steele J. Questioning the Resistance/Aerobic Training Dichotomy: A
commentary on physiological adaptations determined by effort rather than
exercise modality. Journal of Human
Kinetics. Vol 44/2014. 137-142.
3. Taleb, Nassim Nicholas. Anti-fragile:
Things That Gain from Disorder. Random House. 2012.
For more information about the work of
Doug McGuff, MD, visit www.bodybyscience.net. His book, Body By Science,
is available for purchase at http://amzn.
to/1A0S99m.
Note: Dr. Huecker practices Emergency
Medicine with Physicians in Emergency
Medicine. He serves as gratis faculty for the
University of Louisville School of Medicine,
Department of Emergency Medicine.
IN MEMORIAL
James Patrick Murphy, MD, MMM
Debbie Tichenor, RN, Practice Manager for
James Patrick Murphy, MD, MMM, passed
away on New Years Day 2015 at the age of
57. In honor of his friend and long-time
partner in pain care, Dr. Murphy honored
Debbi x