Know your Muscles Series – Levator Scapulae.

Posted on 06/11/2016 by sbrsport

The name, Levator Scapulae, says it all:  Levare – to lift, and Scapulae – shoulder blades. These are Latin terms.

levator scapulae

The two muscles originate from C1 to C4, which are the first four vertebrae counting from the base of your head downward. If you place four fingertips at the base of your skull, they will roughly cover the first four vertebrae. The vertebrae have small ‘lugs’ on their sides, and it’s on to these that the muscle attaches. The muscle then travels downward to the medial border of the scapula or shoulder blade. Continue reading →

Posted in Cycling & Bike Setup., Injury File, Trigger Points & Massage | Tagged , , levator scapulae, , , | Comments Off on Know your Muscles Series – Levator Scapulae.

Trigger Points, Acupuncture and Acupressure.

Posted on 25/10/2016 by sbrsport

A look at the differences between Trigger Points, Acupuncture and Acupressure.

The video looks at the role of dry needling within the context of trigger points, acupuncture and acupressure. The two links that detail the parallels between acupuncture and ‘western’ treatments for injuries such as Plantar Fasciitis and Patella Femoral Pain Syndrome can be found below.

Here are the two links mentioned:
1. https://sbrsport.me/2016/07/17/patell…
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti…

I hope that this has been helpful.

Mike Roscoe.

Posted in Injury File, Trigger Points & Massage | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Trigger Points, Acupuncture and Acupressure.

Nutrition – Micro Nutrient Requirements.

Posted on 19/10/2016 by sbrsport

vitamins and minerals

There is a common thought among athletes that taking vitamin and mineral supplements, will give more energy.  I find this especially true for Vitamin B and frequently hear athletes talking about going for weekly injections (you now require a prescription for Vitamin B injections as they were being misused by athletes).  Don’t be fooled by marketing and your peers!   Vitamins and minerals have specific jobs in the body and only small amounts are needed for health.  If however, you are deficient in a micronutrient, supplementation is necessary to reverse any pre-existing deficiencies, and then yes, you will feel the difference in your performance. Continue reading →

Posted in Nutrition | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Nutrition – Micro Nutrient Requirements.

The Notorious Sartorius Muscle – Know your Muscles series.

Posted on 13/10/2016 by sbrsport

The Sartorius muscle is the longest muscle in the body. It’s also one of the most interesting.

This article serves two purposes.
Firstly – to give you a better understanding of your body.
Secondly – for people experiencing pain in the inner thigh or the lower portion of the outer hip- you may have pulled or strained your sartorius muscle. (Pain on the inside of the knee might also come from a strained Sartorius).

pes-anserine-runner

Continue reading →

Posted in Injury File, Running, Swimming., Trigger Points & Massage | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The Notorious Sartorius Muscle – Know your Muscles series.

Swimming, and why I believe you should do Tumble Turns.

Posted on 25/09/2016 by sbrsport

There has been a debate on the go for ages as to whether triathletes should do tumble turns. I believe that all swimmers should, and here are my reasons:

  1. Tumble turns look cool.
    There is nothing as cool as walking past a pool and seeing a huge splash area at the end of a lane. Tumble turns are cool, and you want to look cool.swimming tumble turns
  2. Tumble turns are good for backs. 
    When you swim, your lower back goes into an exaggerated C shape. The front top of the hip rotates downward, and the coccyx rotates upwards. The correct terminology for this is an anterior pelvic tilt. This can have the effect of shortening some of the lower back muscles. A tumble turn gives you the chance of stretching them out again. I have written more about that here.
  3. Tumble turns help you to control your breathing.
    As you approach the wall you take one big breath, you typically have to hold on to that for a stroke, and then for the extended turn slowly breath out through your nose and  push off from the wall. You will feel a bit ‘oxygen hungry’ after all of this. Swimmers who learn to control their breathing are less likely to panic if they miss a breath because of a wave going over them while in open water.
  4. Swimming is all about repetition.
    Swimming is tricky. You can put most people on a bike and they can ride – sort of. Most can put on a pair of running shoes and go for a short run. Swimming is different. The skill levels are through the roof. A tumble turn is a skill that’s perfected over time. Your first few tumble turns may be tricky – mine were. I can remember not knowing where the surface was as my body spun out of control. I remember popping my head up in the wrong lane. I can also remember, over time, getting things right and the thrill of learning another skill.
  5. Putting one arm out to help you lift and rotate your body can cause shoulder strain. humerus
    Watch a non-tumble turner as they approach the wall. Either their left or right arm will hit the wall, push down as they lift their torso, and then twist backward as they twist their torso around. The downward repetitive motion on your humerus can cause all sorts of shoulder issues, shortened pectorals and strained rhomboids.
  6. It’s quicker to do a tumble turn.
    This is one of my favorite humor pieces and it’s true.
    swimming tumble turns

Two links: The part of your swim stroke. This will take 2 min 43 sec to watch.

The second link will give you details of a swim squad that I run – Swim squad details.

Hope this all helps,

Mike Roscoe.
Mike Roscoe

Posted in Swimming. | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Swimming, and why I believe you should do Tumble Turns.

Fats and Fatty Acids – by guest blogger Nicola Drabble.

Posted on 18/09/2016 by sbrsport

fat

Fats and fatty acids are an essential component of the diet.  They provide the body energy, have essential structural, storage and metabolic functions and they help with the absorption of essential fatty acids and fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.

Not all fats are created equal.  They are divided into different categories depending on the type of bonds: Continue reading →

Posted in Nutrition | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Fats and Fatty Acids – by guest blogger Nicola Drabble.

Calf Injuries – a look at factors that can contribute to them.

Posted on 13/09/2016 by sbrsport

This is a 6-minute video that looks at Calf injuries.

The human body is complex and injuries often need to be looked at from various angles. It’s pointless to guess, you need to access. Have a look at our Runner’s Leg Assessment and give us a call if you feel we can help.

Regards,

Mike Roscoe.

Posted in Injury File, Trigger Points & Massage | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Calf Injuries – a look at factors that can contribute to them.

Exercise and your Health – It’s Time to get Moving.

Posted on 11/09/2016 by sbrsport

A new medical report came out this week, looking at the link between exercise and your health. It has some really important points on overall health and exercise, so I thought I would distil the pertinent points. The report is one of those typical pain in the butt medical articles with a really short and punchy title as follows: Physical activity prescription: a critical opportunity to address a modifiable risk factor for the prevention and management of chronic disease: a position statement by the Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine. As I said, it just rolls off the tongue. I am going to break the central points up into a series of bullet points that will hopefully inspire you to swim – bike – run, or whatever it is that you do, more.

exercise and your health warning

Continue reading →

Posted in Inspiration. | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Exercise and your Health – It’s Time to get Moving.

3 Habits that can contribute to ITB injuries.

Posted on 04/09/2016 by sbrsport

This video includes three habits that can contribute to ITB injuries. I look at 3 postural habits that you can fall into while Sitting, Standing & Sleeping.

The video takes less than 3 minutes to watch.

You can read more about the injury here – https://sbrsport.me/2012/09/26/what-is-itb/

Hope this is helpful.

Regards,

Mike Roscoe.

Posted in Cycling & Bike Setup., Injury File, Running, Trigger Points & Massage | Tagged habits, , , , , , | Comments Off on 3 Habits that can contribute to ITB injuries.

Good Running Form.

Posted on 20/08/2016 by sbrsport

There are few things as beautiful to watch as a runner who demonstrates good running form. A runner who gracefully and lightly lands on the ground, and almost effortlessly takes off and floats through the air before landing again.

I slowed down the other day just to watch a runner approach in the distance. Every step was perfect, his body looked like it was floating through some kind of ether. He was approaching a road that had a gentle corner that went off to my right. I hoped that he would take that turn so that I could watch him from the side for a moment. My wish was granted and then he disappeared into the distance. I am not sure who coined the term, ‘poetry in motion’, but I think that there is a good chance that they were watching a runner. Continue reading →

Posted in Injury File, Running | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Good Running Form.