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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 11, 2004)
Let’s See You Touch Your Toes by Anna Ngo Do you think of yourself as physically fit? Do you include flexibility in your definition? Often times, flexibility training takes the back seat to strength and aerobic conditioning. I’d like to remind you of the importance of maintaining flexibility and provide a few pointers for training. Flexibility is our range of motion and is specific to each joint. We can be flexible through the shoulder, for example, but stiff in the hips. Maintaining flexibility is invaluable for a laundry list of reasons: injury prevention, improved athletic performance, functional movement, lovely posture and for enhancing circulation. Stretching exercises are ideal for maintaining flexibility and should not be confused with a ‘warm up” for other physical activity. The American College of Sport’s Medicine recommends a series of stretching exercises performed 2-3 times/week, including stretches that are held for 10-30 seconds and repeated four times. Stretching exercises obviously vary according to the targeted muscle group. For example, stretches for ham string flexibility will not improve range of motion in your cervical spine, ft is also important to stretch well circulated muscles that are warm,such as following a briel warm up. For information on specific and complete stretching program, visit the Student Rec Center.They offer flexibility testing, exercise recommendations and classes to improve flexibility such as yoga. Energy Drinks: Or Just Amped Up Sugar? j By Becky Leung All college students need energy in order to juggle school, work,extra curricular activities, and personal lives. However, finding time to eat,exercise, and sleep often proves difficult. For busy students, energy drinks may seem like a quick way to boost endurance and improve concentration. Well-known products marketed as energy drinks include Red Bull,Amp, and Sobe’s Adrenaline Rush. Most energy drinks contain carbohydrates, caffeine, and herbs as their principle ingredients but may also contain other ingredients. Read on for details. Ca rbohydra tes Most energy drinks contain loads of carbohydrates, concentration of at least 18 g/8 oz. If the concentration of carbohydrates (which includes glucose, sucrose, maltodextrins,high fructose corn syrup, and galactose) is too high.it will slow the rate of fluid absorption from the intestine into the blood.This will slow the process of rehydration during exercise. Most Americans already consume too much simple sugar already, contributing to tooth decay, diebetes and other chronic diseases Caffeine Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant and on caffeine’s command,your body pumps out adrenaline, which then heightens alertness.The combination of hefty doses of sugar and caffeine offers a temporary but powerful buzz, which makes the drink potentially overwhelming. Caffeine may also cause nervousness and have a rather inconvenient laxative effect. Herbs It is almost impossible to know the exact amounts of herbal components in energy drinks because there is a huge variability in the processing of these herbs.To make sure that the consumer receives the psychological response to the herbal stimulants in energy drinks, many manufactures add known amounts of synthetic caffeine. It is also possible to have a decrease in performance with large doses of herbal extracts that contains caffeine and other ingredients. Side-effects may include dizziness as well as other dysfunctions of the central nervous system. Conclusion Whether or not students decide to consume energy drinks, they should understand the potential harmful effects of the ingredients. Other ways of obtaining energy include less commercially enticing means, such as eating three meals a day,exercising regularly, consuming sufficient water, and getting enough rest and sleep. Stop by the Peer Health Education Office for more tips on healthy ways to increase energy. > : Herb Ingredient Guarana extract, Koala nut extract,Yerba Mate Extract Kava-Kava and St. John's Ginkgo Biloba and Ginseng Ciwujia, Hydroxycitrate, and/or Ephedra Claims Similar to Caffeine Calm the nervous system Claims to be supposed memory-boosting herbs Stimulate metabolism and brain function; reduce fat Possible side effects Could lead to anti-doping if too much caffeine. Often unknown quantities of active ingredients Liver failure associated with Kava-Kava and Cardiovascular dysfunction associated with ephedra. High dosage of ginseng in drinks may cause nausea and insomnia. Ephedra, recently banned by the FDA can cause cardiovascular dysfunction and death in sensitive individuals. Drinks Examples Arizona Extreme Energy Shot, Bawls Gurana, Red Devil Energy Drink, Sobe Energy, Sobe Power, Jones Whoop Ass Energy, Venom Energy Drink Hansen’s Energy Deuce, Snapple Moon Green Tea, Celestial Seasonings Tension Tamen SoBe Karma, Hansen's D-stress, Arizona Rx Stress Relief Elixir Arizona Memory Herbal Tonic, SoBe Wisdom, SoBe Green Tea 3Q, Hansens Energy, Snapple Moon Green Tea. Creatine Xtreme Lemonade, CitriMax, Thyro-Slim (Weight-loss supplement) I From Gatorade website HPV: The silent STI By Carin Berg any young adults believe that sex is safe and harmless when using protection.The truth is that condoms do not protect against all sexually transmitted infections or STls. In the United States, HPV (Human Papilloma Virus, also known as genital warts) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections because it can be transmitted despite condom usage. According to the National Institute of Health, HPV infects over 20 million Americans, and about 5.5 million new cases arise each year. HPV is responsible for 34% of STI’s reported here on campus, according to the 2003 UO Health Center Survey. HPV is easily transmissible by sexual contact. Even short of intercourse,direct genital skin to skin contact with someone who is infected can lead to the spread of the virus. HPV dwells in the skin or mucous membranes of an infected individual and often shows no symptoms. Because HPV is often asymptomatic, many people are infecting others without realizing it. When there are symptoms, the most common is genital warts.These warts can be clustered or single, dry or soft, pinkish or gray. In women, they can appear around the vulva, vagina,cervix or in the uterus. In men, they can appear on the penis or scrotum. In women and men, they can also appear around the anus.While warts are typically painless, they are linked to cervical cancer in women.There is no cure for HPV, but there are treatments to remove warts. The best way to protect yourself from HPV is, obviously, not to have sex. According to the 2004 UO Health Center survey, 25% of UO students have never had sexual intercourse and should thus consider themselves in good company. If you do choose to be sexually active, minimizing your number of sexual partners (e.g. one) and having pre-sexual activity physicals are sensible practices. Barrier methods, such as condoms, provide some protection, but do not cover all genital skin. Visit a medical practitioner at the UO Health Center for more information, testing and/ or treatment. Appointments can be made at 346-2770. I page 2-Well Now Fall 2004 MHHMHMHWMHHHHMHWI NMNliMNHnMMKHIMMMMMHflMeHHMMaMNKMHNNMi
