Are Your Ears Ringing?

By Mary Boudreau Conover

Concerns about gradual hearing loss over time are of particular interest to us at CrossFit because of the tendency to play "ear-splitting" music before, during, and after workouts. I'll admit that this is the way we began way back then, but surely, being more enlightened, it need not be the way we continue, especially since the tender ears of the very young are becoming more and more evident in our gyms as are the more vulnerable ears of the very old.

Samual C. Levine M.D., University of Minnesota was asked if continuing to go without earplugs when listening to loud music could lead to deafness. "Absolutely! There's no cure for tinnitus or hearing loss. Your ears are trying to tell you something. That ringing is the scream of your hair cells dying. Each time you do that, more and more damage is done." Dr. Levine is speaking of the tiny hair cells lining the cochlea of your inner ear. 

​See the full article here.

Alzheimer's Disease

By Mary Boudreau Conover

This paper deserves an acknowledgement at the outset. I would have been caught in the quagmire of confusing references and never have finished without Dr. Mathieu Lalonde's review of the first and then the final draft and his responses with tracking notes and two long emails with valuable references. In fact, I wanted him to author or even just co-author the article.

That being impossible because of Mat's time-consuming and demanding post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard, plus his nutrition seminars and CrossFit workouts, I've quoted him liberally, used his well picked references, and set out to give my readers an introduction to some of the inroads scientists have been making in the pursuit of understanding the genesis of the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's Disease, now known as type 3 diabetes.

See the full article here.

Recent Advances in the Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer

By Mary Boudreau Conover

Prostate cancer is second only to lung cancer as a cause of death in men. In 2010 nearly 300,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and in a quandary as to their personal course of action. Every treatment option, from radiation to surgical therapies, will bring significant side effects for these men and their loved ones.

See the full article here.​

Breast Cancer: Exercise, Prevention, And Treatment

By Mary Boudreau Conover

I have three goals in writing this article: 

1. Acquaint women as well as men with the benefits of exercise for prevention of breast cancer and for its significant value during and after chemotherapy. 
2. Insure that women understand the significance of ErbB2-positive breast cancer and the specific drugs available for its treatment.
3. Inform women of the importance of a definitive diagnosis regarding the type of breast cancer and the availability of sentinel node biopsy so that they can intelligently discuss the most effective management with their physician and confirm availability. 

​See the full article here.

Wellens Syndrome—ECG Recognition Of Critical Proximal Lad Stenosis

By Mary Boudreau Conover

Wellens syndrome is recognized during a pain-free period by the following signs:

• Prior angina
• Progressive, deep, symmetrical T wave inversion in V2 and V3
• Little or no troponin elevation
• Little or no ST elevation
• No loss of R wave progression 

​See the full article here.

Understanding Chest Pain

By Mary Boudreau Conover

In loving memory of Henry J. L. Marriott, M.D., F.A.C.C. (1917-2007), mentor, teacher, consultant, brilliant Cardiologist, terrific dancer, loyal friend, and at the end— courageous warrior.

Dr. Marriott once began one of his many lectures with this question: “How many of you have ever had chest pain?” All of us, right? At least that was the case when we first began intense CrossFit workouts. A muscle ache in the vicinity of the ribs or sternum would make you pause with: “What’s that?” “Oh yea—those last two reps”, a superficial muscle pain. 

See the full article here.​

Hormonal and Metabolic Changes During Progressive Overload Training–A Review

By Mary Boudreau Conover

After Coach Greg Glassman and Lauren were booted from Spa Fitness after Eva dumped a loaded bar, these were the ones who threw their lot in with him and worked out in a small space set aside at Claudio's Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gym using a new and contrarian approach to training, called "CrossFit". They were introduced to short intense workouts with the startling addition of plenty of variety—major lifts, gymnastic basics, rowing, running—mixed—hard and fast—short and intense—no routines.

As intense, varied, fast and loaded as those workouts were, a couple of years later when the early CrossFitters moved with Greg and Lauren into the first CrossFit box (our HQ), they were stronger, more powerful, faster and more flexible. All of which was accomplished without one athlete having been overtrained. 

See the full article here.​

Vertigo

By Mary Boudreau Conover

I've just returned from a mini-class reunion--one we have every year. There were only eight of us there out of 21 in our 1952 graduating class from Nursing School. Some are living far away and others have died. I was stunned to discover that four of that group of eight had vertigo. A small sampling I know, but still a bit of a shock. One woman's Physician had made a sincere attempt at an incomplete Epley maneuver---no hope of success there.

These women have been toughing it out for years. Two of them agreed to let me try the Epley maneuver, another was too afraid because when she got the vertigo she would be very nauseated. The fourth was yours truly; but I had used the Epley maneuver, with the help of my husband, to cure myself two years ago. My vertigo was the result of walking full tilt into a cupboard door--edge on--that I had stupidly left open---tall people and their short relatives and friends learn NOT to do that! 

See the full article here.

Climbing High

By Mary Conover and Marshall G. Delk

 "Are the Mountains Killing Your Brain?" Recently, a scholarly article with this alarming title by R. Douglas Fields, M.A., Ph.D, appeared in "OUTSIDE" online. Some of our athletes do climb high---or are planning to do so in the near future, spurred on by their own improved fitness level and the challenge of climbing into high altitudes where the partial pressure of oxygen is low. 

See the full article here.

Exercise for Successful Ageing

By James Baker and Mary Conover

Ever been faced with training a previously sedentary older client? Jim Baker is about to take you through it step-by-step, while infusing his own feelings and years of experience into the narrative. He lets us step into his trainer's mind to give us a glimpse of his own personal guidelines on how to coach, protect and encourage older novice trainees.

Jim paints detailed scenarios of a method that assumes nothing until the trainee is established and all the while working slowly and patiently toward the rewards of doing everything.

See the full article here.