Tiger and his knee – Part 2

clipped from www.golfdigest.com Woods injury “not career threatening” We now know why Tiger Woods called the 108th U.S. Open his greatest achievement ever. Woods won his 14th major championship with a stress fracture to his left tibia and anterior cruciate ligament damage that will require season-ending surgery, he reported today on his website. What Woods did not discuss were the long-term affects of the injury; some of which is obvious, some undetermined. “If he wants to go after [Jack] Nicklaus’ record, he’ll need a good ACL reconstruction to do it,” said Dr. Jim Bradley, team physician for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and a foremost expert on knee surgery. “But this is not career threatening.” “It’s like rebooting a computer,” Bradley said. “In pro football, we say we get a guy back (from ACL reconstruction) in six months, but in fact, they’re really not right until they go through a full season. It’s almost a year’s time before they’re back to where they were beforehand.” Tim Rosaforte

Tiger’s knee

You can make the assumption it is because of Tiger’s strength and fitness level that he was able to not only perform but to win the US Open.   Some elite athletes are able to compensate knee problems due to their overall strength around the knee itself.

The key for Tiger to making a full recovery from his left knee injury is not just his upcoming treatment and healing but also re-strengthening and regaining coordination and movement of the muscles around the knee.

Any injury requires a certain amount of time for treatment and healing. Tiger’s current level of fitness and conditioning will aid in his recovery, but as with many elite athletes, trying to come back to 100% too quickly will be both a physical and a mental challenge. We have all seen Tiger’s mental prowess. Now more than ever, he will need “Team Tiger” to pull in the reigns or else he will likely to suffer a recurrence.

Between his surgery and return to full competition, his rehabilitation plan will include to following goals:

(1) to strengthen the muscles of the left knee to be just as strong as the unaffected right side

(2) to regain full proprioception (joint position sense) in the injured knee

(3) to regain power and coordination of all sports-specific movements.

Fantastic finish – US Open for the ages

David versus Goliath, Rocco versus Tiger. What a wonderful finish to an epic battle for the US Open – and no better an example of the importance of better golf through better fitness.  I have to admit, I was rooting for the upset by fellow Pennsylvania native.  I did a double take when I saw Rocco wearing red and wondered if it was his attempt to one up Tiger.

While we will never play a round of golf with so much on the line, ask yourself this question – how would your body feel after five days of 91 holes of golf (and don’t forget each player walked upwards of 25-30 miles).

You don’t need the fitness program of a professional golf to be able to play better, more consistent golf with less pain. Starting a simple and progressive golf specific workout to include cardio, strength and flexibility is all you need.

myFitnessCaddy in the press

My good friends at Golfin Amigos (www.golfinamigos.com) posted a great review of my latest book – 101 Fitness Tips for Golf.

Click the logo to read more….

Story with a Moral

In 1923, Who Was:

1. President of the largest steel company?

2. President of the largest gas company?

3. President of the  New York  Stock Exchange?

4. Greatest wheat speculator?

5. President of the Bank of International Settlement?

6. Great Bear of Wall Street?

These men were considered some of the worlds most successful of their days.

Now – 80 years later, the history book asks us if we know what ultimately became of them.

The Answers:

1. The president of the largest steel com pany – Charles Schwab died a pauper.

2. The president of the largest gas company – Edward Hopson went insane.

3. The president of the NYSE – Richard Whitney, was released from prison to die at home.

4. The greatest wheat speculator – Arthur Cooger, died abroad, penniless.

5. The president of The Bank of International Settlement shot himself.

6. The Great Bear of Wall Street Cosabee Livermore also committed suicide.

However in that same year, 1923, the PGA Champion and the winner of the most important golf tournament, the US Open, was Gene Sarazen.

What became of him?

He played golf until he was 92, and died in 1999 at the age of 95. He was financially secure at the time of his death.

The Moral:

Screw Work – Play Golf!

Radio Interview – Steroids and the PGA tour

Ted talks with Tee Time Radio about the new PGA steroid policy and provides insight about the pitfalls of the use of sport enhancement drugs with professional athletes.

Are you drinking enough water?

Word count this issue: 843 words
Estimated Reading time: Just under 2 minutes

Author: Ted Vickey

We all remember the old standard of eight glasses of water per day – but is that really enough? Can you drink too much water? What happens to my golf performance if I don’t get enough water?

Recent studies have caused confusion to the water question, so I scoured the publications, called the experts and have come up with the following guidelines regarding water consumption for health and for golf performance. As always, if you have any medical conditions or specific questions about this or any other health topic, check with your doctor.

The Importance of Water

Water is the fundamental keystone – making up over 75% of your body, yet the general public – let alone golfers – does not understand the importance of a well-hydrated body nor how much water is lost during the course of daily living. Water is so important that it is impossible to sustain life for more than a few days without it.

Every system in your body depends on water. For example, water regulates your body’s temperature via sweat, transports nutrients to and removes waste from your cells and provides a cushion – protecting your organs from every-day life.

Dehydration

“In a dehydrated state the body is unable to cool itself, leading to heat exhaustion and possibly heat stroke. Without an adequate supply of water the body will lack energy and muscles may develop cramps” says Dr. Cedric Bryant – Chief Exercise Physiologist of the American Council on Exercise.

“For regular exercisers maintaining a constant supply of water in the body is essential to performance. Dehydration leads to muscle fatigue and loss of coordination. Even small amounts of water loss may hinder golf performance. To prevent dehydration, golfers must drink before, during and after the round” Bryant says.

How much is enough?

There is a simple formula you can use to determine the right amount of water you will need each day.

The formula is:

Your body weight ÷ 2 = Optimal Water Intake

The optimal amount of water to drink is ½ your body weight (pounds) in ounces per day. For example, a 200 lb. person will need to drink 100 ounces of water per day. A key point to remember is that about 20-25% of your optimal water intake will be through the foods you eat and the other liquids that you drink. Both caffeine and alcohol can have a diuretic effect, so be sure to compensate for this additional water loss.

How Much Is Too Much?

“Water intoxication is very rare, although it has been seen in fraternity pranks. That can be very serious and result in death” says David Perlow, MD, an Atlanta-based urologist.

If you follow your thirst, you won’t go wrong, Perlow says. He notes that pre-modern man never ran around sipping on a water bottle. A dry mouth indicated it was time to run to the stream for a drink.

Perlow says the bladder is like a balloon. When you make infrequent trips to the bathroom, it can become overstretched — which can result in problems with incomplete emptying, he explains. He recommends 7-12 trips to the toilet daily for most healthy people.

Hydration hints

· Drink before you are thirsty. Thirst is a signal that your body is already on the way to dehydration. Drink more than thirst demands and continue to drink throughout the day.

· Check the color of your urine. If your urine looks like the color of apple juice, you are probably dehydrated. If it looks more like the color of lemonade or no color at all, you are probably well hydrated.

· Slowly increase your water intake. If you’re trying to drink more, consider upping your water intake gradually – 10 ounces at a time – to allow your body to adjust. Otherwise you may feel bloated and will be running to the bathroom every 15 minutes.

· Plan for your day. Use a container or water bottle that is large enough for your daily water need. Fill it up in the morning and drink all the water before bedtime.

· Morning drinking. Drinking water first thing in the morning is the first step to optimal hydration. Start with 25% of your total water intake in the morning. The remaining water should be consumed throughout the day.