👋 Hey. Welcome to issue #158 of The Everyday Athlete Newsletter.
Here are my 3 favourite ideas, learns and resources to help you improve your performance this week (4 min read):
🤸 My experiment: 30 days to side splits
My hips are pretty toasted from a couple decades of footy.
And my thinking is.. if they were a little more supple, it might take the edge off some of the daily grumble.
So I’ve had this loose goal of doing full side splits for a few years now.
I stretch most days. But they haven't really budged at all.
Then over the weekend, I came across a vid on flexibility (welcome to my algorimth). Nothing I hadn’t heard before. But for whatever reason, the way it was framed just clicked..
Flexibility isn’t really about muscle and tissue elasticity. It’s about the nervous system.
Our bodies have a “handbrake” in place to stop us getting into positions it doesn’t think we can handle. A protective mechanism.
So really, flexibility is just strength at end ranges.
When we build strength at those points, our nervous system releases the brake a bit (our strength makes her feel safe and gives us a license to go a bit further).
And is why research shows one of the best ways to improve flexibility is lifting weights through full range of motion.
So, my theory:
If flexibility is strength at end ranges…
And one of the fastest way to increase neural strength is greasing the groove..
Could I whip up a little protocol to get me in the side splits in 30 days?
Well, we're gonna try..
The plan:
Greasing the groove = lots of quality reps spread through the day (instead of one fatiguing session).
So I got myself into the deepest unsupported straddle hold I could manage. And was able to hold it there for a max of ~30 seconds.
So I'll hit 50% of that (as per grease the groove protocol).
15-second holds, 5+ times per day.
Pretty doable inputs.
I’m 5 days in. We're about 30cm off the deck.
I’ll report back in a month ✌️
🏃 Colon cancer risk for runners research needs context
An article recently ran in the New York Times:
Are Marathons and Extreme Running Linked to Colon Cancer? A small, early study found marathoners were more likely to have precancerous growths. Experts aren’t sure why.
But before you skip your next run, Alex Hutchinson puts it in perspective in his latest article.
In short:
The study hints at possible risks with high volumes of running, but it’s far from rigid evidence.
What’s clear is that regular exercise lowers colon cancer risk. The health benefits of which far outweigh the risks of not exercising.
Bottom line.. stay on top of screenings and we can keep getting after it.
Hutchinson's article worth a read if you're an avid runner.
🐟 Mercury in tuna: how many cans a week is play on?
On those weeks where we’re light on leftovers and haven’t meal-prepped, I’d pound canned tuna into the earth for lunch.
I since learned tuna is high in the toxic heavy metal mercury. Which can build up if we’re smashing it too often...
Potentially affecting the brain, nerves, mood, and (in pregnancy) a baby’s developing nervous system.
So how much is safe?
A few times a week is absolutely sweet.
With a few caveats…
Not all tuna is created equal:
- 🐠 Light tuna (skipjack): ~0.12 ppm mercury
- 🐟 White tuna (albacore) / Yellowfin: ~0.35 ppm mercury
- 🎣 Bigeye: ~0.69 ppm mercury
So, opt for light/skipjack where you can. Limit white/yellowfin. And save Bigeye for the odd occasion.
And if pregnant, keep it to 1-2 cans of light tuna per week (as mercury can cross the placenta, so recommendations are a bit tighter).
The big dogs in Aussie supermarkets:
- John West → mostly skipjack (3-5/week play on)
- Sirena → yellowfin (more a 1-2/week job)
But check the back of the can!
Note: regulators like FSANZ (AUS/NZ) and JECFA (WHO/FAO) set a weekly safe limit for mercury. Which is equivalent to like 20 cans of light tuna. So as you can see, the recs above are pretty conservative. But that's how I'm thinking about it (don't wanna be anywhere near that ceiling).
Tuna’s still one of the great fallbacks. But for me, just not as a daily staple.
Sticking with light/skipjack most of the time. And even mixing in low-mercury fish like salmon or sardines to spread the load.
That's it!
Have a great weekend 🤙
Matt
📬 Did someone forward this to you? I send an email like this every week. Join free here.
👇 If these emails aren't for you anymore you can unsubscribe below. No stress, they're not for everyone.
The Everyday Athlete Newsletter is not a licensed health service nor a substitute for professional health advice, treatment or assessment. The information shared in this email is general and written for a specific audience. If you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional.
0 comments