The Official Fluid Blog

Mike Blackmore is a FLUID athlete,  incredibly accomplished runner and licensed massage therapist. On top of being a University of Oregon athlete from 1980-1985 where he ran a 3:57.46 mile and a 13:37.76 5000m, he continues to stay healthy and compete at the national level. For example, last year Mike was crowned U.S. National Cross Country Champion in the 45-49 age group. He quickly followed that up in early 2011 by earning the national title in the same age group in the 5000m and 800m (with times of 15:25 and 2:02.12, respectively). Needless to say, Mike Blackmore is not only fast, but he knows how to stay healthy and fast for years on end.

Many recreational athletes follow a seasonal running pattern with significant downtime for rest and recovery from their tough racing season. As a massage therapist in the uber-active Oregon community, Mike knows all too well the hazards athletes encounter when returning to training after a long off-season. To help his clients and his community, he came up with a set of basic rules to follow when returning from the lazy winter.

Here's what Mike has to say:

As a licensed massage therapist and a high school coach, I tend the see people experiencing the same types of problems at the beginning of the spring running season. Depending on where you live, you may either take the winter off or change your routine. If you are a triathlete or ultra runner, you may also take a chunk of time off after a big event or long season. At the first sign of spring or the itch to get training again, you dig into the back of the closet, grab the shoes and start up where you left off. Ten days later, everything hurts and the massage therapist gets that phone call.

Two things may be happening. The first is how far and how fast those first bunch of training runs were. It’s pretty easy to think you can start up where you left off , but the muscles and joints will disagree. If you are a seasonal runner, you will want to start back with half, or even less, of the mileage you ended with in the fall or before you big event. Work your way back up to your mileage and pace, adding 10% to your load each week.

The other mistake I see is people wearing last fall’s running shoes when they start back up in the spring. If your shoes are worn out, they will let you know. When my clients and athletes complain about lower leg pain (“shin splints”) or IT band problems, I ask them how old their shoes are. About half the time, they are wearing shoes that no longer offer the support they did when they were new. The pain usually disappears 4-5 days after the shoes are replaced. Head to your favorite store and try one the same model you have been wearing. If you notice a difference in support, it’s probably time for a new pair.

Ease back into mileage when returning to your running and check your shoes to make sure they will get you where you want to go without causing you unnecessary pain. I’ll see you at the track!

Mike Blackmore LMT

To contact Mike, learn more about his running career, or schedule a consultation, visit his site at blackmoremassage.com and email him at mike@blackmoremassage.com

Here at FLUID HQ, we occasionally get emails with questions about what FLUID is and how it works. We love these emails because concerned, honest questioning benefits everyone. Knowledge is power; drink it up!

Here's the question from a recent email:
Looks like you almost have a great product.....why ruin it with fructose?? What about using stevia or agave? Thanks for you consideration.

Here's what Richard Smith, FLUID Founder & CEO had to say:

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Thank you for your concern and for contacting us. It sounds like you've been doing your own research and are trying to make the best nutritional choices you can. I will attempt to answer your concern, however I won't know for sure without your feedback. Please let me know your honest thoughts after you read our explanation.

1) The ingredients you mentioned, agave & stevia, were options at our disposal in the creation of FLUID. For specific purposes they were not used.
2) Fructose plays a critical role in sports nutrition that is lesser known & less discussed, often because the benefits of fructose are overshadowed by the discussions associated with high fructose corn syrup, junk food, and obesity.

Fructose is metabolized through a separate pathway from glucose in the body. It is also metabolized more slowly, correlating to a lower rise in blood sugar. These two features provide a second source of energy when the body is importing glucose during exercise, and provide blood sugar stability to avoid rapid rises/crashes with glucose-only sources of carbohydrates. We call this "parallel processing". It has also been proven repeatedly that athletes who are fed drinks with a glucose-fructose mix vs. glucose alone will outperform their competition during exercise, and will reload their carbohydrate stores faster and more effectively after exercise. This is critical because without glycogen reloading, the bodies' ability to perform in subsequent bouts of exercise is decreased.

3) While stevia is an option for a sugar substitute in foods, it does not provide the functional benefits that fructose does because it does not contain calories or carbohydrates. Agave is another great option for a sugar substitute, however, agave is naturally high in fructose. This accounts for its sweet taste (fructose is much sweeter than other sugars), and the fructose content explains why agave is a lower glycemic alternative as well.

4) Crystalline Fructose & High Fructose Corn Syrup are not the same nutritional compound. While they may both come from corn sources today, they are metabolized differently and have a different effect in the body. As mentioned above and in my citation below, fructose is a positive nutrient to consume during exercise. Please see this study as one example of many and note that the source is the American College of Sports Medicine, a highly credible organization composed of sports physicians, cardiologists, and exercise physiologists: http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Abstract/2005/03000/Oxidation_of_Combined_Ingestion_of_Maltodextrins.13.aspx

Also, the author of the article you linked, Andrew Weil, MD, speaks about moderation with fructose and its varying benefits on his website. I've taken this paragraph directly from his discussion on fructose and agave:

"Agave has been getting a lot of bad press recently in connection with its fructose content. In fact, the fructose in it accounts for its low glycemic load. The body does not metabolize this natural sugar well, so it does not readily raise blood sugar (glucose) levels. In moderate amounts - as in fruit, honey, and agave - fructose in the diet is not a concern. Very large amounts, as one might get through high consumption of sugary drinks made with high fructose corn syrup, probably affect liver function and promote insulin resistance and obesity in many people. In the animal study you mention, the doses given were huge. So I wouldn't worry about the effect on your liver of modest quantities of agave or fructose." Source: http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400722/Is-Agave-Syrup-Dangerous.html

To come full circle, we are staunch advocates of natural foods and living a healthy lifestyle, rich in exercise. Fructose is a natural sugar found in many foods that plays a critical role in the performance of the body during and after exercise. In our effort to make the best recovery drinks possible with the latest information from the scientific community, we chose the most appropriate ingredients we could.

Please let me know your honest thoughts and feedback, and thank you for your time.

Kind regards,

Rich
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All of us at FLUID hope you found some new information in these words. We urge you to continue your own research and quest for knowledge in all of your healthy athletic pursuits. And let us know when you have a new question! In the meantime, we too will be working hard to stay at the forefront of nutritional research and development to bring you the very best performance nutrition for humans.

Cheers!
Team FLUID

There's a certain group of diehards who live in the desert. They like to ride bicycles and they're pretty darn good at it. They're also very good at finding dedicated, aspiring individuals who are just entering the sport, and training them to be the best they can be. The folks I'm referring to make up Team Fluid Las Vegas, a developmental cycling team based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. Their mission is "to develop club level cyclists into skilled racers through an environment of encouragement, coaching, and ethical participation in sport." That mission is exactly why we're so proud to be their title sponsor. Too often do we hear stories of compromised integrity in the world of sports, whether it be for money, glory or both. So Fluid has made it a point to be involved with organizations who lead the way in ethical sporting and competition. However, being a Fluid athlete or team doesn't just mean you're a good person. It also means you're good at what you do, that you're an inspiring athlete. And according to their race results, Team Fluid Las Vegas has had no trouble keeping up that classification. They travel often, so if you see their kits out on the road, take notice that those folks in blue and orange are pedaling their hearts out to be the fastest riders with the most class the sport of cycling has to offer.

Thank you for all you do, Team Fluid Las Vegas!

And cheers of health and fitness to everyone!
-Team Fluid

P.S.-Click this link to find out more about Team Fluid Las Vegas via their Facebook page, and let them know you're a fan!

This weekend the Fluid office team was out in force at the Laguna Lake Mud Mash in San Luis Obispo, California. This 5k/10k running race was held just a few minutes from our office and there's no way we could have passed it up. The course included running in the lake, sloshing through mud bogs, slithering through reeds, climbing over rope walls and hay bails, jumping in mud pits and battling vikings. Oh, and a guy playing a bagpipe on top of a mountain. Everything about this event was gnarly, epic and fun for everyone. Many families and groups even competed as teams!

Our buddies at All Out Events did a great job with this one in its inaugural running. We have a feeling it'll be a Halloween staple for years to come. And to top it all off, a portion of the proceeds go to San Luis Obispo County's Special Olympics program. As for us, we finished the race as fast as we could and got back to the work we love best: providing Fluid and nutritional education to the masses! A perfect way to spend Halloween if you ask us! So if you're in the area next Halloween, definitely check it out. Or go to www.all-outevents.com to see what else the All Out crew puts on, from a major outdoor rock climbing competition to sprint and 24 hour adventure races.

 

Fluid Recovery drinks are gaining attention worldwide for their famous muscle recovery power! SKI Magazine, one of the country's most reputable ski & snow magazines, recently featured Fluid in a write up covering muscle recovery drinks. Here's what they had to say:

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Fluid Recovery

Fluid contains 2,500 mg of L-glutamine—an anti-inflammatory amino acid critical to muscle stamina and recovery. It also has electrolytes and vitamin C to keep you hydrated and support your immune system, which is easily weakened by cold weather and intense exercise.

Protein source: whey

Carb-to-protein ratio: 3.5:1

Nutrition: Fluid contains 2,500 mg of L-glutamine—an anti-inflammatory amino acid critical to muscle stamina and recovery. It also has electrolytes and vitamin C to keep you hydrated and support your immune system, which is easily weakened by cold weather and intense exercise.

Info: livefluid.com

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Cheers!

Dave, Rich and all of Team Fluid

September 11, 2009
Fluid Remembers....


I remember exactly were I was when I turned on my TV at  7 am on 9/11. I was getting ready for an epic mountain bike ride in the hills of San Luis Obispo. I was a junior in college, and I was living the good life. It has been 8 years, but that moment is cemented in my brain for good. Do you remember what you were doing?

Fluid and I would like to take this opportunity to remind you to stop and exercise your brain cells today. Remember the tragedy, celebrate the heroics, and perhaps the self reflection will bring a little peace to the insanity of our lives.

We would also like to say a huge Thank You to all the men and women that serve for our safety every single day.

Sincerely,

Dave Brown, Richard Smith, and allof Team Fluid.

Hola!

Fluid has been hitting the triathlon and cycling scene hard this season! We have been serving ice cold recovery drink to thirsty athletes all over the Western United States! This Blog will serve as an easy way to follow what the crazy dudes at Fluid are up to! It will also be a great place to learn about new Fluid dealers, Fluid friends, and other awesome information about Sports Nutrition! Cool huh?

So, Where was Fluid this past weekend?