What Is A Stroke?

            Hi there guys!

This post is going to be an article about strokes. Hopefully some of you will find this interesting and informative.

                                                STROKE

WHAT IS A STROKE?

            The brain is a marvelous machine with great power. It allows us to control our movement, breathing, makes our heart circulate blood and many other things that are essential to our very being.

            The brain needs blood to function like the rest of our body, but what happens what that blood cant get to the brain? A stroke occurs.

            A stroke happens when blood can’t get to the brain. The blood gets carried to the brain through blood vessels called arteries. The blood traveling to the brain contains oxygen and essential nutrients for our organs to function. A stroke usually happens when an artery is blocked or has been ruptured.

            Brain cells are extremely sensitive. They start to die just moments after a stroke starts.

            Some strokes can last hours if the blood supply hasn’t been completely cut off. If the blood supply can be returned to normal quickly, some brain cells may recover otherwise the cells die.

CLASSIFICATIONS OF STROKES

            Strokes can be classified under two categories;

·      Hemorrhagic

·      Ischemic

Ischemic strokes are those caused by an interruption to the blood supply to the brain, typically due to blood clots. Ischemic strokes can also be caused by embolism (debris from another part of the body) and a decrease in blood pressure.

Hemorrhagic strokes are cause by burst blood vessels and arteries causing an accumulation of blood to gather inside the brain cavity. This can happen inside the skull but outside the brain, as well as inside the brain itself.

Hemorrhagic strokes can also be cause by a strong injury to the head.

Any type of stroke can be extremely dangerous. They can do irreparable damage to vital brain cells and can cause death if a stroke is not treated in time.

MEDICATION AND TREATMENTS

            Treatment differs for hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes.

A Tissue Plasminogen Activator (TPA) can be given to treat ischemic strokes. TPA breaks up clots on the arteries of the brain. It must be given within 4 hours of the start of symptoms to work.

            If TPA can be given, an Antiplatelet medicine will be given within 48 hours to stop the platelets in the blood from clumping together.

            Treating hemorrhagic strokes is difficult. Antiplatelet medicine can’t be given as the bleeding may worsen. However, if the patient is taking them, the patient will be taken off the medication. If high blood pressure is the cause of a hemorrhagic stroke, a doctor may prescribe medication to lower the overall blood pressure.

            Surgery is sometimes needed to fix a hemorrhagic stroke, such as aneurysm clipping, coil embolization and arteriovenous malformation (AVM) repair.

            An aneurysm is a balloon-like bulge in an artery.

An aneurysm clipping procedure is done to block off the aneurysm from other blood vessels, while decreasing the risk of it bursting again.

           

A coil embolization procedure is less complex compared to the “clipping” procedure. A tube called a catheter is inserted into an artery in the groin and fed up into the aneurysm site. A tiny coil is then pushed through the tube and into the aneurysm in order to form a clot and prevent future bursts.

An arteriovenous malformation is a tangle of faulty arteries and veins in the brain that rupture causing a stroke.

An arteriovenous malformation repair can be conducted in a few ways. The removal of the malformation, radiation used to shrink the blood vessels in malformation or injecting a substance into the malformation to block blood flow.

STROKES AND EFFECTS ON THE ABILITY TO EXERCISE

            Stroke patients need to maintain an exercise regime for rehabilitation. The need for rehabilitation is important because of the damage done to brain cells. Skills such as walking and simply lifting an arm can be difficult for some stroke patients, so rehab exercise is necessary to regain and maintain motor functions.

            Most rehab is conducted inside the hospital and secondary rehab with private specialists. Aerobic fitness is a key aspect of rehabilitation and reducing the risk of another stroke. Personal trainers can implement personalized training programs based on aerobic function under guidance of the patients GP or specialist.

SUPPORT GROUPS

            There are numerous groups that help provide information and support for stroke survivors and their families.

Some websites below that can provide assistance;

www.stroke.org

www.strokefoundation.com.au

www.strokeassociation.org

Article references and sources

o   http://strokefoundation.com.au/what-is-a-stroke/

o   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroke#Classification

o   http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/stroke/treatment.html

o   http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/109/16/2031.full

o   http://www.google.com.au/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=lq1vUuvDK8qN8Qeu74HgDA#q=stroke+survivor+support+groups

Researching Creatine

Hi there guys!

   Today I'm going to talk about the supplement called Creatine.

     How it works:
  Well the body has its own supply of natural Creatine. This Creatine is used to provide high intensity energy to the muscle cells around the body where its needed. It is produced by the liver and it travels around the body via the blood transport system.
   Creatine is an nitrogenous (contains nitrogen) organic amino acid made up of three amino acids in total; L-Arganine, L-Methionine and Glycine.

     How it affects gym performance:
  Taking Creatine supplements essentially give your body a huge boost to the ability to create and expend muscular energy. For example; A sudden sprint for 10 meters will cause the liver to expel Creatine, which is then transported to the leg muscles used for the sprint. The muscles burn this energy at an explosive rate. It is usually burned up in about 10 seconds but the maximum potential of energy is there to use for the sprint. But if you have been taking Creatine at 5-10grams a day for 28 days, your muscles will have an extra 10-15% more Creatine to burn as energy in short, high intensity bursts. So you could probably sprint an extra 10 meters before lactic acid kicks in.
     In short, Creatine supplements allow you to train for longer at a higher intensity after taking it for a number of days.

     Correct ways to take it;
  There are many suggestions for correct dosage and justifications for them. Here's one example from the website Bodybuilding.com going off body weight;
 Recommended dosages are as follows:

• Less than or equal to 140lbs = 5-6grams per day is maintenance
• 141lbs to 168lbs = 6-7.5 grams per day is maintenance
• 169lbs to 199lbs = 8 grams per day is maintenance
• 200lbs to 242lbs = 8-10 grams per day is maintenance
• 242lb+ = 10-12 grams per day

  I personally recommend reading the manufacturers direction on dosage since every supplement is different and made to be used in different ways.

     Side effects?

  Some of the side effects are;

-Stomach Pain

-Nausea

-Muscle Cramping (more because of a harder workout than usual)

-Diarrhoea

    

      I have personally used Creatine powders and unfortunately come across a couple of side effects. Through personal trial and error of brands and types I would recommend taking a PH Balanced Creatine powder or Creatine Capsule. They tend to be nicer to the body.

     What activity would be best for taking Creatine; 

  Creatine would be used best in any high-intensity sport or activity where huge amounts of muscular energy would be needed. Although Creatine is more popular for gym goers, Olympic athletes have been known to take this supplement. Its not illegal in sports since a lot of personal effort and will power is still required.

   Many age groups supplement their bodies with Creatine over a long period of time for the best results. You cant really tell its working because it only assists in small amounts from the start. Taking it over a longer period of time will yield more noticeable energy burst lengths.

REFERENCES:

http://www.sportsci.org/traintech/creatine/rbk.html

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/dimaggio2.htm

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/263269.php

A bit about fitness in my life

Hi Everybody!

    My name is Rickey and welcome to my blog. I'm producing this blog as part of my progression through my career path as a Personal Trainer.
     
    I first started enjoying fitness when I decided to join the Australian Army. I needed to train before I joined to achieve a basic minimum standard, that being said, I used to be a really skinny guy who resented fitness. I was so unfit, I was lucky to achieve 5 full push ups! The army was a dream job so I gave it a really good go.
    
    It was then that I started appreciating fitness. I started to become a sucker for the punishment. Essentially causing myself injuries from pushing myself too hard so I could be accepted as one of "the boys". This was essentially doing more harm than good. I eventually pushed myself too hard during a training exercise and did severe damage to my knee. A meniscus tear kept me off my feet for 8 months.
    
    I healed up and kept plowing on. But through my time during the army I loved the fitness and the things I could do because of it. It also became competitive to me in some weird way.

    I am a competitive person by nature and with fitness I love to set a standard for other people to beat, or at least best the best standard of the fittest person there. I'm not a sore looser or cocky, just love the thrill of a competition.

    Through the injuries of pushing myself too far, I've learned to ease up a bit and never push past my breaking point, but still try my hardest.

    I also love to help make other peoples lives better. In any way I can. As an apprentice cabinetmaker, building a dream kitchen for a client is one way. They would appreciate the value of it and it makes their house a home. Just one of many ways to help people.

    I wanted to become a Personal Trainer for a few years now, since before I left the army. I love fitness and becoming a personal trainer is a perfect career for me since I love to help people as well.

    My ultimate goals for my career in this industry is, well, become a personal trainer and hopefully run my own business. Another goal is to rejoin the army as a physical training instructor and train future recruits and soldiers preparing for overseas exercises.

    Fit College is the group I'm going through to become a fitness professional. They stood out to me as a family more than a company after a bit of research. I found that most of, if not all, their trainers work in the fitness industry with active businesses and clients. So I knew that these guys knew their stuff. With that, it essentially gave me a guarantee that I would have the highest quality training and be up to date with the latest techniques.

    During my learning and training I will be keeping this blog going with updates of information and video presentations. Mainly for course purposes but the info would be useful to all who read my blogs as well.

    C'ya soon folks!