June 22, 2008 Myths about cold water debunked and energy drinks foiled I am not sure of the reason, but the big topic this month seems to be water and energy drinks in newsletters, papers, magazines, etc. This week was no exception. The California-Berkley Health Letter had a short article on water that really had some strange ideas in it. One mentioned that if you drink cold water, it slows digestion and turns “oily food stuff” into a sludge which will in turn be absorbed by the intestines, then turn to fat and lead to cancer. The proof of this comes from people in Asia who drink hot tea with their meals. Logic defies me on that one. Research has shown that, for a runner, cold water is absorbed faster into the system to help keep them running. There is a “Cold Water Diet” that has you losing eight pounds a year without dieting, because the cold water makes your body burn calories heating the water. Another fallacy has the organs of the body go into shock and actually dehydrate a person as it damages the stomach lining, kidneys and can cause heart attacks. Opposing the Cold Water Diet is the theory that cold water makes you gain weight, because the cold water cranks up the body to heat the water, and thus the person craves cold foods to cool it down, and you eat more calories. I was absolutely amazed that there could be such theories on cold water and that some people actually think they are true. The most recent article I read was in the San Antonio Express-News on the various energy drinks and what they will do for you. There is a drink called “Brain ToniQ” (notice the cute iQ in the name) that will make you smarter, because of the addition of the Russian root rhodiola and the herb eleuthero and some more brain nutrients. Then along comes Playboy Energy Drink; and I will not go into what that drink will supposedly help you accomplish. Imbibe makes a drink termed “!” and it only has 180 calories and 41 grams of sugar for a maximum bang; but it has no fat. Starbucks now has a Doubleshot Energy Coffee with an eight-ounce glass sporting 110 calories, 1.5 grams of fat and 14 grams of sugar, along with some vitamins and ginseng added. Not to be left behind, there is Monster M-80 for a “Monster energy blend,” with an eight-ounce serving bringing in 90 calories of 23 grams of sugar with some fruit juices. And outdoing that drink is “Crunk,” which brings in an 8.3-ounce serving 120 calories and 29 grams of sugar, but again has no fat. It seemed that every time I opened a newsletter or article of some sort, the topic of the month was water, or types of drinks you can do with water, or an energy drink. The manufacturers are raking in the money with all of these great substitutes for soft drinks. A little advertising goes a long way these days. Back to the running circle here in San Marcos, there are several races on the horizon for local runners. The June Bug 5K is Saturday, June 28, out at the River Ridge Business Park starting at 8:00 a.m. There are 10-year age groups up to age 60-and-over and T-shirts to the first 100 runners. Registration is $20 and the proceeds go to “The Voice of the Martyrs,” a group that spreads the word about the persecution of Christians in the world. The annual July 4th Firecracker 5K is next up on July 3 out at River Ridge Park; and this run is an evening run when hopefully it will be cooler. More information will be written on that later. The Beta Sigma Phi-nest 5K Scholarship Run is on Saturday, July 12th at 8:00 a.m., on a new course for local races. The race will start out at Hernandez Middle School off Hunter Road. Early registration is $15, and after July 5 until race day it is $20. T-shirts to the first 75 runners to sign up, with 10-year age group awards up to the age of 60 and over. Proceeds will go for scholarships for local high school students. It’s a new course, and it should be a great change of pace for local runners. The San Marcos Runners Club is sponsoring a training program for anyone interested in getting ready for the Country Roads 10K on September 20. The 12-week program costs $20, with $5 going toward a discount on the entry fee to the race. An informational meeting at the San Marcos Activity Center on June 25 at 6:00 p.m. will start the program; and then on Saturday, July 5 at 7:30 a.m., the group will meet to begin the program. All ages and abilities are welcome, as organizers and trainers will design the program for each runner and their pace. Call Laura Mason at 512-665-2974 for more detailed information, or visit the San Marcos Runners web site at: www.sanmarcosrunners.org. Dr. Maurice Johnson - better known around San Marcos as “Moe” - is a professor in the Department of Health, P.E., Recreation and Dance at Texas State University - San Marcos. Moe has been a fixture in the San Marcos running community - both as a runner and race organizer - since way back when Moby Dick was a minnow. His column on running and fitness appears each Sunday in the Sports section of the San Marcos Daily Record. • Recent “Running With Moe” Columns • Home • About the Club • Current News • Club Runs • Places To Run • TX Running Clubs • Running Links • Useful Stuff Upcoming Races • Race Results • Country Roads 10K & Kids Run • ARA-Moe’s Better Half Marathon • “Running With Moe” Contact Us!