Fitness Myths

I saw these in the January 2015 edition of Outside Magazine: Altitude training improves performance at sea level: unless you're also racing at altitude the benefits are negligible and questionable; spending money on the altitude tent might be better allocated elsewhere mental training is only for the pro's: visualizing your performance, in a good way, has proven benefits for any level of athlete an ice bath helps with recovery: studies show the benefits compared to those who don't having done the same workout are just not there; actually icing can interfere with the natural healing process; unless you have an injury, icing isn't helping cramps are caused by fluid and electrolyte imbalance: not at all, but rather from weak muscle groups; overworked muscles cause cramping; during periods of fatigue your neurons are firing too often and other not enough, and thats a cramp; also, as we sweat, the concentration of salt in our blood increases due to the loss of fluid which is greater proportionally than the loss of sodium special diets are the way to go: low carb, pale, etc, truly are no better than just following a balanced diet that meets your fueling and recovery needs; no one diet is best for everyone