Site map Search New on the site Contact us
AGSD-UK Conference 2010
The Conference will be in central London on weekend of 20th-21st November. More details soon.
Walk over Wales... every step counts 2 July to 2 August 2010 Sponsored walk raising money for AGSD-UK. 210 miles. Details.
Walking with McArdle's - Wales An opportunity to enjoy a week's walking holiday in Snowdonia and learn how best to cope with McArdle's. July 2011. Details.
The "6 second rule" is as useful for people with McARdle's as the "second wind", although in a very different way. By using it you can help to avoid fixed contractures of the muscle, with their attendant muscle break down (rhabdomyolisis) and protein in the urine (myoglobinuria).
When doing something like lifting heavy objects or sprinting, there is an energy pathway (the phosphagen system) which is instantly available and lasts for about 5 to 10 seconds. This system relies on ATP (adenosine triphosphate) stored in the muscle and creatine phosphate to provide immediate energy. As that is exhausted people unaffected by McArdle's will start to make use of glycogen stored in the muscle, converting it to glucose for energy. However, in McArdle's the enzyme (myophosphorylase) needed in that process is missing so this energy pathway can't kick in after the initial 5 to 10 seconds. That is when a painful fixed contracture of the muscle will develop which can last for hours or days.
Everyday examples of maximum intensity activities are: opening a new jam jar which is firmly stuck, standing on tip toe to get something off a high shelf; rushing up a flight of stairs; and crouching or squatting. These are everyday activities so you need to know how to deal with them.
To avoid damage when doing something of maximum intensity it is a good idea to time 6 seconds by saying to "One thousand, two thousand..." up to six. If the task is not completed by 6, stop or put it down. Take a break, let the muscles recover and try again later.
Research shows that the ATP will recover in about five minutes, but my own experience is that it can recover much quicker. We don't know what factors affect its recovery, whether it varies from one to person to another, or whether we can do anything to improve it's speed of recovery. These are all questions for future research.
Summary