WHAT'S HAPPENING

HOW SPECIAL OLYMPICS' FIT 5 PROGRAM MOTIVATED ME TO MAKE HEALTHIER CHOICES

As a passionate athlete, I can often be found practicing or competing at Special Olympics events or teaching others about health.

When I learned how essential good health is to doing my best on the field, it sparked a passion in me to teach others about fitness. Now, I teach fitness to audiences from my home state of Missouri – and sometimes others around the world. Special Olympics Fit 5 program includes a Fit 5 Guide and Fit 5 Cards that are designed for everyone and can be modified for any level. I tell people that it is important to listen to your body, go at your own pace, and make sure not to overdo it. Fit 5 Cards demonstrate exercises in Levels 1 through 5 including endurance, strength, flexibility, and balance. I like Fit 5 because the exercises are customizable and are based on three simple goals: exercise 5 days per week, eat 5 total fruits and vegetables per day, and drink 5 bottles of water each day. I believe the Fit 5 program can help athletes achieve their personal best through physical activity, nutrition, and hydration.

I encourage you to check it out yourself. Today, I'm going to take you through a circuit workout with four stations that will focus on endurance, lower body strength, and balance.

FIT5 FOR FUN : SEE MORE AT specialolympics.org/Fit5

Station 1: Endurance

Station 2: Strength

Station 3: Endurance

Station 4: Strength

Station 5: Balance

Perfect Portions

After a tough workout it's important to fuel your body with the proper nutrition. Fit 5 highlights the importance of what we put into our bodies. I wanted to share a fun way to remember how much to eat when you have a serving. The size of the sports equipment on the left is about the same size as one serving of the foods on the right. Remember, moderation is key to anything, so we can enjoy a yummy treat every now and then if we do so in moderation.

TRIAL OF DCA IN PDC DEFICIENCY

The University of Florida is sponsoring a clinical trial to determine if treatment with an investigational drug called dichloroacetate (DCA) can improve the health and function of children diagnosed with PDCD.

Ppyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency is the most common cause of congenital lactic acidosis and is frequently a fatal metabolic disease in childhood for which there is currently no proven treatment. DCA has been designated as an Orphan Product for the treatment of congenital lactic acidosis by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

It is important to be able to find a treatment for PDCD due to its rare disease status and the fact that the life expectancy of most affected children is severely shortened. Additionally, PDCD is an extremely debilitating disorder that causes neurologic impairment and developmental delays in affected patients. In order to determine if DCA works to improve the health and function of children with PDCD, completion of enrollment into the clinical trial is extremely imperative, as it will allow the ability to evaluate the effect DCA has on PDCD patients, in the hopes that it will be effective and will possibly be approved by the FDA as an official treatment for PDCD. As this is a rare disease, there are only so many patients available with PDCD to participate in the trial. It is important to expand awareness of this trial to ensure enrollment into the study can be achieved.

Approval of DCA as an official treatment for PDCD would likely reduce the economic burden on families associated with frequent hospitalizations and home management of a chronic illness. The study is being conducted at nine academic centers across the United States. To locate a center near you, please click on the link below to the study listing on ClinicalTrials.gov. Travel assistance is being provided if needed. ClinicalTrials.gov link: Trial of DCA in Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex Deficiency For more information about the clinical trial, please contact Peter W. Stacpoole, PhD, MD, Professor of Medicine, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Florida College of Medicine via the phone or e-mail: pws@ufl.edu ; Phone: 352-273-9599. •