Lactic Acid

Women might be able to protect themselves from HIV infections someday with genetically engineered bacteria that latch onto the virus and keep it from penetrating vaginal tissues, according to research published yesterday. Stanford University scientists are developing the approach, in which they modify a type of naturally occurring bacteria in the vagina to secrete a protein that attracts HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Once trapped on the surface, the HIV is destroyed by other natural substances in the vagina - such as lactic acid - that are toxic to the human immunodeficiency virus.

As technical director of the annual Boston Marathon, Dave McGillivray spends every race day dashing from one crisis to the next. Then as nightfall nears and his duties are wrapped up, he heads back to the starting line, checks the knots on his shoes and begins his own run along the 26.2-mile course.Bothered by Achilles tendinitis in both heels, McGillivray needed 4 hours and 31 minutes this year to complete his 99th marathon. Among the 100 or so people there to greet him was his massage therapist, with a table set up right there at the finish.

Where have all the pickles gone? It wasn't so long ago that every well-dressed American dinner table was bejeweled with an assortment of them - emerald-green tomatoes, ruby-red beets and opalescent pearl onions, as well as less-glamorous (though certainly no less delicious) okra, mushrooms and watermelon rind. The pickle tray was a standard part of a Sunday supper. Nowadays, almost the only pickle you'll find is cucumber. And while there's nothing wrong with your basic bread-and-butter, half-sour or dill, there are so many other possibilities to explore.

Move over, soy milk and wheat-grass juice. The elixir of the moment is a fermented tea promoted for health benefits ranging from improved digestion to cancer prevention. Called kombucha, it is a drink with a dual identity. There's the commercial version that comes in pretty pastels and fetches upward of $3 a bottle at natural foods stores. And there's the brown, pennies-per-serving home-brew, made with a scary-looking blob of bacteria. Whether store-bought or homemade, the drink has grown popular with fans of "probiotic" foods, which contain live bacteria cultures.

The makers of GU Energy Gel have cooked up a formula geared toward ultra-endurance athletes called Roctane, which contains the same ingredients as the original GU plus several amino acids to aid in recovery and help prevent lactic acid buildup. In July, I took Roctane to the Wilderness 101, a 101-mile mountain bike race in the mountains around State College, Pa. Fifteen minutes before the start, I ate a packet of blueberry pomegranate flavor and topped off every 40 minutes as part of a refueling plan that included water, bananas and peanut butter sandwiches.

The Maryland Racing Commission yesterday adopted stricter penalties for trainers of Standardbreds caught administering their horses "milkshakes" -- concoctions containing sodium bicarbonate, or common baking soda.Meeting at the Timonium fairgrounds, the commission voted unanimously to invoke a fine of $2,500 and a suspension of 90 days when blood tests after a race confirm levels of sodium bicarbonate above the legal limit.The issue of "milkshakes" arose at last month's commission meeting when Dr. Thomas Lomangino, director of the state's drug-testing laboratory, said that evidence of the concoctions had been found in the blood of horses competing at Rosecroft Raceway, the harness track in Prince George's County.

I got out of my exercise routine over the holidays and am only gradually getting back into shape. My sore muscles are slowing me down and I wonder if you have any home remedies to relieve these aches and pains.A relaxing soak in a warm bath after exercise can work wonders. One reader suggests putting 2 cups of cider vinegar into the bath water for additional relief.A skier offers another idea. He takes 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water after a day on the slopes. The idea is to neutralize the lactic acid buildup in muscles after heavy exercise.

My brother and I want to run a marathon in Europe. Where do we find information on races overseas? The Association of International Marathons and Road Races Web site is a good place to start: www.aims-association.org. Competing abroad can be difficult, particularly with an event as strenuous as the marathon. Be aware of what you're getting into. Common travel problems like jet lag and adjusting to foreign foods will seem enormous when your body needs to be in top form to compete. If you plan on sightseeing, build in a few days before the race (you may not be up for it afterward)

Dyslexic boys as old as 13 who received just three weeks of intensive reading instruction made significant and lasting gains in their reading skills, according to a new study. The carefully designed teaching strategies also appeared to trigger lasting chemical changes in key areas of the boys' brains, showing that reading really had become easier for them, University of Washington scientists said. "This research offers a measure of hope," said neuropsychologist Virginia Berninger, who led the work.

Some people seem to attract mosquitoes more readily than others, and experts say the attraction has mostly to do with the amount of carbon dioxide that comes through a person's skin."