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Thursday, July 31, 2014

Study Spotlight: Caffeine with Carbs for Better Muscle Recovery


Caffeine is typically taken to increase your energy, wake you up in the morning and help you get a higher energy level for when you're getting ready to workout or compete.  It is not typically seen in use with recovery.  

This study looked how much muscle glycogen (fuel to help you move) recovered after an exhaustive workout when just taking in carbs afterwards or taking in carbs and caffeine.  They found that at about 4 hours of recovery time that the people taking in carbs with caffeine had about a 50% increase in muscle glycogen.  This was significant in findings because at rest caffeine typically inhibits the production of muscle glycogen.

This is important in the use with training due to the recovery of these stores which in theory increases your ability to go back for another training session quicker and with more stored energy.  Obvious benefits can be seen no matter what sport you are partaking in as this may allow to increase your training load without having a negative effect.

What to take away: If you are going to have several high level competitions or hard training in consecutive days or in close proximity consider adding caffeine to your post workout recovery to help rebuild muscle glycogen quicker and allow your body to rebuild faster to get ready for your next event.  This in combination with other recovery techniques to return energy stores back to pre workout levels can be very powerful no matter what event you are training for.

High rates of muscle glycogen resynthesis after exhaustive exercise when carbohydrate is coingested with caffeine
David J. Pedersen
J Appl Physiol 105: 7-13, 2008

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

The BLOG Lift

Physioballs are no longer just for trying to make your abs look good, they are made for total body destruction. I introduce to you the "blog" lift.  The concept is simple but one that I had never seen before and if your working out on a budget, this is perfect.

Supplys:
-Physio ball (vary sizes based on desired weight)
-Water

See green blob for what a "blog" is


Fill physio ball with water up to desired weight (ranging typically 20-80lb).  You do not want the physio ball bursting at the seams when filling it, leave room for the water to move around.  Plug the physio ball as you normally would after filling it with air.

Workouts:
-For lighter "blogs" front shoulder raises are great to start with advancing to throwing the "blog" in the air. 10-15 reps per set
-On your back presses with moderate weight "blog" 10-15 reps per set
-The Ultimate Total Body Workout: The "Blog" Lift (see videos after the jump).  Can be done over bar or just lift and drop. 10-15 reps per set (with 80lbs "blog" you'll be hurting)

Shout out to ogres den fitness

Check out how to do the lift  below.


Monday, July 21, 2014

"The Future is Here. Why You Have to Care About Your Physiology & Genetics"

This one gets little technical but is some really good information and where I believe the future of performance and health is and will continue to go.  Looking at your lab work and genetics to find out what works best for you personally is becoming main stream and is only going to get better in the
near future.  The video below gets a little long but the information is great and has some great take aways at the end (if you wanted to fast forward).

I couldn't get the video on YouTube so here is the link to the video.

The Future is Here.  Why You Have to Care About Your Physiology

Enjoy.

Friday, July 18, 2014

An Alternative to Fat Loss: From the "4 Hour Body"

First off, please see the link below to read the entire chapter (It's only 7 pages) for all the information.

Alternative to Fat Loss


Here is a summary of this different way to look at fat loss.
Prediction: Unfamiliar food causes loss of appetite
-Introducing something you don't typically do into your diet (in the writers case, fructose water) in a new constant routine can cause your body to change its hunger desire even with a reduction in caloric intake.

A Body-Fat Set Point
This thought states that the body wants to stay at specific target weight and body fat percentage but then why do we gain weight so easily but not lose it with the same ease.
One thought is that your set point is based on what you eat and when two studies looked at weight loss; one via caloric restriction and one via certain food restrictions but not calories, there was similar weight loss found but the experience of caloric restriction was much more unpleasant compared to the food type restriction.

Get to "The Shangri-La Diet" Below

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Kelly Starrett "Supple Leopard":London Real

If you have any interest in life quality, PT, cross fit, life hacking or just general self-improvement this is a great Podcast episode to watch/listen to.  It does get a little long but the information is outstanding and it's many things that make sense you just never thought of.  Enjoy.


FYI: If you're looking for a good podcast about life hacking and following your "journey" you should check out London Real.  A very interesting podcast with some fantastic guests.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Three Incredible Lies in Mainstream Training and Nutrition

I found this from the Poliquin Group and summarized there points but I think many of them are valid.  What we are taught in the educational system is being challenged and long held beliefs in fitness and nutrition are becoming open conversations and  I think there is a shift in the works.  Here are some interesting facts to think about.

By Poliquin Group

Inept health and fitness facts:
            -The static model of energy balance based on the idea that 3500 calories equals a pound and that weight loss will follow accordingly-it won’t.
            -Similarly, a calorie approach to weight loss is ineffective over the long term because it doesn’t account for macronutrient ratios, insulin response, or how the body alters hormone levels that dictate hunger and the use of fat for fuel.
            -Ignoring the negative effect of chemical exposure from food additives, pesticides, hormones, and endocrine disruptors, all of which negatively influence body fat levels and health.
            -A reliance on a low-fat, high-carb diet for weight loss because it can be harmful to health and largely disappointing for fat loss.

Lie #1: Aerobic Exercise Will Help You Lose Fat
The Truth: Aerobic Exercise is a Fat Trap
-High-intensity intermittent exercise, which is anaerobic rather than aerobic in nature, is much more effective.
-Aerobic exercise is a fat trap because the purpose of doing it is to train the body to be as efficient as possible.  The body adapts quickly to repetitive aerobic exercise with the goal of using the least amount of oxygen and energy to perform the greatest amount of work.  Nothing about aerobic exercise supports long-term fat loss.
-Do this instead: prioritize anaerobic training in the form of regular weight training and intervals.  Resistance training done properly will produce sustainable fat loss because it increases muscle for a greater metabolic rate (you burn more calories at rest with more muscle).  It leads to the release of hormones that burn fat and improve metabolism.

Lie #2: Low-Fat Diets Are Best For Fat Loss
The Truth: Low-Fat Diets as used bye the Mainstream Will Harm Your Health
-Higher protein, higher fat dietary models tend to be much more effective for fat loss because they favor protein and fat, both of which are very filling and help you avoid hunger.
-They also prevent the severe reduction in metabolic create that coms from low-fat, calorie-restricted eating because you won’t lose as muscle with adequate protein. 
-Low fat diets make your body rely on glucose (or sugar) for its energy source.  Therefore, your body can’t access its fat stores to burn them because it prefers to use glucose for energy, making it very difficult to lose body fat.
-Low fat diets are a health trap that rarely lead to the body you desire.  They cause insulin and blood sugar havoc and keep the body in glucose-burning mode, rarely leading to sustained fat loss.  They make you hungry, tired, and at greater risk of disease.

Lie #3: Chemical Don’t Make You Fat & Detoxification Isn’t Necessary
The Truth: BPA & other Chemicals Dramatically Increase Body Fat & Diabetes Risk
-These chemicals alter hormone function when they are ingested in large quantities present in modern society.
-Helping Detox:
            -Get adequate B vitamins, which play a primary role in eliminating toxins.
            -Drink a lot of water-more than 3 liters a day-and get adequate fiber from vegetables, fruits, seeds.
            -Whey protein will increase levels of glutathione, which is internally produced antioxidant whole purpose it to eliminate toxins.

            -Train hard.  Studies show athletes excrete more toxins in urine than sedentary people.