Bro, Do You Even Keto?

By: Andrew Jagim

Low-Carb, high protein, carb-backloading, carb cycling, keto. These are just a few of the many terms used to describe dietary strategies that revolve around the manipulation of various macronutrient intakes and ratios which often include adjusting your carbohydrate intake some how.  Most of these dieting strategies focus on the manipulation of body composition with the end goal if increasing lean muscle mass while losing body fat which is the ultimate goal of bros everywhere or as I like to call it having your cake and eating it too (but unfortunately cake isn't a part of the meal plan).  With all of these dieting strategies comes a lot of confusion and sometimes the misuse of the strategy itself. For the sake of this article we are going to focus solely on ketogenic dieting and it's role in optimizing body composition.

People often confuse a ketogenic diet with a low-carb diet when in reality they are not one in the same. In a sense, ketogenic diets are low in carbohydrates but a typically "low-carb" diet is usually one that consists of 30-40% of total daily calories coming from carbohydrates whereas a ketogenic diet only consists of about 5% carbohydrates. The purpose of a ketogenic diet is to put your body in a state of nutritional ketosis (not to be confused with diabetic ketosis) to optimize fuel utilization.  This occurs when ketone levels within the blood reach 1-5 mmols.

Another misconception of ketogenic diets is that a higher protein intake is needed to make up for the lack of carbohydrates in the diet to help maximize increases in lean mass. Again this really isn't the case as the ultimate purpose of a ketogenic diet is to force your body to produce ketones for fuel rather than relying on carbohydrates.  In order for this adaptation to occur carbohydrate and protein levels need to be low (or really low in the case of carbohydrates) as even protein can have spike insulin levels and knock someone out of "ketosis."  This isn't to say that a high-protein diet isn't beneficial and/or carbohydrates aren't important, it's just that a true ketogenic diet is low in carbs and protein.  Some people may struggle to adhere to such a restrictive diet and may cycle back and forth between temporary periods of ketogenic dieting and low or moderate carb & protein intakes however this is NOT something that is recommended and may actually do more harm than good when it comes to body composition.  In order for someone to be truly keto-adapted it actually takes several weeks if not months for this process to occur and to benefit from all of its advantages.  So, by bouncing back and forth between keto dieting and low/mod or high carb levels, one will essentially knock themselves out of ketosis and research has shown that this may actually promote muscle loss and body fat gain.

So are Ketogenic Diets the answer for you? Maybe....Research has shown that it is an effective way to lose weight, particularly body fat and may even spare lean muscle tissue in the process. However, it does all but eliminate carbohydrates from the diet and may be difficult for some. Moral of the story, just make sure you are doing it right or it will backfire!

Mobility Monday: Prioritizing Shoulder Mob

To speed this one up you can skip the first minute of them playing Wii but thats up to you.

Anyway, down to business.  Shoulder problems are very common and seem to be one of the hardest injuries to deal with and fix.  Often times the thoracic spine and its ability to be mobile can be a contributing factor that is overlooked.  Lacking movement through this section of the spine can lead to many problems in terms of shoulder placement and how everything sits in the glenohumeral joint and how the scapula moves across the upper rib cage.

This video gives you and idea of what to prioritize and where to start.

Things You Can Fix:
-Upper back pain
-Generalized shoulder pain
-Shoulder displacement to the anterior
-Posture problems

Friday Food: The Best Holiday Cookie You've Ever Had

Okay, that topic can be highly debatable but we think this one sounds pretty good (and it has peanut butter so it's healthy right?).  We posted this because we believe in the 80/20 principle (give or take a little bit) and that you have to keep your sanity when it comes to eating as well and adjusting your diet.

We hope everyone has a great holiday and enjoy the down time.

Ingredients 1 16.5-oz package refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough (the one shaped like a log)
1 bag (about 24) miniature Reese’s peanut butter cups

Note: You will need a mini muffin pan for this recipe.

Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.

2. Spray mini muffin pan with cooking spray, set aside.

3. Slice cookie dough log into 1-inch thick slices, then into quarters. Place one quarter into each cup of the mini muffin pan, and bake for 9 to 11 minutes.

4. While baking, remove peanut butter cups from their foil wrappers and paper liners.

5. After removing the cookies from the oven, while the dough is still warm, push a peanut butter cup into each muffin cup and let cool in the pan. Once the cookies are cool, use a spoon or knife to release them from the pan.

Study Spotlight: Kinesio Tape and Dynamic Balance w/ Fatigue & Chronic Ankle Instability

By: Joel Luedke

Kinesio tape is something that has been around for awhile but continues to grow in popularity as you see many high level athletes utilizing it for competition at some very high level events (see the Olympics and some crazy colors and designs).  It can be a very effective modality but is it able to provide support either statically or dynamically?  This study take a look at people with ankle instability and if kinesio tape helped with their dynamic balance.

What They Did:

Researchers looked at people with chronic ankle instability (CAI) and compared different versions of ankle taping including kinesio taping (KT), non-elastic tape and no tape.  They then fatigued the ankle muscles of the subjects using an isokinetic apparatus.  Dynamic and neuromuscular control were assessed using the Y-Balance Test and muscle activity was recorded using one-channel vibromyography (VMG).

What They Found:

No significant differences were found in dynamic balance testing between pre- and post-fatigue condition for each group and between groups.  The results showed that there was no significant effect on dynamic balance and muscle activity following produced fatigue in individuals with CAI.

What Does it All Mean:

Kinesio tape can be a very useful tool but using it as a stabilizing modality isn't supported.  This can often be a common misconception in using the kinesio tape that it is 'stabilizing'.  With high velocity movements such as cutting during a sport or an overhead movement such as spiking a volleyball the tape will not be able to stabilize that joint with just one or two strips supporting whatever structure we are targeting.  

This does NOT mean kinesio tape isn't helping.  There are plenty of other ways that it can be beneficial, especially when it comes to proprioceptive feedback of the treated joint.  Utilizing it on an ankle or shoulder can still provide benefit to the athlete but it may not be in a stabilizing manner but that doesn't take away the possibility of helping.

Don't use kinesio tape to 'support' a joint if there is instability but use it as an aid in rehab and management of pain and when the time is right to return to activity use it as a proprioceptive aid.

Source: Kodesh, E. The effect of kinesiotape on dynamic balance following muscle fatigue in individuals with chronic ankle instability.  Research in Sports Medicine. 23(4). 2015. 367-78.

What is the Best Way to Stop a Cramping Muscle?

This article is based off of a continuing education module I recently completed and the information was so interesting around the common thoughts and practices in treating muscle cramps that I had to share it.

It has long been thought that the cause of muscle cramping in athletics or any athletic related activity was due to dehydration and a loss of electrolytes.  There have been many companies that have made their business (and fortune in some cases) based around this idea that you need to replace everything you lose and that prevents muscle cramping.  While the idea of being hydrated and replacing sodium can have positive effects it isn't necessarily for the rehydration reason.  More on that later.

The presentation reviewed all the research looking at dehydration and muscle cramping and if hydration was truly effective in preventing cramping.  The theory that most people have learned, practiced and sold sports drinks off of is the Dehydration & Electrolyte Imbalance Theory.  When all of this information was reviewed it was found that most studies that looked at people had a history of cramps and lost significant fluids and electrolytes that often times they didn't cramp during the study and so no change was seen.  If they did happen to cramp in almost all cases there was no significant difference between the people that did cramp and the ones that didn't in terms of hydration and electrolyte status.  The claim that higher sodium losses in 'crampers' is based on the data of only 23 people.  In all the research that has been done and all the people that are active, this number is way to small to make a cause and effect statement.

So what is the answer for preventing and treating cramping?  Unfortunately there isn't a set answer for this yet but it has been fairly well disproven that hydration isn't the best answer.  Utilizing stretching and e-stim (TENs) gets you the quickest and best results when it comes to treating cramps. The thought behind this is that by putting the muscle on a stretch activates the golgi-tendon organs (GTOs) that then send an inhibitory message to the spinal cord that can calm the muscle and get it to relax.  The same thought process comes with using TENS on the muscle-tendon unit in order to stimulate the GTOs and facilitate an inhibition message to the muscle.

Before we write off hydration (or argue back) it is still extremely important that you focus on it and replacing electrolytes.  Even if it hasn't been proven to be the treatment for cramping hydration can help prevent the onset of fatigue which can be a major risk factor in cramping risk.  If you have someone who continues to cramp and does so in the same muscle take a look beyond hydration.  If it happens to be their hamstring make sure they aren't over utilizing their hamstring and not making enough use of their glute when they are performing.

Cramping is painful, debilitating and a tough 'injury' to deal with but it isn't as simple as dehydration and electrolyte loss.  Look deeper into the reasons especially someone who has reoccurring problems.  And if you do cramp, your best bet is still to get it on a quick but steady and comfortable stretch.

Credit: Kevin Miller PhD-Central Michigan University

Mobility Monday: Fixing Back Pain with the Straight Leg Raise

Most athletic trainers, physical therapists and physicians utilize the Straight Leg Raise when assessing low back pain.  It is a decent test that helps you start the process of figuring out where the back pain is originating from.  It could be from a herniated disc in the low back or possibly the sciatic nerve getting tied up in the piriformis as it is moving down the leg.

This test is often positive on one side but not commonly on both (unless it is a severe injury) and this video shows a way to work on reducing the pain on that one side.  Note how he said in the beginning of the video that if you get pain when doing it on both sides this is NOT the fix for you.

What it Helps:
-General low back pain
-Low back disc pain
-Sciatic nerve pain

Friday Food: Parchment Baked Salmon

Salmon is a fantastic super food if you cook it to be so.  You have to be watch out to make sure that you don't over cook this super fish as if you do then you start robbing it of all its benefits.  This one is simple and easy and not time consuming at all.  Take advantage of all the advantages of fish with this recipe.

Ingredients:
-2 center-cut wild salmon fillets (8 ounces each)
-1 tsp MCT or coconut oil
-Sea salt
-1 tbsp grass-fed unsalted butter
-1 tbsp minced fresh herbs (ex. chives, parsley, or dill)
-Lemon wedges for serving

Preheat the over to 320 degree F.

Place the salmon on a piece on a baking sheet.  Runb the fillets with MCT oil, season with sea salt, and top with the butter.  Wrap the parchment around the fish, folding seams and tucking them to ensure steam does not escape.

Bake until fish is medium-rare, about 18 minutes.  Sprinkle with the herbs and a squeeze of lemon.

Study Spotlight: A Conclusion on Stretching?

30-40 years ago we were all told to stretch as a warm up (well not all of us but its what I've been told) to prevent injury.  For the last 15 years or so we were told that stretching was going to wreck our performance and that we should avoid it pre-workout like the plague and instead replace it with 'dynamic warm-ups'.  Well a group of researchers decided to dig through it all and see what came out the other end.

What They Did: 

This group of researchers reviewed hundreds of articles related to the effects of stretching from over the past 15 years to see if there was a consensus on what we should actually be doing.

What They Found:

The findings of this review help shed some light on what type of stretching should be performed and when but it also stays very neutral and maybe for good reason.  Overall the review of studies showed that when static stretching was incorporated with a good aerobic warm up and other movement practice that it was not detrimental to performance (no significant difference).  The review showed that there is not a clear cut answer on when and how you should be stretching and that we should be careful on what we read as some studies were set up to give stretching a bad name.

What It All Means:

So now what?  Should you stretch before you workout or should you wait until after you work out?  This is where movement, performance and training moves into becoming an art and it isn't always just based on science.  The reviewers did a good job with their recommendation by incorporating a lot of different modalities into their warm up suggestion and I think that is the key.  Nothing will work perfectly in isolation and the challenge people face in their own workouts or coaching others is finding what works best for them.  It brings us back to our test and retest philosophy and making sure you are keeping detailed notes on what works for you and what doesn't.

Don't all your eggs in one basic.  Stretch when you need to but make sure you body is physically ready and warmed up for it.  If it helps you feel better and perform your best get creative and make your warm up fit you.

Source:

1. David Behm, Anthony Blazevich, Anthony Kay and Malachy McHugh. Systematic Review: Acute Effects of Muscle Stretching on Physical Performance, Range of Motion and Injury Incidence in Healthy Active Individuals. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, December 2015 DOI: 10.1139/apnm-2015-0235

India Adventure Recap

Going into the trip across the Atlantic Ocean and into the Middle East I had absolutely no idea what to expect and the nerves were high.  Having completed now two 14 hour flights and almost 20,000 miles in the air I wouldn't change the experience at all.  

The goal of the trip was to inform and educate a variety of health and fitness professionals in India about how we do rigid taping in America.  For most of the people in the profession of Athletic Training, Strength & Conditioning and even coaching know how to do a handful of basic taping procedures and the thought of teaching professionals who may or may not know how to tape made for a very anxious presentation.  Turns out all the information was very useful.

India is fascinating country and sports have always been a big part of culture (Cricket takes the cake) but they continue to add new sports every year they seem.  They even have an Indian version of the NFL starting in 2016.  All the people I met were incredible and taught me many things and I hope I returned the favor.  

Below are just some of the pictures from the trip.  Would be happy to go back and hang out with everyone again.

Why is Weight Loss so Hard?

Why on earth is losing weight so hard?! Well to be honest, weight loss isn’t all that hard. If you were to simply stop eating you would lose weight. Obviously this is not a viable option so how can we go about weight loss without starving ourselves or spending hours at the gym? The answer: Moderation. And no I’m not talking about eating in moderation because no one likes to do that; although that would help. I'm talking about losing weight in moderation. 

If we look at the concept of weight loss in an extremely over-simplified matter, it really comes down to energy balance and by that I mean the overall net amount of calories in versus calories out. If we burn what we eat then we are in energy balance and we maintain our current weight. If we burn more than we consume then we lose weight... you get the picture. Well then shouldn’t the solution be just to eat a little bit less and exercise a little bit more? Well kind of.  In reality you can't just keep cutting calories little by litter every day to elicit weight loss as eventually you would have to cut down to zero; again not very practical. 

So again I ask, why is long weight and more importantly maintaining weight loss so hard?

Well if we look at what factors influence our daily calorie expenditure it can be broken down in to 4 main categories:

1) Basal Metabolic Rate: Which is our baseline metabolism or our resting energy expenditure, essentially the amount of energy it takes just to keep us alive. If we were to lay on the couch all day (i.e. My Saturdays during football season) this is how many calories we would burn.  This number is heavily dependent upon the amount of lean body mass aka muscle we have. I'll explain why this is important later.

2). Thermic Effect of Food: The amount of energy it takes to digest the food we eat. That's right, we burn calories just by eating. Especially foods that are high in protein, which is why you get the meat sweats trying to win that 72 oz. steak challenge.

3). Activity Level: This number is influenced by how active we are throughout the day. Different occupations will result in different activity levels throughout the day (i.e. a desk jockey versus a mailman) and therefore may influence the amount of calories you burn.

4). Exercise: Last but not least, exercise....The number of painful minutes you spend at the gym getting your sweat on, watching the "calories burned" number go up on the elliptical instantly determining how many mini-snickers that equals.

So which factor carries the most "weight" (pun intended) in terms of how many calories we burn each day? Believe it or not the answer is our basal metabolic rate which makes up roughly 60-70% of our total daily calorie expenditure.  So what does this have to do with losing weight? Again, can't we just spend a few extra minutes on the elliptical to increase the number of calories we burn and tilt the energy balance scale towards a calorie deficit for the day and watch the scale change? In the short, yes this would give you a negative calorie balance for the day and possibly even lead to some weight loss over time. BUT this may end up making it more difficult to continue losing weight and/or keep the weight off in the long run. Why you ask? Well, if we look back at the factors that influence calorie expenditure and observe what changes occur during a weight loss program you'll see why.  First, as people lose WEIGHT a lot of the times this means all weight, fat, muscle and sometimes even bone density all of which are not necessarily ideal, with the exception of body fat. When this happens, you are losing metabolically active tissue aka lean body mass and as a result you experience a decrease in resting energy expenditure.

As a result, you burn less calories each day just because you thought it was a good idea to lose weight. Okay, so your daily energy expenditure is now lower, so you try to overcompensate by eating less and less calories each day? Now remember back to factor 2 on things that influence your daily energy expenditure.  By eating less throughout the day you will be missing out on the thermic effect of food, it sounds odd but eating less food will reduce your overall calorie expenditure throughout the day.  Alright, so losing weight is bad, cutting calories doesn’t work, what about exercising more? Well, if you have already lost weight or are in the process of losing weight, every time you go out and exercise you will be expending less and less calories per workout. Why? Well, you are lighter so it takes less energy (aka calories) do to the work. In addition, you also have less metabolically active tissue which will also reduce your energy expenditure for that workout.  AND, to top it off, research has also found an increase in mitochondrial (our cell’s energy producers) efficiency in individuals who have lost weight. Wait, an increased efficiency, isn’t that a good thing? Not necessarily. In this case our bodies, specifically our mitochondria are becoming more efficient meaning they can do the same amount of work while using less energy. In other words we are using or burning less calories to do the same  amount of work as we did before the weight loss. 

So are we doomed forever? Is it pointless to even try to lose weight? Is it detrimental to lose weight? Not necessarily. Stay tuned for part II when we discuss strategies on how you can successfully lose weight and keep it off for good!

Study Spotlight: Are you better off cutting carbs or fat from your diet for fat loss?

As a researcher I try to be as objective as possible but I must admit that I have my own biased opinions on few topics and this is certainly an example of one of them.  However, I must give credit where credit is due and this is a very well-controlled study and therefore impossible to ignore the results.

A lot of people question whether it's more effective to cut carbohydrates or fat from your daily intake if your goal is fat loss. There are several theories supporting both sides of the argument and evidence to support both. However tightly controlled metabolic-ward studies in human models are far and few between.  Recently an article was published that sought to to examine whether fat reduction or carb reduction would have a greater impact on fat loss and to confirm results from a mathematical prediction model.  It should be noted, that most of the time when researchers or people in a real-world scenarios reduce a certain macronutrient they often compensate by consuming more of another. For example, if people follow a low-carb diet they often consume more protein and fat in their diet to account for a desired total calorie intake per their goal, which is not the case in the current study.

That's what makes this study so interesting.

What did they do?
The researchers put individuals on a 6-day reduced fat diet and reduced carbohydrate diet equating to a 30% reduction in total calories each day.  Each subject completed both periods of dietary restriction using a cross-over design and changes in metabolism, body composition and hormones were assessed.

What did they find?
Calorie for calorie, the researchers concluded that reducing fat intake resulted in a greater loss in body fat with rates of fat oxidation remaining the same when compared to carbohydrate reduction.  However the researchers did find that carbohydrate restriction increased rates of fat oxidation, reduced insulin levels and reduced carbohydrate oxidation suggesting an improvement in metabolic fuel selection aka metabolic efficiency (Which in the long-term could potentially be more advantagous).  Body composition results via DEXA revealed that both diets resulted in reduced body mass and overall fat mass with no differences observed between diets.

Keep in mind, this is when the remaining macronutrients and total calories are kept in check.

Again, I hate to be biased but this is a situation where I can't help but to speculate on a lot of "WHAT IF's...."  For example, the researchers mentioned that the remaining macronutrient amounts were kept in check, but what would happen if protein was increased as is often the case in a low-carbohydrate date. Also, the subjects did exercise each day but it was limited to 1 hour on a treadmill. What if they would have completed HIIT training or resistance training instead, aiming to increase EPOC, FFM and ultimately REE during the controlled testing period? AND, what if they combined a higher protein intake WITH a resistance training protocol? Again, these are questions beyond the scope of the initial study and situations where we can only speculate.

We have to give credit where credit is due and this is a beautiful study that answered some fundamental physiological questions regarding energy balance, selective macronutrient restriction and resulting changes in body composition and metabolism.  I myself have to remain objective on the issue and respect the data and what they are telling us.

Take Home Messages:
From this study we can conclude that both carbohydrate and fat restriction, totaling a 30% drop in total calories are effective strategies for fat loss.  A reduced fat intake may be slightly more beneficial for greater daily fat loss while a reduced carbohydrate intake may help reduce insulin levels and improve fuel utilization.

Find the study here.

The Most Important Activity for Performance...

With both of us working primarily with collegiate athletes the topic of sleep, or lack there of, is one that comes up often.  It's often recommended to get your 8-9 hrs of sleep each night, For most this is easier said than done, right? But why is sleep so important and why does it need to be a staple in your training regimen?

Sleep is probably one of the most overlooked areas of human performance.  I'm sure all of you have experienced that feeling of being dazed and confused after a night of terrible sleep or none at all (especially for those of you who have kids).  What you may not know, is that a lack of sleep can have a signifcant impact on performance. Research has shown that it actually may not be detrimental to maximal performance; meaning if you were to stay up all night you could still probably perform maximal effort exercises (i.e. sprints or max lifts) just as well as you could after a full nights rest.  However, sub-maximal efforts or long duration exercises seem to be affected by the lack of sleep.  Sleep or a lack there of also seems to negatively influence certain hormonal patterns.  For example, sleep appears to be one of the most potent stimulators of growth hormone (GH) production.  Growth hormone is a major player in protein synthesis which can lead to increases in muscle and bone mass and assist with other recovery processes.  GH levels seem to reach their peak about 4 hours after the onset of sleep and slowly decline throughout the night/day.  Therefore if you go a night without sleep or "good sleep" you will miss out on this increase in GH.  Another hormone that is affected by sleep is cortisol.  Cortisol is often referred to as the "stress" hormone and is also known for being a catabolic hormone which means it can lead to tissue (i.e. muscle) breakdown.  Small increases in cortisol are normal and we have fluctuating levels naturally throughout the day, however chronic sleep deprivation results in constantly elevated cortisol levels which is NOT ideal for someone looking to gain muscle mass and properly recover from training.  Elevated cortisol levels are highly correlated with a lack of sleep; meaning the more you don't sleep, the higher your cortisol levels will likely be which can be detrimental to performance.   Not only do these hormonal changes negatively impact performance but they can have detrimental effects of body composition as well.  Elevated cortisol levels also mack you more prone to gaining body fat.  And it that's not bad enough, a lack of sleep can also increase insulin resistance which is a condition than can lead to Type II diabetes if continued over time.  This will also set you up for possible weight gain and trouble maintaining your figure.

These are just a few of the side-effects that result from sleep deprivation and the resulting impact on the body as it relates to performance and recovery.  There is a long list of other side-effects, including psychological, physical and emotional effects that are also related to a lack of sleep that we don't have time to get into today.  Basically, sleep is a time for your body to rest, recover, and repair itself for the next day of activities. 

Without out, you are setting yourself up for injury, diminished performance and potential weight gain.  So make sure to plan ahead and get your 8 hours a night!

Mobility Monday: SI Area Pain-The Basics

This one covers it all for what could be causing some of your low back pain especially at your sacroiliac (SI) joint.  This is a great video because he breaks down not only options on how to fix it but also how to work on your motion and movement to help prevent you from getting pain in this area in the first place.

Mobilization: You can't just look at the back muscles for this one.  Work on your glutes, especially your piriformis and it could be pulling you out of position.  Don't neglect the powerful hip flexors in the front of your hips as they can pull you out of position and increase tension on your low back as well.

Movement: Don't take basic movements for granted like sitting down.  If you don't prep your body to move through good ranges of motion you are setting yourself up to put tension and pressure where it shouldn't be and that can add into your low back pain and put extreme forces on your SI joint.

Take the time and try some of this stuff out.  Minimal effective dose is 2 minutes on what you're working on.  Now isn't that worth reducing your back pain?

Things it Helps:
-All types of Low Back Pain
-Upper Glute pain that doesn't go way
-Help with "nervey" symptoms going gown your leg
-Secondary anterior hip pain

Friday Food: Spinach Artichoke Dip-Via a Blender

This is one of my favorite snack recipes to make to enjoy or take to a gathering and share.  Namely because it is easy and you get to do it in a blender.  Doesn't get much easier than that and at the same time if tastes fantastic.  Enjoy this one.


Recipe:

Artichoke and Spinach Blender Dip

 

Serves 2-3

-1/2 yellow onion

-3 gloves garlic, chopped

-1/2 Tbsp olive oil

-1/2 bag baby spinach

-1 can artichoke hearts or 4 fresh artichoke hearts, cooked and quartered

-1/2 container Boursin cheese (French herb cheese) or herbed cream cheese

-1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

-Pita chips or baked tortilla chips

Place a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and olive oil, and cook until light brown. Add spinach and stir until wilted. Add artichoke hearts, Boursin and mozzarella; stir lightly until cheeses melt. Pour mixture into a blender and pulse until well chopped, adding a splash of water if it doesn’t blend right away. Serve immediately with pita chips or backed tortilla chips

Nutrition Facts

-274 Calories

-14 g protein

-20 g carbs

-19 g fat

-8 g fiber

-0 g sugar

-457 g sodium

Study Spotlight: Probiotics: More Harm than Good?

Probiotic supplementation has been a very popular strategy as of late intended to improve overall health. Specifically probiotics may help improve gut health and function by optimizing the balance between "good" and "bad" bacteria throughout the digestive system. This in turn may help improve digestive functioning, reduce systemic inflammation and enhance your immune system.  For these reasons I have been a firm believer of probiotic supplementation and often recommended them as one of the best supplements for overall health and wellness. However, a recent report has made me think twice about probiotics or at least pay a little bit more attention to the quality and type of probiotic I am consuming.

What did they do?

Researchers out of Saudi Arabia assessed the quality and content of several commercially available probiotic supplements on the market. They collected samples of these probiotic strains and isolated them in petri dishes. From there, they exposed the probiotics to different classes of antibiotics which in theory should have eradicated the live strains.  However, much to there surprise they found some interest results.

What did they find?

What they found is rather troubling.  The researchers actually found that several of the probiotic strains actually appeared to be resistant to the antibiotic treatments suggesting that they in fact contained several strains of antibiotic-resistance bacteria.  This initially may not sound like a bad thing as you may think that we would want "good" bacteria to survive antiobiotic treatment to help keep things normal during a period of antiobiotic treatment for other medical issues. However, the authors pointed out that there may be a chance antiobiotic resistance nature of these probiotics could rub-off on "bad" bacteria or other pathogens that would then become resistant to antiobiotic treatment and we would be in a world of trouble (See the movie Contagion for more details). What's worse is that several of the probiotic supplements did not contain the actual amount of live bacteria that they marketed so in a sense you are also getting ripped off. But again, is that good or bad I don't know.

Take Home Message:

The apparent take home message from this article is that it may be too early to tell regarding the pros/cons of probiotic supplements. Up until recently they were thought to be beneficial to everyone, particularly those receiving antiobiotics. However, based on some of the recent research this may not be the case. Honestly, we may just have to wait and see whether or not the potential good outweighs the bad with probiotics.  Or at least make sure you are purchasing a higher quality option. Unfortunately, the researchers did not release the names of the commercially available products testing the previously mentioned study so we do not know which products to stay away from.

Reference:

• Wong, Aloysius, et al. "Detection of antibiotic resistance in probiotics of dietary supplements." Nutrition journal 14.1 (2015): 1-6.

Go Fish for Health

Go Fish for Health

Fish oils may be some of the most underrated supplements on the market.  Not only do fish oils have several health benefits but we are learner more and more about potential performance enhancing effects as well.  Fish oils contain certain fatty-acids known as Omega 3 fatty acids which are classified as an essential fatty acid (meaning our body cannot make them and they need to be obtained through the diet).  The primary active components of Omega 3 fatty acids are EPA and DHA.  These fatty acids have been reported to have a "cardioprotective" effect meaning they can lower your chance of developing cardiovascular disease.  They are also required for normal growth, cell integrity, proper joint health and can provide powerful anti-inflammatory properties.

How Much To Take?

The average American only consumes ~0.15 g/day which is far below the recommendation of ~1-3 g/day of fish oil with an EPA:DHA ratio of 2:1.  As you could probably guess, the best source of Omega 3's are fatty fishes such as Salmon, Herring and Trout.  However, if you're like the majority of Americans, you probably don't consume fish every day.  Whether it be you don't like the taste of fish or you live in the Upper Mid-West (far from salmon country) and you refuse to believe that the salmon at your local grocery store is "fresh,"  you should still try to consume enough Omega 3's each day.  Luckily supplement companies have made it easy for us to do this with the help of fish oil supplements.

*Tip: When looking for a fish oil supplement, choose one with a high DHA and EPA content (the higher, the better).

Fish oil supplementation is most commonly known for it's health benefits, particularly because of it's ability to lower one's risk of developing cardiovascular disease by lowering blood pressure and improving the blood-lipid profile.  Recent evidence has also suggested that fish oil may help improve brain functioning and help with concussion symptoms following a traumatic brain injury. Below is a summary of just some of the health benefits of fish oil supplementation.  We are constantly learning more and more reasons to include fish oils in the diet and I'm sure there will be many more reasons coming in the future.

Health Benefits:
- Lowers risk of developing coronary artery disease.
- May improve recovery from brain injuries (concussions).
- If taken before brain injury may lessen the amount of damage.
- Can lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels.
- Reduces the chance of clot formation.
- Lowers blood pressure. 
- Improves bone health (increases bone density and lowers risk of fracture).
- May help improve cognitive functioning over time and prevent dementia.
- Improves insulin sensitivity and decreases risk of developing diabetes.

Not only can fish oils benefit the average human but they may even be more important for athletes who are engaged in heavy training.  There is strong evidence that suggests fish oils have anti-inflammatory effects and can help speed up recovery from exercise as well as prevent muscle damage.  It also seems to improve heart function during exercise by improve cardiac efficiency (your heart doesn't have to work as hard).  Below is a list of several other benefits of fish oil supplements and why they are important for athletes to incorporate into their daily food intake.

Performance Benefits:
- Lowers heart rate during exercise.
- May reduce muscle damage and soreness following intense exercise.
- Has anti-inflammatory effects.
- Has anti-oxidant effects.
- May help stimulate protein synthesis and prevent protein degradation (builds muscle and prevents it from being broken down).
- May improve body composition.

Mobility Monday: The Batman Hip Opener

Most of us can't do the splits (this guy can't) and even when we were younger it was tough.  Who

needs to do the splits you say?  Well it isn't always functional for everyone to need to be able to do the splits but having the range of motion in your hips to be able to do the splits can help you solve a lot of other problems.  

Having the ability to move how you want to and need to in your hips can take a tremendous amount of stress and strain off your lower back and keep it from getting the brunt of pressure that isn't meant to be there.  This video shows a really interesting option to work on your splits and some of the other tight areas you might encounter.  It also allows you to do this while remaining upright in your chest and keeping you in an uncompromised position.

Mobility Monday: Fix Shoulder and Hip ROM in 4 Minutes or Less

It sounds like your typical sales pitch and maybe it is but the results are undeniable and for the amount of time it takes to do this on yourself is worth the try.  The process is based around letting your body do what you body wants to do and working the good side to help the bad side or in this case just moving slower so the body can tolerate it.  We are so concerned with getting fixed quick and getting things moving faster than the body is ready that we should take a step back and work through some slow range of motion that doesn't cause pain and wait for the improvement.

The four minutes or less may throw you but it is also 4 minutes or less of your life that might lead to pain relief.  Check it out.

Friday Food: Pumpkin Pie Protein Cheesecake

This is one from Macro-Chef, the 16 year old whiz kid with all kinds of nutrition options.  His website it worth checking out for everything but this was a great holiday options for a recipe.

PREP TIME

10 mins

COOK TIME

1 hour 20 mins

TOTAL TIME

1 hour 30 mins

 

Rich and creamy pumpkin pie protein cheesecake with cinnamon crust. This healthy cheesecake is so warm and decadent you wouldn't think it is healthy.

Author: Spencer Miller

Serves: 8 slices

INGREDIENTS

Crust

• 3 cups (85g) toasted oat cereal (Cheerios)
• 5 tbsp. (70g) natural applesauce
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• ¼ cup granulated stevia

Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling

• 1 brick (226g) reduced fat cream cheese
• 1½ cups (340g) vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1 and ¼ cups (305g) pumpkin purée (not pie filling)
• 2 whole eggs
• 1½ scoops (50g) cinnamon whey protein powder (or vanilla)
• ¼ cup granulated stevia or erythritol
• ½ package (16g) sugar free cheesecake pudding mix
• 1½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 300F. Spray a 8 inch spring form pan with nonstick spray.
2. Add all crust ingredients into a food processor. Blend until cereal is all broken up and it makes a crumbly crust texture. Press crust into a 8 inch spring form pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
3. Clean out food processor. Add cream cheese, Greek yogurt, pumpkin, and eggs. Blend until smooth. Add protein powder, stevia, pudding mix, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Blend again until smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides a few times throughout the blending process.
4. Pour batter on top of cooled crust. Smack bottom of pan against the counter a couple times gently to get out air bubbles.
5. Fill a large baking dish with about ½-1 inch of water. Set cheesecake inside and bake for 50 minutes. Cover with foil and bake for another 20 minutes. Cheesecake will still seem soft and undercooked in the middle, but it will setup once cooled.
6. Let completely cool then chill in the fried for 4-5 hours or overnight. Cut into 8 slices and enjoy!

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Serving size: 1 slice Calories: 200 Fat: 8 Carbohydrates: 21 Sugar: 6 Fiber: 4Protein: 14

Little Tweaks that Create Big Differences

By: Joel Luedke

There are many amazing programs out there these days and they can all yield you great results.  There are different workout options, i.e. CrossFit that do a great job getting you conditioned both in strength but also metabolically, but even the best programs out there can still be lacking with out extreme attention being paid to the finer details. 

You look at most CrossFit athletes and you see someone who you think is the epitome of fit.  They have strong and athletic looking bodies but under a watchful eye of a highly skilled coach there may be things still lacking.  That is where a coach like Julian Pineau of Strong Fit comes in.  He is a strong believer in making sure that everything is working how it should be and that you have the find the "Key Log".

He uses this definition of the "Key Log" as finding the one thing that is off and lacking in your body that can fix multiple things instead of going one by one and not actually getting anywhere.  We often hear that adage that "I'm stronger there" and he doesn't believe that exists and that it is all a compensation for another area you are lacking that needs to be fixed before you break.

Here are some of his big Take Aways:

• Change Grips: Never stay in a pronated (hands down) grip all the time (explained below).  Switch up to neutral and supinated.
• If you squat plateaus: You either don't know how to squat or your posterior chain is weak.
• Train your hammies: And don't expect them to be explosive, they stabilize

So what does that all mean.  We will break it down a little more.

The first one about rotating grips is huge.  If you continue to stay in a pronated grip (palms down) you maintain that rotation through your forearms and up to the elbow.  Continually being stuck in this position can then go up to your shoulder and start causing problems in your shoulder by internally rotating it and adding to any rounded shoulder posture you may have.  This puts tension all through the shoulder that doesn't need to be there and can still be a problem even if you are doing rows.  Switch your grips.

When you squat you are meant to use your posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, etc) and most of us don't and become knee squatters.  Meaning our knees bend or "break" before we push the hips back and we load the knees and quads way more than needed.  You are robbing yourself of some major strength gains by not engaging your glutes early in the process and using all that mass and power on your back side.  (Great article by Elitefts on how to get external rotation HERE).

Your hamstring is a great stabilizing muscle when it comes to weightlifting and shouldn't be ignored. It is the connection from the glute to the foot and if you have underdeveloped hamstrings then your calves and feet must work harder and this can lead you to Achilles issues.  Tearing your Achilles later down the line by jumping is how you tore it not why you tore it.  Address it early.

Here is a link to the Barbell Podcast with Julian Pineau (well worth the watch) and make sure you pay attention to detail as it can make or break you. 

Mobility Monday: Un-Impinge Yourself From Mental Slavery

Shoulder pain is right up there as one of those most common places to have aches and pains (back pain easily being the highest).  A lot of people don't even realize they have shoulder pain until they want to get out there and do something athletic and their shoulder immediately shuts them down.  All these shoulder problems don't have to come from someone who is a competitive athlete or Olympic lifts.  These problems can easily come from poor position both in standing and sitting.

This video shows how you can reset your shoulder into its natural and correct position.  The great thing about all of this is that you can do a lot of this by just consciously thinking about relocating your shoulder in its correct position and getting into that spot throughout the day.  

Things This Helps:
-Full flexion for overhead movements
-Anterior shoulder pain
-Shoulder impingement
-Tightness in posterior shoulder
-Winging Scapula