by | | Blog, Exercise, Training
Swishing a sports drink around in your mouth and then spitting it out might sound like a nonsensical way to boost performance, but it’s been nearly a decade since research first suggested that rinsing improves your workout. A study by sports scientists at University of Central Lancashire this April found that during an hour-long workout, cyclists who swished carbohydrate-rich sports drinks for longer covered more distance and felt less tired than after a five-second rinse or rinsing with water.
How the trick works may surprise you. Brain scans show that specific regions light up when carbs are in your mouth. The longer you rinse, the more time the carbs have to stimulate sensors in your brain, says study author Lindsay Bottoms. “The concept of mouth rinse supports the idea that the brain is very much playing a key role in fatigue,” says Bottoms.
Swishing is most beneficial during relatively short, intense workouts. Not only can the rinse give you a performance boost of about 2 percent, but it also helps avoid indigestion from swallowing carbs during workouts. “When performing high-intensity exercise lasting less than 60 minutes, using a carbohydrate rinse for 5-10 seconds can improve performance,” says Bottoms. “It could potentially allow you to train harder.” If you’re doing a couple hours of exercise, however, rinsing will start to lose its effect since your muscles really do need more carbs.
Read more: http://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/exercise/the-sports-drink-exercise-trick-20130801#ixzz2bJKUEZz3
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by | | Education, Health & Nutrition
HOW and WHAT you eat plays a vital role in exercise, training, and performance. Everyone has had that moment where that truth is realized on a personal level. You hit the wall lifting weights and you realize that when you eat bad you train bad. You have a day where you feel like you could run forever on that God forsaken treadmill and you realize that when you eat good, you train better. The problem is, you aren’t absolutely sure why one day was bad and one day was better.
Let’s start with carb intake. It DOES NOT MATTER what sport or exercise you are involved in, good eating involves carbs. Yes, carbohydrate. A lot of it. Most athletes should be eating upwards of 60% of their total calories from carbs. I know what you are thinking. The answer is still CARBS. Here is why:
- The body is designed to burn carbs for fuel. This is the most efficient energy producing fuel you can eat.
- Your muscles store carbs for energy. They do NOT store protein. (I know, catch your breath!)
- If there isn’t enough available carbs in the diet, the body will break down protein (muscle) to compensate
Now based on what I just said above, here is what needs to happen. You need to make sure that you have enough carbs in your diet and in the right amount. If you aren’t sure what a carb is, then get with me and let’s fix that.
Some red flags that could be indicators of not enough carbs in your diet:
- Poor endurance, cardio is really tough. You “hit the wall” frequently.
- Poor recovery. It seems to take a while to recover from a workout.
- Lingering injuries. Something is always out of whack or not completely healed.
- You consume a high protein diet.
No gas, No go. Eat like a Rudog.
by | | Education, Exercise, Training
Do men actually have body image issues, too? You’ve probably never thought about it, but keep thinking about it. With the rise in popularity of MMA, energy drinks, supplements, and muscular fitness, we are seeing an increase in the amount of media targeting men and depicting “hypermuscular” physiques. Male models are now leaner and more muscular than in years past. Could this be having an impact on men and their satisfaction with their own bodies? Look at A&F advertising, just to pick an easy one. What is the message that is being sent to guys? (Besides the whole sex thing…)
Women have been dealing with it since fashion has been in print. There are programs, hospitals, groups, blogs, prescriptions, and more to help women deal with body image issues. What about men? Interestingly, you guys are not immune.
There is a condition or “disorder” called Muscular Dysmorphia. Fancy term for, “I don’t think my body is muscular or big enough”. More directly, a disorder where individuals are preoccupied with the concern that their bodies are not muscular or big enough.
Now, I know what you are thinking. Something along the lines of, “That could be every guy at my gym!”
And you are right. I think it starts really simply. Probably most guys don’t get obsessed with it. I think a few really do. The problem is, how do you determine when a healthy interest in bettering your physical shape crosses a line and becomes unhealthy?
The basic definition of an eating disorder is “any eating behavior that puts a person’s long term physical or emotional health at risk”. So if we apply a similar approach to dysmorphia, we would be looking for behavior that puts physical or emotional health at risk. Can you be too lean? Can you work out too much? Can you take too many supplements? These are fair questions. I think that even beyond that, we should be asking who is holding guys at the gym accountable and not letting them go too far? That is tough. I don’t know that it has ever been done!
Which guy wants to be the one who says to someone, “Hey dude, I think you are muscular enough. Why don’t you lay off training a bit?” (crickets chirping)
As Americans, it is in our blood to be the best we can be! Your coach tells you all the time that you can do one more! You’re asked all the time, “Is that the BEST you can do?” More is better. Don’t be a wimp. One more rep. One more mile. One more plate on the rack.
Where is the voice that says, “That’s enough. Good work.”??
When I look at the MMA athletes and what the sport out right demands from them, I think there is the potential for this type of thing to develop if left unaddressed. Good coaches, knowledgeable staff, and educated athletes are essential to keeping the sport healthy for pros, amateurs, and novices…like me!
