Nobody likes getting older. Yes, it is inevitable that we all age, but that doesn't mean we have to get old if you catch my drift. There are a number of lifestyle changes and improvements that everybody can make to delay the onset of aging and help you feel youthful and energetic for years to come! Over the next few weeks of my blog, I am going to detail a number of ways that you can improve your life.
Exercise
Far and away, the best thing you could ever do for your body is exercise 5-6 days a week for the rest of your life. No questions asked. Yes, there will be times when you are sick or pregnant or injured and you absolutely cannot exercise, but a few days off here or there won't even make a noticeable effect if you are consistent the other 300+ days of the year.
There are of course many different ways of exercising. We have all heard of cardiovascular exercise, such as light jogging, brisk walking, etc. This is fine, and is definitely a great way to stay active and MUCH better than the alternative, i.e. sitting on your rump. Just fine you ask? Yes, I will explain more in a bit, but aerobic exercise is the type that you can do for prolonged periods of time keeping up with your energy demands by oxygen alone, hence the name aerobic exercise.
Aerobic exercise is the kind that is good for your heart and circulatory system to keep the pipes clean (arteries, veins), and has its place in a training regimen, especially for those that wish to go and run a marathon or something, not to mention the ability to burn some calories along the way, great!
However, a far more beneficial type of training is pushing yourself into and past your lactate threshold. Let me explain. Most people are at least fit enough to walk at a normal pace and can meet these energy demands by their body by breathing alone. As explained above, this is aerobic exercise. Some people can even jog at a decent to extremely fast pace and still fulfill their energy demands by breathing alone. The human body is designed this way to burn body fat (adipose) along with oxygen in its energy systems for a long period of time. No matter how fit (or unfit) you are, most people could at least walk for hours at a time without needing a rest.
So back to the lactate threshold thing. Let's say you are walking along for an extended period of time, maybe breathing a little heavier, but not having any problems, fine! Then you come across a steep hill. Walking up that hill suddenly starts to cause your muscles to burn and your breathing rate to increase. You may even get to the point where your muscles are burning so badly that they either move slower or stop working all together. This is caused by a buildup of lactate in your muscles. I am sure many people have experienced this before.
The benefits to this, is that you are causing damage to your muscles. This damage causes a huge wave of hormonal response in your body that is initiated to repair this damaged tissue. That, right there, is the real fountain of youth. You see, as you age, your body produces less and less hormones, and your bodily tissues are used less and less, so you begin to decay and eventually die. I know, I sped up the process there a bit, and not everyone likes the word decay, but it's the truth. Your body lives by a "use it or lose it" mentality.
As kids, we would run around and play, climb trees, etc. This would send a message to the rest of our body to be better and to grow. As people age, they become less and less active, causing their brain to take notice and basically "pack it in" by lessening our muscle tissues, using our brain less, etc. We can slow that trend, and even reverse it to live many, healthy years!
Alright, back to the lactate threshold thing. If you are training for a marathon, or a triathlon or some similar type of event where you actually want your body to have more aerobic stamina, then fine, go and practice that and run or swim or bike a bunch of miles every day. But, if you want to simply improve your overall health on a day-by-day basis, about 20-30 minutes of intense, hard exercise is all you need!
I can hear what you're saying now, "This can't be true! I need my fix on the treadmill or else I am not myself!" Well, if you wish to use a treadmill, fine, go right ahead, I am not stopping you, but keep this in mind; running on a treadmill may burn a couple hundred (200-300) calories in a half an hour. An equal amount of time spent pushing yourself to your limits using a combination of resistance training and cardiovascular training can burn twice that! Not to mention the fact that you are pushing yourself to your limit, which is causing that flood of hormones which increases your metabolism for 24-48 hours post-workout so you will continue to burn calories at an increased rate. Simply running on the treadmill won't do that much for you!
The key here simply is quality over quantity. You do not need to be spending hours in a gym, period! You need to be making your time more efficient, pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone, that is what causes positive changes throughout your body. Within as little as 20-30 minutes a day, 5-6 days a week, you are maximizing your potential.
Some of you may ask, "Well, can I exercise intensely for an hour and a half then?" When you push your body outside of its comfort zone, aka, into your anaerobic training zone, you are burning stored glycogen in your body. (Refer to my previous posts regarding this) If you are pushing yourself properly, trust me, you will not be able to exercise at this level of intensity for much more than an hour!
"What do I do about cardio then?" Cardiovascular training is simply elevating your heart rate to a specific level for an extended period of time. By exercising at near-maximum heart rate levels, the point at which your muscles are burning and eventually fail out, is your lactate threshold, or in other words, using your anaerobic energy systems.This is where your body simply cannot meet the demands of clearing away lactate fast enough, and causes something known as oxygen deficit.
Think of oxygen deficit as your body's transport system failing to meet its needs during strenuous exercise. To use an analogy, think of oxygen, carbon dioxide and lactate (the burning acid in your muscles) as commuters waiting for public transit. As you exercise more and more intensely, there simply is not enough subway cars to meet the demands of all of the commuters. So, as the commuters start to build up on the subway platforms, once rush-hour is over, these commuters still need to reach their destination, so even though an exercise may be done, subway trains will continue to try and catch up to the strained demands of the system.
If you are pushing your anaerobic energy systems, even after your exercise is done, you will continue to breath heavy and your heart will be pumping fast to try and clear away all of that excess lactate and feed oxygen to your muscles, mimicking cardiovascular exercise!
When it comes down to it, doing something is always better than doing nothing. You are far better off to go and exercise as you see fit (like my pun?). But if you are going to be working out, wouldn't you much rather maximize your benefits and make your workouts that much more efficient by pushing yourself to your limits for short bursts of intense effort? I guess that is for you to decide!
-Tyler Robbins
B.Sc. PTS
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Fat
Simple title, straight and to the point. But what fat am I referring to, body fat or fat in our diet. Some of you may say, "What's the difference?" I say, "Sounds like you need to keep reading!"
Most often, when people begin an exercise program, their reasons for doing so almost always include the goal, 'to lose weight'. They aren't really wanting to lose weight though, they are wanting to lose body fat which is known as adipose tissue.
The human body needs a certain amount of body fat. It is packed in and around our bodies in specific areas (usually determined by genetics) for a myriad of reasons such as insulation, protection (shock absorption) and as a stored fuel source. Women tend to store their body fat in areas around their hips, buns and thighs, where guys tend to pack on the adipose around their midsections, although there are plenty of exceptions to this!
As I said previously, we need adipose tissue to survive and live healthy lives, as having too little body fat can be nearly as detrimental as having too much. In a general sense, men should aim for around 8-15% body fat percentage, wheras women should be closer to the 20-25% range. Anything above 25% for men, and 30% for women is deemed "obese".
It is important to try and stay in these body fat percentage ranges because research has shown that people that can maintain healthy body fat percentages have a decreased risk for things such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, etc. Oh, and I wouldn't worry too much about dropping too low on the body fat scale, as it is quite difficult to do unless you are an olympic athlete training for hours every day, or have an eating disorder that needs to be discussed with the proper medical authorities.
Back to the topic. I am going to discuss a few topics regarding 'fat' below that should help clear the air on some things that some people have either heard or wondered about.
1. How do I calculate my body fat percentage?
There are very expensive and complicated systems that will calculate your body fat based on xrays, and electrical impedance, etc. or you could try at-home methods, its up to you. Keep in mind that calculating your body by using one of those scales where you step on it and it registers your body fat percentage is quite inaccurate.
I recommend buying a simple body fat caliper and looking online for different websites that will calculate your body fat by using said caliper to pinch some skin folds at different spots on your body and plugging the numbers into a formula. Yes, these can also be somewhat inaccurate, but it should at least give you a rough idea and will do a good job ball-parking where your body fat percentage is so that you can aim to lower it if need be.
2. Muscle burns fat
Let me be perfectly clear here. When your body "loses weight", it loses not only body fat, but muscle mass as well. If it is starved for calories/energy, it will pull energy from any type of stored energy you have in your body, so don't think that your muscles won't be depleted as well. That is why it is critical to have a balanced exercise program consisting of cardiovascular and resistance training to not only improve your circulatory system, but to build your muscles as well. That way, as your muscles build, your 'resting metabolic rate' will increase as well.
Your resting metabolic rate is the amount of energy you require to survive at any time of the day. This includes thinking, breathing, digesting food, talking, etc. It also means that after a good resistance workout, your muscles are in "construction mode" rebuilding to be leaner, faster, stronger for next time which burns calories like crazy! Simple enough, the more muscle you have (men and women), the more calories you will be burning at all times, even when sleeping!
3. Dietary fat
Continuing on from #2, not only is muscle important, but the way you eat and strategize your diet is vital as well. Remember back to your high school days in science class when you learned about 'fat'. Fat is simply the term used for certain things based on their chemical makeup. Unfortunately the name 'fat' has been victimized over the years based on the notion that fat makes us fat, which is only partially true.
Dietary fat is 1 of 3 macronutrients that we consume in our diets. Fat has 9 calories per gram, carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram, and proteins have 4 calories per gram. There are certain individuals that think, "Well, makes sense, fat is the most calorie dense, if I don't eat fat, I won't get fat!" This is the furthest thing from the truth! Adipose tissue in our bodies is storage of excess calories, not excess fat, so if you consume too many carbohydrates or too much protein, guess what, that will become body fat too! Don't believe me? Go and drink a 6-pack of beer a night and watch how fast that "beer-belly" grows! There is not a drop of fat in beer whatsoever! Not only that, pops and soft drinks don't have fat either, but they are now being attributed to the growing obesity epidemic.
I could go on all day, but we have further matters to discuss, but simply remember that yes, fat is more calorie dense than carbohydrates or proteins, which means that you should eat less of it, but don't cut it from your diet completely, because chances are, it is being replaced by more useless things like sugar! Dieticians usually recommend that at least 20-30% of your daily caloric intake should come from healthy fat sources!
4. Can I spot-reduce my body fat?
We have all seen the commercials promising to do 10 minutes of crunches on the "ab-destroyer 2000" and you will get a perfect 6-pack, wrong! As much as we would like to think that doing squats will eliminate body fat from our legs more than the rest of our body, or doing crunches will reveal that 6-pack, we have to take a better approach.
Truth of the matter is, when our bodies burn calories, and therefore, stored body fat, it is taken from stores throughout our bodies quite evenly. Again, women tend to have more storage around hips, thighs and buns and guys tend to store around their midsections more (in a general sense) so these 'problem areas' will tend to take longer to deplete, but keep at it, and you can get there.
The secret is a combination of a healthy diet (healthy fats, lean proteins, whole-grain carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables), and an exercise program that combines both cardiovascular and resistance exercise. Consistency with both of these variables and you will cut your body fat down to a healthy range!
5. I can never lose weight, I have a slow metabolism!
This may be hard for some of you to understand, or believe. Similar to when your body gains muscle mass, and your resting metabolic rate increases, research has shown that your resting metabolic rate actually increases the fatter you become. That means, the more body fat that you pack on, the more calories your body is actually burning at any given time...quickening your metabolism, not slowing it down!
Truth of the matter is, body fat increases when your caloric intake (the amount you eat) is more than your caloric expenditure, more or less. As people become heavier, they do in fact increase their resting metabolic rate, but tend to also eat more as well as they become hungrier and hungrier.
6. Weight gain/loss is a quick process
Truth is, losing weight and gaining weight are both actually a pretty slow process. It requires anywhere from 2500-3500 calories to gain a pound of body fat (and vice versa to lose). Many people who have a little dessert here or there make the comment, "Ugh, I feel fatter already!" Some may even weigh themselves after a big meal only to realize that they have gained a few pounds. Keep in mind that what we consume has weight to it as well and most of the 'quick weight' you put on after a meal is due to fluids.
Similarly, don't weight yourself immediately after a workout to think that you have lost a few pounds as that is almost entirely water weight that you lost through sweat that you will gain back as soon as you drink some water.
A consistent, healthy plan over an extended period of time is the best way to witness safe, healthy weight loss.
-Tyler Robbins
B.Sc. PTS
Most often, when people begin an exercise program, their reasons for doing so almost always include the goal, 'to lose weight'. They aren't really wanting to lose weight though, they are wanting to lose body fat which is known as adipose tissue.
The human body needs a certain amount of body fat. It is packed in and around our bodies in specific areas (usually determined by genetics) for a myriad of reasons such as insulation, protection (shock absorption) and as a stored fuel source. Women tend to store their body fat in areas around their hips, buns and thighs, where guys tend to pack on the adipose around their midsections, although there are plenty of exceptions to this!
As I said previously, we need adipose tissue to survive and live healthy lives, as having too little body fat can be nearly as detrimental as having too much. In a general sense, men should aim for around 8-15% body fat percentage, wheras women should be closer to the 20-25% range. Anything above 25% for men, and 30% for women is deemed "obese".
It is important to try and stay in these body fat percentage ranges because research has shown that people that can maintain healthy body fat percentages have a decreased risk for things such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, etc. Oh, and I wouldn't worry too much about dropping too low on the body fat scale, as it is quite difficult to do unless you are an olympic athlete training for hours every day, or have an eating disorder that needs to be discussed with the proper medical authorities.
Back to the topic. I am going to discuss a few topics regarding 'fat' below that should help clear the air on some things that some people have either heard or wondered about.
1. How do I calculate my body fat percentage?
There are very expensive and complicated systems that will calculate your body fat based on xrays, and electrical impedance, etc. or you could try at-home methods, its up to you. Keep in mind that calculating your body by using one of those scales where you step on it and it registers your body fat percentage is quite inaccurate.
I recommend buying a simple body fat caliper and looking online for different websites that will calculate your body fat by using said caliper to pinch some skin folds at different spots on your body and plugging the numbers into a formula. Yes, these can also be somewhat inaccurate, but it should at least give you a rough idea and will do a good job ball-parking where your body fat percentage is so that you can aim to lower it if need be.
2. Muscle burns fat
Let me be perfectly clear here. When your body "loses weight", it loses not only body fat, but muscle mass as well. If it is starved for calories/energy, it will pull energy from any type of stored energy you have in your body, so don't think that your muscles won't be depleted as well. That is why it is critical to have a balanced exercise program consisting of cardiovascular and resistance training to not only improve your circulatory system, but to build your muscles as well. That way, as your muscles build, your 'resting metabolic rate' will increase as well.
Your resting metabolic rate is the amount of energy you require to survive at any time of the day. This includes thinking, breathing, digesting food, talking, etc. It also means that after a good resistance workout, your muscles are in "construction mode" rebuilding to be leaner, faster, stronger for next time which burns calories like crazy! Simple enough, the more muscle you have (men and women), the more calories you will be burning at all times, even when sleeping!
3. Dietary fat
Continuing on from #2, not only is muscle important, but the way you eat and strategize your diet is vital as well. Remember back to your high school days in science class when you learned about 'fat'. Fat is simply the term used for certain things based on their chemical makeup. Unfortunately the name 'fat' has been victimized over the years based on the notion that fat makes us fat, which is only partially true.
Dietary fat is 1 of 3 macronutrients that we consume in our diets. Fat has 9 calories per gram, carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram, and proteins have 4 calories per gram. There are certain individuals that think, "Well, makes sense, fat is the most calorie dense, if I don't eat fat, I won't get fat!" This is the furthest thing from the truth! Adipose tissue in our bodies is storage of excess calories, not excess fat, so if you consume too many carbohydrates or too much protein, guess what, that will become body fat too! Don't believe me? Go and drink a 6-pack of beer a night and watch how fast that "beer-belly" grows! There is not a drop of fat in beer whatsoever! Not only that, pops and soft drinks don't have fat either, but they are now being attributed to the growing obesity epidemic.
I could go on all day, but we have further matters to discuss, but simply remember that yes, fat is more calorie dense than carbohydrates or proteins, which means that you should eat less of it, but don't cut it from your diet completely, because chances are, it is being replaced by more useless things like sugar! Dieticians usually recommend that at least 20-30% of your daily caloric intake should come from healthy fat sources!
4. Can I spot-reduce my body fat?
We have all seen the commercials promising to do 10 minutes of crunches on the "ab-destroyer 2000" and you will get a perfect 6-pack, wrong! As much as we would like to think that doing squats will eliminate body fat from our legs more than the rest of our body, or doing crunches will reveal that 6-pack, we have to take a better approach.
Truth of the matter is, when our bodies burn calories, and therefore, stored body fat, it is taken from stores throughout our bodies quite evenly. Again, women tend to have more storage around hips, thighs and buns and guys tend to store around their midsections more (in a general sense) so these 'problem areas' will tend to take longer to deplete, but keep at it, and you can get there.
The secret is a combination of a healthy diet (healthy fats, lean proteins, whole-grain carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables), and an exercise program that combines both cardiovascular and resistance exercise. Consistency with both of these variables and you will cut your body fat down to a healthy range!
5. I can never lose weight, I have a slow metabolism!
This may be hard for some of you to understand, or believe. Similar to when your body gains muscle mass, and your resting metabolic rate increases, research has shown that your resting metabolic rate actually increases the fatter you become. That means, the more body fat that you pack on, the more calories your body is actually burning at any given time...quickening your metabolism, not slowing it down!
Truth of the matter is, body fat increases when your caloric intake (the amount you eat) is more than your caloric expenditure, more or less. As people become heavier, they do in fact increase their resting metabolic rate, but tend to also eat more as well as they become hungrier and hungrier.
6. Weight gain/loss is a quick process
Truth is, losing weight and gaining weight are both actually a pretty slow process. It requires anywhere from 2500-3500 calories to gain a pound of body fat (and vice versa to lose). Many people who have a little dessert here or there make the comment, "Ugh, I feel fatter already!" Some may even weigh themselves after a big meal only to realize that they have gained a few pounds. Keep in mind that what we consume has weight to it as well and most of the 'quick weight' you put on after a meal is due to fluids.
Similarly, don't weight yourself immediately after a workout to think that you have lost a few pounds as that is almost entirely water weight that you lost through sweat that you will gain back as soon as you drink some water.
A consistent, healthy plan over an extended period of time is the best way to witness safe, healthy weight loss.
-Tyler Robbins
B.Sc. PTS
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Diet vs. Exercise
My past few blogs have been about strategizing your diet and eating healthy. But what about exercise? Which one is better? In a perfect world, everybody would exercise and consume a healthy, balanced diet on a daily basis, but we all know that is not the case.
I am also reminded of the commercials I keep seeing on the t.v. about these dieting companies that promise to lose "x number of pounds" by "certain date". A lot of these programs will allow you to see moderate to even excellent success, but they aren't necessarily always sustainable for the long haul (life).
Ideally, what I personally follow, and many others should follow too, regardless of age, is called the 90-10 plan. I heard about this a while back and felt that it really suits my lifestyle and feel like it can be possible for many to follow. Basically, it means that 90% of the time I try to eat as healthy as possible consuming fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, whole grain carbohydrates, and lean proteins. The other 10% of the time, I cheat and consume things that are tasty and make me feel good, but really have no nutritional value whatsoever such as cookies or a few beers.
When it comes down to it, I exercise 6-7 times a week, and eat healthy 90% of the time, so that 10% doesn't even become a blip on the radar in the grand scheme of things. Not only that, by exercising intensely, I am gaining so many other benefits that can never be attained from diet alone. I have listed a number of scenarios below and discuss what is the top dog for each category, diet or exercise!
Lose Weight
Plain and simple, it is MUCH easier to cut 500 calories out of your diet than it is to burn at the gym. To give you an example, many of you could go for a fairly intense run on a treadmill for 20-30 mins. and only burn a few hundred calories. However, by ordering from the lunch menu at the restaurant and skipping dessert could easily drop those unneeded calories. Diet and exercise are extremely effective of keeping weight off, but diet wins here for dropping weight to begin with.
Winner: Diet
Boost Energy Levels
There is nothing like exercise to get your blood flowing. Not only that, but an intense workout causes a massive flood of "feel-good" hormones throughout your body that not only lift your mood, but also give you a boost of energy. Sure, some foods can give you a quick boost of similar hormones, but they are generally short-lived and can even cause dips in the opposite direction. Sound familiar, eat because you're unhappy, unhappy because of what you ate?
Winner: Exercise
Reduce Risk of Heart Disease
Many people will say, "Exercise is good for your heart!" The more correct phrase would be, "Exercise is good for your cardiovascular system". You know, your internal plumbing. Things like high cholesterol, high sodium, high fat, high sugary diets can cause 'clogs' in your internal plumbing that can lead to a myriad of diseases such as (but not limited to) heart disease and stroke. Exercise flushes things out with such positive effects as lowering your blood pressure and resting heart rates. Having said that, consuming healthy fatty acids like Omega-3's can reduce your heart disease risk big time. I call this one a tie!
Winner: Tie
Prevent Diabetes
This category will be a shock to many of you. You automatically assume that diet is the winner here correct? Well, not exactly. Diet goes a long way here, as you should limit your consumption of certain foods (sugary garbage), not to mention overweight individuals are at a higher risk for diabetes (refer to the first category), but healthy active muscles gobble up glucose out of the blood for energy like it's their job! Routine exercise goes a long way to stabilizing your blood sugar levels so even if you do go for that dessert treat every so often, you are mostly covered!
Winner: Exercise
Prevent Cancer
Consuming a mostly plant-based diet has been shown to be a major deterrent for cancer, studies also show that regular exercise strengthens this fact even more. I call this one a tie as well!
Winner: Tie
Improve Mood
Similar to the "Energy" category from above, there is nothing like exercise to boost your mood with that flood of hormones that are released from exercise. Think of it this way, exercise is so good for you that your brain wants to thank your muscles for doing such a good job, so they release these hormones and make you feel great! That's not exactly what happens, but think of it that way. Also, more and more studies have shown that exercise is a great tool to curb the symptoms of depression.
Winner: Exercise
Injury Prevention
The United States has one of the highest dairy consumption rates per capita amongst many countries in the world yet their rates of osteoporosis are also rising, what gives? Your diet can only get you so far here. You can take in tons of calcium and nutrients to make your body somewhat look good, but your body still survives by the "use it or lose it" mantra. Exercise, and especially resistance training, puts a lot of stress and strain on not only your muscles, but your bones as well. Your body is a fighter in that regard because when it sees a challenge, it attacks it head-on by strengthening your bones, ligaments and muscles so that they can withstand these forces. The more exercise and tensile strength we put our bodies under, the stronger they become and less prone to injuries caused by neglect!
Winner: Exercise
Overall Winner: Exercise
Yes, a healthy diet has LOTS of positives, and by no means can be replaced. As the saying goes, "You can't out-train a bad diet!" So remember that BOTH tools, diet and exercise, are crucial to living a happy, healthy life, but you certainly cannot do this with diet alone. So when you see those commercials promising to help you lose weight by changing your diet alone, remember, that is only part of your health-body equation!
Tyler Robbins
B.Sc. PTS
I am also reminded of the commercials I keep seeing on the t.v. about these dieting companies that promise to lose "x number of pounds" by "certain date". A lot of these programs will allow you to see moderate to even excellent success, but they aren't necessarily always sustainable for the long haul (life).
Ideally, what I personally follow, and many others should follow too, regardless of age, is called the 90-10 plan. I heard about this a while back and felt that it really suits my lifestyle and feel like it can be possible for many to follow. Basically, it means that 90% of the time I try to eat as healthy as possible consuming fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, whole grain carbohydrates, and lean proteins. The other 10% of the time, I cheat and consume things that are tasty and make me feel good, but really have no nutritional value whatsoever such as cookies or a few beers.
When it comes down to it, I exercise 6-7 times a week, and eat healthy 90% of the time, so that 10% doesn't even become a blip on the radar in the grand scheme of things. Not only that, by exercising intensely, I am gaining so many other benefits that can never be attained from diet alone. I have listed a number of scenarios below and discuss what is the top dog for each category, diet or exercise!
Lose Weight
Plain and simple, it is MUCH easier to cut 500 calories out of your diet than it is to burn at the gym. To give you an example, many of you could go for a fairly intense run on a treadmill for 20-30 mins. and only burn a few hundred calories. However, by ordering from the lunch menu at the restaurant and skipping dessert could easily drop those unneeded calories. Diet and exercise are extremely effective of keeping weight off, but diet wins here for dropping weight to begin with.
Winner: Diet
Boost Energy Levels
There is nothing like exercise to get your blood flowing. Not only that, but an intense workout causes a massive flood of "feel-good" hormones throughout your body that not only lift your mood, but also give you a boost of energy. Sure, some foods can give you a quick boost of similar hormones, but they are generally short-lived and can even cause dips in the opposite direction. Sound familiar, eat because you're unhappy, unhappy because of what you ate?
Winner: Exercise
Reduce Risk of Heart Disease
Many people will say, "Exercise is good for your heart!" The more correct phrase would be, "Exercise is good for your cardiovascular system". You know, your internal plumbing. Things like high cholesterol, high sodium, high fat, high sugary diets can cause 'clogs' in your internal plumbing that can lead to a myriad of diseases such as (but not limited to) heart disease and stroke. Exercise flushes things out with such positive effects as lowering your blood pressure and resting heart rates. Having said that, consuming healthy fatty acids like Omega-3's can reduce your heart disease risk big time. I call this one a tie!
Winner: Tie
Prevent Diabetes
This category will be a shock to many of you. You automatically assume that diet is the winner here correct? Well, not exactly. Diet goes a long way here, as you should limit your consumption of certain foods (sugary garbage), not to mention overweight individuals are at a higher risk for diabetes (refer to the first category), but healthy active muscles gobble up glucose out of the blood for energy like it's their job! Routine exercise goes a long way to stabilizing your blood sugar levels so even if you do go for that dessert treat every so often, you are mostly covered!
Winner: Exercise
Prevent Cancer
Consuming a mostly plant-based diet has been shown to be a major deterrent for cancer, studies also show that regular exercise strengthens this fact even more. I call this one a tie as well!
Winner: Tie
Improve Mood
Similar to the "Energy" category from above, there is nothing like exercise to boost your mood with that flood of hormones that are released from exercise. Think of it this way, exercise is so good for you that your brain wants to thank your muscles for doing such a good job, so they release these hormones and make you feel great! That's not exactly what happens, but think of it that way. Also, more and more studies have shown that exercise is a great tool to curb the symptoms of depression.
Winner: Exercise
Injury Prevention
The United States has one of the highest dairy consumption rates per capita amongst many countries in the world yet their rates of osteoporosis are also rising, what gives? Your diet can only get you so far here. You can take in tons of calcium and nutrients to make your body somewhat look good, but your body still survives by the "use it or lose it" mantra. Exercise, and especially resistance training, puts a lot of stress and strain on not only your muscles, but your bones as well. Your body is a fighter in that regard because when it sees a challenge, it attacks it head-on by strengthening your bones, ligaments and muscles so that they can withstand these forces. The more exercise and tensile strength we put our bodies under, the stronger they become and less prone to injuries caused by neglect!
Winner: Exercise
Overall Winner: Exercise
Yes, a healthy diet has LOTS of positives, and by no means can be replaced. As the saying goes, "You can't out-train a bad diet!" So remember that BOTH tools, diet and exercise, are crucial to living a happy, healthy life, but you certainly cannot do this with diet alone. So when you see those commercials promising to help you lose weight by changing your diet alone, remember, that is only part of your health-body equation!
Tyler Robbins
B.Sc. PTS
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Interval Training
Many of you may have heard of interval training before, and if you have played sports or have exercised in the past, there is a high probability you have used interval training whether you knew it or not.
So what exactly is interval training? Well ultimately, you are performing intervals whenever you do something for a set period of time that pushes you to your max energy expenditure (high heart rate) followed by a rest or lower-intensity exercise for a set period of time. Intervals come in many shapes and sizes and can include resistance training, dancing, or running. Whatever will get your heart rate soaring within a set period of time in considered an interval.
Keep in mind that not all interval workouts are the same. For example, running to catch a bus would be considered an interval as you are sprinting at a high pace to catch the bus, then once on it, you are resting. The problem is, that is only 1 interval and definitely not enough to be considered a 'workout'. The duration and intensity of each interval is what defines it as a great workout, good workout, or no workout at all!
On the flip side, aerobic training - such as jogging - is a great way to improve your aerobic capacity, but does little to improve your body.
At this point, some of you may be thinking the same thing, what about the "fat-burning zone"? These posters are plastered in virtually every gym. They show a graph that indicates your theoretical fat-burning zone based on age and heart rate. Many trainers may even tell you to reduce the intensity of your workout so that you stay within your zone so that you burn more fat.
On paper this makes sense and sounds good, and here is the science behind it. When you eat too much or take in too many calories (including sugar), your body makes stores of energy throughout your body called adipose tissue, or fat. This is an evolutionary thing that your body does for a multitude of reasons like insulating your body, protecting organs, energy storage, etc. Adipose is like diesel fuel for your body. It is used as your primary fuel source during low-intensity activities such as breathing, digestion, walking, etc. The problem is, fat (diesel fuel) burns at a very slow rate. That is why diesel fuel is not used in race cars.
So, staying within a certain (low) heart rate means I burn more fat right? Well, that is only part of the equation. Yes, your body burns a higher ratio of fat during low-level activity as another product of evolution. It is trying to conserve your blood glycogen (sugar) that is stored mainly in your muscles and liver for high-intense activity, such as running from a predator. Your glycogen is your jet fuel and is used for things like lifting weights, jumping up and down, sprinting, and pushing your body to maximum energy expenditure, say, when you're doing intervals!
Ok, so this still doesn't explain why intervals are better, but I am getting there. Our bodies are always adapting, for good or for bad. For example, sitting on the couch all day is sending a message to your brain and body that your muscles are not needed, so if they're not needed, then dispose of them and remove them. This is called atrophy. How do we combat this? You have to push your body to a level of exhaustion. When you do so, your are damaging body tissues. Yes, in this case, damaging your tissues is a good thing.
By pushing your body to exhaustion, you are damaging tissues and telling your brain and body that not only are you using your body, but you need a better body. By tearing down the walls of your muscles and other tissues in your body your brain releases waves of hormones in order to rebuild your better body. The process of reconstructing your body tissues requires a lot of energy so your metabolism is naturally increased.
This is known as progressive overload. Your body has to adapt to the damages you created so that the intense exercise you just did won't be as difficult next time. But, if you keep returning and pushing yourself a little further each time, then you will continue to create dramatic change in your body, constantly bumping up your resting metabolism, or the amount of energy your body needs daily to repair damaged tissues as it continues to adapt in a positive way. All of this positive adaptation is causing your body to burn fat at a faster, more efficient rate!
The thing about intervals is that most people like to exercise in their comfort zone. As long as they go to the gym and do their 30mins on a treadmill, they feel good about themselves for exercising, but also feel fine because they didn't push themselves too far. That is fine and dandy, but it does not dramatically change your body. Yes, people that run or cycle great distances have lean bodies, but that is because they exercise for very long periods of time covering great distances.
Resistance training can technically be considered interval training, but generally you see body builders doing intense sets followed by long rest periods. Circuit training, on the other hand, is a highly effective form of resistance training, especially for the recreational exerciser, because you can train alternating body parts with little rest in between to keep your heart rate peaking up and down with short breaks in between sets.
Interval training should be a mainstay in everyone's workout program, not just for athletes. You need to push yourself to your limits, allow your body to spend all day burning fat like crazy repairing your tissues, then come back and do it all again next time by pushing yourself a little further. That is how you create dramatic change in your body!
Tyler Robbins
B.Sc. PTS
So what exactly is interval training? Well ultimately, you are performing intervals whenever you do something for a set period of time that pushes you to your max energy expenditure (high heart rate) followed by a rest or lower-intensity exercise for a set period of time. Intervals come in many shapes and sizes and can include resistance training, dancing, or running. Whatever will get your heart rate soaring within a set period of time in considered an interval.
Keep in mind that not all interval workouts are the same. For example, running to catch a bus would be considered an interval as you are sprinting at a high pace to catch the bus, then once on it, you are resting. The problem is, that is only 1 interval and definitely not enough to be considered a 'workout'. The duration and intensity of each interval is what defines it as a great workout, good workout, or no workout at all!
On the flip side, aerobic training - such as jogging - is a great way to improve your aerobic capacity, but does little to improve your body.
At this point, some of you may be thinking the same thing, what about the "fat-burning zone"? These posters are plastered in virtually every gym. They show a graph that indicates your theoretical fat-burning zone based on age and heart rate. Many trainers may even tell you to reduce the intensity of your workout so that you stay within your zone so that you burn more fat.
On paper this makes sense and sounds good, and here is the science behind it. When you eat too much or take in too many calories (including sugar), your body makes stores of energy throughout your body called adipose tissue, or fat. This is an evolutionary thing that your body does for a multitude of reasons like insulating your body, protecting organs, energy storage, etc. Adipose is like diesel fuel for your body. It is used as your primary fuel source during low-intensity activities such as breathing, digestion, walking, etc. The problem is, fat (diesel fuel) burns at a very slow rate. That is why diesel fuel is not used in race cars.
So, staying within a certain (low) heart rate means I burn more fat right? Well, that is only part of the equation. Yes, your body burns a higher ratio of fat during low-level activity as another product of evolution. It is trying to conserve your blood glycogen (sugar) that is stored mainly in your muscles and liver for high-intense activity, such as running from a predator. Your glycogen is your jet fuel and is used for things like lifting weights, jumping up and down, sprinting, and pushing your body to maximum energy expenditure, say, when you're doing intervals!
Ok, so this still doesn't explain why intervals are better, but I am getting there. Our bodies are always adapting, for good or for bad. For example, sitting on the couch all day is sending a message to your brain and body that your muscles are not needed, so if they're not needed, then dispose of them and remove them. This is called atrophy. How do we combat this? You have to push your body to a level of exhaustion. When you do so, your are damaging body tissues. Yes, in this case, damaging your tissues is a good thing.
By pushing your body to exhaustion, you are damaging tissues and telling your brain and body that not only are you using your body, but you need a better body. By tearing down the walls of your muscles and other tissues in your body your brain releases waves of hormones in order to rebuild your better body. The process of reconstructing your body tissues requires a lot of energy so your metabolism is naturally increased.
This is known as progressive overload. Your body has to adapt to the damages you created so that the intense exercise you just did won't be as difficult next time. But, if you keep returning and pushing yourself a little further each time, then you will continue to create dramatic change in your body, constantly bumping up your resting metabolism, or the amount of energy your body needs daily to repair damaged tissues as it continues to adapt in a positive way. All of this positive adaptation is causing your body to burn fat at a faster, more efficient rate!
The thing about intervals is that most people like to exercise in their comfort zone. As long as they go to the gym and do their 30mins on a treadmill, they feel good about themselves for exercising, but also feel fine because they didn't push themselves too far. That is fine and dandy, but it does not dramatically change your body. Yes, people that run or cycle great distances have lean bodies, but that is because they exercise for very long periods of time covering great distances.
Resistance training can technically be considered interval training, but generally you see body builders doing intense sets followed by long rest periods. Circuit training, on the other hand, is a highly effective form of resistance training, especially for the recreational exerciser, because you can train alternating body parts with little rest in between to keep your heart rate peaking up and down with short breaks in between sets.
Interval training should be a mainstay in everyone's workout program, not just for athletes. You need to push yourself to your limits, allow your body to spend all day burning fat like crazy repairing your tissues, then come back and do it all again next time by pushing yourself a little further. That is how you create dramatic change in your body!
Tyler Robbins
B.Sc. PTS
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Introduction to the Glycemic Index
In past blogs, I discussed such topics as timing and relevance of your diet. I have even discussed sugars and carbs and how they effect our diets. Today, I am going to give you a fairly brief, yet good, introduction into what is known as the glycemic index!
In a nutshell, the glycemic index (GI) relates to the fluctuations in our blood sugar levels. This is very important for diabetics because they must control their diets/medication in way to keep a steady blood sugar level. Unfortunately, regular, "healthy" people don't seem to take enough interest in their GI's when they should because it plays a large role in our everyday lives such as food cravings, mood, and energy levels.
How It Works:
When you ingest a food, if it contains any type of carbohydrate whatsoever, your body breaks down that food and absorbs the nutrients into the blood stream as quick as possible. The subsequent "spike" in your blood sugar level is represented by a number on the Glycemic Index based on how quickly that particular food enters the blood stream. Sugars enter the blood at an alarming rate, but when digested with other nutrients such as protein, fats or fiber, the process is slowed down.
Refined foods should be approached with caution. What I mean by this is that refined or cooked foods can have their fibrous structure broken down which increases their GI number. For example, a baked or cooked potato will have a higher number than a raw potato. As you begin to remove the fibrous nature of the carbohydrate, when it is digested, it enters your bloodstream and acts like jet fuel. This is great if you are about to be very active and go exercise/play a sport, but if you are sitting on your computer or watching tv, the effects can be lost (refer to previous blog regarding Strategizing Your Diet). Ingesting high-GI foods gives you that "sugar rush" that can cause short-term energy and awareness, but can also cause you to "crash" just as hard as your insulin levels rise to meet the need of all of that sugar, only to bring your levels tumbling down until you reach the point where your body craves...more sugar!
So What to Watch Out For:
Some of you by this point may start to Google Glycemic Index and think to yourself, "Alright, coffee and Diet Coke are both low on the GI scale...and bananas and carrots are high, I should just stick to drinking those awesome beverages...right?!?" Wrong. What you need to keep in mind is that the GI scale is not the be-all end-all of the diet world. You should still keep to your ratios of macronutrients based on your activity level. For example, if you exercise intensely every single day, your carbohydrates should be high. If you are sedentary or only do light exercise, then your carbs will be lower. Either way, your carbs, fats, and proteins should be mixed in some sort of healthy ratio that suits your lifestyle.
Great, so what about those items that are low on the GI scale? Well, things like bananas and carrots are high on the GI scale, but they also contain fiber and other vital nutrients, you know, the stuff that keeps our bodies healthy and functioning, that essentially cancel-out any negative GI number they carry. Candy on the other hand should be avoided or used only as a rare special treat, and yes, candy includes desserts, etc.
The reason why things such as Diet Coke would be low on the GI scale is that they don't contain any sugar. Sorry, let me rephrase that, they don't contain anything useful for the human body...just a bunch of chemicals you are putting in your body...but that will be left for another day!
One of the main offenders, and diabetics learn this pretty quickly, is refined grains. I am talking about white rice, white bread, white pastas, etc. The refining process combined with cooking these items makes them all but void of any fiber, so their GI numbers are off the charts. The saving grace here is if you eat your bread with meat or cheese or vegetables that contain either fat, protein or fiber that help slow the digestion and absorption process. If at all possible though, eliminate white, refined grains from your diet as much as possible and stick to whole grain as they have more fiber in them eliminated the sugar spike.
Final Things to Remember:
When it comes down to it, an individual with following a balanced diet and an active lifestyle does not need to worry about sugar as much, but should still try and avoid blood sugar spikes as much as possible. The problems we run into are the individuals that consume large quantities of sugar and are sedentary, as these empty calories pack on the body fat in no time! Here are few final key points to remember:
-Items with a high GI number are worse than those with a low GI number
-Natural foods are better than processed, refined foods
-Uncooked is better than cooked
-Fructose (fruits) is better than sucrose (table sugar) which is better than high-fructose corn syrup (not to be confused with natural fructose!
-Fruits and veggies are essentially fine, even if they have a high GI number
-Level of carbs in your diet should reflect your activity level
-Don't drink your calories, people consume so many of their calories through sugary drinks (soda, juice, energy drinks) that are void of fiber, causing major sugar spikes, which in turn cause many cravings
-Tyler Robbins
B.Sc. PTS
In a nutshell, the glycemic index (GI) relates to the fluctuations in our blood sugar levels. This is very important for diabetics because they must control their diets/medication in way to keep a steady blood sugar level. Unfortunately, regular, "healthy" people don't seem to take enough interest in their GI's when they should because it plays a large role in our everyday lives such as food cravings, mood, and energy levels.
How It Works:
When you ingest a food, if it contains any type of carbohydrate whatsoever, your body breaks down that food and absorbs the nutrients into the blood stream as quick as possible. The subsequent "spike" in your blood sugar level is represented by a number on the Glycemic Index based on how quickly that particular food enters the blood stream. Sugars enter the blood at an alarming rate, but when digested with other nutrients such as protein, fats or fiber, the process is slowed down.
Refined foods should be approached with caution. What I mean by this is that refined or cooked foods can have their fibrous structure broken down which increases their GI number. For example, a baked or cooked potato will have a higher number than a raw potato. As you begin to remove the fibrous nature of the carbohydrate, when it is digested, it enters your bloodstream and acts like jet fuel. This is great if you are about to be very active and go exercise/play a sport, but if you are sitting on your computer or watching tv, the effects can be lost (refer to previous blog regarding Strategizing Your Diet). Ingesting high-GI foods gives you that "sugar rush" that can cause short-term energy and awareness, but can also cause you to "crash" just as hard as your insulin levels rise to meet the need of all of that sugar, only to bring your levels tumbling down until you reach the point where your body craves...more sugar!
So What to Watch Out For:
Some of you by this point may start to Google Glycemic Index and think to yourself, "Alright, coffee and Diet Coke are both low on the GI scale...and bananas and carrots are high, I should just stick to drinking those awesome beverages...right?!?" Wrong. What you need to keep in mind is that the GI scale is not the be-all end-all of the diet world. You should still keep to your ratios of macronutrients based on your activity level. For example, if you exercise intensely every single day, your carbohydrates should be high. If you are sedentary or only do light exercise, then your carbs will be lower. Either way, your carbs, fats, and proteins should be mixed in some sort of healthy ratio that suits your lifestyle.
Great, so what about those items that are low on the GI scale? Well, things like bananas and carrots are high on the GI scale, but they also contain fiber and other vital nutrients, you know, the stuff that keeps our bodies healthy and functioning, that essentially cancel-out any negative GI number they carry. Candy on the other hand should be avoided or used only as a rare special treat, and yes, candy includes desserts, etc.
The reason why things such as Diet Coke would be low on the GI scale is that they don't contain any sugar. Sorry, let me rephrase that, they don't contain anything useful for the human body...just a bunch of chemicals you are putting in your body...but that will be left for another day!
One of the main offenders, and diabetics learn this pretty quickly, is refined grains. I am talking about white rice, white bread, white pastas, etc. The refining process combined with cooking these items makes them all but void of any fiber, so their GI numbers are off the charts. The saving grace here is if you eat your bread with meat or cheese or vegetables that contain either fat, protein or fiber that help slow the digestion and absorption process. If at all possible though, eliminate white, refined grains from your diet as much as possible and stick to whole grain as they have more fiber in them eliminated the sugar spike.
Final Things to Remember:
When it comes down to it, an individual with following a balanced diet and an active lifestyle does not need to worry about sugar as much, but should still try and avoid blood sugar spikes as much as possible. The problems we run into are the individuals that consume large quantities of sugar and are sedentary, as these empty calories pack on the body fat in no time! Here are few final key points to remember:
-Items with a high GI number are worse than those with a low GI number
-Natural foods are better than processed, refined foods
-Uncooked is better than cooked
-Fructose (fruits) is better than sucrose (table sugar) which is better than high-fructose corn syrup (not to be confused with natural fructose!
-Fruits and veggies are essentially fine, even if they have a high GI number
-Level of carbs in your diet should reflect your activity level
-Don't drink your calories, people consume so many of their calories through sugary drinks (soda, juice, energy drinks) that are void of fiber, causing major sugar spikes, which in turn cause many cravings
-Tyler Robbins
B.Sc. PTS
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Strategize Your Diet - Part 3
The last couple of blogs have been about eating carbohydrates and proteins at correct times. Today's blog will be a couple of last tips for other ideas on how to strategize your diet!
Stay Hydrated - Athletes and non-athletes alike should drink more fluids, especially if you are exercising. One of the first signs of fatigue is due to dehydration. A simple rule is if you are not going to the bathroom at least every 3 hours, then you are probably not drinking enough. That means that you should also increase your fluid intake on hotter days and days of intense exercise. Stay away from sugary and caffeinated beverages though as they act as diuretics, stick to just plain ol' water! It is tough to judge exactly how much you should be drinking sometimes based on weather, exercise intensity, etc. so try this: Weigh yourself before and after an exercise session. The weight you lost will be almost entirely water through sweating and respiration. For every pound of weight lost, drink 3 cups of water (750ml) to re-hydrate your body. You should not always wait until you are thirsty because thirst indicates you are already well on your way to being completely dehydrated!
Don't Be Afraid of Salt - If you exercise intensely, you need salt in your diet as well. Your body keeps a fine balance between water and salt content, so if you are trying to maintain a low-salt diet, your body will just be expelling more and more water to counteract this. Now I am not saying that you need to go overboard and eat a bag of pretzels before a workout, but sports drinks usually do the trick of replenishing your "electrolytes" (salts). Just don't guzzle down a sports drink and then go sit and be an armchair quarterback...that gets us back to "Strategize Your Diet - Part 1" taking in useless carbs!
Get Outside - Many old-school bodybuilders were onto something when they would leave the gym and go soak up some rays. Yes, they were probably just trying to get a nice bronzed look, but research has now shown that some unprotected sun exposure, allowing your body to create Vitamin D the natural way, has many benefits to muscular (and other body parts) health and well-being. If you don't get enough sun, like many northern-climate countries, then taking a supplement will help as well!
Use these, as well as the tips discussed in the previous two posts to help maximize your diet and allow you to reap the most benefits from your exercise program possible! There is a saying in the fitness industry, "You can't out-train a bad diet" so if you are putting in the time in the gym to get fit, why squander those results by not cleaning up your diet too?
Tyler Robbins
B.Sc. PTS
Stay Hydrated - Athletes and non-athletes alike should drink more fluids, especially if you are exercising. One of the first signs of fatigue is due to dehydration. A simple rule is if you are not going to the bathroom at least every 3 hours, then you are probably not drinking enough. That means that you should also increase your fluid intake on hotter days and days of intense exercise. Stay away from sugary and caffeinated beverages though as they act as diuretics, stick to just plain ol' water! It is tough to judge exactly how much you should be drinking sometimes based on weather, exercise intensity, etc. so try this: Weigh yourself before and after an exercise session. The weight you lost will be almost entirely water through sweating and respiration. For every pound of weight lost, drink 3 cups of water (750ml) to re-hydrate your body. You should not always wait until you are thirsty because thirst indicates you are already well on your way to being completely dehydrated!
Don't Be Afraid of Salt - If you exercise intensely, you need salt in your diet as well. Your body keeps a fine balance between water and salt content, so if you are trying to maintain a low-salt diet, your body will just be expelling more and more water to counteract this. Now I am not saying that you need to go overboard and eat a bag of pretzels before a workout, but sports drinks usually do the trick of replenishing your "electrolytes" (salts). Just don't guzzle down a sports drink and then go sit and be an armchair quarterback...that gets us back to "Strategize Your Diet - Part 1" taking in useless carbs!
Get Outside - Many old-school bodybuilders were onto something when they would leave the gym and go soak up some rays. Yes, they were probably just trying to get a nice bronzed look, but research has now shown that some unprotected sun exposure, allowing your body to create Vitamin D the natural way, has many benefits to muscular (and other body parts) health and well-being. If you don't get enough sun, like many northern-climate countries, then taking a supplement will help as well!
Use these, as well as the tips discussed in the previous two posts to help maximize your diet and allow you to reap the most benefits from your exercise program possible! There is a saying in the fitness industry, "You can't out-train a bad diet" so if you are putting in the time in the gym to get fit, why squander those results by not cleaning up your diet too?
Tyler Robbins
B.Sc. PTS
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Strategize Your Diet - Part 2
Last post I discussed the topic of planning your carbohydrate intake during the day based on timing of exercise as well as intensity. This post is going to discuss protein intake and its effect on the body at different times during the day.
Protein, along with carbohydrates, contain 4 calories per gram. The difference is, carbohydrates yield nearly all of those calories as energy (or stored as fat), whereas the simple act of digesting protein burns calories. Not to mention the fact that protein is needed for countless processes in the body including muscle and tissue building, hormone production, etc.
Many people feel like they only need protein in their diet on days when they are exercising. This couldn't be further from the truth. Think of your body as a construction site. Virtually all of your tissues in your body are constantly being "torn down" and replaced by newer, more efficient cells. This is part of your body's defense mechanisms against diseases like cancer. The longer a cell sticks around, the better chance it has at goofing up and making a mistake causing a mutation, but that discussion can wait for another day.
Everyone should have plenty of protein in their diets for all of your body's natural processes, as well as tissue building. Now, exercise - especially resistance training - causes micro tears and damages in your muscle tissue which needs to be repaired and replaced. This is the entire basis of resistance training. You want to damage your muscles by working them hard, so that your body will come in to repair and replace those damaged muscle cells with bigger (sometimes), faster, stronger ones. The process of muscle repair is what heightens your metabolism for hours following a workout.
So, back to protein. It is crucial that you feed your body the proper building blocks following a workout so that it can go about its business by repairing and replacing your tissues. Many different studies have been done on this topic and there are varying thoughts on the matter, but from what I have read and researched, a beverage or protein shake immediately following (within an hour) a workout with a ratio of 4:1, grams of carbs to grams of protein, seems to be the best way to feed your body.
Not only does the carbohydrates replace depleted glycogen stores in the muscles/liver to replenish your anaerobic energy levels, but it also acts as a sort of shunt or transport system delivering the correct amino acids to your muscles to aid in the rebuilding process. Chocolate milk is a great post-workout drink, and is what I use following my workouts. It has that correct ratio of carbs to proteins and is also pretty darn tasty too!
On top of using protein as a post-workout recovery drink, small amounts of protein should be ingested every few hours throughout the day. No, that does not mean that you need to be chewing on a chicken breast every few hours, but some sort of protein source is beneficial such as a protein shake, almonds, fish, quinoa, or yogurt (Greek yogurt especially!). Ingesting protein at set intervals throughout the day gives your body the tools it needs to maintain its tissues as well as stabilize its blood sugar level. Elevated protein has been shown to give healthier-looking skin and hair as well as acting as an appetite suppressor as it takes longer to digest, keeping you feeling "full" longer, which is good for fighting off those hunger pangs.
So what types of protein should you ingest? Whey protein can be found in a variety of protein shakes. It is a fast-acting protein which means it can digest, distribute itself throughout the bloodstream and be into the muscles in no time. This is a fantastic type of protein for post-workout so that you can get those amino acids to your muscles as soon as possible.
Casein protein is found in mammalian dairy products such as cheese and milk and is a slower-digesting protein which can stabilize your blood sugars for longer and provide more of a steady drip of protein for hours after ingesting. This is great for a mid-afternoon snack!
When it comes down to it, having more protein in your diet can be beneficial for everyone, men and women. Not only does it suppress your appetite, give you a youthful appearance, and stabilize blood sugar levels, protein is also vital after exercising to build more lean, healthy, efficient muscle tissue. More muscle means a higher resting metabolic rate, which means you are burning more calories even at a resting state!
-Tyler Robbins
B.Sc. PTS
Protein, along with carbohydrates, contain 4 calories per gram. The difference is, carbohydrates yield nearly all of those calories as energy (or stored as fat), whereas the simple act of digesting protein burns calories. Not to mention the fact that protein is needed for countless processes in the body including muscle and tissue building, hormone production, etc.
Many people feel like they only need protein in their diet on days when they are exercising. This couldn't be further from the truth. Think of your body as a construction site. Virtually all of your tissues in your body are constantly being "torn down" and replaced by newer, more efficient cells. This is part of your body's defense mechanisms against diseases like cancer. The longer a cell sticks around, the better chance it has at goofing up and making a mistake causing a mutation, but that discussion can wait for another day.
Everyone should have plenty of protein in their diets for all of your body's natural processes, as well as tissue building. Now, exercise - especially resistance training - causes micro tears and damages in your muscle tissue which needs to be repaired and replaced. This is the entire basis of resistance training. You want to damage your muscles by working them hard, so that your body will come in to repair and replace those damaged muscle cells with bigger (sometimes), faster, stronger ones. The process of muscle repair is what heightens your metabolism for hours following a workout.
So, back to protein. It is crucial that you feed your body the proper building blocks following a workout so that it can go about its business by repairing and replacing your tissues. Many different studies have been done on this topic and there are varying thoughts on the matter, but from what I have read and researched, a beverage or protein shake immediately following (within an hour) a workout with a ratio of 4:1, grams of carbs to grams of protein, seems to be the best way to feed your body.
Not only does the carbohydrates replace depleted glycogen stores in the muscles/liver to replenish your anaerobic energy levels, but it also acts as a sort of shunt or transport system delivering the correct amino acids to your muscles to aid in the rebuilding process. Chocolate milk is a great post-workout drink, and is what I use following my workouts. It has that correct ratio of carbs to proteins and is also pretty darn tasty too!
On top of using protein as a post-workout recovery drink, small amounts of protein should be ingested every few hours throughout the day. No, that does not mean that you need to be chewing on a chicken breast every few hours, but some sort of protein source is beneficial such as a protein shake, almonds, fish, quinoa, or yogurt (Greek yogurt especially!). Ingesting protein at set intervals throughout the day gives your body the tools it needs to maintain its tissues as well as stabilize its blood sugar level. Elevated protein has been shown to give healthier-looking skin and hair as well as acting as an appetite suppressor as it takes longer to digest, keeping you feeling "full" longer, which is good for fighting off those hunger pangs.
So what types of protein should you ingest? Whey protein can be found in a variety of protein shakes. It is a fast-acting protein which means it can digest, distribute itself throughout the bloodstream and be into the muscles in no time. This is a fantastic type of protein for post-workout so that you can get those amino acids to your muscles as soon as possible.
Casein protein is found in mammalian dairy products such as cheese and milk and is a slower-digesting protein which can stabilize your blood sugars for longer and provide more of a steady drip of protein for hours after ingesting. This is great for a mid-afternoon snack!
When it comes down to it, having more protein in your diet can be beneficial for everyone, men and women. Not only does it suppress your appetite, give you a youthful appearance, and stabilize blood sugar levels, protein is also vital after exercising to build more lean, healthy, efficient muscle tissue. More muscle means a higher resting metabolic rate, which means you are burning more calories even at a resting state!
-Tyler Robbins
B.Sc. PTS
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