Fuel For The Race

Race Fuel

Runners, cyclists, and other endurance athletes are constantly looking for ways to improve their performance.  A commonly used strategy is the use of nutritional supplements to “boost” energy and enable them to perform longer and or harder before fatigue sets in.  The majority of energy used during endurance events is derived from carbohydrates.  Carbohydrates can be stored in the liver and skeletal muscle as glycogen.  When exercise lasts longer than 60 minutes, glycogen stores begin to deplete. Without the number one supplier of energy during exercise, fatigue will be soon to follow.  An easy way to help maintain carbohydrate levels, slow down the rate of glycogen depletion and aid in performance is to consume a carbohydrate/electrolyte solution.  Ideally this beverage should be a 4-8% carbohydrate solution.  Ideally you should try to consume 8-12 oz every 10-15 min (around 30-60 grams of carbohydrates total).  This should help maintain carbohydrate levels within the body and help delay the onset of fatigue.  The beverage or food should be high in carbohydrate and well tolerated.  This exogenous source of carbohydrates can significantly boost the energy delivered to working muscles and delay fatigue.  The most common sources of carbohydrates used, typically include: sports beverages, crackers, bananas, carbohydrate gels, and bread.  Regardless of which type of carbohydrate used, the main goal is to help supplement the body with additional sources of energy during exercise.

Another important, and often overlooked, ergogenic aid during endurance events is water.  During exercise in the heat, sweat rates of up to 1.5-2 L/hr have been reported. This can quickly lead to dehydration and ultimately a drop in performance.   Every 1% of your body weight lost as sweat results in an increased heart rate of 7 beats per minute which can put additional stress on the cardiovascular system during exercise.  It’s been estimated that a 4% loss can result in a 48% decrease in endurance capacity.  Therefore the number one priority during long distance events (especially in the heat) should be hydration.   

A number of studies have also shown that caffeine ingestion can significantly improve endurance capacity as well.  Caffeine ingestion can increase fat mobilization (up to 18%) in the blood and allow it to be burned as fuel.  This allows carbohydrate stores to last longer and essentially “spare glucose” which can also delay the onset of fatigue.  Studies have shown increases of up to 20% in performance following the ingestion of caffeine.  Doses of 3 to 9 mg per kg of body weight or a total of 250mg have been shown to be the most effective.  

Go Big or Go Home!

CREATINE

Is Creatine Realy Worth It?

I’ve been asked on numerous occasions: “Does creatine really work?” “What’s the best kind of creatine?” “How should I take it?” So, I thought I would clear the air a little bit and help eliminate any confusion.  To answer the previous questions quickly: Yes, creatine monohydrate, and 5g every day.  Now, for the longer version…

What is Creatine?

Creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid-like compound found primarily in muscle.  The average American’s diet contains 2-3g of creatine per day and the body also produces 2-3g per day.  Creatine is a molecule that aids in the production of energy during bursts of high intensity exercise.

How Does it Work?

 The energy system that relies heavily on creatine can typically provide energy lasting up to 10 seconds.  Therefore by increasing the internal stores of creatine, one could maintain a higher level of exercise for a longer period of time before fatigue set in.

What’s The Best Kind? And How Should I Take It?

There are hundreds of different types and brands of creatine on the market which can get a little confusing to pick just one.  To make it easy, just stick to creatine monohydrate. It has repeatedly been shown to not only be effective but also superior when compared to any other form of creatine.  Numerous studies have shown that as little as 5g of creatine per day is enough to increase creatine stores within the muscle 40-60%.  Some people insist on “cycling” creatine which consists of rotating high and low doses throughout a training period.  This really isn’t necessary unless you are trying to peak at certain times during a training phase.  However, if you regularly consume 5g per day you wouldn’t need to cycle and you would maintain a constant level of elevated creatine stores.

What if I Don’t Work Out?

Even if you are do not regularly work out creatine supplementation may still benefit you.  A lot of recent research in the medical community has suggested hundreds of possible benefits from creatine supplementation, including: enhanced neurological functioning, improved memory, quicker recoveries from a cardiovascular event and enhanced immunity.

Long story short, TAKE CREATINE!

Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze?

Juice, roids, gym candy, pumpers and stackers are all common nicknames for substances more technically referred to as anabolic-androgenic steroids.  Anabolic steroids are defined as any type of exogenous drug that mimics the effects of testosterone in the body.  Most people take them with the goal of increasing muscle mass, improving performance or enhancing physical appearance.  It is estimated that as many as 3 million Americans have used non-medicinal anabolic androgenic steroids.  It is difficult to get exact numbers and figures on the prevalence of steroid use in today’s world because of legislature that was passed in 1990 classifying steroids as illegal substances.  It may be hard to believe but the majority of anabolic steroid users are actually non-athletes.  In fact a recent study estimated that 90% of steroid users do not claim sports as a motivator for use. 

There are many different kinds of anabolic-androgenic steroids available. Some of them need to be injected directly in to the muscle, others come in pill form and some can even be administered through a patch.  Unfortunately, more often than not multiple kinds of steroids are taken together which is commonly referred to as “stacking.”  However, users can often get into a lot of trouble by combining multiple substances since the effects of these substances taken together are unknown.

Anabolic steroid use has been shown to increase strength and muscle mass while at the same time decreasing fat mass which is part of what makes them so enticing.  However, the side-effects and safety of these agents is another issue; as the list of possible health risks is endless.  Some of the main categories of side-effects include adverse cardiac, metabolic, reproductive, skin and psychological effects.  Side-effects affecting the cardiovascular system consist of increases in blood pressure, increases in “bad” cholesterol, and an increased risk of blood clots.  All of these can increase one’s chance of suffering a stroke or heart attack.  Long-term steroid use in males has been associated with testicular atrophy, infertility and gynecomastia (the development of breasts).  In females steroid use seems to have a “masculinizing” effect, resulting in the development of male characteristics such as a deepening of the voice, onset of facial hair and baldness.  Steroid users often report problems with skin acne and lesions as well.  Another common side-effect of steroid use is the psychological issues that occur.  For example, a lot of steroid users often report mood swings or increases in aggressive behavior, commonly referred to as “Roid Rage.”  This is just a short list of the known negative side-effects associated with steroid use; the list goes on and on. So if you’re considering taking steroids with the idea of getting bigger, stronger or faster, you must first ask yourself, “Is the juice worth the squeeze?”

5 Things Guys Just Shouldn't Do In A Gym

5 Things Guys Just Shouldn’t Do In A Gym

Okay, time for me to get on my soap box.  Everyone at one point or another has had a run in with “that guy” in the gym. Someone who you walk by and just shake your head and say “what a loser.”  So, just in case you may be one of those guys or don’t want to be, here is my list of things a guy just shouldn’t do in a gym.  I realize I spend most of my time in a college rec center , so there are an unusual amount of losers in there but this can apply to all gyms.

5) Put Your Phone Away and Get To Work

No phone call is important enough to take while you’re in the middle of a bench press and if it is, answer it and take it outside of the weight room. First of all, I don’t’ know why you would even have a phone in the weight room in the first place, especially with the cost of phones these days (it’s just asking for a crushed screen).  It’s annoying to be mid-set when you over hear a conversation about you and your girlfriend and how you can’t understand why she doesn’t want to hang out with your friends.

4) Keep The Grunts To Yourself

Unless you are finishing off a 750 pound max squat, the grunting and yelling really isn’t necessary.  To the best of my knowledge, there’s no research that says yelling can improve strength; all it’s really doing is making you look/sound like a jackass.

3)  No One Wants to Hear Your Life Story

It’s okay to  chit chat a little bit here and there; maybe a quick conversation at the water fountain but the weight room is no place to have a ½ hour conversation about how drunk you got last weekend or how you can’t find your econ homework.  This especially applies to those who are using a machine. It’s not okay to sit on a machine and talk and talk and talk and talk; get on there do what you got to do and get off.

2) Don’t Lift What You Can’t Handle

No one cares how much you can lift so there’s no need to try and show off how much you can bench press and then later ask for help when the bar is dropped down on your chest, slowly squeezing the life out of you. It’s okay to lift heavier weights in an attempt to get stronger but just ask for a spotter instead of trying to get yourself hurt.  This applies for other exercises as well. No one’s going to be impressed if you are curling 75 pound dumbbells, if you turn the exercise into a full-body swing in order to “curl” the weights.

And, the #1 thing a guy shouldn’t do in the gym:

1)  Don’t Check Yourself Out In Front of the Mirror

The mirrors are there to make sure you use correct form and technique throughout a lift, not for you to sit in front of and check out your guns.  Unless you are a bodybuilder practicing posing and have Lats like Ronnie Coleman, you shouldn’t be checking yourself out.

So there you have it. Keep in mind this isn't everything that you should avoid but at least it's a start!

You Want Me To LIft What? And How Many Times!?

You Want Me To Lift What? And How Many Times?

Whether your goal is to gain muscle mass, improve power or to increase maximal strength, you must adjust your workout accordingly.  Different intensities (relative amount of weight lifted) , volumes (total amount of work performed or weight lifted in a workout) and rest periods must be employed in order to stress the musculature so that it adapts in the way you want it to.  If your goal is to increase strength, as you would expect, you need to lift very heavy loads with longer rest periods in between sets.  The longer rest periods allow your body to recover for the next set in order to complete quality reps at full strength.  To improve power, you again need to use a heavier load with longer rest periods while also focusing on exploding through your reps and try to move the weight as fast as you can.  During hypertrophy training your focus should be on high volume sets/reps  schemes utilizing a moderate load with shorter rest periods in between sets (feel the burn!).  Endurance training should incorporate lighter loads and moderate volumes with very short periods.  Typically endurance workouts are performed in a circuit style fashion moving from one station to the next very quickly.  Below is a chart that summarizes this info.

One common misconception people have is that they can “tone” a muscle group or certain area by performing specific exercises that work those muscle groups.  I don’t know how many times I’ve walked through a gym and heard “I want to just tone my stomach and thighs” or “I do 1,000 sit-ups a day and still can’t get my abs to show!”  The reason for this is because all muscle is covered by layers of fat, no matter how lean you are.  Obviously those who appear to be “ripped” have less fat covering muscle compared to Prince Fielder who has a pretty good jiggle to him while he’s running the bases.  Getting muscles to show is kind of a 2-step process.  First, you must develop or build up the muscles enough so that they are visible, and secondly you need to reduce the amount of fat that covers up the muscles.   Unfortunately there’s no such thing as “spot-reduction” weight loss, or just losing fat in 1 area.  Therefore you need to lose fat and it will start to slowly come off everywhere and your muscles will begin to show.  So after ready all this, now you have the tools you need to get what you what out your workouts. So, get off the computer, get your ass to gym and go big or go home!

Goal	Load/Intensity (%0f1RM	Repetitions	Sets	Rest Periods
Strength	>85%	<6	2-6	2-5 min
Power	80-90%	1-5	3-5	2-5 min
Hypertrophy	65-85%	6-12	3-6	30-90 sec
Endurance	<65%	>12	2-3	<30