Posted by on 28 March 2010 | 1 Comments
Here are some common nutrition myths.
SKIPPING MEALS CAN HELP LOSE WEIGHT
Many people think that by skipping a meal, they will be eating less food and therefore lose weight. If you skip a meal, your body will think that you are in starvation mode and therefore slow down the metabolism to compensate. You then tend to overeat at the next meal. Often, skipping a meal and then eating too much at the next one means that you have a higher total caloric intake than if you just ate more frequently throughout the day. A better approach is to eat smaller frequent healthy meals and snacks to keep your blood sugar balanced. There is no real scientific research to prove that five meals a day is better than three either. the logic behind more frequent smaller meals is that you will keep hunger at bay and are less likely to overeat if you only eat a few times per day.
AVOID CARBOHYDRATE TO LOSE WEIGHT
The key message that many low-carb diets convey is that carbohydrates promote insulin production, which in turn results in weight gain. Therefore by reducing carbohydrate intake, you can lose weight. Unfortunately, this is just another nutrition myth. Many low-carb diets actually do not provide sufficient carbohydrates to your body for daily maintenance. Therefore your body will begin to burn stored carbohydrates (glycogen) for energy. When your body starts burning glycogen, water is released. Therefore the drastic initial drop of weight at the beginning of a low-carb diet is mostly the water that you lose as a result of burning glycogen. The truth is that low-carb diets are also often calorie-restricted. Followers only eat an average of 1000 - 1400 calories daily, compared to an average intake of 1800 - 2200 calories for most people. To lose half a kilo a week, you only need to eat fewer calories per day in your normal diet. Therefore you will lose weight if you decrease your caloric intake through eating smaller portions, and increase your caloric burn through exercise and activity to maintain either lose or maintain your weight.
TOO MANY EGGS ARE BAD FOR YOU
The good news is that you needn't feel so guilty about enjoying eggs. While it's true they contain cholesterol, they also contain plenty of goodies too, like B vitamins, folic acid and protein. Research involving an incredible 120,000 people found that if you eat an egg a day you're at no greater risk of developing heart disease or stroke than someone who eats just one egg a week. Keep in mind, though, that different people cope with cholesterol differently, so if you have a medical condition like diabetes, it's a good idea to check with your doctor.
YOU NEED PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS TO BULK UP
Contrary to claims of some protein supplement companies, consuming extra protein does nothing to bulk up muscle unless you are also doing significant weight training at the same time. Even then the increased requirement can easily come from food. A potential problem with supplements is the body has to work overtime to get rid of excess protein, and can become distressed as a result.
DRINK 8 GLASSES OF WATER PER DAY
As humans we lose around 2-3 litres of water per day from our bodies. You should replace water lost through breathing, excrement and sweating each day - but that doesn't necessarily total 8 glasses of water. It's hard to measure the exact amount of water you have consumed daily in food and drink, but if your urine is pale yellow, you're doing a good job. If it's a darker yellow, drink more water.
Sources: Gloria Tsang, RD of HealthCastle.com: Dr Caroline West: Wendy Repovich, Ph.D., FACSM: Janet Peterson, Dr.P.H., FACSM
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Posted by on 28 March 2010 | 0 Comments
You're doing your best to slim down, but the scale doesn't seem to budge. Sound familiar?
"Weight loss revolves around all aspects of your lifestyle - sleep, stress, even mood," says Weight Watchers nutrition adviser, Emma Stirling*. "And if you're neglecting one of these, you may be sabotaging your success."
Read on to find out if one's affecting you.
1. You're skimping on sleep
"If you don't sleep enough, your body looks for another way to find energy," says Stirling. "More often than not, that means you end up overeating just to stay awake." Plus, she adds, when you're exhausted you're less inclined to make smart food choices, and may even reach for 'quick fuel' - think sugar-laden or starchy products like cakes or biscuits. Aim for seven to nine hours of shut-eye a night.
2. You're not combining diet and exercise
Working out doesn't mean that you can eat whatever you want. You'll gain muscle, which is great, but you won't see your shape change significantly until you cut back on the kilojoules, too.
3. You're stressed out
Stress works similarly to sleep deprivation, in that many people reach for food to cope. Plus, many people avoid the gym when they're anxious or overloaded, thinking they don't have time. But a good workout can be a great stress reliever.
4. You look at food as the enemy
"Restricting your favourite foods, or targeting foods as 'good' and 'bad', will only set you up for a binge," says Stirling. "The key to weight loss is overall kilojoule reduction. Include the foods you like, but eat them in sensible portions." And remember that eating after exercise is a must. "Don't skip meals, post-workout, thinking you'll burn even more kilojoules," says Stirling. "Your body is looking to refuel and recover and needs the right combo of carbs and protein." She recommends a balanced snack like drinking yoghurt, that also helps you rehydrate.
5. You haven't tried a new approach
Don't give up if your first attempt at weight loss isn't successful or you reach a plateau. Mix it up. "Switch your type of workout and include lifting weights or a new class and try following the Simply Filling technique. Try, try again — sooner or later your persistence will pay off," says Stirling.
Source: Emma Stirling BSc MHND APD, Scientific Advisor - Nutrition
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Posted by on 28 March 2010 | 5 Comments
Many people decide to have a drink after exercise, thinking to themselves “Well I just did a workout so I will reward myself by having a drink.” What are the implications?
Your body needs to re-hydrate after exercise. By drinking water, a sports beverage or eating water-laden food, you can replace some or all of the water lost during exercise. It usually takes a couple of hours for the water and electrolytes you consume to work their way into your tissues. Drinking alcoholic beverages is known to have a dehydrating effect on your body. Alcohol acts as a diuretic, causing you to lose water, so this is where the issue lies - should you or should you not drink alcohol after exercise? A study by Shirreffs and Maughan has examined this concern over the process of re-hydration of your body tissues and if alcohol has an effect on it.
It was found that low amounts of alcohol had no effect on the body's ability to re-hydrate. Higher amounts of alcohol, however, did result in slightly slower than normal re-hydration. Measurement of urine output showed that subjects consuming no alcohol and those consuming small amounts of alcohol produced the same amounts of urine over a period of 6 hours of re-hydration. Those consuming higher levels of alcohol produced slightly more urine during this time. Measurement of fluid balance showed that all subjects achieved re-hydration after 6 hours although those who had consumed the higher level of alcohol reached this level a little more slowly.
Likewise if you drink 48 hours prior to exercise and you have not hydrated sufficiently during this time, it will affect your tissues and muscles during exercise. It can affect your body's natural temperature regulation making it difficult to cool down, • lower your blood sugar levels so you have less energy and impair your reaction times, coordination and balance, and therefore increasing your risk of injury.
Add to that the calorie intake of alcohol. One average sized beer or glass of wine will take 30 mins of walking to burn off. Spirits are slightly less. So if you are drinking a few glasses of beer or wine a night, you should be exercising for a few hours every day to counteract the calories that you will absorb through those relaxing beverages.
Finally, in the long term, a high alcohol intake can impair your body's absorption of nutrients from food and bring about vitamin deficiencies, particularly the B group of vitamins. So your overall health and wellbeing is affected.
The answer? Drink in moderation and try to avoid it after exercise.
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Posted by on 23 March 2010 | 0 Comments
Strength training exercises can help women suffering from tenderness and tightness in the upper trapezius muscle. A Danish study has identified five dumbbell exercises aimed at reducing repetitive stain injury caused by office work.
The response from a Danish survey showed more than half of female office workers reported frequent neck pain and more than two-thirds of these suffered from tightness of the trapezius muscle.
Forty-two female office workers participated in the 10-week study. All subjects had suffered chronic or frequent pain in the neck area and tightness and tenderness of the upper trapezius muscle. Of these 42 women, a group of 18 did five exercises with dumbbells. They included one-arm row, shoulder abduction, shoulder elevation, reverse fly and upright row. These exercises isolate the shoulder and the neck muscles, including the trapezius. Three sets of three of these exercises were performed three times per week, and weights were progressively increased throughout the 10 weeks.
This group of women experienced significant changes, including improved rapid force capacity and an increased number of type II muscle fibres, the fibres important in the generation of power. Furthermore, the training helped reduce pain levels by more than 50 per cent.
The findings suggest that the strength training was able to reduce the pain and further enhance the body’s ability to rapidly activate the muscle. Activating the muscle depends upon rapid coordination of nerve signals and it was the nerve signaling that seemed to have improved. The researchers also said that the strength training may have encouraged the women to set aside the fear of pain and thus helped improve performance.
Source: Journal of Applied Physiology
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Posted by on 15 March 2010 | 0 Comments
Most people know of the importance of eating before exercise, however, what and when you eat after exercise can be just as important. While the pre-exercise meal can ensure that adequate glycogen stores are available for optimal performance (glycogen is the the source of energy most often used for exercise), the post-exercise meal is critical to recovery and improves your ability to train consistently.
Research has shown that eating 100-200 grams of carbohydrate within two hours of endurance exercise is essential to building adequate glycogen stores for continued training. Waiting longer than two hours to eat results in 50 percent less glycogen stored in the muscle. The reason for this is that carbohydrate consumption stimulates insulin production, which aids the production of muscle glycogen. However, the effect of carbohydrate on glycogen storage reaches a plateau.
Carbohydrate Plus Protein Speeds Recovery
Research shows that combining protein with carbohydrate in the two hours after exercise nearly doubles the insulin response, which results in more stored glycogen. The optimal carbohydrate to protein ratio for this effect is 4:1 (four grams of carbohydrate for every one gram of protein). Eating more protein than that, however, has a negative impact because it slows rehydration and glycogen replenishment.
One study found that athletes who refueled with carbohydrate and protein had 100 percent greater muscle glycogen stores than those who only ate carbohydrate. Insulin was also highest in those who consumed a carbohydrate and protein drink.
Protein Needs After Exercise
Consuming protein has other important uses after exercise. Protein provides the amino acids necessary to rebuild muscle tissue that is damaged during intense, prolonged exercise. It can also increase the absorption of water from the
intestines and improve muscle hydration. The amino acids in protein can also stimulate the immune system, making you more resistant to colds and other infections.
In summary
If you are looking for the best way to refuel your body after long, strenuous endurance exercise, a 4:1 combo of carbohydrate and protein seems to be your best choice. While solid foods can work just as well as a sports drink, a drink may be easier to digest make it easier to get the right ratio and meet the 2-hour window.
Source
Elizabeth Quinn: exercise physiologist and fitness consultant
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