Women and Protein: The Truth!

Seeing as today is Valentines day we wanted to drop a little info just for the ladies. Fellas, you can keep your ears open too as this might help you understand your body and it's protein needs a little better!

Shannon Clark holds a degree in Exercise Science and Sport Performance from the University of Alberta in Edmonton and gives us a great break down on just what the big deal is about protein for ladies.

We've all experienced it. After a week of rigorous exercise and dieting—and Tupperware containers full of broccoli, brown rice, and chicken—you feel an uncontrollable urge to stray from your carefully planned meal plan. You measured and weighed all your meals but, alas, you hear ice cream and pasta calling your name. As it turns out, that voice could be especially loud if you're a woman.

According to a study published in the "International Journal of Eating Disorders,"1 women tend to crave sugary snacks like chocolate, ice cream, and donuts. Men, on the other hand, prefer to sink their teeth into a well-marbled porterhouse. Women seem to lack protein in their diets, even when it comes to cheat meals! A lack of protein can be problematic for anyone, but it's especially troubling for women in the gym!

While your body needs carbs and healthy fats for energy, protein is essential for tissue growth and repair. If you're in the gym knocking out tough sets of squats and Romanian deadlifts, a lack of protein in your diet can hinder your body's ability to recover and grow!

1. THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTEIN

The reasons for adding more protein to your diet plan are numerous. Of the 20 amino acids that make up protein, nine are essential. "Essential" means that your body can't manufacture these aminos on its own. The only way they can be consumed is through food. Dietary protein supplies the building blocks of muscle tissue. It also supplies the materials needed for neurotransmitters and hormones.

WOMEN TEND TO CRAVE SUGARY SNACKS LIKE CHOCOLATE, ICE CREAM, AND DONUTS. MEN, ON THE OTHER HAND, PREFER TO SINK THEIR TEETH INTO A WELL-MARBLED PORTERHOUSE.

Each time you hit the gym for a workout, you break your muscle tissues down. You actually build them outside the gym. To do that, however, you need enough fuel. With proper protein intake, amino acids come to the rescue of your damaged muscle, repairing those tissues so they grow back even stronger.

Protein provides other key benefits to the hard-working, fit female.

PROTEIN: STABILIZES YOUR ENERGY LEVELS AND APPETITE

If you're constantly ravenous throughout the day, you're probably not eating enough protein at every meal. Compared to carbohydrates, protein takes longer to break down and digest.

This slow digestion time means you'll stay fuller longer and keep hunger at bay, making it easier to hit your caloric intake and macros for body weight maintenance.

PROTEIN: HELPS YOU BURN CALORIES MORE EFFECTIVELY

IF YOU'RE CONSTANTLY RAVENOUS THROUGHOUT THE DAY, YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT EATING ENOUGH PROTEIN AT EVERY MEAL.

Protein has the highest thermic effect of food (TEF), which is the amount of calories it takes your body to process and utilize a nutrient. At 20-35 percent, protein has the highest TEF.

This means that your body actually uses 20-35 percent of the energy from protein consumed just to digest and absorb it!

Out of every 100 calories you get from protein, 25-30 are burned in the digestion process.

Since your body expends more energy to process proteins than it does to digest carbohydrates and fats, people who consume more protein throughout the day might see faster fat-loss results than people on a lower-protein diet plan.

PROTEIN: SAFEGUARDS AGAINST THE LOSS OF MUSCLE

As your caloric intake drops, and carbohydrates and fats become scarce on a strict diet, there's a greater chance that your body will turn to incoming protein for energy. This leaves less protein for various bodily functions.

If insufficient amino acids are present, your body will start breaking down muscle tissue to get individual aminos. For you, this could mean a loss in muscle and a slower resting metabolism. Protect against this by prioritizing protein!

PROTEIN: BOOSTS YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

Oh, the wonders of whey. If you choose to add whey protein powder to your diet, you'll be taking in more than muscle-building strength gains. You get an immune boost, as well. Whey protein contains glutathione, a tripeptide that helps strengthen immune function.2

2. MYTHS ABOUT PROTEIN

One of the reasons that some women shy away from protein is because they believe the myths. Don't let false rumors cost you gains. Clear up confusion by separating fact from fiction.

MYTH: PROTEIN WILL CAUSE YOU TOO LOOK BULKY

PROTEIN WILL MAKE YOU STRONGER. IT WON'T TURN YOU INTO AN "OVERLY RIPPED" VERSION OF YOURSELF.

Protein will make you stronger. Associate it with powerful, lean muscle gains, not a masculine physique. Choosing chicken over chocolate and hitting the weights hard won't turn you into an "overly ripped" version of yourself. Put your mind at ease and know that this simply won't occur.

Ladies, remember that your body contains just a fraction of the testosterone needed to build up lean muscle tissue. Even with the addition of protein, you're not going to pack on muscle the same way your male counterpart might.

Your body can also only make so much lean muscle per day. Excess protein won't necessarily increase your muscular development. Excess protein gets broken into amino acids to be used as fuel or excreted, so don't worry too much about this myth.

MYTH: A HIGHER-PROTEIN DIET IS HARD ON YOUR KIDNEYS

If you have pre-existing kidney problems, then you definitely want to be a little more careful about adding protein to your diet plan. But, provided you're an active woman in good health, you can safely increase your protein intake.

Just remember that increased protein can be dehydrating, so you'll want to increase your water consumption at the same time.

MYTH: HIGHER-PROTEIN DIETS COMPROMISE BONE HEALTH

There's no definitive proof that high-protein diets cause the excess acid load that's been linked to bone loss and poor health.

In fact, according to the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," studies found that high-protein diets had a small but significant benefit to the lumbar spine.3

3. YOUR ESSENTIAL PROTEIN INTAKE

So, how much protein do you need? The suggested number differs depending on the source.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the standard food guide recommendation for the average individual is set around 46 grams per day for women and 65 grams per day for men.4

Keep in mind, however, that this is the recommendation for the average, semi-sedentary individual. If you're constantly exercising and breaking down lean muscle tissue, your required protein intake needs to increase. Likewise, if you diet and consume fewer calories from carbs and fats, the macros you consume from protein will need to increase.

PEOPLE WHO JUST EXERCISE AND DO NOT DIET SHOULD AIM TO CONSUME SOMEWHERE AROUND 0.8-1 GRAMS OF PROTEIN PER POUND OF BODY WEIGHT DAILY.

People who just exercise and do not diet should aim to consume somewhere around 0.8-1 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily.

If you're dieting and exercising, aim higher—between 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of your body weight per day. As your caloric intake decreases, your protein needs will actually increase, so keep that in mind as you plan out your diet.

Focus on eating high-quality protein sources such as chicken, fish, lean red meat, eggs, low-fat dairy products, and quality whey protein powder.

As always, feel free to stop by and speak with our staff of certified nutrition specialist if you have any questions about how much protein YOUR taking in and if its the right amount for your goals!

Til next time,
Mikie

Beating Holiday Stress

So how do you keep from completely blowing your lid? The answer, as always, lies in getting good, clean and repetitive exercise!

Start Simple, Stay Smart

Whether you’ve completely let yourself go or you’re in pretty good shape, the holidays are probably the most important time of the year to exercise smart. By “smart”, we mean take care to not over-exert yourself or cause injury – down time during the yuletide will only compound your stress level.

Talk to your doctor if you’re concerned about a particular nagging injury, excess weight, etc. that you feel may impede your exercise progress, or has you leery of stepping on the treadmill. There are so very many different forms of exercise (and physical and occupational therapies, if you’re that far gone) that no matter what your problem areas are, there’s something you can do to exert a little physical exercise.

Low Impact Forms Of Exercise

Swimming – hitting the pool (it’s wintertime, so choose somewhere indoors and heated) combines both resistance training and cardio because of the distances involved in swimming for exercise. What it does not involve is impact-stress on your joints and ligaments, like running.

Biking – if you’re lucky enough to live somewhere where winter doesn’t completely rule out the possibility of outside exercise, haul the old bicycle out of the shed, closet, etc. This low-impact form of cardio is also fun – and lets you sight-see a little bit along your route.

Yoga – don’t rule out Tai-Chi or Pilates, either. If you’re a beginner, well take beginner’s yoga. Yoga (as well as the others) isn’t for push overs – it’s as hard as you want to make it. But the camaraderie of yoga classes (should be) altogether different from what you’ll find in a weight room, and has been used to reduce stress and get the blood pumping for hundreds of years.

Battling Stress With Exercise

First of all, don’t see exercise during the holiday season as a chore. It’s not – in fact, while you should always watch what you eat, go ahead and not worry about the scale from now until about January 2nd. Exercising during the holidays is about making you feel better – trying to watch your weight will make you feel worse.

As an added plus, getting into an exercise routine now, without the calorie counting, will help you when New Year’s Resolution season rolls around. But what makes exercise such an excellent stress-dumper?

Exercise Triggers Endorphins – when you exert physical energy, your body produces and releases endorphins into your brain and bloodstream. These “feel-good” transmitters translate into what is commonly known as a “runners high” – but you can reap the pick-me-up benefits of endorphins from almost any kind of exercise, as long as you don’t over-exert (read: hurt) yourself!

Exercise Helps You Think – it’s no illusion, and you’re not crazy: you really do think better when you’re moving. As you exert yourself, your blood flow increases, and oxygen surges to both your mind and the other parts of your body that are doing the work.

Physical activity stimulates the hippocampus, the part of your brain in charge of learning and memory. Way back in our caveman days, thinking fast was the difference between earning a meal … and maybe even becoming one. Nowadays it’s a great way to ruminate on place settings, family arrangements, and everything else the holidays throw at you.

Put you in a Better Mood – Exercise can improve your mental outlook and reduce the negative emotional and physical effects of stress and even depression … which makes sense, if you take the first two reasons into account. Exercise can also help you get a better night’s rest.

This is one of the most important (as well as most-often-overlooked) aspects of personal, mental and physical wellness. Getting sufficient sleep is key to losing weight, defeating depression, and performing your best at work, at home, and especially during the stressful holidays. So go jogging – and then hit the sack!

Set Goals For Yourself, And Keep Going!

We mentioned avoiding the scale. Focus on setting easily-achievable goals for yourself. It might seem more important and impressive to start with “train until I can run a 5k” but if you cannot run a mile, then you should start there. The key to this technique is to REDEFINE your goals regularly.

So if your goal is to run a mile, and you run a mile, up your goal to 1.25 miles, and so on. This way, you’re constantly achieving your goals. Don’t think this is worth it? Keep a notebook. By the time you achieve your 3rd“revised” goal, you can look back at what your first goal was – and be amazed and impressed with yourself!

A word on Scheduling – you have GOT to keep this good thing going once you start. Not only will you lose physical progress with an on-again-off-again workout routine, but it won’t be as beneficial to your mental and emotional health, either.

If you can only exercise twice a week, do that. Try looking forward to it – pencil it in as “me time”. This way, it doesn’t become a chore. Other options for de-stressing during the Holiday mess: get a massage. Laugh – seriously. Laughter can reduce stress, and it’s free!

Lastly, it wouldn’t be the holidays if we didn’t mentions spirituality. We’re not talking about church, necessarily – unless that’s what floats your boat. After all, for many “spirituality” means a form of religious observance but for others it can be found in nature, music, art or a secular community. Spirituality is different for everyone.

Find Your Zen!

10 Tips to Stay Safe Over the Holiday

I came across this article by the National Crime Prevention Council and though with Christmas around the corner it would be some good information to pass along. Its a few simple tips for staying safe and enjoying the holiday that we wanted to share with all our friends.

"This year many shoppers will be out early to find those big bargains on Christmas Eve or online, but the criminals will be out too. NCPC has 10 great tips to help you shop safely while getting those great holiday bargains throughout the shopping season.

1.Do not buy more than you can carry. Plan ahead by taking a friend with you or ask a store employee to help you carry your packages to the car.
2.Shop online with companies you know and trust. Check a company’s background if you are not familiar with it. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
3.Save all receipts. Print and save all confirmations from your online purchases. Start a file folder to keep all receipts together and to help you verify credit card or bank statements as they come in.
4.Consider alternate options to pay for your merchandise, such as onetime or multiuse disposable credit cards or money orders, at online stores and auction sites.
5.Wait until asked before taking out your credit card or checkbook. An enterprising thief would love to shoulder surf to get your account information.
6.Deter pickpockets. Carry your purse close to your body or your wallet inside a coat or front trouser pocket.
7.Have your keys in hand when approaching your vehicle. Check the back seat and around the car before getting in.
8.Do not leave packages visible in your car windows. Lock them in the trunk or, if possible, take them directly home.
9.Tell a security guard or store employee if you see an unattended bag or package. The same applies if you are using mass transit.
10.If you are shopping with children, make a plan in case you get separated. Select a central meeting place and make sure they know they can ask mall personnel or store security employees if they need help.

To find more useful shopping tips and personal safety information, visit the National Crime Prevention Council’s website.

So there it is some things to help make sure your holiday stays safe. Have a Merry Christmas every one from your friends at 4X!

Till next time
Mikie

Five Supplements Even CrossFitters Should Love!!

Every now and then I run into some people who do intense crosstraining but don't take supplements. I ask them how they feel and they ALL say their times suck, they can't move the next day and that they don't feel like they are making progress.
So I ask what supplements they are taking and I'm shocked that they say nothing! NOTHING...not even aminos...zip...zilch...nada!!!

So I searched the internet for the best and most basic information I could find, so between all our knowledge here and the good folks at Breakingmuscle.com we've put together a great list of supplements that will help you become a healthier and better performing athlete.

CoQ10

Also known as ubiquinol, coenzyme Q10 is so named because it is ubiquitous in your body. That means it’s everywhere. Coenzyme Q10 is a naturally occurring enzyme in our bodies, so you’re not putting anything foreign into yourself by supplementing with it. And while you can get CoQ10 in small levels in a variety of foods, our body’s level naturally declines as we get older.

What CoQ10 Does:

• Helps with the production of ATP (your ability to produce energy)
• Is a powerful antioxidant
• Plays a major role in circulation and the health of the heart
• Helps regulate insulin levels
• Helps prevent and alleviate migraines

CoQ10 isn't just hype. In fact, it’s been approved for use in Japan for the treatment of heart disease for many decades. This is one of those supplements that the more research comes out on it, the more of a no-brainer it seems to be.

On top of all those basic health reasons, recent research showed CoQ10 improved power output in elite athletes by 2.5%. Do some math with your “Fran” time and tell me you wouldn’t love that.

Magnesium

Some of you might take magnesium for sleep or for muscle function, but it’s benefits go way beyond that. Magnesium also helpsbalance blood sugar and lower insulin.You know, all those things you’re working toward with your paleo diet. Research has shown that there is an inverse relationship between magnesium levels and insulin resistance. So, the more deficient you are in magnesium, the more likely you are to take that first step toward diabetes.

Research has also shown that magnesium increases testosterone levels in athletes. Whether you’re male or female, healthy T levels are good for your muscle growth and performance, and regardless of gender your levels are dropping as you get older.

Phosphatidylserine

CrossFitters are nerds, let’s face it. Most of you guys are pretty darn driven, successful, and intelligent people. Wouldn’t it be great if you gave your brain all the fuel and power it could possibly use? What if your speed of thought, reaction time, and analytical powers were all boosted?Welcome to the world of nootropics.

A great nootropic to start with is phosphatidylserine (PS). Again, it can be made in the body, but we get most of our supply from the food we eat. Having a good enough supply in our system is essential for our brain health.PS is commonly used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other diseases related to aging of the brain.

More importantly for you as an athlete, though, is phosphatidylserine's ability to lower your cortisol levels. Here's an excerpt from one study:

The findings suggest that PS is an effective supplement for combating exercise-induced stress and preventing the physiological deterioration that can accompany too much exercise. PS supplementation promotes a desired hormonal status for athletes by blunting increases in cortisol levels.

In addition it was reported in Biology of Sport all the way back in 1998 that PS could be a "valuable training tool" for weight training athletes due to its ability to reduce muscle soreness. Reduced cortisol and muscle soreness? Sounds like a winner to me.

Vitamin D

So, like magnesium, we all know the basic reasons for supplementing with vitamin D. We know we need our dose of sunshine or we need to rub some liquid drops in our skin if we're trapped inside all day or happen to live in the northern regions.

But did you know that low vitamin D levels have been directly linked to low testosterone levels?So not cool. And again, whether you're male or female, you need testosterone in your body if you want to have strong bones and build your muscles. The great thing is, though, further research into magnesium went on to show that supplementation with vitamin D can indeed raise your T levels. Men taking 3,332 IUs of vitamin D daily for a year experienced a 20% increase in their free testosterone levels. So, it's an easy fix, as long as you've got vitamin D on your daily to-do list.

Protein Powder

I know, I know, CrossFitters only eat “real food,” right? And protein powder is the gold standard of everything that’s wrong in the supplement industry, right? Wrong.What’s wrong is all the stuff you bought in the past from some pyramid level outlet company that was indeed chemical-filled junk. But there are plenty of quality protein powder sources out there.

And let’s look at real life for a moment. For one thing, real food gets expensive. For another, real food is not always very convenient. And third, I don’t know about you but sometimes I don’t feel like chewing and digesting a meal within thirty minutes of a killer workout, but I do feel pretty stupid and woozy.

And as much as we would all like our lives to revolve around our workouts, the fact is we do have these things called jobs and schedules. Are you going to eat a cold chicken breast right after your 7:00am workout as you rush to shower and get to work? Would you rather not refuel your body than consume protein powder?

If you take your training seriously, then you need to take your post-workout nutrition seriously and that means replenishing glycogen stores and consuming protein. A good post-workout shake can fill the gap when you've got ten minutes to shower and get out the gym door.

So there you have it. Five things that are not foreign to your body, but in regards to which you may indeed be operating at a deficit. CoQ10, magnesium, phosphatidylserine, vitamin D, and protein. That list doesn't sound too bad right? And, all of these you can find at 4X Nutrition Center. Along with getting a sweet discount.

Consider the effort you put into each individual workout you do. Consider the care with which you choose and prepare your food, and the care you put into the selection of the gear you use. You are working hard and being incredibly discerning in your attempts to optimize your health and performance. Intelligent supplementation is just one more way to squeeze more results out of the work you do. You deserve supplements that work just as hard as you do!

And I promise it won’t make you a bad person if you take these. In fact, it might make you a better athlete and a healthier human being.

Til next time,
Mikie

Want more out of your crossfit workout? Here's how..

Getting the most out of your Crossfit Workouts

First, what is Crossfit?

 Crossfit is not a specialized fitness program but a deliberate attempt to optimize physical competence in each of ten recognized fitness domains: Cardiovascular and Respiratory Endurance, Stamina, Strength, Flexibility, Power, Speed, Coordination, Agility, Balance, and Accuracy. Crossfit was developed to enhance an individual’s competency at all physical tasks. Athletes are trained to perform successfully at multiple, diverse, and randomized physical challenges. The program is structured in such a way that participants are challenged to do a certain number of repetitions in a workout in a specific time frame; the more advanced Crossfit participants will actually compete against each other to see how fast they can complete the daily workout (WOD) and post their results on the Crossfit website.

Crossfit routines and gyms are becoming more popular by the day. The workouts are very intense, and can produce great results. If you've done a Crossfit workout then you certainly know how intense and taxing they can be on the body.

Second, How do you get the most out of your efforts during a Crossfit workout?

Pre-workout supplements can maximize the efficiency of your workouts. When taken before training they can increase energy, delay fatigue and reduce muscle breakdown during exercise. This enables you to train harder with greater quality and for longer.

People often want to know if pre-workout supplements are still beneficial when doing Crossfit workouts. Let’s be honest, most people aren't in great shape and will struggle to get through a high intensity workout like Crossfit. A pre-workout supplement could be the kick in the rear that you need in order to power through your workout and get all the benefits of the workout, which you might not get if you find yourself dragging half of the time. Here's a few pre-workout suggestions from the 4x staff:

Coconut Water: Coconut Water is incredibly healthy and one of the best drinks to hydrate the body. Hydration is key - before, during and after your Crossfit workout. It's naturally low in carbs, 99% fat free and low in sugar. As well, Coconut Water keeps the body cool and at the proper temperature, carries nutrients and oxygen to cells, raises your metabolism, promotes weight loss, boosts your immune system, balances your Ph, and naturally replenishes your body's fluid after exercising. Coconut Water is the perfect compliment to your Crossfit workout - pre, during and post! Try Coconut Water in lots of flavors from plain to Passion Fruit.

Beta-Alanine: Beta-Alanine is a naturally occurring non-essential amino acid that's converted to other chemicals that can then affect muscles. It’s needed for the production of Carnosine. Carnosine is needed by muscle cells to act as a buffer to control intracellular PH. When we workout, particularly when it is a high intensity workout, our bodies build up hydrogen ions that cause PH in muscles to drop. Carnosine, which is present in Beta-Alanine, helps in stabilizing muscular PH through soaking up the hydrogen ions released during exercise. Too much acid accumulation by muscles is thought to contribute to fatigue. Research shows that Beta-Alanine considerably enhances muscular endurance especially during strength training by delaying the onset of fatigue. Supplementing with Beta-Alanine allows you to train longer and harder as well as improving overall endurance. Beta-Alanine comes in both powder and capsules and can be found in combination with other aminos in some pre-workouts.

Cardio Igniter/ Pump Igniter: Skeletal muscle relies mainly on carbohydrates and fat oxidation to meet energy needs during exercise. As carbohydrates are used, glycogen is depleted; this glycogen depletion is the limiting factor for the continuation of strenuous exercise. Traditionally, athletes have tried to slow down the depletion of glycogen by consuming high amounts of carbohydrates before and/or during strenuous exercise. Although effective, there is another way to improve endurance: utilize fatty acid oxidation as an energy source. Research suggests that enhancing fatty acid oxidation during exercise promotes a reduced rate of glycogen degradation, resulting in an improved endurance capacity. Guided by the latest scientific data and research, Cardio Igniter / Pump Igniter has been designed to promote fatty acid oxidation.

Cardio Igniter / Pump Igniter is great to use prior to any high intensity training like Crossfit. Cardio Igniter helps prioritize fat as an energy source during exercise and provides both anti-catabolic and anabolic (lean mass potential) elements. Pump Igniter is great to use prior to any high intensity lifting rutine like in you typical gym. Cardio Igniter helps support energy, improve endurance, burn fat and enhance mental focus. Pump Igniter is designed to give you supported energy, more endurance, muscle growth and sustained nitrogen retention. Try Cardio Igniter or Pump Igniter in Watermelon, Fruit Punch and Blue Raspberry!

Condense: Condense pre workout supplement is a novel approach to pre workout performance-enhancement designed to expand performance capacity, utilizing patent-pending nutrient technology and peer-reviewed, human- validated, orally efficacious dosages, rather than merely and temporarily increase acute performance as with most short-sighted, stimulant-laden products currently on the market. Purus Labs has revolutionized the pre workout category, once again, by actually achieving what other companies only claim: that is, eliciting extreme vasodilation through truly enhancing endogenous nitric oxide production. This, in turn, causes a cascade of welcomed anabolic and physiologically enhancing benefits to athletes of all cloth through enhancing blood-flow, heightening substrate utilization (i.e. better nutrient absorption), preserving ATP stores, propelling oxygen delivery to myocapillaries, and reducing overall exercise oxygen cost allowing you to handle greater workloads (e.g. more weight) and exercise longer before exhaustion (e.g. more reps).

What's next? After you've completed your Crossfit workout, your recovery is just as important. Guzzle down some more Coconut Water and before you grab your foam roller, try one of these post-workout suggestions from your 4x staff.

Protein Shake: Many studies have shown that by adding a protein shake within 30-45 minutes after your WOD helps with your recovery. We couldn't agree more. The objective of post-workout nutrition is to optimize recovery by replenishing glycogen stores and providing protein to begin tissue repair. In theory, this improves the results of your next WOD, decreases hunger throughout your day, and improves body composition. Most protein shakes include vital amino acids like Glutamine which also aids in recovery. Try any of our outstanding protein brands (Myofusion, Met-Rx, Syntrax, BSN).

RE-BLD:  RE-BLD combines, the two leading creatine analogues with l-glutamine, bcaas and absoption enhancers to help muscle recover fast and beyond normal recovery patterns. RE-BLD supports lean muscle, maximizes performance, aids in producing ATP and play a major role in synthesizing muscle protein and cell-volumizing.

These are just a few suggestions from your friendly Certified Sport Nutritionists at 4x Nutrition. Stop by 4x Nutrition Center and let us help you get the most out of your next Crossfit WOD. 

Til next time,

Mikie

When is the best time of day to do cardio-vascular exercise?

When is the best time of day to do cardio-vascular exercise?

Whether it’s early morning, mid-day, or evening, the most important thing is just doing it.

Your heart is a muscle and working it makes it stronger. A stronger cardio-vascular system means more capillaries delivering more oxygen to cells in your muscles. This enables your cells to burn more fat during both exercise and inactivity. Your goal should be to do some type of cardio-vascular/aerobic activity (walking at a moderate pace, running, biking, stair climbing, swimming, rowing, Zumba, etc) three to five times a week for a sustained period of time of at least 20-30 minutes. Vary your choice of cardio activity to stave off boredom.

Remember, your body’s primary and preferred energy source is Carbohydrates (glycogen). While you are sleeping, your levels of glycogen slowly decline to provide glucose for various bodily functions that go on throughout the night. As a result, you wake up in the morning with depleted glycogen and lower sugar and when your primary fuel source is in short supply, this forces your body to tap into its secondary or reserve energy source; body fat.

You always burn a combination of carbs and fat for fuel, but depending on when you exercise, you can burn a greater portion of fat relative to carbs. When you do cardio in the morning, you not only burn fat during the session, but you also continue to burn fat at an accelerated rate after the workout. This is sometimes referred to as the “after burn” effect. An intense cardio session can keep your metabolism elevated for hours after you’re done exercising. Burn baby burn!

If doing cardio first thing in the morning isn’t an option for you, then the next best time to do your cardio would be immediately after weight training. Lifting weights (using dumbbells, kettle bells, etc) is anaerobic (carbohydrate-burning) by nature, and therefore depletes muscles glycogen. That’s why a post lifting cardio session has a similar effect as morning cardio on an empty stomach. You will still burn fat. However, night time cardio can fail to take advantage of the “after burn” effect because your metabolism drops like a ton of bricks as you go to sleep which is when your metabolic rate is slower than any other time of the day.

Remember that every “body” is different. What works for one may not work for another. It is important to know your body and what it will and won’t respond to when it comes to cardio exercise.

If you have any questions or would like more info, be sure to contact one of the Certified Sports Nutrition Specialists at 4x Nutrition. Have a great workout!!

Post workout - A look at what they are and how they work!

Bullnox. Cellmass. Cell-Tech. Maxx Recovery. Xtend. NO Synthesize. Size On. Humapro. Jetmass.

There are literally hundreds of products out there called POST WORKOUTS.

So what IS a post workout? Do you need one? What is it for?
Today I'm going to give you a brief explanation about what a post workout is and what's the benefits of taking one.
So let get to it!
According to Webster online a post workout is "The period of time immediately following an intense workout when your body is best able to handle carbohydrate. 60-90 minutes long."

This is the time when your body is in need of precious nutrients to help it recover from the workout you just put it though and depending on the work out and your individual goals should be depleted of mostly protein, aminos and carbohydrates.

Let's look at the three main things that make a good post workout.
1.Protein
2.Amino Acids
3.Carbohydrates


Protein is the easiest so lets start there, as Whit explain in our other blog each persons protein needs will be set by their goals. Protein is what your body uses to repair the holes we tear in our muscles during any periods of exercise. Protein synthesis is also a big part in how our body's cells grow and rejuvenate with the help of amino acids.

Amino acids are the chemical units that make up proteins, as they are famously called the “building blocks” of protein. Specifically to post workout are the aminos L-Glutamine and BCCA's (Branch Chain Amino Acids) which help increase nitrogen retention within muscle cells, speed recovery,support optimal growth hormone levels and reduce muscle breakdown and cortisol levels. All important functions to insure you can not only recovery and repair from the workout you finished but that your muscles are able to go and and repeat the same intensity of exercise again later.

Now to the big one CARBOHYDRATES!

Most people look at carbs as the enemy when it comes to post work out and fitness in general. Let me remind you that carbs are the fuel our body's use to function! Just like the high priced gas that goes in your car, with out carbs our bodys will not run at their best performance. Think about a time you didn't have a lot of carbs before work. Did you find it hard to focus? Where you overly tired even after a good nights sleep? Were you a little cranky? All attributed to not enough carbs. A great after workout carb is sugar. Taking in 5-25 grams of sugar will cause a spike in insulin hormone which increases the nutrient absorption.Insulin counteracts cortisol and minimizes protein breakdown,so all the good protein and aminos you have make it to the sites where they are need. So in this case sugar and other fast acting carbohydrates are your friend!

Now that doesn't mean stop by Dunkin Donuts on the way home, but having a post workout shake like Intek Evolution Post-Workout or even a Gatorade Recover will supply your body with just the right amounts of protein, carbs and aminos to help you bounce back faster.

Depending on your goals will determine on how much of those three key ingredients you might need. Here are general guideline based on two common goals: Leaning out. Gaining Mass.

If your looking at leaning out you should shoot for easily digested protein sources such as whey protein, egg whites and fish are definitely important for immediate recovery. The best approach is to consume 30-50 g immediately,with Whey Isolate being the best source and then include slower-digesting protein sources such as chicken, meat, whole eggs or casein powders about an hour or so later.

For our gainers looking for mass gain, a good goal is to try and make your post-workout meal about 15-25% of your total daily caloric goal (if your diet calls 3,000 calories a day, your post-workout meal would be about 450-750 calories). It should contain a quality carb mixture and a quality protein source.

Now according to Timinvermont.com, "Post workout nutrition doesn't end with the meal immediately after your workout. Protein synthesis is elevated by 50% postworkout but it can be as high as 110% up to 24 hours postworkout. So keep supplying nutrients to your body in small, frequent and balanced feedings of carbs (40-70 grams), protein (30-50 grams), and water (up to 1L meal meal) every 1.5-3 hours.

As with all supplementation and food planing feel free to stop in a talk with one of our Certified Sport Nutrition Specialist to make sure your on the right track per your goal.

As always "Hard work pays off, easy work is worthless!"
-Mikie