Operation Hydration

The hot summer months are just around the corner and that means…hydration needs to be kicked up a notch especially during exercise. Your body will let you know rather quickly when it hasn’t gotten enough water. The first sign is thirst – that unpleasant dryness in your mouth caused by the loss of water from cells in your gums, tongue and cheeks. The second sign is reduced urination.

Proper hydration during exercise is critical for performance and for your safety. Dehydration, a loss of 2% of your body weight from fluids, can compromise your performance, impair your mental function and even lead to other serious consequences. Signs of dehydration include muscle cramps, spasms, decreased exercise performance, excessive thirst, and a diminishing rate of sweat. You lose fluids and electrolytes at increased levels during exercise, thanks to your increased breathing rate and sweat. Depending on the duration, the intensity, your fitness level, and the weather, the amount of fluid and electrolytes you need varies. Electrolytes are minerals found in the blood that help balance fluids and maintain normal functions like your heart’s rhythm and muscle contraction. The main electrolytes are sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium, calcium, phosphate and bicarbonate.

Normally, your body is extremely proficient at maintaining proper electrolyte balance. Slight fluctuations occur, but a drastic shift can have life-threatening consequences. Certain behaviors can cause an imbalance; consuming large amounts of water without also taking in sodium can cause a condition known as hyponatremia, which can cause confusion, drowsiness, muscle weakness, nausea, vomiting, headaches and twitches. Hyponatremia is an abnormally low concentration of sodium in the blood that can cause cells to malfunction and can be fatal. It can also result from prolonged, heavy sweating with failure to replenish sodium or from excessive water consumption. Hyponatremia, as one can guess, is very common among high-endurance athletes.

Follow these tips on maintaining proper hydration before, during and after exercise:

• At least 4 hours before you exercise, drink 2-3 milliliters (1 milliliter = 0.034 ounces) of water per pound of body weight to optimize hydration status. Example: 175 lb man would need 12-18 ounces (formula: 175 lbs x 2ml = 350ml x 0.034 ounces = approx. 12 ounces) and a 140 lb woman would need 10-14 ounces (formula:140 lbs x 2ml = 280ml x 0.034 ounces = approx. 10 ounces)
• Generally, try to take in about 4 to 8 ounces (1/2 cup to 1 cup) of water every 20 minutes during exercise.
• For exercise events lasting longer than an hour, drink fluids containing 6%-8% of calories from carbohydrates.
• After exercise, drink 2 to 3 cups of water for every pound of body weight lost.
You can determine your fluid requirements by routinely measuring your body weight before and after training because fluid needs vary greatly during exercise. Weighing yourself before and after exercise can help you learn how to prevent a loss of 2 pounds over the course of your training session.

Proper hydration not only drastically impacts performance but is also critical for your safety. Stay well hydrated with water and include sports drinks during exercise events lasting longer than an hour. It is suggested that each of us needs about 1 milliliter of water (0.034 ounces) for each calorie of food we consume. For a 2,000 calorie-a-day diet, that’s about 68 fluid ounces or eight and a half 8 ounce glasses a day (2,000 x 0.034)

If you have any questions or need more information, please see one of the Certified Sports Nutritionist Specialists the next time you’re at 4x Nutrition. We’re here to help you.

Missy Taylor
Certified Nutrition Coach
Till next time…

Does Your Nutrition Plan Need a Tune-Up?

So you've been in the gym for a few weeks now and you feel like your killing your self then you step on the scale and see nothing moving. SO maybe your nutrition needs a tune up! Just like your vehicle requires regular tune-ups to keep it performing at its best, your nutrition plan needs regular tune-ups to make sure you’re getting essential nutrients and performing at YOUR best.

Your body requires the right kinds of nutrients to keep it running in tip-top condition.

Nutrition equals life. All living things, including you, need food and water to live. Beyond that, you need good food, meaning food with the proper nutrition, to live well. We can also agree that your body needs food and water to perform essential bodily functions – digestion and elimination for example. Without food and water, your body begins to breakdown. It’s just as important to feed your body the right kinds of nutrients as it is to put the right kind of gasoline in your car. Too much sugar in your car’s gas tank…car sputters. Too much sugar in your own tank can also have adverse effects and most notably, weight gain. The more calories and processed foods we eat the more your body suffers and begins to perform poorly. Nutrition is about why you eat what you eat and how the food you get affects your body and your health.

What is your nutritional status? That means, what is your state of health as it relates to your diet? Ask yourself, “taking into account my current eating habits, how do I feel on a daily basis”? Do you feel good, bad, lethargic? Need more energy? We’re now 3 weeks into 2014 making it a perfect time to re-evaluate your nutrition plan to determine if you’re on track to accomplishing your weight (loss or gain) and fitness goals. Your nutrition plan should include: Proteins (fish, egg whites, skinless chicken breast, lean cuts of beef) to help build and repair tissues, Healthy Fats (avocados, olive oil, unsalted nuts) to help protect internal organs, Carbohydrates (whole wheat pasta, brown rice, beans, oatmeal) to provide energy for your body and Fiber-Rich Fruits and Vegetables to provide powerful antioxidants. Don’t forget your Water – the most important nutrient!

Remember, eating a small meal every 2-3 hours and not missing breakfast is the key to keeping your metabolism fired up and your body energized. If you wait too long between meals, you cause your metabolism to slow down in order to compensate for the perceived state of starvation and you’re left feeling sluggish.

Is your nutrition plan missing anything? Does it include too much of one thing and not enough of another? Feel like you’re not making any progress? Well then, perhaps it’s time for a nutrition plan tune-up.

This is just some information to help guide you. If you want more detailed information or have any questions, be sure to ask one of the Certified Nutrition Specialists the next time you stop by 4X Nutrition.

-Till next time!
-Mikie

Little Known Supplement Series - Resveratrol

Resveratrol – A Potent Antioxidant and Weight Loss Agent

If you have never heard about this wonder nutrient then it’s time you did.
Remember, Antioxidants protect the body from the harmful effects of by-products, known as free radicals, made when the body changes oxygen and food into energy. Think of free radical as the pinball in a pinball machine; when in motion, it can hit everything and anything in its path, but unlike the pinball, free radicals can cause irreversible damage over time. This is where antioxidants come into play. Anti (meaning against) oxidants serve to “deactivate” free radicals.

Resveratrol is a potent antioxidant that is commonly found in the skin of red grapes, peanuts (especially boiled peanuts) cocoa, blueberries, raspberries and mulberries (one of the richest sources). As a health-protecting antioxidant, Resveratrol can help reduce the risk of blood clots, reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad”) cholesterol, prevent damage to blood vessels in your heart, help maintain a healthy blood pressure, reduce blood glucose levels, suppress inflammation and protect the mitochondria (energy factory of the cell). Resveratrol also plays a key role in anti-aging skin care because it thwarts the free radical damage, making skin smooth and soft. Recent studies have also shown Resveratrol’s ability to favorably regulate factors connected to the onset of heart disease, cancer, stroke, Alzheimer’s and diabetes – the 5 leading causes of death.

Resveratrol also has an amazing effect when losing weight. It is believed that it works as an appetite suppressant because of the high content of antioxidants in it that speeds up metabolism thereby causing more calories to burn. Remember, changing your eating habits along with regular exercise will help you shed those extra pounds. Resveratrol can, however, help support your weight loss endeavor. Pair Resveratrol with a Green Tea supplement and you’ve got a potent one-two punch combination for fighting the bulge!

Resveratrol makes a tremendous impact on your whole body, making it stronger and healthier. There are low, medium and high dosage levels. A low dosage is usually about 100mg to 500mg per day and can safely be taken by most healthy people. A medium dosage is about 500mg to 1500mg and anything over 1500mg per day is considered high. The dosage you should follow depends on your body’s current condition as Resveratrol affects each person differently. Therefore, it is important that you consult a doctor/your physician before deciding to take Resveratrol supplements.

This is just some information to help you. If you want more information on Resveratrol or have any questions, be sure to ask one of the Certified Nutrition Specialists the next time you stop by 4X Nutrition.

-Missy Taylor

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!!

Time to Transform Your Body - 2012 Trans-4X-Mation Challenge

It's time to kick your New Year's Resolution into high gear with motivation, support and expert advice from our Certified Nutrition Specialists. Enter to win the 2012 Trans-4X-Mation Body Transformation Challenge sponsored by 4X Nutrition and Muscleology Sports Nutrition.

Go to our website to learn how to enter, contest rules and check out information on the great prizes and support you will receive from 4X Nutrition:

Yes virginia...Ephedra is back...ish

If that title didn't get your attention let me say it again: Ephedra. Is. Back.

I am always looking out for any news that we feel out friends can benefit from when it comes to health and wellness so I had to post about this one.

Apparently, the ephedra ban was lifted in 2009 when a Utah judge ruled on a lawsuit against the FDA’s decision to take ephedra off the market in 2004.

Now let me give you a little history on why ephedra was banned in the first place with help from Mr. Wikipedia:

"In 1997, in response to mounting concern over serious side effects of ephedra, the FDA proposed a ban on products containing 8 mg or more of ephedrine alkaloids and stricter labeling of low-dose ephedra supplements. The FDA also proposed that ephedra labels be required to disclose the health risks of ephedra, such as heart attack, stroke, or death.

In response, the supplement industry created a public relations group, the Ephedra Education Council, to oppose the changes, and commissioned a scientific review by a private consulting firm, which reported that ephedra was safe. The Ephedra Education Council also attempted to block publication of a study confirming wide discrepancies between the labeled potency of supplements and the actual amount of ephedra in the product.

During this time, Metabolife, makers of the best-selling brand of ephedra supplement, had received over 14,000 complaints of adverse events associated with its product; these reports were not provided to the FDA. Co-founder of Metabolife, Michael J. Ellis, has been sentenced to six months in Federal prison for his failure to report adverse effects from his company's products to the FDA. Senators Orrin Hatch and Tom Harkin, authors of the Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act, questioned the scientific basis for the FDA's proposed labeling changes and suggested that the number of problems reported were insufficient to warrant regulatory action. At the time, Hatch's son was working for a firm hired to lobby Congress and the FDA on behalf of ephedra manufacturers.

In addition to the activities of the Ephedra Education Council, Metabolife spent more than $4 million between 1998 and 2000 lobbying against state regulation of ephedra in Texas. Business Week reported that efforts to regulate ephedra and other potentially harmful supplements had been "beaten down by deep-pocketed industry lobbying."

Ultimately, in 2000, the FDA withdrew the proposed labeling changes and restrictions."

So in 2005 Judge Tena Campbell ruled that the FDA has to reevaluate their decision to ban ephedrine alkaloid containing supplements, and also are prohibited from taking any enforcement action against the plaintiffs to prevent the sale of their dietary supplement containing 10 mg or less of ephedrine alkaloids per daily dose.

So after being challenged once more and overruled once more ephedra is back, though not like most would expect it to be.

Because the case is still open and its being looked over for any loop holes most company's will not take the chance of releasing a product based solely on ephedra (looked what happened with the geranium oil) and risk having to pull their products off the market and reformulate it.

You can find some products with real ephedra in them at reasonable amounts if you look hard enough and know what your doing.

Will ephedra ever be welcomed back into the fitness community with open arms again? I'm not sure, but for now it can at least come over for a play date,for a little while.

Till next time,
Mikie

Lychee Extract, the Secret to Losing Abdominal Fat!!!

As always when we run across great articles we have to share them with our fitness family. This articles from Journal of Functional Foods talks about Lychee Extract and its affect on targeting fat reduction. Check it out:

For years, debate has raged within the fitness world - and outside of it - over the issue of spot-reduction, or the ability to selectively remove fat from specific parts of one's body. While many believe that it is indeed possible, and end up spending countless hours doing crunches or "toning" exercises for their thighs, arms, waist and any other possible place unsightly fat may be deposited, the theory is far from being universally accepted. In fact, it often seems as though believers of the spot-reduction legend fall into one of two categories: beginners practicing wishful thinking, and those trying to sell a "fat-blasting" product, usually via a late-night infomercial.
On the other side of the debate are the experienced, no-nonsense fitness enthusiasts who argue that just like you can't choose where fat goes when it's gained, you can't choose where it comes from when you lose it. In their eyes, it all comes down to hard work, discipline, and perhaps some macronutrient manipulation. After all, if spot reduction were possible, you'd see many more sets of chiseled abs, some of them on people who are otherwise obese. Sadly, it doesn't seem to work that way.

Or does it? According to new research published in the Journal of Functional Foods, spot-reduction may in fact be possible. But it's not how you might have imagined it - instead of doing exercises to target a specific area of flab, it's a dietary addition that will have the effect. And what is this magic food? Lychee extract.

Lychee extract is derived from a tropical fruit tree, primarily found in China, India, the Philippines, and Madagascar, among other regions. The Lychee plant is part of the soapberry family and produces pinkish-red fruit. But what is most significant is the effect it had in a recent study.

In the study, a group of subjects aged between 24 and 59 were randomly divided into two groups. The first group received a placebo, while the second group received 50mg of a commercially available Lychee extract on a daily basis. The two groups were followed for ten weeks, after which several assessments were performed.

Even in the relatively short period, significant differences arose. The Lychee group lost an impressive 15 percent of abdominal fat as well as about three centimeters in waist circumference. Additionally, there were improvements in insulin resistance, a condition that can lead to obesity and diabetes.

So while there will never be a magic pill, it appears that Lychee extract can provide an extra boost for fat loss in that all important area - the abs.

SOURCE:

1. Nishihira, J., Sato-Ueshima, M., Kitadate, K., Wakame, K., Fujii. H. Amelioration of abdominal obesity by low-molecular-weight polyphenol (Oligonol) from lychee. Journal of Functional Foods, 2009; 10.1016

So there you have it, when your out to get rid of that holiday belly after the holidays come on in and let us help you get some Lychee and get you on your way to that good six pack!
Till next time,
Mikie