Eggs for a Quicker Recovery

             I find many athletes fail to see gains from high intensity sprints and strength workouts because they experience muscle soreness, limiting exercise.

The key to remodeling muscle and recovery lies in timing the intake and amount of the master amino acid: leucine.

How much leucine at a meal is enough?  Although no studies have been done on humans, researchers have used data from rats to estimate requirements.

Per Meal Leucine Recommendations by Body Weight: 

             Rich food sources of leucine are eggs , animal protein (fish, beef, poultry), and milk.  The USDA provides a complete listing of food sources of the leucine content.  It is important to recognize that heavier athletes may find it difficult to get enough leucine at a meal without using careful planning.

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GLUCOSE ONLY VS GLU-FRUCTOSE SPORTS BEVERAGE: WHICH IS BETTER?

Fructose has been getting a lot of bad press recently, with excessive amounts linked to rising obesity rates and cardiovascular disease in the general population.  Current opinion by health experts suggests that athletes may be protected from the adverse effects of fructose because it is used for energy during exercise by working muscles. Avoiding fructose by using a glucose-only sports drink may be one way to eliminate the negative effects of fructose.  When this idea was tested with nine well-trained cyclists performing a 100-km time trial using a glucose-fructose drink, and then a glucose-only drink, the results were clear.   All 9 cyclists completed the 100-km time trial significantly faster using the glucose-fructose drink.

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Best Vegetarian Protein Source

 One of the mistakes I see many vegetarian athletes make is forgetting that plant based protein may also contain substantial amounts of carbohydrate or fat.  Here is an example: 2 tablespoons of peanut butter provides 8 grams of protein – but it also has 16 grams of fat and is 190 calories.  A half cup serving of black beans has fewer calories – just 114 – but adds 20 grams of carbohydrate and only 8 grams of protein to the diet.  When an athlete needs 100 grams of protein per day, it is sometimes difficult to balance the additional carbohydrate and fat calories with total energy needs.

 A great vegetarian choice that provides a high proportion of all nine essential amino acids is the whole soybean.  In one half cup of mature yellow soybeans, there is 14 grams of protein, only 8.5 grams of carbohydrate and 9 grams of fat, and 194 calories.   Foods that contain whole soy in the diet are tofu, soy milk, canned soybeans, and edamame.

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Easy High Leucine Snack to Boost Muscle

My sister came home from Finland and brought this favorite snack idea from her travels. High in the amino acid, leucine, it provides the stimulus for rebuilding muscle after exercise. Fresh tomato and basil pack in antioxidants. No wonder the Finns are so tough!

The “Finn-wich”

1 Rye krisp cracker
1/2 oz low fat mozzarella cheese
2 slices fresh tomato
1 Tbsp fresh basil
OR 2 thin cucumber slices

Stack cheese, tomato, and fresh basil or cucumber on top of rye krisp cracker.
Enjoy with a cranberry spritzer, sparkling water, or a glass of white wine.

Nutrition per Finn-wich:

Calories 74, Protein 5 g, Fat 2.4 g, Saturated fat 1.5 g, Carb 9 g, Calcium 10% DV, Iron 2% DV, vitamin A 16% DV, vitamin C 9% DV

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Let’s Get Ripped: Diet for Maximum Muscle Gain

Identical twin studies can provide the control to demonstrate the effect of diet and training.  Take the case of these two brothers. They are identical genetically.  One of the brothers trained as a runner, the other, a weight lifter.  Both are lean…but guess which one is the weight lifter?

Lifting weights without providing the right diet won’t get you maximum gain.  Building muscle is a combination of nutrient timing and training. 

In order to build muscle, it takes a stimulus, like weight lifting, and some fuel.  Does that mean devouring a 10-oz T-bone steak?  Not exactly.  It only takes 7-10 grams of essential amino acids to provide enough fuel to get the muscle building machinery ramped up. To realize significantly more gain, include some carbohydrate with the protein, and eat before exercising.

What does 7 g of essential AA + carbohydrate look like on the training table? Try some of these food choices: 
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Build Muscle, Recover Faster with These Foods

 It’s easy to be motivated to do a workout when you’re feeling energetic.  But sometimes the get-up-and-go energy is just not there.  Why not? Could be what you’ve been eating.

            Energy during exercise is provided primarily by glycogen stores in the muscle.  Replenishment of these stores with a high carbohydrate food is essential before further exercise training can occur.   Without the provision of protein following exercise, however, muscle loss will occur due to the breakdown of muscle that occurs during exercise. 

Research has demonstrated that a recovery food plan that includes both protein and carbohydrate is superior to one that is limited to only carbohydrate.  

            Recommended food combinations for post-workout recovery are: cereal and low fat milk, low fat yogurt and fruit, low fat mozzarella string cheese and rye or whole grain crackers (low fat), cottage cheese and crackers or fruit, whole grain sports bar and milk, low fat chocolate milk.  Individuals who do not tolerate milk may find low fat soy milk and cheese as acceptable alternative to milk.  Avoid high fat snack choices as they will slow down digestion and delay the delivery of nutrients for recovery.

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Super Quick & Healthy Black Bean Fish Burrito

Prep Time: 10 minutes                                           1 large servings or 2 small

             This is burrito is a great “emergency” meal when you have been running around like a crazy person and had no time to think about what to eat for dinner.  Keep the fish on hand in the freezer, stock Mexican flavored black beans and a jar of salsa in the cupboard and low fat soft burritos and low fat cheese in the refrigerator.  All of these items will “keep” for several weeks so have them in ready reserve at all times.

1 4-oz. individual frozen fillet of Alaska polluck  or other mild fish
¼ cup Mexican flavored black beans
(save rest of can for a vegetarian burrito, or side dish)
½ tsp olive oil
4-6 Tbsp mild salsa
1 oz low fat cheddar cheese (about 2 Tbsp)
1 low fat soft burrito (to reduce carbohydrate in meal, use 8” size instead of 10”)
Food oil spray

Toppings recommended for flavor and antioxidants:
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Fabulous Body – Fried Face? Skin Health Tips for Outdoor Athletes

When AARP started sending me solicitations to join their group, I was a bit put off. Looking for some inspiration, I found it helpful to read about other, much older, athletes who were still out there having fun in their 70’s and 80’s.   While flipping through a copy of Master Athlete magazine, it struck me: great bodies, but their faces!  Ouch!  Pictures with smiling, but wrinkled, sun-weathered, saggy faces.   Not exactly the look I was aspiring to achieve.  However, cosmetic problems are minor in comparison to the risk of too much UV exposure.  Skin cancer is the real enemy of outdoor athletes.  According to the American Cancer Society, skin cancer is the most common of all cancers, accounting for more than 2 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer in 2009.

Preventing cancer and early aging is possible. 
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Hydration During Exercise: Sport Drink Guidelines

 The energy beverage industry is a huge market.  It can be confusing for athletes, however, who need specific formulations during exercise that can be easily tolerated and quickly pass out of the stomach and absorbed.  Here is a quick guide:

• Always use a sports drink during exercise of >1 hour duration.
• Choose a sports hydration drink that contains more than one type of sugar (maltodextrin, sucrose, fructose, glucose polymer) to insure the fastest rate of absorption of carbohydrate energy to the muscles.
• Do not use drinks that are made with pure fructose as the sole carbohydrate source (honey, fruit juice).  Fructose requires a GLUT-4 transporter to cross the intestine, and will often cause gas and cramping – or worse.
• The concentration of carbohydrate should be 6-9% for a sports hydration drink.  This can be easily calculated: 14 g carb/240 ml x 100 = 5.8%.  Drinks that are over 10% (fruit juice, soda) cannot be absorbed from the stomach rapidly.
• All sport drinks will improve the body’s ability to stay hydrated during exercise better than water alone because of added sodium.
• Using a sports drink with added protein can help minimize muscle damage during long duration exercise where glycogen stores have become depleted. 
• Aim for a minimum of 30g of supplemental carb/hour.  This can be achieved with a sports hydration drink.  In order to reach 60g of carbohydrate per hour, a combination of drink, gel, and water may be necessary.
• Fluids should include sodium and potassium, which are lost in sweat.  Ideally during events lasting over 2 hours, drink at least 8 oz every 20 minutes and use a product that supplies 200 mg sodium per 8 oz.
• Athletes can easily lose 2  grams of salt per hour when sweating at a rate of a liter per hour. In a 5 hour race, that can mean 10+grams of salt, which is equivalent to 4000 mg of sodium.   Sports drinks can provide some of that sodium, however, heavy sweaters should not rely solely on their sports drink.  Salty food sources are recommended to supplement.
• One final piece of advice?  Practice hydrating during training.  Individuals vary greatly in their sweat rates and need to individualize their fluid and electrolyte replacement schedule.  Be organized on race day with a fool proof plan.

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Carb’s Boost Performance – It’s Not Just All in Your Head

Want to perform better without using the Floyd Landish approach?  Try the cheap, simple, safe – and legal method.  Timed carbohydrate supplements.  Carbohydrate, a.k.a. sugar.  And nooo…..you’re not going to get fat.  There is a right time for carbs.  Doubters can lay their fears to rest.  The benefits are not just in your head, and the extra calories are totally worth it.  Here’s proof. 

In a study where cyclists were given a 6% carbohydrate sports drink or a placebo of non-caloric flavored sports drink, the performance difference was amazing.  After a 120 minute ride, followed by a time trial of approximately 60 minutes, cyclist performed 10.6% better with carbohydrate compared with the placebo, and 11.3% compared to water.   
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