Don't be judgemental

I’M GOING TO RANT …. AGAIN!!

Hold onto your hats people.

This one is about exercise snobbery. Yes! exercise snobbery. It does exist and it bloody winds me up.

How many of you can stand there and genuinely say you have not ridiculed or been derisive of an exercise orsport?

I’m holding my hand up here. I’m guilty of this and so are most of you

Many of the fitness fraternity have been involved with exercise in one form or another for most of our lives. But take a step back for a moment and see things from a new perspective.

Imagine you have been overweight and never exercised in your entire life and now look at yourself through fresh eyes. You’re a bit bloody awesome aren’t you?

You’re also a bit scary.

Many of the classes I teach can be proper hard core. I’m talking vomiting into the bin hard (I have done this by the way).

Any one who has joined me for an Advanced RPM class will know that it is a distinct possibility that you will see the contents of your stomach at some point.

I don’t turn dials up & I don’t force people to work beyond their limits. I take you on a journey. I shout,encourage (sometimes sing) and joke. I carry people with me through an intense workout that most would not be able to do by themselves.

This doesn’t mean I don’t cater for the unfit but most people who are new to exercise are frightened of these high energy style classes

Does this mean that I think hardcore classes are the only way to go? …. No

So from this point of view now look at the exercises you’re so quick to disparage.

I will use Zumba as an example, not because it’s any good but because most people have heard of it.

Those of you that know me are now going to say

“But you hate Zumba”

I know …..but I teach it any way. Why?

Well this is an interesting question. I really don’t approve of the marketing monster that Zumba has become. It’s an Unregulated, Fashion, fad driven monster but I teach it for one reason and one reason only.

It gets unfit people off their arses & moving.

I have lost track of how many overweight, unfit people with low self esteem and confidence that have come to my classes and thoroughly enjoyed them. I’m notblowing my own trumpet here. Any group exercise instructor worth their salt can claim this. What I am saying is that, if people who have previously never exercised in their lives, can enjoy a fitness class, it’s got to be a good thing. I’m not worried if they go home & reward themselves with a piece of cake. They probably would have done that anyway. What they are reallydoing is breaking bad habits. Zumba is an incrediblysocial group exercise class. Its fun and also, if done correctly, a good, low impact exercise. It doesn’t matter if I despise it and it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t build muscle, burn fat or burn calories to any large extent. What it does do, is get people into exercise. It’s a stepping stone and that’s all good

One lady in particular, will always stand out as a shining example of this for me. She was a size twenty two,mother of eight who had incredibly low self esteem and no confidence. Because of stepping stones, she was brave enough to step through the door and has never looked back.

She competed in her first natural bodybuilding competition last year and did bloody well. I am immensely proud of her

This is not because of me, I might add. This is because of having those stepping stones. The classes or exercises that you workout snobs disparage, can have a real effect on people.

I am proud to say many of the people who started their journey with me, using these stepping stones, are now doing more intense classes. Many of them are now using weights. Many of them are now hooked on exercise and eating properly for the first time in their lives. It’s an amazing thing to be a part of and makes me feel very humble.

So before you deride and judge, remember it’s not all about strength, calories, fat or muscle.

Sometimes it’s about changing the habit of a lifetime.

Meditation

I have been asked to write a blog on Meditation. So here goes

Meditation is not something that many people are familiar with but it is a very good way to ease both stress and reduce tension in the body.

Unfortunately, to the western world, meditation still remains a somewhat ridiculed pass time. Most people think of hippies’ or yogis’ when they think of meditation but actually, you may already have entered meditative states without even realising it.

How many of you have had that ‘thousand yard stare’, or got lost in ‘thought’ staring into a fire? This is a meditative state. It’s a state of total relaxation where the mind switches off and you almost become detached from yourself. Meditation involves silencing the mind. It is not an intellectual activity, it’s an attempt to expand your consciousness and be aware of yourself. Meditation can be a practical tool for relaxation, concentration and better health, as well as a tool for self discovery. If practiced correctly, meditation can be a powerful antidote to depressive thoughts.

It is hard to pick up meditation without actually having done it and many people find it easier to be ‘guided’ the first few times. There are a few basic pointers though, if you want to try it for yourself. No matter what form of meditation you choose follow, the basic principle is to quieten your thoughts and mind. This is a skill and at first, you may find it difficult to master. I think, personally it’s best to use some kind of outside influence to help calm the mind when you initially start. As I have said before, open fires are good, or a candle flame. Something you can focus on but doesn’t provide a mental stimulus. The whole concept of stopping thoughts can be very difficult. If you tell someone not to think of something their mind will instantly focus on it

Try it… I’m going to tell you to purposely NOT think of a donkey

See what I mean?

So when you first try sitting silence for a while, you will probably be inundated with thoughts. Difficulty controlling those thoughts, at first, is a common experience. However, if you sincerely try, you can learn to reduce the power of your thoughts over yourself.

When you first attempt meditation there are a few things that I think are essential.

Number one is comfort. You have to be comfortable or you will not be able to relax. Some people like to have soft music. This is fine, but make sure its calm and there are no distracting lyrics. Natural sounds or soft piano music works well.

Secondly make sure there are no distractions. TV and radio off and put the phone away and make sure you have plenty of time. It’s very easy to lose track of time whilst in the meditative state.

Thirdly, concentrate on something. It is hard to control your thoughts through the power of the mind alone and requires a great deal of practice. To achieve inner silence it is advisable to choose something to focus your attention on. This may be the use of a simple mantra or prayer or it may be concentrating on a candle or a simple object. Or you can try listening to your own heart beat. This last one is a simple method and is very inwardly focused plus it has the advantage of always being handy.

Lastly, don’t try and force it. Don’t expect a calm or silent mind straight away or after the first few attempts. Meditation, like any worthwhile activity requires dedication and practice. The Chinese call the state of random uncontrolled thoughts, the ‘monkey mind’ because the mind jumps from thought to thought, like a monkey through the trees. In order to calm the monkey, you must train it.

Meditation is often regarded as a tool for helping with depression. When you are depressed, a powerful stream of negative thoughts runs through your mind. You become very insular and almost selfish within your negativity. Often when depression hits, everything seems hopeless. However, if you can learn to meditate you can go beyond these negative thoughts and quieten the mind. It really can have a dramatic change on your frame of mind and how unhappy you feel.

I will however, lay out a hand of caution. Be careful. In a state of depression or anger, if you sit down to meditate but can’t stop the thoughts endlessly going round, it is better to give up and try something else. Meditation is tremendously intense. If you can only focus on negative thoughts you make them more powerful and it will amplify the depressive state. Therefore, when meditating to overcome depression, it is even more important to detach from your negative thoughts. If you can’t, it’s better to leave it for another time.

So in short, Meditation is a fantastic tool and very much underestimated. Used with things like aromatherapy it can have amazing affects on your mood and sense of well being. So next time you react with anger when someone interrupts your ‘thousand yard stare’ you will know why.

Someone has just broken your peace of mind

Women get in the weights room

This blog is about women & their terror of the weights room

It's like a taboo, it's never talked about except by women who already use weights

I'm guilty of this too. For years the only weight training I did was body weight resistance. So why are we so terrified of weights?
Well partly because it's a kind of male dominated area. Look at the free weights area in any gym and it's mostly men.
The other reason is women don't want to get bulky. So we have become cardio queens & the men have the eggy smelling heaven of hypertrophy

This is sad because there are very good reasons why women should use weights.

For example ; As your lean muscle increases so does your metabolism, this means you will be burning extra calories just through normal living. If , for each pound of muscle you gain, you burn 35 to 50 more calories each day, as has been generally found, that is a potential of 245-350 calories per week just existing

Women, unlike men, women typically don't gain size from strength training, because compared to men, women have 10 to 30 times less of the hormones that cause muscle hypertrophy (growth). You will, however, develop muscle tone and definition.

So why is it men get hench and women don’t?

In order to look at this we need to look at what hormones promote muscular growth in the human body

You trigger hormone production in your body by practically everything you do. Hormones are the chemical messengers the endocrine system secretes in order for your body to stay healthy. In order for to understand how muscle growth works we need to understand how they influence fat loss and muscle growth. Rather than a lesson on how the whole endocrine system works, which is complex and unnecessary, It is probably easier to focus on the specific hormones related to our subject in hand

Some hormones build muscle while others actually breakdown muscle. Some hormones burn fat, while otherhormones can actually cause you to store more of it. In understanding these hormones and how they interact with each other we can, through diet & exercise influence our body shape.

There are 6 major hormones that will affect muscular growth

Testosterone, Insulin, Glucagon, IGF-1 (Insulin like growth factor), Cortisol, Growth Hormone (GH)

Because I’m aiming this at women I am only really going to touch on testosterone but if you want more info then by all means research the other ones for yourself

This is probably the first hormone that people will think of when it comes to muscle hypertrophy (growth) and you would be right. Its primary role is muscle growth. It also helps to burn fat and establish your sexual identity. Men have significantly higher levels of testosterone than women.Testosterone causes muscle growth by directly stimulating protein synthesis and is the primary reason why men can get hench and women can’t. This is also why women should train with weights. We can build strength at a similar rate as men but we can never build muscle at the same rate. So unless you are crap with your diet you can’t get ‘big’. It doesn’t matter how heavy you lift you will never get hench.

Oh and just in case you are wondering about the manly muscle women in the pictures you see in muscle magazines, they are assisted.

Testosterone levels can be controlled by to some extent by our diet and exercise.

Plenty of the B vitamins, vitamin C, zinc and manganese as well as a higher fat intake will stimulate higher levels oftestosterone production. Fat provides cholesterol, which is needed for testosterone synthesis.

Testosterone will decrease the higher your stress levels go. Alcohol will also decrease testosterone levels plus the sugar will get turned into body fat, something we want to avoid

Another thing to remember is that although intense training causes an increase in testosterone, post work out, it will drop. It will stay low for a day or so, before rising again areason why recovery is important.

So good news for us ladies eh? We can pump Iron like Arnold but still look feminine. So aside from the fact we are going to look damned hot on the beach in our swimwear (I cant think of a better reason to be honest) why else should we weight train?

Weight training can increase spinal bone mineral density. This, coupled with an adequate amount of dietary calcium, can be a women's best defense against osteoporosis.Strengthening the lower back muscles can eliminate or alleviate lower back pain. Other studies have indicated that weight training can ease the pain of osteoarthritis and strengthen joints

Over and over research concludes that strength training improves athletic ability in all but the very elite athletes. Golfers can significantly increase their driving power.Cyclists are able to continue for longer periods of time with less fatigue.Whatever sport you play, strength training has been shown to improve overall performance as well as decrease the risk of injury

Strength training not only builds stronger muscles, but also builds stronger connective tissues and increases joint stability. This acts as reinforcement for the joints and helps prevent injury.

Increasing your strength will make you far less dependent upon others for assistance in daily living. Chores will be easier, lifting kids, groceries and laundry will no longer push you to the max.

If your maximum strength is increased, daily tasks and routine exercise will be far less likely to cause injury. Research studies conclude that even moderate weight training can increase a woman's strength by 30 to 50 percent. Research also shows that women can develop their strength at the same rate as men.

When cardiovascular exercise is added to all of this, these benefits are maximized.

The No. 1 benefit of following an aerobic exercise plan is the change in your cardiovascular fitness that results from this kind of training regimen. Regular aerobic exercise causes your lungs to process more oxygen with less effort; your heart to pump more blood with fewer beats; and the blood supply directed to your muscles to increase. As a result, by performing cardiovascular exercises, you are increasing your body's endurance and efficiency. An important thing to remember though is that once the exercise is finished calorie burn is over

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Resistance training (weight training) can play an important role in the development of self-confidence and body satisfaction by increasing strength, sculpting muscles and increasing muscular endurance. It can also help maintain lean body mass (important for individuals attempting weight loss), decrease the risk of osteoporosis, develop coordination and balance, and prevent injuries resulting from weak muscles. The nice thing with this work out is that the fat burn can continue up to 12 hrs after the workout. Providing the intensity is high enough.

So in short ladies, cardio gets your heart and vascular system fit, weights burn fat and make you look fit

Get in the weights room girls, show the boys how we can do it and look fit, hot & sexy

Meal replacements rant

I am going to rant!

It’s as simple as that.

For the third time this week I have been contacted by a rather well known ‘health food’ company asking whether I would like to try their products. Now I am going to get on my soap box and have a proper rant!

Today’s blog is about diet again but not about what foods to eat. Rather it’s more about meal replacement products

Now I’m sorry, I know for many of you out there, meal replacement products seem to be the answer to all your problems.

They take the thinking out of a diet for you and are nutritionally sound right? ….

WRONG

These products are not nutritionally sound. Yeah sure, you could live off them but they are not sound.

I’m not going to name this company because that would be unfair but what I am going to do is explain why I think this kind of ‘dieting’ in my opinion, is wrong.

As I have said before in previous blogs, the common misconception for the word diet is lack of eating.

Meal replacement gets people into very bad habits in regard to eating. Plus what happens when you go back to eating ‘normal’ food?

So here is the Dictionary definition of the word Diet and not the restriction of food and drink intake to lose weight definition

Diet; One’s daily normal food and drink …. BOOM!!!

This is going to be the basis of my rant. Diet should be your daily NORMAL food and drink intake. Everything you base your eating and drinking habits on should have this thought firmly in mind. It has to be sustainable for the rest of your life.

This is partially why ‘diets’ don’t work. Yeah they’re great for that initial weight loss but seriously, how many of you serial dieters actually give thought to or plan your post diet strategy?....

I’m going to let you have a moment to let that thought sink in.

Now I have explained about how weight loss diets can affect the body before but if meal replacements are supposed to be good, then surely that won’t be an issue?

Well I’m going to have to have some foundation or evidence for my argument so let’s have a look at two meal replacement shakes. These are by two different companies. One is a company that prides itself producing ‘healthy’ products. The other is a leading brand in ‘diet’ products.

I’m going to list the first 10 ingredients of each shake

SHAKE 1                                                        SHAKE 2

Soy protein isolate                                          Skimmed milk powder

Fructose                                                          Sugar

Cellulose powder                                            Maltodextrin

Corn bran                                                        Vegetable Oil

Artificial French vanilla flavour                      Inulin

Guar Gum                                                       Thickeners (Gum Arabic, Xanthan Gum, Potassium chloride                                                           Guar Gum)

Calcium caseinate                                            Lactose

Casein                                                             Cellulose

Calcium phosphate                                         Milk Protein

Stabilisers (Sodium Carboxy Methyl Cellulose, Dipotassium Phosphate)

Already just by looking at these ingredients you can see where I’m going to go with this.

Ingredient No 1

If you read yesterdays blog (should we eat soy), you will already know my opinion on unfermented soya products and this is the No 1 ingredient of our first shake.

The second shake uses skimmed milk powder. The nutritional benefits of skimmed milk are minimal. You may as well drink water. If you want the calcium eat more calcium rich foods or take calcium supplements. Otherwise full fat milk all the way.

So, on our first ingredient we have a fail on both counts.

Ingredient No 2

Shake 1: Fructose or fruit sugar. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is a good sugar. It’s still sugar, pure and simple.  

Shake 2: Sugar

Really, in a health food or diet shake? What the hell?

This isn’t looking good already

Maltodextrin is also a form of sugar as is inulin. Cellulose powder, corn bran and the various types of gums are all used as thickening and bulking agents to make you feel full.

Lactose is a milk sugar

Potassium chloride is a salt, so it does have nutritional benefits but most people have far too much salt in their diet already.

At last we have found a ‘good’ ingredient, kind of.

Casein is a dairy derived protein so actually, unless you have a dairy intolerance, this is the first ingredient in this list that we have that has a nutritional benefit

Calcium Phosphate is a mineral salt that is beneficial to the digestive system, including the assimilation of food

So That’s it! In the first 10 ingredients we have only two that have any nutritional benefit. Ironically they are both in the first shake, which consists mostly of Soya protein isolate

In fairness I will mention that both these shakes have various vitamins, minerals and trace elements that are very good for you but lets face it, you can get those from multi vit & mineral tablets.

Or try this…. How about from your diet?

I know shakes are easier than planning out food but once you get into the habit and learn about the nutritional values of food its easy. Plus, its lifetime sustainable.

So have a think about your weight loss in a sensible manner. Eat clean & by that I mean minimal processed foods. If it comes in a packet & has ingredients its processed). Be careful of health and diet foods and have a look at the ingredients. If the list is longer that 5 ( other than vitamins & minerals) and any of them are sugar, it is not a health food. It is processed junk.

Above all think more about what you put in your body. Food manufacturers will mislead you with phrases like low fat or low calorie. It doesn’t mean its good for you.

HAPPY HEALTHY EATING MY FRIENDS

Should we eat Soya?

Should we eat Soya?

This is the subject of my next blog

Oh this one is a real can of worms my friends. There is no doubt that this is a subject that creates heated arguments and no one really has a definitive yes or no answer.

There are many studies you can read on this subject and it is really difficult to separate the wood from the trees. There are so many different variables with soya that it really can’t be called either way for definite. What I will say is that, soya is no longer a ‘natural’ product.

So where do Soya beans come from?

Soya beans originated in Southeast Asia and were first domesticated by Chinese farmers around 1100 BC. By the first century AD, soya beans were grown in Japan and many other countries

The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume and has numerous uses. The plant is classed as an oilseed rather than a pulse by the UN Food and Agricultural Organization but I won’t go into that with too much depth
What we do know is that the soya bean is a significant and cheap source of protein for animal feeds. It is now used in many prepackaged vegetarian meals. Textured vegetable protein is the ingredient in many meat and dairy replacements and Soya beans produce significantly more protein per acre than most other uses of land.

Traditional non fermented food uses of soya beans include soya milk, and from that tofu and tofu skin. Fermented foods include soy sauce, fermented bean paste, natto, and Tempeh.
Soya beans are one of the "biotech food" crops. They have been genetically modified, and are being used in an increasing number of products.

In the late 1990’s, under 10% of all soya beans cultivated for the commercial market in the U.S.A., were genetically modified. In 2010, the figure was over 90%.

With the increasing popularity of vegetarianism, soya is often regarded as a 'near perfect' food. Supporters claim it provides an ideal source of protein, helps to lower cholesterol, protect against cancer and heart disease plus reduce menopausal symptoms and osteoporosis. Sounds almost too good to be true doesn’t it?
How did such a 'miracle food' emerge from a product that, in 1913, was listed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as an industrial product?

In America soya oil has become a very large industry. As a result a lot of soya protein residue is created as a left over by product. Since they can’t feed it to the animals, except in small amounts, they have had to find another big market….

Enter human consumption.

To convince the U.S. of the benefits of soya, millions of dollars have been spent on advertising which has resulted in about 75% percent of U.S. consumers believing that soya products are healthy. I bet until this moment, you did too.

So why is soya not as good as we have been lead to believe? Well let’s have a closer look.

Soya products can be classified into two main groups: fermented and unfermented.
The unfermented soya category is the problematic one. It includes products, such as tofu, bean curd, all soya milks, soya infant formulae, soya protein powders , meal replacement shakes and soya meat alternatives.

NOTE: I have highlighted soya protein powders because the majority of you reading this will use, or have used, protein powders or shakes.

As I said before, Soya belongs to the family of legumes, which includes beans such as adzuki, red kidney, black eyed, barlotti, etc, as well as chickpeas. Peanuts are legumes too, not nuts as most people believe.

All legumes and whole-grains such as rice, barley, oats, wheat and rye, contain amounts of phytic acid. Soya contains large amounts of phytic acid. In some cases, phytic acid can be beneficial but it also has many negative points.
Phytic acid has the ability to bind minerals, proteins and starch and so can result in lower absorption of these substances. In large amounts, it can block the uptake of essential minerals, like calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, and especially zinc. Soya also inhibits the uptake of iodine, one of the most important minerals needed for growth and metabolism. Iodine is used by the thyroid gland in the production of thyroid hormones.

Women and children need iron. Women  to replace the loss during their menstrual cycle and children for growth and development.

Soya has also been linked with thyroid disorder, especially in women, weakening of the immune system and contribution to food allergies and digestive intolerance

Soya also contains phytoestrogens, which can mimic the effects of the female hormone, oestrogen (not so good for you fella’s). They have been found to have adverse effects on various human tissues, and regular consumption of soya milk has enough of the chemical to alter a woman's menstrual cycle. Infants who are exclusively fed soy formula receive the approximate equivalent of five birth control pills worth of oestrogen every day.

It’s not all bad news for soya however. Consuming only fermented soy products such as organic miso, organic tempeh, soy sauce or tamari is not so harmful. This is because the phytic acid, which is inherent in soy beans, has been neutralized by process of fermentation. It’s the reason why we soak beans. Soaking them for 48-72 hours before cooking allows fermentation to take place.

So although consuming organic fermented soy products can be quite beneficial. Consuming even small amounts of unfermented soy on a regular basis could cause some adverse effects in our body.

So next time you consider drinking soy milk, instead consider coconut milk or goat's milk. Some people who are allergic to dairy can tolerate goat milk products in small quantities.

Next time you buy a protein powder have a look at how much of it is Soya. I’ll bet your seemingly amazing deal on that 5Kg tub doesn’t seem such a good deal now.

And next time you consider a meal replacement shake to shift your ‘Moobs’ have a think about the effect that phytoestrogens are going to have on that particular problem

The Miracle that is coconut oil

A lot of people have been asking me about coconut oil lately. I quite often comment about adding it to my morning coffee and many people are asking why?

So I have decided to give out a little info on this little miracle

Coconut oil is used extensively in tropical countries, especially India Sri Lanka, Thailand etc. It is a staple in the Indonesian diet and culture

What isn’t generally known however is that it was also once popular in western countries such as the USA and Canada? Sadly, there was a strong anti coconut oil campaign waged predominantly by the corn oil and soy oil industry in the 70’s. Coconut oil was vilified because of its saturated fat content.

The health benefits of coconut oil however are many and varied. Hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, digestion, the list goes on and on.

So why is coconut oil so good for us?… After all it’s over 90% saturated fat

How much?

Wait! Before you run away screaming, coconut oil is way more than just about the fat

Coconut oil consists of mostly medium chain triglycerides; these are easy for the body to assimilate. Of these triglycerides 40% are Lauric acid. The rest are made up by capric, caprylic, myristic, and palmitic acid

Coconut oil also contains the polyunsaturated fatty acid, linoleic acid and monounsaturated fatty acid Oleic acid

Mixed in with this is Gallic acid, a Poly-phenol which is thought to be responsible for the fragrance and taste of coconut oil. Plus Vitamins E and K and minerals such as iron

So what on earth does all this mean and why is coconut oil so good?

Because coconut oil has so many saturated fats it was once considered bad for the heart. However not all saturated fats are equal and dietary fat is not quite the contributing factor to heart disease as it was once thought to be. Coconut oil contains about 40% lauric acid which has been found to help prevent various heart problems including high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.

The saturated fats in coconut oil are not harmful as it happens in the case of other vegetable oils. It does not lead to an increase of LDL (bad cholesterol) levels. It is also and anti-inflammatory and reduces the incidence of injury/damage to the arteries

Coconut oil is also a helpful aid to reducing weight. Sounds like a bit of an oxymoron doesn’t it? As I have explained before though, Fat doesn’t make you fat! Lack of exercise and poor diet management makes you fat!

Coconut oil is easy to digest and helps with the healthy functioning of the thyroid and enzyme systems. These are the systems that regulate how the body uses and stores food. It also increases the metabolism by removing pancreatic stress therefore burning more energy and helping to reduce weight.

One of the reasons we rarely see people from tropical coastal areas that are overweight.

Coconut oil also aids digestion and has anti microbial properties and helps the body to absorb vitamins minerals and amino acids. Good news for those of us with tummy problems.

So I ask you. Why are you still using vegetable oil?

Coconut oil is not cheap. I will grant you that but if you go on the my protein website they sell it in Kilo pots for under a tenner. A kilo goes a bloody long way. I use mine every day. In my coffee, to cook with, even to moisturise dry skin with. Its amazing stuff.

So why not make the switch… go on, make your tummy happy

Energy foods ... pardon me?

So at the request of a friend, today's blog is going to cover energy foods...

I could be facetious and say that's it!

What’s it?

Food = energy, that's it.

But I know what she meant. What foods provide good energy for workouts? Well here's the thing. I'm not actually going to cover individual foods. This would be a bit pointless. Its like giving someone ammunition but not explaining how to use the gun.

What I'm going to do is roughly explain how the energy systems work & then you can make an informed decision for yourself.

Understanding energy systems is a major part of the study of exercise and the effect it has on the human body.

The study of energy flow through the body is usually one of the first chapters in any good exercise/physiology book. However with new discoveries and better knowledge of hormonal response, the current model of human energy systems is being questioned...

We have three basic energy pathways. Their interactions with one another and their relevance, is dependent on different the sporting activity we are undergoing.

Energy is required for all kinds of processes including growth, development and repair. Transportation of various substances between cells requires energy and of course, the one that we are most interested in, muscle contraction.

So Whether it's extreme endurance like the Yukon row, or one explosive movement like a punch, skeletal muscle is powered by one and one compound only...

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

Unfortunately, our bodies only store a small quantity of ATP within our cells. Its only enough to power just a few seconds of all-out exercise. So how on earth do we keep going?

Don’t worry, the good news is our bodies are very clever and have found a way to replace or resynthesize ATP on an ongoing basis. Understanding how it does this is the key to understanding how our energy systems work.

I am not going to bore you with how the ATP triphosphate/diphosphate cycle works. There are many books that will cover this subject, so if you are interested, buy one and have a read.

So how do we replace this ATP?

There are several energy sources that can be used to power the production of ATP. One of these, like existing ATP, is stored inside our cells. It is called creatine phosphate.

Creatine phosphate is readily available in our cells and rapidly produces ATP. Unfortunately it also, only exists in limited concentrations, mostly within the muscles.

Other energy sources that can the body can use to produce ATP include fat, carbohydrate and protein.

Fat is stored mainly as adipose tissue all through our bodies. It is a potentially limitless energy reservoir. However Fat is less accessible as a fuel, as it must first be reduced from its complex form, triglyceride, to the simpler components of glycerol and free fatty acids. So although fat acts as a vast stockpile of fuel, it’s not the best. Energy release is simply too slow for very intense activity.

It is however a great fuel for the parts of the day where activity is not intense. Carbs aren’t needed as we don’t need a fast fuel. So fat is an ideal source.

I’m not going to touch on protein here as it’s a much more complex issue and the subject of another day

So what now?

Carbohydrate!

Unlike fat, carbohydrate is not stored throughout the body. Carbohydrate is taken up by the muscles and liver and converted into glycogen. Glycogen can be used to form ATP and in the liver it can be converted into glucose and transported to the muscles via the blood. A heavy training session can deplete carbohydrate stores in the muscles and liver, as can a restriction in our diets. Carbohydrate can release energy much more quickly than fat. It is our bodies preferred fuel.

However advances in knowledge how our bodies use fuel has made an interesting discovery.

For years athletes have been overloading on carbohydrates in order to give themselves enough energy to complete a training session. It has kind of become one of those unspoken facts. BUT, if you have adequate stores of glycogen in the muscles prior to a workout why do we need to ‘Carb load’. The fuel is there, ready & waiting. If we carb load with saturated muscles & liver, all that carbohydrate will be stored as fat. As I have already explained, fat is not the ideal fuel for an intense workout. So again I ask you.

Why preload?

If you have full glycogen stores you will have enough energy for roughly an hours intense workout. Then they will be depleted. Ideally this is the time we need to replenish. Then you will need fast simple carbs such as Dextrose or tricarb. This will help replenish some of the depleted reserves quickly. After that more complex carbs can be used in conjunction with protein & fats.

If you are an endurance athlete 20 mins into your workout is about the right time to start replenishing. This will give your body time to convert the fuel available as your muscles are depleted.

So the trick here is, balance. Recharging enough without overdoing it. This is where more often than not, it will all go horribly wrong. People (especially women) tend to vastly overestimate how many carbs they need.

Unfortunately there is no magic formula for this, it will require some attention to workout intensity v’s carb intake. A little experimentation and some patience.

So rather than focusing on what energy foods are best, focus on when and why and how much.

So now I’ve explained how to use the gun, it’s up to you what ammunition you use and where you aim it.