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Inflammation

Inflammation, Performance, Recovery, Supplements, Vitamins/ Minerals, Weight
Your vitamin D levels could be impacted by your weight
- February 15, 2023
The popularity of vitamin D has skyrocketed here the past year or so! Justifiably so as well due to how many benefits it appears able to provide. This popularity times up with a lot of research that has been coming out on vitamin D touting those benefits. Similar to how cauliflower appears to be able to become just about anything, vitamin D is able to be involved in seemingly everything. Having so much potential benefit it’s important to ensure adequate amounts are being consumed. The tricky part though is that not everyone is as responsive to the same amount of intake.

Benefits of vitamin D

There is a whole list of benefits able to be provided but I want to highlight a few of the main ones. One of the original benefits noted comes from vitamin D’s ability to aid calcium absorption. As a result, there is a big role being played in keeping bones strong and decreasing risk of fractures. Growing numbers of studies are also showing the benefits on muscles themselves. Vitamin D can help to ensure proper muscle contraction which is obviously very important for athletes as well as regular daily functions. It also helps with overall muscle soreness. Those with insufficient levels tend to report increased soreness and worse recovery after workouts and day to day. Nobody enjoys being sore!

An additional area that vitamin D can play a major role in is with the immune system. It is essential at keeping the system by aiding the production of proteins in the body that can help fight off inflammation and other problems. A lot of attention was getting drawn to vitamin D especially when COVID was at its peak. For athletes, a strong immune system ensures not missing any playing time due to being sick. For the rest of us it means we are able to feel good more frequently and not be slowed down. Just like with soreness, nobody likes being sick!

Sources of vitamin D
Now that we know the benefits, we want to make sure that we are getting enough to receive all of the benefits. There aren’t a ton of food sources necessarily as many products need to be fortified with vitamin D but here are some of the top items:
- Fatty fish
- Egg yolks
- Fortified cereal
- Fortified milk/dairy
- Fortified orange juice
Outside of food sources though, the sun is a main provider. This is why those who live further away from the equator tend to have lower levels. Individuals who spend more time indoors also run into the same problem. You want to be mindful of how much sun exposure you do get to avoid potential harm from that but a little bit each day is wonderful.

How does weight play a role?

A new interesting correlation has started to arise revolving around one’s weight and vitamin D levels. It appears that heavier individuals may have a tough time absorbing vitamin D and getting their levels to increase. As a result, extra attention needs to be placed to avoid deficiency. For larger individuals, supplementation should be considered at a higher dose to help increase those levels appropriately. Extra supplementation is a lot safer than extra sun.

Regardless of one’s weight though, regular testing is highly recommended and incredibly beneficial. Without knowing where the starting point is it’s tough to know what actions should be taken. Generally speaking, most individuals can benefit from a quality vitamin D supplement. But again, the specific dosage will depend on one’s starting level and now perhaps on their weight as well.

Study referenced: click here

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Diets, Energy, Inflammation, Macronutrients, Recovery, Wellness
Add some avocado to your life
- January 31, 2023
The idea of “super foods” gets thrown around a lot. Along the way many foods tend to cycle in and out of the label and avocado is one of them. Avocados have become incredibly popular but the reasonings as to why depends on why you ask. Some sing its praises due to its low carb content. Other’s love it for the great nutrients it contains. Then there are some that are hesitant about them due to their fat content. With such differing opinions and thoughts, it can be confusing to know what to think about this mysterious fruit.

Avocado hype and the positives

There is a lot to love about avocados which is what sparked the referenced study in the first place. They are a nutrient powerhouse that contain some vitamins that the majority of people struggle to get enough of. In particular, vitamin E and magnesium. The nutrients help to fight off inflammation in the body and aids melatonin production for sleep respectively.

Keeping the good times rolling, avocados are also a solid source of fiber and potassium. Fiber is great at keeping a health gut microbiome which cannot be emphasize enough how important that is. The gut is one of the body’s first lines of defense to keep the bad stuff out and let the good stuff in. This ensures no inflammatory items are allowed in while the beneficial nutrients are, to keep the body in a fantastic state. Potassium wise avocados actually contain more potassium than bananas. Adequate potassium intake ensures optimal muscle contractions while also aiding blood pressure levels.

Isn’t all the fat in avocado worrisome?

This is a myth that has been around seemingly since the dawn of time. Eating fat is not bad! Your body requires fat and is needed for optimal nutrient absorption and hormone production. Without those things you’re going to have a bad time. It’s a good thing that avocados can fill that need for you then as avocado is one of the few fruits that is mostly made up of fat.

The type of fat in avocados is particularly what makes them so popular by many people. Avocados are very high in unsaturated fats. Compared to saturated fats, unsaturated fats have been linked with better overall health benefits. They’ve been shown to help decrease inflammation in the body and aid in cholesterol improvements. These cardiovascular effects were the focal point of the recent study done. With the nutrients and unsaturated fat content of avocados it was expected to be clear cut benefits being seen.

While the benefits weren’t as significant as one may expect, there were still some positive trends. HDL levels were shown to increase which is helpful at decreasing the risk of cardiovascular issues arising. In addition to that, oxidized LDL levels were decreased indicating overall stress in the body was decreased. Looking at potential impact on weight as well there wasn’t any indication that increase avocado consumption resulted in increased weight gain. Just reinforcing the fact that eating fat does not make one fat. Overall, there’s a lot of benefit coming from those avocados.

Ways to incorporate more avocados

Cauliflower is still the champion of being able to be converted into just about anything! Avocado though can still make some guest appearances. One of my favorite ways to mix them in is in smoothies. They don’t provide much of a flavor that would overpower anything and can add a wonderful creaminess to the smoothie. If wanting to get a bit wild though, there are avocado brownies and avocado ice cream which Tom Brady has been known to dabble with. All of these are great but sometimes too just plain avocado with a little salt on its own is perfect enough! With so many options, make sure you are trying to add a few into your rotation as well.

Study referenced: click here

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Brain Health, Inflammation, Recovery, Vitamins/ Minerals, Wellness
Açaí Berries May Be Part Of Why Hawaii Is So Calm And Relaxed
- January 14, 2023
One of the best things that I had when my wife and I went to Hawaii were the acai bowls. They were as common over there as ice cream shops are here off the island. If you’ve had the pleasure of traveling to Hawaii you will have noticed the great culture and pace of life. It’s night and day compared to big city living around New York or Los Angeles. Some of this more relaxed, less anxious and overall chill demeaner may be in part due to this focus on acai.

What is açaí?

Acai is a berry that is native to Central and South America but has become popular is more places than just that. Super foods is a title that gets thrown around a bit loosely now-a-days but acai would absolutely be worthy of that label. Nutrients within acai are very antioxidant heavy which is able to help decrease inflammation in the body. Macronutrient wise it’s a fairly even split between carbs and unsaturated fats unlike most other fruits. Flavor wise it’s even better!

Açaí’s impact on anxiety

Life is full of stressors that can start to take a toll on your body if not careful. In addition to other stress management and counseling strategies, a proper diet can play a big role. The study referenced here was done on rats which is always needed to be interpreted with a grain of salt but some takeaways can still be had. In general rats are physiologically fairly similar to humans and a lot easier to control for study purposes.

In this study they purposefully put mice in some anxiety inducing situations to see how they respond. When compared to other mice eating a “typical” diet, those with acai were more calm and less anxious. More research naturally needs to be done but if this could help reduce some medication needs for some individuals down the road the research will be worthwhile. Something to keep an eye out for.

Inflammation and memory benefits with açaí

Situations of high stress, either physical or psychological, the added antioxidants of acai berries would be very beneficial. Increased inflammation impacts just about every aspect of the body from head to toe. Helping the body combat this with proper sleep, hydration and nutrient rich foods are critical.

As we learn more about various mental/memory illnesses, inflammation is a factor that continues to come up. While this referenced study is on rats, the principles/concepts are applicable. Unfortunately, when most people get older, the quality of their diet seems to decrease a little bit as well. Absolutely no judgement but it is something to be mindful of and makes someone wonder if a few more antioxidant rich items could help decrease some of those common memory risks.

Adding açaí into your diet

The nutrient profile of acai makes it very unique due to the fat content. While not quite to the level of avocados, it’s still noticeably higher in fat. Due to that, acai may not be the best pre-workout for everyone but could be great post-workout or the rest of the day. With a balanced macro-breakdown this can help to keep glucose levels stable and avoid spikes and crashes.

Making some smoothies with acai thrown in is a great way to add some into your diet. My personal favorite though is going back to the way it was introduced to me in Hawaii. Acai bowls are heaven in a bowl! You can add various toppings such as other fruits, nuts, peanut butter, some honey, dark chocolate or whatever your heart desires. Adding in some of those additional antioxidant rich foods can make this treat even more beneficial. I encourage you to check out your local grocery store to see if they have any (frozen section may be your best bet) and give it a try!

Study referenced: click here

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Allergies, Inflammation, Recovery, Supplements
Spirulina supplement is becoming popular and may help your immune system
- November 21, 2022
High intensity training and activities takes a big toll on the body. Falling in that category is the immune system in particular. To help maintain a strong immune system, the idea of taking a spirulina supplement has grown in popularity. Taking spirulina during times of recovery as Zion Williamson reportedly did could be a useful time a swell. Speeding up recovery with a strong immune system is a great strategy and using spirulina is an intriguing addition. Looking into this, a new study tested soccer players during an 8-week tournament preparation with spirulina.

What is a spirulina supplement?

Spirulina is a blue-green algae that is jam packed with nutrients. Containing all those nutrients does leave the door open for the potential to provide a lot of benefit in a variety of ways. Practicing vegans tend to use this as an additional source of protein, iron and B12 which they typically struggle to consume enough of. Having a spirulina supplement can help provide those benefits in a more concentrated does as it otherwise can be tough to sometimes incorporate into cooking.

Impact on immune system

During an 8-week build up to a tournament, researchers looked at the immune function of the soccer players. Each day half the players were given spirulina and the other half a placebo. Training sessions and practices were the same throughout. Upon completion of the 8-weeks it did show better levels of immune function markers in the spirulina group. Guaranteeing these benefits of spirulina from one study isn’t possible but it does add to the growing evidence in favor of it. Specifically the evidence showing potential benefits in relation to allergy and asthma responses.

Is taking a spirulina supplement worth it?

“Do no harm” is rule number one every time when it comes to taking a supplement. Looking at the research so far it appears there isn’t anything to be worried about which checks that box! Rule number two for athletes especially is ensuring that the supplement has been tested for banned substances. Double-checking that the product is NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Choice Sport certified is crucial. If unsure on how to do that please check their respective websites to look up different supplements or reach out to me directly. Safety first!

Taking all the information we have so far, it’s tough to definitely say spirulina would be worth it. If wanting to make the investment and are ok with knowing it may not guarantee benefits, it could be worth the try. Consuming a diet full of good fruits and vegetables, proper hydration and good sleep should be first though! Adding in a supplement without first addressing those areas isn’t going to do much. Prioritize food first and then fill in the gaps where needed.

Study referenced: click here

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Inflammation, Muscle, Performance, Recovery, Wellness
Is cryotherapy recovery worth the chill?
- November 19, 2022
Interest in cryotherapy recovery has been gaining in popularity for a few years now. Athletes of all levels are lining up to embrace the chill in hopes of improving recovery. At the professional level many teams are building cryo-chambers into their training rooms even. Especially at the elite level, even the slight bit of additional benefit could be all the difference. Climbing into an ice box can be unpleasant for a short time but is it worth it for the potential benefits?

What is cryotherapy recovery

Put simply, cryotherapy recovery’s main goal is to cool down the body rapidly. Cooling down the body is putting it mildly! Climbing into a cryo-chamber you will be exposed to temperatures reaching -190 degrees Celsius. As you would expect with that though you will only be in there for about 2-3 minutes. You’re going to be in for a rough time and flirting with frostbite if staying for an extended period of time! Jumping into ice tubs is the original cold therapy strategy used and is still very common. Cost is a major reason for that as some similar benefits can be achieved with only needing a tub of water and some bags of ice. Effeciency is a big benefit of cryotherapy as well as you don’t have to sit in the cold as long.

Potential benefits

Exposing oneself to such discomfort wouldn’t be so popular if there weren’t some benefits. Decreased inflammation is one of the biggest draws of cryotherapy recovery. Training and matches/games are big time causes of inflammation on the body. Some inflammation is good and needed to improve performance, but there’s a limit. Like most things, balance is key. Decreasing inflammation contributes also to the ability to help the body’s muscles recover more efficiently. Condensed training and match schedules make quick recovery times incredibly important. Adding cryotherapy recovery in those situations in particular can be incredibly beneficial. The latest study referenced supported this showing decreased markers of both inflammation and muscle damage.

Start shivering or stay under the blanket?

Timing up when to hop in a cryotherapy chamber is the important thing. Eliminating too much inflammation too often can inhibit training adaptations similar to when consuming too many antioxidants. After taking that into consideration, adding in cryotherapy recovery into your routine likely isn’t a bad thing. Your biggest challenge though may be finding a place nearby that has a chamber available to use. Popularity continues to rise for it though with more and more places popping up offering it. Grab some hand warmers and a jacket for afterwards but give it a try!

Study referenced: click here

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Inflammation, Performance, Recovery, Supplements, Vitamins/ Minerals
Too much of a good thing? – Antioxidants impact on training results
- November 2, 2022
Inflammation is something that gets a lot of negative publicity. Most people work and do everything they can to reduce it. Perhaps the most common strategy to reduce inflammation is through antioxidants. Antioxidants impact on inflammation has been studies a LOT! The results of those studies are fairly consistent showing their ability to reduce inflammation. But what if inflammation isn’t all bad? What if it’s just misunderstood?

Physical activity creates inflammation

Exercise and physical activity should be a regular part of everyones life. For athletes it plays an even bigger part. This activity has a wealth of health benefits and is crucial to improve an athletes performance. Right next to all of these benefits is something that typically is labels as a negative, inflammation. A build up of inflammation can leave you feeling incredibly sore the next day and result in decreased performance. Depending on what is in store for the next day this soreness could be a problem. This is where antioxidants can come to the rescue! For individuals who consume a lot of processed food, that can be very inflammatory. Antioxidants can come to the rescue here too! That is why you shouldn’t be eating fast food daily and should eat your broccoli.

Antioxidants impact on inflammation

Antioxidants are one of the first lines of defense against inflammation. The most popular way of acquiring antioxidants is normally by eating fruits and vegetables. It has become incredibly easy to consume an excessively large amount of these nowadays though due to supplements. Emergen-C is an incredibly popular example. One serving has 1,000mg of a key antioxidant vitamin C in it (1,111% of the recommended daily value). Nobody is eating enough berries to consume that much naturally! With such easy access to high levels of antioxidants the questions turns to whether we should consume such high levels? And if so, does timing matter?

When too many antioxidants have a negative impact

It’s a balancing act when it comes to inflammation in regards to exercise. When exercising, that inflammation is actually critical for progression and improvement. Your body learning to deal with inflammation on its own trains the body to be better able to handle those stressors again later. Handling inflammation better like this means what once made you sore and was difficult has gradually become easier. For example, when someone just starts running they may feel absolutely beat after a 10 minute mile. After months of running the body handles that stress/inflammation a lot better and now that level of soreness is felt when running a 5 minute mile.

Taking excessive amounts of antioxidants acts like training wheels for the body. Without having to learn how to handle the stress and inflammation on its own, it will take a lot longer to make the same amount of progress. So be cautious if taking excessive amounts of antioxidants regularly. Save it for those special circumstances when quick turnarounds are needed. This doesn’t mean to completely skip your fruits and veggies though, nice try. Continue incorporating those regularly and here’s to all your progress ahead!

Study referenced: click here

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Gut Health, Inflammation, Injury, Wellness
Improve your gut health to improve your sore joints and feel better
- October 26, 2022
In athletes and the general public, sore joints is an all too common thing. Whether it’s to the point of arthritis, tendinitis or general soreness, I’ve yet to meet anyone who enjoys sore joints. One common denominator in all of this though is inflammation. Getting a better control of inflammation can make these symptoms better. Our gut is a key regulator for inflammation control and can play a large role in helping those sore joints.

The gut’s role in inflammation

Another term for our gut is microbiome, the bacteria lining our intestines. This bacteria is the first line of defense from pathogens getting into our body. A weak or damaged gut means it’s easier for those pathogens to get in which can cause all sorts of problems. Many of these problems display themselves as inflammation which can be joint inflammation specifically in certain situations. Full circle; weakened gut leads to increased inflammation in the body leading to sore joints.

Ways to help sore joints

As described previously, inflammation is the main target to help. Antioxidant heavy foods are going to be the main target for this. Stop me if you’ve heard this before, eat your fruits and vegetables! Those are still the biggest antioxidant contributors and should make up a big part of your diet. In addition to the antioxidants they contain, fruits and veggies are generally high in fiber too. Fiber is the main “food” for the good bacteria in our gut. Just like us, a well fueled gut will perform better and help keep the bad stuff and and take in the good stuff. Other things to consider are probiotics and curcumin which strengthen gut bacteria and are potent antioxidants respectively.

Negative impacts on gut health

One of the biggest things that can damage gut health is consuming a poor diet day after day. Having a fast food burger or some candy once in awhile isn’t the end of the world. But 100% if done consistently our body isn’t going to be happy. Low quality and highly processed foods don’t properly feed the microbiome in the gut. Without food it’s tough for anything to survive and that results eventually in a weaker gut barrier. That allows more inflammation to get into the system. This is a big reason why individuals who tend to eat more processed foods more often also tend to be sick more frequently.

In the short term, antibiotics also can wreck havoc on the gut. Antibiotics are designed to eliminate those problematic bacterias causing inflammation and sickness in the body and they typically work great! The down side is that they tend to eliminate the good bacteria along with it. This can result in a bit of a spiral where poor diet increases the rate of being sick. Being sick can mean taking antibiotics to get better. After the antibiotics the gut is weakened and susceptible to getting sick….again. If restoring and strengthening the gut isn’t prioritized this process continues resulting in chronic inflammation which can certainly contribute to sore joints.

Key takeaways to help avoid sore joints

Nothing is a guarantee but there are things that can certainly help. Focusing on quality food is the foundation and potential supplements when needed can be that little extra boost in certain situations. But just as important is making sure we aren’t adding to that inflammation by consuming low quality foods. Big changes likely won’t occur overnight but consistency is the key.

Study referenced: click here

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Inflammation, Injury, Recovery, Supplements
Sore Muscles Improved With The Help Of Omega-3s
- February 10, 2022
There’s nothing quite like finishing up leg day, walking like Bambi. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, we wake up the next morning with even more sore muscles than the day before.

While some muscle soreness is perfectly normal and part of the training adaptation, there’s certainly a fine line. Especially if it’s after a game with another one coming up again soon. Recovery is the key and omega-3s could help speed things up.

The first thing to discuss though is what omega-3s are! Omega-3s are fatty acids most commonly found in fatty fish. This is why you hear the recommendation so often to eat fish three times per week. These fats are great at helping to reduce inflammation as this study showed.

Why focus on inflammation for sore muscles?

Inflammation can be a good thing in limited quantities because that is what helps us improve our workouts and strength over time. Exercise beats our body up a bit causing an increasing in inflammation. Our body then is forced to have to control that new inflammation and bring it back down. Regular exposure to this helps our body to be able to handle that inflammation and workload allowing us to get strong and train even harder.

Too much inflammation and muscle breakdown though causes really sore muscles. This is because our body can’t handle the amount of inflammation and breakdown that is occurring. The fun part is, the soreness usually doesn’t peak until about two or three days after the event. Why have just one day of fun right?

In moments where we have quick turnarounds and need to perform optimally the next day (ie. tournaments) this is bad news. Muscle soreness, decreased range of motion and decreased strength is the exact opposite of what we are wanting. Having a good recovery strategy in place could be the key difference for you in these moments.

Maximize the recovery time you have

For optimal recovery the fundamentals will always be there; good sleep, hydration, fruit & vegetables, adequate protein, good fats and in case you missed it the first time…sleep! But omega-3s can certainly help provide a boost to maximize things.

Eating fatty fish (ie. wild caught salmon) is great but if not a fan of eating fish, a quality fish oil supplement would be worth looking into. Generally, 2-5 grams per day is perfect depending on the situation.

Enjoy your omega-3s, you will thank yourself later!

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