Energy

  • Energy, Muscle, Performance, Supplements, Vitamins/ Minerals

    Vitamin D possible impact on strength, speed and testosterone

    Vitamin D has gotten a lot of attention in the past few years. It seemingly has been the ‘cauliflower’ of the vitamin world being involved with almost everything. You have cauliflower rice, pizza, pretzels and everything else. Vitamin D is showing to have some impact on immune system, respiratory system, bone health, strength and much more. Latest research dives into the potential impact on physical performance and testosterone levels.

    What is vitamin D and optimal levels

    Vitamin D has been the flavor of the year for multiple years it seems! Now we are seeing if it can impact speed, strength and testosterone.

    As mentioned vitamin D is involved in a wide variety of functions we continue to learn more about. It is involved with calcium absorption for optimal bone health but that is the tip of the iceberg. Vitamin D receptors have begun to be found on muscle and now the trending question is what does that mean? This is where the currently study is looking at correlations between vitamin D levels and impact on performance and testosterone.

    The first question though is what is an optimal vitamin D level when getting a blood test? Sufficient levels are deemed to have a cutoff at ~30ng/ml. Situations that can increase the risk of being insufficient include if living in less sunny areas and/or spending increased time indoors also limiting that sun exposure. Indoor athletes such as basketball players and gymnasts tend to be at a greater risk of deficiency due to this. Those individuals need to be more mindful of consuming the proper food/supplements to keep those levels elevated.

    Sources of vitamin D

    The main natural sources of vitamin D comes from are fatty fish, egg yolks and sunshine. Unfortunately, many people don’t acquire enough of those foods or get enough sunshine. Especially depending on where you live it can impact access to that sun exposure, increasing the risk of deficiency. As a result, most of us tend to need to utilize a supplement to make up the difference. Vitamins fall into two categories of water-soluble and fat-soluble. This indicates the vitamin needing water or fat to be absorbed respectively. Vitamin D falls into that fat soluble category which means it should be consumed with a meal for optimal absorption.

    Study findings

    Having more data is never a bad thing and that is exactly what this study provides. While there isn’t any major discovery, we at least have a bigger sample size to pull from. The participants in this study were elite track and field athletes both male and female around 18 years old. Correlations were looked at between vitamin D levels with 20-30 meter sprints, jump performance and testosterone levels.

    Starting with the testosterone, this is a very early area of research with much more research needed and coming. This connection stems from vitamin D’s role in overall hormone production. Among these hormones, testosterone is included. There are a few studies that have found a correlation where improving vitamin D deficiency can help regain testosterone levels. Data shown in the referenced study does not appear to show a direct correlation though with higher vitamin D levels and higher testosterone levels.

    Vitamin D has been the flavor of the year for multiple years it seems! Now we are seeing if it can impact speed, strength and testosterone.

    Perhaps the performance tests will show some positive results! Unfortunately, this area also doesn’t have any major correlations found in males or females. Sprint speeds and strength of jumps were all fairly equal and seemingly not impacted by varying vitamin D levels. Improving performance in these areas still seems to be more dependent upon overall proper fueling and training. No super-secret ingredient in this one.

    What to take away from this

    While no specific correlations were found, there are a few things we can still take from this. The biggest thing from my perspective comes from the fact that on average most of the participants were already achieving sufficient levels of vitamin D. Many of the studies previously have shown that a lot of the benefits are noted when improving from insufficient levels. So, this helps to at least reinforce what can occur with sufficient levels. But just because something is sufficient, doesn’t mean it is optimal. Average levels in the study were in the 30s ng/ml but optimal levels may actually be closer to 50. Perhaps increasing these participants levels a bit higher could have resulted in more notable effects.

    Now for the action items! If you have never gotten your vitamin D levels checked, that is step one. If you don’t know where you’re starting from it’s tough to know where you need to go. After getting those levels though, if deficient I highly encourage working on getting those up right away. That can have significant benefits so don’t sleep on that. Upon receipt of the results and you find that you have sufficient but perhaps not quite optimal levels, focusing on some vitamin D rich foods and likely a supplement could be beneficial. Before just blindly taking a supplement though please make sure to check with someone first.

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Caffeine, Energy, Hydration, safety, Supplements

    Breaking down energy drinks and their safety

    Between their bright colors, crazy TV commercials and social media influencers, energy drinks are everywhere. Not only are they just around but they are pushed and marketed a lot! This constant exposure can begin to leave feelings of false comfort and safety though. I fell for this myself firsthand in college cramming for exams. Those 5-hour energy shots were something that I kept in my bad all finals week. In hindsight now I know why I was feeling jittery and my heart felt “off” during that time. Add these types of things to physical activity and energy drinks can be even a potentially dangerous thing. Always stay mindful and cautious about what you put in your body.

    Caffeine content

    I’m going to estimate that 90% of the benefits that energy drinks may provide comes from caffeine. That is why every single one of the top 75 selling drinks out there contain it. The remaining 10% benefit is from the hydration of the fluid itself. Now please don’t quote me on those numbers, I’m just making a point. Caffeine is one of the most studied supplements in the world and that is not an exaggeration. What’s important though is being mindful of how much you are consuming. As mentioned below this can become a bit of a safety issue in the energy drink world. The main takeaway here though is to don’t let a marketing trick try to convince you there’s something uniquely special about their drink that will help you. Odds are very high it’s just the caffeine doing the heavy lifting.

    Energy drinks mystery ingredients

    Within energy drinks tends to be a hefty mix of additional ingredients. Some of the popular ones include taurine, guarana, carnitine and other vitamins. Individually studied these ingredients may have some justification for potential benefits. Everything combined into one thing is where some confusion sets in. We know very little about how this ingredient smoothy within energy drinks all works together. While energy drinks have become fairly common and fortunately the majority of people consuming it are fine, it is still a bit of a question mark. I’m a bigger fan of recommending a simple coffee where you know what you’re getting. The only added ingredients are perhaps some milk or sugar. Unless it’s a Starbucks order that 13 words long but that’s a different discussion!

    Energy drinks safety

    Energy drinks have a lot of marketing behind them and are everywhere you turn. Being abundantly available though doesn't mean they're safe.

    Nutrition Facts Panel on food labels are not always required to list caffeine as it is technically not a nutrient. Some energy drinks sell themselves as sodas and sports drinks falling into that category. As a result, they don’t have to disclose how much caffeine in actually in their product. To add to that, some may list caffeine but put it under a “proprietary blend” so that they still can avoid listing specifically how much caffeine and every other ingredient in that blend is within it. That is terrifying! In additional to that it’s always a good idea for kids and pregnant individuals to avoid these. Unfortunately, marketing does a great job of targeting adolescents. Stay mindful and help steer them away and towards safer beverages like water or even Gatorade.

    Better alternatives

    Most people are reaching for energy drinks for just that, energy. There are so many better ways to boost your energy in a safer and cheaper manner! Right away the biggest thing is sleep. If you are getting less than 7 hours of sleep each night that is a big factor. Coming in right beside that is hydration. If you’re dehydrated your heart is going to be working harder and beating quicker. This is going to cause you to feel tired and fatigue quicker. It’s a similar thing to when exercising and your heart beats quicker when sprinting you can’t go as long. Another simple energy booster is having a snack! Every feels better with a snack on hand for a pick me up. These three things will have you feeling better and not grabbing those energy drinks.

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Energy, Performance, Sleep, Wellness

    Best napping strategies to maximize your performance

    This isn’t the first no will it be the last time I write about the benefits of sleep. Odds are very high that if you are wanting to improve anything, sleep can help. Sleep doesn’t just mean at night when the sun is down though. Sleep also includes when we’re napping. Depending on how you implement napping into your routine, there are a lot of benefits to be had.

    Impact on cognitive and physical performance

    Top to bottom sleep can have a big impact on the body. When sleeping the body is able to recover and repair itself to perform better the next day. This performance includes both mental and physical. Cognitively the benefits include improved ability to focus as well as reaction time. Improved focus is beneficial for anyone regardless the task at hand to be able to be more productive. The added reaction time improvement though can really aid athletes. Being able to focus on what is occurring during a game helps to know where teammates and opponents are a bit better to make better decisions. Then when needing to act upon that, faster reaction times produce better results. Split seconds can be the difference between winning and losing so never discredit that. Physically as well overall strength and recovery is improved with a quick nap beforehand. 

    How long to spend napping

    Knowing that sleep and napping is beneficial, the natural question is how long to nap. Overall the most benefits seem to pop up when napping for 30-60 minutes. Shorter naps seem to not have as much of an effect as sometimes it can even be too short of a time to even actually fall asleep. Longer naps can be interesting though as we start to get into REM and deep sleep cycles. The biggest thing is wanting to avoid waking up in the middle of a cycle. That can result in feeling even worse when you are trying to wake up. If napping for longer than 60 minutes, going a full 120 minutes may be your best option. That will allow for the potential to get a complete sleep cycle in and not wake up in the middle. 

    Everyone loves a good nap! Napping in the proper manner though can help make sure that you maximize the benefits from it.

    After napping grogginess

    As mentioned previously, that grogginess after waking up is never ideal. Especially if poorly timed and you are having to perform very quickly after waking. A good rule of thumb is to allow for at least an hour after napping before your event. For most people that full hour is enough time to rub the sleep out of the eyes and be good to go. The benefits will have fully kicked in to be feeling alert and ready to perform. Some of the research is showing as well that allowing even more time can have better benefits. So if not in a time-crunch, try to give yourself some extra time after waking up before heading out. For example, if having a game at 7:00pm, a 2:00pm nap could be perfect.

    Good night vs. bad night of sleep

    Napping has shown benefits on days after both a good or bad night of sleep. Yet surprisingly a greater amount of benefit has been seen after nights of adequate sleep. Many times, we tend to think that after difficult nights that taking a nap can erase those negatives. Sadly, it may not be that easy. While napping absolutely can help, it’s still incredibly important to do your best to get a solid night of sleep.

    Key takeaways

    Everyone can benefit from a lovely nap! If really looking to maximize your performance, having a 30-60 minute day during the day is the goal. Make sure to give yourself at least 60 minutes afterwards to fully wake back up though. All of this starts with ensuring you had a good night sleep the night before for peak performance. Get yourself to bed at a decent time and take a nap beforehand if possible but if a student please don’t try and use this as an excuse to sleep in class! I don’t want any angry letters from teachers.

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Beet, Energy, Performance, Supplements, Wellness

    Impact of arginine and citrulline on athletic performance

    There’s no sleep for the supplement industry. Arginine and citrulline are relatively popular one’s touted for improving athletic performance. The evidence unfortunately isn’t entirely there to back those claims up. Logically though the potential is there. Yes, I’m saying there’s a chance! Let’s dig into this a bit to see what’s there.

    What is arginine and citrulline?

    Arginine and citrulline are amino acids that aid nitric oxide production. Nitric oxide helps dilate blood vessels to allow better blood flow and oxygen delivery. In the world of sports (and life in general) having adequate oxygen is a very good thing! Having enough oxygen ensure muscles are able to continue contracting and doing everything asked of them. That enhanced blood flow also allows for easier deliver of nutrients to muscles which can aid recovery. One the other end as well it also helps increase efficiency in removing any byproducts that the body needs to clear out. More of the “good” stuff and less of the “bad” stuff.

    Supplements arginine and citrulline are touted for improving athletic performance. The research may not necessarily back that up.

    Sources of arginine and citrulline

    The most effective manner to get arginine and citrulline is through supplementation. It’s not that they aren’t in foods but that the amounts needed are greater than would likely be achieved through food. Both are still helpful for an overall well-rounded diet though. Food wise, arginine can be found in meat, nuts/seeds, dairy and whole grains. Citrulline is found most abundantly in watermelon but also in cantaloupe and cucumbers. All of these foods you likely are already consuming but now have an added reason to continue doing so!

    Impact on performance

    The potential to help increase delivery of oxygen to muscles helps in many ways as mentioned previously. Increasing oxygen availability also allows for more efficient metabolism of nutrients for energy production. This means less lactic acid would be produced and in theory allow for better endurance. Studies looking into these improvements though aren’t conclusive. Most are showing no benefit from arginine and citrulline but also not showing detriments. Right now, the most positive findings appear to be in citrulline taken as 6g of citrulline malate for at least two weeks for possible results.

    Alternative options

    Similar types of effects have been shown in beet juice consumption. Beets are able to provide nitrates directly and thus increase that blood flow more effectively. While there may be other possible pathways that arginine and citrulline could have an impact, beets are the best bet for nitrates and oxygen delivery. Another benefit of beets is that you are able to take it as it is via food or juice. No having to worry about contaminated supplements when opting for food!

    Is it worth it?

    Right now, I would say in short…no. Your money would be better spent elsewhere such as your grocery bill for quality food. That’s not to say more studies may not come out in the future and make me eat my words. As of right now though there isn’t enough evidence to say it’s worth it. Having some beet juice and a bit of watermelon before games would be my recommendation.

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Diets, Energy, Performance, Weight, Wellness

    Energy needs not being met for professional female soccer players

    Any athlete in any sport is going to play better if meeting their energy needs. The way this is done is by simply eating. That is the very first thing that all other nutrition strategies are built off of. Macros, vitamins, minerals are all very important and are all acquired by the same manner. Eating! Unfortunately, a new study dove into things and found many professional female soccer players aren’t meeting their energy needs.

    Energy needs are key for performance

    For your body to do anything at all it requires energy. If asking it to do some intense things it naturally is going to have even greater energy needs. Before worrying about carbs, protein or fat, the energy piece of the puzzle comes first. Far too common though most people, not just athletes, are afraid of eating too much. Whether it be a goal of losing weight, improving body comp or to avoid gaining weight, energy restriction is the end result. There is a time and place for energy restriction but it has become far too common. Chronic restriction and not meeting energy needs can have a lot of negatives. Worse performance being a main one, muscle loss, slower metabolism and increased injury risk are all problems resulting from underfueling.

    Energy needs are high for soccer players and it's not uncommon for professional female soccer players to not be meeting their energy needs.

    Intake vs. energy needs of professional players

    Soccer players burn a lot of energy! I know, ground breaking information right there. On average the female players in this study had daily energy needs of ~2900 calories. Yes, you read that right and it isn’t 2,000 or 1,200 the two common numbers that typically many strive for. If wanting great things from your body you have to give it great fuel. Unfortunately though ~23% were underfueling on training days and ~36% on match days. When tracking food intake, underreporting is very common but the point remains.

    Where is the deficit coming from?

    For match day and training days protein and fat intakes didn’t change much. That is perfectly ok and not a major issue especially regarding the protein. On off days and match days you still need to fuel your muscles so protein intake is fairly steady. Fat is something that can increase on match days though purely to help with calories. Carbs though were the biggest thing as that intake remained steady throughout. For optimal fueling, those are something that should be tapered down a bit on off days and then increased on match days as intensity increases.

    Encourage proper fueling

    The temptations for calorie restriction are real and incredibly prevalent. It’s easier said than done but don’t fall for the trap. Ensuring that your energy needs are provided will turn you into a better athlete. Simple as that. Before concerning yourself with determining how much protein or carbs to have, just start with eating. If you’re currently on eating one meal per day you’re asking the wrong questions. So make sure you’re fueling your body to perform your best and even decrease injury risk.

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Body Composition, Energy, Fasting, Metabolism, Performance, Weight, Wellness

    Fasting before evening workouts have pros/cons to consider

    Every week it seems something new is coming out regarding the effects of fasting. In particular many are looking at the potential combined effects of fasting before exercise. If both fasting and exercise have potential benefits, the two together should be even better right? This seems to be the common thought process but not always the case. Most studies though have looked at the impact of overnight fasting on exercise. A recent one came out looking at the impact on evening workouts for a new perspective.

    Effects of fasting

    Fasting workouts are normally done in the morning after sleeping before breakfast but doing so in the evening also has pros/cons to consider.

    Most people experiment with fasting for one of two common reasons. One is weight loss and the other is improving metabolic health and adaptations. Weight loss comes from being in a caloric deficit and is true for any diet one may be following. It makes sense then that if reducing the time available to eat that overall less calories will be consumed. Pairing that with some extra physical activity to burn more calories, more weight is lost. Can’t argue with that side of things.

    The metabolic adaptations are aimed at increasing the body’s ability to burn fat. Without eating anything (carbs in particular) the body is still needing energy from somewhere. To get that energy and keep functioning, fat is what gets utilized more. By forcing the body to use fat, it becomes better at that process. Just like when we practice something, the more we do it the better we get. So, if the body is using more fat and we are consuming less calories, the weight being lost should be coming mostly from fat. Then adding in some exercise on top of that may accelerate all of these things theoretically.

    Exercise while fasting

    In theory all signs point to a greater energy deficit for more weight loss and increased fat usage. But the exercise piece of this is going to be a bit of a struggle. As most of us have experienced firsthand, when hungry we usually aren’t feeling the best. This can result in a worse training session due to decreased performance. While more fat may proportionally be getting burned in that workout, less overall energy is likely being used meaning less overall fat burned.

    In the latest study this was shown in males and females that when asked to give peak performance, they came up short when fasted. Even when given an all you can eat buffet afterwards though, a bit more food was consumed in the fasted group but it didn’t offset the amount from skipping a meal earlier. So overall a caloric deficit was still the result. Interestingly though this increased intake post-exercise was only seen in males. Females ate equal amounts in both groups and resulted in even greater caloric deficit as a result.

    Is this a good strategy?

    The infamous response is, it depends. In the short term it can help with some weight loss and fat loss. This comes at a cost though where you aren’t getting the most out of your workouts. Especially for athletes looking to improve performance, this can be a big problem. It also can make it tougher to recover properly. The body needs energy and in particular protein to repair itself after those hard trainings. If in a constant deficit and not getting enough protein you’re going to feel more sore and performing worse. Rough combination there. Whether considering fasted exercise in the morning or evening like this study, there are trade-offs that need to be considered.

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Diets, Energy, Ketone, Macronutrients, Performance, Supplements

    Supplemental ketones impact on performance in rugby players

    Ketones are generally associated with ketogenic diets. These diets are very low in carbohydrates and are set up to have the body run primarily on fat as its fuel source. Running on fat results in the production of ketones as part of the process. Ketones have been found to provide a wide variety of potential benefits and has gained a lot of attention as a result. Now there are even supplements to help in theory provide those benefits without needing to follow a low carb diet itself. Always looking for an edge, athletes are getting curious as well to see its potential impact on performance.

    What are ketones used for

    One of the biggest misunderstandings with ketones is their impact on fat loss. While ketones are produced in greater amounts in low carb diets when the body is burning more fat, ketones themselves do not directly cause greater fat loss. Some people take ketones in hopes of improved body comp through increased fat loss but are typically left disappointed. Put simply, ketones primarily serve as an additional energy source for the body to use. While the body is utilizing those though, it impacts the metabolism and utilization of other nutrients.

    Impact on carbs, fat and lactate

    Carbs and fat are generally the two primary sources of energy that the body pulls from. During more intense exercise/activities, carbs become increasingly relied upon for that energy. That carb utilization during intense situations is also what produces lactate in the body. If too much lactate is produced and/or too much carbohydrate and it’s stored form glycogen are used, fatigue starts to set in. Preserving that carb/glycogen usage is an area of great interest due to the potential to theoretically allow for longer duration of training and greater performance.

    Ketones may have the potential to do just that. When the body is prioritizing ketones for energy, that means those glycogen stores are able to be preserved. That extra fuel tank could then be available for later in the game/competition to use while the opponents may be getting more fatigued. Ketones are also able to provide energy in a manner that doesn’t produce lactate. These two things are the main areas of interest for ketones during physical activity. While it sounds great in theory, does it actually translate to performance? 

    Performance effects with ketones

    In a recent study, professional rugby players but that to the test. Rugby is a sport that has a strong endurance/cardio component as well as intervals of high intensity anaerobic activities. They compared performance in a rugby style simulation when consuming a carbohydrate beverage versus a ketone beverage of equal calories. For 15-meter sprints and explosive strength tests, there wasn’t any noticeable difference between the two groups. Differences were noticed though with intermittent repeat drills of high intensity lasting ~15 seconds in total each time. Those with the ketone supplement completed the drill a split second quicker (15.53 vs. 15.86 seconds) on average. While a split second may not seem like a lot, at an elite level it can have a significant impact. Because of that, ketones are an area to continue keeping an eye on.

    Ketones used to be only available by ketogenic diets but now can be supplemented and may benefit performance shown recently in rugby players.

    If and when to try ketones

    Rule number one is no new foods/supplements on game day! You always want to test new things during practice and off days. Doing so allows for you to see how your body reacts without risking a poor performance during competition. Some people do experience upset stomachs when taking ketones so you will want to make sure you don’t fall into that category yourself. You know your body better than anyone so listen to it and see how you feel and respond. As with all supplements though, especially if an athlete who gets random performance drug tests, make sure it’s a third party tested product. If unsure please don’t hesitate to reach out to me as I’m more than happy to help check for you.

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Carbs, Diets, Energy, Macronutrients, Performance

    Carbohydrate periodization and timely restriction in endurance athletes

    The entire concept of carbohydrates has become an incredibly polarizing topic for some. There’s one end of the spectrum touting the benefits of high carb intake and carbo loading. On the other end is the low carb intake and the potential benefits of that. All too often lost in the conversation is the idea of carbohydrate periodization. There’s never a one-size fits all option so it’s important to be familiar with what the options are.

    What is carbohydrate periodization?

    In short, carbohydrate periodization is providing your body the proper amount of carbs at the proper time. Different situations call for different needs so it takes that into consideration. Carbohydrates are able to be digested quickly and provide energy quickly. This is great in moments of great energy needs and high intensity but it also keeps the body from burning fat. So, depending on your goals in that moment, more or less carb will be needed for the desired results.

    Carbohydrate periodization can be very beneficial in endurance athletes. The timing and application needs to be done properly though.

    When to have more carbs

    As mentioned previously, high intensity training is where additional carbs will come in handy. Without that quick energy on hand, it can be a bit tougher to hit those top speeds. Events where max performance is the goal is when added carbs are welcomed as well. This helps top off those carb stores, glycogen, to have a full fuel tank. The goal in these situations isn’t physiological adaptations but peak performance. Additional energy is always helpful when pushing your body to the limit and a higher carbohydrate periodization window here assists that.

    When to have less carbs

    First thing to clarify is that this isn’t referring to full on keto. That is different from carb periodization where some carbs are still being utilized. Windows for lower carbohydrate periodization is when more training adaptations are the focus. With most sports, having a solid aerobic fitness level is incredibly beneficial. An area to help improve aerobic fitness is by helping the body to potentially preserve its glycogen stores and utilize fat stores more. This will help prevent that fuel tank of glycogen from running out as quickly.

    Optimal times to aid these adaptations are during lower intensity trainings. The body isn’t necessarily having to pull that energy as quickly allowing it to utilize fat. Just like in practice itself, the more you do something the better you are at it. Same thing with the body here. The more the body has to pull from fat, the more easily it will be able to do that later on. By improving the body’s ability to use fat through those low carb sessions, in theory glycogen is able to be preserved to avoid fatiguing as quickly.

    Carbohydrate periodization in practice

    Just like you don’t do the exact same workout or training session every day, your nutrition should match that. The first step is understanding what the goal is for that day. Is it peak performance and high intensity or is it a true training session where the sole focus is on maximizing adaptation? Having some extra toast, bananas or pasta before a tougher session will help with that peak moment. Then the next less intense day, opting for more non-starchy veggies, nuts, seeds, avocados, olive oils will keep the carbs down and aid the adaptation to utilize fat stores. It’s an ebb and flow process but it all starts with understanding what is trying to be achieved. Regardless the carbs though, make sure you are hydrated beforehand with proper electrolytes.

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Body Composition, Diets, Energy, Injury, Muscle, Performance, safety, Weight, Wellness

    Faster weight loss is linked to greater injury risk

    Weight loss is one of, if not the most, commonly stated goals of athletes and physically active people. Improved body composition is the desire in hopes of improved strength, speed, health and aesthetics. It can be surprising what some may do in hopes of “looking better”. Unfortunately, with these hopes and desires the patience necessary isn’t always there. Living in a day in age where most things are instantaneous people want weight loss to be the same way. I hate to burst the bubble but it doesn’t quite work that way. Also, when some try crash diets or strategies to lose weight quickly it typically comes with a cost.

    Weight loss in weight class sports

    For some sports there is a little extra emphasis and attention paid to one’s weight. These are deemed as weight class sports where the specific tournament/match that one can compete in is purely dictated based on meeting certain weight requirements. Popular examples are wresting, UFC, judo, boxing and taekwondo. All of these require designated weigh-ins prior to the match starting to ensure weights are met. Weight classes are set to help avoid advantages that can be gained from a heavier competitor taking on a lighter competitor. To gain an edge with this, many will walk around at a higher weight and then cut right before weigh-ins. The weight loss is generally very quick and sometimes significant.

    This rapid weight loss has been found to be linked with increased risk of injury. And the faster the rate of weight loss, the greater the risk of injury associated with it. While being able to perhaps grant admission into the competition, is that trade worth it? More often than not it isn’t! The risk is potentially missing one weigh-in for one competition versus missing multiple for weeks of rehab depending on the injury.

    General weight loss goals

    Similar concepts apply for those not in weight class sports also looking to lose weight. Despite there not being a direct competition date on the line, the “now mentality” is present. It’s unfortunate though that the perspective of how the weight likely came on gradually over time. In response to it comes the desire to lose it in a tenth of the time that it came on. Such a strong desire can result in some fairly dramatic reactions and habits take place. Two of the most popular include crash diets and excessive exercise. Both can wreck having on long-term health.

    Weight loss is a main goal for many. Unfortunately it's typically wanted quickly and the faster weight is lost, the greater the negatives.

    Under such a calorie deficit caused by a crash diet and/or excessive energy there is a fairly large impact on body composition. Not in a good way either. In the early days of a crash diet the body loses a lot of muscle. While it helps the scale to decrease, it’s far from an ideal scenario. You’ve worked hard for that muscle and don’t want to just give it up like that. That greater the rate of weight loss, the greater the percentage of that loss comes from muscle. There are strategies to help decrease that impact but isn’t erased completely.

    Patience = everyone’s favorite word

    That old tortoise and the hare story always seems to come back up. With weight loss, slow and steady wins the race. For general weight loss, going at a slower rate with physical activity and some extra protein preserves your muscle mass. In general, about 0.5-1.0 pound weight loss per week is a good rate. While slower than some would prefer to hear it’s a good sustainable rate.

    For weight class sports, a good goal would be to try and have the day-to-day weight be close to weigh-in weight. This will help to decrease the amount of weight that needs to be lost to compete. With less of a gap to close, it should help mitigate some of that injury risk.

    Patience and consistency like in most cases will come out on top!

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Carbs, Diets, Energy, Hydration, Macronutrients, Performance

    How your glycogen level and hydration are linked

    Glycogen is the body’s form of stored carbohydrates. It’s what the body is able to tap into and use for energy throughout the day and especially during workouts. There is a connection as well between one’s glycogen level and the body’s hydration. While there is still a lot to learn regarding this, there’s plenty to keep in mind. Especially if periodizing your nutrition between stretches of high and low carbohydrate intake.

    High glycogen level effects

    Having increased glycogen in the body is very beneficial in moments of increased activity. It’s similar to stating a long cross-country car ride with a topped off gas tank. As exercise goes on, the glycogen will continue to be used until it gets too low at which point the body will start to pump the brakes. While in the middle of a practice or a game you don’t want to be hitting the brakes so ensuring that extra glycogen is on hand can be very helpful.

    Glycogen level is a measure your body's stored carbs. Glycogen can cause your body to hold water along with it impacting hydration.

    Increasing glycogen levels is done primarily though the popular strategy most refer to as “carbo-loading”. This is done where ~48 hours before the event, carbohydrate intake is increased. Eating more carbs pushes the body to store a lot of that as glycogen, thus topping off the tank. The level of carbo-loading can vary depending on the event but the most popular ones include long endurance events. Ultra-marathon runners and long-distance cyclists such as during the Tour de France really utilize this. For shorter duration activities such as for sprinters, this strategy likely isn’t necessary. In fact, it could potentially be slightly detrimental due to the water effects we’ll discuss later.

    Low glycogen level effects

    While high glycogen levels have gotten a lot of attention in the past, we’re continuing to learn a lot of benefits that can be gained from low glycogen levels. Low glycogen benefits are gained from their impact on training adaptations. It’s not something to purposefully be done going into competition.

    Training with low glycogen can force the body to have to pull from its fat stores more. To keep the body going during the training session if glycogen isn’t available it has to keep getting energy from somewhere! Adding in some low glycogen sessions and increasing the body’s ability to pull from fat could in theory help to preserve glycogen stores in future events. With fat and glycogen being the two main sources of energy, having that flexibility is very beneficial. Low glycogen sends the signal to hit the brakes so if preserving that, longer training sessions can occur.

    Decreasing glycogen to create this state in the body can happen through two methods typically. One is by eating a low carb diet at strategic time points. As mentioned previously, glycogen is a stored version of carbs in the body. So, if not consuming carbs in the short term the body will still be pulling from the glycogen for a bit and the amount decreases. Another strategy is having two training sessions in a day. The first session is higher intensity to really drain the glycogen, then a second session after it is done while glycogen is still low. A workaround for this is sometimes doing a fasted training in the morning after an overnight fast while sleeping.

    Glycogen and hydration connection

    We know what glycogen can do performance and energy wise, now we can dive into how it can impact hydration. Specifically, the impact that it has on the body’s retention of fluid. On average, for each gram of glycogen, the body also holds 3-4 grams of water. As a result, carbo-loading can result in extra fluid being held on by the body. On the opposite end of the spectrum, low glycogen levels could result in less water being held onto.

    Due to the water retention component, glycogen levels can also impact your weight acutely. After a carbo-loading phase it can cause a noticeable increase in weight. While the benefit of the extra energy is great, it needs to be taken inconsideration of the negatives of being heavier. This is why it can be more negative for sprinters. Sprinters don’t need that extra energy on hand for short duration. If having that extra weight as well it could actually make it tougher to accelerate and hit/maintain top speed.

    How much glycogen is needed?

    Consideration needs to be taken for what type of event are you fueling for. That is where it all starts. Shorter events generally less than 2 hours long may not benefit from a traditional carbo-loading approach. Longer events on the other hand will likely benefit from all the extra energy possible. Regardless the event it’s important to make sure you are eating enough in general. But the amount of carbs can be adjusted for glycogen needs/goals. Consuming carbs 24/7 isn’t always the answer so make sure you are giving your body what it specifically needs for your goals. 

    Study referenced: click here

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