Performance

  • Carbs, Heat, Macronutrients, Muscle, Performance, Protein, Recovery

    Metabolism changes in the heat impact protein needs

    The body goes through a lot when exercising in the heat. On top of the sweat changes that occur there are several changes that occur in metabolism as well. Staying mindful of these changes will allow you to ensure you keep your body optimally prepared. Impacts on the metabolism affect what the body is predominately using during activity. Naturally in response then it impacts what needs to be consumed to optimally recover afterwards.

    Performance in hotter temperatures

    Exercising and competing in the heat impacts a lot of things including our body's metabolism which alters our protein needs as a result.

    It shouldn’t come as a surprise but when in a hot environment, performance generally declines. On top of the stress being put on the body physically, it has the added stress of having to try cooling itself down. With that added stress, less focus is able to be purely devoted to muscles to maximize performance. With this divided focus, the metabolism is impacted to try and navigate everything going on

    Glucose metabolism in the heat

    Given all the craziness that the body is navigating, the body is needing a lot of energy. Not only is it needing a lot, it’s also needing it quickly! The nutrient that is able to most conveniently come to the rescue in a hurry is glucose and carbohydrates. To help with this, having some carbs pre-workout and during can be extra beneficial. If not provided enough glucose through food or drink the body will try to pull them elsewhere from glycogen or…..protein.

    Protein metabolism in the heat

    Protein is the key component of muscles and naturally we don’t want to make sure it’s being primarily used for muscle building and repair. Unfortunately, in certain situations protein gets prioritized and used for energy more than desired. Training in a hot environment is one of those situations.

    Some amino acids (small proteins) are able to be converted into glucose. When the glucose within the body is being used rapidly, extra glucose needs to be provided from somewhere. This is where protein comes into the scene. Increased protein use for energy results in great muscle breakdown and increased overall soreness. To offset this, greater amounts of protein has to be consumed throughout the day. Nobody wants to lose their hard-earned muscle!

    Adaptation decreases metabolism impact

    Just like with hydration and sweat changes, as the body adapts to the heat so too does the metabolism. The overall stress on the body becomes less as it is less of a shock to the system. Giving the proper time to adapt then decreases that glucose utilization a little bit which preserves the body’s protein stores to decrease protein loss. So during the initial few days, keep these changes in mind to ensure maximum performance and recovery. Have a little bit of extra carbs around and ensure good protein is being consumed at meals and snacks.

    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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  • Alcohol, Body Composition, Hydration, Inflammation, Injury, Performance, Recovery, Sleep, Wellness

    Alcohol and its impact on your health goals

    Most people’s health goals involve things such as improved strength, body composition, energy, performance and recovery. Alcohol negatively impacts all of those across the board. For many of us, weekdays are the busiest and then as soon as the weekend comes, that’s when we prioritize resting. Unfortunately, though if that relaxation involves regular alcohol consumption it may never truly allow the body to get the rest it needs. That’s not to say you can never have alcohol! You just want to be very mindful of when and how much you are having. Athletes in particular whose livelihood centers around optimizing performance. Athletic Brewing is a great non-alcoholic beer example of how to potentially bridge the gap of having a cold one without hurting your goals.

    Alcohol prevents quality sleep

    A popular belief is that alcohol actually helps you sleep. This is based off of how many tend to fall asleep quicker after having some alcohol. This is a false belief as it simply gives the perception of better sleep. While it is true you may fall asleep quicker, the quality of sleep can be severely impacted. With deep and REM sleep being where a lot of the ‘magic’ happens this whole process gets skipped. As a result, the body isn’t able to recovery physically or cognitively as well.

    Alcohol is a part of many social settings and regularly abound. Just because it's common doesn't mean it isn't without negative effects.

    One day/night of this isn’t the end of the world. If done a bit more frequently though the effects will add up and take a toll. Sleep is one of the greatest factors into one’s wellbeing and anything that impacts it needs to be kept in consideration. Getting enough sleep overall is tough enough for most of us so it’s important to preserve the quality of what we do get.

    Body composition, recovery and injury

    This shouldn’t be too much of a surprise but if looking to optimize your physical wellbeing, alcohol isn’t of much assistance. Two of the biggest factors stem from cortisol and testosterone. Alcohol has a big impact on both of them in a negative way. Cortisol experiences an increase while testosterone has a decrease. Again, not an ideal situation for muscle building and repair.

    Cortisol is a stress hormone that stimulates muscle breakdown. Typically, cortisol is associated with general life and physical stress as well as poor sleep. Alcohol itself causes a direct increase in cortisol which adds to that. Testosterone is a key hormone that is very potent at stimulating muscle growth. Due to its benefits, that is why some athletes have gotten in trouble for taking some “extra” of it. Especially if recovering from an injury, to be back to your old self quicker try and avoid alcohol as best you can.

    Alcohol is not hydrating

    Just like sleep, hydration impacts everything in the body from head to toe. Alcohol though is a diuretic causing you to lose more water than what alcohol provides. Dehydration contributes to less blood volume overall causing the heart to have to work harder. With less blood, it needs to circulate more and quicker to make up for it. Blood delivers all the important nutrients to your muscles and organs as well and clears out any byproducts. It takes that to the kidneys and liver to clean things up and keep the body in a prime state.

    On top of that, when in a dehydrated state your body is at a greater risk for injury. A good comparison is a raw steak versus beef jerky. When in a hydrated state, your muscles are like a raw steak which is tough to tear if you tried to pull it apart. On the other hand, muscles are more similar to jerky when dehydrated. While it may still be a bit tougher to pull apart, it’s significantly easier than the steak. Nobody enjoys those annoying muscle pulls so control what you can control to decrease your risk. 

    Athletic Brewing – non-alcoholic option

    After so much discussion on the negative effects of alcohol, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a beer anymore! There is a surge in non-alcoholic beer companies now to help bridge that gap. None of which do it better than Athletic Brewing! That is why my wife and I are proud to have teamed up with them. Athletic Brewing allows the ability to enjoy a beer, especially in social settings, while not sacrificing your recovery. There are a lot of non-alcoholic beers out there but none have compared to the taste of Athletic Brewing. You still want to make sure you’re able to enjoy the beverage after all!

    Overview

    An occasional alcoholic beverage again, is not the end of the world. You just want to be very mindful and strategic of when and how much you are having. Especially now taking into consideration what some of the effects of that alcohol can be. This is why for the athletes I work with I encourage what I refer to as the 48-hour rule.

    Given the impact of alcohol I don’t want to have those effects anywhere around competition. Avoiding alcohol 48-hours before and after competition helps to ensure your body is primed for the event. It allows optimal performance and decreased injury risk in the moment as well as peak recovery afterwards. This same concept applies to non-athletes as well needing to perform their best as well. Choose your alcohol responsibly and when in doubt, less/none is best. Don’t be afraid to incorporate some non-alcoholic options as well like Athletic Brewing in those moments a craving hits.

    Reference: click here

    Check out Athletic Brewing: click here

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  • Inflammation, Performance, Recovery, Supplements, Vitamins/ Minerals, Weight

    Your vitamin D levels could be impacted by your weight

    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

    Vitamin D provides a lot of great benefits for the body. How much someone weighs could impact the body's ability to absorb it though.

    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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  • 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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  • Body Temperature, Heat, Hydration, Performance, safety

    Training in the heat recommendations from the Olympic Committee

    Most athletes would tell you that they would rather play in the heat than in the cold. That is unless you’re a skier or hockey player of course! Other than those winter sports, most would pick warm weather every day of the week. That’s why most major tournaments are located in areas where the weather is going to be warm, allowing athletes to compete at their best. Competing in hot conditions though requires proper planning to ensure athlete safety. It’s a fine balance between warm and dangerously hot where cooling strategies need to be in place. Helping to combat those challenges, the International Olympic Committee put together a statement on considerations for it.

    Too much heat dangers

    Being warm is one thing while overheating is a completely different story. When training in the heat, caution needs to be observed. The body tries its best to keep internal temperatures in check but like everything it does have its limits. Unfortunately, if those limits are surpassed it can result in heat strokes and be incredibly dangerous.

    Training in the heat is very common practice but safety needs to be kept in mind and the Olympic Committee has updated recommendations.

    Severe exercise-induced heat illness (also referred to as exertional heat stroke) is one of the two main causes of death amongst athletes. As the body begins to overheat it sends the signal to the brain that things need to start slowing down to try and rest and cool. If unable to cool down the body begins to fail and shutdown. To help avoid such scary situations, proper planning and actions need to be kept in mind.

    Know the environment

    Before traveling anywhere you want to know the type of conditions you are going to be exposed to. If it’s something in Alaska, the heat may not be a major issue for you! Most cases though you will want to do some homework to know how to prepare. Checking the average temperature and humidity will allow you to gauge how much you are likely to sweat and if that sweat will be able to evaporate and cool you down or if it’s too humid. You will also want to know if there is going to be shade available where you’re at. If you are going to be constantly exposed to the sun you’ll want to plan accordingly as well. Then also know the availability of beverages and cooling stations to ensure what you need to bring of your own. You don’t want to have any surprises when you show up!

    Heat acclimation

    Preparation is important in every aspect of life, including getting your body ready for heat. When exposed to higher temperatures the body goes through several changes to help stay cool. Those adaptations include sweating earlier, sweating more and decreasing the sodium content of the sweat. Too bad those changes don’t occur immediately though. If going into a competition in the heat, you’ll want to ensure your body is ready ahead of time.

    In a perfect world it’s recommended to give yourself two weeks to prepare and adapt. Exposing your body to higher temperatures and inducing sweat for 60-90 minutes at a time is the desired timeframe. Doing that four times per week for the two weeks will get your body acclimated and primed to handle the hotter environments when you competition begins. Spending that time in the hot environment itself would be ideal but if unable to do that there are a few alternatives. Hot rooms, saunas and hot baths can be helpful alternatives when living in a cold environment and planning to travel to a hot environment. While not the exact same as actually training in the environment, it still gets the body sweating and making those physiological changes.

    Hydration and fluid intake

    Once in the environment, you will want to make sure your hydration and fluid intake is appropriate as well. As you become dehydrated, your body has a lower blood volume which decreases the ability to spread out the body heat and cool it down. The goal during competition/training is to drink enough fluid to avoid a weight loss of >2% from sweat. Maintaining that weight represents maintaining proper blood volume for the body to help dissipate that heat.

    In order to ensure that excess weight and fluid loss doesn’t occur, it’s important to begin hydrated and drinking early into the event. The goal is not to completely avoid weight loss and definitely not to gain weight. That would represent overhydrating and has it’s own complications associated with it. What we’re aiming to do is help minimize the water loss occurring with sweat. Your body can only absorb so much fluid at a time so by starting early it helps avoid trying to play “catch up” later on in the event.

    How much you need to be drinking during competition and training is very individualized. A general rule of thumb is around 1 liter (~32oz) per hour would be about the max to consume and still be comfortable. This can be played around with to find what feels and works best for you. Some may find a bit more can be tolerated while others may have to have a bit less. Adding in some sodium will help the body to absorb and retain that fluid and is important to keep incorporated as well.

    Additional considerations

    Outside of just general hydration, there are various cooling strategies that can be incorporated as able too. Things such as cold water immersion, cooling vests and mist fans are all great at helping decrease the body temperature. Consuming ice and slushies can be very beneficial as well. Not all of these strategies are able to be implemented depending on the situation but you should keep all options in consideration. Then when preparing figure out what all is feasible and works best for you to help keep cool.

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Carbs, Gut Health, Metabolism, Performance, safety, Wellness

    Fiber is great but caution around physical activity

    Fiber intake and conversations are important at younger ages too! It’s not just for your grandparent’s old faithful prune juice. Having a healthy gut is incredibly important for your overall health and well being from head to toe. Included in that though is having regular bowel movements. If you’ve ever been constipated before you know how important that can be! While regular and adequate intake is important, there are times which having too much could actually cause more problems than good.

    What is fiber and its benefits

    The most popular impact of fiber is its ability to help ensure regular bowel movements. There are two main types of fiber; soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber helps to absorb water to soften the stool and make it easier to pass. Insoluble fiber provides bulk and speeds up how quickly it passes through you. Regardless the type, the result is having an easier time going which always feels better compared to constipation.

    Fiber is also able to help feed the good bacteria in your gut to keep that healthy. A healthy gut allows for optimal nutrient absorption while keeping out any potential contaminants. In short, it’s a pretty big deal. Absorbing nutrients into the body properly ensures that every part of the body needing to use those are able to acquire them. If those nutrients aren’t available, inflammation can begin building and cause some major problems.

    How much do you need to be having

    Consuming fiber is important for everyone at every level of physical activity and age. In general men should aim for 38 grams per day while women should aim for 25 grams per day. Great sources of fiber include fruits, vegetables, oats, nuts, seeds, whole grains and beans. If you take the time to evaluate your daily intake and realize you need to increase things a tad, do so gradually.

    Adding in too much too quickly can have the opposite effect. It can cause constipation and a lot of stomach discomfort. The best strategy is to gradually add in those higher fiber items while also making sure to drink plenty of water. Maintaining proper hydration will help to ensure the water that gets pulled in isn’t dehydrating. 

    When not to be having fiber

    Everything has its own time and place. For fiber, the time and place to AVOID it would be immediately before exercise and competitions. Digesting fiber takes a long time and when training your body is focused on other things. While busy elsewhere and unable to concentrate on digestion, that food just sits there. This results in some gas building and that cinderblock type feeling in the gut to arise. Not a fun time by any stretch of the imagination!

    Fiber has a lot of gut health benefits but when having fiber needs to be kept in mind to avoid problems during physical activity.

    Away from physical activity though fiber is a great thing to have incorporated. They body will have that additional time to digest it and no worries of discomfort. Low fiber foods are much easier on the stomach pre-workout and why going for things such as liquid sports drinks or applesauce would be better than whole apples or a smoothie with veggies and seeds in it. Those are all great things to be having but the time and place of them matter. Stay mindful of your intake and make sure it’s working in a beneficial manner for you.

    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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  • Collagen, Injury, Muscle, Performance, Recovery, Wellness

    ACL recovery and injury prevention things to keep in mind

    Injuries are unfortunately part of what comes with sports and a common one is ACL injuries. Due to this, ACL recovery and injury prevention are key topics that need to be discussed in sport. Even for those who don’t classify themselves as an “athlete”, healthy ligaments are still very important. Nobody wants to deal with an injury or long recovery time so proper steps need to be taken.

    ACL injury causes

    Most ACL injuries occur in non-contact situations. Contact injuries are easy to see and understand what occurred but these are tougher to decipher. A main contributor seems to be in general a large training load being made without enough recovery time. Continuous training and small micro-tearing of the ACL continues to increase like muscles without rest. Poor day to day repair results in a bit of a ticking time-bomb waiting to go off.

    ACL recovery can be a long process. There are things that can be done though to help speed that up and decrease risk of injuring your ACL.

    ACL recovery starts with prevention

    Managing those small tears after training sessions and other physical activity is key. Monitoring the overall training load and intensity that is done helps ensure the proper rest time is offered in response to it. Tougher and more intense sessions need more rest. Nothing ground breaking there but it just needs to be monitored to know when it should be done. Then it’s actually doing it!

    Sometimes allowing yourself to take time off or having a lighter session is the toughest part. The feeling of needing to constantly push to stay above the competition is so strong. It’s just as much of a mental game that is played. But taking that time is a MUST to continue progressing. The most gains are actually gained on off days.

    Capitalizing on that prevention then is getting enough sleep. Proper sleep decreases the overall stress levels in the body. Stress doesn’t help anything but in particular it can impact your body’s ability to produce the ligament building/strengthening hormones to maximize recovery.

    Another major piece of the puzzle is collagen. Collagen is the main building block for tendons and ligaments. Just like you have protein to help build and repair muscles, collagen works in the same manner for tendons and ligaments. To get the most out of the collagen though you want to make sure that it contains some vitamin C. That helps the body to absorb it more effectively to actually work its magic.

    ACL recovery timeline

    Tendon and ligament injuries tend to take a bit longer to recover from. These areas typically get less blood flow to them which is a major reason for that delayed timeline. Blood is responsible to delivering those great nutrients and the collagen being consumed to the area. Incorporating some knee specific movement when able is important for this right here. That physical movement increases blood flow to the specific area to help aid nutrient delivery.

    ACL recovery strategies

    Finding a quality collagen is a big step and as noted previously it should have vitamin C within it. Two products that I typically recommend are Klean and Vital Proteins. Both of them are third party tested and have vitamin C within their products.

    Once those are acquired, taking them at the proper time is the next piece of the puzzle. The goal is to time it up with any rehab or exercise to take advantage of the increased blood flow. Drinking ~15g of collagen with vitamin C 30-60 minutes beforehand is perfect. That gives time for it to be absorbed and then the physical movement will help get that to the areas in need.

    Even after fully recovered and returned to full activity, continuing to take collagen can be helpful. It will maximize recovery between training sessions to help decrease the microtear buildup. As discussed earlier, recovery between sessions is very important and this will help maximize that. That combined with getting a lovely 8-10 hours of sleep each night and your ligaments are going to be feeling great!

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Body Composition, Diets, Performance, Weight, Wellness

    Better nutrition knowledge helps keep better body composition

    Knowledge is power, especially in the case of nutrition knowledge. Having a solid understanding of nutrition can help improve every aspect of your life, top to bottom. Eating properly keeps you mentally sharp, decreases soreness, improves power and performance in the gym and on the field and also help prevent you from getting sick. The key though is to truly understand and know what your body needs. That allows you the freedom to make decisions on your own without relying on someone else to tell you exactly what to eat. As an example, improved body composition is a goal many of us have. In a recent study they showed that increased nutrition knowledge was correlated with just that.

    Nutrition knowledge throughout the season

    For athlete’s the year generally flows in the order of preseason, in-season, post-season and off-season. Each of these seasons are vastly different and as a result the nutrition needs are different. The training loads are going to be different to achieve different things and if eating the exact same way all year long, the maximum benefits won’t be achieved from that training. Training sessions are typically the hardest part of things so making sure nutrition is on point helps get the most out of them.

    Challenges across the year

    Off-seasons are when the biggest challenges tend to arise for most players. This generally results in weight gain as well as muscle mass loss due to a combination of less training and poor nutrition. When it’s time to report back for preseason typically there is a correction of that weight gain to result in peak shape come the regular season. As the referenced study here showed, better nutrition knowledge correlated with less negative changes in the offseason.

    Better nutrition knowledge is linked to better body composition. Make sure you have a reliable source for that information!

    Maintaining closer to ideal body composition and weight numbers helps make the preseason go a lot smoother. Without having to spend the beginning just trying to get back into shape, the focus can be on improvement. There is also less risk of any injuries popping up. Needing to lose weight requires maintaining a calorie deficit. In that deficit the body isn’t able to recover or build muscle as well after training sessions. With such an increased workload in the pre-season this could be a recipe for disaster.

    Make sure it’s correct nutrition knowledge

    So to improve and maintain your body composition, pay attention to your nutrition. There is a whole lot of information out on the internet on this topic though. Pay close attention to ensure you are getting your information from a reliable source. Don’t fall for a popular post from an influencer or the guy at the supplement store. Sometimes they can be correct but many times are questionable at best. If unsure about something, feel free to reach out to me to ensure you’re giving your body what it needs.

    Study referenced: click here

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