Vitamins/ Minerals

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

    Navigating the Cold Season: The Truth About Vitamin C and Immunity for Athletes

    As an athlete trying to improve each and every day, the last thing you want is to be sidelined by a common cold. In the quest for immunity, many athletes turn to vitamin C as a shield against the sniffles. But does loading up on vitamin C truly decrease the risk of catching a cold? Let’s explore the science and discover how athletes can boost their immunity effectively.

    The Vitamin C Myth

    Vitamin C has long been hailed as a superhero in the world of immunity. While it is true that this essential nutrient plays a crucial role in supporting our immune system, the idea that mega-dosing on vitamin C can completely prevent the common cold is a bit of a myth.

    Research indicates that while vitamin C can help reduce the duration and severity of a cold, it may not be the magical force field some believe it to be. Athletes, in particular, need to understand that relying solely on vitamin C may not be sufficient to keep the cold at bay, especially during intense training seasons.

    Recovery Time and the Power of Vitamin C

    Although vitamin C might not be the ultimate cold prevention tool, it does play a vital role in reducing the time spent battling a cold. Athletes who consume adequate levels of vitamin C regularly may experience shorter recovery times, allowing them to get back to training sooner. Even just one day of a quicker recovery could be a huge difference, especially if that one days falls on a game day!

    Unlock the secrets to athlete immunity: Discover the truth about Vitamin C, zinc, and holistic health for a sniffle-free season!

    Zinc: The Unsung Hero

    In the quest for a robust immune system, athletes should not overlook the contribution of zinc. This essential mineral is involved in numerous cellular processes, including immune function. Research suggests that zinc can also help to reduce the duration of a cold and lessen its symptoms.

    Rather than relying solely on vitamin C, athletes may benefit from incorporating zinc-rich foods into their diets. Foods such as lean meats, nuts, seeds, and legumes are excellent sources of zinc and can contribute to a well-rounded immune-supporting nutrition plan.

    Beware of Mass Dosing

    In the pursuit of health, it’s not uncommon for athletes to turn to mass-dosing products like Emergen-C. While these products may provide a quick boost of vitamin C, it’s crucial to recognize that our bodies can only absorb a limited amount of this nutrient at a time. Excessive vitamin C intake is usually excreted by the body, resulting in expensive urine rather than enhanced immunity.

    Unlock the secrets to athlete immunity: Discover the truth about Vitamin C, zinc, and holistic health for a sniffle-free season!

    Athletes should focus on meeting their daily vitamin C requirements through a balanced diet rather than relying on supplements. Whole foods like citrus fruits, berries, and leafy greens not only provide vitamin C but also come packed with other essential nutrients. Like always, supplements cannot completely replace the benefits that are brought about through actual food.

    Balanced Approaches to Immunity:

    As an athlete, your body is a finely tuned machine, and maintaining overall health is key to a strong immune system. Beyond vitamin C and zinc, consider these additional approaches to boosting your immunity:

    • Adequate Sleep: Ensure you’re getting enough quality sleep, as insufficient rest can weaken the immune system. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep each night, especially during intense training periods.
    • Stay Hydrated: Hydration is crucial for overall health and plays a role in immune function. Aim to drink at least half your body weight in fluid ounces, especially during workouts.
    • Regular Movement: Engage in regular, moderate exercise to support immune function. Avoid chronic overtraining, which can have the opposite effect on immunity.
    • Mindful Nutrition: Be conscious of what you eat, especially during the holiday season with tempting treats abound. Stay mindful of the consumption of inflammatory foods and focus on a nutrient-rich, balanced diet. That being said, yes, absolutely enjoy the gingerbread cookies! Just perhaps don’t make a meal out of them.

    Conclusion

    While vitamin C may not be a foolproof shield against the common cold, it certainly has a role in supporting an athlete’s immune system. Combine this with the benefits of zinc, positive lifestyle choices, and a balanced diet, and you’ll be on the right track to keeping the sniffles at bay.

    Remember, the key is consistency and balance. There’s no need to reach for the mass-dosing products; instead, focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle that supports your body’s natural defense mechanisms. By doing so, you’ll not only reduce the risk of catching a cold but also ensure your overall well-being as you continue to strive for athletic excellence.

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  • Performance, Vitamins/ Minerals, Wellness

    Micronutrients Are Small With Big Impact On Performance

    Micronutrients may be small things but they have a big impact on your overall wellness and physical performance.

    Micronutrients are essential vitamins and minerals that the body needs in small amounts to function properly. While small in amounts/size they pack a big punch. They play a role in many bodily processes, including energy production, muscle function, and immune system health. Athletes are at an increased risk of micronutrient deficiency due to the demands of training and competition in some situations. This can lead to a number of performance-limiting conditions, such as fatigue, muscle weakness, and impaired immune function.

    The research on the relationship between the different micronutrients and athletic performance is still evolving. Already there is an abundance of studies supporting the benefit of getting adequate amounts in overall health and wellness. While more research is still ongoing, it is clear that micronutrients play an important role in athletic performance. Athletes who want to optimize their performance should make sure to consume a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, proteins, whole grains and quality fats. 

    Specific Micronutrients and Athletic Performance

    In addition to the general benefits of consuming a balanced diet, there are a number of specific micronutrients that have been shown to be beneficial for athletic performance. These include:

    • Vitamin C: Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps protect cells from damage. It is also involved in the production of collagen, which is a protein that helps to keep tendons and ligaments healthy.
    • Iron: Iron is a mineral that is involved in the production of red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the muscles. Vegans and vegetarians need to be especially mindful of this.
    • Calcium: Calcium is essential for strong bones and muscles. It is also involved in the transmission of nerve impulses, which is important for coordination and balance.
    • Magnesium: Magnesium is involved in a number of bodily processes, including energy production, nerve function and aiding melatonin regulation.
    • Zinc: Zinc is essential for immune function and wound healing. It is also involved in the production of testosterone, a hormone that is important for muscle growth and strength.

    These are just a few examples. The big take away from this is how each micronutrient is involved in its own unique way to help you. On the surface it may seem as though not getting enough zinc isn’t a huge deal. Especially if hitting all the other nutrients, right? We’ll let you be the judge when you are struggling with healing a wound and building muscle.

    How To Get Enough Micronutrients

    The best way to get enough micronutrients is to eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and quality fats. You should also avoid processed foods, which are often low in micronutrients and high in unhealthy fats and unnecessary sugar. If you are concerned that you may not be getting enough micronutrients, you may want to consider taking a daily multivitamin supplement. Or better yet get your levels tested and then be able to supplement specifically what you’re deficient in.Β 

    Micronutrients may be small things but they have a big impact on your overall wellness and physical performance.

    Conclusion

    Micronutrients play an important role in athletic performance. Athletes who want to optimize their performance should make sure to consume a balanced diet that includes a wide variety of different whole foods. A varied diet means varied nutrients which increases the odds of hitting those needs. In certain situations, a multivitamin can help. That being said, to answer a question I’m sure at least one of you reading this will think…. no. Taking a multivitamin does not mean you can skip your fruit and veggies!

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Gut Health, Inflammation, Performance, Probiotics, Recovery, Supplements, Vitamins/ Minerals

    Probiotics and Vitamin D Impact on High Intensity Athletic Performance

    Probiotics and vitamin D are two nutrients that have been shown to have a positive impact on athletic performance. Probiotics are live bacteria that are similar to the good bacteria that naturally live in the gut. Vitamin D is a nutrient that the body needs to absorb calcium for bone health and also aids the immune system and helps decrease muscle soreness. Both probiotics and vitamin D have gained a lot of attention but we continue to learn more about how they can impact the body.

    A recent study investigated the effects of probiotics and vitamin D supplementation on athletic performance in male mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes. The study included 40 MMA athletes who were randomly assigned to receive either vitamin D or a probiotic supplement in addition to the vitamin D supplement. The athletes were followed for 4 weeks. While it’s MMA athletes being studied, the anaerobic events studies can be applied elsewhere as well.

    Probiotics, Vitamin D and Physical Tests Studied

    There were two separate groups in the study. The athletes in the vitamin D group received a vitamin D3 supplement that contained 3-4000 IU of vitamin D3 daily. The athletes in the probiotic with vitamin D group received the same vitamin D and a probiotic supplement that contained 2 billion colony-forming units (CFUs) of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. There are vast differences between strains of probiotics but these two are two of the most popularly studied.

    Probiotics and vitamin D have a lot to offer in regards to high intensity activity. Probiotics in particular may have some extra benefits.

    The athletes’ athletic performance was assessed at baseline and after 4 weeks using a variety of tests, including:

    • Wingate anaerobic test: This test measures anaerobic power and capacity.
    • Countermovement jump test: This test measures lower-body power.
    • Sit-and-reach test: This test measures hamstring flexibility.
    • Isokinetic knee extension test: This test measures quadriceps strength.

    Throughout the 4 weeks, participants were asked to continue training at least 5 days each week. This helped maintain their fitness levels to help mitigate some training adaptation effects on the results.

    4 Weeks Later…. What Did We Learn?

    The results of the study showed that the athletes who received the probiotic supplement had significant improvements in their anaerobic performance, as measured by their total work and mean power output during the Wingate anaerobic test. The athletes who received the vitamin D supplement also had significant improvements in their anaerobic performance, but these improvements were not as large as the improvements seen in the probiotic group.

    The study also found that the athletes who received the probiotic supplement had relatively lower creatine kinase levels after a bout of exercise. Creatine kinase is an enzyme that is released from muscle cells when they are damaged. The reduction in creatine kinase levels suggests that the probiotic supplement may have helped to protect the athletes’ muscles from damage.

    Probiotics and vitamin D have a lot to offer in regards to high intensity activity. Probiotics in particular may have some extra benefits.

    Keeping the good times rolling, there are benefits shown in lactic acid levels in the probiotic group. Lactic acid increasing during anaerobic activity and is a contributing factor of fatigue setting in. Lower increases in lactic acid could mean that the probiotics are helping to either process the lactic acid better or that it is aiding energy production in general and thus reducing the generation of lactic acid. Either way, this is a justifiable reason why the improved total work output was greater in that group.

    There were no significant differences in the athletes’ performance on the other tests. Countermovement jump test, sit-and-reach test, or isokinetic knee extension test between the two groups were all comparable.

    Takeaway Points of Probiotics and Vitamin D

    Results in this study support the ever-growing research showing benefits of both probiotics and vitamin D. In particular, probiotics showed a potential to boost those benefits even a little bit more. The benefits of probiotics may be from a different manner but still helpful! It’s important to keep in mind though that everyone does respond differently. While on average the results were positive, try things out first. If it doesn’t feel good or the benefits are there for you, don’t force it. But if trying probiotics pay extra attention to the specific strains within it. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are the main two to be looking for. As always too, make sure you are choosing a third party tested product if trying it.

    Study referenced: click here

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  • Beet, Energy, Performance, Supplements, Vitamins/ Minerals, Wellness

    Dietary Nitrate Could Help You Train and Play Better.

    Dietary nitrate is a compound found in many foods, predominately beets, spinach and arugula. It has been shown to have a number of beneficial effects on human health, including improved blood flow, reduced blood pressure, and increased exercise performance. In recent years, there has been a growing body of research on the effects of dietary nitrate on muscle performance. While still young in the research world, the potential is showing to be there.

    How Does Dietary Nitrate Work?

    Dietary nitrate is converted to nitric oxide (NO) in the body. NO is a signaling molecule that has a number of beneficial effects on the body, including improved blood flow, reduced blood pressure, and increased exercise performance.

    NO works by widening blood vessels, which increases blood flow to the muscles. This allows the muscles to get more oxygen and nutrients, which can help to improve performance. Not to be confused with the NOS from The Fast and the Furious movies but can be viewed with similar effects boosting performance!

    Dietary nitrate is the main compound that gets talked about in beets which aids blood flow and oxygen delivery to optimize performance.

    Anaerobic Exercise Performance

    Anaerobic exercise is the high intensity and relatively short duration type activities. This type of activity requires oxygen at a quicker rate than we can provide through breathing. Running out of oxygen is tough to overcome! Anaerobic types of events are shorter in duration due to that. 

    Studies have shown that nitrate supplementation can improve anaerobic exercise performance by increasing the amount of oxygen that is delivered to the muscles. This can help athletes to perform at a higher level for a longer period of time.

    For example, one study found that nitrate supplementation improved the performance of cyclists in a 4-minute time trial. The cyclists who supplemented with nitrate were able to ride faster and for a longer period of time than the cyclists who did not supplement.

    Aerobic Exercise Performance

    Aerobic exercise is the lower intensity and generally longer duration type activities. This type of activity still requires oxygen like all activity does but not as much or as quickly. We can generally keep up with the oxygen demand by breathing which is what allows us to walk longer than we can sprint.

    Dietary nitrate supplementation can improve aerobic exercise performance by increasing the efficiency of the mitochondria. Mitochondria are the organelles in cells that use that oxygen to produce energy.

    Aerobic performance improvements haven’t been as widely found compared to anaerobic events. That doesn’t mean the potential isn’t still there and worth exploring though.

    Safety and Sources of Dietary Nitrate

    Dietary nitrate is the main compound that gets talked about in beets which aids blood flow and oxygen delivery to optimize performance.

    Nitrates are something that tends to be viewed in a negative light when hearing the word. That’s because the first reference of it tends to be the nitrates used to preserve deli/processed meats such as bacon. Dietary nitrates found in natural foods though are different and haven’t been linked to the negatives that preservatives have been. Good food sources to acquire the good nitrates from are beets, spinach, and arugula. You can also get dietary nitrate from supplements, such as beet juice powder. That being said, I tend to recommend food first and beet supplement dosages tend to vary a lot. So for consistency sake, food can be the best option.

    How To Apply This Information

    If you are an athlete, there are a few things you can do to increase your intake of dietary nitrate:

    • Eat more beets, spinach, and arugula.
    • Drink beet juice.
    • Take a nitrate/beetroot supplement (recommend food over supplement)

    It is important to note that dietary nitrate is not a magic bullet. It will not make you an overnight champion. However, it can help you to improve your performance and reach your athletic goals.

    Here are some specific tips for how to apply this information to your own training:

    • If you are training for an anaerobic event, such as a sprint or weightlifting competition, you may want to consume beets or beet juice 30-60 minutes before your workout.
    • If you are training for an aerobic event, such as a marathon or long-distance swim, you may want to consume nitrate rich foods or beet juice throughout the day leading up to your workout.
    • Dietary nitrates don’t appear to be stored in the body so consuming them the day of and relatively close to your event appears to be the best strategy.
    • Always try new foods around training before trying on game days!

    Conclusion

    Dietary nitrate is a compound that has a number of beneficial effects on human health, including improved blood flow, reduced blood pressure, and increased exercise performance. Studies have shown that nitrate supplementation can improve both anaerobic and aerobic exercise performance. If you are looking to improve your athletic performance, you may want to consider adding dietary nitrate to your diet.

    Study referenced: click here

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  • 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 β€˜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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  • safety, Supplements, Vitamins/ Minerals, Wellness

    Is erythritol better to use instead of sugar?

    Most people these days are looking for ways to help reduce their added sugar intake. Food companies know this and are continuing to work on ways to provide that while still offering the sweetness many are looking for. This has resulted in a large increase in artificial sweetener use and thus consumption. There are a lot of different types out there with different levels of sweetness and effects on the body. Popularity of different sweeteners tend to come and go in waves but erythritol tends to stick around a bit more. While more research is always needed, we do see a few trends with erythritol.

    What is erythritol?

    Erythritol is a fairly popular sugar alternative and does provide some non-nutritive sweetness. After being consumed the majority of it goes unmetabolized and kicked back out in the urine. Seems like a simple concept of no calories yet still sweet tasting. Erythritol is found in foods naturally to an extent but the bulk erythritol you may see at the grocery store does require a little bit of processing to extract that. One of the big challenges in studying erythritol though is that the body produces it naturally as well. Increased consumption of glucose and/or fructose actually results in greater erythritol production within the body.

    Sugar substitutes are a love/hate topic in general. Erythritol is one of those that may be ok to have some of but moderation is still key.

    Some research looking at blood levels of erythritol then make it tough to tell if the effects are due to erythritol intake itself or just higher production from greater glucose/fructose intake. Controlling and accounting for actually dietary intake is a key piece of information not always available. If only nutrition research was easier! But some common items that contain this sugar substitute for examples include sweeteners Splenda and Truvia, gum and many β€œsugar free” baked goods/desserts.

    Is it safe?

    Some studies on other sweeteners with mice showed potential cancer inducing effects at very high dosages. With erythrol at least that doesn’t appear to occur. Definitely a positive even if it is still only in animals these tests are being done (understandably so I might add). Another common complication with sweeteners is the impact on the stomach. Too much can tend to cause nausea, gas or even diarrhea. Chalk another win up for erythritol as it appears to not contribute to those feelings as much. It’s important to emphasize though that the majority of the studies being done are in animals. As a result, make sure to take some of these results with a grain of salt.

    Additional surprise benefits of erythritol

    Erythritol is likely your dentist’s favorite sweetener! It has been shown to help improve oral health by slowing the development of dental caries. Metabolically there may be benefits as well in regards to helping maintain a steady glucose level. Glucose and energy spikes/crashes can occur when sugar is consumed in particularly by itself. Erythritol has shown to potentially lessen that glucose swing and help process that swing by slowing down the absorption of that sugar. Similar type of effect of when adding protein and fat to carbs to help stabilize glucose responses.

    With the improved glucose response and potential to add a little bit of increased satiety, erythritol is not a magical weight loss ingredient. If used as a sugar substitute it can help with some caloric reduction. It’s the reduced calories that contribute to the weight loss, not anything crazy from the substitute itself.

    Should you be having erythritol?

    It is always a good idea to try and limit your sugar and sugar substitute intake as best you can. There is still so much that we don’t know about how artificial sweeteners can impact our body. With erythritol in particular a big challenge is differentiating the effects of consumed erythritol versus the amount the body is producing on its own. Higher levels of naturally produced erythritol can indicate problems are going on metabolically. Studies looking at its effect show correlations with higher blood levels of it for both positives and negatives but without looking at diet specifically it’s almost impossible to tell what is actually contributing to those results. While a little sweetener isn’t the end of the world, moderation like usual is still key.

    Study referenced: 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.Β 

    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

    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!

    AΓ§aΓ­’s impact on anxiety

    Acai berries are great sources of antioxidants to decrease inflammation in the body. This could aid with anxiety and memory benefits.

    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 β€œtypical” 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.

    Acai berries are great sources of antioxidants to decrease inflammation in the body. This could aid with anxiety and memory benefits.

    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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  • Beet, Performance, Supplements, Vitamins/ Minerals, Wellness

    Not all beet juice products are made equal

    Beet juice is popular amongst more people than just Dwight Schrute from The Office. Athletes and those looking to maximize their performance are starting to gravitate towards beets more and more. Research is continuing to come out supporting those benefits but it’s confusing to know how to take for best results. Looking into this, a new study shows that there is a lot of variation amongst different products and also even a bit between batches of the same product.

    What’s so special about beet juice?

    Nitrates are the main piece of the puzzle that makes beet juice so beneficial. Within the body those nitrates are converted into nitric oxide which help dilate blood vessels for improve blood flow and oxygen delivery. Consuming enough nitrates to maximize that potential can have a significant benefit on performance. Improved oxygen delivery helps muscles produce the energy they need but also it helps ‘clear out’ byproducts like lactate better. Combining all of these factors will help to train/compete longer with less fatigue. Post-training it can help from a recovery aspect as well from that.

    Differences between products

    Knowing the benefits beets and nitrates can have, now it’s a matter of making sure the needed amount is consumed. Most products, especially supplements, will specifically label the nitrate content within them. While it’s nice of them to say what the product contains, it’s another thing for it to actually contain what it says. Supplements in general are very susceptible to this and aren’t always as accurate as we would like them to be. On top of that, you need to make sure beet supplements are third party tested to ensure they don’t have any banned substances in them either. Put all of that together and it emphasizes why choosing beet juice may be the better and safer option.

    Juice vs. supplement

    Concentration of nitrates in juice appear to be a bit more consistent in providing the amounts needed for their benefits. The majority of the supplements reviewed in the recent study don’t have the needed amounts of nitrates in them. Having confidence in knowing you’re getting what you need is certainly something that needs to be kept in mind. Adding to the confidence of having the nitrates needed to work their magic, beet juice also has some other benefits too. Drinking beet juice will provide some extra carbs before intense competitions and the fluid to help ensure proper hydration. Putting all of this together, beet juice makes for one heck of a pre-workout addition to your nutrition plan.

    Beet juice typically has higher nitrate concentration and more consistent than beet supplements.

    How and when to drink beet juice

    Knowing beet juice is helpful is nice but it’s just as important to know how best to take it. Drinking beet juice doesn’t have the nitrates kick in immediately and needs to be timed up appropriately for maximum effect. Wait until about 2 hours before your competition is about to begin before having beet juice as that’s how long it takes for your body to absorb and begin using those nitrates. Drinking half a cup (4oz) should be sufficient in most cases as well to provide the proper amounts of nitrates. Concentrated beet shots of ~2oz can sometimes provide enough as well but that will depend on the beets used.

    Having some extra wiggle room for error, I would recommend going with the 4oz. Regardless though, like with all new things make sure to try it first during practice and not before a competition! No new foods on game day to make sure you know how your body responds to things. Nobody enjoys competing with an upset stomach.

    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

    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.

    Physical activity and resistance exercise increases inflammation which can be both good and bad.

    Antioxidants impact on inflammation

    Antioxidants impact on inflammation needs to be monitored carefully due to concentration of dosages in supplements.

    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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