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Macronutrients

Energy, Macronutrients, Metabolism, Muscle, Performance, Recovery
Metabolic differences between slow & steady and high intensity exercise
- December 14, 2022
Exercise typically comes in two forms; aerobic and anaerobic. Both are beneficial and should be a part of everyone’s exercise and training routine but each has metabolic differences. Put simply, if you want to run for longer do some aerobic work. On the other hand then if you want to be stronger and more explosive do some anaerobic work. Metabolically, though there are some slight differences to keep in mind.

Metabolic differences – Resistance exercise

Resistance exercise is a lot more anaerobic. It involves moments of high intensity with some brief periods of rest sprinkled in. This high intensity activity generally depends more on carbs to maintain performance. In the moment and knowing some high intensity work is around the corner, grabbing some pretzels or a banana can be helpful if really getting after it. Hydrating properly before hand is also even more important for these activities. Grab some water to wash the pretzels down and you’ll be good to go.

Metabolic differences – Cardio exercise

Running and more longer duration activities are more aerobic in nature. Slower and more steady state activities tend to rely a bit more on fat for energy in the moment. Overall, though aerobic activities use a bit more variety in energy. You can be casually jogging but then if needing to sprint all of a sudden, some carbs in the body will get tapped into to produce that energy. Having the flexibility to switch between these energy sources is key. Like all activities, when wanting to perform your best the main thing is to simply eat! Focusing on the foods that you know sit well for you and are appealing are great. Having a little bit of carbs can be helpful as well like for the situation mentioned so something like a PB&J sandwich can be great beforehand.

Post-training response

The body’s response after the activities is where things get interesting. After exercise, the body does respond with similar reactions to both types of training. Where things differ is in how strong some of those reactions are. Pushing your body through tough exercise naturally causes a stress response in the body. Post-aerobic exercise that stress response immediately appears to be a bit higher but then comes back down quicker compared to resistance exercise. Despite a lower overall stress response, there is a potentially greater amino acid breakdown in aerobic activity.

What to do in response to differences

After both types of exercise, the body is screaming for food and nutrients to begin the repair process. That extra stress from high intensity activities may in part be why those types of activities can produce potentially greater fitness results in a shorter time. If having a quick turnaround between high intensity competitions, antioxidant rich foods will be key to bring that down. Fruits can be your best friend!

Higher amino acid breakdown with aerobic exercise indicates more protein/muscle is being broken down. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that this is something we’d want to address. First line of action is to ensure adequate protein is consumed after these aerobic events. While typically protein gets talked about a lot more with resistance training and weight lifting, it’s just as important with aerobic training. Protein is absolutely important after resistance training too though! Don’t feel as though this means it can be skipped as it’ll be key for muscle building still.

Now that you know how your body is responding after your workouts make sure you are eating! Have some great protein and some fruit/veggies for optimal recovery. If you’re working hard make sure to eat hard too. (I’ll keep trying to find a better phrase!)

Study referenced: click here

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Diets, Macronutrients, Muscle, Performance, Protein
Is performance better with plant based or meat based diets?
- December 5, 2022
Debates between plant based or animal based diets has been going on for a long time! Touted benefits of plant based diets tend to revolve around impacts on inflammation, cardiovascular health and the environment. Flipping the script, typical negatives of plant based diets are poor quality protein options and lacking certain nutrients. Recently another study came out to offer additional insight into this. Participants spent 4-weeks eating three different diet strategies; strictly plant based, alternative meat based (think plant burgers and sausage items), and traditional animal based diets. After each 4-week period a series of fitness tests were conducted to compare the effects.

Performance test results

Tests measured for performance were distance covered in 12-minute timed run and various strength exercises (chest press, leg press, lat pull downs). While statistical significance wasn’t achieved, there was still a trend favoring animal protein diets. Both total distance covered and strength changes improved a bit more with animal protein. Amongst competitive athletes, even the slightest improvements can have big impacts on the end results. Due to that even minor improvements can’t be overlooked.

Possible reasons for favored animal results

Max performance on a plant based diet does need to ensure adequate nutrients are being supplemented that may not otherwise be consumed enough. Main nutrients of note include vitamin B12, creatine and iron. All of these aid in energy production and oxygen delivery. Improvements in those two things will certainly translate into improved performance. Also, the animal protein group was consuming a higher overall protein intake as well. Protein is very important for optimal muscle recovery/repair and muscle building. Due to many plant based protein being incomplete proteins, more protein is needed in these situations. Less total protein on top of that could result of less recovery. Coming into test days a bit more recovered could have aided better performances amongst the animal protein periods.

You can still compete on a plant based diet

Planning ahead is key for anyone considering a plant based diet. Ensure no key nutrients are being missed which means supplements can play a major role in this situation. Particularly as mentioned previously, vitamin B12, creatine and iron should be considered. Top that off with a bit extra protein and you’ll be in great shape. Regardless your overall diet strategy, some extra veggies and fruit will rarely hurt you. Make sure to keep those an integral part and your performance will continue to thrive.

Study referenced: click here

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Carbs, Energy, Macronutrients, Performance, Protein
Endurance athletes need plenty of protein too!
- November 30, 2022
Typically it’s carbs that are getting the all the attention. Energy production is generated from carbs which is what makes them so beneficial in that situation. While yes endurance athletes can benefit from some additional carbs, it’s important to not forget the importance of protein. What if there was more to fueling strategies than just trying to pump carbs in and generate energy?

Protein a necessity for endurance athletes

Having protein is first and foremost key for muscle repair and rebuilding. Strength training and body builder type environments tend to be first of mind when thinking protein but it’s important for more than just that! Runners and other endurance athletes beat up their muscles a lot during their training and competition. How can they not be after hours of non-stop activity? Damaging the muscles like that makes it incredibly important to have adequate protein to repair and strengthen them to improve performance. After training is typically when protein is consumed to maximize that repair process. Competing at an elite level requires having healthy and strong muscles to allow for consistent training. Consistent training allows for those gradual performance improvements, translating into better competition results.

What about protein DURING a run?

Recovering after physical activity is certainly important but there could be a way to be a bit more proactive. By adding some protein to your fueling strategy during your run it could help reduce muscle damage and breakdown. Keeping damage down could result in less soreness and in the moment allow for pushing harder and longer. Concerns regarding this strategy have centered around the fear that by having protein during activity could increase protein breakdown for energy. While the body will use some of the protein being consumed for energy, there isn’t enough evidence to suggest it would result in breaking down muscle for more.

Keep the protein shake next to the Gatorade

Having a source of protein on hand for training/competition is never a bad thing. Regardless if having the protein before, during or after it’s an important part of any nutrition plan. Consuming adequate protein overall over the course of the entire day is the first step. After that though, having some protein during longer events appear to be worth trying for endurance athletes. Exercise done to exhaustion in the study referenced here showed a few additional seconds improvement in those who had protein before/during their run. While a few seconds may not seem like a lot, sometimes a few seconds is all that separates winning or losing.

Before jumping in and having a protein shake mid-competition, make sure you try it during a practice run first. The rule is always no new foods during competition! Digesting protein is typically a bit tougher on the body and can result in some stomach discomfort. Response to that obviously differs for everyone but if it doesn’t sit well for you, it’s best to find out during practice. If it doesn’t sit well for you, still try to consume adequate food that does sit well for the event. Overall energy intake is still a key factor for those long endurance events.

Study referenced: click here

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Carbs, Macronutrients, Metabolism, Performance
Carb loading first with extra fat afterwards
- October 18, 2022
One of the main energy stores in the body in glycogen. Glycogen is essentially reserved carbohydrates to be used throughout the day and exercise as needed. Higher intensity activities (ie. sprinting, jumping) use more glycogen than fat for energy. This is what carb loading is trying to target. By eating extra carbs leading up to an intense activity (carb loading) it can increase the amount of glycogen in the body. More glycogen in theory should then allow for more energy and increased performance. But what happens if after carb loading, a high fat meal was the last meal before the event?

Carb loading has a long history

Carb loading has been a strategy used for decades. It has stood the test of time for quite awhile because it’s worked and the concept makes sense as we discussed. But especially here of late new theories are starting to emerge to question this. One of the biggest is the strategic usage of periods of lower carb with higher fat intake. The carb loading has proven to help significantly raise glycogen in the body and many people have used this to set personal bests in a wide variety of physical tests/activities. With timed higher fat intake the theory is that it could help preserve that glycogen. Which again addresses the goal of more glycogen for longer to equal greater and more sustained performance.

Fat rich meal as a chaser

Generally a fat rich meal consumed purposefully is with the goal of making the body use fat for energy more. Consistent low carb diets really try to push this. In this study though the goal was to cause this effect just for the single exercise. The exercise specifically tested here was a 60 minute aerobic treadmill run. While the intensity wasn’t overly high it was still pushing the participants at 95% of their lactate threshold. After carb loading and then having a higher fat pre-race meal (meal was 42% fat), participants showed using less glycogen. Based off of what was being tested this was a success! But be mindful of a few things before grabbing an avocado and diving in headfirst.

Be mindful with this carb loading strategy

Fat takes longer for the body to breakdown and digest. As you get closer to exercise, typically you want to keep foods simple and easy for your stomach to digest. At that time blood is being focused to your muscles and not your stomach. With less focus on your stomach, digestion takes a back seat. This is why a high fat meal may not sit well for some people as fat takes longer to digest already then carbs do. That paired with exercise can really slow down digestion. With extra food sitting in your stomach that is when bloating and cramps tend to pop up more. So while in theory this could be a great strategy that was shown effective in the study, it should be tested during practice before an actual competition. As I always say, no new foods on game day! That applies to food strategies as well.

Study referenced: click here

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Heat, Hydration, Macronutrients, Performance
Do extra carbs in an ice-slushy help lower body temperature better?
- October 15, 2022
When exercising our body gets hotter and hotter. The longer and more intense the exercise is, the more that temperature increases. As the temperature rises though our body begins to slow us down to avoid over-heating. This is why we tend to feel a bit more tired quicker in hot weather. On the other hand if we add a few things to help lower body temperature we may improve performance.

Ways to lower body temperature

Our body naturally tries to keep us cool and generally does a great job of it. The number one strategy is through sweat. As the sweat evaporates off of us it creates a cooling effect. In humid conditions where sweat isn’t able to evaporate that doesn’t happen. That’s why hot and humid conditions can be very dangerous.

Wearing thin/light clothing helps to keep our skin exposed to the surrounding air. Wind going across our skin helps to cool the blood near the surface. As we get hot the blood tends to push more towards the surface for this. This is why you may notice your veins pop out a bit more in the heat.

Other ways to help include cooling the body externally with cold towels or ice packs and internally with cold beverages or slushies.

The perks of slushies on body temperature

First, who doesn’t like a good slushy? But they offer a performance benefit as well. As mentioned previously our body starts to heat up as we train and work harder. Most cooling strategies of cold towels, fans, clothing and shade coverings address the external cooling. But internally the heat can still be building.

This is where slushies come to the rescue! Having a cold iced beverage like that is able to get into the gut and help cool the body from the inside out. Now I know it’s not very functional to have a slushy machine on the sideline to have in the moment. But having a slushy before can help provide a bit of buffer to give extra time before the body heats up. The question now is can something be added to the slushy to make it even better? Carbs are the first on the list analyzed.

Carbs impact (or lack thereof) on lowering body temp

This compared one slushy with a typical amount of carbs in it with another slushy with twice as much. In controlled environments, the impact on body temperatures were…..the same. Extra carbs and extra calories in general can help provide additional energy to improve performance. None of the benefits being provided by the carbs appear to be related to lower body temperature effects.

Is a sugar rush slushy needed?

Nope. Short sweet and to the point there. This likely doesn’t come as a surprise to many, myself included. But just because I didn’t think there would be anything doesn’t mean it’s not worth checking out! Keeping an open mind to potentially being wrong is never a bad thing. But this study does show that slushies can help keep core temperatures down regardless of carb content. So if going to compete in a hot/humid environment, looking to see if you can grab a slushy beforehand could be worth a try if that is appealing to you. Just maybe don’t grab some extra sugar packets to try and throw in there.

Study referenced: click here

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Body Composition, Diets, Macronutrients, Metabolism, Weight, Wellness
Metabolism Changes To Keep In Mind During Weight Loss
- October 12, 2022
Weight loss is one of the most common nutrition goals amongst any population. The formula is basic that everyone has heard regarding eat less and move more for the calories in, calories out idea. But it isn’t talked about as much how the metabolism changes with weight loss. Those changes are why many tend to regain the weight they just lost.

How the metabolism changes

The body tries really hard to stay at its current weight. No matter if someone’s goal is weight loss or weight gain, the body fights it a little bit. Change is hard for everyone, our body’s included! Two hormones in particular drive this; leptin and ghrelin.

Leptin is what helps us to feel full. After a big meal, leptin levels increase and signal to the brain “ok, that’s enough” to stop eating. Ghrelin is the opposite and makes us feel hungry when we need to eat. Long periods without food, ghrelin levels increase until we eat something.

When losing weight, these signals get a little mixed up. To try and keep the body weight at the same level, leptin levels become reduced. The signal and how loud leptin is shouting that the body is full also decreases. These things result in feeling more hungry and thus eating more.

Rate of weight loss

How quickly someone loses weight can impact these effects. Slow and steady is the key. The faster weight is lost, the greater amount of that weight tends to be muscle. This obviously isn’t ideal! By going at a “slow” rate of around 0.5-1.0 pounds lost per week, that can be a great rate to preserve one’s muscle. That muscle is what will help to keep the metabolism burning to maintain the weight that is lost.

On the other hand losing weight quickly comes at the expense of muscle. The metabolism changes with that are that it begins to slow down. Ghrelin levels increase quite a bit as well which can lead to overeating or sometimes even binge eating. It’s a recipe for potential disaster. This is a big reason why many people who regain their weight, had originally lost that weight in a fairly quick manner.

Foods that can help

There are some foods that can be a bit more helpful than others though. Those foods are ones higher in protein and fiber. Both of these nutrients provide more satiety and help to create that fullness feeling. As discussed earlier, that fullness feeling can be a challenge so focusing on protein and fiber rich foods can help ease some of those hunger pains.

Increasing one’s protein intake will also help maintain muscle mass. We work hard for our muscle and if we cut weight we want to make sure it isn’t lost. Eating extra protein helps the body to repair and rebuild any potential muscle damage. Aiming for right around 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight is a good reference point.

Diet breaks and refeeds

There are different theories on the best way to reduce calories for weight loss. The most common and typical strategy is a continuous calorie restriction. This is where day in and day out calories are pulled back a bit. Some feel that this long term restriction can cause the body to adapt and slow metabolism down. Based on this thinking, adding in some times for a diet break or a refeed can help avoid that slow down. What this can typically look like is 5 days of a bit more sever restriction with then going back up to a weight maintenance level of calories for 2 days. Overall there is still a total calorie deficit resulting in a similar weight loss.

Study so far show no actual difference between the two strategies. For athletes though, strategically adding in a refeed can be great when those are timed around competition when maximum performance is the key. The biggest difference in these strategies seem to be the psychological effects. If being able to have a day or two of maintenance calories allows someone to relax a bit and overall help increase the sustainability of their diet then it’s worth it. For those who would feel worse with bouncing back and forth, the consistent restriction is better. Everyone responds differently to different things so it’s finding what works for that person specifically.

Key points to limit metabolism changes

– Slow and stead rate of weight loss

– Increase protein intake

– Focus on high fiber foods

– Caloric deficit is the goal

– Best eating strategy for caloric restriction is unique to each person

– Continue lifting weights to maintain muscle mass

Study referenced: click here

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Energy, Hydration, Macronutrients, Recovery, Weight, Wellness
Did you order a coffee or was it dessert?
- March 20, 2022
Ordering a coffee is no longer as easy as simply saying “one coffee please”. Prepare for a flood of questions to follow if you do say that. Do you want a pump of vanilla or caramel? Do you want light, medium or dark roast? Drip or French press? Brazil or Costa Rica beans? Leave room? With whip? ….. Just a plain black cup of coffee please.

Sneaky calories in your coffee

Most coffee additions don’t come free. They bring extra calories along for the ride, most of which are in the form of sugar to boot. Extra calories and some sugar may have their time and place, but typically not if it’s your off day and are spending most of the day lounging and recovering.

Seasonal specialty drinks in particular tend to contain a lot of extra sugar. I’m looking at you pumpkin spiced lattes! While the flavor can certainly be delicious and tempting, they need to be consumed sparingly. Due to the added ingredients, it’s best to view these types of items as dessert. Like desserts, they can certainly be enjoyed but just done so sparingly.

Substitutions for your order

There are several swaps that you can make with your order to ensure you can enjoy your beverage while also meeting your nutrition needs. The first step though is to be ok with asking! You need to be ok with asking what options are available and then asking for them. It’s all too common for the mindset to be “I don’t want to be a bother and will simply take it the way it is, good or bad.” You’re not being a bother or an inconvenience! Those substitutions are available for a reason and are intended to be used so don’t be afraid to ask for them.

One of the most popular additions to coffee is milk/cream. The world of dairy alternatives has exploded in the past few years and there are now more options than ever. Some things to be mindful of is that heavy cream and half-&-half are going to be your highest calorie options consisting of mainly fat. Those looking for a bit of extra protein though would benefit from actual milk. Skim will be the lowest in calories and whole being the highest. For those who are lactose intolerant or wanting some low calorie alternatives, unsweetened almond milk can be great as well.

Syrups are another popular addition with so many flavors and options. The good news about the variety and options is that many have now sugar free options as well. This is a great way to be able to enjoy the flavors you’re desiring while also avoiding any additional sugar that we may not want. Now if this coffee is part of a pre-training or pre-game beverage to have some extra caffeine with things, the regular syrup could be ok with the extra carbs. Your body will use that extra energy to help with high intensity activities. As mentioned previously though, if we’re not doing too much that day the sugar free option may be the better call!

Type of roast impacts caffeine content

Light, medium and dark roasts have more differences than just the flavor. The type of roast chosen actually has a big impact on the caffeine content of the coffee. Contrary to what may assume, dark roast does NOT have the highest caffeine content. While it does have a more bitter taste, it actually has the least amount of caffeine. If needing a bigger pick-me-up or in preparation for a game, light roast is your roast of choice.

Some people though do respond negatively to caffeine. Like everything it’s important to make sure and try having any coffee you’re considering before a practice. If your body feels good with it, then feel free to incorporate it before a game.

Enjoy your coffee everyone! Just make sure you order it in a manner that matches your performance and health goals. Now it’s time for me to go pour myself a cup after all of this coffee talk. Cheers!

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Injury, Macronutrients, Recovery, Sleep
Bedtime Snack: Friend or Foe
- January 16, 2022
It’s not uncommon to hear someone talking about how they don’t eat after dinner, nothing after 6pm, feeling sluggish in the morning because they ate right before bed, if they eat late at night they gain weight like it’s nothing. This may have more to do with what and how much they are eating as opposed to the act of eating before bed itself. If planned for properly, a bedtime snack can actually be beneficial!

What’s so good about it?

By properly planning and having an appropriate snack you can actually build muscle while you sleep. No, it isn’t too good to be true. It’s a great opportunity to keep improving and recovering in a fairy easy manner. It’s another small adjustment that can result in big changes long term.

To achieve these benefits the thing you want to focus on is……PROTEIN! Consuming protein 30-60 minutes before you go to bed will provide your body with the building blocks your muscles need to continue building and repairing while asleep.6

What makes this timing different than normally consuming protein during the day every 3-4 hours is that when we’re sleeping, our body releases all of the fun muscle building hormones (eg testosterone, growth hormone).2,4,5 Adding protein into the mix helps enhance the effect of those hormones.

The amount to consume depends on your size but in general 20-30 grams is sufficient. This is similar to the amount recommended for meals and snacks to maximize your muscle building and repair.

If given the option, casein protein seems to be the top choice for bedtime protein. Casein is a form of protein found in dairy like whey protein, but is digested slower than whey. This slow release will help prolong the duration in which protein is in your blood being delivered to your muscles and continuing to help build and repair your muscles. Whey is a fine option as well but because it is digested faster, it may not have as long a duration to stimulate muscle building. Overall, if you don’t have or can’t find a casein powder supplement, whey will be good as well. What I would recommend over a supplement though would be to get it from food. Having Greek yogurt or some cottage cheese is a perfect option.

This all helps emphasize the importance of giving yourself the appropriate amount of time to sleep! It plays a major role in so many things and should not be overlooked if you’re wanting to make sure that you’re doing everything you can to improve.1,3,7

So eating before you go to bed isn’t a bad thing! It can be good and beneficial for helping you build muscle and recover if you plan that snack appropriately. The benefits won’t be seen or noticed after one night of eating some Greek yogurt but over the course of an entire season and career the benefits can be substantial. It always comes down to those little details to separate yourself from the competition so make sure you’re not missing out on a good opportunity to continue improving yourself!

1. Copenhaver EA, Diamond AB. The Value of Sleep on Athletic Performance, Injury, and Recovery in the Young Athlete. Pediatr Ann. 2017 Mar 1;46(3):e106-e111.
2. Cortés-Gallegos V, Castañeda G, Alonso R, Sojo I, Carranco A, Cervantes C, Parra A. Sleep deprivation reduces circulating androgens in healthy men. Arch Androl. 1983 Mar;10(1):33-7.
3. Kohn TP, Kohn JR, Haney NM, Pastuszak AW, Lipshultz LI. The effect of sleep on men’s health. Transl Androl Urol. 2020 Mar;9(Suppl 2):S178-S185.
4. Lamon S, Morabito A, Arentson-Lantz E, Knowles O, Vincent GE, Condo D, Alexander SE, Garnham A, Paddon-Jones D, Aisbett B. The effect of acute sleep deprivation on skeletal muscle protein synthesis and the hormonal environment. Physiol Rep. 2021 Jan;9(1):e14660.
5. Luboshitzky R, Herer P, Levi M, Shen-Orr Z, Lavie P. Relationship between rapid eye movement sleep and testosterone secretion in normal men. J Androl. 1999 Nov-Dec;20(6):731-7.
6. Reis CEG, Loureiro LMR, Roschel H, da Costa THM. Effects of pre-sleep protein consumption on muscle-related outcomes – A systematic review. J Sci Med Sport. 2021 Feb;24(2):177-182. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2020.07.016. Epub 2020 Aug 7.
7. de Sousa Nogueira Freitas L, da Silva FR, Andrade HA, Guerreiro RC, Paulo FV, de Mello MT, Silva A. Sleep debt induces skeletal muscle injuries in athletes: A promising hypothesis. Med Hypotheses. 2020 Sep;142:109836. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2020.109836. Epub 2020 May 12.

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