TIMING IS EVERYTHING

It is imperative to the overall success of your personal fitness goals that the timing of obtaining certain nutrients be understood and adhered to – timing is everything.

Before you exercise

Your largest meal of the day should be eaten at least two to three hours prior to your workout so that sufficient quantities of glycogen can be stored prior to exercise. Your body burns glycogen much more efficiently than carbohydrates that were just consumed, whether liquid or solid. Remember, you need enough glycogen (stored blood sugar) in your muscle tissue to sustain an intense workout. Since the human body can only store up to 2,000 calories, enough for a 60-90 minute workout, this meal is critical. Try to eat a meal that has about 55-65% complex carbohydrates, about 25-30% protein, and no more than 15% fat. These rations can vary slightly depending on your personal goals and metabolic profile.

During

If you’ve followed all of the steps we’ve just outlined, then ideally, you should be sipping on water during your workout. However, because of lifestyle dynamics, too often we fail to do the proper thing for our diets all of the time. In this case it is acceptable to sip on up to 9-12 ounces of a high glycemic glucose/fructose sports drink, or shake during your workout. It is important that we never over work our digestive system while we are trying to expend energy when working out. It is equally as important that we exercise at peak efficiency all of the time.

After

This is the most important meal of the day. The body only has a 30-minute window to optimize its workout. If you miss this opportunity to give it what it needs, the window quickly closes. You will not be able to store as much glycogen as just prior to your workout because the cells that once contained your stored sugars have decreased, slowing down your metabolism. By drinking a high glycemic drink with a 3 to 1 ratio of carbs to proteins respectively, immediately following your workout the sugars race back into your muscles, replenishing the lost glycogen and keep your metabolism humming. This is the key to weight loss or muscle gain; your body will not gain an ounce of fat, and you WILL realize your fitness goals much quicker.

Your body runs primarily on glycogen. The best time to store glycogen is right after exercising – timing is everything! EAT WELL!

Written by: by Dan Young, Founder and President Performance Food Centers

Why is Exercise Important?

Have you ever heard the expression “use it or lose it”? It’s true! If you don’t use your body, you will surely lose it. Your muscles will become flabby and weak. Your heart and lungs won’t function efficiently. And your joints will be stiff and easily injured. Inactivity is as much of a health risk as smoking!

Helps Prevent Diseases 
Our bodies were meant to move — they actually crave exercise. Regular exercise is necessary for physical fitness and good health. It reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and other diseases. It can improve your appearance and delay the aging process.

Improves Stamina 
When you exercise, your body uses energy to keep going. Aerobic exercise involves continuous and rhythmic physical motion, such as walking and bicycling. It improves your stamina by training your body to become more efficient and use less energy for the same amount of work. As your conditioning level improves, your heart rate and breathing rate return to resting levels much sooner from strenuous activity.

Strengthens and Tones 
Exercising with weights and other forms of resistance training develops your muscles, bones and ligaments for increased strength and endurance. Your posture can be improved, and your muscles become more firm and toned. You not only feel better, but you look better, too!

Enhances Flexibility 
Stretching exercises are also important for good posture. They keep your body limber so that you can bend, reach and twist. Improving your flexibility through exercise reduces the chance of injury and improves balance and coordination. If you have stiff, tense areas, such as the upper back or neck, performing specific stretches can help “loosen” those muscles, helping you feel more relaxed.

Controls Weight 
Exercise is also a key to weight control because it burns calories. If you burn off more calories than you take in, you lose weight. It’s as simple as that.

Improves Quality of Life 
Once you begin to exercise regularly, you will discover many more reasons why exercise is so important to improving the quality of your life. Exercise reduces stress, lifts moods, and helps you sleep better. It can keep you looking and feeling younger throughout your entire life.

How Often Should I Exercise?

The benefits of any exercise program will diminish if it’s disrupted too frequently. A “stop-start” routine is not only ineffective, but can cause injuries. Being consistent with exercise, therefore, is probably the most important factor in achieving desired results.

People often assume that more is better. Wrong! Doing too much too soon or performing intense exercises on a daily basis will have deleterious effects, such as muscle/tendon strains, loss of lean tissue, and fitness-level plateaus.

If you are a beginner, start off slower than you think you should. Three days per week is realistic, safe and effective. If you are experienced, do cardiovascular (aerobic) exercises such as walking, jogging and bicycling for no more than 200 minutes per week with no more than 60 minutes per session.

Weight training should be done no more than three times per week targeting the same muscle groups. Exercise the same muscle groups on non-consecutive days because muscles need adequate time to recover and cannot be effectively trained if they are tired or sore.

Many people forget to stretch or make the excuse that they don’t have the time. Flexibility is important, so make the time! Stretching can be done every day, but stick to a minimum of three times per week in order to reap the benefits. When the body is warmed up, such as after a workout session, perform five to 10 stretches that target the major muscle groups. Hold each stretch for 10-30 seconds.

Resource: Armand Tecco, M.Ed., January, 1999.

What is Collagen?

Collagen is a type of protein. Fibrous in nature, it connects and supports other bodily tissues, such as skin, bone, tendons, muscles, and cartilage. It also supports the internal organs and is even present in teeth. There are more than 25 types of collagens that naturally occur in the body.

Collagen is one of the most plentiful proteins present in the bodies of mammals, including humans. In fact, it makes up about 25 percent of the total amount of proteins in the body. Some people refer to collagen as the glue that holds the body together. Without it, the body would, quite literally, fall apart.

Possessing great tensile strength, collagen functions in a manner that is very different from many other types of proteins. For example, it can be found both inside and outside of cells. Collagen fibers are important in contributing to the external structure of cells. However, they are present on the inside of some cells as well.

Collagen works hand-in-hand with elastin in supporting the body’s tissues. Basically, it gives body tissues form and provides firmness and strength; elastin gives the same body tissues much need flexibility. This combination of collagen and elastin is very important in many parts of the body, including, but not limited to, the lungs, bones, and tendons. Even the blood vessels rely on both collagen and elastin.

Often, collagen is discussed in relation to the skin. It works with keratin to provide the skin with strength, flexibility, and resilience. As people age, however, collagen degradation occurs, leading to wrinkles. As such, it is an important substance for those looking for ways to fight the visible effects of aging on the skin. Some skincare professionals actually advise people on ways to stimulate the production of collagen in skin cells.

In addition to being so important in the body, collagen also has many medical uses. It is used in some cosmetic surgeryprocedures and is sold as a supplement created for joint mobility. It is even used in treating and managing serious burns. For this purpose, it is used in creating man-made skin substitutes.

Since collagens are so important within the body, it stands to reason that collagen deficiencies can be problematic. In fact, there are some genetic diseases that are associated with collagen deficiencies. For example, osteogenesis imperfecta, commonly referred to as brittle bone disease, results from a significantly decreased level of collagen. It can also result from the presence of collagen that is of lower quality than normal.

Information provided by: wisegeek

Athletic Business Conference & Expo

Come see what the buzz is all about at the Athletic Business Conference & Expo. Beginning December 2-3, 2010 at the San Diego Convention Center. Over 300 manufacturers, suppliers, architects and consultants from the sports, recreation, fitness, active-aging and medical fitness industries will be exhibiting.

Dr. Smoothie Brands manufacturer of Amino Hydrate and Amino Repair will also be exhibiting while offering samples to taste at their booth#1440. The Athletic Business Conference & Expo features the industry’s leading trade show, a one-stop resource that lets you try and compare the full range of innovative components to build, equip, renovate or operate your facility and programs.

For more information visit http://athleticbusinessconference.com/trade-show/

Aminos and Their Many Essential Uses

Yes, amino acids are beneficial to strength athletes. But they are also important additions to a dietary supplement program for other reasons as well.
By Carol Radice

How important are amino acids? Amino acids are considered the building blocks that comprise protein, Protein, it follows, cannot exist without the correct combination of amino acids. If any essential amino is low or missing, the effectiveness of all others will be equally reduced.

In the body, adequate protein intake is vital for virtually everything from healthy muscles, ligaments, tendons, organs, glands, nails, hair, and most body fluids. Besides water, protein comprises the largest portion of our body weight, and as such, the body’s requirement for protein is directly related to good health. Additionally the central nervous system cannot function property without amino acids, which are necessary for the brain to both send and receive information.

In fact, not only does every cell in the body contain protein, but protein makes up half of the body’s dry weight. Protein is found in muscle, bone, cartilage, and blood, as well as enzymes and hormones. Protein essentially allows muscles to contract and hold water, gives hair and skin a protective coating, and provides the rigid framework of bones and teeth. Protein also helps tissue form, regulates the body’s water and acid-base balance, and stimulates the production of antibodies.

Unlike fat and carbohydrates, the body cannot store large quantities of protein. Therefore, protein must be consumed daily. However, protein cannot be used directly by the body and must be digested and catabolized from its food source into isolated singular amino acids. The body must then recombine or anabolize these amino acids into protein.

The body’s protein metabolism uses a base of essential amino acids to create 150 or more others inside the body, which on an ongoing basis recombine and produce some 40,000 protein types on an as needed-basis.

If the body is allowed to deplete itself of any of the essential amino acids, it cannot produce those proteins requiring such amino acids. The end result will be that the body will break down its own protein structure, including healthy muscle, to meet its need for isolated singular amino acids. These shortages can also lead to a number of health disorders, because under these conditions vitamins and minerals are left unable to fulfill their health roles in the body.

The Essential Aminos

The majority of amino acids can appear in two forms, known as the L- and D- series. Amino acids in the L-series are in the same natural form as those found in living plants or animals, and are the form most compatible to the biochemistry of humans.

There are nearly 30 known amino acids that make up the various forms of proteins found in living things. In humans, the liver is responsible for the production of some 80% of the amino acids we need. The remaining 20% cannot be manufactured by the body and must be obtained from other sources such as food and/or supplements. This portion is commonly referred to as the essential amino acids.

Many studies have shown that amino acids possess health-enhancing properties, from improving the immune system to reducing dependence on drugs. Each has been shown to have specific function and is needed to prevent various symptoms from developing. For adults, this group includes Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, and Valine. Here is a closer look at a few of these amino acids and the important roles they play:

• Lysine: Considered to be an essential building block for protein, Lysine is necessary for growth and proper bone development in children. Lysine helps in calcium absorption, maintains nitrogen balance in adults, aids in the production of antibodies, hormones and enzymes, fights recurrent attacks of type one herpes or cold sores, and helps repair tissue. Deficiencies can result in a loss of energy, inability to concentrate, irritability, bloodshot eyes, hair loss, anemia, and reproductive disorders.

Lysine is found in foods such as fish, milk, beans, cheeses, meat, yeast, soy, and eggs. As a supplement, Lysine is available in 500 mg capsules or tablets. It is generally best taken one or two times a day, 30 minutes before meals.

• Phenylalanine: Known primarily for its pain-controlling abilities, Phenylalanine is one of the building blocks of amino acids and can increase mental alertness, suppress the appetite, and has a positive, effect in reducing the symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease. It can also increase sexual interest, improve memory, and alleviate depression. It is generally not appropriate, unless advised by a physician, for those suffering from high blood pressure, heart conditions, skin cancer, anxiety attacks, diabetes, or for pregnant women to take this amino acid.

Phenylalanine is found naturally in soy products, almonds, lima beans, pumpkin and sesame seeds. It is available in 250-500 mg tablets. For appetite control, it is best taken one hour before meals with juice and water. For general alertness, tablets are best taken between meals with water or juice.

Many Uses

American consumers are taking amino acid supplements for a variety of reasons.

“The myriad of uses of amino acids are only now, in the 90’s, beginning to be examined publicly as an alternative to drug therapy,” notes JoAnne Brown, Vice President of J.M. Pharmacal. Brown pointed out that “pure form amino acids directly address specific ailments such as depression, addiction, allergies, weight loss, immune system disorders, impotency, prostate and heart problems.”

Michael Carruba, Vice President of IcoPro, says while these products play a primary role in the athlete’s diet because of the stress that often accompanies strenuous and prolonged training, anyone whose protein intake is low due to illness or caloric restrictions may also need to supplement their diets with amino acids.

Gene Daoust, President of Integrated Health, agrees. “Any individual who is mentally or physically stressed out can also benefit from amino acid products,” he says. Included in this segment, Daoust said, are busy executives and people on the go who find themselves faced with stress; those concerned with improving the quality of their hair, nails, and skin; people living in cities who are routinely exposed to air pollution and contamination; and anyone in a detoxification program like smokers or drinkers.

The following are a few other amino acids said to have beneficial effects with athletes:

• Carnitine:   Aside from this amino acid’s ability to transport fatty acids and prevent fatty build-up, L-Carnitine aids in weight loss, decreases the risk for heart disease, and has been shown to improve athletic abilities.
• Lysine: Among the many functions of the amino acid lysine is its ability to help form collagen and repair tissue in the body. Because it plays a vital role in maintaining energy and building muscle protein, lysine is also important for those with muscle injuries.

Information was provided by Immunesupport.com

Amino Repair and Amino Hydrate will be going to the Club Industry Expo in Chicago IL

In you are in the Chicago area the first part of October, be sure to plan on attending Club Industry Expo beginning October 7-8, 2010. Held at McCormick Place, please stop by booth #839 to learn more about Amino Repair and Amino Hydrate, sports repair and hydration.

Sports Injuries will Heal Quicker with Amino Repair

If you participate in sports on a regular basis or are a weekend warrior, now is the time to add Amino Repair to regular regime.

Amino Repair is used to promote joint health, nourish ligaments, tendons, surrounding connective tissue and skin. Amino Repair assists in recovery of injuries by reducing inflammation, while it hydrates and repairs micro and macro tears in connective tissue and joints.

Amino Hydrate for Ultra Hydration

Amino Hydrate formula combines ultra-hydrating hydrolyzed collagen, specific amino acids and essential electrolytes to hydrate your cells, rebuild damaged connective tissue, assist glycogen transport and energize your body.

Connective Tissue and Joint Repair

Amino Repair is a scientific formulation, containing hydrolyzed collagen, hyaluronic acid, a synergistic blend of targeted aminos and other supplements that promotes the repair of connective tissue, joint, ligamont, tendon, cartilage and skin. Helps athletes recover from exercise and sports related injuries.