Group items tagged

Glucose, which is transported by your bloodstream to organs and tissues after eating carbohydrates, provides an essential source of energy for both your muscles and brain when working out. As energy and glucose needs to increase with exercise, it's important to eat enough carbohydrates in order to fuel your workouts. Having low blood glucose levels during exercise harms performance and can lead to physical and mental fatigue, sometimes resulting in weakness, dizziness and hypoglycemia. Glucose also prevents the body from using protein for energy.

When glucose isn't needed for immediate energy, the body stores it as glycogen in the liver and skeletal muscle. Glycogen stores are especially important when working out, as the body's energy demands may exceed the amount supplied by glucose in the bloodstream after prolonged exercise or when exercising with insufficient carbohydrate intake. According to Iowa State University, during low-intensity workouts, glycogen stores can be used to increase glucose levels in the bloodstream for as long as 90 minutes -- whereas during high-intensity exercise, glycogen stores provide energy for only about 20 minutes. Active people therefore need to replenish glucose regularly by eating plenty of carbohydrates. However, in less-active people with adequate glycogen stores, additional glucose is stored as fat.

The theory behind low-carb diets is that when your body is deprived of carbs, your fat stores are burned to provide energy. This causes you to lose fat and stay slim and trim. Another benefit of a low-carb diet is that you tend to eat more protein, which helps build muscle. Make the change to a low-carb diet with an eye on how you feel and how much energy you have during your workouts and other daily activities.

The best way to reduce carbs in your diet is to restrict those foods that are comprised of simple carbs, such as snacks and foods made of refined sugar, white flour, white rice, snack foods, cakes, cookies and soda. Low-carb snacks or meals to eat before exercise include eggs, cheese, some fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

People with lower amounts of stored fat may find they do not have enough energy to get through the day. Low-carb diets also can cause “brain fog.”

Q: Is Creatine a Steroid?

A:  I would like to dispel this myth by giving you the definition of what an anabolic steroid is.  These  are synthetic versions of the male hormone testosterone.  Creatine, as you will see below is not.  Basically anyone who says this should immediately be labeled a gymbecile. 

Q: What is Creatine?

Healthy Eating Benefits

help to maintain overall health.

When teens are not active, it is even more important that they eat healthy foods.

Ads 5 Foods you must not eatCut down a bit of stomach fat every day by never eating these 5 foods.Beyonddiet.com Weight Loss for WomenGet Cash Back. $10 per Pound. Weight Loss Resolution that Works!Herbalmagic.ca 50 Circuit WorkoutsBurn fat & get totally ripped with these 50 circuit workout routinesMaxWorkouts.com Sports Medicine Ads Weight Loss Exercise Weight Training Cardio Weight Lifting Exercise Ads Weight Loss TipsPurchase The Book That Will Give You The Science Of Slim Today!TheSmarterScienceOfSlim.com Build muscle, lose fatFree online workout plans 800.000 people use it already!www.virtuagym.com

What should you do first, cardiovascular endurance exercise or weight lifting? Or does this even matter? The answer really depends upon what you are trying to accomplish.

Exercise order may also matter if you are trying to achieve a specific goal, such as building muscle or improving sports skills, or if you have an extremely high level of fitness already.

What did you just say? Eat 6 times per day? Yes, that's right! Don't think that you are going to gain quality size eating 3 square meals per day. The only type of mass you will put on eating this way will be the fat type, and this is not our objective. There is no way that you can reach your caloric or your macronutrient needs eating 3 meals per day. If by some magical reason you can eat them in 3 meals, than you will be so full and bloated, you won't be able tie up your own shoes let alone pound out some heavy deadlifts.

Water is very important for many reasons. Water is good for you believe it or not. It has many health and performance benefits. It keeps your organs functioning properly, clears toxins, reduces excess sodium from your body, and it hydrates your muscle cells. It even liberates fat stores on your body so they are burned off as an energy source. Dehydration will cause a major decrement in performance. Even a 2% state of dehydration will cause your performance to go out the window

Sleep

A carbohydrate-loading diet, also called a carb-loading diet, is a strategy to increase the amount of fuel stored in your muscles to improve athletic performance. Carbohydrate loading generally involves greatly increasing the amount of carbohydrates you eat several days before a high-intensity endurance athletic event.

Your muscles normally store only small amounts of glycogen — enough to support you during recreational exercise activities. If you exercise intensely for more than 90 minutes, your muscles may run out of glycogen. At that point, you may start to become fatigued, and your performance may suffer.

But with carbohydrate loading, you may be able to store up enough energy in your muscles to give you the stamina to make it through longer endurance events without overwhelming fatigue

If your workout is the key to your dream physique, then your diet is the key to your most effective workout. The food you eat is directly tied to the way your body performs, and an under-performing body won't burn as many calories or build as much muscle as one that is perfectly fueled.

the most important factor is the mix of carbohydrates and protein.

No matter what volume of food you consume, dietitian Christopher Mohr recommends 5 g of carbs for every 1 g of essential amino acids -- about 1.6 g of a complete protein will provide 1 g of essential amino acids. Consuming these nutrients before your workout allows your body to take advantage of workout-induced increased blood flow to establish the amino acids in your muscles while boosting blood sugar for steady energy.

Your primary goal will give you a general starting point for figuring out exactly how to balance your training, as well as what type of cardio and weight training you should be doing. In addition to your primary goal, you will also need to take into account two other major factors: Your Body Type - Are you naturally slim? Do you gain muscle easily? Do you tend to hold onto fat readily? The Type Of Cardio Training You're Doing - Is it high- intensity or low-intensity? Does it fatigue you for weights? Does your weight training fatigue you for your cardio?

If you're training to gain muscle, you will need to do less cardio training. Too much cardio can actually hamper your muscle gain by slowing recovery and burning up calories that your body needs for the process of building muscle. As a general guideline, one or two cardio sessions per week should be enough to maintain your cardiovascular conditioning and keep your bodyfat gains in check while not slowing muscle growth. You should train with weights at least three times per week, up to even six times if you can recover from it and still make progress.

The ectomorph is the naturally-slim person. They have a smaller bone-structure and can seem to "eat whatever they want and not gain an ounce."

Carbohydrate energy Carbohydrates provide your body with energy fuel.

Failing to provide your body with quality carbohydrates for your workout will make you quickly feel tired and worn out

Avoid processed foods like white rice, white bread and white pasta. Also avoid sugary drinks and foods for the same reason.

We don't need to know that rats who generally live 2 - 3 years die within 3 weeks when deprived of sleep to understand how important sleep is to our bodies and health. But it does emphasize the importance of sleep!

brain wave activity during sleep and how the eyeballs roll around rapidly during certain stages of sleep

Sleep is the time we rest so that the body can rejuvenate and recharge.

Teens should eat a variety of foods from all the food groups, including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean meat and low-fat dairy.

Provides Energy

diet that contains a healthy mix of carbohydrates, protein and fat supports a teen's energy level and allows him to make it through each day's tasks.

There are many benefits of healthy eating including increased vitality and energy

one of the most important benefits of eating healthy foods is weight control and protection from disease.

Top 5 Benefits Of Eating A Healthy Diet

Healthy eating is the way we eat the right combination of foods

Healthy eating provides the body with sufficient energy

provides the right number of calories to keep our weight in healthy range with the energy we expend to stay alive and active.

When people talk about the calories in food, what do they mean? A calorie is a unit of measurement — but it doesn't measure weight or length. A calorie is a unit of energy. When you hear something contains 100 calories, it's a way of describing how much energy your body could get from eating or drinking it.

Some people mistakenly believe they have to burn off all the calories they eat or they will gain weight. This isn't true. Your body needs some calories just to operate — to keep your heart beating and your lungs breathing.

If you were to wrap your hand around your upper arm and squeeze, you would feel various types of tissue. The soft, spongy material is fat mass, and everything else is considered lean body mass. This includes skin, bone, muscle, fluids and connective tissue. Out of all these types of tissue, fat and muscle are the only ones you have control over.

Feed your body healthy foods. Avoid foods that are deep fried, cooked in butter, smothered with gravy, doused with creamy sauces and coated with sugar. They are empty-calorie foods that offer you no nutritional value. Eat foods instead that are beneficial to muscle building such as eggs, cottage cheese, lean beef, chicken breasts, fish, beans, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and oils.

Drink water to hydrate your muscles and keep your calories under control. Avoid beverages high in calories and caffeine, such as energy drinks, lattes, soda, sweet teas, slushies and alcohol. The Institute of Medicine recommends that women get approximately 2.7 liters of water a day and men get approximately 3.7 liters a day. This comes out to about 90 oz. and 120 oz., respectively.

Creatine and protein shakes are commonly used by weightlifters and athletes looking to bulk up or improve their overall physical fitness levels. Creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid found in fish and meat and produced naturally in the liver, kidneys and pancreas, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Protein shakes are supplements used to fuel the body with protein in an effort to build muscle.

Creatine works by supplying the muscles with additional energy during a workout. This can help you increase the intensity of your workouts, although it has been shown to be ineffective for some people, the University of Maryland Medical Center notes. Protein powders are primarily used immediately following a workout to help replenish the body with much-needed proteins lost during an intense lifting session. Muscles are made of protein, considered the building block of all bodily tissues.

Contrary to what some people believe, protein supplementation is not necessarily a healthy way to lose weight, cautions Mayo Clinic dietitian Katherine Zeratsky. Meal-replacement shakes that are high in protein cannot replicate or achieve the nutritional value of whole foods. Zeratsky recommends focusing on eating healthy, well-balanced meals and watching your calorie intake to lose weight safely.

Red meat has played a significant role in human evolution and remains a core food in most people's diet Red meat is naturally nutrient rich and provides so many of the essential nutrients our body requires for optimum health. Red meat is full of goodness; it tastes great, is extremely versatile and it deliciously satisfies appetites, whether eaten as part of a main meal or a snack. The goodness found in red meat Often, we are not aware of all the many nutritional benefits to be found in the food we eat and red meat is probably one of those foods. However, it is a truly amazing source of so many nutrients that are essential for healthy bodies: Protein Red meat is a significant source of high-quality protein, providing all the essential amino acids necessary for healthy body functioning and particularly important for growing children. The protein in beef and lamb is highly digestible - around 94% compared with a 78% digestibility in beans and 86% in whole wheat. Iron Red meat is a very rich source of haem-iron which is needed to form haemoglobin which carries oxygen in the blood around the body. Oxygen is essential for producing energy from food to help the body function. The haem-iron in red meat is well absorbed compared to non-haem iron in plant foods. Zinc Red meat is a good source of zinc; an essential nutrient for the immune system, growth and wound healing. The zinc in red meat and other animal foods is better absorbed than from most plant foods. Omega-3 fatty acids After fish, red meat has the second highest contribution of omega-3 and is an important natural resource of this nutrient. Omega-3s are essential to the healthy functioning of the nervous system and important to heart health.