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Showing posts from January 2, 2011

Campy miles

I log my workouts on training peaks. I am not the best logger but I am trying really hard to keep track of my workouts on training peaks. On most Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, you will find "campy miles" as one of my entries. That's right, I am logging my running miles with my favorite running partner. A blog reader sent me to a wonderful poem. It brought tears to my eyes because I could totally relate to the lines in the poem. http://www.taylormali.com/index.cfm?webid=14 Thank you Nicole S. for sharing the link on my blog! My life has changed since I got Campy...all for the better. Sure, I have lost a few pairs of underwear and Karel and I have a few cycling shorts with holes but our dishes are always super clean after we eat! Our days always start with a happy dog and finish with a thankful dog. My perspective on life changed just a few months after getting Campy. Rather than exercising for calories, I began to train for performance. No longer did I see fo

Caffeine and exercise

I recently saw this article on Ironman.com http://ironman.com/training/nutrition/christopher-jensen-offers-some-insight-on-caffeine-and-its-use-for-training-and-racing#axzz1AJOWLX00 Dr. Jensen is very well known in the research community, when it comes to caffeine-related studies. I remember reading some of his studies in graduate school, when I was helping my mentor (Dr. Jeff Stout) with some of his studies involving beta-alanine and creatine on lactate, ventilatory and anaerobic threshold. I think caffeine is a great supplement in both fitness enthusiasts and endurance athletes. There are many health benefits to coffee and tea so I would recommend naturally-occurring caffeine drinks over carbonated drinks and energy drinks. Research suggests around 3-9mg per kg body weight, around 45 min prior to exercise. Most importantly, more is not better when it comes to additional ergogenic benefits with 2+ cups of coffee prior to workouts/racing. Although I believe that many endurance athletes

Antioxidant supplementation

Another great research study from my latest issue of SCAN. Antioxidant Supplementation and Endurance Training Adaptation Yfanti, C., Akerstrom, T., Nielsen, S., et al. Antioxidant supplementation does not alter endurance training adaptation. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010;42:1388-1395. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species production that occurs with exercise may negatively impact performance; however, this same process appears to be critical in stimulating desired training adaptations. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether vitamin C and E supplementation during endurance training attenuates the expected increase in training adaptation and performance in physically active men. IN this 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 21 men (ages 18-40 g) completed a 5-day per week intensive cycle training protocol. Eleven participants received 500 mg vitamin C and 400 IU vitamin E daily for 16 weeks (AO group); the remaining 10 participants received placebo tablets (PL group)

New year...new research!

4 more months of interning. Just thought I'd throw that out there. I just received the winter 2011 issue of SCAN's Pulse (one of my many newsletters/magazines/journals that I subscribe to). SCAN stands for Sports, cardiovascular and wellness nutrition, which is a practice group of the American Dietetic Association. This issue was packed with information so I thought I would share 3 great research articles that were presented in my journal. Here's the first one Sports dietetics - USA Research Digest (summarized): Fat Free Milk Consumption and Changes in Body Composition Josse, AR, Tang, JE, Tarnopolsky, MA. et al. Body composition and strength changes in women with milk and resistance exercise Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010;42:1122-1130. Ingestion of milk-based protein following intensive resistance training appears to enhance muscle mass accretion in young males. Whether females following the same regime respond similar has not been sufficiently tested. The objective of this st

Fresh (or Frozen) Eats

As we ease into the New Year with an open mind and realistic resolutions/expectations, I hope you enjoy my latest Iron Girl article. Fresh (or Frozen) Eats The winter weather may be frightful, causing your selection of fruits and veggies to be anything but delightful. During the colder months, fresh produce can have different textures, tastes and prices, but don't let this stop you from including fruits and veggies in your balanced diet. There are a host of vital nutrients stocked in the frozen food section at your nearest grocery store, and according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, frozen fruits and vegetables provide the same essential nutrients and health benefits as their fresh counterparts (USDA, n.d.). When preparing your frozen produce, it is important to study cooking times and temperatures to minimize nutrient loss. Steaming or boiling a vegetable for even a minute more than necessary may reduce maximum nutritional benefits. When it comes to sautéing, adding a li