Sunday, October 22, 2006

The Performance Nutrition Show



Hi Everyone, Well you got me, I missed a month due to a hectic work schedule (Ye Lame excuse)... However am back on the diet and at week three so next post will have pic's for you guys and an UPDATE on what I do for cutting.

This month I would like to introduce you the Performance Nutrition Show. The Performance Nutrition Show, hosted by Dr. Jose Antonio and Carla Sanchez is the first radio web and podcast that explores the latest sports nutrition science as well as real-world training and dieting techniques for the fitness enthusiast. This show is for those with an appetite for cutting-edge information delivered in an entertaining format.

www.performancenutritionshow.com/


In this weeks show I give you a little low down on why CEE is bogus and breaks down in neutral pH fluids (such as water and in the small intestine where creatine gets absorbed) . Other issues include supplement contamination and a little on H+BLOCKER, beta-alanine and carnosine. I am also asked about supplements for athletes and try to give a mix of supplements to be used for recovery but also as immediate performance enhances. One controversial supplement is Rhodiola rosea!

Peter Hespel from Lurven University works with some of the worlds best Tour cycling teams (for many years) particularly those professional cycling teams under the management of Patrick Lefevere, which have included top cyclists such as Paolo Bettini, Tom Boonen, Johan Museeuw, Robbie Mc Ewen, Michael Rogers.

I have done some work in my athletes and found similar acute performance enhancing effects as in the work by Hespel which exceeds those of convention endurance supplements (carbs, bicarb and foods). Antioxidants are briefly discuss on the show, but there really is no evidence for these as direct performance enhancers and research groups are only just showing some inhibition of adaptive responses in elite athletes with high dose single antiox use. Although there maybe a place for those with poor dietary intakes and applications for health.

One of Prof Hespels studies below you might be aware of its nice because the standardized for the main actives in Rhodiola. His labs are very independent and exercise work is a very small part of his departments work, most is medicinally orientated. This means they are unlikely to give just positive results from studies because they dont need the funding from supplements studies to keep the department afloat.


DeBock et al. Acute Rhodiola rosea intake can improve endurance exercise performance. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2004 Jun;14(3):298-307.



Looking forward to sending in the next uptake.


All the best in training and nutrition....DocT


Monday, August 28, 2006

The Sky's the Limit...or so they Say

Sorry for the delay on getting this post up for you guys but been a bit of a nightmare month or so...Let me explain ALL

Well I signed my self up last month for something new "The Advanced free fall skydiving course" or AFF to those in the know. The course is set over a number of levels but in essence you can go from never jumping out of a plane in your life, to skydiving solo doing somersaults and turns and all at the dizzy height of 12000+ feet


"Dave & Dick my smiling Instructors"


Anyways the first day was with a guy called john Horn a man with a lifetime of experience in instruction and jumping. The first day was all theory and if we where lucky a jump at the end of it. Unfortunately it was to windy so we would jump first thing in the morning. Next morning we were ready to go and all kitted up for our first jump. There was a number of maneuvers and signals you had to remember all done with sign language as when your falling at over 100mph you cannot hear a thing ...........(try putting your head out of the car window at that speed thats the sensation and noise).

I was a little nervous of failing the level rather than the jump itself as you have to pass each on to move onto the next. Anway's I was ok and and passed and the experience was amazing you just cannot stop smiling when you hit the ground. They always warn you of something called "sensory overload" where the experience is so intense you forget your name and all else for a few moments. Mine lasted a few senconds but its know to happen for longer, and to the point where the instructors have to open you chute....

OK fast forward 4-5 jumps and we are now doing turns and feeling confident but that was all about to change when I let someone new packed my chute for this next jump. I did the level but when the parachute opened, it opened way to fast and something didnt feel right around my chest, but with the adrenaline pumping you really feel very little pain. I had one more jump left after landing that one and I would have passed all levels. The last jump was no maneuvers just to get you parachute open in 3 seconds following a solo jump. I did it but by the time I hit the floor my chest was hurting even more from the strain of the chest strap against my ribs when it was pretty obvious I had injured them earlier.

The next morning I woke up and BOOM, I was instantly transformed into the old man, could hardly breath and every breath was painful. It was time for a trip to the ER and after an XRAY I was 2 fractured ribs worse off. I was told I needed total rest and no training at all for at least 2-3 weeks, and possibly up to six.

That was great news "not" after spending some serious graft trying to get my self to 100kg and was just about to start my cut. Anways I bit the bullet and gave it two weeks of no training and although I still had pain I headed back to the gym (with my anti-inflams, paracetamol and codein at the ready). I thought a light session on the bike would be OK.

DARN was I wrong and the next day my body new about it, I was took right back to where I started and the pain was back in full effect. After a good 2 more weeks away from the gym (and a handful of codein) I finally managed to get back with light weights and aerobic work, but no bench press or squats as these really hurt. I am 7 weeks past the injury now and just had first weeks real training and down to 93 kgs and picked up some bodyfat. YEP REAL HAPPY ABOUT THAT...

So the moral of this story yep the sky's the limit, but remember what goes up must come down and in my case with a BANG (or should that be snap). I wont give up the skydiving as its fantastic fun and would recommend it to any one out there looking for something new and extreme. It really does make you consider your life's direction and whats really inportant to you when you are looking out of that plane door at 12000 ft. I will be heading out to a beautiful place in the USA called Elsinore (Southern California) later in the year for a little holiday and some jumpin!

Hope you guys are having a great month and training is going fantastic.

Until next month DOC T ;-)


Friday, June 02, 2006


"If your looking to loose teeth this is your man"

THE FOUNDER OF YOSHINKAN AIKIDO
"True inspiration"