Monday, January 3rd, 2011

Get Rid of Excess Fat Workouts

by Bob Brendon

Feeling exhausted by loosing weight then simply gaining all of it to come back? Are you battling to possess a slender lean physique? You are not alone. There’s lots of special products and solutions as well as procedures out there however, not all of these make a good end result. Many of them would likely bring about disappointments.

There are times when you achieve your goal figure and you have a tendency to quit. In that case, you would gain almost everything again. It might usually take a much time time for you to get slimmer and plenty of work. However, it would just take a little of your time, without any exertion to be able to get it back.

To be thin, shed weight exercises and also eating the proper food is always everybody’s advice. You may get information everywhere on which certain foods to avoid when shedding pounds. Often times with a lot of details, choosing the right diet can be confusing. Understanding is definitely not a bad option. A lot of the diet plans will normally give you good results.

Workouts at a average rate in a lengthy period can make your whole body keep a great amount of fat for your next exercise. This is not what you would like. Higher intensity 15-20 minute workout can help you use up carbohydrates instead of extra fat. Then after the carbs are used up, fats would replace them for the next twenty four hours. This particular workout will let you continuously get rid of extra fat for the next twenty four hours.

An excellent form of workouts are the one which will involve multiplanar activities. It’s an excellent workout which moves around your whole body in all directions. These are typically workouts that makes you move your system front side, backwards and sideward . It would increase body fat burning up method.

There are several efficient approaches in losing weight. The challenging part is to how to stay thin. In keeping lean you must have lots of discipline and also psychological perspective. You need to make choices. You should consider weight loss program as along-term objective. If you think maybe that avoiding high calorie food and engaging in lose fats exercises for two weeks could keep you slender, you better think again. You need to treat it as along-term goal. There is no shortcut in shedding pounds and in keeping it up. You must have discipline, determination and efforts. Simply keep going and you may get there shortly.

‘before’‘after’
Monday, January 3rd, 2011

Tips for Successful HCG for Weight Loss Diet

by Wilson Snyder

HCG for weight loss is a positive technique for dropping unwanted pounds. You can finally have the body you desire, you can improve your physique, you can improve your mood and mindset, and you will feel better about yourself when those pounds finally come off.

Here are some fast tips to making your weight loss endeavors successful when using HCG products.

First, it is extremely important to adhere to the rules. Do not attempt to break rules because this will make your dieting plan unsuccessful. One must carefully read, listen, and understand the mechanics of HCG dieting, the instructions that accompany it as well as rules and restrictions. This way, shedding off pounds will be successful when one abides by the rules.

Don’t under eat, over exercise or over use HCG drops and injections in the hopes that you will speed up weight loss even more. Instead, adhere to the regulations of the diet and you will see the pounds fall off faster than you might imagine.

HCG can be more successful when one has a support system in place. If you are not comfortable sharing your dieting plans with friends and family, you can still find comfort in many online communities that support each other while in the diet regimen. There are online communities as well as forums where you can actually meet fellow dieters and gather support from each other.

In addition, you have to think you are not alone in the dieting regimen. As you begin to increase your support system and meet other fellow HCG dieters, you can exchange recipes, swap ideas and offer each other mental and emotional support for a successful dieting plan.

You also need to put in mind that the HCG for weight loss is a powerful, fast, and effective mean to lose weight. You t need to have will power to overcome food cravings since you are restricted to eat certain foods. With willpower, you can adhere to the diet plan.

However, there will still be times when you have to undergo emotional eating habits when you are restricted to eat certain foods. Maintain a matter of fact attitude and you will thus be rewarded by the efforts you made and achieve the body that you have long wanted. It might take a few weeks as your body gradually changes into a slimmer and leaner figure and you will also begin to gradually adapt to the new eating habits.

About the Author:
‘before’‘after’
Monday, January 3rd, 2011

Doubling Your Exercise regime Gains without Changing one thing!

by Michael Gajor

There exists a rather long misplaced and most likely forgotten process which experts claim happens to be a real definite necessity with respect to any weightlifting routine- either for physical fitness, building muscle mass, power lifting, strength training as well as athletic performance- which will be able to help to increase the intensity and additionally amplify your results without altering a single aspect relating to your actual existing training course. A bit too often- sports athletes are almost always zeroed in on exactly how much he or she can potentially exercise with, often times minimizing good quality form, and as well as almost consistently omitting this one very important technique. This realization is most definitely true just because this one weightlifting technique is designed to immediately humble any body focused towards entirely how much extra weight they possibly can move.

Because of so much interest with regards to your current exercise daily schedule, it’s structure, the specific work-out exercises included, along with just how much free weight that you can use- on that point there is simply one particular, and very likely the most critical technique while you are working out with weights which experts state is time and again lost in the shuffle: flexing the entire intended target muscle at the top of the workout movement. For everybody who is new at all to weight training- possibly this could prove to be the 1st time you have heard of such a method, and in addition if you’re an expert weightlifter- you’ll have to truthfully consider when you have applied this tool last. This method is much more important in triggering muscle tissues but also exercising the particular muscle fully compared to exactly how much weight you are working with. Quite often, if you end up using too much weight- you are calling supplementary muscles into the process helping with the weight load- taking direction far away from the specific muscles you are focusing on utilizing that respective work out motion.

To clarify this technique, we must initially reduce an exercise into 3 steps, and this works well with any kind of weight training exercise. The very first and the last steps happen to be relatively easy because they’re basically the same: the start as well as the finish position. The mid also known as second step happens to be where our particular attention is, which is also known as the “top” of the movement- the spot where you have in effect just done the most challenging part of the exercise movement- raising the load(s). The large majority of sports athletes now a days pay attention to generally raising the actual weight, then simply lowering it to the “bottom” of the movement, which is both the actual finish point and conversely the actual starting position for the following repetition. Right before bringing down the weight to end the particular movement- contract and then hold the particular muscles that you are concentrating on for 2-3 seconds prior to lowering the weight to the end point of the actual exercise. We can break down the concept which follows using just a few exercises to present you an illustration of including the method into your weight-lifting program.

BENCH PRESS- With this exercise, let us consider steps 1 and three the point where the barbell is normally lowered down to chest level- the beginning in addition to the end position, which is the “bottom” of the specific exercise. Pressing the weight upward in addition to straightening your arms would be the middle step which is the “top” of the range of motion. It actually is at that time you need to “squeeze” and also contract your pectoral (chest) muscles hard- for the 2-3 second count right before lowering the weight down again towards the chest. To look at this advice a step further- lift your shoulders off the bench, moving them upwards to positively squeeze your pectoral muscles perhaps even closer together triggering lots more muscle cells and fibers.

BICEP CURL- Regardless if you use a barbell or simply a pair of dumbbells- steps one and three will be any time the bar(s) end up being down located at upper leg location, ready to be curled upwards. The moment the weight is simply lifted to your shoulder or perhaps chin level- this is considered the “top” of your movement, and the middle step. Understand, that this is actually the stage whereby you’ll want to be flexing your biceps (really hard) and then holding this specific flex for 2-3 seconds before lowering the weight again to the bottom or finish stage.

SQUATS- For doing this exercise, let’s recognize steps one and therefore 3 the point where your knees would be bent, in addition to your thighs parallel to the floor with your barbell behind one’s neck- the beginning as well as end phase. Pushing the bar in the upward direction as well as straightening your legs and standing up-right would be your middle stage otherwise the “top” of the range of motion. It is actually at that point that you must “squeeze” and as a consequence contract your quadriceps (thigh) muscle tissues intensely for the 2-3 second count before bending your knees and simply lowering the bar down again into the squat position, or the bottom of that exercise.

Implementing this valuable technique to the rest of your program can be straight forward (with words anyway) making use of the aforementioned good examples to offer you an understanding for you to use this technique with other weightlifting movements. An excellent idea when considering applying this to some exercise movements is while standing in front of the mirror- simulate the particular exercise movements while you are flexing (hard) the particular muscle group(s) actually being targeted when it comes to a specific exercise. This should be a component of your mental visualization when you are ultimately applying this technique when you are lifting weights- including when ever working your abdominals- don’t forget those! Should you apply this excellent technique to every repetition, of each and every set, of every workout- you will end up surprised at how deep the entire muscle burn can be, and also just how seriously your muscles will have been trained. As a matter of fact- you now will likely tend to be “humbled”, acknowledging you’ll quite likely should work with a smaller amount of weight in comparison with what you might be currently working with for every single exercise.

Just remember- while you happen to be using a reduced amount of weight- you are truly working your muscles a lot more intensely, and the effects will definitely speak for themselves. Regarding whether your ultimate goal is firming or body-building, strength training, power lifting or just wanting to boost your sport performance- employing this technique will bring you closer to your own personal goals even sooner. You’ll find it well known and additionally published in many medical and also athletic performance journals that short and more rigorous workouts are typically considerably more effective and moreover increase your ability with regard to completely recuperate when compared with extended hours spent working out- especially with weight training.

Of course we all strive to maximize our own weight training results- in spite of all of our specific goals, and due to the modern day’s congested lifestyles and way of life- it can be extremely vital that you work out as efficiently as you’re able and get the most out of your work out. Only going through the motions isn’t the most effective methodology to workout, and using techniques of this nature to boost intensity won’t add nearly any precious time onto your workout routines yet- is going to increase your physical fitness results noticeably.

About the Author:
‘before’‘after’
Monday, January 3rd, 2011

The Secret to Fantastic Hard Abs

by Hugh Mikell

Physical fitness trainers and also the media claim that the most crucial element in building abs is to have a program. Normally the plan entails having a correct diet and training routine.

So it may seem that having a diet and a training program are the keys to getting abs. Yet , why is it that a lot of folks are not able to get abs despite dieting and training?

The reason why several folks are not able to get abs despite training and dieting is that they do not have the correct state of mind. They do not have a strong confidence that they can really get abs.

The media has constantly portrayed abs as difficult to get. The abs has become the Ultimate Goal for anybody who wants to look good. Thus it’s not surprising that numerous individuals do not have the belief that they can in fact get abs.

Like anything we do in life, we should believe that we can do it. In case you do not have the belief that we can attain success, we will fail.

Many books have been published on the importance of self-belief in achieving success. All the guides recommend basically the same advice. The following is a brief summary on how you can use self-belief to achieve success.

1. You should know exactly what you desire.

2. You must have the desire to get what you want

3. You must set objectives to accomplish what you would like.

4. You must believe that it is possible to get what wish

5. You should imagine how it feels like once you achieve success.

6. You must act and don’t give excuses.

Having the correct way of thinking is vital to obtaining abs. There is no point in dieting and exercising if you don’t correct your mindset. Your road to hard abs will probably be filled with excuses and procrastinations and ultimately failure.

Believing in yourself and believing that you can really get abs will lead you to have the abs of your fantasy.

About the Author:
‘before’‘after’
Monday, January 3rd, 2011

Instantly Perfect Any kind of Bodybuilding Routine through this Simple Concept

by Michael Gajor

There is certainly a rather long lost and repeatedly forgotten process which experts claim is without a doubt a definite necessity for any weightlifting routine- be it for fitness, building muscle mass, power lifting, strength training as well as sports performance- that definitely will increase the actual intensity plus enhance your actual gains while not altering a single facet with your current routine. Far too often- athletes are almost always zeroed in on how much they are able to lift, almost always sacrificing good technique, and additionally almost in every case omitting this excellent significant technique. This approach could be described as especially true just because this particular weight training technique should readily humble any individual focused entirely on purely how much extra weight he or she possibly can lift.

Considering so much attention on your own personal physical exercise time, it’s format, the exact workout movements called for, plus how much weight you really can handle- on that point there is literally a unique, and probably the most valuable technique any time you’re training using weights which is also consistently lost in the shuffle: flexing the exact subject muscle at the top of the work-out movement. For those unfamiliar with weight training- possibly this could quite possibly be the 1st time you’ve heard of this concept, and thus you might be a seasoned weight trainer- you have to simply ask yourself when you actually applied it last. This technique is much more essential in activating muscle tissue and as well as exercising your muscle tissue entirely in comparison with the amount of weight that you are using. Typically, if you end up using excessive weight- you’ll be recruiting alternate muscle groups into the process to aid with the weight load- shifting work far away from the muscle group you happen to be focusing on with that designated weightlifting movement.

To describe this technique, we must first reduce an exercise into three steps, and this works well with virtually any weightlifting movement. Normally the first and additionally the last steps happen to be relatively easy as they are essentially the very same thing: the start and the finish position. The mid or second step is and where our particular emphasis is, which is also known as the “top” of the movement- the spot where you have just executed the most challenging part of the training movement- raising the load(s). A great number of sports athletes today concentrate on solely raising the load, followed by lowering it to the “bottom” of this particular range of motion, which are both the actual finish point and alternatively the very beginning point for the following repetition. Previous to lowering the weight to finish off the specific movement- flex then hold the particular muscles you would be targeting for 2-3 seconds right before lowering the weight to the completion point of the particular exercise. We are going to break down the technique below making use of 3 exercises to provide you with an example of including the strategy into your own weight training regimen.

BENCH PRESS- For this exercise, we should consider steps one and 3 the stage where the barbell is now lowered down to chest level- the start and also end point, also known as the “bottom” of the specific exercise. Pushing the weight upward and straightening your arms is considered the middle step which is the “top” of the particular movement. It is actually at this moment that you simply “squeeze” and consequently flex your pectoral (chest) muscles hard- for the 2-3 second count before lowering the bar down again towards your chest. Taking this technique a step further- elevate your shoulders off of the bench, moving them upwards so that it will squeeze your pectoral muscles even closer together triggering substantially more muscle cells and fibers.

BICEP CURL- Be it you’re using a barbell or perhaps a set of dumbbells- steps 1 and 3 shall be whenever the bar(s) end up being comfortably located at upper leg location, ready to be curled up. After the weight is simply lifted close to one’s shoulder or perhaps chin level- this is the “top” of the range of motion, and the middle step. Note, that here is the point at which you will be flexing your biceps (really hard) together with sustaining this specific flex for 2-3 seconds prior to lowering the weight again to the bottom or finish location.

SQUATS- For this particular exercise, let’s just consider steps 1 along with three the stage where the knees will be bent, in concert with your thighs parallel compared to the floor meanwhile with the barbell behind one’s neck- the beginning and ending point. Pressing the bar up in addition to straightening your legs and standing upright is considered the middle point or the “top” of your range of motion. It is at this juncture you need to “squeeze” and thus flex your actual quadriceps (upper leg) muscle tissues hard- for a 2-3 second count right before bending the knees and therefore lowering the bar back down toward the squat position, or the bottom for this exercise.

Deploying this unique technique toward the rest of your program will be easy to do (with words anyhow) when using the above good examples to offer you an approach for you to use this strategy with other weight-lifting movements. A good guideline meant for applying this to any exercise movements is while standing in front of the mirror- imitate the actual weight lifting motion and additionally flexing (intensely) the actual muscle group(s) currently being targeted intended for a particular exercise. This should actually be part of your mental visualization anytime you are actually using this technique as you are lifting weights- equally any time you are doing work on your abs- don’t forget those! Should you administer this particular technique to each rep, of each and every set, of each and every workout- you’re going to be stunned at how serious the specific muscle burn can be, and how exhaustively your muscle tissue will have been worked. As a point of fact- you now will probably have been completely “humbled”, noticing that you’re going to in all likelihood will have to start using less weight than you are presently utilizing for each and every physical exercise.

Just remember- even if you could very well be working with a smaller amount of weight- you’re literally working your muscles a whole lot more intensely, and then the positive effects will definitely speak for themselves. Regarding whether your goal is toning or building muscle, strength training, power lifting or simply aiming to enhance your sport performance- employing this technique can get you nearer to your primary goals even more quickly. It happens to be well known and as well as publicized in a range of health-related in addition to athletic performance periodicals the fact that shorter and more powerful workout sessions continue to be a great deal more beneficial and moreover improve your ability in which to properly recuperate versus lengthy hours spent training- particularly with weight-lifting.

Of course we all aim to improve all of our weightlifting results- regardless of all of our specific objectives, and together with the modern day’s rather busy lifestyles and way of life- it is especially imperative that you workout as efficiently as you possibly can to get the most out of our training. Only going through the motions isn’t the most efficient way for you to train, and employing techniques like this to elevate intensity normally do not add on a lot of precious time onto your workout sessions yet- has the potential to raise your fitness results considerably.

About the Author:
‘before’‘after’
Monday, January 3rd, 2011

Toronto Meal Delivery Systems

by Gloria Trevi

The Toronto Meal Delivery zone meal program could prove to be the excellent diet plan that you are looking for. This is the perfect program for those living in the Toronto and those that have been waiting to try out the Zone meal program. The Zone program generally based its meals around mixing healthy carbs, lean proteins, and fruits and vegetables. With such a program you will eat 3 meals and three snacks. You would be participated in a program that allows you to eat such a great variety and still lose a lot of weight. Many people do not believe they should eat such things when they wish to lose weight. They assume such a diet will lead to weight gain. The opposite would be true. The fact of the matter is that when you do not eat enough you will end up gaining weight.

You’ll gain weight because if you don’t get enough calories in a day, your body will go into what is known as starvation mode. Your body will hold on the calories if you deny yourself. Your body can only work properly if you are eating. The Toronto Meal Delivery zone meal system takes care of this. The meals are already pre-planned based upon the zone meal plan. Calories are already counted for you. More important, the grocery shopping is already done for you. There are no meals to prepare. There is no prep work in the kitchen after a hard long day of work or duties. The only thing that you need to prepare is your appetite when you eat delicious meals that will be delivered to your door.

You may have a few concerns about how truly easy the Toronto meal delivery zone meal plan is to take part in. Here are a few common questions and their answers:

Q: How will I know what foods I am to eat when on the zone meal plan?

A: You have the option of selecting a meal plan designed to carry you for 2 weeks or an entire month at a time. You will order you meals in a manner no different than a subscription plan. If you feel you a break with the meal subscription, you can take one. But, the best results come when you opt to stick with the plan for as long as possible.

Q: Will I need to eat food that is somewhat strange?

A: Not at all! You will eat normal foods such as what you would find at the grocery store. You will be eating food that is healthy and fresh. It will be prepared in a way that won’t pack on the pounds. Having said that, this doesn’t mean that the food will be bland or boring. You will love the way your food taste, and you will learn what types of foods will support your health, even when you are snacking. This is important because you want to learn how to eat foods that are going to sustain your weight loss efforts, and that will keep you healthy.

Q: What are the odds this will work for me?

A: The chances are fairy significant that the plan will work in your favor. The only thing that might keep you from succeeding would be any mistakes you made on your own. Here is some news, it would be quite easy to order these prepared meals from the Toronto meal delivery. Those seeking a simple and easy plan to lose weight need not look any further than this particular helpful plan.

Anyone that has made a meal plan that will support weight loss efforts should sign up to acquire Toronto meal delivery zone meal plan this very day.

About the Author:
‘before’‘after’
Monday, January 3rd, 2011

Weightlifting Tips, Easy Ways To Increase Your Testosterone Naturally

by Ricardo D Argence

The amount of muscle you can achieve is regulated by testosterone, also known as the Holy Grail of muscle growth. Quite simply, testosterone is the most important muscle-building hormone in your body and is one of the limiting factors that determines how much muscle you can ultimately build. Here is just a small handful of the many amazing benefits that increased testosterone levels will provide you with: Increased muscle size and strength, decreased body fat levels, increased sex drive and sexual endurance, improved mood and decreased levels of “bad” cholesterol.

Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? Well it is, and in this article I’m going to outline 10 simple steps to naturally raise your testosterone levels and achieve all of these incredible benefits. While these steps will not result in “steroid-like” muscle gains, they will definitely contribute to your overall bottomline results.

1) Use compound exercises as the cornerstone of your workouts. I’m talking about the basic, bread-and-butter lifts such as squats, deadlifts, bench presses, rows, chin-ups, dips, lunges and military presses. These exercises will place your muscles under the greatest amount of stress in the gym and will force your body to increase testosterone production.

2) Always put forth maximum exertion and intensity when preparing. You must be willing to really push your body to its physical limits if you hope to build muscle. The more stress you put on your muscles in the gym, the more testosterone your body will create.

3) Train your legs equally as hard as your upper body. As you may already be aware, intense leg training can actually stimulate growth in your chest, back and arms. This is due in part to the increase in testosterone that leg training induces.

4) Increase your EFA consumption. Sources such as peanuts and avocadoes, will be the source of Essential Fatty Acids. One interesting way of naturally boosting testosterone levels is through the regular use of olive and canola oils in one’s diet.

5) Minimize your consumption of soy. There is a direct negative effect on testosterone levels when the estrogen levels in the body increase, which can be caused by soy protein.

6) Limit your consumption of alcohol. Alcohol has been shown to have quite a dramatic effect on testosterone levels, so try to limit your “binge drinking” nights and keep your alcohol consumption in moderation.

7) Increase your dietary intake of cruciferous vegetables. Broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, turnips, cabbage and brussel sprouts have all been shown to dramatically reduce estrogen levels, thereby raising testosterone.
8) Reduce your everyday stresses. When you have too much stress, your body releases the catabolic hormone “cortisol” and this makes your testosterone levels drop dramatically.

9) You should try to increase your amount of sexual activity. An increase in the production of oxytocin is brought about by sexual activity as well as causing more endorphins, which also increases testosterone levels.

10) Be sure that you are getting a decent amount of sleep each evening. Your level of testosterone will decrease when cortisol production increases, which can happen when you don’t get enough sleep.

Begin implementing these procedures on a regular basis and you will probably experience a substantial growth in your muscle size and strength gains.

About the Author:
‘before’‘after’
Monday, January 3rd, 2011

5 Fat Loss Fitness Gadgets That Aren’t Worth It

by Katherine Crawford

I’m sure you have seen them: endless infomercials with in shape models demonstrating the most ridiculous contraptions on earth.

Well, the most interesting aspect of this is that endless people actually take out their credit cards at 2am and place orders.

Thus, here are 5 fat loss gadgets you shouldn’t be using for maximum fat loss:

1. Bosu balls: Now bosu balls do have their place for those wishing to increase balance and core stabilization to a certain degree. However, if you want to maximize fat loss, stay away from bosu balls and focus on complex free weight movements that challenge your entire body.

2. Circular disc trainers: I’m sure you’ve seen the endless oodles of personal trainers using these contraptions in commercial gyms. Again, do you want to increase balance or burn the most amount of fat? If you goal is fat loss, then stick with free weights.

3. Giant stabilizing balls: Some of these can get really big! And if you want to lose weight as fast as possible you are far better off doing other exercises. Having said that, you will be fine using stability balls sparingly. And they do a great job of working your core.

4. Straps: Lots of bodybuilders use these and for good reason-they help you lift more than you would be able to otherwise. The key here is to not abuse them. If you do, you will compromise grip strength. And this is really important for everyday tasks.

5. Suspension trainers: These bodyweight devices are great for portable workouts, but they simply do not provide enough resistance for the fastest fat loss. You see, for the fastest fat loss you need to maximize hormonal output. And you can only do this with challenging levels of resistance.

Look, you can expect to keep on being exposed to fitness gadget marketing. So always remember that outlandish claims never hold up to the hype. Stick to the basics with high levels of intensity and you will be just fine!

About the Author:
‘before’‘after’
Monday, January 3rd, 2011

A surefire way to put on weight

by Reggie Barnett

Putting on weight quickly can seem like there are some type of secrets in order to do it. But the reality of it is that there are no secrets, and gaining weight at in a small time frame is rather simple (when you know what you’re doing). In this article you will learn one certain food that you can add to your diet that can literally give you some fast results like it did for me.

So here’s the scope: I currently been testing this out with my diet for a few days now, and what I’ve been eating is one potato every other day. Now you may be thinking, “What a potato! How the heck can a mere potato put on weight for anyone” And to be honest I thought so myself, until one day I just decided to eat a potato. I know this may sound kind of random to just want to eat a potato, but I just wanted to eat one. After eating a few boiled potatoes within a few days I noticed I was feeling a little heavier.

So I then jumped on a scale, and I find out that I put on weight and I was about 3 pounds heavier from just eating a simple boiled potato. This thus caught my interest, so then I did some research and I learned that potatoes are a good source of carbohydrates.

And if you do not know the importance of carbohydrates you need to understand that crabs are one of the main energy sources that come into play of muscle building, besides protein. What carbohydrates do, is it actually supplies energy that is needed to generate solid muscle, where as protein provides energy to rebuild them after working out.

When pursing to gain the desired body wanted for yourself by trying to put on weight and build more muscle, things can get complicated and confusing especially if you believe there are secrets involved. But besides this it can be easy and that is why learning simple things like eating a potato that can improve your weight and muscle growth, can be of great benefit to you.

About the Author:
‘before’‘after’
Monday, January 3rd, 2011

Cardiac Health Warnings for All and Good Nutrition

by Jim Duffy

Everyone is familiar with the tragic stories of the young, impossibly healthy athletes who have dropped dead on the field after routine exertion. There was the high school basketball player who fell to the floor during the game and had to be shocked back to consciousness. There was the young Russian ice skater who died after a routine practice. An autopsy revealed no drugs, no alcohol and no physical anomalies that would explain his death at such a young age. There have been runners, football players, soccer stars – all gifted athletes, all in peak, physical condition – all of them dead or near dead because of a phenomenon called SCD, also known as Sudden Cardiac Death. There are several conditions associated with SCD as well as some factors that can increase its risk. These include:

- Hypertrophy cardiomyopathy or heart muscle thickening

- Atypical blood clotting

- The muscles not getting enough oxygen – anomalous coronary artery

- Faulty heart rhythm or congenital Long QT Syndrome

- Irregular heart muscle tissue which can lead to heart rhythm problems.

- Use of cocaine

(Source: The American Heart Association)

Any athlete at any level of competition should be tested for heart conditions before they compete, however those who are involved in extreme sports are at higher risk, so should pay even closer attention to their body’s signals. Here are some of the reasons that increased testing should be encouraged for all athletes:

- Out of every one million marathon runners, nearly four or more will die during the marathon. There is not a single age group that is not affected by this risk.

- One third of runners after a marathon had an increased level of a biomarker that indicates heart muscle damage.

- Higher levels of creatine kinase enzyme have been found in long distance runners, this is used to measure damage in the heart after a heart attack.

In addition to this testing, there should be someone on every athletic field or in every arena who can perform CPR or is versed in how to use the defibrillator, although in some cases even this may not be enough to do any kind of good.

Good Nutrition & Sports

The amount of calories needed by an athlete compared to that of the average person can be staggering. For some extreme athletes, their daily intake is almost double what it would ordinarily be simply because the body is burning so much fuel. To stay competitive and strong, they must make sure to get not only enough foods, but the right food sources into their bodies every day.

Carbohydrates- These are used by the body as one of its primary fuel sources and the only source of energy that the human brain will accept. The carbs that are included in the diet for an athlete should be healthy, complex carbs that do not cause sugar spikes and unhealthy weight gain. Whole grain foods and vegetables are a good source of complex carbohydrates, which should make up as much as 60% of the overall diet.

Fats- Healthy fat options should makeup as much as 20% of the overall daily calories; however, an athlete who is training may be eating far less than this amount and may be sticking to around 10-15%. Fats are an important source of energy for the body and certain types, including Omega 3s, actually protect the heart. Good sources for these include Omega 3 enhanced eggs, salmon and other cold water fish, nuts and nut oils.

Proteins- Protein should make up 25-35% of the daily calories at most, according to the American Heart Association’s recommendations. In addition, the source of the protein should be carefully analyzed. All animal proteins plus the plant-based protein from soy are complete, meaning that they deliver the nine essential amino acids that the human body cannot make on its own. However, many of these protein sources are also high in calories and saturated fats. Choosing leaner protein sources protects the body from increased cholesterol and can include turkey breast, fish, low fat or non-fat dairy foods and plant-based proteins.

Additionally, protein can be added to the healthy diet by using protein supplements, which can boost intake for those who are struggling with making good choices. There are dozens of protein supplement options to consider, including protein powders made from soy, rice, whey and egg as well as protein bars, shakes and enhanced waters. In addition to these, there is a small protein supplement called Profect from Protica that delivers a significant amount of protein (25 grams) in a very small serving (2.9 fluid ounces/100 calories). Available in a number of flavors, Profect is perfect for the athlete because it is small, portable and easy to contain.

Cardiac Health Screening: A Case Study

Sean is a young and gifted hockey player. He spends hours on the ice perfecting his shot and hours in the gym perfecting his body. He is able to avoid most hits and can crunch players against the board and be off with the puck in a flash. Sean, the young and vital athlete, has a ticking time bomb in his chest. He is at risk for a heart rhythm change that can potentially kill him in a second. He has no current risk factors for heart disease and his family’s health has been fair for the last few generations. Despite all of this, he is at risk for sudden cardiac death. After reading about yet another of the athletes that have fallen to this condition, Sean agrees to go in for testing. His heart shows no abnormalities at this time, however he will do everything he can to protect his health.

He will continue to train hard so that he is in top condition. He will continue to play hard every shift, every minute. He will not smoke or use drugs of any kind, and he will continue to eat a healthy and well balanced meal. This will now include the addition of Profect, a protein supplement from Protica that will boost his protein intake but not his calorie count.

About the Author:
‘before’‘after’