Do Vitamins Go Off in a Week?

The front page headline of the Metro today said “Stored vitamins go off in a week“. The Metro article was based upon some recent US research that could have a serious affect on the £600m/year vitamin and health supplements industry. The research stated that whilst the vitamins can become degraded, the product will still be safe to use, but less effective.

Before you start worrying that your supplements are no longer effective, it should be noted that the research is based upon supplements that are kept in humid locations, such as the kitchen or the bathroom. When the lids are taken off, the moisture from the humid atmospheres enters the tub and can destroy the product. Most people keep supplements in the kitchen, which is fine, as long as you only take the lids off when the window is open and the humidity is normal, i.e. not when you are cooking. Also, make sure your hands are dry, to avoid allowing any water into the tubs.

Don’t throw your Supplements Away!

If you have protein supplements with added vitamins and minerals at home in your kitchen or bathroom and you think that they have been affected, then don’t throw them away, just continue using them as protein supplements. You will still get the benefit from the protein, just not the vitamins.

Avoid Vitamin Degradation with Meal Replacement Shakes

To avoid these problems altogether, you could consider using meal replacement supplements – which are loaded with vitamins and minerals and come in individual sachets. This means that as soon as you open the sachets, they will be mixed, then consumed, meaning no time for degradation of the vitamins.

One last thing… don’t believe everything you read in the papers, it could all be hype! Either way, avoid the moisture!

Regards,

Gareth

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What are Sports Supplements?

Sports Supplements are products that are suitable for use by athletes and sports men and women, to enhance physical performance. Sports supplements are a subset of bodybuilding supplements, as sports supplements only make up about half of supplements available to bodybuilders. For example, whey protein supplements, creatine, energy drinks and fat burners are all types of sports supplements, but they are also bodybuilding supplements. Whereas, testosterone boosters, nitric oxide boosters and amino acids are types of bodybuilding supplements, but are not of much use as sports supplements.

Which Supplements are Suitable for which sports?

Below is table showing which sports supplements are suitable for which sports:

Why should you use Sports Supplements?

There is no reason for you to use sports supplements, other than to increase your performance. If you do not want to use them, don’t! But, be aware that your team mates, rival clubs and many other sports people are already using a combination of supplements that may be allowing them to overtake you in your chosen sport. If you want to catch up, or reach a higher level in your particular sport, then take a look at the table above and decide which sports supplements would be most useful for your particular circumstances. Make sure you leave your comments below, to show people how much sports supplements have helped you!

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I’ll start this article off by telling you out right, IT IS NOT possible to be a bodybuilder whilst being a high level footballer. Sure, it is possible to play a bit of 5-a-side as well as being a casual bodybuilder, in fact these two forms of exercise could complement each other and help you improve your physique. But, if you want to get to a high level in bodybuilding, you have to give up football, or you will be permanently overtrained and you will pick up lots of injuries.

However, if you are a high level footballer, lifting heavy weights in a bodybuilding style could improve your overall game!

Depending upon the position you play, you may require different strengths, but as long as you can maintain or improve your existing aerobic function, then combining some natural bodybuilding principles into your training regime could lead to improved footballing performance for the following reasons:

1. Increased strength on the ball
2. Increased strength in the air
3. Increased shot power
4. Increased sprint speed
5. Improved balance

All of the above are good qualities for a footballer, but if you overdo it, you may reduce your flexibility and endurance. The idea is to find a balance between aerobic and anaerobic activities and combine them with a very good diet, incorporating plenty of fruits, nuts, seeds, lean meats, wholegrains, wholemeal pastas, brown rice, eggs and milk. To help increase your daily protein intake, you could also supplement your meals with a whey protein powder. To further increase speed and power, you could also supplement with creatine.

If you decide that you are going to start lifting weights for the above reasons, then start with one or two weight training session per week. Consuming a good high protein diet, drinking plenty of water and getting plenty of sleep will help you avoid overtraining. A typical routine is below:

Leg Extensions
Leg Curl
Barbell Squat
Cable Crossovers
Barbell Bench Press
Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Barbell Shoulder Press
Pullups
Dumbbell Pullovers
Bent Over Barbell Rows
Barbell Shrugs
Triceps Extension
Biceps Curl
Deadlift

Warm up for each exercise with two sets, working with 50%, then 80% of your main work set weight, doing about 8 reps. Once warmed up for an exercise, perform just one actual work set of each exercise, selecting a weight that allows 12 reps per set. Ensure that you train to a high intensity, but under control, by taking 3-4 seconds per rep and moving the weight in a slow, controlled, non jerky, smooth cadence. Research each exercise, to ensure that you use perfect form, therefore avoiding potential injuries. Do not do more than one work set per exercise, or you will overtrain the muscle group involved. Remember, higher intensity leads to better results. Rest 30-60 seconds between sets, reducing rest time and increasing weight as you improve. Do not spend more than 60 minutes lifting weights, or your body will start releasing a stress hormone called Cortisol, which is associated with a reduction in muscle.
Consuming a recovery drink immediately after training (football or weights) can help your body retain existing muscle and build new muscle. A recovery drink is usually made up of simple sugars, fast releasing protein and minimal fats, so an ideal choice would be a pint of skimmed milk, or better still a dedicated recovery drink.

p.s. If there are any high level bodybuilders, who can still play a good game of football, I would really like to hear from you and I may even publish your stories on this blog.

Regards,

Martin.

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Got skinny arms? Train your arms a lot, but not getting any results? Well, my arms are 17.5”, which isn’t bad for someone who only trains 3 days per week and weights under 14 stone is it? Genetics do play a part, but I’m sure the majority of people reading this article can add at least an inch to their arms within 8 weeks, by following the principles below.

1. Perform a multiple joint whole body routine, with very high intensity
2. Perform 3 training sessions per week, or 5 training sessions per fortnight
3. Avoid excessive cardio. Consume a glucose drink before and during the cardio and a recovery drink immediately afterwards.
4. Consume 1.5g of protein per pound of bodyweight, i.e. I weight 190lbs, so I need 190 x 1.5 = 285g of protein per day, spread evenly throughout the day
5. Use a Creatine supplement
6. Drink 8-10 glasses of water per day
7. Eat 6+ equal size meal per day and DON’T mess up on a weekend!
8. Perform weighted dips and emphasise the negative part of the movement. Increase the weight as much as possible, as long as you can still do 5-6 smoothish reps.
9. Perform close grip bench presses (hands 10” apart)
10. Train arms with high intensity and low reps, with no more than 2-3 sets on the biceps per average training session. Same applies to triceps. If you have to use isolation exercises, do biceps and triceps on different days, but at the end of your workout
11. Vary your training enough to keep your muscles guessing, but not so much that you are guessing whether or not you are making improvements!
12. Perform bar holds – hold a bar and squeeze it, whilst in a standing position for as long as possible, with your training partner counting out every 5 seconds. Use a weight which allows 30-40 seconds and increase weight as you improve
13. Focus your training efforts on increasing the following exercises, with the most important first: squat, deadlift, barbell rows
14. Get plenty of sleep
15. Use perfect form on all exercises, with a smooth and continuous rep cadence, lasting about 1-2 seconds in the positive part of the movement and 2-4 seconds in the negative part. Vary this occasionally, to train your muscles in different ways, but use the aforementioned cadence in the majority of your workouts.
16. Try supersets once per week, i.e. one minute underhand pull-up (30 seconds negative and 30 seconds positive – smooth cadence), immediately followed by standing barbell curls and 1 minute dip (30 seconds negative and 30 seconds positive – smooth cadence), immediately followed by lying EZ extensions (use a spotter – or you will find out why this exercises is also called skull crushers). Perform both supersets at the beginning of your workout once per week, then continue as normal with compound movements.
17. Try antagonistic training on your biceps and triceps at the end of a workout once per week, i.e. lying EZ extensions, followed immediately by standing EZ curls and repeated immediately.
18. For a massive muscle pump on the biceps, perform a set of standing barbell curls to failure, where failure occurs at 9-10 reps. Your training partner performs his set as soon as you finish your set. You then perform your second set straight after your training partners first set and so on, until you have done 3-4 sets each. Don’t cheat at all and your arms will feel more pumped than ever.
19. Do weighted underhand pull-ups and increase the weight regularly, so you stay in the 5-7 rep range.
20. Do not overtrain! 50-60 minutes in the gym is optimum. Any more and your body release a muscle shredding stress hormone called Cortisol

There are lots of potential variations to your workouts listed above and you should aim to incorporate one of these options for 4 weeks say, i.e. antagonistic training at the end of your multiple joint compound movements workout (which mainly comprises squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, rows and presses), then incorporate a different option, i.e. superset at the beginning of your workout. However you choose to follow the above advice, make sure that you do not overtrain your arms, or they just won’t grow.

The above training advice focuses on many different ideas, which would take about 20 pages to explain, so I simply haven’t. Basically, some types of training encourage a higher secretion of IGF-1 by the body, whereas others encourage a higher increase in testosterone levels, or Growth Hormone (GH). Steroids manipulate these hormone levels unnaturally, but you can do it naturally, by following the above tips, which will lead to your best gains ever!

I appreciate that some people may need further advice with regards to this article and if so, please leave a comment and I will provide further advice within 48 hours. Alternatively, if you think you can add to this advice, please leave your comments!

Regards,

Martin.

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If you are a bodybuilder or an athlete and you want to add muscle mass quickly, then you are going to have to live with adding a little bit of fat as well. That being said, the following typical daily diet should enable you to add much more muscle than fat, meaning that you may not notice the additional fat, due to the huge gains in muscle. Also, when you reach your target weight, you can then switch to a maintenance diet, where you cut your carbs and fat, whilst maintaining your high intake of protein, which would allow you to reduce bodyfat, whilst retaining as much muscle as possible, when combined with a suitable training programme.

Here is a typical diet for a bodybuilder weighing around 200 pounds and wanting to add more mass. Note: in general if you consume 20-22 times your bodyweight (in pounds) in calories, you should put weight on – even if you have a fast metabolism.

Meal 1 – 6AM
100g Oats, blended in 500ml milk, with 20g whey protein
1 banana, 1 apple, 1 orange
Total: 800 calories, 50g protein

Meal 2 – 9AM
Tuna or chicken sandwich (3 slice of wholemeal bread) OR Pro-Mass in shaker cup
50g cashew nuts
salad (optional)
Total: 700 calories, 50g protein

Meal 3 -12PM
Jacket Potato (large)
100g Cottage Cheese
40g Whey Protein in shaker cup
Total: 700 calories, 50g protein

Meal 4 – 3PM
Same as meal 2

Meal 5 – 6PM
Evening Meal
20g-40g whey protein if necessary
Total: 700 calories, 50g protein

Meal 6 – 9PM
2 slices of wholemeal toast with peanut butter
1 pint of semi skimmed milk (or micellar casein shake)
Total: 700 calories, 40g protein

Daily Total: 4300 calories, 290g protein

post-workout shake would be additional and could either be Pro-Recover from CNP, or simply a pint of skimmed milk (red top)

Tip: Make sure you sleep 8+ hours per night
Tip: Make sure you drink at least 8 glasses of water per day
Tip: Make sure you train no more than 4 days per week
Tip: Focus on improving your control and weight on the big exercises, i.e. squat, deadlift, rows, weighted chins, weighted dips, presses, etc.
Tip: Consider using Creatine Monohydrate.
Tip: Include a daily multivitamin and mineral tablet

Regards,

Martin

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Only Consume Simple Carbohydrates on a Morning and Before and After Training

Complex carbohydrates can be found in foods such as wholegrain breads, wholegrain pastas, oats, muesli and brown rice. Complex carbohydrates are broken down into glucose more slowly than simple carbohydrates and therefore provide a sustained stream of energy, which helps maintain steady insulin levels throughout the day, reducing the potential for your body to store the food as body fat.

All complex carbohydrates are broken down by the digestive system into glucose to produce the energy molecule ATP, which is short for adenosinetriphosphate (Creatine boosts ATP levels). This energy molecule fuels your workouts, but the efficiency of the whole process is dictated by the inclusion of vitamins and minerals in your diet. Complex carbohydrates are usually packed with vitamins and minerals, so complex carbohydrates are the preferred source of energy for the body.

Simple carbohydrates can be found in foods such as sugars, sweets, fizzy drinks, processed foods, energy drinks and fruit. If you want to lose fat, then I would suggest that you cut all simple carbohydrates out of your diet completely, except for fruit and maybe energy drinks. The simple carbohydrates in fruit come in the form of fructose, which is slower releasing than the other simple carbohydrates, is low GI and has little effect upon your insulin levels.

However, your body can only store a limited amount of glycogen in the liver and in the muscles. So, if you have just eaten a meal and you eat fruit afterwards, then it is likely that your glycogen levels will be pretty high already, meaning that your body may convert the additional energy into fat. So, the best times to eat fruit are when your glycogen levels are depleted, or need topping up, which is first thing on a morning, before exercising (if it is over 2 hours since your last meal) and after exercising.

Conclusion

1. Eat plenty of fruit – it is good for you, but only at the right times, or you will gain fat.
2. Notwithstanding point 1, ensure all of the carbohydrates in your meals are complex.
3. Eating a small portion of fruit before a small meal is better than eating lots of fruit after a large meal. Also, as fruit digests quickly, you will get less gas by eating the fruit first.

Come back tomorrow for Top Tip Number 5…

Regards,

Martin.

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Top Tip Number 1 – Consume 6 Meals Per Day

Consumption of food involves the digestion of foods and the absorption of the nutrients (proteins, carbohydrates and fats). Increasing the frequency of food intake throughout the day will increase your body’s metabolism because:

1. Eating frequently is perceived by the body as a sign of food abundance – hence less need for your long term energy stores, i.e. body fat.
2. Your body will be forced to increase the daily energy expenditure because of the frequent activation of digestion and absorption processes induced by the repeated food intake throughout the day.

Humans have been around for some time and that is because the human body can cope in many different situations. In times of starvation, your body will do it’s absolute best to reduce your metabolic rate and retain as much energy from food as body fat as is possible. This is what happens to people who starve themselves to get thin (that is thin fat) and is also the reason why these people put weight back on so easily. Now, compare this situation to someone who eats nutrient rich foods every 2-3 hours of the day, every day, whilst keeping their daily calories fairly low, at around 10 x their bodyweight in pounds. The body would think that body fat isn’t required so much and if you are following a training routine, it will think that muscle is favourable over body fat. Also, you will be able to absorb the nutrients from your food better in smaller more regular amounts, leading to improved health, energy and well being.

From a hormonal point of view the food abundance (represented by an increased frequency of food intake) triggers an increased thyroid hormone (T3 and T4) secretion – this ultimately determines how much the metabolism will increase. High levels of thyroid hormones increase metabolism, whilst low levels of thyroid hormones depress metabolism leading to fat gain. If you are observant, you may have noticed that fat people are usually those who split their daily food intake into no more than 2-3 meals. This kind of meal frequency puts the body into starvation mode, so the body replies by decreasing the metabolism through the lowering of thyroid hormones.

Splitting your daily food intake over 6 meals per day is one of the easiest ways of contributing towards reducing your body fat, when combined with an appropriate training program.

Summary of Benefits of Increasing Food Intake Frequency

1. Increased frequency of food intake – makes your body think there is a…
2. Food abundance – which leads to…
3. Increased thyroid hormones secretion – which leads to…
4. Increased metabolic rate – which leads to…
5. Increased fat loss – result!

Come back tomorrow for Top Tip Number 2…

Regards,

Martin

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Meal replacement powders or MRPs are a fast and convenient way for bodybuilders and other health enthusiasts such as rugby players or boxers to get a nutritionally balanced meal. A typical meal replacement will contain all the essential nutrients that are required on a daily basis. They must contain protein (including all essential amino acids), carbohydrates, fatty acids and an ideal ratio of vitamins and minerals for optimum health and physical performance.

Meal replacements have many benefits but are especially useful to people who have busy lives or work away from home and do not have the facilities to prepare fresh food. MRPs are good for individuals with smaller appetites and are usually much cheaper than an equivalent meal.

Although MRPs are a good source of nutrients they should not replace any of your standard 3 meals a day, instead they should supplement your original food intake as your demand for nutrients increases.

Leading MRPs are:

• CNP Pro-Mr;
• Met-RX MRP;
• EAS Myoplex
• AST Nytro Pro 40

Meal replacements often come as sachets of powder ready to mix with water or skimmed milk but MRPs are also available as ready to drink shakes, flapjacks or high protein bars. The ready to drink shakes and flapjacks can be useful when working in the field as they can be eaten at any time and do not usually need refrigeration.

The quality of MRPs will vary between manufacturers. A good MRP will generally contain around 40g protein, 25g of carbohydrates and a couple of grams of fat per serving – as well as vitamins, minerals, fibre and probiotics.

MRPs can be taken at any time throughout the day but are particularly good post-workout when your body has a nutrient deficit and you feel like resting.

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Vitamin C is an anti-oxidant probably best known for its ability to boost the immune system. However it is also involved in the reactions that form colagen (connective tissue), amino acids, strengthening blood vessels and helping to heal injuries. Another less well known biological action of vitamin C that will be of particular interest to body builders is that it improves the bodies capability to burn fat. It has been documented that vitamin C levels found in the body are directly proportional to body fat i.e. people with the lowest blood levels of vitamin C generally have the highest proportions of body fat.

Research has found that vitamin C is important for the production of a particular amino acid that is responsible for moving fatty acids in cells to the mitochondria (known as the cells engine room). It is at the mitochondria that most of the cells adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is produced and can then be used as a source of energy.

It is difficult to make a recommendation on vitamin C in relation to performance as excess may cause endurance problems. An athelete cosuming a fairly low amount of fruit and vegtables is likely to reach the the daily recommended intake for vitamin C but a low level supplement may provide an appropiate safety buffer.

An all in one supplement such as EAS Myoplex is one way of getting all the nutrients (including vitamin C) that your body needs in a meal replacement.

So if you want to shed pounds and improve your overall health make sure you are consistently consuming the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C (The recommended intake for athletes is ~200mg per day).

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