Trainer’s€¦ · Does pedaling backwards on the elliptical do anything? What’s better:...
Transcript of Trainer’s€¦ · Does pedaling backwards on the elliptical do anything? What’s better:...
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
Personal Fitness
Trainer’s
BIG BOOK of
Questions & Answers
2nd Edition
by
Joe Cannon, MS, CSCS
www.Joe-Cannon.com
Last updated December 1 2011
Always check back for updates
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
Disclaimer
It goes without saying but I’ll say it anyway: The information
contained in this ebook is presented only for informational purposes
and is not intended to treat, cure or prevent any illness or condition.
Never use this information in place of talking to your physician about
any medical or health conditions you may have.
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
Copyright 2010 ©
All rights reserved. No part of this ebook shall be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
magnetic, photographic, posting on websites, emailing, photocopying,
recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without
prior written permission of the author. No patent liability is assumed
with respect to the use of the information contained herein. The author
and publisher assume no responsibility for errors or omissions.
Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of
the information contained herein.
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
Table of Contents
Start Reading Here
My Other Books
About This Book
Exercise Questions
How do I exercise to make my bones stronger?
Exercise and alcohol: yes or no?
Does pedaling backwards on the elliptical do anything?
What’s better: intensity or time I that I exercise?
Does walking burn more fat than running?
Do I need a weight lifting belt?
What’s better: 1 set or 3 sets?
What’s better: free weights or machines?
I'm gaining weight but my clothes fit better
Can I lose weight under my arms?
When is the best time to exercise?
Aerobic vs. cardiovascular exercise
Does insulin build muscle?
Why are my muscles sore?
What causes muscle cramps?
What is rhabdomyolysis?
Should I do abs every day?
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The best time to train abs?
What’s better – strength first or cardio first?
Weight loss & exercise on an empty stomach?
Will exercise maintain metabolism during dieting?
How long before I start burning fat?
Should weight lifters avoid soy protein?
Why are there 2 versions of the RPE scale?
Women & weight lifting: Big muscles?
What are open & closed-chain exercises?
Can exercise make me sick?
Do I need to warm up?
Is stretching a good warm up?
Stretching: before or after exercise?
Stretching and injuries?
What exercise burns the most fat?
Weight loss: what’s better strength or cardio?
How many calories does a pound of muscle burn?
What does EPOC mean?
What are METs?
What’s better: walking or sprinting?
Does Pilates make muscles longer?
Pilates & back pain
Are treadmill calorie counters accurate?
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Exercise makes me nauseous.
Stair stepper – facing away from the machine
Nutrition Questions
Creatine or protein: what’s better?
What is hydrolyzed gelatin?
What foods are bad for weight loss?
Isn’t skipping means cutting calories too?
Are fat free foods best for weight loss?
What’s the truth behind most diets?
How do low carb diets cause weight loss?
Weight loss: what’s better – less fat or less calories?
Does chromium burn fat or build muscle?
RD vs. nutritionist. What’s the difference?
What are carbs?
When is carbo loading appropriate?
What calcium supplement is best?
How many calories are in fat?
Do we make vitamins?
Do vitamins give us energy?
Do vitamin B12 shots help weight loss?
When is the best time to take vitamins?
Are water soluble vitamins excreted?
Why don’t multivitamins have enough calcium?
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Are vitamins made fo women, men or seniors better?
Do vitamins contain what they say they do?
Natural vs. synthetic vitamins: what’s better?
Natural vitamin E: better than synthetic vitamin E?
Why do multivitamins have beta carotene?
Beta carotene – any side effects?
Can supplements raise testosterone?
Can you drink too much water?
Can zinc prevent colds?
Why do sports drinks have added oxygen?
What’s better: Water or sports drinks?
Can glucosamine repair a rotator cuff?
What does partially hydrogenated mean?
What are trans fats?
Are trans fats found in nature?
Does ―zero‖ trans fat really mean zero?
Why are trans fats unhealthy?
Are all trans fats bad?
How much trans fat is ―too much‖?
Can I be a vegetarian and still eat meat?
What are sugar alcohols?
What are Net Carbs?
What are phytonutrients?
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Good carbs vs. bad carbs
Can good nutrition prolong life?
How much protein do you need?
Can we only absorb 40 grams of protein?
Are protein supplements better than food?
Protein: before or after exercise?
What’s in ―ephedra-free weight loss supplements?
Does caffeine cause high blood pressure?
Why is there an ―L‖ on amino acid supplement labels?
What does ―organic‖ mean on food labels?
Can organic foods contain pesticides?
Are organic foods better?
Does eating fat make you fat?
Miscellaneous Questions
Does muscle weight more than fat?
Will sports creams help relieve pain?
Will aspirin help sore muscles?
Do I need coenzyme Q10 if I take cholesterol medications?
Why does hair turn gray?
Does cold weather cause arthritis?
Is antibacterial soap better to use?
Do plastic nasal strips help exercise?
Do we have a limited number of heart beats?
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Can osteoporosis be determined by looking at the feet?
What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?
What is CRP?
Can gum disease give you a heart attack?
Can skinny people have high triglycerides?
Does total cholesterol equal HDL + LDL?
Do food labels list good cholesterol?
What is Metabolic Syndrome?
Can teenagers use creatine supplements?
Do heavy people have slow metabolisms?
Is there a ―mind-body‖ connection?
Did I forget any questions? Send me your suggestions
Selected References
For More Information
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
Start Reading Here
Let me tell you a little about who I am. I'm a personal trainer, a health
educator and writer. I have a MS degree in Exercise Science and a BS
degree in Chemistry and Biology (yes, that makes me a nerd - but I'm
a good nerd!).
I'm certified by the NSCA as a Certified Strength and Conditioning
Specialist (CSCS) and a personal trainer (NSCA-CPT).
I also teach and certify personal trainers through the seminars I give
each year. This is exactly why I decided to write this book. You see, I
discovered that a lot of people were asking many of the same
questions.
I'm a big believer that knowledge is power so I decided to answer
those questions so I could save you time looking for the answers
yourself!
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
I wrote this ebook for three reasons:
1. To give fitness trainers the information they need to accurately
answer a lot of the questions they will be asked by their clients
2. To help fitness trainers avoid the making mistakes
3. To help fitness trainers outshine and outperform their peers who
do not have this book
If you like this book, check out my other books: So far, I have written the
following:
1. Personal Fitness Training: Beyond The Basics
2. Personal Training Practice Test
3. Nutritional Supplements: What Works and Why
4. Nutrition Essentials: A Guidebook for the Fitness Professional
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
Other books I’ve written include:
I’ve also created a personal trainer practice test so you can test your
skills and knowledge before you take a fitness certification exam. It’s
at my website www.Joe-Cannon.com
Personal Fitness Training: Beyond the Basics.
Written BY a personal trainer (me), FOR personal trainers (that’s you). I wrote this as a ―roadmap‖ to
teach fitness trainers the facts they need to be
successful. This is what I would teach you if I were sitting next to you - the stuff I’ve had to know and
even the mistakes I’ve made along the way. I call this book a Bachelors degree in personal training.
This book can be used to prepare for ANY personal training certification.
Nutrition Essentials: A Guidebook for the
Fitness Professional. This is nutrition and sports nutrition from the perspective of what personal
trainers need to know. Because many fitness
trainers are lacking nutrition education, this book brings people up to speed on exactly what they
need to know.
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
These are real - hold in your hand and read - books. To see more
information on any of these books or to get them, just go to www.Joe-Cannon.com
*** FYI. If you would like to see these other books as ebooks let me know. I might do it if enough people are interested
Nutritional Supplements: What Works and
Why. This book reviews 119 vitamins, herbs, amino acids, etc. A to Z and is over 400 pages
long. Here I tell you what works, what doesn't and how to tell the difference! I also tell you the side
effects that only doctors usually know about. 950 references are included so you can check the facts
yourself. This book makes YOU the expert. I guarantee it!
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
About this ebook
This book is divided into the following sections:
Exercise Questions – nuff said
Nutrition Questions - nutrition and supplement issues
Miscellaneous Questions – if it’s not about exercise or nutrition, its
here.
This book a ―work in progress‖ because as I discover other interesting
questions, I will add them to this book. So, check back often for
updates.
If you have questions that are not listed email and let me know. I’ll
add your questions to future editions.
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
Exercise Questions
Q. How do I exercise to make my bones stronger?
A. Studies show that exercise can help strengthen bones. Unfortunately,
people may not be exercising correctly to do this. To strengthen bones,
people should focus on exercises that work the major muscles of the body
like the chest, back and legs. Muscles are attached to the bones. So, when
the muscles are made stronger, they pull on the bones, which in turn get
stronger!
Many people simply walk to strengthen their bones, this is not always
the best way to exercise. To really strengthen bones, people must work
against a resistance (like lifting weights). In the gym, exercises that can
help build bone include the:
Chest press
Leg press
Seated row
Shoulder press
Lat pull down
All of these exercises target multiple muscle groups at the same time
and are superior to exercises that only recruit one or a few muscles. This is
because exercise is specific to the muscles and bones that are taking part in
the activity.
For example, when people walk, they stimulate bone growth in their
lower body. Walking does very little for the bones of the upper body. In
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addition, eventually the body will adapt to walking and the only way to
improve bone growth further is to walk faster or for a longer time.
One thing to consider when strength training is the amount of weight
lifted. While for the first few months, it’s good to use lighter weights,
eventually heavier weights will have to be used. This is because light weights
that are lifted for many repetitions (example, more than 15 reps) probably
won’t do much to improve bone mass in the long run. To make bones
stronger, heavier loads should be used for fewer numbers of repetitions. For
example, here is a sample weight lifting routine:
Chest Press 1-3 sets 8 to 10 repetitions
Seated Row 1-3 sets 8 to 10 repetitions
Leg Press 1-3 sets 8 to 10 repetitions
It’s important to make sure that the weights are heavy enough so that
you can ONLY lift for 8-10 repetitions. I stress this because some might be
tempted to stop after reaching 8 repetitions even though they could really
lift the weight for 20 times! If this is the case, the weight is too light.
For those who are not sure how to determine the correct amount of
weight to lift, find a qualified personal trainer to help. Considering the
seriousness of building bone for those with osteoporosis or osteopenia, this
might be well worth the time and expense.
When people with osteoporosis come to me, I don’t even think about the
bones for the first few months. My goal initially is to strengthen the muscles
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
and especially the connective tissue (ligaments and tendons). That way,
they are less likely to be injured when heavier weights are lifted.
For those just starting a strength training program, it is advised to begin
with only one set of each exercise with a light resistance. When this can be
performed comfortably, increase to two sets per exercise. When 2 sets can
be performed easily, increase to 3 sets.
It is usually not necessary to do much more than 3 sets per exercise
because many sets tend to be less effective than fewer sets. This is good
news for those who don’t want to spend all day in the gym working out.
Q. Exercise and alcohol: yes or no?
A. The question about how alcohol consumption affects muscle growth
has not been very well studied. The research does tend to show that
drinking alcohol after lifting weights may reduce the normal exercise-induced
rise in testosterone.57 Furthermore, this inhibition of testosterone may last
for up to 4 hours after the alcohol was consumed.57 In theory, this might
reduce muscle growth athletic performance. Also, alcohol has also been
shown to increase the effects of the catabolic hormone, cortisol.
In chronic alcoholics, alcohol assists in the conversion of testosterone to
estrogen. This might lead to the development of female sex characteristics
like breast development. At the other end of the spectrum, other research
finds that small amounts of alcohol (about 12 oz beer) might actually
stimulate testosterone release.56 Whether or not this makes muscles bigger
or stronger has likewise not been adequately studied. For now, the bottom
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
line is that if you are going to lift weights, drink alcohol in small amounts if
muscle growth and strength is a big issue to you.
Q. Does pedaling backwards on the elliptical do anything?
A. Most elliptical exercise machines give people the choice of pedaling
forward or backward. There are actually some good reasons for this.
Changing direction cuts down on boredom. In addition, pedaling backward
also works different muscle groups. For example, pedaling forward puts
more emphasis on the front of the thighs while going backwards tends to
work the gluteal muscles (the butt) more. Also, the body tends to burn more
calories when it performs an activity that it’s not used to. More calories
burned in theory, might mean more weight loss.
Q. What’s better: intensity or time I that I exercise?
A. People are always wondering if it’s better to exercise intensely for a
short period of time or for a longer time and a lower intensity. The answer
really has to do what your goals are. If your goal is to be a very fast sprinter
then it’s probably better to run very fast for a short time period. If your goal
is general health and wellness, then lower intensities of exercise carried out
for longer time periods may be all you need. For example, one study
investigated the difference of different intensities of exercise on various
heart disease risk factors.55 This study found that milder types of exercise
(i.e., walking 12 miles a week at an intensity of 40-50% VO2max) improved
aerobic fitness, although greater gains were found with higher intensities of
exercise. The take home message is that if you are trying to improve your
health, you don’t have to break the 5 minute mile record to do it.
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
Q. Does walking burn more fat than running?
A. The body is designed to burn greater percentages of fat at lower
intensities of exercise. We also tend to burn more fat during exercise that
takes a long time to do. This is why some fitness experts recommend
walking for those trying to lose weight. While it is true that we burn greater
percentages of fat at lower intensities, we also burn fewer calories—and
calories are the real key to weight loss. People should be more focused on
calories than fat used during exercise. Most people can walk farther than
they can run so if you can walk for an hour, you’ve burned more calories
than somebody who only ran for 10 minutes. Most people should not worry
about fat burning because of this fact. Sleeping burns the most fat. This is
because of what I said above – we burn more fat at lower intensities of
activity. It doesn't get any lower than sleeping does it? Forget about fat and
focus on calories!
For people who are very overweight, have medical issues or are new to
exercise, lower intensities of exercise, like walking, are best.
Q. Do I need a weight lifting belt?
A. People use weight lifting belts to help stabilize the low back during
weight lifting. But are they necessary? The answer depends on the exercises
being performed and the amount of weight lifted. As a rule a weight lifting
belt might help during exercises that place a maximum or near maximum
amount of stress on the low back. Exercises like very heavy squats or
deadlifts would be classic examples where a weight lifting belt might help.
For lighter loads, weight lifting belts are probably not needed. For example,
if someone can squat 300 pounds with a barbell, the belt may not be needed
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
when performing the squat with 150 pounds. One of the criticisms of using
weight lifting belts during sub-maximum lifts is that the muscles may get
used to the extra help. The result - weakened low back muscles.
Weight lifting belts are not needed for any exercise where maximum loads
are not stressing the low back. Exercises such as lat pull downs, bench
presses, leg presses and dumbbell curls are all examples where a weight
lifting belt is not needed. Related to this, weight lifting belts are often used
by people employed in various occupations, like the post office or home
improvement superstores.
It is interesting to note that despite their widespread use, the clinical
research to date has not definitively proven that these belts help reduce
injury rate.58
Q. What’s better - one set of 10 reps or 3 sets of 10 reps?
A. This is one of the biggest controversies in fitness. The one-set crowd
feels that all that is needed to build strength is one set of an exercise to
failure and the multiple set group feels that more than one set is needed.
The basis for this controversy lies in what is called the principle of overload,
which states that muscles grow stronger when they are overloaded by a
stress (like exercise) a little more than they are used to. Because multiple
sets result in a greater overall time under stress, in theory, multiple sets
may be superior to single sets. In fact, some evidence does support that
three sets of an exercise may produce up to twice the strength as one set.50
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On the surface this might mean that performing more than one set is always
better but this is not always so because doing more than one set increases
the amount of muscle soreness felt a day or so later. In addition, when
people are new to exercise, their tendons and ligaments also need time to
grow stronger. More sets may mean more injuries. So, who is right? The
answer depends who we are talking about. For beginners, one set will
provide about 90% as much strength as multiple sets. This might continue
for a few months. After that, to generate more strength, more than one set
needs to be performed.
Q. What's better: free weights or machines?
A. On the surface, both machines and free weights (dumbbells and
barbells) will cause muscles to grow stronger. By the same token so too can
lifting buckets of dirt, soup cans, doing wall presses and getting out of a
chair. One of the basic principles of exercise is the Overload Principle which
basically states that for a muscle to grow stronger, it must be overloaded a
little more than it is used to.
For very weak people, who may not have exercised in many years, just
lifting a soup can, taking a short walk or getting out of a chair, will probably
lead to greater muscle strength. For the healthy person just starting out, it
really doesn’t matter whether they use machines or free weights. Both will
produce gains in muscular strength. A case however can be made that after
several months of continuous weight lifting, that free weights might be
superior. The rationale for this is that by stabilizing a weight in space, you
force your body to work harder, which in turn fosters greater muscle
strength.
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
Q. I'm gaining weight but my clothes fit better. What gives?
A. This is a very common question and it has to do with the density of
muscle and fat. A pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat (they
both weigh one pound) but muscle is denser and takes up less space than
fat. So, even though, your bathroom scale says you are gaining weight,
because you are more compact, your clothes will fit better. Your bathroom
scale gives one number—bodyweight—and doesn’t tell the difference
between how much muscle you have and how much fat you have. It’s
possible that you have been losing fat while gaining muscle which also plays
a role in how well your clothes fit.
Q. Can I just lose weight under my arms?
A. Unfortunately, with the exception of liposuction, it is not possible to lose
fat from only specific areas of the body. This myth is referred to as ―spot
reduction‖ and ironically is the premise behind many weight loss gizmos
advertised on TV infomercials. If spot reduction worked, you’d expect to see
less fat on the dominant arms of tennis players and baseball pitchers who
typically exercise one limb more than the other. But this isn’t what is
observed. When we exercise, we lose fat all over the body at the same time.
So you will lose fat from under your arms, your thighs, tummy, around your
internal organs and even from your little pinky finger!
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
Q. When is the best time to exercise?
A. All of us have heard of some ―fitness expert‖ who tries to tell people
when the best time to exercise is. What most don’t consider however is that
the best time to exercise is when one can fit exercise into their schedule.
Many popular books tout morning exercise as being best for fat burning but
for many people this is just not practical. While in theory, exercising in the
morning might take advantage of the slightly higher levels of testosterone
that occur around 10AM, little evidence finds that people who exercise in the
morning are better at losing weight or building muscle than those who
workout at other times. Also, dogmatic adherence to this belief could
prevent some from incorporating a regular exercise program into their life.
The best time to exercise is when people can find time.
Q. Is aerobic exercise different than cardiovascular exercise?
A. The phrases aerobic exercise and cardiovascular exercise mean the
same thing and are usually used interchangeably. Cardiovascular exercise is
also often abbreviated as ―CV‖ exercise. Exercise like walking, biking and
hiking are examples of aerobic (cardiovascular) exercises.
Q. Do insulin injections build muscle?
A. The hormone insulin that’s made in the pancreas is usually associated
with helping sugar (glucose) gain entrance into cells and by doing so, helps
lower blood sugar levels. Another function of insulin is to help us use amino
acids. Some hard core-type bodybuilders picked up on this and figured that
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injecting insulin might help them build muscle faster and improve strength.
Unfortunately this practice has not been adequately tested to see if works or
not.
The big issue here is that a rebound diabetes-like condition can develop
when healthy people start (and later abruptly stop) insulin injections. In
other words, when healthy people use insulin, their pancreas stops making
it. When they then stop using insulin, it takes time for the pancreas to ―wake
up‖ and begin making the hormone again. The practice of healthy people
who inject insulin for the purpose of boosting strength is not based on any
clinical evidence and most importantly is potentially very dangerous.
Q. Why are my muscles sore after exercise?
A. Muscle pain that’s felt a day or so after exercise is called delayed onset
muscle soreness (DOMS). Usually DOMS occurs within 24-72 hours after we
exercise more intensely than we are used to, as well as when we do
something that we are not accustomed to doing. For example, if it snowed
tonight and you had to shovel your driveway, odds are, you’d experience
some DOMS-associated pain if you were not used to shoveling snow.
One of the big mysteries of DOMS involves how the pain is created in the
first place. Many people commonly believe that DOMS results from
microscopic tears inside the muscle. This is called the torn tissue theory.
Others speculate that DOMS is caused by inflammation (the inflammation
theory) and still another theory advocates that damage to the underlying
connective tissue (the connective tissue theory) is the cause of the pain.
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
All theories explain some aspects of DOMS but as of yet none completely
explain how the pain occurs. What we do know is that the majority of DOMS
discomfort is caused by what is called eccentric muscle actions, commonly
called ―negatives‖ in the gym. During exercise, this normally occurs when we
lower a weight such as a dumbbell or barbell. During eccentric muscle
actions, the muscle lengthens, as force is applied to the muscle. These
actions place greater stress on the muscle and produce more DOMS pain.
So, if someone was performing a barbell curl, the lowering phase would
produce more DOMS than the phase where the barbell was lifted.
A common myth about DOMS involves lactic acid. Lactic acid is produced
when we exercise intensely and results feelings of muscle burning and
muscle fatigue. But, lactic acid does not cause DOMS. Approximately one
hour after exercise has ceased, most of the lactic acid produced has been
removed and recycled and is thus not present 24-72 hours later when DOMS
rears its ugly head.
Q. What causes muscle cramps during exercise?
A. Muscle cramping could be due to a number of reasons such as overly
intense exercise (running a marathon) or exercising too long in hot
temperatures. Muscle cramps are basically the involuntary contraction of a
muscle. All of us get them from time to time.
The classic theory is that exercise that is too intense causes imbalances in
electrolytes like sodium and potassium that causes the involuntary muscle
spasm. Another theory is that muscle fatigue brought about by intense
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
exercise distorts the signals that nerves send to muscles.1 The bottom line is
that researchers are still not sure of what causes muscle cramps.
General guidelines for dealing with exercise-induced muscle cramping
include gentle stretching of the area and giving fluids to the athlete like
water or Gatorade-like beverages. Also, weigh yourself before and after
exercise. Generally people don’t want to lose more than about 2% of their
body weight during exercise. More than this might upset electrolyte balance
and precipitate muscle cramps.
To reduce the chances of getting a muscle cramp, always warm up before
exercise. Stretching some after warming up might also help. Stretching
might also help muscle cramps that wake people up in the middle of the
night. Also, increase the intensity of exercise you do slowly. In other words
don’t go from walking 1 mile on Monday to attempting 3 miles on
Wednesday.
While usually an inconvenience, in athletes and people who exercise
strenuously, muscle cramping could be a symptom of a much more serious
condition like rhabdomyolysis.
Q. What is rhabdomyolysis?
A. Rhabdomyolysis is medical condition where the muscles of the body
break down. Because this condition can be a side effect of some medications
like statin drugs used to treat lower cholesterol levels, medical professionals
usually make the distinction between drug-induced rhabdomyolysis and
exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis. Exercise induced rhabdomyolysis results
from physical exertion that is too intense for the body to handle.2 In this
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instance the muscles of the body break down, releasing their cellular
contents into the circulation.
One of the major side effects of rhabdomyolysis is kidney damage. Muscles
contain a special type of hemoglobin called myoglobin that carries oxygen in
the muscle. It turns out that myoglobin is toxic to the kidneys. Thus, kidney
failure can result from rhabdomyolysis.
Personal trainers MUST be aware of rhabdomyolysis because studies have
documented that some overzealous fitness professionals have created this
condition in their clients.
While normally thought of as something that follows strenuous exercise like
running a marathon, the fitness level of the individual also appears to play a
role in the development of this condition. For example, one study noted that
rhabdomyolysis occurred in a 29 year old man who performed 30 to 40 sit-
ups a day for 5 days. There may even be certain people who are more
susceptible to this condition than others.
Classic signs of rhabdomyolysis include muscle tenderness and swelling as
well as urine that is dark colored (think Coke-a-Cola). These symptoms
however do not show up in everyone, making its diagnosis difficult without
more extensive medical tests.
Q. Abs every day or every other day?
A. This question is as controversial as Big Foot and UFOs. One side of the
argument advocates that abdominal exercises, like crunches, can be
performed every day because the abs have a high percentage of slow twitch
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
(type I) muscle fibers which recuperate quickly from exercise. Because
about 60% of a person’s weight is in their trunk, others view abdominal
exercises as a type of resistance training. The normal recommendation for
resistance training is to take 24-48 hours of rest to give the muscle time to
grow stronger.
So who is right? Both sides make sense to some degree and I've not seen
any study that found one way was better than another. I think it really
depends on what your fitness level is. If you’re a beginner, then every other
day (or every few days) might be best because this can help cut down on
muscle soreness (DOMS). If you’re a more advanced person than maybe
every day might work but don’t do the same exercise every day. Try
different ab exercises on different days. Varying the types of ab exercise can
help the abs be stronger overall.
In my opinion, people spend way too much time doing crunches! How many
times a day do you find yourself crunching? Getting out of bed or the car
and that’s about it! Do something different and you’ll be stronger and less
prone to injury.
Q. When is the best time to train abs?
A. While many people train their abdominals at the end of a workout, I've
found that it is sometimes better if they are worked somewhere in the
middle of an exercise session. There are basically three reasons for this.
First, if you wait until you’re almost finished working out, you tend to be
more fatigued and less inclined to do an effective job on your abs.
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
Second, if you wait until the end of your workout, you may be less inclined
to work your abdominals at all!
Third, if you train your abdominals in the middle of a work out, you can
finish up your time in the gym doing something that you might rather do,
thus making your workout a more enjoyable experience.
Abdominal strength is important for providing trunk stability during free-
weight exercises like squats and overhead presses. Because of this, I
suggest doing exercises that require a stable trunk (or core as it’s also
called) before working abdominals. This will lessen abdominal fatigue and
risk of injury.
Q. What’s better: strength first or cardio first?
A. The theory behind performing strength training first is that if you
exhaust your muscles with aerobic exercise first, then this might limit how
much you can lift and thus, reduce strength gains. This makes sense
especially if your goal is to get as strong as possible. In fact, if getting
stronger is your main goal, I suggest you do aerobic exercise on different
days than strength training.
Some people also say doing strength training first is best because it helps
deplete your glycogen reserves, which in turn makes it easier for your body
to burn fat when you do aerobic exercise. I don’t buy however. The average
person has enough glycogen to run for about 20 miles! Most people will not
burn off that much glycogen after an hour or less of weight lifting. Also, if
you did burn off all your glycogen, you would not be able to burn fat! You
need carbs to burn fat.
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For weight loss, I suggest alternating workouts. In other words, for a month
or so, do cardio first, followed by strength training. Then for the next couple
of months, reverse it and do strength training first. This will keep your body
guessing, which will probably result in more calories used during exercise.
You’ll be surprised at the fatigue you feel when you do this.
Q. Exercise on an empty stomach: best for weight loss?
A. Those who advocate exercising on an empty stomach say that it helps
the body go after the fat stores faster. During sleep, our body uses
glycogen, our storage form of carbohydrates, to maintain blood sugar levels.
Thus, so the idea goes, when we wake up, our carbohydrate reserve is
running on empty, which makes it more likely that we will start burning fat.
Some also add in that eating carbs in the morning stimulates release of the
hormone insulin which facilitates fat storage. Because most people wake up
in the morning, empty stomach exercise supporters are many of the same
people who advocate morning exercise as well.
Lets look at some of the evidence in support of working out on an empty
stomach: Some research does in fact find that morning exercise may
enhance the ability to burn fat when a fat-containing meal is given after
exercise.15 Other research also hints that the body prefers to utilize
monounsaturated fats more than saturated fats.16 Still other research finds
that people tend to be about 5% stronger in the afternoon 66. Likewise
aerobic endurance also tends to be greater in the afternoon66. On the other
hand, people who exercise in the morning tend to be more consistent.
People who wait till the end of the day are more likely to not exercise. Being
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more consistent with exercise may mean more calories burned per week,
resulting in greater weight loss.
The ability to successfully exercise without eating breakfast is surely an
individual one. Some people may have no problem working out prior to
eating while others may struggle with it.
Beyond this, it’s important to point out that carbohydrates are needed for
the fat burning process. So, if someone were exercising in the morning in
the total absence of carbohydrates (which is very unlikely), fat metabolism
wouldn’t work properly. In this condition, the body essentially looks around
and says to itself ―what else do I have to eat?‖ Well, if we are not eating
carbs, and fat breakdown needs carbs, then that leaves only one thing left—
protein.
It’s possible that in extreme cases, not eating could lead to the body
cannibalizing its own muscle tissue to power exercise energy requirements.
This is admittedly a worst case scenario but is worth mentioning because
there are people in the world who take things to the extreme and may
extend this not eating in the morning idea to new levels by not eating at all!
Another point is that working out on an empty stomach may be
inappropriate for people with diabetes, who, if blood sugar goes too low,
may pass out.
So, what's the bottom line? For the moment, all that can be said is if you are
healthy and want to try this approach, give it a shot and see if it works for
you. If you find it difficult to workout before eating then forget it and eat
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breakfast first. The important thing is that you exercise and do so in a way
that works for you.
Q. Will exercise maintain metabolism during dieting?
A. Dieting lowers metabolic rate. So, many turn to exercise as a way to
offset or reverse this process. This is a controversial topic because it is
currently debatable whether exercise—including resistance training—can
completely offset the decrease in metabolism from dieting.
Factors making this issue murky include the amount of weight lifted, the
total volume (weight x reps x sets) of exercise completed and the amount of
calories restricted with dieting to name a few. Regardless of the impact of
exercise on dieting-metabolism, physical activity remains a crucial part of all
weight loss programs in light of its positive impact on a wide variety of
diverse parameters ranging from bone density, immune function and the
enhancement of one’s activities of daily living.
Q. Do we have to exercise for 20 minutes before burning fat?
A. The idea that we must exercise for 20 to 30 minutes before we begin to
use our fat reserves in the fat-burning process is popular among some
fitness experts. In reality however, we are always burning fat, it’s just a
matter of how much we are talking about.
At rest, roughly 60% of the energy being burned is coming from fat, while
about 40% comes from carbohydrate burning. When exercise starts, we
begin to burn more carbs and less fat. However, as we continue to exercise,
a shift gradually occurs where we begin using less carbs and more fat. So,
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do we have to exercise for at least 20 minutes before we start the fat
burning process? Technically no, but after 20 minutes of exercise we are
using a lot more fat than we were after only one minute of exercise. After 60
minutes we are burning even more! The real key to this however is to NOT
FOCUS on fat burning. Focus more on calories being used. I say this
because sleeping is the greatest fat burning activity in the world with
roughly 70% of the energy used during sleep coming from fat. So why
doesn't anybody get skinny sleeping? Because you’re not using a lot of
calories when you sleep!
Q. Should weight lifters avoid soy protein?
A. Some weight lifters avoid soy protein because of a fear that soy’s plant
estrogens (isoflavones) might reduce muscle growth. One recent study
however finds that soy (20 grams per day for 3 months) did not lower
testosterone levels or reduce muscle growth in healthy men who lifted
weights67. Other studies also find similar effects. 14,68
In fact, because of its antioxidant properties, soy may even be a little better
than whey!14
For the moment there is no compelling evidence that soy protein is
detrimental to muscle growth. In fact, a recent study found that soy
supplements did not lower testosterone levels in men.77 While more
research is needed to resolve this to everybody’s satisfaction, those who
exercise and enjoy soy protein but who are concerned about it affecting their
muscle mass, may want to have their anabolic hormone levels checked
periodically, if for nothing else, than to help them sleep better at night.
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Q. Why are there two versions of the RPE scale?
A. The Ratings of Perceived Exertion scale (RPE scale / ―Borg Scale‖) that
adorns the walls of many health clubs has two popular forms:
1. The 6 to 20 scale, which is the original version
2. The 0-10 scale, which is the modified version
Both are good at gauging how hard people are exercising. The big difference
between them is that the 6-20 scale can be used to estimate a person’s
heart rate during exercise. You do this by multiplying the reported number
by 10.
For example if you said you felt like a 6 on a scale from 6-20, this means
your heart rate is about 6 x 10 or 60 beats per minute. The modified 0-10
scale does not allow you to estimate heart rate. The 0-10 version only allows
you to estimate fatigue level during exercise.
Q. Does weight lifting give women big muscles?
A. It's a common misconception that women will get big muscles if they lift
weights. Truth be told, women just don't have the hormones levels to drive
muscle growth like men. Testosterone, the male hormone, is one of the
major players responsible for making muscles big when a person lifts
weights.
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Testosterone is found in women but it’s much less than that in men. True,
there are very muscular female bodybuilders, but to get those muscles, they
had to work at it very hard, sometimes training 7 days a week, 2 times a
day, for years. They also eat large amounts of calories. Some of these
women might also have higher levels of testosterone than the average
women. Still others might also be using anabolic steroids.
Lifting weights two, three or even 4 times a week isn't going to cause most
women to start bulging out of their clothes like the Incredible Hulk! This is
especially true if you're also doing aerobic exercise. What strength training
will do is make muscles stronger and more defined, and reduce osteoporosis.
Q. What are open chain and closed chain exercises?
A. Closed chain and open chain exercises are nothing new and if you're
working out, you are probably already doing them. The words open chain
and closed chain are just technical ways that some fitness and health
professionals use to categorize different exercises. A closed chain exercise is
one that is performed when your feet are on the ground or pressing against
something. It is called a closed chain exercise because one end of the body
(or the chain if you will), is not free to move. Classic examples are squats
and leg presses. An exercise where your feet are not on the ground or are
not pressing against something, is referred to as an open chain exercise.
Again, the end of the body (or chain), is free to move. Using a leg extension
machine or a leg curl machine are two examples of open chain exercises. In
general, neither open chain nor closed chain exercises are better than the
other. They both have their advantages. Unless you are a therapist,
physician or in the fitness industry, you probably don’t have to worry about
the difference between open and closed chain exercises.
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Q. Can I get sick if I exercise too much?
A. Yes. One of the first studies dates back to 1918 where doctors noticed
more colds progressing to pneumonia in boys who were very physical
active.46 Since that time many other studies have found similar effects.
Mostly the research involves people who run marathons and triathlons and
generally finds greater rates of colds and flus occurring one to two weeks
after a race.47
In one of the most interesting studies, athletes who trained for and
participated the 1989 Los Angeles Marathon were compared to athletes who
trained for the marathon but never made it to the race for reasons other
than being sick.48 Within two weeks after the race, 13% of the runners who
participated in the marathon had cold symptoms. In comparison, only about
2% in those who trained for the marathon but never made it to the race.
The occurrence of colds after a grueling exercise event like a marathon is by
no means a certainty and there may be many people reading these words
who never get sick after races. Thus, this is an individual thing. By writing
down your how you feel in the days before and after a big exercise event
can give you valuable insights into how your immune system functions and
adapts to exercise.
Q. Do I need to warm up before exercise?
A. Absolutely! Every exercise session should be proceeded by a brief warm
up period. A warm up consists of 5 to 10 minutes of some nice, easy
aerobic-type exercise, like walking, calisthenics, the elliptical or rower etc. A
warm up is not the time to break the world’s 1-mile speed record but rather
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is the time to gently prepare your body for what is to come. Basically, your
goal is to just break a sweat. When you have a little perspiration going, you
are pretty much all warmed up.
During the warm-up, your body temperature raises a little. This makes the
muscles and surrounding connective tissues more loosy-goosy. Loosy-goosy,
flexible muscles, tendons and ligaments are less likely to break or be injured
during exercise.
Besides this, other positive changes also occur. For example, our reaction-
time improves (important for athletes) and we tend to be better at dealing
with lactic acid build-up which accumulates during high intensity activates
like strength training. In addition, some evidence suggests that warming up
prior to exercise can help reduce the risk of a heart attack! This is especially
important in those who have heart disease or have had a heart attack or
stroke.
Q. Is stretching a good warm up?
A. Actually no, stretching by itself is usually not a good warm up, unless
you do it for a long time–which most people don’t. When you stretch cold
muscles, you do not raise your body temperature very much. By stretching
cold muscles, ligaments and tendons, you could actually increase your risk of
injury. If you want to want to stretch, that’s fine, just do it after warming
up.
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Q. What's better: stretching before or after my workout?
A. For most people, stretching after the workout is probably best. So far,
research has not shown that stretching before and after exercise is better
than just stretching after your workout is completed.
That being said, athletes, those involved in intense exercise and even those
with some medical issues like fibromyalgia may be better served by both
stretching before, during and after exercise.
Q. Does stretching reduce the risk of injuries?
A. The research on this issue is rather limited but given what is presently
known, stretching does not appear to reduce injury risk.52 That doesn’t
mean that you should not stretch.
Studies on this topic are sometimes not the best and future research may
indeed find that stretching helps. But even if it doesn’t, stretching is far from
useless. For example, take back pain. For some people, back pain can be the
result of tightness in the hamstrings (the muscles in the back of the thighs)
or quadriceps (the front of the thigh muscles). Stretching these muscles can
help reduce or totally eliminate back pain in some people. My advice is to
keep stretching.
Q. Is no pain, no gain really true?
A. This is one of the most commonly misunderstood phrases in fitness.
People who wrongly believe the no pain, no gain philosophy think that you
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have to push yourself to the point of pain (and injury) before the body grows
stronger or more fit. Baloney!
The origins of no pain, no gain can probably be traced back to bodybuilders
who often push themselves to the point of exhaustion to achieve their
impressive physiques. During these intense workouts, they would feel a
sizeable amount of muscle burning and fatigue. Often this muscle burning
would ―hurt‖. It’s this intense muscle burning felt during very intense
workouts that the no pain no gain idea was probably first was used.
A little knowledge is dangerous especially when people started taking this
statement literally and pushed themselves to the point of injury. In reality, it
is possible to grow stronger without feeling intense pain and you don’t have
to injure yourself. The bottom line is that feelings of muscle burning are very
different than the pain of an injury resulting from pushing yourself beyond
your limits.
Q. What exercise burns the most fat?
A. As a rule we use greater percentages of fat during activities that are
low intensity. Walking is a good low intensity activity that can be performed
by most people however there is an activity that we all do that burns the
most fat. Do you know what it is? Give up? It’s called sleeping. Think about
it; our bodies prefer to burn fat during low intensity activity.
What's the lowest intensity activity than any of us can do—sleep! About 70%
of the energy burned during sleeping is coming from the breakdown of fat.
Most people who ask about fat burring activities are really interested in
weight loss.
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So, if sleeping burns the most fat, why doesn’t anybody get skinny sleeping?
The reason is that we don’t burn many calories sleeping. The key thing to
remember is that calories - not fat - is the key to weight loss.
When you exercise, you burn more calories. Walking is a great low-intensity
activity because most people can do it for long time without injuring
themselves. The longer you walk, the more calories you burn. You also burn
a lot of fat when walking too—so you’ve killed two birds with one stone!
Q. What’s better : 30 minutes of cardio or 30 minutes of strength
training?
A. Generally, aerobic exercise would be expected to burn a few more
calories than the strength training. This is why many people trying to lose
weight incorporate aerobic exercise like walking jogging and bike riding. If
weight loss is the goal, both types of activity—aerobic and strength
training—are important. Aerobic exercise tends to raise metabolism (the
speed we burn calories) during the exercise. Metabolic rate however usually
drops back to normal an hour or so after exercise.
Strength training, on the other hand, might raise metabolic rate 12-24 hours
after exercise. The longer metabolic rate is elevated over resting levels, the
more calories we use. Neither will work however if its not combined with
eating a few less calories every day.
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Q. How many calories does a pound of muscle burn?
A. Many people often say that a pound of muscle burns somewhere between
40-50 calories a day. Other research however finds that the number is
actually lower, around 13 calories per pound. Others say it’s even lower –
around 6 calories per day! What does this mean? Even if muscle uses less
energy than previously thought, it’s still more than a pound of fat (about 2-5
calories a day). Added muscle still means extra calories used which still
translates in to weight loss down the road. Honestly, don’t focus on how
many calories a pound of muscle uses; the real key is to work out regularly
and focus on health and let the body handle the rest.
Q. What does EPOC mean?
A. The letters EPOC stand for excessive post-exercise oxygen
consumption. When we exercise, we breathe more than we normally do at
rest. It turns out that for a period of time after exercise (post exercise) we
continue to breathe a little more than usual. This extra consumption of
oxygen after exercise helps us replenish the energy reserves that we used
up during exercise. This also results in a slight elevation in our metabolism.
So, EPOC is really a measure of the elevation of metabolic rate that occurs
after exercise. While usually reserved for highly technical scientific papers,
EPOC also occasionally appears in some popula r health and fitness
magazines in articles written about how good exercise is at raising
metabolism. For more on EPOC click here
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Q. My treadmill displays METs. What’s that?
A. METs stand for ―metabolic equivalents‖. Basically this is nothing more
than just a fancy way of expressing how hard you are working out. METs
compares your exercising metabolism to your metabolism at rest. When you
are sleeping, you are "working out" at an intensity of 1 MET. Anytime you
increase your activity level, your MET level goes up. So if you are on a
treadmill and it says you are exercising at 5 METs, this means that your
metabolism is 5 times higher than sleeping and you are burning calories 5
times faster than when you are sleeping. At 10 METs your metabolism is
about 10x higher than sleeping and you’re burning calories about 10X faster
than sleeping.
Q. What’s better for weight loss: sprinting or walking?
A. This is a loaded question because just asking what’s better does not
take into consideration a person’s health conditions. When it comes to
exercise, the rule of thumb is the greater the intensity, the greater the risk
of injury. Sprinting is a very intense form of exercise and carries risks -
especially for those who are overweight or have medical conditions.
In addition to possible injury, there is also the question of how many calories
are used during the activity. One of the reasons walking is usually advocated
to for beginners exercise and for weight loss is that most people can walk for
a long period of time. The longer you can do the activity, the more calories
you burn. Sprinting also burns calories and can build muscle as well and
that is good. But most people can’t spring very long- which means less
calories used during exercise.
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People who ask about sprinting for weight loss are usually curious about how
this activity might increase their metabolism later, after they are not
exercising. While sprinting might elevate metabolic rate (especially for those
who are not used to sprinting), how this might impact weight loss in people
trying to lose weight has not been well studied.
While sprinting is probably out of the question for most overweight people,
because of the high risk of injury, some people alternate between higher
intensity and lower intensity exercise when working out. In fitness circles
this is called interval training. This method can be used for a number of
activities like stationary biking, the treadmill and ellipticals. In a nutshell,
after warming up for 5-10 minutes, increase the intensity by a little bit for 5
to 30 seconds and then decrease the intensity for about 1 to 1.5 minutes.
Raise the intensity again when you’re not tired anymore. This modified
version will increase aerobic exercise capacity, burn calories and minimize
your risk of injury. As a general rule, the rest interval (working at a lower
intensity) should be about 3x as long as the ―work interval‖ (working at the
higher intensity).
Q. Can Pilates make my muscles longer?
A. No. Pilates can help make your muscles stronger and, if combined with
a proper diet and aerobic exercise, can help you lose weight. Pilates can also
help improve flexibility. Muscle size is genetically determined however and
while Pilates can help improve the look of your muscles it is unlikely to
increase the length of muscles.
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Q. Can Pilates help my back pain?
A. Maybe. Back pain is a tricky issue and can be caused by a number of
conditions. It’s possible in some of these instances that Pilates may help. For
the moment though, Pilates has not been adequately studied to determine
how effective it is at alleviating back pain or which types of back pain it
might be most useful. Before trying Pilates, its best to first have low back
pain diagnosed by a physician.
Q. Are the calorie readouts on treadmills etc. accurate?
A. The short answer is no, they are not 100% accurate. But, gym
machines like treadmills and ellipticals do provide you with a ballpark idea of
the number of calories you are burning during exercise. With respect to
accuracy, some estimate that such machines may overestimate the number
of calories burned during exercise by about 10-20 percent. Many treadmills
calculate the number of calories used from equations that factor in the
number of calories burned per pound of bodyweight per minute. Treadmill
incline is also included in this calculation as well.
What most machines do not consider however is the amount of muscle one
has. Because muscle is metabolically active and burns calories, the more
muscle a person has, the more calories they may use during exercise.
Failure to take this into consideration can also lead to in accuracy by gym
machines.
As a rule, treadmills, ellipticals and other machines tend to be a little bit
more accurate because they generally let you impute your bodyweight,
which plays a role in metabolic rate. Heavier people tend to use more
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calories than thinner people. Bikes and other machines that do not allow you
to impute your body weight tend to be less accurate. Standing is harder than
sitting. Thus, treadmills and elliptical and steppers would be expected to use
more calories than those exercises where you sit (e.g. Bikes).
Another source of error is gender. Because men tend to have more muscle
than women, they might use more calories. Most gym machines do not let
people impute their gender. In addition, the efficiency of the person is not
considered either. A person who is a novice, would probably expend more
calories on a treadmill than somebody who was accustomed to the activity.
As the person got used to the movement, they would become more efficient
– and use fewer calories.
A couple of things that can be done to help correct error by exercise
machines include the following:
1. When possible, enter your body weight
2. Don’t hold on to the treadmill or use your arms to help support you
on the steppers. If using an elliptical, try not holding onto the side
handles either.
3. Exercise a little longer than usual. For example if you usually
exercise for 30 minutes and burn 500 estimated calories, then exercise
for 35 minutes. Assuming that this 500 calories is off by a little bit, by
exercising an extra 5 minutes or so will bring your actual calorie burn
closer to 500 calories.
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Q. I get nauseous when I exercise. What’s going on?
A. Assuming you are a healthy person, what is probably happening is that
you are exercising too intensely for your fitness level. When we exercise at a
level that is more than we are used to, we begin to burn sugar (carbs) for
energy. When this is done at a very fast rate, a compound called lactic acid
is made. Lactic acid (also called lactate) isn’t a strong acid so it won’t eat
through metal but it will upset the delicate balance of your body. When the
body senses that lactic acid is being generated faster than it can get rid of, it
does the only thing it can do – make you nauseous enough to stop
exercising, or in extreme cases, throw up!
If this happens to you, I would suggest you cut back on your exercise
intensity a little bit and give your body a chance to get used to being
pushed. In time, your body will adapt to exercise and you shouldn’t get
nauseous anymore.
Q. Any benefit to facing away from stair stepper machine?
A. Performing the exercise while facing away from the stepper tends to use
more of the hamstrings, the muscles on the back of the thigh. Facing
forward (the usual way people do it) tends to use less hamstrings and more
of the quadriceps (the muscles on the front of the thigh). An argument could
also be made that the unfamiliar movement pattern of facing away from the
machine might help you burn a few more calories. Other than this, for most
people there is probably little benefit to this variation of exercise.
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Nutrition Questions
Q. Which is better for strength: creatine or protein?
A. Both protein and creatine can help build muscle when combined with a
weight lifting program. Muscle is about 20% protein (the rest is water).
Adding a little additional protein to a healthy diet (that includes carbs) along
with a weight lifting program has been shown to increase muscle mass and
strength.
Creatine, acting like a supercharger for ATP production, allows us to make
energy very fast. This in turn, allows us to sustain a high intensity activity
(like lifting a heavy weight) a little longer than usual. This, in turn, sends a
signal to our muscles to get stronger.
Because both protein and creatine are needed in the muscle building
process, one may wonder which is better. No study to date that I am aware
of has compared protein supplementation to just creatine supplementation
(without additional protein). But, it makes intuitive sense that protein would
be a better approach. Let’s discuss why:
Creatine (without additional protein) will help us lift a heavy weight a little
longer. This sends a signal to the body to make more muscle proteins (like
actin and myosin). But, if you were not eating enough protein, then this
might, in theory, cause the body to break down other protein-containing
structures as it tries to build up the muscles. In essence, you are robbing
Peter to pay Paul, which in the end makes you weaker overall.
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This, of course, is based on worst case scenarios to illustrate my point. The
bottom line however for the healthy person who is trying to decide which
might be best for him or her, a little extra protein added to the diet is
probably the best way to go.
Q. What is “hydrolyzed gelatin”? It’s in some protein supplements.
A. Hydrolyzed gelatin (also called hydrolyzed collagen) is similar to the
collagen connective tissue that is found in the body. Gelatin is also the same
type of protein found in gelatin-type deserts. Hydrolyzed gelatin may also
show up in protein meal replacement bars.
While gelatin is a protein, it does not contain the broad spectrum of essential
amino acids like those found in whey, soy, chicken, eggs as well as chicken
and other meat products. As such, it’s not the best type of protein to use for
building muscle. You can easily see how much hydrolyzed gelatin is in a
protein supplement by looking at the product’s label. If gelatin is among the
first few ingredients listed, it is present in high concentrations.
Q. What foods are bad for weight loss?
A. I am of the opinion that most foods are health foods when used in
moderation. But, there are some foods that, when used in excess can hurt
weight loss goals. They include sodas (not diet), fast food, sugar (empty
calories), cookies, cakes, pies, whole milk (1% or 2% has less calories),
sugar-containing juices, candy bars, white flour (whole wheat is better), and
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alcohol. I’d also add in ―fat free‖ and ―low fat‖ foods because they may not
be low in calories.
The big problem with most of these foods is that they tend to contain a lot of
unneeded calories. Can you use these foods when trying to lose weight? Yes
you can; however, it’s easy to overindulge on these items, which adds extra
calories to your diet.
You don’t have to totally give up the foods you love when trying to lose
weight. Some people give themselves a ―cheat day‖ where once a week they
allow themselves the luxury of eating anything they want. Giving yourself a
cheat day also helps you set goals during the week by allowing you to see a
light at the end of the tunnel.
Q. If less calories is best for weight loss, why can’t I skip meals?
Isn’t skipping meals cutting calories?
A. Many people trying to lose weight think that if they just don’t eat or eat
very little that they will lose weight. In the short run this might work, but
most of the weight you lose is in the form of water as you break down
precious glycogen in an attempt to maintain your blood sugar levels.
People can’t skip means very long. One of the reasons for this is that as you
eat less, your stomach makes a hormone called ghrelin, that makes you
want to eat.28 Ghrelin levels also go up when you don’t eat or skip meals.28
This is actually part of a survival mechanism the body adopts when drastic
reductions in calories are eaten. When you skip meals, your body ―thinks‖
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that there is no food to eat. It doesn’t know you live just down the street
from a supermarket!
Faced with the prospect of not getting the calories it needs, the body slows
down its metabolic rate (the speed you burn calories) in an attempt to
conserve energy and keep you alive long enough to find food. So, by
skipping meals (or not eating at all) you actually defeat your weight loss
goals.
On top of this, when you finally do eat—and you eventually will—your body
converts a lot of what you eat back into glycogen and fat. The body
essentially says to itself ―Wow, that was rough; I better be prepared if this
happens again‖— so it makes you heavier than before!
A much better approach is a modest reduction in calories.
Try cutting back on about 250 calories a day and couple this with expending
250 calories during exercise. This would equal a loss of 500 calories a day.
There are 3500 calories in a pound of fat. If you can reduce 500 calories a
day for 7 days, this, in theory, should equal a loss of one pound.
Q. Are fat free foods best for weight loss?
A. Myth. The key to weight loss is eating fewer calories—not eating less
fat. It is possible for a fat free or low fat food to be teeming with
calories. Fat helps foods taste good, so when fat is removed from a
food, something is often added to help improve taste and texture.
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Sometimes what is added is sugar, which increases the calorie content.
In addition some fat free foods may be high in salt—which is especially
inappropriate for people with high blood pressure.
Bottom line: fat free does not mean calorie free and low fat does not
mean low calorie.
Q. What is the truth behind most diets?
A. Most diets are just fancy sounding low calorie diets. An easy way to tell
this is by looking at the foods that are on the diet. If fruits and vegetables
are many of the favorite foods in the diet, it’s a low calorie diet.
Q. How do low carb diets cause weight loss?
A. When a person goes on a low carbohydrate diet, they will likely lose a
large amount of weight within the first two weeks. The reason for this has to
do with glycogen, which is the body’s storage form of sugar.
When we significantly reduce the amount of carbohydrates we eat, our body
starts to break down its glycogen reserves in order to keep our blood sugar
from falling too much (we can die if blood sugar gets too low!).
As glycogen is utilized, a lot of water is released in the process. In fact, for
every pound of glycogen that is used, 3 pounds of water are liberated! The
body has to do something with all that water, so it sends people to the
bathroom to get rid of it.
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Thus, for the first few weeks, most of the weight that is lost on a low carb
diet is in the form of water.
When compared to people who cut their calories (but not carbs), some
evidence suggests that low carbohydrate diets may actually be a little better
at reducing weight for the first 6 months of a diet program. However, after a
year of dieting, low carb diets appear to be no better than simply counting
calories.63
Q. What's better: eating less fat or eating fewer calories?
A. Most nutrition experts will agree that eating less calories is best for
weight loss. Each gram of fat has 9 calories. So, when people begin
cutting back on the fat in their diet, they are really reducing the
number of calories they eat. It is interesting to note that many popular
diets also work by getting people to cut back on the number of calories
they eat.
Q. Can I eat as much as I want if I exercise?
A. While I am sure there are people who can do this, I would not
recommend this approach to losing weight. One of the reasons for this is
that the calories you expend during exercise may be outweighed by the
calories you eat. For example, if you exercise for an hour and expend 500
calories, but then eat a big 3000 calorie dinner, this, combined with
whatever else you have eaten during the day will have voided the net calorie
loss created by exercise.
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
While it is possible for some to have their cake and eat it too, I would
personally stick to the traditional watch what you eat and exercise method of
weight loss, just to be on the safe side.
Q. Does chromium burn fat and build muscle?
A. Some research suggests that the trace mineral chromium may help
insulin work better and as such, might assist with blood sugar regulation.
That being said, the evidence that chromium can help people shed excess fat
or build muscle is extremely weak. As such, people can save their money on
chromium supplements and overly priced chromium-containing weight loss
products. People looking to lose weight or build muscle should look no
further than their local health club or to the exercise equipment that is
collecting dust in their basement.
The scoop on chromium, as well as over 100 other popular supplements, can
be found in my book, Nutritional Supplements: What Works and Why. A
Review from A to Zinc and Beyond that is available at my website, www.Joe-
Cannon.com
Q. What is the difference between an RD and a nutritionist?
A. A registered dietitian (RD) is someone who has at least a BS degree in
nutrition and has passed the American Dietetic Association test. Most also do
an internship under the tutelage of another qualified dietician. A nutritionist
is a more general term that may or may not refer to an RD. Some dietitians
call themselves nutritionists, however, depending on the state in which one
resides, the term nutritionist might be able to be used by almost anyone—
including those with no formal nutrition education or certification.
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Q. What are carbohydrates?
A. Carbohydrate (carbs) is the fancy name for sugars. Carbohydrates are
the source of fuel that the body prefers to use. Carbs are also crucial to all
exercise ranging from hiking and jogging to lifting weights. Each gram of
carbohydrates has 4 calories, so they contain fewer calories than fat—which
has 9 calories per gram.
Common examples of carbohydrates include pasta, rice and potatoes
however, all vegetables like spinach, broccoli and cauliflower are also
carbohydrates. In addition, fruits also contain carbohydrates as well.
Carbohydrates can be divided into simple carbohydrates that are absorbed
quickly by the body and complex carbohydrates, which because of their
more complex chemical structure, take longer to be absorbed by the body.
Vegetables, like broccoli and spinach, are examples of complex
carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates tend to have more vitamins,
minerals, fiber and other nutrients than simple carbohydrates and as such,
are more highly valued by nutrition experts.
Q. When is carbo loading appropriate?
A. Carbohydrate loading (carbo loading) is a technique practiced by some
athletes such as cyclists and marathon runners to improve the distance they
can cover during their races. Another name is glycogen super-compensation.
When somebody carbo loads, they are trying to make more glycogen, the
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body’s reserve carbohydrate supply that is crucial during long-duration
exercise like running marathons.
There are a few variations of carbo loading but essentially it involves eating
a relatively low carbohydrate diet several days before the race. This is then
followed by eating a high carbohydrate diet a day or so before the race.
Eating fewer carbs stimulates the body to increase an enzyme called
glycogen synthase, which makes glycogen. When the athlete eats a high
carbohydrate diet again, the enzyme converts a greater amount of carbs into
glycogen. In effect, this helps put more gas in your gas tank.
Another version of carbo loading involves just cutting back on the amount of
exercise you do, while at the same time continuing to eat as you normally
would. By cutting back on exercise, you use less glycogen. This means more
glycogen is available during your race.
Carbo loading would be most beneficial to those who take part in aerobic
events lasting 90 minutes or longer. Carbo loading probably won't help
athletes involved in exercise lasting for shorter periods of time, such as
those who jog a few miles a day. Likewise, people who go to the gym a few
times a week don’t need to carbo load either.
Q. What calcium supplement is best?
A. When choosing a calcium supplement, look for the amount of elemental
calcium that the supplement contains. This is the form of calcium that our
bodies actually use to keep bones strong. The most popular types of calcium
found in supplements are calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, calcium lactate
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and calcium gluconate. Each differs in the amount of elemental calcium it
contains.
Calcium carbonate is 40% elemental calcium. Calcium citrate is the next
highest at 21%. Calcium lactate has about 13% and calcium gluconate has
about 9%.
Some calcium supplements list the amount of elemental calcium they
contain while others may not. To determine how much is in your
supplement, multiply the milligrams of calcium by the percent of elemental
calcium that type contains.
For example, suppose you had a 500 mg capsule of calcium carbonate. Since
calcium carbonate is 40% elemental calcium this means that 500 x 0.40
=200 mg of elemental calcium.
Many health care professionals recommend calcium carbonate. It not only
has the most elemental calcium, but also tends to be cheaper than the other
types. Calcium citrate, while containing less elemental calcium, can also help
strengthen bones and appears to be a little better absorbed than calcium
carbonate.
So which is right for you? It depends. Before opting for a calcium
supplement, examine if you are getting the RDA of 1200-1500 mg from
food. One cup of milk has 300 mg of calcium. Research shows that people
who eat calcium rich food have stronger bones than those who take calcium
supplements. Also, remember that while calcium can help keep bones
strong, it is far more effective when combined with exercise, especially
strength training.
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
Q. How many calories are in fat?
A. Fat is a very energy-dense molecule and has more energy (calories)
than either proteins or carbohydrates. There are 9 calories contained in a
gram of fat. Looking at this another way, every pound of fat has 3500
calories. Looking at this from still another angle, the average person has
enough fat on his/her body to run nonstop for almost 1,000 miles!
Q. Do we make vitamins?
A. As a rule, to be classified as a vitamin, a substance must fulfill a couple
of criteria:
1. Not be made naturally in the body
2. A disease or syndrome must develop if the substance
in question is not regularly consumed.
So in general, according to rule #1, vitamins cannot be made in the body.
However a couple vitamins do violate this rule. One of them is vitamin D
which is made by the skin when we are exposed to sunlight. This is why
vitamin D is sometimes called the ―sun vitamin‖.
Even though it is made naturally, this nutrient still fulfills criteria #2 because
if we do not get vitamin D, our bones get weaker, a condition called rickets
(in children) and osteomalacia (in adults). Some new research is also
starting to link low levels of vitamin D to other conditions like MS and some
types of cancer to name a few.
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
Vitamin K is another example, although technically we do not make this
nutrient. Rather, bacteria that live in our digestive system make this vitamin
for us. These bacteria eat the food we eat and give us vitamin K in the
process. Failure to get vitamin K (found in green leafy vegetables) can
affect the ability of blood to clot properly. This is why doctors will sometimes
tell their patients who take blood –thinner medications, to steer clear of
some vegetables.
Q. Do vitamins give us energy?
A. When most people ask this question they are really asking if vitamins
will give them more pep or energy to help get through their busy days.
Technically, vitamins do not have any usable calories so they do not directly
supply us with energy. Vitamins do, however, help us extract energy from
food as well as assist with the burning of fat and carbohydrates. So in this
way, yes, vitamins can help give us energy.
Even so, for those who eat a healthy diet that includes proteins, fats,
carbohydrates and adequate calories, extra vitamins do not provide people
with more pep or energy to make it through stressful days.
Q. Do vitamin B 12 shots help weight loss?
A. There is no proof this. It’s possible that some weight loss clinics may do
this because getting weekly injections of vitamin B 12 may help people
adhere to their weight loss goals. In other words, if they know they have to
return to the clinic each week and get weighed and get a shot, then they
may be more likely to stick to the diet. While seniors and vegetarians may
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benefit from this nutrient, vitamin B 12 does not give any extra pep to
healthy people.
Q. When is the best time to take vitamins?
A. While there is no ―perfect‖ time, as a rule it’s probably best to take
vitamins with food. The reason for this is that when you eat, you produce
more stomach acid which helps dissolve the vitamin and aids in its
absorption. In addition, the fat-soluble vitamins (A, E, D & K) that are
contained in multivitamins also need some fat to be absorbed properly.
Q. Are water-soluble vitamins excreted in the urine?
A. The water-soluble vitamins are vitamin C and the B complex family of
vitamins. As a rule yes, excess water-soluble vitamins usually leave the
body, most notably in the urine. That being said, we can store some of
them. Vitamin B 12 is the most famous case of this where we can store as
much as 5 years worth.12 The B vitamin called biotin is actually recycled so
deficiency is rare.
Q. Why don’t multivitamins have the RDA for calcium?
A. Many multivitamins provide only a percentage of the calcium RDA. The
reason for this is because calcium is a pretty big molecule. Stuffing the
entire RDA into a multivitamin, in addition to all the other nutrients, would
make it even bigger than it already is. The bulkiness of the calcium molecule
is also the reason why calcium supplements tend to be so big.
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Q. Are vitamins made for women, men, seniors etc. better?
A. While they may cost a little bit more, there may be some advantages.
For example, many ―men’s formula‖ multivitamins tend to have little, if any,
iron. Men tend to eat more iron than women and some – but not all -
research hints that this mineral may be linked to heart disease in men. Too
much iron can also exacerbate a genetic condition called iron overload
disease.
Multivitamins designed for women tend to have more calcium, which helps
battle osteoporosis.
In theory, multivitamins that contain special ingredients may help, but as a
rule, the amounts of specific nutrients they contain are often less than that
used in research.
Also, the ingredients used in these preparations are sometimes chosen
because of what researchers think might help. For example, in the case of
lycopene helping prostate glands, most of the research is based on studies
of people who eat tomatoes and tomato sauce - not lycopene supplements.
So do you need gender or age specific multivitamins? They can’t hurt, but
make sure that they are complemented by eating a nutritious diet that
includes lean meats and lots of fruits and vegetables for added insurance.
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
Q. How do I know if my vitamins contain what they say they do?
A. One of the reasons experts say to deal only with companies that you
trust is to better guarantee that you are dealing with established, reputable
companies that follow stringent guidelines and ensure their products are
quality-made and have both the ingredients and levels of ingredients that
they purport to contain.
One way to tell is to look for a seal of approval from an independent
laboratory. One such seal is the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP).
Products that pass testing may bear the seal of this company but they
usually have to pay extra for that right, something some companies may not
want to do. Thus, not seeing a seal may not necessarily mean a product is
inferior. Most supplements in fact do not have the USP logo.
When in doubt, consumers should call the product’s maker and ask for their
records concerning Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). The GMPs
stipulate that supplement companies keep records regarding sanitary
conditions and that the ingredients are quality, wholesome and that the
product is properly labeled.
Q. Are natural vitamins better than synthetic vitamins?
A. Technically, the body does not know the difference between synthetic
vitamins made in the laboratory and natural vitamins, made in nature. This
is because the chemical structures of synthetic and natural vitamins are
identical. Ironically sometimes it’s the synthetic vitamin that is absorbed
better. For example, your multivitamins probably contains folic acid-which is
the synthetic version of the B vitamin, folate. We absorb folic acid better
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than folate. That does not mean that folic acid is ―better‖ however because
some research links increased folic acid intake (from supplements and folic
acid fortified foods) to increased risk of prostate cancer and colon cancer 69 !
Q. Is natural vitamin E is better than synthetic vitamin E?
A. It turns out that the body does utilize natural vitamin E better than
synthetic vitamin E—and for a very good reason.
Consider this: some people in the world are left-handed and others are
right-handed. The same is also true for molecules as well! Technically, we
refer to left-handed molecules as levorotory (or L for short). Right-handed
molecules are given the name dextrorotatory (or d for short).
The human body prefers right-handed (d) vitamin E over left-hand (L)
vitamin E. So in theory, natural vitamin E would be composed of all right-
handed molecules (in other words, only the d version).
Synthetic vitamin E is actually composed of a mixture of both right-and left-
handed molecules (referred to as ―dl alpha tocopherol‖ on many vitamin
labels). But you and I can only use the right-handed (d) version. So,
theoretically, only 50% of synthetic vitamin E can be utilized by the body.
Remember that, right-handed vitamin E made in the laboratory, is absorbed
no differently than right-handed vitamin E made in nature’s laboratory.
Also, there is no legal definition of the word ―natural‖. This means that the
law permits a natural vitamin supplement to contain synthetic vitamins. In
fact, studies do occasionally find that this occurs. For those who really want
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natural vitamins, do your homework; when in doubt, ask companies for
proof that only natural vitamins are being used.
Q. Why do multivitamins use beta carotene and not vitamin A?
A. Vitamin A, while an essential nutrient, can be toxic in large doses. Beta
carotene, the phytonutrient responsible for carrot’s orange color, is one of
the many nutrients found in fruits and vegetables. The human body has the
ability to transform beta carotene into vitamin A. Because too much vitamin
A can harm the liver, replacing vitamin A with beta carotene avoids this
problem by letting the body convert only as much beta carotene as it needs.
Q. Does beta carotene have any side effects?
A. Yes. When people eat a diet that’s rich in fruits and vegetables, they
tend to get less cancer, heart disease and other conditions. For a time, beta
carotene was thought to be one of the common denominators responsible
for this observation. However, several studies have found that beta carotene
supplements are not only ineffective at protecting against cancer but also
appear to increase the risk of lung cancer in those who smoke.8 This effect is
not seen when people eat foods that contain beta carotene.
The reason why beta carotene not only failed to protect against cancer but
also elevated lung cancer risk is not completely understood. Beta carotene is
one of hundreds of phytonutrients. The tip-off is the word beta, which is the
second letter of the Greek alphabet. Whenever you see the word beta,
remember that there is also an alpha, a gamma, a delta and so on…
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Phytonutrients (as well as other nutrients) tend to work in concert with each
other.
In other words, the whole is stronger than the sum of its parts. It’s unlikely
that any single phytonutrient, extracted from its natural environment (food)
is likely to produce the same effect as when the food itself is eaten. The
take-home message is simple: get your beta carotene from food and not
supplements—especially if you smoke or work around asbestos.
Q. Are there any supplements that can boost testosterone?
A. Honestly, I don’t think there is a supplement out there that is totally
safe when it comes to boosting testosterone levels. There are a lot of pro-
hormones on the market that make the claim that they can do this but the
research on the most popular ones—androstendione and androstenediol -
shows they boost estrogen levels much more than testosterone—and they
don’t appear to enhance strength or muscle size.
The long-term safety of pro-hormones is also open to speculation.
Key point to remember: elevations in testosterone or growth hormone do
not necessarily mean an improvement in muscle strength, size or athletic
performance.
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
Q. Can you drink too much water?
A. Yes. It’s called hyponatremia and refers to a condition where water is
consumed in such large quantities that it dilutes the salts (electrolytes) in
the blood. This can affect muscle contractions - including the heart. Other
side effects (death not withstanding) include dizziness, muscle weakness and
passing out. Sometimes this condition is called ―water intoxication‖.
Typically, hyponatremia is seen in marathon runners and triathletes who are
overly concerned about not becoming dehydrated. While a rare condition, it
can occur in anybody who drinks too much too fast. Fortunately, you’d have
to drink a LOT before hyponatremia becomes a problem.
Q. Can zinc prevent colds?
A. Zinc supplements or lozenges can't prevent colds but some evidence
hints that zinc lozenges may help reduce the duration and severity of colds
by a few days.30 Studies show that zinc must be used within 24-48 hours of
the first signs of a cold and continued every couple of hours.
It is thought that zinc works by interfering with the replication of the
rhinovirus, the virus that causes colds. People considering zinc should also
keep in mind that not all studies show that it works.
When deciding on a zinc supplement to help with colds, stick with the
lozenges, they have the most evidence to date. Until more is known, avoid
nasal sprays or other similar products that contain zinc. Isolated reports
suggest that in some people, zinc placed in the nasal passages may damage
the sense of smell.31
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
For more info on supplements, read my book, ―Nutritional Supplements‖
Q. Why is there “oxygen” in bottled water and sports drinks?
A. Some sports drinks and bottled water beverages that contain added
oxygen are often marketed to people interested in improving their exercise
ability; however, they offer no benefit over other sports drinks. The thought
behind these beverages is that the added oxygen will help improve exercise
ability like running and cycling.
Not only do these beverages have no proof, from a physiology standpoint, it
doesn’t make sense that they work. Humans absorb oxygen by the lungs,
not the stomach or intestines. The blood of healthy people is already about
98% or more saturated with oxygen. Thus, the blood and tissues of the body
are far from being oxygen deprived.
Another issue is that most of these beverages are contained in plastic
bottles, from which oxygen can easily escape. So, even if oxygen was
infused into these products, it probably wouldn’t stay there for very long.
Far more important than oxygen content of sports drinks is the level of
carbohydrates they contain. Studies show that sports drinks containing a
6%-8% glucose solution seem to work best for people involved in exercise
lasting 60 minutes or longer. Sports drinks that contain more than this
amount are essentially fancy sugar water that might impede exercise
capacity by slowing digestion and causing muscle cramping.
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
Q. What’s better water or sports drinks?
A. if you are exercising for less than 60 minutes, then stick with water. If
you are exercising for longer than 60 minutes especially if its outside in the
heat, then a sports drink may help best. You can also dilute a sports drink
(½ water ½ sports drink) if you like. The idea of the sports drink is that if
you’re working out intensely, then you may be sweating off electrolytes and
depleting your carbohydrate reserves (glycogen). In this instance a sports
drink, diluted or not would give your muscles what they need so you can
keep working out.
Q. Will glucosamine re-grow cartilage?
A. While some research has shown that glucosamine sulfate may be
effective at dealing with the pain of osteoarthritis, It does not appear to re-
grow joint cartilage.
The good news; however, is that some research suggests that glucosamine
may be able to slow down the destruction of cartilage.29 This is something
that pain relievers like aspirin cannot do. Research on glucosamine
generally uses 1500 mg a day.
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
Q. Can glucosamine or chondroitin help repair a rotator cuff?
A. Get your rotator cuff evaluated by a physical therapist or sports
medicine physician. You may be able to strengthen the area by doing
specific rotator-cuff exercises.
I’ve investigated supplements for over 12 years and I have never seen any
research proving that glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, etc. can strengthen
tendons or help rotator cuff problems. The research on these compounds is
on osteoarthritis only – not other injuries or conditions.
Q. What does partially hydrogenated mean?
A. To hydrogenate a fat means to add hydrogen atoms to it. This changes
the chemical properties of the fat. Saturated fats are literally saturated with
hydrogen atoms. Partially hydrogenated, while less saturated with hydrogen
atoms, is nevertheless also a saturated fat. Sometimes the powers that be in
the food industry will use big words to try to pull the wool over the eyes of
those who read food labels. So they use words like partially hydrogenated in
place of saturated fat.
Another phrase that is also used on food labels to confuse people is ―tropical
oils‖. Tropical oils, like palm kernel oil and coconut oil are also saturated
fats.
Saturated fats are implicated in the development of heart disease and as
such are things to avoid as much as possible. Specifically saturated fats have
been shown to raise LDL (bad cholesterol).
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
Considering how harmful they are, some might wonder why they are used in
the first place. Well, saturated fats do help increase the shelf life of a food,
which, in turn, keeps the price down. Think how expensive cookies and
cakes might be if they spoiled after a few days! So from an economical
viewpoint, saturated fats are good but from a health viewpoint they are far
from good. While partially hydrogenated fats contain less hydrogen atoms,
they are likely to possess more of what is called trans fats.
Q. What are trans fats?
A. The word ―trans‖ refers to the molecular arrangement of the atoms that
make up a fat. Trans fats are usually created during the process of making
polyunsaturated fats. As a rule, trans fats are found in foods that contain
polyunsaturated and saturated fats. While trans fats are technically
unsaturated fats, they behave like saturated fats. Research on trans fats
finds that they can lower good cholesterol (HDL) and raise bad cholesterol
(LDL). This dangerous combination fosters the development of heart
disease. Because of this, all food labels in the US now list trans fats.
Q. Are trans fats found naturally in food?
A. Yes. Some foods like meat and milk naturally contain trans fatty acids.
The levels found in nature, however, are much lower than that found in
some commercially available products and fast foods. The average person
gets about 6 grams of trans fat a day 56. While this isn’t much, there does
not seem to be a safe amount of processed trans fats.
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
Q. Do foods with zero trans fat, really have no trans fat?
A. Laws governing food labels do permit a company to list a food as having
no trans fats if each serving contains less than ½ gram per serving. While
this may not seem like much, this small amount could add up if the food is
eaten in excess. For example, suppose one were eating crackers that listed
no trans fats. Suppose each serving were equivalent to 17 crackers. So, if
you eat 17 crackers you also consume about ½ gram of trans fats. Suppose
also that the box of crackers has 10 servings per box. If you eat the entire
box, you have consumed 10 X 0.5 = 5 grams of trans fats.
Putting things in perspective, the FDA estimates that Americans over the age
of 20 consume about 6 grams of trans fats per day.56
Even though a food label may not list trans fats, you can sometimes spot
them by looking at the ingredients list. Ingredients like shortening,
margarine and the phrase partially hydrogenated are tip offs for the
presence of trans fats.56
Another way to determine the amount of trans fat in a product is to simply
call the company who makes the item you are wondering about. Most
companies have 800 numbers where you can call and get answers to their
questions. These phone numbers are usually listed on the product
somewhere.
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
Q. Why are trans fats unhealthy?
A. Trans fatty acids appear to raise bad cholesterol (LDL) and lower good
cholesterol (HDL). They also seem to raise total cholesterol levels. By doing
this, trans fats create a cellular environment that makes heart disease easier
to occur. As mentioned previously, all food labels in the US now list trans fat
content.
Q. Are all trans fats bad?
A. When covered by the media, trans fats are usually mentioned in a bad
light. This is generally for a good reason given that high intakes of trans fats
might contribute to heart disease. But, is it possible for a trans fat to be
healthy? Maybe.
Some have suggested that lumping all trans fats together as unhealthy may
not be a smart idea. For example, conjugated linoleic acid, better known as
CLA, is a type of trans fat that some research finds may have anti-cancer
properties.4 The research is still very new and is ongoing, so it is difficult to
say what types of cancer might be affected by CLA and how much is needed
to impact cancer. On the downside, some other research suggests that CLA
may increase the risk of type II diabetes in overweight people.70 I mention
both the possible good and not so good of CLA to point out that there is still
a lot people don’t know about the health effects – if any – for natural trans
fats. So, any claims for ―healthy trans fats‖ should be viewed with caution.
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
Q. How much trans fat is too much?
A. Currently there isn’t enough solid evidence to know at what point trans
fatty acids might increase disease risk. This is the reason why there is no
daily value (―DV‖) is listed for trans fat on food labels. For now, the best
advice is to heed the official recommendation on trans fats, which is to keep
their consumption ―as low as possible‖.56
Q. Can I be a vegetarian and still eat meat?
A. Yes. Some vegetarians do, in fact, eat meat occasionally. These
people are sometimes called ―flexitarians‖ which essentially means they are
flexible in their food choices and sometimes eat meat because they
recognize that there is no one perfect food. Eating meat is also an easy way
to make sure they are getting complete proteins in their diet.
As a rule, flexitarians do not make meat the main portion of their meals but
rather the meat they consume complements the other foods that they eat
during the day.
Q. What are sugar alcohols?
A. While technically neither a sugar nor an alcohol, sugar alcohols are
compounds that look like both sugars and alcohols. Because they have fewer
calories than regular sugar (1.5 to 3 calories per gram as opposed to 4
calories per gram for sugar and other carbohydrates), sugar alcohols are
often used in place of sugar in low calorie and low carb foods, as well as in
some nutritional supplements. They also tend to be not as sweet as
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―regular‖ sugars. They also don’t cause cavities either because they are not
broken down by the bacteria in the mouth. A downside of this is that eating
too much may cause gas.
Common sugar alcohols include mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol. Another
difference between traditional carbohydrates and sugar alcohols is that sugar
alcohols do not raise insulin levels very much, if at all. Thus, sugar alcohols
may also be found in dietetic foods as well. Sugar alcohols do not contain
any alcohol like the kind found in alcoholic beverages, so they will not make
people drunk.
Q. What are Net Carbs?
A. According to the Atkins website, a net carb refers to the total
carbohydrate content of a food, minus the fiber that the food contains.
Since fiber does not raise blood sugar, net carbs better reflect how much
the food will raise blood sugar. Foods with more fiber (less net carbs), raise
blood sugar less. Examples of low Net Carb foods includes vegetables and
some fruits.
The way to calculate Net Carbs in foods is to look at the food label and
subtract the fiber grams from the total grams of carbohydrate that the food
has. For example if the food had 20 grams of carbs and 5 grams of fiber, it
has 20 – 5 = 15 grams of Net Carbs.
It’s important to remember that it’s possible for foods to be low in Net
Carbs, yet high in calories.
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
Q What are phytonutrients?
A. Phyto means plant. Phytonutrients are components of fruits and
vegetables, grains, nuts and teas and are thought to play a role in achieving
optimal health. They are not vitamins or minerals and currently there is no
RDA for phytonutrients.
Several studies, however find that phytonutrients (phytochemicals) may play
a role in health and the prevention of various diseases. For example, some
evidence suggests that various phytonutrients may act as antioxidants, and
as such, may protect the body from syndromes such as cancer and heart
disease.
Examples of phytonutrients include the carotenoids, anthocyanins and
isoflavonoids, to name a few. Literally hundreds of phytonutrients are
currently known to exist. Studies show that people who consume a diet rich
in fruits and vegetables tend to be healthier overall than those who do not.
These observations have prompted research to uncover which nutrients
might be responsible for food’s protective effects.
The research on phytonutrients is still in its infancy. Because of this,
supplementing with individual phytonutrients is not recommended. For
example, studies have found that smokers who use beta carotene
supplements have a higher rate of lung cancer compared to non-smokers.51
This doesn't happen when people eat foods that contain beta carotene.
Lycopene, a phytonutrient found in tomatoes, is sometimes used by men
because of research hinting that it might help reduce prostate cancer.
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However, most of the research on this nutrient involves eating tomatoes—
not lycopene supplements.
It is possible that food protects against disease because of the interaction of
several thousands of phytonutrients all working in synergy with each other.
If this is true, then consuming single phytonutrients, like lycopene or beta
carotene in large amounts, might not work the same as consuming fruits
and vegetables—and may result in outcomes quite opposite from what was
expected.
Q. What is the difference between a good carb and a bad carb?
A. ―Good carbs‖ is a phrase sometimes used to describe complex
carbohydrates, like vegetables. ―Bad carbs‖ is sometimes used in place of
simple carbohydrates, like candy, table sugar and those carbs found in
baked goods, white bread and other similar items. Good carbs are called
―good‖ because they are low in calories and have lots of vitamins, minerals
and phytonutrients.
Bad carbs are called ―bad‖ because, for the most part, they are devoid of
nutrients. Bad carbs are not really bad and do have their place when used in
moderation. It is only when they make up a large part of the diet that they
cause problems like promoting obesity and obesity-related problems.
Q. Can nutrition help me live longer?
A. The answer appears to be yes; however most people probably might
not want to do what it takes. Studies show that eating fewer calories
extends the lifespan. This effect has been observed in every species studied.
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As an added bonus, animals that eat less calories also appear to suffer from
fewer diseases and have a better quality of life than animals that are allowed
to eat as much as they want.
Humans have such a long lifespan that it’s difficult to test if it really works in
people or not. From what is known, it appears that for this to work, people
may have to cut their calories by about 25% of what they normally eat. For
many this would equal eating between 1500-1700 calories per day. That’s
much less than the almost 3000 calories the average American eats per day.
That being said, doing this occasionally, like every other day, might also help
extend life. Give it a shot and let me know in 100 years if it worked for you
It is important, however, to not take cutting calories to extremes. Doing so
can deprive people of valuable energy, vitamins, minerals and other
nutrients needed to stay healthy. For example, failing to get adequate
calcium by dietary restrictions might foster the development of osteoporosis.
In other words, eating too few calories might speed up conditions that
normally only occur in older adults. Everything in moderation is probably
best.
Q. How much protein do you need?
A. This is one of the most frequently asked questions in nutrition and is
very common among those who exercise. To answer this question, let’s start
with what most medical and nutrition professionals agree with – the adult
RDA for protein which is 0.36 grams per pound (it’s often rounded it to 0.4
grams to make the math easier). For example, suppose you were a 150 lb
woman
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150 x 0.4 grams per pound = 60 grams of protein
The other way is to use the metric system. If using the metric system, the
RDA is defined as 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. (This is the same
thing as 0.36 grams per pound). This is how the protein RDA is often listed
in medical and nutrition books.
If you’re using the metric system, follow these steps:
Step 1: Convert your weight in pounds to kilograms by dividing by
2.2 (there are 2.2 pounds in a kilogram). For example, a 150 pound
woman will weigh 150 ÷ 2.2 = 68 kilograms.
Step 2: Multiply the answer in step 1 by the RDA (0.8).
For example, a 150 pound (68 kg) woman would have a protein
RDA of 68 X 0.8 = about 54 grams of protein.
Since there are 28 grams in an ounce, this equals about 2 ounces of
protein.
Notice that that using the metric system gave a different answer 54
grams) than when we used pounds (60 grams). That’s because we
rounded the RDA to 0.4 grams per pound. If we used the actual
RDA of 0.36 we would get the same answer.
The protein RDA was designed to meet the needs of most non-exercising
people. Research finds that people who exercise need a little more protein
than this. Because of this controversy, some people usually recommend
somewhat higher amounts of protein. Generally this is about 0.54 - 0.86
grams per pound. Some people round this to 0.6 to 0.9 grams per pound.
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In the metric system this is the same as
1.2 to 1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight.
For the 150 pound person described above, eating 1.2 grams per kilogram of
body weight, this would equal 81 grams or about 3 ounces. For many
healthy people, consuming protein within this range should be adequate.
It’s important to mention that we really don’t know the ―optimum‖ amount
of protein. Optimum means optimal muscle growth, immune function, cell
repair etc. There is also the question of whether you’re primarily lifting
weights or doing aerobic exercise. Are you doing some combination of
aerobic and strength training in the same workout? Because of this, you’re
going to have to do some experimenting about what works for you.
Q. Can we only absorb 40 grams of protein?
A. This is an urban legend with little to no solid evidence. Most, if not all,
of the protein you eat is absorbed. I would not worry about not being able to
absorb this nutrient.
Q. Are protein supplements better than protein from food?
A. There isn’t any credible clinical evidence that protein supplements are
better at building muscle than protein-containing foods. In other words,
eating the same amount of protein from food or from a quality-made protein
supplement is probably equal or very similar at building muscle. There’s also
little evidence that protein supplements build muscle faster than food
protein, either.
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Because high-quality proteins like whey, casein and soy are derived from
food, in theory they should be expected to perform as well as food, but
because of the lack of research that directly pits protein supplements against
food, it is difficult to say for sure.
Research on whey, casein and soy proteins do show that they can help
muscle growth when used in conjunction with a strength-training program,
so if you are using these products to supplement your diet then you should
be OK.
Q. Protein – before or after exercise?
A. Some research finds that protein consumed as soon as possible after
exercise has a greater effect on muscle growth than protein consumed two
hours later.49 In fact, it appears that no increase in muscle growth occurs
when protein is eaten two hours later.49
The next question is, does this mean you need a protein supplement like a
protein bar or shake? If you decide that yes, realize that only 10 grams of
protein was used in the study mentioned above. This is comparable to what
you would find in a glass of milk and much less than in many protein
supplements. Also the liquid protein supplement used in the study also
contained some carbohydrates, which also play a role in muscle growth.
These are important points to remember so that you don’t just eat protein
after exercise.
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Q. What’s in “ephedra-free” weight loss supplements?
A. Because ephedra is a controversial supplement, some companies may
substitute it for another product called bitter orange, also known as citrus
aurantium. The reason for this is that bitter orange looks like ephedra. The
thinking is that if it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck that it must be
a duck. Well, not necessarily…
Studies conducted on bitter orange, while few in number, generally do not
find it effective for weight loss. What studies do show is that bitter orange,
like ephedra, appears to raise heart rate and blood pressure.61 So, this
product is not appropriate for a wide range of people including those with
heart disease, blood pressure problems or kidney disorders.
Several case reports exist of people who reported health problems after
using bitter-orange-containing supplements.62 Other problems might also
arise when bitter orange is combined with other supplements like caffeine or
products that contain caffeine. Because of the lack of proof that it promotes
weight loss and side effects, bitter orange should be avoided.
For more information on bitter orange, & over 100 other supplements check
out my supplement book, Nutritional Supplements What Works and Why.
Q. Does caffeine cause high blood pressure?
A. Maybe not. In a recent study published in the Journal of the American
Medical Association, 155,000 women were tracked for 12 years.59 At the end
of the study, researchers found that women who drank the most coffee (up
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to 600 mg of caffeine per day) did not have any greater risk of developing
high blood pressure than those who consumed less coffee.
Interestingly, women who drank cola-type beverages did have a greater risk
of high blood pressure. Furthermore, this was observed for those who drank
both regular and diet cola. The reasons for this observation in cola drinkers
is not well understood and more study is needed. Steps that might help
reduce this risk in cola drinkers includes regular exercise, eating healthy
(including fruits and vegetables) and not gaining excess weight.
Q. Why is there an “L” on amino acid supplement labels?
A. The letter L that is in front of all amino acid supplements is a chemistry
term that basically means the molecules are ―left-handed‖. Molecules, like
people, can be either right-handed or left-handed. It turns out that all the
essential and non-essential amino acids in the body are left-handed. The ―L‖
stands for levorotatory.
Sometimes consumers may notice the letter ―d‖ on a supplement. This
means that the molecule is right-handed. The ―D‖ sands for dextrorotary.
Supplements like vitamin E (alpha tocopherol) sometimes contain a mixture
of right-handed and left handed molecules. This is why many vitamin E
supplements list it as dl alpha tocopherol.
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Q. What does “organic” mean on food labels?
A. According the USDA, the term ―organic‖ means that a food was grown
without synthetic fertilizers, or the use of biotechnology or radiation. Most
pesticides are also banned from being used with organic foods, however,
some pesticides are allowed.
In 2002, the US department of Agriculture launched its official federal
guidelines that defined which foods could call themselves ―organic‖.
According to these guidelines you may see 3 terms used on foods that are
organic:
“100% Organic” means that all of a product’s ingredients are all
organic.
“Organic” is different than 100% organic and means that at least
95% of a product’s ingredients are organic. So, ―organic‖ is very close
to being ―100% organic‖.
“Made with Organic Ingredients” means that the product has at
least 70% organically-derived ingredients.
Any product that contains less than 70% organic ingredients cannot be use
the term ―organic‖.
Q. Can organic foods contain pesticides?
A. Yes, some pesticides are legally allowed to be used on organically-
grown foods. Whether or not organic farmers use them is another question.
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Consumers who are concerned about this should ask the organic farmer
about pesticide usage.
Q. Are organic foods better than non-organic foods?
A. The word ―better‖ is a vague term. Organically-grown foods do tend to
have fewer pesticides and other chemicals than those that are not organic—
and that can be a good thing. That being said, it hasn’t been conclusively
demonstrated that organically grown foods are healthier than non-organic
foods. Organic foods have some benefits and conventionally grown foods
also have benefits.71
The goal should be to increase the amount of fruits and vegetables that are
eaten. It doesn't say ―eat only organic‖ food. People who eat diets that are
rich in fruits and vegetables, tend to get fewer diseases like cancer,
diabetes, heart disease, etc. The research does not say it has to be
―organic‖. Eating organic is fine but if you can’t afford organic foods, just eat
more fruits and veggies.
Q. Does eating fat make you fat?
A. Actually, eating too many calories causes weight gain. Each gram of fat
has 9 calories. That’s more than twice the calories found in equal amounts of
protein or carbohydrates. So, when you eat more fat, you eat more calories.
Conversely, cutting back on the amount of fat eaten often leads to weight
loss. Again, it has less to do with the amount of fat eaten than the reduction
in calories that comes from eating less fat. While eating less fat may have
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positive health consequences, when it comes to weight loss, calories are
what’s really important.
Miscellaneous Questions
Q. Does muscle weigh more than fat?
A. This is a very common myth. 1 pound of muscle and 1 pound of fat both
weigh 1 pound. Muscle is denser than fat and that’s where the confusion
comes from. Because it’s denser, it takes up less space. That’s why people
with a lot of muscle can look like they weigh less/look thinner than someone
with less muscle.
Q. Will sports creams help relieve pain?
A. Most over-the-counter sports creams, liniments and ointments work by
temporarily masking the pain signals that your brain receives. So, rather
than your brain getting signals of pain, it instead gets signals of warmth or
coldness. Over-the-counter sports creams can help you feel temporarily
better, but they won’t speed up the natural healing process.
Q. My muscles are sore from exercise. Will aspirin help?
A. Yes and no. Delayed muscle soreness is a common occurrence when we
exercise harder than we are used to doing. Aspirin and other over-the-
counter pain relievers block feelings of pain by inhibiting an enzyme called
cyclooxygenase which is responsible for making hormone-like compounds
called prostaglandins.
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It turns out that prostaglandins do a lot more than assist with feelings of
pain. For example, they are also involved in making proteins. Some research
finds that over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen and ibuprofen
appear to inhibit muscle protein formation following exercise.65 Other
research also hints that while they may reduce pain after exercise, they do
not speed recovery after exercise.64
So what’s the take-home message? Well, if your muscles are really sore and
you want some relief, then products like aspirin and other over-the-counter
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications may offer some relief. If you
are a professional athlete involved in back to back events a day or two
apart, then these pain relievers, in theory, might be detrimental to your
athletic performance if you use them while competing. How much of a
detriment these products might produce is unknown.
Arguably, if you are an athlete then this might be something to consider
especially if you are ―in season‖. If you are the other 99% of us, then this is
probably something you don’t need to worry about.
Q. I take cholesterol medications. Do I need coenzyme Q10?
A. Statin drugs are a popular class of medications that can help lower
cholesterol levels. They are able to do this because they interfere with how
the body makes cholesterol. Statins may also reduce coenzyme Q10
(CoQ10) levels.
CoQ10 is involved with making energy and some research finds that it may
help people who suffer from congestive heart disease. So far however,
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research has not conclusively shown that this reduction in CoQ10 produced
by statin drugs is harmful.72
Another related question is how much CoQ10 do statin users need? This is
also open to speculation. Even though CoQ10 is a natural supplement, in
theory, it might interact with other medications you may be taking, like
blood thinners. The decisions to use COQ10 are best undertaken with your
physician who knows you and your medical history best.
Q. Why does hair turn gray?
A. The cells that give hair its color are called melanocytes and they
produce a pigment called melanin. Over time, the melanocytes lose the
ability to make the melanin pigment. Lower concentrations of melanin is
what gives hair its gray appearance. Hair that is white has totally lost its
melanin pigment.
While often seen as a part of aging, gray and white hair does not mean a
person is ―old‖. While genetics does play a role, other factors like smoking
can also cause hair to turn premature gray73 (another reason to not
smoke!). Currently, there is no cure for gray or white hair but research to
reawaken the melanin-producing melanocytes is under way.
Q. Does cold weather cause arthritis?
A. Probably not. Arthritis usually results from the gradual destruction of
the cartilage between bones or by injury or over-use (osteoarthritis). It can
also be caused by an immune system that, for reasons still not understood,
attacks the joints, causing pain and inflammation (rheumatoid arthritis).
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While cold temperatures will probably make arthritis pain worse, not wearing
a coat when outside, has not been proven to cause arthritis later in life.
Q. Is antibacterial soap better than regular soap?
A. Many experts recommend that washing the hands with soap and water
is more important than the type of soap used. Despite their widespread use,
so far, antibacterial soaps have not proven more effective at eliminating
germs than regular soap.74
Antibacterial soaps work against bacteria, not viruses which also cause
sickness. Regardless of whether antibacterial soaps really protect us from
getting sick, new research suggests that triclosan, the active ingredient in
many antibacterial soaps may produce low levels of chloroform when it
reacts with chlorine in drinking water.54 Chloroform is thought to be a
cancer-causing agent.
Other research also finds that triclosan, appears to be toxic to green algae.53
What this means to the health of the ecosystem needs more study. So, is
there cause for concern if you use an antibacterial soap? Probably not, but
outside of a hospital setting, for most people, antibacterial soaps are just
overkill.
Q. Do plastic nasal strips help people exercise better?
A. The idea behind plastic strips placed over the bridge of the nose is that
they will expand the nasal cavity, allowing more air into the lungs, which, in
turn, might enhance exercise capacity. While occasionally used by some
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professional athletes to help improve exercise performance, research so far
shows that they don’t appear work for this purpose.23,24
One problem with wearing nasal strips is that people tend to breathe
through their mouths and not their noses during intense exercise. An area
however where these devices might be of use is in helping to reduce
snoring.25,26 So, while nasal strips may not be effective when you're in the
gym, they may help you sleep better later that night.
Q. Do we only have a limited number of heart beats?
A. Some estimate that the human heart is capable of beating for about
one billion times before it wears out, but nobody has ever actually counted
this number and I honestly do not believe that the actual number of heart
beats we are capable of is genetically written down anywhere in our DNA.
Genetics does indeed play a role in how long we will live but that doesn’t
mean we can't do anything to lengthen the time and quality of time we
have. Take exercise for example. Believing that exercise shortens lifespan by
using up our so-called pre-determined number of heart beats is really
looking at the bottom left hand corner of the big picture. People who
exercise have slower resting heart rates than do couch potatoes. For
example, it’s not uncommon to see a resting heart rate of 50 beats a minute
in somebody who works out just a few times a week.
Somebody who doesn’t exercise regularly may have a resting heart rate of
70-80 beats per minute. A slower resting heart rate over a 24-hour period
may offset any increase in heart rate brought about by one or two hours of
exercise.
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The bottom line is that you shouldn’t let anybody scare you with nonsense
like this. Nobody knows how many heart beats we have and nobody even
knows if this is programmed into us or not. The benefits we get from a
sensible exercise program far outweighs the risks of any bizarre negative
side effects like speeding the demise of our hearts.
Q. Can osteoporosis be determined by looking at the feet?
A. Portable FDA-approved machines do exist that use ultrasonic waves to
measure the thickness (density) of the heel bone. These machines often
show up at local health fairs and some health clubs may offer this service as
well. These devices are not meant to replace the more accurate DEXA or CT
scan that your doctor may prescribe to determine your risk for osteoporosis.
One problem with measuring the heel (or wrist or finger as is also done) is
that bone density varies from bone to bone. A positive result could indicate
osteoporosis (or osteopenia); however, a negative result could give someone
a false sense of security.
Regardless take the results you get from these machines to your physician
so he/she can best determine whether you need the more accurate DEXA or
CT scan. As a rule, the National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends that
all women age 65 and older get a bone density test. Younger women who
have a history of fractures or a family history of osteoporosis are also
encouraged to have their bone density tested at regular intervals.
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Q. What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?
A. The body mass index or BMI is defined as a person’s body weight
divided by their height. Specifically the equation goes like this:
BMI = weight (in kilograms) ÷ height (in meters)2
Or
BMI = Weight (in lbs) ÷ your height (in inches2)
Both equations give similar results
If we used the first equation, your weight is converted to kilograms and your
height is converted to meters and then squared. Weight is then divided by
height to determine BMI. In short, BMI is a calculation of how much weight
you’re totting around relative to how tall you are.
Studies show that as BMI increases, the risk for diseases like diabetes and
heart disease also increase. A normal BMI for an adult is between 18 and 25.
Obesity is defined as a BMI over 30. Many pro athletes, because of their high
density of muscle, often have a BMI over 30. If you want to know your BMI
click here
The problem with BMI is that it doesn’t specifically measure how much body
fat one has. Take for example, two people: a professional athlete and a
couch potato who sits around all day watching TV. Both are 6 feet tall and
weigh 220 pounds. Since they weigh the same and are the same height,
they will have the same BMI (29.8). The pro athlete, however, is expected to
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have a much lower percentage of body fat than the couch potato. Thus, you
can have a high BMI and low percentage of body fat.
The bottom line here is that BMI is one tool that health professionals use to
estimate a person’s risk of disease. It should not be taken to be the final
word on obesity. Body fat + BMI is a better indicator.
Q. What is CRP?
A. The letters CRP stand for C-reactive protein, a molecule made by the
liver when someone has an infection. By measuring CRP levels, medical
professionals can get an idea of the level of inflammation the body is
experiencing.
For reasons not well understood, in some people, CRP levels stay elevated
for long periods of time. Some research suggests that a long term elevation
in CRP over many years may be a telltale sign on heart disease and heart
attack risk. 75
Because of this, some physicians may test for CRP in those who have a
history of heart disease. While connection between CRP and heart disease is
controversial, an elevation in CRP hints that heart disease may, at least in
part, be caused by a bacteria infection—a revolutionary idea.
Measuring CPR should not take the place of having good levels of
cholesterol, HDL, LDL and triglycerides. More research exists for these than
CPR. While research is ongoing, those concerned about elevated CRP levels,
might want to invest in a quality multivitamin that provides the RDA for all
vitamins and minerals. Some research finds that a daily multivitamin can
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naturally reduce CRP levels.5 Better still; get your vitamins from food which
has more vitamins etc than any multi-vitamin on the planet!
Q. Is there a link between gum disease and heart disease?
A. Much of the concern revolves around a compound called C-reactive
protein (CRP) which is a marker of inflammation. CRP levels go up during an
infection and then usually decrease as we get better. Some research finds
that heart disease may be due in part by a long-term inflammation of the
blood vessels.
In support of this, high levels of CRP have been found in people with heart
disease. Elevated CRP levels are also sometimes found in those with gum
disease.76 Proper dental care has also been shown to lower CRP levels.76 The
theory behind the gum disease heart disease connection is that bad oral
hygiene makes it easier for dental bacteria to make it into the blood stream.
This, in turn, produces an inflammation reaction that promotes elevated
CRP.
Take home message: brushing, flossing and seeing your dentist regularly
might also help lower the risk of heart attacks.
Q. I am skinny but have high triglycerides. How can I have high
triglycerides and not be overweight?
A. You are confusing body fat with the fat in your blood. It is possible for
skinny people to have high levels of blood fats (triglycerides). This is
because determinations of triglyceride levels and body fat are made by two
totally unrelated tests. Because these are completely different tests, it is
possible to be skinny yet have triglycerides in your blood.
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By the same token, it's also possible (but don’t bet on it) be overweight and
have normal triglyceride levels. For those who do have high triglycerides
and/or cholesterol, take comfort in the fact that exercise (and weight loss)
may do a good job at lowering both of these.
Q. Does total cholesterol equal HDL + LDL?
A. Figuring out total cholesterol isn't as simple as just adding up the
numbers for HDL and LDL cholesterol. To get your total cholesterol, use this
equation:
Total cholesterol = HDL + LDL + (triglycerides 5)
For example, suppose your good cholesterol (HDL) is 50, your bad
cholesterol (LDL) is 80 and your triglycerides are 60:
Step 1. HDL +LDL = 50 + 80 = 130.
Step 2. Now divide the triglycerides by 5: 60 5 = 12.
Step 3. Total cholesterol = 130 + 12 = 142
Doctors don’t usually measure LDL cholesterol directly. Rather they calculate it from this equation
LDL = TC – (triglycerides / 5) + HDL)
Q. Why isn’t good cholesterol (HDL) listed on food labels?
A. Food does not contain either HDL (good cholesterol) or LDL (bad
cholesterol). These are compounds that your body makes. Because it’s not
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found in food, it is not possible to eat a food that is high in HDL (―good‖)
cholesterol. Only cholesterol is found in food. If you want to try to boost
your HDL levels, try doing some aerobic exercise, like walking, biking or
hiking. Studies show aerobic exercise can do wonders to improve good
cholesterol levels as well as decrease bad cholesterol levels.
Q. What is Metabolic Syndrome?
A. Metabolic syndrome is the name given to a group of health issues that
tend to occur together. The health issues that make up metabolic syndrome
are as follows:
Abdominal obesity: carrying most of one’s weight around the belly
area
Elevated triglycerides. These are fats in the blood
Low levels of HDL. This is the ―good‖ cholesterol
Elevated LDL. This is the ―bad‖ cholesterol
High blood pressure
To this list some also add elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a
marker for inflammation in the body. Usually diagnosis is made when people
have at least three of these conditions.6 The combination of these problems
places one at an increased risk of developing type II diabetes and heart
disease.
Another trait that may also occur or be caused by metabolic syndrome is
insulin resistance. Insulin resistance refers to the condition whereby the
body becomes resistant to the effects of the hormone insulin. In other
words, insulin isn’t as effective as it used to be.
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As insulin becomes less effective, blood sugar (glucose) builds up in the
blood. Ultimately this can lead to type II diabetes. Being insulin resistant is
one of the hallmarks of type II diabetes. To combat metabolic syndrome
(and type II diabetes) most experts recommend controlling excess weight
and starting an exercise program. Other names for metabolic syndrome
include syndrome X and insulin resistance syndrome.
Q. Should teenagers use creatine?
A. Creatine is a compound made naturally in the body and found in meat,
fish and poultry. Creatine is also one of the most popular nutritional
supplements on the market. Hundreds of well-done scientific studies have
found that creatine can help make people more powerful when combined
with a strength training program. Because of this, teenagers may use
creatine, to help improve their sports performance. The research to date on
creatine generally shows it to be safe in adults with a gain in water weight
the most consistently reported side effect.
Research generally does not find that creatine causes muscle or tendon tears
or muscle cramping. That being said, the research is always conducted on
adults who are of legal age to participate in clinical research. Because kids
are not miniature adults, nobody can really say for certain what the long-
term effects of creatine are in someone who is 14 years old.
Teenagers, who insist on using creatine, are probably best served by using
low amounts of about 3 grams a day. Studies show that in adults, a month
of using 3 grams of creatine a day is as good as using 20 grams for a week.
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
This should also work for teenagers also. Creatine should not be used by
anybody who has health problems. Always get checked out by your doctor
first before experimenting with any supplement.
Q. Do heavy people have slower metabolisms?
A. Unless the person has an underactive thyroid gland, it turns out that
heavier people and taller people usually have higher metabolic rates than
shorter or skinnier people. The reason has to do with METs (metabolic
equivalents) which was discussed elseware in this book. 1 MET = 3.5 ml per
oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute. In other words, it’s a
certain number of calories burned per kilogram of body weight per min.
There are 2.2 pounds in 1 kilogram. So, the more kilograms (pounds) you
have on your body, the more calories you are using at rest, and thus, the
higher your metabolic rate is.
Q. Is there such a thing as “mind-body connection”?
A. Research over the past several decades has been finding that yes,
there does indeed appear to be a link between how we feel and how our
body reacts. The strongest evidence to date concerns a branch of science
called psych-neuro-immunology, sometimes abbreviated as PNI. According
to PNI theory, a link exists between how we feel (psycho) our brain (neuro),
and our immune system (immunology). In this way, a chronic, drawn-out
stress might cause infection or disease by altering the way the immune
system or neurological system functions.33
For example, a chronic, long-term stress might result in an overproduction
of hormones that reduce our resistance to infection. Stress is known to
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
increase levels of cortisol, which can reduce the effectiveness of several
immune system components.34 Other evidence in support of this mind-body
connection includes research that finds:
Higher rates of death among men who lose their spouses.35
Lower concentrations of various immune cells in depressed long-
term caregivers of spouses with dementia.36
Immune cells taken from depressed individuals show reduced ability to
correct damage to their DNA after exposure to radiation.37
Increased rate of illnesses among medical studies during exam time
compared to times when exams are not administered.38
Higher levels of the immune suppressing hormone, cortisol in unemployed
persons.39
People experiencing high levels of stress in their lives tend to suffer from
more infections when purposely exposed to cold viruses than non-
stressed people.40
Stress increases levels of a hormone-like substance called thromboxane
that facilitates blood clotting and is a player in the development of heart
disease.41
Chronic stress increases levels of T-suppressor cells that in effect
decrease immunity.42 T-suppressor cells are needed to keep the immune
system in check, ensuring that it doesn’t run-amok. Over production of T-
suppressor cells, however, could make the immune system sluggish,
allowing an infection to gain a foothold in the body.
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
Feelings of anger appear to play a role not only in the development of
heart disease but also in how fast we age.45
That’s it!
Did I miss any questions? If you think I did, email me and I’ll
add your suggestion to the next addition of this book
Email me: [email protected]
Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
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Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
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Copyright 2010 Joe Cannon. For more information see www.Joe-Cannon.com
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