Something I omitted from my previous blog on sports performance was the benefits of a cool down.
Now most of us know we should cool down and stretch after exercise but tight schedules and probably not thinking it's that beneficial means that most of us skip the cool down.
It might seem easy relative to the rest of your workout, but just 5 minutes of low resistance cardio at the end of your workout can make a noticeable difference in your recovery reducing muscle soreness and speeding up the rate at which your muscles get stronger and fitter.
When you cool down you keep oxygen flow to the muscles and give them a chance to clear the built up lactic acid which can make them feel sore.
Your heart is also a muscle and cooling down let's it recover in a controlled way instead of going through the shock of going straight from a high heart rate down to a resting one.
But don't take my word for it - watch any Olympic swimming and you'll know that straight after a race the swimmers go straight into the cool down pool for a controlled cool down to make sure they're in the best condition for their next race.
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Thursday, 2 August 2012
Tuesday, 31 July 2012
Getting the edge
I don't think of myself as a competitive person but this morning when I found myself in a bit of a race with another running commuter I definitely picked up the pace and pushed myself, getting to work quicker and alot hotter than usual!
Olympians are obviously the most extreme example of individuals motivated by competition, not just to beat each other but also beat outstanding records. However even for us non-Olympians, tapping into your competitive streak can be a great tool in motivating yourself to be more physically active.
Olympians are obviously the most extreme example of individuals motivated by competition, not just to beat each other but also beat outstanding records. However even for us non-Olympians, tapping into your competitive streak can be a great tool in motivating yourself to be more physically active.
For some people this is as simple as entering a 5k race to get them motivated to start running. For others this is as extreme as completing the Etap tour de France hill stage, which is open for all to enter ahead of the tour itself (a friend of mine just did it - insane and ridiculously impressive!). Still having a goal to work towards or people to beat can be a powerful motivator to get off the sofa and put in some work at the gym!
Getting the competitive edge isn't just about training - nutrition is so important in sports performance, as evidenced by the fact all Olympic sports people have specifically designed diets.
Even if you're not trying to set any world records, anyone regularly exercising should factor this into their diet to reduce the stress and ageing effects of exercise on the body and minimize the chance injury.
Getting the competitive edge isn't just about training - nutrition is so important in sports performance, as evidenced by the fact all Olympic sports people have specifically designed diets.
Even if you're not trying to set any world records, anyone regularly exercising should factor this into their diet to reduce the stress and ageing effects of exercise on the body and minimize the chance injury.
Sports nutrition can get very complex but it doesn't need to be, here are the basics:
- Make sure you always have protein within 30-60 minutes after training, you need amino acids to repair your muscles and these are most needed and most efficiently used after your muscles have been worked. Easily absorbable proteins such as whey protein powder are best, but any lean protein is good such as fish, skinless chicken, soy beans, tofu etc. The consensus is the body can't use more than 30-40g of protein in any three hour period, so there's no athletic benefit in eating a huge quantity. Instead it's better to have a moderate amount of protein with every meal.
- You also need carbs after training to replenish your muscles glycogen levels. Again this is most efficiently done straight after exercise and also helps the uptake of protein into the muscles post-training. For one hour of tough training this is 1g per kilo of body weight, so for me this is 50 grams of carbs for a one hour spinning class - you should have these within 30 minutes of finishing your training. This is the one time you can have more refined carbs such as sugar or refined white bread and white rice as these will be taken up more quickly into the muscles and carry the protein with them. I choose not to have sugar in my diet due to it's health downsides so use rice, potatoes, gluten free bread or fruit for my post training carbs, but this is not going to give me the fastest post-exercise recovery.
- Make sure you always have protein within 30-60 minutes after training, you need amino acids to repair your muscles and these are most needed and most efficiently used after your muscles have been worked. Easily absorbable proteins such as whey protein powder are best, but any lean protein is good such as fish, skinless chicken, soy beans, tofu etc. The consensus is the body can't use more than 30-40g of protein in any three hour period, so there's no athletic benefit in eating a huge quantity. Instead it's better to have a moderate amount of protein with every meal.
- You also need carbs after training to replenish your muscles glycogen levels. Again this is most efficiently done straight after exercise and also helps the uptake of protein into the muscles post-training. For one hour of tough training this is 1g per kilo of body weight, so for me this is 50 grams of carbs for a one hour spinning class - you should have these within 30 minutes of finishing your training. This is the one time you can have more refined carbs such as sugar or refined white bread and white rice as these will be taken up more quickly into the muscles and carry the protein with them. I choose not to have sugar in my diet due to it's health downsides so use rice, potatoes, gluten free bread or fruit for my post training carbs, but this is not going to give me the fastest post-exercise recovery.
- For optimum training you should have some carbs an hour before your training session. I don't always do this as I also train to burn fat rather than for sports performance, but unless you train as soon as you wake up you shouldn't do any exercise til you've eaten some carbohydrates to minimize the stress load on your adrenal glands.
- Stay hydrated. Everyone says this all the time and we all know it, but rarely do enough. Don't just drink before and after training, you should be drinking all day. If training is intensive you may need up to 3 litres a day.
- Get your good fats - essential omega 3 fats are anti-inflammatory so help muscle recovery. I take Eskimo 3 fish oil
after training and also add flax seed to my post-training shakes to help reduce muscle soreness and risk of injury. If you're serious about reducing inflammation and recovering quickly for your next training session you should have an ice bath or a cold shower to cool the muscles you've used quickly. It sounds unpleasant but even a 20 second blast under a cold shower can make a big difference to how your legs feel the next day!
- Antioxidants are extremely important for helping muscle cell recovery and repairing muscle cells damage. Therefore you should eat plenty of foods high in antioxidants, so make sure you have two portions of fruit or veg in every meal and add a load of berries to your post training smoothie, a favourite of mine is:
200ml water
1 scoop of protein powder (natural whey or rice)
1 handful of ice cubes
1 handful fresh or frozen blueberries
A small banana
One handful of spinach
1 tsp ground flax seeds (essential fats)
Blend together and drink
- Stay hydrated. Everyone says this all the time and we all know it, but rarely do enough. Don't just drink before and after training, you should be drinking all day. If training is intensive you may need up to 3 litres a day.
- Get your good fats - essential omega 3 fats are anti-inflammatory so help muscle recovery. I take Eskimo 3 fish oil
after training and also add flax seed to my post-training shakes to help reduce muscle soreness and risk of injury. If you're serious about reducing inflammation and recovering quickly for your next training session you should have an ice bath or a cold shower to cool the muscles you've used quickly. It sounds unpleasant but even a 20 second blast under a cold shower can make a big difference to how your legs feel the next day!
- Antioxidants are extremely important for helping muscle cell recovery and repairing muscle cells damage. Therefore you should eat plenty of foods high in antioxidants, so make sure you have two portions of fruit or veg in every meal and add a load of berries to your post training smoothie, a favourite of mine is:
200ml water
1 scoop of protein powder (natural whey or rice)
1 handful of ice cubes
1 handful fresh or frozen blueberries
A small banana
One handful of spinach
1 tsp ground flax seeds (essential fats)
Blend together and drink
I also have a shot of CherryActive
after training, which is super antioxidant rich and means I can train the next day without muscle stiffness.
after training, which is super antioxidant rich and means I can train the next day without muscle stiffness.
- Help your red blood cells. Energy is produced in the mitochondria in your cells using sugar, water and oxygen so it's important that your blood can efficiently transport oxygen to your muscles. Beetroot has been shown to increase blood oxygen levels so if you enjoy it start eating it or juicing it! You should also eat plenty of iron rich foods to boost haemoglobin levels, such as wholegrains, pulses, seeds. Meat is a rich source of iron so if you're meat free then you might need a supplement. I use Spatone
as it's easily absorbable and gentle on my digestion.
as it's easily absorbable and gentle on my digestion.
Monday, 30 July 2012
Ask Emilie
Firstly a quick apology if any of you have tried to reply to the blog recently. It was forwarding to an old email address so if you haven't had a reply please resend your message.
I write this blog for the benefit of the readers and so am more than happy to answer any of your questions.
One friend and reader recently sent me the following question which may apply to some of you also.
Q: I don't have a lot of time to eat breakfast in the morning so have something small and find by the time I get to work I'm starving. I then get headaches if I don't eat enough breakfast and I can't shift them once they start. Why is this and what should I do about it?
A: Headaches can have lots of causes but the main candidates are:
Dehydration
Low blood sugar
Stress
Food allergies
Given you're getting headaches early in the day, the first two are most likely explanations, although if you're having dairy with breakfast every day that could also be a cause.
Overnight is the longest we go without food or drink during a 24 hour period so we wake up dehydrated and with low blood sugar - not a great way to start the day. As a result we need to start our day first with a big glass of water and then with some food fairly early after waking.
If you don't drink enough water when you wake your appetite will also go up as food is a major source of water which may explain why you are so hungry. So firstly I'd check you were drinking a big glass of water before you have any breakfast. Also avoid caffeine first thing, as it is dehydrating, if you get headaches that are only fixed by drinking some coffee or tea then it means you actually need a caffeine detox.
Make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day so you don't build up a deficit before you go to bed.
On waking your stress hormones increase to your highest level in the day to wake you up so balancing blood sugar first thing is very important, especially if you have a stressful job/commute to work.
Start with a low allergy but sustaining breakfast. Some wheat-free sugar-free muesli would be a good quick breakfast but have it with soy or rice milk or apple juice rather than milk.
You can have a more substantial second breakfast when you get to work including some protein, but the key is to eat some carbohydrates within an hour of waking and before you leave for work.
Also if you wake very hungry you may benefit from an evening snack about an hour before bed. Some low GI carbs with some healthy protein would be ideal such as some oat cakes topped with nut butter, a poached egg on wholegrain toast, or a protein shake and a piece of fruit.
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Sunday, 29 July 2012
Fats for fitness
I've been well and truly caught up in Olympic fever and consequently spent more time watching tv this weekend than I ever have (other than my misguided attempt to watch the full series of band of brothers in one weekend - not recommended)!
Not only was I avidly spectating but I was also reading up on the diets of some of our UK olympians.
Like most athletes Rebecca Adlington trains twice a day so eats seven or eight meals a day, with a high carb content, to provide a quick and regular source of energy plus having lean protein after every training session.
This is pretty typical and most athletes eat very low-fat high carb diets in an effort to keep down their body fat percentage. I was however pleased to read that British triathlete Vanessa Raw makes an effort to eat plenty of essential fats in oily fish, nuts and seeds - these fats are all involved in the energy production process so eating a very low fat diet could be counter-productive if you're avoiding healthy fats.
The pressure to be lean must be huge if you're a professional athlete, but just avoiding fat is no guarantee to keeping the fat off. The body very easily turns excess carbohydrates into fat, especially refined carbohydrates such as breakfast cereals and sports drinks.
This applies for all of us, buying and eating only lowfat foods is no guarantee to a slim waistline. Avoiding saturated fats is a good idea as these can interfere with fat burning and our hormonal fat regulation, but healthy essential fats found in nuts, seeds and oily fish should be a part of everyone's diet, olympian or not. If you're worried they'll make you fat, just do a google image search for Vanessa Raw!
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Not only was I avidly spectating but I was also reading up on the diets of some of our UK olympians.
Like most athletes Rebecca Adlington trains twice a day so eats seven or eight meals a day, with a high carb content, to provide a quick and regular source of energy plus having lean protein after every training session.
This is pretty typical and most athletes eat very low-fat high carb diets in an effort to keep down their body fat percentage. I was however pleased to read that British triathlete Vanessa Raw makes an effort to eat plenty of essential fats in oily fish, nuts and seeds - these fats are all involved in the energy production process so eating a very low fat diet could be counter-productive if you're avoiding healthy fats.
The pressure to be lean must be huge if you're a professional athlete, but just avoiding fat is no guarantee to keeping the fat off. The body very easily turns excess carbohydrates into fat, especially refined carbohydrates such as breakfast cereals and sports drinks.
This applies for all of us, buying and eating only lowfat foods is no guarantee to a slim waistline. Avoiding saturated fats is a good idea as these can interfere with fat burning and our hormonal fat regulation, but healthy essential fats found in nuts, seeds and oily fish should be a part of everyone's diet, olympian or not. If you're worried they'll make you fat, just do a google image search for Vanessa Raw!
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Wednesday, 25 July 2012
Olympic inspiration
The Olympics are nearly upon us, as Mayor Boris keeps reminding me as I pass through bank station, but I have to say I'm not yet that excited about it. This is mainly as I don't have any tickets to the events, but maybe when I've seen the cows doing their business in front of the Queen during the opening ceremony from the comfort of my living room I may feel differently.
I am actually very happy the Olympics are coming to the UK, but was disappointed to read in an article in this weeks Economist that hosting the games has not been proven to increase in physical activity in the host nations in the long term.
To be honest seeing the impressive physiques of the athletes should be more than enough inspiration for most of us to do more sport. I've already taken Olympic inspiration to vary my activity by taking up tennis and going dinghy sailing. In addition - as Bank station becomes unbearably full - I'll be running to work and walking home whilst the Olympics is on.
Obviously we're not all going to take up clay pigeon shooting and rhythmic gymnastics, but lots of Olympic sports are very accessible so whilst you're enjoying being a spectator and eyeing up the enviable abs of those taking part have a think if there are any Olympic sports you might enjoy and give them a try.
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I am actually very happy the Olympics are coming to the UK, but was disappointed to read in an article in this weeks Economist that hosting the games has not been proven to increase in physical activity in the host nations in the long term.
To be honest seeing the impressive physiques of the athletes should be more than enough inspiration for most of us to do more sport. I've already taken Olympic inspiration to vary my activity by taking up tennis and going dinghy sailing. In addition - as Bank station becomes unbearably full - I'll be running to work and walking home whilst the Olympics is on.
Obviously we're not all going to take up clay pigeon shooting and rhythmic gymnastics, but lots of Olympic sports are very accessible so whilst you're enjoying being a spectator and eyeing up the enviable abs of those taking part have a think if there are any Olympic sports you might enjoy and give them a try.
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Monday, 23 July 2012
The invisible man
There was an impromptu party going on the Thames path outside my flat tonight, complete with some seriously loud music. I was encouraged by the fact my instinctive reaction was to smile, enjoy the music and wish I was young enough to join in ... rather than start moaning about the 'racket' going on outside!
Still there are some times that uninvited noise can be very stressful, for example if you're trying to concentrate on reading or trying to sleep. Another place I find it stressful is if I'm on the tube or bus in the morning and someone is playing some annoying music with rubbish headphones that mean the rest of the bus/tube gets to hear a muffled but still irritatingly loud version.
I like to keep my mornings as relaxed as possible so I don't arrive into work all flustered and keep my cortisol levels nice and even. If you let yourself get worked up before you even get to work your blood sugar levels will be all over the place and you'll feel frazzled before you've even had your morning coffee.
For me keeping things relaxed involves leaving early enough so I don't have to rush and then doing some relaxed reading on the tube or mindless gazing out the window. It certainly does not feature any hard core drum and base music, however for some commuters this is part of their morning routine and therefore I have to endure it whether I like it or not.
I used to get really stressed and sometimes even move out of my coveted seat just to get away. However I picked up a great tip from the wonderful Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle for dealing with these unwanted audio assaults. His tip was to pretend you were invisible and that the noise was passing through you without resistance.
You'll have to read the book to get the full concept of this and how to do it, but honestly it works - when the usual crazies start ranting on the tube I just pretend I'm an invisible observer and they stop being so annoying. This isn't just limited to commuting, try it out at work if you have any noisy colleagues, or even at home if a family member has gone on a rant!!
Remember if something is winding you up it's producing a stress response in the body which is bad for your health ... so having a conversation with someone who stresses you out is also actively bad for you. Obviously it's hard to pretend someone is invisible in a one to one - so on these occasions make your excuses and get out the conversation as soon as poss.
Sunday, 22 July 2012
Sometimes its the simple things....
Well what a fantastic weekend of sunshine! I hope everyone has been enjoying the rays and the happy mood they bring....
When warmer weather like this comes out of the blue though, we should be even more aware of keeping hydrated whilst we are out and about making the most if the day...
One way to start the day hydrated and clear headed is the simple ritual of lemon in hot water. I make sure I have half a lemon squeezed into a large mug of hot water as my first drink of the day. (Put some cold in it so you can drink straight away if you are time restricted).
Not only does the lemon contain vitamin c for immunity and potassium for nerve function, with the warm water it will also help to lubricate the intestinal tract and encourage morning peristalsis in the gut.
Even though the lemon is acidic, once inside the body it actually has an alkalising effect. An alkaline body is a very important element in building health and wellbeing. There is also research into how the alkaline body seems to loose weight easier than the acidic body. Apparently the pectin fibre of the lemon can also help curb cravings.
Making this part of your day will start you off hydrated, and normally by starting the day well people tend to make better choices during the rest of the day. I know that is true for me - mostly :o).
Even if the sun goes in, this sunshine in a cup is a super simple, cheap and effective way to start your day...may the sun keep his hat on for a while longer though!
Zen Dog
When warmer weather like this comes out of the blue though, we should be even more aware of keeping hydrated whilst we are out and about making the most if the day...
One way to start the day hydrated and clear headed is the simple ritual of lemon in hot water. I make sure I have half a lemon squeezed into a large mug of hot water as my first drink of the day. (Put some cold in it so you can drink straight away if you are time restricted).
Not only does the lemon contain vitamin c for immunity and potassium for nerve function, with the warm water it will also help to lubricate the intestinal tract and encourage morning peristalsis in the gut.
Even though the lemon is acidic, once inside the body it actually has an alkalising effect. An alkaline body is a very important element in building health and wellbeing. There is also research into how the alkaline body seems to loose weight easier than the acidic body. Apparently the pectin fibre of the lemon can also help curb cravings.
Making this part of your day will start you off hydrated, and normally by starting the day well people tend to make better choices during the rest of the day. I know that is true for me - mostly :o).
Even if the sun goes in, this sunshine in a cup is a super simple, cheap and effective way to start your day...may the sun keep his hat on for a while longer though!
Zen Dog
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