Top Ten Fat Blasters

fat blasting exercisesHere are 10 essential things you need to know if you are exercising for fat loss.

 

1. Burn Fat In Bed

The benefits of exercise as a fat burner continue long after your cool down. In fact you can even burn fat whilst you’re asleep. This increased energy expenditure, that is, calorie burning, is much greater when you have been exercising at at least 75% intensity. That’s running beteen a 7 and 8 out of 10 on the Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE). So keep those interval training sessions going.

You might be able to think of other ways to increase your energy expenditure in bed. If so, go for it!

 

2. Don’t Work in the “Fat Burning Zone”

The body does burn a greater percentage of calories from fat in the “fat burning zone”  -about 65% of your maximum heart rate, but overall, you burn more calories when you work at a higher intensity. So whilst a lower percentage of calories burned will come from fat when you are working at a higher intensity, you will burn more calories overall at a higher intensity, and  more calories from fat as well. It’s the overall calories burned that is important in weight loss, so keep the intensity up (when your body is ready for it)

The chart below explains it.

Low Intensity – 60-65% MHR High Intensity – 80-85% MHR
Total Calories expended per min. 4.86 6.86
Fat Calories expended per min. 2.43 2.7
Total Calories expended in 30 min. 146 206
Total Fat calories expended in 30 min. 73 82
Percentage of fat calories burned 50% 39.85%

Source: From The 24/5 Complete Personal Training Manual, 24 Hour Fitness, 2000

 

3. Enjoy Your Exercise

There’s  no use choosing an exercise that you are not going to enjoy. Whilst energy burned is dependent on the activity itself, it is also dependent on how much effort you put in, how well you can perform the activity, how long you do it for, and how often. I’m not saying you have to leap out of bed at 5:30am on these cold, wet, dark mornings, and say “Yippee I’m going for a run” but if you choose something you enjoy most of the time, you’re far more likely to keep it up. Train with a group, set yourself a goal such as a fun run to get you through those tough moments where you feel totally unmotivated (which believe it or not we ALL have), choose something practical and accessible. Running is a great exercise for enjoyment. You can do it with friends, you can go as hard or as easy as you like, it’s very accessible – just a pair of shoes, shorts and t-shirt, plus your undies of course, and you’re away. What could be more simple and enjoyable?

 

4. Use Large Muscles to Up the Calorie Burn

You need to get your large muscle groups involved for a serious fat burning workout.  The greater the overall muscle involvement, the more calories will be burned in the workout. Anything that recruits your thighs and bum will be a winner on the fat burning front. Running of course fits the bill, as does rowing, so if you’re at the gym, jump on the rowing machine. Don’t overdo the rower first up though – it is very hard on your lower back so you need to do  little bits frequently and build up to rowing further, rather than go hammer and tongs on your first attempt. 2 -5 mins first up at a slow pace will be fine.  Take a look at this video for some good tips on rowing technique. Well worth the 5 mins before you jump on a rower.

 

5. Develop Your Aerobic Capacity

Fat burning activity has to be sustained for a reasonable length of time, for maximum results. Whilst sprinting might be a great exercise, you can only sprint for a short period of time. For maximum fat burning, you need to be doing at least 20 minutes of fat burning exercise a few times a week. Increase your endurance by doing longer, slower bouts of exercise -perhaps a long slow run, or running efforts of 10 minutes duration at a slightly faster pace than if you were just going out for a jog,  with a  few minutes recovery interval in between efforts. You’ll find you’ll be able to do more repeats of your faster fat burning exercise if you improve your endurance.

 

6. Interval Training Maximises Calorie Burn

Interval training is where you have an effort, and then a rest interval. Contrary to popular belief, the “interval” is actually your rest time-which has little impact on fat burning, but is interesting just the same. Interval training is great: if used correctly it can make you run faster, improve your aerobic fitness, and burn more fat. In short, it makes very effective use of your time. To get the most out of interval session, join a group where you can be overseen by a trainer or coach who can help to ensure you are working at just the right intensity, and doing just the right amount of training.

 

7. Carry That Weight

Weight bearing exercise such as running uses more calories than those in which your weight is supported, such as swimming or cycling. It’s because you have to move your body weight against gravity.

 

8. Run In A Fasting State?

Does running before breakfast burn more fat? Possibly. If the body exercises in a fasting state (for example when you have gone overnight without eating) it has to rely on fat stores for energy. On the other hand, the lack of a ready energy supply could mean you don’t work as hard or for as long as you might have done otherwise. Play around with this and try the same session both before you’ve eaten and then on other days when you haven’t. Compare your times, how you felt, how long you could sustain the effort and make a judgement for yourself on this one.

 

9. Keep Challenging Yourself

If you want to keep up the results, you need to keep up the intensity. As you get fitter, you’ll be able to run faster, and do more. Your body will be able to cope with increasing demands on it. If you just keep doing what you’ve always been doing, the benefits will plateau.

 

10. Keep On The Move

Research has found that leaner people tend to stand and move around more than overweight people in their normal daily life. The Mayo Clinic found that non -exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) was up to 350kj (or nearly 90 kilocalories) higher each day, in people who move around more. If you have a desk job, set your alarm to get up and move around every 30 minutes. It’s so easy to get bogged down in something and have a couple of hours go by without you every having moved more than your fingers and your eyelids! Take a look at sitting can be deadly for more on why you should get up and move around.

Walking to the biscuit tin doesn’t count by the way!

 

 

Image courtesy of AKARAKINGDOMS / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

DISCLAIMER: Any information contained in this document is obtained from current and reliable sources and is solely for the purpose of interest and information.  Individuals receiving this information must exercise their independent judgment in determining its appropriateness for their particular needs. The information and training advice is general in nature and may not be suited to the recipient’s individual needs. Medical advice should always be sought when starting an exercise program. As the ordinary or otherwise use(s) of this information is outside the control of the author, no representation or warranty, expressed or implied, is made as to the effect(s) of such use(s), (including damage or injury), or the results obtained. The author expressly disclaims responsibility as to the interpretation of the views contained in this article, ordinary or otherwise. Furthermore, the author shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. The author shall not be responsible for any damages resulting from use of or reliance upon this information. Readers of this document are solely responsible for compliance with all laws and regulations applying to the use of the information, including intellectual property rights of third parties.

Homemade Muesli Bars

This delicious recipe for home-made muesli bars was given to me a while ago now. I have to admit it’s just surfaced after I’ve cleaned out a pile of very important papers – so important they hadn’t been touched for 6 months!

So, I haven’t tried the recipe myself, but plan to on the weekend. Hopefully they’ll be as good as my friend’s.

And just for the record, this recipe should make approximately twenty-four  40gm bars (Carmen’s bars are 45gms, Uncle Toby’s 35). They are comparable in their energy yield- about 190 calories per bar, vs 199 for Carmen’s bars- and of course you can modify the amount of honey, sugar and dried fruit you put in.

Experiment with the dried fruit you use. My friend used goji berries. She also gave me a tip on the wheat germ: it has a tendency to cook more quickly than the other grains, so add it later.

The cup measurements were the original measurements given to me – I converted to grams to work out the calories, so probably using the cup measurements would be best. I’d love to hear how you go

Ingredients

1 cup (85 gms) rolled oats
1 cup (80 gms) desiccated coconut
1/2 cup (40gms) wheat germ
1/2 cup (60 gms) sesame seeds
1/2 cup (70 gms) sunflower kernels
1/2 cup (120gms) pepitas/pumpkin seeds
1 cup (150 gms) sultanas
125gm butter
1/2 cup (170 gms) honey
1/3 cup (70 gms) brown sugar

Method

  1. Grease and line a 3cm deep 16cm x 28 cm baking pan with baking paper.
  2. Cook oats, coconut, wheat germ, sesame seeds, sunflower kernels and pumpkin sees in a frying pan over medium heat, stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a bowl. Set aside to cool. Stir in sultanas
  3. Cook butter, honey and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, without stirring for 7 minutes or until mixture forms a smooth, soft ball when a little is dropped into ice-cold water. Add to dry ingredients. Stir until combined.
  4. Spoon mixture into pan. Use a large metal spoon to press down firmly. Allow to cool. Cut into squares. Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days in fridge.

How Does Your Personal Best Shape Up? Age-graded tables

Running is a great sport for you as you age. You can do it at your own pace. There is not as much risk of injury as there is in other sports such as rugby, soccer, netball, basketball and hockey (think knees, hips and ankles), and you can compare your performance as you age to that of your glory years, by using age-graded percentages.

Effects of ageing

For the average person, sometime in their late 30’s to early 40’s, a number of physical changes start to take place.   Aerobic capacity decreases, muscle mass reduces, muscle elasticity reduces, lung elasticity declines, bone density reduces, the metabolism slows, body fat increases and the immune system becomes weaker. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

These changes will have an adverse impact on performance, but that doesn’t mean they need to have an adverse impact on the enjoyment of running. Many people actually take up running in their 40’s, and continue to enjoy it into their 60’s, 70’s and (beyond).

It is generally thought that running speeds over any distance decline by about 1% per year from a peak at some time in a person’s 30’s, and we appear to lose aerobic capacity at about 9-10% per decade. Hence, the use of age categories makes sense, as it helps to encourage men and women from all ages to keep running.

Our declining physical prowess is not a particularly cheery thought, I know, but there are heaps of exceptions to this general theory of deterioration. Ed Whitlock, a Canadian athlete ran a marathon in 2:54:48 at the age of 73. Admittedly he is the only person over the age of 70 to run a marathon in under 3hrs, but it does prove it can be done. Whitlock ran in his teens and early 20’s and then took it up again in his 40s.

NSW 10k Road Championships 2013

For further proof that good times can still be run well into late middle age (whatever that is these days) we need look no further than the recent Sydney10. This fun run is open to anyone, and also doubles as the NSW road 10k championships. Some of the winners’ times amongst the over 40’s are pretty startling. Full results can be seen here

Women
40-44: Jo Rankin, 40:11
45-49: Liz Miller, 38:54
50-54: Robyn Basman, 39:20
55-59: Jo Cowan, 45:05
60-64: Mary Sheehan, 44:13
64-69: Shirley Dalton, 57:37
70+: Dorothy Tanner, 56:14

Men
40-44: Nick Bennett, 33:15
45-49: Andrew Wilson,  34:04
50-54: Geoffrey Bruce, 34:32
55-59: David Riches, 36:55
60-64: Dennis Wylie 37:23
65-69: Donald Mathewson 39:16
70+: John Spinney, 48:57

What are age-graded percentages?

Age graded percentage tables allow us to compare times across age categories, by taking a set of age factors and age standards and multiplying these by a time or distance. The first official Age-Graded Tables were compiled by the World Association of Veteran Athletes (WAVA) in 1989. WAVA has since become WMA – World Masters Athletes.

Standard times were established for males and females for each distance and for all ages from 8 to 100. The standards were pretty much based on world record performances for each age in each event. Performance was plotted against age to give a set of curves that one would expect for a smooth performance regression with age, with adjustments for a small number of results that were inconsistent. Tables have been revised when performances have indicated that a change was necessary. The current tables were last upgraded in 2010.

In a nutshell, your age graded percentage is a measure of how well you are doing compared to the world’s best of your age and gender.

Working out your age graded percentage

You can calculate an age graded percentage for a result by using the age graded tables, and the formula below, or you can use this calculator to work it out for you.

Formula

Event standard for your age / your result*100

Eg: You’re a 45 year old female and you just ran 10k in 39 mins

The event standard is 1953 secs (32 :33)

Convert 39 mins to seconds : 39*60=2340

32.55/39*100 = 83.46%

1953/2340*100=83.46%

Use your age graded percentage for goal setting

If you’re able to keep the same age graded percentage each year, then relative to all other athletes of the same age, you are maintaining your performance level (regardless of your actual time getting slower). If you keep a record of your age-graded performances over the years, you’ll be able to see whether you are improving your performance, maintaining it, or whether you’re going out the back door at a rapid rate!

You can also use the age graded percentage as a motivator. It might not be realistic to be aiming for PB’s every time you perform as you get older, but you can aim for an improvement in your age graded percentage. If you’re sitting at 78%, you can aim to lift this to 80%, and you can use the tables to help you figure out the time you need to aim for to reach the higher percentage. Then you can plan a good training program to reach your realistic target time.

I’ve just worked out that if my time in the upcoming Gold Coast half is 1 min 22 secs slower than the time I did a few years ago, I won’t really have slowed down at all. How good is that? Of course, ever the optimist, I’m aiming to go faster.

Comparing yourself with others in different categories

If you know someone else’s time, you can see how you’ve fared against them, which can be comforting when you simply can’t achieve the same times as that annoying young 30 year old whippersnapper who trains along beside you (you know who you are!).

Why Biggest Losers Regain Their Weight

The Truth About Fat
Image courtesy of Michelle Meiklejohn
FreeDigitalPhotos.net”.

My sons have become obsessed with “Biggest Loser”. They love the drama. They love the characters. I really think they are oblivious to the contestants’ weight. To them the weigh-ins are just numbers and it’s all a game. I realised this only after I had the “do you really think that we should be using other people’s weight issues as our entertainment?” chat. Perhaps it was a bit too deep for a 9 year old and a 6 year old. They do tend to take things a little more on face value than we do, don’t they?

Anyway, having sat through a couple of episodes myself, it’s heart wrenching to think that many of these people will put back on much of the weight they’ve taken off. But why is this? Why is it that people who have put themselves through so much, who clearly don’t want to be fat, simply find it too hard to “be like the rest of us”?

SBS aired a doco last night (13/05/2013) “The Truth About Fat”. I highly recommend you take a look. It’s available free to view until 27th May 2013. Some really interesting stuff. Be warned… there are a few needles and blood and guts bits. Just close your eyes if you can’t cope, as it is definitely worth a look. It may well turn your thoughts on obesity upside down, or it may confirm what you have had a nagging suspicion about all along.

 

Why has obesity reached epidemic proportions?

The program looks at research explaining what obesity might be all about. Traditionally, the thought has been that to be in a healthy weight range, you exercise more, or eat less. “Eat less, exercise more, or get fat” as my brother says to his son. And, this of course is 100% true. At the end of the day, being fat or thin is still pretty much about the energy equation. Take in more energy that your body is able to use up, and there is only one place for that energy to go. It turns to fat and is stored in adipose tissue in your body.

In today’s modern world, we eat more food than we need. It’s estimated we eat an average of 200 calories more than we need to every day. Doesn’t take long for that to add up, and for our collective weight to creep up over time. We have an abundance of food, rich in calories, and for some people, it is extremely difficult to resist. Being in a health weight range is just a matter of willpower isn’t it? Well, yes, to some extent it is, but there’s way more to it than that. A large  number of people find it almost impossible to exercise their willpower over the forces that compel them to eat. So what’s going on?

Our bodies evolved in a world where calories were scarce, and the opportunity to feast was uncommon. The developed world however is awash with food, and 25% of people in the developed world are clinically obese. What is it that shapes our decisions about food – what we eat, how much we eat, when we eat, and when we stop eating?

 

Hormones

The simple answer is hormones. Ghrelin and PYY. Ghrelin is also known as the hunger hormone. It stimulates appetite, therefore increases food intake, and promotes fat storage. It is produced and released mainly by the stomach, and also in small amounts by the small intestine, the pancreas and the brain.

Peptide YY (or PYY), on the other hand, gives you a feeling of fullness, and signals when to stop eating. It is released into the small intestine after eating, circulates in the blood and binds to receptors in the brain, which results in a decreased appetite and a feeling of fullness. PYY release starts before food reaches the small intestine, and the amount increases as food hits the small intestine, hence the time lag between eating and feeling full. SLOW DOWN YOUR EATING!

The Truth About Fat showed that whilst ghrelin levels in obese people stayed pretty constant – ie they didn’t rise dramatically if they fasted, their levels of PYY were low. It’s thought that the lower levels of PYY prevent obese people from ever really feeling full. The research quoted obese people “I never really feel hungry, but once I start eating, I can’t stop”.

So, one thought is that hormones in obese people are simply different to people who are not overweight. Which makes sense of course, but what is it that causes some people’s hormones to go haywire?

 

Research with twins shows stress may be a factor

One line of research has looked at identical twins, who are different weights. Epigenetics is the study of changes in gene expression caused by our environment-not just our physical environment, but also life events that can have an effect on us. The fact that these identical twins can have the same genes but one is fat and one is thin, suggests that the fat gene can be turned on or off. Epigenetics can explain this.

There seems to be a  common thread amongst pairs of adult twins with discordant weight. People have pinpointed the time that changes in the fat twin’s body weight started to take place, and compared this to what was going on in their life. Interestingly, results point to times of stress being a factor in the switching on of the fat gene. My thoughts for some time have been that stress plays a huge role in being overweight. My first word of advice to anyone looking at losing weight is to look at their stress levels and attack that first. Once that’s under control, weight is likely to fall off with little effort.

The fact that what could seem to be very small events in your life might change your physical shape in the future, is both exciting and frightening, and at the same time tragic. Talking to people who really struggle with their weight, and seeing their frustration at how their life is limited by their obesity is a very sobering experience. How great that we are unlocking the key to turning their lives around.

This current research indicates that the assumption that fat people are lacking will power is not entirely correct. Simplistically, you can say that people who are fat lack the willpower to overcome their compulsion to eat, however, when your biology is working against you, the amount of willpower needed to overcome your eating habit is far greater than the willpower needed by thin people to eat well. So thin people of the world, no need to feel so superior. Hormonal imbalance and gene expression are not an excuse for being fat, they are a reason.

 

Gastric bypass surgery alters brain function

Another area examined by the program was surgery, specifically gastric bypass. Whilst a gastric by-pass does involve a drastic reduction in the size of a person’s stomach, it would seem that this surgery also works by changing the level of hormones responsible for obesity. People report not feeling hungry, but most importantly, feeling full when they eat. Patients themselves have reported that more changes have taken place in their head than their stomach.

MRIs looking at brain activity in obese people who are shown yummy fatty foods show lots of activity in the brain in the areas associated with addiction, emotional response and reward, compared to that of a thin person, who has little brain activity in those areas, shown the same photos. After gastric bypass surgery, obese people have been shown the same photos they were shown prior to their surgery, and their brain activity is greatly reduced to around the same level as a thin person. The bypass surgery seems to have pressed a reset button in their brain, returning the “fat genes” back to normal.

Gastric by-pass surgery of course has very real risks, and it is a last resort suitable for some people, but we are not far off less radical procedures to cure obesity.

 

Are we missing something here?

On the surface, it all seems very logical. We get fat because we eat too much and do too little exercise. Due to our biology coupled with certain environmental factors and life events, the pull of food is far greater for some people than it is for others. Medical intervention will fix this. Great. So, we may soon have a cure for obesity.

But given it would seem obesity can be caused by an oversupply of food coupled with stressors which switch on our fat gene, could it be that we are barking up the wrong tree. Would prevention not be better than cure? Is our consumer driven society not just stoking the obesity fire, and if we in the developed world shared the food around a bit and chilled out,  would we not all be a bit better off?

 

 

 

When do runners need a good sugar hit?

sugar hit for runnersEver feel like you just can’t eat enough to get your energy back after a long run?
You know how it goes. You get your run over and done with nice and early so you can spend the rest of the day with family and friends, but all you want to do is put your feet up and take a nanna nap.

What you need is a well placed sugar hit or two.

Distance running places heavy energy demands on your body. For best performance it’s important to have a good overall nutrition plan, with a suitable amount of macro nutrients (carbs, proteins and fats) and micro nutrients (vitamins and minerals). Just as crucial to good recovery and performance is taking nutrition on board during and after long training runs and races.

Nutrition on the go is commonly taken in via gels, chews or in liquid form. Which you choose will largely depend on how well your body tolerates each form. Here are some  nutrition basics to ensure you’ve got enough fuel in the tank to last the distance.

 

What to look for in an energy gel/chew/drink

Carbohydrate – a combination of glucose and fructose is better for delivering energy to your system, than either one of those carbs alone

Electrolytes – potassium and sodium are needed to replace losses due to sweat. These are important for cellular osmolality – remember your osmosis experiments back in school where things travel through a semi-permeable membrane from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration? Works the same in your body.

Without getting technical, you need the right amount of electrolytes to keep your cells hydrated. Osmotic pressure keeps water and essential nutrients in balance inside cells. You’ll hear people referring to sports drinks as being “isotonic”. This means they have the same osmolality as the body – which, by the way is a good thing.

Magnesium would also be a bonus, as it is important in muscle relaxation and will help to prevent cramps, and is also essential for energy metabolism. It is also lost to your body through sweat.

Most of your standard every day sports drinks, gels and chews have all of the above, but if you really want to get the best out of yourself, go for solutions with that little bit extra.

Amino Acids
The branch chain amino acids Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine can help to reduce muscle damage and delay fatigue, and Histidine can act as a buffer against the accumulation of lactic acid, delaying onset of fatigue. Taking amino acids during the event will help with your recovery afterwards.

Caffeine
Some people find it difficult to stomach caffeinated gels, but I love them. Caffeine will aid the mobilisation of carbohydrates into the bloodstream where it can then be taken up by the working muscles, and it will stimulate the central nervous system and reduce your perception of pain. All of which will lead to you being able to go harder for longer. How good is that?

Research has shown that athletes who took caffeinated sugared drinks were able to use 26% more of the ingested sugar than those who took the same drink without caffeine. And if you’re event is in the summer time, you’re in luck. Caffeinated drinks help improve endurance even more in hot weather (International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, February 2011).

You can further enhance the hit you get from a caffeine-laced gel by cutting caffeine out of your diet about a month before your event. You’ll get a much bigger lift from the caffeine if your body isn’t used to it.

Which Brand is Best?

My preferences, based on research and personal experience.

1. Energy gel that contains caffeine and amino acids. Gu Roctane is my gel of choice. Yes, it is more expensive than the straight Gu or other brands, but for me, it’s worth it. I figure I spend a lot of time training, so an extra $30 or so (including gels for training and racing) is fine. Some flavours of the standard Gu Energy Gels contain caffeine, some don’t. Check labels.

2. Chews that contain caffeine and amino acids. Some of the Gu Chomps contain caffeine, some don’t so check the label before you buy. The reason I prefer gels over chews is that gels pass into your bloodstream more quickly than chews. Four chomps are equal to one serving, so they are not quite as convenient to carry as gels.

3. Gel that contains no caffeine, but has carbs and amino acids. Some flavours of the standard Gu Energy Gels contain caffeine, some don’t. Check labels.

4. Gu Chomps with no caffeine. Some flavours are caffeine free. Again, check labels.

5. Energy drink that contains carbs, electrolytes, amino acids and caffeine. Whilst the liquid form will speed the transit time of nutrients into your blood stream, it’s down lower on the list because of the difficulty I have with  carrying it. You may be quite comfortable wearing a drink belt, I happen not to be. I also figure that if I time my intake correctly, it won’t matter that my gels take a little longer to get into my system.

Remember that liquid has weight, and every extra kg you are carrying (including the kg’s you carry round as body fat) can slow your time down by 1-4 seconds per km. Let’s take 2 secs per km/kg extra weight,  and say you carry 500mls of water, or ½ kg. That equates to 1 sec per km, which is 21 secs over a half marathon, or 42 over a full marathon. Could be the difference between you hitting your goal time or not!

6. Flat Coke
Not a fan of it myself, but heaps of ultra distance athletes swear by flat coke to get them through the last part of their event. Heaps of other people swear by coke as a toilet cleaner too. You’ll have to decide on that one for yourself.

Try it in training first

Don’t do anything for the first time on race day. You need to play around with nutrition in training so that you can figure out what’s best for you.

The main problem with gels is that people just find them hard to get down, and the main problem with caffeine is the effect it can have on your gut-vomiting and diarrhoea- so not a good look! Be sure to experiment in training, not on race day.

If you’re using gels for the first time, be prepared.

  • They are not that easy to swallow.  Imagine you’ve just taken a  good sized dollop of hair gel and put it in your mouth That’s about the consistency you’ll be trying to cope with.
  • Wash gels and chews down with water within about 15 after taking. This will  help to avoid gut problems. Give your mouth a bit of a rinse at the same time,      which will help to prevent all that sugary stuff hanging around your teeth for too long.
  • Run on a course which is 2-3 laps, so that if you do have to pull up due to gut problems, you’re won’t have so far to walk back to your finish point. It’s hard going pulling up at 15km on an out and back course and having to walk back the last 5k.
  • Have a full sachet of gel. It might take you a couple of minutes to get through it. In training take it after you’ve gone up a hill or pick your intensity up for a minute or so before you take it. Your racing pace will be faster than your training pace. You want to try to simulate race conditions as closely as possible. The more intense your effort, the harder it is to take in nutrition on the go.
  • If you’re using chews, you could experiment with having 1 chew frequently, or go for a big burst of energy at one time and take the whole serve at once. Again, only you will know what’s right for you.

If you do experience problems getting gels down, or keeping them down, try a couple of different flavours. It could make all the difference.

If you haven’t used nutrition in a race much before, then start using them in training on runs of about 1 hr 20+. You probably don’t really need them for that length of run, but you’ll need to do a few gel fuelled runs to see what suits you best.

When to take a gel/chomp

Try to be aware of when you feel the gel “kicking in”-ie how long after you’ve taken it. You won’t suddenly feel like you’re a toy with new batteries, rather you’ll just feel like things aren’t hurting as much as you might have expected them to do.

For me, they kick in about 13 mins after I’ve taken them (will depend a bit on what else is in your stomach at the time) and they last about 25-30 mins before I start to feel like I’d like another boost. So if I think something’s going to take 2 hrs and I don’t want to run out of steam, I work backwards through the following steps.

  • 2hr run
  • gel lasts for 25 mins, and takes 13 mins to kick in. 25+13=38
  • need to take gel 38 mins before the two hour mark, ie, 1 hour 22 mins
  • I’ll need my first energy boost to kick in 25 mins before the 2nd one does, so that means I need to take my first gel 38 mins prior to when  my 2nd gel is going to kick in.
  • My 2nd gel will kick in at 1 hr 35 mins, so my first gel needs to kick in at 1 hr and 10 mins
  • I therefore need to take my first gel at about 55 mins and my second at 1 hr 22 mins.

Use this as a rough guide the first time you use gels or chomps (keeping in mind you need to add a few minutes to the time it takes a chomp to kick in – so in my scenario, I might want to take the chomps 15 mins before I want it to take effect)

And if this all sounds a bit complicated, yes, I guess it is when you first start. If you like, you can just follow the guidelines on the pack, and take a gel every 45 mins,  but you’ve been pounding the pavement like crazy for the last few months, so why wouldn’t you do everything you can to ensure you perform at your best on the day. Once you’ve figured out what’s best for you, you’ll really see the benefit.

 

Post run nutrition

Recovery drinks are extremely important after training runs and races. The quicker you recover from your training, the more you’ll be able to get out of your next training session.

There are lots of recovery drinks around. The best contain a 4:1 or at a pinch 3:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio, and some electrolytes to replace those you’ve sweated out.

You should have it available immediately after you finish running, so if you drive somewhere before you start running, take it with you. Sip on it whilst you’re cooling down and stretching after a run. I would generally take ½ the recommended dose after a run of 50mins, if it was a very hot day, but generally I use recovery drinks for runs of about 1 hr 10+.

I use Endorxo R4, which I can’t recommend highly enough. Everyone I’ve put on it raves about it. It’s a bit hard to come by in Australia, but you should be able to see a list of retailers here. http://www.advantage1.com.au/retailers/

Make sure you call before you go there. I’ve also notice some for sale on ebay.

You can see research on Endurox R4 here http://www.pacifichealthlabs.com/recover/endurox-r4-muscle-recovery-drink.html

Gu make a recovery drink which has protein and carbs called Recovery Brew. I’ve not used this in my training, but plan to compare it to Endurox R4 soon. For more information on Recovery Brew go to https://guenergy.com/products/products-recovery-brew/learn-more-recovery-brew/

Everyone’s needs are different. We’d love you to share below the nutrition that you’ve found useful in training and racing.

 

 

Don’t rely on doctor Google for health information on the wild wild web

Self diagnosis on the internet. A good idea?By Rachael Dunlop, University of Technology, Sydney

If you typed “pins and needles” into Google, what kind of results would you expect to find? According to a recent study from Bupa Health, the search engine could diagnose you with anything from a completely reversible vitamin B12 deficiency, to sciatica, or worse, multiple sclerosis.

Entering “stomach cramps” into Google returns indigestion, appendicitis, or something as serious as heart disease or angina. Even a condition as benign as a rash comes up with dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema, or much more serious diseases such as meningitis.

No wonder there’s a dedicated term to describe patients who develop paranoia from googling their symptoms – cyberchondria.

The most recent statistics about Australians’ computer use shows around 80% of us now have access to the internet at home and the use of mobile devices is on the rise, thus nearly all of us can access the world-wide-web 24/7. Google is the search engine of choice for 93% of us, so when it comes to sourcing information about our health and medications, Dr Google seems an obvious place to go.

The Bupa study also revealed that: approximately a third (34%) of us would like to have the ability to text an image of our problem to receive a diagnosis; 45% would like to have access to our doctor by email; half of us self-diagnose; and 70% research our medications online. But while there is a plethora of information available online, it remains largely unregulated.

So how can you determine if the health information you find is accurate?

Well, mostly you can’t. In fact studies analysing the accuracy of Google results for the search term “vaccination” reveal 60% are actually against vaccination. (Interestingly searching “immunisation” is more likely to return accurate results since people opposed to vaccination do not believe that vaccination induces immunity).

All of this has created a difficult scenario for health care practitioners and patients alike. A patient could self-diagnose mild abdominal pain as constipation, for example, when they might have gallstones. Or on the flip side, another patient could incorrectly diagnose their headaches as meningitis.

Some doctors are justifiably worried that patients are diagnosing and treating themselves, using devices such as a gastric bypass surgery kit which was sold on Amazon. Or apps to scan moles and determine if they’re cancerous.

But while some doctors are frustrated by patients’ desire to research their conditions online, others are resigned to the fact it will happen, so are prepared to help guide patients to accurate information on the web.

If you self-diagnose, you’re not alone but you might save a lot of anxiety by seeing your doctor instead. MNicoleM

My top ten health websites

No website is completely free of errors or spurious or out-of-date information, so you will always need to exercise scepticism. A few rules of thumb include checking the date the information was updated, checking the “about us” section for the author’s/publisher’s qualifications and reputations. Also look for any evidence of peer review published data, as opposed to testimonials.

The Australian government offers accurate, consumer-driven information that’s generally kept up to date. Of note is its vaccination information which provides easy to read information for parents (the “Understanding Childhood Immunisation Booklet”, is just one example). The government’s National Prescribing Service and Health Insite provide consumer-driven health information, as do state government websites such as the Better Health Channel in Victoria.

The commercial My Doctor website will give you comprehensive local health and medical information from the MIMS medical reference tool.

Concise and accurate fact sheets on vaccination can be found at the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) and facts sheets on other medical conditions are available from the Consumer Health Forum.

Other international sources include WebMD, The Mayo Clinic, NIH Health and the National Cancer Institute, which are all good places to find reliable and easy-to-understand medical information.

Government health websites are a reliable first stop for online health information. Ed Yourdon

There are also a number of crowd-sourced tools that indicate the quality of a site, based on user experience. Web of trust (WOT) is a browser plug-in which rates sites from green (good) to red (bad) depending on consumer reviews compiled from four categories: trustworthiness, reliability, child safety and privacy.

The HON (Health on the Net Foundation) Code is the oldest rating system and was founded in 1995 by the Economic and Social Council of The United Nations to encourage the dissemination of quality health information for patients, professionals and the general public.

If you come across information that makes you suspicious, you can always google it with the word “sceptic” or “debunk” and you’ll usually find several blog posts that offer a second opinion. A large community of scientists and health professionals lurk on the intertoobs and take great pleasure in applying their expertise to debunking suspicious and spurious medical claims. Science Based Medicine is one such multi-author blog, with contributions from pharmacists, cancer specialists, neurologists, infectious disease doctors and researchers.

The important thing to remember about researching health information online is to be sceptical, be critical, and never replace the trained eye and diagnosis of an experienced health professional with diagnosis by Dr Google. The internet can assist you, perhaps even calm your fears temporarily (or not, as case may be) but it will never replace the expertise of your doctor.

Finally, respect your doctor. Don’t be fooled into thinking you know more than them just because you’ve spent a few hours at Google University.

This list of websites is by no means exhaustive, so please feel free to add your favourites in the comments section below.

Rachael Dunlop receives funding from the Heart Research Institute and The Institute for Ethnomedicine, Wyoming. She has previously received funding from the NHMRC.

The Conversation

 

This article was originally published at The Conversation.
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Thumbnail Image courtesy of [Stuart Miles] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Have we got the science on why we’re getting fatter wrong?

By Lennert Veerman

An article published recently in the BMJ argues that we have been pursuing the wrong hypothesis on the causes of obesity. Along with substandard science, this wrongheadedness has apparently exacerbated the obesity crisis.

Author Gary Taubes asserts that obesity is probably not caused by a positive energy balance (more energy is consumed than spent). A promising rival hypothesis has been forgotten without having been properly investigated.

According to that hypothesis, obesity is a hormonal, regulatory disorder. Energy imbalance is only a consequence of that underlying hormonal factor. The problem is not that we’re eating too much, it’s what we’re eating. And the probable culprit is carbohydrates. But this is yet to be definitively proven.

Enter the Nutrition Science Initiative (NuSI), a US-based not-for-profit organisation co-founded by Taubes that will fund the rigorous experiments needed to “find out, once and for all, what we need to eat to be healthy”.

NuSI will also “re-introduce a culture of rigorous experimental science to the field of nutrition.” A condition for meaningful progress in this field is apparently “a refusal to accept substandard science as sufficient to establish reliable knowledge, let alone for public health guidelines.”

So, out with the research done to date, and away with current guidelines, right?

 

Who speaks and for whom?

Actually, not so fast. Let’s first examine who wants us to forget everything we know and postpone all action on obesity. Taubes is a journalist and author, not a scientist. And his organisation, NuSI, is financed by the “Giving Library”, which “offers philanthropists an innovative way to enhance their strategic charitable giving”. It also gives would-be donors a “forum for anonymous communication”.

The NuSI board of advisors “all share a passion and belief: to date nutrition science has been inadequate in drawing conclusions and making sound recommendations.” The board of directors are people with backgrounds in consultancies, corporate health care and private investment management.

Anonymous donors, claims of a scientific establishment suppressing ideas, claims that the science isn’t settled and no action should be taken, that more research by “independent, sceptical researchers” is needed, the involvement of big corporate actors in a field where research findings can have consequences for a multibillion-dollar industry – where have we seen all that before?

It smacks of denialism. But Taubes states that NuSI doesn’t accept support from the food industry, there are no food industry representatives on any NuSI board and taking aim at carbohydrates probably doesn’t make you friends in large sections of that industry. Perhaps this is just the way you raise funds for research in contemporary America.

But is it true that all the research in the field to date has uncritically accepted energy imbalance as the cause of obesity? And that no-one has yet looked at hormones as a cause of obesity? The short answer is no. While Taubes presents his ideas as revolutionary, they are actually fit quite comfortably in a long tradition of low-carb dieting. And it’s not true that such diets have never been scientifically tested.

To support his argument, Taubes cites a study that compared the Atkins diet to other diets, and found it achieved greater weight loss. That could mean carbohydrates are causing weight gain, but it could also result from the fact that carbs are the biggest part of our diets and restricting their consumption leads to overall reductions in caloric intake.

Whatever the case, it’s customary to do the research first and claim that you have found the cause of obesity (if indeed you have) second, rather than the other way around as Taubes seems to be doing. But again, this may be the way to raise funds for research in America.

 

Missing the bigger picture

Someone reading Taubes’ article might be forgiven for believing that the current thinking about solutions stops at the individual level and is all about diets and exercise. Not once does Taubes mention the “obesogenic environment”, which many obesity researchers consider to be the cause of the obesity epidemic.

Where many researchers focus on our changing living environment, Taubes puts the focus squarely on hormonal factors. But these probably haven’t changed while obesity rates soared. And he asks if we can all please wait for the results of this revolutionary research before taking any action.

That’s not helpful. We have a problem now, and contrary to Taubes’ claims, we do know something about its causes.

If Taubes believes increased consumption of carbohydrates is the cause of the obesity epidemic, he might have pointed to a trial that shows that replacing sugar-containing drinks with non-caloric drinks reduces weight gain and fat accumulation in children. Also, why not support calls for limits on advertising and availability of sugar-sweetened beverages, and for increased taxation to reduce consumption?

Taubes exaggerates the uncertainties in current nutrition science. There’s support for a causal role of carbohydrate-rich diets in the obesity epidemic but, as he notes, such diets also tend to be rich in calories. He is yet to conclusively prove it’s the carbs specifically that are to blame.

So rather than wait years for the results of NuSI-funded research, we should change our food supply to discourage excess sugar intake. A tax on sugar-sweetened beverages would be a good start, as would restrictions on advertising to children.

Lennert Veerman receives funding from NHMRC and ARC.

The Conversation

 

This article was originally published at The Conversation.
Read the original article.