Newsletter
HotBod Fall 02
Welcome to all the new subscribers to the HotBod newsletter as well as those who have been with us from the beginning. Each month we'll explore issues relating to the three major areas of fitness: exercise, nutrition and supplementation. As always, your comments, questions and suggestions are always appreciated.
TRAINING CORNER: Is it okay to take time off from the gym?
Many exercisers get caught up in a "train-at-all-costs" mentality. They are so fearful of losing their hard-earned results that they never take any time off from working out. But do these fears have any basis in reality…?
When you stop exercising, a phenomenon called detraining sets in. During detraining, there is a gradual loss of strength followed by a loss of muscle. Eventually, if you don't get back into an exercise program, your muscles atrophy and you wind up looking the same as you did before you began working out.
Fortunately, if you have been training for an appreciable period of time, detraining won't set in for about ten days to two weeks. Any loss of strength or body composition will be marginal, at most.
Actually, it can be beneficial to take planned "vacations" from the gym. Assuming you work out intensely, this will give your body extra time to fully regenerate and can diminish any potential for overtraining. Often, you will feel rejuvenated and make even better gains once you get back to your routine. A good strategy is to take a week off every three months or so. You might get a little more sore the first week back, but the long-term effects will be worth it!
NUTRITION CORNER: Optimizing post-workout nutrition
The period immediately after your workout is perhaps the most important time to consume food. Studies have shown that a small "window" exists where taking in the right combination of nutrients can improve your body's capacity for development.
Here is a strategy to maximize your post-workout nutrition: Consume a combination of carbs and protein in a 2:1 ratio, equating to ½ gram of carbs per pound of bodyweight and ¼ gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. Thus, if you're a woman who weighs 120 pounds, the post-workout meal would include 60 grams of carbs and 30 grams of protein.
A liquid meal is preferable since it requires little digestion and therefore gets into the bloodstream quickly. This is also the one time where a high-glycemic carb is the best choice (low glycemic carbs are recommended for other meals). In order to increase protein and glycogen synthesis, you want to stimulate insulin and high-glycemic carbs are optimal in this regard. Grape juice and cranberry juice make excellent options. As far as the protein source, whey is best. Whey is a "fast-acting" protein that gets into the bloodstream more quickly than alternative sources. Drink up within two hours post-workout and you'll soon be reaping the rewards.
SUPPLEMENT REVIEW: Xenadrine EFX
What it is: Xenadrine EFX is a blend of various vitamins, minerals amino acids and herbs.
What it does: According to the manufacturer's claims, Xenadrine EFX expedites the loss of body fat and improves training performance
The verdict: Xenadrine EFX was developed as an ephedra-free alternative to Xenadrine, a popular fat loss supplement. Since ephedra causes numerous side effects, a formula that can burn fat without ephedra would be highly desirable. Unfortunately, this product doesn't deliver the goods. Many of the ingredients such as Vitamin C, vitamin B6 and pantothenic acid are simply window dressing that increase the cost of the product (if needed, you are better off getting them from a multivitamin complex). Others, such as l-tyrosine (an amino acid), will have no fat burning benefits assuming you consume adequate protein in your diet. And others, such as green tea extract and yerba mate (a standardized form of caffeine) will have some mild thermogenic properties but you would do much better by drinking some green tea (which would be much cheaper, too). The main thermogenic agent in the product is synephrine, which I have reviewed in the past. The fact is, synephrine hasn't lived up to its hype as a fat loss agent. While it doesn't have the side effects associated with ephedra, it also doesn't have its fat burning effects, either.
Supplement Grade: D
