Newsletter
HotBod Fall 03
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: How many days per week should you lift weights?
It is fairly common knowledge that you shouldn't train the same muscle group on successive days. The reason is simple: weight training breaks down muscle tissue. Recognizing that the muscles will be taxed again, your body "repairs" the muscle tissue during rest in order to prepare for the next weight training session. If sufficient rest is not allowed between workouts, the muscle complex becomes "overtrained," leading to diminished results.
To get around this predicament, many strength training protocols use a "split routine," working different muscle groups on alternate days. The idea behind a split routine is to provide an optimal balance of volume and recovery. Push/pull, agonist/antagonist, and upper body/lower body are popular choices for training splits and, when properly implemented, can help to elicit superior gains in muscular strength and size.
Unfortunately, a split routine doesn't always work as advertised. You see, during the performance of most exercises, there is a synergistic interaction between muscle groups. The biceps, for instance, are integrally involved in the performance of back maneuvers, the shoulders and triceps in many exercises for the chest, and the glutes and hamstrings during compound leg movements. Other muscles function as stabilizers: the abdominals and erector spinae (the muscles of the lower back), in particular, help to provide stability in a variety of upper and lower body exercises, contracting statically throughout each move. The fact is, when a muscle is repeatedly subjected to intense physical stress (even on a secondary level) without being afforded adequate rest, the rate at which mitrotrauma occurs outpaces the reparation process. The end result: impaired localized muscular development.
There also is a systemic effect of training on the body. Your muscles are activated through the central nervous system. When you lift, the entire nervous system is sufficiently taxed so that it needs time to regenerate. If this process is shortchanged, overtraining sets in.
But how much is too much? Although everyone has varying recuperative abilities, a period of 48 to 72 hours is usually required for adequate recovery between strength training sessions. Accordingly, for most strength training protocols, a three-day per week routine is ideal, with training performed on non-consecutive days (i.e. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, etc). Remember, when it comes to exercise, it's the quality - not the quantity - of training that breeds results.
NUTRITION CORNER: Sports drinks
Sports drinks are extremely popular for frequent exercises. Gatorade and similar products make up a multi-million dollar industry. But are these drinks really necessary? Here's the scoop:
During exercise that lasts an hour or less, there is no need to consume a sports drink. Glycogen and electrolyte levels are not sufficiently depleted in this time frame and thus a carb-based drink wouldn't make any difference in performance. Plain old water is sufficient to re-hydrate your body and should be consumed readily throughout your training session.
For workouts exceeding an hour, a sports drink can be beneficial. A drink containing 30 to 60 grams of simple carbohydrate per hour helps to stimulate glycogen resynthesis, prevent muscle tissue breakdown and sustain exercise performance. While most of the popular sports drinks will work just fine, you can use all-natural fruit juice (no sugar added) as a less expensive substitute.
A word of caution: If weight loss is your goal, be judicious with the amount of calories you consume through sports drinks. Consider taking a few sips of your drink every ten minutes or so and only consume more if you really feel you need it. And remember that marathon workouts aren't necessary for achieving a terrific physique. It's the quality, not the quantity, of training that breeds results. Rarely should your sessions need to last more than sixty minutes unless you are training for a specific event.
SUPPLEMENT REVIEW: Cordyceps
What it is: Cordyceps is a Chinese mushroom.
What it does: Cordyceps is purported to relieve asthma, increase respiratory function and improve libido.
The verdict: While there are some impressive anecdotal claims that cordyceps improves athletic performance, there is scant research to support its use in the general population. Studies have shown increased oxygen capacity in mice and reduced fatigue in sick, elderly patients. However, these studies don't necessarily correlate to results in healthy, younger people. On the plus side, no significant side-effects have been reported to date. Thus, while cordyceps does show some promise, additional research is needed before a definitive recommendation can be made.
Supplement Grade: Incomplete
