Newsletter
HotBod February 01
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. Don't hesitate to write if you have any comments or suggestions.
Thanks to all who have made my new book, Look Great Naked, a hit. The book is at the top of the charts in the fitness category. The response has been overwhelming and I appreciate all the feedback. Again, feel free to email me with specific questions or comments.
TRAINING CORNER: Exercise and Free Radical Production
Free radicals are an uncontrollable fact of life. For those who don't know, free radicals are unstable molecules that can injure healthy cells and tissues. Millions of these gremlins are produced each day during the normal course of respiration. The main culprit: oxygen. Every time you breathe, oxygen uptake causes free radical production. Environmental factors such as pollutants, smoke and certain chemicals also contribute to their formation. If left unchecked, free radicals can wreak havoc on your physique and cause a multitude of ailments including arthritis, cardiovascular disease, dementia and cancer.
Those who are physically active are especially prone to free radical damage. Due to increased oxygen consumption, free radical production skyrockets during exercise and the body's own defense system is unable to cope. This results in an inflammation of muscle tissue, impairing muscular function and slowing recovery. The capacity for muscular repair is thereby reduced, heightening the likelihood of overtraining.
Hence, it is essential for anyone involved in an exercise program to increase their consumption of antioxidants (such as vitamins C and E, alpha-lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10, etc.). Antioxidants help to quench free radicals and mitigate any potential cellular damage. In proper dosages, they are completely non-toxic and provide a host of positive benefits. For convenience, various antioxidant formulas are available that combine these little wonders into a single pill.
NUTRITION CORNER: Weight Loss Explained
As I've mentioned time and again, weight loss is a relatively simple process: take in fewer calories than you expend and you'll lose weight. This is called the law of thermodynamics and it is an immutable concept in nutrition.
Some popular nutritional "experts" have challenged the law of thermodynamics, claiming that by following a given diet, you can "eat as much as you want and still lose weight." To explain why this is impossible, consider the following analogy: Picture a bucket that is half-filled with water. If a hole is cut into the bottom of the bucket and a steady stream of water is poured into the top, what happens? Well, if more water is poured into the bucket than leaks out, water will continue to accumulate and the bucket will eventually overflow. Conversely, if the rate of leakage is greater than the amount of water added, water levels will diminish and the bucket will ultimately empty out.
Now certainly the human body is much more complex than an inanimate bucket of water. But from the perspective of caloric expenditure, it functions in much the same way as the above example. There just is no mechanism to consistently lose weight if you eat more calories than you expend. As with the overflowing bucket, the body has no way to expel excess calories; their only fate is to be stored as a long-term energy source in adipose tissue (fat cells). Hence, if weight loss is desired, you must decrease calories and/or increase energy expenditure. You can eat all the "right" foods and try any combination of macronutrient ratios but you won't lose a thing unless you follow the law of thermodynamics.
SUPPLEMENT REVIEW: Probiotics
What it is: Probiotics are "friendly" bacteria. The two major types are bifidobacterium bifidum and lactobacillus acidophilus.
What it does: Probiotics antagonize the proliferation of destructive forms of bacteria that can develop in the colon. They also can synthesize some vitamins, such as biotin and vitamin K. In addition, they help to break down fiber and undigested starch into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that function as fuel for the cells lining the large intestine.
The verdict: Probiotics can be potentially helpful in improving gastrointestinal health as well as contributing to overall well being. Some of the benefits of supplementation include increased resistance to infectious diseases, decreased duration of diarrhea, reduced serum cholesterol concentration and possibly even a reduction in the production of carcinogens. Although more research is needed in the area, there does appear to be positive effect associated with supplementation. No optimal dosages have been identified so consult with your pharmacist or nutritionist as to your specific situation.
Supplement Grade: B
