Newsletter
HotBod July 99
Welcome All: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: Individualize Your Aerobic Routine
Mention the word aerobics and most women envision an instructor leading a class through various jumping, twisting, and other athletic movements. These classes look fun and can be a great place to socialize and meet new people. Every week there seems to be a new gimmick devised, with a catchy name and clever marketing angle; high impact, step, slide, spin-the list goes on and on.
Unfortunately, any group-oriented fitness activity is generally inferior to a program that is specifically designed for an individual. Aerobic classes must cater to the masses and, most likely, will not optimally target your own heart rate. On the other hand, individual aerobic modalities allow you to the ability train within your target zone. Therefore, you can customize a routine to meet your specific needs, resulting in optimal fat burning potential.
Moreover, because of the extreme, unorthodox nature of many aerobic movements performed in a class setting, the risk of injury is heightened. An injury can seriously curtail your workout regimen, potentially hampering your ability to train indefinitely. Conversely, individual modalities are executed in a controlled fashion. Thus, they tend to be much safer to perform with the potential for injury greatly reduced.
This is not to say that aerobic classes are without merit. Since many women are not internally motivated to exercise, these classes can provide an impetus to become more active. This, in turn, can help to promote adherence to an exercise program. Hence, if you simply cannot motivate yourself to exercise or perhaps just want to have some fun, an aerobic class might be right for you.
However, while anything that helps to increase your motivation to exercise is certainly worthwhile, experience has shown that the best way to encourage lasting adherence is to achieve results in the safest, most expedient way possible. There is no greater motivating factor than seeing your body change before your very eyes. Thus, from a cost/benefit perspective, a custom-tailored, individually designed cardiovascular regimen is the most effective way to train.
NUTRITION CORNER: Reduce Starchy Carbs at Night
For most, starchy carbs make up a substantial portion of their evening meals. Pasta, rice, potatoes… these are nightly staples in the standard American diet. Steak and fries, spaghetti and meatballs- what would dinner be without them?
The trouble with starchy carbs is that they are readily transformed to fat when eaten before bedtime. The reason for this is simple: The primary function of carbohydrates is to supply short-term energy for your daily activities. If carbs are not used immediately for fuel, they have two possible fates; they either are stored as glycogen in your liver and muscles or are converted into fatty acids and stored in adipose tissue as bodyfat. Since activity levels usually are lowest during the evening hours, there is a diminished use of carbs for fuel and therefore an increased potential for bodyfat storage.
In general, the best time to consume carbs is early in the day, when your activity levels are at their peak. This will allow your body to utilize a maximal amount of carbs for energy and minimize the potential for fat deposition. Breakfast, in particular, is an excellent time to load up on complex carbs. A large bowl of rolled oats or bran cereal will set the stage for fueling your daily activities and keep you physically and mentally fit throughout the day.
On the other hand, it is best to limit your dinner fare to fibrous, vegetable-based food sources. Fibrous vegetables tend to be extremely low in total calories and, because of their bulk, are very filling. For supper, consider eating a meal consisting of lean poultry or fish combined with a large bowl of salad greens. Other vegetables (i.e. broccoli, string beans, cauliflower, zucchini, etc) also make fine nighttime carbohydrate choices, and will reduce the potential for unwanted bodyfat storage.
SUPPLEMENT REVIEW: Sodium Bicarbonate
One of the limiting factors in exercise performance is lactic acid build-up. Lactic acid is a byproduct of energy metabolism. When it accrues in your muscles, you experience an intense burning sensation and ultimately are unable to continue training.
Sodium bicarbonate has been touted as a means to counteract the buildup of lactic acid. By buffering acidity, it theoretically helps to suppress the production of this byproduct and allows you to continue training for longer periods of time. However, sodium bicarbonate tends to cause gastric disorders. Most people experience extreme cramps and stomach pain upon ingestion. Thus, any potential benefit is neutralized by these side effects.
If you are competing in an event, you may want to experiment with sodium bicarbonate to see if you experience any side effects. Make sure you experiment before your competition, not on the day that you compete. If your stomach can tolerate this supplement, try it on contest day. It can provide some benefit in enhancing performance.
Supplement Grade: B-
