Newsletter
HotBod June 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: Don't Sweat It
Most women mistakenly believe that you "gotta sweat" in order to have a successful workout. While sweat is usually associated with rigorous exercise, it is by no means essential to achieving results.
When you exercise, sweat is brought on by an elevation of body temperature from metabolic heat. Your body regulates its temperature by activating your sweat glands, which then releases water through your pores as a cooling mechanism. Thus, sweat is an indicator that your body temperature is rising, not necessarily that you are exercising at an intense level. Thus, rather than judging your workout by how much you sweat, you should use barometers such as maximal heart rate or maximal oxygen consumption as a yardstick of how hard you are working.
Moreover, contrary to popular belief, being out of shape does not increase your propensity to sweat. In fact, the more physically fit that you are, the more you will tend to perspire. Frequent exercise tends to make your sweat glands increasingly sensitive to rises in body temperature. Over time, your body begins to perceive when you're beginning to train, and, not wanting to store extra heat, signals the sweat glands sooner than in an untrained individual.
NUTRITION CORNER: Eat Fat to Lose Fat
For many years, common nutritional wisdom preached that fat was the enemy. "Eat fat and you'll get fat," was the mantra of most dieticians. Recently, however, this view has softened and a more moderate approach has been adopted in respect to fat intake.
Despite what you might have heard, certain fats are vital for basic sustenance. They are involved in cushioning your internal organs for protection, aiding in the absorption of vitamins and facilitating the production of cell membranes, hormones and prostaglandins. Physiologically, it would be impossible to survive without the inclusion of fats in your diet. Consequently, rather than cutting all fats out of your diet, it is advisable to focus on eliminating saturated fats and replace them with unsaturated, essential fatty acids (EFAs).
Saturated fats have virtually no biological purpose. If you don't burn them immediately for fuel, they either are stored in adipose cells throughout your body or become oxidized as fatty deposits in your arteries. But that's not all. These fats tend to make your muscles less responsive to insulin and inhibit your body's ability to store sugars as glycogen Studies have shown that the consumption of saturated fat is directly correlated with fat storage; the more you eat, the more you keep.
On the other hand, EFAs cannot be manufactured by your body and hence, like vitamins, are an "essential" component in food. Due to their lack of saturation, EFAs don't readily bond together (that's why they remain liquid at room temperature) and thereby decrease the potential for clumping into a cellulite-like appearance in areas prone to this phenomenon. In addition, they are extremely biologically active and actually help to increase your metabolic rate while enhancing the ability of your muscles to use insulin. Ultimately, this results in better fat metabolism and improved body composition.
As a rule, limit your fat intake to less than 20% of your total calories with the majority coming from EFAs. The best sources of EFAs are found in soy products and deep-colored, cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna. Flaxseed oil also contains high levels of EFAs. It comes in liquid form and either can be mixed into your foods or taken by the spoonful. Look for a brand that has a 3:1 ratio of omega-3 (linolenic acid) to omega-6 EFAs (linoleic acid).
SUPPLEMENT REVIEW: Glutamine
Glutamine has become one of the hottest supplements on the market. Its sales are in the millions.
Glutamine is an amino acid-one of the building blocks of protein. It is found in foods such as chicken, fish, and eggs and also is contained in many of the protein powders on the market. Although it is considered non-essential (meaning that the body can produce it naturally), Glutamine stores are depleted during exercise. This makes supplementation beneficial.
Glutamine serves several important functions. First, it's anti-catabolic. Second, it aids in immune function. Helps to support the immune system. By acting as a fuel source for lymphosites and macrophages (immune cells), it supports immune function. This can help to combat overtraining. Finally, it is used as an energy source during training. When glycogen reserves are low, the body draws on glutamine to maintain endurance.
For hard-training women, a dose of 5 to 15 grams per day is recommended. But you have to balance this with the amount of glutamine contained in your diet. Once this is established, supplement accordingly.
Supplement Grade: A
