Newsletter
HotBod March 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. Don't hesitate to write if you have any comments or suggestions.
TRAINING CORNER: Ab Belts: Do They Work?
Ab belts are the current rage in fitness informercials. These devices rely on a principle called electric muscle stimulation (EMS) to promote muscular development. The manufacturers of the products claim that by sending an electrical current through your body, you simultaneously slim down and tone up your abs. Better yet, this is accomplished while you're lying on the couch, without any effort! Sounds too good to be true? Unfortunately, it is...
It is important to note that EMS has been around for decades. It has been used extensively in rehabilitation and physical therapy. And, for those who have had muscular atrophy (wasting of muscle), it can help to improve muscle tone in these subjects.
However, EMS has little if any application for healthy individuals. The amount of electrical current in these units simply isn't enough to promote muscular development. In order to effectively stimulate your muscles for muscular development, you'd need to use a current so high it would give you a jolt to remember! Electrocution isn't worth a little more ab development. What's more, EMS has no effect whatsoever on burning fat (you can't spot reduce!) so you're not going to strip away your love handles by using the device.
Bottom line: unless you are bed ridden and are trying to prevent atrophy from disuse, the ab belts will be useless. Save your money and, if you want a six pack, get a good ab routine that works your abdominal muscles from multiple angles.
NUTRITION CORNER: Fiber Up!
Fiber is an important part of your diet, not only from a health perspective, but from a weight management standpoint. When you consume fiber, it forms a "gel" in your intestines, which helps to inhibit the digestion and absorption of nutrients. As food passes through your intestines, some of the nutrients get trapped in the gel and end up being excreted before they can be metabolized. Hence, you can eat more food without having it stored in your system. In fact, it has been reported that, by simply doubling fiber intake from 18 to 36 grams, you reduce the available calories in your diet by more than 100 calories per day!
As a rule, you should consume approximately 20 grams of fiber for each 1000 calories in your diet. For most women, this would equate to about 30 to 40 grams of fiber per day. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are the best fibrous sources. Starting your day with a bowl of oatmeal or bran cereal and then consuming green veggies with lunch and dinner will go a long way to fulfilling your daily fiber requirements.
SUPPLEMENT REVIEW: Body Solutions
What it is: A "proprietary" blend of protein, fat and trace minerals.
What it does: By taking the product on an empty stomach 3 hours before bed time, it purportedly helps with weight loss.
The verdict: There is little reason to believe that the ingredients in Body Solution will help you lose weight. The main ingredient, collagen, is derived from connective tissue. It is, plain and simply, a protein (and a very poor one, at that) and has no thermogenic (fat burning) properties. The product also contains CLA, a fatty acid that, while showing some promise in promoting fat loss in rodents, hasn't proven to work in humans. Other ingredients include aloe vera and some preservatives - certainly not weight loss aids. The reason that you will lose weight by taking Body Solutions is because, if you follow the instructions, you don't eat three hours before bed time. This results in caloric restriction and therefore helps you lose weight. As always, weight loss boils down to the laws of thermodynamics: if you take in fewer calories than you expend, you'll lose weight.
Supplement Grade: F
