My Supplements Corner: Glutamine

GLUTAMINE:

What You Need To Know

Glutamine is an Amino Acid. It's the most abundant one in your body. It can be found in your skeletal muscles, lungs, brain, blood and liver. Because your body can make it, it's a non-essential amino acid. Glutamine increases protein synthesis. Even if it's not part of the 8 essentials amino acids, glutamine is one of the most important amino acids, especially for athletes.

Glutamine is used by your body when you're ill and when you're injured. It supports and regulates your immune system. It has been shown to reduce infections. Glutamine seems to also have a positive impact on heart disease. Glutamine will also raise HGH level.

One other major benefit of Glutamine is in the prevention of muscle loss. It's been used for Cancer patients, HIV patients and burn patients. It helps to speed up the recovery of the patient and limit the muscle loss.

Athletes will tremendously benefit from Glutamine. There are numerous positive effects for the use of Glutamine in sports. Glutamine prevents muscle breakdown and helps to produce new muscle tissue. It will control the lactic acid level during physical activity; this will help you workout longer. Glutamine has been proven to be very useful to both strength athletes and endurance athletes.

Sources of Glutamine:

Glutamine can be found in pork, dairy products, chicken, beef, cabbage, spinach, beans, fish, and eggs. Now when training intensely there is a good chance that you might not get enough to meet your needs. Adding it as a supplement would be good. Take it in capsule form or powder. Personally, I like the powder version, it's easy to add to your post workout shake.

How much should you take?

When it comes to how much to take, this decision will depend on its  purpose. The dosage can be from 2g to 15g a day.  When working out, the typical recommendation is 5g post workout; at that moment your body needs to repair and recover. Another moment in a day where Glutamine will be very helpful is at bed time.

Conclusion

If you're thinking about taking an amino acid, you should strongly consider Glutamine. You're training hard and really don't want that work to go to waste. Taking it will have some significant effects on your training. Because of the positive results from research and it's popularity, there is no doubt that Glutamine will help you achieve your fitness and sport goals.

Tips of The Week #2:

How to Easily Get the Famous Six Pack Abs:

Let's be clear about one thing. There is NO such thing as getting abs "easily and fast." Everybody wants great abs but a lot of people don't know how to reach that goal. You need to follow several steps and stick to it! Doing hundreds of crunches won't cut it. Getting a flat stomach and visible abs is very challenging, but it's not out of your reach.

Here Are 3 Rules to Follow to Reach Your Goal:

• Diet
• Cardio
• Weight Training

Those 3 steps look pretty simple and obvious, but are often misunderstood.

To be successful you need discipline. Make sure there is a chance of success when setting up your goal. Set small goals; this will keep you motivated. When reaching a goal you can then set up the next one. Thinking of losing 15 lbs and being shredded in 4 weeks is setting yourself up to fail.

Let's Bring Out Your Six Pack with These Successful Ways:

DIET:

• Lower your calories! Sounds obvious? Yes you need to burn more calories than you consume. You should start by cutting 250 calories a day. Of course this means that you need to calculate how much calories you eat on a normal day.
• Say goodbye to soda! Drinking one soda a day will add around 1700 calories per week to your diet. And no, diet soda is not the solution. Studies have shown that diet soda consumers will gain weight in the long run.
• Eat more often! Eat 5 to 6 meals a day instead of your usual 3. Eating more often keeps your metabolism working non-stop.
• Be smart with you carbs! You should eat carbs with a low glycemic index. This will help you burn more fat throughout the day. Keep your consumption of carbs low to moderate. Cut carbs from your last meal before bed.
• Eat more fiber! You should consume between 30 - 40g of fiber a day. Fiber helps to lower bodyfat.
• Drink up! Staying hydrated will help you burn some fat. Drink around a gallon of water a day.
• Eat Protein! You should eat protein with each meal. Your protein intake should be between 1 to 1.5g per pound of body weight depending on your level of activity.
• Go nuts! Eat a handful of nuts every day (almonds, hazelnuts, cashews); it will help you lose and keep the weight off.

CARDIO:

• Cardio up! For fat loss, train 4 - 6 times a week for 30 - 60 minutes on your favorite cardio machine.
• Do it on an empty stomach! If you're up for it, do it first thing in the morning. Because your body is depleted of glycogen, it will turn to fat for energy. Cardio on an empty stomach is a good thing, but don't over do it. 2 - 3 times a week is enough.
• Change your cardio! Surprising your body with different ways to do your cardio will force your body to respond to a different types of effort.
• Cardio after weights! You should consider doing your cardio after your weights training. Once again, being depleted of glycogen, your body will turn to fat for fuel. The combination of these two is the key for more calories burned.

WEIGHT TRAINING:

• Don't rest to much between sets! If your resting time is around 40 seconds, you will burn up to 50% more calories compared to a rest period of 3 minutes.
• Ladies, lift those weights! Weight training raises you metabolic rate. You will lose more fat and shape your body. And no, weight lifting won't give you big muscles! I understand the fear that most women have about weight training. They don't want to lift weights for fear of getting ripped muscles and looking like a dude. The truth is, it CAN'T happen. Women don't produce enough testosterone to get that result (naturally). And you need a good amount of food to build those muscles. Women don't usually eat that way. Put that fear away; it's a misunderstanding of the concept and grab those barbells!
• Incorporate different techniques! Circuit training, drop sets, super-sets, tri-sets, compound sets...etc. You will burn more calories between sets, and will accomplish more in less time 

In Conclusion:

There is no big secret to get your six pack. The key is to combine and follow correctly the 3 rules. But I would say this: Diet is 80% of the success. A six pack won't appear overnight. There is no such thing as special pills or  a secret ab machine. Getting these is the hardest battle; you still need to watch your diet continuously. If you think that your work is done, you're sorely mistaken.

Water: the Underrated Nutrient

Is Water That Important?

YES! It's one of the most important nutrients. A lot of people don't give much thought to water. Let me ask you something: how much water do you drink in a day? If you don't have the answer or if you're guessing, you probably don't drink enough.

Water constitutes 65 to 70% of the human body. Your blood is made up of 82% water, your brain 95%, your lungs 90%. Did you know that 50% of all diseases could be tremendously reduced or eliminated by staying hydrated throughout the day? Even when dieting, people calculate the amount of calories they consume from fat, carbs and protein, but don't pay any attention to their water intake. Let's clarify something here: water is the most important nutrient when you want to lose fat. That's right! The Most Important. Also, studies have shown that restriction of water promotes fat retention.

Statistics show that 95% of all the people in the US are dehydrated; drinks like coffee, tea, sodas and alcohol will contribute to dehydration. To prevent dehydration it's best to sip on water throughout the day. Eating more fruits and veggies during the day will help maintaining fluid balance. It will help, not replace drinking water.

A correct balance of water in your body is crucial. Small dehydration is the common cause for fatigue during the day. For an athlete, dehydration will reduce strength, endurance and will often cause cramping.

What Are Some Benefits of Drinking Water?

• Maintain and improve a proper digestive system
• Reduce fatigue
• Reduce risk of disease (bladder disease, colon disease)
• Healthy skin
• Healthier joints
• Healthier bone
• Help weight loss

So How Much Water Do I Need?

The average person needs between 8 to 12 cups of water a day. This is for an inactive person. For active people and athletes, obviously those numbers are too low. The general rule to calculate the amount of water needed per day is fairly simple: Take your weight, for example 200 pounds, divide it by 2, which gives you 100. So you should drink 100 ounces of water a day. The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate amount for men is roughly 3 liters. For women it's 2.2 liters a day. I would add that an athlete should drink at least a gallon (around 4 liters) of water a day.

Just keep in mind: By the time you're thirsty you are already dehydrated. So drink up!

Power Up Your Football Game with Supplements

Feeding Your Body the Right Way Will Help You Perform at a Higher Level

Football is a very physical sport. Nobody can deny that. A football player needs a high calorie requirement. During the season or during training camp, football players will burn a tremendous amount of calories. They often have the same question: Do I eat enough? How can I fuel up my body with energy?

There is no doubt that football players need to follow a proper diet - high in quality carbs, healthy fat and at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. An average 200 lb football player should consume at least 3600 calories per day divided in 5 to 6 meals. Of course this will also depend on the position of the athlete on the field.

In addition to their diet, athletes will often incorporate supplements. This will help them gain the maximum performance from their effort. With the following supplements, football players can prevent injuries, recover better and faster from workouts, gain muscle mass, strength, speed and  be filled with energy.

      8 Essential Supplements

1. Multivitamins: That's a no brainer. These are essential in your life, so for athletes it's a must! Take it with breakfast.
2. Protein Powder: Protein is critical for athletes. Whey protein will do the trick. Now, for football players who need to gain a few pounds, and the one with fast metabolism, taking a Weight Gainer is a great choice. Taking it post workout and as a snack mid-morning or mid-afternoon would be good.
3. Joint Support: Football is physical; it's a contact sport, lifting weight being a big part of it also, so taking good care of your joints and ligaments makes sense. Taking Glucosamine with Chondroitin is the way to go. Take it with breakfast and/or with dinner.
4. Essential Fatty Acids: Great for your cardiovascular health, it's also a great lubricant for the joints - it contributes to muscles growth. Some Omega 3,6,9 would be great. Take it with breakfast and dinner.
5. Creatine: Creatine is involved with your ATP process; this supplement will help promote energy, strength and speed. Taking it pre-workout will be perfect for that.
6. Amino Acids: Most of these will come from your protein shakes, but adding Glutamine will help with recovery. Taking Glutamine post workout and before bedtime will to the job.
7. ZMA: It's a supplement that consists of Zinc, Magnesium and Vitamin B6. It will help with recovery. This is a supplement that will boost your natural testosterone. Gain of strength and endurance will occur. ZMA should be taken 45 minutes before bedtime.
8. Sports Drinks: A beverage designed for the athlete to replenish and rehydrate the body when fluids are depleted. Sip it before, during and post workout.

Keep in Mind

Supplements are beneficial, but you should educate yourself first before taking them. It would be wise to cycle your supplements for best results. Some supplements are more beneficial when they are not used all year long (Creatine for example).

Is Cooling Down Necessary After Working Out?

Why Should I Cool Down?

Cooling down is just as important as the warm up. A lot of people think that the cool down is not important after a workout; they underestimate its need and effect. What they don't realize is that the cool down promotes recovery. It will help your muscles recover and repair for the next workout. It helps in reducing and regulating the temperature of your muscles. The cool down will also reduce stiffness and soreness. It also removes waste products from the muscles, otherwise known as: Lactic Acid.

A Proper Cool Down Can Be Done in 3 Steps:

1. Easy/gentle exercise: For example, if you just finished a 40 minute workout on the elliptical, add 5 to 10 minutes to that with the same machine but at a easy, slower pace. Gradually slowing down the intensity and speed of the exercise.
2. Stretching: Around 10 minutes of stretching will maintain and add flexibility which reduce the risk of injury.
3. Refueling your body: It is essential to replenish your body with food and fluids post-workout. Consume a mix of carbs and protein within an hour of working out. Some fruits, honey and water can also do the trick. A sport drink as well. A protein shake with dextrose and glutamine in it. The choice of your post-workout meal will mostly depend on the type of activity you've done and the duration.

Follow these steps and add these extra minutes to your gym routines and you will see how it is going to enhance your future workouts.

The Goods about Doing Cardio

Is Cardio Necessary?

Cardio is very popular. Everyone can do it and benefit from it at any age. Cardio is an aerobic exercise; it's the ability to perform a low to moderate training for an extended period of time. Our body uses oxygen and fat for energy when performing an aerobic exercise. To be efficient the goal is to be able to apply a correct intensity to properly strengthen the heart.

One of the great things about cardio is that it can be performed inside or outside. Good examples of cardio exercises outside include: walking, running, biking, swimming, rollerblading, cross-country skiing...etc. Inside exercises can be performed at the gym or at home: the elliptical, stationary bikes, treadmills, stationary rowers and steppers.

Let's Point Out the Benefits of Doing Cardio:

• Strengthens your lungs and heart
• Lowers the risk of heart disease
• Helps people with diabetes
• Reduces body fat 
• Maintains body weight
• Reduces stress
• Improves sleep patterns
• Increases endurance and stamina
• Reduces the risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure
• Helps facilitate the transport of oxygen
• Lowers the risk of osteoporosis 
• Increases bone density
• Increases stamina and energy throughout the day, lowers fatigue

When doing cardio you need a minimum of 20 minutes of exercise to elevate the pulse. Studies show that you need to do this at least 3 times a week to obtain results. Also, to lose 1 pound a week you must burn 3500 calories, or 500 each day.

According to the American College of Sport Medicine, it is recommended to do 60 to 90 minutes of aerobic activity 5 days a week in order to support weight loss. It has been proved that the heavier the person the more calories burned. For example, on average, a person weighing 160lbs will burn around 511 calories per hour. In comparison, a 240lb person will burn around 760. The concept of wearing a weighted vest when doing cardio could be helpful to burn more.

For best results when doing cardio your intensity of training should be between 60 to 80% of your maximum heart rate. To calculate this take 220 and subtract your age. This will give you your maximum heart rate. A 30-year-old would have a 190 maximum heart rate. At this level 85% of your calories burned are from fat.

In conclusion, cardio should never being excluded from a fitness plan. Now that you know the benefits and basics of doing cardio, get started and put that knowledge to good use.