Post Workout Drinks for Faster Muscle Recovery... And More Weight Loss!

You’ve heard all the bad things about sugar—it spikes your insulin, makes you retain more belly fat, and it’s been linked to serious health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. But what if I told you that there was one exception where sugar can actually be good for you and even help you gain lean muscle and lose more weight? Well, you heard it right, but there IS a catch…

You should only consume sugar after you workout, and I mean really working out—a walk in the park doesn’t count, unless you’re pushing a stroller that weighs 300 pounds. But hey, look at the bright side…you get to work up a good sweat, get lean, and lose weight while eating sugar!

But before I get into actually talking about what types of food (sugar) you should be consuming, let’s take a quick look at the science behind this process.

How Your Body Uses Sugar for Fuel
The energy that your muscles use predominantly comes from glycogen. Glycogen (glucose in storage form) is a form of carbohydrate that’s stored in your muscles for quick energy use. When you use your muscles during a workout, most of the energy is provided by glycogen. Glycogen is depleted fairly quickly during your workout, so the rate at which you replenish your glycogen greatly affects your muscle recovery and muscle building. The quicker you restore it in your muscles, the faster your muscles recover and more effectively you build lean muscle mass.

How To Restore Your Glycogen Faster
The higher the intensity of your workout, the more energy is utilized by your muscles and hence the quicker your glycogen gets used up. So, what do you need to do to restore your glycogen levels? In this situation, the speed of nutritional uptake is important, so liquid calories with the right combination of protein and simple carbs is your best bet. In normal circumstances, natural whole foods are always recommended over supplements and liquid calories. Complex carbs such as vegetables and some fruits are much better than simple carbs (sugar) because you want slower digestion which prevents your insulin from spiking. However, after an intense work out your goal is to restore your energy levels as quickly as possible… so it’s opposite of what you would normally want. The quicker the protein and carbs get into your blood stream the better, so it can quickly restore your glycogen level and help maximize your muscle recovery and muscle growth. For this reason simple carbs such as dextrose and maltodextrin (both are just different forms of sugar) and easily absorbed forms of protein such as whey isolate proteins are favored over whole foods.

When Should You Have Your Post Workout Drink?
Somewhere between within 1 hour after working out optimally restores your depleted glycogen levels. So don’t worry if you don’t have time to make a shake to bring it with you when you workout. You should have plenty of time to get home after working out and a make a quick shake to get the most benefit out of it.

What’s The Best Protein to Carb Ratio For a Post Workout Drink?
This will vary depending on who you ask or what studies you read. First, the protein to carb ratio ranges between 1:1 to 1:4 depending on your workouts. The longer the workouts and more endurance types of activities require a higher carb ratio such as 1:4. You cannot go wrong keeping your ratio at about 1:3-1:4.

What Should You Drink?
Do you remember chocolate milk? If you’re like me, the last time you had it may have been at lunch in grade school. Well, guess what? Chocolate milk actually makes for a pretty good post workout drink! Believe it or not, the protein to carb ratio is around 1:3, the recommended ratio of most recovery drinks. So the next time you workout and your feeling some what nostalgic, try drinking chocolate milk. As long as you’re not lactose intolerant, you may have just found your chocolate indulgence in a post workout drink.

If you are lactose intolerant, you may not be able to satisfy your chocolate cravings, but you have many other options when it comes to making your own post workout drinks. You’ll need just a couple of ingredients. You’ll need to get some whey protein powder. The whey protein isolates are recommended over other kinds of protein powder for it’s ease of digestion and absorption. And a sweet drink of choice. Stay away from drinks sweetened with high fructose corn syrup or crystalline fructose if possible. A combination of maltodextrin and dextrose have been proven to be the best at getting into your blood stream the fastest, but I wouldn’t get too caught up with that. Stick to natural sweeteners and avoid highly processed sweeteners. Even better, if you have a blender at home you can blend real fruits with whey protein, ice and make a cold post workout smoothie that’s both tasty and nutritious. The recommended amount of protein in your post workout drink ranges between 0.12 - 0.24 grams of protein per pound of lean body weight. So if you’re 180 lbs with 10% body fat, your lean body weight would be 162 lb. This means 19 - 39 grams of protein. And since the recommended protein to carb ratio for a post workout drink is around 1:3, your carb range would be 57 - 117 grams. This is not an exact science, so you’ll probably have to experiment a little with the ranges, but that’s a good starting point.

Faster Recovery Leads To Greater Fat Loss
If you are in the mind set that weight loss is all about cutting calories, think again. Remember, the more lean muscle mass you have, the more you increase your metabolism and the more calories you’ll burn throughout the day resulting in a greater total weight loss. Muscle is your body’s most efficient fat burner! That goes for both men and women, so replenishing your glycogen to optimally refuel and build lean muscle is critical if you ever want to shed those extra pounds and get your sexy back.

What’s your favorite post workout drink? Post your comments below!

Written by Shin Ohtake on Monday, July 20, 2009. MaxWorkouts.com
Edited by Jason Copeland CSCS

To Hit the Snooze... Or Not?

Q: Is 8 hours of sleep each night really necessary?

A: Almost every sleep physician recommends adults sleep for 7 to 8 hours every night. But everybody is different, according to Dr. Neil Kline, a sleep physician and representative for the American Sleep Association. "You need what you need," says Kline. "Some people may only need 6 hours, while others won’t function as well unless they get 8. There isn’t one specific amount of sleep that every person needs."

If you feel drowsy during the day—at work, in the car—you’re not getting enough sleep, Kline says. It’s as simple as that. If you’re still unsure how many hours your body needs, make it a goal to lay your head for 7 to 8 hours a night to guarantee optimal mental and physical performance.

Q: Do I benefit from the extra few minutes of sleep I get by hitting "snooze"?

A: Only if they give you a chance to finish up a cool dream. "It's unlikely that the extra 10 to 15 minutes will make a dent in your nightly sleep deficit," says Gerard T. Lombardo, M.D., director of the Sleep Disorders Center at New York Methodist Hospital. Chances are, that deficit is growing: According to the National Sleep Foundation, Americans are sleeping 6.9 hours per night—much less than the 8 hours usually needed for good health.

The desire to hit "snooze" comes from the instant reaction that drives you to shut off whatever blaring monstrosity just invaded your deep, peaceful sleep. May we suggest a more genteel alternative? Rather than scare you out of bed, a Zen alarm clock ($100, now-zen.com) uses a gradual series of chimes to rouse you, leaving you less groggy.

Q: What if my schedule only allows for 5 to 6 hours of sleep each night?

A: Sleep is a basic biological need, so there’s nothing—not caffeine, not exercise—that can replace it. "Most adults need at least 7 hours of nighttime sleep," says Dr. Mary Susan Esther, president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. "But if your schedule doesn’t allow that, break sleep up into parts (five hours at night and a daytime nap)." It’s almost as beneficial.

Chances are if you only have time to sleep 5 or 6 hours a night, a daytime nap is improbable. Stick to your shorter sleep schedule during the week, and pay back the debt on Saturday or Sunday. While sleeping in on weekends can disrupt your sleep-wake cycle and result in more fatigue, it’s still better to replace the sleep you miss during the workweek than to continue accumulating a sleep deficit. "It’s not ideal to wake up at 6 a.m. during the week and sleep until 10 a.m on weekends, but getting sleep [even in odd fragments] is always better than the alternative," says Dr. Esther.

Q: Why do I wake up 2 minutes before my alarm goes off?

A: Your body has an internal clock (circadian rhythm) that adapts to sleep and wake patterns. "People like the assurance that an alarm is going to be there, but we have the ability to set our own mental alarm," says Dr. Esther. It may not be exactly to the minute, but numerous sleep studies show that people can condition themselves to wake up at certain times without the blaring buzzer.

Train your internal clock by going to sleep and waking up at the same time for 7 days straight.

Q: What is the best way to make up for a sleepless night?

A: "The only way is to catch up on that sleep," says Dr. Kline. "You’re going to need to pay back that sleep debt." You can choose to be miserable until it’s paid off, or you can find some free time and a dark corner to curl up for a nap.

Caffeine can postpone the inevitable for some time, but no chemical will replace good sleep—eventually you’re going to need to crash. Everybody has the occasional bad night—it’s no cause for concern. Just try to wind down a little bit earlier the next night to get back on track.

Q: When is sleep a symptom that something more serious may be wrong? A: Chronic daytime sleepiness—drowsiness that goes on for more than two weeks—is the number one sign that you may have a sleep disorder, says Dr. Kline. Sleeping too much or too little is a symptom of a variety of health problems such as depression, anxiety disorders, or a thyroid problem.

If you’re concerned about your sleep hygiene, discuss symptoms with your primary care physician. He or she will determine if an appointment with a sleep specialist is necessary.

Q: What goes on in my brain while I’m out cold?

A: Sleep is an active process. "You don’t just relax and let yourself sleep," says Dr. Esther. "There is a complex biological system at work while you’re sleeping." So complex, in fact, that scientists still don’t know exactly what goes on when we’re out cold.

But one thing is certain: Sleep is restorative. Our bodies release certain chemicals when we’re asleep that help promote good heath and strengthen the immune system. This is especially true during rapid eye-movement (REM) sleep. Brain scans of people experiencing REM sleep show activity comparable to that of being awake. This is why Dr. Kline warns against pulling an all-nighter. "It is much better to get the benefits of sleep, than to study [or work] through the night."

Originally from Menshealth.com (http://www.menshealth.com/spotlight/sleep/q&a.php)
Edited from Jason Copeland, CSCS

Drink Up!

Q: I know that drinking water is important. How much should I be drinking each day?

A: Water is essential indeed! If we don't ingest enough fluid, dehydration can set in quickly. To gauge the importance of water relative to food, consider that severe dehydration can lead to death within a matter of days, whereas we can go for weeks without food.

Approximately 55-60% of our body weight is water. That's why our body weight can fluctuate so dramatically and quickly… especially after exercise in the heat when we can lose large amounts of body water to sweat. Our bodies depend on water to keep our cells and body systems running smoothly. Most importantly, it is used to maintain blood volume, which is imperative for regulating body temperature and delivering oxygen and nutrients to the rest of the body. Water also provides a medium for the biochemical reactions that occur at the cellular level. In addition, water is crucial for the removal of waste products through the formation of urine by the kidneys.

It's important to realize that we can get our fluid requirements from the food we eat, as well as the fluids we drink. For instance, an orange is 87% water! Good sources of water are:

		Fruits & Vegetables
		Drinks, especially non-caffeinated ones like fruit juice
		And the best source of all… good ol water!

There are many different methods for calculating daily fluid requirements. However, a simple equation to help adults figure their fluid needs is that for every pound of body weight, you need about half an ounce of fluid intake per day. For instance, if you weigh 140 lbs., simply multiply 140 by .5 to estimate your daily fluid needs in ounces, then divide by eight to estimate your fluid needs in cups per day, rounding up to the nearest full cup. [example: 140 x .5 = 70 ounces; 70 ounces divided by 8 = 9 cups of fluid per day]

0.5 ounces x Body Weight in Pounds = Daily Fluid Requirement in ounces

The other common way to calculate daily fluid needs is to base the fluid need on caloric intake. 1 milliliter of fluid for every calorie ingested. Converted to the household measurement of ounces, your body needs .034 ounces for every calorie that you ingest.

0.034 ounces x Daily Caloric Intake = Daily Fluid Requirement in ounces

As you calculate out what your daily fluid requirements are, you'll probably realize that it is close to that common recommendation of 8 - 12 cups per day. However, the above equations will give you a more accurate guideline because fluid needs vary depending on body size. It's also important to realize that fluid requirements can vary dramatically under extreme conditions such as exercise, especially in hot and humid environments, and during illness associated with fever. These situations require increased fluid needs. Drink up!

7 Ways to Keep Your Portions Under Control

One of the key elements to losing weight and keeping it off is practicing portion control. You can eat the best food for your body, but if you are intaking too many calories daily, you will not be able to lose weight. Here are some easy tips for keeping your portions in check to effectively lose weight.

Portion Control Tip #1: Don't Leave Food in Sight

Eating meals family style (where the dishes of food are in your sight) can make it much easier to reach for seconds. If they are not in the same room, you are much less likely to want more. Leave the pots and dishes in the kitchen, and fix yourself one serving. Let it settle for at least 20 minutes so that you acquire the feeling of being full.

Portion Control Tip #2: Use Meat as a Side Dish

Don't make meat the main course of your meal. Load up on healthy grains and vegetables instead, and have meat or a meat-based side dish. This way you will feel full faster and pack your diet with more vitamins and fiber, which is better for you in the long run.

Portion Control Tip #3: Split a Serving

When eating out, try splitting a meal with a friend or taking half of your meal home. Most restaurants provide more than one serving in a typical meal. By splitting it up, you can save money and save on the extra calories.

Portion Control Tip #4: Learn Serving Sizes

By learning to visually identify some simple serving sizes, you can better control your portions. When eating a typical serving size of meat, it should be about 3 ounces or the size of a deck of cards. A standard serving of grains or raw vegetables is about the size of a tennis ball or your fist.

Portion Control Tip #5: Eat Small Meals

Keep your blood sugar even throughout the day by eating small meals. You can keep your energy up and eat less overall because you do not get ravenous and overeat. People who eat 5 to 6 small meals a day are much more likely to maintain portion control because they never become too hungry.

Portion Control Tip #6: Portion out Food

When you are having a snack, be sure to divvy up your portions before you begin eating. It is quite difficult to eat just one portion of any snack food when eating straight out of the bag. By separating out one portion, it is much easier to stick to it, and not eat too much without even thinking about it.

Portion Control Tip #7: Break Down Leftovers

Instead of storing leftovers in a big container, separate them out into single servings. Then you can easily reach in the fridge and pull out one single serving to reheat. This will help you limit how much you are eating with very little effort.

By practicing these tips on a regular basis, you can help to regulate your portion control and maintain a healthy diet long term.

FitDay.com 2008-2009.
Edited by: Jason Copeland, CSCS

Are You Drinking Too Much?

Blog Post on EatingWell.com By Nicci Micco, October 20, 2009

This week, the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association came out with the news that the risks of drinking might outweigh its potential health boons. In other words, all that good news we’ve been hearing about how moderate drinking helps your heart, protects against Alzheimer’s and may even strengthen bones is only half the story.

I’m not surprised by their statement, given some research that’s come across my desk recently, including that even moderate sipping might increase risk for breast cancer. Since there’s so much conflicting scientific information on alcohol and health in the news, we decided to go straight to the experts for help in weighing the pros and cons of drinking. What we found—and what it means for you—may surprise you.

Our feature “Is the Party Over?” in the current issue of EatingWell has people (including me) wondering: do I drink too much? Last night, my friend joined me for dinner. While I stirred our stew, she picked up the EatingWell Magazine on my kitchen counter and started reading. At first, she was intrigued by how alcohol positively and negatively affects your body—from your heart to your liver, and by how, exactly, alcohol affects your brain, drink by drink. Then she quickly homed in on the descriptions of “problem” drinking.

“Wow. More than three drinks on any one day is considered ‘high risk.’ I’m known to do that on a Saturday—and now that it’s football season, on Sundays too,” she told me. “I think I need to reign it in.”

“Well… and moderate drinking is technically no more than one drink a day for women,” I said, feeling a little like a party-pooper. “Maybe I need to cut back too.” (Do you drink too much? Take this quiz to find out.)

We paused for a moment before agreeing that justifying a second glass of wine with “it’s good for my heart” wasn’t going to hold up anymore. So we opened a bottle of seltzer instead.

Nicci Micco is deputy editor of features and nutrition at EatingWell.com