Vegetarian Nutrition and Sports Performance

How much protein do athletes need?
What’s the best protein?
When should protein be consumed around training for optimal results?

>> Click here for the Ultimate Book on Protein Intake for all Strength, Power and Endurance Athletes

Carl Lewis claimed to be a vegetarian.
Whether that’s true or not is not the point of this article.  [...]

Dehydration and the Lesser Known Disgusting Tasting Cure

Thanks to my Chiro and ART specialist Gerry Ramogida for sharing this tip.
Pedialyte is an immediate relief for diarrhea and vomiting, and in some cases, hangovers.
Pedialyte contains an appropriate, clinically proven balance of fluid and electrolytes.  If it’s good for babies and infants, then it must be good for us.  (Who still likes Gerber Apple [...]

Gatorade Tiger Focus Discontinued – Big Surprise?

I wonder if this has to do with the Tiger scandal?

Gatorade Tiger Focus is being discontinued to make room for newer 2010 innovation products.

Like all Food and Beverage companies, Gatorade discontinues certain product lines and that included Gatorade Tiger Focus in this year’s cut… yes, Tiger didn’t make the cut.

Apparently, this decision was made in [...]

Is Milk the Ultimate Post Workout Recovery Drink?

I’ve been drinking chocolate milk as my post recovery workout drink since 1985.  In Montreal, we would have a long commute home on the subway, and always grabbed a 500mL or 16oz carton of chocolate milk at the indoor kiosk.  (Jamie, Sonya and Charles, are you reading this?)
Here is some current research that “proves” Milk [...]

Caffeine Limits in the NCAA

With the indoor season around the corner, I want to remind those athletes in the NCAA that caffeine is still on the list of controlled substances.
The NCAA maximum acceptable level is 15 mcg/mL (micrograms per millilitre) in the urine.
Now unless you have a Starbucks Venti sized drip coffee with an extra shot of espresso, a [...]

CherryPharm Natural Light

Everyone is going light these days.
Take a look around you, and you’ll understand why.  When you’re watching your calories, you want every calorie to count.
For example, Gatorade G2 is 25 calories per 8 ounce serving (~250 ml) which is about half the calories compared to the regular Gatorade.
With the popularity of low-cal sports drinks, it’s [...]

ZMA-5 = ZMA + 5HTP + B9

For those who swear by ZMA, you’ll be glad to know a new and improved formulation is now on the market.
ZMA isn’t for everyone, because everyone will react differently to it, especially the vitamin B6 component which can keep you awake for hours.
ZMA is meant to be taken at night prior to bedtime.  I found [...]

Basil and Pesto – It’s Better than you Think

Now that I’m living in Italy, one of the most popular foods and spices is basil, otherwise know as Ocimum basilicum.
Basil is the key ingredient in pesto – along with pie nuts, parmesan cheese and olive oil.  That’s it.  It’s my emergency meal when there’s nothing in the house to eat.  When I’m STARVING, all [...]

What is DHEA? Benefits of DHEA Supplements (which is Banned in Track!)

Thanks to Ken Stone for pointing this out to me.
Masters [cycling] track racer Kenny Williams tested positive for the banned substance DHEA in a test taken at United States masters nationals in Colorado Springs.
 
In a letter first published at cycle-smart.com, Williams called the decision to take the drug a mistake and said that he [...]

More Natural Painkillers – MSM and Celadrin

I am currently based about 40 minutes north of Rome in a town called Nepi.
Nepi is famous for their natural bubbly spring water (Acqua di Nepi) where locals can bring their empty bottles and fill them up for free between the hours of 2-6pm.  The bubbly water tastes like Perrier but the price is right.  [...]

Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate – Hope or Hype?

Let me go on record with this fact:
Once injury or osteoarthritis has occurred on a soft tissue such as your shoulders, knees, elbows or Achilles, there is NO magic pill to fix the athletic injury.  Lower back pain also fall in this same category.
That pain and damage you feel is from weeks or months or [...]

Vitamin B Complex Supplementation

It is amazing how many items in the local grocery store are supplemented with common vitamins and minerals.
Table salt is iodized, to prevent goiter.
Milk is supplemented with Vitamins A and D because calcium absorption to the bones decreases during the Northern winter months.  Our past generation (before the supplementation) would suffer rickets due to the [...]

Interview with Alicia Weber – Part 2

Matt Bogdanowicz’s is a sub-Masters middle distance runner who set WR for 1 minute pull-ups (46), 1 hour pull-ups (522), 30 minute pull-ups (433 set in 2006) but missed the 30 minute WR on Oct 2007 (completed 417 when the current record at the time was 442).
In comparison, Alicia Weber is a former University of [...]

More Contaminated Supplement News

It looks like the infamous Jeff “BALCO” Novitzky is at it again.
There are more cases of athletic supplements are contaminated that can fail your next drug test.  So buyer beware.
Two products from American Cellular Labs (ACL), Tren Xtreme and Mass Xtreme, were pulled of the shelves from alleged contamination of 4-estra and Madol (also known [...]

Energy Drinks vs. Sports Drinks – Know Thy Difference

Now I’m getting worried.
When an eight year old become sick from the unpleasant after effects from energy drinks such as Red Bull, I have to ask one thing:
Where are heck are the parents?
Seriously, there’s a huge difference in Gatorade, or Tiger Gatorade Focus, and Red Bull or Monster drinks.
Honestly, until kids reach High School, [...]

Saturated Fats, Monounsaturated Fats, Polyunsaturated Fats, and Terrible Trans Fats

I discussed the topic of protein in great detail, and promoted Omega 3 fatty acids.  I even promoted chocolate milk, which contains saturated fats, especially the whole milk variety.
But what about fats?
Here is a brief overview of the 3 main fats: Saturated Fats, Monounsaturated Fats, and Polyunsaturated Fats, and of course, the terrible Trans Fats [...]

Treating Sore Muscles – Try Arnica or Traumeel

At every indoor meet, I still remember vividly the scent of Ben-Gay in the locker rooms.  Now combine that smell of muscle rub ointment, sweat and the musty locker room, and you can guarantee that rancid combination is a smell you’ll never forget.
Depending on your country, famous brands other than Ben-Gay (recently changed to [...]

Cereal and Milk, not Chocolate Milk Better for Recovery?

I’ve harped on the benefits of chocolate milk instead of high priced protein powders in the last few articles.
Now research from The University of Texas at Austin has proved a bowl of whole-grain cereal is just as good .  (Sorry, Fruit Loops, Coco Puffs and Lucky Charms do NOT count!)
Because at the end of the [...]

Why Food can be Better than Protein Powders

We all agree protein powders have an edge for convenience. Some are RTD (ready to drink), and some just require cold water and a shaker.

But natural wholesome food sources have extra benefits beyond powders. Beef has iron. Fish has Taurine, Omega 3 oils, and B12. Dairy products have calcium.

The Protein Book [...]

Recharge with Milk

The Recharge with Milk website (see below) is sponsored by the Dairy Farmers of Canada, of course.

I love their interactive demo on comparing Chocolate Milk with other drinks.

While conventional protein powders contain many of the essential nutrients your body requires after a workout, they contain far more protein than most exercisers need as part of [...]

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