Welcome!

Welcome to the second edition of Performance Education Systems' ,The Insider newsletter; your informational conduit into the world of performance nutrition and supplementation. It's been some time since the premier issue was released in fact, a little too long. However, I've been traveling quite steadily and have been tied up with building resources for other's web sites.

Before I hit the road once again, I have a small window of opportunity to update some of my own resources, The Insider is one of them. I have transformed this informational tool into an interactive web page. I personally think this is a major improvement over the previous static text version. I hope you will enjoy this new format.

In this issue, I'll try to make up for lost time by including a nice array of engaging resources. For example, I have included an interactive, narrated web-training that explains the basics of creatine and ATP (adenosine tri phosphate). If you've ever wanted to know exactly what creatine is, what it really does, and how it works (but were afraid to ask) here is your opportunity to learn. My educational style is more of a layman's "story-telling" process that incorporates visuals and analogies. This is the absolute, polar opposite of the industry's mind-numbingly "techie" standard.

I would be honored if you read this entire issue from beginning to end, however, I am a realist. I know that many of you would rather skip to the various topics that interest you the most. Therefore, if you would like to just cut to the chase and move to a specific topic, use the interactive table of contents below.

I have two minor requests before you get started.

1. Please send this newsletter to as many people as you think would benefit.
2. Please refrain from copying images and animations from this site. If you just can't help yourself, I would appreciate you giving credit for the source.

 

Other than that, enjoy!

 

Where in the world have I been?

Since the beginning of the year, I have been adding a lot of frequent flyer miles to my United account. Some of my travels have literally brought me from one side of the planet to the other to some amazing international destinations.

I was very fortunate to have worked with the Abbott Nutrition International team on developing some educational resources for their global affiliates. This collaboration brought me to Mexico City to work one-on-one with my counterparts to finalize the program details.

Although it is always nice to visit Mexico, the highlight of my travels (thus far) was my trip to Dubai. I was invited to present on several topics at the MeFit (Middle East Fitness) Health and Fitness Summit. Here is a picture of the advertising for next year's event. You can click on the picture to link to the official site.

Although I was quite honored to have been invited to this world-class event, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Once there however, I quickly became a fan of the United Arab Emirates.

If you don't know much about Dubai and the astounding volume of development that is transforming the region, here is an interesting site to visit http://www.dubaitourism.ae.

Also, be sure to check out The Mall of the Emirates featuring Ski Dubai. Although I had heard about the indoor skiing range featured in this mall, it was hard to believe until I saw it for myself.

The only thing that disappointed me about this trip was the alarming proliferation of fast food restaurants. I traveled half-way around the world simply to find the likes of Burger King, McDonalds, KFC, Cinnabon, Baskin Robbins, and Dunkin Donuts I couldn't believe it. I'm sure that this is a contributing factor to the rise in obesity and diabetes among U.A.E. adults and children.

Fortunately, the MeFit Summit, organized by my good friends Greg and Rania Boucher, is helping to properly educate the U.A.E. community on healthy nutrition and fitness.

Hopefully, MeFit's efforts will help to turn the tide of the United Arab Emirates' trend towards diet related health risks.

 

 

 

 

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As a quick mention, I've been busy supporting a variety of Body-for-LIFE events this year. I was a key note speaker at the 2008 Body-for-LIFE Expo which was held in Columbus, Ohio to coincide with the Arnold Classic. This event is always a great one to attend as participants can experience a wide range of fitness related events and competitions.

I had the privelege of presenting Body-for-LIFE principles to the City of Albequerque's employees who were involved in an Abbott supported fitness challenge. I was the two-week later follow-up to the one and only, Porter Freeman, 1997 Co-Champion and Kelly Adair, 1998 Grand Champion. I'm always grateful when I don't have to present on the same day as these two dynamic speakers. They are definitely two tough acts to follow.

There have been several other Body-for-LIFE related events that I have supported however, I would like to give special mention to my good friend Jerry Braam. Jerry was the 2000 Champion in the men's 33 - 39 age class. Each year, Jerry plans, organizes and manages a Champions-for-LIFE cruise. I was a sponsor of this year's cruise and provided copies of The Ultimate Guide to Athlete Nutrition as door prizes.

This year, Bill Phillips himself attended the CFL cruise and personally presented several motivational and educational sessions. For die-hard BFL'rs, it doesn't get any better than that. If you are curious about attending a cruise, the ship has already sailed. However, keep checking back for updates on next year's event.

 

 

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What are Medium Chain Triglycerides?

Here is the layman's explanation. MCT's, or Medium Chain Triglycerides are relatively short-chained fatty acids. Due to this "short" molecular structure, MCTs are rapidly absorbed into muscles and utilized as fuel. This fast consumption of MCTs by working muscles results in an very low likelihood of them ever being stored as body fat (within reason). This is why MCTs are sometimes called the "un-fat" fats.

Because MCTs are delivered to, and "burned" by, exercising muscles at a rapid rate, they may help to preserve muscle glycogen (stored energy) and spare muscle proteins. In other words, if MCTs are used for energy instead of these other sources, they may be left in reserve for a longer period of time. The end result is the potential for longer durations of training and less destruction of muscle tissue (from amino acid loss). For these reasons, Medium Chain Triglycerides are popular with athletes, particularly endurance athletes.

In nature, MCTs do not exist in high concentrations. However, they are found in some tropical oils. The type of MCTs found in nutritional products, or as a stand-alone supplements, have been manufactured. Commercially available MCTs are typically "clipped" from tropical oils to produce the short, highly bioavailable fatty structure.

MCTs are available as stand-alone products, such as TwinLab's MCT Fuel, or are incorporated into some meal supplements, such as CytoSport's Muscle Milk.

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Some nutritional supplements are expressly formulated with specialized nutrients to help buffer the onset of "lactic acid". One of the more promising, science-backed nutrients is beta-alanine. This compound may help to shuttle and increase levels of the amino acid carnosine into muscle tissues. In simple terms, carnosine may work as a buffer to the buildup of hydrogen ions. This may, in effect, "hold off" muscular failure for just a few more moments. This may equate to the ability to squeeze out a few extra reps while weight training.

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How young is too young for supplements?

I am often approached by coaches and parents of young athletes who want to know two basic things; if supplements are safe, and if so, what their athlete(s) should use. These are tough questions to answer. The primary reason is because supplements are generally for healthy, active adults over the age of 18.

This was the standard rule of thumb that we adhered to when I co-managed the EAS call center. This blanket policy helped to avoid the "unknowns" surrounding the effects of advanced nutrients on growing adolescent bodies. In fact, a major reason for this policy was to cover for the lack of studies on subjects under the age of 18.

Another reason for this policy was to help avoid a public perception that the company openly condoned and promoted youth supplementation. Obviously, doing so would carry the potential for a backlash of negative publicity. Now that I am an independent consultant, I can freely offer my opinions on this matter from an insider's point of view.

First, it may be a good idea to define what a supplement actually is. Next, it may help to differentiate between advanced supplements such as creatine, thermogenics and pro-hormones, and core nutritional products such as meal shakes, bars and protein powders. Certainly, there is a tremendous difference between these categories of products.

Although there are a variety of definitions of the term, "supplement", I have an easy description that I have used for years. I believe that a supplement may be anything legal that can be added to the diet to enhance performance, health and overall fitness goals. With this description, in certain scenarios, even whole foods may be considered "supplements". For example, endurance athletes may consume excess carbohydrate foods leading up to an event. This may work to increase glycogen stores for improved energy reserves.

I consider "advanced" performance supplements to be the creatines, thermogenics, pro-hormones, lactic acid buffering compounds, and other such specialized products and nutrients. These types of products are certainly best applied to those over the age of 18. This may be especially true for the "edgy" bodybuilding-type products such as pro-hormones. I personally believe that "messing" with natural hormonal levels in developing youths is asking for trouble.

One of the supplement "biggies" in regards to lingering questions and fears, is creatine. However, not only is it one of the most popular supplements, it also happens to be backed by a plethora of research science. Creatine has been shown to be safe and effective for healthy, active adults over the age of 18 who do not have any pre-existing medical conditions. So, although creatine is safe and effective, it is still not suitable for "under-aged" users. I have included a short interactive lesson on creatine if you would like to know more.

Here is the overall message; there are definite "categories" of supplements. There are those that fall under the advanced category and others that fall under the category of core nutrition. Therefore, in regards to young athletes, we should be aware that "supplementing", as a general term, may not always be as bad as we think.

This is especially true when it comes to nutritional shakes, bars and protein powders. As part of an effective meal regimen, these types of products may prove indispensable for helping athletes to stay on nutritional track. From my experience, the majority of any athlete's potential could be reached by simply consuming the right foods, at the right times.

Unfortunately, young athletes tend to skip breakfast, eat junk foods during the day, and miss out on the "optimal window of opportunity" for post workout nutrition. Simply put, many athletes neglect to properly manage even the most basic of performance best practices, yet will turn to advanced supplements to help "give them an edge". This mentality is like neglecting to put oil in your car's engine yet you take it into the shop for high-dollar performance modifications.

Since athletes in general tend to neglect nutrition and nutrient timing, I recommend incorporating some foundational products into their daily regimen. For instance, use a quality protein supplement to make a custom smoothie or shake. These may be ideal to start the athlete's day fueled and energized instead of depleted and drained. A ready-to-drink shake or meal bar may be an ideal way to help the athlete to jump-start the recovery process post workout.

Now the final question to resolve is, "How young is too young for core nutritional products?". My personal belief is that High School-aged athletes have the green light for using meal shakes, bars, ready-to-drink shakes and protein powders.

However, I have always allowed my own kids to have a small shake or smoothie for a nutritious snack. The way I see it, there are much worse things that they could be eating. In addition, I am in control of how many calories and protein they consume with these products.

If you would like to know more about athlete nutrition, consider The Ultimate Guide to Athlete Nutrition. This interactive, animated and narrated program delivers the key concepts of nutrition and nutrient timing that every athlete, coach and parent needs to know and apply. Included are three nutrition tip sheets and a 12-page nutrition guide.

 

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New Glossary Terms

ATPases - A class of enzymes that are involved in "breaking" ATP into ADP. This releases energy that drives cellular processes and muscle contractions.

Aminogen® - Aminogen is a patented, engineered enzyme developed by Triarco Industries. Aminogen is purported to enhance protein uptake and retention in tissues through improved amino acid availability and absorption. Aminogen is sometimes incorporated into protein and meal replacement powders as a means to support more complete use of the proteins. This may especially be helpful for digesting and assimilating products with higher levels of protein.

Arginase - An enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of L-Arginine into L-Ornithine and urea. For bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts, arginase activity is of particular importance. L-Arginine is a precursor to NO (nitric oxide). Nitric oxide plays a role in causing the smooth muscles that surround the vascular system to relax. This is otherwise known as "vasodilation". This may produce the much-coveted "pump"; which is veins standing on end and blood engorged muscles. Because arginase breaks down L-Arginine, it is a limiting factor to the duration of these "pumps". Some performance supplements include nutrients such as L-Norvaline to "buffer" arginase. This may, in effect, extend the duration of the "pump".

Hydrolyzed Whey - A whey protein, usually an isolate, that has been "broken down" into smaller chains of amino acids through enzymatic reactions. Because these proteins have been reduced into more readily absorbed pieces, hydrolyzed whey is sometimes called "pre-digested whey". Hydrolyzed whey is expensive to produce, which makes it cost prohibitive for supplement companies to incorporate it into their products. In addition, hydrolyzed whey is quite bitter-tasting. This makes its flavor difficult to mask. However, this form of protein is very quickly absorbed, which makes it ideal for immediate post workout use.

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More Educational Resources

The 10 Essential Tips for Athletes

These are the ten, bottom-line principles of peak performance that professional trainers and coaches demand their athletes understand and apply. This narrated program includes an interactive table of contents for quick access to information, plus engaging graphics to bring concepts to life. If you are the type that like to "just get to the point", then this is the CD for you. This is the interactive "cliff note" version of The 10 Essential Tips for Athletes manual found in The Ultimate Guide to Athlete Nutrition CD. As a bonus, a self-running demo of The Ultimate Guide to Athlete Nutrition is included. This is a great companion to The Ultimate Guide to Athlete Nutrition program or a cost-effective resource for coaches to make available for their athletes.

The Structure and Function of Skeletal Muscle

This unique program visually explains complex topics such as Type I and Type II fibers, aerobic and anaerobic energy systems, how muscle fibers generate force through the interaction of actin and myosin, how ATP works, and much more.

This is the perfect resource for anyone who wants to have a greater understanding of how their muscles work but does not have the time (or desire) to devote hours buried in books and classes. This is an ideal tool for personal trainers and coaches for “plug-and-play” education for their clients and athletes (and for themselves to brush up on information).

 

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