Author: Andrew Custard

Type I fibers (sometimes called slow-twitch or slow-oxidative fibers) are better designed for prolonged exercise performed at a lower intensity. In comparison to Type II fibers, Type I fibers will have more mitochondria and rely more heavily on the aerobic generation of ATP. The primary energy molecules used to generate ATP in these muscle cells will be fatty acids and glucose. Since ATP production in mitochondria requires oxygen, proper function of these muscle fibers is very dependent upon oxygen supply via the blood. Luckily, Type I muscle cells always seem to have many capillaries around them to deliver oxygen-endowed blood.…

Oatmeal is an inexpensive and delicious way to get more fiber into your diet. One reason oats are such a good choice is that only the inedible outer hull of the oats is removed in processing. The oat bran stays on the kernel, so you always get some bran whenever you eat oat foods. The oatmeal shelf at the supermarket can be a little confusing. Here’s a rundown: Steel-cut oats. The most expensive kind, these are oat grains that have been cut very roughly. They take a long time to cook (20 to 30 minutes—plus you have to stir them…

Clinical deficiency can cause anaemia or nervous system damage. Most vegans consume enough B12 to avoid clinical deficiency. Two subgroups of vegans are at particular risk of B12 deficiency: long-term vegans who avoid common fortified foods (such as raw food vegans or macrobiotic vegans) and breastfed infants of vegan mothers whose own intake of B12 is low. In adults typical deficiency symptoms include loss of energy, tingling, numbness, reduced sensitivity to pain or pressure, blurred vision, abnormal gait, sore tongue, poor memory, confusion, hallucinations and personality changes. Often these symptoms develop gradually over several months to a year before being…

Exercise intensity refers to the level of exertion. For instance, lifting a weight that results in muscular fatigue after just a few repetitions or “reps” of an exercise is pretty high with respect to intensity. So too would be an all-out running or cycling sprint where fatigue occurs in a minute or so. Basically, the higher the intensity, the shorter the possible duration of the exercise. To reach such a high level of intensity, exercise often includes resistance against an otherwise simple movement of a muscle group or related groups. Examples of resistance training include weight training or running on…

Did you know that a deficiency of certain minerals can derail your workouts by limiting muscular contractile abilities? Here are the ones you should be concerned with: Calcium. You need it for muscle contraction—including your heart-pumping ability—as well as bone formation and strength and blood clotting. Aim for about 1,200 milligrams a day. Potassium. It helps strengthen nerve impulses throughout the body—including the muscle—and controls blood pressure. Try to get about 4,500 milligrams a day (most Americans get only about half that). Magnesium. It also helps muscle and nerve function and is considered an energy and immune system booster. Plus…

At one time there was a belief that higher intakes of protein can be problematic to health. Today we know that for most people this isn’t the case. In fact, diets with a higher level of protein then the RDA are encouraged for athletes as well as people during weight loss. Two areas of health have been the target for concern regarding higher protein intakes. The first is kidney health. It was long believed that since higher intakes of protein leads to the formation of more nitrogen-based compounds such as urea, this work become detrimental to the kidneys. However we…

Melatonin is a hormone made by your pineal gland (a small gland inside your brain). Your pineal gland controls your sleep/wake cycle and your body’s internal clock—what scientists call your circadian rhythm. Melatonin’s main function is to help you fall asleep, but today all sorts of other claims are made for it. Can melatonin cure insomnia, prevent jet lag, block cancer, restore immune function, improve your sex life, and even retard aging? Let’s look more closely at what melatonin can really do. Melatonin does help you sleep. When your eyes notice it’s getting dark, that information gets sent to your…

Sprinting should be performed incrementally. The increment is a time of rest between sprints equal to or greater than the time spent sprinting. A good rule of thumb is to take twice as long for the rest period as the sprint time. For instance, if your sprint took 10 seconds, you would rest for 20 seconds before you perform the next sprint. Active rest is best, like walking back to the original starting line before the next sprint is performed. The intensity of the sprints is also increased incrementally as your body becomes accustomed to the workout. During a training…

Arginine has always been a popular nutrient among bodybuilders. Along with its metabolite ornithine, it’s long been touted as stimulating growth hormone. More recently, various supplements that feature forms of arginine have been promoted as nitric oxide precursors. Nitric Oxide performs numerous vital functions in the human body. It dilates blood vessels, lowering blood pressure while increasing blood flow, and the increased blood flow is thought to increase the flow of nutrients and oxygen into muscle. Besides being the direct precursor of Nitric Oxide synthesis, arginine acts as a substrate for the synthesis of proline, the major amino acid found…

Simply stated, obesity is a state of excessive body fat. Based on research using Body Mass Index almost one-third of American adults are obese. However, one potential downfall to using BMI as a measure for obesity is that BMI is not sensitive to body composition. Remember, obesity refers to excessive contribution of fat to an individual’s body weight, not necessarily total body weight. However, more times than not, the two go hand in hand. One exception is in the case of heavier yet more muscular people. These people would include bodybuilders and other strength athletes who train with weights. The…