Monday, December 7, 2009
Supplement Curmudgeon: Does that DO anything for you?
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I've recently come to the conclusion that i think i've become a training supplement curmudgeon. Anytime i see someone on an associated forum asking about where they can get a good brand of glutamine or even bcaa's but especially anything nitric oxidyish, i find my eyeballs rolling.
What do we know about longitudinal responses to stuff that
shows these refined fractions do anything marvelous? As far as i know the assessment of glutamine from 2002 that unless you're training at altitude, or have GI distress from malto/dextro carbs, it's a good thing to use, has only been reaffirmed (see overview 2007). And yet it keeps showing up in formulas of stuff.
Likewise there are legions of studies to show that BCAA's are wonderful, but when compared with plain old Whey, whey rules. It also seems that if there were any remaining doubt about creatine monohydrate vs creatine ethyl esther, this year's research has raised sufficient questions about CEE to say CM is once again affirmed as the winner. Again.
And as for nitric oxide supplements, i'm willing to own that i may be wrong, but the resaerch has only shown that without it, protein synthesis does not occur - if NO is chemically surpressed. Having more of it present doesn't - again as far as i can tell from extant research - increase protein synthesis. There are other ways to get a pump - though it's not clear getting a pump aids protein synthesis either.
Supplements That Support What we Want to Do: Work.
As far as i can tell, the supplements that seem to have the best value are those that support energy production, and then support protein synthesis. So, we seem to know that after 20 years of research, creatine monohydrate is good for grinding out a few more quality intense reps. Nice.
We also seem to see promise in Beta Alanine for energy production and some recent studies have looked at *perceived* fatigue reduction in athletic contexts like football games. Rather surprising, but interesting. Worth looking at.
After this, the most research seems to be around getting some carbs and proteins into a person after a workout (carbs are needed for protein synthesis if muscle building of any kind is the aim). But even here, nutrient timing is not established unequivocably, but the nutrient requirements are. And here, it seems things closer to a food - like whey vs bcaa's - may have better effect.
These are the basics. Now, there's all sorts of stuff out there to give one's workouts a boost - to get charged up to go GRRR. But again, as far as i can tell, the two main ingredients in such combinations usually come down to caffeine and/or l-tyrosine (sometimes taurine). Tyrosine i do like once in awhile in lieu of caffeine. But what is the point of this? Why does one need/want to get caffenated to work hard? As work earlier this year showed, one actually gets substantial performance benefits from surprisingly small amounts of caffeine (not coffee. alas, there's a difference).
Reality Check
About two years ago, determined to explore the range of possible ways to get my teeth into my workouts, i ordered as many ingredients as i could see listed on most t-nation type products like power drive, surge, or products like Xtreme ICE etc. I chatted with folks at precision nutrition's forum about various CNS stacks like this one by john berardi for competition/heavy training schedules.
Yes i gave these a go. I honestly don't know if they did much for my workouts. I think the tyrosine is a great perker upper and focuser, sometimes surreally so -but - and this is the really deep part - how often do i work out when i actually need to be more in the zone of my workout? like i won't complete it without that? Or, should i not do so (hasn't happened in ages), it would make a difference in the not even grand but rather immediate scheme of things?
My workouts are generally pretty pre-planned: eg today is medium day of RTK; tomorrow will be VWC. A good sleep will enable each better than anything else, i'm finding, more than priming with coffee, taurine or anything else. What am i missing? Am i missing something?
Going Clear: personal realities
About a week ago i gave away a shed load of supplements from DMEA, chocomine, and related cns stack ingredients listed above, and even including a bag of maltodextrin. The latter was because i knew it was produced from corn in the US that is GMO'd sourced, and since seeing Food Inc, i do not want to go there. But more on that anon.
It was shortly after this, i saw word of a new product from t-nation called Anaconda.
"The only question is, are you that serious?" the ad asks. - Where one is already Huge and into working out three times a day. No. i guess i'm not that serious, if that's what serious means.
And that's sorta what my supplement curmudgeonliness has come down to:
what will work to best support what i ACTUALLY do, as opposed to imagining the scenario for which most of these supplements are designed - with a mix of science perhaps and a lot of speculation - to support? Because of course to state the obvious, taking supplements won't make it so, where IT is whatever the body comp goal is.
For me, the complexity is now at about is there really a benefit to taking the protien/carbs (and i happen to add creatine then so i don't forget it) right before and right after the workout or not? And if not, does it really matter? is that what's going to be the real difference between me adding another fraction of an inch of mass to my arms or not? Hard to see from this vantage point that it would.
Getting Real is Sometimes More Challenging than Getting Intrigued
When we get into health and fitness it seems we work so hard to get the details perfect. There's a certain satisfaction, isn't there, to things being just so. The gymboss timer is set for exactly 36/36 for those intervals or 8/12 or whatever. I have been just as particular. To the point of ripping the skin off my hands in doing snatches in a VWC set lest pausing to tape up so i can actually get through the workout break the stride. I must get through the workout without pause.
It's taken awhile for the Voice to come through the noise to say "Why? "
Indeed, what real difference will it make to my fitness goals if i stop to wrap? what real difference will it definitely make if i don't?
Metabolic Flexibility
Listening to Mike T Nelson talk this summer at the Sustenance course about Metabolic Flexibility has helped me start to get my head around the awesome adaptability of our embodied selves. If we ain't got it raw, our bodies will try to manufacture it. If we don't have it right NOW our bodies will find mechanisms to find what it needs. In fact the more non-predictive we become in our patterns potentially the more robust our systems will be - that's just a guess.
So i guess i've gotten either rather skeptical about supplementation or way more relaxed about thinking one supplement will help, for instance, unlock a "hard" workout.
I keep thinking about Clarence Bass: he likes creatine (and that only after quite a period of personal testing and validating with research) and he likes whey protein powder and he is the daddio of whole foods lean eating. He may be a sample size of one but lots of folks using his approach seem very happy with their body comp and health.
Me, i like creatine - and do notice a difference between creapure, the nice pure german stuff, and generics. I like a hydo whey for post workouts, along with a nice mix of non-gmo starchy carbs and electrolytes. I personally tend to do half before a workout and half right after for convenience, and i personally seem to feel better than delaying on that.
The jury is out for me on taurine, tyrosine, beta alanine and citruline malate - though again the science seems promising on those last two.
Sleep that knits up the unraveled sleeve of care
One of the biggest things for me of late has been the difference uninterrupted sleep makes, and investigating that - and how regular nutrition/daily diet is related to that, and the benefits from that, vs just about anything else. That sounds rather boring though in comparison to a CNS stack, doesn't it? I'm not sure it's a lack of seriousness; more a oh let's get real-ness perhaps.
Know what i mean? anyone? Tweet Follow @begin2dig
What do we know about longitudinal responses to stuff that
shows these refined fractions do anything marvelous? As far as i know the assessment of glutamine from 2002 that unless you're training at altitude, or have GI distress from malto/dextro carbs, it's a good thing to use, has only been reaffirmed (see overview 2007). And yet it keeps showing up in formulas of stuff.Likewise there are legions of studies to show that BCAA's are wonderful, but when compared with plain old Whey, whey rules. It also seems that if there were any remaining doubt about creatine monohydrate vs creatine ethyl esther, this year's research has raised sufficient questions about CEE to say CM is once again affirmed as the winner. Again.
And as for nitric oxide supplements, i'm willing to own that i may be wrong, but the resaerch has only shown that without it, protein synthesis does not occur - if NO is chemically surpressed. Having more of it present doesn't - again as far as i can tell from extant research - increase protein synthesis. There are other ways to get a pump - though it's not clear getting a pump aids protein synthesis either.
Supplements That Support What we Want to Do: Work.
As far as i can tell, the supplements that seem to have the best value are those that support energy production, and then support protein synthesis. So, we seem to know that after 20 years of research, creatine monohydrate is good for grinding out a few more quality intense reps. Nice.
We also seem to see promise in Beta Alanine for energy production and some recent studies have looked at *perceived* fatigue reduction in athletic contexts like football games. Rather surprising, but interesting. Worth looking at.
After this, the most research seems to be around getting some carbs and proteins into a person after a workout (carbs are needed for protein synthesis if muscle building of any kind is the aim). But even here, nutrient timing is not established unequivocably, but the nutrient requirements are. And here, it seems things closer to a food - like whey vs bcaa's - may have better effect.
These are the basics. Now, there's all sorts of stuff out there to give one's workouts a boost - to get charged up to go GRRR. But again, as far as i can tell, the two main ingredients in such combinations usually come down to caffeine and/or l-tyrosine (sometimes taurine). Tyrosine i do like once in awhile in lieu of caffeine. But what is the point of this? Why does one need/want to get caffenated to work hard? As work earlier this year showed, one actually gets substantial performance benefits from surprisingly small amounts of caffeine (not coffee. alas, there's a difference).
Reality Check
About two years ago, determined to explore the range of possible ways to get my teeth into my workouts, i ordered as many ingredients as i could see listed on most t-nation type products like power drive, surge, or products like Xtreme ICE etc. I chatted with folks at precision nutrition's forum about various CNS stacks like this one by john berardi for competition/heavy training schedules.
80mg caffeine
--CNS stimulation
300mg of green tea extract
--CNS stimulation
3g Tyrosine - (OR 1.5g N-acetyl-L-Tyrosine)
--Epi and Norepi precursor formation (but precursors must form neurotransmitters and these neurotransmitters must be released - the green tea and caffeine assist in NT release)
1g of Lecithin (or Choline) - (OR 100-200mg DMAE)
--AcH precursor formation (but, same as above, these precursors must be released)
15mg Policosanol
--Increases AcH release, decreases AcH breakdown in NM junction, and increases AcH binding affinity (all leading to decreased reaction time)
*10mg Vitamin B6*
--Potentiates the effects of the other ingredients
Yes i gave these a go. I honestly don't know if they did much for my workouts. I think the tyrosine is a great perker upper and focuser, sometimes surreally so -but - and this is the really deep part - how often do i work out when i actually need to be more in the zone of my workout? like i won't complete it without that? Or, should i not do so (hasn't happened in ages), it would make a difference in the not even grand but rather immediate scheme of things?
My workouts are generally pretty pre-planned: eg today is medium day of RTK; tomorrow will be VWC. A good sleep will enable each better than anything else, i'm finding, more than priming with coffee, taurine or anything else. What am i missing? Am i missing something?
Going Clear: personal realities
About a week ago i gave away a shed load of supplements from DMEA, chocomine, and related cns stack ingredients listed above, and even including a bag of maltodextrin. The latter was because i knew it was produced from corn in the US that is GMO'd sourced, and since seeing Food Inc, i do not want to go there. But more on that anon.
It was shortly after this, i saw word of a new product from t-nation called Anaconda.
"The only question is, are you that serious?" the ad asks. - Where one is already Huge and into working out three times a day. No. i guess i'm not that serious, if that's what serious means.
And that's sorta what my supplement curmudgeonliness has come down to: what will work to best support what i ACTUALLY do, as opposed to imagining the scenario for which most of these supplements are designed - with a mix of science perhaps and a lot of speculation - to support? Because of course to state the obvious, taking supplements won't make it so, where IT is whatever the body comp goal is.
For me, the complexity is now at about is there really a benefit to taking the protien/carbs (and i happen to add creatine then so i don't forget it) right before and right after the workout or not? And if not, does it really matter? is that what's going to be the real difference between me adding another fraction of an inch of mass to my arms or not? Hard to see from this vantage point that it would.
Getting Real is Sometimes More Challenging than Getting Intrigued
When we get into health and fitness it seems we work so hard to get the details perfect. There's a certain satisfaction, isn't there, to things being just so. The gymboss timer is set for exactly 36/36 for those intervals or 8/12 or whatever. I have been just as particular. To the point of ripping the skin off my hands in doing snatches in a VWC set lest pausing to tape up so i can actually get through the workout break the stride. I must get through the workout without pause.
It's taken awhile for the Voice to come through the noise to say "Why? "
Indeed, what real difference will it make to my fitness goals if i stop to wrap? what real difference will it definitely make if i don't?
Metabolic Flexibility
Listening to Mike T Nelson talk this summer at the Sustenance course about Metabolic Flexibility has helped me start to get my head around the awesome adaptability of our embodied selves. If we ain't got it raw, our bodies will try to manufacture it. If we don't have it right NOW our bodies will find mechanisms to find what it needs. In fact the more non-predictive we become in our patterns potentially the more robust our systems will be - that's just a guess.
So i guess i've gotten either rather skeptical about supplementation or way more relaxed about thinking one supplement will help, for instance, unlock a "hard" workout.
I keep thinking about Clarence Bass: he likes creatine (and that only after quite a period of personal testing and validating with research) and he likes whey protein powder and he is the daddio of whole foods lean eating. He may be a sample size of one but lots of folks using his approach seem very happy with their body comp and health.
Me, i like creatine - and do notice a difference between creapure, the nice pure german stuff, and generics. I like a hydo whey for post workouts, along with a nice mix of non-gmo starchy carbs and electrolytes. I personally tend to do half before a workout and half right after for convenience, and i personally seem to feel better than delaying on that.
The jury is out for me on taurine, tyrosine, beta alanine and citruline malate - though again the science seems promising on those last two.
Sleep that knits up the unraveled sleeve of care
One of the biggest things for me of late has been the difference uninterrupted sleep makes, and investigating that - and how regular nutrition/daily diet is related to that, and the benefits from that, vs just about anything else. That sounds rather boring though in comparison to a CNS stack, doesn't it? I'm not sure it's a lack of seriousness; more a oh let's get real-ness perhaps.
Know what i mean? anyone? Tweet Follow @begin2dig
PDF
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Z-Health relative to T'ai Chi, Qigong or any other Movement Oriented Practice
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The question has come up, and reasonably so, about 
z-health practice relative to any other mobility approach. The questions go something like this: is Z-Health supposed to replace movement practice X, be as good as X, an alternative to X?
Here's my take on these questions: yes and no. Let me explain what i mean. Movement is great. Anything that has us moving in a healthful way is good. So doing Z-Health as a regular movement practice is fabulous. But if someone already has a movement practice, do they need Z-health?
Joint by Joint Specificity. In movement approaches with which i've had any experience (t'ai chi; qigong) the focus has been on the movement in general rather than on the particular range of motion or quality of movement at a particular joint involved in the full movement. One of my favorite examples of such movement is Steve Cotter's excellent series on the Tea Cup pattern:
And then there's this fabulous turn of the last century look at indian clubs with kids:
These are excellent examples of mobility work - especially as shown for the upper body.
So why Z-Health Mobility Drills? Z-Health's drills move joint by joint so that a person can focus on each joint's movement. For instance, with many versions of shoulder drill to be able to check the joint's entire range of motion, it becomes easier to see where there may be specific challenges to a movement. For instance, trying to do shoulder circles that reach behing a person, without the torso torquing back along with the shoulder suggests that may be a place for some work to get better control of that *part* of shoulder motion.
Joint by Joint Assessment. In R-phase, each of these movements are assessed in "neutral stance" - standing upright - in order to focus specifically on the joint action. In I-phase, these basics are translated to movements that can be applied to sport-specific/life type movements (more on i-phase templates here). For instance, it may be that a person has found in R-phase that their thoracic mobility seems pretty free. However, their sport requires them to turn around while running to leap up and catch a football, and their reach seems a bit restricted when turned around and extending the arms. Z-health i-phase says, ok, let's assume that position, and see what's happening in the movement - how's the thoracic freedom there? let's practice it from that position.
Speed Z-Health also suggests that beyond controlling these joint by joint movements at one speed they need to be controlled at all speeds. To this end, z-health uses four speeds - where speeds test different attributes of movement from strength to control of form.
Eric Cobb leading cross body figure 8's in Neural Warm Up I (about)
What these specific joint by joint movements enable, therefore, beyond a mobility practice, is a way to assess, support and enhance performance of one's chosen endeavor, whether that's playing football, lifting a load, or dealing with carpal tunnel syndrome from desk jockying, because each joint movement can be explored, and its effects on a whole movement assessed.
Sport Specific Assessment Checks. For example, if a deadlift doesn't feel that great on a given day, I-phase drills offer mobility checks in that sport-specific, deadlift position. For example, suppose the weirdness is felt just as the bar comes off the floor. The person can hold that position and work through wrists, elbows, thoracics, and/or hips and so on, doing drills for one or all of these joints, doing a test for effectiveness, and then re-trying the move.
Sometimes all it takes to improve a movement is to open up the joint mobility of a particular movement to help it become smoother. These drills afford a direct route to working the joints from that sport-specific position which may be more challenging to determine with a tai chi movment. Therefore, the mobility drills offer an immediate way to assess and tune movement practice. These simple but highly specific joint-by-joint drills afford this kind of specific, testable assessment at any time. And sometimes, that's enough.
Visual and Vestibular Work. Here's something else that assessments in z-health offer, and are explored either in one-on-one's with trainers (listing), or at the Z-Health workshop (overview here) and these are visual and vestibular practices and assessments.
Sometimes, a performance issue is not related solely to muscles and joints, but to vision or balance as well. In the Nerual Warm Up I & II and in the S-Phase DVD's especially, there are suites of vision drills, and working up to S-Phase, balance work as well. By learning about visual and vestibular practices, and how these co-ordinate with mobility work to improve movement quality on-the-go, one's athletic practice may be further enhanced.
Complementary Action. This is just a brief overview of a few ideas in Z-Health and how they can complement an athletic endeavor. R, I and S offer mobility, vision and balance work on their own to complement sports/athletic work. Where one already has a full body mobility program, because of the specificity of the proprioceptive, visual and vestibular drills offered, in particular the joint-by-joint drills, it is possible to pin point areas of practice that may benefit from specific focused drills.
Related Posts
z-health practice relative to any other mobility approach. The questions go something like this: is Z-Health supposed to replace movement practice X, be as good as X, an alternative to X?Here's my take on these questions: yes and no. Let me explain what i mean. Movement is great. Anything that has us moving in a healthful way is good. So doing Z-Health as a regular movement practice is fabulous. But if someone already has a movement practice, do they need Z-health?
Joint by Joint Specificity. In movement approaches with which i've had any experience (t'ai chi; qigong) the focus has been on the movement in general rather than on the particular range of motion or quality of movement at a particular joint involved in the full movement. One of my favorite examples of such movement is Steve Cotter's excellent series on the Tea Cup pattern:
And then there's this fabulous turn of the last century look at indian clubs with kids:
These are excellent examples of mobility work - especially as shown for the upper body.
So why Z-Health Mobility Drills? Z-Health's drills move joint by joint so that a person can focus on each joint's movement. For instance, with many versions of shoulder drill to be able to check the joint's entire range of motion, it becomes easier to see where there may be specific challenges to a movement. For instance, trying to do shoulder circles that reach behing a person, without the torso torquing back along with the shoulder suggests that may be a place for some work to get better control of that *part* of shoulder motion.
Joint by Joint Assessment. In R-phase, each of these movements are assessed in "neutral stance" - standing upright - in order to focus specifically on the joint action. In I-phase, these basics are translated to movements that can be applied to sport-specific/life type movements (more on i-phase templates here). For instance, it may be that a person has found in R-phase that their thoracic mobility seems pretty free. However, their sport requires them to turn around while running to leap up and catch a football, and their reach seems a bit restricted when turned around and extending the arms. Z-health i-phase says, ok, let's assume that position, and see what's happening in the movement - how's the thoracic freedom there? let's practice it from that position.
Speed Z-Health also suggests that beyond controlling these joint by joint movements at one speed they need to be controlled at all speeds. To this end, z-health uses four speeds - where speeds test different attributes of movement from strength to control of form.
Eric Cobb leading cross body figure 8's in Neural Warm Up I (about)Sport Specific Assessment Checks. For example, if a deadlift doesn't feel that great on a given day, I-phase drills offer mobility checks in that sport-specific, deadlift position. For example, suppose the weirdness is felt just as the bar comes off the floor. The person can hold that position and work through wrists, elbows, thoracics, and/or hips and so on, doing drills for one or all of these joints, doing a test for effectiveness, and then re-trying the move.
Sometimes all it takes to improve a movement is to open up the joint mobility of a particular movement to help it become smoother. These drills afford a direct route to working the joints from that sport-specific position which may be more challenging to determine with a tai chi movment. Therefore, the mobility drills offer an immediate way to assess and tune movement practice. These simple but highly specific joint-by-joint drills afford this kind of specific, testable assessment at any time. And sometimes, that's enough.
Visual and Vestibular Work. Here's something else that assessments in z-health offer, and are explored either in one-on-one's with trainers (listing), or at the Z-Health workshop (overview here) and these are visual and vestibular practices and assessments.
Sometimes, a performance issue is not related solely to muscles and joints, but to vision or balance as well. In the Nerual Warm Up I & II and in the S-Phase DVD's especially, there are suites of vision drills, and working up to S-Phase, balance work as well. By learning about visual and vestibular practices, and how these co-ordinate with mobility work to improve movement quality on-the-go, one's athletic practice may be further enhanced.
Complementary Action. This is just a brief overview of a few ideas in Z-Health and how they can complement an athletic endeavor. R, I and S offer mobility, vision and balance work on their own to complement sports/athletic work. Where one already has a full body mobility program, because of the specificity of the proprioceptive, visual and vestibular drills offered, in particular the joint-by-joint drills, it is possible to pin point areas of practice that may benefit from specific focused drills.
Related Posts
- Z-Health Article Index
- General Fitness articles
- Kettlebell practice articles
- interview with Brett Jones about Indian Club Swinging
- Kali Sticks, Indian Clubs and Rannoch
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Eye Position to support Rowing Stroke. Awesome Efficiency
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I've written before (kb front squat | arthrokinetic reflex) about what i've learned in z-health about connecting eye movements with actions: up for extension; down for flexion. Feeling rather thick in retrospect, i finally applied this reflexive approah to the rowing stroke phases, where i use Kenneth Jay's VWC translated to a water rower rather than KB's with the 36:36 protocol (vwc overview if this thing's new to you).
Smooth? By looking down coming into the catch and looking (not head tilting but using my eyes) up just before pushing back into the power stroke, here's what i noticed: the drive was WAY (i mean WAY) smoother. The funny part is i felt that i had more smoothness than muscle - like part of the effort was so much easier but my muscles were still fatiguing appropriately. It's weird to describe.
xeno muller talking breathing when rowing with the Water Rower
If you try it give it a go: see if you can feel the difference between rowing without thinking about eye position, and then trying with eye position.
Avoiding Back Collapse. It's important (at least for me) to avoid total flexion collapse which is a place it's real easy to degrade to: rowing with a slumped back. Good form has good back neutral throughout, uses the hips and has only some flexion at the end of the drive, complemented by good extension going into the recovery - reaching more with the arms and bending at the hips (like a kb snatch) than curving over.
The eye-up also helped get into good hip and back extension for both the end of the drive and coming back into recovery. I may play next session with keeping eyes neutral rather than down for the recovery, and just up for the drive.
The Eye's Do It. So if you row regularly or as part of your cardio/endurance regimen, consider eye movements.
And heck if you're just getting into rowing or want to consider it, take a look at xeno muller's channel. His stuff is v.good. And ok, yes if you're thinking about putting a rower into your life, sure no one ever got fired for getting a concept II, but just *listen* to the water rower in Xeno's vids. Sweet machine; great great movement. Tweet Follow @begin2dig
Smooth? By looking down coming into the catch and looking (not head tilting but using my eyes) up just before pushing back into the power stroke, here's what i noticed: the drive was WAY (i mean WAY) smoother. The funny part is i felt that i had more smoothness than muscle - like part of the effort was so much easier but my muscles were still fatiguing appropriately. It's weird to describe.
xeno muller talking breathing when rowing with the Water Rower
If you try it give it a go: see if you can feel the difference between rowing without thinking about eye position, and then trying with eye position.
Avoiding Back Collapse. It's important (at least for me) to avoid total flexion collapse which is a place it's real easy to degrade to: rowing with a slumped back. Good form has good back neutral throughout, uses the hips and has only some flexion at the end of the drive, complemented by good extension going into the recovery - reaching more with the arms and bending at the hips (like a kb snatch) than curving over.
The eye-up also helped get into good hip and back extension for both the end of the drive and coming back into recovery. I may play next session with keeping eyes neutral rather than down for the recovery, and just up for the drive.
The Eye's Do It. So if you row regularly or as part of your cardio/endurance regimen, consider eye movements.
And heck if you're just getting into rowing or want to consider it, take a look at xeno muller's channel. His stuff is v.good. And ok, yes if you're thinking about putting a rower into your life, sure no one ever got fired for getting a concept II, but just *listen* to the water rower in Xeno's vids. Sweet machine; great great movement. Tweet Follow @begin2dig
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Why DHA/EPA of Omega 3's (like fish oil) are Anti-Inflammatory - Q&A with G.Fear, RD
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Perhaps you've heard that one of the benefits of omega 3's like fish oil or algae oil is good for among other things, anti-inflammation. Some folks tend to blend things like glucosamine as well with fish oil to enhance anti-inflammation around joints in particular. Have you ever wondered why this stuff works or what the difference is between glucosamine, omega 3's and even what eric cobb refers to as Vitamin I, the NSAID Ibuprofen?
The following is part of a discussion with Georgie Fear, RD (of AskGeorgie.com), author of the awesomely easy and tasty Dig In recipe book.
The discussion took place on Precision Nutrition's Forum a little over a year ago. (by the way, this exchange is typical of the kind of discussion at PN - here's more about Precision Nutrition if you're interested).
So, the question was to unpack fish oil, glucosamine and NSAIDS. To begin, so how are fish oils anti-inflammatory?
Overall, another take away is that upping the ratio of Omega 3's to Omega 6's (eg eggs) may be a good idea for well-being.
Related Posts:
The following is part of a discussion with Georgie Fear, RD (of AskGeorgie.com), author of the awesomely easy and tasty Dig In recipe book.
The discussion took place on Precision Nutrition's Forum a little over a year ago. (by the way, this exchange is typical of the kind of discussion at PN - here's more about Precision Nutrition if you're interested).
So, the question was to unpack fish oil, glucosamine and NSAIDS. To begin, so how are fish oils anti-inflammatory?
Georgie Fear:So now you know! Taking omega 3 sources rich in EPA like fish oil is a Good Idea for healing and inflammation processing. For folks taking Algae Oil for omega 3 content, algae is higher in DHA than EPA. Work has also considered the effects of DHA on inflammation, and it's looking very good here too. Very new work considering DHA in the mix with EPA on COX2 in particular is strong. Likewise an article from the future (pub date 2010) equates DHA and EPA for their anti-inflammatory benefits. In other words, you can remain a vegetarian and get all these anti-inflam benefits.
Twenty-carbon long omega 6 and omega 6 fatty acids are metabolized in cells to eicosanoids, which are signaling molecules. Cyclooxygenases and lipoxygenases produce the eicosanoids from either arachidonic acid (omega 6) or eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] (omega 3). The eicosanoids derived from omega 6 fats are potently inflammatory while those coming from omega 3 oils are antiinflammatory.
Critical Bit for Diet: Because the omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids compete for the cyclooxygenases and lipoxygenases, the balance of omega 3 to omega 6 fats in the diet will influence the overall inflammatory or antiinflammatory effect. Skewing the diet with more omega 3's and less omega 6 produces fewer inflammatory eicosanoids, becuase the omega3s outcompete the 6s for the metabolizing enzymes.
Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDS, like ibuprofen) work similarly, by inhibiting the cyclooxygenase which converts arachidonic acid to inflammatory prostagandin H2. (Ever heard of COX 2 inhibitors, like vioxx? COX = cyclooxygenase) Acetaminophen (Tylenol) has less anti-inflammatory effect, and the mechanism(s) by which it reduces pain aren't totally known. I've read that it may also involve the cannabinoid system in the central nervous system, but I'm not an expert in that so I cant give much detail.
Glucosamine is totally different. It helps mainly with osteoarthritis because it is a building block for the gycosaminoglycans which make up the cartilage in joints. Taking glucosamine can help rebuild the cartilage and cushion joints where the layer has broken down. But as far as I'm aware it doesn't act so directly on the inflammatory cascade.
mc - so fish oil is competing for the Cyclooxygenases but NSAIDS inhibit their production. is that right? Also, on another point: NSAIDS have some icky side effects - in particular water retention. hate that.
GF
Close, the omega 3's outcompete with omega 6s for the COX enzymes, while the NSAIDS inhibit the cyclooxygenases' activity altogether. (So the production of inflammatory eicosanoids is lessened. )
Of course there are more details, like COX1 vs COX2 vs COX3....hence all the different painkillers with different efficacies and side effects. The specificity of different drugs for each isoform varies.
Another anti-inflammatory group of compounds which can be obtained from foods are anthocyanins, thats what my PhD thesis research actually focuses on. I'll skip the mindnumbing detail, but the blue/purple compounds which give the bright colors to blueberries, blackberries, red cabbage, etc are also great functional foods for combating inflammation. And cancer, and diabetes...and cardiovascular disease......
There has been research done in which consuming about 10 tart cherries a day is equivalent to taking a daily aspirin. Personally, Ive seen remarkable benefits of eating fish (oil) and anthocyanin-rich foods in a few clients with rheumatoid arthritis. Not a scientific study, just my own experience. :)
mc so would you say tho that fish oil is going to "mask" an injury??
GF
No I wouldnt say so. Fish oil does nothing to your pain perception, so its not like you will be fooled into thinking an injury is gone when it isn't. It may reduce the discomfort caused by inflammation such as swelling, and in some cases, inflammation actually makes the injury worse. So perhaps taking fish oils could reduce the severity of the injury. Somewhat like applying ice and compression to a sprain keeps the swelling minimal and it heals faster than if you never iced it. [mc -hmm on the ice analogy - a b2d article in the offing about what we really do know about ice or not...]
I'd say its more part of the healing process than masking an injury.
additional thought: anti-inflammatories don't shut off ALL inflammation, (that would not be good!) they just tone it down a bit.
Timing of ingesting fish oil?
GF
The funny thing here is that fish oils don't work on such a short-term basis. Its not like taking them one day or not would make a difference that day. Fatty acids you eat all the assimilated into the phospholipid membranes of all your bodies cells- the downstream effects of the fatty acids are affected by overall fatty acid pool in your body (in this case the omega 6 to omega 3 ratio) - and that doesnt change in one day of taking or not taking fish oils.
Overall, another take away is that upping the ratio of Omega 3's to Omega 6's (eg eggs) may be a good idea for well-being.
Related Posts:
- About Georgie Fear's New Recipe Book for Lean TASTY EASY Eating called Dig In
- About Precision Nutrition on Sale till Dec 2, 2009
- Respect the Fat
- Bone Health (at nopain2.org/geekfit)
- other stuff for joint health: movement like z-health r-phase
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Georgie Fear's Dig In: The new easy, fast, tasty, satisfying recipe book from B2D's RD on the go - prelim Review
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How many people do you know enjoy eating but are not what 
you'd call drawn to the kitchen to create tasty nosh for nibbling? For whom a microwave is safe but a stove is one black box too far? Hands up anyone?
If you do know anyone that fits this description, finally there is a very cool, fast, easy, healthy and most of all wonderfully tasty, satisfying cook/recipe book for you - to give to them, of course. Tis the season. It's Georgie Fear's DIG IN.
Georgie is b2d's go to gal on nutrition. Her knowledge has informed critiques of certain diets and more recently opened up discussion on the role (or not) of additional food enzymes for digestion. In Dig In, Georgie shows she not only knows food science, but good food.
I stand amazed at her talent for seemingly seeing a neat can of something interesting on a store shelf and producing a super tasty recipe to include this item. And that's cool: Georgie does not shun the prefab when it's healthy.
Here's an example of Georgie goodness mixing up products:
And for a more strictly from scratch full meal deal, from Georgie's site, AskGeorgie.com how about pot roast? With Georgie, it's SO MUCH easier than we might think:
Lest folks think Georgie doesn't do vegetarian meals as well, there are LOADS of veggie friendly recipes. Indeed, if you're interested in the non-meat dishes only, there's a subset version, vegetarian only, of Dig In.
The Essentials: Just to really be clear on how straight forward (and dorm friendly) Georgie's recipes are, here's what you'd need if you wanted to make every recipe in Georgie's book, and few actually require a stove.
Gifts that Go Great Together. If you're thinking of gifting someone you love (or just care about) with this great book to help them get a little healthier, a little happier in their eating choices, you might want to add one of the utensils that may be missing from their kitchen, and tie it to a card with either the link to download their copy of the book OR you can also if you prefer, order a hard copy - fun for physical wrapping to be sure. Check the site: you will be amazed at how affordable this book is. For what's in it, i'm well surprised. When online ebooks sell for 39.99 for rehashing push ups you will be amazed at what good value (and price) this book is, and it's all original content (hint it's way less than 39.99).
Sharing the Goods It's a pleasure i find to be able to promote a great product, let folks know about stuff i've found to work really well, that you might find useful, too. When that product is from someone you've had the opportunity to connect with, that's even better, you know?
So let me help introduce you, as well, to a cool person. I mentioned in the title of this post that Georgie is a registered dietician - she's also a fitness trainer, published researcher and PhD student. If you'd like to learn more about how someone who seems to be rather busy with academics and job can find time to write up super recipes in such a gorgeous way, please take a look at my interview with Georgie Fear over at b2d's sister site for geeks who want to be healthy too, iamgeekfit
Let me know if you get this collection for yourself or for someone you want to see food empowered, and let me know what you think. In the meantime, consider not only getting Dig In, but adding a link to Geogie's site to your rss reader or mailer. There's new recipes all the time, and they're grand.
best,
mc
Related Posts
you'd call drawn to the kitchen to create tasty nosh for nibbling? For whom a microwave is safe but a stove is one black box too far? Hands up anyone?If you do know anyone that fits this description, finally there is a very cool, fast, easy, healthy and most of all wonderfully tasty, satisfying cook/recipe book for you - to give to them, of course. Tis the season. It's Georgie Fear's DIG IN.
Georgie is b2d's go to gal on nutrition. Her knowledge has informed critiques of certain diets and more recently opened up discussion on the role (or not) of additional food enzymes for digestion. In Dig In, Georgie shows she not only knows food science, but good food.
I stand amazed at her talent for seemingly seeing a neat can of something interesting on a store shelf and producing a super tasty recipe to include this item. And that's cool: Georgie does not shun the prefab when it's healthy.
Here's an example of Georgie goodness mixing up products:
The photos are Georgie's and they're fab. Every dish of every post, and every page comes with real-world, not photoshopped images of what you can expect from the dish.Calling all nut lovers…..
You just might faint when you try this yummy product! If you love nuts so much you can’t decide between them, some one has developed a delicious answer! It’s called Nuttzo, and it’s a nut butter made from not just peanuts, but cashews, almonds, sunflower seeds hazelnuts, brazil nuts and flax seeds too. Talking about having it all! Nuttzo is made from all organic ingredients with just a touch of sea salt to bring up the flavor. The dose of flaxseeds make it a rich source of omega-3 fats, one that definitely tastes superior to fish oil! Adding nuts to your diet is a great way to get vitamins, minerals, protein and heart healthy fats that help keep you full. I say aim for 1 ounce of nuts, or 2 Tablespoons nut butter for your daily dose.
The crunchy pieces of nuts and flax throughout give Nuttzo lots of texture and crunch, and the jar is cleverly designed with an upside down label for easy stirring. It definitely has a more complex nut flavor than peanut butter, which brings a new side to classics like PB&J. I also used it to whip up some yummy pumpkin nut butter muffins, recipe below. (Now if I could only bottle the smell emanating from my oven…..) Until then, you’ll have to try some Nuttzo to enjoy it yourself.
I found it online, but unfortunately here on the East Coast it isn’t any stores, but you can find it all over California. Best of all, the small company is family based, and supports good causes such as Project Left Behind which offers love, nourishment and care for orphans around the world. If you’re interested in a very unique nut butter with a unique story behind it and a truly heartfelt cause, check out gonuttzo.com.
Nuttzo Pumpkin Muffins
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups Splenda or sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 T canola oil
1/2 cup Nuttzo multi-nut butter
(1/2 cup chocolate chips, optional)
Spray a 12-muffin tin or use paper liners, and preheat oven to 350.
Mix all the dry ingredients (flour through Splenda) in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the applesauce, pumpkin, oil and Nuttzo and mix well. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ones, stirring after each addition. (If desired, add chocolate chips last). Divide batter between muffin cups and bake for 25-28 minutes, or until tops spring back lightly when touched.
Be sure to breathe deep and bask in the pumpkiny, spicy, nutty aroma.
And for a more strictly from scratch full meal deal, from Georgie's site, AskGeorgie.com how about pot roast? With Georgie, it's SO MUCH easier than we might think:
How much easier can it get? As Georgie says of her inspiration for Dig In:This slow cooker meal requires very few ingredients and even less work! Meals this effortless feel like cheating.
But I love ‘em. Using the slow cooker is a great way to cook cuts of meat, like top round, which are low in fat and can end up being too dry for other cooking methods. As an added bonus, the leanest cuts of meat can be among the most affordable, so it’s a win-win-win: get that slow cooker out if you’re lazy, cheap, or want to eat less fat. All three? What are you waiting for?
I put this together one night in just a few minutes, and kept it in the fridge until morning. Then, all I had to do was set the crock to cook on Low, and when I came home… I was welcomed by a delicious aroma filling my home, and a tender, flavorful beef dinner.
The first night I ate it with some plain cooked carrots, but by the second night I had a new idea: to soak up the flavorful broth (which reminded me of French Onion soup) I stirred in half a cup of barley, and let it cook for about 40 minutes. I’ll admit, that was one of my better ideas, because it was perfect. The barley added some whole grain goodness, hearty texture, and filling complex carbs to recharge me after a tough run.
Balsamic and Sweet Onion Pot Roast
1.75 lb top round beef (aka London Broil), trimmed of all fat
Montreal Steak seasoning, paprika, garlic powder
1 tsp canola oil
1 large sweet onion
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
Season beef on both sides with steak seasoning, garlic, and paprika. Heat the oil in a large pan until very hot, and brown beef on both sides. Slice the onion into thick rings, and place in bottom of slow cooker. Place meat on top. In a small bowl, stir together tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, and water. Pour over beef. Place lid on crock and cook for 6-8 hours on low.
If desired, add 1/2 cup barley for the last 30-45 minutes. (Stir it into the liquid.)
Makes 6 servings
Nutrition facts (without barley): 290 calories, 7 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 7 grams carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 48 grams protein
I'm not sure which is more inspiring: the simplicity of the ingredients lists/instructions, or the succulent-ness (is that a word?) of the images that accompany the recipes.I wanted to make recipes that were interesting enough to make you want to eat them, without being so complicated that you don't want to cook them. I try to keep ingredients short, procedures brief. WHen I make muffins: it's dry stuff in one bowl, wet stuff in one bowl, add one to the other. Stir. Bake. I like streamlined, so if I dont think it makes a difference, say, what order you add ingredients, heck just chuck them in.
Lest folks think Georgie doesn't do vegetarian meals as well, there are LOADS of veggie friendly recipes. Indeed, if you're interested in the non-meat dishes only, there's a subset version, vegetarian only, of Dig In.
The Essentials: Just to really be clear on how straight forward (and dorm friendly) Georgie's recipes are, here's what you'd need if you wanted to make every recipe in Georgie's book, and few actually require a stove.
Fridge/Freezer
Measuring Cups & Spoons
Blender
Stove
Large Frying pan (1)
Sharp knife
Cutting board
Spatula
Oven
Bowl/Plate to eat off of
Big mixing bowls (2)
Large baking dish (13x9)
Cookie sheet (1)
Can opener
Pot (for pasta, soup, etc)
Microwave
Muffin Tin
Gifts that Go Great Together. If you're thinking of gifting someone you love (or just care about) with this great book to help them get a little healthier, a little happier in their eating choices, you might want to add one of the utensils that may be missing from their kitchen, and tie it to a card with either the link to download their copy of the book OR you can also if you prefer, order a hard copy - fun for physical wrapping to be sure. Check the site: you will be amazed at how affordable this book is. For what's in it, i'm well surprised. When online ebooks sell for 39.99 for rehashing push ups you will be amazed at what good value (and price) this book is, and it's all original content (hint it's way less than 39.99).
Sharing the Goods It's a pleasure i find to be able to promote a great product, let folks know about stuff i've found to work really well, that you might find useful, too. When that product is from someone you've had the opportunity to connect with, that's even better, you know?So let me help introduce you, as well, to a cool person. I mentioned in the title of this post that Georgie is a registered dietician - she's also a fitness trainer, published researcher and PhD student. If you'd like to learn more about how someone who seems to be rather busy with academics and job can find time to write up super recipes in such a gorgeous way, please take a look at my interview with Georgie Fear over at b2d's sister site for geeks who want to be healthy too, iamgeekfit
Let me know if you get this collection for yourself or for someone you want to see food empowered, and let me know what you think. In the meantime, consider not only getting Dig In, but adding a link to Geogie's site to your rss reader or mailer. There's new recipes all the time, and they're grand.
best,
mc
Related Posts
- Precision Nutrition is on Sale - the gift that keeps on giving.
- Nutrition and habits rather than calorie counting
- respect the fat: fat's awesome goodness.
- carbohydrates: the new fat
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