5 REASONS TO LOVE BURPEES

It’s the exercise everyone loves to hate. Buck Furpees, as the not-so-elegant saying goes.Burpees are a simple, straightforward movement. Drop down to the ground in a pushup position, chest and thighs to the floor. Get back up to a standing position in the most efficient, fastest way possible. Jump a few inches in the air with your arms over your head. Repeat. Nothing flashy, nothing complicated. So why all the hate? In my opinion, burpees have been given an unjust reputation. The benefits far outweigh the discomforts. To get out in front of the infamous exercise, here are 5 reasons we should learn to love the burpee.

1 - The burpee is simple.
I already alluded to this above, but it’s worth some extra reinforcement. No bars, no weights (unless you wanted to wear a weighted vest…yikes), you can carry the burpee with you wherever you go. The burpee is built on straightforward movement standards that a massive range of people can do, and its simple to scale for those who don’t have it yet. Exercise in its purest form, people.

2-Burpees ARE functional fitness.
Can you think of a major muscle group that isn’t utilized in the execution of a burpee? Your arms, chest, quads, glutes, hamstrings and abs will all be called into action with every rep, and after a few of the suckers you’re body is going to start feeling like lead. Given that you are required to use your entire body weight to hit a burpee, the movement can be defined as a high-load, high-rep (if programmed as such) exercise. Which is great news, because findings from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning research has shown that high-rep and high-load exercises are effective at increasing muscular endurance.

3-Burpees will boost your anaerobic capacity.
Anaerobic is a word coming from the Greek word “αναερόβιος” which literally means living without air. Sound familiar? Anaerobic exercises are high intensity, short duration (1-2 minutes)-think of a 100m sprint. Now, if you are attacking your burpees with high intensity (easier said than done, I know), you will not only reap the benefits through muscular endurance (as mentioned above), but your lung capacity, heart health and ability to work faster/harder in a shorter amount of time will be significantly increased.

4-Burpees are great for weight loss.
As has been mentioned numerous times, burpees are a full-body exercise, intense exercise that shoots your heart rate up, resulting in large caloric expenditure. In fact, burpees burn up to 50% more fat than conventional strength training, and better yet, they will increase your metabolism for the rest of the day, long after you’ve finished throwing up from them.

5-Burpees are versatile, and they make you think.
Burpee muscle-ups, burpee box jumps, burpee pull-ups, burpee toes-to-bar, burpee…the list goes on. And, you can combine them in with any workout that needs another piece of equipment. Any.

Lastly, the burpee really does make you think. In the midst of the lung-burning, acid-building, vomit-inducing burpee workout, your mind tends to wonder and ask yourself just why exactly you are putting yourself through such misery. When you finally finish, and get that post-wod elation 30 minutes later, you have your answer. Over time, when you see the results in your performance and in your appearance, you’ll know for sure.

And, like me, you may just come to love the burpee.

BY WILLIAM IMBO

Moment Arms, Force Vectors and a Squat Analysis

Moment Arms, Force Vectors and a Squat Analysis

Understanding these important biomechanical terms will enable you to understand why some squat variations are more or less effective than others and why some variations are just plain dangerous!

What are moment arms and how do they work around joints?

A moment arm is simply the length between a joint axis and the line of force acting on that joint.

Every joint that is involved in an exercise has a moment arm. The longer the moment arm is the more load will be applied to the joint axis through leverage. As an example, think of trying to get a nut and bolt apart. If you can’t do it by hand because the moment arm is small, you use a crescent (as shown) which provides you with a much larger moment arm and allows less force (applied by you) to result in much more torque (rotational force) being applied at the nut. This is because torque at an axis is:

Force x Moment arm = Torque

In the exercise examples that follow you'll see the moment arms that work on the hip and knee joints with some common squat variations. Understanding these moment arms will enable you to determine which variations are safe or dangerous and what muscles are working most/least with each variation. The results may surprise you so please read on...

What are force vectors and how do they apply to exercise?

A force vector is the direction of a force. On the page covering the essentials of movement mechanics we talked about the line of force of gravity. There are many force vectors at play when we lift an object. We have gravity, the force of friction on the object, ground reaction forces, muscle forces (generated in the line existing between the origin and insertion of the muscle) and forces of momentum and so on.

The outcome of a movement is the sum of all vectors and their respective forces.

To put this in an exercise context, if I was going to punch a boxing bag the following forces and vectors would be in play

•  The ground reaction forces I’d generate from my legs to start the punch

•  The internal forces of every muscle involved from the foot, legs, trunk and arm

•  The momentum of my arm

•  The inertia of the bag

The main thing to do when analysing any exercise is to work out the major forces, how the body is likely to manage them, and how the body will stabilise the joints involved in the movement. Once you have done this you will know:

1. What muscles will be worked during the movement

2. Whether the posture involved in the movement is practical and one that you would want to encourage

3. What muscles will be worked as stabilisers

4. Where the exercise technique would go wrong if a person was to technically fail at this exercise

As an example we can look at squatting, initially with the back squat:

1. In this squat you can see the moment arms around the hip and knee – they measure from the joint axis to the line of force. In this bar position the moment arm around the hip is slightly longer than that around the knee. This means the hip extensors (gluteal muscles) will be doing slightly more work than the knee extensors (quadriceps) in terms of the force they’ll need to generate to overcome the load.

2. The posture here is good and is to be encouraged

3. The trunk, knee and hip stabilisers will be worked significantly, especially as more load is added.

 

4. This squat will most likely be lost from the core, resulting in the lumbar spine rounding and the bar dropping forward, so cueing of 'chest up', 'tummy tight', 'push through the hips and up' will help. As with all squats knee alignment, if lost, can cause counter rotation in the lumbar so cueing knee position as your clients fatigues is also important.

Now let’s compare the back squat with the front squat:

1. In this squat you can see the moment arms have changed slightly. They are now about equal meaning the loads around the hip and knee will be similar. This means the hip extensors and knee extensors will need to generate similar amounts of force throughout the movement.

2. This posture is also good and should be encouraged.

3. The shoulder, trunk, hip and knee stabilisers will be worked significantly, as in the back squat.

4. This squat will also be lost from the core or from the shoulder girdle due to the positioning of the bar, so cueing of 'elbows up', 'chest out' and 'tummy tight' will help. As with all squats knee alignment, if lost, can cause counter rotation in the lumbar so cueing knee position during fatigue is again also important.

Now let’s look at some squat variations, stating with the low bar back squat:

1. In this squat you can see the moment arm around the hip is at least twice as long as the moment arm around the knee. This low bar position is the position power lifters tend to use as it involves the hip extensors a lot more than the knee extensors and the hip extensors are able to produce more force than the knee extensors and act around a joint with better articulation (deep ball and socket versus the knee which is a shallow joint). As the hip extensors are able to produce more force than the knee extensors then this squat variation enables heavier loads to be lifted.

2. The posture wouldn’t be encouraged except where needed for performance in competition (e.g. powerlifting or other sports where this position is required under load) as huge loads are placed on the lumbar spine as well as the hips, and these areas need to be progressively conditioned to withstand these forces. This is an 'advanced' lifters posture.

3. The hip and trunk stabilisers will be worked significantly with this variation.

4. This squat will be lost from the core, resulting in lumbar rounding so cueing 'tummy tight', 'drive up and through', 'head still' will help. As with all squats knee alignment must be maintained.

Finally to understand force vectors a little more let’s take a look at the smith machine squat with feet slightly out in front and then the swiss ball squat which are commonly prescribed squat variations in fitness clubs.

1. You can see here the moment arm around the knees is substantially longer than that around the hip. This, over time, will encourage the quadriceps to become stronger and the gluteals to develop only a little. Unfortunately it will teach the person to squat with their thighs and not use their gluteals in a normal way. It will eventually bias the movement pattern and over time could cause knee injury or low back problems. You can also see the line of force is on the heels and not the mid-foot. This is not a natural position.

2. Although the torso is in good posture here, you usually see a flat back in the clubs. As the gluteals are not very active the core isn’t always active. Also, the bar is stopping the person moving forward as they can hang on to it, so there is little requirement for the trunk extensors to be active. This posture and it’s mechanics should not be encouraged.

3. Very few stabilisers will be used as the exercise has eliminated most natural sagittal plane requirements due to the fixed bar and virtually all front and transverse plane requirements.

4. If a person were to fail on this exercise it would be around the lumbar for stability. The most likely failure will be a very poor spinal position as you can keep lifting longer into muscular fatigue when you don’t have to stabilise your position.

Interestingly when we ask why this squat is prescribed we often get told it is to help someone build up to free weight squatting because they can’t yet squat, or it’s to strengthen the gluteals and teach them the movement. None of this seems reasonable when you understand the biomechanics. The best way to help clients build up to free weight squatting is through teaching bodyweight squats with a range of movement that suits each individual client.

One final point. When you do this squat the further you put your feet out the more the knee extensors (quadriceps) become active and the less the hip extensors (gluteals) do. As this occurs a force vector that creates knee shearing develops and increases such that if used over time the knee joint is almost guaranteed to get injured. You’ll see this in a more pronounced fashion in the swiss ball squat.

1. The line of force is marked going down through the centre of mass in blue. The base of support is a long way from the line of force and the centre of mass will be around the very top of the thighs. The knee moment arm is in green – basically this exercise is all quadriceps, and very little gluteals (if any) given there is virtually no moment arm for them to act around.

2. The yellow line represents the force vector of the quadriceps – we know a muscle shortens from it’s origin to it’s attachment. Because of the moment arm of the quadriceps and because the person must constantly push backward to keep the ball on the wall, there is constant shearing force at the knee joint. In order to cope with the quadriceps activity the inner unit of the knee will be constantly challenged (the inner unit includes the cruciate ligaments, lateral and collateral ligaments, and hamstrings). The torso is dormant as it is resting on the ball (if anything only the erector spinae may be active to hold the torso on the ball), and the gluteals are dormant as they have no way of contributing to the exercise. None of the learning the brain is doing in this exercise is of any use, nor is it safe over the long term. So this is not a posture that we would ever encourage.

3. Although on a ball the transverse and frontal plane stability required is less than in a free standing squat. Sagittal plane stability is created through friction with the ball.

4. Failure in this exercise would likely be muscular and around the knee or hip. At the knee there maybe significant discomfort causing the client to stop. At the hip the client may lose alignment (medially rotate the femur) resulting in the knees turning in.

Again this exercise is often prescribed as a regression from free body squatting. It seems, given the biomechanics, it is not.

Finally, given we like to ‘progress’ our clients by loading them, you can often see this exercise being completed with dumbbells in hand increasing the load acting through the line of force. It could be suggested that getting a baseball bat and smashing your client in the knee caps would be a more effective and upfront way of doing the damage people seem intent on causing with this exercise.

So to cut a long story short - please think twice about exposing your clients to swiss ball or smith machine squatting, and then choose a safer, more effective version!

Deadlift: The Forgotten Exercise

The Deadlift is an integral, yet often missing component of a strength building program. That’s not to say that everyone should be performing this movement or one of its variations, but the benefits of the Deadlift for a power or strength building program are innumerable.

Muscles Worked

The Deadlift is a compound exercise targeting several muscle groups including the latissimus dorsi, trapezius, erector spinae, gluteals, hamstrings, quadriceps, and psoas (hip flexors). Your forearm muscles, which are involved in gripping the bar, are used to a lesser degree, as well as muscles involved in trunk stabilization such as your obliques.

 

Benefits

The Deadlift has many benefits. As a compound exercise, the movement spans three joints with extension occurring at the hip, knee, and ankle joints, thus utilizing several large muscle groups.(2) When compared to isolation exercises, compound movements that involve larger muscle groups elicit a hormonal training response that results in greater strength gains.(1) The dynamics of the lift itself may also lead to greater gains in hypertrophy. (1) The Deadlift also has possible rehabilitation benefits. It has been hypothesized that the moderate to high hamstring activity elicited during the Deadlift may help to protect the Anterior Cruciate Ligament during rehab.(2) The movement of the Deadlift translates well into real life as it mimics bending and lifting. Anyone who has a toddler is quite familiar with the motion of the lift already.

 

Biomechanics of the Sumo and Conventional Styles

 

There are two basic styles of a bent-leg Deadlift; sumo and conventional. The key difference between the two styles is the placement of the feet and the width of the grip. In the sumo style, the grip is medial to the feet; that is the grip is on the inside of the legs. The feet in the sumo style are at about a 45-degree angle pointing outward. This style utilizes a slightly wider stance than the conventional method. In the conventional style, the grip is lateral to the feet (on the outside of the legs) and the feet are only slightly turned outward.

The sumo style has gained a reputation as decreasing the stress placed on the lower lumbar by as much as 10% when compared to the conventional Deadlift.(2) It also seems to be favored among those who are leaner and have longer than average torsos. Since the sumo style requires less hip flexion and a more upright trunk position, this may benefit people of this phenotype by reducing the torque on the lower spine. We also know that the sumo style Deadlift requires much larger knee and ankle moments; more flexion of these joints is required when compared to the conventional style. (2) This implies that the quadriceps may be more active in the sumo style.
Furthermore, because of the wide stance utilized in the sumo style, this method requires less mechanical work than the conventional.(2) It is important to note however, that world records in powerlifting have been established using both style.
Performing the Lifts
Beginning position

feet should be flat on the

floor about shoulder width apart in the conventional style, and slightly farther apart in the sumo style grip bar with a closed, alternate grip legs should be flexed as in a squat position bar should be as close to the shins as possible back posture should be straight

 

Upward movement

begin pull by extending at the knees the hips and shoulders should move at the same rate, keeping back posture straight, with the shoulders above or slightly in front of bar at the end of the concentric phase, thrust hips forward and abduct lats. The hip and knee joint should be fully extended

 

Downward Movement

flex hip and knee joints to slowly lower bar to the floor, ending in the squat position

 

Points to Remember

your torso should be straight throughout the movement at no portion of the lift should your back be rounded keep the bar as close to the shins as possible throughout feet should always be flat on the floor, pushing from the heel exhale through the sticking point of the concentric movement and inhale through the eccentric phase do not jerk the movement, it should be smooth throughout if your knees are moving laterally from side to side, reduce the amount of weight because of the many muscles involved in the lift, the Deadlift may require more rest between sets than normal

 

Conclusion

As in all exercises, the Deadlift is not for everyone. If you are working with a client with special needs such as lower lumbar injuries or any other joint injuries, it is important to get there doctor’s or chiropractor’s release before adding this lift to their regime.

 

The Deadlift itself has many variations. You can use barbells for lighter weights or use a limited range of motion if the situation calls for it. There are also specialized bars that some people find more comfortable such as the Combo Bar or Trap Bar.

Because of the wide range of muscles the Deadlift targets, some people use it as a warm-up lift before their workout. In whatever form you use, the Deadlift should play an important role in your training program.

 

Bibliography

1. Baechle, T. Essentials of Strength and Conditioning. Human Kinetics, Illinois, 1994 2. Escamilla, R., et al. A three-dimensional biomechanical analysis of sumo and conventional style deadlifts. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2000;32:1265-1275.
3. Hatfield, F. Fitness: the Complete Guide. ISSA, Santa Barbara, 2000.

Breakfast club

Please note, this is not my work but a good read.

The first meal of the day is commonly cited as being the most important.

But is there scientific evidence to back this up? And what constitutes a good breakfast? Linia Patel considers the data.

Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day, yet at least one-fifth of the UK population regularly miss this meal.1 Of those who do manage to eat something in the morning, the majority reach for something quick and convenient such as breakfast cereal.2 But are breakfast cereals a good choice? And what exactly makes a nutritious breakfast?

A meal not to be missed

Breakfast literally means 'breaking the fast'. After fasting overnight, breakfast helps top up the energy stores your body uses during the night to repair and regenerate itself and kick-starts the body’s metabolism.1

Science has frequently shown that eating breakfast is important. Skipping breakfast has been reported to have a negative impact on memory, concentration and learning. It has also been linked to obesity. Studies suggest that people who don’t eat breakfast are nearly twice as obese as those who do.3 A UK-based study involving 6,764 middle-aged men showed that those who had breakfast ate significantly less throughout the rest of the day than those individuals who skipped breakfast. The reason? Breakfast helps stabilise blood sugar levels which control appetite and energy. Evidently, breakfast is not a meal to be missed.4 However, even if clients are eating breakfast, emerging research shows that what you eat for breakfast matters just as much as whether you eat it.

Quality counts

The type of breakfast and its impact on weight management is an active area of research. Some large observational studies suggest that eating breakfast, especially one that includes whole grain foods (such as whole grain bread or whole grain cereal) is linked to a lower BMI and reduces the chances of having a heart attack or stroke, or developing type 2 diabetes.3 Researchers looking specifically into whether the type of carbohydrate (complex vs refined) you eat for breakfast matters, have found that it does. Results show that opting for complex carbohydrates (e.g., porridge oats) instead of refined carbohydrates (e.g., cornflakes) has positive effects on insulin levels, feelings of fullness and overall mood.5  

More recent studies have tried to compare the effect of low-protein breakfasts to higher-protein breakfasts. The meals used in these comparison studies vary somewhat from white bagel (low protein) and egg (high protein), to the typical cereal-and-milk breakfast vs yogurt and protein-enriched waffles with syrup.6,7 Results show that having a protein source at breakfast increases feelings of satiety; helps control appetite and improves attention, focus and memory.7, 8

Increasing numbers of personal trainers are advising clients that they should start off their day with a meal of meat and nuts. While it's hard to argue with a diet that kicks highly processed food off the plate and is based on lean protein instead, there aren't actually any specific studies that justify the claims that meat and nuts are the ultimate breakfast combo. More research is needed to determine the gold standard breakfast type.

The Paleo diet may be reasonably healthy, but so are other eating styles based on diets such as the Okinawa diet or even the Mediterranean diet. Both of these include whole grains such as oats, barley and wild rice but like the Paleo diet exclude highly processed foods such as refined grains – the real enemy of a healthy breakfast.8

 

Worst meal of the day?

With 87% of households eating breakfast every day, Britain has the world’s highest per capita consumption of breakfast cereal according to a Euro-monitor study.2

However, Which? recently investigated 100 branded breakfast cereals based on the Foods Standard Agency’s (FSA) ‘a lot’ and ‘a little’ criteria.

They found that 85% of cereals contained ‘a lot’ of sugar, 9% contained ‘a lot’ of saturated fat and 40% contained ‘a lot’ of salt.9 Historically, breakfast cereal manufacturers have tried to justify the high sugar and salt levels in cereals by stating that, based on the serving sizes recommended, cereals should not significantly contribute to energy, sugar and salt in the diet. Not surprisingly, with all the added sugar and salt that makes cereal taste so good, many people eat much more than the recommended portions.

According to the FSA, a small serving of cereal is 25g, an average serving 30g and a large serving 50g. A survey commissioned by the FSA looking into the difference between actual and recommended servings, revealed that more than three-quarters of the nation eat two-to-three times more than the portion sizes recommended.10

What makes a good breakfast?

The pace of modern life has driven many to think convenience foods like breakfast cereal are the only way. However, with a little creativity, you can help make breakfast the most exciting meal of the day for clients:11

1) Variety is the spice of life. Including a range of food groups in breakfast will help ensure a wide range of nutrients and vitamins. Aim to include at least three food groups per meal from the following: starchy carbs, protein, vegetables and fruit, essential fats and low-fat dairy/dairy alternatives.

2) Choose your carbs carefully. Pastries, white bread and high-sugar cereals are refined carbohydrates that play havoc with blood sugar levels. Opt for slowrelease carbs such as whole oats, whole grain breads, barley, quinoa, berries and vegetables. These will release sugar more slowly into the bloodstream and provide sustained energy levels.

3) Add a protein source. Protein in a meal helps maintain blood sugar levels and helps you stay fuller for longer. Eggs or egg substitutes, nuts, seeds, nut butters, cottage cheese, low-fat Greek yogurt, oily fish, lean meats and pulses are all good sources of protein.

Familiar breakfast choices that are also nutritious:

• Scrambled egg with smoked salmon on whole grain toast. As well as other nutrients, the yolks contain zeathanthin and lutein to prevent or even reverse age-related macular degeneration. Salmon is a great source of omega-3 fats. 

• Poached eggs on whole grain toast with grilled tomatoes and mushrooms. Eggs contain a wide range of vitamins and minerals including vitamin D for bone health and gene regulation. Cooked tomatoes are rich in cancerprotective lycopene.

• Oats porridge topped with nuts, seeds and blueberries. Whole grain oats are full of fibre and rich in B vitamins. Adding nuts and seeds increases the protein content of meals and boosts your omega-3 intake. Blueberries are packed with antioxidants such as anthocyanins.

 

Clients can’t go without cereal and milk?

Opt for cereals that are:¹⁰

• 100% whole grain: these words should be at the top of the food label

• High in fibre: 5g of dietary fibre per serving or more

• Low in sugar: 8g of sugar or less per serving ( 4tsp)

• Low in sodium/salt: less than 200mg sodium per serving

• Rich in vitamins and minerals

• High in protein: nuts and whole grain will increase protein intake

 

Summary

Making breakfast part of your clients' daily routine is a must. If they don’t have breakfast then this is the first step. Once breakfast becomes a habit, the next goal is making sure they consume a quality breakfast.

When it comes to advising our clients, always consider their goals and lifestyle and remember that one size does not fit all. You may find it easy to have a chicken breast and broccoli for breakfast – they might not. Work with them and find out what sustainable breakfast choices are suitable. Remember that breakfast is just one – albeit important – meal of the day and the overall diet of your client will influence their health more than an individual meal or type of food.

When you make breakfast recommendations to your clients, keep in mind: variety, slow-release carbs, a protein source and fluid, and you won’t go wrong. For those clients that are hard-core breakfast cereal fans, encourage them to become label savvy, or suggest they have breakfast cereals as dessert as many of them are more suited for this.

MMA Conditioning Workouts

The common misconception that many new MMA Fighters and Athletes have is that just having the ability and endurance to run 5 miles a day will somehow translate in the MMA fighter's ability to shave the proper MMA conditioning they will need to fight in the ring.

In order for the MMA Fighter to perform at a high level, during the whole fight they are going to need to train in multiple "levels" of endurance training. These types or levels of endurance relate to the muscles and their ability to perform with and without oxygen.

 

The types of endurance training an MMA fighter most focus on is...

·         Aerobic Endurance - The ability of your muscles to perform with oxygen over long periods of time

·         Anaerobic Endurance - The ability of your muscles to perform without oxygen.

·         Anaerobic Threshold - A level of exercise intensity beyond which the body cannot consume oxygen fast enough to support the energy demand. As a result, lactic acid begins to rapidly accumulate in the working muscles, hastening exhaustion.

·         V_o2Max - the maximum capacity of an individual's body to transport and utilize oxygen during physical activity.

Increasing your Fight Endurance

Increasing your endurance really means increasing the levels and capabilities of your...

·         Anaerobic Threshold

·         V_o2Max

·         Ability to relax

·         Increase Anaerobic Threshold

To improve your threshold you need to be performing activities at a VERY high intensity for up to 2 minutes. When performing these activities, your body learns to cope with increase lactate levels. Common exercises for increasing your Anaerobic Threshold would be any type of high intensity sprinting (running or swimming), high intensity circuit weight training, bodyweight conditioning exercises, functional exercises, high intensity grappling and sparring.

When training to improve your V_o2Max - longer periods of exercise at a lower intensity. Swimming is an excellent way to increase your V_o2Max.

Relaxation plays a huge role in the ability for a MMA fighter to perform in the cage. The ability to relax comes from experience and mental preparation.

 

Some key tips for increasing your ability to relax during fight time are...

·         Hard sparring and fight training: If the training is brutal and hard, the fight is a welcome release. Challenge yourself outside the cage so that the MMA fight is easy.

·         Fight visualization - imagine everything about the fight, from getting your hands wrapped, walking out, hearing your music, entering the cage, touching gloves, the initial exchange, the techniques you before, and you WINNING the fight.

·         Start small - enter grappling or boxing fights first, this will prepare you for the big show.
Sample Workout Circuits

The best way to condition you for a fight is to condition yourself according to the rounds and time of the fight. If your fight is 4 minute rounds with one minute rest, perform your exercises non-stop for 4 minutes, take 1 minute rest and repeat or go on the next set of exercises.

When conditioning, I prefer to set up different stations.

Here are some sample exercises that are MMA-specific

Station 1: Burpees 30 seconds
Station 2: Jump Rope 30 seconds
Station 3: Sprawl 30 Seconds
Station 4: Intense Jab Cross Combos 30 seconds

Station 5: Sprawl to Double Takedown Exercise 30 Seconds
Station 6: Ground and Pound bag 30 Seconds
Station 7: Pushups 30 Seconds
Station 8: Jumping Squats 30 Seconds

Rest - Repeat 2 more times

Basic Nutrients

Basic Nutrients

Protein

Protein acts as your body’s building blocks. It is responsible for building, maintaining and repairing all your body’s cells. Protein is made from chains of the 22 amino acids (chemical compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen) of which eight are essential (because they cannot be produced by your body) and 14 are non-essential (because they can be produced by your body). There are a potentially unlimited number of protein types because they can be formed from any number and combination of the 22 amino acids. However, this macronutrient can be broken down into two main types; complete (which contains all eight essential amino acids) and incomplete (which does not contain all eight essential amino acids). Apart from playing a key role in the creation and maintenance of healthy cells protein also has other key roles in the body. It assists in the production of antibodies, enzymes and hormones, helps your blood clot and regulates a number of important processes in the body. Protein is essential when trying to diet or gain muscle mass. For optimal muscle building you should try to ingest 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are your body’s primary energy source. They are constructed from carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Carbohydrates can be either simple or complex with simple carbs containing one or two sugars and complex carbs containing three or more. Apart from being a great source of energy, this macronutrient is also an excellent source of phytonutrients (which protect your body from free radical damage) and vitamins (which support many functions in the body).

Whilst most carbohydrates supply your body with energy, fibre (also known as cellulose) is an exception to this rule. Fibre is a complex carbohydrate that cannot be digested and instead of providing energy it keeps blood glucose levels under control, promotes good bowel health and protects you from certain diseases.

Dietary Fats

Dietary fats are all constructed from a combination of carbon and hydrogen. They are one of the 3 macronutrients but can be broken down into four main types; monounsaturated fats (where carbon atoms are bonded to the hydrogen atoms at all but one point), polyunsaturated fats (where carbon atoms are not bonded to hydrogen atoms at two or more points), saturated fats (where all the carbon atoms are bonded to hydrogen atoms) and trans fats (originally unsaturated fats that have a carbon atom add to them either artificially or naturally).

With the exception of man-made trans fats, all dietary fats are beneficial to your health and have numerous roles in the body. Monounsaturated fats keep your blood cholesterol and blood glucose levels under control whilst also protecting you from cancer. Polyunsaturated fats are key for brain health and also keep support strong bones, healthy skin and good vision. Saturated fats support your vital organs, keep your immune system healthy and strengthen your bones and cell membranes.

Water

The human body, which is made up of between 55 and 75% water (lean people have more water in their bodies because muscle holds more water than fat), is in need of constant water replenishment.

Water is crucial to your health. It makes up, on average, 60% of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water.

 Lack of water can lead to dehydration, a condition that occurs when you don't have enough water in your body to carry on normal functions. Even mild dehydration - as little as a 1% to 2% loss of your body weight - can sap your energy and make you tired. Dehydration poses a particular health risk for the very young and the very old.

Nutritional Supplements

Nutritional supplements are used to supplement the deficiencies in our diet. For optimal health we need all the nutrients we can get. Since no matter how well we eat our diets most of the time do not provide all the nutrients we need, nutritional supplements fill those gaps. Nutritional supplements can help boost our immune system, provide us with energy, help remove toxins from our bodies, improve our athlethisism, and help improve our overall fitness.

To take full advantage of what dietary supplements can offer, you must choose the right health supplements to take. It is only by taking your choice seriously will you be able to live a fuller, and better life. Understand that supplements provide many health benefits but they should not replace proper nutrition and nutritional practices. After all they are supplements.

Nutritional Categories
Proteins	Carbohydrates (Starches)
Chicken Lean Beef Turkey Eggs Whey Protein Lean Pork Salmon Tuna White Fish	Brown Rice Oatmeal Sweet Potatoes Whole Wheat Pasta Wheat Chex Whole Grain Cheerios Red Potatoes Wheateena Beans
Carbohydrates (Fruits)	Carbohydrates (Vegetables)
Apples Grapefruit Oranges Pineapples Blueberries Pears Prunes Raisins Strawberries	Broccoli Cauliflower Zucchini Mushrooms Tomatoes Carrots Green Beans Corn Spinach
Fats	Supplements
Fish Oils CLA Sesame Seed Oil Flax Seed Oil Almonds Avacados Natural Peanut Butter	Whey Protein Creatine Branch Chain Amino Acids Glutamine Multi-Vitamins Fish Oils
Water Drink plenty!!!