Confessions of a Crossfit Coach

Soundbites & Confessions to End 2011

2011-12-31T15:06:00.005-07:00

Sneakin' in one last blog post before 2012...

First off, I have an actual educational, organized, and informative post on adrenal fatigue brewing for early 2012. This, though, will not be that; in typical North American ADHD fashion, I'm going to puke forth a shwack of Soundbites and Confessions to ring in the New Year. As always, some will be personal, some will be sciencey, and some will be sarcastic.

Confession: I think Metabolic Typing is a bunch of Horseshit.

It's interesting that 1) I've been asked more than a few times about this in the recent months from folks all over the country emailing me, 2) Robb Wolf has addressed this numerous times in text (here) and on his podcast, (here, here, and here) 3) Alan Aragon did a recent a thorough ass-thrashing in his Research Review.

This is a bit at odds with my current journey of learning about Functional Diagnostic Nutrition, as FDN aligns itself with MT. To clarify, though, they are two separate entities. And yes, while I think MT is horseshit (I had my own metabolic typing done, to the tune of 150 bucks. I was told to stop drinking coffee and eating spinach. Because I'm a "fast oxidizer", and these are acidic foods. When asked about PRAL and specific alkalinity (both of which spinach and coffee have a negative {read:alkaline} PRAL, there was no rebuttal.), I understand why they would align themselves with something like MT. I'm biased, it's pseudoscience horsehit, but it DOES address individuality. I still sure as hell wouldn't either use it or recommend it to ANYONE. Hell, even the Zone might be better, and it sucks.

Soundbite: Chevelle is a fucking badass band.

Sure, bands like Killswitch Engage, Slipknot, All That Remains, and Sevendust are probably more likely to be found on my iPod at the gym, but you can't deny the awesome mesh of Chevelle. A bunch of geeky dudes who probably all have degrees in science, heavy guitar riffs, and actual cerebral lyrics. Figures I'd like em. And yes, their new single Face To The Floor can be found on my iPod. At the gym. LOUD.

Confession, Admission, Prediction:

I'm a mediocre athlete. Why am I bashing myself down? I work with, and a train with, some of the best in the world. It's hard not to suck around these folks. Sure, I put up pretty good numbers for a skinny assed 38 year old, but fuck me, there's some wicked beasts in the Crossfit Community. This is an awesome segue into an admission + prediction:

I'm seriously stoked for the 2012 Crossfit Games. Yeah yeah I bash the whole dealio from time to time, but I'm obviously still waving the flag. This year, I have a TON of clients that will be competing from coast to coast, so I can't help but be jacked.

I usually throw out a prediction or two, which, in the evolving world of Crossfit as a sport, is a total crapshoot. This one isn't specific to 2012 per se, and more targeted to the guys: We will continually see faster athletes at, or above, the 225# mark. In the past, 225# was "just too big" for Crossfit...dominate athletes in the male category were around 185-190, exceptions aside. 225#, in the future, will no longer be the exception, it'll be the standard. Mark my words.

Soundbite: Dr Terry Wahls on Paleo and Multiple Sclerosis.

Get a cup of coffee, sit the hell down for 17 minutes, and watch. It's Ted Talks. It's about nutrition. It's about curing the incurable. This shit is heavy.

Confession: I love cooking bacon.

My BBQ lost a bet with 110km/hr winds, hence the shit-kicked look.

I know, that's not very revealing. But cooking bacon on my back deck on Dec 31st wearing shorts with no snow and a balmy -1 Celsius is pretty freakin' cool.

Soundbite: Fish oil won't FUBAR your lipid peroxides

I'm pretty sure I've posted on this before: The idea that too much fish oil (an unstable polyunsaturated omega 3 fatty acid) will oxidize and do more harm than good. This idea, while sound, is much like a lot of nutritional theories floating around the blog-o-sphere and interwebz, is susceptible to what I call the "Run-Like-A-Fucking-Idiot" syndrome. Folks get a wiff, then take it to the end of extreme. This goes both ways, by the way. Think fructose. Think dairy. Think fish oil. For that matter, think "Paleo". People either want it all or nothing, and a vast majority don't seem to be able to find a happy medium. Yeah, I get that folks want black and white. But pull your head out of your ass on this one.

Back on target, let's look at some sciencey goodness:

Effect of fish and fish oil-derived omega-3 fatty acids on lipid oxidation.

Source

School of Medicine and Pharmacology, The University of Western Australia, Medical Research Foundation Building, Box X 2213 GPO, Perth, Western Australia 6847, Australia. tmori@cyllene.uwa.edu.au

Abstract

There is evidence that omega-3 (omega3) fatty acids derived from fish and fish oils reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease via mechanisms underlying atherosclerosis, thrombosis and inflammation. Despite these benefits, there has been concern that these fatty acids may increase lipid peroxidation. However, the in vivo data to date are inconclusive, due in part to limitations in the methodologies. In this regard, our findings using the measurement of F(2)-isoprostanes, a reliable measure of in vivo lipid peroxidation and oxidant stress, do not support adverse effects of omega3 fatty acids on lipid peroxidation.

PMID:15479562 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Polyunsaturated fatty acids as antioxidants

Doriane Richard, Kaouthar Kefi, Ullah Barbe, Pedro Bausero, Francesco Visioli

Laboratory of «Micronutrients and Cardiovascular Disease», UMR7079, UPMC Univ 06, Paris, France

Accepted 13 May 2008. Available online 18 May 2008.

Abstract

The susceptibility of fatty acids to oxidation is thought to be directly dependent on their degree of unsaturation. However, some in vitro and in vivo studies suggest that the relation between chemical structure and susceptibility to oxidation is not as straightforward as hypothesized from theoretical viewpoints. Indeed, long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) might be less oxidizable than others under specific experimental conditions. We investigated the free radical-scavenging potential of PUFA and the production of reactive oxygen/nitrogen (ROS/RNS) species by human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) supplemented with different fatty acids. Fatty acid micelles scavenged superoxide in an unsaturation-dependent manner, up to eicosapentaenoic acid, which was the most effective fatty acid. Supplementation of HAEC with polyunsaturated fatty acids of the omega 3 series resulted in lower formation of ROS, as compared with cells supplemented with saturates, monounsaturates, or polyunsaturates of the omega 6 series. This effect was maximal at concentrations of 10 μM. The effects of omega 3 fatty acids on reactive species production appear to be stronger when ROS were evaluated, as a milder, albeit significant effect was observed on RNS generation. Based on in vivo data showing reduced excretion of lipid peroxidation products after omega 3 intake and our data on ROS production and direct superoxide scavenging by LC-PUFAs, notably those of the omega 3 series, we propose that this series of fatty acid might act as indirect anti- rather than pro-oxidant in vascular endothelial cells, hence diminishing inflammation and, in turn, the risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.

Commonly heard quote: Ok, so Mike dug up a bunch of studies. Big deal. I'm a BAMF fire breathing, low omega-6 eatin' athlete with body comp so tight I have striations on my striations. I'm TOTALLY going to oxidize those excess O3s!" (ok, maybe not so commonly heard quote, but you get my point). Enter N=1 real life experimentation:

Mike's Recent Lipid Peroxide test: 5.48nM/mg
Optimal range of Lipid Peroxides: 1.00-7.50nM/mg

Keep in mind this test was taken with the continual consumption of at LEAST 4.8g EPA/DHA per day; at times, I dose at 6g (5 caps of 600mg EPA/DHA x 2/day). In the far past, I've been at 10-15g to deal with a chronic shoulder bursitis.

Also of note is that lipid peroxides can be elevated due to excessive or hard training, and can be attenuated by the consumption of anti-oxidants. For the record, I did this test on a rest day, but had trained the previous 3 days in a row (and, this was prior to Maddy being born, so the training was still decent, ha!). I also do not consume antioxidants, and had stopped my Vit C intake day prior to the test.

Morale of the story? Take your damn fish oil. Use the bag of fat between your ears, and make decisions on what you do, or do not do, based on sound science. Not the flavor of the month, and not what the goddamn masses are doing like herds of cattle. Direct your own health.

Confession: I'm continually blown away at the far reaching readership of this blog!

It makes me smile, shake my head, and just plain wonder. Let's be clear: I don't get a Satan-Klaus bag of mail every day, but I do get questions and comments from all over the damn globe on a regular basis. I don't get as much hate mail as I probably deserve, but I do get some pretty cool questions.

I recently had a brief discussion with another CF coach about FDN in Florida; another, in New York. I've had a few Aussies email me with just nice things to say (the rumors aren't true, they are nice folks!), and always lots of California. I have to admit, my blogging frequency has fallen off the planet, but it's nice to hear from folks from all over, and it's a catalyst to get me to find the time.

That being said, I just got an email notification of a hilarious post left on probably my most popular and completely mis-understood post, Some Things I Hate About Crossfit

Soundbite: Alistair Overeem

Just watched this absolute freak of nature man-handle Lesnar last night at my buddy Jake's house. For some clarity, my nutritional consulting does 3 phases; one of the topics in phase 3 is supplements. I don't do a "Phase 4". Phase 4 would probably land me in jail.

Then., at 205#











...Now, at 265#.

In the wise words of one of the best paramedics I know "I'm not sayin'...I'm just sayin'" Uh huh. Look at Joe Rogan in the background. Even he seems bamboozeled by Overeems...transformation.

Confession: My Adrenals are Trashed. T-R-A-S-H-E-D. But it may be normal.

The basis of the FDN course is testing lab values; as a student, one of the first steps is to test my own. I did my testing prior to my daughter's birth, because I knew once she arrived, all semblance of training/diet/sleep would just be a beautiful memory. While it actually hasn't been as bad as I thought, my sleep has taken a serious beat down. BUT, I did do my labs before. But when I got the results, my jaw hit the floor:

I'm in late Stage 2/early stage 3 adrenal fatigue. I'll go into the actual ranges, values, and meanings in a blog post early in the new year, but for a primer, think of it like this:
Stage 1: Elevated cortisol above normal at certain points of the day, total sum still normal
Stage 2: Elevated cortisol throughout the day, total sum elevated
Stage 3: Adrenal Exhaustion, sum less than normal.

My DHEA was low, cortisol low on all points except one, and total is low. What I find mind-boggling is that I generally don't feel that bad most of the time, and this year I made some pretty decent progress in training, maintained a sub-8% BF, and didn't walk around like I had dementia. Well, most of the time. Also, my testosterone is decent at 960ng/mL on a scale of 400-1300. I'd like to see that above 1000, but shit, considering, I'm happy. My metcons have sucked ass lately, but my strength has increased at a rate I'm pretty stoked about.

What I Think Has Saved My Bacon Thus Far: Completely dialed diet (lets assume I know what the hell I'm talking about here), smart training, and intelligent supplementation. By all rights, I should be barely able to drag my ass out of bed in the morning. Most of the time I just wake up, swear a bit, and I'm good to go.

The main strategies for dealing with this are, well, obviously, quality sleep; being a career shiftworker has probably been the main, far reaching cause that started 15+ years ago. My recent deprivation is a drop in bucket, but exacerbating, nonetheless. Friends that are parents promise me I will get sleep again :). Also is the use of supplemental DHEA, Pregnenolone and Licorice root. Think of this as "Phase 3.5"....some of this stuff isn't available in Canada, (which is complete, 100% horseshit). BUT, being a resourceful sum-bitch, I have in my adrenal fatigued hands sub-lingual versions of all stated, and it looks like a fairly reliable source for the future. SO, I will be able to treat myself, and my future clients. More on this next year, and obvious re-testing in the near future ;)

Recent Training

Well since my last post Nov 6th, training has been a challenge, to say the least, but it's happened. I'm fortunate enough to have a kick-ass garage gym (huge props to my friend, accountant, and owner of CFLA, David "I wear Millionaire" Muryn), and access to a sweet gym at the new firehall. Motivation/energy has been more of an issue that location...let's be clear on that!

Current PRs:

Deadlift, 435#. Just PR'd this on my first vist back to CFLA. 450# is just around the corner.
OHP, 141#. It's 1 pound. GFY. I'm taking it, lol. Seriously, this does make me laugh, because it's laughable. Weak sauce, fo' sho.
Squat, 355#. Had a PR of up to 350, and recently, 355. Lots o' room in my deadlift, but this one is truly at max. Going to take some serious work to get to 405#.

Nov 21st, CFLA, 11ish or so
CF Total
Back Squat 355#
Deadlift 435#
OHP 140#
Total: 930. Very happy with this, and really not giving a fuck that I used a belt and went back and forth between my press and DL at the same time. Came in just with the idea that I was going to squat, and jumped in with David to do the whole deal.

Dec 6th & 8th

TRX session at U of L, 1 hr/each.

This was...ok. I have to be kinda politically correct here, because 1) there's readers that really like this thing, and 2) Guys at the station use it, and I'm just happy when they are doing pretty much anything. I'm personally not a fan, though, and won't be buying one for my garage gym nor will I be wasting my time on one. I purposely tried to kill myself during the last sessions "interval workout", and ended up with nothing more than mild DOMS in my obliques the next day.

Let me put it this way: If I was stuck in Afghanistan, and my job required a high degree of physical fitness, and I didn't have access to awesome stuff like barbells, and all I had was a tank in the desert and some nylon webbing, I'd use it. But I'm not in Afghanistan, my job DOES requires a high degree of physical fitness, and I have access to better shit. 'Nuff said. Flavor of the month, it's not a shitty gimmick, but there way better options available. (read: barbells, rings, rowers)

Dec 20th, Firehall #1, 10:30

Deadlift

135x10, 155x5, 205x3, 225x3, 245x3, 275x3, 315x3, 350x10. BOOM. That was a nice surprise.

Dec 25th, Garage, 11AM
OHP up to 141#. You have no idea how pissed I was that I couldn't budge 145#. Fuck around.

3 Rds

15 KBS, 32kg
30 DUs
10 Pullups
15 Ring Pushups
12min + change. No fractionating expect the pushups, but time between movements taken.

Dec 27th, CFLA, 11 AM

Deadlift

1 set of 405x3, form was sketch, dropped to 365x3 for 4 more sets.
Tabata row, 908
5 sets of weighted chins, worked up to 50#
5 Sets of weighted ring dips, up to 40#

Dec 30th, CFLA, 11 AM

Front Squat

135x10, 165x5, 185x5, 225x5x5

AMRAP 10 Min

15 Power Snatch, 75#
30 DUs
4+3 rounds. Hit this at 75%, fractionated the PS to 5's after the first round, purposeful breaks.

Dynamic Nutrition at Taranis, Real Food vs Vitamins, and Maddy

2011-11-06T20:21:00.001-07:00

Dynamic Nutrition Beasts Alicia Connors, Steve Howell, Jeremy Meredith, and Joey Lutz

This past weekend, a shwackload of high-end athletes took part in what's sure to be known as western Canada's biggest mid-season Crossfit competition: The Taranis Winter Challenge, in Victoria, BC. You can check that link for the listing of the WODS (which looked excellent and well rounded, says this middle-of-the-road athlete that wasn't there), and check HERE for the rankings.

I'm extremely proud to say that FIVE of my athletes placed top 10 in a very deep talent pool of over 50 men and 35 women: Steve Howell, 1st, Alicia Connors, 2nd, Jeremy Meredith, 3rd, Rachel Siemens, 7th, Joey Lutz, 9th. Also competing were Jason Noel, 19th, and Jeff Hutton, competing for Team Crossfit Vernon.

Well done everyone!

Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Jun;79(6):1060-72.

The 6-a-day study: effects of fruit and vegetables on markers of oxidative stress and antioxidative defense in healthy nonsmokers.

Source

Danish Institute for Food and Veterinary Research, Søborg, Denmark. lod@fdir.dk

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Fruit and vegetables contain both nutritive and nonnutritive factors that might contribute to redox (antioxidant and prooxidant) actions.

OBJECTIVE:

We investigated the relative influence of nutritive and nonnutritive factors in fruit and vegetables on oxidative damage and enzymatic defense.

DESIGN:

A 25-d intervention study with complete control of dietary intake was performed in 43 healthy male and female nonsmokers who were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups. In addition to a basic diet devoid of fruit and vegetables, the fruit and vegetables (Fruveg) group received 600 g fruit and vegetables/d; the placebo group received a placebo pill, and the supplement group received a vitamin pill designed to contain vitamins and minerals corresponding to those in 600 g fruit and vegetables. Biomarkers of oxidative damage to protein and lipids and of antioxidant nutrients and defense enzymes were determined before and during intervention.

RESULTS:

Plasma lipid oxidation lag times increased during intervention in the Fruveg and supplement groups, and the increase was significantly higher in the former. Plasma protein carbonyl formation at lysine residues also increased in both of these groups. Glutathione peroxidase activity increased in the Fruveg group only. Other markers of oxidative damage, oxidative capacity, or antioxidant defense were largely unaffected by the intervention.

CONCLUSIONS:

Fruit and vegetables increase erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity and resistance of plasma lipoproteins to oxidation more efficiently than do the vitamins and minerals that fruit and vegetables are known to contain. Plasma protein carbonyl formation at lysine residues increases because of the vitamins and minerals in fruit and vegetables.

My Thoughts: This is a pretty damn interesting study in that it's the first I've seen that compares real food to supplements in a quantifiable nature. Often, the common saying "real food is better than vitamins and minerals" is thrown about haphazardly, but without a solid explanation of "why". In my practice, I'm not *against* the use of a multivit/multi-min type supplement or the use of singular micronutrients, but I would rather see folks first 1) obtain as much micro-nutrient intake from whole food, and 2) if needed, use a powdered green type supplement (as an example, Greens+ or Greens First). As seen in the posted study there IS a difference when obtaining micronutrients from whole food versus pills.

My view, as seen from the top of the world

This last Tuesday, Nov 1st, 1:34AM, my beautiful daughter Madison Taylor came into this world. While we had to spend 4 days at the hospital with Mom as she recovered from a last minute C-section, I'm happy to report everyone is doing stellar!!!

While there's going to be some major adjusting, fine-tuning, and time management, I've been lucky enough to already sneak in a workout yesterday at home (I'll be posting in the future on my home gym setup) and get back to some current Dynamic Nutrition clients.

Recent Training

Oct 20th, CFLA

Sprints
5x10y, 5x20y, 2x40y.
5 Rounds
4 Power Snatch, 70%1Rm (110#)
Max strict pullups
Max band pushup
Rest 2 min between rounds.
10/20, 10/20, 6/15, 6/14, 6/13

Oct 27th, Garage

Wendler 5/3/1, week 1
A)Deadlift
135x5/185x5/225x5/245x5/280x5/315x14.
Using an old 1RM of 415# for percentages, 14reps at 315# puts me at 460#1RM. Gonna have to test that theory out soon.
B) Accessory Work:
Overhead Lunge, 6/leg, 3 sets@ 25#/35#/45#
L-hang, 3set x 20s

Oct 31st, Garage

Back Squat 3R
135x5/175x5/190x3/225x3/255x3/285x11. Felt better than my 275x10 last week. Odd.
5 Rd
15 20# Push Ball to 10'
5/5 right/left 50lb KB snatch
25 Double Unders
11:30. Low back torched
Cash Out: 3x15 ab wheel rollouts.

Nov 5th, Garage

OHP 45x10, 60x10, 95x5, 105x5, 115x3, 120x3, 125x1, 130x1, 135x1, 140x1, 145x0,0,0. Tied my current PR, so considering running on <3hr sleep, fine with this.
3 Rounds, max rest between rounds:
5 Power Snatch, 95#
10 Butterfly pullups
15 KBS, 50lbs
20 Double unders

RX'd Should Read "Dose-Dependant", Fish Oil and Lipid Peroxidization, and BeastModal on Clients

2011-10-17T21:44:00.001-06:00

Yeah, but is it RX'd for you???

Rx: A medical prescription. The symbol "Rx" is usually said to stand for the Latin word "recipe" meaning "to take." It is customarily part of the superscription (heading) of a prescription.

Recently, I wrote up a guideline on the use and implementation of IF (intermittent fasting) in performance, health, and longevity for VERY specific clients:

There's some solid science to it's benefits---but it must be applied in a similar fashion to how a medical professional would administer a pharmacological agent:

The right patient
The right drug
The right dose
The right route
The right time

If we think of intermittent fasting (IF) as a "drug", and apply these rules (the right client/athlete, the right amount, at the right time in his/her training, for the right length), we have nothing to lose and everything to gain---in the right person.

I started thinking about this as applied to the whole RX'd deal and how "As Prescribed" is extremely ingrained, overused, and misunderstood in the CF community, and how it's literally fucking people over. Note the differences:

A Medical Professional: After a thorough verbal, physical, and mental assessment of patient, consideration of the chief complaint, a diagnosis (DX) is made. This could also be based on assessment of quantitative lab values, consideration of differential diagnoses and diagnosis of exclusion. After this is done, treatment based on this info is As Prescribed (RX'd).

Crossfit: Are you fit? No? Let's scale this. Yeah, it's group programming, but if it's scaled and modded, hell, it's just like individual programming! Oh, dot-com is good for everything. It'll make you bigger faster stronger, BA-BEE.

What's that? You're fit, like fucking elite fit? Oh shit, Holmes, you need to do this shit RX'd bro! Nothing is better than RX'd.

If you haven't caught it (and, I have no idea how, but some folks still haven't) there's a serious layer of sarcasm covering an actual serious issue that's lying below the surface. Now, my example is poking fun at individualized programing versus generalized group programming. I'm going to steal and twist-the-hell up a quote by Greg Glassman himself:

"A program that is 100% safe is also a program that is 100% IN-effective"

Yeah, I know :) that one has already been run into the ground a fair bit by a vast number of people on the outside of Crossfit. But it's damn true---the greatest possible efficacy in a training program pushes the envelope when it comes to adaptation. There's a fine line between progress and over-training. OPT recently touched on this topic on The Big Dawgs blog.

Getting back to "RX'D", and some closing end-points specific to nutrition to leave you thinking:

Every athlete has numerous individual variables that will, and SHOULD, affect his/her training, nutrition, and recovery. This is assuming they want Optimal, and not sub-standard.
The most potent pharmacological treatment modalities are dose-per kilogram based, with other clinical variables taken into consideration.
A generalized training program will yield either generalized, low efficacy results, or possibly negative results
A generalized nutritional intake will yield generalized, low efficacy result, or possibly negative results---poor performance, lack of remission of chronic disease, decreased LBM/increase adipose.
Food affect hormones. Drastically. Should this not be dose dependent?

RX'D should read Dose-Dependent.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids as antioxidants

Laboratory of «Micronutrients and Cardiovascular Disease», UMR7079, UPMC Univ 06, Paris, France

Accepted 13 May 2008. Available online 18 May 2008.

Abstract

The susceptibility of fatty acids to oxidation is thought to be directly dependent on their degree of unsaturation. However, some in vitro and in vivo studies suggest that the relation between chemical structure and susceptibility to oxidation is not as straightforward as hypothesized from theoretical viewpoints. Indeed, long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) might be less oxidizable than others under specific experimental conditions. We investigated the free radical-scavenging potential of PUFA and the production of reactive oxygen/nitrogen (ROS/RNS) species by human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) supplemented with different fatty acids. Fatty acid micelles scavenged superoxide in an unsaturation-dependent manner, up to eicosapentaenoic acid, which was the most effective fatty acid. Supplementation of HAEC with polyunsaturated fatty acids of the omega 3 series resulted in lower formation of ROS, as compared with cells supplemented with saturates, monounsaturates, or polyunsaturates of the omega 6 series. This effect was maximal at concentrations of 10 μM. The effects of omega 3 fatty acids on reactive species production appear to be stronger when ROS were evaluated, as a milder, albeit significant effect was observed on RNS generation. Based on in vivo data showing reduced excretion of lipid peroxidation products after omega 3 intake and our data on ROS production and direct superoxide scavenging by LC-PUFAs, notably those of the omega 3 series, we propose that this series of fatty acid might act as indirect anti- rather than pro-oxidant in vascular endothelial cells, hence diminishing inflammation and, in turn, the risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.

Redox Rep. 2004;9(4):193-7.

Effect of fish and fish oil-derived omega-3 fatty acids on lipid oxidation.

Mori TA.

Source

School of Medicine and Pharmacology, The University of Western Australia, Medical Research Foundation Building, Box X 2213 GPO, Perth, Western Australia 6847, Australia. tmori@cyllene.uwa.edu.au

Abstract

There is evidence that omega-3 (omega3) fatty acids derived from fish and fish oils reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease via mechanisms underlying atherosclerosis, thrombosis and inflammation. Despite these benefits, there has been concern that these fatty acids may increase lipid peroxidation. However, the in vivo data to date are inconclusive, due in part to limitations in the methodologies. In this regard, our findings using the measurement of F(2)-isoprostanes, a reliable measure of in vivo lipid peroxidation and oxidant stress, do not support adverse effects of omega3 fatty acids on lipid peroxidation.

My Thoughts:

Well, as you can very well read, my thoughts on this are in regards to the concern of dosing fish oil and creating lipid peroxides, which are basically oils-gone-bad. I discuss this in my Fish Oil Guide

Rancidity: - While the benefits of fish oil can't be refuted, on the flip side is spoiled, or rancid fish oil. Being a highly unsaturated fat, fish oil is extremely vulnerable to oxidation; this is the reason the fish in your fridge is only good for a few days, max. Free radicals LOVE unsaturated fatty acids, just like your 18 year old cousin from San Diego LOVES going across the border to Tijuana to get hammered. It's not a good thing, and it's kinda scary.

There's been a fair amount of talk about the concept of high-dosing fish oil and creating lipid peroxides, even though the fish oil is of excellent quality. This concept intrigued me, as it seemed plausible, but I had yet to see any evidence, either clinical or anecdotal. The studies seem to prove otherwise, as does anecdotal evidence from those reaping the benefits of supplementing with fish oil.

In the next week, as part of my FDN course, one of the labs I'll run on myself involves a lipid peroxide test. I plan on NOT stopping my supplementation of fish oil at 4.8g EPA/DHA per day (which I have been doing for years now, in ranges of 4-12g), and seeing where the lab test pan out.

BeastMode Engaged!!!

And now, for some writing far, far better than my own, and a massive dose of sarcastic comedy:

Don't Be a Dumbass Client I love being a Crossfit coach, I love my clients, but wow did I ever get a laugh out of this post. Superb.

Random Training

Still plugging away on Coach Ryan "Ryno" Fletcher's programming for me. In week 10 now, have 12 total to go.

Oct 17th, Firehall #1

Left the programming to a fellow brother firefighter:

40 minutes of:

12 Hand-release pushups

12 KBs @ 50lbs

12 Goblet Squats, 50lbs

6 Hanging straight leg raises

Treadmill, 3min @ 7.0mph

Set a nice pace, and worked pure oxidative for 40 minutes.

Oct 14th, CFLA, 6PM

3rep Power Clean/3Rep front squat
135#-155#-175#-185#x3. PC felt sloppy, FS was easy.
Rack Jerk 1-1-1-1-1-1-1
185#-195#-205#-215#-225#(PR)-235#(PR)-245#(PR)

Oct 13th, CFLA, 10AM
Only had time to sneak in some front squat prior to 11AM
135x10, 185x5, 225x2, 245x2, 265x2, 275x2. Previous 1RM was 265#

Oct 10th, CFLA, 1PM
SnatchComplex @65#, 95# (PSx2,Hang PSx2, Squat Snatch x1)
115#x2, 135#x2, 155x0,1,1, 165#x0,0,0,0,0. Grr. Wanted this PR for my 38th birthday.
One arm DB row, 70#, 3x15/arm
AMRAP 12 min
7 One arm KB snatch, 1.5pood (53#), alternate arms/round
7 Med Ball slams, 20#
7 GHD situps
9+16.

Oct 4th, CFLA, 1PM

Below-Knee Rack Pulls, 3RM
135x10/225x5/275x3/315x3/335x3/345x3/365x3/385x3/405x3/425x3. Stopped there, as I felt I was pushing my luck.
GHD Situps w. 20lb vest, 3x8
AMRAP 8 Min
3 Power Clean @ %651RM (135)
6 T2B
10 + 3

Oct 3rd, CFLA, 1PM
1RM Back Squat
135x10/225x5/245x1/275x1/295x1/315x1/335x1(PR)/340x1(PR)/345x1(PR)350x1(PR)
Over 2x BW squat @165#. BOOM.
Box jump w/ 50# (25lb DBs) 20"x5, 24"x5, 30"x5, 34"x5
Strict pullups w/ 53lb KB, 5/5/5

Joining OPT, Functional Diagnostic Nutrition, & Positive Life Changes

2011-10-01T18:02:00.002-06:00

Joining The Ultimate Team

So, this installment of Confessions is going to be about news...BIG news. I've been saving it up as it's taken a while for ALL the pieces to fall into place (literally, for all three topics)

First off: I am now a part of James "OPT" Fitzgerald's exclusive coaching team. OPT Team Profiles

Yes, I'll wait patiently as you attempt to pick your jaw up off the floor and madly scramble as your eyeballs roll down the hall.

How It Came All Together, aka Back Story: I had been doing nutrition for a well known athlete named Steve Howell (HUGE thanks due---the sole reason I was put into contact with Steve was because of Jeremy Meredith, 2nd place finisher in Regionals in 2011 and owner of Crossfit Vernon)since before Canadian Western Crossfit Regionals. Steve was following the OPT's Big Dawg programming and corresponding with James on a frequent basis; he had asked if it would be alright if he sent my nutritional advice to James for him to look at.

I said "...sure", with a bit of hesitation for a second...what if he thought it was total bullshit? Then, the next second, I figured "Well, if it is, I'd sure like to hear about it from OPT". James didn't respond back with much, other than comments like "Looks good/It's solid/Like the carbs". He seemed happy, Steve was performing at n elite level and making awesome gains, so I was happy.

Jump forward to June; I'm happily working away with momentum gained from word of mouth, and one day I spot an email from James himself. The title just read "Question". I though "Oh fuck here we go, James is going to rip me apart for my programming with Steve". Instead, he stated he was very impressed with my work, and wanted me to consider doing contract work for his exclusive remote clients, since he was overloaded. He'd do the programming, I'd to the nutrition. This is the point where *I* was picking up my jaw and looking for my eyeballs. Over the summer James shot me his client profiles, I dialed nutrition, and he did programming. I saw, and learned, a ton; he sees a diverse range of athletes from all over the world, and across all different types of athletics.

Jump forward to September; after a discussion about some business ideas, James offers me a spot with his exclusive coaching team. Once again, blown away---I had some ideas brewing, but THAT wasn't one of them. In fact, when I think about it, I'm still very stunned. When Leighanne (Jame's wife and OPT business coordinator) popped my bio up, I shot a text to a good buddy. I was like "holy shit dude I can't believe this!!" His response? "I can.". One of the best compliments I think I ever got.

I have a TON of people to thank for helping me get to this point---you know who you are. Being in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing the right way for the right people can make all the difference in the world. ;)

Oh, this is going to be ultra-geeky. Giddyup.

Since I'm of the mindset that I actually have 48hrs in my 24hr day and my plate isn't full enough, I've decided to take on more education: Functional Diagnostic Nutrition. A while back I had started searching out another avenue to expand my knowledge; I sure as hell didn't want to go down the RD route, and in all honesty, a PhD in molecular biology really wasn't in the cards (Ha!). I had been toying with the idea of a clinical nutritionist cert, but then James put me onto FDN. I was skeptical at first (as always...). I figured, though, James wouldn't waste my time, and if I was wasting my time, I'd also be wasting *his* time. He put me in touch with Reed Davis out of San Diego, the founder of FDN, and after a lengthy phone convo I was convinced. The combination of running functional (read: USEFUL) diagnostic lab values like cortisol, DHEA, hormone panels combined with sound nutritional advice and targeted supplementation just made sense.

I'm only a week into the course, but WOW, is it heavy, geeky, and awesome. Let's just say I can't wait to apply this stuff in an athletic arena. Guinea pigs, get ready! :)

Best News Of All!

Of course, best news for last: My beautiful wife (pictured here at 34 weeks on our back deck. Quit staring at my lawn. I know it's awesome) is due at the end of the month! Those that know me know this isn't "new" news, but it's worth announcing, nonetheless! We'll be having a baby girl, and we have a name (and only we know it), and it'll be positively, massively, life-changing. We are very excited/anxious/nervous, and it'll be a whole new world.

SO: I'm still working for the fire department (and always will be, that's in my blood, and will be till I'm pushing daisies), still coaching at Crossfit Lethbridge, still running (being over-run?) Dynamic Nutrition, doing an intensive nutritional course, and now working with OPT. Where am I going to fit a baby into that? Right at the top, yo. Nothing else will take priority but my baby girl. There's going to be some serious sleep deprivation and cortisol spiking, but my wife and I will adapt.

If life wasn't a challenge, it wouldn't be any fun, would it? ;)

Bullshit of the Week, Much Ado About Deadlifting, and Poliquin's Carb Intake Rules

2011-09-06T22:00:00.001-06:00

Holy Shit! I Forgot I Had A Blog!

Well, not really...it's just been continual chaos and me refining my time-management skills to a razor sharp ball-bearing point *note heavy sarcasm. I recently had someone I've never met email me and remind me that I *DO* in fact have a few readers, some from the start. Okay! Enough excuses. The Crossfit Games have come and gone, Glassman may or may not still be in a gin-induced haze counting his Reebucks, the AHS has come and gone as most hunter-gatherers do, and well, summer is almost gone, too. So, grab a cup o' Joe, and let's start with:

I came across this article on one of the (way too) many blog subscriptions I have on my Reader. Why subscribe to a vegetarian blog? Because, dear reader, comedy like this is both tragic and hilarious at the same time. Note how the top sources also contain the largest concentration of anti-nutrients. Read, and laugh, or weep, or both:

12 High Protein Alternatives To Meat

by John Smith on August 2, 2011

If you normally consume a great deal of meat, you may find it initially quite difficult to adapt to vegetarian alternatives.
However, more and more people are adding vegetarian options to their menu on a regular basis. One of the reasons for this is that good cuts of meat are exorbitantly expensive, and given the economy, many of us need to cut back a little.

12 high protein alternatives to meat

1. Seitan

Seitan is made from wheat, and the texture is actually very similar to that of wheat. Seitan is the most densely-packed source of vegetable protein known, with 20 to 30 grams of protein in a four-ounce portion. You can add Seitan to your favorite dishes and it will pass for meat, so it is pretty versatile.

2. Soy

Soy protein is not just very healthy, but is also low in fat, and contains phytochemicals such as saponins, phytc acid and isoflavones. Soy protein and its associated phytochemicals are thought to help reduce heart disease, osteoporosis and the risk of cancer. It contains around 29 grams of protein per cup.

3. Tofu

Tofu has been an Asian staple for 2,000 years. Known for its nutritional benefits, it is a versatile food, that can be eaten raw in salads, or steamed, cooked or baked. It is basically soy curd, like soft cheese. Bland and slightly sweet, tofu absorbs other flavors beautifully, which makes this food really easy to cook with.

4. Almonds

The king of all nuts, almonds are high in calcium and protein. They are also low in carbohydrate, and make an excellent and filling snack. A great source of natural fiber, almonds can be eaten raw, roasted, ground and added to salads, stews, shakes and baking, amongst other things.

5. Yogurt

Natural, bio yogurt is high in calcium, living cultures and protein. Try to make it one of your snacks each day. It can be eaten plain, or with some fruit added, blended into a smoothies, or added to main meals, such as curry and soups.

6. Tempeh

Tempeh is a high protein meat alternative, which is widely used in Thailand and Indonesia. It is made from fermented soy beans, and has a nutty flavor, which tastes very good when fried. It can taste quite bland, however, so I recommend marinading it before cooking.

7. Legumes And Beans

Legumes such as black beans, lentils and chickpeas, or beans such as French, broadbeans and runners, make excellent sources of protein. They are filling, contain good quantities of fiber, and are super cheap. A cup of almost any starchy bean contains 12 to 15 grams of protein, with a cup of lentils providing 18 grams of protein.

8. Cheese

Cheeses of all types are excellent sources of protein. Try organic cheddar or mozzarella cheeses along with your pasta, salads, soups and sandwiches. Cheese does contain a considerable amount of fat, however, so make sure you factor the correct portions into your diet — around 1 ounce per day is enough.

9. Quinoa

The highly nutritious quinoa is called the “Mother Grain” of the Andes. Quinoa is high in protein, high in iron, and contains the necessary amino acids. It has a pleasant nutty flavor, which many people like, and takes less time to cook than rice. It may be eaten with steamed vegetables, gravies, or cooked and served cold in salads. You can also buy quinoa flour and pasta, so it is extremely versatile.

10. Broccoli

For a green vegetable, broccoli is pretty high in protein. It contains around 5 grams of protein per cup, which is pretty good for a vegetable, so try to make it one of your veg portions each day.

11. Spinach

Follow in Pop-Eye’s footsteps and get 3 grams of protein per cup of spinach. You can eat baby spinach leaves raw in salads, or it can be steamed, added to curries, stews and soups, etc. Try not to overcook your greens, though, as they will lose their taste and a certain amount of their nutritional value. For best taste, lightly steam spinach and eat it seasoned with black pepper and a little olive oil.

12. Milk

Milk is so common place in almost every home that people don’t think of it as a source of protein. But, 1 cup of milk contains 8 grams of protein. As we all know it is a very versatile food. You can drink it straight from the carton, add it to your tea and coffee, or use it in any number of dishes and desserts.

This next article is just a straight-up fantastic piece from T-Nation on the deadlift; I'm always in awe when a writer can put up a great, educational piece about a movement that's been around for ages. I especially like the emphasis on set up---and neck position.

Much Ado About Deadlifting

by Tony Gentilcore – 7/29/2011
Truth be told, there isn't much that I can legitimately claim to be an expert on, Star Wars notwithstanding. One rare exception is the deadlift. While not Andy Bolton-esque by any stretch, my 570-pound pull at a (then) bodyweight of 190 pounds allows me some bragging rights.
I consider the deadlift the ultimate showcase of overall strength. The entire body has to work in unison to accomplish the task at hand, and unlike the squat or bench press (where it's much easier to cheat), there's no debating the deadlift. Either the bar comes off the ground and you lock it out, or it doesn't, and you have to hand in your man card.
While I've written extensively on the deadlift in the past, I still have more to say. Let's see if the following random thoughts help you finally achieve deadlifting badassery.

Thoughts On the Setup

Without question, the setup makes or breaks the deadlift. If you're lazy and just go through the motions, you'll fail miserably, or worse, get hurt. Conversely, if you check your ego at the door and take the time to setup correctly, more often than not, you'll be rewarded with a bigger lift.
On several occasions I've noted that one should retract (pull together) their shoulder blades when setting up for the pull. This stiffens the mid-back, engages the lats (which in turn provides more spinal stability), and activates the thoraco-lumbar fascia, which helps to better transfer force from the lower body to the upper body.
Based on feedback in the LiveSpill as well as various emails I've received, this whole "retraction" thing has confused more people than Chaz Bono in a men's room.
As such, while I still feel that stiffening the upper back and activating the lats is integral for improving the deadlift, I've modified my approach. Slightly.
Trying to actively pinch the shoulder blades together while deadlifting just feels awkward. But when I use the phrase, "lock your shoulder blades into place and think about putting them in your back pocket," it's like magic, and people get it.
As a result, many of the benefits that I described above come into play. You shorten the lever arm length from the shoulder to the lumbar spine, and you also engage the lats to help protect the lumbar spine and the SI joint. But as a general observation, the pull just "feels" stronger.
Try it out on your next deadlifting day. I can almost guarantee you'll notice an improvement.

Packing the Neck

Possibly more important for a healthy, powerful, deadlift is packing the neck as opposed to hyperextending it, which is a big no-no for several reasons.

Hyperextending the neck isn't safe. We've got one spine, and whatever happens in the neck will, concurrently, mirror itself in the lumbar spine. We wouldn't allow someone to deadlift with a hyper-lordotic lower back, so it stands to reason that we shouldn't allow hyper-lordosis in the cervical area, either.
Respected trainer and therapist Charlie Weingroff also notes, "Spinal stabilization is and always will be the name of the game when it comes to pulling big weight. It's no coincidence that the positions of integrity are also the positions that lend themselves to improved performance."

Don't believe me? Try this little experiment. Stand tall against a wall and pack your neck (make a double chin) making sure to "wiggle" your head high into position.
Now, have someone shove you. You probably didn't budge.
Alternatively, do the same thing but relax your neck, and maybe extend it a little (look up). Have someone nudge again. You should've noticed a big difference.
If you're weaker when the neck is extending while standing, how is this any different than when doing a deadlift?
So to reiterate, when deadlifting, pack your neck. While this rule may not be quite as easy to follow during max effort attempts, I'd be remiss not to show that it IS possible.

To summarize, let's break this down into list format:

When you set up, grab the bar and "pull" yourself into position by "locking" your shoulder blades into place and actively keeping them depressed, i.e., in your back pocket.
Additionally, and to add onto the point above, think "chest tall, hips down, and arch your back!"
When in position, pack your neck. Again, if you can see the wall in front of you, you're not doing it right. Alternatively, if you look down at a point that's roughly 10-15 feet in front of you, and keep your eyes fixated on that point, you're golden.
If you're wearing gloves, stop it. Now. Seriously.

Thoughts on Weak Points

When it comes to deadlifting, trainees tend to fall into one of two camps: those who miss off the floor, and those who miss at lockout.

If you miss at the bottom:

This could be the Captain Obvious in me speaking , but you have too much weight on the bar. Take some plates off, tough guy.
Get your lats activated. See above. I'm telling you, it works. The only way you're going to find out is by giving it a try.
You're slower than molasses and need some dedicated speed work to help plow through your sticking point and get the bar off the ground with more force. Getting faster will undoubtedly help with getting you stronger, which is why powerlifters often incorporate "speed" days (dynamic effort) during their training week.

In short, by using roughly 50-65% of your 1RM, you're going to concentrate on bar speed, which will help with ripping the bar off the floor with a little more "giddy up."

Moreover, another (and less commonly used) strategy would be to make the movement more challenging by increasing the range of motion. By standing on some blocks or plates you'll make the movement harder and force your body to improve leg and hip drive. Do this for a few weeks and I guarantee when you revert back to traditional pulling, it will feel infinitely easier.
Along similar lines, you could also include more snatch grip pulls into the mix as the widened grip increases the range of motion.
Lastly, try some Anderson half squats, a favorite of fellow T NATION contributor and ass-Jedi Bret Contreras. Yes, I just used the words half and squat in the same sentence. Hear me out.

Any movement that emulates the starting position of the deadlift will likely transfer well to the deadlift. What's more, and this is something that many trainees fail to recognize, the quads do play a significant role in the lift, especially in the starting position. Anderson half squats are an awesome movement that will help produce more leg drive off the floor, translating into a bigger, more efficient pull.
One piece of advice, however. Make sure that you share the load properly between the hip and knee joints. If you let the knees jut forward than it probably won't transfer much to the deadlift. Remember to sit back.

If you miss at the top:

For those who tend to miss their pulls at or near knee level and can't seem to lock it out, some dedicated speed work implementing accommodating resistance (chains or bands) would be in order.

Using chains as an example, the premise here is simple. The bar is "deloaded" at the bottom, and "loaded" as you get closer to lockout. Because the bar is deloaded near the floor, you're now able to generate some bar speed, which will then help you explode through the sticking point at or near the top half of the lift.

Rack pulls. I'm not convinced that rack pulls translate well to the deadlift. As noted above, much of what makes speed work with accommodating resistance so beneficial is that you're emphasizing bar speed, and working your way through a sticking point.

In fact, some studies state that there's only a 15 to 20 degree carry over. Significant, yes, but definitely not ideal when you're trying to improve a lift that starts from the ground.
That said, if you want to do rack pulls, do rack pulls. For some, it's a psychological boost, and there's something to be said about "feeling" what it's like to locking out a heavier weight. Nonetheless, if you go this route, make sure you replicate the same kinematics as the top portion of your deadlift, meaning that the rack pull will almost look like a Romanian deadlift, not a partial squat.

For the most part, your time would be better spent focusing on accessory work that hammers the muscles most involved with your lockout, namely the hamstrings and glutes. Good mornings are #1 on my list of "go to" money exercises to increase the deadlift. Some other ones would be barbell hip thrusters, kettlebell swings, and glute ham raises.

Miscellaneous Miscellany

In closing, here are some other random bits of awesomeness to kick up your deadlift.

For the love of all that's holy, take off your shoes. If you train at a gym that forbids barefoot training, at the very least, get yourself a pair of Chuck Taylors or New Balance Minimus.
Slow down. When performing multiple reps of deadlifts, think of each rep as it's own set.

This works really well with clients when trying to clean up their technique. There's no law against pausing on the floor between each rep to "gather" yourself, get your air, re-establish a good back position, activate the lats, and perform a crisp rep.
Slow down. Gather yourself between each rep, and do it right!

Back off with the high reps. I rarely program more than 5-6 reps with deadlifts. Anything more than that can technically be considered cardio, and more to the point, technique often suffers. So, while you think your sets of 20 with 225 lbs is 2 legit 2 quit, I think it's retarded. And your spine hates you.

For most, using the 5x5 approach to take your deadlift from the 200+ lb range to the 300+ lb range will work brilliantly. It's progressive overload at it's finest, and it works. However, if you're attempting to enter "big boy" status and pull in the 400+ or even 500+ range, 5x5 ain't gonna cut it. Sorry.
I'd go so far as to say that you'd be hard pressed to ever get to the really big weights using the 5x5 protocol, and if you do, it will take forever!
On the other hand, if you're already pulling in the 300+ lb range, I'd suggest adding in more pulls at or above 90% of your 1RM.
Getting stronger is really about making the CNS more efficient. Sadly, you're not going to accomplish this by performing 5x5 till you're blue in the face. Conversely, it's well established that using loads at or slightly above 90% of one's 1RM affects the following:

Maximum number of motor units (MUs) are recruited.
Fastest MU's are activated.
The discharge frequency (rate coding) is increased.
Activity is synchronous.
Improved coordination between synergistic muscles.
Potential for future hypertrophy gains.
Increased serum Testosterone levels.
Spontaneously impregnate every female within a two-block radius.

So the only question left to answer is, what would a typical training session look like?
Lets say your goal is to hit FOUR sets at or above 90% of your 1RM. You know going in that your previous best deadlift is 405 lbs. If that's the case, 90% of 405 lbs is 365 lbs.
So it may look something like this:

135 x 5

225 x 5
315 x 3
365 x 1

385 x 1 – was a little bit of a grinder, but you feel good and decide to match your PR.

405 x 1 – that's about all you have for the day. Remember, the goal here isn't necessarily to break a PR (although, that would be cool), but rather, to hit a certain number of sets at or above 90%. In this case, 90% of 405 lbs is 365 lbs. so any lift at or above this number "counts" as a set. In this case you've already performed THREE sets, so you have one more to complete.

385 x 1 – you decide to drop the weight a bit, focus on some bar speed, and dominate it. Congratulations.

Lastly, if anyone comes up to you and says something like "I heard that deadlifts were bad for your back," you have my permission to scissor kick them in the face.
I'm done. Go. Deadlift Your Ass Off.

This Man Knows A Few Things About Carbs

Poliquin's Carb Intake Rules

This makes so much sense that I had to re-post---out of all the blogs I read, Polquin is constantly putting out solid recommendations and science, albeit he sometimes is biased to pitching mass doses of his supplements. That being said, these rules are excellent.

1.    Eliminate Grains, Particularly Wheat.
Wheat raises the blood sugar levels quickly in the same way as plain table sugar. White flour-based foods such as white bread or corn flakes are a poor source of fiber and they have a high glycemic content, meaning they cause a quick spike in insulin.

The presence of insulin tells the liver that food intake is meeting energy requirements so lipolysis, or the breakdown of fat for energy from body stores, becomes unnecessary. The insulin spike stops the body from burning fat for fuel. Any excess sugar or food intake is saved for future energy requirements and stored as fat. Constantly high insulin levels make the body resistant to insulin and leads to diabetes. This is why it’s best to eliminate grains, particularly white grains, and do resistance training –you’ll improve insulin sensitivity.

Research shows that eating a breakfast of whole wheat grains such as barley or rye results in significantly better glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity than a breakfast of white wheat bread. Plus, whole wheat breakfasts improve glucose uptake at lunch and dinner. Whole wheat would be better than white wheat—also nicknamed “white death,” but no wheat is your best bet (see number 2). We’re going for low carb here, so I recommend eliminating your grains when possible and getting your carbs from fruits and vegetables.

Indeed, a review published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition points to the fact that vegetables and fruit are preferable to even low glycemic wheat and grain-based foods because they have qualities besides simply promoting glucose tolerance to recommend them. The benefits will be revealed below.

2.    Yes, Eliminate Grains, Part II!
The grains that make up the Gliadin family such as oats, wheat, and spelt are the most common food allergen because they contain gluten. People of the Celtic ancestry, like the Irish, are more likely to be allergic to gluten. In fact, the National Health Institute estimates that gluten allergies affect almost one percent of Americans, and this number is likely underestimated because this allergy often goes undiagnosed.

An allergy to gluten is called celiac disease and means that the sufferer will have serious digestive damage from eating foods containing gluten, which causes a wide variety of other health problems including weakness, anemia, malnutrition, osteoarthritis, bone disorders, stomach cancer, and abdominal bloating to name a few—all problems that will trip you up if you want to gain muscle and lose fat.

You can be allergic to wheat and not have celiac disease as well, and even if you’re body isn’t intolerant to wheat and gluten, removing them from the diet is recommended for optimal body composition, digestion, and health.

Besides raising insulin levels in the body and providing a large carbohydrate and caloric punch, the body releases cortisol in response to the stressor caused by the gluten allergy. Research shows that cortisol partially prevents the harmful effect of gluten in the body. The problem is that cortisol results in muscle degradation and elevated levels suppress immune response and lead to adrenal exhaustion manifesting in the form of fatigue, depression, insomnia, and illness—not good!

3.    The Main Source of Carbs Should be Fibrous.
Fibrous carbs, including many green vegetables, typically have very low carbohydrate content. Their inherent high fiber brings about a very moderate insulin response, thus making them an ideal fat loss food. Research shows that the higher fiber content of most vegetables will delay carbohydrate absorption, favorably modifying the glucose response. Dark green vegetables usually have a large antioxidant content as well (not as great as dark fruits, but still a sizeable amount). The best sources of fibrous carbs include:

● Kale
● Broccoli
● Lettuce
● Cabbage
● Cauliflower
● Mushrooms
● Green beans
● Onions
● Asparagus
● Cucumber
● Spinach
● All Forms of Peppers
● Zucchini
● Cauliflower 

4.    The Darker the Fruit, the Better it is For You
Dark fruits tend to have very thin skin, meaning they need to produce more antioxidants to protect themselves from the sun. In contrast, light colored fruits with thick skins such as bananas and melons have lower antioxidant content. Dark red, blue, and purple fruits are great anti-inflammatory foods because the extra antioxidants help get rid of free radicals that cause aging and inflammation.

Research shows that berries with high antioxidant content such as bilberries, blueberries, cranberries, and raspberries decrease glucose response in healthy subjects, slowing digestion. Researchers suggest that the bioactive polyphenols that dark-colored fruits contain promote greater insulin sensitivity. In addition, there is evidence that adding berries rich in polyphenols to high-glycemic foods that normally trigger a negatively high spike in glucose can moderate the body’s response, producing a remarkably low insulin response.

5.    The Darker the Fruit, the Better it is For You, Part II
The darker the fruit, the lower the glycemic load. I referred to this above, but be aware that the reason dark fruits promote insulin sensitivity is that they produce a low glycemic response in the body.

Let me call your attention to the fact that not only will you have a better glucose response with dark fruits, but adding them to high-glycemic foods appears to moderate the body’s response as mentioned in number four. Researchers suggest dark fruit with high antioxidant content lower the glucose response of other foods because they work as enzyme inhibitors. Take note that it is necessary to fully chew berries or fruit to release the polyphenols to work their magic on the glycemic index of carbs.

Again, when you compare berries and cherries with bananas and pineapple, the latter two fruits have a significantly higher glycemic index. Of course, this applies to fruits in their natural state; when grapes become raisins, their glycemic index goes up because of dehydration of the fruit.

6.    Replace Grains with Various Forms of Lettuce in Sandwiches
This rule is promoted by Jonny Bowden, author of “Living The Low Carb Life.” Instead of using bread, use dark leafy greens to wrap the meat. This will slow down the glycemic index and help shift the acid/alkaline base in your favor. Research shows that eating low glycemic foods or adding herbs to high glycemic foods that have a glycemic lowering effect such as flaxseed or fenugreek, reduces pH and glucose response.

Besides, the dark greens will provide more antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals as opposed to grains, which are lower in micronutrients. For example, phytates—the salts of phytic acid that are found in high content in whole grains—block the absorption of many minerals, especially zinc, iron, manganese, and calcium.

7.    Limit Fructose Intake
Even though fruits are great foods loaded with nutrients, they also contain fructose. Fructose in too high quantities can slow down thyroid function, reducing metabolism and negatively affecting body composition. Research shows that excess fructose in rats results in decreased ATP in the liver, leading to less thyroid hormone uptake, and a reduction in fat burning.

Too much fructose in the diet also increases glycation. Glycation in layman's terms is browning, like the browning that makes crust on bread. Glycation is the cross linking of proteins (and DNA molecules) caused by sugar aldehydes reacting with the amino acids on the protein molecule to create Advance Glycosylation End-Products (AGEs). If you want to see protein cross-linking in action, cut an apple in half and watch it turn yellow!

Why is the worst glycation agent fructose? Because it does not raise insulin. In other words, the insulin is not getting it into muscle cells, meaning it lingers around in the body and wreaks metabolic havoc. As nutrition expert Robert Crayhon used to say: fructose is like the guest that won't go home once the party is over.

One study compared the effect of a diet high in fructose with one high in glucose. After ten weeks, the fructose group had significantly elevated levels of cholesterol and insulin, while insulin sensitivity and fat metabolism decreased. They also gained significantly more total fat and an even greater percentage of abdominal fat than the glucose group. Further research shows that this extra insulin causes dysfunction of cells, and in addition to the negative effect on body composition, it accelerates aging, vascular degeneration, and development of diabetes.

In contrast, there is evidence that consuming a post-exercise meal with glucose as the carbohydrate source results in greater fat oxidation and a more favorable metabolic response than if fructose is used. A study found that long-term high fructose consumption accelerates skin and bone aging because it modifies DNA, damaging tissue collagen. While this doesn’t speak directly to our topic of body composition, it points to the damaging effect of excessive fructose on health and longevity.

Take note that Robert Crayhon recommends that the average American eat no more than 5 to 10 grams of fructose a day! For very active individuals, 20 to 30 grams of fructose should be the maximum intake.

One of the worst sources of glycated fructose are weight loss bars that contain high fructose corn syrup, like the ones that used to be sold by a famous Texan verbally abusive lawyer turned weight loss guru. Then again, he was fat, and still is!

To check your glycation levels, ask your doctor to measure the concentration of glycated hemoglobin in your blood. A study from England revealed that glycated hemoglobin is the best tests to predict mortality—far better than cholesterol, blood pressure, or body mass index.

8.    The Best Time to Load Up On Carbs is the First Ten Minutes Following Your Workout
Insulin sensitivity is at its highest after a workout making this the critical time to take in carbs to maximize muscle mass gains. Originally, based on the research that was available at the time, I typically recommended two g/kg of bodyweight. Over the years, after being exposed to more research and discussing it with my colleagues, I have come to the conclusion that it should be a reflection of the training volume for the training session. The greater the number of reps per training unit, the greater the carbohydrate intake.

Of course, all reps are not equal. A squat or deadlift repetition is more demanding than a biceps curl or triceps extension rep. By the same token, three reps of slow tempo squats has a different caloric demand than three reps of the power clean. As a general rule, I would recommend the following carbohydrate intake based on training volume for a given workout: 
* 12-72 reps per workout: 0.6 g/kg/lean body mass (lbm) * 73-200 reps per workout: 0.8 g/kg/lbm * 200-360 reps per workout: 1.0 g/kg/lbm * 360-450 reps per workout: 1.2 g/kg/lbm

Take note that these recommendations are based on lean body mass, not your weight. To calculate lean body mass you need to know your lean mass percentage (or body fat percentage and subtract that number from 100). Then multiply this percent by your body mass and you’ll get your lean body mass.

Regarding the source of carbohydrates post-workout, I have experimented with various sources and I prefer fruit juices with a high glycemic index such as pineapple or grape to provide 15 to 20 percent of the carbs, with the rest of the carbs coming from carbohydrate powders. The powder should contain various types of maltodextrin and a minimal quantity of ribose. For variety, I use different types of juice such as a berry blend. You can also use any type of mushy fruit like bananas or peaches. For seriously underweight athletes, I may use more pineapple juice and/or corn flakes to drive the glycemic index upwards. Instead of using maltodextrin, you can also use desiccated honey. 

9.    Use Supplements That Promote Insulin Sensitivity with High-Carb Post-Workout Meals
A number of supplements support glucose uptake and promote insulin sensitivity, including nutrients such as taurine, arginine, magnesium, and R-form alpha lipoic acid. Adding them to your post-workout meal will help send glucose to muscle cells instead of fat cells.

Indeed, a review from the journal Biological Trace Element Research reports that magnesium plays an important role in carbohydrate metabolism, while influencing the activity of hormones that control blood glucose levels. Low magnesium can cause insulin resistance, which may result in the kidneys being unable to retain magnesium during episodes of hyperglycemia, creating a downward spiral of magnesium deficiency, fat gain, and subsequently diabetes.

Many herbs such as American ginseng, fenugreek, and bitter melon also facilitate glucose uptake by muscle cells. Research shows that adding fenugreek to a whole wheat bread will result in greater insulin sensitivity and more glucose uptake than consuming whole wheat bread without fenugreek. Similar results were evident when flax was added to a wheat chapatti, indicating flax may be a good addition as well.

10.    Add Protein to Your Post-Workout Carb Meal
Protein is a critical part of post-workout nutrition because your muscles are primed for feeding and need amino acids for peak recovery. Essential amino acids (EAAs), particularly the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), have been shown to trigger protein synthesis and fat loss. Taking BCAAs will also allow you train harder and longer because the amino acids enhance fat oxidation and research shows that individuals with a higher BCAA intake in their diets have lower body weight and better body composition.

Taking as much as 40 grams of EAAs after heavy training results in an anabolic shift from muscle protein degradation to protein synthesis. I suggest using 15 grams of protein for every 50 lbs of bodyweight—you will increase glycogen storage by as much as 40 percent, and will boost release of the anabolic hormone, IGF-1.

My Training

It's been too damn log to log anything but my recent training---and recently, I *did* change things up a bit. I asked one of the owners of CFLA, Ryan "Ryno" Fletcher, to do some programming for me. I had been having no issue with what I was doing, but found my very loose and random choice of WODS (hmm...that seems...familiar) not very goal oriented. And I've had a few strength goals for years now that I haven't gotten close to. So, Ryno repsonded to my request. First off, my recent testing benchmarks:

Deadlift: 405#. Previous was 415#. Been slacking, yo. Goal is 450#

Squat: 315#. Previous was 305#. Goal unknown, add AMFWAP (as much f-ing weight as possible)
C&J: 205#. Previous the same. Clean 215# easy already. Goal is 225#
OHP: 135#. Previous 140#. Goal BW, which is 165# now. Hopefully, that'll increase, too.
Snatch: 155#. Previous same. Goal is 165#, which is very close to happening already.

These aren't lofty or elite goals, but they are my goals, and for a guy mere days from 38 years old on a 6' frame coming in at 165#, I think they are tough but doable goals.

I'm on week 4 of Ryno's programming, which is very CFFB (Crossfit Football) and MEBB (Max Effort Black Box)---think big lifts, high lactate stuff (sprints, big box jumps, sets to failure). Very tough, but VERY fun. A sample week:

Day 1
Swod
Squat 12x2 @ 75% of 1RM - rest 45s between sets
Press 3RM
Dwod
AMRAP 15 mins
7 supine ring pull ups
7 push ups
7 box jumps 30"

Day 2
Swod
Deadlift 5RM
Weighted pull up 3/3/3/3/3
Dwod
10 Rounds
5 x 20" lateral hops
20 yard sprint
  rest 60s, alternate sides for each set
for lateral hops, set a 20" high barier and hop over from side to side, exploding off the outside leg.  On the fifth hop, transition directly into a 20 yard sprint

Day 3
Swod
5 x max height box jump
3 x max time handstand hold
Dwod
AMRAP kettle bell swings per minute with 2 pood kettle bell
Rest 1 min between attempts
Do 5 attempts
Attempt to get 30 swings in each minute
  For each attempt that you do not reach 30 swings, do 1000m row as penalty

Day 4
Swod
Strict pull ups 3 x max reps
Dwod
2 cleans + 1 jerk on the minute for 15 mins @ 65-80% of 1RM clean and jerk
For every set not completed, do 5 burpees as a penalty at the end of the 15 mins

Embracing the (MetCon) Addiction

2011-07-11T16:03:00.002-06:00

Well then...DON'T!

True story: The thought of doing this blog post came to me while I was in the middle of doing the (pain of the) named Crossfit workout called "Nancy". Apparently, I don't run fast enough to stop thinking. I gotta work on that.

Back Story: Recently, Jocelyn Forest, Crossfit games competitor and a well established Oly lifter, wrote an awesome article entitled Kicking the (metcon) Habit. If you haven't read it, I highly suggest you do. THIS article will be the antithesis to it, but not because one is needed (it's clearly not), but because I 100% agree with what Jocelyn says. Kinda.

Embracing the MetCon Habit

It seems like there's been a bit of a backlash against "metabolic conditioning"; these things always seem to be in a pendulum, be it kettle bells (old school Russia!), 70's style powerlifting, or suspension training (my grandmother had one in her basement in 1975. And it wasn't called a TRX). Metcon, or what's better known as metabolic conditioning, is the catch-all, oft abused, always misunderstood label that Crossfit has adopted. Oh, it was around before CF, but 'ol Greggy took it and ran (as fast as he could) with it. It now, unofficially, is used to explain the format of training which effectively hits all energy pathways. Don't send me email on that, either. I'd just like to point out that is NOT my tag, baby. The concern I have with the perceived backlash is that there's a boatload of folks who should not be leaving the boat.

Jocelyn does a kick-ass job of explaining, from her experiences why one should "kick" the metcon habit. Hell, I've even seen the effects myself (not me, but in others). I'd also like to point out a quote I've quoted before: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results". This will flick on a light bulb later.

I'm a big fan of metabolic conditioning. Not only metcon, but the metcon format Crossfit uses. BIG fan. (I know, there's gasps in the crowd. Stick with me, faithful readers.) Why? Shit works, bro. And it works WELL. You can take any type of athlete from any background and design a metabolic conditioning program or various movements at various intensities and time domains, and I'll guarantee they'll respond. Now, there's a helluva lot of variables in there to as HOW an athlete will respond, proper programming being probably close to the top. But you can NOT deny the fact that a new stimulus performed in short (20min/less) duration at high intensity is not going to positively affect work capacity. In a GPP format.<---That's kinda key.

By GPP, I'm talking General Physical Preparedness, aka cardio, aka gas tank, aka endurance. The vast majority of the people I see (let's call them "Generalists") never even come close to reaching the limit on their GPP. Why? I'll tell you why:
You take the Ten Domains of Fitness:

1. Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance

2. Stamina

3. Strength

4. Flexibility

5. Power

6. Speed

7. Agility

8. Balance

9. Coordination

10. Accuracy

And you couple that with the plethora of movements that Crossfit uses (KBS, OHS, C&J, Running, Jumping, Ring work, bar work, bodyweight movements in 8 different horizontal planes, plyometrics including skipping/double unders, uneven load movement {sandbags, unilateral lifts, odd object lifts}, Pulling....etc etc), and you have a nearly INFINITE combination of movements to master in all ten domains of fitness. Despite what we want to believe, we are ALL stuck on the second level, folks. In fact, there is no top end to that. I agree with the hierarchy of the pyramid, but mastery does not come into play in S & C.

Now I want to clarify I'm still talking about Generalists. When a MMA athlete or triathlete walks through the door, he/she is looking for something different. They are top-of-the-pyramid people, and have different needs; aka "Specialists". I've spoken about that before. Periodization and Sport Specificity.

But back to Generalists. When someone starts to hit the wall, shit the bed, throwing themselves out with the trash, or whatever, they do not "need to break the metcon addiction". They do need to analyze what they are doing, what they are not doing, and why they are fucked up. And, if they are over-reaching, having a coach identify it before it becomes a nasty pit of over-training and/or injury.I totally, 100% agree with Jocelyn here: Doing More Isn't Always Better, If Ever.

The thing is, though, it's pretty damn rare an athlete gets there. If you stop and actually think of the thousands of Crossfit affiliates, and the hundreds of thousands of members training each and every week, burnout, injury, and over-training are not epidemic. In fact, it's pretty low. I'm going to go back and re-visit my reasoning as to why:

There's so many domains and so many skillsets to work on that a vast majority of folks are ALWAYS working inefficient technique, and do not reach high enough intensity to overtrain.

Can you get to the point where Wall Ball Shots become a recovery movement and you're thinking of doing three-a-days instead of two-a-days? Yes, congratulations on becoming a high-level strength and conditioning athlete to a stopwatch. Now get a coach and work on sport specificity before you either get burnt out and switch to Oly lifting or run yourself into the ground. :)

Various Training

June 22nd, CFLA, 1PM
"Nancy"

5 Rds
400m run
15 OHS 95#
13:51. Happy with the time, and the creative thought process that 400m sprints bring around.

June 28th, CFLA, 1PM
"300 "
25 pullups
50 deadlifts 135
50 pushups
50 box jumps 24"
50 floor wipers 135
50 1-arm KB clean and press 35lbs
25 pullups
15:53. Haven't done this one in literally years. Nice grind.

June 28th, CFLA, 12PM

Snatch High Pulls to 175#

8 Rds, 200m run, 20 air squats, 1min rest

15:19. True intervals. Love 'em.

July 2nd, Firehall#1, 11AM

AMRAP 1 min, then 1/2 amount x5 rds

This was a circuit consisting of pullups, Goblet Squats, Situps, Deadlifts, and rowing. We started with 5, but then 3 guys left on a EMS call. I did 30/15/15/10/10 on the pullups, said "fuck that!" and then did the rest in a 1min circuit. Following it up with some sets of 135# hang power clean/front squat complex. FUBAR'd my right arm for the next week, couldn't straighten it out. Weird.

July 7th, Lethbridge Coulees

16+km mountain bike

This was one of those "holy fuck I have to ride!" moments; I literally got up from the computer (working on nutrition stuff) and bolted. Felt totally awesome. Unfortunately, I *won't* be competing in the 24 Hours of Adrenaline again this year; I had to give up the spot on the team due to the fact I take possession of my new house that week. Totally sucks, because the team is the bomb, and it's a crazy fun race.

July 8th, CFLA, 1PM

AMRAP 225# High Bar Back Squat w/ 7 Burpee Box Jump (20")

5 Rounds, max rest per round, untimed.
Needed something to blast the legs, as my left arm was still fubar'd from a week ago from my pullup fiasco. Lack of sleep (3hrs total) left me NOT wanting to chase a clock.

20 Not-So-Random Points of Awesomeness

2011-06-07T15:54:00.008-06:00

Not Really Random!

So to deviate from my typical trifecta format, I thought I'd just throw down some no-quite-random cool stuff, and in no particular order. Lots of linky-links, so consider this Mike's version of "Rest Day" reading material, minus the political bullshit and pseudo-wannabe-cerebral totally ghey articles.

1) Silver Patron Tequila: Seeing that's it's summer (well, somewhere), this is the drink of choice, and for good reason; it's a plant based distilled liquor with no dietary offenders (alcohol aside). Made famous because it's just plain awesome, and even more so from Robb Wolf, via the soda/lime/tequila combo of the NorCal margarita.

2) PubMed: A free online database from the United States National Library of Medicine. It's quick. It's easy. It's geeky. Type shit in, and get study abstracts back. Do it while drinking a Norcal, and you're even cooler, 'cause you're getting drunk and smart as the same time.

3) Snatch Balance: One of the best transfer exercises to the Olympic snatch. But please, if you plan on doing this, use a snatch grip (because it is a transfer exercise to the snatch. There's an echo in here.) Big yellow boobs don't omit you from this rule, even if you have an impressive snatch...balance. :)

4) Volbeat: This is what you get when you cross Metallica with the Rockabilly-style genre, and pop it down in Denmark. Watch, listen, and enjoy:

5) SuperCentarians: What do you get when you cross someone over 110 and still in good health with a high degree of function? A supercentarian. Fuck super heroes, I want to be a supercentarian!

6) Rehband Knee Sleeves: I don't lift a ton of weight. I don't weigh 70's big. But holy shit do I ever love these sleeves. My knees feel physically better after any sort of squat session, and mentally I'm confident I'm not going to blow a fucking kneecap across the gym. More importantly, I need knees to be a supercentarian.

7) Crossfit Lethbridge at the Canada West Regionals: We had 6 athletes from our gym qualify and compete in the Regionals, with two placing top-5. Is that badass? Yes, it's baddass.

8) Google Reader: There's a boatload of great information out there in cyber-space; unfortunately, there's an unfathomable amount of trash to go through in the digital universe before you get to it. Find a page you want to view again? Subscribe to it via Google Reader. Then deal with the issue of having too much good stuff to read later.

9) Catalyst Athletics: The mastermind of Greg Everett, who also publishes The Performance Menu. I can't say enough good things about the information Greg offers. Nearly everyday he pops up a "Collected Training" video, which is a goldmine of visual technical proficiency in Oly lifting.

10) Caffeine: You knew I'd post at least SOMETHING about it. It's awesome, that's why.

11) Ben Greenfield Fitness Podcast: There's a million podcasts out there. Why would I listen to a endurance-base podcast from a triathlete? Ben puts out some fairly sound info, I have endurance athletes as clients, and he does a pile of research for the questions he's asked. While he's a triathlete, he also has competed in bodybuilding, and has solid credentials. A nice break from Paleo-ville.

12) Pride Fighting Championship: Some great things are not meant to last---Pride FC was one of them. Without waxing and waning on about the good and bad, just watch this phenomenal highlight vid from Robert Park:

13) Cutting Down On Carbs for the General Public: Has the general public finally got it? I completely doubt it, and since the mass media fucks everything up, I'm not holding my breath. But godamn, if this doesn't give a guy a bit of hope.

14) Bacon Explosion: Wow. Just...wow.

15) Blair Morrison: If there was ever an inspiring face for a Crossfit billboard, it'd be Blair. But what *I* like most is his attitude and philosophy on and about fitness. He's put up some pretty cool vids on his blog about training outdoors. Here's the latest vid from Crossfit sponsor Reebok:

16) Annie Thorisdottir: Just like caffeine, it's addictive, too much will kill you, not enough will make you feel like crap, and it's powerful. I'm sure Reebok has a highlight reel brewing for AnnieT, but in the meantime, there's this:

17) Inov8 Running Shoes: Super light, flat, and just damn awesome.

18) Elevate Me Bars: Most bars are shit. These are not. While none will come even close to the quality of real whole food, these are pretty damn good. Whey protein isolate as the first ingredient? Organic fruit? I'm in.

19) iPhone 4: No joke here. An item of awesomeness? No kidding! I seriously get more shit done, have been thee most organized ever in my whole life, and stay connected with peeps easier and faster than ever.

20) Dynamic Nutrition, or a.k.a "Finally getting your shit together and getting serious about what you are doing to your body". Yes, I'm pimping myself out on my Not-So-Random list of things and people that are awesome. Want to be Blair? Want to be Annie? Want to be a SuperCentarian? Your nutrition is one of the biggest pieces of the puzzle.

Random Training

I freely admit not taking my own advice; since the end of the CF Open, I have not faithfully tracked every single workout, even with my fancy-shmancy iPhone. That being said, I've done some interesting WODs, thanks to the likes of CoryG and Jake:

May 15th, Firehall#1

5 Rounds

250m row

20# med ball situp

55# DB Swing

30# DB Push Press

Done in a circuit with 3 other guys; reps were based on how long it took the firefighter on the rower to row the 250. Nice lil' Saturday burner.

May 16th, CFLA

Experimental Test WOD#1

For Time

1-10 ladder

1 Squat Clean to thrusters to back squat to rack jerk 95 lbs

1 Burpee

2 Squat Clean Complex, 2 Burpee, 3 Squat Clean complex, 3 Burpee, etc.

25+ min. This was brutal and nasty, and I was literally sick for almost 2 weeks following this. Will do again, for sure.

May 28th, CFLA

Throwdown Series WOD #4

AMRAP 9min

3 HSPU (3" Deficit)

6 Squat Snatch (95#)

9 Pullups

For your viewing pleasure: Mike vs Jason

May 30th, CFLA

"Jacob's Ladder"

1-10 Ladder for time
Burpee C2B Pull Ups

Overhead Squat 105/75

13:11; I need to re-do this, as I used a lower pullup bar, which pretty much eliminated the "jump" in the burpee. Awesome wod, though, created by fellow CF'er Jake.

June 2nd, CFLA

Experimental Test WOD #2
4 Rounds For Time
135# Zercher Walk, 50'
10 HSPU
135# Zercher Walk, 50'
20 GHD situps
40 DUs
13:29. Abs are still sore as of June 7th.

CF Open Review Part II, Snack Ideas (and a drink!), & Fasted Training

2011-05-07T14:18:00.009-06:00

The Open Is Closed.

I had given a snippet of opinion in my last post regarding my thoughts on the Open; I suppose, for lack of a better or clever title, this would be Part 2. I should have just spouted my thoughts after it was done and over, but I just couldn't help myself. Anyhoo, my thoughts & personal experience:

6 WODs, 1 per week, over 6 Weeks, all AMRAPs (set time, "as many rounds(reps) as possible). Click name for official description:

1) Double Unders/Power Snatch, AMRAP 10 mins: Liked this one, and wish I could have done it a few times. I'll do it again.

2) Deadlift/Pushup/Box Jump, AMRAP 15 min: Brutal. Do not want. Did better than I thought, but once is enough.

3) Squat Clean & Jerk, AMRAP 5 min: The most disappointing WOD of the Games for me; tried twice with the same damn score. I can't blame this on being 165# (weight was 165#), as super-human Chris Spealler ended up C&J'ing 165# THIRTY-TWO times in 5 minutes, at a BW of 145#. Will I do this again? Does Dynamic Nutrition fuel human machines to performance levels unheard of? Damn straight.

4) Burpee/OHS/Muscle Up, AMRAP 10min: Damn happy with this WOD; it's nice when the PR Gods throw an old dog a bone. OHS felt good (best compliment I think I've ever heard that made me laugh: "Um, your, um, overhead squats were unexpectedly solid!"---that was a one-on-one comment as I was walking out the gym door that I'm pretty sure I'll never forget. *wink*), and I knew if I could get throw the OHS, I had a chance at some MUs. Even though I'm happy, in hindsight, should have pushed for more. Maybe a do again. Maybe not. Dynamic Nutrition athlete Jeremy Meredith, owner of Crossfit Vernon, crushed this with a massive 138 reps.

5) Clean/T2B/WBS, AMRAP 20 min: Brutalx100. Do not want ever again. 20 minutes of grinding hell. Props to the warriors that did this multiple times. Even if I had a free week to dedicate to this WOD, I'd do what I did: Do it, and say "fuck it, that's enough". I'd also like to point out Dynamic Nutrition sponsored athlete Steve Howell from Crossfit Whistler destroyed this week's WOD for top spot with an insane 12 rounds + 5 cleans + 10 T2B + 4 WBS.

6) Thruster/Pullup, AMRAP 7 min: Painful, but I liked it, and I personally need to work more in this time domain. I sprinkled some of the athletes I'm consulting with some interesting supplement advice to their benefit on this one. Best local highlight reel? Kris "Freight Train" Fraser doing it for the 3rd time in the 11th hour, because he had no choice. Awesome display of heart, intensity, and desire.

So, all in all? Positive experience. Despite the repetitive format of the WODs, each one felt completely different. The website issues seemed to continue, and the non-affiliate video submission controversy (Hey, it wouldn't be CF without a lil' controversy!) has yet, to my knowledge, to be dealt with.

Personally, I found the past 6 weeks extremely satisfying; I competed at a level I hadn't before, and while I'm always critical of my own performance, I grew as a Crossfitter. As an affiliate, our crew became much, much tighter, if that's even possible. People would drop what they were doing, skip work, and do whatever they could to make it to the gym to either get the WOD of the week done, or make sure another athlete had support. THAT, to me, was the best part, hands down.

Our gym ended up with 6 people qualifying for Regionals (Heather G placing top 5!!!), and over twice that competing in the Open; for a smaller affiliate, I think this speaks volumes. Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it to Vancouver due to my shiftwork schedule, but I'll be keeping a tight eye on it at the fire station!!!

Quick Snack Ideas

Here's a couple of quick and healthy snack ideas I've thrown out to some of my clients; I use both regularly, they are quick and easy, and most importantly, damn tasty! One caveat is that they both use whey protein. I'm currently using a whey protein isolate sweetened with stevia, versus most that have either Ace-K or Splenda. Also of note is the fact I don't break down the macros---I do it for my clients to initially figure out what is what, but I don't do it for myself, nor do I advise it on a regular basis. You shouldn't have to count REAL food!

Krema Full-Fat Greek Yogurt
Vanilla Whey Protein
Organic Chia Seeds
Cinnamon
Mixed dry roasted nuts

A high-fat, high protein, low carb, extremely satiating snack! Mix it all together in a bowl and enjoy.

Plain Canned Pumpkin
Vanilla Whey Protein (I use 2 scoops, 60g pro)
Organic Chia Seeds
Cinnamon
Mixed dry roasted nuts

Similar to the first, but lower in overall calories. The chia seeds are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, albeit ALA; still, this balances the ratio of omega-6 from the nuts. Pumpkin is a rich course of beta carotene and vitamin A, and the cinnamon in both enhances insulin sensitivity, as well as tasting awesome.

This drink is courtesy of fellow Crossfitter Jacob, who had us over for drinks during the last UFC event; while technically "Paleo", it's loaded with sugar. The fix? Earn the carbs earlier in the day by crushing a metcon or two, and then enjoy guilt-free copious amounts of tasty

Wet Snatch!

5 parts chopped ice
3 parts Tequila (I recommend either Cabo Blanco or Silver Patron)
1 part Vanilla syrup
2 parts coconut milk
1 part raspberry juice
2 parts pineapple juice

Blend, drink, and then watch a one-eyed GSP smash a silly vegan for 5 rounds.

J Appl Physiol. 2011 Jan;110(1):236-45.

Beneficial metabolic adaptations due to endurance exercise training in the fasted state.

Van Proeyen K, Szlufcik K, Nielens H, Ramaekers M, Hespel P.

Source

Research Centre for Exercise and Health, Department of Biomedical Kinesiology, K. U. Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.

Abstract

Training with limited carbohydrate availability can stimulate adaptations in muscle cells to facilitate energy production via fat oxidation. Here we investigated the effect of consistent training in the fasted state, vs. training in the fed state, on muscle metabolism and substrate selection during fasted exercise. Twenty young male volunteers participated in a 6-wk endurance training program (1-1.5 h cycling at ∼70% Vo(₂max), 4 days/wk) while receiving isocaloric carbohydrate-rich diets. Half of the subjects trained in the fasted state (F; n = 10), while the others ingested ample carbohydrates before (∼160 g) and during (1 g·kg body wt⁻¹·h⁻¹) the training sessions (CHO; n = 10). The training similarly increased Vo(₂max) (+9%) and performance in a 60-min simulated time trial (+8%) in both groups (P < 0.01). Metabolic measurements were made during a 2-h constant-load exercise bout in the fasted state at ∼65% pretraining Vo(₂max). In F, exercise-induced intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) breakdown was enhanced in type I fibers (P < 0.05) and tended to be increased in type IIa fibers (P = 0.07). Training did not affect IMCL breakdown in CHO. In addition, F (+21%) increased the exercise intensity corresponding to the maximal rate of fat oxidation more than did CHO (+6%) (P < 0.05). Furthermore, maximal citrate synthase (+47%) and β-hydroxyacyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase (+34%) activity was significantly upregulated in F (P < 0.05) but not in CHO. Also, only F prevented the development exercise-induced drop in blood glucose concentration (P < 0.05).
In conclusion, F is more effective than CHO to increase muscular oxidative capacity and at the same time enhances exercise-induced net IMCL degradation. In addition, F but not CHO prevented drop of blood glucose concentration during fasting exercise.

My Thoughts: This is just a drop in the bucket of some of the interesting studies done on fasted training; I incorporate this in SOME of the athletes I see, but only a specific subset---by no means is it for everyone. The chance of sabotaging your training gains and tipping from over-reaching into over-training, or worse, true adrenal fatigue, is much greater once IF (intermittent fasting) and fasted training are incorporated. That being said, for the proper athlete, it makes a lot of sense.

My Current Training

So in my last blog post, I didn't add any of my current training sessions; I DID do a call out looking for either a:

"Yes, continue to add them in, it's either useful or interesting"

"No, don't bother, your training is boring as shit"

I didn't get any responses, so I'm asking for some input a second time around. Don't be hesitant, I have thick skin. Call it like you see it. :)

As you can guess, though, up until recently most of what I had been doing for 2011 was typically CFLA programming, and for the past 6 weeks, my sessions have revolved around the CF Open. Now that THAT'S over, I'll be focused on:

Getting back to a 5/3/1 Strength Bias, as before, concentrating on Front Squat, Deadlift, Overhead Press, and the Olympic lifts (Clean & Jerk, Snatch), and all variations.
Biking, both road and mountain. I want to be more prepared for the 24 Hours Of Adrenaline this year---plus, I just want to be outside more.
Rock Climbing: Got a small taste of Southern Alberta rock last week, and I see more in store.

Compression Gear Take 2, The 4th Horseman Of The Apocolypse, and thoughts on the 2011 Crossfit Open

2011-04-04T16:24:00.003-06:00

On April 26th, Chris Fletcher, the local sales rep from Skins, a compression gear company, is going to be at our gym. This event is also co-hosted by Runner's Soul, (If you don't buy your footwear from there, I'll come to your house and beat you with a frozen salmon, I swear) and Chris is offering 50% off the price of Skins.

I've blogged about compression gear before, and I thought I'd dig up a little more of the sciency goodness; my stance has changed a bit on this, but not much: It's not an essential piece of gear, isn't a safety factor like a belt, proper shoes, or even wrist wraps, but it CAN help, especially with recovery.

The effects of compression garments on recovery.

Davies V, Thompson KG, Cooper SM.

Sports Council for Wales, Cardiff, United Kingdom. vanessa.davies@scw.org.uk

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether wearing lower-body compression garments attenuate indices of muscle damage and decrements in performance following drop-jump training. Seven trained female and four trained male subjects undertook blood collection for creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), a mid-thigh girth measurement, and reported their perceived muscle soreness (PMS). A series of performance tests were then completed including sprints (5 m, 10 m, and 20 m), a 5-0-5 agility test, and a countermovement jump test. In a randomized crossover experimental design, separated by 1 week, subjects completed 5 x 20 maximal drop-jumps, followed immediately after exercise by either wearing graduated compression tights (CG) or undertook passive recovery as a control (CON) for 48 hours. CK, LDH, mid-thigh girth, and PMS were retested after 24 hours and 48 hours of recovery. The performance tests were repeated after 48 hours of recovery. Analysis of variance for repeated measures indicated that for female subjects, CK values were elevated after 24-hour recovery (p = 0.020) and a greater PMS was observed after 48-hour recovery in the CON condition (p = 0.002) but not for the CG condition. For all the subjects (n = 11), a greater PMS was observed after 48-hour recovery in the CON condition (p = 0.001) but not the CG condition. Significant increases in time were reported for 10-m (p = 0.016, 0.004) and 20-m sprints (p = 0.004, 0.001) in both the CON and CG conditions and for the 5-m sprint (p = 0.014) in the CG condition. All other parameters were unchanged in either condition. Data indicates that CK responses and PMS might be attenuated by wearing compression tights in some participants after drop-jump training; however, no benefit in performance was observed.

J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Jul;24(7):1901-10.

The effects of whole-body compression garments on prolonged high-intensity intermittent exercise.

Sear JA, Hoare TK, Scanlan AT, Abt GA, Dascombe BJ.

Sport Performance and Development, National Talent Identification and Development Program, Australian Sports Commission, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. joshua.sear@ausport.gov.au

Abstract

The current study investigated the effects of wearing whole-body compression garments (WBCGs) on prolonged high-intensity intermittent exercise (PHIIE) performance. Eight male team-sport athletes ([X +/- SD] 20.6 +/- 1.2 years; 72.9 +/- 5.9 kg; 57.5 +/- 3.7 ml.kg.min) completed a prescribed 45-minute PHIIE protocol on a nonmotorized treadmill in randomly assigned WBCG and control (typical soccer apparel) conditions. Subjects were given verbal and visual cues for movement categories, and they followed set target speeds, except when instructed of a variable run or sprint where the aim was to run as fast as possible. Total distance, velocity-specific distance, and high-intensity self-paced running speeds were taken as performance indicators. Heart rate, VO(2), tissue oxygenation index (TOI), and tissue hemoglobin index (nTHi) were continuously monitored across the protocol. Blood-lactate concentration ([BLa(-)]) was measured every 15 minutes. Magnitude-based inferences suggested that wearing WBCGs provided moderate strength likely improvements in total distance covered (5.42 +/- 0.63 vs. 5.88 +/- 0.64 km; 88:10:2%; and eta = 0.6) and low-intensity activity distance (4.21 +/- 0.51 vs. 4.56 +/- 0.57 km; 83:14:3%; and eta = 0.6) compared with the control. A similar likely increase was also observed in the average TOI of the WBCG condition (53.5 +/- 8.3% vs. 55.8 +/- 7.2%; 87:11:2%; and eta = 0.6). The current data demonstrated that wearing WBCGs likely increased physical performance, possibly because of improvements in muscle oxygenation and associated metabolic benefits. Therefore, wearing WBCGs during PHIIE may benefit the physical performance of team-sport athletes by likely metabolic changes within the muscle between high-intensity efforts.

Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2008 Dec;3(4):454-68.

The effects of compression garments on intermittent exercise performance and recovery on consecutive days.

Duffield R, Edge J, Merrells R, Hawke E, Barnes M, Simcock D, Gill N.

School of Human Movement Studies, Charles Sturt University, NSW, Australia.

Abstract

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine whether compression garments improve intermittent-sprint performance and aid performance or self-reported recovery from high-intensity efforts on consecutive days.
METHODS: Following familiarization, 14 male rugby players performed two randomized testing conditions (with or without garments) involving consecutive days of a simulated team sport exercise protocol, separated by 24 h of recovery within each condition and 2 weeks between conditions. Each day involved an 80-min high-intensity exercise circuit, with exercise performance determined by repeated 20-m sprints and peak power on a cart dynamometer (single-man scrum machine). Measures of nude mass, heart rate, skin and tympanic temperature, and blood lactate (La-) were recorded throughout each day; also, creatine kinase (CK) and muscle soreness were recorded each day and 48 h following exercise.
RESULTS: No differences (P=.20 to 0.40) were present between conditions on either day of the exercise protocol for repeated 20-m sprint efforts or peak power on a cart dynamometer. Heart rate, tympanic temperature, and body mass did not significantly differ between conditions; however, skin temperature was higher under the compression garments. Although no differences (P=.50) in La- or CK were present, participants felt reduced levels of perceived muscle soreness in the ensuing 48 h postexercise when wearing the garments (2.5+/-1.7 vs 3.5+/-2.1 for garment and control; P=.01).

CONCLUSIONS: The use of compression garments did not improve or hamper simulated team-sport activity on consecutive days. Despite benefits of reduced self-reported muscle soreness when wearing garments during and following exercise each day, no improvements in performance or recovery were apparent.

J Sci Med Sport. 2010 Jan;13(1):136-40. Epub 2009 Jan 7.

The effects of compression garments on recovery of muscle performance following high-intensity sprint and plyometric exercise.

Duffield R, Cannon J, King M.

School of Human Movement Studies, Charles Sturt University, Australia. rduffield@csu.edu.au

Abstract

This study compared the effects of compression garments on recovery of evoked and voluntary performance following fatiguing exercise. Eleven participants performed 2 sessions separated by 7 days, with and without lower-body compression garments during and 24h post-exercise. Participants performed a 10-min exercise protocol of a 20-m sprint and 10 plyometric bounds every minute. Before, following, 2h and 24h post-exercise, evoked twitch properties of the knee extensors, peak concentric knee extension and flexion force were assessed, with blood samples drawn to measure lactate [La(-)], pH, creatine kinase (CK), aspartate transaminase (AST) and c-reactive protein (C-RP). Heart rate, exertion (RPE) and muscle soreness (MS) measures were obtained pre- and post-exercise. No differences (P=0.50-0.80) and small effect sizes (d<0.3) were present for 20-m sprint (3.59+/-0.22 vs. 3.59+/-0.18s) or bounding performance (17.13+/-1.4 vs. 17.21+/-1.7 m) in garment and control conditions. The decline and recovery in concentric force were not different (P=0.40) between conditions. Full recovery of voluntary performance was observed 2h post-exercise, however, evoked twitch properties remained suppressed 2h post-exercise in both conditions. No differences (P=0.40-0.80, d<0.3) were present between conditions for heart rate, RPE, [La(-)], pH, CK or C-RP. However, 24h post-exercise a smaller change (P=0.08; d=2.5) in AST (23.1+/-3.1 vs. 26.0+/-4.0) and reduced (P=0.01; d=1.1) MS (2.8+/-1.2 vs. 4.5+/-1.4) were present in the garments. In conclusion the effects of compression garments on voluntary performance and recovery were minimal; however, reduced levels of perceived MS were reported following recovery in the garments.

My Thoughts: Like I stated above, not much has changed; I have yet to come across a definitive study on performance, but there seems to be a strong and reproducible effect of DOMS reduction, probably through increased capillary BP.

Am I going to buy some more on April 26th? Is a Crossfitter a super elite warrior with mad ninja skills wrapped in a suit of fuckin' Kevlar? That's a yes to both.

The Four Horseman Of The Nutritional Apocalypse:

Fructose, Gluten, Linoleic Acid, and Soy

Figures Gluten would be jacked. Definitely the badass of the bunch. Soy? Looks like death to me. :)

Hypogonadism and erectile dysfunction associated with soy product consumption.

Siepmann T, Roofeh J, Kiefer FW, Edelson DG.

Center for Autonomic and Peripheral Nerve Disorders, Beth Israel Medical Deaconess Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Abstract

Previous research has focused on the beneficial effects of soy and its active ingredients, isoflavones. For instance, soy consumption has been associated with lower cardiovascular and breast cancer risks. However, the number of reports demonstrating adverse effects of isoflavones due to their estrogenlike properties has increased. We present the case of a 19-y-old type 1 diabetic but otherwise healthy man with sudden onset of loss of libido and erectile dysfunction after the ingestion of large quantities of soy-based products in a vegan-style diet. Blood levels of free and total testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) were taken at the initial presentation for examination and continuously monitored up to 2 y after discontinuation of the vegan diet. Blood concentrations of free and total testosterone were initially decreased, whereas DHEA was increased. These parameters normalized within 1 y after cessation of the vegan diet. Normalization of testosterone and DHEA levels was paralleled by a constant improvement of symptoms; full sexual function was regained 1 y after cessation of the vegan diet. This case indicates that soy product consumption is related to hypogonadism and erectile dysfunction. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a combination of decreased free testosterone and increased DHEA blood concentrations after consuming a soy-rich diet. Hence, this case emphasizes the impact of isoflavones in the regulation of sex hormones and associated physical alterations.

TOP TEN REASONS TO AVOID SOY

Soybeans contain large quantities of natural toxins or “antinutrients”. First among them are potent enzyme inhibitors that block the action of trypsin and other enzymes needed for protein digestion.
These inhibitors are not deactivated during cooking & processing. Test animals fed these inhibitors developed enlargement and pathological conditions of the pancreas, including cancer.
Soybeans also contain haemagglutinin, a clot-promoting substance that causes red blood cells to clump together.
99% of soy is genetically modified and it among the highest contamination by pesticides of any of our foods.
Soybeans are high in phytic acid, a substance that blocks the uptake of the essential minerals calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and especially zinc, in the intestinal tract.
Soy products contain high levels of aluminum, leached from the aluminum tanks in which they are acid washed and processed at high temperatures.
Nitrites, which are potent carcinogens, are formed during the spray-drying of soy.
Soy Protein Isolates, which are shown to enlarge the pancreas and thyroid and increase fatty acid deposits in the liver.
Soy contains toxic isoflavones.
Soy foods have a high concentration of goitrogens which block production of thyroid hormones.

Some personal thoughts on the barely-started 2011 Crossfit Games:

I was initially very skeptical (wow, that's new!) of the "open" format---but I think it's an ingenious idea. Bigger buy-in, bigger talent draw, global participation---from a marketing perspective, genius. And at 10 bucks a pop to register, easy money with little overhead. Some quick calcs looks like about $150,000+
Did I just say little overhead? SHOULD HAVE SPENT IT ON A WEBSITE, Greg. Holy shit, it's 2011, we have had people around for the past 20 years building websites for a living. Crossfit is ALMOST ready to be mainstream. Shit like this is inexcusable.
WODs 11.1 + 11.2: Well, not what anyone expected, but really, what did anyone expect? I liked both, but it makes me wonder if the HQ gang whipped these up after a night of drinking:

Couch: Faaaaawwwwk, I losht dat piece of ppppaper *burp* wif duh WODszs fer the Gamezzz

Boney: Well, if we created a functional movement pattern that inflicts a stress on midline stability....

Blasto: Double Unders! Couch! Couch! Couch! Can we do double unders!!! Please! Pleaseplease please! I like the way they make my hair bounce! And I'm good at them!

Phat: Well this is tooootally exciting *eye roll* I'm going to In-N-Out burger for an exact 4 Block Zone meal, and then heading to my garage and crushing shit, because its awesome. My garage, that is.

On a serious note, group programming, and making said programming scalable on a global perspective more than likely isn't easy. But two AMRAPs in a row? Meh, it could have been different. We have three more, and my money is still on the 1RM thruster showing up.

Predictions:

     Men: This is a total crapshoot. I expect to see guys like Salo, Froning, Maleollo and Morrison place well, but there's no way to pick #1. In my neck of the woods? Rogers, Howell, Lutz, Fraser, Meredith, Fitzgerald, and Manning will all place well regionally.
    Women: Thorisdottir. There can be no other. I mean, she's the offspring of the God of Thunder.
     Canada West: Gillespie, Connors, Miller and Pryor will all place well.

My Training: I post various WODS from my training usually every time---is this worthwhile to people, or just wasted time on my part digging up workouts off my phone? Please post your thoughts to comments.

Dynamic Nutrition, Gluten in Non-Celiacs, & Adding to the Oil Arsenal

2011-03-21T20:48:00.003-06:00

It's Live!

So after much debate and thought, I've decided to take the plunge and start my own nutritional consulting company; I've been encouraged to do so by friends and family, but even so, it was a hard decision. At this point in time, I'm only taking a limited amount of clients until I can streamline and organize myself; a complete client consult takes a vast amount of my free time, so I have to figure out what workload I can handle.

All that aside, I'm pretty damn jacked about the whole deal!!!

Am J Gastroenterol. 2011 Mar;106(3):508-14. Epub 2011 Jan 11.

Gluten causes gastrointestinal symptoms in subjects without celiac disease: a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial.

Biesiekierski JR, Newnham ED, Irving PM, Barrett JS, Haines M, Doecke JD, Shepherd SJ, Muir JG, Gibson PR.

Monash University Department of Medicine and Gastroenterology, Box Hill Hospital, Box Hill, Victoria, Australia.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Despite increased prescription of a gluten-free diet for gastrointestinal symptoms in individuals who do not have celiac disease, there is minimal evidence that suggests that gluten is a trigger. The aims of this study were to determine whether gluten ingestion can induce symptoms in non-celiac individuals and to examine the mechanism.
METHODS: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled rechallenge trial was undertaken in patients with irritable bowel syndrome in whom celiac disease was excluded and who were symptomatically controlled on a gluten-free diet. Participants received either gluten or placebo in the form of two bread slices plus one muffin per day with a gluten-free diet for up to 6 weeks. Symptoms were evaluated using a visual analog scale and markers of intestinal inflammation, injury, and immune activation were monitored.
RESULTS: A total of 34 patients (aged 29-59 years, 4 men) completed the study as per protocol. Overall, 56% had human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DQ2 and/or HLA-DQ8. Adherence to diet and supplements was very high. Of 19 patients (68%) in the gluten group, 13 reported that symptoms were not adequately controlled compared with 6 of 15 (40%) on placebo (P=0.0001; generalized estimating equation). On a visual analog scale, patients were significantly worse with gluten within 1 week for overall symptoms (P=0.047), pain (P=0.016), bloating (P=0.031), satisfaction with stool consistency (P=0.024), and tiredness (P=0.001). Anti-gliadin antibodies were not induced. There were no significant changes in fecal lactoferrin, levels of celiac antibodies, highly sensitive C-reactive protein, or intestinal permeability. There were no differences in any end point in individuals with or without DQ2/DQ8.

CONCLUSIONS: "Non-celiac gluten intolerance" may exist, but no clues to the mechanism were elucidated.

PMID: 21224837 [PubMed - in process]

My Thoughts: This is a pretty damn interesting study despite the small number of subjects and somewhat limited time frame. The mainstream thought process is that people can either handle gluten, or cannot handle it, and are given a diagnosis of Celiac (gluten intolerance); even with testing "ruling it out", some of the subjects had resoltuion when gluten was ommitted.

Anecdotally, I know a plethora of people that have had significant resolution of GI complaints just by omitting gluten, with these same said people having previously negative Celiac tests. Is everyone gluten intolerant? I'm of the opinion that we all are, and I'm looking forward to more science proving it.

Pure Liquid Treasure

I recently came across the item on the right, macadamia oil, at my neighborhood Safeway store; it caught me off guard, as I wasn't looking for it, but was pleasantly surprised, to say the least! It's made by a company out of Australia called Olivado; they have a number of other oils, include avocado oil and a mix of olive/flaxseed/avocado which would be interesting.

Macadamia oil was my instant pick due to a number of prioperties:

High smoke point
Very high MUFA content
1:1 ratio of O3:O6

Jackpot? I think so.

The second item on the left was a bit of ah, well, impulse buy. I tend to do this, much to the chagrin of my wife. After spotting Richard's review of Euphoria Greek Olive Oil on Free The Animal, I order two bottles. I also received a note saying I was the first Canadian customer ever. And after my wife had to pay customs and duty upon delivery, I damn well better enjoy it!

But let me tell you---this is by far the best olive oil I have ever had. And it's never, ever touching a single degree of heat. This is oil that's meant to be enjoyed in all it's naked glory.

Just a damn nice chart for geeky reference.

Various Training

Feb 26th, CFLA, 1PM

Throwdown WOD#1

50 Wall Ball Shots, 20#, 10'

3Rounds

30 Double Unders

15 Toes To Bar

10 Front Squats, 135#

13:40

3 Min Rest, then 1RM Clean

185#

This was the first of 5 monthly WODS in an online competition, the Throwdown Series. While I'm no sloth as far as athletic ability, I'm in way over my head here, but that's not why I signed up; I rarely get a chance to compete against, or with, my fellow athletes at CFLA. Besides, what does not kill you makes you stronger. It also makes me very aware of just how deep the talent pool can run!!! Totally inspiring.

March 1st, CFLA, 1PM

Hang Power Snatch 3-3-3-3-3

120#-120#-120#-120#-120#

4PM, U of L

Climb x 2.5hr

March 2nd, CFLA, 1PM

Push Jerk 3-3-3-3

135#-155#-175#-175#

5 Rounds For Time:

10 Wall Ball Shots, 20# to 10'

10 Pullups

10 Push Press, 75#

7:37

March 3rd, 10AM, Waterton Lakes National Park

Snowshoe 5.6km Round Trip

Did this with fellow Crossfitter Jacob; perfect winter day, but a brutal hike due to the massive amount of snow and unbroken trail. I don't have it recorded, but it must have taken us at least 4 hours there and back, with at 30 minute lunch break at the frozen falls.

March 18th, Casa Grande, Arizona

5km run, 25 minutes

Spent the week in AZ with my in-laws; killer weather, 30+ Celsius, Sunny. HAD to run. Used a new app called RunKeeper to track my distance and pace, all the while listening to my playlist. Sweet. Did an easy 5:00/km, and felt phenomenal.

Unfortunately, my left foot is now bruised along the outside---and since Jacob has a much better memory than me, he reminded me today of my incident in my Vibrams-versus-rock during a coulee run last summer. Uncool. I'm not sure how a quick 5km run would trash my foot, as I was trying to be cognizant of my POSE form while using my Inov8s, but it happened.

March 21st, CFLA, 1PM

Overhead Squat, 15 Rep

45#-65#-95#-115#-135#

20 Rounds For Time

3 Chest-to-Deck Pushups

5 Squats

3:43

Everything Is Useful (Stepping Out Of The Box), Creatine x 1, & Fish Oil Squared

2011-02-26T10:06:00.004-07:00

Strongest Guy I Know Doing Curls? You Should, Too.

Jump back one year; two enthusiastic strength and conditioning coaches, armed with nothing more than a Toyota Yaris, an eclectic iPod bursting with music, and a Chris Spealler look-a-like hooked on metcon so bad he was mute, walked through the doors of Catalyst Athletics. Things would never be the same again.

I'm reminiscing for a good reason; the lessons learned at the seminar are still fresh in my mind today, and I apply them everyday. It was an awesome conglomeration of ideas from OUTSIDE the box. I wrote briefly about it here.

Still, to this day, one of the best lectures I've attended was from Gant Grimes; he instilled the value that everything has a purpose. He specifically used the example of WHY someone SHOULD do LSD (long slow distance---and I agree, 100%). The quote "Everything works...up to a point" cannot be understated.

After a phenomenal training session just this last Tuesday, it got me to thinking: Why do people pigeon-hole themselves into training a certain way, when, technically, EVERYTHING works? And especially when stuff they DON'T do would even have a higher degree of efficacy?

The great thing about Crossfit is that there's such a vast variety and diversity of skills involved that we are technically always making linear progression. That being said, folks still confine themselves to, at most, a dozen different movements on a regular basis. For most people, these are things they 1) like, 2) are relatively good at, and 3) want to get better at.

Now, this isn't a crime by any means; an essential part of training is doing it because it's fun. But when progress stalls, we need to look at why. There's always a bazillion variables involved in this. Without ranting on and on and making little sense, let me leave you with this:

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"

---Albert Einstein

J Am Coll Nutr. 2009 Oct;28(5):525-42.

EPA but not DHA appears to be responsible for the efficacy of omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in depression: evidence from a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Martins JG.

Academy of Nutritional Medicine, 80 Commercial End, Swaffham Bulbeck, Cambridge CB25 0NE, UK. julian.martins@aonm.org

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic and case-control data suggest that increased dietary intake of omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega3 LC-PUFAs) may be of benefit in depression. However, the results of randomized controlled trials are mixed and controversy exists as to whether either eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) or both are responsible for the reported benefits.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the current study was to provide an updated meta-analysis of all double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized controlled trials examining the effect of omega3 LC-PUFA supplementation in which depressive symptoms were a reported outcome. The study also aimed to specifically test the differential effectiveness of EPA versus DHA through meta-regression and subgroup analyses.
DESIGN: Studies were selected using the PubMed database on the basis of the following criteria: (1) randomized design; (2) placebo controlled; (3) use of an omega3 LC-PUFA preparation containing DHA, EPA, or both where the relative amounts of each fatty acid could be quantified; and (4) reporting sufficient statistics on scores of a recognizable measure of depressive symptoms.
RESULTS: Two hundred forty-one studies were identified, of which 28 met the above inclusion criteria and were therefore included in the subsequent meta-analysis. Using a random effects model, overall standardized mean depression scores were reduced in response to omega3 LC-PUFA supplementation as compared with placebo (standardized mean difference = -0.291, 95% CI = -0.463 to -0.120, z = -3.327, p = 0.001). However, significant heterogeneity and evidence of publication bias were present. Meta-regression studies showed a significant effect of higher levels of baseline depression and lower supplement DHA/EPA ratio on therapeutic efficacy. Subgroup analyses showed significant effects for: (1) diagnostic category (bipolar disorder and major depression showing significant improvement with omega3 LC-PUFA supplementation versus mild-to-moderate depression, chronic fatigue and non-clinical populations not showing significant improvement); (2) therapeutic as opposed to preventive intervention; (3) adjunctive treatment as opposed to monotherapy; and (4) supplement type. Symptoms of depression were not significantly reduced in 3 studies using pure DHA (standardized mean difference 0.001, 95% CI -0.330 to 0.332, z = 0.004, p = 0.997) or in 4 studies using supplements containing greater than 50% DHA (standardized mean difference = 0.141, 95% CI = -0.195 to 0.477, z = 0.821, p = 0.417). In contrast, symptoms of depression were significantly reduced in 13 studies using supplements containing greater than 50% EPA (standardized mean difference = -0.446, 95% CI = -0.753 to -0.138, z = -2.843, p = 0.005) and in 8 studies using pure ethyl-EPA (standardized mean difference = -0.396, 95% CI = -0.650 to -0.141, z = -3.051, p = 0.002). However, further meta-regression studies showed significant inverse associations between efficacy and study methodological quality, study sample size, and duration, thus limiting the confidence of these findings.
CONCLUSIONS: The current meta-analysis provides evidence that EPA may be more efficacious than DHA in treating depression. However, owing to the identified limitations of the included studies, larger, well-designed, randomized controlled trials of sufficient duration are needed to confirm these findings.

PMID: 20439549 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

My Thoughts: I thought this was an interesting and timely meta-analysis (a big-assed study studying a bunch of studies. Got that?) on fish oil and depression. Supplement manufacturers are always looking for the "edge" to market their product, and there's been a lot of variation in EPA and DHA ratios, with some claiming to have more "cognitive" benefits. In my opinion, this is just reason to stick to a basic brand yielding more EPA than DHA.

Eur J Clin Nutr. 2011 Feb;65(2):247-54. Epub 2010 Nov 10.

Enhanced increase of omega-3 index in response to long-term n-3 fatty acid supplementation from triacylglycerides versus ethyl esters.

Neubronner J, Schuchardt JP, Kressel G, Merkel M, von Schacky C, Hahn A.

Institute of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Am Kleinen Felde 30, Hannover, Germany.

Abstract

Background:There is a debate currently about whether different chemical forms of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are absorbed in an identical way. The objective of this study was to investigate the response of the omega-3 index, the percentage of EPA+DHA in red blood cell membranes, to supplementation with two different omega-3 fatty acid (n-3 FA) formulations in humans.Design:The study was conducted as a double-blinded placebo-controlled trial. A total of 150 volunteers was randomly assigned to one of the three groups: (1) fish oil concentrate with EPA+DHA (1.01 g+0.67 g) given as reesterified triacylglycerides (rTAG group); (2) corn oil (placebo group) or (3) fish oil concentrate with EPA+DHA (1.01 g+0.67 g) given as ethyl ester (EE group). Volunteers consumed four gelatine-coated soft capsules daily over a period of six months. The omega-3 index was determined at baseline (t(0)) after three months (t(3)) and at the end of the intervention period (t(6)).Results:The omega-3 index increased significantly in both groups treated with n-3 FAs from baseline to t(3) and t(6) (P<0.001). The omega-3 index increased to a greater extent in the rTAG group than in the EE group (t(3): 186 versus 161% (P<0.001); t(6): 197 versus 171% (P<0.01)).Conclusion:A six-month supplementation of identical doses of EPA+DHA led to a faster and higher increase in the omega-3 index when consumed as triacylglycerides than when consumed as ethyl esters.

PMID: 21063431 [PubMed - in process]

My Thoughts: Once again, reason to stick to the basics. Ethyl ester formulations have been, up until now, what pharmaceutical companies have used in their obscenely-overpriced fish oil prescriptions. This can cost up over $3000/year---completely unnecessary. Once again, a basic formulation is better than what science could make it.

For the record: Do I advise eating fish? Sure. Find me a wild caught salmon from a pristine body of water unpolluted by toxins, and I'll eat it, because whole food always trumps supplements. BUT, until I find that fish, I'll continue taking a supplement that's been molecularly distilled.

2011 Feb 8. [Epub ahead of print]

Beneficial Effect of Creatine Supplementation in Knee Osteoarthritis.

Neves M Jr, Gualano B, Roschel H, Fuller R, Benatti FB, de Sá Pinto AL, Lima FR, Pereira RM, Lancha AH Jr, Bonfá E.

1 School of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology - University of Sáo Paulo; 2 School of Physical Education and Sport, Department of Byodinamics - University of Sáo Paulo.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of creatine (CR) supplementation combined with strengthening exercises inknee osteoarthritis (OA).
METHODS: A randomized, double-blind,placebo-controlled trial was performed.Postmenopausal women with knee OA were allocated to receive either CR (20 g/dfor one week and 5 g/dthereafter) or placebo (PL) and were enrolled in a lower limb resistance training program. They were assessed at baseline (PRE) and after 12 weeks (POST). The primary outcome was the physical function as measured by the timed-stands test. Secondary outcomes included lean mass, quality of life, pain, stiffness, and muscle strength.
RESULTS: Physical function was significantly improved only in the CR group (p=0.006). Additionally, a significant between-group difference was observed (CR-PRE: 15.7 ± 1.4, POST: 18.1 ± 1.8; PL-PRE: 15.0 ± 1.8, POST: 15.2 ± 1.2; p=0.004). The CR group also presented improvements in physical function and stiffness subscales as evaluated by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) (p=0.005 and p=0.024, respectively), whereas the PL group did not show any significant changes in these parameters (p>0.05). Additionally, only the CR group presented a significant improvement in lower limb lean mass (p=0.04) as well as in quality of life (p=0.01). Both CR and PL groups demonstrated significant reductions in pain (p<0.05). Similarly, a main effect for time revealed an increase in leg-press 1-RM (p=0.005) with no significant differences between groups (p=0.81).
CONCLUSION: CR supplementation improves physical function, lower limb lean mass and quality of life in postmenopausal women with knee OA undergoing strengthening exercises. Clinicaltrials.gov number: NCT00992043.

PMID: 21311365 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

My Thoughts: Ok, I can hear the screaming now, and 100% of the people I know using creatine AREN'T post-menopausal women, with OA. But I like the secondary outcomes, as far as lean mass, and subjective measures like pain and stiffness. For the most part, any form of activity will improve mobility, stability, and strength in seniors, as well as lean muscle mass, especially if sedentary. What did creatine do here that training only doesn't, from a joint-health angle?? I don't know, but it's promising for those that suffer from OA. Perhaps there will be some follow up using younger athletes with exercise-induced OA.

Various Training

Feb 15th, CFLA, 1PM

4 Rounds For Time:

10 DB Thrusters, 35#

10 Pushups

10 Plank Rows

5:20

4:30 PM, Westside

Run x 20minutes No coffee beans on board, RPE(rate of perceived exertion) much higher, not surprisingly! Ha!

Feb 16th, CFLA, 12 PM

700m row

35 WBS, 20#, 10'

35 Clean Pulls, 95#

35 Ring Dips

35 Front Squats, 95#

700m row

17:14

Had the chance to jump in on nooner WOD with a couple of members; despite feeling great in the ring dips, I had my ass handed to me in the front squats. Tough WOD, but something like this I need to do more.

Feb 19th, Firehall#2, 3:30PM

20 Rep Back Squat

45-135-175-195

Only had time to squeeze in a few sets, as we were doing annual physical testing of the members.

Feb 21st, CFLA, 12:30

A) Bench Press superset w/ weighted pullups, 5x5

135-155-165-175-165, pullups x5 w/ 1.5pd (53#) kettlebell

B) 20m Shuttle Runs

Warmup@75%, 20.47s, 20.83s, 22.00s Wow. These smoked me.

Feb 22nds, CFLA, 1PM

Reverse Grip Bench Press 5x5

135x5x5. Chest was fatigued from yesterday, and never having done these before, stayed at 135#. Cool movement

Weighted Dips 7-5-2

45#-70#-90#

Straight Bar Curl

95x5x5

Zottman Curl

25# DB x10 x5

This was the inspirational workout for this post, done with owner/coach Cory G; One of the coolest workouts I've done in a while---I learned, I lifted, I laughed and I progressed.

Enough with the "Paleo" already: Dynamic Methodology is king, Segue to Quinoa and Lectins

2011-02-14T22:58:00.002-07:00

"Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own."

Dynamic:

Characterized by continuous change, activity, or progress

Methodology:

The systematic study of methods that are, can be, or have been applied within a discipline

Forwarned: Counter-Contrarian Multi-Tangent Rant Ahead.

I'm really, REALLY sick of Paleo. There. I said it. And I'm going to explain why.

If fact, I've kinda hated on the tag from the start. Seems everything with a "tag" has some serious flaw, from The Zone, Atkins, South Beach, Mediterranean, Okinawan, Tokelaun, Kitavian. (those last two are exempt, but you get my drift) Nutrition aside, the same can be said for Crossfit, PX90, Wendler's 5/3/1, LSD, HIIT, etc etc. Paleo is no different.

One of the biggest, and most serious roadblocks in progress regarding nutrition, performance, training, and athletics is cognitive dissonance. If the term is a little murky, think of the perpetration of the lipid hypothesis, of the belief that saturated fat causes heart disease. Even in the light of solid science, people will just stare at you like you're from another planet.

Folks often want to embrace one idea as being THEE way, the ONLY way, and that it's far superior than ANY other way. Personal bias is often at play here, as well as other variables like naivety, ignorance, and herd mentality. I'd explain this from a religious point of view, but I should probably only piss off a few groups at a time.

If you've followed my blog for any length of time, you know my thoughts on Crossfit; while it's a successful and attractive system, it has it's serious flaws, and it also has legions of followers willing to throw themselves madly into the flame of metcon without nary a thought on self-preservation. This is an oft discussed scenario amongst trainers, and it's easily dealt with. <---Keep that last point in mind

Enter my dislike for...Paleo. Much like Crossfit, my introduction to paleolithic nutrition vastly changed my life for the better. While I had been interested in all things from an athletic nutrition standpoint my whole life, Paleo put such a common-sense spin saturated in science that it couldn't be ignored. BUT---it too, has it's flaws. The whole "eat like a caveman" dealio.

While this is the most simplistic way to explain it, it is NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL. Just like your individualized training regime (pure chaotic group programming, with 100% dependence on general adaptation syndrome, will only take linear progress so far), nutrition needs to be personally tailored.

Consider:

Crossfit is glycolytically demanding. Hence, the preferential need for carbohydrates as fuel. For optimal performance.
Endurance athletes require high glycemic carbs during race events for optimal performance.
Patients on the IBS spectrum require the addition or exclusion of specific FOS (Fructo-oligosaccharides). Some require the prebiotic inulin, while others will only suffer at it's inclusion.

These are merely the tip of the iceberg; my point is, nutrition is just as individual as training is. What is positive stimulus for one person is overtraining or potential injury for another.

--->The definition of Dynamic Methodology, and the quote from Bruce Lee, align perfectly with my view on both training and nutrition---take what is useful, discard what is not, apply positive biases, and constantly change and adapt.

Needs meat, but it ain't a fail.

Saponins, phytic acid, tannins and protease inhibitors in quinoa

Jenny Ruales^a^,^b and Baboo M. Nair^a

^aDepartment of Applied Nutrition and Food Chemistry, Chemical Centre, University of Lund, PO Box 124, S-221 00 Lund, Sweden
^bInstituto de Investigaciones Tecnológicas, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Apartado Postal 17 01 2759, Quito, Ecuador

Received 1 July 1992;

accepted 5 January 1993.

Available online 2 October 2003.

Abstract

The seeds of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa, Willd), a food crop of the Andean region of Latin America, contain protein of good quality and high amounts of carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, and minerals. An industrial process for manufacturing infant food using quinoa as a basic raw material is being developed. The presence of antinutrients are of importance in this context, and this paper deals with saponins, phytic acid, tannins and protease inhibitors in quinoa seeds.
The samples of quinoa analysed in this experiment contained two main types of saponins. The amount of saponin A (β-d-glucopyranosyl-[β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 3)-α-l-arabino-pyranosyl-(1 → 3)]-3-β-23-dihydroxy-12-en-28-oate methyl ester) was 0·7% of the dry weight and that of the saponin B (β-d-glucopyranosyl-[β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 3)-α-l-arabino-pyranosyl-(1 → 3)]-3-β-23-dihydroxyolcan-12-en-28-oate was 0·2% of the dry weight. These were the major saponins found in the quinoa bran collected while polishing the seeds.

After scrubbing and washing, the level of saponin-A remaining in the seeds decreased to 0·31% of the dry weight, and saponin-B was completely removed by this process.

The content of phytic acid in the quinoa seeds was about 1% of the dry matter, and scrubbing and washing reduced the phytic acid content of the seeds by about 30%. Neither protease inhibitor nor tannins were detected in the quinoa seeds.

My Thoughts:

Quinoa is an interesting "pseudo-grain" that has been pretty much shunned by anyone that's been indoctrinated into Paleo-land---which is a bit unfortunate. It has a great nutritional profile as far as a carbohydrate goes, being one of the few that has a complete protein profile. If used in the PWO period, is an excellent source for glycogen repletion. I normally recommend starchy carbs like potatoes, yams, and white rice, but quinoa can be substituted nicely.

Assessment of Lectin Inactivation by Heat and Digestion

By: Arpad Pusztai², George Grant²

Proteins/glycoproteins from plants, particularly lectins, are more resistant to heat denaturation than animal proteins (1, 2). With legume seeds, whose lectin content is appreciable, this presents potentially serious problems in nutritional practice. Therefore, before they can be used safely, legume-based food/ feeds usually require thorough and expensive heat processing to inactivate antinutritive components. Indeed, dry or moist heating of seeds at 70°C for several h has little or no effect on their lectin activity (Fig. 1) and treatment at much higher temperatures is needed to inactivate the biological and antinutritional effects of legume lectins (1, 2). The safety aspect is even more serious with some monocot lectins, such as wheatgerm agglutinin or a number of oilseed lectins, such as peanut agglutinin and many others because they are extremely heat stable and normal cooking or other conventional heat treatments may fail to inactivate them (3) Thus, the best way to avoid potential harmful effects of these heat-resistant lectins is to limit their dietary intake to a minimum.

My Thoughts, Take 2: While I'm definitely NOT a bean fan, and I generally agree with the recommendation NOT to include them in one's diet, the whole point of lectins and anti-nutrients is moot one proper preparation and cooking takes place. Neolithic? Yes. But not entirely the devil it's made out to be. If you take a close look at the chart, cooking at 100 degree C. for a mere 10 minutes deactivates any lectins present. Boiling water, anyone? This doesn't even include the traditional preparation of soaking and/or sprouting.

Just a couple of reasons to always look at the "Why" with a skeptical eye.

Various Training

Jan 28th, 1PM, CFLA

20 Rep Squat

45#-65#-95#-135#-155#-175#

Kept it light, as my back was still a mess from the tempo front squats earlier. Felt good though, I see more of these in my future.

Jan 31st, 2PM, south of Lethbridge

Ice Climb x 2hr

First time out, and even at -25 Celsius, had an absolute blast. Still partial to technical sport climbing, but fun, nonetheless.

Yoga x 1.5hr, 7:30PM

Feb 1st, CFLA, 2PM

Snatch Balance 5-5-3-3-1-1-1

95#-115#-135#-155#-165#-175#-185#

Got slow as I hit the singles, but felt solid in the hole.

Death By Kettlebell Swing (KBS), 1.5pd/53lbs

Started at 7 reps, ended at 20 when my back started twitching. Uncool.

Feb 4th, CFLA, 1PM

Split Jerk 3-3-3-1-1-1

135#-155#-175#-195#-205#(f)-205#

Been a while, but felt good to do these again. Gotta hit that 225# goal this year.

Feb 10th, CFLA, noon

"Cindy"

AMRAP 20 Minutes of 5 pullups, 10 pushups, 15 squats

25 rounds + 27 reps.

Previous PR from Sept was 26 rounds, so I'm pretty happy hitting this.

Feb 14th, CFLA, 1PM

Barbell Split Squat, 5/side x 3 sets, worked up to 135#

25-20-15-10-5 of Toes-to-bar (T2B) and walking lunges

5:50. Major form breakdown on T2B after the 25s...I'm talking total hip flexor/low ab fail. It was ugly!

3:30PM, West Lethbridge

Run x 20 minutes. I ate a complete container of chocolate covered coffee beans. Running was NOT an option, it just happened.

7:30PM, Yoga x 1.5 hr. Caffeine worn off by this time, wow.

Getting emPOWERed, iPhone Nutrition Apps, and Fish Oil & Oxidation

2011-01-28T23:01:00.002-07:00

Recently, I had decided that enough was enough: I was sick of being all left, and not all RIGHT. I definately haven't been all right in a while---I seem to be chronically plagued by "isolated" (I use that term sarcastically, because nothing is truly isolated) left sided injuries, such as:

Left shoulder pain, which lasted for a year, and which I threw the kitchen sink at
Recent left knee pain, which is probably due to
Chronic left hip pain, high glut med/min area.
Chronic left wrist pain
Re-occurring left Achilles pain post-running.
Recent left side mid-back strain while doing tempo 5/3/x/1 front squats at a light 175#. This was, ironically, the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak.

It sounds like a nasty list; the back strain aside, I can honestly live with this stuff daily---I assume (regardless if you agree or not) that it comes with the territory. But, after Tuesday's spasmodic debacle, enter John Power.

John is a registered massage therapist with a specialty in Active Release Techniques; the easiest way I can describe this is deep tissue massage through a range of motion, with the goal of restoring proper mobility. He operates a very successful Chiropractic/Massage/ART clinic aptly named Power Health.

For as much as I'm diligent about warming up and mobility work(uh, maybe not Tuesday. Trying to jam in a 5x5 tempo front squat in 20 minutes with a quick 500m row warmup and a few leg swings is negligent. Bad Coach K! Bad!) there's times when you need to call in the experts. Like K-Star of Cf San Fran and MWod fame, John has a wicked eye for dysfunctional movement and impaired mobility. And my track record would seem to indicate some serious imbalance.

My first session on Thursday night involved assessing my squat, a la FMS-style; John already had a pretty good idea what my issues were, and the squat just confirmed it. Needless to say after this, I had no choice but to jump on the pain train of active release. John worked on:

My right iliacus
My left gastroc and soleus
My left psoas
My left Glut min (he didn't want to "Chase Pain", but he found it, and crushed it into oblivion)
My entire T-spine

Despite the uncomfortable treatment, it was worth it x1000; while my back was still extremely tight and spasmodic this morning, I was able to hit a few sets of moderate weight 20 rep high bar back squats. I'll be going back regularly for while to get everything sorted out. All of this leads me into my question, though:

Who do you have to treat, or prevent, training induced injury? Anyone at all? Post your thoughts to comments.

Just around Christmas, Santa ended up bringing me and my wife brand new shiny iPhone 4s. (How did he know??? Just how DID he know!?!?) ; I've been geeking out on it like a nerd at a World of Warcraft convention. (For the record I don't play WoW, or any online games. Or any games, for that matter. I might be a geek, but I'm a cool geek, not a nerdy geek.)

Four of the apps I've tried out related to nutrition are FitDay Mobile, Lose It!, PaleoGoGo, and WOD

Fit Day is a well-known nutrition tracking application that has been around online for a while; I've used it myself over the past few years. There's a free online version, a premium-pay version, and now, a free iPhone app. It's accurate, breaks down food to macronutrients, easy to use, and you can add customized food. The iPhone app works just as well as the PC version. I've never used the premium, so I have no idea what it's about...or why you'd need it. The basic version breaks down macros nicely, as my Jan 2nd intake was 2937cal, 181.8g Fat, 156.6g Carbs, 182.2g Pro

Lose It! is another free daily-intake tracking application; it's similar to FitDay, and at first glance, appears to concentrate only on total calories---this is misleading, as it will track macros. You actually have the option to turn on/off which macros you want to track, such as cholesterol, which is pointless (IMO). My sample day from Jan came in at 2737 cal, 151.9g Fat, 133.8g Carb, and 204.6g Pro for a 50/20/30 breakdown.

This is an excellent app on par with FitDay; both seem fairly accurate and give a person a good idea of what they are taking in.

PaleoGoGo is an interesting app that gives you paleo food options and various restaurant chains. Type in the restaurant, the type of meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner), and three options pop up for you to choose. For us Canucks, it can be hit-and-miss, as many of the large US chains aren't here, and vice versa.

While interesting, it sure ain't worth the $4.99. Plus, why would you need an app to tell you HOW to pick a paleo meal. If Meat, Veggies, Nuts, Seeds, Some Fruit, Little Starch, and No Sugar is problematic for you, then you need more than an app.

WOD is your basic Crossfit workout of the day (WOD) tracking app; it has all the famous "named" WODs, areas for records (PRs), movements (e.g., clean & jerk), and the ability to type in your own metcons. I've been using it since Dec 26th, and I like it---I always have my phone with me, and I can quickly scan back to my last recorded WOD. I've been popping in all my climbs, too, with added notes. For $2.99, it doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles, but it does a nice job.

Free Radic Res. 2010 Sep;44(9):983-90.

The omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA decrease plasma F(2)-isoprostanes: Results from two placebo-controlled interventions.

Mas E, Woodman RJ, Burke V, Puddey IB, Beilin LJ, Durand T, Mori TA.

University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia. emilie.mas@uwa.edu.au

Abstract

Omega-3 (omega3) fatty acids, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), protect against cardiovascular disease. Despite these benefits, concern remains that omega3 fatty acids may increase lipid peroxidation. It has previously been shown that urinary F(2)-isoprostanes (F(2)-IsoPs) were reduced following omega3 fatty acid supplementation in humans. It is now determined whether EPA or DHA supplementation affects plasma F(2)-IsoPs. In two 6-week placebo-controlled interventions, Study A: overweight, dyslipidaemic men; and Study B: treated-hypertensive Type 2 diabetic, patients were randomized to 4 g daily EPA, DHA. Post-intervention plasma F(2)-IsoPs were significantly reduced by EPA (24% in Study A, 19% in Study B) and by DHA (14% in Study A, 23% in Study B) relative to the olive oil group. The fall in plasma F(2)-IsoPs was not altered in analyses that corrected for changes in plasma arachidonic acid, which was reduced with EPA and DHA supplementation. Neither F(3)- nor F(4)-IsoPs were observed in plasma in both studies. These results show that in humans, EPA and DHA reduce in vivo oxidant stress as measured in human plasma and urine.

PMID: 20540666 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

My Thoughts: Recently, there's been a bit of a back-pedaling in regards to thoughts on fish oil due to the "theorized" potential of INCREASING free radicals due to the the oxidation of supplemental fish oil. Being a PUFA (polyunsaturated fat), it IS more prone to oxidation than either a monounsaturated fatty acid or a very stable saturated fatty acid (gotta love the sat fats). From an anecdotal perspective, I've only come across one person who could have had this reaction---and I take his word for it, since he's an elite athlete with a very strict and clean diet at sub-7% BF. For the rest of us? The records show nothing but positive improvements in body comp, recovery, cognition, and reduced cardiovascular risks secondary to shifts in VLDL and trigs.

And, it seem now, there's the science to back up the anecdotal evidence. So pass me that bottle of freshly squeezed sardines!

Recent Training

Jan 13th, CFLA, 1PM

21-15-9

Push Press, 105#
Box Jump, 24"
3:59. Had the pleasure of doing this along side of JL, a CF games contender. I was on my 15s when he was done. I kid you not.

Jan 17th, Spirit In Motion, 7:30PM
Yoga x1.5hr. Back at it since taking a break in Dec.

Jan 19th & 27th, U of L
Climb x 2hr. Redpointed MD's 5.11b route, so once again, I'm onto another project. Lovin' it.

Jan 20th, CFLA, 1PM

AMRAP in 20 Minutes:

5 Thrusters, 95#, 7 Pullups, 12 Box Jumps, 24", 15 Ball Slams, 20#
9 Rounds + 15.

Jan 21st, CFLA, 1PM

Power Clean 3-3-3-1-1-1

135#, 155#, 175#, 185#, 195#, 205#. Couple of fails at 195# and 205#. Been a while.

Jan 23rd, Fire Hall #1, 11AM
Run 8mph@2%grade x 25 min

Goals, Everyday is NOT a PR Day, and Vitamin D and Testosterone

2011-01-12T21:23:00.005-07:00

The Lamest List Ever.

Well Hello 2011. And look at this---I'm ahead of schedule for my one-blog-post a month! Ha! Seeing as how everyone is, and should be focused on setting and achieving new goals, I thought I throw down my own personal thoughts on goal setting.

Actually Set Some Goals: Seems pretty damn obvious, but you'd be surprised at how many people flounder into the New Year with zero focus, from a fitness/nutrition/lifestyle angle. And then I hear complaints that nothing has changed. Positive change is self-initiated; there's always people around you to help, but YOU have to start the process.
Don't Set 'Em Low: This is one of my bazillion peeves---setting extremely low goals that you know you can achieve, literally, the next day. Pointless? No, because a goal has been achieved, but it doesn't exactly instill consistency, work ethic, or a sense of achievement.
Don't Set 'Em Too High: On the same frequency, don't set insane goals. If your deadlift is 200lbs and you weigh 135#, setting a yearly goal of a 405# DL is a bit...excessive. Goals should be damn tough to achieve (which is VERY subjective and individual), but achievable
Set Interval Check-Points: All your goals do not (and should not) be for Dec 31st. Set goals at 3 months, 4 months, and 6 month intervals. Whoa! Am I talking about PERIODIZATION? Maybe. But this also sets the bulls-eye within closer range---the target is closer, and the positive pressure to succeed is more palpable.
Quantify & Specify: I despise goals of "Eat Better". What the fuck does that even mean? How about "I'm cutting out eating bread". Along the same lines would be "Get More Sleep". Fuck! How about "I'm going to be IN bed AT 10PM every night". Fitness related goals are usually number-specific, so I won't go there.
Re-Evaluate: Once again, this isn't a Dec 31st dealio. Do this at intervals. Are you on track? Are you behind? Then re-set your goal date, and adjust your habits. This is pretty common, as we don't know just how hard that path to the goal might be.
Accountability: Tell your friends, tell your cat, tell your Mom, and most importantly, tell your Crossfit Coach your goals. Make 'em public. Also, tell yourself: Write it down, and post it where you'll see it everyday. But I don't recommend the goal of "Get laid more" being posted on your bathroom mirror
Goals NOT achieved are NOT failures: This is so key I swear to Odin (because Norse Gods are cool and kick ass) I'm going to write this on the wall at the gym. If you have a goal of dropping 30 lbs over the year, and by Dec 31st you've dropped 20, is that a failure? Hell no, son! Think about the groundwork you've laid, the habits you've created, and the health you've created. Not to mention the 20 el-bees!!

Not Everyday Is A PR Day. Even With Those Shorts.

Want I want to discuss, and it's a bit of a nice segue from Goals, is that Not Everyday Is A PR Day. I've had this topic in mind for quite a while now; it's funny how similar topics seem to pop up from time to time, like there's a strong cohesive group thinking mentality. Cryptic and weird, I know! This topic, for me, started to come to fruition over the fall as I saw some of our best athletes succumb to chronic injuries and one, in particular, dove off the deep beyond overreaching and into serious over-training (and potentially adrenal fatigue).

I absolutely, 100% completely, fully back the opinion that Crossfit is to blame for this mentality. No where else are people encouraged to to train to 100% capacity without periodization, peaking, and tapering. Now, you might be asking: "What the hell is wrong with giving 100% everyday?" Whoa there, hoss. Let's get some clarity. Recently, as I was mulling over this New Years Topic, Freddy Camacho of Crossfit One World posted up a very similar topic: (which was also wisely posted on the CFLA website)

There are no competitors at any sport that train 100% effort at every workout. Training at 100% effort every workout can lead to loss of technique. Loss of technique during a high intensity workout (on a daily basis) eventually is gonna bite you in the ass.

So about right now you’re thinking, “Well how much effort should I give?”

Simple: Never mistake “100% effort” for HARD WORK.

Very wise words that make a ton of sense. For those of you in the Crossfit community for a few years now, you'll probably be familiar with Josh Everett; track star, Oly lifting machine, and all around insane ass kicker. Top 3 in the2007/2008 games, S & C coach by trade. Needless to say, this guy knows a few things about training---and recovery. After his 35th placing in the 2009 games, Josh himself became a victim of serious over-training, which resulted in taking FOUR complete weeks off, and tapering back slowly. One of my favorite quotes from one of his interviews comes from HIS old track coach, who stated:

"Everyone only has a certain number of max efforts per year; this is about 12, or one a month. This should be saved for competition."

The reality of that hits home like a sledgehammer. If we are trying to push max efforts 6 days out of seven, where will that eventually lead? To overreaching--->over-training--->chronic injury--->adrenal fatigue--->depressed immunity--->decreased capacity.

The problem is that newbies have such awesome linear progression that they get used to "PR'ing all the time"---when in fact they are still learning technique and intensity. Once an athlete has both down, then true max efforts are attainable. But, but this time, unless quality coaching is adhered to, the mindset of "Every day is a PR day!" still dominates. And this leads to the aforementioned issues.

The take home for this is train hard, but save those max effort days, and limit them over the year.

Horm Metab Res. 2010 Dec 10. [Epub ahead of print]

Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Testosterone Levels in Men.

Pilz S, Frisch S, Koertke H, Kuhn J, Dreier J, Obermayer-Pietsch B, Wehr E, Zittermann A.

Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Medical University of Graz, Austria.

Abstract

The male reproductive tract has been identified as a target tissue for vitamin D, and previous data suggest an association of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] with testosterone levels in men. We therefore aimed to evaluate whether vitamin D supplementation influences testosterone levels in men. Healthy overweight men undergoing a weight reduction program who participated in a randomized controlled trial were analyzed for testosterone levels. The entire study included 200 nondiabetic subjects, of whom 165 participants (54 men) completed the trial. Participants received either 83 μg (3 332 IU) vitamin D daily for 1 year (n=31) or placebo (n=23). Initial 25(OH)D concentrations were in the deficiency range (<50 nmol/l) and testosterone values were at the lower end of the reference range (9.09-55.28 nmol/l for males aged 20-49 years) in both groups. Mean circulating 25(OH)D concentrations increased significantly by 53.5 nmol/l in the vitamin D group, but remained almost constant in the placebo group. Compared to baseline values, a significant increase in total testosterone levels (from 10. 7±3.9 nmol/l to 13.4±4.7 nmol/l; p<0.001), bioactive testosterone (from 5.21±1.87 nmol/l to 6.25±2.01 nmol/l; p=0.001), and free testosterone levels (from 0.222±0.080 nmol/l to 0.267±0.087 nmol/l; p=0.001) were observed in the vitamin D supplemented group. By contrast, there was no significant change in any testosterone measure in the placebo group. Our results suggest that vitamin D supplementation might increase testosterone levels. Further randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm this hypothesis.
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

PMID: 21154195 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

My Thoughts: Vitamin D supplementation, for the past couple of years or so, has been Le Bonne Soupe De Jour, aka flavor of the month. It seems to pop up in numerous studies per week. While I had been planning a post on vitamin D, it's just too massive a topic. This study caught my eye, though. Why? Because nearly every single person is more than likely vitamin D deficient. Here's some reasons why:

-Our Northern Latitude: We just don't get the direct sun at optimal angle for much of the year.

-Our Solar Phobia: Dermatologist have caused a brutally unjustified fear of the sun.

-Our Modern Lifestyle: Wake up in your house/get in your car/go to your office/go to the gym/go back into your house. Sun? What sun.

And that's just an ultra abbreviated version. A few years back, after supplementing with 10,000 iu for 6 months, I tested my 25(OH)D levels, and they came back at 70ng/mL (Optimal, as per the Vitamin D Council and Dr Cannell is 50-90ng/mL); in hindsight, I should have tested before supplementation, but hindsight is always 20/20. I now take 6000iu/day, and 4000iu in the summer. It's always something I prescribe for every single client I do a nutritional consult on, for numerous reasons---disease prevention, optimal immunity, and optimal hormonal secretion.

How much do YOU take?

Various Training

December 26th, Sherwood Park, 10:30 AM

Run x25 minutes

Even though it was -15 Celsius, I was going nuts for some movement. Plus, I had to test out my new Inov8 F-195s

Result: They were sweet and I was fast.

Dec 30th, CFLA, 1PM

Hang Power Snatch

65x10, 85#x5, 105#x3, 115#x3, 125#x3, 135#x1,1,1

5 Rounds For Time:

5 Toes-To-Bar

10 DB Snatch 40# (5R/5L)

15 Pushups

4:47

Jan 4th, CFLA, 1PM

As Many Rounds As Possible (AMRAP) in 12 minutes:

3 Muscle Ups (regular grip, no false grip)

6 Box Jumps, 31"

9 GHD sit-ups

7+1 rounds

Jan 6th, CFLA, 1PM

Deadlift 3R, 75%/80%/85%, current 1RM 415#

135#x10, 225#x5, 285#x3, 311#x3, 335#x3, 355#x6

On my last rep, I heard, and felt, and audible "crunch" from my low back, in the sacral area. Very uncool and scary. Ice the hell outa it right away, and while it seems stable, hyperextension aggravates it.

Jan 11th, CFLA, 1PM

AMRAP in 14 min:

2 ManMakers, 40#DB (Pushup, row right, row left, squat clean to thruster)

10 Ball Slams, 20#

20 Jumping Lunges

9+1 round

Dec 29th/Jan 9th/Jan12th, U of L Climbing Wall

Indoor Rock Climbing

Still working on that 5.11b, and today I successfully redpointed it (climbed without falling). While everyday is truly NOT a PR (personal record, PB, personal best), it's damn nice to hit goals. MD just set a new route this morning, and after my redpoint, I jumped on it and was flailing and bailing like a newbie. New project, yay!

Winter Solstice Sciencey Goodness

2010-12-21T21:02:00.003-07:00

Pagans Unite!

I actually couldn't think of a wittier title, but Dec 21st is one of my favorite times of year. The days now start getting longer, and the sun a bit higher. While Jan. 1st is held in regard as the "rebirth" of a new year, I think of Dec 21st as the turning point on my calender. Anyways, onto the goods; first off, a vid from Prof. DeVany:

Art DeVany pimpin' out his new book. I think I know a bookshelf it'll be on.

Effects of olive oil and its fractions on oxidative stress and the liver's fatty acid composition in 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid-treated rats

Nutrition & Metabolism 2010, 7:80doi:10.1186/1743-7075-7-80



Published:	29 October 2010

Background

Olive oil's beneficial effects are not only related to its high content of oleic acid, but also to the antioxidant potential of its polyphenols. In this study, we assess the effects of virgin olive oil and its fractions on 2,4-D- induced oxidative damage in the liver of rats.

Methods

Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into eight groups of ten each: (C) a control group, (D) group that received 2,4-D (5 mg/kg b.w.), (D/EVOO) group treated with 2,4-D plus extra virgin olive oil, (D/OOHF) group that received 2,4-D plus hydrophilic fraction, (D/OOLF) group treated with 2,4-D plus lipophilic fraction, (EVOO) group that received only extra virgin olive oil, (OOHF) group given hydrophilic fraction and (OOLF) group treated with lipophilic fraction. These components were daily administered by gavage for 4 weeks.

Results

A significant liver damage was observed in rats treated with 2,4-D via increased serum levels of transaminases and alkaline phosphatase, hepatic lipid peroxidation and decreased hepatic antioxidant enzyme activities, namely, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase. The liver's fatty acid composition was also significantly modified with 2,4-D exposure. However, extra virgin olive oil and hydrophilic fraction intake during 2,4-D treatment induced a significant increase in the antioxidant enzyme activities and a decrease in the conjugated dienes (CD) and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARs) levels in the liver. The lipophilic fraction supplemented to 2,4-D- treated rats did not show any improvement in the liver oxidative status while a marked improvement was detected in the hepatic fatty acid composition of rats supplemented with olive oil and the two fractions.

Conclusion

We concluded that the protective effect of olive oil against oxidative damage induced by 2,4-D is mainly related to the antioxidant potential of its hydrophilic fraction.

My Thoughts: Most people associate extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) as being beneficial due to it's high content of MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acid), specifically oleic acid. While this indeed is a benefit, the polyphenol content, aka anti-oxidant content, goes largely unnoticed. As the results of this study show, these polyphenols can actually reverse damage intentionally induced.

While certain groups (Any banana-eatin' carbaholic vegans in the crowd?) rant and rave about oxidized lipids from a high-meat diet, one can clearly extrapolate that a diet high in animal based protein AND rich in nutrient-dense vegetables, fruits and lipids is advantageous on both sides.

Yes, it's as surprising as it is beautiful.

A Reversal On Carbs<---click to read

My Thoughts: No shit, really?

Dr Bill Davis on Fish Oil

Fish oil: What's the difference?

Ultra-purified, pharmaceutical grade, molecularly distilled. Over-the-counter vs. prescription. Gelcap, liquid, emulsion.

There's a mind-boggling variety of choices in fish oil today. A visit to any health food store, or any "big box" store for that matter, will yield at least several, if not dozens, of choices, all with varying and often extravagant claims of purity and potency.

So what's the real story?

Given the analyses conducted over the years, along with my experience with dozens of different preparations, I believe that several conclusions can be reached about fish oil:

Fish oil is free of contamination with mercury, dioxin, PCBs, or furans. To my knowledge, only one fish oil preparation has been found to have a slight excess of PCBs. (This is different from cod liver oil that has been found by one source to have a slight excess of PCBs.)

Oxidative breakdown products differ among the various brands. Consumer Lab (http://www.consumerlab.org/), for instance, has found that several widely available brands of fish oil contained excessive oxidative breakdown products (TOTOX). You can perform you own simple test of oxidative breakdown products: Sniff it. Your fish oil should pass the "sniff test." High quality fish oil should smell non-fishy to lightly fishy. Rancid fish oil with excessive quantities of oxidative breakdown products will smell nasty fishy.

FDA approval does not necessarily mean greater potency, purity, or effectiveness. It just means that somebody assembled the hundreds of millions of dollars to obtain FDA approval, followed by lots of marketing savvy to squash the competition.

This means that there are a number of excellent fish oil products available. My favorites are the liquid fish oils from Pharmax, Nordic Naturals, and Barleans. Capsules from Carlson, PharmaNutrients, and Fisol have also performed consistently. The "big box" capsules from Sam's Club and Costco have also performed well and are wonderfully affordable.

My Thoughts: I've been preaching the benefits of value-based fish oil for a long time; smarter guys than me, specifically cardiologist Dr. William Davis, pimp out the run-of-the-mill fish oil over the brutal pharmaceutical "Hey-Lets-Make-More-Fuckin'-Money" grade fish oil also.

Various Training

I didn't honestly know what I'd have to fill this section based on the past 30 days or so; life sometimes has a way of getting IN the way of life, but despite that fact, I have maintained a semblance of a training schedule.

Dec 2nd, CFLA, 2PM

MetCon

150 Double Unders

Rest 2 Min

150 Kettlebell Swings, 1.5pood (53#)

Rest 2 Min

150 Box Jumps (20"). Total time, 19:22.

Dec 5th, CFLA, 3PM

Snatch Session

Burgener x1 w/dowel, added 1/4 OHS, snatch balance, and hang power snatch
Burgener x1 w/45#
Hang Power Snatch, 65#x3
Hang Snatch, 65#x3
Full Snatch
95#x1x3, 115#x1x3, 135#x1x3, 145#x1x3, 155x1x3(PR)

Got some knee wraps on advice from Big G; official Rehband knee sleeves. I've been having patellar knee pain, mostly left sided, since the beginning of Oct (my last snatch session). These feel awesome, and I highly recommend them. Since it had been, what, 2 months since the last time I snatched I sure as hell didn't deserve that PR. But I'll gladly take it. Close to my goal of 165# (BW).

Dec 8th, CFLA, 1PM

"Danny"

AMRAP in 20 Minutes
30 Box Jumps
20 Push Press (115#)
30 Pullups
3 rounds + 48 reps. Done as a challenge to Crossfit Flathead; and despite really NOT wanting to crush myself into oblivion, I had no choice after coaching 11/12 and watching the crew smash the hell outa this. Push press killed me, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would go. Gotta bust 4 rounds next time.

Various Dec Dates@ U of L
Indoor Rock Climbing
If it's one thing I've been hitting regularly, it's been the rock gym. The last time I posted I was working on a 5.11a, which I successfully red-pointed, aka climbed without falling. I'm now working on a very tough 5.11b (which, by the way, MD warms up on. Ha!).

There's a lot of parallels between Crossfit and rock climbing---the wall is static, the weights are static, but I'm the dynamic one pushing a pulling against it. Success or failure depends on overcoming my fatigue, both mentally and physically. Better technique = greater efficiency. Goals achieved will vary from person to person, and it's completely individual.

Dec 13th, CFLA, 1PM
Snatch Complex
-Snatch Grip Deadlift
-Power Snatch
-Back Squat
-Overhead Squat
-Bent Over Row
-Hang Squat Snatch
65#, 75#, 85#, 95#, 105#, 115#, 125#x2. Surprised at how tough those last hang squat snatches are at the end of the complex.

What's Not New is New: The Perfect Diet, FMS, and Food Porn!

2010-11-26T19:17:00.002-07:00

This shit ain't new, son.

There's been a fair bit o' hullabaloo about a "new" (note super dorky face, double hand mime quotations) study based off the Diogenes Project that's being toted as the perfect diet. The premise is that a high protein, low GI diet (hmm, that seems familiar) fared better for weight loss and keeping weight off that 4 other combos of diet (low pro/low GI, low pro/high GI, high pro/high GI, or a control of mod pro, uncontrolled GI)..

Original Article

Diets with High or Low Protein Content and Glycemic Index for Weight-Loss Maintenance

Thomas Meinert Larsen, Ph.D., Stine-Mathilde Dalskov, M.Sc., Marleen van Baak, Ph.D., Susan A. Jebb, Ph.D., Angeliki Papadaki, Ph.D., Andreas F.H. Pfeiffer, M.D., J. Alfredo Martinez, Ph.D., Teodora Handjieva-Darlenska, M.D., Ph.D., Marie Kunešová, M.D., Ph.D., Mats Pihlsgård, Ph.D., Steen Stender, M.D., Ph.D., Claus Holst, Ph.D., Wim H.M. Saris, M.D., Ph.D., and Arne Astrup, M.D., Dr.Med.Sc. for the Diet, Obesity, and Genes (Diogenes) Project

N Engl J Med 2010; 363:2102-2113November 25, 2010

Background

Studies of weight-control diets that are high in protein or low in glycemic index have reached varied conclusions, probably owing to the fact that the studies had insufficient power.

Methods

We enrolled overweight adults from eight European countries who had lost at least 8% of their initial body weight with a 3.3-MJ (800-kcal) low-calorie diet. Participants were randomly assigned, in a two-by-two factorial design, to one of five ad libitum diets to prevent weight regain over a 26-week period: a low-protein and low-glycemic-index diet, a low-protein and high-glycemic-index diet, a high-protein and low-glycemic-index diet, a high-protein and high-glycemic-index diet, or a control diet.

Results

A total of 1209 adults were screened (mean age, 41 years; body-mass index [the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters], 34), of whom 938 entered the low-calorie-diet phase of the study. A total of 773 participants who completed that phase were randomly assigned to one of the five maintenance diets; 548 completed the intervention (71%). Fewer participants in the high-protein and the low-glycemic-index groups than in the low-protein–high-glycemic-index group dropped out of the study (26.4% and 25.6%, respectively, vs. 37.4%; P=0.02 and P=0.01 for the respective comparisons). The mean initial weight loss with the low-calorie diet was 11.0 kg. In the analysis of participants who completed the study, only the low-protein–high-glycemic-index diet was associated with subsequent significant weight regain (1.67 kg; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.48 to 2.87). In an intention-to-treat analysis, the weight regain was 0.93 kg less (95% CI, 0.31 to 1.55) in the groups assigned to a high-protein diet than in those assigned to a low-protein diet (P=0.003) and 0.95 kg less (95% CI, 0.33 to 1.57) in the groups assigned to a low-glycemic-index diet than in those assigned to a high-glycemic-index diet (P=0.003). The analysis involving participants who completed the intervention produced similar results. The groups did not differ significantly with respect to diet-related adverse events.

Conclusions

In this large European study, a modest increase in protein content and a modest reduction in the glycemic index led to an improvement in study completion and maintenance of weight loss. (Funded by the European Commission; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00390637.)

My Thoughts: Unimpressed? Yeah, me too. But why am a bashing a study that seems to be in the best interest of global health? IT'S BECAUSE THIS SHIT AIN'T NEW, nor, in my opinion, IS IT NEWS-WORTHY. I find it frustrating, because, by default, for millions of years we've been eating the perfect (read: High protein, low GI) diet. Meat, veggies, some fruit, few nuts and seeds, little starch, and no sugar. While the mass media prances around making not-so-fucking-newsworthy news, folks in the know will just keep on keeping' on.

This is gonna rock.

Gray Cook's Functional Movement Screen is a system of movements and scores used to identify weaknesses and imbalances in athletes; I currently have training in this, and we utilize it yearly at the fire department to screen our members for potential injuries. This is something I've wanted to incorporate at CFLA for a while, and while great minds think alike, greater minds make things happen. Due to the amount of time Big G has spent in the physio clinic, it appears he's made some stellar connections: This weekend at CFLA we are fortunate enough to be spending two days with Tim Takahashi; he'll be teaching us the FMS, with a specific angle on treating Crossfit athletes. This is going to be a phenomenal seminar, and something that will be invaluable for the coaches and clients.

Food Porn!

Bacon-wrapped ring-necked pheasants that my buddy JF (aka Mr White) gave to me. Added onion, sweet potato, celery, and a super-secret dry spice rub.

We had some friends over for dinner, and BA whipped this up while I was downing some Patron with Sean'O. It's an appetizer of carpaccio, cheese, cherry tomatoes, and lamb, and was totally awesome.

Breakfast of farm fresh eggs, avocado, spinach, a leftover steak, a nectarine, coffee w/ coconut milk, and a few walnuts. This is standard morning fuel.

Various Training Sessions

Right now life is a bit of a gong show for me outside of the gym; I haven't had the luxury of time, so I haven't been there much. Nonetheless, training continues:

Nov 21st, Sunday, 10AM, Firehall #1

Treadmill run, 20min at 7MPH, 2% grade.

Just an easy run. Some days, I actually crave this. Weird, I know.

Nov 22nd, Monday, 1PM, CFLA

Over Head Squat, 5RM

65#x10, 95#x5, 115#x5, 135#x5, 155#x5, 175#x5(PR)

This felt pretty damn solid, which was surprising; my knee was fine (during), but my left wrist was screaming, even with wraps. I'd like to eventually hit 225# for a single, but that's a goal that far in the distance for now.

2PM, U of L

Rock Climb x2hr

Finally finished off a 5.11a route that I've been trying for a while. There's no question I'm getting stronger and more fluid with my climbs.

Nov 23rd, Tuesday, 6PM, Firehall#1

Set up a brand new C2 rower, and took it on a 5000m maiden voyage

19:11(PR). Goddamn knee is still sketchy as hell, but once I got into it, it loosened up. Was just planning an easy 5k, and was actually screwing around with a low S/R of 23-25, and pausing at the end of the stroke for a second. I'd like to break into the 18 minute range, which is totally doable.

Nov 25th, Thursday, 2PM, U of L

Rock climb x 2hrs. Working a new 5.11 that's kicking my ass, royally.

Nov 26th, Friday, 12PM, Garage

Overhead Press

25#x20, 45#x10, 75#x5, 85#x5, 95#x5, 105#x5, 115#x5, 120#x3

Meh. Expected more, and didn't expect to be trashed from climbing.

AMRAP in 12 Minutes

5 Ring Dips

10 Pullups

15 Ball Slams (20#)

8 Rounds.

Saturated Fat & Stroke, Lab Values! and Chasing Capacity

2010-11-14T19:04:00.008-07:00

Green is good brain. Red? Not so good.

Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Oct;92(4):759-65. Epub 2010 Aug 4.

Dietary intake of saturated fatty acids and mortality from cardiovascular disease in Japanese: the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer Risk (JACC) Study.

Department of Public Health Medicine, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, and Institute of Community Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Prospective epidemiologic studies have generated mixed results regarding the association between saturated fatty acid (SFA) intake and risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke. These associations have not been extensively studied in Asians.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that SFA intake is associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease mortality in Japanese whose average SFA intake is low.
DESIGN: The Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer Risk (JACC Study) comprised 58,453 Japanese men and women who completed a food-frequency questionnaire. Participants were aged 40-79 y at baseline (1988-1990) and were followed up for 14.1 y. Associations of energy-adjusted SFA intake with mortality from stroke (intraparenchymal and subarachnoid hemorrhages and ischemic stroke) and heart diseases (IHD, cardiac arrest, and heart failure) were examined after adjustment for age, sex, and cardiovascular disease risk and dietary factors.
RESULTS: We observed inverse associations of SFA intake with mortality from total stroke [n = 976; multivariable hazard ratio (95% CI) for highest compared with lowest quintiles: 0.69 (0.53, 0.89); P for trend = 0.004], intraparenchymal hemorrhage [n = 224; 0.48 (0.27, 0.85); P for trend = 0.03], and ischemic stroke [n = 321; 0.58 (0.37, 0.90); P for trend = 0.01]. No multivariable-adjusted associations were observed between SFA and mortality from subarachnoid hemorrhage [n = 153; 0.91 (0.46, 1.80); P for trend = 0.47] and heart disease [n = 836; 0.89 (0.68, 1.15); P for trend = 0.59].
CONCLUSION: SFA intake was inversely associated with mortality from total stroke, including intraparenchymal hemorrhage and ischemic stroke subtypes, in this Japanese cohort.

PMID: 20685950 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

My Thoughts: Stroke, aka "Brain Attack", or more accurately cerebrovascular accident, is the damage of brain tissue secondary to either ischemia (blockage) or hemorrhage (bleeding); it's a debilitating condition that I've seen countless times over the course of my career, and has personally affected my family, as there is a strong genetic disposition on my father's side for CVA (Grandfather, Great-Aunt, and Grandmother secondary to IDDM). But to the pertinent point: Saturated Fat, once again, has been incorrectly labeled over the years as a negative and potentially dangerous fatty acid---yet, as this study shows, a LOW intake is associated with a greater increase in a very serious disease.

As I'm just a few days away from re-certifying my Advanced Cardiac Life Support, unfortunately, one of the elements I may have to sit through is the brutal diatribe of nutrition related to cardiac events. It boggles my mind that the association that is supposed to lead us on cardiac and vascular health, is in fact, doing more damage than good. I've seen a ton of changes (on a professional level as a paramedic) in the acute care setting over the past 15 years, yet I still haven't seen anything on the preventative side, nutritionally related.

Yup, just keep on endorsing those Cheerios, American Heart Association.

Yay Lab Values! Wow, I'm a geek!

So I got pretty excited a few days back---a buddy of mine wanted me to look at some labs he had just had done, and I had also just gotten some long-awaited values of my own back. Before I get into mine, lets take a look at Mr. White's labs (He drives a white truck. He's not Mr. White.):

Background: 34 y/o male, 5'10", 170lbs, approx 12-13% BF (rough estimate). Crossfits x 3/week, Shiftworker, occasional adventure racer, and has been moving to a Paleo diet over the past year.

Labs, 2009

Total Cholesterol: 4.63mmol/L (179.04mg/dL)

HDL: 1.32 (51.04)

LDL: 2.80 (108.28)

Triglycerides: 1.15 (101.86)

C-reactive Protein: 1.3mg/L

Trig/HDL ratio: 1.98

American Values(mg/dL) in orange

Labs, 2010

Total Cholesterol: 5.17mmol/L (199.9mg/dL)

HDL 1.53 (59.06)

LDL 3.40 (134.48)

Triglycerides 0.59 (52.27)

C-reactive Protein <0.2mg/L

Trig/HDL ratio 0.88

As you can see, Mr White has made some phenomenal changes in just the course of a year; his HDL has gone up (a good thing), his LDL has gone up (a good thing. No, I'm not kidding. And yes, I'm right), his CRP, which is a marker for systemic inflammation, has dropped to seriously awesome low values, Trigs have slashed in HALF, and his Trig/HDL ratio is now well below 1.0 (not a value his, or my, physician does. I've added that in.

The Importance of Your TG/HDL Ratio

How can you tell which type of LDL you have? All you have to do is determine your ratio of triglycerides to HDL cholesterol, which would be found as part of the results of your last cholesterol screening. If your ratio is less than 2, you have predominantly large, fluffy LDL particles that are not going to do you much harm. If your ratio is greater than 4, you have a lot of small, dense LDL particles that can accelerate the development of atherosclerotic plaques – regardless of your total cholesterol levels.

These are the type of changes that we WANT to see on a Paleo diet; some, though are completely at odds with what your physician will want to see. Why? Lack of proper education on the nutritional front, and the perpetration of misinformation stemming from over 50 years ago. I won't even get into the pharmaceutical companies.

HDL and LDL are both elevated because it is being shuttled about for hormone synthesis and cell repair; this is why using a standard lab value and ranges is inaccurate for athletes, the healthy, the sedentary, and the sick.

My Labs: Back in March I had convinced my physician I needed a coagulation profile due to my high intake of fish oil (true) and my desire to return to full contact martial arts (not so true. Ha!). I had asked for an INR and a PTT test;
INR: 1.1s, norm range 0.9-1.2s
PTT: 26.0s, norm range 18-45s

Apparently, at an intake ranging from 6-9g of EPA/DHA per day, I'm not about to bleed out through my eyeballs should I sneeze. I knew this, but it's something I wanted to see for myself; consider it a n=1 Mythbuster episode.


Home of Andy Deas

If you've listened to even ONE episode of The Paleo Solution, you'll know that Andy Deas is the dude that keeps Robb Wolf focused like a laser beam...ok, well, tries to. He's also a trainer at NorCal Strength & Conditioning, and he happens to have himself a shiny new(ish) blog. If it's anything like Robb's (opinionated, full of info, well written), it'll be worth checking out. Word on the street is he's going to continue his series on the the love/hate with all things Crossfit. Sounds familiar? You bet.

Check out his blog here: Chasing Capacity

Various Random Training Sessions

Oct 21st, CFLA, 12PM
Overhead Press, 65#x10, 95#x5, 115#x3, 125#x3, 135#x1, 140#x1 (previous PR from 2008)
Yeah, 2 years later and I'm only back matching my PR, but a PR nonetheless. It's been a long-assed road, but thankfully, very minimal pain/popping/discomfort lately.

Oct 22nd, CFLA, 1PM
Deadlift 135#x10, 225#x5, 315#x1, 365#x1, 405#x1, 425#x0. Got greedy and tried to jump 20lbs; 405# felt damn good, but the PR Gods were not shining down upon me. Got 425# halfway up, but no lockout = no dice, brother.

MetCon

As Many Rounds As Possible(AMRAP) in 12 Minutes:
10-40#DB snatch, right
10-40#DB snatch, left
10-Abmat situps, unanchored
10-Goblet squats, 40#
8 Rounds.

Nov 1st, CFLA, 1PM

AMRAP in 25 minutes:

250m row
12 Wall Ball Shots (squat-thrust-throw 20# ball to 10' mark)
12 Kettlebell swings(53#)
10 rounds; this was a longer burner that never got easier. Sean'O and I hit this one together, and it was damn nice having someone racing along side of me!

Nov 2nd, U of L
Rock Climb x2 hrs. I'm currently working on a 5.11a; I feel like I'm technically getting better, but more importantly, I'm more relaxed AND able to push fatigue limits, if that makes any sense at all. My climbing mentor, MD, just got back from what was probably a stellar trip to Red Rock Canyon, Nevada. Hopefully, we can hit Skaha Bluffs next summer.

Nov 3rd, Lethbridge Coulees

Mountain Bike x1 hr

Just a quick rip through the coulees; it's been a killer fall, dry, warm, and I haven't been on my bike much since the summer. Legs seemed a bit heavy, but the home-climb wasn't too bad.

Nov 8th, CFLA, 1PM
High bar Back Squat, 10's and 5's, up to 225#.
Left knee is still aching all around the patella; this is worrisome, and I'm hoping it's just some stubborn tendinitis. I'm thinking this goes back to my last snatch session at the beginning of Oct, but who knows. Time for this old man to invest in some knee sleeves

MetCon

AMRAP in 8 minutes:
5 Deadlifts (185#)
10 Lateral Bar Jump-Overs (there & back = 1)
12 Rounds

7:30PM
Yoga x1.5hr. I may have unintentionally P.O.'d a few yoga-goers, as I was asked "are you guys ready for a good workout tonight?!" I responded by saying that I had already worked out, and was looking forward to some relaxing active recovery. There was a bit of awkward silence. I honestly wasn't trying to be snide---I thoroughly enjoy yoga, and I find it complements HIIT nicely. For some folks it's their primary form of exercise, albeit low-intensity (for the record, the class was an Ashtanga style; I'm sure a Vinyasa/Bikram combo would be much more intense.) There is a place in town that offers Bikram, and I'd love to check it out.

Coffee for the WIN, Fish Oil Rocks, and Why NOT To Run a Marathon

2010-10-17T22:06:00.009-06:00

Yes, I've been MIA. And Chuck Norris rules.

Appears that my time between posting has gone from 1 week to over 2. Well, since I'm not trying to sell anything, I have two jobs, and apparently a life beyond the gym and blog-o-sphere, I'm cool with this (truthfully, the 20-odd nutrition profiles I'm doing for the OPT CCP Nutrition Cert are massively time-consuming.) Oddly enough, it's been almost a year to the date I started this blog. Who woulda thought? Anyways, onto the goodies; no Jack-Handy-Deep-Thoughts this time around---just some awesome sciency goodness.

And I have another reason why...

Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Oct 13. [Epub ahead of print]

Coffee polyphenols suppress diet-induced body fat accumulation by downregulating SREBP-1c and related molecules in C57BL/6J mice.

Abstract

The prevalence of obesity is increasing globally, and obesity is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. We investigated the effects of coffee polyphenols (CPP), which are abundant in coffee and consumed worldwide, on diet-induced body fat accumulation. C57BL/6J mice were fed either a control diet, a high-fat diet, or a high-fat diet supplemented with 0.5% to 1.0% CPP for 2 to 15 weeks. Supplementation with CPP significantly reduced body weight gain, abdominal and liver fat accumulation, and infiltration of macrophages into adipose tissues. Energy expenditure evaluated by indirect calorimetry was significantly increased in CPP-fed mice. The mRNA levels of sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP)-1c, acetyl-CoA carboxylase-1, -2, stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1, and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase-4 in the liver were significantly lower in CPP-fed mice than in high-fat control mice. Similarly, CPP suppressed the expression of these molecules in Hepa 1-6 cells, concomitant with an increase in microRNA-122. Structure-activity relationship studies of nine quinic acid derivatives isolated from CPP in Hepa 1-6 cells suggested that mono- or di-caffeoyl quinic acids (CQA) are active substances in the beneficial effects of CPP. Further, CPP and 5-CQA decreased the nuclear active form of SREBP-1, acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity, and cellular malonyl-CoA levels. These findings indicate that CPP enhances energy metabolism and reduces lipogenesis by downregulating SREBP-1c and related molecules, which leads to the suppression of body fat accumulation.

PMID: 20943752 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

My Thoughts: Mice aside, this is an interesting study due to the fact it's dealing with the coffee polyphenols, and not the caffeine content, which is the usual substance associated with thermogenesis. Anyone who knows me well knows I'll get all glassy-eyed and mystical when discussing coffee, and for good reason---it's the highest source of polyphenols (antioxidants) that North Americans regularly take it in any decent quantity. That being said, it's obviously not enough to offset the stupid loads of fructose, wheat gluten, and omega-6s. Nonetheless, chalk up another reason NOT to put down that cup of java.

Hook into another reason for fish oil...

Effects of supplemental fish oil on resting metabolic rate, body composition, and salivary cortisol in healthy adults

Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2010, 7:31doi:10.1186/1550-2783-7-31


Published:	8 October 2010

Abstract (provisional)

Background

To determine the effects of supplemental fish oil (FO) on resting metabolic rate (RMR), body composition, and cortisol production in healthy adults.

Method

S: A total of 44 men and women (34+13y, mean+SD) participated in the study. All testing was performed first thing in the morning following an overnight fast. Baseline measurements of RMR were measured using indirect calorimetry using a facemask, and body composition was measured using air displacement plethysmography. Saliva was collected via passive drool and analyzed for cortisol concentration using ELISA. Following baseline testing, subjects were randomly assigned in a double blind manner to one of two groups: 4g/d of Safflower Oil (SO); or 4g/d of FO supplying 1,600mg/d eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 800mg/d docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). All tests were repeated following 6wk of treatment. Pre to post differences were analyzed using a treatment X time repeated measures ANOVA, and correlations were analyzed using Pearson's r.

Results

Compared to the SO group, there was a significant increase in fat free mass(read: lean body mass, aka muscle!) following treatment with FO (FO= +0.5 +/- 0.5kg, SO= -0.1 +/- 1.2kg, p=0.03), a significant reduction in fat mass (FO= -0.5 +/- 1.3kg, SO= +0.2 +/- 1.2kg, p=0.04). and a tendency for a decrease in body fat percentage (FO= -0.4 +/- 1.3% body fat, SO= +0. 3 +/- 1.5% body fat, p=0.08). No significant differences were observed for body mass (FO= 0.0 +/- 0.9kg, SO= +0.2 +/- 0.8kg), RMR (FO= +17 +/- 260kcal, SO= -62 +/- 184kcal) or respiratory exchange ratio (FO= -0.02 +/- 0.09, SO= +0.02 +/- 0.05). There was a tendency for salivary cortisol to decrease in the FO group (FO= -0.064 +/- 0.142ug/dL, SO= +0.016 +/- 0.272ug/dL, p=0.11). There was a significant correlation in the FO group between change in cortisol and change in fat free mass (r = -0.504, p=0.02) and fat mass (r = 0.661, p=0.001) CONCLUSION: 6wk of supplementation with FO significantly increased lean mass and decreased fat mass. These changes were significantly correlated with a reduction in salivary cortisol following FO treatment.

My Thoughts: Hopefully, you've read my thoughts on fish oil; while most people in strength and conditioning circles "know" that it's great for reducing inflammation, not a lot are cognizant of the other benefits. Just because you have your diet "dialed", cut your O6s to low levels, and spend hard-earned money on grass fed beef, there's seriously no reason NOT to take fish oil. Reduced cortisol? Increased LBM? Jackpot.

Art De Vany. Kicking more ass now than you ever will.

If you've hung around the internet for longer than 2.5 seconds and you're interested in all things Nutrition/Paleo/Strength/Conditioning/Primal (read: Totally UBER cool shit), then you've heard the names Chek, Wolf, Sisson, Poliquin and Rippetoe thrown around. The guy you MAY not have heard about is Art De Vany, who at 73, is probably kicking more ass than you as he runs sprints, lifts heavy shit, and pushes his Range Rover around his gated community. More impressive than what he's doing now, though, is what he's been doing FOR YEARS. Considered the father of the primal movement, Dr. De Vany has been melding primal nutrition, intermittent fasting, and functional fitness for over 25 years.

While he was at the forefront of the Primal movement, he opted early for a "closed-source" community (versus Crossfit's widely known open source, aka free information), essentially cutting himself off. The reasons may be never known as to why, but thankfully, he has a forthcoming book in December, The New Evolution Diet , based on his concepts of evolutionary fitness. Am I going to get it? Does Oprah squeal like a piglet when she's eating corn chowder? You bet.

A popular criticism amongst the fans of HIIT/Strength Training/Evolutionary Fitness/Primal Fitness (add whatever cave-man like label pleases you) surrounds chronic endurance training; while it ain't my go-to drug of choice, I kinda get why folks do it. Nonetheless, I'm not a fan of early dirt naps, so I'm in Art's camp on this one:

Top Ten Reasons Not To Run Marathons
(click above for the full article w/studies)

10. Marathon running damages the liver and gall bladder and alters biochemical markers adversely. HDL is lowered, LDL is increased, Red blood cell counts and white blood cell counts fall. The liver is damaged and gall bladder function is decreased. Testosterone decreases.

9. Marathon running causes acute and severe muscle damage. Repetitive injury causes infiltration of collagen (connective tissue) into muscle fibers.

8. Marathon running induces kidney dysfunction (renal abnormalities).

7. Marathon running causes acute microthrombosis in the vascular system.

6. Marathon running elevates markers of cancer. S100beta is one of these markers. Tumor necrosis factor, TNF-alpha, is another.

5. Marathon running damages your brain. The damage resembles acute brain trauma. Marathon runners have elevated S100beta, a marker of brain damage and blood brain barrier dysfunction. There is S100beta again, a marker of cancer and of brain damage.

4. Marathons damage your heart. From Whyte, et al Med Sci Sports Ecerc, 2001 May, 33 (5) 850-1, “Echocardiographic studies report cardiac dysfunction following ultra-endurance exercise in trained individuals. Ironman and half-Ironman competition resulted in reversible abnormalities in resting left ventricular diastolic and systolic function. Results suggest that myocardial damage may be, in part, responsible for cardiac dysfunction, although the mechanisms responsible for this cardiac damage remain to be fully elucidated.”

3. Endurance athletes have more spine degeneration.

2. At least four participants of the Boston Marathon have died of brain cancer in the past 10 years. Purely anecdotal, but consistent with the elevated S100beta counts and TKN-alpha measures. Perhaps also connected to the microthrombi of the endothelium found in marathoners.

1. The first marathon runner, Phidippides, collapsed and died at the finish of his race. [ Jaworski, Curr Sports Med Rep. 1005 June; 4 (3), 137-43.]

Various Training

Honestly, the past couple of weeks have been a seriously de-load cycle for me; while not intentional, perhaps it's a good thing. After a great sessions of snatching in early Oct, my left knee started barking like a reservation dog. Uncool. This happened earlier this year and seemed to resolve itself. Worrisome, though.

Sept 30th, 1PM, CFLA

Clean Complex

3 Deadlifts/1 Hang Power Clean/3 Split Jerks/1 Clean & Jerk
95#, 135#, 135#, 155#, 155#, 165#
High-Hang Power Clean
135#x3, 135#x2, 95#x5

Oct 4th, Fire Station #1, 11AM
30/30 Circuit, 5 rounds, 5 movements, 25minutes
Typical circuit of various movements to a 30 seconds off, 30 seconds on.
WBS, DB Cleans, Med Ball Situps, Double Unders, Pushups.

Yoga, 7:30PMx1.5hr

I've been going to a local yoga studio with my wife once weekly for a while now; I thoroughly enjoy it, as I alluded to in my last post. While I don't buy into the metaphysical ramblings, I do 100% buy in to the stress relief, enhanced static flexibility, and ability to levitate. But for fuck's sake, I swear I'm going to shove one of those goofy fucking foam yoga blocks down the next person's throat that disrupts my savasana.

Oct 5th, CFLA, 1PM

Snatch

65#x1x3, 85#x1x3, 105#x1x3, 125#x1x3, 135#x1x3, 145#x1x3(PR)
This was post-NCCP-1 certification, and 145# felt great; I didn't want to get greedy, but I see a BW snatch of 165# easily in the next few months. Felt like a million bucks about this until I watched this chick, who weighs the same as me, crush out some insane weight. FML!

Oct 7th, CFLA, 1PM
Deadlift, Wendler 5Rep
135#x10, 225#x7, 255#x5, 280.5#x5, 300#x5, 318#x10. Nice, puts my 1RM@425#. Ha! We'll see.

Oct 15th, My Garage, 3PM
Got home early from some high-angle rescue training, and needed a little sumtin'-sumtin'. Wendler+MEBB metcon+Bush-League garage Gym = good times.

You might have better weights, but I have the best signage. And bike.

Over Head Press, Wendler 3Rep

45#x10, 75#x5, 95#x3, 100#x3, 110#x3, 115#x5. Not exact, as my home weights suck ass, but good enough. Still frustrated by my OHP, but I *think* it's coming along. Like a f-ing turtle.

5 Intervals:

9 Thrusters(95#)

9 Pullups

Rest 2:00 between intervals.

40s, 36s, 37s, 35s, 34s. Tried to butterfly the 2nd interval but lost it, and then successfully in the 4th and 5th round. Interesting feel to this WOD; not quite alactic, but just starting to grind the glycolytic system.

Trifecta Balance, Whey and Muscle Damage, and BOOKS!

2010-09-29T17:00:00.005-06:00

Athletes Need Balance

Everything on this planet strives for balance; this is the unwavering rule of homeostasis that is weaved into every aspect of our natural world. Unfortunately, humans are too damn smart for their own good, and generally always try to screw this up, or think they supersede Ma' Nature. It just ain't so, Joe.

Civilized cultures, particularly North Americans and Japanese, are totally awesome at destroying their health through stress; the 40 hour work week has become the 60 hour work week that's become the 80 hour work week. (Weak!) This isn't an "unknown"; it's fairly well documented. Because of this, we now have to "find more time" to unwind. Read that last sentence a few times, and let it sink in. FUBAR'd comes to my mind. This is why, in my next life, I'm coming back as a European. They seem to actually understand the term "leisure". But I digress.

Athletes. Do they need balance? Sure. Muscle imbalances cause all sorts of mechanical havoc. Dietary imbalances? Huge, of course. "Don't get him started", as my co-workers will often warn the naive. But what about the balance between life, training, and play? A complex question that can be answered in a multitude of ways.

What I'd like to hear, if I asked this question of someone, is that Life, Training, and Play are all separate, but intertwined and dependent, entities. Take a look at that symbol; each corner is needed for structural stability. The triangle cannot exist with a corner missing. But if one of the angles is stronger than the other, strength and stability are altered---it will no longer be a "balanced" equilateral triangle with 60 degree angles.

In Crossfit, we Go-Go-Go; it's always about faster, stronger, more intense. PRs, faster times, bigger lifts. In essence, we do this so we can play more effectively. But what if we leave nothing left to play? What if "The Gym" is our play? Are we becoming unbalanced? Fairly personal question I'll leave open.

But what about the flip side to intensity? Graham Homberg, 2010 CF Games winner, gets it:

Crossfit Journal Video: Om and Holmberg (If you don't have a CF Journal subscription, don't be a cheap bugger. 25$ a year is beans. I know fools that spend that on coffee per week. I don't pimp out many HQ things, but I have no qualms about the CFJ.)

I've posted on "Play" before; I think it's pretty damn important to utilize your fitness outside of the gym, and not for the sake of "getting fitter". This is a concept that really goes beyond what I can verbalize, but it's an integral part of what makes us mammals---look at kids, look at puppies, look at dolphins. "Play" makes them what they are. It's a primal concept that Mark Sisson has talked about before.

An Athlete's Trifecta: Training, Play, and Unwinding. For me, this is Crossfit, Rock Climbing/Mountain Biking, and Yoga.

Post your thoughts to comments.

Whey protein isolate attenuates strength decline after eccentrically-induced muscle damage in healthy individuals

Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2010, 7:30doi:10.1186/1550-2783-7-30


Published:	22 September 2010

Abstract (provisional)

Background

We examined the effects of short-term consumption of whey protein isolate on muscle proteins and force recovery after eccentrically-induced muscle damage in healthy individuals.

Methods

Seventeen untrained male participants (23 +/- 5 yr, 180 +/- 6 cm, 80 +/- 11 kg) were randomly separated into two supplement groups: i) whey protein isolate (WPH; n=9); or ii) carbohydrate (CHO; n=8). Participants consumed 1.5 g/kg.bw/day supplement (~30 g consumed immediately, and then once with breakfast, lunch, in the afternoon and after the evening meal) for a period of 14 days following a unilateral eccentric contraction-based resistance exercise session, consisting of 4 sets of 10 repetitions at 120% of maximum voluntary contraction on the leg press, leg extension and leg flexion exercise machine. Plasma creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were assessed as blood markers of muscle damage. Muscle strength was examined by voluntary isokinetic knee extension using a Cybex dynamometer. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA with an alpha of 0.05.

Results

Isometric knee extension strength was significantly higher following WPH supplementation 3 (P<0.05) and 7 (P<0.01) days into recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage compared to CHO supplementation. In addition, strong tendencies for higher isokinetic forces (extension and flexion) were observed during the recovery period following WPH supplementation, with knee extension strength being significantly greater (P<0.05) after 7 days recovery. Plasma LDH levels tended to be lower (P=0.06) in the WPH supplemented group during recovery.

Conclusions

The major finding of this investigation was that whey protein isolate supplementation attenuated the impairment in isometric and isokinetic muscle forces during recovery from exercise-induced muscle injury.

My Thoughts: This is a pretty interesting study for reasons I'd normally be spitting mad and flingin' coffee around for: The participants were untrained, and diets were NOT controlled. The reason these issues are good is that untrained subjects are naturally going to have more eccentric damage from whatever they do, and uncontrolled diets, are, well, pretty damn normal in the real world. This leaves the PRO and CHO groups fairly controlled, as far as supplementation. The PRO group (signified as WPH) is actually a bit misleading---it's a hydrolyzed isolate with a very small amount of carbs thrown in, not just a straight whey protein isolate. What would have been REALLY interesting was to have a third group, a PRO+ CHO, in the realm of 0.4g/kgPRO and 0.8g/kgCHO. The PRO group (signified as WPH) is actually a bit misleading---it's a hydrolyzed isolate with a very small amount of carbs thrown in.

Yay Books!

I recently just received two separate books in the mail, similar topics, yet vastly different for various reasons. I've had the first book pictured, The Paleo Solution, by Robb Wolf, on pre-order since I first heard about it. Robb has been a MASSIVE influence on the direction of my coaching focus, and his advice basically re-shaped the way I eat. I plan on crushing this book, cover-to-cover, tonight at work if I have some downtime.

The second book, Food and Western Disease by Dr. Staffan Lindeberg, caught me completely off-guard when it came in the mail; as much as I wanted it, I didn't order it, as it's nearly a $100 textbook, and I enjoy being married. It was actually a gift from a close friend, obviously one that knows me well. It even had snazzy gift wrap and a bow! This is THEE textbook of textbooks on hunter-gatherer nutrition and the issues with modern diet. Lindeberg has done a shwackload of awesome research, including the famous Kitava study.

I've got geek material to last me a while with these two!

Various Training Sessions

Thursday, Sept 17th, Firehall #1, 1030

Did a really short circuit of mobility work/light strength work with MH, another firefighter and WICKED triathlete. Right now, his training is consisting of rebuilding/strengthening via Core Performance Endurance; this consisted of sliding lunges, one-armed bench press, ab planks, and various mobility drills. I always like joining in on other guy's workouts to get new ideas, and Verstegen's stuff is always solid.

3minx5 kickboxing with KH; went over more defensive maneuvers/evasions. My hands are getting faster and crisper, and I feel like I'm starting to get a decent right hook.

Tuesday, Sept 21st, U of L

Rock climbing x 2 hrs; still working on various 5.10c routes. Wicked fun, but relaxing, at the same time.

Wednesday, Sept 22nd, CFLA, 1PM

5/3/1 Press

135#1RM x 0.9=121.5#
91#x5
103#x3
115.5#x5. Would have liked to squeeze out a few more, but not today.
MetCon:

500 m row (1:27. Bah, 2 sec off my PR.)
rest 2 minutes
400 m row(1:17)
rest 1:30
300 m row (59s)
rest 1 min
200 m row (40s)
rest 30 sec
100 m row (19s) (total time, 4:42)
Rest 3 minutes
Row for Calories in 2 minute (44cal)

Thursday, Sept 23rd, CFLA, 1PM

"Cindy"

AMRAP 20 minutes of 5 pullups, 10 pushups, 15 squats
26 rounds + 1. Damn happy with this, as my last full Cindy was 20 rounds in Jan, and then back in May, a 10 minute version at 14 rounds. Shoulder felt awesome and wasn't an issue at all, but legs were trashed from the get-go from the previous row. I think I can hit 28 full rounds, someday.

3PM, U of L
Rock climb x2 hours. While this wasn't too bad, the next 4 days I was smoked. Speaking of balance...

Morrison's Take on Nutrition, Ketogenic Diets & Cancer, and a Mini Protein Review

2010-09-16T15:52:00.005-06:00

Being Anywhere Fit.

Blair Morrison, 2010 European Regional winner and 23rd in the 2010 CF Games, has just put up a great post on how he fuels himself. I'm always saying you can make it as complex as you want, or as simple as you want. I urge you to read the post in it's entirety, but here's some take-away bullets:

First off, we must acknowledge that different aims require different approaches.If one person wants to lose 30 pounds and the other wants to gain 30 pounds, their methods will be necessarily distinct.What most can agree on, however, is that this distinction typically hinges on quantity not quality.

I think it is important to mention here that the predominant benefit one gets from fruits and vegetables go unnoticed.Micronutrients are all the rave these days in anti-cancer circles and I am on the bandwagon. Give me all the green I can get.

For one, I eat a ton of potatoes. Mostly sweet potatoes and yams because they have a milder effect on blood sugar, but plenty of the regular brand as well. As far as I’m concerned, potatoes are still high quality food.

And, before you say it, I’m not one of those cases where anything will work. Flour knocks me out cold. If I eat pizza, pasta, or garlic bread I’ll be horizontal on the couch before my grandparents finish their desert wine.

Point is, some developments are positive and not using them is plain stupid; those include post workout supplements like protein and creatine. I know this because of how I feel after a workout when I take them compared to when I don’t. (Not to mention the overwhelming majority of scientific research). It’s night and day. The only other supplement I take is fish oil, simply because I don’t eat enough fish and the human diet is wildly out of its Omega 3/Omega 6 balance.

My Thoughts: Blair's take on nutrition is solid. While one could split hairs on certain topics, the key here is that it's simple, and it works for him. I like it.

The Ketogenic Diet Reverses Gene Expression Patterns and Reduces Reactive Oxygen Species Levels When Used as an Adjuvant Therapy for Glioma

Nutrition & Metabolism 2010, 7:74doi:10.1186/1743-7075-7-74


Published:	10 September 2010

Abstract (provisional)

Background

Malignant brain tumors affect people of all ages and are the second leading cause of cancer deaths in children. While current treatments are effective and improve survival, there remains a substantial need for more efficacious therapeutic modalities. The ketogenic diet (KD) - a high-fat, low-carbohydrate treatment for medically refractory epilepsy - has been suggested as an alternative strategy to inhibit tumor growth by altering intrinsic metabolism, especially by inducing glycopenia.

Methods

Here, we examined the effects of an experimental KD on a mouse model of glioma, and compared patterns of gene expression in tumors vs. normal brain from animals fed either a KD or a standard diet.

Results

Animals received intracranial injections of bioluminescent GL261-luc cells and tumor growth was followed in vivo. KD treatment significantly reduced the rate of tumor growth and prolonged survival. Further, the KD reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in tumor cells. Gene expression profiling demonstrated that the KD induces an overall reversion to expression patterns seen in non-tumor specimens. Notably, genes involved in modulating ROS levels and oxidative stress were altered, including those encoding cyclooxygenase 2, glutathione peroxidases 3 and 7, and periredoxin 4.

Conclusions

Our data demonstrate that the KD improves survivability in our mouse model of glioma, and suggests that the mechanisms accounting for this protective effect likely involve complex alterations in cellular metabolism beyond simply a reduction in glucose.

My Thoughts: This is a bit of a deviation away from the typical studies I post, but it's a topic that's had my interest for quite some time. For a long, long time we have known about the Warburg Effect; in a nutshell, the fact that cancer cells run almost solely on glucose, even in the presence of oxygen. The conclusion of this study points to a mechanism outside of this effect; one involving an anti-angiogenesis effect secondary to reduced ROS formation.

My question is this: If we know how to treat cancers effectively from a nutritional standpoint, WHY AREN'T WE DOING IT??? I'll leave you with that (high fat) food for thought.

Protein Review

I've had the chance to try a fair number of different protein powders over the years; what I've done here is just thrown down my thoughts on each. There's nothing scientific or quantitative, just my opinion. If there's a brand here you cherish and love and I've pissed all over it, well, all I can say is it ain't religion, it's just protein.

First off, a mini-primer on different proteins:
Whey Protein Concentrate: The lowest grade. Think of it like crude oil. I make this metaphor because- like crude oil- the isolates and hydrolysates are derived from WPC. They all start as concentrate. It has the lowest % of protein per gram, so it's more difficult to increase your protein ratio by supplementing WPC as compared to isolates.
Whey Protein Isolate: Refined concentrate. There are varying degrees of refinement. Think of it like gas- there is a range from basic to premium.
Hydrolyzed Protein: Usually from whey, this is processed to break up the protein chains (of amino acids) into shorter chains. The shorter the chain, the more readily it can be absorbed by your body, making this the ideal post-workout protein.
Casein Protein: The primary protein found in milk (whey is secondary). Casein clots in the stomach meaning it is digested over a longer period of time.
Milk Protein Isolate: MPI is simply an isolate of milk protein, so it mirrors the ratio of casein to whey (80:20) found in milk.

Note: All brands tested are the "vanilla" flavor, or a similar facsimile of; I generally only use it in my coffee preWO, or PWO in my staple shake.

Biotest's GROW Bioactive Whey - Recently just tried this for the first time; It's a WPC, so the serving size only offers 20g PRO per scoop, and the damn thing is huge. Really sweet-tasting vanilla. Sweetened with sucralose. Pretty damn cheap, but you get what you pay for. I won't buy this again. Mixes like crap in my coffee, which I do everyday when coaching.

Dream Whey - This is thee fuckin' Cadillac of proteins: made from whey from hormone free New Zealand cows---and all they feed 'em over there is grass. It's a combo of WPI/WPC, and sweetened with stevia. Mixes well, tastes damn good, and lightens your wallet like no other: nearly 50 bucks for a pathetically small 1.5lb container. I like it, but hey, I have my name embroidered on my shirt and I get paid by the hour. I'd love to use this all the time, but I need to stock the fridge with real food.

Jarrow Whey - A shitty knock-off of the above, plus it's sweetened with fructose. Knowing what we know about fructose, I think I'd rather take the Ace-K and Splenda. Crappiest vanilla flavor I've had to date, plus it's a pure WPC. Not impressed.

MuscleMed's Carnivor - This was one of those Damn-I-Regret-It-But-I-Did-It impulse buys. Carnivor is...wait for it...a BPI (beef protein isolate); I should have done my homework here, as the BPV (biological value of protein) and PDCAAS (protein digestibility corrected amino acid score) of beef vs whey is a no-brainer. Plus, it's hard to hide the fact it's DRIED AND POWDERED beef. Well, they try to hide it, with a brutal "blue raspberry" flavor. WTF, Mike. Seriously. Needless to say this one ONLY has been tested in my PWO shake.

Ultimate Nutrition's IsoSentation93 - This, by far, has been my standard go-to protein; microfiltered, cold temp processed high-quality isolate with a shwackload of other goodies thrown in, like protease, lactase, and alpha lipoic acid. The vanilla bean rocks, there's a whopping 30g of protein per scoop, and it dissolves in coffee quite well. And, at 45 bucks for a FIVE pound tub (where I get it online), it's totally affordable.

True Protein Custom Blend - Currently, I'm using a WPI sweetened with Stevia in a vanilla flavor. 5lbs for 58 bucks. There's a bazillion different options to design your own. Probably the cheapest way to get away from stuff like sucralose and Ace-K.

Extra STUFF:

Don't be a fool---buy online. You'll get raked over the coals if you buy from a health food store or some juice monkey establishment. Some stuff, like the Dream, you have no option.
Whey is a byproduct of dairy processing; much like your fish oil (you take fish oil right? Right.), the more processed the better. Why? It REMOVES impurities, namely because it's devoid of fat, and in the case of hydrolyzed whey, it's processed even further by denaturing. So, that top dollar you just paid for organic, grass-fed, hormone free cattle raised by 1000 flaxen-haired virgin Kiwis? Yeah.
Don't get your panties in a knot over the fact it states "Contains Soy and Wheat". The soy is from soy lecithin, a fatty emulsifier, which is devoid of xenoestrogens. Plus, lecithin contains phosphatidylcholine, which is needed for the production of the essential neurotransmitter acetylcholine. S-M-R-T, yo. The "wheat" could be glutamine peptides, which are usually manufactured from hydrolyzed wheat gluten. Yup. If you are seriously gluten intolerant, test it out first. Chances are, it'll be fine: glutamine, while being nearly completely fucking useless as an oral supplement for recovery/muscle mass/yada yada yada, is an EXCELLENT supplement for GI health and reducing gluten-mediated inflammation. Yay science!

Various Training:

Sunday, Sept 12th, Firehall #1, 1030
30s on/30s off Circuit
Double Unders, 1 Arm DB snatch (40#), Squat Jumps, Med Ball Situps (20#), DB Swing (55#)
A nice 5-round 25 minute burner; I like doing this one at the hall, because when guys join in, I can go over the movements prior, and then they can self-modify to their level. Plus, it works with our minimal equipment.

Monday, Sept 13th, CFLA, 1PM
High-Bar Back Squat, using 90% of 295#(265.5#) in 80%x3/85%x3/90%xAMRAP
135#x10, 155#x5, 185#x3
212.5#x3
225.5#x3
239#x8

21-15-9
Pullups, Front Squat (75#), GHD Situps
6:08. Should have gone heavier on the FS, but I didn't know what the legs would feel like after the back squat. Actually still sore today from the GHD. At least I'm not a total fool and tried to attack "Annie" doing GHDs :)

Tuesday, Sept 14th, CFLA, High Noon
Interval Sprints
250m Row
10 Pushups
15 Kettlebell Swings (53#)
250m Row
Rest 2 min, repeat x4.
2:19.4, 2:39.2, 2:43.7, 2:41.2

12PM has been slow, so it was just me and another client, CD; she didn't want to attack this alone, this was a simple WOD, and she's an experienced athlete, so I broke one of "my" rules, and worked out with her. Brutal interval workout, but man, do I ever love these. Wanted to keep everything under 2:30, but that was wishful thinking!

Wednesday, Sept 15th, 1PM, CFLA
Did a bunch of overhead press and bench press using Wendler's formula, and Turkish-Get-ups. Not in the mood for a metcon, as I had just finished my two nightshifts, and despite the slow nights, felt like a half-a-bag of shit. Not a whole bag, mind you. Just half of one.

Thursday, Sept 16th, 1PM, CFLA
Deadlift, 410#1RMx0.9=369#, 80%x3, 85%x3, 90%xAMRAP
135#x10, 225#x3, 225#x3, 285#x3
295#x3
315#x3
332#x8. This is good, as it puts my 1RM at 410#. Pretty damn sure I couldn't have squeezed out any more without an exploding spine or blowing my eyeballs out of their sockets.

For Time:

40 Pullups
40 Jumping Lunges
20 Pullups
20 Jumping Lunges
10 Pullups
10 Jumping Lunges
3:34; fractionated the pullups into 20/20, then 10/10, but the last set of 10 I was so bagged the last 5 turned into singles. Fun intense burner that left me coughing for a while.