Tag Archives: nicebag

Nutrition & Diet

Black Tea Boosts Weight Loss

Leave a comment


There’s been quite a bit of research on the benefits of green tea. Now a new study published in the European Journal of Nutrition suggests the polyphenols found in black tea might also help with weight management.
In lab mice, green tea polyphenols are absorbed into blood and tissue. But black tea polyphenols are too large to be absorbed in the small intestine. Instead, they stimulate the growth of gut bacteria that alters energy metabolism.

Researchers found that both green and black tea polyphenols promote the growth of beneficial microorganisms in rodents. With both types of tea, they found more digestive system bacteria associated with lean body mass and less associated with obesity.

Powered by

 
Advertisement 

Fitness & Training, Nutrition & Diet

CHAMPION POWERLIFTER TAPERING TACTICS

Leave a comment


Many types of athletes alter their training in the run-up to a big event. This reduction in training is often referred to as tapering. If you’re a competitive powerlifter, consider the findings of a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research which explores the tapering practices of Croatian open-class champions.
Researchers interviewed 10 successful powerlifters. On average, these athletes decreased training volume by around 50% using a step or exponential approach while maintained or increasing training intensity which peaked about 5 to 8 days before competition. During the final week, training frequency was reduced by about 50% with the final session 2 or 3 days before competition.

Taper strategies were identical for the squat, bench press and deadlift. The idea is to maintain strength while reducing fatigue. Nutritional intake, foam rolling and static stretching all received extra attention during the taper.

Nutrition & Diet

Can Excercise Change Eating Habbits

Leave a comment


There’s an old saying that ‘you are what you eat’. Looked at another way, if you’re working hard to improve your fitness, will diet preferences be influenced by your progress? New research from the University of Missouri suggests that eating habits might change with regular exercise. 

Researchers gave a group of male and female lab rats access to an exercise wheel. Another group could not exercise. All rodents were given 3 types of food to choose from: high-fat, high-sugar and high-cornstarch, all matched for the same amount of protein.

 

Rodents that didn’t exercise preferred the high-fat food over other options. Male rats that exercised only ate half the amount of high-fat food that inactive rats ate, but consumed greater amounts of sugar and cornstarch options. Female running rats preferred the high-fat diet. Whether this effect works the same in humans is unknown.

 

Abdali, Abdoun, Achrafieh, Amino Acids, Amman, BCAA, Beirut, BSN, Creatine, Dahieh, Diet & Food, Energy Supplements, Exercise, Fat Loss, First Nutrition, Fish Oil, Fitness & Training, Nutrition & Diet

Males Vs Females for Muscle Endurance

Leave a comment


A physically fit man is typically stronger than women of the same level fitness, but women have the upper hand when it comes to muscle endurance. Consider the findings of a study from the University of British Columbia conducted in collaboration with the University of Guelph and University of Oregon. 

Researchers had 8 men and 9 women matched for their levels of fitness flex their foot against an array of sensors 200 times as fast as they could. The speed, power and torque of their movements were recorded along with fatigue. Male subjects were faster and more powerful, but also fatigued more quickly than female subjects.

First Nutrition, Fitness & Training, Nutrition & Diet

Nutrition’s Role in Muscle Building

Leave a comment


Hitting the weight room is only one aspect of the muscle building process. You also have to take rest and nutrition into consideration. A study recently published in The Journal of Nutrition helps illustrate nutrition’s importance for maintaining and building lean mass.

 

Twenty-four healthy older men were given a drink containing 21 grams of leucine-enriched whey protein, 9 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fat and 800 IU vitamin D each morning before breakfast for 6 weeks. Some received a placebo.

 

Rates of protein synthesis were higher for subjects receiving the whey and vitamin D supplement compared to those who got the placebo. The supplemented group also gained more lean mass.

 

Abdali, Abdoun, Achrafieh, Amino Acids, Amman, BCAA, Beirut, BSN, Creatine, Diet & Food, Energy Supplements, Exercise, Fat Loss, Female Supplements, First Nutrition, Fish Oil, Fitness & Training, Nutrition & Diet

Building Muscular Size, Strength and Endurance 

Leave a comment


 You’ll find active adults with a variety of different goals working in the weight room to develop bigger muscles. If you’re in the game to get stronger, you might be interested in the findings of a study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.
 

Thirty-eight volunteers with no weight training experience took part in an 8-week program that included chest press and leg extension exercises. Some did a high-volume protocol involving 4 sets of reps to failure using their 8 to 12 rep max (RM). Others conducted a simple 1RM test where subjects attempted up to 5 maximal reps. 

Although muscle size and endurance increased more for subjects in the high-volume training group, increases in 1RM strength were about the same for both groups.

Nutrition & Diet

BCAAs For Weight Training Recovery

Leave a comment

The Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine are valued by all types of athletes. Studies have shown that these essential amino acids can help with muscle recovery, but findings vary. A review of controlled trials published in the journal Nutrition takes another look at the potential of BCAAs. 

Analyzing 8 different studies, researchers came to the conclusion that BCAAs can reduce creatine kinase for up to 24 hours. Levels of this enzyme become elevated after exercise-induced muscle damage. This suggests that supplementing with BCAAs is better for exercise recovery than rest alone.

Abdoun, Achrafieh, Amino Acids, Amman, BCAA, Beirut, BSN, Creatine, Dahieh, Diet & Food, Energy Supplements, Exercise, Fat Loss, Female Supplements, First Nutrition, Fish Oil, Fitness & Training, Nutrition & Diet

How to Stretch Sprinting Performance

Leave a comment


You might have heard that stretching can have a negative impact on physical performance. Does this happen with all types of stretching, and how long does the effect last? A study published in The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness offers insight into these questions.
 

Over the course of 3 days, researchers had 12 male taekwondo athletes sprint 20 meters before and after 3 types of stretching exercises: static, ballistic and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF). Sprint times increased after all types of stretching, and the effect lasted for 15 to 20 minutes with static and PNF techniques. Sprint times recovered after only 5 minutes with ballistic stretching.

 

Nutrition & Diet

Portion control tips for weight management

Leave a comment


 Trying to guess accurate portion sizes for different foods can lead to consistent underestimating, which can make weight loss or weight management more difficult. Here are some serving size measuring tips offered by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
 

You’ll need a full set of measuring cups or spoons, ranging in size from half a teaspoon to 2 cups. Then get a food scale that includes a tray or cup. Start practicing on dry foods. Items like peanuts and cereal. Measure out exactly what an ounce or half a Cup looks like. Don’t forget about liquids. Most glassware holds a lot more than a standard 8-ounce (1 Cup) serving.

What does a 4-ounce serving of chicken breast look like? Use the scale. The more you practice, the easier it’ll be to divide typically larger restaurant servings into the portion sizes you’ve planned into your daily diet.

Energy Supplements, Exercise, Fitness & Training, Hamra, Jordan, Kaslik, Lebanon

Dynamic stretching and range of motion

Leave a comment


Track and field athletes have a couple different options for warming up before training or competition. One popular protocol involves dynamic stretching, and a study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine recently tested its potential on 12 healthy volunteers.
 

Subjects applied four 30-second sets of dynamic stretching to ankle joints. Measurements taken before and after the warm up showed increased range of motion immediately after stretching. The effect lasted for 15 minutes without changing the mechanical properties of muscle tendons.