The notion that one could run a fast marathon without consuming an ounce of fluid sounds like a ridiculous notion in this day and age. But that’s the exact paradigm shared by many elite marathon runners right up until the 1970’s¹. In this sense, the widely promoted idea that athletes need to actively stay hydrated so as to minimise body water loss is still a relatively new idea in sport. But to the disappointment of sport drinks companies, new research is starting to question the validity and safety of the current hydration guidelines².

What Is Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia?

Exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH) is the name given to the condition of critically low plasma sodium levels that arise principally from excessive fluid consumption associated with exercise. Low sodium levels ultimately impair organ and brain function leading to impaired exercise performance. Symptoms usually consist of nausea, vomiting, headache, bloating, and swelling of hands, legs, and feet.

With record participation numbers in popular events such as the City to Surf, one almost has to “have their head in the sand” to miss the messages that are beamed constantly about the need to stay hydrated during fun runs and the like. Water and electrolyte aid stations are a common feature in any mass participation fun runs or marathons. To omit them would be considered downright dangerous and potentially harmful to competitors.

Incidence of Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia

But with an increase in the number of reports of EAH in recent times, authorities and scientists alike are increasingly questioning the validity of the current guidelines on fluid consumption during exercise. A recent study of participants in the London Marathon found that of the 88 study volunteers that were recruited,  11 (12.5%) developed asymptomatic hyponatraemia (serum sodium 128-134 mmol/l)³. Compared with participants who did not develop EAH, they consumed more fluid and gained more weight.

The table below is taken from a recent 2014 review on EAH in the Journal of Clinical Medicine. It shows the reported incidence of EAH across a range of popular endurance and ultra-endurance sports⁴. Prevalence of EAH tends to be higher in longer events and in females.

Original Fluid Consumption Patterns & Beliefs

Ron Hill, a famous distance runner from the 1960s and 70s (the second man to break 2:10 for the marathon) did not take in any fluid during his winning run at the 1970 Commonwealth Games Marathon^{5, 6}. Accordingly he lost 3.9% of his bodyweight, but having set a world record with a time of 2:09:28, it’s obvious the lack of fluid intake and associated increased body water loss did little to affect his performance.

Ron represents a number of successful runners who operated on the belief that fluid intake during running was to be kept to a minimum and totally restricted if possible. American Joseph Forshaw who finished fourth in the 1908 Olympic Marathon and tenth in the 1912 Olympic Marathon wrote: ‘I know from actual experience that the full race can be covered in creditable time without so much as a single drop of water being taken or even sponging of the head’⁶.

Renowned Englishman marathon runner Jim Peter (who set the world marathon record of 4 occasions) expressed a similar belief: ‘[In the marathon race] there is no need to take any solid food at all and every effort should also be made to do without liquid, as the moment food or drink is taken, the body has to start dealing with its digestion, and in so doing some discomfort will almost invariably be felt’⁶.

Evolution of Fluid Consumption Guidelines

Up until 1969, the American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) official advice was to avoid drinking during exercise. In fact, up until 1975, race organisers were not permitted to provide runners with access to fluid until completion of 16km¹. However, this changed gradually over the next two decades; starting in 1975 with the recommendation to consume fluid regularly both before and during exercise⁷. As shown in the table below, the increase in the recommended frequency of fluid intake during exercise culminated in 1996 with the recommendation to consume “the maximal amount that can be tolerated”⁸. It was only in 2007 that a more individualised recommendation was made to consume enough fluid to prevent greater than 2% body weight drop⁹. 

Is Dehydration Detrimental to Performance?

The whole premise of the above hydration guidelines is that any loss of body water (and associated weight) is detrimental to performance. A landmark study in 1969 linking >3% loss of bodyweight during exercise with unsafe increases in body temperature was the catalyst to the change in hydration guidelines¹⁰. But the study has since been widely criticised for its flawed design and conclusion, with many more recent studies suggesting that loss of body weight during exercise does not necessarily infer poorer performance and in fact may predict better performance¹. 

The key assumptions that underpin the belief that >3% loss of bodyweight are as follows¹¹:

• All the weight lost during exercise must be replaced if health is to be protected and performance is to be optimised
• The sensations of thirst underestimate the real fluid requirements during exercise
• The fluid requirements of all athletes are always similar so that a universal guideline is possible
• High rates of fluid intake can do no harm

But as we will see below, there is ample evidence showing that each of the above assumptions are misplaced.

Running Speed & Body Weight Loss

Challenging the notion that a loss of body weight is detrimental to performance are studies showing a trend for faster runners to lose more body weight when exercising. For example, studies in the late 1960's showed that race winners of marathons were those who lost the most weight and usually had the highest postrace core body temperatures^{10, 12}. A 2011 study found an inverse correlation between percentage body weight change and finishing time in 643 marathon runners.

Perhaps one of the most fascinating studies concerns the sweat and fluid consumption rates of elite marathon runners. The graph below shows the actual fluid consumption rates of elite marathon runners (all with sub 2:10 marathon times) in comparison to the existing ACSM guidelines. It’s evident that most runners fall well below¹⁴.

What’s even more intriguing is the average body weight loss when fluid consumption and sweat rates were taken into account. On average, the body weight loss of the 5 elite marathoners was found to be 8.8% during a marathon. This took into account average measured sweat rates of 2.3 litres per hour.

Sweat Rate & Fluid Consumption of Haile Gebrselassie

One case in point is that of popular Ethiopian runner Haile Gebrselassie (multiple world record holder and Olympic Gold Medalist). In winning the 2009 Dubai marathon (run at 16.0^oC and 53.5% relative humidity) in a time of 2:05:29, Selassie was found to have a reduction in body mass of 5.7kg (58.2-52.5kg); equivalent to a 9.8% body mass reduction. Haile was measured to have ingested 1.7L during the race, which gave him an estimated sweat rate of approximately 3.6 L/h¹⁴ as shown below.

Measured Body Mass Change for Haile Gebrselassie During 2009 Dubar Marathon14
Body Mass Loss (Kg/Hr)	Total Body Mass Loss (Kg)	Body Mass Loss (%)
3.6	5.7	9.8

The brief but powerful sample of data cited in this article seemingly provide a compelling case that >3% body mass loss is not detrimental to performance, particularly when concerning marathon running.

Another angle to approach the issue of the effect of minor dehydration on performance is to measure the relative performance of athletes when starting in a hydrated versus a dehydrated state.

Researchers from Amsterdam and Cape Town were the latest to examine this when they tested 40-km time trial performance in the heat in different states of hydration. One trial had the cyclists’ start hydrated but were not allowed water during the time trial. The other two trial has the cyclists’ starting dehydrated, with one allowing them to drink water ad-libitum and the other allowing no fluid ingestion. Body mass loss was as expected with the dehydrated trial + no water resulting in the greatest decrease. However, interestingly, power output, heart rate, gastrointestinal temperature, average skin temperature, rating of perceived exertion, thermal sensation and thermal comfort.

Together with other literature, these findings suggest the body holds a reservoir of fluid that is ample to meet reasonable exercise demands (1-2hr), without the need for additional fluid intake, even in hot conditions (>30^oC).

Reconciling Practice with Recommendations

Given, the findings above on the relatively high rates of sweat and body mass loss and accompanying low fluid intakes in elite runners, the question must be asked why fluid replacement guidelines from leading organisations such as the ACSM encourage such liberal fluid consumption, which has undoubtedly played a role in the increased rates of EAH².

In a nutshell, many of the assumptions and conclusions drawn from initial studies (that formed the basis of ACSM guidelines) were flawed. The points below provide an overview of the key issues.

• There is no credible evidence that athletes must drink “the maximal amount that is tolerable”⁸ to optimise performance and prevent medical consequences¹¹
• There is no proof that all the weight lost during exercise must be replaced immediately, since the resting human may carry a fluid reserve of about 2 litres^{6, 16}
• Initial studies on fluid loss during exercise do not account for the practices of elite marathoners, who run at speeds of ~19km/hr compared with 8.5 and 15.0 km/h¹⁷
• Moreover, initial studies on fluid loss during exercise do not account for the lower environmental temperatures typically experienced in many major city marathons¹⁸ or indeed the ambient conditions encountered where the world’s fastest marathons are run¹⁹.
• Sweat rate is not determined by skin blood flow (i.e. cardiovascular response)²⁰, change in body temperature, or body water loss. As such, elevated body temperature during prolonged exercise in the heat without fluid consumption is not caused by reduced sweating²¹.
• Classical studies show that sweat rates are maintained in dehydration^{20, 23-25} and therefore, sweating can be reasoned as a unique human trait that protects them from developing heatstroke during exercise in the heat²⁶, rather than something that is detrimental to optimum performance.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is clear that there is a complex and fascinating history concerning the original beliefs and practices of fluid intake during exercise and the dramatic changes to these beliefs as reflected in the current ACSM guidelines.

With ACSM being one of the key international body’s influencing fluid consumption patterns during exercise, it’s important to highlight ACSM principle sponsors in the form of Gatorade, the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) and Coca-Cola. Annual turnover for the US sports drink industry grew from a respectable USD 217 million in 1985 to a massive USD 2.69 billion in 2003. This growth  in sales occurred at precisely the time that athletes were being advised by the US Military and the ACSM to change their drinking behaviours from avoiding drinking (up to 1969) to drinking ‘as much as tolerable’ during exercise (1987 to 2007).

One of the best ways of explaining the disparity between existing ACSM hydration guidelines and the practices of elite athletes comes from the concluding statement in a study entitled: “Drinking behaviours of elite male runners during marathon competition”.

“there exists a tolerable range for dehydration that may not negatively impact on running performance in elite runners but may even confer an advantage by preventing a significant increase in body mass due to the “overconsumption” of large volumes of fluid¹⁴”

1. Noakes TD. Is drinking to thirst optimum? Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism. 2010;57(suppl 2):9-17.
2. Cotter et al. Are we being drowned in hydration advice? Thirsty for more? Extreme Physiology & Medicine. 2014;3:18.
3. Kipps C, et al. The incidence of exercise-associated hyponatraemia in the London marathon. Br J Sports Med. 2011 Jan;45(1):14-9.
4. Urso C, et al. Physiopathological, Epidemiological, Clinical and Therapeutic Aspects of Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia. J Clin Med. 2014;3(4):1258-75.
5. Muir AL, et al. Physiological aspects of the Edinburgh commonwealth games. Lancet. 1970;2:1125-1128.
6. Noakes TD: Lore of Running. Champaign, Human Kinetics Publishers, 2003.
7. American College of Sports Medicine: The American College of Sports Medicine position statement on prevention of heat injuries during distance running. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1975;7:vii-vix.
8. Convertino VA, et al. American College of Sports Medicine position stand: Exercise and fluid replacement. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1996;28:i-vii.
9. Armstrong LE, et al. American College of Sports Medicine position stand: Exertional heat illness during training and competition. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007;39:556-572.
10. Wyndham CH & Strydom NB. The danger of an inadequate water intake during marathon running. S Afr Med J. 1969;43:893-896.
11. Noakes TD, et al. Overconsumption of fluids by athletes. BMJ. 2003;327(7407):113–114.
12. Pugh LG, et al. Rectal temperatures, weight losses, and sweat rates in marathon running. J Appl Physiol. 1967;23:347-352.
13. Zouhal H, et al. Inverse relationship between percentage body weight change and finishing time in 643 forty-two-kilometre marathon runners. 2011;45:1101-1105.
14. Beis LY, et al. Drinking behaviors of elite male runners during marathon competition. Clin J Sport Med 2012;22:254–261.
15. Berkulo MA, et al. Ad-libitum drinking and performance during a 40-km cycling time trial in the heat. European Journal of Sport Science. 2015 Feb 12:1-8. [Epub ahead of print]
16. Noakes T, Martin DE. IMMDA-AIMS Advisory statement on guidelines for fluid replacement during marathon running. New Stud Athletics 2002;17:15-24. www.usatf.org/coaches/library/ (accessed 18 Aug 2015).
17. Montain SJ, Cheuvront SN, Sawka MN. Exercise associated hyponatraemia. Quantitative analysis to understand the aetiology. Br J Sports Med. 2006;40:98–105.
18. Cheuvront SN, Haymes EM. Thermoregulation and marathon running: biological and environmental influences. Sports Med. 2001;31:743–762.
19. Fudge BW, Pitsiladis YP, Kingsmore D, et al. Outstanding performances despite low fluid intakes: the Kenyan running experience. In: East African Running: Towards a Cross-Disciplinary Perspective. Pitsiladis YP, Bale J, Sharp C, et al, eds. London, United Kingdom: Routledge; 2006:63–84.
20. Shibasaki M, et al. Non-thermoregulatory modulation of sweating in humans. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2003;31:34-39.
21. Noakes TD & Speedy DB. Case proven: exercise associated hyponatraemia is due to overdrinking. So why did it take 20 years before the original evidence was accepted? British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2006;40:567-572.
22. Ladell WS. The effects of water and salt intake upon the performance of men working in hot and humid environments. J Physiol. 1955;127:11-46.
23. Costill DL, et al. Fluid ingestion during distance running. Arch Environ Health. 1970;21:520-525.
24. Adolph EF. Water metabolism. Annu Rev Physiol. 1947;9:381-408.
25. Eichna LW, et al. Performance in relation to environmental temperature. Bull Johns Hopkins Hospital. 1945;76:25-28.
26. Heinrich B. Racing the antelope. New York: Harper Collins Publishers Inc, 2001:1-292.

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What is Biohacking?

Biohacking also known as wetware hacking is an umbrella term for a movement which is based around the idea of engaging biology with the ‘hacker’ ethic. When you hear the word ‘hacker’, most people conjure up the image of a techno wizard trying to break into the CIA, banks or any other computer system. However, the process of hacking is all about exploring and improving or modifying. The ideology and definition of Biohacking then is all about breaking down, exploring and finding ways to alter and modify biology (life in general). This perfectly sums up the ‘hacker’ ethic, which is all about:

• Increased Access
• Freedom of Information
• Improvement to Quality of Life

Biohacking Principles

Biohacking covers a huge range of practices and movements on anything that lives. As a fast growing movement, biohacking these days refers mostly to managing your own biology (your own health and wellbeing) using a combo of nutritional, medical, physical and technological technique and items. So it can be anything from:

• Taking supplements such as nootropics and cognitive enhancing supplements to improve focus, motivation and attention
• Using a cybernetic device or program which collects useable data such as the Fitbit or an app like MyFitnessPal
• DIY body improvements
• Performing advanced gene sequencing experiments at home or in the lab

Where Does Biohacking Come From?

While Biohacking is a relatively new term, the idea of improving ourselves through the use of technology and other means is nothing new. From tailoring your nutrition to using the latest fitness gadgets and health supplements; this process of finding ways to be better, physically, mentally and otherwise has always been a big part of our lives. Essentially though, biohacking came about as a more scientific based approach to our health and wellbeing. Treating our bodies in a systems approach simplifies things dramatically. By doing so, biohackers really look at three main things:

• Inputs – What we put into or do to our bodies
• Outputs – The results of our inputs
• Data – Also known as ‘Quantified Self’, this just means being able to track all our inputs and outputs over a period of time.

Having data is extremely important. When you collect weeks and months of data, you can more accurately track your progress and decide whether changes need to be made.

Biohacking Apps

Because data is so important to successful biohacking of health and wellbeing, make things easier for yourself by having the right tools. With most people owning a smart phone or a handheld device with similar functionality, apps are going to be your best friend. Here are some of the best apps on the market to do so:

• Tracking Anything – AskMeEvery, IFTTT or Daytum
• Tracking Activity – Moves, FitBit, Amiigo or Strava
• Tracking Sleep – SleepCycle, ZEO or Lark
• Tracking Mood – Happiness, MoodPanda or MercuryApp
• Tracking Heart – Cardiio, Emwave2, Polar
• Tracking Posture – Lumoback
• Tracking Diet – MyFitnessPal or HapiLabs
• Tracking Productivity – RescueTime
• Tracking Mental/Cognition – Quantified Mind

Biohacking - Getting Started

While there are endless opportunities in terms of what, how and when to Biohack; as with any long term endeavour, it’s important to start small. Pick one thing that really matters to you. Then track it for a week. Soon, trends and behaviours start to emerge which you’ve never really seen before, which can help you ‘hack’ aspects of your life for the better. For example, you can easily track your mood throughout the day along with hunger levels, which you can then use to time caffeine and snack consumption for optimal effect.

Quick & Easy Guide to Biohacking for Beginners

Still not sure where to start? Here are 7 of the best and easiest biohacks that you can start off with as suggested by researchers from the Bulletproof Biohacking Conference of 2014:

1. Biohack Your Posture

You’re probably slouching right now. Whether it’s on the work desk staring at your computer or on the couch while reading your smart phone or tablet, most of you will be bending your spine and rolling your shoulders forward. While for many of you, this won’t be an issue right now, you’re going to feel it much more when you’re older. Biohacking your posture though is easy and requires 5 easy steps:

1. Squeeze your Butt Muscles – Clench that coin between your cheeks
2. Exhale and lower your rib cage and shoulder girdle
3. Engage your Abs – Tighten that core slightly
4. Bring your Head Back – Tilt your head back and line your ears up with your shoulders
5. Constantly Reassess – Set a timer every hour to help you go through steps 1-4

2. Biohack Your Food, Diet & Nutrition

Biohacking your food choices and overall diet is one of the key areas of the movement. After all, the majority of our inputs into our body is going to be food. Nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated, but many people either go overboard ending up with an unsustainable process constant dieting. Here are 5 of the best ways you can start to biohack your diet:

1. Stop thinking of it as a diet – it just conjures up the idea of restriction.
2. Eat Food, Not Too Much, Mostly Plants – One of the best mottos regarding healthy eating behaviour
3. Track your Diet – A lot of people are opposed to tracking calories and macros, but as previously mentioned, the more data you have, the easier it is to see what you’re doing and what requires change.
4. Reduce the consumption of refined products as much as possible – this will help cut out a lot of junk food.
5. Cut yourself some slack – The occasional drink or cheat day is not going to ruin your progress, so relax, enjoy it and get back on track the next day.

3. Connect With Nature

We’ve grown accustomed to being indoors, under clinical fluorescent lights and in front of screens. Most of us now spend less than 5% of our time outdoors and this is one major energy zapper in our lives. To biohack this, we need to reconnect with the outdoors. It doesn’t mean becoming all hippy and having a conversation with plants, but it does mean spending a little more time outdoors. Here are 4 things you can do:

1. Breathe – Get outside for 10 minutes, preferably in a park. Stand still and just breathe.
2. Get some Sunlight – Vitamin D deficiency is one of the fastest growing deficiencies in the Western world. Enjoy some sun for 10 minutes every day – preferably in the morning or around sunset.
3. Go Green – Research has shown that spending some time looking at green things not only makes you more creative, but it helps you to relax.
4. Walk it Off – Walking not only helps to increase your physical activity levels throughout the day, it actually helps you to refocus and also boosts creativity.

4. Biohack Your Perspective

Perspective really is everything. The way you judge a situation makes a huge impact on the emotions that you feel and how you’ll respond. These days, modern lifestyles have generally made us expect more and tolerate less. Changing your perspective on situations will help improve well being and foster resilience. Here’s how:

1. Challenge Yourself – Make sure that you challenge yourself every so often. It can be anything from a Spartan Race to a cold shower. Be uncomfortable – this helps you adapt.
2. Be Open – Changing your perspective is all about being able to see things differently. Gain more insight by listening and then questioning other viewpoints.
3. Reflect – This is where processing of information occurs. One method is to build awareness through meditation.

5. Biohack With Music

Incredibly undervalued, music is an amazing and powerful way to biohack your mental processes and mood, which can translate to better physical and physiological outcomes. We all know that different types of music can affect us in different ways, from jazz to heavy better to pop. The way in which different music does this is by altering our brainwave response to the soundwaves. Simply put, use the right type of music to help you refocus and improve cognitive processes, whichever they might be for you.

6. Biohack Your Flow

Flow is one of those trendy buzzwords that has cropped up in biohacking circles and makes reference to the ‘flow state’. This is the state of consciousness whereby we perform and feel at our best. It’s that feeling where time is irrelevant and we’re on such a roll with our thoughts and actions. Unfortunately, the only group of people to achieve this flow state on a regular basis are athletes. Getting into a flow tends to follow some common steps:

1. Struggle – This is where you’re actively learning and storing information
2. Release – This is where you let go and let the subconscious do the work, where you consolidate the information and work with it.
3. Flow – This is where you’re on a roll. You’ve collected, processed and sorted the information and now you’re just performing.
4. Recovery – This is after you performed at your best and you require recuperation.

Steven Kotler, author of Rise of Superman has researched this concept of flow and the flow state for years and has identified 17 key triggers. Without listing them all, here are three of the most prominent ways to achieve flow:

• Concentration – This requires no distractions and no multi-tasking.
• Goals – Having clear aims and goals helps to facilitate flow.
• Be Open – Nothing stops flow more than the negation of ideas. Be open and additive.

7. Biohack with Gratitude

Studies on gratitude – or the practice of showing thanks has shown that those who practice it regularly are generally happier than those who don’t. Showing gratitude shouldn’t just be for situations where you receive something from someone. You should take a greater, more macro perspective approach to showing gratitude. It does take some getting used to, but being able to and be comfortable with showing gratitude is a sure fire way to improve your wellbeing. Here are 3 tips to help you show more gratitude:

• Gratitude Ritual – Done either first thing in the morning or just before bed, find 2-3 things that you’re grateful for, focus on it and say it out loud.
• Gratitude Walk – Take a short walk, be present and feel gratitude for the things you see.
• Gratitude Remarks – Instead of paying compliments, show gratitude to one person around you daily. It doesn’t have to be for a big thing and can be as small as working out with you or helping you with the dishes.

Biohack Benefits

Biohacking isn’t a hard concept, it’s all about finding simple, effective and research driven ways to improve your health and wellbeing. It’s about using the right inputs (food, music, supplements, activities, etc) to help you obtain the best possible outputs. Start small and try out one of the seven hacks above for a week and notice the difference it can make in the long term.

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Do you ever have one of those days where you hit the gym and you try lifting the weights that you normally do, but just can’t? For some reason, your strength levels are off, your stamina is off and you feel weak. If this sounds familiar, then one of the most likely causes is failure to recover properly. As you progress from a novice trainer to more advanced, you’re obviously going to be training harder, with greater intensity and with heavier weights. This is also going to mean more muscle damage and muscle soreness. Just as your workouts need to change to avoid the dreaded plateau, so too does your recovery routine. Here are 7 quick and easy tips to reinvigorate your recovery and recuperation.

1. More Protein & Better Distribution

The majority of trainers tend to skew their protein intake towards the later hours of the day centred around dinnertime. It tends to have a distribution pattern of 15% breakfast, 25% lunch and 55% dinner, with a smattering of other protein hits throughout the day making up the rest such as a protein shake. However, more and more studies are showing that an even distribution of protein throughout the day is much better for muscle protein synthesis than a skewed intake. If you’re training hard, aim for at least 4-6 hits of 20-30g of protein per day and at intervals of 2-3 hours.

2. Pre & Post Workout Supplementation

While most trainers have their post workout supplementation down pat, once you’re stepped over the line of being a novice/intermediate trainer, you’re going to need more to help you recover and boost gains. Within 2 hours before and 2 hours after your training sessions, you want to have:

• 40-60g of protein
• Up to 50% of your carbohydrate intake

By doing so, you’re ensuring adequate fuel replenishment as well as maximising muscle growth and minimising muscle breakdown.

3. Train Hard, Eat Hard

One of the best tips to getting more from both your workouts as well your recovery ability is to match your intake with your level of activity. So if you’ve got a particularly intense session planned, make sure you have a few hundred extra calories. Now this isn’t an excuse to eat poorly, all it means is giving yourself some extra fuel throughout the day to support your body’s needs.

4. More than Just Protein

Eating 20-30g of protein five times a day isn’t easy, especially if you’ve got a busy day job. While protein shakes are great in this circumstance, it can get tiresome drinking the same milky substance every day. Amino acid supplements on the other hand make for a great complement to your dietary protein and also your protein powders as another way to provide your body with the essential amino acids and branched chain amino acids it needs to grow and recover. As most of them are fruit flavoured, they’re extremely easy to drink. While many trainers like to take these amino acid supplements during their workouts, taking them first thing in the morning and last thing at night is a sure fire way to prime your body around the clock. Pick one with plenty of leucine; the most anabolic of all amino acids.

5. Foam Rolling

Deserving of a ‘best thing since sliced bread’ title, foam rollers are a lifeline for any serious trainer. If you haven’t tried one of these before or if your gym doesn’t have one of these, go grab yourself one from the shops, it’ll be as useful as the supplements you buy. Foam rollers for the uninitiated are cylinders of foam, which can be grooved or smooth, which are useful for self-myofascial release. In other words, it’s a great way to iron out kinks and knots developed during training. It’s not comfortable, but it will help support better recovery. If certain muscles are tight, or you’re simply sore, apply the foam roller to the area for 20-30 seconds, breathing deeply as you do so and let your muscles relax.

6. Hot & Cold

Underutilised as a recovery tool, heat and cold therapy is one of the best methods to recuperate from a heavy, intense session of exercise, reduce delayed onset muscle soreness and to protect strength declines. It’s often used in professional settings where you see heat packs, ice baths, ocean swimming and the like. In fact, research has shown that cold and heat therapy was able to reduce deficits in strength by an extra 20% compared to controls as well as prevent elastic tissue damage and reduce pain. Cold therapy both immediately after and 24 hours post training session is generally better than heat therapy, but both are still better than nothing.

7. Sleep 1 More Hour

It may sound logical, but rarely do people alter their sleeping hours to help support recovery. We’re often such creatures of habit that the thought of going to bed earlier just results in excuses of not being able to fall asleep. However, sleep is one of the most restorative processes that we can possibly do, even more so than nutrition and supplementation. While this might not be feasible for many people, you’d be surprised how much time we spend doing nothing significant after dinner. So give it a go, and sleep 1 hour early after more intense sessions. Not only will your recovery be boosted, your training will benefit as well as other everyday activities.

1. Mamerow MM, Mettler JA, English KL, Casperson SL, Arentson-Lantz E, Sheffield-Moore M, Layman DK, Paddon-Jones D. ‘Dietary protein distribution positively influences 24-h muscle protein synthesis in healthy adults.’ J Nutr. 2014 Jun;144(6):876-80.
2. Petrofsky J, Khowailed IA, Lee H, Berk L, Bains G, Akerkar S, Shah J, Al-Dabbak F, Laymon M. ‘COLD VRS HEAT AFTER EXERCISE- IS THERE A CLEAR WINNER FOR MUSCLE SORENESS.’ J Strength Cond Res. 2015 Aug 14.

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Most experienced strength trainers will tell you if you want to gain size then you need to employ higher reps (i.e. 10-12), whereas if strength gain is your primary goal then you need to be lifting more in the low rep range (i.e. 3-6).

Weight Training History

But one criticism of the studies used to form these views is many included subjects that didn’t have an extensive history of weight training. For example, studies have used previously untrained and even moderately trained populations. But the authors of this latest study argue that untrained individuals respond favourably to a wide range of training stimuli. However, this response diminishes rapidly during long-term resistance training and therefore, more scientific recommendations are needed to properly address program design in trained populations targeting strength and hypertrophy increases.

Effect of Prior Training Program

The other key criticism these authors make is that many previous studies have failed to account for the prior weight training habits of participants. For example, if participants were following a similar type of program to the one used in a given study, then one would expect fewer improvements. However, if participants were training using a very different type of program compared to the one used in the study then the change in stimulus could lead to improvements and hyper inflate the efficacy of the program.

In total, 29 subjects who had been resistance training for a minimum of two years were recruited and then randomly allocated to either the high intensity (low volume) group or high volume (moderate intensity) group. The details of each training regime are shown below as well as the types of exercises that were employed.

All participants described their training habits to be different from the training program used in the study (in terms of exercise order and how the exercises were grouped). This was important; as highlighted above, the researchers were trying to control for the effect of program habituation.

Mechanical vs Metabolic Stress

By comparing a ‘volume’-based protocol with an ‘intensity’-based protocol, the researchers were trying to assess the relative effect of metabolic stress (i.e. volume program) versus mechanical stress (i.e. intensity program) on muscle hypertrophy and strength.

The authors also completed a series of hormonal measures at the beginning and end of the study. By measuring common anabolic hormones such as growth hormone, insulin, insulin-like growth factor-1 and testosterone, the researchers could measure how changes in hormone levels correlated with change in muscle strength and size.

Running over 8 weeks, the key findings to emerge from the study were that the low-volume resistance training utilising long rest intervals stimulated significantly greater 1RM bench press and lean arm mass gains compared to moderate intensity, high-volume program utilizing short rest intervals in resistance-trained men.

To some extent, this is what the researchers were expecting, but the most novel finding to emerge from the study were the greater gains in some measures of muscle size observed in the intensity group. This came as somewhat of a surprise as high-volume (rather than high-intensity) training has traditionally been thought to provide the best stimulus for muscle hypertrophy. But the key difference with this study was the training status of the subjects, who on average had been strength training for 5.7 years!

As far as hormone measures were concerned, at week 3 of the study, growth hormone and cortisol were greater for the volume group. But by week 8, both growth hormone and cortisol had tapered off, with the cortisol levels still remaining significantly higher. The authors theorised that this might reflect an adverse effect of the increased load in the volume group.

As for differences in IGF-1, insulin and testosterone, these rose in both groups (as expected), but there were no significant differences that stood out between the two groups.

The key takeaways from the study apply to individuals who have been hitting the weights for years. Based on the results of this clever study, It seems that if you’ve been pumping iron for years using a traditional high volume (moderate intensity) type program with repetitions in the range of 10-12, it may pay to divvy up your routine a bit with some lower rep (i.e. 3-5) and high intensity (i.e. ~90% 1RM) training.

The other key paradigm this study challenged was the notion that higher growth hormone levels automatically mean more strength and bigger size. It would seem that it is the balance of opposing hormones such as growth hormone and cortisol that ultimately determine gains in strength and mass.

So what have you got to lose if you’ve been weight training for years and struggling to make new gains? Why not through in some heavy sets for a few weeks and see how the muscles respond!

Mangine GT, et al. The effect of training volume and intensity on improvements in muscular strength and size in resistance-trained men. Physiological Reports. 2015;3(8):e12472.

Fonte:http://www.mrsupplement.com.au/intensity-or-volume-for-strength-size

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Everyone experiences training problems every so often. And just like Hollywood movies these days, nothing is really original anymore. The majority of issues that people experience while they train are common amongst many other trainers. That doesn’t mean that this problem isn’t a big deal, because it is. All it means though is that others experience similar hurdles and that you can break through it, just as others have done so before you. Here is a list of 6 of the most common issues and what you should do to solve them.

Problem 1 - I Can't Gain Weight No Matter How Hard I Try

Probably one of the most common issues around, there’s never a shortage of guys who want to gain weight, but have been saying so for the last 2 years without much success. Some of them are naturally cursed with a faster than usual metabolism, but for the majority of trainers suffering from ‘can’t gain weight syndrome’, it’s because of two core reasons.

• Lack of clear goals – Saying “I just want to get bigger” is not a clear goal
• Lack of effort – Many trainers who can’t gain weight also suggest they “eat heaps”, when in actual fact, they’re barely meeting requirements.

Solution - Clear Directions & Focused Effort

If you want results, you’re going to have to put in some effort. For most trainers, it means actually eating more rather than saying you’re eating more. The simplest approach is to stick with your current meal intake and add in 2-3 mass gainer shakes a day along with 3 tablespoons of peanut butter or 3 handfuls of nuts. Depending on the type of shake, this is going to add anywhere between 600-1000 calories or more. If you do this for a month and still can’t gain weight; you’re either a liar or you need to seek professional help from an expert in the field.

Problem 2 - I Gain Too Much Fat While Bulking

One of the common hurdles in successful bulking is fear of getting fat. You put on a little pudge around your belly and that’s it; straight to the treadmill. This generally results in problem number 1. Any serious bulking or mass gaining phase will require an excess of calories, which will lead to weight gain. A lot of this gain will be from muscles, but you will also gain a bit of fat. So how do you minimize the fat mass, while maximising lean muscle mass?

Solution - Protein, Timing, HIIT & Clean

Minimizing fat gain during the bulking phase requires a concerted effort using a range of different strategies:

• Protein – Make a good proportion of those extra calories protein.
• Timing – Time two of your main meals within 2 hours of your workout times (preferably lunch and dinner)
• HIIT – Don’t overdo the cardio, but do complete concentrated bursts of HIIT (high intensity interval training). Limit to 1 hour a week max.
• Clean – Clean up your diet and avoid junk food and heavily processed food items such as cookies, biscuits, chips and chocolate. IIFYM works, but let’s focus more on nutrient dense foods.

Problem 3 - When I Start to Cut, I Lose Muscle

You’ve successfully bulked up and gained a good couple of kilos of solid muscle. You then start your cutting phase and before you know it, you’ve lost all your hard earned gains, your strength is gone and you look exactly like you did before your bulk. Sound familiar? Unfortunately for a lot of trainers, their strategies to get ripped involve pretty much starving themselves, along with countless hours of cardio mixed in with 1000s of crunches and sit ups. They might have a six pack by the end of it, but the massive amounts of muscle lost just makes it all look unimpressive.

Solution - Up the Protein & Slow Down

If you’re trying to reduce your body fat but still want to maintain plenty of the hard earned muscle you’ve gained, here are two of the most important tips:

• Increase Protein Intake – When you start to diet in the hope of getting ripped, you’re going to need added protein to help preserve muscle mass. Aim for almost 3g/kg of body weight.
• Marathon, Not a Sprint – It takes time to cut, just as it takes time to bulk. Aim for a shredding period of 12 weeks and avoid overexercising. Continue to focus on weight training, especially big compound movements and still incorporate high intensity cardio.

Problem 4 - I Can't Get a Certain Body Part to Grow

You’ve trained day in day out and you’re getting great results every other part of your body. But your biceps/chest/calves/triceps/shoulders or any other part of your body just won’t grow. You’re doing everything right as well; lifting heavy, tackling the right exercises, but the body part just looks the same. One of the biggest banes of training, if one part of your body is refusing to grow, the best thing you can do is to stop training it.

Solution - Reassess the Situation

This brief halt to training is simply so you can reassess the situation, the exercises you’re doing, the intensity you’re doing and most importantly the frequency of training that muscle group. Many trainers tend to have a weekly split where they only train one muscle group a week, which studies have shown to be less effective than training a muscle group multiple times a week for growth. It’s also important to incorporate 2-3 different and new exercises for that muscle group, as your body has an uncanny ability to adapt to the same exercises performed over and over again. After all, if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.

Problem 5 - I'm Strong & Can Lift, But I Don't Look Bigger

So you’re breaking PB’s left, right and centre, and your strength is shooting through the roof, but your muscles don’t look any bigger. You’re also the same weight as you were a couple of weeks ago and while you’re catching looks with the weights you lift, you wish your body looked just as good. For many trainers, there’s a disparity between strength and muscle definition. While you can have both, if you’re not genetically gifted, it’s much harder to achieve.

Solution - More Volume

At the end of the day, hypertrophy of muscle and muscle definition requires two main things; a specific volume of exercise and a specific percentage of body fat. Lifting heavy and improving your strength is great, but often leads you away from those two points. To look bigger and to make your muscles pop:

• Train with More Volume – Lower the weight slightly and start consistently hitting the 8-12 rep range
• Drop the Body Fat – Initiate a minor shredding phase to drop a bit of body fat. That drop will help show off more definition in your muscles.
• Train Smart – Looking bigger is also partly illusory. That is, you can look bigger without necessarily having to gain many more kilos. Training for evenness, shoulder size, posture and core, forearms and core will all help to create the illusion of size.

Problem 6 - I Can't Seem to Shift My Lower Ab Fat

For women, but especially men, fat seems to gravitate towards the belly region. While this does have the physiological benefit of keeping our organs insulated, it is also the impeding factor in making our abs show. The lower ab region is often the last and most frustrating area to remove fat from. Unfortunately there isn’t any spot reduction method aside from surgery which is able to remove fat from that area. That is, no amount of exercise or changes to the diet will magically remove fat from that particular section and only that section.

Solution - Perseverance

The only true solution is to simply continue persevering in terms of your weight loss strategy. The more fat you lose, the more likely that it will come from this lower abdominal region. To expedite the process:

• HIIT – Metabolic rate is a big factor in maintaining fat levels in check. Metabolic rate will decrease as you age and if your overall life is sedentary. Performing high intensity interval training will support an improved metabolic rate throughout the day. Ensuring you move around every couple of hours will also help.
• Muscle – Muscle is metabolically active, unlike fat. The more muscle you have, the greater your metabolic rate. So focus on building muscle along with HIIT.
• Hormone Support – The deposition of fat in your body will be partly due to hormonal factors, especially rises in estrogen, cortisol and insulin, so it might be a good idea to find supplements to help control this such as natural test boosters and adaptogenic supplements which help to decrease stress.

Reaching Your Goals Takes Time

There are no quick fixes when it comes to building muscle, losing weight or achieving other training results. The majority of competitive bodybuilders takes years to reach their prime, with many of them being between the ages of 30-40. Achieving your goals is a bit like going through childhood, adolescence and adulthood. You’re continually learning and improving and as much as you want to and wish for, you can’t just reach adulthood without having to go through the many years of childhood and adolescence. But there are plenty of ways to build up your knowledge and results faster. You just need the right solutions, and the above 6 will get you there faster. 

Fonte:http://www.mrsupplement.com.au/6-training-problems-how-to-fix-them

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