Sports Drinks: Are they In You?

Remember the good old days when people used to drink water from the tap? No Brita filters, no crystal light, no flavored waters. That seems such a long, long time ago. Now everywhere I turn I am bombarded with ads for vitamin mineral waters, antioxidant waters, flavored waters and even fiber-based waters. As these products come and go, one thing stays the same. . . sports drinks! Ever since I was a kid I can remember Gatorade. It seemed to be the cool drink that everyone wanted, not only was it "water-like" which made my parents happy, but it tasted superb. The only problem with it was that it cost an arm and a leg to get, and since my weekly paper route wasn't making me the big bucks, I often had to beg my mom to buy it. As a kid I was involved in sports during the winter and summer months. I was always attracted to Gatorade not only because of its taste, but because I often saw my athlete idols drinking it (i.e. commercials). I loved Gatorade as a kid and I still do, but other than its catchy commercials/slogans and it's delicious taste, does it really improve athletic performance? If I get Gatorade "in me" will I really turn into Michael Jordan or some of the other athletes that swore by it? Well I did a little poking around and heres what I found out about sports drinks.

Sports drinks such as Gatorade and Powerade can in fact be beneficial for athletes or any active individuals. They can provide people with the fluid and electrolytes necessary to rehydrate (Dunford, 2006). Gatorade contains essential electrolytes such as NaCl (sodium chloride) and potassium. The other aspect of sports drinks that makes them so beneficial is their "simple sugar" continents. Gatorade and Powerade both contain simple sugars that work to provide an energy source. The sugar in Gatorade is a carbohydrate source that can be used to sustain energy levels in individuals exercising for prolonged periods of time (Dunford, 2006). It has been proven that providing carbohydrates during exercise can actually lead to increased performance and delayed fatigue. Sports drinks' "simple sugar" contents are also beneficial because they can be easily absorbed in the intestine and can stimulate fluid absorption (increasing re-hydration) (Wilk & Bar-Or, 1996).

Although sports drinks such as Gatorade do provide many benefits, as mentioned above, there are some negatives associated with them as well. First of all they are rather expensive to purchase. Similar to any sports supplement, they demand a hefty price for their services. Second, sports drinks have been associated with causing decreased gastric emptying and fluid absorption (which can promote dehydration) (Wilk & Bar-Or, 1996). This can be tied directly to the amount of Carbohydrates in these sports drinks. Often people don't just drink a few sips of Gatorade because of it's addicting flavors. I have fallen victim to this in the past, I would often drink a full 750 ml of Gatorade because the "ice-berry" flavor was to delicious to ignore. It turns out trying to play hockey with a gut full of neon blue Gatorade isn't such a great idea!

Ultimately my verdict on sports drinks are good! They can be helpful to anyone who is active or even non-active people. If consuming a flavored water is going to increase a person's water consumption, then why not. The only thing that needs to be questioned with sports drinks is the same thing that needs to be questioned when dealing with any sports supplement. Is it really worth the cost? For example, if a person is struggling with his/her finances, she they really be spending $10 a week on Gatorade instead of just drinking regular old tap water? Sure it may not taste as good, but it is free and just as beneficial as sports drinks. If a person can afford to spend the money on Gatorade then great, but if it is going to jeopardize a persons health due to financial stress, then maybe Gatorade shouldn't be in you!

References:

Dunford, M. (Ed.) & Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutritionists Dietetics Practice Group (2006). Sports Nutrition: A Practice Manual for Professionals. 4^th Ed., Chicago, IL: American Dietetic Association. Chapter 6, p. 94-115.

Liebman, B.L. & Schardt, D. (2008). The Scoop on Enhanced Waters. Nutrition Action Healthletter, June 2008, p. 14-15.

Wilk, B., Bar-Or, O. (1996). Effect of drink flavor and NaCl on voluntary drinking and hydration in boys exercising in the heat. J Appl Physiol, 80:1112-1117.

Ephedra/Ephedrine Supplements: Now you CAN "have your cake and eat it too!" But is it worth it?

As I was laying on the couch last night watching Seinfeld reruns I noticed a large amount of fast food commercials. McDonalds, Harveys, Pizza Pizza, the list goes on and on. I couldn't help but salivate over the delcious looking commercials, but before I could pick up the phone to order a scrumtious treat (pizza), my brain snuffed out my craving. I knew I would feel bad after I ate a full medium pizza but more importantly I really didn't want the 5 pound baggage that came with it. I thought to myself, what if there was a way to "have your cake and eat it too"?

Well many different sports supplement companies would argue that you can. The answer lies in GNC and its shelves among shelves of various weight loss pills. I thought for this blog post it would be interesting to zero in on one weight loss supplement in specific and whether or not its worth it.

Ephedra/Ephedrine weight-loss supplements:

Ephedra/ephedrine supplements are one of the most controversial dietary supplements on the market today. In 2004, the FDA banned ephedra supplements from stores because it was stated that these supplements presented an "unreasonable risk of illness or injury" (Dunford, 2006). In 2005, the ban was removed but under the stipulation that these supplements would only contain a low dose of ephedra.

Ephedra & ephedrine comes from the plant Ephedra sinica Stapf (Dunford, 2006). It has been used over the years as a Chinese herbal medicine to treat asthma and nasal congestion. But it has also served another purpose recently as a dietary supplement used for increasing energy, weight-loss and improved performance (Dunford, 2006). Ephedrine based supplements work by suppressing appetite will stimulating a person's metabolism. However it is important to note that ephedra/ephedrine supplements have only been seen to produce short-term weight loss, not long-term.

Even though ephedra/ephedrine supplements (weight loss) are still very present throughout dietary supplement stores today, the FDA is still pondering over this product. Increased adverse side effects such as headaches, increased heart rates, increased blood pressure and insomnia have been connected to people taking these supplements (Dunford, 2006). There has also been deaths of otherwise healthy middle-aged and young adults. Ephedrine based supplements have also been connected to increased risk for heat stroke. NFL lineman Korey Stringer and MLB pitcher Steve Bechler (age 23) died from heat stroke and in both instances ephedrine containing supplements were tied to their deaths (Dunford, 2006).

Now mind you most of the information I discussed above pertains to athletes but ephedrine supplements are often marketed to the "normal" Joe as well. You don't have to be an athlete to take ephedrine, these supplements are often marketed as a magic weight-loss solution... so yes you can have your cake and eat it too! But after reviewing the literature on ephedra/ephedrine I asked myself is this really true? Are these supplements really worth it just to keep off a few pounds? No, they are not! I started to think about the definition of health. Yes these ephedrine pills might help a person to lose weight/maintain a healthy weight but with it comes a lot of detrimental side effects and physical health is only one aspect of "being healthy". It doesn't matter how fit a person is, if they are not mentally/spiritually healthy as well.

So next time your deciding whether you should order a pizza late at night while watching Seinfeld reruns ask yourself, will this make me happy? If it does, then do it! Just make sure you hit the gym the next day instead of GNC's weight-loss shelves.

References:

Dunford, M. (Ed.) & Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutritionists Dietetics Practice Group (2006). Sports Nutrition: A Practice Manual for Professionals. 4th Ed., Chicago, IL: American Dietetic Association.

Ergogenic Aids: Tim Hortons, Antioxidants, Chewing Tobacco & Miley Cyrus

For the past few blogs I have talked about some basic sports nutrition supplements (i.e. protein, creatine), but this time I thought I would mix it up a bit. Instead of talking about a specific sports nutrition supplements, I thought I should take a different route and expose something that a lot of people don't think about. What is this "mysterious" topic? Well if you read the title of this blog I'm sure you could answer this question very quickly... Ergogenic aids.

Er-go-genic aids, say it with me now! Some of you might know what these are, some you might not. Some of you might find this blog interesting, some of you might not. But regardless I thought I should mix this weeks blog up a bit, and give you the reader a new flavor to wrap your tongue around (or is it eyes?).

So what are ergogenic aids you ask? Well by definition ergogenic aids are any substances or strategy that works to improve athletic performance by improving the production of energy. So yes most sports nutrition supplements can fall into this classification, or can be closely tied to it. Creatine for example is an ergogenic aid, nitric oxide supplements, weight loss pills are too. But I don't want to go into detail about these products quite yet, that will follow in weeks to come. What I want to highlight is the "ambiguous" ergogenic aids, the ones most people never think about, or might not even know about.

Caffeine:

So it looks like Tim Hortons, Starbucks, Coke and Pepsi are all in the ergogenic aids business. Why you ask? Because of the caffeine in their products. Most people don't think about coffee or pop being a performance enhancing aid, but guess what, they are. Caffeine can be used as a ergogenic aid to improve endurance performance as well as to delay fatigue and enhance fat loss. Many different studies have illustrated that caffeine does in fact improve performance. Many of the sports nutrition supplements offered to the public are fortified with caffeine. Creatine products use it to help enhance endurance (providing extra energy/reps) and weight loss products use it to help stimulate metabolic rate. While studies have made a case for these two benefits, the major physiological change is still the one that everyone is so familiar with. Caffeine works to increase the central nervous system, its a stimulant. Increasing this nervous system can lead to improved cognitive function but in relation to training, increased heart rate/blood flow leading to increased muscular contractions. Caffeine has also been seen to increase muscle fibre activation through enhancing nerve conduction velocity (more force generated in a muscle contraction).

Multivitamins and Mineral Supplements:

Oh multivitamins. So when Hulk Hogan told me as a kid to eat my vitamins and say my prayers, was he really promoting ergogenic aids? Multivitamin and mineral supplements are one of the most popular dietary supplements consumed by athletes. Why? Well because they are an easy and efficient way of providing essential nutrients that are often lacking in people's diets. Multivitamins can almost be considered as an "insurance policy" against micronutrient deficiencies. So why classify them as ergogenic aids? Well multivitamin supplements can be very helpful when it comes to performance. Not only can they ensure that a person is obtaining all of the required nutrients for specific biochemical reactions, but they can also help the body heal and repair after the stress of exercise/sport. Vitamin C and E have been identified as powerful antioxidants that can help to gaurd against the damaging oxidative stress associated with exercise. These vitamins help to fight off the damaging effects of endurance (aerobic) training and strength (anerobic) training. Studies have also shown that vitamin C and E can help to lower the risk of upper respiratory tract infections and colds that are often experienced with regular training.

Nicotine:

Yes, that is right! The gross disgusting mound of chew often seen in a baseball players mouth serves a purpose. Nicotine can lead to an increased cardiovascular system response by increasing heart rate and blood pressure. Nicotine has also been associated with a calming and or stimulating effect in different individuals. But yes, even though nicotine can be beneficial for performance in some individuals, it is still not desirable. We all know the major health complictions associated with smoking ciggarettes or chewing tobacco. The long-term respiratory damages, dental caries and various cancers associated with this habit is enough to advise against it. So no, I dont want to see a bunch of people chain smoking before exercising!

Music:

Thats right! Get those iPods out, music has infact been identified as an ergogenic aid. Mind you this claim is very indivdualized, me listening to Miley Cyrus while working out probably wont enhance my performance, but it may for someone else. According to some sports psychologists if an athlete listens to the right music at the right time, it can actually benefit his/her performance. Music can work to enhance a persons emotions and some studies have also indicated that it may even enhance the production of epinephrine, in turn increasing heart rate and muscular force output.

So next time you are getting reading to exercise and you want an extra boost think about some of these ergogenic aids. Maybe go and grab a Timmys coffee, or pump your Miley Cyrus tunes!! Whatever it is, find something that works for you!

Until next time, happy reading!

Trev


References:

http://library.rusbiz.com/article_index.html?cat=30seo_name=The_Good_Bad_And_Ugly_Of_Ergogenic_Aids&id=44277

Dunford, M. (Ed.) & Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutritionists Dietetics Practice Group (2006). Sports Nutrition: A Practice Manual for Professionals. 4th Ed., Chicago, IL: American Dietetic Association.

Powers, S. K. & Howley, E. T. (2009). Exercise Physiology: Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance. 7th Ed., New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Creatine, A High School Football Player's Best Friend

The other day I was in my favorite store (GNC) and I noticed a bunch of new supplements with bright flashy labels. Now this isn't anything new to me, GNC often stocks its shelves with new products weekly, but something about these supplements caught my eye. The products' labels flickered under the store lights with the words reading "Size On". Now I couldn't help but inspect these new supplements. What is "Size On"? and furthermore, will it really put size on? If so I'm sure there will be one million teenage athletes going nuts all over Canada. As I read over the label it became clear that this was just another Creatine product trying to march its way to the top of the creatine supplement charts.

Creatine has quickly become the new "bees-nees" of the sports supplement industry. It can be found in many different forms, powder (most common), pills, liquid forms and even in protein bars. Creatine has become the most widely used spots supplement among young athletes, especially adolescents. I like many have taken different creatine supplements before in the hopes of gaining lean muscle mass (mainly for hockey/football). Everyone raves about creatine products but I feel as though nobody quite knows what it does, or how it works. Well good thing your reading this blog because I'm going to give you the basic low-down on creatine supplements.

Why Creatine Supplements?

Phosphocreatine is used in the body as a short-term energy source. This energy source is used by the body during short intense activites. The idea behind creatine supplements is that they can act to increase the phosphocreatine stores found in the body by acting as phosphocreatine shuttles. Thus increasing the energy available for these short-term intense movements. Creatine supplements are relatively new but it has been believed that they can help to increase strength and muscular gains because of these increased phosphocreatine stores.

How do Creatine Supplements Work?

Creatine supplements work to increase muscle phosphocreatine levels but they also cause a drastic increase in intracellular water in various muscles. This increase in water retention is often associated with the mass gains seen when taking creatine supplements. The increase in intracellular muscle water is said to increase muscle glycogen stores (increasing muscular energy stores) and can also influence protein metabolism (support muscle repair).

Do Creatine Supplements Actually Work?

Previous studies have shown that creatine supplementation can in fact provide dividends but, mainly in connection to strength/resistance activities instead of endurance. Studies have shown that creatine may help the athlete to maintain and sustain a greater force of muscular contraction for a longer period of time, therefore leading to more repetitions during weight training. This increase in weight training intensity can ultimately lead to increased muscle hypertrophy (growth).

**Although these results are valid it is important to note that the research on creatine supplements is relatively new and lacks long-term studies**

So thats the basic low-down on creatine supplements. Will you turn into Arnold Schwartzenegger if you take creatine? Probably not, but creatine supplements have quickly turned red-hot, heck maybe even Arnold is taking creatine supplements. I heard there was going to be a Terminator 100!!

Until next time, happy reading!

Trev


References:

Dunford, M. (Ed.) & Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutritionists Dietetics Practice

Group (2006). Sports Nutrition: A Practice Manual for Professionals. 4th Ed., Chicago, IL: American Dietetic Association.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/creatine_is_safe.htm

Protein: The Cornerstone of Sports Nutrition Supplements

I remember many many moons ago my Dad used to fire up our family blender every morning at 6:30 AM. As a kid I was always ticked off at why he felt the need to rudely interrupt my sleep, but more importantly, what was this "magical" concoction that he would always drink. When I asked my Dad what he was making he would always answer "a protein shake" and would tell me about it's special powers... well not really, but my Dad was a regular weight lifter and a firm believer that protein shakes helped to keep him strong and lean. As a kid I never asked questions, my Dad was the smartest man I knew and if he drank them then I wanted to too. But why did my Dad like many others believe that protein shakes were important? Can protein shakes actually help people stay lean and strong? Do we really need to pay $59.99 for them? Well hopefully I can clarify some of these questions... Dad I hope your listening!

First of all it is important to note that protein shakes/supplements CAN be beneficial if the person taking them is active (exercising). Dunford (2006) states that physical activity does increase a person’s protein requirement to a degree. He illustrates that endurance athletes should consume 1.2 to 1.4 g/kg/day, whereas athletes that strength train should consume 1.6 to 1.7 g/kg/day. These increased recommendations are directly tied to the idea of protein turnover and protein net balance. The idea behind resistance (strength) training is to initiate the hypertrophy response, in turn leading to muscle mass gains (growth). Phillips (2004) explained that “During the period of fiber hypertrophy, there also needs to be a net positive protein balance: muscle protein synthesis must always exceed muscle protein breakdown”. Tipton & Wolfe (2004) supported this statement by illustrating that a positive nitrogen balance and increased protein synthesis can help to promote this hypertrophy response. It’s evident that high protein intakes help to increase protein synthesis and can result in a continuous positive nitrogen balance (Tipton & Wolfe, 2004). Why is this positive nitrogen balance and protein synthesis so important? Well resistance (strength) training increases the rate of muscle protein breakdown, and muscle protein is required for muscle fibre repair (Phillips, 2004).

Confused yet?? So basically all of this scientific jargon above illustrates that protein supplements can help to stimulate muscle fibre repair and ultimately lead to increased muscle growth. So when my Dad argued that his shakes helped to keep him strong and lean, in a sense he was right! Huh, who knew it.

So yes protein shakes can help in supplementing muscle growth and repair after exercise but why pay $59.99 for them when you can just eat a nice steak dinner?? This has always been the argument against protein supplements. Most people consume excessive amounts of protein and waste tons of their hard earned dollars on supplements when they can just eat a healthy balanced diet. But I believe that regardless of the cost, and the often excessive consumption, protein shakes are beneficial because of three major reasons:

1) Most studies show that increased protein intake is not harmful to your body. Gibala (2002) stated that high protein intakes may cause excessive urea excretion or calcium loss, but these side-effects are not detrimental. Some studies have come up with new harmful side-effects (i.e. kidney failure) but they have yet to be supported with long-term evidence. The worst that is going to happen is excess protein excretion through the urine, big woop!

2) Protein supplementation can be helpful because of its convenience factor. Consuming a protein shake after exercising is easy and efficient. A person can capitalize on all of the physiological benefits mentioned above while not having to worry about cooking a protein filled meal right away.

And Finally...

3) My most important reason for supporting protein supplementation is because of the mental benefits they bring about. I have experimented with many different protein supplements/diets for most of my life and I realize that I probably don’t need the protein content from them, my normal diet provides enough protein, but it’s the mental advantage that keeps me purchasing them. It’s quite simply the placebo effect, if you truly believe that a protein shake or a high protein diet is going to cause benefits (lean & strong), it will. The mind is more powerful than any other thing out there, including "magical" protein supplements!

References:

Dunford, M. (Ed.) & Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutritionists Dietetics Practice Group (2006). Sports Nutrition: A Practice Manual for Professionals. 4th Ed., Chicago, IL: American Dietetic Association.

Tipton, K.D., & Wolfe, R.R. (2004). Protein and amino acids for athletes. J Sports Sci, 22(1):65-79.

Phillips, S.M. (2004). Protein Requirements and Supplementation for Strength Sports. Nutr, 20: 689-695.

Gibala, M. (2002). “Dietary protein, amino acid supplements and recovery from exercise,” GSSI Sport Science Exchange #87, Vol.15 (4).