Higher Levels of Cholesterol Good for Training

Based on studies, trainees who eat higher cholesterol diets gain more strength and muscle mass than those who don’t. For good sources of dietary cholesterol consider coconut oil and egg yolks.

Scientists recognize that hereditary factors play a major role for one’s levels of blood cholesterol. So, eat dietary cholesterol. It is needed for the production of testosterone, it is essential for the brain tissue as well.

Arginine before workout

Did you know that arginine, taken about 30 min. before workout increases the nitric oxide? This in turn leads to dilation of the blood vessels. What follows is more blood gets into the muscle and with more blood come more muscle building nutrients and oxygen.

The recommended dose of arginine is 3 – 5 gr. 30 min to 1 hour before workout.

Krill Oil? What is it?

Krill oil is similar to fish oil in that it contains a lot of omega-3 fatty acids. These were the kind that counteract high cholesterol levels and are important for the hart and brain functions. Krill oil is derived from small, shrimp-like crustaceans, used for food by whales.

Why is also important to take enough omega-3’s? Because the contemporary diets overload our bodies with omega-6 fatty acids, thus causing misbalance between the omega-3 and omega-6. In most oils the ratio between these two is about 1:20. The ratio that’s considered healthy is 1:4 to 1:2! So, take your omega-3 every day as you are taking enough of the omega-6 already.

Lower body muscles and appropriate exercises

Researchers have found that the two lower body exercises squat and stepup work the lower body muscles in a different way. For example squats hit the gluteus maximus the hardest; gluteus medius is worked best by stepups and rectus femoris (quadriceps) is trained the hardest by squats again.

So, in order to train the whole lower body you will have to cycle these two exercises.

Co Q10 – an energy booster

I recently read about a study, conducted in the University if Iowa that says Coenzyme Q10 helped 20 people, who were diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, to get rid of 90 percent of their symptoms. Not only that but Co Q10 also doubled their energy levels. The doses used in the study were 100 mg a day for the duration of three months.

Co Q10 helps the muscle cells convert the oxygen into energy. If this naturally occurring compound did that for people with chronic fatigue imagine what it would do for bodybuilders after an intense resistance workout.

Supplements and knee pain

First to say why I missed to post a couple of days – I moved to a new place. I had my Internet connection plugged back in today.. so I am back;-)

Did you know what the function of glucosamine and chondroitin is? Glucosamine is the building material of the connective tissue and chondroitin act as a lubricant so your joints don’t rub against each other.

Researchers found that 79 percent of men who supplemented with glucosamine and chondroitin experienced decreased knee pain. The doses were 1,500 mg and 1,200 mg respectively.

How much Vitamin C should we take?

Researchers recently discovered that high doses of Vitamin C slow down the recovery process. After intense running, athletes were given 1000mg of the vitamin daily. They reported loss in muscle strength for up to one week. It turns out that 1000mg of Vitamin C daily may slow down the recovery process while 500mg daily speeds it up. Based on this and another recent study, researchers now recommend a dose of 500mg of Vitamin C daily for greatest benefits.

Backward walking for more calories burned

Researchers discovered that walking backward burns 25% more calories compared with forward walking. This is due to the faster pace of the steps of the backward walking. Researchers also say that this type of walking increases the heart rate by 47% and the oxygen use by 78%, compared with normal (forward) walking. (based on materials from Men's Health)
From this I can conclude that the same most likely holds true for the backward running, compared with forward running.

Carbs and HDL levels

Recent research showed that HDL (the good cholesterol) levels decrease with the increased consumption of carbohydrates. Healthy levels of HDL are considered 60 and above. If your levels are 40 and below then you are at risk of developing hart disease.

Glycemic index changes in baked potatoes

Did you know that potatoes have somewhat high glycemic index (GI). Baked potatoes have even higher GI. Researches found that when potatoes are refrigerated after thermic preparation their GI decreases. Moreover, when reheated they still possess lower GI.

The take home message - if you like baked potatoes (even sweet potatoes) don't eat them straight from the oven. Toss them in the fridge for an hour and then eat them - cold or reheated.

HDL cholesterol and carbs

I took a week off for a little well deserved vacation. Now I am back and ready to resume my posts here. The today’s post will deal with the cholesterol issue – particularly with the HDL type. As we know that’s the good cholesterol. When your blood work shows that HDL is lower than 40 that means you are in danger of a heart disease. Ideally it should be over 60.

Researchers discovered that with increasing the carbohydrate consumption the HDL levels decrease. So, if you are a heavy carb eater think again. Among some of the other negatives that high carb eating offers there is this one, too. The key is: you can’t without carbs but you shouldn’t overeat them too. Be moderate – good for your low body fat levels, good for your blood vessel system.