A Quick 101 Class On Nutrients

A Quick 101 Class On Nutrients  By Mark Frangiosa 

Hi all, Mark here from Alltone Fitness and BNG Fitness Boot camp. This week’s blog covers the important role nutrients play in our daily lives and why it is important to consume to right amount of nutrients. Lacking in certain nutrients can affect our exercise output thus stalling progress.

The science of nutrition involves studying nutrients in foods and the body’s handling of them. Even though nutrition is a relatively young science, we already know what nutrients are needed for an adequate diet and what foods provide them.

Nutrients are substances obtained from food that promote growth, maintenance and repair in our body. Below are the six classes of nutrients found in food. 

Carbohydrates – Protein – Fat   (These three nutrients provide us with energy to function and the                                                            ones I will be covering today)

Vitamins – Minerals – Water

1 gram of Carbohydrates equals to 4 cals

1 gram of Protein equals to 4 cals

1 gram of Fat equals to 9 cals.

CARBOHYDRATES

We store carbs as glycogen in our liver, this provides us with the most readily available source of energy. Glycogen assists in maintaining blood sugars and in muscles for use during rest and physical activity. Due to these energy stores being relatively limited we must consume the right type of carbs in sufficient quantities on a daily basis. Carbs are composed of three molecules being carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. They are found in many different forms such as sucrose, lactose and glucose just to name a few.

Quick overview: Carbs and Exercise

Glucose is the most readily available source of fuel for exercising.

Exercise reduces muscle and liver glycogen that’s why active people need an adequate carb intake to maintain and boost glycogen stores.

Stores must be continually refilled from dietary carbohydrates

PROTEIN  

Proteins are water soluble molecules that are made up of 20 amino acids and are like the body’s building blocks. Eight of the 20 amino acids are essential as they cannot be made in the human body so they must be consumed in our diet.  The functions of protein in our diet are many, we need it for the transport of lipoproteins and hemoglobin, protection against antibodies and blood clotting, it carries nutrients across cell membranes, maintains water balance, the growth and maintenance of cells and tissues and acts as an energy source.

We obtain protein from both animal and plant sources. Protein from animal sources are referred as complete proteins because it contains all the essential amino acids. Protein from plant sources usually

lack one or more essential amino acids, although when one or more plant sources are combined they can become complete sources. General recommended protein intake for active people who exercise regularly are 1.2 – 1.8 grams per kilo of bodyweight

Quick overview: Protein and Exercise

Protein is important for muscle growth and repair.

High protein intake assists muscle growth only if training is adequate.

DIETARY FAT.

Fat provides the body’s major store of energy. It is a molecule also composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen that is a sub category of compounds called lipids. Apart from providing energy, fat also has many other functions in the body. It assists in supplying the body essential fatty acids, it provides insulation and protection for structures and organs and the absorption and supply of fat soluble vitamin. The types of fatty acids are, Saturated, Monounsaturated, Polyunsaturated and Trans Fatty Acids.

Saturated fats are generally animal fats, solid at room temp (lard, butter ). 

Monounsaturated  fats can be summarized as liquid or semi solid at room temp, they appear to decrease the risk of heart disease. Sources include nuts and seeds, avocado and olive oil.

Polyunsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and sources include plants, fish, grains and cereals.

So there you go. I hope that has been informative and shed some light on the different types of nutrients and the role they play in our bodies. Apart from maintaining a balanced diet with adequate nutrients we should also take part in regular physical activity such as boot camp Greensborough, or outdoor group personal training to live a long and happy life.

Take care – Mark Alltone Fitness& BNGBoot Camp Bundoora, Mill park and Watsonia. 

Foam Rolling vs. Stretching

Hi all, 

Mark here from Alltone Fitness personal training bundoora and BNG boot camp bundoora. Christmas is almost here. Hooray, I hear you say!  This time of year brings many social gatherings, work deadlines, christmas parties and so on. Being such a stressful and busy time of the year means we usually put our health and fitness on the back burner while consuming too much alcohol and nasty christmas calories. It's extremely vital to keep up with exercising this time of the year. Stay on top of your nutrition, plan your week ahead and factor in any days which you may be heading out for a not so healthy meal. Alltone Group fitness Greensborough & and BNG boot camp Reservoir will assist you with fat loss, gaining muscle strength and increasing cardiovascular fitness. Don't be one of these people that wait until the new year comes around only to realise that your 5 kg heavier than you were pre christmas. 

Today's blog was taken from the dailyburn website and written by Amanda Woerner. It tackles the topic of stretching vs foam rolling and the differences between the two. In my group personal training bundoora classes I'm often asked the difference between the two and which is more beneficial. I hope the following article provides you with some answers. Enjoy! 



 Written by Amanda Woerner - Dailyburn August 2015

You know you’re supposed to be foam rolling and stretching your muscles, to keep your body strong and healthy. But what if you can barely squeeze in your workouts in the first place — let alone 10 extra minutes at the beginning and end of each session?

Before you give up on your recovery routine entirely, we’re about to make it easier for you to manage. While both foam rolling and stretching have their merits, if you’ve only got time for one, you should grab your trusty foam roller, says DailyBurn Fitness/Nutrition Coach Sarah Snyder. “Foam rolling gives you all the same benefits of stretching as, well as added benefits,” she says.

Here’s why foam rolling comes out on top and how to do it right.

Foam Rolling vs. Stretching: Before and After Your Workouts

No matter how eager you are to start (or…finish) your workout, it’s important to resist the urge to jump straight in without warming up your muscles, Snyder notes. But, we’re officially giving you permission to scrap the minute-long hamstring holds you’ve been doing pre-run.

“When you’re stretching a cold muscle, your body goes into defensive mode, and what happens is your workout performance is hindered,” Snyder says. Static stretches can essentially “freeze up” your muscles, preventing you from getting a full range of motion when you’re on the move, and potentially leading to injury.

That’s why foam rolling before a workout can be a better use of your time. “The techniques you have to use for foam rolling help engage your muscles, so you’re already doing a little bit of exercising when you’re warming up with foam rolling,” Snyder says. Bonus points if you can add some dynamic movements to your warm-up as well.

After a workout, it may be tempting to collapse into a sweaty heap. But your body can reap real benefits from taking a few minutes to relieve the tension built up in your muscles. And while static stretches post-workout may help lengthen muscle and improve flexibility, foam rolling does all this and more by also targeting and relieving tension in the myofascial layer of your body. “Stretching doesn’t get the myofascial layer, the connective tissue that is protecting all of your muscles,” Snyder says. “With foam rolling, you’re able to break up some of the tension there that has built up.”

How to Foam Roll

While you’ve probably been stretching since sixth grade gym class, foam rolling is new to many people. But a few simple techniques will help make sure you’re rolling right, Snyder says.

Relax. “Sometimes, when you’re going over some of those areas that are tender, you tend to tense up,” Snyder says. “Try to relax.” As you’re foam rolling, concentrate on keeping your shoulders pulled away from your ears. Reminding yourself to inhale and exhale while you roll will also help ensure your muscles stay loose, too.

Bry BNG Boot Camp Greensborough for only $2! 

Engage your core. As with any other exercise, you’ll want to keep your core tight and engaged while foam rolling, Snyder says. This will help ensure your hips aren’t sagging and throwing your alignment out of whack.

Pay attention to pain. We’re not going to lie; foam rolling doesn’t always feel great. After all, it’s not easy to work out kinks in your muscles. (Ever gotten a deep tissue massage? Ouch.) But if you ever start to feel serious pain, it’s time to stop, as you can make an already-aggravated area worse. “Another tip is to make sure you don’t roll over your joints or bones,” Snyder says, noting that putting undue pressure on your joints could cause injury.

Roll slow. You only want to move about one inch per second while you’re using this recovery tool, Snyder says. Aim to spend about one to two minutes targeting each muscle group, rolling fully up and down the length of the muscle about four times.

The bottom line: “After a workout, in an ideal situation, if you did foam rolling and stretching that would be great,” Snyder says. But if you’re short on time, scrap the stretching and dedicate yourself to your foam roller instead.

Great article and really worth noting the benefits and importance of foam rolling before and after your workout. 

Mark, Vanessa, Bronnie and John form Alltone Fitness and BNG Boot Camp northern suburbs would like to wish you a Merry Christmas! 

Back to Basics Chapter 2 - ENERGY SYSTEMS

Hi all

Mark here from Alltone Fitness and BNG Boot Camp Reservoir. With Summer literally around the corner, now is the perfect time to try group personal training bundoora or our personal training mill park. Your first session is only $5 with no contracts or membership fee's. If group fitness bundoora is more for you then try out our heart pumping boot camp northern suburbs for only $2, hurry as spots are limited.

Chapter 2 of our back to basics blog series covers the energy systems of the human body. All human activity from running to sleeping requires energy. The food we eat provides us with the fuel we need to carry out daily activities we participate in. Fats, carbs and proteins are broken down in the body and converted into energy. The breakdown of food to produce energy can occur under two conditions. ANAEROBIC: Without sufficient oxygen present or  AEROBIC: With sufficient oxygen present.

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is the basic unit of energy in the body. ATP is energy which has been created in the muscle cell and is the fuel for muscular contractions. As ATP is constantly being used, it needs to continually be produced and resynthesised.There are only limited amounts of ATP stored in muscles, once this store is used up other energy systems must produce ATP. This is acheived via three main energy systems which brings us to the next energy system ready to help out.

Adenosine Triphosphate - Creatine Phosphate (ATP-CP)
Named afetr the two energy molecules involved in the system - ATP-CP. Creatine Phosphate is stored in muscles in small amounts, its role is to provide energy for ATP resynthesis in muscle cells when there isn't enough time to break down fuels such as glucose. There is no oxygen required in this system so it doesn't require a complex series of reactions. This is an important energy sysytem for exercises or sports which involve explosive and high intensity movements such as sprinting and pure strength training. This energy system is only available in short periods of time, usually around 0-10 seconds of max effort. Once this all out effort is to continue for more than 10 seconds then an additional source of energy must be found. This takes  us to the next energy system.

Lactic Acid System.
After creatine phosphate runs out and energy is still required to continue at high intensity, ATP can be supplied via the breakdown of carbs being glucose. This process is called anaerobic glycolysis, this is the breakdown of glycogen to glucose and produces lactic acid as a by product. All the cabs we consume are broken down to glucose, this glucose can be stored in the muscle cells and the liver in the form of glycogen. The lactic acid system energy system can sustain the anaerobic generation of ATP FOR 45-60 seconds at around 90% intensity. If a person is wanting to continue exercising beyond this point they can do so with use of the aerobic energy system.

Aerobic Energy System
This an extremely important energy system because we use it for everyday living. It is the system we use for everyday activities like walking.  Its called the aerobic system as it produces energy in the presence of oxygen. As the duration of exercise increases the muscles use more amounts of oxygen and produce carbon dioxide and water as by products. The breakdown of glucose in the presence of oxygen is called aerobic glycolysis The complete aerobic breakdown of 1 glucose molecule is able to produce a total of 36 ATP molecules.

 So next time your in the gym and feel the fatigue set in, remember that your body is going through a complex process while drawing upon different energy systems in order for you to keep working hard.

I hope you found this informative and useful

Mark - Alltone Fitness www.alltonefitness.com.au