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Exercising in the heat
Exercising in the heat represents a number of challenges for an athlete, ranging from discomfort to severe health threats. This is particularly relevant this year, as we approach the summer Olympic games in Tokyo, where temperature and other ambient conditions can be severe and non-predictable. Effects of heat on the body Our bodies function best at temperatures between 35 and 39°C (1). Exercise stress can result in exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome, which consists in decreased integrity and function of the gastrointestinal system. This condition is worsened when our core temperature goes up to 39°C. A compromised gut can, in turn, cause other issues such as bacteria entering the bloodstream, decreased nutrient…
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Product review: Future Whey
Future Whey is a newish sports supplement. I decided to try it mainly because I got a free sample, but also because the packaging got me intrigued. It looks like detergent. It looks like a prank product. It is not. The name implies this is a whey powder product, but it claims to be dairy-free – this is confusing. Future Whey is really a collection of amino-acids, including the branched-chain amino acids or BCAAs, which are the ones preferentially taken up by muscle cells. What is in Future Whey? From the website: essential amino acid blend (L Leucine, L Threonine, L Valine, L Isoleucine, L Lysine, L Methionine, L Phenylalanine,…
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DNAFit – Genetic information for Fitness & Nutrition
If you know me or have read my blog before you may know I’m very passionate about self-experimentation. As a scientist, I find published research extremely valuable generally speaking, but when it comes to individual circumstances there’s nothing like testing things on yourself and finding out what works. I had been thinking about getting a DNAFit analysis ever since I heard about this company in podcast land. It wasn’t until recently, when I grabbed a discount code from another podcast, that I finally bought 2 kits: one for me and one for my husband using his birthday as an excuse. The process is simple: order your kit on the DNAFit…
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Product review: Peak Chocolate Bar by True Protein
Yes, this is a chocolate bar sold as a fitness supplement. This is the sort of thing that gets my coach fired up about the money-driven fitness supplement industry, but I could not resist and had to try it as soon as it got released. Given the ingredient list (80% dark choc, creatine monohydrate, BCAAs, organic caffeine, and Himalayan rock salt), I expected it to be at the very least a decent chocolate bar, even if it didn’t accelerate muscle growth and increase energy as promised. Nutrition wise, each 25g serve (1/2 bar) provides 2.5g protein, 4.7g CHO (of which 3.6g are sugar), 70mg caffeine, 1.5g creatine monohydrate and 1.0g…
