Interesting info

[cornman99]

My aunt is a health and nutrition expert, and when I asked her about what I should look for in a pre-workout supplement she sent me this email:

I work with a lot of elite athletes (and even had the opportunity to work with a couple pro hockey guys recently) - they are always looking to get a competitive performance edge over their competition. They have figured out that training alone doesn't get them to optimum fitness levels...they have to incorporate solid whole food nutrition to maximize their training efforts and also time their meals/snacks with their training schedule - this is when they see and feel the results they are looking for (increased muscle mass, reduced body fat, increased speed and endurance, and overall strength).

I do recommend some high end supplements for athletes who train for more than 3 - 4 hours a day (dryland and practice/games) but generally we focus on the diet.

Consume carbohydrates pre and during training and then carbohydrates and protein (not as much as you think) post workout. Carbs are the biggest source of energy your body needs/uses during training. By carbs I mean whole fruits and vegetables and complex carbs like steels cut oats, brown rice and other non-processed whole grains.

So depending on when you workout you want to schedule your meals so that your body gets the proper energy it needs to sustain and then recover and build more muscle and then be ready to go for next time. Water also plays a huge role in training - drink plenty throughout the day and during workouts.

1.5 - 2 hours before your workout - a meal of complex carbs and a small amount of protein (oatmeal with berries and seeds, veggie omelet, whole grain pasta w/ veg, whole grain bread w/ veggies and humus). Half hour before eat carbs in the way of whole fruit or veggies. Within 30 minutes after completing your workout have a protein shake and a piece of fruit (grapes, banana, apple - if you don't have access to fruit you can make your shake with a pure good quality juice)- stay away from fats right after training. Within 1.5 to 2 hours after your workout, have a healthy well balanced meal - 1/4 of your plate should be a clean protein - 1/4 of plate complex carb (brown rice or whole grain pasta or other whole grain) and 1/2 of your plate should be vegetables (mixed green salad w/. other veg - brocoli, greeen beans- include as many colours and varieties as possible. Add some good quality fat to this meal - a couple tbsp of olive, avocado or flax oil - add an avocado to the plate - that's a great option.

So, you probably get the picture that whole foods is the basis of what I'm recommending. There aren't very many sport supplement products I recommend (I've done a lot of research and there is tons of useless crap they put into so many shakes and bars that do nothing to improve performance - and actually may harm you).
BUT - I do like the Vega Sport line of products. They are one of the cleanest products I've come across. The Vega line was formulated by Brendan Brazier - a former Ironman Triathlete and Canadian Ultramarathon Champion. Read up on him and the other athletes who use his line of products- his story is interesting.
I would recommend the following for you to try:

pre- workout : Vega Sport pre-workout energizer
during : Vega Sport Hydrator
post : Vega Sport Performance Protein (this has all the BCAA's you need plus maca and some other clean and natural ingredients).

Other supplements I would recommend to fitness clients or athletes are Vitamin D3, Omega 3 fish oil and a Vitamin B Complex ( AOR brand makes a good product). But this is in addition to proper food and water intake.

If you are interested, I can also forward you a home-made "gatorade" recipe and other clean recipes if you need suggestions. It also depends what your fitness goals are - we can tweak your diet depending on what your goals are - increased muscle mass- reduced body fat - weight gain or weight loss etc. Generally,daily you are looking at 65% carbs - 20% protein- 15% fat - these percentages can vary between 5 and 10 % depending on your individual chemistry and what type of oxidizer you are.
Be very careful with sports supplements - even some protein powders are causing liver and kidney damage- creatine causes a lot of joint and kidney issues - caffeine supplements are also causing many cardiac and kidney issues.



Thought this would be an interesting read for some.

[sloop]

So, like, do you work for Vega or something?

[cornman99]

So, like, do you work for Vega or something?

No....?

This is what an expert has to say, so I'm just passing it on...don't shoot the messenger.

[eatyourspinach]

No disrespect, but what credentials make her an expert? Because when one starts mentioning the term "clean ingredients" I begin to wonder.

[cornman99]

No disrespect, but what credentials make her an expert? Because when one starts mentioning the term "clean ingredients" I begin to wonder.

Its her job and she went to school for it lol.

[Iceman1800]

Your aunt is no expert and her advice is 10 years outdated.