NUTRIENT TIMING

Hey Sleeks, my message for the day is about nutrrent timing.

The great majority of us simply looking to stay fit and healthy should not over complicate things and worry too much about what to eat when, and how much. By focussing on the right balance of macronutients,getting plenty of whole foods, fruit and vegetables and water, and cutting out processed foods and sugar as much as possible, we will achieve our goals and more. For people looking to optimise performance for sport or maximise muscle gains, this is for you.

Eating the correct type of protein and carbohydrates before, during and after training is important for the following reasons:-To ensure the fast replenishment of glycogen after an intense workout; to create an anabolic hormonal environment within your body and to promote protein synthesis. In short, with the right training stimulus, meal timing is a key factor in muscle gains.

Remember that looking after your muscles is important for performance, health and fat loss. A solid nutrition plan built around quality macronutrients (proteins fats and carbs), in the right ratio for you, along with plenty of veg, fruit and water, will build a strong and healthy body.  There are however also times when ‘low grade’ nutrients-the dreaded simple sugars can work in your favour to maximise muscle gains. (if you have a sugar addiction, use your discretion and perhaps compromise on potential benefits rather than useing sugar that may trigger any kind of relapse). Whatever your approach, here are my ten tips, based on science, and my own experience to help you with your nutrition strategy around exercise 

1.       Your pre workout meal should consist of quality carbohydrates eg  from vegetables, sweet potato and whole grains as well as a good protein source eg chicken , turkey, eggs and lean beef. Whey protein is also a great pre workout protein source. Keep the meal relatively light and eat about an hour to two hours before your workout depending on the individual..

2.       Eat simple, high GI carbohydrates during and after intense exercise (this is the only time you will ever hear me say its okay to eat sugar!) During exercise, liquid carbohydrate may play a role in creating a hormonal balance in favour of anabolism (growth), over catabolism (breakdown). (Bird, Stephen PhD, CSCS. Strength and conditioning journal). In addition, Glycogen replenishment as soon as possible after exercise is important to prevent muscle breakdown and help the body stay in an anabolic state.  The most effective way of doing this is by drinking a 6-8% solution of a simple sugar eg dextrose ( found in sports drinks and post workout supplements), during and after exercise. Liquid carbohydrates are more efficiently absorbed when compared with whole foods.

3.       By ingesting BCAA’s(branch chain amino acids, found in many supplements), before, during and or after training, you promote muscle protein synthesis and inhibit muscle breakdown. Approximately 6g is all you need.

4.       In his review of the research, Stephen Bird PHD recommends a whole food post workout meal comprising 0.5g of protein per kg and 1g of carbohydrate per kg, 30 minutes after exercise, and a high carbohydrate meal 2 hours after exercise(for strength and maximum muscle gains). If your intensity and volume of exercise is not high, these quantities may be too high, so adjust  nutrient intake accordingly.

5.       If you don’t want to be taking in any sugars, there is a patented carbohydrate derived from barley starch called Vitargo, which is fast absorbing, is not a sugar, and evidently a very effective post exercise carbohydrate.  Available through some supplement suppliers.

6.       If you prefer to stick to foods (as opposed to liquid supplements) ensure that the post workout carbohydrate is high GI, as fast absorption is a priority.  Some good examples include:  white rice, mashed potato, rice cakes, dried fruit, bread, bananas, chocolate milk. Note that most fruits would not be considered a good option during, or post workout, as they have a relatively slow absorption rate. In addition, fruit and fruit juice, when taken during exercise may cause abdominal cramps in some people. (This again varies from person to person.)

7.       Whey protein is considered by many to be the best post exercise source of protein, as it is of a high quality and has a high absorption rate. Some evidence however suggests that if protein absorption is too fast post exercise, it is not necessarily conducive to optimal gains. I suspect more research is needed in this area. Other good sources of post workout protein include chicken, tuna, fish, turkey, lean beef and egg whites.

8.       Limit fat intake immediately post exercise as fat slows down the absorption rate of protein and carbohydrate, thereby slowing post exercise glycogen re synthesis and protein synthesis.

9.       If you’re on Paleo, or  a similar lifestyle, many of the high GI options listed, eg sugar, grains etc are not an option.  The paleo philosophy centres around keeping it real, and there are enough amazing examples out there to prove it works for many people.  In my opinion, the best way to maximize muscle gains on a paleo diet is to eat a balanced meal before and after training, comprising primarily good carbs from veg, butternut and sweet potato as well as lean protein.  Reduce fat intake in your post workout meal in favour of protein and carbohydrate (eat your fats throughout the day in other meals), and aim to eat as soon as possible after your workout.  I personally wouldn’t recommend training in a fasted state unless you can rapidly replenish glycogen post workout (the options available on paleo make this more difficult, suggesting that training fasted on a paleo diet may not be the best strategy if muscle gains are a priority.)

10.   Train hard. If you’re not training at a high intensity and with sufficient volume, you’re not going to deplete glycogen that significantly, and the excess sugars and high GI carbs may be stored as fat. Whilst the principles still apply the training stimulus is vital to the results you can expect to see. 

         Ashley Galliard July 2015

FINDING YOUR MOJO!

My tip this week is for all of you who feel stuck, have not been making progress in the last few weeks, or even feel like you’re going backwards:- it’s time to mix it up.

Apart from a metabolic condition that may be holding you back and requires a specialized intervention, achieving results in the gym, centres around the manipulation of three variables: nutrition, exerc ise and rest. We are all different, so what may work for one person may not work for you. When something is not working we tend to respond by training even harder, and subconsciously, or consciously, eating less. This may be the right response, but it often isn’t, and we end up even more frustrated. You need to experiment with the variables (nutrition, exercise and rest) to find what works for you and here are some questions you need to consider.

1. Is my post exercise nutrition adequate? 
When you exercise, you break your body down. It is important to return your body to an anabolic state (a state of growth and repair) as soon as possible after exercise, to experience the benefits of the session and continue to make progress. To do this, after exercise, the body needs both carbohydrates and protein for glycogen (fuel stored in muscles) re synthesis, muscle repair and to stimulate anabolic hormones.
How much carbohydrate and protein you need post exercise will vary from person to person, based on your metabolism, how much you have eaten throughout the day, genetic factors, body mass, training intensity and volume etc. so experiment with quantities but be sure to include protein and carbohydrates post exercise – it may be all you need to set you back on track!

2. Does my nutrition match my training intensity and volume?
If you have had a bad eating day, in as much as you haven’t eaten enough (which is never ideal, but sometimes life happens), it is in most cases counter-productive to train hard for any extended period of time. I wouldn’t for example advise that you go for a long distance run as this may break down muscle mass and in the long run, slow your resting metabolism. I recommend you rather do a short twenty minute, fast paced weight bearing session (eg a five or six station free weight circuit you repeat for 15 to 20 minutes, at a moderate intensity with sets of 8 to 12 reps.) This way, you’re developing your lean mass (muscles) you’re not completely depleting glycogen stores and you’re promoting fat usage while stimulating your metabolism and the release of anabolic hormones. Be sure to pay careful attention to your post exercise meal to promote recovery and restore energy to muscles. (Note, it is never ideal to under eat or starve yourself. With intense exercise, you need more calories than you think. You may be eating clean, but you may not be eating enough!

3. Do I need more rest?
The harder you train, and the higher the intensity and volume of training, the more recovery time you need. There are genetic freaks that can put in four hours a day, six days a week for weeks on end, but the chances are, unless you’re an elite athlete, you, like me, are not one of them. The harder you train, the more time you need to recover. If you don’t allow yourself this recovery time, your body breaks down, and training becomes counter productive It is therefore important to vary your intensity and volume. If you’ve had a particularly hard training session, or series of sessions, and the next day you’re feeling exhausted, stiff, run down, demotivated, follow it up with a rest or light, active-recovery session. Then maybe throw in a medium intensity session the next day and build up again to a hard session. How you structure your programme will depend on your goals, your level and various other lifestyle related factors. Use your intuition, and structure your training sessions in cycles, eg four weeks. The aim is not to apply an overload every session, but apply a progressive overload slowly and consistently so that every cycle (eg four weeks) is building on the previous cycle. You may also need to throw in a recovery week in between cycles to prepare you for the next cycle and overload. This strategy is what keeps many athletes performing at their peak for extended periods and may be what you need to spark that change.

4. Am I working hard enough?
If you finish your workout and you always feel as though you have too much left in the tank, it may be time to push harder! This applies particularly to weight training. Whilst you shouldn’t always push to failure, your last few reps should always challenge you – if you don’t feel challenged, it’s time to up your weights! You may also find that you’re exercising hard but the rest of the day, you’re sitting at your desk. The result is, you’re actually not expending enough energy in a day. Get up and walk, even if it’s just for 5 minutes around your office, every half hour or so, the extra daily energy expenditure could make all the difference!

5. Am I getting enough sleep?
The magic number seems to be eight hours. Some people need more, some people need less. The bottom line is, if you are sleep deprived, your recovery and repair processes will be impaired and your body will break down. This is something that is not always within your control, but your training and nutrition are within your control During periods of poor sleep, eat really well, plenty of protein, good fats, veg, fruit and enough carbs to support your training. Reduce caffeine intake, and don’t train yourself to death. You need to do everything you can to stay in an anabolic state. Poor eating, combined with extreme exercise regimes, and a lack of sleep is a recipe for becoming catabolic, storing fat, becoming injured and ill.

So if it’s not working for you, change it. These are just a few of many possible ways in which you can manipulate the variables of nutrition, exercise and sleep to break through sticking points. Don’t be afraid to try new things to find your mojo!

(Ashley Galliard 2015)

STABILITY BALLS AS A TRAINING TOOL

I am often asked about the use of STABILITY BALLS, Bosu balls and other balance devices and whether they're good, bad or ugly. Here is my overview:-

Abdominal Strength and Rehabilitation

Although there is conflicting research, the bulk of the evidence suggests that stability training will significantly activate the muscles of the abdominal wall, improving both local muscular endurance and stability in this area. For rehabilitation, stability devices have been shown to increase muscle activation without the muscle having to produce as much force-which is exactly what is needed for rehabilitation. Ground based exercises like squats and dead lifts  provide great core muscle activation, but people with lower back injuries for example often have impaired neuromuscular coordination (coordination of nerves and muscles to bring about movement) and struggle with these movements.  In such cases training on stability devices has been shown to be a safe and effective alternative.

Strength and Power

Strength and power generation is dependent upon the optimal recruitment of motor units (nerves and the muscle fibers they activate). These recruitment patterns are developed optimally on a stable surface that facilitates a constant and even distribution of force. As has been established, training on stability devices increases muscle activation, but decreases muscle force. Over time, training on stability devices can alter muscle recruitment patterns (Hubbard, Daniel MEd, Strength and conditioning Journal 2010). The net result is an impaired ability of the muscles to generate force when training on stable surfaces. So, not good news for anyone training for strength, power, hypertrophy etc.

So, what's the verdict?

For rehabilitation and core stability, stability devices definitely have their place.  I also believe they have some application in developing symmetry, eg in the case of the strength or muscular coordination of one limb being significantly inferior to the other. It may however be argued that there are a number of other ways of developing symmetry using unilateral, ground based movements, without the potential detrimental effects to overall strength gains.

For general fitness in which you want to work with low intensities (weights) and high volumes, they also have an application. If you consider for example that your core musculature is made up largely of endurance type fibers, working on an exercise ball or Bosu ball with low resistance and high volume workouts will definitely develop your core. You can incorporate stability devices from time to time if general health and fitness is your goal, and I would focus on upper body and ab exercises.

If you are squatting with heavy weights on a Bosu ball, PLEASE STOP. You're hindering your progress, and risking life and limb in the process!

I can see no application to anyone wishing to make gains in strength, power or hypertrophy. In fact, you're slowing your progress (particularly for lower body work).

So, like most things, stability devices are not evil, and they are not the be all and end all. The important thing is, to know what your goals are and how to incorporate the various training tools into your routine to achieve those goals.
(Ashley Galliard 2015)

VASBYT ON A FIETS - GEM DIAMOND KALAHARI MOUNTAIN BIKE CHALLENGE

Kirsty and I are back after our incredible adventure in the magnificent Kalahari, and what an adventure it was, riding through some of Africa’s most beautiful, and yet inhospitable terrain, with sand, thorns and stones at every turn.  We were constantly reminded that the African bushveld is not for the faint hearted, and that there are no free kilometers anywhere. 

What made this race particularly challenging for us, as a team, was that this was Kirsty’s first ever stage race.  So it goes without saying, that I’m immensely proud of her for finishing.  There were a few fleeting moments when I thought she might throw in the towel, particularly on Day 2 at Water Point 2, when she burst into tears almost inconsolably, only to be comforted and remotivated by a very sweet lady at the water point, and by me of course.  We then pushed along for the last ten kilometers, and with about four kilometers left to ride, Kirsty hit a huge patch of sand at speed, and went flying over the handlebars, face first into the sand.  She lay there motionless, with the bike on top of her.  I thought, this is serious, this doesn’t look good, but this tough, strong-willed, and dare I say, stubborn lady, slowly got up and furiously dusted herself off and got back on her bike and peddled like a person possessed to the finish, clearly having had enough of this day’s riding!

Day 3, the final day, was much better, and although it was actually a more difficult day, with a lot more climbing, we got to the finish line unscathed and very proud of our achievements.    We learnt a great deal from this challenging adventure, and I would like to share some of the experiences we had along the way, to hopefully help those of you who would like to embark on a stage race or something similar.

1.       The Mental Challenge

When you first do a stage race, the thought of the entire distance in a day can be quite daunting, so the best thing to do is to break the distance up and ride from water point to water point.  So if your first water point is at 30km, that’s all you should focus on, completing 30 km.    Once you are there and you’ve had time to rest and replenish yourself, you can reboot and head off to the next water point.  Before you know it, you’re at the finish line.

Something else that is very important when preparing mentally for a race, is never, ever think that any stage race is going to be easy.  New riders make the cardinal mistake of looking at the elevation profile and if there is not a lot of climbing, then it must be easy.  In mountain biking there are loads of things other than elevation that can make the ride tough;  in our case, sand, sand and more sand.  And then of course, rocks and thorn trees, and did I mention the sand?  Accept the fact that stage races are always tough, because they are designed for tough people.  Rather over-estimate the toughness than under estimate it, and you’ll be a much happier, better prepared rider.

In my experience, on a three day stage race, and I mention three days, because they seem to be the most common, Day 2 for a lot of people is the worst of the days mentally.  If you had ridden hard on Day 1, your legs and body will be tired, especially half way through Day 2, and then suddenly the thought of another entire day to follow becomes very daunting.  What I find very interesting, is how a clearly more fatigued body on Day 3 can ride with a lot more speed and vigour, just because the person knows that the end is near.  Amazing the power the mind has over the body, don’t you think?  So prepare yourself for this eventuality, by acknowledging that you may feel like this, because for me, as soon as I’m aware of a behaviour, I find myself more in control of it and I can deal with the thoughts of impending doom better.  Knowledge is power.  Of course, this is purely anecdotal, but try it, it works for me.

Of course, this is where a good partner can be very useful.  Don’t just pick somebody who is of a similar strength to you on the bike, but find a person who is positive and mentally strong under pressure, like you!  There is a reason why most stage races are team events, because not only does your partner help you physically in the riding stakes, but also mentally, when you are feeling despondent and drained.  So make sure you are mentally psyched for the event, and that you pick a partner who is too.  So much of the race is ridden in your head.

2.       The Physical Challenge

There is a great deal of information out there on how to prepare physically for a multi-day stage race, so I’m not going to rehash a lot of science.  Instead, I would just like to talk about a few things that I observed with Kirsty and myself, over the course of the three days.

If you’re going to ride in a lot of sand, or over a lot of loose rocks, you’ve got to be prepared to spin the legs.  Technically it’s a lot easier to ride through sand if you get into a loose gear, and spin your legs, ie high cadence.  Don’t touch the brakes, especially the front brake, and make sure you’re relaxed and go with the sand.  This is easier said than done, of course.  What you will find out very quickly, however, is that you need to be pretty fit cardiovascularly to do this.  We both agreed that Kirsty, with all the training she had done, was not actually quite fit enough and what this meant was that she was riding close to her max heart rate for long stretches.  This resulted in her using up a great deal of her available glycogen, and she hit the wall.  That’s when the tears started!  The best thing to do when this happens, is to stop and rest, and get as much instant energy into your system as possible.  After that, take it really slowly.  So my advice here would be, before an event, try and find out what the terrain is like, and if it is possible, to ride on something similar back home.  If you can’t, then you need to simulate the riding conditions in the gym, and in this instance, a lot of high cadence spinning, and for a good amount of time, I would say at least half an hour, would be the order of the day.

Another physical area that is often overlooked when preparing for a stage race, or something similar, is the core.  Core strength and stability is absolutely essential for optimal performance on a mountain bike, especially over technical areas, and particularly the loose stuff, like sand.  Kirsty said that she felt quite unstable over the sand, and as a result she fell numerous times in it, leaving her very frustrated and at time furious, resulting in some serious, and dare I say, humerous, foot stomping and cursing.

After spending many hours behind her on the bike, in my attempts to assist her on the sand, I noticed that while she was technically quite proficient and doing a lot right, in my humble opinion, there was a degree of pelvic and core instability.  Her core strengthening is a work in progress, and while it is stronger than it was, the pelvis was moving too much laterally and her pelvic reactions and stabilizing ability in the sand patches was slow, resulting in an inability to adjust the body position in time, causing her to lose balance and fall.  One would imagine that riding in these conditions would be a good way of strengthening your core over time, unfortunately this is not the case, most of your core work has to happen off the bike.  There is a degree of strengthening that happens on the bike, obviously, but particular focus on the core in the gym or pilates studio is essential.  Remember, your core is the foundation on which everything is built, and no matter what sport or activity you do, your success or lack thereof is directly dependent on how well your core functions.

An area where both Kirsty and I are strong, is our leg strength.  With me being over 100kg, and being quite muscular in my upper body, I found in the past, that I would struggle with my climbing, because my leg strength and power was underdeveloped.  Kirsty has always been good in the climbing department.  Both of us embarked on a stringent leg power/strengthening programme, which involved a combination of heavy leg press and power/plyometric jumps, as well as some heavy sprinting on the spinning bike, all developing both power and strength.  The result was that both of us could handle the climbing with relative ease.  I noticed that my own performance on the hills and my overall leg speed and strength,   was noticeably better from all the training in the gym, and this was after a relatively short period of time.  So I’m quite excited by the long term prospects.  It’s important to note that the stronger your legs, the easier they find the peddling, and therefore the less work they do, resulting in improved all round performance.

 There is no substitute for good preparation, so before you embark on your next challenge, make sure you are physically and mentally prepared.

The Botswana Gem Diamonds Kalahari Challenge was an amazing race, with some breath taking scenery and some awesome single track riding.  The event organization was also top notch, and I would recommend that all you mountain bikers out there give this race a go.  This was a truly memorable experience.  Well done to my beautiful wife Kirsty for having completed this grueling challenge, you really do have a mind of steal, and I’m very proud of you.
(Adrian Galliard 2015)