Nutrition article...check it out!

Prevalence of micronutrient deficiency in popular diet plans

Jayson B Calton

Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2010, 7:24doi:10.1186/1550-2783-7-24

Published:	10 June 2010

Abstract (provisional)

Background

Research has shown micronutrient deficiency to be scientifically linked to a higher risk of overweight/obesity and other dangerous and debilitating diseases. With more than two-thirds of the U.S. population overweight or obese, and research showing that one-third are on a diet at any given time, a need existed to determine whether current popular diet plans could protect followers from micronutrient deficiency by providing the minimum levels of 27 micronutrients, as determined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) Reference Daily Intake (RDI) guidelines.

Methods

Suggested daily menus from four popular diet plans (Atkins for Life diet, The South Beach Diet, the DASH diet, The Best Life Diet) were evaluated. Calorie and micronutrient content of each ingredient, in each meal, were determined by using food composition data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. The results were evaluated for sufficiency and caloric intake levels and deficient micronutrients were identified. The diet plans that did not meet 100% sufficiency by RDI guidelines for each of the 27 micronutrients were re-analyzed; (1) to identify a micronutrient sufficient calorie intake for all 27 micronutrients, and (2) to identify a second micronutrient sufficient calorie intake when consistently low or nonexistent micronutrients were removed from the sufficiency requirement.

Results

Analysis determined that each of the four popular diet plans failed to provide minimum RDI sufficiency for all 27 micronutrients analyzed. The four diet plans, on average, were found to be RDI sufficient in (11.75 +/- 2.02; mean +/- SEM) of the analyzed 27 micronutrients and contain (1748.25 +/- 209.57) kcal. Further analysis of the four diets found that an average calorie intake of (27,575 +/- 4660.72) would be required to achieve sufficiency in all 27 micronutrients. Six micronutrients (vitamin B7, vitamin D, vitamin E, chromium, iodine and molybdenum) were identified as consistently low or nonexistent in all four diet plans. These six micronutrients were removed from the sufficiency requirement and additional analysis of the four diets was conducted. It was determined that an average calorie content of (3,475 +/- 543.81) would be required to reach 100% sufficiency in the remaining 21 micronutrients.

Conclusion

These findings are significant and indicate that an individual following a popular diet plan as suggested, with food alone, has a high likelihood of becoming micronutrient deficient; a state shown to be scientifically linked to an increased risk for many dangerous and debilitating health conditions and diseases.

Athletic Performance Methodology Seminar Notes

Last week, I had the chance to attain a lecture by Dancy Norman (fitness/ rehab coach for FC Bayer Muchen) on injury prevention and integration.

Here are the most important notes from the lecture:

1. Core Fundamentals such as evaluation, education, mindset, nutrition, movement, and recovery) are the most important fundamentals that an athlete should experience.
2. 65% of sports injuries are non contact related.
3. Some injury risk factors are: previous injuries, asymmetries, dynamic muscular balance and BMI.
4. Posture and movement patterns are really important to prevent injuries.
5. 3 key components that can affect movement are: joint mobility/ stability, strength and CNS function.
6. Mobility and stability are the most important elements realted to optimum performance.
7. Overhead activities and lower movements can activate the latissimus dorsi.
8. Core strength and core stability should always taking into consideration when training the core.
9. When hip flexor is tight, the gluteus might not work optimally.
10. Scapular movement is vital for shoulder health.
    
11. Always Quality over Quantity.

What's your opinion in all these?

Have a great weekend!

Chocolate milk = Muscle recovery ?

Effects of chocolate milk consumption on markers of muscle recovery following
soccer training: a randomized cross-over study

Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2010, 7:19 doi:10.1186/1550-2783-7-19

Stephanie F Gilson (gilsonstephanie@gmail.com)
Michael J Saunders (saundemj@jmu.edu)
Charles W Moran (cwmoran121384@gmail.com)
Rebecca W Moore (moorere6@msu.edu)
Christopher J Womack (womackcx@jmu.edu)
M. KENT Todd (toddmk@jmu.edu)

Abstract

Background: The efficacy of chocolate milk (CM) as a recovery beverage following a period of
increased training duration (ITD) was studied in intercollegiate soccer players.


Methods: 13 subjects completed one week of normal ‘baseline’ training followed by four days
of ITD. After each day of ITD, subjects received either a high-carbohydrate (504 kcal; CHO:
122g; 2g Fat) or isocaloric CM (504 kcal; 84g CHO; 28g Pro; 7g Fat) recovery beverage. Serum
creatine kinase (CK), myoglobin (Mb), muscle soreness, fatigue ratings and isometric quadriceps
force (MVC) were obtained prior to ITD, and following 2- and 4-days of ITD. Performance tests
(T-drill, vertical jump) were performed within training sessions. Treatments were administered
in a randomly counterbalanced protocol, and subjects repeated the procedures with the alternate beverage following a two-week washout period.


Results: Mean daily training time and HR increased (p<0.05) between baseline training and ITD, with no differences between treatments. No treatment*time effects were observed for Mb, muscle soreness, fatigue ratings and MVC. However, serum CK was significantly lower (p<0.05) following four days of ITD with CM (316.9±188.3 U·L-1) compared to CHO (431.6±310.8 U·L- 1). No treatment differences were observed for the performance tests.

Conclusions: Post-exercise CM provided similar muscle recovery responses to an isocaloric CHO beverage during four-days of ITD. Future studies should investigate if the attenuated CK levels observed with CM have functional significance during more demanding periods of training.

SHERRINGTON'S LAW OR RECIPROCAL INHIBITION

The law states:

• The antagonist of tight muscle will be inhibited through impaired reciprocal inhibition. Synergist dominance results from sustained inhibition of a muscle that becomes overactive in an effort to maintain balance throughout the biomechanics of the system.

In other words, when a specific muscle in the human body becomes tight, another muscle (usually a muscle that accommodates the same movement pattern) becomes the main mover. Most of us have tight hip flexors due to poor and prolong sitting. This results in inhibition of Tensor Fascia Latae(TFL), rectus femoris and gluteus maximus causing an anterior pelvic tilt.


When this phenomenon occurs the TFL becomes the main dominant stabilizer of the pelvic. It is proven that an overactive TFL is a common cause of low back pain, and hip dysfunction (taken from 'COMPLETE HIP AND LOWER EXTREMITY CONDITIONING BY EVAN OSAR'). As you can see a synergic muscle that assist the same movement pattern might compensate for a tight muscle in the body. This can occur in the knee, ankle and shoulder joint as well.

Isn't that interesting? Make sure you stretch and train those TIGHT HIP FLEXORS....maybe is one of your missing links. I'm out........

Detox diet

Hey to all,

After the Easter holidays, I feel that I'm in need of a detox regime.
I do not know if you feel the same, but the huge amount of meat I personally consumed the last week or so was unbelievable. Don't get me wrong, meat has a lot of benefits if you include it in your diet. Meat is a MUST in your diet.

Have you ever try any sort of detox? If yes, give us your feedback on the topic?

Personally, I'm tying to do some sort of detox every now and then. Here is my simple detox diet that I follow maybe 2 times a month that is recommended from Dr. Jensen:

Consume only fruits or vegetables for 2 days.

This is the secret formula. It is simple, but believe me is effective. You can take it up to a week. After that, I come back to my normal eating patterns. In addition, try and eat a variety of fruits and veggies. Your body will thanks you...all these antioxidants and vitamins that come from the fruits and veggies can boost you up.

Drop me a line on the topic? I'm out.....

3 Missing strength training program tips ?

Hey to all,

Your strength training program can suffer. There are so many elements to think about when designing a strength training program. I will not name them, but I will give you 3 useful tips to boost your strength program.

Here they are:

1. Assess and then Re-assess. If you want to see if you are making any progress....is simple assess and then reassess. You can easily see if something works and what does not work for you. Well, daaaa if it does not work...Change it!
2. Recovery. Yes you need to rest 2 or 3 days a week. Your body will function ways better and your results will be much better believe me evenif your goals is fat loss or hypertrophy. Exercising every days is not the way you go unless you are an athlete. You do not want to get bored either.
3. Spice up your strength training program with Olympic lifting. At first a qualified person needs to demonstrate and show you the Olympic moves such as Snatch, Clean, Jerk. Then you have to practice them with a PVC pipe or a broom stick and then you go heavy. Challenge your body with these specific exercises and stop doing those easy workouts.

These are the tips. What do you think? I'm out....

'Bad ' orthopeadic/ physiotherapist/ chiropractor practices?

Hey to all,

I think I talked about this topic in the past, but is still coming up. Lately, I came across a lot of people that are injured. Either their shoulder, knees, back etc. Most of them seek out for a doctor, yet they are still not feeling good and they are in pain. They can not work out or play their favorite sport, yet they think that time will treat their injury.



Hmmmm......are there 'bad' practices around such as orthopaedics, physios, chiros or 'bad' individual choices? I think the answer for both questions is YES. I'm not an expert on the topic, but I will give you some useful hints that can help you determine if the person that is going to treat your existing injury is a true professional or a phony?


Some point that you should consider before:

1. Is the person qualified enough? I'm talking education here and experience and not if he/ she is famous and everyone visits them.
   
2. Did the person perform an assessment to diagnose your condition, so he can know what is the plan of rehabilitation....hands on assessment is what I'm suggesting here.......or did they relay only on X-rays and MRI's?
3. Is the rehabilitation process going anywhere? Does your pain decrease after 2-3 weeks, what about your range of movement?
4. What does the rehabilitation process includes....medication, stay at home/ do nothing and usage of only machinery to get you back in action....these are some warning signs of 'bad' rehabilitation regimes. It all depends on the form of injury of course.
   
5. Does the professional that is treating you answers all of your questions and explains you the WHY BEHIND OF ALL OF HIS/ HER ACTIONS?

These are some valid points that you should consider when choosing someone to treat you. If you know the answers to the above questions it will make your life easier when you facing any kind of injury and TRUST will come after this process. IGNORANCE is not the way you go, but RIGHT CHOICES. I'm out...and please give me some feedback on the topic....how do you go about choosing your 'Rehab person'?