The Miracle of Water!

I found this in some notes of mine and thought it was very interesting and would pass it along:

WATER

HOW 8 GLASSES A DAY KEEPS FAT AWAY

Incredible as it may seem, water is quite possibly the single most important catalyst in losing weight and keeping it off.  Although most of us take it for granted, water may be the only true "magic potion" for permanent weight loss.

Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat.

Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can reduce fat deposits.  Here's why:  the kidneys can't function properly without water.  When they don't work to capacity, some of their load is dumped onto the liver.  One of the liver's primary function is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body.  But, if the liver has to do some of the kidney's work, it can't operate at full throttle.  As a result, it metabolizes less fat, more fat remains stored in the body and weight loss stops.

Drinking enough water is the best treatment for fluid retention.

When the body gets less water, it perceives this as a threat to survival and begins to hold onto every drop.  Water is stored in extracellular spaces (outside the cell).  This shows up as swollen feet, legs and hands.  Diuretics offer a temporary solution at best.  They force out stored water along with some essential nutrients.  Again, the body perceives this as a threat and will replace the lost water at the first opportunity.  Thus, the condition quickly returns.  The best way to overcome the problem of water retention is to give your body what it needs - plenty of water.  Only then will stored water be released.  If you have a constant problem with water retention, excess salt may be to blame.  Your body will tolerate sodium only in a certain concentration.  The more salt you eat, the more water you system retains.  But getting rid of unneeded salt is easy - just drink more water.  As it's forced through the kidneys, it takes away excess sodium.

The overweight individual needs more water.

Larger people have larger metabolic loads.  Since we know that water is the key to fat metabolism, it follows that the overweight person needs more water.

Water helps to maintain proper muscle tone by giving muscles their natural ability to contract and by preventing dehydration.  It also helps to prevent the sagging skin that usually follows a weight loss - shrinking cells are buoyed by water, which plumps the skin and leaves it clear, healthy and resilient. 

Water helps rid the body of waste. 

During weight loss, the body has a lot more waste to get rid of - all that metabolized fat must be shed.  Again, adequate water helps flush out the waste.

Water can relieve constipation.

When the body gets too little water, it siphons what it needs from internal sources.  The colon is the primary source.  Result? Constipation.  But, when a person drinks enough water, normal bowel function usually returns. 

 So far, we've discovered some remarkable truths about water and weight loss:

1. The body will not function properly without enough water and can't metabolize stored fat efficiently.
2. Retained water shows up as excess weight.
3. To get rid of excess water you must drink more water.
4. Drinking water is essential in weight loss.

How much water is enough?  On the average, a person should drink eight 8-ounce glasses every day.  That's about 2 quarts.  However, the overweight individual needs one additional glass for every 25 pounds of excess weight.  The amount you drink also should be increased if you exercise briskly or if the weather is hot and dry.  Water should preferably be cold - it's absorbed into the system more quickly than warm water.  Some evidence suggests that drinking cold water can actually help burn calories.  To utilize water most efficiently during weight loss, follow this schedule:

           Morning:   1 quart consumed over a 30 minute period

           Noon:        1 quart consumed over a 30 minute period

           Evening:    1 quart consumed between five and six o'clock

When the body gets the water it needs to function optimally, its fluids are perfectly balanced.  When this happens, you have reached the "breakthrough point."  What does this mean?

1. Endocrine gland function improves.
2. Fluid retention is alleviated as stored water is lost.
3. More fat is used as fuel because the liver is free to metabolize stored fat.
4. Natural thirst returns.
5. There is a loss of hunger almost overnight.

If you stop drinking enough water, you body fluids will be thrown out of balance again, and you may experience fluid retention, unexplained weight gain and loss of thirst.  To remedy the situation you'll have to go back and force another "breakthrough."

 

Cramping

This is NOT just a game day issue!

What causes cramping?

Cramping results from a combination of muscle fatigue, dehydration and sodium loss.  Sodium loss is very large in comparison to the minimal amounts of potassium, calcium and magnesium lost in sweat.  This sodium loss short circuits the coordination of nerves and muscles as muscles contract and relax.  Water makes up 60-65% of your body weight.  You lose both water and electrolytes when you sweat.  When you do not replace the fluid you sweat, dehydration occurs.  Some individuals may lose up to a gallon or more of fluid and enough sodium equal to 2-3 teaspoons of table salt.

How can you prevent cramping?

Participating in a preseason conditioning program and being acclimated to the environmental stresses placed on you during your activity is a start.  To combat dehydration and sodium loss you must stay hydrated and eat regularly.  Your PreGame Meal should occur about 3 hours prior to your activity.  As a general rule of thumb, your meal plate should consist of carbohydrates that take up 2/3 of your plate and 1/3 remains for lean protein/fats.  Carbohydrates include breads, bagels, pasta, rice, fruit, vegetables and fruit juices to name a few. Some quality sources of protein include skinless chicken breast, turkey, lean roast beef.  Heavy crampers can lightly salt their food as well. Some foods rich in sodium include tomato juice, pickles, pretzels, canned soups and cheese pizza.

 Drink throughout the day and don't wait until you are thirsty.  Drink 16-20 oz. of Gatorade 2-3 hours before activity and another 8-12 oz. of fluids 10-20 minutes prior to activity.  Drink at regular intervals during the event.  You should drink approximately 20 oz. of fluid for every pound of weight lost during the activity. 

Lastly, SEE WHAT YOU PEE!  Your goal should be light colored urine resembling lemonade.  If your urine is dark like apple juice you are dehydrated!  You should also urinate several times a day if you are well hydrated.

Energy Systems

We are going to think of the energy systems as "tanks" to understand the role of each energy system in regenerating ATP.

Phosphagen Energy System

You have enough ATP stored in this 'tank' to supply about one second worth of energy during high intensity, short duration activity.  During a football game, energy is supplied predominantly from this system.  This is because the 'tank' fills to almost maximum capacity between plays.  The limiting factor of a player being able to give 100% effort for each play for an entire contest depends on how well he is able to replenish the 'tank' between plays.

As ATP is broken down during muscle contraction, it is replenished immediately from energy supplied from the breakdown of the compound, phosphocreatine (PC).  When acted upon by the enzyme creatine kinase (CK), PC is broken down into creatine and phosphate.  Energy is released from this interaction and used to combine the phosphate to an adenosine diphosphate (ADP) molecule to form a new ATP molecule.

           Energy + ADP + P = ATP

High intensity activity depends not on a large amount but a rapidly available supply of ATP.  The process of transferring energy from PC to form ATP happens in less than one second through a simple one-step process that doesn't require any special cellular functions.  Without this 'tank', athletes would not be able to perform explosive movements.  The amount of PC stored in muscle exceeds the amount of ATP, however it too is also limited.  During high intensity exercise, PC is depleted within 6 seconds.  This is why the energy from this 'tank' is utilized for only short bursts of power.

Lactic Acid Energy System

If exercise continues for longer than 6 seconds, energy is then supplied from this 'tank'.  The opening in this system's 'outlet' is smaller than the phosphagen 'outlet' causing a slower release of energy to the muscle.  Because of this, the amount of force generated becomes reduced. 

ATP from this 'tank' is released from the breakdown of glycogen and glucose without oxygen present.  Lactic acid accumulates through this process with its highest levels reached during high intensity activity ranging from 1 - 3 minutes.  Once this 'tank' empties, too much lactic acid accumulates in the muscle, causing pain, loss of coordination and decreased force production.

Oxygen Energy System

The oxygen energy system is more specific to activities requiring endurance over a long duration at a relatively low intensity.  Once activity continues beyond 3 minutes, ATP is supplied almost entirely from this 'tank'.  The 'outlet' for this energy system is even smaller yet, thus reducing the flow of ATP more and generating even less force.

Importance of the Core

The core is defined as the area between the sternum and the knees, with a focus on the abdominal region, low back and hips.  The core is either directly responsible for the origin of movement, or is the stabilization link through which all movement passes, making it an anchor or reference point of movement. 

The role of the core is to prevent movement at the lumbar spine rather than promote it.  Movement, or mobility, should occur at the thoracic spine and the hips.  Athletic activities, like daily activities, demand a neutral spine for the optimal transmission of forces from the lower extremities to the upper extremities.  Maintenance of pelvic neutral is important for force production, injury prevention and efficiency of movement.  The muscles controlling the core are essential for the maintenance of the body's balance, agility and coordination when performing movement tasks.   Approximately 50% of the body's total mass is located within this region.

The intent of core stabilization is to strengthen and/or lengthen the muscles to attain and then maintain pelvic neutral in order to provide spinal stability during activities involving the upper and lower extremities.  Pelvic stability is important in knee control during closed chain activity.  Pelvic and trunk stability must provide a firm base for the scapula to operate during overhead activity.  An offensive lineman in football squats with his back straight to utilize driving forces during blocking.  A strong core provides the support needed to keep the back straight, help to diffuse the forces applied to the back and assist in transfer of forces from the legs to the arms. 

Stabilization occurs because of coactivation of opposing muscle groups.  Functional motion requires that some muscles work to stabilize a part while other muscles work to accelerate or decelerate or to change from stabilization to acceleration or deceleration quickly.

Without powerful and flexible hips, core strength will not be functional for most sports. The hips are the largest weight bearing joints in the body, supported through a complicated network of ligaments and muscles. Over 20 muscles directly influence hip movement. The hip musculature is often responsible for accelerating and decelerating transverse plane motion. During the support phase of each step, the pelvis rotates, resulting in femoral rotation. Many athletes have rotational deficiencies, either in strength or mobility.

The hip extensors and torso muscles act as stabilizers to maintain the trunk in an erect position as the weight is transferred from one leg to the other, preventing excessive side tilting of the pelvis or trunk. The gluteus maximus stabilizes the spine to prevent a forward lean of the trunk during weight bearing and weight transfer from left to right, the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus and tensor fascia latae stabilize the pelvis laterally on the femur, and the erector spinae muscles balance the head, arms and trunk on the pelvis. Exercises that create the constant contraction of the abdominal musculature, in concert with the latissimus dorsi and the thoracolumbar fascia, create a corset around the spine and thus produce stability.

Every athletic movement starts its origin in the core.  You cannot prepare to even stand from a seated position or sit from lying position without first engaging your core.  If your core isn't stable in a neutral position for whatever reason, this will dissipate energy and decrease the overall force that goes into the ground.  Put simply - You lose explosion, power and speed!

Triple Extension

The triple extension is a program basic geared to achieving our focus on training to develop strength within 0.2-0.3 second to develop maximum power for skills.  We've already stated that the triple extension is the most powerful movement of the body.  It is defined as the summation of the muscular forces produced by the joint actions of the hips, knees and ankles working in concert with one another.  

Power is defined as the ability to generate the greatest combination of strength and speed while executing a skill.  The greatest power is at 30-50% of maximum strength.  Maximum power is developed in 0.2 second.  The amount of time to apply force during the triple extension, expressed in athletics by blocking, tackling, running or jumping, is 0.2-0.3 second.  Therefore, the amount of time it takes to appy strength during these movements corresponds to the time it takes to produce maximum power.  A fast runner does not extend the legs any faster or have a quicker footstrike than a slower runner.  The average time to extend the legs during the 10 yard dash is 0.3 second for the first step and 0.2 second for steps two and three.  Maximum power is developed during the acceleration phase of sprinting. 

The same is true with the vertical jump.  Every athlete extends the legs at the same rate, 0.2 second, but there is a difference in either the height jumped or speed.  The limiting factor is not the speed of leg extension, but the amount of force that can be applied within 0.2-0.3 second.  (Keep in mind that technique is the medium through which the power of these skills is expressed; the better an athlete's technique, the more power generated while executing the skill.)

Program Basics

Ground-based Exercise, Olympic-style lifts

Why do we prefer these types of exercises?

We've already stated that you must have your feet on the ground to express maximum force.  To develop greater force, we need multiple joints of the body acting together to produce this force.  Most athletic activities involve these multiple joint actions of the hips, knees and ankles with the muscular forces of each added together.  This multiple joint action working in concert is known as the triple extension, the most powerful movement of the body.

Two conditions must be met for the summation of these forces to be effective.  First, each joint must be firmly stabilized for its force to be conducted through the body.  Secondly, the forces from each joint must be timed in the correct neuromuscular recruitment patterns.  The body's ability to stabilize these joint actions contributes to proper neuromuscular coordination.  To effectively train neuromuscular coordination, multiplane movements are essential.  Multiplane movements are only possible with ground-based activity and are existent during change of direction movements.  This is why we use a lot of ground based exercises and Olympic style lifts.

Free Weights vs. Weight Machines

We will utilize free weight exercises the majority of the time during the program because free weight exercises are the only exercises that allow muscle synergism.  Muscle synergism occurs when several muscles act together to produce a coordinated joint action by neutralizing each other's individual secondary activity.  Using the free weight exercises allow muscle synergism to regulate and coordinate the movement of the resistance.  This helps train the joint actions to stabilize effectively to take advantage of the triple extension movement. 

Weight machine use lever arms, guide rods and pulleys to dictate the path of movement and balance the resistance, requiring the muscle only to provide the force to move it.  Therefore, machines limit the development of muscle synergism.  This muscle synergism is required as the body constantly changes position.  All speed and agility drills allow for synergism by the nature of their movements.  No outside forces are required to change the movement patterns of the body during these types of drills.  Only the internal adjustment of the synergistic muscles assist movement changes and keep the body in balanced positions to allow maximum force development.  These machines many times only allow single joint actions to take place.  These types of exercises play a small role in our programming.  These types of exercises may be used to correct specific muscle weaknesses or to rehabilitate an injured muscle or play a major role in maintaining muscle balance.

The balancing action of synergistic muscles used during free weight exercises develop joint integrity better than machines.  Many ACL tears occur in non-contact mechanisms and this can be a large reason why if these muscles aren't trained to coordinate these forces.

Weight Belts

We will not use weight belts in our programs.  This is for many reasons.  Weight belts have been shown in the research to take over for decreased core stability and should only be used for near maximal repetitions.  We seldom perform a one repetition maximum exercise.  When we do, it will be done under proper supervision, proper squatting and only once we are confident the individual can handle the load with proper technique.  We do not us weight belts during practices and/or competitions and we will not use them to train for activity.  Most of the time these belts are not even worn correctly and do not prevent the unwanted low back movements to occur.  The exercises typically performed with weight belts such as the squat, deadlift and power clean will never be performed in our program without the individual first successfully completing the exercise with proper form without weight.  Weight is only added and/or increased when the individual can perform the exercise at that weight correctly.  There is no better way to strengthen your core stability than with the Olympic style lifts such as the squat, deadlift and power clean - when these exercises are performed correctly!  This objective is hampered through the use of the weight belt.  We are building your own anatomical weight belt with each individual to perform with in the weight room and in your activity.

Adequate Rest

Any individual who does not get enough rest is only fooling him or herself.  The body cannot recover between workouts without adequate rest.  The primary aspect of rest as it relates to conditioning is regular sleep.  That being said, there are two primary principles of sleep: to sleep 8 hours per night during times of intense conditioning and to wake up and go to bed at the same time each day.  It is important to temper the demands of training with moderation and rest so that the maximum adaptation takes place with the least expenditure of energy and time.