Athletic Enhancement - Legalized Doping?

Sign-Up for Updates : The Gawors

Effects of Caffeine in Athletic Performance

Caffeine is a globally widespread drug that can enhance the body’s chemical processes.  When most people think of caffeine, a picture of a mornin’ cup a joe pops into their mind.  When most think of the use of caffeine, so often it is a substance to get jolt of energy in the sleepy time morning or mid-afternoon.

Athletic Performance

But what about caffeine use in athletic performance?  Can it be used efficiently?  Is it a necessity?  Is the use That effective?  Yes, Yes, and YES!  Major studies have been done on the effects of caffeine on athletic performance and these are some results from Active.com:

“The average improvement in performance is about 12 percent, with more benefits noticed during endurance exercise than with shorter exercise (eight to 20 minutes) and a negligible amount for sprinters. More benefits are also noticed in athletes who rarely drink coffee, hence are not tolerant to its stimulant effect.”

Recovery

Caffeine can not only be an effective tool in athletic performance, but athletic recovery as well.  Because caffeine speeds up chemical body processes, it inherently speeds up the time it takes for the body to repair itself from previous workouts.  Additionally, Caffeine can increase the effects of carbo-loading for race weeks.  Read Caffeine used as a Recovery agent for a more in-depth analysis. 

Submit your Workouts to The MCT Triathlon WWW! 

Legality

But is this legal in triathlon?  Again, Yes!  In the ITU and USAT rules it explicitly states that Caffeine is NOT a banned substance and can be used in competition.

How about ethically?  Is it wrong?  This is a matter of opinion but I believe it is not wrong.  Caffeine is widespread, available to everyone, and is not entirely harmful (extra high doses can trigger anxiety attacks and such).   

According to the New York Times, “Caffeine, which is legal under International Olympic Committee rules, is the most popular drug in sports. More than two-thirds of about 20,680 Olympic athletes studied for a recent report had caffeine in their urine, with use highest among triathletes, cyclists and rowers.”

Dosage

So what is the proper “dosage” of this drug?  Studies show that fewer than 2mg of Caffeine per kg of body weight has no athletic enhancing effect while over 6mg of Caffeine per kg of body weight actually hurts athletic performance.

Sign-Up for a Free MCT Triathlon Coaching Consultation

Source

Where to get it?  Your first thought is probably “coffee.”  While this is easily the quickest and cheapest way to obtain caffeine, studies show that caffeine in coffee may not be utilized as effectively as other sources.  While this may be true, other options include eating 1000 calories of 90% dark chocolate (I love chocolate but let’s not get carried away), Tea, or caffeine pills.  Personally,  I’ll take a few more ounces of the joe’ to compensate. 

How to use caffeine efficiently?

When used on a regular basis, the effects of drugs on the human body tend to diminish over time.  This is no different for the use of caffeine.  Those who use it as a wakeup call every morning are going to see less pronounced effects. 

While I haven’t found any studies pertaining to the tolerance effect of caffeine, I recommend scheduling it’s use sparingly (not daily) based on trial and error experience.  I find that the athletic enhancements of caffeine diminish greatly after using the drug three or more days a week.  Use caffeine twice a week on Lactate/Aerobic Threshold and VO2 Max days to enhance training performance.  Three weeks before an “A” race, use is cut down to once a week to break tolerance levels so there is a greater effect during race week.

Schedule caffeine use on days with higher carbohydrate intakes for maximal carbo-loading.  A study from the Journal of Applied Physiology (July 2008) found that glycogen levels were substantially higher with carb/caffeine ingestion as opposed to just carb ingestion.  Most endurance athletes would call this glycogen storage “carboloading.” 

Example for a Build week in Triathlon

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
90min Ride 90min Swim	2 Hour VO2Max Run	90min Run 90min Swim	2.5 Hour LT Ride (Long Sets)	90min Ride 60min Swim	60min Swim	2 Hour Weighted Run
	Caffeine		Caffeine

Stayed Tuned for another post in the MCT TriathlonTraining Log:

A Guide to a Quick, Cheap, and Fun Iced Coffee Fix!

Submit your Recipes to The MCT Triathlon WWW!  
Read More Articles on The Gawors!

The Benefits of Stretching + Video Special!

Sign-Up for Updates : The Gawors

Stretching is an active recovery technique that can help the muscles become stronger, longer, and more relaxed.  While it has been debated whether or not stretching helps prevent injury (or even creates injury), there are several benefits of stretching on a daily basis.

Increase Flexibility

Whether you are swimming, biking, or running, most of us can use some help with flexibility.  Flexibility can be useful to increase athletic performance, especially on the bike using the aero position.  The more flexible you are, the farther down you can be positioned on your aero bars, the more aerodynamic you will be, and therefore the faster and efficient you will be.  In swimming, Ankle flexibility is very important but difficult to do.  It should be mentioned that stretching your ankles can be risky for injury and should be preceded cautiously.

Interested in Online Triathlon Coaching?  Fill out this form for a free setup consultation!

 

Improve Circulation

Not only will stretching your muscles improve circulation, but the actual ACT of stretching is a low level aerobic activity that will improve circulation as well.  This will increase recovery and hopefully performance in subsequent workouts. 

Relaxation

Stretching can be a great way to relax and wind down at the end of the day.  If you suffer from mild cases of certain insomnias (like having difficulties falling asleep) you may want to include a quiet stretching routine before you head to bed.

Submit your Workouts to The MCT Triathlon WWW!

 

When to Stretch

• ·        At the end of a day
• ·        On an off/recovery day
• ·        When you feel very tight

When NOT to Stretch (static)

• ·        When muscles are seriously sore
• ·        Before any workout
• ·        Immediately after difficult/long workouts

Stretching when the body has already stretched itself out or is already damaged is a sure way to damage the body more.  Also, stretching before workouts decrease the potential power production those muscles can create.  Take a look at MCT Triathlon’s Video Stretching Special below for a great daily head to toe routine!

Read about the Most Festive Race in America! - Woolsport Musselman

VIDEO SPECIAL!

Submit your Recipes to The MCT Triathlon WWW!
Read More Articles on The Gawors!

Eating Healthy is LAME! : Nutritional Series

Sign-Up for Updates : The Gawors

Nutrition, like exercise, is considered by many as a lifestyle, not a task to an end.  What’s great about, Lifestyle is it can shift, but only in small increments.  The human body craves nutritious and healthy food and good quality exercise.  Yet because the way we have evolved, it is easy to be self-destructive with the foods and activity patterns of modern society.  I would like you as the reader, not to be defensive towards the ideas listed here.  Read them, learn them, and even apply them if you wish.  

I have been living a low sugar/carb, natural diet for a few years now.  I stay away from most processed and high sugar foods.  Though last week I visited my Aunt’s house in long island and fell away from my normal diet.  She makes the Greatest chocolate chip cookies known to man and just like Crack-Cocaine, the high of getting one, is all about getting more.  After eating about 12 cookies, I became nauseous (like I usually do) and felt sluggish for the next 2 days.  It's easy to realize how un-healthy certain things are when you don’t have them often.  But how can you move to a healthier lifestyle?  It’s not as easy as a magical transformation or going cold turkey from all un-healthy foods… It’s about small lifestyle changes.  

Submit your Recipes to The MCT Triathlon WWW!

Below is a screen shot of a healthy lifestyle presentation I made for increasing athletic performance.  The graph stresses the importance of taking small steps to change your lifestyle.  While, you will notice you become stressed when your lifestyle shifts to an “un-healthier” state, you also become stressed (temporarily) when your lifestyle shifts to a healthier state.  Only when this new stress disappates and becomes part of your normal lifestyle should you include another healthy habit and stress the lifestyle again.  (Athletes, does this sound familiar?  Stress the body, rest, stress the body, rest)

Submit your Workouts to The MCT Triathlon WWW!

Interested in Online Triathlon Coaching?  Fill out this form for a free setup consultation!

How to: Try using the following steps to make small lifestyle changes healthier and happier living!

The LAME Method

Limit – Every 2-3 weeks, Limit intakes of damaging nutrition.  Find one “un-healthy” staple of your diet and greatly limit your intake.  Some examples would be Soda, Fast-food, or other processed foods such as high added sugars, hydrogenated, or partially hydrogenated oils.  This goes for activity as well, possibly limit TV to two hours instead of three.

Add – Every 2-3 weeks, add intakes of healthy nutrition.  Find a healthier food to try to regularly add to your diet.  These can include fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, olive oil, eggs, or even daily goals.  Goals could be shown as “eating a fresh vegetable/fruit at every meal,” or eating a healthy non-sugar/carb breakfast every day.  You can devote to add a 15-30 minute slow walk around the neighborhood after meals.  These smalls decisions will add up over the weeks and months and slowly develop your lifestyle without stress.

Maintain – After 2-3 weeks ends and a new cycle begins, try to continue with the small lifestyle changes you had made recently and try to incorporate another cycles of changes with those.  If you haven’t become completely accustomed to the new changes that were made, don’t incorporate anything new but take another week or two and get used to what you changed.  It’s not perfect, but what lifestyle is? 

Enjoy – You may find that over time you can’t imagine how you lived without the new changes.  Your changes hopefully become routine and easy to remember over time.  Just remember, it’s just a series of small, slow steps to healthier living.  But the most important factor is to ENJOY what you are doing.  If you don’t like tofu, try eggs, if you don’t like zucchini, try a cucumber instead.  Tastes, preferences, and abilities all vary and there are endless possibilities to living healthy!  Eat, Exercise, Enjoy!

 Read More Articles on The Gawors!

The Forth of July Traveling Workouts Special!

Imagine, it's July 4th, 7am, and you're getting ready for a 2 hour ride to the lake... Boat rides, grilling, family, fireworks, swimming, and another 2 hour ride back home.  After unpacking, getting ready for bed, and work the following day, you're left with no room to get in a good workout.  The day sounds very exciting but you may be left with anxiety to get in a good workout.

Sign-Up for Updates : The Gawors

The car (on the highway) is a Great place to get in a good workout to feel accomplished and anxiety free.  You'll even feel amazing by the time you reach your destination.  The small exercises you can do while traveling limber anyone up and keep the blood moving.  Take a look at the July 4th Video Special on Traveling Workouts!

Check out the workout below for exceptional ideas to keeping limber during a long trip.

An Example Traveling Workout (From the MCT Triathlon Training Log)

Submit your Workouts to The MCT Triathlon WWW!

• 2x2min Wall Sits w/ min r (Lift your butt and keep your back on the seat)
• 1x1min Front Shoulder Hang (Lift ankle weights hands down)
• 1x1min Reversed Front Shoulder Hang (Lift ankle weights hands up)
• 1x1min Twisted Front Shoulder Hang (Lift ankle weight thumbs down)
• 1x1min Tricep Extensions (Theraband or behind head w/ weight)
• 2x2min Leg Circles w/ min rest (Lift legs and rotate in circular motion)
• 1x1min Hamstring Hold (switch with both legs) (place heel into floor with one leg and basically do a wall sit)
• 1x2min Calve Raises (Lift your Calves)
• 1x2min Shin Raises (Lift your toes)
• 1x1min Seated Crunches (Contract your abs)
• 1x1min Seat Press (Connect Resistance Band around seat and use bench press movement) 

Interested in Online Triathlon Coaching?  Fill out this form for a free setup consultation!

Submit your Recipes to The MCT Triathlon WWW! 

Read More Articles on The Gawors!

The Healthy Way to a Birthday!

No artificial sweeteners, no ridiculous amounts of table sugar, no upset stomach after eating the entire gift... A Fruit Gift Basket!  What a great gift to give someone (not to mention inexpensive when you go about it the right way).  Weight loss, fitness, and health are on the front of many people's minds today.  When birthdays and holidays come around, many feel the guilt trip when they receive an endless supply of strawberry infused vanilla cake or a box of Hersey's Deluxe Chocolates.  Substituting cakes and presents with fruit may be the right way to go with someone watching their weight, or trying to be healthy.  Here is a checklist on how to go about making someone's Birthday a healthy one.

Submit your Recipes to The MCT Triathlon WWW

Looking for a Present? A Fruit Basket is Beautiful!
Not only is a fruit basket healthy, but when set up properly can show love, care, and thoughtfulness.  Below is a photograph of part the fruit basket I gave my father for his Birthday.  It may look expensive but shop around town.  You may be surprised by some of the prices.  I shopped for this basket at a place called Middletown Farms, all fresh produce and inexpensive.

Homemade Fruit Basket - Great for Any Occasion

• 2 Bosc Pears @ $0.79lb
• 3 Peaches @ $0.99lb
• 2 Cameo Apples @ $0.79lb
• 3 Kiwi's @ $0.20 each
• 1 Cantalope @ $1.00 each
• 1 Pineapple @ $2.00 each
• 3 Plums @ $0.79lb
• 1 Mango @ $0.40 each
• 1 Banana @ $0.40lb

 The Entire Bill : $8.18

What a great gift!

Fruitday Cake 

What about the birthday cake with all the high amounts of sugar?  You may want to settle on a smaller sugar cake and substitute in for a Fruitday Cake!  A great way to do this is by buying a fruit sampler from a local grocery store.  (I use Shoprite.  Tip:  Find out when the "manager's special" is.  Stores usually mark down their fruit samplers 50% off for quick sale.  The Shoprite near me usually marks down at 9am).  Now there are several alternatives you can choose at this point.

Interested in Online Triathlon Coaching?  Fill out this form for a free setup consultation!

Fruitday Cake

• Stick a candle in the fruit plate and Sing Happy Birthday! (Healthiest Option)
• Remove the fruit and wash the plate.  Place a homemade crust on the bottom (Cheerios and Granola with a little bit of Natural Peanut Butter is a good option.)
• Place a Graham Cracker Crust under the Fruit - Hey, it's your Birthday, you have to indulge a Little!

 The Entire Bill : $6.47

What a great cake!

Sign-Up for Updates : The Gawors

Submit your Workouts to The MCT Triathlon WWW

The "Mainstream" Disagreement - Dr. Oz's Eggs - Nutritional Series

Recently Dr. Oz had an article in the June edition of  People's magazine on 15 things you should carry in your kitchen.  There were a few things that carried with them a certain "myth-busting" feeling.  For years, many of these foods have been seen as harmful to the human body and should be avoided at all costs.  It's incredible how slowly the mainstream view on diet changes and what really should be and not be included in our diets.  The following is an explanation of certain disagreements between Dr. Oz and mainstream thinking.

Vitamin Supplements
This debate goes back and forth on the truth about vitamin absorption rates in multivitamins and supplements.  Dr. Oz suggests a multivitamin and calcium be included in our diet, not as a substitute, but just as a way to make sure everything is there.  If you're worried about the mainstream thought that vitamins are a waste of money because the majority never gets absorbed into your bloodstream, try a liquid multivitamin like ReViva.  (I always like buying in Bulk from Sam's Club, saves me some money.)

Interested in Online Triathlon Coaching?  Fill out this form for a free setup consultation!

 
Milk

1-2% Milk is Great

What's suggested?  Give it a guess!  Whole milk? 2%? 1%? Skim?  Dr. Oz gives the go ahead to buy 2% milk (Organic).  But mainstream always suggests Skim to be healthiest, like blogs and articles like Skinny Chef tell us!  The human body works more efficiently when it has all the vitamins, minerals, structural macro-nutrients (protein and fat), and energy macro-nutrients (carbs) working together at once.  It is said by some experts that calcium is more readily absorbed in the body in higher fat milk than skim and that the higher saturated fat content isn't as bad for you as once thought.  Take your milk experience to the next level and look for Raw Milk (from grass fed cows) which includes higher packed and easily digestible nutrients.

On a side note: Milk is a great after workout recovery snack.  Take a glass and choose a workout from the Fitness Workout Database!

Do Not Avoid Eggs!

Eggs
Say it!  Go for it!  "Cholesterol in eggs is bad for you."  Well, Dr. Oz says you should keep Eggs (organic/free range) in your kitchen.  "Yes, even the yolk."  Unfortunately, studies from decades ago still rule mainstream thought that eggs lead to heart disease and other "wonderful" illnesses.  Eggs should be viewed as the start of life and therefore bursting with the building blocks for the human body.  Eat plentiful every morning, crack a few open for lunch, and maybe even throw in one with your steak for dinner.  (As an Elite athlete, I eat 4 eggs every morning. 2-3 a day is perfectly safe and healthy.)  While Free Range eggs cost a little more, they tend to be 10-20 times more nutrient packed than regular eggs.  A suggestion for the financial minded: Buy 2 packs, one regular pack, one organic pack, and use 1 of each for breakfast.  Another suggestion:  Use an Egg Slicer on Hardboiled eggs for convenient eating, and wonderful salad presentations.

Well there you have it, myths twisted in a knot.  Take your vitamins, eat your eggs, and drink your milk and you will grow to be strong and healthy!

Workout of the Week
The Brick of Death by Sue Rodgers in MCT Triathlon's Workout Website Wiki

Read Another Article on The Gawors!

MCT Triathlon's Health and Wellness Summer Reading Series

The Health and Wellness 

Summer Reading Series!

It has begun!  The MCT Triathlon Summer Reading Series.  Tune in every Wednesday for a new Article chock full of Podcasts, Videos, and Tips on Health and Wellness and Athletic Performance.  These articles will not only be written for those "crazy" triathletes, but for athletes of all kinds, even if you are just looking to shed a few pounds.  So tune in for motivational ideas, awesome food recipes, and time saving tips. 

Submit your email for Health and Wellness Updates and Article reminders!

The Nutritional Series

This series will take you through, YOU GUESSED IT, Nutrition!  Find yourself knee deep in healthy, nutritious, and tasty recipes.  This series will give you insight into how your body digests and uses nutrients and what could be missing from even the healthiest diets!   

• June 27th, 2012 - The "Mainstream" Disagreement - Dr. Oz's Eggs
• July 11th, 2012 - Lifestyle Shifts - Baby Steps

Submit your recipe to the MCT Triathlon Workout Website Wiki!

Saving Time& Money Series

This series will sew the hole back up in your pocket and save you the stress of getting that last strength training workout in before bed.  Find out which way is the most efficient way to train.  Find the secret to buying 3 pairs of Asics GEL-DS Trainer Shoes for only $150 And how to find the cheapest and most nutritional foods.

• July 4th, 2012 - Strength Workouts while Traveling
• August 15th, 2012 -  Shopping for Vitamins, Drinks, and Shoes

Endurance Performance Training

Find out how to perform at your best each time you race.  You will realize that a schedule is a very important aspect of training and should be taken seriously.  How should you balance peak training with excitement levels?  How can you use caffeine as a training resource?  What are the rules and regulations for USAT and the ITU?

• July 25th, 2012 - Effects of Caffeine in Training and Racing
• August 22nd, 2012 - Schedules and Plans - How to make it Customized!

Submit your workouts to the MCT Triathlon Workout Website Wiki!

Recovery Series

With training comes an even more important aspect, recovery, and the ability to recover quickly.  Recovery allows an athlete to train harder, but recovery involves an athlete to train smarter.  Find out the easiest steps to recovery and how each one works the body.

• July 18th, 2012 - The Benefits of Stretching 
• + The 15 Minute Head to Toe Routine
• August 8th, 2012 - Lessons from the Chorus Geek
• + 15 Minutes to Increasing Lung Capacity

Form Training Series

Analyzing the Swim, T1, and all the way to run, find out how to save seconds and even minutes by working on your form.  What drills can be done?  What tips will push you to peak performance?  How can you pull yourself out of a training slump quickly and safely?

• August 1st, 2012 - Running Form, Why we do Drills (Part 1 of 2)
• August 29th, 2012 - Running Form, Why we do Drills (Part 2 of 2)

Submit your email for Health and Wellness Updates and Article reminders!

Interested in Online Triathlon Coaching?  Fill out this form for a free setup consultation!