The Time article below reports a study in which it was discovered that repetitive practice of a single skill does not train that skill any better (and possibly less well in “game” situations) than a mixed-skill practice session. One of the intriguing explanations is that “Tedium is bad for the brain”, implying the importance of the mental aspect to physical training and skills.
Study: Why Athletes Should Mix Sports-Training Routines – TIME.
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Exercise, Mental | Tagged: Exercise, Physical Conditioning, Repetition, Training | 
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Posted by Greg
Creatine is a substance that occurs naturally in your cells, utilized as “emergency” fuel. It has been popular among weightlifters and other athletes for at least the last ten years (and certainly known about to some extent since the 1920′s or earlier). The standard practice is to take the creatine with glucose, since the resulting insulin acts as a transport for the creatine. Certainly this technique works, but we then have the health downside of the insulin spike.
In reality, it seems as though creatine can be taken and used effectively without the glucose, but the uptake in the “loading” phase in particular may take longer, resulting in more creatine being taken for the same effect. Ten years ago, I would have been concerned about the cost, but creatine today is pretty cheap so that shouldn’t be a huge concern.
One does have to read the label – many creatines are packaged as sugary fruit drinks in powder form. Get the pure stuff. I’ve found it effective to take it with some whole milk, fruit, and possibly whey protein. Typically this won’t be a special serving, but a snack that I was going to have anyway (although I might time it to coincide with a workout).
In addition to glucose, other nutrients can help increase the effectiveness of dietary creatine:
1 Comment | Exercise | Tagged: Alpha-Lipoic Acid, Creatine, Glucose, Insulin, Insulin Spike, Protein | Permalink
Posted by Greg
Fewer reps at heavier weights is the most efficient way to work out. It doesn’t necessarily result in bulk – that has a lot to do with additional sets and diet (high-caloric intake and lots of protein). I’ve found this to be true in my own experience and seems to be recommended by experts e.g. powerlifters. Now the New York Times agrees.
Really? – The Claim – For Better Muscle Tone, Go Lighter and Repeat – Question – NYTimes.com.
On a related note, I’m a huge fan of Pavel Tsatsouline’s theories on strength training, and intend to write up a summary/review of some of his work in a future post.
Leave a Comment » | Exercise | Tagged: Exercise, Physical Conditioning, Strength Training | Permalink
Posted by Greg
Study: Working out harder for less time effective – Paging Dr. Gupta – CNN.com Blogs.
This seems to back up my general ideas that one should exercise frequently and intensely, but for only short periods of time. This avoids the perils of over-exercise and helps stimulate HGH production. More in-depth on both of those in future posts…
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Posted by Greg
Another benefit of exercise: remaining young at a sub-cellular level. Telomeres (caps on the end of DNA strands) measure the “age” of a cell, and get shorter with time. In younger subjects (average age in their 20′s), exercise didn’t make a significant difference in telomere length, but in older subjects (average age of 51) there was as much as a 40% difference between the telomere lengths of sedentary individuals and serious runners. It’s unclear how much exercise is necessary to reap these benefits before experiencing diminishing returns.
Phys Ed: How Exercising Keeps Your Cells Young – Well Blog – NYTimes.com.
Leave a Comment » | Exercise, Lifestyle, Science | Tagged: Aging, Telomeres | Permalink
Posted by Greg
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