In the dynamic world of human biology, there's a microscopic hero that holds the reins of our energy levels and overall vitality: mitochondria.
These powerhouse structures, often hailed as the "energy factories of the cell," work tirelessly to transform the calories we consume from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into usable energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
But here's the fascinating part – a significant chunk of these cellular powerhouses resides in our muscles.
As men in midlife, we're often reminded of the importance of maintaining our cardiovascular health to ensure vitality and longevity.
However, the conversation around heart health extends beyond traditional topics of nutrition and exercise.
Recently, while listening to Dr. Gabrielle Lyon's podcast featuring cardiologist Dr. Michael Twyman, I gained valuable insights into the role of light exposure in cardiovascular wellness.
Dr. Twyman emphasizes that cardiovascular health isn't just about what we eat or how often we exercise; it's also intricately linked to our circadian rhythm and light exposure.
I recently did an ancestry gene test and discovered that I'm in the 50% of the population who are slow caffeine metabolisers (CYP1A2 AC and CC genotype). I was a little curious to find out what this means and what positive or negative effects caffeine can have on our health and performance?
Numerous studies have linked caffeine with positive health effects like reduced risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. However, recent research suggests that the effects of coffee on health aren’t the same for everyone, and may depend on genetics and other factors.
I love coffee—and I know I’m not alone.
When working with recreational athletes, it's important to understand their body type and the energy demands of their training and competitions. In a future post, I want to write about the protein demands for different sports. Still, it's critical to understand how to exercise's frequency, volume, and intensity impact the macronutrient (protein, carbohydrate and fat) intake requirements.
No one diet is right for everyone. The right diet should be based on many individual factors. The food we eat contains information that speaks to our genes, not just calories for energy. Science tells us that obesity is ultimately the result of a hormonal imbalance, not a caloric one. It's not about "eating less". It's about eating more of the right foods that nourish and fuel the body and mind. It's not about "moving more," it's about how movement supports your health and encourages positive adaptation, not fatigue.
A low dietary energy intake relative to exercise energy demands (ie low energy availability) may result in an array of medical issues. Many recreational athletes following mainstream diets are under-eating. Most are not eating enough to fuel their training, to improve their body composition (decrease body fat and maintain/increase lean muscle). 99.9% of recreational athletes are not getting enough micronutrients, like vitamins and minerals, in their diet to balance their hormones, strengthen their immune system, achieve their fitness goals, and increase their healthspan.
One of Charles Poliquin’s principles was to "always begin with the end in mind." A lot of people have very vague goals like "I want to lose weight", "I want to get strong", or "I want to be fit and healthy." Vague goals lead to vague results; most of these people fail to achieve their goals because they fail to clearly define the destination. This holds true for all of our goals in life, not just in the gym.
In this post, I'm going to focus primarily on training goals, but the same principles apply to all other lifestyles, career, and business goals.
As health and fitness professionals we can sometimes be quick to recommend supplements to our clients. Supplements should be an addition to a healthy sustainable diet and only used when needed. If the nutrients we need can be obtained from food sources, we should be promoting these first. Mother Nature designed out food to contain an abundance of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and co-factors that are essential to our survival. Processed foods are often void, or very low, on these nutrients and this is why so many people are deficient in key nutrients. As health and fitness professionals we should be helping our clients make smart dietary choices and adding foods such as bone broth to their diet.
In our previous blog ‘TSTM monthly challenge: spine awareness’ we discussed some of the main functions of the spine from a movement perspective and common problems associated with them as seen with the general population. We then explored how we address spinal health from a movement perspective with health and longevity in mind. Using the cat/ cow segmentation exercise for you to self-assess, self-manage and begin to regain control of your spine.
If you have begun the practice you most likely found the process to be challenging and tedious to say the least. In this blog I will share some more exercises to help you develop the practice. but first i wanted to bring you in on a personal reflection of mine when it comes to spinal health and another reason why being able to control all movable joints of the spine is important to me.
In part 1 of this women’s health post, I talked about the importance of nutrient density, diets, carbohydrates and the need to talk to your female clients about premenstrual syndrome (PMS), polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), insulin sensitivity, pregnancy and breastfeeding. The unrealistic media images and social pressure to look a certain way comes at a cost to our health, happiness, and longevity. Women need to be especially careful because their hormones can be particularly sensitive to lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, sleep, and stress. The overuse of specific diets and training methods can create serious hormonal issues in women and impact fertility.
Ahhh, the humble squat. It’s one of the most effective moves in the gym; it’s also one of our most primal human movements. Or should I say it was a primal human movement? It's shocking to think that most people spend their day in two positions, standing and sitting. Standing includes walking and running as the range of ankle, knee, and hip flexion is only partial.
Long ago, before we all started sitting in chairs, squatting was our default resting position. For many traditional cultures, this is still the case. Those people who accumulate time in a deep squat on a regular bases experience significantly lower levels of back pain and digestion issues. Deep squats are great for supporting spinal health as well as aiding physiological processes in our bodies, such as digestion and elimination.
