Amino Acid - L-Glutamic Acid

Sorry that I haven't posted for a while - I've been busy doing work that pays the bills :-). 

Having spent a day in front of my P.C. writing spill for a gym equipment manufacturer, I thought I'd have a break of sorts (from the tedium) and update a few pages of my own venture - gymprofessor.com. My food snack during this break - Marmite on toast - gave me the incentive to write about L-Glutamic Acid. Why? Well, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG).

MSG's a salt of L-Glutamic Acid and is therefore a natural constituent of many fermented or aged foods (like yeast extract) & provides the "tangy" taste - "you either love it or hate it!" Another of course (& the origin of its identification) is from seaweed extract - you'll hear many people tucking into their Chinese meal mention how MSG might affect them, whilst, I might add, also necking half-a-dozen beers (also containing MSG!).

Given my supplement slant on most things, I'd best mention hydrolyzed protein (process of breaking down the protein into its component amino acids for greater absorption by acid hydrolysis) being another instance whereby MSG will be present and hence why manufacturers often worn of a "bitter" taste on the supplement product label.

Synthesized from L-Arginine and L-Ornithine, & created in the brain from the Amino Acid L-Glutamime, L-Glutamic Acid's a major fuel that the brain uses to function and transports Potassium across the blood-brain barrier. L-Glutamic Acid's also used in the breakdown of fats and sugars.

Food Sources: Meat, Fish, Eggs, Dairy etc.

We'll tackle the facts and myths of MSG in another blog post - it's natural occurrence and use as an additive etc. Till the next time,

Gym P.
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The Exercise Habit

Like most things, training is a habit, so, if you’re in the routine of exercising, it’s far easier to keep at it. “Keeping at it” is often thought as fanatical behavior and in many ways it is, but there are far worse things to be fanatical about.

I have to admit that I am fanatical about my own training and have been active in many sports since youth – wherever I’ve been in the world & whatever I’ve been doing, I’ve always made time to train – and largely enjoyed it! The thing I’ve found most difficult, but been disciplined enough to do, knowing when not to train – avoiding overtraining or trying to train through an injury. We all know this’ll only lead to a steady decline at best – sometimes it’s as difficult to stop yourself doing something as it is to start, but hopefully you’ll let commonsense prevail.

Although I’m in the habit of exercising, I know all too well it’s not the easiest habit for most people – easy to break, but far less easy to make – as I deal day-in-day-out with clients whose experiences have consisted of starting and stopping and starting again. In fact, the same is equally true regarding dieting – a subject that goes hand-in-hand with exercising and that we’ll cover in more detail in forthcoming newsletters.

For me, there are a few common pitfalls why most people have difficulty making exercise a regular habit. The overlapping main problem areas are:

1. Poor knowledge. A lack of understanding of how to structure a suitable training regime means not being able to attain objectives and an inevitable lack of motivation over time.

2. Haste. The over eagerness to look or feel a certain way can lead to an “all or nothing” approach. You want to train every night – running, weight training, team sports etc. – and it’s unsustainable, so you give up.

3. Unrealistic goals. Often you set out to do or achieve too much. The realization that you’re not going to achieve your goal/s leads to a lack of motivation.

4. Lack of motivation. As well as the problem areas mentioned above contributing to a lack of motivation, failure to enjoy your exercise can leave your exercising feeling like a chore, rather than a hobby.

So, how do we address these issues? Keep it simple. Here are the four measures to start the exercise habit (and keep it going!).

1.Seek advice. Consulting knowledgeable people within your exercise field is highly recommended. As the Gym Professor slogan suggests, “Knowledge is Power”. The Gym Professor website offers sensible sample process maps to aid your progression – use them!

2. Less haste, more speed! Following a gradual and consistent climb toward your goals, such as the process maps mentioned above, will ensure your progression.

3. Set an achievable course of action! Do not set out to do too much! Progress is the key, so take one step at a time and set both short-term and long-term goals that are achievable.

4. Commit to something. Making a start can be the most difficult thing, so creating a reason and a support group for your efforts can help wonders. For example, the reason may be a forthcoming wedding, holiday, charity race & the support network may be family or friends undertaking the same endeavours. It presents a great opportunity to socialize with family and friends whilst achieving your exercise goals at the same time.

For further information & ideas on structuring your training, please consider purchasing the forthcoming Gym Professor eBook (most likely titled "The Complete Weight Training Book"), which will provide easy-to-use process maps with hundreds of gym workout routines for you to follow (whatever your ability, sport or goal).

If you have found this information useful, please support the Gym Professor website by visiting our advertisers links.

Gym P.

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Magnesium

Normally supplemented (for different reasons, which we'll cover in a moment) in dosages up to 1000mg per day.

One use is to aid restful sleep. Famously, professional bodybuilders of the 70's and 80's performing double-splits (training twice in one day) would take 1000mg of Magnesium after a morning session to help them sleep deeply, in order to aid their recovery. My (Gym P.) favourite bodybuilder of all time - Frank Zane - was an advocate of this. Many sports supplements manufacturers today have a product amongst their range containing a large dosage of Magnesium with instruction of supplementing before bedtime, normally coupled with Zinc and sometimes Boron. The calming effect of Magnesium supplementation means that it's often used to help with anxiety and insomnia, which can be caused through Magnesium deficiency.

Another common supplemental use of Magnesium, although more popular with endurance athletes, is to avoid muscle cramps. Again, Magnesium deficiency (most likely due to excessive sweating in an endurance endeavor) being a likely cause of muscle cramps and muscle twitches. Other electrolytes - Calcium, Potassium and Sodium - are also important to replenish, hence the popularity of isotonic drinks for endurance events, but Magnesium can often be depleted first, due to a lesser amount being consumed within many diets. The late Dr. Mildred Seelig (a renowned researcher of Magnesium - you should be able to find her book on Amazon!) believed deficiency was wide spread amongst Western countries. There's many food sources (see some below) that provide good levels of Magnesium though. The reason for me typing this page this morning is that a running friend had mentioned yesterday that they'd started supplementing Magnesium and asked about food sources, their diet already contained almost all the sources I've listed below.

Two other more unlikely supplemental uses is firstly for a hangover, as alcohol depletes Magnesium levels. Try an isotonic drink after a night out - you'll feel far better! Secondly, to ease muscle cramps and sugar cravings. Again, cramps and low sugar levels being an indication of low levels of Magnesium.

Magnesium's functions also include formation of bone and teeth, where, along with calcium and phosphorus, Magnesium provides both structure and strength.

Food sources include: Wholegrain (bread & cereal), Dairy Products, Fish and other Seafood, Meat, Nuts.



Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Gym P.

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The Science of Human Movement

Kinesiology is the science of human movement. Having a basic understanding of what muscles move what, and in which direction, will help you perform weight training exercises with good form, in turn developing your physique and helping it adapt better to performing that movement within your sport.

I (Gym P.) cannot stress enough the difference a little bit of knowledge in this area (kinesiology) has made to some of the best athletes in the world, helping to improve their performance & avoid injury.

Tell me more about:

A to Z of Muscle Kinesiology

Anatomy - Regional Atlas

Exercise Diagrams (advising muscles worked)

Weight Training for Sport

Until the next time,

Gym P.

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Basics about steroids

I've been asked some rudimentary questions regarding steroids a few times this week by differing audiences, subsequently, I thought it appropriate to add a blog post covering some very basic information.  

There are three commonly known types of steroids - androgens (dominant male hormones), estrogens (dominant female hormones) and cortisones (often used as an anti-inflammatory drug). The most abundant androgen in men is testosterone. Increased testosterone is seen as beneficial for athletic performance because it influences our metabolism (body's processes) to increase muscle mass, strength, recovery & regulates less accumulation of body fat. Subsequently, men will typically display a greater muscle mass, strength & lower body fat percentage than women, although I know many women that would argue our ability of greater recovery :-) .


The mention above of testosterone aptly brings me to the reason the majority of us, certainly if you're on a gym biased website like this, will associate the name steroid with anabolic steroids. Anabolic steroids (a subgroup of androgens) have primarily been designed as a synthetic copy of testosterone, albeit typically lower in androgen properties. So, encompassing all the "good" aspects that testosterone brings - muscle growth & recovery - while downplaying the "bad" aspects - oily skin, acne, baldness, body hair etc. This is not to say that users of anabolic steroids will not experience androgenic side-effects, as androgen levels will still be increased and, certainly if higher doses are taken, the risk is greater increased. We'll discuss this further (& other side-effects) on GymProfessor.com and future blog posts.

Visit GymProfessor.com for more information on the below subjects:
Are steroids illegal?
Why do people take steroids?
Various types of steroids.
Side-effects of steroids.
Other performance enhancing drugs.
TRAINING DRUG FREE.
How steroids are dealt.

Until the next time,

Gym P. 

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Measuring Blood Glucose

As per blood cholesterol measuring, levels of blood glucose are measured in mmol/l or mg/dl. Blood glucose testing is important in determining if someone suffers from Hyperglycemia (high blood glucose/ sugar) or Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), and in some cases Diabetes. If you're already aware of one of the aforementioned problems, regular blood testing can help track progress/ management. It's also advisable during certain dietary conditions, such as fasting or low carb diets.

As regards Diabetes, the closer blood glucose is kept to normal, the less likely someone's going to suffer Diabetes complications. As mentioned above, regular blood glucose tests can help identify whether meal plans and exercise (& possibly medication) are working to keep blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible.

Blood glucose ranges will vary during the day (around meal times) and, therefore, so will associated blood glucose target levels. The person conducting the test (hopefully a medical professional) will take this into account (along with several other factors like diet), for example, a generally recognised blood glucose target range for a non-Diabetic person two hours after a meal is under 140 mg/dl, compared to under 160 mg/dl for a Diabetes sufferer. Whereas, if the test was conducted upon waking (before breakfast), target levels would be roughly 30 mg/dl lower (Under 110 mg/dl for non-Diabetic, 90 - 130 mg/dl for someone with Diabetes).

For further information on Diabetes, please vist the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) or the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC).

Gym Professor

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L-Glutamine

Just a quick post today....

L-Glutamine is the body's most abundant non-essential amino acid. It becomes conditionally essential (requiring intake from food or supplements) in states of illness or injury. Therefore, it's not uncommon for those regularly exercising (hopefully, you!) to supplement L-Glutamine (or for sport supplement manufacturers to add additional L-Glutamine to protein supplements), as the physical stress of exercise will decrease L-Glutamine concentrations.

Typically, I (Gym P) have known bodybuilders supplement L-Glutamine during pre-competition diet. The reason, not only to reduce fatigue, but, to help suppress carbohydrate craving.

Enjoy your Easter! 

GP
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