TAG | Recovery
24
Compression Gear: Fashion or Function
No comments · Posted by Jason Zagami in Cross Training, New Articles, Recovery, Running
Compression Clothing and Sleeves are popping up on more and more local athletes these days. I see runners wearing them at 5K races and It makes me laugh. You can usually spot CrossFitters wearing them under their shorts. In most cases they’re worn because it’s fashionable, not for it’s benefits.
Purpose
Compression Sleeves work well in extreme heat or cold weather for thermal regulation. In cold environments they decrease the time it takes to warm up for an event. In hot environments they help wick away moisture to keep you cool while providing significant UV protection. I used Under Armor’s Compression Clothing during MMA training to protect from abrasion.
Research
Most compression sleeves are sold because of their ability to limit muscular oscillation during high velocity movements. They also make claims to increase circulation, decrease swelling, and reduce duration and severity of D.O.M.S. Recent studies show that they do decrease swelling, and reduce muscle oscillation, but their ability to limit perceived muscle soreness is over exaggerated.
Compression · Recovery · Running · sleeves · socks
22
Fueling vs Nutrition
No comments · Posted by Jason Zagami in Cross Training, New Articles, Recovery
Nutrition
I define nutrition as the basic caloric intake required to maintain your lean body mass. We use a Zone-Paleo Hybrid for non Endurance Athletes.
Zone Diet
A 1 Block daily requirement for each 10 lbs of Lean Body Mass.
9g of Carbs
7g of Protein
1.5g of Fat
For more on the Zone Diet Click Here
Fueling
Fueling for Non-Endurance Athletes consists of replacing Muscle and Liver Glycogen stores depleted through exercise. The easiest and most accurate equipment available to athletes come from heart rate monitors.
Buy a Polar Heart Rate Monitor, plug in your age, sex, and weight. After each workout check the readout for calories burned.
If your goal is weight loss, replace 50% of the calories burned with a recovery drink within 30 minutes of finishing.
To maintain your body weight replace 100% of the calories burned with a recovery drink within 30 minutes. Fully recharging your Glycogen Stores ensures proper recovery and peak performance.
Recovery Drinks
An optimal recovery drink has between a 2/1 and 3/1 Carb to Protein Ratio, little or no Fat, and minimal Fiber content which will slow absorption.
The best recovery drinks are fat free Chocolate Milk & Mix1 drinks.
Chocolate Milk has a 3/1 Carb to Protein ratio, but is known to cause digestive problems if you’re Lactose intolerant.
Mix1 Drinks have a 2/1 Carb to Protein ratio. They are easily digestible and include Anti-Oxidants, to combat Free-Radical Damage and Oxidative Stress caused through intense exercise.
This is a question I get asked a lot. It just feels so good to apply heat to an injury. It soothes aching muscles, has a positive effect on the plasticity of muscle fibers, and will loosen stiff joints in cold weather. The only time to use heat is to loosen stiff muscles and joints pre-workout. Never after.
Heat has a Dark and Destructive Side – Inflammation.
Heat increases blood flow and swelling to an affected area. If you have a sprain or strain you need ice. 10 to 20 minutes on with 20 to 30 minutes off. Repeat as often as necessary, but make sure not to apply ice directly to the skin. Use a towel to avoid direct contact.
Applying an ice pack will constrict blood vessels, reduce swelling, and has a numbing effect on nerves. Ice works great on both muscles and joints to reduce swelling and pain.
There is a third option: Cycling hot and cold. This can be done with a contrast shower to flush out byproducts of an intense activity. Hop in the shower with a timer. Aim the water towards your center mass and legs. Spend five minutes with the shower as warm as you can handle, then five minutes as cold as it goes, follow with two more minutes of hot, then two minutes of cold. End on cold and dry off. The first couple times you do this it will be hard to bear, but in time you will actually look forward to it.
Ice Baths, Contrast Showers, and Ice Packs are all important Cryotherapy tools. Find out from a qualified Strength and Conditioning coach how and when to implement these tools.
Expertise
At Solid Body our Strength and Conditioning coaches have years of experience helping athletes. Let us help you reach your goals whether it’s a marathon or losing five pounds, we can get you there.
Solid Body Fitness
617-365-0905
Jason@SolidBodyFit.com