Archive for August, 2010

The human body operates most efficiently when it is in balance , or has achieved a state known as homeostasis. As such, optimal recovery means that all body systems have returned to the state they were in before exercise (homeostasis). However, for most avid exercisers, recovery is a limiting factor. The better you can recover, the sooner and better you can train. The process of recovery (regeneration) gets less tending than it should. Every person should have a systematic plan that includes recovery activities on a day-to-day, weekly, every month, and yearly basis. The following are simple tools that you can implement to help your body recover better between exercise bouts.

Cool-down

After exhaustive exercise, don’t stop and rest immediately . You can speed up the remotion of lactic acid from your muscles by continuing to exercise at a low intensity for 10-20 minutes. Cooling down can help reduce the feeling of stiffness that often occurs after a workout and is especially crucial if your next training session or event is scheduled a few hours later.

Stretch

 You can really put yourself in trouble by static stretching before exercise   for damaging the very tissues you are trying to protect and as such should be avoided. Research has shown that stretching causes lengthening of the tendinous fibers inside the muscle-tendon unit. Such lengthening causes the tendon (or passive) component to lose much of its shock absorbency, thus, placing the muscle fibers at greater risk of trauma. However, stretching after exercise may help downplay muscle soreness and may even help prevent future soft tissue injuries. Thus, before activity, more active-type stretching routines that promote array of motion and increased blood flow are recommended. Conversely, after exercise, the emphasis should be on passive or static stretching to allow the muscles to loosen up and return to their resting lengths.

Carbohydrates

The muscles are primed for quick restoration of their carbohydrate fuel reserves (glycogen) immediately after exercise, so don’t wait too long to start eating foods and drinking beverages rich in carbohydrate. Fruits, energy bars, and sports drinks all contain large numbers of carbohydrate. From a nutrition standpoint, post-exercise is one of the only times where you want to be consuming high-glycemic indicator foods for they will stimulate a quicker release of insulin and, thus, carbohydrate storage in the muscles. Ideally, these fuels should be consumed as quickly as conceivable upon finishing your exercise session.

Protein

Most forms of exercise lead to the breakdown of proteins within the muscles . This breakdown-repair process stimulates the muscles to rebuild and become stronger. Moreover, some of our muscle proteins continue to be broken down during the recovery phase after exercise. For a faster buildup of muscle proteins during recovery, include a small amount of protein in the foods you eat. Milk, cheese, eggs, whey protein shakes, sandwiches, nuts (almonds, walnuts) and energy bars cater carbohydrate and protein. Look for easily digestible protein sources (such as the ones listed above) following strenuous exercise. Avoid saturated fats.

Fluids

Replacing lost fluid is crucial to the recovery process . Having adequate fluids within your body promotes the removal of toxins and waste from your muscles. Top off your supply of fluids by drinking before exercise, continue to hydrate every 15 or 20 minutes during a workout, and replace any body weight lost during exercise by drinking while you recover. Remember, 1 L of water is equivalent to 1 kg of body weight. Therefore, if the difference between your pre- and post-exercise weight is 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) you would want to rehydrate with 1.5 L of water to bring your body fluid back to homeostasis. Before, during, and after exercise, the rule of thumb is that if you’re thirsty, it’s too late! Therefore, be sure to have a water bottle throughout the day to sip on. On a daily basis (at rest), the number of ounces of water you should be consuming should equal half of your body weight (in lbs). Thus, if you weigh 200 lbs, then you want to be drinking 100 ounces of water (almost 3 L).

Salt

Your body loses water and minerals  – mostly sodium chloride, some potassium – when you sweat . Drinking water alone during exercise and recovery will make it difficult to replace body fluids rapidly because much of it will pass through the kidneys to become urine. Replace the salt along with the water to counteract dehydration. If you have to compete again within a few hours, consider sports drinks that contain water, sodium chloride, or fruits such as bananas which are high in potassium. Add extra salt to foods at mealtime if you are susceptible to cramps.  Instead of using salt tablets, consider using alternatives such as condiments, energy drinks, and fitness waters. 

Damage Control

Following an intense workout, inflammation, swelling and muscle soreness are very possible . To minimize the effects, consider cold packs around joint areas, alternating cold and hot whirlpool baths, and the use of specially designed magnets to speed the recovery process. Light massage is also a good option for promoting toxin removal from the tissues and reducing delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). A study by Hilbert et al. showed that a 20 minute massage 2 hours following exercise helped to reduce the intensity of soreness 48 hours post-exercise in subjects who underwent 6 sets of maximal eccentric hamstring contractions. Minimize foot contact with the ground. Engage in light activities that increase blood flow while not taxing the nervous system. Swimming, cycling, walk, and light jogs are alternatives, but minimize foot contact with the ground.

Sleep

 Lack of sleep, as evidence shows,  ï»¿ can have an adverse affect on training and competition. You might get by for a day or two with inadequate sleep, but it will catch up with up sooner or later. If you haven’t monitored your sleep habits already, determine how much sleep you need each night to ensure full recovery. It’s not eight hours for everyone – could be less, could be more. Then try to establish a routine that will allow you get what you need to perform well.

 Patterns of sleep can be divided into cycles of 1.5 hours  . If you can time sleep cycles in increments of an hour and a half (1.5 hours, 3.0 hours, 4.5 hours, 6.0 hours, 7.5 hours, 9.0 hours), you have a better chance of waking up refreshed. The idea is to awake at the top of the cycle instead of at the bottom. And don’t dismiss the ability of a 20-30 minute nap during the day. The journal Sleep highlighted a meta-analysis done on studies looking at the effects of sleep deprivation on performance. The researchers found that total sleep deprivation strongly impairs human functioning. Moreover, they found that mood is more affected by sleep deprivation than either cognitive or motor performance and that partial sleep deprivation has a more profound effect on functioning than either long-term or short-term sleep deprivation.

Also be aware that overtraining can impair your body’s power to fully rest and regenerate. A study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise revealed that female swimmers who trained excessively showed a higher incidence of sleep disruptions.

In sum, there are several measure that you can take to better your recovery between exercise sessions.  Remember that a combination of the several of the aforementioned tools should be implemented for best results.

References:

 Safran, M. et al (1989). Warm up and muscular injury prevention: an update. Sports Medicine, 239-249.
 Hibert, J. et al (2003). The effects of massage on delayed onset muscle soreness. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 37: 72-75.
 Pilcher, J & Huffcutt, A. (1996). Effects of sleep deprivation on performance: a meta-analysis. Sleep, 19(4): 318-326.
 S. Taylor et al. (1997). Effects of training volume on sleep, psychological, and selected physiological profiles of elite female swimmers. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 29(5):688-693.

Many people suffer from chronic UTI. The medical term UTI stands for urinary tract infection. Signs of a UTI include the following: frequent urges to urinate, urine that looks cloudy, and painful and burning urination.

There are several natural solutions that you can implement to reverse the causes of UTI. Drinking a lot of water is a good way to get rid of potential bacteria that can cause a UTI. avoiding coffee and spicy food can combat the causes of UTI because these foods can irritate the bladder. Decreaseing your sexual activity can combat the causes of UTI. By decreasing your sexual ac tivity you decrease the chance of infection intering your urethra and bladder.

The symptoms of a UTI include cloudy urine, a strong odor, low fever and a painful, constant need to urinate. Many women also experience fatigue, nausea, and a general ill feeling. If the infection is mild, it may often go away on its own without an antibiotic. However, a prescription medication can be necessary to fully remove all the bacteria so that the UTI does not return.

Homeopathic remedies may be used to treat UTI infections and the resulting symptoms. The specific homeopathic remedy chosen will depend on the symptoms being addressed. Belladonna is often used to treat UTI infections in which the urge to urinate is frequent and intense. Those who fail to pass a normal amount of urine can benefit from Clematis. Sarsaparilla is a good choice for those who have not had success in treating the UTI infection with other remedies. However, homeopathic remedies can be confusing and difficult to choose from without the help of a qualified homeopathic practitioner.

Vitamin C, like the cranberry juice remedy, is high in acidity and can be used as a treatment for uti. Taking 1000 milligrams per day can help restore the balance of the urinary tract and can also help prevent future bladder infections as well.

Today, there is a powerful, all-natural remedy that attacks the UTI from five different angles. Urizol is a powerful dietary supplement that offers women the opportunity to prevent urinary infections from ever arising. Imagine ” never suffering again! Effective against E. coli, the cause of most infections, Urizol acts as diuretic to cleanse and soothe your body while boosting your immune system. Taken at the first sign of discomfort, this supplement is scientifically formulated to provide fast relief without the harm of chemical drugs. Why suffer needlessly? Next time a UTI arises, rely on Urizol for safe, natural relief.

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I know you must be expecting an article with how to gain muscle mass fast in the title to be long and complicated but nothing could be fruther from the truth. In fact there are only 2 of the most important aspects of a successful strength training program mentioned in this article.

Many people know that you should use compound movements like bench presses and squats as the main exercies in a mass gaining program. You may also know that lower volume and more frequent workouts are better for building muscle mass fat than the more popular body part splits in muscle mags , but if your not using these two principles of how to gain muscle mass fast than you are cheating yourself out of building muscle mass as fast as possible.

  1. Take the time to take a few notes about your workouts and your body will literally tell you how to gain muscle mass fast! Keeping a record of every workout, lift, weight used, sets and reps will show your progression over time. Your body will tell you when a weight is too easy, when added volume or weight is needed in order to systematically overload your muscles each and every time you step into the gym in order to create a growth reaction from your muscles. You should write down not only the sets, reps and weight but how you felt about it after you have completed the exercise. You should write down if it was tough or easy and whether you feel that its time to add weight or stay the same.
  2. If you’re taking notes about your workouts you should use this information to apply a predetermined progressive overload plan. This is the essence of any strength training program. How to gain muscle mass fast is to reach a personal best every time you step into the gym. If you do not systematically overload your muscle more than you did last workout they have no reason to grow! Without getting into specific progression approaches what you need to do is lift more reps with the same weight or more weight for the same number of reps. A basic rule of thumb I like to use when deciding whether to add volume or weight is if I feel I am using a challenging weight I will add a set for more volume, if I feel I’m not challenged enough by the end of all my sets adn reps I know its time for more weight for my next workout. this way of progression works great for hypertrophy a.k.a. bigger muscles!

I hope the two key points I made above are not new to you but I realize that most guys are getting terrible workout advice from steroid using bodybuilders in muscle magazines. Use these principles of how to gain muscle mass fast becasue they have worked for a very long time for natural lifters like you who are willing to do the work and not cut corners!

UTIs, or urinary tract infections, affect millions of people every year. They are most common in women, but men and children are susceptible as well. UTIs occur when bacteria attaches to the urethra’s (the tube that lets urine flow from the bladder to the outside of the body) opening and multiply. Nearly all UTIs are caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli), bacteria which normally lives in the colon. People suffering from urinary tract infections can experience frequent urination, back pain, burning when urinating, pressure around the bladder or generalized fatigue and weakness, while others have no symptoms at all.

Increasing your hygiene can decrease the amount of bacteria and germs that are on your body.
Drinking cranberry juice can help the body get rid of toxins and bacteria. It helps fight the causes of UTI because it is well known to help flush your body of potential triggeers and causes of UTI. If you smoke, you are only increasing your cause of UTI. If you quit smoking, you decrease your chance of irritating your bladder and could cause bladder cancer.

When being treated with certain medications, the symptoms of urinary tract infections usually clear up in a few days; however, you may need to continue using medications for a week or longer, depending on how you respond to the medication. In additiion, your doctor may prescribe a pain medication that will help when there is pain with urination. One common side effect of urinary tract analgesics is discolored urine ” bright blue or orange.

There are many natural solutions you can use to try and resolve a UTI. The most popular one is cranberry juice. Cranberry juice flushes out your urinary tract without allowing the bacteria to cling to the walls of the urinary tract. You can either drink pure cranberry juice, or take cranberry tablets. If you do use the juice, make sure its it is pure cranberry juice and not cranberry juice “cocktail”.

The most common solution to a urinary tract infection is to take doctor prescribed antibiotics, but there are some natural alternatives for those who do not wish to go that route. One common way to treat a bladder infection naturally is cranberry juice. Cranberry juice is high in acidity, which can help restore the natural pH balance found in the bladder and help fight off those nasty germs that caused the problem in the first place. You need to be careful though when using cranberry juice for a bladder infection because the high acidity of the juice can in some cases cause more irritation and inflammation.

If you are experiencing pain and discomfort due to a urinary tract infection, you should try Urizol. Urizol uses a strategically mixed blend of herbs that attacks your bladder infection and gives you relief from the pain and burning as well. Urizol will help cleanse your bladder of the harmful bacteria and rid you of multiple symptoms using an all natural remedy.

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