Is Your Child A Fussy Eater (Part 3)

What you eat at age six (6) affects your health at age sixty (60). It is easy to see how a child’s diet equates to his present health and growth. The implications of his food intake on his future health and life expectancy is less apparent, yet some problems of chronic ill health in adult life has links to food intake in early childhood.


CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH

Atherosclerosis starts in childhood. It runs in families, as some are more predisposed. If close family members, uncles and grandparents have or had high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart problems before the age of sixty the child needs to watch out.

Fr instance it is recommended that all adults limit the fat content of their daily diet to less than 30 percent of total calories. Children under the age of two years should not have a restricted fat intake but after this age the same rule should apply. Reduced fat milk fortified with vitamin A & D can be used after the age of two.

There is a theory that kids who are fat or chubby in their childhood will be fat in adulthood as quantity of fat cells are determined by genetics spurned by diet during childhood. Once a certain amount of fat cells (not the size of them) are present in childhood, it is difficult to be slim later.


DIABETES

In most countries the incidence of diabetes is about ten (10%) percent an don the rise. Type 2 or mature-onset diabetes which is an adult type diabetes is now a problem even with teenage kids. This is directly due to poor dietary habits of eating too much refined carbohydrates.


OBESITY

Cardiovascular disease and diabetes are more common in overweight people. Over seventy (70%) percent of children who are overweight at ten to thirteen years will become overweight adults with its associated risks. As mentioned earlier this is because the number of fat cells increases in childhood and remains fixed during adult life.

Obesity is now an epidemic among children today. Carbonated and high fructose drinks have been a contributive factor. Sedentary lifestyle with high intakes of fat and refined carbohydrates and salt, with low fiber, protein and vitamin content are apparent today.



OSTEOPOROSIS


It is critical to amass a high bone density before one reach adulthood. It is inevitable that after the age of fifty (50), the bone becomes fragile and brittle with increasing age. Bone stores are laid down during childhood and adolescence to produce peak bone mass in early adult life. This will affect the density of bone present in later life and the severity of osteoporosis.

Bone growth in childhood needs a good supply of calcium. Children under the age of three (3) need about 500mg daily and those between four (4) and eight (8) need 800mg daily together with vitamin D and magnesium. This can be obtained from milk, fish and soy products.


ANOREXIA & BULIMIA

There have been very few studies conducted about the effects of childhood picky eating behaviors on the development of eating disorders later in life. One study that does address this issue was performed by Margaret Marchi, Ph.D and Patricia Cohen, Ph.D. In this study, problematic eating behaviors were traced in a large sample of children over a period of ten years. Children and their parents were questioned about the occurrence of unpleasant meals, struggles over eating, and picky eating during their daily routines, as well as about the amount of food eaten, speed of eating, and interest in food eaten. Picky eating was found to be very common among young children, regardless of sex differences. The study found that children who had troublesome patterns of eating when young were more likely to have problems with food later in life. Picky eaters showed an increase in the frequency and severity of bulimic and anorexic symptoms upon adolescence and adulthood.

Kotler et al. (2001) showed many of these same results. This study examined the extent to which symptoms of eating disorders remained stable over time, as well as the effect early childhood eating problems have on the development of eating disorders. This study showed a dramatic increase in the risk of developing an eating disorder when an individual had experienced eating problems earlier in life.

Another study, dated 1986, does not show a strong relationship between disturbed childhood eating patterns and bulimia later in life. In this study, twenty bulimic women and their parents were questioned retrospectively about childhood eating problems. Only two of the families reported fussy eating during childhood. Data from this study does not suggest a relationship between childhood feeding problems as a causal factor in the development of bulimia later in life.

Victor Chen on Radio Sabah

Speaking in Singapore 23 Dec 07 - Age Without Getting Old

Reasons for Fussy Eating (2)

Every parent knows it is difficult to get children to eat nutritious food, whether it is a toddler who wants nothing but instant noodles or a teenager who lives on junk food and soft drinks. Children need to eat frequently to sustain their high energy levels and keep their bodies growing.

Many young children go through periods of being fussy eaters and this is a normal part of growing up. Children often want to eat certain foods at a certain time and in a certain way. Many children, especially those from 1.5-5 years of age are sometimes picky eaters. They eat what appears to an adult as a small amount of food, and yet they are well, active and growing normally. The term “Fussy eaters” is not used for children who are breast feeding, only toddlers and children.

Some babies are very fussy while feeding, while others tend to doze off after a few minutes of feeding. The mother is not sure whether or not he has had his fill. But no sooner does she put him in the cot that he is up again and crying for feed.

ACQUIRED

It may be that while feeding he is not in a comfortable position, or his nose is blocked due to secretions or being pushed against the breast. In a bottle-fed baby, the hole in the nipple may be so small that the child tires easily.

Fussy eating habits are more acquired. An anxious mother is more likely to have an anxious fussy eater. Making meal times a battleground can worsen the situation. Often there may be no obvious reason. The child’s nervous system may not have matured enough to realize when his stomach is full. Whatever the reason, it makes the mother tense, which, in turn makes feeding even more difficult. The mother gets frustrated having to feed every half an hour, and the child remains unsatisfied and irritable.

FAMILY INFLUENCE

Your child should eat a more balanced diet. Start by setting a good example. If other members of your family commonly eats lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products, your kids will learn to eat a good diet. Kids tend to copy their parents, so if you eat well, they are more likely to eat well too. Limit snacks and drinks between meals. Drinking too much liquid can lessen your child's appetite. This will help ensure that your child is hungry enough to eat solid foods. Do not overfeed. Obesity in children is rarely recognised by parents and is a major health problem.

Is your child a fussy eater? (1)

Fourty-five percent (45%) of worried mothers seek doctors’ advice on the childrens’ eating problems. This is not surprising as studies has shown that 52% of toddlers are not hungry at meal times; 42% end meals very quickly; 35% are picky eaters; and 33% have evidence of food selectivity1.

Getting your child to eat healthily amid all the temptations and increasingly competitive society even at childhood can be rather daunting. Infections with various pestilences are on the rise – JE virus, Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), bird flu (H5N1 virus), dengue - and threatening our children.

There is also increasing awareness that certain nutrients like DHA and taurine can affect the child’s mental progress and helping him to be ahead of his peers. Thus the need to give him enough omega-3 foods besides making sure he eats 5 portions of fruits and vegetables a day.

Food is essential for life; it provides the fuel the child needs for energy, the micronutrients to keep the body functioning; proteins for growth and to make antibodies; and brain lipids for mental development. So a well balanced diet is crucial for a child’s growth and development and has implications for the child in the future, physically, biologically and socially.


1.1. WHAT IS AN EATING PROBLEM?

Eating problems can seriously affect a child’s growth and development. The definition of ‘eating problems’ is the inability or refusal to eat certain foods due to medical, behavioral, psychological or environmental factors1, 2.

The main types of eating problems include3:

Poor appetite
Food refusal
Inappropriate food for age
Extreme or limited food choices



1.2. HOW DOES AN EATING PROBLEM AFFECT THE CHILD?

Whatever the type of problem, the underlying issue is that there is not enough of the essential nutrients being eaten to maximize the developmental potential of the child. If the child’s diet is limited and results in him missing out entire food groups, there could be health implications. Refusal to drink milk and dairy products could result in weak bones and teeth; not eating fruits and vegetables increases the risk of asthma and iron deficiency in childhood can increase the risk of heart disease and certain cancers in the long term.

My article for Tupperware Inspira magazine

Detoxification is based on the principle that illnesses can be caused by the accumulation of toxic substances in the body. These include heavy metals and various chemicals such as pesticides, pollutants, and food additives. Drugs and alcohol have toxic effects on the body. Digestion of food also creates toxic by-products. Some people’s digestive tract becomes unable to digest food properly due to years of overeating and diets high in fat and processed foods and low in fiber. When this happens, food cannot pass through the digestive tract efficiently. Instead of being digested properly or eliminated from the bowel, food can literally rot inside the digestive tract and produce toxic by-products. This state is known as toxic colon syndrome or intestinal toxemia.

The body has natural methods of detoxification. Individual cells detoxify in the lymphatic system. The liver is the main organ for detoxification assisted by the kidneys, intestines and skin. Detoxification therapies try to activate and assist the body’s own detoxification process.

Proper detoxification specialists will do a host of tests of the blood, urine and allergic reactions. They will enact dietary changes, eliminating allergy-causing and unhealthy foods, and emphasizing foods that assist detoxification and healing – low fat, high fibre, vegetarian with a raw food emphasis. Processed foods, alcohol and caffeine are avoided. Nutritional supplements, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, amino acids, and essential fatty acids are often prescribed here as well as herbal supplements.

For toxic bowel syndrome, herbal laxatives and high fiber foods such as psyllium seeds are given to cleanse the digestive tract. Colonics are used to cleanse the lower intestines.

Lacto-Fiber
Lacto-Fiber contains both soluble fiber to absorb intestinal toxins and insoluble fiber to cleanse the colon. Lacto-fiber also contains important nutrients to prevent colon cancer that results from toxins accumulating in the intestinal tract. It also help rid toxins trapped in the lymphatic system.

Other methods
Certain doctors also provide chelation therapy to rid the body of heavy metals. Some of them also offer colonic lavage to clean out your lower intestine.

Fasting is another major therapy in detoxification. It is one of the quickest ways to eliminate stored toxins in the body and to prompt the healing process. There are various types of fast – liquid fast, juice fast, etc. All in all we should fast regularly to keep healthy.

Speaking in PuDongHua (Chinese)

I did something I never did before and that was to speak in Mandarin in Hong Kong. I can converse but the scientific terms were hard to memorize. Moreover, the subject was on "Live Cell Therapy".

Part4: Caffeine

Depending on preparation, one cup of brewed coffee contains etween 60 and 150 mg of caffeine, instant coffee about 100mg, brewed tea between 20 and 50mg and caffeinated soft drinks. I January 2004 the IOC removed caffeine from its list of banned substances.

Drinking 2.5 cups of percolated coffee (300mf of caffeine) up to 1 hour before exercise extends endurance ; it also improves short duration, high intensity exercise. This is roughly a 5mg/kg of body weight. The ergogenic effects of caffeine are not dose relayed with no additional benefits from caffeine doses above 5m/kg of body weight. The effect also last 5 hours so there is no need to ingest additional dose.

Its precise action is elusive. In the past it has always been attributed to its use of fat in the initial exercise period thus sparing the powerful carbohydrate fuel which can be used later. However, other erogogenic effects includes its enhancement of motoneuronal activity.

There are health warnings with caffeine however - irritability, headaches, insomnia, agitation dehydration etc. With caffeine, ingesting small amounts produces desirable effects, large quantities can create havoc.

Part4: Amphetamines

Comprises a group of pharmacological compounds that exert powerful stimulating effects on the central nervous system. They have a sympathomimetic effect leading to increase in heart rate, blood pressure. breathing rate and blood glucose.

Athletes use it to "get up" for the event and to psyche themselves up. The IOC bans the use of the substance though research indicate that they do not enhance performance.

Participants in my seminar- Disease Specific Nutrition

MyMode Seminar

Receiving a gift from Datin Fara after speaking at MyMode November Seminar. My talk was entitled "You Don't Have To Skip Meals To Lose Weight".

Part4: Amino Acids

An emerging trend involves using nutrition as a "legal" alternative to activate the body's normal anabolic mechanisms. Weight lifters, bodybuilders and health freaks regularly use amino acid supplements, believing they boost the body's natural production of testosterone, GH, insulin, or insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1) and so improve muscle size and strength and decrease body fat. The rationale for this stems from the clinical use of amino acid infusion or ingestion to regulate anabolic hormones in deficient patients.

However, research on healthy subjects does not provide convincing evidence for an ergogenic effect of regular intake of amino acid supplements on hormone secretion, training responsiveness, or exercise performance.

Stimulating and anabolic effect

Manipulation and timing of intake of nutritional variables in the immediate pre- and post- exercise periods can affect the responsiveness to resistance training via mechanisms that alter the nutrient availability, enzyme activity, and hormonal secretions, interactions with receptors on target tissues, and gene translations and transcription.

Resistance training stimulates protein synthesis and protein degradation in exercised muscle fibers. Muscle hypertrophy should occur when there is a net increase in protein synthesis. Dietary modifications that increase amino acid transport into muscles and that which also increases anabolic hormones like insulin should on paper increase anabolism and/or depress catabolism.

Carbohydrate-Protein Supplementation in Recovery Augments Hormonal Response to Resistance Exercise

Studies show that there is a transcient 4-fold increase in protein synthesis following a carbohydrate-protein supplement consumed prior or immediately after resistance exercise. Other studies show enhanced glycogen and protein synthesis with increasing carbohydrate and protein intake following a workout.

Postexercise Glucose Augments Protein balance after resistance training

A study showed that glucose post resistance exercise reduced muscle catabolism and increase leucine incorporation into muscles.

New Book

I have been busy traveling so have been slack in writing on this blog and my gospel writing blog.

Part 4: Androstenedione

You can buy this in pharmacies and supposedly stimulates production of endogenous testosterone, enables more intense training, helps build muscle mass and rapidly repairs tissue injury.

It is a prohormone and only a step from the biosynthesis of testosterone.

Little evidence support androstenedione's ergogenic effectiveness and anabolic qualities. Research has shown no favorable effect on muscle mass or body composition

However, it can impair the blood lipid profile of healthy men and cause androgenization of female athletes.

New Book Hitting The Shelves soon...

Part 4: Dehydroepiansrosterone (DHEA)

DHEA is a weak steroid hormone synthetised primarily from cholesterol by the adrenal cortex.

The marketers of this hormone has labeeled it as a protection for cancer, heart disease, diabetes and heart disease; while bolstering the immune system; preserving youth; facilitates lean tissue gain and losing body fat.

DHEA levels decline after the age of 30, and by age 75 the plasma levels are only 20% of young adults. Popular reasoning concludes that DHEA supplementation blunts the negative effects of aging by raising plasma concentrations to youthful levels. Many people supplement with this "natural" hormone just in case it proves beneficial - typically without considering the potential harm (Just like HGH).

Pharmaceutical companies synthesise DHEA from chemicals of extract it from wild yam. The dose available ranges from 10mg to 2000 mg. Little is known about is effects on healthy aging, and its potential for side effects.

Concern exists about the effect of unregulated long-term DHEA supplementation at or baove 50mg on bodily function and overall health.
The DHEA converts into androgens such as testosterone promoting facial hair in females and alters the menstrual function. Like exogenous anabolic steroids, DHEA lowers HDL cholesterol to increase heart disease risk. Clinicians are worried that elevating plasma DHEA may stimulate growth of otherwise dormant prostate gland tumors or cause benign prostatic hypertrophy.

Part 4: Human Growth Hormone (HGH)

HGH competes with anabolic steroids in the illicit market of alleged tissue-building, performance-enhancing drugs.

Growth Hormone (GH) stimulates bone and cartilage growth, enhances fatty acid oxidation, and reduces glucose and amino acid breakdown. Healthy elderly men who received GH supplements increased lean body mass by 4.3% and decreased fat mass by 13.1%. However, supplementation did not reverse the negative effects of aging such as declining muscular strength and aerobic capacity. , the true markers of biological age.

At first glance, GH use seems appealing to strength and power athletes because at physiological levels, this hormone stimulates amino acid uptake and muscle protein synthesis while enhancing fat breakdown and conserving glycogen reserves. Hpwever, there are few studies to really prove its performance enhancement. Moreover, there are many side effects.

Part 4: Beta Agonists

Beta agonist drugs that stimulate the B2-receptors have been found to be useful in building up muscle mass in people who don't exercise or train.

It is less responsive in those who train regularly, as with exercise training, the beta2 receptors in muscles downregulate.

Such drugs include albuterol and salbutamol.

Part 4: Anabolic Steroids

Anabolic steroids are legitimately used for androgen deficiency, muscle wasting, osteoporosis etc.

Millions of athletes especially body builders used androgens, often combined with stimulants, hormones, and diuretics.

They function in a similar manner to testosterone, the chief male hormone. Synthetically manipulating the steroid's chemical structure to increase muscle growth reduces the masculinizing or androgenic effects.

Athletes typically combine multiple steroid preparation in oral and injectable form, a practice call stacking, because they believe that the various androgens differ in physiological actions. They progressively increase the drug dose - a practice called pyramiding - usually in 6-12-week cycle. The drug quantity far exceeds the recommended medical dose, often by 40-fold. The athlete then progressively lowers the dose in months before the competition to lower the chance of detection

Part4: Special Aids to Exercise Training and Performance

Considerable information exists about ergogenic aids and athletic performance - ergogenic referring to the application of a nutritional, physical, mechanical, psychological or pharmacological procedure or aid to improve physical work capacity or athletic performance.

We will look at the potential benefits of alcohol, amphetamines, ephedrine, hormones, carbohydrates, amino acids, fatty acids, additional red blood cells, caffeine, carnitine, creatinine, phosphates, oxygen-rich breathing mixtures, massage, wheatgerm oil, mnrelas...and even marijuana and cocaine on athletic performance.

PHARMACOLOGICAL AGENTS

Many athletes use pharmacological agents to improve power, endurance and strength.

The IOC currently bans the following 7 category of substances:

1. Stimulants
2. Narcotic analgesics
3. Androgenic-anabolic steroids
4. B-blockers
5. Diuretics
6. Peptide hormones and analogues
7. Substances that alter urine sample integrity.

Continue tomorrow....

Back Home

Finally back home...

After holidays plus working trip...

Watch out for Dochen range of products soon! Some are my own unique ideas and only available to the Dochen range.

Taking a break till September 20th

Dear All.

I will not blog for a few weeks as work is rather hectic and I am also planning to go away to:

1) Adelaide - for the best wine in Down Under :-).


2).Melbourne - to catch up with a friend.



3). Auckland - to do some work with the largest manufacturer of Health Supplements in New Zealand.


Catch you all soon!

Victor.

NuXlim

Part 3: Glucose feedings, electrolytes, and water uptake

Ingesting fluid before and during exercise minimizes the detrimental effects of dehydration on cardiovascular dynamics, temperature regulation, and exercise performance. Adding carbohydrate to an oral rehydration solution provides additional glucose energy for exercise. Adding electrolyes to the rehydration beverage maintains the thirst mechanism and reduces the risk of hyponatremia.

Concern centers on the dual observations that (1) a large fluid volume intake impairs carbohydrate uptake; while (2) a concentrated sugar solution impairs fluid replenishment.

Consuming 400-600 ml of fluid immediately before exercise, followed by regular fluid ingestion during exercise (250 ml every 15 mins) optimizes gastric emptying by maintaining relatively large volumes in the stomach.

Gastric emptying slows when ingested fluids contain a high concentration of particles in solution (osmolality) or possess high caloric content. Fewer particles facilitate water movement from the stomach for intestinal absorption. Too high osmolality you will get pulling of water into the intestine by osmosis and you will get stomach/bowel cramps. The ideal oral rehydration solution to maintain fluid balance during exercise and heat stress contains between 5-8% carbohydrates (divide the carbohydrate content in gram by fluid volume and multiply by 100). Adding a moderate amount of sodium to fluid stabilizes plasma sodium concentrations, which benefits the ultraendurance athlete at risk of hyponatremia. Added sodium in the rehydration beverage also reduces urine production and sustains the sodium-dependent osmotic drive to drink.

So next time you can check your rehydration drink be it 100 plus, Gatorade and see how they measure up to what I have just written :-).

Part 3: Carbohydrate replenishment after exercise

All carbohydrates and carbohydrate-containing foods do not digest and absorb at the same rate. There is something called the Glycemic Index which I have dwelt on in my book "Staying Healthy, Staying Vital."

A food with moderate-to high glycemic index rating offers more benefit for rapid replenishment of carbohydrate following prolonged exercise than one rated low, even if the replenishment meal contains a small amount of lipid and protein. The revised glycemic index however includes the glycemic load associated with the consumption of specified serving sizes of different foods (we won't dwell on this here).

Optimal glycogen replenishment benefits individuals in (1) regular training (2) tournament competition with qualifying rounds (3) events scheduled with only 1-2 days for recuperation. An intense bout of resistance (weight) training also significantly reduces glycogen resrves.

Recommendations:

Consuming carbohydrate-rich, high glycemic foods immediately following intense training or competiton speeds glycogen replacement. The optimal effectiveness of glycogenosis (restoring glycogen) is 30-60 minutes after exercise.

Part 3: Carbohydrate feedings during exercise

Physical and mental performance improves with carbohydrate supplementation during exercise. The addition of protein to the carbohydrate-containing beverage (4:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein) may delay fatigue and reduce muscle damage.

When a person consumes carbohydrates during endurance exercise, the carbohydrate form exerts little negative effect on hormonal response, exercise metabolism, or endurance performance. The reason is straightforward: increased levels of sympathetic nervous system
hormones (catecholamines) in exercise inhibit insulin release. Concurrently, exercise increases a muscle's absorption of glucose, so any exogenous glucose moves into the cells with a lower insulin requirement.

Ingested carbohydrate provides a readily available energy nutrient for active muscles during prolonged intense [75% aerobic capacity] exercise [>1hour] and repetitive short bouts of near-maximal effort. Little benefit comes from carbohydrate feedings during low-intensity exercise [below 50% maximum] because fat oxidation fuels exercise with little demand on carbohydrate breakdown.

Soccer

Picture of me playing Soccer in Australia when I was younger. Leaner, meaner and able to do the 100m dash under 11 seconds then!

Part 3: Carbohydrate feedings prior to exercise

High intensity aerobic exercise for 1 hour decreases liver glycogen by about 55%, whereas a 2-hour strenuous workout almost depletes the glycogen of the liver and active muscle fibers.

Prior to exercise:

Confusion exists regarding the potential endurance benefits of preexercise ingestion of simple sugars. Some researchers argue that consuming rapidly absorbed high glycemic carbohydrates within 1 hour before exercising accelerates glycogen depletion. This negatively affects endurance performance by the following mechanism.

• A rapid rise in blood sugar triggers an overshoot in insulin release. An excess of insulin cause a relative hypoglcemia (called rebound hypoglycemia). Significant blood sugar reduction impairs central nervous system function during exercise.

• A large insulin release facilitates the influx of glucose into muscle, which disproportionately increases glycogen catabolism in exercise. At the same time, high insulin levels inhibit lipolysis, which reduces fatty acid mobilization from adipose tissue. Augmented carbohydrate breakdown and depressed fat mobilization contribute to premature glycogen and early fatigue.

Research in late 70s indicated that drinking a highly concentrated sugar solution before exercise precipitated early fatigue in endurance activities. However, subsequent research has not corroborated the negative effects of concentrated preexercise sugar feeds on endurance. This discrepancy in research findings has no clear explanations.

One way to eliminate any potential for negative effects of prexercise simple sugars is to ingest them at least 60 mins before exercising. This provides sufficient time to reestablish hormonal balance before exercise begins.

Part 3: Nutrition-Liquid & Prepackaged Bars, Powders, and Meals

Commercially prepared nutritional bars, powders, and liquid meals offer an alternative approach in precompetition feeding or as supplemental feedings during periods of competition.

Liquid Meals

Liquid meals provide high carbohydrate content but contain enough lipid and protein to contribute to satiety. They also supply the person with fluid because they exist in liquid form. The liquid meal digests rapidly, leaving essentially no residue in the intestinal tract. Liquid meals prove particularly effective during daylong swimming and tract meets, or during tennis, soccer, and basketball tournaments. in these situations, the person usually has little time for food.


Nutritional Bars
Also called "energy bars", "diet bars" or "protein bars", they contain a relatively high protein content that ranges from 10 to 90 g per bar. The often contain vitamins and minerals.

The typical 60g bar contains 25g of carbohydrate (100 kCal), 15g of protein (60kCal) and 5g o f lipid (45 kCal).

The composition of nutritional bars generally varies with their purpose. Energy bars contain a greater proportion of carbohydrates while "diet" bars are lower in carbohydrate content and higher in protein. "Meal replacement" bars have the largest energy content (240 to 900 KCal). However, they lack the broad array of plant fibers and phytochemicals found in food and contain a relatively high level of saturated fatty acids.

Nutritional Powders and Drinks

A high protein content between 10 and 50 g per serving represents a unique aspect of nutritional powders and drinks. They also contain added vitamins and minerals. The powders come in canisters or packets that readily mix with water., while the drinks come premixed in cans. They are often marketed as meal replacement energy booster or concentrated protein sources.

The composition of nutritional powders and drinks varies considerably from nutritional bars. For one thing, nutritional bars contain at least 15g of carbohydrates to provide texture and taste, whereas powders and drinks do not. This accounts for the higher protein content with nutritional powders and drinks.

Part 3:Precompetitive meal-Protein or Carbohydrate?

When I was in boarding school in Australia, we used to play competitive sports each Saturday morning. The usual breakfast is bacon and eggs, sometime sausages etc. Such foods ma satisfy the athlete, boarding master and parents. A meal of this type with is low carbohydrate content, actually thwarts optimal performance.

The following five reasons justify modifying or even abolishing the high-protein precompetition meal in favor of one high in carbohydrates:

1. Dietary carbohydrates replenish the significant depletion of liver and muscle glycogen from the overnight fast.
2. Carbohydrate digestion and absorption are more rapid than either protein or lipid. Thus, carbohydrate provides energy faster and reduces the feeling of fullness following a meal.
3. A high protein meal elevates resting metabolism more than a high carbohydrate meal because of protein's greater energy requirements for digestion, absorption and assimilation. This additional thermic effect could strain the body's heal-dissipating mechanisms and impair exercise performance in hot weather.
4. Protein catabolism for energy facilitates dehydration during exercise because the byproducts of amino acid breakdown require water for urinary excretion. About 50ml of water "accompanies" the excretion of each gram of urea.
5. Carbohydrate, not protein, serves as the main energy nutrient for short term anaerobic activity and high-intensity aerobic exercise.

The ideal precompetition meal maximizes muscle and liver glycogen storage and provides glucose for intestinal absorption during exercise. The meal should:

• Contain 150 to 300 g og carbohydrate
• Be consumed 3-5 hours before exercising
• Contain relatively little fat and fiber to facilitate gastric emptying and minimize gastrointestinal distress.

Part 3: Nutrition-Precompetitive meal

Athletes often compete in the morning following an overnight fast. Significant depletion occurs in the body's carbohydrate reserves over an 8-12 hour period without eating. This occurs even if the person previously follows appropriate dietary recommendations. The precompetition meal is to provide adequate carbohydrate energy and ensures optimal hydration. Fasting before competition or training makes no sense physiologically because it rapidly depletes liver nad muscle glycogen and impairs exercise performance (but should not overdo it either as to high carbohydrate load can lead to abdominal cramps due to osmosis.ie water pulled into intestine due to high osmolality).

If a person trains or competes in the afternoon, breakfast becomes the important meal to optimize glycogen reserves. For late afternoon training (my usual timing) or competition, lunch becomes the important source for topping glycogen stores.

Asa general rule, competition day should exclude foods high in lipid and protein. Such foods digest slowly and remain in the digestive tract longer than foods containing similar energy as carbohydrate. Note that is takes 3-4 hours to digest and store a carbohydrate rich precompetition meal as muscle and liver glycogen.

Part 3: Eat More, Weigh less

Physically active individuals generally consume more calories per kg of body mass than sedentary counterparts. The extra energy required for exercise accounts for the larger caloric intake. Paradoxically, the most active men and women, who eat more on a daily basis, weigh less than those who exercise at a lower total caloric expenditure.

Thus, regular exercise allows a person to "eat more yet weigh less" while maintaining a lower percentage of body fat , despite the age-related tendency toward weight gain. Physically active persons maintain a lighter and leaner body and a healthier heart disease risk profile, despite intake of the typical Malaysian diet.

Part 3: Optimal Nutrition For Exercise

An optimal diet supplies nutrients in adequate amounts for tissue maintenance, repair, and growth without excess energy intake. Dietary intake for active people must account for energy demands of the particular chosen sport and its training demands. The physically active person person must obtain sufficient energy and macronutrients to replenish liver and muscle glycogen, provide amino acid building blocks for tissue growth and repair, and maintain a desirable body weight. Lipid intake must also provide essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins.

The large number of teenagers and adults, including competitive athletes, who exercise regularly to keep fit do not require additional nutrients beyond those obtained through the regular intake of a nutritionally well-balanced diet.

Part 2: Water: Output

Water loss from the body occurs in 4 ways:

1.Urine:

The kidney is obligated to rid metabolic byproducts such as urea, an end product of protein metab olism. Large quantity of protein used for energy accelerates dehydration during exercise.

2.Skin:

Each day a person under normal temperature lose 500 to 700 ml of sweat. During prolonged exercise an athlete can lose up to 12L of sweat in hot conditions (at the rate of 1L per hour).

3.Vapor:

Water loss via small droplets in exhaled air accounts for 200-300ml per day.

4.Faeces:

Water loss in faces is around 100-200ml daily.

Hyponatremia

There is need to drink before, during and after exercise. In many circumstances people are recommended to drink plain, hypotonic water. However, excessive fluid intake can produce hyponatremia or water intoxication. A sustained low plasma sodium concentration creates an osmotic imbalance across the blood-brain barrier that causes rapid water influx to the brain. This can result in confusion, malaise, headache, cramping, seizures etc.

To reduce overhydration and hyponatremia risk in prolonged exercise you can do the following:

1. Drink 400-600 ml of fluid 2 to 3 hours before exercise.
2. Drink 150 to 300 ml about 30 minutes before exercise.
3. Drink no more than 1L per hour of plain water spread over 15 minutes interval during or after exercise.
4. Add a small amount of sodium to the ingested liquid.

This information is more for endurance athletes.

Part 2: Water: Input

A sedentary adult needs about 2.5 L of water a day. This varies depending if the person is active or those living in hot and humid conditions.

Sources of water:

1. Foods - Fruits and vegetables contain a lot of water.

2. Liquids - an average individual normally consumes 1200ml of water. Exercise and thermal stress increase the need for fluid by five to six times this amount.

3. Metabolic water - the breakdown of macronutrient (fat, carbohydrates, and protein) molecules in energy metabolism forms water and carbon dioxide.

Part 2: Water: Oxygen water

These days you can see athletes endorsing oxygenated water. National shuttler Lee Chong Wei is one of them. There is very little oxygen in water in the first place and even if it is seven or ten times the oxygen content of normal water as has been claimed, this is negligible. Humans breathe in oxygen via the lungs, not via the gastrointestinal tract, for we do not have gills like fish. Oxygen is unlikely to bind with water, and even if it did, how can it reach the cells if taken via the gastrointestinal tract. Why didn’t the person who invented the technology of binding oxygen to water win any scientific awards if there was such a technology? And if the oxygen is compressed into the bottle, surely it will dissipate when you open the cap.

Moreover, super-oxygen water usually costs three times the price of normal bottled water. We humans were not designed to absorb oxygen via the stomach. That’s basic science. Some things that Mother Nature created can’t be changed. If anything is free, it is oxygen. Just take a few deeper breaths and there you instantly have more oxygen in your blood than drinking a bottle of super-oxygenated water.

It is the red blood cells that deliver oxygen to the cells and organs. Oxygen deprivation to the cells is due to many reasons such as atherosclerosis or lead poisoning whereby the red blood cells cannot bind oxygen well.

So please don't buy the expensive water as it won't enhance your exercise performance.

Part 2: Water

Water makes up about 40-70% of the body mass, depending on age, gender and body composition. Body fat has a low water content (10% of weight), while 60% of the weight of muscle is water.

Water serves as the body's transport and reactive medium; diffusion of gases always takes place across surfaces moistened by water. Nutrients and gases travel through the water in urine and faeces.

Water in conjunction with various proteins, lubricates joints and cushions a variety of moving organs such as heart, lungs, intestines, and eyes. Because water is noncompressible, it gives structure and form to the body through the turgor it provides for body tissues.

Water has tremendous heat-stabilizing qualities because it can absorb a lot of heat with only small changes in temperature. This quality, combined with water's high heat of vaporization, maintains a relatively stable body temperature during (1) environmental heat stress (2) the increased heat load generated during exercise.

Part 2: Minerals and Exercise Performance

Consuming mineral supplements above recommended levels on a long or-short term basis does not benefit exercise performance or enhance training responsiveness.

Mineral Loss in Sweat

Excessive water and electrolyte loss impairs heat tolerance and exercise performance. It also leads to severe dysfunction culminating in heat cramps, heat exhaustion/stroke. During an event a male athlete may lose up to 5kg of water from sweating. This corresponds to 8g of salt depletion, because 1kg of sweat contains 1.5 g of salt.

Trace Mineral & Exercise

Strenuous exercise may increase excretion of chromium, copper, zinc and manganese.

There are many supplements athletes may take but for most athletes, trace mineral deficiency does not compromise exercise performance or overall health.

Battle Plan For Cardiovascular Disease

Dear All,

This is my latest published book. Finished it a year ago but only now did the publisher printed it. I have at least 4 other books I finished but not published.

Part 2: Minerals: Sodium, Potassium & Chlorine

Sodium, potassium and chlorine, collectively termed electrolytes, remain dissolved in the body fluids as electrically charged particles, or ions. Sodium and chlorine represent the chief minerals contained in the blood plasma and extracellular fluid.

Electrolytes modulate fluid exchange within the body's fluid compartments, promoting a constant well-regulated exchange of nutrients and waste products between the cell and its internal fluid environment. Potassium is the chief intracellular mineral.

Sodium and potassium ions establish the proper electrical gradient across cell membranes. the difference in electrical balance between the cell's interior and exterior surfaces facilitates nerve impulse transmission, stimulation and action of muscles, and proper gland functioning.

Electrolytes also maintain plasma membrane permeability and regulate the acid-base qualities of the bodily fluids, particularly the blood.

Part 2: Minerals: Iron (2)

Should athletes take an iron supplement?

Only if there is severe anemia due to severe training, but you have to be cautious as excessive iron can be toxic and damaging. Excessive iron accumulation can contribute to diabetes, liver disease and heart disease and joint damage.

The best is to use serum ferritin as a guideline Values below 20mcg/l for females and below 30mcg/l for males indicate depleted reserves.

Latest findings support current recommendations to use iron supplements for nonanaemic physically active women with low ferrtitin levels. Supplementation in these case exert little effect on haemoglobin concentration and red blood cells volume. Any improved exercise capacity most likely comes from increased muscle oxidative capacity, not increases in the blood's oxygen transport capacity.

Part 2: Minerals: Iron

Yesterday evening I did 50 laps (2.5km) of the Tropicana pool in 1 hour and I now feel like an iron-man ha!ha! Today, I will do the treadmill at 11am at True Fitness (my settings are o.5 inclination and 11 km/hr for 30 minutes flat- not bad for someone nearing 40 yrs, weighing 85 kg).

The body normally contains between 2.5 and 4.0 grams of trace mineral iron. Seventy to 80% exists in functionally active compounds, predominantly with haemoglobin red blood cells (85% of functional iron). It increases the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity 65 times.

Physically active individuals should include normal amounts of iron-rich foods in their diet. E

Exercise -Induced Anaemia: Fact or Fiction?

Interest in endurance sports, combined with increased participation of women in these activities, has focused research on the influence of intense training on the body's iron status. The term sports anaemia frequently describes reduced haemoglobin levels approaching clincial anaemia (12 g/dl women; 14 g/dl men). Some maintain that strenuous training creates an added demand for iron that often exceeds its intake. This taxes iron reserves and eventually leads to depressed haemoglobin synthesis and/or reduction in iron-containing compounds within the cells's energy transfer system. Individuals susceptible to an "iron-drain" could experience reduced exercise capacity because of iron's crucial role in oxygen transport and use.

Intense physical training theoretically creates an augmented iron demand from three sources:

1. Small loss of iron in sweat
2. Loss of haemoglobin in urine from red blood cells destruction with increased temperature, spleen activity, and circulation rates and from jaring of the kidneys and mechanical trauma from feet pounding the running surface.
3. Gastrointestinal bleeding with distance running that is unrelated to age, gender, or performance time.

However, there is no evidence to indicate that these factors stain an athlete's iron reserves and precipitate clinical anaemia if iron intake remains at recommended levels.

To be continued tomorrow

Part 2: Minerals: Magnesium

Only about 1% of the body's 20 to 30 grams of magnesium is found in the blood, with the rest inside cells of body tissues and organs. About 400 enzymes that regulate metabolic processes contain magnesium.

Conflicting data exists concerning the possible effects of magnesium supplements on exercise performance. All in all, there is no solid data to recommend magnesium supplements to athletes.

Part 2: Minerals: Phosphorous

Phosphorous combines with calcuim to form hydroxyapatite and calcium phosphate - compounds to give rigidity to bones and teeth.

Phosphorous also serves as an essential component of intracellular cAMP and the intramuscualr high-energy ATP (the cell's unit of energy). Phosphorous also combines with lipids to form the lipid bilayer of cells.

Phosphorous also buffers acid end products of energy metabolism, hence some coaches recommend consuming "phosphate drinks" to reduce the acid effects of intense exercise and enhance oxygen release from red blood cells.

Part 2: Minerals: Calcium

Calcium, the body's most abundant mineral, combines with phosphorous to form bones and teeth. These 2 minerals represent about 75% of the body's total mineral content, or about 2.5% of body mass.

In its ionized form (about 1% of 1200mg of endogenous calcium), calcium functions in muscle stimulation, blood clotting, transmission of nerve impulses, activation of enzymes, synthesis of calcitriol and transport fluid across membranes. It also may contribute to easing premenstrual syndrome, preventing colon cancer and optimizing blood pressure regulation.

There is much information on the role of calcium supplements etc but we will deal with how exercise is related to bone health.

Exercise Provides Benefits

Mechanical loading through dynamic exercise slows the rate of skeletal aging. Regardless of age or gender, children or adults who maintain an active lifestyle have significantly greater bone mass than sedentary counterparts.

Benefits of regular exercise on bone mass accretion are greatest during childhood and adolescence. These benefits often accrue to the seventh and eight decades of life. The decline in vigorous exercise with a sedentary lifestyle with aging closely parallels the age-related bone mass loss.

The osteogenic effect of exercise and everyday amounts of physical activity becomes particularly effective during the growth periods of childhood and alolescence and may reduce fracture risk later in life.

Part 2: Minerals: Bioavailability

The body varies in its capacity to absorb and use the minerals in food. For example, spinach contains considerable calcium, but only about 5% of it becomes absorbed. The same holds true for dietary iron, which the intestines absorbs with an average efficiency of 5 to 10%. Factors that affect the bioavailability of minreals in food include:

Type of food: The small intestine readily absorbs minerals contained in animal products because they do not contain plant binders and dietary fibers that hinder digestion and absorption.

Mineral-mineral interaction: Many minerals have the same molecular weight and hence competes for intestinal absorption. This makes it unwise to consume an excess of any one mineral.

Vitamin-mineral interaction: Various vitamins interact with minerals in a manner that affects mineral bioavailability. From a positive perspective, vitamin D facilitates calcium absorption, while vitamin C improves intestinal absorption of iron.

Fiber-mineral interaction: High fiber intake blunts the absorption of calcium, iron, magnesium, and phosphate by binding them and causing them to pass unabsorbed throught the digestive tract.

Part 2: Minerals: Role

Whereas vitamins catalyze chemical processes without becoming part of the reaction's byproducts, some minerals become part of the body's structures and existing chemicals.

Minerals serve 3 broad roles in the body:

1). Minerals provide structure in forming bones and teeth.
2).Function - maintain heart rhythm/muscle contractility/acid-base balance.
3).Minerals regulate cellular metabolism by becoming consituents of enzymes and hormones that modulate cellular activity.

Part 2: Minerals

Approx 4% of the body's mass consists 0f 22 mostly metallic elements collectively called minerals. Minerals serve as constituents of enzymes, hormones, and vitamins they combine with other chemicals (e.g calcium phosphate in bone, irno in heme of hemoglobin) or exists singularly (e.g free calcium and sodium in body fluids).

The minerals essential to life seven major minerals (required in amounts >100mg daily) and 14 minor trace minerals (need less than 100mg daily).

Most minerals occur freely in nature - mainly in waters of rivers, lakes, and oceans.; in topsoil; and beneath the earth's surface. Minerals exist in the root system of plants and the body structure of animals that consume plants and water containing minerals.

Part 2: Vitamins supplements - the competitive edge?

More then 50% of competitive athletes take some form of supplements on a regular basis, either to ensure adequate micronutrient intake or to achieve an excess with the hope of enhancing performance and training responsiveness.

When vitamin-mineral deficiencies appear in active people, they often occur among;

1) vegetarians or groups with low energy intake (dancers, gymnasts, weight-class athletes who strive to maintain or reduce body weight)

2) those that eliminate one or more food groups diet, or

3) individuals who consume large amounts of processed foods and simple sugars with low miconutrient density (e.g.endurance athletes)

For the above individuals, a multivitamin-mineral supplement at recommended doses can upgrade the micronutrient density of their diet.

However, more than 50 years of research does not support the wisdom of using vitamin (and minerals) supplements to improve exercise performance, the hormonal and metabolic responses to exercise, or ability to train arduosly in healthy persons with nutritionally adequate diets.

MEGAVITAMINS

Some athletes take megadoses of vitamins or at least 10 times and up to a 1000 times the RDA, hoping to improve performances. Such practice is harmful as excess vitamins behave as chemicals.

Part 2: Vitamins - Exercise, Free radicals & Antioxidants

The benefits of exercise are well known, but he possibility for negative effects remains controversial. Potentially negative effects occur because elevated aerobic exercise metabolism increase free radicals could possibly overwhelm the body's natural defenses and pose a health risk of oxidative stress.

Free radicals also play a role in muscle injury and soreness from eccentric muscles actions and unaccustomed exercise.

But while free radical are released with exercise, the body's antioxidant defense are also increased. These muscle enzymes and antioxidant system "upregulate" with training adaptations. This thus deals with oxidative stress in exercise and is believed to have benefits for various cancer and heart diseases.

Important questions?

1) are physically active individuals more prone to free-radical damage,

Research shows that the natural antioxidant system in well-nourished people responds adequately to increased physical activity.

and 2) are protective agents with antioxidant defenses in well-nourished people respond adequately to increased physical activity.

Some studies show that taking antioxidant supplements may reduce free radical formation, or augment the natural body defense system. There are some evidence that vitamin E may reduce markers of oxidative stress with extreme exercise. But the evidence is equivocal.

Part 2: Vitamins - Needs

Why do people take supplements? In Malaysia, the alternative medicine and supplement industry is estimated to be six times the size in monetary terms compared to the pharmaceutical ethical (medicine) market. Across the world the ratio ranges from two to twelve times the size of the ethical market. It is big business.

I am not here to support or decry the food supplement industry, neither is this book written to promote any particular type of product. I know that this section will be controversial, but let’s all throw away any commercial interests we might harbour, and just look at the facts. What I will do in this section is to:

a. Highlight various supplements
b. The marketing claims being made
c. Consider the validity of these claims valid and the opinion of health experts

Firstly, what are some of the reasons health food companies claim that we must take supplements?

a. Loss of vitamins and minerals in our modern food processing
b. Nutritional deficiencies in our diet despite taking adequate calories
c. Stresses of modern living and the need for higher levels of these nutrients than our diets can supply
d. Depletion of vital nutrients such as B-vitamins, vitamin C and antioxidants due to urban factors such as smoking, alcohol and pollution

ODA VS RDA

The wellness industry has mushroomed worldwide over the last three to five years, and Malaysia is no exception. Its advocates propose that the traditional “health care model” is sickness and disease driven. The wellness industry seeks to promote health rather than treat diseases when they strike. It is like looking at the health of a person as being half full (health promoting elements) than being half empty (sickness). Therefore, the focus is on what can promote optimal health and how to fill the glass.

So which nutrients and vitamins do you need and in what amounts? Opinions vary. The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) have been accepted as the standard since the 1940’s. Some researchers are now proposing that the RDAs falls short of what it needs to adequately nourish the body to promote optimal health. The RDA’s were used as the bottomline measure to get by in life and to prevent nutritional deficiencies.

On the other hand, the wellness movement has replaced the RDA’s with Optimum Dietary Allowances, or ODA’s. It is argued that optimal health requires nutrient intakes beyond what the RDA’s advocate and what diet alone can supply. ODA’s are about getting ahead in health, not just getting by (RDA’s).

For instance, the RDA of vitamin E is 30 IU (what you would get from eating 3 balanced meals a day). The ODA for vitamin E is 400-1,600 IU, which means you have to eat 10 meals a day, which is obviously undesirable. Alternatively, to get 400 IU of vitamin E you have to eat 1.5 pounds of sunflower seeds or drink 8 gallons of soymilk daily.

Part 2: Vitamins - Role of Vitamins

I won't go on a long listing of vitamins and its role, but in short, vitamins contain no useful energy for the body; instead they serve as essential link and regulators in metabolic reactions that release energy from food.

Vitamins also control tissue synthesis and protect the integrity of cell's plasma membrane.The water soluble vitamins play an active role in energy metabolism.

Talk in SS2

Part 2: Vitamins - Nature of Vitamins

People are pushing all sorts of vitamins out in the market. The truth is that over the course of a year,the body requires only about 350gram of vitamins from the 862kg of food consumed in well-balanced meals by the average adult.

With proper nutrition from a variety of food sources, the physically active person or competitive athlete need not consume vitamins and supplements. That is a big "if" they consume a proper nutrition.

Some foods are rich in vitamins eg greeny leafy vegetables and roots of plants produce vitamins during photosynthesis. Animals from my knowledge don't produce them (except vitamin D), but get them from consuming plants, grains and fruits or eating another animal.

KINDS OF VITAMINS

13 types of vitamins have been isolated, identified and given RDAs.

Fat-soluble:-A,D,E,K
Fat soluble vitamins dissolve and remain in the body's fatty tissues, obviating the need to ingst them daily. They should not be consumed in excess without medical supervision.

Water-soluble:-C, B-complex
Act largely as coenzymes. They disperse in the bodily fluids.

Part 1: Proteins - The Role In Exercise

Current understanding of protein dynamics in exercise comes from study that determines protein breakdown through urea excretion.

As exercise progresses, the concentration of blood urea also increase coupled with increase in nitrogen excretion (from protein breakdown) in sweat.

With low carbohydrate (depleted state) intake the amount of nitrogen excreted in sweat is much higher compared to an with high carbohydrate loaded state. Thus carbohydrate is an important protein sparer in exercise as if there is inadequate carbohydrate, the body will breakdown the protein into glucose.

Athletes in protracted and intense training should conserve adequate carbohydrate to conserve muscle protein.

The RDA for protein intake in adults is 0.83g per kg of body mass.

A continuing area of controversy concerns whether the initial increased protein demand when training commences creates a true long-term increase in protein requirement above RDA. A definitive answer is elusive, but protein breakdown above resting levels does occur during intense weights and cardio training to a greater degree than previously thought.It may be only slighly more than sedentary people.

It is recommend that people who train intensely consume between 1.2 and 1.8g of protein per kg of body weight daily. For most there is no need for protein supplements.

Part 1: Proteins - The Vegetarian Approach

True vegetarians, or vegans, consume nutrients from only 2 source - the plant kingdom and dietary supplements. Eating a variety of grains, fruits and vegetables supplies all of the essential amino acids. For example, a vegan diet contains all the essential amino acids if the RDA for protein contains 60% of protein from grain products, 35% from legumes, and 5% from leafy vegetables. A 70kg man will satisfy the essential amino acids requirement by consuming about 56gm of protein from approx. 1 1/4 cup of beans, 1/4 cup of seeds or nuts, 4 slices of wholegrain bread, 2 cups of leafy veggies and 2 1/2 cups of grains (brown rice, cracked wheat, oats).

A lactovegetarian diet provides milk and related products such as icecream, cheese, & yoghurt. This approach minimises the problem of consuming insuffucient high quality protein, and increases the intake of calcium, phosphorous and vitamin B12. Adding an egg ot the diet (ovolactovegatarian) ensures intake of high quality protein.

Part 1: Proteins - Sources

Sources of complete protein include eggs, milk, meat, fish, and poultry. High quality protein sources in nutritional supplements include whey, colostrum, casein, and milk and egg proteins.

Egg provide the optimal mixture of essential amino acids among food sources; hence egg receives the highest quality rating (100) for comparison with other foods.

Animal protein provide almost two thirds of dietary protein in the diet in a modern society; 80 years ago plant and animal sources contribute equally to protein consumption. Reliance on animal sources for dietary protein accounts for the relatively high cholesterol and saturated fatty acid intake in the major industrialized nations.

The biological value of a food refers to how well it supplies essential amino acids. High quality protein foods come from animal sources; vegetables remain incomplete in one or more essential amino acids.

Biological Value (Rating)
Eggs 100
Fish 70
Lean beef 69
Cow's milk 60
Brown rice 57
White rice 56
Soybeans 47
Peanuts 43
Potatoes 34

Part 1: Proteins - Kind of proteins

The body cannot synthesize eight amino acids so one must consume foods containing them. These make up the essential amino acids – isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. The body manufactures the remaining nonessential amino acids.

Animals and plants manufacture proteins that contain essential amino acids. An amino acid derived from an animal has no health or physiological advantage over the same amino acid from vegetable source. Plants synthesize amino acids by incorporating nitrogen from the soil (along with carbon, hydrogen and oxygen from the air and water). In contrast animals have no broad capability to synthesize amino acids; instead, they consume most of their protein. Just look at the elephant and gorilla who are vegetarians - they are strong and muscular.

Synthesizing a specific protein requires the availability of appropriate amino acids. Complete proteins, or higher quality proteins, come from foods containing all these essential amino acids in the quantity and correct ratio to maintain nitrogen balance and to allow tissue growth and repair. An incomplete protein, or lower quality protein, lacks one or more essential amino acids. A diet of incomplete protein eventually leads to malnutrition, whether or not the food source contains an adequate amount of energy or protein.

Part 1: Proteins - The Nature of Proteins

An average adult contains about 10 – 12 kg of proteins, with 60-70% of it located within the skeletal muscles.

Typically we get 10-15% of our calories each day from proteins. During digestion proteins are broken down into amino acids constituents for absorption.

Proteins are made of peptides of amino acids. Two amino acid joined produce a dipeptide. Combination of 50 or more amino acids form a protein. In total, roughly 50,000 different protein-containing compounds exist in the body.

TO THOSE WHO BUY COLOSTRUM
A newborn baby has no antibodies - but within a few days on breast milk, the baby suddenly has a fully functioning immune system! A miracle.

Antibodies ingested through the mouth
Antibodies are proteins of more than 1,000 amino acids and the new baby could not possibly get them through the mother's milk which went into the baby's body through the mouth and stomach. The antibodies are digested into amino acids and can never be absorbed into the blood as a complete ANTIBODY. The intestines can only absorb peptides of 15-30 amino acids long.

The IgG antibody in the colostrums milk is too big to be absorbed. It is digested into amino acids before absorption. Colostrum is a good source of protein, calcium and minerals. The only useful antibody is the IgA a mucosal antibody to protect the mucosal lining of the intestinal tract and it is never absorbed as it is TOO BIG!

The basic unit of each antibody is monomer. An antibody can be monomeric, dimeric, trimeric, tetrameric, pentameric etc. The monomer is a "Y"-shaped molecule that consists of two identical heavy chains and two identical light chains connected by disulfide bonds.

There are five types of heavy chain: γ, δ, α, μ and ε. They define classes of immunoglobulins. Heavy chains α and γ have approximately 450 amino acids, while μ and ε have approximately 550 amino acids.

There are only two types of light chain: λ and κ. In humans they are similar, but only one type is present in each antibody. Each light chain has two successive domains: one constant and one variable domain. The approximate length of a light chain is from 211 to 217 amino acids.

Part 1: Lipids - Exercise training & Fat Use

Fat contributes 50 to 70% of the energy requirements during light and moderate exercise. Stored fat (intramuscular and those in the adipose fat cells) plays an increasingly important role with prolonged exercise. Fatty acid molecules (mainly circulating FFAs) provide more than 80% of the exercise energy requirements.

Carbohydrate depletion reduces exercise intensity to a level determined by the body’s ability to mobilize and oxidize fatty acids.

Aerobic training increases long-chain fatty acids oxidation (combustion), mainly fatty acids from triglycerides from within active muscle during mild-to-moderate intensity exercise.

Enhanced fat oxidation with training spares glycogen (the more powerful fuel); this allows trained individuals to exercise at a higher level of submaximal exercise before experiencing fatigue effects of glycogen depletion.

Part 1: Lipids - Role of Lipid in the Body

1). Energy Source and Reserve

Fat is a ideal fuel for cells coz:
a).carries a large quantity of energy per unit weight.
b).transport and stores easily.
c).a ready source of energy. Provides 80% of energy at rest.

2).Protection of Vital Organs and Thermal Insulation

Up to 4% of body fat protects against trauma to vital organs
(heart, liver, spinal cord, spleen etc).

The fat beneath the skin provides insulation, providing protection against extremes of cold. Excess fat hinders body temperature regulation during heat stress during sustained exercise when heat generation could be 20x usual, as it hinders heat dissipation.

3.Vitamin Carrier & Hunger Depressor
Consuming 20g of dietary fat daily is enough to transport and store fat -soluble vitamins A,D, E & K.

Part 1: Lipids - Kind and sources (3)

3.Derived Lipids

Simple & Compound lipids form derived lipids.

Cholesterol the most common derived lipid, exist only in animal tissue. It is from eaten source (exogenous) or through liver synthesis (endogenous). More endogenous cholesterol forms with a diet high in saturated fatty and trans-fatty acids. Endogenous synthesis usually meets the body's needs.

Functions of cholesterol

• Building plasma membranes
• precursor in synthesizing vitamin D, adrenal gland and sex hormones

Part 1: Lipids - Kind and sources (2)

2.Compound Lipids.

Are triglycerides components combined wit other molecules are about 10% of body's total fat.

a).Phospholipids - water soluble end and a fat soluble end (thus found in cell membranes to modulate fluid movement across cell membrane); found in nerve sheath; important role in blood clotting

b). Glycolipids - fatty acids bound with carbohydrate.

c). Lipoproteins - protein capsules used for carrying lipids in the blood.
i).Chylomicron - emulsify fats and carry fats from the intestine into the lymphatics. Transport fat-soluble vitamins like A,D,E & K. Able to absorb larger molecules than normal absortion route.
ii). HDL (good cholesterol)
iii).LDL (bad cholesterol)

Part 1: Lipids - Kind and sources (1)

Lipids is the general term for a group of compounds, includes oils, fats, waxes, and related compounds. Oils become liquid at room temperature, whereas fats remain solids.
We can classify lipids to 3 main groups. 1) Simple Lipids 2) Compound Lipids 3) Derived Lipids

1).Simple Lipids Consist primarily of triglycerides. It is the major storage form of fat in the fat cells that resides in the adipose depots under the skin. Consist of a glycerol molecule and 3 fatty acids.
Saturated fatty acids:
Chemically when the carbon is maximally bonded with hydrogen.
Primarily in animal products such as beef (52% saturated fatty acids), lamb, pork, chicken, egg yolk and dairy fats of cream, milk, butter (62% saturated fatty acids), and cheese.

Unsaturated fatty acids: Chemically the carbon atoms have double bonds.

Part 1: Carbohydrate Dynamics - Moderate/prolonged exercsie

Glycogen stored in active muscles supplies almost all of the energy from resting to moderate exercise. In the first 20 minutes, liver and muscle glycogen supply between 40-50% of the energy requirement, with the remainder provided by fat burning and a little protein.

With time the muscle glycogen depletes and the blood glucose is increasingly utilized. Fat catabolism is also increasingly becomes a major energy supplier. Fatigue occurs when liver and muscle glycogen are depleted. This occurs despite enough oxygen supply and abundant energy from stored fat. The athlete may feel that he has “hit the wall”.

Fat contributes about 50% of the energy requirements during light and moderate exercise. Stored intramuscular fat and fat from fat cells becomes important during prolonged exercise. In this situation, the free fatty acids supply more than 80% of the exercise energy requirements.

A carbohydrate-deficient diet quickly depletes muscle and liver glycogen. This affects both all-out exercise capacity and the capacity to sustain high-intensity endurance exercise.

Individuals who train intensely should consume between 60 and 70% of their calories as carbohydrate predominately in unrefined form (8-10g per kg of body mass).

For the ordinary person just eat a normal balanced diet. To lose weight here are some tips:

To burn fat and lose weight, aerobic exercise is advocated. However, it must be of moderate intensity. When you exercise too hard or become breathless while exercising, the energy, which feeds your movement, is drawn from glycogen in your liver and muscles, not your fat stores.

You do not start to burn fat as soon as you begin your work out. Getting your body to burn fat instead of glycogen depends on complex hormonal responses (adrenal hormones and insulin) to trigger your fat cells to release triglycerides into the blood. The first 20 minutes of exercise the body burns sugar from the glycogen stores. The next 10 minutes it is a mixture of sugar and fats. Only after 30 minutes does the body burns proportionately more fat (50 percent from fat). The key about fat burning is to exercise not hard but long.

Studies in exercise physiology show that the minimal aerobic threshold to shed fat demands continuous movements of at least 30 minutes duration carried out at least 3 times a week. It has to be continuous and should you stop and restart workout after 20 minutes of exercise, the hormonal shift has reverted to burning sugar again. For beginners, you may find that your muscles may not sustain exercise for 30 minutes. It is okay as it may take several weeks to build up your muscular strength first.

SLOW DOWN.

Many so-called instructors advocate a training heart rate of 60-70 percent of the maximal heart rate (220 minus your age). However, at that kind of rate the unfit majority will reach their anaerobic threshold, and the body will burn mostly protein and sugar. That is why you see so many overweight women in aerobic classes and overweight men jogging in the park, panting like mad.

In fact, the optimal intensity of exercise for fat burning is far lower at 45-55 percent of your maximal heart rate. A daily walk of at least 30 minutes will burn far more fat than killing yourself at the gym.

Body fat is interesting stuff. It is very caloric dense. This means that it needs a lot of oxygen to be metabolized – broken down – so that it can be put into the bloodstream and used as energy. If your workout is too intense, the body will not be supplied with enough oxygen and switch to other tissue for energy. In effect it will stop burning your stored fat and increase its burning of protein and glucose, for these tissues require less oxygen to burn. Exercise too vigorously, say running or sprinting, and your body never gets enough oxygen to burn fat efficiently. For, as the intensity of your exercise increases, the amount of oxygen available decreases. When this happens, your body has to look for more and more sugar and protein to maintain the effort.

Build-up gradually

Initially you can start by walking 15 minutes, 3 times a week, and then build up to 45 minutes more intense brisk-walking at least 3 times a week, if not all days.

You should progress from light level of exercise initially if you are unfit or heavily overweight. Each level of intensity and duration should be maintained for at least 1-2 weeks. Please avoid injury. Progressing too rapidly will result in muscle soreness, fatigue, increased cardiac risk and eventually decreased motivation. Each exercise period should include warm-up and cool-down periods.

Light:
Slow walking (15 min/km, or 4 km/hr), tai chi, house cleaning, and golf (no buggy)

Moderate:
Brisk-walking (10 min/km, or 6 km/hr), active gardening, cycling (2.5 min/km, or 24 km/hr), badminton, swimming and aerobic exercise/dancing

High:
Jogging (6 min/km, or 10 km/hr), walking with upload hill, basketball, climbing and football.

Part 1: Carbohydrates - Carbohydarate Dynamics - Intense exercise

During strenuous exercise, there is an increase in adrenalin, noradrenalin, glucagon (hormone that releases glucose for burning).

The enzyme glycogen phosphorylase, helps breakdown the glycogen in the muscles and liver for combustion.

Initially, it is muscle glycogen that provides the energy, but as exercise continues the blood glucose increases its contribution as metabolic fuel (i.e 30%).

An hour of high intensity exercise depletes half of the glycogen stores. After 2 hours it almost depletes all the liver glycogen and specifically exercised muscles. (FYI, I just went up Mt.KK. I went up to the rest house at 11,000 feet in less than 3 hours just walking and also carrying my own 6kg bag and there was no need to eat energy bars etc. The important thing is to restore the glycogen within 40 minutes of stopping or reaching the rest house as glycogenosis [restoring the glycogen in the liver and muscles] is maximal 30-60 mins after exercise. If you reload the glycogen immediately there is no need to eat carbohydrate for the 2.30 am climb to the top. I left the rest house at 3.00am and got to the top at 5.15am. See the pictures at victorchenministries.blogspot.com).

Carbohydrate is the main fuel coz of its fast rate of energy conversion and transfer (into ATP, the cell’s energy currency) which is twice that of protein and fat. In addition per unit of oxygen consumed, carbohydrate generates 6% more energy than fat. Thus for intense exercise, its is mainly dependent on carbohydrates.

Tomorrow, we will look at moderate and prolonged exercise which mobilizes and burns fat for those who want to lose weight etc.