Colouring and chemicals in your sport powders make them more harmful than good

Friend and notable "toxicoligist" Mark Schauss just sent this out to his subscribers- part of a great report on food dyes.


Before you read the notes on each dye below, I'm pasting in the ingredients of a popular

BCAA drink:

L-Leucine, L-Glutamine, L-Valine, L-Isoleucine, Natural And Artificial Flavors, Citric Acid, Citrulline Malate, Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose, Pyridoxine HCL, Yellow #5, And Green #3.



SuperPump Drink:

Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Natural And Artificial Flavor, Lecithin(Soybean), Xanthan Gum, Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose, Red #40, Silica



Creatine Punch:

Laboratory-Tested, HPLC-Certified Dextrose, Natural And Artificial Flavors, Citric Acid, Beta-Cyclodextrin, Calcium Silicate, Gum Blend (Modified Food Starch, Gum Arabic, Titanium Dioxide, Tricalcium Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid), Red Color Flecks (FD&C Red No. 40, Gum Arabic), Sodium Citrate, FD&C Red No. 40.



Do you really believe that a Paleo diet w/ natural supplements (fish oils, vitamins, HCL), hard training and planned recuperation could not rival the results of the above supplements without the health risks ?? Please read the report below:



Food dyes, synthesized originally from coal tar and now petroleum, have long been controversial.



Many dyes have been banned because of their adverse effects on laboratory animals.



This report finds that many of the nine currently approved dyes raise health concerns.



Blue 1 was not found to be toxic in key rat and mouse studies, but an unpublished study suggested the possibility that Blue 1 caused kidney tumors in mice, and a preliminary in vitro study raised questions about possible effects on nerve cells. Blue 1 may not cause cancer, but confirmatory studies should be conducted. The dye can cause hypersensitivity reactions.



Blue 2 cannot be considered safe given the statistically significant incidence of tumors, particularly brain gliomas, in male rats. It should not be used in foods.



Citrus Red 2, which is permitted only for coloring the skins of oranges not used for processing, is toxic to rodents at modest levels and caused tumors of the urinary bladder and possibly other organs. The dye poses minimal human risk, because it is only used at minuscule levels and only on orange peels, but it still has no place in the food supply.



Green 3 caused significant increases in bladder and testes tumors in male rats. Though the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers it safe, this little-used dye must remain suspect until further testing is conducted.Orange B is approved for use only in sausage casings, but has not been used for many years. Limited industry testing did not reveal any problems.



Red 3 was recognized in 1990 by the FDA as a thyroid carcinogen in animals and is banned in cosmetics and externally applied drugs. All uses of Red 3 lakes (combi- nations of dyes and salts that are insoluble and used in low-moisture foods) are also banned. However, the FDA still permits Red 3 in ingested drugs and foods, with about 200,000 pounds of the dye being used annually. The FDA needs to revoke that approval.



Red 40, the most-widely used dye, may accelerate the appearance of immune-system tumors in mice. The dye causes hypersensitivity (allergy-like) reactions in a small number of consumers and might trigger hyperactivity in children. Considering the safety questions and its non-essentiality, Red 40 should be excluded from foods unless and until new tests clearly demonstrate its safety.



Yellow 5 was not carcinogenic in rats, but was not adequately tested in mice. It may be contaminated with several cancer-causing chemicals. In addition, Yellow 5 causes severe hypersensitivity reactions in a small number of people and might trigger hyperactivity and other behavioral effects in children. Posing some risks, while serving no nutritional or safety purpose, Yellow 5 should not be allowed in foods.



Yellow 6 caused adrenal tumors in animals, though that is disputed by industry and the FDA. It may be contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals and occasionally causes severe hypersensitivity reactions. Yellow 6 adds an unnecessary risk to the food supply.



Phenomenal physiques and performance noteworthy athletes appeared long before the advent of these supplements. . . and they're still around . . quite healthy because of it !

Possible Cautionary Use of Glycine in Prostate Cancer

For all of us who follow Poliquin's doctrines, including the regular use of Glycine, here's a cautionary note from Mark Shauss on the need for vitamin B2 to offset prostate dangers . .

Possible Cautionary Use of Glycine in Prostate Cancer


In the February 12, 2009 issue of Nature, researchers led by Sreekumar reported on the correlation between the progression of prostate cancer and the amino acid sarcosine. Sarcosine is derived from glycine and methionine through methylation pathways. Functionally low levels of vitamin B2, aka riboflavincan cause a build-up of sarcosine as well as low folic acid levels.

What ramifications this study has in the treatment of prostate cancer is unclear but it should help in possibly slowing the progression through the denial of glycine and possibly methionine in the diet.

In my comment about B2, I mention functional deficiency. I do this as opposed to a measured deficiency. The difference is that while person A and B may have the same levels in their blood, plasma or whatever fluid you are testing, person B may be functionally deficient because they may need more of the nutrient due to things like genetic polymorphisms, stress, environment or other factors. So while measuring nutrient levels may be helpful, they may not be as clinically relevant as functional markers like sarcosine.

Stress and Anxiety

I had to laugh when I saw this month's topic: Stress and Anxiety. Between the shifting government to stock market roller coasters to the Christmas rush that comes every year at this time, every one of my clients and your Coach too, has been as tightly strung as a Christmas Ham.

I could get on a soapbox and be all pious, "Perception is stress . .it's all about your self talk.". This is true and in fact the basis for much of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

One of my favourite tenets is the playing out worst case scenario.
It's very easy in self-speak to get into a frenetic back and forth of "What if . .and then . ." until we suffer analysis paralysis.
The truth of it is, when you play out fully, your worst what-if scenario, you'll likely find it's quite survivable and you're more than equipped to deal with it.

BUT, that said, as stress manifests itself physically- disrupted sleep to challenged immune system, we can become the proverbial card castle, ready to drop with the next gust.

So what can we do to buffer the physical side of stress and anxiety ? Here comes Coach to the rescue . .

1. Physical Exercise: 30 minutes HARD, 3x/ week, NOT 60 minutes, 5-6x/week. Hans Selye summed this up beautifully as an inverted "U" curve of optimal stress (eustress) vs too much or too little of a good thing as distress. The bottom line is exercise not only relieves pent up tension, but also mitigates your physical response to stress- physical, emotional, etc.

2. Recuperation and Hydration: Underslept or underhydrated can actually change the pH of your system, driving cortisol, the stress hormone, upwards raising feelings of anxiety, tension and even affecting blood pressure and catecholamine profile ( the bad stuff that can cause heart troubles). I get my clients to try for a minimum of 6-8 hrs sleep and 3 litres of water/ day.

3. Adaptogens: these are botanicals that aid our ability to buffer the hormonal reaction to stress. Greatest results seem to come from cycling 2 week bouts of each so the body grows neither dependant nor used to them. Some of my favourites include Ginseng (both Siberian and Panax), Rhodiola and Ashwaghanda ( google them- you won't be sorry)

4. Omega 3 Fatty Acids: there's a reason we call these ESSENTIAL fatty acids and not recreational fatty acids. DHA and EPA, the prime constituents in marine oils' n-3 fatty acids have been implicated in every stress effect mitigation possible. They drop blood pressure to cholesterol to inflammation and ease depression and anxiety effectively. Look for distilled with a source of small fish such as anchovy, herring or mackerel. Indeed the Irish tend to be one of the most deficient with the highest rates of both depression and alcoholism. At 3g with 3 meals/ day, the bulk of my clients tend to report very favourable, positive effects on all the symptoms mentioned.

5. Magnesium profile: this is a gem I learned initially from Dr. Charles Poliquin as part of his "Yin Stack" for dealing with stress. Especially in the form of Magnesium Taurate, it's quite effective at restoring sleep patterns and ridding the body of the buy brain wakeups in the middle of the night. Dr. Poliquin writes:
". . .In regards to catecholamine metabolism, magnesium demonstrably suppresses the release of catecholamines by the heart, which is an indirect index of sympathetic efferent neuronal activity. Ultimately, magnesium calms the nervous system and makes us less irritable under stress. . .Along with GABA, taurine is recognized to be a major inhibitory neurotransmitter, specifically acting as a modulator of GABAnergic function."
Hence my use of Magnesium Taurate. Most of my clients have found 350-500 mg with dinner and 1 hr before bed more than adequate. A full night's sleep without restless wakeups planning the workday, home budget and auditing your health issues makes for a different you in days.

There's five of my very effective practices for you to apply in dealing with your stress and anxiety. I'm fully convinced each habit will contribute positively to your successful dealing with your stress based hurdles and a better you in the long run.
Happy Holidays all.
Who loves ya !
Coach Mike

Blood Sugar and Love Handles: Carb Management

As a fitness professional, one of the most common hurdles I encounter in a client is the immovable "love handle". They've lost all the bodyfat elsewhere . .lean face, muscular legs and arms, but that persistent inches of pinches hangs around the sides of the waist.

In the landmark work of Charles Poliquin's "Biosignature of Fat Storage", he was able to conclusively correlate love handles and upper back (subscapular) fat dominance with varied degrees of insulin resistance, the predecessor to Hypoglycemia and Diabetes.

Between carbohydrate management and use of supportive botanicals and ergogens, we can usually rid the body of the last inches and ward off the statistically foreboding, "... 1 in 2 North Americans will have blood sugar issues".

To put it in simple terms, it's not just what we eat, but when we choose to eat it and with what. Was that simple ??

Carbohydrates (starches, sweets, fruits and veggies) absorb best when our blood sugar is lowest. These times are post workout or when we first arise.
Nutrient timing and glucose tolerance
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2008, 5:17

A decent workout of high intensity (sprinting intervals to resistance training) taxes our glucose levels and allows us to consume more without dealing with an undesirable insulin elevation
Exercise and oral glucose tolerance
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2008, 5(Suppl 1):P14

For years, I had trained a very high powered, high stressed executive, in charge of a major Canadian retail chain. Thomas would work hard but the love handles would go nowhere. Upon prodding, Thomas admitted that to avoid overuse of the stress managing martini, his second "relief" of choice were "Crunchy bars" . .sponge toffee coated in milk chocolate. Knowing the above, I asked Thomas if he'd be willing to earn his bars ?

While not optimal for health, I knew that if we had a hard 30 minutes of resistance training, the candy bar would be less damaging to his insulin (fat storage) profile and more apt to supply the muscles, etc. with needed fuel.

In doing so, Thomas lost his last 2 inches and his MD echoed a positive sentiment of significantly lowered resting glucose levels.
He had his pants taken in and was able to retain his effective weight control adjustment.

Beyond this, insulin control came as result of all other meals being a balance of healthy protein, carbs and fats in a balance, not unlike Dr. Sear's ZONE DIET, as this controlled the glycemic index of each meal, effectively limiting insulin spikes.

Now further to nutrient timing and meal balancing, many supplements can aid in glucose clearance from teh blood stream. Indeed rotating these ergogens is an uderlying tenet to the success of the Biosgnature of Fat Loss system.. I strongly reccomend you pursue each one in a rotating manner under teh watchful guidance of a Naturopath or licencesed Biosignature practitioner. Well worth researching include:

1) Gymnema Sylvester
Use of Gymnema sylvestre leaf extract in the control of blood glucose in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
J Ethnopharmacol. 1990 Oct; 30(3): 281-94.

Antidiabetic effect of a leaf extract from Gymnema sylvestre in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients.
J Ethnopharmacol. 1990 Oct; 30(3): 295-300.

2) Alpha-Lipoic Acid (R-ALA preferred)
Differential effects of lipoic acid stereoisomers on glucose metabolism in insulin-resistant skeletal muscle.
Am J Physiol 1997 Jul; 273(1 Pt 1): E185-91

3) Cinnamon
Effect of cinnamon on postprandial blood glucose, gastric emptying, and satiety in healthy subjects.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jun;85(6):1552-6.

4) Corsolic Acid
Effect of corosolic acid on postchallenge plasma glucose levels.
Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin;2006;29(3):585

5) Chromium Picolinate or Polynicotinate
Follow-up survey of people in China with type 2 diabetes mellitus consuming supplemental chromium.
J. Trace Elem. Exp. Med. 12:55-60, 1999

6) Fenugreek
Effect of Trigonella foenum-graecum (fenugreek) extract on blood glucose
Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2007;16 Suppl 1:422-6.

Now by no means are these the only supplements that contribute to managing glucose levels. Omega 3 fatty acids, magnesium and Bitter Gourd have all been used successfully as well. The key is first to time and balance your carbohydrate intake and then cycle the use of supplements to test which you respond to best.

Here's to the loss of the love handles and maximizing your vitality and health.

Preventing Cancer: Hormonal Hurdles

A couple years back, I had the distinct pleasure of learning the Biosignatures of Hormonal fat Storage from Dr. Charles Poliquin. While it was a week full of gems, to paraphrase one of the most profound statements of the internship:

"Genetics are the gun, evironment is the trigger. Control your environment and answer the genes with correct supplements,and we disarm that gun"

Indeed, it has been shown that typically over 90% of cancers are a result of environmental exposures.

Fast forward to last week as I watched Canadian Homeopath extraordinaire Dr. Bryce Wylde interview Dr. Lorna Vanderhaege of Estrosense fame. Lorna sited multiple examples of estrogen mimickers in the environment that basically disrupt our endocrine balance and set off many a cancerous gene sensetive to the balance: breast, ovarian, prostate and more.

Dr. Sherry Rogers wrote of this years back in her best seller, DETOXIFY OR DIE. In it, she sites the vast presence of pthalates in plastics to xenoestrogens in our cosmetics to the heavy phytoestrogen content in non-fermented soy products such as soybean oil (ice cream to salad dressings) to tofu. The recent top seller, THE WHOLE SOY STORY, successfully explained and documented the need to consume fermented soy only if we are to avoid the unwanted hormonal imbalances and cancerous risks.

We see it in the coming generations as our children show underdeveloped reproductive organs and feminine fat storage in young males and premature breast development and puberty in the females.

Here are three tips for identifying products that have, or are likely to have, phthalates or another compound that has raised similar concerns and is found in similar products, Bisphenol A.

1. Read the ingredients. You can identify phthalates in some products by their chemical names, or abbreviations:
DBP (di-n-butyl phthalate) and DEP (diethyl phthalate) are often found in personal care products, including nail polishes, deodorants, perfumes and cologne, aftershave lotions, shampoos, hair gels and hand lotions. (BzBP, see below, is also in some personal care products.)
DEHP (di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate or Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate) is used in PVC plastics, including some medical devices.
BzBP (benzylbutyl phthalate) is used in some flooring, car products and personal care products.
DMP (dimethyl phthalate) is used in insect repellent and some plastics (as well as rocket propellant).

2. Be wary of the term "fragrance," which is used to denote a combination of compounds, possibly including phthatates, which are a subject of recent concern because of studies showing they can mimic certain hormones.

3. Choose plastics with the recycling code 1, 2 or 5. Recycling codes 3 and 7 are more likely to contain bisphenol A or phthalates.

Here are great strategies for Avoiding Xenoestrogens

1.Find out the composition of consumer goods you use regularly, including personal-care products and cosmetics.

2.Read labels or call manufacturers and ask about synthetic materials in their products.

3.Whenever possible, purchase organically grown fruits and vegetables.

4.Buy meat and dairy products that are hormone-free.

5.Remove plastic wrap and Styrofoam trays from foods--including deli meats, cheeses, and raw meat--and replace them with wax paper or freezer paper.

6.Slice off cheese surfaces that have been in contact with plastic wrap.

7.Avoid water, soft drinks, and baby formula sold in polycarbonate (clear plastic) bottles. If possible, use only glass baby bottles. If you use polycarbonate bottles, do not heat or microwave them.

8.Limit food storage in plastic wrap or containers, especially high-fat foods such as meats, cheeses, creamed soups, and anything made with a cream sauce.

9.Do not microwave food or water in plastic or Styrofoam containers. Use only ceramic or glass containers. If you need a lid, use a flat dish or a piece of freezer paper.

10.Invest in a water filter to separate out xenoestrogens that may be in municipal water supplies.

11.Use organic pesticides. Avoid having your home sprayed by an exterminator.

All this said, what of the levels we've been carrying for years and wish to detoxify or rid from the body ?

Different nutrients can influence what type of metabolites of estrogen the liver creates. Certain nutrients can also protect your organs from the potent and dangerous metabolites. Some nutrients have even been shown to reverse damage that has been done and shrink tumors. According to the science, four of the most powerful nutrients that work together are green tea, curcumin, lycopene, and d-limonene.

Here's what the research says:

Green tea-acts to inhibit breast tumor growth, improves liver detoxification of estrogen, reduces aromatase and lowers levels of damaging estrogens, protects against estrogen-specific free radicals and carcinogens

Curcumin-improves detoxification of estrogen by supporting safe, tissue-protective estrogen metabolite, reduces oxidative damage, inhibition of the growth of breast cancer cells

Lycopene-powerful antioxidant, inhibition of cancer cell proliferation, reduction of DNA damage from estrogen,

D-limonene-suppresses tumors, reduces tumor size, prevention of mammary, liver, lung and other cancers, carcinogen removal, reduction in breast tumor growth, inhibition of mammary carcinomas, breast carcinoma regression in both early and late stage development

Additionally, the array of nutrients in Dr. Vanderhaege's ESTROSENSE act as blockers and catchers to excess estrogens in the body, helping restore the balance of estrogen to progesterone in the female and estrogen to testosterone in the male.

Knowledge is power my friends- here's to your hormonal health !
"Coach Mike"

When to Stretch !!

If peak torque in your muscles is something you want to maintain through the workout (of course it is . . ), looks like saving the stretching until after the workout is a good idea.
8 minutes of passive stretching reduced the PT muscle output by 6% - which typically is the marker point in relative strength training we stop the set.
Intra-set protracted stretching ? . .probably not such a good idea.
"Coach Mike"


Do Practical Durations of Stretching Alter Muscle Strength? A Dose-Response Study.

APPLIED SCIENCES

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 40(8):1529-1537, August 2008.
RYAN, ERIC D. 1; BECK, TRAVIS W. 1; HERDA, TRENT J. 1; HULL, HOLLY R. 2; HARTMAN, MICHAEL J. 3; STOUT, JEFFERY R. 4; CRAMER, JOEL T. 1
Abstract:

Purpose: To examine the time course (immediate, 10, 20, and 30 min) for the acute effects of 2, 4, and 8 min of passive stretching (PS) on isometric peak torque (PT), percent voluntary activation (%VA), EMG amplitude, peak twitch torque (PTT), rate of twitch torque development (RTD), and range of motion (ROM) of the plantarflexors.

Methods: Thirteen volunteers (mean +/- SD age, 22 +/- 3 yr) participated in four randomly ordered experimental trials: control (CON) with no stretching, 2 min (PS2), 4 min (PS4), and 8 min (PS8) of PS. Testing was conducted before (pre), immediately after (post), and at 10, 20, and 30 min poststretching. The PS trials involved varied repetitions of 30-s passive stretches, whereas the CON trial included 15 min of resting. PT, %VA, EMG amplitude, PTT, and RTD were assessed during the twitch interpolation technique, whereas ROM was quantified as the maximum tolerable angle of passive dorsiflexion.

Results: PT decreased (P <= 0.05) immediately after all conditions [CON (4%), PS2 (2%), PS4 (4%), and PS8 (6%)] but returned to baseline at 10, 20, and 30 min poststretching. %VA and EMG amplitude were unaltered (P > 0.05) after all conditions. PTT and RTD decreased (P <= 0.05) immediately after the PS4 (7%) and the PS8 (6%) conditions only; however, these changes were not sufficient to alter voluntary force production. There were also increases (P <= 0.05) in ROM after the PS2 (8%), the PS4 (14%), and the PS8 (13%) conditions that returned to baseline after 10 min.

Conclusion: Practical durations of stretching (2, 4, or 8 min) of the plantarflexors did not decrease isometric PT compared with the CON but caused temporary improvements in the ROM, thereby questioning the overall detrimental influence of PS on performance.

(C)2008The American College of Sports Medicine

Loud Music and Alcohol Consumption

I . .vaguely . .remember the triple bill I attended a few years back.

Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ted Nugent and Deep Purple . .none of theem known for their quiet ballads. . .

I certainly drank more than the Anita Baker concert

Here's some sage advice when you're heading out for pounding music

How Listening To Loud Music Could Be Affecting Your Drinking Habits

Waking up on a Sunday morning, you realize your head is pounding as loud as your eardrums. You rue the decision to down those last few beers, and wonder why you tend to drink so much at parties and bars.

Most people who notice this tendency attribute it to the friends they go with, the atmosphere of the party, or simply the need to let down their hair and give little further thought to their behaviour.

But a new study suggests that the amount of alcohol you consume may be related to the volume of the music around you. That may explain the ground-thumping, ear-popping decibel level at which most dance clubs play their tunes. Research also found that music will make you stay in a bar longer than if there were no music, and that songs with a quick tempo can make you drink faster.

The experiment, which will be published in the August edition of the publication Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, observed bar patrons over the course of three Saturday evenings and at two establishments in the south of France. Only those who ordered 236mL (8 fl oz.) glasses of draft beer were included in the recordings. Participants were 40 men between the ages of 18 and 25, and were unaware they were being studied.

Researchers recorded the amount of alcohol consumed by each person when the music was at 72 decibels, which is considered normal, and then turned up the music up to 88 decibels and recorded the number of drinks again.

The results appeared to show a relation between the music's volume and the number of drinks consumed. The average number of beverages went up from 2.6 to 3.4 per person when the sound was cranked, while the time required to down one fell from 14.51 minutes to 11.45.

Experimenters recognize the limitations of the small scale and scope of their testing, and couldn't determine the reason for the trend with any certainty.

They did, however, provide two hypotheses for the results. One is that high sound levels may provide higher arousal, which made people drink more and faster. The other possible explanation is a social one - that because people can't talk as much when the music's loud, they're more inclined to drink without distraction.

Study co-author Nicolas Guéguen, a professor of behavioral sciences at the Université de Bretagne-Sud in France, suggested that it's important to study the relationship between atmosphere and alcohol consumption because of the amount of deaths caused by over-consumption and the number of traffic accidents that involve drunk drivers.

If you'd like to control your drinking with a little more awareness, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) recommends that low-risk drinking comes with consuming no more than two standard drinks a day, and no more than nine drinks a week if you're a woman and 12 if you're a man.

Standard drinks are based on the amount of alcohol in them: they include 142mL of wine, 43mL of spirits, 341mL of regular strength beer.

CAMH offers the following tips to keep your drinking within the low-risk guidelines:

Know what a standard drink is.
Keep track of how much you drink daily and weekly.
Never drink and drive.
Don't start drinking for health reasons. To keep your heart healthy, eat better and exercise.
Don't drink if you're pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
Develop an alcohol policy for your home, workplace, school, or community organization.
If you're a host, encourage your guests to stay within the low-risk guidelines.