We all know a friend or two that can eat anything they want and still look great. We all know athletes who can show up to practice just occasionally and still swim pretty darn fast. Let’s face it, some people are just genetically ahead of the game. That said though, in the long run, I firmly believe the old adage, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” Part of working hard, of course, includes how we all take care of our personal nutrition. And to a further extent, how we keep track of our own health with proactive measures such as keeping an eye on blood pressure.

For many athletes, something as simple as checking blood pressure is a notion that simply gets no attention, especially through the mid-to-late 20′s. After all, we work out hard for hours a day, five or six days a week–and sometimes seven–so surely we’re healthy, right? Well, depending on where you fall in the definition of “healthy,” only maybe. A new review of information by the Heart and Stroke Foundation has found that patients with even “high-normal” blood pressure are still at an increased risk of suffering from a stroke. So, where’s your blood pressure at? Especially as you get older–Masters swimmers in particular–you’ll want to know.

Normal BP, defined as up to 120/80-129/84, becomes “abnormal” when the systolic pressure (the number on top) reaches 140 or higher and diastolic pressure (the bottom number) reaches 90. Many adults though have blood pressure somewhere in between, neither in the normal range or in the abnormal range. Whereas doctor’s have long said this was “fine,” calling it simply, “high normal blood pressure,” but research is suggesting otherwise.

Examining data of more than 500,000 adults, the study found that people who had just slightly elevated blood pressure readings were still 20-percent more likely to suffer a stroke. When the readings reached 130/80-139/89, the risk became 80-percent higher. High blood pressure is the leading risk factor for stroke and is a major factor in heart disease. People with above-normal readings should cut down on sodium intake (diet soda is a source that even many health conscious people forget), increase their levels of exercise (if applicable) and quit smoking, while increasing their intake of fruits and vegetables.

Swimming is one of, if not the, best activity you can perform to help control blood pressure, so if you needed another reason to get to workout on a consistent basis, this is one. But sometimes even exercise isn’t enough. Keep an eye on what you’re eating and use caution when it comes to what you’re consuming; blood pressure abnormalities can clearly cause serious health problems, including countless fatalities.

Don’t be the swimmer who only puts in the work in the pool, make sure you’re taking care of business–and yourself–outside of it as well.

Swim Fast!

Nathan Jendrick is the author of Gym-Free and Ripped: Weight-Free Workouts That Build and Sculpt

I’ve always been a bit enamored by the number of kids I see eating hot dogs during swim meets. This might be particularly localized to the Pacific Northwest, as the main pool in the area has a hot dog stand right in the lobby, but even if that’s the case, it’s a pretty interesting site to see: Young Johnny, preparing to give it his all to make his Senior Sectionals cut has put the hours in the pool, he has sweat and cried during his training, he has listened to his coach’s every word, done everything his body could possibly do. And now, at the moment of truth, the hour before his race he’s…. eating a hot dog. Probably not the best idea. But, that’s another column. Instead, in this column, I’ll focus on some new research that has been released about why, in general, it’s best for all of us to avoid processed meats.

Coming out of the Harvard School of Public Health and appearing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, research is now showing us that people who eat processed meats are at a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes. The findings, which were compiled after following the diets of more than 200,000 people for a decade, found that even just two-ounces a day of processed meat, such as those hot dogs, bacon, salami or bologna, increased the risk of developing diabetes by as much as 50%.

The lead researcher of the effort, Frank Hu, is a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School. According to him, the high levels of nitrites and sodium in the processed meats are likely to blame for the increased risk.

So, as tasty as those Ball Park franks might be, it looks like you would do well to limit them to special occasions. For your protein, turn more to sources like fresh fish, chicken and eggs, among other natural sources, and away from things like bologna and packaged lunch meats.

Live well!

Nathan Jendrick is the author of the recently released book Gym-Free and Ripped

A study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease shows that caffeine can have a significantly beneficial effect against the production of beta amyloid, which is a sticky protein that can clog the brain. Caffeine, dosed at the range achieved in four-to-five cups of coffee daily, helps prevent this protein build-up and subsequent blockage.

This study backs several others that have shown similar benefits for cognitive function. So if you’re a fan of caffeine before training, rest assured you’re doing yourself some good. If you haven’t tried caffeine before and are a healthy adult, feel free to start slow—a half cup to one cup of coffee before workout—and see how you feel.

Along with the benefits to your brain, caffeine has been proven for decades to reduce muscle fatigue and increase exercise endurance. Just be sure to not overdo your intake or you might find yourself with the jitters. Train hard!

(More information on these studies can be found at www.HealthyFromHome.com)

Nathan,

I just watched a video with an Olympian who said that protein before bed can make you put on bodyfat and carbohydrates were the way to go according to his nutritionist. I’ve always thought you shouldn’t eat before bed. Can you give me some advice on what’s proper?

Thanks,
Kawika

Before I get into my response here, I want to mention I have not seen the video in question and since there was no link included, I’m not sure of the context or even who said it. Therefore, it’s highly likely that the information in the video was misinterpreted. I say that in particular because in addition to my own research and experiences, I have the pleasure of coming into contact with dozens of health and fitness professionals every year and I’ve never met a single one that believes protein before bed is bad, let alone preferring carbohydrates before nighttime rest.

To answer the last part of your question first, you may not want to eat immediately before bed, but you do want to eat within an hour or two before sleep. This is to provide your body with a constant stream of nutrients before the long period of fasting you’ll endure while asleep. Protein before bed is ideal because the amino acids protect muscle tissue and encourage repair and growth. Carbohydrates on the other hand are the least desirable before resting because as the body’s main source of fuel, they spike your insulin levels with the intent of providing energy. When you aren’t going to use this energy, you become more likely to store this left over glucose and end up with excess body fat.

For decades, some of the most respected journals in the world—including the Journal of the American Medical Association and even the Journal of Diabetes—have encouraged people to avoid carbohydrates before bed from both a body composition standpoint and from an athletic recovery perspective. From reading literature such as this as well as my own personal experience, I certainly agree.

Before bed, try something like cottage cheese. If you’d like to further slow down digestion, add some healthy fats (almonds or organic peanut butter, for example) to your last protein-rich meal. Give this a try for awhile and see how much better you feel in the morning.

Without going too far into a single athlete’s learning experience, I’m instead going to take the opportunity to discuss an old, yet still important, lesson: If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. Translated to your pre-race nutrition program: If you haven’t eaten it before, don’t start eating it now.

The biggest complaint that people of all athletic abilities have when introducing new foods into their diets is gastrointestinal distress. I’ve seen many cases where athletes who weren’t aware of a gluten sensitivity or who hadn’t figured out they have a relatively significant issue with lactose, experience quite a bit of discomfort when trying out new meal plans. Generally this is discovered and adjustments made over a matter of days to fix the problem. As you can imagine though, if you try something you “heard” was great right before a race, you might discover it doesn’t quite work for you at the worst possible time: While you’re racing.

Everyone wants that little extra edge going into a race, but believe me when I say that the real edge in pre-race nutrition is sticking with what has always worked for you. What energizes you through all of your grueling workouts will carry you well through your most important races, too.

You may very well be surprised at how uncommon it is to stick with the common principles of fueling your body at your biggest events. You can check this out yourself by just gazing around the pool during regular workouts. Most people see plenty of water bottles and Gatorades during training, but at a meet you’re more likely to see cans of Red Bull and Monster and a dozen different types of gel packs and energy shots. If you’re not used to those stimulants, you’re setting yourself up for the jitters or discomfort you just don’t need.

As I’ve long talked about in my column, nutrition is an evolving process and finding what works is very individual. What works for one person may not work for another, so just because you see someone slam back a Red Bull before a race doesn’t mean you should, too. I absolutely advocate trying new foods throughout the season and listening to what your body tells you it likes, but I strongly suggest that come race time, you use what works. There’s a small chance that a new “superfood” suggested to you just might make you feel like Superman during that big event, but there’s a far greater likelihood of your body not being used to processing it, and making you feel bloated or uncomfortable.

Believe in your training, your coaching and your consistency in the gym and the kitchen, and you’ll always get the best out of yourself.

Swim Fast!

Nathan

When given the opportunity I tend to enjoy going through recent studies related to health and fitness, particularly in the nutrition arena. One study that I recently happened upon literally put a smile on my face and it’s so well constructed I deemed it absolutely necessary to share with my readers here on The Race Club site.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published observational research taken from the Framingham Study that showed whole-grain consumption actually promoted fat loss. That’s right: People ate carbs and actually saw above average returns on their body fat burning. Analyzing the diets of people who took part in the study, which started in the 1940s, researchers found that people who included the greatest amount of whole-grains in their diets were the same people who had the least amounts of visceral and subcutaneous bodyfat. Take that, Atkins! (I’m only kidding… kind of).

It has been proven for decades that different nutrition protocols work for different people, but whole-grains for the most part are a winner in just about anyone’s diet. Whole-grains promote a healthy body composition, are high in fiber and contain valuable vitamins and minerals. Especially if you lead an active lifestyle, they should be on your plate throughout the day.

A healthy body composition is great for your health and great for your athletic achievement. You train hard, you ensure adequate rest, you take your supplements and you practice with purpose. Make sure that you’re giving equal attention to the composition of your nutrition, too.

Most people I run into who let go a little too much around the Holidays tell me they don’t know how to get back on track. It’s almost as if they forgot, in such short order, how to eat right in the first place. They can’t give up the junk food and sweet treats cold turkey, but when they indulge just a little, they go overboard. So, what do you do? The first step is as simple as it sounds: Get the junk out of the house. Replace it with healthy staples such as lean proteins, slow-digesting carbs and healthy fats. Leave yourself with just one treat–maybe a chocolate bar if that’s your pleasure–and have a little bit one day, a little the next. You’ll find your diet overcome with healthier fare and you’ll quickly remember what it was like just a month ago when everything was moving along nicely with your training.

Secondly, and something that is a much larger issue than most people realize, is that you need to promptly stop drinking your calories. Hot cocoa, sugary cider, beer and soda are all heavily laden with calories and are, quite often, the number one contributor to weight gain around the Holidays. There’s just too many parties with punch and open bars to resist, and quickly those 140-300 calorie glasses add up. And up, and up, and up. Get back to water or, if anything, diet soda or low-calorie Crystal Light.

Lastly, get back to taking the nutritional supplements you’re used to. Most athletes stop taking their pre-workout, protein and other supplements when they’re on break to save money. When you start taking them again, you’ll naturally feel more inclined to get back to training and eating well to make them effective and prevent your hard-earned money from heading down the drain.

I hope you all enjoyed the Holidays and wish you a blessed New Year – train hard and swim fast. See you in 2011!

The reason I felt compelled to write about this is because a couple of weeks ago I was traveling and happened to be on the deck of a pool while some local teams were training. I noticed next to a swim bag was a container of a supplement called Jack3d. This is a pre-workout “enhancement” product that is, for the most part, getting rave reviews from fitness enthusiasts around the country for helping “pump up” their workouts. But this is also a product that USA Swimming sent out a notice to coaches and athletes about, back in July, letting them know it contains an ingredient, (1, 3 Dimethylamylamine) that will cause them to test positive and fail an anti-doping test. Now, the teams that were training didn’t — as far as I know — have any athletes with them that are subject to drug testing, but they also didn’t have any swimmers that could be classified as an adult, either. So with some general presumptions, one could conclude a child is the owner of this particular supplement, and that is what startled me.

1, 3 Dimethylamylamine is a powerful stimulant and, like most supplements, not approved by the FDA. That isn’t to say it’s absolutely, positively going to cause adverse health effects in users — certainly not — but  it is something that everyone should be aware of. And parents should most especially be alert to what their still-developing children are ingesting.

For kids with Olympic dreams and parents just wanting to make sure their children are being safe with their nutrition, it’s highly advisable to stay in communication with one another about dietary supplements. What may be ok for the fitness-enthusiast-but-won’t-ever-be-subject-to-drug-testing Mom or Dad isn’t necessarily ok for an age-group swimmer, ethically or physically. Remember, just because an athlete isn’t currently subject to anti-doping procedures doesn’t mean they aren’t expected to hold themselves to the same standard of rules. Obviously we don’t live in a perfect world and some athletes will take every shortcut they can, but I would venture to guess that 99% of our sport’s membership strives to do what’s right and what’s healthy. When families work together we can ensure athletes are taking every appropriate precaution to play clean and protect themselves, in the water and out.

When it comes to supplements, legal doesn’t mean useful or safe. Give supplements the same scrutiny you do the food you eat and stick with science-backed products. Flashy advertisements in a fitness magazine don’t always equate to effectiveness. Only purchase products you know and trust from reputable sources.

Train hard, train smart, set goals and work until you reach them!

Q-

I tell my sons to just eat a lot and often and I’m sure they’re getting at least the minimum adequate nutrition, although I admit probably some bad stuff too. As long as they are getting all the good stuff they need they should be in good shape, right?

A-

I’m glad you wrote; this is a great question that should certainly be addressed.

Swimmers like to eat, no doubt about that. It’s sometimes comical to hear parents talk in sheer amazement about the appetites of their young athletes after they join the swim team or move into a group with double workouts. This certainly speaks well to the fitness aspect of swimming and its effect on body composition for the average person, but what about the competitive athlete’s performance?

I’d like for you to think of it this way: You get out what you put in. You’ve heard that adage before, probably applied in many ways, but for this particular column, we’re going to compare the human body to a high-performance vehicle. Due to my own bias, we’ll use a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

If your child is eating “a lot and often,” you’re probably correct in assuming they’re getting what the FDA would consider “recommended doses” of essential vitamins and minerals. But then you mention there’s some bad stuff in there too that comes with those ample calories and necessary components. You asked if by doing so they should still be considered, “in good shape,” as far as nutrition goes. I remind you again, you get out what you put in.

Let’s go to the Harley example. Obviously like any vehicle, it requires fuel to get going. Contrast this to the food the human body needs. Gasoline, like food, comes in a variety of qualities. For the Harley, the owner’s manual says to use Premium fuel, yet it “can” run on Regular grade 87 octane. But by doing so, the motorcycle isn’t getting the fuel it was designed to run on, and therefore runs in a diminished capacity. Ask anyone who has ridden a high-performance Harley—or Ducati or whatever the preferred make is—and they can tell you without question the feel of the ride and power is significantly different when using a higher grade fuel. And the power exchange is noticeable on the first tank of using lower grade gasoline, even if some of the Premium is still in the tank. The same goes for the human body.

It’s great to give the body the minimum “requirements” for general health, but if you want high-performance out of it, you need to consistently give it top-grade nutrition. This isn’t to say you should tell your children they can never eat candy or ice cream or pizza, but it’s important that if sports are important to them—by their own desires, not a parents wishes—that these things become an occasional treat and not a regular part of their meal plan. Just because they may be getting an adequate number of total calories, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re from the right sources.

Eating a meal plan that consists of high quality lean proteins, slow burning carbohydrates and healthy fat sources is essential to making sure the body performs to its full capabilities.

Simply put: Within reason, don’t limit how much your kids are eating. Yes, a profound number of American children are overweight and it is on everyone’s mind to go above and beyond to keep their children happy and healthy, and keep them from being a statistic. But what needs to be remembered is that the vast majority of kids in America are sedentary and that the only contact with swimming most kids get is playing “Sonic at the Olympics” on the Nintendo. Your kids are active, they’re training hard (sometimes too hard), getting their heart-healthy exercise in, eating well and in general being very body conscious. A couple of weeks eating the same number of calories while not training as they would when still training, isn’t bad. Sure, they may put on a couple of pounds, but that could actually be a good thing. Here’s why:

Most swimmers don’t eat enough as it is. When I do dietary analysis on athletes, the biggest numbers of adjustments needed are from the diets of swimmers and water polo players; the amount of muscle-bearing work they do and the hours they put in is extraordinary. Very few eat enough to accommodate for this workload. As such, they already have issues recovering, hormones can develop an imbalance, sleep quality can be reduced and muscle and strength gains severely compromised. As I’ve mentioned before in this column, recovery and gains are made outside of the pool and the gym at rest, not while training. Therefore, having that slight downtime from the year can help turn the tables on being overtrained or undernourished and allow the body to come back stronger and more prepared for the next season, even if it is accompanied by another pound or two.

In healthy athletes, ignore the scale and focus on giving the body the proper nutrition that it needs. By worrying less about how much is being eaten and more focused on what, and when, you’ll find vast improvements come in a very short order.