Grains as carb source

Found this little gem on information at the website of Dr. Loren Cordain, PhD from Colorado State University at http://www.thepaleodiet.com/index.shtml. Grains are often touted as the best source of carbohydrate intake, and this information compares grain intake for carb needs to the Paleo/Zone diet approach. Thanks to Robb Wolf (http://www.robbwolf.com/) for directing me to this information during his excellent nutrition seminar endorsed by the good folks at CrossFit (http://www.crossfit.com/).

Aren't whole grains good sources of fiber, minerals, and B vitamins? How can I get these nutrients if I cut down or eliminate grains from my diet?

On a calorie-by-calorie basis, whole grains are lousy sources of fiber, minerals, and B vitamins when compared to the lean meats, seafood, and fresh fruit and veggies that dominate The Paleo Diet. For example, a 1,000-calorie serving of fresh fruits and vegetables has between two and seven times as much fiber as does a comparable serving of whole grains. In fruits and veggies most of the fiber is heart-healthy, soluble fiber that lowers cholesterol levels -- the same cannot be said for the insoluble fiber that is predominant in most whole grains. A 1,000-calorie serving of whole grain cereal contains 15 times less calcium, three times less magnesium, 12 times less potassium, six times less iron, and two times less copper than a comparable serving of fresh vegetables. Moreover, whole grains contain a substance called phytate that almost entirely prevents the absorption of any calcium, iron, or zinc that is found in whole grains, whereas the type of iron, zinc, and copper found in lean meats and seafood is in a form that is highly absorbed.

Compared to fruits and veggies, cereal grains are B-vitamin lightweights. An average 1,000 calorie serving of mixed vegetables contain 19 times more folate, five times more vitamin B6, six times more vitamin B2 and two times more vitamin B1 than a comparable serving of eight mixed whole grains. On a calorie-by-calorie basis, the niacin content of lean meat and seafood is four times greater than that found in whole grains. Click here to read more about cereal grains.

Exercise is Medicine

About a year ago, the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American College of SportsMedicine (ACSM) announced a new initiative: Exercise is Medicine. This initiative includes a web site (http://www.exerciseismedicine.org/) designed to help physicians promote exercise to patients, even recording physical activity as a vital sign during visits. This development occurred after an ACSM study found 65% of patients would be more interested in exercise if physicians advised them and provided resources, but only 41% of surveyed physicians endorsed exercise to patients, and very few were able to provide resources to implement that advice. To that end, the website holds a broad array of resources, both for physicians and the aspiring or current exerciser.
This initiative assumes that physicians are well equipped to advise their patients on selecting the proper exercises suited to the individual’s needs and interests. Certainly some physicians are well equipped to fill this need. However, our experience at Strong Medicine is that, with rare exception, physicians often turn to physical therapists when exercise programming is required, particularly with patients fresh from surgery, injury, or an exacerbation of a chronic condition. Extensive education in human movement, the ability to critically analyze peer reviewed medical and exercise science research and day in/day out manipulation of the human response to exercise are clear assets when it comes to exercise prescription.
We’ve taken it a step further, blending an understanding of conventional athletic sports performance enhancement methods from well established organizations such as the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and USA Weightlifting alongside the more maverick, results oriented approach for extreme training developed by the folks at CrossFit. That kind of approach, set alongside a solid understanding of pathology and movement dysfunction, is Strong Medicine.
We salute the AMA and ACSM for the Exercise is Medicine initiative, but offer one editorial change. Exercise is medicine, yes, but in the right hands, it is more accurate to state that Exercise is Strong Medicine.

Weight Loss and Diet

A recent New England Journal of Medicine article reported the results of a two year comparison of three approaches to diet on weight loss.  Over 300 obese individuals were assigned to one of three diets: low-fat, restricted-calorie; Mediterranean, restricted-calorie; or low-carbohydrate, non–restricted-calorie.  This report is particularly interesting in that most studies of effectiveness and safety of weight-loss diets are frequently limited by short follow-up times and high dropout rates, with neither concern being an issue here.  

The highest mean weight loss occurred in the Mediterranean and low-carbohydrate groups at almost double the mean weight loss in the low-fat group.  In addition, within the 36 subjects with diabetes, changes in fasting plasma glucose and insulin levels were more favorable among those assigned to the Mediterranean diet than among those assigned to the low-fat diet.  

What does this mean for you?    Conventional advice to avoid dietary fats and instead substitute carbohydrates such as grains, pasta, and starches may not be the best approach to weight loss.  Diets that advocate lowered carbohydrate intake and Mediterranean style foods, such as Adkins, Zone, Paleo or South Beach diets, seem to offer better potential for weight loss among obese individuals.   While excessive intake of poor quality fats have been recognized as being counterproductive to a weight loss strategy, this new study supports the assertion that substituting high carbohydrate intake is also counterproductive to the same goals.  

You can read the study yourself at http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/359/3/229

A New Home

Flagstaff, Arizona: 7,000 feet of altitude holds a funky, small college town attitude on the western edge of the largest Ponderosa Pine forest in the US.  I get to live and work here now.  

Summit Fitness is a modern, comprehensive "big box" gym with a physical therapy clinic and spa under roof.  I'm a permanent part of this ownership group now, helping to redevelop training services and manage the facility.  I'm also teaching part time at Northern Arizona University, both in the Physical Education and in the Physical Therapy program. 

Yes, I dig it.  More on Summit Fitness here:  http://www.summithealthandfitnessllc.com/

Boot Camp Testing

The Age Adjusted Physical Performance Test for Boot Camp attendees is a timed fitness test  that utilizes body weight exercises (situps, pushups and squats) with conventional cardio training devices (treadmill or bike) to measure strength, power and endurance.  It is a simple, objective and handy way to gauge gains in fitness.   Reps for the first part of the test, like the previous post, is set at 100 minus age.  Pushups, situps and squats are performed in series, finishing one exercise before another is started.  After that, participants move immediately to the treadmill for a timed one mile run or stationary bike for timed 5 mile ride.  

I ran these tests on boot camp attendees on 8/28, using Abmats for situps (designated as "AM" for Abmat), permitting either full or "from the knees" pushups, and designating "L" for long or "S" for short.  Some folks transitioned from long to short, designated with "20L" for completing 20 long (full pushups) before moving to pushups from knees.   The box height for squat depth is posted, labeled, for instance, as "14" for 14 inch box squats.   The cardio section is timed and either T1 for Treadmill, one mile run or B5 for stationary bike, 5 mile ride.  Remainder should be self explanatory.  Click on the "Performance Log" button on the main page to see the results of that test.  

Benchmark workout - age adjusted

As time passes, work capacity will undoubtedly diminish at some level: a 70 year old who is both healthy and athletic is not expected to deliver the same performance as a healthy, athletic 20 year old.  At 51, I'm in pretty good shape, but I'm kidding myself if I think I can reach the same capacity for performance that I had 20 years ago.  

I cooked up this workout with some input from the folks at CrossFit Flagstaff  and gave it a test drive today:

100-age reps of pushups

100-age reps of overhead squat with 45 lb. bar

(100-age)/2 reps of pullups

(100-age)/2 reps of touching knees to elbows while hanging on the pullup bar

1 mile run or 2K row or combo 800m run and 1KM row.

The math behind the rep calculation permits decreasing reps as you age, so that the 30 and 50 year old just might be on a similar level of stress/intensity.

This is an ugly workout, but one I can continue to do for the rest of my life to gauge how I compare with last year. 

Strongest Man in the World?

Different schools of weightlifting would name different shining stars that have lifted extraordinary amounts of weight using different kinds of events.   If we look to the Olympic Games, two different competitive lifts are executed by world-class athletes in different weight classes.  One lift, the snatch, requires the lifter to pull a weighted bar to a straight and locked arm, overhead position and then stand up under control just like this. The second lift, the clean and jerk, uses an explosive movement to pull up (or “clean”) the weighted bar into a crouching front squat position, stand, and then push the weight over the head to a straight arm, locked position just like this.  Both movements require power, strength, flexibility and tremendous skill. 

Athletes can lift more in the clean and jerk than the snatch – let’s look to the clean and jerk history for the answer to your question.  The most weight successfully lifted in the clean and jerk is 266 kg (586.42 pounds) by Russian Leonid Taranenko in 1988. Taranenko in action in the video here.  Keep in mind that this lift starts with the weight on the ground, and ends with well over a quarter ton held in place over the lifter’s head.  It should come as no surprise that he also holds 26 world records – not too shabby for a man approaching 55 years old.  But compared to Flagstaff talent, he’s just a pup. 

Mel Katz is a weighlifter with Peaks Weightlifting Club here in Flagstaff, and he recently lifted 39 KG at the 2008 National Masters competition in the clean and jerk.  Those of you with great math skill have already calculated that 39 KG is about 86 lbs.  Yes, that is lighter than Leonid’s lift – but Taranenko was only 32 years old in 1988 when he lifted 266 KG.   Mel is 86 years young this year, a WWII Purple Heart recipient and a cancer survivor to boot.  He regularly trains at Summit Health and Fitness with other members of the Peaks Weightlifting Club. 

So, who is the greatest weightlifter of all time?  Leonid can come back in 30 years and show us his stuff.  Until then, my money is on Flagstaff resident Mel Katz.