Glutamine vs Glucosamine

Okay... So, in my last post about what I did during Insanity, I talked about using Glutamine for my joints. I was wrong (thanx for pointing that out Manny... LOL) and I wanted to clarify some things. I got the wrong stuff from the GNC people and that is why it is always good to do research on your own! I should have been taking Glucosamine... But, Glutamine isn't bad at all... Here is what I got:

L-glutamine is a sugar... A carbohydrate. Not to be confused with table sugar. Human beings and all animals depend upon specific sugars (carbohydrates) for proper cellular communication. These specific sugars (carbohydrates) are what your cell enzymes use as zip codes to know where cell parts and cells belong as well as recognizing friend or foe. Enzymes are made out of a series of protein molecules. Glutamine is a known dietary enzyme or protein. It is also a substrate used for DNA synthesis.

Glutamine comes from eggs, beets, spinach, etc... and activates as a benefit for the human body in healing and injury and regeneration of bones and tissues. Therefore, the body not only uses enzymes for cellular signals that have to do with replacing new tissues and destroying old scarring and aging tissues... The body also uses specific sugars/carbohydrates for cellular communication that is far more complicated than what enzymes can do. These specific sugars sit on top of the protein stems on cells for cellular communication. The protein stems are enzymes. The antennae or braille that the cells use are the sugars on top of them. Neither one will cancel each other out as they are food molecules that should be a part of our naturally occurring diet. Primitive man had plenty of these to function optimally, but modern man does not... So we have to supplement.

If you take more Glutamine or Glucosamine, your body will just flush out what it cannot use and innately know what it can use. So, if you can eat an apple and an orange, you can eat these supplements, together. Both are intrinsically different, but both have a symbiotic function. Symbiotic means they have a working relationship.

L-glutamine sources vary in the product. If you are allergic to shellfish, make sure you get L-glutamine from plant sources. It comes from a microscopic crustacean species to wheat or corn. Not all products have purity. So, you have to spend more to get the pure and effective product. It's about quality, not quantity. So, to be sure, you get a product with GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices), which is FDA standards, however... GMP's do ignore synergistic affects of products, but they don't ignore product claims. This means, that if a product is of GMP standards, you don't need to make things up and you are getting a high quality food supplement. Synergistic, meaning... Does the product need a specific nutritional catalyst in order for the enzyme or carbohydrate or vitamin to work? Does one nutrient cancel another one out...????

FYI - LDL is your anti inflammatory hormone. It does not cause heart disease; it is a response hormone to something that is injured, which is why it is high in the presence of an autoimmune disease, such as heart disease. Statin drugs are used to lower LDL, which again, is an anti inflammatory hormone and LDL does not trigger heart disease. It is the affect of a cause.

So, it makes sense that when there is an injury, your liver manufactures LDL, and your enzyme L-glutamine is triggered to help synthesize the DNA needed for cell repair, so both would be present... But, L-glutamine is NOT the cause of LDL anti inflammatory hormone response. It is triggered for cell repair.

... And that's about it... I got this off Google...

Be great!

S Share

My Insanity Workout Journey Video

Share

My Insanity Journey UPDATE: Final Week of Round 1, USAF PT Test, & Upper-Cross Syndrome

I’m fast approaching the end of my first round of Insanity. Yes, I did say, “first round” because I plan on doing it again and again and again and maybe again after that! LOL! I really love the workout and it has helped me change my body, as well as my mind, and hopefully my life.

This week I had my Air Force annual physical fitness assessment. I passed my test with the best score of my entire 13-year military career! I scored an 85! I received max points for my waist measurement, push-ups, and sit-ups! But, the 1.5-mile run was still my nemesis. Even though I knocked 45 seconds off last years time; I was still under-satisfied with my run performance. Insanity did not really help me in that regard. I have come to the conclusion that, in order to be able to run, you have to get out and run. There is no substitute for running. I really don’t like running, but will have to get out and do it, if I want to improve my run time. Insanity did help me improve every other aspect of my fitness level on the test. I have a 31.5-inch waist (down from a 38-inch waist!!!!); I did 52 push-ups, and 54 crunches. Insanity really helped me, waist and strength wise, but I will have to really train for the run.

Now, since I have been on Insanity there has been one problem I have noticed with these workouts. The workouts, along with my lifestyle, have caused me to developed upper cross syndrome and it has really been an annoyance. The best way to describe upper cross syndrome (UCS) is seeing that old person who's standing up, but appears to be falling over. You know, their head shifted forward, shoulders rounded, and they look like a hunchback. The reason why they look like that is because of a muscular imbalance between the flexors and extensors of the upper torso. UCS is the weakening and lengthening of the posterior upper-back and neck musculature, and the tightening and shortening of the anterior and opposing musculature.

The way to tell if you might have UCS is you may feel an ache or severe burning sensation in the upper-back, between the shoulder blades, at the base of the back of your neck. You can place two fingers at the top of your right shoulder and feel for a bony notch that protrudes from it. That's your acromion. Now grab a ruler and lie on your back on the floor, your right arm resting alongside your body. With your left hand, measure the distance from your right acromion to the floor, being careful not to raise or lower your right shoulder. If the distance is more than 1 inch, you have UCS. Another method would be to have a friend take a picture of you, shirtless, from the side. Stand tall, but in a relaxed position, the way you would if you weren't thinking about your posture. Check to see if the middle of your ear is in line with the middle of your shoulder, hip, and ankle. If you can't draw a straight line through these points, then you have UCS.

Poor posture, such as slumping over a computer or slouching, contributes to the development of UCS. See, the average human head weighs 8 pounds and if your chin moves forward just 3 inches, as it tends to when you work at a computer, the muscles of your neck, shoulders, and upper back must support the equivalent of 11 pounds. That's a weight-bearing increase of 38 percent, often for hours at a time.

The shoulder (upper-back) is the most complex and unstable joint in the human body. For it to function properly, you need to train all the muscles that help stabilize it. The trouble is that Insanity fails to isolate work the shoulders and back. Some of the exercises target the front and middle portions of the deltoid, but neglect the smaller muscles at the back of the shoulder joint. The result is a strength imbalance, which makes the shoulder less stable. The correction of this problem involves the strengthening of the weakened posterior musculature and stretching of the tight anterior musculature.

A lot of experts feel that a good stretching program, such as Yoga, is essential to both preventing and correcting UCS. In particular, the pectoral muscles and anterior shoulder muscles must be stretched often, especially following training of these muscle groups. Furthermore, a conscious effort should be made to maintain correct posture when walking and sitting (shoulders pulled back, head, neck and back straight). This practice is especially important for those working in an office setting and sitting at a desk in front of a computer all day long. The tendency is to slouch forward with head bent. To help support proper posture when working at a desk, the computer monitor should be at eye level, keyboard should not be too far in front of the body so that shoulders can be kept back, and feet should be flat on floor with a 90-degree bend at the knees.

Insanity doesn’t really address this back and shoulder area at all, but P90X does! So, I will be starting a P90X-Insanity hybrid program after a recovery week, once I finish my first round of Insanity. Hopefully P90X's YogaX and the back and shoulder workouts will help get my back right again… We will see!

I will keep you all posted on what happens once I start. Until then, I will keep digging deep and pressing play! I will be posting my final results and before and after pictures soon!

Late

S

P.S.

If you are suffering from UCS, here are the sources for this article, which have awesome info on the how’s, what’s, why’s, and treatments for this syndrome:

http://www.menshealth.com/men/fitness/muscle-building/posture/article/98b871957cb98010VgnVCM200000cee793cd

http://www.myyogaonline.com/videos/workplace-wellness/upper-cross-syndrome

http://www.active.com/fitness/Articles/Avoid_upper_cross_syndrome_and_maintain_rotator_cuff_stability.htm

http://www.mmatraining.com/fitness/posture-up-dealing-with-upper-cross-syndrome/

Share

We Have All Had A Day Like This On Our Fitness Journey...

As I sit here watching the Cav’s beat the Bulls and advance to the next round of the 2010 NBA playoffs; I can’t help but think how miserable I feel. See, I didn’t get a chance to workout today… It is like the entire universe was against me pressing play!!!

1. I didn’t get enough sleep last night… But, I still could fight through it and workout, right????

2. My wife was extremely late picking me up from work, making me grumpier then normal… Best time to workout and release some stress, right???

3. By the time I did finally get home I was really tired… Again, fight through it and press play, aye????

4. It’s my daughter’s birthday… Maybe I can fit the workout in, she won’t care as long as I order her some pizza, right????

5. Finally, we are watching our neighbors two little boys while they go out tonight; thus they are now playing Wii in the room I workout in and running all over the house…

Ummmmmmm, OK!!!! That’s it… I’ve had it!!!! I will just make the day up!!!! I’m just not in the mood!!!!

We have all said this or had this happen or have had this feeling on our fitness journey...

But here is a silver lining…

You felt bad for not working-out and that is a good thing!

I feel horrible for not working-out!!!! Which is an awesome feeling!!! I still feel like crap, but I will feel better tomorrow when I get the workout in. See, that is a change in my mentality and I can finally say that I think I’m starting to get my mind right, going into month two of Insanity!

My first week of month two was like starting from day one, all over again. It really sucked! Everything I thought I was ready for went out the window after the warm-up of the first day of month two. The first workout was Max Interval Circuit and it killed me. It was double the time of the workouts in month one and the moves were twice as hard. It was a crushing blow to my ego. The next day was Max Interval Plyometrics and it was equally hard. You still get the crazy cardio, but they throw in all the jumping and strength training you expect from a plyo workout. Max Cardio Conditioning was next up and it was truly insane! Non-stop cardio and strength training with nonexistent breaks! This one was my favorite of the month two workouts thus far. Finally, it was time for Max Recovery and then I started the whole thing over again until my rest day. All the workouts are double the reps of the month one workouts and about 20 mins longer.

I had a head cold the entire week and felt horrible, but I kept pressing play and made it through the week. As I move through my second week, I feel a lot better and can feel my strength and cardio improving with each workout. My weight loss has seemed to have slowed down, which is not a good thing for me mentally. I’m stuck at 179 lbs and still would like to lose another 13 lbs. I’m trying to tweak my diet and I’m also using Hydroxycut Hardcore, which I enjoy because of the energy boost. I have had to add more carbohydrates back into my diet because I felt like my workouts were suffering. I just felt sluggish and fatigued. My workouts have improved, but my weight loss has stopped. I will have to find a way to balance to two… Any suggestions?

Other then that, I’m happy with my results thus far and I promise to stay committed!

I will keep pressing play!!!!

Late

S

Share

Sore Muscles? Don't Stop Exercising

Sore Muscles? Don't Stop Exercising

Delayed onset muscle soreness is common after exercise and usually means your muscles are getting stronger.

Starting a workout program can be challenging. Making the time to exercise, creating a balanced routine, and setting goals are hard enough, but add to that the muscle soreness that comes with adapting to that regimen, and it may be difficult to stay on track.

Chances are, you won't be leaping out of bed to get to the gym when it hurts to hold your arm up to brush your teeth.

After participating in some kind of strenuous physical activity, particularly something new to your body, it is common to experience muscle soreness, say experts.

"Muscles go through quite a bit of physical stress when we exercise," says Rick Sharp, professor of exercise physiology at Iowa State University in Ames.

"Mild soreness just a natural outcome of any kind of physical activity," he says. "And they're most prevalent in beginning stages of a program."

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

Exercise physiologists refer to the gradually increasing discomfort that occurs between 24 and 48 hours after activity as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and it is perfectly normal.

"Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a common result of physical activity that stresses the muscle tissue beyond what it is accustomed to," says David O. Draper, professor and director of the graduate program in sports medicine/athletic training at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.

To be more specific, says Draper, who's also a member of the heat-responsive pain council, delayed onset muscle soreness occurs when the muscle is performing an eccentric or a lengthening contraction. Examples of this would be running downhill or the lengthening portion of a bicep curl.

"Small microscopic tears occur in the muscle," he says.

The mild muscle strain injury creates microscopic damage to the muscle fibers. Scientists believe this damage, coupled with the inflammation that accompanies these tears, causes the pain.

"The aches and pains should be minor," says Carol Torgan, an exercise physiologist and fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, "and are simply indications that muscles are adapting to your fitness regimen."

Even Bodybuilders Get Them

No one is immune to muscle soreness. Exercise neophytes and body builders alike experience delayed onset muscle soreness.

"Anyone can get cramps or DOMS, from weekend warriors to elite athletes," says Torgan. "The muscle discomfort is simply a symptom of using your muscles and placing stresses on them that are leading to adaptations to make them stronger and better able to perform the task the next time."

But for the deconditioned person starting out, this can be intimidating. People starting an exercise program need guidance, Torgan says.

"The big problem is with people that aren't very fit and go out and try these things; they get all excited to start a new class and the instructors don't tell them that they might get sore," she says.

"To them they might feel very sore, and because they aren't familiar with it, they might worry that they've hurt themselves. Then they won't want to do it again."

Letting them know it's OK to be sore may help them work through that first few days without being discouraged.

Ease Those Aching Muscles

So what can you do to alleviate the pain?

"Exercise physiologists and athletic trainers have not yet discovered a panacea for DOMS," says Draper, "however, several remedies such as ice, rest, anti-inflammatory medication, massage, heat, and stretch have been reported as helpful in the process of recovery."

Stretching and flexibility are underrated, says Sharp.

"People don't stretch enough," he says. "Stretching helps break the cycle," which goes from soreness to muscle spasm to contraction and tightness.

Take it easy for a few days while your body adapts, says Torgan. Or try some light exercise such as walking or swimming, she suggests. Keeping the muscle in motion can also provide some relief.

"Probably the most important thing is to have a cool-down phase after your workout," says Draper. Right before finishing, include 10 or so minutes of "easy aerobic work such as jogging or walking followed by stretching."

At Brigham Young, Draper has been researching the use of heat remedies to treat muscle soreness. In clinical tests, a portable air-activated heat wrap -- in this case a product called ThermaCare -- applied directly to the skin was beneficial to subjects.

"When muscle temperature is increased, blood flow increases, bringing fresh oxygen and healing nutrients to the injured site," he says. "This increased blood flow also helps to wash away the chemical irritants responsible for pain."

While sore, don't expect to set personal records. Most likely, during a bout of DOMS, your exercise potential will be out of reach, says Draper. Delayed onset muscle soreness usually affects only the body parts that were worked, so perhaps you can work other muscle groups while letting the fatigued ones recover.

In a nutshell, don't beat yourself up. Just take it easy.

"Since there's a loss in muscle strength, athletic performance won't be at peak levels for a few days," says Torgan, "so it's best to plan a few days of easy exercise to prevent further muscle damage and reduce the likelihood of injury."

Don't Get in a Rut

It's also a process of muscle conditioning. Torgan says delayed onset muscle soreness also has a "repeated bouts" effect.

"If someone does an activity, they will be inoculated for a few weeks to a few months -- the next time they do the activity, there will be less muscle tissue damage, less soreness, and a faster strength recovery."

This is why athletes often cross-train and vary their routines to continue to challenge and develop their muscle strength.

It is important to distinguish the difference between moderate muscle soreness induced by exercise and muscle overuse or injury.

"If soreness prevents you from performing daily activities associated with living and work, then that is too much soreness," Draper says. "It can psychologically deter someone from continuing a workout program."

Both Draper and Torgan stress that soreness is not necessary to see improvements.

"There are all kinds of different little roads that your muscles can take to get stronger," says Torgan. Regardless of whether you're sore, there are still improvements occurring in your muscles during exercise.

However, moderate muscle pain might go a long way to keeping someone on the path to fitness.

"Soreness can serve as encouragement in a workout program because people like immediate results. Muscle doesn't visibly [grow] overnight; nor does your time in the mile drop from eight to six minutes," says Draper. "So something like soreness can give people encouragement that they are in fact working the muscle."

WebMD Feature source: http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/sore-muscles-keep-exercising

Share