You’ve created the perfect environment for muscle growth

It’s time to sit back, slap yourself on the back and congratulate yourself on another session nailed and in the bag.

Wrong…

Doing the exercise is just the start, all the exercise does is create the environment for muscle growth, your muscles need the right fuel so the fibres can grow back bigger and stronger.

Most people will know that if you’re wanting to get bigger you need to eat more protein, I’m always being asked the same question though how much extra protein   and when?

I recommend my athletes 3.5g of protein per Kg of body weight when they are on a growth phase. So if you weigh 100kg you’ll need to be consuming 350g of protein per day. You’ll need 1.75g of carbohydrate and 1.0g/Kg of fat.

That may sound a lot, it is a lot but if you want to give yourself the best shot of bulking up then it’s what you need to do.  I’ve worked with over 500 professional rugby players and have tried various levels and this is what DELIVERS results.

OK so you’ve got your 350 g of protein how are you going to consume that amount during the course of a day.  Let me just explain a key point a chicken breast  might weigh 100g, however much of that weight is made up of water the protein content is likely to be around 30g so you’ll be looking at the equivalent of 12 chicken breasts during the course of a day to get your 350g of protein.

Get your protein from as many different sources as possible Chicken, Fish, Lamb, Beef (easy on the beef unless it’s organic), Eggs, Cottage Cheese, Whey Protein are the most popular sources. Try and combine the different types of protein in each meal, don’t just eat chicken breasts all day instead have a chicken breast, with cottage cheese and a whey protein shake for one meal.

An important point that often gets missed is that you need to include a serving of high glycaemic index food in your post workout Whey Protein shake a sugar such as maltodextrin or Vitargo, usually found in sports recovery drinks are  a good option.  You need to have 1.75g of Carbohydrate per Kg of body weight.

The reason you need the sugar is to create a spike in your insulin levels. Insulin helps to ‘open up’ your muscle cells so that the protein can get in and start repairing and rebuilding the muscle cells after your weight session.  If you don’t have the insulin the proteins left knocking on the door of your muscle cells that are crying out for it.
 
Here’s a quick recap…

• Train hard
• 3.5 g Protein/Kg Body Weight
• 1.75g/Kg Carbohydrate in post workout shake
• Post Workout Whey Protein shake within 30 mins of finishing session
• Eat protein from different sources in each meal
• Big meal 2 hours after training

Author

Matt Lovell – Elite Sports Nutritionist

Matt Lovell is an Elite Sports Nutritionist. He has worked with the England Rugby Team since 2002 and also currently works with 4 premiership teams and UK Athletics team as they prepare for the Olympic Games in London in 2012..  His primary website is  chock full of useful Sports Nutrition information and if you leave a question Matt’s really good at getting back to you.

Matt has written a comprehensive guide on Preparing for a Big Event, the popular Fat Loss Program Four Week Fat Loss and Regenerate a Muscle Building Nutrition program.

Equipment wise you’ll need;

3 baking trays
Normal pots and pans
Knives and chopping boards, one for meat the other for veggies
A handheld blender
Normal kitchen utensils tin openers, garlic press and so on

Food wise you’ll need;

An organic chicken
Sweet potatoes
Red jerseys
Red onions
Garlic
Savoy Cabbage
Hoi sin sauce
Garden Peas and fresh cranberries or pre-made cranberry sauce
Cooking wine (cheap wine)

For next weeks stir fry and today’s Tom yum soup;

Stock made from today’s chicken carcass and all the vegetable peeling
Boneless skinless chicken
Fresh Chilli
Garlic
Cheap white wine or cooking wine
Ginger or Thai ginger (galangal)
Chinese mushroom
Celery
Carrot
Mixed peppers
1 can of water chestnuts
1 can of bamboo shoots
Chicken stock
Bean sprouts
Soy sauce
1 pot of Tom Yum Soup paste   

Ingredients for the other Roast recipes are included next to that recipe.

THE SUNDAY COOK EM UP; ROAST CHICKEN AND TOM YUM SOUP FOR TEA

Roast Chicken and Portuguese potatoes with Savoy cabbage in hoi sin sauce and fresh garden peas.

To prepare the chicken place on a baking tray and put slivers of garlic into the flesh of the chicken, put a lemon or onion or ½ each inside the chicken for extra flavour.

As you are preparing chicken you should now move onto the stir fry marinade. Take the boneless skinless breasts and slice them into small slivers, crush 6 cloves of garlic into the white wine (enough to cover the chicken you are preparing) and add chilli and ginger. Put this whole mixture into the fridge.

Once the all the chicken’s prepped stick the roast chicken into the oven on about 160c. With a few potatoes sliced in half around the bird.

Now wash your hands.

Slice up all the remaining potatoes, depending on appetite and how many people you are catering for, add red onions, a handful of whole pepper corns and a few unpeeled cloves of garlic put these in with the potatoes, drizzle in a generous amount of olive oil.

These two items will take around 90 minutes to cook.

Whilst they are cooking finely chop the Savoy cabbage and set aside. Then spend some time chopping all the veggies you’ll need for the stir fry during the week.  If it’s tomorrow that you are eating the stir fry simple box up these veggies and pop them in the fridge with a little lemon juice to protect them.  If it’s later in the week then pop them all in the freezer.  When you chop up these veggies you can experiment with different shapes and sizes.

Put the peas in a small amount of water in a pan and put the Savoy cabbage in a deep frying pan also with a small amount of water. You need to start cooking the Savoy cabbage around 20 minutes before the chickens done and the peas around 10 minutes.

Next pour off some of the fat which has come from the chicken, we’ll use this to make the gravy.  Add some of the cooking wine a few cloves of garlic and some hot water and 2 stock cubes, keep this simmering whilst the rest of the roast finishes cooking.

Beef Casserole

Ingredients:

1 kilo best quality braising or stewing steak, diced
Vegetable oil
2 carrots, cut into ½” pieces
2 large onions, chopped
1 leek, cut into ½” slices
1 stick of celery, cut into ½” pieces
1 tablespoon flour
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon mixed herbs or herbes de provence
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 large glass red wine
Salt and pepper

1 kilo desiree potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces.
100-200ml milk (depending on how soft you like your mash)
50ml olive oil or melted butter
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

400g fine French beans, topped and tailed
25 grammes butter, melted

Method:

For the casserole:

Preheat oven to 150 degrees Centigrade.  Season the meat with salt and pepper. Heat a large, heavy bottomed casserole until very hot.  Put in about 1 tablespoon oil and then about 1/3 to ½ the meat. (Make sure the meat is not more than one layer deep, or it will boil, not colour)  Cook until browned on all sides, and keep to one side.  Repeat until all the meat is browned.  Put the vegetables in the same pan with a little extra oil and cook for about 5 minutes until softened and slightly browned.  Stir in the flour and cook for a further 30 seconds.  Pour in the wine and stir until thickened.  Add the tomatoes, herbs, garlic and the browned meat.  Add about 1 teaspoon salt and plenty of fresh ground black pepper.
Bring to the boil and put in the oven to cook for about 2 hours until the meat is tender.

For the potatoes:

Put the potatoes into a large pan and cover with cold water.  Add about 2 teaspoons salt and bring to the boil.  Boil for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are cooked all the way through.  Meanwhile heat the milk and oil/butter in a small pan until hot but not boiling.  Strain the potatoes into a colander and leave to dry off for a couple of minutes.  Put back into the pan and mash until smooth.  Gently whisk the milk into the potatoes, until they are as soft as you like it.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in the chives at the last moment.

For the beans:

Bring a pan with salted water to the boil.  Cook the beans for 6-8 minutes, depending on thickness.  Drain and mix in the butter.

Roast Lamb

For the lamb:

1 leg of lamb, boned and rolled (get your butcher to do this for you)
1 large onion
4 cloves garlic
50ml olive oil
75ml white wine
2 tablespoons picked rosemary
Salt and pepper

300g couscous
Tomato juice
Water
30ml olive oil
Salt and pepper
10ml white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon flaked chillis
1 dessertspoon sugar
Small handful of chopped coriander leaves

4 red peppers
4 yellow peppers
2 red onions
1 pinch saffron
2 bay leaves
4 cloves garlic
75ml white wine
50ml olive oil

Method:

For the lamb:

Put the onion, garlic, wine, rosemary, oil, salt and pepper into a blender and blend until smooth.  Make slashes about ½” deep all over the meat, being careful not to cut the string.  Rub the marinade all over the meat and push some into the centre, where the bone used to be.  Leave to marinade for up to 24 hours.  Remove the excess marinade and put in a small pan.  Cook the lamb in a preheated oven at 175 degrees Centigrade for about 1 hour, depending on your preference.  To test, insert a skewer to the centre of the meat. Remove and test the temperature on your top lip.
Rare = blood temperature
Medium = very warm
Well done = steaming hot
Bring the marinade to the boil and cook for about 10 minutes or so until a thick sauce consistency is achieved.

For the couscous:

Measure the cous cous and put an equal amount of half water, half tomato juice in a pan with the, salt, pepper, chilli, oil, vinegar and sugar and bring to the boil.  Add the couscous, and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring all the time.  Cover the pan with tin foil and leave for about 10 minutes.  Break up the couscous with a fork and stir in the coriander.

For the stewed peppers:

Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds and stem.  Cut into rough 1” squares.
Peel and chop the onions into 1” pieces.  Peel and thinly slice the garlic.
Heat a large saucepan until hot and add the oil.  Fry the peppers and onions until slightly browned.  Add the wine, saffron, bay leaves, garlic, salt and pepper and cook for a couple of minutes.  Reduce the heat and cover with a lid.  Cook slowly for about half an hour until very soft.  If needed, remove the lid to reduce the liquid.   Remove the bay leaves.

Roast Pork

Ingredients:

4 large lean pork loin chops
1 tablespoon Cajun spices
Olive oil

1 kilo new potatoes
50ml olive oil
Coarse sea salt
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 punnets cherry tomatoes, washed
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 bunches asparagus

1 bunch of basil
75 ml sunflower oil
a pinch of salt

Method:

For the chops:
Rub about 1 tablepoon of oil and the spices into the pork chops and leave to marinade for a couple of hours.  To cook, heat a griddle pan until very hot.  Cook the chops for about 1 minute on each side, until well marked. Finish off in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, depending on thickness.
 
For the potatoes:

Cut the potatoes in half.  Mix with the oil and thyme and season with the coarse salt and pepper.  Cook in a preheated oven at 175 degrees for about 40 minutes.  After about 30 minutes mix in the garlic.  Stir occasionally to stop the tops burning.

For the asparagus:

Cut the asparagus to about 5” long.  Bring a large pan of heavily salted water to the boil and drop in the asparagus.  Cook for 5 minutes and plunge into iced water.  When cold, drain off.  Heat a frying pan and add about 2 teaspoons oil.  Fry the asparagus unil slightly browned. 

For the cherry tomatoes:

Heat a large frying pan and add about 1teaspoon of oil.  Add the cherry tomatoes , season with salt and pepper and cook until slightly charred.  Add the balsamic vinegar and cook for another minute or so.

For the basil oil:

Pick off the leaves and put in a blender with the oil and salt.  Blend until smooth.
 

Author

Matt Lovell – Elite Sports Nutritionist

Matt Lovell is an Elite Sports Nutritionist. He has worked with the England Rugby Team since 2002 and also currently works with 4 premiership teams and UK Athletics team as they prepare for the Olympic Games in London in 2012..  His primary website www.SportsNutritionVlog.com is  chock full of useful Sports Nutrition information and if you leave a question Matt’s really good at getting back to you.

Matt has written a comprehensive guide on Preparing for a Big Event, the popular Fat Loss Program Four Week Fat Loss and Regenerate a Muscle Building Nutrition program.

When I ‘m working with professional rugby players I regularly monitor their body composition.  What we look at when measuring the players is their body fat % and lean muscle mass.

Professional players need to ensure their body fat % is within acceptable parameters, there are obvious differences between positions, with the front row forwards allowed to have an extra pound of fat or three.

You might think that it’s easy for a professional player to get in shape and stay in shape throughout the season, it’s not.  It requires continual vigilance and the formation of good habits. What makes it more challenging is that we are all surrounded by foods that look yummy but ultimately are going to impair performance. Sweet’s, cakes, chocolates, pies and pastries every one has their weak spot.

Any extra food consumed that’s not burnt off through exercise WILL get converted to fat, bearing that in mind, the professional rugby player has to monitor his intake and match it to the level of training.

If you were to follow a player around for a day there are 2 things that would strike you:

‘Do they ever stop eating?’     A professional rugby player probably eats 6-8 times a day they’ll have something before and after every training session and smaller meals spaced throughout the day.  Believe it or not everyone should be eating 4-5 times every day as eating more often can help you manage your weight and can even help you burn fat.

If you look at how the majority of people eat it’s easy to see why obesity levels are rising in the western world.  Generally we skip breakfast or have a smallish one e.g. a bowl of cereal or some jam and toast. We arrive at lunch time famished and usually end up overeating by having a couple of sandwiches and maybe even a cake.

Then there will often be a huge gap before the evening meal maybe punctuated by a chocolate bar or bag of crisps.

As evening approaches, we are now really hungry, getting hungry is a real mistake as it turns on your fat storing hormones.  Our fat storing hormones  now turned on we then have a huge evening meal. When we overeat the excess energy which is not used to replenish our energy stores gets converted to fat.

If you were to eat the same quantity of food and space it out over the course of the day into 4 or 5 smaller meals instead of 2 or 3 bigger meals you’ll be continually topping up your energy stores during the day instead of overwhelming them and having the excess  energy converted to fat..

I’ve explained this concept among others in a document you can access for free at www.FourWeekFatLoss.com. Another point that you will notice about the diet of a professional rugby player is …

Why are they eating so much protein?  The professional rugby player will eat anything up to 300 grams of protein in a day that’s the equivalent of about 10  tins of tuna, 8 Chicken breasts or 50 Eggs.  There’s a number of reasons they eat so much and some lessons for the average person to be learnt as well.

When anyone exercises‘damage’ is done to the muscles, exercises like weight training and scrum practice are more strenuous and cause more ‘damage’.  The body requires protein to help repair that damage and help the muscles increase in size if that is the goal.

The other reason why protein is important and this has implications for everyone is that protein requires more energy to digest than energy dense fats and carbohydrate.  It’s not quite like celery that requires more energy in chewing it and digesting it than is actually contained in it, but protein is headed in that direction.

My recommendations to help ANYONE manage their weight more effectively are to

• to eat 4-5 smaller meals evenly spaced during the day and to
• eat protein with every meal

Next time I’ll let you know some more tips, including some naturally occurring supplements that international players use to manage their weight so you can benefit too.

Author

Matt Lovell – Elite Sports Nutritionist

Matt Lovell is an Elite Sports Nutritionist. He has worked with the England Rugby Team since 2002 and also currently works with 4 premiership teams and UK Athletics team as they prepare for the Olympic Games in London in 2012..  His primary website www.SportsNutritionVlog.com is  chock full of useful Sports Nutrition information and if you leave a question Matt’s really good at getting back to you.

Matt has written a comprehensive guide on Preparing for a Big Event, the popular Fat Loss Program Four Week Fat Loss and Regenerate a Muscle Building Nutrition program.

In all probability you’re not eating as much as I recommend. In all the years of working with over 500 professional rugby players I’ve only come across a few who were eating as much as I recommend.

There are lots of MYTHS and UNTRUTH’s surrounding protein consumption one of the most common I come across is that the body can only digest 30 grams in any one serving, this has been doing the rounds since the 1970’s and I think it was fueled by the guys at the world famous Golds Gym. 

Most rumours have a grain of truth in them and this one comes from research conducted  with elderly hospitalised patients. The study apparently found that taking more than 30g of protein for these patients conferred no extra anabolic advantage.  That’s where the myth comes from, it’s not been found true for healthy individuals.

Are there any risks of consuming too much protein?

There are some purported adverse effects of consuming too much protein but these have been overblown and many review documents have pronounced excess protein consumption as having no adverse effects.  No studies have ever reported liver or kidney damage in healthy people from consuming excess protein.

I’m a  fan of the paleolithic diet that proposes that from an evolutionary stand point our digestive system is more attuned to the hunter gatherer style of eating that we’ve had over the hundred’s of thousands of years of human existence.  Can you imagine our pre-historic ancestors saying ‘You better not eat any more of that woolly mammoth as all that extra protein is going to be wasted’

There are a couple of proviso’s with ‘excess’ protein consumption make sure you remain well hydrated and you should consult your Doctor if you have any kidney disease or have a family history of kidney problems.

Protein – The Muscle building Cornerstone

There are many facets involved in building muscle in fact when I consult with clients and professional athletes my Regenerate system includes 25 different supplements. However consuming the right volume of protein should be the cornerstone of every muscle building program.

The figure that I’ve settled with after monitoring the performance of the athletes that I work with and recommend in a Muscle Building anabolic phase is 3.5g Protein per Kg Body weight, so a 100 Kg athlete would eat 350 g of protein. It’s a lot of protein to get through, you’re be looking at the equivalent of about 13 cans of tuna.  Having to eat this much is why protein powders are so popular!

The level of 3.5kg is slightly higher than some professional bodies recommend however it’s the level that get’s the best results with my athletes.

Two other tips I recommend are to include protein with every meal and include protein from 3 different sources in each meal e.g. don’t just eat 2 or 3 chicken breasts in one go have less chicken and have a serving of cottage cheese and an omelette and maybe a whey shake on the side.  Or if you are having a whey shake then add some cottage cheese or yoghurt with it or maybe some liquid egg whites.
 

Author

Matt Lovell – Elite Sports Nutritionist

Matt Lovell is an Elite Sports Nutritionist. He has worked with the England Rugby Team since 2002 and also currently works with 4 premiership teams and UK Athletics team as they prepare for the Olympic Games in London in 2012..  His primary website www.SportsNutritionVlog.com is  chock full of useful Sports Nutrition information and if you leave a question Matt’s really good at getting back to you.

Matt has written a comprehensive guide on Preparing for a Big Event, the popular Fat Loss Program Four Week Fat Loss and Regenerate a Muscle Building Nutrition program.

One of the main advantages you get when you purchase the Four Week Fat Loss System is that I’m there to support you, yes a real live person.  A lot of Fat Loss Programs on the market are set up and run by marketers not real Nutritionists so once you get the stuff you’re left in the lurch.

I’m there to help you make the tweaks.

Recently I adapted the Four Week Fat Loss  program for a PARAMEDIC  who was working shifts.

This time it is for a woman  Amanda Locke who fights as a THAI BOXER out of  The Tsunami Gym in Cambridge and wants to lose 4KG of fat so she can fight at a lower weight class.  Amanda had her first semi –pro fight, anyone who gets into an Octagon has got my respect!

I do some Thai boxing myself so I was especially keen to help Amanda.  We had a bit of communication via e-mail before Amanda decided to purchase Four Week Fat Loss

It can be a cost effective alternative for a lot of people as a sports nutrition consultation  with me costs £500- £1000.

Here’s what Amanda had to say and below is my personal response to her.

I am currently fighting at 59kilo with 21% body fat and despite training every day, with one day rest, I am failing to drop body fat.

I am not losing muscle or going up or down in weight, I stay the same and have done for months!

My goal is to drop to 55kilo and body fat to around 18%, however I don’t  want to lose muscle as I need the strength.

Here’s my existing training program , I need to be able to get through each session without losing too much energy… I also get really hungry with all the training and tend to snack on fruit . I eat really well in general, I get really bad cravings for sweet things however.  I tend to eat breakfast at around 7 and snack again at 10 and then have lunch at 11 and then snack again after lunch time workout and then eat again at 4 (main meal). I sometimes eat after training then, normally fruit.

Monday: Weights upper body(1hour), Thai Boxing(2 hours)

Tuesday (3Krun)

Wednesday (Weights upper body and Thai Boxing as per Monday

Thursday: 3k run, lower body weights

Friday (3k run and circuit training)

Saturday Thai session for around 4 hours.

Here’s my reply

First you need to do the preparation phase – only eat fruit post training during this phase – next prepare for the intensive phase; during this phase you will drop in energy a little.

Before sessions you should use; Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) 20g and 5g of tyrosine – for energy, you’ll need this mixture for each hours training you do.

Branch Chains will help preserve your muscle mass and can be broken down by the body into glucose as an energy source and the tyrosine which is another amino acid will help you maintain focus.  After each of your sessions I want you to take a protein shake.

The 14 day intensive phase – is for strict fat burning – stick to your guns – get through it, the fat will melt off.  I presume you are night fighting that often maybe once a month?  You can do the strict fat burning phase just after a fight well before your next one.  Once you are through this – you’ll need to settle into maintenance and build back in some additional foods for energy and performance.

I would eat fruits to fuel your sessions – 2 pieces roughly an hour before Thai – but other than that try to stick to the principles. You may also want to slightly increase carbs post session only so you can look to take a protein and carb drink post session. Keep to the BCAAs and tyrosine during sessions.

Hope this helps for now.

Matt

As you can see I’m here to give a personal service and when you ask for help it often has a knock on effect because other people get to benefit as well.

So please don’t be shy, once you’ve purchased Four Week Fat Loss and you’ve gone through the materials let me know if you are struggling putting it into practice.

Author

Matt Lovell – Elite Sports Nutritionist

Matt Lovell is an Elite Sports Nutritionist. He has worked with the England Rugby Team since 2002 and also currently works with 4 premiership teams and UK Athletics team as they prepare for the Olympic Games in London in 2012..  His primary website www.SportsNutritionVlog.com is  chock full of useful Sports Nutrition information and if you leave a question Matt’s really good at getting back to you.

Matt has written a comprehensive guide on Preparing for a Big Event, the popular Fat Loss Program Four Week Fat Loss and Regenerate a Muscle Building Nutrition program.

Growth Hormone is vital in helping 

• repair injuries
• protect against muscle wasting
• promoting fat  loss

By the time that we reach our early 20’s all our growing is done and the amount of GH we produce rapidly declines, however there are  strategies both exercise and nutritionally that can be used to promote natural  Growth Hormone release.

A couple of strategies that you can use to boost GH naturally are to  have an afternoon nap if possible, GH is released after we fall asleep and  do short sharp sprint exercises that cause your muscles to burn. These will cause your body to produce more GH naturally.

As Professional Rugby Players get older, late 20’s and early 30’s, nutrition and particular supporting their hormonal systems to preserve  muscle mass becomes more important.  It’s important for everyone to retain lean muscle, we all know a typical frail little old lady that is wasting away.  It’s possible to slow that process down with the correct nutrition.

Protecting your lean muscle is the KEY STRATEGY in anti-aging and weight management.

Lean Muscle is your metabolic engine, this does not mean you have to hit the weights and train like Schwarzenegger,  a lot can be accomplished through nutrition and exercise.

Having more lean muscle increases your metabolism, which helps keep you lean.  It’s another reason why rugby players have to eat such a lot, they have a lot of muscle that needs fueling.  Most low fat diet  plans (some of the most common ones fall into this camp) can be very CATABOLIC (they breakdown muscle to provide energy).

It’s possible to lose more muscle than fat on some diet plans

Losing muscle is one of the worst things that can happen.  Your body shape does not change and your metabolic engine slows down,

The scales tell you are lighter but you still have your pot belly and ‘man boobs’.

It's vital to retain and Grow More Muscle if you want to lose fat. The more muscle you have the more calories your body needs to keep that muscle working. Having lots of muscle is like keeping the central heating on all the time, you are continually burning energy.  So when you are dieting and actively trying to lose weight your muscle works for you, your body needs more energy just to keep ticking over, it gets that energy by burning fat.

This is your METABOLIC RATE.

When I put together my Four Week Fat Loss Plan, it was based on years of work with professional rugby players, none of whom want to lose any muscle.  I ensured it was excellent at preserving lean muscle,  I encourage my fat loss clients to do some resistance training sessions and have a protein drink after those sessions to help add more muscle, burn calories and protect what muscle they already have.

However no weight loss plan can guarantee that you won't lose any muscle mass at all.  So I encourage my clients to take a supplement that helps produce Growth Hormone naturally, there are some available but often they have a lot of sugar in them which defeats the object from a fat loss perspective.  If you contact me I’ll let you know the best one to choose.

Remember don’t feel guilty next time you have an afternoon nap, think of the health benefits.

Matt Lovell

Author

Matt Lovell – Elite Sports Nutritionist

Matt Lovell is an Elite Sports Nutritionist. He has worked with the England Rugby Team since 2002 and also currently works with 4 premiership teams and UK Athletics team as they prepare for the Olympic Games in London in 2012..  His primary website www.SportsNutritionVlog.com is  chock full of useful Sports Nutrition information and if you leave a question Matt’s really good at getting back to you.

Matt has written a comprehensive guide on Preparing for a Big Event, the popular Fat Loss Program Four Week Fat Loss and Regenerate a Muscle Building Nutrition program.

Many of us like a cuppa through the day. Apart from knowing that you should try to limit your sugar consumption, and, arguably, use skimmed-milk in your tea, many of us give no more thought as to whether the tea we drink has any consequences for our health. Read on my friends and be enlightened ……

Green Tea comes in many guises, mainly from the East. Chinese and Japanese green teas have similar benefits. Green tea is just black tea without the fermentation process. Black tea (what most Brit’s normally consume) contains many benefits too just not as many as green tea, plus milk blocks the flavanoids (active health promoting components in green tea). You’ll see later the same milk in milk chocolate blocks similar active polyphenols from working properly in the body.

Green tea contains antioxidants, polyphenols (active plant components) catechins and EGCG these are the bits which give Green teas it’s unique properties. Many of the health benefits and claims of green tea are the subject of ‘hype’ but it does seem to have a proven track record for helping almost all causes of mortality in some bigger well constructed studies, so maybe we should believe the ‘hype’

GREEN TEA FOR THE ATHLETE

Next to fish oils green tea is a wonder food, drink it regularly, drink it lots – get a version you enjoy the taste of. The best product is Matcha ceremonial green tea used in the orient for 1000’s of years to improve mediation and meetings between people, but any type of green tea will contain some of the beneficial effects.

One of the reasons for it’s traditional use in ceremonies is its effect on brain neurotransmitters, specifically it has a calming and focusing action due to raising dopamine and GABA at the same time. Dopamine is responsible for motivation and drive, whilst GABA regulates brain rhythm. The effect is you feel calmer and more focused at the same time. Only a few natural substances can do this and generally these assist with reaction time when nerves are an issue. Green tea also affects alpha waves; these are highest when the brain is relaxed and alert.

•     Green Tea; calms the brain
•     Increases both GABA and Dopamine
•     Excellent for decision making when under fire
•     Increases alpha waves
•     Protects against most diseases
•     Burns fat

Alpha brain waves are seen in wakefulness where there is a relaxed and effortless alertness, for more info check out http://www.biocybernaut.com/about/brainwaves/alpha.htm

So if you like being stressed, fat and prone to disease don’t drink green tea!

SCIENCE IN RELATION TO FAT LOSS

Increased adipose (fat) mass is a consequence of either increased adipocyte (fat cell) size (hypertrophy) or increased adipocyte number (hyperplasia) or both.  Adipose tissue hyperplasia (increasing in number) is a result of increased adipogenesis, which includes preadipocyte proliferation and adipocyte differentiation. Thus, therapeutic agents that have the ability to reduce or inhibit adipogenesis or increase cell death by apoptosis could have a profound impact on body composition.

Green tea extracts, specifically those containing a high proportion of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), have been shown to increase 24 hour energy expenditure and fat oxidation (Dulloo et al., 1999) and increase weight loss in humans (Chantre and Lairon, 2002).  In addition, EGCG treatment has been shown to decrease fat deposition in rats (Kao, Hiipakka and Liao, 2000).  Although increased thermogenesis and inhibition of lipase activity have been suggested to be responsible for EGCG induced weight loss, EGCG has been shown to have antiproliferative effects (inhibits maturation and increases apoptosis, i.e. cell death) that may also impact adipose tissue. 

In addition to its antiproliferative effect, EGCG may also have an inhibitory effect on differentiation.  More specifically, it may act to inhibit the extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) pathway in adipocytes, resulting in inhibition of lipogenesis.  Empirical evidence suggests that 500mg of EGCG taken in the form of a decaffeinated green tea extract supplement twice daily (500mg at breakfast and lunch) is optimal for the fat utilization and storage effects highlighted above.  

However some scientist believe the fat burning effects are better in caffeinated forms of green tea, the problem with these is you cant take them late at night.

Furthermore, EGCG can be considered to be a general wellbeing nutrient.  It has been reported to have antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties (Kondo et al., 1999; Cai et al., 2002) and anticarcinogenic or cancer preventing actions (Chung et al., 2003; Hu, Han and Chen, 1995).     

Basically it kills fat cells, up regulates fat burning and prevents cancer – so drink it!

TEA IS ALWAYS GOOD WITH A CHOCOLATE BISCUIT

Chocolate Has Health Benefits (just  avoid the biscuit part)

Chocolate is the name given to product derived from cocoa trees, cocoa nibs are the raw form of chocolate before it gets processed and sugar added. These nibs contain unique plant polyphenols, and yes you guessed it these are good for you!

Recent studies have shown that eating chocolate can be beneficial to your health. Chocolate contains a substance called catechins, the same stuff that occurs in Green tea, that could help prevent cancer and heart disease, as well as lower blood pressure. But if you eat milk chocolate you can block some of the active components and negate the benefits.

Catechins are strong antioxidants which clear away destructive molecules in the body called free radicals. Free radicals damage cells which help trigger heart disease and cancer. A large amount of antioxidants in your diet can help reduce your risk for developing heart disease and cancer.

Cocoa powder and chocolate are good sources of antioxidants. See the list of Top Antioxidant Foods below. Dark chocolate contains significantly higher amounts than most other foods. You can also find catechins in large doses in green tea.

In addition, researchers have discovered that physical and emotional enjoyment from eating chocolate, even in small doses, can enhance immune function for hours afterwards. They believe that life's small pleasures may have a cumulative effect in boosting the immune system over a long period.
This seems to prove that a little bit of what you fancy really does do you good, just don’t have too much of it that’s all!

The good news is that moderate chocolate consumption offers health benefits. The bad news is that you can't eat whatever you want because too much chocolate can lead to weight gain.

So once you start eating the chocolate make sure you eat a little less of something else. When you restrict foods choose sugars and poor fat calories first.

So there you have it scientific proof that tea and chocolate offer significant health benefits and should be a part of your every day routine.

Author

Matt Lovell – Elite Sports Nutritionist

Matt Lovell is an Elite Sports Nutritionist. He has worked with the England Rugby Team since 2002 and also currently works with 4 premiership teams and UK Athletics team as they prepare for the Olympic Games in London in 2012..  His primary website www.SportsNutritionVlog.com is  chock full of useful Sports Nutrition information and if you leave a question Matt’s really good at getting back to you.

Matt has written a comprehensive guide on Preparing for a Big Event, the popular Fat Loss Program Four Week Fat Loss and Regenerate a Muscle Building Nutrition program.

SOURCE: Data from U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

*ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) is a measure of the ability of foods to subdue harmful oxygen free radicals that can damage our bodies.

References – from Wikipedia
1.    ^ Green Tea’s Cancer-fighting Allure Becomes More Potent.
2.    ^ Green Tea, White Tea: Health Roiboos
3.    ^ The combination of green tea and tamoxifen is effe…[Carcinogenesis. 2006] – PubMed Result
4.    ^ A New Function of Green Tea: Prevention of Lifestyle-related Diseases – Sueoka et al. 928 (1): 274 – Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
5.    ^ Green Tea Health Benefits
6.    ^ How effective is green tea for weight loss? | Calorie Counter
7.    ^ ACS :: Green Tea
8.    ^ Tea: A Story of Serendipity
9.    ^ Qualified health claim definition – Medical Dictionary definitions of popular medical terms easily defined on MedTerms
10.    ^ US FDA/CFSAN – Letter Responding to Health Claim Petition dated January 27, 2004: Green Tea and Reduced Risk of Cancer Health Claim (Docket number 2004Q-0083)
11.    ^ US FDA/CFSAN – Qualified Health Claims: Letter of Denial – Green Tea and Reduced Risk of Cardiovascular Disease (Docket No. 2005Q-0297)
12.    ^ CDER New Molecular Entity (NME) Drug and New Biologic Approvals in Calendar Year 2006
13.    ^ Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drug Product List: 10/2006
14.    ^ http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/label/2006/021902lbl.pdf
15.    ^ JAMA – Abstract: Green Tea Consumption and Mortality Due to Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer, and All Causes in Japan: The Ohsaki Study, September 13, 2006, Kuriyama et al. 296 (10): 1255
16.    ^ http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_4326770 Article in the Denver Post
17.    ^ Green tea consumption and cognitive function: a cross-sectional study from the Tsurugaya Project 1 – Kuriyama et al. 83 (2): 355 – American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
18.    ^ Green tea could protect against Alzheimer's
19.    ^ Green Tea and the “Asian Paradox”
20.    ^ L-Theanine reduces psychological and physiological…[Biol Psychol. 2007] – PubMed Result
21.    ^ Ingestion of a tea rich in catechins leads to a reduction in body fat and malondialdehyde-modified LDL in men – Nagao et al. 81 (1): 122 – American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
22.    ^ Studies: Green Tea May Help Prolong Life, Senay: Research Also Shows Benefits For Skin, Few Drawbacks – CBS News
23.    ^ Efficacy of a green tea extract rich in catechin polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24-h energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans – Dulloo et al. 70 (6): 1040 – American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
24.    ^ Green Tea Blocks HIV in Test Tubes
25.    ^ SpringerLink – Journal Article
26.    ^ [1] Lambert, J.D., et al., (2007) Possible Controversy over Dietary Polyphenols: Benefits vs Risks, Chem Res Toxicol

When I consult with clients one of the first things I do is to take skin fold measurements from 13 sites on the body.  I’ve learnt this information from Charles Poliquins Bio-Signature method.  Taking readings from 13 different sites this enables me to identify imbalances and gain more insight into what is happening with a client on an individual biochemical basis. 

The theory of biosignature is that individuals will store fat preferentially in different areas of the body according to hormonal imbalances.  Through trial and error applying this information in my own practice I’ve found that a number of the sites are very accurate some of the sites I tend to dismiss.

A high skinfold on the tricep (above 5mm), chest (3mm or above) thigh (above 10mm) and hamstring site (above 10mm) MAY indicate an oestrogen imbalance and a lower than optimal production in testosterone.

Taking readings from 13 different sites this enables me to identify imbalances and gain more insight into what is happening with a client on an individual biochemical basis.

If a client is showing High Oestrogen and Low Testosterone here are some of my recommendations.
 
DIET

•    AVOID – Beer, bovine dairy and wheat are high in oestrogen enhancing compounds as is soya.

•    AVOID -  non organic meats, dairy and tap water

•    AVOID – bread, pasta, biscuits, cakes, anything containing wheat flour

•    AVOID – Excess alcohol, excess sugar, excess omega 6 (vegetable oil)

DIET

INCREASE – zinc rich foods, pumpkin seeds, Oysters, ginger root, lamb chops, split peas, brazil nuts, soy lecithin, black pepper, paprika, mustard, chilli powder, thyme, cinnamon, sardines, almonds, walnuts, rye, oats, tuna, anchovies, and haddock

FIBER RICH FOODS – linseeds, whole oats, fibrous vegetables, fiber supplements apple fibre, pysillium husk

DETOXIFICATION SUPPORTING FOODS – see list in detox guide, all crucerifous vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage,

OTHER BENEFICIAL FOODS

Curcumin (turmeric) and other spices

B complex foods and supplements

Vitamin C foods and supplements

All flavanoids particularly citrus and grape; fresh juice with a whole lemon, a big slice of ginger and a kiwi fruit

Green tea; drink 5 cups a day, consider green tea extract supplement

Mixed Vitamin E rich foods; increase organic raw nuts and seeds, 1 handful of nuts per day suggested

LIFESTYLE

Sleep 8-10 hours and nap in the afternoons for 30 mins whenever possible. Take magnesium and a ZMA formula before each sleep.

Take time to distress, avoid dietary stressors; excess caffeine, excess sugar, allergens, anti-nutrients

Stress increases cortisol which competes with testosterone

Try to practice meditation, stretching or yoga to assist mental relaxation

Get regular de-stressing habits into your week, massage, massage, and more massage, oh and film – things you enjoy…..

INFLAMMATION

Eat an anti-inflammatory diet; this is close to the Mediterranean diet

Take anti-inflammatory herbs (rosemary, oregano etc), spices (all) and supplements such as fish oil
 
SUPPLEMENTATION

Regularly consume; a multi vitamin, fish oils, antioxidants (switch types) ZMA

Cycle testosterone supporting herbal formulas, change these each 2 weeks (ideal) or month

Compounds such as DIM and Indole 3 carbinol will assist these detoxification pathways and may have a direct estrogen moderating effect. These occur in high amounts in crucerifous vegetables; watercress is the best of these.

Calcium D glucarate, Calcium D-glucarate is a botanical extract found in grapefruit, apples, oranges, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Scientists are discovering that it appears to protect against cancer and other diseases via a different mechanism than antioxidants such as vitamin C, carotenoids, and folic acid. These vitamin antioxidants work by neutralizing toxic free radical damage in the body and detoxifying excess estrogen

Author

Matt Lovell – Elite Sports Nutritionist

Matt Lovell is an Elite Sports Nutritionist. He has worked with the England Rugby Team since 2002 and also currently works with 4 premiership teams and UK Athletics team as they prepare for the Olympic Games in London in 2012..  His primary website www.SportsNutritionVlog.com is  chock full of useful Sports Nutrition information and if you leave a question Matt’s really good at getting back to you.

Matt has written a comprehensive guide on Preparing for a Big Event, the popular Fat Loss Program Four Week Fat Loss and Regenerate a Muscle Building Nutrition program.

It would be stretching things for me to say that pollutants are harming your sporting performance, but with elite athletes looking for any slight change that could give them an edge it makes sense to do some of the things I suggest below.

Toxins mostly minerals (lead, mercury, cadmium etc) – are in the air, the soil and food. Over the past 100 years, their levels have risen sharply, and could well be overloading the body's capacity to eliminate them.

Action to Avoid

•    Wash all fruit and vegetables (with a tablespoon of vinegar added to water)

•    Remove outer leaves of vegetables.

•    Wrap food with grease-proof paper instead of aluminium foil

•    Avoid tinned goods, which may be contaminated with aluminium or lead.

•    Avoid copper or aluminium cookware.

•    Avoid refined foods, which lack toxin-fighting nutrients

•    Avoid copper or aluminium cookware.

•    Check if water pipes are made of lead or copper. In pre-1940 houses, they usually are! If so… don't use water softener (soft water dissolves lead more easily)

•    Do not drink or cook with hot tap water

•    Use a water filter or drink spring water (Sharma insert link to water filter documents)

•    Wash hands before eating.

•    Cut down alcohol which increases lead absorption

•    Avoid antacids, which contain aluminium salts.

•    Make sure small children don't chew on paintwork

•    Avoid busy roads where possible (exhaust fumes contain lead)

You don’t need to wrap yourself in a bubble it might feel like it  having read that list but these are simple little habits that could make an accumulated difference.

CHEMICALS IN THE HOME

It is the job of your immune system and liver to deal with all foreign, abnormal or toxic substances in the body. In order to reduce stress on your immune system and liver, it is important to reduce the number of chemicals you are exposed to, as much as possible.

The majority of strong-smelling or highly perfumed products listed below fall into this category:

• Dry cleaning fumes
• Harsh soap powders and detergents (try Ecover or Surcare)
• Air fresheners
• "Shake and Vac" type products
• Fabric conditioners (try Surcare or Ecover)
• Household sprays
• Cosmetic aerosols e.g. deodorants, hairspray
• Nail varnish remover
• Talc
• Strong smelling polishes, toilet cleaners, carpet cleaners, etc.
• Aerosols for cleaning shoes
• Perfume and after-shave
• Perfumed soap (try Simple)
• Shampoo (try Haar Sana)
• Also try to limit exposure to fumes (exhaust, gas, paint, etc.), tobacco smoke, mouldy
• surroundings and clouds of dust, etc

Nutrition against Pollution

It isn't possible to avoid the full extent of pollution. Luckily, research is showing that there are ways of 'detoxifying' the body. Drugs are effective, but cause side effects. A safer and equally effective way is carefully balanced nutrition.

The Detoxifying Diet

•    Calcium and phosphorus are antagonistic to lead. They are found in seeds, nuts, green leafy vegetables and milk produce.

•    Alginic acid is also a lead antagonist. It is found in seaweed (provided it comes from unpolluted waters). If seaweed sounds unappetising, try Nori. This comes in dried sheets which are crisped by heating them without oil in a very hot pan for less than 10 seconds, and then used as a crunchy garnish for soups and salads

•    Pectin helps remove lead too. It is found in apple pips, bananas, citrus fruit and carrots.

•    Sulphur containing amino acids, which are found in garlic, onions and eggs help protect against mercury, cadmium and lead.

Supplements against Pollution

Where body levels of pollutants are too high, diet alone will struggle to supply nutritional antagonists and aid in doses high enough to be effective. Several research projects have shown, however, that certain nutrients are very effective in supplement form.

•    Vitamin C is an 'all rounder' which escorts lead, cadmium and arsenic out of the body.

•    Calcium is effective against lead, cadmium and aluminium

•    Zinc acts against lead and cadmium selenium is antagonistic to mercury and, to a lesser extent, arsenic and cadmium

•    Pectin, alginic acid and phosphorus are also useful as supplements.

•    Magnesium and B6 are useful for eliminating aluminium

•    Hair mineral analysis is the most accurate way to measure body levels of these toxins.

 Many of these substances work better in combinations. Hopefully these suggestions will give you some advice on how to live pollution free.  I’ve also written an extensive detox guide ‘Toxic Fat Attack’ which goes into more details and provides specific strategies you can use to start detoxifying yourself.

Author

Matt Lovell – Elite Sports Nutritionist

Matt Lovell is an Elite Sports Nutritionist. He has worked with the England Rugby Team since 2002 and also currently works with 4 premiership teams and UK Athletics team as they prepare for the Olympic Games in London in 2012..  His primary website www.SportsNutritionVlog.com is  chock full of useful Sports Nutrition information and if you leave a question Matt’s really good at getting back to you.

Matt has written a comprehensive guide on Preparing for a Big Event, the popular Fat Loss Program Four Week Fat Loss and Regenerate a Muscle Building Nutrition program.

It has been shown to have many biological effects, including anti-carcinogenesis, anti-atherogenesis, immune modulation, and altering body composition (Pariza, 2004). 

CLA is a naturally occurring compound which can help keep you healthy and lean. As with all the other natural sports nutrition no brainers it’s simple to increase in the diet and you can supplement with relatively small amounts to obtain its benefits.

Hey guess what CLA also occurs naturally in cows, yes the meat and milk and milk based products which come from a cow are very high in natural CLA. There’s one problem though the cow’s got to eat grass! Before you think I thought they did, how wrong could you be, most cows eat a version of cornflakes (less refined than the ones we have in the supermarket though)!

The problem with the cows eating ‘cornflakes’ is that the cornflakes are high in omega 6 oils. Omega 6 fatty acids make you fat real quick, remember the inflammation story? It’s omega 6 dependent. Do yourself a favour, don’t eat cow’s which don’t eat grass and don’t drink the milk, eat the cheese or put the butter on your bread use virgin organic coconut oil instead.. But if grass fed beef is beyond the pail then you might want to supplement with CLA.

The effect of CLA on human body composition is controversial, but when the body of evidence is considered as a whole, CLA does appear to reduce body fat (Whigham, Watras and Schoeller, 2007); although the effect is modest. 

The mechanisms by which CLA may reduce body fat include reduction of lipid accumulation by adipocytes mediated through effects on lipoprotein lipase and stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase (Pariza, Park and Cook, 2001). 

As highlighted above CLA has different isomers.  The t10, c12 isomer has been identified as the one responsible for decreasing body fat (Park et al., 1999; Gavino et al., 2000).  Notwithstanding this, one human study that exclusively used the t10, c12 isomer resulted in transient insulin resistance within 12 weeks (Riserus et al., 2002).  There is inadequate data to indicate an ideal mix of isomers for body composition, but it is generally agreed that a mixture of t10, c12 and c9, t11 results in no severe adverse events (Whigham et al., 2007). 

The optimal dose for CLA is uncertain. Doses ranging between 0.5-5g/d have been reported to decrease body fat.  However, higher doses may produce additional fat loss (Whigham et al., 2007).  

As part of your fat burning regime including grass fed beef products seems to be a useful idea. In addition supplementing with CLA will help decrease pain and inflammation associated with intensive exercise and may have additional beneficial effects on fat storage and muscle building.
 

Author

Matt Lovell – Elite Sports Nutritionist

Matt Lovell is an Elite Sports Nutritionist. He has worked with the England Rugby Team since 2002 and also currently works with 4 premiership teams and UK Athletics team as they prepare for the Olympic Games in London in 2012..  His primary website www.SportsNutritionVlog.com is  chock full of useful Sports Nutrition information and if you leave a question Matt’s really good at getting back to you.

Matt has written a comprehensive guide on Preparing for a Big Event, the popular Fat Loss Program Four Week Fat Loss and Regenerate a Muscle Building Nutrition program.