[Sportsandrec] Here comes the science

Mon Feb 2 21:39:49 UTC 2009

Kelly,

Thank you for laying everything out like you did about working out.

One question I have is this:  Is it better to exercise in the mornining?  I
have heard this said by a lot of fitness gurus.  

Another question is how many hours before bedtime is safe to exercise so
that it does not interfere with sleep?

I sometimes like to change up the times when I work out because it may not
be convenient for me to get going at a certain time in the morning.  There
are many things I try to get done where housework is concerned before I
exercise.  Its better for me.  I hate leaving the dishes  in the sink or the
dirty clothes around for long.  

I am happiest when the house feels clean.  

Let me know what you think.

Anita

-----Original Message-----
From: sportsandrec-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:sportsandrec-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Thornbury, Kelly
Sent: Sunday, February 01, 2009 9:17 PM
To: sportsandrec at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Sportsandrec] Here comes the science

Ok, here comes the science...I think I'll start most of my posts with this
"new" catch phrase...Opinions please?!? 

First, your body burns most of its calories (typically over 70%) during rest
and normal daily activities, and less than 30% during exercise sessions
(yes, this varies for everyone, but the point is that you burn way more
between workouts). 

Second, lean body tissue (muscle, organs, and the like) are the
"metabolically active" tissues that burn fat. Muscle is the most
metabolically active tissues of the body, so, yes, the more muscle you have,
the more you will burn. However, adding 1 kg of muscle (2.2 pounds), only
increases your resting calorie expenditure about 24 calories a day.
According to the American Collage of Sports Medicine, and the National
Strength and Conditioning Association (the two leaders in research in this
area), the increase in metabolic activity by adding muscle is negligible
best. 

Also, because resistance training is an anaerobic activity (does not require
oxygen for its energy substrates), you do not burn as many calories as you
would with an aerobic activity. To burn energy substrates, you need oxygen.
There is a direct relationship to the amount of oxygen your body takes in
and the number of calories you burn, approximately 4.8 calories for every 1
liter of oxygen consumed (this varies slightly between calories burned from
fats, proteins, and carbohydrates). An intense session of resistance
training will only burn on average about 150 calories or so, because of the
energy substrates you are using (again this depends on the individual, but
the point is that it is much less than that of aerobic activities). 

The idea with the light weight on the bar and the bands actually is a
protocol for building power, and not so much strength (the science will get
a little thick here). Imagine strength as being the amount of weight you can
lift (we'll say 1 rep max here), and power is how fast you can lift that
weight. If you lift a certain weight and it takes 4 seconds, then you lift
the same weight again but this time in two seconds, your strength is the
same, but your power is twice as much for that second lift. Strength and
power are related, but are two different measurements. So, the best way to
increase strength and power is to do a variety of workouts, some focusing on
pushing lighter weights with faster repetitions (be mindful of safety here),
and some focusing on heavy weights. As an example, elite shot putters will
train with shots which are both heavier (to develop strength) and lighter
(to develop speed) than competition shots. These athletes tend to see the
greatest gains. 

Also, the main hormone for muscle hypertrophy (even for women) is
testosterone. Maximum testosterone release stimulation comes from pushing
heavy weights (85-95% of your 1 rep max), using multi-joint exercises with
large muscle groups (squats, deadlifts, cleans, and bench press for
example). Women can also push heavier weights without fear of "bulking up"
because they generally do not produce as much testosterone (there are a few
exceptions, but the average exercise enthusiast shouldn't worry). Also for
women, pushing the heavier weights helps to reduce the risks of
osteoporosis, so don't be afraid to resistance train heavier once in a
while. 

No, pushing heavy (85-95%) weight year round is not the best way to make
maximum gains in strength. The body does need time to recover, both between
workouts and in a "periodized" fashion (working a couple of weeks with
lighter weights and more reps, then heavier weights and fewer reps). A whole
other topic for a whole other post. 

Ah, grappling and wrestling for weight loss.my favorite for maximum calorie
burn. Cross-country skiing may actually burn more, because it is sustainable
over a longer time, and wrestling can be a series of quick "highs and lows"
in exertion. It's a toss up, and the line is really too blurred to argue. 

Here comes the crusher JS, running in place is running in place; regardless
of the outside temps, the calories are roughly the same. Its water weight
again, replaced by that next cup of java. As for the sauna wrestling rooms
we grew up with, those are going the way of the dinosaur and the VHS. New
research is showing that they are doing more harm than good, but us
wrestlers will continue to use them because at weigh-ins it's the numbers on
the scale that count.that's why we hope to have a couple of hours between
that and competition to rehydrate. 

I could write pages and pages.

Take home message: Your workout protocol should reflect your goals; be it
weight loss, strength and power, endurance, or bulking up. What ever the
goal, variety, rest, overload (working harder than your body is used to
working), and progression (systematically increasing the intensity) are key
to improvements. 

J.S., you are as much as a riot in person as you are on the list, glad to
have finely met. 

K. Thorny
_______________________________________________
Sportsandrec mailing list
Sportsandrec at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/sportsandrec_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
Sportsandrec:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/sportsandrec_nfbnet.org/yorstruli%40at
t.net
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com 
Version: 8.0.233 / Virus Database: 270.10.16/1930 - Release Date: 02/02/09
07:51:00