The Power Of Beetroot
You may have noticed that beetroot juice is becoming more readily available in health shops and supermarkets recently. You may even have seen sports people drinking the Beet It shots before training or competing, in particular the Olympians at last years London olympics, where many were supplementing with the drink.
So why is it suddenly coming into the spotlight? This is all happening due to a special ingredient it contains and all the research thats been carried out on it as a sports supplement recently. So what is it about the foul tasting drink that is making it so desirable to sports people and gym goers all over the world. It’s all down to a key ingredient that makes beet root a potential super fuel and that is its naturally high levels of nitrate.
So why is Nitrate so special and what does it do in our bodies?
It’s been shown to reduce blood pressure, reduce the oxidative stress on the body and from a sports perspective its been shown to reduce oxygen consumption during exercise.
According to Exeter University sports science research, it can reduce the energy cost of exercise in sub maximal work by between 5 and 10%. It has also been shown to increase the time to exhaustion by around 15-20%. These results are massive from a sports perspective where every second and every inch counts and can be the difference between winning and losing. This could be massive from a health perspective as well with many possible benefits.
With so many studies on the effects of nitrate in the body its amazing that scientists still don’t know the mechanics of how these amazing effects take place. Its also not yet known if there is a certain dose level where the effects begin to negate themselves. So it would make sense to still approach nitrate with a little caution until more is known. Sticking to supplementing with it from natural sources like beetroot would a sensible route!
Beetroot juice contains 1mg of Nitrate per 100ml. You can also buy concentrated shots of the stuff from Beet It. These 70ml shots contain 3mg of Nitrate and there is also a sports shot that contains 4mg in it’s 70ml shot. I have now personally been taking the Beet It sport shots for about 3 months. I have one shot the day before a game and another shot just over an hour before kick off. Personally I have found there to be a definite positive effect, I’ve noticed that I have more energy later on in games when I would normally start to tire. I have also noticed that the day after games I feel a lot better than I did before I started taking the shots, my legs feel nowhere near as tired as they used to. With the pile up of fixtures I have coming up for the last 2 and a half months of the season I hope this continues to be the case as I’m going to need all the help I can get!
January Offer 2013 10% Discount
So Xmas is over and the new year has begun, it’s that time again when lots of us make those new years resolutions to get fit, lose weight or just start working out. If you’re looking for a personal trainer to push you and motivate you and help you to achieve your goals quickly this year, then this January I am offering a 10% discount for new clients. This applies to all block bookings of 10 or 5 pt sessions for new clients signing up before the 31st of January. The normal discounted price for a block of 10 individual sessions is £300 so with this extra discount that brings the total price to £270 which is just £27 per session. If you would rather train with a friend then the discount also applies to the block bookings for two people. Check out my packages and don’t be afraid to get in touch with any questions you may have, remember the deal only lasts until the 31st of January so get in touch now and lets get started!
A Suspension Training Video
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This is a video I made of a few exercises you can do on a suspension trainer to work the whole body in one session. The suspension trainer is a great piece of kit as it can be used practically anywhere and packs away into just a small bag so is convenient to carry with you. The one I am using here is called the Rip 60 but there are many others like the TRX for example. The great thing about suspension training is how almost every exercise you do on it hits your core muscles due to the free moving straps. Simply adjusting your feet position or the length of the straps alters the resistance instantly, so no need for heavy weights! I think this type of training is great for sports people as it is very functional with lots of multi joint and multi muscle exercises that can be done on it.
Football Based Session
I made this video from a couple of sessions I took with friends both professional footballers. The session was mainly speed, agility and quickness work (SAQ). There was also some plyometric training done.
Muscle Cramps and How To Prevent Them
What Are Muscle Cramps
It’s happened to lots of us, we’re working out or playing a sport when all of a sudden we get cramp in one of our muscles. It can be very painful and last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes, often causing us to stop exercising or playing. A cramp is an involuntary muscle contraction where the muscle spasms and becomes hard. The exact cause of which is unknown but it affects people of all fitness levels old and young. Some of the possible reasons as to why they are thought to occur are as follows:
Tips To Help Reduce the Likelihood of Cramps
It will be a case of trial and error, the same thing will not work for everyone in preventing cramps but trying some of these ideas may help you.
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