Last month we discussed vitamins and minerals and took a long look at vitamin C and thiamin, two vitamins both very important for athletes. This

month I want to talk about calcium. Calcium is essential for strong bones and teeth and also plays a central role in the activation of muscular contractions. Many people don’t get enough calcium, especially women. Women are at risk for a very common disease, osteoporosis: a condition in which the bones slowly lose calcium and weaken as a result. A simple fall can result in a fractured hip and something as minor as stepping off a curb can crush vertebrae. Human bone lacking in calcium becomes brittle. Osteoporosis is most common in post-menopausal women.

The problem is the reduction in estrogen production. Estrogen helps keep bones strong. It is important to have plenty of calcium in your bones when you enter menopause because if you start into menopause with low mineral density (“thin bones”) then problems can occur quickly. To help in preventing osteoporosis, or reduce its impact, take in plenty of calcium to make sure your bones are strong. Though osteoporosis is more common in women, men can get it too. Build a strong skeleton when you’re young so you’ll have a strong skeleton when you’re old (1). Dairy products are high in calcium. Milk, yogurt, and cheese are all rich calcium sources. This is a problem in that milk and cheese are forbidden for serious bodybuilders. We like the calcium and protein content of dairy products but the fat and sugar create disadvantages that far outweigh the advantages. Milk has an ample amount of protein but contains lactose, a simple sugar that promotes fat storage.

These naturally rich sources of calcium are out of bounds. Still, we need calcium. Some vegetables contain a fair amount of calcium, especially the green leafy vegetables like spinach (1-5), but the intestines do not absorb the calcium from vegetable sources very efficiently. Vegetables contain oxalic acids, which bind to calcium and reduces its bioavailability. Bodybuilders generally avoid dairy products and vegetable calcium has absorption problems, so supplementation becomes very important. Calcium carbonate and calcium citrate are both good supplemental forms of calcium but avoid oyster shell calcium since it does not absorb well. Anyone with a history of kidney stones should probably choose calcium citrate since it is less prone to form kidney stones.

The adult human body contains 1,000 – 1,200 grams of calcium, 99% of which is in the skeleton. If calcium intake is inadequate the skeleton serves as a pool from which calcium will be withdrawn for other purposes. Bones are in a state of continual turnover and are constantly being replaced and remodeled. Existing bone is reabsorbed and new bone built. Three hormones are directly involved in calcium metabolism: parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcitonin (CT), and vitamin D (vitamin D functions like a hormone) (1-3). Parathyroid hormone acts to release calcium from bone to increase the plasma calcium level. Calcitonin has the opposite effect, causing calcium uptake into bone. A daily intake of 1,200 mg per day of calcium is recommended - unless a person has a diagnosis of osteoporosis, in which case 1,500 mg per day is usually recommended (2). It is virtually impossible to obtain this amount of calcium without the use of dairy products or supplements.

No problem, we at Parrillo Performance recognized the importance of calcium for athletes long ago and our Mineral-Electrolyte Formula™ provides 250 mg of elemental calcium per tablet. Two tablets of Mineral-Electrolyte Formula™ taken with five meals (or shakes) per day will yield 1250 mg of calcium per day. At less then a 8¢ per tablet, can you afford not to calcium supplement? Statistically, most women consume only about half the recommended daily amount of calcium, making it one of the most common nutritional deficiencies among the female population. Osteoporosis is an insidious disease that presents few clinical signs or symptoms until a fracture finally occurs and then it is too late to do anything about it. It is very important for women to maintain a regulated, adequate calcium intake during their youth and middle age in order to avoid osteoporosis in later years. Vitamin D has several actions that increase plasma calcium levels. Vitamin D increases the efficiency of intestinal calcium absorption, acts to decrease urinary calcium excretion, and promotes the release of calcium from bone. Since vitamin D increases calcium absorption, vitamin D deficiency will lead to low calcium.

Vitamin D is an interesting compound that in some ways acts more like a hormone than a vitamin. It was originally classified as a vitamin because it is associated with specific deficiencies: rickets and osteomalacia (3). Unlike other vitamins, your body is able to make its own vitamin D. It is a derivative of cholesterol called 7-dehydrocholesterol and is converted to pre-vitamin D3 in the skin during exposure to ultraviolet light. As an interesting side note, in northern climates where it is cold in the winter and people don’t spend much time in the sun, inhabitants sometimes develop low vitamin D levels which lead to low calcium levels. 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 is further metabolized in the liver and then the kidneys to produce its active form, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3.

The dietary form of vitamin D is also a pre-vitamin and must be converted into the active form by sequential reactions in the liver and kidney (1,2). The main function of vitamin D is to help regulate calcium and phosphorus metabolism. Both calcium and phosphorous are required for bone formation, nerve and energy function, and other cellular processes. When calcium or phosphorous levels are low it causes the kidneys to make more of the active form of vitamin D, which in turn goes to the intestines and stimulates the synthesis of binding proteins for calcium and phosphorous. These binding proteins increase the absorption of the minerals by the intestine (3). Vitamin D also acts on the kidneys to reduce urinary excretion of calcium and phosphorous.

It stimulates the release of calcium and phosphorous from bone (a good thing) and acts to maintain normal calcium and phosphorous concentrations. Vitamin D seems to have no direct value as an ergogenic aid. There seems to be no performance boost from “extra” amounts of D but a vitamin D deficiency will certainly decrease performance. Actually, megadoses of D could be toxic if calcium levels exceed the normal range. Vitamin D deficiency in children causes rickets; a wasting disease in which in bones weaken and go soft, legs become bowed and growth is stunted. Vitamin D deficiency in adults is called osteomalacia and produces skeletal weakness and pain (3). Your body can make enough vitamin D to meet your needs if you receive adequate sunlight exposure.

Many people, workaholics, the aged and sick, do not get a lot of sun. Supplementation is highly recommended for these groups. In this country, milk and other dairy products are fortified with vitamin D and this represents the main dietary source (1-6) for most Americans. Serious bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts usually won’t drink milk or eat dairy. In order to prevent calcium or vitamin D shortfall they should supplement. The RDA for vitamin D is 200 IU for adults beyond 24 years of age, and 400 IU for people between six months and 24 years of age (2). The solution is an easy one: take our Essential Vitamin Formula™ and Mineral-Electrolyte Formula™ as proscribed and get on about the rest of your muscle building business. The calcium/ vitamin D base is covered. We’ll talk again next month!

Parrillo Performance Magazine
(800) 344-3404 

References

1. Macroelements, Water, and Electrolytes in Sports Nutrition. Judy Driskell and Ira Wolinsky, CRC Press, 1999.

2. Recommended Dietary Allowances, 10th edition. National Research Council. National Academy Press, 1989.

3. Sports Nutrition: Vitamins and Trace Elements. Ira Wolinsky and Judy Driskell. CRC Press, 1997.

4. Sports Nutrition: Minerals and Electrolytes. Constance Kies and Judy Driskell. CRC Press, 1995. 5. Nutrients as Ergogenic Aids in Sports and Exercise. Luke Bucci. CRC Press, 1993.

5. Nutrition in Exercise and Sport. I. Wolinsky and J.F. Hickson. CRC Press, 1994.

March 20th, 2009 by jasonbutcher | Comments Off

No more fooling around. You feel that you have the desire and the determination and now you are looking for the plan. Look no further. This

approach has been used with extraordinary success by clients of mine for the past decade, old and young, male and female, fit and not-so-fit. The principles are “one-size-fits-all”. The variations occur in the specifics: the exercise poundage, your training intensity, the number calories you eat, etc, etc. The principles upon which this plan is constructed are the same ones used by the champions. Everyone is required to use weight training, aerobics, and diet to stimulate physical change.

Once the universal principles and methods are in place, the routine is customized to the individual. · Weight training is the cornerstone of any fitness program. Weights build muscle and strengthen tendons and ligaments. Weight training increases bone density (take note older women) and infuses the body with power as each muscle on the body is stressed, fed, recovers and grows bigger and stronger. I recommend a high intensity approach that uses a wide variety of exercises in three to four weekly weight sessions. We push hard then rest the body before lifting again. ·Aerobic training is extremely beneficial and the perfect compliment to a serious weight program. Aerobics improve the function of the heart, lungs, capillaries and the miles of veins that crisscross the body. Regular and repeated aerobic activity keeps the human plumbing clean and prevents clogging. Aerobics increase endurance and allows you to train harder and longer.

Cardio work burns body fat when you are at or near the caloric breakeven point. · Diet is the art and science of nutrition and supplementation. When done correctly, my diet and nutritional tactics (adopted from John Parrillo) allow you to reduce bodyfat, build muscle and shorten the training recovery process. In order to achieve all these great benefits, there needs to be balance, discipline and restraint in your eating habits. I advise my clients to not overeat or under-eat: to much food will increase fat deposits, and not enough food will stop muscle growth dead in it’s tracks. Strike the balance and eat correctly and often. EIGHT WEEKS TO A LEANER PHYSIQUE *Log your food intake - this is a must! Write down the amount you eat and the nutritional breakdown.

This is a big pain in the buttocks but becomes easy within a couple of days. We need to get a handle on how many calories we take in and the nutritional breakdown of the food we eat. How much protein, carbohydrates and fat do we eat? Whether the carbohydrates are starchy or fibrous, it all needs to be duly notated! The Parrillo Body Stat Kit contains a scale for weighing foods and the Parrillo Nutrition Manual contains the nutrient breakdown of weighed foods. This is less cumbersome than it seems; weigh and cook foods on the weekend for prepackaged consumption during the week. *Eat balanced meals 5 to 6 times per day. Meals should consist of a protein portion, a fibrous carb portion and a starchy carb portion. Fiberous carbs keep insulin levels stable and starchy carbs keep your energy high. Protein is critical for muscle growth and recovery but fat-free (or nearly) sources need to be used.

Fats are kept very low, 10% or less. *Start the eight-week shape up with a week of weighing and measuring your meals. You need to have a handle on the amount of calories you are currently ingesting in order to establish a baseline. How many grams of fat, protein and carbohydrates are you currently eating per day? This critical information is needed in order to create a leaner more muscular physique. If you don’t have any idea where you are, you won’t know where you are going, or how to get there. · For the sake of example let’s assume that you establish your caloric breakeven point (the amount you need to eat in order to maintain you current weight) at 3,000 calories per day. If you eat less than 3,000 you loose weight and if you consume more than 3,000 you gain weight.

This is called establishing the caloric baseline. Institute food weighing on day one of our eight-week shape-up program. · To lose a pound of fat a week you need to reduce your caloric expenditure by 3,500 calories. We extract 3,500 calories per week, 500 calories a day spread over the five meals. If you eat five meals daily, you could subtract 100 calories per meal, 500 total, to reduce the requisite 500 a day, 3,500 a week. *In the eight-week shape-up we establish our caloric baseline in Week I. You eat “normally”, weigh your portions, figure your caloric intake and settle in for the week. Weight train three days a week allowing rest days between sessions.

Train for no more than onehour using basic barbell and dumbbell exercises with a few machines movements thrown in. Keep your reps in the 8-10 range. No aerobics until the beginning of Week III. *In Week II we lose a pound of fat and maintain muscle mass. We have established our recommended five meals per day and for the sake of example, let’s assume at the end of Week I you have established your caloric baseline at 3,000 calories per day. Each meal would be 600 calories (5 x 600 = 3,000).

Now in Week II we need to cut calories by 500 per day, 3,500 per week. Our goal in Week II is to cut the calories down from 3,000 to 2,500 per day, so we reduce meal calories from 600 to 500. Intake 1.0 gram of protein per pound of body weight at each meal and obtain the balance of your allowable calories from equal amounts of starchy and fibrous carbohydrates. Keep training hard! *In Week III we keep the diet intact, calories holding at 2,500, and add aerobic training. We start with three 20- minute sessions per week, preferably in the morning on an empty stomach as this optimizes fat burning.

Try to burn 150 calories per session. Keep the weight training program intact but try to increase either poundage or reps to up the intensity. *In Week IV keep the aerobic session length the same but increase the intensity by going faster. Cardio training will create an energy deficiency, causing your body (already below your caloric breakeven point) to burn body fat as fuel. Aerobics stimulate the metabolism for hours after completion. At this juncture, begin taking 2-4 capsules of Parrillo Muscle Amino Formula™, branched chain amino acids with each meal, these will load your system with concentrated nutrients for stimulating muscle growth. *In Weeks V eliminate all starch from your last evening meal.

Up your daily protein intake to 1.5 grams per pound of body weight (per day) and hold the calories at 2,500. This will necessitate reducing the starch in your diet to allow for the additional protein and still make the total calories come out right. Keep the aerobics the same, but up your reps and drop your poundage in your weight training. Work in the 10-12 rep range. * In Week VI increase your cardio time to 30 minutes, four times per week, again, preferably in the AM on an empty stomach. We hold the calories steady at 2,500 and maintain the high protein intake.

The fat should be melting off by the bucketful at this juncture. We goose the weight training intensity by upping the reps to 12-15 and allow very little rest between sets, no more than one minute. We want to get a great pump, move quickly, keep the reps high, and feel the target muscle work on each and every rep. Supplement with Parrillo Optimized Whey™ & Advanced Lipotropic Formula™ to further stimulate fat oxidation. * In week VII we decrease our starchy carb intake by 10% and addback the “lost” calories by introducing John Parrillo’s Cap Tri® (MCT oil) to salads and grilled proteins. This is a great fuel source and offsets the energy loss that occurs when we reduce the starch in our diet. CapTri is a dense source of calories and is perfect for our fat emulsification purposes. You will have lost a tremendous amount of body fat by this time.

The high protein intake “spares’ muscle and while the scale might not show a vast difference, your body is noticeably better as friends, relatives and acquaintances are commenting and marveling by this time at your new look. For the final week, week VIII, we kick the aerobics up to five days per week, attempting to go for 40 minutes at each session. Eat the majority of your carbohydrates at breakfast and lunch and avoid starch altogether after 4 PM. Kick the weights up to 20- rep sets, drop the poundage and try to move as fast as possible between sets. Your energy will be fantastic but your strength will be down slightly. Finish the week in a bustle of activity and don’t reduce calories any further. There is a real danger of losing too much muscle at this point! · Take a Body Stat measurement every two weeks to determine fat loss. · Weight train three or four days per week, no more. · Food intake should be clean and avoid refined sugar and saturated fats. By the end of week eight you will have reached your target goal and will have radically transformed your body.

Parrillo Performance Magazine
(800) 344-3404 

March 20th, 2009 by jasonbutcher | Comments Off