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Antioxidants, Free Radicals, and Sports Nutrition

May 17, 2023· tags : · Comments Off

As you know, I am a physician. It’s part of my profession to keep abreast of what’s happening in medical /health research. Being retired helps, because doctors simply do not generally have the “extra time” to devote to the scientific literature.

But I do. And I love it. I am one of those individuals who really enjoys …brace yourself…chemistry. When I’m done here, you should be excited too, especially if you are interested in sports nutrition and antioxidants, though not necessarily in that order.

Sports nutrition is a vast industry with emphasis on optimizing PERFORMANCE. Off hand, I can think of quite a few categories involving sports nutrition:

* sports nutrition and supplements for athletes,

* sports nutrition and athletic performance,

* sports nutrition and body building,

* sports nutrition and endurance training,

* sports nutrition and special diets in a variety of sports,

* sports nutrition and strength training,

* sports nutrition for running, jogging, walking, skiing, swimming

* There’s even Rocky Mountain sports nutrition

* …the list is endless.

So far, no surprises, huh? Well, here’s one for you. Did you know that when you exercise intensively you INCREASE the free radical burden in your body? If you’re a serious sports enthusiast, you should know that.

But…the real news is what science is now finding out about that free radical burden of yours. You should pay close attention here.

Suddenly, chemistry gets real personal.

Everyone of us has, what may be called, our antioxidant protective capacity. That means our bodies normally utilize antioxidants to protect us against the harmful impact of free radicals.

First of all, what are antioxidants? They are molecular substances which offset free radical damage to the body. Antioxidants, “quench” free radicals (for lack of a better metaphor) neutralizing their damaging effects on the cells of the body.

* Antioxidants are found in foods such as cranberries, green tea and even chocolate.

* Antioxidants are found in vitamins such vitamin C and E.

* Antioxidants are found in carotenoids such as beta-carotene.

* Antioxidants are found in many substances supplied by the body such as glutathione.

* Antioxidants are found in many herbs and enzymes.

The impact of antioxidants is boosted by glyconutrients to offset free radicals in your body…and, as a result of your athletic exertions.

Antioxidant capacity must be provided in your sports nutrition regimen or you could be “robbing Peter to pay Paul” with your workouts. As you will see, without a glyconutrional presence in your sports nutrition, the healthful gains made by your physical workouts will be offset by your own free radical burden.

Free radicals, sports and sports nutrition

Free radicals are those chemical species which contain one or more unpaired electrons, capable of independent existence. They form in the body due to a variety of reasons as offshoots of cellular activity or as products introduced to the body from the outside.

As an analogy, think of running a car engine as the cellular production
and the car emissions a the free radical production. The engine produces products which cannot stay inside the car without further damage. They simply must be neutralized and expelled.

Free radicals form and cause damage by reacting with many substances in your body. It is estimated that upwards of 200,000 free radical attacks occur in our bodies daily.

When free radical damage is done, the body can remove the compounds formed by its cellular repair system. However, if the body cannot handle the free radicals (with antioxidants for example), nor remove the compounds, then disease can be the result.

Contrary to popular opinion, free radicals do not circulate throughout the body. The half-life of most free radicals varies in a range of a few nanoseconds to about 7 seconds duration. That means they will react within the “neighborhood” (a few Angstroms or microns near where the increase in free radicals occurred) …organs, connective tissue, circulatory or nerve tissue, bone or lymphatic material are all candidates for free radical attack.

Wherever they form, they will damage the surrounding areas, unless prevented by the body…So the body does NOT have the luxury of just filtering away any circulatory fluids to find the free radicals. The body’s defense systems must be…well…fairly omnipresent to neutralize the effects of free radicals. The antioxidant protective system must be healthy.

Since they are highly reactive substances, they react with all sorts of cell elements readily. But, when they do react with your body cells, they can damage the cells and even kill them. Often, the damage from free radicals can CHANGE the cellular structure enough to cause DISEASE such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis, heart disease and a host of others.

The type of disease that occurs is dependent upon which of the free radical defenses in the body weren’t functioning properly and where the free radical attacks occur.

The body has pretty sophisticated antioxidant defense systems. But, the body CAN get overwhelmed in its antioxidant protections against such free radicals…

Indeed, unless antioxidant enhanced sports nutrition (with glyconutrients) are used to offset the increased free radical burden, the BODY will suffer as a result of intensive sports training, stress, and competition.

Glyconutrients VITAL to sports nutrition …

Studies comparing marathon runners who did and did not take glyconutritional sports nutrition supplements were undertaken. The results were reported by the Proceedings of the Fisher Institute For Medical Research ( August 2003, vol.3, no.1). The results “demonstrated strikingly different patterns.” Antioxidant protection appeared to be powerfully enhanced against free radicals with glyconutritional supplementation. Thus, the body was protected for several days after the marathon run.

However, when glyconutritional sports nutrition was NOT used, the damaging effects of the free radical burden appeared to remain in the body for about five days. Thus, the subject “consistently excreted higher concentrations of free radical byproducts…” as compared to that of the glyconutritional subject. It should be emphasized that the subject studied WAS TAKING other antioxidants, though not glyconutrition. Despite that fact, the above cited results were obtained.

That’s another way of saying that when glyconutritional supplements were not used, the free radical burden upon the body was not lifted. Antioxidant protection does appear to be (significantly) strengthened with glyconutritional sports nutrition. Such antioxidant protection appears to be of benefit for athletes overall, including training, stress, competition and dietary issues.

The glyconutrional revolution in sports nutrition and therapy is just beginning. More studies are being done. More results are coming in concerning free radicals and the capacity of the glyconutrients to boost antioxidant affect against free radicals.

Sports nutrition is about to see a new revolution…

Better still. I believe that it is quite probable that, with glyconutrition, sports PERFORMANCE is about to see a revolution in al fields.

Art Schools in PA

May 10, 2023· tags : · Comments Off

There are lots of reasons to go to Pennsylvania: historic sites, horseracing and casinos, scenic country hikes and snow sports, a romantic getaway in the Poconos, or to watch Punxsutawney Phil make his annual spring prediction. However, those seeking a serious art education don’t often think of art schools in PA as major headliners.Pennsylvania may have its share of museums and cultural centers – it can boast The Andy Warhol Museum after all – but it may surprise some that Pennsylvania lands a spot in the top 8 states for art schools.The Art Institute has three locations in PA, but then AI is in just about every state. They have one of the largest, if not the largest, art school franchise in North America, so it’s not surprising that Pennsylvania would rate three locations, if only for its typically east coast population density. The AI location in Philadelphia occupies an Art Deco style historical landmark building, so there’s a nice tie-in with elements of architectural training.Art Institute isn’t the only kid on the block, though. There are a couple of well-known art schools that can offer an education that even the snootiest curator would consider credible..The Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, located in Lancaster, sports a trendy looking downtown storefront close to Gallery Row. The student pursuing a career in fine arts who has a propensity for New England’s ambiance can get a 4-year bachelor’s degree in fine arts, graphic design, illustration, or photography. Both the cultural and natural environments that Pennsylvania offers can be quite inspirational for both the urban and rural minded.There is one stand out that earns Pennsylvania a spot on the top 8 list, and that’s Antonelli Institute located in Erdenheim. As art schools in PA go, Antonelli (I’ll spare you the confusion of abbreviating it as its initials are identical to those of Art Institute,) was founded in 1938 by internationally renowned photographer and artist, Servero Antonelli. Consequently, its focus (pardon the pun,) was geared toward professional and military photographers. It has been a favorite of military veterans looking for solid photographic training.Antonelli Institute earned accreditation in 1975 when it added study programs in Commercial Art. While the range of degree programs is limited to photography and graphic design/commercial art, those narrow courses of study do offer the sort of concentrated exposure (again, no pun intended,) that a person with serious goals in either could greatly benefit from.Oakbridge Academy of Arts boasts an externship program, (what we might have called an apprenticeship not too far in the distant past,) that all enables students to gain hands-on real-life experience in their chosen field of art, be it specialized technology, visual design and photography or digital communications and web design. They offer both diploma and degree programs.While this popular New England state may draw residents, visitors, and nomadic globe trekkers for it other more obvious features, art schools in PA shouldn’t be overlooked by someone wanting to make a career in the art field.

Women’s Fitness – Golden Rules For Women Who Want To Stay Fit

May 10, 2023· tags : · Comments Off

There are certain basic rules that all women need to know about keeping fit and healthy. They are really very simple and do not involve a lot of time or money.Firstly, health and fitness go hand in hand. Fitness is not about attaining a perfect figure. An unnaturally slim woman is not a fit woman. The look that many catwalk models project is frankly unhealthy. A healthy woman has a layer of subcutaneous fat under the skin. It makes her look slightly rounded and soft.One of the most important things you can do for your health and fitness as a woman is to give up smoking. If you live with a smoker then avoid breathing in their secondhand smoke.Another simple step to fitness and much easier than giving up smoking is to drink plenty of water. About four pints of water a day are needed by every woman. Water flushes out the body, keeps the bowels regular and ensures a clear skin.Water also helps to stop you snacking. We often nibble when we are thirsty. If we are well hydrated we tend to eat less between meals.Diet, diet and diet must be the three most important factors in keeping fit as a woman.It is always necessary to eat a well balanced diet. But at different stages of a woman’s life she may need different nutrients. If you are planning to get pregnant then you must pay particular attention to your diet and so on through your life.Not every woman wants to get pregnant but if you do then the best thing you can do for own health and the baby’s health is to breast feed. Breast fed babies have been shown to be more intelligent and less susceptible to allergies. Women who breast feed are less likely to get breast cancer.It is important for every woman to get checked for breast cancer at regular intervals and to be checked for cervical cancer. These are killer diseases and should not be ignored however much we hate internal exams and medical intervention.An incredibly simple measure that many women ignore is to visit their dentist regularly. A dentist can not only deal with tooth decay and gum disease they can spot the early signs of other serious diseases.Similarly you should see an optician particularly as you get older. You optician can warn you of developing problems such as cataracts.All these health professionals have a part to play in maintaining the health of a woman and should not be ignored by any woman who wants to keep fit.Exercise is vital to the fit woman. It is never too late to start exercise. Nor is a woman ever too old to exercise. The key is to tailor the fitness program to the individual woman.Regular exercise is essential to maintaining a healthy weight. Obesity is a common problem among women and can lead to serious health problems.Exercise also helps to avoid other health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes and osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a disease in which the bones loose calcium and become brittle. Exercise can help to prevent that happening.More women than men suffer from senile dementia because they tend to live longer. Exercise has been shown to delay the onset of dementia in elderly people.Finally, one of the key factors in maintaining health and fitness is a rich social life. So make friends, keep friends and practice safe sex.

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