Posted by Dr. Robert Portman on 8/30/2019
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Performance Tip Of The Week
Electrolyte replenishment tablets can be extremely valuable and useful,
especially when exercising for extended periods in hot and humid conditions.
Salt pills, the original electrolyte replenishment product, were
introduced long before sports drinks. During exercise, your body loses
considerable amounts of sodium thru sweating. Although the
evaporation of sweat is essential in maintaining body temperature, loss of sodium negatively
impacts electrolyte balance and the body's rehydration mechanisms.
Posted by Dr. Robert Portman on 7/31/2019
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Performance Tip Of The Week
That almost sounds like hearsay since the
positive benefits of regular exercise on health parameters are well documented.
Multiple studies have shown that regular exercise decreases the incidence of
cardiovascular disease and diabetes and can even impact the severity and onset
of Alzheimer’s. Non-controlled studies also show individuals that exercise
regularly have a more positive attitude about life and are better able to
focus. However, a key question is whether exercise improves cognitive
performance such as mental concentration and focus...
Posted by Dr. Robert Portman on 7/17/2019
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Performance Tip Of The Week
For endurance athletes the keto diet sounds ideal. By keeping carbohydrate consumption low, fat becomes the primary fuel for muscles during exercise. Increased fat burning translates into increased lean body mass. Like many propositions, it sounds too good to be true and it is. Although your muscles primarily use carbohydrate and fat for fuel they are not necessarily interchangeable...
Posted by Dr. Robert Portman on 7/11/2019
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Performance Tip Of The Week
In these hot, humid days, maintaining fluid balance should be the #1 priority for all endurance athletes. No other physiological parameter causes as rapid and significant drop in exercise performance as dehydration. As little as a 2% drop in body weight through sweating results in a decrease in exercise performance. That isn’t very much. It’s not uncommon for an individual weighing 150 lbs. to lose 3 lbs. during an endurance bout lasting 45 minutes. Dehydration causes...
Posted by Dr. Robert Portman on 6/20/2019
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Performance Tip Of The Week
With the responsibilities of job, social and family, endurance athletes are often time challenged. And sometimes they give short shrift to their workout. However a new study shows that less may be more or at least equal. In a recently published study researchers compared the effect of a high intensity shorter work out to a traditional longer, moderate intensity exercise bout...
Posted by Dr. Robert Portman on 6/5/2019
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Performance Tip Of The Week
Your muscles primarily use a mixture of carbohydrate and fat to fuel
exercise. At lower intensity exercise fat becomes the primary fuel but as you
increase exercise intensity your muscles rely more and more on glycogen. That's
what understanding how much glycogen is stored and the rate that it is
metabolized is important for every endurance athlete to know. When muscle
glycogen stores are depleted you "bonk" or "hit the wall".
