Traveling The Carb/Fat Highway

Posted by Dr. Robert Portman on 7/30/2020 to Performance Tip Of The Week

Nutrient utilization plays a critical role in determining endurance performance. Mitochondria, the energy factories of muscles, have the ability to convert all three nutrients, carbohydrate, fat and protein, into energy. The mitochondria have developed sophisticated sensing mechanisms to fuel working muscles when nutrient stores are constantly changing. In many ways, nutrient delivery to mitochondria can be likened to a highway. For exercise of short duration, traffic on the mitochondrial highway is primarily carbohydrate. However...

Should You Drink Beer or Vodka After a Workout?

Posted by Dr. Robert Portman on 6/19/2020 to Performance Tip Of The Week

Consumption of beer is an essential part of the post exercise regimen of many serious athletes, especially after a hard workout or event. An intellectual argument can be made on either the pros or cons of alcohol consumption on endurance performance i.e. rehydration. Finally, a group of courageous Spanish researchers have tested the hypothesis in a rigorously controlled study.

Link Between Exercise and COVID-19

Posted by Dr. Robert Portman on 4/30/2020 to Performance Tip Of The Week

There is much that we don’t understand about the COVID-19 virus. What we do know, however, is the high death percentage associated with this virus is the result of a hyper response of the immune system. Immunologists call it a “cytokine storm”. Cytokines are proteins released by immune cells that modulate the immune response. There are two types of cytokines, pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory ones. When our body is exposed to a foreign invader such as COVID-19, cytokines are activated to neutralize and immobilize the invader.

CBD & COVID-19

Posted by Dr. Robert Portman on 4/20/2020 to Performance Tip Of The Week

CBD is touted as the "miracle supplement" curing everything from arthritis to cancer. It was only a matter of time before unscrupulous marketers began promoting CBD as a cure for COVID-19. Their rationale for this unsupported claim is that CBD is a strong antioxidant and there is evidence that it can reduce inflammation, a factor which plays a primary role in the severity of COVID-19 infection. The major problem with this irresponsible advertising claim is there is not a shred of evidence that CBD offers any benefit in the treatment of COVID-19. And there is the danger that individuals who develop symptoms of COVID-19 may rely on CBD rather than seeking medical help.

High Stress and COVID-19

Posted by Dr. Robert Portman on 4/1/2020 to Performance Tip Of The Week

Previous Performance Tips have focused on factors that impact immune response and immune health. We like to think that our immune response is an independent defense system that seeks out and destroys foreign invaders. That is not the case. Our immune response is significantly affected by health and mood factors such as high stress. Acute stress can help athletes perform better, however, chronic stress plays havoc with our overall health and our immune response. Individuals with elevated, sustained levels of stress have a diminished immune response and are more prone to upper respiratory infections.

Maintaining Immune Health

Posted by Dr. Robert Portman on 3/25/2020 to Performance Tip Of The Week

Last week’s Tip focused on the important role of exercise in maintaining immune system health. The media is communicating nonstop how to minimize exposure to COVID-19 (social distancing, frequent hand washing, listening to health officials). I’ve also been asked if there are products that support immune health. One group of natural products which may offer a benefit are adaptogenic herbs or adaptogens.

Traveling The Carb/Fat Highway

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Should You Drink Beer or Vodka After a Workout?

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Link Between Exercise and COVID-19

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CBD & COVID-19

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High Stress and COVID-19

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Maintaining Immune Health

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