Does a swim cap make me faster?

I had a bad morning today. I rode into 2 fences on the way to the pool. I also forgot my swim cap. I have NEVER done this before, and I must confess had a mini crisis when I realised. I NEVER swim without it, how on earth was I going to cope?!?!

So, with no choice but to get on with it, I did the set. I found I was distinctly average. It felt very odd swimming without a cap, and I felt like my stroke was nowhere near as neat as usual. Thankfully I had clips, because with long hair and a fringe, I wouldn’t have seen a thing otherwise!! As I got used to having hair flailing around, I settled down a bit and I think the stroke improved. The whole time though, I was wondering, ‘am I slower because I have no hat?’ So, I set about finding out the answer to this question!

It seems the common thought is a cap reduces drag and therefore makes you faster.

The first article I found says  ‘The difference in drag between a closely cropped head of hair and a cap is minimal at best. Furthermore, that cap acts like an insulator keeping all the heat your head is trying to radiate away from your body, while highly exerting yourself, trapped. Most of a body's working fatigue comes from the heat generated by the muscles in the act of working’  http://www.real-competitive-swimming.com/swimming-caps.html

Short hair?

Seems logical, a man with very short hair probably won’t gain anything by wearing a cap. I hadn’t thought really about the heat thing. I guess this may be an issue for pool competitive swimmers, but as a triathlete, a cap in open water is essential so that’s not really something I will concern myself over.

The article goes on to say that fatigue caused by overheating if you wear a hat, is accumulative, so over a short time you probably won’t notice. It does point out the effect it will have on stroke, something I alluded to when I described my swim session this morning.

Long hair?

Obviously, if you have long hair, and you can’t see because its flowing all around, then it stands to reason that your stroke will be altered, aerodynamics affected, therefore speed will it seems also be affected, if you applied logic to the scenario.

Frictional drag?

There are three main types of drag on a swimmer, Frictional, pressure and wave.

You might also consider the frictional drag of hair, compared to silicone. ‘According to Ernest Maglischo's book, "Swimming Fastest", hair is a source of frictional drag.’ http://forums.usms.org/archive/index.php/t-15247.html

Several sources seem to suggest that this could in fact be true:

‘Swimmers often attempt to reduce drag by using swim caps, special suits, and shaving prior to competitions’ ‘http://library.thinkquest.org/06aug/02165/physics_of_swimming.htm  

For the same reason that swimmers will wear a body suit, the hair on the body causes drag in the water.’ http://www.topendsports.com/sport/swimming/science.htm

Conclusion:

It seems swimming without a cap could in fact have made me swim slower for two reasons: frictional drag caused by my hair, and altered swim mechanics due to the hair being in my way, rather than tucked under a cap.

Phew, I thought I was just having a bad day, now I can blame the lack of cap (in part at least!)

The POWERPLATE Trial!

I have to admit, I am a serious sceptic when it comes to the powerplate. My Sports masseuse Phil Croney (@Active_Group_UK on twitter, and here’s his web site http://www.active-uk.com/ ) also runs a women’s gym. He has recently bought two, and has asked me if I will be his guinea-pig. Well. There was nothing to lose, (apart from some of my valuable time!) so I thought why not. It’ll make a good few blogs, if nothing else!

Research

Unofficially, I asked a few people what they thought. The views seem to be very mixed. Athletes are very sceptical, whereas other people are more welcoming. A man I spoke to, whose wife runs a similar gym that has two, claims that people have dropped dress sizes by using it, and was very scathing of my sceptical views!

Further research I feel is warranted, and I will put this in a separate blog, or you will be sitting reading this all day!!

My 1st experiences

Wellingboro Multi terrain '06

I turned up, in gym gear, (but not really expecting to need it!) I had a face on me very much like this picture! He just laughed at me, but knew he had his hands full! I was asked did I want to give this a miss.. nope, I’m here now, I might as well go through with this! Each woman that came into the gym, he made a point of explaining how he was initiating me on this thing, and hoping to change my views! I was not sure who he was reassuring, myself or himself!!

The series of exercises he asked me to do seemed, quite frankly, a little odd. I felt very self conscious standing, for example, in a squat position on a vibrating plate pulling up on some very much non elastic straps / handles. All the movements were small, simple and seemingly easy, but it wasn’t long before, unexpectedly, I was beginning to sweat! How can this be, I am not doing anything other than striking a pose! They were all pretty standard movements that I had seen before, but somehow, doing them on a vibrating plate made them much harder (for me, at least!) Phil tells me that the reason for this is because the vibrations make your muscles fire many times a second. I’ll have to look up some research to substantiate that one.

One interesting thing that I did note though, Phil is NOT my trainer, in any way. He knows very little about my own personal strengths and weaknesses, other than what we chat about while I am on his massage bench, or what his thumbs might find! The routine that he started me on was, he tells me, a standard beginner one. He was able to point out to me through these movements and exercises that where my weaknesses lie, and told me some of the same things that David Sutton (@PerformTrain) told me a few weeks back in the gym.  

I do, at this stage, have a confession to make. When I took my new routing to my regular gym I attend, and saw how many people were around, I must confess I bottled out, for fear of looking like a complete loon! I think the way forward it to try it at quiet times of the day!

The next day, I was very surprised to discover that I had serious DOMS in my obliques! I have been doing some very regular strength and conditioning work, and my regular routine now does not usually cause DOMS like it did when I first started it. I do think the Powerplate helped in a small way to ease my aches, from a hard weeks training and some very tired muscles. What I cannot guarantee, is whether that same effect would have been reached on the foam roller too!

I promised Phil I would try this for a good while so that’s what I will do. I hope to get at least one session of it in per week. I do not intend to compromise my regular training in any way during this time.

So I guess it’s a case of ‘watch this space’!

Last County League Cross Country 2011 – East Haddon

I had a terribly stressful Saturday. I was SO not in the mood for this and had I not been Northants Tri Club team captain and club cross country secretary I would most certainly not have gone to this race. My head was just not in the right place at all.

1st ever club and XC race, 2007

It is a race that is close to my heart though. East Haddon is the race where I first wore a club vest (at that time, Wellingborough and District Athletics Club) and also my first ever Cross country race. (2007!) I remember clearly the comments from my husband, who was at that time still getting to grips with the fact that he had a new much slimmer wife! He wasn’t able to go to watch the race, so when I was looking through the photos the club had taken, wasn’t able to find me at first. When I pointed out this picture, he said ‘oh, I didn’t realise that was you, you look like a proper runner!’

I remember the race clearly, being my first. I knew it was going to be tough, because it starts on an almighty steep downhill, before picking up a local point to point course. That naturally means, being an out and back, the, yes, the ginormous hill is how you get back up to the finish line! Last time, I ran it in rugby boots (blades) because it was so muddy!!

I was standing on the start line, with the rest of the crowd, thinking ‘why on earth am I here today, I am not in the mood, I shouldn’t have come’ etc etc. Kim Ingleby (@kimingleby on twitter, http://www.energisedperformance.com/) my NLP coach would have been very mad with me!! I set off with the crowd, positioning myself near the back, deciding I would use this as a training run, purely and simply. I was not going to race it, I didn’t have my heart in it today. All the way down the hill I was thinking ‘for goodness sake why am I bothering, I should just stop here and walk back, it doesn’t matter, there’s enough team runners for it not to matter what I am doing today...’ bla bla bla. 

I got to the foot of the hill and glanced at the pace. All was not too bad at that point. I suddenly thought, ‘what ARE you doing!? Are you doing the best you can, at this point in time? NO, Mel, YOU ARE NOT!!!’

These are ‘head stuff’ techniques Kim had taught me before my world champs race in 2010. I suddenly realised I was not doing what I should be doing (in my head that is!) You can read the full world champs race report here http://melanieryding.blogspot.com/2010/09/itu-world-championships-race-report.html

So, I got my brain back into the space where it should have been. Yes, I am now doing the best I can at this moment, yes I am. I carried on through my race, thinking this mantra over and over. I stuck to the same race plan; this was a training run, not a race. I am a triathlete; I AM doing the best I can at this moment in time. I began to overtake people on the cheeky hill in the middle of the course, retained my spot, then on the return hill, I kept repeating the same thing over and over to myself as I dragged my ass up the muddy incline back to the school, and the finish line. I was still slowly overtaking other people who were beginning to walk at this stage. I still didn’t care about the time, the pace, whatever. BUT I was STILL doing the best I could at that moment in time.

I crossed the line to a big club cheer (thanks guys, you’d have thought I had won!!)

The race is not timed officially, but you get given a finish number on a plastic card, which represents your position relative to everyone else of your gender. I was given a number some 30 places higher than I usually received. I was astounded. I began to think, well, there must be less people here today, that can’t be right... etc etc.

But no, it’s what I did that counts. I was here, I ran, I did the best I could, and I got a placing much better than I expected.

Job done! I successfully convinced myself that all was not lost after all!

Weight training or strength and Conditioning?

I went to see David Sutton a few weeks ago, (UKSCA strength and conditioning coach, and @PerformTrain on twitter) having listened to a talk he did at my triathlon club. I was impressed and intrigued by his slightly different approach to strength training. His philosophy seemed to be around training the muscle groups together rather than in isolation, as this is how you use them he said, exercises specific to the sport you take part in. All seemed quite logical really, so I wanted to see what he said about me.

I was told that it may take an hour to an hour and a half, and that I would need water. He was going to beast me he said. I felt scared!! I had a run hills session lined up that day as well, and really feared for what I had let myself in for!!

David has a very matter of fact theoretical approach, and constantly relates and transfers the exercises swimming, running or biking. This is one thing I like about him, no messing straight to it, and equally he takes no messing, which is good, because when it comes to pain and discomfort I am usually full of excuses!!

He took me through a series of exercises and drills, all of which sounded easy. He says that there is no point in doing more than 6 reps, and you are better in the long run doing less, with more weight. WHY? See my write up and his presentation which contains references here… http://www.melanieryding.co.uk/#/strength-and-conditioning/4546299698) or here for the mobile version (doesn't include the powerpoint  unfortunately) http://melanieryding.blogspot.com/2010/12/philosophy-behind-strength-and.html

This seemed like an odd way of doing things to me. I felt like I was doing an awful lot of sitting around in between sets!! However, don’t get me wrong, the exercises I was doing were flipping impossible at times!! Sometimes, I wasn’t able to even resist the pressure of his little finger!! I couldn’t even get up from seated using only one leg!! He had an amazing way of uncovering ALL my weak areas and declared it a wonder that I could run at all I had that many weaknesses that hadn’t been picked up before!

I mean, have you ever tried this: from standing, both feet slightly apart – jump forward, onto only one leg, knee slightly bent, and stay there so nothing moves. Do that 6 times on each leg, without wobbling.. harder than it sounds, I can tell you!

At the end of a session where I did only 3 x 6 reps and 2 min recoveries, it took 1 hour 20 mins and I actually felt ok. I thought I would be hanging off the doorframes sweating buckets. But it wasn’t like that. However, the aches came… it was 2 days later!!! I had serious abs aches, and I didn’t even do sit ups!! That’s what strength training is about, training your muscles together, rather than in isolation.

Since the visit, I have been doing the sets he gave me, which are all based on ham strings, hip flexors and unilateral balance, (my weak areas). I come away from the gym sweating and aching every time! I never do stand alone sit ups yet my abs haven’t stopped hurting since I saw him 2 or three weeks ago!! I daren’t complain though, because he accuses me of being a girly footballer if I do!!

I have noticed marked improvements already, however. I can in fact perform the exercises much better already, I can indeed now get up from a chair standing on one leg, and I cant wait to see how it transfers into running abilities later on down the line.

I look forward to our next rendezvous in a few weeks or so, and I have so far found it and incredibly enlightening experience.

Strength and conditioning versus weight training? Strength and conditioning gets my vote so far!!  

Does Fruit make you fat? ‘No Fructose Diet' – final verdict!

Here’s the reason I started this experiment: http://melanieryding.blogspot.com/2011/01/is-fruit-sugar-fructose-bad-for-you.html

Here’s the results from week 1: http://melanieryding.blogspot.com/2011/01/no-fructose-diet-week-1-verdict.html

What have I done so far?

·       2 weeks, no fruit (at all!) including no fruit drinks, nothing fruit flavoured, I checked everything I ate for fructose content.

·       I replaced fruit with rice cakes, small quantities of nuts, or ham or something similar.

·       I drank water / black coffee instead of fruit drinks.

·       I have still followed the 3-2-1- rules with regards to meal balance

During this week (week 2) I added back in sports drinks, but only to use during hard or long sessions.

How was it eating like this?

As I have already said, I found this type of diet exceptionally hard. It didn’t get any easier towards the end of week 2. In fact, now, where I would normally crave fruit, I am now finding my cravings have switched to cakes and biscuits. When I first gave up chocolate, it took 2 weeks to ‘get it out of my system’. All that seems to have happened in this case is somehow I have rationalised the fact that it’s ok to eat biscuits and cakes, because they are not fruit and its fruit I am not allowed!! Of course, this is a ridiculous train of thought! Clearly, there is a real risk here to my wellbeing, health, and training fuel mix!

I still found exercise harder at times, and to be honest felt a lot more lethargic during morning pre breakfast sessions. Some people say it was psychological, I honestly don’t think it was because it didn’t change at all throughout the past 2 weeks.

It is also worth noting this, the most important thing. During the past two weeks I have been ill, or one kind or another. First I got an eye infection, and then no sooner was I done with that, I got an ear infection. Now it needs to be noted that I am usually a very healthy person, and very rarely visit the doctor. I honestly cannot remember the last time (if ever) that I had an ear infection. It certainly seems a very large coincidence that the main food group that delivers vitamin C is omitted, and I become ill. I would definitely attribute this to eating less fruit.

I quite honestly am relieved to be ‘back to normal’ so to speak!

The results after 7 days

Weight difference: -2.5lbs

BMI difference: -0.1

Body fat % difference: no change

Water content difference: no change

The results from week 2 (compared to the result at the end of week 1)

Weight difference: no change

BMI difference: no change

Body fat % difference: no change

Water content difference: no change

TOTAL RESULTS after 2 weeks on a no fruit diet:

Weight difference: -2.5lbs

BMI difference: -0.1

Body fat % difference: no change

Water content difference: no change

What does this mean?

I had no idea what to expect when I started this experiment. I was I must admit, convinced by the research I had read. When I look back, a lot of research on this topic is USA based, and I read that they use a lot of high fructose corn syrup. It is also worth noting that the research quoted in my previous blogs does tend to focus on people with a much higher body fat % than me.

I tried to understand why the research suggests that fructose may be more likely to convert to fat, yet I had seen no change. Victoria Haigh (@fitvic on twitter) a nutritional advisor, reminded me that it may take up to 12 weeks to see a change, much like when you first start exercising? I guess she may have a point.

It is also worth noting that everybody is different, therefore the results will not be the same on everyone that tries this. You can see that by the comment Kris made on the first blog on this topic:

‘I actually was looking into this several months back - because I was doing all this good stuff and not "seeing" any changes. Then I started looking into the glycemic index. As a result, I actually did no fruit & no starches for 3 weeks - it was tricky, but I based my meals/snacks around protein and low GI veggies. And I totally noticed a difference. Now I eat fruit and starches (but they aren't the centre of my meals) - but the fruits I eat are typically apples, pears, berries & melons.’

However, there is no getting away from the fact that it actually made NO difference at all to me, and in fact I believe contributed to a weaker immune system.

Many people have said that surely the benefits of fruit outweigh everything else? I tend to agree. I was sent this article, which, although the research is in very early stages, is suggesting that polyphenols and flavanoids (found particularly in fruit) are key to rebuilding muscle. Is this why I ache so much more than normal?

‘In a 2006 edition of the prestigious science journal Cell, Lagouge and colleagues published a study whereby mice underwent a 15-week diet and exercise programme where they were either supplemented with resveratrol or a placebo. After the supplementation period, the results were striking. The mice which had been supplemented with resveratrol had a 33 percent higher peak oxygen uptake, and a near 50 percent greater run time to exhaustion.’
When the researchers took samples of the mice muscle and attempted to look further into the mechanisms behind these increases there was a 2.5 times greater area of mitochondria in the muscle.’ http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/article/nutrition-can-fruit-make-you-fitter-28854

I certainly think that without fruit and vegetables, I would eat a much less healthy diet. When I searched ‘does fruit make you fitter’ on the internet, I got an article that writes exactly that! Here, they say fruit and vegetables stave off other cravings. http://www.peertrainer.com/diet/why_fruits_and_vegetables_help_you_lose_weight.aspx

When you ask Google can fruit juice make you fat, the answer you will get is yes, because of the amount of sugar that is added to it during production!

I found someone else who tried this experiment too. This will show that different people will get different results: http://www.fitbuff.com/does-fruit-make-you-fat-the-truth-revealed-workout-recap-september-28-october-5-2008/

It’s interesting to note that when he decreased calories, he gained weight. I have in the past been told that in fact, the body goes into starvation mode if you don’t eat enough, and therefore you are more likely to store fuel as fat. It is also worth noting that his workload increased by around 15-20 minutes a day. David Sutton, my strength and conditioning coach (@PerformTrain) would, I imagine, say that is all you need of strength training to make a difference, regardless of diet.

There is no getting away from it, people are still saying excessive fructose consumption is bad for you.

'Fructose, especially its excessive consumption, may increase:

• the risk of abnormal blood clotting ailments and hypertension (high blood pressure)
• the risk of type 2 diabetes
• total blood cholesterol levels (it serves in part as the raw material for the synthesis of cholesterol within the body)
• LDL-“bad” cholesterol levels, and
• blood triglyceride levels, especially in diabetics (fructose has a greater propensity to increase serum triglycerides than glucose).

Excessive consumption of fructose may also cause:

• fatigue, especially in persons who are fructose intolerant
• insulin resistance, and
• obesity.

It is estimated that up to 33 percent of persons are unable to completely absorb fructose due to fructose intolerance (also known as dietary fructose intolerance (DFI) which may cause

• flatulence
• intestinal cramps (abdominal pain)
• bloating, and
• altered bowel habits (diarrhoea)' http://www.reducetriglycerides.com/reader_triglycerides_low_fructose_fruit.htm

I do not, however, believe that I excessively consume fructose.

What now?

I’m told that eating fructose based foods with protein Slows down conversion to glucose & regulates release of insulin. Insulin is needed to properly utilize the energy stored in carbohydrate. This process can be better explained here: http://www.shapefit.com/diet/sports-nutrition-during-exercise.html. Although this talks in an exercise context, the principles are the same. I'm also told that depending on whether an individual is acid or alkaline based determines where you get your Vitamin C from.

Interestingly, except for my early morning apple, I don’t often eat fruit on its own, certainly not in large quantities. Perhaps this is why I have seen no change.

In future, I think I might keep some of the habits (e.g. less fruit juice, snack on rice cakes, natural yoghurt rather than the likes of Muller light) however I will not be omitting fruit from my diet, I believe the positives far outweigh the negatives. I also read that strength training is the best way to reduce body fat %. But I think that’s a topic for another blog, perhaps! And then there's also the different fruits and how they have different fructose levels....

My conclusion: Science may suggest that fructose contributes to body fat, but science also suggests that it contributes in part to sports performance, stronger immune systems (as well as many other things I expect)! So where you gain in one area, you might lose in the other.

Energy drinks (UPDATED): ORBANA - The verdict!

Previously I wrote a blog reviewing all the nutrition stuff I had tried so far.

http://melanieryding.blogspot.com/2010/11/energy-bars-and-training-fuel-my.html

I am going to revisit the DRINKS part of this blog. Reason? I tried a new one – ORBANA. http://www.orbana.com/ 

So far:

Loving REGO, it really makes me feel human again, and I really mean that. If I forget Rego at a race, I am in BIG trouble! GO electrolyte, is another of the drinks I rely on, I use a few. That, High5, and H3O

Herbalife make this one, H3O and it’s only available online. But, it’s the least sweet tasting, and a really relied on it when I was racing and training long, as I was getting sick of tasting sweet stuff! My favourite one for flavour (but least convenient to get hold of) so far is H3O.

I like the SiS drinks, and I also have tried the High5 ones, but they can be a bit sickly sweet. (and can leave an after taste, specially some flavours of SiS).

So, I was quite excited when I got this new one to try out. I hadn’t ever heard of Orbana, and when asked to test it, was, I have to admit, quite sceptical. I looked them up, and did some comparisons. The composition seemed to be quite different. It has a very different mix, for example, added protein, a bit less carb (quite a bit more of which is sugar). When I asked why they said: ‘protein content comes from the amino acids - both the branched chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine and valine)’

So, I decided to choose a TOUGH mornings training to test it out. It’s worth noting that one sachet of Orbana makes 250ml, not the usual 500ml. At first I thought what a swiz!! BUT – I often mix up a drink then don’t get to the bottom, so it could be beneficial.

Training plan to test it on:

Gym – strength and conditioning coached session, I was told in advance it would be tough, and I would need a drink!

Followed by: (as soon as I got home from the gym)

12 x run hill reps. (sprint speed)

VERDICT:

1^st 250ML: During the strength session I sipped the drink as (and when reminded by my coach!). throughout the session, I got through half of the 500ml I mixed up (whish used 2 sachets). Afterwards he asked me how I felt, and said I probably would feel fatigued and achy. I actually felt surprisingly ok.

2^nd 250ML: When I got home (about 30-45 mins) I got ready for my hill reps. Since I don’t like carrying bottles during running and had nowhere to leave it, I drank the remainder of the Orbana before I left the house. (The hill I used is the hill I live on!) My coach told me that I would perhaps start off the hill reps ok, but would get fatigued very quickly and my performance would tail off. The session was going to take approximately 45 mins. I expected the 2^nd lot of Orbana to kick in about 20 mins after I drank it (the time it is meant to take for an energy drink to get into your system so I’ve read). I started the reps, and immediately felt fatigue in my hip flexors and ham strings (the muscle groups that we had been focussing on). I couldn’t imagine how I would get through all 12 reps and thought I would have to cut it to 10. My run coach had told me that I had to run up the hill to a timed rep, and must reach the same distance on the hill in all 12 reps. Sounded impossible with the fatigue I felt. The first set of 6 were tough tough tough, and I began to lose ground.

Between sets I had 90 secs rest, and I was seriously thinking of binning the last 2 reps when I started the second set. However, I began to feel better (20 mins into the training) and I managed to consistently knock out the remaining 6 hill reps and got solidly to the same spot on the hill each time. It actually began to feel a bit easier.

Thoughts?

Taste: I liken it very much to the H3O. Its orange, rather than the lemon flavour of H30, but it’s not sickly sweet at all, very palatable, and no after taste, easy to drink. Very pleasant actually.

Effect on performance: The gym session on paper looked very tough. Personally, I felt a lot better than I thought I would. So it must have helped? The run session I thought would be impossible to complete to be honest (and so did my coach, he even gave me a ‘only do 10 then’ get out clause!) Not only did I do it, but I did a consistent good performance, and the pace was overall much better than I expected. 

After effects: Later that evening I felt fine, and in fact, good, no aches at all, no visible signs of fatigue that I noticed. Trust me, each session HURT LOTS, so it’s not like I was slacking!! The following morning, muscle fatigue / DOMS but nothing that prevented me from further training

Would I use it again? Sure I would, I am very impressed actually!! I can’t wait to try it again! The signs seem to speak for themselves! I LOVE the taste, and taste is important when you do the training volume that I do!!

No Fructose Diet – Week 1 Verdict

What have I done so far?

·        1 week, no fruit (at all!) including no fruit drinks, nothing fruit flavoured, I checked everything I ate for fructose content.

·        I replaced fruit with rice cakes, small quantities of nuts, or ham or something similar.

·        I drank water instead of fruit drinks.

·        I have used no sports drinks or anything of that nature.

·        I have still followed the 3-2-1- rules with regards to meal balance (see the rules for that here http://melanieryding.blogspot.com/2010/12/what-is-3-2-1-diet.html

·        I still drink black coffee.

How was it eating like this?

I found this exceptionally hard. Harder than I thought. I really miss and crave sweet things. I found myself rationalising the fact that I could eat biscuits, for example, because they had no fructose! In cafes, where I would normally choose a banana or an apple for example, I would be very tempted to choose a less healthy option because I craved the sweet taste. Savoury snacks just simply don’t cut it in my opinion!! If I was to stay on a no fruit diet long term, I know that the detrimental effects of eating more cr@p because I am avoiding fruit sugar would be something that would need real consideration.

At times, I also found that exercise was harder. I was trying to rationalise this by telling myself that it was all in my head. I drank water instead of the usual energy drink, used red bull (which I hated, because its fizzy!) but found myself more fatigued, and more muscle aches when usually I wouldn’t have this problem.

The results after 7 days?

Weight difference: -2.5lbs

BMI difference: -0.1

Body fat % difference: no change

Water content difference: no change

What does this mean?

Hubby’s first reaction was that maybe because the conversion happens in my liver, the liver is skinnier, but that is all! Who knows!

Personally, I think big changes would be seen more in people who previously had a high fructose diet, (e.g. corn syrup, etc) or an unbalanced diet that contained TONS of fruit. There is clearly research to support this, but the research I have read tends to be on people with a much higher body fat % in the first place.

Further research:

After someone sending me some more research that was another challenge to this theory, I wondered why is fructose was so bad, did energy drinks contain it.

This article is an interesting read, and says that fat is a poor fuel that makes you go slower, but also talks about fat burning and weigh management, embracing the train before breakfast idea that I already do http://www.lakeland100.com/downloads/article3.pdf. He says that training in this way will not yield results but is a weight management tool.

This one, however, talks about fuel for performance, and suggests that despite fruit sugar being bad, a glucose/fructose combination is actually good for you with regards to sports performance: http://www.lakeland100.com/downloads/article4.pdf

Here’s more on this topic:

‘Jeukendrup and his colleagues believe that the glucose-fructose combination works better than glucose alone because having multiple carbohydrate sources allows more carbohydrate to be absorbed from the digestive tract. Research indicates that glucose and fructose have their own separate transport systems in the digestive tract. These transporters help carry ingested glucose and fructose from the digestive tract into cells. However, the glucose transporter can only carry glucose, and once it’s filled, it can’t carry any more. But the revelation is that fructose has its own separate transportation system. So even though the glucose transporter is filled to capacity, the fructose transporter can deliver even more fuel to working muscles. Thus, by providing both glucose and fructose, and taking advantage of both transportation systems, you too can deliver more fuel to your muscles and extend endurance even further.’ http://www.powerbar.com/articles/18/latest-research-on-carbohydrate-recommendations-during-exercise.aspx

My conclusion so far: Fructose may scientifically be proven to contribute to body fat, but it also contributes in part to sports performance, so where you gain in one area, you might lose in the other.

So far, avoiding fruit has in fact made NO DIFFERENCE at all to my body fat %.

What now?

I will try and persevere for another week, this time, including fructose during training, but not as a snack at other times.

What exercise intensity best burns body fat?

A curious question that came up recently on twitter. I always thought that low intensity was the fat burning area – that’s what my coach has always said to me. This is how my metabolic tests always come back:

Heart rate is measured along the bottom. So, I start the test walking, and it gets harder and harder, higher hills, faster pace, till I can go no longer. I am hooked up to a heart rate monitor and a machine measuring oxygen output. So, as you can see, it tells me that I am 100% fat burning at the easiest intensity.

I asked David Sutton – Strength and conditioning coach, (@PerformTrain on twitter) why he was telling me the opposite. He said this was showing me calories from fat (burning the fat by means of burning calories while exercising).. Eh? That is what a generic definition will show you:

Fitness Zone (Fat Burning) --- 60 - 70% of maximum heart rate: This zone provides the same benefits as the healthy heart zone, but is more intense and burns more total calories. The percent of fat calories is still 85%. http://www.thewalkingsite.com/thr.html

But what DOES THAT MEAN? His explanation was that burning calories from fat is higher in low intensity work, however high intensity and resistance training = more fat burning overall and higher MBR. (Base metabolism rate). This sounded like the opposite of what I have always known. As always, he then sent me some research to back it up.

The Research Bit:

Aerobic and progressive resistance training was tested on two groups, one group did cardio, one progressive resistance training.  Weight, body mass index, body fat, waist circumference, waist:hip ratio, blood pressure, and peak oxygen consumption were all measured.

Results:  ‘significant between-group differences occurred in change in waist circumference in favour of progressive resistance exercise and in change in peak oxygen consumption in favour of aerobic exercise’ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20795922   

So, were both theories right then? It seems so. There’s more.

Research: 'Effect of exercise training intensity on abdominal visceral fat and body composition'

This one was examining the effects of exercise training intensity on abdominal visceral fat and body composition in obese women with the metabolic syndrome. The groups were given different levels of exercise: none, minimal, low, lactate threshold and high.

RESULTS: ‘High intensity exercise significantly reduced total abdominal fat, abdominal fat and visceral fat. There were no significant changes observed in any of these parameters within the Control (none) or the low intensity conditions.’ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18845966

They conclude that high intensity work is best for reducing visceral and abdominal fat. This Theory would also be supported by the other study.

Search this term and you will see many more that support the theory:  

http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=6827

http://media.cybexintl.com/cybexinstitute/research/research_TheAdvantagesOfHighIntensityTraining.pdf

My Conclusions / opinions:

·       High intensity exercise can it seems, be more effective in lowering body fat % -the opposite of what I actually thought!

·       BUT... without a cardio base, you will tire faster, lose speed and overall end up slower

·       Both are important, but if burning fat is the aim, a good cardio base with enable you to work at a higher intensity for longer... will it not?

·       Both high and low intensity work have their own advantages and one should not be omitted in favour of the other

What are your thoughts?