Newsletter #20

COOL MOVES

Summer exercise doesn't have to leave you hot and bothered

As the temperature rises, it's wise to adjust your workout a bit to stay healthy in the worst of summer's heat. To maintain peak efficiency during your summer workout, try these tips to keep your cool.

BEAT THE HEAT

Of all the hot weather tips, water is the most important. Keeping your body hydrated will prevent a number of health risks. When you exercise in hot weather, your heart not only has to pump more blood to your muscles, it also has to work to keep you cool by sending more blood to your skin to dissipate heat. If you fail to replenish the fluid you are losing through sweating, your blood volume will drop, making the heart work harder to get the blood where it needs to go, as well as causing a rise in your body temperature.

You can lose as much as 1 to 2 liters of water by sweating in an hour of exercise. So drink fluids before and after your workout, as well as every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise. Don't count on your sense of thirst to tell you when to drink. Chances are, by the time you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated.

OTHER COOL TIPS

* Timing is everything. Avoid the hottest parts of the day by exercising in the morning or evening. Also, take advantage of shade. The asphalt of streets and sidewalks can reach temperatures of over 100 degrees during the summer. So head for a shady, grassy park for your workout.

* Bring it down a notch. Decrease the intensity of your workout on hot days to allow your heart rate to remain within safe limits. Give your body a chance to adjust to the heat by cutting the length of time you exercise, and then gradually add minutes each day until you are back to your regular workout time. It can take adults one week and children two weeks to acclimate to the hotter temperatures.

* Lighten up. Clothing that is lightweight and loose fitting will help air circulate around your body and keep you cooler. Also, choose light-colored exercise wear to reflect the sunlight rather than absorb it. Plus, change from damp to dry clothing since sweat-dampened clothing won't allow the sweat to evaporate and cool your body.

Selected Sources

*"Hot Weather and Cardiovascular Disease," www.amricanheart.org

*"Precautions During Hot Weather Let You Continue Exercise Regimen,"

*"Warm and Hot Weather Recommendations for Exercis" by Lori Neilitz

*"Exercise Physiologist Offers Tips for Exercising in Hot Weather,"

A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION

WEIGHING IN

A BLANCED DIET

Weight-loss experts tell us that the right fats keep us feeling satisfied, even when we're jump-starting weight loss. Essential fatty acids play an important role in health, helping us to meet our exercise goals, which are as critical to maintaining a reasonable weight as they are to relieving stress, slowing bone loss, and enjoying life to the fullest.

Also important: a plant-based diet that highlights plenty of brightly colored fruits and vegetables, plus fiber-rich complex carbohydrates that burn slowly or at least moderately. But if you're watching your intake of animal fats, you also need to pay careful attention to your protein intake (soy and other legumes, nuts and nut butters, and whey protein powders). A general rule of thumb is to consume 1 gram of protein per pound of lean muscle mass to prevent muscle deterioration. A physician or fitness expert can help determine your muscle mass accurately.

USEFUL SUPPLEMENTS

As we grow older, we may not digest protein as well, so taking digestive enzymes with meals helps ensures absorption of beneficial nutrients. Also, people who avoid animal protein may be missing out on important amino acids. Often referred to as branced-chain amino acids (BCAA), three are particularly important in protecting muscle:

1. L-isoleucine, essential in the information of red blood cells

2. L-leucine, an alternative energy source to glucose and essential for

a healthy liver

3. L-valine, an important componenet of muscle and useful in tissure

repair

Not eating enough protein, exercising too vigorously, stress, and disease (particularly cancer, kidney failure, and AIDS) can accelerate this metabolic process so that muscle and tissue break down faster than the body can replace them.

Another amino acid to consider, along with regular exercise and a healthy diet, is L-arginine (for protein synthesis and to help reduce fat while increasing muscle mass). A precursor to other amino acids as well as the most abundant one in the body, L-glutamine is another supplement that's useful during increased physical activity.

Manufactured in the body from lysine, methionine, and vitamin C, L-carnitine releases fat for use as fuel, increases the oxidative capacity of skeletal muscles, helps prevent fatigue, and protects against muscle pain when you work out too fast or extensively. Safe enough to be added to infant formula, this heart-protective supplement helps fight diabetes plus high cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

AMINO ACID SUPPLEMENT

In supplements, always select the L-form of amino acids, in free form (for better absorption). Take supplements with a little juice or fruit, since carbohydrates induce insulin release (and insulin is neeeded to transport amino acids to muscle cells). Also, be sure any products containing BCAAs have more leucine (because the body uses this amino acid more quickly) than isoleucine and valine.

Selected Sources

*Dr. Atkins' Vita-Nutrient Solution by Robert C. Atkins, MD

*Earl Mindell's Peak Performance Bible by Earl Mindell, RPh, PhD

*The Omega Rx Zone by Dr. Barry Sears

*Supplements for Natural Body Building by Zoltan Rona, MD, MSc