Water is an essential component for our health.
This video explains why we should all drink plenty of water and what happens to our health if we do not.
To find out more have a look here – http://beingfitandhealthyrocks.com/health-benefits-of-drinking-water-the-top-11-awesome-reasons-we-should-all-drink-more/
Picture this it is 3pm and you are sitting at your desk at work. Lunch was two hours ago and dinner is ages away. However you start to feel the first pangs of hunger, your stomach rumbles and you cannot concentrate on your work. However you are following a low calorie weight-loss plan, so what do you do? You know you cannot just go to the vending machine and grab a candy bar, as that will destroy in one mouthful all your work so far. What can be done?
This kind of problem can grow out of all proportion if you let it. However with a little planning on your part you can make one of the low-fat snacks below and take it to work with you. This way when you start to feel peckish all you have to do is reach into your bag and pull out a healthy nutritious snack.
Here is a list of 10 healthy snacks that are easy to make. For another 30 take a look here – http://beingfitandhealthyrocks.com/healthy-snack-ideas-the-top-40/
For a few more ideas take a look here Top 40 healthy snack ideas
If you have been working out for any amount of time, you probably know all to well that sensation of muscle fatigue. We “hit the wall” and can no longer perform reps on a particular lift and we can no longer run any faster or further.
What Causes Muscle Fatigue?
The causes of muscle fatigue fall into two categories:
1) Central (neuromuscular the mind/central nervous system) and,
2) Local (peripheral – the actual muscle site).
The Central Nervous System is designed to stop us from injuring ourselves be over doing things. To do this the brain reduces the rate nerve impulses are sent to our working muscles. In most cases, you’ll experience central fatigue before local fatigue. In other words, what happens is that you will simply not be able to do any more exercise because you are so tired this is your mind telling your body (muscles) to shut down. In fact, you’re probably able to continue for another couple of reps.
Local fatigue is related to local factors that limit the ability of the muscle to perform work. These include:
•The energy systems (ATP-CP, glycolysis, and oxidation);
• The accumulation of metabolic byproducts (such as lactic acid);
• The failure of the muscle fiber’s contraction mechanisms.
We have three energy systems within the muscle cells that are called upon at different times depending on the intensity and duration of an activity.
The first energy system is called the ATP-CP system and is called upon during extremely short and intense bouts of exercise (e.g., weight training, sprinting, and jumping). It works by repeatedly breaking down glucose. When exercising the muscles obtain ATP from glucose stored in the blood stream and the breakdown of glycogen stored in the muscles. This process uses CP (creatine phosphate), which is stored in the muscles to help breakdown the glucose. During repeated contractions, muscle fatigue coincides with CP depletion and thus the muscles inability to make ATP energy.
The other two energy systems are called into play during exercises that last longer than 30 seconds. They are known as anaerobic and aerobic. These energy systems are dependent on the availability of glycogen. As with CP use, the rate of glycogen depletion is controlled by the intensity (i.e., how hard you train) of the exercise. During sprinting, for instance, muscle glycogen may be used 35 to 40 times faster than during walking. Glycogen depletion and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) will limit performance in activities lasting longer than 30 minutes. After this the body begins to use other forms of energy, such as fat and protein, which are not as efficient sources, thus making it harder to sustain energy levels. During high-intensity anaerobic exercise, such as sprinting and weight training, our bodies will produce metabolic byproducts such as lactic acid and CO2. As these accumulate in our bodies, our ability to maintain the duration and intensity of exercise diminishes. When they finally reach a point of saturation, our muscle capacity comes to a halt. This is often referred to as the “burn,” whereby the muscle feels like it’s on fire. This is a signal for you to stop.
How Can You Overcome Muscle Fatigue?
While we can’t completely overcome muscle fatigue, we can certainly delay it. But, sometimes this delay can be the difference between sprinters winning or losing in competition or allow weight trainers to “push out” a few more reps (to produce new levels of strength and muscle gains).
There are many strategies we can use to accomplish this goal, but here are a few I’ve found over the years to be particularly effective:
What We Eat
We need to eat an adequate amount of carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Carbohydrates provide the necessary fuel to maintain or sustain energy levels during workouts. If your workout consists more of aerobic (longer-term and medium intensity), such as playing Tennis and walking it should form 30-35% of your diet. If more anaerobic (strength-training and short cardio workouts) it should 40-45%.
The Importance of Drinking Water
It is important to stay properly hydrated. Dehydration can lead to significant performance drops. Even a 3% to 4% drop in body water levels (signaled by thirst and fatigue) can decrease your muscular contractions by up to 20%. To prevent this you need to be drinking at least 125-250ml of water for every 20 minutes of exercise. This can be a sports drink, which will help replace the lost glucose, although some evidence suggests water works just as well.
Recovery and Rest
Rest is equally important for delaying premature muscle fatigue. Inadequate rest during training (i.e., between sets) and between workouts can mean not being able to train for very long. A good rule of thumb for resting time between sets is just long enough to catch your breath, around 30 to 45 seconds.
Recent research has shown that keeping intensity high after completed sets allowed weight trainers to perform more reps in later sets compared to those who passively recovered between sets. This means it is a good idea to keep moving during rest periods. Instead of sitting down to rest, walk around a little.
Improve your Endurance
As your respiratory muscles begin to tire, oxygen will be redirected from the muscles of your limbs to those of your diaphragm. One way to improve your endurance is to gradually increase your aerobic workouts with some cardio exercises. As your endurance increases oxygen in your blood will keep your muscles working for longer periods of time and also help to stop the build up of lactic acid.
If you are interested in a program that will help you burn the fat and feed the muscle have a look here.
I hope you enjoyed this
post and found it informative. If you can combat muscle fatigue you will be able to train longer and harder.For more on Fit and Healthy articles check out the website here – http://beingfitandhealthyrocks.com/
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