How Safe is Your Water Bottle?
The FDA suggests that polycarbonate plastic bottles are safe, but many scientists disagree. It is safe to say that plastics are not the safest compound that it was once thought to be. Plastics release harmful chemicals when scratched or heated. The most common chemical is Bisphenol A (BPA). The is a long list of health disorders associated with BPA including development and reproductive abnormalities, altered growth rates, early puberty in girls,reduced sperm count, altered functions in reproductive organs in both sexes, altered behaviors, higher rates of cancer, and neurological disorders. Although BPA is only lethal at very high doses, increasing evidence suggests that it can disrupt key body functions at very low doses, and builds up in our bodies over time with each exposure.
Bottled water is harmful to the environment, your health and your wallet. As convenient as they are, they are by far the most durable pollutants on the planet. As they break down into smaller and smaller parts, they get into the food and water systems and effects can be seen in fish and animals ingesting these toxic pollutants. BPA has been shown to leach out into bottled water and individuals refilling their water bottles increase the leaching process and hazard to their body.
The only safe water bottles are made of glass, yet they are inconvenient, breakable and heavy. Aluminum and stainless steel bottles are two other alternatives. There is some concern over the liners in the aluminum bottles and whether they leach BPA into the water. Stainless steel may be an excellent alternative. They are less harmful to the environment, recyclable and do not alter the taste of the water.
So for now the recommendation is stainless steel as the best choice for water bottles in athletes.
How safe is your water bottle? Let us know what you are using? Are you a cyclist? What kind of water system is safe?
Endurance Running, Swimming, Cycling – Ice Baths BRRRRR…
If you bike, run, or swim at high intensity for any period of time you may have experienced sore muscles and discomfort. Many endurance athletes are spending 15 minutes or so in an ice bath to ease the pain after a long run.
Ice baths or cold water immersion therapy constricts blood vessels and decreases metabolic activity, which reduces swelling and tissue breakdown. Once the skin is no longer in contact with the cold source, the underlying tissues warm up, causing a return of faster blood flow, which helps return the byproducts of cellular breakdown to the lymph system for efficient recycling by the body. This means that not only do you suppress inflammation but you also get rid of of the broken down tissues from the body. So ice baths reduce inflammation of tissues and joints, relieves soreness, and speeds recovery.
Ice baths require more than just 1 tray of ice. Get about 30 lbs of ice and add to water and climb in brrr, soak for 15 minutes and yes, your teeth will be chattering. Stay no longer than 15 minutes or you may cause tissue damage. Some people suggest getting into the tube in cool water and add the ice to create less of a cold shock to the body.
Another option might be to hop into a cold lake (if you are lucky to have one nearby) and stand in cold water for 15 minutes. Wrap up and drink a warm beverage while sitting in the tub. Have fun and feel great the next day!
WHY SHOULD I DRINK BCAAs?
BCAAs were recently shown to reduce muscle damage during cycling, as reported in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (December, 2007). Dr. Greer and his team of researchers examined the effect of a branched chain amino acid (BCAA) drink on markers of muscle damage after endurance exercise. A BCAA drink was compared with an equal calorie carbohydrate drink and a flavored water placebo.
The group found all measured markers of fatigue were reduced in the BCAA-supplemented group. So if you want to ride your best, it seems including BCAAs in your hydration formula could help.
The Study
Nine untrained men performed three 90 minute cycling trials. The men were blinded to drink selection during each trial. Cyclists received a carbohydrate drink on the first trial; a BCAA drink on the second trial; and flavored water on the third trial. Bouts were separated by eight weeks with no training in-between, to omit training effects from trial to trial.
During each trial the subjects ingested 200 calories of their drink before exercise and at 60 minutes of the 90-minute cycling trial. Subjects were assessed before and immediately after, as well as 4, 24 and 48 hours post-exercise.
The data showed significantly reduced markers of muscle damage in the BCAA trial, with the carbohydrate trial showing reduced markers when compared with the flavored water. Measurements included blood markers of fatigue, leg-flexion tests, and ratings of perceived exertion.
The Bottom Line
Proteins are made up of amino acids. BCAAs are a sub-group of these amino acids which have been found to be particularly useful for athletic performance. Although this study indicates that BCAAs are superior to carbohydrate formulas for reducing markers of muscular fatigue, this does not mean you should replace your carbohydrate drink during your ride.
Reduced muscle damage has the advantage of speeding recovery and reducing muscle soreness, but not addressing your glycogen stores while training could have a negative impact on performance. Combine both for greater muscle recovery while maintaining energy stores.
What to do
If you’re training regularly it would be wise to invest in a carbohydrate-BCAA combo drink such as EnduraFuel by BRL, available online at www.EnduraFuel.com. EnduraFuel contains a full 6 grams of BCAAs per serving; more than any other product available on the market.
Does Quercetin Improve Performance in Endurance Athletes?
Everyone was excited with the initial studies done on Quercetin and endurance athletes looked for promising results to improve their athletic performance. However, studies in humans have been disappointing.
Quercetin is a phytochemical that is part of the coloring found in the skins of apples and red onions. It has been isolated and is sold as a dietary supplement. Quercetin is a powerful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. Research shows that quercetin may help to prevent cancer, especially prostate cancer.
Early studies in mice demonstrated evidence of being a potent performance enhance in mice. In the study two groups of mice were given either quercetin or placebo and did pre and post testing on a wheel treadmill. The mice that received Quercetin were able to run 37% longer that their counterparts who received the placebo.
Several studies in humans both athletes and non-athletes were done with Quercetin and have not produced the same results. F.R.S. financed a small study which demonstrated that the highly trained human athletes improved their performance on Quercetin. The subjects were then given placebo and they also had signifcant improvement in their performance. A second study was done using 12 untrained men and gave them quercetin and did find improvement after 1 week.
However 3 additional studies have had disappointing results. Runners in the Western States Endurance Run, a 100 mile were given quercetin and saw no difference. A similar study done by the same researchers found no difference in cyclists.
The most recent study was done by Coca Cola, which was testing a new drink with Quercetin. “There were simply no differences” between the quercetin and the placebo group, says Kirk J. Cureton, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Georgia and lead author of the study. It just does not improve endurance.
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