performance

Lack of Sleep: How Much Sleep Do You Need? How much sleep do you really need? To answer that question, let’s consider an experiment conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and Washington State University. The researchers began the experiment by gathering 48 healthy men and...

The Science of Sleep Sleep is one of the strangest things we do each day. The average adult will spend 36 percent of his or her life asleep. For one-third of our time on earth, we transition from the vibrant, thoughtful, active organisms we are during the day and power down into a quiet state of...

Rhodiola Rosea elevates beta-endorphins, making it The Ultimate Chill Pill. I've also documented how it increases endurance, possibly by raising blood levels of EPO. Now there's a new study that shows it has a really strong effect on anaerobic performance, too, meaning that it could help you...

Performance Meets Muscle Gain Whether your goal is to build a solid physique or become a well-rounded athlete, training in a way that supports both performance and muscle gain is very possible. In fact, it’s a necessity for longevity and optimal results. Here are six ways to make it happen...

As a sweetener, isomaltulose (Palatinose) has a lot of positive attributes. It's manufactured from sucrose derived from beet juice. It's vegan, kosher, halal, and non-GMO. It's stable, it doesn't rot teeth, it has a mild natural sweetness, and it doesn't have an aftertaste. If your daughter were...

TYLENOL IS A PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING DRUG Unlike other over-the-counter pain relievers, paracetamol, aka acetaminophen or Tylenol, is actually a performance-enhancing drug. Not so with the other common pain relievers, most of which are NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). They, of...

RHODIOLA ROSEA: THE TRIPLE THREAT I've written about how Rhodiola Rosea elevates beta-endorphins, making it The Ultimate Chill Pill. I've also documented how it increases endurance, possibly by raising blood levels of EPO. Now there's a new study that shows it has a really strong effect on...

It is well documented that consumption of carbohydrates during exercise can improve performance (1), and there is also a wealth of research that supports the notion that including electrolytes such as sodium into a sports drink has been shown to increase and support hydration levels (ingestion...

The Performance Advantage Beta-Alanine: High Performance After 60 Seconds Creatine works. Take it consistently and it’ll be there to support your ATP-PCr energy system so you can do more reps. The trouble is, creatine is kind of like the guy who has attention deficit disorder. He’ll be right...

When the going gets tough, they say the tough get going. This characteristic can be called anything from courage to perseverance to the commonly-used “grit.” This is persistence in the face of adversity and set-backs and the ability to keep focused on a goal. For younger generations not...

Top athletes are always looking to get the most out of their performance by training to reach their maximum potential. A big part of their training may include finding ways to improve their breathing patterns, optimizing lung capacity, and shortening recovery time. Once thought of as just a way...

by Lauren Del Turco, CPT Whether you haven’t chugged an energy drink since cramming for college exams or crack one open before every workout, you probably associate these colorful cans with one thing: caffeine. And, sure, caffeine does play a leading role in pretty much every popular energy...

The effects of testosterone, a naturally occurring hormone in the human body, can be mimicked by using a family of synthetic medications known as anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS). Athletes and bodybuilders often use these drugs to enhance their performance and physical appearance. They have...

Part VI Are Enzymes The Answer to Treat Genetic Diseases and other Modern Day Killers? A crowd of Bob's employees had gathered around me by this time. One of them asked, "Do you think that enzyme deficiency is causing the health problems in today's bodybuilders and left unchecked could...

The Mistake of Linear Program Design I find most people will design a program for themselves and follow it in a linear fashion, that is they run X times per week for Y distance, lift X times per week doing Y number of sets, etc. with little change over time. A result oriented program looks like...

Due to the unique energy demands of strength and endurance based sports, athletes who participate in these activities have different carbohydrate requirements needed to fuel optimal performance. Aerobic endurance athletes and those who train for 60 minutes or more a day (think runners, cyclists...

Due to the unique energy demands of strength and endurance based sports, athletes who participate in these activities have different carbohydrate requirements needed to fuel optimal performance. Aerobic endurance athletes and those who train for 60 minutes or more a day (think runners, cyclists...

Mental fatigue lies at the core of motivating yourself to hit the gym and push hard at every workout. The way the brain and body are interconnected suggests that the brain influences many markers of physical performance, including power, muscular endurance, reaction time, and processing speed...

When it comes to improving athletic performance, it requires a mix of strength, power, and endurance. Whether you’re trying to improve your performance in the gym or for a particular sport, the foundations are the same. We have all the tools and resources needed in order to achieve peak...

I always find it fascinating how there seems to be a certain type of music connected to respective castes of gym-goers: Step Aerobics Enthusiasts/Soccer Moms: Techno Powerlifters: Death Metal Recreational Lifters: Alternative and Punk Rock Cardio Bunnies: Pop Bros: Mainstream Rap Olympic...