Train low, race high

An increasing number of runners are adhering to the “train low, race high” tactic. This involves performing training runs with diminished glucose reserves, often achieved through fasting or completing back-to-back workouts, but restoring glucose levels through rest and carbohydrate intake for competition. Earlier research ^1,2 has shown that this technique induces positive training adaptations, mediated by altered cell signaling and transcriptional regulation of proteins involved in muscle cell metabolism. These studies provide some evidence, albeit limited and inconclusive, that these metabolic changes may improve performance over time. However, training low is not without its drawbacks, as any runner who’s hit the wall from low blood sugar can attest. If only we could reap the long-term metabolic benefits of low-energy training without the immediate battle with fatigue and premature bonking. A new study suggests that caffeine just may be the secret ingredient that allows endurance athletes to have their cake – without eating it too.

Caffeine to the rescue

In their study ³, Stephen Lane and colleagues tested how caffeine and the availability of glycogen, which is broken down into glucose as our muscles’ main energy source, interactively affect cycling performance. Twelve trained endurance cyclists completed four test sessions each. At each session, the participants completed high-intensity-interval training, consisting of eight five-minute trials at maximal cycling intensity. The researchers monitored heart rate, power output, cadence and perceived exertion, as well as collected blood samples to measure glucose and free fatty acid levels. At each session, the cyclists were randomly assigned to a low- or high-glycogen condition, and a caffeine or placebo condition. Participants completed a 100-minute cycling session either two hours before testing, to deplete muscle glycogen (low condition), or 24 hours before testing, to allow sufficient recovery of glycogen levels (high condition). Then, an hour before each test trial, the cyclists took either 3 mg/kg caffeine, approximately 200 mg for a 150 pound individual (the equivalent of a cup of coffee), or a placebo pill.

As expected, when the cyclists’ muscle glycogen was depleted, their cycling power output was reduced by about 8% compared to when they cycled with normal glycogen levels. Critically, regardless of glycogen availability, caffeine improved power output by about 3%, and the effects of caffeine and glycogen did not interact (i.e. they did not influence one another). Note that caffeine couldn’t completely compensate for the performance deficit induced by glycogen depletion, but any boost is still a boost!

We’ve long known that carbohydrates and caffeine are both performance enhancers ^4,5, so what’s so novel about this finding? One possible explanation for caffeine’s benefits is that it somehow improves performance by facilitating carbohydrate use, in which case caffeine might fail miserably at increasing performance when glycogen is low. But intriguingly, the study showed that the energy boost from caffeine does not depend on glycogen levels, so you can still get that performance bump while training on empty. If caffeine’s effects aren’t in fact mediated by carbohydrate metabolism, what energy source does it tap into? Interestingly, the researchers found that free fatty acid levels were elevated after caffeine consumption, suggesting that caffeine might allow muscles to more efficiently metabolize fats, rather than rely on muscle glycogen stores.

Fuel for running, fuel for research

As the authors point out, their findings only show immediate performance perks from caffeine, and don’t inform about how caffeine influences the known long-term metabolic adaptations induced by low-energy training. Follow-up studies will also be necessary to show whether caffeine has similar effects when energy stores are depleted through fasting, rather than through repeat workouts. As a distance runner, I would be particularly interested in seeing whether these effects hold up during running, as well as during more prolonged bouts of endurance testing.

So if you’re looking to run hard and feel great, a granola bar and coffee might be a match made in heaven. However, if your goal is to stay strong while gaining long-term improvements in metabolic efficiency, a cup of joe might be all you need.

References

1. Hansen AK et al. 2005. Skeletal muscle adaptation: training twice every second day vs. training once daily. J Appl Physiol 98:93-9.
2. Hawley JA & Burke LM. 2010. Carbohydrate availability and training adaptation: effects on cell metabolism. Exerc Sport Sci Rev 38:152-60.
3. Lane SC et al. 2013. Caffeine Ingestion and Cycling Power Output in a Low or Normal Muscle Glycogen State. Med Sci Sports Exerc.
4. Graham TE & Spriet LL. 1995. Metabolic, catecholamine, and exercise performance responses to various doses of caffeine. J Appl Physiol 78:867-74.
5. Jeukendrup AE. 2004. Carbohydrate intake during exercise and performance. Nutrition 20:669-77.

Lane, S., Areta, J., Bird, S., Coffey, V., Burke, L., Desbrow, B., Karagounis, L., & Hawley, J. (2013). Caffeine Ingestion and Cycling Power Output in a Low or Normal Muscle Glycogen State Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31828af183

There have been many bizarre twists in this case revolving around his alleged murder of girl friend Reeva Steenkamp, but one that has jolted sports fans was the news that initially testosterone and syringes had been found in his house. This was later confirmed as being incorrect and what was indeed found was a ‘herbal remedy’ called Testo-compasutium enzyme which is marketed as Testis compositum, and is taken to for temporary relief for a male sexual deficiency.

It is described by Pharmacists as ” a homeopathic male performance/reproductive system enhancer for problems such as a lack of stamina, nocturnal emissions and male hormone imbalance.”

When it comes to sport it is also believed to enhance energy because it increases the heart rate. However it is not on the World Anti Doping Authority’s banned substance list.

It has been said that it is too early to say whether the products found inside his house can be classified as performance enhancers in a sporting context, as tests are still being carried out. However a derivative of the found drug is CoQ10 which can be bought over the counter in health food shops and online which is known as ‘the energy sparkplug’ for its ability to convert Glucose into energy.

Should WADA find that these drugs would have enhanced his athletic performance they have stated that action will be taken, and that they are currently in discussions with the South African anti doping organisation.

Pistorius was tested at the London Olympics and at the time he passed the drug test. The alleged murder of his girlfriend has stunned many, but if it were to be revealed that he had taken drugs to improve his athletic performance the man held up as a leader in sport for Athletes with a disability will have undone all of his good work. The sport will survive, but it will come as a huge disappointment to many.

It seems that nothing in sport these days is exactly what it seems.

Lucky for me I found most of that during the house hunting process (except a ballet studio,*sad face*), and in fact it helped make the decision on this house. We’re literally 6 blocks from a pretty good gym, across the street from the grocery store, and within walking distance to several places to grab a bite. We’re also only a few blocks from a Super Supplements store. A small chain, based in Seattle, which I’ve only just recently seen popping up down here. I knew nothing about it and hoped it wasn’t just another chain with cheap white-labeled products.

To my elation they aren’t! They carried all my favorite brands. The good ones.

Organic, whole food vitamins like Garden of Life (I’ve tried tons and these are by far my favorite).

Whole food meal bars like ProBar, to which I was ecstatic since my new grocery store doesn’t carry them! (What?!)

Awesome snacks like Perky Jerkey.

They also carry a line of mineral-based, vegan, gluten free makeup named Gabriel. I purchased the foundation to give it a try. Blog posts on all these products to follow.

Though I shouldn’t admit to taking these, they also carry Jet Fuel. My go-to (non-natural) “get-jacked-up” performance enhancer when I really feel like switching on Beast Mode. Ignore the hype on their website, I just like the smooth energy. Though most of their claims are true from my experience. Please note that I take far less than recommended and don’t abuse them. But really, most of the time I can totally go beast on just EnergyBits. (They don’t sell EnergyBits at this store but you can get them online. In fact, use code “FunkyFitBits” and get 30% off your order)

Anyhoozle – I has a good chat with the very friendly an knowledgeable sales lady tonight. If one pops up near you, you should definitely go inside and check them out. This will be my new supplement store from now on.

They have many stores across the NW. Check to see if they have one near you by clicking here. The Hazel Dell, WA store is brand new and not on their locator yet.

What are your favorite healthy brands and what is your favorite supplement store?

We could all use a little Popeye in this world. Here he sets off for his morning run.

“Hewwwgggh. Hi theresk, mateys.

Gladsk to sees yah’sk.”

Heck eck eckeck. 

Ahhh, Popeye. You could hardly understand a word he said, but that was the point, wasn’t it?

Popeye was a man of action. Once he got around to it.

Sure, it took a little provocation from Bluto at times, and Popeye would sometimes take a lickin’ before he fought back. Guess that’s another

Bluto. The perfect bully.

great moral lesson for us. Be slow to anger. Then eat your spinach and teach the bad guys a lesson. Heck eck eck. But we’ll get to that spinach thing later…

Let’s talk about the physiques and psyches of the Popeye cartoons.

Olive Oyl

Olive Oyl. The height of feminine internal conflict over which man to choose.

It appears to me that Olive Oyl might have been the the first role model for the hyper-thin female runner. I mean, look at that build! She was one skinny chick. Yet Popeye loved her.

So did Popey’s big rival Bluto, in his way. Seems like he almost crushed Olive Oyl half the time, yet  Olive Oyl sort of seemed to like all that brusque attention.

Were we witnesses to the early version of 50 Shades of Gray?  Kinky girl, that Olive Oyl. Wonder how she got her name? 

Ahead of their time

Those cartoon characters were a lot more kinky and progressive than we sometimes give them credit for. Olive Oyl with her model-thin body and Popeye tanking up on spinach. Was that spinach simply an early

One hot little Olive Oyl, Sheryl Crow is reputed to have known about Lance Armstrong’s use of “spinach” to win bike races.

form of steroids? If so, was Lance Armstrong really doing anything wrong by doping up to win the girl? After all, he hung out with that Cougar Sheryl Crow for a while.

Alice the Goon

By comparison, the truly breathtaking character in the Popeye cartoons was Alice the Goon. Talk about your politically incorrect depiction of the not-so-lovely female! My brothers and I would completely freak out when Alice the Goon showed up on Popeye. She literally made our skin crawl. Some protective mothers even protested her presence on the show, because she was so domineering and persistent. But you know, if you’re the Sea Hag and need an Amazonian warrior on your side in a fight or a pursuit of hidden riches, you couldn’t do much better than Alice the Goon. There was a woman who could have broken the glass ceiling with ease.

What was in that spinach that Popeye always ate? Did someone ever dope-test that pop eyed sailor?

Was Popeye a doper?

For all the challenges he seemed to face in life, it all seemed to work out in the end for Popeye. He ate his spinach and won the day, thumping his rivals in a swift and fearsome pounding that included the famous “twister punch.”

But we really need to consider whether that spinach was laced with some sort of performance enhancer.

I mean, consider the forearms on Popeye. You don’t get those by lifting weights alone. Honestly, we’ve probably let Popeye off the hook for a little too long. Perhaps it’s time to call in the USADA and strip away a few victories over Bluto from the good old days. You know, our heroes sometimes never change.

Makes you wonder if we should be so rough on the dopers in the pro peloton, or those Olympic sprinters like Ben Johnson cranked up on steroids. It’s all just about going faster, getting stronger and whupping our rivals, isn’t it? Would you take something that you knew would guarantee you victory? Don’t you eat your spinach? Take a bottle of something good (Gatorade, whatever…) with you on your rides? Gobble a Gu during a marathon?

Could Popeye ride to victory in the Tour de France, or win the NYC Marathon if he ate his spinach?

Are we hypocrites here? Are we ignoring the lesson of Popeye, Bluto, Olive Oyl and Alice the Goon? Is anyone really clean and innocent in the end?

Hecck eck eckkeck. C’mon over heresk, Olive. I’ve gotsk some Baby Oyl I wantsck to use on yer backsk.

Heck eck eckeck.

Beetroot Juice. Performance Enhancer?

I have recently over the past few months have been hearing about the benefits of beetroot, whether it was performance related or for health benefits. I personally love beetroot which I mainly use in salads, but maybe I might start thinking on using it as a drink before exercise.

Beetroot is a rich source of potent antioxidants and nutrients, including magnesium, sodium, potassium and vitamin C, and betaine, which is important for cardiovascular health. It functions by acting with other nutrients to reduce the concentration of homocysteine, a homologue of the naturally occurring amino acid cysteine, which can be harmful to blood vessels and thus contribute to the development of heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. Beetroot’s other benefits are that it contains no fat, very few calories and is a great source of fibre

Beetroot juice is also a natural source of nitrate, which is thought to be an important ingredient in athletic performance. The nitrate has two physiological effects. Firstly, it widens blood vessels, reducing blood pressure and allowing more blood flow. Secondly, it affects muscle tissue, reducing the amount of oxygen needed by muscles during activity. The combined effects have a significant impact on performing physical tasks, whether it involves low-intensity or high-intensity effort.

Past studies have also shown that chronic drinking of beetroot juice, lowers blood pressure and the oxygen cost of submaximal exercise. In a new study, researchers at the University of Exeter, England, compared the effects of acute use of beetroot juice (one serving taken 2.5 hours before exercise) and chronic beetroot juice consumption (5 and 15 days) on blood pressure, the oxygen cost of submaximal exercise, and performance in an incremental exercise test. They found that a single dose of beetroot juice was as effective in lowering blood pressure, reducing the oxygen cost of submaximal exercise, and boosting peak power in an incremental exercise test as 15 days of beetroot juice consumption.

All the researching that I have found, not only is promising to those who are interested in increasing their performance in sports but also for those who may be either suffering from or at risk of developing high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, hypertension or stroke. In this case it may be of interest to older people to include beetroot in their diet or beetroot in capsule form.

So why not give it ago, I know I will be to see if it makes a difference to me.

Sarah Pennicott
Personal Trainer & Pilates Teacher
http://www.master-fitness.co.uk

Are we coffee addicts?

• 54% of Americans over the age of 18 drink coffee every day.
• Americans drink over 3 cups of coffee per day on average (regular 8 oz. cup)
• 65% Americans drink coffee with breakfast
• The U.S spends $40 Billion on coffee every year
• Coffee is the second most valuable commodity in the world behind oil

Why is this beverage so popular and is it healthy? Here are some reasons to continue to have a cup of JOE. 

1. Coffee Can Lessen Your Risk Of Diabetes 

• 25.8 million children and adults in the United States(About 8.3% of the population) have diabetes.
• Antioxidants such as chlorogenic acid and magnesium found in coffee can improve sensitivity to insulin and may contribute to lowering risk of type 2 diabitie.s
• In a recent study conducted by the Harvard school of public health subjects  who drank more than six cups of caffeinated coffee per day reduced their risk for type 2 diabetes by more than 50 percent compared to men in the study who didn’t drink coffee.
• In 2009, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine reported that people who drank the most coffee seemed to have the lowest risk of developing type 2 diabetes. That study reported that with each cup of coffee consumed daily, the risk of type 2 diabetes dropped by 7 percent.

2. Coffee Can Boost Your Metabolism

• Caffeine, the best know ingredient in regular coffee, can raise blood sugar and increase energy expenditure in the short-term
• Some studies suggest coffee can increase metabolism by 10%
• Be aware that  a sugar-filled, flavored coffee can up calorie count and might actually slow down your metabolism (thanks to the sugar), shich seems a bit counterproductive.

3. Coffee Can Enhance Fat Oxidation

• Caffeine increases the level of circulating fatty acids. This has been shown to increase the oxidation of these fuels, hence enhancing fat oxidation.
• Caffeine has been used for years by runners and endurance people to enhance fatty acid metabolism. It’s particularly effective in those who are not habitual users.
• Coffee can also enhance lyposis-the ability to burn fat. (see study below)

4. Coffee Boosts Performance And Can Decrease Fatigue

• Caffeine is the most versatile and effective ergogenic aid (i.e. something that enhances exercise performance).
• A prominent exercise physiologist, David Costill, Ph.D., performed the ground-breaking study on caffeine and exercise 26 years ago.He took nine competitive cyclists (two females and seven males) and had them bike until exhaustion at 80% of V02 max. (Note: V02 max, also known as maximal oxygen uptake, is a measure of how well your cardiopulmonary system functions).
• Each subject consumed coffee containing 330mg (between 1-3, 8 ounce cups) of caffeine 60 min before the exercise or a placebo (decaffeinated coffee). Following the ingestion of caffeine, the subjects were able to perform an average of 90 minutes of cycling as compared to an average of 76 minutes in the placebo trial. This reflects an 18% increase! They also found that subjects burned more fat (aka lipolysis) as shown by measurements of plasma free fatty acids, glycerol and respiratory exchange ratios. In fact, fat oxidation or burning was significantly higher (107% greater) during the caffeine trial (118 g or 1.31 g/min) than in the placebo trial (57 g or 0.75 g/min). Also, the perception of effort was much less in subjects after consuming subjects indicating that exercise felt easier.(3)
• Caffeine, which helps muscles use fatty acids for energy and blunts the effect of adenosine, can extend the time before muscles fatigue.

5. Coffee Can Increase Mental Alertness

• Coffee contains a significant amount of caffeine, a widely used central nervous stimulant.
• Our brain is the first organ affected by caffeine, where it interferes with the action of the neurotransmitter adenosine. Adenosine has a calming effect on the brain, so the result of its interaction with caffeine is increased alertness and wakefulness.
• Caffeine affects the adrenal glands, stimulating the release of two adrenal hormones, cortisol and adrenaline — also known as hydrocortisone and epinephrine. These two hormones act to increase alertness and awareness.

What to drink

1. Medium roast/filtered coffee
2. 100% Arabica Beans
3. Unflavored
4. No additives
5. No Sugar and No Cream

Conclusion

As you can tell, most of coffee’s benefits come in the form of antioxidants and its number one ingredient, caffeine. I have always been a proponent of eating and drinking things in their most natural state. That is why I will always suggest or recommend black coffee over a caffeine supplement such as an energy drink, energy shot, or energy powder. With little to no research about the energy drink market and their side effects, ( especially the long-term health effects) your best bet is to stick with coffee.

Final Thoughts

I never used to be an early riser. Ever since I started drinking coffee about 3 year ago I have found it much easier to get out of bed knowing I am going to have a great breakfast followed by a cup of coffee. Beyond the health benefits, coffee gives people something to look forward to on those cold rainy mornings. There is also the social aspect of coffee drinking that is added bonus. With the prevalence of phones, internet, and TV, having a cup of coffee with a friend, family, or stranger gives you a chance to put your technology dominated life on hold and have a good ole fashioned conversation over a healthy beverage.

Thanks for reading and let me know if you have any comments or questions.

From South Bend,

Unfortunately, not all males of the human species are given the necessary tools that it takes to attract the opposite sex. Some men simply lack the confidence that it takes to exude his masculinity.

Sexual dysfunction is a very real problem for many men worldwide. An inability to perform well and satisfy the opposite sex can translate to a severe lack of self-esteem for a man.

A lack of confidence can unwittingly affect other aspects of his life as well, such as asking for a promotion or a raise at work, or simply asking a girl out. It is for this reason that many have resorted to having to buy sex pills and other performance-enhancing drugs in order to help them regain that lost self confidence.

Sex pills have been around for years, although in different forms during certain periods of time. But they all have one common objective, which is to enhance the sexual experience for both men and women. Often, this type of medication is taken by men who suffer from impotence, low libido, premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction, although it can also be taken by those who simply want to reach a different level of euphoric high, as many types of sex pills can be bought over the counter and without prescription.

However, it is still strongly recommended that those who intend to buy sex pills should consult medical professionals, and reproductive science experts on the pros and cons of taking sex pills. There have been many documented cases where some forms of sex pills caused various damaging effects to different vital organs in the body.

I was curious about the negative effects of caffeine on athletic performance, so I did a quick search on Google. Instead, I found an interesting New York Times article from 2009 that claims that caffeine actually enhances performance (legally)!

Competitive runner Weldon Johnson had heard that caffeine might help his speed, so he put the theory to the test. He drank a cup of coffee before a 10k race, and he ran his fastest time ever. He cut out caffeine between races so he could get the full effect when he drank a cup of coffee one hour before competition. He thought it was a placebo effect, but research has shown that caffeine can help competitive athletes in many sports.

According to reporter Gina Kolata, who also runs, here’s what happens when we work out with caffeine in our systems:

Dr. [Mark] Tarnopolsky [of McMaster University in Canada] and others report that caffeine increases the power output of muscles by releasing calcium that is stored in muscle. The effect can enable athletes to keep going longer or to go faster in the same length of time. Caffeine also affects the brain’s sensation of exhaustion, that feeling that it’s time to stop, you can’t go on any more. That may be one way it improves endurance, Dr. Tarnopolsky said.

You don’t need to drink too much coffee for the effect, just 1 milligram of caffeine per kilogram of body weight according to Louise Burke at the Australian Institute of Sport. For example, a 176-pound man needs no more than 4 ounces of coffee to benefit. And caffeine before a workout can make a difference, even if you’re a regular coffee drinker. Be aware, though, that too much caffeine can negatively impact performance.

Still wondering why athletes would want to avoid caffeine? A physician member of the International Marathon Medical Directors believes that the reason some runners collapse during races may be connected to excessive pre-race caffeine consumption. Maybe some athletes have heard caffeine decreases flood blow to the heart during exercise, according to one 2006 study reported in Runner’s World.  They could be purists, like my brother was when he was a competitive runner, not wanting to introduce stimulants into their bodies. A University of Richmond blog advised student athletes against caffeine use because it can negatively affect sleeping patterns. Finally, despite its legality, some athletes may abstain from caffeine because they feel like it’s cheating.

 Some published research about the effect of caffeine on athletic performance:

• From McMaster University (2008): Effect of caffeine on the neuromuscular system–potential as an ergogenic aid.  
• From the Australian Institute of Sport (2008): Caffeine and sports performance.

In recent news, the journal Pediatrics published a paper on February 14 reporting that consuming energy drinks may pose a health risk to children, adolescents and young adults, and urges pediatricians to discuss these risks with patients.

In this bodybuilding supplements blog I share which one is my favorite Bodybuilding Performance Enhancing Stack. Also see SuperCharge Xtreme By Labrada. The Extreme Performance Enhancer.
Hugo Rivera’s Favorite Bodybuilding Performance Enhancing Stack
Since I have gotten a lot of questions lately on what my favorite bodybuilding performance enhancing stack is, I will share it so that everyone can benefit from it.
My favorite bodybuilding performance enhancing stack is a combination of the following Labrada Nutrition Products:
(Pre-Workout)
Power Carb: (1 scoop) The reason I use PowerCarb is because Power Carb is a special carbohydrate engineered to rapidly replenish muscle glycogen, increase nutrient uptake, and enhance muscular function. Power carb makes your muscles look much fuller, increases the uptake of other nutrients in the muscle and also fuels your toughest workout sessions. On top of all that, it is released 1200% faster than even glucose itself since it bypasses the stomach and it’s absorbed into the intestines! I love to stack this with Super Charge as it not only helps to deliver the nutrients of the Super Charge to the muscles quicker, but it also provides you with an incredible amount of energy for the workout as well as an enhanced pump!
Super Charge! Xtreme NO: (1 scoop) For years this has been my favorite Pre-Workout Nitric Oxide/Creatine Muscle Hydrating formula as it instatntly increases energy, muscle size and strength. I love the fact that it increases focus and the mind-to-muscle connection dramatically while at the same time giving you insane amounts of energy. It also increases muscle size volume (via intra cellular water retention), gives you a tremendous pump (due to the vasodillation provided by the Nitric Oxide increase) and strength/endurance (via the optimization of the ATP cycle).
Branched Chain Amino Acids: (2 scoops) Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA’s) are amino acids that are metabolized in the muscle, rather than in the liver. BCAAs are a group of essential amino acids comprised of three essential amino acids: leucine, isoleucine and valine. Increasing your intake of Branched Chain Amino Acids before, during and after the workout has proven to increase recovery dramatically while promoting muscle growth. BCAAs also delay fatigue caused by exercise and help the joints as well to recover. I take them before the workout to maximize energy production and to protect muscles from breaking down.
CreaLean Powder: (1/2 scoop) Increases the muscle volume (via muscle hydration) and the production of ATP (Adenosine Tri-Phosphate) which allows for the execution of more repetitions with more weight.
(Post-Workout)
Power Carb: (1 scoop) I take this product after the workout as well in order to rapidly replenish the lost glycogen and to provide the most efficient nutrient delivery to the muscles.
Branched Chain Amino Acids: (2 scoops) I take these again after the workout to maximize anabolism and recovery. Stacked with the PowerCarb this makes for a very powerful post workout drink.
CreaLean Powder: (1/2 scoop) I take CreaLean again after the workout in order to replenish creatine levels.
GlutaLean Powder: (2 scoops) GlutaLean after the workout helps to lower cortisol levels, restore glutamine stores and also replenish muscle glycogen. As an added bonus, GlutaLean helps to boost your immune system.
HumanoGrowth: (4 capsule) Increases anabolic hormones of testosterone and growth hormone and also increases protein synthesis dramatically.
Vitamin C: I also take 1 gram of Vitamin C in order to lower cortisol levels.
I hope that this answers the question of what my favorite bodybuilding performance enhancing supplement is. If you want to give it a try, be sure not to miss ”Lees Holidays Specials and save huge amounts of money (over 50% off in some stacks)!

Here are more references:
SuperCharge Xtreme By Labrada. The Extreme Performance Enhancer – SuperCharge Your Training

Wanna know why I'm not wearing my Lakers jersey? They wanted nothing to do with this garbage.

If it could tangibly help a players performance, they wouldn’t allow it.

I’m amazed at how many people point out that other athletes wear them (look Lamar Odom* has one!!) as legitimate proof that they can help you in sports. The only thing a PB bracelet will do for the athlete is put extra dinero in their pocket because of all of us buying these useless trinkets. I find it very hard to believe that Derrick Rose made it all the way through life without this tool, but now it is the crutch he needs with which to succeed.

It’s very easy for an athlete with millions in seemingly disposable income to go out and waste $30 trying to improve their performance. It’s even easier to get paid cash money cheddar cheese simply for wearing it and saying, “Yeah, I’m way better now.” It should be a pretty simple decision for the common man to forgo purchasing one of these pieces of rubber. Fortunately for Power Balance, the common man is ignorant.

I channel the words of the yet-again-incarcerated Clifford “T.I” Harris in saying:

“Ey if you think I was just being stupid Shorty I got some motherf**kin ocean front property in Idaho for sale homey. If you believe that, I gotta bridge in Brooklyn I wanna sell you partner.”

The last bit of the rant is pretty simple – if you watched the clinching game of the 2010 World Series, you’d notice that most of the Texas Rangers had these bracelets or necklaces on. If you continued to watch, you would see them falling over trying to hit Big Time Timmy Jim (Tim Lincecum) and effectively looking pretty stupid. Well, maybe I was wrong and you can look like the pros, because that’s what you look like when you wear one of those products. Stupid.

*Lamar Odom is also notorious for eating candy all throughout the day, before games, before bed, etc. He also married the ugliest Kardashian, so he is clearly a very bright man.

I wrote in Milk, the new performance enhancer blog post a while back about the baseball drug policy (or lack thereof).

This brings to mind the question, when will MLB get serious like the NBA and NFL?

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Well, one of the consequences of experimenting with novel AVS stimuli is that occasionally you get a real stinker! I’ve got one at the moment and I’m not entirely sure I know what to do with it. It induces anxiety. With it you can consider any aspect of your life from the perspective that the universe is collapsing at imminently lethal speed.

What I have been asked for is, and that would appear to be the demand behind the plethora of, sessions to enhance cognition, memory, concentration, alertness, strength, sex, etc., etc. As much as we might hate to admit it, most of us probably perform at our best when we’re running a little lean, or faced with an immediate hurdle. I don’t know about anyone else, but endeavours involving any of the above have always involved some sort of risk/fear. With hindsight I can see that the lasting impression of many of my “firsts” is heavily flavoured by the neurochemicals of fear. Anxiety makes available a smorgasbord of endorphins to put any or all systems on full alert (and suppress a few that hinder cat-like readiness).

So what’s good about the state of anxiety? Well, if bungee jumping is your thing, then AVS can deliver this very key element of the experience. If the thrill of the sales deal is more your taste, then AVS can simulate the feelings of the last make/break meeting for a crucial deal. If you can find any merit in the caffeine/taurine fueled, umm, induced by the current crop of party pills, then the stomach twisting emptiness is available with AVS.

All of the frequently requested enhancements can be achieved when working from a position of carefully controlled and directed stress. As good as it is for relieving anxiety and stress, AVS can also very efficiently trigger the converse states. I have repeatedly asserted the safety of AVS. Most disclaimers include some reference to mental illness, and I now have a live example of a session that I believe has serious potential to trigger an event in a depressed or anxious individual.

I suspect that those who are seeking success in any of the hunter/gatherer career paths through the use of gently soothing hypnotic suggestion and Zen sand raking are appealing to the wrong part of their nature.

Cheers,
Craig

It was known that he was working on something of this sort, when he was cited with various girls, surreptitiously moving around. Instead of coaching the Indian Team, he was found more in bars, restaurants and clubs, gathering material for his research. The next day morning in the field, he was found to be drowsy, mumbling something which was not understood by the team but was too afraid to ask.

The report presumes that the cricketers are not already having enough sex! It is also not clear as to whom to have sex with! Married cricketers are interpreting it that it doesn’t include sex with wife, because the results in that case could be unnerving instead of being otherwise. The gay activists are gathering in New York City tomorrow to, discuss their stand on the issue. the feminists are terming the report a MCP’S exercise, because linking only cricket, a bat and balls game, to sex was outrageous. Why not golf, they ask, where ‘putting’ and ‘holes’ are involved.

The politicians got a wind of these reports much before it was published, and are scrambling for a berth in the team, if not as a player at least as a Manager, assistant to Manager etc. I am not saying Narendra Modi  took over as the President of Gujarat Cricket Association, only a few days back, only in this context.

What is true for cricketers should be true for any other profession. Cops knew better than Kirsten, and they take to rape, whenever circumstances permitted. After all chasing criminals needs equal aggression if not more.

Chandu Borde, a former cricketer, has exclaimed that ‘ this was something new’! It is not clear whether he meant sex or cricket or both.

Kirsten must be wondering as to who ‘leaked’ the confidential presentation to the cricketers, to the media. After all it is all about the ‘leak’ and media can’t be far behind.

The presentation by the Coach, is also silent about the spectators. Should the spectators have sex before watching or not is the million $ question. The stands may be provided with sex booths as a bonus. A player could be seen signaling for the twelfth man to take his place, only to have a ‘quickie’ before he bowled the final over. Or better still, the sex booth could be brought on field along with drinks for those who needed a ‘quickey’. The problem is players may deliberately ‘under perform’ on field to deserve a booster. of course, the coach will be the authority to take a final call!

Now on a serious note the Kirsten report goes entirely against popular notions, though he claims that the findings are based on scientific evidence. He is going by the reported increase in testosterone levels after intercourse and that would be the clincher for getting more aggressive on the field.

What he is overlooking is the fact that aggression could be only on bed and not with bat and ball.

It is a proven fact that good sex relaxes the nerves, and not fortifies them. You release the pent up energy and not build it up. Osho says sex energy is the base energy on which all other energies depend. If a man has regular sex he wouldn’t do any work. That is why the society, has built protective layers of taboo around sex. The soldiers are denied sex, because they build enough aggression with out it. Only the hungry dog bites. A well-fed dog lies down and simply growls from the dog house. According to Osho, even art is diversion of sex energy. If artists have enough they may not get enough inspiration, he says.

My concern is, we are already over populated and imagine the cricket- population adding to it. What if the population explodes and the runs diminish on the score board. To my eyes there appears to be a ‘foreign hand’ behind this move.

India beware!

The moral police is coming!

Sampath, please stop. Enough!

By Brett Zarda
Can marijuana enhance performance? A cursory search of PubMed found a surprising lack of quality research on whether smoking a joint could help athletes win anything other than an eating contest. We doubt scientists would have a hard time recruiting volunteers so logic might suggest that most scientists just don’t buy for a second that inhaling Cheetos is a desirable side-effect for elite athletes.

http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2009-02/pot-performance-enhancer