Excel Fitness CT's Blog

Metabolism; Use it or lose it!

Jeff Roux B.S. Exercise Science 5/4/2011

You’ve probably heard it before, “as soon as I turned 30 my metabolism slowed down and I can’t seem to lose weight.”  You may have also heard, “it’s easier for men to lose weight.”  Oh really, why?

Here is my myth-busters enlightenment on these subjects.  Firstly, slower metabolism due to decreased muscle mass and increased body fat in males and females is most likely attributed to inactivity rather than to any aging effect.  Secondly, lean mass the primary determiner of metabolism or resting metabolic rate (RMR) is scientifically not different between males and females, only the amounts of mass differ.  An adult male and female with like lean mass and body fat contents could have the same RMR’s providing that they have similar exercise and nutritional habits.

            Fact; we do tend to lose about 1% of our strength per year after the age of 30 and at age 50 about 1.5% and 2% after age 70.  The loss of strength is due to the loss of lean mass and neural muscular facilitation (coordination and synchronization of muscle fibers and contractions) hence the decrease in metabolism.  Again, however; the loss of strength can be attributed to INACTIVITY not aging.  There is considerable evidence that shows an intense (>80% 1RM, repetition max) resistance training program increases both muscle mass and strength in 60-96 year old individuals.  These training programs resulted in increases of up to 30% muscle fiber area and up to and over 100% in 1RM Strength.  Increasing your lean mass through resistance exercise training at any age will directly increase your metabolism.

Male or Female you can no longer use your age or sex as an excuse, only your lack of motivation and resistance to resistant training.  To learn more about safely incorporating weight training into your life contact the professionals at Team Excel Fitness.

E. Howley, B. Franks, 2007 Health and Fitness Instructors Handbook, Human Kinetics, IL. pg 282,283

Transcending Health will be a new reoccurring addition to the Excel Fitness Blog.  Transcending  is defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “to rise above or go beyond the limits of” and “to rise above or extend notably beyond ordinary limits.”

The purpose of this new segment is to demonstrate how Health and Fitness transcends beyond the act of exercising properly and eating well.

Hope you enjoy this segment and the many to come.

@shawnexcelfit

DENTAL HEALTH

(too easy, the term has health in it already)

by Jerry Stien, DDS

The mouth is the opening to the human body. Can you imagine a person with missing teeth, decay, discoloration, and swollen red gums ?

We all know how important it is to stay in good shape through daily exercise and a healthy diet. It is also essential to keep the teeth and mouth clean and free of disease.

Missing teeth can cause shifting of the remaining teeth, thus causing pain in the hinge joint of the lower jaw bone, which can quickly intensify with constant opening and closing. Decay can cause bacteria to enter the nerve tissue of the tooth, resulting in extreme pain and swelling, thus necessitating either root canal therapy or extraction of the involved tooth or teeth.

Built up of food or plaque around the tooth has been found to be more harmful than previously believed. Without routine dental appointments and daily care, this plaque can build up and destroy the bone holding the tooth in its socket. If it progresses to an extreme, it can cause bad breath,and loss of teeth. More importantly, the bacteria present in this area between the tooth bone and gums can get into the blood stream causing systemic disease, heart problems and, in some cases, even death.

In the long run, by taking care of your mouth, teeth, and gums along with regular physical exercise and a healthy diet, the average individual can count on a longer life, less stress, and a more positive personal image.

healthy teeth

By: Shawn M. O’Brien, M.S.

Our delicate human bodies were meant to move (i.e.- run, lift, protect, hunt, gather, etc), but there are various other reasons why one should consider to “exercise” or participate and be consistently active in exercise programs like; running, weight training, yoga, dancing or organized sports.

Reasons to exercise can be as simple as increasing one’s self confidence/self worth or the reasons can be as important as decreasing incidence of cardiovascular disease, manage diabetes and/or increased quality of life.  Exercise, of numerous varieties, result in “significant reductions in a depressed mood, fatigue and cortisol levels, as indicated in a study of rowers on a workout protocol compared to those in a control group” (Perna, 1998).  Cortisol is a stress response hormone, which causes specific hormones to flood your body which causes your mood changes.  Without this bio-feedback system we couldn’t live, but when cortisol levels rise to dangerous levels, development of physical and mental disease and conditions can be brought on by chronic stress (Leland, 2010).

Varieties of exercise can be used to improve one’s emotional state, which will decrease cortisol levels and increase endorphins (hormones produced by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus produced during exercise to give a feeling of well being).  Not only do rowing, running, yoga and weight training produce significant levels of endorphins, they also aid in the reduction of cortisol, decrease appetite, decrease depression and increase levels of happiness. For example, a group with the regular habit of doing yoga with a method of meditation, breathing and self-guided imagery showed lower scores of negative mood scale and higher scores of positive mood scale, lower levels of s-cortisol compared to the group without this regular habit (Watanabe, E, 2002).

Want to have a better workout? Consider a program consisting of yoga, stretching, cardiovascular training, weight training, recreational events and meditation can have long-term benefits for not only your mental health, but your physical health.  A variety of these activities performed 4-7 days a week with variations of intensity will be best.  Please see your doctor for clearance and visit a reputable personal trainer for further exercise programming. 

Look Good. Feel Good. Play Good.

Leland, Kevin, “The Effects of Stress, Cortisol, Serotonin and Exercise,” STRESS, 2010.

Perna, FM, “Cognitive-behavioral intervention effects on mood and cortisol and during exercise training.” Annual Behavior Medical Journal. 1998 Spring:20(2):92:8.

Watanabe, E, “Altered Responses of Saliva Cortisol and Mood Status by Long-period Special Yoga

Exercise Mixed with Meditation and Guided Imagery.” Journal of International Society of Life

Information Science. 20, pg 2, 2002.

In my 15 years of training experience, I’ve come in contact with a number of women who swear off weights out of fear they will create bulky muscle mass.

Time to change our minds!

The key that women should keep in mind with an exercise routine is to start off slow so as not to exhaust yourself right out of the gate. Doing more reps at a lower rate will help you build lean, long muscles. And muscle is critical for osteoporosis prevention later in life.

Something additional to keep in mind is to have your body fat percentage measured before you workout every so often (we can help you out with this at Excel Fitness). Many women don’t see the pounds shed right off when adding weight lifting to their routine, but in fact gain muscle mass which in turn incinerates calories.

Shawn O’Brien
@shawnexcelfit