Sleep

Q: Is it ok for me to workout after a night of little or no sleep?

A: One or two nights of poor sleep should not prevent you from working out.  It also should not have a negative impact on your performance.

Consistently getting inadequate sleep (sleep deprivation) will have a negative impact on your performance during a workout.  It will also have a negative impact on your day-to-day activities, brain function, and immune system.  Studies have found the following effects of sleep deprivation:

•         Decreased exercise endurance

•         Increased rate of perceived exertion

•         Increased levels of stress hormones - which results in memory impairment and insulin resistance

•         Decreased ability to ward off illness

•         Impaired muscle recovery

•         Decreased glycogen synthesis – impairing the process of converting stored fuel to energy

In cases of sleep deprivation, it is more beneficial to rest/sleep than to workout.

It is important to note that humans are creatures of habit.  Beyond regular and adequate amounts of sleep, the following areas will also have a positive impact on your workouts:

•         Routine meals consisting of healthy foods

•         Proper hydration

•         Adequate rest/recovery between workout sessions

•         Healthy relationships

•         A daily opportunity to relieve stress

Muscle Pain

Q: Where does the muscle pain go after you stop exercising?

A: To answer the question, it is first important to understand the origins of the muscle pain or discomfort.

Muscles are contained within a fibrous tissue compartment called fascia.  As you exercise, your body reacts by directing oxygen rich blood to the muscle that is working.  As the activity level increases, blood flow to the muscle increases and in-turn, increases the size of the muscle.

When the fatigued muscle reaches failure, a condition called Acute Compartment Syndrome occurs:

Acute Compartment Syndrome occurs when the working muscle fills with enough blood and lactic acid to fill the fascia compartment and the muscle starts to press on the blood vessels (supplying oxygen), nerves, and/or tendons that run through the compartment.  The pressure results in muscular pain or a burning sensation in the muscle.

So, where does the pain go?

As soon as the activity level is decreased or stopped, your body starts the recovery process by supplying oxygen rich blood to the fatigued muscle, flushing lactic acid out of the muscle, and relaxing the contracted muscle to its normal state and size.

All of these actions taken by your body eliminate any acute pain or discomfort.

Meal Timing and Exercise

Q: When is it best to eat, before or after you exercise?  And when is the best time between exercise sessions?

A: It is best to eat before and after an exercising session.  The following guidelines are typically referenced when eating before and after a workout:

•          Before you exercise – Energy needed to fuel you through the workout.

•          Do not enter a workout hungry or on a empty stomach.

•          Typically want to eat 30 minutes to an hour before your workout.

•          Depending on intensity level, consume between 200 and 500 calories (Pre-workout snacks do not replace meals).

•          Calories should be a combination of carbohydrates and protein.

•          Do not workout on a full stomach. Your body needs energy to digest the foods you eat. Blood flow increases to your stomach to help in the digestion of food, leaving less energy-providing blood for the rest of your body.

•          After you exercise – Energy needed to assist in the recovery process.

•          Typically want to eat a snack or meal 30 minutes to 2 hours after a workout.

•          Intensity level will dictate the amount of calories needed after a workout.

•          Calories should be a combination of carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats.

A post-workout snack or meal helps replenish glycogen stores, protein stores, and helps rebuild muscle fibers (resulting in increased muscle mass and strength).

Laughter

Q: Is it true that laughing can add up to eight years to your life?  And how much would it take?

A: Several sources have indicated the act of laughing as a way to extend one’s life by eight years, but there is no research available that quantifies the numbers of years that can be added to a life by the sole act of laughing.

However, research has shown laughter to have many health benefits including:

•          Stress reduction - Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones.  It also increases the level of health-enhancing hormones like endorphins and neurotransmitters.

•          Improved Immune system - Laughter reduces stress, but it also increases the number of antibody-producing cells and enhances the effectiveness of T cells, which leads to a stronger immune system.

•          Physical benefits - Laughter enhances oxygen intake, blood circulation, stimulates your heart and lungs, and helps burns calories.  In addition, it reduces other physical symptoms of stress such as muscle tension and pain.

Laughter, along with other healthy habits such as proper diet and exercise, can lead to an improved quality of life.

Cholesterol

Q: How does exercise reduce my cholesterol?

A: Typically, several lifestyle changes are recommended to help reduce and manage cholesterol levels.  These lifestyle changes include:

•          Weight Loss

•          Eating heart-healthy foods

•          Smoking Cessation 

•          Moderation of Alcohol Intake

Exercise such as walking, swimming, and running are prescribed to help lose weight.  Exercise helps create a caloric deficit which results in weight loss and the lowering of cholesterol levels.

Strength training is also an excellent activity for lowering cholesterol.  Every pound of lean muscle mass added through strength training requires calories to maintain it.  Therefore, more and more calories are burned as you increase the amount of lean muscle mass carried on your body.

Beyond the extra calories burned by the increase in activity level, new research has shown:

•          Exercise stimulates enzymes that help move low-density lipoproteins (LDL) from the blood to the liver. From there, it is converted into bile or excreted.  Therefore, as you exercise more LDLs are expelled.

•          Exercise increases the size of the protein particles that carry cholesterol through the blood.  Smaller particles are more likely to squeeze into the lining of the heart and blood vessels and cause blockage.  Exercise results in larger particles which are less likely to squeeze into the lining of the heart and blood vessels and cause blockage.

Spot Reduction vs. Spot Training

Q: What is the difference between spot reducing and spot training?  Can either of them be achieved?

A: Spot reduction – The term spot reduction is most often associated with the idea of reducing fat stores in a “target area” by working a muscle or group of muscles in the target area.

Spot training – Spot training is targeting specific areas of the body that need improvement through the use of exercise.  The areas are targeted for a variety or reasons:

•         Improving muscular strength

•         Improving muscular conditioning

•         Improving range of motion/flexibility

•         Injury rehabilitation or injury prevention

Can either of them be achieved?  Spot reduction CAN NOT be achieved.  Spot training CAN BE achieved.

The primary reasons spot reduction does not work are as follows:

•         Gender – Men tend to gain weight in their abdominal area while women gain weight in their gluteal area.  In these areas, it is much easier to put the weight on vs. taking it off.

•          Family History – Family history can dictate how your body will store and burn fat.

•         Target Area – In general, the targeted area is typically where the greatest amount of fat is stored.  As you start an exercise program, you will begin to burn fat throughout the body.  Since the targeted area is the area with the greatest amount of fat stores, initially it can be difficult to visually see or feel any improvement.

Most people intend to spot reduce rather than spot train.  Although spot reducing can not be achieved, a lifestyle change that includes a healthy diet and regular exercise (including strength training) will result in a reduction in body fat and an overall improvement in physique. 

Illness

Q: Should you exercise when you have a cold?

A: Yes, you can exercise when you have the common cold.  Exercise increases the body’s temperature and dilates blood vessels to allow more oxygen rich blood to be transported throughout the body.

The following positive impacts results from exercising while dealing with a common cold:

•          Helps clear congestion.

•          Helps reduce the aches and pains caused by colds.

•          Helps reduce headaches and sore throats caused by colds.

•          Keeps people in the exercising habit and helps avoid gaps in exercise sessions.

Research has also found the following:

•          Colds do not impair lung function during exercise.

•          Even though you feel fatigued, exercise performance is not impaired with a cold.

•          Post exercise, people generally feel better and cold symptoms were the same or reduced.

So, when should you not exercise?

•          When you have a fever or the flu.

•          When you have chest congestion (Bronchitis / Pneumonia).

•          It is also not prescribed to increase the exercise intensity level when you are sick.