Braeden Yacobucci

What and when you should be eating to maximize your gym time

Everyone loves a good, gruesome workout. You feel accomplished afterwards, you’ve got the endorphins flowing, but what next? Is it a protein shake? Is it a full meal? What about before the workout? What fueled you during those intense bicep curls? There is a lot that goes into the workout besides the exercises themselves. Pre, during, and post workout nutrition play much larger roles than you may think. Let’s talk about what and when you should be eating to get the maximum benefit out of your next gym session.

Pre-Workout Nutrition

It is pivotal to consume the right foods before your workout. Exercising on an empty stomach can lead to undesirable effects such as burning protein as an energy source or causing your body to rely on fat as an energy source which your body will respond to by making more fat. Your body wants to use carbohydrates as fuel for exercise, but when it does not have enough of its preferred fuel source it will burn glycogen (stored carbs) or fat as the energy source. This may sound nice if you are trying to lose weight, but these forms of energy storage are there to fuel your brain when glucose levels are low in your body, so they’re kind of important. The other option, burning protein, breaks down the same thing you are trying to build up…your muscle. Your body is burning the same thing it needs to rebuild itself after a workout. Definitely not ideal. So, what should you consume before your workout? Here are some great natural pre-workout options:

Leafy Greens
Whole Grain Bread
Legumes
Nuts/Seeds
Fruits
Smoothie
Yogurt
Rice Cakes

All the foods mentioned above are great sources of complex (healthy) carbohydrates which makes them ideal fuel for the body during a workout. Depending on the size of the pre-workout meal, be sure to eat 2-3 hours before your workout to make sure the food is fully digested in your system and can be utilized during the workout. Exercising on a full, undigested stomach can lead to trouble with digestion which means your body will not be able to fully utilize those carbohydrates. In addition to carbs pre-workout, a cup of coffee is a great natural option to pair with your food for that extra jolt during your workout. So now that you’re fueled up and ready to get your sweat on at the gym, let’s talk about nutrition during the workout.

During the Workout

Though you probably don’t hear about it as much, what you consume during the workout can be just as important as what you consume before or after the workout. The first thing to make sure you’re getting enough of is obviously water. The importance of water in everyday life cannot be undermined. The amount of functions water has in the body is astounding, and it does even more functions during exercise such as regulating body temperature and joint lubrication. It also helps transport necessary nutrients throughout the keep your workout going, which leads me to the next thing you may consider consuming during a workout: glucose. Glucose is the most basic form of sugar and it is the form that your body absorbs. How can this help during the workout? Well you burn calories during the workout and pumping extra calories (glucose) into your veins during the workout is kind of like pouring fuel into a plane while its in flight. The calories help to replenish what is being used in the workout. An amazing product to consume during your workout is Tailwind Nutrition’s “Endurance Fuel”. This blend of calories, electrolytes and hydration is the perfect thing to consume when you’re burning those calories. I have personally used this product and can vouge for its awesomeness. I noticed myself having more energy during my workouts, especially when I used their caffeinated endurance fuel with the extra kick of caffeine (I did not consume coffee before the workouts with caffeinated endurance fuel, that would be crazy). This stuff dissolves COMPLETELY in your water bottle and every flavor I tried tasted amazing (I liked the green tea the best). If you aren’t inclined to purchase some of Tailwind Nutrition’s Endurance Fuel, here are some other great options for you to consume during your workouts:

Now its time to talk about that post workout snack.

Post Workout Nutrition

Most people will just consume a big ol’ protein shake after a workout. While this is a pretty good option, it is not the most beneficial to rebuild your body. The most ideal ratio of carbs to protein to consume after your workout is actually 3:1, respectively. The protein is required to rebuild the muscle you just broke down, but the carbs are important for replenishing the glycogen (stored energy) you just consumed for the workout. Your muscles are where we store a good amount of our glycogen for immediate muscle use during exercise. The other place we store glycogen is in our liver, but we are aiming to replenish the muscle glycogen here. Again, it may sound nice to not replenish the stored glycogen if you are trying to lose weight, but much of the weight you may be trying to lose is adipose tissue, or fat. Therefore, it does not make sense choosing to not replenish your glycogen storage because that is not necessarily where the excess weight is. Consuming protein after a workout both increases protein synthesis while simultaneously decreasing protein degradation. There are plenty of options for post workout snacks that provide this 3:1 ratio. In terms of protein powders, a lot of them are derived from sources that contain carbs anyways such as milk or vegetables, but they contain more protein than anything. Different kinds of protein powders (whey, casein, rice, pea, etc.) are great post workout options if they are paired with an additional snack or contain a good amount of added carbohydrates. Snack ideas to pair with your protein shake include:

Sweet Potato
Chocolate Milk
Quinoa
Peanut Butter Sandwich
Oatmeal
Dark, leafy veggies
Rice

If you don’t want to use protein shakes because of the price or some other reason, that’s okay! Here are some other options besides shakes to consume after your workout to get the required protein:

Grilled chicken
Eggs
Greek Yogurt
Cottage Cheese
Salmon
Tuna

If you are looking for an all-around great recovery drink for your workouts though, look no further than Tailwind Nutrition’s “Recovery” drinks. These drinks offer the damn near perfect post workout nutrition that you can easily combine with water. The powder completely dissolves, just like the “Endurance Fuel” and tastes cleaner than any protein powder I have ever used. The “Recovery” drink contains healthy carbs to replenish your glycogen stores, single amino acids (the building blocks of protein) which combine to make complete proteins, and minerals to help re-hydrate you and replenish your electrolytes. Again, I have personally used the “Recovery” drink from Tailwind, and I can confidently say it is the best post workout drink I have ever had. It contains everything I need after a workout in one beverage, tastes great, and doesn’t have a gritty texture like a lot of other protein powders do. As far as timing goes for post workout nutrition, you should ideally consume your 3:1 ratio 30 minutes to 1 hour after finishing your workout for maximum glycogen replenishment. The protein synthesis will take place over a longer period of time (which is why getting enough sleep is also crucial to rebuilding your muscles), but it is still important to have that protein available for when your body needs to rebuild itself.

So that’s it. There’s your quick summary of overall workout nutrition and its extreme importance. I always tell people a healthy lifestyle is 70% nutrition and 30% exercise. Sure, you may place a larger importance on exercise if you are trying to get big or lose weight, but without the proper nutrition you will see no results. Whatever your goal, I cannot stress enough the importance of the proper diet to meet your goals. Keep these things in mind the next time you are about to hit the weights.

Written by Braeden Yacobucci

Braeden is a junior at Kent State University studying Nutrition and Dietetics. He is a member of the Student Dietetic Association and is working towards becoming a Registered Dietitian in Ohio. He has also spent many hours shadowing professional dietitians in the fields.

Eating fiber to improve human performance

What on earth is fiber anyways? Isn’t it that thing that makes you have to go number two more often? Well, sort of. But it does so much more in your body than just that. I want to get down to the nitty gritty of fiber and why it is SO important to eat a diet rich in fiber. In this article, we are going to talk about what fiber is, why you need it, how much you need, and sources of fiber to fit into your diet once I’ve got you excited to eat more of it. So here we go.

Fiber as a whole is basically the parts of plant foods that your body is not able to digest and absorb. Chemically speaking, humans do not possess the enzyme required to break the bonds that hold fiber together. If we can’t break the bonds, then we can’t digest it and absorb it into our bodies. This may sound like a bad thing, but I assure you it has many benefits. There are two kinds of fiber: soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. You may be able to guess the difference between them from the names. Soluble fiber can be dissolved in our bodies, creating a gel-like structure. However, do not confuse “dissolve” with “digest”, they are two different things. Insoluble fiber on the other hand is not able to be dissolved in our bodies and passes through our digestive tract. Both types of fiber have their benefits but let’s talk about the overall benefits of fiber.

Fiber helps to lower cholesterol levels.

We’ve all been told that cholesterol is the “big, bad wolf” in our bodies that is going to cause major problems for us one day. But did you know that your body produces its own cholesterol? That’s right. Your intestines and liver produce about 80% of the cholesterol in your body. The other 20% comes from your diet. But there is good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is the good stuff, and you can guess that your body wants to produce the good cholesterol. LDL (low-density lipoprotein) if the bad stuff. This type of cholesterol comes from foods high in saturated fats and trans-fat. Luckily, trans fats are virtually extinct in today’s foods because they are so terrible and evil. Saturated fats on the other hand are quite common. Having excessive amounts of LDL in your body is what leads to health issues. Fiber is the superhero that fights LDL though. As fiber runs through your body, it attaches to LDL in the bloodstream and exits the body with it. This in turn lowers the overall LDL levels in your body and promotes production of HDL which is a fundamental building block of cell membranes (which you can imagine are pretty important as there are about 37.2 trillion cells in our bodies).

Fiber improves overall bowel health and aids in constipation

As fiber moves through you, it is very good at absorbing water. This is beneficial in creating healthy stool, which is way more important than you may think. If your stool is watery and loose, fiber helps to solidify the stool by absorbing water and adding more bulk to the stool. Like I said before, a lot of fiber remains intact as it passes through the digestive tract and maintains its size which basically creates healthier stool. In terms of constipation, fiber helps to pass stool through the digestive tract while also helping to prevent future constipation due to the consistent stool levels.

Fiber helps you eat less

What the heck does that even mean? Well, high-fiber foods tend to be more filling than foods with low fiber. This means that you will eat less because you will be full quicker. High-fiber foods also keep you satisfied for longer periods of time, so you won’t be craving your next snack soon after you finish a high-fiber meal. High-fiber foods also contain less “energy” (or calories) than normal foods. You can eat the same volume of food while consuming less calories and still feeling satisfied. Usually, high-fiber foods also tend to take longer to eat which aids in digestion. Eating at a slower rate is much healthier for digestion than eating at a fast rate.

Now that we’ve discussed why we need fiber, let’s talk about current fiber levels in today’s society.

The daily recommendations for fiber for adults are as follows:

Males

Age 50 or younger – 38 grams per day
Age 51 or greater – 30 grams per day

Females

Age 50 or younger – 25 grams per day
Age 51 or greater – 21 grams per day

Currently, the average American receives around 15 grams of fiber per day. That is basically half of the recommended intake! The problem is that most of us do not consciously think about including fiber in our diet and if we do, we do not know what the best sources of fiber are. This could be one reason why 40% of Americans have high cholesterol levels. Here are some great sources of fiber to hopefully get you above 15 grams a day (these are in no particular order, just 5 high-fiber foods):

Chia Seeds – 10.6 grams of fiber per ounce

Chia seeds are tiny black seeds that you can literally throw in anything. And they are so tiny that you most likely won’t even notice them in your food. An easy way to add some fiber to your diet.

Oats – 16.5 grams of fiber per cup

Oats are another simple food to include in a plethora of dishes. From oatmeal to smoothies, oats are a very versatile whole grain that provide a large amount of fiber for your diet. Personally, I like to throw some peanut butter and fruit in my oatmeal and it’s a great way to start my day.

Lentils – 15.6 grams of fiber per cup

Lentils are one of the greatest superfoods on the planet (we will dive into other superfoods in another article). Along with fiber, these babies pack in tons of important nutrients that your body needs. They are similar to beans and can be thrown into a plethora of dishes.

Avocado – 10 grams of fiber per cup

Along with being an amazing source of healthy fats, this fruit also packs a good amount of fiber. Eat it right out of the shell with a spoon and some salt or throw it on your salad. Any way you eat it, avocados are a great source of fiber and healthy fat to incorporate into your diet.

Raspberries – 8 grams of fiber per cup

These delicious little red fruits can be thrown in smoothies, salads, or on top of meats for a fruity contrast. Along with fiber, these berries are also packed with vitamin C and manganese.

To summarize, fiber is an essential part of the human diet found in almost all plants. We are not able to digest fiber, but this is a beneficial trait. It aids in the health of your digestive tract and prevents constipation. The average American does not receive nearly enough fiber in their diet, but we discussed multiple plants that can help to increase fiber intake. So, I challenge you this week to keep fiber in the forefront of your mind as you sit down for your meals. Whatever your age or gender, try your hardest to reach the recommended dietary intake for fiber and pay attention to your body’s response. Do you feel better? Worse? Do you feel more satisfied after meals for a longer period of time? However, be sure to not consume too much fiber, as it may result in bloating, cramping, or additional gas production. Lastly, be sure to drink plenty of water! Fiber works best when it has water to absorb in your body. Thank you for reading, and as always…stay curious my friends.

Braeden Yacobucci is a junior at Kent State University studying Nutrition and Dietetics. He is a member of the Student Dietetic Association and is working towards becoming a Registered Dietitian in Ohio. He has also spent many hours shadowing professional dietitians in the fields.

Maximizing human performance with natural sources of vitamins and minerals

Photo courtesy of the Whoop IG page

When I was a young boy, my morning routine was not complete without taking my multivitamin. I can still remember my mom’s voice reminding me every morning to take my Flintstone gummy. I am sure most of you had similar experiences and some of you may still be taking multivitamins or individual pills daily. According to the 2017 CRN Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements, 76% of U.S. adults report that they consume some sort of dietary supplement. More specifically, 68% of those 65 or older take vitamin supplements according to a 2013 Gallup poll. These numbers are quite high and pose the question: Why are Americans so hooked on vitamin and mineral supplements? The answer could be simply that many Americans lack the knowledge of where to find these vitamins and minerals naturally and incorporate them into their diets.

Vitamins and minerals are crucial to a multitude of functions in the human body, and if the body does not receive enough vitamins and minerals, there are two options. One option is to take supplements to account for the lack of nutrients. The second option is to simply start incorporating them into the diet! In this article, we will cover the potential drawbacks of vitamin and mineral supplements as well as going over the most common vitamin and mineral supplements taken by Americans and where to find them in nature instead of in a pill.

There are benefits and risks of taking vitamin and mineral supplements. For example, if you are a vegan or vegetarian and do not get enough B vitamins due to the lack of meat in the diet, supplements come in handy. However, I am always one to recommend nature over science every time and it is no different with vitamin and mineral supplements. There are multiple risks to taking these supplements.

One potential risk is in regards to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). The FDA does not regulate vitamin/mineral supplements before they are sent to the store shelves, meaning they can make claims that may not be backed up by strong scientific evidence and could potentially not be as effective as they claim. Another risk is in the dosing of vitamin/mineral supplements. Many supplements offer a very large dosage per pill and overdosing on vitamins/minerals can have negative consequences. For example, an overdose of vitamin C can lead to nausea and diarrhea. Many Americans do not realize they already receive a certain amount of vitamins/minerals from their normal diet and therefore do not think about overdosing when they take their usual supplements. A third risk is a reliance on supplements to obtain vitamins/minerals instead of food. Supplements CANNOT replace food. The calories obtained from food are essential in your body having enough energy to perform its daily functions. Vitamins/minerals only help to perform certain bodily functions. Lastly, supplements are simply expensive. Who wants to spend hundreds of dollars a year on vitamins/minerals that could simply be obtained from a well-balanced diet? Now that we’ve covered the potential risks, let’s cover the most common supplements taken by Americans and where they can be found naturally.

Potassium
Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI): 4,700 mg/day
Functions:
- Maintains fluid balance in the body by counteracting excessive sodium intake
- Activates nerve pulses in the central nervous system
- Helps regulate muscle contractions (including the heart, so that’s kind of important)
- Reduces blood pressure

Natural Sources (mg per 100 grams):
- Yams – 670 mg
- Pinto beans – 646 mg
- White potatoes – 544 mg
- Portobello mushrooms – 521 mg
- Avocados – 445 mg

Generally, potassium is found in a variety of fruits and vegetables as well as many kinds of fish. Notice that bananas are not on this list (they are a source of potassium, but only a very small amount).

Vitamin D
RDI: 400 IU/day (international units) for children-12 months, 600 IU/day for ages 1-70, 800 IU/day for ages 70 or greater.
Functions:
- Needed to absorb calcium
- Helps to build strong and healthy bones

Natural Sources:
- Your body (sunlight causes your body to naturally produce vitamin D)
- Salmon – 3 oz = 477 IU’s
- Tuna – 3 oz = 154 IU’s
- Orange juice fortified with vitamin D – 1 cup = 137 IU’s
- Milk (vitamin fortified) – 1 cup = 115 IU’s
- Egg yolk – 1 large egg = 41 IU’s

Most people turn to dairy products to obtain their daily intake of vitamin D. This is a viable option if the product is fortified with vitamin D, which many milk products are. Focusing on building a strong skeleton for yourself in younger years will help immensely once your bones begin to degrade mid-thirties to early forties.

Vitamin K (and no, I don’t mean potassium)
RDI: 90 micrograms/day for women age 19 or older, 120 micrograms per day for men age 19 or older.
Functions:
- Required to produce prothrombin, a clotting factor needed for blood clotting and bone metabolism.
- Help regulate blood calcium levels.

Natural Sources:
- Kale – half cup = 531 micrograms
- Spinach – 1 cup = 145 micrograms
- Broccoli – half cup = 110 micrograms
- Pork chops – 3 oz = 59 micrograms
- Chicken – 3 oz = 51 micrograms

Clearly, these are all foods commonly found in American grocery stores. It is easy to get the recommended amount of vitamin K per day but where most people fall short if the dark, leafy vegetables. They are PACKED with vitamin K. One big ol’ salad a day and you’re good to go.

Magnesium
RDI: 400 mg/day for men age 19-30, 420 mg/day for men age 31 or older, 310 mg/day for women age 19-30, 320 mg/day for women age 31 or older.
Functions:
- Maintains normal nerve/muscle function
- Keeps immune system healthy
- Helps keep a regular heartbeat
- Aids in increased bone strength
- Regulates blood glucose levels

Natural Sources:
- Dark chocolate – 1 oz = 64 mg
- Avocados – 1 medium avocado = 58 mg
- Cashews – 1 oz = 82 mg
- Black beans – 1 cup = 120 mg
- Bananas – 1 large banana = 37 mg

Along with these sources are, again, dark green leafy vegetables. Magnesium is an extremely important mineral in our bodies, assisting in over 300 chemical reactions. That’s a lot of reactions that can’t happen if we don’t give our body what it needs.

Zinc
RDI: 14 mg/day for men, 8 mg/day for women.
Functions:
- Keeps the immune system working properly
- Plays a role in cell division/cell growth
- Wound healing
- Breakdown of carbohydrates

Natural Sources:
- Ground beef – 100 g = 4.8 mg
- Shrimp – 100 g = 1.96 mg
- Lentils – 100 g = 1.68 mg
- Hemp seeds – 30 g = 4.34 mg
- Cashews – 1 oz = 1.96 mg

Zinc is a trace mineral, which is why it is commonly forgotten as a needed nutrient in our diets. The human body does not store zinc, meaning we need to eat enough every day to keep the zinc related functions going.

There are plenty other vitamins and minerals that the human body requires to function properly and keep you moving every day, but if we went over every single one you would be reading for way too long. I like to think of the human body as a machine. There are thousands of parts and pieces it is hard to keep track of them all. However, a well-balanced diet can easily keep the machine running smoothly every day. There are few bodily problems that cannot be fixed with proper nutrition. Why not prevent illness before it strikes? A proper diet can do that for you. Personally, I love NOT being sick and being able to live my life to the max every day with proper energy extracted from proper nutrition. Now do out there and get after it.