Stress & training

Today I am going to talk about some factors that are often overlooked in training.  You know how you can be going along nicely, all those gains are coming like clockwork & that new PR seems just around the corner, then suddenly WHAM! the gains dry up, the strength goes down & you are like a shadow of yourself just a week ago?  There are obviously a multitude of reasons for this to occur, but I would like to talk about one.
I would like to talk about stress.  Stress is a misunderstood term in many ways.  When you train you are in fact causing stress, every action or inaction results in a 'stress load' & each human has a unique 'stress threshold' which they cannot rise above, or can only do so briefly & with dire consequences.
Below I am going to use a really oversimplified example to get the idea across, so do not take this as literal, but as a means to get the idea lodged in your head.
First off with stress the body does not appear to differentiate between physical & mental stress, it appears to be lumped under one 'stress' banner.  This means that worry about a debt can be as hard on the body as say a serious deadlift session.  Secondly you have a set upper limit to the amount of stress you can recover from, if you go above that you will then cause serious repercussions to both your physical & mental well being.
So, let's move on to our hypothetical trainer called Bob.  Bob training 3 days a weeks pretty heavy & has made some decent gains, his job is ok, his relationship is ok & so is his life in general.  You could say if you had to draw it out the stress in his life would look something like:

His total stress is such that he can hit it hard in the gym & still recover really well.  Remember things like lack of sleep & partying can be stress (these can be piled into 'Life Stress'), but Bob doesn't party hard very often & is generally ok with his sleeping.  So, Bob trains, he makes gains slowly, but fairly steadily, obviously there are ups & downs, but generally Bob is doing ok.
Unfortunately Bob is in for a bit of bad news.  Bobs wife suddenly announces she is leaving him.  Bobs is shocked, he didn't expect this!  Suddenly, the 'Relationship stress' is through the roof!  If Bob tries to continue with his usual routine he may for a while be able to push through, but more than likely something will give!  He knows he has to continue with his job, possibly his 'Life stress' will go up as some things they shared, Bob now has to do.  The only thing that can really give is the training, so Bob's new stress pie chart could look something like:

Notice in this example Bob now has much less capacity to hit it in the gym. We used the simplified version where his work stress remained the same & so did his life stress, just to make this simple idea to understand, but obviously everything changes.  If you think about it this pie chart actually changes everyday.  There is also some spare capacity built-in to the system as you are not working with 100% of your maximum stress load everyday, but you get the idea - if stress increases in one area, it can adversely effect another area.  So, sometimes, during times of crisis (high stress) it is not only ok to back-off, but fairly vital.  You can create a basic, abbreviated routine using a couple of compound movements & work just on those.  I would not suggest quitting training, but modify them to suit times of stress.  If you have an exam, or a vital deadline, then working out out quickly can be a double bonus as you'll have more time to get the vital thing done.  If it's a death in the family or a divorce then you could find that you have little option other than backing off as the strength may be well down.
Remember higher stress also affects sleeping, eating & focus, so your training can be hit badly from multiple effects & it can seem that you fade to nothing in a week or so.  You just have to remember that this is just a temporary thing, you have not 'lost' that strength in one week, you have just put that capacity into recovery from another issue.  Once you are back on track you can regain & supersede that strength, but you have to give yourself time to get past the present issue.  Take things slowly, try to hold onto what strength you can, but do not 'stress it' (that will make things worse), it is better to crush 75% of your previous best & still be a winner in the gym, than fail at 90% & feel that extra stress of failure.  Lightening &/or shortening your routine will keep most of your strength during stressful periods & keep you ready to hit new highs when circumstances change.
Hopefully you can refer back to this the next time you hit a stressful patch in your life, or if you have friends who are going through this, then help them sort out their training, reassure them that this is not a permanent situation & advise them on ways they can survive & still come out with their training intact ready to fore fill new, exciting goals.
Finally there are ways you can lower stress.  Taking walks in nature, meditation, massage (not deep tissue), relaxing hobbies, sometimes reading, you know the sort of thing that calms you down & relaxes you, or find some new things that may lower that overall stress.  Lowering overall stress will aid your training goals, so take the time to discover a few ways you can ditch the stress & those gains will come in leaps & bounds!
So let's stay calm out there :-)

REVIEW: How to give a shit about your health (book)

As far as I know Karina Inkster is new to the field of health writing, at least I've never come across her before.  The book title might be a bit off-putting to some of you, but remember having names like "Skinny bitch" didn't do that book much harm, so if the name isn't to your taste, just ignore it & get into the what the book is all about.
The book is 100% plant based dietary information & is obviously written by someone who eats & trains, so they know our goals & understand the best ways to achieve them.  It is more of a 'getting started' book, but even for those of us who have been into it for a while it's still nice to read someone else's take on what needs to be done.  She advocates basic vegan wholefoods, nothing too weird or wonderful, covers basic foods you'll need to get you started, ways to avoid falling for sugary drinks cravings, covers the essential fatty acids issue, even includes recipes & of course basic training.  The only issue I found missing was I don't remember reading about the importance of B12 (which should, in my view be added to every athletes diet whether they are meat eaters, veggies or vegan). 
One other fact is the book is cheap.  Karina obviously wanted the book 'out there', so priced it in a way that means, you can easily buy one for yourself & a couple of friends who may be interested in moving towards a healthier lifestyle (that can either be a vegan in need of some health tips, a non-vegan in need of diet &/or health advice).
I would recommend this as a good starter pack if you want to move towards a healthier lifestyle.  I would actually say this is a much more sound program than say the 'Skinny bitch' approach, this program will actually get you heading towards optimal health.
To get the book click here & to check out more about Karina go to here site here (just a hint she also does personal training & nutritional advice if you need it).
As usual I get nothing for reviewing this, I just read the book & liked it & hopefully you will too!

REVIEW: Reflex Nutrition's Vegan Protein

I got a tub of this new protein powder just the other day.  I went with the strawberry flavour as I am quite fond of the old red berry.  It's unusual to have a product called something like "Vegan Protein" rather than "mega-pump 10,000" or similar, which made for a nice change & for once you do not have to ask if it is suitable for vegans :-)

So, let's look at what's in it first, you can read a full list here.  It is basically a souped up pea protein that is lightly coloured (natural colouring), sweetened with stevia & has added stuff like probiotic, digestive enzymes etc.  It is 18.5g of protein per serving with a 1% carbs & 1.5% fats.  I think adding the digest enzymes & probiotic is a really good idea as large amounts of protein hitting the stomach without all those little micronutrients sometimes does need a little help getting into you (especially if you have several shakes a day, getting bad gas can be a bitch!).

Obviously with protein you don't get anything like a caffeine rush or similar "Wow! this is working man!" type of effect, so we'll get onto to taste.  As I said I have only tried out the strawberry, but that is pretty awesome!  It might be the best tasting protein out there (certainly top two or 3!).  If you have been put off by taste before then I'd suggest you give this one a go.  I actually played about a bit & found adding a banana or two & mixing with soya milk gave you a pretty good milkshake!  I'm guessing you could play about & make desserts with this product as well, maybe making a mousse-like effect or other treats that can be made using a flavoured protein powder (that's a challenge to all you cooks out there-let's have some recipes).
Other good points about Reflex Nutrition is that it uses green technology to produce their products, so less energy is wasted & it uses only renewable energy!

I give a big thumbs up to this new protein & I will be getting the other flavours over time, if you've tried them post below!

Between the 8- 13 July 2012 we will be running a contest to win your own tub of this fab new protein, so pop over to the facebook group here & check out the contest!
If you don't win, no worries simply pop over to here & check out the different flavours.  I can 100% recommend the Strawberry & hopefully the others will be just as good!

Vegan Health & fitness magazine

Is a new magazine produced in the US.  I've seen the first issue & it's pretty good.  We need a magazine like this, so if you can support this by subscribing then that would be great.  Paper copies are available in both the US & now UK!  In the rest of the world you can still enjoy the magazine in e-magazine format.  As a member you get the magazine & access to the members area of the website.
To get the magazine or to just a peep into some of the first issue pop over to here & see what all the fuss is about!

REVIEW: Matt Vincent Training lab (book)

This was a book I got simply out of interest.  I am not into highland games, nor do I have any plans to train for or work with anyone interested in highland games.  I have never even been to a highland games event before.  Saying all that this is an interesting read.  It is not a long read (I was done in an evening), it does give you an idea of what you would have to do if you have compete over a long season, how to peak & also mentions the point that you cannot 'peak' for a whole season, you have to pick the time to excel during that season (a point missed in many, many publications).  I found it a useful guide for any strength athlete with a longer session & it could be used as such (you simply swap out the throwing with the skill work of your choice).  The concepts were pretty sound & as it's an ebook you could have it in moments if you think this might be of interest to you.
I'm not sure how many vegan highland games athletes there are in the world (if you are one I would love to hear from you!), but if you are then get this book, if you are interested in different styles of strength training then get this book.
It uses a form of block periodisation system with strength, speed/power & volume sections.  It also covers CV work, recovery, even what to take to highland games 'event' ('meet' or whatever you call a collection on competing highland games athletes?)
Final points, this book does have a few swear words in it (but if you've read any modern powerlifting stuff you know what to expect), just ignore that & find the useful nuggets.
You can get the book from here as usual we gain nothing from this review, just thought you'd find it useful.

Oslo Vegetarfestival 2012

Last week we headed North into Norway to attend the Oslo Vegetarfestival.  You can check out the full story at http://www.veganbodybuilding.org/oslo2012.htm

The importance of Vitamin K2

This is basically a post to thank the guys at veganicity.  I wanted to find a vegan vitamin K2 & these boys went out of their way to supply it!  So, this post is dedicated to them going the extra mile to supply something that I think will improve performance & longevity for all plant-based athletes over the longer term, so thanks guys!  & if you want to get a guaranteed vegan society approved vitamin K2 then I suggest you check out veganicity first.  The vitamin K2 can be found here & the main site for there substantial range of 100% vegan supplements can be found here.  You can get everything from multi-vits to digestive aids & everything inbetween (& they are nice blokes in person as well) so go check them out ... & they didn't even pay me for saying all that :-)
Now on with the actual post...

Would you like something that helps the blood clot, protects you from heart disease & arterial congestion, can fight off cancer & helps the bones stave-off osteoporosis? Welcome to the world of vitamin K!

Let’s start with the basics.  Vitamin K comes in several ‘flavours’; first off we have vitamin K1 (phytonadione).  If you are eating a variety of green leafy vegetables, then the chances are you will be getting enough of this vitamin.  It is found is chard, spinach, parsley, brussel sprouts & many other green, leafy foods.  If you are eating a variety of greens then getting this vitamin should not be an issue.

So, we have the first recommendation, eat you greens!

Let’s jump to the third member of the vitamin K family.  Vitamin K3 is a synthetic version (menadione).  It is used as a drug rather than a supplement & so we don’t really need to talk about it in this article.

The vitamin K that has people dancing in the streets right now is vitamin K2 (menaquinone).  This has two branches to its family tree MK4 & MK7.  MK4 is the easiest to cover as you can convert vitamin K1 directly into MK4 within the body & so as long as you are getting enough vitamin K1 you are likely to be getting enough vitamin K2 (MK4 type) – Note, that this is not gut dependant, it occurs within certain tissues of the body[i].  So, we can leave the MK4 version vitamin K2 behind as well for now & move onto the big player in the vitamin K2 family MK7.  So, why is MK7 different?  MK7 is produced by fermentation.  So, it can occur in some fermented foods[ii] & can also be produced in the gut by bacteria[iii].  

So, if we can produce it via gut & we get it from fermented foods, then why the hype about it?  First let’s look at some of the foods we can get it from.  Natto is fermented soya beans.  It is by far the highest source of vitamin K2 you can eat, the down side is it has the consistency of lumpy snot.  The way you can eat it is to mix it into soups, stews or rice after cooking.  Don’t try to eat it neat (like some of us did when we first got it!), it is pretty bad unless diluted & even then some people cannot stomach it.  Next up we have things like sauerkraut, this is a fermented cabbage; it is not as packed with vitamin K2 as natto, but still ok.  Again, this food is an acquired taste if you aren’t German (every German I know has eaten this).  I’ve contacted many of the major soya yoghurt manufacturers & so far they all say that soya yoghurt contains no vitamin K2 & I’m not sure about foods like tempeh as I’ve been unable to find any research done on the K2 levels in this food.

So, if you like natto & sauerkraut & are willing to eat those on regular basis, that, plus the bacteria in your body will mean that most people will probably have reasonable levels of vitamin K2.  Issues can arise though.  The first one is I’m betting that many of you do not fancy the idea of natto or sauerkraut on a regular basis.  If you don’t then there it is unclear exactly how much vitamin K2 is synthesised in the gut even though it has been shown to be a source of vitamin K2[iv]^,[v].  There are also several issues that can affect assimilation.  Gut health, bacteria in the gut, liver disease, even stress[vi] may affect gut assimilation.  So, if in any doubt you can always get take a vitamin K2 pill.  They are cheap & cover you just incase (always eat some food containing fat with your vitamin K supplement).

So, now you know all the differences between the vitamin K types, what does vitamin K2 do?  It seems that vitamin K2 has a special place in bone care, you can protect those bones by having vitamin K2 regularly[vii]^,[viii], so for those who may have bone issues or are post menopausal or are slightly older then taking note of your vitamin K2 may be something you should think about.  Next up we have cancer protection.  Cancer is one of the biggest killers in the western world, so if there is something that can help lessen your chances then everyone should be taking notice!  There are  many studies now where vitamin K2 has been shown to help cause the death of cancer cells before they get a chance to multiply & kill you[ix]^,[x]!  It can also help protect the liver[xi], it also helps alleviate calcium deposits in the cardiovascular system[xii], protects a person from heart disease[xiii]   & we are finding other benefits every day!

So, my final take home points are:

•         Make sure you are eating enough vitamin K1 foods (green leafy stuff),every day 
•          Eat a vitamin K2 source daily (natto, sauerkraut etc) or take a supplement
•         If you have any issues with cardiovascular health, liver illness, heart problems or cancer then talk to your medical professional about taking extra vitamin K2 (talk first, you may be on medication that doesn’t mix well with vitamin K2)
•        Blood thinners interfere with vitamin K utilisation & so consider talking to your medical professional about vitamin K supplementation if you are on any of these medications

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[i] Okano T, Shimomura Y, Yamane M, Suhara Y, Kamao M, Sugiura M,Nakagawa K. Conversion of Phylloquinone (Vitamin K1) into Menaquinone-4 (Vitamin K2) in Mice. The Journal of Biological Chemistry VOL. 283, NO. 17, pp. 11270–11279, April 25, 2008

[ii] Kaneki M, Hedges SJ, Hosoi T, Fujiwara S, Lyons A, St.John Crean, Ishida N, Nakagawa M, Takechi M, Sano Y. Japanese fermented soybean food as the major determinant of the large geographic difference in circulating levels of vitamin K2.  Nutrition, Volume 17, Issue 4, Pages 315-321

[iii] Conly JM, Stein K, Worobetz L, Rutledge-Harding S. The contribution of vitamin K2 (menaquinones) produced by the intestinal microflora to human nutritional requirements for vitamin K. Am J Gastroenterol. 1994 Jun;89(6):915-23.

[iv] Conly JM, Stein K, Worobetz L, Rutledge-Harding S. The contribution of vitamin K2 (menaquinones) produced by the intestinal microflora to human nutritional requirements for vitamin K.  Am J Gastroenterol. 1994 Jun;89(6):915-23.

[v] Conly JM, Stein K.  The production of menaquinones (vitamin K2) by intestinal bacteria and their role in maintaining coagulation homeostasis.  Prog Food Nutr Sci. 1992 Oct-Dec;16(4):307-43.

[vi] Stress and the sensitive gut. Harvard Medical school http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Mental_Health_Letter/2010/August/stress-and-the-sensitive-gut

[vii] Plaza SM, Lamson DW.  Vitamin K2 in bone metabolism and osteoporosis.  Alternative Medicine Review : a Journal of Clinical Therapeutic [2005, 10(1):24-35]

[viii] Shiraki M,Shiraki Y, Aoki C, Miura M.  Vitamin K2 (Menatetrenone) Effectively Prevents Fractures and Sustains Lumbar Bone Mineral Density in Osteoporosis.  Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.  Volume 15, Issue 3, pages 515–521, March 2000

[ix] Yoshida T, Miyazawa K, Kasuga I, Yokoyama T, Minemura K, Ustumi K, Aoshima M, Ohyashiki K.  Apoptosis induction of vitamin K2 in lung carcinoma cell lines: the possibility of vitamin K2 therapy for lung cancer.  Int J Oncol. 2003 Sep;23(3):627-32.

[x] Yaguchi M, Miyazawa K, Katagiri T, Nishimaki J, Kizaki M, Tohyama K, Toyama K.  Vitamin K2 and its derivatives induce apoptosis in leukemia cells and enhance the effect of all-trans retinoic acid.  Leukemia : Official Journal of the Leukemia Society of America, Leukemia Research Fund, U.K [1997, 11(6):779-87]

[xi] Habu D, MD, Shiomi S, Tamori A, Takeda T, Tanaka T, Kubo S, Nishiguchi S. Role of Vitamin K2 in the Development of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Women With Viral Cirrhosis of the Liver.  JAMA. 2004;292(3):358-361. doi: 10.1001/jama.292.3.358

[xii] Schurgers LJ, Aebert H, Vermeer C, Bültmann B, Janzen J. Oral anticoagulant treatment: friend or foe in cardiovascular disease? Blood November 15, 2004 vol. 104 no. 10 3231-3232

[xiii] Gast GC, de Roos NM, Sluijs I, Bots ML, Beulens JW, Geleijnse JM, Witteman JC, Grobbee DE, Peeters PH, van der Schouw YT.  A high menaquinone intake reduces the incidence of coronary heart disease. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2009 Sep;19(7):504-10. Epub 2009 Jan 28.