Alimentos y frmulas caseras para deportistasLos alimentos habituales de cualquier cesta de la compra son los ingredientes que definen los mens sanos. Si adems se es deportista, no deben faltar nuncayogures desnatados(las grasas retardan la digestin), loshuevos(sobre todo la clara),frutos secos, queso fresco orequesno alternativas vegetales como el tofu,carnes magras, verduras dehoja verde, chocolatepuro,arroz y pasta(integral mejor, para lograr un aporte de fibra y asegurar un mejor perfil nutricional).Si se quiere suplementar la ingesta de protena, lo ms natural es dar una mayor presencia a la clara del huevo frente a la yema. Y as, optar por tortillas de 2 claras y una yema. Tambin se puede aadir clara a las sopas, a caldos desgrasados o incluso a platos de legumbre, como los guisantes. Si un mayor compromiso deportivo indica que convendra optar por cumplimentar la dieta con un batido de protena, mejor si es casero. A un batido de leche (mejor desnatada para que se digiera antes, o vegetal) se puede aadir unos frutos secos y un poco de chocolate, y una cucharada sopera de leche en polvo, o batir un yogur con trozos de frutas, incluso a un batido de cereales con queso y miel. Si existe intolerancia a la lactosa o a los lcteos, la leche en polvo puede sustituirse por otras bebidas vegetales que conviene alternar (de arroz, avena, soja, almendras...).La creencia de que faltan alternativas lleva en ocasiones a abusar de las carnes y de los pescados cuando se busca una riqueza proteica en la dieta. No debemos olvidar que las nueces, otros frutos secos, las semillas de calabaza, de girasol o el ssamo son fuentes de protena vegetal que, combinada con hidratos, refuerzan la accin de los nutrientes.Precisamente, para que la ingesta de hidratos de carbono sea ms eficiente, conviene optar por guarniciones de arroz, pasta o cuscs y limitar las patatas, que tienen la mitad de carbohidratos y ms del doble de caloras (si son fritas). Arroz con leche para desayunar, cuscs con verduras o platos diversos de pasta son opciones muy tiles. Con los hidratos hay que vigilar las cantidades. No se trata de saciarse sino de lograr el aporte de energa saludable en cantidad saludable.Qu llevar en la cantimplora?Elaguaes el mejor aliado para reponer la prdida de lquido tras el ejercicio. Pero no se trata slo de beber agua durante y despus del deporte, se trata de hidratar el cuerpo de manera constante a lo largo de todo el da. El litro y medio de agua se estima la cantidad bsica para todas las personas, tambin para los deportistas. A partir de ah, durante la prctica del ejercicio, si es posible, conviene beber agua, aunque no se tenga sed, y al trmino, sin duda.La opcin debebidas isotnicastiene su razn como prevencin de hipoglucemia (descenso de los niveles de glucosa en sangre) o para compensar electrolitos si el esfuerzo es mayor, ms intenso, ms duradero o el ambiente es caluroso y hmedo. Puede ser tambin una alternativa para el da en que el deportista realiza una prueba extraordinaria, pero una vez ms, no hay que perder de vista que el deportista es quien practica deporte, no quien usa suplementos para deportistas.Sobrecarga de hidratos de carbono previa a una competicin deportivaLos hidratos de carbono son el principal combustible energtico de nuestro organismo;sin embargo, nuestras reservas son limitadas; se agotan a la hora y media o dos horas de ejercicio intenso.Los hidratos de carbono, carbohidratos o glcidos, realizan las siguientes funciones:son fuente de energa (particularmente en ejercicios de alta intensidad), regulan el metabolismo de las grasas y de las protenas, son el principal combustible energtico del sistema nervioso y a partir de ellos, se sintetiza el glucgeno, un hidrato de carbono complejo de reserva de nuestro cuerpo, que se acumula principalmente en el msculo y el hgado.De la dieta, los alimentos ms ricos en hidratos de carbono son los cereales(pan , arroz, pastas alimenticias, cereales de desayuno, maz, etc.), las legumbres, las patatas, las frutas, las verduras de raz (zanahoria, remolacha...), lcteos azucarados, bebidas azucaradas y energticas, los dulces y el azcar comn o sacarosa.Nuestro cuerpo emplea de la dieta los hidratos de carbono que necesita y el resto, lo acumula principalmente en los msculos y en el hgado, como glucgeno (reserva energtica)..Su importancia en el inicio de la obtencin de energa en ejercicios como la carrera, o en actividades explosivas tales como un sprint, ha hecho que las reservas de este nutriente en nuestro organismo sean de gran relevancia, llevando a investigadores y entrenadores a la llamada "sobrecompensacin" o "sobrecarga de carbohidratos", que provoca un aumento de las reservas de glucgeno, lo que mejora la resistencia y retrasa la fatiga del deportista.En qu consiste la sobrecompensacin?: se reduce la actividad fsica los 3-4 das previos a la competicin, a la vez que se sigue una alimentacin rica en hidratos de carbono, llegando hasta el 60-70% del consumo calrico total de la dieta, con lo que se llega a duplicar o triplicar la cantidad de glucgeno del msculo.Ejemplo de men de uno de los tres das previos a una competicin:Desayuno: Zumo de naranja, leche desnatada c/ muesli y tostadas con mantequilla y mermelada.Almuerzo: Yogur con frutas, un trozo de plum cake y un pltano.Comida: Espaguetis, solomillo a la plancha c/ pur de patata y championes, pan y arroz con leche.Merienda: Yogur con cereales y macedonia de frutas frecas y en almbar.Cena: Crema de guisantes y patata, tortilla de queso con tomate, pan y cuajada con miel.Tomas durante el entrenamiento: bebidas isotnica.Raise TestosteroneIncreasing testosterone levels is absolutely critical in increasing lean muscle which is important if you are interested in raising your metabolism and burning fat. Whilst many women may think that testosterone levels are unimportant, they are absolutely crucial in reducing fat stores particularly around the bum and triceps (read bingo wings). We rarely see men with bingo wings now, do we?Testosterone Hack: Short Regular Fasts. Commonly known as intermittent fasting, this refers to a pattern of eating that alternates between fasting and non-fasting. This can refer to full 1-2 day fasts but more commonly takes the form of 14-20 hour fasts throughout the space of 24 hours. A great starting place would be to attempt a 14/10 system i.e. 14 hours fasting and 10 hours non fasting. For example, you would finish eating at 8pm on day one and start eating at 10am the next day.Once you have accommodated to this try a 16/8 system (16 hours fasting, 10 hours non-fasting) for 4-5 days a week and spike your testosterone in the process. Intermittent fasting boosts testosterone by increasing the expression of satiety hormones including insulin, leptin, adiponectin, and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) all of which are known to potentiate healthy testosterone actions, increase libido and prevent age-related testosterone decline.Whilst testosterone is widely thought of as a male hormone, estrogen is considered to be the primary female sex hormone3) Regulate EstrogenEstrogen Dominance (and a relative deficiency in progesterone) is worryingly becoming an increasingly common occurrence in men and women, largely due to unprecedented levels of estrogen-like hormones in our environment and food sources. This has lead to a rise in conditions such as breast cancer, PCOS, uterine fibroids endometrial polyps. When it comes to fat storage, a sure sign of estrogen dominance in women is a disproportionate distribution of fat around the hips and belly.Estrogen Hack: Go Crucifer Crazy!In his book the Anti-Estrogenic Diet, Ori Hoffmeklers key ally in the fight against excess estrogen are cruciferous vegetables. The benefits of cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower, in lowering estrogen, are two-fold.Firstly, cruciferous vegetables aid in the detoxification of the liver, which is imperative if you are to detoxify excess estrogen from your body. Crucifers contain phyto-nutrients such as sulforaphane, which is an isothiocyanate and a potent inducer of phase 2 liver detox enzymes.Secondly, crucifers have a directly anti-estrogenic qualities through their unique nutrients Indole-3-Carbinol and DIM. Aim for 3-4 servings of cruciferous vegetables a day or consider supplementing with DIM.Strategies to Naturally Boost GHBack to my 42-year-old patients question: how can she (andyou) naturally increase GH levels? Before you do anything, you might consider aGH stimulation test, which measures yourpituitary glands ability to release GH.Fair warning: this isnota quick, easy test. Your doctor will draw your blood five times, though youll only get poked once; the subsequent four samples will come from your already-hooked-up IV line every 30 minutes. Doctors perform this test early in the morning, after youve fasted and abstained from physical activity for 10 12 hours, since exercise and other factors can alter GH levels.You dontneedto test. If you suspect you have low levels, these five strategies can safely help optimize GH, boost fat loss, build lean muscle, and help get your sexy back:1. Dump the sweet stuff.Excess sugar keeps your hormone insulin cranked up, storing fat and decreasing GH. A study in the journalMetabolismfoundelevated insulinin obese peopleblunts GH release.Opt for a whole, unprocessed foods diet that includes plenty of clean protein, healthy fats, and high-fiber veggies, nuts and seeds, low-sugar fruit, and legumes.2. Spend more time in bed.Only during your deepest (stages 3 and 4) sleepcan your body make GH.Studies prove this: one found young adults deficient in GH also haddecreased amounts of deep sleep. Aim foreight hours of quality, uninterrupted sleepevery night.3. Stress less.When stress real or imagined becomes chronic, so do cortisol levels, crashing GH levels and leaving you lethargic, cranky, and probablydevouring a low-fat muffin with your venti dark roast as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. Find your bliss with a non-food reward.Yogais mine; yours might be meditation, deep breathing, watching a dumb comedy, or walking your retriever around the block. Prioritize it (seriously: put it on your calendar) and treatstress management as mandatory rather than a luxury.4. Burst for growth.Studies show along with sleep,high-intensity interval training(HIIT) or burst trainingis your best prescription to naturally boost GH levels.Last year I did burst training and over a six-week period, increased GHa whopping 53%.My 42-year-old patient did a similar HIIT routine and also nearly doubled her GH levels.5. Melatonin. Maybe you used melatonin for jet lag or changing time zones, but studies showsupplementingcan alsostimulate GH secretion.One in theJournal of the International Society of Sports Nutritionfound 5 mg of melatonin nightly increased GH an impressive 157%. Combined with resistance exercise, thatbenefit became even greater.

How to Trick Your MusclesHeres how you can trick your muscles: By teaching your body how to have a faster stretch-shortening cycle, you can make your GTO less likely to send signals to limit force production when the muscle has increased tension. This allows for greater contraction force than you would normally be able to produce during a strength or power exercise, or during swimming, cycling or running, and thus greater training ability.The stretch-shortening cycle is simply the period of time it takes your muscle to transition from the eccentric phase (such as your foot landing on the ground during the running gait) to the concentric phase (your leg muscles contracting as you push your foot back off the ground). The cycle can easily be trained through explosive, powerful movements, which are often referred to as plyometrics.Now that you know how to trick your muscles into superhuman strength, here are 9 exercises to get you started. For each exercise, your goal will be to train your GTO by absorbing a force and then contracting to produce a new force as quickly as possible, thus decreasing the time of your stretch-shortening cycle. You can access videos of each of these exercises athttp://www.YouTube.com/BenGreenfieldFitness. Simply search there by exercise name.Exercise #1: Depth JumpsStep off a raised platform or box, land with both feet, and immediately jump as high as possible. For this and any other of the leg exercises in this article, you need to minimize ground contact time.Exercise #2: Single Leg HopsWith one leg, hop up onto a slightly raised surface. Even the jumping up onto a (non-moving) treadmill belt is fine.Exercise #3: BoundsRun, but with oversized strides and maximum amount of time spent in the air. Every time your foot strikes the ground, push off as hard as possible to maximize stride length.Exercise #4: Clap Push-UpsPerform a standard push-up, but push-up explosively, clap hands, and land. You can do these from your knees if necessary.Exercise #5: Med Ball ThrowsTake 2-4 steps and throw a medicine ball explosively from the chest as hard as possible. Extend arms fully when throwing.Exercise #6: Med Ball SlamsHold a medicine ball overhead, then slam into the ground as hard as possible, catch and repeat. As a reverse alternative and similar exercise to medicine ball slams, you can do muscle-ups when in the pool, pulling yourself up and over the pool wall.Exercise #7: Power SkipsPerform playground style skipping, with knees exploding towards chest as high as possible. Similar to bounds, your goal is to maximize time spent in air, and powerfully drive your knees towards your chest.Exercise #8: Jump RopePerform double or alternating leg jump rope, with a focus on minimizing ground contact time and getting as many jumps as possible in the allotted period of time.Exercise #9: Hurdle HopsThis side-to-side movement is included due to a lack of this lateral motion in most strength training programs or fitness programs that include only front to back running, riding a bike, elliptical trainer, etc. Over a line, tennis ball can, cone, or step bench, jump side to side as many times as possible in allotted time. You can jump with one leg (more advanced) or both legs.Sample Superhuman Strength Training WorkoutHeres how a sample superhuman strength training protocol would look (you only need to do a program like this once per week to get results). You can go through this entire routine 2-3 times as a circuit, and unlike most circuits, youll want full rest between any sets that use similar muscles (typically 60 seconds to 3 minutes). For sets that dont use similar muscles, such as depth jumps to push-ups, you dont need to rest.1. Depth Jumps 10 jumps from 3-5 foot high box2. Clap Push-Ups 103. Single Leg Hops - 104. Med Ball Throws 85. Power Skips 20 yards6. Bounds 20 yards7. Medicine Ball Slams 88. Hurdle Hops- 10 per side9. Jump Rope 20 secondsBy doing this workout just once a week, youll trick your muscles into producing superhuman strength whenever you need it!- See more at: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/exercise/9-superhuman-strength-secrets#sthash.dqYxr4yT.dpuf