How much Protein is Enough Protein?

CD himself

The following article was prepared by CD, a personal trainer visiting Factory Gyms from Colorado, USA, for the next 7 weeks. If you’re a member of the gym, you will have seen the ‘new guy’ in the strange American shorts – that’s CD. Give him a wave next time you in – we’re delighted to have him and want to make him feel very welcome!

How much protein is enough protein?

Protein, as many people know, is the building material that our muscles rely on to grow in both strength and size. Many people in the gym watch their protein intake very closely, so as to get the most hypertrophy (muscle growth) out of each training session. For the most part, however, many of us obtain relevant information from protein supplement manufacturers, who obviously just want us to consume more, more, and even more. “Alright, well how much protein will give me the best results?” Good question. In order to answer that question, we need to look at how much protein will supply each individual’s needs. Let’s look at some facts…

Individual Daily Protein Requirements

Each person is different, obviously, so it is to be expected that our individual protein needs are different as well. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends approximately 1 gram of protein per kilogram of bodyweight for the average person. This is enough to keep the nitrogen balance in the body at the right level, as well as support the muscles for everyday living. However, most of you reading this are not so interested in just “maintaining.” For those who are looking to increase muscle mass, the recommended amount is about 2 – 2.5 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight for both men and women, depending on the intensity of daily physical activity. For example, an active 70 kg individual would need 140 – 175 grams of protein per day in order to best support muscle growth.

1,250 KCal and 50g Protein in each Serious Mass shake.

“Ok, that’s great to know, but how much of that should I be taking at one time?” Another great question! Here’s the answer…

In 2009, a study was performed by the American Diet Association that compared the muscle building properties of 90 grams of protein to 30 grams of protein ingested at one time. They determined that there was no difference of muscle growth between the two groups. What this means is that anything over 30 – 35 grams of protein at one time (i.e. in a protein shake) is unnecessary. You will get the same muscle building benefits regardless.

“Cool! When should I have my protein, then, if I’m not taking it all at one time?”

Your daily protein requirement should be met throughout the day, ideally in 5 or 6 increments. It is important to have one of those increments directly following your training, as this will allow your body to begin utilizing the amino acids immediately.

“Alright, then. I’m off to put these principles into practice!”

WAIT! There is one more thing to remember. Protein is processed through the kidneys, so it is VERY IMPORTANT to drink plenty of water so you don’t put too much stress on your kidneys. Ok. That’s it for now. Go have fun.

CD

Knee Pain? What does it mean?

This article has been prepared by Chiropractor Colin Wellsted. If you have any questions regarding its content, please feel free to comment below or get in touch with Colin via email at colinwellsted@hotmail.co.uk. Colin also provides free chiropractic consultations and assessments every Tuesday lunchtime and evening at Factory Gyms.

Hampered by a twinge in the knee?

Concerned by a non-descript knee pain?

Knee pain can be worrying. Particularly as it often appears for no apparent reason and it is often difficult to find an obvious cause. For those who run it can be really confusing as one knee can hurt, whilst the other does not. Normal activity is affected, gym routines are compromised and climbing or descending stairs and getting out of chairs all become difficult and maybe painful on the knee. The vast majority of knee pain can be traced to a number of factors:

1. direct trauma (the bad tackle or skiing accident);
2. degenerative anatomical changes (osteoarthritis – the gradual achy stiff knee); or
3. functional issues, where undue stress is placed on the knee due to one or more aspects of the lower limb not working properly.

Whilst injury to the knee occurs often during sporting activities it should be noted that a high percentage of these occur without contact. For example 72% of Anterior Cruciate Ligament ruptures are reported to involve no contact (Michael Owen ACL injury – 2006 World Cup). Experiencing knee pain when running, squatting or jumping, could suggest that an intrinsic degree of instability in high load situations is the likely cause, particularly if there is no history of trauma or obvious degenerative changes.

It’s a unique joint…

The knee is a simple “hinge” joint, with a few clever tricks. Uniquely, the joint it has two incredibly strong ligaments (ACL / PCL) that keep the joint “centred” through all its movements, especially when excessive weight is added, for example in the squat position. The Knee “locks” when extended so that you do not have to use enormous amounts of effort to keep the leg straight whilst standing. As simple as it is, it is often the “victim” of other issues within the lower limb from foot to hip. Undue stress in the knee is often the result of dysfunction in the hip, foot, ankle or lower limb muscles. Some examples listed below:

• Hyperpronation of the foot (collapsing arches when walking)
• Reduced muscle length (tight muscles)
• Abnormal hamstrings: quadriceps ratio (over dominant muscle groups)
• Faulty motor control (poor control of knee movement)

Impact of the Foot & Ankle

Foot and ankle problems can lead to pain felt in and around the patella (kneecap), particularly if you are susceptible to early pronation (flattening of the arch) during the stance phase of running.

Reduced Muscle Length

Conversely how difficult or easy is it for you to touch your toes? Or when you walk or perform leg exercises (squats, lunges, glut raises) do the front of your thighs or calves always hurt the most? Reduced muscle length around the hip, thigh or calf, all affect the balance and movement pattern of the knee. Shortened quadriceps (thigh) and or shortened gastrocnemius (calf) muscles are predictive of patella-femoral-pain-syndrome. If the muscle strength ratio is out of balance, particularly in the thigh and hip, the stresses of maintaining the congruity of the knee joint can affect the ligaments around the joint (inside edge and outside edge of the knee) causing pain.

Faulty Motor Control

Faulty motor control refers to a lack of control of knee movement either in the muscles or the joints. Whilst attempting one legged squats, does your knee “wobble” from side to side? This could indicate a lack of control, particularly if there is pain in the knee.

Other than pain, what is the impact of knee injury???

Research suggests that the effects of a knee injury on lower limb function look very similar to problems that cause knee problems. The list is as follows and is very similar to the above list:

Inhibition and atrophy of quadriceps (Particularly VMO – motor control of the knee)

Inhibition of popliteus muscle (motor control of knee)

Hypertonicity soleus, hamstrings, rectus femoris and ITB contracture (tight muscles)

Disruption of normal Hamstring : Quadriceps ratio

It’s a viscous circle if the disfunction of the lower limb is not addressed.

In summary:

Knee pain is more likely to be as a result of functional imbalance rather than traumatic injury (bad tackle) or anatomical changes (osteoarthritis) although the knees can be affected by all these aspects at one time or another.

The whole leg – from hip to toe need to be considered when trying to address knee pain.

Injury to the knee can exacerbate functional issues which may cause further problems

Understanding the underlying cause of the knee pain will often make addressing it far more effective and allow a return to activity without the concern of causing more damage to the knee.

Colin Wellsted MChiro

Strength of mind…

Judi - smiling as always!

Judi Fuller is the Shiatsu practitioner at Edinburgh’s Sports Injury Clinic.  The clinic delivers physiotherapy, massage, chiropody and Pilates to athletes seeking improved performance and/or needing injury rehabilitation.  The clinic has successfully kept the Factory Gyms Team running, lifting, rowing and cycling – despite a dislocated shoulder, a damaged pelvis, flat feet, endless knee injuries and multiple back strains over the years!  Indeed, massage is a vital component of any athletes training.  In this interview, Judi discusses physical health and performance from the Chinese Medicine perspective, and explains how Shiatsu helps her clients achieve their goals by bringing overall balance to the body and mind.

What is Shiatsu?

“Shiatsu is a sophisticated Japanese Healing Art that has evolved from Traditional Chinese Medicine (the same ancient system as Acupuncture).  It is a relaxing treatment proven to relieve back pain, stress, headaches, whiplash injuries, neck stiffness, joint pain, reduced mobility and treat a variety of sport related injuries. Unlike most massage therapies, Shiatsu aims to restore balance and wholeness to the mind, body and spirit by stimulating flows of energy within the body.  The treatment uses finger and hand pressure (coupled with the energy of the practitioner) to unblock the meridian channels (information pathways) and stimulate a free flow of energy within the body. A session typically consists of various techniques including leaning and pressing into the body along meridians and includes joint rotations and stretches.”

Shiatsu combines a number of techniques to provide a full-body massage and stretch.

How does Shiatsu improve athletic performance?

“Shiatsu relaxes the body and mind.  Athletes and performers of all kinds experience astonishing levels of coordination and dexterity.  Clients often talk of being in the ‘zone’ where actions are effortlessly synchronised and integrated with fellow performers.  In martial arts it is commonplace, but dancers and team players such as football and rugby players also describe an uncanny sense of each other’s movements and whereabouts.  Clients also find that regular shiatsu relieves tension and improves focus, motivation and their commitment to training.  Shiatsu immediately prior to a competition or major event completes their preparation by uniting the body and mind.  Shiatsu gives atletes enhanced focus, performance and positive self-esteem, providing that ‘edge’ that winners need.”

How does Shiatsu work?

Shiatsu is commonly used by martial artists to relieve strains and focus the mind before and after competition

“Chinese Medicine theory suggests that the body regulates its health and healing via an intricate network of connective tissues and that in order to function optimally each cell in the body needs to be in ‘communication’ with every other cell.  The body is essentially composed of an interconnected, ‘living matrix’ of liquid crystals, through which near-instant communication is effected via electromagnetic fields and bio-photon emissions.  This incredibly rapid and effective communication is possible because of the liquid crystalline nature of connective tissue and the electromagnetic conductive properties of its associated water structure.  The Shiatsu practitioner’s intention modifies this biomagnetic field, while the relaxed pressure on connective tissue enhances the communication through the piezo-electric effect.  Complete health corresponds to total interconnection and so Shiatsu seeks to promote interconnection and the free flow of energy.  Accumulated physical and or emotional trauma impairs these connections, thereby, impairing the body’s defence and repair systems and slowing recovery.”

I’m nothing like a pro-athlete, is this really relevant to me?

“Fitness demands mental and physical strength, stamina, power and endurance.  However, it is easy to focus on the physical elements of fitness and ignore the mental component.  If you struggle with a lack of motivation, mental endurance, determination or even fear training, get training your mind. It is said that success is mostly a matter of psychology – winners are physically and mentally strong.  There’s no doubt motivation, focus, commitment, self-esteem, and overall attitude have a massive impact on performance and success.  Whether your goal is improved performance, weight loss, muscle building or broad-spectrum fitness, don’t ignore the psychological demands of your training. Train like an athlete; always train to win.”

The life of a dancer…

2010 Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony

Jo Richards has recently returned from the 2010 Commonwealth Games where she was Factory Gyms’ shining star in the handover ceremony from Delhi to Glasgow.  Well, in truth Jo was many people’s shining star, as she is a woman with many hats and many talents.  So, freshly back from the Games we thought we’d ask Jo to share here experience and some training tips!  Busy as ever, Jo was running from personal training client to her birthday celebrations…

Q. Did you enjoy being part of the 2010 Games?

Jo Richards

“It was one of the most amazing, crazy experiences of my life! I met so many great people, worked with some of the best choreographers in the business and got to go to India!  Unforgettable!”

Q. How did you end up at the Commonwealth Games?

“Like most dancers I started at a very young age.  Starting with Ballet, Jazz and Modern dance classes at my local dance school and continuing with classes when at university and also running one of the biggest dance societies with over 300 members.  I have since been asked to teach for Dance Base (the National Centre for Dance in Scotland), Fitness Scotland, Telford College and the University of Edinburgh.  Then, early this year, I was asked to be the representative for Dance Base at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.”

Q. What did your training for the event involve?

“We went through an intense 3-week Boot Camp in Glasgow for up to 8 hours a day.  It was tough! Each day we undertook some body conditioning to help everyone get into shape and develop the strength needed for the performance. The training was very functional and in line with the types of movements we were doing.  Lots of sprints, steady cardio drills, lots of core and flexibility training.  It was physically and mentally demanding – the logistics of coordinating 350 people is no small feat!”

Handover to Glasgow Games

Q. What did you learn from the training?

“That mass choreography is a lot more complicated than you’d think!  Also, to always have a back-up plan!”

Q. In general, how do you prepare for a dance event?

“Practice, practice, practice! It’s like any physical skill, the more you practice, the more autonomous and efficient your body becomes. There is always something to improve in your performance.”

Q. What is your favourite drill or exercise?

“I’m a big fan of interval training – be it running intervals or circuit training.  Coming from a dance background, I like to create my own exercises whereby I take traditional gym- based exercises and develop them.”

Q. Do you do any strength training?

A very Scottish close to the Delhi Games!

“Strength is very important in my job.  I mostly use bodyweight exercises for my strength training – Pilates based exercises such as fireflies and lunging twists.  I also enjoy using the HumanSport cable pulley systems as they allow freedom of movement in all directions.”

Q. Is rest important? Do you actively ensure you rest?

“Rest is extremely important.  I always make time for myself and even treat myself to a massage every now and then!  Working in so many dance projects, juggling clients and being on the go 6 days a week is no mean feat. I’m very passionate about what I do but have learnt I’m not invincible.  No one is!  It has taken time to get to know my limits and take some ‘me’ time.”

Q. Is weight management important for what you do?

Stay Cool Folks!

“Yes.  Firstly, being female you are always body conscious and secondly being a dancer and personal trainer you are expected to look a certain way.  I’m very lucky in that I have always been very active and athletic and haven’t had long periods out of exercise or sport.  I feel getting kids to be active at an early age really is the key.  I have always taken the advice of my Mum that everything is fine in moderation, I really believe that to be true.  You also have to work hard for what you want, that goes for anything in life.”

“I don’t follow a strict diet but consider carefully what I choose to eat.  What I put in my body needs to fuel it to allow me to do my job effectively.  I like lots of variety.  I’ve always had a healthy appetite and I’m not picky.  I try to avoid processed food – I love fresh fruit and veg, particularly raw.  In the winter you can’t beat homemade soup.”

Q. Do you/ have you ever taken any supplements? If so what?

“I take extra vitamin C when the winter months begin to kick in, and if I begin to feel a little run down.  Vitamin B complex is great to ensure you get maximal energy gains.  I also take glucosamine and chondroitin to keep my joints fluid and supple.”

Q. What is it about dance that you enjoy?

“You can totally lose yourself.  If you’ve had a bad day or have too much on your mind, you can take your mind away from your problems and focus on something else.  Also there are so many different types to try.  It’s a great way to meet people, get fit and develop so many skills without even realising! Balance, coordination, flexibility, spatial awareness, etc, etc… the list is endless.”

Commonwealth Games 2010

Q. Having been a dance professional for so long, how do you keep learning?

“I believe in any profession you never stop learning.  Once you think you do, it’s time to get out.  Dance, like music, science, and media is always developing and changing. There are always new techniques and methods and progressions in style to learn.  It’s such an exciting thing to be a part of.”

Q. What’s next?

“Next up, I’m teaching some Hip Hop workshops for the Scottish Universities Dance Day being held on the 7^th November.  I’m also working on the Dance Base Christmas Show and the Edinburgh University annual dance performance, which will be in March 2011.”

Hit your goals, not a plateau!

Get the results you want faster…

Most people that train consistently have a goal in mind as they train.  Despite this, very few people consistently monitor improvement.  Whether it be physique enhancement, strength gains, weight loss or increased cardiovascular performance, it is important to continually reassess your fitness and goals.  The cornerstone of successful goal-orientated training is consistent and regular testing across all fitness measures, including aerobic fitness, speed, muscular endurance, agility, explosive power and strength.  It is only with these in mind, that you can design a suitable training program that builds on your strengths while addressing your weaknesses.  In this post I will outline some simple ways you can test your fitness and keep a track of your success.

Why ALL fitness measures… I just want great abs?

The long-term success of any training routine is dependent on continual improvement.  If my goal is to back squat more or run further, I will likely focus on these exercises and hopefully see improvement from one training session to the next.  So for example, I may squat 60Kg for 6 reps this week, and 65Kg for 6 next week.  Or I may run 5K at 10K/h this week and 7K at 10K/h next week.  This kind of improvement is evident from one session to the next and is very encouraging, however, it isn’t a useful gauge of overall improvement or potential.  While focusing on lifting 65Kg or running 7K, I may have lost performance in other measures, such as flexibility, power or speed.  In the long-term, this will reduce my overall improvement and optimum performance.  I will quickly plateau, as flexibility, power and speed become limiting factors to my performance.  So, although my goals may be very specific, it is important to look at all measures of fitness to ensure long-term success.  This is not only true of performance orientated goals – individuals with weight loss and/or muscle building goals will soon suffer the dreaded plateau if they don’t continually reassess and improve their training.

Test yourself…

I have outlined below eight simple methods by which you can test your fitness.  At the bottom of this post, I have provided simple definitions for each of the elements of fitness.  For most people, testing need only be done every 6-12 weeks, although anyone on a particularly intense training program may consider testing themselves every 4 weeks.  As best as you can, replicate the conditions every time you test yourself and resist the temptation to cheat!

Aerobic Fitness: ideally this would be done outside by marking out a one mile route.  Run the mile as fast as possible and measure the time covered.  Alternatively, run on a treadmill for 1 mile at your maximum speed with an incline of 1%.  Again, record how long it takes you.

As a guide: 10-12 min = satisfactory; 10 min = good; 8 min = good; 6 min = excellent; <6 min = wahoo!

Strength: Generally strength is divided into three components, upper, lower and core strength.  For upper and lower body strength we suggest an estimated maximum strength test.

• Upper Body: to test your upper body I’d suggest using the dumbbell bench press exercise.  However, any upper body exercise could be used. Warm-up with a light weight, then take a 2 min rest. The test should be conducted with a weight at which you can’t perform more than 2-5 reps with good form.  Record the number of reps successfully completed before failure.  Apply the following equation to calculate your predicted maximum strength:

• Lower Body: the procedure is the same to test your lower body, although using a weighted squat.  At the gym we’d suggest using the rack so the weight can be dropped off your back, or a dumbbell for a front squat on the platform.  Again, after your warm-up select a weight for failure and see how many squats you can complete. Apply the following equation to calculate your predicted maximum strength:

• Core strength: there is no generally recommended test for this, however, the plank test works well.  Adopt the plank position and time how long you can hold it for. As a guide, if you can hold the plank for > 1 min  you’re doing well.  Alternatively, you might try rollouts to failure.

Plank Test

Speed: in this case we’re talking about maximum speed, not your marathon personal best.  This test needs to be done outside, but can probably be carried out in the street in front your house.  Measure out a 35 metre distance.  Warm up properly and recruit a friend to measure your time.  Run the distance from stationary as fast as you can – full pelt.

As a guide: < 5.30s = very good; 5.30-5.59s = good; 5.60-5.89 = average

Vertical Jump Test

Explosive Power: to test your explosive power you just need some chalk and a measuring tape.  Stand next to a wall, holding the chalk in your dominant hand.  Reach up as high as you can without jumping and mark the wall (please don’t do this at the gym!)  Then jump as high as you can, and make a second mark on the wall.  To do this, quickly bend and straighten your legs as fast as you can, using your arms to generate momentum.  Then measure the distance between the two chalk marks.

As a guide: 55cm = very good; 50-54cm = good; 40-53cm = average; 40 cm = below average

Muscular Endurance: we’d suggest testing a range of muscles to determine overall muscular endurance.  For example, perform press-ups in good form until the point of fatigue.  If you can’t perform a full press-up, start with your knees on the floor.  Count the number of good full press-ups completed (recruit a friend to check your form if necessary).

Push-up muscle endurance test - everyone fails eventually!

As a guide: > 30 = very good; 20-30 = good; 10-20 = average; < 10 = fair to poor

Agility: the cone test is one of the easiest ways to test agility.  Set up four cones as demonstrated by the diagram below.  If you don’t have cones, you can use something else to demarcate the points.  The goal is to complete the course as quickly as possible.  The course goes as follows: sprint from cone A to cone B and touch cone B; without crossing your feet side-step to cone C and touch cone C; then side-step to cone D and touch cone D; then side-step back to cone B and sprint backwards to cone A.  Once you have returned to cone 1 you have completed the test.

Agility T-test

As a guide: < 10.5s = excellent; 10.6-11.4s = good; 11.5 – 12.5s = average; 12.5s = below average

Flexibility: to conduct this test you will need a measuring tape and some friendly assistance.  Fix a measuring tape to a box using masking tape. Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you (your feet touching the box) and with one end of the measuring tape around your ankles.  Exhale and reach forward along the measuring tape as far as you can in a smooth motion.  Ask your friend to determine the distance from your toes (upright not pointed) to your finger tips.

Homemade flexibility testing

As a guide: 21 cm past toes = very good; 11-20 cm past toes = good; 0-10 cm past toes = average; before toes = below average

Body Composition: unfortunately there is no accurate home method of measuring body composition.  An proper composition analysis is done in a giant water tank surrounded by scientists.  That said, for less athletic folk standard measurements based on heights, neck, waist and hip circumference is often sufficient.  Individuals seeking a more accurate measure will need to see a personal trainer or other specialist.  Otherwise I’d suggest measuring your neck and abdomen (for men) or neck, waist, and hip (for women) and entering the results into one of the many online calculators.  This will give you an ESTIMATED body fat percentage.

“Normal” healthy body fat percentages vary significantly depending on one’s natural muscle mass and athletic level.  Generally nutritionists recommend that <20% for women or <15% for men is underweight, while >30% is overweight.  However, individuals training intensely may find they operate happily and healthily at a lower body fat percentage.

What are these components of fitness?

Here follows a quick few definitions explaining what we mean by speed, muscular endurance, explosive power, etc.

• Aerobic Fitness = measure of how efficiently the blood transports oxygen and how efficiently your muscles uses that oxygen.  The greater the aerobic fitness, the more efficiently the body transports and uses oxygen, effectively requiring you to intake less oxygen per unit of work done.
• Speed = the speed at which you move is an indicator of aerobic fitness and body composition.  The less fat one carries and the more aerobically fit a person is, the faster they will likely move.
• Muscular Endurance = is a measure of the length of time for which a muscle is able to work without fatigue.  The greater one’s muscular endurance, the greater one’s ability to undertake prolonged repetitive movements, such as running, cycling, high-rep weightlifting, etc.
• Agility = the ability to change the position of one’s body quickly.  Agility improves with greater balance, speed, strength and coordination.  Agility is important for most non-linear sports such as trail running, skiing, and the majority of team sports.
• Explosive Power = is a measure of one’s ability to accelerate and move from stationary state to motion.  It is essential for sprinters, but also valuable any sport requiring a quick change of pace e.g. road cycling, running and team sports.
• Strength = strength is important for speed, agility, power, endurance and injury prevention.  Strength training is vital to all forms of sport and for both men and women.
• Flexibility = flexibility enables a full range of motion during exercise enabling the recruitment of more muscle mass, the generation of more power and consequently for more calories to be burnt. Flexibility is also important for injury prevention.
• Body Composition = BC is far more important than weight as a measure of fitness.  Women, in particular, often focus on weight, but weight doesn’t account for differences in bone density and muscle mass.  It is body fat percentage rather than weight that should be considered – as it is excessive fat that is of concern, not fluid, bone or muscle.