How Much Protein Do I Consume and How Do I Gain Weight

 

By:  Garrett Wilson ACSM-CPT and UVAC Personal Trainer

These are by far two of the most common nutrition questions that I receive both in and out of the gym.  These questions come most frequently from young athletes and young body builders.  These guys and gals are either looking to gain a competitive edge and/or get bigger and stronger--most of the time both.

Here’s a little science before we get things rolling.  There are 20 amino acids.  There are two different types of Amino Acids that the body uses to form muscle: 10 dispensable (a.k.a. non-essential) and 10 indispensable (a.k.a. essential).  Dispensable amino acids can be synthesized by the body while indispensable amino acids must be consumed from outside sources.  Muscle protein synthesis is stimulated by the presence of amino acids, especially the indispensable amino acids. 

Whey protein isolate, which is often used in protein supplements, is a milk-based protein that has been stripped of lactose and carbohydrates.  Whey protein isolate is comprised of indispensable branched chain amino acids such as leucine, isoleucine, and valine.  These are fast acting or quickly absorbed into the amino acid pool, which makes them great for right before or right after resistance training.  However, there is no evidence to support an increase in muscle size with high levels of indispensable amino acids.  Other sources of protein seem to be just as beneficial to strength gain and muscle size as whey protein.  Casein, also derived from milk, is high in glutamine and other dispensable amino acids.  Glutamine and the other dispensable amino acids are absorbed more slowly and help sustain the amino acid pool over longer periods of time.  This is why casein tends to be more popular with endurance athletes.  Consuming whey and/or casein protein after exercise has been proven to increase muscular protein synthesis.

So then, how much protein should an endurance athlete or strength training athlete consume per day versus a non-athlete?

Below are the recommended daily protein intakes as determined by the American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine:

Sedentary Adults (non – athlete):  .8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight

Endurance Athletes:  1.2 to 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight

Strength Athletes:  1.6-1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight

Recreational Athletes:  .8-1.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight

Ultra endurance Athletes:  1.2 to up to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight

There are some “hardcore body builders” that consume upwards of 3.0+ grams of protein per kilogram of body weight but there is no scientific evidence to either prove or disprove the effectiveness of these quantities.  No human studies have been conducted, because it is considered unethical to make a test subject consume such high quantities of protein.

I repeat it is unethical to give a HUMAN test subject 3.0+grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.  So it’s not going to kill you if you have 20 more grams of protein than recommended, but protein shakes and weight gainers promising 150+ grams per serving just might.

With protein it’s not necessarily how much, but when.  There is an anabolic window which occurs about 1-2 hours after you exercise, which is the best time for your body to replenish its energy and protein stores.  Having your protein and/or amino acid supplement or meal high in protein during this time will help increase your body’s protein synthesis. 

Time for a little math.

I weigh 200 pounds.  Divided by 2.2 to find my weight in kilograms is 90.9kg.  90.9kg times 1.2 and 1.7 gives me a protein consumption range of 109.8g – 154.53g. 

Now track your calories for a week on a website like myfitnesspal.com and see how many grams of protein you eat without a shake.  Actually try to get all of your protein from food.  If you do have a shake, oh well.  I’m not saying that protein shakes are bad, just that most of the time they are unnecessary, and tend to contain a lot of extra sugar—they have to taste good somehow.   Protein and amino acid supplements have not been proven to be any more or less effective than food but they have been proven to be more expensive than food.  As long as you are eating things like chicken, lean beef, and fish, you should be getting all of the protein and amino acids that your body needs.

How to Gain Weight

Since, you all want to know the secret of conquering youth and/or a fast metabolism… here it is… ready for it…. EAT.  Then when you’re sick of trying that…. EAT MORE.  There is no magic supplement or fancy formula.  You have to eat more Calories than you can burn.  You want to focus on increasing your caloric intake, not just your protein intake.  I almost guarantee that if you are eating a lot and not gaining weight, then you are simply overestimating your ability to crush food.

About 2,300 Calories are needed to support the growth of 1 pound of muscle.  Let’s assume that a male can gain about 1 pound of muscle per week (less for a typical female).  That would be about an extra 330 Calories per day.  Since there is very little research in this area, the general recommendation is to increase daily caloric intake by 400-500 Calories per day in order to promote the growth of muscle tissue.  Approximately 22% of muscle tissue is protein so 1 pound of muscle would require about 100g of additional protein per week or about 14g per day.

Try this to gain 1 pound per week.                                                                                 

STEP 1.  Track your calories on myfitnesspal.com or any other calorie tracking site.  This site will show you your RMR, or Resting Metabolic Rate, which is a very close estimate of how many Calories your body needs to maintain its current weight plus your daily activity level.  More importantly, actually seeing everything you have eaten and learning how many Calories are really in each food item can help you better plan your meals.

STEP 2.  Choose your goal of gaining one pound per week.  Gaining one pound per week means adding 400-500 Calories a day to your RMR which myfitnesspal.com will automatically do for you.

Example

I am 26 years old, 6’3’’ tall, weight 200lbs, and my daily activity level is very active.  Based on all of these factors, to maintain my current weight I should consume 3,060 Calories per day.  To gain 1 pound per week I will need to consume 3,560 Calories per day!

Remember that this is not an exact science as everyone is different, but I hope this puts things into perspective and gives everyone some guidelines to how to gain lean tissue in a healthy sustainable way.

Now GO!  Eat like you’ve never eaten before… then eat some more.

Dunford, Marie, and J. Andrew Doyle.  Nutrition for Sport and Exercise.  Thompson Wadsworth, 2008.  Print.

Foggy Goggles

by Heather Szczepiorkowski

Are You Struggling with Foggy Goggles?

 Foggy Goggles are no fun!!  We Googled about Goggles and our Swim Team staff recommends the following solutions:

To clean your goggles

Rinse your swim goggles under warm tap water.  Take a Q-tip and dip it into some baby shampoo. Spread the shampoo around the outside and the inside of the frames of your goggles.  Rinse the shampoo off, making sure to get off all the of baby shampoo.  Air dry on a towel.  After they are dried, take vinegar and go over the outside and the inside of the goggles to remove water deposits.

To sterilize your swim goggles

Add 3 tablespoons of Borax to a bowl of warm water.  (Borax is a type of laundry detergent.)  Mix until the water becomes cloudy. Soak your goggles for up to 15 minutes.  Remove them from the bowl, rinse them under warm tap water and dry with a soft lens cloth. Dip the lens cloth in vinegar and clean the inside and the outside of the goggles to remove any remaining Borax or water deposits.  Dry again with a clean lens cloth.

We got these tips from eHow at

http://www.ehow.com/way_5687150_method-sterilize-swim-goggles.html

Hope it leads to happier swimming!

How Did Snapping Turtles Get Their Name

Turtle Blog 3...

Last week when I was at VINS, the grassy slopes were covered with dozens of newly hatched snapping turtles. About the size of a half dollar coin, they were hastily heading toward the Ottaquechee River which was invisible from the nest sites.

There are at least two snapping turtle nest sites on the lawns at Upper Valley Aquatic Center (UVAC). I watched the females lay the eggs back in June. Mid September is the time most snapping turtles hatch in these parts. But I haven’t seen any action here at UVAC yet.  If the eggs do not hatch, they stand little chance of surviving the winter. Most turtle nests are only six inches or so deep in the ground. The frost will penetrate deeper than that,  most likely ending the turtles’ life cycle.

Snapping turtles were around during the time of dinosaurs and have changed little in the ensuing 150 million years. They are among the few creatures which can live in significantly polluted environments, even sewer systems! *

How did snapping turtles get their name? Unlike other turtles they are unable to fully draw their legs and head into their shells. Evolution has given them strong  jaws to protect themselves if threatened; hence the name “ snapping” turtle.  Yet snapping turtles are considered docile creatures except during mating and egg laying season. Once the carapace reaches three inches in length, there are few natural predators: hence the docile nature.

If you see tiny turtles scrambling about, give them a lift to the nearest body of water. All snapping turtles will be hibernating by mid-October until next May when the cycle begins anew.

* Graham TE, Perkins RW 1976 Growth of the common snapping turtle, Chelydra s. serpentina, in a polluted marsh. Maryland Herp. Soc. Bull. 12:123-125

by Zooey Zullo, Upper Valley Aquatic Center Welcome Desk Manager and Resident Naturalist

Coping With An Injury

By John Grainger MS, CSCS

One of the things I have learned over the past few years is that almost everyone is going to get injured at some point in their training.  Whether you are a swimmer, cyclist, runner, tennis player, triathlete, or a gym rat, you will most likely strain, tear, or pull something—sometimes requiring taking a significant amount of time off and/or surgery.

I played collegiate baseball at Keene State College--graduated in 2007--and have been coaching at Colby-Sawyer since 2009.  At some point in 2008 I hurt my shoulder playing in a rec league in Utah while I was at graduate school.  It wasn’t that bad and I got over it.  Sometimes it hurt to throw, but it wasn’t all the time and I could still throw hard.

Fast forward a few years to April of 2012.  The four years in between the shoulder was getting progressively worse and after a long session of batting practice I finally threw in the towel (pun intended), had it checked out by our athletic trainer, and set up an appointment with a Sports Medicine Doctor. The diagnosis was a torn posterior labrum and significant arthritis on the socket.   After an MRI, 4 readings of it (all of them were different—same injury but very different in the severity), and over a year later, I made the decision to have surgery.  

During the surgery they found that I had a different injury than they originally thought.  I had a Type II SLAP lesion and had torn part of the articular cartilage (the cartilage that lines the bone in the shoulder joint) on the socket.   They didn’t find a torn posterior labrum or the severe arthritis that they expected.  

The likelihood that I will ever throw hard again is pretty low.  Recovery from this surgery can take 9-12 months for an overhead athlete to return to sport.  There have been no Major League pitchers who have returned to play at the same level with this injury.   But I should be able to return to light, pain free throwing and be able to do just about anything I want to.

Coping with the injury can be difficult—especially if the injury is season ending or career threatening.  When I say career threatening I don’t mean your Major League Baseball career, I mean that ACL tear may have severely impacted your ability to play rec league soccer on Thursday nights ever again.  This is a very difficult thing for most people to cope with.

The following is paraphrased from The Sport Psych Handbook by Shane Murphy.  I normally don’t like to blatantly take information and copy or paraphrase it, but this is written concise and more to the point than I could:

There is a whole segment of sport-psychology that deals with injuries.  There are two widely accepted coping strategies: problem-focused and emotional-focused coping strategies. 

Problem focused coping includes efforts that are directed at managing or altering the problem that causes the stress.  Some examples are gathering information on the injury, learning treatment options, setting SMART goals for recovery (specific, measurable, action-oriented, reasonable, and time-oriented), and adhering to a rehabilitation plan.

Emotion focused strategies are directed at managing the emotions that are experienced as a result of the injury.  These strategies are based on managing thoughts and emotions through self-talk (i.e. instead of saying “Oh my God I will never play again,” you would say, “I am going to get through this and be stronger than ever”) and relaxation techniques; using imagery of being physically and mentally prepared, and self-soothing techniques.  These strategies usually deal with the feelings associated with the injury; such as expressing emotions, seeking and using social support, being patient, and eventually accepting the injury.

Another way to cope with an injury is through distraction or avoidance techniques.  These are efforts to disengage and remove oneself, either mentally or physically, from the situation generating the stress.  Some of these are more for elite athletes such as moving away (i.e. leaving the training site and moving home) or going back to school.

How you deal with the injury depends on you.  Are you usually someone who gets emotional?  Are you someone who enjoys setting and reaching small goals?  Do you want to be in control?  Do you want to know everything about your injury and how to fix it?

I was different than a lot of injuries—it wasn’t a sudden, traumatic, season/career ending injury.   It was a long, drawn out process that culminated with me finding out as much information about the injury as possible.  Most of my coping mechanisms revolved around problem focused strategies.  I learned as much information as possible—treatment options, surgical procedures, treatment and surgical outcomes, likelihood of returning to activity, etc.  But I also used emotion focused strategies by reaching out to others who had the procedure, reaching out to physical therapists, and also making sure my family was going to support my decision.  

I think the most important thing with dealing with an injury is accepting the injury for what it is, being honest with yourself, and learning as much about the rehab process as you can.  Using the techniques listed above will help you get through the rehabilitation process and get you back participating in the sport(s) you love.

For more information you can check out the Association for Applied Sport Psychology.

Murphy, Shane. The Sport Psych Handbook. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2004. Print.

What's so great about DHA?

by Heather Szczepiorkowski

I have been thinking about an omega-3 fatty acid called DHA. 

When I was pregnant with my first child, like most parents, I read up on everything I could about pregnancy and parenting.  Then, DHA was best known for being in breast milk and was critical in building baby brains.  At the time, infant formulas were not supplemented with DHA, now many of them are.  Well after my son was born, things got busier of course, and I did not give DHA much more thought.

That changed this summer when I read an article in the Wall Street Journal about DHA and lifelong intelligence.  It got me thinking again about the importance of DHA in raising my kids.  Studies are finding that DHA is not only important in the development of children, but also throughout a person’s lifespan.  Here is some of what I have learned.

DHA or (docosahexaenoic acid), is a long strand omega-3 fatty acid. It is one of the good fats involved in building and keeping the brain and the whole nervous system working well.   DHA is the fatty acids in your neurons. DHA is most abundant in the brain and retina.  It is key to intelligence, reversing memory loss, improving eyesight, improving mood, just to name a few of the benefits.

We are only able to make limited amounts of DHA.  Because women’s bodies can nurture a fetus and nurse their young, they have a higher rate of conversion, but still need to get DHA from foods and supplements. Cold water fish and fish oil are one of the most common ways to take in DHA.  While most people believe that fish produce their own DHA, in fact, it’s the algae in their food chain that makes them a rich source of DHA. 

I also learned too that DHA is not just for kids or young, developing minds.  DHA is vital in all stages of life and has been found to improve memory functioning in middle-aged adults.  Since DHA is critical to the health of neurons, scientists are learning that DHA is important in the performance of neurotransmitters in the brain enabling them to communicate faster.

As a parent, I am now looking for more ways to increase our intake of DHA in the foods we eat – if your kids aren’t fond of algae, some other sources are salmon, tuna, pumpkin seeds, flaxseed, flaxseed oil and walnuts. Some brands of milk and eggs contain DHA.  Some chickens have flaxseed in their grain.  So double check!

 Right now my kids and I are taking DHA supplements along with our daily vitamin.  I made that decision since the food choices of my middle-schooler, at least at lunch time, may not be the wisest.  One of our family favorites is maple seasoned salmon http://allrecipes.com/recipe/maple-salmon/  My kids aren’t too fond of salmon alone – but with the seasonings and sweetness of the maple syrup, the plates are clean.

So get that DHA into your system!!  Please email me at marketing@uppervalleyaquaticcenter.com if you come across any great recipes that your family loves.   So long and thanks for all the fish!!!

Want to lose weight and get stronger?

By Katherine MacPherson BS, ACSM HFS & UVAC Personal Trainer

Hi again! It’s been a while since I’ve written a new blog and I've got the perfect topic to discuss.  Have you heard about our program Shed and Shred here at the Upper Valley Aquatic Center?  It has been nearly a year and a half since our first round started and WOW…the changes we instructors have seen in the participants have been incredible. 

What is Shed and Shred?  It is a small group Personal Training weight loss program.  It runs for 6 or 8 weeks and includes 2 shed and shred fitness classes, two 30 minute personal meetings, off day workout homework’s, weekly weigh-in and measurements.  Plus it offers encouraging incentives such a 10% discount off your next Shed and Shred and winners get 3 free personal training sessions (a $135 value!)

Before you start to think that I am just marketing the program (I sort of am :) because it rocks!) there are many things for you to discover about the people that partake in the 6 or 8 week rounds.  The program is a not only a major commitment, but when participant’s truly follow our weight loss regimen they lose the weight and keep it off.   Above all, these people are happier, stronger and now educated on real life useful healthy eating tips and planning. 

No, we don’t market meal replacements, shakes or the latest and strangest diet.  We literally teach our participants to eat REAL food.  Learning to make food healthier and easier to plan out has been the ultimate educator for Shed and Shred.   Many us want to lose the weight fast and are ready to try almost anything.  Again, you have to be committed to the long term idea of healthy living.  “Diets” are temporary! 

Fitness is of course also a major aspect of the program.  The classes typically focus around strength endurance interval training.  Meaning we infuse anywhere from 6 to 12 exercises in timed or repetition bursts and rotations.  Also meaning... we keep you moving!  Each class is different and we love to surprise our participants with motivating new exercises.  One participant says “I have been wanting to lose weight and improve my fitness level for a long time.  Shed and Shred gave me the structure that I needed to achieve my goals.  The group dynamic and effective coaching kept me motivated and on track!” 

The first day of each new round we hold a “testing day.”  This is where we test how far you can walk or run in 12 minutes, how many push-ups you can do, how long you can hold a plank and how many squats you can do a 60 seconds.   OK, don’t be intimated!  It’s actually a great day because 100% of Shed and Shreder's INCREASE all their results on the final testing day 6 or 8 weeks later.  It’s not uncommon to see a participant hold a 20 second plank on day one, and then complete a 2:00 plank by week 6 or 8.  The improvement is waiting for you!!

Each week we post the body percent loss for each group.  Yes, this is where we get a little competitive (cough cough John and Garrett cough.)  We mathematically group individual weigh-ins by group and show the building the percent’s (no names are displayed.)  At the end of each round, we go back to our equations and two winners are picked.  The two criteria’s to win are highest weight loss by pounds and highest percent body weight loss.   

If you want to lose weight, or learn how to be fit and eat healthy I encourage you to take this class.  As an instructor I personally get inspired when I see individuals fight their barriers and become a stronger person.  I take pride in helping others reach their goals!  Plus I love beating John and Garrett!  Just kidding, but seriously.  If you have any questions about Shed and Shred, or even Personal Training please feel free to call or email us at anytime.

Shed and Shred Round 10 starts September 9th, 2013.

Call us at 802-286-2850 X 104 or email jgrainger@uvac-swim.org for questions.   

Teenage UVAC Swimmer 
Creates eyeFree Sports Stopwatch App

The Upper Valley Aquatic Center is home to many amazing swimmers who do many amazing things. Last year, Conner Koehler, UVAC team swimmer created the eyeFree Sport Stopwatch for the iPhone.

Brian Dirrane, swim coach at Upper Valley Aquatic Center, knew Koehler was a tech savvy kid. So he asked him if he could figure out something that would work better than the stopwatch on his iPhone. “Brian was having trouble hitting the software buttons and starting the stopwatch, so he asked me to help,” said Koehler, a 15-year-old high school sophomore who has been swimming at Upper Valley since he was 10. “He would need to look at the screen which is hard to do when you try to look at the start and at the swimmer finishing at the wall.”

Koehler’s solution was to use the volume buttons instead of the screen. “The use of the volume buttons give it a physical button to press, and when it is pressed, the iPhone vibrates to confirm that the command was sent. You can even customize it to make the screen flash when the button is pressed.”

With Max Greenwald, An iOS developer, who worked on the project over last summer, they built the app to include an intuitive history functionality so that anyone can go back and look at the total time and laps that happened during that session with an easy-to-use interface.

The two are currently working on an Android version expected to come out in the first half of 2013.

“Max and I started programming for the iPhone and iPad about a year and a half ago, and we wanted to put custom apps on our iPads,” said Koehler, whose main swim events are the 500 freestyle and 100 butterfly. “Our first app was a calculator called InfinityCalc, which is a free calculator for the iPad and iPhone. It’s meant to be a simple calculator that you can have wherever you go.”

The stopwatch app is currently available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, and coaches can go and download the app. They set the price for the app at $.99,and they are continually adding new features and working on it. “The app is not aimed just at coaches; other swimmers and parents could use it for timing,” Koehler said.

And Brian Dirrane is now using the app faithfully as he trains his athletes. “It’s an excellent app; I use it all the time,” Dirrane said. “It displays continuously, and there are ideas for future functionality. It’s very easy to use no matter how tech-savvy someone may or may not be.

“Someone asked me why I just don’t use a regular stopwatch at the pool, but with the iPhone, there are so many ways to store and record splits and times that can be used in some many different ways electronically. Rather than having to input times over and over for various uses, I can do it once with the iPhone stopwatch app. Plus, stopwatch buttons lose their sensitivity over time, and that’s not a problem with the iPhone."