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Lead Stories: Thursday, November 20, 2008

What’s the best time for future athletes to start training?

Posted March 6th, 2007 at 8:25 AM by Martha Jones

Section: Health & Fitness, Exercise

young_runner_child_youth_athletics_kid.jpgA study from Sweden suggests that the best time for future athletes to start training is probably before they go into puberty, because strength training before puberty gives a person larger and stronger bones.

The study also shows that the best way to prevent osteoporosis may be to start exercising against resistance before puberty and continue weight bearing exercise for the rest of your life.

Having large strong muscles makes you a better athlete, and muscle growth is limited by the size of the bones on which they attach. Training before puberty enlarges bones more effectively than at any other time in a person’s life.
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Eating carbohydrates and protein for muscle growth

Posted January 6th, 2007 at 6:02 AM by Martin Kennedy

Section: Nutrition, Health & Fitness, Exercise

arm-lifting-weights.gifIf you want to become very strong, you should lift heavy weights, eat carbohydrates before you lift and eat plenty of protein afterwards.

Normal amounts of insulin help muscles grow, and eating carbohydrates causes your blood sugar to rise, which, in turn, causes your pancreas to release insulin. Taking in large amounts of protein after a workout helps muscles to recover faster from hard exercise, so you can do more hard work and grow larger and stronger muscles (Journal of Physiology).
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Nonsteroidals, like ibuprofen, can prevent muscle growth

Posted December 16th, 2006 at 7:00 AM by Jeanie Rebb

Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Nutrition, Supplements, Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab

ibuprofen.jpgLots of athletes and exercisers take ibuprofen, an over- the-counter medication, and other nonsteroidals to ease pain in their joints and muscles. A study from the University of Florida shows that nonsteroidal drugs inhibit exercise-induced muscle growth and strength.

Athletes train by taking a hard workout and damaging their muscles. They feel sore on the next day and exercise at reduced intensity until their muscles are healed. When they feel no soreness, they take a hard workout again.

When muscles heal from the stress of a hard workout, they are larger and stronger. Damaged muscles release a healing prostaglandin called Cox-2, that causes muscle growth and increased strength. Ibuprofen blocks Cox-2 and therefore will delay or inhibit muscle growth.
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Does creatine build larger muscles and/or delay fatigue?

Posted December 6th, 2006 at 11:00 AM by Jeanie Rebb

Section: Nutrition, Supplements, Health & Fitness

creatine.jpgCreatine can help to strengthen muscles, but athletes who take these supplements need to know how much they can take safely before they harm themselves. When you exercise and your muscles get as much oxygen as they need, they burn carbohydrates, fats and protein for energy. When you exercise so intensely that you cannot get all the oxygen you need, your muscles use creatine and ATP. So when you exercise so intensely that you can’t get enough oxygen, you can delay fatigue by taking creatine and it allows you to do more work, which makes you stronger.

The body of a 160 pound man contains 120 grams of creatine and he takes in and uses about two grams a day. No good studies have been done to show what amounts are safe to take beyond what your own body makes, so let the buyer beware. Creatine may allow you to lift more weights and make you stronger, but it may also harm you.
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