Month: March 2017

NPC Physique Preparation 7 Weeks Out

NPC Physique Preparation 7 Weeks Out

Posted DylanPosted in Uncategorized

I’m nearly 7 weeks from my second NPC physique show. Today I talk though my struggles of NPC physique preparation en route to the gym and show you a bit of my workout. I look forward to sharing my process as I get closer to the show. If you guys have any questions feel free to comment below. Also visit us on our website for science backed advice to help you meet your nutrition and fitness goals

 

https://youtu.be/H9jsR7B_jSM

Check out our YouTube page for helpful videos on meal prep and other science backed advice to help you meet your nutrition and fitness goals.
Ironsnack Fitness YouTube

Kombucha tea black tea fermenting with ironsnack shark

Our thoughts on Kombucha tea

Posted DylanPosted in Diet

The Question:

What are our thoughts on Kombucha tea? This question comes from one of our Facebook followers and we are happy to answer this question as Kombucha tea has become increasingly popular. For those of you who haven’t heard Kombucha tea is a type of fermented drink that has become hyped along the rest of the superfood craze we have seen over the last few years. Some of the supporters of Kombucha tea advocate that it can strengthen the immune system, prevent malignancy (cancer), and detoxify the body.

The Science:

When people make these claims they are doing so without strong scientific evidence. One claim that does have some merit is that Kombucha tea is a source of probiotics. Most fermented foods are produced by the bacteria Lactobacillus. Supplementing lactobacillus or other bacteria such as S. thermophiles has been studied for preventing diarrhea after antibiotic therapy. As some of you probably have heard antibiotics can cause diarrhea by indiscriminately killing both good and bacteria including the bacteria in our gut. This can lead to overgrowth of “bad bacteria” like Clostridium difficile.

There are a few good scientific studies on this particular health effect. Studies show a 4-22% decrease in instances of diarrhea following treatment with antibiotics in those treated with probiotics. So these studies align with the idea that eating yogurt or taking a probiotic may prevent diarrhea and yeast infections following antibiotic therapy since antibiotics often kill off too much of the bacteria in our digestive tracts. So essentially the science says it probably won’t make much of a difference on a daily basis but in the case of taking antibiotics you may want to supplement your body with some good bacteria such as that found in most probiotics, yogurt, or likely Kombucha tea (although it hasn’t been studied specifically). Some of the proposed mechanisms for benefit that probiotics have include suppressing growth and binding of “bad bacteria” and improving the intestinal barrier. Some probiotics produce protective cytokines that suppress inflammation and they can even change the way we experience bowel pain by changing the type of receptors in our gut.

We hope that helps! We are always here to answer your questions with scientific evidence so feel free to send them our way!

The High Yield:

  • Kumbucha tea contains probiotics which are bacteria that can be helpful to our digestive system.
  • Researchers have studied probiotic formulas that are available over the counter. They have found treatment with probiotics can be helpful during antibiotic therapy to help prevent diarrhea and yeast infections.
  • Other products such as yogurt and over the counter probiotic supplements contain similar bacteria “probiotics” as Kumbucha.

Some options for probiotics similar to those found in Kombucha tea that have been researched include:

 

Sources for probiotics similar to those found in Kombucha tea scientific studies:

Effect of a fermented milk combining Lactobacillus acidophilus Cl1285 and Lactobacillus casei in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Use of probiotic Lactobacillus preparation to prevent diarrhoea associated with antibiotics: randomized double blind placebo controlled trial.

Saccharomyces boulardii in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea in children: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

Clinical trial: effectiveness of Lactobacillus rhamnosus (strains E/N, Oxy and Pen) in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea in children.

Meal Prep 101 Ironsnack Logo shark

Meal Prep 101 Video Tutorial

Posted Dylan2 CommentsPosted in Diet

Today I walk you through my meal prep process. As a busy medical student it’s crucial that I take about 2 hours a week to prepare my weekly meals. Meal prep saves me money and keeps me on track for my NPC physique competition preparation. I prepare 3 full meals to take with me daily and one snack of oatmeal and a protein shake. Let me show you how easy it is to eat healthy and reach your nutrition and fitness goals through simple preparation.

One way to be more compliant with a strict diet is to prepare your meals ahead of time so you always have them on hand. You never have to worry about getting hungry and splurging on food that is off your diet. During prep and offseason I use the Isolator Fitness 3 meal lunchbox. It is made in the USA unlike other fitness lunchbox brands and it keeps your food cold for around 12 hours. You can check them out here. If you use the code “IRONSNACK” you will get 10% off your order.

Meal Prep Tools:

Link to digital scale
http://amzn.to/2n78TbR

Link to IsoBag
http://amzn.to/2mZv5rM

Link to food containers
http://amzn.to/2nfwGph

How much water to drink Ironsnack shark glass of water

How much water to drink in a day?

Posted DylanPosted in Diet

The Question:

How much water should you actually drink per day? It is common knowledge that hydration is extremely important to health and exercise. The human body is made up of around 60% water, and it is extremely important for helping remove toxic metabolic byproducts with the help of namely your kidneys and liver. Water also helps with regulating bowel movements and increasing muscles growth. This is good to know, but how much water is the right amount? This is a question that we have been asked a lot recently, and I started looking into the research. We have all heard the common 8 glasses per day but recently there has been an abundance of YouTubers telling us to drink a gallon of water a day. So what is the real amount of water you should aim for? Let us tell you below!!

The Science Behind Daily Water Needs:

Throughout the research, the amount of water is usually shown in glasses, ounces, liters, and gallons. Seeing as this can get pretty confusing, I am going to show all of the conversions to you up front, and always use glasses of water to equalize the results as we discuss.

8 ounces = 1 glass

4 glasses = 1 liter

3.8 liters = 1 gallon

In the journal of Nutrition Reviews, Dr. Sawka found that while  human’s need for water consumption can vary considerably given exercise and heat stressors, the vast majority of men need around 3.7 L (15 glasses) and the majority of women need around 2.7 L (11 glasses) of water per day. So while 8 glasses per day has been a staple for decades, it seems that the numbers we actually need is much higher.

The Institute of Medicine also compiled many research studies into a list called the dietary reference intake. This agrees with Dr. Sawka’s finding for adult males 14 years and older (15 glasses) and adult females 14 years and older (11 glasses). It also talks about children 1-3 (5 glasses) and 4-8 (7 glasses). Pubescent males need around 13 glasses, and pubescent females around 9 glasses.

The Science Behind Water Needs While Working Out:

The American Council on Exercise reviewed 16 studies and published a great list of recommendations regarding how much water is required while exercising. Ironsnack Fitness reviewed their recommendations and summarized those with valid evidence below.

  1. Drink 2-3 glasses of water within 2 hours before working out
  2. Drink 1 glass of water 30 minutes prior to working out
  3. Drink 1 glass of water for every 20 minutes of workout
  4. Drink another glass after you finished working out
  5. If you are working out for longer than an hour it is important to replenish your carbs and electrolytes with some sports drink

Thoughts From a Triathlete:

As a long distance triathlete hydration is extremely important to me. This next section is from personal experience and words from coaches and Ironman finishers.  During long distance triathlons, I always have multiple bottles of water handy during my bike and run. Along with a bottle that I sip on after my swim while changing and getting ready for the bike. Drinking water during the transition is not necessarily a recommended action, because it wastes some time from the actual race. That being said, I know that when I played college tennis, the minute I would get dehydrated even slightly my game play would drop tremendously. Because of this I usually opt to take a few minutes extra for water breaks in transition, and hope that it takes time that could have been wasted if I let myself get dehydrated. I usually will drink one bottle of straight water, and multiple bottle of a sports drink during both the bike and runs depending on length. For beginner triathletes that usually ends up being a bottle mixed of water and gatorade. There is a company called Infinit, that now will spend 30 min talking with you on the phone and completely customize a sports drink to your height, weight, and racing style. That is what I have been using and I am very excited about it. I also found this water bottle which I love because it’s easy to clean and lets me keep track of how much I am drinking. Regardless of what you use, make sure to stay well hydrated! I have seen people who have messed up their hydration, and it ruins the entire race for them. Follow the simple guides we have provided here and hydration should never be a problem for you. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below or contact us.

Resources For How Much Water To Drink:

Human Water Needs

https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article-abstract/63/suppl_1/S30/1927756/Human-Water-Needs

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs): Recommended Dietary Allowances and Adequate Intakes, Total Water and Macronutrients

http://www.nationalacademies.org/hmd/~/media/Files/Activity%20Files/Nutrition/DRI-Tables/3_RDA%20AI%20AMDR%20Values_Total%20Water%20and%20Macronutr.pdf?la=en

Healthy Hydration

https://www.acefitness.org/acefit/healthy_living_fit_facts_content.aspx?itemid=173