Creatine Monohydrate- Should you use it for sports?

Chiropractor, Grand Junction, CO - Daniel Lonquist, DC, CCST, CCWP Certified Chiropractic Wellness Practitioner. Back To Health Wellness Center, 970-257-9199  www.BTHWellnessCenter.com

Why Do Athletes Use It?*

Some athletes say that creatine monohydrate helps build muscle mass and improves performance and delays muscle fatigue during short-duration, high-intensity exercise, such as sprinting or weight lifting.

What Do the Advocates Say?*

Creatine is best for the serious bodybuilder. It helps increase muscle mass, rather than muscle endurance, so it’s not well suited for athletes participating in endurance activities. However, the increase in muscle mass may be due to water retention and not an increase in muscle tissue.

How Much Is Usually Taken by Athletes?

Over 40 double-blind or controlled studies have found creatine supplementation (typically 136 mg per pound of body weight per day or 15 to 25 grams per day for five or six days) improves performance of either single or repetitive bouts of short-duration, high-intensity exercise lasting under 30 seconds each.^{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7} Examples of this type of exercise include weightlifting; sprinting by runners, cyclists, or swimmers; and many types of athletic training regimens for speed and power. About 15 studies did not report enhancement by creatine of this type of performance. These have been criticized for their small size and other research design problems, but it is possible that some people, especially elite athletes, are less likely to benefit greatly from creatine supplementation.⁸
Long-term use of creatine supplementation is typically done using smaller daily amounts (2 to 5 grams per day) after an initial loading period of several days with 20 grams per day. Very little research has been done to investigate the exercise performance effects of long-term creatine supplementation. One study reported that long-term creatine supplementation improved sprint performance.⁹ Four controlled long-term trials using untrained women,¹⁰ trained men,¹¹ or untrained older adults found that creatine improved gains made in strength and lean body mass from weight-training programs.^{12, 13} However, two controlled trials found no advantage of long-term creatine supplementation in weight-training football players.^{14, 15}

Side Effects

Little is known about long-term side effects of creatine, but no consistent toxicity has been reported in studies of creatine supplementation. In a study of side effects of creatine, diarrhea was the most commonly reported adverse effect of creatine supplementation, followed by muscle cramping.¹⁶ Some reports showed that kidney, liver, and blood functions were not affected by short-term higher amounts^{17, 18} or long-term lower amounts ^{19, 20} of creatine supplementation in healthy young adults. In a small study of people taking 5–30 grams per day, no change in kidney function appeared after up to five years of supplementation.²¹ However, interstitial nephritis, a serious kidney condition, developed in an otherwise healthy young man, supplementing with 20 grams of creatine per day.²² Improvement in kidney function followed avoidance of creatine. Details of this case strongly suggest that creatine supplementation triggered this case of kidney disease. Creatine supplementation may also be dangerous for people with existing kidney disease. In one report, a patient with nephrotic syndrome (a kidney disorder) developed glomerulosclerosis (another serious kidney condition) while taking creatine. when the creatine was discontinued, the glomerulosclerosis resolved.²³
Muscle cramping after creatine supplementation has been anecdotally reported in three studies.^{24, 25, 26}

Interactions with Supplements, Foods, & Other Compounds

At the time of writing, there were no well-known supplement or food interactions with this supplement.

Interactions with Medicines

As of the last update, no reported interactions between this supplement and medicines. It is possible that unknown interactions exist. If you take medication, always discuss the potential risks and benefits of adding a new supplement with your doctor or pharmacist.

*Athletes and fitness advocates may claim benefits for this supplement based on their personal or professional experience. These are individual opinions and testimonials that may or may not be supported by controlled clinical studies or published scientific articles.

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For Active Girls, D Beats Calcium and Dairy for Bone Building

Chiropractor, Grand Junction, CO - Daniel Lonquist, DC, CCST, CCWP Certified Chiropractic Wellness Practitioner. Back To Health Wellness Center, 970-257-9199

By: Kimberly Beauchamp, ND

Vitamin D was the only factor that seemed to lower the risk of stress fractures

Physically active young girls could avoid sports-related fractures by getting enough vitamin D in their diet, reports a study in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Building bones for life

The preteen and teenage years are a critical time for bone development. This is when most of the bone mass is laid down, so it’s important that children, especially girls, do everything they can to maximize bone health while they can.
Calcium is a major component of bone, so it follows that the mineral has received a lot of attention for its bone-building ability. But there’s more to strong bones than calcium alone. Vitamins D and K, along with other minerals like boron and zinc also play a role.
A total of 6,712 girls between 9 and 15 years old took part in a study to see just how important three of the “major players” in bone health stood up to scrutiny. Using information gathered from food-frequency questionnaires, investigators estimated how much vitamin D, calcium, and dairy the girls got on a daily basis. Then, they looked at how likely the girls were to develop stress fractures. This type of fracture occurs when the bone isn’t strong enough to take the pressure (or stress) put upon it. Stress fractures are more common in girls who play competitive high-impact sports.

Vitamin D takes the cake

Over the course of seven years, about 4% of the girls developed stress fractures. Almost all of these occurred in girls who participated in high-impact sports—like basketball, running, soccer, tennis, cheerleading, or volleyball—for more than one hour per day.
The amount of dairy in the diet did not seem to affect fracture risk. In fact, girls who consumed three or more servings of dairy per day did not have a lower fracture risk than those who consumed none.
Calcium consumption didn’t seem to lower fracture risk, either. Very active girls with high calcium intake actually had a fracture risk two times greater than girls with the lowest intake. “This unexpected finding warrants further inquiry,” commented the researchers.
This isn’t the first study to suggest that dairy and calcium might not be “the” answer to building strong bones. Another recent investigation showed that while very low calcium intake can hinder bone development, very high amounts of dairy or calcium (as compared with adequate amounts) aren’t correlated with stronger bones or lower fracture risk. Vitamin D was the only factor that seemed to lower the risk of stress fractures. Among very active girls, those with the highest vitamin D intake had a 52% lower chance of stress fractures than those with the lowest intake.
“Our findings support the Institute of Medicine’s recent increase in the Recommended Dietary Allowance for vitamin D for adolescents from 400 IU/d to 600 IU/d,” the team concluded.

Best bets for healthy bones

While the jury is still out on the exact vitamin D, calcium, and dairy that are needed for strong bones, you can count on a few constants:
Exercise is good. It may seem obvious, but it bears a reminder. Bones cannot form properly if they aren’t exposed to the forces put upon them during weight-bearing exercise. It is essential that young girls get enough of this type of exercise during their bone formative years.
Greens go far. Dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, collards, and bok choy provide a full complement of the vitamins and minerals needed for healthy bones.
Protein is necessary. Protein provides the building blocks for strong bones. But too much might make bones more prone to fractures. About 50 grams of protein per day is a reasonable amount for most young girls. Vegetarian protein sources, like beans and nuts, may promote better calcium absorption than animal sources.
(Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med;2012:doi:10.1001/archpediatrics.2012.5)

Kimberly Beauchamp, ND, received her doctoral degree from Bastyr University, the nation’s premier academic institution for science-based natural medicine. She co-founded South County Naturopaths in Wakefield, RI, where she practiced whole family care with an emphasis on nutritional counseling, herbal medicine, detoxification, and food allergy identification and treatment. Her blog, Eat Happy, helps take the drama out of healthy eating with real food recipes and nutrition news that you can use. Dr. Beauchamp is a regular contributor to Healthnotes Newswire.

For nor health information and tips, go to www.BTHWellnessCenter.com

Is Green Tea the Fountain of Youth?

Chiropractor, Grand Junction, CO - Daniel Lonquist, DC, CCST, CCWP Certified Chiropractic Wellness Practitioner. Back To Health Wellness Center, 970-257-9199 www.BTHWellnessCenter.com

By:Suzanne Dixon, MPH, MS, RD

Green tea may protect against disability among aging adults

Green tea has become the go-to beverage for people seeking to improve health. Tea advocates are quick to note the tea’s potential protective effects against heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease. Now, we have evidence that green tea also may keep a spring in your step as you age.

Studying sipping habits

To study how green tea drinking may affect level of physical disability over time, researchers collected information on tea drinking habits, diet, exercise, and other lifestyle behaviors from 14,000 Japanese adults over 65 years old. Study participants had no prior history of disability—physical limitations that affect a person’s ability to take care of him- or herself—and the study authors tracked the group to determine who developed disability over three years.
Compared with people who rarely or never drank green tea people who drank 3 to 4 cups per day had 25% lower risk of developing disability, and people who drank 5 or more cups per day had 33% lower risk of developing disability.

Sipping, stepping, and snacking your way to health

This study suggests that green tea may protect against disability among aging adults. Use our green tea tips, plus other stay-vibrant ideas to keep your body healthy into your golden years.

• Assess amounts. In Japan, a typical cup of green tea is about 100 ml, which is around 3 to 4 ounces, or 1/2 cup. In the US, a typical coffee mug holds up to 16 ounces. One or two of these larger servings of green tea daily is enough to provide potential health benefits.
• Steep smartly. Green tea tastes best when brewed with hot, but not boiling, water. Allow boiling water to cool slightly before brewing, and let the tea steep for no more than four minutes. Longer steeping times can lead to a bitter brew.
• Find a favorite. Experiment with different green teas to find one that tastes good to you. For example, if you don’t enjoy regular green tea, try a jasmine-infused blend, or a green tea flavored with fruit essences.
• Pick plain. Enjoy your tea straight-up, without milk or sugar, both of which may reduce tea’s beneficial effects on health.
• Work in walking. Regular physical activity is vital to healthy aging, and health experts point out you need not run a marathon in order to benefit. A daily, half-hour, brisk walk is one of the best ways to improve and maintain well-being as we age.
• Snack with savvy. Snacking can be a smart way to work healthy foods into the diet. Instead of the usual chips, pretzels, or other salty snacks, try apples, bananas, nuts, or low-fat Greek yogurt for your mid-afternoon fix.
• Skip the soda. Drinking more green tea is a great way to cut back on less-healthy options, such as soda, including the diet versions. Even though it's calorie-free, diet soda is not a good choice; drinking it has been linked with higher risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.

(Am J Clin Nutr 2012;95:732–9)

Suzanne Dixon, MPH, MS, RD, an author, speaker, and internationally recognized expert in chronic disease prevention, epidemiology, and nutrition, has taught medical, nursing, public health, and alternative medicine coursework. She has delivered over 150 invited lectures to health professionals and consumers and is the creator of a nutrition website acclaimed by the New York Times and Time magazine. Suzanne received her training in epidemiology and nutrition at the University of Michigan, School of Public Health at Ann Arbor.

For more health tips visit, www.BTHWellnessCenter.com  

6 Simple Ways to Lose Weight

Chiropractor, Grand Junction, CO - Daniel Lonquist, DC, CCST, CCWP Certified Chiropractic Wellness Practitioner. Back To Health Wellness Center, 970-257-9199 www.BTHWellnessCenter.com

Doable strategies to help you shed pounds By: Linda Knittel

To turn your body into a fat-burning machine, eat small meals throughout the day.

• Rise and chow

  If you think skipping breakfast will help you shed a few pounds, think again. Not eating a morning meal can actually trick the body into thinking it is starving, which makes it hold on to fat or cause you to eat more during the day. To keep your metabolism revved and blood sugar levels steady, eat breakfast within 45 minutes of rising. The healthiest choices contain a balance of fat, protein, and carbs, such as oatmeal with a handful of nuts or a veggie omelet.
  

• Combine carbs

  If a carbohydrate wasn’t grown, picked, or harvested, don’t eat it. That means shunning refined breads, pastas, cakes, and pastries, and choosing good carbs like brown rice, sweet potatoes, or an apple. And while you’re at it, try to never eat a carbohydrate by itself. Simply adding a bit of good fat, such as olive oil or lean protein will slow digestion, steady blood sugar, and keep the body from storing fat.
  

• Drink up

  Even if all you did was start drinking more water you would likely lose weight. That’s because the body needs to be fully hydrated in order to maintain a healthy metabolism. Try drinking about 1/2-ounce (15 ml) of water per pound of body weight every day, and see the difference.
  

• Eat more

  If eating more often in order to lose weight sounds too good to be true, listen up. Your body needs calories in order to burn fat. So, to turn your body into a fat-burning machine, eat small meals throughout the day. Ideally each mini-meal should consist of lean protein, good fats, and complex carbohydrates. For example, 4 ounces (113 grams) of chicken, 1 cup (150 grams) of brown rice, and a green salad.

• Get pumped

  You’ve heard that muscle weighs more than fat, but did you know that muscle burns more calories? That’s right, building lean muscle through weight training causes the body to burn more calories throughout the day. When combined with regular aerobic exercise, weight training can help you lose more weight.
  

• Cheat a little

  You know what they say about all work and no play—well, that goes for weight loss too. Giving up all the foods you love can backfire and sabotage your efforts. Be sure to allow yourself a day each week when you indulge in conservative amounts of your favorite foods. Remember, a serving should be about the size of an average apple.
  

Linda Knittel, MA, is a nutritional counselor and health writer specializing in alternative medicine, nutrition, and yoga. She has found that incorporating plenty of good fat in her six small meals a day has actually helped her become leaner.

For more weight loss suggestions visit, www.BTHWellnessCenter.com