Andrew Jagim, Ph.D, CSCSTo unlock better performance, consider the humble beverage water. It is often one of the most overlooked and underappreciated ergogenic aids in today’s world of sports. The body is made up of ~70% water, which makes hydration a vital component for success-- not only during but before and after exercise as well. Dehydration can limit performance without the proper precautions, especially in hot and humid environments. Sweat is the primary means by which body water is...

Andrew Jagim Ph.D, CSCSRunners, cyclists, and other endurance athletes are constantly looking for ways to improve their performance.  A commonly used strategy is the use of nutritional supplements to “boost” energy and enable them to perform longer and or harder before fatigue sets in.  The majority of energy used during endurance events is derived from carbohydrates.  Carbohydrates can be stored in the liver and skeletal muscle as glycogen.  When exercise lasts l...

Brandon Macias, Ph.DMost folks, especially those who do not suffer from bone debilitating diseases, might forget that their skeletons are “alive.”  Yes, the bone that protects your vital organs and works with your muscles to get you out of bed in the morning is constantly remodeling.  Bone cells called osteoblasts lay down new bone matrix, and bone cells called osteoclasts, “eat” or resorb bone tissue.  In a normal healthy human, this bone-forming activity ...

Majid Koozehchian, M.S.Homocysteine (Hcy) is a non-proteinogenic amino acid (i.e., an amino acid not used in proteins) normally present in the blood. Hcy is a by-product of normal diet but high levels in the blood can endanger cardiovascular health. It is formed from methionine, a proteinogenic amino acid, and can biosynthesize back to methionine or into cysteine, another proteinogenic amino acid, as well as several other substances. Benefits of Hcy are unknown; however, its harmful effects...

Chang Woock Lee, B.A.Cholesterol is perhaps the most notorious biological molecule of all. To many people, cholesterol is simply a synonym for heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular disease because excessive blood cholesterol and lipid contributes to development of plaque build-up in the arteries and can eventually narrow and clog the blood vessels. Thus, cholesterol has become a nemesis to be overcome and destroyed. People try to eliminate cholesterol from their diet, and the media constantly ...

Vincent C.W. Chen, B.S.Metabolic syndrome, a condition including insulin resistance (causing diabetes), obesity, hyperlipidemia (high blood lipids), hypertension, and heart disease, is mainly due to high fat diets and lack of physical activity. It has become a major health concern in modern society. Recently, a substance called PPAR-delta has been identified as a potential therapeutic remedy for the treatment of metabolic syndrome. PPAR-delta is the most abundant isoform among the three PPARs (p...

Majid Koozehchian, M.S. In our bodies, oxygen constantly produces toxic substances called reactive oxygen species (ROS), also known as oxidants. Antioxidants, biomolecules that combat oxidant damage, are produced by the body and can also be taken in supplement form. Disruption of normal cellular function by ROS is termed oxidative stress, and can be considered an imbalance between ROS production and the body’s production of antioxidants, weighted on the oxidant side (Fig.1). Low level...

 Teak V. Lee, B.S.  What’s the first thought that comes to mind when the word “cholesterol” is mentioned? More often than not, it’s probably going to be negative. This is probably due to the bad reputation that cholesterol has gained because of its involvement in conditions such as cardiovascular disease. However, before we can make a conclusion, we need to understand the roles cholesterol plays in our bodies and the circumstances when it cau...

Greeshma Prabhu, B.P.T., M.S.Several decades ago, the US Government passed the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which eliminated sex discrimination in any education program or activity receiving Federal aid. This law led to a rise in the female participation in sports over time, up to more than 150,000 women playing sports today. The “female athletic triad” is a term given to the presence of three conditions, namely disordered eating, osteoporosis, and amenorrhea, w...

 Justin Dobson, Ph.D(c), CSCS, SCCC   Inflammation is a natural response to stress put on the body. It is the first step in the body’s healing process, in which repair cells are directed from the blood into the injured tissue. Acute (short-lived) inflammation is necessary, but problems arise when inflammation persists (chronic inflammation). Besides rheumatoid arthritis or tendonitis, chronic inflammation accompanies many other disease states, such as atherosc...