Pre-Race Nutrition

You registered for the race few months ago and finally the “big” day is coming. Just 24 hours and you’ll finally cross the starting line and (hopefully) also the finish line.
Truth is, those final 24 hours before the big race are always filled with nervous anticipation, especially if it’s your first time. Over time, that feeling slowly diminishes, but unfortunately never goes completely away even after years of racing (I can tell you from my experience that it never does!).
All the ‘what ifs’ fill your head. What if I get cramps? What if I feel sick? What if I run out of energy? These things are all part of the excitement of choosing to participate in a sport event versus hiding under the covers on a Sunday morning.
With all these thoughts flooding your head, there’s another critical component to your final countdown to the gun – what do I eat? This is a very easy question to answer, but I won’t be able to give you the answer, actually: you’re the one who has the answer!
Not one menu is a perfect fit for all athletes; but there are some general rules that everyone can use as a guide during the final 24 hours leading into your race.

Book Review: The 4-Hour Body

This is the first time we are reviewing a book on The Iron You but I feel this one is really worth doing it.
Why? Because when my roomie Alex got it she red it in less than a week, and you could tell she was really loving it. Also, when I borrowed it from her I seriously couldn’t stop reading it...so what book are we talking about?
“The 4-Hour Body” by Timothy Ferriss

Pineapple: Nature's Most Powerful Anti-Inflammatory

Athletes have to deal with injures, unfortunately, quite often. The most common include hip bursitis, pulled hamstring, runner’s knee, shin splints,  ankle sprain, achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, arch pain, tennis elbow, wrist injuries, SLAP lesion just to name few.
As far as I’m concerned when I get injured my first reaction is anger followed by a feeling of depression, normally I start to wonder “Why this has to happen to me?”, “I’m always so careful...” and so on.
If the injury is not too severe, and doesn't necessitates the intervention of a doctor, I usually rest for a few days, and maybe pop-up some of the most common non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as aspirin).
However, as I don't like taking medications, I tend to resort to the most potent anti-inflammatory that mother nature has given us: pineapple.
Let’s discover why pineapple can be considered the best anti-inflammatory medicament.

Big Breakfast, Small Breakfast or No Breakfast?

The role of breakfast energy in total daily energy intake is a matter of debate. I recently red in the January issue of the Nutritional Journal an article entitled “Impact of breakfast on daily energy intake - an analysis of absolute versus relative breakfast calories”.
According to such research if you’re trying to lose weight than the answer to the question “Do you need breakfast?” is maybe not.
In fact, the study concludes that “reduced breakfast energy intake is associated with lower total daily intake”. Thus, overweight people should consider reducing breakfast calories as a simple option to improve their daily energy balance.
But what about all those studies and researches conducted over the years that have established that breakfast is the only meal you’re not supposed to skip?
Several experiments in the past have demonstrated that an energy-rich breakfast does not induce subsequent under-eating to compensate for the extra calories consumed in comparison to a day that started with a breakfast containing 45% less energy. But, on the other hand, different researches have demonstrated that an increasing percentage of breakfast to overall energy intake is associated with lower daily energy intake.

The results of these studies are apparently contradictory. However, these studies have most of the times a substantially different methodological approach. Their analysis is based either on absolute breakfast calories in relation to total daily intake or on the percentage of breakfast to total calories in relation to total daily intake on people.
So, let’s see more in detail what this ultimate study is about...

Sam Johnson | A Model's Workout

Yesterday I met with my friend Sam Johnson at Equinox in the Meatpacking district for a workout session.
Sam is an actor, a poet but most of all a model for a highly regarded agency in NYC (and, of course, he’s also represented in London, Paris and Milan).
Needless to say it, he always needs to be in perfect shape for his job.
But Sam is a very healthy person and to him training and exercising just represent a way to keep a good balance in his life and, also, improve the quality of it both physically and mentally.
Truth to be told, Sam is an athlete and loves sports. He played (and still plays) basketball, football, golf, volleyball, baseball and hockey just to name a few. He also like winter sports like cross country ski, snowboarding, etc...
So it’s not only about the look, there’s much more to it actually!
There’s no doubt that Sam fits perfectly the profile of the IronYou and that is why I thought it was a good idea to share with you some of his training tips.

Sam in an editorial

Sweet Potato: Hollywood's Stars Favorite Food

Today I’m going to talk about one of my absolute favorite foods: sweet potatoes.
Sweet potatoes are not only delicious, they are one of the best foods on the planet. Lately they got a lot of coverage especially after a bunch of Hollywood stars have confessed to be heavy consumers of this food.
For instance Glee’s star Matthew Morrison claims, in England’s Mirror newspaper, that he accentuated his six-pack abs for a Details magazine photo shoot with a strange diet trick: for three days, he ate only sweet potatoes.  “I had to have a six-pack on the show,” he said. “The potato acts as a sponge and your body literally shrinks and gets ripped and tight.”
Also, singer Usher, confessed that in order to get a six pack, he will throw in his diet a limited amount of carbs only in the form of  sweet potatoes.
Are you curious now? Let’s dig a little bit more into sweet potato and discover what’s the magic about it!

You Can Binge On Dark Chocolate!

This is one of the best news in years, well, at least for me. Several studies published in prestigious scientific journals say that dark chocolate (and only dark chocolate, not white chocolate or milk chocolate) is good for you. Very good for you.
I know, you probably have already heard about this, but today we’re going to explain you exactly why dark chocolate makes it into the healthy food list.

Physique 57?

My friend - and international renowned model Kerstin M. - told me the other day, while we were having coffee at Starbucks, about this new workout routine called Physique 57®. Since she seemed really into it (and told me a lot of deal about it) I got curious, did some research and then decided to give it a try.

The Magic of Oatmeal

Today I want to give some room to my favorite cereal, one that makes all my mornings a little bit better: oatmeal!

I like to say that oatmeal is it’s a perfect 10. You can eat it at breakfast to propel you through sluggish mornings, a couple of hours before a workout to feel fully energized by the time you hit the weights, or at night to avoid a late-night binge.
Oatmeal can be far more than just your breakfast cereal, it can help you make it through your day no matter what you're up to.

Triathlon & Yoga: Two Worlds Apart?

Already for some time I wanted to write something on the interaction between Bikram Yoga (but I might add yoga in general) and triathlon (or any endurance sport): two worlds that look so far apart but that are in reality so close.
So now the time has come and here’s what I have to say about it.
Let’s start by reminding ourselves that triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events that in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall course completion time, including timed "transitions" between the individual swim, bike, and run components.
While Bikram is is a system of yoga that consist of a set series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises. Bikram Yoga is ideally practiced in a room heated to 105°F (more or less 40.6°C) with a humidity of 40%. For more info you should read this article “The Awesomeness of Bikram Yoga”
So at this point you might think: “Ok, dude what is the link between this two very different forms of exercising?”
I know, that sounds a little bit like a stretch but I will explain you why and how those two worlds are actually very close!



Training for triathlons

As a triathlete, I spend anywhere between 15-25 hours each week swimming, biking and running in order to prepare for my triathlon races.
Consequently, I am constantly stressing my body physically. I do not have the time, the energy or even the motivation to do something “extra” just for the sake of doing it.
Bikram Yoga classes are 90 minutes long and since I have a very high metabolism I will sweat out 9 pounds of water in a class (no kidding, they call me waterfall at the studio where I pratice!). When you count travel time along with the need to arrive a few minutes early and stay a few minutes late, each class becomes a minimum 2 ½ hour time commitment. On top of my swimming, biking and running, I make the time to take 2 to 4 yoga classes each week – a 4 to 8 hour time commitment.
So why do I still do Bikram Yoga?



Last year, I competed in several triathlons with very good results (actually some of the best in my career)  andI attribute my success in a large part to regular Bikram Yoga practice.
Because of the high volume of repetitive movements, it is not uncommon for triathletes (like me) to frequently sustain overuse injuries such as Achilles tendinitis, rotator cuff issues, knee tendinitis and back pain (from the bike). Because I live for triathlon, I want to minimize any incidence of injury. And let me tell you I haven’t missed a day of training due to injury in a very long time.
In my opinion, there are three primary reasons why endurance sports athletes should consider practicing yoga:
(1) Increased flexibility. As a multisport athlete, we need a full range of motion in order to be more efficient in our movements.
(2) Improved core and stabilizer muscle strength. Because we maintain the same positions for extended periods of time, we need a strong core and strong joints to support our bodies.
(3) Both of the above will help reduce the likelihood of overuse injuries.
Consistency in training is a key success factor in endurance sports. It’s difficult to be consistent when injured.
At the end of the day, I truly believe that the 4 to 8 hours of time that I invest in the studio each week pays itself back many times over through improved overall health, which directly translates into improved performance for my passion: triathlon.



Bikram Yoga may not be the right yoga for everyone, but I would strongly recommend some form of yoga to anyone. And especially if you’re an endurance sport athlete you should seriously give it a thought!

TheIronYou

Better Core, Better Life

Core exercises are really important to do! Having core strength and stability is necessary for any activity.
Most of us think that doing core exercises will give us 6-pack abs. And unfortunately this is wrong. But, don’t worry, it's not your fault if you did think that. Most pictures and advertising, glorify abs. Everyone then has an obsession with 6-pack abs...

More On Quinoa

I’ve noticed that in the Post-Workout Dinner post, quinoa got a lot of attention. I thought it was a good idea to expand a little on this wonder food.

I'm gonna make full disclosure: I love quinoa. Texture, flavor and nutrition facts just makes it the perfect food for me. So my judgement it’s totally biased. I really think that you should give it a shot and I’m quite positive that at some point it will become part of your diet.

A Big Problem: Food Coloring

Food coloring is any substance, liquid or powder, that is added to food and beverages to enhance color and flavor. Commercially produced food coloring is usually comes from either natural sources or synthetic materials. All food coloring is edible but some people may have a sensitivity to it.

Food manufacturers use food colors to create fantastic colors for candy, soda, and chips, but food coloring can also be added to fresh foods to give them a more "natural" look, or to give the consumer what they expect: like more orange oranges!
Today it is often used in some protein foods as tuna or meat to enhance the color, appearance and make the product look fresh.

Often, but unfortunately not always, food dyes are listed on food labels with a number next to them; these are commercially produced dyes approved by the FDA.

Take Good Care of Your Cartilage

If you’re a runner, cyclist, skier, triathlete, yogi or else you have probably met, spoken or heard of somebody that had major cartilage problems...in the worst case scenario you might be the person experiencing this (though I hope not!)
Sometime such injury is so severe that people are forced to quit for good whatever sport they are practising.
Runners should especially be aware of the injuries that might occur to their cartilage and try their best to prevent it because once the damage is done there’s almost no way back.

In Defense Of Carbs

After reading the article “Carbs: the ultimate enemy?” I feel compelled to step into the discussion and stand up in defense of carbohydrates.

Let’s start by saying that I do strongly believe that not all carbohydrates are bad for you, actually some (the complex ones) are good for you. We cannot rag this important macronutrient.
Truth is that following an hyperproteic diet can be very dangerous for your body and you’ll figure that out after some years.
Certainly in 4 weeks your body will be slim and tonic but what about your general health?
These are some of the side effects of an hyperproteic diet: kidney failure, concentration of high levels of free radicals, alteration of the gut flora, spike in cholesterol and last but not least what about all the toxins, antibiotics and hormones that you can find in the meat?

How Many Calories Is A Pound Of Fat?

This question is one every person starting a diet thinks about.

Because if you start a diet the first thing that pops into your mind is: “How long will it take me to drop those extra pounds off?"

The simple answer to how many calories must be burned to lose a pound of weight is essentially the number of calories in a pound of fat.

Carbs: the ultimate enemy?

In an article published on the March, 2011 issue of Details magazine entitled “Are Carbs More Addictive Than Cocaine”, journalist Paul John Scott claims that carbs should be treated as your ultimate enemy and that it’s actually carbs not fat that make food fattening.

I really enjoyed reading this article so I thought it would be interesting to go through it and then discuss the outcomes of it.

Soy Milk: Good Or Bad?

This topic is a controversial one.
Every single person I've spoken to has a very different (and strong) opinion on soy milk. Some say it’s good for you others that it’s really bad and that you should be very careful, finally others do not care and just drink it because they like it (I kinda like those kind of persons). 
Personally, I discovered soy milk not a long time ago. Through my roomie Svet. She's obsessed with vanilla soy lattes. Whenever she goes out she comes back home holding a "tall one". So it was only a matter of time before she got me hooked on it. 
Next thing I know, I find myself buying a big carton of vanilla soy milk at Whole Foods. I literally love the taste. It's so good.

As I didn’t know much about milk soy I decided to do a little bit of research on it. That's when I found out that there is some controversy around this product.

Balsamic Vinegar Unveiled

The traditional balsamic vinegar first appeared around 1000AD in Modena (Italy).

There is no documented history on how balsamic vinegar was born. According to some, it all started out randomly in a kitchen household, where a certain amount of grape cooked must, the so-called Saba (which was back then used as a sweetener) was forgot in a kitchen pot and found again only after some time when the acetification/fermentation process was already taking place.

The Awesomeness of Bikram Yoga

OK, I’ll admit it...I’m addicted to Bikram yoga. I started almost two years ago and since then I can’t get enough.
I remember the first time I walked in class. Being a triathlete, I think nothing can stop me so I told myself: “This is going to be a piece of cake!”
Well, I’ve never been more wrong in my life. The heat almost "killed" me and, on top of that, the lack of flexibility in my muscles and joints made my life miserable for the whole 90 minutes.
But I don't like to throw in the towel, and I had to become good at it, no matter what.
After few weeks of practice I’ve noticed how the improved flexibility made my life easier in swimming and running (in particular, more powerful strokes and longer steps).
It was then settled, I would include Bikram Yoga in my training routine.