For a number of reasons, we at Hammer Nutrition recommend limiting or avoiding the intake of sugar. But what is sugar? And are carbohydrates and sugar the same thing? The words carbohydrate and sugar are often used to describe the same thing, but ultimately we have simple carbohydrates (most often referred to as sugars) and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates include monosaccharides and disaccharides. Monosaccharides are the building blocks for which larger, more complex carbohydrates which are called polysaccharides. So simple joins simple to create complex! A “simple” way to identify simple sugars is to look for the -ose in their name. Eg: Sucrose, glucose, fructose, lactose, ribose, etc.
Right…on to the topic we do not prefer to discuss, AGE and the effect of sugar on AGE. No, that is not a typo you are seeing. “AGE” stands for Advanced Glycation End products or AGEs. AGEs are formed by a process called glycation, which is the attachment (cross-linking) of sugars onto bodily proteins or fats. This cross-linking negatively alters the biological and structural roles of these proteins and lipids, in essence forming non-functioning structures in the body that are highly susceptible to free radical damage, which can escalate throughout the entire body. As Dr. Bill Misner states, “The underlying toxic effect of undesirable cross-linking stems from the fact that the cross-linked molecule cannot assume the correct shape for proper functioning.”
The glycation and cross-linking process begins with what is known as the Maillard reaction. If you’ve cooked any number of food substances and notice a browning effect, which happens via the chemical reaction that occurs when the protein and the carbohydrates in the food are exposed to heat, you’ve got a good illustration of what happens in the body. The final result of this process is Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs). As one nutritional scientist writes, “While glycation is a normal consequence of aging, it is far from desirable.” The reasons are numerous:
If that weren’t enough, AGE’s are believed to be responsible in the development of cataracts in the lens of the eye, a drop in kidney function, damage to the endothelial cell layer of blood vessels, and the sagging and wrinkling of the skin. So what can you do to help minimize AGE-related health issues?
MOST IMPORTANT: Be cognizant of your sugar intake, keeping in mind that a number of common food items often times contain hefty amounts of sugar. Reducing your intake of refined sugars and high glycemic index carbohydrates is definitely a step in the right direction. AGEs accumulate over time, and their formation and accumulation is greatly accelerated with high levels of circulating sugars in the body.
SECOND IN LINE OF IMPORTANCE: Manage your blood sugar. A number of nutrients are known to support healthy blood sugar levels, with perhaps the most well-known and most-used nutrient being chromium. Lipoic acid, ideally the “r” isomer form, which is found in Mito Caps, plays many important roles in the body, with helping to maintain optimal blood sugar levels being but one of them. The flavonoid, quercetin, found in both Premium Insurance Caps and Tissue Rejuvenator, is also known to help improve insulin sensitivity. All of the B vitamins, especially biotin, folic acid, B1 (thiamin), B6 (pyridoxine), and B12—all of which are in Premium Insurance Caps—are involved in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. Lastly, one of the attributes of the multi-beneficial nutrient Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)—one of the main components in Race Caps Supreme—is its ability to assist in maintaining and improving blood sugar levels.
THE NEXT STEP: Make sure your diet contains antioxidant-rich foods, especially whole fruits and raw vegetables, and that you augment your diet with a wide variety of antioxidants from supplements such as Premium Insurance Caps, Race Caps Supreme, Mito Caps and Super Antioxidant. The rationale for this recommendation is that, although excess sugar consumption is arguably the primary culprit in the formation of AGEs, they are (in the words of Dr. Misner) “also made by processes or substances that oxidize easily and/ or produce free radicals. Anything that creates unstable free radicals will increase AGEs. On the other hand, anything that neutralizes unstable free radicals will decrease or minimize the harmful effect of AGEs.”
FINAL STEP: Help stop the formation of Advanced Glycation End products. For this purpose, there is arguably no better nutrient than carnosine. Carnosine is referred to as a dipeptide, composed of one molecule each of histidine and alanine, and studies have shown that it effectively inhibits the processes that trigger the formation of AGEs. Carnosine can most definitely be thought of as a “multi-purpose” nutrient, with the following attributes:
Carnosine supplements are also widely available. The main take-home point, however, is that sugar plays a major role, perhaps THE major role, in the formation of AGEs, which, as you can see, have a number of negative health consequences. Reducing the amount of sugar you consume, taking nutrients that help maintain optimal blood sugar levels, consuming antioxidant-rich foods, supplementing with a wide range of antioxidants, and fueling with carnosine fortified Hammer Nutrition fuels is an excellent strategy to help avoid the AGEing process.
]]>The South African Summer is here! Early sunrises and training sessions are usually supported by moderate temperatures in SA, but the midday and late afternoon temperatures may often exceed 30°C. The central areas of South Africa have been known to achieve temps in the low 40s! Even a small and unusual increase in the temperature will require the body to adapt.
So, at what temperature does the body begin to exhibit a heat response? If the apparent temperature is above 16°C with a 60% humidity, then dehydration, hyponatremia, heat exhaustion and cramps are more likely to occur. It is important to remember the response will differ depending on the athlete and the length and intensity of exercise. The ability to physiologically acclimatize to hot or extremely hot conditions requires 14-21 days. This is achieved when the salt concentration of sweat progressively decreases while the volume of sweat increases. Urine volume also reduces. In addition, vasodilation of peripheral blood vessels results in increased heat loss through radiation. Vasodilation also causes flushing, or reddening, of the skin since more blood is close to the surface.
The body’s ability for adaptability in extremely hot climates or due to an internal infection, may cause the core body temperature to rise to dangerous levels. Hyperthermia, a life-threatening disorder, typically starts in humans when body temperatures rise to 40.6-41.7° C. While exercising, athletes will lose heat to the surrounding environment by 4 pathways:
There are limits to how much heat the body can withstand during exercise. But there are ways by which adaptation to heat stress may be improved. Simple radiation is responsible for most of the loss during normal temperature range, but in hot dry climates evaporative cooling and sweating is more significant. Adapting to hot environments is complex. The effect of heat on human bodies varies with the relative humidity of the air. HIGH TEMPERATURES + HIGH HUMIDITY makes it very difficult to lose excess body heat. This is due to the fact that when the moisture content of air goes up, it becomes increasingly more difficult for sweat to evaporate. As a result, we do not get the cooling effect of rapid evaporation. In DRY HOT weather, humidity is low and sweat evaporates readily. The higher the temperatures, the more significant of a cooling effect we get from evaporation.
Similarly, the human body has a variety of ways to absorb fluids, electrolytes and calories. This all points to different strategies (and products) to achieve your ideal fluid and electrolyte intake. Fluids are absorbed in the stomach first and then a few minutes later in the small intestines. Carbohydrates rely on sodium molecules to cross gut linings, so some sodium is absorbed with carbohydrates. HEED supplies high glycemic carbohydrates with a moderate level of electrolytes to aid this process. The electrolytes sodium, chloride and potassium are absorbed at a high rate by the colon so it will sometimes be necessary to consume an electrolyte only source such as Endurolytes Extreme. Fluid loss and body core temperature elevation drive thirst to increase fluids and this is good to a point. But loading too much water volume without electrolytes may create a low serum sodium level or hyponatremia, an event-ending medical emergency. Hence the reason for a quality electrolyte or hydration product such as FIZZ.
Tips for training in the heat:
The human body will adapt within 21 days with aerobic heat stress exposure. (DO NOT wear extra clothing or plastic sweat suits to raise body core temperatures in preparation for a hyperthermic event). If body core temperatures exceed evaporative cooling rate, fluid loss and electrolyte loss will present as dehydration, tachycardia, excessive heart rate, dizziness, gastric shutdown, performance deterioration, muscle cramping, and the athlete will be forced to reduce pace or stop exercising. When body core temperatures exceed the evaporative cooling rate, drinking cold fluids and emersion in cold water are the fastest remedies to reduce body core temperatures. Keep in mind, maintaining a slower pace (lower gears, easy cadence) in the heat may mean a better finish place over the course of a hyperthermic endurance event. It is best to be able to complete adaptive training in the heat with race event light coloured clothing, exposing as much skin as possible.
Ultimately, your preparation and understanding of how you body adapts to heat will help you adjust your race strategy and achieve your best result.
]]>The aim of recovery fuelling is to boost your fitness and enhance your exercise performance by taking a few moments, to put some high-quality carbohydrates and protein back in your body.
Results:
What you put in your body for post-exercise replenishment determines the quality of your recovery. The adage “garbage in, garbage out” definitely applies to post-exercise fuel replenishment. So feeling ok with junk food and an alcoholic beverage as your recovery options is not going to cut it!
What your body wants and needs is Recoverite. Recoverite will give your body the necessary complex carbohydrates and protein it’s craving, as well as other important nutrients to improve your recovery and future performance.
One serving, or 2 scoops will supply 30g of complex carbs (maltodextrin) and 10g of whey protein isolate (the most bioavailable protein) in a 3:1 ratio, 3 grams of glutamine, a full-spectrum electrolyte profile, and key nutrients such as chromium and L-carnosine for recovery and immune system.
ADDITIONAL TIPS TO ENHANCE RECOVERY
1) Essential Mg. Working in tandem with the chromium in Recoverite, magnesium helps maximize glycogen synthesis and storage capabilities, while also protecting against those dreaded post-exercise cramps.
2) Premium Insurance Caps will take care of resupplying the vitamins and minerals (some antioxidants as well), and Hammer Nutrition’s arsenal of potent antioxidant supplements—including Race Caps Supreme, Mito Caps, and Super Antioxidant—will supply wide-ranging protection against the damaging effects of free radicals. Remember, more exercise means more nutrients needed!
3) Tissue Rejuvenator and/or Vegan Tissue Rejuvenator are great products for protecting joint/tendon/cartilage health, while concurrently alleviating both muscle and joint soreness.
SUMMARY
What we do in training is important, no question about it, but if we neglect to take the proper steps for recovery, we will never get the full value out of the time and energy spent in training.
]]>This is the SSISA Super Tri Series presented by Dragonfly Tri! The Series comprises 3 Sprint and Supersprint Triathlons and is held at the Sports Science Institute in Cape Town.
YES! It is an “indoor” triathlon. The triathlon begins with an indoor swim at SSISA, then an outdoor stationary bike ride and is completed with a lovely outdoor run through the leafy Newlands area including the scenic Liesbeek River. And for those PB searching triathletes - there are no transition times 😉
The Super Sprint consists of a 400m swim, 10km bike ride and a 4km run. 35 big-eyed, and mostly novice triathlons tackled the Super Sprint with Tracey Orione and Patrick Pedersen being crowned as champions.
The Sprint had 50 brave triathletes dive in to the 700m swim, 15km bike ride and 6km run. Lesyl Potgieter and Johan Stadler were crowned their respective champions and will be looking to defend their title on the 26 November in Race #3.
Music, coffee, and Hammer Nutrition created the perfect motivation for athletes to put in their best (and first) triathlon performance.
Who is keen for the next event?
Congratulations to Dragonfly Tri for a great event. Head over to their website to view the remaining events they have planned for the year. You do not want to miss out!
Photos by www.charltaitphotography.myportfolio.com
]]>THE UNIQUE FULLY CHARGED FORMULA
SUMMARY:
No other pre-exercise product provides the wide-ranging benefits that Fully Charged does, without subjecting you to the unpleasant, excessive jittery and elevated heart rate effect associated with other pre-exercise supplements. This extraordinary product can be used prior to any workout or race, with additional doses every 2-3 hours during long-duration workouts and races not only being acceptable, but highly recommended. For over 5.5 years, Fully Charged has helped thousands of athletes take their workouts and races to another level of excellence. Isn’t it time you got FULLY CHARGED?
]]>It is easier to stay in shape than to get in shape. But if you have let things slip, let us get things going with a few helpful tips.
1) Add some prefuel! Topping up your carb stores with 100-200 calories of COMPLEX carbs in the 90 minutes before exercise will increase your bodys ability to fight fatigue. Add a pre-exercise ignitor like FULLY CHARGED to further reduce fatigue and improve energy supply.
2) Fuel during exercise! HEED is your best option for exercise under 2 hours. Fuelling your body with as little as 20-30% of your losses will still improve workout performance and help the body recover faster and feel better after exercise. At the same time, you will be training your digestive system to be more efficient and effective to help reduce port-a-loo situations in your target events. A second alternative is FIZZ, which is a very low carb electrolyte option that is perfect for the sweat sessions that typically happen indoors.
3) Refuel! Training gains are made during recovery. Immediately adding a recovery option post-exercise like RECOVERITE will improve recovery and performance in your next session, and if you train in the morning you will have more energy for your upcoming work day.
Fitness is the new Rome, and is definitely not built in a day. Athletes who have maintained their fitness and strength over the winter are similar to those who did not. You still need to achieve the little daily goals to build your fitness empire. Using the above tips will help kickstart all athletes and their athletic endeavours.
]]>Prostate Specific Advantage will provide premium prostate protection. The various ingredients will promote optimal prostate health, reduce frequent urination and provides potent antioxidant support.
PROSTATE SPECIFIC ADVANTAGE – Hammer Nutrition
The PSA Formula
The benefits are clear! Please remember to have your prostate checked by doctor. If you are routinely waking up at night for a toilet visit, it might be time to add PSA to your supplement regime.
]]>Prostate health is probably something that you and I would rather not think about. However, it's a topic that men just can't afford to ignore, because most of us, if not all of us, are likely to develop prostate enlargement at some point in our lives.
Here are some eye-opening facts that you may not know about enlarged prostate:
Fortunately, PSA Caps is the product designed precisely for these purposes, and ever since we introduced it a few years ago, thousands of men have benefited greatly. PSA Caps is an all-natural formula that helps reduce the symptoms of BPH and other prostate disorders.
PROSTATE SPECIFIC ADVANTAGE – Hammer Nutrition
BPH - The male-only malady
As a man ages, it's common for the prostate gland to become enlarged; at some stage in life almost all men are affected. When this occurs - the condition is called Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) - it puts pressure on the urethra, the canal that carries urine and semen out of the body. Increased pressure on the urethra causes urinary tract discomforts such as retention and urgency. Over time, severe BPH can cause serious problems, including urinary tract infections, bladder or kidney damage, bladder stones and incontinence. While the cause of BPH is not well understood, it is an extremely important issue for all men to address and resolve before it becomes problematic. Prevention is better than cure!
What causes BPH?
The specific cause(s) of this nearly universal disorder among older men is unknown, but most likely involves hormonal changes. The following three theories, in some combination, identify the main culprits currently being investigated for BPH. The formula of PSA Caps addresses all three.
BPH symptoms
Many symptoms of BPH stem from obstruction of the urethra and gradual loss of bladder function, which results in incomplete emptying of the bladder. The symptoms of BPH vary, but the most common ones involve changes or problems with urination, such as:
NB! The size of the prostate does not always determine how severe the obstruction or the symptoms will be.
It is important for men to tell their doctor about urinary problems such as those described above. In most cases these symptoms suggest BPH, but they can also signal other, more serious conditions that require prompt treatment. These conditions, including prostate cancer, can be ruled out only by a doctor's exam. If the bladder is permanently damaged, treatment for BPH may be ineffective. When BPH is found and treated in its earlier stages, there is a lower risk of developing such complications.
Who needs PSA Caps?
The benefits are cumulative, so take it daily!
Supplements should be taken daily to achieve optimum benefits. Nowhere is this more important than with a prostate health product.
HOT TIP
Keep a bottle on your nightstand!
For optimal absorption and best results, PSA Caps should be taken 60 minutes apart from meals, with the dosage recommendation of 1 capsule in the morning and 1 capsule at night.
SUMMARY
The PSA Caps formula predictably prevents or reduces prostate enlargement and the associated disorders reported to occur in males age 40 and over, especially in cyclists. By taking PSA Caps regularly, you're taking a major step in protecting the health of your prostate. It's an incredibly inexpensive "insurance policy" for an area of men's health that is undeniably important, so don't put it off!
]]>Over the years, I have been saddened to receive emails from members of the Hammer family who have fractured/broken a bone (or bones) or picked up a stress fracture, thus preventing them from training or competing, and sometimes preventing them from doing much of anything. These athletes/active people reached out to me because they wanted to do whatever they could to expedite their recovery and get back into action as soon as possible.
That’s where this protocol comes in. Believe me, I’ve done a ton of research on this topic, mainly because I hate to see athletes out of action for any notable length of time. On a happier note, I have been blessed to receive emails from clients who faithfully followed this supplement program and wanted to let me know it worked “better than I ever imagined.”
This supplement program will also benefit those of you who are trying to protect against osteoporosis or have been diagnosed with low bone density. As is always the case when discussing a medical condition, please consult with your health care professional before starting on a supplement program, especially if you’re currently taking a prescription medication.
Before discussing a supplement protocol, a special consideration should be paid to your diet to help achieve your required nutrient intake. We have all heard of the need to consume adequate dietary Calcium as Calcium is the primary mineral relating to bone density. This is especially true for endurance athletes due to Calcium playing a major factor in muscle shortening or activity. Without adequate dietary Calcium and Calcium consumed during exercise, your body will breakdown your bone matrix to supply the required Calcium for muscular activity! Endurolytes Extreme is your best option to help maintain your bone mass during exercise.
Enough talk! Here’s the protocol.
All the nutrients vital for bone health, magnesium is arguably the most important one of all.
DOSAGE SUGGESTION: The government-set Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for magnesium is 420 mg a day for males and 320 mg a day for females. A more appropriate amount to aim for, however, is the Optimum Daily Intake (ODI) standard of 500-750 mg of magnesium.
Selenium (found in Premium Insurance Caps)
The roles that this trace mineral plays in bone health are complex, but it is believed that a portion of its importance comes via its antioxidant properties.
DOSAGE SUGGESTION: More is not better with selenium, so don’t exceed 400 mcg on a daily basis. Some foods—mainly fish such as tuna and halibut—supply some selenium, while Brazil nuts are the richest source of this trace mineral (1 ounce contains 544 mcg). Four capsules of Premium Insurance Caps (57 mcg) and four capsules of LSA Caps (100 mcg) daily will supply you with an ideal amount of selenium.
Research on the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil (EPA and DHA) shows that they have powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.3 This makes fish oil an ideal candidate for inclusion in a bone-strengthening/anti-osteoporosis regimen, given the role of inflammation in osteoporosis.4
DOSAGE SUGGESTION: 2 softgels, 2 - 3 times per day with food.
Hammer Whey Protein and Organic Vegan Protein
Numerous studies document the acceleration of fracture healing with even a modest 10- to 20-gram increase in protein intake.
]]>
You survived the trick or treat stashes at Halloween!
The FIFA World Cup is challenging your resolve!
We have all “planned’ to train well over the next few weeks!
AND now the delicious temptations of the festive season approach.
It is safe to say that most of us plan to avoid holiday weight gain, but even the most disciplined athlete can struggle to hold the line against extra kilograms. Use these tips to devise your defence. Cheers to your health!
1. Optimum, not minimum, amounts - Unlike many vitamin/mineral supplements that contain inadequate Daily Value (DV), Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA), and Reference Daily Intake (RDI) amounts of nutrients, Premium Insurance Caps is formulated with Optimum Daily Intake (ODI) amounts of the highest quality vitamins and minerals. Dr. Shari Lieberman hits the nail on the head about why the use of ODI amounts in supplementation is so vital: "RDIs reflect amounts that are adequate to prevent nutrient-deficiency diseases and are not tailored for individual needs. In order to attain a state of optimum health and disease prevention, we must take into our bodies optimum - not minimum - amounts of vitamins and minerals."
NOTE: Premium Insurance Caps contain superb levels of the B-complex vitamins, amounts that replicate many stress support formulas, thus making those products unnecessary in your supplement regimen.
2. Capsules, not tablets - The nutrients in Premium Insurance Caps are contained within a two-piece all-vegetable capsule; that means they will dissolve much more rapidly and thoroughly than tablets would, so your body actually will receive the nutrients you're consuming. Because tablets can take longer to break down, they often irritate the intestinal lining, causing major stomach discomfort. Additionally, tablets can pass through the entire digestive system only partially dissolved, or completely un-dissolved. Either way, your body does not get the full volume of nutrients you ingested, which means you're not getting what you paid for.
3. Highly-assimilated, amino acid-chelated minerals - For many minerals, there are several forms available, all with differing absorption rates. Some companies use inexpensive forms of minerals in their products, e.g., magnesium in the oxide form or calcium in the carbonate form. Unfortunately, these cheap forms are not as well absorbed as other forms, such as the amino acid chelates used in Premium Insurance Caps.
4. Multiple digestive enzymes for maximum nutrient absorption - It's not what you consume, it's what you absorb. To aid the absorption of nutrients, Premium Insurance Caps includes digestive enzymes such as pepsin and papain.
5. Only beneficial nutrients, no "salt and pepper" - Some companies add auxiliary nutrients at levels that have no real value (what we call "salt and pepper" amounts). For example, some multivitamin/mineral supplements contain only 5 mg. of coenzyme Q10 and/or lipoic acid. Both are fantastic nutrients, but at that level you won't experience any true benefits. So even though a product's label may show a long list of auxiliary nutrients, you won't see results if the amounts are inconsequential. When you buy such a product, you're paying for a product that has little more than an impressive label. All of the nutrients included in Premium Insurance Caps are at levels that will provide real benefits.
SUMMARY
Hammer Nutrition recommend starting your supplement program with Premium Insurance Caps. Along with your efforts to consume the healthiest diet possible, Premium Insurance Caps will ensure you’re getting optimal amounts of vitamins, minerals, and key auxiliary nutrients. These aren’t minimal and insignificant DV, RDA, or RDI amounts, but amounts that will have a noticeably positive impact on your health, which research has shown includes fewer sick days and a significant slowing of cognitive aging.
In addition, the strong nutrient foundation that you receive from Premium Insurance Caps is a primary key to your body being able to meet the challenge of your training volume and workload, and that translates into improved athletic performance and better overall health.
McGregor is a small slice of Western Cape heaven. It might be known as the creative hub for artists, but the trail network around McGregor is undoubtably a work of art. The R2N is happening on the 9-11 September 2022 and Hammer Nutrition will be there to keep you fuelled!
The art of fuelling correctly cannot be understated. Any athlete that has ever experienced stomach or digestive issues will attest to this. Likewise, running low on energy or hitting the wall is not ideal. The Hammer products use the highest quality natural ingredients to keep blood sugar levels stable and reduce stomach distress. Here are your basic fuelling guidelines for this amazing trail adventure.
Loads of athletes think that they have to have breakfast before exercise, especially on race day. But, from a physiological perspective, you only need 200 calories of complex carbohydrates in the few hours before your morning exercise or race. The 200 calories utilised overnight are sourced from liver glycogen to keep your body functioning effectively. Eating OR drinking too many calories may leave you with fluctuating blood sugar levels, undigested food bouncing around in your stomach and may cause you to burn through your carbohydrate stores faster and reduce fat utilisation. What you will need:
Hourly caloric intake during exercise is a topic of argument, science and marketing! Hammer has consistently stated the #lessisbest principle to avoid overloading your stomach, and allowing the body to effectively supply energy from your fat stores. The fat stores are a prime source of fuel for endurance exercise and over fuelling and consuming simple sugars can reduce the body’s ability to access this valuable resource. Carbohydrates still need to be consumed to reduce severe depletion of carbohydrate stores and those same carbs can help you to better utilise your fat stores! A special mention must go to Endurolytes Extreme. Even though McGregor will most likely be cool, thus reducing the chance of cramp, the duration and having to do a stage the following day could mean you deplete your electrolyte stores more than you realise. What you will need:
Refuel, refuel, refuel! The best time to refuel is straight after finishing. Quicker refuelling means faster recovery and increased the ability to delay fatigue during the next stage. Refuelling after each session from now until your race will help you recover faster and increase your carbohydrates stores, thereby helping to delay fatigue during each day’s stage. What you will need:
The vibe and atmosphere in McGregor and out on their magnificent trails, is one to savour. Follow the above advice and you will be primed for your best performance and maximum enjoyment.
If you are struggling or have previously struggled with your fuelling and hydration, please do not hesitate to contact Hammer at fuelingexpert@hammernutrition.co.za.
For your convenience, there will be a Hammer Nutrition stand at registration where can may purchase your Hammer goodies and get that last minute nugget of advice.
See you in McGregor!
]]>The Nonstop Sani was recently held for the first time in a few years! And the Hammer Nutrition fueled duo of David Low and Dean Wortmann crossed the very sandy finish line in Scottburgh first, in a time of 13 hours, 25 minutes and 10 seconds.
The race started 02h00 (yes), in a very cold Underberg and then primarily followed the usual 250km Sani2C route, all within a 24-hour cut-off period.
Here are a few of David's thoughts on the event:
“From before the drop into the Umkomaas we were jostling with the other riders, but then they dropped us, so we kept our own pace. We saw them at each of the checkpoints heading off, but we were both so tired. It was probably the hardest thing I have done on a bicycle!
The best was dropping into the Umkomaas and watching the sunrise. We usually start the Umkomaas Valley drop when the sun is already up a little but this, seeing the sun peeping through the mountain, was absolutely mind blowing. It is so quiet that you can hear the river at the bottom thundering and the birds chirping. They don’t call it the mighty Umko for nothing.
Eventually it led to a sprint on the beach and a bit of bike pushing in the deep sand!! Exactly what you need after 250km!!!
David was slightly surprised at the victory, but if you follow Team Tipping Point on social media, you will see that the win was well deserved.
Well done team and we look forward to seeing you back on the start line!
Hammer On!
The quest to stay healthy during the cold winter months can be a challenge. Recent global events, daily stress, lack of healthy eating and the icy weather all play a role to suppress and weaken the immune system. In an ideal world we could receive all the macro and micronutrients to stay perfectly healthy from our food. In reality, we easily cover the macro requirements of carbohydrates, protein and fats from our food, but the micronutrients are severally lacking. Add on to that, that the type and quality of the macronutrients could also be of an undesirable level, we have the perfect winter storm for illness!!!
Hammer Nutrition have always believed that a healthy diet of wholefoods, no simple sugars and reducing sodium intake is the basis for a healthy lifestyle. The peak of your nutrition to achieve optimal levels of health and not only avoid illness, will be to add supplements to cover all the micronutrient requirements of the body. Here is a select group of 5 Hammer supplements to keep your immune system strong!!!
Improve your health, and your quality of life and performance will follow. Regular use of Premium Insurance Caps—Hammer’s potent multivitamin and mineral complex—brings about accelerated athletic recovery, greater fatigue resistance, reduced rates of illness and infection and a general experience of wellness.
Magnesium is crucial for proper muscle contraction, nerve function, carbohydrate metabolism, ATP activation, protein synthesis, blood pressure normalization, blood sugar level regulation and at least 300 other body processes. Optimal bone health is just one of the massive benefits of supplementing with Essential Mg.
Super Antioxidant contains a broad spectrum of extraordinary nutrients that powerfully and effectively neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals. Excess amounts of these “cellular wrecking machines” can easily overwhelm your body’s natural antioxidant defence systems, wreaking havoc on your health. Protect yourself! Be it hard training days, flu season, times of high stress, or peak training, Super Antioxidant is a tool you want on hand.
The human gut or digestive system is often referred to as the 2nd brain! The intelligence of how the gut breaks down and utilises all the nutrients and other substances that we consume, is slowly emerging as the basis for human health. Your health is not only dependent on what goes into your mouth, but if your body can effectively digest and deliver the nutrients.
You could compare this scenario to putting the best (and very expensive) fuel into your fuel tank, but your battery is flat!
Digest Caps helps maintain a healthy digestive system by tilting the balance of intestinal flora in favour of the “good guys.” Daily use of Digest Caps helps ward off the negative impact to the digestive system that occurs from infections, poor diet, stress, antibiotics, overuse of NSAIDs and more.
A special mention must go to our long-standing Race Caps Supreme! Race Caps Supreme could be considered the athletes multivitamin and mineral supplement, but will benefit all individuals who take the step up to this incredible supplement.
Increased energy, prolonged endurance, enhanced recovery and improved immunity—these are just a few of the benefits Race Caps Supreme has delivered to our customers for over three decades. It’s the original endurance supplement and still second to none. With potent sources of coenzyme Q10 and idebenone, along with a host of other cellular energy catalysts to maximize assimilation, Race Caps Supreme works to replenish critical nutrients not available from dietary sources. Race Caps Supreme is THE supplement that provides a truly wide range of benefits for enhancing both athletic performance and overall health and everyone—athlete and non-athlete alike—would benefit tremendously from daily use.
Hammer On!
This year’s Tour de France (TdF) has an overall distance of 3 329km and 48 530m of climbing. The amount of time the winner will ride to complete the Tour will be around 80 hours if they average 41.5km/h over the 21 stages. This means a lot of fueling as the intensity is high and there is a lot of time spent on the bike. As they say, a TdF cyclist is not only fueling for today’s ride, but also for tomorrows!!!
Which Hammer fuels would you need to use and how much of each fuel?
Well lets first have a look at the typical general nutrition and calorie count for each day. Each cyclist will need to consume between 5000 and 8000 calories per day to keep their energy levels up and their muscle mass intact. This will start with breakfast from 8-9am, 3 hours before the race start and includes primarily carbohydrates in the form of bread, muesli, cereal, fruit, smoothies and much needed protein from omelettes and nuts. Ideally, they will avoid the tasty pastries at the hotels as these take longer to digest and can leave the rider feeling heavy at the start! Around 90 minutes before the start riders will have a snack of rice cakes, raisin bread or a sports bar. (Writers note: This does sound strangely similar to the “How To Hammer” …wink, wink!)
The riders will aim to consume anywhere from 60g (240 calories) of carbs per hour on the easier days, and up to 120g (480 calories) of carbs per hour on the toughest days. The teams have noticed a slight decrease in caloric intake over the last few years which has been linked to the toughness and speed of racing. Always remember that TdF cyclists systemically train their gut to consume all these calories for months before the Tour, just like they train their muscles and cardiorespiratory systems to perform.
So, which Hammer products would supply the right amount of calories for a TdF rider?
The bulk of the calories would be from 35-40g of carbs from an electrolyte energy drink like HEED, per hour. The rider would then supplement the extra calories with a Hammer Gel, preferably caffeinated and bars every 30 minutes. On longer, tougher stages, more solid options would be introduced in the form of rolls with jam, rice cakes and more bars that provide easily digestible food. This hourly intake could almost double during the big alpine climbs!!! So here is an example of the Hammer breakdown:
Yes, yes, we can hear you saying, “But what about Perpetuem and needing protein for longer rides?” The peloton do try add protein in the more solid food options and bars and there is the occasional experiment with ketones and BCAAs, but a protein fortified carbohydrate drink does seem to be lacking. A simple equation would be to replace the 1.5 scoops of HEED with 1 scoop of Perpetuem so you end up with very similar numbers. Are there any TdF cyclists reading this who would like to try Perpetuem?
Once the stage is over the riders will try drink a carb rich recovery drink with 20-25g of protein within 30 minutes of finishing. You might still see the occasional rider drinking a cola drink but a lot of teams are actively avoiding colas for a bespoke recovery drink like Recoverite. The bus trip to the team hotel is a good time for sandwiches, rice cakes and cereal bars. This will be followed up by dinner at around 8pm that will start with salad and soup, then a main meal of meat and carbs. The old days of overcooked pasta for dinner every day has long been forgotten! Healthy snacks are available for the riders before the lights go out at around 10-11pm. If all goes well the rider will then be fueled up, sleep well and give a good performance in the next day’s stage.
"15 minutes before the start I drank a 500ml HEED and took a Hammer Gel. I also started with a FIZZ in a bottle in my hand and a 3-hour bottle of Perpetuem and a HEED/FIZZ mix in my pack.
The day before I sat down with my wife Jade, and we calculated how long we thought I would be between each aid station. Jade would then adjust my Perpetuem bottle with how I was doing; if slower than what we calculated she would increase the dosage but never less than what we estimated. My idea was to finish a 500ml bottle with a FIZZ hourly and every 4 to 6 hours add a HEED with the FIZZ bottle.
The race pace actually surprised me at the start with everyone taking a slow jog out the starting block. Right off the bat I started sipping on my hand-held FIZZ bottle and about 30 min in started sipping Perpetuem. Throughout the race I just sipped on these every once in a while, and while there was no specific time, I targeted to have a certain amount, I would try to finish my bottle of Perpetuem by the next check point. If not, I would down the remainder at the CP where Jade had my new one for the next leg.
Race pace in the beginning was around 5:30 to 6 min a km which felt good and was working well with my timing and Perpetuem bottles. When we got to Sani Stone Lodge, I knew all the big climbs were ahead and I didn’t want to be caught out feeling hungry so I asked Jade to mix me a meal replacement, Hammer PHOOD, which I downed.
Throughout the climb up Black Mountain I felt strong and continuously sipped on both my FIZZ and Perpetuem bottle and also a HEED/FIZZ mix. At the top of Black Mountain, I got my next bottle from Jade and decided to try some chips. I put one chip in my mouth and put the rest down as didn’t feel I needed this extra solid food. I had my longest Perpetuem bottle from the top of Black Mountain as this would need to carry me up Mount Thaba Ntlenyana and then all the way to the Sani backpacker. Once there I could use my drop bag as Jade had to go down before the border closed! Throughout this period, I felt strong and decided to keep between 6 and 6:30 per km pace on the flatter stuff and the uphill’s a fast walk or shuffle and on any down hills to open the legs a bit.
At the top of Thaba I was cold and keen to get down, and the guys up there told me that Simon Tshabalala was over an hour ahead. I told myself that Simon was too far ahead to catch so I should just stick to my comfortable pace. I tried to run down quite fast to get out the cold but by now the rain was coming down properly and it was very slippery. I took quite a few wipe-outs so ended up going a lot slower and more cautiously making this, what I feel, my slowest part of the run. On this stretch it was the only time I finished my Perpetuem bottle quiet far before the next CP. I did however feel fine the whole way.
At the Sani Back Packers, I decided not to waste time refilling bottles and asked for a cup of soup to warm up. I took a few sips of the soup but didn’t feel like I needed it so I left that on the table. I did then refill my bottles and wanted to move on but I asked someone to put my Perpetuem bottle under the tap as I had spilt some powder down the side and didn’t want the bottle to get sticky. While they did this, they somehow loosened the top and spilled most of my Perpetuem out, so what should have been a 4 hour plus bottle ended up probably being an hour bottle!! I didn’t stress to much as I also had another HEED/FIZZ mix to take.
Running down Sani Pass I let loose until 12 Apostles which almost killed me! I really struggled through this section in the dark until Salt and Pepper CP. I was told Simon was still an hour ahead so never I put any more thought into catching him and stuck to a pace that felt comfortable. During this time, I found I wasn’t drinking a 500ml FIZZ bottle hourly but probably every 1.5 to 2 hours a bottle. It was colder and I think my pace was slower.
When I reached Waterfall CP, by the hotel, I had not had the Perpetuem I wanted from the top but I fine felt nutrition wise. However, knowing that I had missed a lot of nutrition coming down I asked Jade to mix me another Hammer PHOOD which I downed quickly. From here I knew I would see Jade at the checkpoints and she would have my bottles all ready… happy days, as this makes all the difference having one less thing to worry about.
From here things were going smoothly and I stuck to a comfortable pace as I knew there was still a long way to go and I got back to occasionally sipping both bottles. At the next CP, the guys told me that Simon had come through 40min ahead which surprised me as it meant I had gained 20 min. I knew there was still a long way to go and decided not to try catch him but stick to a comfortable pace and to see what happens as the race went on.
At the Old Hatchery CP, the person told me that Simon had come through only 20 min before me and this is where I decided that maybe there was a chance to catch him and decided to push a bit harder. I caught up with him not far after the CP. We both ran together at what I feel was a steady pace with not much walking anywhere. Throughout this time, I continuously sipped on my two bottles except for a little less on my FIZZ bottle, as I didn’t want to stop to refill and let Simon pull away.
We both pulled into Drak Gardens together and Jade told me she had mixed my Perpetuem bottle to carry me to the end. This was so I could avoid stopping again to refill and also the road was in a bad way for her to get to the last checkpoint. Simon and I pulled out of Drak Gardens together. It is a slight incline out of Drak Gardens and I thought that if I could pull away this would have to be the time. I pushed hard and slowly Simon dropped back. When we were back on the trails there was another climb, which I decided I needed to push. I dug down deep and ran up the climb thinking to myself that if Simon takes his time up, I will be able to put a gap while he climbs and I go down the other side.
I know how fast Simon is so I continued to push on any inclines and open up on the downhills to try keep a gap. Not once did I ever feel safe to get off the pace as I always thought he was pushing to and would catch me. During this section of pushing, I was sipping a lot on my FIZZ bottle as I felt I needed the extra electrolytes to keep pushing but, to avoid me stopping to long, whenever I got to a river, I would scoop some water in a cup and carry on running.
At the last CP, I made my last FIZZ bottle and was almost out of Perpetuem but didn’t worry about that as it was only 8km to go. Again, I did not stop, whenever I could run I would. On the steep climbs I would walk as fast as I could and, on the downhills, I would go as fast as my legs could carry me. Whilst doing this I kept to my strategy of sipping out of the streams and sucking quite often on my FIZZ bottle.
Only once I had reached 3km to the finish did I feel that this race was most likely mine but even then, I was not going to take a chance and let off the pace.
When I finally crossed the finish line my legs were dead, I was dead, but overall felt pretty good and thought not once had I needed anything extra.
I only ate my first solid food about 2 hrs after finishing and even then, it was a few hot chips, the kids ate most of them but I didn’t feel I needed anything extra.
The Perpetuem carried me from start to finish while feeling good the whole way. It was by far the longest I have ever run on a liquid only as before I had only done a few training runs with Perpetuem."
Hammer Nutrition fuelled athletes took a clean sweep of the podium in the 100miler. (1st Place: Douglas Pickard - new record; 2nd Place: Simon Tshabalala; 3rd Place: Justin Oelofsen)
]]>It may be tempting to take a more casual attitude toward your nutrition plan in the off-season, but there are good reasons to keep avoiding processed and high-sugar foods throughout every season. You already know that limiting your exposure to certain foods like wheat, sugar, and highly processed foods is ideal during training season because it helps reduce aches and soreness while encouraging a healthy gut.
However, in the off-season, athletes tend to be a bit more relaxed about their nutrition. Whether your off-season is through the winter or over the summer, keeping up with your nutrition can keep you feeling healthy and fit all year long. Plus, getting back into training season will be easier.
Here’s why: your immune system relies on a healthy gut. In fact, about 60% of your immune system surrounds your small and large intestines! Eating sugar, wheat, and processed foods can upset your digestive system and lead to issues with the immune system. This can result in more colds and flu, which commonly take athletes out of training. It can also lead to more overall aches, soreness, and even more serious health conditions if allowed to persist for too long.
1. Load up on greens and vegetables. Foods like broccoli, kale, and Brussels sprouts can help support a healthy body, gut, and immune system.
2. Avoid sugar, gluten, and foods containing highly processed wheat. Look for whole grains when possible, and check labels for hidden sugars. Going through an elimination food plan can also help with identifying foods that could be causing unwanted digestive upset and other symptoms.
3. Reduce indigestion by paying attention to food combinations. Fruits digest differently than protein and starchy carbohydrates. Try eating fruits and starchy carbohydrates for snacks and eating protein, fat, and vegetables at main meals.
4. Fill in any nutrition gaps with Hammer Nutrition’s Premium Insurance Caps, Digest Caps, and EndurOmega, and get in more healthy greens!
5. Consider taking a whole-body approach to your health and training nutrition program. Focus on the right foods, identify any underlying infections, address gut health, balance hormones, reduce stress, and evaluate for overall toxin exposure.
YOU CAN HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT ON YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM, TRAINING AND OVERALL WELL-BEING BY FOLLOWING THESE SIMPLE TIPS TO MAXIMIZE THE TIME YOU ARE SPENDING TRAINING, EVEN DURING THE OFF-SEASON.
RETHINKING THE ROLE OF CALCIUM
Every day, thousands of calcium supplements are being swallowed in the hopes of staving off osteoporosis. Calcium is indeed important to maintain bone health, but mega-dosing on this mineral under the belief that more is better may not benefit you in the long run.
After reviewing 10 years of medical tests involving over 2,700 people, scientists found an association between calcium supplements and an increased risk of arterial plaque build-up and heart damage.
Dr. Erin Michos of the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine states that his study adds to the body of evidence that excess calcium in the form of supplements may harm the heart and vascular system.
Considering that 99% of the total body calcium is located in the bones, it is not surprising that academic proponents of high calcium intake have used as an argument the possible role of calcium deficiency in osteoporosis, says magnesium expert Dr. Guy Abraham. There is no evidence, however, to support this view. Osteoporosis is not more common in those parts of Asia and Africa where diets are relatively low in calcium (300-500 mg/day) than in Europe and North America where consumption of dairy products contributes to more than1000 mg of calcium/day. Also, when patients with severe osteoporosis were given massive doses of calcium, they went into positive calcium balance, but radiographic studies revealed no changes in the osteoporotic process. So where did that calcium go? Obviously into the soft tissues where it does not belong.
MAGNESIUM: MEGA-BENEFICIAL MINERAL FOR BONES
A strong case can be made for magnesium as the most important component for bone health instead, especially because magnesium is necessary for the proper utilization of vitamin D and calcium.
Dr. Susan Brown writes, since magnesium participates in an astonishing array of biochemical reactions, it's no surprise that it's essential for healthy bones. Most notably, adequate magnesium is essential for absorption and metabolism of calcium.
Two separate studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that insufficient magnesium intake lowered bone minerals, while adequate dietary magnesium intake increased bone mineral density, helping reduce the risk of osteoporosis and related bone fractures.
Speaking solely on bone health and osteoporosis prevention, magnesium is arguably the mineral that is driving the train. Calcium does play an important role in the health of bones, but new research suggests that excess calcium intake, a common practice, can negatively impact heart health.
Essential Mg contains five forms of highly bioavailable magnesium. From supporting optimal bone health to so much more, Essential Mg is an ideal way to ensure that you are receiving optimal amounts of this all-important, health-benefiting mineral.
Endurolytes Extreme may be regarded as an anti-cramp supplement, but in the context of the above there is more significant applications. The presence of Calcium (for muscle contraction) and Magnesium (for muscle relaxation) during exercise, could be regarded as the main benefit of the Endurolytes formula. Add in a multitude of other reasons for using a full spectrum of electrolytes in your electrolyte supplement, and in your exercise and recovery fuels, then the picture becomes very clear why Hammer Endurolytes is your best choice!
For as long as Hammer Nutrition has existed as a company, we have been relentless in our crusade to educate others about the dangers of sugar consumption. Some may discount or casually disregard sugar intake, but there can be no denying that it's an ever-increasing health concern. Dr. Joseph Mercola states: Sugar is likely one of the most dangerous products you can ingest and may trigger an addiction that is difficult to break, and we couldn't agree more.
How bad has sugar consumption become? According to William Faloon in his article Not Fit for Human Consumption, In 1700, the average person in England is estimated to have consumed about four pounds of refined sugar a year. Annual refined sugar ingestion has now shot up to over 100 pounds. Excess sugar ingestion is a factor behind surging rates of obesity, cancer, vascular disorders, dementia, and type II diabetes.
A recent study from the University of Surrey adds to the growing body of research showing that sugar consumption is indeed a serious health hazard. In this study, researchers tracked the liver health of two groups of men: one that had non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and the other that had low levels of liver fat. For a 12-week period, the men in one group consumed a low-sugar diet (140 sugar calories/day) while the other group consumed a high sugar diet (650 sugar calories/day). After this 12-week period, the groups switched sugar intake for another 12-week period.
The results showed that the men in both groups had significantly higher levels off at in both their blood and livers after consuming the high-sugar diet for 12 weeks. Researchers noted that the NAFLD group had changes in fat metabolism associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and strokes. More startlingly, they found that when the men who started the study with low liver fat levels consumed the high-sugar diet, not only did their blood and liver fat increase; their fat metabolism was nearly identical to the men with NAFLD.
After reviewing the results, lead researcher Bruce Griffin, Ph.D., commented our findings provide new evidence that consuming high amounts of sugar can alter your fat metabolism in ways that could increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.
This research shows, yet again the dangers associated with sugar consumption. This study is especially concerning because of the short time frame – a mere 12 weeks - needed to elicit such serious negative health consequences.
Endurance fuels that are comprised of sugar (glucose, sucrose, fructose) are not only inferior in terms of energy quality, they are not at all good for your health. They have no business in your body at any time and should be avoided. During exercise and immediately after, you do need carbohydrates. However, for fast-acting, longer-lasting energy during exercise, and superior post exercise glycogen replenishment, choose complex carbohydrates (maltodextrin) found in Hammer Nutrition fuels - not junk sugar!
And remember, other than during exercise and shortly after, you should refrain from consuming high glycemic index carbohydrates of all kinds. Your liver – your entire body, actually - will thank you.
]]>If the information you’ve read thus far hasn’t convinced you that taking Premium Insurance Caps is highly beneficial, hopefully the following will.
EXTRAORDINARY BENEFIT #1 – 60%+ REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF SICK DAYS!
In August, 2020, the eye-opening results from a study were published in the journal Nutrients. To this day it remains one of the most important studies in recent years, as researchers found that:
Profound? Eye-opening? You bet! Here are the highlights of this study:
We should always make maintaining a strong immune system a major focus in our daily lives, and the health challenges the past couple of years have really emphasized just how razor-shard that focus needs to be. Bottom line? Taking care of your immune system simply cannot be ignored!
While there are many things that we can do to help promote strong immunity—getting adequate sleep and reducing stress are just a couple—the first step is always the consumption of a diet dominated by nutrient-dense whole foods. However, as important as eating healthy is, that alone will not suffice. To achieve your best performances in your workouts and events—and, even more importantly, enjoy optimal health, which, as this study’s results show, could very well mean fewer sick days—then daily supplementation with Premium Insurance Caps, Hammer Nutrition’s potent multivitamin/mineral supplement, is a necessity, not an option.
EXTRAORDINARY BENEFIT #2 – DAILY MULTIVITAMIN USE SLOWS COGNITIVE AGING 60%!
The latest and remarkable research concluded that taking a multivitamin/mineral supplement daily for three years is associated with a 60% slowing of cognitive aging. As most everyone knows, the brain is responsible for many functions that fall under the term “cognition”—thinking, learning, memory, attention, perception, processing information, and much more. It’s also important to know that cognitive aging and decline is not a disease, but instead a naturally occurring process.
While we may not be able to completely halt cognitive aging, we now know how we may be able to slow it down...way down!
This particular research on the effects of daily multivitamin/mineral use and cognitive function was a sub-study of a larger study that compared the effects of cocoa extract (500 mg/day cocoa flavanols) and a standard multivitamin/mineral supplement to placebo. The first part of the research focused on the effects of cocoa extract (CE) vs placebo on Global Cognitive Function (GCF) composite score, the overall summary of 19 separate tests and the primary method in determining overall cognitive function. The researchers then studied the effects of daily multivitamin/mineral use vs placebo on GFC.
While the CE findings were no different than placebo, there was a noticeable improvement in GFC composite score in the results for the multivitamin/mineral supplement vs. placebo. Lead study researcher, Dr. Laura D. Baker, states "Daily multivitamin-mineral supplementation appears to slow cognitive aging by 60% or by 1.8 years,” and that the results “may have important public health implications, particularly for brain health, given the accessibility of multivitamins and minerals, and their low cost and safety.”
This new research is as impressive and important as the previously discussed study, and it adds to the “arsenal” of research that shows that daily use of Premium Insurance Caps provides extraordinary, wide-ranging benefits.
5 REASONS WHY PREMIUM INSURANCE CAPS SHOULD BE YOUR MULTI!
NOTE: Premium Insurance Caps contain superb levels of the B-complex vitamins, amounts that replicate many stress support formulas, thus making those products unnecessary in your supplement regimen.
2. Capsules, not tablets - The nutrients in Premium Insurance Caps are contained within a two-piece all-vegetable capsule; that means they will dissolve much more rapidly and thoroughly than tablets would, so your body actually will receive the nutrients you're consuming. Because tablets can take longer to break down, they often irritate the intestinal lining, causing major stomach discomfort. Additionally, tablets can pass through the entire digestive system only partially dissolved, or completely un-dissolved. Either way, your body does not get the full volume of nutrients you ingested, which means you're not getting what you paid for.
3. Highly-assimilated, amino acid-chelated minerals - For many minerals, there are several forms available, all with differing absorption rates. Some companies use inexpensive forms of minerals in their products; e.g., magnesium in the oxide form or calcium in the carbonate form. Unfortunately, these cheap forms are not as well absorbed as other forms, such as the amino acid chelates used in Premium Insurance Caps.
4. Multiple digestive enzymes for maximum nutrient absorption - It's not what you consume, it's what you absorb. To aid the absorption of nutrients, Premium Insurance Caps includes digestive enzymes such as pepsin and papain.
5. Only beneficial nutrients, no "salt and pepper" - Some companies add auxiliary nutrients at levels that have no real value (what we call "salt and pepper" amounts). For example, some multivitamin/mineral supplements contain only 5 mg. of coenzyme Q10 and/or lipoic acid. Both are fantastic nutrients, but at that level you won't experience any true benefits. So even though a product's label may show a long list of auxiliary nutrients, you won't see results if the amounts are inconsequential. When you buy such a product, you're paying for a product that has little more than an impressive label. All of the nutrients included in Premium Insurance Caps are at levels that will provide real benefits.
SUMMARY
After hundreds upon hundreds of supplement program consultations I’ve done during my tenure at Hammer Nutrition, I unhesitatingly recommend starting your supplement program with Premium Insurance Caps. Along with your efforts to consume the healthiest diet possible, Premium Insurance Caps will ensure you’re getting optimal amounts of vitamins, minerals, and key auxiliary nutrients. These aren’t minimal and insignificant DV, RDA, or RDI amounts, but amounts that will have a noticeably positive impact on your health, which research has shown includes fewer sick days and a significant slowing of cognitive aging.
In addition, the strong nutrient foundation that you receive from Premium Insurance Caps is a primary key to your body being able to meet the challenge of your training volume and workload, and that translates into improved athletic performance and better overall health.
I’ve often referred to Premium Insurance Caps, Hammer Nutrition’s multivitamin/mineral supplement, as “the most boringly beneficial product we make.” The reason for that unique distinction is because it’s not the most glamorous supplement you can take; there’s nothing ultra-cool in the product as there is in, say, Fully Charged or Anti-Fatigue Caps, to name a couple of examples.
But while Fully Charged, Anti-Fatigue Caps, and other supplements in the Hammer Nutrition line may arguably have a bit more direct impact on improving athletic performance, to be quite honest, if you’re not covering your basic nutrient needs (vitamins and minerals), those other products won’t ever realize their full value, and you will never get maximum benefits from the time and energy you spend in your workouts.
In my nearly 22 years at Hammer Nutrition, I’ve found that most people have three main excuses as to why they don’t take a multivitamin/mineral supplement:
The first reason is absolutely incorrect; it is virtually impossible to obtain all of the nutrients your body requires from your daily diet. Three main reasons why this is true:
The first point is of primary importance. Forget about providing enough nutrients to promote optimal health—many people do not eat enough quality food to meet the minimal Reference Daily Intake (RDI) micronutrient requirements for preventing deficiency-related disorders.
The research of distinguished nutritional scientist Bruce Ames, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of California, Berkeley, also presents a hypothesis that implies micronutrient deficiency may eventually deteriorate the quality of whole human cell health. A portion of Professor Ames' abstract reads as follows:
“Inadequate dietary intakes of vitamins and minerals are widespread, most likely due to excessive consumption of energy-rich, micronutrient-poor, refined food. Inadequate intakes may result in chronic metabolic disruption, including mitochondrial decay. Deficiencies in many micronutrients cause DNA damage, such as chromosome breaks, in cultured human cells or in vivo. Some of these deficiencies also cause mitochondrial decay with oxidant leakage and cellular aging and are associated with late onset diseases such as cancer.”
So, when you hear someone tell you that you can get all the nutrients you need from a healthy diet, keep in mind the sobering words of Drs. Misner and Ames.
As far as the second excuse for not taking a multivitamin/mineral supplement—“they’re boring and won’t don’t make me faster” (or something like that)—think about it a bit more: If you’re not covering your nutrient needs—and it’s pretty clear that basically no one is, especially athletes—you increase the potential for a number of negative athletic performance and health issues to occur. At the very least, this means you won't get the full value from all of the hard work you put into your training because your body doesn’t have the nutrient support it needs to fully recover. It could also very well result in a compromised immune system, which is definitely something to avoid because that could translate into missed training days due to illness.
The third excuse is just flat-out wrong. When you take a multivitamin/mineral supplement, your urine will turn a bright yellow. This is NOT your body “peeing out all the vitamins.” That bright yellow colour is due to the riboflavin (vitamin B2) component in a multivitamin/mineral supplement. Among its many functions, riboflavin helps co-enzymes break down carbohydrates, fats and proteins. As the flavins in riboflavin are utilized in the body to metabolize carbs, fats and protein they pass along flavin rings which have a neon yellow colour, which simply means that the flavins in riboflavin are doing their job in metabolizing carbohydrates, protein, and fat.
Now that we offer a true meal replacement product (MRP), many of you have been asking how to use it or incorporate it into your daily routine to good effect. Do keep in mind that this product was developed for athletes like me — who despite many hours a week of cardio training and a healthy diet, still have an extra 5,10, or 15 pounds of excess body fat that provides additional insulation in winter, but not much other benefit. If you are already super lean, have a hummingbird metabolism, Hammer PHOOD can and should be used in a different way — see below.
During the development of Hammer PHOOD, I tested three different methods that resulted in slow, medium and fast fat loss. Actually, four if you count the 72 hour fast, I did on 3 servings a day of PHOOD. I do not recommend this unless done under the close guidance and supervision of a health care professional.
METHOD 1—SLOW
For this test, I replaced breakfast with a serving of PHOOD. Still eat my normal lunch and dinner. No snacking after dinner. Depending on what you normally eat for breakfast, this represents a reduction of 250–300 in daily calories. This is mostly for convenience, but if practiced diligently, will result in leaning out a bit.
METHOD 2—MEDIUM
For this test I substituted a serving of PHOOD for dinner. Not my favourite way of eating, but by eating normal breakfast and lunch, then just PHOOD for dinner, my rate of weight loss increased noticeably, but there was a huge compromise of being a spectator at dinner! I like dinner too much to use this method for more than a week or two at a time.
METHOD 3—FAST
In this scenario, I am fasting until 11, having a serving of PHOOD for lunch. Then, regular dinner between 6 and 7 p.m. I have found this scenario to be my favourite as dinner time is social time. Once I reached my desired weight/BMI, I just switched to normal lunch and dinner, always limiting starchy carbs, but going big on high water content vegetables and greens.
HYPER METABOLIC/ECTOMORPH ATHLETE’S USES FOR PHOOD
There is a great application for those of you who are on the other side of the spectrum. If you do not eat constantly, you lose weight! For you, intermittent fasting is not necessary, eating three square meals a day is a must and some solid snacks in between your meals are a must. This is where PHOOD comes in. The rich, high protein/fat formula provides satiety for hours and gives your furnace an excellent slow burning fuel. As a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack, PHOOD can be an effective tool for you to protect against muscle cannibalization an ever-present concern for aging Ectomorphs.
Disclaimer—This article is intended for information purposes only. Before beginning any diet modification, calorie restricting or intermittent fasting program, you should consult a qualified healthcare professional.
There has been a debate going on in the sports nutrition industry for the past 25+ years. The opposing sides consist of the high sodium advocates and the low-sodium advocates. Until 1996, high sodium advocates had the stage all to themselves with an abundance of sweat studies to point to as evidence to support their side. Leading the low sodium side, we had a lot of anecdotal information from athletes, but not much more. That’s all changed. You significantly improve your ability to tolerate heat stress by lowering dietary sodium intake!
With the introduction of Hammer Nutrition’s Endurolytes® formula in 1997, a full-spectrum, all-chelated, proportionately balanced electrolyte replacement supplement, athletes finally had an alternative to the “salt pills” and the idea of consuming massive amounts of dietary sodium.
Being an innovation- and education-centric company, we introduced this innovative and revolutionary product in 1996 and began educating endurance athletes about the perils of a high sodium diet and high sodium replacement during heat stress exposure. The science supporting the myriad health benefits of eating a low-sodium diet, as well as the negative health consequences of eating a high sodium diet, is overwhelming and convincing: High sodium diets have long been associated as direct or supporting causes of high blood pressure, heart disease and many other medical conditions prominent in this and most other western countries.
Despite all of this data, high sodium advocates somehow reason that if you are an endurance athlete exercising in heat stress environments, somehow magically sodium is now your friend and you should consume it freely all the time. Wait, what? Perhaps it’s my bias, but I’ve always found this illogical argument to be laughable and totally indefensible.
The sodium debate also brings a whole series of questions with it such as: Are some athletes naturally prone to high sweat rates when exercising in heat? Are some athletes also naturally prone to haemorrhaging large volumes of sodium during exercise in heat, when others do not?
More importantly, can an athlete who has historically shown excessively high perspiration rates and sodium losses change these tendencies through dietary intervention or any other means? To me, this is the “$64,000 question!” And surprisingly, one that not very many people are interested in answering.
Historically, if you did an event in the heat and you had cramps or other heat stress related illness, conventional wisdom said you didn’t drink enough and you didn’t consume enough sodium, so the next time just take more!
This vicious cycle of confusion around the cause and effect of high sodium intake caused more than a few athletes to suffer terribly during and after their hot events—the pain and suffering of cramps and GI distress as well as IVs in arms and trips to the hospital for hyponatremia.
Amazingly, this is still what some so-called experts in the high-sodium camp, which includes most competitor sports drinks and products, are still telling athletes today.
Conversely, we have argued since the 90s that an athlete’s sodium losses and perspiration rates during exercise are nothing more than a reflection of their recent dietary sodium intake habits—high sodium diet begets high sweat rates and large sodium and therefore high losses during intense heat stress exercise. Just like they used to say at IBM, “GI-GO: garbage in garbage out.” I like the IBM analogy for sodium because it puts it in proper context, the more you consume, the more you will excrete.
Over the past 25 years, we have worked with thousands of athletes and have seen the universal reports coming back—lower dietary sodium reduces perspiration rates and electrolyte losses during intense heat stress events, allowing the athlete to perform to their true potential despite intense heat and humidity. “But where’s the data?” the sceptics ask, as they munch on a bag of salty chips.
Unfortunately, in the 90s and up until very recently, no data existed to support our position. No study that I have found sought to prove or disprove this hypothesis. One would need to take a group of athletes, establish baseline data, go through significant dietary modification, reducing sodium and sugar intake, and then post testing.
On the other hand, the high sodium camp can refer dozens of sweat studies in which perspiration rates and sodium concentrations were measured in athletes performing tests to exhaustion in laboratories. What did the athletes eat for days or weeks before they did the tests? Doesn’t matter according to the high sodium camp.
Quite possibly an even bigger flaw in these studies than not recording or even considering an athletes dietary sodium intake prior to the test, is that they conclude that just because you lost X amount of sodium during a one-hour heat stress test, that you will continue to lose that same rate of sodium on an ongoing basis during multiple hours of competition. Wait for it…And thus, your sodium intake during exercise should match this number!
Enter the Wayne Taylor Racing IMSA team which competes at the highest level of endurance racing in the United States in events such as Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, 12 hours of Sebring and the 10-hour Petit Lemans event. Being the most innovative and forward-thinking team in the paddock, they have a driver science program. It took a race car team with big budgets and lots of technology to open the door for us to address our position with scientific data. In their pursuit of victory, nothing is left to chance, everything is examined under a microscope to remove any variable or weakness that may make them less competitive. Which is why WTR has had a formal Driver Science program in place since 2016. Part of the program uses patented technology a company called CoreSyte. According to their web site, “CoreSyte designs, develops and manufactures real-time, non-invasive digital sweat patches which measure total fluid loss, sodium loss and potassium loss for an athlete.” You can read further about this technology and company on their website. This finally gave us the opportunity to gather empirical data to verify what we have been seeing anecdotally with athletes for decades.
One of their drivers, Ricky Taylor, is an extremely gifted athlete and race car driver. However, when I met him in 2019, he was having severe difficulty with the heat stress situation during these endurance races. Primarily, suffering excessive fluid and electrolyte losses. As is the case with all athletes I assist, Ricky and I spoke for a long while and I asked him quite a lot of questions about his diet, training and hydration practices to understand exactly what information he was pivoting from and his mindset. Once I explained everything to Ricky in great detail, he was fully committed to my idea of rebuilding his diet without excessive sodium and sugar. After all, the high sodium approach he had been following up until now then was certainly not working. As Ricky will concur, it took him several months and much dedication to learn, practice and enjoy this new way of eating. However, the results he began noticing within a short period of time provided him the necessary encouragement and reinforcement to continue with his new diet.
In addition to anecdotal feedback, we had the opportunity to use CoreSyte’s technology that allowed us to measure the sodium concentration in his perspiration. This was coupled with a somewhat low-tech method of measuring and tracking his pre-and post-driving stint body weights: getting on a scale wearing just underwear (their driving suit and helmet absorb most of the water being lost). Since they had already begun accumulating this data prior to introducing any Hammer products or diet modification, we had baseline data. This allowed us to measure the change in his fluid loss and sodium concentration in his perspiration after over a year of using Hammer products and consuming a low sodium diet. Shortly after winning the 24 Hours of Daytona in January 2021 the results were in: fluid loss was reduced up to 25%, while sodium losses were reduced up to 40%! Specifically, Ricky recorded a 20-25% reduction in fluid loss and a 33-40% reduction in sodium concentration in his perspiration! The reason for the range in numbers is due to the continuous monitoring and accumulation of data over a period of hours in the car.
CONCLUSION: This is not small or insignificant by any means and affirms what we have been saying for decades: You can and will improve your ability to withstand heat and humidity during endurance exercise by reducing your daily sodium intake! Consider all the health benefits of a low sodium diet to be just the “side effects,” if you like. Just another really, really good reason to adopt this wisdom. Salt lovers can argue (and will) that this is just one, non-double blind controlled study and doesn't prove our position. This study is directly supportive of all scientific discovery regarding the long-term negative health effects of consuming a high sodium diet.
]]>Taking an exogenous hormone supplement is unsafe, often not predictable, and not recommended, unless monitored by a physician through objective blood lab tests. The purpose of this article is to discuss some of the safe natural means to elevating Testosterone[T] and human Growth Hormone[hGH] during strength or speed interval training phases respectively. Hormone elevation intervention should only be practiced in limited interval time periods due to the potential risk of excess hormone levels having a mutagenic opportunity in some, but not all, predisposed individual athletes.
HOW DIET INFLUENCES TESTOSTERONE
Diet and caloric intake influence the amount of Testosterone produced. Diets higher in protein, cholesterol, saturated fat, and total fat content tend to maintain higher Testosterone levels. One study showed that decreasing fat calories from 40% to 25% while decreasing saturated fat and increasing polyunsaturated fats led to decreases in both total Testosterone[-18%] and free unbound Testosterone levels[-15%]. Upon resuming the original higher fat intake, Testosterone levels returned to original values.
Subjects in this study ate -500 fewer calories on the lower fat diet, implicating both fat selection and caloric restriction with decreased Testosterone. From this and other research, though, it's obvious that eating an adequate amount of fat and cholesterol is necessary to maintain Testosterone levels. Eating large amounts of saturated fats and cholesterol is not recommended for maximizing T-levels, but during muscle growth phase, eating a diet of about 30% fat with some saturates and unsaturates, as well as cholesterol will enhance testosterone from a dietary perspective. What about the harm from eating too much of the "Bad" fats? Intense training may be cardio-protective against the negatives from moderate amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol foods. Research suggests that those who consume more protein have higher Testosterone. Those who eat more protein typically consume more animal foods higher in fat and cholesterol.
EXERCISE AND CALORIC ENERGY BALANCE
Negative energy balance[through hypocaloric dieting or extreme exercise expense] is associated with very large decreases in Testosterone. Army Rangers going through summer training in climates like the forest, the desert, the mountains, and the swamp lands were given only 1000 to 2000 calories per day while their bodies had requirements of about 5000. As a result of extreme training and under nutrition, these soldiers had Testosterone levels that "approached castrate levels". SHBG increased +67% and testosterone decreased 350%. SHBG and Testosterone returned to normal within 7 days normal eating patterns. This is also observed in endurance activities such as running. Ever wonder why runners are so lean? In a study done comparing elite distance runners with sedentary men, it was interesting to note that at rest, the sedentary men had 54% more total and free Testosterone in their blood than the runners. It seems that most volume-training athletes have lower levels of T. The volume threshold appears at about 8 hours of exercise per week.
RUNNING INTENSITY | DURATION | SEDENTARY RUNNERS | ELITE RUNNERS |
80% HR max | 120 minutes | 47% Increase | 76% Increase |
80% HR max | 20 minutes | 31% Increase | 62% Increase |
50% HR max | 120 minutes | 0 | 0 |
50% HR max | 20 minutes | 0 | 0 |
GENDER | AGE | LOW | HIGH | UNITS |
FEMALES | 12-15 YRS | 261 | 1096 | NG/ML |
FEMALES | 16-24 YRS | 182 | 780 | NG/ML |
FEMALES | 25-39 YRS | 114 | 492 | NG/ML |
FEMALES | 40-54 YRS | 90 | 360 | NG/ML |
FEMALES | 55 YRS | 71 | 290 | NG/ML |
MALES | 12-15 YRS | 202 | 957 | NG/ML |
MALES | 16-24 YRS | 182 | 780 | NG/ML |
MALES | 25-39 YRS | 114 | 492 | NG/ML |
MALES | 40-54 YRS | 90 | 360 | NG/ML |
MALES | 55 YRS | 71 | 290 | NG/ML |
INHIBITORS OF hGH | ENHANCERS OF hGH |
Somatistatin | Reduce BMI by 1.5 = 100% hGH boost |
Sugar, Carbohydrates, Insulin | Protein, Glucagon |
Fatty Acids | Fasting, Niacin B-3 |
sleep loss | Deep REM Sleep |
Inactivity | Activity[Sprinting, Resistance, Endurance Training] |
NSAIDS | ph-Changes |
Caffeine | Vibration Stimulus |
Alcohol | AMINO ACIDS PRECURSORS* |
Depression | Elation |
Cold Weather | Hot Weather |
Virus/Bacteria | Peak Health/Minimal Viral Or Bacterial Counts |
(BY RACHEL PELC)
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