Archive for February 2010
Bowditch Fitness & Nutrition - 4th “Most Loved” Small Business in Guernsey
26/02/2010 by admin.
BFN has been commended as the 4th “most loved” business in Guernsey and in the top 5 personal trainers in the country after just one year of operation. BFN was one of only 2, single person businesses to make the top 10 in Guernsey. Further details can be found here.
Thank you to all of you that has sent in a testimonial, keep them coming.
Thoughts of the Day
26/02/2010 by admin.
It’s been a really interesting period in the life and times of Bowditch Fitness & Nutrition, particularly in terms of the cyclists I now have under my guidance, many of whom are not racing cyclists but have some other challenge to conquer. In most cases these challenges are in the form of a “sportif” event. This is a (supposedly) non-racing event where the aim is to make it to the end. For the more experienced, the aim might be to make it to the end within a certain time frame. Often these events cover in the region of 80+ miles with around 2000+ metres of climbing.
I have a holistic approach to training, not liking to leave any stone unturned. It has been exciting to see these riders improve both their riding but also their understanding of many of the components required to get the best out of them, including nutrition and hydration strategies, good pedalling technique, pacing, maximising recovery and a structure schedule to name some of the key areas. Perhaps this provide an inkling of what it takes to be on top of your game in the sport of cycling.
Get the Lattes In
25/02/2010 by admin.
Milk is rich in vitamins and minerals including Vitamins A and B, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, riboflavin and zinc. The white stuff offers many health benefits, including good bone health, hence reducing the risk of osteoporosis, strong immunity and healthy skin. It can also help in the prevention of illnesses including anaemia, high blood pressure, obesity, respiratory problems and some forms of cancer, so perhaps the occasional Latte is not such a bad thing, particularly if you opt for the semi or skimmed milk version.
Saturday’s Boot Camp
23/02/2010 by admin.
Saturday’s boot camp will be held at Fort Houmet at 10 am. Bring your waterproofs….just in case.
Today’s Boot Camp
23/02/2010 by admin.
On speaking to a boot camp “newbie” tonight, I realised just how much the participants have improved both in terms of general fitness but so many were holding “the plank” very well for 50 seconds, which was today’s target, showing improvement in core strength too.
The ViPR’s were put to good use too.
Still lacking men…perhaps they are worried the women are going to show them up!
What happens to alcohol calories?
22/02/2010 by admin.
Alcohol is a highly concentrated source of calories containing 7 calories per gram. This compares to 4 calories per gram for carbohydrates and protein and 9 calories per gram for fat. These calories cannot be converted into glycogen. Glycogen is the main fuel for used for the body for energetic exercise and is the only source of fuel used by the brain.
The liver converts the calories from alcohol into fat, which is initially stored in the liver before being carried away to permanent storage sites throughout the body. This is where the term “beer belly” comes from, as much of the fat tends to be stored in the mid-region which is known as visceral fat. This is the fat that surrounds the vital organs on the trunk. High visceral fat levels increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Eat Tomatoes to Resist Cancer
21/02/2010 by admin.
Tomatoes contain a high quantity of Lycopene, a powerful anti-oxidant that helps in the fight against cancerous cell formation. Research undertaken by Harvard has discovered that men who consumed 10 servings of tomatoes a week, or the equivalent in tomato products such as tomato juice, can reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer by a 45%. Some other cancers which Lycopene has been proven to fight against include cervical, rectal, colon and cancers of the stomach, pharynx, oesophagus and cancer of the mouth.
Some of the latest research suggests that tomatoes could help to prevent lung cancer. Two powerful compounds found in tomatoes called coumaric acid and chlorogenic acid are thought to block the effects of nitrosamines. Nitrosamines are compounds which are found in some foods, tobacco smoke and occur naturally in the body. By blocking the effects of these nitrosamines, the risk of contracting lung cancer is significantly reduced.
Today’s Boot Camp
20/02/2010 by admin.
Well done to my well hard boot camp participants for toughing it out in horrible conditions today. There was wind, heavy rain and hail to contend with but we kept going. It was noticed, however, that there were no men present. Hmm, perhaps they are going soft.
Tuesday’s boot camp will be at Vale Douzaine at 7.45 pm.
Do alcohol and exercise match?
19/02/2010 by admin.
My attention was drawn recently to the large quantities of bottles at the recycling centre from alcohol consumption. So what impact does alcohol have on the exercise you are undertaking?
Consuming alcohol the evening prior to exercise can hinder performance and cause dehydration which results in a loss of minerals and electrolytes. If we lose 2% of our body weight in fluid, this can result in a 20% drop in performance.Just a small amount of alcohol will impair our motor skills (ie actions which require co-ordination between the brain and body). This results in poor balance, reaction time, hand-eye coordination, steadiness of our limbs, visual tracking and alertness.
Alcohol can heighten fatigue when exercising by increasing lactic acid production. This will limit performance and therefore reduce the gains from exercise.
Our body struggles to regulate temperature effectively when under the influence of alcohol. Therefore in cold climates it can lead to an increased risk of hypothermia and in hot environments, it can increase sweating and result in dehydration. In its most serious form, dehydration is life threatening.
Saturday’s Boot Camp
16/02/2010 by admin.
Saturday’s boot camp will be at Chouet at 10 am.
