Protein supplements, quite popular with the gym regulars and fitness enthusiasts and fitness freaks, are a hot topic of discussion, with many who advocate the practice, and many others who believe that our body does not need protein supplements, apart from those that can be included by modifying the diet! Originally, it was only used by professional body builders and athletes, thanks to their intense workout regimens and professional demands.
However, these days it has become quite a common practice even with regular gym goers!
Our traditional Indian diet which is mainly vegetarian, is not very rich in proteins, especially since most plant sources are poor sources of useful proteins. Animal sources like milk, egg, meat etc. are very rich in proteins. The only plant source, fairly rich in proteins is Soy, not without its advantages and disadvantages.
And since there is limited scope of increasing protein in the diet, without a proportional increase in carbohydrates and thanks to the fear of adding body weight, protein supplements provide an easy option for use!
Usually available as Whey (obtained in the process of cheese production), Casein (Milk Protein), Egg protein, Soy protein and some herbs and plants.
Whey Protein is considered to be the most useful kinds, thanks to its high absorption capacity, ease of use and high biological value with all essential amino acids and BCAAs in it and hence usually the most popular.
Casein or milk protein is also a good source of protein, again with a good absorption capacity, and rich in an amino acid – Glutamine which aids recovery mechanisms in the body. It is usually used in combination with Whey.
Soy protein, the only plant source of which is rich in proteins with the essential amino acids, and is very suitable for vegans or for those who are lactose intolerant or gluten intolerant. They have the maximum amount of protein as compared other plant sources, like legumes, pulses and nuts..
Continuing our discussion on protein supplements, ranging from discussing their need, to the side-effects if taken incorrectly, to the type of supplements available, no discussion will be complete without discussing the most naturally available and with the highest biological value (a measure of the quality of protein) – the humble Egg !
Eggs, referring primarily to those from chicken, are the nature’s relatively cheaper, storehouse of high quality proteins, with all essential amino acids and some useful vitamins and minerals like folic acid, Vitamin B6 and more. Commonly, the egg white is considered to the best source for protein, although the other nutrients like vitamins and minerals, including fat and cholesterol are contained in the egg yolk.
The egg white (also called albumin) on the other hand, has negligible fat, but is rich in proteins and hence a favourite amongst those looking for protein supplements in the natural form, and even as processed albumin.
Biological value (BV), common guideline while selecting which protein supplement to use, is defined as a measure of the proportion of protein that can be absorbed from a food and utilized effectively for protein synthesis in the body. Egg is one of the only foods with a BV very close to 100, while whey has BV of 96, thus making it the one of the best protein supplement option after egg. Cow milk has around 90, cheese has around 84 and Soy has around 75.
What this basically means is the ease with which the protein available within them is passed on to the body, effectively for utilization.
As with other proteins, egg consumption can be everyday (remember the Doordarshan ad – Sunday ho ya Monday, roz khao ande!), keeping in mind to not overdo, especially the yellow/yolk part of it, and maintaining a good intake of water. Eggs are quite popular, amongst people across all sects, including some vegetarians!!
Nature only gives us useful things, and which remain useful only when taken in moderation! So go ahead, toss yourself an omelette or two!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
The baap of all Myths!
Weight loss, still a hot topic of discussion and bonding between friends, strangers, cannot be complete without discussing this myth!! Also a favourite for the ad commercials dealing with exercise related products, this has been exploited to the hilt!
And thanks to our natural, god-gifted tendency to accumulate fat around the central region, this myth is one of the most popular, ever since man existed, if I may exaggerate a little!!!!
Doing Crunches or using the "Ab machine" will get rid of fat around the belly.
The truth is that, firstly – spot reduction is not naturally possible. The body always loses fat, globally, not locally! Can you imagine a person, who has a six-pack abs, but excessively fat on the chest or the hips!! Any claims to spot reduce are also a farce, and may be temporarily effective, but will fail over a long term!
And secondly – crunches are a strengthening exercise, whereby they will tone and strengthen the muscles of the abdomen – the rectus and transverses abdominus and the obliques – and since fat cannot be toned, its really of not much use, to tone the underlying muscles, if the fat covering them is not taken care of first!
And thirdly, excessive belly fat, puts excessive pressure on the lower back muscles to maintain the posture. Thus, if the technique and body form, used while doing the abs exercises are not correct, then the already shortened lower back muscles may strain/pull, thereby causing lower-back problems, where none existed earlier!
Belly fat can be burned only by a combination of diet and cardio exercise, since only cardio exercises target the fat reserves in the body, as has been discussed before. For optimum and faster results, it is wise to combine strength training of the whole body, since that will boost the intrinsic metabolism, thereby aiding the process of fat and weight loss. Interval training is also a good option, with alternate bouts of cardio and strength training, of varying intensities.
Discussing some of our favourite myths, including those about spot reductions and doing infinite rounds of abs exercises to lose central fat, here is one of the latest trends, almost becoming a myth – upping your protein intake (only) helps you lose weight, thanks to the high-protein diets and the very-high protein diets and more!
While, the role of upping protein intake in weight loss is definitely worth considering, and for some, debatable, merely upping your protein intake, without complementing it with the right exercises is again asking for trouble!
Proteins are the building blocks of our body, and make up muscles, hormones and most other chemicals in the body. The rationale, behind these diets being that they boost your metabolism and help in the natural repair mechanism and some more, a high protein intake could actually impact negatively, since the body cannot store protein, as itself. The body may store all the extra protein calories by converting them into fat stores. Ideally the body needs 1g to 1.3g of protein intake, per kg body weight.
Though it is usually advised when a person is into moderate to heavy weight training, since the requirement and the wear-and-tear is higher, it is of not much use, if you do cardio exercises mostly, and then opt for protein supplements or high protein diets, especially in the case of females!
And consuming additional protein, when not into any physical activity is absolutely a bad option, unless the protein intake is for other health related issues, like PCOD etc.
A high protein diet may actually make you gain weight (if not supported by weight training), for reasons mentioned above. It may cause dehydration, unless accompanied with additional water intake, and can also affect the digestive system leading to issues like flatulence, kidney problems etc.
What also matters is the quality of protein consumed – measured traditionally in terms of the biological value – where egg has the highest biological value. Most of the animal sources have high biological values. Soy – which is a plant source, has a lower biological value, and moreover does not suit everyone.
And thanks to our natural, god-gifted tendency to accumulate fat around the central region, this myth is one of the most popular, ever since man existed, if I may exaggerate a little!!!!
Doing Crunches or using the "Ab machine" will get rid of fat around the belly.
The truth is that, firstly – spot reduction is not naturally possible. The body always loses fat, globally, not locally! Can you imagine a person, who has a six-pack abs, but excessively fat on the chest or the hips!! Any claims to spot reduce are also a farce, and may be temporarily effective, but will fail over a long term!
And secondly – crunches are a strengthening exercise, whereby they will tone and strengthen the muscles of the abdomen – the rectus and transverses abdominus and the obliques – and since fat cannot be toned, its really of not much use, to tone the underlying muscles, if the fat covering them is not taken care of first!
And thirdly, excessive belly fat, puts excessive pressure on the lower back muscles to maintain the posture. Thus, if the technique and body form, used while doing the abs exercises are not correct, then the already shortened lower back muscles may strain/pull, thereby causing lower-back problems, where none existed earlier!
Belly fat can be burned only by a combination of diet and cardio exercise, since only cardio exercises target the fat reserves in the body, as has been discussed before. For optimum and faster results, it is wise to combine strength training of the whole body, since that will boost the intrinsic metabolism, thereby aiding the process of fat and weight loss. Interval training is also a good option, with alternate bouts of cardio and strength training, of varying intensities.
Discussing some of our favourite myths, including those about spot reductions and doing infinite rounds of abs exercises to lose central fat, here is one of the latest trends, almost becoming a myth – upping your protein intake (only) helps you lose weight, thanks to the high-protein diets and the very-high protein diets and more!
While, the role of upping protein intake in weight loss is definitely worth considering, and for some, debatable, merely upping your protein intake, without complementing it with the right exercises is again asking for trouble!
Proteins are the building blocks of our body, and make up muscles, hormones and most other chemicals in the body. The rationale, behind these diets being that they boost your metabolism and help in the natural repair mechanism and some more, a high protein intake could actually impact negatively, since the body cannot store protein, as itself. The body may store all the extra protein calories by converting them into fat stores. Ideally the body needs 1g to 1.3g of protein intake, per kg body weight.
Though it is usually advised when a person is into moderate to heavy weight training, since the requirement and the wear-and-tear is higher, it is of not much use, if you do cardio exercises mostly, and then opt for protein supplements or high protein diets, especially in the case of females!
And consuming additional protein, when not into any physical activity is absolutely a bad option, unless the protein intake is for other health related issues, like PCOD etc.
A high protein diet may actually make you gain weight (if not supported by weight training), for reasons mentioned above. It may cause dehydration, unless accompanied with additional water intake, and can also affect the digestive system leading to issues like flatulence, kidney problems etc.
What also matters is the quality of protein consumed – measured traditionally in terms of the biological value – where egg has the highest biological value. Most of the animal sources have high biological values. Soy – which is a plant source, has a lower biological value, and moreover does not suit everyone.
Myths about Weight Loss!
This week, discussing a favourite, common and popular myth amongst the dieters and the non-dieters alike - avoiding carbohydrates to lose weight!!
The problem lies, when low-carbs is assumed to mean no-carbs!
Carbohydrates are the primary and major sources of fuel used for energy production in the body. The myth implies that firstly, a no- carb diet means control on the insulin production and thereby avoiding weight gain, and secondly, that lower the carbs, faster the body tends towards using fats as the source of fuel.
While in reality, carbs are required for efficient burning of fats, as well as to spare proteins for their primary function of building the body!
The process of burning fats, has carbs as an important requirement, and hence a no-carb diet will hamper the process of burning fat which inturn would not result in a permanent weight loss.
Most proteins also require carbs for their processing, and thus get affected by a low-carb diet.
A low-carb diet may not provide enough resource for your daily body functions. Another aspect is that with low dietary intake of carbs, the body will target the stored carbohydrates (in the form of glycogen), which results in loss of body water, which may be put across as weight loss!
To lose weight, it is necessary to restrict the total calorie intake, and not target any individual source of fuel as bad and cut it off from the diet.
Another popular myth is that skipping meals help lose weight!
The truth is that, skipping meals has 2 adverse effects - firstly it affects the blood glucose level, which leads to binging later and all the excess food getting stored as fat, and secondly, it affects the metabolism, and the body lowers its metabolism and goes into storage mode, thereby storing the food eaten as for later use - and the only way to store - is to convert it into fats reserves!
Also, the question arises, as to how long a person can keep skipping meals. Thus, when the person resumes the normal diet, the lower metabolism means most of the food is stored as fat, since the body is now used to thinking that there might not be any food coming for a long time!
The best option is to eat small portioned, frequent meals all through out the day, with finishing of major food intakes in the morning, and eating lighter towards evening.
Running is the best way to lose weight!
a) The truth is that running is a high intensity – high impact activity. Hence, the impact forces exerted by the ground on your knees and ankles are also greater in magnitude and are related to your weight. Hence, for a heavy person who is just beginning an exercise routine, it is not advised to begin running as a part of their cardio workout. Infact, once a doctor had advised my friend, that if you are even 5 kgs overweight, you must avoid running, as it will negatively impact your knees, for a short-term gain of losing weight, if at all!!
b) Since running is an intense activity, it is ideal as a progression activity to brisk walking and other cardio options available in a health club. In other words, running is an option, only for an intermediate –advanced level individual, who has been working out for some months, and has conditioned his body well through a balance of strength training & cardio, both!
c) Weight loss, as discussed earlier, is achieved through burning fat reserves, which the body uses, only when the activity is medium intensity and sustained over a period of time. Any high intensity activity demands sudden supply of energy, for which the target is usually Carbohydrate reserves, and not fat reserves!! Also, a high intensity activity is difficult to sustain over a period of time, for an average person, and hence what usually results is bursts of running, followed by slowing down or even stopping, instead of maintaining the pace over extended periods of times…
Thus, brisk walking is an excellent option for beginners, with gradual progression onto jogging and running, may be even as an interval-training option! And remember to wear the right shoes, warm-up and cool-down before and after the activity!
The problem lies, when low-carbs is assumed to mean no-carbs!
Carbohydrates are the primary and major sources of fuel used for energy production in the body. The myth implies that firstly, a no- carb diet means control on the insulin production and thereby avoiding weight gain, and secondly, that lower the carbs, faster the body tends towards using fats as the source of fuel.
While in reality, carbs are required for efficient burning of fats, as well as to spare proteins for their primary function of building the body!
The process of burning fats, has carbs as an important requirement, and hence a no-carb diet will hamper the process of burning fat which inturn would not result in a permanent weight loss.
Most proteins also require carbs for their processing, and thus get affected by a low-carb diet.
A low-carb diet may not provide enough resource for your daily body functions. Another aspect is that with low dietary intake of carbs, the body will target the stored carbohydrates (in the form of glycogen), which results in loss of body water, which may be put across as weight loss!
To lose weight, it is necessary to restrict the total calorie intake, and not target any individual source of fuel as bad and cut it off from the diet.
Another popular myth is that skipping meals help lose weight!
The truth is that, skipping meals has 2 adverse effects - firstly it affects the blood glucose level, which leads to binging later and all the excess food getting stored as fat, and secondly, it affects the metabolism, and the body lowers its metabolism and goes into storage mode, thereby storing the food eaten as for later use - and the only way to store - is to convert it into fats reserves!
Also, the question arises, as to how long a person can keep skipping meals. Thus, when the person resumes the normal diet, the lower metabolism means most of the food is stored as fat, since the body is now used to thinking that there might not be any food coming for a long time!
The best option is to eat small portioned, frequent meals all through out the day, with finishing of major food intakes in the morning, and eating lighter towards evening.
Running is the best way to lose weight!
a) The truth is that running is a high intensity – high impact activity. Hence, the impact forces exerted by the ground on your knees and ankles are also greater in magnitude and are related to your weight. Hence, for a heavy person who is just beginning an exercise routine, it is not advised to begin running as a part of their cardio workout. Infact, once a doctor had advised my friend, that if you are even 5 kgs overweight, you must avoid running, as it will negatively impact your knees, for a short-term gain of losing weight, if at all!!
b) Since running is an intense activity, it is ideal as a progression activity to brisk walking and other cardio options available in a health club. In other words, running is an option, only for an intermediate –advanced level individual, who has been working out for some months, and has conditioned his body well through a balance of strength training & cardio, both!
c) Weight loss, as discussed earlier, is achieved through burning fat reserves, which the body uses, only when the activity is medium intensity and sustained over a period of time. Any high intensity activity demands sudden supply of energy, for which the target is usually Carbohydrate reserves, and not fat reserves!! Also, a high intensity activity is difficult to sustain over a period of time, for an average person, and hence what usually results is bursts of running, followed by slowing down or even stopping, instead of maintaining the pace over extended periods of times…
Thus, brisk walking is an excellent option for beginners, with gradual progression onto jogging and running, may be even as an interval-training option! And remember to wear the right shoes, warm-up and cool-down before and after the activity!
That’s a Myth!!!
Lately I am coming across many people, who have built up an entire encyclopedia of myths about fitness and nutrition, thanks to incomplete information, inspiring cases of fitness achievements from people around, apart from many other issues!
Lets discuss some myths about Fitness here –
You must join a gym to lose weight
This statement found its place in this article because there seem to be an increasing number of people, who love to put off exercising, citing reasons like they do not have time to join a gym or they cant join a gym due to some reasons, and the like!
While the effectiveness of joining a gym is beyond doubts, however incase it seems difficult to do so, there are many other options available as well, like walking, buying a set of dumbbells at home, and working out at home (ofcourse, after consulting with an expert), yoga, martial arts, aerobics and so many more! Again if time is a constraint, then use the NEAT principles, like take your dog out for a walk yourself, or pick up the newspaper yourself, and get some walking done while at work, have discussions with colleagues over walks around the office, instead of the cafeteria, use the stairs instead of the elevator. Well, there is an apt saying -“he who wishes to sing, shall find a song” (Applicable to all the‘she’ also!)
No pain no gain
Exercising must be an enjoyable activity, and usually, pain is not pleasurable (this is keeping in mind the exceptional cases who enjoy the feeling of pain!) It is true that some pain must be borne after a beginning a new exercise routine, however, feeling pain to the point of discomfort usually shows that something is not right. Pain while exercising happens, due to the muscle fibers getting pulled, contracted and torn, however, using pain as a parameter to judge the effectiveness of your workout, will not pay off as expected.
Another outcome of this belief is when some people, overtrain themselves or push themselves too far, in terms of the actual exercises or by exercising twice and thrice a day! One hour of workout with a fine balance of warm-up, cool down, weight training and cardio (need not be in the same workout) is sufficient, unless one is aiming at becoming the next Arnold!
Morning is the best time to exercise!
Well, anytime is a good time to begin a good thing!! Being unable to stick to a morning routine, is no excuse to throw away your exercise routine! I remember being inspired by the story of this doctor in Mumbai, who would go for a jog, after finishing his practice at night, around 1.00 am!! Ladies working out around lunchtime is a common sight too!
A favourite amongst many trainers, working with people working on weight loss ( the morning routines target fat reserves faster), while, for some reasons like, consistency, boosting metabolism, being fresh and alert etc. mornings is a good time to exercise, doing it at any other time, is almost as effective.
In this context, it is important to listen to your body, but making sure it says “ok, now” at least at some point in time!
Another favourite time slot with many is the evening times between 4pm – 6pm, with some scientific evidence also suggesting that the hormonal levels are optimal at these times, and hence conducive to exercise.
However, for all practical purposes, remember that any time in the day is good enough!
All Fats are bad!
This is probably, a four letter word that has been degraded, battered and bashed up, to unimaginable extents!
Fats are an essential part of our food pyramids, with many important functions like proper functioning of nervous system, protection of organs and many more.
While it is important to restrict its intake, due to its high calorie density, it still is necessary to be included… and must not be avoided at any cost!
However, we have a choice to choose the healthier options in fats like, which are mono or poly unsaturated options and which have small or no amounts of Trans Fatty Acids.
TFAs are highly dangerous, and found in bakery items, re-used & re-heated oils, margarine and many more items.
Good fats include peanuts, walnuts, fish, olive oil and more!
The more I exercise, the more and faster I lose weight!
I am sure we all, or atleast many of us, have been through this phase at some point in life! Infact, some love to spend 3 hours at the gym, and becomes something that one boasts about proudly!
The truth is that, the body response to exercise slows down, after around an hour of continuous exercise, depending on the level of conditioning. Also, excessive exercise over continuous periods, cause more wear and tear of joints, as well as chances of dehydration, overtraining and low blood sugar (which can lead to binging on food later).
Good health through exercising, is more a function of regularity and consistency, rather than temporary bursts of enthusiasm! Losing weight is a much easier task, than maintaining the lost weight, and also maintaining good health in the process of losing weight!
An hour of exercising done regularly is more than enough to achieve a good health status. Depending on the goal, one can break down the exercise routine, into one-hour bouts, done twice a day, if needed, although taking care to avoid overtraining.
Weight training makes women bulky!
The oldest myth, probably, and yet very popular even in the twenty first century! Hats off to the ladies, who are presently including weight training in their routine!!!
The fear of bulking up, or developing muscles keeps many from taking up weight training or using really light weights, which fail to provide adequate challenge to the body.
Women, biologically, do not possess the hormone (testosterone) in the levels required for developing muscles, unlike men. Infact any weight training they do, will only help in building up the strength of muscles, which is inherently low, incase of ladies. Apart from that, it will also help in building up muscle endurance, which is necessary for ladies since most also do the housework or manage the house, look after kids etc.
Muscle wasting, as one ages is also another factor why weight training must be included in an exercise routine for ladies.
Lets discuss some myths about Fitness here –
You must join a gym to lose weight
This statement found its place in this article because there seem to be an increasing number of people, who love to put off exercising, citing reasons like they do not have time to join a gym or they cant join a gym due to some reasons, and the like!
While the effectiveness of joining a gym is beyond doubts, however incase it seems difficult to do so, there are many other options available as well, like walking, buying a set of dumbbells at home, and working out at home (ofcourse, after consulting with an expert), yoga, martial arts, aerobics and so many more! Again if time is a constraint, then use the NEAT principles, like take your dog out for a walk yourself, or pick up the newspaper yourself, and get some walking done while at work, have discussions with colleagues over walks around the office, instead of the cafeteria, use the stairs instead of the elevator. Well, there is an apt saying -“he who wishes to sing, shall find a song” (Applicable to all the‘she’ also!)
No pain no gain
Exercising must be an enjoyable activity, and usually, pain is not pleasurable (this is keeping in mind the exceptional cases who enjoy the feeling of pain!) It is true that some pain must be borne after a beginning a new exercise routine, however, feeling pain to the point of discomfort usually shows that something is not right. Pain while exercising happens, due to the muscle fibers getting pulled, contracted and torn, however, using pain as a parameter to judge the effectiveness of your workout, will not pay off as expected.
Another outcome of this belief is when some people, overtrain themselves or push themselves too far, in terms of the actual exercises or by exercising twice and thrice a day! One hour of workout with a fine balance of warm-up, cool down, weight training and cardio (need not be in the same workout) is sufficient, unless one is aiming at becoming the next Arnold!
Morning is the best time to exercise!
Well, anytime is a good time to begin a good thing!! Being unable to stick to a morning routine, is no excuse to throw away your exercise routine! I remember being inspired by the story of this doctor in Mumbai, who would go for a jog, after finishing his practice at night, around 1.00 am!! Ladies working out around lunchtime is a common sight too!
A favourite amongst many trainers, working with people working on weight loss ( the morning routines target fat reserves faster), while, for some reasons like, consistency, boosting metabolism, being fresh and alert etc. mornings is a good time to exercise, doing it at any other time, is almost as effective.
In this context, it is important to listen to your body, but making sure it says “ok, now” at least at some point in time!
Another favourite time slot with many is the evening times between 4pm – 6pm, with some scientific evidence also suggesting that the hormonal levels are optimal at these times, and hence conducive to exercise.
However, for all practical purposes, remember that any time in the day is good enough!
All Fats are bad!
This is probably, a four letter word that has been degraded, battered and bashed up, to unimaginable extents!
Fats are an essential part of our food pyramids, with many important functions like proper functioning of nervous system, protection of organs and many more.
While it is important to restrict its intake, due to its high calorie density, it still is necessary to be included… and must not be avoided at any cost!
However, we have a choice to choose the healthier options in fats like, which are mono or poly unsaturated options and which have small or no amounts of Trans Fatty Acids.
TFAs are highly dangerous, and found in bakery items, re-used & re-heated oils, margarine and many more items.
Good fats include peanuts, walnuts, fish, olive oil and more!
The more I exercise, the more and faster I lose weight!
I am sure we all, or atleast many of us, have been through this phase at some point in life! Infact, some love to spend 3 hours at the gym, and becomes something that one boasts about proudly!
The truth is that, the body response to exercise slows down, after around an hour of continuous exercise, depending on the level of conditioning. Also, excessive exercise over continuous periods, cause more wear and tear of joints, as well as chances of dehydration, overtraining and low blood sugar (which can lead to binging on food later).
Good health through exercising, is more a function of regularity and consistency, rather than temporary bursts of enthusiasm! Losing weight is a much easier task, than maintaining the lost weight, and also maintaining good health in the process of losing weight!
An hour of exercising done regularly is more than enough to achieve a good health status. Depending on the goal, one can break down the exercise routine, into one-hour bouts, done twice a day, if needed, although taking care to avoid overtraining.
Weight training makes women bulky!
The oldest myth, probably, and yet very popular even in the twenty first century! Hats off to the ladies, who are presently including weight training in their routine!!!
The fear of bulking up, or developing muscles keeps many from taking up weight training or using really light weights, which fail to provide adequate challenge to the body.
Women, biologically, do not possess the hormone (testosterone) in the levels required for developing muscles, unlike men. Infact any weight training they do, will only help in building up the strength of muscles, which is inherently low, incase of ladies. Apart from that, it will also help in building up muscle endurance, which is necessary for ladies since most also do the housework or manage the house, look after kids etc.
Muscle wasting, as one ages is also another factor why weight training must be included in an exercise routine for ladies.
Heart Rate Zones
As discussed last week, heart rate monitoring is an important aspect so as to maintain the efficiency and effectiveness of any cardio workout.
Heart rate can be manually measured by placing the index and middle finger on the radial artery, along the wrist, and counting the beats for 10 seconds. Multiplying the number by 6 gives you your heart rate in beats per minute (bpm). This is useful, since suspending the activity, for one whole minute, over and over again may be un-desirable and time-consuming.
Now as far as any cardio activity is concerned, there are four zones, as mentioned below –
Please note, as discussed last week, Maximum heart rate (MHR) = 220- age. And Target heart rate (THR), for any cardio activity is expressed as percentage of MHR.
Thus the zones are as follows -
THR < 50% of MHR = Light activity / General fitness zone
THR between 50% - 60% = Fat Loss / Weight Control zone
THR between 60% - 70% = Aerobic Conditioning Zone (generally used for advanced cardio performance)
THR between 70% - 80% = Carddio vascular performance zone (Also focussed on by athletes)
And THR > 80% to 85%, which is very near the Anaerobic threshold, is usually used for cardiovascular tests and evaluation, and is usually not used for training purposes, since maintaining the heart rate constantly in this zone, becomes tremendously difficult, due to the high intensity.
E.g, if you are planning to use any cardio machine, say Crosstrainer, then first calculate MHR. Next, assuming that you are aiming at weight control, calculate how much your THR (take THR = 60% MHR) must be. Begin exercising, and then regularly, say at every 15-20 min interval, measure your heart rate, using the method mentioned at start, and accordingly adjust your intensity, to maintain your heart rate in the desired zone!!!! It must be noted, that these percentages are approximate with slight deviations.
Heart rate can be manually measured by placing the index and middle finger on the radial artery, along the wrist, and counting the beats for 10 seconds. Multiplying the number by 6 gives you your heart rate in beats per minute (bpm). This is useful, since suspending the activity, for one whole minute, over and over again may be un-desirable and time-consuming.
Now as far as any cardio activity is concerned, there are four zones, as mentioned below –
Please note, as discussed last week, Maximum heart rate (MHR) = 220- age. And Target heart rate (THR), for any cardio activity is expressed as percentage of MHR.
Thus the zones are as follows -
THR < 50% of MHR = Light activity / General fitness zone
THR between 50% - 60% = Fat Loss / Weight Control zone
THR between 60% - 70% = Aerobic Conditioning Zone (generally used for advanced cardio performance)
THR between 70% - 80% = Carddio vascular performance zone (Also focussed on by athletes)
And THR > 80% to 85%, which is very near the Anaerobic threshold, is usually used for cardiovascular tests and evaluation, and is usually not used for training purposes, since maintaining the heart rate constantly in this zone, becomes tremendously difficult, due to the high intensity.
E.g, if you are planning to use any cardio machine, say Crosstrainer, then first calculate MHR. Next, assuming that you are aiming at weight control, calculate how much your THR (take THR = 60% MHR) must be. Begin exercising, and then regularly, say at every 15-20 min interval, measure your heart rate, using the method mentioned at start, and accordingly adjust your intensity, to maintain your heart rate in the desired zone!!!! It must be noted, that these percentages are approximate with slight deviations.
Heart Rate Monitoring
Taking it from the last week’s discussion about heart rate monitoring, it is quite obvious that heart rate monitoring is an essential part of an exercising routine.
The Cardio vascular system is a major consideration in case of cardio activities like walking, jogging, aerobic classes etc. This is because, most cardio activities are full-body activities, especially using the large muscle groups like legs, and also continues for longer time as compared to weight training activities.
The heart rate before starting the exercise activity is called as the Starting heart rate and that during the exercise is called as the Exercising or Target heart rate (THR). The heart rate at rest, especially measured just after waking up in the morning (consistently done for 3-4 days and then averaged) is called the Resting Heart rate (RHR). Well conditioned athletes have quite low RHRs, which means that the load on the heart to pump blood, is lesser and thereby the wear and tear is lesser!
Lance Armstrong has been found to have an RHR of about 32-34 bpm, where as in general, an average human being has a heart rate of around 60 – 72 bpm!!
Heart rate is usually measured in bpm (beats per minute) and is manually measured across the radial artery on the inside of the wrist or the Carotid artery near the Adam’s Temple across the neck. The measurement is done using the index and middle finger held together and placed lightly over the artery just enough to feel the pulse.
The monitors are usually placed on the Brachial artery on the upper arm or across the chest directly.
While exercising, incase of manually measuring the heart rate, it is wiser to measure it across the wrist, because this means that the exercise can continue while measuring (which is essential, otherwise the heart rate will drop down and result in inaccurate reading).
However, the another important parameter is the Maximum heart rate (MHR) which is the usually measured by the formula – MHR = 220 – Chronological Age
This is the generally used formula and proves sufficient to determine the zones, despite claims of inaccuracy.
The Cardio vascular system is a major consideration in case of cardio activities like walking, jogging, aerobic classes etc. This is because, most cardio activities are full-body activities, especially using the large muscle groups like legs, and also continues for longer time as compared to weight training activities.
The heart rate before starting the exercise activity is called as the Starting heart rate and that during the exercise is called as the Exercising or Target heart rate (THR). The heart rate at rest, especially measured just after waking up in the morning (consistently done for 3-4 days and then averaged) is called the Resting Heart rate (RHR). Well conditioned athletes have quite low RHRs, which means that the load on the heart to pump blood, is lesser and thereby the wear and tear is lesser!
Lance Armstrong has been found to have an RHR of about 32-34 bpm, where as in general, an average human being has a heart rate of around 60 – 72 bpm!!
Heart rate is usually measured in bpm (beats per minute) and is manually measured across the radial artery on the inside of the wrist or the Carotid artery near the Adam’s Temple across the neck. The measurement is done using the index and middle finger held together and placed lightly over the artery just enough to feel the pulse.
The monitors are usually placed on the Brachial artery on the upper arm or across the chest directly.
While exercising, incase of manually measuring the heart rate, it is wiser to measure it across the wrist, because this means that the exercise can continue while measuring (which is essential, otherwise the heart rate will drop down and result in inaccurate reading).
However, the another important parameter is the Maximum heart rate (MHR) which is the usually measured by the formula – MHR = 220 – Chronological Age
This is the generally used formula and proves sufficient to determine the zones, despite claims of inaccuracy.
Fitness Gadgets – Heart Rate Monitors
From the discussion about gadgets over the past few weeks, here is another very popular and useful gadget, which is very popular abroad and more common with medical cases as far as India is concerned is the Heart Rate Monitor.
As the name goes, the heart rate monitor is used to monitor the heart rate while exercising, so as to maintain or modify the exercise routine to stay within the appropriate heart rate zones. The monitors are quite common with people with heart problems, however they can also be used in a general setting like a health club or while exercising at home, to keep a check on the heart rate.
This is especially applicable while doing cardio activities, and even though most of the cardio machines come with an in-built heart rate monitor, that can be held to check the heart rate, sometimes, the very action of holding the monitor electrode bar, causes the heart rate to come down since one has to slow down to hold it, else risk getting injured.
Popularly available as a portable, compact, battery operated and easy to use gadget, the monitor is usually strapped (strapless options also exist) on around the chest or worn on the wrist, so that its sensors touch the areas where the pulse is felt the strongest. The reading is given as a digital output, similar to a stop watch!
Most of the monitors show the heart rate, time spent in the zone, with an alarm option sometimes to signal when one is in the required zone. The popular companies that offer interesting options are Polar, Timex, Omron and some more. The basic functionality to ensure before buying one, is the display area and clarity, ease of use and option to set time apart from many other functionalities like calories burned etc.
As the name goes, the heart rate monitor is used to monitor the heart rate while exercising, so as to maintain or modify the exercise routine to stay within the appropriate heart rate zones. The monitors are quite common with people with heart problems, however they can also be used in a general setting like a health club or while exercising at home, to keep a check on the heart rate.
This is especially applicable while doing cardio activities, and even though most of the cardio machines come with an in-built heart rate monitor, that can be held to check the heart rate, sometimes, the very action of holding the monitor electrode bar, causes the heart rate to come down since one has to slow down to hold it, else risk getting injured.
Popularly available as a portable, compact, battery operated and easy to use gadget, the monitor is usually strapped (strapless options also exist) on around the chest or worn on the wrist, so that its sensors touch the areas where the pulse is felt the strongest. The reading is given as a digital output, similar to a stop watch!
Most of the monitors show the heart rate, time spent in the zone, with an alarm option sometimes to signal when one is in the required zone. The popular companies that offer interesting options are Polar, Timex, Omron and some more. The basic functionality to ensure before buying one, is the display area and clarity, ease of use and option to set time apart from many other functionalities like calories burned etc.
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