TOPIC: THE ESSENDON DRUG CONTROVERSY

Hey guys, we received a great question regarding peptide complexes in sports supplements and whether or not they are legal. Have you come across any information regarding this query? If so, we’d love to hear from you and prompt discussion in the comments box below.

“Can you tell me more about the peptide complex of “supplements” that’s in the news at the moment. Particularly the controversy surrounding Essendon AFL team. Is this legal & what does it do?”

From our reading and research, the controversy within the Essendon AFL team surrounds the fact that an outside doctor was allowed to administer injections to players of a ‘substance’ that may or may not be 100% legal. Their coaches were allegedly under the impression that any substances used were appropriate and were not performance enhancing drugs. This is where the confusion lies, as the supplements that were used by the Essendon players may not pass strict anti-doping regulations. This supplement injection was apparently a peptide complex/substance. Apparently 90% of peptide supplements are legal and approved for use by worldwide sporting bodies, however, a small 10% of peptide concoctions are illegal for use. Peptide supplements are essentially short chain amino acids and there are studies surrounding their effectiveness at improving exercise performance, reducing fat mass and increased ‘body gain’. All of these things are what athletes look for in supplements and some athletes are known to push the boundaries when it comes to legal vs. illegal supplements.

These peptide supplements are usually given in injection form as they are more stable this way and won’t be broken down by the gastrointestinal system. When consuming protein rich foods, the peptide bonds are broken down to leave you with amino acids to be absorbed in the body. This is why injection of such a substance is more appealing. We hope this gives you a better understanding of the topic surrounding peptide supplements.

Mission Nutrition 🙂

TOPIC: ARE PRE-PACKAGED CANNED FOODS HEALTHY?

Hey everyone, we have a question from Mark. He asks “Whats your opinions on canned and pre-packed food. E.g. canned tuna, frozen broccoli..Ive done little snippets of research and lot of forums are for and against. Like with frozen foods they freeze them before ripening so once they hit the markets they’re ripe and retain some nutrients. I’ve even heard that with canned tuna they’re packed with preservatives and some traces of mecurry, because of the packaging… :s

Long story short, Are pre-packed foods and canned goods healthy to eat on a daily basis 🙂

Hi Mark, great question. There is lots of research and advice that can go either way of this debate. Firstly, canned and frozen pre-packaged foods come in handy when you are in a rush or time poor. However, canned foods generally contain added salt, sugar and oil (acting as preservatives) to give the product a longer shelf life and to enhance flavour. Because of this, the product will contain extra calories compared to the fresh equivalent. If you are watching your weight, it is perhaps not ideal to limit food intake to canned foods and to include some fresh foods also.

In terms of canned tuna, the mercury level in canned tuna within Australia is safe for regular consumption. The Food Standards Australia and New Zealand suggest it is safe to consume a snack can (95g) of tuna everyday as long as no other fish is being eaten. The mercury in canned tuna is usually less than that of other tuna because generally younger fish is used. Remember not to over-do your overall fish intake if you are concerned about mercury levels. Canned tuna or even salmon is actually a great choice for snacks, lunches and dinners, however its best to eat a variety of foods (fresh or canned) for optimum health, than to rely on one type of food. If canned foods like this are really your only option, then consuming them from time to time won’t be detrimental to your health. Canned foods in Australia are scrutinised by regulation authorities before they can be sold to the public, and are made without chemical preservatives. They rely on a heating sterilisation process to destroy bacteria and prevent contamination. So there is no need to be worried about preservatives in your canned tuna.

Secondly, pre-packaged vegetables for example are usually frozen after being blanched in water – therefore removing a small amount of nutrients (mostly Vitamin C which is water soluble). In a study performed on the losses of Vitamin C in frozen vegetable products, broccoli lost approximately 22% of its vitamin C content when frozen. Like previously mentioned, these pre-packaged foods can be useful when time poor. Another time I would suggest eating frozen pre-packaged vegetables is when they are not in season or readily available in fresh form at the supermarket. However, they can be less nutrient dense than their fresh equivalents.

As a general reminder though, fresh is best! No excess sugar, salt or oil, and optimum nutrition. Thanks for asking, and if you would like any further information on this topic or others, don’t hesitate to ask.

Mission Nutrition 🙂

TOPIC: SHEDDING THAT LAYER OF FAT!

Hey guys, we received another question from Anonymous that focuses on shedding those last few kilograms and toning up the mid-section of your body. “I have a flat stomach but I still have a layer of fat over it. How do I clean up my diet and/or exercise routine?”

This is an interesting question and many individuals may be in the same situation. They may have been working hard and eating right, however they may not be reaching their ultimate goals. The key is persistence and dedication and to not give up even if you find yourself stuck in a plateau of weight loss or overall fitness. What might be best is to follow a lower carbohydrate diet that sees you eating protein rich foods and healthy fats (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated). This doesn’t mean cut out all carbohydrates from your daily intake. But what it means is that you can adapt your daily diet to reflect more of a low carbohydrate diet to enhance your physical activity training.

In simple terms, after eating a high carbohydrate meal our body releases insulin to uptake the carbohydrate (glucose) into our cells for energy. During this time, circulating fatty acids in the blood are sent to storage as adipose tissue or body fat. Reducing the spikes of insulin released per day (by reducing high carbohydrate meals), you should see fat be used as an energy source rather than be sent straight to storage. This is a way to reduce overall body fat levels.

For example, try to limit refined or simple carbohydrates. Limit white rice, potatoes and pasta, plus soft drink, chocolate, lollies and white bread. Instead choose multi-grain types, sweet potato or even quinoa. Try to minimise carbohydrate intake in the evening and limit to breakfast or lunch instead. For protein rich foods try salmon, tuna, egg whites, chicken and nuts. Include some of these choices at every meal and load up on vegetables. It should also be mentioned that saturated fats and trans fats should be limited in the diet also.

In conjunction with dietary changes, keep up with the exercise! Sit ups, crunches and other resistance exercises targeting your stomach and abdominal area, while also doing cardio exercise to reduce overall body fat is a good idea. Thanks for asking, we hope this helps! If you’d like more information on this topic let us know

Mission Nutrition 🙂

TOPIC: CASEIN, BED FOOD OR POST-WORKOUT USE?

Quick question about protein. I’m thinking of possibly taking the slow release protein designed to be consumed before you go to bed. Any comments or suggestions?

Thanks for your question Jimmy! We presume you are talking about Casein. For those who are not familiar with casein, it is a type of slow digesting protein derived from milk. We at Mission Nutrition recommend that you should not take this before bed. There has been a lot of speculation over this product and its ability to what some say ‘improve muscle growth overnight’ by its slow releasing nature. This is quite untrue as taking this before bed or during the day does not improve muscle growth compared to say, a normal serve of WPI.

Reason being, when protein is digested, it is broken down to its building blocks of amino acids. These amino acids are then gathered into what’s called an amino acid pool. This is similar to filling your pool up with water but instead with amino acids. Until the amino acid pool is full, muscle strands and other protein requiring structures can be made. It does not matter what time casein is taken during the day as it will go through the same process of protein breakdown as WPI, but only at a slower rate. Only when this pool is full, muscle synthesis can begin so there is no difference in terms of better muscle growth compared to taking WPI before bed. Based on research, all evidence points to whey having a better effect on muscle protein synthesis compared to casein (even with its slow release properties).

If you choose to take Casein, we recommend that you ingest it with a meal (normal serving of protein and carbohydrate). Consumers should recognise casein for its ability to increase satiety (fullness) rather than the slow digestion rate. Hope this helps!

Mission Nutrition 🙂

TOPIC: CREATINE LOADING PROTOCOL

Hey guys, we have a question from Eric. He posts, “when is the best time to use creatine”?

That’s a great question Eric! Creatine is also known as methylguanidine-acetic acid; a compound which is derived from amino acids. It is a muscle fuel and assists us in the resynthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) during exercise. In other words, it helps us rebuild energy faster during exercise so we don’t have to wait around as long. In order for this to be an advantage, creatine must be ‘loaded’ before exercise activity. The general protocol for loading of creatine is 5g at 4-6 doses (per day) of creatine monohydrate with carbohydrate for the first 5 days to increase muscle creatine concentration by 20%. After this stage, you can maintain this concentration by taking 5g of creatine each day. This concentration of creatine can remain inside our muscles for 4-5 weeks before returning to normal concentration. Therefore, the best time to use creatine is a minimum of 5 days before competition or exercise in order for a visible increase in exercise performance. Hope this helps Eric and if you guys found this helpful give us a like!

Mission Nutrition 🙂

TOPIC: GLUCOSE SPARING = BURNING FAT WHEN YOU SIT DOWN!

Hey guys! Ever thought of how you can increase your fat burning potential after exercising? Well it’s quite simple. A mechanism in our body called glucose sparing is responsible for this promotion. Modern research has shown us that exercising at a higher intensity such as a fast-paced jog will cause our bodies to burn more energy using glucose (carbohydrates) rather than fat. After a certain period of high-intensity exercise our body runs out of glycogen (the way we store carbohydrates in our bodies as energy) to burn. After exercise, our bodies use this glucose sparring method to make new glucose for our bodies to use. Glucose is critical for healthy brain and cellular functioning. In the meantime, the body uses circulating fats in the blood stream and fat stores as the main source of energy. This causes us to burn fat and lose weight by doing practically nothing after exercise. So next time you’re doing your workout, be sure to add in some extra cardio to burn more fat! Hope you enjoyed this post guys! Be sure to like this post on Facebook “Nutrition For Healthy Lifestyles & Sports Performance” if you found it helpful and stay tuned for more!

Mission Nutrition 🙂