DE-INFLUENCING FITNESS & NUTRITION TRENDS
Fitness trends come and go over time - often making it difficult to discern what's actually going to be helpful for improving your health in the long term. Many times, these trends come from either anecdotal research or what we call “cherry-picked” data from published studies. So, how do we know what IS real versus what's “too good to be true”? Today, I hope to help you out with that...
SOME CURRENT HOT TOPICS…
COLD WATER IMMERSION
BRRR. Jumping in a cold tub, cold shower, or completely immersing yourself in cold water (I mean, really cold) for a short period of time. Usually to be completed at the beginning of the day if possible. Do we have much research on this yet? No. What is being seen with this is more anecdotal currently, and is trending towards the dopamine effect that happens from putting your body into a shocked state, and the following feeling of endorphins after. Put this one down for “doing hard things” and it could help your mental state, calm your anxiety, provide some mental clarity, etc. Do not put this one down as a weight loss solution, a way to improve muscle gain, etc. These things still require nutrition to align as well as training! Also, beware that cold water immersion is actually something we want to avoid doing immediately after exercise if we can help it, as it can blunt the response we want from muscles working to rebuild post-breakdown.
12-3-30
A workout made popular by Tik Tok where you put the treadmill on 12.0 incline, a speed of 3.0 for 30 minutes. If this gets you working out, then that’s fantastic! Getting in cardio is great for your overall health. Is this a magic pill to change your body composition overnight? No. If you enjoy doing cardio this way, keep doing it, but any kind of cardio will benefit your overall health, and should still be accompanied by some strength training as well.
OURA RINGS (AND WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY IN GENERAL)
We love data over here at Level TEN because it helps us to have something tangible to base our metrics on. Step goals, resting heart rate, working in specific cardio zones, tracking sleep. What’s great about wearable fitness trackers is all of the above, the ability to track metrics, and work to improve them. What can be negative about them is becoming obsessed with the data and only the data. Basing how you go about your day on what it tells you versus how you actually feel, forcing yourself to hit goals even if it’s a rest day, and so on. We also want to recognize that although they are always being improved upon, no wearable fitness tracker is 100% accurate around these metrics either. So use them, but don’t be consumed by them.
DIABETIC DRUGS USED FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Semaglutide (also known as Ozempic) and other drugs similar to it are currently incredibly popular due to their impact on weight loss as well as reduction in issues with obesity, cardiovascular events, and diabetes. The drug is showing positive results in those within these categories, but due to its effectiveness, is also being sought out by those who aren’t within these subgroups. Weight loss drugs are not bad per se, but should be utilized under the supervision of your primary care physician, and considerations of the need for these medications should be top priority. Some adverse effects, mainly associated with gastrointestinal issues and decreased lean muscle tissue have been seen in research. The drug and others like it are FDA approved to treat Type-2 Diabetes, not as a weight loss drug. The demand has also made it more difficult for those who use the drug for its intended use, to help with treatment of their diabetes, to have access to it. Please consult with your doctor before utilizing any type of drug for weight loss. Additionally, we have a podcast episode on TEN Talks (episode 24) on the implications and considerations of using weight loss medication from a research based perspective.
ATHLETIC GREENS
Greens powders have been around for quite some time but are currently making another round of popularity. Is there anything wrong with including a greens powder in your daily routine? Not really. It's not necessary by any means, but it may be a helpful way for you to get more micronutrients into your diet. That said - it should NOT be used as a replacement for eating fruits and vegetables regularly. The other misconception is that greens powders magically improve gut health for all, and while some may see an improvement, they are NOT a catch all for gut issues, and those should still be worked on on an individual basis.
ZONE 2 CARDIO
Zone 2 cardio is another hot topic currently, and for good reason. Zone 2 cardio refers to which “heart rate zone” you are working in during your cardio session. Zones are completelyindividual and based on your heart rate. The simple method to find your HR max is to simply take 220-your age and that will give you the top end of your Zone 5. Zone 2 should be roughly 60-70% of your max heart rate. Example: If you're 30 years old, your estimated max HR is 190, and your Zone 2 would be 114-133bpm. Zone 2 should be an “easier” pace. However, oftentimes the idea of “easier cardio” gets overlooked and we tend to go too hard or too fast, perhaps without the necessary conditioning to handle a specific zone. Over time, you may find that you can do more and still retain the same HR zone, which indicates an improved fitness level. Zone 2 cardio gets a check from me, as something you should absolutely be including in your fitness routine.
By sharing what we are seeing as the current fads/trends in fitness and nutrition, we hope to guide you into always looking a little deeper into the WHY behind them. Many trends and fads do come from a positive place, looking to better your health, but they aren’t always pushed out to the masses in a digestible, understandable way, or a way that allows you to take what you need from it, and leave the rest. Hopefully today, this helped you do just that.
UNTIL NEXT TIME - COACH SHELBY
