Alex Ferentinos - Nutrition and Fitness Consultant - Questions and Answers
Saturday 24 September 2011
Alex Ferentinos - Nutrition and Fitness Consultant - Questions and Answers
Lisa Berry
Q: Hi Alex I had a neck injury a few years ago and am just now starting to get back into playing, I was wondering if you know of any specific exercises I can do to strengthen the muscles around the neck to support it and build it back up, so it doesn't happen again!!
Thanks
Lisa Berry
A: Hello Lisa, I'm no therapist, but I have had neck problems myself, needing MRI and Bone Density scans from impact at rucks as an openside, so I can sympathise with Rugby induced injuries. This really is a specialist's territory but I can impart some of the things I did during my own neck rehab. Of course, this by no means guarantees you'll be injury proof, and please do get professional help if you haven't done so already. Also ensure that you can rotate you neck in both directions and look up and down without discomfort before lacing up again, if not seek the help of physios, massage therapists and chiropractors! A lot of people have terrible posture from our modern lives, sat at a desk, sat in the car, sat in front of the tv, which causes slouching, and tightening of the hip flexors, pectorals and hamstrings with rounded backs. This has an effect on many joints and induces postural issues, including that of your neck. Improving core strength and ensuring that you have a strong posterior chain is key. The posterior chain is the musculature from your heels, to the base of your skull. Core strength is the ability to remain in good strong posture whilst performing all activities. I would recommend deadlifting, front squatting, pallof pressing and GHRs. Also postural exercises to take pressure off your neck such as skydivers, hyper extensions, YTLWIs and external rotation.
Also lay on a bench with your head off it and perform crunches for the front of your neck to correct a common strength imbalance. Don't use those dreadful neck harness things. Strong trapezius muscles will help too, work these by doing prone bench shrugs and standing dumbbell shrugs focussing on the quality of technique and peak contraction, the squeeze at the top, not just the sheer amount of weight handled. This isn't exhaustive but it should steer you in the right direction. Thanks again for the question, I will ask people who specialize in these areas if further assistance is needed.
Pauline McFerrana
Q:What foods should we be eating before training, for energy and after, for recovery?
A:Hi Pauline, thanks for your question, it's a good one and will be very relevant to a lot of people. The main thing is protein in order to spare muscle tissue being cannibalized during exercise, and also to kick start anabolism, where the body repairs, afterwards. Fibre is great but not around training as it'll inhibit nutrient absorption. Carbs are essential for the athlete's energy, however pick your sources wisely, don't eat fruit all day as it'll encourage fat storage, but by all means a large apple makes a good pre workout snack with a protein shake. Good pre training carbs are low GI sources like wild rice and quinoa.
After training the insulin spike caused from high GI foods will shuttle protein and aid recovery, this is the only time I recommend sugars. The best form is dextrose powder, very inexpensive and available from myprotein.com “ take that in a 2:1 ratio with whey.
Try coconut water during training as it is rich in electrolytes, so it prevents cramping. Failing that, a sachet of dioralyte in an isotonic drink. These tips should help you perform and recover well.
Peter Frost
Q: Hi,
I know a fair bit about nutrition etc for muscles but was wondering what foods etc to eat to aid with the repair of joints? Being a tighthead I have particular problems with my hips and shoulders!
Cheers
Peter
A:Hello Peter, thanks for your question, I know exactly where you are coming from! As Rugby players we all look into muscle food initially as younger players keen to fill out or frames, then realize with all the muscle and impact, we put greater strain on our joints, so that becomes another criteria. Anti-inflammatory foods can help you here. Supplement with Fish Oil, and don't be afraid to take more than recommended, especially as a big front row unit! Include finely sliced mushrooms in a whole egg breakfast omelette in butter, not margarine or oil, and drink green tea during the morning. Blueberries in oatmeal on the side will help too. Turmeric can be used in your cooking it's over 500% stronger than vitamin E, a potent antioxidant in itself. Post training, makeBombaypotatoes with organic turmeric and lemon, the potato is anti inflammatory in itself. Turmeric is a wonderful spice, it aids tissue remodelling, joint repair and can prevent cancer growth as well as aiding digestion due to the curcumin in it which gives turmeric its yellow colour and healthy properties. Also chicken soups from the carcass you used from the weekend's roast dinner, as all the juices from the bones and connective tissue seeps out. Mix in broccoli, a highly nutritious vegetable, dense in antti-inflammatory and cancer preventing phytonutrients such sulforaphane that aids in removing carcinogens, it's also rich in calcium. You're betteroff not dunking bread in, and serve with a side of steamed green beans dressed in olive oil and a foil baked serving of chicken and sweet potato, which is helps as it's a good source of beta-carotenes and vitamins. Also stretch your hip flexors by dropping into a lunge with both palms on the back of your head, elbows pointing to the sky and lean back slightly. Do some of the spinal mobility work like most clubs are doing during their warm ups too and look into YTLWIs. I have some Youtube videos coming up with these in but you should find examples. Don't be afraid to ice problem areas after sessions.
Gordon
Q: What should an amateur rugby player be eating the morning of a game? Let's assume they don't have protein shakes and berries in their cupboard.
Cheers,
Gordon
A: Hi Gordon, I can certainly do that, however I will say initially, I'd say it's simply a matter of buying these things such as whey powder from myprotein. They're relatively inexpensive, especially compared to commercial brands and higher quality as it is tested for athletes as it's proven to be extremely beneficial when consumed bracketing training and games. Berries and cherries are packed full of antioxidants and available in all supermarkets. My answers may shock you a bit as a lot of people think athletes eat oats ad fruit all day, just like cars go on roads. A high protein breakfast is non negotiable as without it your neurotransmitters will not function properly. Carbs on game day should already be loaded into your system. Cereal will not cut it and leaves you susceptible to blood sugar crashes. Research shows that eating breakfast improves mood levels and decreases irritability levels throughout the day, which is key on matchdays! Numerous studies have also demonstrated that a high protein breakfast does not only impact on the energy and productivity levels of morning untilMidday, but well beyond, so the positive benefits aid focus and concentration game time too. I would advocate something like fish and eggs or red meat and nuts such as pistachios, almonds, walnuts or brazils as your first feed - take a kilo of lean beef mince, a large farm egg, some minced garlic, wheatgerm, and parsley, this will make five large burgers. Eat one, freeze four. Poach eggs for two minutes in boiling water with vinegar. Fish can just be popped under the grill with a little bit of oil on. Closer to game time, I'd recommend some fruit like a large apple and a whey protein drink. Take some fish oils and caffeine pills for the cognitive benefits with a flat, sugarfree Red Bull to boost performance and ensure you're hydrated, also slip a sachet of dioralyte into your pregame water that you should sip in the two hours before to prevent cramps and aid muscle contraction. If you're off to an away game, eat breakfast at home, pack some chicken or steak strips with mashed sweet potatoes and broccoli for snack 1 and a shake containing ground oats and whey for snack 2 ready to add water to when it needs drinking. Also some dark chocolate is fine midmorning for the mood boosting effects. To summarise, no cereal, regular high protein snacks, don't overfeed or over hydrate, just nibbles and sips of good food and adequate water.
Garry Irwin
Q: I'm 18 stone and prone to snacking! If I am going to snack, what is the best things to snack on basically I want to be able to snack on food that is small and easy to carry around say in a bag. It's too easy to go for biscuits etc, any ideas would be great Alex?
A: Thanks for the question Garry, though I'm never going to approve of biscuits! I would say don't look to snack but eat a small meal when you are hungry. Also simply don't buy crisps and biscuits so that they aren't even an option to you. If you're caught short and near a supermarket, a ball of half fat mozzarella has a similar protein content to beef. In terms of carrying things around with you, chicken and steak strips can be great cold, peck away at them between main meals if you must. You can also snack on raw nuts, they are so good for your health, for example pistachios aid ocular health so your eyes function well, brazils are rich in selenium, a potent antioxidant, so get some raw mixed nuts and have a cupful a day as snack or a side to 6 evenly spaced high protein and healthy fat rich meals. My major recommendation here would be to change your habits from three large main meals and snacking to six smaller but higher quality feeds, this will boost concentration, mood, performance, and body composition. Just prepare in advance and take with you as you've already suggested you'd like to do.
Dave Nicoll
Q:Working full-time makes it pretty hard to cram in any kind of serious training. Playing in the loose forwards both bulk and fitness are pretty important so what would you suggest is the best way to bulk up whilst working on my fitness in a limited time, how often should I be training and what's the right kind of balance between cardio and resistance? Also what would be a healthy kind of diet to achieve these goals on both training days and days off?
A: Hello Dave, thanks for your question.
Diet and training are fully inter-related. I don't fully advocate any one approach to nutrition, it's like extremism with religion! Some foods are better cooked, some better raw, some foods are beneficial even though cavemen didn't eat them, some foods cavemen ate weren't necessarily good. So Raw foods or following Paleo isn't the answer, in reality it's finding foods that you digest well and that you find helpful. Myprotein do a food allergy testing kit for about £10 if you want total peace of mind. I say your meals should be at regular intervals on about the three hour mark. When meals are missed, the cell's receptors become less sensitive to insulin, this leads to excess sugar in the bloodstream. The body will then try to produce more insulin to force sugar into the resistant cells. This creates a problematic cyclical pattern resulting in weight gain and insulin sensitivity, and eventually insulin resistance then potentially diabetes. Your meals must include considerable servings of lean meat, such as beef, lamb, chicken and fish, and fibrous vegetables like green beans and broccoli and some low GI carbs such as quinoa or sweet potatoes when necessary. If you need to add weight and your appetite is maxed out, blend oats dry to make oat powder, here is your carb source. Add nuts and seeds to the blender, again dry, here is your fat source. Do enough to last all week for convenience. Combine your carb and fat powder to protein powder in shakers and keep a few in a backpack or in the glovebox to slide in between meals each day, just add water, extra meal in the system, though you may want to increase fibre and take digestive enzymes.
Training wise, something like 5x5 is very productive. Split it into three sessions in season, so Monday, Tuesday and Thursday will allow no fatigue and two days off a week to recover “ a Leg Drive, Pulling, Pressing split should do the trick. So on Leg day, Front Squats, followed with some plyometrics and then do twenty minutes of intervals; all done in 40 mins max if you clockwatch and don't waste any time between every set. Dips followed by Standing Barbell Presses are ideal for Pressing, with some cycling intervals, Deadlifts then Chins with rowing intervals for Pulling. It's about quality of technique and sticking to your rest times. HIIT has been shown to boost muscle mass, elevate testosterone and burn body fat, combine with Beta Alanine and BCAA supplementation for even more potent results. Three days a week like this if your club train on a Tuesday and Thurday like most do should be ideal. On days off, try to do a little flexibility work, also simply omit carbs from your last few meals, bump up the veg serving if ravenous still, you won't need pre and postworkout shakes either, so that takes care of it all with minimum fuss in minimum time.
