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November 2, 2009 — Ryan
Calcium beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (Calcium HMB)
November 1, 2009 — RyanWhat Is It?
Calcium beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (Calcium HMB, or HMB for short) is a water soluble substance which is produced from the metabolism of the amino acid leucine. Leucine is one of three amino acids known as the Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs), the other two are valine and isoleucine. BCAAs are commonly used for preventing muscle catabolism, enhancing protein synthesis, and improving exercise tolerance and performance. Of all the amino acids including the BCAAs, leucine has been found to have the greatest effect on protein synthesis.
The production of HMB begins when leucine undergoes a process known as transamination in muscle cells catalyzed by the enzyme branched chain aminotransferase (BCAT) which yields alpha-ketoisocaproate (KIC). Approximately 95% of KIC is then oxidized to isovaleryl-COA which then undergoes further metabolism. The remaining 5% of KIC undergoes oxidization catalyzed by the enzyme KIC-dioxygenase to produce HMB.
HMB was introduced to the national market in 1995 and gained enormous popularity among fitness enthusiasts, bodybuilders, and athletes however it has since faded into obscurity due to a widespread general lack of knowledge and understanding of this incredible substance. HMB stands among staples such as whey protein, glutamine, and creatine due to it’s several positive effects on protein synthesis and nitrogen balance, the immune system, cholesterol, increasing exercise performance, and metabolism of intramuscular fat (triglycerides). These effects are well established and clinically researched as HMB to this day reigns as one of the most well researched sports nutrition supplements.
It is estimated that HMB production in man is equal to 250mg to 1000mg per day depending on leucine intake. It is also found within our daily food supply. Certain foods including grapefruit, some lean meat and fish, and mother’s milk contain measurable amounts.
What Does It Do?
- Increases protein synthesis and improves nitrogen balance
- Helps prevent muscle catabolism
- Enhances the immune system
- Decreases total & LDL cholesterol, and raises HDL (good)
- Increases lactic acid threshold and VO2 Max
- Improves the metabolism of intramuscular fat
How Does It Work?
HMB is classified as an anti-proteolytic. Meaning it retards proteolysis which is the breakdown of proteins by cellular enzymes known as proteases. Administration of HMB has been shown to reduce markers of muscular damage including lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase, and 3-methylhistidine. Studies indicate that HMB stimulates protein synthesis through multiple mechanisms including the mTOR pathway. The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway plays a central role in the regulation of cell proliferation and protein synthesis. Leucine is also known to share this effect. Higher doses of HMB may also increase the production of somatomedins (IGF-1), one of the body’s most powerful muscle building compounds.
The majority of HMB is metabolized to beta-hydroxy-beta-methylglutaryl CoA (HMG-CoA) which can then be used for cholesterol synthesis through the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase. HMB-CoA reductase is rate-limiting when the demand for cholesterol in the body is high such as during periods of rapid cell growth or membrane repair. Cholesterol makes up approximately 13% of the cellular membrane. It plays an integral role in controlling the fluidity of the membrane. Damage to the cellular membrane through activities such as weight training or high intensity exercise effects the body’s demand for cholesterol. Cholesterol is also absolutely necessary for production of hormones, in particular testosterone. The ability to produce enough amounts of cholesterol under stress is extremely important for every athlete.
Athletes engaged in endurance and high intensity activities can benefit from HMB through its beneficial effect on the metabolism of intramuscular fat. HMB has also been shown to increase maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 Max), reduce metabolic acidosis and increase lactic acid threshold. Horses supplemented with HMB showed decreased muscle damage and increased aerobic performance during actual race conditions. Athletes using HMB become leaner, harder, stronger, faster and recover more efficiently than their non HMB supplemented peers.
Finally, HMB has also been found to boost the immune system. Studies in vitro and on animals has concluded that HMB increases the function and number of white blood cells. Building and maintaining a strong immune system is a key factor in athletic success.
How Safe Is it?
To this day, no known negative effects have been found from the supplementation of HMB. It is produced naturally within our own bodies and can be found within our food supply. You make it, your mom makes it, grandma makes it and your kids make it. HMB also has no contraindications.
How Should I Take It?
The general recommended dose of HMB is 3 grams. However research has shown that 38mg/kg body weight per day is optimal. HMB is a water soluble substance and therefore should be taken regularly throughout the day in divided equal doses for maximum benefit. It can be taken on an empty stomach, mixed with a juice or even better, with a protein shake. Taken before and after exercise ensures ample amounts of HMB available to the system to increase performance and decrease recovery time.
HMB taken with other supplements such as creatine and essential fatty acids such as those found in flax seed oil, hemp oil, and marine based oils will also amplify it’s positive effects. Research has shown that HMB combined with creatine produces greater results than either HMB or creatine alone. HMB also works just as well for women and women supplementing with HMB can even increase the HMB content of their breast milk, benefiting their feeding children.
HMB Studies
Breathe
October 3, 2009 — RyanJust breathe.
The most important thing you could do at any given moment is breathe.
Think about it.
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network
Goals
September 30, 2009 — RyanWhat exactly is a goal?
Merriam-Webster Online describes a goal as a, “1 a : the terminal point of a race… 2 : the end toward which effort is directed”. Dictionary.com defines a goal as “1. the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end.” A goal can be anything. As small as going to the grocery store and picking up some fresh vegetables for dinner, or even as big as landing on the moon. We can even call a goal when the other team has scored on an opposing team in a sporting match. Ironic, that scoring that “goal” was the principle goal of which that team was striving towards in order to actualize their even larger goal which is to win. But we aren’t talking specifically about that kind of goal.
A goal can come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes. Just like people. And everyone certainly has goals and everyone certainly is working towards achieving goals. Whether or not you are working towards goals of your own or goals that belongs to somebody else remains to be defined. Brian Tracy says it best, “If you do not have goals for yourself, you are doomed forever to work to achieve the goals of someone else.”
All successful people have one thing in common. They have a goal. And it seems to me that if you want to be successful a goal would be the best place to start. Jim Rohn states, “Goals represent a challenge in it’s most positive form“. And challenging yourself in this way, by setting and achieving your own goals, is a reward in itself. The actual progression of completing and striving to achieve your goals; the subsequent journey that evolves in the pursuit of your dreams will change you forever and reward you for the rest of your life.
Now you may be thinking to yourself, hey, this sounds all very true, but I do not have any goals. Where do I start? Well, all goals start and end with you. Take out a piece of paper and start writing on that piece of paper everything you want, everywhere you want to go, people you’d like to meet, how much money you’d like to make, things you’d like to accomplish. You could even set aside a couple of pieces of paper and at the top of each paper, label each one a different category, so the goals you are writing are even more clearly defined. Career, Financial, Family, Personal & Professional Development, Health, Achievements, for example. The only limit here is your own mind. So make sure you are relaxed, do not over think anything and just write it down. And certainly do not be afraid to write down something you like but may not yet believe within yourself that you could attain it or actualize it. Go ahead, write everything down. Remember, only big dreams have the true power to move the soul and inspire the mind to act.
After a while of writing you’ll realize there is a lot more that you want than you may have initially thought when you begun this exercise and that all along you have been keeping those goals away from the surface of your mind. And this is good. When we write down our goals, we bring them to the forefront of our consciousness. We make them more “real” and in becoming more “real”, more tangible, we are actually contributing to the development and achievement of those goals.
Furthermore, take your goals now and “break it down” even further. As you go through each one of your goals, order them by priority and importance. This act of “breaking it down” is an essential tool that will help you achieve your goals. If I were to say to you, go and run a 30k marathon, most people would say, “Are you crazy? I can’t do that!” But if you were to take that goal, and break it down into all the separate components and pieces and things you’d need to do to complete that goal, the training required, the nutrition, recovery, etc. and go at it one by one, you’ll soon find that your “insurmountable” goal or objective is really much easier to achieve than you first thought.
Now that your goals are organized in order of priority and importance, take a look at your goals and see how many of your goals are achievable now, within the foreseeable future, and within the distant future. If you have many goals which are all achievable within the future, you are not focusing enough on what you could be achieving now. And conversely, if you have many goals which are achievable now, but do not have many that can be achieved within the future, you are not thinking enough about what could be done down the road.
Taking the time to really look within yourself and think about who you are, what you’re doing, and why will pay you back enormous rewards for the rest of your life. When you know yourself and what you want out of life, then it’s up to you to go and get it. The majority of us who read this, live in the richest countries in the entire world and we are free and have to ability to become and achieve anything we want. The opportunities for us are virtually endless. And if you aren’t going to go out and do it, you can damn well be sure that somebody else will.
The next step, as Earl Nightingale put it, is to simply live successfully one day at a time. Days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months, months turn into years, and years turn into a lifetime. Doing the best you can do, day in and day out working towards your goals, living and being successful one day at a time will equate into a lifetime of success.
Joe Satriani – Rubina (Live in San Francisco)
September 23, 2009 — RyanThis one is for the music lovers.
This is Joe Satriani, master guitar virtuoso playing a song called “Rubina” during a live performance in San Francisco.
I don’t know what this song is about, I don’t know what it means but I can tell you every single time I listen to this song, I’m transported to a very deep place within my mind, a place I’m extremely familiar with. Where time stands still to me. I can see in my mind’s eye everything I want to see, it’s a powerful place and I visualize within my mind I’m surfing along a beautiful blue wave through space. And as the individual notes sound it feels like I’m running along them, my foot embracing them as the note is struck. I can feel within my heart all of my strength, I can feel within my heart how I truly feel and I can’t help but smile. I think of the future and the emotional response generated from the powerful imagery within my mind makes me feel physically stronger. I love to listen to this song when I’m in the gym, running, lifting weights or doing any physical activity. I’ll sometimes listen to it when I’m doing house chores, doing the dishes, doing whatever. Enough said, just listen to it and melt.
100 Unique Visitors! Another big day at RyanSleigh.com!
September 22, 2009 — RyanHey all!
Today is another big and fantastic day at RyanSleigh.com! Today marks the first time RyanSleigh.com has attracted 100 unique visitors within a month time frame! I want to say a BIG thank you to everyone who has come here, who keeps coming, and anyone and everyone who enjoys what they find here! That’s the whole point!
I’ve added a “Blogroll” which is pretty much a link directory to the left hand side menu. I’ll be adding some pretty sick links there over time that I feel has something to offer, or is an excellent site. To start I’ve added three links off the top of my head that I would love to share.
First off there is the Cory Holly Institute (CHI) which literally speaks for itself! Check that site out and get educated!
Second is OasisPleasureGarden.ca which is an online adult store based here in Ottawa, ON run by my good friend and client Chantal Bergeron!
Third is TeamCSNA.com which are the official web forums for the Certified Sports Nutrition Advisor (CSNA) Education Program offered by the Cory Holly Institute. TeamCSNA.com is also something I’ve setup personally and is run from the RyanSleigh.com web servers! These forums are new and both CHI and I are excited to watch them grow and become more integrated into the CHI and CSNA foundation.
That’s it for now folks! Stay tuned, there will be a lot of exclusive content coming in the month of October!
Thanks again and live well!
Ryan
Healthy Recipe: Stuffed Tomatoes with Beef
September 20, 2009 — RyanHello ladies & gentlemen!
Today is a big day at ryansleigh.com.
I will be introducing a new blogging category: COOKING.
That’s right! I’m an avid cook. I absolutely love to cook. There are few things more satisfying to me than cooking your own meals, knowing exactly what ingredients you are putting into them, and cooking them to YOUR OWN tastes. I love the reactions I get from some people when I serve them up a nice dish that I created and I love savoring every single bite of a healthy vibrant meal. It is without question that I would blog about this eventually!
To start this category off, here is a fantastic dish that I have recently learnt!
Stuffed Tomatoes with Beef
Ingredients
6 to 8 medium to large sized organic tomatoes
500g lean ground free-range/organic beef
1 cup cooked organic brown rice
1 medium sized organic red onion
1 tsp nutmeg
1 free-range/organic egg
salt & pepper
butter
Alright first things first. Wash your hands and get all your ingredients out and ready to be utilized when you need them. Make sure your cooking surfaces are clean and you are relaxed. I like to take my socks off in the kitchen! Preheat your oven to 350° F.
This recipe calls for at least 1 cup of cooked brown rice. So to begin with you’ll want to have some rice cooked or cooking. If you don’t know how to do this, it’s very easy to make basic brown rice! All you need is a pot, rice, water, salt and butter (optional). Put a 2:1 ratio of water to rice in a pot (eg. 2 cups water to 1 cup of rice), add a touch of salt and butter, bring it to a boil, put the lid on it, drop the heat to low and let it cook undisturbed for roughly 35 – 45 minutes.
Wash each tomato under warm water and slice the top of the tomato right off so you can scoop the insides out. Once every tomato has been washed and it’s top removed, take a spoon and “carve out” the insides into a bowl for later use in sauces or whatever else you may create or into the garbage can. Set the tomatoes aside on a plate upside down to let the remaining juice flow out.
Take your onion and slice it up into small pieces. Think no bigger than the size of a penny. The way I like doing this is by taking the whole onion and slicing it from side to side. Then I stack the separate slices on top of each other and then slice the stack from side to side again.
Go back to your tomatoes. Flip them back over and sprinkle a small amount of salt & pepper into each of them. Once again set them aside.
Take your beef and throw it into a large mixing bowl. Take your egg, crack it and pour it in the beef. Using your hands break the yolk into the white of the egg and mix the beef and the egg together. Now add the cooked rice and your sliced onion and once again mix it all together. Finally, add the nutmeg and sprinkle some salt & pepper to taste and mix it all together once again. I use my hands.
Now you’re ready to take your meat mixture and put it inside the hollowed tomatoes! Do this any way you want, I like to just simply use a spoon and then pack it in with my hands. Be careful though! The tomatoes are delicate and their flesh will break easily if enough pressure is applied.
Finally, take a chunk of butter and use it to grease up a baking dish, preferably Pyrex, that is at least 1″ deep and large enough to fit the 6 or 8 tomatoes. Place the tomatoes on the baking dish with the holes facing up, not down. They are now ready to be put into the oven! Hint: You can even put a small slice of butter on top of each tomato before you put them in the oven to add some extra flavor.
The stuffed tomatoes will take approximately 20 – 25 minutes to cook. It is the beef that you are really cooking in this dish, the tomatoes are fairly resistant to heat and they will maintain their shape so long as you pick and use fairly firm tomatoes. This dish goes excellent with simple green leafy salads!
That’s about it for this addition! If you’ve got any questions just shoot and I’ll be happy to answer!
See ya next time!
Eulogy for a Crab
September 6, 2009 — Ryan
Dear crab,
Do not worry, for you will be consumed
by a high performance man and woman.
You will be made into proteins and used
in our pursuit of excellence. In that, your
your flesh will live beyond the grave.
The Benefits of Dark Chocolate
September 3, 2009 — RyanOne of my most favorite foods on this earth is dark chocolate. The word chocolate is actually a catch all name for a number of raw and processed foods produced using the seed of the cacao tree (theobroma cacao). The seeds have an intensely bitter taste and must be fermented to develop any sort of flavor. “Cocoa” is actually the dried and fully fermented seed of the cacao tree that is used to make chocolate. The word cocoa is simply a derivative of the word cacao. From this state the seed is then cleaned and roasted and the shell is removed to produce cacao nibs. The nibs are then ground and liquefied resulting in chocolate liquor.
Chocolate also contains alkaloids. An alkaloid is a complex naturally occurring chemical compound containing nitrogen atoms which also have a pharmacological effect on both humans and animals. The two most notable alkaloids in chocolate are theobromine and phenylethylamine. The alkaloid I will be talking about today is phenylethylamine (PEA).
So just what the hell is this stuff? PEA is a neurotransmitter and a neuromodulator that is naturally produced in the body and can be found in varying concentrations within chocolate and certain algae. It has a very strong action on the dopamine system of the brain. Dopamine is one of the primary neurotransmitters that is used to communicate between cells in your body. PEA serves to increase the levels of dopamine in your brain and also blocks the action of dopamine transmitters creating a buildup of dopamine within the brain. PEA also has several other benefits including improvements in mood, memory & learning, and libido. To be updated…
The problem with PEA is that it is rapidly metabolized by the enzyme MAO-B preventing any significant concentrations from ever reaching the brain in the first place. Unless of course the individual is taking some sort of MAO inhibitor. Thus, people who are simply munching chocolate down with no regard will derive very little benefit from the PEA that is found in chocolate. However, there is a way around this. If you suck on the chocolate and allow it to dissolve within your mouth, the PEA can be absorbed straight into your brain through the olfactory epithelium at the back of the roof of your mouth.
So there you have it, you now know the secret trick to eating and enjoying chocolate! Enjoy 