Train low, race high strategy for endurance athletes.

There's a growing trend of endurance athletes switching to a low-carb, high-fat diet to avoid the energy crash pretty much every athlete experiences if they don't refuel mid-race. Not to be confused with altitude training (sleep low, train high).

Here’s the gist: Carbs are the most efficient form of fuel for our bodies. They can be digested and converted into energy much faster than other nutrients,

However, our muscles can only store around 2,500 calories of carbs at once, compared to the 50,000 calories of fat. You can teach your body to burn fat as a substrate by restricting your carb intake, which can help you avoid that sudden wall of exhaustion on a long training session caused by a depleted store of carbs.

How it works:

You train on a low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) diet for five to 10 days to teach your body to convert fat into fuel, explains Georgie Fear, R.D., author of Lean Habits For Lifelong Weight Loss.

Your daily diet will come from roughly 50 percent healthy fats, 25 percent carbs, and 25 percent protein. Then, one to three days before a race, you start carb-loading with 80 percent of your diet coming from (healthy!) low glycemic carbohydrates, 10 percent from fat, and 10 from protein. Your body has optimized to burning fat as a fuel, but it also remembers how to process carbs. The theory is that you gain the advantages of training on a low supply of carbs, but you avoid any effect on speed from the missing carbs. You even get an extra energy boost since carbs turn to fuel so quickly

One of the biggest parts of becoming a better, faster athlete, though, is figuring out which training and racing diet is right for you -- and an LCHF diet may or may not be right for you.

While there are huge weight loss and endurance training benefits to this eating plan, it can be a massive undertaking.  Test the process and see how it works for you. If, after two weeks of limiting your carbs, you still feel terrible and lethargic on your runs, tweak your plan considering a health professional's advise. Still feel exhausted? A LCHF diet may not be right for your body-and there's nothing wrong with that.

Should You Be Considering Cryotherapy as a Muscle Recovery Treatment?

Forms of Cryotherapy are commonly used following a high-intensity bout of exercise to speed recovery. But what is it? Cold-water immersion (CWI) or ice baths, ice or cold gel pack application, ice massage, cold-air therapy or any other local or general application of cold for therapeutic purposes, are all various forms of Cryo.

The question most people ask is, should you subject your body to such cold temperatures? Simply put, yes - The fundamental change induced by cold therapy drives a reduction in tissue temperature, which subsequently exerts positive effects on blood flow, cell swelling and tissue metabolism. Cold therapy causes core temperature reduction and cardiovascular and endocrine changes, which can lead to faster recovery.

Here are two immediate benefits:

Tissue Metabolism

Following exercise, stressed muscle fibers may have an increased energy demand as they restore ion gradients, repair structural damage and replace energy stores. Thus, reducing muscle energy demand by cooling may reduce the metabolic stress experienced by a muscle fiber and minimize the disparity between oxygen supply and demand. 

Blood Flow

Although reducing blood flow to stressed/fatigued muscles to enhance recovery seems counterintuitive, reducing blood flow is thought to decrease subsequent pain, functional impairment and the potential for secondary damage caused by inflammation.

The right treatment depends on the areas you wish to focus on and the physical degree of your workout, but the two most talked about forms of Cryo are Ice Baths (CWI) and the use of Cryogenic Chambers.  Cold Water Immersion has become popular among sportsmen and women to cool strained muscles in order to recover faster, compete again sooner and train harder.  While Cryogenic Chambers are a relatively new method of speeding up recovery and regarded by some elite athletes and coaches as a step forward, a superior treatment.  The latter typically consists of being exposed to extremely cold air (below -100°C) in a specialized chamber.

First-timers should try ice baths, typically lasting for 10 minutes. For more information on Cryogenic Chambers, consult your local physician about nearby locations and if it's the right method for you.

Jumpstart Your 2020 w/ Group Fitness

December for some, can be the most jam-packed, energy consuming time of year. Lots of opportunities to see family, reacquaint yourself with holiday festivities, and most of all feast.  It can be okay to indulge this season, but it's also important to stay on track when life gets as busy as it does heading into the new year. 

But why wait until January first to begin? We've put together a few reasons why Semi-Private fitness classes can help you achieve the best shape of your life.

More Personal Attention & Greater Focus

In smaller groups, trainers are able to give you more personal attention compared to much larger classes.  They'll be able to see, correct and encourage everyone in the class.

Tribe Ethos

Group mentality goes a long way. When people exercise together, they create relationships and friendships that can build into a family atmosphere. More so, an energetic fitness class with friends and family will keep you having fun each step of the way.

Motivation & Support

A group setting encourages while also helping you track your personal progress, while setting and achieving goals together can also be extremely helpful in self-motivating through a workout.  The group is there to get you through the challenges, wade through the obstacles and experience everything with you.

Accountability

Small group training sessions can hold you accountable for showing up and putting effort into the workout. That accountability is what will get you moving. Working hard, staying consistent and focusing on the process with your tribe will get you there every time.