The Fast Lane:

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Training

A complete overview of training principles, building blocks, scheduling and phasing, completed with scientific articles and real-life tips & examples.

CONTENT:
Training Principles 
Building Blocks 
Training Schedules
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Racing

Advice for optimizing your performance, via clever tactics or a perfect preparation, Evaluate your performance with the Hungarian Scoring Tables.

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Racing Strategies
Mental Preparation
Analyzing Performances
Going for Gold
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Drugs & Medicine

Racing faster is more than just training more and harder. Live a healthy life.

CONTENT:
Nutrition
Legal Supplements
Illegal Substances
Common Injuries
Muscles
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My Running

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Legal Supplements

 Creatine Phosphate

Dietary supplementation with creatine is the current rage for everyone from weekend joggers to pro football players, who take it to improve endurance. As discussed on the Training pages, muscles need ATP to contract, but muscle stores of ATP itself last only a second. Creatine phosphate provides the next line of defense by providing phosphate for ATP resupply. The creatine phosphate supplies of normal muscles can maintain activity for several seconds more than ATP stores alone. Creatine should speed recovery after a single, very brief burst of energy use like at the start of a sprint, and speed recovery between sprinting episodes, and thus improve performance on repeat brief sprints. It might also help in performance of single brief exercise, although the key word here is brief (five to ten seconds).

Here is a short summary of some of the findings on creatine supplementation and muscle function: 

• Creatine supplementation definitely increases the amount of creatine and phosphocreatine in the muscle. The typical "loading" strategy of 10 to 20 grams/day for five days followed by maintenance of 2 to 3 grams/day for a month causes an increase in muscle creatine content from 5 to 15 percent. It takes about a month for creatine levels to fall all the way back to normal after supplements are stopped. 

• Creatine increases body weight, but it may not increase muscle mass. Much of the weight gain may well be water held in the muscle with the creatine, not muscle mass. 

• Performance on closely spaced repeat sprint like activities are those most reliably improved. Although there are many positive and negative findings for swimming sprints, rowing sprints, brief lifting "sprints," and running sprints, there are at least a few credible studies that report improvements. There are studies of every kind of person: highly trained athletes, formerly sedentary young people, elderly people on weight training, etc. Highly-trained athletes seem to be most likely to show benefits. 

• When performance improvements occur, they are slight- in the range of 1 to 5 percent. This explains why some stud- ies brag more about their results than others. A 1 percent improvement in a swimming time in a 100-yard sprint (or 0.5 to 1.5 seconds) is a huge improvement, but under other circumstances it doesn't mean much. 

• Creatine phosphate does not significantly improve endurance during aerobic exercise. Exercise that is sustained for more than a minute or so relies on aerobic metabolism, not on creatine phosphate. Athletes who cycle or run long distances should just forget it. 

There are still lots of unknowns about creatine supplementation. The relative failure of creatine supplements to improve endurance-like performance is a little surprising. One philosophy of creatine supplementation is that it permits faster recovery during repetitions of bursts of activities. This should permit more repetitions in each set and more total repetitions in a workout-for example, repeat lifting bouts. However, we haven't seen this result consistently. This might be a limitation in the design of the scientific studies or a limitation built in to the way people work out. Athletes might simply become fatigued or stop before they experience the benefit. We don't know if creatine use during training prevents normal helpful adaptations that training causes in the muscle. The purpose of training is to induce the body to make adaptations that make exercise easier the next time. Training normally increases the enzymes that make creatine phosphate: training alone can increase creatine stores as much as 30 percent, a change comparable to that claimed by dietary supplements. Though still unproven, it is likely that the muscle's inducement to make its own changes is removed by dietary supplementation. This would make the athlete's body dependent on supplements instead of responsive to training. A note on drug combinations: Most studies do not investigate combinations. At least one study that compared creatine with creatine plus caffeine noted that all the benefits provided by creatine were negated by caffeine---bad news for dietary supplements that provide both. 

Read more about Creatine:
Creatine Supplementation: Its Effect on Human Muscular Performance and Body Composition  

 Vitamins

Vitamins are a group of substances essential for normal metabolism, growth and development, and for regulation of cell function. Vitamins work together with enzymes, co-factors (substances that assist enzymes), and other substances. Vitamins are obtained from food, except for vitamin D and vitamin K, which the body can synthesize. There are 13 vitamins needed by the body: Vitamins A, C, D, E, K, and the B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and biotin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and folate).

Fat-soluble Vitamins

Vitamin A is found in milk, cheese, cream, liver, kidney, and cod and halibut fish oil. All of these sources, except for fortified skim milk, are high in saturated fat and cholesterol. However, vegetable sources of a vitamin A precursor called beta carotene are fat and cholesterol free. The body regulates the conversion of beta carotene to vitamin A based on the body’s needs. Beta carotene comes from carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, winter squashes, cantaloupe, pink grapefruit, apricots, broccoli, spinach and most dark green leafy vegetables. The more intense the color of a fruit or vegetable, the higher the beta carotene content.

Vitamin D is found in cheese, butter, margarine, cream, fortified milk (all milk in the United States is fortified with Vitamin D), fish, oysters, and fortified cereals. The body can synthesize vitamin D when the skin is exposed to sunshine.

Vitamin E is found in wheat germ, corn, nuts, seeds, olives, spinach, asparagus, and other green leafy vegetables, vegetable oils (corn, sunflower, soybean, and cottonseed) and products made from them such as margarine.

Vitamin K is found in cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, and other green leafy vegetables, cereals, soybeans, and other vegetables. Bacteria in the intestines normally also produce vitamin K.

Water-soluble Vitamins

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) is found in fortified breads, cereals, pasta, whole grains (especially wheat germ), lean meats (especially pork), fish, dried beans, peas, and soybeans. Dairy products and milk, fruits, and vegetables are not very high in thiamine, but when consumed in large amounts they become a significant source.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin) is found in dairy products, poultry, fish, lean meats, nuts, and eggs. Legumes and enriched breads and cereals also supply some niacin. 

Folate is found in green, leafy vegetables.

Vitamin B12 is found in eggs, meat, poultry, shellfish, and milk and milk products.

Pantothenic acid and biotin are found in eggs, fish, milk and milk products, whole-grain cereals, legumes, yeast, broccoli and other vegetables in the cabbage family, white and sweet potatoes, lean beef, and other foods.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is found in citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, turnip greens and other greens, sweet and white potatoes, and cantaloupe. Most other fruits and vegetables contain some vitamin C; fish and milk contain small amounts.

Functions

Each vitamin has specific functions. If a certain vitamin is deficient, a deficiency disease results.

Vitamin A helps in the formation and maintenance of healthy teeth, skeletal and soft tissue, mucous membranes, and skin. It is also known as retinol because it generates the pigments that are necessary for the working of the retina. It promotes good vision, especially in dim light. Vitamin A may also be required for reproduction and lactation. Beta carotene is a precursor to vitamin A; it has antioxidant properties.

Thiamine (B1) helps the body cells convert carbohydrates into energy. It is also essential for the functioning of the heart and for healthy nerve cells and the brain.

Riboflavin (B2) works with the other B vitamins and is important for body growth and red cell production. Similar to thiamine, it helps in releasing energy from carbohydrates.

Vitamin B6 is also known as pyridoxine. The more protein a person eats, the more B6 is required to use the protein. It helps in the formation of red blood cells and in the maintenance of normal brain function. It also assists in the synthesizing of antibodies in the immune system.

Vitamin B12, like the other B vitamins, is important for metabolism. It helps in the formation of red blood cells and in the maintenance of the central nervous system.

Pantothenic acid and biotin: pantothenic acid is essential for the metabolism of food. It is also essential in the synthesis of hormones and cholesterol. Biotin is essential for the metabolism of proteins and carbohydrates, and in the synthesis of hormones and cholesterol.

Folate (Folic acid) works with vitamin B12 in the production of red blood cells. It is necessary for the synthesis of DNA, which controls heredity as well as tissue growth and cell function.

Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid. It promotes healthy teeth and gums, helps in the absorption of iron, and helps maintain normal connective tissue. It also promotes wound healing.

Vitamin D is also known as the "sunshine vitamin" since it is manufactured by the body after being exposed to sunshine. Ten to fifteen minutes of sunshine three times weekly is adequate to produce the body’s requirement of vitamin D. It promotes the body’s absorption of calcium, which is essential for the normal development of healthy teeth and bones. It also helps maintain adequate blood levels of calcium and phosphorus, which are minerals.

Vitamin E is also known as tocopherol; it is an antioxidant. It is also important in the formation of red blood cells and the use of vitamin K.

Vitamin K is known as the clotting vitamin, because without it blood would not coagulate. Some studies indicate that it helps in maintaining strong bones in the elderly.

Recommended Daily Allowances

Recommended daily allowances (RDAs), are defined as the levels of intake of essential nutrients that meet the known nutritional needs of practically all healthy people. The best way to get the daily requirement of essential vitamins is to eat a balanced diet that contains a variety of foods. Specific recommendations for each vitamin depend on age, gender, and other factors.

Vitamins Table

 Minerals

Minerals Table

Minerals are elements that our bodies must have in order to create specific molecules needed in the body. Here are some of the more common minerals our bodies need:

Calcium Phosphorus Magnesium Sodium Potassium Chloride Iron Zinc Iodine Selenium Copper Manganese Fluoride Chromium Molybdenum

Essential for developing and maintaining healthy bones and teeth. Assists in blood clotting, muscle contraction, nerve transmission. Reduces risk of osteoporosis. Works with calcium to develop and maintain strong bones and teeth. Enhances use of other nutrients. Essential for energy metabolism, DNA structure and cell membranes. Activates nearly 100 enzymes and helps nerves and muscles function. Necessary for maintaining fluid balance. Transports nutrients across cell membranes. Maintaining fluid balance. Necessary for maintaining normal acidity in the stomach. Helps carry carbon dioxide to the lungs. Needed for red blood cell formation and function. Essential part of more than 100 enzymes involved in digestion, metabolism, reproduction and wound healing. Helps regulate, growth, development, metabolism. Necessary for normal thyroid function. Necessary for normal growth, development, use of iodine in thyroid function. May reduce risk of certain cancers. Involved in iron metabolism, nervous system function, bone health, synthesis of proteins. Plays a role in pigmentation of skin, hair, eyes. Necessary for normal development of skeletal and connective tissues. Involved in metabolism of carbohydrates. Dental health, incorporation into bones and teeth. Normal glucose metabolism. Needed for metabolism of DNA and RNA.

Dairy products, green leafy vegetables, canned fish, tofu. Dairy products, meats, poultry, fish, eggs, whole grains, nuts and seeds, processed foods. Green vegetables, legumes, cereal, fish, and whole bran. Table salt, milk, processed meats (luncheon meats, ham, bacon), snack chips, crackers. Spinach, brussels sprouts, bananas, potatoes, tomatoes, orange juice, cantaloupe. Table salt. Liver, meats, green leafy vegetables, enriched breads and cereals. Meat, liver, poultry, fish, oysters, other seafood, whole grains, eggs. Iodized salt, salt-water fish, dairy products, white bread. Whole grains, fish, seafood, liver, meats, eggs. Liver, seafood, nuts, seeds. Whole grains, cereals. Most plants and animals, fluoride-fortified toothpaste, some water supplies. Egg yolks, whole grains, pork. Milk, beans, breads, cereals.

Drugs & Medicine:

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ABSTRACTS, NEWS & ARTICLES:

NUTRITION:

- The 6 types of Nutritients
- Food Composition

LEGAL SUPPLEMENTS:

- Creatine Phosphate
- Vitamins
- Minerals

ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES:

- The IOC List of Prohibited Substances and Methods
- EPO
- HGH
- Anabolic Steroids
- Clenbuterol and Other Beta2 Agonists
- Caffeine
- Future products and methods

COMMON INJURIES:

- Achilles Tendinitis
- Stress Injuries

MUSCLES:

- The 3 Muscle types
- The Human Body

BODY FAT:

- Body Fat Percentage vs. Performance
- Calculating Body Fat percentage
- Calculating Your Body Fat percentage