Personal Training in Truro, Cornwall

A topic that I regularly deal with during consultations on nutrition and lifestyle is caffeine. It seems that many cannot get going in the morning without that first mug of coffee or tea so I am going to have a look at this extremely addictive substance and offer some tips on the best way to consume caffeinated drinks.

Is caffeine good for you?

No, is the simple answer to this question!

Caffeine has no vitamins, enzymes or minerals and for this reason is known as a displacement food - it consumes energy and water from the body to metabolise and detoxify, yet it offers nothing in return. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, causes a release of dopamine from the brain, and adrenaline from the adrenal glands. This leaves you feeling aroused, alert and anxious.

However, these effects do not last long and once the caffeine has worn off, the body is left feeling fatigued, which then leads to more consumption and the cycle goes on and on. Over time, this places a lot of stress on the adrenal glands, gastro-intestinal system and disrupts brain chemistry. These effects are exacerbated by the popularity of adding sugar and syrups, particularly to coffee!

The following side effects have been linked to caffeine consumption:

• Poor sleep
• Increased cholesterol
• Increased anxiety/depression
• Increased blood pressure
• Increased risk of heart disease
• Iron deficiency anemia (in women)
• Also, coffee beans are very heavily sprayed with pesticides and as a result of exposure to these chemicals; caffeine has been linked with cancer, Alzheimer's and miscarriage.

Tips for healthy caffeine consumption

I recommend the following to help reduce/eliminate caffeine:

1. Firstly, if you are craving the pick-me-up provided by caffeine then it is imperative that you evaluate your nutrition and lifestyle. Poor sleep, poor diet, high levels of stress and too much/too little exercise are just some of the reasons you may be low on energy.
2. Ensure that you drink plenty of water. It takes 3 molecules of water to break down 1 molecule of coffee. As little as a 1-3% reduction in hydration will affect performance and brain function.
3. If you drink lots of coffee, cut down slowly to a maximum of 1 per day.
4. Try to consume organic tea and coffee where possible as it limits your exposure to pesticides.
5. Avoid drinking caffeine after 2pm - it can seriously affect sleep, the knock-on effect being that you will crave caffeine again the next day because you didn't sleep well!
6. Consume your tea or coffee with a high-quality fat to lessen the load placed on the adrenal glands - organic cream, raw full-fat milk or coconut oil are excellent choices (I know coconut oil sounds like a strange choice but try it, it tastes fantastic in coffee!).

If you consume a lot of caffeine, follow the above advice and you will notice a dramatic improvement in your health and vitality.

So January has come and gone! It has been a month in which I have begun training for the Half Ironman at the Festival of Sport Cornwall, in September this year.

Even though it is still such a long way away, having a goal to focus on (the Half Ironman), has made it much easier to set out my training schedule. This is such an important factor when beginning a training program, no matter what your level. By having a specific goal to aim towards, you can then go about working out how you plan to get there. For some, that goal may be to complete their first event, whilst others may be aiming to complete it in a specific time.

When putting together your plan, factors such as: what your actual goal is, the time available you have to train, your current fitness levels, strengths and weaknesses for your chosen event and family/work commitments, are some of the important issues that need considering. With this information, you can then begin to put in place a plan (training program) that is going to enable you to reach your goal.

Having put together a plan, the use of a heart rate monitor can help to ensure you train at the correct intensities, and is an invaluable tool in making sure you do not over train (or not train hard enough!). I have also participated in some of the races of the Cornish Road Running Grand Prix Series (of which two have been done so far), and the Cornish Triathlon Series, allowing me to assess my fitness levels, and to find out if my training is working or not. This provides information which I can use to adjust my training accordingly. It is important for anyone on a training program to have tests or intermediate races occasionally throughout your training to see how you are progressing, and whether or not you need to make any changes to your program. It also adds an element of fun, being a break from regular training, and gives you the chance to meet like-minded individuals to swap ideas and learn new things.

January has mainly involved running for me, with two target races taking place. February will bring a lot of trips to the pool to work on my swimming technique and fitness, as well as beginning to build up the miles on the bike. It is a balancing act with family and work commitments, but having a well laid out, and flexible plan, to allow for life's twists and turns, can help anyone to work towards achieving their goals. Here at Optima, we can help you do that, whilst also providing you with a nutritional guidance, to make sure you fuel your body as optimally as possible! If you are interested, contact us for a free, no obligation consultation, via the 'Contact us' tab above.

By Ken Walker

2012 promises to be an exciting year for sport in the UK with the London Olympics taking centre stage.

Cornwall is also holding its own sporting games (albeit with a lot less sports!) in 2012.  The 'Festival of Sport Cornwall' will run from 14^th - 16^th September, and will 'take place over some of the most entrancing coastal landscape of the St Aubyn Estates and against the stunning scenery around St Michael's Mount in Mount's Bay, West Cornwall'.

The events at the festival will cover various distances to cater for all fitness levels, and will include:

• Triathlon: Middle, Olympic and Sprint Distance
• Sportive (cycling): 100km and 140km
• Cycletta: 40km women only cycling event
• Open Water Swim: 1.5km and 3km
• Off Road Enduro (cycling): 4hour and 6hour
• Beach Run: 5km and 10km

In addition to this, the festival will also offer a unique experience to participants, including:

• Beach Sports: touch rugby, beach volleyball, kayaking, ultimate Frisbee, gig rowing
• Friday and Saturday night live entertainment
• High calibre comedians and bands
• Elite athlete speaker seminars
• Kids entertainment and sport
• Post race massage and athlete area
• Bespoke finishers medal
• Amazing goodie bag
• Special offers from supporting sponsors
• Secure bike storage
• Great quality food and drink
• Plus - enter more than one Core Sport and receive commemorative cotton long sleeve top and moisture management t-shirt.

More info about the festival can be found at www.festivalofsport.net.

Also on the horizon for 2012 is the new Cornwall Triathlon Series, a ten race series that has been created by Cornwall Council Leisure Service in partnership with the British Triathlon Federation.  Details have yet to be finalised, but should include:

This series will be open to all, and will be split into various age groups, and to encourage newcomers to triathlon, there will also be a novice category for the best newcomer to Triathlon during the Series.  More info is available at www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=29635.

2012 will also see the continuation of the extremely popular Cornish Road Running Grand Prix series, building on its huge success in previous years, with over 6500 runners completing a grand prix race in 2011!!  The series includes 15 races of varying distances and terrain, and is open to all, with each event hosted by one the many friendly running clubs in Cornwall. More info on the series, and the clubs involved can be found at www.cornwallroadrunning.co.uk.

As a personal trainer specialising in training for endurance events, such as triathlon and running, I thought I needed to set a good example, and have entered the Half Ironman triathlon (middle distance) event at the Festival of Sport Cornwall 2012!  This will be my first Half Ironman triathlon, and I intend to use races in the Cornwall Triathlon Series, and Cornwall road racing grand prix series as part of my training to ensure I get as fit as possible!  I also intend to post regular training updates on the website so you can track my progress.

If you are interested in participating in any of the events and have no idea where/how to begin your training, Optima can help.  We can provide you with individual training programs based on your goals, fitness levels and time available to train, to ensure you reach your chosen event in optimum condition.  We also provide detailed nutritional analysis to make sure you fuel your body as optimally as possible.

If you are interested, please feel free to contact us to arrange a free, no obligation, consultation where we can listen to your plans and provide you with details of what we can offer you.

Welcome to part 3 of my blog on barefoot training. In parts 1 and 2 I looked at the benefits of going barefoot for your training and will complete the series with some advice on the best to ways to begin barefoot training.

If you are runner, I recommend going to your local park and doing a lap or two barefoot to see what it feels like - make sure that the intensity is significantly reduced from what you would usually do. You should find that running feels easier and more efficient.

It is important to remember when beginning barefoot running that your feet will be weak as a result of having been confined to conventional trainers. For this reason I recommend reducing your running distance to 25% of what you would normally do at the outset and then gradually increase back to your normal training volume as your feet adapt. Don't be surprised if you feel soreness in both your feet and your calf muscles after that first run barefoot.

Of course, road running barefoot is not possible. There are now a number of very good barefoot running trainers on the market that protect your feet from harsh surfaces whilst still allowing your foot the freedom to do what it was designed for. I have personally tried a number of these trainers myself and recommend the Vibram FiveFingers (available at www.primallifestyle.com). They are the most comfortable to wear, are very good quality and provide absolutely no support to the foot whatsoever.

I would also recommend barefoot trainers for resistance training in the gym, particularly if you regularly perform squats, lunges and deadlifts as it will change the muscle recruitment in your legs and provide more stability to the knee, hip and back. For the purposes of resistance training, it is not necessary to reduce your training volume as significantly as for running. That said, you will still need to drop the weight you are using for a time so that your muscles can adapt and you can feel comfortable with the new sensation.

If you have any questions then feel free to get in touch.

Try barefoot training for yourself, it's what you were designed for!