Body Mass Index (BMI): Is this really a good gauge on health?

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a great way to get a gauge for your overall health, but there are a lot of considerations you must take into account when using this formula:

Step 1:  Calculate height in inches

Step 2:  Calculate BMI, using height in inches in the following equation

BMI = (weight(lbs) / [height (in) x height (in)]) x 704.5

Here is an example:

I am 6' 11"; therefore my height is 71"

BMI = (165 / 71x71) x 704.5 = 23.06

So how do you use this number?  Follow the chart below to determine what this number should tell you:

BMI Standards (International Sports & Sciences Association)
Underweight                         <18.5
Normal                                18.5 - 24.9
Overweight                          25 - 29.9
Obesity, Class I                   30 - 34.9
Obesity, Class II                  35 - 39.9
Extreme Obesity, Class III   >40

Now this is not a perfect system, but a good gauge to use as a starting point.  Here are some things to consider which may throw your BMI way off the charts.  BMI does not take into account physical fitness or bone structure, and it doesn't differentiate between weight gained due to muscle building versus eating out at your favorite fast food restaurant.  If you’re one of those who is building a lot of muscle you may end up with a BMI in the obese range. (For example, at the peak of his bodybuilding career, Arnold Schwarzenegger had a BMI of 33, which is considered obese.)  For those who know me, I am an ultra runner with a body fat percentange of about 6% yet I calculate at the high range of the Normal zone.  So use this calculation as a starting point, but keep in mind some considerations and go from there.  A better method to use is to do a body fat percentage test, estimated healthy weight for your height and body composition, and compare these numbers to your goals.  You can also use your blood pressure as a gauge to how healthy your really are no matter your size.

Eat before or after exercise for better fat burn?

For a quick and easy way to burn fat during exercise, research shows that exercising in a
fasted state increases fat burn and stabilizes blood glucose levels (Bennard & Doucet, 2006).
This method is also called intermittent fasting before a workout. Here’s how it works, when
you have your last meal of the day, typically dinner around 5-6 pm, don’t eat again before bed.
Wake up the next morning, and head straight out the door for your morning run, treadmill run,
elliptical, bike ride, or whichever is your normal cardio routine. If you’re a coffee drinker,
maybe a cup of coffee will be ok before your workout but don’t load it down with sugar,
creamer, and other additives. Exercise sessions should be easy and slow paced and not on days
of high-intensity, sprinting type of workouts. Furthermore, exercise sessions should be kept less
than 2 hours before reaching the point of glycogen depletion (a.k.a. bonking). If you are
planning on working out longer than 2 hours, then begin refueling around the first hour to hour
and a half into your workout routine. Once you’ve completed your exercise, give yourself about
2 more hours before eating, and you’ll notice huge losses in fat after a few weeks. Another
interesting fact found in this study is that there was no difference in fat burn when consuming
either a high-GI (Glycemic Index) food or a low-GI food post-exercise (Bennard & Doucet,
2006). Again, aim to eat healthy and stay away from the donuts to prevent killing your workout
session. If you do the math, a normal slow paced cardio session may allow you to burn around
400-500 calories per hour. Consuming one Gatorade could easily balance out your calorie intake
almost making your workout useless in the end, so stick to water and protein for your morning
breakfast.

When you sleep in bed at night, your bodies will slowly burn glycogen stores in your
muscle; but nowhere near the rate of reaching depletion. In order to burn fat, your body will
need to first burn the triglycerides (stored glucose) in your body before beginning fat burn. If
you were eat immediately upon waking up, then your only adding to the amount of energy stores
that will have to be burned before initiating fat burn. Most people’s cardio routines will never
take them to the point of actual fat burning, so this method of introducing intermittent fasting
into your diet will help enormously. Here’s the caution though, this method should only be used
2-3 times a week. Never use this training method continuously from day to day in order to avoid
a metabolic drop due to sustained negative calorie balance. In addition to abusing your
metabolic system, due to overuse of intermittent fasting, immune system depression can also
happen which will put you into a higher probability of injury and sickness (Allgrove et al.,
2009). It all comes down to training smart.

References

Allgrove, J. E., Geneen, L., Latif, S., & Gleeson, M. (2009). Influence of a Fed or Fasted State
on the s-IgA Response to Prolonged Cycling in Active Men and Women. International Journal
of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism, 19(3), 209-221.

Bennard, P., & Doucet, É. (2006). Acute effects of exercise timing and breakfast meal glycemic
index on exercise-induced fat oxidation. Applied Physiology, Nutrition & Metabolism, 31(5),
502-511.

Good Websites for Deals

Just wanted to share a few of my favorite websites that has some amazing deals:

1.) Trinero.com -- This site has one amazing deal a week that is always aimed for triathlon sports.

2.) Chainlove.com -- Mountain Biking Deals

3.) Bonktown.com -- Road Biking Deals

4.) SteepandCheap.com -- Mountaineering/Hiking Deals

5.) Dealnews.com -- Large variety deals that has a fitness section where you can sometimes find good deals.

Enjoy and try not to spend all your money on one site, try to spread it out! :)

To Consume or Not Consume?

In the summer months, hydration becomes more of a noticeable occurrence in our daily activities. In the past, I've heard of cyclist say that it was sometimes better to swish water in the mouth and then spit it out without swallowing was better than ingesting the water. Now recent research has set us strait that it is in fact better for athelete's to consume small amounts of water rather than swishing or not drinking at all. Check out the recent study by clicking here.

The New Truth on Lactic Acid

Ever heard that lactic acid buildup is bad and will slow you down? Well that used to be the common philosophy among personal trainers until now. Check out this recent article in the New York Times about the recent research on the topic.

click here for article.

Sitting Can Be Dangerous to Your Health

I know this infographic might be a little scary, but the message is pretty strong. According to studies, sitting down puts almost 11 times the amount of force on your spine that is normally supported by the muscles in your legs. Unfortunately most American's don't have a choice about changing their work situations that forces them to sit in front of a computer for 8 hours a day, but there are a few things you can do to help you out. Try getting out of that chair every 30 minutes to do a little walking around, stretching, or laying on your back to help alleviate lower back pain. Standing up while doing some tasks at work is another great way to alleviate back pain and burn extra calories at the same time.

After the infographic, I've posted a video by Kelly Starrett who gives an amazing presentation about the effects of sitting and gives some tips for what you can do to change some of your daily habits.

Tell me what you think? Do you have a standing desk at work or a treadmill desk? Share them with me as a comment below!

Tips for Running, Cycling, Swimming, and Starting out in Triathlon

Whether you a runner, cyclist, swimmer, or a triathlete, 6 time World Ironman Champion Mark Allen offers some wonderful tips that you can use in each one of these sports. In this Endurance Films video, Mark Allen gives some great tips for starting out in triathlon, check it out below:

Mark Allen Teaches You About "Triathlon Mechanics" from Endurance Planet on Vimeo.