GAMEDAY!!

Well, it's finally here. That glorious week, and now that wonderful day when it's the first Saturday of the football season! There are three times of the year when I have this much anticipation: the start of football, baseball's opening day, and Christmas. Although, I have to be honest when I say that Christmas' anticipation meter has fluctuated quite a bit over the years. Now that it is all about the excitement generated by my kids, my anticipation level of the Christmas season is back on the upswing. But back to my point....

FOOTBALL SEASON!

Yes, some schools have already started...high schools are doing their scrimmages & jamborees. But there is something very magical about that first Saturday of the college football season. Campuses take on that unmistakable buzz. There is an energy in the air. Everyone's an optimist---for the most part no one can do any wrong because at this point, you're undefeated!

For the player, months of intense work has culminated to this point. Day after day of "wake-up-before-dawn" workouts, week after week of physical performance testing, more hours spent in the filmroom than in their beds...NOW IT'S HERE! Finally, all of that work has a payoff, as many worked so hard just for a chance to make the team....now they have. Others worked to earn a starting job....now their name is heard over the stadium speakers as a STARTER. For the guys who were counted on to do well, their off-season has been an effort to meet or exceed expectations...now they have to prove their worth. Hard work pays off.

I want to take this opportunity to wish all of Arkansas Sports Performance Center's athletes who are strapping on the helmet this weekend the best. Guys like this have come to Little Rock for speed training:

Arkansas: Jonathan Luigs, Joe Adams, Seth Armbrust, Jim Youngblood, DeAnthony Curtis, DJ WIlliams, Van Stumon, Seth Oxner, Mitch Petrus, John Aaron Rees, John Durmon, Clay Bemberg, Derrell Hartwick

Arkansas State: Reggie Arnold, Trevor Gillott, Stanley Wakwe

UCA: Zach Hyatt, Taylor Scott, Brad Gordon

Ouachita Baptist: Josh Langley, Clayton DeWitt

Arkansas Tech: Justin Ray, Cole Barthel, Robert Woods, Jonathan Halbert, Jake Holland


I know I am leaving some out....I apologize in advance.


These guys came to see us because we get results in speed training....but also for strength, agility, nutrition & rehab help as well.

Football season is here....

Eat out much?

If you're like me, sometimes you just can't help but to eat fast food. Here's some tips from our new registered dietitian, Kelli Kostelnik (congrats Kelli!). Kelli is available for helping you with you a customized meal plan. Call her at 539-FAST (3278) or email her: kelli@arsportsperformance.com.

A Month of Healthy Tips for Eating on the Run

American Dietetic Association www.eatright.org

Most Americans eat out more today than in the past. People have busier lifestyles and are looking for fast, easy and good-tasting foods to fit their schedule. If eating out is your only option, know that there are smart and healthy choices available. Here are 30 tips to help you eat healthy when eating out this month.

1. Think ahead and plan where you will eat. Consider what meal options are available. Look for restaurants or carry-out with a wide range of menu items.

2. Take time to look over the menu and make careful selections. Some restaurant menus may have a special section for “healthier” choices. Many restaurants provide handouts on the nutrition content of their menu items. This can help you make the healthiest choice.

3. Read restaurant menus carefully for clues to fat and calorie content. Menu terms that can mean less fat and calories: baked, braised, broiled, grilled, poached, roasted, streamed.

4. Menu terms that can mean more fat and calories: batter-fried, pan-fried, buttered, creamed, crispy, and breaded. Choose these foods only occasionally and in small portions.

5. Order the regular portion. Mega-sized servings are probably more than you need. For a lighter meal, order an appetizer in place of a main course.

6. It’s ok to make special requests, just keep them simple. For example, ask for a baked potato or side salad in place of French fries; no mayonnaise or bacon on your sandwich; sauces served on the side.

7. Hunger can drive you to eat too much bread before your meal arrives. If you are watching your calories, hold the bread or chips until your meal is served.

8. Think about your food choices for the entire day. If you’re planning a special restaurant meal in the evening, have a light breakfast and lunch if you are watching your calories.

9. Limit the amount of alcohol you drink. No more than one drink for women and two for men. Alcohol tends to increase your appetite and provides calories without any nutrients.

10. Tempted by sweet and creamy desserts? Order one dessert with enough forks for everyone at the table to have a bite.

11. Does your menu choice come with a huge portion? Split your order. Share an extra large sandwich or main course with a friend or take half home for another meal.

12. Boost the nutrition in all types of sandwiches by adding tomato, lettuce, peppers or other vegetables.

13. A baked potato offers more fiber, fewer calories and less fat than fries if you skip the sour cream and butter. Top your potato with broccoli and a sprinkle of cheese or salsa.

14. At the sandwich restaurant, choose lean beef, ham, turkey or chicken on whole grain bread. Ask for mustard, ketchup, salsa or low fat spreads. And, load up on the veggies!

15. In place of fries or chips, choose a side-salad, fruit or baked potato. Or, share a regular order of fries with a friend.

16. You can enjoy ethnic foods such as Chinese stir-fry, vegetable-stuffed pita or Mexican fajitas. Go easy on the sour cream, cheese and guacamole.

17. At the salad bar, pile on the dark leafy greens, carrots, peppers and other fresh vegetables. Lighten up on mayonnaise-based salads and high-fat toppings. Enjoy fresh fruit as your dessert.

18. Eat your lower-calorie food first. Soup or salad is a good choice. Follow up with a light main course.

19. Ask for sauces, dressings and toppings to be served “on the side.” Then you control how much you eat. Dip your fork in you side of dressing and you will tend to eat less of it. This helps decrease fat intake.

20. If you are watching your calories, pass up all-you-can-eat specials, buffets and unlimited salad bars if you tend to eat too much.

21. If you do choose the buffet, fill up on salads and vegetables first. Take no more than two trips and use the small plate that holds less food.

22. Load up your pizza with vegetable toppings. If you add meat, make it lean ham, Canadian bacon, chicken or shrimp.

23. Look for a sandwich wrap in a soft tortilla. Fillings such as rice mixed with seafood, chicken, or grilled vegetables are usually lower in fat and calories.

24. Build a better breakfast sandwich: replace bacon or sausage with Canadian bacon or turkey bacon and order your sandwich on a whole grain English muffin or bagel.

25. Be size-wise about muffins, bagels, croissants and biscuits. A jumbo muffin has more than twice the fat and calories of the regular size.

26. Try a smoothie made with juice, fruit and yogurt for a light lunch or snack.

27. Refrigerate carry-out or leftovers if the food won’t be eaten right away. Toss foods kept at room temperature for more than two hours.

28. Grabbing dinner at the supermarket deli? Select rotisserie chicken, salad-in-a-bag and freshly baked bread. Or, try sliced lean roast beef, onion rolls, potato salad and fresh fruit.

29. Always eating on the go? Tuck portable, nonperishable foods in your purse, tote, briefcase or backpack for an on-the-run meal. Some suggestions are peanut butter and crackers, granola bars, a piece of fresh fruit, trail mix, single serve packages of whole grain cereal or crackers.

30. For desk-top dining, keep single-serve packages of crackers, fruit, peanut butter, soup, or tuna in your desk for a quick lunch.

Reference: American Dietetic Association www.eatright.org

Nutrition Corner

From ASPC's own registered dietitian, Kelli Kostelnik:

Post-Workout Nutrition

Protein or Carbohydrate?

It is commonly known that protein has many important functions regarding exercise. One of the most relevant functions is protein’s ability to rebuild muscle. During intense exercise, muscle tissue is broken down. Dietary protein provides the amino acids necessary to rebuild the broken down muscle tissue. It is also known that carbohydrates are a major source of fuel for the muscles. Many say athletes should consume only carbohydrates after intense exercise because carbohydrate is stored in the muscles as glycogen in the days before exercise. So which should it be… protein or carbohydrate?

Some research shows that combining carbohydrate with a little protein at a maximum of one hour after exercise increases the insulin response, which results in more stored glycogen, the stored form of carbohydrate. This provides the muscles with fuel. For optimal refueling, athletes should consume approximately 0.5 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight within the first hour after exercise. An example:

160 pound athlete: 160 x 0.5 grams carbohydrate = 80 grams carb = 320 calories of carb

In addition, as little as 6 grams of protein can be added to the 320 calories from carbohydrate to enhance the fueling and repairing of muscles. An example of such a post-workout snack or meal: lean ham and Kaiser roll sandwich, cereal with skim milk, a large bagel with light cream cheese, or spaghetti with lean meat sauce.

This post-workout nutrition will help fuel the muscles for intense exercise the following day and help repair muscle that has been broken down. Such nutrition refueling will in turn help improve workouts to help build muscle. The post-workout meal is critical to recovery and being ready for the next exercise session.

So the bottom line…carbohydrate plus protein helps speed recovery.

Contact Kelli at 501.539.FAST for more info. Email her: kelli@arsportsperformance.com

Reference: Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook, 3rd Edition by Nancy Clark, MS, RD. Human Kinetics, 2003.

Congrats!

Arkansas Sports Performance Center would like to congratulate MARIO MARTINEZ, one of our tennis athletes, for winning the String & Swing Tennis Junior Classic this past weekend!

Click here for the draw.

We are so proud of you Mario!

Mario has trained with us for about a year now, working on footwork, tennis-specific speed training, and strength.

BOLT!

Is this an appropriate name for a sprinter or what? Usain Bolt of Jamaica set a new world record the other night in the 100m dash.

Two things about this race that blew me away:

1. First, the obvious. 9.69? Are you kidding me? To think that he could have been faster had he not pulled up & started to celebrate just blows me away. The records just keep falling. Only ten years ago Ben Johnson ran a 9.79 (albeit later revealed he used performance-enhancing substances). Athletes are getting faster & faster.

2. If you go back & watch the video, watch the unbelievable acceleration he displays halfway through. He is with the pack at the start of the race, and then, out of nowhere, he finds this other gear that clearly the other runners lack. That is called acceleration, my friends, and it is both a gift and something he worked on.

I love the Olympics....

Nutrition

From Arkansas Sports Performance Center's own Nutritionist....Kelli Kostelnik:

Pre-Exercise Meals/Snacks

A pre-exercise snack can help improve performance by enhancing endurance and strength. Pre-exercise snacks can prevent dehydration and help maintain normal blood glucose levels. The following guidelines can help athletes determine appropriate snacks to improve their performance.

1. Most active people can improve their workouts by implementing 200-300 calories from carbohydrate 1-2 hours before the workout.
2. Eat high carbohydrate meals throughout the week to keep your muscles fueled with glycogen, the storage form of carbohydrate. This will allow your muscles to be ready for exercise at anytime.
3. If you will be exercising for more than 60-90 minutes and unable to consume calories during that time, choose carbohydrate foods that will slowly digest. Yogurt, bananas, oatmeal, bean soup, and apples are a few examples. Foods with a moderate to low glycemic index are slow digesting carbohydrates. When eaten an hour before exercise, they provide your body with the fuel it needs for a workout and also provide energy throughout a long workout.
4. If you will be exercising for less than 60 minutes, snack on foods that will settle in your stomach comfortably such as bread, bagels, English muffins, crackers and cheese, or pasta. These are all high carbohydrate, low fat foods.
5. Avoid high fat protein foods such as cheese omelets, hamburgers, pancakes, French fries and fried chicken. It takes longer for these foods to digest and empty from your stomach. These foods can cause nausea, upset stomach, sluggishness, and cramping. Switch to a lean protein food such as turkey, eggs, or low fat milk.
6. Avoid high sugar foods such as soft drinks and candy and foods with a high glycemic index such as potatoes, honey, or corn flakes. These foods can cause a drop in blood sugar during hard exercise and leave you feeling, tired, lightheaded and fatigued.
7. Allow adequate time for your snack to digest. Allow at 3-4 hours for a large meal to digest, 2-3 hours for a smaller meal, 1-2 hours for a blended or liquid meal, and less than an hour for a small snack. Keep in mind that everyone is a bit different and what works for your teammate or training partner may not work for you. However, you know how your body responds to such meals. Follow your own body’s tolerance to such meals. Allow more time before intense exercise than before lower intensity activities.
8. If you have a finicky stomach, a liquid meal replacement might do the trick. Liquid foods tend to leave the stomach quicker than solid foods. This allows the food do be digested faster and leave the stomach. Foods placed in a blender or commercial meal replacers can be experimented with to determine your tolerance.
9. If you know you cannot tolerate food before a workout, make sure to eat well the day before the event. Eat a large bedtime snack if you workout is in the morning.
10. Make sure to pack appropriate snacks when traveling with sports and games. You never know when game or practice will be delayed moved up. Travel snacks can include fig bars, dried fruit, granola bars, bagels, etc. Try to avoid foods that require cooling to avoid spoilage. Also when traveling, eat at familiar restaurants and eat familiar foods. No one wants an upset stomach right before a practice or competition.
11. Lastly, make sure to drink plenty of fluids. Make sure to stay hydrated the day before an event and at least 2-3 glasses of water up to 2 hours before the event.

Reference: Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook, 3rd Edition by Nancy Clark, MS, RD. Human Kinetics, 2003.

Olympical Musings

I doubt "Olympical" is a word. But it sounds cool. Plus, if it's not, I can say I invented it. Like Bush/Will Ferrell with "strategery." So, as we enter yet another day of the 29th Olympiad, I am filled with random thoughts:

• Michael Phelps deserves every amount of praise being heaped on him. Even though he is not quite to 8 gold medals, to be able to do what he has done is simply amazing. He is dealing with huge expectations, the highest level of competition, and that all-important mental battle. The physical toll he is going through is something to behold, but let's not forget the mental battles an athlete must go through. He has to fight off the media grind, the emotional toll of event after event, and being mentally strong enough to fight through what his body may be telling him. So all the credit in the world to him, and here's to three more golds.
• It's sad that this is the final year for baseball as an Olympic sport. Softball is also off the table for 2012, but may be back on in 2016. For those who know me, you know how much I love baseball. So there is that bias. But also keep in mind that baseball's growth in the last several years has not been in the U.S. It has been in Asia, Latin America & even Europe. Baseball is being taken very seriously by several nations because of what the sport means.....the national pride it induces, the team concept, yet with the chance for individual glory....baseball is too important globally to be ignored. Let's hope the IOC changes it's mind...
• The controversy surrounding the Chinese women's (girls?) gymnastics team is unfortunate. If you haven't heard, there is an age requirement for women to participate in gymnastics...the athlete must be 16 during this calendar year. But there is strong suspicion that most of the Chinese team consists of girls who are 10, 11, 12 years old. Innocent until proven guilty, I say...BUT...if they are guilty of this, it becomes a sad, sad reflection on sports. Admittedly, I am in the business of helping kids of all ages become better athletes. But to force an environment of "win at all costs" on a child that young is too bad. Even worse that it pervades the highest reaches of their government, for it is these folks making the decisions. Let a kid be a kid. Sports can play a huge role in their physical & emotional development...but keep it fun.
• I love being able to see random sports we never see in mainstream American sports media. Look over the list of sports being played.....team handball, field hockey, shooting, trampoline....wait, trampoline? I did say this was a list of sports, right? Oh well....point being that we get to see a lot of gifted athletes do things at the highest level. No matter the "sport."

Keep rooting on our athletes...

BJ

Darren McFadden

Congrats to Darren McFadden, who trained at Arkansas Sports Performance Center, on his first big commercial.....check it out here!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOvuM78NoF0

Beating the Heat…or, just Being Smart When It’s HOT!

What a great time of the year it is! Days of little or no rain, temperatures hovering around the magic triple-digit mark, humidity so high it just ZAPS you when you walk outside……but it also marks the beginning of football practice. Yes, two-a-days have begun in earnest around the state, marking the end of summer & the start of a most revered time of the year---football season! While it is very exciting to finally see meaningful practices with real hitting & full gear, the weather gives us pause to make sure that our athletes are taking care of themselves. Lots of everyday people—not just athletes---suffer from heat illnesses during this time of year. These issues range from simple cramps to a life-threatening condition known as heatstroke. Here is a quick summary of common heat illnesses:

Exercise-associated muscle (heat) cramps

Dehydration

Thirst

Sweating

Transient muscle cramps

Heat syncope

Dehydration

Fatigue

Tunnel vision

Pale or sweaty skin

Decreased pulse rate

Dizziness

Lightheadedness

Fainting

Exercise (heat) exhaustion

Normal or elevated body-core temperature

Dehydration

Dizziness

Lightheadedness

Syncope

Headache

Nausea

Anorexia

Diarrhea

Decreased urine output

Persistent muscle cramps

Pallor

Profuse sweating

Chills

Cool, clammy skin

Intestinal cramps

Urge to defecate

Weakness

Hyperventilation

Exertional heat stroke

High body-core temperature (.408C [1048F])

Central nervous system changes (such as dizziness, drowsiness, irrational behavior, disorientation)

Staggering

Seizures

Loss of consciousness

Coma

Dehydration

Weakness

Hot and wet or dry skin

Tachycardia (100 to 120 beats per minute)

Hypotension

Hyperventilation

Vomiting

Diarrhea

What is good to know about any heat illness is that, for the most part, they can be prevented. There are actually practical steps that can be taken to ensure a person’s best chance for avoiding heat illnesses.

• Ensure that proper medical care is available for all games & practices (a certified athletic trainer (ATC) on staff is the best option
• Acclimatization to the heat is important—get used to the heat 10-14 days before practice starts
• Educate the athletes about proper fluid replacement
• Weigh the athletes pre & post practice to determine fluid depletion; no more than 2-3% loss per practice session
• Proper rest breaks, preferably in the shade
• Wear the proper clothing: light-colored, loose-fitting/absorbent or new-generation cooling or wicking attire
• Ready availability of water & sports drinks
• Minimize high-sugar sports drinks during practice; use these mainly post-practice
• Re-hydrate after practice, allowing 2-3 hours for meals to digest
• Avoid heavy meals immediately after practice
• To ensure proper pre-exercise hydration, the athlete should consume approximately 500 to 600 mL (17 to 20 fl oz) of water or sports drink 2 to 3 hours before exercise and 200 to 300 mL (7 to 10 fl oz) of water or a sports drink 10 to 20 minutes before exercise.

These recommendations are just that: “recommendations.” A lot of this is just common sense. But unless the athletes & coaches start being smart about exercising in the heat, problems are going to occur. Again, most heat illnesses can be prevented. To borrow a common cliché: “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” Here’s hoping we can make the “horses” drink & take care of themselves.

Information for this article taken from the National Athletic Trainers Association, Official NATA Position Statements. For more information:

• www.nata.org
• www.swata.org/aata
• www.arsportsperformance.com
• bjmaack@arsportsperformance.com or 501.539.FAST (3278)

Being in Beijing

Here we go again...our quadrennial celebration of the ultimate in physical performance & achievement: The Olympic Games. The official Olympic motto is "Citius, Altius, Fortius," meaning "Swifter, Higher, Stronger." The ultimate goal of every participant in these 2008 Summer Olympic Games: to be the best at what they do, to win that gold. So the motto could be: "Citius-est, Altius-est, Fortius-est." Pardon my lack of the Latin language, but you get my drift: every athlete wants to run the swiftest, jump the highest & be the strongest. So what does it take to get there?

Obviously only the elite & the best of the best get to make the trip to Beijing, China. Those with the most natural God-given talent must go through years of training, pass rigorous qualifications, and train at the best facilities with the latest in technology with the top coaches in the world. Then & only then do they get the chance to go up against the best that our world has to offer.

I believe that God has given everyone of us a certain "genetic ceiling." This means that we have been physically gifted with a certain amount of speed, a certain amount of strength, and so on. If this were not true, records would be broken every single day. There is a limit to what we can do based on our genetics. Very few athletes get the opportunity to reach this "ceiling"; the Olympians & some professional athletes have the luxury to be pushed to their absolute peak, utilizing the things mentioned above. Most of the athletes in the world may improve a little bit with training, or as they mature physically, but they are never given the chance to reach their own personal peak potential.

The fun part about the type of training we use here at Arkansas Sports Performance Center is that we can now impart the technology & protocols usually reserved for these elite athletes. Now, every athlete can be pushed to their own genetic ceiling! Accessibility for all! Woo-hoo!
It's just fun that the science & the research that goes into what we do every single day here is solid, proven stuff.....and that every kid can tap into this training.


The Olympic Games give me a great chance to see what the best athletes in the world are capable of....their running form, the way they take off into a jump, the hand-eye coordination, etc. I will be eagerly watching all of these things & more to see what we can apply to all of our athletes. It is so amazing to watch video of an athlete perform something the right way and then use that video to teach a young Olympian-to-be.

So, as you watch the Games, remember that all of the hard work that those athletes put in allowed them to get there is also available for everyone now.

GO U.S.A.!