Tuesday, 5 March 2013
Creatine Supplementation
Nutrition
Assessment
Task 4
Creatine
Creatine is
a group A supplement as shown in the AIS supplement program that is most
commonly supplemented in the form of creatine monohydrate. It is most commonly
used as an aid to the ATP PC system to perform increased maximum power and performance
in high-intensity anaerobic work.
Creatine is used
by loading the supplement, this can be done multiple ways such as a rapid
loading phase which may be achieved within a week by taking repeated doses per
day (such as 4 doses of 5g per day) or a slower loading phase over a longer
period taking a smaller dose daily. Once loaded maintaining the dose will allow
elevated levels to be sustained, when unloading the muscle creatine levels from
saturated it will take at least 4 weeks to return to the normal resting levels.
Creatine is best taken in doses with a considerable amount of carbohydrates as
this will increase the uptake and storage into the muscles.
It is common
to see a small weight gain when loading which may be water retention thus the
person taking creating may find they feel slightly bloated. Aside from this
there are no other real side effects, as a supplement it has been around for a
long time with much research on the supplement suggesting it is safe and
effective.
Because
creatine shows a rather specialized performance increase it is easy to associate
it with activities that will benefit. Any sport or activity that requires
maximum power or high intensity anaerobic training would benefit from creatine
supplementation, examples of this would be power lifting, rugby league or even
any gym routine that focuses on strength work.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creatine_supplements
Monday, 4 March 2013
Hypertension Assessment Task
Exercise
Science
Assessment
Task 4
Hypertension is the medical term used to describe high blood
pressure, hypertension is considered to be present if you are tested and the
results are 140/90 mmHg or higher consistently. External factors such as medication,
stimulants or exercise can cause a short term change in blood pressure so need
to be noted when testing blood pressure, so for example if I had were to have
my blood pressure taken directly after a vigorous exercise routine and having
drank 4 cups of coffee my blood pressure would be very different to what it
naturally is so it is important to take these factors into consideration.
Diagnosing hypertension is not a trainer’s responsibility
however the blood pressure test is a great tool for fitness professionals to
utilize as it is a great indicator of cardiovascular health and the results of
the test will make a doctor referral an easy decision as the results are not
hard to interpret. A normal blood pressure is considered to be around 120/70 mmHg,
between that reading and 140/90 mmHg can be considered pre-hypertension or a
high normal reading (especially if leaning towards the higher end of the
reading) and then the higher the reading from there the worse the condition is.
Hypertension is quite dangerous as without testing blood
pressure you may not actually know that you have it, symptoms will are rare in those
suffering from hypertension but they may feel headaches, fatigue or confusion,
vision problems, light headedness, chest pain, difficulty of breathing or
vertigo however this may also be attributed to other ailments as hypertension
increases the risk of other diseases. There are several factors and conditions
that play a role in potentially developing hypertension such as smoking, being
overweight, lack of physical activity, too much salt in the diet, high alcohol
consumption, stress, aging, genetics. Hypertension is a common disease however
should not be underestimated as it was identified by the World Health
Organization as the leading case of cardiovascular mortality. To combat this
hypertension the first line of treatment is to make preventative lifestyle
changes including dietary changes, increased physical activity and weight loss.
Medication may be employed to fight hypertension such as diuretics which will
likely increase the amount the patient will need to use the toilet so when
training it would be advisable not to take them far from facilities where they
won’t be able to use a toilet.
When training someone with hypertension it is advisable not
to push heavy weights overhead as the heart will have to increase blood
pressure in order to fight gravity and push the blood up the arms, so if you do
decide to train someone with hypertension in overhead training such as a
dumbbell shoulder press do so with caution and monitor them as they may have
adverse reactions to this. When training blood pressure will increase a bit
regardless as is required of the body however overhead training will do more so
than general training so extremely vigorous training may not be appropriate, it
is always a good idea to keep an eye on the client to make sure they are
alright however after training their blood pressure will lower which is why it
is considered the first line of treatment for hypertension.
Always consult a physician if testing reveals the client may
have hypertension, knowing emergency contacts such as family or GP of the
client is a good idea. Aside from seeing their GP for general information for
hypertension clients can also find research online at almost any medical
website (even just a standard search should be a good start) as it is such a
common disease.
References:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2650754/
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