Caffeine and Training: Promoting recovery. By Veeraj Vic Goyaram

Caffeine and Training: 
Promoting recovery

By Veeraj Goyaram for Bodybuilding Mauritius

Welcome to the article series on Caffeine and Exercise
Caffeine is a proven mental and physical performance booster and is one of the most health-friendly compounds gifted to us by Mother Nature. Caffeine tops my list of my most favourite nutritional compounds. No wonder why coffee is my favourite beverage and my day doesn't start before my first cup. 

This article series will deal with key aspects of caffeine consumption and sports and exercise performance. We all know about the effect of caffeine in exercise performance but in this article we will look at a little-known benefit of caffeine consumption: muscle recovery. 

Caffeine promotes muscle glycogen resynthesis after glycogen depleting workouts

Glycogen is the storage form of carbohydrate in muscles and is the preferred source of energy for muscle contractions in bodybuilding workouts. Therefore, after training it is imperative to get back this glycogen although there is no need for most of us to expedite this process. I have received a few questions about why I have recently started consuming strong coffee with my postworkout meal (Fig. 1) Well, there are quite recent studies that have shown that the consumption of caffeine in addition to carbohydrates post workout leads to a higher rate of glycogen replenishment than with carbohydrate alone. This highlights the potential value of caffeine as a recovery agent in addition to its role as an energy booster. 

Fig. 1: My postworkout meal featuring caffeine from coffee

Researchers from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, led by Professor John Hawley (who earned his PhD from my research unit in South Africa) carried out investigations on this effect of caffeine. They found that caffeine ingested along with carbohydrates postworkout led to 66% more muscle glycogen than carbohydrate alone. The researchers suggested that this caffeine effect may be due to a greater rate of glucose absorption by muscle cells. Therefore, they set out to analyse the effect of caffeine on the intracellular processes that are normally responsible for glucose uptake under exercise.  

Two key molecules that are involved in this process are the enzymes CaMKII and AMPK. These become active as a result of muscle contraction during exercise. Their activation triggers processes in cells that bring about the movement of glucose transporters (GLUT4) to the surface of muscle cells for glucose uptake (See Fig. 2). A greater rate of glucose uptake may lead to increased glycogen resynthesis because glucose uptake is a limiting process in glycogen resynthesis. Interestingly, the researchers found that caffeine + carbs intake after exercise leads to a greater level of CaMKII activation than what is normally experienced by carbs only. This may indicate  a greater rate of GLUT4 activation, glucose uptake and glycogen resynthesis.

Fig. 2: Caffeine may bring about increased glycogen resynthesis via an increase in glucose uptake by muscles through GLUT4 transporters

Although not investigated by the above study, the activation of the CaMKII (and AMPK) enzymes also increases the synthesis of GLUT4 so that there are more of these transporters available to take up glucose. The link between CaMKII activation and increased GLUT4 levels has been extensively reviewed in an article that I co-authored with my professor in the American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology and Metabolism last year (Ojuka EO, Goyaram V and Smith JA, 2012). My research group from the University of Cape Town has also extensively studied caffeine in glucose uptake at the molecular level, under the leadership of Professor Edward Ojuka.

Practical application and important considerations

• Caffeine dosage and intake protocols: The Australian study above has used a high amount of caffeine (8 mg per kg of bodyweight) but smaller doses are also under investigation as well as the effect of taking caffeine before, during and after training (vs. caffeine taken only after). I speculate that smaller doses and spreading the caffeine intake around workouts may also work. Keep in mind that expediting the glycogen replenishment process by quickly is of relevance only if you conduct daily training sessions that require the use of the same muscle groups (e.g. are a soccer player who trains everyday). 

• Other considerations: proceed with caution if you have any known sensitivity to caffeine and stimulant products, high blood pressure or any cardiovascular complications. It is best to check with your medical doctor before taking caffeine-containing products including pre-workouts. Some people may experience sleeplessness and feel jittery after a caffeine megadose while others may not experience any such things.  That is why researchers are investigating lower doses of caffeine. The potential side effects of caffeine will be discussed in future articles.

I hope you found the article helpful. Do not hesitate to share links of our articles on Facebook and join us for daily discussions on bodybuilding on the Bodybuilding Mauritius Facebook Page. More articles on caffeine and bodybuilding will follow.

 

Caffeine from both coffee and supplements
gets my SEAL OF APPROVAL

References:

Pedersen DJ, Lessard SJ, Coffey VG, Churchley EG, Wootton AM, Ng T, Watt MJ, Hawley JA. High rates of muscle glycogen resynthesis after exhaustive exercise when carbohydrate is coingested with caffeine. J Appl Physiol 105: 7–13, 2008

Ojuka EO, Goyaram V, Smith JA. The role of CaMKII in regulating GLUT4 expression in skeletal muscle. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 303: E322–E331, 2012.

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©,2013, Veeraj Goyaram, Bodybuilding Mauritius. Any reprinting in any type of media is prohibited.

Disclaimer:
The Content on this site is intended to be used for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as medical advice or a diagnosis of any health or fitness problem, condition or disease; or a recommendation for a specific test, doctor, care provider, procedure, treatment plan, product, or course of action. BODYBUILDING MAURITIUS is not a medical or healthcare provider and your use of this site does not create a doctor / patient relationship. We disclaim all responsibility for the professional qualifications and licensing of, and services provided by, any physician or other health providers posting on or otherwise referred to on this Site and/or any Third Party Site. Never disregard the medical advice of your physician or health professional, or delay in seeking such advice, because of something you read on this Site. We offer this Site AS IS and without any warranties.  Correspondence: vicgoyaram@gmail.com

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Friday Q&A: Alignment of the Knees

Q:  Here is a question for you.  I was practicing Utkatasana Tuesday and as I sat down into the pose I got a twinge in my inner left knee.  (Slightly forward of the seam line, between the upper and lower leg bones.) I straightened up and repeated the pose squeezing a block between my knees. The little pain was gone. How did squeezing a block between my knees change the alignment of the knee?

A:  Utkatasana, mistakenly called “Chair Pose” by some, comes from the Sanskrit root word utkata, which Richard Rosen defines as “exceeding the usual measure, immense, gigantic; richly endowed with, abounding in; drunk, mad, furious; excessive, much; superior, high, proud, haughty; uneven; difficult” (from his book Original Yoga ).  If you have spent any time in this pose, you can certainly get behind the difficult part, but we try to avoid it feeling uneven. (We like to call it "Powerful pose.")

Whenever you have pain in a joint in a yoga pose, look not only to that joint, but also one or two joints above or below that one as you look for an explanation of your pain. Not being able to see our questioner in person, it is hard to say why the pain showed up in the first variation, but any time you are standing and bearing weight on your legs, and you bend the knee joint, there is the potential to compress the joint in an uneven fashion that could result in pain. As I have discussed elsewhere regarding arthritic joints and creating space in the joint, creating a feeling of lift of the femur bone (the upper leg bone) away from the lower leg bones is always a good starting place to see if you can eliminate the pain.

In this situation, placing a block between the thighs and squeezing has many effects, any one of which could have alleviated the knee pain. Squeezing the blocks may change the way the feet are aligned, as they may come closer together, and the weight might shift more towards the inner foot. So, if the feet were the underlying cause of the knee pain, the block squeeze could re-balance the feet.  When looking at the knees, if someone is a bit knock-kneed, with the knees dropping toward one another, the block could move the knees outwards slightly and make more space in the outer knee joint and bring the inner knee joint closer together. If the knees are a bit bow legged, the block squeeze could bring the knees closer together, opening the inner knee joint and narrowing the outer knee joint.  Again, these shifts could alleviate pain in the pose.

If the inner thigh muscles are weak, the squeeze of the block is going to contract them more actively using the five adductor muscles, and this could bring the vertical alignment of the thigh bones back towards even if one is bowing or sagging in or out through the femur bones. And if the outer buttock and hip muscles are really tight and pull legs apart or tend to roll the femurs out a bit into external rotation at the hip joint, the squeeze of the block could help internally rotate the thigh bones to help them adduct a bit closer together, resulting in better alignment at the knee joint. Finally, the block also can activate the quadriceps muscle that tends to be weakest, the vastus medialis (which I believe is discussed in one of my earlier posts on knees). This can help balance out the stronger vastus lateralis, which would tend to pull the femur to the side and roll it out a bit at the knee.

And although this list of possible effects of blocks between the knees is not exhaustive, as you can see there are many potential impacts that could have led to the disappearance of your knee pain.

If you have pain in Utkatasana every time you do it without the block, I’d suggest you use the block regularly for a while, then try it without the block, but with the same alignment and muscle work that you feel when the block is in place. Hopefully this will resolve any pain in this pose, which is one of the original asana that Richard Rosen identifies in his book. He has other useful suggestions for Utkatasana in that book, which is a must-read for any yoga enthusiast!

See Featured Pose: Powerful Pose (Utkatasana) for our instructions on how to do this pose.

—Baxter

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Tip of the Day: Do not neglect your adductors. By Vic Goyaram

Tip of the Day: 

Do not neglect your adductors

 By Vic Goyaram

For Bodybuilding Mauritius

A great contributor of Tom Platz's awesome leg development is his inner legs. The latter are called the adductors, consisting of a group of muscles whose main role is to bring the legs together towards the body (adduction). Strong adductors are a must, not only for aesthetic reasons but also for maintaining a healthy and stable knee. The following are the tricks that will help you work the adductors quite well:

1. The Wide Stance

By squatting and leg pressing with a wide stance you engage the adductors to a greater degree. I have covered these points on my articles on squats and leg press. 

Article on Foot Placement on the Leg Press and Muscle Activation

Article on Varying foot stances in the squat

2. The Adductor Machine

This machine is not only for ladies looking for toned legs but also for hardcore bodybuilders.  It is a great adductor exercise.  Use very strict form and make sure the legs are warmed up before performing machine adductions because the movement involves quite a bit of stretch. If your gym does not have this machine then you can stick to wide stance squats and exercise #3 below.

Avoid making eye contact when performing adductions

3. Jefferson's squats

Also known as the 'Straddle lift', this exercise resembles both a deadlift and a squat. The glutes and the hams get a lot of work as well. Jefferson's are a favourite of Kai Greene and Toney Freeman, the only two pro bodybuilders regularly seen performing this exercise according to sources.

Click to enlarge for text

Here is a video of Kai Greene performing Jefferson's

4. Sumo stance deadlifts

Performing the deadlift with the sumo stance has its advantages, one of them is that it engages the adductors to a much greater degree than in conventional regular stance deadlifts.  

I hope you enjoyed the tips! Do not hesitate to share links of this article on your facebook!!

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©,2013, Veeraj Goyaram, Bodybuilding Mauritius. Any reprinting in any type of media is prohibited.

Disclaimer: The Content on this site is intended to be used for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as medical advice or a diagnosis of any health or fitness problem, condition or disease; or a recommendation for a specific test, doctor, care provider, procedure, treatment plan, product, or course of action. BODYBUILDING MAURITIUS is not a medical or healthcare provider and your use of this site does not create a doctor / patient relationship. We disclaim all responsibility for the professional qualifications and licensing of, and services provided by, any physician or other health providers posting on or otherwise referred to on this Site and/or any Third Party Site. Never disregard the medical advice of your physician or health professional, or delay in seeking such advice, because of something you read on this Site. We offer this Site AS IS and without any warranties.  Correspondence: vicgoyaram@gmail.com

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Featured Pose: Legs Up the Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)

by Baxter and Nina

Viparita Karani, often called Legs Up the Wall pose (a more accurate name is Inverted Lake pose), is one of our very favorite poses. Because this pose is a supported inversion, it triggers the relaxation response (see The Relaxation Response and Yoga). It is also comfortable for most people, and the support of the wall allows you to stay in the pose for a good long while, making it a perfect pose for stress reduction or pacifying an over-active nervous system. In fact, this is Nina’s go-to pose for challenging times. It can be practiced on it its own, as part of restorative or supported inversion sequence, or as an emotional counter-pose at the end of any other kind of sequence.

This pose also stretches your leg muscles using gravity, so it’s a wonderful antidote to taking a long hike and, if you’re struggling with tight hamstrings, it’s a great way to passively let your leg muscles lengthen without engaging the front leg muscles.  And it is a perfect solution for swollen feet and/or ankles (a not uncommon occurrence in summer time or for those on their feet all day long).

We’re showing two different types of propping for the pose: a bolster under the pelvis and a folded blanket under the pelvis. Using the bolster lifts your pelvis higher, creating more of an inversion and thereby making it more effective for stress reduction. However, some people find the bolster irritates their lower backs. In this case, it’s best to use a folded blanket under your pelvis instead. And, of course, not everyone has a bolster so you may need to use blankets for that reason (see Making Your Own Yoga Props). If both versions are irritating to you for any reason, you can try scooting your hips gradually a bit further away from the wall, in order to find your personal sweet spot.  If you move too far out, you run the risk of hyper-extending your knees and getting some knee discomfort. So stay mindful of this as you tinker to get it just right. And if you can’t find a sweet spot, you can try the pose flat on your back, without a prop under your pelvis.

If none of these versions make you happy—some people with tight hamstrings just can’t get comfortable—try the version with your legs bent and resting on a chair (see Easy Inverted Pose).

If your legs fall asleep while you’re in the pose (that doesn’t usually happen until after at least 10 minutes, try slightly bending your knees for a minute or so. If you then restraighten your knees, you may find the tingling feeling stays away for a while. Alternatively, it may be a sign that it is time for you to come out of the pose.

Baxter prescribes this pose for:

•    leg fatigue
•    peripheral edema (swelling of feet and legs)
•    low back pain
•    foot pain
•    recovery from ankle sprains or plantar fasciitis
•    stress management
•    soothing yourself when you are anxious or agitated

Instructions:

1. Setting Up Your Props. Although we don’t show it, if the room is not carpeted, you might want to set up a yoga mat with the short end at the wall, to provide a little cushioning for your body. Then, depending on the height you want under your pelvis, place just your bolster, a stack of one or two blankets folded into rectangles, or a bolster on top of a folded blanket parallel to the wall but at least six inches away from the wall. It is important to place the prop at least six inches away from the wall and not next to it, otherwise, you will slide off the prop when you go into the pose! Then, if you want a blanket under your head and spine, place a single blanket folded into a rectangle perpendicular to the bolster. 

2. Getting Up into the Pose. For some reason, this is a little tricky for beginners, but once you get used to it, going in and out of this pose becomes second nature. Start by sitting at one end of the prop, with your side to the wall, and your hips touching the wall. Then, placing your hands on the floor or bolster to steady yourself, swing your legs up onto the wall and lie back on the floor.

At this point, you may need to scoot your buttocks a bit toward the wall, so hold onto the bolster as you do so to keep it from moving. Ideally, your tailbone should be hanging just off the bolster so your lower back is nicely curved, but if this is uncomfortable for you, try scooting your pelvis back until you find your sweet spot.

From here, place your arms alongside your body, out to the sides or in a cactus position (like a sleeping baby).

3. Being In the Pose. As you relax in the pose with your eyes closed, either keep your legs together and lightly active or, if your heels don’t slip down the wall when you do so, try relaxing your legs, allowing them to turn out a bit. Experiment to see which version is more comfortable for you. Alternatively, you can tie a strap around your thighs, just above the knees, to keep your legs together without effort. If you have an eye pillow or silk scarf, that can help enhance your relaxation. To feel the full effects of the pose, stay for at least 10 minutes (Nina often stays for 15 to 20 minutes), though, of course, shorter periods are also beneficial.

4. Coming Out of the Pose. When you are ready to come out, bend your knees and place the soles of your feet on the wall. Then, either use your feet to push yourself away from the wall and off the prop (and then slowly roll over onto your side before coming up to sitting) or slowly roll off the prop onto your side. On your side, take a couple of deep breaths, and then use your hands to slowly come up to a seated position (moving quickly will stimulate your nervous system).

Cautions: For those with low back pain, make sure to set up your props so you are entirely comfortable. If that means coming out of the pose and rearranging your props, go ahead and do it. This pose should not be painful; if it is, come out and do the bent leg version, which we call Easy Inverted pose.

If you have uncontrolled high blood pressure, do Easy Inverted pose instead. If your blood pressure is controlled, you can give the full pose a try. However, if Legs Up the Wall does not feel good for you, err on the side of caution and practice Easy Inverted pose instead.

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Balancing Your Emotional Body With Counter-Poses

by Nina

Last week in my posts about anxiety Anxiety, Yoga and the Front Body and Soothing Yourself With Supported Forward Bends, I discussed yoga poses to rely on when you’re feeling anxious (supported inversions and forward bends) and yoga poses to avoid when you’re in that state (backbends, twists, and Sun Salutations).

It makes sense if you’re in a crisis period to practice the poses that calm you down and avoid stimulating poses that might exacerbate your condition. However, if you’re in a state of chronic anxiety, avoiding backbends, twists, and many of the active poses for a long period of time will move your body toward imbalance. The same is true if your practice is focused on any emotion-based condition, such as agitated depression, clinical depression, or even just chronic stress.

In this case, I feel it is better to return to a more well-rounded yoga practice (see A Week of Yoga Practice) but consider how you end your practices. By choosing an appropriate counter-pose to end your practice, you can counteract any negative emotional effects of your practice without negating the beneficial physical ones. That way, you can move on to the rest of your day with your nervous system and emotions more in balance. Some people with anxiety or agitated depression even find that beginning with a very active practice can help burn off excess energy, which makes the soothing or relaxing counter-poses at the end of the sequence more effective (or even possible, as it can be hard to stay still when you’re feeling very anxious).

My post Yoga and Your Emotions describes the emotional effects different types of poses have on most people. So if you’re interested in practicing for balancing your emotions, take a look at that and consider how a given practice (standing pose, Sun Salutation, twist, backbend, forward bend, restorative) might affect your current emotional state. Then choose one or more counter-poses—especially passive poses that can be held for long periods of time—that you can add on to the end of your practice to counteract the poses that were the main focus of the practice. For example, if you’re already feeling anxious or hyper yet need to practice backbends for the health of your body, you can end your backbend sequence with a long supported inversion, such as a Chair Shoulderstand or Legs Up the Wall pose, to calm yourself down. 

Anxiety and Agitated Depression. We’ve already said that supported inverted poses and supported forward bends are the best poses to counteract anxiety. These may also be helpful for agitated depression as that is anxiety based. So at the end of a more active sequence, try resting in Supported Child’s pose for a few minutes and then practice Legs Up the Wall pose (Viparita Karani) for 10 minutes or more. If Child’s pose is uncomfortable for you or you can’t kneel for some reason, try a Supported Seated Forward Bend with a chair (see Soothing Yourself With Supported Forward Bends), with a straight back. If Legs Up the Wall pose doesn’t work well for you, try Easy Inverted Pose (Featured Pose: Easy Inverted Pose). If having your front body exposed makes you feel vulnerable, try covering yourself with a blanket. 

Clinical Depression. On the other hand, for people who are suffering from clinical depression, forward bends, with their inward turning quality, can cause you to brood. For you, therefore, a couple of mild, active backbends, such as Purvottanasana (Reverse Plank pose) or Bridge pose, would be good counter poses after practicing a forward bend sequence. Generally speaking, an active practice is best for those with clinical depression, especially one that includes backbends, because that helps counteract feelings of lethargy. But if you are tired and want to practice restorative poses, focus on passive backbends rather than forward bending poses, and be sure to end your sequence with a backbending position, rather than a forward bending one. Rather than doing Savasana flat on your back, try doing it with your torso supported by a bolster or stack of blankets, so your chest is open and your back is in a slight backbend. Or, maybe even reverse the typical pattern of a practice, begin your sequence with resting poses and moving slowly onto more active ones so you are left feeling a bit energized. Often I'll end a restorative sequence by standing in Mountain pose and inhaling as I raise my arms overhead into a slight backbend and exhaling as I return my arms to my sides. 

Stress. For people who are suffering from chronic stress, standing poses, Sun Salutations, backbends, and twists can be over stimulating. So try to end a sequence that is focused on any of those types of poses with any long supported inversion, such as Legs Up the Wall pose or Easy Inverted pose, or any restorative pose that you enjoy.

Even a long Savasana of 10 minutes or more, with a mental focus, such as your breath, would be helpful as an emotional counter-pose (see Savasana Variations) or any form of yoga nidra (see Audio Tracks tab above). Stressed out people tend to skip these ending poses because they think they don’t have time and that restorative poses are not “productive.” However, when you’re suffering from chronic stress, the most beneficial practice for you is some type of conscious relaxation (see The Relaxation Response and Yoga). As with anxiety, you may need to first burn off excess energy with a more active practice, but always leave time for conscious relaxation at the end of your sequence.

 I, myself, have been practicing like this for many years, with focused, nervous-system pacifying sequences during particularly challenging times, and balanced sequences with emotional counter-poses the rest of the time. But what if you, like many other people, do not practice often at home and do most of your yoga practice in classes or with videos? In this case, there is no reason why you can’t do just the counter-pose after the class or video. For example, if an evening backbend practice has left you feeling agitated or even just hyper (I can’t tell you how many people have told me that backbends at night cause insomnia), there’s no reason why you can’t just practice a supported inverted pose or conscious relaxation on your own before bed. This will help pacify your nervous system and may even lead to better sleep.

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