http://www.optimumnutrition.com Optimum Nutrition - The Bigger Picture en-us http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1710 http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1710 <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/products/creatine-powder-p-234.html">Creatine</a> is an organic acid naturally produced in your body by amino acids. It supplies energy to all cells, especially muscle cells where it increases the formation of ATP. Protein is also composed of amino acids, and a study published in the <em>Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition</em> looks at the safety of creatine supplementation while adhering to a high-protein diet. Subjects loaded creatine or a placebo by consuming 20 grams per day for 5 days followed by a 5 gram daily maintenance dose. They continued this supplementation routine for 12 weeks while sticking to a high-protein diet. Assessments of kidney function before, during and after the program revealed no significant differences. <strong>True Strength Moment</strong>: This study adds to a mountain of research conducted over several decades. Creatine monohydrate ranks as one of the most studied sports supplements. It has consistently been shown to safely enhance muscle size, strength and power while assisting with exercise recovery. Thu, 16 May 2013 12:00:00 EST http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1708 http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1708 There's at least one type of completion where muscle mass holds back your performance. Even with greater strength and more muscle, sprinters can't win a distance race against marathon-trained athletes. According to research published in the <em>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</em>, these athletes are separated by a protein called PGC-1alpha. Aerobic endurance-trained effort is fueled by oxygen. Anaerobic exercises like weight lifting and sprinting let muscle produce energy without oxygen. This leads to the buildup of lactate which results in fatigue. Endurance training stimulates the production of the PGC-1alpha protein which alters enzyme composition to reduce lactate production. <strong>True Strength Moment</strong>: Both competitive and recreational athletes tend to plan their training around performance in a single sport. This research illustrates the metabolic changes training can produce. Of course, there's nothing that says a sprinter can do some distance work. Marathoners might have something to gain in the weight room. Rounding our deficits in physical ability won't hurt your performance. Wed, 15 May 2013 12:00:00 EST http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1707 http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1707 <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/products/hmb-1000-caps-p-238.html">HMB</a>, a metabolite of the Branched Chain Amino Acid (BCAA) leucine, is used by hard-training athletes for muscle recovery. A recent study published in the <em>Journal of Physiology</em> compared HMB's effect on muscle anabolism to the support that supplementation with leucine provides. Subjects consumed 2.42 grams of pure HMB or 2.42 grams of leucine. Both increased anabolic signalizing, stimulated muscle protein synthesis and enhanced muscle anabolism. The effects were similar with both supplements. <strong>True Strength Moment</strong>: One capsule of ON's HMB contains a gram of Hydroxy Methylbutyrate, so if you took one after training and another stacked with your nighttime casein shake, you'd be getting pretty close to the 2.42 grams used in this study. The <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/products/platinum-tricelle-casein-p-286.html">casein</a> shake is also going to provide anti-catabolic support with essential amino acids. Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:00 EST http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1706 http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1706 Many aspects of physical performance can be improved through training. If you count building lean mass among your goals, a study published in the <em>Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research</em> suggests a protein stack you might want to include in your post-workout recovery program. Thirty six experienced men in their early 30s lifted weights for 10 weeks splitting up muscle groups to train 4 days per week. Their controlled diet was supplemented with either 48 grams of carbohydrates per day, 40 grams of whey protein plus 8 grams of casein per day, or 40 grams of whey protein with 3 grams of BCAAs and 5 grams of glutamine daily. Although all groups experienced significant gains in one rep max, the whey/casein stack produced the biggest increases in muscle size. <strong>True Strength Moment</strong>: A 'stack' is defined as 2 or more complementary ingredients that combine to produce better results than any component used by itself. If you're thinking about putting this whey/casein combination to the test, ON's <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/products/platinum-hydrobuilder-p-277.html">Platinum Hydrobuilder</a> takes the concept to another level by adding a full daily maintenance dose of micronized Creapure Creatine to 30 grams of hydrolyzed whey protein and micellar casein. Mon, 13 May 2013 12:00:00 EST http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1705 http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1705 If you think hitting a 100 MPH fastball pitch is challenging, consider that the serves of elite professional tennis players can reach 160 MPH. Even if the speed of the serve is 120 MPH, the ball will be 15 feet closer in the 10th of a second it takes your brain to process what your eyes are seeing. With a distance of only 62.3 feet from the service line to out of bounds on the opposite side of the court, how do opponents accurately return these serves? A study published in the journal <em>Neuron</em> used magnetic resonance imaging to locate a region of the brain known as V5 that processes predictions to compensate for delays in visual processing. Basically, even though this part of your brain isn't in synch with the real world, it can provide you with information that helps you react to what's really happening. <strong>True Strength Moment</strong>: Well-practiced anticipation skills and reflexes help elite athletes respond to physical challenges with incredible speed and accuracy. If you put your mind to it, and put in the long hours of work, you can develop these abilities to enhance your game whatever sport you play. Fri, 10 May 2013 12:00:00 EST http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1704 http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1704 You've got plenty of options for cardio day. There's treadmill and trail running, stationary bike and road cycling, lap swimming and jumping ropes. If you've got rhythm and a set of drums, a study published in the <em>International Journal of Sports Medicine</em> suggests playing rock star can burn a significant amount of calories. Researchers had 22 young men with drumming experience complete a test that compared rock concert drumming to pedaling a stationary bike. Drumming burned about 623 calories per hour while cycling burned between 20% to 25% fewer calories. Heart rate while drumming averaged 186 beats per minute. For comparison, normal rested heart rate for adults in their 20s is about 100 beats per minute. <strong>True Strength Moment</strong>: You wouldn't perform the exact same weight training routine for longer than 6 to 8 weeks, because you understand that your muscles will have completely adapted to the stress by that point. To make further gains, you need to change up a stale routine and force your muscles to adapt to more sets and reps, greater resistance, a different order of exercises or whatever. Maybe it's time to apply the same rules to cardio day. Thu, 09 May 2013 12:00:00 EST http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1700 http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1700 Turning a post-workout recovery shake into a nutrient-dense meal is as easy as plugging in an electric blender and searching your kitchen for complementary ingredients. To help you balance smoothie flavor and function, we offer these tips from <em>bon appétit</em> magazine. <strong>Fruit Selection</strong>: While searching for pristine unbruised fruit is probably a waste of time, since you'll just be blending that perfect specimen into a slurry anyway, you don't want to use under-ripe fruits because they can rob the smoothie of flavor and contribute to wateriness. Frozen ripe fruit is best. <strong>Hold the Water and Ice</strong>: There's enough natural water and juice in the fruits you'll be using, so you won't be needing to pour in any water or milk unless you're including several scoops of powdered protein to create a weight gain shake. The coolness component is best achieved with the previously mentioned frozen fruit. <strong>Log the Results of Experiments</strong>. You'll find that some items work surprisingly well in a smoothie. Spinach adds high-value nutrients without negatively impacting taste and texture unless you toss in too much. On the other hand, melon can make the texture of your smoothie grainy and too watery. Keep a journal of your concoctions to build on accomplishments and avoid wasting food on well-documented mistakes. <strong>True Strength Moment</strong>: Your smoothie ingredient options aren't limited to the obvious fruits and vegetables. There's peanut butter, flax seeds, all kinds of nuts and spices that can be used to create a delicious drink that helps restore muscle glycogen while kick-starting muscle recovery. For more ideas, go to: <a href="http://www.optimumsmoothie.com">optimumsmoothie.com</a>. Wed, 08 May 2013 12:00:00 EST http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1699 http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1699 If you're one of those volleyball players with a real talent for spiking or defending against spiked balls a 5-year study published in the <em>British Journal of Sports Medicine</em> offers a cautionary tale. Their research indicates that a potential downside of natural jumping ability is increased risk of developing jumper's knee. Jumper's knee, also known as patellar tendonitis, is an overuse injury leading to inflammation of the patellar tendon. Over the course of 5 years, 28 of the 150 high school aged volleyball players who took part in this study developed jumper's knee, and all of them recorded some of the best scores in countermovement jump tests. <strong>True Strength Moment</strong>: Although it can become a serious condition, jumper's knee is often ignored by elite athletes who either try to work through the pain or treat the discomfort themselves. The good news is early detection and treatment by healthcare professionals can help prevent permanent knee damage. Tue, 07 May 2013 12:00:00 EST http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1698 http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1698 It's been said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Not only can it help 'break the fast' from many hours without nutrition, but can play an important role in keeping hunger under control for the rest of the day. A study presented at the 2013 Experimental Biology Conference in Boston suggests oatmeal beats out ready-to-eat cereal for lasting satiety. Researchers had 47 healthy men and women fast overnight before sitting down to a 250 calorie breakfast of instant oatmeal or cereal with skim milk. At lunch 4 hours later, they were allowed to eat as much as they wanted. Those who had oatmeal for breakfast were able to keep calories under control better during lunch. <strong>True Strength Moment</strong>: What's the satiety secret of oatmeal? When hydrated during mixing with water, the oat fiber takes on a thick, viscous consistency that helps enhance feelings of fullness and suppress hunger. Most people eat cereal in milk faster to preserve the crunchiness, so the viscosity never completely develops. Mon, 06 May 2013 12:00:00 EST http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1697 http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1697 The time you spend sleeping is also the longest your body goes without nutrition. This potentially catabolic situation is best handled with a slow digesting <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/products/100-casein-protein-p-219.html">protein</a> before bed and a high-protein meal in the morning to break this fast. Cortisol is a catabolic hormone produced in response to stress, including intense exercise, and it can decrease amino acid uptake by muscle tissue. A study published in the <em>Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research</em> offers tips on controlling morning cortisol levels before competition. Eleven swimmers had their cortisol levels measured upon waking on the day of an actual swim meet, and also on a pre-determined day with no competition scheduled. Although levels weren't all that different day to day, cortisol tended to increase with feelings of tension and anxiety. <strong>True Strength Moment</strong>: If you're facing the best of the best, it's only natural that you'll feel some pressure in the build-up to competition. Athletes who train themselves to effectively control their emotions might also be able to dodge any potential side effects that elevated cortisol might add. Winning isn't all in your head, but it takes more than muscle to succeed at the elite levels of any sport. Fri, 03 May 2013 12:00:00 EST http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1696 http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1696 If you've got a 3 kg (6.6 pound) medicine ball handy and 6 weeks to work with it, a study published in the <em>Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research</em> suggests you can significantly increase the speed you're able to throw a basketball, softball and other lighter weight objects. Forty high school aged volunteers were divided into groups that trained twice weekly. Some threw the 3 kg medicine ball overhead using both hands for 3 sets of 6 throws, while another group increased training volume to 6 sets of 6 throws. At the end of the training period, subjects were able to throw a 0.35 kg ball 5.1% faster, a 1 kg ball with 3.5% greater speed and the 3 kg ball 5.2% faster. <strong>True Strength Moment</strong>: If you're wondering which group showed the greatest improvement over 6 weeks of training, it was 6x6 medicine ball drill. With only 12 workouts during the training period and a total of 432 throws undertaken, the results look to be well worth the investment in time and effort. Thu, 02 May 2013 12:00:00 EST http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1694 http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1694 Elite runners looking for a simple solution for increasing peak speed might consider trading their morning orange juice for blackcurrant juice according to a study published in the <em>European Journal of Sport Science</em>. After 24 days of high intensity training, 23 female runners in their early 30s recorded slighter faster 5km times when they were adding juice made from blackcurrant to their diet compared to placebo. <strong>True Strength Moment</strong>: Blackcurrant fruit has very high vitamin C content. Just 3.5 ounces provides 302% of the Daily Value. So you'd expect juice made from this fruit to have strong antioxidant qualities. Of course, it's also a great source of carbohydrate energy. Whatever mechanism is at work here, see if switching to blackcurrant juice for a couple weeks adds something to your endurance training or competition. Wed, 01 May 2013 12:00:00 EST http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1693 http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1693 After you've been stuck at a plateau for a while, you might be tempted to cheat your way to the next level. While you'll probably be able to manage greater resistance and/or more reps per set by shortening the range of motion, a study published in the <em>Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research</em> suggests you'd be better off getting in the habit of maintaining form. Recreationally active college aged males were asked to lift weights for 8 weeks, followed by 4 weeks of detraining. Some performed the full range of motion while others shortened the range of each rep. Not only did the full range of motion produce the biggest gains in muscle size and strength, subjects who did shortened reps experienced a greater loss of strength during the detraining phase. <strong>True Strength Moment</strong>: While a shorter range of motion can help you change up a stale routine and possibly load the bar with enough weight to blast past a sticking point, this study suggests the technique should be applied sparingly. Sticking with it for 8 weeks didn't work out very well for these research volunteers. Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1692 http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1692 What bodybuilders have known for decades is now common knowledge: Increasing the amount of protein in your diet can support weight loss and weight maintenance. A study published in the <em>Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior</em> reports that 43% of the women surveyed from a nationally representative sample of 1,824 participants consumed protein to help prevent weight gain. Those who said they lost weight consumed an amount of protein roughly equal to what's recommended by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. <strong>True Strength Moment</strong>: The committee's report, which was produced by the USDA in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, recommends 0.80 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. So a 140 pound person should try to consume 51 grams of high-quality proteins daily. One way to reach that goal is to start the day with a medium sized egg (5 grams of protein), have a tuna salad for lunch (24 grams per can) and a post-workout shake providing 22 grams of rapidly-digesting <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/products/performance-whey-p-279.html">whey protein</a>. Prepare your meals using skinless chicken breast or salmon the next day. Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1691 http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1691 On Friday, you can sample ON's superior quality at XSport Fitness, 9210 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Niles, IL. <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=142">Will Ko</a> will be there from 3PM to 6PM. <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=48">Tiffany Upshaw</a> will be at Total Nutrition, 715 S. Howard Ave., Suite 130, in Tampa, FL from 5PM to 8PM, and <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=163">Siliana Chanel</a> will be sampling at Nutrition Depot, 25188 Interstate 45, Unit 105, in Spring, TX from 11AM until 2PM. International travelers might want to take in the Expo at the Arnold Classic Brazil. <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=69">Charles Glass</a>, <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=137">Daniel Banks</a>, <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=126">Holly Bricken</a> and <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=75">Rachel Cammon</a> will be at the Sulamerica Convention Center in Rio De Janeiro Friday through Sunday. On Saturday, <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=153">Alberto Umana</a> will be sampling up the crowd at Fitness First, 18810 Woodfield Rd. in Gaithersburg, MD from 10AM to 2PM, and <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=66">Corey Hancock</a> will be at Max Muscle, 2570 NE Twin Knolls Dr. in Bend, OR from 11AM to 4PM. <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=167">Frank Fata</a> will be at Vitamin Shoppe, 535 Boston Post Rd. in Port Chester, NY from 11AM to 2PM, and <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=168">Lindsey Weigand</a> will be sampling at two locations in Saturday: Spectrum Gym, 4355 Perkins Rd. in Baton Rouge, LA starting at 8AM followed by Red Lerille's Gym, 301 Dovcet Rd. in Lafayette, LA from 1PM to 4PM. Also on Saturday, <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=171">Luke Boehm</a> will be sampling at Vitamin Shoppe, 380 E. Waterfront Dr. in Homestead, PA from Noon to 4PM, and <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=158">Maria Dinello</a> will be at the Vitamin Shoppe located at 4803 211th St. in Matteson, IL from 10AM to 2PM. <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=49">Tobias Young</a> will be at the Modesto, CA Vitamin Shoppe, 3601 Pelandale Ave., from 11AM to 2PM, and <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=50">Tony Litton</a> will be at the Las Vegas, NV Vitamin Shoppe, 8820 W. Charleston Blvd., from 1PM to 4PM. <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=142">Will Ko</a> finishes up Saturday's sampling sessions with a trip to Hi-Fi Fitness, 820 N. Orleans St. in Chicago, IL from 2PM to 5PM. Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1690 http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1690 To fuel exercise, your body uses stored fat and carbohydrates in the form of muscle glycogen. As exercise intensity increases, greater amounts of fat and carbs are oxidized. But the rate of fat oxidation decreases after your reach about 70% of exercise capacity, accelerating the use of glycogen. A study published in the <em>European Journal of Sport Science</em> examines whether L-carnitine influences this tradeoff. Because of carnitine's role in transporting fat, researchers theorized that a reduction in muscle free carnitine might be one of the mechanisms behind the switch from fat to carbohydrate energy. <strong>True Strength Moment</strong>: Muscle carnitine content can be increased by eating foods like lamb, fish, chicken, asparagus and dairy products. Supplementation can also increase carnitine, which might be important since there seems to be a correlation between carnitine availability and fat oxidation during high-intensity submaximal exercise. Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1689 http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1689 Yesterday's <a href="http://www.abbperformance.com/news/stretchings-potential-impact-on-leg-day-n1974/">Performance Blog</a> post at <a href="http://www.abbperformance.com">ABBperformance.com</a> analyzed the effects of static and dynamic stretching on squat one rep max (1RM). A new study published in the <em>Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports</em> looks at a stretching warm up's effect on strength, power and explosive performance. Researchers analyzed 104 studies on stretching published between 1966 and 2010. The cumulative effects on muscle strength, power and explosiveness showed that static against the joint stretching produced a greater negative impact than dynamic stretching, a reduction amounting to between 1.9% and 5.4%. These effects weren't dependent on age, gender or level of fitness. But the duration of pre-workout stretching performed did correlate to losses in strength, power and explosiveness. The smallest effect was seen at no more than 45 seconds. <strong>True Strength Moment</strong>: Team sports athletes who want to perform at the top of their game should experiment with using a brief dynamic warm up before practice. If that's enough to help you get flexible and fully warmed up, try it before competition. Today's <a href="http://www.abbperformance.com/news/supplementing-guidelines-for-tennis-players-n1975/">Performance Blog</a> offers supplementing guidelines for competitive tennis players. Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1688 http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1688 It's been said that football is a game of inches. Success in sprinting is measured in fractions of a second, and a study published in the <em>Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research</em> suggests that a competitor's reaction time can play an important part in how fast they cross the finish line in a 100 meter race. Analyzing results of world championship events held between 2003 and 2009 involving 1,319 elite sprinters, scientists discovered that the average reaction time of males was shorter than females, and even shorter in the finals compared to previous starts. Reaction time for female athletes was shortest during the semifinals. The best reaction times were seen within the 26 to 29 year old age group for men, and over 30 for women. <strong>True Strength Moment</strong>: Since an athlete's speed in reacting to the starter's gun was directly correlated to race performance, finding a way to train for a faster start could be the catalyst that propels you to a faster finish. Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1687 http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1687 Swimsuit season is right around the corner, and if you've been putting off planning out an effective diet and fitness strategy for weight loss, a study published in the <em>Annals of Behavioral Medicine</em> suggests tackling diet improvements and regular exercise at the same time produces optimal results. Researchers recruited 200 adults aged 45 and older who hadn't been eating very healthy or getting much exercise. Some were encouraged to start eating healthier and exercising right away while others focused on either diet or exercise for a couple of months before incorporating the other aspect into their weight loss program. Those who went all in with both diet and fitness were much more likely to get the recommended amount of exercise each week and consume 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. <strong>True Strength Moment</strong>: While you probably aren't eating as poorly as these middle aged subjects and are likely to be a lot more active than they were before this intervention, it might help to know that the second best option for weight loss was hitting the gym right away and dialing in your diet a little later. Now that you're regularly hitting personal bests, take a look at how you're reinforcing those gains in the kitchen. Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1686 http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1686 Today, you can taste ON's superior quality at Cost Plus, 11255 Huebner Rd. in San Antonio, TX starting at 1PM. <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=60">Mercedes Perez</a> will start there before moving on to San Antonio's Anytime Fitness, 24165 W. Interstate 10, unit 101, where the sampling starts a 4PM. <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=192">Kate Osman</a>, <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=167">Frank Fata</a>, <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=171">Luke Boehm</a>, <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=156">Tara Andrews</a>, <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=172">Karen Chapman</a> and <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=99">Stephanie Toomey</a> are at the Europa Get Fit & Sports Expo at the Orange Country Convention Center in Orlando, FL today and tomorrow, and for international travelers, <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=100">Steve Cook</a> and <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=154">Jen Aragon</a> are at the Australian Fitness & Health Expo at the Sydney Convention Center in Sydney, Australia. Tomorrow, <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=98">Amanda Insalaco</a> will be sampling at Vitamin Shoppe, 1101 Vann Dr. in Jackson, TN from 11AM to 3PM. <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=87">Dominic Pentis</a> will be at the Woodland Hills, CA Vitamin Shoppe at 21436 W. Victory Blvd. and <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=38">Jason Powell</a> will be sampling at two Vitamin Shoppes; 11414 Broadway Blvd. in Pearland, TX from Noon to 2PM, and 5683 Fairmount Pkwy. in Pasadena, TX from 3PM to 5PM. Also on Saturday, <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=58">Mike Kurzeja</a> will be at the Horseshoe Casino at 777 Casino Center Drive in Hammond, IN for Hitz Boxing Fight Night from 6PM to 10PM, <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=163">Siliana Chanel</a> will be at Nutrition Depot, 8008 Ashlane Way in The Woodlands, TX from 2PM to 5PM, and <a href="http://www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php?id=50">Tony Litton</a> will be at Freddie's Nutrition, 9701 W. Flamingo Rd. in Las Vegas, NV from 1PM to 4PM. See you out there! Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1685 http://www.optimumnutrition.com/news.php?article=1685 Physiologically, we're all unique. That's why some people have no trouble building massive biceps, while forearm development comes easier to others. A study published in the <em>Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research</em> examines gender differences in stretching protocols. After recruiting 45 active high school aged boys and girls, subjects were assigned to either 40 seconds of static or dynamic stretching. Old school against the joint static stretching held back 20 meter sprint and countermovement jump performance for girls more than boys. Dynamic stretching didn't impact sprint speeds, but impaired countermovement jump power by about 2%. <strong>True Strength Moment</strong>: So why would any team sport athlete ever warm up with static stretching? Tests showed it improved flexibility to a greater extent than dynamic stretching. Subjects were 12% more flexible with static stretching compared to the 7% improvement attained with a dynamic approach. Choose the best technique for your needs. Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST