jogging tips and supplements

[deadsosoon]

Hey guys.

I've been hitting the gym pretty hard for the past couple of years. Full disclosure: I could maintain a better diet but it's not the worst diet in the world either. Anyway, things have improved greatly but I want to take it to the next level starting at the beginning of 2010. What can you guys tell me about supplements? I've never ventured into that world before and I'm curious what they can do for me. The other thing is related to jogging. Is there anything I can do to step that up? Someone told me to job with a garbage bag under my sweatshirt but that sounds almost too Rocky Balboa to me. Do Under Armour shirts perform this same task?

Thanks.

ML

 

[alsace]

The thought of running around with a garbage bag under your shirt has me in stitches! I'm not a huge expert on running, but I'm assuming the idea is to force you to sweat a lot. There isn't much of a point in doing that unless you want to temporarily rid yourself of extra "water weight" for a weigh-in. But then you'd have to drink back all that water to avoid dehydration, so I don't see the point.

Underarmor and other polyester shirts keep you cool. They do this by wicking (pulling) moisture from your skin. This is essentially what happens naturally -- you sweat, and the sweat evaporates into the air, pulling heat with it. The fabric just makes this happen faster, and it also keeps you from feeling very clammy by having a big wet shirt stuck to you.

By all means, avoid cotton, especially in your shirts and socks; go for the polyester/nylon. (I've found the cheap stuff from Target to be just as good as the overly expensive Underarmor stuff.) Even if you're running outside in cold weather, make sure at least your base layer (against your skin) is not cotton. Cotton soaks up sweat and then hangs on to it for dear life, making you feel cold in cold weather and hot in hot weather (which is the opposite if what you want).

To summarize it simply, polyester athletic clothing breathes and regulates your temperature somewhat; garbage bags do not breathe and will make you sweat profusely, maybe even dangerously.

 

[KaraCooks]

What alsace said.

Also, supplements are a waste of money, IMO, for the most part. A multivitamin, some fish oil capsules, and maybe some protein powder to boost protein intake (but not as a food substitute) is all you really need.

Everything else is just a function of eating better - and nutrients from real food are always healthier than nutrients from a pill or powder.