Archive → January, 2011
Fitness Equipment Infomercials Sizzla, Smoke and Mirrors
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Albert Seligman gives you his “totally partial look” at some of the current exercise equipment infomercials. Seligman is a Certified Personal Trainer and the developer of the Sport Bands system. Says Seligman, “I design and manufacture home exercise equipment. In this article, I am not reviewing the actual equipment, but am offering my professional opinion of several TV infomercials and discussing the claims and practicality of the products.” For each product, you’ll find out what the machine is supposed to do, what type of “sizzle” they use to convince you to buy it, and Seligman’s professional opinion of the infomercial.
Eat Small Meals Throughout The Day
This advice is old but still very true. Eating three meals a day and not skipping meals makes it easier to control the level of your hunger. Dividing your daily calories between three meals also will help prevent overeating, especially at the end of the day. Remember, the body jealously guards fat stores and will initiate hunger to stimulate you to eat, rather than allow you to use stored fat. Most people respond to the body’s hunger signal, consuming more calories and allowing gradual accumulation of fat stores. To help control hunger, eat breakfast within two hours of waking. Plan to stop eating within two hours of bedtime to promote the return of hunger in the morning. If you wake up hungry in the morning, and never did before, you’ll know that you are on the right track.
L-Carnitine Enhances Sport Performance
L-carnitine is an unusual amino acid that has a number of important physiological functions, including the cellular conversion of fat by the energy burning powerhouses called mitochondria. As these mitochondria are primarily found in muscle, especially heart and skeletal muscle, it is of no surprise that they help enhance athletic performance. This latter point prompted scientists from the University of Pretoria in South Africa, to investigate its effects on long distance runners.