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What’s On The Shelf

 

          There are vitamin, nutrition, and health stores in nearly every city, or even every few miles. When you walk in there, long shelves and aisles are filled with everything you could need from magnesium and protein to shark cartilage. With probably 4,5,or 6 options of different brands and concentrations. We are a fitness facility that wants improved health and wellness for all of its members. We have vetted many companies, reps, and products to come to what we’ve decided to carry on our small shelves at CrossFit 8 Mile.

            Most elements of nutrition can and should be consumed through food and a well-rounded nutrition plan. There are definitely some micronutrients that can still be lacking or elements where we need to consume more due to our stressors in or out of the gym. That’s why we have compiled what we feel as the best options for our ninjas. *This is not an end all be all, there are alot of good products out there and some things work, taste, and cost better to someone’s liking.

            The intention of this blog is not to promote one company or brand or even products over one another. Simply, I want to help you to decipher what’s at CrossFit 8 Mile and when or why you’d take it.

 

             Protein

             Unless you’re the Encino man, everybody knows or has heard about protein shakes after workouts. There are phrases out there like “optimize within 45” or “window of gains”. It’s not true that if you don’t have a protein shake or eat immediately after a workout that it was all for nothing. It’s ideal, but not absolutely necessary. We want to quickly replenish the energy stores that we just burned through in our workout. Shakes are easily digestible and break down quickly, providing sugars and protein for recovery. A lot of post-workout labeled proteins will have increased carbs, sugars or recovery agents like glutamine and branch-chain amino acids (BCAAs). At CrossFit 8 Mile that would be SFH’s Recovery or Driven’s PostWOD.

            We also carry Ascent’s Whey protein and SFH’s Pure Whey. These are just like they sound, purely whey protein which studies have found to be the most important part of a post workout shake. These are simpler in origin and also cost less than an advertised “post workout” shake. These are also great for snacks or in between meals.

           We have two other forms of protein on the shelf. Fuel by SFH which is pure whey protein with added fatty acids. Great for mornings for those who don’t eat breakfast or in between meals. It has coconut fatty acids, MCT’s, that help us with our good fats for the day but will also help us stay fuller longer. Lastly, we carry Ascent’s casein protein. The supplement industry has tried for years to find a good tasting casein. It is hard and rare. It typically has a thicker consistency and harder for people to take down. Casein is a slow digesting, longer lasting protein source. It is often consumed at night. I have found it’s great in the form of a pudding to get my evening sweet fix. It can be mixed with regular milk, coconut or almond milk and it is much more enjoyable than traditional casein shakes.

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• Slow Release Protein
• Sustained Release of Amino Acids
• Great night time snack

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• Lots of Flavors
• Most Affordable
• Can be taken anytime

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Post Workout

• Higher Carb & Sugar Count
• Added Recovery Agents
• More Expensive

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Pre-workout

       This is can be helpful on a long exhausting day and can also be dangerous when consumed inappropriately. Pre-workout is a stimulant. Some people are unphased by caffeine because they’ve had 5 cups of coffee every day for the last ten years. Caffeine, like alcohol, can be a drug. It is addicting and can create withdrawal symptoms if you over consume and then stop cold turkey. I’m not trying to scare you! Symptoms of too much caffeine can be jittery, shaking, nervousness, or heart palpitations. Withdrawal of caffeine can be, but not limited to, headaches and adrenal fatigue. Some pre-workouts have beta-alanine which is that “cracked-head”, skin tingling feeling. Simple fix to that feeling is to start working out! If the products you take have it (Driven PreWOD) and you get that sensation, then take it closer to your workout time.

        A lot of people do not need to be taking pre-workout. People have been doing physical exertions for thousands of years without it. I typically recommend new athletes to not take it for a little while. For the caffeine junky, or night-shift nurses who need a little extra bump in energy, we offer a few things. We have a Ascent’s Pre-workout which is in the lower end of caffeine and great for most people who are sensitive to stimulants. It has 140 mg of caffeine which is around a typical cup of coffee (100-150 mg). Along with Ascent’s powder there is also Formula O2 which is a non-carbonated drink containing 140 mg of caffeine as well. For that constant coffee consuming junkie, Ascent’s product may have no effect. Driven’s PreWOD has beta-alanine and 300 mg of caffeine. I consider this a heavy hitter for pre-workout. Matching the 300 mg of caffeine is also a can of Bang which is popular in every style of gym around. It comes in so many flavors and carbonated that people consume them at all times of the day out of enjoyment!

        If you are new to the pre-workout game, tread lightly and slowly. Know what you’re taking and how you should feel from it. There are alot of products out there that I do not consider safe to take for your form of fitness. If you have questions, ask a coach! That’s why we are here.

 

Miscellaneous

       Now there is a handful of products that don’t fall into the previous two categories but have a place in your health and wellness. A lot of these products can be found in many places and can be just as good. Things to look at are concentrations and dosing.

      Fish Oil: We like SFH’s liquid fish oil because it has a high concentration per serving of EPA and DHA of omega 3’s. These are the important ones. Cheap fish oils are filled with a ton of AHA which is not going to help our body with inflammation like EPA and DHA will. With SFH’s concentration of EPA and DHA we only have to take it once a day. Cheaper brands and products could have you taking 6-9 capsules per day to meet that desired threshold of 3-5 grams.

     ZMA: Zinc and magnesium have a couple of therapeutic applications. Driven’s ZMA product is called R&R. It’s often taken at night time before going to bed. It can help aid in a longer, deeper sleep where we get the best recovery for our body. It has the side of effect of more vivid dreams (Like Free Netflix!) and a little more stool in the AM.

    Joint Health: Driven has a product called FLEX which has joint health agents that doctors have been prescribing for years in the forms or glucosamine and chondroitin. This can be consumed any time of the day and is more of a consistency and accumulation effect rather than immediate.

   Fuel for Fire: This can be explained in four words. Baby food with protein. This is a quick source of protein and simple sugars if you’re running on empty and are starving before or after a workout. This is some quick calories without filling your belly before a workout.

    Last but not least, WATER……you’re probably not drinking enough. Jamie of JustFit nutrition wrote an entire blog about this, its that important!

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